Chapter 1

Saturday morning, October 12, 2013

The ride to Two Whales was surreal. It was one week after Chloe's funeral. Max should have been holed up in her room, trying to fend off the heartbreak of losing her best friend. Instead, she was on her way to the diner to meet her for breakfast.

Max flipped through the pages of her journal, going back to the day of Chloe's "death." Her entry shared the moment she stopped time and encountered the mysterious Fate and Death; the picture was taped on the page next to a scratchy drawing of the two women. Nathan had stormed in the bathroom, like before, but instead of being hidden in a corner, Max was standing in front of the stalls. Nathan pulled the gun out, waving it towards the wall while threatening Max to get out. Before Max could move, Chloe burst in. Max screamed and Nathan shot his gun. Unlike before, where Chloe had been shot, this time the bullet shot a mirror, causing a rain of shattering glass. Max crumpled to the floor in shock, and in the background, the blue butterfly flew out the window. David rushed in after hearing the sound of a gun and arrested Nathan. Eventually Nathan confessed to Rachel's murder and exposed Mr. Jefferson. Nathan was sent to a psych hospital, and Mr. Jefferson was in jail, awaiting trial for his actions in the Dark Room. Chloe was alive and Max hadn't messed with time.

Max closed her eyes, resting her head on the cool glass of the bus. She was trying to adjust to this new reality, a reality that she didn't fuck up. Fate did this, not me. Are Fate and Death real people? Max opened her eyes, looking at everyone on the bus. She recognized a few students, like Evan and Stella, but she also noticed quite a few people who she had never seen before. Max looked at the sketch she drew...maybe they were on the bus? They did stand out, especially Death and her fiery red hair, which reminded her of flames. She looked, hopeful, but her spirits were quickly crushed when she didn't spot them. That would have been too easy if they were sitting right next to her. No, she had a feeling this was going to be another hunt, like the search for Rachel. I need to find out who this Jelina G person is.

*SWOOSH*

Max looked at her phone as the Tardis sound went off. When did I change my text tones?

[Warren] 10/12/2013 10:40am

Good morning, my sleeping beauty. I hope you slept well :)

Max stared at the screen, confused. Sleeping beauty? What? She was struggling to recall any memories from this timeline, and had no clue why Warren would say something so…bold. Max remembered in one timeline, she kissed him. But that was before going back in their picture and erasing that incident. In the last timeline, Warren was helping her cope with Chloe's death. Romance was the last thing on her mind. When Chloe had called this morning, she mentioned a "hot nerdy date." Were she and Warren…dating? Max rubbed her head, feeling a headache coming on. All these damned timelines were confusing the hell out of her.

*SWOOSH*

[Warren] 10/12/2013 10:40am

Excited for Rocky tonight?

I've got everyone's tickets, just need the supplies. Get those on the way out.

Max had no idea what to say, or what that even meant. Max scanned her journal quickly; she was about to arrive at the bus stop to the diner. Damn it, I wish I had time to actually sit and read this before gracing my presence with the world. She saw that she had told both Chloe and Warren about her time traveling powers. Ok, so one thing I don't need to hide around them. Apparently tonight a group of people were going to see Rocky Horror Picture Show live at the theater. That could be fun…but, oh no, Chloe is making me dress up? Max skipped to the last page, deciding to see what happened "last night." As she read, her cheeks flushed, and a smile crept on her face. She was definitely dating Warren.

The bus started to slow down, and she saw the diner's sign flashing in front of her. At least Arcadia Bay still looks the same. She tucked the journal back in her bag, knowing she had a lot to catch up on. Max shoved her cold hands in her pockets and felt a small piece of paper. It was a ticket stub from the theater last night. Suddenly, her and Warren's date flashed before her eyes, imprinting itself in her mind and becoming an actual memory. Max swayed, grabbing the seat in front of her. She felt everything that happened and instantly got a head rush.

"Miss, are you ok?" The bus driver had turned around, noticing Max swaying in the aisle. "Do you need help?" Max shook her head, embarrassed by her sudden dizzy spell and the wave of emotions she experienced.

"No, thank you. Just a little tired." The bus driver looked skeptical, but nodded. Max bolted out of the bus, feeling the gaze of the driver's eyes as she walked to the diner. He probably thought I was drunk, or high…whatever. Max was greeted by the delicious smells of bacon and coffee as she approached the diner. Time to get my grub on. Before Max opened the door, she froze; she saw her in the window. Chloe was sitting in her usual booth, bright blue hair tucked in that knit beanie, looking bored and slightly annoyed. She's really here…oh my god Chloe is really here!

After pinching herself to make sure this was real, Max ran in the diner and tackled Chloe with a hug, knocking over a glass of water in the process. A few customers turned around and laughed, while most gave them a confused look. One of the truck drivers muttered about how weird kids were these days. But Max didn't care. All she cared about was her blue haired best friend sitting in the booth. Alive. "Chloe! I'm so happy to see you!"

"Calm down! You're lucky I'm still here, I almost died of boredom. I don't have all day to wait for your lazy ass to get here. We got shit to do." Chloe peeled her friend's arms off her and wiped the spilt water with a napkin. "Mom's getting your usual ready." Max couldn't move; she just stared at Chloe, a big goofy grin on plastered on her face. "You can sit down, you know." Chloe fidgeted in her seat, looking around uncomfortably. Waving her hand in front of Max, she asked "Hello? You ok? You're acting as if…as if…" Chloe's eyes widened, and she whispered "did you time travel?"

Max finally sat down, whispering "yes," when Joyce approached the table, placing a cup of hot coffee in front of Max.

"Hiya, sweetie. Good to see you this morning."

Max smiled warmly at Joyce. "Great seeing you, too. It's good to see you happy."

"Happy to be coming to work at the diner? Max, you are a funny one. But look at you…you are absolutely glowing! And I bet I know why! Must have been some date last night." Joyce winked. "Your order will be up shortly, Chloe already ate. I told her it was rude to not wait, but you know Chloe. Little Miss I-do-what-I-want." Chloe rolled her eyes as Joyce walked away. She leaned in, eyes twinkling with a mischievous excitement that Max hadn't seen since she told Chloe about her "Super Max Powers."

"First I need to know, what happened on this time travel adventure? Did we become groupies to some hot new band? Or did we set the world on fire?" Chloe laughed, "and we'll come back to the date, I need to know the hot and juicy details." Max ignored that last part and pulled out her journal, flipping to the page where Fate and Death's picture was. The moment everything changed.

"It was horrible, Chloe. You were…" Max suddenly became sad, remembering having to bury her best friend. Chloe, on the other hand, didn't seem fazed with Max's sudden mood shift.

"Dead? I know that, you already told me that I died when you told me about your powers. Several times. You saved my life, mostly when I was being stupid." She leaned in as close as she could, giving Max a serious look. "I know I can't mess around with step di-, sorry, David's guns. And I haven't I swear-"

"-no, Chloe. This time was different. I had caused a storm that was going to kill everyone in Arcadia Bay. The only way to stop it was to…" Max couldn't finish her sentence. Chloe reached over the table, grabbing Max's hands, encouraging her to finish her thought. "Chloe, the only way to stop the storm was to undo everything from my rewind power. I had to go back in time and watch you get shot and killed. By Nathan."

Chloe's brows scrunched together and she frowned at the mention of Nathan. Joyce came by, dropping off Max's breakfast. Max was glad that Joyce didn't pry, and merely said "let me know if I can get anything for you, dear." Chloe let go of Max's hand, tapping her fingers on the table.

"I supposed to get killed by that little shithead?" Max nodded. "But you said things changed. How did they change?"

"I wasn't supposed to be seen in the bathroom. I was hiding behind a stall after taking a picture. But in this reality, I was out in the open…talking to someone."

Chloe gave Max a confused look. "Max, I was in that bathroom. There was no one else there."

"Chloe, it was strange. I returned, but time was frozen. I saw two people in one of the stalls, talking about how I chose to save the town. And they seemed to know what was going on, like they were waiting for you and Nathan to come in. It was bizarre." Max took a bite of her pancakes, thinking how to explain Fate and Death. "I don't know is if they are actual people, or is it some kind of metaphor. But in my dream, they were named Fate and Death." Max pointed to the picture. "I'm supposed to find this person. Do you know anyone named Jelina G?"

Chloe shook her head. "Nope. But back up. You fucking met DEATH? That. Is. AMAZEBALLS-"

"-shhh! Chloe, keep your voice down! I told you, I don't know if it was actually death, but-"

"And death was a SHE? I knew women ruled the world. Suck on that, men." Max rolled her eyes, "Ok, ok Max, but seriously, how can you blame me for trippin' over this? My best friend, who already can alter time, gets to chill with fuckin' Death. And Fate. Wow." Chloe swirled her coffee, mumbling something about wishing it was spiked. She looked back at Max, who looked exhausted. "I know, I keep getting side tracked. Ok, back to your dream and this creepy headstone picture. They said you had to find them by the Day of the Dead? What happens if you don't find them?" Chloe suddenly looked serious. "Did you make some deal with them?"

Max couldn't bring herself to tell Chloe about repairing her life thread, at least not yet. Even if Chloe acted strong and tough, she knew it would seriously hurt her. The diner was not the right place for that conversation. "No deals. Maybe the storm will return? But I think I need to take it easy on my powers. I get the feeling they don't like me messing with time so much. They called me a hopper…it sounded like there were others like me."

Chloe's face brightened. "Others with powers?"

"Or other time travelers."

"Dude, I wonder if I have some mad hidden super powers!" Max laughed. It was wonderful being back with her best friend. Chloe was rambling about how she'd like to turn her water into beer and have a power that made it so she never needed sleep, letting her have all the time in the world, when Max remembered she needed to text Warren back. Slipping the phone under the booth so Chloe wouldn't notice, she replied.

[Max] 10/12/2013 10:56am

Sorry been eating breakfast with Chloe. Pancakes…Nom nom nom

[Warren] 10/12/2013 10:56am

Yum! Better than my cold cereal.

Ready to do the Time Warp tonight (ノ^o^)ノ

[Warren] 10/12/13 10:57am

When you do the time warp, do you jump to the left? Or step to the right?

[Max] 10/12/2013 10:58am

Shh…don't give my secret away.

It's the pelvic thrust.

[Warren] 10/12/2013 10:58am

... you have literally, LITERALLY, made me speechless.

[Max] 10/12/2013 10:58am

( ˘ ³˘)

Her cheeks flushed, and her fingers touched her lips. Max couldn't help but feel giddy at the memory. Chloe, noticing Max hadn't been paying attention to her for quite some time now, had stopped talking and was staring at her. Then, a smirk spread on Chloe's face. She leaned back on the bench, crossing her arms. Max dropped her hand, looking anywhere but at Chloe's suspicious face. Max's legs began bouncing; it was nervous habit of hers, and Chloe chuckled.

"Done eating? Don't worry, mom said she'll take care of it. Let's blow this joint. We need to pick out clothes for tonight's party and get ready." Chloe stood up, yelling "I'll see you later, mom" as she strutted out of the diner. Max followed, dreading the car ride back to Blackwell. Max didn't even want to know how red her face was; she was sure it had to be on fire. Why she was so embarrassed to talk to Chloe? Chloe was her best friend! They've talked for hours about Chloe and her relationships…how was Max's any different? It's not like her and Warren did that…Max bit her lip. She just wasn't used to sharing stories about boys to anyone, even her best friend.

They hopped in the car and Max reached for the radio. Chloe slapped her hand away, giving her a look. The silence was unnerving. They drove towards Blackwell, neither speaking, when Chloe abruptly did a U-turn in the middle of the street.

"What the hell, Chloe? Are you trying to kill us!?"

Chloe smiled. "Knew that'd get you talkin'. So…"

"So…what?" Chloe swerved her truck again, causing Max to grab to the door. "Fuck, Chloe! Ok, ok, just…don't kill me." Chloe smiled, and parked her car in front of a small park. She hopped out.

"Let's sit over there and talk. I need to refresh myself." Max rolled her eyes, getting out of the car. They walked to a small bench, away from everyone where Chloe could blaze up and not be bothered.

Max sighed, thumbing the ticket in her pocket. "So, I'm not sure how much you know…I only just remembered I went on a date on the bus ride here."

"Your boyfriend that forgettable?"

"No, NO!" Max flushed. Definitely no. "No, time travel issues. It's hard remembering what memories are from what timelines. I only remembered after I touched the ticket stub," she said, pulling out the ticket from her pocket.

Chloe laughed, "Did you touch his stub?" Max put her head in her hands. "Sorry, sorry. Last I talked to you, Warren was on his way to your dorm." Chloe motioned for Max to continue.

"I don't know what to really say…Warren picked me up, we had dinner, saw a movie, and went back to the dorms. I had a really good time. He was really sweet, he even bought me flowers." Chloe raised her eyebrows, and Max could hear her thinking Are you kidding? That's all? with an exasperated expression on her face. "Ok, juicy details. So, um, I spent the night, um, in his room."

"And?"

"…and?"

"You just went in his room and fell asleep? Really, Max?"

Max shifted in her spot. "We…messed around a little bit." A little bit was an understatement. Max remembered Warren sneaking her into his room, almost getting caught by Principal Wells. She had to use her rewind power once, justifying it was for the "greater good." Running to the end of the hallway, holding hands, she giggled when they finally made it to his room. Max and Warren had just squeezed in the door when she slammed him against the wall, crushing her lips against his. His hands grabbed her hips, her fingers entwined in his hair. After a while, Warren started nibbling on her neck and picked her up, carrying her to his bed. Max pulled off his shirt, raking her fingers across his back. Warren lifted off Max's shirt, and both he and Max blushed.

"You're so beautiful, Max."

Max smiled, and looked at Chloe. "He told me I was beautiful."

"Uh-huh. I already know the boy worships the ground you walk on. So, what else did he tell you? Did he show you anything?" Max groaned. Chloe was getting impatient. "Let's cut the crap. Is he a good fucker?"

Max punched Chloe's arm. "We didn't have sex! Geez."

"So you're telling he just saw you topless? That's it? Really, how old are you?" Chloe stood up, placing her hand over her heart. "It is my duty as your best friend to make sure you and nerdy boy get some hot kinky sex. And if it's bad, you can always rewind." Max rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but laugh. "Man, I wish I had that power."

It was true that her and Warren didn't go all the way last night, but they came close. Warren tried taking off Max's bra, but had difficulty getting the clasp undone. This caused him to become embarrassed, but Max only found this cute. Hell, she was just as inexperienced as him, and she didn't want his confidence to wane. She kissed him, a deep, passionate kiss, reassuring him to keep going. Warren, with Max's help, manage to get off her bra. Warren hesitated, but Max's eyes encouraged him to go on. His gentle touch and kisses had Max squirming, yearning for more. She needed him, and she knew he needed her. Before they knew it, their clothes had been peeled off, leaving a pile on the floor.

They both looked at each other, suddenly becoming shy in their exposed state.

"Max, I've never…"

"…neither have I."

Warren cusped Max's cheek and kissed her. Max melted under his kiss, and her hands began to wander. Warren gasped at the sudden touch, and following Max's lead, began to explore Max's body. Between kissing, moaning, and hands caressing, Max and Warren had one of the best nights in their lives. When they were done, Max slipped on one of Warren's t-shirts. They were blissfully happy, and Max didn't want the moment to end. They both fell asleep curled up together, pleasant smiles plastered on their faces.

Max grinned, looking at Chloe. "Well, you don't need to worry. And there are no complaints. No rewinds necessary." She stood up, walking back towards the truck.

"WHAT?! Ok, you'd better spill it. Now!" Chloe ran after Max, who was laughing the entire time. They hopped in the truck, both girls still laughing. "Alright, alright Max. I'll stop teasing you. Let's head to Frank's real quick before we hit the dorms.…I have a few things I want to pick up for tonight."

Jelina woke up to the feeling of tightness in her chest.

She had a job.

Looking around the small apartment, she saw her sheers on the kitchen table, engraved with a name and number. Around her neck was a chain with a spool of clear thread. She held the spool in her hand, concentrating on the name engraved on her sheers. The thread turned rough to the touch, and changed to a blood red mixed with spots of black. Jelina thought of the number and began to unwind the thread off the spool. As it unraveled, she could sense feelings of hatred, agony, and suffering within the frayed fibers. Stephanie came up to Jelina as she was finding the spot to cut. Jelina's instincts kicked in, and shortly she found the end mark.

*SNIP*

"It's always enchanting watching you work, Jelina. I wish my job was that peaceful." Jelina wrote down the name and number in her log book and tucked the cut thread in the crease of the page; almost instantly, Stephanie's scythe was engraved with the same name, a time, and a location.

"Looks like we got the same job…but we almost always do."

"Not hard to do when you are in a small town and not working in a facility. Could you imagine yourself working in a hospital?"

Jelina scrunched her nose. "Yuck. No thank you, I like being a wanderer."

"Me, too. So this is at the beach…says RV on the hill…want to come? We can hit the diner afterwards." Jelina shrugged. Why not? Even though they didn't have to eat or sleep to survive, they found their senses were sharpened when they did. Plus, it broke the monotony.

Jelina threw on her cloak, masking her from the human world. Well, most humans. Jelina's mind wandered to the hopper who had seen her and Stephanie. I wonder if she'll come looking for us… she seemed adamant about repairing her friend's thread. She doesn't know what she's getting herself into...what I got myself into…

Lost in thought, Jelina felt a tug on her wrist. "Ready? Let's hit the beach! I have a conscience to catch." Jelina smiled, pushing aside thoughts of the hopper for now. Someone on that beach had a meeting with Fate and Death.