Young Blood, from the song by The Naked and The Famous

"Hey, Joyce," Max said as she shielded her eyes from the headlights of Joyce's old car, "Sorry about this."

"Don't be sorry, Max. You had nothin' to do with this," Joyce said as she looked over Chloe's truck with a grim look on her face, "Jesus Christ. D'you have any clue who might've done this?"

"No. We weren't really around when whatever happened went down," Max said, her tone giving away her worry.

"You're worried about Chloe."

"I'd be crazy if I weren't. She was…pretty upset." Your daughter went on a blood-fueled rampage and if the junkyard was made of people she'd be a goddamn mass-murderer. Oh, and "Hey, Joyce!". Ugh.

"Well," Joyce said as she kicked at one of the truck's flat tires, "If you want to go get her, I'll take you all back to the diner. I've just got to clean up and then I'll drop you off at your place," Joyce said as she started to walk to her car.

"Clean up?" Max asked curiously, tilting her head, "Something happen?"

"Heh, only if you count the cook having to leave early because his wife is in labor. Day cook is probably three sheets to th' wind, so the diner's packing it in early tonight. Anyway, go find Chloe and drag her over here. The sooner, the better."

"Yes, ma'am," Max said, jokingly snapping a salute before heading back to where Chloe was currently residing.

Max heard the sound of something being moved around inside as she approached Chloe's hideout. Hesitant, Max stood outside the doorway for a moment. She's been through a lot these past couple days. Maybe I should leave her be…

"That you, hippie?" Max heard Chloe ask from inside, "Don't be shy, Max. Come on in." Looking away for a moment and sighing, Max walked around the corner into Chloe's lair.

Everything that had been burned or wrecked was gone. Max already knew that because she had helped Chloe clean the place out before Joyce showed up. What Max hadn't counted on was Chloe's determination. Where her benches had been sat two mismatched back seats from cars left behind in the junkyard. The table managing to survive, Chloe had her feet propped up on it as she reclined against the worn vinyl of an old car seat. One eye covered by her beanie, the other partly obscured by her unruly blue hair, Chloe's body language came of as guarded to Max until she saw a faint smile play across Chloe's lips.

"Hey, you," Chloe said in an exhausted but cheerful tone, "Join me for a moment of siesta?"

"Actually, your mom wants to get going," Max said apologetically, holding one arm with the other hand.

"Boooooo," Chloe bemoaned jokingly before standing up and brushing the dirt off her jeans. Walking over to one of the walls, Chloe pulled a large permanent marker out of a pocket, "Shall we commemorate the second coming of the Chloe Cave?"

"Not giving up, huh?" Max asked with a wry grin as she walked over to where Chloe was writing 'Chloe is STILL here', taking the offered marker to write 'Mad Max 2: Beyond Chloe-dome'.

"Never give up, never surrender!" Chloe cried out with a pump of her fist.

"…Did you just quote Galaxy Quest? Which one of us is the nerd?"

"Shushhhhh. Good day."

"Chloe, we should really get-"

"I said. Good. Day," Chloe said with a laugh before she took Max's hand in her own and began to head towards the bright headlights of Joyce's car, "Max, what am I going to do?"

"Let me protect you…and protect your mom from you, if I have to," Max said confidently, stopping to kiss Chloe lightly on the lips. Both girls jumped and laughed as Joyce honked mid-kiss.

"Pack it in, you two! You're adorable, but I've got to close up the diner!" Joyce said from the car.

"We're going to the diner?" Chloe asked Max, a concerned look on her face.

"Uh, surprise?"

The drive back to Arcadia Bay was relatively quiet for the first few minutes, no one speaking as the car trailed down a dirt road towards the highway. Max and Chloe sat in the back, one of Max's hands clamped down on Chloe's let as she watched her fiancé grit her teeth while determinedly look out the window. While Joyce obviously didn't know why the girls were presently distressed, she did know something was up.

"You two okay?" Joyce asked, peering at them from her rearview mirror, "Y'all haven't talked any since you got in the car."

"Uh, just kind-of in shock I guess," Max said, glancing to look back at Joyce through the mirror, "I can't believe that someone would trash the truck like that. It's so mean." Shit, Max thought as she felt Chloe's muscles tighten under her grip. Clamping down even harder, Max saw Chloe wince before she looked over at Max with an apologetic look and mouthed the word Ouch. Sorry, Max mouthed back silently, glancing up again to see that Joyce was watching them.

"You okay, Chloe? You haven't said a thing," Chloe's mother asked, her tone relaying her concern.

"Just, I dunno, depressed…and mad. It's like they trashed a part of me," Chloe said, glancing over at Joyce quickly before looking back out the window.

"I know. I'm sorry, Chloe. Maybe with your work, you can save up enough to get everything replaced. In the meantime, when I'm at work you can feel free to come over and use my car," Joyce offered.

"Thanks," Max said as she saw the strained look on Chloe's face. Leaning over to her blue-haired partner, Max whispered "We're almost in town. Just concentrate and keep the hunger down. You're doing great, Che." before giving Chloe an encouraging kiss on the cheek. Chloe made to smile but Max's wide eyes let Chloe know that her fangs were still out.

Am I going to feel like this around everybody now? Chloe thought as Max pulled back from kissing her. Wait. Is this how Max felt when she was with me all this time? Mom's not even bleeding anywhere and it's like I can smell the blood in her, like it's hitting me in the goddamn face. I can hear her heart beating, and it is hella tearing me up. I'm so hungry. Chloe's stomach growled and she looked over to see the worried expression on Max's face. Don't you dare let her down, Chloe! Like the lady said, I've got this.

"So, you want to tell me what happened?" Joyce said as they drove back towards Arcadia Bay.

"We don't know," Max hurriedly said, leaning against Chloe to support her struggling love, "We were hanging out in the woods by the railroad tracks. When we came back, someone had trashed the truck. We couldn't find any trace of whoever did it."

"Any trace? What are you Max, a private eye or something?" Joyce asked with a sad smile, "Chloe, I am so sorry that someone would do something like that."

"Thanks. Um, if it's all the same to you, Mom, I think I'd just like to be quiet right now," Chloe replied, her head downcast to avoid Joyce getting a look at the fangs in her mouth or the dimly violet eyes. Good thing I didn't fix my hat. Shit, how am I going to hide this in the diner?

With Chloe's request to be left to her thoughts, the car ride back into town and to the diner was relatively silent, the only noise to sound of Joyce's car and the wind through the window Chloe had cracked open. When Joyce shivered at the briskness of the late October air, Max had nudged Chloe to roll the window up, Chloe momentarily forgetting that while the cold felt soothing to her it was still cold to her mom. I just wish this night was over already, Chloe thought as they pulled into the Two Whales parking lot. I want to just go home, curl up into a ball, and fucking cry. Maybe let Max be the big spoon. Maybe.

The sign above the diner was shut off as they all got out of Joyce's car, the lights still on inside but a closed sign hanging from inside the door. Max couldn't remember Two Whales ever being closed, so the visual in front of her made her a little sad. It's like a sadly momentous thing. I wonder how many lonely wanderers came here only to be turn away at the locked door. Telling Joyce they'd come inside in a minute, Max sat on the hood of the car and held her arms open as Chloe slowly trudged her way to the loving arms of her fiancé.

"You did real good, Che," Max cooed into Chloe's ear as she felt Chloe's hands lightly play with the scruff of her neck, Chloe leaning her head on Max's shoulder, "I'm proud of you. I sure didn't have the strength you showed just now when I was so young."

"Really?" Chloe asked, a pang of sadness in her voice from the desolation of her ride and her sanctuary, "You're like what, 3 in vampire years?"

"And you're one full day of age, Chloe," Max said, gently pushing at Chloe until they were face-to-face, "I know you're upset, about a lot of things, but you not being able to nail down what I can do isn't the end of the world. It takes practice, and patience."

"I'm not exactly the most patient person, Max," Chloe said with a smirk as she leaned her forehead against Max's, "Oh. Oh, shit."

"What?" Max asked, her expression switching from caring to concern.

"I totally forgot. I have an appointment with Dana tomorrow to work on her ink some more. Fuck, Max, how am I gonna-"

"You'll have to cancel," Max said abruptly, cutting Chloe off, "You'll be stabbing Dana with a tattoo gun for possibly hours. While you've managed to make a go of it with your mom so far, an open wound with even the slightest amount of blood could send you off the rails again."

"…How long will it take for me to get better at this, Max?" I don't really feel like putting everything on fucking pause, dude," Chloe said, backing away from Max and the car to put a hand to her forehead, "And how am I going to hide my eyes and fangs from my mom?" Chloe punched Max playfully in the arm when Max snickered.

"Pull your beanie way down and don't smile. You know, how you are most of the time with your mom."

"Sarcasm now? You're so mean to me, Max Caulfield."

"Payback's a bitch, Chloe Price."

"Meanie."

"Baby."

"Asshole."

"Fragile little-"

"Okay. Fuck, I give," Chloe said as she offered Max a hand up before walking towards the door to Two Whales, pausing briefly to look at Max, "Why do I put up with your shit?"

"Because you love me…and because I love you back just as much," Max said, briefly standing on her tip-toes to give Chloe an Eskimo kiss before they went inside.

Selecting their usual booth, Max and Chloe sat next to each other in the seat that faced the door. Max wanted a good view so that she would see Joyce coming and be prepared in case anything happened. The idea of Chloe losing it and attacking her own mother sent a shudder through Max, the image only breaking when she felt Chloe gently squeeze her hand. Looking over at Chloe, the other girl had opted to do as Max suggested. Her mouth clamped shut and beanie tugged down, Chloe was looking out from behind hair that she had strategically placed so that her mom couldn't get a good look at her eyes. Popping her the knuckles of her free hand, Max sighed in mild exhaustion from the past couple days as Joyce walked over with a couple slices of apple pie.

"Still pretty fresh. Thought you two might like somethin'," Joyce said with a warm smile before going back behind the counter. Max had instinctively squeezed Chloe's hand tightly in case she needed to restrain her newbie vampire lover, and felt a measure of relief in Chloe not even flinching. Taking one of the slices of pie, Max picked at it a bit with her fork before cutting a small piece up and waving it next to Chloe's head.

"Dude, that is the last thing I'm hungry for," Chloe said, glancing over at Max from the corner of her eye, "Go crazy with my slice if you want."

Max pouted, but didn't move where her fork was. Eat the goddamn pie, Chloe! You still love the stuff and you know it.

"You have to keep up appearances. Plus, it might make you feel better. You know you want it," Max said teasingly, waving the small bite of dessert in small circles next to Chloe's head. Max saw through the window's reflection that Chloe smirked at her insistence on eating the piece of pie.

Chloe slowly turned to look at Max and opened her mouth just enough so that Max could fit the small morsel of sweetness into her mouth. Clamping down on the fork, Chloe playfully forced Max to tug at the fork a bit before releasing the utensil from her mouth. Chewing the spiced apple and pie crust, Chloe closed her eyes as the flavor calmed her nerves a bit. The memory of all the times she had come to the diner, all the times her mom had baked at home, instilled in her a measure of peace and Chloe couldn't help but chuckle when she saw Max fork another piece of pie and wave it in her smiling face. Sometimes I don't think I deserve your sweetness, Max. Sure, we butt heads on occasion. You always seem to move past it so hella fast, though. You must really love me, like amazeballs love me. I don't know if I deserve you, but I sure as fuck am glad that I have you.

Joyce was almost finished, wrapping up some cleaning in the kitchen area, when she peeked through the drop-off window that opened out into the diner and became misty-eyed as she watched Max and Chloe feed each other small pieces of pie, giggling and making sarcastic jokes between mouthfuls. I am so glad Max came back for Chloe. Max may never really fathom how much Chloe missed her, Chloe's not being the type to fully let out her feelings like she was when Max still lived here. I'm just happy they found each other.

"C'mon, lovebirds. Store's closed," Max heard Joyce say as she walked out from the back of the diner, "You two can leave the plates here behind the counter. Just scrape off what you don't eat into the trash and rinse the plates off before we go, okay?"

Max had laughed when Chloe complained about having to clean the dishes in a restaurant that gave her free food, but one stern look from Joyce resulted in Chloe making a beeline for the kitchen with Max trailing along behind her. The girls using the dual-sink counter toward the very back of the diner, Max playful splashed Chloe with the icy water she was using to rinse off her plate, bolting out the kitchen door and into the dining area before Chloe could retaliate.

Hearing Chloe yell "Fucking bratty Max Caulfield!" after her as she sat next to the waiting Joyce, Max busted up laughing as she saw Joyce's amused face. Feeling Joyce place a hand on her shoulder, Max's face grew serious when she saw the look Joyce was giving her.

"Uh, is something wrong?" Max asked, seeing Joyce's other hand fumble in her jacket pocket. Pulling out a small box, Joyce waved it as Chloe came out and saw the two of them sitting together.

"Chloe, if you're going to do this…be with Max…you need to do it proper," Joyce said as she got up and put the small box in the suddenly nervous Chloe's hands. Her lips parting slightly as she opened the small jewelry box, Chloe's head snapped up as she looked at her mom. Thank Dog her eyes have gone back to normal, Max thought, her mind wandering before she saw Chloe move to sit next to her.

"Chlo?" Max asked, curious as to her fiancé's suddenly serious demeanor.

"Max, you know that I'm not exactly the most touchy-feely kind of person. I screw shit up. A lot. But…but I really want to get this right, so here goes…," Chloe said as she knelt on one knee in front of Max, lifting up the jewelry box to reveal an antique gold band, "Max Caulfield, will you fucking marry me?"

If Max hadn't fed an hour or so ago, she was pretty sure she would have fainted. She figured that she must look pretty shocked, because she could have sworn that she heard Joyce say "Max? Hunny?" with a very concerned tone. She's already asked me once, and I told her yes. But this…I didn't expect, well, this. Wowsers. Wowser-fucking-wowsers. Max took a moment to wipe a tear from her eye, discreetly checking and sighing in relief at the clear drop on her finger, before gazing into Chloe's seemingly endless, iridescent blue eyes.

"Yes," Max said, feeling her throat constrict as she became choked up, "Yes, I totally will."

Hearing Joyce gasp and sniffle, Max held out her hand and let Chloe place the small band signifying a promise between the two of them on her finger. Holding her hand up to her face, Max brought into a small fit of choking sobs as she couldn't stop smiling. Feeling Chloe's arms wrap around her, Max continued to sob happy tears as she both laughed and cried. Did they plan this? Max thought before shaking her head. You know what? Fuck it if they did. This is wonderful.

"I love you so much, Chloe," Max murmured into Chloe's chest as she pressed her face deeper into the other girl's shirt.

"…I love you too, Max," Chloe said, leaning down to whisper "And now I can really mean it when I say 'Forever'. Hella yes."

Chloe's demeanor visibly changed when they hopped in Joyce's car for the ride to her and Max's apartment. It was like all of her senses were locked onto Max and only Max, watching in awe as Max just keep sneaking glances at the ring on her finger as she played with the necklace Chloe had given her. She is so freaking cute. Hella fucking cute. Amazeballs cute, Chloe thought as she wrapped an arm around Max's shoulders and leaned her head up against her fiancé's. Not noticing at first, Chloe became aware as Joyce pulled up to their building that she didn't feel even remotely hungry, couldn't hear Joyce's heartbeat or smell anything. All she could see, all she could feel, was the wondrous little Max Caulfield in her arms.

"Is this how it is for you?" Chloe asked in a hushed voice as she slowly got out of the car, "Am I your anchor like you are mine right now?"

"You catch on quick, Chloe Price," Max said with a smirk and a wink as she took Chloe's hand, "Unlike you, I'm hella mushy so I don't mind admitting that my love for you has pretty much pulled me through everything the past three years."

Holy shit. Three years? "Three years?" Chloe asked, sounding stupefied.

"All three years of this," Max said, licking her teeth as an implication of her vampiric state before she flashed Chloe a bright smile, "And now I get way longer."

"Hella longer."

Getting a long hug from Joyce before she got teary-eyed again, Max pulled back and smiled at Joyce before Chloe's mother got back in her car and headed off to her own home. Turning around to see Chloe waiting for her with an impish smile, Max put a hand on her hip and smirked.

"I don't like that look," Max said as she walked over to Chloe, "What are you up to, Chloe Price?"

"Why nothing, Max Caulfield-Price," Chloe said, feigning innocence.

"Price-Caulfield."

"Cauliflower Reasonably Priced?"

"Ugh. How about…Pricefield?" Both girls looked at each other for a moment before they busted up laughing.

Chloe and Max walked hand-in-hand around the back to the apartment before Max stopped, Chloe getting slightly yanked back as she felt Max let go of her hand. Turning around, Chloe saw Max pulling her helmet on and looked at her fiancé with a confused look before she remembered.

"The blood," Chloe said knowingly, "I totally forgot."

"Yeah. In the wake of getting a gorgeous engagement ring, I nearly forgot too," Max said as she shot another dazzling smile at Chloe, "But we're completely out upstairs and it's definitely best if I go and grab it now while it is still dark out. Obviously."

"Obviously. Hey," Chloe said as she stepped over to Max, the other girl already seated on her Vespa, "Want some company of the Chloe kind?"

"Mmm, that sounds nice," Max said as she tilted her head up to meet Chloe's approaching lips in a loving kiss, "But you'll have to carry the bag while I'm steering. You okay being my sidekick again?"

"I am your sidekick, Bat-Max," Chloe said as she hopped behind Max on the seat.

Max made a point of taking a longer way around to the junkyard, driving though more of Arcadia Bay than needed so she could enjoy feeling Chloe pressed into her with those long arms of Chloe's wrapped tightly around her waist. She doesn't seem so scared of my driving skills anymore, Max thought with a grin as she revved up the scooter's engine as Chloe broke the silence with a gleeful shriek. Arriving at the junkyard, Max decided it would be best to avoid the truck so she shot straight past it into the junkyard. Stopping only a moment to go and collect the bag containing their essentials, Max handed it to a slightly forlorn Chloe and kissed her fiancé on the cheek before gunning her Vespa's throttle and speeding back out of the junkyard quicker than she had driven into it. She doesn't need this right now. She needs me, and I need her.

"What do you say about us getting drunk when we get home?" Max shouted back at Chloe as she sped down the hill and onto the highway.

"Hella yes!" Chloe replied, getting a loud giggle from Max in return. She totally just saved me. Again. Keep saving me and I might marry you, Caulfield. Oops, too fucking late.

Bringing their haul into the kitchen, Max and Chloe rinsed the dirt and drippings off of the jugs before sliding them into the freezer. A bottle of Goldschlager each, they both walked into the bedroom and Chloe looked at Max in surprise as she took a large gulp of the hard liquor. Whoa, Chloe thought as Max took one more mouthful before settling the bottle down before reaching for her laptop, I've seen her drink before, but that was just…whoa. Opening her own bottle, Chloe sniffed at the strong cinnamon smell and closed her eyes as she felt the hot burn of the schnapps run down her throat. Swallowing a mouthful, Chloe coughed a bit as she pulled the bottle from her lips from the momentary heat in her mouth. Smacking her lips together, Chloe looked over at a bemused Max.

"My mouth is warm. My whole body is warm," Chloe said in a moment of befuddlement, "Is that why I've seen you drink only this?" Chloe felt her whole body tighten as Max responded by kissing Chloe softly on the lips, a cinnamon-flavored tongue into her mouth as Max let out a small moan of pleasure when Chloe reciprocated with her own tongue. Max pulled back with a look of contentment as she powered her laptop on.

"It is part of it," Max said, scrolling through her video library, "At first, I just got it because I remembered your remark about my cinnamon gum. Then I drank it and realized that it made my mouth really hot for a few minutes or so. The warmth is a nice change."

"So. You're getting me liquored up, Caulfield. We about to engage in wild and sexy shenanigans?" Chloe said before looking down at Max's video library, "What we watchin'?"

"We only watched half of FLCL," Max said, "And while we could both use some rest, I thought we could maybe watch some Hellsing."

"You want us to watch an anime about vampires? You're such a fucking cliché."

"Coming from the other vampire in the room," Max said, her grin faltering as she saw the thoughtful look on Chloe's face, "Che…?"

"You've been a little more, uh, vocal about being a vampire lately," Chloe said in a pensive tone before breaking into a grin, "Wouldn't happen to have anything to do with moi, would it?"

"Shit, my cover's blown!" Max said, scrunching her nose as she stuck out her tongue, "You…you make me feel like I can relax a bit, Chloe, now that you're in this with me."

"Still regret what happened?" Chloe asked, seeing a faraway look on Max's face.
"Honestly, I think there will always be a part of me that's sad about it," Max said before cupping a saddened Chloe's cheek, "That doesn't mean that I'm not happy to share this life with you, Che. It's just that I hadn't planned for this, and if I had gone down this road with you I would have liked it to have been a…nicer experience. Truth be told, I didn't even know I would be able to turn you. It's why when you showed up on the hilltop I freaked out. I thought that I had lost you, and then you crawled to me like something out of a horror movie."

"We are something out of a horror movie," Chloe replied, poking Max in the ribs.

"A gay horror movie," Max retorted before starting up the video.

Max and Chloe sat in bed, sharing the first and second bottles of cinnamon liquor until they were both empty, watching hour after hour of anime. Max would occasionally ruffle Chloe's blue hair and tease her about her closeted nerdiness, which would result in Max having to put the laptop on her bedside table to avoid it getting kicked off the bed as Chloe and her fooled around. Still the weaker of the two, Chloe was able to tap into some of her newfound strength and surprised Max once or twice by pinning the smaller girl to the bed. Other times, Chloe had let out a giggling "Whoa!" as Max would toss her off so hard that Chloe would fly straight up and nearly smack into the ceiling.

Eventually, begrudgingly to both of them, the two lovers began to feel the effects of the past two days' exhaustive trials and curled up in bed. Lifting the covers intermittently to toss their clothes on the floor, Max felt Chloe curl up next to her. Facing away from Max, Chloe let out a contented sigh as Max pressed against her back and wrapped her slender arms around Chloe's waist. Sleep overpowering her, Max fell asleep with Chloe's blue hair in her face, the smell of chemicals and pot smoke wafting around them in an airy cocoon of familiarity.

Max woke up to the sound of the doorknob being violently rattled. Her eyes snapping open, Max took a second to ensure that Chloe was safely next to her in bed before sprinting to the hallway. Moving stealthily to the door, Max felt her fangs pop out at the possibility that this could be whoever trashed Chloe's hideout and truck as the door was unlocked and slowly pushed open. Deftly weaving her arm between the swinging door and the wall, Max shot her arm out and pulled a startled Maeve inside. Slamming her friend into the wall, Max hissed for a moment before realization of who had broken into her house connected with the rest of her being. Slowly sliding Maeve down so that she was standing under her own power, Max let go of Maeve's throat but left her fangs out. What the crap?!

"What the fuck, Maeve? And you, Stephen?" Max asked in irritation, "You were just here. Did you think you couldn't just knock?"

Her two friends sharing an awkward look between themselves, Max's anger mixed with a growing apprehension. They wouldn't just break into my home. Something's wrong. Hearing Chloe's rapid footsteps, Max defensively held Chloe behind her as she made a low growl.

"What do you want?" Max asked, her voice low and aggressive.

"We're here as an advance," Maeve said, her tone saddened, "In truth, tho', we were hopin' to nae find ye here. S'why we tried to break in."

Stephen typed into his phone, the device dictating "We're sorry, Max. I said we should knock, but my sister's a bloody idiot." Maeve curled her upper lip and slapped her brother's arm in disapproval.

"What do you mean by 'advance'?" Max asked, holding onto Chloe as they stood where the hallway led out into the apartment.

"Word's spread tha' Antony came here, and tha' now he's missin'," Maeve said, holding her open hands out along her sides in apology, "Th' only thing that coulda kept him is you. Max…what did you do?"

Looking back and seeing Chloe's confused face, Max took her fiancé's hand and gestured for her two friends to come inside. Max lead Maeve and Stephen to the couch before taking the chair with Chloe sitting on one of the chair's armrests, neither girl willing to let go of the other's hand. Seeing the way the Max and Chloe were holding onto each other, Stephen noticed Max's newest piece of jewelry and gave both girls an enthusiastic thumbs-up. That eased the tension as Maeve looked where Stephen was looking and dropped her jaw in wonder.

"You're engaged?" Maeve asked incredulously, "Why does he know about it first?!"

"Because he came to visit," Max said, a slight smirk on her face before her eyes grew cold, "What is this advance you were talking about?" Max watched Maeve open her mouth to respond only to have Stephen put a hand on her arm to silence her. Flipping through his phone, Stephen laid it down on the coffee table and clicked on an audio file.

"The Caulfield girl is to be brought here immediately for subjugation. An accidental nuisance at first, the child has displayed a hatred against her own kind that cannot be allowed to continue. While I understand you two are her friends, you are also members of this community and your own transgressions in aiding her seclusion will be rectified in bringing her to me. You can relax in the knowledge that she her death will be swift, as quick as she fell our kin. Investigate the disappearance of Antony and report back here with her regardless of what you find."

Max felt her skin crawl. I knew this would happen eventually. I just wish I had more time. Time for me and Chloe to really be together. Oh, fuck. Chloe. Nononono. Max's lips quivered as her body began to tremble, her only refuge coming in the form of Chloe leaning over to wrap her arms around the shivering form of her fiancé. Both girls choked back tears and instinctive gasps for air before Max looked over in sudden confusion. Stephen was staring at Chloe.

"What?" Max said, her tone heartbreakingly sad as a sob escaped along with the question, "What is it? Please…please tell me that she doesn't have to go as well. She doesn't deserve that, you know it!" Max leapt out of the chair, holding onto a bewildered Chloe.

"It's not that at all, Max," Stephen's dictation app spoke as hey typed feverishly into it, "Max. Did you turn her?" Maeve's head snapped from looking at her brother to the two girls sitting across from her as her eyes widened.

"Ripper," Maeve said in a pleading tone, "Did yeh turn her?" Both Maeve and Stephen let out a gasp as they took in air at the shock of Chloe snapping her fangs out as the severity of what was happening finally hit her.

"Bloody hell!" Maeve yelled in astonishment as Max and Chloe both bared their fangs defensively, "Max, yer takin' our surprise th' wrong way! Ye don't unnerstand! This changes everything!"

Chloe let out a snarl before seeing Max's expression change as she listened to Maeve's outcry. Dude, they're here so they deliver you to a death sentence! Fuck this! Chloe tried to spring out at the two people who had invaded her and Max's home only to feel a vice-like grip rein her back. Looking at the small hand in shock, Chloe looked incredulously at Max as the still-seated girl shook her head and gestured for Chloe to sit back down. Max, what the fuck is wrong with you?! You can't listen to a bit of what these fucks have to say! They're here to help kill you, they're not your friends anymore!

"Max, lemme go!" Chloe said angrily as she tried to pry Max's fingers loose. Goddamn, she's so strong! She was totally holding back while I was still alive, Jesus fuck!

"Sit down, Che," Max said, her tone authoritative and shocking Chloe out of her anger. Petulantly, Chloe looked at Max with a worried expression before sitting back down on the armrest.

Max noticed her brief display with Chloe seemed to only encourage the astonishment of Maeve and Stephen. Her brow furrowed; she was still furious with them, but was now as puzzled as she was when they had broken in a moment ago. What just happened? First they say they're here to send me to my death, and now they're looking at me like I'm a Festivus miracle?

"Uh, what?" Max asked, beginning to feel embarrassed at the stares despite the situation, "What?" Stephen answered her query with a rapid typing on his phone's screen.

"Max, do you know how rare it is to find a vampire that is able to turn humans?" Stephen's phone read off, "What the hell made you do this?"

"She fucking saved me!" Chloe shouted, biting her lip at the shocked looks from her sudden outburst, "Your fucking guy, Andrew, tried to rip my throat out when Max hella saved me. She didn't even think she had, dude! She was just as shocked as you are when I made my way to her!"

Maeve covered her hand with her mouth as she sprung up from the couch. Hesitantly, she approached the two hostile girls and kneeled next to the chair as she looked at them both in wonder.

"Max, this might keep ye outta trouble," Maeve said with partially contained excitement as she placed a hand on the unoccupied armrest, "If ye can make a vampire, they might have nae choice but to spare ye!"

"They won't have any choice," Stephen chimed in, "She's a Maker."

"But I don't want to make more like us, like me and Chloe," Max said, a hint of revulsion on her face at the thought of everything that would entail. An image of a conveyor belt with unconscious people popped into Max's mind, with her at the end as she drained each person and bled into their mouths.

Flinching internally, Max watched the bodies of Dana, Juliet, Kate, and Joyce move up on the conveyor as she felt a greedy hunger begin to overtake her. No! Max thought as she leapt out of the chair, toppling both Maeve and Chloe as the force of her movement knocked the chair back and into the wall a small distance behind her. "Do you have any idea how sick it is to do that? Chloe was dying, and even then I did it reluctantly! Now you're saying that I would turn people like…like I'm chattel or something?! Fuck you!"

"Max, please-" Maeve tried to plead as she sat back down next to her brother only to leap out of the way as Max lifted the chair and threw it at both Maeve and Stephen, any attempt at calming the young vampire by cut off by a sudden scream of rage from Max.

"Do you not remember what I went through?! I was violated, drugged and pulled into a building where my life was sucked out of me! Why do you think I've never killed a human? Why was Chloe the only human I ever fed off of? It's because the memory of that violation, that assault, remains in my head!" Max yelled, finally admitting the truth to herself. I've…I've always known. I just try not to think about it. "So FUCK YOU! Fuck you and whoever sent you! You want to try and kill me? Fine! I'll fucking kill all of you!"

"Max, baby, please calm down," Chloe pleaded, wrapping her arms around her enraged fiancé in an attempt to get her to snap out of it. My turn to save you! Please, Max! Snap out of it!

Max snarled as she fought the surprisingly strong grip Chloe had on her, hissing at Maeve and Stephen as they backed away toward the hallway. Max felt a pang of anguish at Chloe seeing her like this, but was still furious at the broken trust of her now-former friends as she glared at them hatefully.

"Run! Go ahead, see what it's like to be on the run! I was for three fucking years because one of you couldn't fucking finish the job right! I'm your nightmare, right? 'Ripper'? Fucking payback, that's what I am, if I ever see another vampire in this town! Get the fuck out!"

Max raged as she grabbed the tripod from her photography area and launched it like a spear at the space where Maeve's head had been, feeling a moment of malevolent satisfaction as it was buried inches into the wall next to the hallway entrance. Seeing Maeve and Stephen hurriedly sprint out the open apartment door, Max howled in pain. Pain from her death, from her time on the run and all the horrible things she'd done to survive. Mostly, though, Max bawled from the image of Chloe dying on the lighthouse path, her statement of how cool Max was leaving Max with a bitterness. I'm not cool, Chloe! I'm a monster!

Chloe felt the trembling form of Max begin to grow slack in her arms before clutching on tighter so that her fiancé didn't fall on the floor. Hoisting Max up over her shoulders, she carried Max to the bedroom and laid the whimpering girl on the bed, heartbroken as Max curled herself into a ball while red tears welled up from her eyes. God, Max. Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you say anything? Oh Jesus…Max, were you raped…? No, no no no no. Chloe sat down next to Max and rubbed her back, feeling the small tremors of Max's shaking body as she quivered inside the blankets.

"Max…oh, I'm so sorry, sweetie," Chloe said as she gently ran her fingers through coppery strands of brunette hair, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I-I-It only j-just came back to me. I re-remembered it a-after I saw you c-crawl to me at the lighthouse…," Max said between sobs, stuttering and stammering as she choked on her own words, "I didn't want to say anything because i-it horrifies me j-just to think about it, never mind t-that I did that t-to you. Chloe…Chloe, please. Please forgive me."

Chloe was speechless, all she could do was slowly lay next to Max and wrap herself around her grief-stricken fiancé until they had both fallen back to a restless sleep, each of them being the other's private sanctuary.

When Chloe woke up Max wasn't in bed. Hearing the shower going, Chloe sighed in relief at the idea of the Max from last night going out by herself in the state she was in. Looking down at the bed, Chloe saw a small reddish stain and realized it was from Max's tears. Frowning, Chloe grabbed the bedding and tossed it onto the floor before searching the dresser for fresh sheets. Finding a set still sealed in its store packaging, Chloe hastily made the bed as Max numbly came out of the bathroom in in a towel, her eyes glazed and lifeless. Chloe leaned over to try and get a smile out of Max by smiling herself, but Max barely acknowledged her. Is she in shock? She might be in shock. Shit, what was that shrink's name? Fuck!

Chloe watched as Max's hand hesitated when she went to pull a shirt from her rack of clothes. Seeing Max's ambivalence and lack of interest, Chloe walked around the bed so that she could take Max by the hand and sit her down on the bed. Turning back, Chloe presented the clothes like she was a magician's assistant or the lady from Wheel of Fortune.

"This shirt?" Chloe said as she pointed at each shirt to see no emotion or physical response from Max. She's practically fucking catatonic. Oh man, this is hella fucked. "C'mon, Max, help a sista out."

Chloe saw a flicker of interest as Max shrugged, saying "I don't care. You pick." Before fading away again. Alright, Max. Baby steps it is, then. Imma make you boo-ti-ful, Maxaroni. Going through Max's entire wardrobe, Chloe selected an ensemble that she admitted was more her taste than Max's. Well, I do look good on her. Nice one, Price. Max is a bad influence on my humor skills, fucking puns.

Max had been immovable, so Chloe had dressed Max herself, gently going through the motions. One of Max's combat-looking olive drab skirts, a thermal shirt, and a grey sleeveless hoodie, Chloe was putting socks on Max's feet when she heard a soft whimper. Looking up, Chloe saw Max looking down at her with small pools of clear tears forming in her eyes. Straightening herself, Chloe pulled off her sleep shirt and wiped at Max's face with it as Max sniffled.

"I-I killed you. How can you love something like me…?" Chloe heard Max ask, Chloe's heart breaking at the resigned tone of self-loathing in Max's voice, "I d-don't deserve you. You should hate me b-because I did to you w-what was done to me…"

"No. No no, sweet baby, I don't hate you. Max, I could never really hate you. You saved me. I wouldn't be here now, right now, if it weren't for you," Chloe said, taking Max's hands into hers and kissing the tips of her fiancé's fingers, "Oh, Max. I would be dead and gone when all I want is to be here with you now, and you brought me back. Besides, you should know by now that you can't get rid of me that easily by now, Maxine Caulfield."

"I hate that name," Max said, grimacing at the use of her full name, "Did you just do that? Ugh, why?"

"How the fuck else am I supposed to get a rise out of you, my sweet little nerd. My Mad-as-Fuck Max. You fucking kicked ass last night. I knew you had a temper, but damn."

"I hate it when you see me like that."

"But I need to, Max. We hella need to see every fucking nook and goddamn cranny of each other. You've seen how ugly I get, and you've held a…considerable chunk of your badassery since you've been back in Arcadia Bay. You don't need me to front, but I don't want you to have to front, either. We have a world, a life, together and I can't do this without you."

Chloe worried when Max began to cry again before feeling relief as Max slid off the bed and wrapped her arms around Chloe, Max latching onto her with her vice-like little hands. Chloe tried to lift them both up only to smirk as she felt Max plant her knees onto the floor and yank Chloe down at the waist. Slumping down, Chloe wrapped her arms around Max in kind. Chloe doesn't know how long they knelt there like that; she just closed her eyes and waited for Max to break the hug first, not wanting to let her Maxaroni go.

Chloe heard Max's phone go off and groaned slightly at the intrusion, chuckling as she heard Max sigh at the same time she'd vented her frustration. Feeling Max pull back, Chloe let Max go and watched as her tired-looking fiancé crawled on her knees to the bedside table. Watching Max sit up against the bedside table for a moment to make sure she didn't break down again, Chloe stood up and walked over to the bathroom to take a shower. Leaving the door open in case Max needed her, Chloe splashed at the hot water coming from the bathtub faucet before she switched the water's flow to the shower head and climbed in. Chloe let the water hit the back of her neck as she leaned against the wall opposite the shower head, listening to make sure Max was doing as okay as she could be. Helluva night, Max. Hell of a fucking night.

Coming out of the bathroom, Chloe heard some noise coming from the kitchen and went to investigate. Sipping from a straw, Max was holding a Styrofoam cup in one hand while pouring a bowl of cereal with the other. Realizing that Max was completely zoned-out, Chloe thought for a moment about pouncing on her little fiancé before deciding that she probably shouldn't. Walking back into the bedroom, Chloe quickly changed into some blue jeans and a red tank-top that had the Ramones logo emblazoned in back across the entire front. Walking barefoot as into the living room area as she ran a hand through her wet and unruly hair, Chloe watched as Max pulled the chair across the living room floor and tried to resituate it from where she had tossed it the other night.

"Hey," Max said, not looking at Chloe as she made a face at the broken leg of the chair. Chloe smirked as Max lopped the other legs off of the upholstered piece of furniture before setting it on the floor with a thud, "There's a bowl of cereal with your name on it."

"Gracias, mademoiselle," Chloe said as she went over to the kitchen and filled up her own Styrofoam cup while snatching the bowl off the kitchen counter, "Wait. This is gonna taste hella gross, isn't it?"

Not getting a response as Max continued working on the apartment, Chloe took a bit of cereal and a slurp from her cup before nearly gagging. Yep, totally hella gross, Chloe thought as she set the bowl down and opted to get her real meal down first. Cringing a little at the taste, I am only two days old, haha, Chloe sipped slowly at her beverage as she watched Max try to pull out the tripod she had used as a spear. She looks so tired.

"Do you want some help, dude?" Chloe asked as she set down her empty cup.

"No thanks," Max replied as she yanked the tripod out of the wall, taking bits of the wall with it. Chloe thought she heard a mumbled "Fucker" but didn't pay any attention to it. Seeing Max's phone buzz on the coffee table, Chloe reached out for it and looked at the notification.

"Kate seems pretty worried, Max. She's got a fucking book of psalms lined up in your phone," Chloe said with a smirk as she set the phone beside her, "Hey. Come sit. Please?"

Max shuffled over from where she was messing with some photography equipment that had been a victim of her rampage the night before and sat next to Chloe, leaning her body against the taller girl's side. Looking at the bowl of cereal, Max looked up at Chloe with a pout.

"You didn't like it?" Max asked simply, her tone neutral.

"You have no idea that cereal tastes like if you're also drinking blood at the same time, do you?" Chloe asked, rolling her eyes as she felt Max shrug. "Max, don't retreat into your shell, okay? I know that you're hurting hella bad right now and I just want to be here for you. Okay?"

"…Okay," Max said, looping her arm around Chloe's, "I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm sorry about last night, I'm-"

"You don't have to be sorry about anything, Max," Chloe said as she looped her arm back so that she could run her fingers through Max's hair, "You absolutely do not need to be sorry. We do need to talk, though. What was all that weird-ass shit your buds-"

"They're not my 'buds'," Max snapped, "At least, not anymore."

"…Okay. What did they mean by you being some type of ultra-rare unicorn of a vampire, though?" Chloe asked, pausing before she spoke to make sure Max wasn't going to blow up again.

"I don't know," Max said, her voice overly quiet as she realized she snapped at Chloe, "I didn't get the full course of Vampire 101. I just learned the basics and how to defend myself."

"Well shit. Would be fucking nice to know what the deal is. At least it sounded like they might not drop from the roof like ninjas for a bit. I've think that we've both reached the maximum threshold of bull and shit."

"Really? Maximum?" Max said, peering up at Chloe with the faintest hint of a smirk.

"Your license to pun is rubbing off on me, nerd," Chloe said, kissing Max on the forehead. Baby steps, Max. Even if it takes a while, make your way back to me. Chloe looked between them as they both felt Max's phone go off again. Bet that's Kate.

"Uh, hey Kate," Max said in a weary voice as she answered her phone, "No, it's not a bad time. What? I haven't been avoiding anybody. It's just been a really bad few days…"

Booyah. Knew it was Kate, Chloe thought as she pulled out her own phone and sent a message to Kate as Max talked to her.

Chloe: Kate I need ur halp

Kate: I'm on the phone with Max can u wait?

Chloe: emergency and I'm home with her so no

Chloe: are u free rite nao?

Kate: yes y?

Chloe: can u meet us at 2 whales? Max is hella depressed and could use another friendly face besides my hotness

Kate: u sure?

Chloe: invite her and don't take no for an answer, Lady Jesus

Kate: ur a blasphemer, but I luv u 2 anyway ;)

Chloe: NO EMOJI

Kate: YES EMOJI XD

Chloe pocketed her phone before Max could see her as the small brunette wandered around the apartment while talking to Kate. A strained smile on her face, Max ended the call after a couple more minutes and looked over at Chloe with an irritated look.

"…Wanna go to the diner with me?" Max asked, not realizing the duplicitous act having occurred around her, "Kate wants to meet for breakfast. She's worried and I…I could use some quality Kate time."

"You sure you want me tagging along?" Chloe asked, trying to play innocent, "What about the whole 'smell of human blood' thing?"

"What snapped you out of that last night as Joyce was driving us here?"

"Well, you. If Kate's going to be there, though, then it wouldn't be easy for me to not notice Kate's…uh…"

"Her heartbeat?" Max asked as she put a hand on her hip.

"Yeah. I just don't think it is a good idea."

"Drink another cup's worth, then, and just come with me. Please, Che. I need you with me," Max said, plodding over and kneeling next to Chloe, her hands raised as though in prayer, "I don't really want to go but I will feel even worse if I stand Kate up. Please."

"And if I start to Hulk out?" Chloe asked.

"Max smash," Max replied, another faint smirk.

Baby steps, Chloe. Bring her back with baby steps.

Author's Note –

telephone

1 (877) 995-5247

I'm honestly drained so I can't think of anything with this note except to say that I hope everyone who was an interested party in yesterday's Supreme Court ruling took a moment to celebrate the achievement of nationwide marriage equality. While it is true that there is still a lot of work to do it important to note the achievements and progression as well.

I thank you all once more for all the well-wishes I have received here and on my Tumblr (and thanks to those of you who talk to me on there as well!). You're all cinnamon rolls, and I hope you enjoy your day

Read, review, and I will see you all next chapter.

Stay hella!