Episode 14

Eclipse

Chloe had just finished cleaning up the worst of the blood off Max and herself, The clothes, however, were done, Her Jacket and top had some fairly impressive bloodstains, And then there was Max's Hoodie. "Looks like these have had it I'm afraid," She mutter gingerly as she finished fixing Max's seatbelt. Turning to get in the other side she felt a cold shiver run down her spine as a shadow passed over the Junkyard. She looked up at the sky to see a dark disk slicing into the sun, "Unreal," she thought to herself as she glanced at Max sleeping in the truck and then back to the eclipse in progress. "Oh," she thought to herself as she dived back into the passenger side of the truck, After rummaging around for a second she pulled Max's Camera out and looked at it and then Max and smiled. "Capture the moment huh Max," She turned back to the eclipse looking through the viewfinder and waited until the sun was mostly covered. With a subtle click and a whirr the camera spat out the image, Taking it she gave it a flick as the picture came into focus. "Perfect," she thought to herself pocketing the picture and putting the camera back. Max's phone began going off multiple times as a flood of messages came through. "Hmm gee I wonder who that could be," rolling her eyes and chuckling to herself sarcastically as she reached down Max's trouser pocket and pulled her phone out checking it. "And here comes the brick shitting," She giggled as she read warrens meltdown.

Warren - might wanna re-check ya crystal ball, Theres nothing on the web about it

Warren - Are you high

Max - Maybe, Chat to you later

Warren - MAX

Warren - How

Warren - I hereby bow down to ya crystal ball

Warren - Max you there

Warren - Max you have my undivided attention

Warren - Max

Warren - Max

Chloe chuckled to herself, "Probably so much better in person," She let out a loud sigh, "Guess I better put him at ease a little," As she replied.

Max - Hi Warren it's Chloe Max's friend

Max - She's ok, Just out of it for now catching some zeds

Warren - er ok hi, Whats going on

Max - Explain tomorrow, Watch out for whales

Warren - Wha, Whales er ok

Max - Tomorrow dude

"That should pacify him for a little at least," She thought, looking at Max, "Now to get you home sleeping beauty," And with that, she got in the truck and drove off.

The drive home was a sobering one as Chloe tried to absorb everything she had seen, "Realities within realities, and you gave up your dream for me," She glanced at max as she slept and chuckled to herself, "If that doesn't win a girls heart nothing will, And David," she sighed gripped the steering wheel tighter "Fuck, I gave him so much shit," She scolded herself as she pressed her foot down the gas releasing a bit of frustration. After another 10 minutes, she pulled up in her driveway getting out and briskly walked inside.

"Hi hun," Joyce's voice came from the kitchen as Chloe walked past the archway catching it with her arm she peeled her head back and poked it around the corner, "Hi mom, er gimmie a min, I'll be right back" And she disappeared into the dining room to find David watching TV. "Err," Chloe didn't even get her sentence out. "What ya need Chloe," David said as he flicked the tv off while getting off the sofa and turned to look at Chloe instantly spotting all the bloodstains down her front. Chloe ahead of his train of though pointed to them, "Not mine, And I kinda need your help, same as last night, Nope not drink, not drugs, Just too much for one day," She finished taking a deep breath. David stood there for a second processing the list and furrowed his brow and shook his head a little, "What do you two get up to," As he spoke Joyce came from the kitchen glancing at the stains on the back of Chloe's jacket she looked at David with a smile, "It's ok David," Chloe looked at her mum and then back at David as he rolled his eyes, "Ok ok, I just hope your not in any trouble," As he walked across the living room to pass Chloe, She grabbed him in a hug. David froze and Joyce's mouth fell open.

"First David and now Hugs, who are you and what have you done with Chloe," he let out a chuckle as he returned the hug. "I...Sorry for the shit, you didn't deserve it," Chloe replied as she broke the hug and looked at her mom who's jaw was almost on the floor. David sighed, "Thanks, I guess..er, I'm sorry for being a err step...douch" Chloe let out a grin and nodded as David turned to go and retrieve a sleeping Max from the truck.

In Chloe's room, Max was laid on the bed gently snoring with Chloe sat on the side of the bed with her hand on Max's waist. She could hear Joyce and David have a quiet discussion down the hall, She looked at Max as she slept. "We got 3 days girl," She thought to herself. Just then the door opened, "Chloe, Can we talk,"

Chloe spun around to see Joyce entering the room closing the door and walking over to the bed where she sat down and glanced at Max and sighed, "That girl is something else," "That she is mum," Chloe replied with a smile as she got off the bed and went to get her cigarettes, "Whens it due," The question froze Chloe to the spot, "er mum I'm not," She started but her mum just laughed, "I know I know, I wasn't talking about that," she replied. Chloe turned to look at her mom who just had a weak smile on her face. Chloe put on a confused expression, "Mum I don't know what you.." She cut herself off as she watched her mom pull out the letter with her name on it. "shit," She gasped. Her mom chuckled, That's what I thought when I read it, But then something really odd happened," "The eclipse," Chloe finished her mother's sentence.

Joyce just nodded, "Then I read it again, and again, And if I'm honest I developed a headache," she let out another chuckle. Chloe realized that for the last forty seconds she hadn't actually breathed, "You, You believe it," She said trying not to stutter too much. Joyce let out an amused humph, "And now your stuttering, You haven't done that since you were in your tweens," She nodded towards the desk, "Go on have one," she finished with a smile. Chloe relaxed a little as she went over to retrieve her cigarettes. "Hmm that wasn't actually what I meant Chloe," She said smiling as Chloe looked at her a little confused. "I'm not stupid Chloe, And don't worry David won't bust you any more about it, And no he doesn't know," Chloe breathed a sigh of relief as she reached into her drawer and set about rolling a joint. Once done she opened the window and took up her perched position, Joyce looked at her "I will have one of those, though," she said nodding to the packet of cigarettes, Chloe reached over and tossed the packet next to her mom, and proceeded to light up taking a deep drag.

"So," Joyce said after lighting herself a cigarette, "What you gonna do," She asked quietly. Chloe took another hit as she pondered the question, "About what, I've had a bit of an information overload today," Chloe replied as she passed a glance at Max and stared out the window thinking, "I was referring to the storm, of course, But clearly there's somin else on your mind, Care to share," Joyce replied keeping her voice low. Chloe sighed, "I don't know mum, we got three days, Then its fucking show time," She took another hit resting her head on the window and slowly exhaling, "I guess we just get as many away from the coast as possible," She glanced at Max and nodded, "If I know her she will want to make sure we get everybody, Even if that means being in the thick of it, In fact that's exactly what she would do," She finished as she returned her gaze outside. "Probably," Joyce replied, "But I bet you anything it wouldn't be without you," Joyce sighed, "Fine I'll drag it out of you then, Whats really on your mind, And don't give me any of that punk nonsense," Chloe looked down at the window ledge between her legs, "I don't know," she shrugged, "It's just sometimes I get the feeling she looks at me and see's the 'Other' me." She rested her head on the frame again taking a final drag of her joint before stubbing it,"I saw it today first hand," She said as she felt her eyes water up. "Huh, How," Joyce asked puzzled. "Oh err," Chloe quickly wiped her cheek as she sat herself up, "Earlier on in the garden she accidently, kinda, sorta showed me one of her memories, It's weird kinda like a 3rd person perspective but we only get to see what she saw," "The nose bleed earlier," Joyce replied, finishing her own cigarette and putting it in the ashtray. "Yep, Pretty much every time she does it, It's tissue time. But if she pushes herself then this happens," She finished nodding towards Max who hadn't even moved a muscle.

"So that's what you've been doing today," Joyce asked thoughtfully. "That and saving a girl called Kate..." "Marsh" her mom finished. "I heard about that, I am so proud of both of you," She said smiling before continuing. "So what did she show you,". Chloe breathed a heavy sigh, "Some of it was pretty heavy, But all of it was what she and Other Chloe did, Don't get me wrong I am glad she chose to show me, But.." "But you think she's thinking about you as two different people," Joyce finished again. Chloe just nodded with a glum look on her face. Joyce thought for a moment. "Has she shown you anything the other you didn't see or do?" She said nodding her head to one side to signify alternate Chloe.

Chloe let out a chuckle, "Her and Max blew up a door, And then Max rewound it so she wouldn't remember, And then there was..." She trailed off as a shiver went down her spine. "Hun," Joyce sighed, "The only person seeing you as two different people is you, She looks at you and I reckon she just see's Chloe from five years ago," "Then why won't she tell me what happened on that cliff," Chloe glared at her mum as she snapped back a little louder than intended, Joyce just looked at her with a smile and Chloe felt the anger drain from her as fast as it had boiled up. "After everything, she's been through, Everything she's done to keep you in her life and everything since and leading up to yesterday," Joyce sighed, "Did you read the whole letter or skip part of it," she said to her daughter gently holding up the letter. Chloe let out a short breath as she looked at the floor going a little red. Joyce got off the bed, walked over to her handing her the letter. "You might want to read the other part you missed the first time," Joyce added as Chloe took the letter and Joyce went to leave. "And Chloe, give her time, Ironically I think you owe her a little of that," And with that, she smiled and left the emotional teen on the window ledge with her hero sleeping peacefully.

Chloe looked at the letter in her hand, glancing over the lines she had already read until she found the part she missed.

If Max has told you about her rewind and everything you two went through then skip the next page, If not read on.

Before you do though I need to tell you something. From the moment that girl was brought in unconscious from our driveway I knew that she was carrying a much bigger burden than she should have been. After she finished telling us everything it was clear there was something we weren't telling us. I believe she doesn't think she is worthy of you. Her nightmares sound horrific and what's worse is there all her punishing herself for what happened to you. She was as I used to say running past empty, How she didn't just sleep when she got here god only knows, But I think I can safely say you have been her only driving force this afternoon, I've been watching her and David practicing arm holds all afternoon and no matter how many times that girl goes down she gets right back up. She really is one in a million. Give her time, She went through hell to keep you only to lose you at the last hurdle, and now she's fighting to get you back, Don't forget that.

I'm afraid I'm writing this backward, But time travel it might appear the right way round, As above skip the next page if she's told you all.

"Shit" Chloe scrunched the letter to her chest as tears collected at the bottom of her chin and dripped onto her hand.

The next morning, Chloe walked up the stairs carrying a tray of pancakes and a pot of coffee, The carpet squidging up between the toes of her bare feet, getting to her door she precariously balanced the tray in one hand and opened the door with the other and went inside. placing the tray on her desk she set about moving the cable wheel nearer the bed and grabbed the tray off the desk putting it on the wheel. She checked the time on her phone on her desk, "10:30am, Damn girl almost 16 hours, Time to wake up" She thought to herself as she put her phone down gave herself a two step run up and jumped on the bed. "Wakey wakey sleepy head" She hollered bouncing on the bed next to Max. "Woah" Max yelped as her eyes shot open to see a rather hyper-Blue haired Chloe bouncing on the bed like a maniac. "Good morning," Max said in a groggy voice as she noticed Chloe was only wearing what looked like a Bikini, Max felt herself blush a little. Chloe stopped bouncing and sat up looking at Max noticing she was blushing a little she felt a flutter in her stomach "Goodmorning, breakfast," she said pointing at the tray next to the bed.

Max looked at the tray and upon seeing the pancakes her stomach let loose a deep grumble, "I am so starved," Max replied grinning as she scooted herself over and noticed only one plate, "Where's yours," she said turning to her friend. "Oh I've already eaten, there all yours," she replied grinning as she got off the bed and refilled her cup from the coffee pot and took a gulp. Max's eyes bulged as she looked at the stack of steaming pancakes dripping in syrup. "I ain't gonna eat all that," came her slightly shocked reply. "Well eat what you can, Then I'm gonna fill you in on everything missed since you took your marathon nap," Chloe replied while searching her Blood stained denim jacket for something. "Wha I miz," Max spoke as she had half a pancake in her mouth. Chloe looked at her and burst out laughing, "Ya..You look like a hamster," She said mimicking Max's face with her hands. Max quickly chewed down her food and swallowed, "What did I miss," she repeated. Chloe turned back to her jacket, "Eat first talk after," speaking as she retrieved what she was after and put it on the desk.

After a few minutes Max had cleared the plate and was on her third mug of coffee, "Thought you wouldn't eat it all," Chloe said raising an eyebrow looking at Max as she was laid back on the bed nursing a full belly. "Those pancakes were asking for it," groaned Max as she sat up. "So what I miss, what I miss," She asked as she bounced on the bed slightly. "Hmm where to start, A lot can happen in sixteen hours," she grinned, Max rolled her eyes at the obvious pun as she reached for her coffee. "Oh this is too good," Chloe thought to herself before saying, "Well get the biggy out the way, Mum knows," "Wha," Max choked as coffee shot out of her nose, Chloe burst into hysterics clutching her sides. Max wiped the coffee from her nose and chin on her sleeve and then looked at it taking note of all the blood stains and now coffee stains "Oh great, well it's been a good hoodie" she thought to herself. "What you mean ya mom knows, you told her," She said again a little panic in her voice. Chloe managed to calm herself as she looked at her with a stupid big grin on her face, furrowing her brow a little, "More like she told herself," Suddenly the penny dropped. Max went for her back pocket only to notice Chloe holding the letter up. "Oh," was Max's assessment. "I stupidly left it on the desk and mum found it, At first she thought it was just stupid, But then something or rather three things happened that made her re-read it, But she's cool, She believes us and her and David left town early this morning for a few day, I told them we would catch them up," Max sat there and listened her mouth hanging open. "So David knows too," She finally got out. Chloe shook her head, "Nope, Mum just said they were leaving for a few days, He has no idea, I think," finishing she grabbed a cigarette off her desk and lit it.

"wait a sec back up," Max replied, "What three things," "Well that's easy, First you showing up at the right time at the right place to save me, Then us being in the right place at the right time to save Kate, and then this," She grabbed the photo from the desk and gave it to Max. Max took it and looked at it, "That's a good shot," she said, "Wait the eclipse happened" she practically shouted at Chloe, Chloe just nodded, "Yup about 15 minutes after you passed out actually," She crossed her arms and looked sternly at Max, "Which reminds me, are you going three for three today," "huh," Max looked at her feeling a touch of confusion. "Well you passed out the day you saved me, You passed out yesterday evening, Just wanna know if I need to prepare myself to carry you again," She finished grinning playfully, Oh that reminds me Warren did literally shit bricks yesterday, feel free to invite him over, and Kate if ya want, Warren does have wheels right," As she spoke she grabbed Max's phone off the desk and tossed it to her.

"Err yeah," she said catching the phone and flicking through her messages and letting out a small laugh, "It was probably better in person," Max said with a smile, "That's exactly what I said," Chloe replied giggling. Max looked up at Chloe a smirk on her lips, "Get outta my head," "You invited me, remember," Chloe poked her tongue at her and the two started giggling again as Max tried to concentrate on messaging Warren.

Max - Explain tomorrow, Watch out for whales

Warren - Wha, Whales er ok

Max - Tomorrow dude

Max - Bow before your crystal ball

Warren - I do I do

Warren - How you sleep

Max - long much needed

Warren - So how did you know

Max - Not over text

Max - gimmi a second

"I think I'll see if Kate wants to come first, Then Warren could pick her up, saves going out today" She shrugged to herself

Max - Hi Kate hows the shoulder

Kate - Hiiii still sore

Kate - But these painkillers are awsome

Kate - Whats up

Max - Wanna see a magic trick

Kate - Are you sure

Max - Yes

Kate - Ok then, bored as hell here anyways

Max - tut tut

Kate - Sorry mother

Max - I'll have Warren pick you up

Kate - Oh does he know

Max - Nope but expect questions from him

Kate - Well I have no answers

Max - See you soon

"And now Warren," she thought as she returned to his conversation

Max - Not over text

Max - gimmi a second

Warren - okies

Warren - Max

Max - Chill dude

Warren - Trying

Warren - Theres whales on the beach

Warren - ACTAUL whales

Max - Chill I know

Max - Can you pick Kate up on ya way to Chloe's

Max - She's at her mom's

Max - Careful though her shoulder is bad

Warren - You sure about that

Max - Yes, And don't ask her 100 questions

Max - she knows as much as you

Warren - Witch is nothing

Max - Exactly

Max - See you at lunchtime

"I don't think I text that much before" she sighed as she tossed her phone to one side on the bed. "So what's the plan," Chloe asked as she doodled on a piece of paper. Max thought for a moment and shrugged, "Simple show, and a condensed version of events I guess, Don't need to burden them with all the extra baggage, And after the storms done I'll just say I lost it, whether I have or not, Make out it's because of the storm I guess," She finished sighing looking at her very ruined hoody. Chloe turned to face her looking at the stained hoodie covering her friend, "Look's like you murdered someone Caulfield," She grinned and then pointed to her own top and Jacket on the floor, "And I was the accomplice," The both laughed as Max got up and removed her trusted hoodie tossing it next to Chloe's jacket and shirt. "Hey you can use the shower ya know, I promise I won't peek," Chloe hinted towards the bathroom holding her hands in front of her face and parting her fingers looking at her. Max felt herself go a little red, "You so would, given half a chance, But I warn you it might backfire," rolling her eyes with a grin as she made her way to the door heading for the shower. Chloe sat back in her chair pouting her bottom lip, "You're such a cheat Caulfield,"

Ok this one's a bit more light-hearted, still a few teary eyes. Had to split the next one and this one otherwise the next one would have been really long, Next one is a bit of a filler but I'll try and make it good. This storm part is going to get wrapped up within the next 3-4 chapters before we get to the aftermath and I have another idea for Max's power that I'm tossing around, Don't worry I'm not trying to make Max op lol, Also Mr. Jefferson is still about Ooooh

As always comments and critique are welcome, And thanks for the reviews, You have no idea just how much they help