6 Lauren White

Skippable chapter (not that important to the series)

Lauren wasn't too proud of how she lived her life. Born to rich parents, living a lavish life since childhood only for her father's company to go bankrupt. She'd live on the streets for a while after that and she hated every. moment. of. it. So when she was old enough she left her parents. Changed her surname to White, a blank slate and began modelling. She was pretty enough to get gigs but sometimes she'd do things to get favours. She met famous, higher-class men that wanted her for her body and she let them. Those men took care of her financial worries, she felt safe. She didn't need to work, didn't need to eat mouldy food.

So when she got pregnant she panicked. No one would want her.

She left the abortion clinic carrying the paperwork only to be met with Shawn Young. He was surprised to see her and noticed the paper in her hands. Oh, the naive fool. She cried and begged telling him the child was his and he ate it up. He took even greater care of her. Then he proposed. She didn't like the man that much but he was so willing to take responsibility. She begged the Gods that night. She wanted no- needed the child to be Shawns. So when little Allen was born with a tuff of black hair she sighed in relief and when his baby blue eyes settled in a brown hue, the same as Shawn's she laughed. Allen brought the family together and her baby grew into a smart little boy. She didn't love him though. She doesn't think she can love anyone.

When Allen would call out "Mother" and wave his hands to her, her heart clenched. She can't be this child's mother. The child was too pure and she is so VERY d i r t y. The stability of her family didn't last long. She saw how Shawn looked at his secretary. She saw how bored he looked when he was with her. So, when she went to her usual massage parlour and met a blonde handsome man, she fell. He listened to her so well. He whispered soft assurances to her. He was everything Shawn wasn't. Everything that she needed.

Picking Allen up late was apparently the last straw for Shawn. They fought and when he questioned Allen she panicked. Her cozy life was going to disappear. When he dragged the child, so small, so pale out of his closet, her heart broke. The truth got out quite quickly. She packed her things and left, Allen, following after her.

Allen White

She wanted him to have a blank slate like her. A new opportunity. Thankfully Kevin let them stay with him. She'd gotten so used to the stability Shawn gave her, the false notion of a family, she begged Kevin to marry her. He was so good for Allen as well. They felt like a happy family and so she started to love. She loved how excited Allen would get when he held onto the new books he'd borrowed from the library. She loved how Kevin would make the most delicious dinner.

She adored Allen, her baby. She saw the yearning he had towards the stuffed toys way back when they were still with Shawn. So she got him one. The little face lit up, up until they went home. He'd warn her. Oh why didn't she listen?

The wrecked house greeted them. And everything went down. She regretted everything. Why did she cling to Shawn? If only she'd aborted the child back then everything would've been better.

"I WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN."

And she'd meant every word of it. She hated the child so much for placing her in this position. But more so, she hated herself. She'd place the child in this position.

She ran away hoping to never see Allen again. It only lasted so long. Watching other mothers with their young ones churned Lauren's stomach. She went back for him and he was still there, much too thin now.

He needed a family so she tried finding his birth father. Someone to take care of him because she doesn't think she can. She tried and tried and when she saw Tony Stark on the board that day she knew. Allen was smart. Allen had the prettiest brown eyes and long lashes. She got the tests, Stark Industries was so used to it they had procedures prepared, and she waited. They never called back and she gave up. Maybe she can do this after all? Give Allen the life she wanted.

She couldn't. Seeing Shawn again broke her. He was so happy with that woman. He was so happy with the child that is his. She and Allen can't have that, but maybe they can in another life?

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In another life Allen grew up loved as the biological child of Lauren and Shawn. It was a normal life, one that included two dogs and a big backyard. One where Allen wasn't chosen by the time stone. One where he'd been a no-name character on the screen. From a movie that Andrew had watched.