Author's Note: Sorry, all for the delay in getting this up. Been a long week and a bit!

I woke the next morning to the soothing music of 'Something Good' by Alt-J emanating from my phone, one of my favourite songs to wake up to. I woke slowly, staying on my back looking up at the ceiling as the music continued to play, gently guiding me towards consciousness. As my slowly waking mind wandered it found its way towards the last time I had heard this song, the morning of the Tuesday of that lost week. As a result of course my mind began to flash between everything that had happened that day, from the hours spent reconnecting with Chloe and exploring my powers, to that terrible few minutes on the rooftop when I had to talk Kate down. In that moment all the emotion came flooding back and I found myself sobbing, although none of them had ever happened now I still remembered them, and they still hurt. The days that never where, the lives that would never be lived… and the lives that no longer were. It was all too much and I felt tears flooding down my face as I found myself drowning in this tidal wave of emotion that had hit me out of nowhere.

"Max?"

Just like that she was there, like a life ring in my ocean of sadness her voice cut through my sobbing. Of course someone would find me like this, and really who else but her would it have been? Doubtless she could hear my sobs through the door, the concern in her voice was audible despite her whispering through a wooden door. When I didn't answer I heard the door open and I looked up to see Kate looking down at me, concern plastered across her face. I knew why, of course, not even the previous day had I been as visibly upset as I was now, but that was because yesterday it hadn't felt real, not really. It was only now that I was beginning to realise quite the extent of what had happened and that it was real, and I was a hella long way from being able to come to terms with any of it, it was just too terrible to even contemplate, and yet I had lived it and that meant I would have to contemplate it.

"I told you to text me if you needed me," Kate admonished gently as she sat down on my bed and lifted my head up into her lap. "Hush now."

She didn't say much else. She just sat there, with my head in her lap, and stroked my hair gently and comfortingly. Somehow just her presence, her touch, was enough. It gave me something to latch onto and to anchor myself in reality, rather than the sea of unreal and distressing thoughts and emotions I had found myself in.

"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest," Kate said softly after a time.

"Matthew 11:28," I said, my voice little more than a whisper. "Your favourite verse."

"Yes, it is," Kate replied with a sad smile. "It's a verse that gives me a great deal of comfort in dark times.'

"I know," I said heavily. "It helped me talk you down from the roof."

I heard Kate sigh and felt her fingers move from stroking my hair gently down my cheek until she reached my chin and encouraged my to sit up with gentle pressure. She looked sad, of course she was; on top of all she was dealing with I had dropped all of my troubles on her as well, but instead of the despair I had seen on her face in the lost week, and that I knew she could see on mine, I saw a grim determination as she locked eyes with me.

"Max… I am not going to that roof; that was the other me.. the me that didn't know the truth about what happened, the me that was trying to deal with everything on my own, because I thought I was alone," Kate said firmly. "Now I know better, I know what happened, and I know that you are here for me, really I should always have known, but that goes both ways, Max, I'm here for you too."

"I know you are, Kate, it's just that I don't know much else; I don't know what is real anymore, I saw so many different timelines that it's all blurring together," I replied quietly. "And even the things that I know, deep down, didn't happen, like you going up on the roof… I still remember them happening… I remember watching you fall, Kate."

"But you stopped me," Kate said simply. "You stopped me then, and you've stopped me now."

"I guess."

'I'm not saying it's going to be easy, Max, but I promise you won't have to deal with it alone," Kate told me, and I could see the determination in her eyes. "I say, you know I normally play my violin every morning… why don't we play together."

I look over at my guitar thoughtfully. Kate did of course play the violin every morning, or she had up until the last couple of days, and it was always beautiful, something that everyone could appreciate; not even Victoria and her minions complained. I never particularly thought of myself as particularly good, indeed I was kinda worried that I would diminish her playing with mine, but I could see that she was trying to lift my spirits, and music has that magical way of doing just that. I nod shakily and Kate smiles, giving me a hug before leaving to go and grab her violin from her room. I pick up my phone and switch off the music and grab some tissues and wipe the tears from my eyes. Kate really was trying, and as much as it was probably helping distract her from her own problems I was determined to not become too much of a burden.

I picked up my guitar and strummed the strings to get my ear in just in time for Kate to return with her violin. After a a short discussion we agreed to play two parts of the Luigi Boccherini No. 6 Op.30, given that it was classical music it wasn't designed with a guitar in mind of course, but I was confident that I could play the background beat as Kate described it to me. Taking a deep breath I began to play, it was just me for a few moments strumming the beat until Kate joined in with the beautiful and skilled playing that I knew she was capable of. It was an upbeat piece and it was obvious why Kate had chosen for us to play. By the time we had finished the piece I couldn't help but smile, and she smiled back at me for a moment before beginning another tune. In the end we played for maybe an hour in total, a mixture of classical and more modern pieces, as well as bits of improvisation. Little did we know it at the time but we were giving something of a backdrop for everyone else on the floor as they got ready for their day.

"Thank You, Kate," I said softly as he placed out instruments down.

"What for?"

"For this, for doing your best to cheer me up and make me forget my troubles," I replied. "Most of all, for being here."

"You would be here for me, by all accounts you have been already," Kate smiled. "What do you want to do today, classes are cancelled after yesterday."

"I don't think I can face the world today, Kate," I admit quietly. "Do you think we can stay in and watch some movies?"

"Of course," Kate nodded instantly. "How does Disney sound?"

"Disney sounds wonderful, Kate," I replied, managing a small smile. "I'll set up my computer on the beside table."

"And I'll go and grab my DVDs," Kate smiled.

I watched as Kate left to go and get her DVDs and remained staring at my door for a few moments with an affectionate, but natural, smile on my face for the first time in some time. Taking a deep breath I stood and grabbed my laptop and power cable from the desk and set it up on my bed side table before arranging my pillows so that we could both lie and watch it in comfort. By the time I had finished Kate returned with the DVDs, and I could tell from the choices that she had selected the happier films, without the darker tones that marked out some Disney films, I could see where she was going with all this, but I couldn't blame her. She had taken it upon herself to raise my spirits, and I knew that I couldn't thank her enough. She was being more proactive than I had been when she was sad…

Damnit Caulfield, don't go getting yourself upset again, you saved her and she's doing the same for you, she just know's what's wrong.

I managed another sad smile as Kate placed the first DVD into my computer and pressed play, settling down next to me as the film began to play. We ended up going through pretty much Kate's entire pile of DVDs throughout the course of the day, we only ventured out to find ourselves what was probably the world's most unhealthy lunch in the form of whatever snacks and other food supplies we could find in either of our rooms. I don't know whether Kate minded spending the entire day sitting or lying on my bed watching DVDs and eating junk food but she never once complained. I caught her watching my carefully a few times when she thought I was concentrating on the film, and I could see her relief that I was enjoying the films without letting my mind wander. That I was, hopefully, putting her worries to rest, at least partially, was very comforting, as I hated that I was placing so much of a burden on her shoulders, particularly as I knew full well how burdened she already was.

Darkness was beginning to fall outside by the time we even thought about doing something else, and that was only really because both of our phones went off at the same time. We shared glanced as the words 'Mom' and 'Mother' appeared on mine and Kate's phone respectively. My conversation was unlikely to be traumatic so I silenced the ringer and took Kate's hand and squeezed it tightly. I could tell that she was nervous, the hand holding her phone was beginning to shake. I looked her in the eyes and gave her a firm nod. She took a deep breath and thumbed the accept button, she held the phone so that we could both listen to the conversation.

"Hello," She said cautiously, quietly and vulnerably.

"Kate, this is your mother… We've just had the Arcadia Bay Police Department on the phone," Kate's Mother said, her voice sounding weary more than anything else. "They say that you were drugged the night you were filmed… doing what you did."

"It's the truth," Kate replied.

"That still doesn't explain why you went to one of these' Vortex Club' parties in the first place," Kate's Mother said sharply. "You must have known that such things are full of sinful behaviour."

I squeezed Kate's hand as I felt her wince at her mother's suddenly sharp tone.

"None of which I was taking part in, I was just trying to make some friends and I was drinking soft drinks," Kate said firmly, taking some encouragement from my hand squeeze and my caring expression. "A girl should be able to go to a party without getting drugged and made to do things like that"

"Yes, they should," Kate's Mother agreed at length. "Even so…"

It was at this point that I couldn't take it any longer. I looked Kate straight in the eyes before I reached up and took her phone from her hands. She looked shocked but she didn't try to take it back from me, and even as her hand gripped mine a little tighter I could see the trust in her eyes.

"Mrs Marsh, my name is Max Caulfield, I am one of Kate's friends, and I just wanted to ask if you have any idea what Kate is going through, that she is the victim here?" I said, righteous (in my opinion) anger filling my tone. "Kate has been through hell and she needs support from you and her family, not condemnation for something she couldn't avoid."

"Well, I…"

"I've read the email you send to Kate, Mrs Marsh, and it sounds like you're more concerned about your family's reputation than on Kate's wellbeing and whether or not she is okay," I continued, fierce tears welling in my eyes. "We're all going through a difficult time here right now, you might have heard, so until you've got something nice to say, don't bother Kate. Goodbye."

With that I slammed my thumb down on the end call button and looked back up at Kate. She had tears in her eyes and she was shaking, but as soon as I had finished speaking she pulled me towards her and hugged me tightly. We sat there for a good ten minutes sobbing into each other's shoulders before we pulled back from each other and looked each other in the eyes, both red from crying.

"Wow Max… that was…"

"I'm so sorry Kate! I just couldn't bear listening to her talking to you like that, caring more about what it looks like for 'the family' rather than how you are doing," I replied quickly, shaking my head profusely. "What you need right now is support, you're still a victim, and to hear her talking like that… after everything you've done for me I couldn't just let her get away with trying to put you down for something that's not your fault."

I clearly looked like I was going to go on, and knowing my tendency to ramble when worked up like this I probably was, as Kate put a calming finger across my lips for a moment.

"Thank You, Max," She said simply.

"What for?" I frowned. "I just shouted at your Mom, I'll have made things worse for you now…"

"No Max, you said what needed to be said, what I would never have had the courage to do; you called her out on her actions and maybe, just maybe, made her think about it," Kate replied. "Even Christ challenged people when they were doing wrong, or being hypocrites, and even Christ got angry, like when he expelled the money changers from the Temple."

Kate smiled and hugged me again.

"So thank you, Max," Kate said into my shoulder. "Even when you are in a bad place yourself, you really are my angel."

"And you are mine," I replied softly.

Author's Note:

I hope you enjoyed this Chapter, and that I managed to portray the emotions I figured that both of them would be trying to deal with accurately. For the record, I have no idea whether playing the kind of music I had in mind would be possible with a guitar, but I watched Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World whilst writing this, and the music wrote itself into my work! Also, I couldn't resist Max, in her distressed state, finally giving Mrs Marsh the wake-up call she needed, I wish we could have done that in the game!

Next Chapter shouldn't take as long, I hope!