AN: Enjoy!

Though he knew the story now, Vision was still a little startled when Wanda emerged from her cave the following morning as the large red Swan. Still, he quickly recovered, and waved.

"Hello!" He greeted cheerily, resolving to treat her exactly the same as the great bird as he did when she was human. After all, she was always human on the inside. He swung his bag over his shoulder. "Is it alright if I leave my tent up? I'll be back in a few hours, I was just going to nip back into town and see if I can find any books about curses.. Maybe do a bit of research?"

The Swan made a noncommittal, but sad sort of sound, not believing that he planned to come back.

"I will come back, Wanda" Vision frowned.

Wanda puffed her feathers as if suddenly surprised. Vision heard the earlier voice, a voice he now recognised as hers.

Understand? Hear me?

"I do.." This was very strange. "And I promise, I will be back. I want to help you if I can.."

Sunset..

"I know" said Vision. It seemed that Wanda could not articulate her thoughts quite as well as the Swan, communicating in mostly one or two word sentences, but that was alright, he still understood. "I will be back long before sunset. Like I said, I only plan to be gone for a few hours."

Careful..

"I will be careful. Thank you."

A few hours later, when Vision returned with more supplies, and a few books on magic, fairytales, and curses, ready to begin his research into helping Wanda, the Scarlet Swan, resting by the lake, looked rather surprised to see him.

"Hello, Wanda!" He waved. "Why so surprised? I told you I would be back."

The great bird bristled, as though she had been caught out at something, and stood, stretching her large wings.

I fly. Back later.

"Uh.. okay?"

The Scarlet Swan took to the sky, and as Vision watched her fly away into the distance, he couldn't help wondering if he had done something wrong.

Later, he would realise that it was nothing against him. Wanda just wasn't used to having company, or not being treated like a monster when she was the Swan.

For the first few days after Vision's arrival, Wanda interacted with him very little, even when she was human at night. Mostly because she didn't want to get used to having him there, to having a friend, when she really wasn't expecting him to stay.

Vision chose not to take it personally, instead choosing to focus on the task he had given himself: finding a way to break her curse. He spent the days doing research, reading his books until it became too dark to do so. At that point, he would start his fire, and cook up a small stew, then warm a pot of tea.

It didn't take long for him to work out Wanda's daily routine. In her Swan form, she would sleep for a significant part of the day, most likely, he supposed, so she could stay awake during her human hours.

Later in the day, she would take to the skies in a sort of patrol of the forests around Westview. During this time, she worked hard to avoid her brother, who conducted his own patrol of the forest, searching the skies for the Scarlet Swan, armed with his crossbow. In the evenings, after she transformed, Wanda would disappear into her cave, paying little attention to Vision. Although one night, she had let him know that she was going to bathe in the lake, at which point Vision had disappeared inside his tent to allow her privacy.

However, on the fourth night of Vision's stay, as he was serving himself his evening meal, replacing the cooking pot over the fire with a teapot for later,Wanda shyly approached him.

"Hey.."

"Oh, hello" Vision looked up, slightly surprised by her presence. "Nice evening, isn't it?"

"I suppose it is.. Could I.. would you mind if.." Wanda was eyeing Vision's cooking pot, and her stomach audibly rumbled. "Could I have some of that?"

"Of course!" Vision quickly dished up another bowl, handing it to her, along with a spoon. "In fact I must apologise, I feel quite rude for not having offered earlier.."

"Oh, it's fine, I wasn't expecting you to. Usually, I just eat while I'm the Swan.. fish and water weeds and stuff. But this smells really good.." Wanda ate a spoonful, making a sound of appreciation that did strange things to Vision's insides. "Tastes good too."

"Um, thank you.." He blushed a little. "I have tea as well, if you like. Just waiting for the pot to boil.."

"Oh, yes please" Wanda smiled brightly. "I've missed tea."

It was the first time that Vision had ever seen her smile, and her green eyes were sparkling in the moonlight, making his stomach do backflips. He swallowed, pulling himself together, and pulled out an extra cup to pour the tea when it was ready.

After that night, Vision always made sure to have enough food for two.

Soon, in between his study sessions, Vision found himself taking naps during the day, so he had more time to spend with Wanda at night.

He liked making her smile, and once or twice, he had said things that made Wanda laugh, and discovered that her laughter was even more wonderful than her smiles.

Wanda was beautiful, but more than that, she was sweet and friendly and kind, and the more he got to know her, the more eager he was to break her curse.

"I'm sorry" She told him one night, as they shared another meal, "If I was a bit.. Snappy with you when we first met."

"You had good reason to be" Vision shrugged, after swallowing his latest mouthful. "I did put myself in danger."

"You did, and it was still stupid" said Wanda. "But.. I still wanted to apologise. See, you're not the first idiot I've had to rescue."

"I'm not?"

"No. Before you, quite a few guys have come out wanting to be a big macho hero and kill the Scarlet Swan. Of course, they've all been too embarrassed to say anything when the Swan saves them from being swarmed by Ultron's spirits and drops them back at the edge of town with their tails between their legs" Wanda rolled her eyes. "One guy I saved, Simon, was even trying to court me before I was cursed."

"Is that why you don't believe in love?" Vision asked.

"I never said I don't believe in love" Wanda frowned.

"But you said.. Your curse couldn't be broken because.."

"I have no problem with love.. I loved my parents, I love my brother, I probably would have loved somebody else one day, if things had turned out differently."

"Then why.." Vision frowned, confused.

"It's the 'everlasting' part that's a problem" Wanda explained. "Forever isn't real, so nobody can love someone forever. It's a fairytale. 'Happily Ever After' is just what we say at the end of stories to stop kids from asking what happens next. You're a storyteller, surely you know that.."

"Well.." Vision tried to think of an argument against that, only to find he didn't have one.

"Anyway.." Wanda blushed a little, "My point was, you're the only person who's come after me wanting to help, and I know it will probably come to nothing, but.. Thank you. And I'm sorry if I was a bitch."

"That's okay.. You are completely forgiven."

One day, nearly three weeks after Vision had arrived, as the sun was setting, the Scarlet Swan returned from a flight with a slightly bleeding wing, which translated into a small wound on Wanda's arm. It looked like a nick from a crossbow bolt that had failed to fully find its mark, but Wanda did not seem like she wanted to talk about it, so Vision did not push the matter, simply cleaning and bandaging the wound for her.

"That's pretty pointless, you know.." Wanda mumbled. "That bandage will just fall off when I change in the morning.."

"Maybe.. But at least the wound will stay clean for now."

It made Vision feel sick that Wanda had been hurt, and sicker still that her brother was most likely responsible.

This was all happening because of Pietro's mistaken belief that the Scarlet Swan had killed his sister. Things would be different if he knew the truth. Pietro clearly loved his..

Something clicked within Vision's mind.

Potential loophole detected.

Wanda, in a rather sullen mood that night, did not want to talk. So, Vision left his grand realisation until the next night.

"Do you think the everlasting love has to be romantic?"

"What?" Wanda almost snorted into her tea.

"The vow of everlasting love that will break your curse" Vision elaborated. "Does it have to be.."

"I already told you, it won't work.."

"Just humour me, please.. Does the love have to be romantic? Could it be platonic, or maybe, uh, familial?

"You think my brother could break the curse?"

"Well, maybe."

"Great. Just one teensy little problem with that, Vizh" Wanda sighed. "Pietro doesn't know that I'm the Swan, and I can't get near him while I'm human to tell him."

"But I could" said Vision, suddenly excited.

"Huh?"

"I was planning to head back into town Tomorrow, for supplies, and a few more books" Vision continued. "I could find your brother and try to explain things to him."

"Huh.." Wanda paused, thinking. "I've never had that as an option before.. Sending someone else to talk to Pietro.."

"Even if he can't break the curse, at least he'll know the truth and stop trying to shoot you down."

"Well.." She hesitated.

"You have five weeks left, Wanda" Vision urged her. "Surely anything is worth a go at this point.."

"Well.. okay."

The following day, Vision made his way into Westview. It was something he had done a few times since beginning his time at Wanda's lake, to fetch supplies, return the books he'd checked out for research and borrow a new batch.

On this day, however, Vision had come with greater purpose. Thankfully, he didn't have to spend long trying to track Pietro down. Pietro had noticed Vision's comings and goings, and was growing quite suspicious. So, he confronted Vision as he had been browsing a fruit and vegetable stall.

"Hey, Storyteller!" He called.

"Pietro!" Vision grinned, rather relieved. "Listen, I.." as soon as Vision tried to speak, it was as though his tongue became tied up in knots. Something caught in his throat that kept any words from coming. The more he tried to speak, to say what he had come here to say, the harder it became.

"Hey.. are you alright?" Pietro frowned, now concerned.

"I.. I guess I just swallowed a fly.." Vision's heart sank. What had gone wrong? How would he tell Wanda that he'd failed?

"Okay.. So, you've been coming and going a lot.." said Pietro. "Where do you go?"

"I'm a travelling storyteller.." Vision replied dejectedly. "I travel. Westview is a convenient middle point.."

"And have you seen the Scarlet Swan in your travels? I just.. It seems a little silly now actually, but I had the strangest idea that maybe you were.."

"What?" Vision snapped, throwing some coins on the counter for his selected goods.

"Well.. in league with it."

"Why would a storyteller be in league with a giant bird?"

"Like I said, it sounds silly now" Pietro chuckled.

"If I see it.." Vision lied, sighing, "I'll be sure to let you know."

A short way outside of Westview, the Scarlet Swan came to land in front of a disappointed Vision, who quickly tried to scrub away the unshed tears threatening to escape his eyes, but one look at him was all it took for her to know that his plan hadn't worked.

Rather than show any disappointment of her own, the Swan bowed her head to him, like a horse awaiting its rider.

Vision. Fly with me?

It was the most that Wanda had ever managed to say to him while in this form, and he could not bear to tell her no.

"Okay.." Vision climbed onto the Swan's back, wrapping his arms around her neck as she took to the sky, just as he had during their first daring flight together. This one was much calmer, not so frantic, they had nothing to run away from.

He could feel the Scarlet Swan's soft feathers beneath his fingers, look in awe at the view of the world from high above, that no man before him had ever got to see.

For a short while, flying with her, everything was beautiful.

"Does this help?" He asked, "For you?"

Sometimes. For a while.

"Thank you.. for showing me."

They did not speak much about what had gone wrong, or why, simply assuming that his inability to tell Pietro the truth was another part of the curse.

Vision threw himself, head first, into his research. There had to be something else he could do for Wanda, anything. Because the more time he spent with her, the more times he saw her smile, or heard her laugh, or simply listened to her speak, the more frightened he was of losing those things from the world.. Of losing her.

The thought of Wanda entirely losing herself within the Swan hurt Vision's heart. He didn't tell her this.. Letting Wanda know he was developing feelings for her would not help anything. What would help was finding a way to break the curse before it was too late. But weeks went by, Vision had still found nothing, and time was very quickly running out..

"There's a pretty big storm blowing in.." Wanda warned him, on the day before her final week was to begin. "I've developed a sixth sense for these things. You should probably head back into town for a day or two until it blows over.."

"I don't have time for that!" Vision muttered, leafing through his books, straining his eyes to see by the dying embers of the fire. "You don't have time.."

"It won't do anyone any good for you to put yourself in danger.."

"I'm not going anywhere!" He snapped. "I can handle a bit of wind and rain.."

"Suit yourself.." Wanda sighed.

When he wasn't looking, she took some of his food and more important supplies into the cave where the wind wouldn't reach them.

Unfortunately, the Storm was more than a bit of wind and rain. As it blew in the next day, it slowly picked up into a powerful gale. It ripped Vision's tent from its pegs, but worse, in Vision's eyes, it took one of his books with it, tearing out some of the pages.

"No!" Vision yelled. He tried, in vain, to retrieve the torn pages, then switched focus to rescuing the rest of his books, dodging flying debris and the first drops of rain as he did so.

The Scarlet Swan alighted near him, spreading her large wings to shield him from the worst of the storm.

Cave!

"No! I need to save my books, I'm sure I'm close to a breakthrough, there has to be something.."

Not safe!

"I don't care, I have to.." Vision tried to argue, before the Swan snatched him up in her beak. "Hey! Put me down!"

She carried him inside the cave, and set him down quite gently, like a Mother animal carrying it's child, but was clearly rather annoyed with him.

Vision being stupid.

"Wanda, get out of the way. I need to go out and get.."

NO!

Vision jumped, stumbling backwards. Her voice in his head had never been quite so loud before.

"Wanda.."

Can't.. can't lose you. Have nothing else.

Vision paused, swallowing a lump in his throat, and relented.

"Okay.. I'll stay inside."

For the rest of the day, The Scarlet Swan kept Vision firmly tucked beneath her wing, both to keep him warm, and stop him from doing anything stupid like rushing back out into the storm.

After the Sun went down, Wanda seemed too comfortable clinging to him to move and dress herself, so Vision wordlessly draped his coat around her.

"I don't have much time left.." She murmured, after a while.

"Don't say that.." said Vision. "There's still another week, I can go back and get more books. I'll find something, I know I.."

"No, Vizh, you won't.." Wanda sighed, her hand cupping his face. "And that's okay. You tried, so hard, and that means more to me than you will ever know. Just knowing someone still cared, that someone still could care.. But I think.. It's time to let it go."

"But.."

"The nights I have left.. I want to try and just make the most of them. I want to.. I want to just spend time with you, and enjoy myself, and maybe.. Experience things that I never got a chance to.."

"Spend time with.. Me?" Vision's heart fluttered.

"Yes" Wanda nodded, leaning a little closer. "And.. experience things.."

She kissed him, and Vision, somehow, instinctively kissed her back, melting into it, deepening the kiss, because it felt so perfect, so wonderful, to be kissing her.

They kissed for quite a while, lips brushing against each other, tongues darting out to taste the other's mouth, pressing closer, hands beginning to explore.

Vision's coat slipped away from Wanda's shoulders, leaving her bare to him, and good God she was beautiful, probably the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. He felt his own clothes disappearing, felt Wanda's hands roaming over his skin, and though his own hands were wandering too, he briefly wondered whether he should stop her, in case somehow, they did still break her curse, leaving Wanda with unexpected consequences.. Then again, Vision had supposed, a brief image of adorable tiny Wandas dancing in his mind, the worst that could possibly happen was that he would be obligated to marry her and protect her honour, which to Vision, would feel like an honour rather than any sort of obligation.

So, he didn't stop Wanda when she nudged him onto his back, laying him down on his spread out coat. He didn't stop her when she straddled his hips.

But Vision did hold her hand when Wanda sank onto him, whimpering and biting her lip, and he asked her:

"Are you okay?"

"Yes.." She nodded, blushing, and Vision was once again reminded of how gorgeous her eyes were. "It's just I.."

"It's my first time too.." Vision blushed just as brightly. "I'm sorry if I prove unimpressive.."

"Well.." Wanda smirked, rolling her hips, and Vision felt very lucky that she didn't bring him undone right then, "We have a week to work on it.."

Vision watched her as she began to move over him, looking like some sort of Goddess in the small amount of moonlight filtering into the cave, the most wonderful little pleasured sounds escaping her lips as her initial discomfort faded.

He grasped her hips, moving with her, slowly, trying to keep control of himself, soft moans spilling from his mouth.

It seemed the world had shrunk to just the two of them. Everything for Wanda was Vision, everything for Vision was Wanda, and as they moved together, seeking their pleasure, it became increasingly difficult for them to remember where one ended and the other began.

Vision was so close now, so very close. He wanted to kiss Wanda, and so he did, sitting up and burying his hands in her hair, drawing her into a deep, passionate kiss.

Wanda, quite suddenly, shuddered in his arms, crying out into his mouth, and he let himself follow with his own cry of release.

They remained clinging to each other for a while, until Wanda finally looked up at Vision, her breath catching.

"What is it?" He asked her, gently cupping her cheek. "Is something wrong? I haven't hurt you, have I?"

"No.." said Wanda quickly, a smile tugging at her lips. "I just.. I can see my reflection in your eyes. "I haven't seen myself, for a while. I could have, I suppose, If I looked in the lake, but.."

Vision cut her off with a soft kiss.

"You are beautiful.."

Wanda blushed brightly.

"Thank you.."

Neither one of them had slept at night for a long while, but their moment of passion, coupled with the stress of the storm, had exhausted them, and so the pair eventually drifted off.

While Vision had fallen asleep in Wanda's arms, he woke up enveloped in the large wings of the Scarlet Swan. This did not bother him. What did bother him was the look of despair in Wanda's eyes when she woke. She could still see her reflection in his eyes.. but she could not see herself anymore.

She made a sad, mournful sound.

Monster..

"No.." Vision frowned, reaching out. Though Wanda completely dwarfed him in this form, he cupped her cheek as tenderly as he had when she was human, because really, there was no difference. She was always Wanda on the inside. "You're not a monster, Wanda. I see you. I feel you. You are still so beautiful to me."

Promise?

"I promise" Vision whispered. "I promise.."

How could he ever give up, when there was still time, however short, to save her?