Chapter Twenty-Nine: Butterfly Effect

Monday 7th October - Max's Room - 9:41 am

Rachel's POV

When I woke the next morning, I was met with an interesting sight. Max's sleeping face, a familiar arm draped over her and a flash of blue hair. Memories from yesterday rushed through my mind, making me smile.

After six months of insane revelations and confusion, here we were.

Considering what could have happened to me… and to Chloe… it was truly a miracle that we had escaped that cruel fate. All because of one person.

Max was really amazing. She had sacrificed so much at this point, experienced horrors I couldn't even properly imagine. Another me in another timeline may be closer to understanding what she went through, at least as far as Jefferson was concerned. The name brought a bitter taste to my mouth.

Pushing those toxic thoughts back, I focused on the here and now. On the two people who mattered most.

It must be strange for both Max and Chloe. Years of silence, followed by a whirlwind week with a painful conclusion… and now this. People brought back from the dead, with every intention of being permanent. Even the thought that I should be dead now sent a shiver down my spine. That… Chloe had died multiple times horrified me more.

Despite all the mistakes I had made, I would happily give my life to make sure she was safe. If it came to that. Maybe in that regard, I could understand Max a little. By this point, she had come too far to give up now. Whatever the cost of keeping those she cared about alive.

My hazel eyes fixated on the freckled brunette, expression softening. I had a lot to thank Max for.

"Rach."

The unusually soft voice pulled me from my thought, now focusing on the bluenette behind her. Chloe yawned, not bothering to cover her mouth.

"Hey," I greeted softly, not wanting to wake the girl in between us.

Carefully, Chloe reached out to take my hand in hers, thumb tracing small circles against my skin. I squeezed back, feeling at ease. My life had been a rollercoaster, so many twists and turns, ups and downs - a lot of downs, some of my own devising. Laying here now made the journey, exhilarating highs and soul-crushing lows, seem worth it.

Chloe's eyes drifted from me to Max, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I don't think I've seen her sleep this soundly since we were kids."

Over the years, Chloe had mentioned Max a couple times. For the most part, it was too painful to go into any great detail. The moment of fondness soon turned bittersweet, angry and sad.

The bluenette took my silence as a cue to continue. "I always wanted to stay up late. Max would go on and on about how we'd get in trouble, but she never wanted to miss out. Funny how I almost always fell asleep before her in the end."

That made me chuckle. "Sounds familiar."

Chloe managed a smile at her own expense. "I'm sure it does. Sometimes, I would wake up before her and just… feel so happy. Knowing she was there. We were so close, impossible to separate." Those last few words were a little strained.

A pang of guilt coursed through my body, words tinged with sadness. "Again, sounds familiar."

Picking up on the hint of regret, Chloe nodded. "Yeah. I'm just glad that she's here again. For a long time, I tried to hate her. Couldn't bring myself to do it. Like with my dad. Whatever I said about both of them, I still loved them. Missed them." She paused, correcting herself. "Well, love and miss."

William had also been a sore spot for years. There was a lot of pain there, even now. It wasn't so easy as just getting over it. If it was, Chloe would've done it by now. Just one of those things you never truly got over, even when you learned to accept and live with it.

"Well, at least Max came back," I pointed out, lightly squeezing her hand.

That statement encouraged a soft smile. "Yeah, she did. I just… wish she had sooner, you know. Guess it doesn't matter now."

"It does matter, Chloe," I gently insisted. "Just because it won't change anything feeling a certain way doesn't mean it's irrelevant."

"But I don't want it to keep controlling me. All the… anger, bitterness," the punk sighed softly. "I'm tired of that. I don't want to lose anything else because of it."

"You won't." Never had I been more certain of two words in my life.

Blue eyes met mine, unwavering. "You always sound so confident."

"In you I do," I replied, shuffling closer so I could press a kiss to her lips while trying not to wake Max. "I've seen what you're capable of, Chloe Price. The lengths you'll go."

Knowing that made me feel guilty for all the unknown heartache I had put Chloe through. Maybe one day, sooner rather than later, I would work up the courage to tell her about my mistakes. I could claim I was saving her the pain; in truth, I was simply scared of losing her over my stupidity.

A coward.

That was when I felt Max shift against me. Blue eyes fluttered open, dazed and confused at first.

"Morning," I greeted, watching her slowly realize where she was and her situation.

"Uh… hi," she replied, clearly uncertain how to proceed.

In the heat of the moment yesterday, she was practically invincible to feel her trademark crushing embarrassment and shyness. Now, she was left very vulnerable.

"Glad to see you're finally awake," Chloe added, trying to act as casual as possible.

It was obvious she was trying to keep her cool, make Max feel at ease by not panicking. I knew her well enough to notice the subtle signs of doubt.

Max turned back, making sure to keep her naked body hidden under the blanket, offering her a smile. "Hey, Chloe."

The exchange was a little awkward, but Max didn't shy away from it.

"So, how are you feeling?" I asked, breaking the possibility of silence.

The freckled brunette was quiet for a moment, biting her lip. "I'm… doing good. Don't think I've slept that well in a long time. Well, not without going into stasis mode, anyway."

Chloe relaxed slightly, the worst of her fears quelled. "I was just telling Rachel about our childhood sleepovers, how you always slept like a baby."

"After someone always fell asleep on me, yes," she added with a mildly teasing smirk.

"Maybe you shouldn't have been so boring then," Chloe retorted with a mischievous smirk.

With an expression of mock hurt, Max narrowed her eyes. "You are so rude sometimes. No wait, make that all the time."

"You know it," the bluenette grinned, unapologetic. "You bring out the worst in me."

A smile pushed its way onto my face as I watched them playfully bicker amongst themselves.

In that moment, I could see the old Max pushing through. No longer the overly serious doomsayer. Just a girl with her own thoughts, feelings and desires. A person who may never fully return, but could perhaps be partially recovered.

With time.

Chloe's POV

It felt strange waking up beside Max like old times, chatting away like old times. Like nothing had changed. Except everything had changed. Me, her, our relationship, experiences. The only thing that remained the same was the turbulent past we shared - and Max had tried to alter that once.

Unsuccessfully.

That didn't matter, though. While the distant past connected us, so did the present and hopefully the future.

Knowing the risk to come in less than a week's time… it was hard to stay optimistic. That was all we had right now. Max hadn't mentioned much about her plan to defeat the storm; I wondered if she even had one. Dealing with the human threats had been the easy part.

"Chloe."

Rachel calling out my name was enough to get me to focus on the present. When I returned from my thought, I realized both of them were staring at me. Their separate gazes shared a common thread: worry.

"Huh? Sorry, did you say something?" I mentally kicked myself for showing even a hint of obvious pondering.

Max and Rachel shared a glance before the former spoke up. "What were you thinking about?"

There was no point lying; they would be able to tell straight away. "I guess I just… don't want this moment to end."

I couldn't bring myself to go into further detail. Didn't have to.

"Me neither," Max agreed, voice quivering with melancholy. "Before, I thought that it would be nice to just use my power to relive a moment over and over again."

"And you don't think that now?" Rachel prompted, casually playing with her hair.

"Oh no. It would be amazing to just stay in a happy place forever. Remain carefree. But…" Her face crinkled slightly. "Then I wouldn't get to experience the rest of the good moments in my life. Like now."

"What about… the bad moments that come with it?" I asked tentatively, curious to see how Max felt about that now.

She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "As much as I would like to forget all the bad things that have ever happened to me, they have led me here."

"If you change one thing, the rest follows. Good or bad," Rachel concluded softly.

She nodded. "Exactly. I've had… first-hand experience of that. There's no such thing as a perfect life without hardship. Everything comes with its counterbalance. Often it seems unfair, and it is, but… you just have to make the best of it."

"Look at the philosopher." I lightly nudged her shoulder.

That made her laugh. "I don't even know what I am anymore. Too many things, maybe."

"You're Max fucking Caulfield. Time warrior." Those words came to me before I could even think, natural.

Max's eyes widened slightly. "You… said that before. On the day of the storm."

"Well, it's true. Although…" the blonde paused for a moment, deep in thought, "I would replace warrior with goddess. And add a few other things."

"Max Caulfield, time goddess," she repeated, clearly not sure what to make of the words.

Rachel smiled. "I think it suits you. Don't you, Chloe?"

"I…" Remembering how much power Max really had, even if she didn't fully understand how to control it yet, I couldn't really disagree. "Yeah. So, now I'm friends with a goddess."

"Girlfriends," Rachel swiftly corrected.

"Uh… ha, yeah…" The new distinction still made me feel nervous. Silly considering everything that had happened up until this point. "Girlfriends."

The emphasis got both Max and Rachel smiling. Maybe my embarrassment was a small price to pay.

Friday 11th October - Cliff Path - 1:24 pm

This was it.

The moment Max had been waiting for… and dreading.

All the things she had done up to this point, the lives she had saved then ruined then saved again… everything hung in the balance. It all rested on her ability to defeat the storm.

How would she do that? Honestly, she still wasn't sure. Not that she hadn't been thinking about it. Shit, it'd been on her mind constantly. Always there in the background. A reminder of the people she wanted… no, needed to save. For her own sanity.

She couldn't live with any more blood on her hands.

At this point, she was hoping that when the time came and she was facing down the tornado, it would all become clear. Something would click into place. Life was never that easy, but she had to hope. For now, her best plan was to somehow fight the storm with her powers.

Perhaps veer it off course? Freeze it in time? Rewind it out of existence?

Somehow…

It was terrifying. Having no clue what she was actually doing other than… what outcome she wanted. To save both Chloe and Arcadia this time, as well as Rachel. Everyone she had come to care about. All the people who may be assholes, but didn't deserve to die for what they did or didn't do. Those who had done nothing wrong, stuck in Arcadia Bay just like Chloe and Rachel were.

Some people deserved to die. She couldn't help but think that way now. After Jefferson and Sean Prescott, even Nathan to an extent if she was honest, she now believed that there were those beyond redemption. Evil.

Others… were misguided. They deserved retribution. Not death for a situation they didn't even create.

Life wasn't fair, but she wanted to try and make it fairer.

That's what was going through her mind as she stood watchfully on the clifftop. The sky had turned gray, waters turbulent. All animals had long since evacuated themselves, having picked up on the signs of trouble long before any human could.

It had gone way past the warning phase, the storm visible for all to see.

"Max?" The familiar voice drew her attention away from her last obstacle for a 'perfect' timeline.

Chloe and Rachel had insisted on coming. Just in case. There was no way they would let her do this alone. No matter how much she insisted.

"Did you say something?"

The bluenette passed a look at the blonde before settling on Max. "Just… checking you were still with us." Blue eyes flicked to the oncoming swirling mass, rain lashing against pale skin. "Holy shit…"

"It's… huge," Rachel managed, staring down the gargantuan tornado.

"Yeah." Max joined them, once again letting her gaze fall on the disturbed waters. This is it. The moment I've been waiting for… and dreading. Everything I've done up until this point… it was all for now.

Chloe noticed her unease, slipping her hand in Max's. "Max, are you… sure about this?"

The brunette turned to her girlfriend, giving a hesitant yet definite nod. "As sure as I'll ever be. If I don't do this…" She paused, not wanting to finish that sentence.

They had spoken about this day for months, constantly in her head. She was the only one who could stop all the chaos and destruction. Her 'initiation', according to Aika.

"People will die," Rachel concluded, almost afraid to say those three words.

As much as she despised Arcadia - after all the bullshit she had experienced - there were people who didn't deserve to be swallowed whole by a tornado. Leaving the bay and never looking back was one thing, leaving it to the fate of the storm was another. Much harder to justify to herself.

Exhaling deeply, Max stared out at the tornado again. "Everybody... I can't let that happen. Nobody is going to die… anymore."

"But… what's going to happen to you?" Chloe knew Max didn't know that answer, but she found herself asking the question anyway.

"I… don't know. For so long, I was ready. Or… maybe I was trying to pretend I was ready. Now I'm here, I'm…" Max swallowed hard, letting the doubt flow free, "scared. So fucking scared. What if I can't do this? What if I make it worse? What if I… never get to see you guys again after this?"

Tears stung at her eyes, a lump in her throat. She didn't want to disappear. She didn't want to leave Chloe or Rachel. She… wanted to live. More than anything right now. If it came to it, she would still give herself to the universe before even considering letting fate have its way, but…

The possibility still terrified her.

Hazel eyes fixated on the storm, then on the sleepy coastal, and finally on the two girls standing by. Rachel's mind whirred, coming up with all their options on how to handle this situation. Right now, they had to consider them. Even for a brief moment.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to Max with a serious expression. "Max, listen to me. If you say we leave now, we'll go."

There was no way Max wasn't having second thoughts about this; Rachel could see it in her face and body language. She would never suggest it herself, though. Not after all the work she had put in to get to this point. At the very least, she deserved to know that running away was a valid option now. If Rachel had to remind her of that, take the blame later, she would.

Max meant so much to Chloe - anyone could tell that just by spending ten minutes observing them - and she'd be lying if she said she didn't care about the brunette too. There were no guarantees this would work, no certainty.

Heroes weren't so black and white, not like in the fairytales.

For a second, Max considered it. She'd be lying if she said it didn't appeal to her. If she left now, they would all get out safely. The problem: she wouldn't be able to handle that guilt. Knowing that she let a whole town of people die, some of which she considered family or friends.

If she was going to embrace her power, she was going to do it right. No more running away.

"I want to say that, but…" she hesitated, making her final decision. "I can't. There are people down there I care about. People Chloe cares about. People you care about."

Chloe shook her head, locking eyes with Max. "The people I love the most are right here."

Rachel came closer, taking the brunette's free hand in hers. "Yeah, same for me."

"If I do that, leave now, I'll just feel guilty forever. Knowing there was more I could do. I can't live like that. I have to do this." Max wasn't sure who she was trying to convince more, Chloe and Rachel or herself.

Accepting the decision, Chloe leaned forward and kissed her. This wasn't the last time she would see Max, she refused to accept that, but she wanted the brunette to understand just how much she was loved.

Her hands found Max's face, feeling the time traveler's settle on the small of her back. Warm wet tears ran down Chloe's cheeks, mingling with the rain. They trickled down to her lips, tasting slightly salty. She was sure some of them were Max's, too.

Hearts racing in and out of sync, they locked lips for… seconds? Minutes? They lost track.

Eventually, Max pulled back, glancing away for a moment before catching blue orbs once more. When she was alone at the beginning, it was scary knowing the task ahead of her, but she had a lot less to lose back then. Or so she had fooled herself.

Wiping away a tear, or perhaps raindrop, from Max's face, Chloe managed a weak, "Well, you'd better not fucking die on me then."

Not wanting to steal Chloe's thunder, Rachel settled for a peck on the cheek. "What she said. Or else." She forced a smile, trying to lighten the dismal mood. "And I'll save our intense make-out session for after you beat that storm's ass."

That got a dry chuckle from the time traveler. "Guess I can't die now, huh."

With one last shared look, Max turned on her heel and stood near the cliff's edge. Chloe and Rachel hung back, arms around one another as they watched their girlfriend approach the edge.

If things went South, they would drag her away by force if they had to.

This is it. Back here again, staring down this fucking tornado. Can I control it? No, that's not a question. I have to control it. Or else...

Bracing herself, Max wiggled the fingers of her right hand, psyching herself up. If she was going to do this, she had to be committed. For now, she had to stop the tornado from getting any closer. It was getting dangerously near to Arcadia now.

Raising her hand, she aimed it and focused. The air around her grew warm, sparking with energy. Within seconds, the swirling mass began to slow down. Everything around her began to freeze up too, not that she noticed. Her only focus was the tornado.

Already, she could feel the usual strains of her time powers creeping forward.

Okay, Max. you can't freeze it forever. That will just drain your energy. If you change its course somehow, it'll still get people hurt. You can try rewinding it out of existence, but what happens then? Does it just come back later? Can you even do that?

She was swiftly running all the options through her head, realizing that they probably wouldn't work. Rapidly, she could feel her strength draining as she battled to contain the raging storm.

What should she do now?

Her hand started to shake, body feeling as if it were on fire. She couldn't hold on for eternity. She was so damn close, but not close enough. Her power was waning and her very life force appeared to be draining away. Weaker and weaker.

It wasn't supposed to end like this. At the very least, she was supposed to stop the storm before her body gave out. Right now, that didn't seem possible.

Blood dripped down from her nose and she began to feel dizzy as she struggled to maintain control. She tried to rewind, but it had very little effect aside from hurting her more. The edge of her world was going dark and her sight had become hazy. Everything she had worked so hard to protect was slowly slipping away from her.

The storm was slowly tearing her apart from the inside. Both her body and mind. It surged through her, locating the weaknesses and ramming them wide open. Taking her very being and… erasing it from existence. She could feel the icy claws sink into her, gradually ripping at the seams. As if she were held together by rusty paper clips and single strips of tape.

Surely, this was it for her…

You are not seriously giving up now, are you? Maxine's incredulous question echoed in her mind, snapping her back to reality.

Max looked out over the water in despair. Even with her hazy vision, she could see the tornado twitching, ready to start its assault on Arcadia the second she was ripped to shreds. But, I can't…

You can and you will, or so help me... You gave me hope of a future for us. Not just for me. For Chloe, Rachel and everyone else. I'll be damned if I let you give up now. There was a brief pause before Maxine spoke again, her resolve holding strong. This had better work, Caulfield. Otherwise, I'm going to be so pissed.

Before Max could ask what she was going to do, she felt a warmth spreading through her. It was… strange, but not unpleasant. Something inside began clicking into place, the last piece of the puzzle. A process weeks in the making reaching its conclusion.

Merger.

She felt Maxine's energy mingling with hers, setting her veins ablaze. Her body pulsated with power as their life forces reunited. The tears the tornado has started in her mind and body were stitched back together with an invisible needle and thread. Repairing and upgrading.

For the first time since she had obtained her powers, she felt in control and whole. Invincible almost.

With this second wind, her eyes glowed a ghostly blue and she focused all her energy on the storm that threatened the world she knew. She could sense the flow of time around her, feel the gaping tears she had inadvertently created.

From the timelines which had merged together in her, hence the hundreds - maybe thousands - of Maxes which had been in her head ever since she went into her first stasis experience. When Maxine took control of her body for the first time.

All that raw energy was being pulled towards the gargantuan swirling mass threatening to collide with Arcadia Bay's shoreline. Instead of struggling against the flow of time, she had to work with it. It all seemed so clear to her now.

She could control time. She just hadn't known how to properly before.

A lot of things were still unclear but she knew what she had to do now. Or at least, she hoped this was the right thing to do. It felt right, natural.

As she took a deep and calming breath, time around her slowed down to a complete stop. Golden streams of energy surrounded her, all seeping from wounds in the very fabric of time. Distorted whispers echoed, faint and ghostly. They all demanded her attention, tugging her in different directions.

Okay Max, focus. One at a time.

She began working on closing some of the smaller rifts as they would be easier. Focusing in on the closest one to her, she began to trace over the wound, watching as it shrank in size until it finally disappeared. There was no time to rejoice when there were still so many to fix.

As she closed each rift, the whispers and images from the remaining ones became clearer. She could see what the Maxes from each timeline had been through in more depth and clarity. It was almost sad to see their lives erased… even those less fortunate than her. Seeing so many possibilities was completely mind-blowing for her.

She found herself reluctant to close off certain timelines, especially any that showed her and Chloe together. Even though they weren't strictly hers, it was still time they had spent together. A different Max and Chloe, a different world… a different time.

The very last rift was connected to her original timeline. Where it had all begun.

It was by far the largest, as expected. She stared at it, remembering everything she had suffered because of that fateful moment in the girls' bathroom at Blackwell. Saving Chloe so many times, almost losing Kate, saving William… then letting him die, the Dark Room, finding Rachel… and almost letting Chloe get killed for good. This was her second and final chance, she'd known that from the start.

The storm was still there, although its size had decreased slightly. Not enough to give up now. Despite the pounding headache and shaky limbs, Max raised her hand to finally finish this. Everything was riding on this moment.

Her body moved almost of its own accord, performing a routine it had been destined to do from the start. Whether this had been by her own choice or if she was just fulfilling her predestined role from the beginning, she knew what she had to do.

Energy surge down her arm towards the final time rift, guiding its closure. There was more resistance this time. Instead of forcing it, Max took the time to find the right points. Following the natural flow, she watched the breach slowly but surely repair itself. By this point, she was exhausted. There was no way she could let it go now, though.

Concentrating every single remaining tendril of power, she stitched the last of the time wound back together. With the last of her strength, it was sealed and her body hit the dirt. She had done what she was supposed to do.

Now, she could rest…

When she woke, she found herself in the empty void again. Where she had first met Aika. Or at least, she hoped that was where she was. Alive, not dead.

"Max."

The vaguely familiar voice confirmed her first theory, somehow managing to sit up. As expected, Aika was there. They walked over to her, offering a hand. Max took it, standing up. She felt so dizzy and disoriented.

"Did I…?" Honestly, she was almost too afraid to ask the question. Had she done it?

A second after the question had been posed, Aika's once passive expression was broken with a slight smile. "You managed to stop the storm, yes. Everyone is safe."

Not caring about the other questions, Max broke down in a strange combination of tears and laughter. Relief. She had done it. The impossible.

Aika waited patiently, occasionally checking the golden pocket watch attached to their waistcoat pocket. Not out of impatience. The young time traveler had been through so much to get here, she deserved her moment of jubilation.

Eventually, Max's half-choked laughter subsided, other fears seeping through to ruin her victory. "Aika… am I…?"

"Dead?" The answer made Max wince, managing a nod. Aika removed the bowler hat from their head, running fingers through dark mid-length hair. "You are not dead, no."

The tears started up all over again. She was alive. That meant… she would be able to see Chloe and Rachel again. Everyone else she cared about. Still, something about the way Aika was acting worried Max. She only just noticed it now, the hint of concern.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, worry rising.

Checking the watch again, Aika sighed. "You did well, Max. But your work is not yet complete."

"What?" The surge of relief slowly faded away, replaced with fear.

The powerful figure nodded, expression earnest. "Yes, you closed the rifts. However, your work was… a temporary fix. A band-aid on a deep gash." Their golden eye dimmed, the violet one swirling more intensely. "It will hold together for the moment, but if you want to stop the tornado from coming back, you need to fix them properly."

Max's heart dropped. She had naively assumed that this would be the end of it. Or hoped was perhaps a better word to use. "Why me?"

"Because you created them," Aika explained calmly. "They are related to your power. Only you can sew the time streams back together once and for all. If you don't… well, you don't want to leave them to open up again. Let's just say that."

Of course it wouldn't be that easy. "How do I close them up properly?"

Instead of answering, Aika returned the hat to their head. "We'll discuss that soon. For now, you have earned a rest."

"But… don't they need to be closed soon?" Max was astounded by how calm Aika was acting. Surely they needed to deal with this now.

Tapping their cane against the dark void in various places, Aika continued, "The sooner the better, but they pose no serious threat for the moment. I can help strengthen your temporary fix, so just focus on recovery. I'll be in touch when the time is right."

The outline of a doorway appeared, probably related to the strange ritualistic cane tapping. Max felt drawn to it instinctively. "Where does that go?"

Aika simply smiled. "Why don't you find out?"

Cautiously, Max approached the shadowy door. Thin rays of light hugged the door's outline, coaxing her forward. With a shaking hand, she pulled on the handle and stepped into the piercing light.

"Oh and Max." She turned, just able to make out Aika's figure. "Time can either be the great healer or destroyer. You must both respect and fear it, but know that it can be a useful ally for those who gain its respect back."

Before Max could reply, the light engulfed her completely.

Blue eyes fluttered open, confused. The place they rested on was… unfamiliar at first. White walls. A strange smell, antiseptic. Steady beeps from a machine beside her, monitoring her vitals.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed two people sat in chairs, asleep. Ones she knew very well by now.

Throat dry, she called out to them. "Chloe… Rachel…"

Rachel stirred first, hazel eyes unfocused. When she realized who was calling out to her, she nudged Chloe awake. The bluenette grumbled, finally lifting her sleepy head. The second she noticed Max was awake, she jumped up from her chair and clamped onto her.

"Oh, thank fuck…" she managed through a sob, feeling Rachel join in on the hug.

Max's limbs were too weak to return it, simply letting them squeeze her. After a moment or two, she started coughing. They let her go, grabbing her some water. Once rehydrated, she tried to recall what happened.

She remembered… staring down the storm, nearly dying, merging with Maxine, closing up the time rifts… talking with Aika… the details were a blur.

"What… happened?"

Noticing that Chloe was in no state to explain, already having drawn up her chair and clamping tightly onto Max's hand, Rachel took the lead. "One minute you were fine, the next… you just collapsed. The storm was gone, though. Chloe scooped you up and we drove you here."

Max couldn't remember that at all. "How long have I… been here?"

"About three days, give or take," she answered gently. "I… we lost track of time because we were all so worried."

"All?"

"Oh, that's right. Your mom and dad are here. They went to go get coffee. I'll go find them." Not waiting for a reply, Rachel placed a kiss on Max's forehead before heading out of the door.

Now, it was just Max and Chloe.

They were quiet for a while, neither sure what to say. Eventually, the bluenette spoke up. "You… really scared me, you know. When I saw you collapse, I thought..."

"Sorry."

Chloe shook her head, incredulous. "No need to apologize. You did it, Max. You saved Arcadia and lived to tell the tale."

"For now," Max muttered, Aika's words echoing through her mind.

"What-?" Chloe question was interrupted by footsteps and voices, belonging to Max's parents.

"Maxine," her mom cried out, while her father simply managed a watery smile.

It took a full thirty minutes before either of them stopped crying. Max felt awful for putting them through this. Unfortunately, it had been necessary. Thankfully, Chloe and Rachel had made a cover story for her. Something about her falling and hitting her head. Not very elegant, but… unfortunately believable. She actually had an impressive scar on her forehead from her genuine fainting.

The hospital wanted to keep her in for another few days after she woke up, just to check on her. When they were satisfied she was well enough, they discharged her. Joyce and David had come to visit her during the short stay, and had let her parents stay over at the Price house. When Max finally got out, she also went to Chloe's. Both Chloe and Rachel wanted to keep a close eye on her, as did the adults.

The brunette hadn't heard a single word from Maxine, although knew that her counterpart had joined the many other Maxes to fill in the missing pieces. She had to wonder whether the merger was actually complete, given that the rifts still existed.

What would happen when she closed them? Would the Maxes return to their own separate timelines somehow? Part of her hoped so.

It had been two days since she left the hospital. Most of it had been spent sleeping. Rachel and Chloe had kept her company, making sure she wasn't bored and sneaking in a few kisses here and there. The blonde had cashed in on her make out session, although kept it tame to account for Max's weakened state.

They were all lying on Chloe's bed, huddled up. Max in the middle, Rachel to her right and the bluenette to her left. It still felt a little strange to think of them as girlfriends, if the brunette was totally honest, but she was getting used to it.

She couldn't believe she was here now. After being prepared for the worst-case scenario for so long, success was a fresh breath of air.

Well… temporary success.

"I know that look." Max turned to Rachel, who was eyeing her up with slight suspicion. "What's up?"

Chloe shifted onto her side, pinning Max down with her eyes. "Yeah, you've been… pretty quiet these past few days. I don't think it's all down to recovery time."

Max debated not telling them, voting against it. "You're right. It's… remember that thing I told you about before? The weird dream with Aika." They nodded. "Well, I had another one. This time… they said there was more to do."

"More to do?" Chloe repeated, frowning. "What does that mean?"

"It means… what I did was a temporary fix," Max explained, watching their once relaxed expressions falter. "It's fine for now, but… I'm going to have to fix it properly at some point."

"When?" Rachel asked, curious but also worried.

"I… don't know," the young time traveler admitted. "But if I don't, something bad will happen. When I was facing the tornado, it was… trying to tear me apart. I had to close tears in the time stream to stop it, but they are only temporary. If they open up again…"

"...the storm will start what it finished," Rachel theorized with morbid seriousness.

Max nodded. "That would be my best guess, yes. Although, I don't know for certain."

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Chloe asked incredulously. Max had survived the storm once, there was no way in hell she was going to lose her now.

Shaking her head, Max stared at the ceiling. "Aika said we had to wait. I… don't think I'm strong enough yet."

"But you will be," Rachel stated confidently, trying to put Chloe at ease. "You've done incredible things so far. I have no doubt you'll continue to surprise everyone."

Chloe didn't seem totally convinced. "I just… wanted it to be over, you know."

"For now, it is," Max reassured, both for her own and Chloe's sake. "We made it. Let's just enjoy that."

After a moment, Chloe nodded. Max turned to Rachel, who smiled back. They had all earned a break, Max most of all. Until the time came for Aika to call on her, she would put it to the back of her mind. The immediate threats were dealt with. A huge burden had been lifted from her heart and soul.

That was enough for now.

She thought back to that small blue butterfly in Blackwell's bathroom.

"The flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil, can cause a typhoon in China."

So, that's it… for now. There may or may not be a sequel in the works… Have an awesome day and see you in another fic