Chapter 19

Bad timing

Chloe stood a few feet away from the edge of the cliff hands at her sides fists clenched trying to fight off the cold as she stared out across the bay, A tall swell of wind, water, and lightning moved ever closer to the place she grew up in, She could feel the electricity as it crackled in the air, The rain had long soaked its way to her core, Trying to keep track of all the different things that were getting tossed around like leaves in the wind was a struggle, Where the small wooden buildings that were on the seafront had been there was now just rough patches of brick and mortar, The buildings themselves spread out like matchwood over the bay, Car's and small boats had been hurled into whatever buildings hadn't been blown away, She could make out a whale corpse atop the two whales diner, Chloe let a grin on her lips, "Needs another one," she thought. Every now and then she thought she could see someone, But when she looked again there was nothing there. Just thinking about Max being in the middle of that sent a chill down the bluenette's spine as a thought struck her "How fucked up is this, She's probably just freezing time as she moves around down there, Yet here I am watching it all happen and while freezing is something I'm doing, Time it is not, though, it's my fucking ass," She let out a chuckle. She thought back to earlier when Amy had said "Thank you" as a gentle warm surge pulsed through her making her realize just how cold it was. An image of Max popping up in front of them and saving them from almost certainly getting skewered shot into her head, Soaking wet, covered in dirt and blood, It seemed to be a Max thing lately, Well the blood at least, But the smile on Max's face told her she was ok, "I hope she didn't see me getting skewered,...ugh, Kabob Chloe, And not a good way either," She shuddered at the thought, shaking the image from her head. "Where the fuck are you, Max,," she said aloud over the wind.

"Right here," Max's voice came out a little quieter than she had intended, Her body ached and her head was pounding, The taste of iron still heavy on her tongue, Panting deeply as she looked at the back of the punk's wetted down hair and let out a smile, "Sorry I'm late,". Chloe around to see Max sitting on the bench, She looked like she had been through a war, Her shirt had definitely gained a few more tears she eyed Max with a grin, "Some time wizard, I was getting worried," She said walking over to Max with a smile, kneeling in front of her, placing her hands on Max's knee's. "You ok," she said. Max nodded at her putting her arms around the punk hugging her, "I'm so glad that's over," she mumbled as she felt a shiver from the cold run through her. Chloe responded wrapping her arms around the shivering brunette, "I thought we were leaving once we had everyone," she replied softly trying to not let her teeth chatter too much. Max slowly pulled herself up loosening the punks grip as she walked a little close to the cliff edge, "I know, Just felt like I kinda had to be here ya know," She let out a small chuckle, "This is where it all started after all," Max said signing with one hand out to the bay towards the insanity that was before them. Chloe let out an amused humph as she got to her feet and stood next to Max, "Front row seats to the end of Arcadia, Kinda poetic I guess," Chloe said trying to sound chipper despite the cold. Max stared out across the bay, It didn't look too bad from up here in contrast to what it was like down there, It looked beaten but still looked like Arcadia Bay. "Hey two whales need's renaming by the way," Chloe said in an amused voice as she pointed to the diner with a dead whale slumped across the roof as she put the other arm around Max's shoulders. Max let out a groan as she rolled her eye's, "Dork," she said with a smirk giving the punk a gentle shoulder barge as they both watched the tornado ripping into the shoreline.

After a short time, Chloe let out a sigh as she squeezed Max's shoulder and turned to leave, "Max, It's time," she said as she took a few steps away from the brunette. Max felt her knee's give out from under her as the words reverberated through her, A painful reminder of a haunting memory that needed to be let out, She felt her eye's well as she watched not only her most cherished but also most painful memory play out as she collapsed on the dirt burying her face in her arms letting out a gentle sob. Chloe stopped and turned her head towards her, Upon seeing the brunette hunched on the ground clearly sobbing she felt a lump in her throat as she took a tentative step back towards the girl, "Max," her voice came out a little shaky not sure what to make of the sudden change. Max kept her head in her arms as the floodgates opened she felt like breathing itself was a challenge, "Chloe,...There,.There's something I need to tell you," She got between breaths and sniffs as she struggled to find the words she wanted. Chloe stopped a mere foot from the sobbing brunette as something clicked in her head, The final sentence of a letter written in another time "What happened on the cliff, she wouldn't tell us" ran before her eyes, She felt as though she forgot how to breathe as the shock of Max's words hit her with new weight, "Shit," she thought.

"Max," Chloe muttered as her body seemed to remember how to breath, "Chloe," Max said taking a breath before continuing, "Five years ago when I left," "Max it doesn't matter," Chloe interrupted, her eye's starting to well as she reached her hand over placing it on Max's shoulder, The brunette shook her head, "When I left,..It felt as though I left part of me behind," she let loose a big sniff, "Sure, I pretended I was happy, Told myself I was fine, But,...But in truth I hated it, feeling empty,.I tried to write, hell I actually got a letter into an envelope, But I bailed on sending it," Max let loose another sob as Chloe felt a stab of guilt run through her, "Max, None of that shit matters anymore, you're here for fucks sake," She was almost shouting at the brunette trying to keep herself from balling as well. "Chloe," Max muttered before taking a deep breath, "Shut the fuck up and listen, I,...I was a fucking coward,..Ev..everything you were going through and I didn't even have the guts to post a fucking stupid letter because I was terrified of the response or lack of,...I kept to myself, shut out everything, No style, what did I need it for, I didn't care,...And then I got my acceptance letter to Blackhell,...Part of me was happy, The other dreaded it, be...because you would be there," she blubbed into her arms, knowing she was backing herself into a corner with only one exit, "fuck," she muttered angrily to herself balling her fists and slamming them into the wet mud beside her letting out a frustrated scream between clenched teeth.

Chloe just stood there as every word hit her with needle-like precision, Every word, every syllable reflecting perfectly how she had felt over the last five years, She didn't want to hear it, Here was Max bearing her soul after everything she had been through, everything she had done, And she didn't want to hear it, or believe that she felt the same, But at the same time she knew it was all true, "No," she thought to herself, "I won't let you do this to yourself, Max, Not like this," She felt a surge of anger rush through her, pushing the cold out, Where did this come from, It wasn't aimed at Max, Herself, Maybe, for being so stubborn herself, even in another timeline she saw how stubborn she had been, Always being closed off thinking of just what she wanted, And here was Max, going out of her way for her, helping when she didn't need to like she had some debt that needed repaying some wrong she was trying to atone for, fuck that, "Max, that shit don't matter anymore, none of it does ya hear," she shouted above the wind moving closer to the brunette pulling her round to face her.

Max looked up at the bluenette, her eyes were stinging now and her body was screaming for warmth and rest but she didn't care as she felt another wave of tears threatening to break free, "The d,..day I let you,...go," Just thinking that word she felt the dam break a new as she struggled to get it all out, she wanted this weight gone, "When you were gone,..I felt worse than empty, hollow, I didn't want to live, I...I thought about it, ya know, ending it, I couldn't stand it," she let it go, all the guilt and pain she had bottled up over the last three weeks. Those last words had done it for Chloe, she pulled the Brunette into her chest and wrapped her arms around her, feeling every struggled breath between her sobs and she felt her own tears rolling down her face, It tore her at heart to hear someone saying words that made her feel so, needed, wanted, no, so necessary, It felt alien to her, "Don't you fucking dare, ya hear," Chloe forced out as she tried to force down her emotions, hugging the younger girl tighter as she tried to hold it together.

Max tried to steady her breathing, "You,...you wanted to know what was keeping me going," she said quietly pulling away from Chloe slightly, looking up into her blue eyes, Chloe shook her head as she suddenly realized what the young girl was about to say ,"don't," she muttered "It's you, Chloe, It always has been, even as kids," Max gave a watery grin as she finished, She knew coming, even braced herself, But it didn't matter, Chloe pulled the young girl back into her and let loose a heartfelt sob, "Shut up, ya fuckin little hippie," Chloe managed to choke out between a laugh and a sob. "It's true Chloe, every word," Max blubbed as she wiped her face in the punk's jacket and looked up at her with an unsure expression on her face. Chloe looked down at her, "What is it," she said wiping her eyes. Max turned her head to look at the tornado ripping through the town. " ok do or die I guess," she thought to herself looking back to the bluenette. "There's,...something else I have to tell you, Chloe," her voice came out uncertain as she tried to avoid the punks eyes. Chloe felt a sudden wash of confusion as she tried to gauge the young girl, "Max,...It can wait," she said quietly. Max shook her head slowly, "No it can't Chlo, Because I might be running out of time," Both girls let out a small chuckle at the pun. Feeling her heart race as it felt like it was forcing its way up her throat, Max raised her arm to take the punks arm off her shoulder while trying to control her shaking hand ran it along her arm to her hand threading her fingers in between the punks gripping it gently as she felt her eyes welling again. Chloe felt her heart rate increased ten fold as Max took her hand suddenly feeling an unpleasant knot in the pit of her stomach. Max took a deep breath, "You asked what kept me going, And while it's true that it was you," Max suddenly felt like she couldn't breath, words felt like lead, The sound of the storm raging in the distance was drowned out by her heart thumping in her ears as a tear rolled down her cheek, "Oh god forgive me," she forced out in a mutter as she gripped Chloe's hand tightly and everything went silent for a few seconds.

Chloe felt the air around her stop as everything ground to a halt, The tornado suspended on the coast, a crack of lightning frozen mid flash and various bits of debris, cars, and other stuff just hung in mid-air. Almost as soon as it all stopped it appeared to start up again, She looked around a little confused, Had Max's power failed, everything looked the same, scanning around it suddenly hit her, The tornado had moved away from the coast, It was back in the ocean then she heard a familiar voice behind her turning to face it.

Other Chloe "Max? Max, can you hear me? please, say something." her voice sounded desperate as both of the girls were on the ground looking worse for wear. "Chloe? I...I must have passed out, sorry" Other Max replied trying to get to her feet and falling back on her backside. Chloe watched other Max convinced herself the storm was her fault, while her other self, defended otherwise. She felt Max bury her face into her chest sobbing as her other self, gave other Max the photo and convinced her to undo everything, she felt the knot in her stomach get tighter as the two girls stood less than a foot apart for what seemed like an eternity. She felt Max's grip tighten on her as she started sobbing harder. Watching the scene in front of them as the two girls kissed, Chloe's heart stopped as she felt a mixture of warmth, guilt, and confusion, her mind went blank she couldn't think, had no words as the scene faded back to the present she just stood there holding a sobbing brunette as she bared her last heavy secret.

"Why didn't you tell me," was all Chloe managed to get out as she held the trembling brunette sobbing in her arms gently rubbing her back, Max sniffed a few times trying but failing to stop the tears, "I didn't,..didn't,..I wanted you to get there on your own, I didn't want to force it," she blurted out between sobs as she wiped her cheeks on the punk's jacket fruitlessly. "I felt like I had not choice back then Chlo, nor now, But," she took a step back from the punk breaking the hug that she felt protected by and wiped a trickle of blood from her nose on her sleeve looking up at Chloe her eyes very red and sore. "But what Max," Chloe asked firmly feeling uneasy taking a step towards her, Max slowly raised her hand before clenching her fist and holding it to her chest, "I,..I'm giving you the choice Chloe," she said weakly feeling her knees give out slightly but forced herself to stand.

Chloe stood for a second feeling stunned, "Max,..you can't just drop a bombshell like that and expect an answer right away," She said in a raised voice, "Chloe, I don't know how much time I have," Max shot back glancing across the bay at the storm. "What, and you would be happy for me to go on ignorant of how you feel, while you suffer in silence," Chloe shouted back angrily, Angry at Max for being so willing to undo what was said, Angry at herself for being so blind, and angry because of the situation. Max recoiled slightly not expecting the hostility and raised her arm slightly, "If,...If that's what you want, I..I don't want to be selfish Chlo," she stammered as a fresh tear rolled down her cheek. Chloe took a step forwards placing a hand on hers pushing it back down to her side, "Fuck Max, will you be stop being so fucking selfless," she said hotly turning her back to Max her arms at her sides fists clenched, "Ever since you came back,...You've done nothing but help everyone, saved Kate, Nathan, Me god knows how many times not to mention everyone in the fucking bay even those that don't deserve it," she took a breath as a sob escaped her, "Whatever debt you think you owe,...It's more than paid, shit you didn't even have one, to begin with," she pushed out the words as she felt the anger fade from within word by word. "Chlo I," Max began but she cut her off, "Let me finish Max," she sighed, "You bent time and made it your bitch, went through fuck knows how many realities, fought off psycho killers and a fucking supernatural tornado and damn near kill ya self just for my sorry ass," she let out a sigh "If that doesn't win a girls heart I don't know what will," she said the last part gently tears rolling down her cheeks as she turned round to face the brunette her eyes widened and her jaw hung slightly.

"Are you fucking cereal," Chloe said flatly as she stared at Max collapsed in a heap on the floor. She hung her head rubbing her forehead with one hand, "Only Maxine Caulfield would collapse during a confession," she sighed as she walked over and gently threaded one arm under Max's head and the other under her legs and scooped up the unconscious brunette and heaved her off the floor. "Ya know, I swear you do this to get out of walking to the truck," she muttered with a chuckle before turning towards the bay as the tornado began chewing up downtown, "So long Arcadia, It's been hell, we're outta here," she said with a smile as she walked down the hill towards the truck with her arms wrapped protectively around Max.

What a twist lol

And that's number 19, I know I said it would be a few days, but it turns out I had 95% of it written in my head already so YAY.

Bet ya thought it would end with a kiss, nope, sorry, Max still hasn't recovered from a week of no sleep properly that shit takes time, also all the emotional baggage and pulling other people around in time (You can use ya imagination as to what idiots needed saving :P)

So in episode 20...A little explanation of Max's power, the storm as well as future events. (Got a fair amount thought out already so it shouldn't be long)

Also to come, a few big reveals, character twist, hidden enemies, an unknown ally and the aftermath of Arcadia bay. (Not in the same episode lol)

As always comments and critique welcome