Hey everybody. This is the last chapter, but I have squished as much fluff as possible in this one. Get ready for the last part, it is making me feel all warm and fuzzy. Prepare yourselves. Enjoy
Chapter Eight: Story Time
Chloe's POV – One month later
I look out over the calm waters from the cliff top as the sun begins to set, casting an orangey haze over the area as Max and I sit side by side on the worn down bench near the Lighthouse. It seems like such a long time ago since we were first here, the time Max first told me about her powers. I lean back, placing my hands behind my head.
"It's funny to think that just over a month ago, we were sat here basically strangers. Now…" I reach over and grab Max's hand firmly.
She leans her head against my shoulder and sighs contently, "Yeah."
Things have been so hectic over the past few weeks and we haven't had much time to ourselves. With the aftermath of Jefferson, everyone went nuts. Arcadia itself suffered a few days of gale force winds and torrential rain... but nothing like the gargantuan storm Max had described to me from her nightmare, something we were both thankful for.
Max and I stayed at the hospital for a while. She was there for longer than me, but I made sure to visit her every day for as long as they would allow. At first, they kicked me out when visiting time was over, but I snuck back into her hospital room. I didn't want to leave her alone… not again. Her room was on the first floor, so all she had to do was open the window and I was in. Eventually, they gave up and just let me stay. They knew I would find a way in somehow. Rules and locks can't stop Chloe Price.
We were questioned about the incident. We kept it as vague as possible to throw off suspicion. The police never found Jefferson's body, David made sure of that. He said that we had been through enough and that we didn't need court cases and stuff to deal with. As far as the police are aware, Jefferson is still out there. David grabbed all the evidence we needed, then we torched the barn along with the dark room, watching on as that wretched building went up in flames. The police think that Jefferson was the one who torched the place in an attempt to hide his tracks after being discovered. Yet another secret Arcadia Bay will take to the grave.
"Chloe." Max calls out, bringing me from my thought.
I glance down at her. "Yes, Max."
Max snuggles up to me closer, her hair rustling in the warm gentle breeze. "Let's not go on any more adventures for a while. I think we've seen enough to last a lifetime."
We've definitely seen some action, that's for sure. I squeeze her hand, "Are pirate adventures ok?"
She meets my gaze, her soft blue eyes gentle and loving. "I can make an exception for that."
I grin and lean in close to her, rubbing our noses together. "Good. I've got to find me some booty."
Max giggles. "You've got some booty right here, you know."
Her humor is just what I need to get through the day. I kiss her forehead. "That I do, and it be some mighty fine booty."
Birds lazily swoop over our heads, the gentle breeze causing the trees to dance as the slowly setting sun reflects on the surface of the water. I can't believe we made it. For a while there, I thought we were goners for sure. I guess we really are a good team.
As I gaze out over the sea I feel a hand on my face. It carefully turns my head towards Max, her brow furrowing slightly in worry. "Ok, I know that look. What are you thinking about?"
I take a deep breath, gathering my thoughts, "Max, I… I want to show you how much you mean to me. No more fucking around." I bring her hand to my lips, placing a tender kiss on the back, my heart pounding in anticipation. "I want… want to make what we have official." My voice trails off into a whisper as I gaze deeply into Max's familiar blue eyes.
Her eyes widen a fraction, then she breaks out into a huge grin, "Nothing would make me happier, Chloe." She leans over and kisses my cheek, then my nose and finally my lips.
I sigh in relief, "That's good. It would have been kind of embarrassing otherwise." I stand up abruptly, taking Max by the hand and dragging her along excitedly. "Let's get food to celebrate… uh, you might have to buy this time."
Max shakes her head and rolls her eyes playfully. "Don't I always?"
"You've got to have your uses sometimes, Caulfield." I wink and grin cheekily as we make our way to my truck.
Three months later
Max holds my hand, guiding me along with my eyes tight shut at her request. "No peeking."
I blindly feel around in front of me. "Where are you taking me, Caulfield?"
She giggles at my vulnerable state. "It's a surprise." After stumbling forward for a few more minutes, we stop abruptly. "Ok, open."
My eyes open slowly, Max's room coming into view, the floor covered in pillows and blankets instead of used cups and crumpled up pieces of paper. She closes the door behind me and grins. "I thought we could make a pillow fort. You know, like old times. So… what do you think?"
God, Max is such a nerd. I grab her by the waist, pick her up and whirl her around causing her to squeal, "It's a great idea." I shout as I spin out of control and we both end up in an undignified heap on the floor among the blankets and pillows.
Max lays on top of me groaning, "Ouch." She re-positions herself so she's leaning on her hands above me.
I chuckle, reaching up and tucking a strand of Max's mid-length brown hair behind her ear. "Sorry. I got carried away."
She shakes her head, "I've heard that before." A smiles tugs at her lips as she leans down and briefly presses a kiss against mine. "You are always getting carried away." She untangles herself and grabs a few of the pillows together.
Once recovered from our fall, I sit up and join her. "Dare I ask where all these pillows came from?"
Max smiles coyly at me. "That's for me to know and for you to find out."
Fifteen minutes later
I step back, wiping my brow and inspect our work, "I think this might just be the most awesome pillow fort we have ever created."
Max grabs onto my arm like an excited child, "I'm inclined to agree with you there. Let's go try it out," she gets on her hands and knees, starting to crawl into the entrance. She glances back over her shoulder at me, "You coming?"
"I was just enjoying the view." I grin cheekily at her.
She rolls her eyes playfully at me. "Get in here, Price."
"I like it when you get bossy." I tease, following her in and we get settled down on the floor side by side, our shoulders brushing lightly together. As we lay there, I glance over at Max. It's so weird to think we are here. Don't get me wrong, I'm hella happy, it's just unexpected. I never thought I would see Max again when she left for Seattle. She came back to me when I needed her most.
"What are you staring at?" She questions suspiciously.
I shrug. "Dunno, the labels fallen off."
She nudges my leg with her foot. "And you call me a nerd."
"Because you are." I smirk.
Max puts on an expression of mock hurt, "I resent that remark." We lay there in silence for a while, reliving our childhood memories. "Chloe…"
I turn my head towards Max. "Yeah."
She takes my hand and intertwines our fingers. "I'm glad I came back to Arcadia."
So am I, Max. You don't even know how happy you have made me. "Me too, Max. Me too."
Six months later – Arcadia Bay Beach
"Come on, hippie." I shout behind me, Max running as fast as she can to catch up.
"Slow down, Chloe." She pants as we run along the beach.
My short faded blue hair whips around me in the wind, the sand and water cool under my bare feet. I glance over my shoulder at her. "Can't catch me." I sprint ahead, leaving Max in the dirt… or so I think.
"Got you." A victorious voice shouts out as I feel a weight at my back. I fall to the floor, sand thrown up into the air, spiraling around me. Max rolls off of me onto the sand, her cheeks flushed from running. We lay there side by side on the beach, staring up at the blue sky and trying to catch our breath. The cool water laps at our feet as the sun beats down on us.
"Max…" I pant, narrow my eyes suspiciously at her, "did you… use your rewind powers?"
She turns her head and smiles at me innocently. "Powers? What rewind powers? There is no such thing my dear Chloe?"
I roll my eyes and push her shoulder. "You so did, cheater."
Max's smile turns mischievous. "All's fair in love and war."
One Year Later – Streets of Arcadia
I glance over to Max, who is chewing on her lip nervously. To ease her worries, I link our hands. "Dude, are you sure about this?"
She nods and swallows. "Yeah. It can't be that bad, can it? I mean, you got one and survived." Max, you try to put on a brave face, but I can tell when you feel nervous.
"You don't have to…"
My words are cute off by the determination in her eyes. "I want to."
Max can be so stubborn sometimes. "Gotcha, Super Max."
We enter the tattoo parlor, Max clutching onto a piece of paper in her hands. On it is a drawing of a butterfly with vibrant blue wings. She told me that she wanted a reminder of that day, the day she got her powers and saved me for the first time, the day we were reunited and set us down this path. That's how it all started after all… with a blue butterfly.
She is shaking slightly, so I squeeze her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, Max. I'll be there the entire time."
One hour later
"How does it look?" Max asks as she holds out her arm, on her wrist is the outline of the small butterfly. I never thought I'd see the day when Maxine Caulfield got a tattoo… then again a lot of the things I've experienced since she re-entered my life have been surreal.
I lean in and kiss her. "It looks hella cool."
Max smiles at my approval. "Good because it really hurt."
The tattoo artist walks over to us, "It'll look even cooler when we add the color. You were a trooper. You barely made a sound." They grin at her in admiration. "You've got some serious balls, girl."
She returns the grin. "Thanks."
The tattoo artist signals to me with their thumb. "I seem to remember Price here being more vocal."
I pout at being sold out. "Hey, no fair. I thought we said we wouldn't ever speak of that again."
They laugh, eyes glistening in amusement. "I never promised anything of the sort."
Three years later – Chloe and Max's House
I flop down on the couch, rubbing my temples and sighing. What a day.
"Tough day, huh?" I turn to the source of the voice to see Max leaning against the doorframe.
"Get your butt over here, Caulfield," I pat the space beside me. "I need my hipster." Max walks over and joins me on the couch. The second she sits down I launch myself at her.
"Chloe. Watch it," she yelps in shock as my body collides with hers.
I snuggle up to her, peppering her face with kisses. "I can't help it. You shouldn't be so damn cute." Max squirms underneath me, giggling as I kiss her. She has always been ticklish, knowledge I have often abused. After a few moments I relent, laying my head in her lap as she twirls a strand of my faded blue hair around her index finger just letting time pass us by. I always enjoy these moments we share. It's never awkward. We can just sit here, enjoying each other's company. I glance up at Max as she plays with my hair, "Let's have a movie night tonight. Just the two of us, just like old times."
She places a tender kiss on my forehead and nods. "Sounds good to me."
I jump up from the couch and examine our DVD collection, which I might add is one to be envied. I brush my fingers along the cases as I search for the right case. My hand stops and hovers over one of the cases as I look over my shoulder at Max, "Is Blade Runner ok?"
This suggestion makes her grin at me knowingly, her tone teasing, "Are we getting sentimental, Price?"
I pull out the case and start loading the DVD in the player, "Maybe…" I grab a blanket from the corner and throw it over Max, completely covering her as I make my way into the kitchen. "I think we might have some popcorn left. I'll go check." I kneel down and search the cupboards, looking for the popcorn. Come on. Where is it? Aha! Score one for Chloe Price. I make my way back into the room, the bag of popcorn clutched tightly in my hands. "Chloe find food." I grunt as I approach the couch.
Max giggles at my impression. "Ok, Cavewoman Chloe. Well done."
After placing the bowl down on the coffee table I jump onto the couch, nearly catapulting Max onto the floor, "Hey, watch it." She grumbles.
I can't help but laugh at her mildly annoyed expression, "You should have seen your face." Max pouts and turns away from me, refusing to meet my eyes. She is trying so damn hard to be angry with me, but she's kidding no-one. I wrap my arms around her and put on my best puppy dog eyes. "Don't pout, Max. I'm sorry," I know it's only a matter of time before she looks.
As predicted, Max sighs, "Fine, stop making me feel guilty." She turns back to face me and cuddles up to me. "God help me if you ever do something really bad. I can't resist the puppy dog eyes."
I smirk smugly. "I'll keep that in mind."
Max squints at me accusingly. "That doesn't give you a get out of jail free card to do whatever you want."
I hold up my hands defensively. "I promise I won't abuse my powers."
"Good," she announces, opening the bag of popcorn. "Or I might have to start abusing mine."
I stick out my tongue. "You are no fun."
Halfway through the film, I can feel Max's head slowly falling onto my shoulder. She always falls asleep while watching movies. I smile, switching off the TV and gently guide us into a laying position on the couch. She moves closer to me, wrapping her arms around me as she mutters in her sleep. I pull the blanket around us and brush a stray strand of hair from her face, bumping our foreheads together as my eyes begin to close.
Five years later.
"Mom," a young girl with long blonde hair tugs at my sleeve impatiently. "Tell me a story."
I ruffle her hair, much to her protests. "Ok, one quick story, but then you have to promise to go to sleep straight after."
The girl nods eagerly, waiting for me to start. I can't help but grin at her excited expression, ready to get lost in a whole new world. I sit down on the bed and cross my legs, leaning my back against the wall. The girl crawls over to me and positions herself in my lap as I begin the story.
"Once upon a time, there were two pirates, Max the Marauder and Cut-throat Chloe. They were the most badass of all. They planned to travel the seas, looking for the most valuable and rare treasures you have ever seen. Along with their Captain, Wily William, they began their journeys. They terrorized the villains of Arcadia Bay, bringing justice, while also making a profit. Things were amazing."
The girl's eyes twinkle with delight as she imagined the scene vividly in her mind.
"One day, they were torn apart by cruel circumstances. Their ship was sunk and William… was never to be seen again. Max and Chloe tried to remain together, but they eventually drifted away, carried by the sea. Max ended up in a foreign land with no way to return home. She tried desperately to return, but it would take her five long years to finally make her way back. Chloe washed ashore on the beach of Arcadia Bay. She was rescued by a ruthless swashbuckler, Rachel the Ravager, with whom she traveled, waiting for the day Max would come back to her."
The girl tugs on my sleeve, "Mom."
"Yes, honey?"
She tilts her head to one side curiously, an inquisitive glint in her intelligent blue eyes. "She has my name… Rachel."
I smile fondly. "Yep."
Little Rachel's eyes widen in delight as she points to herself. "I'm named after a badass pirate?"
You could say that. "Something like that." I chuckle.
It is almost scary how alike little Rachel is to her namesake sometimes, especially some of her mannerisms. Part of me likes to think that Rachel Amber is waiting around here, subtly influencing little Rachel's actions and behaviors like a mischievous auntie or something, teaching her all the things that would drive both Max and I crazy.
Little Rachel grins at me gleefully, as if the knowledge has changed her entire world, "Awesome." She clings onto me, waiting patiently for the story to continue. This is where I see both Max and I in her. She has the same sense of excitement and adventure as me, however she is patient like Max. If it were me, I would have sat there, complaining that we were taking too long chatting and that I wanted to know the end.
I take a deep breath and continue. "Fate smiled upon them as Max finally made her way back to Arcadia, but ended up getting tangled up in a duel to the death with one of the most notorious and dangerous pirates around, The Hipster Killer. Although she fought bravely, she did not stand any chance of winning. Just as it looked as if there was no hope, Cut-throat Chloe swooped in and saved her."
Little Rachel grins cheerfully. "Chloe saves the day."
I snuggle up closer to her, resting my chin on the top of her head. "They were unsure how to act around one another after the long time apart. Both had gone their separate ways and lived their own lives. There was a rift between them forged from heartbreak and loss, one which was not easily overcome. Nevertheless, they tried to reconnect. Chloe's friend, Rachel the Ravager, had gone missing six months ago and Chloe asked Max to help her. Max the Marauder of course said that she would help her, she was her first mate, her partner in crime." My lip quirks upwards as I remember that first week Max and I reunited.
"I'm so glad you're my partner in crime."
I grin at Max cheekily. "As long as you're my partner in time."
She rolls her eyes at me in the darkness. "Insert groan here."
I am hit with a sudden wave of nostalgia as this memory washes over my mind, one of many I share with Max.
"In their search for Rachel they faced the deadly three fingered Frank, who held Cut-throat Chloe at knife point. Max would not allow her friend to be threatened and shot Frank with the special pistol Cut-throat Chloe had managed to steal from David the Dastardly, Chloe's new captain. No-one could ever replace Wily William. Chloe would only ever know one captain. However, there were no bullets. This would turn out to be a favorable events as eventually, the two would find an ally in Frank and his trusty dog, Pompidou."
Little Rachel looks at me excitedly, and offers me a toothy grin, "Oooh, a doggie."
I mentally kick myself for bringing up Pompidou. Oh great. Now she's going to try and start up the dog conversation again. She has been talking about dogs non-stop for the past week. She won't give up until we get one. Quick Chloe, change the subject.
In an attempt to distract her, I clear my throat and swiftly steer the conversation back to the story.
"In a sudden turn of events, Max the Marauder had to save Chloe from certain death. Chloe got caught in a trap, with little hope of escape. She almost did not make it, but at the last second Max managed to free her from the trap, saving her from impending doom. This made their bond grow ever stronger. They broke into the headquarters of the biggest, baddest pirate gang in Arcadia Bay and found out some clues as to where they might find Rachel. They found several incoherent drawings, potentially maps, however they could not decipher them. It appeared that The Hipster Killer had something to do with this. Big surprise. Their investigation led them to many an exciting and life-threatening adventure, including breaking into the lair of The Hipster Killer. A tale for another time."
Little Rachel whines. "But mom, I want to hear it now."
I smile at her thirst for adventure, "Maybe tomorrow. I said a quick story tonight." She pouts, crossing her arms and squinting her eyes at me. The same thing Max does. I chuckle heartily and begin tickling her, causing her to squirm and shriek. I eventually relent. "I promise I will go into more detail another night. Don't you want to hear the ending?"
She nods firmly, her eyes pleading me to continue. "I do."
"During their adventures, Chloe and Max finally began to regain what they had lost. They laughed and cried together… loved and lost. Although the universe tried to tear them apart, they refused to give up. They started to fall in love, even though neither of them realized it at first. They were so dense, especially Max," I wink at her. "Max was hella dense."
Little Rachel's brow furrows in thought as she looks at me curiously. "Is Max mom?"
I place a finger to my lips. "My lips are sealed…" She pouts again, crossing her arms at my reluctance to divulge my secret. Oh look, its mini-Max again. I offer her a secretive smile, "Fine, but it has to be our secret," she nods as I lean in a whisper. "It is the very same Max."
Little Rachel grins, leaning back on me. "I won't tell."
"You had better not, Max might hit me if she knew I said that. Anyway, back on with the story. Finally, they were to face the most perilous of their adventures and were to discover the real mastermind behind everything. The monstrous man known only as Goatee. He had no morals and would willingly set an entire town on fire just for the fun of it."
Little Rachel gasps, bringing a hand to her mouth. Damn it, Rachel is so cute. I just want to squish her cheeks.
"In their search, the two were captured by Goatee. He took them aboard his legendary ship, the Tornado. Max and Chloe were outnumbered. They fought bravely, but it appeared that they would not make it. Chloe was pinned by Goatee with little hope of success. Out of nowhere, Rachel the Ravager appeared, hair whipping in the wind. She pushed Goatee into the sea. He was never heard of again."
Little Rachel nods, satisfied with his fate. "Good riddance." She has a strong moral compass, something else she gets from Max.
"Now, they had control of the Tornado, the fastest ship to ever sail the seven seas. It was theirs… however, Chloe now realized that there were more important things in life than treasure or adventure and that what she wanted was beside her all the time. Do you know what that was?"
Little Rachel strokes her chin, thinking hard. "Um… her partner in crime."
"Got it in one," I grin at her perceptiveness. That trait definitely didn't come from Max, who is the most oblivious person I have ever met. I'm surprised we came this far, to be honest. If I hadn't dared her to kiss me all those years ago, then I wonder if anything would have ever come about between us.
"Max was all she ever needed. She hadn't realized it before, but now it was so clear to her. Chloe decided to hang up her hook and settle down with Max. Rachel, still on the hunt for adventure, decided that she would take the ship and, along with three fingered Frank and Pompidou, they would find their fortune. Chloe and Rachel went their separate ways, in search of a new adventure… love." The ending to this tale is bittersweet for me, even after all these years the thought of Rachel fate still made my heart heavy. I would have happily given up our relationship and many other things just to see her alive one last time… to tell her that I am glad she came into my life.
When I finally come back to reality, little Rachel has a troubled expression on her face. "What's wrong?"
She bites her lip, worrying it between her teeth and her brow furrowed as she asks. "Does Chloe ever see Rachel again?"
I smile at her tenderly, wrapping my arms around her and squeezing her gently. "Unfortunately no. Their paths were never to cross again, but Chloe still had the amazing memories of Rachel with her. They kept her going through everything."
Little Rachel shuffles in my lap to get a better look at me. "What was she like?"
Now, that is a difficult question. How does one define Rachel Amber? "She isn't so easily defined. She was a complex individual, everyone either loved her or was jealous of her. She always got into trouble, but she was a great friend to Cut-throat Chloe."
Little Rachel is silent for a while. I can almost hear the cogs spinning as she sits there. Eventually, she meets my eyes. "Do you miss her?"
My eyes widen a fraction at her question. "Hey, who says I'm Cut-throat Chloe?"
She stares at me defiantly. "I'm not stupid, mom."
I sigh, squeezing her tighter, my voice little more than a whisper as Rachel's smiling face and teasing voice enters my mind. "I know kiddo. I do miss her, a lot. I think you guys would have got on well. You would've gotten into all sorts of trouble."
She holds onto one of my arms. "I wish she was here."
I can't help but smile at the irony of the entire situation… my own child stealing my catchphrase. I untangle myself from her. "Now, bed." Little Rachel yawns and crawls under the covers. Unlike both Max and myself, she always goes to bed on time. "Goodnight." I whisper.
"Night," she mumbles as she rests her head on her pillow. "Remember, you promised to tell me more another day."
I tuck her in and kiss her on the forehead. "I promise."
As her eyes begin to close, I back out of the room and flick the light switch off. Arms are suddenly wrapped around my waist as someone leans against my back. I shake my head and smile. "How long have you been there?"
Max moves around to face me, a smug smirk on her face at remaining undetected. "A while. I heard the story."
A blush forms on my cheeks, one I try to hide from Max. She grins as she enters little Rachel's room and kisses her cheek. "Goodnight sweetie. I love you."
Little Rachel opens her eyes a fraction, struggling to remain awake. "I love you too."
Max grins as she exits the room and joins me back in the corridor, "You still remain the best storyteller in Arcadia." She comments as we lightly walk hand in hand down the corridor to our bedroom at the end of the hall. We quickly get changed and flop down onto the bed, snuggled up underneath a blanket facing each other. I rest my forehead against hers, gazing deeply into her blue eyes. She leans over and kisses me tenderly. "I love you, Chloe Price, or is it Cut-throat Chloe now?"
I smirk. "It's always been Cut-throat Chloe. I love you too, Max the Marauder."
Max grabs hold of my hand, squeezing it and places another kiss on my lips… then another and another... It took us so long to get to this point, too long. I tilt my head, shuffling closer to bridge the gap between us as our lips move in sync to a rhythm only we know. Time seems to stand still as we hide under the blanket, lost in one another as our lips collide, each time sweeter than the last. When the universe refuses to lend you the time, you make it in moments like these.
Now… we are making up for lost time.
Now, I am drowning in fluff. Damnit. This is the sort of ending I wanted. I'll just insert this into the plot and everything will be good. So, there we go guys. I hope you enjoyed the story. Stay safe out there, have an awesome day and maybe I shall see you in another story.