Chapter Text
October 11, 2013
The first time Max found herself on the roof was on the same date that she'd made the choice. On the same date that she'd stood on that cliff, rain and wind whipping around her, and faced the choice of sacrificing either Chloe or all of Arcadia Bay. But that was in another timeline. In this timeline, cruelly enough, today was the day of Chloe's funeral. The black dress Max had worn still clung to her frame, though she'd discarded the formal shoes somewhere in her dorm room after watching them sink into the mud beside Chloe's grave.
Max couldn't sleep – hadn't really slept since making the choice that saved thousands but cost her everything. The guilt and grief wrapped around her like a physical weight. Four days ago, on this very same date, in another timeline, she had watched a storm threaten to destroy everything she knew. Four days ago, in this timeline, she had watched her best friend die on a dirty bathroom floor. Again.
Four days since Chloe's death. Four days since Nathan's arrest. Four days since Jefferson's crimes came to light. And about five hours since a funeral that made it all feel horrifically final.
Max hadn't planned to go to the roof. Her feet just carried her there, past the broken lock, into the cold October air. The dim emergency lights mounted on the roof cast just enough illumination to make out shapes in the darkness, leaving deep shadows at the edges of the roof. To her surprise, she wasn't alone. Victoria Chase was there, sitting on the edge, cigarette between her fingers. She too was still wearing her funeral clothes.
Max's heart stopped for a moment remembering another day, another timeline, another girl on the very same roof. Kate's face, rain-soaked and desperate. The sickening sound of her body hitting the ground. Without thinking, Max took quick steps forward towards the girl sitting on the edge.
"What are you doing here?" Victoria's voice lacked its usual bite. She sounded tired, hollow. She must have heard Max's hurried movement because she added, "Relax, Caulfield. I'm not going to jump."
Max stopped at that and forced herself to breathe. Of course Victoria had guessed her thoughts – they were still raw from Kate's suicide, even if Max was the only person who remembered that.
"What are you doing here?" Victoria repeated.
"Couldn't sleep," Max replied. "I can go."
Victoria took a long drag from her cigarette, and Max noticed she was sitting with both legs firmly on the roof side of the ledge. Not like Kate had been. "Whatever. Free country. Free roof." The words came out loose and slightly slurred – Victoria had been drinking.
Max didn't say anything. She sat down on the edge too, leaving plenty of space between them. The stars were bright over Arcadia Bay, the town peaceful and whole, unknowing how close it had come to destruction. The weight of that knowledge pressed on Max's chest.
"He was my best friend," Victoria said suddenly. "Nathan. He was... fuck, he was like my brother. And now he's killed someone and I had to go to a funeral today and pretend I wasn't friends with the murderer."
Max stayed quiet, jaw clenching. She had seen Nathan's descent in multiple timelines now, had witnessed his spiral into violence and paranoia. But she couldn't tell Victoria that. She couldn't tell Victoria that because of him, because of what he did, she had almost killed everyone in this town. Max wondered if she still could do that. If she still had her powers. If she lifted her hand, could she just go back and try again? Could she still save Chloe instead of—
"I'm sorry," Victoria said, swaying slightly where she sat, "about Chloe Price. I'm sorry that Nathan did that."
"Yeah." Max wrapped her arms around herself.
They sat in silence until Victoria's third cigarette burned out. Without another word, she pushed herself up and disappeared back into the building, leaving Max alone with the stars.