Her mind and body grow numb and oblivious to her surroundings as the tears fall down her pale cheeks. She pays no mind to the battle raging on behind her.

She pays no mind to Stephen inhabiting the body of a corpse in order to stop Wanda.

She pays no mind to America nearly dying.

She pays no mind to Wanda nearly getting banished to hell, but rather instead getting exactly what she wants.

America takes Wanda to the universe she wants so desperately to be part of, but by doing so, shows Wanda exactly what she's become.

A monster.

The Scarlet Witch and Mage are simply two extremely powerful, and yet extremely heartbroken women, who just wanted to be happy.

That's what this has all been about. Happiness.

It's not fair that it's been taken from them both.

It's not fair that Wanda was taken from her parents at such a young age, and it's not fair that Lauren never knew hers.

It's not fair that Lauren was forced to be a weapon from childhood, and it's not fair that Wanda was manipulated into becoming one.

It's not fair that they both found love, and had it taken from them before their time.

It's just not fair.

How could it be that this is how it's supposed to go?

Why would the universe want them to suffer?

Want them to be in pain?

Why isn't there happiness in the cards?

Why is it that whoever is in charge of all of time made is so they could never be happy for long?

Why would He want them to suffer?

Why them?

Lauren's mind is incapable of conjuring anything as simple as a single thought in her state of complete and utter devastation. Her entire world has collapsed, and not for the first time. Her heart as been broken over and over that the pieces are becoming all too small to put back together.

And she's tired.

She's tired of fighting.

She's tired of trying.

For she seems to always lose.

What's the point of going on if you're not meant to win?

All this pain and all this suffering is just too much.

It's not worth it.

Not anymore.

When she was younger, when she was more naive, it might have been.

Her stubbornness would have never let her give up.

But she has tried.

Again,

and again,

and again.

And it has never gone her way.

Not since the passing of the one she loves.

Every single attempt at happiness has failed.

So much so, that it led her down a path of darkness.

Down the very path she and her sisters tried so hard to stray from.

She became a bad guy.

She killed for her own self interest.

And for what?

It has gotten her no where.

No further than she ever was.

She's still stuck on this earth without the one she loves most.

But then, finally, her mind begins to wonder.

To years ago, when the truth of her powers came to light.

The words of the Mad Titan himself ring through her ears.

" A billion to one chance. It was your soul that chose this path... a path of love."

She chose this path, all for herself.

She chose to fall in love.

But her magic is what's prevented her from being happy.

She is powerful.

She cannot die.

She does not age.

She can change reality as she so chooses.

She can turn back time... but she cannot be happy.

It's a truth that's plagued her for far too long.

Lauren stands up on her leather boot clad feet, inhaling a large sum of oxygen into her lungs as she physically and mentally prepares herself. She brings her slightly shaky right hand up to her chest, seeping it deep down inside as she screams out in sorrow, pulling out a glowing red stone in her wake. She drops it down on the ground and it crumbles to ash within seconds. She plunges her hand back into her chest, screaming and pulling out yet another stone.

An orange stone.

It falls from her hand and turns to ash.

She continues to pull stones from her chest, with each one leaving, her energy does as well.

Yellow.

Green.

Blue.

And purple.

One by one, she pulls out each power of the Infinity Stones from her body.

Reality.

Soul.

Mind.

Time.

Space.

And power.

The final stone hits the ground and turns to ash. Her body turns to great her friend, but a shocked expression rolls over Wanda's already pained face.

Wanda sees her only friend with wrinkles growing ever so quickly on her rapidly aging body. Wanda can't believe it, she doesn't want to.

With each step Lauren takes, she grows older and older. By the time she reaches Wanda, her hair starts transforming grey, then white right before her eyes. She gives her friend a smile, then reaches forward to bring her into her withering arms.

" I'm sorry."

Lauren's final words leave her lips as her age finally catches up to her. While not looking a day over 30, she spent hundreds of years fighting with reality, and it's taken its toll.

Lauren pulls back from the embrace, her hair snow white, face weathered and wrinkles, body giving out. She falls to the ground with a thud, her smile never once leaving her lips, even as her eyes close and her life force leaves her body on Mount Wundagore.

The dark black nothingness soon gently fades to a blinding and shining white light. Her eyes narrow to adjust as a familiar faint sound fills her ears.

She appears in a blank white room, filled to the brim with absolutely nothing. Her feet walk along a pillowy surface as the sound grows louder and all that more familiar.

And there is it.

A record player, playing her favorite song, and a man with his back turned to her.

It cannot be.

Her eyes must be deceiving her.

As she walks closer, the man turns around to reveal himself as the man she lost so long ago.

Steve.

Her eyes widen in delight and fill to the brim with tears as he smiles down at her.

Both of them appear as young as they were the day they met, like not a single one has passed.

No words are spoken as Steve closes the gap between them. He wraps his arms around her frame as her arms snake around his back, resting her head on his chest as his chin falls down on her head.

They sway together to the sound of the music coming from the record player, eyes closed and hearts full.

They heads pull away, just for a moment. They look each other in the eyes, and instantly feel at home. No worries plague them. All that matters is here and now.

They lean in close, connecting their lips in a bitter sweet kiss filled with happy, salty tears, feeling absolutely content and bliss, and hoping that this moment will never end...

... for it's been a long, long time.

[ thank you all so much for reading!!! this was my longest running book series, started in 2015, many many many edits over time. i love you all so much and thank you for coming on this journey with me. i have loved writing this story, and i hope you've loved reading it. i feel like this was a bitter sweet ending for the character, but it really is the only way she could be happy. i appreciate all of you so so much. this story would've been nothing without those who read and and who have supported me along the way ❤️ ]