Chloe took Max's outstretched hand by instinct. "You're—" …warm!

"…just li'l ole me."

Chloe was mesmerized; her gaze fixed on the back of Max's hand. Waiting. There. Another star, almost invisible in daylight, transited from one side to the other.

Max squeezed. "…those…" She smiled, giggled. "Sorry. Reflections. You'll get used to them." She let go, almost shy.

Waikiki vanished. They were back home, in their kitchen. Max turned away, crouched, called out softly, "Emo."

Like it was all normal.

Chloe stammered out, "Reflections of what?! How…far? When…when the hell are you from?"

Max peeked over her shoulder at Chloe, pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, shook her head once. "Not how it works, love. Not for me. Not anymore." Her eyes flirted away, back to Chloe. Again, with that enigmatic smile.

Emo skittered to Max from the bedroom, back feet sliding for purchase in the turn. Leapt into her arms.

A frenetic jumble of shapeless questions stormed Chloe's brain, but she couldn't quite manage to make any one of them whole enough to enter the world.

Max cradled Emo to her chest. Whispered, "Hey bug. We gotcha. Again." Kissed between his ears.

Emo's tail twitched, pupils dilated; he patted once-twice-climbing after a star cluster racing up and over her shoulder.

"Oww!" Max laughed.

Emo relaxed, settled back to biscuits.

Max rose up, faced Chloe. "You have questions. I promise you, all of the answers - for real. But we should go now."

Part of Chloe was already gone with Max, without question or hesitation.

But another part held back.

Was held back.

All their work. All their hopes, fears - worries shared between two timelines; the fate of the whole entire world. All their efforts of the past roadblocked into one objection, one final question. "Tell me first - did…do we win?"

She met Chloe's eyes with something approaching sympathy. "…sweet baby girl." Close now, Max's irises were alive, active, burning inward; her pupils seemed to bend and pull that light into their deepest blacks.

Like they pulled Chloe.

"Home was our first visible symptom. But one world was never enough to be a solution…and none of it's so simple as a 'win.'"

Chloe side-processed other physical details without conscious intervention.

"For this briefest moment, Chloe, understand that your part in this story - this here, this now - it's over. You can let all of it go, love; the reset is behind you. I'm holding back the collapse, but a new branch has already redirected away, continued on from the original split that created this universe. We're needed elsewhere now."

Chloe noted the half-millimeter of distortion at her edges, localized just above her skin. Lensing.

Distracted.

What did she say?

Replay.

Eyes wide.

Once she understood Max's words, what they confirmed…implied, Chloe flashed through stabs of panic, a rapid confusion of disconnection, loss, and uncertainty. The primitive part of her brain reached for the most obvious balm. "Will…will you be with me?"

Max nodded once, sharply. "Always. And forever." She smiled, understood. Slid her hand back into Chloe's. "I'm never leaving your side again."

Chloe felt that frisson, waves, tingles that began where Max touched her, shot up her arm and down her spine.

Max pulled Chloe back from that edge. Nearly.

Chloe stammered, "So…I guess…what does that make me? Like, an extra copy? A…a…remnant or a rescue? Is that what I am now? Some kind of…castoff or...leftover?"

She regretted her words as they came out. Knew better than to play victim. She was in the midst of something extraordinary, leaving her ashamed for asking. For making her answer. Especially her. This Max. Whatever she was.

She couldn't take it back. Couldn't help but look away.

Max held her eyes; gravity brought Chloe's back. Loving, she chided, "Chloe. Darling. You are the furthest thing from a leftover. You don't even know. You're an all too rare and precious act of creation. In most surviving main-lines, you never were. And never made it far in the exceptions." She shrugged. "I only ever survived the once. But…understand, please, I'm here for you. And we're going on together now. If that's okay?"

Something in the way she asked caught in the back of Chloe's throat. If it's okay?!

What?

Whipsawed.

This…Max…felt so familiar, but…she was dialed up in nearly every way…was it power…or was intensity maybe a closer word? Neither felt right to Chloe. Neither captured her peaceful aura, her serenity. Her obvious joy.

Chloe had the overwhelming sense that even now, as much as Max apparently was, most of her catnapped, hidden below the surface. If that was even a proper description, anymore.

Her eyes darted back and forth between Max's, not fully processing. Not yet. "Okay, but, this universe, this branch - you…my…other…you…just left a second ago - I am supposed to end…with the rest of it, right? Like none of it ever was? You're here…but…so…what about everyone else?!"

Max nuzzled Emo. "That's the bigger problem. The 'not so simple' part of winning. Chloe, yours is meant to be an infinite, infinitely expanding multiverse. These realities, these branches - they're not ever supposed to collapse."

Before Chloe could think or respond, Max leaned into her. "Speaking of…let's not linger. It's time. Promise, everything will make sense. Do you trust me?"

Chloe needed way more time.

But for the instant, it was enough that she felt loved.

Calmed by Max's voice, the lightness in her touch.

Something else.

It helped her begin to let go of the minutes behind.

Her 'old' reality.

The horrors of weeks past.

Led her soul to find some kind of peace that that, at least, was corrected.

That reality continued for most along another, better course.

Even if it was to be without her specific instantiation.

Nothing left.

"Okay…" Leap of faith time. "Okay. You know I'm with you. Forever and a day."

Max nodded, looked away. Too casually, "Of course, all this assumes you'll pass your Death Trials, the Knowledge Certifications, and get your final Approvals of Continuity from the Inter-dimensional Council of Chloes…"

"Wait - what?! There's a—"

Max struggled, held a straight face as long as she could, finally broke into bright laughter. "Hahaha! Chloe! I'm totally fucking with you. Hehe. You should have seen your face just now, though…"

It didn't not make sense. Chloe stared, uncertain. "There isn't really a—"

"Wow. I totally had you, didn't I?"

Oh for fuck's sake. "Ughhh." Chloe threw up her arms, played 'exasperated.' "I'm in hell. Give me a synthetic fucking heart attack…I just met you, and I hate you already, dude."

Still giggling, "You've known me your whole entire life, Chloe. And you've always loved me." Max leaned into her. Gentle. Safe. So familiar. So beside; not above. Even now, on such uneven ground.

Tension fled.

Chloe gave in.

She leaned her head on Max's. Finally whispered, "Guilty."

Max squeezed Chloe's hand again. Whispered back, "Come, love. Places to be. Multiverse to save. Don't know about you, but I'm so over this darkness bullshit. Time to make some light. Ready?"

"Ready." Not really!?

"Quick stop first."

Everything was suddenly nothing.

Less than nothing.

Moments later, Max, Emo, and Chloe awoke to an overwhelming expanse of light.