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[Steve's face goes blank, stunned.]

What?

You would have to ask Vision about the science, but...maybe we are just copies of ourselves. It would explain why I can't see the damage to our memories, even during Calibrations.

[She ducks her head and looks away.]

Or maybe I am just looking for more excuses to stay. I just...I want to keep this.

[He offers a kind, sympathetic smile.]

Don't blame yourself for that. God knows that I've been tryin' to find any and all reasons to stick around myself.

[He looks down at the ground himself.]

You should stay. You're happier here than I've ever seen you. And if Vision is staying too... Well.

[It worried him but also soothed him. Did that mean the Infinity Stone was stuck here? Did that mean Thanos lost without him going back? But what about Nat? She's already seen her death. What was the real answer, here?]

I'm happy for you both.

But you're afraid of what might happen at home.

[It's not a question.]

I think we are somehow separate. No one has been able to change anything at home and I am sure that many changes to our memories would leave some mark.

I don't want anything bad to happen at home. But I'm sure if we can get free, everything will be all right.

[It's all he wants to hear, frankly. It is a perfect reason to shrug off the weight on his shoulders and just do what he wants. He leans in, not even blinking.]

You really believe that? If we break free, home will be alright?

[She looks down and away.]

I have been able to see things that I know the Atroma didn't want me to see. And if I chose to stay here, wouldn't the rest of you know? I think I am earliest in the timeline.

[A beat. It's not a simple decision, but Wanda's decided to try to hold on to the happiness she's found here with Vision. She's not even sure they could get married at home.]

I want to hold on to this. If Pietro was here instead, I know what I would tell him to do.

I do too. [He scrubs at his face with both hands.]

If I leave I'll never see Bucky ever again. Not...not the Bucky I know here. But I can't shake the idea that I'm putting billions of lives at risk for it.

I wish I had the certainty you do. But...[He looks over at her and gives a smile] If anyone was gonna know what was going on behind the scenes, I'd trust you and Vision.

[Still he groans an exhale]

It should be an easy decision. I hate the fact that it's not.

I hate that we have to make it at all, that it's the only real choice we can make. I am tired of being someone else's pawn.

I can understand that. I'm not too fond of it myself.

[Steve sighs deep and shakes his head. He's smiling though.]

I can't help but think that if they hadn't taken us here, I would have never met so many people I care for, now. I hate thinking I should thank them, but...

Vision and I have had things here we couldn't have at home. I know what it feels like to not be so frightened of my powers. The way I feel on these singing planets...I wish it was always like this.

[She sighs.]

I won't thank them for this. It is an impossible choice.

It is. It is, but the people we have here... They disappear forever when we go back. We don't even remember what happened.

[The forgetting seems saddest of all.]

I walk through and never know I even met Bucky let alone was with him. I don't remember being friends with Loki or Hux or Kitty...

I'm glad I was brought here but it's impossible to choose what to do next, you're right. Still... If I can stay and not ruin Earth... [He knows what he'll pick.]

[It's why she'd given Vision the ring in the first place. She'd been taken from him once already.]

You want to make it matter, [she says softly.] If we go home it is like part of ourselves is lost. Everything we've done, every way we've grown...

It's why I told Strucker I couldn't change memories. Maybe I can, but I don't want to know.

[Steve laughs to himself, half honestly.] Hell. I don't even know I like guys, back home!

[Not exactly true but it's still amusing to him. Steve sighs and hangs his head again.]

I don't like it. I don't like losing everything I gained. And I don't like saying goodbye to people and then forgetting I ever loved them.

Because we matter. This matters.

And you deserve to be happy too. If we've been split from ourselves somehow, if nothing will change...think about it. You may have more of a choice than you think.

[It's all he wants to hear: that he has a choice and that he can do what he wants for once instead of what he feels he must. Steve smiles at Wanda, warm.]

I'm glad you talked to me. This has given me a lot to think about. I can't thank you enough, Wanda.

If you need someone to officiate the wedding or anything, you let me know. Okay?

[Wanda blushes again and ducks her head. Right, they're going to need one of those...]

We'll keep that in mind, but I think we don't want to plan too much yet, just in case.

[Because if this doesn't work and they're still stuck here, the wedding's off.]

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