Ouroboros

by TomorrowHeart

When Chloe convinces Max to make things right, something strange happens, resulting in a new beginning and a chance at a life together. With everything seemingly "fixed," the two are ready to live normal lives. Lots of fluffy "Adventures of Max and Chloe with friends" with a bit of "dealing with things" thrown in. [Artwork credit to MaiQueti! Links to her art in my profile!]

75. All Of Everything, Erased

For a while, the only sound in the room was the sporadic, muffled plip plop of blood drops in the carpet. But it wasn't long before the blood dried, leaving nothing but a hungry, overbearing silence. There were other noises. The insulated patter of feet or laughter from the other occupants of the dorm. The whimsical tune sung by a small choir of birds outside. But these noises were limping, too weak to actually reach Max's room. Too weak to mean anything. They didn't count. Only the blood mattered, and now even that was gone.

Max stared at the red splotch on her floor. It blurred in and out of focus, her eyes not quite able to decide how much they wanted to acknowledge it. A tremor skipped through her thigh, warning her that her leg may soon go numb. Parts of her still throbbed and ached from the other Max's assault, making her feel even heavier than she already did. So heavy that it seemed she was being pulled to the floor. She rearranged herself, then slowly lowered her body to the ground. Her eyes closed.

Maybe now she could finally sleep...

She heard a soft thud behind her, and then another. Someone getting down on their knees. She idly wondered if she actually could recognize Chloe just by the sounds of her body and how they interacted with the world. Footsteps were easy enough. The ground practically thanked her when she stepped on it. The way her muscles loosened when she stretched in the morning? Max had that memorized, too. And if a chair squeaked a certain way, she'd be able to tell that Chloe was the one sitting on it.

She just loved her so, so much.

"Max..." she heard Chloe whisper, then felt the girl's arms slide across her back. She thought she might be pulled off the floor and into her embrace, but instead she felt weight along the left side of her body as Chloe lay down beside her. Breath fluttered against her ear. "Max?"

"Uh huh?" Max responded, still seeing only darkness.

"What do we do?" she asked. Then Max felt her lips on her shoulder. "I'm scared..." The speech sank through Max's shirt, nestling against her skin. Even with how bleak the words were, it was the warmest sensation.

"I don't know," she said. She gave herself over to the rise and fall of Chloe's chest, letting it dictate her every movement. "I don't know anymore."

"Okay..." Chloe replied, still whispering. "Um...so, that was her?"

"Mhm." Max cleared her throat as colors popped and skittered against the black of her eyelids.

Was the carpet always so comfortable? She was convinced she could stay there forever. Just...fall asleep and stay there. She might move to get herself a pillow, but only if she became very desperate. For now, she was content. But then Chloe spoke.

"Did you, uh, see what happened?" she asked. There was hurt in her voice, but also some sheepishness, like maybe she was ashamed or even embarrassed. She shifted, and Max felt warm, wet spots along her neck. Blood or tears. No matter how much everything else changed, those two things remained constant. But again, the blood was dry, and so she knew they were tears. Max took a deep breath, then rolled over and opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said, almost inaudibly, "I am so, so sorry, Chloe." She traced a half-circle under Chloe's eye with her thumb, clearing the tears off her cheek. "I don't know what to say... I just feel like..." she trailed off.

Feel like I failed you.

"I didn't know," Chloe continued, her voice quivering, "I didn't know it'd be like that. I didn't know it'd be so...horrible." She shook her head just enough for it to be noticeable. "For six years, I've dreamed about seeing him again. And then when I finally do..." A soft 'mm' hummed in her throat. "God, the way he said my name. I keep hearing it. It's louder than my own voice."

"You shouldn't have seen that," Max replied, touching their noses together. She could smell the blood that stained Chloe's lips as it mingled with the scent of her own. "You should have never been in that position. You should have never had to make that choice... I knew something might go wrong. I should've stopped you."

Should, should, should.

"No," Chloe said, shaking her head again. She took a deep breath, the sort that comes with clarity, and gave Max a sad smile. "Did you see? I got to hug him."

"I'm...glad, Chlo," Max sighed, knowing full well that there was far more to it. Far more that would need to be confronted sooner of later. Chloe could pretend... She could even mean it. But it would linger in her like a tumor until the time came to cut it out. Gently, she ran a finger along Chloe's arm.

There was something else she wanted to say, but she wasn't quite sure what. Just...something else. Something to add, something to make it a little less awful. Just like the day before. And the day before that. But it was getting harder to find that something. She couldn't help but feel like her assurances were just becoming excuses. Vague apologies for tearing Chloe's mind apart over and over.

Even if the deepest root of the problem wasn't Max's fault, she was still the only link to the deterioration of time and space. Sure, she may have saved Chloe from a cruel fate at the hands of the Prescotts, but everything since then? It all came back to her.

'You're a problem' the other Max had said.

But even then, she could tell herself she never asked for it. She never meant to break things. It was just an...

'Everything's an accident to you,' Nightmare Max said. 'Do you actually think saying that makes it all okay?'

She tried to shoo the the words from her mind, but they held tight, like little barbs embedded in her heart. No, there had to be something else she could say to help. It was the very core of what she was supposed to do as Chloe's lover. She was supposed to be the one thing, when all else failed, that brought some peace.

The problem was, her tried-and-true pledge of 'I'm here' was starting to sound a lot like a threat.

I'm just...a disease. All I do is hurt her.

"How did we get back here?" Chloe asked, pulling Max from the depths of her thoughts. She was taken aback at first, but then she smiled. She'd almost forgotten she wasn't actually voicing her self-doubt out loud. The way Chloe had asked the question, so oblivious to all of her worry, was such a small but powerful display of sweetness. That's what was really important – no matter what Max thought of herself, as long as Chloe loved her, that was all she needed. "It looks like everything's back to normal..." she added.

"Yeah, I guess we...reset or something," Max said. "Like how something might change colors only for a minute or two, then change back." She narrowed her eyes as she contemplated. "I don't know if I mentioned that to you, but it happened when I came back from seeing the other you. It was like...after noon there but when I came back, it was midnight."

"Huh..." Chloe pursed her lips. "That's...weird. Does that mean when things change back, they're lagging behind? Like stars or something?"

"Oh, I don't know," Max replied with a shrug. "I've never thought about that. I don't...think so. I hope not."

"Me too," Chloe said, "I can't imagine that would help much with everything. With, you know, stability and all." Her eyes angled down and shimmered, focusing on a thought in her head. "Uh, the things she said, do you..." she trailed off.

Usually when someone went pale, it was accompanied by a look of shock or panic. But Chloe's expression didn't change. Her face simply whitened to a sickly complexion. It was the laziest display of dread Max had ever seen.

Somewhere between Chloe talking about William and her own internal lamentation, Max had found brief distraction. Just a small breath of respite from the true gravity of the situation. But now, it was settling back in. Nightmare Max was...there. Physically. Chloe saw her. Before she disappeared, she'd left them a final warning. A warning she was more than elated to deliver. Though she didn't say it explicitly, it carried a very obvious message: Checkmate. I win.

They'd always been under the assumption that they were working against a time limit, but without any way to actually gauge it, it had simply been a vague, far off threat. They'd made the critical mistake of believing there'd always be just enough time, as if disaster would wait for them just long enough to be thwarted. They'd be heroes at the last second, like in some kind of story. But now...?

"Chloe...?" Max said.

"Yeah," Chloe responded quietly, "I...um..."

She remembered all those months ago when she and Chloe first made love. That cleansing feeling of a valve opening and dragging all fear and despair down a drain. It had changed everything. It was like seeing for the first time.

And now, she felt it again. That abrupt pop of a plug being pulled. It was so much uglier than before. Not the opening of a valve, but of an embolism tearing loose. A cyclone sprang up in the already shallow pond of hope and swallowed what little water remained. Such a deranged, violent opposite... It wasn't like seeing for the first time. It was like having her eyes gouged out.

'Tick, tock, tick, tock...'

Max peeled herself off the floor and scooted over to her bed, leaning up against it. Chloe joined her a moment later and Max rested her head on her shoulder. She stared blankly ahead, seeing nothing but the desolate remains of her own mind. There were no racing thoughts of worry, nor were there any cleverly devised plans. There was nothing. Just ruins. The aftermath of a storm.

It was only after a long half hour of utter silence that a single thought managed to ignite, glowing weakly among the rest of spent tinder. She didn't know where it came from or what its significance was. She latched onto it before she fully understood...

"Hey," she said, finally disarming the quiet. Chloe's head snapped in acknowledgment as she was knocked from her own daze.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"I was thinking, uh," Max tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I was thinking we could maybe Skype my parents? Just to say hi."

"Um..." Chloe's eyes fluttered and she picked at a loose thread on her jeans, "yeah. Yeah, that sounds cool. Haven't talked to them in a little while."

"Mhm..." Max slowly rose to her feet and shambled over to her phone. "I'll just send them a text to see if they're available. It's kinda early, I guess."

"Cool, yeah," Chloe nodded. She dragged a finger through the carpet in the shape of a circle, then shrugged. "Would you be interested in having dinner with Joyce and David tonight? Maybe pizza or something, I dunno."

"Yeah, pizza sounds good," Max said. She flashed a brief, awkward smile, then looked down at her phone. "Pizza's good. Maybe dessert, too."

"Definitely," Chloe agreed, "we could pick up some ice cream..." Her nose twitched and she cleared her throat. "Rocky road for me and David, some cookie dough for you." She rocked her head side to side. "Snag Mom a Klondike Bar."

"She'd do anything for one of those," Max chuckled, then wiped one of her eyes with her sleeve. "No, yeah, that's good." She raised her hand to give a thumbs up, then let it drop to her side before it was fully formed. Her phone buzzed, and there was a flash of a frown before she nodded. "Okay, they're good to go. We can... Um, we can call them."

"Kay," Chloe responded, using the bed as leverage to stand.

Max tossed her phone onto the bed, then made her way to her desk and flopped down into the chair. She flipped her laptop open and let out an 'mmn' when she was faced with a dozen tabs filled with search results of the Prescotts. Chloe pulled up a stool and took a seat beside her, then fluffed her hands through her hair.

"Don't bother," Max whispered, closing her eyes as she shook her head, "we can't hide it. Just..." She reached beside her and grabbed a pack of wet wipes, then plucked one out and handed it to Chloe. "Let's just take care of the blood."

"Ah...right," Chloe replied. When she finished dabbing beneath her nose, she took Max's hand and ran her thumb over each of her knuckles.

The call rang for a few seconds, and then an image of Vanessa filled the screen.

"Hi girls!" she greeted, frantically waving at the camera with both hands. "What a lovely breakfast surprise!"

"Hey...Mom," Max said, the words taking longer to form than they should have. "How're you?"

"I'm good, I'm good," she responded. She brought a comically large mug with the words 'pick me up' on it to her lips and took a long sip. "What about you two? You're up so early for a Saturday!"

Max raised an eyebrow and sneakily navigated the mouse to the bottom right corner of the screen, then clicked on the clock. It was Saturday, though she'd swear it was Thursday at the latest. They'd even mentioned class earlier to Victoria. Had they really been dealing with this for almost an entire week?

"Well, you know us," Chloe said with a clunky laugh, "always ready to face a new day."

"Yep," Max added, "we are very productive adults." Her lips quirked to the side when she noticed her mother was looking over them carefully. She forced a smile. "I know that look. Okay, you caught us. We may have been up all night with friends."

"Aha!" Vanessa sat back in her chair and shook her head, 'tsk'ing playfully. "I was going to say... You're both of course always beautiful and nothing can change that but there is something...uh, sleepy about your style today." She glanced to the side, then nodded to herself proudly. "So, this is actually a bedtime surprise."

"I guess it is, yeah," Chloe said, once again trying to tidy her hair. "Um, so, how's your week been? Anything cool?"

"Pfft," Vanessa rolled her eyes, "if you can call manic spring cleaning cool, then sure. I swear, every time you knock a cobweb down, another pops up in its place!" She gave them a very serious look. "I hate them. So, so much." She took another sip, then gestured at them with her mug. "I'm sure you two have had a much more exciting week than me. It certainly seems like it with those bags under your eyes."

"It's been eventful," Max droned, then shook her head, "uh, yeah, it's been pretty cool. School's been boring but other than that, we've been having fun." She now realized she'd missed more classes than she thought, but it wasn't like that particularly mattered at the moment.

"Well, as long as you're keeping on top of your work," her mother said. She turned to someone off camera and beckoned them over. "Grumpy Gus is still half-asleep," she chuckled.

"I am incredibly awake," Ryan grumbled, bending down so his face was in frame. "Good morning, girls."

"Heya Pop," Max responded, lethargically waving at him. Vanessa furrowed her brow and leaned forward.

"Honey, what happened to your hand?" she asked. Annoyed with herself for not expecting it, Max had to actively avoid rolling her eyes.

"Oh, uh, accidentally cut it on a...sharp thing," she said, nibbling her lip. "On some tool in the science lab. I don't know what it's called. Sharp thing."

"It wasn't rusty, was it?" Ryan asked in his best dad voice. Max shook her head.

"I've been taking care of it," Chloe assured, lightly patting Max's hand between hers. "Nurse Chloe's on the job. Promise."

"I'd like to see your credentials," Ryan said, a smirk betraying his attempt at a stern facade. "Okay well, as long as you're keeping an eye on it. If it looks like it's getting infected, get your butt to the doctor. Alright?"

"Yes sir," Max replied, hiding her hand below the desk.

"I really like that rose-gold color your hair gets when it fades a little," Vanessa said, propping her chin up with her hand. "It matches very nicely with Chloe's... Oh!" she giggled, covering her mouth as she did so, "I showed your Aunt Liza a picture of you two from your Facebook."

"Oh yeah?" Chloe summoned a tiny smile. "And how'd that go?"

"It was funny," Vanessa said with an implied 'duh,' "turns out, she didn't know who we were talking about this whole time! But as soon as she saw the picture, she said 'oh, the little blonde girl!'"

"Your facial structure is memorable, apparently," Ryan added. He disappeared for a moment, then he could be seen in the background fiddling with the coffee pot in the kitchen.

"You do," Max said softly, stroking the back of Chloe's hand. The girl reciprocated with a light squeeze.

"So, do you have any plans for today?" Vanessa asked. She glanced over her shoulder at Ryan and pointed to a cabinet, where he was finally able to find whatever it was he was searching for. She turned back to Max and Chloe. "What awaits you two on this lovely Saturday?"

"Lovely?" Ryan called in an incredulous tone. "It's raining!"

"Not in Arcadia Bay," Vanessa shouted, wheeling around again and throwing her hands out. "I checked! Get out of my face!" She angled her brows angrily, following him every step until he was next to her again. He leaned down and kissed her on the head, breaking her ruse. "Hmph, fine."

"Uh, not quite sure yet," Max replied, her throat constricting. She hung her head to the side and studied the way they looked at each other. She wished she'd appreciated how lucky she was to have parents so madly in love with one another. She'd said it before, but they really were something to aspire to. A jagged bundle of emotions welled up inside of her and she let out a barely audible cry. "We haven't decided," she said quickly, brightening her voice.

"Mischief," Chloe said, supplying the answer for Max. "We'll find some kind of trouble to get into. Scout's honor."

"Alright, just keep the bail a reasonable amount," Ryan snickered.

"One promise at a time," Chloe chuckled. She took in a deep breath through her nose, then smiled at the Caulfields. "Have I ever told you guys how awesome you are?"

"I'm not...sure..." Vanessa responded, tapping her index finger to her lips, "I guess you could always remind us."

"Sure," Chloe laughed again, though it came out in two separate chunks. "You guys are awesome. Thank you for like, I don't know, just treating me the way you do. It's so cool. It means a lot to me." Max let out a quiet cough beside her, covering up the single shudder that passed through her. "You're so awesome."

"Well! That was much more..." Vanessa shook her head, flustered, "that was much more lovely than I was expecting."

"For what it's worth," Ryan said, pointing at the camera, "you're awesome, too." He dragged his fingers through his beard, then sighed. "I was trying to think of a cool slang thing to ruin in a very dad way but I'm drawing a blank."

"I think baller," Vanessa suggested, "I hear the kids say that at the center sometimes. Baller is like, super cool." She gave the girls a smug smile. "See, I'm hip."

"Yeah, you are," Max agreed. She bared her teeth in a lackluster grin and gave two thumbs up. Vanessa took another analytical look at her.

"Are your allergies acting up?" she asked, pouting. "You're probably not used to all the pollen down there yet."

"Are my...?" Max clicked her tongue against her teeth in irritation as she swept a tear off her cheek. "Yeah, I guess they must be. I'll pick up some medicine."

"Good!" Vanessa nodded. She glanced down at the corner of the screen. "Well, we won't keep you. We still need to get our yoga routine done, and I assume you two still have to cure your hangovers. So, we'll let-"

"Wait!" Max sat forward, clutching the sides of the laptop, causing both of her parents to jolt. "Uh, wait. Just wait a second. Please?" She turned to Chloe, panicked and wide-eyed. The word 'help' was etched across her face.

"Sure, sweetie," Vanessa said with a bit of concern in her voice, "is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine," Max responded, fumbling over her words, "everything's cool. I just wanted to tell you guys that I love you. Alright?"

"We love you too," Ryan laughed. "I've never seen you so eager to say that before."

"Well, you know, you guys are just..." she took a quick breath and blinked hard, "you're the best. Really, I couldn't ask for better parents. I love you both so much."

"Me too," Chloe said, her voice thinner than Max's. "I love you, too. Thanks again for being so cool and letting me stay over for spring break. I had so much fun."

"Uh...huh..." Vanessa narrowed her eyes and turned to Ryan, lowering her voice to a whisper, "I think they're still drunk."

"Well, either way," Ryan said, laughing even harder, "the sentiment stands. We love you both very much as well."

"It's true and always will be," Vanessa added in a singsong tone. "Like always, you can call us anytime. Now, you two go take a nap." She kissed her palm twice, then blew toward the screen. "Love you!"

"I...I love you, too," Max said, the words strained and piling up in her throat, "I love you. I'll..." She glanced down and sniffled. "I'll talk to you guys later, okay?"

"Sounds good, kiddo," Ryan replied, then he turned his attention on Chloe. "Bye, Chloe. Keep watch on that hand of hers."

"Got it," Chloe said. She rubbed at her temples, then smiled at them. "Catch you later."

The call ended and Max lurched forward, burying her face in her arms. Gasps and squeaks filled the air between her silent, violent sobbing. Chloe wrapped her arms around her and laid her head on Max's shoulder. Then, she began to cry as well.

---

With a great amount of trepidation, they stepped into the dorm hallway. Max sighed in relief when saw that both Kate and Victoria's doors were intact. Her first instinct was to rush over and check on them, but she restrained herself. Victoria had said she was going to spend the morning with Kate and for the time being, that was more important than anything else. It was enough just to know they were safe. For now.

"Whiteboard," Chloe said, pointing to the slate next to Kate's door. "I love her drawings. They're so good..."

"I do too," Max replied, taking Chloe by the hand. She led her down the hall, then came to a stop as Taylor came out of the bathroom. She waved shyly. "Morning, Tay?" She didn't mean to make it sound like a question, but she was still on edge from earlier.

"Blaaah, morning," Taylor said, leaning back and shaking her shoulders so her arms flailed loosely at her sides, "it's too early. It's maybe even three early."

"Yeah," Chloe chuckled, leaning into Max to convey a sense of relief. "It's pretty early. Why are you awake?"

"Because nature is bad," she responded grumpily, "the sun blasted me in the face and then I couldn't get back to sleep. So, I just got up." She paused to think, then cocked her head to the side. "Hey, are you guys cool after the other night? That was kind of crazy."

"Oh, uh, yeah," Max nodded, "we're good. It was a stupid fight. But I won in the end." She winked at Taylor, then nudged Chloe with her elbow.

"Right," Chloe rolled her eyes, "I let you win, but whatever."

"Sounded like you guys were having a cage match," Taylor said, but then she shrugged. "I'm happy everything's okay, though. I don't know what I'd do if you guys broke up. Probably throw myself off a bridge."

"Well, there aren't any bridges around here," Chloe replied with a smirk, "and besides, nothing could ever break us up..." She glanced to the side in contemplation, then nodded to herself. "Yeah, I sorta think we'd know by now."

"Hm," Taylor looked them up and down, "I believe that. Forreal." She yawned and stretched her arms over her head, rocking back on her heels. "Alright well, I'm going to go hold a pillow over my face until I lose consciousness. Maybe hang later?"

"Definitely," Max said. She bunched her shoulders to her ears, then let them go slack. "I was actually thinking we could have a big get together tonight. Like, a planned one? Like...party-ish."

"Oh, hell yeah," Taylor curled both hands into devil horns, "I need to drink! I am so there."

"Awesome. We'll clue you in on the details," Max responded. Taylor bobbed her head, whispered a long 'yesssssss,' and then made her way back to her room. Max turned to Chloe. "Okay, so at least she doesn't hate me. That's pretty nice."

"Yeah..." Chloe looked around her, then leaned close to Max's ear. "Have you noticed anything change yet today?"

"No," Max shook her head, "nothing yet. I'm so used to it now that it's a little...weird without it." She gave Chloe a lopsided smile. "I don't know if that's good or bad. Kind of feels like...I don't know."

"The calm before a storm," Chloe said. Max nodded somberly, then lightly pressed her fingers against her eyes.

"I don't even feel tired anymore," she mumbled, "I just feel heavy. Like someone turned up the gravity."

"I know what you mean," Chloe replied, hooking her arm with Max's. "Come on, let's visit Dana so she can unleash the party plague." She pointed at her room. "Door's open. Does she ever close it?"

Dana was lying on her stomach, feet kicked up behind her as she read from a magazine. Max knocked on the doorframe and she looked up from the pages, smiling when she saw them.

"Hey lovebirds," she teased, "all sexed up and happy?"

"You know it," Chloe responded, roping her arm around Max's shoulders. "All sexed. All happy."

"Good to hear," Dana chuckled, rolling off her bed onto her feet. "I was going to check in on you two yesterday but I couldn't find you."

"We're sneaky," Chloe snickered. "We're like witches. You can only see us if we want you to."

"Is that...a witch thing?" Dana asked, perking an eyebrow.

"I don't know, I just thought it sounded cool," Chloe admitted with a shrug.

"I don't think it's a witch thing," Max added, then turned to Dana and smiled. "Hey, so we were wondering if you wanted to throw a little party tonight? If we can use that dude's apartment, that'd be cool, but we can think of something else if we need to."

"Hmm," Dana rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "a party, you say? I need to think about it."

"Really?" Max asked, somewhat surprised.

"Nah," Dana laughed, "I'd love to hang out! I'm pretty sure we can use the apartment. Last I heard, John was somewhere in Cali just like...chilling. I don't know why he still pays for the place." She scrunched her nose and looked at the floor. "John? Or was it Jim? ...Jeremiah?"

"Oh, cool," Max said, relaxing a bit. "I was hoping you might put the call out? Just send a mass text or something to let everyone know." She rubbed above her eye and snorted. "I think it's Jared?"

"That!" Dana snapped her fingers. "And yeah, I can send the message. Who do you want to invite?"

"Uh..." Chloe puffed out her cheeks, then let the air out, "everyone? You know, our group. Whoever. The town."

"10-4," Dana replied, flopping back onto her bed. "Sounds like a good way to spend a night to me!" She rubbed her hands together mischievously. "What's the plan for tasty treats?"

"We got that covered," Max said, waving the question away.

"All of it?" Dana cocked her head. When Max nodded, she shrugged. "Okay, just let me know what the damage is and I'll make sure everyone pays their share." She pointed at the ceiling and smirked. "I'll make sure baby boy brings some of his goodies, too."

"Nice," Max responded, "whatever we need to make it a good night. We should, uh, really go all out. Have as much fun as we can."

"Uh, duh," Dana snorted, "you say that like that's not what we always do."

"I know," Max said, "just thought I'd stress the point. Really work out that stress, you know?" She let her head bump against Chloe's shoulder and smiled. "Alright, we're gonna head out and grab some supplies. Keep us updated, kay?"

"Yes, yes, I know," Dana laughed, flicking her fingers at them in a shooing motion, "I'll keep you in the loop."

"Right on," Chloe said, taking a firmer hold on Max, "see you later."

---

"Probably at least two thirties," Chloe said, her eyes angled up in thought, "maybe three? Some wine... Probably a handle of tequila? We could even get some limes."

"And soda," Max added. "If we're going to get rum or something, then we need a mixer. Warren doesn't do great with straight liquor. I don't want him to get an upset tummy."

"Oh, good point. I'll make a list when we get in the truck," Chloe responded. She stopped for a moment and looked around the campus, closing her eyes as she took in the smell of spring. "It's such a pretty day, isn't it? It doesn't...make sense."

"I know," Max whispered, threading her fingers between Chloe's. "It feels cruel to...dangle it in our faces like this."

"It's all cruel," Chloe muttered, shaking her head, "every last fucking bit of it. I just wish..." Her eyes caught something across the green and her head drooped to the side. A pitying tune sounded in her throat. "Fuck..."

"What?" Max asked, turning to follow Chloe's gaze. She was met with a sad stab to the heart. "Oh..."

Samuel stood in one of the corners, dragging a broom back and forth on the walkway in a robotic manner. He kept his feet firmly planted and only moved from the waist up, sweeping the same spot over and over. Even from far off, Max could see the morose look on his face.

"Should we...?" Chloe asked, tilting her head in his direction.

"Yeah," Max said, "if this is..." She swallowed the rest of the sentence, then nodded. "Yeah. Let's go talk to him for a minute."

They'd barely gotten within thirty feet of him when he looked up and flinched. The broom slipped from his hands and clattered on the pavement.

"He doesn't look...happy to see us," Chloe murmured as they got closer.

"No, he doesn't," Max replied, coming to a stop. She held a hand up and smiled at him. "Uh, hey, Samuel."

"Hello..." he said, the word sounding as though it had about ten more syllables than it actually did. "Something...happened..."

"It's okay now," Max hushed, inching closer to him. "It's okay. It's gone."

"But the-" he began to say.

"It's okay," Max insisted, "I promise, Samuel. It's alright." She glanced at the broom on the ground. "Do you ever get any rest? It feels like you're always here."

"I..." Samuel closed one of his eyes, as if double-checking something in his own head, "I have a lot to do. There's always a mess. Have to clean them up."

"I think," Max was close enough now to lay a hand on his forearm, though the contact seemed to make him uneasy, "I think maybe today you should relax a bit. You deserve that, you know? Go home, watch some TV. Kick your feet up." She gestured at his worn shoes. "I'm sure they'd appreciate it." When it looked like he might argue, she shook her head. "Please? For me?"

"Yeah, I second that," Chloe said, raising her hand.

"But they said..." a wild glint passed through Samuel's eyes as they darted to the side, "they keep talking about something Samuel doesn't understand."

"Ignore them," Max said, her inflection making it sound like a very polite command, "just...for today? Ignore them." Samuel plucked at one of the fingers on his glove as he considered it.

"Sam-" he closed his eyes again, "I'll try."

"That's all I ask," Max said gently.

"I believe in you," Chloe flashed him an encouraging smile, "I know you can do it!"

"Thank you, Ms. Price," he replied. Chloe deflated a bit and scrunched her lips.

"You can...just call me Chloe, you know?" She waved her hands as she elaborated. "I mean, if you don't want to, it's okay. I just... We're cool. Uh, like...friends. You can just call me Chloe."

"Chloe," he nodded, "yes. Like when you used to come here." He regarded her with sympathy. "Samuel was sorry to see you leave. You deserved more help than you were given. It isn't nice to be written off by others." The way he said it implied he was familiar with the concept. He looked back and forth between the girls. "We're friends?"

"Of course we're friends," Max said. She couldn't help but chuckle. "Wow. I mean, I've been assuming that this whole time."

"I just don't have very many," he admitted, "but Samuel's happy to call you both friends. You're...you're good people." He leaned forward to see more clearly into Max's eyes. "Please, don't ever think otherwise. You are goodhearted." It struck her surprisingly hard.

"Th-thanks, Samuel," she responded, exchanging a glance with Chloe. "I think we maybe needed to hear that."

"Yeah, I definitely did," Chloe said with a snicker. "Thanks, man. Coming from you, it does actually mean a lot."

"Anytime," he replied, giving one of his rare, genuine smiles, "that's what friends are for."

---

Max was just about to open the door to Chloe's truck when she spotted something from the corner of her eye. In a car just a few spaces away, Ms. Waters was bobbing her head and looking down at what was presumably her phone. Max sighed, then turned to Chloe.

"Hey, wait up a sec," she said, "I'm gonna go talk to Maddie really quick."

"Alright," Chloe replied, climbing into the truck, "I'll be here if you need me."

Max made her way over to Ms. Waters' car and gently knocked on the window. Even with as soft as it was, the woman still jolted in her seat and slammed a palm against her chest. She turned to look at Max and mouthed 'holy shit!'

"You've seen Alien, right?" she asked, her breathing heavy as she rolled down the window. "I was so convinced for a second that my chest was going to burst open."

"Sorry," Max chuckled, "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," Ms. Waters laughed, then let her shoulders go slack. "It's good. I need to wake up."

"Well, I'm glad I could help out," Max said. There was a brief, awkward pause, and then she pointed to the car stereo. "So...whatcha listening to?"

"Oh, it's this band..." Ms. Waters twisted the knob to lower the volume, "sorry. It's this band called Liars? Do you know them?"

"No, I've never heard of them," Max admitted.

"You should check them out! I bet you'd like them," Ms. Waters said. The corners of her eyes crinkled in a smile. "Not to make any assumptions, but I'm pretty sure I have your music preferences pegged."

"Yeah, maybe I'll...do that," Max responded, her voice getting quieter as she spoke. She shook the pessimistic thoughts away. "What are you doing here on a weekend?"

"Conference," Ms. Waters replied with a roll of her eyes. "I bet it's only going to take fifteen minutes. Not worth the gas to get here."

"Sounds fun," Max snickered, which escalated into laugh when Ms. Waters rolled her head around in mock frustration. "Sorry, I don't want to hold you up. Just wanted to say hi."

"It's no problem," she said, "I've actually been meaning to talk to you. I know you've missed the past few days..." She looked Max up and down. "You feeling alright?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm feeling a lot better," Max nodded. "It was just some kind of bug or something. Totally good now." She patted her stomach for emphasis.

"Good to hear! We've missed you in class," Ms. Waters responded. She gave Max a knowing smirk. "So, I've talked with some friends of mine. Let them know I might have an apprentice this summer..." She raised an eyebrow as she spoke.

"Oh, awesome! Definitely," Max said, conjuring an authentic smile that lasted half a second before it became counterfeit. "I can't wait. I'm so excited."

"As am I," she said, a hint of pride in her tone, "I feel like... I don't know, a real teacher?" She narrowed her eyes and giggled. "Okay well, you know what I mean."

"A mentor," Max suggested, and Ms. Waters nodded excitedly. "I couldn't ask for anyone better." She frowned, then straightened her back as she fixed a more neutral expression. "It's going...to be great. Uh... Anyway, Chloe's wait for me, so I should...go."

"Oooh, tell her I said hi!" Ms. Waters said. Max nodded, gave a small wave, then dragged her feet back to Chloe's truck.

---

Not much was said on the ride to the Two Whales, save for Max mentioning the new band Ms. Waters had told her about. Chloe replied that they should look into them, but the suggestion was weak and rather hollow. It was really just noise, not meant to be taken as something real to respond to. Once they arrived at the diner, they hopped out of the truck and approached Frank's RV.

"Aren't you ever worried that I'll be naked or something?" Frank asked as he opened the door. "Or, god forbid, not home?"

"Uh...well, I am now," Chloe replied, offering a mild look of disgust. "Do you do that? Walk around the RV with your balls just flapping every which way?"

"No, it was just an example," he said with a gruff chuckle. He turned his attention to Max and nodded. "Hey kid, how's it going?"

"I'm alright," she responded, unable to draw out any exuberance, "and, uh, how about you?"

"Not too bad, actually..." He crossed his arms and grinned. "I got a raise. An actual raise! Praise fuckin' be!"

"Woah, that's awesome, dude!" Chloe punched him softly on the arm. "You totally deserve it. You've been busting your ass for months now." She glanced to the side and prodded the inside of her cheek with her tongue. "That's really great. What...uh, whatcha going to spend your new fortune on?"

"I'm going to buy two fat, juicy steaks," he said happily. He tapped his fingers against the door of the RV and received a single, muffled bark in response. "One for me, one for Pompidou. I'm thinking about asking if I can cook 'em on the grill," he nodded at the diner, "you know, instead of trusting George Foreman with 'em."

"Pompidou...?" Chloe whispered, seemingly not hearing anything beyond that.

"That sounds like a good time," Max said, stealing a glance at Chloe. She'd heard about how Pompidou was victim to the distortions. "I'm sure Pom Pom will love it."

It's not that she wasn't grateful to hear that Pompidou had also returned to his original self, but it did worsen the sense of dread hanging over them. It was like the tide pulling away from the shore, smoothing over any disturbed sand before it crashed back down as a bigger, stronger wave. And it was that anticipation of the next wave, the one she knew was building into something truly catastrophic, that flailed around in her gut and made her palms sweat.

"Oh, I know he will," Frank laughed. He sighed and leaned against the RV. "So, what are you runts up to? Getting into trouble?"

"What? Oh!" Chloe shook herself from her thoughts. "Uh, yeah, actually. We were wondering if you could...you know." She bared her teeth in a precious smile and clasped her hands together. Frank rolled his eyes.

"You know, I only do like...three illegal things anymore, and two of them involve you," he said, then groaned. "Yeah, yeah, I've got you. What do you need?"

"It's...ah, kind of a big list, actually," Chloe admitted, pulling her phone out of her pocket. "So, okay, a bottle of Zinfandel, a bottle of Moscato, we need a thirty of PBR, a thirty of Busch. Um," she looked at Max, "did we say yes on the Corona? I didn't write it down." Max shrugged, then nodded. Chloe looked back down, oblivious to Frank's hanging jaw. "Okay, yeah, a twelve pack of Corona, a fifth of tequila, a han-"

"Woah, woah, woah," Frank waved his hands as he cut her off. "What the hell kind of party are you throwing? Is your whole school going?"

"I told you it was a lot," Chloe replied with a frown. She nervously fiddled with her phone, afraid he might be changing his mind. "I know it sounds like overkill. We just want it to be a big, fun thing. A, uh..."

"A banger," Max suggested, showing off a wide smile.

"I..." Frank let out a chuckle of resignation, "alright, fine. How many more things on the list?"

"Um," Chloe's eyes shimmered as they scrolled along the screen, "five more things. Just five."

"Just five," Frank parroted as he rubbed his temples. "Christ, that's a lot. They're going to think I'm up to something sketchy for sure."

"It's none of their business," Chloe responded. She started fishing in her pocket for her wallet. "It's bad retail etiquette to judge your customers... To their face, anyway." She cracked open the wallet and pulled out a few bills. "Here, two hundred should be enough. You can get yourself something, too." Frank scowled as he took the money from her, holding it away from him like it might be contaminated. "Use your judgment with quality. We don't need top shelf shit, but maybe a bit nicer than usual?"

"Yeah..." Frank looked down at the money in his palm. "You sure? This is a lot of cash. Shouldn't you save it for..." he arched his eyebrow, "uh...schoolbooks?"

"What?" Chloe shook her head as she laughed. "Schoolbooks? I appreciate your optimistic view of my future school career, but trust me, this is cool."

"Alright," he said, shrugging his shoulders, "if you say so. Is this for tonight?" Chloe nodded. "Okay, I'll run and get it in a little bit. Send me that list, there's no way I'll remember it all. And I'll text you later when your order is ready for pick-up."

"Thanks, man," Chloe said, tapping him on the arm with the back of her hand, "you rock."

"Yeah, thank you," Max added. "We'll see you later!"

---

Chloe thrust her head backward before the truck had even fully finished coming to a stop. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose.

"Just so you know, this might be one of those crumble into pieces situations," she said, peeking at Max with one eye.

"I know," Max replied, laying her hand on Chloe's leg. "I've got you. You know that."

"I do." Chloe leaned across the seat, safely taking her spot within Max's arms.

A 'bing!' came from each of their phones, causing both of them to go taut. Chloe mumbled something Max couldn't quite make out, though she understood just from the tone it was a request for her to be the one to look. Chloe sat back up as she wriggled her phone out of her pocket, then Max hesitated. She thought of William's text, then glanced at the clock, unable to shake the feeling that it'd been sent dangerously close to the same time. It wasn't the first time she'd relived a day she had already experienced, but the conditions had been quite different. She swallowed, then lit up the phone screen, letting out a sigh of relief.

Dana: listen up party people! M&C want to get rowdy 2nite. 9pm at the usual spot. attendance is NOT OPTIONAL! RSVP thx :*

"It's just Dana putting out the call," Max snickered. She slid down in the seat a bit, then turned to Chloe. "Hey..."

"Hey you," Chloe responded, giving a small smile. "You gonna get your party girl on tonight?"

"Nah..." Max returned the smile as she shook her head. "Even though I'd love to. I might have a drink or two, but... I mean, you know."

"Yeah," Chloe said, the smile sliding from her face, "yeah, I know. But they'll have fun. I hope, anyways."

"They better," Max snorted, "with as much as you're spending on those brats?" She smirked, took a shaky gulp of breath, then ran a finger under her eye. "God, they're such brats, aren't they?"

"Totally," Chloe replied with a quiet, feathery laugh, "they're like little gremlins."

"Our little gremlins," Max cooed softly. Her eyes clamped shut, then she heaved forward with a whimper. Chloe reached for her, but her head snapped back up. "I'm okay," she said, wiping her eyes once again. "I'm alright."

Text alerts trickled in over the next few minutes and Max was happy to see there had yet to be a 'no.' She wasn't quite sure what she'd do if people didn't want to come.

Trevor: yuh

Taylor: already said Id be there!

Justin: yuuuuuh

Brooke: I'm free.

Max clutched her phone a little tighter when Victoria's text came through stating both she and Kate would be there. Though she knew everything had reset back to normal, it had still been nagging her that she didn't see either of them with her own eyes. She was just about to send a response when a selfie of her and Warren filled up the screen. A wistful tune spun around her as the phone rang.

"It's him," she said, holding the phone out for Chloe to see. They'd prepared for this particular obstacle. "You remember the plan?"

"Yep," Chloe replied, sitting up straight. "Put it on speaker. We can fumble through any improv."

Max made a thoughtful 'hm,' then answered the call.

"Hey Warren," she said, keeping her eyes locked with Chloe's.

"Okay so," his voice lilted through the receiver, "I'm a touch confused. A party? You two want to have a party?"

"Yeah, dude," Chloe responded casually, shrugging as if he might be able to sense it. "Also, hi."

"Hi...?" Warren said and Max could perfectly picture the bewildered look on his face. "I'm sort of hoping you guys understand why I'm confused. I'm not...crazy, right?"

"No, you're not crazy," Max assured. "I know it seems kind of nuts, but we actually have reason to celebrate." Chloe nodded to show her support, then leaned closer to the phone.

"After you left, me and Max decided to take a nap, too," she said, "and I had another dream."

"You did?" Warren asked, worry thick in his tone. "Fuck. Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm better than alright!" Chloe said, injecting some elation into her words. "The dream was really fuzzy and weird, but it wasn't like any of my other ones. It was just sort of nice and...I don't know, maybe like the one Prescott wrote about?"

"Woah... Really?" He seemed appropriately awestruck.

"Yeah dude, really," Chloe responded, forcing even more joviality. "It was so crazy but way cool. And I didn't really know what was happening, but I just felt like things were okay. When I woke up, I didn't have a nosebleed or anything."

"And all the changes were gone!" Max added, the somber look on her face clashing with her energetic tone. It was quiet for a beat, though she'd swear she could actually hear him thinking.

"Uh...wait, what?" he finally asked. "So like... What does that mean?"

"It means we fucking party hard," Chloe shouted, adding a 'woo!' for extra flair.

"What in the..." Warren sighed and formed his next question with caution. "You guys aren't...lying to me, right?" Max glanced away, knowing she didn't need to hide her shame.

"Warren," she said, "do you really think we'd be ignoring everything to hang out with friends if it was still an issue?"

"Well, no," he admitted, "I guess I just think it sounds...too good to be true." At that, Chloe nodded, sending a guilt-ridden look at Max.

"Hey, you know what they say about gifted horses," she chuckled. "For real, who cares? After everything we've gone through, I'm sure as hell willing to take the fix for this shit, no questions asked."

"I..." He let out a quiet grunt that seemed to signal surrender. "Okay, you're right. It just seems too good to be true," he repeated, "but all of that kind of seemed too bad to be true, too, so I guess it evens out." There was another break of silence. "What do we do about Sean, then?"

"Uh..." Max squinted at Chloe. It wasn't one of the questions they'd thought of ahead of time. "Honestly, not too sure yet. Something, definitely, but we have to think about it."

"Let us know if you think of anything," Chloe added. "Use that big brain of yours."

"Okay, I will," Warren said. "So...wow, alright then, I guess I'll see you guys tonight? I think I could really use a drink...or nine."

"Absolutely," Max responded, "don't be late! We can talk more in person."

They exchanged goodbyes and Max ended the call, a frustrated growl following the beep of the button press. She dropped the phone into her lap and covered her face.

"I can't fucking believe this," she said, pressing her hands hard into her eyes, "I can't believe we're doing this. I swore... I mean, I made you swear that you wouldn't g-"

"Max," Chloe pulled one of her hands away from her face, "please, don't do that. You know it's...more than that. We're just being careful."

"I just feel like I failed," she replied, thumping her head against the window, "I let everyone down. I let you down. It hurts so bad."

"It's okay to take today to do this," Chloe said, "I think it's okay. We deserve that much." She fluttered her fingers together anxiously and peered through the window. "Hey, I know this doesn't help, but I'm not doing so hot either. But...I really do think we should be allowed to have this."

"Yeah, I know, it's just..." she shook her head and sighed, "it can be hard to feel like I deserve anything right now." She watched as Chloe hunched forward and looked through the windshield again, this time pursing her lips. "Sorry, I'm getting us off track. Are you...ready?"

"As ready as I can be," Chloe responded, drumming her palm off the steering wheel before opening the door. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go."

---

Max stared up at the sign above the entryway and couldn't help but feel it wasn't quite as nice as it should be. Really, anything would be a step up from the haphazard, stenciled on lettering that followed the arch. Beside her, Chloe shifted uneasily.

"This one is hard," she admitted, her voice low and wavering as if she might be sick. "After...earlier. This one is really, really hard."

"I know," Max responded, taking Chloe by the crook of her elbow. "Do you want to visit her first?"

"Yeah, I think so," Chloe said, holding her hand against her stomach, "I need to work up to it."

Max nodded, then began to lead Chloe along the gravel path. There was always something a little different about the air in the cemetery. It wasn't heavier or especially sad. It was just different.

At some point, Chloe took the lead, keeping hold of Max as they wound through the maze of tombstones. She kept her gaze ahead the whole time, never once needing to check if they were heading in the right direction. It seemed like she'd be able to navigate her way through the graveyard with her eyes closed and Max could only think about how no one should have to develop such a skill. Eventually, Chloe came to a stop and released a heavy sigh.

"Welp," she said. She gave Max a small smile, but all it did was accentuate the signs of exhaustion in her features. Then she looked down at the gravestone. "Hey there, Rach."

"Hi, Rachel," Max added, resting her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"So, uh, we wanted to stop by," Chloe explained, lazily waving her hand through the air, "just to check in, you know? Make sure you're holding down the fort and all that." She scanned around her and nodded. "Seems like you're keeping things in line. That's good. Don't want to let any zombies start shit."

"Yeah, definitely not," Max said quietly. She felt Chloe's head against her own, then the hold on her hand tighten.

"We're not really sure when we'll be able to come back," she whispered. A tiny winding sound rattled in her throat as she thought. "Or, um, if we'll be able to come back. So we wanted to make sure we had the chance to say..." She stopped and her eyebrows angled in annoyance. "How many times do I have to say goodbye to you? And to...?" Her eyes began to stray to another section of the graveyard before snapping back to Rachel. "Every time I think I'm done, I have to do it again."

Max remained silent. She'd grown to care for Rachel in her own way, and she certainly loved William, but this wasn't for her. She'd speak when she thought it appropriate, but her goal, first and foremost, was to make it easier for Chloe. To be there for her.

"So, I guess there's no harm in telling you this," Chloe continued, "but we're in kind of a rough spot. It's not looking...great." She scratched at her hair in frustration. "We're going to try. We are. But it's hard. It's just a lot to ask. It's...not fair." She spun Max around and draped her arms over the girl's shoulders, then kissed her on the temple. "Max is getting really beat up," she said, her breath hot against Max's ear. "It's fucking killing me, man. It hurts like hell." Max opened her mouth to speak, but Chloe beat her to it. "So...I don't know. I still don't know if you're like, uh, around or what's going on with anything but if you can somehow manage to help her out? I'd really, really appreciate it."

Max closed her eyes and reached above her, cupping Chloe's cheek. She did wish Chloe would at least include herself when she said those sorts of things. It wasn't just Max that needed help. They both had to be okay. But Chloe always had a habit of phrasing things like she wasn't planning on being around.

"We, uh, we kind of found out some stuff about your death," Chloe said. She was gently rocking side to side, her hands clasped against Max's stomach. "I dunno. Like, we're not really sure you could have done anything to stop it. Turns out, there's some...really weird shit going on." She 'hmm'd' softly and perched her chin on Max's shoulder. "Hey, Max?"

"Mhm?" Max angled her head to the side so she could see Chloe.

"Did I ever tell you about the time Rachel talked me into trying shrooms?" she asked, a smile audible in her voice.

"What?" Max snorted. "Oh my god, no. How have you not told me about that?"

"I'm not sure..." Chloe snickered, then pointed at Rachel's tombstone. "Okay, so like, she came up to me one day all crazy excited and waving this little baggie around. I think we were like...sixteen, right?"

"Uh huh..." Max couldn't help but chuckle a bit louder.

"So, she presents these shriveled up..." Chloe paused and scrunched her nose, giving Rachel's grave an incredulous look, "they looked like fucking potpourri. So gross." She rolled her eyes, then made an exaggerated frown. "Anyway, she convinced me to do it because I'm an idiot. But we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into."

"That sounds like your style, yeah," Max said, jostling Chloe playfully.

"You love that about me," Chloe protested, then giggled. "Alright so, just picture me at...oh, I don't know, 2PM in the fucking afternoon just losing my fucking mind." She swiped her hand through the air as if casting magic around them. "Dude, I've never thought so many things were moving that were absolutely not moving. I was like, waving to trees and shit."

"I really wish I was there to see that," Max replied. "I could create an entire photo series about you two tripping out."

"Well, that's the thing," Chloe said, "Rachel did not have as fun of an experience as I did. She had a baaaad trip. She was freaking the fuck out."

"Oh no," Max pouted, reading over the engraved name on the stone, "the poor thing. And it was her idea, too."

"I know, right?" Chloe trailed three kisses along Max's neck, then smiled. "Long story short, I had to somehow calm her down while I was also tripping like shit. It was such a mess. Cut to like, a few hours later, and we're sitting in the junkyard just like, completely dazed and coming down." Chloe puckered her lips and made a contemplative sound. "It was the first time I'd ever seen her completely lose it. Up until then, she was always so slick and composed and...I don't know, like nothing could ever phase her."

A breeze swept over them, rustling the long blades of grass that grew over Rachel's grave. Max hated that the first time she'd ever seen her was on a missing person poster that Chloe had to make herself. She should've been able to meet her in person. It wasn't right.

"I remember how special I felt that I could see her like that," Chloe said quietly. "I mean, it sucked for her and everything, but it felt like I was finally 'allowed' to know another part of her. You don't really get to have that connection with many people..." Her arms tightened around Max. "Well, I did kind of luck out. I have a few people like that now. I just...wish Rachel was still one of them." She sighed wistfully, then shrugged. "Anyway, the reason I thought of that was just because of the weather? It was a lot like this. Cool and breezy but still warm. And there's that smell of fresh cut grass... Sort of just hit me with some nostalgia."

"It sounds like a great memory," Max responded. She hesitated, then smiled. "I used to be so jealous of you," she said, directing the words at Rachel, "you have no idea. I was so scared I'd never be able to live up to you." Chloe turned to her with furrowed brow, but Max giggled her concern away. "But really, I'm just so thankful you were here for Chloe. I can't thank you enough."

"I actually think she was jealous of you," Chloe chuckled. "She probably thought the same damn thing. That she'd never be able to compare to the illustrious Max Caulfield."

"I think that means we'd be good friends," Max said. She nibbled her lip, then nodded to herself. "Yeah, definitely. I have a habit of turning mutual insecurity into friendship glue. And I think... I don't know. It feels like I know her and I've never met her."

"She sort of had that effect," Chloe replied, shuffling both her and Max forward a few steps. "It was kind of like she just put out this energy. Like she covered more ground when she walked than she actually did." She paused, then touched her nose to Max's cheek. "I hate that I just used energy in that way."

"Very New Age of you," Max laughed.

When her laughter trickled to a stop, they were encased in quiet contemplation. They both looked before them at Rachel's tombstone, each offering their own silent thoughts. For Max's part, she simply reiterated many of the things she'd already said before. She wished she had more to offer, but there were only so many things she could say to someone she'd never met. It took Chloe a bit longer to get through everything she wanted to express.

"Okay," she said, exhaling slowly, "okay. I think...I'm good." The corners of her mouth were pulled up in a severe cringe. "For the next thirty seconds or so, anyway. Do you...want to head over there?"

"Sure baby," Max responded, bumping her head softly against Chloe's shoulder.

Just like before, Chloe led them through the twists and turns of tombstones without a trace of hesitation. When they came to a stop, she gulped audibly.

"Alright, so..." she curled and uncurled her fingers, grasping at the frayed ends of her nerves, "I'm going to uncork all my bottled up bullshit, okay?" Her lip was already quivering. Max gave a slight nod, bracing herself. Chloe swallowed again, wiped her hands on her pants, then...burst into tears. Deciding to cut out the middleman, she took a seat in the grass.

"It's okay," Max whispered, sitting beside her.

"I know, I know," Chloe replied, her words chopped up by desperate gulps of air, "I got this. I can do it..." She blew out a strong gust of breath, causing her lips to flap as she tiled her head back. "I got this." Her head lulled forward and she stared at the gravestone in front of her. She snuffed out a building whimper and straightened her back. "Hi...Dad. Long time no see, huh? Well, kinda..." She glanced at Max, then widened her eyes as she pursed her lips. "So, I don't know. If we're really going to go this route of there being an afterlife and you actually hearing me, then I guess you'd probably already know about earlier."

Another sweet breeze passed over them, and Max chose to believe it was response.

"I'm...I'm so, so sorry," Chloe said, squeezing her eyes shut tight as tears ran down her cheeks. "God, I'm so sorry. I hope you don't hate me. Please, don't hate me..."

"Chloe," Max scolded, tugging on the girl's hand. She didn't mean to speak up. It was just an automatic response. She was even going to apologize for interrupting, but instead she tugged her hand once more. "Don't you dare say that."

"But you saw what happened," she replied, flailing her hand out toward William's name. "You saw it, Max. He was in so much pain. Like he was being tortured."

"I know that," Max said, making her tone softer, "but you can't...do that to yourself." She scooted closer so that their legs were touching. "He wouldn't hold it against you. He'd understand. I don't think William had a spiteful bone in his body. Especially not one he'd direct at you."

"I just..." Chloe sobbed, covering her face with her hands, "fuck! I just can't stop picturing him banging on the roof of his coffin and trying to get back to us. And then he finally did. He finally made it. And I..." Her jaw went taut as she bared her teeth in a snarl. "I don't know. I don't know! I just," she turned to fully face Max, "I feel like a fucking grenade or something. Everything I touch just gets fucked! It breaks or dies or leaves!"

"But that's not true," Max argued. Chloe shook her head very seriously.

"No, it most definitely is," she corrected, flinging her feet out in front of her so her heels dug into the dirt. "I started to think it wasn't. I really did. I thought things were going great but now it's so easy to see that they never were." She tapped her fingers between her brows angrily. "I'm so stupid."

"Where is this coming from?" Max asked, surprised. She knew Chloe was going to have a breakdown that they'd need to get through, she'd literally planned it after all, but Max didn't quite expect it to take this direction.

"I mean," Chloe coughed out an ugly chuckle, "Dad died, you left, Rachel was going to leave but she died before she could. Failed out of school, failed at being a good daughter, failed at running away..."

"Wait, wait," Max got onto her knees and leaned in to stare into Chloe's eyes, "what...is going on with you? What is this?" She was more confused than anything. It was like she was talking to the Chloe from October.

"I told you," Chloe said, a hint of bitterness in her voice, "I was uncorking the bottle. It's a big fucking bottle." Her face had turned a deep pink from her crying. "But it's easy, okay? After everything, when we came back and got together, I started to believe it was okay. That it wasn't my fault." She rubbed her hands together as if she were trying to warm herself up. "But now look at it. The fucking world is ending."

"Chloe, that's not...your fault," Max replied, feeling a pang of guilt. "It's mine. You know that. I'm the one with the power."

"Mm," Chloe gave her a dry look, "and when did you get that power?"

"What?" Max asked, even though she fully understood Chloe's meaning.

"Oh come on, you and I have both said it a million times," Chloe responded. She sneered and peeled away a lock of hair that had been wet by her tears. "It sounds so romantic. We're destined to be together so you seeing me get shot activated some kind of god power that let you save me. And now, hey," she nodded at William's tombstone, then gestured around her, "we're doing pretty well for ourselves." She looked at Max again, her eyes pleading for her to understand. "I used to do so much shit knowing that it would only make things worse. Like, intentionally causing trouble. But I also do it when I'm not even trying. All of this, all of this fucking time shit, is my fault because I have a superpower, too. Superpower selfishness."

Max stared back at her, wide-eyed. There was so much pouring out of Chloe. Things she'd been holding onto for years and years. She'd alluded to it all. Mentioned it just enough to give the illusion that she'd dealt with it. But she never really had and now the circumstances had finally caused her to break.

And yet, all Max could do was summon a small smile. Chloe recoiled away from her, caught off-guard by the reaction. She looked as though she couldn't decide whether she should be furious or embarrassed.

"Oh, Chloe," Max said, reaching for her cheek. She rocked onto her knees, then pressed the girl's head against her chest. "We are so...so stupid."

"What?" Chloe responded, her voice sharp against Max's heartbeat.

"First of all," Max whispered, "don't pretend like you're mad at me. I know you better than that." She sighed, then snickered. "You know, it's probably been less than three hours since I was thinking the exact same thing you're saying, only about myself."

"What?" Chloe repeated, this time much gentler.

"Oh yeah," Max backed away and cupped Chloe's face in her hands, "I was like...this is all my fault. I'm torturing Chloe. I'm the worst thing in the world for her. It's all my fault. All of it."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Chloe asked, tilting her head.

"Because you did," Max replied, exhaling a quiet laugh through her nose. "You just started talking about something else and I realized I was the only one thinking about it. It wasn't even a blip on the radar for you."

"Of course not," Chloe said, shaking her head to show how ridiculous she found it, "I don't know why you'd think that..."

"Really?" Max allowed a bit of snark into her voice. She smiled, then sat back down and looked over William's plot. "I have never thought of you with anything other than adoration. You're just...mine. My perfect match. And I can promise William would never think a single bad thing about you, either. I actually can make that promise, Chloe."

"I...I don't know, Max," Chloe shrugged and hung her head. "It's not that easy. Not for me. I have a pretty extensive history of just...wrecking everything around me."

"You've carried this with you for a really long time, haven't you?" Max asked.

"Ever since..." Chloe reached forward and slid her hand across the grass, sheepishly peeking up at William's name. Max made a thoughtful sound, then planted her palms behind her.

"William," she said, and Chloe began to nod but stopped when Max kept talking, "what are we going to do with her? She's just so hopeless, isn't she?"

"Hey," Chloe mumbled, bumping against Max.

"If you have any tips for how I can convince her that she's awesome, I'd be very grateful," Max continued, ignoring Chloe's protest. She turned her head and cupped a hand near her ear. "Oh, I know, believe me. I love her, too. I just wish she'd love herself. Do you think she's maybe not allowed to know how great she is? She'd become way too narcissistic?"

For a moment, Chloe looked as though she might ask Max to stop. But instead, she brought her knees to her chest and simply listened.

"Life is...it's not fair," Max said softly, "you were taken from us and it's been hard for a lot of people. It's been especially hard for her." She smiled and blinked hard, sending tears down her face. "But even as bad as it's been, she still turned out so amazing. Isn't she so strong?" Max's smile widened to show her teeth. "I've told her this a million times and I know it means a lot to her, but I think if you could say it too, it'd help..."

Rather than continuing, Max went quiet and let her request linger in the air around them. She watched the new, exceptionally green leaves on the trees flutter in the calm wind. Even if it was the end and everything was going to go away, she'd at least want Chloe to find some inner peace. She hated the thought of Chloe dying in that bathroom believing all of those terrible things about herself. So, if ever there was a time to heal, it was now.

"I know," Chloe whispered, muffling her words against her knee.

"Hm?" Max turned to her, devoting all of her attention to the girl.

"I know he'd be proud of me," Chloe said, "and I know that he'd hate to hear me be so negative about myself." She wobbled back and forth, then moved her hair out of her eyes again. "Maybe it made it easier to hate myself if I pretended everyone else did, too? I don't know. It's...hard to do that now."

"I'd imagine," Max snickered. She rubbed her hand along Chloe's back. "I try my best to make it that way. Plus, I have a whole lot of people backing me up." Max sighed and took Chloe's hand. "Chlo, why didn't you ever talk to me about this?"

"I mean, like I said, I thought it was better," she responded. "We kinda have talked about it, just in different ways. I guess I just did a good job of hiding it from myself."

"Well..." Max contemplated whether she should keep going, then nodded to herself, "you know, there is something we never really talked about. Maybe a little bit here and there, but...not really." Chloe looked at her curiously. "Well, we've talked about, um, me going back through the photo at the lighthouse. But I never asked you about why you gave me the photo."

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

"You could have just...not done it," Max said. "I would have never realized, you know? I didn't even know you had it with you. But you gave it to me and asked me to go back. You chose to do that. You believed you would die and you chose to save everyone." She gave Chloe a knowing look. "And don't you tell me it was because you didn't care about yourself. I saw how hard it was for you. You didn't want to."

"Of course I didn't want to," Chloe replied, "but like, what else are you going to do in that situation? Anyone else would do the same thing." Max raised her eyebrows, genuinely surprised at the statement.

"You...believe that, don't you?" she asked. When Chloe only shrugged, Max smiled warmly. "You should...really take a minute to think about what that means." Max lowered her head and looked up at Chloe with a doe-eyed stare. "You can be kind of dense when it comes to giving yourself a pat on the back, but come on, even you have to be able to see how you're practically a saint."

"I never thought about it," Chloe admitted, picking at another blade of grass. "It just seemed like the right thing to do."

"Uh huh..." Max took Chloe's hand into her lap and prodded her fingertips, "listen, I just..." She gnawed at the inside of her lip and shook her head, suddenly overcome with dark thoughts. "I don't think I know how to talk about the future anymore. I just...nod and smile when people talk about their plans. I wish I knew what was going to happen. I wish I could...have more hope." She scowled and smacked a hand to her cheek. "I'm sorry, this is supposed to be about William."

"No," Chloe slipped her fingers under Max's jaw and tilted her head up, "this is about everything. It's about Dad, but it's about me and you and everyone else, too. There's a lot to deal with. Like just...packing up before a move." It was an especially stark comparison for Max.

"Just promise me," Max blinked away her tears, very aware of how she and Chloe had been trading them back and forth, "promise me that no matter what, we're together. Okay? If the opportunity presents itself...I don't want you to be a saint this time. Even if it means fixing everything."

"I promise," Chloe replied, though she did hesitate, "we're a package deal."

"Okay." Max sniffled and touched her fingers to her cheeks, feeling the warmth of blood so close to the surface of her skin. She finally looked back at William's grave. "I do wish he was here to give some advice. Or even a dad joke. He had a million of those."

"Yeah, Dad was quite the comedian," Chloe's laugh was soft and low. "You know, I never really thought about it until I started talking to your parents again, but they're like...aware of how bad those jokes are. I always thought they actually found them funny."

"I think they do," Max responded, digging into her pocket to retrieve her phone, "but I think the real comedy is in our reactions. It's like a secret punchline..." She opened the browser on her phone and tapped away in the search bar.

"What are you looking for?" Chloe asked.

"I'm looking for... there!" She held the phone out for Chloe to see. "I found a list of the best dad jokes. Or, I guess 'best' is kind of subjective, but..." She nodded at William's tombstone. "Do you think he'd...um, maybe want to hear some?"

"Yeah," Chloe said, smiling as she started to cry again, "I think he'd like that."

---

On the way out of the cemetery, Chloe received a text from Joyce agreeing to the family dinner. She hadn't seen much of the girls in the past week, so the message came across as notably enthusiastic. It instilled another sense of relief, as they were afraid she or David might be busy with work. If nothing else, they could at least say they were on a streak of good luck when it came to the day's plans.

It was still early, so rather than head to the store right away, they decided to drive around a bit and stop to admire various locations of Arcadia Bay.

The first, naturally, was the lighthouse. They sat on the bench overlooking the water, taking in the view of the glistening waves. They didn't reflect on their situation, instead opting to talk of more casual, uplifting things. Max pointed out all the different things that would contribute to a good photo. As always, Chloe listened intently and asked technical questions about the process. Max appreciated how she always tried to participate in photography talk despite it being rather far from her wheelhouse.

Next, they made their way to a pond that straddled the border of Arcadia Bay. As small as the town was, there were still some places that held an air of newness to them. Sure, they'd passed the pond many, many times but they never thought to pay it any mind until they followed Frank there one day. He sat himself there on the bank and brought out a fishing rod smaller than appropriate for a man of his size. After seeing that the only things he managed to reel in were gobies and the occasional sunny, the girls asked why he didn't just fish in the bay. He'd told them it was something he used to do with his father as a child, and that it was much less about catching 'worthwhile' fish and more about relaxation. Since then, they'd returned there both with and without him.

The route to and from the pond required them to pass by the Pan Estates lot, and they were compelled to stop for a moment and take it in. Looking at it in broad daylight made their break-in seem like it'd happened a million years ago. It was strange to only see a group of isolated, normal buildings but know that beneath the dirt was the lair of a demon wearing the face of a man.

After that, Max gently suggested they visit the junkyard, but Chloe waved the idea away. She told Max that there was no need, that there was nothing there for her anymore. Max was surprised to hear how level Chloe's voice was when she said it. There was no uncertainty behind it. She even smiled, proving that she really meant it.

Finally, they headed to the little grocery store. They went up and down each aisle multiple times, first to round up supplies for the party, and then to pick out candy and snacks for themselves. The last thing they procured was the ice cream they had spoken of earlier in the day. Max admitted that Victoria had invited her to get some a few days ago and she'd secretly been craving it since. With several bags worth of goodies, they made their way to Chloe's house.

When they arrived, they found Joyce and David in the living room watching television. They greeted them quickly as Chloe stored the ice cream in the freezer, and she sighed happily when she saw Joyce's hair had returned to its normal length. Then, they disappeared upstairs.

"Do you...think we can get away with taking one together?" Max asked, glancing at the door of Chloe's room. "Just to get it done quicker?"

"Uh, I mean," Chloe tossed her a towel and shrugged, "is that where you want to draw the line on our whole 'go out with a bang' theme we have going on today?" She giggled and rolled her eyes. "Besides, as hot as I think you are, I really am more interested in getting clean. How long has it been since we had a shower?"

"I have no idea..." Max turned her head and sniffed herself, then frowned. "Yikes, that's ripe. I'm surprised you haven't had a clothespin pinched over your nose this whole time."

"Don't worry," Chloe laughed, gesturing at herself, "I've been too busy cringing at my own filth. Huh..." She furrowed her brow and placed a hand on her hip. "You know, none of our friends have made a single comment about how nasty and tired we look. I'm starting to second guess every time I've ever asked them if I had something in my teeth."

"Well, I guess Victoria, Taylor, and Dana are the only ones who would actually point it out," Max responded, nodding in the direction of the bathroom before starting toward it. Chloe grabbed a few articles of clothing, then followed her. "Vic was too freaked out, Taylor was too tired..."

"Dana has no excuse," Chloe said with false sternness, "what a damn traitor." She closed the door behind her and shook her head. "Maybe I should call her out tonight. Just to give..." She trailed off, watching as Max removed her shirt.

"What's that look for?" Max asked with a little smile.

"Like you don't know," Chloe snirked, undoing the button of her jeans. "I just feel like I haven't really had the chance to...I don't know, appreciate how beautiful you are. Not like this, anyway."

"You're such a dork," Max whispered, her cheeks turning pink. "Remember what you just said a minute ago? Plus, Joyce and David are right downstairs."

"I know, I know," Chloe pouted. "I'll be good," she tossed her bra on the ground and crossed her arms, "but I won't be happy about it.

---

"Keep the change," Max heard Chloe say, "yeah, you too!" Just a second later, she appeared from the hallway carrying two big, square boxes. "Pizza timeeee," she sang in an uncharacteristically high tune.

"Oh, I can't remember the last time I had pizza," Joyce said with a little burst of excitement. She filled her glass with soda, then passed the bottle to Max. "Shoot, I can't remember the last time I didn't have to cook something."

"You could always let me fix dinner sometime," David chuckled. "I'm not that bad of a cook. I know how to use a grill."

"It doesn't really bother me," Joyce replied, waving a dismissive hand. She flipped open the lid of the box and pulled at a slice of pizza. "I do enjoy making food for you all. It always comes with the best compliments."

"Is that what it is?" Chloe laughed, sitting beside Max. "You've just been fishing for compliments this whole time? You could've just asked."

"There's no fun in that," Joyce said with a smirk. She took a bite and closed her eyes, savoring the taste.

"And I'd rather not convince her she needs to stop," David pointed out, retrieving his own slice. He raised it to Chloe as if giving cheers. "Thank you for the food."

"No problem," she responded, "it's been a little while since we all ate together."

"That it has," Joyce tilted her head curiously, "you two have been rather scarce these past few days. What have you been getting up to? Should I be worried?"

"Probably not?" Max shrugged, smiling with feigned innocence.

"I remain unconvinced," she said, keeping her eyes on Max as she took a sip from her cup. "Chloe takes time off from work and you start skipping class?" She looked back and forth between them.

"Wha? Wait," Max shook her head, "how do you know I've been missing class?"

"Ms. Grant let me know," David chimed in, still too invested in his food to look up at her, "she thought I might know how you were doing."

"Son of a bitch..." Max grumbled, then her eyes went wide, "uh, sorry! Bad language. I just didn't know Ms. Grant was-"

"A narc," Chloe interrupted. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "So, okay, is this like...a thing? Are you actually reprimanding us?"

"Not reprimanding," Joyce assured, "I'm just voicing my concern. You've never done this before so I want to make sure everything is okay."

"Yeah, it's cool," Chloe said. She patted Max on the shoulder. "We just wanted to take a little break. She can't really just ask off from school the way I can from work, though."

"And I've been keeping up with all my homework," Max added. She thought of the stack of papers in her room and decided she was merely bending the truth. She was aware of its existence, which probably qualified as 'keeping up with.' Besides, the idea of sitting down and reading passages from a text book with everything else going on was downright insulting. "I totally have it under control."

"Well, I can't say I'm happy to hear you took it upon yourself to stop attending. I expect you to show up for class on Monday," Joyce responded, making sure to use a kind, motherly tone rather than a strict one. "I'm your substitute parent while you're away from home, so my word is law. Alright, kiddo?"

"Alright," Max said, looking down at the table. It always stung when parents went the 'I'm not mad, just disappointed' route, but the fact that Max wasn't sure she'd be able to make good on her word just made it even worse.

"Anything for me?" Chloe asked, showing off a smug smile. Joyce shrugged with disinterest.

"You asked for days off and got them," she said as she poured herself some more soda, "I assume that you'll be returning to work once they're over." She glanced at David with a proud twinkle in her eye. "See, I can grill too."

"I see that," David chuckled. "I am glad to know it's nothing serious. I was getting a little concerned." Chloe raised an eyebrow and he rocked his head back and forth in exasperation. "You know how I am. You two start missing work and school and then you start asking me all those questions, it just made me nervous." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Have you been getting enough rest? You both look very tired." He sighed, irritated that he couldn't seem to stop himself. "Max, what did you do to your hand?"

"I just nicked myself on some lab equipment," she responded, shrinking away from the table.

Even though David hadn't solved the Jefferson case, he still came pretty damn close. He was just too sharp, and it was eerie how his questions were already forming something of a narrative. He'd never be able to deduce the full truth of everything, but it wasn't outside the realm of possibility for him to piece together the more plausible aspects.

"David, honey," Joyce said, laying her hand on top of his. "I think we've done our fair share of interrogating for one dinner."

"You're right," he replied. He looked at Max and gave a slight bow of his head. "I'm sorry."

"I'm about to revoke both of your ice cream privileges," Chloe said, shooting a grumpy look at David and Joyce. "You think we can't eat a whole tub on our own?"

"Don't you dare," Joyce responded, a look of feigned shock on her face.

"I hold that power," Chloe turned her nose up at her, "but I am a benevolent dairy god, so I'll still share. As long as we're done with the questions...?"

"I already said we were," Joyce rolled her eyes and went back in for another bite. There was a beat of silence, and then she looked back up at Chloe. "This is nice. We should do this more often."

The devious smile slipped from Chloe's face and she broke eye contact with her mother. The corner of her mouth twitched, as if it wasn't sure whether or not it wanted to form any words. Then, the smile returned, but only Max could see how hollow it was. Chloe nodded.

"Yeah, we should," she said, "I'd like that."

The meal meandered along with more pleasant chit chat, but Max could tell Chloe was only partially present for it. If she were to be honest with herself, she was surprised Chloe held up the facade for as long as she did. Though it didn't seem like Joyce or David had noticed any changes in her behavior, so Max supposed it was still getting the job done. The real challenge was to shoulder the weight on Chloe's behalf without cracking herself.

It didn't get any easier throughout the day, though she hadn't really expected it to. She just wished there was more time to do...well, anything. And maybe there was. They had no idea how much longer they actually had. It could be days, weeks, or even months. They simply didn't know. But after their encounter with Nightmare Max earlier, now seemed as good a time as any to cherish those they held close.

When it finally came time for dessert, Max's appetite had completely vanished. Chloe didn't seem to be faring much better. She dragged her spoon around in circles, slowly turning her ice cream into something more like soup. The TV was on again and David kept craning his neck so he could see it. Joyce nibbled on her sandwich, her attention focused on the notepad in front of her. She would jot something down, look up for a moment, then continue writing. Max realized she was making a shopping list. Beside her, Chloe took a deep breath which was followed by the clink of her spoon against the bowl.

"Anything good?" she asked. When Joyce looked up at her, she nodded at the notepad.

"Not in particular," Joyce replied, a smirk coming to her lips. "Did you have any requests? Pop-Tarts with icing? After how much hell you raised last time..." Chloe stared at her for a moment, then spasmed with a quiet laugh.

"Nah," she whispered, shaking her head. "Just curious..." She glanced at Max, then at the ceiling. Max reached for her hand, knowing what was coming next. Chloe was working up the nerve to begin what was possibly the last conversation she'd ever have with her parents. "So, hey..."

"Hm?" Joyce answered absentmindedly, but then there was a glimmer of realization and she looked up again. This time, she set the pen down. "I know that voice... What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Chloe responded. "You think you know me so well, huh?" She made the question sound antagonistic, but there was just enough of an audible smile in it to make it playful. That smile was the only thing keeping it from sounding like the Chloe from before October. It was such a simple thing, but it made all the difference in the world.

"I do," Joyce said, sitting up straight in her chair. "It took a while, but I do." She lifted her chin, looking down the bridge of her nose at Chloe. "Which is why I don't believe you."

"I visited Dad today..." Chloe's expression turned to something between frustration and confusion. It wasn't what she'd planned on saying. "Uh, me and Max did."

"Oh..." Joyce softened and smiled wistfully. David had redirected his attention to the conversation taking place, though it seemed like he wasn't sure he should be listening. "How was he?"

"Good," Chloe replied as a shade of red overtook her features. She sniffled. "But you know, I get all...think-y when I go to see him. So I'm just..." She slid her free hand over the smooth surface of the table. "I wanted to say I love you. I probably don't say it enough."

"It's okay," Joyce reached across the table and took her hand, "I know you do. You show me all the time. You just don't realize it."

"Do I?" Chloe cleared her throat as she began to cry. "I hope I do..." She turned to David and nodded at him. "You too, obviously."

"Ditto," he responded, getting up from the table to snag a box of tissues for her. "I'm the same as your mother. I can tell. You don't call me stepdouche anymore."

"Which is frustrating because I workshopped that name for a while," she half-laughed, half-sobbed. "I just...want to thank you guys again for not giving up on me. I couldn't ask for a better mom or...heh, stepdouche."

"I'll allow it," he chuckled, "just this once."

"I, um..." Max cleared her throat, finally joining in, "I'm pretty happy about the substitute parent thing, by the way. It's really nice to have someone like you when I'm away from my own parents." She struggled to meet Joyce's eye. "It makes me feel safe."

"Oh, sweetie," Joyce placed a hand over her heart, "that's so nice of you to say. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times – I think of you as my own. You know I'll always be here for you."

"Thanks, Joyce," Max responded. In spite of everything, it ignited a warm feeling in her heart. She turned to David. "I never called you stepdouche. Just so you know."

"You know what?" he stroked his chin as he pondered, "I think you might have more leeway to use it now than Chloe."

"Oh, what!" Chloe leaned forward and leered at him.

"I'm just saying," he snickered, "if it weren't for Max..." He rubbed at the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable. "Oh hell, we've talked about this. You kids know how I feel."

"We do..." Max replied. She glanced at Chloe and noticed she'd stopped crying, though her anguish was still visible.

"Well, uh," she tapped her fingers on the table as she stared at the ceiling, "we should probably head out. Got a big shindig to attend and all."

"Are you...sure?" Max asked. She wasn't expecting Chloe to want to leave just yet.

"Oh, don't let us keep you," Joyce said with a shade of amusement in her voice. "Just be careful, you two. Make sure you stay put if you're planning on drinking."

"Yep, gotcha," Chloe shot to her feet so quickly that the chair screeched on the floor. "We'll be good, I promise."

"Chloe...?" Max eyed her for a moment, then decided to follow her lead. By the time she stood up, Chloe already had Joyce encased in a tight hug.

"I love you, Mom," she said quietly, giving her a peck on the cheek. "You're the best. You're strong as fuck."

"Language," Joyce giggled, returning her embrace. "I love you, too."

"You too, big guy," Chloe added as she switched to David. He hugged her back, though he didn't say anything. His expression and tenderness with her conveyed all that needed to be said, but Max still wished he knew how important words were right now.

"Love you, Joyce," Max said, basking in the warmth of her arms. She'd said it herself: she was Max's parent away from home. Since she was unable to say goodbye to her own parents in person, she hugged Joyce extra tight, hoping it might be felt all the way in Seattle.

"You too, hon," Joyce responded, "you keep an eye on my little devil tonight, okay?"

"Always," Max promised. She hurried to David once she noticed Chloe standing off to the side and tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. "You get a Max hug too."

"Love you, girls," he finally said as Max pulled out of his grasp. "Check in later if you can? Just so we know you're okay."

"We will!" Chloe grabbed Max by the sleeve and hurriedly pulled her down the hall. "Bye!"

"Chloe?" Max asked once they'd gotten outside. She knew 'are you okay?' was a stupid question, but she still wanted to know what was going on. "What is it?"

The girl didn't respond. She simply let go of Max once they'd reached the truck and hopped into the driver's side. Before Max could buckle her seatbelt, they were already out of the driveway.

"Chlo..." Max said.

Once Chloe's house was out of view, she pulled over and cut the engine. She sat back in the seat and looked at Max. Her cheeks were wet.

"I need you," she murmured and Max had her within her arms instantly.

"I'm sorry, Chloe," Max whispered, holding the heaving girl close to her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." Then, once she'd made sure that Chloe was secure in her grasp, she let the wall fall away and joined her in mourning.

---

"You better believe I got a serious side-eye from the cashier," Frank grumbled as he hefted a paper bag onto the counter. He tapped his foot against one of the thirty packs on the ground and chuckled. "It doesn't help that this town is so small that everyone knows everything about everyone else."

"Oh yeah?" Chloe asked, leaning against the wall. "What's the cashier's name?"

"Uh..." Frank squinted, then threw his hands up. "Okay, point taken. But she definitely knows who I am."

"I think it's rude for a cashier to judge a customer like that," Max said as she scratched Pompidou behind the ears. "It's like Chloe said earlier, it's none of their business."

"Alright," Frank rolled his eyes, "you two are way too optimistic about society. But I guess that's why I keep you around." He looked over the booze and clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Did you park close? I'll help you carry it to the truck but I'd like for it to be...discreet."

"Si senor," Chloe replied. She reached across the counter and snagged a cookie from a plastic container, showing it to Frank just to let him know she was stealing from him. "Did you get yourself something fun?"

"A six pack," he said with a shrug, "I put most of the money toward higher grade stuff for you." He picked up the container of cookies and held it down to Max. It was a small gesture, but it brought out a smile. No snarky remarks, no complaints. He just wanted to share his cookies with them. Just another tiny example of his and their progress over time. "Did you guys see about that new restaurant that opened up in Coda? Apparently they have killer burgers." He scoffed. "Probably not better than mine, but I'd still like to try them."

"That's funny," Max giggled, nibbling on the cookie. "Do you feel protective of The Two Whales now?"

"A little," he said, a gleam of pride in his eye. "At night, when I'm the only cook there, it just feels like...my kingdom. I know I'm not really in charge, but I like to pretend." He smiled, showing off his teeth. "Is that lame?"

"Nah man," Chloe responded. "I totally get it. I get that defensive feeling, too. Plus, and I don't mean this in a bad way, but compared to your previous...uh, line of work, it probably does feel like a big step up."

"You got that right," he laughed, though it slowed to more of a thoughtful hum. "Damn, I... Every time I stop to think about it, it's just so...shitty." Chloe glanced at Max, scrunched her lips together, then looked back to Frank.

"Hey," she placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him gently, "that's in the past, remember?"

"The past still hurts, kid," he replied, the hoarseness of his voice almost making it sound like anger. "I'm making peace with it, but it still happened. Nothing can change that. Nothing can change the past..." His brow crinkled and he took a moment to think something over. "I had a nightmare the other night. First one in...shit, I don't know how long."

"Aw, oh no," Max said, finally releasing Pompidou and getting to her feet. "What was it about?"

"It was..." he closed his eyes as he searched his mind for the details, "it was, uh, I had the RV on the beach and it was nice and sunny. And Rachel was there." Chloe winced at the change in his expression when he said her name. "The little Prescott shit appeared out of nowhere and asked to buy some product..." he shook his head, "buy some drugs. And then after I gave it to him, he took Rachel by the hand and they just walked off into the water."

"Jesus..." Chloe wrapped an arm around him and laid her head on his shoulder. "That's...rough, man."

"I'm so sorry," Max looked down and picked at one of her cuticles, working up the nerve to look him in the eye. "Frank, I know it's...not easy to live with that."

"It's alright," he responded, then he took a deep breath, "if there is one thing I've accepted, it's that I haven't always been a good man. I might not even be one now. Most people that have lived my life would be in prison or dead. So...I have to think that there's a reason I got so lucky to be where I am." He reached beside him and ruffled Chloe's hair, then held his hand there to preemptively stop her. "I do not deserve this." Just as he expected, Chloe started to object and he pushed her head lightly to cut her off. "It is what it is. I didn't deserve a second chance, but I got one. So I'm doing the best that I can with it."

"You are a good man now," Max said quietly. He smiled and nodded.

"Trying," he replied. He cleared his throat and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Well, let's carry this shit out to your truck, alright?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Chloe stared at him for a moment longer than picked up one of the paper bags.

Max gathered the other bag and glanced at Frank as he hefted the case of beer over his shoulder. They'd left everyone else they'd spoken to throughout the day on a positive note. It had been going as well as it could, considering the circumstances. But Frank just so happened to be the odd man out. And she hated how much it made sense. It had been as though they were handing out personal invitations to the rapture, but Frank was unable to attend. His shadow was a bit too tall. His hands a little too dirty.

He looked back at her and grinned, almost as if to say 'it's okay.'

---

"No way, I can do it," Dana scoffed, turning away from Trevor as he tried to take a case of beer from her. "I'm a very strong, independent, young woman."

"I know that," he chuckled, "but strong, independent, young women can also still hurt themselves and miss cheerleading." He held his hands out to her expectantly.

"Fine," she huffed, dumping it into his arms. She turned to Max and pointed. "Let me grab one of the bags, at least." She picked it up and whistled as she peered inside. "Jeez, how much did you spend on all of this? I can charge at the door." The bag muffled a witchy cackle.

"My treat," Chloe said, flinging the door of the truck's bed shut. Dana looked back up at her.

"Wait, really?" she raised an eyebrow, "are you...sure?"

"Yep, positive!" Chloe flashed a wide smile and bumped her hip against Dana's. "Don't question it, just let me be the booze fairy. I spread my magic across the land so everyone can get blackout drunk."

"I'll, uh, think about it, Booze Fairy," she replied, still somewhat shocked. "Oh, anyway, so far only Justin, Kate, and Victoria are here. But I guess it's a little early." Max let out an involuntary gasp.

"They are?" she asked, her muscles immediately tightening with antsiness. She'd been waiting all day to see their faces and assure they were okay, even though she was very aware that they, along with everyone else, might not be okay for much longer. She quickly toned down her excitement. "Cool, yeah, I guess more people will show up soon."

Max's eyes trailed up the building to the apartment they'd be using. Colors flashed from the only visible window, sending wide beams of blue, purple, and green into the night. She realized it was entirely possible for them to be coming from the same source as back then. Dana probably helped plan it, after all. She closed her eyes, remembering the thumping bass and how it was so loud she had to scream over it. She'd swear she could even smell the chlorine.

She couldn't lie to herself. The Vortex Club never truly died. It was just under new management. The End of the World Party was still happening. It'd just been delayed several months.

As soon as she entered the apartment, she saw them.

"Kate! Victoria!" Max rushed over and threw her arms around both of them. "You're...you're here!"

"Uh..." Victoria patted Max on the back of the head awkwardly, "yeah. We said we were coming?"

"Oh, I know, I just..." Max let them go and turned away, quickly rubbing at her eye, "I'm just excited. Isn't that okay? Gosh." She chuckled and pushed Victoria by the shoulder.

"I'm excited, too!" Kate beamed at her and brought her hands together. "I feel like I've barely seen you and Chloe. Well, aside from the other night, but..." she lowered her eyes, "I'm pretending that didn't happen."

"It didn't," Chloe laughed, finally catching up to Max. "I don't even know what you're talking about."

"Okay, good," Kate replied with a wink.

"So...annnyway," Chloe pointed a thumb over her shoulder, "Trev's filling up the cooler and setting everything up. There's drinks and junk food. Lots of junk food. And...uh, drinks!"

"Oooh," Victoria wriggled her fingers mischievously, "that's what I'm talking about!" She turned to Kate and lovingly tugged on her sleeve. "Do you want me to get you anything, honey?"

"Honey," Max snorted, earning a roll of the eyes from Victoria.

"I'll come with you," Kate responded, giggling at Victoria's sass, "I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for. Probably chips?" She went onto her tiptoes in an attempt to see the selection. "What about you two?"

"I'm good for right now, Pumpkin," Chloe said, giving Kate a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. "Maybe in a little bit."

"Same," Max added, "you guys go get a head start."

Not needing any more encouragement, Victoria grinned wolfishly and led Kate to the opposite side of the room. Chloe leaned down to Max's ear.

"Honestly? My favorite couple," she said, punctuating it with a kiss to Max's head. "No offense to us or anything."

"No, I agree," Max replied, watching them from across the room. She frowned. "Chloe, they...they're so happy. This isn't fair." She couldn't begin to guess how many times she'd said that throughout the day, but no amount could really do the truth of it justice.

"I know." Chloe took her into her arms and kissed at her neck before resting her chin there. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Max said bluntly, not taking her eyes away from the girls, "as much as I can be. Which isn't very."

"I know," Chloe repeated, threading her fingers between Max's, "I guess something's better than nothing."

"Hm..." Max looked back at her, "I guess you're right. Like maybe some kisses are better than none?"

"That's very true," Chloe said, pressing their lips together.

It wasn't long before the rest of the invitees started rolling in. Taylor and Courtney arrived first with Juliet following just a minute later. A few of Justin and Trevor's friends showed up and though Max wasn't particularly close with any of them, she was still glad to see them. Last was Warren, Brooke, and Alyssa.

Warren spotted Max immediately, and she could tell from the eagerness in his eyes that he still hadn't quite relaxed. Which was understandable, of course. They'd offered him the flimsiest lie they could come up with. The only thing that gave it any sort of validity was that he trusted them.

She waved to him, though he didn't come over to her just yet. She was impressed how quickly he had readjusted his awareness and behavior since they'd let him become involved. He knew he had to be discreet and find a suitable moment to talk about things. So he played his part and gave a casual wave back.

The music got louder, the drinks grew in number, and the laughs became more frequent as the party hit its stride. Max and Chloe had each gotten themselves a beer, though they only sipped at them, using the cans more as props to stop people from pestering them about drinking. After a while, the outside world broke away, and Max found herself smiling.

"Dude, I haven't done it in like...almost two years," Chloe called over the music. Justin flitted his hand at her in an reassuring gesture.

"It's like a bike, man," he replied, "it's impossible to forget. I bet after a minute it'll all come back to you." He nodded at Max. "Plus you can teach Max how to board. That'd be siiiick. We need more hot skater girls."

"Justin, I literally forgot how to ride a bike," Max laughed, "I don't think I'd do too well on a skateboard."

"It's like walking with one foot," he said, picking one leg up over and over to demonstrate, "and then, walking with...no feet."

"I love the way you describe things," Chloe chuckled. She mimicked him, moving her own leg. "Walking with one foot, and then with none. Isn't that a riddle or something?"

"The Sphinx," Max responded, shaking her head with a smile. "Close enough, anyway. But still, I don't think I'd..." She caught sight of Warren at the table with all of the drinks and decided the sooner she put his fears to rest, the better. She tapped Chloe on the arm. "Hey, I'm going to talk to Warren for a minute." She stressed the word 'talk' and her eyes said the rest.

"Do you want me to...?" Chloe began to ask.

"No, I got it," Max assured. Chloe thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Alright," she said, giving Max a quick hug. "I'll be right here." She switched back to Justin and grinned. "So hey, how's school going? Warren still helping you study?" She glanced at Max, and the girl took the cue to slink away.

Warren jumped when Max grabbed him by the shoulder, causing a splash of beer to leap from the bottle and onto the floor.

"Oh my god," he said, turning to her with frenzied eyes, "that scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry," Max snickered. She gestured to the hallway where the bedrooms were. "Want to talk?"

"Yeah," he replied, not hiding his discomfort, "I do."

She led him to one of the rooms and listened at the door for a moment, then she peeked inside. The last thing she wanted was to interrupt anyone's fun. After confirming the room was empty, she beckoned Warren inside.

"So," she said as she took a seat on the bed, "tell me what you're thinking."

"Okay, yeah..." he sat beside her and leaned forward, touching his fingers to his temples. "I just can't shake this anxious feeling. I know you guys wouldn't put together something like this if you didn't think things were okay." Max kept a straight face, not wanting to give him any more reason to doubt. "But it's just...that's it? It's over?"

"I know it's hard to accept," she responded. Luckily, it was easy to guess what he might say, which made coming up with the right answers a much simpler task. "The truth is, we don't...I mean, we can't know that it's really over. But there haven't been any more distortions and Chloe's never had a dream like that before. I mean, all we can really do is believe it. We don't have many other options."

The key was to just reiterate everything she'd said on the phone but with a slight twist. Echoing his uncertainty, for instance, would make him feel less alone and it would make him more open to going along with it.

"Honestly?" he turned to her and offered a lopsided smile, "I just wanted to ask you in person. I wanted to make sure you believed it too and that you weren't lying to me." He scrunched his nose. "Sorry, is that a dick move?"

"No," Max shook her head, "I totally understand. We don't have a great track record for honesty."

The look he gave her, one that spoke volumes about how much she meant to him, made her feel sick. It had only been a few days since she was unable to hide her worry from her closest friends. She tried so hard, but they could all tell something was bothering her, and it resulted in a confession to both Victoria and Warren. But now she was working them over with ease.

"So...that's it, huh? It's really over?" Warren sat back on the bed and slowly exhaled through constricted lips. "Wow. Wow..."

"Party time?" Max asked, gesturing to the door. Warren smiled and flopped his arms at his side.

"I guess so," he said, getting back to his feet. "I'm going to get...fucked up."

"You earned it," Max giggled. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder and together they went back through the wall of music.

Another hour passed. Time progressing and lessening all at once like a spark traveling along a fuse...

Chloe lifted Max off the ground, eliciting a squeal from the girl before she snagged her back down into her arms. Then they were spinning, swirling within the flashing lights. Pressed together, they could feel the heat radiating from each other as the stuffiness in the room began to make them sweat. Chloe suddenly stopped and grabbed Max by her cheeks, giving her a rough kiss on the lips that ended with a pull from teeth.

"The last time we danced was at prom," Chloe said, sliding her hands up so that her fingers wound through Max's hair. "That was a good night."

"That was a great night," Max responded, resting her forehead against Chloe's chin. She wriggled her head, asking for Chloe to continue playing with her hair. "I wish we could go back..."

"Mhmmm," Chloe hummed against her, "me too. But we know how that goes, huh?" She pulled away from Max and wiped her forehead. "God, it's fucking hot in here. Want to get some air?"

Compared to the apartment, it was freezing outside. Max leaned on the railing, looking over the parking lot below them. Then she turned her gaze to the sky and studied the moon. She cocked her head to the side and made a contemplative sound.

"What?" Chloe asked. She lit a cigarette and took a long drag, sighing as the nicotine provided an immediate source of relief. "First one today... I think I'm actually catching a buzz."

"Uh oh," Max snickered. She looked up at the moon again and pointed. "It's a full moon. I feel like it's been stuck like that. I can't remember the last time it wasn't full."

"It's either full or not there," Chloe responded, sidling up to Max.

"Seems like it, huh?" Max nibbled her lip as she turned her attention to their surroundings. They were only three stories high, but she could still see sizable sliver of Arcadia Bay. A few neon signs shined especially bright, acting as checkpoints between the less clear details. Far off, a thick stack of smoke rose into the sky, and she could picture Frank preparing orders for the late night patrons of The Two Whales. From the other side, the faint scent of salt was carried on the breeze. "It's...weird that I'm so fond of this place. Even after learning the truth."

"I can't tell if I ever actually wanted to leave," Chloe said quietly. Max turned to her and she shrugged. "Like, I 'wanted' to... I planned to, but I don't know if I would've been happy." She gave Max a knowing smirk. "Not that I was happy anyway, of course. You know how it is, the heart doesn't know what it wants."

"Can't say I've had that problem," Max giggled, bumping against Chloe.

"Oh shut up, you know what I mean," Chloe laughed. She made a small 'o' with her mouth and exhaled a thin stream of smoke. From Max's point of view, it lined up perfectly with the one coming from The Two Whales. "Remember when I said I wanted to drop a bomb on Arcadia Bay?"

"And then took it back like a day later," Max replied. "You were...really bad at being hateful, you know that? I can't believe you convinced so many people. It was so easy to see through."

"Yeah?" Chloe shook her head with a big smile. "Maybe it wasn't. Maybe you just saw me differently."

"Could be..." Max kissed Chloe on the shoulder. "You did almost have me fooled, though. That first hour we were back together, I thought for sure you hated me."

"I tried," Chloe admitted, "wasn't very good at it."

"Well, thank god for that," Max snickered. She watched as Chloe took another drag of her cigarette. "Can I have some?"

"Excuse me?" Chloe asked, a look of utter disgust on her face. "Are you out of your mind? There's no way I'd...Why are you laughing?"

"I just wanted to see," Max said, holding one hand over her stomach as she spasmed with laughter. "In the other timeline with the storm, I started smoking. And the other you said that you flipped out. You got like, really, really mad."

"Well, yeah, of course I did!" Chloe held her hands out. "I would whoop your little ass if I ever caught you with a cigarette." Her head subtly jerked as she heard her own words and she began to laugh as well. "Wow, I did not know how much that idea would bother me."

"It's super cute," Max poked Chloe in the stomach, "you're super cute."

"Hey, stop that," Chloe swatted her hand away, then squeaked when Max's other hand entered the fray. "Cut it out!"

"But you're cute," Max continued, laughing even harder, "such a big softy. A cute, big softy."

"If you don't- hey!" Chloe took a step back and looked at Max with wide eyes. She spiked the cigarette on the ground and stomped on it. "Dude, you do not want any of this."

"I want all of it," Max replied, using as silky a tone as she could muster. She looked away and covered her face, trying to not let her giggles betray her sex appeal. It was a mistake, though, as it gave Chloe the opening she needed. "Wait, no!"

"Yeah, how do you like that?" Chloe taunted, skittering her fingers along Max's abdomen. "Don't start shit you can't finish." She gasped and squawked in laughter as Max reached her arms behind her so she could get to Chloe again. "Fuck, will you quit it!? I'm going to pee!"

"Do it," Max said, though the words were hardly audible due to her howling. "Okay, okay. Truce!" She removed her hands and nuzzled back into Chloe once she had also stopped. "God, I love your laugh."

Chloe was about to return the compliment, but the door to the apartment opened. Kate's eyes lit up and she hurried to join them.

"I thought you two might be out here," she said.

"Hey Kate," Max locked her arms around Chloe's to keep them pinned to her. "You having fun?"

"So much," she responded, "but I was getting a little sweaty in there!"

"Yeah, crowded rooms tend to do that," Chloe said, softly booping her nose on the back of Max's head. "Especially concerts. You're just packed in like sardines. It can even get a little hard to breathe."

"That doesn't sound all that fun," Max replied as she finally slipped out of Chloe's embrace.

"It's just part of the experience," Chloe explained, "you'd understand if you were there."

"We should go to one!" Kate grinned at them as she fluffed her hair over her shoulder and fanned at her collar. It was quite a rare sight to see her hair down before she and Victoria started dating, but now it had become common. Max could just imagine the moment when Victoria shyly complimented the look, leading to Kate sporting it more often. It was...obnoxiously cute. Just like everything they did. "But I'm not sure who we would go see. Chloe should pick!"

"Ah...yeah," Chloe responded, "you sure about that? It might be a little hectic."

"I like your music, though." Kate pantomimed holding a guitar. "I get all my music from you guys now. The words are always so thoughtful even when it's loud." She wriggled her fingers as if plucking the strings, letting out a 'brrrowow' to be extra convincing.

"Kate, are you...drunk?" Max asked with a giggle.

"Tipsy," she replied, shrugging innocently. "It's nice, I feel cozy. I..." There was a glint of sadness in her eyes. "I think I've come a long way since then. Being here and enjoying myself and...I'm not afraid or anything."

"That's awesome, Pumpkin," Chloe held her hand up for a high five, which Kate happily reciprocated. "I'm proud of you."

"Me too," Max said. She gently rubbed her hand up and down Kate's shoulder. "You didn't need to try and face those fears, but you did anyway. You're so strong."

"I had help," she gave them a small smile, "from the two best friends anyone could ever ask for."

"Oh, I want to meet them!" Chloe said, chuckling when Kate furrowed her brow. "That's...really sweet of you."

"You're great too, Kate," Max added, feeling the irresistible urge to give the girl a hug. She tried not to think of the concert they might not go to. She didn't want to think about any of it. Not yet. "What have you been drinking? Wine?"

"Mmn, no," Kate looked to the side as she thought, "me and Trevor did a shot of...shoot, what was it?"

"A shot!" Max took a step back stared at her with an open smile. "My little girl is growing up. I think I might cry."

"I've done shots before, Max," Kate huffed jokingly.

The apartment door opened again and Victoria poked her head out.

"You guys stole my girlfriend," she said, narrowing her eyes. "I am so mad at you. I am so maaaad at you."

"She's had a little more than me," Kate giggled, covering her face with her hand.

"I see that," Chloe responded. She crossed her arms and returned Victoria's glare, albeit with an amused smirk. "How you feeling, Vic?"

"I am well," she said, turning her nose up at them. "I am not drunk."

"Can you walk a straight line?" Max asked.

"I can walk..." Victoria held her arms out, "a bi line? A...Kate line." She jerked her hands down to her waist and put a foot forward, striking a pose that was usually accompanied by reprimand. "Am I being arrested?"

"Wow, you're like...actually wasted," Chloe laughed.

"Well yeah, I needed it after the whole," she flailed her hand at Max, "mind breaking time thing. It's fucking crazy. Hurts my brain."

Max's eyes went wide and she looked at Chloe.

"Time thing?" Kate asked.

"Uhh, we should get back inside!" Chloe rushed forward and took Victoria by the shoulders. "It's too cold out here. You'll die of hypothermia. You'll freeze and die."

"What? It's not even..." Victoria stopped halfway through her sentence and shrugged. "I can't wait for summer. I want to swim."

"She's right, I'm a bit chilly," Max said to Kate. The girl rubbed her hands together and nodded in agreement, already forgetting what Victoria had said. Inwardly, Max sighed in relief, grateful that they both had alcohol in their system.

When they got back inside, Max and Chloe hung around them for a few more minutes just to make sure the previous conversation was truly dead. Once they were convinced it wouldn't be brought up again, they left them to their own devices.

A bit later, they indulged in a game of beer pong against Dana and Trevor. Even though Max wasn't the best at it, she and Chloe still thrashed their opponents thanks to their sobriety. They received cheers and applause for their performance, which she had to admit gave her a sense of pride.

They danced again, this time to a much slower song. Rocking back and forth, Max turned her head and rested it against Chloe's chest, listening for her heartbeat. It was too loud for her to hear it, but there was a faint, gentle throb against her ear.

"That's all you," Chloe said into her other ear.

"Sure it's not just because you're exerting yourself?" Max asked, pressing a bit harder to her chest.

"Positive," Chloe responded before kissing her on the head.

After dancing, they spent some time talking with Juliet and Max couldn't help but notice how the girl's eyes kept straying to Justin. After it happened for the fourth time, Max decided to call him over. She quickly wrapped up their discussion, and she and Chloe left them to be alone.

"That was surprisingly bold of you," Chloe said, leading Max over to the table with food and drinks.

"Yeah, but...you never know," she shrugged, "maybe nothing will happen, maybe it will."

"I ship it," Chloe chuckled as she reached for a bottle of soda, "why not? We might as well all be a big tangled ball romance."

"It's fun!" Max crunched into a chip and looked up in thought. "I wish Taylor and Courtney would just be gay for each other. I don't even know what their taste in men is like."

"Doesn't Courtney have a thing for War-" Chloe was cut off as someone stepped between them and slung their arms over their shoulders.

"Girrrrls," Warren said, his voice wavering even worse than his knees, "what's going on?" He looked back and forth between them. "I love you guys." He leaned to the side and placed a kiss on Chloe's cheek. "You guys fucking rule."

"Love you too," Chloe laughed, bracing herself against him to lessen his chance of collapse. "We were just talking about you..." She snorted as his head lulled forward. "You are fucked up, huh?"

"Very," he replied with a sleepy grin, "but I'm still sober enough to...to...uh..."

"Oh boy," Max snickered, exchanging a glance with Chloe, "maybe you should sit down, Warren."

"No, no, I'm good," he protested, "I'm great, I'm...oh, no, I just love you guys." Before they could once again respond in kind, he shook his head. "We've been through so much... More than I ever knew was possible. Literally!" He began to tip backwards and the girls straightened him out. "Everything would be so different without you. I'd be so much..." a brief flash of lucidity crossed his face, "sadder..."

"You make us happy t-" Max began to say.

"Hey, do you think we'll be arrested?" he asked, his eyes wide. Max raised an eyebrow in confusion. "For breaking into Sean's bunker. Do you think we'll be arrested!?" The girls both burst into laughter before simultaneously hushing him. "I hope we do... We'd be heroes. We'd get awards."

"Sorry dude," Chloe said, "I think we're going to try and avoid that."

"I know, I know," he huffed, "I don't want to get arrested. I just don't like him..." He stared ahead for a moment, then took a deep breath. "You guys saved the world... Wow. I can't believe I know people that actually saved the world."

"You...helped..." Max responded, unable to hide the guilt on her face. She looked at Chloe again and closed her eyes.

"I did, huh?" He nodded proudly. "I didn't do all the work. You guys did. But I was a good sidekick. Right?"

"You were," Chloe ruffled his hair, "you were the best sidekick..." She watched the pressure build up in Max's face and knew tears were soon to follow. "Hey, we're going to go chat with, uh, Taylor real quick. Girl talk. You get back to your partying. Don't...fall over."

"I'm sturdy," he mumbled. "I can do it, watch..." As if showing off for them, he shambled back across the room to Brooke.

Chloe brought Max into a hug and kissed her on the temple, whispering 'it's okay' and 'I love you' over and over until the girl calmed down. Once she did, they did decide to head over to Taylor since they hadn't had a chance to talk to her yet.

Silly as always, she was just the thing Max needed to start smiling again. She complained about class, talked about another one of her outlandish dreams, and invited them both back out to the center of the room to dance with her. They obliged, and for the first time in the night, Max was back to realizing how exhausted she was. Though, she was somewhat impressed that she had managed to dance so much even with as little energy as she had.

Suddenly, she felt a firm tug on her sleeve.

"Max," Chloe said. Despite speaking at a normal volume, her tone cut through all other sound. She took a deep breath then drew her lips into a tight line. It was a look of expected resignation, the kind that seemed to say 'yep, there it is.' She nodded at something across the room.

And just like that, the spell was broken. There was no more hiding. No more forgetting. The clock struck twelve. The night had come to an end.

Max watched as the wall imploded, birthing a new hallway that led to previously nonexistent rooms. The red solo cup in Juliet's hand lightened in pigment until it was something closer to yellow. The music stopped, and Max could almost see it hanging still in the air before it roared into a different song.

She couldn't help but picture the other Max standing tall, her arms stretched above her triumphantly.

"Okay," Max said flatly. She closed her eyes and nodded to herself, preparing for what would come next. "Ready?"

"Yeah..." Chloe looked around the room and frowned. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go." They began to make their way to the door, then she threw her arm in front of Max. "What about Warren?"

"He's wasted," Max replied easily, showing that she'd already thought of it. "I doubt he'll notice, and even if he does, he's drunk."

"Good point," Chloe said, moving her head side to side.

They left. There were no goodbyes. It would take too long and hurt too much. They could only become ghosts lost in the night with the heartbreaking hope that no one would notice. They'd done what they set out to accomplish and stole one last memory with those that filled their lives with countless, precious ones. Max knew that, in the end, memories were all people had. They were what defined someone's life. The only thing the proved someone had lived at all. And she had, thanks to them. She'd lived a beautiful life that felt much longer than it really was.

She knew the worth of memories. She'd even realized it was why photography meant so much to her. But that realization was accompanied by the truth of what she hated most about her powers. Every time she raised her hand and pulled time backwards, she was erasing parts of people's lives. It was why, no matter what anyone else said, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was a murderer.

Truthfully, she desperately wanted to be one of the memories she'd taken from people.

They didn't speak on the drive back to Blackwell. They didn't speak on the walk to Max's room.

The doorknob withered through Chloe's fingers as the door shut on its own, though neither of them paid it any mind. The lanterns above Max's bed flickered on and off in various colors, giving them the appearance of Christmas lights. Something in the corner of the room bent and shivered.

It was still silent as their clothes littered the floor. The lanterns brightened, casting their kissing silhouettes against the opposite wall. They didn't separate as Chloe lifted Max by the hips and set her down on the bed. Then, Max was on her back with Chloe hovering over her.

There was the sound of something clattering, then snapping in the hallway. The ceiling above Chloe spiraled from the center, leaving it made up of a mishmash of wood paneling, speckled tiles, and a smooth crimson. The lights went out, then came back on a second later.

Max dug her fingers into Chloe's waist, pulling the girl down on top of her. Their breaths were deep and heavy, stretched to the point of gasps. Chloe trembled and pressed her lips against Max's neck, then she moved back to Max's mouth just in time to catch a whimper on her tongue.

The sheets beneath them changed their pattern.

Max reached for Chloe's face and the girl took the tip of her thumb into her mouth, lapping at it with her tongue before kissing it.

There was a thud against the window where a new tree had appeared too close to the building.

Chloe sighed in pleasure, gently dragging her nails along Max's thigh.

The sofa folded together like an accordion until it was a single seat.

Max pecked at Chloe's sternum before tracing her tongue around the curve of her breast.

More sounds from in the hallway, this time a loud bang of something dropping to the floor.

They rested their foreheads together as their hands sought all of the sweetest places.

The photos on the wall began flashing, shuffling through pictures of hundreds of memories Max had never seen before. All of the lives she'd lived in other realities.

A moan was shared between them and Chloe's knees buckled, forcing her to collapse on top of Max.

"I love you," Chloe whispered, panting as she regained her breath. Her eyes were glassy, but she wasn't crying.

"I love you, too," Max responded, kissing the girl on the top of her head. "With all my heart, I love you."

She decided that she'd be more than happy if those were the last words she'd ever said. And she knew they very well might be.

It was the end of the world, after all.

---

A/N: Whoops, this took way longer to post than it should have! Sorry about that, guys. Been dealing with some things here and there. Promise the next update won't take nearly as long. I'm...very excited for the next few chapters. The roller coaster has reached the top of the slope. Keep hands in feet inside as we make our descent.

I struggled with this chapter a lot and I'm still not very sure if I hit the right notes, but I'm content enough with it to post. I hope it's alright. I wanted...feels to happen.

Not much else to say until the next update. Like I said, it'll be here much faster.

Thanks for reading, xoxoxo