"Okay, so...how does this work?" Chloe asked, squinting through the window at the dark house on the other side of the road. She turned back to Max and tilted her head, awaiting an answer.

"Well, I don't...really know," Max replied. She looked down at the giant stack of journals and papers bundled together in her lap. "There's a chance we're going to get majorly screwed by doing this. You know that, right?"

I wish there was a safer way...

"The thought had crossed my mind," Chloe said. Drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, she scanned up and down the street. It was just before five in the morning, so the neighborhood was still deep in its slumber. The only movement came from the bobbing fireflies as they tried to mimic the gas lamps that marked each yard. "It'll be fine. Just need to drop off the goods all stealthy like. I mean, really, at this point our sneak level is totally maxed out."

"Even still," Max sighed as she rubbed her temples, "our fingerprints are all over the bunker. We could easily get caught up in this." She frowned. "Plus, there's Warren..."

"Do you really think anyone's going to care?" Chloe offered a somewhat dismissive shrug. "Why catch minnows when there's a big ol' prize winning tuna already on the hook?"

"You think we're minnows?" Max asked with a mock pout. "Surely we're at least mid-sized bass. Anyone would be proud of such a bounty." She slumped back in the seat and made a contemplative sound. "I get what you mean, but I'm not sure it works like that. I don't think police are allowed to just ignore certain things. Sean's going to want to know what happened, and so are they." She took Chloe's hand and gave it a light squeeze. "I'm just saying, we need to be prepared for some blowback."

"I hear you, Max," Chloe responded. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I'm cool with taking a charge for vandalism and breaking in if it means that piece of shit goes down for good." She gave her a warm smile. "Come on, you think this is going to be a problem for us after everything else we've been through?"

Okay so, comparatively this is pretty small potatoes. I just wish there weren't any potatoes. I hate potatoes now.

"Fair point," Max admitted. She pulled her hood up over her head and looked past Chloe at the house. "You're sure this is Berry's place?"

"I quadrupled checked," Chloe assured.

"Welp...alright, then." Max grabbed the handle of the truck's door and hesitated. "You better be ready to stomp on that pedal in case he has some kind of super security system. I don't know how seriously cops take door to door salesmen."

"No sweat," Chloe grinned at her, "I've always wanted to be a getaway driver."

"That's not surprising at all," Max giggled. She took a deep breath, nodded to Chloe, then got out of the car.

Holding the sizable collection of papers to her chest, she meandered into the middle of the street, then stopped to survey her surroundings. The morning air was cool enough to induce a chill, but there was something pleasant about the sensation. She knew that, in a matter of hours, the sun would rise and the temperature would follow suit. She knew it would happen. There'd be a dawn, followed by dusk. The day would begin and end, and that cycle would repeat for long after her last breath. It was a certainty she hadn't been able to indulge in for far too long.

And she also knew that, across the canvas of time and reality, trillions upon trillions of suns would appear to shine their light on worlds similar to her own. She hoped that others might possess the barest sliver of appreciation she felt for such a simple truth, but she also found beauty in the notion that most might never even feel the need to stop and be thankful. In a way, it was enough that they just kept living, unaware of the despair that came with a sun that refused to rise.

Max scurried along the pathway that led to Officer Berry's front door and was relieved to reach it without any motion lights or alarms. Carefully, she set the pile of evidence on the doorstep and gave the thin ribbon she'd tied around it a tug to make sure everything was secure. It included all of the entries and articles they'd taken, as well as a letter they themselves had typed up detailing the location of the bunker, the means to enter it, and a short note that highlighted the murder of the homeless woman. They'd had some slight concerns that, though a fair amount of the entries were handwritten, Sean's habit of typing his own would lead to the police questioning whether or not they were authentic or forgeries. Eventually, they concluded that they'd just have to have faith any doubt would be removed once the bunker was discovered. As Chloe had said, 'even the fuzz can figure out one plus one is two.'

They also considered whether or not they should keep the pages that spoke of Arcadia's influence and the few that mentioned Chloe by name, but ultimately decided that excluding them would leave too many of the Prescotts crimes undiscovered. They were confident enough that any mention of supernatural animals or curses would be discounted as lunacy, if not ignored altogether.

There were many variables in play, and though Max didn't like admitting it, Sean was undeniably smart. She knew he'd probably be able to talk himself out of at least one of his misdeeds, if not more. But a silver tongue could only go so far and, no matter how convincing he might be at first, he'd eventually be swallowed by the overwhelming evidence. Whatever repercussions Max, Chloe, and even Warren might face, there was a twisted sense of delight that came with knowing Sean would never escape his fate. It was a fitting bit of poetic justice that he should be forced to play the role that once belonged to Chloe.

"Get us the hell out of here," Max said as she climbed back into the truck. She'd barely finished speaking before Chloe hit the gas, causing her to thump back against the seat.

"Good job, baby," Chloe replied, reaching over to pat Max's thigh. "With any luck, that fucker will be in custody by the end of the day." She breathed out a sigh of relief. "Man, that's going to be so good. What do you think'll happen?"

"I don't know," Max said. "It's going to be a big deal, I guess. The whole town's going to freak. Arcadia Bay's not going to be the same after this."

That's going to be really weird.

"That's for sure," Chloe nodded. "I hope I get to see at least one picture of him in cuffs. I'll get it framed, no joke." She thought for a moment. "Hopefully this counts for something to Arcadia, too. Make it happy or...whatever."

I still don't really know how it decides whether or not a 'debt' has been paid.

"Yeah," Max said, "me too."

Despite finally being presented with the chance at a full night's sleep, the girls were simply too wired to do so. Instead, they stayed up all night talking about what had transpired. It was clear early on that it'd take more than a few hours to discuss everything, and so some topics had yet to be delved into. They agreed to take it slowly, as so much of it was painful and it seemed more appropriate to focus on their hard fought triumph. Which, now that their quest to drop off evidence of Sean's was complete, included a quick meal to soothe their hunger and finally, finally getting some rest at Chloe's house.

"Do you think all of my stuff is going to be back to normal?" Chloe asked as they turned out onto the main road.

"Everything in my room changed back, and I haven't noticed anything since we've been driving," Max replied. She made a dry, somewhat displeased sound. "I liked some of that new furniture better than my regular stuff. Not that I'm really complaining, but getting to keep some of it would have been a neat consolation prize."

I'll have to see if I can get my hands on one of those Kubrick posters...

"I promise I'll get you some nice furniture in the future," Chloe laughed.

"The future," Max said in mock awe, waving her hands in a mystic manner. "Pretty crazy." She side-eyed Chloe with a devilish smirk. "Oh, I have so many plans for you and I in the future. You might not even need to wait long for some of them."

"Are you hitting on me?" Chloe responded.

"A lot," Max giggled.

"Nice!" Chloe rocked side to side in her seat excitedly. "I'll have to cook up something extra spicy for my cute little savior." For a moment, she seemed genuinely concerned, but it was replaced by a wide smile. "Shit dude, I feel like I really need to step up my game. You need to be...fuck, I don't know. Worshiped...or something like that."

"Woah," Max was glad that the dark hid her blush, "that's...intense. I won't, uh, say no, though."

"I wouldn't let you," Chloe said, taking Max's hand. "I'd pin you down if I had to."

Jeez, we just saved the multiverse a few hours ago and she's already getting rowdy. That's my Chloe.

"You know, I didn't expect you to come out of this with a bunch of kinks to try, but I guess I'm not complaining," Max chuckled.

"Yeah, well..." Chloe pulled Max's hand to her lips and kissed her knuckles, "I didn't expect to come out of it at all."

"Do you want tea?" Chloe whispered as she and Max tiptoed into the kitchen.

"Yes please," Max said just as quietly. She went over to the fridge and peered inside. "Oooh, leftover pizza! Do you wanna just grab some and take it upstairs?"

"Hell yeah." Chloe pressed a button on the coffee machine, then retrieved a mug from the cabinet. She turned to Max. "Careful with the microwave. The door can be hella loud when it closes."

"Gotcha," Max responded, closing it as gingerly as possible. "Do you want me to nuke yours?"

"I actually like cold pizza," Chloe smiled as she rummaged for something else to add to Max's tea, "I'm not difficult like you."

Oh, PLEASE.

"You are literally the most difficult," Max said a bit louder than intended as laughter leaked into her voice. She covered her mouth at Chloe's playful glare, then slowly lowered her hand. "Are they both here?"

"I think?" Chloe looked up at the ceiling. "David's car wasn't in the driveway but he might have just parked it in the garage. Mom's def home, though." She hit another button on the coffee machine and a stream of steaming water poured into the mug. "What kind?"

"You pick," Max replied.

"Is this going to be like when I ask what you want to eat for dinner?" Chloe asked, narrowing her eyes.

"No, just pick one," Max chuckled as she retrieved her pizza. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket and she hung her head in exasperation. "Add another one to the pile."

"Should've figured people would want to know why we bailed last night." She dropped a tea bag into Max's mug and nodded at her. "All good to head up?"

"After you, cutiepie," Max said.

"You're the fucking cutiepie," Chloe responded in false anger. She headed for the stairs and Max followed closely behind. "Think you can just come into my house and compliment me. Ridiculous."

Wow, the difference is night and day. She's already back to her dorky self. I'm so happy.

"Ah, now there's the shithole I know and love," Chloe said as they entered her room. It had been 'infected' with relatively few changes, but now even those had been reverted to normal. "Crazy. Like nothing even happened."

"I think that's going to be one of the hardest parts for me," Max admitted. She took her mug from Chloe and plopped down on the bed. "It's a good thing, but it's...so weird. So much happened but we're the only ones who know."

"It's not that different than before," Chloe replied, taking a seat next to Max. "It's just a little...uh, bigger. We got used to it then, we'll be able to get used to it now."

"I guess that's true..." Max took a long sip of tea, then sighed. "Speaking of, I guess we should take a look at these texts and figure out what to say." She pulled out her phone and cringed. "Dang, that's a buttload of texts."

"Yeah, looks like I've got about the same," Chloe said. She thought for a moment, then turned to Max with a look of uncertainty. "So, there's one thing we should...discuss about the friend thing."

Talking about our dutiful son, no doubt.

"Ugh," Max rubbed some of the sleepiness from her eye, "I know, I know." She scrolled through her phone, then opened Warren's text thread. "If...when...something happens with Sean, he's going to want answers. How much should we tell him?"

"I'm willing to say as much as you are," Chloe responded. "I only think it's fair that we're honest about lying to him." She was struck with realization, and it brought a smile to her lips. "Weird, actually. The lie we made up is kinda close to the truth."

"It is, isn't it? Real life foreshadowing, wow," Max giggled quietly. She looked up at the ceiling and 'hmm'd.' "Do you get the feeling that somehow things were supposed to happen this way? It's just strange how it's like the universe didn't even miss a step in this whole process."

"You mean like Arcadia was playing the long game?" Chloe asked. She gave a tired shrug. "It sounds insane, but I also wouldn't be surprised. Actually, the more insane it sounds, the more likely it seems."

"That sounds about right," Max said, her voice muffled as she chewed her food. "I don't think we're ever going to know. But I'm okay with that." She tucked her legs underneath her and shook her head. "I think I understand now that it wasn't that Arcadia was using us as pawns, but that it just planned around who we are. I was angry because I thought we didn't have any agency, but after seeing and hearing how things worked... I don't think it was controlling us. It was just betting on us being...us."

"A nice way to look at it," Chloe nodded, "and kind of sweet, actually. Our love is a royal flush."

"Maybe we should go to Vegas," Max laughed. "I could offer you as collateral and then we'd never lose."

"You know, I think I've had my fill of being a sacrificial lamb," Chloe snirked, "but I guess I could make an exception for you."

The girls quickly finished up their food, then set to responding to the myriad of texts they'd received. Nearly all of them were misspelled, a sign that they'd been sent while the person was still drunk, which made it slightly easier to bullshit a reason for their disappearance. They'd settled on something simple – Max wasn't feeling well, so they thought it was best to leave. The only time they veered from that explanation was in their response to Warren, which simply said 'we'll tell you later' with a shushing emoji.

By the time that task had been completed, the beginnings of dawn were showing themselves through Chloe's curtains and the musical notes of awakened birds flitted around outside.

"Fuck," Chloe said, the word stretched out over a particularly loud yawn, "I'm beat." She chuckled when Max released a yawn of her own. "What do you think? Time for some sleep?"

"All the sleep," Max responded. She rolled back onto the bed, then wormed her way under the covers. "Come here and snuggle me."

"Twist my arm, why don't ya?" Chloe settled herself under the blankets and wrapped both of her arms and a leg around Max. "Koala mode engaged."

"Makes me feel safe..." Max turned her head enough to brush her nose with Chloe's. "I love you more than anything."

"I know you do," Chloe said seriously. "And yet...I still love you more."

"You're lucky I'm half-asleep or I'd fight you," Max snickered. She placed a kiss on the corner of Chloe's lips. "I'll just do it later."

Max snapped awake at the sound, adrenaline surging through her body. It was stunning how quickly she'd gone from asleep to alert, but it was to be expected given how often she'd been woken up by a similar sound. Eyes wide, she listened for it to come again, hoping it might have just been a fragment of a dream. But then she heard it – someone shouting.

"Girls! You have to come down here and see this!" the gravelly voice called up again.

Oh god, okay. It's just David being loud... I think.

Max felt her breathing immediately slow down, as she could now tell they weren't the words of someone in danger. That was good, but a part of her was still ornery that she'd once again been robbed of the simple pleasure that was waking up of her own accord. She shook Chloe awake.

"Chloe, come on, David's calling for us," she said. Much like Max, she instantly lurched upright. She grabbed hold of the girl's wrist and looked at her with worry. "No, I think it's okay. He just wants us to come downstairs for some reason. It's okay."

"Holy shit..." Chloe let out a long, relieved breath. "Fuck, that scared the shit out of me. What does he w-"

"GIRLS!" David yelled.

"Coming!" Chloe responded, scurrying from under the blankets. She followed behind Max, who was already halfway out of the room.

They hurried down the steps, their feet stomping and banging wildly enough to betray any intention of appearing 'calm.' However, as they rushed into the living room, they both came to an abrupt stop. The TV was on, and David was watching it with such intensity that his rear wasn't even touching the couch cushion. He glanced over his shoulder and waved them closer.

"You'll never believe this shit," he said with a lilt of excitement in his voice. He pointed at the TV. "Look! They got the bastard!"

As he spoke, the TV cut from the woman speaking to footage of a handcuffed Sean Prescott being escorted into the back of police car. Without a word, Max slowly made her way to the space beside David and sat down. Chloe followed, sitting on the arm of the sofa. There was a cacophony of voices, all of them asking questions as microphones jutted in from outside the frame of the video. As the camera swiveled, Max even recognized the reporter that Victoria punched all those months ago.

That's...more reporters than I was expecting. I didn't know Arcadia Bay even had that many. Strange.

As the footage looped, Max tilted her head. She almost couldn't believe what she was watching. Sure, it was what she and Chloe wanted to happen, but it was still a surreal thing to witness. Sean Prescott, along with the men that preceded him, was the main cause of all that had happened. He was the deepest, most stubborn root from which a monstrous, gnarled tree was grown. It had innumerable branches, all rotten with death and decay that spanned thousands of years and even more realities. It all came back to him – a root embedded so far down into the soil, it seemed impossible to reach. Yet, there he was on the television, severed and torn from the dirt for all to see.

"Girls?" David asked, noticing their silence.

"Oh, uh, sorry," Chloe shook her head, "I'm just...kind of speechless." She glanced down at Max to make sure they were on the same page.

"Yeah," Max added, "I don't even know what to say." Despite knowing the truth, it was crucial for them to play dumb. "What...happened?"

We happened.

"They haven't released many details," David explained, "I think they want to keep it close to the vest for now. There was something going on at the Pan Estates lots, then the police showed up to his house. That was three hours ago." He sighed. "Damn, I wish I'd been awake to see when the news first broke."

"That's so wild," Chloe said, though not as enthusiastically as she probably should have, "I guess he's finally out of our hair, huh?"

"I sure as hell hope so." He turned back to the TV and shook his head in amazement. "I just can't believe it. I never though- oh, shhh!" He grabbed the remote and turned the volume up as the repeating footage of Sean cut back to the reporter.

"The police have yet to share many details," the woman said, "but we've now learned that Sean Prescott had a storm bunker built on his property of the now defunct 'Pan Estates' project. This of course brings to mind the case late last year where Blackwell Academy teacher Mark Jefferson and Sean's son, Nathan, were discovered to be using a similar bunker to drug and kidnap female students from Blackwell in order to photograph them."

"What!? That son of a bitch," David growled, slamming his fist on the table. "Right under my nose, again! I developed a security system for that damned place and you're telling me this bunker was there the whole time? I'm..." He took a deep breath, then buried his face in his hands. "Twice now... If I'd only paid closer attention..."

"It's not your fault, David," Max said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's not your job to hunt down deranged criminals. You can't blame yourself."

That's our job, apparently.

"Max is right," Chloe added, "you couldn't have known. Please, don't beat yourself up about this." She held her hands out. "I think we should just be happy that it's over. I'm sure whatever they find is going to be enough to lock him up for a long, long time."

"I hope so," David said, still sounding somewhat dejected. "I just can't believe that... I have blueprints to the place. I could have done something. I could have turned them over at any time." He let out a frustrated sound, missing the bug-eyed look exchanged between the girls. "I know it probably wouldn't have helped them find a goddamn bunker, but still."

Please don't tell me we left the blueprint at my dorm.

"Hey, he finally got caught," Chloe said nonchalantly, "that's all that matters. We're good now. Totally good." She got up and went behind David, then leaned down to hug him. "It's over, alright?" She squeezed tighter and set her chin on his shoulder.

"Alright," David finally replied after a moment of hesitation. "To be honest, I've been worrying about him ever since that incident at the diner. I didn't think he'd be stupid enough to try anything, but I can't just change the way my brain works." He shrugged, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I'm never going to shake that part of me. Not completely." He chuckled quietly and ruffled Chloe's hair. "And you two troublemakers, I never know what's going on with you. It's not an...easy mix to handle."

"See, Max," Chloe said, "this is what happens when a goody two shoes starts skipping class. You set off all kinds of alarms." She smirked as she reached over and poked Max on the cheek.

Wow, throwing me under the bus.

"I guess that was part of it," he laughed. "You've both been...well, freaking me out, to be frank. Like I said, troublemakers."

He visibly relaxed went back to the TV. The news had finally switched to a different story, this time something involving baseball. Chloe returned to her spot beside Max and was now fiddling with the girl's fingers. Max, however, kept one eye on David. It was clear he wasn't paying attention to the television, but lost in thought.

I didn't expect him to take it this hard. He really does put too much pressure on himself. I wish he... Wait a second.

Suddenly, he furrowed his brow. Dreadfully slow, he turned so he could see both Max and Chloe. He was no longer smiling, but instead seemed confused. Then his eyes focused on Max's, and she could tell they were searching for something.

There's no way...

"Uh, everything okay, David?" Max asked, trying to sound as neutral as possible. She sneakily clawed into Chloe's hand, drawing her attention. She didn't say anything, but there was the briefest glimpse of 'oh shit' on her face before she managed to replace it with an innocent smile.

"Yeah, everything's great," he replied, though his expression did nothing to support such claims. He lingered on them a moment longer, then turned back to the TV. "I'm just happy you girls are safe. That's all."

"Safe as could be," Chloe added, widening her smile. She stood up and tugged on Max's hand. "Well, since they're not talking about it anymore, we're going to head back upstairs." She tugged again, spurring Max to stand. "Holler if you need us for anything."

"Mhm," was all he said as he kept staring forward.

"Well, I don't even know what to think," Chloe said, closing the bedroom door behind her. "Do you think he like...knows?"

"Either he does, or he'll reach that conclusion sometime in the next half hour," Max responded. She gritted her teeth and pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes. "Fuck! I really didn't even think about people figuring it out on their own. I thought if they did, it would be because of the police."

"I guess we should've expected it." Chloe's lips quirked to the side and she crossed her arms. "Dammit. Now I'm thinking about all those times I said we 'couldn't afford to play it safe.' I still think I was right, obviously, but it's a bit different now that we have to face the consequences." She eyed Max curiously. "Who else do you think will realize?"

I have a few guesses.

"Let's check," Max huffed as she went over to her phone. She tapped a button, then cringed. "Holy shit, I have thirty-four text messages and nine missed calls." She nibbled the inside of her cheek as she scrolled, then huffed in frustration. "Yep, Warren and Vic are right there at the top. Awesome."

"What did they say?" Chloe asked.

"Just 'call me' about ten times each," Max responded. She shook her head to herself as she continued reading. "The rest are just are friends asking if we've heard the news. There's..." she raised her eyebrows, "my parents? I'm kind of surprised they already know."

"Your mom did say she keeps an eye on local news," Chloe said. She sat down on the bed and scratched at her scalp. "Cool, so...how do you want to do this?"

"You mean with Warren and Victoria?" Max asked. Chloe nodded. "Shit, I'm not sure. Warren undoubtedly knows, so for him it's just a matter of having a conversation. Vic is trickier. She doesn't know for sure but like David, probably has a good idea. Especially since we've been grilling her about Sean and Nathan."

Oh god, how many people did we interrogate about him?

"So we technically have plausible deniability with pretty much everyone but Warren," Chloe said.

"One way of looking at it, yeah," Max replied. Her arms fell limp at her sides and she sighed. "Okay, here's the plan. We call Warren and admit it was us, but that we'd rather talk to him tomorrow so it can be in person. Given everything else we might be telling him, that's the best choice." She sat beside Chloe. "Victoria... I guess we should just see where her head's at first. Maybe she won't say anything, even if she is thinking it."

"And if she does?" Chloe asked.

Then fuck.

"Then...we'll play it by ear," Max said. "At the end of the day, there are worse people who could find out. She'd probably thank us. It's not even that I don't trust her, I just don't want anyone to know that doesn't have to."

"No, I get it," Chloe snaked an arm around Max's shoulders, "it'd get us, and them, a lot of unwanted attention." Reaching behind her, she clawed her own phone from the blankets. "Do you want to tag-team? I call one while you call the other?"

"That sounds good," Max agreed. "How about you take Warren, I'll take Vic? And then after, we can relax."

"Hells yeah, I'm all about that," Chloe said. She was quiet for a moment, then she chuckled with a tint of disbelief. "Sort of just now sinking in how bonkers this is." She looked at Max, her expression half nervous, half excited. "We fucking knocked a king off his throne."

"Where the fuck have you been?" Victoria's voice burst through the phone. "I've been trying to get a hold of you for hours."

"Jesus, calm down," Max replied, holding the phone a bit away from her ear. She glanced around the yard, making sure there weren't any curious neighbors peering over the Price's fence. "I was sleeping. I'm surprised you're not still knocked out after how trashed you were last night."

"Oh, cut the shit, Max," Victoria said. Her words were so scathing, they actually caused Max to flinch. "You can't possibly pretend like you don't know what's going on. The whole town is on fucking fire."

"Yes, Victoria, I saw." Max strolled over to the old swing set and took a seat. "It's so crazy. I can't believe it."

"Can't you?" Victoria asked, not even trying to mask the accusatory tone.

Dammit. How should I approach this...?

"What's that supposed to mean?" Max made it sound appropriately incredulous, but her expression remained blank.

"Max." Victoria dropped the name like an anvil. Max took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Is Kate with you?" she asked as she lazily turned left and right.

"No, not right now," Victoria responded.

Good.

"So..." Max hesitated, "what are you, uh, thinking?"

"I'm thinking that you and Chloe are behind this," Victoria said, enunciating every syllable to stress her certainty.

Might as well ask.

"What makes you think that?" Max pressed her heels into the ground and pushed, sending the swing into motion.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you went to talk to Nathan, then asked me a hundred questions about his dad?" Somehow, Max could tell Victoria was pacing. "Or maybe it's how fucking weird you two have been acting for the past week? Maybe it's the gun you had on your desk right after telling me you thought he might be causing problems with your powers?" She scoffed. "I sincerely hope you don't think I'm that stupid."

"No," Max said somewhat guiltily, "we were just kind of...hoping you were, I guess." She scrunched her nose. "Are you actually mad at us?"

Yeah, wait. What is the vibe here, exactly?

"Of course I am, are you out of your mind?" Victoria snipped. "I don't know what you two did, but I know it was probably fucking dangerous. What if something happened? What if you were hurt?"

"Oh, so..." Max narrowed her eyes, "you're like, 'I love and care about you' mad. Not real life mad."

"They're not mutually exclusive, you stupid bitch," Victoria hissed. Max could just picture her flailing her arms in exasperation.

"Alright, fine," Max conceded, "but we're okay. Nothing happened."

Nothing happened... Boy, if that's not the biggest lie I'll ever tell in my life.

"For...now," Victoria said slowly. "Are you guys going to get in trouble? How did you even avoid getting caught?"

"It's not really the time to get into it," Max replied, darting glances around the yard again. She thought for a moment. "Tell you what, Chloe and I are going to talk to Warren tomorrow because he knows some things, too. You might as well join in."

We'll have time to get into the other stuff with Warren after.

"That's the best I'm going to get out of you today, isn't it?" Victoria asked.

"Look man, you already got way more than I was planning on giving," Max chuckled. "Your snow queen voice made me fold right away."

"Good," Victoria said seriously. "Just...I don't know, this is so fucking insane. God, being friends with you two is such a nightmare. I can't believe you actually did this." She was quiet for a beat, then she cleared her throat. "Um...thanks."

"Did you just say thanks?" Max asked. She wasn't trying to be snarky, but genuinely couldn't hear because of Victoria's mumbling.

"Yes," Victoria responded. "He's hurt...way too many people that I care about. I don't know if whatever they found is going to be enough to stick, but just knowing Katie's one step further from him is enough for now."

Protect Kate Marsh at all costs.

"How is Kate?" Max planted her feet, bringing the swing to a stop. "How's she reacting?"

"I think she's just a little...lost?" Victoria said, bending it partially into a question. "She's not confused, but it's a lot for her to process. It is for me, too. It doesn't feel real." Before Max could respond, she continued. "We're supposed to be meeting up in a few minutes, so I'll let you go. Just keep me in the loop. And could you please reply to her? She's been worried, too."

"Got it," Max said. "I'll do that right away. And hey, don't worry about us, okay?"

"Yeah, you try being your friend and let me know how that works out," Victoria replied with an audible smile in her voice.

"I don't even know what to do first," Chloe said, wobbling left and right in an antsy sort of dance. Max watched her from the bed, her eyes half-lidded and full of adoration. "What's that look for?"

"Because I love you and I'm happy?" Max tilted her head. "It's been a little more hectic today than I would've preferred, but right now, it's just you and me."

'Hectic' was certainly an appropriate word to describe the overall tone of the day. By the time they'd both gone through and responded to all of their texts, it was clear that in just a few short hours, Sean's arrest was already having a massive impact on Arcadia Bay. It occupied the mouths of every citizen. Dozens of business and property owners who were in some way monetarily tied to the Prescotts scrambled to learn what effect it would have on them. A few select people were targeted by reporters, Principal Wells being among them. Because of this, there were even rumors of Blackwell being closed for some time in order to sort out their financial situation.

It had also torn open an old wound as Jefferson and Nathan's names were dragged back into the spotlight. Rachel, Kate, and even Chloe were talked about as everyone tried to piece together what exactly was going on with the Prescott family.

Which was why Max found it somewhat funny, if not a bit morbid, that she and Chloe were finally the calm ones while everyone else was in a frenzy. The girls had already done their job. They'd spent so much time silently panicking about the fate of the world that it only seemed fair for others to act as something of a 'clean up crew' when it came to worry.

"And what would you like to do," Chloe slowly prowled toward Max, "now that it's just you and me?"

"I believe you promised me cuddles and movies," Max replied with a small smile.

"I did do that, didn't I?" Chloe asked, coming to a stop just out of Max's reach.

"Like, a hundred times," Max giggled. "Do you want to do the cuddle part until Joyce comes home? I'm hoping she'll still make us dinner, even with all the excitement. Then we can make popcorn for dessert and watch some stuff?"

"You're such a good planner." Chloe laughed as she climbed onto the bed. "Max the Strategist. You're like a brilliant military tactician."

"Are you making fun of me?" Max grew a big, goofy grin and held her flattened palm in the air. "I've bitch-slapped time and space with these mitts, just think of what they'd do to that booty of yours."

They look like big, good, strong hands, if you ask me.

"Oh, I can see it now," Chloe smiled with her tongue between her teeth, "everyone would be like 'Chloe, what happened?' and I'd be like Max absolutely destroyed my ass last night." Before Max could respond with something suiting her disturbed blush, Chloe grabbed her by the wrist. "I'm being serious, by the way. You come up with some pretty hardcore schemes. Figured out how to save everyone, right?"

"Never really thought about it," Max said. "Definitely felt more like the whole 'infinite monkeys with a typewriter' thing." She smirked. "Huh, that's not far off. You're my Hamlet, I guess."

"That's the one where they all die at the end?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah," Max responded.

Bad example.

"So really, it's the opposite," Chloe pointed out, "like Baconlet. Or Turkeylet? What's the opposite of ham? Veggies? Broccoli?"

"Uhhh..." Max squinted, "a fucking...alive pig? I don't know. That's such a weird question." She laughed. "That's a high question. Did you partake while I wasn't looking?"

"No, but that sounds amazing right now," Chloe said. "Speaking of, I'm dying for a..." She made a move to get out of bed, then stopped. "Oh. Hm."

What's that about?

"You good?" Max asked, searching Chloe's expression. She seemed to be deliberating something.

"Yes, I'm good," she replied, "I'm just thinking..."

"How about telling?" Max moved a bit closer and flashed big, pleading eyes.

Level two puppy dog eyes engaged. Should be enough.

"I'm not being secretive," Chloe snickered, rocking herself softly into Max's body. "It's just dawning on me that I really should stop smoking. Cigs, at least." Max sat back and looked at her confusedly.

Wasn't expecting that.

"Where did that come from?" she asked, noticing that Chloe was ogling the pack of cigarettes on her desk.

"Well I mean," Chloe moved her hands as she explained, "it's not very cool of me to do something that might kill me after everything you went through to keep me alive. It actually seems kind of fucked up. Ungrateful?" She turned to Max. "You gave me a gift and I'm not going to disrespect it."

I guess that makes sense, yeah.

"Oh," Max said, moving closer to Chloe again, "I'm...not really sure what to say to that." She kissed Chloe's shoulder, then rested her forehead against it. "I don't think you like, have to do it. I wouldn't find it disrespectful. But I do kinda like the idea of you quitting because it is bad for you."

"Going to be tough," Chloe said unenthusiastically. "I'll take it one step at a time." She took hold of one of Max's hands. "You'll help me, right?"

"Duh, of course," Max chuckled. "And I'm already proud of you for even trying, no matter what happens." She kissed Chloe's arm once more. "I think I'm going to miss the smell, weirdly enough."

"I wouldn't worry too much," Chloe laughed, "I'm pretty sure it's permanently stuck in most of my clothes."

"And I trust you'll be returning to classes tomorrow?" Joyce asked as she set a plate full of food in front of Max.

"Yes ma'am," Max responded with a smile. In truth, Max was ecstatic to be getting back to mundane life, and she thought she might even last a whole week before she disliked school again. "I've got my learning hat on."

Really excited to go from 'Friend of the Time God' to a student that's lucky to get C's on tests. Who saw that coming?

"That's good to hear." Joyce slid another plate in front of David, then sat down with her own. David didn't seem to be paying much attention to the conversation, and was instead still watching the television from the dining room table. Because he was further away, he'd turned up the volume, making it impossible to truly ignore the subject matter. "Goodness, I still can't believe that," Joyce said, gesturing to the TV. "Knowing he was so...passionate...about you, Chloe, I'll admit I'm a bit scared to hear what sort of things he's done."

I wonder if they've found Jane yet. I hope they CAN find her.

"Yeah, this thing is really dominating the news, huh?" Chloe asked, shooting a glance at the hyper-focused David. "These guys cover like a dozen other counties. They don't have anything going on? What about...yanno, the weather? No Portland shenanigans?"

"It's sensational," Joyce replied, "the Prescott name isn't unknown through the rest of the state. I'm sure all of Oregon is aware who they are."

"This food is delicious," Max said, trying to shift the focus of the conversation. "Will you please make sure to teach Chloe how to cook things? I don't want to spend my life eating nothing but Chinese takeout and pizza."

But if I HAD to, I probably could do it.

"Should be easy enough," Joyce laughed, "all I did was put it in the crockpot this morning and let it do its thing. I'm sure even you can handle that, Chloe."

"Oh come on, I've gotten so much better," Chloe protested. She tapped her plate with her fork, creating loud 'dings!' that pierced through the speech of the person on the television. At David's bristling, she slowly set the fork down and muttered an apology. "I made Max a really good grilled cheese," she said a bit more quietly.

The three girls engaged in familiar chatter as they ate, though David remained fixated on the screen. Rather than shovel down his dinner as he usually did, he sometimes went several minutes between bites. The good news was that he hadn't given Max or Chloe any more suspicious looks. Max hoped, though she knew it was probably futile, that he'd reconsidered whatever conclusion he thought he stumbled upon.

They were nearly done eating when David perked up, the sudden movement catching everyone's eye. He reached for the remote and clicked a button several times, making the volume even louder than it already was. Curious, Max turned in her seat to see what had caused such a reaction.

"-king update on the arrest of Sean Prescott," the well-dressed man at the desk said. There was a glint of excitement in his eye, as if he had landed himself a...well, prize winning tuna. "Sources close to the case have confirmed what appear to be evidence of unlawful financial exchanges between Prescott and the pharmaceutical company, Lindech. There are no public records of interaction between the two previously, leading officials to believe the money may have been used for illegal purposes." The newscaster smiled, clearly amazed by his own words. "Based in New York, Lindech is the third largest pharmaceutical company in the United States. The owner, Donovan Ross, has had his share of investigations in the past but has until now been able to-"

"Lindech?" Joyce sat up straight, a look of shock on her face. "They're...huge! What in the world does he have to do with them?"

Max's palms immediately began to sweat. She had heard and seen the name many times. It was a massive corporation that dealt with the unquestionably important production of medication. Meaning, it affected many people. Millions of them. She was prepared for the local news to be in a fuss about Sean's arrest, but this was already far more than she was expecting. A scandal at the top level of such a prominent company wasn't just 'news,' it was a global bombshell.

Uh...oh... Guess we missed that page...

"So, that's a...big deal?" Chloe asked, clearly already aware that it was.

"Very," David said, finally breaking his silence. He looked at her, seeming somewhat shocked himself. "If that's the kind of shit he's been up to... Jesus."

Fuck, and this isn't even the tip of the iceberg. It's the tip's tip. What did we do?

"I think our little town's going to be famous for a while," Joyce said with a dry smirk. "I wish it were for something a little more nice."

"Well, who the hell are their 'sources' anyway?" Chloe flitted her hand. "They could be making it up. I refuse to believe that slimeball is capable of something that intense. He's a shitshow."

Yeah, that's a hell of a lie, Chlo.

"A shitshow with a lot of money," Joyce responded. "Maybe you're right. We'll have to see." She lightly smacked David with the back of her hand. "I bet you must be over the moon, honey. We could break out the whiskey in celebration."

"Maybe later," David said, his tone listless and quiet. He looked back and forth between Max and Chloe, then suddenly went pale. He cleared his throat. "Actually, yeah. I could really use a drink."

"This is not going as smoothly as I'd hoped," Max grumbled as she dug into the bowl of popcorn.

"Or," Chloe held up a finger, "it's going so smoothly that we need a fucking wet floor sign because shit's really slipping out of control fast."

Right. "Wait, you're arresting him too much!"

"Tomorrow we're going to learn he's been poisoning the water supply in Gotham." Max sighed. "Well, it's not like we can do anything. And honestly, I'm so tired of dedicating any thought to him. I want to shut that channel off for the night."

"Hard agree," Chloe said. She plucked the laptop off of her desk and slowly waved it in the air. "What do you say we just take it easy and enjoy a nice feature length film?"

"I'm so down," Max chuckled. She flopped backward and stared at the ceiling. "You pick. I'm going to have a quick staring contest with the void."

I bet I could make the void blink first.

"Make it quick 'cause I already have one in mind!" Chloe jumped onto the bed, causing Max to briefly pop into the air. "It just came out last month and I've been dying to see it." She glanced to the side. "Didn't mean that literally but I guess it works."

"Shut up," Max pouted, whacking Chloe's arm, "that's not funny."

"Okay, okay," Chloe responded, giving her a look of sincere apology, "I'm sorry. Won't do it again until I forget and then do." She clicked around on the laptop and then scooted back further on the bed. "That's the best I can do. You know me."

There was a feeling of overwhelming bliss that came with hitting the play button and settling in to actually enjoy a film. They weren't just trying to kill time until their next 'move,' but doing it because they genuinely wanted to. Max recognized the movie Chloe had picked, and was equally excited to finally see it, especially after hearing a rave review from Warren. However, fifteen minutes in, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was odd.

I'm having serious deja vu. Weird.

It was one moment specifically, where some particularly artsy cinematography captured an actor entering the scene and cracking a joke, that Max finally realized what was wrong.

"Oh, Chloe, I actually have seen this," she said, though there were traces of uncertainty in her voice. Chloe turned to her, her brows angled sharply and mouth open in mock offense.

"What, are you forreal?" she asked. "When the hell did you do that?" She snickered. "I mean, I'm not saying you can't watch movies without me. I just figured you would have said something."

"Yeah, I don't know," Max pondered as she watched yet another familiar scene play out, "I can't really remember when..." She sat back and cocked her head. "No, hang on. We saw this together in theaters, didn't we?"

"Uh, no?" Chloe was no longer smiling, instead looking rather confused. "We wanted to, but just never got around to it... Are you fucking with me?"

"No, I'm serious," Max responded, pointing at the screen, "we got bored and started making out. You don't remember the stupid twist at the end where she was behind it the whole time?"

"What?" Chloe seemed as though she couldn't decide whether to crack up or be mad. "Did you just spoil this fucking movie for me?"

"Wait," Max shook her head, "are you fucking with me?"

I don't know why I didn't remember at first, but we definitely saw this.

"Okay, you're starting to weird me out a little," Chloe said. "I swear I have no memory of this."

No memory of it...? Hold up...

Max thought a little harder, exploring the memory of her and Chloe at the theater. They were indeed making out, and the voraciousness of it actually made Max feel a tad embarrassed in retrospect. She remembered pulling away and looking deep into Chloe's eyes. She also remembered sweetly brushing the hair out of Chloe's face. And then...

No, that. That's it. Her hair was...short and...green?

"You in there?" Chloe asked, now showing some concern.

"We didn't watch this movie," Max said it slowly, unsure of how to process the discovery, "but...I think a different us did. It's one of, uh, her memories." She looked at Chloe. "You...get what I mean, right?"

"I...do..." Without breaking eye contact, Chloe leaned forward and shut the laptop. She frowned. "Should...we be worried?"

"I'm not sure," Max responded. Historically, the obvious answer would be 'yes,' but she didn't feel particularly uneasy. In fact, it somehow felt right. Max glanced to the side in thought, then offered an uncertain shrug. "It makes sense, right?"

I guess this IS what I signed up for, after all.

"Maybe?" Chloe shifted around so that she was facing Max. "Do you feel alright?"

"Yeah," she replied, "no headache, no nosebleed." She dabbed a finger beneath her nose to prove her point. "It doesn't feel any different than remembering anything else. Oh, but I guess..." she took on an apologetic tone, "there's a chance it might happen to you, too? I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Chloe assured. "But that is...uh, interesting? I was wondering why it didn't seem like I remembered all these new things."

It was a good question, and one Max hadn't stopped to really consider. It was true – aside from when she 'inherited' the memories, she hadn't noticed any severe side-effects. Even the other Max had seemed surprised by how well she handled it. But that also dredged up one of the more terrible moments from their time together, which in turn provided a hint of insight.

When she was...changing into all of those different mes. What did she say?

"I want...to show you... I want you to see it... I want to...share this with you. Just...one wrong move. So easy to...slip into..."

Easy to slip into?

"No matter how...hard you try to lock it away, it's...right there, waiting to take you."

"There was this moment with the other me," Max said, propping her hands behind her and leaning back, "I wasn't really sure what was happening, but I think I might get it now." Chloe simply nodded for her to continue. "It was when she was really angry. She said she wanted to show me something and then just started freaking out. It was so awful. But I think what she did was willingly remember everything at once, which means it's possible to...you know, not do that. Like how you don't remember everything from when you had your dreams."

"Which I guess is how memories work," Chloe mused. "You're not constantly thinking about everything that's ever happened to you, but something could jog a particular memory."

"Right," Max agreed. She scowled. "Ugh, which means I might occasionally remember some pretty bad stuff."

"But I'm here," Chloe scooted a bit closer and laid her head on Max's shoulder. "It's okay if it makes you sad, because of course it would, but the only real lasting effect from any of those memories is that we're here together. They're basically just like...bad nightmares, you know?"

Nightmares, huh? I really do understand you now, other Max. Or...just Max. I don't know if you're still around in some way, but if you are, I hope you're happier.

"I know what she went through," Max said quietly, elaborating on her inner thoughts. "I think about it now and I feel so bad for her. She was in so much pain."

She reminded me so much of that other Chloe. She just wanted her morphine turned up.

"Poor thing," Chloe responded, sounding remarkably like Joyce, "I thought she was just an evil bitch. I would've never guessed."

"I thought a lot of things were just evil bitches," Max let out a somber chuckle, "but I suppose it's never really that simple. Me, Rachel, and the other me all fucked up trying to do the right thing. Now that things are okay, it's actually pretty funny."

"Gotta break a few universes to make an omelet," Chloe laughed. Her laughter slowed until it was just a thoughtful smile. "I can't believe Rachel was trying to help us the whole time. You got to meet her! Mind blown." She nuzzled into Max's shoulder. "Seeing her and Dad again... It feels like I have a part of me that used to be missing."

"You got the closure you deserved," Max said, leaning down to kiss the girl on the head. "Just goes to show how amazing you are, Chlo. You don't get to question if people love you ever again, okay?"

"As long as you keep saying it, it's a deal," Chloe replied, retaliating with a quick kiss of her own. A brief silence fell over them, just long enough for Max to revel in the lingering heat on her cheek, before it was broken by a loud snort from Chloe. "Well so, okay," she sat up straight and looked at Max, "we need to get back to the current matter at hand."

"Which is?" Max asked, perking an eyebrow.

"Um," Chloe pointed at the closed laptop, "are you going to ruin every single fucking movie for me now?"

"I don't really plan on it, no," Max chuckled. "Besides, I guess there's always the possibility that it's not the same exact movie we saw before. We can keep watching and see." Taking hold of Chloe, she twisted herself until the girl was pulled down beside her. "But first let me kiss you a little."

"Apparently we'll be doing that in a little while anyway," Chloe responded, faking her irritation.

I love this little game of yours.

"Oh my god, get over it," Max burst into laughter. She swung herself upright and straddled Chloe. "Stop acting so salty. Gosh." Humming a jovial tune, she slid her hands under Chloe's shirt and began lightly stroking the girl's stomach. "What's goin' on under here, hm?"

"You're so close to tickling me," Chloe said, jutting out her jaw, "and if you do, I'll scream."

"I'm not trying to tickle you," Max replied, moving her hands higher, "I'm just exploring and seeing what-" She stopped as her fingers brushed a slightly rougher patch of skin near Chloe's ribs. Without a word, she pulled Chloe's shirt up, exposing the scar tissue from when she was shot. She examined her hand, where she now bore scars of her own, then held it against Chloe's scar. "Check us out. We match kinda."

Like two fucked up puzzle pieces. Cute.

"Huh," Chloe laid her hand on top of Max's, "maybe that's the toll for this kind of shit. Everyone gets complimentary scars." Looking up at Max, she smiled. "Come to think of it, I got mine when this all started and we fucked up the timelines. Then you got yours when everything got fixed. Kinda funny, right?"

"The beginning and end," Max whispered in feigned awe. "You are Alpha, and I'm Omega."

Not sure if that's blasphemous but I think we earned it.

"Oooh, call me alpha again," Chloe giggled, "I like how it sounds coming out of your mouth."

"Pfft, okay, Warren," Max laughed, rolling off of Chloe. "Way to kill the moment. I was going to say how romantic it is that we're always like, completing each other and stuff but you ruined it."

"Just like how you ruined the movie," Chloe shot back with a devious smile.

UGH.

"Look, you brat, I'm telling you it was super boring and bad," Max argued, crossing her arms. "You should be thanking me for sparing you, honestly." She turned her nose up and 'hmph'd' loudly. "Fine, whatever. Maybe if you're lucky they'll make a sequel and it'll be the perfect movie. It'll be nominated for every category at the Oscars. I wish this upon you." There was a pause where Chloe's retort should be, and she looked down at the girl. Her eyes were big and darting back and forth. "What's wrong?"

"Uh..." Chloe licked her lips to counteract her sudden dry mouth, "I'm not really sure how to say this."

"What?" Max asked, the smile vanishing from her face. "What's going on?"

What now, seriously?

"This memory thing might be a little more complicated than we thought," Chloe said, sitting upright. She opened her eyes wide several times as though she was recalibrating.

"Did it just happen to you?" Max asked.

Shit.

"Yeees?" Chloe puffed out her cheeks, then let the air go slowly. She glanced at the laptop, then looked at Max. "Okay, well... I think they did make a sequel." She squinted. "Or they're...going to make a sequel."

...what?

"This is a memory?" Max shook her head in preemptive disbelief. "You're completely sure?"

No goddamn way.

"It's crystal clear," Chloe said. "You and me in some room I don't recognize and we're watching it on a big TV. And apparently it also sucks because we were making fun of it. Hard."

Max thought of the tick marks that covered the walls of the other Max's room and what they stood for. She then pictured the other Max morphing and shuffling between different versions of herself, many of which were undoubtedly older than her current age. And, as it turned out, they had memories, too. And those memories now belonged to Max and Chloe.

"So...yeah," Chloe mumbled, interrupting Max from her thoughts. She shrugged, then conjured an indecisive smile. "Do you want to...open up shop as fortune tellers?"

A/N: Hey guys! Took a little bit of a vacation after the craziness of 80, but we back!

So, we've officially wrapped up the big huge arc and now we're sailing to new lands. And...it is interesting. One of the things I've mentioned some places is that it was important for me that at the conclusion of the arc, it didn't just feel like we returned to a status quo or like 'nothing happened.' I think time travel stuff falls into this trap a lot and it's a bummer. I like things having lasting impact. So while things are assuredly 'okay' now, there's still some big stuff happening in Arcadia Bay. Excited to reveal more.

Also, I just wanted to give a massive thank you for everyone's kind words on chapter 80. I had a bitch of a time writing it, and because it was so important, I was terribly nervous. But the response has been so overwhelmingly positive and sweet! I think it might even already have the most comments for any chapter on AO3. If not, it's fucking close. That's amazing. You guys are the best.

Okay, I think I covered my bases. I'll see you guys for the next chapter, and as always, thank you for reading!