Author's Note: This chapter contains a direct quote/conversation from the game. Once again, this is a work of fanfiction, I am not affiliated with the game or producers.

"Oh, what fresh hell is this?" Chloe spat with annoyance as she realised she was dreaming. She looked over at Rachel, they were in their junkyard hideout, smoke poured from her mouth as she put the bong down.

"Woo! Good shit, hey," Rachel giggled.

"What do you want now, Rachel?" She asked as she crossed her arms and sat down on the flimsy chair across from her dead friend.

"Chillax, Chloe! Just think of me as your spirit guide," Rachel twiddled her fingers in the air. Chloe threw her head back and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Uhh! This shit ain't even real! Would you mind staying the fuck out of my head? I have a life to get back to!" Chloe was becoming impatient quickly.

"Ah yes, your life… and how long do you think you've been in love with Maxine Caulfield?" Rachel sat forward and smiled, with her elbows rested on her knees and her chin rested on her knuckles.

"What the fuck? How do you even know about that? I don't know. Why do you care?" Chloe wanted to get out of this dream, fast.

"Look, the only way you're getting out of here, is if we talk this out. We're safe here," Rachel waved her arms around as the rest of the junkyard faded away, leaving only the hideout.

"For fuck's sakes!" Chloe whined.

"Shit, maybe a week, I don't know! Not long enough for me to tell her, if that's what you're getting at! You know I don't do this 'feelings' bullshit," She continued. Rachel shook her head and smirked.

"Damn, Chloe, you're so fucking naive! And a horrible liar! You're a Pisces! We both know that all you are is a whirlwind of emotion! Especially when it comes to your precious Max," She snapped at her. Chloe held a blank stare. Rachel let out an exasperated sigh.

"Think back, to when you were kids," Rachel stared at Chloe, who thought for a moment.

Chloe: "Come on, open it chicken!"

Max: "Hold on. And I'm not chicken!"

Chloe: "Prove it! You drink first, Max!"

Max: "No way! It was your idea, Chloe!"

Chloe: "Whateva. Gimme that bottle,"

Max: "Well?"

Chloe: "Tasty. Very Tasty,"

Max: "Here, I wanna sip!"

Chloe: "Sorry, this is not for kids,"

Max: "Don't be greedy! Gimme some!"

Chloe: "Oh shit! The carpet!"

Max: "There's wine all over! What do we do now?"

Chloe: "My parents are coming! Cover it up!"

"Dude, an audio only flashback? Really?" Chloe whined as she held her forehead. Rachel just stared at her. That was the first time she felt that warm glow inside that she knew only Max was responsible for.

"The wine incident. When we got busted with that bottle of red that we spilled all over the carpet," Chloe muttered, eliciting a nod from Rachel.

"That's it? That's when I fell in love with her? What the fuck? We were fucking children! That's messed up, Rachel," Chloe spoke as her heart dropped.

"They're your feelings, not mine! Everything else happened so fast after that; your father dying, Max leaving for Seattle, you flying off the rails, Joyce and David, and then me. It was all too much, too fast, that you didn't realise it," Rachel counted out the issues on her fingers.

"And now you know; this last week or whatever, it's just brought it all back! That's why it feels so intense and crazy. Because you're finally old enough to deal with these feelings and she's finally back. And from where I'm standing, it doesn't look like she's letting you go anytime soon," she continued explaining.

"That's a weird moment to fall in love with someone, isn't it? Like we stole, drank and spilled some wine. I don't get it," Chloe scratched her head.

"Have you ever noticed that you and Max have flirted with each other for, like, your entire lives?" Rachel smirked.

"What, that's not normal?" Chloe rolled her eyes. Rachel shook her head.

"You and Max have always been at each other's sides. You've always caused trouble together. You trusted her from the start. And the second she came back into your life, that trust was there again, immediately. Even though you didn't want to admit it. Chloe, Max is your soul mate. In this world, that's rare to find. You're tethered to each other by this intense connection. That's why it hurt so much when she left. But you were always able to cover it up with everything else that was happening in your life; they were all just distractions for you to mask the pain of losing her. Imagine how she felt when she was torn away from you," Rachel continued her spirit guide rambling.

"So, what now?" Chloe asked, still not having been released from her dream.

"You don't get it. She's the one. That's why nothing ever felt right with anyone else. You'll never be with anyone else. She'll never be with anyone else. Stop hiding. Get your shit together. How long do you think she's been in love with you for?" Rachel spoke with a suggestive tone. Chloe shrugged.

"How the fuck am I supposed to figure that one out?" Chloe rolled her eyes. Rachel shook her head.

"Fucking ask her, you moron!" Rachel spat as she stood up and slapped Chloe across the face.

Chloe's eyelids felt heavy. She slowly opened them, feeling groggy. Her head felt numb. She was propped up at maybe a forty-five degree angle in a bed. As her eyes adjusted, she saw Max sitting in a chair, the top half of her sprawled across Chloe's legs, she was sleeping. Chloe smiled softly at the sight. She took in the rest of her surroundings and realised she was in a hospital room. Max had started to stir from her sleep. She opened her eyes and looked up at Chloe. Her eyes widened and a huge grin washed across her face.

"Hey," Chloe croaked out,

"Chloe!" Max called as she jumped onto the bed, straddled herself across Chloe's lap and pulled her up into a hug. She let go of her as Chloe let out a little cough.

"I'm so glad you're awake! How do you feel?" Max seemed elated. Chloe smirked, and flashed Max a thumbs up.

"Good drugs…." Chloe chuckled, her voice straining a little. Max reached over her, and pressed a button.

"I'll get a nurse to come in, to check you out," She was still smiling, it warmed Chloe's heart.

"But, I only want you to check me out," Chloe managed to whisper a lame joke, Max let out a short burst of laughter as she sat back in the chair.

"Oh, Miss Price, you're awake! I'll just do a few routine tests, and then we can focus on getting you out of here," The nurse rustled around a draw and pulled out a thermometer, rested it in Chloe's ear and wrote on her chart.

"Miss Caulfield here has refused to leave your room, she cares about you a lot," Max started blushing at the nurse's comment.

"She's really pretty, my Max, isn't she?" Chloe said groggily as she stared at Max. The nurse smiled.

"Yes, she is. Now, just look straight ahead," The nurse responded as she started flashing a little light in her eyes.

"Alright, Miss Price, I'll have a doctor come to see you soon, just to give you a final check, but it looks like you might be able to go home soon!" The nurse smiled as she put the chart back and left the room.

Chloe was starting to feel more awake.

"Max, do you have a black eye?" Chloe gasped. Max touched her bruised face and winced at the pain.

"Jefferson, he… he punched me," she said softly. Chloe remembered the incident involving Jefferson in the Dark Room. She reached up to the side of her head where he'd hit her, Max's hand caught her wrist, stopping her.

"Chloe, you have fresh stitches in your head. Don't touch them," Max frowned. Chloe felt her gut drop.

"Where is he?" she asked quietly, wondering if he'd ended up in the same hospital. Max sighed and looked down for a moment.

"He won't hurt us ever again. Chloe, the police – when they found him in the Dark Room," She stammered, trailing off.

"Shit, Max, spit it out!" Chloe begged.

"Mark Jefferson is dead," She replied flatly. Her heart fell, she felt nauseous. She closed her eyes and stayed quiet for a while, absorbing the information, it seemed to echo and repeat in her head.

"I – Max, I actually killed a man. I never…" Chloe's voice cracked.

"No, Chloe. Listen to me. Firstly, Jefferson was a deranged psychopath. Secondly, I killed him – and it was in self-defence," Max interrupted her, Chloe's eyes widened.

"What the fuck do you mean? I'm the one who shot him!" Chloe snapped and sat up more in the bed. Her head started to hurt.

"Chloe! Calm down – listen; after you shot him, I knocked him over the head," Max tried to keep her voice steady, but Chloe could tell she was hurting.

"Yes, Max, I remember that," Chloe muttered.

"Because he was unconscious, he couldn't keep pressure over his chest. He bled out, that's what the cops told me," Chloe took a deep breath, and let out a broken sigh.

"Max, you spoke to the cops?" Max's gaze fell to the bed; Chloe watched her fiddle with the sheets.

"Yes. I told them what happened. Chloe, it was self-defence, you know that!" Max pleaded. Chloe took a deep breath and sank back into the bed; she covered her face with her hands. Max put her hand on Chloe's shoulder.

"We'll figure this out. We will get through this. You and me, together," She tried to reassure her.

'Chloe, deal with this problem when it comes around. You saved Max, that's what's important. She's right, it was self-defence! He tried to kill the both of you AND he was an escaped felon! And fucking tell her you love her!' She thought as she pulled her hands away from her face and looked her girlfriend in the eye.

'You've always caused trouble together. Chloe, Max is your soul mate. She's the one,' Rachel's voice echoed through her mind.

"Chloe, I'm so sorry," Max looked like she was about to cry.

"Max, really, it's ok," Chloe smiled and rubbed Max's back. She shook her head.

"I shouldn't have spoken to you like that; or used my powers to get away from you," Max brushed her hand across her face as she spoke.

"Aha! I knew you pulled the rewind on me! Max, you sly dog," Chloe slapped her own leg and laughed. Max tried to hold back a smile.

"I'm trying to be serious here, Chloe," She mumbled.

"Max, seriously, just shut up and kiss me," Chloe winked and watched as Max's face lit up. She jumped up onto the hospital bed, straddled herself across Chloe once more and kissed her passionately.

"Chloe, I love you," Max whispered into Chloe's ear as she pulled away. Chloe felt her gut tighten as she opened her mouth in an attempt to respond.

'Why can't you fucking just say it back? I FUCKING LOVE YOU MAX CAULFIELD!' her mind screamed at her. A tall doctor walked into the room and picked up Chloe's chart.

'Oh, thank fuck – awkward non-conversation averted!' Chloe sighed.

"Well, Miss Price," he looked up from the chart and cleared his throat as Max sheepishly and slowly climbed back onto the chair.

"Everything looks alright here, you can go sign yourself out if you'd like. Please take this medication when you need it, for any pain. It might take a week or so for you to feel fully recovered. No driving, just take it easy for a while. And I'd like to see you back here in ten days, so we can take those stitches out," The doctor handed Chloe a small bottle of pills as he put the chart back down.

"It looks like you've got someone to take care of you," he smiled towards Max as she took the bottle of painkillers off Chloe.

"But, don't hesitate to call us if you have any concerns or questions," He nodded as he left the room. Chloe looked over at Max, who was inspecting the bottle of pills.

"Wanna get out of here?" Chloe asked as she threw the hospital sheets off, revealing that she was in a light green gown.

"Max, where the fuck are my clothes?" Chloe muttered, in a daze.

"The police took the clothes we were wearing as evidence. Joyce stopped by this morning though, she brought us a few things," Max explained as she rummaged through a bag and pulled out a pair of camouflaged printed sweat pants and a dark grey hoodie and placed them on the bed in front of her. A nurse pushed a wheelchair into the room.

"This is just hospital policy. Max, once you've got Chloe in the car, please bring the wheelchair back to the entrance," The nurse spoke quickly and left the room. Chloe flashed a cheeky grin at Max.

"I bet I could bust some sick wheelies in that thing!" Max laughed at Chloe's statement.

"You just focus on getting dressed first," Max giggled and turned her head so Chloe could change privately.

Chloe swallowed two of the painkillers as Max started up the truck.

"Max, how do you feel, driving this thing?" Chloe asked awkwardly, trying to keep a conversation going, as she watched Max scoot forward a bit in the seat so her short legs could reach the pedals.

"It's alright, I guess. I haven't really driven a lot, so I don't have too much to compare too," Max shrugged as Chloe passed her a lit cigarette.

"We're going back to mine, right?" Chloe asked after sighing out a wave of smoke, Max simply nodded. She looked exhausted. They both sat in silence for a few minutes, which to Chloe, seemed like an eternity.

'Chloe, you've got to tell her how you feel. After everything that's happened, you can't seriously have any doubts!' her mind screamed at her through the silence in the car.

"Max, stop the car," Chloe spat out.

"What? Why?" Max frowned as she continued driving.

"We need to talk," Chloe mumbled, her heart tapping wildly through her chest.

"Fuck, Chloe, those four words are never attached to anything good," Max stammered as she pulled the car over to the side of the road carefully. Chloe counted the words on her fingers. Max turned off the ignition and looked over at Chloe expectantly. Chloe swallowed hard.

"Max, I – " she stammered and put her cigarette in their bottle ashtray. Max did the same after taking her last draw.

'I love you, too,' her thoughts echoed four simple words, but they didn't escape her lips.

"How long have you been in love with me?" She instead asked. Max shot a glare at her.

"Are you fucking making fun of me?" Max seemed pissed. Chloe panicked.

"No! No, Max, no way! I'm just curious," Chloe realised her efforts of explaining herself were awful.

"No, fuck you, Chloe. I put myself out there, told you how I felt, and now you're acting like it's a joke! You made me stop the car for this?" Max's eyes were starting to get watery. Chloe felt her heart drop into her stomach.

'Fucking good one, Chloe. Shit, she's gonna cry,' Chloe's thoughts attacked her. She moved closer to Max, who had covered her face with her hands. Chloe's heart began to race wildly.

"I fell in love with you when we were little pirates, raiding the liquor," she spoke softly; the words were hard for Chloe to get out. She could feel herself blushing. Max pulled her hands away from her tear stained face, she looked stunned.

"What?" she asked quietly. Chloe sighed and rested her forehead in her palm.

"I didn't realise it until recently, but I've been in love with you for a long time. Still am," Chloe didn't know how much more mushy shit she could handle. Max just stared at her. Chloe smiled and wiped the tears away from the brunette's face, causing a soft smile to appear. Max cupped Chloe's cheek and pulled her closer, slowly. Their lips met, both of them sighing through their noses at the contact.

'Nothing makes me feel this high. Not like she does,' Chloe appreciated the way Max's soft lips felt against hers. She snaked her hand under Max's shirt, and grabbed her warm torso gently. Max started tugging softly at Chloe's hair, running chills down her spine. Max's heavy breathing caused Chloe to scratch softly down her back. Max gasped and pulled away from Chloe and tried to steady her breathing.

"Holy shit, Chloe," she sighed out. Chloe pushed her hair back into place and adjusted the way she was sitting.

"How am I supposed to concentrate on driving, when you," Max trailed off,

"When I get you all hot and bothered?" Chloe smirked.

"You could always rewind," She joked. Max rolled her eyes and started the car back up.

"Yea, but I'd remember it, and you wouldn't," she laughed.

"Oh, don't do that!" Chloe pleaded, Max lifted her right hand up and held a look of concentration on her face.

"Dude, what the fuck are you doing?" Chloe asked flatly.

"That's how I rewind," Max stated, Chloe blinked a few times.

"Serious? Max, that's hella lame!" she laughed, Max pouted and started driving.

"I love you," Chloe muttered when she finally stopped laughing. Max rolled her eyes.

"Eat shit, Chloe Price," Max joked.

"I love you, too," She added as they both smiled at each other.