Prologue: Quantum Mechanics states that there are an infinite number of worlds. This is boring, and you have likely heard it before. Something more interesting that you might have not heard is that on one of those worlds, Max Caulfield never met Chloe Price before leaving Arcadia Bay. Let me tell you the story of what happened when she came back.

Chapter 16: Shared Revelation

Wednesday, September 25th, 2013 (7:00 PM)

I laid down on my stomach on my bed, propping my head up with my hands and binge-watching a show on my laptop. Chloe was working (again), so I had nothing better to do than lie here and watch tv on my laptop. I guess I could go out and take some photos for the Everyday Heroes contest, maybe try and get inspired… but I was having trouble with that. Every time I went out and tried to set up a composition, or think of ideas, I would get distracted, and lost in my own thoughts. It was like my own thoughtfulness was stopping me from taking a simple photo. Okay, not a simple photo, but a photo nonetheless.

I pulled out my earbuds and got off my bed, slinging on my bag, and making sure I had some film. I was never going to get past this if I didn't at least try. As I stepped out of my room and into the corridor, I heard someone crying from the room across the way. Victoria's room. And the door was slightly open, though admittedly that was probably why I could hear her. At least, I was assuming it was a girl, judging from the pitch of the sounds.

I walked up to her door, peering through, and knocked on the frame, as I was pretty sure knocking on the door would cause it to swing even more open than it already was. Inside, on her bed, sat Victoria, her face in her hands, making small sobs. She wore one of her typical outfits- a nice blouse with a camisole, along with a long skirt and stockings. She looked up at the sound of me knocking, and I could see her eyes were puffy and bloodshot from crying.

"What-what do you want, Caulfield?" She sniffled, and in that moment my heart broke for her, despite all the cruel things she had said to me in the past. And she was dating Kate. If Kate wasn't here to comfort her, I would do it in her stead.

"Um, could I come in? You look like you could use someone to listen to." Victoria nodded her head slightly, and I stepped into her room, walking over to the bed and sitting down beside her.

"Um… if you wanted to talk… or something?" Victoria let out a small laugh, but it was hollow, and I could tell that it wasn't out of happiness.

"Well, Caulfield, I suppose I could talk to you. I could talk about how I just left the only person who ever really cared about me. I could talk about how it was because I felt I didn't deserve her, and that I was only ever going to hurt her in the long run. And," She spit out the last words out with embittered venom, and I flinched as I heard them. "I could talk about how it was your girlfriend that told me that. How it was your precious Chloe-fucking-Price that told me the only person I had ever loved would never feel the same way about me. But I won't. I won't talk about it because it hurts- " She choked up, and managed to finish her statement before bursting into more tears. "Because it hurts too damn much." She was crying a waterfall now, and I shifted closer to her on the bed.

She collapsed onto me, and I let her prop her head on my shoulder as she cried, and we sat there. It could have been for minutes, it could have been for hours, but eventually her sobs stopped, and cut off. Eventually her ragged breathing slowed, and became the gentle in-and-out of sleeping. And as I laid her to bed, pulling the blanket up to her chin, I knew that she would be all right. Because time heals all wounds.

Wednesday, September 25th, 2013 (8:00 PM)

Rachel sighed, as she sat in the cool night air outside Arnaldo's Tattoo Parlor. Chloe had just gotten off work, and Rachel had decided to come get dinner with her, as friends. It had been forever since they had just hung out, just the two of them. Chloe sat on the steps leading up to the parlor besides her, and they were both drinking bottles of beer, hidden in paper bags. Chloe was rambling on about something, and it wasn't until Rachel heard Victoria's name that she tuned in.

"Wait, where did you meet Victoria? I'm pretty sure you two don't operate in the same circles." Rachel asked, and watched as Chloe rolled her eyes in irritation before answering.

"I ran into her when I was staying in Max's dorm for the night after our date. I went to use the shower and she was in there. God, she's such a bitch." Rachel felt a shiver go down her spine, and asked the question that came to mind.

"What did you say to her?" Chloe's face balked, but she answered all the same.

"What do you think I said to her? She was talking shit about Max, so I called her out on it. I would have given her a few bruises," Chloe cracked her knuckles ominously at this. "But we were on Blackwell property, which I wasn't supposed to even step foot on, and I didn't want Max to get in trouble, so I settled for using my words." Rachel looked straight at Chloe, trying her best to put on a serious face.

"What exactly did you say, Chloe Elizabeth Price? Tell me, now." She tried her best to keep her voice hard, separating what she was saying from her concern for Kate and Victoria. Chloe seemed to realized the gravity of the situation, and gulped nervously, before responding.

"I told her that Kate probably didn't love her, and it was likely that no one ever would." Rachel cringed at this and took Chloe's hands, setting down both Chloe's bottle and her own.

"Listen to me very carefully. That was probably the worst thing you could have said to Victoria, and I'm almost entirely sure that you destabilized their relationship in the process. If I ever hear from anyone that you said anything like that, to anyone," Rachel tried to put emphasis on that last bit. "I will have to reconsider whether or not I want to continue being friends with you." This was a hollow threat, but Chloe didn't know that. Suddenly the blue-haired punk was the picture of nervousness, paling and running her hands through her hair.

"Alright, alright. I didn't realize- I didn't think- wait, do you think Max will be mad? She's friends with Kate, right?" Rachel nodded, and paused a moment before responding.

"I think there's a very real possibility that Max will be just as mad as I am, if not more, given that she's closer with Kate than I am, despite having only known her for a few weeks. They're kindred souls, those two." Chloe's nervousness seemed to kick itself up a notch at this, and she started tapping her fingers against her thigh incessantly, something Rachel recognized as how she fidgeted when she was nervous, and even then she only realized it because of how long she had known Chloe.

And then the tears came. Chloe rarely cried, she usually just got angry, or… no, it was usually just anger. But now there were tears, and as Rachel held Chloe close to her, she knew that even if Max and Chloe fell apart, even a rift was made between them, they would be okay. Because time heals all wounds.

AN: Sorry for the length between updates (it's been like three weeks.) I'm alright though, it's just that this is more than fluff, and was harder to write. Fluff comes easily. And more of it will come soon, in future chapters. If you liked this chapter, and if you like this story, please leave a review! Thank you for reading.