Through The Multiverse [Dr. Strange]

Forty-One Seconds

Hey y'all! So, this is almost done and I'm sorry that it's kind of being dragged out but part of me doesn't want to make it feel rushed. Plus, I feel like there's still some loose ends I need to ensure are tied up because I don't want to leave you all with plot holes. Alright, onward! Enjoy this chapter and I hope you are all having lovely days or nights wherever you are <3

You know I try to live without regrets

I'm always looking forward and not looking back
But I tend to leave a trail of dead, while I'm moving ahead
So I'm stepping away
'Cause I got nothing to say
Feels like, feels like it's coming
Feels like, like the coming of age

America gave us her final wave before we trailed back to the Sanctum. Tonight Stephen and I were on guard while Wong was with America and the other trainees at Kamar-Taj for the evening. He was actually excited and even asked for my help in decorating Kamar-Taj. It wasn't much expect for some lights and large stone benches for them to sit on around the fire pit we makeshifted together. It wasn't too bad, I was proud of it. "How about some wine and a fire of our own while we converse?" Stephen made me giggle with his gestures of implementing a bottle of wine in his hand and starting the fire with his finger.

"What kind of conversation?"

"The deep kind, I have some questions for you." He handed me a glass of wine and sat criss crossed in front of the fire place. We could have just gone up to our room and sat beside the one in there but it was nice to have the entire sanctum to ourselves where we could enjoy the openness of it's large living area. The fire was warm which solicited me to remove my cardigan leaving me in just my leggings and lounge tee. Another one of Tony's old band shirts that he had given me. Bon Jovi. Another shirt he should have kept because Morgan quite enjoys Bon Jovi when she comes over to visit.

"Alright Mr. Curious, what are these supposed questions you have for me?" Part of me wondered if this was just a little game to pass the time and get out any final secrets before the wedding. Another part of me knew this was just like the previous confessional we had where I told him I was in love with every aspect of him when he just dust on a random planet.

"How have you been feeling since you used the Darkhold?"

I hadn't even thought about this myself. Think, has anything been out of the ordinary? "I feel fine, how about you? You dreamwalked into your own dead body and were attacked by the souls of the damned. That's gotta be heavy on so many different levels."

"I actually feel great. Could be the amount of champagne and wine I've been consuming lately in light of having peace for once with his godamned profession." Stephen was right, we never really got weeks on end without some sort of problem. This was nice. "Christine told us that other you had gotten the Darkhold, I just wondered if you had felt her maybe? Or seen her when you sleep?"

Old feelings of the dream I had when Stephen was away were rushing back to me. Each with good but selfish intent but they were still me. Stephen's now reminded me that one two occasions in two universes, I've done awful, villainous things. Does that mean I'm meant for the darker side of life? "I, I haven't seen her. And I don't know what I felt. I try not to think about it. When you use the Darkhold even just once it's pretty draining and will eventually make you feel and want things you never did before or never knew you did. Part of me wonders if we haven't felt anything because Wanda destroyed any lasting remains of the Darkhold across the multiverse. Which seems illogical because of strong the temptations of that book can produce but it's the only thing that makes sense to me. No Darkhold, no curse." Please don't make me go further into Bad Jodie.

"I'm just wondering because after learning there are two versions of me who have held the Darkhold and gotten compromised, I started to think about how many versions of me as a good guy were out there. Without getting my hands on the Darkhold and tampering with other universes. I mean, in this life we're the good guys and I'm praying it continues to stay that way. I've had dreams before of being bad but that was before I found out that dreams are the windows into our alternate selves. Have you ever dreamt about being the bad guy?"

I froze. My wine glass paused it's travels to my mouth as I started to shaky at the recollection. I didn't want to tell him this. What if he decided I was capable of this? Especially after arguing with him for months about how the Darkhold can be used for good. "I have." Was all I could say. I knew he was going to ask but was I really going to tell.