AN: Enjoy!

Over the next few days, Vision did whatever Wanda wanted. When she went on her flights during the day, he would climb on to the Scarlet Swan's back and go with her.

She finally explained to him the reason behind her daily patrols.. well, at first she showed him, when the silver spirits gave chase during one of their flights together, and later, when they were safely back by the lake and she was human again, she explained further. When she was away from the safety of the lake, Ultron's spirits would often pursue her in the few hours before sunset, and Wanda took advantage of this to lure them a little further away from Westview, in the hope of providing a bit of leeway for any townspeople who found themselves outside the town border at sunset.

"Why do you bother?" He asked her, "When they treat you so badly?"

"It's not their fault" Wanda shrugged, resting her head on Vision's shoulder. "They don't know it's me. And it's still my Town, my people. My brother.. even if he does try to shoot me down at least every second day.."

"Westview is lucky to have you.." Vision kissed the top of her head.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Will you look after the town for me?" She asked him softly. "When I can't remember anymore?"

The thought of that time, much too close for his liking, hurt Vision's heart, but he could not say no to her. He didn't think he ever could.

"I will try."

Wanda had kissed him then, deep and passionate, and it wasn't long before he was forgetting the rest of the world, far too lost in her.

Quite a lot of that went on, in those supposedly final days and nights together. Him becoming lost in her. Lost in the beauty of Wanda's smile, in the joyous sound of her laughter, the way the moonlight made droplets of water sparkle like tiny diamonds on her skin.

One night, remembering that he was an artist as well as a storyteller, and that he had some of his supplies with him, Wanda asked Vision to draw her, so that he would have something to remember her by, and would not forget her. Vision swore that he could never forget her, but Wanda asked that he humor her. So, he let himself be lost in her again as he sketched her, lost in every perfect detail of her beautiful face, her bright eyes, every soft curve of her body.

After, when he showed Wanda his handiwork, she kissed him, and soon he was lost in her again. The softness of her lips as they brushed against his, the warmth of her skin as his hands wandered over her body. Lost in silky wetness as he slipped inside her, one with her, lost in the sound of her gasps and moans as they moved together, the sound of his name from her lips as she cried out into the night.

If Vision could stay lost with Wanda forever, he would never have wanted to be found.

Vision had not entirely given up on the idea of saving Wanda, somehow, so once, as they lay tangled together nude at the lake's edge, still catching their breath, he had asked her, slightly teasing, slightly concerned, what would happen if they did break her curse.

"Well," She'd teased him right back, smiling cheekily, "You'd just have to Marry me, wouldn't you? Protect my honour, and take responsibility for any little Visions who might come along.." The cheeky smile faded almost as quickly as it had appeared. "I always thought I'd have children one day, before the curse. I think I would have made a good Mother."

"You would" Vision agreed, his heart aching once more. "The way you look after people."

"I try.." Wanda looked up at him, her green eyes gazing into his blue ones. "Do you want to have kids, Vizh?"

"I havent thought about it much. I suppose it would be nice to have children.. With the right person."

"You should. You'd be a good father."

"Thank you.." He was quiet for a long moment, before he said, "I.. I would, you know."

"Be a good Father?"

"Marry you."

Wanda took a shaky breath then, as if she was trying not to cry, and curled closer to him. When she spoke, her voice was muffled against his chest.

"I know.."

Vision, in his rare spare moments, continued to cling to hope, wracking his brain for some way, any way, any loophole he could exploit to break Wanda's curse, but there was nothing more he could think of. Wanda had given up hope long ago, but as she reminded him, it meant so much to her, how hard he had tried.

"It's your last night.." Vision whispered, when she had changed back into herself for the final time, trying to keep his own feelings in check so as not to make things worse for her. "What do you want to do? Anything in the world.."

It didn't take her long

"Can you just.. Hold me until morning comes?"

"Of course.."

They sat together by the edge of the lake, Wanda curling up in Vision's arms.

"There is one more thing I want you to do for me.."

"Anything."

"When I change again, I want to try and lead Ultron's spirits away from Westview. As far as possible" said Wanda. "But.."

"What?" asked Vision gently.

"Once I become the Swan for the last time, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to remember being me.." Wanda explained sadly. "But I think.. I think I'll be able to hold on for longer if I have you with me. Will you help me, Vizh? To lead the spirits away?"

"I will.." He whispered. "I promise."

He held her all through the night. When the Sun began to rise, it felt far too soon.

"You'll remember me, won't you?" She whispered. "Even when I forget?"

"Always.." He held her tighter, as if that would hold off the change. "I will never forget you, Wanda. Never."

All too soon, Wanda was gone, replaced by the Scarlet Swan. The only thing Vision could do for her now was to keep his promise. He quickly gathered his things, and some of hers, things he could hang onto, and remember her. His sketch, her red shawl, one of the Swan's feathers. Once he was ready, Vision rejoined Wanda, who looked down at him sadly.

We go?

"Yes" Vision replied. "Time to go.."

He climbed onto Wanda's back, holding on tight as she took to the sky.

Almost immediately, the signs of the curse strengthening, becoming more permanent, became obvious. The spirits, usually most active as dusk approached, began their pursuit of Wanda and Vision almost immediately. Thankfully, they were, for now, a little more sluggish than they would have been at night.

The Scarlet Swan flew for hours, while Vision continually spoke, reminding her who she was. They were beginning to make it to a safe distance away from Westview, when disaster hit. Wanda shrieked as a crossbow bolt struck her wing. She had barely any time to recover and try and steady herself before a second bolt hit. The Scarlet Swan fell from the sky, crashing to the ground, with Vision still clinging to her back for dear life.

Pietro Maximoff took aim, with a third shot that would have hit the Swan right between the eyes.

"No!" Vision jumped down, placing himself between Wanda and her brother.

"A year ago Today, that thing killed my sister!" Pietro growled. "I can finally get justice for her, get out of the way!"

"Pietro, you have to listen to me, please!" Vision begged. "You can't do this, the Swan is.." He groaned as he became tongue-tied once more. Of course one of the most annoying parts of the curse was still in effect.

Pietro's fingers twitched on the trigger of his crossbow.

"If you would protect a monster, then.."

No!

He never got a chance to finish that sentence. The Scarlet Swan screeched and struggled to her feet, shielding Vision with her uninjured wing.

Pietro faltered.

"Why is it protecting you?"

"Her eyes, Pietro" said Vision, because it was all he could think of without being able to give more information. "Look in the swan's eyes.."

Pietro did as Vision told him. Looked into the Scarlet Swan's eyes, realising, for the first time, that they were the same shade of green as his lost sister. The Swan made a sad, but hopeful sound.

"Wanda.." Pietro's jaw dropped. He looked at the swan's injured wing, tossing his crossbow aside like it had burned him, and rushed forward, seizing one of the crossbow bolts and trying to wrench it out. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried!" cried Vision. "It was part of the curse she's under, I couldn't.." He tried to help Pietro pull the crossbow free, as Wanda made pained noises, but was soon distracted when Ultron's silver spirits began to descend on them. "Oh no.."

"The spirits!" Pietro hurriedly reclaimed his crossbow. "I thought they only came out at Sunset.."

"Not anymore" said Vision. "We were trying to lead them away from Westview when you shot us down.."

"Don't tell me that" said Pietro, letting a few bolts fly. They briefly dispersed the spirits, but did no real damage. "I feel guilty enough right now as it is.."

More of the spirits were arriving, slowly surrounding them. Pietro would soon be out of bolts. Things were not looking good.

Wanda shielded Vision with her wings, and tried to shield Pietro too, but it would not do much good. She gazed at him with sadness in her green eyes.. the same eyes she had as a human, and he loved them just as much either way. If they were about to die here, there were things he wanted her to know.

"I know you don't believe it would have worked, that love cannot possibly be forever, and that is why I didn't try.." said Vision. "And now it is probably too late.. but I would have made the vow for you.."

Vision..

"In fact.." He continued, as the spirits closed in, and Pietro fired off his last few crossbow bolts, "I'm going to make it anyway, whether it works or not, because I need you to know how I feel.."

"I'm out of bolts!" Pietro yelled, panicking. "We're surrounded!"

"I love you as much now as I did holding you last night, because you are the same now as you were then, at least on the inside.. The same soul" Vision buried his face against the scarlet feathers of the Swan's chest.

Love.. You..

Vision panicked a little, Wanda's voice seeming fainter.

"A-And I think that's really my point. Our bodies don't live forever, but our souls do, and really, love is for souls, not bodies.."

"What the hell are you on about?" yelled Pietro, very confused.

"I think, in that way, love can last forever. So, to you Wanda Maximoff, wherever you are, whatever form you take, I, Vision, make a vow of everlasting love."

For a moment, nothing happened at all. Then the spirits froze, shrieked, and faded.

A horrible, otherworldly wail echoed all around them, in fact, all across the land as a whole, as a dark entity lost power in the face of a broken spell. For now, Ultron was gone, slithering off into the depths of the Earth to rebuild.

And instead of clinging to the feathers of the Scarlet Swan, Vision was holding Wanda Maximoff in his arms.

Pietro was suddenly aware of just how much he had missed, but he was slightly too shocked to ask questions.

Wanda smiled up at Vision, green eyes sparkling, smiling the brightest, most beautiful smile he had ever seen on her face.

"Well, now you definitely have to Marry me."

Vision grinned, kissing her deeply and sweeping her into his arms.

"You already know I will.."

"And so, soon, they got married.." A blonde haired storyteller tickled the toes of his twin baby sons, smiling when they giggled. "Which is a very good thing, because soon, they found out that they were expecting.."

"Vizh" a voice from the nursery doorway interrupted, "Are you telling the boys fairytales again?"

Vision turned, grinning at the woman who had once been a swan.

"Just ours, my love."

"Good.." she smiled brightly, taking a few steps forward to kiss him. "That's my favourite one.."

And they lived happily ever after, through that life, and whatever came next.