Chloe hadn't stopped pacing since she had arrived at the hospital.

Rachel's meltdown had scared her beyond words. After what all had happened today, she still couldn't quite tell if she was dreaming or not. She cursed the fact the she hadn't brought any cigarettes with her, the anxiety that had built up inside of her as a result was bordering on being sickening. Taking a seat in the main lobby, the punk leaned back in the chair heavily and tried to keep herself calm.

Rachel.

Rachel.

She couldn't get the image of Rachel laying motionless on the motel floor from out of her mind. Not to mention, what Rachel had done mere moments before she had collapsed. God, she wore that she could still taste the blonde's lips on hers. Growing nervous, She hastily swallowed some saliva down her throat to try and block out the taste.

Honestly, what the actual fuck is going on right now? Not only do I get fired from my job, almost fuck up my relationship with Max, but now my ex-girlfriend is apparently a drug addict and possibly could have of just died right in front of me. The punk said to herself, mentally trying to find some peace of mind.

Man, life can be so fuckin' strange sometimes...

It wasn't the first time that Chloe had been to the hospital for Rachel. Memories of years past came flooding back in an instant. Damon Merrick. Ugh, If I can be thankful for one thing in this world It's that I don't have to be around that damn maniac anymore.

Chloe sighed. Taking a moment to look up at the clock above her head, she took in the time.

5:30 PM.

It was getting late. Max would probably start getting worried if Chloe wasn't back at the apartment soon. Still, she couldn't just up and leave yet. Not without checking in on Rachel's condition first. The EMT's that had showed up to the motel said that she had most likely suffered a seizure from an acute drug overdose.

Well...at least that was what she think they had said. She was so fear-stricken she could hardily even remember anything that happened in the moment.

Chloe shuddered in her seat and tried not to let it get to her. It did little to stop the thoughts from forming anyway. What if Rachel...did die? How would she feel? Knowing that their last conversation together was them shouting and screaming at one another. Chloe had built up so much hatred and resentment towards her in the last three years, she was surprised she even cared enough for Rachel's well-being at this point.

Honestly, no mater how hard Chloe tried, she couldn't bring herself to fully hate anyone. Especially someone who once meant as much to her as Rachel once did.

She cheated on you and broke your heart.

You could leave right now and no one would bat an eye.

Go back home to Max and forget the whole thing happened.

...

Jesus, I know I'm not that bitter about it.

...not yet at least.

Fighting off the duality in her mind, Chloe girded herself and tried force out a positive daydream to pass the time...

...

"Excuse me, miss?..."

Opening one of her previously closed eyes, Chloe cast her wandering gaze up towards a man dressed in head-to-toe in scrubs. In a desperate attempt to make herself look presentable, the punk quickly sat upwards in her seat, fixing her posture.

"Uh yeah...? You-uh...need something?" She said quickly, hoping her sentence did come off as jumbled as it sounded in her head. The man gave her a warm glance that somehow made Chloe even more unnerved than she already was.

"I couldn't help but notice that you've been sitting here for awhile. May I ask you who your waiting for?"

"Amber. Uh...Rachel..Amber."

The man's expression softened and his eyes lowered. "Oh yes. That poor woman they just brought in. Would you happen to be a friend or a relative of hers by any chance?"

Chloe sucked in an exhale and she attempted to play off the turmoil that was brewing inside of her.

"Friend." She answered, her voice quiet and dull. The man who she assumed was a nurse of some-sort, adjusted his shirt and let out a brief sigh.

"I can't say for certain, but I do believe that our doctors have managed to put her in stable condition."

Deep sigh. So Rachel wasn't dead then. That brought her some relief.

"I wish I could give you more information at the moment but I can't. We're keeping a close watch on her and monitoring her vitals as best we can."

The nurse then gave a long-winded explanation of the steps Chloe could take if she wanted more information and so on. Chloe was only paying half-attention at this point, knowing that Rachel was no longer on death's doorstep for the time being had a calming-effect that resonated throughout her. Chloe relaxed a bit and felt her body lose some tension she had been holding onto.

Forcing a grin onto face, She said her thanks to the nurse and watched him walk down the hall, and eventually out of sight.

Having a moment to breathe now, Chloe stood up from her seat and took a steps to stretch out her sore limps. She grunted softly as a pang tore through her abdomen, her upset stomach had yet to wane. She suppressed a deep sigh, this had been a issue for her as of late. Whereas most people would get migraines from stress or anxiety, for some reason Chloe was different.

No matter what the circumstance, her stomach would almost always take the worst of it. Her notoriously unhealthy diet probably wasn't helping things either. Looking around, for a quick second Chloe considered asking one of the faculty members for some advice.

I wonder if the doc has any meds that I can use for a killer tummyache?...

She paused and thought about it for a moment.

...Nah. I should prolly' just tough it out. Don't want to stay here for longer than I have to. Hospitals are hella creepy.

Noticing just how much time had passed again, Chloe made her choice. Not wanting to keep Max up with worry, Chloe figured if she going to leave, now would be the best chance.

Please don't die on me Rach. I still have so much that I need to say to you. You and I aren't finished with each other yet.

Saying one last goodbye to Rachel in her thoughts, the punk turned on her heel and made way for the front exit.

...

A few hours later, sitting out on the apartment's balcony with a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of Jack Daniels in the other, Chloe let out a sigh as she took a look at the marbled pavement below.

She had been at this for some time now.

The punk had built up a steady pattern of exhaling a drag and then chasing it with a shot of whiskey. "Living Dangerously" she often called it. Ignoring how bad her lungs were protesting, Chloe took another drag that nearly made her whole chest cavity feel like it was on fire. She held the hit in regardless.

Soon though, this proved to be a bad idea.

Barreling down behind a coughing fit, Chloe choked out the last bit of smoke between mouthfuls of saliva, mucus, and whiskey.

Needless to say, it wasn't a pretty sight.

At least the booze was helping with her stomach pains. Well, not exactly helping "per-se" but it did assist with taking her mind off it. Wiping her mouth with her arm as if nothing had happened at all, Chloe went right back to living dangerously.

She knew it wasn't good for her, she truly and honestly did.

But on days like this one, when it seemed like everything was out of order and life was only out to cause her misery, Chloe didn't know any other way to cope.

It was only when a certain quiet voice called from behind her did the punk pause her self-medicating ritual.

"Uh, babe?"

It was Max.

"Yeah?", Chloe said, responding without bothering to turn her head.

"Don't you think it's time to come inside? You've been out here for since you got back from the hospital."

...

If there was anyone who could get through to Chloe during moments like these, it was Max Caulfield. Choosing not to put up a fight, Chloe set the bottle of Jack aside and stubbed the cigarette out into a nearby ashtray. Max was right. After explaining the entire Rachel-situation to her, the first thing the punk did was barricade herself out here.

Not to mention, It was starting to get rather cold outside anyway.

Standing up, Chloe dusted off some leftover ash from of her tank top before walking over to where Max was. The short brunette gave her a small peck on the cheek and guided her back into the apartment's interior.

Taking a seat on the large sofa in the middle of the living room, Chloe watched as Max shut the screen door and walked over to where she was before taking her own seat. Ignoring the warmth she felt when Max got close to her, Chloe turned her head away.

Something wasn't right about all of this.

She wasn't sure if was the just the alcohol that was making her feel this way, but Chloe had suddenly been overcome with self-loathing. She could see the hopeful twinkle in Max's eyes. How on earth could a person with as many problems as she had could end up with a soulmate as pure and caring as Max would forever be a mystery. Max had always been so nice and selfless.

Max had put her lifelong dream of photography on hold all just so she could keep Chloe's needs met. All because Chloe had some bullshit abandonment issues, meant that Max had to pay the proverbial price.

Even now, Chloe still felt like such terrible for that.

I mean, what does she even see in me? I'm such a fucking mess of emotions it's not even funny.

"Max..." Chloe began, catching the hipster's attention.

"Yes, Chlobear?"

She paused hesitantly for a moment.

"I don't deserve you."

Max's face sank almost instantly.

"Chloe-"

The punk didn't let her finish.

"I'm serious Max. You deserve so much more than being stuck in some shitty one bedroom shack with me. You could be out exploring the world, taking photos and shit. You should doing your own thing. Not dealing with my bullshit mood swings and problems."

Max attempted to interrupt once more but Chloe payed her no mind as she continued her self-deprecation.

"You should go back to school, Max. It'll hurt like hell being away from you but I'll get over it eventually. I don't want to hold you back anymore, Max."

Chloe took in some air to catch herself, before resuming.

"I just want you to be happy-mmmphh!"

Just when Chloe was about to continue with her rant, Max suddenly got in close and silenced her rambling with a kiss on the lips. Chloe resisted for a moment but soon settled down and allowed Max to take her.

Breaking it off after a few intense moments, Max opened her eyes and said, "Chloe, you're not holding me back."

"But-"

This time Max was the one who silenced the would-be interruptions.

"Let me finish. I will admit, yes, some days I do miss school and I do plan on going back someday, but that doesn't mean that I regret my choice."

Chloe could feel herself growing emotional at the brunettes words and fought heartily to not let it show.

You better not fucking cry, Price!

"Remember Chloe, I chose this. I chose to be with you. And I would do it a million times over. Do you know why?"

Chloe shook her head despite already knowing the answer.

"Because I am in love with you, Chloe."

...

...

...

"I love you too, Max."

And I do, Max. So hella fucking much. You are the only thing that's good in my life. The only thing.

Overcome with raw emotion, Chloe went in for a hug but found Max holding her back slightly.

"Actually Chlobear, I wanted do something for you. To show how much I love you. Will you let me?"

"Sure, I guess. What are you planning, Caulfield?" Chloe said, now allured with the prospect at hand.

Suddenly Max's look had grown dangerous. Chloe had to admit, it was concerning and enticing all the same.

"Just lay back and find out, Price."

Chloe leaned back in the sofa. She wasn't entirely sure what Max was alluding to. Either way, the punk did as Max asked and scooted further away to give them some space. Max slid down from off of the sofa and down between Chloe's long lanky legs. She figured that she should make an seductive attempt to slowly undress Chloe, starting with the punk's footwear.

Max grabbed Chloe's left foot, admiring it's sturdiness. Much like the punk it belonged to, the rough and torn-up sock was masking the soft and silky skin that rested on the inside.

Chloe could already feel her mind going to that special place it did whenever she and Max would get intimate like this. She had the urge to reach a hand out, but fought hard to hold back her desires, and let Max do her work.

Meanwhile, Max slowly removed the right sock, discarding on the floor next to her.

Chloe's bare foot wiggled and curled freely. Max smiled, feeling her natural instincts guide her. She did the same to the left foot, removing the sock, and placing it beside her on the floor.

"Ooh. I think I like where this is going..." Chloe perked up, the heat in her lower body becoming more and more hard to control.

Max looked up at her girlfriend and smiled, but otherwise ignored her.

Feeling bold, she slid one of the wriggling digits into her mouth and sucked it softly. Chloe's breath hitched, feeling Max's warm mouth envelop her. Having her toes sucked was a strange feeling, but didn't that mean it wasn't a good one. Trying to keep herself in check for the time being, Chloe sat back and let Max nibble at the soles of her feet.

It was certainly different, but that's what made it so special. Max was truly loving the punk from head-to-toe.

Just when Chloe's arousal was reaching it's fever pitch, Max relented and stopped briefly.

"You're always doing these things for me, babe." The photographer began through a husky voice, hand still gripping the punk's foot.

Titling her head up to catch Chloe's reddening face, Max said, "Just let me take care you this time. Even if it's just this once..." Her words came out breathlessly, clearly trying to sound as seductive as possible.

Thankfully for the both of them, it was working.

Chloe, now starting to get beyond flustered, just nodded quickly.

Max, feeling how desperate her partner was becoming left the punk's feet and slithered up Chloe's body. Max was standing on her knees now, and gestured for Chloe to take her shirt off. The punk complied instantly, lifting her arms up, and pulling the tank top off and over her head, leaving her in only her bra and panties.

A blush appeared on Max's face as she admired Chloe's half-naked body. The punk's smooth skin, her perky breasts, her beautiful arm tattoo, her strong and sturdy upper body.

Simply put, Chloe was Beautiful.

"Oh fuck that's nice..." Chloe half-groaned with a fire in her eyes, grabbing one of Max's hands and guiding it down towards the punk's nether-region. Max could feel her hand enter into Chloe's moist underwear.

"That's hella good.." Chloe muttered, her eyes closed, voice tainted with lust. Really getting into the thick of it, Max slid her fingers into Chloe's wet insides all at once, making her blue-haired partner's bare toes visibly curl with sheer pleasure.

"Fuckkk, Max..." Chloe all but moaned out.

Max whispered more sweet-nothings into Chloe's ear, really wanted to make this something the punk would never forget. Mentally giving herself a high-five,at the effectiveness of teasing, Max continued to pleasure Chloe at a rapid pace, sliding her fingers in and out of her lovers tunnel.

"Max...I'm close..." Chloe moaned, no longer concerned with the volume of her voice.

"Oh god Max, You're gonna make me cum so fuckin' hard..." Chloe warned, and as she had predicted, not even a second later did she reach her climax.

The punk arched her back as the feeling of her orgasm rushed through her. In that moment everything that Chloe had gone through in last few hours, the fiasco with Rachel, all of her thoughts and doubts faded away as Maxine Caulfield brought her over the edge.

It was beyond anything Chloe had experienced.

...

It went silent for awhile while Chloe basked in the afterglow of her climax. Max, on the other hand, merely sat back and allowed the punk to catch her breath. In the end, it was the audible complaint from Chloe's stomach, that broke it.

"I swear your stomach is a blackhole." Max said, behind a chuckle.

Chloe returned the action with a shrug and laugh of her own. "I guess good sex makes me hungry."

Max chuckled some more and took her seat back on the sofa. "Any ideas on what to eat?"

Chloe's eyes lowered. "You, for starters."

Max rolled her eyes and stood up. "Gross."

Chloe simply smiled and watched as Max went and walked out of sight and into the kitchen.

In all reality, she didn't know what would come next. Rachel was still on her mind, but there was little she could do to fix that right now. She could only hope Max would have her back and help her get through things. Either way, the next few days would tell a lot about their future.

Maybe things would be okay.

Maybe.