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Max was tossing and turning again, mumbling and panting in her sleep. Chloe woke up, and realizing Max was still having those terrible nightmares she turned to her and tried to snap her out of it.
“Max, baby, wake up!”, she shook her gently, but once Max’s nightmare began it was impossible to wake her up.
“Chloe!” Max yelled out in her sleep, but Chloe knew she was reacting to another haunting memory rather than calling out to her. Still, she held on to her and pulled her closer.
“I'm here, Max” she whispered gently into her ear. “I'll get you through this, baby, I swear!”
Every night since they got out of Arcadia Bay Max has been having nightmares. As far as Chloe could tell, they all involved that last time-trip in which Max saw all sorts of weird, scary things – all taken directly from her inner worst fears. Some of them sounded weird to Chloe, while others Max didn't even want to tell her about. It made Chloe feel helpless, in a way, that she couldn't help her. Instead she just stayed awake each time, looking over her little Maxine and keeping her safe on the outside, since she couldn't do so from within.
After a couple of minutes Max seemed to have settled down, her nightmare finally fading, and Chloe took a deep sigh and slowly released her sleeping companion from her embrace.
"See? You're fine" she said, despite Max still being deep under. "Everything's fine now" she whispered.
Chloe swiped away a loose strand of hair from Max's face and pulled it behind her ear. Her hand lingered there, playing with Max's hair.
She wondered if Max could reverse time in her sleep, but figured that if she could her nightmares would probably never be over. Imagine that, she thought, being stuck in an endless nightmare-loop, having to witness the same horrors over and over again.
It reminded her of something Max had told her about having to see her die over and over again, and her heart became heavy. Max actually had to live through all those terrible things, while Chloe had the privilege of only remembering the final timeline.
She knew how big Max's sacrifice was, but every time she thought about it the weight seemed heavier. Max had to go through so much, yet she kept suffering. It didn't seem fair.
It was up to her now, she realized. She's alive because of Max, and now it's her turn to return the favor. Little Maxine Caulfield, so gentle and fragile – yet wielding so much power, strength, warmth…
Chloe kept rubbing Max's hair between her fingers and smiled. "I'm yours now" she whispered to her. "You realize that?"
Max didn't reply, of course, but Chloe pretended she was just being shy.
"I'm going to keep you safe, and I won't rest until you're happy", she continued – choking up a little.
"I love you Max, and I I'm never going to leave you" she kissed her forehead and basked in the engulfing sensation of oneness she felt whenever Max's skin touched her own. "I'm yours forever, like it or not".
Chloe lay her head directly opposite to Max's, and put her hand around her so she could feel if she was having nightmares again. Max was adjusting to her hold, not waking, her soft breath against Chloe's cheeks finally slowing down. Only then, as Chloe felt Max's body finally relaxing and resting, did she allow herself to fall asleep as well.
Resting, yet ever vigilant.