~Chloe~

I struggle to walk up the cliff, balancing my unconscious friend in my arms.

No... I can't call her my friend. Max is so much more than that now.

We've been through hell together this week, and now we're closer than we ever have before.

By the time we get up the cliff, both of us are drenched and shivering from the rain. "Don't worry Max, we're almost there," I tell her.

Still no response.

She's been out cold since she passed out on the beach almost half an hour ago. Other than few mumbles, she's been absolutely silent.

"Please say something" I beg, but still nothing.

We're only a few feet away from the clearing at the top of the cliff when I finally lose my grip on Max and we both fall to the muddy ground. To my surprise, she catches herself.

"Chloe..." She says, "I... I must have passed out... sorry,". She stumbles as she tries to get up.

"Oh, thank god... Don't you ever scare me like that again", I say, pulling her to her feet once I get to mine.

"I swear, But that nightmare was so real.. So horrible.".

She walks towards the edge of the cliff and stares at the storm for a moment, her shoulders sagging at the destruction before her. "This is my storm... I caused this... I caused all of this. I changed fate and destiny so much I actually did alter the course of everything, and all I really created was just death and destruction!".

I step up to her and grab her, angry that she would ever think that this was her fault. "Fuck all that, ok? You were given a power, you didn't ask for it… and you saved me! Which ad to happen, all of this did. except for what happened to Rachael" I tell her. "But without you powers you wouldn't have found her! Ok, so you're not the goddamn Time-Master, but you're Maxine Caulfield... and you're amazing,".

I lean in and grab her by the shoulders, giving her a light shake as if expecting her to believe all that.

She looks at the tornado again in utter distress and I know she still believe this is all her fault.

I sigh and take a step back, what I had just said giving me an idea.

"Max, this is the only way,".

I hand Max the photo she had given me earlier that week, the one she had taken just before discovering her power. She takes it and holds in anxiously in her hands, studying the photo closely and realizing her reflection is shown in the bucket.

"I- I feel like I took this shot a thousand years ago," she says, walking to towards the storm again.

"You. You could you that photo to change everything right back until you took that picture... all that would take is for me to... to...". I can't finish my sentence, and burry my face into my hands as I start to cry.

We both know what her reflection means.

It means she can travel back in time and prevent herself from stopping Nathan.

"Fuck that," she tells me sternly, "No, no way. You are my number one priority now, you are all that matters to me".

I pull away and roll my eyes, "I know, and you've proved that over and over again, even though I don't deserve it. I'm so selfish, not like my mom. Look at what she had to give up and live through… and she did! She deserves so much more than to be killed by a storm in a fucking diner," I say, my words slowly becoming bogged down with tears. "Even my step… step-father deserves her alive. There are so many people in Arcadia Bay who should live, way more than me!".

"No. Don't say that," Max cries pitifully, "I won't trade you, I won't!". There's panic in her eyes now as she realizes the full extent of what I'm asking of her.

"You're not trading me," I snap back with unintentional bitterness, "Maybe you've just been delaying my real destiny. Look at how many times I've almost died of actually died around you. Look at whats happened in Arcadia Bay ever since you first saved me! I know I've been selfish but for once I think I should accept my fate… our fate".

"Chloe," Max whines, her voice breaking and faltering with each word she speaks.

"Max you finally came back to me this week and you did nothing but show me your love and friendship. You made me smile and laugh like I haven't done in years. Wherever I end up after this, in whatever reality, all those moments between us were real, and they'll always be ours. No matter what you choose, I know you'll make the right decision,".

She knows this is the only way to save everyone, to save the town, to bring Rachael justice.

"Chloe... I can't make this choice.." Max says as she starts to panic.

I grab her by the arms and force her to look at me "No, Max. You're the only one who can".

She looks down at the photo for a moment, then back at me and I know she's made her decision. The amount of pain in her eyes is enough to make my heart shatter but I have to be strong… for Max's sake.

"Max, it's time".

I take a step back, giving her room to use the photo to go back in time.

But she doesn't.

Max just stares at me in disbelief for a moment longer, shocked that I'm actually going to go through with this, that she's actually condemning me to die with no knowledge that she came back.

She blinks away tears and turns to face the storm head on, doing the last thing I expected.

She tears the photo in half and let the pieces go.

"Not anymore".

I watch as said pieces are swept away by the wind, out of sight, never to be seen again.

I'm not sure if I should be thankful or fucking furious. Everybody we even knew is going to die. And Max chose that... she chose to let them die... so I could live.

Why?

I look at her again... her shoulders sag as she realizes what she has done.

I take a small, slow step forward.

"Max, I'll always be with you".

Sliding my hand into hers, we both stand and watch the tornado inch closer to the town.

"Forever".

The tornado hits, and even though we're miles away we can hear it being torn apart, piece by fucking piece. Max soon turns away and hugs me tightly as if I were to disappear if she let go. I wrap my arm around her, keeping true to my word of always being with her.

I continue to watch the tornado tear into the town, trying not to imagine the amount of pain and terror the people of Arcadia Bay must be going through. Part of me wants to be happy, happy that that god forsaken town has finally been turned to rubble, but I can't will myself to do even that. This is my home… our home and nothing could ever change that. I didn't want this, but I'm not upset at Max's choice, it being her call after all.

I can hear her softly crying into my jacket, hear breathing growing quicker and more panicked as the tornado rages on. Slowly, her sobs start taking over and Max sinks to her knees.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry," She cries.

I fall with her, hugging her tightly, "It's ok... It's fine. Everything's fine" I say, choking on tears of my own.

I honestly didn't think she'd choose me... I mean, Max didn't even hesitate for a second, she just chose me over the bay like it was as simple as a click of a mouse.

We sit there holding each other for what seem like hours until the storm finally dies down and the skies clear. It pisses me off how quiet it is, but I hold my anger down. I need to be strong.

"Let's go," I say to Max, who is still crying softly into my jacket. She doesn't seem to have heard me so I put my hand on her shoulder. She's shaking and it sounds like she's gasping for breath, that's how hards she's been crying. "Max?" I say again.

This time, she looks up at me, eyes red from crying.

"I'm sorry" she mumbles weakly.

I sigh and hug her tightly, pressing her small frail body against mine.

"Come on. We gotta go," I urge again, tugging at her arm. She responds by gripping the back of my jacket as I slowly stand up.

At first she still has her face hidden in my chest, but with some warm encouragement, she pulls away and lets me get a good look at her.

God, even though she look like shit...she seems so… so...kissable?

I push the thought out of my head, thinking where the fuck did that come from. I mean, I admit that I have always liked Max a bit more than just a friend but why are these feeling coming up right now?

I want to say something, say that it's okay, but how can you say it's okay to a person who sacrificed a entire fucking town so that you could live?

I keep my trap shut and lead Max away from the lighthouse and down the cliff, slipping a few times on the slick mud. I slide my hand into Max's, feeling as she grips my hand so tightly that I can barely feel my fingers. I'm so scared that she might never snap out of this depressive, crying trance, that I quicken my pace.

The truck, having miraculously made it through the storm without a scratch, sits in the parking lot, trees, rocks and other debris scattered about. I have to coax Max to give me back my hand as I open the passenger side door for her. "Dude, come on. You wanna get out of here right? Then you gotta let me have my hand so I can drive".

She takes in a shaky breath and nods, reluctantly letting her hand slip out of mine as she climbs in the cab and wraps her arms around herself. I sigh at this sight, wondering if she's going to be okay after this.

Once I get in the truck, I turn to her and offer my hand, knowing that she'd most likely want to take it again, But too my surprise, she slowly shakes her head and hugs herself even tighter.

I rev the engine and pull out onto the long road leading back to town. I'm driving as at a decent speed, over the speed limit ( not that it matters ) but not fast enough to be reckless as I weave through the debris that's spread across the road.

The drive back to civilization is agonizingly quiet, just pure, deafening silence.

As we pull into town, my heart skips a beat, then stops completely.

Arcadia Bay is in utter shambles... there are no signs of life anywhere... everything is silent.

Houses and businesses have been leveled, cars and other large objects stick out of half crumbling buildings. A whale… a fucking whale sits across a house.

I turn to Max as I press the gas a little harder, wondering what her reaction will be to the amount of destruction. She doesn't even seem to notice we're moving, she's still holding herself, head placed up against the glass on the window.

My stomach churns when I spot the bodies, praying to god that we don't recognize any of them. Max seems numb to the entire sight, to the entire world actually.

I sigh and put my foot on the brakes, coming to a slow stop just outside of the town limits, taking one last look at my childhood home.

I look over at Max again. She hasn't spoke a single word since we walked down from the cliff. I lean over and put my hand on her shoulder, as if trying to say "I'm right here". Max turns to me and smiles, a genuine smile.

We're going to be ok, We have each other I tell myself I start driving again.

The rising sun in front of us feels like a new beginning as we pull out of town, the "Another Great Day in Arcadia Bay" sign waving us off.

We keep our eyes ahead and never look back.