It's an all too familiar sensation, waking up in a body that isn't quite her own.

Max smiles as the camera flashes. She buries her guilt along with her grief. She knows what has to happen – she knows how to fix this – but that doesn't make it any easier.

"Huh, that's weird," William says. "Looks like it didn't take."

What?

"Well, sorry, girls." William smiles sadly and hands Max the photo but it's… it's completely blank.

'I can't come back again.'

"Someday Dad'll get one of them newfangled computers," Chloe says, all smiles and it's exactly the same.

"I hope the flash didn't scare you, Max," William says. "I'll have to see if there's something wrong with this old thing later."

It's the only thing that's different as far as Max can tell. William still gets the call, he still can't find his keys at first, he still…

"Max, you'll be here, right?"

'Yeah…'

Max wipes the tears from her eyes before Chloe can see them.

"Max, you are acting so fucking strange today," Chloe says. "Like you're never gonna see us again."

"Chloe," Max croaks, unable to keep her voice from shaking. 'You can't come back anymore,' she tells herself.

Max swallows. Rachel's still missing and there's still a storm headed for the town. But she knows more than that now, doesn't she? Rachel…

Max steels her resolve. She can't go back anymore. This is her last chance to make things right. "Chloe, you have to listen to me."

"Uh, okay? What's wrong, Max? Are you okay?"

"Chloe, Rachel's in a bunker underneath the Prescott barn."

Chloe stares at her, completely baffled. "Uh, what? Who are you talking about? Did you have a weird dream or something?"

"No, look, Chloe, you have to remember okay?" Max begs. "Rachel's in the bunker underneath the Prescott barn. The passcode is 542. Ask Nathan, he knows where it is."

"Max, you're scaring me. Who's Rachel?"

Max feels herself being pulled away. The memory is fading too quickly. "Just promise me you'll remember, okay? Please! Just promise!"

"Okay, okay! I'll remember! Even though I have no idea who the fuck you're talking about."

The world tinges around her. 'Not yet, just a little bit longer.'

"And Chloe," Max says. There's too much to say but she has no time. She won't be coming back again. "No matter what happens, I want you to be strong. Even if you feel like I wasn't there for you… because I will never abandon you. Don't forget. I'll always have your back. Always."


Max wakes up in her own bed, in her own body, to her phone buzzing. She grabs it without checking the caller ID, far too exhausted to care. "Hullo?" she answers, sleep still thick in her voice.

"Morning, sleepy head," a familiar famine voice sing songs over the line.

Max sits bolt upright. There's no way. She's… she's gotta be dreaming. "Rachel?"

"Uh, yeah?" the voice says and it's definitely her. She's really alive? Does that mean…?

"Hey, gimme the phone!" Chloe's voice comes over the line. "Maximus rex! You gonna meet us for breakfast or what? Bacon waits for no Max!"

Max hand shakes around her phone. She fingers hurt from gripping it too tightly just so she doesn't drop it. They're really…?

Max feels tears well up in her eyes. "H-hey," she says. "Weird question. How's the weather been lately?"

"Fine?" Chloe says. "It was like sixty yesterday, weren't you, you know, there?"

"The leaves are starting to change!" Rachel says. "We're gonna go leaf viewing like a bunch of old ladies in like two weeks, just wait!"

Chloe groans. "You are so gay."

"Look who's talking," Max says, heart swelling. Things are okay here, aren't they? She really…

"Hardy har har," Chloe laughs sarcastically. "Don't be jealous just because that girl you've been crushing on for like a month hasn't even looked at you."

Crush? Max is far too overjoyed to worry about who that might be right now. They're alive and things are okay.

Things are okay.


Breakfast at the Two Whales Diner is completely uneventful for once in Max's recent life.

No one mentions time travel or strange weather or even the Prescotts. Rachel and Chloe feed each other pancakes and it's so sickeningly adorable, Max can't help but smile the entire time.

She's too happy that Chloe's walking and alive and happy, she can hardly be jealous over Rachel.

Rachel, Rachel… this is really the first time they're meeting, isn't it? She's pretty cool, just from what Max can gather in their short interaction. She treats Max like a best friend. Who knows? Maybe they are. She keeps giving Max these little secret looks like they share an inside joke that Chloe doesn't know about. Max isn't quite sure she knows about it either.

Rachel hangs back with her on the way to Chloe's truck. "So," she drawls nonchalantly. "Pretty nice weather we're having, isn't it?"

Max gives her a sidelong glance. "Looks like it, yeah," she says.

Rachel bumps her shoulder. "Must be pretty confusing," she says with a wink. "I'll fill you in later."

Max sighs. "Thanks," she says. "I was going crazy acting like I knew what the hell was going on."

Rachel snorts in good humor. "You don't have to worry anymore, I don't think." She glances at Chloe, smile softening. "You really did fix it."

Max smiles, following Rachel's gaze. "At least it's over," she says. "It is over, right? You can't still…?"

Rachel shakes her head. "Sadly, I cannot. Ah well, for the best really. Who knew fucking with time and space would be such a drag?"

"Hey, slowpokes!" Chloe shouts from the driver's seat. "Stop flirting and get in here! We got mayhem to cause!"

Rachel rolls her eyes but her smile never fades.

Max bites her lip. "You really love her, huh?"

"Yeah," Rachel says. "I do. Kinda feel like I stole her from you, though. Sorry, about that."

Max shakes her head. "Chloe makes her own choices. I wasn't there for her when she needed me. I'm glad she had someone like you."

Rachel throws her arm around Max's shoulder. "Maxine, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"It's Max," she says almost reflexively. "That reminds me, though, is there a geek shop around here?"


Language of Photography features a teacher who is distinctly not Mr. Jefferson, for which Max is infinitely grateful. But there's one other person missing, for which Max is less grateful.

Kate catches her after class and asks if she wants to go for tea next weekend. Max happily accepts.

"Hey," Max calls just as they're about to part ways. "Have you uh, seen Victoria around?"

"I think she's still not feeling well," Kate says, concerned frown crossing her lips. "I was going to bring her tea but I didn't think she'd accept it. She's still pretty down after… what happened."

Max nods slowly. Mr. Jefferson and Sean Prescott may have been hauled off to jail for kidnapping, but Nathan went with them. According to Rachel, he's getting help – real help – for his mental illness but she's not sure he'll come back to Blackwell. "I remembered how he saved us," she'd said. "Chloe said he helped her get me out so I don't think they're going to charge him but still. Kinda hope he comes back. Mend a few bridges, ya know?"

Max had nodded at the time. It might be nice, making friends. At the very least, they don't need to be enemies.

This train of thought, of course, leads her right to Victoria's door, little pink box in hand.

"What do you want, Caulfield?" she says as soon as she opens the door.

Max can't help herself. She drops the box and throws her arms around Victoria's neck before she can think twice about it. She's here and she's alive and maybe she's not the same but that's fine. She likes this one, too.

"Uh…" is all Victoria can muster.

Max pulls away, face flushed and vision blurry and she doesn't want to do something stupid like cry right now. "Sorry," she says. "Just wanted to check in."

Victoria rolls her eyes, her own cheeks a nice shade of pink. "I'm fine, if you must know. Now leave. I don't need geek squad services today."

Max snickers despite herself. "Speaking of, I actually brought you something." She picks up the box she'd dropped and hands it to Victoria – a brand spanking new three hundred dollar Ultimate Madoka figurine.

Victoria's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates. "But how…? Why…?"

Max bites her lip to stop herself from grinning too much. "You know, you should have more confidence in the things you like," she says. "I think these are neat."

Victoria stands there, mouth agape for a second. "How did you even know?"

Max shrugs. "You know, in another life, we would have made a great pair."

Victoria doesn't seem to know what to say to that. That's fine. Max turns to head back down the hall to her own room. They'll see each other again.

"Hey!" Victoria calls when Max is already halfway down the hall. "Who said it had to be another life?"

Max grins, cheeks flushing.

'We'll definitely see each other again.'

THE END