Chloe stood and continued to watch unable to avert her gaze, it was horrible and strangely beautiful at the same time. Aside from Max's powers, the storm was the most incredible thing Chloe had ever seen. She felt Max pull close into her body, resting her face against Chloe's chest. She felt the smaller girl's comforting warmth through her wet shirt and and she hugged her a little tighter.
She didn't want to be anywhere else than right here, holding tight to this girl she'd grown up with, who came back for her so many times, who'd crossed realities for her and despite all odds had come stand with her on this spot at this point in time.
In that moment she finally acknowledged what was in her heart.
She loved Max, she always had and she realized she no longer had to fear it.
Max's five-years absence hadn't dulled her feelings for her and everything they'd been through this week only magnified them. Her best friend since forever, now grown into a wonderfully smart and sexy photo-geek who's warmth, Chloe realized, felt familiar and safe.
It felt like home.
Even when they were kids she could see the feelings were there but at the time she thought that was just the way best friends felt. It was a pretty accurate conclusion on her part but back then she was far from concerned about any more serious feelings. She was just happy to know Max and hang-out like they did so often then, Chloe and Max always joined at the hip. They had a few other friends between them sure but Chloe loved being around Max the best. She felt like Max understood her and still put up with her shit. Chloe would be the first to admit she could be a bossy brat sometimes. But if she was getting a little out of hand Max would be the first one to put her in her place.
She would have done anything for Max. She still would.
They spent so much time together growing up that William and Joyce had joked about adopting Max on more than one occasion. Chloe smiled briefly at the memory before it slowly faded as her thoughts moved on.
Memories of when William had died and Max and her parents moved up to Seattle came back to her. She and mom had stopped talking much to each other. She even lost her kitty, Bongo. It was the worst month of her life and during the five years that followed even though she made a few new friends she still felt so cut off and alone. Chloe had slowly figured out what she had felt in Max was something more, like a piece of her had been missing. A piece Max had taken with her to Seattle. The realization had just added to her sadness and anger, just one more thing she loved that had been taken from her.
She'd tried everything she could find to fill or block out that emptiness. But everything she did just gave that void more pain. She was so angry and lonely and carried those feelings with her during those years. They had been both her armor and her crutch.
Rachel had been the only good thing that had come into her life during those years. Rachel was wild, carefree and outgoing. But like Max she was also caring, smart and had quiet strength. Chloe had crushed on Rachel hard at a time when she had run out of reasons to care anymore, about her life or anyone in it. Rachel had saved her and pushed her back into life, sometimes reluctantly and gave her a reason to enjoy being alive again.
But then Rachel had been taken away too and Chloe felt like her desire for life had been slipping away again. The only thing that had kept her going was the thought of finding Rachel, that fragile hope she was out there somewhere and Chloe would find her.
Then one day Max was suddenly there, gazing at her through the windshield of Chloe's truck like a deer caught in headlights. From that moment on Chloe had felt her anger and pain begin to fade like a bad dream.
Now in this moment she had never felt more aware and alive.
The swirling of the storm had an almost hypnotic effect as thoughts about the past week and the few years before it tumbled through her mind. As she watched the storm she began to feel an odd sensation, as if the storm were pulling on her, trying to draw her forward. The longer she stared the more the feeling grew until finally she exhaled, surrendering her emotions to the storm's pull and finally, she let go.
The cool rain ran down her face where drenched blue hair framed her deep blue eyes as they stared, wide open watching the bay being swallowed up.
She let out another breath. Despite the terrible destruction unfolding before her she felt an out-of-place sense of peace washing through her. The pain and the hate she'd grown so used to were draining away, being drawn from her to join Max's torn photo in oblivion. She closed her eyes, exhaling as she let the storm pull it all out of her, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She didn't want to be angry anymore. She'd been angry at everything for so long she had forgotten why. Bitterness and regret without purpose had become their own reasons for being.
As she inhaled she felt the dark spaces in her heart being replaced by the familiar warmth she felt from Max, by other truths she now admitted to herself and by something else. Despite the terrible destruction before her she felt, hope?
She thought of her mom and David. She'd been such an asshole to them. Mom had dealt with everything since William died the best she could and for all Chloe's crap she still never gave up on her daughter. She didn't talk to Chloe as much since William's death but Chloe realized she hadn't really given her many chances either.
Then there was David. Chloe hadn't wanted to accept him, she'd hated him for being where William should be. Sitting in William's chair at the table, sitting on the couch next to her mom, sleeping in her mom and dad's bedroom at night. He'd been an awkward intruder, an unwanted guest in her home whose only presence reminded Chloe that William was gone. But she saw how he tried, in his own strange way. He'd wanted to be a father to her and he always took care of mom. Chloe had pushed him constantly. Inwardly she'd wanted the confrontation so she had something to fuel her anger and David's buttons were so obvious to her, so it was always an easy victory for Chloe. That was so fucking unfair to David.
Now she just hoped she could tell him she was sorry.
She swore if they somehow survived she would make it up to them, irritated she shook her head trying to banish the ugly thoughts that tried to creep in.
Her basic instincts pulled her mind back to the present moment. Her body reminded her how soaked and cold the rain and wind felt on her skin. She knew Max couldn't be much better. She was also afraid something had happened to her when Max had passed out on the beach earlier, she seemed twice as tired as she had before they'd gotten there. On their way up the lighthouse trail she'd been weak and stumbling enough that Chloe had practically carried her the entire way. At the point near the top where the trail was at it's steepest, Chloe actually had.
She felt the small girl go slightly limp where she rested against her. Chloe looked down, concerned that maybe she'd passed out again, but Max looked up at her, bleary-eyed and smiled.
Shit she looks so drained.
Chloe looked back out at the storm seeing some of the larger debris being released from the vortex's pull. Even though they seemed a good distance away occasionally things would land closer to their place on the cliff than she cared for. The power of the storm's winds were something Chloe would never forget as long as she lived. The reality of what they faced and where they were came more into focus as she started to consider what to do and where to go. They couldn't remain where they were safely anymore and the storm looked far from over.
In fact, it seemed to be getting stronger.
As Chloe looked around her eye caught something odd silhouetted against the vortex.
Puzzled, she watched as the odd dark shape seemed to grow larger. She felt a gasp escape her mouth as she realized what she was seeing.
"Holy fuck Max, look out!"
Chloe's outburst caused Max to look up, her expression suddenly changing to shock as she saw it. The large wind-borne shape coalesced into a fishing boat as it hurtled directly toward their vantage point.
Max cried out as Chloe grabbed her, dropping them both to the ground with Max underneath her. They held their eyes tightly shut waiting for the inevitable crash as the boat struck.
