Chapter Text
Trees whiz by in a blur as the beat-up truck roars down the road, moonlight glinting on what chrome remained unobscured by stickers and rust on the rear bumper. The grunge sounds of Bikini Kill’s Rebel Girl blast from the speakers. Crushed cans, fast food wrappers, and cigarette butts dance along on the dash board. Rounding a corner, the land falls away beside the guardrail, down a steep cliff face with ocean waves crashing below. Briny sea air rushes in through the open window, the driver’s emerald hair flying about. She leans her head out, arm rested on the door as she looks to the horizon. Pinpricks of light outline an encroaching town with a sandy beach stretching to the water, dark beneath the evening sky. A distant lighthouse is perched high on a rocky overlook beside a copse of pines, signal beam making its rounds.
“Won’t be long now,” the driver thinks, pulling her head back in. She glances to the side when there is a stir of movement from the passenger seat. “Would you look at that, awake just in time,” she states with a hint of playful sarcasm.
Pushing herself up from her previously slumped position, the passenger’s mouth stretches in a wide yawn. Blinking her eyes open, she lets out a small gasp. “Oh, wow! I didn’t realize we’d be this close already!”
The driver lets out a snort. “Max, you’ve been passed out over there for an hour, at least.”
“Oh… yeah, I guess that checks then,” Max replies in a voice barely audible above the wind and music. After a moment longer of observing the destination they were closing in on, she turns her attention to the occupant in the driver’s seat; the emerald-haired woman still had her arm resting on the door while cushioning her cheek in her palm, a finger on the other hand tapping the steering wheel along to the beat. “So, Chloe… how do you feel about almost being back? Does it feel surreal for you too?”
Another snort from Chloe. With an absent shrug she drones, “Ehhh… I guess it’ll be nice to say ‘hi’ to Mom, but otherwise, I don’t expect the shit-pit to have changed any since I was last there.” Pausing, she raises her brows as a thought occurs to her. Clearing her throat, Chloe amends, “Fuck, that was insensitive, sorry. I know this will be weird for you, seeing the town you thought had been wiped off the map be safe and sound.”
After a moment of contemplative silence, Max says, “I still haven’t fully processed that this is happening yet, I don’t think.” A small, almost shy smile curves her lips as she looks over at Chloe. “Every day I am still in shock that I am waking up next to you!” Max shifts her gaze back to the road in front of them and continues, “It’ll be nice to visit Joyce after all these years thinking I’d never see her again. I’m grateful she’s fine with us crashing in your old bedroom, too.”
“Honestly, I think she’ll be glad to have some company for once,” Chloe admits with another shrug. “It’s not like I am ever around for long these days.”
“Seems you’re a professional at keeping busy,” Max replies with a snicker. She leans back in her seat, tilting her head as she gazes out the window, wistful expression reflecting on the glass. “It has been awesome traveling around with you and the band these past weeks, but I’ll admit that I’m really looking forward to this time for just us.”
“Especially if we can manage to go a few days without some sort of tragedy taking place,” the driver laughs. She smiles quietly to herself for a second before she continues, her voice soft with emotion, “I can’t wait to spend some downtime with you too, Max.”
The passenger turns her head to observe the driver, remaining silent, blue eyes searching her face.
Chloe glances sidelong at Max with a raised eyebrow. “What? I can feel you staring into my soul, Maximus.”
“I just-” Max starts before cutting herself off with a sigh. “You’re sure this is okay, Chloe? Coming back here?”
“Max, if it wasn’t okay, d’you think I would’ve driven our asses this far? Plus, even if it wasn’t okay, would it matter at this point? We’re practically there,” the driver states matter-of-factly. “What brought this on?”
Max squirms a bit in her seat, eyes downcast as her fingers fidget in her lap. “You’ve just seemed a little… I dunno, distant. Since we’ve started on our way here, I mean. After the last few gigs, you’ve been quieter than usual and I just… I just worry, that’s all.” Finally, she looks back up at Chloe. “You’d tell me if something was bothering you, right? I don’t want this to be uncomfortable for you.”
With a slight wince, the driver thinks, “Shit, of course she’d notice.” Chloe exhales a sigh of her own, explaining, “I’ve… had a lot on my mind. This place brings up… memories. And now with this whole ‘merged reality’ business I can’t even tell which ones are truly ‘mine’ anymore, which version of me they happened to. It’s a lot to process.” Chloe shoots another furtive glance at Max before refocusing on the road, silently praying she wouldn’t pry further.
“I… I’m sorry, Chloe. I can’t even imagine how difficult sorting through those conflicting thoughts must be,” Max replies, the tone of her voice almost mournful as she slumps even further down.
The truck slows to a stop at a crossroad, yellow light from the turn signal winking in the darkness. “Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for,” Chloe assures, rotating the wheel and easing the truck into a right turn without squealing the tires, a rare moment of more conservative driving for her. “You didn’t know any of this shit was going to happen when you… merged separate realities together, how could you? Especially since you didn’t even know you were doing it, which still sounds completely fucking insane to say out loud!”
Max can’t help herself and she laughs softly. “It sounds fucking insane because it is fucking insane, I still don’t even know how I did it!”
“Well, however you did it, it brought us back together again. That’s what matters to me,” Chloe says, giving Max a playful punch to the shoulder, eliciting some more giggles from her.
The laughter slowly dies down, both women falling silent while a large billboard comes into view. As they get closer, the writing on the sign becomes clearer in the headlights: Another Beautiful Day in Arcadia Bay, Welcome!
~~~~
Continuing the rest of the trek through the sleepy town in shared quiet, the only sounds coming from the engine rumbling and the music still flowing from the speakers, Chloe and Max eventually pull into the driveway of a familiar home. Cutting the ignition, Chloe unbuckles her seatbelt before looking at Max, who was looking back with her brow furrowed. She puts a hand on Max’s shoulder in reassurance, offering an encouraging smile. “Don’t be so nervous, dude. Just act natural.”
“Easy for you to say! Joyce has been dead in my reality for a decade, and now she’s back! How am I supposed to just ‘act natural?’” Max asks, flabbergasted.
Chloe rolls her eyes before giving her an amused look. “Max, it’s just my Mom, you’re not talking to an alien. She hasn’t seen you during that decade either, so just tell her about what you’ve been up to if she asks. Y’know, regular small talk shit. Just without including all the supernatural fuckery.”
“Okay… yeah, I can do that,” Max affirms with a nod, probably more to herself than Chloe.
They both proceed to grab up their bags and exit the truck, the shutting of the doors echoing down the otherwise deserted street. It’s a still, clear evening, the moon shining bright overhead with the trilling of tree frogs and chirping of crickets filling the night air. Most houses are dark, but light shines from inside the Price home. Chloe steps up to the front door and rummages in her pocket, extracting a set of jumbled keys. Before she can slot one in the knob, the front door opens wide, revealing Joyce Price, a grin spread across her face.
“There you two are! I was starting to get worried you drove into the ocean or somethin’!” Joyce says in greeting, wrapping her daughter in an embrace. Illumination from inside bathes her and Chloe in a golden glow, the sight filling Max with a sense of relief and warmth as she watches from beside the truck.
Chloe puts an arm around her mother in turn. “Hey, Mom. Figured we should at least drop off our bags and show face before testing my truck’s submarine capabilities,” she teases. Joyce responds with a snort, shaking her head as she steps to the side, allowing Chloe to go past and into the house.
“Max Caulfield, as I live and breathe! It has been far too long honey, come here and give me a hug!” Joyce says, moving further onto the front stoop, gesturing to Max with one hand.
“Joyce, it is so good to see you,” Max replies with a soft smile as she closes the distance between them. She sets down her bag and steps into Joyce’s open arms, tucking herself into the hug. The tension that had built in her shoulders over the course of the trip all but melts away as Joyce gives her a brief squeeze.
After a moment, Joyce pulls back, but sets her hands on Max’s shoulders as she looks her over. “God, it is so easy for me to forget how much time has passed. Look at you now, a proper woman! You have really grown into your own, dear, and it makes me so happy that you’re back in Chloe’s life again,” she declares. Max shifts awkwardly from one foot to the other, her expression sheepish while Joyce inspects her. Quietly, she whispers a ‘thank you.’ Joyce steps aside then with a wave of the arms towards the entrance.“Well, let’s not stand out here all night then, the air is getting chilly now this time of year!”
Max takes the hint and bends to grab up her bag before nodding to Joyce, giving her a bashful smile while moving to the front door. She stands briefly on the threshold, staring inside. This place that for so much of her life has felt like a second home, where she spent so much time while growing up, still feels familiar even after all the years that have passed. Even from here she could see that it had hardly changed since the last she’d seen of it over ten years ago, during that week she spent with Chloe in pursuit of clues about Rachel Amber. The staircase off to the right, carpet worn in the middle, and the hall that stretches to the living room, the dining table on the left just peeking out from behind the kitchen island with the fireplace beyond it, was all just as she remembered. She steals herself, realizing that in her personal memory this place had been destroyed during the storm, but now it was back just as it always was. In that moment, Max feels a wave of nostalgia wash over her as she stares, taking it all in. She can practically see her younger self and Chloe sprinting by in their pirate costumes with Joyce calling to them from the kitchen to not run in the house.
The reverie is broken when the current Chloe leans into view. “Well, hippie? You gonna come in, or what?” she asks with an arched eyebrow and crooked grin. Stepping closer, she extends a hand out to Max. “Here, gimme your bag and I’ll put it in my room.”
“Oh, what a gentlewoman!” Max laughs as she deposits her luggage in Chloe’s outstretched hand. The emerald-haired woman makes a show of nearly dropping it, stumbling forward with her eyes wide in mock surprise.
“Jesus! What bullshit have you got in here, bowling balls?!” Chloe groans, scrunching her face in exaggerated effort as she straightens up, making Max continue to giggle at her antics. “Well, I guess you did say you wanted them to go home, it seems they’ve arrived!”
Max raises her brows before letting out another chortle. “You really are not ever going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Absolutely not,” Chloe confirms with a smirk, making Max roll her eyes, though her lips are still curved up in amusement. With that, Chloe gives Max a wink, then turns and heads up the stairs, her boots stomping loudly as she ascends.
Max smiles to herself, a faint blush blooming on her cheeks as she watches Chloe’s form disappear up the staircase. After a moment, she finally moves further into the house, pausing in the hallway beside the kitchen. Her eyes explore a photoboard on the wall, which still had all the same pictures she recalled: Chloe as a child with her father, William. Chloe on a swing, Chloe chasing seagulls, among others. Some were now starting to fade ever so slightly with age, further amplifying Max’s nostalgic feelings. She finds herself struggling to swallow a sudden lump in her throat, emotions building.
Joyce steps inside after Max, shutting the door behind her.“Is there anything I can get you, hon? You must be exhausted after all that traveling,” Joyce says as she comes to stand beside Max.
Max attempts to compose herself by shaking her head. “Oh, no, that’s okay Joyce. But thank you, I appreciate you letting me stay here with you and Chloe,” she replies, her tone soft and polite, with only a faint waver.
“Don’t even mention it, Max. You are just as welcome here as any of us. You are a part of this family, never forget that,” Joyce states as she gives the younger woman a pat on the shoulder before walking past and into the kitchen. “There is plenty of grub in the fridge, so whatever you girls need, you can help yourselves. Though, do try to keep Chloe from eating all the cereal by herself,” she adds, getting a glass from the cabinet and filling it at the sink.
As if on cue, Chloe comes bounding back down the stairs just then. “Hey! I can’t help it, that shit is too good!” she practically shouts as she passes by the kitchen. Without stopping, she turns and keeps walking backwards. “I feel better. I had to piss like, so bad. But, now I need a smoke,” she explains, throwing a thumb over her shoulder towards the backdoor.
“Have some tact, Chloe,” Joyce admonishes with another shake of the head as she watches her daughter open the sliding glass door at the rear of the house and slip outside. Looking to Max with a sigh, she says, “That child of mine really is a piece of work. I don’t know how you deal with her sometimes.”
“Heh, lots of practice over the years,” Max admits with a soft laugh.
“A good save,” Joyce replies with a laugh of her own. Glass of water in hand, she makes her way out of the kitchen, pausing at the foot of the stairs. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to head up to bed now that I know you’ve made it here safe. This old lady needs her rest. We can catch up some more tomorrow over a nice meal, how’s that sound?”
Max blinks, taken aback at Joyce’s description of herself as an ‘old lady.’ That didn’t fit right in her head, but she supposed at this stage in her own life, it simply was the truth that they were all getting older. This statement prompts Max to really give Joyce a closer look; her blonde hair, which was actually down for a change, did have streaks of gray through it that she must have decided to stop hiding with dye at some point since Max’d seen her last. There were more pronounced wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, and she did truly have a very tired air to her.
A renewed sense of sadness grips Max’s heart like a vice, and her breath hitches for a moment. Doing her best to keep her emotions at bay, she gives Chloe’s mother an affirming nod and a small wave. “That sounds like a perfect idea, Joyce. Sleep well,” she says, her lips curved into a shy smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Joyce returns the sentiment with a wave of her own before heading up the stairs. As she moves out of sight, Max inhales shakily, holds it, then exhales before moving to the backdoor. She pauses there and watches Chloe through the glass, blinking in an attempt to clear her vision as it swims behind a veil of tears. Chloe was planted in the middle of the yard, head reclined back as she gazed up at the night sky. A wispy trail of smoke was rising from the glowing end of the cigarette held delicately in her fingers, arms hanging loosely at her sides.
Seeing her like this, Max feels a sense of fondness manifest deep inside, banishing the grief and tightness that had built up in her chest. Gently, she slides open the door, steps through and shuts it, then walks up behind Chloe. She wraps her arms around Chloe’s middle as she presses herself into her back, tucking her face into the crook of Chloe’s neck and resting her chin on her shoulder. The heat radiating from Chloe’s body helps to calm Max further, a content sigh whistling out of her.
“Hey, you,” Chloe greets, her voice low and gravely. She leans her head against Max’s, swaying gently with her.
The pair stand in comfortable silence for a few moments, enjoying the closeness. Eventually, Max follows Chloe’s gaze to the stars above, taking in their twinkling majesty.
“It is such a beautiful night, I would love to stay out here for hours, if I wasn’t so tired already,” Max states, clutching Chloe rather firmly.
“I hear ya,” Chloe agrees, before she gives Max’s arm a gentle pat. “Any particular reason you’re gripping me like an anaconda, though?”
“S-sorry,” Max stammers, easing up ever-so-slightly. “I guess I am just realizing how much time has gone by, how much of your life I have missed out on by being away from you for so long. And now that Joyce is back in this reality, I can see that she has aged, like we all have. It’s just… hitting me hard, for some reason,” she admits, voice small.
Chloe raises her cigarette to her mouth and takes a long pull from it, the tip shining brighter with the motion. After holding the smoke in her lungs for a few seconds, she exhales duel plumes out her nostrils. “I get it. Believe me, when I first saw you in the headlights of my truck in front of the Abraxas house, it was a real deja vu moment for me. Like I had been transported back to that day in the Blackwell parking lot. And yet, it wasn’t the same, because you’re not the same, and neither am I.” Chloe gives Max’s arm another pat and continues with a more joking tone, “Time has a way of going on, even despite all your meddling.” To her relief, this manages to pull a chuckle out of Max.
“I suppose that much is true,” Max says. She falls quiet for a moment, continuing to observe the sky and its wonders. “I guess what I should focus on instead is making the most of the time we have now,” Max finally concludes.
“‘Bout time you caught on,” Chloe laughs. Her voice softens as she adds, “I’m almost done with my cig, meet you upstairs?”
“Sure,” Max whispers, brushing her lips against Chloe’s neck, just below her earlobe. She can’t help but smirk to herself as she feels Chloe shudder in response. With some hesitation, Max disentangles herself from Chloe and makes her way back to the house, only glancing over her shoulder once.
~~~~
Turning the faucet off, Max replaces her toothbrush back into her toiletry bag. As she goes to leave the bathroom, she pauses in front of the mirror, her pajama-clad reflection looking back at her.
“Just how many stages of my life have I found myself in this exact spot? Still the same brown hair, still the same freckles, but an ever increasing amount of baggage each time I look,” she ponders with a frown. Only lingering a moment longer, she flicks off the light on her way out, foot-falls soft as she moves to Chloe’s bedroom.
After closing the door behind herself as quietly as she can to not disturb Joyce, Max briefly takes in the rest of the room as she turns around. The space is largely unchanged from when she and Chloe were last here together, the major difference being their current luggage piled around the edge of the bed. Posters and magazine clippings still litter the walls, the American flag is still draped like a curtain in front of the window opposite the door, and old beer bottles still stand haphazardly on the desk off to the right. Currently silent, the Hi-Fi stereo is exactly where it was before, awaiting the command to jam. The room is mostly dark, save for Chloe’s face being lit up from the glow of her phone. She lounges on the mattress in nothing but a pair of briefs and a sports bra, the device held aloft and framing her with its blue light.
Chloe’s eyes shift to Max after she enters, the corner of her mouth curving into a crooked half-smile. Setting her phone aside, she beckons Max over with one finger. Without hesitation, Max carefully navigates her way through the darkened room, stepping over their luggage and onto the bed. She crawls to Chloe and straddles her, setting her hands on her stomach. Chloe puts her hands at Max’s waist, looking up at her with a devilish expression.
Max’s own face is overtaken by a pleading look as she stares down at Chloe. “God, don’t look at me like that, you know you’ll make it so much harder to go to sleep. If we woke your mother up right now, I think she’d kill us both,” she whispers, leaning down to put her face mere inches from Chloe’s.
“Hey, it’s your own fault for sitting on top of me, can you really blame me?” Chloe replies, voice husky as she bites her lip. “You’re such a tease, Max Caulfield.”
Putting herself even closer, so that their noses were practically touching, Max says, “My specialty.” She looks into Chloe’s deep blue eyes, wondering if falling into them would feel like crashing into ocean waves. “As soon as Joyce leaves for work…” Max trails off softly, eyes going half-lidded as she parts her lips.
“Deal,” Chloe says before accepting the invitation and leaning forward, her own mouth meeting Max’s. They maintain the kiss for several breathless seconds, igniting a warmth inside Max, a fluttering deep in her belly. When they finally pull apart, Chloe tugs on Max’s bottom lip with her teeth as they do. “You taste like peppermint,” she comments with a snicker.
“And you taste like cigarettes,” Max giggles. She lowers herself down further, settling her weight fully on Chloe as she wraps her arms around her and nestles her head onto her chest. She inhales deeply, then lets the breath out in a content sigh. The soothing rhythm of Chloe’s heartbeat gives her the sense of comfort she longed for, and her lips absently twitch into an involuntary smile.
Chloe drapes her arms over Max, holding her close. She wriggles, shifting beneath Max to get in a comfortable sleeping position. Yawning hugely, she whispers, “G’night,” before planting another kiss on Max’s head. The only reply she gets is a soft hum of acknowledgement as Max seemingly begins to drift off. Chloe lets her eyes fall shut, oblivion claiming her shortly after.
~~~~
A distant crackling sound draws Chloe’s attention. She gazes around her, but she can’t make out much through a thick, yellowish haze. The sounds grow in intensity, smoke now beginning to rise from the ground. She clutches at her chest, coughing and wheezing, the abstract swirl of colors around her a shifting mess of grays and angry reds.
“This is your fault.”
Chloe whips her head around at the sound of the voice. “W-who’s there? Hello?” she calls in between gasps for air.
“You let me die. She could have saved me, but you let me burn.”
A different voice this time. They come to Chloe from some unknowable distance, like whispers in the shadows. She stares, whirling two and fro, hand over her mouth and nose as the smoke continues to rise, nearly engulfing her. Her breathing only growing more labored, Chloe feels her knees buckle and she crumbles to the ground. She looks up, eyes streaming. Amorphous blobs of darkness manifest in front of her, increasing in size incrementally. Eventually, they form the outlines of figures, silhouettes of approaching people. The crackling sounds only get louder, and are now joined by unintelligible voices.
Chloe watches the figures approach with wide eyes, tears leaving trails down her soot stained cheeks. She attempts to push herself to her feet, stumbling a bit in the process. With horror, realization of who she is seeing dawns on her: Vinh, Jeanette, Owen. “I-I’m sorry! We never wanted any of you to die, we all tried so hard to save you!” she pleads. They do not slow their advance, however. They continue to stalk closer, until they are directly in front of Chloe.
All three of the victims have vacant, emotionless expressions, their eyes hollow and lifeless. As they stand before Chloe, they each suddenly blaze bright, bodies glowing as flames surround them. Chloe staggers back with a yelp, a hand instinctively flying up to protect her face.
“It should have been you.”
Chloe slowly lowers her hand to find that all three of them were so close she could easily reach out and touch them. Instinctively, she backs away, shaking her head. “I don’t understand, what do you want from me?!” she cries.
“It should have been you!”
All three figures scream this declaration in unison, rushing forward with arms outstretched. A fearful shout rips out of Chloe’s raw throat as all three figures shove her down.
As she falls, Chloe only feels part of herself tumbling, while another seems to tear free from her body and float upwards, viewing the scene from above. She sees herself now, trapped behind the film screen of a Polaroid photo. Her hands stretch the barrier as she presses against it, her mouth hanging open in a silent scream. She can only watch helplessly as a new figure materializes and picks up the discarded photo. It’s Max, equipped with a lighter.
*flick*
Max holds the lighter up, a tiny flame now alive at its tip. She brings it to a corner of the Polaroid, the photo igniting. The edge rapidly turns black, curling and flaking away to ash as Chloe watches herself frantically bang her fists against the film. She tries to cry out to Max, to beg her to stop, but no sound makes it through. The fire continues to lick its way up the picture, getting threateningly close to her trapped form.
Even from her separate vantage point above, Chloe begins to feel a heat rising both around and inside her, building to uncomfortable levels. It is as if her very blood was boiling in her veins while a fire scalds her skin. She grips her head as the voices turn to shouts, bellowing her name repeatedly, over and over.
“Chloe! Chloe! CHLOE!”
~~~~
Chloe gasps awake, nearly headbutting Max as she bolts upright. She is drenched in sweat, chest heaving with panicked breaths. Her eyes dart around as she tries to get her bearings. “W-what… what’s going on?” she asks in a raspy voice, finally focusing on Max.
“I don’t really know, you must have been having another nightmare,” Max explains. Her hand gripping Chloe’s shoulder, Max eyes her with concern, brow furrowed. Her hair hangs around her face in damp strings, with a fragrant, flowery scent emanating from her. She had replaced her pajamas with a casual shirt and jeans. “I left to shower, and when I came back, you were in here writhing on the bed like you were being attacked. I had to shout and shake you to get you to wake up.”
Chloe takes in a few deep breaths, letting each out slowly in an attempt to calm her hammering heart. She scootches to the edge of the bed, shifting to set her feet on the ground while sitting beside Max. She bends forward, putting her head in her hands.
Max puts a hand on Chloe’s back, gently trailing her fingers over her skin. “You’re okay, you’re safe,” she whispers in a soft voice. She simply rubs the space between Chloe’s shoulder blades in comforting motions for a few moments before finally asking, “Will you please tell me what’s going on with you? I can’t help if you keep me in the dark.”
“I… fuck,” Chloe starts, before letting out a heavy sigh. She scrubs her hands over her face a few times, before she sits up straighter, turning to face Max. Tears glisten at the corners of her eyes. “You… Do you remember your selfie? The one you wanted to use to fix the fire at Caledon?”
Max blinks, then slowly nods. She swallows, looking at Chloe expectantly.
Chloe takes in another shaky breath, a tear breaking free and slipping down her cheek. “I burned it.”