A Strange Vice (Sequel to Doctor Strangelove)

Chapter Two

Later that evening, the clock in the living room chimed. Rachael lifted her head from Stephen's shoulder as he stretched. Stephen got up, causing her to growl at losing her pillow. 

"You know, you don't have to check the multiverse every day for threats," she said. "Or at least, not three times a day."

"It makes me feel better if I do," Stephen said. 

"Fine," Rachael sighed. "Don't take too long."

"I'll try," Stephen promised. He gave her a kiss on the cheek before heading to Rachael's old bedroom. He found it easiest to concentrate there.

Rachael sat on the couch silently, waiting for Stephen to reemerge from where he was. The time-frame could range between thirty minutes to several hours. Sometimes Rachael would already be in bed by the time Stephen was done checking the multiverse. 

The apartment had to be completely silent. Even the smallest noise could pull him out of his trance. If Rachael wanted to watch a movie, she had to do it on her laptop with her earbuds in. She didn't mind, though. It gave her a quiet environment to work in. She usually used the time to memorize lines or answer emails. 

Rachael logged into her Gmail account and saw that she had an offer for a show. The show in question was The Phantom of the Opera. That was one of the roles that Rachael had always wanted, but she had never been offered. The role in question was Christine. Sometimes Rachael was glad that she got leads opposed to sticking to the chorus. The chorus and ensemble always had more complicated dance routines that Rachael knew she would never be able to pull off. 

As she was typing up an email to the director and her agent saying that she would absolutely love to take the role, she heard a crash from her bedroom and then Stephen groaning. Rachael threw her laptop to the side and ran to her husband. He was lying on the floor, looking utterly pathetic. Rachael couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Oh, sure, go ahead and laugh while your significant other is in pain on the ground," Stephen muttered.

"I'm sorry," Rachael giggled. She walked over to help him. "What happened?"

"Don't know." Stephen grunted as he stood up. "One minute I was checking for threats, the next I blacked out and fell down." 

"You fainted?" Rachael gave him a concerned look. "Maybe you need to lie down." 

"No, I don't think I fainted." Stephen shook his head. "I think my magic stopped working. That's the second time today this has happened." 

"You're just a little rusty right now." Rachael rubbed her husband's back. 

"I was able to do it perfectly this morning and this afternoon," Stephen pointed out. 

"Well, you can't be perfect all the time," Rachael said.  

"What am I supposed to do if I lose my magic as well?" Stephen asked. 

"I don't know, Steve," Rachael said. She was silent for a moment, trying to come up with a possible explanation for Stephen's sudden lack of perfection. "You know what, I bet you're still tired from the Tony's last night. Maybe you should get some more rest. If you're still not performing spells perfectly after a few more days, then we can be worried." 

"Yes, you're probably right." Stephen nodded, pushing his worry down. 

"Come on, let's get you to bed," Rachael said. "I'm going to stay up and finish some work, so just call for me if you need me." 

"Alright," Stephen sighed. 

Rachael laid with Stephen while he fell asleep. Once he was out, she quietly left the room to get back to writing her email. She finally finished and after making sure that she sounded professional, she hit send. A few more offers had come through, but they were either not interesting or conflicted with Phantom. One of the offers was to perform in Frozen, but Rachael decided to turn it down even though it was a higher paycheck than Phantom. The producers had offered her the role of Anna, which did fit her personality better, but if she was going to be in that musical then she wanted to play Elsa. Besides, she definitely did not want to hear or sing Let It Go ever again. Ever.