The Sapphire Legacy (Steve Rogers)

Chapter 22

Bucky immediately drives me to Taylor and I's shared apartment. "Oh my god...Taylor." My voice breaks as I walk in, seeing it trashed with broken picture frames, broken bottles, empty bottles. "It was a rough year." I walk across the room, glass crunching under my shoe as I pick up a broken frame. It was a photo of Taylor and I. "Bucky we have to find her." "Sam and I have been trying Steve but she's just gone." I shake my head and stand up. "She's not just gone. Where's Strange? You said he was the last one to see her." He sighed and nodded. "He should be at the sanctum, I'll take you there."

We got back in the car and he drove us to where Dr. Strange resided. "He's in there." I got out of the car and knocked on the grand doors.

"Captain Rogers?" He stared at me with wide eyes and welcomed me inside. "May I ask what you're doing here?" I sighed and put my hands on my hips.

"When I returned the stones, what only took me a couple hours...was apparently a year here. Bucky told me about Wanda and Taylor. I'm sorry that happened." He waved his hand and I followed him further inside. "Please, take a seat." He motioned to one of the chairs behind me and I sat down across from him. "I don't know where they are. It's true though, I fought them both. In the end Taylor chose the right thing. Wanda too. The past year was hard for them." He sighed and took a deep breath. "The mountain we were on, Wanda destroyed it. As far as I know, they could both be dead." I shook my head, refusing to believe him. "No. Not possible. I think I'd know if my wife was dead. I'd just know."

"Steve, I know you don't want to believe that but it could be true. She thought she had lost everyone she loved. Imagine what that grief does to a person." I abruptly stood up from the chair and started pacing. "Can you find her?"

"I've tried. Either she's gone or doesn't want to be found. While you were gone, they both became extremely powerful, dangerous magic wielders. I don't doubt she could go anywhere within our universe or to another dimension at this point. I'm sorry." He stood up and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Can you try again? Please?" He gave me a sympathetic smile and nodded, "Of course."

He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. A faint aura of orange energy surrounded him and his hands moved in intricate patterns as he began to cast a spell. After several minutes, he opened his eyes and turned to Steve, shocked. "I found her..." My eyes went wide as he continued, "it appears her energy is in fact emanating from another dimension."

"Okay? How do we get there?" I questioned, impatiently. "I can open a portal but I'm not sure what dangers we might encounter on the other side." I nodded. "Let me get Bucky." I ran outside and found Bucky eating a slice of pizza. "He found her." Bucky's eyes widened and he quickly followed me inside to Doctor Strange. "Ready?" We nodded and he opened an orange swirling portal.

Once we stepped through we found ourselves in a strange and unfamiliar landscape. The air was thick with the scent of sulfur, and the ground was covered in a blackened ash. "Where are we?" Bucky asked, looking around in confusion. Strange frowned and looked around, "I'm not sure. This doesn't look familiar to me." We walked forward for a few minutes before hearing a scream in the distance. Taylor. We ran towards the sound of her voice and found a small house. I kicked the door in and saw Taylor lying unconscious on the ground.

I knelt down besides her, checking her pulse, "She's alive." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in and examined her for any injuries. "Her energy is fading. I can feel it. That's how I was able to find her, she isn't strong enough to shut me out anymore." Strange said looking down at her. "What does that mean?" Bucky asked and he shrugged. "Steve?" She whispered, opening her eyes slightly. "Hey Taylor, it's me." Her eyes started to tear up, "you're not real..." She slowly lifted her hand up to touch my face and I wrapped my hand around hers. "I'm real Taylor...It's really me. Baby please, open your eyes."