One More Time

Never Outta Time

Maxine eyed the canvas with a glimmer of hope.

This could be the solution.

Her hand traced the edges of a blue-winged butterfly, smiling fondly. "It has to be."

Chloe, standing behind her, still looked dubious. "Are you sure, Max? You've only been able to do that thing on photos, so you tell me."

She shook her head. "Not photos, Chloe. Memories."

The house, as expected, was destroyed. It was still recognizable, but certainly not habitable.

As was the rest of Arcadia Bay. Recognizable, but not habitable.

As morbid as the thought was, the first thing that came through her mind as Chloe drove through the town was that the Dark Room may be the only place left completely intact.

She shuddered, and shook her head. At least this made it. The evidence board. Removing the tape and pushpins, it was one of Chloe's most cherished artifacts – the drawing board.

"So you really think you can use it," Chloe wondered, having her reservations, but even she had to smile at the drawing they had done.

Her and Max, walking along the beach – more floating, really – hand in hand, into the sunset, that also had a rainbow. It was cluttered with a bunch of other things, including a typical palm tree-covered island, but she marveled at the focus of their painting; her happy ending the two had drawn a decade ago, almost like an omen.

And Max could see them painting the canvas like it was still happening, her hands gliding over the board. This had to be it. "I'm positive. Doubtful?"

Chloe shook her head, crossing her arms. "No. Fucking terrified. You have no idea how much I'd panic if I see so much as a nosebleed from you again. I don't want to see reality rip apart, Max. But if you're saying we can save everyone..."

"This has to work, Chloe. I had to have been given these powers for areason. It can't all have been a stupid lesson on love and sacrifice."

It was left unsaid by the both of them, that it was more a matter of love orsacrifice.

She kneeled down next her girlfriend. "Babe, I believe you. You know I do. But I also really think that my life's not so certain if you go into the past. I know it's a burden on you... making that choice. But I also have to live with the fact that it should be me, instead of everyone else." Her hands tightened on the brunette's shoulder. "The only thing that keeps me going is the fact that it's a choice you made, and you chose me to comfort you. You did this for me. And nothing would make me happier to be there for you. We're all that we have."

She leaned into Chloe's hand. "Yeah. We are. And I still wouldn't change a thing. But if I could..."

"What?"

"Amber could be here. With us. And your mom. And your dad. AndEveryone."

She leaned her head on Max's. "Amber would have loved you. If she wasn't so hooked on Frank, she might've... we might've..." she shook her head. "It probably would've ended bad, anyway. You're a hard one to get over, Max."

She felt a warmness inside that she hadn't felt since their first kiss, the dare that seemed so long ago. "Since when?"

It was so quiet, that Chloe almost couldn't hear her. "I never really understood why you said that thing. Until you told me last night. That day my dad walked out, you told me that you'd never leave me; that I would never be abandoned, that you were always there for me. And even before I thought you had those powers, I thought of you as my guardian angel. All the shit I've been through. I had to hold on to something. Told myself it could've been worse. Part of me thought you sent me Rachel. And even then, I thought 'Goddamn, I wish Max was here. If only to give me her blessing.'" She placed a kiss on the side of Max's resting head. "But when you practically tried to form a blood bond with me that day, I developed a crush in a major way."