Say You'll Haunt Me

Song by Stone Sour

Bring the Kleenex back out for this, the final chapter!

2010

"If I had known he would use a drug to bring you, I might have killed him myself," Henri said as she looked at the melancholic girl sitting a ways away from him on the roof they were currently occupying.

Seattle expanded before their eyes all the way to the horizon, a city bathed in its own twinkling blanket of light. Max didn't say anything in reply to the guy who had introduced himself as Henri to her a few days ago. Sitting with her knees folded against her chest, Max just wanted to be left alone. Disheveled and dirty, Max's clothes were still spattered with blood and there was a dried smear of blood on her chin from where she had fed the night she had been reborn. Is it reborn, turned, or fucked over? Max thought as her depression continued, the shock of how she had been turned nearly blocked out of thought altogether.

Lifting her head up so that her eyes were positioned just over the height of her knees, Max watched with dim interest as Seattle's nightlife continued on. It was just supposed to be a party. An escape from being such a shy, cliché geek. I wanted…I wanted to fit in for once. Just the one time, I wanted to not feel like such an oddity. Now, I'm the oddity…

"…Girl?" Henri asked as he heard a cackling, somewhat maniacal giggle erupt from the brunette girl. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Max with her eyes wide open and a mad grin on her face as she openly wept. "You need to calm, child. You haven't fed in days, and you really do need to eat at this-"

"Don't tell me what to do! You're part of why I'm…why I'm like this!" Max spat back, taking Henri by surprise as her eyes shown with a diabolical menace. Hearing a squeaking noise from above her head, Max looked up to see a rat crawling across the roof of the small doorway that led back into the condemned apartment complex they were squatting in. Leaping up from her seated position, Max snatched the rat off of its tiny limbs and sunk her teeth into its flesh. She heard Henri gag but didn't care; she was hungry and she didn't want to eat another person ever. She could still remember the glazed eyes of the homeless man as Henri bent over him after snapping his neck, beckoning for Max to join him. So…hungry…had been Max's only thought at that time, covered in gore and some brackish goo that she couldn't remember getting hit with.

"That's fucking disgusting," Henri said with a cringe as Max responded by throwing the drained rat in his direction, "Cut it out, you little shit! Grow up!"

"I can't, asshole!" Max snapped back, her lips curled in a sneer as she hobbled on her weak legs toward the man sitting on the roof's edge, "I'm going to be fucking 15 for the rest of whatever the hell this is! I'm stuck as a goddamn teenager forever!"

Breaking into another fit of crying, Max growled and ran as fast as she could toward the roof's edge. She felt a moment of peace come over her as the rough surface of the building left the soles of her feet. I wouldn't wish this on anybody, and now I won't ever have to. I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I'm…I'm sorry, Chloe. Max fell about five feet before she felt a sharp tug as Henri grabbed at her by the back of her blood-stained hoodie. Thrashing about to try and wriggle herself out of the jacket, Max screamed as she was tossed back onto the rooftop. Running toward the opposite end of the roof, Max made it only a few paces before she felt a hand come across her face so fast that it knocked her onto her back.

"I said stop this foolishness!" Henri roared at her, crouching down to look at the sullen-faced girl. "You cannot behave like this, child. You simply can't. If someone were to find out that you had been turned and were behaving in such a manner…you would not like the alternative to having what freedoms you are currently using. Now…sit."

Propping herself up on her elbows, Max muttered "Fuck you" under her breath as she hoisted herself up into a seated position. Crossing her legs, Max glared at Henri as he sat across from her in the same fashion and watched her. Is that compassion? Where was the caring when I was being bled dry, prick? Will you call my parents, tell them that I'm sick or that I died? Will you pay respects to an empty grave? What about Chloe? Dog, what the fuck about Chloe?

"What?" Max asked, uttering the word slowly as she turned her head to stare at Henri from the corner of her eye.

"Let me teach you."

"Uh, what?"

"There are things you must learn, being what you are now. Things that are vital for you to survive."

"Why should I give you even an ounce of trust? Weren't you going to feed on me?"

"…There is no going back, child. Only forward."

Max sat and stared at Henri for what felt like an hour to her. Looking over his shoulder, Max saw the blinking lights of Seattle's tall office buildings in the distance and wondered how it would feel to jump from one of them, to fly in a nosedive towards whatever release came with such a move. Looking back at the man's face, Max weighed her options. In truth, she didn't want to die. Die again, I guess. She just wasn't sure she wanted to live. Maybe…maybe I could at least give whatever this is a shot…

"Fine," Max huffed as she rolled her eyes and leaned back onto the palms of her hands, "No more roof diving. I won't eat people, though, just so that is on the table."

"It's a start," Henri said, letting a small sigh of relief escape his lips and smirked as he watched Max shoot him a sardonic grin from his relieved state.

2013

"I'm actually hella surprised you're considering this, Maxaroni," Chloe said as she leaned against the kitchen counter, looking across the apartment as a seated Max Caulfied put her head in her hands on the living room couch, "Isn't that your final no-no? I mean, I hold myself as a special case-"

"Oh, you're 'special'." Max's tone, despite its sarcasm, couldn't hide the fear in her slightly quivering voice.

"-but intentionally making someone what we are seems a stretch for the girl who kinda hates being this way. Did they even give you a person they wanted turned, a list of people who might throw down alongside us?" Chloe sipped at a beer as she waited for Max to respond.

"Nope. The point is for me to consciously make the decision to turn someone, Chloe. I pick who, I pick where, and I have 48 hours to do so before Sheffield returns for evidence of my…'compliance'," Max said, a dread in her voice obvious, "I don't know what's worse, Che, the part of me that hates this whole situation or the part of me that wants to do it so that I can be free to be with you. I get a chance to really live again, Chloe. Really live. No more hiding, no more squatting in decrepit buildings. We can see the world, together, in peace."

"You're already with me, Max, so you don't have to fucking worry about that" Chloe said, an awkward smile on her face as she halfheartedly attempted to get a smile out of the distraught brunette.

"You know what I mean," Max said, turning her head to look over at Chloe with tired blue eyes, "I…I need more time to figure all this out. I need some time to myself to think this through."

Chloe set her beer down and walked over from the kitchen to sit beside Max on the couch. Putting a hand on Max's lap reassuringly, the blue-haired girl gave her fiancé a soft kiss on the cheek before nuzzling her nose into said cheek.

"You know I've got your back, Max Attack," Chloe said with a smile as she hooked Max's chin and pulled her so that they were looking at each other face-to-face, "If you need me to piss off I can. Just say the word, babe."

"I think I would like to just lie in bed. I could use some cuddling, though." Max said, her eyes despondent as she grasped at Chloe's top and clung to the fabric while burying her face into the bluenette's chest, "Can we just sleep? Like, sleep until tomorrow is over? Maybe even the next day? I…I'm just so hella tired, Che. Tired of all of the bullshit."

Prying Max's hands from her shirt, Chloe gently scooped Max up and lifted the smaller girl into her arms. Carrying her to the bed, Chloe laid Max down before slipping her clothes off to join her fiancé. Sliding under the bedding, Chloe felt Max undress while tucked away, their pale skin making contact with each other as Chloe wrapped herself around Max. Kissing the nape of her lover's neck, Chloe felt Max begin to sob and wrapped her arms around Max's shoulders. Pressing the depressed girl to her even tighter, Chloe whispered sweet words of support into Max's ear. She would never leave Max, not ever. With everything that had happened since Max returned, with everything they had been through, their bond had only grown stronger and Chloe was ready to die for Max if need be just as she knew Max would do the same in kind.

"Forever," Chloe whispered as she felt Max's shuddering begin to lessen.

"…Forever."

Max was nine, fooling around in the school playground when some of the kids in her class came up to her in the sandbox. Playing with a Tonka truck that Chloe had let her borrow, Max wasn't even paying attention until the first small fist smashed into the side of her head. Falling onto her side, tears instantly welled up as she began to cry from both the pain and the suddenness of the violence.

"W-Why did you h-hit me?" Max asked as her lip quivered, "W-why?"

"You tattled on us! You told the teacher that we were taking things out of the other kids' lunchboxes!" the boy who hit her yelled, "Tattler! Tattle-tale!"

"B-But I didn't! I-I saw but I di-didn't say anything!"

"She's a snoop!" a girl among the group of kids standing in front of her said, "It's why she doesn't have any-"

The girl was cut off as a fist collided with the boy who had laid his hands on Max, the fist turning into a forearm as the person hitting him threw all their weight into the contact. Seeing a wave of golden hair cross her vision, Max's eyes lit up as her best friend Chloe Price came to her rescue. The blonde girl flashing Max a dazzling smile as she hit the boy who had struck Max, Chloe lifted her leg in a kick and felt her foot connect with the boy's butt as he tried run away. Falling onto the ground, the boy began to cry as Chloe clenched both her fists and stood in front of Max.

"You leave her alone!" Chloe shouted, teeth clenched as the other kids took a collective half-step back, "Go away, you buttheads!"

"It's the snoop's girlfriend!" the same girl as before cried out, "C'mon. This isn't fun anymore."

The group of kids leaving their fallen comrade behind, Chloe turned to kneel down in front of the sobbing Max. Holding her best friend in her arms, Chloe patted the back of Max's head as she saw a teacher approach. Crap, Chloe thought as the teacher began to take in the spectacle before her.

"It sounds to me like my daughter did the right thing," William Price said from inside the principal's office as Max and Chloe sat in the hallway.

Holding hands, Chloe had let Max lean the uninjured side of the brunette's face on her shoulder as they waited for whatever the principal decided. Telling both of their sides of the story, they were the favorable group when the other kids backed out of standing behind their disgraced leader. Still sniffling a bit, the shy brunette girl looked up at her increasingly taller best friend and gave her a goofy smile as Max rubbed her head into Chloe's shoulder a bit more.

"Dude, I don't wanna get lice," Chloe said, looking away while trying to look cool.

"What're lice?" Max asked, not understanding what Chloe meant.

"Bugs in your head."

"I don't have bugs in my head, you butt!"

"You never know, and stop callin' me butt! I totally just saved your life, Max!"

"I know…I'm sorry if you get in trouble, Chloe. You always come to my rescue," Max said with a pout before looking up at Chloe with a seriousness that surprised the blonde girl, "Someday, I'm gonna save you."

"Maybe," Chloe said before growing silent, "Max, do you know what a girlfriend is?"

"A friend…who's a girl…?" Max asked with a confused look on her face as she looked up at Chloe with curiosity, "Are we girlfriends?"

"I think so. Yeah, I think we are," Chloe said, kissing Max on the forehead to the brunette's surprise.

"You kissed me!" Max exclaimed, her eyes widened.

"…That bad…?" Chloe asked, wincing as she looked down at Max. Feeling the other girl's hand tighten in her own, Chloe smiled as she saw Max look up at her with a bashful smile.

"Nahhhhh. So long as we're girlfriends forever. I love you, Chloe," Max said with a giggle.

"Really?" Chloe asked, her face become a little red as her eyes opened wide.

"I totally swear."

No matter how many times Chloe tried the gentle way, Max refused to get out of bed in the morning. Pulling a pillow over her head, the brunette had let out a growl when Chloe had tried to pry the fluffy shield from where it sat on top of Max's head. This is not the time for fucking around, Caulfield, Chloe thought as she nearly tore the pillow from trying to rip it from her fiancé's vice-like grip.

"Max! Come on! Literally a life-and-death decision to be made, and you're being fucking pouty? Dude, get…the fuck…up!" Chloe yelled, perturbed at Max's lack of movement.

Giving up on playing nice, Chloe grabbed the foot of the mattress and yanked it out a few inches. Seeing two glowing eyes look out at her from the shade under the pillow, Chloe felt a chill go through her body. Wow, she's getting hella pissed. Muttering "Don't give me that look, Goddamnit," Chloe yanked at the mattress with enough strength that it slid a foot out from underneath Max. Her head hanging from where the mattress had previous been nestled under her, Max hissed at Chloe before slowly sitting up. Hair disheveled, a single violet eye was visible as it stared up at Chloe for a moment before shifting back to its typical sky blue.

"You suck," Max mumbled as she slowly dragged herself out of bed. Glumly walking to the bathroom, Max closed the door and locked it behind her only to hear Chloe stop on the other side. Pausing for a moment, Max wondered if Chloe would kick her out of there as well before she heard the other girl sigh and walk toward the kitchen.

Turning to the sink, Max ran the cold water and splashed her face with a few cupped hands' worth of water. Weird-ass dream, a memory of me and Chloe as kids coming just a day and a half from, well, whatever happens next. I wonder if she actually knew what girlfriends meant back then. My Che, coming to my rescue so many times when I was little that I thought she might actually keep track of all the IOUs. Max couldn't help but grin at the idea of Chloe with a huge list of every time she had saved Max from a bully or held Max as she had cried over something. My tally isn't as high, but the risks have been a hell of a lot higher. Things…things might never get any better, at least not where we could be headed. Clearing her mind of the negativity, at least for the moment, Max brushed her teeth and showered. Coming out of the bathroom, Max dressed in a simple green t-shirt and blue jeans as she walked over to where Chloe was waiting with two large Styrofoam cups.

Chloe watched with fascination as Max grabbed the cup and proceeded to absently drink the contents through a bendy straw. Yeah, she was a butt when I was trying to yank her from bed, but she's holding so much in right now. I sometimes forget, between all the cutesy shit, just how tough Max has become since she left years ago. Noticing that she herself was presently being monitored by her own subject, Chloe nearly choked on her own beverage in surprise.

"Sorry, Maxaroni. Just…just wondering what you're going to do," Chloe said. Seeing Max's dismay, Chloe cleared her throat to speak again. "I didn't mean that. Barring any more drama, you have the rest of today and nearly all of tomorrow to do whatever. Sure, you have to make a decision somewhere in there. You can also have some fun with me, though, if you want."

"Very want. Much now. Chloe time. Wow," Max said with a faintly sly expression, setting her cup down so that she could sidle over to nuzzle her face into Chloe's arm. Trying not to cry at such a blatant display of affection, She's so goddamn sweet, Chloe kissed the top of Max's head and lifted her up so that Max was now sitting on the kitchen counter in front of her.

"Soooo, what are we doing then…?" Chloe asked, running her fingers through strands of brunette hair as Max nuzzled her face into Chloe's neck, "Uh, Max…?"

Max didn't respond with action rather than words, locking her legs around Chloe's waist as she pulled the bluenette's body against her own. Hearing Max beginning to breathe harder, Chloe could've sworn she felt her face become very hot for a split-second. Putting a hand to one of her cheeks, Chloe felt cool skin make contact with cool skin and was momentarily confused by the memory before Max drew her attention back in. Feeling a small tongue lick at her neck, Chloe began to breathe herself as short puffs of cool air came along after each lapping sensation.

"Max…you…unfff…you know you can't eat me, right?" Chloe asked, a small gasp escaping her lips as Max bit down at her neck with her fangs still retracted. A hickey? Whew.

"Mmm" was Max's only response to Chloe's question, garnering a bewildered look from Chloe before the bluenette wrapped her arms around Max.

"Are we just going to stay here…in the kitchen…?" Chloe asked, feeling Max barely lift her mouth from the patch of skin that she had been nibbling at.

"Why are you talking?" Max asked in a hushed tone, "Let's play."

Letting out a roar of delight, Max leaned herself back. Taking Chloe along with her, Max released her hold on the other girl and tossed Chloe into the living room. The bluenette landing on the couch, Max spun around and slid off the kitchen counter only to land in a half-crouch. Chloe untangling her limbs from the awkward landing, shot Max an evil grin as both girls' eyes turned violet. Holding up a hand to pause the upcoming festivities, Max walked casually over to the light switch and the apartment was immersed in darkness.

Giggling, Max darted straight for Chloe. Hearing Chloe let out a cry of surprise at the direct attack, Max jumped up and snatched Chloe's beanie from her head. Pulling it onto her own head, Max scrambled on the floor as she landed and broke into a run as she made her way into the bedroom. Max barely had time to try and devise a strategy before she started to laugh as Chloe yanked the Asian blind separating the living room and bedroom areas out from behind the dresser and tossed it in the direction of the hallway. Seeing the blue-haired girl clearly with her violet eyes, Max couldn't help but snicker at her fiancé before she leaped up from her kneeling position and pushed at Chloe with enough strength that the other girl flew up into the ceiling.

Not knowing how to climb as well as Max did, Chloe scratched at the ceiling for the full second she seemed to float before she came hurtling down towards the floor. Landing on all fours like a cat, Chloe's head snapped up as she looked for the tiny brunette perpetrator. Even with my hella cool powers, Max can still fucking hide. Sneaky little-, Chloe thought before she felt a finger tap at her shoulder. Quickly turning around, she grabbed at the beanie that was eye level to her and yanked it off. Her moment of triumph was fleeting, however, as Max ripped Chloe's shirt off in retaliation.

"What the fuck!?" Chloe cried out in shock before a growl escaped her as Max flung the tattered article of clothing in Chloe's face.

"Eheheheh" emanated from somewhere in the apartment, but Chloe couldn't see Max anywhere. Cussing under her breath, Chloe began to slowly walk back towards the bedroom area, leaning her head around in various directions as she methodically searched every corner.

Max watched from the bathroom, trying not to laugh as she watched 'Inspector Chloe' go at it with her search. You could at least put on another shirt, Che. I mean, I'll rip it off, but you could, Max thought with a mental shrug as Chloe began to shift direction towards the bathroom. Looking around and realizing that she had boxed herself in, Max braced herself before swinging the door wide open. Hearing Chloe yell after her, Max sprinted out of the bathroom and flipped over the couch before making a break for it towards the hallway. Hearing Chloe run after her, Max hurriedly unlocked the door and made sure that no one could see her before she leapt up and swung herself onto the roof.

Coming at full speed out the open doorway, Chloe stopped in her tracks right before the steps and looked around. No sign of Max anywhere, Chloe furrowed her brow and peered under the landing to see if Max was hanging underneath before she felt a rush of air as Max landed right behind her. Feeling a tugging sensation, Chloe realized as her eyes widened that Max was in the process of yanking her jeans off. Clutching at the waistline of her jeans, Chloe cried out "Nonononono!" only to hear "Yesssss" from Max before a loud ripping noise signaled that Max's speed and strength had outmaneuvered Chloe's last-second attempt. Getting dropped nearly on her face from having her legs literally pulled out from under her, Chloe shot back a menacing look at a hysterically laughing Max as the door swiftly slammed shut. Hopping to her feet after the stun of Max's actions wore off, Chloe pounded on the wooden door separating her from the apartment as she heard the door lock with a click. She did not just leave me out here in my fucking bra and underwear! Fucking Max Caulfield!

"Max! You let me the fuck in right now! This is totally not cool, Goddamnit! Let me in, you hella little shit!" Chloe barked as she heard Max snicker from the other side of the door, "Max!"

"…Okay, okay. Don't break down the door, Che. I was just playing around," Chloe could hear Max say after a moment before the door swung open. Chloe's irritation fizzled out as she saw that Max had stripped herself down to her own bra and boxers.

"Well…?" Max asked as she opened her arms out for Chloe, the bluenette quickly flashing a grin as she slammed the door behind her when she headed inside.

After what Chloe called a "Decathlon of Sexiness", the blue-haired girl couldn't help but laugh before Max smacked her with a pillow. Giving into Max's request to stay in bed as long as possible, Chloe's head was comfortably nestled in Max's lap as the two girls reclined in an easy silence. A smile on her face, Chloe looked up at the ceiling and suppressed a snigger at the small pockmarks where Max had dug her small fingers in before dropping down onto Chloe. The living room a disaster of knocked over furniture and scattered magazines and photo albums, they had moved from area to area of the apartment with the methodology of one of their nightly hunting forays. That…that was hella, Chloe thought as she recalled the past four hours. I can't believe that Max…wow. Just…just fucking wow. Seeing Max lean her head down, Chloe lifted her own up so that they met halfway for a kiss before Max leaned back against the headboard of their now-broken bed.

"Y'know, if all the shit tomorrow ends on a high note we're going to have to get almost entirely new, well, everything," Chloe said with a chuckle as she felt Max laugh at the comment as well before growing still.

"I just wanted today for us. I wanted to just forget about everything. Being here in Arcadia Bay, everything that's happened, all of it. Just you and me in a space that is ours and ours alone, Che," Max said as she ran her fingers through Chloe's blue hair, a pained smile on the brunette's face.

"If we make it out of tomorrow night, what's the next move?" Chloe asked, lifting herself up so that she was seated next to Max.

"…I don't know," Max said with a contemplative look on her face, "For me, this place was going to be my stop for a while. I-If I…go through with what they want from me, we could leave and just go."

"We?" Chloe said, smiling as she buried her face in Max's hair, lowering herself down slowly so that she began to line Max's cheek with small kisses, "That sounds hella nice, Max."

"It does, doesn't it?" Max turned her head so that her lips met Chloe's descending ones and she tugged gently at the other girl's lip with her teeth before kissing her. "Round two?"

"Dude, I'm not tired or anything but I think that I hella need a break," Chloe said, trying to get up only to get her head pushed back into Max's lap, "You miss me already?"

"I missed you for five years, Che. Even when you're here with me, I want you closer." Max's voice was strained as a brief flash of sadness came across her eyes.

Lifting her arm up so that her hand caressed Max's cheek, Chloe stared up into the brunette's weary blue eyes and thought of how much Max coming back had come to mean. The nervousness had almost completely vanished at first when she realized what Max was. I thought it was a fucking toy, a game, at first. You showed me more and more of your world, then you brought me into it despite your wanting what you thought was better for me. You frighten me, amaze me, and make me yours with every morning and every evening. You are all I need, Max. Well, that and killer weed. Heh.

"I love you, Max." Chloe's words were dense with meaning, each syllable laden with days and months and years of longing and pain.

"I love you," Max said, leaning down to look Chloe directly in the eye, "Hey. What's wrong?"

"What…what if things don't go well tomorrow? What if all we have is today?" Chloe's question cut into Max deeply, the brunette biting her lip before speaking.

"Then we'll make today count."

Chloe and Max didn't leave each other's side for the rest of the day and evening. Driving around, they stopped at Two Whales for coffee and the familiarity of their booth. Finished there, they walked along the beach for a bit hand-in-hand. Max splashed Chloe with icy water as she kicked at the tide before screaming in terror as Chloe picked her up and threw her into the water. Electing to not display her agility in a public place during the afternoon, Max surrendered to the fantasy of her former mortality and let herself land on her face. Crying out as the shock of cold water quickly saturated her, Max swung her head up to see a significantly drier Chloe nearly fold in half with laughter.

"Jerk."

"Tease."

"Punk."
"Hippie!"

Helping Max up, Chloe thought for a second that her fiancé was going to retaliate for the plunge when Max began to laugh as she wiped wet sand off her face. Joining in on Max's moment of happiness, Chloe helped her clean her face. Combing Max's hair as best as she could with her fingers, Chloe gave Max a kiss on the cheek and cringed at the wet grittiness of sand on her lips.

"But my face is au naturel!" Max smiled as she failed in looking offended by Chloe wiping her mouth off with her sleeve.

"Whatever you say, 'Little Derpmaid'," Chloe said between spitting out whatever remaining grains of sand still remained on her lips, "What next?"

"…Go fool around at the junkyard?"

"Why the fuck not."

The afternoon bled into the evening, which in turn gave way to a late night of alcohol and hunting for Max and Chloe. Playing music as loud as the small stereo speakers would go, the brick walls of Chloe's hideaway would have shook from the sound if they could. Bottles of beer, vodka, and moonshine were scattered on the ground as Max and Chloe drank themselves into a stupor. Nearly falling over each other, Max had run off into the woods with Chloe falling behind as they went after whatever they could find in the forest. Chloe didn't want the night to end, she didn't want any of this to end.

Max woke up first, half-dressed in the woods with Chloe passed out next to her. Finding her phone a few feet away in a small nest of her shirt and hoodie, Max walked to the small bundle and silently dressed. She's so peaceful, Max thought with a sad expression on her face. Yesterday had been amazing, but it had also been finite, and now Max knew what she had to do. Seeing on her phone that it was still morning, Max quietly tip-toed away from Chloe and checked her messages.

Seeing nothing new on her screen, Max shot Kate a quick message about meeting her at Two Whales for breakfast. Getting the reply that Kate would meet her there in half an hour, Max switched her phone off and crushed the small device in her hands. Looking back at the still sleeping Chloe, Max saw one of the bluenette's arms sluggishly move over to grasp where she had been lying down. Max felt hot tears come rolling down her cheek as she saw the sleepy grin form on Chloe's face as she curled herself back up in the blanket they had taken from Chloe's refuge.

"G-Goodbye, Che."

Max met Kate at the diner a little over half an hour later, Max having fed quickly before sprinting through the woods to the edge of town. Learning her lesson from last time she had used her abilities in daylight, Max had been thankful for the comparably shorter distance from the junkyard to the nearest bus stop versus another hospital-to-lighthouse trip. Walking inside, Max waved feebly at Joyce while picking the last bit of dry foliage off of her clothes as she made her way to where Kate was sitting. Thank Dog that Dana isn't with her, Max thought as she plastered a fake smile on her face before sitting down across from the pleasant-looking Kate.

"Wow. I think this is the first time I ever beat you here," Kate said with a grin as Max looked at her with a sardonic grin.

"Enjoy the moment while it lasts, Kate. Did you order already?" Max asked, smiling at Joyce as Chloe's mom came over with a cup of coffee.

"Max, did you sleep in the woods or something?" Joyce asked, her tone a little disbelieving as she took in Max's current state.

"Yep," Max said. To hell with it. Bye, pretense.

"…Okay, then. I'm surprised Chloe isn't with you," Joyce continued on before seeing how Max's eyes suddenly looked very cold, "Well…I'll let you two continue on. Be right back with your orders."

"Are you okay, Max?" Kate asked, putting a hand on top of one of Max's. "You look nearly as upset as you did when Chloe had me meet you two here. What's wrong?"

"I…I'm in trouble, Kate," Max said, pulling her hand away from Kate as she ran both hands through her hair, "I'm in real trouble."

"Like what?"

"Before I came back to Arcadia Bay, I…I did some things. To survive, I had no choice. I fought…a lot. Now, the people that I was fighting against have given me a choice – I can either do what they say and they'll leave me alone, or I'm pretty much screwed." Max felt a knotting sensation in her chest as she tried to balance what she could tell Kate with what she should withhold. Obviously, no vampire stuff. I just hope she doesn't think I'm a drug dealer or something like that…

"…What do you mean by screwed?" Kate asked, leaning forward as she bore down on Max with an intense look.

"I'll be in a lot of trouble. If I do what they want, I'll be free of them forever, maybe. If not, well, it won't bode well for me…"

"Are you in danger?"

"…Yes," Max blurted out, her thoughts consisting only of a repetitive Shit!

"Then you should-" Kate's sentence interrupted by her phone going off, "…you should do whatever you think is…sorry, my phone keeps going off." Pulling out her phone, Kate looked at it in puzzlement before glancing up at Max. "Uh, Max? Why is Chloe asking me where you are or if I've seen you?"

Max regretted her instant reaction, snatching the phone out of Kate's hand and slapping it face down on the table. Seeing Kate flinch slightly at the movement, Max let out a deep exhalation of air to try and calm herself down before looking back up at her worried friend.

"Sorry. I'm sorry about that," Max said, sliding Kate's phone back to her, "You cannot tell Chloe that I'm here. Please."

"Why doesn't she message…you left your phone behind, didn't you?" Kate asked, sliding her phone into her bag as it began to vibrate again, "Max, why doesn't Chloe know where you are?"

"Because whatever I decide, I don't want anything bad to happen to Chloe. I don't think I could function, much less…well, I just want Chloe to be steered clear of my bullshit's blast radius," Max let out with an exhausted sigh. "Please. Do not tell her."

"…Are you seeing someone-?"

"What? Dog, no! I'm not cheating on my fiancé, Kate. If Dana had to do something dangerous, don't you think she would try and keep you away from whatever it was?" Max asked, her palms on the table as she leaned over to look at Kate. "I-I'm sorry. I need to go. I'll just go. Again, please don't tell Chloe." I could turn Kate. She'd probably hate me for a while, but…ugh, no. Not Kate. Kate doesn't deserve…this. She's too good for this kind of life, too pure.

Getting out of the booth so fast she nearly spilled her camera bag's contents out, Max apologized to Kate and the approaching Joyce before making a run for the door. Looking back at the diner for what she worried might be the last time, Max ran down the sidewalk and was entirely oblivious to the commotion she had made inside Two Whales or that Kate was frantically messaging Chloe as Joyce asked Max's friend what was going on.

Knowing that she might have a little more time before Chloe came around, Max ran to the apartment as fast as she could without drawing attention. Nearly breaking the door down as she ran inside, Max pulled a piece of drawing paper from one of Chloe's sketchbooks and hastily scribbled a note for her love before going to the bedroom. Grabbing a balisong knife that had been taped to the back of her bedside table, Max yanked the covers and sheets off of the bed before cutting a hole in the middle of the mattress. Setting the knife aside, Max reached into the small hollow she had made in the foam padding when she brought the mattress to her apartment and pulled out a few stacks of dollar bills. Her emergency fund from all the photographs she had sold and jobs she had done online over two of the three years she had been on the run, Max took the money and set it next to the note before hastily scribbling "I love you, Che. I always will" and running out the door.

Trying not to cry as she walked the small boardwalk, Max plugged her earbuds into an old MP3 player and listened to a playlist that Chloe had made shortly after her return to Arcadia Bay. Aside from the grunge and punk that she knew would be expected of a playlist from Chloe, there were also some songs that her Che thought would be perfect for Max. Listening to "Mt. Washington" by Local Natives, Max rubbed the tears off her face as she battled inside herself. She didn't want to put someone through the same thing she had been living with for the past three years, but the image of a smiling Chloe kept invading her train of thought. Gritting her teeth so as not to scream, Max couldn't escape the question in her head of what Chloe would do if Max didn't come back tonight.

Leaving the boardwalk, Max walked up to a rock outcropping and slammed a fist into the jagged surface. Feeling a small crack form under her clenched hand, Max reared back to hit the rock again and again. Feeling her wrist begin to weaken, Max ceased punching and kicked the area of rock she'd weakened before walking away. She didn't need this, to be so emotional when she had to a decision to make. Moving to a secluded part of the outcropping, Max enjoyed some time in anonymity. Hidden away from prying eyes, Max hugged her knees to her chest and wished that she was a little kid again. She wanted Chloe to come and save her, but she also wanted to save Chloe.

Max wandered Arcadia Bay aimlessly, ideas of running and turning someone exchanging places in her head as she ducked into alleyways and into buildings occasionally to avoid a certain beater of a truck. Max caught a glimpse of Chloe as she had barreled down the street in her old truck, the blue-haired girl's face streaked with bloodstains from crying, and had almost ran out the door of the convenience store she had holed up in. I'm so goddamn sorry, Chloe. I'm so fucking sorry, Max thought as she choked back her own sobs.

The sight of Chloe in tears as she combed the town for signs of Max brought their need for each other back into the forefront of Max's mind. She had been so focused on making sure that Chloe didn't come to any harm from whatever she chose that she hadn't thought about the fact that she, Max Caulfield, was tearing Chloe apart right now in her intentional absence. What am I supposed to do? I can bring Chloe with me, and we can run. I don't know if there're people waiting for us outside of town, though, in case someone figures we might try that.

"Fuck!" Max yelled in the convenience store, oblivious to the looks that she got from the small number of patrons. Swinging the door open with enough force that the glass windows in it shook, Max left her temporary hideout and began to look at each person she came across with a renewed interest. She wouldn't turn someone who was married, had kids, or both. Whoever it was, Max decided, had to be single. I don't want to cause too much of a panic. Single person is better than someone in a relationship…or someone else's parent. Dog, what am I…who am I supposed to do this to…?

"I wish I hadn't broken my phone," Max said to herself, looking over at a payphone that was nestled inside an alleyway, "They still have those…?"

Walking over to the battered device, Max picked up the receiver and heard a dial tone mixed with a little static. Fishing through her pockets, Max found some change and slipped in a couple quarters. Her hand shaking as she hesitantly punched the buttons, Max put the receiver to her ear as she heard a ringtone. Nearly hanging up after the second ring, Max almost cried as she heard a sobbing Chloe pick up on the other end.

"Max! Max, I know that's you! Please, please don't hide! Just…just talk to me…! Please! Max!" Chloe cried into her phone from the other side, sobbing between some of the words, "Please-!"

Max hung up and slid against the payphone, covering her eyes with a hand as she braced herself against the wall with another. Feeling the hot liquid coming from her eyes, Max wiped at the bloody tears frantically before running further down the alley in search of something to clean her face with. The dumpsters being empty, Of course you are, Max ran back the way she had come to the convenience store and made a beeline for the restroom. Thankful she had avoided any prying eyes, Max furiously scrubbed at her face with the tacky-smelling hand soap until she thought her face might be brought back to life from all the force she was using in washing the blood off. Not bothering to dry her face, Max looked up in the mirror and came to a realization as she did so. This isn't just for me. This is for Chloe. I…I know what I have to do. Dog forgive me. Max walked with a measured pace out of the convenience store, running once she was out the door to what seemed like a predetermined destination.

Chloe Price was a nervous wreck. Waking up in the woods by herself, she thought for a few minutes that Max was playing around until she saw that her fiancé's clothes were gone. Oh, no. No, no, fuck no! Grabbing her own clothes and hurriedly running as she pulled her tank-top on, Chloe made it a few yards before she saw Max's shattered phone lying in the grass. Chloe was grateful at that moment that she no longer had a heartbeat, certain that she would drop dead from a heart attack right then and there.

Sprinting to the junkyard, not caring if someone saw her, Chloe slowed down as she approached the hideout and saw it had been undisturbed since they had left it last night. Not pausing for a second longer than needed, Chloe walked over to her truck as she tried to calm herself down. Max is fine, I am fine. Everything…everything is…Jesus fuck, Max. Don't do this. Not now. Feeling like she might cry, Chloe opted to punch an old refrigerator instead. Feeling the hollow door cave under the impact, Chloe panted as her feelings began to bubble up inside her before she pulled her phone out.

Chloe: Dana, u seen Max today?

Dana: uh no. Y? U 2 fighting?

Chloe: no but she's run off and I don't kno where

Dana: is she okay?

Chloe: I DON'T KNOW :'(

Dana: an emoji? lol

Chloe: Please. Please tell me if you see her.

Dana: okay. Sorry – it sounds like ur serious. U should txt Kate! She might have heard from Max – she took off about half an hour ago!

Slamming the driver's side door as she climbed in, Chloe dropped her phone next to her and started her truck up. Pulling out, Chloe kicked a cloud of dirt up as her tires spun from the gas pedal being pushed on the floor. Speeding out in reverse, Chloe hit the brakes and twisted the wheel so that her vehicle swerved out before she put it in drive. Flying down the hill, Chloe flipped the bird at a vehicle as she shot out of the dirt road and onto the highway leading back into town. Grabbing her phone again, Chloe proceeded to blow up Kate's number with message after message.

Chloe: Kate! Have u seen Max?

Chloe: Kate? U there?

Chloe: Where's Max, Kate?

Chloe: KAAAAAATE!?

Chloe: …are u with Max…?

Chloe: Where is she where are u tell me NOW

Kate: Chloe, something's wrong

Chloe: ! Where the fuck have u been?!

Kate: Max just ran out of Two Whales. Did she leave u behind or something? What's going on? She kept talking about being in trouble, having to make a choice and wanting to keep you out of harm's way…

Chloe: Kate.

Chloe: Which way did she go?

Kate: Honey, this is your mom. What the hell is going on? Max looked like she was about to cry as she bolted on outta here.

Chloe: not now mom!

Stuffing her phone into her jacket pocket, Chloe thought about heading to the diner. No. She just left there, dumbass, and I doubt the hillbillies will be fucking say anything to me. I'll start at the apartment. Please be there, Max. Please don't leave me, not again.

Nearly crashing her truck into the side of their building as Chloe shot her truck into the alleyway, she looked up as she came around to the back and saw that their apartment door was cracked open. Is she there? You hella better be there, Goddamnit. Leaving the truck running, Chloe ran out of the vehicle's cab and shot up the steps, shouldering the door as she sprinted the short distance into the living room. Everything seemed normal, Chloe noticed at first observation.

"Max? Max, are you here? Max?!" Chloe called out before running into the bedroom. Seeing the hole in the mattress, Chloe's brow furrowed in confusion before she ran back out into the kitchen and living room area and froze. Seeing three small stacks of dollar bills, Chloe felt her feet grow incredibly heavy as she dragged herself to the counter. Her hands shaking as she grabbed the bundles of money, Chloe's attention was diverted as she saw a note in Max's handwriting.

Che,

I'm sorry for leaving. I wish that I could have just laid next to you and hid in the woods for the rest of, well, ever. I don't get that luxury, though all I want right now is just to be in your arms.

Loving you has been the best thing for me. I'm pretty sure that we were meant to be, y'know? What makes it even greater is that you loved me back. You loved me so damn much that it made the hurt go away, the loneliness of the past three years disappear in a single look or smile. I could get lost in you and for a while I did.

Don't come looking for me, Chloe. DON'T. I can't say what will happen tonight, but I don't think I could go through with whatever I choose if the idea of you dying becomes more than a thought. I loved you when I was alive, I love you right now when I'm undead, and I will ALWAYS love you.

Please. Don't try to find me. This time, I'll save YOU from the bullies.

Forever yours,

Max Caulfield

PS – take the money and RUN, Che. There's enough to get you started in a new life. RUN, Chloe Elizabeth Price!

Chloe felt her legs give out, her hands losing their grip on the money Max had left her as she fell to the floor. No enhanced agility, speed, or strength could protect Chloe from the crushing weight of Max sacrificing herself to keep her love alive. Chloe sunk into a depression so intense that she couldn't even bring herself to cry; she just laid there, time seeming to stand still, as she stared off into space. Images of Max being torn apart, being boxed away, or being dragged away flashed before her eyes; each image pushing her deeper and deeper into herself. Chloe wanted to shut the world out, shut herself away and close the door on her heart forever.

"What do you truly want to do when you grow up?"

"Max, I'm already grown up. What about you?"

"Travel. That would be awesome. Explore the world. Go far from here…"

"Far from me? Thanks a lot, dude."

"Dude, you would totally come with me! I need a bodyguard for our adventures!"

"Why? Why did you leave me?" Chloe cried as the memory of her and Max planning out their adventures came to mind. Chloe laid on the floor of what had been her and Max's home, tears running down her face in a bloody smear as she buried her face in her arms and curled into a ball. Unrelenting, the memories continued to hit away at Chloe's inner defenses, slamming into the wall she was desperately trying to put between herself and everything she knew.

If our daddies work together then you must be cool. I'm Chloe. I think we should be friends.

Really?

Really.

"You l-lied to me. You're a liar. Y-you…you…Max…Max, why…?" Chloe choked out, her voice hoarse from crying. Her arms and legs feeling numb, Chloe got onto all fours and reached up to the counter. Pulling herself up, Chloe leaned against the counter as she panted in exhaustion. She was emotionally drained and felt like she was dying; Chloe leaned her head against the countertop and closed her eyes. Opening them, she found her attention drawn to the note Max had left behind.

Looking at the death note, Chloe clutched at it and crumpled the paper into a ball when she noticed the drops of blood sitting next to it. Those…those are Max's. Max's tears. God, she was sobbing when she wrote this. Looking down at the floor, Chloe noticed a trail of small red drops starting where the note had been on the counter and leading down and around the corner into the hallway. She cried with every step. Max. My Max. I can't let you go. I won't.

Not caring that she left the apartment door wide open or who might be watching, Chloe jumped down from the landing and headed straight for her truck. Taking a second to thank whoever might be watching over Max that nobody had stolen her ride, Chloe shot out the other side of the small back lot and began to scour the town in search of her brunette hippie. Speeding down streets, swerving around corners, Chloe felt incredibly lucky about the lack of cops along her twisted route. Squealing her brakes as she parked in front of Two Whales, Chloe sprang out of her truck and rushed inside.

"Mom, has Max been back here?!" Chloe yelled as she stood in the doorway.

"Chloe, what the hell is going on? Why…why do you have blood on your face? Oh god, where is Max?"

"I don't know and I…don't…know! Has she been back here since earlier?"

"Well no, but…Chloe? Chloe!?" Joyce shouted after her daughter, Chloe taking off down the street before Joyce could get to the doorway herself.

Chloe was a wreck as the sun began to set. She had driven through Arcadia Bay, to Blackwell, the junkyard, and back around in a circle. Repeating her course over and over, Chloe ended up having to stop at a gas station and put a couple gallons in the tank. I should've gassed up the beast before I went on my wild-Max chase! Stupid! Slamming the nozzle back in its holder, Chloe ran inside to stuff a wad of money in the cashier's hand when she saw the look on his face.

"What?" Chloe spat out, anxious to get back to her search.

"I've seen you drive by here a couple of times," the cashier said nervously, taken aback by the angry tone in Chloe's voice, "You looking for someone? A brunette girl, maybe?"

"Where the fuck did you see here? Was she here? Talk!" Chloe yelled as she grabbed the cashier by the collar and pulled him down so that he was inches from her face. "Fucking talk!"

"S-she was here twice!" the cashier stammered under the brilliant glare of Chloe's eyes, "I t-think the first time she ducked in was because of you. I s-saw her watch your truck fly down the street outside. The second t-time…she ran into the restroom. Her face was all…all bloody. Kinda like y-yours!"

Wiping her face with the sleeve of her jacket, Chloe was about to inquire further when she felt her phone go off. Dropping the cashier, Chloe walked outside in a hurry as she pulled out her phone to read the message. Max? Please be Max. PLEASE be Max…

Terrified and alone, she sped through Arcadia Bay as fast as possible. Praying that she managed to get through town without any cops noticing her, Chloe weaved her truck through alleyway after alleyway as she shot through town towards the lighthouse. I'm on my way, Max! Please, just please hold on! Don't do anything fucking stupid! Don't be a hero! Please…

Chloe could feel the steering wheel begin to warp under the pressure of her grip, the vinyl and metal bending slightly. Forcing herself to internalize her anxiety even more so, Chloe calmed her body and focused only on the road ahead of her. Street after street, intersection after intersection, Chloe let her mind race through dozens of different scenarios as she crossed through her hometown while her body was seemingly on autopilot. Looking out her driver's side window, Chloe watched as the Sun fell and gave way to the evening sky, orange becoming purple and black from out across the coast as she felt her heart sink deeper into her chest.

Images of Max, smiling and cheerful turning into pained and dying, popped into the forefront of her mind and Chloe found herself screaming as she continued to steer her vehicle.

"Fuck! FUCK!" was all Chloe could verbalize, 48 hours of building dread and nerves poured into a single word with all the calamity of an oncoming storm. Max had taken off last night while Chloe had been asleep. That night had been amazing, Chloe would even say heavenly, and now the only thing she had to go on in finding the love of her life was a single word texted to her from the Irish guy that she had drank moonshine with only the other night.

"The goddamn lighthouse. I fucking swear, I'll hella burn that goddamn thing to the ground myself if anything happens to Max! I…I fucking swear! Ugh, fuck!" Chloe cried out in anguish as she cried at the idea of Max being locked away for years or maybe even being killed. Feeling something down her face, Chloe wiped at her cheeks and watched her hand come back from her face bloodstained.

Chloe's fangs popped out in her terror and anger, and she felt her throat go raw as she let her unfiltered emotions run rampant with another scream. With a string of obscenities and guttural roars that were only partially muted by the panes of glass in her truck doors, Chloe unconditionally told the entire world to go fuck itself. Putting the gas pedal onto the floor as she shot out of town, Chloe hissed at the roadside sign telling her to 'Come visit us again soon here at Arcadia Bay!'

Barreling into the parking lot, Chloe felt her breaks nearly give as the truck lurched to a sudden stop. Nearly snapping her key out of the ignition as she tore it out, Chloe kicked the door open without bothering to close it as she went speeding up the hill. The forest was dead silent as she ran up the lighthouse path. She wanted to sprint, to fly up the hillside and stop what kept running through her mind. No way Max would be willing to go through with turning someone. She turned me, but I was already dying. She'd have to consciously take someone's life and I can't stop her. She'll get locked away and I'll be alone all over again and I need her I need my Max please don't take her from me she's all I want nonononono, Chloe's thoughts stringing together as the idea of Max locked up and buried away flooded every one of her senses. The smell of dirt, the touch of cold earth, the taste of soil and tears; it all overwhelmed Chloe and she found herself stopping just short of the hilltop as she dry heaved from the nerves running through her.

Staggering from the psychological shock of Max possibly being gone from her life, of being alone for what could be centuries, Chloe stumbled her way up to the hilltop to see what she could only think of as the last scene of a horror movie. Max stood in the center of the cleared-out hilltop, clutching someone in front of her. Coming up from behind, Chloe couldn't get a good look at whoever Max was holding onto, but that wasn't what her attention primarily focused on. They're like a fucking army. Hella fucked, Max. We are fucked.

Standing around Max in a semi-circle, the anxious British dude Max had referred to as Montrose stood with five other vampires as he leered at a crying Max. The other guy, Chloe remembered him being called Sheffield, stood at the door to the lighthouse and watched the unfolding events being played out with unwavering attentiveness. Despite Chloe's heightened senses, she couldn't hear anything or smell anything. Only what she saw before her coming in with a heightened clarity, Chloe stumbled forward and landed a few feet behind Max.

"You shouldn't have come here, Chloe," Max said, her voice drained of emotion as she looked over her shoulder to gaze at Chloe with bloody tears flowing from her eyes, "Why did you come? I didn't even tell you where I was going? How…?"

"I told her," Montrose said, pulling a phone out of his pocket and waving in the direction of Max and Chloe, "I nicked this from your pal Stephen, Ripper. See, it occurred to me and mine that if you didn't comply with our gracious host's offer of clemency that your mate might try something. Two for one. We'll box you both up after we-"

"You. Won't. Fucking. Touch her," Max growled, Chloe tensing as she watched Max stiffen. Still unable to see whoever it was Max was holding, Chloe thought she could hear the sound of someone stirring away.

"Wha…where am I?" a familiar voice asked as Chloe saw a head lift itself up from Max's chest and look at Max with a sleepy haze.

"Caulfield? What the…what the fuck? What's going on? Hey…hey, let go of me…," Victoria Chase mumbled as she fidgeted inside Max's unbreakable grip, "Max! Let me go, you fucking piece of-"

"Sleep," Max said, her tone one of command as she stared into Victoria's eyes. Chloe watched in a mixture of wonder and apprehension as Victoria's eyes fluttered before going limp in Max's arms.

"Turn her," Montrose said, pointing at Max, "Do it."

Chloe heard Max growl before she turned and looked at Chloe. Violet eyes staring holes into her, Chloe watched Max's fangs slid out as she reared back her head. Bringing her head down, Max was about to feed on Victoria when…

…when she stopped.

I can't do it, Max said, body shaking as her face was inches from Victoria's neck and a life without having to look over her shoulder. A life where she can be with Chloe and they could be happy. I…I just can't. If I can't do this, the least I can do is try and slow them down. If I don't kill them maybe they'll spare Chloe after I give her a head start. Max turned herself around, scooping up the unconscious Victoria, and walked over to a still-kneeling Chloe. Taking a knee herself, Max slowly handed Victoria to a befuddled Chloe, seeing the dawn of realization spread across Chloe's face as her blue-haired fiancé simply mouthed No before Max replied with a Run.

Spinning as she got back to her feet, Max lowered herself into a crouch and hissed as she sprinted directly for Montrose with her fangs bared. Hearing Chloe take off with the unconscious girl, Max let her heart go cold as she released the rage from three years of near-endless struggle and pain. Leaping into the air feet away from Montrose, Max swung a foot down and caught her prey at his collarbone. Grinning with a giddy abandonment of her senses, Max cackled as she felt the vampire's bones shatter where her foot made contact. Landing on her other leg, Max pivoted and slid the foot on Montrose's collarbone to his neck where she hooked him and tossed him to the ground hard.

Hearing the other vampires who had joined Montrose come running at her, Max jabbed a fist out to her right side and caught one nameless victim with a crunching blow to his sternum as she sprinted to another part of the hilltop. Taking the split-second to regroup, Max sprinted again as she grabbed another one of Montrose's lackeys and slammed her into the lighthouse with a dull boom as flesh impacted against old concrete and metal. Not paying attention as her prey fell from where she had connected with the structure, Max turned her head only for it to spin back as a fist connected with the side of her face.

Stumbling, Max felt another fist connect with her side and she howled at the feeling of ribs cracking from the impact. Grabbing the fist before it could pull all the way back from her ribs, Max took the clenched hand and rammed it up and into the throat of its owner before leaping away from a cinderblock being tossed directly towards her head. Feeling wind rush past as the projectile flew right by her head, Max watched it for a moment before turning around to see a second cinderblock connect with her left forearm. Feeling bones grind against themselves, Max felt her forearm break before the bone ruptured the skin above where it normally was set.

Hissing at the origin of the blocks, Max rushed headlong into the perpetrator as she thrust her right shoulder into the chest of one of Montrose's brood. Feeling the body crumpled beneath her force, Max winced as she a small wave of exhaustion rippled across her body. Shaking the start of cobwebs out of her mind, Max ducked as she narrowly missed a foot that vainly tried to connect with her throat only to get kicked by another foot squarely in the stomach. Lifted off her feet, Max felt someone grab her by the hair and lay into her skull with a punch that sounded like thunder when it connected.

Dazed, Max felt another punch land across her face before someone connected a foot to one of her knees. Crying as she felt the kneecap buckle, Max worked herself back up and flew at Montrose, the vampire nursing his broken collarbone as he watched from a short distance away. Fuck your lackeys, Max thought as she saw him notice her approach with stark terror, You're mine! Giggling at her prey's dread-induced scream, Max caught Montrose by the collarbone and crushed the bone altogether as she winced from the pain in her forearm. Tightening her hold with both hands as she flipped over and around Montrose, Max landed right behind him and stumbled from the weight shifted onto her injured knee. Screaming with a gleeful look on her face, Max kicked Montrose's legs out from under him and snapped the foot of her injured leg into the small of his back.

"Help me!" Montrose cried out as his followers that were still lucid enough began to move towards him before they cringed when he shrieked in pain. Looking at all of the other people on the hilltop, Max smiled before and during her breaking of Montrose's back. Standing on her good leg, Max dragged the injured one up into the air and slammed it down with all the force she could gather. Feeling the knee buckle again before her leg broke, Max's howl of pain turned to laughter when she felt the small of Montrose's back crunch beneath her foot. Panting, blood trickling down her nose and mouth as her hair hung partly over her face, Max staggered as she slid her foot off of the paralyzed vampire and watched the gawking onlookers with bright violet eyes.

"So quiet," Max teased before looking over at Sheffield, the stoic gentleman not having budged from his spot at the lighthouse door, "C'mon ref! Play ball or whatever! Still standing, aren't I? How about the rest of you?! Come on!"

Max limped forward, cradling her broken arm in her good hand as she tried to lunge at her attackers only to fall flat on her face. Max slowly pulled herself to her knees, looking up to see Sheffield watching her from his new vantage point only a few feet away. Crouching down so that he could look Max in the eye, Sheffield looked almost sad to Max.

"You didn't kill them." Sheffield's tone was quiet and somber as he gestured to the results of Max's onslaught, "I think it might've been easier on you if you had went for the kill, Max. Why didn't you?"

"…If…if I didn't kill them…," Max gasped while trying not to cry out in agony, her injuries beginning to take their toll as the exhilaration of fighting began to ebb away. Gritting her teeth, Max let a strained growl out as her broken knee was pressed on more from the shifting of her own weight. "…I thought…hoped…that you would leave Chloe alone…give her time to run…"

"You spared them to spare your lover?" Max could only nod at Sheffield's question, squeezing her eyes shut as the world seemed to dim around her for a moment. Can't…pass…out…

"Gotta…gotta fight," Max finished, the filter between thought and word shutting off as she continued forcing herself to stay conscious.

"Actually," Sheffield said as he looked over Max's shoulder with eyes widening, "I do not think that you do."

Max sluggishly turned her head to see what Sheffield was looking at before she felt a warbled cry escape her lips, the sound coming out more like a whine as she struggled to move.

"N-No…please, no. Chloe, why…why did you…oh fuck, why did you…?" Max gasped, her eyes widening as she swayed a little. Feeling hands wrap around her arms, Max turned back only to see a sad look on Sheffield's face as he helped her up.

"Go," Sheffield said with a mournful tone, "Be with her while you can. You're in no condition to escape anyway, Max."

Wincing with each step, Max dragged herself over to where Chloe stood and tried not to cry as she saw the blackened eyes Max knew came from feeding on human blood. Letting herself fall into Chloe's chest, Max felt achingly familiar hands push her away after only a moment's contact. Looking up at Chloe, Max felt her lower lip tremble as she gazed at the darkened eyes of her love.

"I…I couldn't risk you coming here, Che. I didn't…didn't want you to end up however I-I'm going to. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I thought I was sparing you-" Max's pleas of forgiveness were silenced as Chloe leaned down and kissed Max slowly on the lips, Max feeling a slight jolt of energy run through her as the small amount of human blood on Chloe's lips connected with her own. Panting as Chloe broke the kiss, Max nearly fell to her knees before Chloe caught her.

"Max…do you trust me?" Chloe asked, her voice low but warm as she cradled Max's broken jaw with soft fingers before snapping it back into place.

"You know the answer," Max said, wincing from the sharp pain as she worked her jaw a bit while Chloe helped her up so that she was steadied against a tree.

"I will be right back," Chloe said as she sprinted down the hill, Max wondering in her half-conscious mind what Chloe was up to. Wait, Max thought as her eyebrows knit together, Blood…feed…Chloe…Chloe you didn't…

Chloe returned with what Max had feared. Lying in Chloe's arms, a barely conscious Victoria Chase looked at Max with eyes opened wide. Trying to speak, Victoria could only cough up red spittle as her abdomen expanded and contracted in an uneven pattern from attempts at taking in a full breath. Lying Victoria at Max's knees, Chloe stood back up and looked across the hilltop to where Sheffield was standing. With a gesture, he halted the advance of the vampires that could still stand.

"If she turns someone, will you still leave us alone?" Chloe asked with a defiant tone, her hands clenched at her sides.

"…I will," Sheffield said after a pause, weighing the decision as she looked back at Montrose.

"You can't possibly-!" Montrose shouted before shutting up from the look in Sheffield's eye.

"Do not propose to tell me what I can and cannot do in my own territory. You are not dead, and you will heal. What Ms. Caulfield did was not even for her own gain, but rather this young lady's. Besides," Sheffield said with a smirk as he returned his gaze toward Chloe, Max, and the dying human girl, "I honestly do not fucking like you, you little shit."

Max watched Chloe kneel back down on the side of Victoria that was opposite her own, the blue-haired girl's face unreadable. Not acknowledging her right away, Max's body shuddered for a moment as the smell of Victoria's blood made her hungry. Panting, Max looked up at Chloe and saw that he fiancé was crying.

"Why, Che? Why do this?" Max pleaded.

"I did what you couldn't bear to do, Max," Chloe quietly spoke as she leaned her foreheads against Max's, "You don't have to worry about hurting her. That's on me, Maxaroni, and it always will be. I can deal with that, but I can't deal with the idea of losing you. Please…please just turn her."

Max felt her insides churn as she looked down at Victoria and thought of the events leading up to her own turning. Victoria wasn't drugged like her, wasn't preyed upon like she was, but a familiar hurt reflected back at her from the blonde girl's bloodshot eyes. Wiping away Victoria's tears, Max bent down so that she could kiss the dying Victoria Chase on the forehead. Getting a gurgling whimper in reply, Max looked at the girl with a sad smile.

"You can die, Victoria. I can end your suffering right now, and you will be at whatever peace comes after this. I wouldn't wish this on anyone," Max said, pausing to sniffle, "I wasn't given a choice, but I can give you one. What do you want? Do you want to die…or live again?"

Searching Victoria's eyes, Max looked down at the girl as Victoria suddenly grew very quiet. Reaching a shaky arm out to Max, Victoria feebly beckoned the battered brunette to come closer. Chloe moved around Victoria as Max wavered, the blue-haired girl taking Max's shoulders in her hands to keep Max from falling. The brunette hovered over Victoria's face as she leaned down with her haunting violet eyes to watch Victoria mouth her answer.

"Okay, Vic. Okay," Max said as she smiled kindly at Victoria once more, "Close your eyes, Victoria."

Max bent low over the dying form of Victoria Chase as she sunk her fangs into the red wetness of her bloodied neck, eyes slowly turning black as she fed.

2015

*Welcome to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport* flashed across the small LED display as the gate leading out from the plane opened. Passengers spilled out in an uneven trickle, families and solitary travelers colleting in random bundles as everyone headed somewhere for the holidays. The flight had been nerve-wracking, noisy, and an overall pain in the ass. Flights were usually like that. This flight was more so for some of the passengers than others.

"I can't believe you couldn't get us First Class," a voice said in a haughty, irritable tone as three girls stepped out of the plane with their carry-on bags in tow, "I mean, I get being inconspicuous, Max. I really do, but what the fuck?"

"You could try and keep your cool, Victoria," Max Caulfield asked the blonde girl, muttering "Wowsers" as she looked out at the large pavilion before them. "You don't see Chloe complaining, do you?"

"Chloe's your wife, Max. I don't have to behave…well, not all the time," Victoria growled before seeing the look Max shot her. Glancing down for a moment, Victoria bit her lip at the small brunette's momentary flash of anger when Max mouthed Quiet! before Victoria herself thought Stupid sire bond!

"Relax, Icky Vicky," Chloe said with a smirk, "It could be worse, we could be hiding in another cargo hold like the last time we flew-"

Elbowing Chloe in the ribs, Max gave the bluenette an irritated look before she took Victoria's hand and gave the agitated blonde a peck on the cheek. Hearing Chloe gasp, Max spun around and took Chloe's hand before giving Chloe a loving kiss. Hearing a disgusted "Ugh. Get a room, preferably far from me", Max sighed as the phrase 'baby drama' popped into her head.

Receiving a crash course in vampirism from Sheffield as Max and Chloe waited for Victoria to turn, both girls nervous at the possibly that she might not, Sheffield had described in detail how a Maker can imprint his or her will on someone they turned if they so choose to do so. Telling her momentary tutor that she felt that Victoria could be unpredictable as she didn't share the love Max and Chloe felt for one another, Sheffield pressed upon her the necessity to reign in her new progeny. Frowning at the idea of Victoria being something like a puppet, Sheffield calmed Max down by explaining that it was more like the ties between a parent and child.

"Does this make Chloe a baby daddy?" Max had blurted out, laughing at the idea.

"Ugh! I don't want to be Icky Vicky's baby anything, Max," Chloe said, pretending to gag.

"You killed her and expected me to turn her, Che. Honest-to-Dog, what were you thinking was going to happen? Just set her loose on the town. 'Fly. Be free…oh, and if you could not kill anyone that'd be great'?" Dork."

Hearing Sheffield cough to bring their attention back to the matter at hand, Chloe and Max both listened intently as he further elaborated on the basics of what it meant to be a free vampire. Realizing that neither girl would remain in his territory for too much longer, Sheffield explained that so long as they kept to themselves and didn't piss anyone off they should be fine to travel wherever before glancing over at the still-healing Montrose.

"…You might want to avoid England for the time being, though," Sheffield said to Max and Chloe with a smirk as they looked to see Montrose giving the three of them a middle finger from his prone position on the ground.

Presently trailing along by a hurried Victoria and a lackadaisical Chloe, Max couldn't help but smile. Lost in thought, Max wondered what how she would have reacted two years ago if her present self were to tell the Max Caulfieldfrom 2013 about this odd little arrangement. 'Oh my Dog' would definitely be applicable. Still is, honestly. Gathering her thoughts, Max returned to present day as the three of them headed toward the luggage drop-off.

Due to their new addition, Chloe and Max had remained in Arcadia Bay until Victoria graduated from Blackwell. The first month had been difficult; Max had to practically keep Victoria under nightly surveillance, relying on Chloe to hunt by herself for weeks straight. Victoria, while initially hostile to both of them, had eventually wilted under Max when the brunette used her new sire knowledge to get Victoria to calm down. Taking Victoria out with her on hunts for just the two of them, Max had coaxed a side of Victoria that was not as mean as her typical behavior. The only time Victoria had bungled a hunt was the first trip, when she failed to dress appropriately and cried when blood spatter covered one of her cashmere sweaters.

"Consider your ruined clothes a lesson, Victoria," Max had said with a firm voice, eyeballing Victoria until the blonde girl nodded meekly under Max's commanding presence.

After graduation, the three girls had said their farewells to friends and family as they headed off to explore the world. Ireland, France, Rome, and many more places; Max rediscovered places she had already been through Chloe's wide-eyed joy and enthusiasm, Victoria protesting as she tagged along while being just as amazed as the bluenette. After half a year, Max had finally consented to Victoria's request to go on her own under one implicit condition.

"You will not turn anyone or feed on a human," Max said, eyes focusing on Victoria's as she invoked the connection between them, "Unless it is an emergency you will hunt animals and that is all."

No questioning tone, no waiting to see if Victoria complained. Growing confident as she embraced more of her vampiric nature, albeit a bit reluctantly, Max told Victoria to keep in touch and to come back to her when called. Feeling a single pang of sadness at leaving, having grown accustomed to Max being around to help her, Victoria had hesitantly given Max a hug.

"…Thanks, I guess. For everything," Victoria whispered in Max's ear before speaking further, "If you tell her I said that I swear I will put iron through my own fucking chest."

"…Max? Hey, Maxaroni, snap out of it!? Chloe said as she waved her hand across Max's dazed expression. I didn't think she drank that many of those little bottles of booze. My girl's got a hella constitution, so what the hell is this? Looking up confusedly at Chloe for a moment, Max sheepishly looked away in embarrassment as Chloe gave her a wry smile. Still Max fucking Caulfield, you nerd.

Running her hands through her shoulder-length blue hair, Chloe pulled her old beanie on and began to load up their rental car. Never thought we'd come back. I knew it might happen, but two years seems hella short as well as too damn long. Mom practically screamed in my ear with way too much excitement when I told her we were coming for Christmas. Just glad Vicky is going to her parents' and not with us. Also, her getting her own damn car is fucking nice.

Chloe looked over at the brunette girl standing by the passenger side of their SUV and stopped loading up the luggage to walk over to Max and hold her lover for a moment. While they considered each other married, even wore wedding bands to show their commitment, they hadn't done anything official. Chloe didn't feel they needed to, and Max had mentioned something about 'avoiding too long of a paper trail'. Feeling Max kiss at her jawline, Chloe tilted her head downward so that Max could give her a proper kiss.

"Soooo, it's just us now," Chloe said as she pulled Max to the back so that she could finish loading up their luggage, "Nice to be just the two of us again."

"You're such a dork," Max said as she sat in the back of the SUV, her legs dangling off as she lazily kicked her legs, "My dork, though, so I'll allow it."

"You'll allow it? That's cute, Max. Real fucking cute," Chloe chided with a wry grin.

"I could bind you, bend you to my will. Come to the Max Side, Chloe Price. I have cookies…and sex."

"If you even tried to pull that on me, I'm pretty sure I could take you," Chloe said before seeing Max's head snap up to look at her in amusement, "Okay, okay. I'm just kidding. Do I still get cookies and sex?"

"You can always have cookies. Sex? Maybe."

"Brat."

"Dork."

"Nerd."

"Asswipe!"

"Fuckface!"

Both girls giggling as they thought about how many of their conversations ended in name-calling, Max slipped over the back seat and into the SUV's interior. Climbing her way into the passenger seat up front, Max tried and failed to hide her surprise at the already-seated Chloe. Starting their rental car, Chloe pulled out of the parking lot and headed away from the busyness of Seattle as she slid a burned disc called 'Max and Chloe's Excellent Adventure' into the CD player.

Joyce Price sat at the dinner table of her home as the Christmas dinner she had made warmed in the oven. The girls having called her to say they'd be a little late, Joyce had tried to sound disappointed but couldn't manage to get the right tone. She was too excited. Looking through one of several new additions to her collection of albums, Joyce sipped at her coffee as she looked at the collection of Max and Chloe's memorabilia. Postcards, photos, hand-written letters from Max, and printed out e-mails from Chloe, her girls had kept in as much contact with Joyce as possible through their travels. Sometimes, Joyce even felt that she had been traveling with them from the amount of mail she received. A miniature Eiffel Tower sat on the fireplace's mantel along with miniatures of the Pantheon, Blarney Castle, and several other replicas of famous structures across Europe.

Chloe and Max's last stop in Europe, the one where they had somewhat settled down into, was Amsterdam. Max had written that while Chloe was disappointed in how stricter the Netherlands had become they both enjoyed the culture enough to rent a house as opposed to stay in another hostel. Selling her professional work to local tourism establishments as well as setting up a travel blog filled with her own pictures and Chloe's writings on each place, Max had sent the link to Joyce. To say Joyce was astonished would be an understatement; the world that Max and Chloe had discovered together seemed both alien and wonderful as Joyce thought with a teary eye how happy she was that her baby girl had become truly happy with her so-called 'partner-in-crime'. Looking up to wipe the tears out of her eyes, Joyce was startled for a moment at the sound of "Mom!" from outside the front door. Taking a final drink from her cup of coffee, Joyce stood up and smoothed out her sweater as she made for the door.

"Hi, Joyce," Max said with a smile before sticking her tongue out at Chloe.

"What did you do now, Chloe?" Joyce asked as she saw the amount of snow piled up on Max's shoulders and in her hair.

"Nothing! You saw nothing, so I totally did nothing!" Chloe said, eating her words a moment later as Max smashed a handful of the snow Chloe had pelted her with into the bluenette's face in retaliation.

"She's such a…a butt!" Max said emphatically as she stomped her boots free of snow when walking in.

"I am not a butt! Besides, you like my booty," Chloe said, pouting as she failed to woo Max with her puppy eyes.

"How about you both give it a rest and give me a hug? I haven't seen either of you since, what, May of last year?" Joyce asked, opening her arms as Max nearly ran her over with a hug as Chloe followed behind with a small degree of embarrassment. "Welcome home."

Author's Note – If I get a 'You son of a bitch' message from someone over the next day or two after this is put up, I won't be surprised. If it makes anyone feel better, I cried when Chloe remembered her talks with Max after she had found Max's note in the kitchen. Seriously, I bawled.

This concludes Intersecting Worlds, Interconnected Hearts. What a goddamn ride this story has been. I never thought it would go this long, near a month. I chose to do a time jump at the end because it felt like an appropriate conclusion. Some of the best literature I've read has left plotlines and side arcs open for the reader's imagination and I wished to do that here. Do Kate and Dana stay together? What was Max basically raising Victoria as a newbie vampire like? I leave that up to your own thoughts and hopes.

I hope you all enjoyed this story and were moved by it as much as I painstakingly poured my own feelings into this while I was writing. Everyone who reviewed over the course of this chapter-by-chapter release, everyone who sent me a message or re-post on Tumblr – you are all amazing and I kinda love you right now.

Over 225,000 words and this was only my third story. I don't know if I could write something this lengthy very soon, but I'd like Fighters to at least be more than The Power is On and Rebel Girl combined.

Read, review, and thanks for the views! Seriously, every reader of this rocks in my book!

See you in Fighters and the in-progress sequel two-parter to First Date, aptly titled "Second Date"

Stay hella, Cinnamon Rolls, and yes – Max's line to Victoria as she was dying IS a war boy reference from Fury Road! Booyah!

-rowanred81