what we make

by SorainaSkye

Unsatisfied with the two choices presented to her, Max makes a third one. Given another chance, can she actually make things better, or will it end up all the worse?

9. Restaurant at the End of the Universe

To everyone who has stuck with this story, thank you. I know updates have been infrequent, and I hope this helps make up for it. I won't make any promises about when I will post the endings, but they will all go up at the same time, and I'm working hard to make it happen soon. Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Title comes from Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.

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Max knew something was wrong.

It was too quiet, too still. Early morning sunlight was just starting to peep through the windows, leaving most of Chloe's room in shadow.

Everything was muted, as if her head was underwater. Chloe and Kate were next to her on the bed, but she couldn't feel the rhythm of their breathing that had helped her sleep. She sat up, oddly weightless, and looked around, fingers curling into the blanket.

"Is this a dream?" She asked, and her voice was distant, as if she was hearing it through glass.

In the shadows across the room, something - someone - moved.

Max's heart jumped into her throat, and she thrust her hand up into the air, ready to rewind. The person stopped. She could make out a vague outline of them, but it was too dark to see clearly.

"Who's there?" She demanded. Still, neither Kate or Chloe stirred beside her.

The familiar figure stepped toward the bed, then stopped again at the edge of it, looking down at her. For several seconds all Max could do was stare back.

"Hello, Max," The Other Her said. It remained too dark to make out much about her, but there was no mistaking the voice.

"Not this bullshit again," Max said, dropping her hand. "I'm so fucking tired of - of these trippy cryptic dreams!" She pushed the covers off, and threw her legs over the side of the bed, standing.

The Other Max just continued to watch her. "It's...good to finally talk to you," She said, as if she hadn't heard Max's words. "I've been trying for - for what feels like forever, now."

Max frowned, moving a little closer. "What...what are you talking about?" She squinted, glancing over the other her again. She had remained in the shadows, and it looked like she was wearing a...hospital gown?

"Wait…" Max said. "This is...what is this? This isn't like my nightmare - this, this isn't a dream! What - ?"

"This is a dream," The Other Her corrected softly, her voice still carrying over Max's. She gestured towards the bed, and Max looked back to see herself still lying there beside Chloe and Kate, as if she'd left her body behind.

"It's a dream," The Other Her continued, drawing Max's attention again. "But it's real too. For us, they bleed together. Everything bleeds together," She added, "No matter how many times we try to stop it."

"What - what does that…?" Max shook her head, hands clenching at her sides. "What does that mean? I told you, I'm tired of this cryptic bullshit! Just tell me - !"

Her words were cut off as something crashed against Chloe's window.

Max spun toward the source of the sound, and her mouth dropped open. Outside, it was as if the storm had already begun; a huge tree branch had been blown up against the window, and though the glass had cracked it miraculously remained unbroken.

"Ignore it," the Other Her said, sounding a little impatient. "He can't do much right now."

"He?" Max repeated. "Wait, do you mean...Sean Prescott? He's trying to - to make me see things in my dreams again?"

The Other Her nodded. "It won't do him a whole lot of good though. It was...distracting us, before. Like - like interference between us, not that he knew he was doing it. But I understand our connection better, and he can't get through as easily now."

For a moment, Max just watched the window. She could see the storm continuing to rage beyond it, but it didn't seem able to break through.

"This isn't the first time I've seen you," Max began slowly, knowing as she said it just how true the words were. "You're...you're different from the Max I saw in my nightmare, in, in that week I left behind. But this week...I've seen you from the start. It was your voice, wasn't it? Whenever I - I passed out and heard 'me' talking, it - it was you."

"You heard our voice," The Other Her replied. "I - I still don't fully understand it, not enough to really explain in words, but...there's no part of me that isn't also part of you. Of all of us." As she spoke, it was as if Max could see afterimages behind the other her, expanding out like ripples in a pond. Multiple versions of herself, too many to count.

She blinked, and for a moment she was among those echoes of Other Maxes, looking out from their eyes back at herself standing in front of the bed. She blinked again and this vision was gone, leaving just the two of them.

Max buried her face in her hands, squeezing her eyes shut. She could feel the Other Max watching her.

"You're right," the Other Her said after a few seconds of silence, and Max met her gaze again. "I was there from the second you tried to go back on the cliff. I was there with you - we were there - going back to the beginning, giving you a chance to change everything. A chance I never got."

"A chance?" Max repeated. "You're saying you...you brought me back here?"

The Other Her nodded. "It wasn't just me. It was us. I couldn't have done it without you, or you without me, or without all of us in these different realities. I told you, everything bleeds together, and you've been sensing those other realities enough to know it's true."

"I still don't understand," Max said. She was starting to, however, and her stomach knotted the more it became clear.

The Other Her turned her head to the side, as if studying her. "You wondered, more than once, about the, the realities or - or worlds left behind. I know, because we all did. It was...easier to believe that because we created them, they could not exist once we left them. But deep down, you know the truth, don't you?"

Slowly, Max nodded. She hadn't been able to completely face what it meant, not with so much else going on, but it had been dawning on her for a long while. God, the things I've done in those realities... She shook her head. She couldn't think about that now either.

She struggled to get her voice to work, but the Other Max spoke again before she could.

"It's not just the - the weeks we've left behind. You have to understand," She said, her words practically spilling over each other. "Every choice, it - it changes it all! The realities aren't just of our own making, it's - it's everything! Everyone! Every choice, or - or not-choice, they all exist, threaded together and on top of each other. A spider's web that never stops weaving," She added, and Max actually jerked up at the familiar words.

"There are hundreds and hundreds of these realities," The Other Her went on."With a hundred choices having changed them, and, and created new ones, again and again and again. That's how it is for everything, everyone. You – we – have just made more."

For several seconds, the only sound was the storm beyond the window. It was a minor distraction for her thoughts.

"How...how do you know all of this?" Max asked when she was able to get her voice to work.

"I can see them all," the Other Her said, and the way her eyes seemed to cloud over as she spoke reminded Max once more of Amelia Prescott. "These - these worlds, these realities. I - I don't belong in any of them anymore, but they're a part of me too. I can feel them, see them, always around me. You've seen some of them too, even - even where you are. As you are." She paused, then shook her head and corrected herself. "No, from the beginning we - we saw the storm, then more and more from there. But for me...there's nothing else." She finished quietly, and for the first time she broke eye contact.

For a while there was no sound but the storm outside, which seemed to be getting louder.

"You…" Max bit her lip, trying to figure out how to phrase the questions racing through her mind. "What are you? I - I know you're me or, or whatever. But how are you able to - to be here, to do this? To - to help bring me back? What - what happened to you?"

The Other Max kept her head bent, hair falling in front of her eyes. Her shoulders were shaking. "What happened to me…" She began, clearly struggling to keep her voice steady. "I made a - a different choice. It - it all seemed so clear in that moment, I thought...I thought it would fix everything." She gave a sharp laugh that rang in Max's ears, and just as suddenly went quiet again. "How often have we thought that, across all these realities we've been in? One last choice, and everything would be okay again…" She shook her head, let out a trembling breath, then finally looked up. "I failed," She whispered.

Max's throat tightened, and for some reason it was difficult to breathe. Hundreds of questions and fears raced through her mind, but none of them came to her lips. There was so much she wanted to know, and more that she was scared to.

The Other Her stepped closer.

Before she could say anything, Max felt something move against her - a warm and sold thing - and jumped, looking to the side.

"Wait!" The Other Her cried, though Max had already turned.

There wasn't anything beside her, but she felt it again, and with a blink she was back on the bed, under the covers.

It took several seconds to understand what had happened, that she'd been startled out of her dream. She stared up at the ceiling, pulse hammering in her throat, a swooping sensation in her stomach as if she'd just been falling. Something shifted next to her again - twitched, more like - and she leaned up on her elbows, reaching toward the person beside her.

"Kate?" She asked, too worried and tired to bother keeping her voice low. "Kate, are you - ?"

Chloe, on her other side, pushed herself up to a sitting position, though she was only half awake. "Wha's happening?" She asked, shaking her head. She took notice of Kate before Max could reply. "Shit." She scooted toward them as much as she could on the already cramped bed. "Kate, wake up, it's okay!"

Kate gasped as Max touched her arm, eyes snapping open. She was panting, and there was a hitch in her voice when she spoke. "M-Max? Wh - what's, I - I was…"

Max shushed her gently. "You're here with us, Kate. Remember?"

Slowly, Kate nodded. She was trembling."Y-yes, I - I remember." She put her hands over her eyes, sniffling. "I was just - just confused. B-bad dream. I'm - I'm sorry…"

"For what?" Chloe asked, shifting to a cross-legged position. "Having a nightmare? Shit, I've barely been able to sleep because of my dreams tonight. Don't - don't apologize," she added more softly. "Do you...uh, wanna talk about it?"

Kate gave a long and heavy sigh. "I don't - I don't remember all of it," She said. "It was a - a bunch of different things, all smashed together. J-Jefferson, and - and Nathan, and - and being in the lighthouse…" She trailed off, her breath shuddering.

"It's okay, Kate," Max said, continuing to gently rub the other girl's arm. "I - I mean, I know it's not okay. Nothing about this is okay, especially you having to go through all of that. You've been through so much, but..." she hesitated, trying to find the right words and push away the guilt that plagued her. Kate has been in that lighthouse because of her mistakes.

Kate nodded. "I know, Max. I get what you mean." She let out another long breath, but she wasn't shaking as much. "I'm here with you. Not there."

"And those fuckers can't hurt you anymore," Chloe added. "You helped make sure of that."

The room was getting brighter; Max could see Kate's smile now.

"Thank you," She replied, reaching up and giving Max's hand a slight squeeze. "Both of you. You've been so - so wonderful and strong through all of this."

Max just barely stopped herself from laughing. She sure as hell didn't feel strong. She knew she was, more than she had been before at least. She had to be. She had to get through this, no matter what, and make sure Chloe and everyone else did too. At the same time, she was closer to breaking than she'd ever been. Even with Chloe, Kate, and Warren at her side, even with her new control over her powers, she was fragile, teetering on the edge. One slip, and she'd shatter. Then again…

Max looked over at Chloe, whose expression reflected her own.

I guess sometimes breaking can make you stronger too, she thought. They were all there, after all. Not dead in a bathroom or a lighthouse or a bunker underground. They were there when they hadn't been before. They had faced down people who hurt them. They were almost through the week.

Almost.

The realization of what day it was dawned on the three of them at the same time. They didn't say anything, but the air in the room changed, hanging heavier somehow. Max's chest tightened, and she twitched in surprise as Chloe laid back down and grabbed her hand. Kate found her other one again, curling her fingers around Max's. They stayed like that a while, the three of them close together, holding hands and trying to prepare themselves for what was ahead.

She didn't know when the storm started exactly, just a few-hour window she could guess at. It was early - just before six if the clock on Chloe's laptop screensaver was right - but the time would slip by fast if they weren't careful, even with her help to slow it down. Dread made her stomach churn; she wanted to throw up. Her heart was beating so fast she could feel it in her fingertips.

Almost.

Max let out a deep breath, and gripped Chloe and Kate's hands, drawing on their presence for strength.

"Okay," She said. "It's time."

(-)

Joyce and David were already at the dining table when Max, Chloe, and Kate went downstairs twenty minutes later. They'd managed to dress and prepare what they needed quickly; not surprising, considering the hard part was yet to come.

Max hesitated on the step, staring at the two adults for just a moment before she followed the others down.

Warren was awake and dressed as well - Max guessed he'd been up about as long as they had been, perhaps longer. She wished he could have been up in the room with them, though she knew neither Joyce or David would have been okay with it. Despite that fact, guilt twisted in her stomach; there'd been no one to comfort him if he'd had nightmares.

Some friend I am, she thought, looking over him in concern.

He gave a tired, somewhat shaky smile, and a half wave from his place on the couch. He stood as they approached.

Kate set her bag down, Max and Chloe doing the same. The four of them grouped in front of the table, very aware of Joyce and David watching them.

There were half-drunk cups of coffee in front of both. Joyce wasn't wearing any makeup, and David hadn't shaved, his stubble more noticeable than Max had ever seen it. She didn't know how long they'd been waiting there, but she could tell it had been a while.

Max glanced over at Chloe, who nodded, and threaded their fingers together before striding forward.

"Hey," Chloe said, stopping a little awkwardly by one of the chairs. There wasn't enough for all of them to sit, and Max didn't think Chloe intended to do that anyway. "There's, ah, some stuff we've got to talk about. That I - that I want to tell you," She added, looking directly at her Mom. "But, Max has to explain a lot of it. And you have to…" Her grip on Max's hand tightened, and Max squeezed it back in reassurance. "You have to listen to her, okay?"

"Chloe," David said, his tone placating but still somehow patronizing, "There are some questions we've gotta ask you kids - "

"We'll listen to you," Joyce spoke over him, putting her hand on top of his. She kept her eyes on Chloe. "We'll listen," She repeated. "Please, Chloe."

Chloe nodded, taking in a deep breath. "Okay," She said, exhaling slowly. She looked at Max, then Kate and Warren, as if hoping one of them would continue, but she spoke again a few seconds later. "The first thing you need to know," She went on, and then shook her head. "Shit, there's so much it's hard to know where to start. But...you wanted to know about the Prescotts. Why they - why they attacked us. Tried to kill us."

"D-David said that was to - to keep you from testifying," Joyce said, wiping at her eyes and gripping her husband's hand with the other.

"Yeah," Chloe replied. "And, ah, that was part of it. But there was...another reason. The real reason -"

"Are you telling me you lied to the police?" David demanded, cutting across her. "Chloe, I get you've been through hell, but you've got to be honest with them if they're going to - "

"I'm trying to be honest with you !" Chloe shot back, scowling at him. "Will you let me fucking finish? All I asked was for you to listen, and you just - "

"Now, Chloe - " David began, his voice rising.

"She's right, David!" Joyce interjected before he could say more. There was a steely edge to her words now, despite her tears. " Let her finish ." She nodded at Chloe, giving a slight smile, even as she continued to cry. "Go on, honey."

Chloe shifted, ducking her head, but Max could see that she was smiling a little too. "Thanks, Mom," She said. Then she took another deep breath, straightened, and went on.

"The real reason they attacked us is because they wanted revenge," Chloe said. "And - and they wanted revenge because it was us that got them arrested in the first place. That envelope of evidence you got?" Chloe directly addressed David for the first time, who was staring back at her, his mouth open. "It was us who gave it to you."

Joyce frowned. "What - what do you mean?"

David shook his head. "That's not - that's impossible!"

"It's not," Kate said quietly. "We all did it."

"We had to," Warren added.

"But - but - " David sputtered. "The - the information in there, it - "

"Glad you found it so impressive," Chloe replied flatly. "But it was us. And we can prove it. Well, Max can prove it," she amended, looking over at her. "Cause we couldn't have done any of this without her."

Max moved forward as David and Joyce's attention shifted to her, letting Chloe's hand slip out of her own. I want to do this fast, she thought. The sooner they were able to get going, the better. At the same time, she had to approach it carefully. Walking through frozen time and 'teleporting' would be the most obvious way, but it still took a toll on her even if it was a little easier than before. There was no telling how much she would need to use her power to get them through the day alive. Chloe had been right - she was no good to them if she passed out from using it too much. It took longer to reach her limits, but she still had them, and she needed to be at her full strength if they were ever going to survive.

"What I'm going to tell you won't make sense," She began slowly. "You won't want to believe it, and - and I don't blame you. So I'm going to demonstrate before I try to explain." She walked over toward the countertop by the kitchen, and pulled a marker out of the cup that sat on it. She returned to the table, and gestured toward it.

"There's nothing on this table, right?" She asked. "I mean, you can see it's blank?"

"Yes…" Joyce said, looking between Max and the table. "Honey, I'd really prefer if you didn't draw on - "

"I'm sorry," Max said, trying not to sound dismissive. The table probably wouldn't be there anymore in a few hours. "I really need to. I know it doesn't make any sense, but please trust me."

"Hold on!" David stood. "You can't just vandalize our property - hey! Listen to me!"

Max ignored him, lifted her hand, and rewound. More and more it was like she was increasingly aware of her power as she did it - as if she could feel the very air pulling backward against her skin. It was terrifying. Exhilarating. And she was already growing used to it.

She watched David sit down again, and Joyce begin to speak, then stopped. She only needed to hold time for the moment it took to quickly draw a butterfly on the table.

Real original there, Max , She thought as she let the world flow forward again, holding onto the back of a chair to keep her balance. Well, it'll get the point across.

" - prefer if you didn't draw on the table," Joyce was saying.

"Look at it again." Max crossed her arms.

Joyce's eyes flicked to the table and back, then at the table again. Her mouth opened a little, and she reached forward to trace the butterfly.

"H-hold on," She said. "How did this…?"

"The hell?" David leaned over the table, staring down at the drawing as if that would somehow make it disappear. "When did you do that? You can't vandalize our property!"

Max fought very very hard to not roll her eyes, but she knew Chloe did, without even having to look at her.

"That wasn't there before," She said, drawing the adult's attention again. You both saw it. The table was blank. I put it there, but you didn't see me move. That's because I have a - a power." She hesitated, steeled herself, and decided to just say it: "I can rewind time."

Joyce blinked rapidly, then cocked her head as if she hadn't heard her properly. "You can...do what now?"

David stared at her as if she'd suddenly started speaking French. Then he shook his head. "Look," he said, and he was clearly trying to soften his approach, "Max, your 'magic trick' is - is neat and all of that, but it's got nothing to do with what we're talking about, and it's no excuse for - "

"I knew you wouldn't believe me the first time," Max interrupted. "But I wanted to show you first, give you an idea of what I'm talking about. Chloe told you I can prove all of this, and she's right. Tell me something I couldn't know. Something simple. A - a date or a detail I could never know without you telling me. I'll rewind and tell you what you told me, or I can write it here for you to see."

Joyce had started tracing the butterfly again, her eyebrows drawn together.

"Max," David gave a frustrated sigh, running his hand over his face. "Come on now, enough with this - this nonsense! We need to talk about the Prescotts - "

"You want me to talk about them? Then tell me this first." Max shot back, glaring at him. "If it's so unbelievable, why does it matter?"

David's mouth was a thin line, but Joyce spoke before he could say anything else.

"2:47 AM," She said, and all of them looked at her. "It's - it's when you were born," she explained, giving Chloe a small smile.

"Oh. I, uh...didn't know that," Chloe said, and Max could tell she was kind of touched by Joyce's words.

"You were never much interested in the birth details," Joyce responded lightly. "Not that I can blame you, frankly."

"2:47 AM," Max repeated, smiling at Joyce as well. "Thank you." She turned toward David, raising her eyebrows.

David scowled. "I don't - "

"David." Joyce grabbed his hand again, making him turn toward her. "Please."

His shoulders slumped, and he sighed again. "Okay, okay. Fine. I'll...go along with this." He paused, but Max waited this one out, knowing he was thinking of what to say. After what felt like a full minute, he finished: "Leah. Leah Abigail Madsen. That's my mother's name. She...died a few years back."

"I'm...sorry to ask," Max began gently, "But how did she die? I know the more I can tell you the more convincing it'll be."

David's lips pressed together, and it looked like he might get mad again, but instead he muttered: "Lung Cancer," and didn't keep eye contact with any of them, glaring down at the table.

"Thank you," Max said, and she meant it."You won't remember telling me any of this, but thank you both." She raised her hand again, and went back once more.

" - need to talk about the Prescotts!" David said when she released her hold on time.

"We will," Max replied, catching his gaze. "But first I have to tell you: Your mom's name was Leah Abigail Madsen. She died a few years ago, from - from Lung Cancer. I'm sorry," she added awkwardly. "For, um, your loss."

The color drained from David's face. "Wh-what? Why - how did you...how could you know…" He trailed off, slowly shaking his head.

"I - I didn't even know her middle name," Joyce said, glancing between Max and David. "You don't like to talk about her, and you never mentioned it."

"No," David said, "I didn't." His elbows propped up on the table. He buried his face in his hands.

"No, but you told me ," Max said, and that made both of them look at her. "And Joyce, you told me the time Chloe was born. 2:47 AM."

"That's…" Joyce was staring at her with wide eyes. "That's it exactly, I...I know I never told you or Chloe that before...you couldn't possibly have known…"

"I didn't," Max kept her voice as gentle as she could, though it was hard to not feel impatient. "I didn't know until you told me, and then I rewound."

"I can't...I don't believe this…" David said, but there wasn't any heat in his voice. "It can't be true…"

"Well, it is," Chloe replied before Max could, a slight edge to her voice. "You have no idea the shit Max has had to do just to keep us alive. She's telling the truth."

"We - we wouldn't be here if it weren't for Max's power," Warren added, his voice cracking.

"Please," Kate said, moving closer to the table. "I - I know it's hard to believe, but with what you've seen and what we are telling you... please , you have to trust us."

"Max, honey I'm just trying to wrap my mind around all of this," Joyce said, shaking her head. What you've said, and - and what I've seen...I don't know any other explanation, but…" She trailed off.

"I get it," Max said. "I really really do. And we could sit here and, and keep doing this until you could accept it. But I'm afraid that even with my powers, we just don't have the time. We have to go."

"Go ?" Joyce repeated, tears filling her eyes again. "Go where?"

"We are not done with this conversation!" David slapped his hand on the table, making all of them jump. "You can't just -"

"Yes we are," Max said, stepping back. "There's a lot we have to do, and I can't stay here any longer to try and explain. You want more proof, though? Check out your cameras ," She shot at David, who froze. "Yeah, I know about those too. You haven't had the chance to check them yet. Maybe you'll believe me when you see that envelope of evidence appear out of thin air."

"What cameras?" Joyce asked, glancing back and forth between the two of them, David not meeting her gaze. "David, tell me what she's talking about!"

"You should," Max agreed. "And after you guys have seen that, pack whatever you need in some bags. We're getting out of town in a few hours."

"Wait," Joyce said, "Please, honey, what are you - "

"I'm getting to that, I promise," Max softened her tone. "There's one more unbelievable thing I'm asking you to trust me on: a storm is coming."

"As in, a giant killer tornado hurricane," Chloe clarified. "We're not talking about a thunderstorm here."

Max nodded. "It'll be here in a few hours. If we don't get out of town or, or get to a shelter we're dead . I've got a possible ride for all of us, and we're supposed to meet them at the Diner. You guys should meet us there too." She stepped back, turning toward the door.

"Hold on," David said, standing, and they all looked back at him. "You kids can't expect us to - to let you walk out that door right now? You - you want us to believe all of this, and then just - "

"We're going to be at Two Whales within an hour," Max said, raising her voice and going on as if he hadn't spoken. "If - if you don't show up, we will come to get you, no matter what you choose to believe. My powers are real. The storm is real, and you'll see that soon enough." She walked past the table, the others grouping with her, picking up their bags as they went.

Chloe stopped at the end of the table, and turned back. "Mom," She said. "I - I know I haven't given you much reason to trust me, but...please. Please be there."

Max waited halfway to the door, Kate and Warren right next to it, watching and hoping that Joyce would listen, would understand…

She heard a chair scrape back, then quick footsteps approaching, and in the next second Joyce was there, sweeping Chloe into a hug. Chloe didn't seem to quite know what to do, her arms pinned to her sides, but after a few seconds she closed her eyes and leaned into the hug.

"We'll come," Joyce promised, releasing Chloe and stepping back. "I...I can't pretend I understand any of this, or, or really know how to believe it, but...we'll be there."

"Joyce…" David began, still from his place at the table, and Joyce turned a sharp look at him.

"You wanna talk?" She asked. "You talk about these cameras." She crossed her arms, scowling at him. Chloe watched the whole exchange with raised eyebrows, clearly fighting a smile.

Max gestured for her to hurry up and she met them at the door, the four of them getting out before they could hear David's response.

The morning was grey and chilly; the thick and heavy storm clouds hadn't arrived yet, but the sky was already overcast. It was a little windy; long pauses between each gust, but every one was bitingly cold. Max shivered, and took a moment to look out at the street, toward the lighthouse and the bay where the storm would appear. Then she followed Chloe down the walkway to the truck, and loaded up her bags with the others.

(-)

Some ten minutes later, when they arrived at the Blackwell Quad, Max and Chloe split off from Warren and Kate.

"We'll meet you by Wells's office when we're done," Max said. She reached over and squeezed Kate's hand. "Good luck. I hope...I hope they'll all listen."

Kate nodded, squeezing back. "So do I. And please, be careful."

"You too," Chloe said. "Like, if the tornado pops up, you've gotta get back to us, okay?"

Kate smiled. "You got it."

"And we won't take long," Warren added. "I know there's a lot to do."

"That goes for us too," Max agreed. "If we start taking too long, text us, okay?"

"Aye-aye, Captain," Warren gave a little salute, then jerked a little in surprise as Kate let go of Max's hand to grab his. "Ah, let's - let's go," he gestured forward, and they began to walk across the Quad, toward Daniel, who was sketching at a table. He was just one of a few they'd all agreed would possibly listen to an in-person warning.

Chloe smirked as she watched them go, and spoke when they were out of earshot. "Damn, Kate's quiet, but she knows how to make her move."

Max laughed. "After everything I've seen her do this week, it's not surprising. She's more brave than she ever gives herself credit for."

"For real. Shit, if you'd told me what she'd be doing at the beginning of this week I'd never have believed it." Chloe sighed. "I...guess that's true for basically everything that's happened this week."

"I know what you mean," Max grabbed her hand. "Saying any of this stuff out loud...it still seems so ridiculous. That I'm here. That I've - we've - done all these things."

Chloe nodded. "No kidding." She watched Kate and Warren as they started speaking to Daniel for another minute, then pulled on Max's hand, starting to lead her toward the dorms.

First they were going to make a quick stop in Max's room to make sure she had everything she needed. Or wanted, though she was trying not to think about all the personal stuff she was never going to see again. They're just things. She told herself. Chloe, and Kate and Warren, they're worth all that and more.

There were a few people she wanted to warn about the storm in person as well, though Kate and Warren would be doing most of it. She couldn't be sure exactly how much any warnings she gave would be believed, but she had to try, and do so quickly.

Chloe's grip on her hand tightened, then jerked suddenly as she stopped dead in her tracks. Max paused with her foot on the first step before the dorm building, and looked back at her.

Chloe was frozen in place, staring down at the pile of Rachel Amber posters still scattered on the ground. Her eyes were wide, mouth a little open.

"Fuck," She whispered. "Fuck , I didn't even…"

"Hey," Max frowned in concern and moved closer, squeezing her hand. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Chloe jumped a little, as if for a moment she'd forgotten Max was there.

"Yeah - yeah, I'm okay, I just…" She shook her head, staring down at the posters again. "I...I can't believe I didn't - didn't think about it. Everything that's been going on, I - I just... fuck. I forgot about Rachel's parents," She added before Max could ask again. "I didn't...I didn't think about them and the storm until now."

"Oh." Max bit her lip. She hadn't thought about them either. "What are you wanting to do?" She asked, because she knew it had to be Chloe's choice.

Chloe sighed again. "I dunno. I - I didn't even think about it - there was so much going on - " She still wasn't looking at Max, her voice getting steadily higher. "Shit, it's not even like I think they'll believe me, but I can't just…" She trailed off, shaking her head.

"Of course," Max said, moving off of the step and drawing level with her. "Whatever you want to do, we'll do it, Chloe. I promise."

Chloe's grip on her hand tightened. "Thanks, Max." She cleared her throat, finally looking up. "I - um, I - I'm gonna call them. I'll - fuck, I'll figure it out from there depending on how it goes." She paused. "They'll...they'll have heard about Rachel by now."

"Oh, Chloe…" Max didn't know what else to say, just moved closer to her.

Chloe took a deep breath, her shoulders slowly relaxing. "Just...go do what you need to do, Max. I'll call them, and you can meet me back down here, or - or I'll head up when it's done. Depends on how long they're willing to listen to me," she added bitterly.

"Even if they don't listen, we'll figure it out," Max said. "Whatever you want to do, Chloe," she repeated, trying not to think about how that could derail any plans they'd made. Besides, it wasn't a lie: there was very little Chloe could ask of her that she wasn't willing to do.

"Okay. Okay. We'll figure it out." Chloe leaned down, pressing her forehead against Max's. "Thank you," She said again, quietly.

Max smiled, and then stood on her toes to give her a quick kiss. "I'll be right back," she promised, letting go of her hands and stepping back toward the stairs. It didn't feel right to leave her standing there; after everything, Max couldn't help but feel anxious when she wasn't with Chloe. Maybe when they finally got beyond this week it would get easier. She hoped it would, anyway.

There wasn't much she needed from upstairs, and once she was in her room it didn't take long for her to throw clothes and a few mementos in a bag. The photo of her and Chloe, a couple of her with her parents. She tried not to look at much else - they were just things, but were difficult to leave behind all the same.

Sorry Lisa, she thought as she passed by the neglected plant. Who knows, maybe all the water from the storm will revive you somehow?

There was more she could take, though. The blankets off of her bed, just in case. A couple of her jackets, so others could wear them if needed. There was also a small first aid kit her parents had sent with her.

She scanned the rest of her room quickly, but couldn't think of anything else she needed, and there was no way to take everything she wanted .

Guess this is it, she thought, stopping in front of her bed and gazing at her wall of photos. When she'd set it up, nothing had seemed more important than going to Blackwell, but those memories felt so distant now. She could remember herself here - but it was like looking at someone she'd once known and had half forgotten.

A few more steps and she was at the door, her hand on the knob. She wanted to look back again, but she didn't, and the next second she was out.

Max didn't head down the hallway. Instead she faced toward another door: Victoria's. She couldn't hear any noise behind it, but something told her Victoria was awake. With a few strides she was at the door; she knocked, but didn't wait for any kind of reply to speak.

"Victoria," She said. "It's - it's Max. I, uh, I don't have much time, but I wanted to talk to you."

She waited a few seconds, and heard Victoria's footsteps approach. It opened, and Victoria glared at her from inside. She was dressed as fashionably as always, but her eyes were red and puffy. She crossed her arms, the line of her shoulders taut, like a guitar string pulled too tight. "What do you want?" She asked, her cracking voice likely not as fierce as she'd meant it to be. "Come to - to gloat?"

"You know that's not why I'm here, Victoria," Max said calmly. "Can I come in?"

Victoria glared at her for another minute, then stepped back. "Whatever," She muttered, keeping her arms crossed tightly.

Max moved past her into the room; it was messy by Victoria standards: there were some clothes on the floor, and the bedspread was rumpled. Max guessed Victoria had been lying on top and staring at the ceiling.

"So, you're not here to gloat," Victoria said, and now she seemed unable to look at her. "What the fuck do you want?"

"To talk, just for a minute," Max said. She had known it was a long shot to come here, to expect Victoria to listen, but she had to try. For a moment as she stood there, she could hear Victoria's voice as it had been in the Dark Room - wavering, soft and scared - and Max's throat tightened. She cleared it, then went on. "I uh, take it you heard about Nathan and Jefferson?"

"Of course I fucking did, what kind of question is that?" Victoria snapped. "Everyone is talking about it, everyone knows - " She stopped, and looked down at her crossed arms. "Everyone knows," She repeated.

Max turned her head to the side, weighing her words.

"What does everyone know?" She asked quietly.

Victoria's fingers dug into her arms, and she still didn't look at her. "Don't - don't play games with me - "

"But you love playing games, don't you?" Max shot back, narrowing her eyes. "Don't like that being turned around, huh?"

Victoria didn't answer. Her shoulders were shaking now.

"I'm not playing with you," Max went on. "I want to make sure you understand."

"Understand what?" Victoria demanded, finally meeting Max's eyes. She was crying. "That- that my f-favorite teacher drugged and kidnapped girls? That - that Nathan…" Her voice broke. "Nathan helped him. And I...I defended him, all this time…" She trailed off with a shuddering breath.

"Except you didn't just defend him, did you Victoria?" Max asked, barely managing to keep her voice level. "You also helped him make Kate's life hell."

Victoria's shoulders flinched, and Max knew she'd hit the heart of the matter.

"I...believed him…" Victoria whispered. "He told me she - she made it up, she had to be lying -"

"But she wasn't," Max spoke sharply over her.

Victoria's arms crossed even tighter, her head bent again, but this time she didn't respond.

That wasn't good enough.

The next thing she knew, Max was right in front of her. Victoria looked up, eyes wide, but she didn't get the chance to speak.

"She wasn't lying!" Max said again, keeping her arms crossed to keep herself from shaking Victoria by the shoulders. "Kate was drugged and kidnapped, and instead of believing her, you tormented her!"

"Wh-what do you want from me?" Victoria cried. "I - I can't change what I did -"

"No, you just have to live with it," Max retorted, not letting her finish. "Nathan drugged Chloe. He killed Rachel. He hurt Kate. Through all of it he laughed at her, and lied to you . And you laughed right along with him!"

Tears were falling steadily down Victoria's face now. She seemed unable to look away.

"I - I didn't - I didn't know -" She whispered, her shaking hands coming up over her mouth.

"You still made your choice, and your choice hurt people." Max said. She hesitated, then went on. "I -I know what that's like. And...I know you can't make up for everything, but that doesn't mean it's too late to make things better."

Victoria sniffled. "How? How can I make this better? How can I..?"

"An apology isn't a bad start," Max pointed out. "Admit that you were wrong, that you wish you could take it back. That you should have believed her from the start."

"But wh-what if she doesn't l-listen…" Victoria trailed off, and then shook her head. "I - I mean she shouldn't listen to me! How - how could she ever forgive what I did?"

"Asking that just shows how little you know Kate," Max replied coolly. "But don't talk to her if forgiveness is all you're after. It's not her job to make you feel better about yourself. You really want to make up for what you did? Do something about it."

"But - but what can I -?" Victoria began, though Max didn't give her the chance to finish.

"Don't give me that bullshit." She kept her voice even, but Victoria flinched as if she'd shouted. "You know what you need to do."

It took a few seconds for Victoria to respond. She sank onto her bed, staring down at her knees. She let out a long shuddering breath and wiped at her eyes.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "I - I guess I do."

Max sighed, feeling some of her anger ebb away. "I know it's hard," she said, and Victoria looked up at her again in surprise. "But I wouldn't be here if I didn't also believe that you can do it."

Victoria started at her for a few seconds, then turned her head away, seeming embarrassed. "Why?" She asked, her fingers clutching the edge of her bed. "Why would you...come here and - and say all of this?"

"Because…" Max paused, trying to figure out exactly what she wanted to say. Part of it was remembering another Victoria who had been trapped with her. Or yet another that had been her friend. This Victoria was neither of them, but there was still more to it anyway.

"Because...the truth is, you and me? We're really not so different," she admitted, and hearing the words out loud made her more sure of them. "There are things I've done...selfish choices and mistakes I've made...fuck, I think I'll be making up for them for the rest of my life." She laughed, but her throat was tight again.

Victoria stared at her, then frowned and narrowed her eyes.

"What - what's happened to you?" She asked, her voice getting stronger now. "You were just this - this hipster wallflower that could barely answer questions in class, and now…" She gestured toward Max. "It's like you're a totally different person."

Max fought the urge to laugh. Victoria had no idea how right she was. Instead, she tried to smile. "A lot's happened," She said. "Though I don't think you'd believe me if I told you."

Victoria pressed her lips together and considered, then gave a slight shrug. "Maybe," She replied.

That answer surprised Max a little. She smiled for real, though briefly. She'd been here long enough, and there were still things she needed to do.

"Then I need you to believe me about something else," Max said, and she kept going before Victoria could respond. "You need to get out of Arcadia Bay, or - or if not, you've got to head toward one of the storm shelters in town."

"What the fuck are you -?"

Max didn't let her finish. "Things are - are going to get bad in a few hours. A deadly storm is coming. If you don't believe me now, you'll see it for yourself then. But either way, I'm telling you: get out of town or get to safety. Bring anyone you can."

Victoria shook her head, standing up. "No, seriously, what the fuck? How the fuck-?"

"Like I said, you wouldn't believe me about the how." Max stepped back, toward the door. "And I really can't stay to try and explain, even if I thought you would. I'm sorry, and - and I know it's not much to go on, but please."

Victoria was still staring at her, seeming too bewildered to speak.

"I have to go now," Max's hand was on the knob.

"Hold on, you can't just fucking leave after saying all that!" Victoria protested, following behind her. "You tell me this shit about a storm and -"

"I'm sorry," Max said, cutting her off. "But I really can't stay to explain. I don't blame you for not believing me, but you will. Please stay safe." She turned the knob and walked out, closing the door behind her. She stared at the closed door for a moment, and hoped some of it got through to her. Maybe it was a mistake to say anything when she couldn't stick around to keep proving it over and over, but...fuck, she had to try.

Max started down the hallway, noticing some of the storm shelter posters Kate and Warren had put up as she passed, many of them overlapping the Rachel Amber ones.

She knocked twice on Dana's door, and waited. Within a minute, the other girl was opening the door. She was still her pajamas, her hair coming out of its ponytail, and she squinted at Max as if she didn't quite recognize her.

"Hey, Dana. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Max knew she'd have to be fast, but hopefully Dana wouldn't take much convincing.

"Max?" Dana rubbed her eyes, then stepped back to let her come in. "What are you doing here? I mean, you've barely been around this week. People have been saying you dropped out."

Dana sat back down on her bed, absentmindedly trying to fix her ponytail.

"I guess I kinda did." Max hadn't really thought of it that way, but she'd stopped going to class with no intent of coming back.

Dana's hand froze in the middle of looping her hair tie. "Wait, seriously?"

"That doesn't matter right now." Max waved a hand to brush aside the issue. "I'm not here because of that. I'm here to - to warn you. You need to get out of town, or, or get to a shelter. There's going to be a really bad storm, and - and it's not going to be safe here."

Dana blinked at her. "Uh, what? Max, what are you even saying right now?"

"I know how it sounds," Max did her best to keep her voice calm, and not to let any of her impatience show. It wasn't Dana's fault she kept having to explain this shit over and over again. "And I - I know you don't have any reason to believe me, but please. Dana, I want you to trust me."

"Okay, hold on," Dana stood. "Max, what the hell is all this? We've barely talked , you weren't here all week, and now you're telling me to trust you? Is this a prank? 'Cause I am soooo not in the mood."

For a second Max didn't know how to respond. Even though Victoria had just been a stark reminder of the same truth, she'd somehow forgotten. This Dana did not know her, and did not have much reason to listen to her.

"You're right," She said at last. "I'm - I'm sorry." She let out a long breath. "You don't have reason to trust me, or - or believe me. And I can't stay to explain why you should. But I had to come here anyway, try to warn you." She hesitated again. Had Dana talked to her about her pregnancy this week? Or had that been in another reality?

"Max, do you have any idea how you sound right now?" Dana asked. "Like, seriously!"

"I know!" Max fought to keep the irritation from her tone. "I know," she repeated, softening. "I know I haven't been here, haven't - haven't been a friend to you. I'm sorry for that. But as - as weird as it sounds, even though I'm not your friend...you're still mine. And I hope you'll believe me."

Dana simply stared at her for several seconds.

"Max, I - I can't even process what you're saying right now! I don't...I don't know what to think."

"Then don't just take my word for it," Max said. "You can text Kate and ask her about it - she'll tell you the same thing." In fact, I probably should have had Kate be the one to talk to her.

Dana didn't immediately respond, and crossed her legs on the bed.

"People have been saying - um, saying things about - about Kate. What happened to her. If - if even half of it is true, then…" She shook her head, and looked away.

"I don't know what you've heard," Max admitted. "But Kate deserves your belief. And I think you know that."

Dana didn't respond, staring down at her hands on her lap.

"I'm sorry," Max went on, heading for the door, "But I have to go. Please, please , believe us Dana. And when we're all through this, I'll - I'll answer any questions you have." She paused with her hand on the doorknob, and looked back. Dana was staring at her, mouth open like she wanted to speak, but she still didn't seem able to find the words.

"Stay safe," Max finished, giving her a small smile before she opened the door and went out into the hallway.

No time to lose, She thought, picking up her bags and heading toward the stairs. She didn't want to keep the others waiting any longer than she had to.

When she reached the door leading out into the quad, Max paused. She could hear Chloe's raised voice even through the thick metal.

"I know how it sounds!"

Max pushed it open, and saw Chloe pacing at the bottom of the steps, gesturing in agitation as she continued to argue on the phone.

"You need to listen to me, for once ! This is - "

The person on the other line - one of Rachel's parents Max assumed - must have said something, because Chloe stopped dead in her tracks, her back to Max.

"Fuck! I wish you'd listened to me then! I told you something had happened to Rachel! I TOLD YOU!" As suddenly as her voice rose it seemed to break; her shoulders shook, fist clenching at her side. Max was next to her in an instant, gently touching her wrist. Chloe looked at her for the first time, and her expression made Max's heart sink into her stomach. But her shoulders relaxed, her hand unclenched, and she threaded her fingers with Max's.

"I told you," Chloe repeated. "I told you something was wrong and you - you couldn't deal with it, couldn't - couldn't believe it was true! Couldn't believe me ," She finished bitterly. Max could hear someone on the other line - She guessed Rachel's mom from the sound of the voice, though she couldn't quite make out the words. Whatever they were, Chloe gripped Max's hand tighter than ever and spoke over them.

"I was the only one who kept looking for her! You just - just couldn't fucking handle it, had to pretend everything was fine, but it's not! Rachel is DEAD! She's dead and gone and you have to live with it ! You didn't listen to me then, so fucking listen to me now! I don't care how hard it is to believe - if I have to drag you out of this town I will . " She paused, and Max could hear Rachel's mom crying on the other end. Chloe's hand was shaking again; this time Max squeezed it.

"Please," Chloe finished quietly, her voice cracking. "Please. Listen to me. For her." With that she let out a trembling breath, and ended the call. For a few seconds she just stared down at the phone in her hand.

"Chloe?" Max moved to face her, her other hand coming up onto Chloe's shoulder.

"I don't know if they'll do it." Chloe's head was bent, her shoulders slumped. "Fuck, they didn't believe me before, they probably won't now…"

Max stepped closer, standing on her toes and gently pressed her forehead against Chloe's.

"We'll figure it out. Whatever you want us to do, Chloe." She repeated. "We'll make sure they're safe, I promise."

Chloe let out a shaky breath, then met Max's eyes. She seemed to be about to say something, then leaned forward and kissed her instead.

"Thank you, Max," She whispered when she pulled away. "Thank you."

Max's throat was so constricted she couldn't reply. Her eyes stung, and she blinked away tears. She wrapped her arms around Chloe, and held her close for several moments that felt much longer. She didn't want to step away, didn't want to face the day ahead of them.

She did anyway. Together they left the quad and the dorms behind to meet their friends.

(-)

Kate and Warren were already waiting for them by Wells' office. They were talking quietly, but stopped as Max and Chloe approached.

"How'd it go on your end?" Warren asked.

"Got what I needed," Max said, lifting up her bag for emphasis. "Talked to Victoria and Dana, and...I think it went okay. What about you guys? Did you find everyone?"

Kate nodded. "Daniel seemed to take us seriously. Samuel too. He - he wasn't even really surprised, somehow?" She shook her head. "Anyway. We tracked Brooke down in the Science room, though I'm not sure she listened. Not to me , at least." She glanced at Warren with a raised eyebrow.

Warren looked a bit embarrassed. "Ah...yeah. I - I'm not sure if she really believed me either? She could tell I was serious, I think. I don't know. But," He lowered his voice, "What's the plan with Wells?"

"That hopefully he's not too drunk to let us in," Chloe replied. "And knowing Wells, that could definitely happen."

"It's the bus key we're really after anyway," Max added. "If Frank doesn't show up, the bus might be the best way out of here."

"Or the best way to help lots of people," Kate added.

Max nodded, though she couldn't meet Kate's eyes.

"You guys go on to the Diner." She said instead, changing the subject. "Text me, let me know if Joyce and David are there yet. Or Frank."

"You sure?" Kate asked, frowning.

"We can handle this asshole," Chloe said, putting her hands in her pockets. "Besides, the sooner we know for sure if Mom and David showed up, the better. If we've gotta drag them out, we'll want to do it as early as we can."

"Of course." Kate smiled. "We'll check the Diner, and be waiting for you there. And - and I'm sure your mother and David will be too." She reached forward and gave Chloe's arm a quick squeeze in assurance.

"We'll report back ASAP," Warren added. "And...if we don't hear from you -"

"Call us," Max confirmed. "But we won't take too long. You guys stay safe, and let me know if...if the weather changes."

"Aye-aye captain," Warren gave a little salute. "We'll see you guys soon." He paused, glancing at Kate, his face reddening, and then took her hand, and started to lead her away.

A wide smile spread across Kate's face as she passed. She waved back at Max and Chloe, then moved to walk level with Warren, their fingers threading together.

Max watched them walk out the doors with her own smaller smile. It wasn't something she'd ever imagined would happen when she'd brought them all together to form their little team, but it had been pretty sweet to watch unfold. Even with everything that had happened, She and Chloe, and Kate and Warren, had managed to find happiness with each other.

"Nothing like impending doom to bring people together," Chloe mused, laying her arm across Max's shoulders.

"That has been my experience," Max agreed, giving her a sidelong look. Then she sighed. "Let's hope that line of thought works with Wells, too," She muttered, as they turned around to face his door again. "I'll keep him busy while you grab the keys. Ready?"

Chloe winked at her. "Always am, Super-Max. Don't let that dickhead keep you for long."

Max began knocking on the door. She knew Wells would be behind the other door leading to his actual office - but it was too early for the secretary to be in, and if he was inside, the only way he'd be able to stop her knocking was to eventually come and answer.

With both her and Chloe knocking loudly and without pause, that 'eventually' ended up being about a minute later.

They heard him through the other side - "Stop that goddamn racket!" - and stepped back as the door swung open.

Wells stared blearily down at them for several seconds, as if he couldn't recognize them.

"Miss Caulfield, Miss Price," He said finally. "You...why are you here?"

"We need to talk," Max said simply. "Didn't you say I could talk to you about anything? That you wanted students to come to you?"

Wells rubbed at his eyes. "Of - of course, Miss Caulfield. However, is there any reason your - your explanation of your absences couldn't wait a few hours?"

Max raised her eyebrows. "Explanation of...my absences?" She repeated.

Wells blinked at her. "I...I assumed that was why you came here. You've missed school all week, no sick note or anything. I suppose with the influence of Miss Price it's not surprising - "

Chloe bristled at her side, but Max spoke first.

"Chloe didn't make me do anything." Max glared at him. "If you'd spent more time focused on Nathan Prescott instead of her, maybe you'd have figured out what he really was a long time ago. No, you were too busy kissing up to his parents."

"Oh, and guess what?" Chloe interjected. "Maybe you haven't heard yet, but they're rotting in a cell next to their shithead son. So don't bother coming up with some excuse," She added when Wells tried to speak. "You know she's right."

Max strode forward, and he seemed to move back automatically, both of them stepping past him and inside.

"Miss - Miss Caulfield," He began. "This...this is not - "

"Why don't we talk in your office?" Max suggested, as if she hadn't heard him.

"I'm cool to wait out here," Chloe said, flopping down casually onto one of the waiting chairs, though of course Max knew she'd be up the second Wells was out of sight.

Max looked over at Wells expectantly, and after standing for a moment and staring back at her, he sighed, and walked a little unsteadily toward his office.

"Very well, Miss Caulfield. We - we can discuss whatever problem you have."

He opened the door and held it for her. Max glanced back at Chloe one last time before walking through, and letting Wells shut it behind them.

He made his way to his desk, and sat down heavily in his chair, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. There was a bottle of ibuprofen and a glass of water sitting near his computer.

Hangover, then, Max thought. Better than him being drunk.

"Go ahead, Miss Caulfield." He said quietly, one hand coming up to rub at his temples. "More failures you want to remind me of?"

Max shrugged. "Actually, I'm really not here about you. But if I need to recount all that to get you to listen, then I will. Because this is your chance to start to make up for all those failures."

He opened his eyes and blinked slowly at her. "What...what exactly are you - ?"

"Please, listen to me," She said over him. Hopefully her partial truths would be convincing. She took a deep breath, and then went on, talking quickly but steadily.

"Last night, Chloe, Kate, Warren, and I escaped the clutches of Sean and Amelia Prescott. They held us at gunpoint, mostly to get to Kate and keep her from testifying against Nathan. While they had us, they ranted and raved about something coming to destroy this town - how their family would rise from the ashes of it, become more powerful. I don't know if - if they can just afford special weather equipment, or if there was some - some scientist that warned them or whatever, but the point is: a huge storm is coming. A - a deadly one, from the sound of it. You need to get the students to safety before it rolls through."

Wells stared at her as if she'd spoken backwards. "Miss Caulfield...what on Earth are you talking about?"

"I know how it sounds," Max replied, wondering how many times she would have to keep saying that. "And you have no reason to believe it. But the Prescotts were convinced, and with the way the sky has already clouded over...I think they were telling the truth."

Wells rubbed his eyes again. "I...had heard something about Sean and Amelia also being apprehended, that there had been some students involved...I'm to come in for some 'simple questions'." He snorted. "Dressed it up as if this institution won't face charges." He fell silent for a few seconds, staring right through her.

Finally, he shook his head. "But...Miss Caulfield, if - if everything you're saying is true, trusting their word would be ridiculous. And a few clouds are hardly evidence of -"

"It doesn't matter if you don't believe me now." Max said, not letting him finish. "I figured you wouldn't. What's important is how you'll act when it does happen. There's a shelter right nearby. If you act quickly, and you really want to start to make up for all your failures, get everyone here to safety." She was already moving back toward the door; Chloe wouldn't need much time to grab the spare key.

"Hold - hold on just one moment young lady!" Wells stood up from his chair. "You come banging on my door at this hour, demand to talk, then just - just walk right out again? I don't think so!"

Max just shrugged. "What exactly are you going to do to stop me?"

"This behavior is grounds for suspension!" He slapped his hand on the desk. "Keep talking that way and it could even mean expulsion! Now, I don't know what's happened with the Prescotts, but that doesn't mean you can just -"

Max laughed. "Go on and expel me. I told you a deadly storm is coming. If it's half as destructive as I think - as, as they told me, Blackwell won't even be left standing." She was at the door again, her hand on the knob. "I've given you a warning. I hope you listen to it. It's your chance to try to make things better, and for all your mistakes, I know that's what you want." She started to turn the knob, and then paused. "You've said before that the safety of the students here is your top priority. Prove it."

She opened the door and stepped out, ignoring Wells calling after her.

"Let's go," She said to Chloe, who was waiting by the door to the hall. "Did you get the key?"

"Wasn't hard to find." Chloe held up her fingers, wiggling the key between them.

They half ran down the hall and to the doorway outside. Max wasn't sure if Wells would be chasing after her, but she didn't want to take that chance. Besides, they'd been there long enough.

They slowed when they got to the parking lot. Knowing they would have things to carry, Chloe had parked closer to the building than normal, so her truck was only a few paces away. As they dropped her bag and other gear in the truck-bed, Max glanced up to see another car driving past, toward the exit of the parking lot: Stella and Alyssa in the front. She waved at them as they went by, though they seemed too deep in a discussion to notice her.

They listened to Kate, Max thought, as she walked around to the passenger's side. Maybe this means the others we warned will listen as well.

"Kate texted, while you were in with Wells." Chloe said from the other side. She got in her seat and closed the door, Max doing the same as she continued. "Mom and David are at the Diner. And Frank's RV too."

Max nodded, taking a deep breath. "Guess that's it, then."

Chloe turned her ignition, truck roaring to life, then stopped with one hand on the wheel, and caught Max's eyes. Her lips parted like she was going to say something, but instead she just reached forward and squeezed Max's fingers.

For a moment Max could see another Chloe, holding her hand in this truck as they drove out of the remains of their town. Max shook off the vision of another life, and lifted Chloe's hand, giving a quick kiss to the back of her wrist.

Chloe exhaled, squeezed Max's hand again, and then pulled back, spun the wheel, and drove them out of the parking lot.

(-)

On the way to Two Whales Diner, Max told Chloe everything about her encounter with her other self earlier that morning. Even saying all of it aloud a part of her couldn't help but wonder if it had only been a dream, but it was a fleeting thought. She'd known deep down for a long time how very real it all was, she just hadn't been able to understand it.

"It seemed like there was more she wanted to tell me," Max said, as Chloe pulled into the parking space next to Warren's car. "And I still keep getting visions of other realities, but so far nothing else from her."

"Fuck." Chloe was staring at her steering wheel, and shook her head. "I can't even...imagine seeing all this shit you're talking about. Do you...do you think you could try to - to contact her, or whatever?"

"I don't know." Max sighed. "I have no idea how I would even try. And there's - there's no time anyway. The storm will be here soon."

Max looked out the window, at the restaurant. Joyce had put the CLOSED sign in the window, and it looked like they had the place mostly to themselves as a result. Frank's RV was pulled around back as Kate had reported, and Max has seen some smoke from around the other side.

"There's no time," She said again, quietly. "I - I wanted to tell you, but...we really can't think about it any more right now. If we get through this, I want us to figure it out."

"We will." Chloe replied firmly, putting a hand on her knee. "We'll find a way to - to get you in tune with her or, or whatever. And we...we will get through tonight. C'mon. Let's go inside."

"Actually," Max grabbed her hand to hold her back. "You go on inside. I want to talk to Frank for a minute."

Chloe narrowed her eyes, then nodded. "Don't like the idea of you alone with that motherfucker," She admitted. "I know you can handle him, but...all the shit he's done...the ties to what Nathan and Jefferson did..." She sighed. "I used to kinda like Frank, almost? We weren't friends, but friendly I guess? I don't know. All of that is just - it's just shit now. I'm glad he showed up to help us, but I don't know how much we can rely on him."

"I feel the same," Max promised. "I don't trust him, not really. But...I do trust that he can do what we need. And when he's done, I'm making sure he pays for his part in all of this." She leaned forward and kissed Chloe on the cheek. Then she smiled and pushed open her door. "See you inside?"

Chloe smiled back. "You got it, SuperMax."

Within a few minutes, Max had gathered up her things, and gone around the back of the Two Whales Diner, where Frank had parked his RV.

He was leaning against the side, smoking, Pompidou sitting at his feet. He put out his cigarette as she approached and stood straighter.

"Thank you for coming here," She said. "I...take it you heard what happened?"

He bent his head, his hands clenching at his sides. "It's all over town. Everyone's talking about it. Rachel's body...Nathan Prescott...it's - it's all like you said…"

"It is," Max crossed her arms. "So, you're here to help us? You believe what I told you?"

Frank didn't seem to want to look at her, as if her very presence made him uncomfortable, but he nodded. Pompidou made a whining sound, nudging him with his nose, and Frank patted his head.

"I don't know what the fuck has been happening, what - what you can do…" He trailed off, shook his head, and went on. "But what you said, about what I can do...I want to do that. Do what I can to - to enter His House justified."

"Even after you help us?" Max pressed, moving closer to him. "Because that's only part of it, Frank. You need to pay for your crimes. Are you willing to do that?"

He was silent for a few seconds, but when he spoke his voice was firm. "Yeah. I am."

Max nodded. "Okay. I'm glad." She added honestly. "I'm going to head inside. We'll come and grab you when it's time, okay?"

"H-hold on," Frank said before she could turn around. "Just, just one thing. After today, and after I...turn myself in...I know I have no right to ask you to do me any favors, but - but Pompidou doesn't deserve to suffer because of what I did!"

Max stared at him, trying to think of what to say.

"What are you wanting me to do?" She asked.

"After I'm gone, I just - I just want Pompidou to have a good home. With people who'll...take care of him," He said softly. He was looking down at his dog, scratching at his ears. Pompidou stared back at him happily, tongue flopping out of his mouth.

"Can you make sure that happens?" Frank finished, looking at her steadily for the first time. "Please."

Max found herself unable to speak, as if something was constricting her throat. When she could talk she didn't even think about her words, they burst from her lips:

"We'll take care of Pompidou," She promised. "Chloe and me. We'll do it."

Now Frank was staring at her. "You - you will?"

"You're right," Max admitted. "Pompidou...he deserves to have a good home. And we'll do what we can to give it to him."

Frank let out a long breath. "Thank you," He said. "I...thank you."

Max nodded, then stepped back from him. "We'll come and get you when it's time."

She turned, and walked as fast as she could back around the building, to the other side of the restaurant, and the exit by the dumpster.

She didn't go inside yet, however, and instead kept going, stopping in front of the person sitting between the dumpster and the wall. The homeless woman had been sleeping, and jerked her head up as Max stood over her.

"Can I help you?" The homeless woman asked flatly, sitting up a bit straighter and watching Max carefully.

"Actually," Max replied, "I was hoping to help you. I know you don't know me, but…" Max paused, thinking for a moment, and then asked: "What's your name?"

The woman looked her up and down, frowning a little. "Most people don't bother to ask that question," She said.

"I know," Max said. "I wouldn't have thought to myself, at one point. But I do want to know, and I want to help you."

The woman considered her for another moment, then answered:

"I'm Nora. And what exactly do you mean when you say you want to help me? Sounds like more than wantin' to give me some change."

"Nora, all I want is for you to listen to me," Max began. "You've got no reason to believe me, but...you see how dark the sky is getting?" She gestured up toward the greying clouds. "There's a storm coming. A bad one. Please, get yourself to a shelter or get out of town while you can. I'm going to be doing the same when I can."

Nora blinked rapidly, then frowned again. She didn't immediately reply, instead looking at Max's face for several long seconds, and then up at the sky. Finally, she spoke.

"Well," She said. "I can't see why you'd be lying. And there's been...some weird things happening in this town lately."

"So, you'll get to shelter?" Max asked, surprised at the rising feeling in her chest.

Nora nodded. "I've lived in this town long enough to know when something is wrong. There have been animals dying, snow and an eclipse and who knows what else I haven't even seen. I don't know why you're warning me about this, but thank you. I've had a feeling in my gut all day, and you're makin' me act on it."

"Thank you for listening to me," Max said seriously. "And stay safe."

With that, she turned away from Nora, and finally headed toward the back entrance of the Diner.

Max could hear voices as soon as she stepped inside. As she went out into the dining area, she saw Chloe standing over by the counter with Joyce and David, and it was Joyce she'd heard speaking.

"...can't pretend I really understand all this," Joyce was saying as she walked closer to Chloe. "But after what I saw at the house…" She paused, shook her head, then reached forward and squeezed Chloe's hands. "I may not understand, but I believe you, honey. I want to be here for you."

This time, Chloe hugged her. "Thanks, Mom." She said softly.

Max stepped away, letting them have a moment, and spotted Kate and Warren sitting at a booth together, talking in low voices. They looked around at her as she approached.

"Everything go okay with Wells?" Warren asked as she sat down, putting her bags under the table.

Max nodded. "I think so, at least. We've got the bus keys, but I'm not sure what Wells is going to do. I saw Stella and Alyssa leaving on our way out of the parking lot, though," She added to Kate.

Kate smiled. "I'm so glad. Even though Stella said they would go...I - I was worried they wouldn't believe me."

Max reached over and squeezed her hand. "But they did, and you got them to leave. I hope that the people I talked to listen to me."

"Even if they didn't," Kate leaned forward, "We - we could still maybe use the buses to get them out, right? I know we haven't completely decided what we're doing, and I - I know you'll choose whatever you think is best, but…" This time she put her hand on top of Max's and tightened her grip. "I don't want to leave everyone else here to die. If - if we had the buses, we could help transport people to shelters. Like, like people in the hospital, or the elementary school - we can't just drive off and leave them here! Please, Max!"

Max stared back at her, trying to form a response. When she'd been on the cliff at the end of her first week, she'd forced a third option, refusing to choose between Chloe and the town. It wasn't the same, of course, but if she used her power just to save her loved ones...how different of a choice was she truly making?

She was Super-Max. Wasn't she supposed to try to save everyone, impossible though it was? That was what every superhero story taught her. With power came responsibility; but for all their posters and warnings and talk of emergency broadcast signals, Max knew that her first instinct now was to just take her friends and run, get out before the tornado could even form. She'd done more than last time, hadn't she? She'd given everyone more of a chance. It wasn't on her to fix it all when it wasn't her fault, and could never be completely fixed. There was no simple choice to make that would snap everything back to a sunny day.

Still, though she knew she couldn't save everyone...she could save more of them. She remembered seeing them all outside the Diner windows as they had been in her nightmare, the weight of their lives pressing heavily on her shoulders.

She wanted to save them all, but not if it meant Chloe and her friends were sacrificed in the process.

Warren spoke before Max could even begin to put her thoughts into words.

"I completely get what you're saying, Kate," Warren told her, and Kate released Max's hand as she turned to look at him. "And if Max wants to use the buses, then I'll be right there with you. But I said before that the best plan is to get out an Emergency Broadcast Warning. It'll get to the most people, and they can get out of town or go to shelters. Trying to get all of those people onto buses, and - and convince them to do it...just doesn't seem possible to me. We're not the government, and we can't just drag people out of their homes. But they'll probably believe the emergency warning."

Kate nodded. "I'd be okay with that too, and - and whatever you think is right," She added to Max. "I just...it doesn't feel right to run, and leave everyone else behind."

"Because it's not," Max said, though as she spoke she couldn't meet Kate's eyes, and looked down at her hands folded on top of the table. "It's not the right choice. And I...I can't say I know what choice will be best, but leaving everyone else while we get away definitely isn't right ." She paused, and made herself continue. "The truth is, I've learned throughout this week - over and over again it feels - that I'm not as good of a person as I thought. Or maybe...I'm not really a good person at all."

"Max, that's not - !" Warren began.

"Of course you're a good person!" Kate interjected, looking horrified at the mere suggestion.

Max shook her head, though she gave them a small smile.

"I wish I could save everyone, I do. But I can't. And even knowing that I could still save a lot of them...what I really want is just to take all of you and run. And I wouldn't look back."

She could see it as she said the words: visions of herself and Chloe driving away from the ruined town, or Kate and Warren huddled with them in Frank's RV, or sometimes a car she didn't recognize.

"I've seen all of you die, so many times, over the course of this never-ending week, and I - I can't see it anymore. I won't ." Max closed her eyes, though she knew doing so wouldn't make those sights go away. They would always be haunting her. She let out a long breath, and forced herself to look at Kate and Warren again.

Both of them were staring back at her, silent.

Finally, Kate spoke. "Max…why does it have to be one or the other?"

"It doesn't make sense," Warren added. "You've already proven that's not true, right? With all the things you've changed."

Max shook her head. "It's – it's not about it being one or the other. You're – you're right that we might be able to save a lot more people, and get to safety ourselves, but…then we might not. We could try to save them, and you all could die. Again. I'm just so – so scared ," she confessed. "Even with my power there's so much that could go wrong…"

Kate's hand was on top of her own again, and in the next second Warren's was as well.

"You're right, Max," Kate said, squeezing her fingers. "You've been through so much, had all this weight on you for so long…it must be so scary." The sweet empathy in Kate's soft voice was enough to put a knot in Max's throat, tears filling her eyes. "But, even if – even if we just go, so much could still happen to us. We could die. No matter what we do, that risk is there, and we know it, have known it this whole week."

"Yeah, we've kind of taken that chance with you already," Warren pointed out. "And we're still here." Max started to speak again, but this time he kept going. "And yeah, you just said you've – you've seen us die. But that doesn't change the fact that we're still here . You found a way. We found a way, through all the - the fucking unbelievable shit that's happened, and we can do it again. But…what I said before is true, too. If you want to use the buses, or just leave, or whatever, then we're with you."

"We are," Kate repeated, though her expression was troubled. She squeezed Max's hand again anyway.

Slowly, Max nodded. "Thank you," she said quietly. She pulled her hands back to wipe at her eyes. "I'm – I'm glad you're both here with me. There's so much I never would have thought – never could have done – without you."

"Whoa now," Chloe's voice made all of them look around as she approached. "Did I miss the dramatic scene?" She asked, her joke belied by the worried expression on her face.

Max gave a half smile. "Kinda," She said, scooting over so Chloe could slide in beside her. "It's okay, just…" She sighed. "A lot going on," She finished quietly.

Chloe nodded. "No kidding." She threaded her fingers with Max's, and her warmth was a welcome comfort. "Sure you're okay, aside from our pending local apocalypse?"

Max snorted, then squeezed her hand. "I'm good," She promised.

Chloe nodded again, though she seemed a bit distracted, her foot tapping on the floor, hand twitching in Max's. Before Max could ask about it, she spoke.

"Mrs. Amber left me a message. Didn't even notice my phone vibrating, but she said - said they were going to a shelter. That the clouds were starting to – to turn grey, and for a second she could…" Chloe paused, her next words thick and wavering. "Could hear Rachel's voice. Telling her to go. So…they went. They're gonna be safe."

"That's wonderful!" Kate said.

"Oh, Chloe," Max leaned closer, hugging her from the side. "I know your words got through to her too."

"Hopefully they're not the only ones who do that," Warren said, a little grimly. "I'm glad they listened to you."

Chloe let out a long breath, nodding. "Yeah. Yeah. I still can't believe it. Fuck, Mom told me she'd be here and I still didn't really believe that." She looked back over at the counter, where Joyce and David appeared to be whisper-arguing. "Now comes the harder sell. Let's try to keep that lucky streak, eh?"

"Seriously." Max let herself lean against Chloe for another minute. She couldn't stall for long, but once they started, well…there would be no stopping.

She could, however, turn back. If she had to.

She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and looked up.

"It's time to send those messages," Max said. "We've got them ready to go. The storm could be here within the hour, longer if we're lucky. They might not believe it now, but if we wait any longer we might not be able to get the messages out."

"You got it, Max," Warren said, his phone already in hand, Kate not far behind with her own.

Max turned to Chloe. "Would you go tell Frank he can come in?" She asked. "No matter what he's going to have something to do today."

Chloe squeezed her hand one last time, then rocked up to her feet and out of the booth. "Hopefully Sgt. Pepper won't start shit on sight."

"We won't let him," Max said. "No time for it."

Max slid out of the booth as well, stretching a little as she stood. Then she paused, glancing around at everyone in their various spots around the Diner. No one was looking back at her, too focused on what they were doing.

Max's hand slid into her bag, and pulled out her camera. Even though she'd taken a selfie last night, she wanted to take another, just in case. If she made the wrong choice, she could come back here and tell them all how to fix it.

She didn't even try to frame the shot: she just pressed the shutter, staring right at the camera. The photo popped out on the bottom, and she watched as her own face began to appear. She could see the top of Kate and Warren's heads, still sitting in the booth behind her. The angle was terrible, the lighting making her even paler than normal, but...for some reason Max couldn't look away.

It was like when she'd been staring at the mirror in the police station. Even though it was obviously her face, there was a strange disconnect looking at it, as if it were a stranger's. Older and worn, and somehow still not old or tired enough.

Max forced herself out of her thoughts, quickly putting the camera and photo away in her bag, and then headed to the arguing adults.

David and Joyce reacted to her getting closer, straightening and stepping apart, as if to convince her they'd been standing in silence the whole time.

Max noticed supplies piled on the counter nearby. Not just Kate and Warren's things, but first aid kits and other gear that clearly came from Joyce and David. Even if they weren't sure what to believe, they'd come prepared.

"Thank you for coming here," She said as she approached. "I know everything has been a lot to take in. And there's a lot still that we have to do. So, thank you."

"We...watched the footage David had recorded." Joyce said, her tone making it quite clear that, regardless of what she'd seen on it, the fact it existed was enough to earn her anger. "You were right. That envelope appeared out of thin air, and...I can't think of anything else that can explain all this."

"Has to be another explanation," David muttered, his arms crossed.

Max ignored him. "Chloe's bringing in Frank right now, and once he's in we'll go over the plan to -"

"Frank - Frank Bowers ?" David asked incredulously, staring behind her in horror.

Max turned to see Chloe and Frank walking inside, Frank shuffling in awkwardly behind her, hunched, his hands in his pockets.

"Max, Chloe, he's dangerous! How could you think -" David went on, but Max spoke over him.

"I know more about Frank's crimes than you do," She said flatly. "He deserves to pay for them. Him being here is part of that."

David stared at her, his mouth hanging open, face slowly reddening.

Max stared back at him defiantly. They had no more time for circular arguments.

"Honey," Joyce said, "I can't help but be concerned too. If half of what I've heard about this Frank is true -"

"You're right to be concerned," Max interrupted, trying not to sound too impatient. "But he can be trusted for this, and keep paying for his crimes afterward. I have no intention of letting him off the hook," She added, looking back at Frank, who continued to avoid everyone's gaze, shoulders hunching more somehow. "But we don't have time to argue. The storm will be here soon and we're going to want his help."

David started to say something, but Chloe beat Max to the punch.

"Don't you even start," Chloe said, scowling at David as she came to stand by Max, crossing her arms. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't know, deep down, that we're telling the truth. So just save us all some time and fucking accept it already."

David looked furiously between the two of them - four of them, Max corrected herself as Kate and Warren came to stand by them. David seemed to deflate - he uncrossed his arms and sagged, sitting heavily down on the nearest bar stool.

Max shot a quick smile at Chloe, and then spoke again.

"When the storm comes, it will be devastating. We want to be out of here before it starts. So…" Max hesitated, sure she could hear the wind howling from outside.

Except it wasn't howling yet.

The wind had picked up, but not like what was rushing through her ears now. She shook her head, trying to focus, but the wind just grew louder. Her other senses became hazy, distant, the floor barely solid beneath her. She reached out automatically for Chloe, still trying to talk and stay upright.

Too much at stake, have to stay awake . But the words that rolled off her tongue were a garbled mess, and Chloe's arms barely kept her from crashing to the ground.

She could hear all of them, their voices tangling with the wind. There were other voices now too, and though she knew by now what was happening, still she fought to stay awake, stay in her moment, weakly gripping Chloe's hand to ground herself, but -

"Hold on, Max!" Chloe voice was for a moment louder than the sounds of the hospital collapsing -

the ground was the problem: it seemed to open up beneath her feet -

Frank swore loudly as he swerved to avoid the flying billboard, while Max and the others jerked and swayed with every blast of wind, every twist of the wheel-

She struggled instinctively to stay in her moment, but the memories and realities and voices washed over her -

Kate huddled closer to them, bringing up one of the blankets around their shoulders, though her hands shook as the lights flickered again -

pulling her down, drowning her in them -

Max grabbed Chloe's hand as they watched the storm through the RV's back window: it seemed to swallow Arcadia, as if the town didn't exist at all-

And above it all, her own voice, clearer than it had ever been:

"I think it's time we finished our conversation."

All at once everything stopped.

Max's stomach lurched, and she pitched forward, as if she'd been in a car and stomped on the brakes. She caught herself on the floor, and stared at the ground, the rest of her senses slowly returning to her. She swayed up to her feet, and looked around.

She was still in the diner. She turned, and could see Chloe, Kate, and Warren gathered around her unconscious body on the floor. Joyce was frozen mid-step while joining the others gathered on the ground. David too was stuck getting up from the bar stool, reminding her of a blurred person in a photograph.

Just like this morning, Max thought. Which means…

The Other Max was sitting at the same booth she'd been in mere minutes ago. She was staring in Max's direction, but Max realized as she approached that the Other Her was actually looking at Chloe.

"You want to finish our conversation?" Max asked, sitting down across from her. "Fine. Get talking. Not like the storm could appear at any second or anything."

The Other Her tore her gaze away from Chloe, and met Max's eyes. "We were interrupted this morning. But we'll have time for everything now. No matter how long we talk, that moment will be frozen, until you wake up."

"How were we interrupted this morning then?" Max asked. "If you can do this, then -?"

"You're not the only one who…" The Other Max paused, and smiled faintly. "As this Chloe said, leveled up. You've noticed it, I know. The way your strength continues to grow. I've been trying to speak with you clearly since the moment we all pulled you back to this week. Each attempt brought us closer, and now…" She gestured around them. "Our power keeps growing, and the stronger we get, the more we can do. Still, it doesn't all get easier," She admitted softly. "It hurts. No matter what. Pushing through the pain - we've gotten better at it, can keep getting better, but it doesn't go away."

Guess I will have to live with those headaches forever. Max frowned, looking the Other Her up and down.

She was still wearing a hospital gown. In the better light Max could see that her hair was matted and tangled. She was horribly pale, and had heavy dark circles under her eyes. Her hands were folded on the table, and they were trembling. Even though she was sitting there talking about her power growing, Max wondered if the Other Her would pass out too.

"It hurts you," Max said. "Being here. Doing this."

The Other Her nodded, but gave a small smile. "Like freezing time still hurts you."

"Okay, so, we're leveling up," Max said. "That doesn't explain what happened to you, how you can do all of this. Me freezing time is one thing, what you can do…" Max trailed off, trying to find the right words. "You said you...see all of our realities overlapping. That you made a different choice, and…"

"I failed." The Other Her replied hollowly. Her eyes were on Max but they were blank, as if she didn't see what was in front of her at all. "When I stood on that cliff with Chloe...she convinced me that death was the answer. I told her it would be okay. That'd I'd figured it out." She snorted, and shook her head. "We all knew so little, our first time. Chloe tried to convince me to sacrifice her, but I was positive I'd figured out how to fix everything. If a life was the cost...wouldn't mine do as well as hers?"

As she spoke, the world around them seemed to shift, the vision of the Other Max's reality overlapping her own. Max could see the bathroom again: Chloe up against the wall, Nathan pressing the gun into her stomach. The Other Her, using her rewind to get closer and move between them.

The gun fired. Max watched herself fall, and for just a second she wasn't only watching it. She was there in that reality, could feel the bullet burning and tearing in her stomach - and not for the first time, she realized. She'd glimpsed this reality before, among the jumble of other ones.

"But...Chloe's death isn't tied to the storm," Max said. "That was...what you made me realize, wasn't it? When I was going back, it was like my nightmare, but different too. And you were there, trying to - to tell me the truth."

The Other Her nodded. "I didn't want you to make the same mistake. Because you're right. Our storms are not affected by Chloe's death. And I...didn't die then either. Nathan was arrested for shooting me, and he confessed the rest pretty quickly. I woke up in the hospital on Friday. Our parents were there. Chloe too. And I thought...maybe I really had fixed it all. But then the storm came anyway."

The world around them continued to shift with her words. Max could see it change beside her, yet could still feel herself in the other reality too. She was both there and not there, and she wondered if this was how the Other Her saw the world all the time.

"Chloe was visiting when it happened. My parents had gone out to get us food, but the storm came before they got back, and they...they never got back. Chloe tried to get me to safety. I used my power when I could but I was so weak, so hurt."

Max could see Chloe carrying the Other Max, and at the same time feel her arms, the shaking of the building as the storm ravaged it and they struggled to stay on their feet.

"The roof fell in on top of us," the Other Her said, her voice still soft.

Max gasped as she saw- felt - the rubble crushing her body, snapping it. She tried to move, to breathe, but blood bubbled up instead, and she coughed and sputtered and everything hurt and she couldn't see Chloe and -

The reality shifted again.

"I died," The Other Max said. "Or at least I did in one reality, but still managed to rewind. Again and again and again. So much, that I - I couldn't tell you how many. Each time we died before we could get out of the building. But I kept pushing, despite my weakness, my injury. Eventually I got back far enough - in my hospital room, where my journal was. So I went back again, through the butterfly photo."

There she was, in the bathroom, not bothering to hide behind the stall, staring at the door and what she knew would come if she stayed.

"I couldn't let her die, and I knew that neither of our deaths would change anything now. I didn't know what else to do. I was stuck in the boundaries of my photo. But...I had to keep pushing, somehow..."

Max watched the Other Her turn around, and walk toward the invisible walls of the moment in time. She pressed her hand against it, and Max could feel the slight give against her own hand; she remembered trying to walk through it once, when she'd brought back William. It hadn't been solid, exactly. More like a flexible barrier that kept her from going beyond.

"There was nothing else I could do. I had to try. I had to force myself past what I thought I was capable of, or any rules my power had."

Max's hands shook. The barrier was a stretching band against them, bending her fingers back and back until they were ready to break. She could feel blood dripping from her nose, even though she knew it wasn't hers. The Other Max pressed harder, screaming as she threw her weight against it, and Max screamed with her as the barrier finally snapped, and she burst through, vanishing into the void beyond.

The reality faded away, leaving Max panting and sweating in her seat, the Other Her now watching in silence.

Max stared down at her hands. Her fingers weren't broken, and there was of course no blood. She was trembling all the same, and she clenched and unclenched her fists, taking a deep breath then letting it out, and made herself relax.

"Now...I can see all the realities, but I'm no longer a part of them. Couldn't return to any of my own. Couldn't…" The Other Her stopped, and Max saw that she was looking over at Chloe again. She didn't say anything else for several seconds.

"Still I learned so much, watching and feeling all of these other selves, over and over and over again. Realized how little we all knew at the beginning. I couldn't - couldn't save my Chloe, my reality. Maybe, somehow, I could help our other selves instead."

It took a long moment for Max to be able to form a question. "Am I...the first you've helped?"

The Other Her shook her head. "No. But you are the first I've spoken to this clearly. All the others...I tried to let them know through these visions, as much as I could, and point them in the right direction. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn't. With you...now I have the chance to make you truly understand."

Max just sat, staring down at her hands. They weren't shaking anymore.

"You know, Chloe and I used to talk about fate all the time." Max snorted. "Of course you know, what am I saying? Anyway, we used to talk about how everything that happened meant we were a part of a great destiny. And then...when so many horrible things kept happening to Chloe, I...thought that had to be fate too. All of this bad stuff...there had to be some bigger reason for it, right? It had to mean something. Just like I thought there had to be a bigger reason behind what The Prescotts were doing. But there wasn't."

"Sometimes life is shit," The Other Max said. "And sometimes it isn't.

Max gave a sharp laugh. "Yeah, I guess that's it."

"No." The Other Max caught her eyes with a hard stare, leaning closer to her. "No, you're missing the point. I told you before it's not just us, not just our power! This, more than anything, you've got to understand. There are hundreds of possibilities, hundreds of lives being lived and not lived." As she spoke, the world around them changed again, reflecting what she was saying. Some were glimpses of realities Max had seen before, but all were familiar: a life some part of her had lived.

"There are worlds where Chloe is alive and happy and her dad is with her," the Other Max went on, and there they were, standing together, laughing, alive . Their voices rang in her ears, and she could have reached out and touched them, they were so real.

"There are worlds where your parents are dead and you have no one," the Other Her continued, and Max could see it, feel it, like cold pressing on her skin, a hollowness in her chest.

"There are worlds where we wake up next to Chloe every day for the rest of our lives," The Other Her said, quietly, reverently.

Max was there, in those moments: the morning air filling her lungs, slow sunlight warming her skin. Chloe beside her, blue hair sticking out to the side and red lines on her face from wrinkles in her pillow, and Max's heart ached because she wanted that.

"There are worlds where Rachel Amber is alive, worlds where Kate Marsh dies," The Other Her went on, and Max could see that too, could see Rachel as a friend/just some girl at school/a hand grabbing her own. Then there was Kate: in one second Max was reaching out for her, in another she was watching her plummet, and then seeing her body drop as the bullet passed through her skull, the entire time thinking this can't be real this can't be real, but it was.

"All real," The Other Her said, as if sensing her thoughts. "All true. All right. And not." The Other Her was staring into the distance now, her fingers laced together.

Max narrowed her eyes as the silence went on. "What?" She asked. "What more is there, what else can you possibly - ?"

"I don't know it for sure," The Other Her interrupted. She looked down at her interlocked hands. "But - after everything we've seen - I've seen - I think the storm is because of these overlapping realities."

Max stared at her, cold fear solidifying in her stomach. "What do you mean?"

"Everything bleeds together," The Other Her said again. "I - I see it all, over - overlapping - and it's like...like looking through layers and layers of film. It - it affects everything about what you see, what - what's in the picture." She shook her head. "I don't know how to explain it, if there's any way it could ever truly be explained, but I feel it. There are so many choices, so many possibilities here, creating these realities, pushing them together and on top of each other..." She trailed off, then focused on Max again. "Something has to give."

"So it...it was us?" Max whispered through numb lips. "The - The Prescotts saw the storm coming, but it was still because of us? Because we've created all these realities? Because - "

The Other Her shook her head. "Even in realities without our powers, the storm almost always comes -"

"Hold on," Max held up a hand, not quite able to believe what she'd heard. "Realities without my powers? That's - that's even a possibility?"

The Other Her made an irritated noise. "How many times do I have to tell you? There are hundreds and hundreds of choices that change everything here. There are realities where Chloe has powers, realities where no one does - realities where the storm doesn't come at all."

"But I thought - I thought it always came!" Max shot back in frustration. "The Prescotts saw it - "

"Yes," The Other Her agreed. "The storm does always come here. In this reality, and most others, that's what happens. It's as if...as if the storm relies more on our presence than our powers. And - and not just us either. All of us here, like Chloe and Rachel, the Prescotts and Jefferson...Kate and Warren, even William...there are so many of these converging events with all of us, creating new realities with every choice - whether we live or die...or rewind, or not."

The Other Her paused, and when she continued her voice was heavier, tired.

"I've seen so many realities, and I still can't completely explain or understand. There's no single reason for all of this, and no matter what caused the storm or what goes on in those other realities...what happens here and now is up to you." She finished softly.

Max didn't even have to think about what to say; she knew. "I have to choose."

The Other Her nodded grimly. "You have to choose," She agreed. "Just like I did."

And she failed. Max's stomach twisted. There was so much she had to lose. Her eyes burned, and she blinked rapidly, trying not to cry.

"I...I don't suppose you could give me any advice?" she asked, giving a slightly shaky laugh.

The Other Max smiled sadly. "I wish I could. But your circumstances are different from mine. I've seen us in this week a hundred different times, in a hundred different situations. They never turn out exactly the same way." The Other Her shook her head, looking down at her own hands. "You have to choose," She repeated. "And live with what you've chosen."

Max leaned over and put her face in her hands, closing her eyes. She'd known it would all come down to her choices, but she hadn't felt the true clarity of that fact until this moment.

"Okay," She finally said, though her own voice somehow sounded far away. She pushed herself to her feet, and got out of the booth. She walked toward her frozen friends, then stopped and turned around.

"One more question." She said. "What was with the Terminator quote?"

The Other Her stared back, and then laughed loudly, though she stopped just as suddenly as if surprised by the sound.

"What can I say? No matter the reality, we're still a geek." She paused, and continued thoughtfully. "'There is no fate but what we make for ourselves'...It's funny what stayed with me, even with so many realities overlapping, having to watch them over and over again...Seeing Chloe or the others in them made me feel stronger, gave...gave me purpose. But it wasn't just them I remembered. It was...watching Miyazaki movies with Chloe, or playing Final Fantasy . Even books we shared with Kate that we both loved, or - or science fiction that Warren showed us…" She was smiling now, looking over at their friends on the floor. "It's not as if Terminator was ever one of our favorites, but it spoke to me. Came back to me in moments I needed it, just like everything Chloe and the others have said to us across all these realities. Those words...gave me hope. Inspiration, I guess." She shook her head. "Maybe it's silly, but...I know you understand."

"Yeah." Max nodded. "I really do." She paused, and then added: "Thank you."

She faced forward again, and walked to her unconscious self, then hesitated. Am I supposed to lay down in my own body or something? She wondered.

"How do I wake - ?" She began, but she didn't get to finish. Just as suddenly as the world had stopped, within her next blink it was thrown into motion again, and she was back in her body on the floor. She blinked several times, trying to make sense of the world that was now moving around her.

"Max, please wake up!" Kate was saying over to the left.

"We should get something to stop the bleeding," Warren said, near where Kate's voice had come from.

"Max!" Chloe's face came into focus, right above her own. "Shit, are you okay?"

"Let's give her some breathing room," Joyce said, stepping back and holding out an arm to make David do the same. Kate and Warren moved a little, but stayed close.

"I'm - I'm okay," Max said, sitting up. Chloe was holding her from behind - her head had been laying in her lap - and she kept her hands on Max's back as she got to her feet.

"Hey, take it easy," David said. He was still being held off by Joyce, but was clearly itching to get closer. "You might have a concussion or something."

"I don't," Max said. "I'm fine." She shared a significant look with Chloe, knowing that she'd be able to guess what happened.

A mixture of emotions passed across Chloe's face - understanding, fear, and concern - but all she said was: "Just take a second to breathe." Her hand rubbed soothingly across Max's shoulders.

Max nodded, and did as she asked, allowing herself a few moments to recover from everything she'd just learned and experienced.

"Here," Kate said, holding out one of the small towels the diner used.

Max accepted it with a smile and wiped the blood from her face. Then she took a deep breath, let it out, and started speaking as if there had been no interruption.

"As I was saying," She said, putting the towel down on the counter next to her, "The storm will be -"

"Hold on," David said. "Max, you just fainted and had a bloody nose! You should see a doctor!"

"Doctors can't help much with time travel fatigue," Chloe said dryly.

Max laughed. "I think that's a good official name for it. And there's nothing to do about it," she added to Joyce and David. "I'm already feeling better." It wasn't a complete lie, and she would start to feel better after a while.

"Honey," Joyce said, worry written all over her face. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I really am," Max replied, doing her best to keep annoyance out of her tone; she appreciated Joyce's care, but couldn't really deal with it at the moment. "Thank you, Joyce," She finished softly.

Max's eyes caught movement, and noticed Frank standing a few feet away from the group. He'd come a bit closer since she fainted, but David's glares kept him from going farther.

Max gestured for him to come closer.

"I need all of you to listen," She said, gaining everyone's attention again. "And yes, David, that includes Frank," she added with a scowl as David started to move between Frank and the group. David stopped and scowled back, but Joyce said something to him under her breath and he moved away, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed.

Max eyed him for a moment, then spoke again.

"We need to go over our plan. We have about an hour if we are lucky, but the storm could be here sooner than that. No matter what our goal is to get out of Arcadia or get to a shelter."

"But there...is a plan?" Joyce asked, looking around at all of them. "I'm flyin' pretty blind here, and I...I trust all of you, but...this is the first I've heard of a plan."

"I understand," Max said, giving her a small smile. "We haven't had time to explain, but we've actually made a couple different plans. All that's left is to put the right one into motion."

She paused, the weight of her coming decision rushing in on her again. She reached for Chloe's hand as she mentally went through their options.

Their posters about storm shelters were all over the town. Kate and Warren had sent their mass warnings, and they'd all warned a few people face-to-face. Regardless of what choice she made now, it was still more than she'd done before. Because of what they had done, there were some people who would be saved - and there was still more they could do, if she was willing to risk it.

They could put out an emergency broadcast signal. It would get the information out to the most people, and then they could leave Arcadia soon as they were done. They wouldn't have a head start on the storm, but they'd be giving one to nearly everyone else.

They could use the buses as Kate had suggested: take whoever they could - like the Blackwell students - and then stay behind in one of the if Wells didn't end up believing her, David's presence would be enough to convince a lot of kids.

And, of course, they could just leave in Frank's RV. They could run far from here and get to safety and Max wouldn't have to be in this hellish week ever again. Escape was right there - if she could live with the consequences of it.

Max took a deep breath, looked one last time at the people around her, and made her choice.

"This is what we're going to do."

---

Once the endings are done I will post them so you can put yourself in Max' shoes and choose what you think is best.

A few misc. notes:
-When the original game ended, there was a lot of talk about wanting a version of the "Hospital ending" or a "Sacrifice Max" option, and this was my exploration of that idea. I know having an ultra-powerful Max isn't a new concept in fic - No Grave Can Hold My Body Down is one of my favorites - I hope the version I've got here is different enough, and one you all enjoy.
-The scene with Victoria is another one I've had planned for a long time. Originally it took place in the Diner, but I think it makes a lot more sense this way, and for Joyce to have the Diner closed.
-Since the beginning, some of the flashes of other realities I've had Max experience have been setting up for the endings you guys will get.
-I toyed with having The Ambers be actual characters in the story, but ultimately decided against it, especially since this story isn't BtS compliant. But I still wanted to show how important it would be to Chloe to make sure they're safe.
-The final conversation in the Diner (most of it anyway, it has changed and been added to over time) with Max and her other self is one of the earliest things I ever wrote for this story. Since before I even started the first chapter, I knew that conversation was coming, and I've been building to it the entire time, and it's kinda the basis for the whole story.

I hope the ride has been - and will continue to be - worth it. See you all with the endings soon.