Swamped, from the acoustic version of the single by Lacuna Coil
Note - This story puts me over 200,000 words in a month! Woo, I'm on fiyahhhhhhhh! Cue the air guitar riff! XD
Max zipped up her jacket as she watched Chloe pull on a beanie that Max had bought while she was sleeping. The same dark blue as the first beanie she had seen Chloe wear, Max had picked it out of nostalgia. Slipping her feet into an older pair of boots, Max tightened the straps so the footwear was snug. Feeling she was being watched, Max looked up to see Chloe grinning down at her.
"What?" Max asked.
"I have seen you hunt once and get into a real fight all of once," Chloe said in admiration, "When you gear up like this, it's like you're putting on armor or something.
"That's because I am," Max said with a smirk as she finished tightening the last strap before standing up. Stomping on the floor a bit to ensure a good fit, Max popped her neck and put her hair into a ponytail as she walked back into the kitchen and returned with a large garbage bag full of empty jugs.
"How much hunting will we be doing?" Chloe asked, her excited grin faltering a bit as she saw Max grin back at her, "Uh, what?"
"Oh, it's just that when you get really excited you kinda wiggle," Max said nonchalantly, "You've done it since we were kids."
"What? Dude, I don't do that," Chloe said, the deadpan look on her face only making Max grin wider.
"You just stopped because I said something, but you totally were."
"Lies."
"Nope."
"Lies!"
Rolling her eyes, Max opened the door and waited for Chloe to exit the apartment before closing and locking their place up. Handing Chloe the bag, Max smirked and gave her a salute before hopping the railing only to gracefully land on the ground two stories down. Looking up, Max flashed Chloe a grin and a wink only to see Chloe about to try.
"Don't!" Max exclaimed as she walked under where Chloe was on the steps, "You didn't even have your footing when we dropped from the roof to the landing. Take the stairs, Che, unless you want to likely land on your face in front of me."
Chloe grumbled at Max as she walked down the steps with the large bag dragging behind her. I could totally pull that off! She's showing off like she's some hot shit. Well, she is…but still! Max Caulfield, you better show me how to do that to-fucking-night. Reaching the bottom of the steps, Chloe handed the bag over to Max only to see Max point at the back of the truck before heading over to the vehicle herself. I'm your sidekick, not your servant. Ugh!
"Dude, I'm not your little helper," Chloe said with a groan as she dumped the bag in the truck bed, "And quit showing off!"
"You don't think it's sexy?" Max asked back with a smirk, the smirk growing as she watched Chloe huff before slamming her door shut, "Relax, Che. Tonight, you're the student and I'm the master. I'm just getting into character."
"Stop giggling," Chloe said with a roll of her eyes as she started the truck, "So, Master Max, where are we headed? Some place scenic, one might assume?
"Brilliant deduction, Watson," Max replied before leaning over to kiss Chloe sweetly on the cheek, "I'm just messing with you. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, yeah. I know, Nerd-lock," Chloe said before raising an eyebrow at Max, "Where we going, dude?"
"We'll park the truck at the junkyard and go from there on foot," Max said, surprising Chloe by the sudden seriousness of her voice.
"Serious bidness it is, then."
Pulling up to the junkyard, Max gave Chloe a smug grin as she gestured to the bag of empty jugs again. Her lips thinned in an expression of irritation, Chloe leaned into the truck bed and retrieved the jugs necessary for their continued feeding. These feel the same weight as jugs normally would. Shouldn't this shit be light as a feather or something? Following Max for a second, Chloe grew curious as she watched Max collect random stones and bolts off the ground. What is she doing?
Max cracked the knuckles in her free hand before switching the handful of stones and metal bits over to it so she could pop the other one. Looking around, she took note of where all the lighting was for the junkyard before turning her head to look at Chloe. She'll love this. I'm not going to lie – showing off to her is pretty funny.
"Watch this," Max said before sprinting off.
Chloe watched as each of the lights in the junkyard popped out, the glass shattering as something was tossed at them. Oh, you fucking brat! Chloe thought as she made a smirk of her own. Chloe had been looking forward to this but she had never thought how much Max would enjoy getting to do something like this with her as opposed to just watching Max go at it. I'm not the only kid here, you nerdy little shit.
"Boo!" Max shouted from behind Chloe, Chloe jumping in fright as she turned to see Max standing directly behind her with a smile on her freckled face as began to laugh, "You should see your face!"
"Oh, screw you, Maxine Caulfi-"
"Ugh, I hate it when people call me that," Max said with narrowed eyes before sticking out her tongue, "I should just leave you here. I think I will."
Chloe opened her mouth to speak but Max was already gone. Turning around, her head swiveling from one side to the other, Chloe began to feel disappointed that Max would just run off. Max! Come on!
"Dude, I was just fucking kidding! Max! Max!" Chloe shouted with her hands cupped to her mouth, stopping when she saw Max come from behind the boat and walk towards her, bright violet eyes staring at her. Chloe shuddered for a moment before remembering that she could do that too, and tried. Chloe quickly realized that while she could do the trick with her eyes she wasn't actually able to and watched Max saunter up the rest of the way to where Chloe was standing.
"Apologize," Max said with a pout, a hand on her hip.
"I'm sorry, okay? I know that you hate being called by your full name. You know I'm just irked because you're basically fucking with me at this point?" Chloe explained.
Eyeing Chloe, Max gave her a lopsided smirk before walking around Chloe in a circle.
"What can you see right now?" Max asked, her tone curious, "Aside from my eyes, what can you see?"
"Uhh, it's pretty dark out so-" Chloe said before being cut off by Max making a buzzer noise.
"There is a small trick with the abilities you have, Che," Max told Chloe, her voice calm and soft like how it normally was, "It's about concentration. You have to focus on shifting your eyes. Watch."
Chloe watched as Max's silhouette moved to stand in front of her, small violet dots looking directly at her. This is cool, but also kinda creepy, Chloe thought as she curiously watched Max. Max didn't budge, and Chloe wondered what her fiancé was going to do, when suddenly Max's eyes started to fade until the glowing violet eyes were gone altogether. Whoa! Chloe thought with a small amount of surprise as they reappeared a moment later.
"Focus, Chloe. It's dark here, so make your eyes shift," Max said as she had Chloe bend down some, placing her hands on Chloe's shoulders while standing behind her, "What color is the boat?"
"It's blue. Duh."
"Concentrate. Right now the boat is blue because you know it is, but it is also black currently because there's no light. Let your eyes be that light."
Chloe thought about what Max said, the stared at the boat for a moment. Focusing on a need to see the boat, Chloe's head began to hurt and she winced before everything exploded into light and color, followed with a popping sensation coming from inside her mouth. Figuring that the popping was her fangs, Chloe was more enraptured by the vividness she remembered from the lighthouse. Turning her head to look at Max, both girls' mouths spread into grins. God, it's like her eyes are kaleidoscopes, the patterns of color. I wonder if mine look like that to her. Seeing Maxpoint over to the boat, Chloe followed where Max was pointing to and saw that where the boat sat was a shimmering mass in the shape of the boat.
"Whoa! It's like there's a glow around it," Chloe said in astonishment before looking back at Max, "What is that, some sort of special sight where I can focus on a target?"
"Not a game, Chloe," Max said with a sigh, "Meh, probably something in the paint. A chemical or something. Regardless, what is the color of the boat now?"
"It's like this…this weird, shimmery blue," Chloe said as she looked back at it, "Wait, how'd it get a hole in it?"
"Never mind that," Max said with a clipped tone. She doesn't need to know what I did here. At least, not yet. "Time for your second lesson in this crash course."
"Oooh, this is getting good!" Chloe rubbed her hands together in anticipation.
"I want you to run from here to the shed on the other side of the train tracks," Max said, this time pointing to the small hill overlooking where the trains came right next to the junkyard.
"You want me to do that super-speed thing? Uh, hit me with a knowledge bomb, Max. Show me the way!" Chloe eagerly said.
"I want to see you try on your own first. It helps, Chloe. You don't have to be embarrassed if you goof up," Max said, a faint smile on her face.
She doesn't look like she's messing with me anymore. Good. Okay, okay. Time to put your money where your mouth is, Chloe. Show your lady just what you can do! Bringing one foot back, Chloe got into whatever she thought was a runner's stance and ran as fast as she could. Feeling her feet move rapidly beneath her, Chloe felt exhilaration for a moment before realizing that she was just running like she normally did. Pushing herself harder, Chloe bounded ahead for a split-second and careened into a wrecked car before bouncing onto the ground with a thud. It doesn't hurt, but I feel like saying Oww.
"Owww…?" Chloe said as she lifted herself up, hearing Max approach, "Sorry there, sensei. Guess I'm just gonna have to 'try and try again', huh?"
Max smiled for a second before sprinting off herself, Chloe watching in amazement as she could actually track Max's movements better with her newly vampiric eyes. Whoa, Chloe thought as she followed Max along her line of sight until the smaller girl was standing on top of the shed across the tracks, How does she do that? She makes it look so easy!
"Time out, coach," Chloe said from where she fell as she sat up against the wrecked car, watching Max hop down from the shed and start to walk back, "I need a hella pep talk."
"I find it hard to believe that you and 'pep' can even fit in the same sentence without you wanting to fight," Max snorted as she sat next to Chloe, "What's on your mind?"
"How did you learn all of this stuff?" Chloe blurted out, arms gesturing at Max, "You're all super-sized and I'm stumbling around like a fucking idiot!"
"You're a day old, Chloe. There's an allowance for being clumsy as fuck."
"But I want, like, cheat codes or something!"
"Sorry. You don't have the cred for 'God Mode'."
Max and Chloe both chuckled at that before Max stood up, hoisting Chloe up along with her. Brushing the dirt off of themselves, Max ushered Chloe along as they walked over to where the shed was. She's trying, Max thought as she looked at Chloe from the corner of her eye with a small grin, She just needs a little more of a push and some practice.
"Okay, Blue Wonder, now you learn how to use the strength which sent you flying into that car for throwing down," Max said as they reached an outlying group of trees that separated the junkyard from the rest of the forest. Gesturing to a tree, Max folded her arms across her chest and watched as Chloe looked at the tree, then back at her.
"Wait. You want me to punch a tree? This order is coming from the hippie?" Chloe asked, smirking at the obvious joke as she got a groan from Max in reply.
"Ugh, dork!" Max exclaimed, playfully shoving Chloe aside. "Fine. I'll go first. It's like the eyes, kinda. You concentrate, but you also have to realize that it is like your body is a single, freely-moving muscle. You focus…contract…and release…!"
At "release", Max pulled her fist back before firing it into the center of the tree truck, Chloe's eyes lighting up at the loud crack that echoed through the area as a fairly large crack appeared where Max's fist had been. Oh, that was so badass. She's so fucking cool, this is gonna be epic!
"My turn!" Chloe exclaimed as she reared back like Max did, narrowed her eyes in concentration, and landed a solid punch on the tree trunk.
Not as loud as Max's, Chloe still felt a bit of satisfaction as another cracking sound reverberated through the trees and the junkyard. Pulling her fist away, Chloe looked at the widening crack before yelling in surprise as Max's foot came flying within inches of her face. Chloe looked up as the small tree came careening down towards them after a loud snap and felt Max grab onto her before finding that they were both watching the tree fall from the top of the shed. Dude! What the…? Ohhh, I get it. Showoff.
"Quit fucking showing off, Max," Chloe said as she pulled at her beanie, "I already know that you're the stronger of-"
"Holy crap," Max said, looking at Chloe in shock, "You actually said it."
"I didn't say shit," Chloe snapped back as she pulled her beanie down further, "I didn't say a goddamn thing."
"Bull. You said that I'm the stronger of us," Max said, her eyes full of mirth as a huge grin became plastered across her face, "You may have not finished that sentence, but it's what you were saying."
"…Ughhhhh," Chloe uttered, lifting her beanie high enough to stick her tongue out at Max.
"I'll bite it off," Max whispered playfully, Chloe jumping at how close Max had suddenly gotten.
Pulling the beanie up so that Chloe's mouth was showing, Max pinned the taller girl's arms to her sides as she leaned up on her tip-toes and gave the bashful Chloe a kiss. Not ravenous like back at the apartment, this kiss was long but gentle, a kiss of affection and nurturing. Letting go of Chloe's arms, Max watched her pull the beanie back up and look away in a cute mixture of embarrassment and happiness.
"C'mon," Max said, taking her fiancé's hand as she led them deeper into the woods, "Oh, shit. Hang on." Chloe watched Max sprint off only to return with the bag of empty jugs, carrying it herself with her free hand as she led Chloe in to one of her hunting grounds.
The woods were peaceful this time of night. No distant train, no sounds of people or vehicles so deep in the forests of Oregon, Max loved it here. Sometimes I wish I could just live here, among the trees and the stars. I guess I am a hippie, but when you love what you love who cares? Looking over at Chloe as they walked hand in hand, Max watched the moonlight play across the eager face and blue hair and found herself giggling as Chloe looked over at her in confusion.
"Max? Uh, you okay?"
"You are so beautiful right now, Che. You just…you just don't understand," Max said, smiling warmly over at the taller girl. Chloe stopped walking and Max stopped to face her only to feel Chloe wrap her arms around her.
"This is all so amazing, Max," Chloe murmured softly, lifting up her chin so that Max was resting her head underneath, "I never thought I'd get to see you again, and now months later we're together and we have superpowers! This is hella cool!"
"Do I still get my sweet Che?" Max asked, taking Chloe aback at the sudden weakness in her voice.
"Max, I'm just really excited. I'll always be your sweet Che," Chloe said with a grin as she tightened her hold for a moment before letting go of Max, "Okay, but seriously, we need to do something amazeballs right now."
Leading Chloe further into the woods, Max lightly set the bag down and began looping one of the empty jugs around her waist with a piece of cord. Motioning for Chloe to do the same, Max began to sniff at the air and started to prowl around for any signs of recent wildlife activity. Chloe watching her raptly, Max shut everything out of her mind that wasn't necessary to what she was doing right now. Finding a set of tracks, Max lightly dabbed her hand at the imprints and came away with a slight bit of mud on her fingertips. Hearing Chloe gasp, Max looked over at her with a bemused expression.
"What?" Max asked with a concerned look, "What's wrong?"
"I just love it when I see you do cool shit like this," Chloe confessed, realizing that she had made an audible sound to go with her amazement.
"Ugh, Che. Very ugh."
Turning her attention back to the prints, Max figured that they were still relatively fresh, there was too much moisture for them to have been days old. Pushing away some leaves, Max found that the prints continued directly ahead and to the left of where she and Chloe currently were. Standing up, Max put the muddy fingertips to her nose and took in a deep inhalation through her nose, preparing to track the animals. Popping out her fangs, she looked over at Chloe and gestured her to do the same. When Chloe couldn't will her fangs to come out, Max improvised.
"Chlooooeeee…," Max said in a low voice as she wound her arms around Chloe's waist, sliding her hands into the seat of Chloe's jeans as she purred Chloe's name.
"Max, what are you-" Pop.
"Good, that's done," Max said as she looked at Chloe's fangs approvingly, "Let's go."
"What? Did you just turn me on to get my fangs to come out? Hey! Hey, I want some of that when we're done here, Goddamnit!" Chloe called after Max when she heard a chuckle from the brunette as she walked a few paces ahead. Dude, not fucking cool! Sexy as hell, but totally not cool!
Chloe was so busy thinking about Max's teasing and grumbling in frustration that she didn't notice Max had stopped moving until she nearly jumped as Max put a hand on her shoulder. Looking out to where Max was staring, Chloe saw a pair of dark shapes a ways off. Excited, Chloe looked over at Max only to see Max already looking at her with a worried expression.
"What? Max, isn't this what we're supposed to do?" Chloe asked, waving her arms in the direction of the wildlife.
"It's just…I'm having second thoughts," Max said, biting her lip, "You can't even sprint yet, and you're not quite there with your strikes."
"Good thing I've got SuperMax to keep me safe," Chloe said with a smirk, "C'mon, it'll be hella cool."
"Until you get slashed up like crazy. Those aren't bears, Chloe. They're a pack of mountain lions."
"So?"
"They're way more vicious than bears, Chlo," Max said, grimacing as Chloe looked like she wasn't going to back down, "Alright, fine. You follow my lead, you do as I say, and if you don't I will toss you back up here. You can sit in a corner when we get home to think about what you've done. Understand?"
Chloe started to feel nervous when Max made her threat. She's serious. I knew that she worries about me, but I never really thought about how much she worries. Maybe this isn't such a good idea, Chloe thought as she smiled at how protective Max was of her, even with her now being a vampire. Before she could recant her desire to go running into trouble, Max was already stalking the mountain lions. Chloe hung back a bit and watched as Max climbed up a tree, still a good distance away from her prey, and began to jump from tree to tree. Holy shit, she's like a little Amazon.
Max was vaguely aware of how far back Chloe was, but her attention was focused on the pair of animals almost directly beneath her. Finding a sturdy branch halfway up one of the larger trees in the area, Max hung upside-down as she monitored her prey. Closing her eyes and taking a moment to shut everything out, Max felt a thrill of exhilaration before she unhooked her legs and began to fall. Tucking her legs in, Max let her body right itself and landed directly between the mountain lions, one of the beasts jumping back a bit from the silence of the intruder.
Chloe watched as Max dropped and landed gracefully between the animals, feeling both pride and envy at how simple all this was for Max. She had seen Max hunt before, sure, but she had never seen her really flex her muscles with how well she could hunt. Chloe almost thought about just hanging back and watching Max at work, but the antsy feeling in her chest as Max kicked one of the mountain lions in the chest as it sprung at her made Chloe want to throw down. Running, Chloe let out a gleeful shout.
Max's head spun as soon as she heard Chloe let out her little war cry, rolling her eyes as she finished off one of the lions by snapping its neck with a savage kick. Panting from the exertion, Max watched as Chloe went to sprint and failed miserably. Barely dodging a menacing swipe from the remaining animal, Chloe scrambled back and found herself pinned against a tree. No! Max thought as she sprinted towards Chloe.
Chloe raised her arms to her face, human instinct outweighing the knowledge that she was a vampire. Before the claws could rend her arms, Chloe suddenly felt a small hand grab the collar of her jacket. What…oh, shit! Chloe thought as she went flying off in the direction Max had brought her. She actually tossed me! I thought that was like a joke, or something. Landing with a whump, Chloe looked off in the direction she heard Max and the mountain lion and saw Max begin to rip into the still-fighting beast with her teeth at its throat. Jesus Christ, I hope I never piss her off like that. Shit, she's probably like that because she's hella pissed. I think I'm in trouble.
Looming over the dying creature, Max raised a hand to her face and wiped the blood off her chin before licking it off the palm of her hand. Scratches on her face and a few slash marks across the front of her jacket, Max groaned in frustration as she saw Chloe cautiously approach from the corner of her eye. Opting to deal with Chloe later, Max kneeled down next to the whimpering animal and tear back into it again, breaking its neck with one hand as she steadied the area she was feeding from with another. Grabbing the jug at her waist as she pulled her head back, Max heard the trickle of blood as it hit the bottom of the empty container and began to slowly fill.
"Max, I'm sorry. I guess I need some more-"
"Bite into the other one and fill up the jug you've got like I'm doing," Max interrupted, not looking at Chloe.
"Oh. Uh, sure." You pissed her off again, Chloe. Good job! Rolling her eyes at her own feebleness, Chloe plodded over to the dead mountain lion that hadn't been fed off of yet and forced her fangs to come out, wincing from the pain. Leaning into the neck of the animal, Chloe's nose crinkled at the matted fur and smell of the creature's breath. Fucking gross! Looking back over at Max, Chloe saw that Max was capping a half-full jug and beginning to feed for herself at this point. Slowly, feeling nauseated at the smell coming from the beast, Chloe bit into it and took in some of its blood before quickly pulling back so she could collect the blood in her own empty container.
"What the fuck was that?" Chloe heard Max say, the other girl now kneeling beside her, "Are you crazy, Che?! You could have gotten hurt. Seriously hurt."
Chloe looked up and saw the concern on Max's face, the worry and guilt in those bright violet eyes of her fiancé. She's not mad?
"You're not angry with me?" Chloe asked, feeling Max place a hand on her shoulder as she gently squeezed. A faint smile trickling across her lips, Chloe looked up at Max again and felt a warmth play across her lips as Max kissed her. I need this, like hella bad. I need to know that we're okay.
"I will always have your back, Che," Max said before lightly punching Chloe on the shoulder, "Even when you're being a goon and a dork."
"Coming from Maxzilla, jumping down from a tree and tearing into mountain lions, I'm not so sure I mind being a goon…or a dork," Chloe rebutted, feeling awkward before a Max that she was only just now getting to see in her full power.
"Awww, cold feet?"
"Hella no! Just…is it always like this?" Chloe gestured at the carnage.
"Uh, pretty much. You want to eat, don't you?" Max replied, her tone and face incredulous.
"Yeah, but Jesus fuck, Max. You turn into a goddamn predator and-"
"We are predators, Chloe," Max answered simply, "Playing with your new skillset is fun, but when it comes down to it we have these so that we can feed."
Electing to go easier with the next hunt, Chloe looking at Max in shock because they were going hunting again, Max chose a small herd of deer. Taking their time, Max kept Chloe close by this time and pointed out to her the weaker ones that Chloe should go for. Feeling like she was being babied, Chloe had looked at Max with a disapproving glare before seeing the look of tenderness and concern in Max's eyes. Melting at the sight of such love in her partner's eyes, Chloe begrudgingly relented and went after the two does that Max had pointed out to her.
Catching one, Chloe had winced when she broke its neck and cursed under her breath when she wasn't able to catch the other one. Looking over to where Max was, Chloe's jaw dropped as Max landed on top of a stag and bit at the back of its neck while riding it. Watching the creature flop almost immediately, Max broke off an antler and went after another stag, tossing the antler like a spear as it went through the other stag's abdomen. I really really need to not piss her off. Max is, uh, yeah, Chloe thought as Max turned her head to look at Chloe with a gleeful smile. She fucking loves this. Wow, guess I can't blame her, having to do it for so long.
Max dragged the stag she had speared over to the other deer she had taken down and drained them both, filling one jug and half of another. Glad I grabbed two, Max thought as she wrapped up her work with the two deer, I wonder how Chloe's doing. The giddiness she felt when hunting beginning to subside, Max leisurely walked over to where Chloe was bent over a doe.
"Where's the other?" Max asked, picking animal fur off of her jacket, "It get away?"
"Sorry, dude. I'm not used to all this. Not yet," Chloe replied, her tone apologetic as she shook the full jug, "But at least I got one, right?"
Looking bemusedly at Chloe's sheepish grin as she lofted her prize of a full jug, Max chuckled as she knelt down next to Chloe and leaned her forehead into the other girl's. Seeing the surprise on Chloe's face at the display of affection, Max chuckled again before standing up. Helping Chloe up, Max sprinted back over to her own prizes and returned promptly with her two jugs.
"I think this should be enough for now," Max said as she took Chloe's hand, "There's two of us now so we'll have to feed a little sparingly, but this should do for a few days or so."
"How often did you go hunting before?" Chloe asked, curious.
"Oh, well it was just me so not as often. Still, sometimes when you'd be fast asleep I would roam around the woods and just pick at the wildlife to eat something fresh. I don't really like how blood tastes, it's why I mix everything up, but there's something about the heat of it when you get it straight from the animal," Max said absentmindedly, as though this was a perfectly natural response.
"Wow, you sound like you're a connoisseur or something," Chloe said with a snicker.
"Nah. I just know what I like."
"What else do you like?"
"Well, there was this one type of blood that I really liked. Shame I can't get it anymore, it was so tasty," Max said with a smirk as she saw Chloe's attentive look, "Words can't really describe it."
"Lemme guess? A unicorn?"
"Close. You."
"Get the fuck outta here with that cheesy shit, Caulfield."
"Awww, widdle Chloe Pwice wif her bebbeh vampy feewings hurt? Oh noes!" Max said as she nearly bowled over from laughing.
"Dude. Shut up," Chloe said, fighting as her frown slowly gave way to a smile. It's not funny! Okay, fine, it's pretty damn funny. But how long am I going to be the 'baby'? Ugh, what the fuck this is bullshit Goddamnit.
Max and Chloe were joking around and teasing each other as they came back to the junkyard. Appreciating getting to hang out with Max in what was now their world, Chloe had clasped onto Max's hand the entire time when she convinced Max to just walk back. This is what I want, Max. You and me, with the entire fucking word bowing. The idea of traveling the world with Max like this made Chloe feel nearly euphoric as she felt Max lean up against her as they made their way past the shed.
Walking down the hill, Chloe was still giggling when she felt Max's hand tighten. Looking over at her partner, Chloe's smile faded when she saw Max's eyes narrow.
"Max. Max, what's wrong?" Chloe asked, a nagging worry beginning to creep up on her.
"Chloe…someone else is here," Max whispered, detaching her hand from Chloe's so she could put a finger to her lips.
Moving forward cautiously, Max left the bag of filled jugs with Chloe as she checked the junkyard. She could sense that someone was here, maybe had just left, but her nose was so plugged up with the scent of mountain lion and deer that her sense of smell was more of a detriment than an advantage. Making her way to the 'Chloe Cave', Max peered inside and frowned at the wreckage of what had been her fiancé's secret hideout. Looking back at Chloe, Max signaled for her to come over.
"I'm so sorry, Chloe," Max said as Chloe approached, concern on her face.
What the fuck? was Chloe's first thought as she surveyed the damage inside what had been her private getaway from years of drama and pain. This…this is just fucking felt her lip quiver as she picked at the broken furniture, the torn pictures and shattered CDs. The graffiti on the walls had been painted over with red lines, and there was a small pile of ash and melted plastic where someone had lit her things on fire. Feeling her legs begin to give, Chloe nearly fell to the floor before she felt Max catch her.
Easing Chloe down, Max felt a deep pang of sorrow as Chloe began to shake from choked sobs. This was your real home after William died. I'm so sorry, Che. Who the fuck would do this? Max began to examine the area herself, more deductive than Chloe as this had been a personal sanctuary for the weeping blue-haired girl. Max tried to clear out her sense of smell by blowing air out her nose, but she couldn't catch any familiar scent. The only thing I smell is some gasoline and the leftover scent of pot smoke. Crap. Picking through torn-up magazines, Max found what looked like the sole survivor of the decimation.
Chloe was cradling her face in her hands when she felt Max gently tap her shoulder. While Chloe deeply loved Max, all she wanted right now was to be left alone. This…this is a part of my world and someone fucking destroyed it. This isn't fair! It isn't goddamn fair! Feeling Max tap her shoulder again, Chloe snapped her head up irritably.
"What?" Chloe snapped, her eyes teary with blood running down her cheeks. Chloe just stared at Max as the other girl held her arm with her other hand.
"Um, I found th-this," Max said, feeling awkward at the look of pure misery on Chloe's face.
Chloe looked at Max's outstretched hand and felt the air rush out of her throat as she choked on it. Max was holding a strip of photos, the ones you typically get from a photo booth. Taking the pictures with a shaky hand, Chloe looked down at the old photos of her and Rachel Amber from before she had left Chloe behind. Bright and cheerful, Rachel had taken Chloe out on the anniversary of her dad's death to be there for her. Resentment and anguish plagued Chloe as she thought of how much Rachel had been there for her and Rachel leaving her behind. Only to come back as some thing that my best friend-turned-fiancé had to put down like an animal. Chloe thought of the giddy look on Max's face when she had killed those animals and thought of how Max's might have felt when she had Rachel Amber's life in her hands.
"She wasn't all bad, y'know. She ditched me, and I fucking hate her for it, but she also saved me more than once," Chloe said to herself before looking up at Max, "Max…did you feel the way you did about killing her like you do with the animals you hunt? I'm not wanting to start anything. I just…I need to know."
"Che," Max said as she sat down next to Chloe, leaning herself into Chloe's shoulder, "I still feel terrible about things having to go the way they did. I knew it had to be done, but that doesn't mean I wanted to do it. No, Chloe, if anything it was an act of survival."
Chloe felt Max loop an arm around her own, sliding small fingers into her hand. Clenching tightly onto the small hand, Chloe pressed the photo strip to her chest and wept at the violation of someone coming into what she had thought of as her 'home away from Hell' and tearing it apart. As Chloe shook, she felt something begin to pull at her stomach. Nearly oblivious to any sensation but grief at this point, she felt a tremor starting to build up inside her. Her sadness giving way to confusion, Chloe looked into herself and shuddered again at the thought of someone coming into her home uninvited and demolishing everything she had brought together over the years. This was my place. Mine. Someone came here and broke a part of my world. What the fuck?! What…the…fuck!
Chloe screamed as her fangs popped out, her anguish shifting into rage so fast that Max's hold slipped as Chloe tore out of the demolished shed. Max ran outside and watched as Chloe began to tear into wrecked cars and pieces of furniture left behind in the junkyard. Kicking her boot into cracked windshields, tearing apart anything that she could rip to pieces with her bare hands, Chloe was in a fury that Max knew was partly the result of her increased emotional sensitivity. Frowning, Max hoped that Chloe's mood swings from when she was human wouldn't make her vampiric emotions worse…and then she heard the blood-curdling scream from the direction of Chloe's truck.
Chloe couldn't think straight. Everything was a shade of red to her as she busted any window she could find, snapped furniture to pieces and kicked anything her foot was in range of. Fuck this place, these people, fuck all of it! Chloe thought as she slammed her fists down onto an old car that hung over what she and Rachel had used as a shooting gallery. At the memory of Rachel, a new surge of anger flooded through Chloe as she pulled at the car's hood until it came off with the screech of metal against metal. Throwing the piece of junk into the air, Chloe's eyes frantically went from side to side until they fixed on her truck and she screamed again.
The windshield had been shattered, the mirrors broken off, and the tires slashed. A smell of acrid smoke came from under the hood as both Chloe and Max approached the truck. Whereas Max frowned in sadness over Chloe's loss of another treasure, Chloe's rage fed on this second-straight violation of her being and began to kick violently at the vehicle. Pounding away at a flattened tire with her boot, Chloe cried hot tears as she gritted her teeth and continued to bring her foot down on the deflated piece of rubber.
"Chloe, stop!" Max shouted, moving towards the enraged Chloe. Chloe bared her fangs at Max in response and hissed only to freeze in shock as Max's open palm connected with her face.
Everything came grinding to a sudden halt as Chloe felt a sting on her cheek. Dazed as the raging feelings in her instantly subsided, Chloe hesitantly put a hand to her cheek and looked at Max in horror. She…she hit me. Max hit me. Why? Why would you do that, Max? I thought you were on my side? Chloe thought before Max dove into her and wrapped her arms around Chloe in a tight embrace.
"Please snap out it, Chloe! Please! I need you to not do this!" Chloe heard Max plead as the churning blood in her system began to falter, "I know you're hurting. What's been done to you here is terrible, but I need you to pull your feelings back in! You can't let yourself get lost in your anger, you can't! Y-Y-You might never find your way back and I can't be this way without you!"
Chloe was completely still, her hand still on her cheek where Max had struck her. It wasn't like when David hit her or Frank, though. She's terrified, Chloe thought, Max is afraid of losing me, afraid I might never recover from getting so pissed off. Is being a vampire…does being like this make getting angry that dangerous? Chloe felt her shoulders slump as ripples of exhaustion from her outburst began to hit her. I wonder if she's talking from experience…
Max felt Chloe's body tremble in her arms as her blue-haired wonder began to collapse from the physical and emotional strain. Cradling Chloe in her small arms, Max rocked back and forth slowly as the other girl wept. She didn't deserve this happening, Max thought as she looked back at the shed and then at the truck. She might stir up trouble, sure, but this was blatantly vicious. Realizing that they had no way home, what with Chloe pretty much done for the night and Max still needing to take the spoils from their hunting back to the apartment, Max pulled out her phone to look at the time. It's not too late. Maybe Joyce is still up. It's a risk, though. Just hope Joyce doesn't have any open cuts or anything.
"Chlo?" Max asked, moving Chloe around so that she wasn't laying in Max's lap anymore but leaning against her shoulder.
"Mmm?" the heartbreakingly weak response from Chloe crushed Max as she squeezed her own eyes shut to avoid crying from such a saddening voice.
"I'm going to call your mom, Che. If she's up, maybe she'll come here and give us a ride home," Max said in a soft tone, tilting her head down to kiss Chloe's blue hair.
"B-but what about-"
"Don't worry about our stuff. I'll come back here after we get you home. Chloe…hey, look at me," Max said, nudging Chloe's head with her chin until the other girl looked up at her with a blood-stained face, "Che, I need you to be calm when we're heading back with Joyce. Right now, your feelings are a wreck and you're going to hear something that will make your hunger go crazy. I will be there to support you, hold you back if I have to, but I need you to be strong right now."
"What are you talking about…?" Chloe sighed as she began to sit herself up.
"You're going to hear your mom's very human heartbeat, and it is going to make your hunger go crazy," Max said slowly, bracing Chloe's shoulders with her hands, "I need to know that you can try to focus on keeping yourself in control."
"Max, I'm not going to eat-"
"Chloe, stop. I know you have no desire to, I know. But you will want to. You'll want to feed on human blood the second you smell it, and I need you to take a step back and reign that hunger in," Max said, her tone cautioning.
"It can't be that bad, Max," Chloe said as she started to feel scared at the idea of wanting to feed on her own mother.
"It is. Believe me when I say that."
Calling Joyce up, Max sighed in mixed relief as the woman on the other line was up. Giving a brief detail of Chloe's truck being vandalized while they had been hanging out along the train tracks, Max had heard a heavy sigh on the other end before Joyce had let Max know that she would be there as soon as possible. Thanking Joyce multiple times over until the other line disconnected, Max slid her phone into her pocket and turned to watch Chloe.
Leaning against the truck, Chloe's head was downcast as she thought how such an amazing night had been shot straight to Hell. Her hideaway desecrated, her truck vandalized, Chloe felt incredibly vulnerable as Max walked up to her. Looking up at Max, Chloe felt relieved at the presence of her best friend and love but also a little hurt.
"You hit me," Chloe said with a pout, an anguished tone in her voice.
"I…I had to get you to snap out of it," Max pleaded apologetically, pulling Chloe into a gentle hug.
"But you hit me."
"…I know. I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm sorry about everything."
"What do you mean? Chloe asked, pulling herself back so that she was looking into Max's eyes.
"I-I can't help but think that if I hadn't come back all this might have never happened to you," Max said, a sad grimace on her face.
"Hey," Chloe said as she butted her forehead against Max's, "Don't even say that. I need you as much as you need me. Damn, Max, I can't even be sure I'd be fucking alive right now if you hadn't come back when you did. Frank could have killed me here months ago, but you saved me. You have a nasty habit of doing that, nerd," Chloe said with a weak smile."
"So I'm a nerd again?" Max said with a chuckle as she began to wipe at Chloe's bloody cheeks with a rag she had gotten from the truck.
"Dude, you'll always be a fucking nerd. But you're my nerd, SuperMax."
"And your my blue-haired wonder, Chloe Price."
"Forever?"
"I think we can swing that, yeah," Max said with a smile as she kissed Chloe's newly cleaned cheek, hearing a honk as Joyce's car began to make its way over the hill towards them.
Author's Note – Yeah, I know. "Wow, this is shorter than what it has been lately." It also feels better to me as a chapter length, though. 7500-9000 words isn't too wordy to turn people off from reading, but long enough to keep you all interested.
While I did say that I would be reducing how much I put online, I think some of you mistook what I meant. I'm reducing the length, not the rate of updates. I have every intention of doing daily updates for as long as I'm able. I'll have to be starting on my Grad School thesis soon, and if I keep my word count down to what I mentioned in the previous paragraph I figure I can both work on this story and research for my final year of university.
My family situation is a little better. The family member in question will be out of hospital in time for the cookout my parents are doing on the 4th of next month so I'll be heading down there to spend time with them. I'll still update, but it may be a little late in the day.
Again, thanks to all the people wishing my family well. I really need it and those of you who have done so are fucking amazing in my book :D
Read, review, and tell your friends *smirk*
Stay hella, cinnamon rolls!