Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was quiet. Nothing but the sounds of the engine motors, the tires rolling on the asphalt, and the gentle wind outside occasionally brushing the lonely trees. Max had been staring out the window as Chloe drove onwards, neither of them saying a word to each other since they left it all behind. Maybe the whole world did die… Max thought in melancholy.

“It's, uhh, gonna be a long drive to Seattle…” Chloe eventually spoke.

“Good…” her exhausted friend only replied.

“Oh-kay…” kind of under her breath.

But the sky was clear, at least, and Max gazed at the gentle orange glow of the sun reflecting on the far mountain range. Some moisture had started to fog the window slightly though, so she opened them, immediately feeling the cool air brush her face and hair. A soft smile formed on her lips. She didn't mind. She enjoyed the wet air. But the trees became increasingly dense as the two friends continued, eventually blocking the sunlight before the mountains could. The light that occasionally peeked through the foliage was a bit hypnotic and Max pulled out William's old Polaroid to take a quick picture of the ethereal shafts.

“Thaaat probably turned out shit,” Chloe smiled.

“I don't care,” she chuckled as she shook the freshly printed photo, “I like it.”

“You know, we could stop for a photoshoot if you want. We are in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, after all.”

“I suppose we are,” a shy chuckle, “I don't mind. All I care about right now is that you're here with me,” she reached out for Chloe's hand.

“Me too,” and her right hand met hers, as did their eyes… “Okay, I should focus on the road 'cause there's a bit of a wind here.”

It took them out of the forest for a little while as they wound around a part of the mountain, and the sun greeted them once again before they wound back to the left, leaving the sun behind and entering the forests again. As the road went on, the trees eventually cleared up somewhat and they could see the ocean to their left.

“After what happened, I never thought I could look at the sea the same way again…but it is beautiful,” Max remarked kind of bittersweet.

“The golden hour, right?” Chloe smiled.

“Yeah,” Max nodded.

“Ooh, there's a spot where we can park up ahead. Let's get some fresh air,” Chloe slowed down and steered left towards the clearing.

“Just don't drive us over the edge,” Max chuckled.

“Relax, sista. I know how to drive this truck,” giving her a friend a knowing smile.

“I hope so.”

The rocky outcrop was pretty small, overlooking a cliff that went straight down to some sharp rocks and crashing waves below.

“This is nice, right?” as they exited, “Feel that moisture in the air, Max!” she shouted a bit and took a deep breath.

“I think I should've brought a thicker jacket. Aren't you cold?” she wondered, holding her elbows.

“Ah, it's not that cold,” a shooing motion of her hand, “I think someone's been away for too long.”

“Uhm, you do realize that Seattle gets even colder than this, right?”

“Same old Max,” she went over and put one arm over her friend's shoulders, “Even after everything, you're still too much of a goody-two-shoes hippy.”

“Shut up,” she pushed her away slightly, “I can be feisty when I need to be.”

“Oh, please. Remember Two Truths and a Lie? Or, in your case, Two Truths and a ‘Oh, my goodness. I lied,’ ” mimicking Max's shy nature, hands locked together beside her cheek, “ ‘I'm so sorry. That one's not true,’ ” hands over her mouth now.

“I have never done that with you,” Max affirmed.

“Yeah, but that's what you would do.”

“But that's my secret weapon anyway,” looking happy with herself, a bit snobbish.

“Secret weapon?” Chloe looked at her with one eyebrow raised.

“Yeah. That way, no one ever knows when I'm actually lying,” she said it a bit quiet like a secret.

“Right… Max Caulfield, lying,” Chloe remarked.

“Hey, I lied to everyone about my powers, didn't I?” she reminded.

“Yeah, but that doesn't count. I meant, like, actually lying. Not just because you have to.”

“Wel— Uhh…” Max seemed confused.

“Exactly,” with a smirk.

“Fine,” she conceded, “Lemme just take some pictures.”

“Oo, ooh, take one of me with the ocean behind,” Chloe ran over to the cliff edge to pose.

“Careful, Chloe. I don't wanna have to…you know, use my rewind if you fall,” her mood suddenly dropped somewhat.

“Wooow. Not even to save your best friend from falling to her death?”

“I'm serious, Chloe. Look what we just went through,” Max was a bit solemn now.

And Chloe's own playful smile disappeared somewhat, “I know, Max. I'—” she sighed, “I'm sorry. Because of what we just went through, I guess I just wanted to…I don't know…” she put her hands in her pocket and kicked some dirt, “not think about it, I guess.”

“I know…” she tried to put up a smile for her friend.

“But…you will, right?” Chloe was a bit hesitant, “Rewind, I mean, if I fall.”

“Of course, Chloe,” Max looked up at her with sincerity, “I'll always save you,” affirming, “I won't let anything ever happen to you,” she smiled a little, though tempered with melancholy.

Chloe seemed contemplative for a second or two before smiling, “Wow…” looking back up to her friend, “I really don't deserve a best friend like you,” was that a tear that fell out one eye? She would never admit it, though, “You've shown me nothing but your friendship and love ever since you came back…” sighing, “and I was so selfish to you an–and Kate and…” she held back some more tears. No hiding it now, “Maybe…I didn't deserve you saving m—”

“Yes, you do, Chloe!” Max came over and held her friend's hand, “Yes, you do. After everything you've been through, you deserve a full and happy life, not to die in some dirty fucking bathroom to Nathan fucking Prescott!” she too started to cry slightly, “And yes, you can be a bit selfish and petulant at times, but I get it, I…I get it, Chloe,” she paused for a second to wipe away the tears, “I left you when you needed me the most, when your dad passed away…and then you lost Rachel too,” she couldn't help but cry anyway.

“Max...” Chloe raised a hand close to Max's cheek, though unsure what to say.

“So, you were angry. I–I get it. I understand, Chloe,” she wiped her eyes some more, “This time, you needed me again, and I wasn't going to abandon you again, especially not after I just got you back,” she was firm in her statement.

Chloe put up a smile for her friend, “Thank you, Max,” and said, “Thank you for caring about me that way. You really are the best best friend a girl could ask for.”

Max then gave her a big bear hug, “I'll always protect you, Chloe. Never doubt that.”

“Well, then, this lonely fucked-up girl couldn't ask for a better bodyguard than the Time Master herself,” Chloe joked a bit, which did make Max chuckle, at least, “Anyway, enough sadness. Let's go take this picture, huh?”

“Okay,” Max wiped away the last of her tears, though the red of her eyes stayed a bit as a reminder, “Are you ready?” she fiddled with the camera a bit before putting it up to her eye.

Chloe went back near the edge, extra carefully this time, and posed for her best friend, the gentle sun glowing splendidly behind her, its light bouncing and reflecting off the ocean's constantly waving surface, creating magnificent dancing sparkles. Snap! The photo was printed out of the polaroid, and Max shook it a bit.

“Okay, maybe this isn't the best spot for a photoshoot,” seeing how dark Chloe's figure was and let out a soft laugh, “but the sunlight across the ocean is beautiful.”

“Hey, that's what matters, right,” Chloe was supportive, “I know, how about we take a duo selfie, or whatever the fuck you call it.”

Max lets out a genuine laugh before posing with her best friend. Snap!

She then grabbed the photo and shook it, as she always does, and smiled at it.

“Looks good, best friend,” Chloe put her arms around Max, a happiness in her voice and on her face, “Anyway, we should get back on the road. Every second we waste is every second your parents are worried and probably gonna kill us for taking too long.”

Max chuckled at that, “You're probably right. Let's go.”

Thack! Thack! With the doors closed, they returned to the road and back into the forests.

“It shouldn't be too long before we reach the one hundred,” Chloe said.

“Okay,” but Max fell into a bit of melancholy again, “Chloe? Y—You know that I'm not saying what I did was right…right?”

“I know, Max,” Chloe had a calm smile on.

“A lot of people died and…I'm probably gonna have to pay for that someday, but…” she wrapped her arms around herself like cold, “you can rewind me to that final moment at the lighthouse a million times, and I'd still choose you every time, Chloe. All that said though, please stop doing stupid things just 'cause you know I'll rewind for you,” she was playfully tired.

“I won't, Max,” but Chloe was firm in her tone, “I won't take advantage of your powers anymore,” and held her friend's hand again, “Well, okay, I'll try my best anyway. Promise,” which stirred up a good laugh from Max.

“Classic Chloe.”

Chloe then gave her a small smile and her hand a gentle squeeze before returning to the wheel, leaving Max a bit confused. Chloe fell silent for a moment as she drove on, occasionally gazing at the sunlight filtering through the trees, that smile still stuck to her lips.

“I think it's gonna be a good trip to Seattle,” she remarked, “Like I said, we're in the beautiful Pacific Northwest,” her right hand sweeping in front of her as if presenting the scenery, “We should stop and take some more photos later on,” she seemed a bit giddy.

Max tried to put up a soft smile, “Yeah, that sounds good. Though I don't think my parents will be too happy about it,” they both laughed, but especially Chloe who let out a good laugh.

“Yeah, they're gonna kill me for not getting you to Seattle as soon as possible.”

“Nah, they love you too much,” at least Max was in a better mood.

The sun continued to sink lower and lower as they went on, almost down over the horizon to their left, though the dense trees eventually blocked their view once again. Still, there were no cars passing by, not even a single one. Yet, they both enjoyed the quiet solitude. It was just the two of them, together, and the unknown road ahead. As Max looked over to her right and behind them, she could vaguely see the half-moon high above the mountains, though small and a bit far, and still misty in the light of the fading day. She took her camera, of course, and took a shot, the mechanical whirring sound of the Polaroid a companion at this point.

“How is it?” Chloe wondered.

“Like how you would expect it to be,” Max chuckled, “but I like it anyway.”

“Yeah, that's you, Max. You could always see the beauty in everything,” another smile played at her lips, “even in the bad, the dirty, the lonely…” she shrugged a bit, “You're so positive.”

“I just wanna live my life, I guess, and…not care what people think.”

“That's awesome, Max,” a genuine compliment from Chloe Price, “We're almost like opposites at this point.”

“Chloe…that's not what I me—”

“I was joking,” a soft laugh, “But I did mean it. That you're awesome, I mean, not the other thing. Never stop being you, hippy,” she turned to her best friend for a moment, “Anyway, we need to stop for gas soon…and maybe grab a bite to eat. There should be one before the connection…I hope,” and they both let out a good chuckle again.

“Classic Chloe,” Max shook her head slightly, “Shit, do we even have money for…anything?” and realized just then, at which point Chloe pulled out a folded stack of cash out of her pocket, “What is…?” which surprised her, needless to say, “Chloe…where did you get that?”

“There was five thousand in that envelope, remember? We gave three thousand to Frank to pay back my debt, so…” a grin on her face, “we still have two thousand.”

After a second or two more of confusion, “Oh, my God. The Handicapped Fund,” Max covered her face as she remembered, “Oh, my Go…” lying back on the seat, “Oh, I'm definitely going to hell,” yet there was a bit of a chuckle in her voice.

“Oh, come on, Max,” she put the money back in her pocket, “Look, the reality is, and I'm honestly not trying to be cold or anything,” her fingers uncurled for a second on the wheel, “but the reality is that they don't need it anymore and we need to eat…also we need gas,” she pointed towards the dashboard, towards the fuel sign, “Unless you wanna walk to Seattle.”

“I know, I know,” Max agreed though she covered her face again briefly and sighed, “You're right… I'm—I'm glad you still have that, honestly. 'Cause what would we have done otherwise?” she threw one hand up somewhat in surrender. After a second of pondering, “Maybe we shouldn't have given that three thousand to Frank,” which made them both laugh.

“Oh, I wish. Then we'd have more money to overspend on food, a fancy motel, tats! Livin' large, baby. Whoo!”

“Okay, moneybags. Calm down,” Max was in a good mood again, at least, “I still can't believe you shot Frank though.”

“Wait, what??” though she had a big grin on, “I shot Frank??” she was in disbelief, naturally, “Holy shit!”

“Yeah…” Max realized that she probably shouldn't have mentioned that, “If I hadn't rewound…” shaking her head slightly, “you would still be really messed up over it, probably. I'm glad I did.”

“No shit, girl! That's hella crazy!”

“Watch the road, please,” even now she still had to say that, with a nervous chuckle.

“Dude, what the fuck happened?? Oh, wait, was this that day at the beach when we paid Frank back? Did the two thousand remind you of that?”

“Yeah, kinda. Anyway, I probably shouldn't have told you that,” a hint of regret.

“Too late, girl! I'm curious now!” she looked excited and scared at the same time.

“I mean, it's not like you wanted to shoot him, right. It was an accident,” Max tried to explain.

“I accidentally killed him?” Really?

“No, it's just… In one of the ‘scenarios,’ I guess, that could've happened, Frank figured out that it was us who broke into his RV because I stupidly mentioned Pompidou's name when we weren't supposed to know it. So, he got angry, and Pompidou got out and tried to attack you, so you shot him without thinking, right. Reflex 'cause you had David's gun in your hand.”

“Fuuck.”

“Do you still have it, by the way?” she got curious.

Chloe, though, didn't say anything, only darting her eyes to Max before darting back.

“You do??” Max leaned forward from the seat.

Chloe then reached one hand to her jacket lying beside her to the right and pulled it out.

“Oh, my God. Chloe!”

“What? You never know, right.”

“Unbelievable,” Max was rubbing her eyes.

“Anyway, what happened next?” Chloe wanted to continue.

“Well, Frank got angry, right, that you killed his dog, of course, so he pulled out his knife and tried to kill you, so you shot him too in self-defense.”

“Daammn…” Chloe didn't know what to think of it.

“Anyway, I was so terrified, and that messed you up pretty good,” Max was half smiling, half rubbing her eyes again.

“Yeah, I can imagine,” propping one arm on the open window.

“After hearing all that, you still wanna keep the gun?” she looked at Chloe seriously.

“I mean…” her hand opened and waved, “it worked, right?”

“That's what you got from that story?” now Max was in disbelief.

“Okay, what do you want me to do? Throw the gun out the window?”

“I…” with a surrendered sigh, “I don't know anymore.”

“It did save our lives in that moment…even though it technically never happened.”

“Yes, technically, it did save our lives, but…”

“I mean, if I hadn't had it, Pompidou would've probably torn me to pieces and you would've had to watch that,” trying to look at the bright side, maybe.

“Yeah, that's the thing, right,” Max relaxed herself though, “You only remember the one timeline I eventually chose but I…” with another sigh, “I remember everything, right. I have to live with it.”

There was a hint of regret on her friend's face, “Max…I'm sorry,” and she dropped it.

“No, it's alright. It's not your fault, Chloe. It's…my gift and my curse, right,” she accepted it, though, it felt like, “I wish I could forget some of it, though, like…” but she stopped.

But Chloe knew what she was about to say and darkness returned to her with a vengeance. Though she didn't say it out loud and instead just kept on driving.

“Max, I… I'm sorry,” feeling bad, “Especially after—”

“Chloe, it's okay,” though Max put up a smile, “Don't worry about it. It's not your fault, so…stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault,” she let go, “If anything, the fault was mine.”

“No, Max. I…I understand why you did it, and I'm…grateful that you tried,” she gave Max a smile back, “As always, you didn't do it for selfish reasons…so thank you…for thinking of me. Like I said back on that cliff, I'm happy that someone is…and I'm glad that that person is you,” again, that sincere smile.

They were then silent for a few seconds…and Max held her friend's hand again, “I'll always protect you, Chloe,” she re-affirmed, “It's you and me now.”

“It's you and me now,” Chloe didn't know what else to say, so she just nodded.

Finally, they started to see some actual signs along the road, one of them being a stop sign telling them that this road ends at US-100 alongside another, with north/south arrows.

“Fuck. There better be a gas station before the junction,” a nervous chuckle from Chloe, who was pretty much resting her chin on the steering wheel to look more closely.

It was getting dark too, so they would be up a creek. Fortunately, a dim light shining across the way signaled salvation for the two weary friends.

“Thank yoouu!” Chloe let out a monster-like growl and maneuvered her truck inside the station area, “Okay, I should get some money out now so that no one see the two grand,” taking out the stack and grabbed about two hundred, “That should be enough, right?” and put the rest back in her pocket.

“I guess…?” hell if Max knew.

“Welcome to Pine Ridge Gas. What'll it be?”

“Oh. Shit,” which startled them a bit, “Uh, yeah, just fill her up with regular, please,” Chloe told the attendant as she exited the truck, “Thank you.”

“Not a problem. Are you empty?”

“Pretty much. It's about eighteen gallons. How much will that be?” Chloe inquired.

“For eighteen, that'll be sixty-four eighty.”

“Si—” she couldn't believe it, “Sixty-four eighty?”

“Yes, ma'am. It's three sixty per gallon for regular.”

“I—”

“Seriously?” Max spoke.

“'Fraid so, miss. A bit high, I know, but…” the man too seemed surrendered, playing with his cap slightly, “I don't set the prices. Sorry.”

“You know what, it's fine. Uhh, we'll just be inside,” Chloe said.

“Alright, miss. I'll let you know when it's done,” and the man grabbed the pump while she popped open the tank door.

“Alright,” Chloe didn't know what else to do, “Let's see what kinda grub they have.”

“Three sixty per gallon,” Max still couldn't believe it.

“Yeah, that's sixty-four eighty down,” raising her eyebrows.

“These prices are getting crazier.”

“Well, look on the bright side, we still got a hundred thirty-three and twenty cents to spend on food,” Chloe smiled, “Aren't you glad now we took the money?”

“Yeah, yeah,” a half-smile with that hint of we-did-a-bad-thing look still, Oh well.

Ring ring. They were greeted by the buzzy, slight flickering of the overhead fluorescent lights, giving the whole place kind of a dirty yellow tint, and that weird CFC smell from the old A/C. No one else was inside besides the cashier clerk.

“Good thing you have superpowers, huh,” Chloe kinda whispered to Max, “otherwise I'd be…well, more scared.”

“And what exactly do you think is gonna happen?” Max wondered.

“I don't know. Some Texas-Chainsaw-Massacre-type shit or something,” though she said that almost casually.

“Yeah, 'cause that lady definitely screams ‘I'm gonna cut you into pieces with my chainsaw,’” Max teased, miming the revving-up of a chainsaw.

“Fine,” with both hands up and a smirk, “Just don't say I didn't warn you. At least there's one security camera there, huh,” she pointed to it at the top corner of the far wall, “I feel so safe now.”

“Shut up,” Max chuckled.

“Okay, okay. I'll stop now,” holding back a laugh.

“Come on, let's just find some snacks,” she started looking at the racks on the aisles.

“Hey there. You folks coming from down south? You two must be real lucky to avoid that freak storm that just happened down in Arcadia Bay. I mean, it's crazy, right?” she put her hands on her hips, “No news at all, whatsoever, about a storm or anything, then suddenly, boom! A tornado comes out of nowhere and wipes the whole town out,” she did kind of a brushing or sweeping motion with her hand.

“Yeah, we…just came from…” Chloe didn't know how to respond while Max was wrapping her hands around herself again, looking solemn.

“I mean, truth be told, weather's been strange all week: Snowing in the middle of October, and then there was that eclipse a few days ago…” the clerk shook her head, not knowing what to make of it, “I mean, it's real clear now? But the air feels heavy, you know, like it's waiting for something. Though that's normal after a big storm, I suppose. Everything gets real still and quiet. Nobody's been through here for ho–urs. Either they can't get out or they're not trying to head that way, I guess. I don't blame 'em. I'd steer clear too after all the weird stuff that's been happening. Anyway, sorry for rambling. Like I said, you're the first folks we've seen in a while.”

“Yeah, we…” Chloe rubbed her forehead a bit, “We just came from Arcadia Bay, actually.”

“No shit,” the clerk was surprised, “Like I said, someone up there must really love you guys, then. I don't know how anyone could've survived such a storm.”

Max suddenly walked away and took a stroll around one of the aisles.

“Poor girl. I don't blame her for feeling that way,” the clerk continued.

“Yeah, she's…well, we both have had it pretty rough these past couple of days, so, no offense or anything, but can you not talk about that anymore?” Chloe tried to explain.

“Oh, of course. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to…”

“Oh, no, you don't have to apologize, really. I didn't mean it that way. It's just…” she too was at a loss for words, “I mean, I get it. Believe me,” she said that a bit wide eyed.

“I found some hot dogs,” Max yelled a bit from the back, almost out of sight.

“Well, you two must be hungry, huh,” the clerk surmised.

“You have no idea,” Chloe couldn't emphasize it enough.

“Well, feel free to look around, and take your time. We stay open pretty late,” she officially welcomed them.

“Thank you,” Chloe said before joining Max at the back. “Hey. Are you okay?”

Though Max was enjoying some hot dog, sitting at one of the available tables, “Mm-huh,” with some hot dog in her mouth.

With a sincere chuckle, “You sure?” to which Max sighed.

“What do you want me to say, Chloe?” she stopped eating and turned her attention to her best friend, “Like I said, it's my—” she seemed to struggle for a second, “It's my gift and my curse…my burden to bear.”

Chloe, though, didn't say anything, only walking over to grab a hot dog from the warm roller and stick it in a bun followed by some mustard and ketchup.

“But you know you don't have to bear it alone, right?” she sat down across from Max and took a bite, “Uhm…” wiping her mouth a bit, “That's not bad, actually.”

“It is pretty good,” Max agreed, taking another bite, “Don't you hate me, Chloe?” turning sad.

“And why would I hate you?” she gave her a genuine smile.

“…I'm the reason she's dead…” Max wrapped her arms like cold again.

Chloe stopped the bite she was about to take and looked…kind of indifferent, actually, for a moment.

“Well, nothing can change that,” she spoke sincerely, trying to smile for Max.

“I can,” Max almost suddenly looked up, “I could've, I…” wrapping her arms tighter, “I could have…”

Chloe gazed at her friend for a moment, not saying a word, “You know…I think she would be happy, actually,” but then put up a smile, “that you chose to save me over her,” and put one hand on her friend's shoulder.

Max turned an ambivalent gaze at Chloe though said nothing.

“Like you said back at the cliff,” Chloe continued, “You said that, after everything, you wanted me to have a full and happy life,” her smile grew somewhat as she let go, “I think that's what she would've wanted too,” one tear fell out of her eye and it looked like she felt it fully.

“Don't yo…u miss her?” Max almost fumbled the words as some tears flowed out.

“Of course I do, Max,” she confirmed, a sincerity on her face, “Of course I do.”

“So, you don't hate me?” Max wiped some of the tears.

“Oh, Max…” but Chloe had a soft smile on, “How could I ever hate you? Even when you left me for what seemed like forever at the time, yeah, I ‘hated’ you,” with two air quotes and a non-serious face, “but I never really hated you,” she reassured Max, “You're my best friend, Max. The bestest friend I've ever had.”

“What about Rachel?” she was still trying to dry her eyes.

And a certain sincerity showed on her face, “I loved Rachel,” she looked away for a bit, remembering the moments, “She and I had lots of fun too. We had some of our own amazing…adventures,” and beamed at the thought. She paused for a moment, taking another bite of her hot dog, which was getting somewhat colder, “When I lost her…” Chloe closed her eyes and breathed deep, “It felt again like when you left for Seattle,” she nodded kind of blankly, “like when my dad died… But then I got you back suddenly,” coming back from her somewhat empty stare, “and, even though I didn't express it or admit it at the time, having you back was one of the happiest moments of my life. It was like…having a part of my soul back that's been missing for a long time. I'd just lost Rachel, but I got you back, and that felt…I don't know, amazing. It was…calming, I guess. Even though we did have our reunion under some stressful conditions,” of course, she had to joke a bit, which did release a laugh from Max, at least.

“Thanks, Chloe,” Max spoke, “You do know why I really came back, right?”

“Yeah, it was for that asshole Jefferson and Blackhell,” they both had a good laugh again and she finished the last of her hot dog, “Of course I know, Max,” being sincere again for a moment, “I always knew, even though I might've not, you know, exactly expressed it,” while looking for some tissues.

“I know, Chloe,” her smile stuck this time, and she finally continued eating her hot dog, which had already lost some of its warmth by this point, but she didn't mind.

“Anyway, let's get some snacks, some drinks, and get back on the road, huh,” Chloe said, “We still got a long way… Hopefully there's some good motels,” and stood up to look at some of the drinks in the refrigerators.

“Trust me, there will be,” Max finished up the last bite of her hot dog and followed.

“Oooh, do you think they have beer?” Chloe grinned, at which Max rolled her eyes.

“If you get killed because of drunk driving, I'm not rewinding,” grabbing some water bottles from one of the fridges, “Just saying.”

“Yeah, yeah. You love me too much and you know it,” she teased back.

“Sadly, yes,” Max leaned back a bit before returning to the aisles to look at the available snacks, at which point she remembered, “Oh, we forgot to grab a basket. I'll be right back,” and she went over to the front, placed the drinks inside one, and brought it back, “How much are we buying anyway? How much do you think we need to get to Seattle?”

“Dude, we can stop at diners and restaurants along the way too. We're loaded, remember,” saying that last part quieter.

“Yeah, yeah,” shaking her head a bit with a smile.

“We're definitely getting some chips though,” Chloe grabbed two and threw it in the basket, “Can't have a road trip without some beef jerky,” and two of those too, “Five bucks for one jerky??” she realized.

“Eh, it could be worse, I guess,” Max remarked as they wandered around the aisles, “Ohh, Tuna Salad Sandwich,” and grabbed one.

“Oh, get me some of that. Actually, do they have Chicken Salad?”

“Yep. There we go,” Max put them in the basket.

“Holy shit. Max,” Chloe was beaming, “Chock-O-Crisps!”

“Wait, wha…?” Max too became a bit elated, “Holy shit. We used to eat them all the time as kids, remember?”

“Yeah, we would get so hyped up on the sugar rush, it made my mom go crazy. Let's get four, or maybe six. What do you think?” she got excited.

“Okay, you're enjoying this way too much,” though it made Max happy to see her that way.

“Why not?” both hands up to her sides, “For once, we actually have some money, Max,” again, a little quiet, “Let's enjoy it, right.”

And actually, “You know what…you're right, Chloe. Let's…enjoy it,” Max agreed.

“Great. Let's grab six,” she happily put them in the basket.

“We gotta get some Twinkies too, then,” Max suggested.

“Oh, right! Can never say no to some good Twinkies.”

“Alright, I think we have enough. Let's go pay.”

“Or…hear me out…” Chloe raised a finger, concocting a plan, “we just take it outside and you rewind. You can take things with you, right?”

“Besides the fact that that would be wrong,” she lowered Chloe's hand, “your truck would then also not be refilled,” with a bit of a smirk and a knowing look.

“I was kidding,” she got close and whispered, “Come on, let's pay.”

With a shake of her head and a smile, “Classic Chloe,” and followed her friend back to the cashier.

“Hey, there, you two. Well, you two seem happier than before,” the clerk remarked.

“Yeah, well, we…realized that there's no point in sulking and being depressed,” Chloe replied with a smile.

“Agreed,” Max handed the basket over, “So, how much will it be, ma'am?”

“Okay, let me see…” she took out the items and put them in a grocery bag while inputting them into the cash register. As she did so, there was a knock on the window from the attendant, giving them a thumbs up. The clerk acknowledged and gave him a nod, “Looks like Jeffrey's done filling up your vehicle.”

“Oh, cool. So, sixty-four eighty for that, right? I think that's what he said. My truck's eighteen gallons,” Chloe explained.

“That's correct, then. So, forty-four eighty-eight total for the groceries plus sixty-four eighty for the gas, giving a grand total of a hundred and nine dollars and sixty-eight cents,” she smiled.

Sheesh, Chloe thought, “Uhm, okay. Uhh…” pulling out the money, “I'm sorry, I only have two hundred-dollar bills right now.”

“Oh, that's okay,” she took the money, “We do actually have some change available. Don't you two worry,” handing them back the ninety dollars and thirty-two cents.

“Thank you,” Max grabbed the bag and they both headed out.

“I'm glad to see you two feeling better, at least. Have a good rest of the evening.”

The night had already arrived when they stepped outside, and the moon had fully revealed its presence to them with its soft light. The road seemed so different in the dark, and the forest more alive with its rustling and howling.

“All filled up for you, miss,” Jeffrey spoke before making his way inside.

“Thank you,” Chloe nodded.

“We really should find a motel to rest for the night,” Max suggested.

“No arguments here. I'm beat. Don't worry, we'll find some once we're on the one hundred. In the meantime,” she grabbed her sandwich from the bag, “I'm gonna go eat.”

“You just ate some hot dog,” Max teased.

“Yeah, well, I'm still hungry, so…” she gave her a look before entering the truck.

With a chuckle, “Yeah, me too, actually,” and entered.

“Hold on, lemme park first,” Chloe engaged the ignition and move the truck to one of the parking spots next to the store, “Okay, let's eat,” she opened the packaging and immediately dug in.

Instead of saying anything, Max just smiled and opened her own sandwich, “That's not bad, actually, for gas-station food.”

“Thasht probably 'cuz we haven'd eaden shince we left,” as she chewed, “Oh, that's so good. Also, going through a tragedy makes you hungrier. Trust me.”

“I'll take your word for it,” she too enjoyed the sandwich.

Chloe wiped some crumbs and sauce off of her mouth as she finished and then went out to throw the container in the trash. She looked around at the dark forest, illuminated only by the half moonlight and the dim lights of the store, and then at the ocean beyond.

The silence was broken briefly by the hooting of an owl, and only now did she start to hear crickets chirping and even…a wolf howling? In any case, she went back to the truck and they finally left.

The ocean was darker then, as the moon was hidden on the other side. There was just this long blackness stretching out to the horizon. The trees themselves felt more encroaching, like closing in on them. Eventually, they left the water's sight and went inland for a bit before winding back around and turning again. Max felt a shiver and closed her window after having it open to feel the breeze. The truck's headlights illuminated the road ahead enough for them to see where they're going.

“Relax. We're almost there,” Chloe tried to calm Max.

“‘There’ as in a motel or…?”

“Yes,” she chuckled, “motel soon. Are you really scared? You're the one with the superpowers here.”

“What if a ghost comes?” Max joked a bit before a thought came into her mind, “Could I even rewind a ghost? Will that affect them or are they immune because they're dead and…removed from time…I guess?” curiosity quickly replaced fear.

“Classic Max,” Chloe rested one hand on her open window, “I don't know the answer to that, by the way, since there's no precedence”

It wasn't long before they reached the end of the road anyway and the ocean greeted them once more with its wide gaze. Chloe stopped at the T-junction, looking both ways before turning left to head north, officially entering US-100. Even now, there were still no cars around. Just the two friends, their truck, and the sound of the lapping waves beside them. At least the streetlights were functioning and illuminated the road for them. Max looked into the grocery bag for the chips and took one to open it.

“Don't you dare finish all the Chock-O-Crisps,” Chloe warned with a smile.

“Relax,” as she grabbed some more chips from the bag, “Three for you, three for me.”

“There better be,” playfully threatening, “I still can't believe I'm finally gonna see the city that you left me for five years ago.”

“Oh, come on, Chloe. That's not fair,” dropping her hands down over the chips bag.

“This better be some city,” with a grin on.

“I can't believe you're still on that,” softly punching her shoulder.

But Chloe then laughed, “I'm just kidding. Jeez. You're so serious, you know.”

“Well, maybe because my supposed best friend keeps teasing me about stuff like that,” she wanted to laugh too and sort of did, “questioning our friendship, even after everything we've been through together.”

“I just wanted to see you smile and laugh again, and it worked,” wagging her finger.

“Yeah, yeah,” Max resumed eating the chips.

The highway turned away from the coast and back into the forests again, and they went uphill for a while before going back down eventually.

“Are you sure we're gonna be able to find a motel before midnight?”

“Yes, Max. Relax. There's no way there isn't at least one motel somewhere here. It should be along the coast, when we get back to it, though we're gonna have to take what we can get for tonight.”

“As long as it has hot water and comfy beds, I don't really care,” Max yawned.

“I hear that.”

The return of the infinite darkness of the ocean and its crashing waves was welcoming after that drive through the woods again. Thankfully, it wasn't long after that they found the Pacific Pines Motel, its red neon “Vacancy” sign flashing brightly. With relief, Chloe entered the small turn pocket, though there were no cars driving through anyway, and then the parking lot.

“Look, Max. Other people,” Chloe noted, with a playful surprise on her face, the two cars that were parked, “They still exist.”

“And here I thought I killed the whole world back there,” a bit of humor from Max, surprisingly.

“You know, I kinda wish you did,” they both had a good laugh, and Chloe parked her truck in front of one of the rooms.

The motel had kind of an “L” shape to it, if looking from the highway going north, with the long part of the L parallel to the road. The office was at the base of the “L,” the one that faced the forests beyond, closest to the road, and they parked at the spot right next to it. The motel had two floors for the rooms, three at the bottom, beside the office and directly in front of the parking spaces, and five at the top, with two stairs opposite each other, one beside the office, in front of where they parked.

“Good evening,” the man behind the desk greeted them as they entered, “Welcome to the Pacific Pines Motel.”

The office had dark brown wood paneling on the walls, some old photographs of local scenery, it seemed, hanging on them. A coffee maker was on a table at the end with some disposable cups, next to some wooden chairs with thin cushioning. The main desk had an old and worn laminate top, a few racks filled with tourism brochures and the like, and a small tube TV in the corner, which the man was watching.

“It's, uh, fifty-five per night for one room,” the man continued, “How long will you be staying with us?”

“Just the one night,” Chloe pulled some change from her pocket.

“I'm also gonna need to see some ID.”

“Uhm, is that really necessary?” Chloe wondered.

The man looked at them again for a second, “Nah, just routine stuff. Look, as long as you pay, you can have the room. Speaking of which, you want first floor or second?”

“Uhh, I think we'll take the first floor,” she turned to Max for confirmation, “if any are still available.”

“Yeah. The other two cars you saw all took the second floor, actually, so first floor's all yours. That'll be sixty dollars in total, an extra five for the key deposit. You'll get it back tomorrow when you return it.”

“Awesome. I don't have exact change, by the way. Sorry,” she handed him fifty- and twenty-dollar bills.

“That's alright,” the man put the money in the cash register and returned ten dollars to Chloe along with the key, “Here you go. Room one-oh-three. Thank you for staying with us.”

“Thank you,” and they exited the office.

“Should we move the truck to be in front of the room?” Max asked, “We're at the end there, right.”

“Yeah, I'm gonna go do that. Why don't you go settle in first,” handing Max the room key, “Bring the groceries while you're at it.”

“Aye aye, Cap'n,” Max saluted.

“Arrgh, Long Max Silver. Hurry up and bring me booty inside the lair,” Captain Bluebeard ordered her first mate.

“It's too late to be playing pirate, Chloe,” she looked exhausted.

“Hey, you started it.”

“I know, and I regret it,” grabbing the grocery bag from the truck, “I'll see you inside.”

She switched on the dome light as she entered and was greeted by a similar wall paneling to the office, dark wood, and thick brownish carpets with gold tones. The dim bathroom was immediately to her left and two queen beds lay beyond, furnished with floral bedspreads.

She put the grocery bag on a table next to the TV sitting on top of an old wooden dresser and walked over to the glass sliding doors at the end to get a view of the ocean. She slid it open and exited to the small patio, stopping just before the sand. A soft smile formed on her lips as she gazed at the abyss, losing herself in the hypnotic rhythm of its waves. Other than that, it was quiet…at least until Chloe's truck drove up the parking spot just outside. Max took a breath of the salty ocean air before going back inside, sliding the glass door back into place.

“Not bad,” Chloe remarked as she closed the room door, “It's warm, at least, and they have hot water,” looking excited.

“Oh, that sounds amazing. After everything…” Max agreed.

“Which reminds me…we didn't bring any clothes with us,” Chloe laughed.

“I guess we'll have to buy some tomorrow, then. In the meantime, your stinky shirt will have to do.”

“I'm pretty sure it's you who's been stinking up my truck.”

“Anyway, I'm gonna go enjoy that hot water,” Max walked over to the bathroom.

“We could shower together,” Chloe turned on the lights, revealing the pastel fixtures and bathtub/shower inside, “like we used to.”

“Tempting, but I think I'm gonna have a nice long bath while I have the chance,” Max closed the bathroom door behind her.

Chloe put her stuff on the chair and table, except for her cigarettes, which she took with her outside to the patio. She sat down on one of the plastic chairs and enjoyed a smoke along with the moonlit night, occasionally glancing at the starry skies above. A woman wearing diner-style clothing then approached and sat down next to her.

“I was wondering when you'd show up,” Chloe chuckled.

“Weeelll, I just wanted to see you one last time,” the woman spoke.

As Chloe took another drag, “I'm sorry about…everything…about David and…what happened to you….”

“Now, don't you worry about me, Chloe. I'll be just fine,” the woman affirmed, “Do you know how much happiness, how much joy, it brings me to know that you're still alive. No parent should ever have to see their child die, to outlive their children, and I want you to know, Chloe, that I'm glad it was me instead of you,” she smiled, as did Chloe.

“We're old, Chloe,” a man appeared on her other side, “We lived our lives, enjoyed it, had fun,” he continued, “But you, you're young. You have your whole life ahead of you.”

“You deserve this. You deserve a full and happy life, Chloe, and I am so happy to know that you will get that chance,” the woman started crying a little, “and I am so glad that you have a best friend like Max who cares about and loves you as much as we did,” wiping some of it away, “I know you two are gonna take care of each other always.”

“You know, I knew from the moment you first introduced us to Max that you two were gonna be the best of friends forever,” the man smiled, a little sadness in it but happy.

“Now, you promise me, Chloe. Promise me that you'll live your life, enjoy it, have fun, experience new things, fall in love, and all that jazz. Don't waste the second chance that Max gave you, and don't grieve too much, too long, over this old woman, okay? Besides…” she looked over to the man, “I'm with your father again now. We're together again, so I'm happy.”

“Can you promise us that, sweetheart?” he added.

Chloe smiled the sincerest smile she's ever had…before bursting into tears, “I promise, Mom, Dad,” and stood up to hug them, “I promise. I miss you guys so much.”

“Oh, we miss you too, sweetheart,” they hugged her back, “But don't you worry, okay. One day we'll be together again, but I pray that day won't come for a long time,” her mother assured her.

“We'll always be with you, Chloe,” her father affirmed, “Like I've always been with you, right.”

 Chloe wiped her eyes, “Right…” and smiled through the tears, “I know,” before sitting back down on the chair, taking another drag of her cigarette.

“Though I do wish you'd stop smoking so much. Those things will kill you, you know,” Joyce came back for a moment just to tell her that, at which Chloe laughed.

“I know, Mom. I'll…I'll quit. I promise,” as she sat alone.

She put out the cigarette in the available ashtray before relaxing further in the chair, enjoying the breeze and the lapping waves for a few more moments. She almost fell asleep but then remembered that there's a comfortable bed inside. There were three paintings of beaches and/or grassy landscapes, one each above the beds and one to the side on the wall. She grabbed the TV remote and sat down on the bed closest to the glass doors. As she flicked through the channels, one caught her attention, “Police continue investigating the unusual circumstances surrounding the death of an officer in a suburban Seattle neighborhood several days ago. Details remain limited, but authorities are still searching for two individuals who fled the scene—”

“You have to try the hot bath, Chloe,” Max exited the bathroom wearing one of the provided bath robes, “For a motel, it was actually amazing.”

But Chloe only smiled at Max, which confused her, needless to say.

“What?” she wondered.

After a second or two, “It's a beautiful night outside,” Chloe remarked, “Have you noticed? I like the smell of the ocean in the air. I always loved being on the coast, so I'm happy we got a nice ocean view.”

“Riighhtt,” Max was like, Oh-kay, “Perfect for smoking, huh,” and teased.

“Yeah, actually, but I quit, so…”

“Uh-huh. No offense, Chloe, but I'll believe that when I see it. Anyway, are you gonna go take that bath?”

“Yes, please,” an expression of relief.

“What are you watching anyway?” Max asked as she dried her hair with a towel.

“Oh, just some news. Some police officer died in Seattle a few days ago, apparently. They're still trying to find the suspects.”

“Oh, shit,” Max sat down next to her, “Is everything okay?”

“Uhm, I don't know. I wasn't really paying attention that much.”

“Maybe we could help when we get back,” Max looked like she was brewing something.

“Got addicted to being a detective, huh,” Chloe's turn to tease.

“Max and Chloe: Private Investigators,” but Max played with the idea some more.

“Well, with your powers, you'd actually be good at it, if solving the mysteries of Arcadia Bay was any indication,” Chloe laid herself down on the bed, using her hands as pillows.

Max smiled at the thought, “Despite all the obvious tragedies, it was fun solving mysteries…investigating clues and stuff.”

“Yeah…it was, actually,” Chloe agreed, “Anyway, you should call your parents. Other than letting them know you're okay, they probably know more about it. The incident, I mean.”

“Yeah, no, I don't need that right now,” Max too fell back to the bed, “Maybe tomorrow.”

“Alright. Anyway,” Chloe got up, “here's the remote. I'm gonna go hit that bathtub,” and went to the bathroom for her turn, “Thank you, Pacific Pines Motel.”

“You're gonna love it!” Max yelled to her in excitement.

“Dude, they have a bubble bath??” she was excited.

“Yep!”

“Hell yeah! Don't bother me for any reason!” as she got ready.

“Okay, I'll leave you behind if a tsunami comes!” with a big smile.

“Oh, ha ha! Where are you gonna go, anyway, if that happens?” as she turned on the water, “You can't run far enough away before it swallows you!”

“I can just keep rewinding as I run!”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that! As for me, time to relax!”

“Just don't fall asleep in the tub!”

Max herself yawned and closed the curtains before getting comfortable on the other bed. She didn't even bother getting out of the bathrobe. She was feeling quite calm though. The warm bath helped, no doubt, but also the sound of the running water plus the TV, which she turned down a bit. Yet, the smile slowly faded from her lips, forming into a more neutral line, and she adjusted herself on the bed a few times before staring up into the ceiling.

“It's gonna be okay,” she whispered to herself.

Her hands were together above her stomach, thumbs twiddling, and she eventually closed her eyes…yet was still awake. She rotated herself back to the left, towards the darkness outside, the white foamy mouth that slowly but surely ate away at the sand.

You made the right decision, Max… a voice spoke, They're all dead because of you!! But at least that sociopath Jefferson is dead too! and more voices came.

Max quickly grabbed her pillow and covered her head with it.

What are you gonna do now, huh? Go to Seattle and live happily—Max?—ever after with Chloe like nothing happened? Max?

“I don't know,” Max replied, “It wasn't like that…”

Max! You made the right choice, Max. Arcadia Bay died a long time ago anyway, when the Prescotts took over…

“Max!”

She was startled awake, “It wasn't like that!” a bit disoriented, “It wasn't…”

“Max, it's okay,” Chloe was by her bed, wearing a similar bathrobe, “It's okay,” and Max hugged her immediately, “You were talking in your sleep,” Chloe explained, “Sounds like you were having a bad dream,” but then she felt the tears.

“Oh, Chloe,” Max hugged her tight.

 “It's okay…it's okay,” Chloe gently caressed her back.

“I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…” Max spoke through the exhaustion.

“Don't be. I…I understand why you—”

“I know you understand, Chloe,” Max let her go and wiped her eyes, “I know you don't hate me…but…” she then eventually smiled again, “Nothing. Sorry if I worried you.”

“Yeah, well, I just finished having the best bath of my life and went out to you screaming and crying,” Chloe chuckled.

She had already turned off the dome light and switched on the lamp on the bedside table, darkening the room enough for a good night's sleep. The lamp had a beige fabric lampshade on it and, like the dome light above, gave off a soft warm yellowish light.

“Well, I'm sorry if I ruined your perfect bubble bath,” Max teased back.

“Anyway, you should try to sleep though. I think we both deserve that after everything. Tomorrow's a new day,” Chloe smiled, “The morning brings the new dawn, right.”

Max nodded slightly and chuckled, “Right.”

“Okay,” Chloe then went over to the other bed, throwing her beanie on the table, and immediately collapsed onto it, “Wow, this is the most comfortable bed I've ever lain on.”

“I know, right,” Max concurred.

“Good night, Max.”

“Good night, Chloe.”

But then, after about a minute, Max came over and lay down next to Chloe.

“Mhmm, there's an otter in my water,” Chloe spoke with eyes closed, smiling.

“Oh no, please don't eat me, Mr. Shark,” Max replied.

“Never…” as they both drifted off towards the dreamlands.

As dawn came, the curtains on the glass doors let through the filtered half-light of the early morning, signaling a new day. A few birds were chirping outside alongside the constant crashing of the lapping waves. Chloe awoke first and saw Max's face right in front of her.

“Good morning,” she smiled.

But Max was still fast asleep, comfortable.

“At least you didn't have another bad dream,” Chloe gently brushed Max's hair and then put her arm around her and moved a bit closer.

Max wriggled a bit, hugging her best friend tighter—“I'm not going anywhere,” Chloe continued to speak softly—and moaned slightly. “I'll always protect you…” she whispered.

“I know.”

It was then that Max slowly opened her eyes and yawned with arms wide.

“Good morning, sleepyhead. How was your sleep?” Chloe spoke.

“It was great,” with a soft smile.

“No bad dreams?”

“No…no bad dreams.”

“Good,” and after a few seconds, “We should probably get going, then, huh.”

“Yeah… Still quite a way to Seattle, I guess,” though Max was still comfortable in bed.

“Yes, but if we go soon, we should make it by the afternoon. Definitely before evening.”

“Uh-huh. Okay,” making herself more comfortable.

“What time is it anyway?”

“Don't know, don't care.”

So, Chloe raised herself up a little and, with bleary eyes, looked at the clock on the table.

“Seven AM,” she laid herself back down, “Eh, we still got time,” and wrapped herself with the blanket again.

“Good. Stay here and keep me warm.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

They shifted their bodies a bit and held each other's hand. It was warm, the bed and blanket were warm, and the pillows were soft and comfy.

“I'm surprised your parents haven't been panic-calling you every five minutes,” Chloe chuckled.

“Wait for it. It's still early.”

“We really should get up before they start doing that, then.”

“Yeah…”

Smiling, Chloe raised herself up again to look at the clock, “Seven thirty? Could've sworn it was seven o'clock just a minute ago.”

“Time flies when you're comfortable,” Max remarked, “and have nothing to do.”

“Yeeaahhh,” Chloe agreed and dropped back down onto the pillow, “We should shower and get breakfast before it gets too late.”

“Do they even have breakfast here?” Max yawned.

“Unfortunately not. We're gonna have to find a diner or something along the way,” as she shifted her body again.

“They're probably not gonna be open until eight anyway,” Max yawned again, smaller this time.

“Actually, some of these places open early to cater the local fishing crowd,” Chloe remarked.

“Dammit. Why do these people have to fish?” playful as always.

“I know, right. I mean, it's not like we're on the coast or something,” teasing.

“You know, there are other things to do on the coast besides fishing.”

“Truuuueee, but it's called working.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“What? You want them to open late?”

“Uh, yes. That way we have a reason to stay in bed longer,” Max nested herself in the blanket real good.

“You can do that anyway,” she smiled, brushing Max's hair, “Alright, I'll go shower first, then,” she eventually sat up and kissed Max on the forehead, “You can rest some more while you wait.”

“Thank you,” Max wasted no time getting cozier.

“You're welcome.”

Chloe got up and peeked out the curtains to see a steely blue sky mixed with fading purple tones. Some of the clouds had a subtle golden edge on one side, reflecting the sun's warm light, while a soft low mist hung on the beach, particularly above the waters closer to the horizon.

“You know we just took a nice bath last night and immediately went to sleep,” Max commented.

“So, you have a headache now?” Chloe turned her attention back to Max for a moment with a smile.

“What? No,” a little confused, “I was just gonna ask whether you're really gonna take a shower.”

“I don't know,” Chloe looked back outside, “Maybe not.”

“So, come back to bed with me,” Max beckoned.

“Nah, I'm awake already. I'm just gonna go freshen up a bit and get ready,” she headed towards the bathroom, “You better be ready soon,” and teased.

“Yeah, yeah. Just go do…whatever.”

Chloe turned on the lights and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, at her messy and tousled neon-blue hair.

“Eh, it's fine,” as she brushed her hair with her hand.

She turned on the sink and let it warm just a bit before splashing some water on her face and a bit on her hair to tidy it a little. She then dried them with her towel and changed back to her clothes from yesterday, the stink of which she's starting to notice as she grabbed a bit of it and smelled.

“Okay, we definitely need to get some new clothes,” returning to the bedroom, a little surprised to find Max already awake and standing up, with curtains drawn open, letting the soft morning light in, “Ours were soaked in rain, dirt, and goodness knows what else.”

“Well, we can get some at the next town when we stop for breakfast,” Max turned around after enjoying a nice gaze outside, “Are you done?” she walked over, “Oh, wow,” recoiling a bit, one hand over in front of her face, “It is starting to stink.”

“Wait 'till you smell yours,” Chloe teased her and got out of the way.

“Can't wait,” with a sarcastic smile as she entered the bathroom.

Chloe went over to the bedside table to grab her beanie before going outside to the patio to breathe in that fresh morning air. She stepped onto the beach this time, letting its still-cool sand flow between her toes, and enjoyed the sea breeze too, bringing over the ocean air as the rising sun slowly but surely brightened the area further—though the motel still protected her in its shade. The steely blue sky gradually transitioned into that regular daytime sky blue, and the clouds were becoming their typical fluffy white selves. Chloe's smile never left her lips throughout all this. Is this the calm after the storm?

“You know your clothes stink when it can cover up another stench,” the sea breeze brushed Max's hair too as she stepped out.

“I told you,” though Chloe stayed in the moment, her eyes closed.

“Yeah, yeah. We should definitely get some fresh clothes before breakfast. Don't wanna scare people off,” which put a smile on her face, at least.

“It's nice, isn't it? It's so peaceful,” Chloe remarked.

“Yes, it is,” Max raised her camera and took a picture of Chloe in this tranquil moment.

“I heard that,” she smiled and turned around, “Come 'ere. Let's take one together.”

They posed with a small part of the beach and the infinitely stretching ocean behind them as the backdrop.

“We should take one with the motel behind us too. To remember it,” Chloe suggested.

“Okay,” Max got into position with her and took another shot.

“Oh, careful!” that last print almost flew off in the wind.

“Don't worry. I got it,” though Max had good reflexes that day, thankfully.

“Well, I guess you could just rewind anyway,” but Chloe then thought, “unless you already did,” a finger up while looking away, “which is why you caught it so easily,” she seemed happy with herself for figuring out, “'Cause let's be real, you were never that fast.”

“I guess you'll never know,” Max teased her as she headed back inside.

“Maxine Caulfield, Master of Time,” she teased back.

“Never Maxine,” she affirmed, “especially from you,” and went back inside.

“Whatever you say, Maximus,” hands behind her head.

“That's better,” she put her camera by her bag and went to the bedside table.

“Anyway, I'm gonna have a snack before we go,” Chloe took the jerky out the bag on the table next to the TV, opened it, and ate some, “Umm, that's good, actually.”

“That's just 'cause you're hungry,” Max teased her again as she checked around the bed and table to make sure they didn't leave anything behind.

“Nooo, it's actually pretty good,” she seemed to be enjoying it a lot, at least, “Do you want some?” extending it over.

“Yeah, hold on,” after making sure nothing was left behind, she then proceeded to make the beds.

“Classic Max,” Chloe laughed—“Excuse me for being tidy.”—as she put the jerky bag onto the table, “Oh, shit.”

“What?” Max turned around a little concerned.

“I dropped the jerky,” with a playful disappointed look, “Look at it. Half of it's on the carpet,” as she bent down to pick up the bag.

Though Max breathed a sigh of relief.

“That's half of five dollars down the drain,” Chloe joked, “unless…” and turned back to Max with a knowing smile.

“Fine,” Max sighed and gave in. She raised one hand, “Chloe, you're about to drop the jerky onto the floor,” as she turned her attention back to the beds and bedside table, “so don't make me rewind again, please.”

Yet, Chloe didn't respond, which naturally caught Max's attention again. As she looked back, she saw Chloe a bit wide mouthed while pointing at the jerky bag.

“Chloe?” needless to say, this worried Max, again, “Chloe, are you okay?” she took a step or two towards her friend.

But Chloe then turned her head to Max, still that shocked look on her face, “Max…” and tried to speak, “did you…just rewind the jerky?”

Which, of course, confused Max, “Wait, what?” she was trying to process it too.

“You rewound the jerky, right? I saw it,” Chloe explained, more of an astonished smile on her face this time.

“Wait, what?” that explanation flabbergasted Max, of course.

But Chloe was quiet for a moment, thinking, it looked like. “Do it again,” she then said.

“Wha…?” but Max was still in her head somewhat.

Chloe then knocked over the filled grocery bag, “Try it again,” and instructed Max, “Rewind just the grocery bag.”

“Uhm…” Max was at a loss for words, “okay…?”

She raised one arm again and pointed her hand at the fallen grocery bag…and rewound it back to the table.

“Oh, my goodness. Max…” Chloe put one hand over her mouth before putting both hands together in front of her face, fingertips eventually above her upper lip, “You just rewound the grocery bag without rewinding everything else,” with an excited laugh.

“I did…?” Max herself was still in a state of shock, eventually gazing at her palm.

“You can selectively rewind now!” still excited.

“I can what?” though a smile was starting to form on her lips too.

Chloe shook her head briefly like to regain her focus, “You can choose what to rewind,” and then explained, “Like, you don't have to rewind everything if you don't want to.”

Max let out a perplexed chuckle, “Cool,” she didn't know what else to say.

“Holy shit, Max. Do you realize what this means??” still excited, maybe more so.

“Uhhh…” Max was thinking.

“You can rewind this jerky after I finish it. You can refill the truck's gas after it runs out,” Chloe kept realizing with a big grin while Max stared away with a little smile for a second as she realized where this was going, “Hell, you can just rewind our clothes to before they got dirty! Oh! You could probably rewind the envelope back to two thousand. Hell, you could probably rewind it to before we paid the three thousand to Frank!”

“Great. Well, I'm glad you value me as a best friend, Chloe,” the smile became more sarcastic.

Realizing that, Chloe did contain her excitement, “I'm sorry,” and walked over to Max, holding both of her hands, “I just think it's cool, you know, that your powers are evolving. Who knows what else you'll be able to do.”

“To be honest, I'm kinda scared thinking about it,” Max admitted, though a little smile stayed, “but I'd be lying if I said it isn't cool,” which grew a bit.

“Don't worry. We'll figure it out together,” Chloe held her friend's cheek, “It's you and me now.”

That made Max's smile fully grow, “It's you and me,” and she nodded.

She then looked back up to her best friend, to her blue eyes, and slowly moved her head forward, to which Chloe accepted, and they shared an intimate kiss, embracing each other.

“You're a beautiful person, you know,” Max affirmed, “You're beautiful,” which played another genuine smile at Chloe's lips.

“I'm sorry,” Max then backed away a bit, a little embarrassed.

“Why are you sorry?” but Chloe was giggling, still in the moment somewhat.

“I shouldn't have done that,” though she didn't show any signs of regret.

“I'm glad you did,” Chloe brushed to the side a stray hair on Max.

“Well, anyway, we should get going. I'm starving,” she changed the subject.

“Here,” Chloe went back to grab the jerky, “Eat some of this,” and handed it over, “It'll tide us over until we find a decent place to eat.”

“Thanks,” as she started eating a few pieces.

“Right. I'm gonna go to the office to get our deposit back,” Chloe put her jacket on and made sure her keys and the envelope's where she left it, but especially the gun, “Okay. Here's the key to the truck,” and grabbed the room key off the table, “Be right back.”

Max slung her bag over her shoulder, placed her camera inside…and that's when she saw them again. She grabbed a handful and gazed at them, the photos she took back in Arcadia Bay. One, especially, caught her eye. Its all-too-familiar shape, its black edges melding with the bright blue, casually resting on that damned wooden mop over that damned dirty silver bucket. Max stared at it intently like she was trying to burn it with her eyes.

I guess I could always go back…

She then put the other pictures back in her bag and ripped that one into as many pieces as she could before throwing them into the trash. Wiping her hands, she went back to the table to tidy up the grocery bag and, after taking one last look around the room, including the bathroom, walked outside to the truck to put the grocery bag inside.

The growing warmth of the sun as it rose higher and higher felt good against the cool wind. As she was looking around, viewing the forest across the road, the gravel path of the motel's parking lot, and some birds flying above, listening to the constant waves, she noticed a squirrel beside the road on her side, scurrying about and looking for food, she figured. Max, naturally, took her camera out of her bag and sneaked in closer. Kneeling down somewhat, she carefully positioned her lens—snap—and took the shot.

“Hello, little squirrel,” she spoke gently.

“Talking to animals again?” Chloe returned, “Are you sure that's not one of your superpowers? Wait, can you talk to animals?”

“Yeah, Chloe. I can talk to animals,” Max turned to her as she stood up and shook the photo a bit before storing it and the camera.

“Hey, at this point, I wouldn't bat an eye if you started flying. Anyway, let's get going.”

They went back to the truck and Max handed Chloe her keys back. They buckled their seatbelts and were ready for breakfast.

“Did they have a laundry bag, by the way?” Chloe wondered.

“I…don't know,” Max tried to remember, “I don't think we checked. Why?”

“Well, we should take one if they do, to put our dirty clothes in after we get some fresh ones,” as she switched on the engine, “Doesn't matter, I guess. We can buy a bag or two later.”

“I though you wanted me to just rewind the clothes.”

“Wait, can you really?” she was super curious.

“I was joking. You know my rewind does have limits, right? I can't just rewind forever, you know,” she then suddenly looked at their now-closed motel room in front and then back at Chloe.

“What?” she asked as she turned around to reverse.

“Nothing,” though Max smiled and grabbed her best friend's hand, “Everything's great.”

And Chloe smiled along, holding Max's hand firmly before continuing to reverse the truck to the right and then forward to the left to re-enter the 100.

“Ah, it's nice to be on the road again,” Chloe remarked. They left their windows down, of course, to enjoy the wind flying by, with a splendid view of the ocean to their left, though it was cut momentarily by a bay, which the road went around.

“Finally, other cars,” though there weren't a great many of them, Max was happy to finally see signs of other people.

“Just when I was enjoying the peace and quiet.”

Heading inland briefly, they crossed over a small bridge before curving back towards the coast and, eventually, back north to the right.

“I think that's a town up ahead,” Max spoke.

“Nah, it looks more like a small beach…village, I guess.”

“You mean ‘fishing village’?”

“Yes, Ms. Know-It-All. Point is, we need something bigger. You deserve a full meal, which I'm going to treat you to.”

“Thanks, but you don't have to,” though Max smiled at the thought.

“I want to. After everything you've been through and everything you've done for me, you deserve it. Besides, we also need clothes, remember.”

“In that case, we might as well just go to Portland,” Max realized, “We can eat, get clothes, and then hop on the I-Five straight to Seattle.”

“Sure, but…I like being on the coast,” Chloe smiled.

“Yeah, me too,” Max spoke softly, “Actually, that's the one thing I missed when we moved to Seattle. I mean, we have our bays and lakes, but…the ocean was so far away. Well, farther away than what I'm used to.”

“In that case, the sea welcomes you back, Maxine Caulfield,” Chloe spoke in a playfully grand manner, putting on an accent somewhat.

 “Dude, not Maxine. Come on,” she played tired and disappointed.

“Okay, Maximum.”

“Ooo, I like that one, actually,” Max lit up a bit.

“Yeah, you would, now, wouldn't you. Goes well with your superpowered nature,” and Chloe got a little excited again, “I still can't believe you can selectively rewind now. I mean, if your powers are evolving… Imagine what else you could do. We already know that you can manipulate time by rewinding it, so it stands to reason that you probably can manipulate time in other ways, like fast forwarding instead of rewinding or slowing it down or even stop it. Ooo, have you tried that? Stopping time.”

“No, Chloe,” Max could only chuckle at Chloe's continued amazement, “I haven't tried stopping time.”

“Well, of course, technically you can't ‘stop’ time. It'd be more like slowing it down to a point where it seems like it's stopped.”

“Still the science nerd, I see.”

“Well, I haven't changed that much, I hope.”

“Apparently not.”

“What? You think just because I dropped out, I stopped learning? In fact, I learn better on my own anyway. Always had. School only ever held me back.”

“I believe you, Chloe. You always were a straight-A student, especially when it comes to science stuff. You were always the smart one.”

“Are you saying you're dumb?” Chloe teased.

“Shut up. I shouldn't have said that,” her hands over her eyes.

“I'm sorry,” Chloe had a good laugh though, “You know I was joking, right? I didn't mean that.”

“Eh, you're not wrong anyway.”

“Oh, come on, Max. People are intelligent in different ways. For you, it's photography and all that art shit that I don't understand. That's my weakness.”

“Oh, look at the cottages,” Max suddenly pointed out the front window as they passed by, “They're so pretty. Can we stop for a moment? I wanna take a picture.”

“Okey dokey, artichokey,” Chloe pulled into a sandy area beside the road, “Should I turn off the engine?” but Max responded only with a smile, which gave a clear signal to Chloe.

Max then went outside with her camera ready, “Are we gonna get in trouble for parking here?”

“Why would we? It's not like we parked in front of someone's house. Look at this place,” Chloe followed Max outside as she walked over closer to the road, already looking into her camera lens.

The sun had already risen above the mountains to the east at this point and more fully illuminated the day. A few of the cottages were bright yellow, which seemed to glow in the sunshine.

“Hold on, I need to get a different angle,” Max strafed to her left and right while occasionally kneeling down and back up, with her fingers in different formations in front of her eye.

The cottages were all small, single storied, and faced the beaches beyond. A few of them had a soft sea green color, reminiscent of sea glass, but others were light red, like those on a buoy, a bit faded or weathered like the navy-blue ones—though there were a few that were more pale sky bluish. Some of the trims were white akin to boat hulls and some had fishing nets or wind chimes as decorations.

Chloe was leaning on her truck and smiled at Max doing her thing, getting the different angles and catching the light in the right way. Max was in her element when holding a camera, so fixated, so passionate. But Chloe's attention was then diverted towards the sea, to the only things, really, that stood out—besides the small fishing boats: A big rock arch connected to another one beside it that was whole, like a big wide rock cliff.

Is it basaltic? she wondered, Those could be pillars, I suppose.

Without realizing, she started to walk closer to get a better view.

“Let's go to the beach,” Max suggested, “I can get a different view, and we can enjoy the sand a bit more.”

“That's a good idea,” though Chloe was still a little focused on those two formations out at sea.

They looked both ways before crossing, but there weren't many vehicles, if any, to begin with anyway. They went between two of the cottages, which looked a bit bigger now that they were closer, and finally stepped onto the white sand that reflected the sunlight almost dazzlingly.

So, they are pillars, Chloe got a better view, These are basalt sea stacks, then. Must be an underwater volcano nearby.

Meanwhile, Max was already busy taking more pictures of the cottages and scenery.

“We should take a picture together,” she suggested.

With these waves, makes sense that the softer ones gave way first, but Chloe was still busy in thought, which also explains the arch. Had to have been a weak point that got carved through.

“Uhm, Earth to Chloe,” Max tried to get her friend back.

“Hm? Sorry, did you say something?”

“Let's go take a picture together,” Max repeated.

“Oh, yeah, right. Sorry,” and she readied herself.

“What were you thinking about anyway?” Max wondered.

“Differential erosion processes,” a casual reply.

“Riigghhtt…”

Chloe then chuckled, “The rock formation behind us. The softer rock was eroded faster, over millions of years, likely, which gives us that shape,” and explained, “The hole in the arch, the rocks that used to be there were weaker than the rest, so it got carved away by the waves first. The ones you see left are the harder rocks and minerals that take more time to erode. Like the pillars there,” she pointed towards them, “They're basalt, and they're denser. Stronger, basically. But all of those will eventually be destroyed too, like most sea stacks. It just takes time.”

“Riiigghhhtt…”

“Of course, ‘time’ for you is something different, isn't it. It's not really linear.”

“Riiiiggghhhttt…”

“Well, I mean time isn't linear anyway. It's just that we humans perceive it as linear.”

“Anytime you're ready to speak English…” Max remarked.

And Chloe chuckled, “Don't worry about it. Just nerdy science stuff. Come on, let's take a picture with the arch in the background.”

“Finally, your words make sense.”

“Just get in here.”

Snap!

“The sun's facing the right way, so it's perfect,” Max remarked, “Can't say the same about the cottage photos from the front.”

“Cockblocked by the sun,” shaking her head in sarcasm.

“Shut up. It still turned out okay. In fact, the shadows give them a little character.”

“Right. Anyway, we should go before my truck gets towed,” she started back towards the road.

“Yeah, this small fishing village is definitely gonna tow your truck.”

“You never know. Maybe they'll call the police,” she turned around and walked backwards briefly.

“'Cause they care so much about your truck being on that one patch of sand,” while putting the new photos and camera back into her bag.

“Are you saying my baby's not worth it? It's not good enough for you?” Chloe playfully glared at her.

“Well, it is a piece of junk you found in a junkyard.”

Chloe stopped for a moment to sigh in surprise, wide mouthed, “How dare you?”

“Come on. Let's get going,” okay, she had enough.

But Chloe locked the doors after entering the truck, “Nope. You get to sit in the back after what you said about my baby.”

“Oh, come on, Chloe,” Max played tired.

“Not until you apologize,” with a playful tone.

“Seriously?”

But Chloe only laughed as she unlocked the door.

“You know what, I'm too hungry to care. Let's just go find something to eat.”

“Okay dokey,” she started the engine and drove back onto the road, “Why didn't you just rewind, by the way?”

“What?”

“Why didn't you rewind to before I locked the door? Show off like you love to do. I'm sure you've abused your cosmic powers for little stuff like that before.”

“Firstly, I do not love to show off, and secondly, 'cause I don't wanna do that to you,” Max looked out the window as she said that last part.

“You've done that to me before.”

“Those were different. We were trying to break in somewhere or I was trying to save your life,” reminding her with that last one.

“Whatever makes you sleep at night, Max.”

“My point is…” she sighed, “After everything we've been through, I wanna make memories with you, both good and bad. If I rewind, you won't remember these little moments.”

“Well, you didn't have to fully rewind. We know you can selectively rewind now, so you could've just rewound the truck back a few seconds to before I locked it.”

“I guess,” she smiled, “And yes, it is cool that I can choose what to rewind now.”

“Yeah, maybe you should…you know, train your powers instead of being scared of them,” Chloe encouraged, “Yes, messing with time can be dangerous, but that's all the more reason to practice. 'Cause, whether you like it or not, these powers are a part of who you are now, and they're not gonna go away just because you pretend they don't exist.”

“I know.”

“So, I think you should just embrace 'em, you know. Learn how to use them better so they don't surprise you too much. Acceptance is a powerful thing. Trust me.”

Max looked at her hands in contemplation…and then smiled, “Maybe you're right. Anyway,” she reached into the grocery bag for the beef jerky, “I need to eat something.”

“Yeah, you should get some food in your stomach. There better be some hella food in the next town. You're gonna need it for when your training begins.”

“Excuse me?” she chuckled like confused.

“I'm honored that you chose me to be your coach.”

“My coach?” she laughed as she continued to eat the jerky.

“Well, you've got the powers, I've got the know-how. For example, you can probably also teleport,” Chloe got a bit excited.

“What do you mean?” with some of the bits of jerky in her mouth.

“Well, time and space aren't two separate things. They're intertwined—at least if you believe General Relativity.”

“You do realize I have no idea what you're talking about,” as she continued enjoying the jerky.

“Exactly. That's why you need me as your coach. See, space and time are connected—that's why we call it ‘space-time’—so, since you can bend time, theoretically you should be able to bend space as well, i.e. teleport.”

“You lost me, Chloe.”

“Okay,” a happy chuckle, “Let's just focus on getting food first.”

“How long is it gonna take you to realize that I'm not a nerd like you?”

“Oh, you are a nerd, Max. Just not a science nerd. You're an art nerd,” Chloe emphasized, “which to me is like how you see science. I don't get it.”

“Does that mean we complete each other?” a little hard to tell sometimes whether Max was joking or being genuinely affectionate…or both.

“I suppose we do,” with a little smile.

After a few more minutes of driving, the road took them away from the coast once again, gradually at first, traveling alongside a river that meets the ocean, and then a right turn at a bay in front.

“Welcome to Rivermouth and Mistwood,” Chloe read the sign, “Who the fuck names these towns?” and laughed, “Were they high? I bet they were high.”

“Wasn't it normal for people to be high back then?” Max put out a nonsensical piece of knowledge.

“Based on these names… I want whatever they were smoking, actually. Sounds epic.”

“I knew there was no way you quit smoking,” Max said a little smug.

“There are different types of smoking, Max,” Chloe clarified in an attempt to defend herself, “What I meant was I quit smoking cigarettes. Iiiii didn't say anything about,” a brief cough, “herbal alternatives.”

Chloeee… her mother reminded her.

“Oh, alright, alright. Fine.”

“What?” Max was a little confused.

“Nothing. Finally, a decently sized town. We should be able to find a thrift shop or something here.”

There were a few buildings in the first area, but they kept going and followed the road as it wound back to the left, following the curve of the bay and river that feeds it. It then went over said river across a small bridge. This side had more buildings and shops, and, finally, diners and restaurants too.

“Oh, look, they have fish and chips,” Max looked excited and hungry.

“We are on the coast. We should find fresh clothes first or we'll stink up the place.”

They kept going past the riverside and back towards the coast when they saw “Second Wave Thrift” to their left.

“Good a place as any, I suppose,” Chloe remarked as she pulled in.

The parking area was quite small, enough for 5 to 6 cars, maybe, and the building itself was weathered-blue wood with a hand-painted sign for the store name. It had a wavy design appropriate for the location.

“Not sure if they'll have any fuck-you punk clothing for you,” Max joked.

But Chloe smiled at the comment, “I'll manage.”

The shop definitely looked smaller on the outside, as the interior had quite an open space, though a lot of them were filled with rows of metal racks with clothes hanging on them, and a wall of shoes on one side. Some parts of the wooden floor were a bit creaky, as they found out, which Max kind of liked, actually.

“It gives a bit of character.”

“I guess. Anyway, go pick out what you wanna wear, and we'll meet back at the cashier,” Chloe told her.

“Okey dokey, artichokey,” Max squinted a look at Chloe.

“Did you just steal my line?”

“Uhh, since when is it your line?”

“Since I started using it, so you're not allowed to.”

“Fine, fine. Let's just find some clothes. I wanna get out of these smelly ones,” Max grabbed a bit of her shirt and took a brief sniff, “Okay, it's not as bad as I thought, but still.”

“Good morning, young ones. Can I help you with anything today?” a middle-aged woman approached them, “I couldn't help overhearing you two talk about getting new clothes.”

“Oh, uhm…” Chloe wasn't sure what to say.

“Oh, don't worry, dearie. We're a beach town. We have people coming in here soaking wet and smellin' like the sea all the time,” the woman had a good chuckle, “You're in luck, though, 'cause we're having a little discount today on anything hanging on the racks. Ten percent off, so feel free to look around.”

It made Chloe smile too, at least, “Oh, that sounds great. Thank you, uhh, Sandy,” she noticed her name tag, “I think we'll be fine for now, but, uh, we'll let you know if we need anything. Oh, actually, you guys do have fitting rooms, right?”

“Yes, it's just at the back there,” she pointed to the area, “Just pick any one that's free.”

“Awesome. Thank you, again.”

“Thank you so much,” Max too expressed.

“You're welcome, dears.”

“Ten percent discount, Max,” she mouthed the words with a grin.

But Max only smiled and shook her head, “Classic Chloe,” before heading off into the sea of clothing.

“Let's not take too long. I'm starving,” Chloe reminded.

“Don't worry. Me too.”

After a couple of minutes, they eventually met up at the fitting rooms at the back. Max chose a light-blue T-shirt that had a vintage camera design on it, naturally, under a simple light-brown hoodie, and blue straight-leg jeans. Chloe, on the other hand, had on a white T-shirt with the town's logo on it above a palm tree, with a light green, almost yellowish, jacket, and light blue slightly ripped jeans below. Max looked a little perplexed, though, but seemed to have shrugged it off.

“Please tell me you got new underwear too,” she knew her best friend well.

“I did,” though Chloe seemed a little surprised, “and a new bra. You wanna check?” she looked ready to lift up her shirt for Max.

“Not necessary,” with her hand palm up, though alongside a smile, “Just wondering, since you always liked to be a dirty girl,” with a little squint.

“Only for you,” she leaned in closer for that one, “Anyway, we also need to get a bag or something for our old smelly clothes.”—“Yeah,” Max was holding hers almost at arm's length—“Also for the gun,” whispering that last part, showing Max the handle underneath the jacket.

“Don't pull it out. I think I saw some bags there. Let's go get one. By the way, it's a little weird seeing you without your beanie,” as they started back to the main space.

“You've seen me without my beanie many times.”

“Yeah, but it's part of your identity now, so it's weird now,” Max explained.

“Well, anyway, it's also dirty, wet, and smelly, so I need to get it washed too.”

As for the bag, they chose whatever was around, as long as it was big enough to fit their clothes for a while. They eventually settled on a green duffel bag, “And we can also use it for other things, if needed,” Chloe remarked on the size. It also had a few fairly large pockets on the sides.

“Alright, whatever. Can we go eat now?” they could definitely hear Max's stomach growling at one point.

“Ah, I see you girls found some nice fresh clothes,” Sandy remarked as they returned to the checkout area.

“Yep. It's nice to not be wet and smelly anymore, especially this one,” Max lowered her voice a little and raised her left hand to cover her pointing right hand.

“Ignore her. She's just trying to cover up the fact that she was sweatier than I was,” Chloe rebutted.

“I was not. We were equally sweaty,” Max let it go and tried to be fair, as usual.

“Yeah, you both were. Let's be honest,” Sandy added her neutral third opinion, “But, again, we're used to it here,” with a warm smile, “So, that'll be fifty for the clothes,” she then started typing on the cash register, “forty-five with the discount, and fifteen for the bag, making it sixty dollars in total.”

Chloe decided to give another hundred-dollar bill so they could get more small change, “Is that okay?”

“Yep, that's fine. And here's forty in return,” she handed them a twenty-dollar bill and two ten-dollar bills.

“Thank you,” Chloe and Max both expressed.

“Oh, actually, you guys wouldn't happen to have a laundromat or something here, would you?” Chloe wondered.

“Hmm, I'm not sure, actually,” Sandy looked away in thought, “I think they have one over at Coastal Pines just down the road there. You girls could check there.”

“I see.”

“Sorry I can't be more help. A lot of us here just do our own laundry,” she explained.

“No, it's fine. You've been a great help, Sandy,” Chloe expressed further, “Thank you so much.”

“Ah, don't mention it. Have a wonderful day, you two,” she waved them goodbye as they left the shop.

“So, fish and chips?” Chloe asked as they put the duffel bag in the back of the truck.

And there it is again, that smile, Max thought, “Okay, who are you and what have you done with Chloe Price?” she just couldn't hold it in anymore.

“Excuse me?” though she laughed.

“The bright colors,” her hands pointing towards the clothes Chloe chose, “that bright smile, actually being polite to people,” Max listed on, “It's all so…un-Chloe-like,” at which Chloe continued having that smile, “Chloe Price is this angry punk rock chick, so who are you?”

At that, Chloe said nothing, only putting an arm around her best friend's shoulders, then the other arm, and kissed her on the cheek, still that shining smile.

“Come on. Let's go get those fish and chips. I have a feeling it's gonna be great,” positive and optimistic, which confused Max even more.

Despite that, she was actually happy to see Chloe so happy and shining. In any case, Max entered the truck and off they went.

“Let's go find one near the beach,” Chloe suggested as she reversed out of the parking area.

“Yeah, that would be nice. Like, who wouldn't have fish and chips in a beachside restaurant anyway,” Max worked out her logic.

Instead of going back, they continued on into “Coastal Pines,” the beachfront part of the town. The 100 wound a bit around a small lake before eventually circling back up north, but Chloe took the exit to Coastal Pines where the road narrowed into a single lane. They went past a café, with spacious parking and a decently sized sign hanging on two wooden poles above it that said, “Lapping Waves Café.” But that wasn't what she and Max were looking for, so they continued on, passing by small houses and various stores as they headed closer towards the beach, whose sandy glitter they could see just before the wide blue ocean greeting them once again.

“Yes! There's one,” Max pointed to the “Beachside Fish & Chips” sign.

“Can I get a ‘hallelujah?’” Chloe actually let go of the steering wheel for a second to make the gesture, which worried Max a little, of course.

“Please don't do that.”

But Chloe let out a little laugh, “Classic Max. You worry too much, you know.”

“Because you might get us killed,” she emphasized a little, though her facial expression wasn't really that of “worried to death.” In fact, she let out a chuckle.

“We're going two miles an hour and there are no other cars around us,” Chloe used one hand show it, “I think I can let go of the steering wheel for a second without killing us,” then showing her sarcastic side again.

“You know I can't rewind if I'm also dead, right,” though Max actually smiled and joked along.

“That's a shame,” as they finally entered the parking area, “Ooo, what if you learn to set up an automatic rewind for yourself?” and Chloe had a thought.

“Yeah, I'll get right on that,” sarcastic Max re-surfaced with a good laugh.

The restaurant was a weathered single-story cedar building that also had a hand-painted sign at the top, with an image of a leaping fish. It had large windows to provide customers with a panoramic view of the ocean and an exterior wooden deck with a couple of tables under umbrellas for those who wanted outdoor seating. There were some hanging flower baskets holding Coastal Gumweed, Sea Thrift, and Beach Morning Glory, to name a few.

Chloe and Max walked up the short steps to enter through the main entrance and headed directly to the counter service area in the middle. Naturally, there were nautical decorations and knick-knacks about, like fishing nets and ship wheels, along with some local photographs of the coast, Max surmised, on the walls. The floor itself was worn wood with some sand in the corners.

“Welcome to Beachside Fish and Chips. How can I help you today?” the cashier welcomed them with a smile.

They greeted him back before looking at the chalkboard menu behind him.

“Yeah, we'll take two of the Halibut and, uh, the hush puppies, please,” Chloe said.

“Oh, I would like some onion rings too, please,” Max added.

 “I'll also have a Coke, I guess,” Chloe added as she pulled out some cash.

“Yeah, you know what, I'll have a Coke as well,” which got a brief stare from Chloe.

“Alrighty, then. Two Halibuts, one hush puppies,” as he typed into the cash register, “one onion rings, and two Cokes. That'll be thirty-nine seventy,” again, with a smile.

 Chloe handed him two twenty-dollar bills, to which the cashier hands her back a quarter, a nickel, a table number, and two paper cups.

“You can fill out your drinks right over there,” he gestured to the self-serve soda fountain to their left by the wall next to the counter.

“Okay. Thank you.”

They grabbed their cups and walked over to the fountain.

“Max Caulfield drinking soda. The world has changed,” Chloe teased a bit as she filled her cup.

“What do you mean? I drink soda,” Max defended herself as she then filled hers after Chloe was finished.

“Whatever. Remember when we were kids and you tried to drink one but ended up spitting it back out and wiping your tongue with tissue?” Chloe laughed a bit as she took a sip.

“Shut up. That was a long time ago. Anyway, let's just find a table.”

“Hold up. I wanna wash my hands.”

Chloe gave her cup to Max and went to the sinks near the bathroom, which Max did too afterward. They then went outside through a side door and picked a table closest to the beach, next to the steps that led down to it.

“You feel that, Max?” Chloe spoke, “Feels good to be back on the coast, huh?”

“Yes, it does,” she smiled, “But anywhere's wonderful as long as I'm with you,” and held Chloe's hand, to which Chloe raised and kissed it, which made Max blush a little.

“A girl after my own heart,” Chloe remarked.

“Okay,” and gently pulled her hand back.

“So, did you ever make a move on me and then rewind?” she then got curious.

“Excuse me?” which confused Max, needless to say.

“Remember back at the Two Whales when we first met up after you just got back? You proved to me your powers and then I pledged my allegiance to you, and then I said, ‘You could make a move on me and I'd never know,’” re-enacting the scene.

“Unbelievable,” Max shook her head a bit and chuckled, “I can't believe you remember that.”

“So? Did you?”

She narrowed her eyes like revealing some evil plot, “Yeah, Chloe. I made a move on you several times, actually, but you kept saying ‘no,’ so I rewound and tried again another time.”

“I knew it,” with her mouth wide open briefly at the start, “Playing with my emotions like that…”

“You asked,” there was a bit of a smug expression on her face.

“Did you really though?” still that curious smile.

“Of course not, Chloe. Why would I do that?” back to serious land.

“I don't know. Just to have fun. I wouldn't remember anyway, right. That's the cool thing about your powers. You can do all these what-ifs, Max. You can literally do whatever you want just to see what would happen and then rewind, and then it all disappears,” she lowered her voice into a whisper for that last part, gesturing her hands appropriately, “like nothing ever happened…'cause, technically, it never did, I suppose.”

“Yeah, like when I poured your Coke all over you just now. Your face was Price-less,” Max teased her back, “I should've gotten it on camera.”

“That's my girl. Also, that pun was a two out of ten. Let's be real,” taking a sip of her Coke.

“I was joking,” she just had to clarify that.

“Well, now I'm really disappointed.”

“Anyway,” Max then took a sip of her Coke and then almost immediately shivered and groaned like she was about to throw up.

“I knew it. I knew you couldn't handle it,” Chloe had a big grin on.

But Max swallowed it, with a finger up to Chloe's face, and took a bigger sip. She shivered again briefly before swallowing.

“Umph. Wow, that's good, actually,” she remarked and shook her face somewhat.

And Chloe clapped her hands, “Bravo, Max. I'm proud of you,” and raised her cup to Max's, “My girl's growing up.”

“Oh, shut up,” and raised her cup to meet Chloe's, “Cheers,” and they both drank some more, with Max getting more used to it, “That is good. Have I really been missing out on soda my whole life?”

“Exactly. Next stop, alcohol.”

“Okay, maybe that's a little too far.”

“Eh, we'll get you there,” as she took another sip before setting her cup down.

They then enjoyed the ocean breeze and the sound of the crashing waves once again, beside the cawing of seagulls this time, a couple of white shapes moving across the yellow sand, as they were mesmerized by the dancing sunlight that glittered on the ocean's surface. Chloe extended one arm out of the shade of their table's umbrella to feel the cool heat of the morning sun.

“It's different, isn't it?” she mused, “To the noon heat.”

“I guess so,” Max didn't know what to reply.

It was then that they heard the side door opening and saw a waitress carrying two plates.

“Okay, one hush puppies and onion rings?”

“That's us,” Chloe confirmed, “Thank you very much.”

“Thank you,” Max also expressed.

“No worries. Enjoy,” and she returned inside.

“Oh, it's still a little hot,” Max tried to grab one.

“Maybe you could fast forward it,” Chloe looked at her friend a certain way.

“Meaning?” she was confused, of course.

“Practice number one, Max. See if you can fast forward it a little.”

“And how would I do that, Chloe?”

“Well, whatever you usually feel or think about when you rewind, do the opposite, I suppose.”

“Right…'cause that makes sense.”

But Chloe gave a surprised look alongside a smile, “I think it makes sense.”

“Of course you do.”

“Fine. It's okay if you're not ready to practice your powers,” Chloe took one of the onion rings, “Mmm,” nodding, “Wow, that's good. Isn't it good, Max? I think that's the best onion ring I've ever tasted.”

“Really?” Max was a little confused.

“Yeah, try one,” with a mouth full of onion ring.

“Okay,” she took one and tasted it, “It's good, but I don't know if it's the best one I've ever tried.”

“Well, I think it is,” and she took another ring and dipped it in the Tartar Sauce.

“Right…” Max gazed at best friend for a second, “Anyway, it's not that I'm not ready, it's…” but then she thought about it, “Okay, maybe it is that,” and admitted, “I mean, look what happened.”

“I know,” Chloe became more sincere again, “but I think that's exactly why you should. Like I said, it's not gonna just go away, Max,” as she took another onion ring before taking one of the hush puppies, “It's like emotions, right. If you just dam it up, it'll eventually burst,” and then she held Max's hand, “You don't have to be afraid of it is what I'm saying. I'll be here with you every step of the way.”

“I know, Chloe. And I get it, but… Just not right now, okay? Let's just eat.”

“Okay, okay. I'm sorry.”

It wasn't too long afterward that their Fish & Chips also finally came out.

“Oh, that looks so good,” Max's mouth was already watering, at which Chloe laughed a bit, “Thank you so much.”

“Boy, you girls must be really hungry, huh?”

“Oh, I'm famished,” Max confirmed as she grabbed a set of knife and fork.

“Well, enjoy them, then,” the waitress took their table number and went back inside.

“Dig in, Max. It's on me today,” Chloe smiled.

“Don't you mean it's on Blackwell?” naturally, Max just had to tease her.

“Whatever. Same difference,” as she herself also grabbed a knife and fork.

With a happy smile, “Thank you anyway.”

They wasted no more time talking and started filling their stomachs. If there were others outside, they'd probably be gazing at these two looking like they were tearing their fish apart.

“Umph,” Chloe expressed, “That's the best thing I've ever tasted,” which perplexed Max again.

“What's with you? You act like you've never had fish and chips before,” she commented.

“Not like this,” she had a big happy smile on.

Max opened her mouth, with a finger up, about to say something but then stopped, instead shaking her head a bit like trying to re-compose herself. In any case, they were already quite full as they finished up the last of the fish.

“Oh, wow. That was… I'm set until dinner,” Chloe remarked, tapping her stomach a few times.

“I think I'm set until breakfast,” Max tried to laugh but her stomach stopped her somewhat.

“And yet, I still want a bit of the fries, or maybe the onion rings,” as she groped the paper mat of the onion-rings basket, trying to salvage as many bits as she could.

But Max had a bit of a smirk after wiping her mouth with a tissue and looked around the area surreptitiously. She then hovered her right hand over the onion-rings basket, which then kind of warped and glowed slightly, shifting and shaking a little as a few crumbs around it returned inside, the edges of the paper mat trembled back and forth, and pieces of the onion rings began re-materializing.

“You're welcome,” Max said as she grabbed one and ate it.

Chloe's mouth was almost wide open, but she was used to it by now, “Well done, Super Max,” and took another one to enjoy.

And Max put a little smile on, “I'm not afraid of the power, Chloe. I'm afraid of how it makes me feel,” admitting, “You were right, you know. I can pretty much do whatever I want now and get away with it. I can do something just to see what happens and then rewind,” her expression was a mix of worry and mischievousness, “In fact, I have done that somewhat.”

“Well, exactly. Nothing can stop you, Max. I certainly can't.”

Max then stared away in contemplation, it seemed, that little smile still stuck to her lips, “Have you been making fun of me and then rewinding?” which Chloe broke with her question. Max turned her attention back to her best friend and her smile grew. She grabbed both of Chloe's hands, “I would never do that to you,” there was a sincerity in her voice.

“Oh, Max… But I wouldn't mind, you know. I wouldn't remember it anyway, right. Besides, I'm human too. In fact, I think I, of all people, should understand that feeling of rebelling and causing mischief and chaos,” she kind of grinned at the thought.

But Max only chuckled, and it was her turn to kiss Chloe's hand, “That's what I love about you.”

Was Chloe now blushing a little? But she composed herself, pretending she wasn't if Max would ask.

“The temptation is there,” Max continued as she released Chloe's hands, “I did use it for fun and mischief more than a couple of times, like I said. To impress you, for one thing, if you remember,” which gave Chloe a big smile, “but also just to… Like with Frank, for example. Remember when we were trying to get into his RV? You stayed outside to find a way to distract Pompidou while I went inside to nab his keys.”

“I remember,” Chloe nodded.

“Well, I might've…pushed his plate down to the floor or pour the food all over his head or spilled his drink—or maybe even drank it, actually,” she looked away for a moment.

“Wow, Max. That's…pretty badass. I'm not gonna lie.”

“Anyway, stuff like that, right. And then all I have to do,” she did the motion, “is raise my hand,” and turned her hand towards her to look at it, “and it would all go away,” she continued viewing her hand for a few more seconds, absorbed in thought, “I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel good,” putting her hand back down onto the table, “For the first time in my life, I feel…” as she gazed out to the horizon, “powerful,” before picking up another onion ring.

“Isn't that a good thing?” Chloe herself ate a few more too.

“Yeah, I guess. It is cool, I agree with you on that. But…”

“You don't have to worry, you know,” but Chloe assured her, “I know you, Max. You're a good person. You were always better than me, that's for sure.”

“You know, you look down on yourself a lot, Chloe, but it's not true, you know.”

“No, I don't look down on myself. I just…know myself well.”

“Clearly not, then,” and Max held her best friend's hand again, “I wish you could see yourself the way I do. You're stronger than you think, for one thing. Despite everything, you never gave up. You found your own way instead, like you always do. And you're very smart, for another thing. Which one of us always got straight-As in school? Which one of us could always learn something and remember it forever? More than just remember it, you could always…I don't know what the word is,” she chuckled, “‘Develop’ it, I guess. You could always take what you learned and apply it or learn something new from it,” and she paused for a moment, “And I know from the bottom of my heart that if all the shit that happened to you never did, you would…well, graduate from Blackwell early, for one thing, and get another scholarship to another prestigious school or university,” a smile played on her lips, “And then you would…show the world what you're truly capable of.”

“Max…” Chloe didn't know what to say and continued to listen instead.

“Remember that…other timeline I briefly went to?” Max became more solemn now, her smile disappearing.

“You mean when you went back in time to save my dad?”

Though Chloe didn't seem to mind or be bothered by it, her own smile remaining, even if only a little.

Max only nodded in response, “But then you had your accident,” a few tears started flowing now, “and you became paralyzed from the neck down and had to be in a wheelchair for the rest of your life,” which led to more tears, using her free hand to wipe and cover them.

“Max…”

“I still see that you sometimes,” she spoke through it, “You were in pain, you were suffering, and it was all because of me,” but then started to cry.

“No—Max. That's not true,” though Chloe tried to convince her otherwise, of course, “Look at me, Max. That's not true,” she then lifted her chair and moved it next to Max's and gave her a hug, “You were trying to help me,” she spoke softly, “You were…trying to give me back my life. It's okay,” and caressed Max's arm as she stayed with her, “I'm grateful, in fact.”

“Anyway,” Max wiped the tears, “my point is that, even in that state,” and put up a smile, “you still aced every class you had. You still proved to everyone why you're Chloe Price. You're strong and you don't give up. You could've, but you didn't. And even with what happened at the end,” oh, the tears came back, “even when you…” she had to compose herself, “I never told you this part, did I?”

“I don't think so…” Chloe wasn't sure.

“Even then, it wasn't you giving up. Even then, you were,” she chuckled briefly, “smart enough to understand the situation, despite everyone around you telling you otherwise. But you knew there was no healing you, and your parents were burning through money to keep you alive, so…” she covered her face with both hands for a second, “so you asked me to kill you.”

Chloe was silent for a moment but then, “Oh, Max…”

“And I did it, you know… You…you asked me to do it, and you were in so much pain, and I couldn't just leave you like that…” the tears fell again.

“I'm sorry you had to go through that...”

Max embraced her tighter, which Chloe reciprocated, of course.

“Thankfully, that Chloe also had that old picture of us when we were kids, so I went back again. I didn't even think about it. I wasn't gonna let you die like that,” Max seemed more angry than sad for a second, “and thankfully it worked. When I got back, you were sitting there in front of your laptop with your beautiful blue hair in your beautiful messy room,” she laughed somewhat through the tears, “and I hugged you so tight…”

“So, that's what that was,” Chloe realized.

“Yeah…” she wiped away some tears again, “At the time, I didn't think I could ever tell you what happened, but… Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag you with me through all of that.”

“No, I… I'm glad you told me,” Chloe smiled for her.

“Again, my point is that you're an amazing and beautiful person,” it was her turn to hug Chloe now, “and I love everything about you just the way they are,” which made Chloe's smile stay a bit longer, “Okay, I guess I lied a bit,” as she released Chloe, “I guess I am also scared of messing up the timeline, again.”

“Don't worry. I'll help you learn to control and understand your powers better,” Chloe affirmed.

“Thanks, Chloe. In any case, no matter what happened or happens, I don't regret saving you.”

“I know you don't.”

“I've never been happier with any choice in my life, to give you this second chance at happiness. Because you deserve it, and I hope you'll feel the same way one day.”

“Then you won't have to wait long,” she brushed Max's hair a little, “'cause I already do,” and went in closer for a kiss, which Max accepted.

“So, are you ready to stop feeling sorry for yourself?” Max kind of whispered as they finished their kiss.

“Are you?” she returned the question.

“Tell you what,” as Max cupped a hand onto Chloe's cheek, “I'm ready if you are.”

“Deal,” Chloe rested her forehead on Max's…and then grabbed another onion ring to eat.

But Max took a bite out of it, and they ended up having a little tug-of-war before getting half each. They then had a brief kiss as they pulled their respective halves into their mouths.

“Okay, I am full, actually,” Chloe admitted as they nearly finished all of the onion rings.

“Yeah, me too.”

“So, are you ready to go?”

“Wait…let's wait a few minutes more,” Max pulled out her camera, “We should take some photos.”

And Chloe rolled her eyes, “Of course. Nerd.”

“Bitch. Now shut up and get in here.”

She ended up taking pictures of the beach as well while also thinking about rewinding the food again to get a photo of them when they had just arrived but deciding against it.

“Why not? It'll also be a good practice for you to fast forward things,” Chloe suggested.

“Yeah, but if I can't, these people are gonna wonder why we didn't eat any of the food.”

“You gotta have more faith in yourself, Max,” but then started teasing again, “Will it help if I hold your hand?”

Max gave Chloe the middle finger and stood up to go down to the beach.

“Come on. I was only half-joking,” Chloe got up as well and followed Max, “For real, though, will it help if I did?”

And Max sighed, “I don't know, Chloe,” as she prepared her camera again for another shot. She crouched down to get a picture of one of the flocks of seagulls gathering on the beach, with the glittering ocean as the backdrop, a straight narrow sheen in the middle where the sun's light was strongest.

“Alright, how about this?” Chloe pulled out a Chock-o-Crisp from her pocket, “The food would've been strange, I'll admit, but not this,” she shook it back and forth a bit, “I'm gonna bite a chunk out of it,” as she's unwrapping the bar just enough to do that, “and then you rewind and try to fast forward it back to a half-eaten state.”

“You just wanna eat that Chock-o-Crisp,” Max knew her well.

“Well, yes,” she admitted, “but it's also actually to help test your powers. Actually, now that I think about it, fast-forwarding in itself is interesting in a different way to rewinding,” she put her index finger and thumb to her chin and gazed away, “With rewind, there's a clear continuum. We know what already happened in our timeline, so the rewind just follows that path, but with fast-forward… There are various possible futures it could follow—assuming the many-worlds interpretation and that all possible worlds exist simultaneously without us being able to perceive them.”

Max, needless to say, only smiled and looked away for a second.

“So, because I ate it, did I set it on that path, on that continuum, so that when you rewind and fast forward, it'll stay on that path?” Chloe continued, naturally, “But what if I didn't?” and she contemplated some more, rubbing her middle finger and thumb on one hand together, “What if I had pulled it out and just thought about eating it?”

“Uhh, Chloe?” Max spoke.

“Will that also set it on that path? If you fast forward it then…what would happen? Will it just randomly pick a possible timeline?”

“Chloe!” Max snapped her out of it.

“Huh? Oh, sorry. It's just all so fascinating, you know.”

“Right… Anyway, it's starting to get a bit warmer,” Max tried to look up, shielding her eyes with her hand, “Can we at least go back to the truck first before you continue?”

“Okay, okay. Let's go,” and they headed back to the parking lot, “It's still a long way to Seattle, so we should stop by a convenience store or something to get more supplies.”

“By ‘supplies,’ you mean Chock-o-Crisps?” Max teased.

“Hells yeah. You want more too. Admit it,” as she opened the truck's door.

“Yeah, yeah,” and they sat down, “We should get more, maybe, so you won't eat all of mine.”

“You mean so you won't eat all of mine,” Chloe started the engine and backed out.

“Well, I can rewind it anyway, so we both get what we want.”

“Does this mean we won't have to buy as much stuff anymore?” Chloe looked at Max in a scheming way.

“Unless I forgot or I'm tired, I guess,” Max casually shrugged with her hands.

“You are Super Max,” as she maneuvered back onto the road, “Anyway, I think I saw a store back there. Let's hit that before we go back on the road,” and headed back that way.

But then, Max's phone suddenly rings, and they both knew immediately who was calling.

“Hey, Mom,” Max picked up, “Yes, we're fine. We just finished eating breakfast and are about to hit the road again,” she explained, “We should be in Seattle by…” Max raised a hand to Chloe, looking for an answer.

“Sometime before evening, I guess, if no heavy traffic and all that,” Chloe gave an answer with a shrug.

“If traffic is good, you should see us before evening hits,” Max relayed the information, “Mom, we're fine. I promise. I'll be back at the house before you know it, okay? Okay. Love you too. Tell Dad I love him too. Okay. Bye.”

“I'm still surprised it took 'em this long to call you,” Chloe remarked as she pulled into the store's parking lot.

“They're probably gonna call again soon, so let's just try to get to Seattle as soon as we can.”

The sign said “Coastal Corner Market” over a small wooden building with faded blue paint. There was a single entrance that, naturally, had a bell that rang whenever the door was opened.

“Oh. Good morning,” the guy behind the counter greeted them.

“Morning…” Chloe gazed at him a bit confused, “I'm sorry, are you already open?”

“Uhm, yes, we are. Sorry, I…” he scratched his head and looked at his cash register, “We just opened, and I… Alright, I'll admit it, I kinda just woke up, so I'm still a little bit…you know,” he tried to laugh, “Anyway, sorry about that. We are open. Feel free to look around.”

“Right… Uh, thank you,” Chloe replied while Max stayed quiet.

Max grabbed one of the shopping baskets and, “Look, there's a camera, so you don't have to worry about chainsaw murderers.”

“Oh, ha ha,” Chloe mimed, “Shut up and go get us some snacks.”

“Aye aye, Captain Bluebeard,” Max saluted, which made Chloe smile, actually.

They split up among the three or four aisles, with Max going across the snacks section, “Come here, delicious Chock-o-Crisps,” throwing a couple into the basket.

“Chock-o-Crisps!” a little kid suddenly appeared in front of her and shouted.

Max smiled at the boy, “Yeah, my best friend and I have always loved these. Ever since we were kids.”

“I love them too, since I was…well I'm still a kid, I guess,” he walked over to grab some, “Are there still any left?” and stood on his toes to look at where they were.

“Don't worry, there's still a bunch of them,” Max laughed.

“Daniel??” an older teenaged boy showed up.

“What? I was just looking for Chock-o-Crisps,” he then turned back to Max, “That's my big brother. We're…traveling.”

“Oh, that's cool. My friend and I are kinda traveling too.”

“Sorry about that. My little brother gets really excited about Chock-o-Crisps,” he explained, “But he remembers what we talked about, doesn't he?”

“Yeah, yeah. I know,” the boy got a little pouty, “Sorry, I'm not supposed to talk to strangers.”

“Oh, no. Don't worry about it. Your little brother and I were just sharing our love of Chock-o-Crisps.”

“Thank you,” he smiled at her, “Not everyone's been kind to us in our…travels. It's good to know there are still some decent people out there.”

“I…know the feeling, actually…and I agree,” she then grabbed a few bars for the little one, “Here you go. Enjoy.”

“Oh, can we? Pleeeaasssee.”

“Okay, okay,” putting both hands up, “But remember, we don't have a lot of money, so please don't blow it all off on Chock-o-Crisps.”

“I won't. I promise,” he excitedly took the bars from Max, “Thank you!” and hugged his big brother.

“Okay, okay. Anyway, thanks,” he expressed to Max.

“Oh, no problem.”

“Making new friends, Max?” Chloe came along holding a few items, placing them in the basket.

“Anyone who loves Chock-o-Crisps as much as I do is a friend in my book,” the little boy remarked.

“Absolutely,” Max agreed, “So, they're traveling too,” telling Chloe.

“Awesome. Just you two? Your parents let you travel alone with your little brother?” Chloe wondered though, which made Sean noticeably a bit uncomfortable.

“No, our dad's meeting us soon. We're on our way to meet him,” the boy replied with childlike enthusiasm.

“Speaking of which, we should probably get going. It was nice meeting you,” his older brother spoke.

“Okay. Have fun, you two. Enjoy those Chock-o-Crisps,” Max smiled.

“Should I be jealous?” Chloe asked and folded her arms as they walked out of sight.

“Yeah, you should be. 'Cause after everything we've been through together, after everything I've sacrificed for you, I'm definitely gonna abandon you for a new best friend,” sassy Max re-surfaced.

“You wound me, Max,” Chloe dramatically put one hand on her forehead.

“Let's just pay and get outta here. What did you get anyway?”

“Not much, actually. We just ate a king's meal, right, so I figured some snacks will do until we get to Seattle. I got an energy drink for me,” showing the stuff she put into the basket, “two more water bottles, just in case, chewing gum, and a trail mix 'cause why not.”

“And I got us five Chock-o-Crisps,” as they eventually made their way back to the front, “'cause it's five for five fifty, so…”

“Awesome.”

They showed it to the guy, who seems to be preoccupied with something else, as Chloe noticed. “Sir?” she spoke.

“Huh? Oh, sorry. I'm just a little…” the guy gestured it away with his right hand, “Sorry about that. Let me get that for you,” and started on the cash register, “That'll be fifteen fifty in total.”

“No problem,” Chloe took out a ten- and five-dollar bill along with two quarters, “Oh, we actually have exact change. Nice.”

“Ah, even if you didn't, I got plenty of change, actually, so don't worry about it. You girls need a bag with that?”

“No, it's okay. We have one right here,” Max opened it up and put the stuff inside, “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” though Chloe continued to eye the guy a little bit before finally walking out, “Did you notice that?” she asked Max as they walked to the truck.

“What do you mean?”

“That guy. He seemed a bit…distracted, don't you think? Like nervous about something.”

“I guess…” Max looked back to the store, “But, then again, he did say he just woke up.”

“Right, that's what it is,” as she opened the door and sat down, turning the engines on.

“Anyway, I'm gonna eat the Twinkies. We bought two, one for each,” Max declared, “in case you try to pin anything on me again,” and she began unwrapping one.

“Just don't get bits and crumbs on my seat,” with a chuckle.

“Don't worry. I'll rewind it.”

“Now who's getting cocky?”

But as they were about to back out, BANG! It shocked them, needless to say, and they saw the two young boys they met running out the door frantically.

“Oh, shit!” they were panicking too, naturally.

The older brother saw their truck and ran towards them with his little brother in tow.

“Please help us!!” they yelled, “That guy's crazy! He pulled out a gun on us!!”

It was then that the store owner came out with his shotgun in hand. He aimed for them, but Max quickly raised her hand and rewound him back inside.

“Chloe??” Max turned to her, at which Chloe opened her window.

“Okay, okay! Get in the back! Let's go!”

“Oh, thank you! Come on, Daniel!” and they quickly hopped in.

But the guy came out again, searching for the brothers, and Max rewound him again.

“I can't keep doing this, Chloe!”

“Don't worry, we're going!” she hit the pedal, tires squealing, and quickly backed out.

Max opened the rear-view window to check on the boys, “Don't worry. We're gonna get you outta here. We're going to Seattle.”

“What?! No, no, no! You can't!” the older one moved closer to the window, “We can't go to Seattle! Please! Anywhere else but Seattle!” he was very distressed.

“Why the fuck not??” Chloe stopped for a moment.

“Oh, shit!” the boy took cover as the guy exited the store again.

Once again, Max raised her hand and forced him back, her nose starting to bleed a little.

“Okay! We'll, uhh…” Chloe just wanted to get out of there, “Let's just go back, then!” and she turned the truck around and floored it, the truck's tires burning rubber.

She just kept going without looking back, back across the bridge, back towards the bay and the coast, the store far out of sight now, thankfully.

“Holy shit… Holy shit…” Chloe breathed in and out deeply, “Oh, my goodness. Max, are you okay?”

“I'm fine, Chloe. Don't worry,” but she was holding her nose up a little, “It's not as bad as it looks. I promise.”

“Okay…okay…”

“So, what do we do?” Max wondered.

“Right now, let's just focus on getting as far away from that place as we can,” it wasn't too long after that they were back at the beach with the colorful cottages, “We could go back to the motel?”

“I mean…I guess?” Max was at a loss, “We need to figure things out, I guess.”

“Do you think that guy will remember us?”

“We were just there, Chloe. I'm pretty sure he'll remember the girl with blue hair who drives a beat-up truck.”

“Well, I mean, it was dark, and he didn't really see my truck,” Chloe playfully tried to argue it.

“Seriously?” though Max was still able to pull out a smile despite her minor nosebleed issue, “Do we have tissues, by the way?”

“Shit. Well, all the more reason to go back to the motel, I guess.”

“We don't have much of a choice right now.”

After a few more minutes, there it was once again, the Pacific Pines Motel. Chloe slowed down and made the turn to enter the parking lot before taking a moment to breathe and relax.

“Holy shit,” she lay back on her seat, “What the fuck just happened?”

“I guess we should ask them,” Max tried to look to the back, but it was a bit hard in her current condition.

After a sigh, whether of relief or not, Chloe exited the truck and leaned on the truck's side panels. The two boys were lying down out of sight inside the truck bed, the older boy hugging his little brother.

“Okay, you two. It's safe for now,” as Max also got out and joined them.

“Thank you,” he sat up, “I'm really sorry for bringing this on you guys. We just needed some help.”

“No, it's alright. I knew that guy was acting suspicious. Didn't I tell you?” she looked at Max.

“Yeah, you were right. Observant as always,” Max's nose had stopped bleeding, at least, thankfully, though her hand was covered in a bit of blood.

“Oh, shit. Are you okay?” the older boy got worried.

“Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it. Are you two okay?”

“Yeah…I think so. I'm Sean, by the way. This is my little brother, Daniel.”

“Hey,” Daniel poked out, looking terrified, needless to say.

“Hey, little man. It's good to see you again,” Max put up a smile for him, “I'm Max, by the way, and that's my best friend, Chloe.”

“Sup?” Chloe raised her hand a little.

“Are you guys thirsty or hungry?” Max asked, “We have some water, but we don't have much in the way of food. Just some snacks. Sorry.”

“That's okay. We're already thankful that you got out of your way to help us,” Sean said.

“Actually, I am kinda thirsty,” Daniel then held out a hand.

“Okay, hold on,” Max went back inside to grab a water bottle and opened it for him, “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” Daniel took it and drank about half of it right away.

“You are thirsty,” Chloe remarked.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Sean chuckled.

“It's alright, Sean. Seriously,” Max chuckled, “You can stop apologizing. I'm glad we could help. Really.”

“Anyway, let's get a room and get out of the sun, huh,” Chloe suggested as she pushed herself off the truck, “Maybe you should check us in, Max,” getting out some cash, “Unlike me, you stand out less, so maybe he won't remember you as much.”

“That I agree with,” she took the fifty- and ten-dollar bills from Chloe.

“Actually, use a hundred instead so we'll have more small bills.”

“Okay. It's not a big deal anyway, you know. So, we came back. There's no reason for him to think that's super weird or anything.”

“I know, but after what just happened, I'm just trying to be cautious.”

“Okay, fair point.”

Chloe then smiled at Max, “Good thing you were there, huh,” speaking a bit quieter and took her further aside, “and don't think I didn't notice what you did. You're getting more in control of your powers.”

“My nosebleed would disagree.”

“That doesn't mean you're not in control. It was only a little bit anyway, right? The power takes its toll, yes, but if you keep practicing, you'll get used to it,” and she put a hand on Max's shoulder, “Stop being afraid of it. You saved us back there. You do realize that, don't you?”

“I do. It felt good to be able to help like that,” a smile appeared.

“Alright, anyway, you should go get us a room.”

“Do you want the same one, by the way?”

“I…” but she paused for a second, “It doesn't really matter, I guess. There's no one here anyway.”

“Okay. Stay with them, alright.”

“Actually, I was planning on leaving you guys behind and drive off into the sunset,” she just had to joke, a single sweep of her arm to illustrate.

“Classic Chloe,” Max shook her head as she headed towards the office.

“Is everything okay?” Sean asked as Chloe returned to the truck.

“Yeah. Max is getting us a room. Shouldn't take more than a minute or two.”

“Will we be safe here?” Daniel wondered.

“I hope so, little dude,” Chloe being honest.

“Okay, everyone. We can finally get out of the sun,” Max returned after about a minute.

Chloe made sure to grab the grocery bag before going in. The room was exactly how Max and Chloe remembered it. It was exactly how they left it, actually. Max immediately looked at the trash can beside the table. So, it's still there?

“Sorry about the slight mess,” Chloe spoke, “We, uh, didn't think we'd be coming back.”

“You two stayed in this room?” Daniel wondered.

“Yep. We literally checked out about an hour or so ago. I guess they haven't gotten around to cleaning it yet.”

“It's okay,” Sean chuckled, “After everything we've been through, this is paradise, honestly.”

“Sounds like you two have been having it rough,” Chloe remarked.

Though Max was still fixated on the trash can, getting closer and closer to it. Yep, there they are. All…however many pieces of them.

“You have no idea,” Sean sat down on the closest bed.

A drop of blood fell onto the ripped photographs, and Max immediately covered her nose again.

“Sorry, guys,” she said, “Lemme just clean up a bit.”

“Take your time, Max. You've earned it,” Chloe told her, “Anyway. Look, Sean, I don't mean to pry or be rude or anything,” as she leaned on the wooden dresser that held the TV, “but I think you owe us a bit of an explanation,” though she narrowed her eyes a bit.

With a sigh, “Yeah…that's fair.”

“Yeah, what exactly happened back there?” Max finished cleaning up and turned the bathroom lights off.

“I don't know. We went to the cashier to pay,” Sean started explaining, “and the guy just went crazy. He pulled out a gun on us, saying that he called the cops or is gonna call the cops…”

“Why would he call the cops? Wait, did you guys steal something?” Max was curious now.

“No, we didn't. I swear,” Sean put his hands together, “Please, it's not what you think, okay.”

“Wait a minute,” Chloe spoke and pushed herself off of the dresser, “There's something familiar about… There was a news on TV last night. You remember, Max?”

“I…think so,” Max wasn't sure though.

“Wait!” Sean stood up, “Please, let me explain!” and looked worried, “Look, my little brother and I have had it really rough these past two days, and we're very tired. At least let him rest. You and I can talk outside,” he looked at Chloe like hinting at something. In any case, he went over to Daniel and crouched down, “Hey, enano. Chloe and I, we're just gonna have a little talk about some adult stuff, okay? Why don't you go lie down, or, heck, take a bath.”

“Oh, yeah. They actually have bubble bath here,” Max got a bit excited too.

“Really?” Daniel looked happy, “Can I really, Sean?”

“Go ahead. After everything, you've earned it,” he then stood back up and turned to Max, “Can you look after him for a minute?”

“No problem,” she then took Daniel to the bathroom and turned the lights back on, “Alright, you ready for the best bubble bath you've ever had?”

“Yes, please!” Daniel was jumping a bit with excitement.

Sean smiled at the sight, but it disappeared as he turned back to Chloe. He nodded, to which she nodded back, “Okay, before that, I'm really sorry. I know I'm probably already asking too much of you, but is it okay if I have that water now? I am thirsty, actually, now that I'm…”

“Not in danger?” Chloe finished his sentence, “Yeah, I know what that feels like, actually,” and grabbed one of the water bottles from the bag, “Here you go. And you're not asking too much, by the way. You're not in trouble or anything, but we did just help you escape from a crazy store owner with a shotgun, so all I want is some explanation.”

“Fair enough,” he took the bottle and drank almost all of it, and they both then went outside to the patio.

“Okay, Chloe,” he sat down on one of the chairs.

“Look, I don't know exactly what happened,” she sat down on the other chair, “only that a police officer was killed or something and that they're looking for two individuals who, apparently, fled from the scene. So, as you can imagine, meeting you two…”

With a long sigh and a tired expression, “It all happened so fast…” Sean started explaining, “One minute we were all relaxing at home and the next…my dad was lying there…”

Chloe's face suddenly froze, and she stared wide-eyed at Sean.

“He killed him…” he continued as tears came out of his eyes, “The policeman, he…he shot him,” and he covered them, “and then…” wiping them away, “I don't know. Something happened. Next thing I knew, the policeman was dead too, hi—his car had tumbled over, and…and…” he tried to calm himself down, “And then everything was just fucked up all of a sudden. I got scared, right, so I took Daniel and ran. Maybe that was stupid, but I didn't know what else to do,” he paused for a moment to re-compose himself, “So, we've been running and hiding ever since. But I swear to you, Chloe. We didn't kill him or cause any of that.”

Chloe herself was still processing, it seemed. She looked down at her fingers for a moment as she twiddled them. “I know that pain,” she then spoke, which confused Sean for a second, “When I was fourteen, I lost my father too,” she looked back up to him, “Car crash. Some,” shaking her head, “asshole who ran a red light…” but she stopped.

“I'm sorry…”

“It's okay. It was years ago now, and I've,” she looked towards the ocean, “I've recently made my peace with it,” and put up a little smile as she turned back to Sean, “But, my point is, I've been there, so if you need to talk about it,” she put a hand on his shoulder, “I'm here.”

“Thanks, Chloe,” he actually smiled somewhat, “But, wait, so you believe me?”

“Of course I do, Sean,” as she withdrew her hand, “Look, we may have just met, but I know people, and I know that you and your brother aren't murderers. And I understand, Max too, what it feels like to be dealt a bad hand in life,” she leaned closer, “I know how unfair it all feels, that we did nothing wrong, and yet everything came crumbling down all around us anyway, like life just randomly decided that it's gonna ruin our lives. Believe me, Sean. I understand.”

“Thank you,” he expressed again, a little quieter this time.

Chloe let out a suppressed chuckle, “You don't have to thank me. Max and I…this is kinda just what we do now, I guess,” realizing how crazy it all is, “But Daniel doesn't know, does he?”

Sean only shook his head and leaned back on the chair, taking in the ocean view.

“You need to tell him, Sean,” Chloe affirmed, “He needs to hear it from you. You should do it before he finds out the hard way.”

“I know… I will, I… I've been trying to, but…” he leaned forward again and rested his hands on his legs, “Well, as you've experienced, it's been hard to find the…right time.”

“Well, now seems good,” she suggested, “Tell him after he finishes his bath. The longer you wait, the harder it's gonna be, Sean. Trust me.”

And he nodded, “Okay. After he finishes.”

“Okay. In the meantime, we should let Max know 'cause we need to come up with a plan here. The cops are still looking for you two, and if what you said about that store owner is true, that means they're on their way here.”

Knock, knock, knock, they heard from behind them.

“Speak of the devil,” Chloe smiled to Sean before signaling for Max to join them outside.

“Hey. Daniel's taking his bath right now,” as she slid the door back closed.

“Chloe, wait. Are you sure about this?” Sean was ambivalent about it, “We've brought enough trouble to you two. You don't have to do this for us.”

“I'm sorry, what's going on?” Max was confused.

“No, Sean. You have no idea how lucky you are to have run into this bitch,” she grabbed Max's arm, “This nerd is the only one who can help you get out of this mess.”

“I'm,” with both hands up, “the bitch who can help you, apparently.”

Though it actually made Sean smile again and laugh, “You two really are best friends.”

“You will find no bester friends,” Max sat down on the armrest of Chloe's chair while holding her hand.

“That's not a word, Max,” Chloe teased.

“It is when I use it,” she affirmed.

They then told Max everything, after which she understood Chloe's previous comments about her now and also the ambivalence.

“Well, they don't know that you guys are here in this motel, right,” Max thought.

“Right, the call came from Mistwood, so that gives us a buffer,” Chloe added, “but they'll head down here eventually. I suppose you and your brother can rest for a bit, drink up, eat some snacks, but we definitely need to hit the road as soon as we can if we wanna get a head start. Unfortunately, what happened with you two was pretty serious, so they're gonna come down hard, from all sides. We need to get away from here before they have a chance to surround us,” she then turned to Max and spoke quieter, “I'm so glad we have you as backup.”

“What was your plan anyway, Sean?” Max wondered, “Where were you going?”

“Honestly…I don't know,” he admitted, “We just ran, remember. You actually think I had a plan?”

“Okay, well, you probably don't wanna hear this, but you can't just keep running, Sean,” Chloe told him, “especially with your little brother in tow.”

“Don't you think I know that. I'm scared, okay. Like I said, it was a stupid thing to do. We're just two kids with no money running from the police. Frankly, I thought they would just catch us eventually, and I'd get locked up,” he sighed again, “At least Daniel's too young to go to jail, probably, but…he'd be all alone…”

“Wait, what about your mom?” Max asked.

But Sean scoffed and scowled, “I don't want anything to do with that bitch,” leaning back again, “She made the choice to leave us a long time ago, so I say good riddance.”

“Oh-kay,” maybe I shouldn't have asked that, “Should I rewind?” she whispered to Chloe, but she just stealthily waved her hand.

“Okay, look, it doesn't matter. Let's just focus on right now, which means getting as far away from here as possible,” Chloe took charge, “Since we can't go up, then we'll go down. We'll just…” gesturing with her open hand, fingers together, in a direction, “keep heading south…until we figure something else out.”

“Actually,” Sean's eyes lit up, “that's not a bad idea,” and he leaned closer to tell his new plan, “So, my dad's from Puerto Lobos. If Daniel and I can just make it across…” he stared away for a moment before nodding.

Chloe and Max then looked at each other for a second…

“Okay… Yeah, that sounds good, actually,” Chloe supported the plan.

“It does?” Max was a little confused.

“If there's one thing I've learned about American laws, and people in power, is that once they've pegged you as guilty, then you're forever guilty in their eyes, even if the evidence says otherwise, and you two don't deserve tha—”

Knock, knock. They were interrupted by Daniel who had finished taking his bath, it seemed.

“Hey, guys. Sean, are you done talking about adult stuff?” he slid open the door and asked.

“Well, not really, but that's okay. We can take a break,” he stood up and saw Chloe staring him down a bit, and he nodded, “Actually, Daniel, there's something I need to talk to you about,” he walked over, “Let's go inside.”

“Uhm, okay. But can I watch some TV first?” to which his brother chuckled.

“Sure thing, enano,” he turned around briefly, “I'll be right back.”

“Good luck,” Chloe wished him.

“Wait,” though Max stopped him, “Are we sure about this?” she was ambivalent about it.

“Okay, Daniel. Just go watch TV first and have fun, okay. I'll be right with you.”

“Oh, uhm, okay,” Daniel grabbed the remote to turn the TV on as Sean slid the door closed again.

“What if he doesn't take it well?” Max continued.

“Look, I was unsure about this too, but Chloe's right. I need to tell him. He deserves to know the truth,” he folded his arms.

“And the longer you wait, the longer he'll resent you for ‘lying’ to him,” Chloe agreed.

“I don't know, I just…” Max leaned back against a narrow part of the exterior wall, “I remember what it was like for you, Chloe, and you were fourteen. Daniel's…” with a hand pointing inside.

“He's nine,” Sean rubbed his eyes.

“Exactly,” and Max was contemplative again, “You suffered for a long time, Chloe…”

“All the more reason to tell him now,” Chloe stood up, “His situation's different from mine. When my dad died, you also left for Seattle. I was alone. But Daniel will have us, especially you, Sean,” turning to him, “His big brother will be here for him—”

There was then a slight tremor, just big enough to be felt, as the patio lights flickered.

“Nooooo…!” a muffled scream came from inside as the tremor grew a bit bigger.

“Daniel?” a worried Sean quickly slid the door open.

What they saw as they entered was a tornado of pillows, bed sheets, paintings, and lamps, which were flickering too along with the ceiling light and TV, among other items, with Daniel right in the center, crying in anger. The TV was on, showing the news of their father's death.

“We're coming to you live with an update on the Seattle tragedy involving local mechanic Esteban Diaz. Police continue to search for his two sons, sixteen-year-old Sean Diaz and nine-year-old Daniel Diaz, who fled the scene where both their father and a police officer were killed. Authorities have classified the boys as persons of interest in what they're describing as a possible homicide case. Seattle PD has established roadblocks and—”

“YOU LIED TO ME!!” Daniel pointed to Sean and screamed, “YOU TOLD ME HE WAS WAITING FOR US!!!”

“I know, Daniel… I didn…I didn't mean to,” Sean started crying too and had to shout a bit through the whirlwind, “I was about to tell you. This is what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST TELL ME SOONER?!?”

“I wanted to, Daniel!” he slowly started walking towards Daniel, “I wanted to, but I…I didn't know how, okay. I just…wanted to protect you. I didn't want you to get hurt like this.”

“Max, are you doing this??” Chloe was freaking out, needless to say, and so was Max.

“No, I'm definitely not doing this!”

“I'm sorry, okay! I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner! Please stop this,” he pleaded to his little brother.

“Just…” Sean was close enough to Daniel now that he could see his eyes full of tears, “Just don't lie to me again, okay?” as everything finally began to calm down, “Promise me.”

“I promise, Daniel,” Sean kneeled down and held his brother by the arms, “I promise,” and hugged him as everything began falling down to the floor and beds, “I'm so sorry, enano. I just…wanted to protect you,” and Daniel hugged him back.

“I know, Sean,” the tears continued, “I know.”

“What just happened?” a still-shocked Chloe asked Max.

“I don't know…but…I kinda have a theory…”

“That Daniel has…” Chloe kind of pointed a finger at him.

“Yeah…”

“Well, I guess we now know you're not the only one.”

It was then that Sean turned back around to face Max and Chloe.

“Uhm…” he didn't know what to say, “Uhh…”

“Daniel?” Max slowly stepped forward, “Do you…?”

“Please…” Sean pleaded with them, “I…I don't kno…what happened, but…”

“No, it's okay, Sean. I…” Max replied before looking to Chloe for a second and then turning back, “We have something to show you. Uhm, you guys might wanna step back.”

“Come here, guys,” Chloe gestured to them.

“Okay…” Sean was confused, of course, but took Daniel over to Chloe, who led them back outside.

She nodded to Max, who herself backed up a bit before raising both hands. The room suddenly started moving like a video in reverse, until everything was back to the way it was before it all happened.

Needless to say, Sean was wide-mouthed. Daniel was still a bit in tears but was also amazed.

“Ha…” Sean slowly and steadily raised a finger, “How did… What was that?”

“Max has powers too, Sean…like your brother, apparently,” Chloe just said it.

And the brothers stared at each other for a second before, “Wait, what?”