AMELIORATE ⇾ W. MAXIMOFF & VISION

xvii. | "where were you?"

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WHEN DOROTTYA AND ERIK STEPPED THROUGH THE PORTAL, they were greeted by Wanda Maximoff and Vision who stood staring at a bunch of hand drawn pictures, and her children's pictures Dorottya had hanging on her walls.

Dorottya furrowed her eyebrows, her eyes fixated on Wanda and Vision. Erik brought his hand up to blast Wanda and Vision away for he thought they were a threat, but Dorottya simply pushed his hand down with a shake of her head.

She stepped forward. "Wanda, Vis, are you okay?" Dorottya questioned.

Wanda widened his eyes. She and Vision slowly turned around, their gaze landing on Dorottya. "Dorottya?" she whispered, surprised. "I thought. . . I thought you left because of the accords."

Vision nodded. "And I thought you got kidnapped. Wanda thought I was crazy."

"You're more right than you know." Dorottya joked.

Wanda softly smiled, before she brought her into a tight hug. Dorottya placed her arms under hers and laid her head on her neck, her fingers rubbing the back of Wanda's shoulders as she closed her eyes. Wanda motioned Vision over, so he walked over and enveloped his wide arms around them both, a smile melted on his face to be hugging them.

Erik looked them up and down, a smile brought to his face.

"By the way, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," Dorottya told them. "And if I stayed away any longer I know you and the others would've killed yourself somehow. . . you're not the brightest sometimes."

Relief flooded Wanda's face as they all pulled apart, a small chuckle leaving past his lips. "I'm pretty smart."

"I would say I'm smart too," he tapped his head. "I have the entire worlds worth of information here."

"Maybe." Dorottya winked.

Wanda hugged Dorottya again, but this time it was tighter. She looked at the picture of Dorottya, István and Adrienn with a small frown. "Where were you?"

Dorottya slightly pulled away. "You'll never believe me."

Wanda and Vision raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

____

"SO YOU WERE KIDNAPPED BY A WIZARD?" Wanda asked, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she stared at Dorottya in pure confusion.

Dorottya sighed. "I wouldn't-"

Wanda pointed a finger in Erik's direction who was checking out the video game console with a game headset on his head, and Erik was quite astonished by it. "And he's your father from another reality?!"

"Yeah."

"Oh my God. . . my day just keeps getting better and better."

"Look, I know it's a lot to take in-"

"I would say it's not," Vision chuckled. "It's not surprising especially after the day we've had today, Dorottya."

She raised an eyebrow out of concern and confusion, before she remembered about the accords. She felt her heart drop as she looked deep into his eyes to see if he gave away any emotion that told her he or Wanda signed the Accords.

Wanda sighed. "Steve's friend, James Barnes, is back. He says the government framed Barnes for killing the Wakanda king and many others in Vienna while Natasha was signing the accords. He doesn't believe Barnes did it." Wanda paused.

Dorottya stepped closer to him. "Steve wants to help him get away from the government, doesn't he?" she asked.

Erik held his head up high, an interest sparking in his eyes. He was in the governments bad side once before in another world, so did that mean he would have to go against them again in this world?

Wands gave Dorottya a nod. "He does. They already left and I decided to stay put here with Vision instead of getting on the government's radar again. . ." she looked at Erik for a moment. "I came here to look at your room in case I never saw it again, but instead of grieving over the fact you might be gone for good. . . I found you walking through a portal with your father." she laughed.

Dorottya gave her a smile. "I'm not leaving you anytime soon," she looked at Vision. "Or you. I care for the both of you too much."

"I hope so." Vision whispered.

"Vis-"

Vision placed his hands on her shoulders. "I hope you don't leave anytime soon. I don't want to see you get hurt, or worse. . . dead."

Dorottya swallowed thickly, the light in her eyes flickering. Vision frowned and pulled her to his chest. Wanda looked at Erik who seemed disappointed they wouldn't be able to go against the government, and they had to stay behind while the others went up against the government.

Once they pulled away, Vision patted her back, before he and Wanda left to go do something.

Dorottya numbly stared at the spot Wanda and Vision once stood in.

_____

DOROTTYA AND ERIK WENT THROUGH a bunch of photo albums Dorottya managed to preserve after she tore her house apart by accident when the Avengers angered her badly.

Erik flipped a page to the first pictures of István and Adrienn, a small smile twitching at his lips. He wished he knew them both, but he probably never would for István was dead and Adrienn was in Queens.

Dorottya looked up from the page of her and Fenyo. She smiled at her father. "You know maybe one say you can meet Adrienn. . . when we figure out what's going on with the Avengers."

Erik nodded. "That would be nice. . . I would love to get to know my granddaughter. She seems sweet from the story you told me."

"She can be, but she's usually a pain in my ass."

Erik laughed. "All teenagers are. How old is she again?"

"She'll be fourteen tomorrow."

"I thought she was twelve last year?"

Dorottya raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, she was, but her birthday was literally a month after István died, which is also tomorrow."

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's fine."

They grew silent and continued to go through the pictures, flipping through the pages and admiring the photos that were taken ages ago or recently.

Dorottya suddenly wondered if she'd be able to make it through a day without wanting to kill Erik for saying something stupid.