CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE:
JUST A HEADACHE

SALEM STOOD THERE, STARING OUT the window. Her head was pounding, her palm pressing into her temple in hopes of relieving herself of some of the pain. Wanda watched her from the bed with a small frown. Salem had had a vision a few months prior, but the girl refused to tell her anything but the fact that danger was coming. Salem had seen everything. She had seen Thanos snapping his fingers, she had seen Vision die and Wanda dust away. And there was no preventing it, so she simply didn't talk about it.

     "Sal?" Wanda whispered. She sat her cup down on the bedside table before making her way over to her girlfriend. They were living in Scotland, Vision lived with them but mostly he was disguised as a human and walked around and explored and hoped he wasn't recognized. "What's wrong?"

     "Nothing." Salem whispered, shaking her head. Wanda grabbed her hand, causing Salem to turn her head to look at her. Wanda placed a hand on her cheek, furrowing her eyebrows in concern.

     "Salem, you can talk to me." Wanda softly spoke. Salem nodded her head and grabbed Wanda's hand that was placed on her cheek and gave her a kiss on the hand before putting her hand over Wanda's with a soft smile.

     "I know." Salem met Wanda's eyes and nodded her head in reassurance. "It's just a headache, that's all."

     "You've been having more and more of those lately." Wanda noted.

     "That I have." Salem gently sighed. "A walk usually helps. I can go grab Vision and we can all go out for a walk before Vision and I leave to go check in with the others."

     "Why do you have to leave?" Wanda softly sighed.

     "Because the person who is practically my mother doesn't need to worry about whether or not I'm alive any longer." Salem answered. "We were supposed to check in months ago. Next thing we know Natasha is going to appear and bash my head in for not telling her how I am." Wanda nodded in understanding. Salem suddenly hissed in pain, turning away at the throbbing in her head. Ever since that vision she had had, the headaches kept coming non stop and they were painful, almost unbearable.

     "Let me." Wanda requested. Salem didn't want Wanda to end up glancing at the vision she had seen whilst trying to take the pain from her head, which is why she started to shake her head in denial. "Sal, you're in pain. I can help."

     Salem looked at her before giving in and nodding her head. Wanda looked at her before carefully placing her hand to her temple and shooting her wisps into Salem's head, trying to find the source of the pain in hopes of giving the woman at least at little break.  Salem felt herself sigh in relief, her shoulders relaxing as the pain diminished. Wanda removed her hand and gently smiled at her. "Better?"

     "Much." Salem nodded before leaning forward and giving the woman a kiss on the lips. She pulled away before whispering, "Thank you, sweetheart." Wanda only smiled at her before the two shared a quick kiss with one another once more before pulling away and offering one another a small smile.

After changing into warmer clothing, the couple along with Vision were walking down the sidewalks of Scotland and it was surprisingly quiet. After Wanda and Salem had been forced to go on the run, Vision had been determined to find the two women who were quick to become his best friends and the ones he could trust the most. Maybe he stayed with them in hopes of healing what had taken place between the Avengers, but either way the two gladly allowed him to stay with open arms.

     "Darling, you can take care of yourself, that is without a doubt." Salem told Wanda, their hands interlaced as the two walked with Vision standing on the other side of Salem. "You don't need me nor Vision here for us to know that you'll be safe while we're gone."

     "Can't one of you go?" Wanda asked. "Or neither, preferably." When Vision suddenly let out a wince of pain, Salem was quick to snap her head towards the man. Like Salem's headaches, Visions stone had been shooting pain through his skull.

     "Vision?" Salem whispered. "Is it that goddamned stone again?"

     "Yes." Vision answered, shaking his head. "It's as if it's speaking to me."

     "What does it say?" Wanda frowned, the trio now having stopped as the two women focused on their best friend.

     "I don't. . . I don't know. But something. . ." He flinches again.

     "Wanda." Salem whispered, glancing towards her girlfriend. Wanda nodded before moving forward and doing the same thing to Vision as she had Salem, but she found nothing and she shook her head.

     "I just feel you." She told the man.

     "We are one in the same, Vis." Salem sighed as they continued to walk once more. "Both of us are in pain for no particular reason. Curse the human body. And whoever came up with headaches deserves to get hit by a train. Cause that shit hurts. However the creator of Advil, I would marry."

     "I am right here." Wanda feigned offence and Salem chuckled before kissing the woman.

     "Oh sweetheart, you know you're the true love of my life." Salem told her with a smirk as she moved to stand in front of Wanda, walking backwards as she held the woman's hands. Vision smiled at the couple and shook his head.

     Wanda then sighed. "So there's a 10 AM to Glasgow to give us more time together before you went back."

      Salem looked at her for a moment before asking, "What if I miss that train?"

     "There is an 11." Wanda continued.

     Salem shrugged her shoulders as she stopped and looked at her girlfriend, the love of her life. Wanda stopped and frowned as she looked at Salem. "What if I missed all the trains? What if this time, I didn't go back?"

     "What about Natasha?" Wanda questioned. "You promised her. And Vision gave Stark his word."

     "I'd rather promise it to you." Salem answered. "We both made promises to them, Wanda. Vision made his own promise and he can decide what it is that he wants to do, whether he wants to stay, or go." She glanced towards Vision who shrugged his shoulders.

     "You should stay." Vision told the couple. "Both of you."

     Salem smiled before turning back to Wanda. "Wanda, my love, three years now, you and I have made this work. And if you ask me we're the best damn couple to walk this earth." Wanda chuckled at this. "We are complicated, both of us. But we help each other out in the most positive ways possible. And I don't know about you, but I have not regretted being with you. You are the only thing that's working in my life right now, Wanda. So, what we have going on, even though Vision is invading are personal space," she gave the man a joking smirk as Wanda shook her head in amusement, "I think it works."

     "It works." Wanda agreed, nodding her head. "It works, and I wouldn't have it any other way." Salem smiled before cupping Wanda's face in her hands and giving her a peck on the lips. When they pulled away, Wanda smiled at her before it suddenly fell as she looked over Salem's shoulder.

     "Wanda?" Salem frowned, watching as the woman moved away from her and over to one of the store windows where several televisions were placed.

     "What are they?" Wanda's voice shook and Salem joined her side along with Vision. They watched the television, watching what was happening in New York. The giant donut looking spaceship that was throwing things all around the city along with two creatures that most definitely weren't human. And when it showed that Tony was missing, Salem felt her heart drop. It was something from Salem's vision―︎and this vision was the only one that she actually remembered. It was imprinted in her brain, and no matter how hard she tried this one just wouldn't leave like all of the others did.

     "What the stone was warning me about." Vision answered.

     "We have to go." Salem whispered.

     "What, no." Wanda immediately shook her head. "Sal, Vis, if that's true. . . then maybe it isn't the best idea."

     "Wanda, I-" But Vision was cut off when a scream suddenly escaped his mouth. They two women turned with wide eyes to see a weapon stabbed through his back, poking through his torso. He changed from his human self back to the red and purple version before he was thrown into the middle of the street.