This is based in a request from Mrs Isabel Cullen who informed me that there was very little fanfiction around Dr Strange and Christine and would I write it for her. I quizzed her a bit further and she expressed a preference for smut over no smut ;). This is my first foray into another fandom other than the Sherlock one so be gentle with me but I'd love to know what you think and whether you like it.

Thanks must go to my good friend Lilsherlockian1975 who for once was advising me on Americanism's as opposed to me Brit picking her fics. It was an unusual experience being on the other side for once but she was gentle with me. Anyway, let's get on, this is set just after the end of the film and I own nothing but the idea...enjoy!

Chapter 1

Christine let her fingers slide over the envelope as she tried to decide, for the fiftieth time that day, what to do. The letter had arrived from Stephen that morning inviting her to have dinner with him at his new home. It seems he was living back in New York again and wanted the two of them to resume their friendship. That in itself was ambiguous given how they had left things all those months ago when he'd left on his quest for a cure for his hands.

She couldn't help but be intrigued though even in spite of her wariness. He'd always been a smooth talker, always had a way of getting her into bed without offering her any commitment. But she had to admit he had seemed different when he'd arrived in the hospital a week ago complete with some sort of stab wound to his chest.

And the things he could do? Christine had never believed in magic, I mean...who did, but it had seemed so real; he had genuinely appeared to leave his body, create paths or doorways to other places...things had moved with no mover and his cloak had hung in mid-air with no support.

She shook her head, she must have been mistaken or been tricked somehow...after all magic didn't exist, it was just an illusion...wasn't it?

Either way she just wanted to see him again, to talk to him, see how he was doing. She hoped he had never realized it but she was in love with him. She had been from almost the first moment she had met him and when they'd slept together those first few times she had thought it was the start of an actual relationship. That was...right up until she had heard that he was also seeing a nurse from intensive care and a lawyer from some bank on Wall Street.

In his defense he had never said that they were dating or exclusive...she had just hoped he'd felt the same as her. Stupid, stupid Christine...that was how he always made her feel; not professionally, never then. He had always treated her with the utmost respect when it came to her professional knowledge and skills; but when it came to him and sex and feelings she always felt as though she were out in left field.

He must have sent her a dozen e-mails when he'd gone away all saying how sorry he was about what he'd said and how he didn't want to lose her as a friend but she had been too hurt to respond. He had been brutal that last night, after everything she had done for him, but he'd been right; that's what had hurt the most. She had just been trying to fix him, make him need her even if he didn't want her...and how sad was that!

His latest message had come the old fashioned way; by snail mail and she'd smiled sadly at the shaky handwriting that had once been so confident but yet was still so familiar.

And so she found herself, a few hours later, standing outside an impressive old building on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. It seemed old fashioned and anachronistic for Stephen. He'd always had ultra-modern apartments; all chrome with floor to ceiling windows, modern furniture and technology. She wondered if he had a flat here or rooms; after all he'd been broke when he left and she had no idea if he was working or not.

She took a deep breath and then nervously stepped up and rang the bell, hearing the sound of it echo through the building. A moment later the door opened and he stood in front of her smiling and her heart skipped a beat just as it always did when she saw him.

He was dressed more casually and slightly more normally than last time in what looked like maroon, linen sweat pants and a sleeveless black t shirt. His feet were bare which seemed very unusual for the time of year. She herself was wrapped up in a thick winter coat with hat and scarf although she did have on a thin summer dress underneath, just as his letter had recommended. Maybe there was a problem with the heating in the building.

And what a building it was. The door opened up into a large hall with an impressive staircase rising up in front of her. Everything was spacious and ornate and expensive looking. Her eyes roamed around the size, looking up at the ceiling and the stairs before coming back to rest on Stephen's face.

He was silent while she took the place in but as she met his gaze he smiled. 'Impressive isn't it.'

He stepped forward and held her upper arms as he gently placed a kiss on her cheek and then spoke gently as his lips hovered close to her ear. 'It's good to see you Christine. Thanks for coming.'

She could barely restrain the shudder that went through her body at his proximity and the sound of his voice, so low and so damned sexy.

Then he stepped back and gestured for her to come in. 'Here, let me take your coat...come in, come in, it's cold out there.'

She stepped inside and he closed the door, helping her with her jacket and scarf, hanging it all up on a coat stand by the door. Then she followed him up the stairs.

'This place is amazing Stephen. Are you living here now?' She couldn't help the disbelief that bled through into her words.

'Yes, I just moved in at the end of last week, after I saw you in the hospital. As you can see it's already furnished, of sorts, I just brought my clothes and books, which is good because that's all I own now.'

'But...how can you...I mean...'

He grinned and led her through into a room which was filled with cabinets all housing a different weapon or artifact, it was like stepping into a museum.

'How can I afford it? Luckily I don't have to. It comes with the job.'

'And what's the job?'

He stopped by a small table which held a couple of decanters and some glasses. 'Wine? I bought your favorite, Cabernet Sauvignon.'

'Yes, thanks.' Christine certainly felt in need of a drink as she looked around at some of the items. She pointed, in shock, to a pair of gloves that seemed to be moving by themselves. 'Are they...how are they moving?'

Stephen joined her by the case, handing her a glass and clinking it against his own. 'Cheers. Those are the gloves of Rassilon and they don't seem to like me at all; pinched me when I tried to put them on. Mordo was right when he said the artifacts choose us and not the other way around.'

She knew she was frowning in confusion as she looked from this case to some of the others, all the items seemed strange, either moving or glowing or just plain weird. 'What is this place Stephen? What have you got yourself mixed up in?'

'It's not a cult, I promise. Like I told you last time, I've found that there are things beyond my original understanding of the world...beyond science and medicine. This place is the New York Sanctum, one of three in the world and I'm its Master...a caretaker or curator I suppose. I protect the place and the objects within it and in turn it helps to protect the world.'

He shook his head at her expression. 'Now don't look at me like that. I'm not going mad. You saw some of this with your own eyes last week...you know you did.'

'I...I don't know what I saw. It didn't make sense...none of this makes sense.'

'It doesn't have to, you just need to accept that there is more to this world than you ever knew about and it has its advantages. Come on, dinner is ready and I've picked out the perfect location.'

He took her hand and led her through the room towing her along behind him as she looked at more of the items, trying not to think about how small her hand felt in his.

Just as she thought things couldn't get any weirder they did. He stepped into an alcove with three sets of transparent glass doors. One showed a violent sea battering some rocks in daytime, the other what appeared to be a jungle and the third a beach at night time. She let her hands trail over the glass watching the waves crashing against the rocks...it looked so real but it must be some sort of projection.

Her mind reeled however when Stephen opened the door to the beach and stepped through onto the sand. He turned and offered her his hand once more. 'Come on, kick off your shoes...it's real and safe...I promise. It's just another type of portal, like the one I showed you at the hospital.'

Nervously she walked up to the frame of the door and looked around it trying to work out how the illusion was created. It seemed so real, right down to the heat rolling through the open doors and the smell of the sea and the flowers that were growing at the edge of the sand. Tentatively she kicked off her heels and put her foot through the doorway pressing her toes into the warm, white sand.

She gradually let her body follow her foot, her hand still holding the frame as though the house in Bleecker St might disappear if she let go, for all she knew it would.

Finally she was stood on what felt like a different part of the planet completely. When she looked up the sky was filled with stars, she could hear the gentle whoosh and splash of the waves on the beach, the cry of some foreign bird in the distance but when she turned around the room in New York was still there, hanging, seemingly suspended, in the air.

Stephen took her drink from her hand and put it down on a low table to one side which was filled with different dishes of food. Then he caught her hand and gently pulled her around to face him. 'I wanted to make it up to you. To say sorry for...well, everything; I need you to know how much you mean to me.' He gestured around them at the beautiful scenery. 'So how do you like Bora Bora...well, to be precise an uninhabited island off Bora Bora?'

'Stephen, this is literally unbelievable. I don't even know what to say or where to start.'

'Well just say you'll stay with me and have dinner.'

'Yes...yes of course I'll stay.'

'Good.'

He didn't let go of her hand though. Instead he took another step closer, forcing her to have to look up at him, conscious of how tall he was. She had always loved how safe he made her feel when he was close. Physically he seemed to dominate her and it had always, always turned her on and tonight was no exception.

He held her gaze as he slowly bent his head to hers, giving her every chance to refuse him but she felt completely overwhelmed, by her surroundings, by him, by this whole experience and so when his lips met hers she just gave into his kiss remembering just how good it had always been between them.

There will be one, maybe two more chapters and definitely some smut. Anyway I'll post soon so keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime let me know if you like it.