Sophia Strange: The Newest Avenger (Steve Rogers x OC)

15 - Christmas Surprises

<A/N: I feel like I sped through this first part, I wanted a fix, but wanted to move on to other parts as well. Songs quoted in this section are "Home" by Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors, and Bebe Rexha, as well as "Family" by Chainsmokers and Kygo.>

**Christmas Eve Morning**

Sophia sat on one side of Wanda and Natasha on the other, each holding her hands as they waited. They sat in the living room of the Compound awaiting word from one of the team in the lab. Bruce and Tony had been working through the night with Shuri and Dr. Cho finalizing their work on the new Vision and uploading his memory file. Steve had joined them in the lab for the final part of the process, more as a safety precaution than anything, since they really had no idea what Vision would be like when he was reawakened in his new body without the Mind Stone.

After some time the elevator door opened and Steve stepped out. It seemed he had been sent as the early messenger. He approached the ladies and knelt down in front of Wanda. "It's done."

She inhaled a deep shaky breath, tears threatening to spill. "And?"

He nodded. "He's awake. He remembers everything up to the point he secretly copied his memories into Friday right before we left for Wakanda. He looks very much like the Vision we remember, as Tony and the others felt that was what was best. His personality seems the same, very much like JARVIS was. Many of his powers were linked with the Mind Stone and are gone."

"Please, Steve... tell me what you know I need to know."

Steve looked sympathetically at Wanda and put a hand atop the one that Sophia held. "He remembers you, and your time together. He remembers how he felt. But he explained that everything feels very... detached... for him right now. He has the memories, but it's possible it will take time for the connections to be remade." Steve was frustrated with his own abilities to explain. "I'm sorry, Wanda. I told Tony he should be the one explaining this but they felt like I might do a better job at explaining things in layman's terms."

"Can I see him?"

All three women had been so caught up in listening to Steve they'd missed the entrance of the others until a familiar voice spoke up from across the room.

"Hello, Wanda."

She gasped and looked up, tears immediately spilling from her eyes as she stood. There stood Vision, so very much like the one she had known, but without the Mind Stone on his forehead. "Vis?"

He gave a slow nod and she approached cautiously, looking at him closely. He spoke as she came closer. "I remember everything, and what happened afterwards I have gathered from Friday's databanks. Wanda, I am not everything you remember, but I am much of it. It will take time, can you be patient with me?"

She took in another shaky breath as she came to stand in front of him. "For as long as it takes, I'm here."

He nodded again and looked down at her with sad eyes. "I am sorry for what you had to do, Wanda." Then carefully he held out his arms and gathered her into a tentative hug.

**Christmas Eve Night**

It was the first Christmas for the Avengers in the new compound. Their first since Thanos' defeat. It meant something special to them, something different. They had Natasha back, and now they even had Vision. They had Sophia. The Guardians seemed to be an extended part of their family now. And for that reason, Christmas Eve Dinner was intended to be the biggest extended family dinner ever. The plan was for everyone to gather together for Christmas Eve Dinner, knowing that many would spend Christmas Day on their own, such as the Bartons and the Starks with their children. So, Tony had arranged for a massive traditional Christmas Dinner to be catered in to the Compound and everyone was gathering around, those who lived at the Compound (Steve, Bucky, Sophia, Bruce, Wanda, Thor, Rhodey, Sam, Natasha, and now Vision), the Stark and Barton families who lived in neighboring houses offsite, and those who lived further away such as Scott and Hope, Peter and his Aunt May, The Guardians and Carol Danvers had arrived from off-planet, and King T'Challa and Shuri from Wakanda had just arrived.