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Max jumped into Chloe's arms as soon as she entered the door of their small apartment and cheerfully blurted out: “Chloe, I got a job. An actual serious photography job!”
Chloe lovingly matched Max’ hug and embraced her tightly, saying.“Sounds hella dope Max! beats waiting tables by a mile!”
Max slid backwards, her hands gliding down Chloe’s arms until she was holding her hands and rocked them from side to side. “Yes, totally! It’s for a new band, they're done recording their first record and are planning their first official tour. They insisted on hiring some young female talent to give someone an opportunity. I submitted a portfolio of my photo's and I got the job!”
“Awesome! Is it here in Colorado springs, or do we have to go somewhere? I am almost done with the truck, so we can get on the road within two days if we need to.” Chloe said enthusiastically.
Max cheerfully replied: “It’s just perfect, they are coming here! They used to live in a town here in Colorado and want to kick off their tour there to commemorate that, so they will pass through and do a gig here.”
Max’ expression changed her eyes big with surprise.
“And Chloe, I almost didn’t believe it... On top of a flat fee, they offered me a small percentage of each record sold that uses my pictures and of every show they do that uses my work... A deal that is basically unheard of. The agent was scratching her head why on earth the band insisted on that. If they do well, we could make some real money!”
Chloe did a little dance “Sounds awesome Max! We could fix the truck in a more thorough way... Or, when I get used to the idea, retire the old warhorse and get something more solid after all these years.”
Max smiled at her. “Yes Chloe. Maybe its time to start thinking about what we want to do with the car situation. If this works out we might actually have options.”
More solemnly, she continued: “But still, I am just as attached to our brown beast as you are. She has held out longer than we could have hoped, even with all the work you, sergeant Reed and David have done on it. And she is just about the last thing that has been with us all the way from Arcadia Bay.”
Chloe’s eyes became moist as she spoke with a slight tremble in her voice “Yeah. All our adventures together for the last seven years were in that truck, and I still remember almost running over you in the Blackwell parking lot and then racing off with you as if it was yesterday—The day my life finally turned around for the better! To be honest, I would prefer to not give it up unless we have no choice.”
Max' eyes briefly filled with tears, mirroring Chloe's. “We have been through a lot together, the three of us. We could look into getting her fixed up a bit more thoroughly . When we have some money we could go see David again, and get his help, or maybe sergeant Reed?”
Chloe’s eyes lit up and glinted cheerfully. “Are you serious? I'd love that. David is awesome with cars, and i'd actually love to see him again. Gah! who would have thought that back in Arcadia bay, huh? Me wanting to see the old stepdouche?"
“That makes me think, Chloe…” Max said thoughtfully, “… Maybe we should stop calling him that? I mean, it’s endearing and tongue in cheek by now, but it still carries a sting. He has helped us several times now, and remember on the phone? Ever since the first time we visited him, he says ‘I love you’ and he calls you his daughter... He has come so far…”
“Yeah, Max.”Chloe nodded in agreement “I feel you’re right. Its an old habit that got stuck, but it’s time it stopped…”After a pause, she corrected herself “No, time that I stopped it. You are always so sweet, Max, to say ‘We’ about stuff like this. But you never called him that, except maybe once or twice back in Arcadia Bay… Yes. Time for me to undouche David for real. He earned it… It will take some time getting used to calling him 'dad' tho...”
“You can always just refer to him as David, like you do most of the time anyway?” Max offered.
“Yeah… that would be a good start…” Chloe said, while she embraced Max tenderly. “I am so happy with you. Ever since you came back into my life, stuff really turned around for me… and I became a much better person.”
As she released Max, Chloe’s face became ponderous. “Shit, Max…”
“What, Chloe?”
“Well.. I was thinking… Nah, you will probably think its dumb or a weird time to say it…”
“Nonono, no.” max said shaking her head lightly, closing her eyes with a determined face, then looking Chloe in the eyes again“We agreed we couldn’t do that. You start something, you finish it, you make me do that all the time too. Speak your mind!”
Chloe became a bit insecure, moving her torso around nervously, looking around at nothing specific as if avoiding looking Max in the eyes. “Well… I was thinking, maybe we could think about making it more official sometime soon…”
“Oh my god Chloe, are you saying what I think you are saying?”
“Uhm, yup” Chloe said looking off sideways.
“Well, you are right, it is an odd moment, but I like it anyway…”
Chloe gathered herself, looked at Max and said: “Well, Max, let me redo it better.. I Saved up for this for six months and built up courage for just as long…”
She reached into her pocket, taking out a small box, opened it, revealing a cute silver ring with a blue inlaid butterfly, which she presented to Max.
“I dare you to marry me.”
“Oh Chloe…” Max said, looking deeply touched.
Chloe kneeled, looking up at max, calmly saying “I double dare you. Agree to marry me now!”
Max smiled happily, extending her right hand “Yes, Chloe. Yes. With all my heart… Yes! And awesome of you to propose to me in this way! That moment in your old, room when you dared me to kiss you was one of the most wonderful moments of my life!”
Chloe smiled, got up and slid the ring on Max’ finger. It fit perfectly.
“Well.. until you walk down the aisle and kiss me at the altar, I bet that will be even better!”
“And see you in a wedding dress? Chloe Price in an actual dress?”
“Who knows? Marry me and find out!”
Max pressed her body to Chloe’s and wrapped her arms around her, placed her head sideways against her chest, while Chloe answered her embrace, gently stroking her back.
“You make me so happy Chloe. I am still so sorry for abandoning you those five years….”
Chloe briefly closed her eyes and shook her head. “If you promise me one thing in your wedding vows, please promise me to forget about that. You made up for it ten times in the seven years since. I owe all my years since 2013 to you, remember? We will have our whole lives to be together now, thanks to you.
“You have made me happy again after I was ready to just give up. Saved my life so many times and made me want to live again. Without you, I wouldn't really have cared that much about being shot by Nathan. No, it’s all forgiven. Really. Lets start our new future without that old pain… I love you.”
Max sighed happily. “I love you too Chloe, and I always will… Now lets go to bed and Cuddle as fiancee’s?”
--x--
One afternoon, a bit over a week later, Max burst into the apartment, beaming and calling out to Chloe excitedly:
“Chloe, good news! It’s on girl! I did the shoot with the band. Spent a long time talking to them, they are super nice, and stoked about my work. The singer is some pretty Asian chick with an awesome voice. I think this band is going places, their music is awesome! And, when I told her about us being engaged asked me to bring you too tomorrow. So, will you come with me to see her? Its cool, she’s gay too!”
Chloe, who was sitting on a lounge chair studying a car repair book, replied: “Sure, seems fun to meet a cool band, and I’m hella curious to see the people who gave us such a generous contract.”
“Well, they gave me great tickets for their gig tomorrow, and they kinda invited us to meet them well before the show and have some casual dinner in the place they’re playing at”
“Sounds great! “Chloe jokingly faked a confused ponderous look. “Casual dinner…. Have to look around or go shopping to buy some casual clothes tho…”
“You goof!” Max sniggered at Chloe while giving her a limp slap on the shoulder. “But seriously… anything you would want to wear would always be good enough… Always liked your rebellious styles, my love” She caressed Chloe’s hand as she spoke, then gently sat down on her lap and put her hands on Chloe’s shoulders.
“And your t shirt and jeans have always been awesome for me…” Chloe began, putting one arm around Max’ back. “Love how ever since I gave you one, you added flannels to your wardrobe. They look hella hot on you.” Her eyes became distant and ponderous while she said that.
“But that new more formal style with the long skirt and long sleeved top you started wearing lately, love that too! Makes you look very... professional”
“Aw, thanks.”Max said with a somewhat self conscious smile., then got a cheeky look when she continued “But I have not given up on getting you into a skirt someday…”
Chloe smirked, raised an eyebrow and said “That will take some doing, a lot more than just one of your sweet smiles. Or, maybe a hella lot of dope! I think the last time I wore any skirts or dresses was when we were still in grade school.”
“Yes, I remember. You fought Joyce on it for twenty minutes before you gave in! But I will be more subtle. I will slowly wear you down.” Max whispered that last sentence in Chloe’s ear, giving her some small kisses behind it.
“hmmm… No fair, Caulfield!”
“That’s ‘future Mrs Price’, Chloe!” Max happily corrected her.
“Oh, shit that sounds hot. 'Chloe Caulfield' has a nice ring to it too tho”
“Well, nowadays marrying couples can choose so we could even swap last names if we wanted” Max said in a perky tone.
“No, Max. I want to have the same name as you. Whatever you pick, I will go with.”
“I guess its Price then…honey” Max said, after which she kissed Chloe on the lips.
--x--
The next evening, Max and Chloe made their way to the music hall. With her name, the door staff confirmed their entry on the guest list and a staff member escorted them to the upstairs artist’s dressing room.
Max went ahead of Chloe into the room. Max greeted the band members and said “Chloe, I’d like you to meet Alex Chen and-"
“STEPH?!” Chloe exclaimed, looking at the drummer stunned in surprise.
"Chloe?!” Steph replied, almost equally stunned.
“You know each other?” Alex and Max said almost perfectly synchronous, and with surprised faces.
“Uh… yeah” Chloe said.
“Yupp” Steph concurred.
Alex closed her eyes for a second in sudden realization. “Ohh… of course! That Chloe!… How could I forget. You told me about her when we talked about your high school times… Elf barbarian wasn’t it?”
Chloe smiled and shook Alex’ hand. “Yes. Callamastia, nice to meet you!”
Steph came forward with an emotional smile “So good to see you again Chloe. I am so happy you made it out of Arcadia bay alive!” She hugged Chloe as she spoke.
“Glad to see you too Steph. Been too long, really.”
“Yes, but I get it. I guess we all had a hard time dealing with the aftermath of the disaster. Lost so many people…” Steph’s eyes went distant.
A shadow went across Max’ face as she heard Steph say that, and she covered her face in her hands.
“Whats wrong, Max?” Steph asked. “Should we change the subject? The storm must be a traumatizing memory for you as well, I’m sure. Sorry for bringing it up”
“It is a sensitive subject for Max” Chloe said, wrapping her arms around Max.
“More than sensitive…” Alex remarked “Max’ colors are doing really strange things…” She continued. With a somewhat ponderous expression she added “I see… guilt?”
“see? Colors? What are you on about?” Chloe asked, slightly defensive of Max.
Steph explained quickly, “Oh, sorry. We are so used to it, its easy to forget it is strange to others… Well, Alex can see colors around people that show her the emotions people feel. She can sometimes also ‘zoom’ in and sense more detail about the what or why, or sense the emotions and situations around objects. May sound crazy to you but it’s real!”
Alex interjected “I am sorry for blurting things out. I sometimes still do that when emotions overwhelm me. I promise I didn’t pry any further than I could not prevent.
“It’s not strange to feel guilt. People that survive a disaster often feel guilty because random fate somehow spared them while it took others. Makes them wonder why they were spared, while they don’t feel more worthy than the ones that were less lucky.”
At those words Max cringed and started crying. “If only it were that so simple. I am guilty.”
“How do you mean?” Alex asked.
Max briefly hesitated, then began to explain:
“Well, Alex… You’re not the only one with powers. Although I wished I had been given one more like yours…” Max said with a deeply emotional and hoarse voice.
“I got cursed with the ability to rewind time in a limited way. Where you can use your power to make better decisions, I had to travel back and forth trying to fix mistakes and roll the dice every time.”
She took a deep breath and said “Fuck it. I might just as well tell it all.”
Max took about fifteen minutes to tell about what had happened in Arcadia Bay.
Steph’s eyes became big in surprise. “You have got to be kidding right, Chloe? She is telling a story, isn't she? This time travel thing is just made up fantasy stuff?!”
Alex was shaking her head as Steph spoke but didn’t interrupt.
Chloe looked insecure and worried. “No, Steph. It’s real…” Without taking her eyes off Steph, she said “Max, show her?”
Max suddenly appeared behind Steph, holding Steph’s beanie and Alex’ glasses that had suddenly disappeared from their heads, and handed them the items back.
“See?” She just took them from you and rewound time. It looks like teleporting but for her a few minutes passed.”
Steph looked distraught. “So you… are telling me… This means you had a possibility to save the town, if Chloe had died?”
“Not sure, but it could be that the storm would not have happened if I had traveled back to that Monday and let Chloe get shot and killed instead of activating the fire alarm. In that case, the town might have survived… But I just couldn’t.”
“Shit… My mom… Drew… All those people… you could have saved them? Could maybe still save them?”
“I don’t know… If I had taken actions that would have led to Chloe’s death, alone, feeling abandoned, and on a dirty bathroom floor… maybe or maybe not… Fuck… I am so sorry, but I didn’t ask for that terrible choice.”
“But you did make it… Shit.. shit shit shit!” Steph exclaimed with increasing volume. Her eyes filled with tears and she ran off.
Max looked terrified and anguished, being confronted with all the demons that had haunted her the last seven years, as she was confronted with the results of her choice directly for the first time. “So sorry... S- Sorry… Sorry”
“Steph, wait, please!” Chloe yelled, starting after her.
“No, wait…” Alex interrupted her, with a soft expression and a gentle hand on Chloe’s arm. “Let her go for now. When she is this emotional, you won't reach her. I’ll go talk to her in a minute.” She looked at Max, and gave her a small, sad smile.
“I get what you have been through, Max. That must have been one bitch of a choice. I can see how conflicted and distraught you are about it, and that you would have given your own life if it would have saved both Chloe and the town.”
She continued “Sometimes life doesn’t give you the perfect choices and you just have to deal with the ones you have. I have been in situations like that as well..
“Now, if I had been in your position and Steph in Chloe’s… No way I would have sacrificed Steph for the chance that maybe the storm wouldn’t happen, probably not even if I was sure. And I am certain Steph will realize she wouldn’t make any other choice if I was in Chloe’s place.
“You didn’t choose for the town to be destroyed… When confronted with that ridiculous dilemma, you refused to actively kill Chloe… That's a key difference as far as I see it.”
Alex gave another sad smile, looked at Max’ with eyes full of empathy and briefly touched Max’ arm. “Try to forgive yourself. That will make accepting forgiveness from others easier. For what it’s worth from an outsider… take my forgiveness.” She let go of Max’ arm, Looked at both Max and then at Chloe with another empathic smile and went after Steph.
Max sat down on the leather couch. put her elbows on her knees and cupped her eyes with her hands, sobbing. Chloe sat down beside her and embraced her.
“Oh, my sweet, sweet Max… My love… sometimes I feel guilty for not jumping off that cliff by the lighthouse to save you the choice, my being alive came at such a cost to you… I know you hide it from me but I have heard you talk in your sleep and seen ‘Arcadia bay victims’ in the search history of the laptop. I know you have looked through the names and pictures many times.”
Max leaned into her and sobbed. “Y—you know what the worst is, Chloe?”
Chloe embraced her tighter and said “No?”
“Well, if I look at you… I don’t feel that guilty. I know I would make the same choice again and again and again. There is no scenario where I would sacrifice you. If fate gave me this impossible choice, fate can go fuck itself!”
Her face turned resolute. “If timelines do exist, I cannot believe there is a single one where some kind of alternate me would sacrifice you. If you had jumped like you just said… I would have rewound to stop you, retrying a million times if I had to, until I found a way.”
She sighed. “Maybe I am a monster? But that's what love and this crazy chain of events made me… What this impossible situation made me into.” She paused and uttered a deep sigh. Then she continued:
“But Alex is right. No one who truly loves would make another choice. It is simply a choice I shouldn’t have had, no mortal person should get to make. I refuse to feel guilty for keeping you alive.. Sure, I’d wish I could save both you and the town, and as Alex said, even given my life for that. But it was simply not an option I was given. I got a shit impossible monstrous choice and I made it. And I don’t regret saving you, and i won't regret saving you!”
With loving and sympathetic eyes Chloe answered: “I get it, my sweet Max, I get it. If our positions had been reversed, I would have done the same for you.
“But maybe look deeper. Some counselor who tried to help me when my dad died, once said that sometimes you can feel guilt or shame for things even if you couldn’t help it. Be angry at things that happened without being angry with the people involved, just angry because they happened.. Like I was angry because my dad died, without blaming my dad.
“It seems to me you don't feel guilt about the choice you made...but maybe you do for the fact that you don’t feel guilty for it?”
Max looked at Chloe, raising her reddened eyes from her hands. “Yes… yes! That's exactly what I feel. And I feel hella angry for having been forced into that dilemma.”
Chloe stroked Max' hair and back.“Maybe we should talk about this some more in the future. Work towards finding some healing and peace. We have been dodging the subject most of the time ever since we drove out of Arcadia Bay, apart from the time we were at the Navajo nation and spoke to Grandmother Nizhoni. Probably because we both had our pain and guilt about it and we just wanted to move on and not think about it.
“Try to forgive yourself, love. You did the best you could. For my part, I am hella grateful to you. and I am sure my mom would forgive you.”
Max sighted and crawled deep into Chloe’s arms. She whispered, almost inaudible, “That means a lot to me, Chloe...”
“Oh Max, I adore you…” Chloe said, tightening her hold and stroking Max’ back.
After a few minutes Alex came back in, followed by Steph, who looked like she had been crying a lot.
“Max?” Steph began, her voice wavering and breaking. Max looked up at her, eyes full of pain, questions and some fear.
As Max released from Chloe’s hold and turned towards her, Steph resumed, her voice breaking at some points. “I… I thought and felt about everything for a while, and feel I owe you an apology. What you went through… I cannot only begin to imagine.”
She breathed in sharply and sighed. “You tried to do the right thing all the way, even saved poor Kate Marsh, saved Chloe every time, and at the end, fate gave you a big FU by telling you it was all for nothing.”
She sobbed briefly, then continued, her voice deeply emotional.“I am not so arrogant to think I could have done better in your place, or make another choice if it had been me and Alex, or Chloe for that matter…”
Looking briefly at Alex, then back at Max, she continued “No, I don’t blame you. If you had been here, alone, and Arcadia Bay intact, and you told me how you went back and let Chloe die to save it. I honestly wouldn't know if it had been any less terrible. So no. No condemnation here.”
She swallowed and continued “Now, had Chloe already been dead and had you knowingly and willingly destroyed the town to get her back, I would probably feel different. But you didn’t know the price until the end when you ended up on that cliff by the lighthouse. How can I blame you for the choice, that deep in my heart, I know I could not have made differently?”
She closed her eyes briefly while she shook her head.
“No. I cannot deny it hurts like hell and part of me feels like you killed my mother... or allowed her to die. But this time travel shit is so complicated, normal ways of thinking become sort of pointless.”
Looking max in the eyes she reassured her: “You did what you could. You made a choice where either option would be shit of one color or another. So i cant really judge the color of shit you chose.”
Steph’s face now showed a sad smile as she looked at Chloe for a moment.
“And I… i am hella happy Chloe is here, alive. I have to admit, if i had the power to trade her for my mom right now, I couldn't do it, so how can I blame you for not doing it back then?"
Steph stepped towards Max, put her hand on her shoulder "Max, for what its worth... i forgive you. Even without Alex describing it to me, i can guess the guilt and anguish you, and maybe Chloe too, have been carrying around. Please, let that end. You survived, others didn't. Now, live the life you have gotten to keep. As far as i am concerned, we go ahead with the plan. Plus, i want us to be friends.”
"Only if you will be our best girls at the wedding, Steph..." Chloe remarked with a friendly smile.
Steph turned her head, keeping her hand on Max shoulder and said "Hell yeah, that will be awesome… and you can do the same when Alex and my time comes. After all, she has already promised, didn’t you, Alwynn?"
She briefly winked at a happily smiling Alex and then turned back to Max who was still stunned by all Steph had said to her, said "Come here, you" and hugged her.
Max finally relaxed and said "Thanks, Steph.. you have no idea how much good you have done me today. You are so deep and understanding, it touches me down to my soul.”
“Well, Max… that's what you get when you are engaged to an empath. With Alex here, there is no hiding from emotions… Now, lets eat and discuss this wedding party..."
The two couples walked down the stairs together, into the dining area and towards a much happier future...