Could be something like that.

[Vash isn't sure how the butterfly effect could create such drastic differences between the Livio he met and this one but... maybe that's not for him to know.]

You were still in the Eye back then. We were trying to free you and it... didn't go so well. [He gives Livio a once over now.] Guessing by the fact that you're not trying to haul me off that it took eventually?