The Only

The Chase Space

The previous evening's nightmare was still bouncing around in the freckled girl's head, as clarity and wakefulness returned. Thoughts of her successful gallery showing in Atlanta and her meeting later in the day with Victoria Chase, her former nemesis from Blackwell who now ran her parents' gallery in Seattle, helped to stifle the uneasy feelings that boiled up from her dream. At least once per week, Max Caulfield suffered from nightmares that only existed because of the horrors she had experienced firsthand.

She survived and escaped the darkroom, where a psychopath captured, drugged, and intended to murder her as he did countless other female victims in the past. She also survived an encounter with The Watcher, a powerful entity who existed outside of time and held her in a torturous trance. Max and Chloe's love for each other was so pure and so strong, even The Watcher never stood a chance.

As distance from the dream helped to ease its burden, Max knew they needed to get up and get moving. "Good morning, babe," the brunette whispered in her lover's ear, only to be attacked with a surprise onslaught of kisses and lighthearted tickling. "I'll never get tired of waking up next to you."

"Hey, love," the beautiful former bluenette responded with a luminous grin, "How are you feeling? It took you a while to get back to sleep after that bad dream." Chloe tucked a strand of brown hair behind her fiancé's ear, sweeping it out of her eyes.

"I'm fine, I think. They didn't used to seem so real. That one last night was literally my worst nightmare. It was terrible."

"None of the dream recognition exercises work anymore?" Chloe was propped on her side using her elbow for support. She never broke eye contact, paying attention to the only thing that mattered in her world. Two pairs of radiant sapphire eyes locked together with a powerful and tidal pull that even the universe would not dare disturb.

"They work most of the time, but this last one felt nothing like a dream. It doesn't matter, though, it's over now and I'm here with you." Using the tips of her fingers, Max began lightly brushing her partner's right arm where her blackened tattoo seemed more like a shadow as the dim light of dawn pushed its way through her upstairs bedroom window in her parents' house.

"No matter how bad the nightmares get, just remember... well, you know... we're Max and Chloe. Nothing will ever keep us from each other."

"So goopy, Price... so damn goopy," the dark-haired girl responded with a teasing smirk, beaming in her lover's direction, who countered with another attack of tickles and playful groping. Max hated being tickled in general, but loved every second of it from this girl, who was not just any girl. She was THE girl... HER girl. Nothing in the universe could ever change how deep and pure their love was for one another.

"I'm goopy because of your beautiful heart, Maxi Max. Anyway, we need to start getting ready for our meeting with Victoria. Why the hell couldn't we just meet her in the afternoon? This early morning shit is still tough. If I'm awake I want to spend my time alone with you." Chloe never liked waking up too early. When she was a teen, it was rare to see her up before noon. Now that she was the manager, half-owner of M3, and eternally motivated by her soulmate, she got up closer to midmorning.

"Think we have time for a shower?" the younger girl taunted with one eyebrow raised a little higher than its companion.

"We?" she questioned, with a bouncing hopefulness in her voice. "I love the way you think. You're so sexy, Max. Goddamn, I can't get over how lucky I am." Chloe leaned in for a gentle, yet electric kiss then moved back. "I don't give a shit if we're late. You. Me. Right now." She helped her best friend up interlocking their fingers, then lead her to the restroom. On the way, she dragged her lips across the side of her partner's neck, evoking several barely audible pleasured grunts. They stopped caring if Max's parents noticed them a while back. Although the wedding wasn't until the following month, Ryan and Vanessa already began referring to Chloe as their daughter-in-law.