Vision sat at the bar in the kitchen of the Avengers Compound reading news on his laptop and casually eating a light breakfast. His phone started to ring and he knew it was Wanda without even looking.

"Hi, Vis," she smiled as she spoke.

"Good morning, Wanda." Vision replied in his ever polite tone.

"How's everything going there? I wish I could be with you."

"Well, Tony has left for Los Angeles this morning. It's rather quiet," Vision answered.

"I never like it when it's too quiet there. I liked it better when everyone was there and I had someone to work out with. Steve was especially good motivation." Her forehead tensed a bit. "I think he's not okay. I get the feeling he might be... struggling."

"I am trying to observe the culture of good manners," he paused, looking for the right thing to say. "From what you have told me, I have the feeling he may be in some sort of distress as well. But I have not figured out the best way to approach him. Calling him seems... odd. I feel rather strange trying to act normal with him now after siding with Tony."

"Vis, you have grown so much since I first met you." Wanda let a smile raise the lower half of her face. She steadied her voice and added "I think I might be right about him, something is off with him since the last mission." Neither Wanda nor Vision had to try to get a sense of someone's emotional state, those things just came to them. They had been learning to handle this with extreme caution as not everyone appreciated being "read". Wanda turned her attention temporarily to the computer screen next to her to look at a photo of Vision. "I think I will check in on him. He's been this way since the incident... He's definitely not the same."

"I believe Captain Rogers will appreciate a visit from you. He does value your friendship."

Wanda spoke to Vision a few more moments before ending the call to go find Steve.

***

Wanda walked slowly through the guest hallway of King T'Challa's palace, it was always dark and quiet, even for late afternoon. It made her feel like a noisy child running through the hallways. She cringed a little as she knocked on Steve's door, she was worried she might be overstepping with him.

It was obvious to her that he had grown to trust her and that meant a lot to her. So hopefully she had nothing to worry about. Wanda and Steve had developed a special relationship over the past year or so, especially since he'd risked everything once again to break her, Clint, Sam, and Scott out of the "floating pokey" as Tony called it. Even though Steve seemed like a man in his 20's and Wanda wasn't much younger, Steve had always been wise beyond his years and felt a sense of responsibility. That reflected in their relationship in somewhat of a father-daughter or big brother-little sister tone. Steve took this very seriously. Since her brother, Pietro, had died in Sokovia, he'd been stepping up his game to support Wanda more. Their regular workouts and meetups were paramount to the relationship.

The dark, heavy, wooden door opened slowly.

"I am so sorry, Wanda," Steve said, most apologetically. "I didn't mean to miss our morning workout."

"No, Steve, don't worry about that... it's not why I am here," she tried to be calming. Though it was obvious to her that this wasn't normal Steve, it was also obvious that he was trying hard to be normal Steve. "It's the middle of the day and I haven't seen you yet. You feeling okay, Steve?" She made sure to deliver this line in the least accusatory manner as possible.

Steve enjoyed her Sokovian accent as it reminded him of listening to his mother speak with her Irish brogue. It was more noticeable to him lately.

"I'm a little off my game. Just getting a late start today, I guess." It was clear by Steve's voice that he was not alright but Wanda was not about to press him.

"Good for you, take a rest," she said. "I won't keep you then. I just wanted to check in on you... So everything is good then?"

"Uh, yeah... just doing some reading," Steve assured.. Wait, I can't do this alone... Wanda turned to start walking away. "Wait.... Wanda?" he called out.

He couldn't find the words. Nothing came out.

"Steve, do you need to talk?" her voice was gentle and reassuring.

He stared down at the floor. "Yes... Please. Would you mind?"

"Not at all," she smiled softly. He stood aside to let her through the doorway.

"Thanks, Wanda, I appreciate this," he said as they walked into the room.

"You have been very good to me, Steve. You trusted me when you didn't have much reason to..."

He chimed in. "And you trusted me without having much reason. That was a big leap of faith, Wanda."

Nothing else needed to be said to convey the mutual respect they had for each other. They sat down in matching chairs.

"I could use a friend," he said. His deep voice, normally so confident, instead sounded fatigued.

"I'm here," she reassured. "What do you want to talk about?"

He shifted and stretched his legs out, trying to find a position that would help him feel less awkward. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together. He looked at his hands and slowly raised his eyes to look at Wanda without moving his head. "I'm having nightmares," he confessed.

Wanda nodded her head in approval and tried to remain quiet, giving him time to speak.

"...Bad ones."

"You've been through a lot in your lifetime... and a lot lately," she said calmly. He remained silent. This was a side of him she was not used to, he was normally very self assured. She felt a small pang of anxiety in her chest. "You can trust me, Steve. This is all between us."

"I do trust you. That's why I thought you might be the perfect person to talk to. These are thoughts I've been choking back a long time... and yes, it's also about what happened, too. It's becoming paralyzing to me. And that just can't happen anymore." He paused to collect his thoughts. "I don't feel like me right now. I can't hide out in Wakanda forever, it feels like we have been here for months already. I have to get my life back on track." He trailed off, not knowing where to start.

"Tell me," she demanded softly.

"I've always been a vivid dreamer. I think it's the creative side of me. The line between reality and dreams is extremely blurred for me when I wake up... and often I have trouble discerning if it was actually a dream. It all feels very real. I can touch things, I can smell, I can feel temperature and wind..." he trailed off. "I dream mostly of past memories... traumatic things. But I also have nightmares of things that have never happened."

"That must be terribly confusing to wake up that way," she added.

Steve nodded and sighed lightly.

"Wanda, I really hate to ask this of you. But do you think...." he looked up at her, his mouth slightly contorted into a grimace. "Do you think there is anything you can do to help me - with your powers? ...I don't want to take advantage of you... and I..." he wasn't sure how to tell her the next part. "I keep dreaming of everyone I have lost in my life. There's no one left. I'm..... alone."

Wanda leaned forward and put her hand on Steve's arm, looking directly into his face to let him know she was serious. She interrupted him, "I know this is hard for you to ask of me but we are friends. I feel honored that you should ask this of me. And you are not alone, Steve. You have me... you have all of us." She leaned back into the chair. "I understand what you mean though - about being alone. Everyone from your old life is gone."

Steve's confidence temporarily returned as he said "thank you" in his deep voice, sounding relieved and hopeful. His mind wandered for a second. Wanda handles herself like someone much older than her years. Poor thing has been through hell. She's lost her parents and then her brother. Pietro was all she had left and he's gone now too. She still manages to smile.

Steve corrected his thoughts. This is temporary, Steve. You'll end up on the other side of this. Just see it through.

Her words rang out in his mind... You have all of us. He blinked hard trying to shake the thought that their group was dwindling. Natasha was already gone. He didn't have her anymore. She'd left Wakanda with Clint weeks earlier. Clint needed to get home to his family and Natasha... well, Steve wasn't sure why she'd left in such a hurry and without a real plan. Or at least if she had a plan, she wasn't sharing. None of them really knew how being a fugitive was going to affect their lives. Wanda was missing Vision and her new home at the compound, Sam had had enough of being away from home and Scott was missing his daughter Cassie terribly.