Thank Goodness

Ev'ry day, more wicked!
Ev'ry day, the terror grows!
All of us is ever on alert!
That's the way with wicked -
Spreading fear where e'er they go
Seeking out new victims they can hurt!

The Avengers were all seated around the circular table. They were reviewing villains, escapes, super-wannabes, and victims…so another normal day in the life. They had all been at the table looking at villains since two hours ago, but no one had said anything about the lateness of the time.

It had been eight months since they had escaped the Kree Empire, and Captain Mar-Vell had died of cancer thereafter. It had been about six months since they had fought Magneto, and adjourned that battle. In the seats at the table were Captain America, Iron Man, Thor as well as Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Vision, and the Scarlet Witch. All were senior members, and presiding over the Avenger Initiative as well (super-beings that wanted to be Avengers). All had really given up having any sort of private life in favor of this.

Fellow Avengers - as terrifying as terror is, let us put
aside our panic for this one day: and celebrate!

Finally a day that's
Totally Super-Villain free!

We Couldn't Be Happier,

Thank Goodness!

Then Iron Man made a move that surprised them all: pushing a button on some sort of remote control and having the walls slide aside, revealing the Initiative cadets standing at a buffet line and plenty of music playing.

"What the heck is this, Stark?" asked Hawkeye, not without considerable shock.

"Did you really think I was going to have you all at that table all afternoon?" Iron Man replied.

Everyone brightened (even Vision – literally), and moved to join the others at the guacamole.

Yes -
We couldn't be happier,
Right, dear?
Couldn't be happier
Right here
Look what we've got
A fairy-tale plot
Our very own happy ending
Where we couldn't be happier -
True, dear?
Couldn't be happier
And we're happy to share
Our ending vicariously
With all of you
He couldn't look handsomer
I couldn't feel humbler
We couldn't be happier
Because happy is what happens
When all your dreams come true!

"Isn't this great?" Wanda spoke up, trying to look cheerful. "That was a wonderful surprise. I really think that I couldn't be happier – right everyone? Because you have got to feel happy when all of your dreams come true!" she cheered, leading to a round more.

No, spoke a malicious voice in her head. Not all your dreams.

Shut up. Wanda thought back, then turned to the chip dip.

That's why I couldn't be happier
No, I couldn't be happier
Though it is, I admit
The tiniest bit
Unlike I anticipated

Over the crystal statue of the Avengers, she saw her brother with that Crystal girl. Not long after they had met, she had come to Earth – official for Black Bolt and the Initiative, but everyone had a feeling it was for Pietro. They had dated off and on again, depending on whose side he was on.

Pietro had never taken to being a good guy as easily as she had – assuming she had done it easily. Sometimes he would swap to working with the Brotherhood, other times Magneto. But he came back to the Avengers in the end.

She had happily retired from the Brotherhood, and all but forgotten the endless dispute of mutant-versus-mutant. Being a mainstream superhero was much better – even though it wasn't all like what she had thought it would be.

But I couldn't be happier
Simply couldn't be happier
Well - not "simply":
'Cause getting your dreams
It's strange, but it seems
A little - well – complicated

No matter, she thought again firmly. It was wonderful hanging out with such true friends, having such adoration. Simply wonderful.

No, not simply. Because it was more complicated than she had imagined. She walked over to sit on a nearby bench, and could see Central Park from there.

There's a kind of a sort of : cost

Over the hedge, she saw a young woman about her own age, maybe a little older. She was pretty, added to by the ring on her finger. Behind her, a young man snuck up and covered her eyes playfully, only for her to turn around and kiss him passionately.

Wanda felt a sort of gladness at that passion and sorrow for the lack of it for her. Vision and her had been awkward for a while. She loved him – she could feel that – so much – but he was having trouble getting over his robot-phobia.

There's a couple of things get: lost

Then a couple of kids that had been playing nearby ran over to her – who must have been their mother. She coddled and kissed them, and the love was so strong and true…

How could she ever have that, when she didn't even have romantic love?

There are bridges you cross
You didn't know you crossed
Until you've crossed

The four of them all went over a nearby bridge, to what was probably their house. Wanda watched them, with a paralyzing melancholy.

And if that joy, that thrill
Doesn't thrill you like you think it will
Still -
With this perfect finale
The cheers and ballyhoo
Who
Wouldn't be happier?
So I couldn't be happier
Because happy is what happens
When all your dreams come true
Well, isn't it?
Happy is what happens
When your dreams come true!

All right, she admitted it. The joy of being a superhero – that thrill – didn't thrill as much as it had originally done. But she still had it all, and who wouldn't love that? Why wouldn't anyone want to be her? So she was happy, because she had all she wanted. Was she? Of COURSE she was! People were happy when they got what they wanted!

Then she heard a loud gasp over by the punch bowl, and turned away from the heartbreaking scene. Pietro was standing next to a blushing Crystal, and people were gathering around them, saying many things.

Crowd: We love you two, if we may be so frank.

Pietro: Thank goodness!

Crowd: For all this joy, we know who we've got to thank. Thank Goodness! That means the Avengers, and Crystal –

Crystal: And Fiancée!

Wanda's heart almost stopped. Pietro? Married? Would that work? She hoped Crystal could keep him in line. Would they have kids? It was grief enough that it wasn't to her, but now her brother…

Crowd: They couldn't be goodlier
She couldn't be lovelier
We couldn't be luckier

Wanda: I couldn't be happier!

All: Thank goodness…TODAY! Thank goodness for today!

AN: Well, that's the next chapter! I am NOT sorry I didn't update for so long, because I've only gotten five reviews…and it was the fifth that decided my move. I had this one mentally planned out for a while.

Next Up: Drabbles, in the tune of As Long As You're Mine!