A/N- Here's my submission for Day 2 of the Scarletstrange week. I know I am late. Anyways Enjoy!
Wanda felt numb. Here she was trapped under the rubble of Mount Wundagore unable to die due to her magic powering her on. The gravity of her actions, the sins she had committed hit her like a wrecking ball. The people killed during the mission in Lagos, people she was supposed to save. Unleashing a hex at Westview, callously mind controlling the inhabitants for her own selfishness. Murdering the innocents at Kamar Taj without batting an eye. Almost killing an innocent child. Killing and creating havoc in another universe.
"I would never hurt anyone. I am not a monster'….the realisation she felt when she had become the very same thing she denied she was. The hurt she had inflicted on this little family of three…
Oh Wanda, What have you done…. she could finally hear her conscience now that the influence of the Darkhold has disappeared leaving her broken and guilt ridden.
She cried. She cried for her parents, Pietro, Vision, Natasha, Tony, her children and for all the lives she'd taken needlessly.
Guilt was weighing heavily on Stephen's shoulders. Wanda's expression just before she destroyed Mount Wundagore haunted him. Behind the Scarlet Witch persona, Stephen saw a broken woman who had lost everything that she held dear. It reminded him how he was after the accident that cost his hands.
He really could have approached her after the battle with Thanos and asked her to join him at Kamar-Taj. She could have had a place to heal and train if she wished for it. Heck, he could have approached her after the incident at Westview. Thinking about the possibilities seemed irrelevant now.
Stephen held onto the inkling she had survived the ordeal and he hoped with all his heart it was not too late.
Wanda had uprooted and torn the Darkhold Castle down to the very foundation. Even with the magic aiding him, the task of shifting the rubble was extremely tedious. The sight in front of him broke his heart.
"Oh Wanda, we need to stop meeting like this…"
All hell seemed to break loose when they meet or at the very least see each other. He had seen her bring Thanos down single handedly before he had given the order to fire. When they finally met, it was not in any way peaceful save for the first few minutes.
She was unconscious and looked extremely worn down. Dried tear tracks painted her face. Her face was hollow and gaunt and looked very much dead except for the faint pulse. Stephen gently lifted her from the rubble and stepped through the portal into the Sanctum.
Wanda's eyes flew open and she immediately winced at the sunlight pouring in through a nearby window. Window? She was supposed to be buried under the rubble. Debris is not supposed to feel soft right? She breathed in and out, trying to regain her bearings. She felt extremely sore and painful. She slowly opened her eyes and tried to sit up on the bed…she noticed she had an IV attached to her arm, the fluid steadily dripping down…
"Hello Wanda."
Wanda almost gave herself a whiplash when she turned around towards Stephen's voice. She opened her mouth…
"Here, drink some water. Take very slow sips." Stephen handed her a glass.
She took the water gratefully, mindful enough to take small sips. The water felt heavenly on her parched throat.
Here she was with the man who she had tried to kill a few days or months ago (she lost her sense of time). The guilt hit her and she felt the tears fall uncontrollably.
"Why am I here Stephen? After everything I've done? After all the people I've killed…" she whispered hoarsely. "...I am a monster…"
Stephen sat on a nearby chair and took her hand. Wanda began talking. She poured her heart out and Stephen just listened. His heart ached for this woman who had to go through so much during her short life. Fate had dealt a very unfair deck to Wanda Maximoff. He sincerely hoped from this moment onwards she would have a chance to heal from all her trauma and pain.
Once she had told him everything, Stephen began. "You can still have a second chance Wanda…the road may not be easy but I would like to help you with every step if you'd like."
"Yes...yes please!" she nodded. Wanda had enough of the pain. She wanted to heal and she would gladly take any help.
"Take some rest first."
Wanda settled back on the pillow. For once she felt a sliver of hope and she was not going to let it go any time sooner…for once she felt she was not waking up to a nightmare.
A/N- I am sorry if this is a bit wonky...I wrote this in the middle of a terrible migraine (still having it) so please forgive me if there are any mistakes. I started with a totally different idea and ended it in a totally different way...yikes I am rambling. Hope I did okay though. Would really love to know what you all think. This posted on Tumblr and on Ao3 too