Chapter Text
Some things you'll do for money and some things you'll do for fun/
But the things you do for love are going to come back to you one by one
-The Mountain Goats, Love Love Love
“I GOT THE PART!” Rachel shrieked, flying into the apartment, forgetting to even shut the door behind her. The Rachel, remember to lock the door-love, Max note fell off of it.
The dying L.A. light was streaming onto the coffee table where Max was arranging set photos.
She barely had time to register her girlfriend-all live wires and faster than life-before Rachel crashed into her, crushed her into the soft couch cushions, and rolled them onto the floor.
Rachel pinned Max’s arms above her lazily by the wrists.
They were nose to nose, and Rachel was panting and grinning.
“That’s amazing!”
Rachel kissed her fiercely, making Max gasp, breathless.
“I know!” Rachel squealed. She let go of Max’s wrists, still straddling her, and pulled a script of stapled computer paper out of her back jeans pocket.
THE DEAD SPEAK
“We were greenlit for a full season! Maybe more! And I have a great fucking part! Do you know what this means?”
“Uh, that you actors would be lost without our photography” Max smirked and pushed herself up by the elbows. “I’m still in shock they attached me”
Rachel swatted her arm and stood up. She paced around their small living room overtaken by Max’s Polaroids on the wall and Chloe’s mechanic manuals stuffed into every crevice she could manage.
“It means” Rachel said, “We are finally on easy street!”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Rach” Max took her hands, swinging their arms between them.
But neither of them could stop smiling. Max glanced at her makeshift workstation, stained with layers of coffee and engine grease.
“Easy. Street.” Rachel insisted. She grasped Max’s hand tight and propelled them out of the still open door, to adventure.
“Did you check the Ford?”
Chloe was currently guts deep into an engine of a convertible she would never be able to afford in her wildest dreams. She wiped sweat, grease, and grime from her brow and cleaned her face with a black-stained rag. Even in the relative shade of the garage, it was too damn hot.
“Just give me a sec, old man!” she called cheerfully.
“Forget that” someone pressed something cold to Chloe's cheek. Chloe shielded her eyes from the intense California sun.
Rachel was holding a water bottle. Max was bouncing on her heels beside her.
Chloe beamed “My two favorite ladies with the save” she took the bottle, uncapped it, and drank deeply.
She took a satisfied gasp of air and wiped droplets of water from her lips. “But why are you two here before-holy shit you got it!”
She twirled Rachel and Max around, each in one arm and kissed them both soundly.
“Where are they sending you guys?”
“We don’t know yet” Rachel burst out excitedly “But you’re coming with us-right?”
“Fuck yeah!” Chloe pumped her fist, still holding onto her dirty rag. “Uh…”
She swiveled her head behind her. Her boss was standing in the garage bay, his hairy arms crossed over his ruin of a once white t shirt. His mustache quivered as he smiled.
“I’m not keeping you away from your girls, Price. The garage will still be here, if you want it”
Chloe hugged him, smeared grease all over his already-a-disaster of a shirt. He patted her back and mumbled gruffly. “Steady, girl”
Chloe pulled away, smiling broadly. “Just let me fix the spark plug on that Ford and I'll drive you two home”
She dashed into the inner sanctum of the garage for a little while.
Max leaned against the convertible Chloe had been working on. “Are you nervous?”
Rachel fidgeted and twisted her dangling earring but she smiled “This is why we came to L.A., right? The adventure”
Chloe came back waving. She high fived Max, playfully goosing her butt and planted a firm kiss on Rachel's neck.
Rachel huddled them all together in a group hug, the three of them holding hands. “The three of us, all the way” she whispered.
Chloe held up her panda key chain and jingled the keys.
“There better be snacks in the cup holder, I’m fucking starving” Rachel said, opening the truck door and climbing in.
“Yes, your highness” Chloe smirked. She turned to Max “You ready, Maximus?”
“With you guys? Always”
“Alex, you really need to see the doctor now” Steph said.
Alex had just hobbled out of the Black Lantern, having said her piece. She braced herself against a wall, her ribs feeling like they were going to burst out of her chest. She tried to take steady breaths, but she happened to glance at the wall she was clinging so desperately to and saw a Typhon notice poster. Her heart rate spiked. She started taking huge heaving pants.
“Come here, I got you” Steph murmured, supporting her as she helped Alex stand up straight.
Alex winced then sighed into Steph’s embrace. Warm. Safe.
Steph buried her head into Alex’s neck, and Alex could feel a slight dampness. Tears.
“I almost lost you” Steph rasped “I almost fucking lost you”
A dense gold aura pulsed around them.
Thank fucking God...I couldn't lose you too
Alex flushed. The joy was infectious. Soon they were both laughing and crying.
“Steph, I…” before she could finish the thought, an intense wave of pain cut through their mutual relief and affection and she cried out.
“Shit, shit, shit, I’m sorry I’m sorry, let’s go” Steph quickly hurried them along down the street, supporting Alex with surprising strength.
“Upper arm strength” Steph explained, winking “Just another benefit of dating a drummer”
Alex burst out laughing, ending in a pained hiss “Damnit, stop making me laugh, it hurts” she chuckled.
“Well, the good news is, you're stable” the doctor declared, glancing at Alex’s chart through thick glasses “But we would still like to observe you overnight”
Alex was in a hospital bed, Steph was sitting in the guest chair, holding her hand.
“I’ll stay with you” Steph promised as she stroked Alex’s hair.
The doctor opened his mouth to argue.
“I’m staying with you” Steph repeated fiercely. “Doc, she was just almost murdered. No one is taking her from me. No one”
The doctor sighed, tapping the chart “I...I’ll arrange it”
“Good”
When he left, Alex smirked up at her “It’s hot when you take charge”
Steph swatted her arm, looking pleased. “You hush, you’re supposed to be resting”
“I’m fine, really.” Alex took her glasses off “See, my glasses didn't even…” suddenly her glasses lenses cracked. “God fucking damnit!” she spat, losing her cool for the first time.
Steph’s hands flew to her face. “We’ll...get you new ones”
Again, they both dissolved into relieved laughter.
They sat there holding hands until Alex fell into an uneasy sleep.
Steph traced the shooting star on Alex’s hand over and over again, feeling her heart, the pulse of her blood...Alex’s life.
Steph dug a bus ticket out of her pocket. She frowned at it, making a decision.
Alex could finally semi walk on her own, though it still hurt like hell. Gently nursing her tender sides, she sat at the dock taking in the sounds of the gentle waves, the buzz of conversation in the park, the light chirping of the birds. Her home, if she wanted it.
I want to be with you…
Alex couldn’t wipe the dopey grin from her face. I want to be with you too, you dork.
So much of her life was chaos and uncertain. Not that.
She perused Haven’s local paper with the headline NEW SHOW ‘THE DEAD SPEAK’ TO START FILMING IN HAVEN SPRINGS NEXT MONTH!
She tucked it away and basked in the silence and serenity, losing herself in it.
Then, still smiling like a doofus, she stood up. Turned around.
Walked confidently forward, to her future, so full of possibility.
Toward her. It was time to see Steph.
“Oh, too slow!” Chloe gloated.
She, Max and Rachel were playing a poorly designed knock off racing game Chloe had found at the thrift store.
Pizza, soda and beer took the place of Max’s photos on the coffee table.
“Oh, fuck you!” Max yelped, laughing, moving her controller back and forth as if that would help.
Rachel took a bite of pizza. “You're both idiots” she mumbled through a huge bite. They both shoved her, all of them giggling.
Their giggles trailed off into happy sighs.
"Seriously, though, I wonder where we're going. I've never been very far from the Pacific Northwest before"
Rachel grinned. "Either way, we get to rub it in to our parents that our degrees weren't useless. And I don't care where we are, as long as the three of us are together"
The storm, ravaging everything in its path. Max, crying, screaming to be heard over the high winds not being able to let go. Not being able to make that choice.
Joyce, her mother, her fucking mother she never treated right, dead. Her fucking traitorous step-bastard marrying annoying but like she was trying her best mother who never treated her right. Gone. She could never make it up to her. They could never make it up to each other.
And worse…
Chloe woke with a gasp, instantly pressing herself against Max’s warm back, scrambling behind herself to feel Rachel's hip.
She let out a contented breath. Her girls. The three of them, always.
No matter what.