Here it is, the last chapter of this story. Enjoy!

Chapter 16: Scars, part 2

Chloe hadn't even taken one step past the sliding door, as the Security Guard, who had thrown her out, headed towards her.

"Hey! Didn't I tell you to stay out?"

'Okay, Chloe, now be diplomatic, raging won't bring you far with this guy.'

Despite that she wished for nothing more than to flip him off again, Chloe took a deep breath to stay calm. "C'mon, dude. I'm sorry that my mom freaked out, okay? But I didn't do anything wrong."

The guard crossed his arms and blocked her way, his expression stern. "And I said I don't care."

Chloe now crossed her arms, too. It became very hard for her to hold her composure.

'What a stubborn dickhead! Damn, I don't think that diplomacy works with this mall cop, neither will asskicking. I need to outsmart this dumbass!'

"So, you don't care that up there lies a traumatized girl, who's gonna wake up in an unfamiliar place with no familiar person around to hold on to? That's really fucked up, y'know?"

The stern expression vanished from his face and his arms unfolded. It took the guard some time to come up with a reply. "Hey, I'm just keeping the peace up here!"

"And what do you think, how peaceful it's gonna be here when she screams my name throughout the hospital, huh?"

Again, the guard lacked some words, his mouth opening and closing several times. He clearly became nervous, shifting his weight from one foot to another, and averting Chloe's chiding glare. "I'm sorry, b-but I'm just doing my job here."

This answer only let Chloe scoff. "Yeah, mentally torturing little girls; great job indeed! Does it get paid well?"

"I…I…No!...uh…"

'Game, set, match!'

"Larry, what the heck is going on here?" Nurse Stephanie's voice chimed through the lobby as she closed in. "Why are you stopping this girl from visiting her friend?"

"Sh-she disturbed the peace!" he said with a shivering and unsecure tone.

Now the nurse crossed her arms like Chloe and took position right beside the strawberry-blonde girl. "Oh really? What did she do?"

"She…uhm…her mother yelled at other visitors."

"Are you saying that she's responsible for the actions of her mother? Get your fucking head out of your fucking ass and let her visit her poor friend, who almost died, you stupid asshole!" the blonde woman said furiously, painting a big, wry smirk on Chloe's face. "C'mon, Chloe!"

Completely intimidated, Larry the guard just stood there, not moving or saying a thing. The nurse grabbed Chloe's hand and walked with her past the security man. Before they entered the hospital wing where Max laid, Chloe waved the still stunned guard a kiss good bye, followed by a middle finger.

"I heard that there's been some commotion in ICU. What happened?" the nurse suddenly asked as they waited for the elevator.

"My mom freaked on Max's mom." Chloe answered nonchalantly.

"Why?"

A Bing chimed and the elevator doors slid open. Some hospital stuff left the cabin, while Chloe and the nurse entered. During the ride, the young girl told Stephanie about the whole situation.

"This sucks! But I kinda know what you two are going through."

"Really?"

"Yeah! Y'know, I met my fiancée in prison while I was working there as a nurse in the medical wing. He was serving two years for drug dealing and other stuff. But he changed during his stay. The longer I knew him, the more I recognized how he became a kind person and wanted to do something with his life. Get a job, have a family 'n' stuff. Damn…he even hit his thumb with a hammer intentionally, just to see me and ask me for a date."

Chloe scrunched up her nose and hissed in pain as she imagined how it would feel to drop a hammer on her own thumb. "Ouch! Sounds like love that hurts."

"He's such a cute romantic!" the nurse replied with a sigh, but became serious in a blink of an eye. "Anyway, my parents didn't accept that her 'baby-girl' was dating a felon. Two years ago, I gave them a choice: accept my relationship or go to hell."

With another Bing the metallic door slit open again and they both left the elevator, heading for Max's room.

"So, what happened? Did they agree eventually?"

At first, Chloe's question got only answered with a scoff. Then, they both stopped in front of the door to Max's room. "Let's say it this way: I haven't spoken with my patents in two years now." The door opened with a click and the blonde woman entered the room.

"That really sucks ass!" Chloe commented and followed.

Max was still asleep as Chloe came in. The strawberry-blonde gazed at her girlfriend with a warm smile, the intense feeling of love flooding her body.

'She looks so peaceful when she's sleeping. Gosh, I could kiss her cute, freckled face a thousand times and still wouldn't be satisfied. I'm so glad that she's gonna be okay.'

A soft touch on her shoulder let Chloe's sight shift to Stephanie again.

"I wanna move her from ICU to her room now. Can you wake her?" she whispered to Chloe with a soft smile.

Giving her a slight nod, Chloe moved closer to Max's bed, sat down on the edge and began to brush gently over her cheek and through her hair. "Hey, wakey, wakey, sleepyhead!" she whispered softly.

Max inhaled deeply as her lips formed a warm smile and her doe-eyes opened slowly. "Hi Chlo!" was her quiet answer.

Chloe leaned in and gave Max a soft kiss. As their lips touched, she couldn't do anything else than to hold her breath and enjoy the moment. Feeling her beloved girlfriend's warm lips sent another jolt of intensive love through her entire body.

After they'd broken the kiss, the blonde girl inhaled deeply with closed eyes.

"You two are such a cute couple!" Stephanie said, ending this quiet moment.

"Yeah!" Chloe replied, gazed at a slightly blushed Max and giggled. "Ready to move to your room, Maximus?"

The younger girl shrugged. "As ready as I can be…I think."

Chloe took all of Max's stuff and the nurse prepared her bed and every needed medically equipment for the transport. 15 Minutes later, Max lied in her new room. Nurse Stephanie took her leave right after everything was in order, leaving Max and Chloe alone.

Both girls gazed at each other for some time, holding hands.

"Where's everyone?"

Chloe told Max what had happened after Vanessa had left her room. The brunette girl's expression became darker with every spoken word, until she was staring at the ceiling in complete absence.

Caressing her hand, Chloe tried to sooth her. She wanted to say something; wanted to take everything from her small shoulders. And as she had thought about some encouraging words, Max suddenly spoke in an almost whispering tone.

"One tiny picture fucked up so much. It hurt so many people. And I idiot thought I had everything under control. I thought I'd figured it out." A droplet ran down Max's cheek as she sniffed. She gazed at Chloe, her eyes flooding with tears. "I can't do this anymore, Chlo. I don't wanna see you die over and over again. I want this to end!"

Chloe cupped Max's already wet cheek with her hand and brushed over it with her thumb. Seeing Max like this gave her heart a big sting; almost made her despair.

'She looks so broken; so devastated. I never saw her like this before. But I don't think that the robbery or her injury is the cause for this. I need to know!'

Chloe took a deep breath, gathering all courage to ask Max the one question that was pestering her for days now. "Max, you need to tell me. What is going on? Since the day my…my dad died you're acting so strange. I-I always thought that it was because of me or…our feelings for each other, but…" She took another deep breath. "Max, before we were mugged you said something about that you knew this shit would happen and…and that we were in danger and…FUCK!" Chloe jumped up from her seat and began to walk around the room, holding her head tight like she's afraid to lose it. "You always tell me that you don't want me to die, and every time you told me this some fucked up shit happened."

"Chloe."

Max's quiet voice let the blonde stop in her tracks.

"There is something you need to know, but…" The younger girl's sight was fixed on her hands, averting Chloe's glare. "Can you hand me my cam bag, please?"

Chloe did was she was told and gave Max the old camera bag. She saw how the brunette girl brought forth two notebooks and handed them to her. One of them, Chloe realized as Max's Diary, but the other one was unknown to her.

"Max, I don't…" the blonde began, gazing at her girlfriend with eyes wide open.

"Chloe, I'm not in the condition to tell you this right now. It…" Her voice broke for a moment. "Going through all of this right now would literally break me. But you need to know; you need to understand!"

Chloe gave the small girl a nod, then the door opened and a nurse peeked in.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but visitor's time is over."

Max spread her arms, signing her girlfriend that she needed a hug and Chloe complied without any hesitation. "Start with the day William died!" she whispered into her ear. "I love you so much, Chlo!"

Chloe closed her eyes shut, trying to hold back some tears. She wanted to stay with Max; wanted to hold on to her forever. Her voice was trembling. "I love you, too, Maxi!"

Then they parted. Until Chloe was out of the door, neither of them broke eye contact. Both were afraid to lose each other. Both were afraid of the future. And both were afraid of the truth. The truth Chloe was carrying in her hands right now.

Although visitor's time had been over for some time now, Chloe was allowed to stay in the lobby until Ryan returned to pick her up.

Despite of having Max's Diary, she hadn't read it yet. She knew, whatever secret would be revealed in there, it was huge. A big secret Max had been carrying around for almost three months. And now she was close to find it out, but not in public; not as long as other people were around.

"Chloe?" Ryan suddenly spoke, his gaze fixed on the traffic.

"Hmm?"

"We barely had the chance to talk about this messed up situation privately. I think now is a good time."

"Ryan…" she sighed. "Listen, I'm not in the mood right now."

As the car came to a hold at a red traffic light, the bearded man gave Chloe an agitated glare. "My wife had a complete meltdown and blames herself for what happened. My daughter lies in a hospital, lucky to be still alive. Do you really think I give a damn about your mood right now?"

The blonde girl stayed silent and her gaze dropped upon those furious words, only to get raised again by a soft touch on her shoulder. The anger had vanished from Ryan's eyes and his voice was calm again.

"Chloe, a few days ago, all I wanted was a nice Christmas dinner with my family, and yes, this includes you, too. But instead, I came home from work, found my wife completely devastated, my daughter and her friend gone, and not even 20 minutes later the police called and told me that you two were robbed and on your way to the hospital. There, they told me that they were fighting for my daughter's life and you were injured and in shock, not able to tell anyone what had happened. " He paused for a short moment. "Chloe, we were responsible for your well-being and failed. We failed on keeping you both safe. I and my wife are questioning ourselves as parents." Ryan exhaled deeply, calming down some more. "Now, all I want are some answers. I want to see the whole picture, and the only missing piece is the relationship between you and Max."

For a short moment there was silence. Chloe knew that she went through hell; that she suffered a lot those last days; but she never looked at the other side. How Max's parents were doing, and she realized that, in a different way, they were doing worse.

'They deserve to know! Max is their daughter and they need to know what's going on.'

The blaring of a horn right behind them ended the quiet moment. Ryan shifted his attention back to the traffic and drove on.

"Everything I know so far is what Joyce and Vanessa have told me, and this is not much. So, tell me, since when are you and Max together?" Ryan began in a nonchalantly tone.

"Th-Thanksgiving. We…uhm…that was the day it became legit."

"And before?"

"Just some teasing and…flirting from my side."

"So, you took the initiative?"

"No." Chloe huffed. A wry smile formed on her face as she remembered her first real kiss with Max. "I merely panicked all the time. Maxi was the one who initiated our first kiss."

"Huh!" he huffed.

"Ryan, if Max hadn't shown me any affection I would've backed off, I swear!"

"I know." he replied calmly, giving Chloe a short, friendly glimpse.

"Y-you know?"

"Chloe…" Ryan began. "You are the best that could have happened to Max. Every time, since you two know each other, she was happy when she'd spent the day with you. And every day you didn't see each other was a sad day. You always cared about her; protected her. What else does a caring father want?"

"What does a caring mother want?" Chloe snipped back, more sassy than she intended to.

"Vanessa…" He sighed. "My wife has always been overprotective when it came to Max, but not in a good way. She meant well, but…I'm so sorry for what she'd said!"

"It hurt, y'know, and not only me."

"And still you are willing to forgive her. Today, you even stepped in for Vanessa; defended her against your own mom. That was nothing else but noble!" The car stopped in the driveway of the Caulfield's house. Ryan turned off the engine and turned to Chloe, a warm smile emerging through his beard. "You're a good person, Chloe! And to make things official: I hereby give you my blessing to date my daughter!"

The blonde's eyes opened wide in surprise. She didn't know what to say. Everything she managed to do was to bridge the gap to Max's dad and pulled him into a tight hug, which he responded with chuckle.

"Thank you!" she whispered with a trembling voice, clearly relieved that her relationship with Max was now official and accepted.

With an audible click the door to Max's room locked. Chloe walked over to her girlfriend's desk, threw the two notebooks on it and sat down. She buried her face in her hands and exhaled deeply.

'Ugh, what a fucked up day! Luckily Ryan let me go upstairs right away and didn't force me to attend dinner.'

Her gaze fell upon the two books in front of her as she peeked through her fingers.

'I'm kinda afraid of what I will find in there, but…I need to know what's going on with Maxi. Something is burdening her so hard. Well, what's the saying? A shared burden is a halved burden…or whatever.'

Chloe took Max's Diary and opened the first page. An impish grin formed on her face as she read the first lines.

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!

Yes, Chloe, I mean you! Be gone, oh nosy Captain Bluebeard, or your faithful First Mate will start a mutiny and keelhaul you!

Seriously, are you still reading?!

There will be cereal consequences!

"I love you, too, Maxi!" she spoke and started to flick through the first pages and looked at some photos, reading some passages here and there. Then, she stopped and read an entry.

'Wow, the Science Fair! The only event where you can win by almost blowing up your entire booth. Dad was so proud of me when I…Dad!'

Chloe's gaze fixed on the glued in picture, showing her with her father, after she'd won the first price. Her eyes became watery and she sniffed, all the memories of her dad rushing through her head.

The next pages were accompanied by the same rollercoaster of emotions. Happy and fond memories shadowed by grief. More than one time she had to pause as her feelings overwhelmed the young girl, until she suddenly stopped at one specific page. It was decorated with black tape, doodled flowers and a picture of William. The ink was partially smudged.

"The day my dad died!" whispered Chloe and began to read.

October 4th, 2008

Dear Diary,

Today, something terrible happened. William, Chloe's dad, died in a car crash. It happened so fast. One moment we were fooling around in the kitchen, the next he left the house, never to return. But even worse is seeing Chloe in such pain. It literally breaks my heart. I can't even describe it in words how I'm feeling right now.

If I couldn't bring up the courage to tell Chloe about my move to Seattle before, how am I supposed to do it now? I can't just leave her alone, not like this!

Hopefully, Chloe will be better soon! She means so much to me. Like, a lot. Yes, oh dear Diary, somehow my feelings for Chloe have changed. I don't know why or what it means, but…maybe it's nothing, just this fucked up day.

Max Caulfield, in extreme grief-mode, gonna shed some more tears

Chloe wiped her cheeks with the sleeves of her hoodie and sniffled. Actually, she didn't recall anything of the following days after her dad's demise. Her memories stopped from the moment the police had called and only kicked back in over a week later, when Max brought her pancakes.

The blonde girl flicked to the next page, ready for another barrage of emotions. This time, it was a rather short entry, lacking all common decorations and doodles.

October 9th, 2008

Today was William's funeral and I know one thing: funerals suck hard!

Chloe's doing worse and…

I CAN'T WRITE THIS SHIT RIGHT NOW!

Chloe blinked several times as she read this entry.

'Damn, this whole shit took a lot of her. I'm so sorry, Maxi, that you had to go through all of this by yourself!'

The entry on the next page was longer again.

'That's the day before I…well, woke up again!'

October 12th, 2008

Dear Diary,

you won't believe what I'm about to tell you right now. The first time this happened was the day William died. Said day I woke up after a pretty fucked nightmare. And in this nightmare I saw Chloe's death! How she was lying in a pool of her own blood. I know, that's some heavy shit and I didn't take it for granted, but the thing is, two hours later it happened again. This time, I saw William's death and then how it (probably) changed Chloe.

How fucked is that, huh? I foresaw William's death and could've prevented it! Sadly, I didn't realize at this point that these "dreams" showed me the future. Yes, oh Log of a crazy person, I have Visions about the future.

Chloe stopped reading in an instant, her eyes wide open once more.

'What the fuck?! Visions?! Foresaw my dad's death?! Foresaw MY death?! What the hell?!'

The blonde girl went over these last lines again and again, to make sure that they were real. But as much as she wished for it, they were no figment of her imagination, so she continued.

And today it happened again! I was with Chloe all day, her condition still unchanged, and whoosh, back to fucked-up-vision-land with the same bullshit as before. Why her? Why my best friend?

Dog, I miss my old Chloe so much and seeing her suffer in reality and in these dreams…Visions…whatever, just kills me. I want her to be okay, to be with me again. And…maybe more…ugh, just scratch this last stuff.

Anyway, I decided to stay here, in Arcadia Bay, but my parents just suck and told me that we have to move to Seattle. And on top of that, mom forbade me to see Chloe again. Can you belief this crap?!

Well, that's it then, no more nice little Maxine Caulfield! Time to go into badass-mode! Tomorrow, I'm gonna sneak out of the house to visit Chloe again!

Yes, mom, fuck you!

And then, I'm gonna make up a plan to stay here!

Max Caulfield, in full badass-rebellious-mode, ready to thrash Arcadia Bay!

"Okay, Chloe, don't freak!" Chloe spoke, her breathing heavy and her mind close to a panic-attack. She jumped up from the chair and walked around the room, talking to herself. "This…this can't be true. This has to be a fucking joke! It's just not possible! Maybe the answer is in this other book. Yes, that's it! The other one must be her real Diary and that was just a fucking decoy to lure me into a trap; to throw me off balance and make me give away that I read her Diary. Nice move, Maximus!"

As she took the next notebook from the desk, she frowned. 'Possible locations for nature shots? Yup, nice title for hiding something from me, 'cause the hell I would've touched such boring artsy-shit.'

And again, she flicked through the pages, but instead of calming her down, it made her even more panicky and almost furious.

'What the fuck is this?! Lose notes, catchwords, catchphrases, dates, lines? The hell? This makes no sense at all…Wait! The dates!'

Chloe sat down again and compared the content of the two books.

'This book describes her Visions more detailed. Fuck, it looks more like a compilation of fucked up nightmares. No wonder that Maxi was so edgy sometimes.'

As the date in the Diary showed the 21st of October, Chloe stopped and a wave of negative feelings flushed over her as she read the entry.

'That's the day she left for Seattle, because I fucked up big time. I'm so sorry, Maxi! I didn't want to hurt you! Ugh, I wish I could undo it, I…wait! She had another Vision on this day?'

She searched for the right page in the Log book and gasped as she found and read it. Realization struck her as Chloe remembered what Max said to her right after she'd stopped her from beating up Jasmine.

'Sh-she told me that I'd kill her if I keep on beating her up, and that I'd go to prison, and…'

Her train of thought came to an instant halt as she read the last catchphrases. New tears were rolling down her face as she saw how this Vision ended. "I-I hurt her? I…I abused her?" she said with a trembling voice and shook her head. "No! This…I would never hurt her. Not my Maxi. This…can't…fuck!" Chloe's voice failed and a sob emerged from her mouth as she imagined how she would hit her most beloved Max.

'Why? Why is she seeing such fucked up shit? How could she live on with this? Oh Maxi, I'm so, so sorry! If I'd just known what you're going through!'

'I can't read this shit anymore, I…No! I need to go on! I can't let her carry this weight all by herself!'

Although, Chloe was already crying and felt like she was about to break any minute, she kept going. She fought through every phrase and every sentence. Each word stung in her heart. After she'd finally read the last entry, she embraced her body, collapsed to the ground, and cried hard.

Now, everything made sense. Now, she understood every warning Max had ever given her. Now, she knew what Max went through, all those months. Now, she was finally sharing Max's burden, and it almost crushed her.

"Chloe?"

Max's soft voice and the slight squeeze on her hand brought the blonde girl back from her deep thoughts. She gazed into her girlfriend's blue eyes and instantly she was reminded of all those grim Visions and the pain Max had experienced.

'She suffered so much…and for what? A stupid fuckup like me.'

Chloe's face grimaced and she turned away as she began to cry again. She'd cried the whole night, unable to sleep, because the thoughts about Max's Visions had clawed themselves deep into her mind, telling her that she's the cause why Max got them in the first place.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Chloe whimpered, while Max brushed through her hair.

"No, Chloe, I'm the one who has to be sorry." The younger girl said with a calm and comforting voice. "I'm the one who isn't strong enough to deal with this mess."

Immediately, Chloe jumped up and took a few steps back.

"Not strong enough?!" she yelled, but calmed down again after she took some deep breaths. "I only read about this shit and…just look at me! I'm done! And you…" She closed in on Max again and took her small hand, her voice trembling. "You fought through this crap for over three months all by yourself, just…for me. I…" Chloe looked away, knowing that her next words might be hard for Max. "Maybe it's better to accept fate instead of fighting it."

The brunette girl touched Chloe's face softly, letting their sights meet once again. "Wh-what do you mean?"

And again, Chloe broke the gaze. "Maybe we should let things happen. I-I mean…fuck! You're suffering and suffering, just to keep me alive until the next Vision comes up. Maybe it is my destiny to die."

"NO!" Max suddenly screamed, her eyes all watery and her hands shaking out of anger, clawing deep into Chloe's. "I am not gonna let you die! Not in a million years!" Her gaze dropped and a bunch of tears dripped onto her lap, as her anger abated slowly. "I don't wanna lose you, Chlo! I don't want HER to be right!"

"Who?" Chloe asked in surprise, because she knew that she was the only one who had knowledge about Max's abilities.

Realizing that she hadn't told Chloe about her dream, yet, Max calmed down a bit more and began to tell her about it.

"While I was unconscious, I had…I don't know…some sort of dream. I was at the Arcadia Bay lighthouse and…there SHE was." The young girl sighed and a slight scoff escaped her mouth. "Dog, this sounds so unbelievable."

"Dude, at this point, I belief you everything." Chloe mentioned with a reassuring squeeze.

"I saw ME. I-I mean…not ME me…but…an older Version of myself."

"Like a Future-Max?"

"I don't know. Anyway, she told me that I need to let you go or 'something' might happen."

"Something?" Chloe huffed. "Not very accurate."

"Well, the dream ended before she could get specific about that."

"Huh. But what if it was something serious? I mean, it was Future-Max and…"

"She was a fucking asshole and hypocrite, Chlo! Instead of giving me some valid information, she preferred to tell me how she was suffering from losing HER Chloe, and then made fun of me. Would you listen to someone like her?"

"Uhm…no."

"See! Dream or not, Future-Max can shove it!"

"But what if – despite the fact that she sucks; which she does – she was right?"

Max leaned forward and gave Chloe a small kiss. "I don't care, because…" The younger girl took Chloe's hand and entwined their fingers, a warm smile on her lips. "…our fates are intertwined. Forever!"

"And ever!" Chloe added softly and both shared another, but this time more intense, kiss.

After their kiss, Chloe had laid her head on Max's lap, who brushed through her strawberry-blonde hair. Both stayed silent, enjoying their warmth and closeness.

"Maxi?" Chloe spoke quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Did the Future-Max in your dream tell you something else, except that you should let me go?"

The brunette girl stayed mute for a while, trying to recall some details from this dream. "She said some crazy stuff about other Maxines and that our reality shouldn't exist. Ugh, it's hard to remember this confusing shit. Why do you ask?"

Chloe lifted herself up in order to look at Max, sternly. "If this dream wasn't just a dream, but a warning, then we need as much info as possible!"

"But most of this stuff didn't make any sense. Other Maxines and Chloes? Realities that shouldn't exist? What's that suppose to mean?"

"Hmm, it's actually pretty interesting!" Chloe spoke a bit absent, buried in deep thoughts.

Max squeezed her girlfriend's hand again, to gain her attention again. "What is interesting?"

"Ever heard of the Multiverse-Theory?"

"Uhm, you mean like other dimensions, where the earth is ruled by giant, man-eating insects?" Max mentioned, giving Chloe a puzzled expression.

"Yeah, kinda. But not that extreme. Although it is more philosophically, there is a theory which states that for every decision we make exists another universe."

"Whoa! That seems like a lot of universes!"

"Mh-hm. Like an indefinite number with a whole fucking lot of possibilities." the blonde said with a nod and began to grin wryly as her brain went into fooling-mode. "So, there might actually be a universe where you bailed on me for Seattle, only to return some years later to safe my neck in a gunfight, like a knight in shining armor."

Both girls look at each other for some moments and then started to laugh.

"And I'd probably have some crazy superpowers!" Max giggled.

"Yeah, like the ability to stop bullets or teleportation 'n' shit." And again they laughed out loud for several minutes, until Chloe gazed at Max with a warm, wide smile. "It's nice to see you actually laughing again!" she mentioned, softly brushing a tear of joy from her girlfriend's cheek.

"Thanks for making me laugh!"

"I love you, Maxi!" Chloe whispered and leaned in to place another kiss on her loved one's soft lips.

"I love you, too, Chloe!" Max responded, touched Chloe on the back of her head and pulled her in for another long kiss.

"Should I come back later?" Ryan's voice suddenly chimed from the door.

The two lovers broke the kiss hastily, and while Chloe stayed relaxed, Max blushed beet-red in an instant.

"Ever heard about knocking, dad?" the younger girl blurted out, clearly ashamed that her father caught her kissing with Chloe.

"Chillax, Maxi!" the blonde girl snickered. "Your dad's fine with it. He even allowed me to date you."

"You did?" she addressed her dad in awe.

Ryan chuckled as he came closer, set down a pair of big plastic bags and gave his daughter a strong hug. "Of course, kiddo! What's a relationship without dating? Besides…" He stepped back and put his hands on Chloe's and Max's shoulder. "…you two belong together, period!"

"B-but what about mom? Is she fine with it?" Max asked with concern, her face darkening.

Knowing about the difficult situation between his wife and his daughter, Ryan sighed. "For the last few days, I discussed it with her, and she's gonna be fine with it eventually. Max, you have to belief me, your mom is very sorry for what happened."

"I know, and one day, I'll be able to forgive her, but…"

The bearded man squeezed his daughter's shoulder softly and gave her a warm smile. "Take your time, munchkin. Good things always need some time."

"Thanks, dad!" the brunette girl answered with a soft smile.

"C'mon guys, enough with this negative shit…chat" Chloe corrected herself upon Ryan's chiding glare. "Maxi, since Christmas went completely to hell your folks and I had the idea to give you your presents today. Whaddaya think?"

Max's eyes sparkled and a wide smile formed on her face, because unwrapping of gifts has always been her most precious moment at Christmas- and birthdays. "Are you cereal?!"

"Yup!" Chloe responded and gave her a small, wrapped box, which she pulled out of her backpack. "Merry late Christmas, dude!"

The brunette girl ripped off the wrapping instantly and opened the small box. It contained a black leather necklace with three bullets attached to it. "Whoa!" she said in awe and took it. "That's so cool! Where'd you get it?"

"I…uh…there is this tiny store for…y'know…Alternative-stuff in Arcadia Bay and there I found it. Thought it would make you look pretty badass! Actually, I wanted to give it to you for your birthday, but chickened out, 'cause…well…y'know, your mom and bullets and your safety." Chloe answered with a wry smile, scratching the back of her neck.

The younger girl pulled her girlfriend in for another big hug. "This necklace is so awesome! Thanks, Chlo!" After parting again, Max pulled the necklace over her head. "How do I look?"

A mischievous grin formed on Chloe's face. "Badass!"

"Well, not your usual style, but I have to agree with Chloe, it looks…badass!" Ryan added with a smile. "And this…" he handed the young girl a big package. "…is from us. Merry late Christmas, kiddo!"

Max opened the big box and rummaged through the content. New instant film, a sweater, some sweets, a gift certificate and another box, which made her gasp in excitement once more. "Wowser! A new Expansion-Set for my D 'n' D game!"

"That was actually Chloe's idea, that's why I came a bit later."

"Yeah, I figured that we both will spend many boring hours here, so, how about we send Callamastia and Valkyrie on some wicked quests?" Chloe told her with a grin and brought forth Max's D & D game from her pack, too.

"Hell yeah!" the younger girl cheered in excitement, but then turned to her father. "Dad, did you bring Chloe's presents, too?"

"Of course!" Ryan handed Chloe now two boxes. A big rectangular one and a small one.

"Th-thanks!" Chloe stammered, totally surprised, as she took the presents.

"Open them up, Chlo!" Max urged her.

Nervously, the blonde girl opened the bigger box with shaking hands and almost dropped it as she saw what was in it. "Wh-what the…a new Skateboard?!"

"That's not everything. Turn it around!"

A gasp escaped her mouth, as Chloe looked at the custom styled bottom side of the board. It showed intertwining wine tendrils, entangling a scull, a heart and an inscription, saying Forever and Ever.

Chloe's lips trembled, while her eyes welled up. Once again, she lacked some words. "Max, th-that's so…I can't even…"

The brunette touched her girlfriend's hand softly and gazed into her eyes deeply. "Thanks for being my best friend and girlfriend! Merry late Christmas, Chloe!"

Out of all other options for showing her gratitude, Chloe almost jumped on Max and hugged her like crazy, sniffing and shedding some tears. "You're so awesome, Maxi! I love you so much!"

"I love you, too, Chloe!" the brunette replied with a giggle.

"Well, I guess our gift can't keep up with this." Ryan mentioned with a jokingly scoff, scratching his head.

"Sorry, I…I almost forgot." the blonde said, broke the hug and wiped the wet lines on her face away. She opened the smaller box, and this time she really dropped it as she saw that it contained a brand-new phone. Luckily it landed on Max's bed and not on the ground. "I-I can't take it. This is too much."

"Chloe…" Ryan said, looking at her daughter's girlfriend with a warm smile. "My family owes you a lot! And a new phone is the least we can give you. Besides, how are you and Max supposed to communicate with each other when you got no phone?"

Chloe jumped up and wrapped one arm around Ryan and pulled him down so she could put her other arm around Max in order to hug them simultaneously. "Thanks! You guys are so amazing! Thank you so much!"

Chloe closed the zipper on Max's thick jacket and made sure that every part of her body was protected from the cold air outside.

"Ready?"

"Mh-hm!" Max, who sat in a wheelchair, answered with a nod.

"You sure it's not gonna kill her, Steph? 'Cause I need her like crazy!" Chloe asked the blonde nurse with some concern, readying herself, too.

The blonde woman gave her a shrug. "As long as we don't push her over the edge she should be fine." she said nonchalantly, which let both young girls stare at her with eyes wide open and their mouths agape. "Sorry, that was my dark side." she added with a wry smirk.

"Wow! Lifesaving white angel during the day, and morbid, death-yearning goth-girl during night…yup, figures!"

"That's who I am!" the nurse singsonged and took a peek out of the door. "Okay, the security patrol just went by. Get to the elevator at the end of this hallway as fast as possible! Here…" She handed Chloe a set of keys. "Use this key and get to the highest floor, a.k.a. the roof. Look for a nice spot, but not the helipad, and wait for me there, got it?"

"Elevator. Key. Roof. Not the helipad. Got it!"

"If someone stops you, just stall them until I arrive. Don't try to talk your way out or make some suspicious stuff!"

"Avert other people. Don't get caught. Don't do what I usually do. Something else?" Chloe replied with a sigh, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

Nurse Stephanie grabbed the blonde girl's arm and glanced at her sternly. "Chloe, I mean it! You're not allowed in here at this time of night and Max should be in bed. We could all get in big trouble for this. I could lose my job and you'd be banned from the hospital. You want that?"

Her gaze dropped as Chloe realized once more that, sometimes, you have to play by the rules. "No."

Changing from serious to happy again, the blonde nurse gave Chloe a reassuring smile. "Then off you go, you fools!"

Chloe rolled Max out of the room and down the quiet hall. Her steps and the sound of the wheelchair echoed through the hallway. Because of the eerie silence of the night it seemed to be louder than during daytime. Suddenly, another room door was opened.

"Shit!" the blonde girl hissed and looked around to find a place for them to hide. Max's room was already too far away, so going back was a no go.

"In there!" whispered Max, signing at a door that was slightly ajar.

Opening it further with her butt, Chloe pulled Max inside and closed the door cautiously to avoid any noise. She heard how some footsteps came closer and then stopped nearby. Her heart beat faster and her breathing was shaky, while every second lasted what felt like hours. The blonde glimpsed at Max and saw that she was pretty nervous, too, and instantly began to worry, if this was too much stress for her.

Then, the person outside began to move again, the footsteps now fading in the distance until they were gone.

"Phew! That was fucking close!" Chloe whispered with a deep exhale, examining the room they were in.

"Y-yeah." Max replied.

"Hmm, we're in a supply room. You know what that means?"

"No."

"That we have to make out."

"That's just a stupid cliché, Chlo! Besides, I'm not in the mood and about to get a heat stroke. Can we now go to the elevator, please?" Max urged with a sour expression, blushing beet-red as she imagined how it would be to make out with Chloe.

"Alright, alright! Let me just check the perimeter."

The blonde girl opened the door slowly and took a look outside.

"Okay, the coast is clear. Let's bail!" she said, and both made their way to the elevators.

After some more nerve-wracking moments the metal doors finally opened, and Max and Chloe entered the, luckily empty, elevator.

With a Bing they arrived at the top floor. As the doors slit open, the cold winter air whipped into their faces and made them shiver. A thin layer of snow covered the ground, giving everything an almost romantic atmosphere.

"Okay, let's find us a nice place. Uhm…maybe there."

Chloe pointed at a spot nearby, but as she was about to move, Max hit the break on her wheelchair and made the blonde aware of another place on the roof, a bit farther away. "No, better over there!"

"Why?"

"From there we'll have a better angle and the lights from the helipad won't blind us too much."

"Fine…" sighed the older girl. "You're the photographer." And pushed her girlfriend over to said spot.

"See, way better. Am I right?"

"Smartass!"

The two girls watched the city skyline of Seattle for some time, none of them speaking a word. Only the whisper of the wind and the sounds of the city it carried broke this quiet moment from time to time. As, suddenly, Chloe let out a deep exhale.

"Y'know, Maxi, I thought about a lotta things during these last days. And although this Christmas has been fucked up in every possible way, I'm actually glad that we spent it together."

Max shifted her gaze from the panoramic view to Chloe with furrowed eyebrows, clearly puzzled. "What do you mean?"

After a short glimpse, the blonde's sight dropped. Her voice was calm, though she felt more like crying again. "This was the first Christmas without my dad, but it was also my first Christmas with you as my girlfriend and…I don't know, even the fact that we ended up in a hospital didn't ruin it. I'm…I'm actually happy. Happy to be with you!" She grabbed Max's hand and squeezed it softly, giving her the warmest smile she'd ever experienced. "You make me happy, Max! You were there for me when I needed you. You gave me strength and hope in these dark days of grief after my dad died. You fought for me, went literally through hell. And all of this, just to keep me by your side."

"Chloe, I…" Max tried to reply, but was stopped right after Chloe shook her head and continued to talk with a brittle voice.

"No, Max, it's not something every friend would've done. It's not self-evident. You risked everything for me and I hereby swear by the universe that I'll be always at your side, forever!"

"And ever!" Max whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I love you, Chloe!"

"I love you, too, Maxi!" Chloe answered, leaned down and placed a kiss on her girlfriend's lips.

Once more, both girls enjoyed the view and silence for some moments.

"What time is it?" Max suddenly asked, trying to get the coldness out of her hands by rubbing and breathing into them.

"Almost midnight."

"You have my cam?"

"Sure thing, Maximus!" Chloe took the bag with Max's digi-cam from her shoulder and handed it to the younger girl, who took it out and shot some photos.

"I'm glad the police got this asshole, 'cause I kinda start to like my new cam!"

"Yeah…" Chloe scoffed and rolled with her eyes in cynicism. "The main thing is that your cam survived, but yeah, he didn't get that far."

Max gave her a small push. "You know how I mean it! Anyway, the cop who was here told me that you gave him a nice kick in the butt."

"More into his balls. Stupid motherfucker! Hope he'll rot in jail, 'cause nobody hurts my Max!"

The shutter of the cam clicked a few times as Max took some more photos of the scenery. Seeing her girlfriend like this, in deep concentration over her photography, painted another smile on the strawberry-blonde's face.

'I'm so glad that she's back in action. She's gonna be okay. WE are gonna be okay! Wounds will heal, scars will fade and, someday, a cool tattoo and fond memories will hide them.'

"So, got any resolutions for the upcoming new year?" Max kept on asking nonchalantly, still looking through the viewfinder.

This question let Chloe snicker. "Of course, why do you ask?"

"Just nosy, as always." the brunette responded with a shrug.

"So typical! But, yeah, a shitload of 'em."

"Me, too. Wanna start?"

"Competition?"

"More like a compilation."

"Okay…uhm…less drama, got enough of this shit for the next five years." Chloe began.

"Gotcha there. How about less Visions? They creep the shit out of me."

"Yup, definitely, and in that wake, less crying. I hate puffy eyes and those fucked up headaches!"

Max took a hold on Chloe's hand and entwined their fingers "Less worries about you!"

Another scoff escaped Chloe's mouth. She gave her girlfriend's hand a soft and reassuring squeeze. "Less opportunities for me to die, and since we're at a hospital roof…"

Both girls looked at each other with wry smiles. "Less injuries!" they spoke in unison and laughed.

"You read my mind there, girl! But what about things that we want to have more of?"

"Oh, that's easy. I want more Chloe!" Max spoke, wrapped her arm around Chloe's hip and pulled her closer to hug her belly. She cuddled her head as close as possible into her girlfriend's stomach and inhaled deeply. "Gosh, can't wait to move back to Arcadia Bay and spend each and every day with you!"

Chloe brushed with her hands over Max's beanie-covered head. Although her body was covered in a lot of different layers of clothing to keep the coldness away, it felt like Max's head was lying on her bare skin. What her girlfriend had just said, was something that was swirling inside of her head for weeks now. Chloe wished for nothing more than to see her most beloved person every day and want to spend every possible moment with her. "I want that, too, Maxi. I want that, too." Then she sighed. "I wish you'd come back with me right away."

"Yeah, that'd be cool, but…my mom needs me. I don't wanna leave things behind like they're right now."

"I know and…I understand, really. As your dad said, good things need some time, and I can wait these few months, though it's gonna be hard."

"Thanks, Chlo!"

"Hey girls! Did I miss something?" nurse Stephanie's voice chimed from behind. She now wore a thick jacked over her uniform and had three bottles in her hands.

"Nah, just the usual cuddling stuff."

"You two are so cute!" the blonde nurse sighed and then glanced at her wristwatch. "Okay, girls, one minute remaining!"

"Hey Steph, can I stand up?" Max asked Stephanie with a slight smile.

"Theoretically…yes, but are you sure that…"

"I-I'll hold on to Chloe."

Chloe gave the nurse an asking glimpse, which was answered with a nod. Then she helped up her girlfriend and both stood there, arms wrapped around each other. "You okay?"

"Mh-hm! Way better than sitting in this stupid chair!" Max replied and rested her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"Sadly, our vending machines don't have any drinking glasses, so these bottles need to do." The straw-blonde woman said and handed each girl on the three bottles.

"No Champaign?!" Chloe blurted out as she read the label, making the nurse furrow her eyebrows, while Max gave her a slight push.

"Dude, firstly, we broke at least a dozen rules with this little shindig here, and I don't wanna add underage drinking to it. Secondly, they don't serve alcohol in a hospital. Got it?"

"Yeah, sorry!"

"Okay, get ready girls!"

With these words, all three of them, opened their bottles and counted down the last 10 seconds in unison.

"Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one…HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

The night sky was instantly enlightened by a hundred colorful explosions as the fireworks began.

Originally, Max had planned to take a lot if pictures of this moment, but as she watched all those colors on the horizon and enjoyed the closeness to her beloved Chloe, she decided to just enjoy the view. Despite everything that could've gone wrong; despite all the obstacles they had to overcome, they both stayed strong. They survived and moved on. A single tear rolled down her freckled cheek as the small girl recalled these last months and how they changed her and Chloe; how they brought them closer together. And she knew one thing; nothing will ever bring them apart. They were meant to be together!

Max's voice was merely a whisper and drowned by the exploding fireworks, but as Chloe pressed her closer, Max knew that she'd understood her words.

"Forever and Ever!"

Well, I hope you enjoyed this story so far. Sadly, I can't say when I will publish the next one. Hopefully it won't take me too long...

At this point I also wanna thank everyone who read my story, but especially those who left a review! They really motivated me a lot and gave me some input, thanks again!

So far. See ya!

P.S.: I'm also about to work on a new story, but I have two ideas and need some help to make a decision. Here are some brief catchwords:

- First idea: Max & Chloe, Sci-fi, action, lots of powers

- Second idea: Max & Brooke, crime, action, no powers

Just write your suggestion in your review or PM me. Thanks for your help!