a/n: THIS STORY IS UNDERGOING REVISION! I WILL REMOVE THIS NOTICE ONCE I AM DONE. I'll leave up most of my author's notes and responses to reviews. If you're curious about the revisions, I'm just putting my prequel chapters at the beggining now. Anyways, if you're new here, welcome to my story! Hope you enjoy! Just sos you know, the first chapter is about my OC's parents. Then, we'll get to my OC and eventually, Loki. Please enjoy! (I don't own Marvel)
Rosalix Archangel- Thank you so much for your kind review! They always made my day! I know, I hate Thanos already and he hasn't even done anything yet. If he kills Steve or Loki I swear... Anyways, please enjoy!
C.C. Capitols- I know! I'm so not ready for Infinity War. It will be the death of me. Please enjoy!
Jessie Redtree never planned on ever getting married, let alone having children. Her only plans were to go to college, graduate with good grades, get a good internship and become one of the greatest fashion designers of all time. She didn't plan on spending her time at parties and living up the life of a college party animal. She was serious and smart and she certainly wasn't going to make any mistakes that might jeopardize any chance of her dreams coming true.
In her entire college career, she only went to one party. It was one party that her roommates had dragged her too. One party wouldn't be a big deal, right?
So when she found out she was pregnant one fateful morning, it was nothing more or less than the greatest shock of her life. She had been so careful. She had taken her medication, used protection. How on earth could this happen?
A*A*A
Stephen Strange found himself staring at the blond beauty across the room. He couldn't think why she had caught his eye. She wasn't even his type. His type was taller, brunettes, willing to put themselves out there. Not short, small blonds. And yet, he could not stop staring. No matter how many times he turned back to his roommate John and started a conversation with him, no matter how many other girls that were definitely his type came up yo flirt with him, his attention always returned to the blond girl across the room. Finally, he couldn't stand it. He handed the drink he had been given back to the girl who had given it to him, and pushed past her. "Excuse me." He grunted on his way past.
He made his way past a few dancers and couples snogging in dark corners of the room all the way to the girl. She was talking quietly with a few friends and laughing about some joke. When Stephen neared the group, several of the girls looked up. They were all silent until one whispered something in another's ear, causing her to snort with laughter. Women! Stephen thought angrily to himself. Why did they have to be so stupid? He considered walking away, but found himself seeing flashes of the blond behind his eyelids. He just needed to talk to her.
Jessie Redtree was the name of the blond Stephen was admiring. She rolled her eyes at her obnoxious friends and punched the one who had laughed when Stephen came over. She gave a yelp and rubbed her arm. Jessie stood up. "Just ignore my idiot roommates. They're just stupid. Can I help you?" She politely asked the man.
Stephen arrogantly took a step forward. Women all over the college campus fell at his feet. It wasn't much of a wonder. He was good looking. He had dark hair, blue eyes with flecks of green and gold, and striking features. High, sharp cheekbones, tall, thin. He was also smart. He was studying to be a brain surgeon while earning his MD and PhD at the same time. He was nearly there, too. Just a year more. Meaning he would be rich in time, as he already had a job, working at the local hospital. He could've had any woman he wanted and he knew it. And it only inflated his ego, which was already big as it was. He never even considered he'd have trouble getting this girl to get a drink with him.
"Hey. Would you like to go get a drink?" Stephen flashed her one of his winning smiles, the kind that made other women feel dizzy and weak at the knees. Other women, that is. But not Jessie Redtree.
Jessie Redtree knew what she wanted. And she wasn't about to be swept off her feet by some good looking guy who thought he was every woman's dream. She had no intention of getting a boyfriend in any way, shape, or form. "No thanks." She said and she sat back down and went back to her conversation. She knew she shouldn't have come to this party. She should be home, studying for the upcoming test. It was only a week away, after all.
Stephen Strange was thrown off. No woman had ever told him no. Not that he was in constant pursuit of a woman. He'd had a few flings here and there but he certainly never had to beg for them. In a way, it was so appealing. A woman who wasn't going to throw herself at his feet. A girl who would play hard to get. It was so refreshing. He recovered from his initial shock and smiled. "Alright, then I'll bring it over here." He stalked off, ignoring the girl's protests.
Jessie huffed as the stranger ignored her. She fell back in her seat, an annoyed expression plastered across her face. One of her roommates giggled. "You've got an admirer, Jess." Her friend, Marlene teased.
"Shut up." Jessie mumbled. She knew that they were never going to drop this. Hopefully he would, though.
"Come on, Jess. Be normal for once. He's a hot guy, you're a pretty girl. Go do what anyone with common sense would do." Her other roommate, Lucy told her. Jessie shot a weary glare at her friend from high school.
"And what's that?" She questioned, her voice as weary as her glare. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the guy coming back, two drinks in hand. He caught her watching him and sent her a quick wink and a smirk. She scoffed ant turned back to glare at Lucy.
"Sleep with him." Lucy replied nonchalantly, examining her perfectly done nails.
Jessie scoffed again. "I'm not some slut who sleeps with random guys." She retorted quickly.
"Gosh, you're so uptight Redtree." Marlene said. "Have a bit of fun for once." She quieted down when the stranger returned with the drinks. Marlene stole a glance at Lucy. They both silently agreed to some unspoken idea. Together, the two girl's stood up and walked away. Jessie tried to protest but they were too quick in their escape. Marlene turned back for a second to give Jessie a wave and a smile before turning back to flirt with some guy.
Jessie sighed and examined the man who was holding out a drink to her. Lucy was right about one thing. He really was handsome, with his dark black hair, bright blue eyes, high cheekbones and sharp features. But she swore in high school that she was done with men and dating and romance. One guy in high school who took it too far was enough for her to never want to trust men again. He was still holding out the drink to her, waiting for her to take, with a knowing glance as she looked him up and down. "No thanks." She said, still polite but a little more firmly than before.
Stephen didn't take the drink back. He merely smiled and still held it out to her, waiting for her to take it. Now that he had seen her, he wasn't going to give her up that easily. "I don't even know your name." The girl said, still not accepting the drink. Stephen's smile grew. The more time passed, the more he found himself liking this girl.
"Stephen Strange." He answered confidently. "You?"
Jessie watched this Stephen Strange character carefully. As hard as it was to admit it to herself, she actually kind of felt an attraction to this guy. He was confident, assured, determined and good looking. But her boyfriend in high school had been exactly the same. He made her feel so special and then he turned around and stabbed her in the back. He pushed her too far and she gave in too much and when she finally told him enough was enough, he left her without a note or an explanation of any kind.
Jessie sighed and decided that one drink wouldn't hurt. She would be strong and she would tell him when enough was enough before it got too far. "Jessie Redtree." Jessie answered carefully and she finally accepted the drink. She looked at it closely before taking a small sip. Stephen smiled as she finally accepted and took a sip of his own drink.
"So," Stephen began, "what are you studying to be?" He took the seat her red headed friend had been sitting in, pulling it closer to her.
A*A*A
Jessie woke up that morning, feeling just fine. She only had the one drink, so she wasn't hungover. Unlike her friends, who were clutching their heads and moaning, as they took big drinks of water. Jessie smirked at them.
Marlene finished her glass of water and ran a hand over her curly red hair. "So," Marlene took on a probing tone, "how was your date?" She smiled knowingly at Jessie. Jessie rolled her eyes at her eccentric red haired friend. But she had to think for a minute. It really hadn't been as bad as she thought it would be. He was arrogant, a little too much. But he was also funny and a good guy. Or rather, she hoped he was. They had talked the whole evening. Stephen had suggested she come "check out" his dorm rooms. She had flatly refused and left a confused Stephen Strange behind.
"It wasn't bad." She finally admitted. Marlene grinned and so did Lucy, who was finally starting to recover. "But nothing happened, if that's what you're wondering." She quickly dispelled their ideas and both girl's lost their smiles. "You both saw me come back here last night. Why are you so shocked?"
Both Lucy and Marlene looked confused. "I don't remember that.". Lucy said, her brows furrowing in concentration. It looked painful. Jessie should've known they wouldn't remember. Both were just about black out drunk when she came home.
She shook her head. "Never mind. I'm going to go take a shower. Maybe go to the store." They had no classes today and it was her week to shop, anyway. Each of the three took a week and that was their week to go shopping for everyone. Jessie hated shopping, but if she wanted more Ramen, she would have to go. Jessie stood up from the table and walked off to her shower.
Once she was showered and cleansed, she put on her makeup and put her hair up. She curled her bangs and put on a pretty blue blouse and tan skirt. Finally, some white sandals and she was ready to go. Jessie honestly loved dressing up. It was the reason she decided to get a degree in fashion design and construction. She had made her outfit herself, sewing the shirt and the skirt. She had bought the shoes, though.
Jessie gave a quick wave to her friends and grabbed her purse before she was out the door. It was a lovely spring day. Nearing the end of the semester. There weren't very many students out. Most were sleeping in. Occasionally, one would come out of their dorm to head for work. Jessie started to him, as the fresh air was putting her in a good mood. She could feel it in her gut. Today was going to be a good day.
A*A*A
Stephen was brushing his teeth and nursing a headache from last night. His roommates, John and Greg, were watching the TV and eating their breakfast. Stephen hadn't gotten much sleep last night. To his great dislike, Jessie was still stuck in his head. He had enjoyed getting to know the blond, who had suddenly changed what his type was. Even after getting to know him, she had completely denied him. It was infuriating and attractive at the same time. Which was why he couldn't drop her now.
As he brushed, he watched out the window. To his delight and surprise, he saw Jessie Redtree. She looked even better in the daytime than she did last night, if that was even possible. He stared at her for a while before she started to fade from his view. Without a second thought, he pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth and rinsed it off. Then, he grabbed a T-shirt and pulled it on before slipping on some sneakers and dashing after her. He just had to talk to her again.
He followed her from a safe distance away, to see where she was headed. Jessie entered the nearby grocery store. Perfect. He could pretend that he needed to buy something before "accidentally" running into her. He headed in to the store, ready to meet the girl again. He felt slightly foolish, chasing after a girl. He never chased after girls. They were the ones that chased after him. But where was the excitement in that?
Jessie walked down the bread aisle to grab a few loaves. She looked for the cheapest brand that still tasted good and reached out to grab a loaf. Just as she touched it, another hand grabbed it at the same time. "Sorry." Jessie said, turning to apologize to the stranger and take another loaf. But the stranger was not a stranger. He was a Strange. Stephen Strange, to be precise.
"It seems we meet again." Stephen said dramatically, raising his eyebrows. His voice was teasing as were his eyes. "Jessie, right?" He asked, though he knew perfectly well what her name was.
"What are you, my stalker?" Jessie asked him. She grabbed the loaf and put it in her basket. She took another one and started to walk away without another word. Stephen followed her to the next aisle. "What do you want?"
"I was thinking that maybe we could have a dinner to go with our drinks." Stephen said casually, hands in his pockets as he walked side by side with her.
"Really?" Jessie sounded bored. She grabbed a large case of Ramen noodles from off the shelf and moved on.
"Yes, really." Stephen persisted. He jogged to catch up with her, as she had gotten ahead. Then, he walked backwards in front of her so they could be face to face. "What do you say?" He looked her over carefully. Her body language was bored and she was showing little interest in their conversation. It made him feel a twinge of irritation. The one girl he truly wanted was the one girl who wasn't going to cave in with a single drink and a sweet smile.
"I'd say you're about to run into a Coke stand." Jessie said without looking up from her groceries. Stephen turned just enough to avoid toppling the stand of Come over. When he turned back, Jessie was gone. He jogged over to the next aisle and caught up to her.
"Don't change the subject, sweetheart. It's a yes or a no." Stephen said. He wasn't sure how much longer he wanted to play this game of cat and mouse. Especially when he was the mouse.
Jessie sighed and stopped in her tracks. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Stephen. "If I say yes, will you stop stalking me?" She asked him, sounding annoyed and looking annoyed.
"Stalking you I'm not stalking you. I had to come here to get some food too." Stephen defended himself. Jessie didn't buy his lie and Stephen knew it. He sighed. "Fine. I'll stop."
"And you'll stop pestering me?" Jessie pressed. Stephen nodded, a smile growing on his lips. He knew what was coming. "And you'll never call me sweetheart ever again?" Stephen nodded again, the smile still spreading like butter. "Fine. Then I'll go on one date with you." She held up one finger to put emphasis on the one.
"That's a deal." Stephen nodded. "Are you free tonight?"
A*A*A
The relationship between the two only grew from there. Jessie didn't stick to her promise of only one more date. She just couldn't help herself. The more time she spent with Stephen, the more she felt happy. It was the first time she had ever felt that thing with any guy ever. It was her dream from childhood coming true. She thought it never would when she finished high school. But she was glad she was wrong. Stephen made everything so much easier. School, studying, putting up with her friends when they drove her crazy. He was everything she ever needed.
They dated for several years out of college. For some reason, they never really talked about marriage. Oh, Jessie wanted it. She knew that now. But when she had casually mentioned it in passing, Stephen had stiffened and quickly changed the subject. Jessie got the hint and while it hurt, she never brought it up again.
After a few years, their relationship started to decline, as so many relationships do. They no longer felt that thing, that magic they had felt all those years ago in college. It might've been salvageable, if not for the incident.
Jessie had gone out with a few friends from work for a girl's night out. They were getting a few drinks at a bar. There was this one guy, that kept pressing himself on Jessie. He kept offering her drinks and kept trying to start a conversation with her. Although her relationship with Stephen had been strained at this point, she was still determined to remain loyal to him until the very end. She refused him over and over. It got to be too annoying, so she gave Stephen a quick call and asked him to pick her up. She had gotten a ride there from a coworker, as they carpooled to work a lot. Stephen agreed and said he'd be there soon.
Jessie left the bar and stepped outside to be sure to avoid the guy. She rubbed her bare arms as it was cold outside and looked up at the sky sadly. You couldn't see any stars in New York city. She had grown up in the back country of southern Georgia, where the stars had been pretty visible just about every night. It was a little upsetting to see what light pollution was slowly doing to the stars. "Hey, there you are." An all too familiar voice called out to her. Jessie groaned and turned around to see the guy who was flirting with her earlier. "I was wondering where you had got to."
"I told you, I'm not interested. Now, please leave before I get a restraining order." Jessie snapped in irritation. Why couldn't guys just take a hint sometimes? It was really starting to piss her off. When the guy didn't leave right away, Jessie swore at him loudly. He didn't like that. Not one bit. A dangerous glint in his eyes, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her in for a long kiss.
Jessie's eyes flew open in shock. She reached a hand up to try to shove him away but she never was very strong. And her attacker was very strong. He held her close and pulled her in for more. Jessie struggled as best as she could, but it was no use. He was much too strong.
With great luck, Jessie heard a shout. "Hey!" It was a man's voice. A voice she recognized. Stephen. The man was distracted enough that Jessie was able to break free of his grasp. She shoved him off and stumbled away, wiping at her mouth. She moved over to Stephen's side, hiding slightly behind him. Stephen glared at the man and the man glared back. Without a word, Stephen punched the man square in the jaw. Then, he spun around and got in the car, without a word to Jessie.
Jessie watched her lover in shock at the anger on his face. It scared her a little bit. She quietly got in the car and sat down. Stephen got in the drivers seat and slammed the door shut. He started the car and began to drive recklessly through the city. Jessie tried to talk. "Stephen..." But Stephen remained silent. He kept his hard expression on his face. He didn't even look at her. It made Jessie's eyes well up with tears. She blinked to keep them at bay.
When they got to their apartment, Stephen opened the door for her and slammed it shut. He dropped the keys on the counter and walked off to their bedroom. Jessie wasn't going to let him go without an explanation. "Stephen! Please just listen to me!" Stephen stopped but did not turn around. "I never touched him. He touched me. He forced himself on me. I tried to stop him. I really did. I'm sorry."
Stephen turned to face her. His expression was still hardened in anger. "And this had nothing to do with the fact that you don't feel anything anymore, right?" His voice had a bite to it.
Jessie bit her lip, wondering where he had heard that. Then, she shook her head vigorously. "No, Stephen. How could you say-"
"Don't lie!" Stephen interjected loudly. "I heard you." He barked.
Jessie felt a tear fall down her cheek. She knew exactly what he was talking about. One day, she had a coworker over before dinner for coffee. They were talking about their husbands and relationships. Jessie confessed that she no longer felt as happy as she used to with Stephen. It was right then that Stephen had walked in, coming home from his shift at the hospital. Jessie had panicked, thinking he'd heard her, but he never said anything. So she relaxed. "How much did you hear?" Jessie whispered.
"Enough." Stephen answered shortly. There was a long, painful, awkward pause. Then, Stephen cleared his throat. "Well, if that's what you feel, you can leave." Jessie looked up at him in surprise. "I played for this apartment with my own money. It's mine. You have a job. Why don't you go and find your own flat?"
Jessie felt tears of anger and sadness pour from her eyes. "Maybe I will." She snapped. She pushed past him to their room. She grabbed a suitcase and shoved the majority of her things in there. As she walked out, she stopped next to Stephen. "I'll pick up the rest of my things over the weekend." She said shortly. "Goodbye Stephen." Stephen said nothing as Jessie marched out the door and out of his life, for good.
A*A*A
Jessie stayed at her coworker, Marissa's house. Marissa's was the one she had been talking to that day that everything started going downhill. Jessie wished more than anything she could go back to the beginning, change everything back to normal. But there was no way that was going to happen.
Jessie woke up that morning with an upset stomach. She spent the early hours of the day heaving over the toilet. There was no way she could go to work like this. She called in sick and took the day off. She spent it reading her books and listening to depressing music. It had been almost a week since she had left Stephen. It was painful, but even she knew she was being overdramatic.
Jessie got up and started to make herself a small meal, that she felt she was craving. Ramen. She sang along with the CD player that played a song that made her think of Stephen.
"The sailor said: Brandy,
You're a fine girl, what a good wife you would be
But my life, my lover, my lady, is the sea."*
For some reason, it reminded Jessie of Stephen. While she knew she was to blame for the end of their relationship, she knew Stephen had something to do with it. The reason Jessie no longer felt the magic was because he was always gone. Always at work. Always off to do some surgery or other. Off to do a CNN interview because he had invented some new method in modern medicine. Jessie hardly ever saw him. When they did, they hardly ever talked about themselves because Stephen had more work to do.
That was his sea. His work was what gave his life meaning. He may have loved her at some point, but he lost that affection a long time ago. And so did she. Maybe they were just never meant to be together.
The next day, Jessie was still throwing up. She called in sick again, but now she was a little suspicious. It was the exact same thing the next day. Jessie knew she couldn't go on like this, so she went to go see a doctor. To her surprise and terror, he handed her a pregnancy test.
She took it and the doctor told her she was pregnant. Jessie went home and started sobbing. How could this happen? She had been so careful. Neither she nor Stephen ever wanted a child, so naturally they took every precaution possible. But it hadn't mattered. Now she no longer had Stephen and she was saddled with a child. What was she supposed to do?
A*A*A
The baby was overdue. Way overdue. Jessie groaned and ran a hand over her overly large belly, trying yo soothe the constant aches and pains she felt. Being pregnant was ten times more uncomfortable than she ever imagined. With another groan, she rolled over and got out of her bed. She hadn't gotten a good night's rest since she couldn't remember when.
When she finally pulled herself off her bed, she gasped. Her water had just broke. She started to panic. She couldn't remember what she was supposed to do. She grabbed her phone and dialed 911. She called in an ambulance and they took her away.
Jessie had to give birth in an ambulance. There was no way they could give her an epidural that late in the process, so she gave birth live. She screamed as she pushed her hardest to get the young baby out. There was a fresh scream and Jessie collapsed, heaving and panting. There were several loud shrieks as the young baby took its first breaths. "It's a girl." One nurse announced, wiping the baby off. They took it to weigh it before handing her to Jessie. "She's big. A whopping nine and a half pounds." The nurse told her before writing it down on a paper. "A name?"
Jessie looked at the young thing in her arms and tears welled up. Her eyes. Her eyes were the exact same color as Stephen's eyes. Stephen had a daughter and he had no idea she was even alive. Jessie hadn't told him that she was pregnant. She thought it would be too hard, too painful. "Guinevere Marie Strange." She would have Stephen's name. He was the father after all. Children always took their father's last names.
"And her father?" The nurse asked, scratching the name down on a paper.
"Stephen Strange." Jessie whispered. Jessie suddenly gasped again as pain clenched at her stomach. The pain was too much. She screamed. The nurses quickly took Guinevere from her arms. Jessie screamed again.
"She's slipping!" One nurse said. Jessie sucked in one last breath before becoming completely still. The nurses tried everything to save her, but it was no use. Jessie Redtree had died in childbirth.
A*A*A
"Stephen?" Christine Palmer knocked on Stephen Strange's door and poked her head in. Stephen merely grunted, not looking up from his paperwork. "There are several people here to see you. They insist on meeting with you immediately." Christine let in the people before Stephen could say no.
In came several men in suits, carrying a baby carrier. Stephen looked on in confusion. Strange, I'm Mike Gregson, with the adoption services." Stephen shook the man's open hand, still confused as to why they were here. "Dr. Strange, we have a child here that we have reason to believe is your child."
Stephen was frozen for only a moment before shaking his head. "That's impossible."
"Did you indeed have a relationship with a woman by the name of Jessica Redtree?" Mr. Gregson asked.
Stephen nodded. "She had a child?" He asked stiffly. How come she had never told him.
Gregson nodded. "Yes. She told us that you were the father." One man pulled a sleeping Guinevere out of her carrier. "Dr. Strange, this is your daughter. Guinevere Marie Strange."
"Well, why can't Jessie take care of her?" Stephen asked.
"Ms. Redtree died in childbirth." Gregson explained. Stephen ignored the little pain he felt at that news. He never got to tell her how sorry he was...
Stephen looked at the baby in the man's arms. He took a step back. There was no way he could be a father. He never even wanted kids. And besides, how could he take care of her in between shifts? There was no way. He shook his head at the men. "I can't take her. I can't be a father."
"Sir, if it's an issue of money..." Gregson began but Stephen cut him off.
"It's not. I'm just... Not ready to be a father." Stephen answered.
"So you will put her up for adoption?" Gregson asked.
Stephen looked at the tiny thing in the man's arms. She had woken up now. He looked at her eyes. Eyes that looked just like his. Then, he realized with a pang, that other than the eyes,she was an exact copy of Jessie. "Yes. I am."