A vast red plain illuminated by a sky of the same color surrounded Hayden. He recognized this place. It was a plain where he loved to play as a child on Gallifrey.
Recently, he had been dreaming about this place. It was one of the few places on his home world that he had good memories of. This time he started to walk, hoping to see something different, maybe even to see her again.
In the desert plain he found a house. He recognized it and immediately ran to the door to open it. He entered and examined the familiar-looking living room.
It was his house.
The house he lived in with his mother.
"Hayden?" Shouted a voice from inside. Hayden didn't know if it was coming from the kitchen or upstairs.
But he knew the voice. It was his mother.
"Mom...?" Hayden said, having trouble accepting what he was hearing.
He started to walk towards the stairs, but the environment around him began to fall apart. He began to feel the same grief he had felt when he saw his home world die.
He just wanted to see her again.
"Mom!" He shouted as his surroundings began to disappear.
Hayden closed his eyes, then nothing.
Hayden got up from the bed and began to pant. Sweat trickled down his neck and chest through his shirt. He looked around the darkened room, moonlight streaming through the blinds.
"Are you okay?" Asked someone to Hayden's left. He turned and saw Wanda in her nightclothes, giving him a worried look. He just remembered that this was her room and that he had spent the night there.
"I... I'm sorry. It's okay." Hayden replied.
He wasn't sure what to say to her. He still didn't understand why he was having this dream and he certainly didn't want his girlfriend to worry.
"Nothing? Come on, you can tell me." Wanda reiterated, placing both hands on his shoulder.
Again, he could not hide things from her. He trusted her enough to reveal the circumstances of her people's disappearance.
"I had that dream again. I don't know what it is... but it's like being back on Gallifrey before... that." He sighed.
Wanda was listening. She understood how bad he felt about being a survivor, but she was still curious about what his dreams were like.
"I saw my old house. I heard my mother's voice this time." Said Hayden as he turned so he could face Wanda. "But I couldn't see her. It's all gone."
"With all the missions we've had, it must have reminded you of the beginning of the Time War, and what happened when you went back. I wish I could help you forget about it, my love." Said Wanda.
Hayden smiled at her last two words. It was different from the way she said it before, since Wanda had learned from Natasha to hide her Sokovian accent. He missed hearing it a little.
"Can you repeat that, please?" He asked.
"What?" Said Wanda.
"You know." Clarified Hayden vaguely.
"I see what you're trying to do." She smiled.
"Just once, like before." He said.
"Good night." Wanda laughed before turning to lie down.
Hayden lay back down as well, walking over to Wanda and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"I'm sorry I woke you up." He apologized.
Wanda turned her head to face him.
"No need to apologize." She said.
They both smiled and kissed before returning to their sleep.
Hayden walked through the halls of the facility on his way to the kitchen, dressed casually and holding a bag. As he entered, he saw Sam at a table typing on a computer and writing on a notepad.
"Hi Sam." Said Hayden as he walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. He began walking toward his fellow Avenger. "What are you doing?"
"I'm looking for that guy who can shrink that I met a few months ago. I think I found him." Sam replied.
"Really?" Asked Hayden.
"I met this lady at the park a few days ago, she said she might know some contacts who know the guy." Explained Sam.
Sam showed Hayden his computer screen, detailing information and a picture of a middle-aged white male. His name, Scott Lang.
"My informant told me he shot a tech guy who was going to sell an armed suit to HYDRA. That was enough for me to get an idea of what this guy is good for." Sam explained.
"Is that all you think he's good for? Not also because he kicked your ass?" Hayden smiled.
"Only dealing with the bad guys, asshole." Smiled Sam.
"So you want to recruit him?" Hayden chuckled.
Sam nodded his head. He was actually impressed with Scott Lang's fighting skills and demeanor when they met. He could be a great asset to the team.
"All right. Are you going to tell Cap about this?" Hayden asked.
"When I can do it. I know he's a little busy trying to find Rumlow," Sam replied.
Hayden nodded, this was something they would have to deal with soon. Before returning to his laptop, he noticed his friend's attire and bag.
"And where are you going?"
"We both have the next two days off, so I'm going to London with Wanda."
"Travel with your sweetheart? You should try New Orleans next." Smiled Sam.
"You really want me to try the pig lips." Hayden remarked.
Sam had tried to introduce Hayden to his favorite hometown dish, Hayden had either tried to avoid it or ignore it.
"I'm serious. Once you try it, you'll be in love with it." He said.
Hayden laughed and started to walk out of the kitchen.
"I'd call you when we get there, but considering we're leaving with the TARDIS, it would be silly to call you two seconds after we leave."
Sam nodded as his fellow Avenger left the room.
The couple arrived in London in the evening on the TARDIS.
They settled into their hotel before enjoying an evening out. They went to places Hayden knew well. From restaurants to monuments to other places of interest, they enjoyed their time together.
They were at the London Eye, looking out over the water. The night sky and the moon lit up their surroundings. Wanda and Hayden leaned against the railing.
"Do you miss it?" Wanda asked.
"What are you talking about?" Asked Hayden.
"Living a quiet life. Having a house and not having to fight anymore." Wanda clarified.
Hayden thought about it. It had been so long since he lived a life without adventure and danger of death. Could he live like this without feeling an emptiness that would eventually weigh on him?
"I didn't really ask myself that question. After the Time Lord genocide, I started to think of Earth as my home." Hayden replied.
"Sokovia was all I knew. I never left the country until that time Pietro and I went to South Africa." Says she.
They both remembered South Africa. When the Avengers tried to take down Ultron. It was also the second time they met the Maximoff twins.
The second time Wanda and Hayden interacted with each other.
"Then there was Seoul." She adds.
This was the third time Hayden and Wanda had interacted.
He turned to Wanda and rested an elbow on the metal railing.
"You know...we're getting older..." He said, realizing how much time had passed since they met.
Wanda turned to Hayden with a raised eyebrow, wondering what he was getting at.
"We're in our late twenties." She said.
Hayden realized she didn't know his real age, the rest of the team must not have told him. But he decided rather than tell her right away, to play along.
"Almost in my thirties. I think we should travel more." Hayden replied.
"Travel?"
"You know...for fun. Outside of missions." Hayden clarified.
"I'm listening." Said Wanda, resting her chin on her palm.
"There are forty-eight more states in the US." He said.
"You're crazy." She giggled.
"The great American road trip." He said. "Then once it's done we can try other countries. With the TARDIS the trips are done in seconds."
"You want to travel the world?" She asked.
Hayden looked down at his hands, fiddling with his palm. Then he looked at Wanda again.
"Not alone...or with anyone. I want to travel the world with you." He said sincerely.
Wanda looked into Hayden's eyes as he was in his thoughts. He really did love her. If he had to settle down with one person for the rest of his life once his days as an Avenger were over, it would be her.
She knew it too, and didn't need to read his mind to know it. She felt the same way. Hayden filled the void she had in her heart after the events of Sokovia. She was eternally grateful to him for that.
Wanda's lips curled into a smile and she moved closer to her boyfriend.
"Shall we go to France? I've always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower." She asked.
"Obviously."
Their faces came together and they kissed. They parted as Hayden took one of her cheeks with his hand.
"We could go anywhere, my beloved."
After gazing at the sky for a while, they chose to return to their car. The couple was walking down the path when they noticed a group of men out front chatting near the railing.
They spotted Hayden and Wanda and started walking toward them. The two could already smell trouble.
"What are you doing out so late?" Asked one of the men.
Hayden was already holding Wanda's hand and continued walking. Two other men stepped away from the railing and stood in front of them.
"What, was the London Eye off limits or something?" Hayden asked the men, the four of them trying to surround them.
The leader of the group brandished a gun from his coat and looked at Wanda.
"Let's make this quick. Hand over all the valuables."
Wanda scoffed, knowing that gun wouldn't hurt them. They've dealt with far worse things.
"How original. Do you want my bag or...?" She asked.
The man wasn't expecting that answer. Hayden spoke up.
"We'll just keep going. Thank you." He said.
They tried to walk away, but a man grabbed Wanda's arm. Hayden was about to react, but she quickly used her magic to send the attacker back to the railing.
"What the...?" Shouted the leader of the group.
He pointed his handgun at Wanda, but Hayden quickly drew his Laser Screwdriver and used the beam to heat up the weapon and explode the bullets inside, forcing the man to drop the gun. He then grabbed his arm and twisted his wrist.
"I said we're leaving." Said Hayden with a threatening look, the man could see in the Time Lord's eyes that he would kill him if this went on any longer.
He let go of the assailant who stumbled to the ground. He quickly got up and ran with the other two, leaving behind the unconscious guy that Wanda had pushed away.
Hayden grabbed the broken gun from the ground and threw it into the water.
"Are you okay?" He asked his girlfriend.
"I'm more than okay. It's nice to teach little hitters a lesson. It's easier too." She says.
"That's our specialty, correcting the bad guys." Hayden laughed.
She smiled and put her arm around his. The two then continued walking down the path.
The next day, Hayden did some manipulation on the TARDIS console. Wanda wondered what he was up to.
She was about to get an answer when Hayden went to the door. But when he opened it, he didn't find what he had hoped for.
Instead of the desert plain where he was going to gather to talk to his mother. He found nothing but the void of space.
This caused a large part of Hayden's world to crumble and he fell to his knees in front of the TARDIS door, looking out into the void of space.
"Gallifrey... My mother's grave... everything is gone..." Was all he could say.
Wanda was surprised, he wanted to show her his planet. But surprise gave way to sadness when she saw that Hayden was on his knees, arms on the ground, mourning the total loss of his home world and his mother.
She walked over to him and took him in her arms, doing as she had done with Pietro's death, and offered him a shoulder to cry on.
"I'm so sorry, my love." She said.