And so you become something
despite the world having ripped so much away

SAGE CONNELLY

The Epilogue

because if there was one thing the world could not ruin

it was your desire to beat it.

▬ SAGE CONNELLY had accomplished a lot in her life (well, a few things were more questionable than others) but she would have to say that the biggest success she'd had before her eighteenth birthday was teaching Isaac Lahey how to speak fluently in French. That was, of course, after she had to figure out how to say something other than the numbers and 'Bonjour!' to everyone she met. Her second biggest accomplishment was learning French herself and successfully annoying Chris every second she got with questions on new words. The spring of her junior year when she went through the pre-doctorate internship was, if she had to book it, the best time of her life. Not because she discovered a passion for healing others like her father, Hal, or because Chris Argent finally had her create a silver bullet like his family's tradition, but because it was the first time since she was eleven that happiness came to her without any cost.

Although she spent the last eight months away from everyone, she still talked to them weekly. Lydia called her every month via FaceTime, giving her updates on all of the things she was missing about classmates while she was away. She had been happy to hear that Malia was finally enrolled in high school (and hating math as much as Sage did), just as she screamed loudly in irritation to hear that Kira and Scott were still dodging bullets with one another around every turn. Scott received a very upset phone call from Sage after that (thankfully for him he came up with the excuse that he couldn't afford the international calls anymore).

She took the longest to finally talk to Stiles. It had been an accident―a hiccup, when she was trying to introduce FaceTime to Malia (a disaster in itself) and ended up being victim to the awkward video call with her and Stiles both. Sage learned the hard way that they were dating, and even though a heavy ounce of pain sprung on her heart, she couldn't deny that she was happy for them. Maybe she did find it odd how Stiles ended up with a girl so similar to her, but at the same time, she was relieved. Stiles deserved someone like Malia, and Malia was lucky to have someone as incredible as Stiles. Surprisingly, the news that her ex-boyfriend had moved on left like a weight lifting off her shoulders.

Sage did not learn until all of the events had already passed that another villain had come to Beacon Hills for her friends. The Benefactor―as he called himself―had actually been Meredith, the same girl she helped months ago. It was around that same time she received a call from Peter Hale giving her the news she dreaded for months about her mother, Mallory Connelly. Brunski lied about his threats, having done nothing to her mother but send her to an actual mental health facility in New Mexico under an alias.

There, her mother had been receiving treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Imagine Sage's surprise to find that Peter had plans to continue making frequent visits to her mother when he could. That, of course, was severely impacted by an unexpected visit from Derek himself one morning in France when Sage and Isaac decided to try and self-dye her hair a darker color (it went really bad). Chris had since left on another 'business trip' and left the teenagers by themselves to survive. It was then that she discovered all her friends kept from her―from Scott's new beta, Liam (cue Sage paying for the international phone calls from there-on-out to yell at him) to Derek being turned back into his teenage self then proceeding to die on her again.

It was safe to say she was not happy, but of all the things that shocked her, the biggest was the news that Peter had been inadvertently responsible for a deadpool created to murder all of her friends. Derek was the one to deliver the news that Carrie Hudson, Luke's ex-girlfriend, had been one of the many victims of the Benefactor's hit list, and that Malia Tate was not actually a Tate at all, but a Hale. It was understandably difficult for Sage to swallow the information that he delivered her way.

That summer after the internship ended, she decided that she would stay in France with Chris and Isaac until her senior year began. She could make a thousand different excuses as to why she decided not to go back just yet, but it all boiled down to one reason: she wasn't ready. Beacon Hills may have been her home, but that did not mean she was ready to give up the happy life she had built with Chris and Isaac. They were healing, coping, and if that included Sage developing a love for the color yellow and wearing shirts that looked like picnic blankets―to hell with it. Her new self was finding joy in things that she never saw before, and the selfishness that came along with it was one thing she'd learned to accept.

One of those things she was surprised to find a new kind of joy in was Isaac Lahey.

Two bodies came crashing in the apartment door, shaking the pictures on the wall when they slammed it shut behind him. A brief sound of alarm came out of Sage's mouth when they accidentally knocked something off the table in the foyer, but Isaac tugged her back into him before she could look up. If you asked them how they got in their current predicament, pulling at one another's lips and clutching articles of clothing like they were on fire, they probably wouldn't be able to give you an answer because, hell if they knew.

Isaac's fingers caught in her curled, blonde hair as he reached for the nape of her neck. His teeth were catching on the bottom of her lip, stumbling them over to the first wall so that he could press her up against it. She let out a low moan, their tongues familiar with the other's taste by now. The odd pair of best friend didn't quite understand how they had gotten so familiar. Sage would say it started that one night they stole an expensive wine from Chris, and then she nearly tripped Isaac off the balcony of their apartment. In between the laughs and the tears, she found feelings for him. Unintentionally and abruptly, but somehow right.

Isaac would say his feelings started when they were in elementary school and he had a crush on her, ribboned-pigtails and all. When she came back to town sophomore year, that crush never left, but moved right in his chest away from his heart so that he couldn't be brokenhearted by the changed girl. Her bright red nails reached out for his bicep, digging hard into the skin and pushing their bodies tightly together. A smug grin twisted on his face, something that made her roll her eyes and pull away so that she could grab his jaw in her hands. Now pulled away briefly, she saw the hooded look in his glowing yellow eyes, blown by lust as his fingers curled into the bare skin underneath her tank top.

"Hi," she muttered cheekily before tilting his jaw so that she could start leaving sloppy, open-mouthed kisses down his neck. "I love you."

Isaac hissed out, his fingers digging harder into her hips. "Sage―"

When she was happy with the mark that would be on his collarbone the next morning, she turned back to his face so that she could pull him down by his jaw. They were closer in height that way, and she had more access to his body. That wasn't enough for Isaac, though, who cursed lowly underneath his breath at her teasing. Bending his knees, he grabbed onto Sage and lifted her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. The way their bodies melded into one was easy, and she moved an arm around his neck to keep herself from any more distance.

"We should..." she breathed out a moan when Isaac grabbed her jaw before she could finish, bringing her face back to his so that he could kiss her deeply again "...really stop."

Isaac hummed in agreement, nodding as his fingers digging into the exposed flesh where her shirt was pushed up. He relished on the tan skin, wanting nothing more than to get his mouth on it. "Mhm."

Sage took a hold of his curly hair, though, and she was a goner after that. Tugging and twisting at the long tendrils was enough for her to forget about stopping any time soon, grinding herself down on when one of his hands went down to the bottom of her ass to keep a tight hold on her. Their bodies were pressed so close that they could hear each other's racing heartbeat, even without his supernatural hearing, and Isaac was soaking up every second of feeling her body heat swallowing him whole.

It was odd sometimes how right things ended up between them, especially as a couple. Neither ever really considered it until they began to spend all of their time together. Not really, anyway. There were always those moments in the middle of the night when Isaac wondered just maybe, but it never turned into anything more because she was hung up on Stiles. He never thought she could ever love him. But now, he was leaving marks down her neck and wondering when it became a reality for him to be in love with his best friend. They'd always been complicated. Not siblings like she and Scott were, but they had always been something. Friends. Roommates. Each other's person in some way or another. Always something. They just definitely never thought that that something would turn into a sexual attraction that had them close to losing themselves in the middle of the elevator ten minutes ago.

"Isaac," she huffed out, trying to find some air. "I need to take these clothes off. Right now."

She didn't expect for him to rip them off. All she felt was his hands disappear from her burning skin, forcing her to press harder into the wall so she didn't fall, and then the gruesome sound of clothes shredding. Only when she glanced down at the small space between their flustered chests did she realize what it actually was. Her white bralette was exposed, and instantly Isaac's hands were running freely along more of her skin as he so liked, pressing heated kisses to her chest. Then the discarded shreds of shirt on the ground came into focus.

She raised her brows up at him when he grinned at her, his chest heaving and eyes beaming with a mixture of desire and pride. "I love that shirt, asshole."

"You have twenty more just like it," he replied, slamming their lips together and moving the two of them from the hallway to her bedroom. "Besides, you love me more."

Yes, Isaac Lahey was certainly one of those things.

▬  WHILE IN FRANCE, in between the internship she was attending in hopes to one-day become a General Surgeon (much like her father), Sage worked alongside Chris and Isaac to uncover more information about altor druids like her. Derek, after having decided to leave Beacon Hills himself, went on his own search for answers alongside his girlfriend, Braeden. Different bestiaries in different countries, dozens of other hunters with different recorded encounters with altors, eventually allowed them the opportunity to create a new section in the Argent bestiary:

𝐂𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐗 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐒: (page 443)

"Altor druids are one of the most infrequently recorded species within the bestiary given their rarity in the supernatural world. Among the codex of druids, the Altors are only a single subspecies that exist equally within the druid community, just as an Emissary out (see page 230). The word 'altor' has roots back to Latin, translating as: one who sustains or protects another.

Most commonly renowned today as the protector of a pack, these druids have created a notable marking upon history. In Roman times, they were seen as the great defenders of the Gods. Standing most loyal before the supernatural beings, Altor druids fought to defend and protect the indestructible Gods under Mars, the God of War. It is said that Altors were first given the curse of their abilities during these times. When a God under the protection of an Altor would die in battle, these druids would be punished by Mars. In their absence, they allowed an immortal being to die. Thus, the first transference of pain from a dying God onto their protector, the Altor druid, was created.

Since then, many centuries have recorded the lineage that followed Altor druids. Now, they have been directly linked to supernatural creatures. Most commonly seen as the protector or sustainer of werewolf packs, an Altor acts as a harbinger of death and safety among their given pack. In instances of dire protection, many Altors can manifest their abilities and prevent the death of their pack members. This has been most frequently seen when Altors have sacrificed their lives in place of their Alpha (see page 35) just as they would their Gods in Roman times. In various bestiaries, Altors have been commonly linked to Emissaries, Hellhounds, and Banshees (see page 406).

As hunters and researchers have explored the depths of the connection Altors have to their pack, specifically their Alpha, they have determined one single thing above all others: the curse brought upon them cannot be taken away. The linkage of pain by their Alpha's pack cannot be disbanded unless the Alpha himself were to die and sever the connection. Then, the Altor would find themselves in the position to find a new Alpha to protect and a new pack to link itself to.

Because of the curse that the Romans placed upon Altors, past recorded druids have all shown consequential cases of side effects. Most commonly among these supernatural, early-onset death and psychotic tendencies arise. All recorded Altor druids have perished before the age of forty, leaving the oldest recorded Altor to die at thirty-eight from an apparent suicide in 1987. Growing symptoms of this may include: the shaking of hands, hallucinations, numbness of pain, disorganized speech, memory loss, suicidal idealizations, etc.. Take note that, while most Altors cannot develop any long-term damage from the link to their Alpha, there are instances in the past that have shown an Altor can suffer the same wounds as their pack. We believe this may have something to do with a disruption from their Alpha or another werewolf's claws impacting the primary zone of their abilities (back of neck). No further evidence has been recorded to aid in this rare circumstance.

Be advised that when Altor druids can be extremely dangerous if and when their abilities start to advance. See more information about the relationship between Altors and Alphas on page 346."

So that gave Sage, Chris, Derek, and Isaac a new mission that summer. Find a way for her to beat the odds stacked against her. Be the one chance to live past forty. Through this research, they found only one way so far: distance. The more distance that was put between Sage and Scott, the weaker the connection was to one another. The least likely it was for her to feel the pain of his pack, and the least likely it was for her to begin developing symptoms of psychosis because of it. Although she could never truly dissipate the link between her and Scott, as it constantly hummed like an electrical current in the back of her mind, she could cope with it. Very rarely did she feel much pain any more from anyone that was not Scott, and even that was a discomfort more than an agony like before.

The only complication with that was that Sage had to sacrifice. A lot. Isaac was rendered helpless on more than one occasion as he tried to comfort her in any way he could. He held on tightly to her hand when she delivered the news to Lydia first, and he watched her cry herself to sleep after the painful voicemail she was forced to leave Scott. But she loved her friends. Loved them enough that she was willing to sacrifice even more whatever cost came with seeing them one last time before she and the others dived deeper into finding her a cure.

If there was one thing she refused to allow, it was letting her friends do the Senior Scribe tradition without her. Maybe it was a stupid idea, and maybe Isaac told her more than once that she shouldn't do it (especially after Lydia promised to write her initials) but she didn't listen. So she did one thing for herself and booked herself a flight to LAX.

"You know you can't stay right?"

Isaac muttered softly against her ear, the connection over the phone between continents horrible when paired with the torrential rain. Sage's hands tightened around the steering wheel of the rental car Chris sent for her, the glare of the traffic only having finally let up. Thankfully, she arrived before she got caught in the jam on the only open highway to Beacon Hills, but that didn't mean she wasn't still stuck in the rest of it on her way to the high school.

"I want you to," he continued. "I want you to be able to go home and stay if that's what you really want, but it isn't safe for you right now. I mean, what happens if someone gets hurt? You haven't experienced anything since..."

The alarm bells rang in her heart, and Isaac's pause said enough. "Since Aiden. I know...I just...I need to do this. For more than just me. I can't...when I said goodbye to them back in December, it wasn't permanent. I was meant to be back here with them by now, excited about starting my final year in high school. Excited about this Senior Scribe that Stiles, Scott, and I have talked about since were nine...and I'm not. Instead, I'm coming to tell them that I'm leaving again."

"For a good reason, Sage," he protested quietly. "You've done enough in service of Beacon Hills the last two years. Let it work itself out without you for a little while longer. You're eighteen, and if only having these FaceTime calls with everyone gets you to eighty, I'm pretty sure they'll take that over going to your funeral at twenty...I know I would."

She let out a soft hum over the phone, eyes focused on the familiar road and path to the school. On her way, she took the opportunity to glance at the Animal Clinic she was sure Deaton would be in, knowing that she would have to stop on her way back to the airport later that night to see him. They had been consulting with him over email and phone calls for the last few months, trying to see if he had any more information about altors that could contribute to them finding a cure.

"Are you going to be okay seeing him?"

Sage stiffened, her fingers clenching around the phone. "I think so."

"Sage―"

"Isaac," she mocked softly, a small smile playing on her lips when she heard the concern. "Shouldn't you be a little more concerned about me going to meet up with my ex-boyfriend without you here?"

"I would have been there if you hadn't bought the ticket without me, shithead."

She scoffed, turning around a corner to see the high school coming into view. "Yeah, right. I would have bought you a ticket if I hadn't thought you would just drag me back home. Do you know how hard it was to even get this past you? Chris and I hid the ticket in the Raisin Bran box."

"Well played..." there was a quiet pause between them before she heard Isaac speak quietly again "I didn't want you to go because I was scared you wouldn't come back, I guess."

"I'd come back. All of my clothes are there."

There was a growing silence, and her grin rose with it. "What clothes? I ripped most of them off already anyway."

"Oo! Well played, Lahey!" she repeated back to him. Her grin fell into a soft smile when she finally arrived in the packed parking lot of Beacon Hills. She played around with the rings on her fingers, specifically the one that Lydia and Allison had gotten her for her birthday. "You know I'll come back to you, right?"

"Of course you would. I'm amazing in bed―"

"Oh, whatever," she snorted amused, interrupting him. "I was trying to be cute and semi-romantic, but you blew it."

"You don't have to. I know you will...besides, you kind of suck at that stuff."

"Like you're any better," she scoffed, and then she noticed that a lot of the students were already leaving the high school. She was late then. She turned off her car and took her keys, getting out of the car. "I've got to go. I think I'm missing all of the fun, unsurprisingly―plus, with the list of initials I've got to write down, it's going to take a while. Do you want 'AH' for asshole or 'POS' for piece of shit?"

"Ah, my cute, romantic sweetheart. Surprise me," he said sarcastically, giving her the chance to hear the grin come out in his words. "Enjoy your time with them, babe. Just...don't break your heart anymore than you already are, okay? Let yourself let go and don't feel like shit for doing it...yes, I know you're going to do it anyway, but I thought it didn't hurt to pretend you weren't a stubborn shit for once in your life."

She smiled again, twisting her keyring in her finger as she walked along the familiar path to the doors. "I'll try. I'll see you soon."

"Love you."

"Je t'aime, Lahey," she replied affectionately, and she reluctantly hung up on her boyfriend.

Only a few seconds later did she feel a discomfort stirring in the pit of her stomach. Her hand went to her chest, rubbing at it in hopes that would relieve some of the irritation that was inflaming her lungs and heart all of a sudden. She chalked it up to nerves (and the three shots of espresso she got from the airport coffee) before continuing on her way into the school. She hadn't told anyone that she was coming, not even Lydia who she still spoke to nearly every day.

Almost immediately upon entering through the doors, she felt a twisted sense of melancholy. The high school had so many memories, both good and bad, and she couldn't help but take it all in. From getting locked in the school with Peter as the Alpha to formal, so much of her teenage years were spent in the school. As she walked, eyes flickering in on the different classrooms, she felt that sadness grow. She would be missing her senior year with everyone.

In the crowd and hoards of seniors that sent her periodic stares, she caught the sight of a short girl with the infamous strawberry blonde hair that she knew and loved so much. Excitement bubbling up in her chest, replacing the nerves, she practically ran her way through the crowd to get to her best friend. Lydia was turned away from her, glaring at her phone, so when Sage jumped on the girl and wrapped her arms tightly around her, she wasn't expecting it.

"What the he―" her exclaim was loud enough to attract attention, but no one took a second glance when they saw what was going on. Lydia, however, took more than one with wide eyes when she realized who was hugging her. "Sage? Wh―you..."

Before Lydia could form any sentences, she was turning completely to reciprocate the hug. Sage's eyes burned with tears, the lump in her throat growing as she all but squeezed the life out of her. The pair of best friends rocked side-by-side, unwilling to let go of one another in fear that they wouldn't be there anymore.

"What are you doing here?" Lydia asked abruptly in her ear, still holding onto her. "You aren't supposed to be back. You said―"

Sage shrugged, still hugging her tightly. "I know what I said...but it's Senior Scribe."

Lydia finally released her reluctantly, holding her at arms-reach to get a good look at Sage from further away. As her best friend inspecting her from head-to-toe, she could see the tears brimming in Lydia's eyes. It was replaced by a gloomy smile stretching on her lips when she looked back into Sage's green eyes with mixed emotions burning brightly in her own.

"You've changed," she said softly, and then she reached to tug on the yellow romper that Sage wore. Then, a teasing grin stretched on her face. "I see you stuck with the color...what, is it Isaac's favorite?"

Sage rolled her eyes, grinning. "His favorite color is actually green on me for some reason. Besides, I'm still wearing a leather jacket―"

"Still doesn't fit you," she interrupted, looking disapprovingly at it. "Derek's or his?"

"Derek's..." she paused, glancing around at the hallway with pursed lips. "Where is everyone? I thought you said Stiles was pushing everyone to do this. I thought I was late."

"I don't know. They were supposed to be here by now...did Stiles text you? I know he wanted me to mention it, just to see if you would come, but none of us expecting you to―" she paused suddenly and Sage turned back to see Lydia's green eyes softening on her "―you're leaving right after this, aren't you?"

"My flight is at eight," she admitted quietly, crossing her arms over her chest tightly. She paused, and then moved her arms again to dig into her pockets. "I have something for you, by the way."

Lydia's brows raised in surprise, and Sage pulled the present out of her pocket. Immediately upon seeing it, Lydia paused and stared down in confusion. A long necklace with a silver triskele pendant was held in her palm, similar to the tattoo on Derek's neck.

"The triskele has a different meaning for everyone―but three things coming together, moving and spiraling constantly," she explained softly, and then she handed it off to Lydia. "Chris and I kept the arrows that she made. The four that were left over, after everything...we were able to melt them down and make two of these. We kept one in its original form."

Sage raised her left hand in the air to reveal that, unlike Lydia's necklace, hers was a ring. Fitting. The triskele was represented in the center around a thin, silver band. Lydia glanced at it before looking down at hers, swallowing hard and quickly putting the necklace over her head so that it would lay comfortably on her chest.

Sage paused, looking between the two pieces of jewelry. "So she's always with us."

Lydia smiled distantly, and then without another word, brought Sage into another hug. The two girls that went from distant enemies to the best of friends had never felt more connected than in that moment.

Just as she went to pull away from Lydia again, the strawberry-blonde squeezed for a second. "They just walked in, Sage."

Sage turned around quickly on her heels, noticing the same thing Lydia did through the crowds of teenagers gathered around in the dark hallways. The same sensation of crying returned in full-swing at the sight of Stiles and Scott, flickering briefly when she noticed Kira and Malia behind both of her childhood best friends. None of them had seen her yet, but she could already feel her heart rate increasing, which meant it wouldn't be long before Scott picked up on it.

She was moving in the direction of them quickly with Lydia trailing slowly behind her, not even bothering with subtlety as she all but ran again in the direction of her best friends. Similar to how it was with Lydia, Scott had only just craned his head in her direction when he heard the sound of footsteps gaining on him faster. Then, a body was jumping onto his and letting out a sound of soft excitement in his ear.

Scott stumbled back, his hands reaching instantly to wrap around the person he would know even blind. An elated laugh escaped through his mouth, tightening his hold around Sage's waist and walking back the steps she startled out of him with her in his arms. She grinned, the connection between them suddenly buzzing loudly in her ears, a current of electricity recognizing the bond between her altor and his alpha.

Still holding onto her, his question was muffled by her mess of hair. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming back for a while."

She pulled away from him, smiling as she squeezed his arms tightly before turning in the next direction of her attention. Stiles stood next to Scott, albeit stunned that she was standing in front of him. His mouth opened, trying to form words, but nothing came out between them because Sage was stepping forward. Just like Lydia and Scott, she didn't hesitate to engulf Stiles into a hug. The discomfort she thought she would face wasn't there, and she was just happy to be back with her best friends. Even if they did have a past, he was still her childhood best friend. She would always love him.

The hug felt different, though. When they were dating, Stiles had a habit of lacing his hands in her hair and holding her firmly by her hips. Now, one hand wrapped around her neck and the other clutched her back tightly with enough force to suffocate them both. Yes, she thought, no matter what, they both missed each other.

She let go of Stiles, still hovering enough to send him a soft smile as she looked between him and Scott. "It's Senior Scribe. Come on. You didn't seriously think I was going to miss it. We've been talking about how excited we were to finally be able to do this since we were in third grade."

Her eyes flickered to the side to see that Kira was shifting around awkwardly, and Sage smiled softly at the girl. Even if they started out in a bad spot, she learned to care a lot about the girl. Stepping between Scott and Stiles, she pulled Kira into a quick hug that she didn't seem to be expecting. It did not last as long as the others, but that was mostly because the second she was out of Kira's embrace, she was being pulled hastily into the arms of another person.

"Malia," Sage strained out, muffled by the shoulder of the taller girl who was squeezing the life out of her. "I think you're killing me."

Malia pulled away from the hug, grinning brightly down at Sage. "You're not in the laptop anymore! Listen, I passed! I'm officially a senior!"

Sage's brows raised in surprise, mildly surprised after hearing all of the struggles Malia had throughout the end of junior year from both the girl herself and from Lydia. Before she could congratulate Malia on her accomplishment, she heard Lydia clearing her throat from behind them and turned around. As she went to look, she noticed that Stiles was staring with soft eyes at the interaction between her and Malia. They flickered briefly to hers, and she could see him asking her the silent question that she had been asking herself about Isaac―are you alright with me moving on?

Sage smiled, and the faintest nod from her was enough for a soft smile to stretch along his face too before he was glancing over at Malia to grab her hand.

"Are we doing this or not?" Lydia asked expectantly, looking at all of them. "Now that everyone's here..."

Everyone moved at Lydia's words, who exhaled in relief that they were finally going. Sage stayed behind for a moment, watching as Scott wrapped his arm around Kira's waist and Stiles threw his around Malia's shoulder. The moment was one she knew her mind would take a snapshot of for the rest of her life. Lydia was the one to notice her hesitation, stopping to look back at her briefly with a soft smile on her face.

"You ready to do this?"

Sage nodded and walked forward, grabbing a tight hold of Lydia's hand as they followed behind the others. She was surprised to see that their library had been renovated, a new feat that Lydia had to pull her out of because it was another change she had not been prepared for. The line for the scribe did not take as long as they were expecting, all of them making small talk in between as they waited. At one point, Malia brought up Isaac, to which there was another awkward pause in the discussion when Sage glanced over at Stiles. Just like she had done, he only smiled and nodded. Things had changed. Accepting that they had changed was something she needed to recover from.

Stiles went first. She couldn't help the smile that grew on her face when she saw how happy he got, a grin spreading on his face as he wrote his initials on the metal book shelf. Lydia went next, quickly writing down her initials before handing the marker off to Kira, who looked more than a little wary about the Beacon Hills tradition.

"This isn't vandalism, is it?" she asked Lydia softly, making Scott and Sage glance at one another with smiles.

Lydia paused. "Not...technically."

That only comforted Kira enough for her to bravely write down her initials, getting to the point much faster than the others and walking away before anyone saw her vandalism. Malia went next, and Sage peered over Scott's shoulder with interest, wondering if she would write down an H or a T after all that she had been through. To no surprise, 'MT' were the initials next to Kira's. Then, it was Scott's turn. He moved up, quickly scribbling down his initials. Then, he stopped. There was a moment of hesitation, and Scott turned to her briefly to share a silent thought with one another. She nodded, seeing that his eyes were filling with unshed tears over the thought.

And then it was Sage's turn. She grabbed the marker from Scott, her heart dropping to her stomach when she saw that Scott had put Allison's initials directly below his. A few inches away, she noticed the familiar initials and handwriting of Derek and couldn't help but smile knowingly. Her fingers placed themselves around the marker, and she found herself writing. Everyone. Everything. The list of all the people that they had lost along the way. Every single person who should have been with them in that moment, and everyone who wasn't.

IL JW VB AS ES ER

Sage paused after Erica's name, her hand tightening around the marker as she glanced down at the long list of names she'd written of all those that couldn't be there. Isaac, Jackson, Boyd, Aiden, Ethan, and Erica. Then, only a bit further away from the rest, she wrote her last two down.

S.C.

L.C.

She handed the marker off to the next person without another word, going to stand in between Scott and Stiles with a heavy weight suddenly lifted off of her shoulder. No one said anything for a moment, all of them having just watched the initials she took the time to remember and write down for everyone who couldn't. Of them all, they supposed the one they forgot about the most was Luke Connelly.

"They would have been here," Stiles said softly, his eyes sticking firmly to the 'LC' initial.

Lydia smiled softly, staring at Allison's. "They still are."

Sage's hands found themselves intertwining with Scott and Stiles' on either side of her, and while there was nothing she could do about the future, she was perfectly content living in the present and being eternally grateful to have had the two of them for the adventure of a lifetime.

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

Author's Note:

The End! Officially! There may be blurbs here and there of the future, but this was the end of this series as of today. Now that it is officially finished:

What questions do you have? I'll try to answer them!

What small excerpts/things would you like to read about? (i.e. Sage, Isaac, and Chris)

Thank you so much for reading and enjoying this story for so long!