A/N: WHOOAAAAA WE ARE BACK AT IT AGAIN WITH THE SEQUEL TO 'Enter the Storm'. It's recommended that y'all look at the first part. You can find said story here: /s/12632527/1/Enter-the-Storm

The story starts right where 'Enter the Storm' left off. The majority of this story will be told through Max's POV this time :).

This is the prologue of 'Time After Time'. Anyways, I love getting comments so feel free to yell at me.

Time had lost its meaning. She'd go through each door. She'd go through each moment in time yet she forgot what the point was. People continued to change and grow in front of her. But Max would never grow, she never aged. Past, present and future. All was meaningless. It didn't matter who she saw. The underlying truth continued to gnaw at her. She could watch everyone grow, age and eventually die. Even Chloe.

But Max couldn't look at Chloe anymore. The sight of her best friend hurt. It reminded her of what could have been. Of the possibility of a future with the other girl. The hope for something more threatened to drown her. She knew the possibility of them against the world was impossible, yet she still hoped. The truth of it all threatened to consume her. They would never meet, they would never touch.

Again, and again, she'd pass through a door which inevitably ended in the corridor. It didn't matter how long she stayed in a moment. It was still a moment. Moments faded and soon she'd find herself in the never-changing hallway.

At the end of the corridor was a window that showed Blackwell's forest bathed in the afternoon light. It didn't matter how much time was spent, the pink glow of the outside remained the same. It didn't matter how far she walked down the corridor, the window's distance never-changed. The corridor never changed.

Or at least it should have stayed the same.

When she next entered the corridor, a soft breeze drifted through. Had it not been for the stagnancy of the hallway, she might not have even noticed the slight difference. What lay at the end of the corridor caught her eye. It no longer ended in a wall, it ended in a forest.

Automatically she found herself moving to the end of the hallway, the temperature started to drop. As she got closer she noticed the familiar scene. The walls at the end of the hallway ebbed and flowed as if they tried to re-enclose the corridor. But they couldn't. Ahead was no longer the forest bathed in the afternoon glow. In its place was the forest where trees writhed against the force of the wind.

The storm was still happening. After everything she gave up, after she gave up Chloe, the storm still came. It threatened to take everything away and there was nothing she could do. Her thoughts raced in her head. Max couldn't protect the Chloe anymore. The very thought made her heart race. Was Chloe safe? Was she at the lighthouse? Or did she manage to get caught in the storm?

Max ran towards the forest. As she got closer, the rain started into a light drizzle but gradually became a heavy shower that drenched her. The wind whipped at her face as if it wanted her to turn back. She shivered in the newfound cold. In the distance, a lone figure stood in front of the cliff. The shade of blue hair amongst the dark grey of the sky was unmistakable.

The ground beneath her feet no longer was the carpeted floor of Blackwell. Instead it was soft ground and grass. Max stood for a moment just taking the scenery in front of her. The chaos that destroyed Arcadia was still present. The storm continued to swirl and with it, the houses spun. Debris flew. But for some reason, the chaos didn't faze her when she looked at the lone figure.

It was Chloe.

The other girl's clothes clung to her body. Blue hair was darkened in the light yet it was unmistakable. Just seeing Chloe's tall figure was surreal. Max never thought this would be possible yet here Chloe stood, her back facing Max. Within a couple steps, Max could be back in those arms.

Max turned back, expecting the corridor to be behind her yet nothing was there. The only thing that was behind her were the trees. The corridor ceased to exist.

The only things she could feel was the beat of her heart as she slowly walked towards the girl she bent space and time for. The ground muffled her footsteps but Chloe already knew she was there. Chloe turned sharply and soon Max saw the dark teal of her eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest, Chloe was only a couple of steps away. The other girl almost seemed in a daze as she walked slowly toward her. However, the reality started to sink into Chloe and soon she was running towards Max.

All too soon, Max broke in that gaze. In that gaze, shown the hope that Max desperately wanted to crush. In those eyes, she saw the future. She saw their future. It dawned on her in that moment, they were real. This was real

Chloe's arms wrapped around her. Max hadn't realized how much time had passed since she felt human contact. Her eyes prickled with tears, her hands went to wrap around the taller girl. Max melted into the embrace. Without even thinking, she nuzzled into the crook of Chloe's neck and took a moment to just breath in Chloe's scent. The other girl's presence, her scent, the feeling of her body pressed into her own was dizzying.

The dreams paled in comparison to the real thing.

"God please don't let this be a dream." The words were murmured softly against the shell of Max's ear. The desperation in Chloe's tone made Max's heart ache.

Max couldn't help the chuckle that came out a sob. The whole moment seemed surreal in the impossibility of it all. It was absurd. "We're real."

Max's hair clung to her forehead, her clothes stuck to her in the cold rain but she didn't feel the uncomfortable stickiness. The only thing she felt was the warmth emanating from Chloe and the firm hold that spoke of life and love. Max buried herself further in the warm embrace as if this were the last time she'd get to do so.

She couldn't help the tears that started to flow. The hope that she supressed was set free. This wasn't just the moment when she started to exist. It was the moment she allowed herself to feel. In that instance, the emotions Max wanted to supress burst free. Her tears grew into a steady flow as she sobbed in Chloe's embrace.

The other girl held her tighter in an embrace. Max relished in the safety Chloe emanated. All too soon, Chloe pulled away slightly. Her hand cupped Max's cheek and wiped a stray tear that drifted down with her thumb. The delicacy of it made Max's heart ache. Unknowingly, she melted into the touch. The gentleness Chloe showed was a rarity.

Max found herself enraptured by the teal in the other girl's eyes. In that moment, she completely forgot about the storm and Arcadia. No words needed to be said for in that instance, it was just Max and Chloe, as it always should have been.

Chloe slowly leant in, Max's eyes fluttered at the touch of lips against hers. They'd already done this and yet each time felt new. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered. Max tried to convey all the emotions she felt into the kiss as if everything were a dream that would fade.

Every movement against her was dizzying. In the midst of the storm, Chloe's presence threatened to engulf her. The blue haired girl's scent, her body and the feel of her lips made Max's head spin. It was real. This moment was theirs.

Max sighed as the kiss grew heated. A tongue came to trace her lips and she couldn't help the moan that escaped her. The sound was so foreign to her but she couldn't dwell on this. A hand weaved itself in her hair and pulled her closer. Every pant and sigh Chloe uttered made her shudder, she caused that. The thought alone was maddening. Chloe's presence overpowered any reason she had. Her mind blanked and all she could do in this moment was feel.

All too soon, Chloe broke the kiss and laid her forehead against Max's. The storm had already started to lessen as they softly panted. When Chloe opened her eyes, her eyes were a dark teal tinged with wanton lust.

By the time they broke apart, the clouds had already started to dissipate. The rain had stopped while the tornado dissipated. Rays of light started to emerge from the sky. The sea in front of them no longer crashed against the shore in anger. Instead it ebbed and flowed softly against land.

The storm was over and for a moment Max believed in the peace. In that instance, they weren't just Max and Chloe, they were two teenagers that could celebrate in one another. There wasn't anything they couldn't face together. Time was on their side.

Max chuckled quietly to herself "I can't believe any of this is real."

"Guess time doesn't even want us apart after all."

But this was only a moment, it was bound to fade. Together they gazed at the aftermath of the town, hand in hand. The truth of it nagged at her. The town was destroyed. But for some reason, Max scarcely felt any guilt. The fact alone shook her to the core, it was as if Chloe's presence was the only thing that mattered. For once, Max let herself be selfish. She let herself bask in the warmth Chloe offered.

"Your face is red" The smile Chloe wore sent her heart aflutter.

"S-shut up..." Max looked away, her cheeks were hot.

"What is this the third kiss now?" The cocky tone in the other girl's voice was evident.

"Fourth" Her response was quietly muttered in the crook of Chloe's neck as she buried herself in the embrace. As if to shield herself from the embarrassment.

But this was still a moment. Moments fade. The aftermath of the town nagged at her like the last dark cloud in the sky.

"We should probably head back. There could be survivors." Max's words were whispered but it cut through the moment like butter. Chloe heaved a sigh but she couldn't argue with Max. The truth hung over them. Chloe went to check her phone but it had already ran out of battery, communication was cut.

They went to Chloe's truck in silence, the feel of Chloe's hand in hers was comforting. No words needed to be said. Any comfort Max could have mustered would have sounded empty.

Chloe drove down the dirt path. The drive was silent but not uncomfortable. They both knew what they were coming back to. Soon the crunch of gravel beneath tires faded and the smooth roads of the town welcomed them to destruction.

The town was in shambles. Buildings that once stood tall were reduced to piles of wet wood and debris. Other structures still retained their form where chunks of the buildings were blown off. The powerlines bent in a strange line. Cars had either been blown into houses or laid abandoned on the road. Bodies laid on the roads, crushed by rubble. Certain roads had been blocked while deer tried to scavenge the remains.

Even in the midst of the aftermath, Max knew where they were headed to. The road and the destroyed buildings were familiar. The Two Whales was reduced to a pile of rubbish. They both got out of the car and searched for any sign of life. Beneath the remains of the diner, a familiar body lay crushed.

As they got closer, Max immediately wanted to retch. Frank lay crushed beneath the sign of the diner, his hair was matted down with rain water. His eyes were void of any life. His skin had turned grey while dried blood had left a trail down his chin.

Max caused this. The thought alone made her disgusted. Her selfishness caused all of this.

Beside her Chloe's face was frozen in shock and horror. Max reached out a hand and laid it on Chloe's shoulder, the familiar gesture brought a small amount of comfort. Chloe wrenched her eyes away from the scene, it was the only thing she could do. Chloe turned away from the body and began to walk. In silence, they toured the town in hopes of life.

Minutes became hours. Nothing was left. They were the only ones left in the town.