Just a quick note, I haven't picked up "before the storm" just yet. So I don't know if there will be some kind of inconsistency here, but maybe you can forgive me for that :P

Five… Ten… Fifteen…

The more Max inspected her surrounding, the more she realized that she was surrounded by dozens of graves that were… her own?

A pearl of sweat was forming on her forehead, not from any heat but because she was starting to panic.

There will be a perfect reason for this. A coincidence. Weird things happen sometimes, right?

But the hopeful denial was quickly torn apart by one simple observation.

All the graves had the same year of birth. Her own one. September 21, 1995.

And then there were the dates of "her" death… They were all in the future. Some far off, other disturbingly close.

She somehow had already known what she would see, when as she turned her head. Chloe was frozen next to William's grave, still holding a flower in her hand. Another time stop wasn't what scared her though.

"What the hell…" She said out loud as she spotted something standing behind her girlfriend. No, it wasn't a thing, it was a person. For some reason, she needed a moment to recognize the stranger.

"This can't be." She said matter of factly as if simply not acknowledging the girl, standing behind Chloe, would make her disappear.

Who she saw looming behind the punk, nearly broke her already fragile state of mind.

Her next natural instinct was to defend herself, to scream at her in rage. "How dare you show yourself now! And in front of me? I don't need you, she does!" She said while pointing angrily at her girlfriend.

But Rachel Amber simply shrugged. "Not like I had a choice in the matter… Let's not do this here, Max." Before turning around, knowing that the freckled girl would follow her.

"It's Maxine." She said shapely, before starting to follow the 'dead' girl.

I don't know what you are but I ain't scared of you. She tried to reassure herself. Walking with a strange dead girl seemed like a bad idea, but there was no other way, was there? Rachel would have answers.

They walked for a few minutes, while not talking at all. They left the graveyard, and with it Chloe, and headed straight into the forest. Max didn't like the thought of leaving her girlfriend behind, but this could provide some answers she desperately needed.

A few birds and leaves were stuck in the air, but neither of the girls even glanced at such an odd sight.

Then, she noticed something about the girl in front of her. Rachel was wearing hot pants which in of itself was not all that weird, but Max could see that on her leg there was a tattoo. A Chinese dragon. Had she seen it before? On a photo maybe? She couldn't remember.

Then again, it wasn't important at the moment. But what was, was the direction they were headed.

"Where are we going?"

"You still got your key, right?"

Max didn't even need to check her pockets to know what she would find there but wasn't shocked by the fact that the key somehow appeared in her jeans either. It was just too fitting for the key to not be there.

"What's that key for?"

"What is any key for?"

Max didn't want to play her game, but getting neither an answer nor even a look from the girl in front of her, she felt like she didn't have a choice. This could finally provide the truth about this whole mess.

"To open doors, I guess…"

"Exactly. A key needs a lock, what other purposes does it have? And that's exactly where we're headed. To your door."

"From my grave to my door… Rachel tell me, am I going to die now? For all, I did wrong? For playing god for too long?" This was the first time since the two met that Max was showing a little bit of the fear and worry that was bubbling inside of her.

This was also the first time Rachel turned around to look her into the eyes. "Your graves?"

"They aren't?"

"Well… How do I put it best? Yes and no."

"... That's your best?" Max said, after waiting for elaboration for a few seconds.

"Maxine, you always… wanted to save Chloe. Even after failing. Even after giving her up to save the city… Even after giving yourself up."

"So, they are from the timelines that I fucked up?"

"Not at all. They are from the timelines that needed to wait."

"For what?"

"For you."

"Me? They are me, why… why are they waiting?"

"Well, let me ask you this: What makes a person who she or he is?"

Being stared at with such an intense look out of nowhere put Max off balance. Then, she frowned, despite knowing the answer already. "Actions make a person."

"So are these 'your' graves?"

Not knowing how she should respond, the freckled girl stayed silent.

"They waited for you, always watching over you from where you would least expect it. Even giving you the clue you needed to find me."

"What Clue?... The key?! But I found it while looking for the old lady."

But Rachel had already turned around and was walking deeper into the forest. Unsure if she should ask again, Max decided that she would follow silently for now.

"You will be able to see Chloe again." The girl in front of her said matter of factly, as they made their way through the forest. "I can promise you that. But for now…"

Max nearly ran into Rachel, as she stopped without a warning.

"Hey, at least tell me-" Just then, she realized that they had reached their final destination. As they made a few steps outside the forest, the first thing she noticed was that they were on a hill.

Then it clicked.

Of course, it shouldn't be possible to be here, she should have seen it coming. Of course, it would end where it began.

The lighthouse was standing where it always stood. It was looming over the town, keeping watch over everything and everyone. Max could even smell the seawater from up here.

"I…"

"You okay, Maxine?" Rachel asked as she could see how the other girl's face became whiter and whiter.

"I think I-" But before she could warn the other girl puke was already interrupting her.

"Oh no... " For a moment the dead girl almost seemed scared of something.

"I-I'm okay, I think," Max said, on all fours now. "I can handle this." She then wiped her mouth with her jacket.

I need to do this. For Chloe.

"You sure?"

The freckled girl quickly got up again, while still being somewhat shaky. "Mhm."

"Okay then, wanna go to the bench? I'm getting pretty tired of all that off-road walking, to be honest."

Max needed a moment, but then she shook her head. Once her mind had cleared itself a bit, she nodded. "Sure."

Where else would they go? Of course, it had to be the light tower. She didn't know why but somehow this made sense, now that she was calmly thinking about it. It was so oddly fitting, that it just had to be here. Whatever it was.

While Max was thinking, they had already reached the bench next to the lighthouse.

"Cool." While Rachel sat down, the other girl didn't feel like sitting at all. She had too many questions, and was too upset by this whole scenario, even if she didn't want to show it.

"Are you Rachel Amber?"

"Of course I am." She said, with a crooked grin on her face. "Or am I? I really could just be a self-aware trauma that took the form of this one girl that you envy."

On that, Max crossed her arms. "I envy you?"

"Of course you do."

"Didn't expect you to be such a Victoria." Max snapped, crossing her arms.

Rachel sighed, and with a shrug, she said, "I can tell what you are thinking, Maxine. It's written all over you. And no, it's not some bullshit magic, it's just obvious."

"And what am I thinking, oh almighty Rachel Amber."

"Hmm, I like the sound of that. Anyways, you think that I'm pretty, mysterious, intelligent…" And after a small pause, she added, "And you think that deep down Chloe still loves me."

Could Rachel feel still feel pain? Max wasn't sure, but damn did it feel good to slap her in the face for that.

"Why didn't you give her the love she deserves, why did you betray her!?" She could feel how her hand was becoming numb. Did she go too far?

Rachel rubbed her red cheek, but her face didn't show any reaction. "How should I do that? The place by her side was taken long before the first time I met her. And you two are perfect together, by the way. I'm a big shipper. Even I wouldn't dare to destroy your beautiful relationship."

Max couldn't follow her on that. Eyes still narrowed at the girl on the bench, she said: "What is it you want then, hm?"

"To be honest, I just wanted to get to know you a little. Chloe was the best friend I ever had in life, and I wanted to know who I am entrusting her to."

"As if you had a say in that matter. Chloe isn't some toy you can toss around." Max spat at her.

"C'mon Maxine, do you really think I see Chloe as a plaything?"

"I don't know, do you?"

This time it was Rachel's turn. She suddenly stood up and stepped right in front of the smaller girl. With her faces just inches from on another, she said "Don't you dare accuse me of something like this... I don't love her like you do, but she is still my best friend." Then as if she realized that she had done something bad, Rachel made a step back. "...Sorry."

Surprised by the apology, Max shrugged. "It's fine... I'm just pissed." She was not exactly sure why she just admitted that.

"Understandably so. I did provoke you after all."

On that, the freckled girl furrowed. "Why do you sound like you are sorry about that?"

The girl shrugged after hearing that. "Hey, I just wanted to test if all of this was worth it."

Should Max ask? She was nosy, but maybe she didn't want to know… But then a wave of resolve overcame her. She needed to see this through the end. There was only one way for Chloe and her to live in peace after this.

"And, was I worth the trouble?"

For a brief moment, Rachel's brown hair was blown into her face by the wind, so that her face was covered by a sea of brown waves. Then, the wind stopped and Max could see a perplexed face staring at her.

"You?" She asked, slightly shaking her head, with a mix of amusement and confusion on her face.

"I-I mean… It was me who got, you know?... " The confusion was quickly transferred to Max. "Wasn't it me who got the powers? Wasn't I supposed to save everyone?"

"Well, yes that was kinda part of the plan… I guess… You did really good there in the end, catching Jefferson and all don't get me wrong... it's just… sorry to say it like that, but this was never really about you."

Max didn't know why, but hearing this hurt her somewhat. Was it her pride? There was no need to be offended by this. Maybe somewhere deep down she had thought that her role was more important than that?

But in a matter of seconds, the anger sank back down, and she was left with a feeling of emptiness.

What was the point then? I fucked up so much, hurt so many… but for what?

Of course, there was but one answer. As soon as Max had wasted a moment to think about the why it was clear as day. Just how could she forget her reason for striving forward?

"It was always about her life, Max. Haven't you figured it out already?"

Behind the freckled cheeks appeared a faint red blush. "I always wanted to save her. There is no way I can go on without her by my side."

Hearing this, Rachel's face formed a warm and gentle smile. "That really goes for both of you… If she lost you for whatever reason, she would lose herself. What's it they say when you get married again?"

"Till death do us apart?"

"Hate that sappy stuff, but it fits quite well here."

"She would die without me?"

"C'mon. You are quite literally everything to her. Everything that's left in this world she cares about."

Max knew that. Deep down she really had figured it out already, and to be frank it wasn't that hard to conclude. Accepting something like that on the other hand… But she had to.

"She would commit suicide."

"If you left her, yes. But-"

"Not immediately, it would take a few years-" Max continued only to be interrupted on her end.

"Of depression, before she wouldn't be able to take it anymore. Maybe even-"

"Drug abuse. No. Most definitely. But drugs don't heal wounds."

"Only time does. Only time."

Suddenly Max was feeling dizzy. How could she know what Rachel would say, and vice versa? Her hand grabbed the bench next to them for support. As her eyes fell to the floor all she could see were Rachel's legs, standing right next to hers.

The Dragon was moving, wiggling around, almost like … a snake. Coiling around her calf, Max now knew where she had seen it before. Not in a photo, but in a dream.

"You… You were… The snake..." She tried to say with a fragile voice.

"I am nothing more than a dead girl, Max." Rachel said, gently putting a hand on the bend-over girl for support. Was that irony in her voice?

After a little bit more struggling, Max finally gave up on standing and sat down on the bench. She needed a moment to take all of this in. Just for a moment, her eyes wandered off into the landscape she had seen so often, and for the first time, she enjoyed the view.

The sea was calm, and if a town could look peaceful, Arcadia did. In their silence, she almost imagined the sound of waves crashing against the rocks beneath them. She closed her eyes and took a few long breathers in.

"That's good, Maxine. Don't let all of this crap get to you, I just-"

"Stop with that Maxine shit already." She said, eyes still closed.

Now it was Rachel's turn to be confused. "Didn't you say that-"

"I know what I said. Just call me Max, okay?"

"... Sure, Max."

Without opening her eyes, the girl on the bench asked, "So, what now? Will you tell me what's really going on here?"

"I guess, it's about time."

"Was that a fucking pun?" Max asked, opening one of her eyes.

As an answer, she got a simple shrug, followed by a short pause. "All of the previous 'yous' have waited so long for this moment, you know? Kinda makes me happy that they can be at peace now as well." Then Rachel's eyes got lost in the sea as well. It almost seemed like she was looking behind the horizon.

For a moment this beautiful and mysterious girl almost seemed… lonely.

"Tell me, Rachel, could we've been friends? If things went differently, I mean."

"I would like to think that." Rachel said with a smile. Then, her face sobered up. "But it didn't, and that's okay, you know? Chloe is happy with you. Like, really happy. The fact that I could help her and you be together, is more than enough to finally set my mind at ease."

"Looks like the bunch of past 'me's weren't the only ones waiting," Max said, more as a joke but was surprised by how serious the other girl looked at her.

"The only thing I really regret was using you for my redemption, Max. Sorry for that by the way."

"I was wondering as well. Why didn't you just give Chloe the powers? Seemed like the simple way out, instead of trusting a stranger at least."

"Are you kidding? It was hard enough to get an allowance for you. You're asking for the impossible here if you think they would allow Chloe fucking Price such tremendous powers.

And anyways, instead of helping Chloe in such a ruthless way, I found a better solution. I found you…You never felt it? A strange connection between us, even though we've never seen each other in life?"

"You were always in the center of the storm, is what I thought. Funny now that I think about it."

"Who is making bad jokes now?"

"Can't help it…" Then, Max looked up at Rachel. And with a serious face of her own, she said, "Sorry that I couldn't save you."

"Don't be. I'm satisfied with how things are now in the end. I really am. The only one you have to apologize to is quite literally yourself. They and I waited long enough for the two of you to figure your shit out and to be safe."

With a big sigh, Max sank deeper into the bench. "... Finally." She said in a low voice, as tears started gathering in her blue eyes. "Is it really over, Rachel? I don't think I can take it any longer…" Her voice now at the end of things was nothing but a whisper.

"Over?" Rachel yelled with a smile in her voice, "Girl, You're not even an adult yet. Life just started. This may be over, but everything else is still up to you two. But I believe that you two will manage just fine."

After what could very well have been a few minutes of silence, Max then managed to get up from the bench. "I've got just one last question left."

"Shoot."

"Why now? Why did you wait so long?"

"And why at William's grave, I guess?"

"Yeah, why there out of all places?"

"Because this is the turning point, Max. The moment you guys either make or break the world."

Max's eyes fell on the floor for a moment, but then with newfound strength, they met Rachel's look once more. "... What is it I must do?"

Rachel simply pointed at the lighthouse. "Even in the darkest of storms, a lighthouse shows you the way out."

Knowing her destination, she could feel determination boil up in her stomach, but before she took the next few steps, she turned around one last time. "... Thank you."

"Don't grow soft on m-" Rachel wanted to joke, but was interrupted by two arms pulling her into a tight hug.

"I will never forget you, Rachel Amber."

"Go now. Don't let her wait any longer. Go home, Maxine Caulfield."

With that, Max turned around, one hand firmly holding the key she would need to open the lighthouse.

The next thing she saw was light.

….

As Chloe sat down on the grass, she noticed that this was maybe the first time she didn't mind that her father had died. Sounds terrible I know, but for her, it was as if the cage she had prisoned herself in was finally broken. Maybe now she really could be free.

I can't keep him alive anymore. He's dead. I can't change that.

She grabbed a small flower and started fiddling with it. Her blue eyes were observing Max wandering through the graveyard passively.

I hella won't force Max to try anything funky after all that has happened.

She wouldn't, but if someone asked her about it, she wouldn't deny that it was incredibly tempting. Despite all those stories, despite promising each other that they wouldn't ever use the powers for personal gain. It still was tempting.

Max wouldn't hesitate if I really asked her.

She was sure of it, but Chloe also knew that she wouldn't dare to ask her girlfriend.

William was dead.

That was all there was to it. It was so simple, and yet it had nearly destroyed her life.

Her blue eyes regained some focus, and she observed her girlfriend's back.

It was so simple.

As long as Max was here, everything would be good.

Then, her girlfriend fell over.

...

Being uncomfortable was probably the first thing she felt after regaining her senses.

The second thing was that everything was shaking, and the way she was laying on whatever this was, was really not good for her neck. She noticed quickly that she was probably inside a car or something like that, as her body was being shaken now and then.

Then, she could smell a very familiar odor. Immediately afterward she opened her eyes, and a wave of relieve hit the small girl as the first thing she saw was her girlfriend.

The next thing she noticed was that Chloe was driving her truck way too fast. Her knuckles were white thanks to the tight grip she had around the wheel, and her eyes were not averting the road ahead for even a second. With a determined expression on her face, it seemed like the punk wasn't planning on slowing the car at all.

"H-Hey…" Max finally managed to say, while trying to get out of that weird position she was in.

A visible shock went through Chloe's body as her gaze wandered from the street to her girlfriend. "Fucking hell, I'm driving you to a hospital now. Fuck!"

"Chloe, I don't think-"

"Don't you fucking dare to say it! It's not okay! People don't just pass out like that." The freckled girl could now see the tears in the other girl's eyes.

"It was my bad, I shouldn't have forced you to come with me to-"

"It's okay, Che. I'm fine now."

"How can you say that? You just fell face first in the dirt."

Now that she mentioned it, a throbbing pain started pounding on her face, also there was a metallic taste in her mouth. "Ouch, I certainly did." But instead of being afraid or angry like she usually would be, Max started laughing.

"Talk to me, babe, you aren't going insane on me, are you?"

"As I said, I'm doing just fine…" There was a short pause in which she needed to force herself not to laugh again. This was so typical for them. "You can slow the car at least, can you?"

It took a few seconds before the blue haired girl gave in. "But I want you to get checked up," Chloe said, while visibly sinking more into her seat.

"You know what? Sure, why not. But what should we tell the doctor?"

"Well… Maybe… No… Fuck!"

Max couldn't help but chuckle at that display.

"It's not funny, Max!" Chloe was at her wit's end. At least she had parked the car at the side of the road by now, which reassured the smaller girl that she was already calming down. "Your brain could be hella fucked up!"

"Maybe you fucked my brain up, Price."

"Max!"

"I think it's over, Chloe."

"W-What is?!" The punk asked caught off guard.

"All of it." For a moment Max stared right into her girlfriend's blue eyes. Chloe couldn't remember when her girlfriend had ever worn an expression that was so kind and soft, yet so strong and determined. "Jefferson, Time travel, the storm, all of it."

"But how can you be so sure?" The punk needed mere seconds to conclude what had happened. "Time stopped again, didn't it?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I tried to tell you."

Chloe grabbed Max's hands, and with tears in her eyes, she tried to return the look her girlfriend gave her just seconds ago. "Please…"

…

A few days later the Price household did receive a very important letter regarding the daughter of the family.

"With this letter, the principal invites you to continue your education at our School, Miss Price. We hope that you will acknowledge this as your second and final chance, but also as an opportunity to show us your best..."

"... Is what it says! Isn't that insane! Right there!" Chloe was jumping around her girlfriend who was holding the letter and reading it for herself.

"You made it Chloe. That really is insane. But you know what that means, right?"

"We can chill more together?"

"No more fights with other people."

"Wait, what?"

"Studying for every test so that you don't fail one."

"Uhm…"

"No more drugs, at school property."

"You can't be serious…"

Max couldn't help but have a mischievous grin on her face. "Don't think you can handle it?"

In a split second, the punk's expression made a full turn to being determined and cocky again. "Fuck off, Caulfield. You think this will be hard? I'll show you! I'll show everyone!"

"I know you will, Che. Show them how amazing you are."

Not expecting the compliment the bigger girl started blushing all over. "You really think so?"

"Don't be a dork." She rolled her eyes but slung her arms around Chloe right after. "I'm proud of you, Chloe. This will be great. I'm already looking forward to this, I really am."

After savoring the hug for a moment, the punk asked, "You think it will be okay?"

"... I think I can deal with a little bit more Chloe in my life."

"Pha, as if you ever could have enough of me!"

...

I think those two lovebirds will manage from now on, even without us spying any on them any longer, am I right?

They understood that they can survive anything, archive everything and beat even fate itself, just as long as they believe not in themselves but in each other.

Life can be good if we let it be good. Don't try to wring it out, just let it bloom.

I've been holding on to this last chapter for way too long now. I'm kinda scared to finish this, but at the same time, it's really funny.

This story is really rough around the edges, but it was still my baby that showed me how much fun I have creating stories.

I can't thank all of you enough for reading through this, you guys are amazing, and I mean it!

There is really nothing else left to say. Best wishes to all of you amazing people. ^^