Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Oktober 7th, 2013

Max couldn’t open her eyes just yet. She stayed where she was for a moment, with her eyes closed, and hoped that the last couple of days were just a dream. Or a nightmare after all, and she would wake up any moment in her bed in Seattle and hear her mother calling for breakfast. But all of it was real. She was in Blackwell, and in a couple of minutes she would hear her best friend getting shot and see her die again in a bathroom. But this time, no rewind, no saving her, no turning back. She could hear Nathan talking to himself. 

Why did all this happen? What did we do to deserve this? We are so young! Just two pirates with dreams. Please let it be a nightmare. Please let me wake up! Max thought while Nathan continued talking to himself. A door opened, and in that moment, Max opened her eyes too.

“So what do you want?” Nathan asked Chloe. “I hope you checked the perimeter as my step-ass would say. Now, let’s talk bidness-” Chloe answered. 

Max slid down the wall she was hiding behind and covered her ears with her hands, hoping to drown out the conversation. It didn’t help, and when the accidental gunshot occurred, she had to really control herself not to react and not to rewind. She could hear the instant regret and the panicked reaction coming from Nathan. He screamed the word ‘no’ over and over again, and Max could hear him pacing. She couldn’t move. She just sat there and cried quietly. 

After a moment, she heard the door getting slammed open and David’s voice asking, “What the hell is goin- CHLOE! CHLOE! WHAT HAPPENED? PRESCOTT, WHAT HAPPENED?!” 

Nathan had started to cry too, and answerd in a panicked voice, “I didn’t mean to, I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to scare her off. She wouldn’t let me be! She tried to blackmail me. I just wanted to scare her off!”

Max was too scared to leave her hiding spot. She didn’t know what would happen next. This was all new because she didn’t rewind this time. Did she still have her powers?, she thought to herself. But before she could figure anything out, everything went black. 

When she opened her eyes again, she wasn’t in the bathroom anymore. She was standing by the lighthouse, looking down on Arcadia Bay. It was calm and peaceful, and the town was not destroyed. It looked like it was sunset or sunrise at this time. She had skipped in time, like all the other times she came back from the past. She had to figure out what had happened to this point in time. Looking down at herself, she saw that she was wearing a black dress, black shoes and a doe necklace that she didn’t recognize. It had to be the morning of Chloe's funeral because Max almost never wore dresses, especially black dresses, if she didn’t have to. Right now, she had to, and that could be the only reason for this timeline. The only way to find out was to go to the cemetery.

When she arrived at the gate of the cemetery, she could see a group walking up the hill to the graves. In the front were Joyce, supported by David’s arms, Kate, and principal Wells behind them. After principal Wells were Warren, Victoria, and Justin. She assumed that Warren and Kate were there to support her because, as far as she knew, Chloe and them didn't know each other directly. She didn’t know why Victoria was there. She had to ask Warren later if he knew. Trevor and Dana were there too. 

She walked up and stood between Warren and Joyce. She saw Chloe die in so many different ways the last couple of days, but it still felt and hurt like it was the first time. Looking at Chloe’s coffin, she realized that her best friend was really dead and would stay dead forever. The funeral officiant started talking and Joyce fell apart immediately. Max tried to hold it together, but started tearing up. She could see Warren looking at her out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head toward him a little and took a step closer to him. She wished he could hold her like David held Joyce, but they haven’t kissed in this timeline; they weren’t that close yet. After a while, a blue butterfly landed on the coffin.

Max looked at it for a moment. The blue reminded her of Chloe’s hair. Could it be the same butterfly from the bathroom? How many times did you see a similar-looking blue butterfly in a short space of time? It almost feels like there is an aura or energy coming from it, Max thought. 

She had the feeling that it was Chloe herself who wanted to show her that everything will be okay. That she will always be with her in spirit. Full of hope that Chloe somehow knew all that they went through in all the different timelines, she got through the ceremony. At the end, Kate hugged her  and left with everyone else. Joyce was a wreck and David had to support her every step. Warren was still by her side, waiting for her to move. She looked up at him and gave him a little smile. He smiled back. 

“Where are we going now?” she asked him in a weak voice. She should know this, but because of the time skip, she didn’t. He couldn’t know that, of course. Max hoped they could talk about everything soon. 

Warren looked confused but answered, “Joyce invited everyone to the Two Whales. I know you wanted to take the bus this morning instead of me driving you. But would it be okay if I drive now? Only if you want, of course.”

“Yes, thank you, Warren,” she answered, and started walking towards the gate. She looked one last time at the spot where Chloe was buried. It was beside William. She promised herself to visit them soon and started walking away. Warren walked beside her but didn’t say anything. 

“Warren I have to talk to you, but it’s a very long story, so it’s not a good conversation for the car ride. Can we talk after the diner?” Max asked him. 

“Of course. I know you wanted to have your space for the last couple of days. We hadn’t seen each other since the hospital, and I didn’t want to bother you. I’m happy to see you again and hear your voice. I missed you,” he said. Max looked at him, and he looked away. He blushed a little, and Max smiled at him.

I hope he will believe me like he did in the other timeline, she thought. But she had the storm as proof and argument there. Would he believe her again later? 

“I missed you too,” she answered, blushing a little herself. Warren looked surprised to hear this response from her. He didn’t expect it. His cheeks went a little darker. They reached the car. He opened the door to the passenger seat for her and got into the car himself. 

After driving a little, she said, “It fells like a lifetime ago that you asked me to go to the drive-in with you. So much has happened since then.” But just as she said it, she realized her mistake. 

“The drive-in? Yes, I wanted to invite you, but when I was about to text you if you could bring me my flash drive and to ask you about the drive-in, Brooke called me to tell me someone got shot in school and I should stay away. She didn’t know who got shot, but she saw you were there when the police escorted them out. So I came to the entrance of the school instead, and then you know what happened. But how did you know I wanted to invite you? Brooke was the only one I told about the drive-in. Did she tell you?” Warren asked, a little flustered. 

Shit! She couldn’t explain everything right now. They were almost at the diner, Max thought. So she said, “Warren, you will understand everything once we talk later. I’m sorry, but can you trust me that I will explain everything later?” 

“Max, don’t insult me… of course I trust you. I’m really confused right now, but I trust you.” He looked straight ahead while saying that to pay attention to the road. Max put her hand on his and said, “Thank you.” Then let go again. He blushed again and gave her a quick side glance before looking at the street again. He didn’t say anything till they got out of the car. 

“Look, everyone else is there already.” Max looked around and saw the rest standing in front of the diner. It was closed today, so Joyce could have them here for the wake. Victoria wasn’t there. She was probably only there for the funeral and didn't want to disturb the intimate get-together afterwards.

“Ah, there they are!” Kate said loudly. Everyone turned in their direction. Joyce, looking like she didn’t sleep one week, climbed the couple stairs to the door and opened the diner for them. They got in, and everyone took a seat. Warren, Kate, and Max sat next to each other. Joyce, or some colleague of her, had prepared some snacks and drinks for them. It was all laid out on the counter. After about two hours of talking about Chloe and all their memories of her, crying and laughing together, they started to leave the diner. Max hugged Joyce for a long time. 

“Thank you for being there for me all this week. Chloe loved and missed you very much. I wish you would’ve met one more time before all this,” Joyce said to her. 

“I’ll love her too, always.” Max answered. They hugged each other again, tears rolling down their cheeks. 

It was 1 p.m., so they still had the whole day ahead of them. Warren offered Max a ride back again and offered Kate to drive her to the school grounds back too. So they got into his car. Max asked Kate how she was doing. She told her that since everything happened, the bullying had stopped and Victoria even apologized to her. She told Max that she was happy to see her again. Since Kate and Warren both told her that they were glad to see her again and had missed her, she assumed that the Max of this timeline had withdrew from everyone and stayed in her room until the funeral. And only left to visit Joyce. 

Kate told her that Victoria felt guilty about everything, and after what Nathan had done, she lost it. She felt guilty for not seeing how much help he needed and that she didn’t stop or help him. She confessed to Kate what really happened at the Vortex Club Party. She suspected Nathan had dosed her, and she shouldn’t have filmed Kate in that state. She apologized for her behavior afterwards, and every time someone said something mean to Kate, Victoria defended her the whole week. 

Max now understood why Victoria was at the funeral. She felt guilty that Chloe had to die because she didn’t see the sighs that Nathan was getting out of control. It opened her eyes to what she was doing with her behavior. Max was happy that Victoria was trying to be a better person and apologized, but she was also disappointed that it took her to be kidnapped by Jefferson in another timeline or Chloe to die to do so. But she shouldn’t be too harsh after all her mistakes over the past couple of days. She learned from her mistakes, and so would Victoria hopefully. 

When they arrived at the dormitory's entrance, Max told Warren that she would like to change her clothes and would write him where to meet again. After saying bye to Kate, she went to her room and laid down on her bed for a moment. She looked around. The room was really messy and dark. It reminded her of how Kate’s room was in the other timeline when she brought Kate her book. She would have to clean all this up soon. 

She felt bad and sad for the Max from this timeline. This Max just found out that the girl, who got shot in her presence, was her best friend she hadn’t seen for five years when she abandoned her. This Max must’ve been really depressed having to live with that guilt. That Max didn’t meet her, didn’t spent time with her and didn’t experience the last traumatic couple of days like she did. She didn’t have the opportunity to say goodbye to Chloe like she did. But by taking the place of that Max, by coming back to this timeline and erasing that Max, she was acting and feeling differently. 

So Max had to know what had happened and how she had acted the last few days. Warren was the only person to whom she could tell everything and ask about everything without having to be afraid that he would take her to a psychiatrist because he thought she had lost her mind. She also had to know if she could still rewind time, but she was too afraid to test it after everything she went through and after losing Chloe. She couldn’t do it alone. Maybe she could try with Warren being there and showing him her powers, which would be more convincing and believable. 

But she swore to herself that she would never again try to prevent a death with her power. You can’t play with fate like that. The last couple of days showed her that. To save one loved one apparently meant to kill a whole town with people who are loved by others and have their own loved ones who would lose them. That’s nothing she should ever again have control over. She didn’t regret the time she had with Chloe, finding out about Reachel to give her family closure, and exposing Nathan and Jefferson. But almost killing a whole town was not something she could have lived with. 

So after lying on her bed and thinking for a while, she got up to change. She left the doe necklace on. She had to figure out where she got it from. After changing, Max checked her phone. She had many missed calls and messages she hadn’t answered over the last few days. Some of them were from her parents today. Her parents must be very worried. If her dad didn’t have to work, they would’ve come here long ago. Maybe they were in the beginning, but went back to Seattle? She called her mom and dad and talked to them for 20 minutes, telling them about the funeral and apologizing for not answering and responding faster. They completely understood. 

After hanging up, she responded to some of the other massages and then texted Warren, asking if she could come to his room to talk. He responded after a couple of minutes that she could come over. She left the room and made her way to him. 

Chapter Text

Max was really lucky to not meet anyone on the way to Warren. She preferred it that way. She couldn’t talk to anyone, not until she found out what exactly happened the last few days and how she had acted. Standing in front of his door, she got a little nervous. Max has been at his door a few times before to pick something up or bring him something. But this would be her first time being alone with him in his room. They always met somewhere outside or in school to study or do homework. She could feel her stomach in knots.

Pull yourself together, girl. You’re 18 years old and acting like you’re 13 years old, getting nervous over a boy. He’s your friend. No, he’s one of your best friends here at school, and he won’t make a lame move on you when you’re grieving. You can't possibly think that he would like you in this timeline too. Maybe it was just the storm and the thought of dying soon that made him like you in that moment in the diner. Maybe it’s Brooke after all. Are you cereal, Max?! That’s what you’re thinking about, right now?! Just knock on his door already, damn it!, she thought, annoyed, and knocked. There was a familiar sound of his footsteps approaching, and the door opened. 

“Hi again, stranger,” Warren said, pulling her gently in by her left hand. He let go the moment she stepped fully into the room. While he closed the door behind her, she looked around the room. It was neater than she thought it would be. He had many books, CDs, and DVDs with music, films, and series on the bookshelves and shelves on the walls. The spaces that were free on the walls were covered with film, anime, and series posters and scientific things. There were also games, science trophies, and different kinds of action figures, and so much more. All in all, it was nerdy, like she had expected. 

“Wowser Warren… you’re more of a nerd than I thought,” she said, grinning at him. He grinned back and shrugged. 

“It takes one to know one,” he said while gesturing towards his couch by the windows. “I think we’re pretty much on the same level of nerdiness, to be honest. Just two dorks trying to survive the ‘cool’ world.” 

They both sat down, and there was too much distance between them. She moved a little closer to him. They didn’t talk for a moment, just looking in different directions. After a minute, they looked at each other and smiled. But then Warren’s face turned serious and he started talking. 

“So you wanted to tell me some things? Is it about what exactly happened in the bathroom? Everyone has told it differently since it happened. I didn't want to bother you with it in the hospital, especially after the police questioned you and you were distant afterwards, which of course I can totally understand.” Max sighed. 

“I wish it was only about what happened in the bathroom, which was traumatic enough, but there. is. so. much. more… I guess I will start with my daydream in Jefferson’s class. I think it was the 7th of October, so four days ago, if this is the day the tornado would have destroyed Arcadia bay… anyway so-“ and she started telling him everything.

First, she told him about the weird dream-vision and the tornado, Nathan shooting Chloe, and Max rewinding time for the first time and saving her. She continued with meeting him in the parking lot for the flash drive and him taking a black eye from Nathan for her, Chloe showing up and finding out she put all the missing posters of Rachel up and caching up with her after five years of silence. 

Then she continued with telling him about him asking her about the drive-in, and her agreeing to go with him. Then Kate trying to commit suicide, and her saving Kate. She continued to talk about the snow, the eclipse, the dead animals, and the double moon, and how she wanted to tell him about her powers while the eclipse occurred, but ironically, it wasn’t the right time.

Max stopped to look at Warren. He just listened and didn’t stop her, so she continued with the break in into the school at night with Chloe and him helping her with the principal’s door, finding out about Rachel and Frank, and meeting Frank in the junkyard. Then, when she thought it couldn’t get more complicated, she went to the past to save Chloe’s dad, only to find out that she put Chloe in a wheelchair and having to let her dad die again to come back to her timeline, where she had to deal with breaking into Nathan’s room for proof and Warren kicking his ass to protect her again. 

She told him about finding out about the dark room and what it was for, Nathan’s involvement, and that leading to discovering Rachel’s body in the junkyard. She stopped for a moment. Warren reached out to take her hand but pulled back again, unsure. Max took his hand in hers, squeezed it lightly, and continued with the Vortex Club Party and searching for Nathan, warning Victoria, and then watching Chloe get killed again, but the twist being that Mark Jefferson was the bad guy all along.

Max tried not to cry, but the tears came anyway. Warren moved closer to her and put an arm around her. She put her head on his shoulder and told him about her time in the dark room, Nathan and Victoria getting killed by Jefferson, playing with time again to get him arrested, David saving her from the dark room, and then her getting a picture from Warren in the middle of the storm to save Chloe again. She didn’t tell him about the kiss. Just that she told him everything, and he believed her and didn’t know what the hell was happening around them either or how to explain the storm and her powers. She ended with telling him about the nightmare she was stuck in for a time, just to come back and decide if she would let a whole town die or her best friend. Her pirate patner in crime and time, and then deciding with Chloe to do the morale thing, sacrificing her. And in the end, waking up in a sunrise by the lighthouse in her outfit for the funeral. 

“So I only remember Nathan shooting her and then being by the lighthouse. I don’t know what happened between that and now, and I hoped you could help me with that. I really hope you believe me and won’t call someone on me to take me away. I also wanted to see if I still had my powers, but after causing a whole freaking tornado, almost destroying a town, and sacrificing Chloe, I was too scared to try it alone. I wanted to try it with you. I think if I don’t mess with big things like death and fate and only use it sometimes for small, harmless things, it’s safe to use it without a tornado happening again. What do you think?” She asked him with her last breath. She talked so much that her throat got dry. Clearing her throat and whipping her tears away, she pulled her head off his shoulder to look him in the face. Warren had his thinking face on. He let go of her, and they sat themselves opposite each other so that both their knees touched and they faced each other.

“First of all, wow, second of all, what the fuck, and lastly, I have so many theories we’ll probably never prove or figure out. And maybe that’s for the best. No one should ever experience what you did. If you still have your powers, then I think that secret should never leave this room. I think if you become an experiment and they figure your powers out, then I’m sure the world will end. I believe everything you told me, and I have so many questions I would like to ask you soon, but I really have to process all of this. I need time. But more importantly, how can I help you? That’s a lot to go through, and I want to help you in any way I can. Can I call someone in your family? Your parents so that they can pick you up and take you home for some time, or Principal Wells and tell him you’re sick, or should I get Kate to gi-“

“Thank you, Warren. That’s really sweet of you, but you can’t imagine how much it helped just to tell you everything and that you believe me. What I need right now is for you to tell me what happened during the time I skipped and to be with me when I figure out if I still have my powers. And ehm… i- it would be nice if you could maybe… hug me for a moment, i-if that’s ok with you.” Max felt her face getting hot. 

Warren didn’t hesitate. He sat himself properly up on the couch and opened his arms wide for her, and Max hugged him. He was warm and soft against her. They sat on the couch, the left side of her body touching his right, her knees drawn up to her, his arms around her shoulders, and hers around his waist. Her head was on his chest, and he put his chin on top of her head. They sat like that for some time, just breathing and holding each other. After this day and everything she went through the last few days, she couldn’t remember the last time she slept. She yawned.

“I can’t believe I got into a fight with Nathan twice. Are you sure that he didn’t beat me up and that you're trying to boost my confidence or something?” He asked her, amused.

“No, Warren, you came out of nowhere in the second fight and headbutted Nathan. In fact, you literally did GO APE all over Nathan’s face.” They laughed together. 

“I have to admit it wasn’t cool, but my nerves were so frayed from the week and I was so over all the Blackwell bullies that I didn’t try to stop you from beating Nathan into submission. But you had your own issues to work out on him. But for reals you didn’t really cope well with it afterwards. You felt really guilty and beating someone up is so not you.  You got drunk at the Vortex Club Party and we found you outside. That’s when we took the picture I came to get from you later, after Jefferson captured me and David saved me.”

“I still can’t believe Jefferson and Nathan did all that! It makes me sick. All those poor girls that had to go through that. Poor Kate. Poor Rachel… I’m so sorry you had to experience that too,” Warren said angrily. 

“Thank you for being here for me now and in every other timeline, Warren,” she said in a soft voice. She could only hear Warren respond, “Of course, Super Max. I’ll always be there wh-“ but before he finished the sentence, she fell asleep in his arms.

When she opened her eyes, she got scared. Did she mess with time again? Why wasn’t she on the couch with Warren? Where was she? she thought, panicking. She looked around and felt instantly relieved when she saw Warren sitting on his couch, tipping on his laptop. He looked concentrated. Max realized that she had fallen asleep, and Warren had put her in his bed. She let her head fall back onto the pillow. It smelled like him, like when they hugged earlier and that had a calming effect on her. She felt ashamed that she had fallen asleep on him and growled. He looked up and chuckled lightly at her reaction. 

“Super Max! Welcome back among the living! I hope you’re not mad that I put you in my bed and didn’t wake you. I thought after everything you deserved a good night's sleep. I couldn’t carry you all the way back to your room without getting caught. Are you feeling a little better? I made you a sandwich. It’s beside your head on the nightstand, and there’s a glass of water beside it for you.”

“I’m so sorry, Warren! I’m so ashamed!” She put her head in her hands.

“There is no need to be ashamed, Max. I mean it, please relax. It’s no problem. I’m happy you got some sleep after yesterday and this whole week. And I had the chance to think about everything you told me yesterday,” he said, looking down on his screen.

“WHAT?! Yesterday?!” Max said loudly as she quickly pushed herself up into a sitting position.

“How long was I asleep, Warren?” she asked, concerned. Warren tried really hard not to laugh. He closed his laptop, got up, and went to put it on his desk. Then he turned to her, and Max could see him blushing.

“It’s 7 a.m. the next morning... You fell asleep around 5 or 6 p.m. yesterday. I worked on my homework I had left. Principal Wells gave us a week off because of what happened, so I used it to work on some things for school and to catch up as much as I could under the circumstances. I carried you to my bed at 9 p.m., and I slept on the couch,” he told her, trying to avoid her eyes.

“Oh god,” was all Max could say into her hands again, and she started blushing herself. Both were red-faced, and when they looked at each other, they started to laugh lightly.

“If you want, you can take the sandwich and the water and join me on the couch again. Then I can tell you, while you eat, what happened between the shooting and the funeral," he suggested. Max got out of bed, and she had to use the bathroom first, so she sneaked to the boys bathroom and back into Warren’s room. She was so relieved not to meet anyone on her way, just like yesterday. She didn’t need any rumors about them, especially now. She had enough on her plate. Warren was sitting on the couch, waiting for her. She grabbed the sandwich and water and sat next to him. 

“Thank you for this. I’m freaking starving," she said while biting into the sandwich. He responded, saying that it’s no problem and he had more if she was still hungry afterwards. He started telling her what happened after he got the call from Brooke, telling him to stay away because someone was shot and Max was somehow involved. 

“I ran to the school entrance as fast as I could. There were many people there, along with the police and ambulance. I couldn’t get through, so I looked for Brooke. She was standing in front of the school with Kate, looking at the entrance. I asked them what was going on, but they couldn’t tell me much. Only that they saw Nathan and you in front of the girls bathroom being questioned individually by the police while they and other classes were escorted out of the school by the police. After hearing the shot, every teacher barricaded the classroom doors until the police came to escort everyone out. After Brooke and Kate told me that, we saw you coming out with a policeman. He was leading you towards the ambulance. Another policeman took Nathan to one of the police cars. He was in cuffs. I called after you, and the policeman asked you if you would like me to come with you. You just nodded, and we got into the ambulance together. They drove us to the hospital. We didn’t talk all the way there. You were in shock. After you were checked by the doctor, the police asked you some more questions. You told them that you didn’t know how you got there. You just remembered being in the bathroom and sitting on the floor. You heard Mr. Madsen calling for help and Nathan saying sorry over and over again. You said that you looked around to see what was happening and that there was a blue-haired girl unconscious and bleeding on the floor, with David Madsen trying to resurrect her. Nathan was lying on the floor, his hands tied up on his back, crying and apologizing, a gun laying a little further away from him.” Warren told her. Max let him continue without interrupting.

“Then you said that you realized it was Chloe, your best friend, which you hadn’t seen in five years, laying dead on the floor after Mr. Madsen called her name over and over again, still trying to resurrect her. After saying that out loud, you started to hyperventilate, and they had to give you something to calm down and sleep. I stayed with you for a couple of hours until Kate came later to stay the night with you. We called your parents the next day to tell them everything and to reassure them that nothing happened to you physically, but you were in shock. The police brought you home the next day. You went to your room, and you withdrew after that from everyone. Someone saw you leave the school grounds later, but no one knew where you went. Nathan, who was interrogated by the police, had confessed to everything about the Dark Room, Rachel, and Jefferson. Kate told me later that Jefferson got arrested just as you came back again, and you watched him being taken away by the police together. You told her you visited Chloe’s mom to pay your condolences and to be there for her. You went every day to visit Joyce. Otherwise, you stayed in your room. The next time Kate and I saw you was before we had to leave for the funeral. We told you that we would go too, and I asked to drive you and Kate, but you said something about taking the bus and going to the lighthouse first. So we went without you, and then you know what happened after you arrived at the funeral.”

Max got up to put the plate and glass down. She knew everything she needed to know now. What was next? How could she move on? She went through those days with Chloe and had to erase everything of that. Then she came back, but with no memories of this timeline. Warren told her everything. So what was next? Just live and forget? She couldn’t do that so easily. She turned around to look at Warren.

“I don’t know what to do now, to be honest with you. I can’t just move forward with my life, but I have to. What is the alternative? Barricading myself in my room again and getting depressed? Chloe wouldn’t want me to sit around and waste my time feeling sorry for her or me. She sacrificed herself so everyone in this town could have a future. But what is my future without her in my life, and after everything I went through just to end up alone here?” Max asked frustrated and sat down again.

“Hey, I know it’s not easy, but your very strong, Max! You’re the strongest person I've ever known. You got this far, and you will get through everything else. And you’re not alone. You have Kate, and... you have me,” he said, touching her shoulder for a moment. “I’ll be here for you no matter what,” he said, letting go of her shoulder again. She immediately missed the warmth of his touch. She got up and cleared her throat. 

“Thanks Warren. I’m very thankful that you’re here and that you believe me. And thank you for letting me sleep here. I can’t believe I fell asleep! So embarrassing…” She muttered, “I have to go back to my dorm to shower and change. Do you wanna meet me later, somewhere outside, to see if the rewinding is still there? I really can’t do it alone. I’m really scared.”

"Yeah, sure, just text me when and where. I can’t lie... I’m really curious about the powers. I can’t help it; it’s my scientific curiosity, even though I have no clue how the hell this all happened to you and how it’s possible,” he said, frowning.

“If someone will figure it out, it will be you, Dr. Graham.” Max said, smiling and walking towards the door. Warren stood up and walked to her. He gave her a long hug. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, welcoming the warm and gentle embrace. Neither said anything afterwards. They just gave each other a small smile. Max left to go back to her room, feeling a little better and hopeful for the first time. Before she left, she decided to leave Warren the message she wrote him before in the other timeline, remembering that he liked it and didn’t laugh at her for writing it. Feeling confident, she wrote it down. 

Are you made of copper and tellerium? 
Because you’re Cu Te 

Chapter Text

This time around, she wasn't so lucky. Leaving Warren's room, she first met Daniel on her way out. He was nice to her as usual and asked her how she was doing. They talked a little, and Max tried to be a little distant because everyone expected her to be that way after the last few days. The other Max she replaced was depressed in her room and hadn’t talked to anyone since the beginning of the week. And it’s not like Max didn’t grieve for Chloe, but she felt kinda numb after all the times she had to watch Chloe die. She felt like a total bitch for not being depressed in her room. Like she had already moved on. It felt like a betrayal to her. And she really missed and loved her so much that it hurt, but a part of her also didn't believe she was really dead. Somehow, it felt like she would rewind and see her again soon.

Right? She thought to herself. She arrived at the girl’s dorm, and the next person she came across was Dana, who looked at Max with relief all over her face. She walked towards her and hugged her hard.

"Oh, thank goodness you’re all right, Max! Kate, Alyssa, Vic, and I tried to get you out of your room all day yesterday, but you didn’t answer any of us when we knocked on your door. We swore that if you didn’t answer until this afternoon, we would have to inform somebody. We thought you might have hurt yourself… We were so worried! We left you some food and stuff by the door, and then we as-“

Max let go of her to look her in the face and said, “Dana I’m so sorry. I wasn’t there yesterday. I just came back f-from Wa-,” she stopped herself from saying Warren and continued, “from wandering around. I had to clear my head. I couldn’t stay in that room anymore. I’m sorry I scared you all. I’m just not ready to be out socializing, so I’ll go back to my room now. Thank you for checking on me, and I’m really sorry.”

Dana giggled and said, in a hushed voice, "Max, we texted some people to see if they knew where you were, and Warred reassured us that you were in his room and that you had fallen asleep on his couch. You can’t really think that I would believe you were wandering around all day and night. That’s a lot of walking for 13 hours,” she said with a wink.

Max blushed and mumbled something that sounded like, “I will strangle him.” Then, after taking a breath, she continued with, “Yeah, right… sorry. I needed someone to talk to, and I didn’t plan to fall asleep there. It just happened. Sorry again for scaring you all, Dana. I’ll be in my room now. And the next time I leave, I will write one of you to let you know I’m okay. Thank you,” she said, giving Dana a little smile. Dana hugged her again quickly, laughing lightly and let her go to her room. While walking down the hallway, she heard Dana say, “So cute!”

On her way, she saw two more girls out of the corner of her eye. But feeling ashamed of what just happened and not wanting to talk to anyone else, she walked past them fast and, with her head down, picked up a basket with the things the girls left by the door and went into her room. She put the basket on the floor because there was no space anywhere else. The room was still very messy.

Max decided to check her social media and was overwhelmed with all the messages and emails she got. Just like after she saved Kate. She closed her laptop, took a breath, and decided to clean up. She put on some soft and relaxing music. While cleaning, she came across a lot of pictures. They were everywhere. On the floor, on her bed, on the couch, and on her desk. Some were hers, and others she didn’t recognize at first. They were childhood photos of her and Chloe. Joyce must’ve given them to her when she visited her. There was also the picture box from Chloe’s room with William’s camera and some little things from Chloe in it. That was the moment it finally hit her. Chloe was dead, and she wasn’t coming back! She had lost her forever. Max started sobbing on the floor. It got harder to breathe. After what felt like hours, she calmed herself down a little bit. She needed distraction so that the depression would not get her like it did with the other Max.

She got up to see what the girls had left her in front of her door. With shaking hands, she started taking everything out of the basket. Inside were canned food, drinks, snacks, some pills and tea for sleeping better, and lastly, her camera and a picture. Max took it out to look at it. Without realizing it, she cried out loud and let go of it. She moved away from it as far as she could. The moment she hit the wall under her window with her back, the door was thrown open and Victoria came running in. She looked around as if to see who had hurt Max. Then she ran to Max and asked, kneeling in front of her with a panicked voice, “What happened, Max?! Are you hurt?”

Max just shook her head and closed her eyes. She felt Victoria standing up and heard her walking away fast. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes just as Kate and Dana entered her room. They also looked around first before their eyes fell on Max. Kate got to her first.

"Max, what is it? How can we help?” she asked with a kind voice. Max pointed towards the picture and said with a breathy voice, “Where did it come from?!” Kate looked in the direction Max was pointing at and asked Dana if she could see what it was. Dana picked up the picture and held it up. Max winced and turned her head away, closing her eyes again. She felt Kate’s hand on her knee.

“I’m so sorry, Max. The police brought it and said it was with the things they had to keep for evidence. But it was okay to return it to you now, along with your camera. But you weren’t there, so I put it in the basket for you. If I had known that you would react like this, I would’ve never put it in there. I’m really sorry. I didn’t think about the memory it would trigger. I should have known better. What can I do about it?” She asked, squeezing her knee lightly.

Max could only mutter, “Warren, call Warren.” Kate got up to call him, and Dana put the picture down on the floor beside the basket. Victoria turned the music off. All three girls stayed with her until he got there. No one spoke, but Kate kept her hand on Max's knee. Max was thankful for that little touch. It kept her grounded and comforting. Minutes later, Warren came running. He stood at the door, out of breath.

“What happened?” he asked, concerned. Max opened her eyes, looked at him, and started crying and sobbing again. He walked to her and gently pulled her up. He guided her to the couch, holding her by her arms, and sat her down on it gently. He looked at Kate and the others and gestured for them to walk with him to the hallway. They left her for a moment. She could hear them explaining everything to Warren. After they finished talking, he came back to the room looking determined.

He picked up the photo and ripped it into pieces. Max felt a mixture of gratitude and anger toward that action. The girls looked at him with a worried and confused expression, and Max looked at him with a swollen and tear-stained face. Warren thanked the girls for calling him and asked if he could talk to Max alone. He promised to take care of her and that he would write them later. When they left, he closed and locked the door, then sat down beside her. Without saying anything, he hugged her again, just like yesterday, and she cried into his chest for some time. He stroked her back with the hand around her and put his other hand on her arm and shoulder, which was hugging his middle. He waited for her to calm down. 

“It was the butterfly picture I took before Chloe got shot. The one I had to time travel through to save Arcadia Bay, to stop the storm and tornado, and let her die. I didn’t expect to ever see it again. It was like a cruel joke seeing it again… like the universe is trying to play a sick prank on me. Am I cursed? It’s like something is trying to get me to travel in a loop. Save Chloe, kill Chloe, save her again and kill a whole town instead, and so on and on. Am I going crazy? I have to be locked up, that’s the solution,” Max said after a while. 

“You’re not going to get locked away. Not while your friends and I are here to protect you. And you’re not going crazy. I will help you get through this if you allow me to do so. I’m proud of you for not traveling back when you found it, and I’m sorry that I decided to tear it up without asking you. I didn’t want you to go back and experience everything you already went through again. It’s time to literally move forward in life and time,” Warren said with a firm voice. Max thanked him again and was grateful for having him here to help her move forward. 

“Can you stay with me for a while? I wanted to clean my room and then text you to meet somewhere to figure out if I still have these damn powers. But I think I’m over it for today. I need a timeout,” Max said. Warren suggested that she lay down and relax, and he would stay here and clean up the rest. She wanted to argue but was too weak to do so. It would be helpful. She laid down on her side on the bed and watched him clean up the rest. They talked the whole time about movies and other stuff to distract her from reality. He threw the pieces of the photo away with the other garbage in her room and took them outside. 

After he finished cleaning, he sat down on her bed beside her and asked her if she needed anything before he left. It was getting dark, and he wasn’t allowed to be here. He had to go back to his dorm. Max grabbed his hand, and for the first time, she wasn’t afraid or embarrassed to ask him if he could stay. She was so scared to be alone that her confidence and her need to have someone with her went up. He hesitated and asked her if he should go and look for Kate instead. She shook her head no.

"Ok, I will stay and protect thee, Milady. But I have to go to my room to get some of my stuff first, ok?” He asked, bowing to her a little. Max rolled her eyes.

“Oh, puh-leeze, Warren! You’re such a dork,” she said and giggled. He laughed and left her room, promising to be right back. She was still not over everything, but Warren had lifted some of the weight off her shoulders. The fact that he made her laugh for a moment under the circumstances was so touching. The only people who could do that were people who she trusted and loved, like her parents and Chloe. Warren and Chloe were the only ones to whom she told everything about her powers and everything that happened. They were the only ones she could trust like that.

Now she had only him left, and that scared her somehow. What if something happened to him too and she wasn’t allowed to prevent it, like with Chloe? What if everyone she got close to or fell for was cursed to death? Max buried her face in her pillow, trying to think about something else, or she would have a meltdown again. She got up and changed into something more comfortable. Then she sat down on her bed. She heard a knock on her door and Warren saying that it’s him. She got up again and opened the door for him. He got in. 

“I talked to the girls again and informed them that you would be alright. They will let you be for a while, but they are really worried about you. Maybe talk to them tomorrow if you’re up for it," he said while putting his bag on the couch. Max nodded to him and said she would try. They talked for a while, ate something together, and watched a couple of episodes of Dr. Who and The X-Files. It helped just having him in the room. She needed the distraction after earlier. It got late, so they decided to call it a night. Warren made himself comfortable on the couch and worked on his laptop for a while. Tomorrow was Sunday, so classes would start on Monday again after a week off. Max should really start working on her homework too. She promised herself she would try tomorrow. Maybe she and Warren could work on it together like they did for science and other subjects before. She fell asleep while he worked on his homework. 

Something shook her awake. It was Warren shaking her shoulder. "Hey, Max, you’re having a nightmare,” he whispered to her.

“Oh, sorry, Warren. How late is it?” She whispered back.

“It’s the middle of the night. I just didn’t want you to have a bad dream, so I thought I should wake you up. You deserve a break from bad dreams and reality. Do you want a good night tea or something?” he asked. 

“No thanks, Dr. Graham. Sorry for waking you up. Try to go to sleep again," she answered. Warren laid down again. She didn’t remember her nightmare fully, but images of blue things like blue hair, nails, and butterflies came to her mind. Also blood... there was a lot of blood. She couldn’t fall asleep again. A couple of minutes went by.

“Hey Warren, are you still awake?” she whispered. 

“Yes, I’m still here,” he said in a soft voice.

“I’m afraid to fall asleep again. C-Could you maybe get in bed with me till I fall asleep?” She asked nervously. He didn’t answer right away, and she was afraid that she went too far this time, asking too much of him. But before she could say something to take it back, he talked again.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable or anything…” Another pause.

"Yes, I’m sure, or I wouldn’t ask you, would I?” She was thankful that the lights were off. Her face got hot from embarrassment. She heard him getting up and walking to her. She moved to the wall on her right to make space for him. He hesitated, as if he wanted to see if she would change her mind. But she didn't, so he climbed in, and she put the sheets over him and herself. They barely touched, and she couldn’t take it. She needed his calming embrace, so she moved nearer to him, putting her head on his shoulder and her hands on his right arm.

“Is this okay?” she asked him.

"Yes, that’s fine. Don't worry. Good night, Maxine,” he said with a humorous tone in his voice. She rolled her eyes in the dark.

“Ha ha, really funny science guy. Good night,” she said back with an annoyed tone, but smiled into his shoulder. He chuckled. Her parents were the only ones she would let get away with calling her Maxine. He sometimes called her that just to be annoying, which was kind of cute. She closed her eyes and fell asleep with the sweet and calming smell of him. There wasn’t another nightmare with him by her side.

She was the first to wake up in the morning. Warren was still asleep and still in her bed. He must’ve fallen asleep at the same time as her. He didn’t go back to the couch. It was nice waking up like this and feeling his warm and strong body against her. She could get used to it. 

Don’t get your hopes up. He only did it because you're traumatized and you're his friend, she thought to herself. But he likes me more than just a friend, right? Everyone has pointed it out in the past. Dana, Brooke, Chloe, Kate, and Alyssa. I even kissed him in another reality, and he didn’t pull back. Just trust the process and take your time, girl. No pun intended, she thought.

They had switched their positions while sleeping. They now lay on their sides, face to face. Warren had his arm around her waist, and she had her hands on his chest. Their noses were almost touching. She could feel his warm breath on her lips, and it made her feel dizzy for a moment. Max moved away a little so that she could see his sleeping face better. He looked cute and peaceful while sleeping. He started to stir, and Max closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. He pulled her closer to him and then suddenly stiffened. He had realized the position they were in. Carefully, not to wake her, he moved his arm away from her waist, let out a small sigh, and got out of bed and out of the room. Probably to the bathroom. Max opened her eyes and waited. He came back after some time.

“Good morning, Max. How did you sleep?” He said, not looking into her eyes and sitting down on the couch. He seemed a little nervous. Max gave him a little smile.

“Better with you by my side. I didn’t have another nightmare. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I shouldn’t have put you in that position. You were probably half asleep when you agreed,” she said in a small voice. 

“Oh no, Max, don’t worry, I liked sleeping with you,” he facepalmed. "Oh, Lord, I mean next to you, of course! I don’t remember the last time I slept through the night. I usually wake up one to two times a night because my head gets so full from schoolwork. I have to keep my grades up, or my parents will disinherit me. They wouldn’t go that far, of course, but they would be disappointed. They’re putting a lot of pressure on me, especially since I advanced a few grades. But I don’t want to bother you with my problems,” he rambled fast.

“Wait a damn minute, Warren,” Max said suddenly.

“You advanced a few classes?! How did I not know that? I somehow thought you were my age. I never really asked you how old you were… Shit Warren, how old are you?” Max asked, shocked. Warren went red in the face.

“I’m 16, but chillax Max. I was born in November 1996, so I will be 17 in a little over a month. We are only one year and two months apart. No big deal, really,” he said, shrugging.

“Wowser I suck as a friend. I should know these things about my friends. W-When is your birthday exactly?” She asked him, embarrassed.

“November 20th. Don’t feel bad; we are still getting to know each other. We didn’t meet that long ago. But I know for you, it feels longer because of all the time travel. You can ask me anything you want. I’ll try to be honest, but there’s no friendship without some mysteries,” he said, grinning.

“Watcha hiding Warren?” Max asked with her eyebrows raised.

“Not much, you know. Just this and that and some other things,” he said, his grin getting wider.

“How rude! After everything I told you, you should be ashamed,” Max said, grinning back at him. They laughed together.

“But seriously, though, I want to get to know you better from now on,” Max said with a serious voice.

"That goes both ways, Max Power. Apropos Power, how do you feel about testing yours today? If you still have them? Are you feeling up for it?” he asked. 

"Yeah, we could work up to that. Could we get breakfast first? But not Two Whales please. I’m not ready yet,” she asked back.

"Yeah, we could go. You totally earned breakfast on me,” he responded. After getting ready, Max texted the girls that she and Warren would be out getting something to eat together. They took Warren’s car and drove around to find where they could have breakfast. In the car and while eating breakfast, they talked about themselves, their interests, their dreams, and their families.

“I was born in Arcadia Bay, and my parents house is like 15 minutes from here with the car. I decided and convinced them to let me stay here in the dorms, so I could learn responsibility and have the science lab and school nearer for learning and studying. But my real reason was to get away from them for at least the school years at Blackwell. I love my parents, but they can be a bit much. They put to much pressure on me and my education. My mother is a surgeon, and my father is an enterprise architect. They work hard and a lot, so I don’t see them as much. So, you know, no pressure or anything. How are your parents?” He asked her.

“Me and my parents are very close. I love sewing and crafting with my mom. She is really caring and worries a lot about me. My father is more chill, and I love to go to sports games with him. They have always let me have my space and make my own decisions and mistakes. But I think that’s because they felt guilty about moving away from here to Seattle five years ago. It wasn’t easy for me to leave Arcadia Bay and Chloe, so they didn’t put much pressure on me. I think they thought I would break under it,” Max said. After finishing their breakfast and talking about their favorite things, like food, sweets, colors, and other things, they decided to drive to the overlook park.

Once they arrived, they sat down on a bench and just took in the landscape. It was beautiful and peaceful here. Max looked around and saw a little girl, with what seemed like her father, playing by the water. A little further away were some teenagers who were grilling and laughing. A man was playing catch with his dog, and there was a couple having a picnic in the shadow of a tree. What would she do if she still had her powers? Could and should she use them? What was the reason for having them in the first place, then? Max thought to herself. She had her camera with her and decided to take a picture with Warren, so if something went wrong, she could travel back here before she used her powers.

"Warren, let’s take a picture together. If something goes wrong, I can travel back to this moment and fix it,” she suggested to him.

“All right, let’s do it,” he said to her. They took the picture.

“Right, so let’s see what happens the next minute or so, and then I will try to rewind it and tell you everything before it happens again. Ready?” She asked him. 

“Ready,” he replied. They looked around. After some time, Max took a breath and tried to rewind for the first time since she went back to the girl's bathroom in Blackwell to let fate take over. She felt the familiar sensation immediately. The world twisting around her and a pressure in her head. Everything seemed to rewind, and she found herself back in time.

“Fuck, I still have them, Warren,” she said with a shaking voice and continued, “So first the couple by the picking. The man will try to kiss the woman and will accidentally spill wine all over her dress while leaning in. She will jump up and swear at him. The teenagers by the grill will laugh at them, and one of them will choke on his food for a few seconds before one of his friends hits him on the back a couple of times to help him. They will laugh at him after that, and being distracted by all that, the man with his dog and his ball will aim too far, and the ball will land in the water. The dog will be too scared to jump in after it and will stay in front of the water, barking at the ball. The man takes out another ball and then throws that instead, leaving the other in the water.”

Max and Warren watched while everything happened like she had predicted it. Warren’s eyes went wider and wider, and when they watched the dog, his mouth fell open. He looked at Max.

“Woah… You totally earned the name Max Power after that! I mean, I believed you before, but like now... fuck. Did that really happen just now?” He asked in awe.

“Yes it fucking happend. I can’t believe I still got it. I don’t get why though,” she said with a sigh and put her head in her hands. Warren put his hand on her upper back and asked if she was all right. She nodded her head yes in her hands. 

“I just don’t understand why I still have them, and there wasn’t any vision this time. Does that mean I can use it how I want? Why did Chloe have to die then? I don’t understand it,” she said, sitting back upright and leaning against the bench. 

“Maybe it w-,” Warren started, but before he could finish the sentence, Max felt herself getting pulled out of this reality. 

She found herself next to the train tracks behind the overlook park and saw the train approaching, but before it could pass her, it lost its control and the train derailed. She gasped and found herself back next to Warren. He looked worried and asked her what happened. She immediately got up and started to run up the stairs, up the hill, towards the train tracks. Warren followed her. When they got up to the overlook spot and were just about to walk up a path to the train, they heard a little girls scream. 

They looked down to the park and saw that the little girl, who was playing by the water with her father, got bitten by the dog. The dog wouldn’t let go of her arm, and Max saw that she held the ball the man had thrown for the dog. The father and the man tried to pull the dog and the girl apart, and all the people around them had run toward them, trying to help somehow. Max didn’t know what was going on, but the moment the dog let go of the girl and they tried to stop her arm from bleeding out, Max heard the train pass behind them without derailing. In that moment, she understood something very important about her powers. Warren looked dumbstruck at everything going on. She grabbed Warren’s arm very tightly. 

“Warren I figured something out about my powers and how I can and can’t use them! Let’s go down again. Maybe we can help. Let’s call the ambulance while we walk down,” she said, and she started running down the stairs towards the chaos.

“With great power comes great bullshit,” she muttered to herself.

Chapter Text

One hour later, Max and Warren sat in his car. They tried to help as much as they could after the attack. The ambulance came and took the girl and her father to the hospital. Before they left, Max heard one of the medics say that the girl might lose her arm. She had to be taken to the hospital as soon as possible. The police took the man and his dog for some questioning, and everyone went their separate ways. Max wished she could’ve gone back in time to spare the girl all the pain she had to and will go through. But after the train went past without an accident, she realized something very important. 

“Warren I wanted to go back so that the girl wouldn’t have been hurt, but I think if I'd done that, other people would’ve been hurt or even killed instead,” she started explaining. She told him about her vision, and the moment she didn’t rewind, to prevent the girl from getting injured, the train was saved. If she'd done that, the train wreck would’ve happened. They sat there and thought for some time.

“Max I think when you have a vision and act on a tragedy happening right after that, the vision will become reality. If you don’t act and let fate, or whatever the hell it is, happen, then the vision doesn’t come true. That would make sense given what happened with Chloe. The vision came, and then she got shot. You saved her, and the vision came true. You let her die and didn’t mess with her fate, so the vision didn’t come true. Same with the girl. Save her arm, and the train will derail. Let her lose her arm, and the train and all the people are saved. So I think it’s save to use your power unless you have a vision before something tragic happens,” he said. Max shook her head.

“That’s so fucked up! I have literally the power over two fates at the same time. Why do I get to choose other people’s fate? I don’t want to play god or be a moral compass. Why did I get these powers? It has to do something with what happened to Chloe. I’m sure of it! I need to figure it out. But I think that was enough excitement for today. Can we drive back to the school grounds?” Max asked. Warren agreed and promised her they would try to figure the rest out. 

When they got back to Maxe's room, Warren helped her with her homework. She didn’t finish everything at the end of the day, but she got a lot of work done. Tomorrow was the first day of school, after all that happened. She was thankful for having a distraction, but everything would be different. Jefferson’s classes were canceled until they found a new teacher. Warren had to go back to his room, and Max didn’t insist on him staying this time. Before he left, Max felt brave for a moment and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. 

“For being there for me through all of this. Thank you,” she said, and she let go of him. Warren went red, touched his cheek for a moment, and said, “Always. Where else would I be, Super Max? See you tomorrow,” and he left. Max played nervously with her doe necklace for a while, thinking about everything. She went to her desk and saw a card she didn’t recognize sticking out of her papers. She grabbed it. On the card was a doe, and above it was ‘get well soon’ written. Max turned it over and read the card out loud. 

“The deer or doe as a spirit animal represents gentleness, high sensitivity, and strong intuition. The ability to move through life and obstacles with grace, even in the most challenging moments. It also means being in touch with your inner child, having innocence, a magical ability to regenerate, being in touch with life’s mysteries, and also having vigilance and the ability to change directions quickly. The deer is also an emblematic animal of the energy of love and harmony with oneself and others.” 

The card was signed by almost everyone in her class and school she knew. Even Victoria had signed with ‘Vic’ and a heart above the i. So that’s where the doe necklace came from. It’s sweet that the other Max, who received this, had put it on. It had meant a lot to her to read that and to know they saw her in those words. Max remembered the doe that had guided her through the week with Chloe. It was there to show her the storm and the tornado, and was at the junkyard. Max was sure it had to be connected to the unanswered questions she still had in relation to her powers. She would figure it out eventually. She would at least try to. Before bed, she went to the showers. Afterwards, she knocked at Kate’s door.

“Hey Kate. It’s me, Max,” she said through Kate’s door.

"Oh, Max, come in!” Kate’s answered back excitedly. 

Max went in and talked with Kate for a little bit. It was important for Max to ask Kate how she was doing and to know she was okay. The suicide attempt in the other timeline still made Max nervous for her. Kate was doing well after Nathan and Jefferson were gone and justice was served. She asked her if she wanted to go to one of their tea sessions next week, and they could ask the other girls if they wanted to join them. They agreed on next Thursday, and Max went back to her room. She laid down in bed, and her phone vibrated. It was a message from Warren.

‘Hey Mad Max, 
I totally forgot after all the excitement… thx for leaving your mark on my door. I'll never erase it.’ 

‘You better not. It's permanent! Good Night!

(-_-)  zzz ’

‘Night and sweet dreams. (^o^)丿’

Max had trouble falling asleep. Eventually she did, but it felt like she only slept for three hours when she woke up the next morning. She wished Warren had stayed. She got up and ready and left with Kate, Dana, and Juliet for school. They treated her like she would break at any moment. Max didn’t mind. She played her part. Today’s school schedule was world history, algebra, then lunch. After that was math lab and language of photography, which got canceled because of no Jefferson. Victoria had won the Everyday Hero’s Contest and was gone for a couple of days with Principal Wells. Max was okay with that. She would have another opportunity to shine. She wasn’t ready for her 15 minutes of fame anyway. Maybe someday soon. She went on with her day. Before algebra, Warren texted her.

‘Hey Max
I hope your day is going well so far! Meet @ lunch?’ 

‘Hi Warren
it’s ok. Have to get used to everything again. Everyone is treating me like I’m a wounded animal. _(._.)_ Hope that will change after a while. Lunch sounds good! Kate will be there too.  xomaxo’

‘Ok. See you soon. xo’

The next day was short. Max had only science lab with Warren and media literacy after that. It was fun working with him, and she helped him with his project like before in the other timeline. She told him about helping him with it before, and they recreated the photo she took the first time and took a selfie with him together in class. They had fun and joked around the whole time. Brooke was moody behind them, and Max made a mental note to motivate Daniel to go to the next party, which would be the Halloween party, and talk to her. They had hit it off in the other timeline. 

From Wednesday onwards, Max started walking around the school grounds more. October was Max's favorite month, mostly due to her love of Halloween, the milder weather, and the colorful scenery. She started taking pictures again and tried to talk to her other school "friends” or, in other words, tried to become friends with them again.

She talked with Cortney about dress codes and parties. With Hayden about the possibility of going to a party. She asked Taylor about her mom. She talked with Dana about her past pregnancy, Logan, and Trevor. She showed Juliet that she cared by knowing her last name was Watson and getting to know her and her interests. She tried to protect Alyssa and had to use her powers only twice to warn her. She bonded with Brooke about her drone and mentioned Daniel wanting to improve his drawing and searching for someone to draw. Evan showed her his portfolio, being sad that Rachel was gone. 

Luke was the happiest she ever saw him since Nathan got arrested. Justin was sad about Chloe. They talked about her for a while. She asked Stella if she was alright and got her to open up about her abusive family. David was taking time off from his work to be with Joyce. Max visited her two times and talked with David about everything going on with the arrests and Rachel’s case. He felt guilty for Chloe’s death too, and he felt like he had failed to protect her and Joyce. She convinced him to let the idea of extreme surveillance in school go, and that made Mrs. Grant happy after she signed the petition and told her about the talk with David.

Thursday was the tea session with Kate and Dana. Victoria joined too. And they tried to get closer. Victoria really tried to be her best and nicest self, and Max could see her trying to make it up to Kate. She told them about the Zeitgeist Gallery and how her parents were really proud of her for the first time in her life. She wanted to visit Nathan and talk to him, but was scared to do so. She thought that Nathan needed someone to be there for him because everyone else just used him for their own benefit, and he needed at least one friend to maybe help him become a better person in the future. He was still young and could turn his life around if he had the right support system. She decided to write his sister and maybe convince her to come back to Arcadia Bay for a while for Nathan.

Max worked on her homework with Warren, and they watched anime, series, and movies together or played games when they had time in the evenings. In some of their moments together, Max had the need to get closer to him but controlled herself not to do something stupid to ruin their friendship. Sometimes she leaned on him or put her head on his shoulder. One time they watched a scary scene, and she grabbed his hand for a while. They couldn’t go to the drive-in anymore because Warren didn’t get the tickets before they sold out with everything that went on. 

“The next time there is a cool film marathon, we’re going to the drive-in. Promise,” Max said to him Friday evening. They were in Warren's room watching the last movie of the 70's Planet of the Apes marathon. “It’s a date,” Warren replied. After the movie, they talked about her powers more.

“I had the whole week to think about some things that might make sense,” Max said. 

"Yeah, me too. You told me a couple of days ago that Chloe told you about the possibility that Rachel may have had powers of her own," he continued.

"Yes, after the break-in to the pool, when I slept over. She told me that Rachel once started a fire, and there was a moment when she screamed two times and the wind picked up at the same moment, and the fire got worse. She thought it was just a coincidence. But then I thought… with my powers and the injustice of the murder of Rachel and everything she went through with her family… I don’t know. Chloe once said something at the beach to me about the storm being Rachel's revenge. Then I thought about the times I saw the doe. I saw it in my visions and at the junkyard where she was buried. It had to be a spirit or something, because one time at the junkyard, I took a picture of it, and it wasn’t in the picture afterwards,” she said.

“So you think somehow that was Rachel's spirit, showing herself as a doe, your spirit animal, and she transported her powers or just some random powers to you so you could carry on the revenge and destroy the town?” he asked.

"Yes, or I thought to reunite her and Chloe together in the afterlife. So there are two possibilities:

“1. Give me the power to carry on her revenge on Arcadia Bay since she never got to leave it and rescue or take Chloe away from there like they planned. Which I somehow don’t believe because she guided me once to the newspaper, showing me that the tornado will be in four days. Why show me when it is? I took that as a warning to try and prevent it before it came. But maybe the plan was to take Chloe out so she doesn’t die and then fuck Arcadia Bay and everyone in it, since she had to die and couldn’t leave it like she planed with Chloe. Or…”

“2. Revenge on me for changing Chloe's destiny. Or a reaction to me saving her. I think this is more logical. Because the vision came and warned me that if I changed Chloe’s fate, the tornado would destroy everyone and everything. It’s like she wanted Chloe by her side in the afterlife, and I ruined it. We learned that if I don’t change the fate of one person after the vision occurs, then it doesn’t come true. So rescue Chloe, and a whole town dies instead. The moral thing for me would be to let one person die so others could live. Like with the little girl in the park. Let her not get hurt and keep her arm, and all the people in the train die or get more hurt than the girl would've. Let the one girl's destiny play out, and other people stay safe. Also, when I was on the train tracks with Chloe, there was a moment when I went to take a picture and her foot got stuck. I had the vision again and had to decide again whether to let her get run over or to save her, and the storm would come. Somehow, that’s more logical for me. She wanted Chloe with her and to end her suffering on this earth, and she knew I wouldn’t trade one life for hundreds. And then there’s the blue butterfly. I think that was Chloe’s spirit giving me the opportunity to have a picture to travel back in time to that moment in the bathroom and let her die to save everyone else. It allowed me to spend time with her, find Rachel’s body, punish Nathan and Jefferson, and then travel back to let her fate play out and save everyone else. The butterfly was also at her funeral and landed on her coffin. Coincidence? I thought it was her saying goodbye and showing me everything is and will be alright, and she can move on with Rachel… So in the end, Rachel gets Chloe in the afterlife, or Arcadia Bay gets destroyed, and Chloe leaves this town like they planed. Win-win for Rachel,” she stopped for a moment and thought.

“The only thing I don’t understand is why I still have the powers. Couldn’t she take them back after everything? Did I become some fate and destiny goddess? Because I would love to give the powers up at any moment. It feels more like a curse to decide others fates. Or maybe someday I will have a reversed vision where I have a vision of one person having luck, and if I prevent a mass murder right after that vision, that one person will suffer or die. Which is fucked up too. I don’t want this power anymore,” she said and started gasping for air. She had a panic attack. She was surprised it took her that long to have one.

Warren put his arms around her immediately and said calming words she couldn’t understand because her ears were ringing. Having his warm arms around her and just hearing his voice helped her. She tried matching the breathing that she could feel from his chest moving up and down against hers. She tried to mirror it and focus on his voice. When she calmed down eventually, Warren guided her to her bed. She got in and moved to the wall to make room for him. He understood without words and laid down beside her. She put her head on his chest and her arm around his middle, and they laid like that for a minute. Max could hear his heartbeat and feel his breath on top of her head. It helped her stay calm. Eventually, they fell asleep like that.

Max woke up alone in her bed. Warren wasn’t there. The first thought was that he had enough of her bullshit. But then she checked her phone and was happy that her negative thought was wrong. He wrote to her ten minutes ago. 

‘Rise and shine Max Wonder! 
I had to go and visit my parents or they won’t leave my ass alone for months to come. I’ll text you when I’m back.’ 

‘Don’t forget to bubble-hearth before you get there! Sending you all the strength for the visit. (^_-)’ 

‘Kek, nerd. (^_^) Thank you!  TTYL’ 

Max didn’t know what to do today. She worked on her homework for some time. Then she decided to visit Chloe’s grave. It’s been a week since the funeral. She took the bus and bought some blue flowers on her way. Walking up the hill to Chloe’s and William’s graves Max saw someone by her grave putting flowers down. She walked a little closer and recognized Frank with Pompidou. She walked up to him and put her flowers beside his on the grave. He didn’t know her in this timeline. 

“Hi, my name is Max. You must be Frank, right?” She asked him. 

“How do you know my name, girl? Did we meet before?” he asked back harshly. 

“No, but Chloe and Rachel talked about you. Rachel told me about the picture and bracelet she gave you,” Max pointed at the bracelet, “and Chloe told me about your dog rescues, about Pompidou, and about your good heart behind your hard shell,” she finished saying.

Frank was taken aback. He cleared his throat. "Wow, I didn’t know I meant so much to Chloe, but Rachel was my lioness. I loved her very deeply, and I know the two loved each other. They were two peas in a pod. I hope they are happy together wherever they are,” Frank said emotionally.

“Do you know how they died?” Max asked him.

They stayed in front of Chloe’s grave, and Max told him everything she could. It hurt her to see Frank realize again that his drugs were the cause of Rachel’s death and Nathan’s losing control and shooting someone. They went their separate ways afterwards, and Max hoped Frank would have a change of heart and think about a career change after this. 

While sitting in the bus, Warren called her to tell her he was leaving his parents and was on his way back. Max asked him if he wanted to meet for lunch. He agreed. 20 minutes later, they were sitting down and ordering pizza.

“Sooo, how was the visit?” Max asked him. 

“Okay. They are worried because of what happened and are trying to convince me to come back home. I convinced them to stay at Blackwell. The danger is over, with Nathan and Jefferson gone. And I really think that I can’t ever go back to living with my parents again,” he said, frowning. “I will be 18 when I leave Blackwell, and I will have to get my own place after that. I really love them, but the pressure they put on me every time I go there is just suffocating.”

Max put her hand on his to show him her support and gave him a smile.

“Maybe we could travel together after Blackwell for a while. Chloe and I always dreamed of traveling the world together. I think it would be good to just leave everything and everyone behind for a couple of months or years,” she said with her hand still on his.

“That’s a great idea. Let’s see what happens,” he said while taking her hand in his. Max felt her stomach tighten again as he held her hand. They sat like that for a few seconds before the pizza arrived. 

Just before they could let go of their hands, the waiter accidentally tripped, and the pizza slid down the plate. It fell down on their table upside down. Max rewinded reflexively, still holding Warren's hand. The waiter tripped again, and before the pizza could slide off again, Warren put his hands out to support the plate. The waiter gave a little nervous laugh and apologized. He put the pizza down safely and walked away. Max and Warren looked at the pizza and then at each other with disbelief on their faces. 

“What the hell just happened? You knew that the pizza was going to fall!” Max said, horrified. 

Chapter Text

Warren looked like he had witnessed something impossible, which he just had a few moments before.

“I- I think I went back in time with you! I could feel and see the world change around me backwards, and I had a weird feeling in my stomach, like being on a rollercoaster. Then the next moment, the pizza was still in the waiter's hands, and he tripped again, so I reacted reflexively. Max… you can take someone through time with you when you touch them while rewinding!” Warren said in a hushed voice while moving his hand through his hair and grabbing it for a moment, as if he was trying to feel if he was real. 

“I wish I could understand and explain anything that’s happening. I feel like I’m just playing scientist at school. I don’t know shit… Time travel is such a mind fuck!” Warren said, still pulling at his hair. Max was afraid that Warren would lose his mind. She put a hand on his shoulder, hoping it would calm him down.

“I’m so sorry, Warren. If I’d known that you would go back with me, I wouldn’t have done anything. I didn’t think straight! I wish I could have warned you before. That must’ve been a trip for you. Do you want to leave?” She asked, squeezing his shoulder lightly.

“No, no, just give me a minute. I’m just full of adrenaline. It was unexpected, that’s all." He leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes for a second and taking a deep breath. Then he looked at Max. “Can we try that again sometime?” he asked her, grinning wide. 

"Sure, but I think that was enough excitement for you for now. Let’s try to eat some of the pizza we just saved,” she said, shaking her head unbelievably at him and letting go of his shoulder.

They agreed not to repeat that again until they found out what kind of abilities Max had in total. They had to understand everything fully before they could experiment with it. And they were both curious and interested in the scientific side of it all. Especially Warren, so the whole week was spent researching and figuring things out. Max had to be honest with herself. It was interesting and important to understand her powers, but she also didn’t really care if it was magic, science, or whatever impossible bullshit it could be. She honestly just wished she could give the powers up. She was scared about deciding fates and destiny’s and was also scared of what would happen to her if someone found out about her powers. She finally decided to open her diary. Everything she went through was documented there. She showed it to Warren, and after he read through it, they decided to destroy it soon. No one could know about her powers.

“So let’s summarize everything. You have six kinds of abilities,” Warren said in a hushed voice. 

It was the next weekend. They were sitting on the bench between the Tobanga and Samuel‘s storage room. Their heads touching lightly and leaning over some books about time travel Warren had borrowed from the library. They weren’t the only ones outside. Alyssa was sitting with Kate on the same bench that Alyssa had sat on the last time Zachary hit her with the ball in the other timeline. Taylor was sitting by the tree where Max had talked to her about her mother for the first time. Daniel was sitting near Taylor on a bench, drawing Brooke, while she was flying her drone. Her drone flew over Warren and Max a couple of times more than necessary. Max tried to ignore it and focus on what Warren was saying without interrupting him. 

“So the first ability that you seem to have is temporal rewind. You can rewind time to a limited degree. You yourself are unaffected by this, remaining in a fixed position while time flows backwards around you, and you retain all recollection of what happened afterwards. We also figured out that if you touch someone while doing that, the person with you retains all recollection of what happened afterwards too. Also, any item or items you keep with you before time travel are also kept with you.
As a side effect of this, you may seem to suddenly disappear and/or appear out of nowhere to those under the effects of your powers. So second is teleportation. Like when you “teleported” yourself into the principal's office. You moved to another place and then rewinded, creating the effect of teleportation.”

“Third is temporal freeze. You once stopped the flow of time. The first and only instance occurred when you attempted to save Kate from committing suicide. You are unaffected by this and are still able to move around normally, but from what you’ve told me, the amount of energy needed to maintain it was extremely harsh on your body. You were too weak to use your rewind power after you made it up to the roof. It came back much later.”

“Ability four is temporal jump. You once ‘jumped’ back in time into a specific situation. You technically rewinded time there too, but you found yourself physically in a situation and position you were in earlier. This was the instance when you discovered your ability to rewind time after witnessing Nathan kill Chloe. The first and only instance occurred when you suddenly found yourself back in class, several minutes prior to the incident. It's likely that this is a deeper manifestation of your rewind power that requires a lot of energy, and only when experiencing that kind of shock were you able to do this.”

“Five is Precognition. You get visions, through which you can deduct the future from to some extent. In these visions, you are able to witness what’s happening in the future, like Arcadia Bay being destroyed by an oncoming storm or being beside a train derailing. It is possible that they aren't just visions but rather 'temporal time jumps into the future’.”

“And six is chronoskimming. You can transfer your consciousness back to the time period when a photo was taken in order to change the past by focusing on a photograph you took or are in. However, you are unable to pass the 'photographic bounds' of the background while using the ability. I also don’t think that you created other timelines or realities that are still existing out there when you transferred your consciousness into the past. I could be wrong, of course, but I think you altered the timeline of your own reality from the past, present, and future. Which means that you changed your own reality or timeline instead of creating another reality or timeline. It would be the theory of wormholes.”

“Wowser Warren. Remind me… Did I ever tell you how smart you are? Could I borrow that brain of yours sometime? I mean, one week to put all of that together. Just wtf… No wonder you advanced a few grades ‘due to your academic abilities’ and being the youngest student in Blackwell,” Max said, perplexed. Warren blushed. He had a proud smile on his face.

“You flatter me, really, but these are just theories of mine. I don’t know shit. There are smarter people than me out there, and I think you’re a very smart person yourself, Dr. Maxstein. You figured out and put some very important things together yourself this and last week,” he said earnestly. She bumped his knee with hers, blushing too, and they continued talking about everything he just summarized.

“There are some limits and consequences to everything,” Max said after some time. “I seemingly need to focus to use my powers at will, seeing as when I was under the effects of drugs because of Jefferson, I didn't have the strength to rewind time. The excessive use of my powers or pushing their limits leads to disorientation, nosebleeds, and even unconsciousness. Energy is also required to use my powers, and if I’m exhausted, I don’t have the strength to alter time. And the consequences are, of course, that when I attempt to change major events, especially after a vision, like I figured out a week ago, I cause significant changes in my and everyone else's future. It’s like Chloe once said, 'chaos theory' because if something from the past changes when it's potentially supposed to happen, something in the future will change, whether it be physically, psychically, historically, and - on a larger scale - atmospherically. The dead animals, the storm, and so on.” Max finished.

"Well, after all this research, I think we deserve a break. Do you wanna go back to my or your room and watch or play something together, or we could just stay here and re-” Warren started asking her, but before he could finish his sentence, Dana came towards them and interrupted.

“Hey guys, sorry to disturb you. I just wanted to ask if you’ll be at the Halloween party next week? Principal Wells allowed it. We thought it could lift everyone up after everything, but I can understand if you’ll pass.”

“When is it? Halloween is next Thursday, right?” Warren asked Dana.

"Yes, but the party will be on Friday, November 1st, so we don’t have to go to classes the next day. We can get wasteeed!” Dana made a cheer move while saying that and grinned at them. Warren chuckled. Max tried to keep a straight face.

“We’ll think about it, and we’ll let you know,” she said kindly to Dana. Dana raised her eyebrows.

“Oooh, when did you two become a ‘we’?” She asked Max, giggling. Warren and Max avoided looking at each other, both bright red in their faces. 

“Uuh,” Warren started the same time Max said, “W- we are not- I mean we don’t… We are just friends…,” Max said stupidly. She regretted the way she just said it and felt Warren’s closeness slip away from her immediately. She looked at him. Just before he looked down at his feet with a straight face, Max saw him looking disappointed for a second. She felt sorry for hurting him like that. But how could she tell him they kissed before in another timeline? She was so shy, awkward, and inexperienced about things like this. Once again, her insecurities ruined her chances with him. She felt so stupid. 

“Okay, ehm just write me if you’re going to the party. I have to go do eh homework, yes homework…” she gave Max an apologetic look and walked away very quickly. 

“Warren I’m really sorry about that. I didn't want to put you in an awkward position, and by trying not to, I put you in an awkward position… I’m an idiot. Sorry,” Max rambled. 

“Max, chill it’s not like we are dating or anything, you know… you just said the truth. It’s no biggie. Do you wanna stay outside and take some pictures? I’ll stay here and read some more about time travel while you do your thing. What are you always saying? Everything is a picture waiting to be taken. Right?” he asked while he rummaging through the books. Max gave a quiet sigh and got up.

“Right,” she answered a little louder while looking for something to photograph. Gone were the plans to do something together later. It was a little tense between them two days later, on Monday. They still laughed and joked together in class and outside of it. But they didn’t meet in their rooms anymore. Max realized hours after the situation that she could have gone back in time to say something different to Dana, and she felt like an even bigger idiot for forgetting about her powers in that moment. Had Warren come to that conclusion himself and thought she had chosen to hurt or friendzone him? 

Since then, her nightmares have gotten worse. She dreamed of Chloe dying in different ways. It was torture. Warren looked like he hadn’t slept for days. When Max asked him if he slept badly, he said that he woke up three times or more at night and couldn’t fall asleep again for a while. It was his nightly anxiety he once talked about because of the pressure he had around him and from his parents. Max didn’t know how to make it up to him.

On Wednesday morning, Dana texted her, asking if she would come to the party and if she would like to come by her room after school to talk about her costume. Max agreed to come. After school, on the way to Dana, she met Daniel outside. He was drawing, and he asked her if he could draw her. She agreed and talked to him a bit. At the end, she convinced him to come to the party too, and feeling good about that, she made her way to Dana. Dana gave her a hug when she arrived, and she apologized to her again. 

“It was meant to be a joke. I’m so sorry it got weird for you. I don’t want to be nosy, but is there anything going on between you? It seems like it sometimes, and I know he is totally into you,” Dana told her. 

"Honestly, I don’t know. We are kinda between just being best friends and being more than just friends. I don’t like to put labels on these kinds of things. I’m so scared to take a step further. I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do. I have no experience with dating people. I get shy, nervous, and anxious. I’m scared of ruining our friendship. And I know I’m a drama queen, but relationships don’t come easy for me. I’m more of an introverted and quiet person. I like absorbing things from a distance and giving advice to others. But when I have to take my own advice, I get so overwhelmed,” she finished. Dana grabbed her by the hands. 

“Oh girl, believe me, everyone gets like this in the beginning. You just have to go with the flow, as they say. You can’t force a situation or yourself into these things. Sometimes you just have to go after the vibe and just let things happen. If you want to take his hand, then take it. If you feel the electricity and feel like kissing him, then lean in and see what happens. If he leans in too,good; if not, then you have to respect that it won’t happen and try to move on as friends. But if you do nothing, then nothing will happen. You have to take risks sometimes, or you won’t move forward. That’s my experience,” Dana said.

“I know you’re right. Maybe I can turn things around at the party. Apropos party, what idea did you have for me? I have literally no ideas. I would have just put on a hat or something,” she said, shrugging. 

Dana had a lot of boxes with costumes and stuff from the drama lab, and she attacked her with thousands of ideas. Juliet, Kate, Alyssa, and Stella came by too for costume ideas. Stella only picked a hairband with devil horns. She would work at the entrance, like at the Vortex Club Party in the other timeline. At first, Max wanted to dress up as a pirate, but it hurt too much to do it without Chloe. In the end, she agreed to dress up as a witch. Kate was not sure yet if she would go to the party after what happened last time, but she took a white dress, some kinds of bandages, and make-up to make a mumie costume. Alyssa would go as a ‘goth cat’, Juliet as a 'sexy version’ of a fairy, and Dana as a sexy zombie cheerleader.

Dana shoved Max the finished witch costume, they had put together after three hours, into her hands and wished her good luck with Warren. Max went to her room and wrote Warren a message. 

‘Hi Warren
are you going to the party on Friday? I will be there if you wanna meet up before or at the party? And I wanted to ask if you’re available tomorrow for Halloween night? You know I love Halloween and I thought we could watch a scary movie together. Just let me know if you’re interested. xomaxo’

‘Yo yo Max
I’ll be there at Friday. But I still don’t have a costume. Maybe I’ll just put a hat on. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Do you have a costume? Movie night sounds great. My room or yours? xo’

‘I’ll be a witch… ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆. 
Your room? You have the cooler gadgets for sure!’ 

‘Ok, popcorn will be ready... 
What did the witch say to the photographer before the shoot? I hope you can conjure my good side. ;)’ 

‘Oh Witch Please! :’D 
Yeji popcorn! 
Good night and see ya tomorrow.’  

‘Night Super Max. Sweet dreams :)’ 

Max looked at the messages and felt relieved. Warren didn’t seem to be that cross with her anymore. She showered and got ready for bed. Before she got to bed, she played her guitar quietly for a bit. She started writing a melody four days ago and worked on it every morning or evening when she had the time or energy. She worked on it for 20 more minutes and then went to bed. 

The next morning started with The Art of Science. Warren and Max paired up for a new project. After that was lunch and Media Lab. English AP and Language of Photography were still canceled. Max heard that Mrs. Hoida would eventually come back next week or begin November. Principal Wells was happy to announce that he had found a new teacher for the subjects that Jefferson taught. The new teacher would start in November too. Max was happy about having the three classes back soon. It was nice having more time for different things because of canceled classes, but she came here to learn and make the most of the two years at Blackwell. 

At 6 p.m., on the way to Warrens, Max met some of the boys in the corridor, but she didn’t care anymore who saw her. She said hello to them and kept walking. Arriving at Warren’s door, she saw that he still hadn’t erased the massage she had left him. She felt a tingling sensation in her stomach after seeing that. She knocked at his door, and he opened it after a moment. They said hello, and she went in for a hug, but he had already moved aside to let her through the door. It reminded her of the one time at the parking lot when Warren went in for a hug, and she extended her arm with his flash drive at the same time. It had to be karma that he had just done it to her. Now she knew how awkward that was. She cleared her throat and walked in. It smelled like popcorn. Warren had prepared everything for their movie night. The laptop and popcorn were ready on the table in front of the couch, and there was a blanket because he knew that she got cold easily. She felt another jolt in her stomach and sat down on his couch. 

“So what are we watching?” she asked with a lightly shaken voice. Why was she so nervous all of a sudden? 

“I thought maybe the first Alien movie from 1979 or The Exorcist from 1973?” he asked. 

“Why not both? We could start with Alien,” she said back. He was okay with that and sat down next to her. They sat really close together but didn’t touch. Max could feel some kind of electrical tension in the little space they had between them. She tried really hard not to move closer or touch his hand. She couldn’t concentrate on the movie. She took the bowl of popcorn on her lap and ate some of it. After some time, Warren reached for it too, at the same time as her and their hands met for a second. She felt an electric zing run through her body. He didn’t take any more after that. Max was so distracted with her stupid hormones going off that she didn’t see one of the jump scares coming. She grabbed Warren’s arm hard, and some popcorn flew out of the bowl. Without thinking about it, she rewound time while still grabbing his arm. The popcorn went back into the bowl, and she let go of his arm. 

“Woah.. I’m so sorry! I didn’t think again. I just reacted. She moved away from him a little. He laughed lightly, reached out, and took the bowl out of her hands. Then he put it back on the table, paused the movie, and sat down beside her, their arms and knees touching lightly. 

“It wasn’t so bad. The first time was overwhelming because we didn’t expect it. Believe me or not, but I thought about it before today. I wondered if you would accidentally redwind if you got scared. It was funny actually seeing and feeling it happen,” he grinned down at her. She bumped her shoulder with his and shook her head.

“Shit, you always think ahead of everything, don’t you? I would’ve shitten kittens if someone grabbed and turned time with me. You think of everything. How do you do that?” She asked him. 

“What can I say… I’m a genius,” he said, shrugging. 

“Oh, please,” she said, rolling her eyes. He chuckled and hit play again. She hugged his right arm with both her arms. He didn’t pull back. They relaxed more against the back of his couch and watched the movie till the end. 

“Do you want more popcorn before we play the next movie?” he asked her. She shook her head no.

They finished the movie and talked for a while afterwards. Max thanked him for spending this evening with her. Before she left for her room, she said good night and hugged him longer than she normally would, trying to show him how much he meant to her because she couldn’t communicate it well with words. She didn’t look at him after letting go. She just walked away quickly towards her dormitory. She worked on the melody on her guitar for about 15 minutes and got ready for bed. She slept better that night, but still woke up the next day with images of the color blue mixed with blood.

Today is gonna be hella stressful, she thought to herself and got up to get ready. 

Chapter Text

Because English AP was canceled, Max didn’t have to be at Physical Education until 11 a.m. . She decided to be a little more adventurous and took the bus to go to a hair salon. She got herself one blue hair streak in her bangs in Chloe’s honor. It would also be perfect with her costume for the Halloween party. Joyce wrote her while she was at the hair salon and asked her to come over when she had the time because she had to give her something. Max called her and asked if she could come before classes. When she got there, David and Joyce sat down with her at the table. Joyce looked at the blue in her hair and gave her an emotional smile. She had a journal in front of her on the table. She pushed it towards Max. 

“Max I wasn’t sure if I should give you this. But I read through it for the past few days and decided to give it to you. It’s Chloe’s journal… You don’t have to take it if you don’t want to. It’s not an easy read, but you get to understand her feelings and her true thoughts, even though it really hurts to know she felt that way about everything and everyone around her and to find out what she went through the last couple of years and months,” Joyce said to her. Max looked at it with big eyes. She had a feeling Chloe wouldn’t want her to read it. Otherwise, she would’ve shown it to her the days they spent together. They already said everything to each other before they said their goodbyes. But somehow Max was sure that Chloe hadn’t said everything that was on her mind, and this would do it for her. She picked it up.

“I’m not sure she would want me to read it, but I will take it. Thank you… Is it okay if I read it alone when I’m in my dorm? I don’t think I can read it now,” she replied.

“Of course, Max. You can keep it or destroy it. I can’t read it again. Once was enough for me,” Joyce said with tears in her eyes. Max picked it up and put it in her bag. She stood up to go, but before she could say anything, David got up too.

“I’m starting work again today, and I will also be one of the security guards later at the party. I’m on my way there. I can give you a ride to school if you want?” He asked her. She didn’t want to be rude, and it would be faster than the bus, so she said yes. Joyce hugged her goodbye, and they were off to the car.

David told Max on the way that next week the court would decide the trial dates for Nathan and Jefferson. Both pleaded the insanity defense. Nathan pleaded guilty, but mentally ill, and Jefferson pleaded guilty, but insane. The police and lawyers were still collecting evidence. Rachel’s body would soon be released to her family so they could hold a funeral for her. She asked him if he could tell her when the funeral would be as soon as he found out. He promised her that he would. After he dropped her off, David went to the principal's office, and Max went to her first lesson. She somehow got through it but didn’t talk to anybody. After school, she went straight to her room and started reading Chloe’s journal. First, there was a letter Chloe wrote in 2010 that she didn’t send to her. She read it:

‘Dear Max,
Dad got me this stationery one day when I complained about wanting to send an email and the internet was down. And tonight I thought: Hey! Maybe it's time to write Max!
The funny thing is, I don't really know what to say.
Cause we haven't talked in three months. Despite all my calls, and texts, and... Not that l'm upset, or anything.
Fuck. There's no way l'm sending this, is there?

Chloe, the Unfriended’

Max felt like shit. She didn’t want to make excuses, but after leaving her and Arcadia Bay, Max didn’t know how to act and deal with it. She got stressed with everything new around her, like her new school, new home, new town, and new people. Everything was bigger and louder, and Max started being overwhelmed. She withdrew and became introverted. She got anxious about crowds and new people. She got depressed sometimes and moody towards her parents. She only had two 'friends' later, Kirsten and Fernando. But in the end, they were only acquaintances of her, really. After Chloe, the next real friends she had were Kate and Warren. 

So with all that, she didn’t know how to treat Chloe after her dad died and she left her. She thought maybe Chloe was better off without her than with her mess. And it got harder and harder as time moved on to reconnect with her because she felt bad and scared of her reaction. But now, while reading on, she saw that wasn’t true. Max should’ve gotten herself better together, and she should’ve kept more in touch. She didn’t have excuses, just stupid, selfish behavior. She read the first page of the journal. Chloe began every entry with MAX, and it was a slap to her face again.

‘MAX,
now this is more like it! Here I can write to you all / want without wondering or worrying if you'll ever write me back.
Maybe one day, when you return home and apologize for having forgotten all about me and we kiss and make up, I'll show this to you and we can read it and laugh.
Or maybe I’ll decide that journal Max is way cooler than reality Max and you'll just live in here forever as my little imaginary former current best friend pen pal. Time will tell.

Chloe, the Journal Boss’

She wondered why Chloe hadn’t shown this to her, but then she remembered what they went through those days, and Chloe probably didn’t have the time. She would have eventually. Before she read more of the journal entries, she read about her and all the other people she wrote about. There was something written about William, Joyce and David, Frank, some guy named Eliot, she apparently had hooked up with a couple of times after William’s death, Steph and Mikey, Drew, Nathan, Rachel and her parents and some guy named Damon Merrick. She read through everything, then read hers and again got slapped by Chloe’s writing. 

‘Max Caulfield, MIA ex-best friend extraordinaire. This artsy motherfucker loves photography more than life itself and definitely more than me. She even uses old instant cameras. It's probably not healthy for anyone to be that stuck in the past, but who am I to tell people how to live their lives? When we were kids we would dress up like pirates and eat ice cream and write and draw these stupid comic books where we had powers and saved people and shit.
Then my dad died and her dad got some job up north and she moved away to Seattle. It was probably the moment when I needed her most, and she bailed. Thanks, Max, for teaching me that I can't rely on anyone. I mean it. Life lesson learned. The worst part is that even though we haven't spoken in months, even though she habitually ignored my texts so much that I just stopped trying, even though I know, deep down, that she doesn't care about me anymore and that she probably has all new friends up in fucking Seattle... I still miss her. If she came back tomorrow and said "hey Chloe, want to dress up like pirates and be stupid together?”, I would take her back in a heartbeat.

In a heartbeat.’

Max started crying. It was almost half an hour before she continued reading. She read about David starting to move in with them and Chloe not liking it.  Chloe meeting Rachel, hopping on a train with her, getting to know her and going to the overlook park, their fight afterwards and Rachel starting the forest fire. Max stopped for a moment. She wondered why Chloe hadn’t written about her screaming and the wind picking up because of that. Probably because she was excited to write about them talking about leaving town.

She continued writing about some of the school kids, her defending Nathan one time, and his father giving him a hard time every chance he got. She read about Chloe in the play, her and Rachel kissing for the first time after that, their decision to leave Arcadia together that night, and Chloe meeting Rachel’s parents. Then about Rachel and her family drama. Rachel finding out about her real mother, Sera. Chloe getting involved in that drama and almost getting hurt by that Damon Merrick guy, and Rachel actually getting stabbed in the arm by him and landing in a hospital. Frank helping her out of that mess and Chloe convincing Rachel’s mom to meet Rachel later. 

After telling Rachel about everything and her father being involved in everything, Rachel met her mom. She and Chloe talked for months about leaving town again and decided first to find ways to get money. They got tattoos together, and Chloe got her blue hair. They hung out at the junkyard a lot, and after some time, Rachel’s behavior got a little weird, but Chloe didn’t really think anything about it. She just thought it was because of her parents. Rachel didn’t get along with them anymore after the Damon and Sera drama and her father’s involvement. One day she vanished and didn’t answer anyone’s calls, and Chloe got worried. She didn’t want to believe she just left without her, but she also hoped she was okay and would contact her soon. She was determined to find her and organized the missing posters. The journal stopped with that, and Max came back to Arcadia shortly after that. 

Max read again through some of the beginnings of  Chloe’s entries: 

‘MAX
So you know how I stopped going to class so much? Like you stopped talking to me so much?’

‘max
When did you decide you were done with me? I mean, how did you know it was time to move on…’

‘MAX 
So, I survived. Just in case you were worried about me (you totally weren’t). But it wasn't easy…’

Max knew she really deserved it, but she was also really mad about it. How could Chloe think all that about her? She didn’t stay in contact with her for her own selfish reasons and problems, but in the five years, she always thought about Chloe and their friendship and childhood and never stopped loving her. She always hoped they would reconnect one day, but as the years went on, she got scared and was afraid of Chloe hating her, but to actually see that she kind of did really hurt. She felt numb, or at least she wanted to feel numb, because the guilt and self-hatred she felt right now were too much.

She was angry at Chloe, at her father taking the job in Seattle and moving, at William for dying, at Joyce for not making Chloe priority and moving on with David, at Rachel getting with Frank and into the drug scene and getting killed by Nathan, at Jefferson and the admiration she had for him in the beginning… but most of all, she was mad at herself. Maybe she should have let the whole town die, she thought, and then immediately regretted it thinking like that. She remembered when Chloe once talked like that in the car, and Max couldn’t understand the hate and mindset towards others—the blame she gave her father for dying and Joyce for the accident. She thought it was cruel of her, but now she understood. Now she felt the same. You really had to go through a lot of bullshit and get hurt over and over again to come to the point of feeling like that. She felt kind of dirty and hate in her gut. Maybe she shouldn’t go to the party. Why would she? She didn’t deserve anything! 

“Fuck it!” she said after a while, got up and into her witch costume, and left her room. She stomped to the party rather than walking to it, and being full of rage and negative emotions, she didn’t pay attention to anyone and didn’t answer the massages she was getting from the girls or Warren. She arrived at the entrance, nodded to Stella, but didn’t say anything to her. Everything was decorated Halloween-ish and almost everyone was dressed up. 

She made her way to the VIP section. On the way, she saw Daniel flirting with Brooke. She would be happy about connecting them in this lifetime too and giving Brooke a chance to move on from her and Warren, but she couldn’t care less at this moment. She saw Alyssa getting hit and falling in the water, like she had at the End Of The World party before. She grinded her teeth and rewound time. Before one of the bro idiots could hit her again Max “accidentally” tripped him and he fell over into the water instead. She didn’t care, and moved on hearing Alyssa shouting ‘thank you’ after her. Arriving at the entrance to the VIP section, no one gave her trouble about entering. Of course, she was well known as the poor girl who witnessed a murder not too long ago. She went straight to the table with alcohol, and for the first time she drank, like really drank. She didn’t care about hating alcohol with every fiber of her being and didn’t pay attention to the disgusting taste she normally hated. 

After some time, Warren found her. She was chilling with Hayden and his friends on a couch. Hayden had his arm around her and was whispering something into her ear. She was giggling, holding a drink in her hand. Warren sat down on the other side of her on the couch and talked into her ear too, with a calm and firm voice. He put a hand gently on her arm. Max had to really control herself not to jump his lips right then and there or burst into tears. 

“Max I was on my way here, and some of the girls said they tried to get you out of here. Even Victoria tried. They said you weren’t acting like yourself, and you looked drunk and angry. What happend? Why aren’t you with the girls like Dana or Alyssa? Why are you with Hayden?” he asked her.

“Don’t know,” she shrugged. “He said I was cool like this and should join him, so I thought why the fuck not? I wanna be hella cool. I’m never the cool one, especially at a party,” Max said all that with a slurred voice. She giggled. "Oooh, I’m starting to say hella like Chloe. Hey Warren, you’re hella cute, and Hayden is hella cute too. Did you know that?" she said, giggling again.

"No, I didn't... Thank you, Max. Could you please come with me?” Warren asked. He didn’t smile. He had a straight face and seemed angry and tense.

“No! I’m not leaving the party! I’m here to have fun! You can’t make me go! I’m an adult! I can make my own decisions!” She said sounding like a five-year-old. Warren took a breath and gave her a smile.

“I know that, Max. I don’t want to make you leave. I just want to go somewhere else with you. We could have fun together and also party with some of our friends,” he said in a friendly voice.

“Tonight I realized I don’t have any friends. I’m a selfish person without any friends, and I don’t deserve friends. I only end up hurting them,” Max said, getting tears in her eyes.

Warren increased the pressure on her arm and said earnestly, “You have friends, Max. You have me and Dana, for instance. But you know who cares the most about you?” He asked her. She shook her head no.

“Kate. She got here with me, and when she heard about your state, she was really worried. She got scared to come in because it brought up memories of her experience the last time she was here. She’s with Stella at the entrance. She wanted to go with you and me to the party tonight because she trusted us. She wanted to be with someone who would not harm her or let her get hurt. She wants to know that you’re safe. So could you please come with me?” He asked her. Thinking of Kate, she nodded and put her drink down. Warren helped her get up by holding her by her arm. She was unsteady, so he supported her by continuing to hold her arm while walking.

Before they left the room, she gasped. She had a vision. It was fast and short. She saw the guy, who earlier pushed Alyssa into the pool, getting punched in the face by Alyssa, after he grabbed her butt and laughed with his friends. When she came back from the vision, she found herself hugging Warren.

“Are you back?” he asked into her ear. She nodded yes, and he let go and took her hand in his.

“Sorry. Your eyes went all big and glassy, and you lost balance, so I thought I would hug you until you came back,” he said while scratching his head and looking shy.

“It’s ok, don’t worry,” she said, looking around to see what would happen next.

“What did you see?” he asked. 

“That idiot over there will get punched by Alyssa, and he deserves it. So I’m waiting to see what I can prevent from happening so I can let him get punched. We asked ourselves whether I always have to let fate take its course when a vision comes. It will be the first time I have a vision and can change the other thing happening, so the vision comes true. Then I know that I really have to decide every time a vision comes, if the vision should happen or the other incident,” she said while still waiting for something to happen. And it did.

In front of the curtains to the VIP section, a girl named Blaire tripped over one of the cables near the DJ, fell hard on her knee, and cried out. She released a chain reaction, and most of the equipment from the DJ fell into the water. The music stopped, and everyone went crazy over it. Max had a malicious smile and let go of Warren. She went, as fast as her drunken self would let her, to the girl in the back of the room and waited for Warren to catch up. She held her hand out to him. He understood, nodded, and took her hand. She went back in time with him and prevented Blaire from tripping. 

Then they looked towards Alyssa and the boys next to her. The idiot grabbed her, and she punched him. Max grinned at Warren and, still holding his hand, walked to Alyssa with him. They asked her if she was okay, and she reassured them that she was. Max told her that she was proud of her and that it was a good punch. They laughed together. After saying goodbye to her, and Alyssa being approached by Luke, who looked at her with admiration, they left to find Kate. Max didn’t let go of his hand. 

"Max, there you are! Are you alright? Are you feeling okay? Thank God Warren found you!” She ran to Max and hugged her hard. Max lost her balance for a second and got a little dizzy. She was overwhelmed by Kate’s concern.

“I’m alright, thanks. I just drank too much. I don’t know what came over me. I guess I just wanted to have a teenager experience while I still could,” she said sheepishly. Kate grinned at her.

“Well, I hope when you wake up tomorrow and feel the consequences, you will have learned your lesson.” Max laughed. Kate decided to stay and work with Stella. Stella promised they would walk back to their dorm together later. 

Warren and Max walked out together, holding hands. She knew he was only doing that to keep her steady, but she was still happy to walk with him like that. It felt right. It got harder to walk straight for her, so after some steps, he put his arm around her shoulders and she hers around his waist. They met David on their way back. He was guarding the ground between the pool entrance and the dormitory’s. He was standing by the statue of Jeremiah Blackwell in front of the school. Max waved to him, trying not to look drunk, and he nodded hello to her, but let them go without a comment. 

They went to her room, and he helped her sit down on her bed. He gave her a water bottle she had in her room and sat down beside her. 

"Max, what happened tonight? Why did you go alone to the party, and why did you drink so much? I mean, yes, you are officially an adult, and you do you, but it’s not like you to behave like that. I’m not trying to lecture you. I’m just worrying about you,” he told her, concerned.

She told him everything she read in Chloe’s journal and that she just wanted, for once, to feel numb and not care about anything anymore. She cried again, but this time the tears were from anger. She was just angry at everyone and everything. 

“This world is just cruel. I don’t know if I want to be here anymore,” she ended saying, looking him in the eyes. They were really close together. 

“Please don’t say something like that, Max. I know this is not what you want to hear right now, but we are blessed to feel like this. To have these kinds of emotions. What would love be without loss, or happiness without pain or sadness? Only if we experience one of the things can we feel the other side of it and appreciate it. They are the yin and yang of our lives. People sometimes say that grief is the price we pay for the joy of having loved. If you hadn't loved Chloe, then you wouldn’t suffer the same way right now, and that would be sad. Your suffering shows how much you cared for her and loved her. And even if Chloe didn’t think that, when she wrote in her journal, I know deep down she knew you loved and missed her. She wrote that she would take you back as her best friend in an instant if you came back and apologized, and you would laugh together about what she wrote. And don’t forget that you had all the time together before you traveled back here. She has to know and remember everything, wherever she is now. If time travel is real, then I also believe in an afterlife. Your theory about Rachel’s and Chloe’s spirits showing up as a butterfly and doe also strengthens this belief,” he said to her.

Max didn’t say anything. She just looked him in the eyes. After what he just said, she had the desire to kiss him again. What would she do without him? He was the first person, after Chloe, who really cared about her and liked her for who she was—even if she couldn’t understand why they would—besides her parents. She could trust him with everything, and she did. And he was still here. He didn’t leave after everything she confided in him. She leaned in to kiss him and show him how much he meant to her, but when he realized what she was about to do, he gently held her back. 

"Max, you’re drunk right now. We can’t. I’m sorry. If you really feel that way, I want you to be sober enough to tell me. I don’t want to take advantage of your condition,” he said quickly. Max gave a groan and buried her face in her hands.

“But we already kissed,” she muttered into her hands. 

“What did you just say?” he asked her, taken aback. 

“Nothing…,” she muttered again, still with her face in her hands. She didn’t mean to say that out loud. She couldn’t look at him. He gently pulled her hands away from her face and held them in his. 

“Did you just say we already kissed? You know that we didn’t, don’t you? Did you kiss someone tonight, thinking it was me? Because I wouldn’t do that without your consent. You know that, right?” he said to her, looking confused and worried.

“I know you’re a fricking gentleman like that... and that’s a good thing, but we did kiss, just not tonight…,” She took a breath and then started talking very fast, barely taking a breath between her next words.

“W-we kissed in the other timeline when the tornado was about to hit Arcadia Bay, and I had to get the picture from you in the diner to go and save Chloe. I didn’t know what would happen to me or anyone else anymore, and the Warren in that timeline was about to die in that diner. And you were always there for me, believed me in the middle of the chaos, and believed in me always. I just leaned in and kissed you goodbye and for luck. I don’t know what came over me, and now every time I want to get near you or kiss you, I have to remember that you don’t remember the kiss, because it never happened in this timeline, and I should be grieving and not kissing, and... I’m just not good at relationships and don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do or say. I don’t know how to flirt with or make a move on someone. I’m just a shy, introverted geek. I’m sorry…” She finally looked up at him.

He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead for a long moment. She felt warmth all over her body, and she closed her eyes for a second. Then he looked at her with a glint in his eyes and said, “If you still remember tomorrow what you just told me, then we’ll talk about it more in the morning. Deal?” he asked her.

She gave a sigh and said, “Deal. Can you please stay with me like before and just hold me till I fall asleep? I sleep better when you’re with me. My nightmares don’t come,” she said, giving him a hopeful look. He nodded and said, “I understand that. I also only slept through a night without waking up a couple of times when I slept here.”

Max got up to change into her sleepwear and laid down on the wall side of the bed like the last times. Warren didn’t have his things here, so he took off his pants and stayed in his long-sleeve shirt and boxers. Max only realized Warren didn’t have a costume when he lied down next to her. She positioned herself half over him, so her head was on his chest, and put one of her arms around his waist. He hugged her by putting his arms over and under her, connecting his hands on her arm that was over his waist. 

“Did you come as your nerdy self to the party?” she asked teasingly. He chuckled and said, “I didn’t know what to wear, and I wasn’t really in the mood for the party. I only wanted to come if you went. I didn’t really care about the costume. But I had a pair of glasses in my pocket that I could’ve worn if we had stayed there to party. But you know we had to leave early for some reason before I could shake my booty to a song. I have mad dance moves I wish I could’ve shown you,” he said teasingly back. They laughed together. 

“Good night, Warren,” she said sleepily.

“Night, Super Max,” he answered in a soft voice. 

Chapter Text

Max woke up the next morning feeling like shit. She opened her eyes slowly and squinted. Then she opened them fully and was thankful for the darkness in the room. Was it still nighttime? Her lips were dry, and her mouth was sticky with thick saliva. The taste in her mouth was just disgusting. She moaned before retreating under her duvet. She felt Warren's chest moving up and down under her face. She tried to go back to sleep, but she was so thirsty that she felt like she would die of thirst. She got up into a sitting position and groaned. Her head hurt like a bitch. It felt like an oppressive force, as though someone was squeezing her skull tightly and it was fit to crack open. She found the water bottle beside her. The one Warren gave her last night. She drank, but the thirst stayed after each slow drink of water. Warren woke up from her drinking and groaning every few seconds. He sat up and put a hand on her lower back. 

“Hey. Are you alright? Can I help you somehow?” He asked her in a normal voice. She flinched and groaned again because his voice was too loud for her to bear.

"Shhh, please talk quietly. I feel like my head is about to explode!” She whispered with a croaky voice.

He stroked her back and said in a whisper, his voice having an amused undertone, “Sorry. It’s 5 a.m. . Do you wanna try going back to sleep?” She wanted to say yes, but in that moment, a feeling of nausea came over her. Warren went with her to the bathroom and waited behind the door for her to come out again. After that, she still felt sick and disgusting. She wanted to take a shower and brush her teeth, but she felt too weak to move or stay on her feet for longer than she needed to. So they went back to the room. 

She was so nauseous that she couldn’t eat or drink anything. She curled up in bed again with her face to the wall and closed her eyes. Warren didn’t come to bed again. She heard him sit down on the couch. 

"Warren, please come to bed and hold me. I think I will die,” she said dramatically. Warren gave a soft chuckle, and she felt him lying down. He didn’t touch her immediately, probably thinking about whether he should, with her back to him, but she didn’t have the strength to turn around. He settled himself behind her, put the duvet cover over them, and hugged her from behind with one arm. She took his arm in her arms and hugged it to her chest. Her hands were intertwined with his, and his fingers were under her chin. She felt his breath on her neck. She felt just a little better at his touch. Enough to make her really tired. 

“I’m never drinking again,” she told him in a whisper. 

He laughed lightly and said, “I hope so. I once had a hangover too and regretted it the next morning as well. It’s like death. I don’t wanna experience it ever again if I can avoid it,” he whispered back against her head. They fell asleep again.

After a couple of hours, she woke up again. Warren wasn’t there anymore. She turned around and squinted her eyes at the light coming from the window. Her head still hurt, but it didn’t feel like it would explode anymore. Warren wasn’t in the room. Max felt weak while sitting up, and she was still a little nauseous. She drank as much water as she could and laid back down. After she got used to the light a bit, she took her phone from the bedside table and saw a message from Warren. He went to buy her breakfast and promised to be back soon. It was 10 a.m. . 

After what felt like hours, she got up. It was time to take a shower and rinse this disgusting feeling off of her. No one was out of their rooms on the way to the shower room. Everyone probably suffered from yesterday too or were still sleeping. But she met Taylor in the shower room. She was brushing her teeth by the sinks and looked hungover too. Max joined her by the sinks to brush her teeth too. Both spoke in a very quiet voice with each other, and Max asked about the wellbeing of Taylor’s mom again. She appreciated that, and after their talk, Max went to take a shower.

Back in her room, she felt a little better but was still really tired and weak. Her head was throbbing a bit, and the nausea was still there. She put on some comfy clothes and laid down again. Warren came back five minutes later.

"Morning, Miss Hungover. I have breakfast for you. It's freshly squeezed orange juice and scrambled eggs with bacon from Two hales. I don’t know if you already know, but Joyce will start work on Monday again. How are you feeling?” He asked while putting everything down on her desk. She gave him a weak smile.

“I’m better but still feel like shit. I took a shower, brushed my teeth, and changed into this,” she gestured at her clothes. “I’m sorry for my behavior yesterday and for the embarrassing situation later in my room. I should have just stayed home or come to you instead of going there all angry and putting myself in danger. I should have known better after everything that happened to Kate and Rachel at these parties. Thank you for coming for me, bringing me here, and staying with me after that.”

“No problem. It was my honor to be your knight in shining armor and to witness your first time being drunk and your first hangover. But let’s promise not to repeat that again soon, please,” he said while bowing to her and grinning. She gave a small laugh. It was all her weak body allowed her to do. She got up and walked to her desk, where she ate her breakfast very slowly while Warren worked on the couch on his laptop. She felt much better afterwards. They decided to go out for a walk because Max needed some fresh air. Before they left, they checked on Kate. She was very happy to see them and joined them for their walk for a little while. She left to meet with her project partner to work on something for school. 

“So what will we do on this beautiful Saturday morning?” he asked her after Kate left. They were in the woods near school, sitting on a bench. They were alone, besides the few people who walked by with their dogs or drove by on their bikes sometimes.

“Let’s just stay here for a while. I’m too weak to walk anymore. Let’s just sit and talk,” she said. 

“Fine by me,” he said. 

“So the incident yesterday was harmless. I mean harmless compared to a tornado, a friend dying, a girl getting bitten, and a train derailing. It was Blaire busting her knee and destroying the DJ’s stuff, or a deserved punch to the face after groping a girl. I wish it would stay that easy in the future, but I don’t think that’s how it works,” she said, frustrated.

He took her hand in his, and she looked him in the eyes. "Yeah, but it’s good to know that it doesn’t have to end in death every time you get a vision. It’s a good thing. If I could find a way for you to lose those powers, I would. Who knows? Maybe I will be able to somehow someday. I would do anything to free you from that pain,” he said.

“Thank you, Warren,” she said, squeezing his hand lightly. She was touched by what he said. He smiled at her and then looked down on her hand in his for a moment. They were so close now, on the bench and alone. Max thought about yesterday. He knew about the kiss, and Max was embarrassed about it but also relieved that he knew now. Over the last month Max tried to ignore it every time she felt a tingling in her stomach or a jolt of electricity coursing through her body when she was near him or he touched her. She was just happy to have him by her side and to know how much she could trust him after everything she went through. She was also really afraid of her feelings and what that would mean for the future. What if something happens to him someday? What if she loses him to fate too? 

But sitting here with him, holding his hand, and hearing his words, she couldn’t ignore these feelings anymore. She felt safe with him. Her heart started racing as he looked up from their hands to look her in the eyes. He was looking at her with a brooding expression, as if he thought really hard about something. She sat beside him, as still as the trees around them, feeling the familiar electric zing run through her body. It felt like tiny nerves were trying to chase each other over the pit of her stomach. Silence hung between them. Her heartbeat sped up even more as his gaze traveled slowly to her mouth. She felt her stomach clench, sending heat through her body. It was so quiet around them, except for the rustling of leaves and birds chirping. Could he hear her heart almost beating out of her chest?, she thought, just before he’s head started bending towards her, his lips parting slightly and still holding her hand in his. She mirrored him and moved closer to him. Their knees touched, and their eyes started closing just as their lips were about to meet. 

He paused just before he touched her lips with his, as if asking for permission. She could feel his breath on her lips and couldn’t take it anymore. She took her free hand and cupped it over his smooth cheek, moving his head gently forward to close the space between their lips. Their lips touched lightly, and his were soft and warm against hers. She sighed against his lips. Finally, she thought. They lingered like that for a moment. Neither of them knew how to properly kiss, so they parted too soon. Their breaths were shaky, and the nervousness was evident. Their faces were flushed. 

Max didn’t want it to end, so she took his face in both hands and kissed him again. He put one hand on her waist and the other on her knee. A thrill coursed through her veins at that touch, and she felt the warmth of his skin more. She gave a little moan and pulled him even closer to her. He growled at that and lightly parted her lips with his tongue. She let him, and they kissed like that for a few seconds, gently and carefully, learning together how to and to find a rhythm. Warren brushed his fingers softly over her leg, from thigh to knee. She started to get dizzy, and her leg felt tingly. They kissed again and again, until they bumped their teeth into each other for the third time and parted. Both flushed, and gasping for air started laughing. Max buried her head in his neck, still breathing hard and laughing. He hugged her, and they stayed like that for a while until their breathing calmed.

“Wowser...” was the only thing she could say to that. “Indeed, wowser…,” he replied, and they chuckled together. She wanted to say more, but it started raining lightly. He got up and held out his hand to her. Smiling, she took it, and he pulled her up the bench. Her legs were shaking slightly. They walked hand in hand back to the dormitory’s. Arriving in front of the girls dorm, they stopped.

“Do you want to eat dinner together later?” he asked her. She nodded, still lost for words and feeling a little shy all of a sudden. She just hated her brain.

“Eating in or out?” he asked her. 

“In, please, if that’s ok. I’m still not fully over my hangover, even though being in the woods helped,” she said, blushing again. Her palm was getting slightly sweaty.

“Happy to be a welcome distraction. If you need it again, I’m available,” he said, winking. She slapped him on the arm lightly and said, “Man, are you cereal? Unbelievable..." she shook her head, amused.

“I forgot to say it earlier… you know, because of some distractions. Your blue streak in your hair looks nice,” he grinned and leaned in to give her a little kiss on the cheek. It felt nice to say bye like that.

She went to her room, feeling all tingly inside again. She sat down. Did that really just happen?! she thought. She felt all giddy and excited. She needed to talk to someone about it, so she wrote Dana, asking if she was awake and if she could come over. She responded a few minutes later, saying yes. Max made her way to her. They were sitting on Dana’s couch together.

“I was worried about you yesterday, Max. You never drink. How did you end up drunk? We tried to get you out, but you were really angry, and when you didn’t cooperate, we tried calling Warren. I’m so glad he convinced you to get out of there,” she said seriously.

“I’m sorry for my behavior, Dana. After everything this past month, I just lost it. Believe me, after the hangover this morning, I will never drink again. I always hated drinking anyway. It won’t be difficult for me,” she said with a smile. Dana hugged her, and they talked together for an hour. Dana was probably more excited about Warren and her kissing for “the first time"—in this timeline—than Max, and she had experienced it. Max had to calm her down before someone would come in to ask what the shrieking was about. She wanted every little detail of the kiss. After she told her everything, Dana started giving her tips on making out and advice on how to act now after the kiss. Max got so hot from embarrassment that she wished she had a fan on her. But she still tried to remember everything Dana told her. Dana promised not to gossip, even though it would be very difficult for her. After Dana finally let her go, she went back to her room. Warren wrote her a message. 

‘Hi Max
do you wanna come over at 6 p.m. for dinner and some Dr. Who? I thought we could order some pasta? It’s on me! ^_^’ 

‘Sure I’ll be there! Pasta sounds good, I’ll call you later to tell you what I want. Thanks xoxo’ 

When they met later, it was a little bit awkward at first. Max got clumsy with her cutlery as he was passing it to her. When his fingers touched hers, she let go of it while looking at him. She laughed nervously as she leaned over to pick it up. He bent over at the same time to pick it up for her, and their heads bumped together lightly. They laughed together for a moment. She felt so stupid. They tried to avoid looking at each other and started to eat and watch Dr. Who. Then they started talking and joking after a while, and it got better. 

But while sitting there, they weren’t sure if they should touch or not. Both tried really hard not to. After an hour, she was highly aware of sitting close to him on the couch, so close that she could feel the heat of his body. Every now and then, she felt a brush of his leg against hers or his hand linger a little too long on her forearm after a funny joke. Without thinking, she reaches out to touch him. The tips of her fingers tingled as she skimmed them against his forearm, feeling the electrical current that was slowly growing between them. Her breath shook as she felt his breath against her forehead. Slowly, she lifted her head to find him watching her. Her heart raced as their eyes met and held. His hand found her elbow. His thumb stroked the skin there, and she couldn't hide the shiver it gave her. 

She turned her head awkwardly to the left, leaning in to brush her lips against his, but was interrupted when their noses bumped together, making them both giggle, and the awkwardness faded away. He took her chin with his thumb and index finger and guided her towards his smiling mouth. He pressed his lips to hers softly, his hand moving from her chin to hold her cheek. She started moving her lips against his wanting more, but more of what, she couldn’t say. She grabbed his shoulder with one hand and moved her other hand into his hair. The sounds of their kissing were the only things filling the room, and Warren’s spare arm was running up and down her side. He grabbed her hip and pulled her closer to him. She felt a sudden sensation in her lower belly. She gave a gasp, opening her mouth a little and allowing the kiss to deepen. 

They explored each other with their tongues. It was a little clumsy, but it felt so good that they didn’t care. They both gave a moan at the same time Warren moved his hand lower over the side of her behind towards her thigh and Max grabbed his hair a little harder than she meant to. He growled at that, and that made her want to be even closer to him. She started getting up from her sitting position. Standing on her knees on the couch, she started pressing her chest against his, and the pressure of her breast against his chest made them both gasp. He pulled her closer up to him, and Max would have to straddle him soon so she wouldn’t be in an uncomfortable position. Max stiffened for a moment.  

Warren pulled away from her quickly. They were looking into each other’s flushed faces, breathing hard. Warren's one hand was still on her thigh, and the other one let go of her cheek. She let go of his hair but kept her hand on his shoulder. She leaned forward and put her forehead on his forehead. They both closed their eyes, still panting.

“Sorry,” he said with a breathy voice. “I got carried away,” he continued. Max put her finger on his mouth. 

“It’s okay, I liked it… but I got scared there for a moment. Sorry. I’m not really sure how far I’m ready to go,” she confessed to him. 

He opened his eyes and took her face in his hands. He pulled his forehead away from hers to first look her in the eyes for a moment. Then he leaned in to give her a gentle and short kiss on the lips. 

“I didn’t expect anything from you today, and I won’t unless we talk about it first. I didn’t even think we would make out tonight. I really tried to touch you as little as possible, if you didn’t notice. We don’t have to do anything we’re not ready for, okay?” he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. She nodded and smiled at him. They sat there for a while, holding hands and not talking. She never knew she could be one of those teenagers who lost control because of their hormones. She thought her shyness would make it impossible. Well, at least she could be normal at something for once in her life. She started to get tired. 

“Warren I have to go, or I will fall asleep on your couch again. Do you want to meet tomorrow to work on our project for The Art of Science?” she asked. He agreed to meet in her room tomorrow and walked her to his door. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and gave her a big smile.

They worked on their project almost the whole Sunday. There was no making out this time, just little touches here and there. They worked hard on their project over the next few days and laughed a lot together. Afraid not to look too suspicious with Warren all the time in her room now, Max let her door open sometimes so that the girls could sometimes join them and hang out.

They got a visit from Kate, Dana and Juliet, Trevor and Dana, Stella and Alyssa, and even Victoria and Taylor once, while working or just hanging out. Max used her spare time to continue to write her melody on her guitar. The whole week went by fast, and Max still thought a lot about Chloe’s journal but didn’t read it again.

The beginning of the week was Rachel’s funeral. Almost everyone from school was there. Max saw Frank there too, among the people, and he gave her a nod. He didn’t look like the Frank she knew. He was dressed nicely and looked almost like a businessman. She heard about a rumor that he wasn’t selling anymore and hoped it was true. Rachel’s funeral was the talk of the week until the whole school found out about Warren and her later that week. So that was hot news next, but on Monday, November 11th, the new teacher, replacing Jefferson, arrived, and Warren and Max's relationship wasn’t interesting anymore, for which Max was very thankful. Her name was Mrs. Greenblatt, and she seemed nice for now. Mrs. Hoida came back on Tuesday too. So Max had to get used to having school from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. again. It also meant more homework after school, which sucked.

On Thursday, Max and Warren were at the science lab after school to finish their project, finally. Brooke wasn’t there as usual to annoy Max with her obsession with Warren. It got worse after she found out about them being a thing. But Daniel, with the help of Max, really tried his best to build a friendship and eventually more with Brooke, and it seemed to work. They were so close now that she hung out with him a lot.

Max was so deep in thought that Warren tickled her to snap her out of it. She shrieked and hit him playfully. Ms. Grant looked up from her desk, giving them an amused expression, her eyebrows raised. Max apologized to her, and they continued working. On their way back to the dorms, holding hands, Max had something to tell him. She had thought about it this past week. She looked around, so no one could listen to what she was about to say. She nudged Warren lightly and whispered to him.

“I thought about something. I hadn’t had a vision since the party. That’s almost two weeks ago. And I still think about Chloe’s journal a lot. I want to do something to let Chloe know how much I have and will always care for her, even if my idiot self abandons her. My plan involves traveling through a picture, back to the past. I want to leave a message for her to have. I know it won’t change anything, but I want to give her something to hold on to over the years. What do you think?” she asked him.

"Max, it’s really risky, but if you have to, if it helps you move on, I won’t stay in your way. But we have to plan it really well, and if you have a vision before, you shouldn’t do it.”

They decided to do it the next day. They were in her room. She had found the perfect picture among the ones Joyce had given her as a gift after Chloe died. It was the one they took in the morning of William’s accident, where Max took a selfie, a mirror behind her, and Chloe's reflection in the mirror was smiling back at her. William had already left to pick up Joyce, and Max and Chloe were sorting through Chloe’s things for her to give or throw away. Max and Warren sat down on the couch.

“So remember, I won’t remember what happened. You have to keep this Max in the room as long as I’m away and until I come back. It can be 15 minutes or an hour. It depends on how I can distract Chloe to leave me alone for a while,” she said to him. He nodded and put a hand on her lower back so he wouldn’t be affected by everything that would overwrite this reality. At least they really hoped it wouldn't. Otherwise, she had to go back and fix it again. She wouldn’t sacrifice what they had for anything. She focused on the picture.

The next moment, she found herself again in her 13-year-old self with Chloe in the room. She had to really control herself, not run to her and hug and cry all over her. Chloe was searching for something in her cupboard. Max remembered that this was the moment before she found their treasure map. She picked it up, and they made their plan to search for an amulet and telescope. So Chloe left the room to get the telescope leaving Max to go to the attic to find the amulet. That was easier than she thought. She could record her message and leave so that the younger Max could enjoy her last moments with Chloe. She found Chloe’s recorder and sat down with it. What if she just left Chloe a message explaining everything and warning her about Rachel and her dying? she thought to herself, but before she could think about it further or act on it, she felt herself getting pulled out of reality. 

And again, she found herself by the lighthouse, looking down on the town being destroyed by the tornado. She looked down beside her. The transparent doe was there, looking up to her.

“Fine, I get it! I won’t do it! It was just a thought, you know? I wanted to rescue you both, but I’ll leave you both to rest in peace. Okay?!” She said frustrated to the doe. It gave her a nod, and before it vanished, it looked at her with a last warning look as if to say, “Don’t try it again.” Max gave a sigh.

“Good bye, Rachel,” she said before she was pulled back into her 13-year-old self.

“Fine.” She gave another sigh and started recording her message to leave Chloe a cassette tape. 

“Hey... Chloe... this is Max. I guess I just wanted to leave you one more message. Because I know this was the absolute worst time for me to go. I thought maybe, if you heard my voice it could be a little bit like I was there. I don't know, maybe this was a dumb idea. I would give anything to be there with you now. It's so hard, trying to say what I'm thinking. If I could just see you... But we'll get good at it--great at it! We'll write and talk all the time. And then you'll come visit and it'll be like I never left. I mean it, you don't have to worry about anything changing. You're dealing with so much other stuff. You don't deserve any of this. Chloe, listen. Even if I never--even if we're moving for good... We're always together, okay? Even when we're apart. We're still Max and Chloe. I will always, always love you. Goodbye.”

She listened to it one more time. She really hoped it would change something for Chloe. Max knew Chloe wouldn’t go into her room anymore before the funeral. She remembered her mother telling her, after she talked with Joyce. She would sleep with Joyce in her and Williams bed, so Max left it on the floor with a post saying ‘I’m sorry’ and closed her eyes. She opened her eyes again and found herself in her room at Blackwell. Warren was still there with his hand on her shoulder, not her back anymore, looking tense.

“What happened while I was gone for half an hour?” She asked him. He jumped at her words as if he didn’t expect them. Didn’t they talk while she was away? she thought. 

“Thank god! I’m so glad you’re back and safe. Did everything go as planned?” He asked her back, ignoring her question. He hugged her for a moment. Then she told him what happened.

“How was it with the other Max?” she asked him with one eyebrow raised. 

“It was really weird! I explained everything to her, and she believed me, but it was awkward as hell because you and I are together and she and I weren’t. It was like having your twin with me, who also has a thing for me. I sat here with her, holding her shoulder and waited for you to come back. For a moment it got so tense that I got scared she would attack me or something. That’s why I jumped when you came back,” he told her, grabbing his hair while talking. Max noticed he did that a lot when he was overwhelmed or panicking. Like when they first time traveled together in the pizza place. Max tried not to laugh. She put an arm around him and gave him some pecks on his cheek. After the fourth kiss, he turned his head to her, and she continued giving him pecks on his lips.

“Better?” she asked him after one kiss on his nose. He chuckled and nodded yes. They both grinned at each other. 

“I’m really happy you and the other Max didn’t make out while I was away. I would have been really jealous of myself and would have probably killed you,” she said cheekily. He laughed, and he buried his face in her neck. She stroked his head and laughed too. He gave her neck a little kiss before pulling away. It had an immediate effect, and she felt an electrical pulse go through her from the spot he kissed. Before she could act on it, she remembered that she came back from the past and stood up to look through Chloe’s journal. Her eyes got wide after reading through it for some time. She looked up at Warren with tears in her eyes. 

“I finally did something good with my powers without consequences,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Chloe still went through all her phases because her father had died. It had nothing to do with only Max leaving. And everything with Rachel still happened, and they both ended up dead, but because of the recording she left, they somehow managed to keep in contact. Max saw that the letter Chloe wrote her in 2010 but never sent her was gone. So somehow, Max changed her route after receiving it. According to Chloe’s journal, they had contact every few months and even visited each other once a year on a holiday. Chloe was a little bit nicer with her vocabulary and even tolerated David just a bit more. She didn’t start her journal with MAX. Max read that she even met Rachel once before she disappeared and told them about soon moving to Arcadia Bay for Blackwell if she got accepted. Chleo wrote that they all got along well, and Max even thought about running away with them, but that she wasn’t sure if Max was joking or serious about it. After Max got accepted and moved back, they spent the three weeks before Chloe’s death still searching for Rachel and putting the missing posters all over town. So they spent time together, and Chloe didn’t die thinking she abandoned her.

Ok, but how did the incident in the bathroom happen? Max must’ve met Nathan with Chloe, or at least ended up there with her, right? Oh no, what did she change about that? She asked herself.

"Warren, we have one problem. How did the incid-,” Max started but stopped when she turned around and saw Warren. He was grabbing his head with both hands, his eyes closed tightly, and there was blood running down both his nostrils. Max let go of the journal and ran to him. She kneeled down in front of him and touched his knee with her hand. With her other hand, she wiped the blood away.

"Warren, what’s happening?! Can you hear me?” She asked panickedly. He nodded but didn’t answer. He gripped her hand, which was on his knee, and squeezed it. She talked softly to him to help him through the pain he seemed to have in his head. After some minutes, he opened his eyes. He was really pale and shaky. He was sweating like he had been jogging for hours. Max was really worried. She gave him some water to drink and helped him lay down on the couch. She dabbed his face with a towel and stroked his hair. 

“Max,” he said weekly. She put her finger on his lips. 

“Shh, don’t waste your strength. Just tell me you’ll be alright… please,” she said weakly and with tears in her eyes. She was afraid that he would die. She was about to call the ambulance. 

“Yes… but Max, listen, that was really intense and hurt like hell. It was because I ‘traveled’ with you when I touched you while you traveled through the photo. It was like my reality, before you went to the past, was fighting with the one that should overwrite it now that you changed it. It seems that they both exist in my mind now. I remember everything since you came back in October to this point, which is good for us. I didn’t forget anything, but now I also have the new overwritten version that everyone else will remember, but you. Which is also good because I can tell you what happened in this timeline so you don’t confuse everyone with not knowing. Well, that was just a fucking mind-blowing thing... literally,” he finished saying with a weak grin on his face.

“I promise we won’t ever do this again if we don’t have to, okay? I’m so, so sorry, Warren.” She said, kissing him on the forehead.

“Don’t be. If we hadn't done it, I wouldn’t be the Warren you know, like the other Max wasn’t you. I’m really glad that everything turned out well and that I didn’t lose you. Max, I lov-,” he stopped for a second and continued with, “I would love for us to just stay here and do nothing for the rest of the day. Or just be lazy and watch a movie or something if you don’t mind?” he asked. Max saw that some of his color had come back to his face.

“I would love that for us too,” she said, giving him a light kiss on the lips. Max felt the same way, especially right now, in this moment, seeing him like this. She had caused him that pain, and he still felt the same towards her and was glad about it because it meant being here together. But they had all the time in the world to say those three words to each other, and as much as she felt it too… She was also glad it didn’t happen while he was weakly lying here. They moved from the couch and laid down on her bed. 

“So now that my mind is sorted… The only thing that really changed was that you and Chloe went to the bathroom together to meet Nathan, and Chloe asked you to stay behind the stall as a witness and to record their conversation. After he got his gun out, you were paralyzed from shock and couldn’t move from your hiding spot until he pulled the trigger. The moment he did it, everything happened, as you know. You went through the four days with her but came back because of the storm. You woke up by the lighthouse, and we met at the funeral. Everything went the same way. Only the story you told me changed. You told it like this…
You came out behind the stall holding your hand out, time-traveled, and got out with Chloe before anything happened. You got through the door just as Nathan pulled out the gun, and you and Chloe ran away outside before anything could happen. Some things changed here and there, but overall, it stayed the same. For example, you and Chloe came to bring me my flash drive together, and Nathan, who saw you come to the bathroom to ask Chloe to leave with you, wanted a word with you in the parking lot about you seeing the gun. I tried to help, and he headbutted me. I told you to run, and you and Chloe ran to her car and drove away. So everything we went through since you came back is the same, just some small changes like Chloe being more with you and you knowing about the meet-up in the bathroom, Joyce being happy that you had spent time together before Chloe died, and so on,” he finished.

Max was happy that she didn’t alter the outcome too much and that she and Chloe had more contact and time with each other. She even met Rachel, even though she didn’t remember that. For the first time, she could really think about moving on with her life. Feeling whole for the first time since everything happened, she was ready to just lay back with Warren and relax. They decided to watch a movie from his flash drive on her laptop. After 15 minutes, Max realized he had fallen asleep. After what just happened, she couldn’t blame him. She closed the laptop and put it on her dresser at the end of her bed. Then she decided to take a nap too and cuddled up to him, feeling really good about herself for the first time since everything happened.

Chapter Text

Max and Chloe were at the beach, building a pirate ship out of blue sand. Behind them were their parents, each sitting on towels, talking to each other, and looking now and then in their direction, smiling. Just as Max was about to put a stone into their sand ship as a window, the beach started to shake and their castle fell apart.

“Oooh nooo!” Chloe shouted and pouted.

Before Max could react, her eyes opened. She was in her room at Blackwell, cuddling up to Warren. Her phone, which she had forgotten to take out of her pocket before her nap, vibrated. Warren stirred but didn’t wake up. It was her mom calling. She sat up against her headboard, Warren's arm sliding down from her waist to her thighs. He stirred again and hugged her knees closer to him. She grinned down at him and answered her phone.

“Hi Mom, what’s up?” She said it as quietly as possible. Her mom only wanted to know how everything was going and how she was doing. She told her a little bit about school and asked her mom how her dad was. They talked for a few minutes.

"Yeah, I’m in my room,” she answered her mom. Warren started to wake up but was still half asleep with his eyes closed when he said, groggy, "Hey, how long was I asleep? I didn’t even realize I fell asleep.”

Max stiffened as her mother started asking who that manly voice was that was talking to her… in her room. She felt stupid to say the cliche thing like, “Oh, don’t worry, its just the TV or something!” So she just answered honestly.

“It’s Warren… he’s my - we are going out,” she answered with a high voice. 

While Warren woke up and realized what he had just triggered and really tried not to laugh out loud, Max was getting more and more red in the face while her mother grilled her. She was so embarrassed at what her mother asked and told her. She even started to talk about protection, and that’s where Max had to stop her.

“Mom! I’m not 13 anymore, you know? I know stuff!” she said while her face had gotten so hot that she felt like burning up. Warren had to put his fist into his mouth to prevent himself from laughing. After another minute of worry and curiosity from her mother, Max said, "Mom, I really need to hang up now. I’ll call you tomorrow or so. Give dad a kiss from me. Bye!” and she hung up.

She groaned and turned around to bury her face in her pillow. Warren roared with laughter, and she turned back around to hit him. That made him laugh even more. She turned, burying her face in her pillow again. Warren laid down, putting his arm around her back, hugging her to him and kissing her shoulder.

“Kill me now before the embarrassment does it,” she said into her pillow. He began brushing her side lightly with his hand. She turned her head toward him, still lying on her belly. He leaned forward to give her a sweet and gentle kiss. They laid like that for some time, looking into each other’s eyes and smiling. She could fall asleep again like that, but he had to go back to his room soon. They couldn’t risk sleeping over too much, and Max hoped she could sleep over the night before his birthday next week. So he had to leave soon. After some more minutes, he got up to gather his things and leave.

Before he left, he said, “I can’t wait for the day you have to talk to or meet my parents. Then you’ll know what real embarrassment is,” he said rather seriously, giving her a last peck on the lips. She looked after him, sighing. She didn’t look forward to that day. 

Max met with Kate, Alyssa, and Stella for tea the next day. They talked about the new teacher, Mrs. Greenblatt, and her classes. They were happy to have their lessons and the photography lab back. Kate asked about Max and Warren and how they were doing. She started preaching about abstinence and saying it was okay to wait. Max knew she only meant well, but got red-faced and was not comfortable talking about that after yesterday with her mom, so she changed the subject to Stella and Alyssa. She asked them if they were seeing someone. 

As Stella talked about being into older men, Max remembered how Stella had the hots for Jefferson over a month ago. She also remembered, trying not to get jealous about that, her and Warren being an item in one of the other timelines. Alyssa told them about a girl named Emma she was writing with online. They met each other at Comic-Con in San Diego last year and have stayed in contact since then, but it was getting harder to stay in contact since they never saw each other. She also talked about Luke and them having fun at the Halloween party after she punched that one idiot. 

After the tea, on her way to visit Joyce, and the next day, on Sunday morning, before heading out to hang out outside, Max stopped by Warren to see how he was doing. He was still weak, and she started to get worried. She had to convince him to go to the doctor tomorrow if it didn’t get better. After he finally agreed, she went outside and came upon Victoria, Taylor, and Courtney sitting on the steps of the dormitory entrance. It was like déjà vu meeting them like that, but this time they didn’t make fun of her. 

They even invited her to join them. She was positively surprised that she could be herself with them and see them all from their nice sides. They were sincere and vulnerable. Victoria talked about her parents and their pressure on her to succeed with her photography. She was so stressed about failing, not being good enough, and disappointing them that she got insecure about everything she did. But winning the Every Day Heroes Contest had given her some of her confidence back, and her parents even called to say they were proud. Victoria couldn’t remember them ever telling her that before. 

Taylor talked more about her mom and her back surgery. Apparently, her mom had been really depressed about being on bed rest. She was a successful athlete and had never been able to stay still for a long time. Ever since Taylor could remember, her mom had always been active and had always moved around everyone. But she was getting better and could soon start with physio- and occupational therapy.

Courtney was really into fashion and told Max that she desired to become a fashion designer. She showed her some of her sketch designs of clothing and accessories, and Max had to admit that even she would wear some of that. She said that to Courtney, and she got so excited that she invited Max to meet up so she could measure her and make her something. It would be like a project and an opportunity to practice on someone else for a change. She had only Victoria and Taylor as her models. Max also suggested Courtney asking and meeting up with Dana too, since she wanted to become a fashion designer herself. It could be fun for them to inspire each other and practice together. Courtney beamed at that.

Max finished her song on Monday morning. She was really proud. This was the first time she had composed something on her own rather than playing something by someone else. She even decided to add lyrics over time. She put her guitar and sheet music on her couch and called Warren. He felt better and decided to go to school. They met at the dorm entrance. She hugged him for a long time.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked, worried. He took her by the hand and gave her a kiss on top of her head. 

“I’m sure,” he said against her hair. “Don’t worry.” He smiled at her, and they looked at each other for a moment, Max trying to decide if he was truthful.

“Let’s go?” he asked, tugging gently at her hand. She couldn’t find any sign of weakness, so they started walking towards the school. She kept an eye on him for the rest of the day. He seemed fine overall, but she had a feeling he had a headache later. She met with Dana and Kate after school. They had helped her with something for Warren's birthday present over the past few weeks, and they finally put it all together that afternoon. She was happy with the result and hugged them both, thanking them for their help.
 
On Tuesdays, she decided that Warren looked much better and stronger. She was relieved that she hadn’t ruined his birthday and let go of some of the guilt she had ever since his nosebleed and pain attack on Friday. They were done with school and were on their way back to the dorms. 

“Warren?” she began. 

“Hm?” he asked while reading through something he had started writing in class. 

“Will you be at home with your family for your birthday tomorrow?” she asked him. He looked up at her. 

“No, I told them that I wanted to celebrate with my friends and would meet with them on Friday after school or Saturday. Why?” he asked her. She took a breath and started talking nervously. 

"Well, I- I have presents for you, and I thought I could come by this evening and sleep over in your room if that’s okay with y-you? You slept over in my room so many times now, even though it was always connected to some dramatic shit, like me being drunk, me having meltdowns, or you almost dying of pain… And the only time I slept over at yours was when I accidentally fell asleep on your couch, and you put me down in your bed, and you slept on your couch. I just thought we could switch it up a little and be together on the morning of your birthday?” She asked, blushing and looking down at her feet.

He put his thumb and index finger on her chin and lifted it up, so she had to look at him. “That’s a great idea,” he said, smiling at her. She smiled back and felt her knees buckle a bit. She leaned forward and put her arms around his neck for support, giving him a kiss on the lips. He put his hands on her hips, pulling her to him, and moved his lips against hers. They kissed for almost a minute before pulling away. She felt dizzy even after that short moment. With people around them, they didn’t like to overdo it, so they separated and walked on, holding hands.

At 7 p.m., she stood at his door with her guitar and a packed bag. She knocked. He opened the door and looked from her face to her guitar, one eyebrow raised.

"Is it your gift for me to teach me how to play the guitar? Because I can promise you right now that I’ll be bad at it," he said to her. She rolled her eyes and walked into his room.

“No silly, I will play something for you, of course,” she said, put her things down, and looked out his window. It was pitch black outside already, so she could only see her reflection in it. Warren came up from behind and hugged her.

“Hi,” he said softly into her ear, and he put his chin on her shoulder.

“Hi,” she replied, leaning back against him. They looked at each other in the window for a moment.

“You know, it’s weird,” she said.

“What is?” he asked. 

“To have someone hug me like this and to be this close with someone without feeling weird, I always thought I'd be too awkward and shy to ever be comfortable like this with someone. It feels natural with you. I always imagined myself being stiff and uncomfortable in situations like this. But right now, standing here with you like this, I feel like we’ve done this for years,” she said, pausing to turn around to look at him.

“Sorry for being this sentimental. I guess I never thought someone could like me like this,” she said, looking at him. He took her hands in his.

“How can you think that? You’re amazing, kind, beautiful, and very smart. I love that you’re communicating your thoughts and feelings with me. It’s important to do that so we can know where we’re standing in this together. And believe me, I feel the same way. I’m always the geeky brother for every girl. I’m also very shy and insecure, especially with girls, and I struggle to express and deal with my feelings, so I try to hide that underneath humor and bad jokes. It’s hard and really difficult to get to know someone and get close and real with them when they always see you as the cute bro or the jokester. I can only joke around with them or be their homework buddy, but with you, I can be vulnerable and have deeper conversations. I can be my geeky self, but also my sensitive self,” he said to her.

"Well, I guess when you find the right person, it’s easier to let your guard down and not hold on to your insecurities as much,” she said, leaning in before he could say anything else. They kissed slowly, and Max felt like this was their first deeply emotional kiss. It didn’t make her feel lusty or earn more. Instead, she felt warm and secure. It felt risky and vulnerable for her to open herself up and let herself be known.

She thought about all their talks since she got back to this timeline. She never had a problem having deep conversations with him or exploring painful emotions. He always stayed by her side, supported her every step, accepted her positive and negative qualities, and believed in her without hesitation. In this moment, while kissing him, she felt deep affection, trust, and acceptance. It hurt to think about him not being here. She knew it was too soon to think like this but she did. Warren pulled away from her, looking concerned. He reached out to wipe her tears away. She hadn’t even realized that she had started crying. 

“Hey, is everything alright? Did I do or say something wrong?” he asked, frowning and stroking her cheeks.

“I love you,” she said in a firm and confident voice, looking him straight in the eyes. He stopped moving his hands and looked at her with big eyes for a second before she saw a gleam burning in his eyes.

Before she could panic or try to rewind, he pulled her head towards him and caught her lips a little more roughly with his again. This time, the kiss got more intense and passionate. She moved her lips against his like her life depended on it, and they held onto each other firmly. Only when they reached a point where they couldn’t breathe anymore did they pull away. They put their foreheads together, breathing harder than they ever had to before. 

“I love you, too,” he said, kissing her forehead softly. She let out a shaken breath. He smiled at her and pulled her toward his couch. They sat down together, just holding each other for a while.

“Hey Warren… dumb question, but does this mean I can call you my boyfriend from now on?” She asked in a small voice, blushing. Warren chuckled.

“Yes. But only if I can call you my girlfriend, deal?” he asked with an amused voice. 

"Deal,” she said, laughing. She looked at her phone.

“We still have time. Do you want to watch or play something? It’s your turn to decide,“ she said. He nodded, and they decided to change into something more comfortable. After some time, Max looked at her phone again. It was 11 p.m., and they laid on his bed with Warren's laptop on his sheets, watching a movie. Her plan was to wait till midnight to congratulate him. But when she turned her head toward him, she saw that he was fast asleep. She closed the laptop and reached over him, to put it down. Then she laid down on her side and looked at him for a minute. She couldn’t believe they said I love you after almost 3 months of knowing each other, but it felt longer for her. She went through so much since she started at Blackwell, and it felt like a year or a lifetime for her. She cuddled up to him and fell asleep quickly.

When morning came, she was the first to wake up. Warren and her laid face-to-face. She gave him a peck on the lips. He let out a little noise but didn’t wake or move. She did it a couple of times more until he opened his eyes and hugged her tightly. He smiled against her lips.

“Happy birthday,” she said against his. He let out a grunting noise while turning her over. She laid flat on him for a moment, still kissing him, before he got into a sitting position with her, so she had to straddle him automatically. He had his arms around her hips, and hers were around his neck. They looked at each other, smiling shyly, because of the new position they were in. He leaned over, kissing her slowly. She felt warmth spread over her body and wished they could stay like this for hours. His hands moved a little bit more downward, but before they could do something rushed, he stopped kissing her.

“Good morning. Thank you for that wake-up call and the congratulations,” he said, giving her a kiss on the nose. She cleared her throat and got off him. She felt like her whole body was about to burn up.

“Your welcome,” she said, looking around to avoid his eyes. She walked to her guitar with slightly shaky legs and hands and picked it up along with his present.

“I have presents for you,” she said, holding both up for him to see.

“More? I thought yesterday was present enough. Not to sound too cheesy, but I don’t need more than that. Yesterday evening was enough,” he said, looking at her earnestly. She cleared her throat again.

"Well, that’s nice, and yes, a little cheesy,” she said, grinning, “but I planned these two presents for your birthday, and yesterday wasn’t planned. It happened... in the heat of the moment, and because I had the need to say it,” she said shyly.

"Well, then I’m happy it happened, and I’m looking forward to seeing what you had planned for me,” he said, winking at her. She smiled at him and gestured for him to sit down on the couch.

“So firstly, I wanted to play you something. I started writing around the time Dana asked about us being together. After that uncomfortable situation, I got afraid of the thought of you being done with me and losing you as a friend and the chance of us becoming more than friends. So I decided to write something that represented my feelings in that moment, and after that, with everything happening around us—the time travel, Chloe, and everything else. So yeah… I’m sorry, but I can’t sing it, but you can read along while I play the melody?” She asked him. He nodded. She was nervous to play her guitar for him. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She started playing with her eyes closed while he read silently along with her.

(Time Moves On by Phantom Planet, but imagine she wrote it ;) Feel free to play the song while reading along.)

It′s just the same day over and over
I mean, seasons will change
And we will get older
Maybe it rains, or it's sunny weather
When it gets bad
Maybe, it′ll get better

As time moves on
It's gonna change before too long, oh-oh-oh
And the doors will keep revolving
With everyone who's come and gone
As time moves on

Let′s sing a song for our future lovers
A verse to get sick
A chorus to recover
I keep hearing this song in morning seizures
It′s heavy right now
But it'll get easier

As time moves on
We′re gonna change before too long, oh-oh-oh
All the hearts we had to tightly
Will they be what's wrong?
Will they′ve come and gone?
As time moves on
Time moves on

When we first met
We'd already been severed
Love is quick with goodbyes
But with us forever

As time moves on (It′s gonna keep on turning)
It's all gonna change before too long, oh-oh-oh (Round we go)
And the doors will keep revolving (Already, already gone)
With everyone who's come and gone
As time (Already) moves on (Already gone)
Yeah, it won′t be long
Till time (Already) moves on (It′s gonna keep on turnin')
As time moves on

If it′s time to move on from the old way
Move on, come what they
When it's time to move on from this tidy
Move on, don′t be afraid

She opened her eyes half way through and looked at him reading. After she finished, he looked up with such emotion in his eyes that she felt a lump building in her throat.

“I don’t have words, Max. I knew you were talented, but... fuck, you never told me you wrote yourself. Was this your first time?” He asked, perplexed. She could only nod yes. She never played for anyone before, except her parents. It was an overwhelming experience for her. He stood up and gently pulled her off the couch to give her a big hug.

“Thank you,” he said while giving her a kiss on the lips and then on her forehead. She burried her head into his chest. 

“You’re welcome. I have one thing left to give you,” she said, letting go of him to grab it. He took it and shook his head.

“You really shouldn't have done so much,” he said while opening it. 

“I really had after everything you’ve done for me. You deserve it,” she answered. 

It was a little album with photos of them together. It was them in class, on a bench in front of the dorms outside, at lunch with Kate, walking hand in hand, kissing goodbye, and so on. They were deep in conversation, laughing, looking shyly, or lovingly at each other in the photos. There was also the selfie they took in the overlook park.

“Wow, who took these and when?” he asked her, amazed. 

“I asked the girls to help me. It was fun for them, and they wanted to help. They tried to take pictures every time they thought we looked cute together and helped me put this together,” she said, smiling.

"Well, I will have to thank them later, but they won’t get the thank you that you will get,” he said, grinning. She laughed and moved forward to kiss him. He hugged her tightly and lifted her off the ground for a moment. She shrieked, and they laughed together while he spun her around once.

They decided to get ready for the day. While Warren answered calls and texts, Max went to her room to get ready for school. Warren had decided to invite their friends for dinner later for his birthday. He invited Kate, Alyssa, Luke, Dana, Brooke, Stella, Daniel, and two friends from his classes he didn’t have with Max. Their names were Damien and Lorenzo. Max only met them a couple of times when she met with Warren after classes. She looked forward to getting to know Warren’s friends better. Victoria, Courtney, and Taylor weren’t invited because Warren didn’t know them well yet and Max was still getting to know them better.

After Max got ready, she met with Warren to go to their classes. She was happy and excited after yesterday and today and looked forward to the dinner later. That wasn’t something she would’ve said two months ago. Two months ago, she was a shy and insecure geek who was always trying to avoid socializing and stayed in her room or took pictures outside alone. But now she was happy to have a group of people who she could call her friends and be comfortable with, a boyfriend who loved her for who she was and believed in her, and a future to look forward to. All in all, she felt loved, happy, and hopeful at the same time, for the first time since her comeback to this timeline.

Chapter Text

After school, Max and Warren met by his car in the parking lot and drove to meet the others. They were meeting at a burger place and were the first ones to arrive. After half an hour, the rest arrived. Max wasn’t comfortable with so many people around her, but it helped having Warren beside her, holding her hand under the table. Max tried to talk to everyone and started with Kate. They talked about the book, The October Country, she had borrowed from her and about Kate’s drawings. She told her about her new ideas for her children’s books, like she did before in the hospital in the other timeline. She asked Max to be her photographer for the pictures in her books. Max agreed to help her and was happy to help her with that. 

Next, she talked with Stella about Henri Cartier-Bresson and his book “The Decisive Moment” and about Stephen King's famous horror novel “The Shining." She had to admit once again that she was a little jealous because, in a different timeline, she was together with Warren. But if Warren was right and Max had simply overwritten the timelines, instead of them still existing, then she had erased them from being together forever. Still, she wondered why they had ended up together. She thought it would have been Brooke, if not herself. But Stella was so nice and had her own troubled life, so Max pulled herself together. Of course, Warren would have been perfect for her. The way he treated Max showed that. Stella will be lucky to find someone like him one day who understands her difficult past and helps her move on into a better future.

Alyssa talked about literature and science fiction. She also loved poetry and had a poem for Warren as one of his birthday presents. Luke came too and talked about his passion for astronomy. He and Alyssa seemed really fond of each other. They had apparently been hitting it off since the Halloween party. Alyssa suggested they both go with Warren and Luke to the drive-in someday, soon. Dana brought Trevor, who talked about skateboarding and fashion. He and Dana planned to combine their two passions together. Dana was drawing sketches of clothing that could fit him and his skater friends, and Trevor planned to take pictures of his friends modeling in them while skating. 

Brooke and Daniel seemed very close, too. They planned to attend an art gallery exhibition together, and he was really interested in her science talk, and she was really interested in his art talk. Brooke barely looked at Warren the whole time, and she was really nice to Max. They even arranged a day to fly her drone together. Damien and Lorenzo were nice, too. They mostly talked about science and their project with Warren. They were interested in Maxe's analog photography and her taking pictures with her instant camera. She promised to show them some of her pictures the next time they met up. The whole evening went really well, and everyone got to know each other better. And when everyone left, Max was surprised at how comfortable she had been the whole time. She had surprisingly enjoyed the get-together.

At the end of the day, Max gave Warren a long goodnight kiss before they went to their separate rooms. She was even sad that the day had to end. It was the first time in a long time that she felt that way. She had the feeling the day was over too fast, like it was wasted. But she had such a good day that every minute she had was worth it in the end. Like John Lennon once said, “Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted” she thought to herself. She was glad to move on and feel better after everything that she went through, and yet sometimes it still felt wrong. She missed Chloe and wished she was still here with her. But traveling back to leave her the message and seeing the change in Chloe’s life after that really helped Max let go of guilt and shame and move on.

The next two days Max used to meet with Kate to work on her plan and to join her drawings and Max photography together. Max also used it to talk to as many people as possible. She also walked around a lot to take pictures. Warren asked her on Friday evening if it would be possible for her to come with him tomorrow to meet his parents. Only if she felt ready for it. He also warned her that they weren’t the most pleasant people.

“I don’t think I will ever be ready, so I might as well just go with you tomorrow and get it over with. I'm sorry to say it that way, but I’m just not the meeting-the-parents kind of person. I’m just too awkward and shy. It’s the curse of being anti-social,” Max said earnestly.

“I get it, Max. Believe me. You know, I’m also awkward and nervous about that kind of stuff. And I always say the wrong things, especially when I’m nervous. We’re both very shy, awkward, and introverted dorks,” he said, grinning.

“Oh yes, I know that,” she said back, grinning too.

“So I just want to make sure... you are absolutely sure that you want to come with me tomorrow?” He asked again. Max nodded yes.

"Ok, it’s your funeral as th-” he started, before he paused and then face-palmed himself. “Too soon… after Chloe and Rachel. See? I say dumb and wrong things when I’m nervous!” he said, looking at her with a guilty expression.

She put her hand on his shoulder. “It’s alright, babe,” she said with a soft smile to show him everything was alright. His face changed from looking troubled to amused in an instant.

"Shit, I did not just call you that, did I?” She asked, cringing at her own words.

“Oh yes, you did, Sweetie Pie,” he said teasingly back, trying not to burst out laughing. She hit him on the arm, blushing hard.

“Don’t you dare call me that ever again, Warren, or I will call you worse names than that!” she said, outraged. He burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry,” he said after calming down a bit. 

He hugged her to him and said, “I’m sorry, I won’t call you that again. But how about Sugarplum, Tootsie, or, oh, I know... Snuggle Bear!” he said into her hair. She pushed him away and walked away from him. He caught up to her, still laughing.

“I’m sorry, Max. But maybe we could find something else that we will both like calling each other one day?” he asked her friendly. 

“Maybe,” she muttered, still walking ahead and blushing furiously. He chuckled, and they walked in the direction of their dormitories together, not talking to each other the whole way.

It was Saturday morning, and Max was standing with Warren at his parents house. It was raining and windy outside. She was really nervous and shaking slightly. Warren held her hand and looked at her. 

“Ready?” he asked her, looking nervous himself. 

“As ready as I can be,” she answered, giving him a weak smile. He gave her a little encouraging kiss and rang the doorbell. After a moment, someone opened the door. It was a beautiful woman with long brown hair and green eyes. She was dressed casual chic and looked like Warren's older sister.

“Hi mom. How are you?” He greeted her.

“I’m fine. Thank you for asking. Who is this young woman?” She asked him, looking at Max with a frown.

“This is my girlfriend, Max. I told you about her the last time we spoke. Didn’t dad tell you that she would be coming with me today?” He asked her, squeezing Max's hand a little. His mom looked pensive for a moment.

"Ah, yes, he did, Maxine Caulfield, right? I was a little busy the last couple of weeks… Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. How rude of me. I’m Olivia Graham,” she said, holding her hand out to Max.

“Just Max, please. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Graham,” she said, shaking her hand shortly.

“Yes, well… Come in and leave your shoes outside, please,” she said, holding the door open for them. They did as they were told and followed her through the house. The house had a coastal interior design style. It was fitting for living near the beach or in a seaside town like they did here in Arcadia Bay. It was fancier than Max was used to.

“You have a nice home,” Max said to Mrs. Graham. 

“Thank you. My husband designed everything for us,” she said while walking ahead of them. 

They reached what looked like the dining room. Warren’s mother gestured for them to sit down at the table. Warren sat down, and Max sat beside him. His mom sat opposite of him.

“Where is dad?” Warren asked her. 

“He is in his office. He has a meeting, but should be with us shortly,” she replied. 

“Do you want something to drink? Water, coffee, or something else?” she asked. They asked for a coffee and a glass of water. Mrs. Graham stood up to make herself, her husband, and Max coffee.

“So how was your birthday on Wednesday?” she asked while taking three cups out of the cupboard.

“It was good. I invited some of my friends, and we went out for burgers,” Warren answered.

“Burgers? Couldn’t you choose something more… healthy?” she asked. 

"Well, yes, but I thought burgers were more fitting for the occasion,” he said a little tensely. Max reached out to take his hand, and he squeezed her hand appreciatively.

“And how long have you two known each other?” She asked while pushing a button on the coffee machine.

“Since school started in September,” Warren answered. “Why?” he asked. 

“I’m just curious, that’s all,” she said casually. 

“Weren’t you the girl who witnessed the shooting in the bathroom?” she asked suddenly.

“Mom! I do-,” Warren started, but Max interrupted him. "Yes, the girl who got shot was my best friend Chloe. And the girl they found in the junkyard was also a friend of ours, Rachel. We are very lucky that Nathan Prescott and Mark Jefferson were caught. Jefferson targeted many girls and another friend of mine, who was lucky to have lived through his torture, and just another friend and I were next on his list,” she said everything a little faster than she meant to.

“Well… I’m glad they got arrested. I’m sorry for your loss. I still can’t believe the son of the Prescotts was capable of such things and a famous and successful man as Jefferson. What a waste of talent and heritage. Such shame. I know Nathan Prescotts mother and -,” she said before Warren interrupted her.

“Well, those things, like fame and success, don’t mean anything if you’re a psychopath or a criminal, mom,” Warren said with a hard voice. 

His mother was about to say something, but at that moment, a man walked into the room. He had dark reddish hair and Warren's brown eyes. He was in a suit and looked happy to see them.

“Good day, everyone,” he said kindly, and he walked towards Max and Warren. They stood up as he reached them. He hugged Warren.

“Happy birthday again, son. How is it going?” He asked while letting go of him.

“Everything is fine. How are you?” Warren asked his father.

“Good, good. I just got a new project and will have to fly out to New York in a couple of days,” he said, excited. 

“That’s really good, dad. Congratulations,” Warren said. 

“Thank you! And this must be Maxine,” he said, holding his hand out to her. 

“Just Max, it’s nice to meet you, sir,” Max said, shaking hands with him. Everything was somehow stiff and very formal since they got here. It was so weird for her. 

“Nice to meet you too, just Max. No need to call me sir. I’m Henry Graham,” he said, smiling at her. She smiled back, nodding. He sat down at the head of the table, and Max and Warren sat down again to his left. Warren's mom came back with some pastries, their coffee, and Warren's water and sat down to the right of Mr. Graham.

"So, how was your birthday, son?” Mr. Graham asked Warren.

“It was good. We me-” Warren started.

“They went to a burger place! Can you believe it?!” Warren's mom interrupted him. Warren let out a sigh, and Max reached for his hand again.

“Now, now, Olivia, it was his birthday and his decision. Let the boy celebrate his birthday however he wishes. Maybe we can take him and Max to a more lavish restaurant when I come back from my business trip. What do you think?” he asked them.

“We will see,” Warren answered for the both of them. His mother didn’t say anything to that. She just took a sip of her coffee, looking upset with Warren. 

“So, how is school? Keeping your grades up?” asked Warren’s father. 

“Yes, as always,” Warren answered shortly, trying to change the subject. 

“How is it going for you, mom?” he asked her. 

“Marvelous. I didn’t lose one patient this month thus far,” she said proudly. “What do your parents do?” she asked Max. She cleared her throat before answering. 

"Well, my dad is an engineer. He worked on boat engines while living here, but we moved to Seattle five years ago, and since then he's been working on planes there. And my mom is a tailor. She does it with passion. We love to sew together and craft together,” Max said proudly. She knew that next to a surgeon and an enterprise architect, her parents jobs were not as good. But they were happy and had a roof over their heads and food on their plates.

“That’s… nice,” answered Mrs. Graham. Now it was Warren’s turn to squeeze her hand. 

“So your here alone? They are still in Seattle?” asked Mr. Graham, trying to move the conversation around. 

“Yes, I live in the dorms at Blackwell too,” Max said to him. He nodded and smiled at her. 

“What are your plans for the future?” started Mrs. Graham again. 

“I want to be a photographer. I’m not sure what I will do exactly right now, but I want to become a professional photographer,” she answered honestly.

“Well, it’s important to have a goal. How are you doing at Blackwell?” she continued asking. 

“She’s doing really well, and she’s very smart. One of the smartest people I’ve ever known. She also helped me with some of my projects, and on our last project, we got an A+,” he answered for her, looking proud.

"That sounds very exceptional, son. So good that you are doing well. Keep it up, both of you. And we are really proud of you, War, aren’t we dearest?” He asked his wife.

“Yes. As long as you keep it up like that, we have nothing to worry about,” she said back. 

“Speaking of keeping it up, we have to finish a lot of homework, actually. So it was nice seeing you again, but unfortunately, we have to leave now. Right Max?” He asked in a kindly voice, looking at her. 

“Yes, you are right. Thank you for the coffee. It was a pleasure meeting you,” Max said to his parents. 

“That’s alright. I have my next meeting in 10 minutes anyway. And you are welcome, Max. It was my pleasure meeting you too,” said Warren's father, nodding to her.

“I will accompany you to the door,” said his mother. They got up. 

“Before you leave, son, we have a present for you. It’s already in your bank account,” he said, winking at his son.

“Thank you. I appreciate it,” said Warren, hugging his father.

“Max,” he said, shaking her hand. The two of them followed his mother to the door. They put their shoes on, and she stood at the door.

“Thank you for stopping by today. It was nice seeing you, Lovey, and meeting you, Maxine. Happy birthday to you again,” she said, giving Warren a little hug.

“Thank you, mom,” he said, taking Max's hand. Max nodded at her one more time, and they started walking to his car, holding hands.

“Wowser…,” she said once they reached the car. He let go of her hand and hugged her tightly instead.

“You can say that again,” he said against the top of her head. He sighed, and she burried her face in his chest.

“I’m so sorry,” he said.

“For what?” she asked back.

“For them and their behavior, well, more so for my mother's behavior. She thinks she only means well, but... yeah. And my father could be worse too, but you met him on a good day since he got a good opportunity in New York,” he said, annoyed.

“It’s ok. I get now what you meant when you said they love you but put too much pressure on you and expect you to be only at your best. It seems really exhausting. And I really don’t want to be rude, but are they always this proper and kind of stiff? She asked curiously.

“Yes, unfortunately, they have always been like that,” he said, looking at her uncomfortably.

“Then how did you turn out like this?” she asked him, grinning cheekily and gesturing at him. 

“You mean dorky, nerdy, handsome, pleasant, and not with a stick up my butt?” he asked her, boldly grinning too. She laughed and gave him a kiss on the lips. He laughed, too.

“I really don’t know, to be honest. Thank you for coming with me and not running away from me after that. You did well in there,” he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

“Thank you, and a lot more had to happen for me to leave you. I hope you will never turn out to be Mr. Stick-in-the-butt,” she said. 

They laughed, and Max reached for the car door, but before they could get into the car, Max felt herself once again having a vision. She saw Warren's mother accidentally letting go of the tray with their coffee cups and cutting herself on the hand. When she came back, Warren immediately asked what she had seen.

"Oh, that’s just cruel!” She said it out loud and looked around to see what would happen next.

“What is it?” Warren asked, concerned. 

“I just saw your mother cutting her hand by accident. We have to see what I will have to prevent or not,” she said angrily. 

Please let it be something harmless, so I have to let it happen, and she won’t have to cut herself, Max thought.

There was a man who walked across the street with a paper bag full of groceries. A car drove by through a puddle, and the man got drenched, letting go of his bag. He kicked the bag and started swearing. Max let out a breath and started swearing herself.

“I think that was a test to see if you’re so disappointed by my mother that you would let her cut herself,” Warren said to her, rubbing his head with his hand and looking at her uncertainly.

"Well, don’t worry, I will let the man have bad luck instead... today,” she said with a mischievous smile. They both laughed again and got into the car. She was once again confused by the meaning of her powers. Why give her the opportunity to hurt her boyfriend’s mother? she asked herself.

Later, they really worked on their homework the rest of the day and the next day on Sunday. They wanted to finish everything before the autumn holidays, beginning Monday, until the next Sunday, December 1st. They had plans for the week because both of them stayed at Blackwell for the holidays. Warren had his parents near, but they were too busy to travel with him somewhere, and Max would visit her parents in Seattle around Christmas and New Year’s time.

Max took the opportunity of the week off to meet up with her friends. She had a tea session with Kate, and they started working together on a book about bullying. She also met up with Dana and Courtney for them to practice designing. They worked better together than expected and had similar styles. Courtney also gave Dana some ideas for her and Trevor’s project. When Dana met with Trevor and his friends, Max joined them alone or with Warren. She talked with Justin about Chloe and Rachel again, and he showed her and Warren some tricks on his skateboard. Max and Warren were really bad, but they all had fun, and it was also nice to see Dana’s sketches for Justin and the rest of the skater crew. 

Max met with Brooke alone for their drone date. Warren didn’t come because they were afraid for her to get too attached to him again. Especially since she and Daniel were getting closer. Brooke talked about Daniel and their trip to the art gallery exhibition happily. He joined them later and made beautiful drawings of them. Max also captured Brooke and Daniel in a picture and gave it to them before saying bye to them. Victoria and Taylor went out with Max to photograph. They took photos in town, in parks, and on school grounds, trying to update their portfolio. There was a contest in January where a group of three people could enter, and they got together for that. It was surprisingly easy and fun to work with them on that.

Her and Warren spent time together as much as they could or with their friends, even after the week off. The evenings were mostly their time together, and they watched movies, series, or anime and played games together. At least once a week, they slept over at each other’s. They also tried to go on walks every other day and to dinner once a week. Beginning in December, they got together for a project again in class and also started reading The October Country together after Max finally got her own copy. They drove with Alyssa and Luke to the drive-in for the new Hobbit movie.

Juliet was still asking Max about her side of some of the things that happened in October. She finally decided to tell her side of the story and helped her put something respectful together for the newspaper Blackwell Totem. It wasn’t easy for her to think about and talk about it. It made her sick to remember her time in the dark room, but she couldn’t tell Juliet that since it never happened in this timeline. It also made her sad to realize that over two months had passed since Chloe’s death, and soon it would be 2014.

When did the time pass?, she thought. It flew by so quickly that she felt like she was wasting time again and that she didn’t deserve it. But she was also thankful for the time she had left. One of the things she learned from everything was that time was precious and you should enjoy every minute you had because it could end every second. You had to make the best of it.

She was happy to spend her last days of 2013 with her parents. She had missed them so much. On Monday, the 23rd of December, she flew out to them. It was right after the last class of the last school day. Her dad picked her up at the airport. It was weird to be back in Seattle. She wished Warren would have come with her, but it would be too soon. At least that was what their parents would think. For them, it felt like they were together for over a year. Their make-out sessions were getting a little more intimate over the last two weeks, but they were still far away from having sex together. Especially since it would be the first time for both of them. They talked about it three days ago and decided to wait until they left Blackwell together. They hoped to still be together and happy after Blackwell, and they talked a lot about traveling together after graduation.

Even though Warren wasn’t there with her in Seattle, they used Skipe every night to see and talk with each other. Her parents asked about him and were happy that she had a boyfriend. They were a little worried that she had never had any relationships before, and Max told them that even if she didn’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend, she could still be happy with her life. She would just marry her job. That would be enough for her, but she was also happy to have found the right person for herself.

Sometimes she couldn’t believe it herself. She was afraid to lose him because of something stupid she would do. Her mom reassured her that she was too young and shouldn’t worry herself about things like that. And even if they split, Max would find someone new over time. Max doubted that, but she couldn’t tell her mom that Warren was one of the few people who would accept her for who she is because of her time-traveling abilities. And that there were few people who would believe her and not lock her away or use her as a weapon or experiment. So she just agreed and enjoyed her time with her parents. 

Max and her mom cooked and crafted together. They made something for Kate to hang up on her wall and a nerdy pillowcase for Warren. Max walked through Seattle, taking pictures to show Warren and her friends the town when she got back. Her father took her to a football game on December 29th. Max was sad to realize that she didn’t have any friends here, and her five years were really depressing. Her parents also had a long talk about everything that happened with Chloe and Rachel. 

She promised them to be careful in Arcadia Bay, even though everything that happened could happen everywhere. They spent New Year’s at home. She was really glad that no vision had accrued anymore this year. Max made New Year's resolutions for 2014:

- Keep your grades up 
- Stay happy and together with Warren 
- Maintain your friendships and don’t withdraw from them
- Continue your work with Kate 
- Don’t get caught because of your powers 
- Visit Joyce and keep Chloe’s and Rachel’s memories alive 

Chapter Text

After New Year's, Max had to fly back to Arcadia Bay. The 1st of January 2014 was a Wednesday, and she had to go to school Thursday and Friday. Warren picked her up from the airport. She found him fast, and they hugged and kissed for a long time. It had not been easy to be apart for a week. They got into the car and drove back to the school grounds.

“I really missed you! Did you know that?” He asked her while driving.

“I know because I felt the same. I’m happy to be back, but it was also nice to see my parents again. They seem to really like you. They can’t wait to meet you one day,” she said, smiling.

“Maybe we’ll have the chance this year. How was your flight back?” he asked.

“It was good, but I’m happy to be back on the ground again,” she said.

He chuckled, and they continued talking about their week apart. There wasn’t much news since they talked every evening with each other. After arriving at the parking lot of Blackwell, they walked to the dormitory’s. Warren carried her suitcase. They met with some of their friends on the way and wished each other a happy new year.

The next two weeks, Victoria, Taylor, and Max worked hard to put their last photos together for the new contest. In the middle of January, they handed it over to Mrs. Greenblatt. One week later, they got the results. They had won. They were really happy, but they couldn’t believe it.

“See Vic? It’s better to build each other up and believe in each other’s talents instead of trying to beat each other down! Together, we’re much stronger and more creative,” Max said to Victoria.

“Yeah, yeah…,” she said, annoyed but with a big smile on her face.

They laughed and hugged each other. The three of them celebrated their win with a dinner together. They would fly out to San Francisco in a week and stay for three days. Max called her parents to tell them the news. They were really proud and sent her some money for her to spend in San Francisco. Warren was proud of her too, and he told her that he knew she would win with her talent and commitment.

They spent their three days making connections with important people and enjoying their short fame before coming back to Blackwell. Max was happy to have her name out there (and that no vision came while she was there). It would also help her and Kate with their children’s books. They continued working on that together. Ms. Grant was happy with her and Warren's work in school and continued to give them good grades, much to the satisfaction of Warrens parents. Warren's mom didn’t really warm up to Max and still called her Maxine. It annoyed the hell out of Max. But she tolerated Max more since she won the contest and didn’t mess with her son's grades.

Max still visited Joyce and David every chance she got. They were doing better considering Chloe’s death, but Joyce was still broken by it and had to go to a psychiatrist. She had to learn how to cope with it, which wasn’t easy after losing a husband and her only child. She still kept Chloe’s room as it was, and Max sometimes got in there to sit down and just think of the time she had with her or talk to her. She hoped that Chloe could hear her wherever she was. After all, anything seemed possible since she had gotten her powers. She visited Chloe’s, William's, and Rachel’s graves and met Frank there sometimes. He really stopped selling, and he would soon move to another town to start over and become an animal rescue officer. He still felt guilty about Rachel. Max wished him good luck and hoped he would never come back to sell again.

Time flew by fast, and they found themselves in the middle of the summer holidays. Warren and Max have been together for more than six months now. Since last year and now, Max has had two visions. They were harmless, considering her past experiences. One was in February. She had to let a man slip on ice, or a little girl would have to watch her dog get hit by a car. She let the man fall. It seemed like he hadn’t fractured anything. In April, she had to make a decision between letting an older woman break her wrist or letting two young women bump into each other, with one of them letting go of her lunch. She let the two women fight over the wasted food. In the end, one bought the other new food.

Max's parents came to visit her and stayed with Joyce for a couple of days. They wanted to book a hotel room, but she insisted. Warren met her parents for the first time. They went out for dinner. Max and Warren arrived before her parents and sat down at a table.

“I’m nervous,” he said, looking for them.

“You don’t have to be nervous about anything, Warren. They love you. Believe me,” she said reassuringly, patting his hand. He just nodded, but Max could see him getting paler. Her parents arrived five minutes later. Her dad was the first to approach them. Warren stuck his hand out to him. But her father grabbed it and pulled Warren over to him to give him a quick and big bear hug. Max had to giggle.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, son!” he said excitedly while letting go of him to pat him on the shoulder. “You probably already know, but I’m Ryan Caulfield, and this is Vanessa Caulfield,” he said, gesturing to Maxes mom. “But please call us Ry and Nessa,” he finished saying.

“Thank you… Ry,” Warren said, unsure. Max knew he would have to get used to all this, especially with the parents he had. She still couldn’t get used to calling his parents Mr. and Mrs. Graham. His parents were so formal, and her parents were the absolute opposite. He said that it was nice to meet them too, and her mom gave him a short hug too before they sat down together. Max patted his hand again when they sat and gave him her biggest smile. He smiled back, relaxing a bit.

“So how is school going, guys? Is it still fun?” her dad asked them.

Warren looked surprised again. He wasn’t used to his parents asking if he had fun in school. All that mattered was whether his grades were good. Max started to feel bad for him. While Max got more questioned about her goals and her intentions by his parents and had to learn to be formal and respectful, he got to see for the first time how it was to have laid-back parents who just wished for their child to have fun with their life.

"Yeah, it’s still going really well. We have so much fun when we do projects together, and we always get good results. Our teacher, Ms. Grant, loves it when we couple up. Warren and I don’t have all our classes together. He is more focused on the scientific field, and I am in the photographic field, as you know, of course. But sometimes the fields are connected with each other. Warren once said, Art is science, music is math, etc., etc.,” she said, smiling at him the whole time. He looked at her back with admiration. 

“That’s really good to hear. What really matters is that you love what you do. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with a career you don’t love. That’s not the way of life. Me and Ry love what we do, and we always pushed Max to find her passion and to pursue her dreams. As long as you love it and earn enough to make a living,” Vanessa said to Warren.

“I have to admit you’re very different from my parents. I’m really glad to hear a different perspective on how things should go. They only want me to succeed. To be successful and on top of everything. They never asked me if I was having fun or if it was still my dream. I admire Max for not having that pressure,” he said honestly.

“I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m sure they only want what’s best for you,” her mom said.

"Yeah, and at the end of the day, it’s your choice and future, you know? You have control over your own life,” her dad said to Warren.

“Thank you,” Warren said, smiling at them.

"There's nothing for you to thank us for, but you're part of our daughter’s life now. So just so you know, our doors and ears are always open for you if you ever need a different perspective again,” her mom said, winking at him.

They spent the rest of their time talking about Warren's interests, life in Seattle, and the next contest Max could win. After finishing dinner, they went for a little walk before they went back home. Warren told her she was lucky to have her parents. Max could only agree. They talked about their parents and their first meeting with them. Max felt sad when he saw how nice it could be, and he felt bad for her for always having a hard time with his parents.

“We will do better with our own children, I promise,” he said suddenly. They both immediately realized his words and both blushed.

“I’m sorry. I just thought out loud. I shouldn’t have said that,” he muttered nervously.

“It’s fine,” was the only thing she could say about that.

They've never talked about anything like this before. Which was clear considering she was about to be 19 years old and he would be 18 years old in a couple of months. They definitely weren’t ready for that conversation. Especially since they were both still virgins... Max started laughing. The more she thought about it, the funnier it got. He started laughing, too.

“Let’s talk about that once we get our other priorities together. Let’s focus on graduating first, okay?” she asked. 

“I totally agree with that,” he said. 

Once again, time passed, and Max woke up on September 21st, not believing it was her birthday. Almost one year went by since she got her abilities, and Chloe died. It hit her very hard, and she had to fake her smile the whole day while thanking everyone for their congratulations and presents. She told Warren her true feelings about not being in the mood to celebrate her birthday, and he completely understood. He made her her own flash drive with all her favorite movies and shows, and they spent the day together watching some of it to distract her. She was really thankful for him, like always. She invited her friends the next weekend for coffee and cake to be polite.

When the next Halloween party was near, Max and Warren decided to go together. Max promised him that she wouldn’t repeat the last time they were there. It was a different time then, and she was doing so much better now. Kate wanted to give it a try too. They put on the same costumes that they had worn last time. Warren, who didn’t have one, was styled by Dana. He was going as Frankenstein, and Max was impressed by the makeup Dana had put on him. They arrived at the party and went straight to the VIP section.

“Let’s sit down on the couch, girls,” Warren said to her and Kate.

They sat down, and Warren went to get them something nonalcoholic to drink. Kate and Max talked, and Dana and Trevor joined them on the couches. They leaned back on the couch, and Trevor put his arm around her. They still looked really happy together.

“I don’t want to gossip or anything, but Juliet is yet again back with Zachary. I told her to let him go, but he sneaked his way back to her again. I think this is the fifth time she has taken him back,” Dana said, disappointed with her.

“Are they here together tonight?” Kate asked her.

“Yes, they are in the back by the couches,” Dana answered.

Warren came back with their drinks and sat down between Max and Kate. Max leaned against him, and he put his arm around her. Victoria, Taylor, and Courtney joined them for a while before they decided to go dance. Dana and Trevor had the time of their lives because Trevor hadn’t improved his dance skills. Warren made sure to dance with Max and Kate. He swung them both around and danced goofy to make them laugh.

After the party, they escorted Kate back to her room and went to Max's room. They sat down on the couch first because Warren had to take off his makeup before they could go to bed. Warren looked into her eyes and smiled. Her heart started beating faster immediately and began to beat even faster when he looked down on her lips. He reached out to put some of her hair behind her ear. She leaned her cheek into the palm of his hand and closed her eyes for a moment.

When she opened them again, he looked at her with such deep affection that her heart missed a beat. She held her breath when he leaned in to kiss her. She welcomed his warm lips against hers and deepened the kiss after a few minutes. They pulled apart for a moment, and Max looked at him for a second before he leaned in again. He’s makeup was mixed with her black lipstick. She giggled against his lips and kissed him back. It was funny kissing him while he looked like a green monster.

“I’m so happy you aren’t drunk like last time. Tonight I can kiss you after the party without feeling like I would take advantage of you because you are my girlfriend and sober this time,” he said, grinning.

“It’s mind-blowing how everything has changed since then,” she said, and she started kissing him again.

He moved into her so that she had to lay down on the couch. He was lying on her, his lower body between her legs. She locked her legs around his hips and pulled him tighter against her, her hands in his hair. Her stomach started fluttering like crazy. He pulled away to look at her, asking silently for permission before continuing. She nodded, and he bent down, his lips against her cheek, brushing it lightly. That light touch sent shivers through her nerves. Shivers, that made her whole body tremble.

“If you want me to stop, tell me now,” he whispered. When she still said nothing, he brushed his mouth against the side of her temple. “Or now.” He traced the line of her cheekbone. “Or now.” He gave her a kiss on her collarbone. “Or now.” He started kissing her neck. She moaned again and pulled his hair lightly. He loved it when she did that. His one hand was grabbing her hip, and the other hand was moving under her costume. He moved his hand over her, up her stomach, and stopped right where her bra began. His thumb was stroking the underside of her breast over her bra. Her breath hitched in her throat. He stopped kissing her neck and looked up.

“Is everything o-” he started saying. 

But she had reached up and pulled him up to her, and the rest of his words were lost against her mouth. He kissed her gently, carefully, but it wasn't gentleness she wanted, not now, not after all this time, and she grabbed his shirt tightly, pulling him harder against her. He groaned softly, low in his throat. And then his arms circled her, and they rolled over on the couch, falling off. They had totally forgotten that they weren’t on the bed. They started laughing, and they couldn’t stop for a long time. After they pulled themselves together, they got off the ground. Looking at each other, they started laughing again until they had tears rolling down their faces. Warren’s face was completely messed up with green and black makeup. And Max knew she had to look just as bad.

They went to the bathroom to wash their faces. When Max looked at her face in the mirror, she started laughing again and was so happy that no one was with them in the bathroom. She had green makeup all over her face and neck, and her black lipstick was smeared all around her lips. She started washing everything off, and Warren helped her with the makeup on her neck. He grinned down at her cheekily. She smacked him on the shoulder lightly and giggled. She blushed softly as she thought about what just happened in her room.

“I love you,” he said sweetly, giving her a soft kiss on the lips.

“I love you, too,” she said back, hugging him.

After they finished cleaning the makeup, they got into her bed and just snuggled until they fell asleep. Time moved on fast again. Max paid attention to her friends and their relationships. Dana and Trevor were still going strong, as were Brooke and Daniel. They were so lovey-dovey with each other that it got really cringey sometimes. Alyssa and Luke split up but stayed good friends. In the beginning of November, a real shocker occurred.

Juliet, who was yet again off with Zachary after the party, got herself accidentally pregnant at the end of October or beginning of November. Max and Warren, who had their anniversary on November 2nd—the day they had their first kiss in the park—had just gotten back from celebrating over lunch, and Max was on her way back to her dorm before meeting with Warren again to stay the night.

But when she walked into the dorm, almost every girl was out, and it was chaos. Someone had found a positive pregnancy test in the trash, and they tried to figure out whose it was. In the end, Juliet cried out that it was hers and that she would keep it. Dana, who had found herself in the same dilemma one year ago, stayed by her side every step of the way and told her she would be by her side no matter what she decided. 

Zachary promised to be there for them, but he would have to leave a while after finishing at Blackwell to start his career. Juliet would also finish at Blackwell and then take a break to be there for their child. Her due date was two to three weeks before graduation next year. Her and Zachary’s parents would help them with the baby while they graduated.

Warren was shocked when she told him the news, and of course everyone in school found out. Zachary and Juliet had a conversation with Principal Wells and the parents. They all agreed that they would finish at Blackwell, and the pregnancy wouldn’t change that. So life continued and flew by again. In the middle of November, Max and Warren celebrated their anniversary of their first I love you, and the next day was Warren’s birthday. He was 18 years old and was happy about the privileges of being an official adult. He wanted to tell his parents that his plan was to leave as soon as he and Max graduated, but Max advised him against telling them just yet. He was an adult, but they still had all the control and could ruin it for them.

So they continued their education, and Max still tried to spend as much time as possible with her friends. Juliet got bigger and bigger in front of them. But she gave her best to stay on top and worked really hard. Zachary was overwhelmed with everything but surprisingly stayed by her side. Every game they played, he dedicated it to the baby. It was kind of sweet, but Max found it really hard to see him as a father in the future. But you never know, she thought.

At least he was trying, and they had the support of their parents. The pregnancy got Warren and Max to eventually talk about children in their future. It was a possibility, but they were far from ready. They agreed once again that they would be ready to take a step further in their relationship after graduation and would talk again after achieving that. And once again time went by. 

Chapter Text

2015 came faster than any Blackwell student could have imagined. Max, Warren, and all their friends graduated at the end of August. On August 10th, Juliet gave birth to a healthy baby boy named James Watson-Riggins. Her water broke in the middle of the night, and everyone went crazy in the girl's dorm. Her parents took care of him while she and Zachary graduated with them. Everyone met little James on graduation day.

He was so small and slept the whole time. After graduation, the students in the dormitories had to leave their rooms the same day. Warren, Max, and all their friends went through all of their dorm rooms together to say one last goodbye. When they finished, everyone went their separate ways. Some flew home or moved away to start their careers or universities. Some got picked up by their families, and some others decided to take time off and travel, like Max and Warren.

Warren’s mom was not happy with Warren’s decision to travel with Max. She thought he would begin university and move back home for a while. Max knew Olivia gave her all the blame for her son leaving, even though Warren told her over and over again that it had been his decision almost 2 years ago, and Max decided to go along with him. Max was used to it by now. Olivia always found a way to give Max all the blame for something not going her way. If Warren and she ever got married, Max would have her own monster-in-law. She had to admit that Olivia wasn’t that bad. There were worse people in this world, but Max was getting annoyed with still not being fully accepted and still being called Maxine by Olivia.

So after standing by the parking lot and listening to Warren and his mother argue over it for the fifth time since he announced his plans, they finally said goodbye to his parents and drove away with his fully loaded car. They decided to take a road trip through the US and see as much as they could. Warren would start university next summer after their travels, and Max would have a lot of opportunities to photograph on their travels. Warren had inherited some money from his grandparents, so he could afford to do this. Max was still working with Kate, who had gotten an agent for them after publishing some books last year and this year. Max had decided to become self-employed, find projects, and work herself in her own time and under her own conditions. She wanted to be able to travel whenever she wanted. She and Kate would be in contact over Skype. So she was a commercial photographer for now. Who knows what she might do in the future?

They met some nice people on their trip, and Max took a lot of photos for her and for Kate’s books. They stayed in contact with most of their school friends and their parents over Skype, and Max sent them souvenirs or photos of their trips. She never forgot Joyce. She wrote her postcards and sent her pictures sometimes. In their first month of traveling, Max decided to get a tattoo. She chose blue flowers, which were the color of Chloe’s hair, with a doe behind it. She got it on her arm and was really happy with the result. 

After three months of traveling, she and Warren had their first time together on their second anniversary. It was a little awkward, hurtful, and over really fast, but they got better over time and learned what they liked and didn’t like. Max was, as always, really insecure and not sure if she lived up to expectations, but Warren reassured her every time that she was doing amazingly and should relax. He loved her just as she was. She needed some time before she really believed that and before she started enjoying herself.

She also got really frustrated with her visions. They were still harmless, but in their fourth month of traveling, one vision was really bad. She had to decide between saving two teenagers from drowning in their car or stopping a suicide where a middle-aged woman would jump off the bridge. The teenagers were drunk and would drive off the same bridge by accident if she saved the women from jumping.

She was so conflicted in that moment that she managed to stop the time like she did after Kate got on the roof. She managed to stop her from jumping, and the teenagers survived too. That was again something new. So if she somehow managed to stop time to prevent something from happening after a vision, then the vision would also not come true. Only if she rewinds after a vision, to stop it, will the vision happen. It was so confusing. 

The problem with that was that she couldn’t control stopping the time. It just happened because she was really conflicted and in panic mode. And it drained her energy so much that she had to lay in bed for three days after that. Warren nursed her back to health. She felt bad for being such a burden on him, but he wouldn’t hear any of it. They continued traveling after her energy came back.

After almost six months of traveling, even beyond the US, Max and Warren decided to go to Seattle to visit her parents for a while. They lived with her parents for three months before they moved into an apartment near them, and even Kate joined them in Seattle so they could work together better. She rented a one-room apartment. It was the end of May 2016 when they finally moved in. They were still renovating, and they hadn’t unpacked every box they had, but it was good enough to finally live and sleep in their first home of their own. Warren would start to go to Seattle University to get a Bachelor of Science. If he could advance like he did at Blackwell, he would have his degree in two to three years, in 2018 or 2019.

Kate was having dinner at their apartment one evening. She helped them with some things in the apartment, like they did a couple of days before in her apartment. They lived 20 minutes away from each other. Max couldn’t believe they were here together, in Seattle of all places. But it was easier to be near her parents the first few years before Warren graduated, and they decided where and what was next for them. The other option was to live with his parents in Arcadia Bay, which wasn’t an option under any circumstances. They were happy with their decision.

“So I met someone today while sitting in the cafe I found a week ago. I was sitting there, drinking my tea and drawing, when this gentleman came to me. He started asking me about my job and interests, and we talked for a while. Guess what his job is,” Kate said excitedly. Before Max could guess, she squealed loudly and said, “He works for a book publishing company! What a coincidence! And we really got along well. We will meet again for tea next week.”

"Wow, Kate, that’s amazing! Maybe we could start working with him. What’s his name?” Max asked her.

“Ezra Jones. And he’s really handsome,” she said with a dreamy expression. Max and Warren chuckled, and they continued talking about their meeting for a while. After Kate left, Warren and Max sat down on the couch and watched Dr. Who together. This was the first time they had time to sit down and do that in their new home. Max snuggled up to him and put her head on his chest. He put his arm around her.

“I can’t believe we’re here right now. Once again, I’m asking myself, Where did time go? It’s moving too fast, Warren. It's been almost three years since we met each other in Blackwell,” she said.

“I know, Love. It’s really weird because, for me, it feels much longer than three years. The traveling and moving here felt like two years for me, plus the school years. It feels like five years or longer. Time is weird like that,” he said.

They talked about their school time and traveling together and continued watching Dr. Who. The evening ended with them making out on the couch and moving it into their bedroom. It was such a different life than the one they had in their dorms in Blackwell. It truly felt like they were adults now. And their lives were just beginning. Max would be 21 this year, and Warren would turn 20 two months after her. They would officially be in their twenties. They continued to furnish their apartment and found their routine between university, working, seeing Warren's parents (and Joyce and David), and meeting with hers at least once a week. Kate continued to meet with Ezra, and he even published one of their books.

Max's birthday approached, and she wanted to invite all their friends to meet in Seattle, but they were scattered everywhere and were busy building their careers, so they decided to do a group video chat to celebrate together with her this way. There were Alyssa, Brooke, Daniel, Damien, Lorenzo, Stella, Dana, Courtney, Taylor, Victoria, Juliet, and, of course, Kate, who was with Warren and Max in their apartment. Luke couldn’t make it because he had to work, no one new were Justin was. He decided to take a break from electronic devices and promised to contact them when he got a new phone and number. Trevor and Dana had split not long ago because they couldn’t make long-distance work. He didn’t stay in contact with them and was somewhere with Justin, they assumed.
 
Alyssa was getting into comics and was working on getting an art degree in San Diego. She met her online acquaintance Emma, whom she told them about before, for the first time. The girl she met at Comic-Con 2012 in San Diego. They've had a good time so far. Alyssa could see herself getting into a relationship with her. Brooke and Daniel were both in Utah and were getting a degree in film and media arts. Brooke loved to take videos with her drone and got into aerial videography. Daniel was still drawing with passion, but decided to go with the modern time and draw on his computer also.

Damien and Lorenzo were a couple now, and they were at the University of California–Berkeley, focusing on science. Stella met an older man and has been dating him for four months now, and he helped her with her career. She wanted to become a real estate photographer, and he was one. Dana and Courtney were in Los Angeles and worked on becoming fashion designers. Juliet was at home with little James. Her future plan was still to become a photojournalist, but she wanted to enjoy every second with her son first. Zachary was working on becoming a football player. His parents insisted he would still pursue that even if he had a child now. They helped Juliet with their grandchild.

Taylor and Victoria were using their time to meet as many people as possible and to make their names known. Each wanted to open their own art galleries. They met with artists, gallery owners, photographers, and other creative people and used the remaining time to build their portfolios. They also talked about Nathan and Jefferson. Victoria and Nathan’s sister tried to be there for Nathan. He was in a psychiatric institution now and would be released one day if he got better and cooperated. Victoria believed he could turn his life around. The support of her and his sister seemed to have an impact, and he was getting the right medication too.

Jefferson would be in prison for the rest of his life. He had kidnapped so many girls, and some of them, like Rachel, didn’t live through his sessions. He had also made some mistakes when he began his sick hobby in another state. Like Nathan, he gave at least three girls an accidental overdose before he learned what the right dose was. He would rot in prison forever.

After Maxe's online celebration, Warren’s and her third anniversary came near. They had organized everything in their apartment by the time November started and were sitting on their couch together. They ordered food, and Warren had lit the candles in the room. They were watching a movie, and at the end of it, Max realized that he got really nervous.

“Hey, are you alright? Is something wrong?” She asked, concerned.

“Fine,” he answered in a high voice. 

So it’s not fine, she thought, and she looked at him with an eyebrow raised. He got up, and she did too. Before she could do or say anything else, he hugged her.

“Warren You’re kind of freaking me out. For reals, is everything okay?"She asked again.

"Yes, I just love you very much,” he said, looking her deeply in the eyes, and he took a deep breath.

“I love you t-,” she started saying, but her last word got stuck in her throat, and a gasp came out instead. Warren was down on his knee and had a little box in his hand. She did not expect that. at. all tonight or in the near future. He looked up at her and smiled. He was really nervous. She let out a giggle, and that seemed to make him a little less nervous.

“So I know you hate moments like this when you’re in the center of attention, so I’ll make it fast and easy for you. So... Max, my love, my best friend, you’re kind, smart, funny, beautiful, geeky, and nerdy,” he said, grinning. “You're everything I've ever wanted in a partner, and more. I love spending time with you, and I can't imagine my life without you. I promise to always make you laugh, to always be there for you when you need me, and to never take you for granted,” he continued more seriously. 

“I love you. Will you marry me?” He finished his proposal and opened the box for her to see the ring. The ring was an oval aqua blue sapphire diamond ring in rosé gold grace solitaire. She knew that because she once showed him a similar ring when they were out shopping. She fell in love with the ring and the blue in it because it reminded her of Chloe and what Max had survived so far.

“Yes!” she said, nodding her head off. He stood up, and she jumped into his arms. They almost fell on the couch because of the impact of her hug. They laughed while he put the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. How he knew her exact size, she didn’t know, but she didn’t care. It was beautiful. She had tears in her eyes, and he started tearing up too. They hugged again, and she kissed him for what felt like eternity. She planned to call all her girls and her parents tomorrow to tell them the news. The fact that she had all those people to call showed her how far she had come. She never imagined herself with a partner and many friends and was happy it turned out to be what it is now.

“I love you, fiancé,” he whispered in her ear later in bed, before she fell asleep with a smile on her face. 

Over New Year's 2017, Max got pneumonia, and Warren nursed her back to health. It took her a month to recover. She had infected him, but he recovered after a week. She apologized over and over to him.

"Hey, it’s alright. We aren’t married yet, but we’ll be there for each other in sickness and in health, right?” He asked.

She agreed but felt sorry still. After she got better, they continued working on their apartment, and after they finished that and were satisfied with it, they focused on the planning for the wedding. Max didn’t like it and had to admit that she wanted to get it over with. She hated the idea that she would be the center of attention, and Warren had to promise her that they would have a small wedding and would only invite the people they had contact with right now. For her bachelorette party, Kate and her had tea. That was enough for her. Warren's bachelor party was with his colleagues. They took him to a bar, and he came back slightly drunk and tired.

The soon-to-be mother-in-law was really pushing her buttons. She tried to get Max to have a wedding after her taste, which meant big, expensive, and fancy. Everything Max didn’t want. Max got so frustrated with her that she started crying one evening, and Warren had to fight with his mom for the first time since they were dating. Olivia didn’t speak with them for four months.

But she - and Warren's dad - unfortunately came to the wedding a year later. It was organized to Max's liking so that Max could tolerate the wedding day without having a panic attack or constant anxiety. Having Warren by her side also helped, of course. She was happy that all her old school friends could make it. It was everyone who was there for her birthday online party, plus her parents, Warren's family, their work colleagues, and Joyce with David. The wedding was simple and had some Irish influences from her side of the family. Kate, who was her maid of honor, caught the flower bouquet later. She grinned at Ezra who was her date for the wedding. The wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses were designed by Dana and Courtney who where two of the bridesmaids. 

She had a father-daughter dance, and they organized her and Warren's favorite band. The speeches were short, which made her happy, and she enjoyed her dance with Warren because, in that moment, she only had to focus on him, and he made her laugh every time they messed up. After cutting the cake, Max had a vision that Olivia would bump into David accidentally and get cake all over her. Max, who was really angry with her after she criticized everything and said her dress could have been better, let it happen. She didn’t tell Warren that she knew it would happen. She got better at hiding her visions over time, so he didn’t notice.

All in all, it was a successful wedding, and Max was relieved when it was over and they could leave for their honeymoon. They traveled to Italy for it and had the best time. It was nice to let go of all responsibilities for a moment and just enjoy each other's company. She was officially Mrs. Maxine Caulfield-Graham, and even though she never imagined herself being a bride someday, she was happy to be where she was with Warren at her side, the love of her life. She couldn’t imagine life without him and used every moment she could to show him how much she loved and cared for him.

“I love you, Warren Graham,” she said on their first evening of their honeymoon after they made love as a married couple for the first time.

“I love you too, Max Caulfield-Graham,” he responded, hugging her against him and holding her until they fell asleep.

Chapter Text

June 2022 

Max was sitting on the floor in her and Warren's bathroom. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She felt weird the last couple of days and had her suspicions, but was not ready to see it as true. She looked again at her pregnancy test, maybe for the tenth time, to make sure she saw it right. It was still positive. They had moved to Portland a year ago and bought a little cozy house for themselves and maybe their future children. But Max thought they would talk about that again when she turned thirty or older. They were planning to buy a cat to see if they could take care of a living being. 

Warren decided to leave his chemist profession to become a chemistry professor at the university instead, so he could be more flexible. Max has owned an art gallery here in Portland since they moved here last year and settled down in their new home, married and happy. So they had good conditions for having children. And yet, it freaked the hell out of her that she was pregnant. She wasn’t ready, but are you ever ready? she thought while looking down on the test again. She put a hand on her stomach and tried to think positive thoughts, which wasn’t easy for her.

Max thought about how she would tell Warren. He was at the university and would be on his way back home by now. Max was about to stand up when a vision came. She was at the Portland airport when an airplane crashed into the ground, probably killing up to 200 people. She came back to the present. What did she have to let happen so that the airplane would not crash?! She sat still on the floor of the bathroom waiting. After some minutes the house telephone rang, and she sprung to her feet and ran to it.

“Hello?!” she asked panicked. 

“Hello, this is the Portland Hospital. Am I speaking with Mrs. Graham?” a man asked. Max started shaking. 

"Yes, that’s me. Mrs. Caulfield-Graham. Did something happen to my husband? Is he dead?!” She asked, still panicked.

How could she decide if to let her husband and the future father of their children die or 200 people die a gruesome death?! Please let him be alive, she prayed, even though she wasn’t religious. This was what she was afraid of ever since she came back from her last moment with Chloe in October 2013. Almost ten years later, she stood here, having to maybe decide again if she would let someone she loved die so she could save hundreds more. She wasn’t sure this time around if she could go through it again. Not after finding out about her pregnancy.

"Yes, it’s about him. He got hit by a car not long ago, but he’s stable for now and awake, ma'am. He asked for you. Could you come to the hospital?” The man asked. The moment she knew he wasn’t dead was really the moment she could let all those people live. This was as fucked up as the tornado situation then. No, it was even more fucked up. Max tried to breathe calmly so her body would stay calm for their child. She couldn’t afford to have a miscarriage right now. Everything would be okay, she told herself.

“O-of course. I’m on my way, thank you,” she said, making her way to the hospital as fast as she could. When she walked into Warren's room and saw him, she had to control herself not to scream out. She walked up to him but couldn’t hug him. He was really injured and wrapped up in bandages and stuff.

“Oh, honey!” she said and started crying. 

"Shh, hey, it’s ok. I lived. It’s gonna be okay,” he said in a soft voice. He could barely move. She sat next to him and took his not-injured right hand. She told him about the vision, and he wasn’t mad at her for letting him stay in this condition. He couldn’t live with himself if a full plane with people would have died for him. He would live and heal in time. Max talked to his doctor before coming in to see him. He had some fractured ribs, and his left hand and right leg were broken too. He had a mild concussion, but a brain MRI was done, and everything looked good for now. The doctor also said he had some cuts and bruising over his body, and his face was bruised and swollen. What concerned her the most was the mild internal bleeding they were keeping an eye on. He had a long recovery ahead of him with physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

He told her how the accident happened. The woman who hit him was severally injured too. She had lost control of her car for a moment and hit Warren and another colleague of his from the university. His colleague only broke his leg. He was not fully hurt by the car, like Warren, because he jumped out of the way on time. He came by earlier, while Max was on her way, to apologize to him for not pulling him out of the way in time with him. Warren was not angry with him.

“I’m sorry that you have to suffer because of me. It’s my fault. I was afraid of losing you this way, and now it almost happened. I’m really a curse,” she said sadly.

“Please don’t say that. I knew what I was getting myself into when I believed you and stayed with you after you told me everything about your abilities and everything. It’s no one’s fault. Who knows if I would be alive today if we weren't together right now? Let’s just hope it never happens again, okay?” he asked. She nodded and looked at his bruised face.

“I have good news for you. Maybe it will help you recover faster and better,” Max said, smiling at him and giving him a kiss on the back of his hand. 

“Yeah? What is it, Love?” he asked. 

“I found out I’m pregnant one hour ago,” she said softly. 

"Max, are you for reals?” He asked and tried to move his head more toward her, but she stopped him.

"Yes, I’m hella sure of it. Please try not to move,” she said, kissing his hand again. “I felt weird for some time and wanted to be sure before telling you about my suspicions, but now I’m sure,” she said.

“Wowser, we’re going to be parents,” he said unbelievably.

"Yes, we are. I can’t believe it myself. I don’t know if I’m ready, but I love you, and we will make the best of what we were given,” she said firmly. Warren agreed.

“Well, I have to get my motivation on to recover now. I don’t wanna miss the whole pregnancy,” he said, determined.

"Yes, but first you have to let your body heal. The bruising, swelling, bleeding, and fractures have to heal first. That takes some time. Your fractures should heal in 6–8 weeks, and the rest should also heal till then, the doctor said. And after that, you will start with therapy, and I will take care of you at home. We will manage, and I will have to call your and my parents. My parents will insist on coming to help too, especially after they hear that I’m pregnant. I’m not sure Olivia will be happy about your condition or the pregnancy,” she said and sighed. Warren chuckled and winced because of the pain.

“I’m really excited to hear her reaction,” he said, grinning. Max rolled her eyes.

After telling her parents the good and bad news and Warren's parents the bad and bad news, her parents came to help, like she had predicted. They took care of Warren when Max had to work, and her mom came with her to her appointments. They had to leave for work after a while, but they came out to them again when they could. Her mom was more flexible with her job as a tailor. Kate also helped when she could. She and her husband Ezra had moved to Portland too. She didn’t know about Max's being pregnant. They waited to be sure.

The baby was healthy and has developed well for now. Morning sickness was a bitch, and Max hoped that would get better soon. She had an appointment for her 12-week check-up today. The doctor had suspicions the last time but wouldn’t tell Max until this appointment. She just told Max not to worry. If everything went well today, she could tell their friends that they were expecting. She was most excited about telling Kate. She and Ezra had been trying for children for over two years now, and Max felt bad but also knew Kate would be happy for her. She would be a good mom someday and a good aunt for her and Warren's kids.

She was sad that Warren couldn’t be with her for the appointment and hoped he could be there when the doctor could determine the gender of their baby. She was glad her mom was there with her. Warren was getting better and better, and he had started therapy. Soon he would be allowed to put full weight on his leg and lift more weight with his hand. The fractures had healed well, and it didn’t hurt as much anymore when he used his body to move and train.

"Oh, I can’t believe my little Maxine will be a mommy!” her mom said excitedly. Max tried not to roll her eyes and just hugged her mom before entering the room for her check-up.

“Everything looks good as always, Mrs. Caulfield-Graham. And as I suspected, there are two healthy heartbeats,” her doctor said. Max froze, and her smile faded slowly.

“When you say two heartbeats, you mean my and my baby's hearts, right?” She asked, unsure.

"No, I mean the hearts of your fetuses. You're expecting twins—fraternal twins, to be exact. Congratulations,” she said to Max and her mother. Both of them looked at the doctor, flabbergasted, with open mouths. Max had wondered why her belly had already been so big for 12 weeks since she was more on the skinny side, but what did she know about pregnancies and baby bumps? She had to hide her belly with oversized pullovers already, and Warren didn’t have a clue about pregnancies either. Oh god, how would she tell Warren? she thought. 

After the appointment, Max and her mom sat down for lunch. It was nice weather outside for September. Her birthday was in three days, and she would be 27 years old with twins on the way. Happy birthday to me! My birthday present is... twins! she thought to herself.

“Mom I wasn’t sure if I could do this and be a mother, and now I will have twins? Fuck, how will I do this?” She asked her mom. Her mom took her hand.

“First of all, you have me and dad, and secondly, and most importantly, you have your husband, who is fighting to get better so he can take care of you both… Well, you three now. You will manage, and we will help as much as we can. Dad will have to go back to work, but I can stay here longer. I will just ask Ivonne to take care of the store without me for a while,” she said to Max, squeezing her hand.

“Thanks, mom,” Max said thankfully. 

They ate something and planned and talked about some things for the future before going home. Her dad and Warren were sitting on the couch watching a sports game together. They were happy to see them and asked how the appointment went. 

"Ryan, can we go to our room for a while to lay down? I’m having a headache,” her mom said, pulling him up from the couch. He was confused, but he followed her without any explanation.

“Is everything alright, Max? Is the baby okay?” Warren asked, concerned. She sat down beside him. They could hear her father saying “What?!” very loudly from the other room.

“Yes. Everything is alright… They are both okay,” she said carefully. 

“What do you mean?” Warren asked, frowning. Max didn’t answer. She just let the words she said get to him. He had his familiar thinking face on. Then his eyes went big, and he shook his head.

“No…,” he said, unbelievably. 

“Yes…,” Mas said back, nodding, still not believing it herself.

“We’re having twins?!” he asked in a high voice. 

“We are having freaking twins,” she confirmed. 

He put his hand on her belly and smiled at her, but she could see that he was afraid. She felt the same. He had his hand in his hair like always when he was nervous or anxious. They sat on the couch, holding hands and thinking, until her parents came back.

“My little girl is carrying two of my grandchildren in her. How strong a woman’s body is...” her dad said, looking at her stomach and then in her eyes. He had tears in his eyes. Max chuckled and stood up to hug her dad. After that, they all sat on the couch together, talking about arrangements because having two children at once would change things. Her dad would leave for work again tomorrow, and her mom would stay with them for a while longer.

Max and Warren decided to call their friends tomorrow to tell them about the pregnancy and that they were having twins. First, they invited Kate and Ezra over. Max wore something wide to hide her growing belly. She had prepared something for Kate before she knew that she expected twins.

“Well, hello, Mr. and Mrs. Jones,” Max greeted them when they arrived. Ezra laughed, and Kate hugged her, smiling.

“Hello to you too, Mrs. Caulfield-Graham. Where is Mr. Graham? How is he doing?” Ezra asked her. 

“He’s doing better but can’t walk anymore today. He just came back from therapy,” Warren called out from the couch. Ezra chuckled and went to him to shake hands with him. Kate hugged him too. They sat down on the couches and talked for a while. 

“We have a present for you both,” Max said to them. 

“For us? But it’s your birthday in two days,” Kate said. 

“Yeah, but this present is more important than my birthday and present,” Max said, smiling. 

“Oh, don’t say that, Max. Why do you think that?” Kate asked, frowning. 

“You’ll see. Close your eyes, both of you, please,” she said. They did as they were told. 

Max gave Kate a little box and asked them to open their eyes again. Kate looked curiously at it and started opening it. She took out two little onesies and read out loud what was written on them. 

“I love my auntie." She read the first one and then the second one. “I love my uncle.” She looked at the onesies and then at Ezra. Suddenly, her eyes got wide.

“NO, YOU AREN’T!” she screamed. 

“Yes, I am,” Max said and she started laughing. Ezra finally got it too, while Kate hugged her and looked down at Max. Max moved her pullover up to show them her belly. Kate teared up and hugged her again. 

“Congratulations guys!” Ezra said to both of them, also giving them a hug. 

“And guess what?” Warren said.

“What?” Ezra asked. 

“We would love for you to be the godparents of both of them if you want to be, of course,” Warren said, grinning. 

“Oh my god, of course we want, don’t we, Ezra?” Kate asked him. 

“Yes, thank you very much. We would love to,” he said. 

“Wait a moment... Warren, did you just say to be the godparents of both of them?!” Kate asked suddenly. 

"Yes, he did,” Max said, grinning.

“TWINS?!” Kate shouted out again.

Warren and she nodded and laughed again. Kate and Ezra had to sit down. This was too much for them. 

“When did you find out?” Ezra asked. 

“Yesterday about it being twins. But I have known about being pregnant for almost three months now. I found out the day Warren had his accident. It was a day of very mixed emotions. How is it going for you guys, if you don’t mind me asking?” Max asked them.

"Well, I don’t want to say or confirm anything until I’m not really sure, but I told Ezra today that I’m feeling different. I’m having an appointment with my doctor at the end of the week. We’ll see, I guess, but I believe that God will bless us with a child when he thinks we’re ready,” she said.

“Well, we will think of you when you have your appointment. It would be great to have someone for our children to play with,” Max said. 

“Thank you, Max. That’s really kind of you,” Kate said, hugging her again. Max was really sad yet again about how the world worked. She and Warren hadn’t been planning for a child, and now they were expecting two. Kate and Ezra had been planning for two years, but nothing happened. She really hoped they would get positive results at the end of the week. It would be fun to be pregnant together and share their experiences.

When her friends called her to congratulate her on her birthday, she told them the news. Dana and Courtney shrieked happily at the phone when they heard the news. They were still working together as fashion designers in Los Angeles and were making a name for themselves. They promised to design something for the baby’s and sent it to her.

Juliet was happy for them and asked if she and James could visit once the babies were there. James was now seven years old and went to school. Max couldn’t believe he was this big already. She asked about Zachary. He was still involved in their lives and saw James a couple of times a month, but they had officially split when James was three years old. He was a football player now and engaged to a woman named Camila. Juliet was also engaged to a man named Thomas. He was a good stepfather to James, and they even talked about having a baby of their own. Juliet had worked hard and became a photojournalist. When she had to travel, Thomas or her and Zachary’s parents looked after James.

Victoria couldn’t believe her ears when Max told her the news. She had to see it for herself to believe it, and she promised to visit Max after the babies were born. She and her husband, Josh, were happy, and Victoria owned her own art gallery. It was more successful than her parents gallery ever was. She was proud of that. She still had contact with Nathan. He was released from the psychiatric institution a couple of years ago and was living with his sister. They traveled together sometimes, and he still had a passion for photography. His sister supported him, and both of them had turned their backs on the rest of the Prescott family. He was doing well and regretted everything he had done. Taylor couldn’t believe it either. She promised to come with Victoria once the little ones were there. She had her own gallery not far from Victoria's. She told Max and Warren that she and her fiancé Bailey had spilt up not long ago.

Brooke and Daniel were still going strong and were proud parents of three dogs. They weren’t ready to be parents, and they weren’t sure if they wanted any in the future. Brooke was a chemistry teacher and did aerial videography as a hobby. Daniel decided to become an art teacher. They were teaching at the same school in Utah. Stella and her husband were still going strong and continued to work as real estate photographers. Stella was happy for Warren and Max. She herself could not see children in her future. She was still working on things from her abusive past and was happy to have a supportive husband now, but she couldn’t manage kids.

Damien and Lorenzo were happy when Warren and she told them the news. They were thinking about adopting a child, and hearing their news made the decision for them final. They would love to have their children play together. Alyssa and Emma have been a couple for almost seven years now and plan to have children in their thirties eventually. They also asked if they could visit once the babies were born. Max asked if she had heard from Luke recently. She hadn’t heard from him for over a year, and maybe Alyssa knew more. Unfortunately, she didn't, so they hoped he and Justin were alright wherever they were.

Max told everyone of them that she would do an online baby shower with them when she reached her sixth or seventh month of pregnancy, and they promised to send her presents to arrive around that time. Joyce called her too, and she told her about the twins. Joyce was really happy for her. Max felt sad after talking with her. Her daughter would never call to tell her she was going to be a grandmother. Max would have to involve her as much as she could in her twins lives so she could be a grandma for her children if she wanted.

At 20 weeks, when she reached the fifth month of her pregnancy, Warren could finally come with her to the appointment. He was doing really well and had recovered well. His joints still hurt sometimes, but painkillers helped him with that. Max and he had fun seeing how big the babies were each week. This week, they should each be as big as a banana. They should also be able to hear them, so Warren started talking to her belly, which was already really big by now. It was really cute, and she caught herself talking to them too.

She could feel a fluttering feeling in her stomach sometimes, especially when he talked to them and they looked it up. It was them moving. Max was happy to feel them, and it was such a mind-blowing experience to feel two living beings move inside of you. The first time it happened, she really believed that she was pregnant for the first time. It didn’t feel real before that. Warren loved to put his head on her stomach and just listen and talk to them. Sometimes they fell asleep like that. Kate announced that she was pregnant too, and Max was really happy for her and Ezra.

“What do you think we’re having?” Warren asked her while they were on their way to the appointment.

“I think it’s a boy and a girl since they are fraternal twins. It could be the same gender, of course, but I have a feeling it’s a boy and a girl. You?” she asked.

“I think two girls,” he said. 

“We will know soon enough,” she said back happily. 

“So are you ready?” asked her doctor later. They nodded yes and waited for her to start the ultrasound. After some time, they had their answer. 

“Baby A is a girl, and Baby B is a boy. And both are still healthy and happy, it seems like,” the doctor said happily.

Max and Warren spent the rest of the day looking at the ultrasound pictures, talking to the babies, and waiting for the fluttering movements. They were so happy and exhausted that they fell asleep on the couch with Warren’s head on her stomach. They used the next few months to prepare everything for the arrival of the twins. After the baby shower, they had a lot of new clothes, toys, furniture, and many more things for them. Max started to feel the twins move more, and Warren loved to put his hand on her big belly and feel their movements too. Sometimes it started hurting when they were really active. She once caught one of the twins foot or hand for a second because it kicked so hard that it looked like little mounds on her stomach for seconds every time. It was cute when one of them had the hiccups, and she appreciated that they went to sleep when she did.

Max didn’t have another vision since she found out about her pregnancy, and Warren got hurt. She was really thankful for that, because she was afraid of what that could do with her babies. But sometimes she reflexively rewinded time, when she broke something or when Warren was about to fall. She was scared that she would hurt their development. But every time they had an appointment, the doctor told them they looked healthy.

Max got emotional and sad about almost everything in her third trimester. She thought about Chloe a lot and missed her very much. She wished she could be here to be their auntie. Warren had to console her almost every day. And she had more nightmares. She called Joyce at least once a week to tell her how her pregnancy was going and invited her and David to stay with her for a while after the baby’s reached three months after birth.

So Max fought through her last weeks and also tried to enjoy them. She and Warren weren’t sure if they would ever have another baby after the twins. Kate’s pregnancy was going well, and she was beaming while Max felt bloated and swollen and wished for the twins to finally arrive. They had arranged everything, and the next step was to finally meet them.

On March 6th, 2023, the twins were born by c-section. Max and Warren were really happy and exhausted after the delivery, and they were happy for her parents, Kate and Ezra, for helping them. After some time in the hospital, they were ready to leave. Olivia and Henry came to see them too. Max wasn’t happy about that but didn’t say anything. They were Warren’s parents and the twins grandparents, after all. It was the first time since Max and Warren left Blackwell, traveled, moved to Seattle, and then to Portland that they visited them. They always traveled to visit them in Arcadia Bay.

“What did you name them?” asked Olivia after they greeted each other and sat down to meet and hold the twins. Max was on the couch with Warren next to her. She still had to recover from the surgery. Her parents were there, too. Vanessa and Ryan were each holding a baby and gave them to Olivia and Henry to hold.

“The name of our little girl is Chloe Kate Caulfield-Graham, and our boy's name is Isaac Erasmus Caulfield-Graham,” Max said. Olivia made a face like Max had shoved her lemons in her mouth. Max wanted to throw something at her.

“They are pretty names, aren’t they?” Vanessa asked Olivia politely. 

“Yes… who picked them?” Olivia asked Max almost coldly. 

“I picked the girl's name. Chloe is in honor of my best friend, who got killed in 2013, and Kate is in honor of my best friend, with whom I worked for a long time and who’s one of the godparents of the twins. She is one of the nicest souls I have ever known. Both had an important impact on my and Warren's lives,” Max said, trying not to grind her teeth.

“And I picked the boy's name. Isaac is a strong, traditional name. It has serious, covert nerd kudos through its associations with both Isaac Newton and Isaac Asminoff. And it was fitting because me and Max were, are, and will always be nerds. It’s something we've bonded about since we met. It also represents my love for science. And Erasmus is from the late Greek name "Erasmios," which means beloved. The grandfather of Charles Darwin, Erasmus Darwin, was a physician who wrote much about natural history, including mentions of evolution, and was an advocate of girls being sent to school to learn about sciences and finance. So you see, mom, each of the names was thought through, and they mean something,” Warren said to her. Olivia cleared her throat.

“Very well, son. Thank you for explaining,” she said to them both. 

“It is really fitting, and it suits them perfectly,” Henry said to them. 

“Thank you,” Warren and Max said at the same time. 

After his parents left again, two days later, Max could relax again. They enjoyed their time with the twins and got enough sleep thanks to Maxe's mom staying and Kate and Ezra helping. Kate was in her fifth month and was so happy and honored that Chloe’s second name was named after her. She promised that if her next child was a girl, she would name her after Max too. Max told her that it wasn’t necessary. 

“I think it is. She should be named after her godmother, who has been there for me since 2013 and has gotten with me through bad and good times, sickness and health, and never gave up on me,” Kate said to her. Max was so hormonal that she started crying. Kate gave her a long hug and was so hormonal herself that she started crying too. Warren and Ezra laughed at them.

After three months, Joyce and David arrived at their house. Max had visited them in Arcadia Bay every time she and Warren visited his parents. This was the first time she was here, and they hadn’t seen each other for over a year. Max hugged her for a long time. She gestured for them to get in, and they sat down in the living room. Warren brought the twins for them to meet. Max said to Joyce that she would tell her their names when they met for the first time. She gave Chloe to Joyce to hold and took Isaac from Warren. She sat down beside Joyce. David sat on Joyce’s other side and looked down on the baby in her arms. 

“So this is Isaac Erasmus,” she said, explaining the meaning behind the names.

“And the little girl in your arms is Chloe Kate,” Max said emotionally to her, holding back tears. 

"Oh, Max,” Joyce said, and she started crying. They hugged and just held each other and the babies for a while. David was emotional too, but didn’t say much. He didn’t want to disrupt the situation. They stayed for a week with them and bonded with Isaac and Chloe. Every time Chloe fussed, Joyce was the one to calm her down immediately. Isaac loved David, which was funny because he didn’t know how to deal with him. Isaac loved to just smile and look at him, and he was babbling the most when David was near him. 

“It’s your mustache, for sure,” Warren said to him. 

When Joyce and David left, it got a little harder to take care of them. It helped that her mom was still with them. When the twins were six months old, they had only each other left to take care of them. Kate and Ezra couldn’t help since they had to take care of their own bundle of joy. Shaun Noah Jones was born in July and was almost two months old now. Max and Kate already planned a play date, even though their kids were too young for that. But they couldn’t do anything wrong with tummy time.

“We will manage like we managed the last ten years,” Warren said to her. “And don’t forget Dana and Courtney will visit next week, and after that, Taylor and Victoria will come too.”

“You are right. We can do it!” she said. They put the twins down for a nap. Chloe hated nap time. She was just as stubborn as her namesake. But Isaac loved it and fell asleep really fast and deeply. After they got them down, they decided to lay down for a nap too. They laid down in their bedroom and just talked and joked around until they fell asleep. 

Before Max fell asleep, she looked at Warren. After all this time, she still loved him with all her heart and soul. She couldn’t imagine her life without him and was so thankful he recovered from his accident, was able to help her with their children, and that he got to meet them. Since the birth of the twins, she has been even more anxious for him to get hurt or die. She hadn’t had a single vision since the beginning of her pregnancy, and she was waiting for something to happen soon. She was also still worried if the twins were affected by her using her abilities while pregnant with them. She just had to wait and see what would happen. She put her head on Warren’s chest and listened to his heartbeat until she fell asleep too.

Chapter Text

Epilogue 

It is January 2033, and snow is covering Portland. Little Chloe and Isaac are outside playing with Mary and Shaun. They love the snow and had waited for a whole year to build snowman’s and to throw snowballs at each other again. They are shrieking, laughing, and running around. After an hour, Max comes to the door and calls them in. It’s time for hot chocolate. They leave the backyard and run up happily to her. Chloe hugs her mom, which isn’t easy since her belly got bigger. Their little brother is living in there and will probably come out soon, so Chloe can hug her mummy right again.

Isaac hugs her too and puts his ear on her belly to listen for his little brother. He can’t hear anything, so he gives the belly a kiss and runs after the rest of the kids to take off his wet clothes. Max laughs softly and goes to the kitchen to get the hot chocolate. Warren is in the living room with Kate and Ezra. The twins run up to him, and he has to react fast because they love to jump into his arms together at the same time. He twirls them around once before putting them back down. Mary and Shaun sit down on the couch between their parents and wait patiently for their hot chocolate. Kate is stroking her son's hair and asks him how it was outside.

“Here is the hot chocolate little nuggets,” Max says while bringing in the tray and putting it down on the table. The twins run up to the table to each grab one, while Mary and Shaun still wait patiently for Max to give them the cups.

“Mummy, we are not little anymore!” Chloe says stubbornly. 

“Your not?” Max asks, shocked. "Honey, did you know that our babies are all grown up now?” she asks Warren.

“Yes, Love, of course. They will be whole ten years old soon! Right guys?,” Warren asks them, holding all his ten fingers down to the twins. They each give one of his hands a high-five and laugh happily.

"Oh, your right! How could I forget that? I’m sorry, guys!” Max says to them and shakes her head unbelievably.

“It’s okay, mommy!” Isaac says. He is patting his mom's belly. Kate, Warren, and Ezra are grinning at her.

“And how old will you two big nuggets be again? Please remind me,” Max asks Mary and Shaun. 

“I will be ten years big also. In summer!” Shaun says happily. 

“And I will be eight years old, but at the end of the year. I just turned seven not long ago, remember?” Mary asks. Her full name is Mary Maxine Jones, named after Max, just as Kate promised almost ten years ago if she had a girl next.

“Yeah, that’s right! We were on your birthday two months ago,” Max says and sits down with Warren. 

They watch their kids drink their hot chocolate with Kate and Ezra. When they finish, they run up to Chloe’s room to play. Max and Kate talk about Kate’s new book, which she is working on. She is drawing and writing about the development of children. The book will be easy enough to read for children who will have a sibling soon. Warren is still a professor, and Maxes Gallery is still doing great. They are really happy, and their current pregnancy is going well. After half an hour, the kids come back down again.

“Can you tell us stories of when we were little? Pleaseee?” Chloe asks them.

"Well, I remember you were always really close, and you did everything together. You were always giggling, crying, or screaming together,” Max starts telling them.

“When you started crawling and later walking, you always chased after each other. You chased each other through the whole house,” Warren tells them.

"Yes, and you were babbling to each other and had your own language, you spoke together, and only you understood,” Max continues.

“I remember many times when you had your pacifiers in your mouths and you were taking each other’s pacifiers away to put them in your mouths. It was really funny because you just switched them for hours,” Warren says, grinning.

“And you always made a mess or got into trouble, like you still do sometimes. I found you once in one of your rooms, and you were drawing all over the wall. We had to paint the whole wall over again. You were five years old. And when you were much younger, you always made a mess eating. It was a disaster, and we had to almost always give you a bath after you ate,” Max tells them.

“I remember once when you put shampoo into each other's hair and were covered in finger paint from head to toe,” Warren says, laughing.

Kate and Ezra also tell their kids some stories. They are much less chaotic than the story’s of the twins. After Kate, Ezra, Mary, and Shaun leave, Warren and Max sit down on the couch with the twins. She looks at them and can’t believe they will be 10 years old soon. It's been almost 20 years since she met Warren, got her powers, and lost Chloe. She and Warren have talked about the twins for days now, and they decided to tell them everything that happened almost 20 years ago. They made the decision to tell them this soon or ever because they were sure the twins had developed powers of their own, and they had to understand their responsibilities and how important it was not to tell anyone or use them for fun.

Some weeks ago, Max had let go of a pullover, and Isaac was holding her hand. When she bent over to pick it up, she realized that it was still falling, and she caught it before it hit the ground. Max was shocked, but Isaac acted like nothing new had happened. She thought it was her who had done that. But some days after that, Chloe got mad because she had to wait for dessert until Isaac finished his dinner, and she grabbed Max's hand while whining. Everything seemed to suddenly move faster around them. Warren and Isaac moved really fast, while she and Chloe didn’t. Warren told her about moments like that with the twins happening to him too.

And yesterday Warren told them a good-night story, and it was about heroes and superpowers. The twins told him that they had powers of their own and talked about becoming superheroes themselves. Normally, that wouldn’t be strange because Chloe already told her that she was a mermaid, a princess, and a pirate. She and Isaac always talked about being something else, but last night they talked about superpowers and superheroes, and when Warren asked what kind of powers they had, they said they had powers to move fast and slow. 

So Max realized that Chloe can speed up time for herself and everyone she touches, and Isaac can slow down time around him. It freaks Max out that she can pass on abilities to her children, and she wonders what their unborn son might get. But luckily, it seems that they don’t have visions or all her abilities. They can only speed time up or down. And Max can say happily that since the twins were born, she has only had one vision once a year.

“Kids, we have to tell you something about mommy’s life and about her best friend she had 20 years ago,” Warren started.

“We wanted to wait for you to be older before telling you all this, but it’s important for you to know now because we have to be really careful. Especially with your little brother on the way. We have to stay safe and protect each other like superheroes. So I’m going to tell you something now. Is that okay?" She asked them. They nodded.

“It began when I decided to go to school to become a photographer. I was 17 years old, about to become an adult, and started at Blackwell Academy in September 2013. It’s also were I met your daddy. The school is in Arcadia Bay, where we go when we visit Grandma Olivia, Grandpa Henry, Grandma Joyce and Grandpa David. I had a best friend there that I hadn’t seen in five years because I moved to Seattle with Grandma Nessa and Grandpa Ry. But I moved back to Arcadia Bay for school and waited weeks without seeing my best friend. Her name was Chloe Elizabeth Price-“

“Hey! That’s my name!” Chloe says, in an exiting voice.

“Yes, sweetheart, that’s your name, and let me tell you, you remind me so much of her. You somehow got her name and character, like she was raising you and not me and your dad,” she says, smiling softly at her daughter.

“So I stared at the school on September 1st, 2013, and that’s where the story begins…” Max begins to say, and they tell their kids the whole story.

The End <3