"Surprise!"

The cacophony of shouts and yells caused both Max to jump out of their skin.

"Jesus!" gasped Max, before managing to calm herself down and look around. What she saw made her smile. To be fair, the word smile didn't even come close.

"Come on," said Chloe, bounding into the lounge. A drink was thrust into her hand, and another offered to Max. In a daze, she took it and sipped it, smiling as her vision cleared and she recognised Kate in front of her.

"Kate!" she squealed, throwing her arms around her friend. "What are you…" Then she saw everyone else.

The lounge was full of people. Behind Kate stood Victoria, looking resplendent as always, standing next to both Taylor and Courtney. Dana and Juliet were both there too, and Chloe had even managed to persuade Justin and Trevor to take time out of their busy schedules to come along. Daniel was sat in a corner, smiling quietly and talking to Stella, while Joyce was bustling around the kitchen, making drinks and snacks.

"How did… I mean… when did you…" Max looked around at Chloe, who was grinning like a madman.

"See, it occurred to me," she began, "that we need a house-warming party. And it occurred to me, not sure why or how I even considered this, but it occurred to me that Tori did a pretty good job of organising the party last time around. So… I may have suggested it to her last week, and she may have… you know… run with it." Chloe grinned again. "Hope you like it."

"Like it?" said Max. "It's a wonderful surprise." She paused, thinking. "You co-operated with Tori?" Chloe grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah," she said. "Wouldn't have thought it possible last year."

"How things change."

"Hey!" Tori called, walking over. "I heard my name." She smiled and accepted a drink from Kate. "Verdict?"

"Lovely surprise," said Max. "I was hoping to see you both before you went, but this is… well, it's something else."

"She was quite down earlier when she thought you'd left," laughed Chloe. "Sorry babe, but I couldn't say anything," she said, putting a hand on Max's shoulder.

"S'okay, I guess," Max faux-grumped, then grinned. "I was disappointed, but well… this…"

"Yeah, Tori's done an okay job, I guess."

"Hi girls!" called Joyce from the kitchen. Chloe immediately threw her arms around her mother, who took a step back, surprised by the forcefulness of the hug. "Hello you," she said, returning the hug fondly. "I've missed you too, Chloe."

"How did you…"

"I'm your mother," said Joyce, smiling warmly. "There's nothing I don't know about you." She released her daughter and opened her arms to her other daughter, who gratefully accepted. "Hi Max," she said. "Welcome home."

…

"…so that was a fantastic idea of Vic's, holding the party there." Dana looked perfect as always, resplendent in a faded white t-shirt and ripped jeans. She was sat on the sofa with Max, arm around her friend. "I mean, what a great idea that was of hers, to…" She stopped and looked up. Chloe was there, eyebrow raised, looking pointedly at both Dana and Victoria. "Chloe?"

"Dana." Chloe cleared her throat, and Max couldn't help but smile, noticing her girlfriend's eyes twinkling. "Sorry, I didn't mean to butt in. You were saying about Victoria's great idea." Max was trying her best not to giggle, but only just about holding it in.

"Yes," gabbled Dana, "I mean, it was such a good idea, wasn't it? Although, when I first heard about it, I thought it was such a macabre idea, I mean, holding a party in that place? But when we got there, they'd done it out really well, and it was so lucky as well that we were there, you know, because of the storm, and…"

"Tori," said Chloe, acknowledging the blonde girl's approach. "Dana was just telling us about your fantastic idea."

Victoria furrowed her brow. "My idea…. Which one?"

"The party," said Dana. "I was just saying how macabre I thought it was going to be, but it turned out so well. It was such a great idea of yours."

"Ah yes, that idea," said Victoria, sneaking a glance at Chloe and noticing her twinkling eyes. "Well, I mean, of course it was a good idea. When have I not had such a good idea?" Max could barely hold in her giggles at this point and had to turn away, holding her mouth. Chloe, however, was doing a far better job at deadpanning the situation. "In fact, I would go so far as to say it was one of my more brilliant ideas. And of course it wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for my minions." She grinned suddenly. "They did do an excellent job, to be fair."

"Max?" Dana felt her friend's shoulders shaking and turned to her in sudden alarm. "Is everything alright?" Max couldn't hold it in any longer and turned back to Dana, bursting out laughing. "Max?" she asked again, but Max couldn't respond. "Chloe? What's up with Max? I thought she was upset about…"

"Ah yeah, Max isn't so good at holding things in," said Chloe. "You may have noticed that from time to time."

"Yeah," agreed Victoria.

"I… I don't understand."

"Well," said Victoria. "I can't take all the credit for the party. It… it wasn't actually my idea at all."

"Really?" said Dana, her brow furrowing. "I thought you…"

"Yeah, I took the task on, and immediately delegated it to Taylor and Courts, but it wasn't actually my idea. In fact," she continued, "I didn't really do anything at all except task my two minions."

"So… whose idea was…" said Dana, her voice catching as Victoria took a long, pointed look at the blue-haried punk standing next to her, smirking. "Chloe? It was… it was you?"

"Yup," said Chloe, finally breaking into a smile. "I don't get many brilliant ideas, but every now and again…"

"And you let me gush?" Dana was appalled, but Chloe just continued grinning.

"Yeah, I mean, it was quite entertaining," she said.

"Oh Chloe, I'm so sorry," said Dana, looking abashed, but Chloe just grinned some more.

"Don't worry about it, Dana," she said, "I know I'm not seen as the ideas-man, exactly. Anyway, I convinced Tori to go along with it and she did do a fantastic job."

"Taylor and Courts did," corrected Victoria. "Honestly, I didn't really have much input in it at all." She smiled. "It was… nice, actually, to ask them to do it and trust they would, rather than just ordering them around."

"But you still call them your minions?" Dana was confused.

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean the same thing now. It's just a little in-joke we use sometimes," said Victoria. "And I have Max to thank for that."

Dana turned to Max. "I think we all have a lot to thank Max for," she said. "Max has had quite the influence on us over the last term. And I don't think we've really appreciated her for it."

"I don't know…" said Max, feeling uncomfortable, but Chloe quickly recognised her emotion and stepped in.

"Well, y'all know Max doesn't like the limelight," she said, "but I do know she's had a hella influence on me, and a few others. She doesn't like to admit it, but we all know what she's done for us."

"I know what she's done for me," said Kate, joining in the conversation and sipping a cup of something orange. She took a bit of a small cupcake and sat down next to Max, cuddling in to her friend. "She was there for me right when I needed her to be."

"Aww Maxi-pad getting all embarrassed," cooed Chloe with a smirk as Max began to blush furiously, causing the other girls to laugh good-naturedly. "Let's finish up this section of Max-worship, shall we? Save her blushes." Chloe raised her glass. "I'll just say this. Having Max back in my life is perfect and, dare I say, serendipitous… yeah yeah, quiet down," she said, in answer to the chorus of laughs, "I'm not used to big words, I know. But Max has come into my life, and yours as well, and she's made some changes. Some of them are quite small, some are far more momentous," here she smiled at Max, "and I suspect that she's made far more changes in our lives than we are prepared to admit to, or even realise." Max continued to blush, but Chloe wasn't quite finished. "She's the sort of friend that everyone wants. Great fun, not too intrusive, and totally reliable. Oh, and completely hot," she added, amid further blushes from Max and hoots from the rest. She raised her glass in tribute. "To Max."

"To Max!" chorused everyone.

"And all who sail in her!" added Victoria, earning an embarrassed giggle from Max, and a glare from both Chloe and Kate.

…

"You have to go?"

"Sorry Max," said Kate, "but yeah, if we don't go now, we won't get there tonight. Even with Tori's driving," she added, sneakily, but Victoria didn't hear.

"I'm gonna miss you," said Max, throwing her arms around Kate, who gratefully reciprocated.

"It's only for a couple of weeks," she said, "I'll see you in the new year."

"Yeah, I know, but we won't be living opposite each other then."

"True, but we're not that far away," said Kate. "And you know we'll be back in Blackwell before you know it." She looked around for Victoria, who was whispering something in Chloe's ear, causing the blue-haired girl to blush fiercely. "I wonder what they're talking about."

"By Chloe's reaction, I'm sure they're planning something to do with me," said Max. "Look," she continued, drawing her friend to one side. "Are you sure you're, you know, okay with…"

"Maxine Caulfield," said Kate, "we've had this discussion before, haven't we? I know what the bible says, but I also know reality. It was written two thousand years ago, and what sort of a God would he be if he didn't love people who truly loved each other? You're perfect for each other, I can see that. Hell, everyone can see that. So don't worry. Just… just don't feel forced into anything you don't want to do, that's all." She smiled. "Not that I have to tell you that, of course."

"I know. Thanks Kate," said Max.

"No," she said. "Thank you, Max." Her face sobered for a moment. "We both know where I would be now if you hadn't… if you hadn't spoken to Victoria. You really did have my back."

"And now Victoria does," said Max. "I'm sure everything will be fine over Christmas."

"I don't know," said Kate. "I mean, you saw the letter and postcard from my mother and aunt."

"I'm sure they'll have forgiven you…"

"…my aunt won't," said Kate. "My mother, well, she's going to have another shock as well either tonight or tomorrow. We've got something else to tell them, too." She smirked, and Max's mouth fell open.

"Kate Marsh, are you…"

"Anyway," continued Kate, brightly. "Time to go. Come on, Tori!" she called and, after a final hug, Victoria separated from her scheming with Chloe and joined them. "Bye Chloe, bye Max," she said, and, after similar from Victoria, the two of them climbed into the car and drive away, leaving Max completely open-mouthed and flummoxed.

"Max?"

Slowly, Max turned to look at her girlfriend.

"Max, are you here? Earth to Max!"

"She…"

"What?"

"Kate…"

"Max, you're not making any sense."

"I think Kate and Victoria..."

"Ah, did Kate say something?" At these words, Max returned to reality.

"You knew?"

"Max, we're going to have a little chat later on, okay?" said Chloe, her face lighting up in silent laughter. "But for now, let's just go in." She sighed. "Everyone's gone now, it's just us. Mom and David are going out for dinner tonight, so we have the house completely to ourselves." She grabbed Max's hand and pulled her inside. "Come on."

"Thanks Chloe."

"What? What for?"

"The party," said Max, allowing herself to be led inside. "You knew I wanted to see Tori and Kate before they left, but you went that extra mile."

"You're worth it, babe," said Chloe, giving Max a quick peck on the cheek. "To see the look of unbridled joy on your face when you saw everyone, well, that made the whole thing worth it right there."

"You're so good to me."

"Right back at ya. Okay, enough with the sop," said Chloe. "I'm stuffed, so let's just crash and watch a film."

"Yeah," said Max, happily. "Sounds good. What do you want to watch?"

"Nuh-uh," said Chloe, "tonight it's your choice, Supermax." She nuzzled in close as they sat on the big sofa. "So, what'll it be?"

Max thought for a moment, and broke into a smile.

"Bladerunner," she said. "I want to watch Bladerunner with you."