☆

THE NEW YORK SANCTUM WAS no place for a child, so Talia did not feel easy about Sienna being in a strange place. While she had appreciated what Drumm had done to child-proof the Sanctum, Talia was still concerned, so she tried to arrange for Sienna to be there for as little as possible.

But it was hard with Nicole unknowing of what was going on or Stephen clueless too, yet too caught up in himself to care for his daughter.

Before her first lesson, Talia had found herself in Kamar-Taj again, feeling out of place as she was given a tour. At the mention of Talia changing for her lessons, she had frowned at the robes, not wanting to give up her normal mundane clothing.

Though, even with the white robes, Talia felt like she was rocking her new look. As a recently divorced, single mother with magical powers, Talia had felt like a change was needed, so she had cut her hair to her shoulders, trying to find who she was now.

Standing opposite the Ancient One, Talia stared at her hands, unknowing how she was supposed to let the magic flow freely again. Talia could feel it, but she could not control it, and that frustrated her.

"Are you sure I have a power?" Talia questioned, thinking that maybe she had become delusional and imagined the whole thing.

"I can feel your power," said the Ancient One. "As can you, Talia. Until now, you have only used your power as a lifeline to escape death. If you want to master your magic, then you must find a way to call on it without your life being threatened."

"And how do I do that?" Talia asked.

The Ancient One's hands rose, an amber ring appearing that spun, showing Talia the control that she had. "You let the magic call to you," she explained. "Find that spark inside you and ignite it, Talia."

Frustrated, Talia had sighed, not finding that helpful at all. Though, she took a deep breath, wanting to figure this out as quickly as she could so Talia could find that control. Staring down at her hands again, Talia's fingers curled, desperate for some form of spark to catch.

"You are trying too hard," commented the Ancient One, causing Talia to grit her teeth together again. "Close your eyes and let the magic come to you."

Closing her eyes, Talia kept her hands firmly out again, palm facing the ceiling above them. Talia could feel the magic stirring beneath her skin, tingling as if it wanted to come out.

"Don't think about it," the Ancient One guided.

As her eyebrows furrowed, Talia tried to stop her mind from overthinking the magic. Instead, she let it take over, feeling it ignite deep inside her with the magic pulsing. Then, opening her eyes, a violet orb of magic rested in Talia's hand.

For a second, it was there bright and magical as Talia smiled, shocked with herself. Then, just as quickly as the magic had come, it had flickered out like a flame.

And the Ancient One had smiled, knowing it was a start.

"How did that feel?"

"Odd," answered Talia. "But a good kind of odd, like... it's a part of me."

"The power is you, Talia," the Ancient One reminded her. "Now, call on the power again."

Talia's smile vanished at that, unknowing if she could even do it again.

The process was long and tiring, where it was more repetition than anything. When Talia was not training with the Ancient One or Mordo, she visited the library, needing to understand the world she lived in now.

Seeing her white robes, the librarian smiled at her. "You have come back since your tour," said Wong, welcoming the newcomer. "We have not scared you away yet then."

"Not quite," Talia replied. "I was hoping you could help me."

"How can I help?" Wong offered.

"Could you show me the books about the Multiverse?" Talia asked, knowing she was allowed to use whatever resources that could help her if her power remained a secret.

"A curious mind?" Wong questioned, knowing that Talia was too far down the ranks to even know much yet.

"Yeah," Talia smiled.

Following Wong, the librarian helped Talia find a few books on the subject, though the collection was smaller compared to the rest of the archives. If they knew very little about the Multiverse, then how could they help Talia understand her power?

"Will I learn anything from these books?" Talia questioned, holding them in her hands.

"They are books, Talia," Wong answered. "There is always something to learn."

Talia supposed she agreed, knowing that little knowledge was better than no knowledge. A few days ago, Talia was oblivious to the Multiverse, so whatever she read now would help.

During her first week, Talia had soaked up whatever knowledge she could as she trained with the Ancient One and Mordo. The latter was easier to talk to with Talia feeling less on edge around him, finding him calming, yet supportive too.

But Talia was becoming impatient, where she was not picking it up as quickly as she needed to. Seeing her frustration, Mordo sighed.

"Talia, stop," said the man, stepping closer to her. "Tell me, why do you want this power?"

Talia frowned at that. "I thought I had no choice."

"There is always a choice," Mordo replied. "I came to Kamar-Taj years ago, wanting the power to defeat my enemies. Instead, I found peace within the natural order, finding a way to face my demons."

"I..." Talia was lost for words, having not really thought if she had wanted this power or not. "I want this power to be in control of it, so I don't have to be afraid of accidentally hurting my daughter or not being able to protect her."

Mordo smiled at that, nodding his head slightly forward. "Then be in control of it, Talia."

And then, from Talia's hand, the purple magic flared to life. Talia grinned brightly, finding her confidence as she threw the magic at Mordo, knowing that it would be easily blocked, but she was getting there.

Slowly, but surely, Talia was finding control over her power.

☆

At the Sanctum, Talia was exhausted, but not as tired as her daughter. Sienna had spent the day at summer school again, where Talia had picked her up to be handed colourful pictures and all kinds of arts and crafts.

Now, Sienna was sleeping with her head on Talia's lap. Talia's fingers ran through her daughter's hair as she read one of the books about the Multiverse, trying to understand everything that was happening.

But, the more she read, the more Talia wondered about herself. If she was not from this universe, then would this affect Sienna?

Talia's heart twisted at the thought, another reason being added to the list for why she needed to figure everything out. With that, her mind ended up on Stephen again, wishing that she was not facing this alone.

And then Talia's phone pinged, where she closed the book before picking up her phone that was resting on the covers of the bed that she shared with Sienna. Seeing Stephen's name pop up, Talia's breathing hitched, praying for that small miracle that he had come to his senses.

I've found a way to fix everything. Please don't give up on me yet.

Talia felt her heart tighten, eyes glowing with tears, knowing that Stephen was too late. Their marriage was over, where Talia had given up on them, and she did not risk herself in the trap of believing him again. If Stephen was fixing things, then it would not be for them, but for himself.

So, it took everything inside Talia to ignore the text, knowing that Stephen will have seen that she had read it, and that would be his answer. Now, they were both on separate paths — they had both made their own decisions.

Sienna still slept peacefully as Talia's hand returned to her daughter's head, wanting to comfort her as much as possible. If Stephen had wanted to fix things, then he would be here with his daughter right now. But Stephen would never know the heartbroken look on his daughter's face when she had blown out her birthday candles, searching the faces around her to not find her father.

The next morning, Talia and Sienna were heading downstairs as she held onto her daughter's hand, carrying her Avengers backpack. Hearing them, Drumm appeared from one of the many romans downstairs with a happy smile on his face.

"Miss Strange, I hope you have a good day at school," said Daniel Drumm.

Sienna giggled, liking the formal address that the Master of the New York Sanctum had given her. Already, Sienna had questioned why they were staying at the Sanctum, but Daniel and Talia had gone with the story that they worked together. Talia hated lying to Sienna but bringing magic into her life was something Talia wanted to avoid for as long as possible.

But keeping her daughter oblivious in a house full of peculiar things was so hard.

"Do you have a chocolate for me today, Daniel?" Sienna asked, innocently.

The man only smiled, walking towards Sienna as his fingers reached behind her ear, coming away with a small, wrapped chocolate. Sienna's eyes had widened, loving the small hints of magic that Daniel did.

"Can you show me how to do that?" Sienna asked, accepting the chocolate, gratefully.

Daniel chuckled. "A magician never reveals his tricks."

Sienna giggled again. "Thank you, Daniel."

Then, while happy with her chocolate, Talia stepped closer to the man, leaving Sienna occupied alone for a moment. As always, Daniel Drumm knew what Talia was going to ask — it was the same question every morning.

So, Daniel shook his head, witnessing Talia deflate. "You and Stephen are on separate paths, Talia," the man reminded her, quietly. "They will cross again when the time is right."

Talia pressed her lips together, nodding her head in her silent acceptance. Maybe Talia was still holding onto a miracle, but she needed to get over that — Talia needed to let Stephen go, the more she lingered on him, then the more hurt she would be.

The two had then left as Talia had dropped Sienna off at the school again, feeling sad at the thought that it was summer, and her daughter was forced into this lifestyle. Luckily, Sienna had taken to the change better than Talia had thought, where she had made friends and enjoyed learning as much as she could.

When Talia returned, she ended up in her normal routine: training in Kamar-Taj. This time it was with the Ancient One as she oversaw Talia's progress, seeing that it was going in the right direction.

In her hand, Talia had made a cube. The violet-purple had become solid, crystalising as it was heavy in Talia's hand. Talia was proud of herself but still confused too.

"What does this have to do with the Multiverse?" Talia asked.

The Ancient One had smiled. "The magic itself comes from the Multiverse," she explained, but Talia now knew that. "What you do with that power is down to you, but every power comes with its limits. You must find the balance of what is right or wrong."

"You don't know what I can do," Talia realised.

"I am learning about your power at the same time as you are," the Ancient One confessed. "But no matter what power or magic we have; it is still down to us with how we choose to use it."

And Talia had chosen to use her magic to create a cube. It wasn't anything extreme as what the Ancient One could do, but it was small and safe — most of all, it was something Talia had control over.

As the lesson came to an end, Mordo was waiting for Talia, happy to walk with her for a break before the two were due to start their next training session together. They tended to do this, where Talia appreciated the company.

"I saw what you created," Mordo told her.

Outside, Talia's head turned to the sorcerer with a smile. "Life-changing, isn't it?"

"Every great sorceress has to start somewhere," said Mordo.

"I am not like you, though," Talia reminded him.

"Perhaps you do not wield the same magic as we do, but you do belong with us," Mordo told her.

Talia felt the smile remain on her face, yet her heart had tightened, feeling like she did not belong anywhere still. Catching the slight change in her expression, Mordo paused in step, hands taking hold of Talia's arm in a friendly manner.

"Come now," said Mordo. "Do you not believe you belong here?"

"Not long ago, I thought I had found where I belonged," Talia confessed, looking at him. "I was happily married with a family that I thought could not possibly fall apart. More than that, I was a pianist — finally just a normal person. Like you, I've had my own demons that I had faced; I finally had peace and now I am here."

"You are on a new path," Mordo reminded her. "Perhaps you will find peace here in Kamar-Taj too. Though, now I am intrigued to hear you play the piano."

Talking about the piano always lifted Talia's spirits, and with that, her smile appeared again. "If you show me how to use a Sling-Ring, then I'll play a song or two for you."

Mordo laughed at that. "Nice try, Talia, but your training must remain with using your own magic."

Talia was about to reply, but her eyes had found a familiar face. Standing within the courtyard of Kamar-Taj was Stephen Strange, wearing similar robes to Talia. Though, while they were matching, Talia could see the disbelief in his gaze, eyes broken and betrayed.

"Talia, you are here?" Stephen questioned, clearly in shock, but it wasn't long before the anger flared. "You... you knew about this place?"

There was a thick lump in Talia's throat as she tried to swallow, struggling to find the words. Of course, she had known that Stephen would be furious upon spotting her here, but Talia had not prepared herself for seeing him today.

With her silence, Stephen shook his head, no longer being able to look at Talia before he walked away. Then, as Talia stepped forward to follow him, Mordo was blocking her.

"I just want to speak to him," Talia said.

"And you can," Mordo reassured. "Just remember what the Ancient One told you."

Talia knew what he was trying to say, and she understood. As much as Talia wanted Stephen's support, not telling him was protecting him too. If being here fixed his hands, then Talia would remove herself from his pathway.

Moving past Mordo, Talia chased after her ex-husband, still in shock upon seeing him. Even with him furious, Talia's heart still sparked back to life, though it would only be temporary.

"Stephen—"

But Stephen ignored her.

Until Talia's fingers had closed around his wrist, forgetting for a second that Stephen did not like her touching his hands or anywhere near them. Though, as Stephen's body tensed, Talia did not let go.

"Stephen, please," said Talia. "Talk to me."

Stephen paused, body turning as he faced Talia for the first time in weeks. Up close, Talia's eyes fell on the long strands of hair, and the overgrown beard. The walls she had built to contain her emotions were crumbling, leaving her numb and broken all over again.

"What happened that night, Talia?" Stephen asked again.

"I can't tell you," said Talia, so quietly.

"Please," Stephen pleaded. "I watched you die, and I could not do anything to stop it. I lost you. I deserve to know what happened."

"I know you do," Talia told him.

"Then just answer the question," Stephen snapped in frustration, causing Talia to recoil with her fingers letting go of Stephen.

"Don't raise your voice at me," Talia's own anger rose, but she kept her voice down. "I can't tell you because I'm trying to protect you. Jesus, Stephen, I'm trying to help you!"

Stephen scoffed at that, eyes narrowing at her. "Help me? You knew about Kamar-Taj and rather than telling me, you let me suffer."

"No, Stephen, I didn't know," Talia explained, knowing he would react like this. "The Ancient One found me the last time I saw you. I went to her for help to understand."

"You had the answer to fixing my hands and you kept it from me."

"I would have told you, but the Ancient One explained that you had your own path to get here, Stephen," she told him, hating that Stephen had reduced her to tears again. "I've asked every day about you as I've hated every second of your suffering, so don't you dare think I sat here intentionally keeping you from fixing your hands."

Stephen calmed down at that, seeming to take a deep breath. "What about Sienna? Where is she?"

"Right now, she's in summer school," Talia informed him. "Nicole has her when she can, but she doesn't know I'm here. We've been living at the New York Sanctum for the past week, but I come here daily to train."

"How is she?" Stephen asked.

As much as Talia hated to see the guilt on Stephen's face, she was relieved to see it too. Though, even if he felt guilty, Talia could not forgive him for what he had put their daughter through.

"How do you think, Stephen?" Talia snapped at him.

Stephen flinched at the words, hating the iciness in Talia's voice. "I-I don't know what to say."

"Maybe there's nothing to say," said Talia. "You made your decision and so did I. We are on separate paths now, so it should stay that way, Stephen."

Then, forcing herself to remain expressionless, Talia stepped forward with the aim to walk away while she could. But Stephen's hand had caught Talia's own, causing her heart to stutter to a stop as her head twisted, eyes colliding with his own.

Since the crash, Talia had not been able to hold Stephen's hands. Now, the skin was jiggered and rough, but it was still the hands of the man she loved. To Talia, nothing could change that.

"Talia, are you in danger?" Stephen asked. "Why are you here?"

"I can't tell you," Talia reminded him.

Stephen scowled, not happy with that. "But I'm your husband."

Talia's eyes fell downwards, seeing their joined hands. For Stephen, he still wore his silver wedding band, which caused Talia's heart to break all over again.

Even if she still loved him, their marriage was ruined — long passed the point of saving.

"We are over, Stephen," Talia stated.

"I can still fix everything," Stephen pleaded, not letting go of her hand. "I won't sign the papers, Talia. You are my wife, so please just come home."

"And where is home?" Talia demanded.

"With you and Sienna," the man replied.

Talia smiled sadly at that, knowing that had been home to her too. If she could go back, then Talia would, but there was no returning to the life they had once had.

"It's too late, Stephen," Talia told him. "You can't fix this."

And then Talia's fingers pulled away from her ex-husband's hand as she walked away from him, back to where Mordo was waiting for her so they could continue her training. Talia knew that Stephen's eyes were stuck on her, but there was nothing left.

There was no home for them to go to.

Stephen had made his choice that did not include them.

And Talia was not the same person that Stephen had once married.

☆

I hated most of this chapter, but I'm always a sucker for Talia and Stephen. We're actually halfway through the first part, so things are going to start picking up now!