I guess I will have to accept Rachel is killed. Drugged, kidnapped, and photographed by a psycho in some sick basement, before being dumped in our junkyard. I'm probably gonna need Max if I am to ever cope with this, but what am I gonna say to her - that I miss the girl who probably is my ex? Because that was what she is, in my mind at least. But she has been able to put up with me this far, and that has included my horrible temper, so I guess we'll manage.


They both knew going back to normal would be hard. Although Max had been able to rewind time around her, she wasn't able to rewind her experiences. To her, imprisonment in Mark Jefferson's dark room was as real and horrifying as anything else, the cold sting of his needle in her neck as palpable as Chloe's comforting hand in hers. The desperate heartbreak she felt when Jefferson killed Chloe in front of her eyes, the powerlessness she felt at that moment: it were all vivid memories she had to deal with. Worst of all, it were memories Chloe didn't have. There was no doubt in Max's mind that Chloe believed every syllable Max would ever speak to her, but it was still something her best friend could only attempt to empathize with.

'Seattle isn't that far away anymore Max. Your folks may want to know we're gonna be there pretty soon.' Chloe's voice pulled Max out of the thoughts she had sank her head into.

'It's running pretty late already. I'd like to have some extra time for just the two of us, would you mind grabbing a bite somewhere before going to my parents? It'll relieve them of cooking something for us at this hour.'

'I'd love to go on a date with you, if that's what you want. Don't worry about it.'

'I think we already passed the 'first date' station.'

'Only if you choose to believe that', and Chloe was sure to throw Max a playful smile after she had spoke.

'I am happy to entertain whatever fantasy you may have Chloe', Max said, while bursting out in laughter.

Max absolutely loved this playful side of her best friend, and it had cheered her up for as long as she could remember. When she first saw Chloe again, she feared this side of her was replaced by the angry, blue-haired punk she encountered in that bathroom, but she was glad the girl she was so fond of as a kid still existed.

Chloe heeded Max's request by parking the car at the first roadside restaurant they came across, and they both opened their respective doors as soon as the hiss of the engine subsided.

'You go in and order something, all right? I want to call Ryan and Vanessa to tell them that they don't have to cook us something. And don't try to do anything stupid while I'm away!'

'I'm already looking forward to beating the place up!'

'You know I can't rewind and fix whatever mess you've caused anymore, right?'

'So now, I can finally have some fun without Super Max getting in the way? Sounds awesome!'

'Oh Chloe, you're still a pirate after all! I love you, ok?'

'Likewise, Max.'

They gave each other a quick fistbump, and Max reached into her pocket to retrieve her phone.


Of course Chloe didn't went ahead with ordering something ahead of Max. She didn't want to eavesdrop on Max's conversation with her folks either, so she just waited next to the entrance instead. Being alone gave her some pause to think though, and thinking she did. She thought of Rachel, her angel that was so brutally taken away from her by the world. She hoped Nathan and Jefferson at least had the decency to not make her suffer while they played their sick games, but judging from the pictures she and Max saw, she knew better. They saw the fear in Rachel's eyes, the anger towards whoever did this to her, and Chloe knew she'd suffered right there and then.

Chloe also knew Jefferson captured Max in one of the timelines her best friend visited, and chills went down her spine when she thought about the things Jefferson might have done to her. Did he make sick photographs of her? Did he drug her? Did he hurt her? Somehow, that sick psycho had managed to torture the two people Chloe loved most dearly, and it was hard not to feel the urge to kill Jefferson for what he had done to Max and Rachel.

It was pivotal Max talked to her about what she went through in those other timelines. Although she really had been Super Max over the past few days, Chloe knew she was just as human as anyone else, and spending time in that dark room surely was traumatic to her. Still, it was not a conversation Chloe was looking forward to having, since it involved hearing about a host of terrible things that happened to the girl she loved since childhood, but keeping an eye on Max's mental health mattered much more.

At least Chloe didn't mind taking care of Max - she'd been nursing her to self-confidence ever since they were both barely out of diapers. In fact, it was something she took some pride in. Max's rewind power must have lighted her up a bit, but that was gone now, and due to the things they both had to endure over the course of the week, Chloe knew that was probably reduced to a thin layer of confidence. It always struck her as strange that someone as talented and awesome as Max doubted herself so much, but Chloe enjoyed taking her by the hand nonetheless.

'Chloe!'

To her embarrassment, Chloe had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't seen Max enter the restaurant.

'I already started to miss you, Max. How was the phonecall?'

'I need to talk with you. You really want to hear this right now.'

Chloe immediately recognized something was wrong, and deep down, she knew what their talk would be about.

'When the tornado came…. we knew their would be casualties, right?'

When her girlfriend didn't answer, Max went ahead.

'Ryan and Vanessa apparently got in touch with David, and he told them… he told them Joyce didn't make it.'

Like a timed detonation, the words only got through slowly. But when they did, Chloe felt tears filling her eyes, and she quickly struck both arms around her Max.

'Don't even think about feeling sorry, Max. If this was what it took to keep me safe, it would've been what she would have wanted. I'll never stop loving you, so don't worry about that either.'

They stood there for what felt like an eternity, seeking each other's love as they attempted to process what they had just heard. They both felt the grief, and they both knew this sacrifice would be the weight of their love. They felt their worlds falling apart around them, and felt it becoming whole again in each other's arms. In that terrible and beautiful moment, grief was what love meant to the both of them.

When Chloe finally withdrew, they both felt an awkward sense of relief. It was a sense of catharsis, and they knew from that moment onwards: they could face whatever the universe threw at them.


The couple didn't waste too much time with dinner in the restaurant. They wanted to reach Seattle as quickly as possible, so they were quick to finish up and get back in the car. It didn't take them long to reach the neat residential Seattle neighborhood Max's parents lived in, and Max felt good to be home. Although she had been born in Arcadia Bay and had spent the first thirteen years of her life there, Seattle was the place she now called home. Hearing her parents' voice over the phone had also soothed Max, and somehow made her feel like normal again after all the crazy things that had happened.

'Lovely place your parents have', and they both looked over to the house in front of them.

'They would love to see you again. My mother sounded very happy when I told them we were together and you'd be coming with me.'

Chloe smiled as they stepped out of the car, and started walking towards the front door. As they approached the entrance, the door swung open and Ryan and Vanessa came storming out, overwhelming their daughter with a long double embrace. After they were finished, they turned to Chloe, and gave her the same treatment.

'I guess you're our daughter-in-law now!' Ryan exclaimed afterwards.

Max saw Chloe blush, and could not suppress a quiet giggle.

'We're not married quite yet, Ryan', Chloe bounced back.

Ryan patted Chloe on both shoulders, before putting his left arm around her. Vanessa did the same to Max, and so the four of them went inside the house. After Vanessa closed the door behind them, Chloe followed Max's folks into the living room, and sat down beside Max on the bright red corner sofa. Ryan brought them some coffee, and sat down next to Vanessa on the other side of the couch, opposing Chloe and Max.

'We're so sorry about Joyce. We can't believe this had to happen to you, after… after you already lost your father. You have our deepest condolences, from both Ryan and me.'

She interrupted her speech, but recovered.

'Chloe, we can't undo the pain we've caused you. We can't change the past or absolve the mistakes we've made. We wish we could. But I can promise you that we'll be here for you now. We'd happily take you in with us, if that's okay with you. Everyone in this household also feels ashamed about leaving you when William passed away. We weren't there for you, and no apology will ever make that right, but we're all terribly sorry.'

Vanessa spoke with a serious face, looking Chloe straight in the eye throughout.

'We are, however, very glad that you're back. Me and Vanessa both missed you just as much as Max did.'

'I've missed you too. Thanks for not forgetting about me! And that means a lot, Vanessa. I don't think there's anything I would want more right now. I'd love to move in here. Thank you.'

After their conversation concluded, Ryan gave Chloe his phone - hers was one of the many casualties of the storm that had hit Arcadia Bay so relentlessly just a day ago - and she called David. They had a quiet call in the kitchen, and after she hang up, Chloe turned to Max, who was was standing behind her, face turned downwards.

'I haven't even seen your room yet, Bat Max', and Chloe gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, before following her best friend up the stairs and entering Max's room.

Max was not vain, and nor was she one to boast about herself, but she was proud of her bedroom. It was meticulously arranged, and the photographs adorning the walls were organized into themes, such as landscapes, cityscapes and selfies she had taken over the years. Max considered it her first exposition. Sort of.

'I like your room better than mine' Chloe observed, saying it like it was a self-evident fact.

'We might be able to agree on that, Chloe.' Understated confidence infused her usual soft voice.

'You should probably get used to it. This is our room now, you see?'

'I like the sound of that!'

'Just don't redecorate the place with a punk theme, please?'

'Now, that's a great idea! Thanks Max! I already have a couple of ideas!'

'You really are hopeless, Chloe…'

'Should have thought about that before you kissed me.'

'Oh, shut up!', and Max pushed her blue-haired friend onto the bed.

'Your girlfriend has just been pushed down, and you're just leaving her there?'

'I think she'll manage just fine…'

'Not without her best friend, she won't'

'Aren't you a piece of work?'

'Yes, but I'm your piece of work, so you're gonna have to figure out what to do about it.'

'All right, you win!' Max happily conceded as she fell down next to Chloe.

'We really are awesome, aren't we?'

'Yes Chloe, we are', and before Max knew what was happening, Chloe was kissing her, and she gladly returned her advances. This one felt different than the one at the mountainside vista; it felt less desperate, more confident, more familiar - and Max enjoyed it possibly even more as a result.

'Can I ask you to promise me something?'

'Of course.'

'I hope this doesn't sound awkward or something, but Max, I really would like it for you to never leave me again like you did when William died.'

'I'll always be with you, Chloe. I promise. I swear.'

'I love you. I really do.' She paused for a bit, but didn't stop staring into Max's eyes.

'Now, I can't sleep in my plain clothes… Do you happen to have something lying around?'