Work Text:
"hey william. am i bothering you?"
“Why yes, Max, I love going through bills. Kidding! How can you bother me? I haven’t seen you in forever.”
“i know! you look exactly the same. it’s so cool!”
“Good. Or I’d be ascared if I didn’t look like me!...Course, you seem more adult now. So what’s on your mind?”
"...."
"...Max? Hey, what's wrong?"
"...."
"My god. Sit down right here. You look like your cat just died."
"william..."
"Slow down. Catch your breath first."
"...."
"There you go. Little color back in your face."
"i thought i'd be ready. to tell you. i'm sorry."
"Nothing sorry about'ya."
"*snort* that's...so lame."
"Only the best material for my long-lost second daughter."
"...."
"And there she goes again. Great job, William. Always know just what to say."
"william...listen."
"You've got my attention, kiddo."
"...i can't."
"Sure you can."
"...this is all my fault."
"Honey. No. Chloe is thrilled to see you. Means the world to both of us."
"no. no. i mean literally. the paralysis. the crash. all of this." *gestures around*
"What are you talking about?"
"you're going to think i'm crazy."
"I think I need you to explain."
"...no. there's too much. no time. i have to do this in pieces."
"What do you--"
REWIND REWIND REWIND
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REWIND REWIND REWIND
"hey william. am i bothering you?"
“Why yes, Max, I love going through bills. Kidding! How can you bother me? I haven’t seen you in forever.”
"you've never seen me before."
"Well, of course I--what do you mean?"
"i'm not...your max. i'm...another version of her."
"Another..."
"please listen. i don't have long and i need to get this out."
"*sigh* I'm listening."
"i'm from another timeline. another arcadia bay. one where things are different than this."
"What, like everybody drives on the left? Wears underwear on the outside?"
"well, yeah. kinda. but nothing so dramatic. most things are the same. everything outside of arcadia bay is. i think."
"Okay. So what's different about the Bay?"
"...damn it. this is harder than i thought."
"Spit it out, kiddo."
"fine. it's you. you're gone."
"Gone? Where on earth would I go? This is my home. Sure, the bills are piling up, but there's nowhere I'd rather be."
"you're...gone. gone gone. it wasn't your choice."
"You mean I..."
"yes."
"...This isn't funny anymore."
"william. i am NOT joking. i need you to believe me and i need you to listen."
"Okay then. How? When? What happened?"
"5 years ago. car crash."
"5 years..."
"you might not remember. i was over with you and chloe. joyce called you from the grocery store, but your keys were gone."
"My keys...the clicker didn't work! That was weird."
"in my timeline, you found your keys. drove to pick her up. there was a drunk driver. you--"
"Stop."
"you died. you weren't paralyzed. you died instantly."
"Stop it, Max."
"and it changed everything. you didn't--"
"I need a minute! Give me a damn minute, Maxine!"
"..."
"...Why are you telling me this?"
"because. you have to make a choice."
"What choice?"
"chloe. in my timeline. she's not...paralyzed."
"What do you...oh my God. The birthday present."
"yes."
"Are you saying...I have to choose between--"
"you and chloe. yes."
"What kind of choice is that? What is this, Max?"
"i'm serious. i can go back. fix it so you find your keys. put all of this back the way it was."
"You can...how? What? Max, what are you--"
"just trust me. i can. and i need you to choose."
"..."
"..."
"...Tell me about her."
"are you sure you--"
"Tell me, Max. About this other Chloe."
"she's...amazing. she's so strong. goes to punk shows. blue hair. smokes weed. gets in trouble. argues with joyce and d---with everybody."
"..."
"she's beautiful, william. and hurting. reckless. she loves you so much and is so angry with you for leaving."
"..."
"i'm sorry, william. i thought i was doing the right thing. saving you. bringing you back to her. to us. i missed you too. so much."
"Max..."
"but i didn't know she'd be like this. barely alive. i can't stand to see her like this. knowing i did that to her."
"Max. Stop."
"and now you're crying, and i'm crying, and there's no right answer and i don't know what to do, i'm scared to do anything--"
"Come here, Max."
"..."
"You really are my other daughter."
"..."
"Listen to me now. Thank you, Max. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for trying. Thank you for loving my daughter."
"i don't---how did---"
"I've known for a long time. Since you were kids. And I'm happy she has you. She's going to need you when you put things back."
"do you mean--"
"Yes. I do. If you can fix this, fix it. Bring my daughter back."
"but you'll be...all of this will change."
"Yes."
"why?"
"Because I love her. Because I would give anything to undo that day. Take back her present. Give her back her legs, her breathing, her fire. I've been...I never thought someone would give me the chance. And here you are, offering me a miracle."
"are you sure? i don't want...i don't want you to go either."
"It's okay. That's what parents are for. If I'd been there the day she was hit, if I could have stopped that car with my body to keep her safe, I would have. I think about it every day, every time I see her asleep with the morphine. I think about that car barreling down the road, jumping in front of it, the screech of brakes--"
"william..."
"Save her, Max. If you can."
"i will. i...that's what i wanted. i just...thought the choice should be yours."
"And I love you for it. Thank you for giving her a second chance."
"i love you too, william. i wish you could see the chloe i know."
"I can. Believe me. I see her in your eyes."
"i'm going to fix this. i promise. thank you for believing me."
"You better go. Before I change my mind."
"william...i just want you to know that, whatever happens, i'll always be here for chloe. always."
"I know you will, Max."