Ch 7: Empathy

"Shall we return to the study?", Dr. Strange asked as he gestured to the stairs.

"May I?" asked Loki, offering to scoop up Sparky with his hands.

"Thanks," I said and we walked side by side, occasionally Sparky leaned toward me but otherwise was content in Loki's arms.

I felt Kang's eyes on us, ever watchful and I felt uneasy. I knew so little of him. He walked just ahead of Strange.

We made our way down the grand stair, taking our previous chairs as if assigned. Loki kept Sparky, his fingers alternating between twirling his fur and smoothing it down. Sparky sighed and let his muzzle come to rest upon Loki's thigh.

I heard a sigh and turned to see Strange let his head come to rest against the back of the chair, his eyes closed. Surely his mind in chaos was painful to one so used to control.

His eyes were closed as he continued to rest his head but spoke, "Chaos magic is taboo, a danger to those that attempt to control it. Lore tells us that destruction and eternal damnation are the price that is extracted for its use." He opened his eyes and turned to me, "Were there any warnings in the book? They should come before the spells but I find they come after, an afterthought if you will," said Strange with a flourish of gaoul humor.

I spoke, "No warnings. I did notice the pages were blank until I needed them. Oddly, the text was in my home language."

"The book is forming a bond with you, reading it your mind," he replied, his eyes fixed upon me.

I shuddered, unsettled by such a thought and his look. What more had the book taken from me?

"It has done this to others. Do you feel it's pull, a desire for the book, a need to hold it to have it?" he pressed as his gaze devoured me.

I shook my head. "I feel no more need for it than I do any tool. I want to unlock it's knowledge so I might have my family back, my boys and my Vision. I already hurt others and I have no wish to again. As painful as it is to accept they are gone I would if I have too. I have seen so many possibilities that I wonder if I tried, if I used the book, that they could come back to me."

"Help us Wanda and I will give you back your family,"promised Kang.

Loki stood. "At what cost Kang?" He cried. "Would you take free will away? Subjugate these people?"

"And how mighty Prince of Asgard is what I do different from your glorious purpose of the past you? You only want Sylvie. You can have Sylvie, she can have Vision, he can have…"

"You don't honestly believe we should trust you? You don't care for Sylvie or any of us. You only want to use us," cried Loki passionately.

Kang spoke, "We have to stop the chaos and suffering. And for some reason, running all the possibilities through my head has landed me with you three. We have the combined magical power to make this right. You are right I can't promise you your loved ones. But I can promise you that more people will have their loved ones, their happy endings if we act."

Kang turned from Loki, "Strange you need Wanda, I can't fix you but she can if you let her."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Wanda I have seen you achieve much. The you before me is still exploring, testing your powers. You are capable of more than resurrecting your family."

"But I don't need or want more." He didn't understand that power was a means to an end not a requirement for living.

"You are so strong Wanda," Kang added softly.

"I just feel tired, so very tired, and …". Upon raising my head my glance caught Loki's gaze that beckoned, pulling the last but out, "...alone."

"Oh Wanda," fell from Loki's lips and then he was before me and I was held once more as I had dreamed. I just wanted to feel safe, that someone other than myself cared what happened to me. I let myself surrender to the embrace, letting my head fall against him, his heart thumping against my ear, informing me he was alive and real. My tears flowed, saturating his shirt, while my arms wrapped about him. His arms ran up and down my back, so gentle, so soothing. I wished he was Vision. He was not my Vision, but he was here, he cared, I was not alone.

I awoke, smiling, feeling his hand resting on mine. It had been a nightmare. Vision was here.

"Wanda?" asked the kind voice from above me.

I looked up to see a dark haired man, his blue eyes full of worriement.

He pushed the hair out of my eyes and behind my ears.

"Wanda, how are you feeling?" he asked.

Who was he to be so familiar with me? "Who are you?" I asked from my position on the bed.

"I am Loki. We met yesterday." Then he became flushed and his speech flustered. "You were upset and… I hugged you… and you cried yourself asleep. I carried you here and told them I would stay with you for the night. I … didn't want to leave you alone. No one should be alone. I know how that feels. Do you remember?"

I nodded because the previous day's memory surfaced like ripples of water calming. Loki had been the kindest of the lot and I had felt drawn to his empathy.

"Right, good," he said, cracking a weak smile as he pulled back from me letting me fall back on the pillow. "Wanda, I don't trust Kang but I came here to set things right. This is not what I wanted and I can't believe it is what Sylvie wanted either. Sylvie is alone and I want to, need to, find her Wanda. If there's a chance to find her, to make sure she is okay, then I have to take it. You lost your love, Vision. You understand these feelings better than I. I need to know. Will you help us Wanda, help me Wanda find Sylvie?"

His mind and heart had felt pure and I struggled to find the man many had feared. My expression must have betrayed my thoughts.

"It's true I have done horrible things Wanda but I want to atone, I am not that Loki, that man, anymore."

I reached for his hand. "My past too is full of bad deeds but the Avengers, my Vision, saved me from that path. I too am unsure of Kang. I cannot read him or Strange as I can you. I sense no deceit from you, your purpose is pure of heart."

I struggled to sit up and he placed an arm about my back to assist me. We were eye to eye now. "I will help you find her."

"And I will help you too Wanda."

"Vision may not be a possibility for me. I am learning to accept that he may be gone, lost to me forever."

"Wanda, I have died countless times and yet somehow I am here. This leads me to believe there is hope for you and Vision yet."

I smiled back at him. "Shall we go find the others? How long did I sleep?"

"Most of the night and day."

"Well, I should help Dr. Strange."

We found the men in the kitchen. Once more the tangy sweetness of apples hit my nose.

"There is a roasted chicken, potatoes, and vegetables still out on the table. The pie is just about done. I hope you two have an appetite. Strange and I just finished eating a bit ago. This one has not left your side so I am sure his highness is famished.

Loki rolled his eyes at the jab. Strange was leaning against the counter, his eyes shut as if in pain.

"I can help Dr. Strange first." I came over to him. "You should not have to suffer any longer. I do want to help you Dr. Strange if I can, if you will let me try."

"Very well," replied Strange.

"I need full access to your mind. You will feel better if you relinquish control." Strange shuddered at the thought. "I don't want to hurt your mind. If your mind is willing then there is less risk of damage." He was so scared of losing control. I needed to earn his trust. "May I hug you?" I asked. "I promise not to touch your mind unless you let me." He nodded, eyes watching me warely. He was a tall man, easily dwarfing me. I didn't really want to hug him, he was such a prickly fellow but I needed him to trust me. I thought of when my boys had been scared. "It will be ok." I reached one arm about his waist while the other arm I reached up around his neck to pull him close. "I am sorry this is happening to you. I know it's scary but I can help you if you let me." I ran my hand up and down in back in comfort as Loki had with me earlier. Then I felt his muscles relax as he took solace in my embrace. His big head dropped to my shoulder. I reached up to stroke his hair. My shoulder grew wet with soundless tears. "You must be in so much pain. It will be ok. We will stop this."

"Please help me," he whispered into my ear.

I reached out to his mind letting my fingers play in his hair. Amongst his strands of hair I felt strings of energy. As I became accustomed to the forces I began to see the powerful magic at play. His brain was multifaceted with an invisible tether to various timelines. Like frequencies for different stations on the radio his brain was tuning into various timelines on a rotating basis. I needed to figure out a way to give him control to turn it off or change the station himself. I probed his mind once more until I found the part of his brain I was searching for. I rotated my wrist and felt a tug and release. Then his grasp upon me was stronger as I felt the pins and needles, the ebb and flow of energy as I separated myself from him and I returned to the world outside our minds. I then became conscious of another body behind me, holding me up. I opened my eyes to see Kang holding up Strange and realized I was being held by Loki.

"Wanda, are you okay?" asked Loki, his voice near.

"Stephen? I asked, needing to know I had helped him and not harmed him further.

He opened his eyes, his face relaxed. "Oh god, thank you," he cried out.

Xxx

Please be kind and review. Again thank you for reviews as they do motivate me to write knowing there are people interested in how this goes. Sorry its been a bit of time. Let's just say the beginning of the school year is a bit busy. I am excited to advance to the next part of this adventure. Just wondering, thoughts on this questions, if Vision is gone should Wanda pair with Loki? I am a Wanda Vision fan but it is a What If? That What If episode with Strange was so sad. I am feeling like the entire series went the way of very sad, depressing, What Ifs? Anyone else feeling that way?