Happy New year to you all.

As promised, See you at the bottom.

Continue Yes/No... YES

A dark empty voidless place.

She couldn't tell if it was cold, just assumed, it was black and empty after all. What was the last thing she could remember? Thousands of voices echoed in her head, hard to focus. She recalled smashing into a place, seeing herself. Younger, braver, more determined… dying. A blue-haired woman, different from the blonde girl with mischievous eyes she knew.

Introducing herself as… Maxine. No, not the blue haired girl, that was her own name. The thought of her full name made her cringe; Max was much better. Wrestling with demons.

A blurry blue ball, accelerating through the void. The end was in sight, grasping onto a memory. Warm lips on her own… but not really. Not her Chloe. She remembered, Captain Chloe Elizabeth Price, the Bay's most infamous pirate. The Price residence, her last time seeing the girl happy. When her father William Price was alive.

September 21st, 2008. Arcadia Bay. Price residence.

"Hey. C'mon sleepy head, wake up." A familiar impatient voice sounded.

"I just wanna rest," she mumbled, clamping her eyes shut and ignoring the intrusive voice.

A hand shook her shoulder, insistent. "You sleep too much already, Maxipad. Besides, we got places to go, treasure to find… and dishes to do. That part's not so fun."

Why couldn't the universe just let her sleep? She'd done her part.

"Max, up and at 'em!"

Something bounced on her, making her sit bolt upright and hit her head.

"Ow!" she squeaked, covering her mouth. Her voice… it didn't sound right. Once sense reasserted itself, she noticed a blonde girl. She was lying on her back, sprawled out at the bottom of the bed holding her forehead.

"We seriously need a better way of waking you up," she sighed.

"Chloe?"

"The one and only." She grinned, sitting up and rubbing her forehead.

None of this made sense. Was this heaven? "But… how?"

"Did you hit your head? Oh wait, you did. On me," Chloe playfully jabbed. "We watched Blade Runner last night, ate pretty much all the cereal and dad's secret sweet stash. Sound familiar?"

Her eyes went wide, realizing what today was…

Chloe frowned, concerned. "Max, you look pale. Well, paler than usual. You okay?"

Shaking herself back to reality, Max launched a pillow at Chloe to distract her.

"Paler? You suck. I'm fine."

Ducking out of the way, she jumped to her feet. "You're gonna have to do better than that, Caulfield." Before leaving the room, she pointed up. "There should be some hot water in the tank if you want a shower."

Once Chloe left, Max scrambled to her feet. She got caught up in the blanket, falling flat onto the cream carpet. There was a large red stain inches from her face. It was about the same shape and size as the one left behind after infamous Chloe and Max wine tasting session, but… she wasn't in the lounge. This was Chloe's bedroom.

This… shouldn't be here.

Standing up, she got to her feet and checked her phone. The date made her heart sink.

September 21st, 2008.

Her phone hit the floor with a dull thud, hands shaking. This wasn't heaven… it was hell.

Running on instinct, only vaguely registering a smash and muttered cursing coming from the kitchen, Max launched herself through the door. She stopped dead in her tracks. Cottages and townhouses surrounded her, little picket fences and carefully laid out flower beds. People chattering away and laughing not too far away.

Two people stood to her left, she assumed a couple, locked in a heated debate.

"I prefer pink," the shorter dark haired woman protested.

"Well, I like the red," the man replied stubbornly.

The old townhouse in front of them shifted color as each argued their case, a strobe light show.

"Those two can never agree on anything." Max turned on her heel, coming face to face with a smiling red-headed woman. "About time you woke up."

"Nona?" The brunette frowned.

"Glad to see your memory wasn't fried." Her smile widened, enveloping the younger girl in a crushing hug.

"But how? I should be... you know..." Max couldn't bring herself to say it.

Breaking the hug, Nona stepped back, maintaining her smile. "What's wrong, you don't believe in second chances?"

"No. Well, yes, but..." Max hesitated, knowing all too well what was to come. "I can't go through this again. It's not fair."

Nona frowned. "Go through what again"

"William leaving Chloe... I can't. Not again."

"And you won't have to," Nona assured. Seeing the confusion on the young girl's face, she continued, "When you severed the other reality, all those connected to it shattered, like a million mirrors. Like you, we all expected that to be it, but... then we realized you were still alive." Nona smiled.

"I... survived. How?"

"No idea, but with you alive, we had a stable anchor, a means to build upon. So we took all the non-tainted shards of every broken reality, stitching them together to make something new. With you at the center," Nona explained. "The ultimate recycling."

"The other reality. What happened to that... me, I guess?"

"Exactly what we thought would happen. Things looked a little rocky for a second, but it stabilized," Nona paused giving Max a grin, "Turns out there was just enough of the other Max in you to make this possible." She gestured all around them.

Max's mind shifted back to Chloe's room - cream carpet and wine stain - different to her own timeline. Small changes but maybe…

"So, what you're saying is… I don't have to watch Chloe break again?" she tentatively summarized, hoping beyond hope.

Nona nodded. "William's fate isn't sealed. There is no reason for it to be. Or anyone else's for that matter."

A weight lifted off Max's heart and soul, light shining into the deep darkness she had previously resigned herself to. "He gets to live… to see Chloe grow up…"

"He's not the only one," Nona added softly.

"Wait." Max's brain started working overtime, slowly piecing things together she spoke slowly realizing what Nona was getting at. "If William's alive, then... oh my god..." She looked up at Nona almost too hopeful. "I don't have to move."

Nona's smile said it all. Unable to control herself, Max launched forwards at the older woman, hugging her tight and breaking down. "I get to stay…" repeated over and over again through sobs.

Returning the hug, Nona patted her back soothingly. "You get to stay."

They stayed like that for some time, enjoying their victory. They'd suffered plenty to get here. This was the best gift Max could ever have hoped for. She had been so sure it was all over, ready for it.

"I can do everything differently. Explore all my options!" Max exclaimed excitedly.

When Nona pulled away, she put a hand on Max's shoulder. "Yeah, um, you're gonna have to be careful about that. At least for the time being."

"Pretty sure I can handle it, Nona. I am after all a daughter of time... so to speak."

"I'm sure you can, but your powers... how shall we say, they're locked again."

"WHAT?!" Max shouted, instantly looking apologetic. "Sorry, but why?"

Nona let out a chuckle. "Because if you tried tapping into them now, you'd die. You're too young."

"I'm like eighty... oh god." Max frowned. "Can't tell Chloe that. That would be weird... talk about age gap," she mumbled.

"In your mind maybe, but your body, sorry you're a thirteen-year-old girl again."

Max glanced down at her thirteen-year-old self. "This is… pretty trippy, but I can handle it."

"Oh really? So, if Chloe came up to you right now and she went to kiss you…"

As she said this, a fourteen-year-old Chloe appeared in front of them. Max turned scarlet as she leaned in, the image vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. Nona laughed at her shyness.

Attempting to get herself under control, and hide her blush, Max gave Nona a scowl while mumbling, "Stupid emotions".

"More like hormones, for now, the lock stays. Besides, you won't need your powers. Not for a while anyway."

"I've gotta go through puberty again. The first time was confusing enough," Max groaned.

"I'm sure you will manage, although I do have some advice to help you traverse the choppy waters of puberty."

She frowned. "I'm not getting any spoilers out of you, am I?"

"Couldn't if I wanted to. Your future, as of now, is unwritten," Nona replied, a knowing glint in her eyes. "Although, if you want it to go a certain way, I'd start making moves within the next two years or someone might beat you to it."

"Rachel," Max theorized, trying unsuccessfully to hide the twang of jealousy.

That earned her a chuckle. "My, my. Jealous of a girl who you shouldn't even know yet. You have it bad. But then again, it might be your head that gets turned."

Before Max could protest, she was cut off by the arguing couple.

"I want it pink!" the dark-haired woman demanded once more.

"No, red," her partner countered, crossing his arms.

"Oh for the love of potatoes," Nona groaned marching over to the couple. "Look you two, it's easy. Just do this."

She snapped her fingers. The house before them turned pink with the outer brickwork turning red. Once their initial surprise wore off, they stopped arguing. After thanking Nona, they headed inside.

"Urgh, those two, I swear… Give it a week and they'll be at it again," Nona smirked turning back to the brunette.

Max watched them disappear, shaking her head. "Seems like they're keeping you on your toes."

"Someone has to." Nona's expression turned sad. "I'm gonna miss you, ya know."

"Wait… I'm not coming back?" She hadn't even considered that, too caught up in celebration.

"Not for a few years." When Max's face fell, she was quick to continue, "Don't worry, I'll still be here when you need me. Like always."

"Thank you, Nona. For being here and… everything." She had been given so much and would never take it for granted.

"Quit stealing my lines. You made it all possible. And I wouldn't have it any other way." Nona pulled her in for one last hug.

Reluctantly Max broke away, a pang of emptiness and loss lingering. "I'll… see you soon."

"Sooner than you think. Good luck, Max." Her voice echoed as the village faded away.

Blinking a few times, she got her bearings. She heard Chloe muttering all the curse words she knew. Max smiled to herself as she headed downstairs. Poking her head around the kitchen doorway, she saw her friend cleaning up the remains of a broken dish.

"I think that's about fifteen dollars for the swear jar."

"Jesus, Max… When did you get so sneaky? You're like a ninja," Chloe breathed, regaining her composure. "Anyway, that jar is for dad. Not me."

"I didn't think Chloe Price was scared of anything," Max teased playfully.

"I'm not. You just surprised me," she replied defiantly, dumping the broken dish into the trash and returned the dustpan and brush to the cupboard. "Unlike you, I'm no chickenshit."

"I'm not a chickenshit…" Max hesitated for just a second, "and I can prove it."

A challenging smirk appeared on Chloe's face. "Truth or dare."

Of course she'd go straight for that, Max thought to herself. "Um, truth."

"So much for not being a chickenshit," Chloe chuckled, also looking a little disappointed.

"I'm just getting warmed up," Max defended, pouting slightly.

"Excuses, excuses…" Chloe waved her off, starting to pace.

She tapped her chin as if deep in thought, stopping abruptly after a few lengths of the kitchen. Blue eyes glinted with mischief.

"Boys," she raised one hand, "or girls," she finished raising the other.

"Oh, um…" Max hadn't expected that. "It… depends, really."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Oh? On what?"

You. While the question was easy to answer in her head, it was nearly impossible to say aloud. "That's not part of the game. So, truth or dare?"

Rolling her eyes, Chloe moved on. "Dare, duh."

The answer was predictable. Max moved closer to her, heart working overtime. Would this be a dare, request or declaration? All of the above.

"I, err…" she stuttered, the words caught in her throat. Get it together, Max, this shouldn't be that hard.

"I'm waiting." The other girl crossed her arm, playfully tapping her foot.

Swallowing hard, she squeaked a quiet, "Kiss me."

"Wha…" Chloe's eyes widened, taken aback. Her foot stopped tapping, arms falling to her sides in stunned silence.

Taking a deep breath, Max looked the blonde dead in the eye. She could feel the heat burning in her cheeks.

"I double dare you, Chloe Price. Kiss me now."

"So, do you think the girls have done the dishes?" Joyce asked as the blue sedan pulled into the driveway.

"With the promise pancakes, Chloe would do just about anything. Max too, now I think about it." William smiled knowingly. "Especially yours."

"Such a smooth talker." Joyce left the car, grabbing a bag of groceries in each hand. "Has it always been that way or is it something you developed since discovering my cooking?"

"Couldn't really tell you," he replied, taking the rest of the bags with a grin. "You're the first girl any of my lines worked on."

"I doubt that very much."

Opening the door, Joyce stopped dead in her tracks. She dropped the bags, their contents spilling out on the porch.

"Oh dear… what have they done this time?" William muttered, bracing himself for maximum impact.

What he saw was a pleasant surprise. Chloe and Max parting lips, only just realizing they had company.

"Uh… mom, dad… you're back," Chloe stammered, not knowing what to do with her hands until Max took one, calming her.

Leaning closer to his wife, William smirked. "I think someone owes me twenty bucks."

THE END

And that's it.

Playing for Keep's is now officially finished.

What's on the horizon next, Well, Eye of the storm is hopefully next up, things haven't been idle on that one, Not moving as quick as We'd like, but it IS moving so expect to see something within the next few weeks.

Hope you enjoyed the ride, and we look forward to seeing you in other fics.

HAPPY NEW YEAR