AN: Enjoy!
Vision knew Wanda would probably not want to see him. In fact, after the Civil War, her cruel incarceration in The Raft, all that had happened, all the mistakes he had made, he was almost certain that she would not want to see him. Knew that she would probably think the worst of his intentions in tracking her down.
But Vision needed to see Wanda, just to know that she was alright, that she was safe, to tell her, again, that he was sorry, even if she didn't want to hear it.
After making up an excuse for Tony, who was rather preoccupied these days with tracking Peter Parker and making things right with Pepper, Vision set off.
Using the connection they had always shared, likely an effect of the Mind Stone, Vision tracked Wanda to Russia. One day, wearing his newly crafted human disguise, he waited outside of a fast food restaurant he had seen her enter. It was later in the afternoon, a quieter time for such a place, and Vision supposed this was intentional.
Upon exiting, Wanda recognised Vision immediately, seeing right through his disguise, and dropped her bag of food, startled, fries and bubbling soft drink spilling over the ground. Her hair, dyed red to help conceal her identity, whipped about slightly in the light afternoon winds, and her green eyes were even wider than usual, partially with panic, and partially another emotion that Vision couldn't quite discern. Sometime later, she would tell him it was because she hadn't been sure whether to run to him or away from him.
"Wanda.." He tried, but wasn't sure how to begin.
Wanda raised her hands, the tiniest spark of red crackling at her fingertips.
"I-I don't want to hurt you, Vizh.." She seemed panicked, genuinely torn over what to do, and Vision's synthetic heart hurt for her.
"I don't want to hurt you either.." Vision raised his own hands, in a gesture of surrender. "I won't hurt you, not ever."
"I won't go back to The Raft.."
"Good. I never want you to go back there.." His gaze dropped, ashamed to look her in the eye. "If I'd had any idea where they were taking you, what was going to happen.."
Wanda paused, her gaze softening. She took a few shy steps closer.
"You couldn't have done anything" She said gently. "It only would have gotten you locked up with us, or worse."
"It still feels wrong to have done nothing.."
"Hmm.. you know, I'm not so sure you did do nothing."
"W-What do you mean?" Vision's eyes remained rather stubbornly on the ground.
"Steve said he made the plan to get us out of the Raft based on an anonymous tip.. That was you, wasn't it?"
"Well, I.. yes" He admitted. "And when I saw Clint being arrested on the news, I panicked, and.. I just needed to know that you were still okay.."
Suddenly, Wanda's arms were around him, her face buried against his chest.
"I'm okay.. Thank you.."
"You're welcome.." Vision let his arms wrap around her in return, smiling softly. "But, Clint and Scott.."
"They handed themselves in in exchange for a plea deal" Wanda explained with a smile. "Last we heard, they're both on House Arrest with their kids."
"And everyone else?"
"They're fine, Nat eventually caught up with us too.." Wanda looked around, suddenly a little wary of remaining in one location for too long. "Should we go somewhere else to talk?"
"Don't you want to replace your food first?"
"I can't. That was the last of my money for Today."
"Well, I can't have you starve" Vision frowned. "I will pay."
Wanda chuckled, linking arms with him and heading back inside the restaurant.
"I really have missed you.."
Soon, they were the best of friends again, and not too long after that, became more. Vision swore to himself that he would never let anything hurt Wanda ever again.
He never imagined that one of the things that could hurt her was him.
The second the other Vision had unlocked his blocked memories, Vision was left completely horrified by what he had almost done.
From that moment, every minute of this new, dark existence he had been thrust into, he was haunted by Wanda's face, her joy at his return, how willingly and trustingly she had accepted his touch.. followed by the look of horror as he had then tried to crush her skull.
Vision had fled, disgusted with himself, needing to get as far away as possible, to protect her from him.
Vision had roamed aimlessly for months afterwards, not knowing where he should go, what he should do with himself. Where he belonged, if a creature such as he was now belonged anywhere at all.
Sometimes he would stop to help people who found themselves in trouble.. These people usually believed Vision was an apparition, a sort of friendly ghost. He often wished that he was.
But the pull to Wanda was still there, and eventually, became too strong to ignore. Vision didn't want Wanda's forgiveness, or her love. He didn't deserve either of those things anymore. He just needed to know that she was okay, that she was safe.
He followed the pull, flying for days on end, until he saw a lonely looking cabin far below, and took himself in to land. Once there, he froze, hovering awkwardly near the cabin, unable to bring himself to knock. But then, he didn't need to knock. Vision wasn't the only one who felt the pull of their connection, even though Vision was certain Wanda would prefer the connection be severed.
He heard Wanda speak to someone, a stern order to stay inside, and felt a pang at the thought she may have found someone else with whom to share her life and her love, even though he no longer had the right to either.
Wanda stepped outside the cabin, both her hands and her eyes glowing scarlet, wearing a strange outfit he had never seen her in before, including a headdress and a long red cloak.
"I'm not afraid of you.." She looked angry, and sad all at once, shaking slightly. "I have something worth protecting here, and I will protect it. I will kill you if I have to.."
"Maybe you should.." Vision murmured.
Maybe it would be easier if she killed him. He wouldn't have to live life as a ghost, wouldn't have to live with the constant pull towards Wanda when he knew they could never again be what they were. However, Wanda seemed to falter at his words, the glow in her eyes dimming.
"What?"
"I know I shouldn't be here.. I just.. The other Vision unblocked my real memories, and I ran away because I was so completely horrified at what I almost did to you. But I needed to know you were alright, and tell you I was sorry.." Vision dropped to his knees, tears spilling from his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.."
He stayed there for quite some time, knelt on the ground sobbing, until he saw a pair of black boots appear in his line of sight.
"Look at me.." Wanda whispered.
Slowly Vision looked up, to find Wanda standing over him. The scarlet in her eyes had faded, leaving them the usual soft shade of green, though the energy still crackled around her fingertips, probably ready to fight back if this proved to be some sort of trick. She didn't look angry anymore, just very confused.
"Your eyes have changed.." Her breath caught a little.
"H-Have they? I wouldn't know.."
"Can I.." she paused for a moment, seeming torn. "Can I try something?"
"I.. Okay." Vision trusted her, even though he knew she could not do the same with him.
Slightly nervous, Wanda knelt in front of him. Reached out with shaking hands to press them to his temples. Vision flinched.
"I'm not going to hurt you.." Wanda frowned.
"It's not you I am worried about.."
"I can take care of myself.."
"Okay.."
Reaching out again, Wanda pressed her fingers to his temples. Gently, more gently than Vision believed he deserved, she probed his consciousness. Saw how Hayward's programming had warped his mind, blocking his true memories, his emotions, all the things that made him Vision. Saw how much he had suffered since, the pain and regret and confusion.
"Oh, Vision.. What did he do to you?"
Vision was crying again, because he didn't think there was any possibility of hearing his name from Wanda's lips again, and certainly not so tenderly. Then suddenly she was holding him, clutching him to her chest, and she was crying too, Vision able to feel her warm tears splashing the top of his head.
They knelt there in the dirt, crying and holding each other, for a very long time. Eventually, Wanda shivered, and Vision looked up, realising the sun had begun sinking below the horizon, and a cool breeze was beginning to blow off of the nearby lake.
"It is getting cold.. You should go inside. And I.. I should.."
"Come inside" Wanda finished.
"I'm not sure about that" Vision frowned, although Wanda had already pulled him to his feet, leading him towards her cabin. "I'm not sure I belong.. Well, anywhere really."
"That's okay" said Wanda. "Neither do we."
"We?" Vision was confused.
Wanda chuckled and pointed to the cabin window, where two boys of about ten were peeking out. They ducked out of sight upon realising they had been spotted, and Vision realised that it was probably they whom Wanda had been talking to earlier.
"Tommy and Billy" Wanda smiled softly. "Ou.. My boys. I snatched them back from the edge of non-existence. I'm not even really sure how, they just called to me, and I did it.. But they don't legally exist, so I can't send them to school. We kind of just.. Make everything work living out here. Maybe you could, too."
"Wanda, I.." He hesitated.
"I'm not stupid" She told him. "I know you won't suddenly be what you were, and we.. can't go back easily. But you need a safe place to work things out. A place to just.. Be. This could be it."
"Well.. I suppose it's worth a go."
Wanda smiled, and for the first time in a very long while, Vision thought that maybe, just maybe, things could be okay.