Into The Light, from the song by In This Moment (this is a seriously beautiful song and I highly recommend you go to YouTube and check it out)
THIS BREAKS 200,000 WORDS! BREAK OUT YER PARTY HATS AND PIN THE TAIL ON THE DAVID POSTERS! WOO!
NOTE - I will be on hiatus from July 3rd to July 5th to recharge and be with my family. They're going through some rough times still, and I need to regroup so that I can wrap this story up.
2001
Chloe's favorite ride in the playground was the merry-go-round. Running as fast as she could, Chloe would shriek with delight as she climbed on, spinning around like crazy with a cheerful smile on her face. Once, her dad pushed the merry-go-round so fast that Chloe's legs lifted up in the air and she laughed so hard that she inadvertently let go of the bar she had latched onto. Flying off, Chloe had landed awkwardly on one of her ankles and she looked up at William Price with a quivering lip.
"Oh, sweetie, does it hurt," Chloe's dad asked her as he knelt next to his daughter, forehead creased with worry.
"Nah," Chloe said as she tried to stand only to fall on her butt, "I'm just sad."
"Why are you sad, Chloe?" William said, smiling at his sweet daughter.
"I'm not gonna get to play on the merry-round anymore, am I?"
"Well," William said, leaning close to his daughter as though he were telling her a secret, "If we tell your mom that it was because of the swings, I'm sure that once your ankle is better you can give the merry-go-round another chance."
"Yaaaaaayy!" Chloe cheered, raising her arms so that her dad could help her up, "But you got it wrong, Daddy. It's merry-round, not merry-guh-round."
"Of course, kiddo. Of course."
A couple days later, Chloe came hobbling over to the merry-go-round with a crutch, her dad staying back as he went to get them some ice cream. Sitting on the bench near her favorite ride, Chloe made a humph noise as she saw another girl on the merry-go-round. Sliding off the bench, Chloe hobbled over and pouted at the girl before frowning as she saw the sad look on the other girl's face.
"What's wrong? Hey! I said what's wrong?" Chloe asked with her little voice raised.
A mop of brunette hair and a face full of freckles, the little girl sat in the middle of the merry-go-round with her knees folded against her chest. Her eyes red from crying, the sad little girl looked up at Chloe as she sniffled.
"No one will play with me," she said in a tired voice, "I ask if someone will help me push the merry-round and nobody does. I asked nicely, like my daddy told me to. Kids are butts!"
"Ooh, you said butts!" Chloe said, putting a hand to her mouth.
Hearing her dad call to her, Chloe turned and saw him approaching with a smiling, bearded man. Thanking her dad for the ice cream cone, Chloe sat on the bench next to him, telling him that the girl on the merry-go-round said a bad word.
"What'd she say, Chloe?" William asked, a grin on his face.
"She said 'butts'!"
"Butts isn't too bad, Chlo."
"B-B-but Mom said-"
"Chloe…you just said 'butts'. Besides, it's not nice to be a tattle-tale. Look at her, Chloe. She needs a friend, not a tattle-tale," William said, Chloe looking over to see the bearded man hand the crying girl a waffle cone as he tried to coax her off the merry-go-round.
"Dad…who is she? Who's he?"
"Well, that's the little girl's father, Chloe. If you want to know the girl's name, go over there and introduce yourself."
Scrunching her lips together as she thought, Chloe gave her dad the ice cream and slid off the bench once more. Gripping at her crutch as she hobbled back over to the merry-go-round, Chloe eyed the other girl as the other girl eyed her. Sniffling, the little brunette girl mouthed butts and smiled. Unlike last time, Chloe giggled instead of being shocked. The other girl giggling in return, Chloe walked to the edge of the merry-go-round and sat down.
"Wha' happened to your foot?" the brunette said as she slid over a little bit.
"It got sprained from using this merry-round. My daddy pushed so hard I flew," Chloe said as she kicked her dangling legs.
"Wowwwwwwww," the other girl said in astonishment, sliding over a little bit more, "D'you want some of my waffle cone?"
"…What's th' flavor?" Chloe asked, eyeing the other girl's ice cream.
"…Um, Strawberry Explosion! It has real strawberries in it!" the little brunette girl said excitedly as she slid next to Chloe, smiling so that Chloe could see a missing front tooth.
"No wayyyy. Ice cream doesn't have fruit, ice cream has milk," Chloe said matter-of-factly.
"Then try it…unless you're a butt."
"I am not a…a butt!"
Chloe leaned over and took a bite of the other girl's ice cream, the two children oblivious to their fathers' glowing smiles at watching their girls make a new friend. Chloe's eyes opening in wonder at the large piece of strawberry in her mouth, she looked at the other girl in shock.
"There's fruit in that!" Chloe said excitedly
"Told ya," the other girl said, "Where's your ice cream?"
"My daddy has it," Chloe said as she slid off the merry-go-round and turned to look at the other girl, "Hey, when I'm all better I'll come and push the merry-round with you."
"Really?" the other girl said as her eyes lit up, "You mean it?"
"Really. You seem cool, except for calling me a butt," Chloe said, both girls giggling.
"I'm Max," the brunette said as she slid off the merry-go-round, "I think my daddy is talking to yours. I've seen your daddy with mine when I go to work with him."
"If our daddies work together then you must be cool," Chloe said as she took Max's free hand with her own, "I'm Chloe. I think we should be friends."
"Really?" Max asked excitedly.
"Really," Chloe said with a smile as the two girls walked over towards their dads, smiles and ice cream on their innocent faces.
2013
"If you can't catch up with me at this point, Che, then something is really wrong with you!" Max called back as she sprinted ahead in the woods, waving Chloe's shirt from her outstretched arm, "You'll be Arcadia Bay's newest attraction!"
"Give it back, shirt thief!" Chloe yelled as she sprinted after Max, dodging a tree as she leapt over the fallen trunk, "This is not…fucking…coooool!"
Max couldn't help but giggle as Chloe popped up in her peripheral vision, grins on both their faces at the fun they were having. Not hiding anything anymore, being honest with each other, and taking things slow was paying off in a big way. They were growing into each other and falling in love all over again. With a whooping cry, Max leapt back and blew a kiss at Chloe before she leaped straight up from where she landed the first time. Faintly hearing Chloe grumble as the distance between them shifted once more, Max couldn't help but bust up laughing only to feel something fly past her as something flicked her ear.
"Don't get cocky, nerd! I'm gaining on ya!" Chloe shouted from above as she began to descend on Max's position, "Now gimme back my shirt!"
Leaning back, Max felt her body begin to fall back down to the forest floor at an angle that led her in the direction of a tree branch. Shouting "I don't think so!" at Chloe, flipping so that she landed on the branch and shot off in a different direction, Max heard Chloe yell "Goddamnit Maaaaaxxx!" as the brunette picked up speed.
Chloe grunted in frustration as she watched Max zip away, practically flying in a horizontal line as she bounced off a tree branch. Now she'll just use her fucking super-super-speed and basically tell me to kiss her ass. Which I would do, don't get me wrong. Just not when it came to this. Landing on the same branch, Chloe's foot slipped and she topped over before falling toward the forest floor. Screaming for help, Chloe knew that while a short fall might not kill her the fall from the her height moments ago will leave her as a brackish smear on the foliage. Seeing a blur out of the corner of her eye, Chloe felt relief before Max even swooped in and caught her.
"Nice one, Dork Wonder," Max chided with Chloe's shirt between her teeth, a smirk on her face as she carried Chloe in her arms. Carefully slowing down, Max set Chloe down on the ground before releasing the Green Day shirt from her teeth. Tossing the tank-top at Chloe, Max smiled in triumph and kissed the grumpy Chloe on the cheek before tilting her head to Chloe's ear and whispering "Soooo sexy".
"Shaddap!" Chloe snapped back, fighting the laughter she felt rising in her throat. Pulling her top on, Chloe wouldn't even give Max the credit for her win as she held her hand out expectantly.
"No prize? No reward?" Max asked, feigning hurt as she pouted. She scrunched her nose and smiled as Chloe walked over to her and leaned down for a kiss, Max holding the kiss as she held onto Chloe's chin before pulling, "Damn right."
Chloe held out her hand again, snapping her fingers as she waited impatiently. Smiling gleefully, Max pulled off her own black tank-top and tossed it at Chloe with a chuckle when the shirt landed on Chloe's head. Slowly pulling the shirt away from her face, Chloe raised an eyebrow at Max only to receive a stuck-out tongue in response.
"Five seconds?" Chloe asked, hands on her hips as she looped the shirt through a belt loop on her jeans.
"I'll give you ten if you promise me ice cream when I win this one, too," Max said as she began to bounce on her toes, winking at Chloe as the blue-haired girl gave her the middle finger.
"Okay, SuperMax, show me how the elderly do it."
"Whatever you say, my 'fragile little flower'."
"Ughhhh," Chloe said as she rolled her eyes before sprinting away, Max replying with "See you soon" before dashing after her prey ten seconds later.
Pulling into the back area of the apartment building, Chloe shut off her truck as Max slid out of the passenger seat with Chloe following suit from the driver's side. Hopping into the truck bed, Chloe rolled the Vespa to the open tailgate and let Max pick up the scooter before gently setting it down and rolling it over to its usual spot by the steps. Wiping her hands against her jeans, Max turned around to find a grinning Chloe right behind her.
"No, you can't stay tonight," Max said with a stern tone of voice, Chloe's smiling descending into a pout as the blue-haired girl lifted her hands up in an impersonation of a dog, "Pupply Chlo will not avail you. I can't."
"B-but last night, 'Puppy' Chloe said, still pouting as she now added small whimpers and wagged her butt.
"Last night was…amazing, Che," Max said, letting out a sigh as she pulled at Chloe's collar so that the taller girl would lean down for a kiss. Feeling their lips connect, Max honestly didn't want for Chloe to leave. Unfortunately, she had responsibilities. "Amazing and wonderful and you are beautiful. But…"
"Yeah, I know. You have work," Chloe said, disengaging her puppy mode as she leaned her forehead into Max's and pushed the smaller girl slightly from the connection, "You're tearing me apart, Max!"
"A reference from The Room?"
"…no comment…"
"I didn't get any work done last night, I the two hours I had after you left and before the deadline to go through an entire memory card of photos, and then I had three photoshoots with some of my clientele. I need to go through my own photos, have a drink, and crash. I can't do that if I have you in my bed wanting to make with the sexy," Max said, poking Chloe in the ribs with every word from the last sentence.
"Owww," Chloe whined, holding her side only for Max to roll her eyes at Chloe's fake injury.
"C'mon, Chloe. It's not like you won't see me tomorrow," Max said, sidling up to the despondent Chloe with an impish grin on her face. Chloe returned her impish grin as she kissed Max on the cheek.
"Fine, Bat-Max. Return to your cave," Chloe said with a smirk, "Just no secret vampire ninja battles on the rooftop while I'm away. Okay?"
"I wish I had never told you about that," Max said, putting the palm of her hand to her forehead.
"Dude, you're like a rogue ninja. You had to defeat your master to become your own master, except you cut him in half with your hands. Hella badass, Caulfield."
"Hella sad, too," Max said, looking down at her feet before a blue-nailed finger hooked around her chin and pulled her up.
"You've got me, Maxaroni. We'll get through our rough times together, yeah?" Chloe said with a smile as Max stood on her tip-toes to give Chloe a kiss.
"Goodnight, Che. I'll text you tomorrow if you want to come over."
"I have to come over tomorrow. I'm almost out, my two sports bottles are empty and I'm left wondering why the rum is gone," Chloe mused, getting a chuckle from Max.
"Aye, Captain Chloe Sparrow. I'll text you tomorrow, and you can come over…top yourself off," Max said with a wink before heading up the steps.
"You goddamn nerdy-assed tease!" Chloe called out with a laugh, Max waving before she closed the door behind her.
Locking the apartment door, Max slipped her boots off and hung her jacket on the coatrack as she pulled out her phone and shot Chloe a quick 'ILY' message before heading to the kitchen. Despite having fed before their game of capture the flag, Max was starving. Having gone on a hunting run last night after their sexiness at Chloe's little getaway spot, the freezer Max used for blood storage was thankfully stocked. Pulling her sports bottle out of the fridge, Max also snagged a jug from the freezer.
Downing the entire bottle, Max let out a satisfied "Aahhh" and refilled her sports bottle with the jug before setting both back where she'd gotten them. Feeling her phone go off, Max pulled it out as she headed to the bedroom to see a "no chat 4 u cuz u suk but ily2 cu tomorrow" text from Chloe and sniggered before tossing it on the bed. Stripping down to her underwear, Max slipped on her oversized t-shirt and powered on her laptop. Checking her email, updating her photography website by showing off some of her new shots from the clients she had yesterday, Max closed out of her internet and opened up her photo viewer so that she could go through the raw shots from yesterday.
Satisfied after a couple hours, the monotony of going through folder after folder of pictures and touching up the lighting or correcting any accidental distortions, Max looked down at the small time widget on her desktop and decided that it was time for her to get some sleep. Max disliked how erratic her sleeping patterns were as much as she figured Chloe did. Max knew when she had decided to move back to Arcadia Bay there would be adjustments in getting used to sleeping primarily at night rather than through most of the day. 2am…sleep till 8am…yeah, six hours should be okay, Max thought as she put her laptop and phone on the bedside table before curling up in her blankets and nodding off.
Bleary-eyed, Max woke from her blessedly dreamless slumber and glanced at her phone. Snatching it off the bedside table, she tapped at the screen and groaned at the time as it read 6:32am back at her. Max thought her phone was mean, telling her it was early with its big white text, but sighed when she knew she was being childish. Sitting up in bed, Max flicked at the screen until the chat bubble for Chloe opened up and began to type.
Max: You awake?
Max: hellooooooooo
Max: HEY!
Chloe: WAT!? I was sleeping, asswipe
Max: Sorry :(
Chloe: NO EMOJI
Chloe: uhhh sleep ughhhhhh
Max: Sorry! :'(
Chloe: What do u want, O Evil One Who Wakes Me?
Max: Just miss you, wanted to hear from you
Chloe: want me to come over? It is morning, my mom shuffling about out in the hall serves as proof
Max: u don't have 2 go back 2 sleep
Max: I feel bad nao
Chloe: on my way
Max: Che!
Chloe: Max u don't have to ask me 2 come over
Chloe: u will never have to ask me *heart*
Max: …okay *sadface*
Chloe: y do I put up with ur shit?
Max: ily
When Max didn't get a response she assumed that Chloe was getting dressed or maybe going to take a shower. Pulling the covers back over her head, Max felt at her face as she swore it was almost like she was blushing. She could remember how hot her face would feel, how silly she would get. While the heat was gone from her body, the warmth and giddiness she felt when it came to Chloe had only become stronger over the past couple months. Peeking out from the curtains, Max almost expected Chloe to be standing over the bed but was thankfully alone in the midst of her small bout of butterflies. When her phone went off, Max reached out for it so fast she nearly knocked her laptop off the bedside table in the process.
"Shit!" Max uttered as she caught the computer with her other hand before it could collide with the apartment floor. Sighing, Max gently placed the laptop back on the table and checked her phone. Eyes narrowing as she read the message a second time, Max gripped at her phone and felt the plastic creak slightly from the small amount of pressure before she pointedly tossed it on top of her dirty clothes. I don't need that right now, Max said as she slid out of bed and shot her phone a dirty look.
I hope she's alright. Usually, texting and shit when someone's sleeping is kinda my gig, Chloe thought as she climbed up the steps two at a time. Knocking on the door, Chloe heard a cheery "Hang on!" and tried not to laugh as the sudden image of Max wearing an apron and making cookies popped into her head. Chloe bit her lip in frustration as the image turned into Max only wearing the apron. Fixated on her own thoughts, Chloe was startled when Max opened the door and gave the absentminded blue-haired girl a hug.
"Agh!" Chloe shouted as she was snapped back to reality by two arms wrapping around her waist, looking down to see Max burying her face in Chloe's shirt as she laughed from Chloe's outburst, "Ha fucking ha, Max. Laugh at my pain. I see how it is."
"I…I can't help it," Max choked out as she looked up at Chloe, "The l-look on your face. Wowsers, that was…there are no words. I wish I had my camera on me!"
Slapping at Max's shoulders, Chloe playfully tried to fight her way out of Max's grip only to be lifted up and brought into the apartment as Max backpedaled into the hallway. Grabbing the door and swinging it shut as Max slowly brought her inside, Chloe couldn't help but giggle at the idea of little Max Caulfield carrying her around like Chloe weighed almost nothing. Sometimes it's little things like this that remind me how you're still the adorable crybaby I grew up with, Chloe thought as she looked down at Max with a heartfelt smile.
Seeing the look on Chloe's face, Max couldn't help but grin at the open expression of sweetness coming out of Chloe. When Max had come back to Arcadia Bay, Chloe had been bottled up and withdrawn. Max felt a small amount of pride at being able to coax Chloe out of her protective blue-haired shell, seeing more and more of the girl she'd fallen in love with years ago manifest behind the tattoo and the punk chic. Letting Chloe down, Max slid one hand up to grab Chloe by the collar of her jacket as she pulled the other girl down for a kiss.
"I needed that," Max said as she let go of Chloe's jacket, leaning her head onto the other girl's chest.
"D'awww, I missed you too. You're such a fucking nerd," Chloe said as she put her chin on top of Max's head, "What's the plan? It's barely seven in the morning, Max. You gonna keep me here all day?"
"Mayyyyybe. I'm hoping you have your empty bottles with you," Max said as she headed toward the kitchen, looking back to see the embarrassed look on Chloe's face, "Nice one, Che. You're the one who told me you were running on empty."
"Maybe it's a clever ploy so that I can come back again…," Chloe said, straining her face with a fake smile that just came off as cheesy to Max.
"Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that, dingus."
Pouring out two cups from her supply in the freezer, Max handed one cup to Chloe and leaned against the counter while Chloe took the stool. Sipping at the concoction, Max felt a small shock of energy as she began to feel some vitality return to her wearied form. This is how things should be. Me and Che, just relaxing together after waking up. We agreed to pace things more realistically, but sometimes I just want to lock her in here and never let her go. Still, a girl's got to have some space for herself.
"Dana called me," Chloe said as she set down her cup and wiped at a smeary mustache from her drink, "She's really itching to get some more work done on that tattoo, and I'm actually starting to feel bad about holding off. Do you think that I could try? Am I ready for that, being around human blood?"
"Hmm." Max thought back to her own experiences after she was turned, how she had been able to fight off the urge to feed on people almost immediately. My…introduction to this life of mine didn't exactly encourage all of the new lifestyle choices, though. Chloe pretty much jumped in head-first, like she does with everything. Hmm…
"Well?" Chloe's tone was insistent as she awaited Max's response. I want to just up and say hella yes regardless, but this is Max's skill set and I would be inking out of…her apartment so I want to fucking go about this properly.
"I don't have anything today except for another shoot with Taylor, so I suppose Dana could come over. I'll be your adult supervision," Max said with a mischievous curl of her lips as she leaned across the counter to kiss Chloe on the nose. "I'm going to take a shower, so you might as well call Dana over and set up a time."
"When?" Chloe asked as she pulled out her phone.
"Whenever," Max replied as she closed the bathroom door behind her, leaving it open just a crack. Max Caulfield, claustrophobic vampire-at-large.
Chloe swiped at her phone's screen only to knit her eyebrows together as the screen remained dark. Smashing the power button on top of the small electronic device, Chloe rolled her eyes as a low battery indicator flashed on her screen the screen returned to black. Right. Of course you're dead. I need to make a call regarding a job, so it's only fair that you shut the fuck off, Chloe thought with an irritated groan as she looked at the cable port on the bottom of her phone.
"Max?" Chloe called out to the girl in the bathroom "Hey, can I use your phone? Mine's dead."
"Way to prioritize, Chloe. What are you, 5?" Max chided, Chloe visualizing the smirk on Max's face before thinking about Max in the shower and biting her lip. "Yeah, it's on my laundry."
"What happened this time?" Chloe asked as she walked to the bathroom door and rapped her fingers against it as she peeked through the small crack Max had left open, "You don't usually do that unless you're upset about something."
"…S'fine," Max said, Chloe picking up on the uncertainty in her fiancé's voice.
"Max Caulfield, you better share with me right now." Max heard Chloe retort, wincing at the slight edge in the blue-haired girl's voice. Peeking from around the shower curtain, Max saw a single blue eye peering at her from the darkened apartment.
"Peeper-creeper!" Max yelled as she pulled the shower curtain back and tilted the shower head towards the space where Chloe's eye was, "Get wrecked!"
Hearing Chloe cry out as a small torrent of water shot out of the slightly ajar bathroom door, Max laughed as she heard Chloe begin to yell a string of obscenities. Victory!
"Don't dodge the question, and don't call me a creeper only to pull back the whole shower curtain! Flasher! Public indecency is a punishable offense!" Chloe said through the open space, wiping at the water still dripping from her beanie.
"Just look at the phone and see for yourself, Chloe," Max said, Chloe hearing an audible little humph, "I…I just don't want to talk about it. At least, not while I'm in the shower."
Eyeing the silhouette of Max through the shower curtain for a moment longer, Chloe slowly stepped back from the bathroom doorway and looked over at the phone sitting on top of Max's clothes. Whatever has her upset, it must be something pretty fucking bad, Chloe thought as her lips thinned into a tight line. Reaching down, Chloe took the phone from the small pile of clothes and opened up the menu. Her finger hovering over the chat icon, Chloe shook her head and opened up the call menu instead. She'll tell me when she wants to tell me…which'll be when I ask her after she's done showering, Chloe thought as she called Dana to schedule her in for the afternoon.
"Have you ever considered just up and leaving Arcadia Bay?" Max asked as she sat on the bed next to Chloe, the other girl lying back as she blew smoke rings from her joint, "You, me, just…just taking off and traveling?"
"Dude, I've thought about leaving this hick-hole all the fucking time. Max, is this coming up because of the text you won't tell me about?" Chloe asked, looking over at Max and poking the brunette in the side with a single finger, "I thought we are sharing now."
"We are," Max said, a slight whine to her voice as she slumped her shoulders.
"So share, hippie."
Chloe watched Max get up and reluctantly head over to where Chloe had put her phone. Tapping at the screen for a couple of seconds, Max tossed the phone at Chloe with a pained expression. Landing on Chloe's stomach, Chloe paused blowing smoke rings to reach down and take the phone with a worried look on her face. Max looks hella anxious about whatever is in this message.
Stephen: We need to talk. Pick a place near town, and we'll meet you there at nightfall. Bring your mate.
"I'm a 'mate'? Like, pirate-y mate or relationship-ish mate?" Chloe asked as she looked over at Max, "Sorry, Maxaroni. Just trying to lighten the mood. Come over here and tell your 'mate' all about it."
Max laid down next to Chloe and snuggled up beside her. Burying her face Chloe's arm, Max closed her eyes. She didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to think about whatever was going on. Remembering the last time that Stephen and Maeve had both come down to see her, Max felt both embarrassed and angry. I wish I hadn't acted the way I had, but what they asked of me was…is…so wrong.
"I don't know what they want, Chlo," Max said as she slipped her fingers between Chloe's and closed her hand around her partner's, "I'm…I'm scared, Che."
"Whatever it is, Max, we'll face it together. I told you this already," Chloe said as she stubbed the joint into an ashtray on the floor, "I'm never leaving you."
Getting an anxious giggle from Max in reply, Chloe turned around so that she could pull Max into her arms. Feeling Max's face burrow into her neck, Chloe leaned her head down so that her chin was resting on Max's shoulder while wrapping the leg that wasn't pinned to the bed around Max's waist. Pulling Max in as tightly as she could, Chloe just held Max as both girls laid in each other's arms in silence while thoughts ran through their heads.
"Do you want me to cancel on Dana?" Chloe asked softly, shifting her weight around so that she could free her pinned arm in order to run her fingers through Max's hair, "She'll be hella irked, but I think I can deal with that."
"No, better not," Max muffled through Chloe's shirt, "When is she coming over?"
"A few hours."
Tapping Chloe on the chest to signal that she wanted out, Max propped herself up with an arm and looked down at Chloe. She's so beautiful, the blue hair and her blue eyes. She's radiant, strong, with a heart that only I really get to see. She's my special dessert, hidden in angst-coated shell covered in tattoos and punk lyrics. Leaning down, Max softly kissed her fiancé on the forehead before she got up from the bed. Hearing Chloe softly calling after her, Max hurriedly walked over to where she had left her camera bag and pulled out her Polaroid camera.
Chloe wondered what Max was up to as the little brunette vampire returned with a child-like smile on her face as she took Chloe's picture. Laughing as Max took another picture from the exact same spot, Chloe stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes back as the sound of instant film being developed came to her a third time. My little photographer is up to something, Chloe thought as she watched Max shake her latest snapshot in the air.
"Does that actually help your photos?" Chloe asked, "I mean, I see you do it every time you use that thing."
"I think it's more habit at this point," Max replied with a shrug before looking down at her feet, "Che, I…I would…"
"Spit it out, nerd," Chloe chided, regretting her words when she saw the bashfully hurt look on Max's face, "Hey. I'm sorry, Max. You know I'm just fucking around. What is it?"
"I don't know what is going to happen tonight…and I can't help but feel this nagging worry in the back of my mind…"
"I can tell, Maxaroni. You seem, well, kinda high-strung right now," Chloe said, sitting up so that she could take Max's free hand in both of hers, "Tell me."
"I would…I would really l-like to take your picture," Max stuttered out, looking up at Chloe with her head remaining downcast.
"You just did, Max," Chloe said with a smirk, a little puzzled.
"I mean professionally, like with my equipment in the living room and everything. The lighting, my studio camera, all of it," Max said with no small amount of enthusiasm, taking Chloe by surprise with the sudden light in her eyes, "I want to do a photoshoot with you."
Chloe felt floored by Max's request. She watched Max work on her photos all the time, had even been around for some of the shoots Max did with her clients. Chloe had never considered that Max would want to do the same with her. She's fucking playing around…no, that look. Holy shitballs, she's for real.
"Max, I'm no model. You want…you want people who are actually down for that kinda shit-"
"Chloe," Max implored, looking down at the still-seated bluenette, "Please."
"You're serious."
"Hella."
"Um, alright…?"
Chloe barely registered Max scooping her up, her brain trying to process the idea of Max taking her pictures like she was a model. This is so goddamn weird. I'm not sure I wanna do this. Max. Max, I'm not-, Chloe thought before she melted as Max kissed her, soft lips derailing her train of thought as her heart collided with her brain from Max's touch.
Max went through all of Chloe's clothes that were still in the apartment, then sifted through her own wardrobe to find something that would maybe fit Chloe. Collecting what she thought would look good on Chloe, Max scooped all the clothes into her arms and walked back into the living room area. Dumping the clothing onto the couch, Max peered over at her anxious muse, Chloe biting her lip as she glanced toward the hallway nervously.
"Chloe Price, don't you dare run away!" Max boomed, satisfied as Chloe stiffened and looked straight forward in response to her commanding tone. "You do this for me and I'll…I'll make you a cake."
"The cake is a lie, Max," Chloe replied from the chair. Max in an apron…unfff… "Promise me cookies and sexy, you have a deal." Max. Apron. Sexy. Now.
"Uh, okay," Max shook her head as she saw the sudden faraway look on Chloe's face. "Earth to Chloe? Uh, hey!"
Chloe came out of her daydream with a snap of Max's fingers, looking at the brunette in alarm. Afraid she might have given something away, Chloe smiled and let loose with a forced laugh as she walked over to the clothes Max had grabbed while Max readied her equipment. Umm, I've never…shit, I have no fucking clue as to what I should pick. Does she want me to dress up? Does she want me to…ugh!
"Max, I don't know what I'm doing," Chloe admitted, turning to look at Max sullenly. Holding her arm awkwardly as she bit her lip, Chloe looked up in embarrassment to see a Max return her glance with an affectionate grin. Help me, Obi-Max Kenobi. You're my only fucking hope, dude.
Walking over to a bashful Chloe and a pile of clothes, Max started to organize everything as her blue-haired fiancé watched. Separating the clothing into three categories – bottoms, shirts, and flannels - Max had managed to create a couple of outfits before her attention was diverted by a knock at the door. Giving Chloe a knowing stare, mouthing This isn't over, Max walked over to the door with an irked expression as she heard Chloe audibly sigh in relief.
"Hey, Taylor!" Max said upon opening the door, "Come in! I thought our shoot was in a couple hours. It is, isn't it?"
"Yeah, but I had nothing else going on," Taylor said as she looked at Max apologetically, "Is it cool if I just hang here until then? I don't want to interrupt anything…"
"Actually, I could use an assistant right now," Max let her voice carry, satisfied by the sound of Chloe gasping and muttering "Shit!"
Leading Taylor down the hallway, Max motioned over at a despondent Chloe and Taylor grinned as she saw what Max was up to. Giggling in excitement with a wide-eyed smile, Taylor ran over to Chloe and immediately began to take stock of the attire that Max had laid out. Max followed the exuberant blonde slowly, taking the time to stick her tongue out at Chloe with neither of the other girls being the wiser. Gotcha now, you butt!
"Maaaaxxxx…" Chloe cried, her mouth fixed in a pout as Taylor slowly turned the bluenette around before laying a shirt tentatively across Chloe's shoulders, "Help."
"Oh, you're so cute," Taylor said with a grin before turning her head to look over at Max, "Is this how she is when it's just the two of you?"
"Actually, she did something really sweet the other night, something incredibly-"
"Max Caulfield!" Chloe snapped, cutting Max off only to receive a giggle from Max in return as the brunette flashed her a wink and a smile. You do not get to talk about that. To anyone. Ever.
"Okay, so how about this tank with these jeans?" Taylor said, setting out a green tank-top with a black-inked image of The Clash's London Calling cover stenciled on it and one of Chloe's pairs of torn black jeans. "Max, what about the shoes?"
"Uh, she's just got a pair of boots here," Max said, shrugging as she jerked her thumb towards the hallway from her perch on the couch armrest opposite Chloe. Seeing Taylor scurry over to the hallway, Max took in the worried look on Chloe's face and sat next to her love. "You…you don't have to do this, Che. I don't really say this, it always feels obvious to me, but you're so beautiful."
"…Go on," Chloe said, looking at Max from the corner of her eyes, head still downcast. She called me 'beautiful'. Me. Oh my god.
"Your hair, those deep blue eyes of yours, and the paleness of your skin. Add to that the wine-colored lips of your…new medical condition. You're like a living piece of poetry. I have to capture the emotions that you put out, Che. I want to photograph you as my appreciation for how beautiful and lovely you are, outside and in," Max said with a soft tone before leaning in to give her teary-eyed fiancé a kiss, "Ohhh, don't cry. Please don't cry, Che. I'll tell Taylor we can go on-"
"No," Chloe said, cutting off Max as she grabbed the brunette's wrist and sniffled, "No one…no one has ever said anything like that to me before…no one…"
"Well, now someone has, Che. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and I'm the luckiest woman…'alive'…?"
Both girls giggled before looking over to see Taylor watching them, her hands to her mouth as she began to get teary-eyed as well. Max got up with a sheepish grin on her face and walked over to Taylor, asking her if she was okay, only to get nearly tackled from Taylor giving her a hug. Waving Chloe over, Taylor wrapped her other arm around Chloe and didn't notice the look of extreme confusion on Chloe's face.
"Uh, I didn't even think you acknowledged my existence, blondie," Chloe said as she awkwardly patted Taylor's back while looking across Taylor's shoulders at Max, "This is hella weird…"
"You're…you're just so goddamn cute," Taylor said, tightening her hold on the two vampires for a moment before letting them go, "And for the record, I am not Victoria's bitch, Chloe. Of course I know who you are; we just ran in different social circles. That's it. You weren't exactly social last year."
Trying not to laugh at Chloe's bonding moment with a member of the Vortex Club, Max picked up the boots from where they had fallen next to Taylor. Walking over to the laid-out clothing, Max coughed to get the other girls' attention just before Taylor could scoop Chloe into another hug. Seeing Chloe mouth Thank you, Max! as she followed behind Taylor, Max smirked as she lifted up the first outfit that Taylor had set up.
Max watched the image counter increase one by one as she took shot after shot of Chloe in various poses, Taylor standing just off-frame with a pensive look on her face as she watched Max's process in action. Looking up every now and then to give Chloe direction, Max would walk from edge of the white tarp that was on the floor to the other edge. Staying out of the lighting herself to avoid casting any shadow on her subject, Max would shoot Chloe a quizzical look only to lift her camera back up to her face and take another shot. Seeing Chloe grin, Max couldn't help but smile back as she saw her fiancé begin to get into the experience, sticking her tongue out as she gave Max double devil-horns.
Blue hair covering Chloe's eyes she lifted her arms up only to put them behind her back, Chloe looked like the cover of a tattoo magazine to Max as she slowly let Chloe choose her own direction. Chloe Chic. She's a natural and she didn't even know it. Stopping for a moment, Max looked in amazement at the image counter. Wowsers. Half the card is taken up! Beaming at a playful Chloe, the bluenette dancing by herself in front of the white backdrop hanging against a wall, Max walked up to her muse and gave Chloe a passionate kiss.
Max held onto Chloe, her hand arm wrapped around so that her hand was pressed against the small of Chloe's back as they continued kissing. Hearing an "Awww!" from Taylor, Max couldn't help but laugh mid-kiss with Chloe soon joining her in bouts of laughter. Nobody's seen Chloe happy like this, probably not in years. Showtime, Max! Quickly stepping back while Chloe was still laughing with a huge smile on her face, Max quickly began taking shots. Moving from side to side, changing the angle with nearly every click of the button, Max blew through a dozen or so pictures before Chloe stopped laughing.
Chloe flopped down on the couch, patting her pockets before finding her lighter. Putting a cigarette to her lips, Chloe ran her hair through her fingers as she lit up and took in a long drag. Watching Max now begin to take shots of Taylor, Chloe marveled at seeing the brunette at work. I never really thought about how much fun Max had actually doing this. Sure, I knew that she thought it was fun but I never actually saw her having fun while taking these types of pictures. Is she like that with everyone, or is it just me? Chloe sat in thought as she slowly puffed away at her cigarette, glancing casually at the clock before realizing that Dana would be at the apartment soon. Springing out of the couch, Chloe quietly walked over to where her miniature tattoo parlor was and began to set everything up. Hearing Max stop, Chloe peeked over her shoulder to see Taylor look in her direction.
"Uh, yeah?" Chloe asked, her cigarette dangling in her mouth, "What's up?"
"You do tattoo, and Max is a photographer," Taylor said with a smirk on her face, "This place is like a tiny artist's commune or something."
All three girls chuckled as someone knocked at the door. Chloe ran over to the hallway, taking the long way around to avoid distracting Max, opening the door to let a surprisingly forlorn Dana inside. The look on the pretty brunette's face making Chloe herself worry, she led Dana inside and escorted her to where the tattoo station was situated. Hearing Max wrap things up with Taylor, Chloe asked for Dana to take her top off and lay down before deciding to ask what was on the girl's mind.
"You okay?" Chloe asked, seeing the faint worry line on Dana's face.
"…It's Kate," Dana said, surrendering after only a single question, "We…we hit a snag."
"Uh-oh," Chloe heard Max say as she walked over to join them, sipping at her sports bottle before offering it to Chloe. "What happened?"
"Her mother happened. A 'surprise visit'. She…she walked in on us kissing." Dana moped as she told her friends the story. "She said the usual B.S., 'a phase' and 'experiment' in various combinations. Kate stood her ground, for a while…"
"Then what?" Max asked as she took her bottle back from Chloe, the brunette wiping a small drop of red from the corner of her lip. Thank Dog Dana is lying down and facing away from both of us. 'Oh. Blood? I think I'll be going!'
"Kate started to cry, so I spoke up. It turned into a shouting match, ending with Kate kicking both of us out of her room. I tried texting her, calling her, but she won't answer. I know that we've only just started dating, but my worry is also coming as her friend," Dana said with a sigh, shivering as Chloe cleaned the outline that was already tattooed.
"You want me to message her?" Max asked before all three girls froze as a faint knock came from the door.
"Kate," Chloe said, pausing as she set out her inks, "Dana, you want me to hold off in case it is her?"
"No, I'm already here and I'm not going to play hide-and-seek," Dana said as she looked over to give Chloe a small grin.
Hearing the buzz of Chloe's tattoo gun as she started to work on Dana, Max walked over to the door and cracked it open to see Kate standing outside. Opting to come outside than cause a potential conflict by letting Kate in, Max closed the door behind her and gave Kate a hug. Sitting down on the landing, Max motioned for Kate to join her as she kicked her dangling legs.
"You okay?" Max asked, seeing Kate's red eyes, "Crying, I'm guessing."
"My mom came for a visit…and things got pretty heated," Kate said as she joined Max, "I…I feel bad, Max. Dana stood up for me, in front of my mom, and I got so angry at both of them that I kicked them out of my room. I'm so embarrassed!"
"…Um, Dana's inside, getting her tattoo worked on by Chloe. She kinda told us what happened," Max confessed, feeling sorry for her friend as the frown on Kate's face seemed to grow in intensity. "Did your mom know…I mean, shit, have you come out to your family…?"
"M-my dad knew," Kate said as she leaned herself against Max's shoulder, taking the offered hand of her friend, "We agreed to just not talk about it with my mom, though. I wanted to wait until I felt ready. Well, she knows now! She's probably already yelling at my dad or crying over me to my aunt!"
"Kate…do you think that your mom would ever be willing to accept, well, who you are and not who she wants you to be?" Max asked as she wrapped her arm around Kate's shoulder, "Ugh, I'm wording this hella wrong…"
"Heh, Chloe's rubbing off on you," Kate said, her voice breaking between chuckles, "I don't know, Max. I just don't know. The Bible says that we should love our neighbor and that we should 'do unto others as you would have done unto you'. How can someone who prays every morning and night not understand that love doesn't need to have limits?"
"The important thing is that you respect yourself, Kate. Don't let what other people think impact who you are as a person. If you want, I could pick a fight for you," Max said, looking over to see the desired effect of Kate giggling.
"Oh yeah, Max, because you look so tough. 'Come at me, bruh' or whatever," Kate said with an eyeroll as she nestled her head onto Max's shoulder, "Can we go inside? I think I would like to see my girlfriend, if she's willing to see her jerk of a girlfriend."
Taking a break from filling in Dana's tattoo, she sat on the stool of her workshop with a beer in her hand as she heard the door open and close. Looking over her shoulder, Chloe watched with an optimistic smile as Max led Kate inside. She is hella sweet. Kate's mom doesn't realize how totally blessed she is. Whatev – girl's a fucking angel. Hearing Dana let out a slight gasp as Kate walked into her line of sight, Chloe opted to give the two girls some privacy and headed over to her own partner-in-crime.
"You're fucking adorable," Chloe said as she walked up to the kitchen counter, seeing Max grin while turned away from her, "I bet you give hella epic pep talks. You should ditch the photography world, be a motivational speaker."
"That would be way too awkward for me," Max said with a snigger as she eyed Chloe's beer with a grossed-out face, "It's barely past noon, Chloe. Bleghh. Anyway, I don't think that I could make it, all those people staring at me while I'm on a stage. I'd probably start to cry, let alone the horror of possibly crying bloody tears in front of a packed room."
"The world suffers another loss," Chloe said with a shrug before downing the rest of her beer, "I'm managing, by the way. With the inking and the bloodiness. Feel redonkulous amounts of hunger, but I'm doing okay."
"That's great, Che!" Max beamed at Chloe as she affectionately put a hand on the bluenette's arm, "We should get a quick drink before they end their pow-wow."
"Uh, I don't think it'll be ending anytime soon, Maxaroni. I get the impression I'm done with Dana's tat for the day," Chloe said, nodding over towards Dana and Kate as Max watched Kate kneel in front of the prone Dana still lying on the massage table.
Staying in the kitchen until Kate came over with Dana, Max and Chloe offered to order something for all of them to eat only to be politely refused by Kate. Sliding her hand into Kate's, Dana promised Chloe that she would come by soon to get the rest of her tattoo done before she was playfully yanked towards the hallway by a smiling Kate. Leaning her head onto Chloe's shoulder, Max couldn't help but feel more optimistic about everything when she saw the shared looks between Kate and Dana. The idea of her friends' happiness transmuted onto Max's perception of the happiness she felt with Chloe.
"Che, I was thinking…" Max said as she nuzzled herself into Chloe's arm, "I have a proposition for you."
"My truck can make the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs, I swear," Chloe mused, chuckling before seeing the thoughtful look on Max's face, "Sorry. Couldn't help it. You were thinking…?"
"Well, forget it now. You killed my buzz. You are a buzzkill, Chloe Price," Max said, sticking her nose in the air with a humph only to peer at Chloe from the corner of her eye as she broke into a grin. "If you'd like, you can come over next week and stay a few nights. A trial run, I guess?"
"I can move back?!" Chloe said, turning around to look at Max so fast that the brunette stumbled at the loss of her Chloe-shaped leaning post.
"Cerealy, Che?" Max asked as she gained her balance, "Like I said, a trial run. You can stay over for a few nights next week. We'll see how it goes, and move on from there. Baby steps, Che. Baby steps."
Chloe lifted Max off the ground and spun her fiancé around with a look of utter happiness on her face, Max bursting into a fit of laughter as Chloe kept spinning her around. The girls were so consumed in their shared bliss that they didn't notice the knock at the door until it became a pounding. Setting Max down on her feet, Chloe sauntered into the hallway with a silly grin on her face as she walked up to the door.
"Go away, guys! We're having a hella cool moment!" Chloe said, her smile fading as she looked down the hall to see the dour expression on Max's face. Uh, what's going on?
"Max, ye need to let us in," a woman said from outside the door, her Irish accent partly managing to hide her nervousness. "Max! C'mon already! Ye have visitors!"
Chloe stepped aside and moved to situate herself behind Max as the smaller of the two opened the door. Both promptly backpedaled a couple paces at the sight of Stephen and Maeve standing on the landing, somber faces on both of the twins. Immediately sensing the ominous quality of their appearance, Chloe concentrated and popped out her fangs, eyes shining a bright violet. Looking down, Chloe saw Max restrain herself and maintain a forced calm. Girl may be trying to not go bat-shit, but they said 'outside town'. Newsflash, Max – our apartment is totally not fucking outside Arcadia Bay! Get your fight face on!
"You said we were to meet outside town," Max said, her tone even while not blinking an eye.
"Ye weren't pickin' up yer phone, Max," Maeve said, her arms splayed out at her sides in apology, "We dinna come 'ere to fight. We came to talk…and we brought some company, unfortunately."
Max's fangs shot out with force at the sight of Sheffield and Montrose walking up the steps, her eyes blazing so brilliantly violet that it looked to Chloe as though Max's eyes were on fire. Hearing a low growl emanate from her fiancé, Chloe felt a growl come up from her own throat with a bit of surprise. Uh, wonder vamp powers activate?
"Y'see?" Maeve said to the two vampires as the made their way to the landing, "Y'see! She's a Maker, so you can't just lock her the fook away, let alone kill her! B'sides, if you go fer her, ye come through us!" Maeve said, her and her brother standing on either side of the doorway in defiance of the other two vampires. But I was so shitty to you two, Max thought as she saw Stephen look over his shoulder to wink at her, Guys, I'm pretty sure I love you both.
"Miss Caulfield," Sheffield said in a politely calm tone, "We have been asked to come here as representatives of the local authority based in the Northwest. May we come in? I promise, you are not under any threat."
Giving Sheffield a wary eye, Max stepped to the doorway and tugged at Stephen and Maeve's sleeves, whispering "Thank you" as she let them both inside. Begrudgingly, Max let Sheffield in afterwards before spooking Montrose with a hiss so that he jumped a bit. Not bothering to invite him, Max turned around and walked inside, hearing the other vampire slowly walk inside. Entering the apartment, Max offered the couch to Maeve, Stephen, and Sheffield. Sitting on the armrest of the chair, Max patted the seat and Chloe quickly walked over to sit next to her fiancé, the girls holding hands as they eyed their company. Looking over her shoulder at Montrose as he anxiously leaned against the entrance to the hallway, Max smirked and bared her fangs. Fucking chickenshit.
"First, let me apologize for the actions of my predecessor," Sheffield said, steepling his fingers as he calmly spoke, "Antony was…well, he was more of a brute than I. Maeve and Stephen relayed to me in Seattle how events unfolded according to what you have told them, and I wish to apologize."
Max sat stock still, keeping absolutely quiet as Chloe looked up at her, Chloe joining Max in her silence. Coughing to break the awkwardness, Maeve looked over to see Sheffield looking directly at Max and Chloe.
"I understand the reasoning behind your rejection of being a Maker, Ms. Caulfield. I-" Sheffield was cut off by a harsh snort from Max.
"You don't understand shit."
"Again," Sheffield started back up, "I apologize. I have heard from your friends how you were turned. That is not the way we typically have a person turned, I assure you. Needless to say, a cruel thing was done to you. I can see why you would reject everything about your own kind, given the circumstances."
Chloe watched Max acknowledge the guy who was talking with a curt nod and retraction of her fangs. Chloe followed suit, wincing as her fangs came back in before she saw Stephen wink at her with a small grin. Uh, did I just get cheered for being able to rein my fangs back in? Dude, I know I'm pretty much a baby at this, but Jesus fuck.
"While Antony was acting under the authority of his peers back in Europe, an accord has been made in reference to you…Max. May I call you Max?" Sheffield asked, continuing when he saw Max nod a second time, "Good. Honestly, I hate the formality of all this. Appearances must be kept, however, and I digress. No further attempts on your person will occur so long as you meet two conditions.
"What are these conditions, dude?" Chloe blurted out, looking up to see a small grin play across Max's face. Chloe felt embarrassed as Max then leaned down and mouthed Hush with a loving smile as she gently kissed Chloe's cheek before returning her attention to the guy talking. I know the names of three people in here beside my own damn name. Who's the guy Max is talking to? Who's the guy…is he cowering? Whoa, dude looks hella nervous. This Max's 'Ripper' shit? Huh, lady's got a better rep than me. Fuck.
"The first is far simpler than the second. You must not kill another vampire. Considering that your previous kills were in self-defense, I was able to get Antony's superiors to back the fuck off. This isn't England, it's the Northwest and therefore you are under my protection," Sheffield said as he curled his lip while looking at Montrose, "They can be somewhat…antiquated at times. If you fight someone again, Max, don't fucking kill them."
"The second?" Max asked, watching Stephen and Maeve exchange nervous glances.
"I feel that you and I should step outside for that discussion. If you would be willing to hear me out further."
Chloe watched as Max sat in thought, tapping at her chin with an index finger as she seemed to be faraway in her own mind. Not having a clue what could be going through Max's head at the moment, Chloe thought the way Max talked about her life on the run and how she wished it could all just stop. Even coming here, Max was still hiding. Yeah, she came for me and to be somewhere familiar, but she also came here because nobody knew about her life before she was turned. I can't imagine what this dude is offering must be like for Max. She's spent almost every day since being turned on the fucking run, and now she can finally stop.
"…Alright, let's talk," Max suddenly spoke, letting go of Chloe's hand as she gestured toward the hallway. Chloe watched her fiancé wait for the guy who had been talking before they headed down the hallway together. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable by herself, Chloe began to fidget with her hands as she heard the door close behind them as Max went outside with one of their guests.
"Chloe, right?" Maeve asked the quite blue-haired girl as she leaned forward in her seat on the couch, looking over to see her brother Stephen nod, "Y'know, yer a lucky girl. When Max stayed with us, she would cry out to you in her sleep. Poor lass, such fookin' nightmares."
"She'd cry for me?" Chloe asked, her tone soft as she lifted her head up to look at the siblings, "Did she..did she ever talk about me, too?"
"All th' time, lass. Got to admit, you were sometimes annoyin' as fuck when she wouldn't stop goin' on," Maeve continued with a chuckle, "But it was always obvious to me an' mine here that she was yours long before she joined our ranks. I'm happy for ye both."
Hesitating a moment, Chloe got up from the chair and approached the couch. Feeling some of the tension pass as Stephen patted on the seat between himself and his sister, Chloe slowly took a seat and leaned back into the cushions.
"Y'know, this is my family's old couch. My mom gave it to us as a kinda housewarming gift," Chloe blurted out, shaking her head at the first thing she brought up being furniture, "Hey, have you ever tried moonshine?"
Max came back inside feeling somewhat numb, but also somewhat relieved. She could finally stop, not have to look over her shoulder for fear that any moment could bring new trouble. Any trouble that pops up could actually be of my own doing. Well, probably more Chloe's, but still. I'd…I'd be free. Kinda. Shaking Sheffield's hand, Max smiled at the generosity that she was being given by the gentleman before her.
"Y'know, if I knew you were my overlord I'd have baked a cake," Max joked, getting a low chuckle from the other person.
"Well, I think I will take seeing you in action outside of town as my compensation. While I don't condone violence, there was a…savage beauty to your viciousness," Sheffield said, getting a quirked eyebrow from Max in response, "Sorry. I'm something of a fan."
Walking back into the apartment with Sheffield closely behind, Max shook her head as she watched Chloe pass around a bottle of moonshine amongst herself, Stephen, and Maeve. The three laughing and snorting on the couch between mouthfuls of the liquor, none of them noticed Max and Sheffield had come back inside until Montrose coughed loudly. Chloe's head snapping up, she saw the tiny upturn of the corner of Max's mouth and came running over to hug her fiancé.
"Did you win?" Chloe asked, her speech a little slurred as she pulled back to look at Max with a gleeful smile.
"Uh…" Max said, looking at Sheffield who in turn gathered his companions before they headed out the door.
Getting long hugs from a drunk Maeve and an even drunker Stephen, Max led them all out the door. Eyeballing Montrose before closing the door, Max bared her fangs one last time at the anxious vampire and locked the door. Retracting her fangs, Max took a moment and leaned against the door as she fought to bring the evening's events into clarity. Condition Number Two. If I do it, I'm free. I'm free, Chloe's free, and I can finally show Chloe the world as I've seen it. No more running, no more hiding. But…ugh, Condition Number Two.
Hearing footsteps coming towards her from behind, Max smiled as she felt Chloe's arms wrap around her. Making a purring sound, Max lifted her hand to pull of Chloe's beanie and play with her love's blue hair.
"Hey," Chloe said softly, kissing Max's neck, "Good news?"
"'Hey' back at you, Max said, smiling at the feeling of Chloe's wet lips on her neck, "Mostly good news."
Turning herself around in Chloe's arms, Max stood on her tip-toes and kissed Chloe on the lips before uncoupling Chloe's hands. Leading the bluenette into the living room, Max took a seat at the couch and grabbed the bottle of moonshine. Watching Chloe plop down next to her, Max smirked as she tilted the bottle back and took a few mouthfuls of the liquor. I might need a buzz if I'm going to tell Chloe.
"So…? What's the other condition? You have to turn someone every two decades or something? A century, what?" Chloe asked, bouncing in her seat.
"No, it's not like that. He told me-" Max started.
"Who is that guy? I didn't even get his name, dude!" Chloe cut Max off, muttering "Sorry" when she saw the displeased look Max gave her.
"He, evidently, is the boss or ruler or whatever of the Northwest. He keeps the peace or some other crap," Max said with a sigh, "I'm not interested in their politics. What he said is that aside from turning one other person, I might never have to turn anyone else after. I'm not the only Maker, and they are concerned about my being 'so young'."
"So what's the second condition, then? Must be pretty hardcore, having to go outside all ominously and shit," Chloe said with a snort, oblivious to the sadness on Max's face.
"I…I…," Max started to speak, words caught in her throat.
"C'mon, Max! What is it?" Chloe asked, her excitement dissipating when she saw how still Max was, "Max? Maxaroni, what is it? What's wrong?"
"…I have to turn someone here, in Arcadia Bay, within the next 48 hours."
"…Oh fuck."
Author's Note – A return to angst, with a promise of future violence! Max and Chloe's freedom for someone else's life! Suspense! Intrigue! Romance! Vio-fucking-lence!
Who will be turned? Who will get their ass kicked? Will Warren ever get a girlfriend in this fic? (The answer is 'Hella no!', according to Vampire Chloe)
Yes, I threw my LGBTQPIA activism in there. Yes, I used Bible references to support how people shouldn't judge others unless they want to be judged. No, I'm not a Christian – I'm a Wiccan.
I think that says something when a Wiccan can use Bible quotes to push positivity toward LGBTQPIA issues. ;P
Read, review, and I'll see you for 24!
Stay Hella, Cinnamon Rolls! You're all just too pure for this world, Goddamnit!