~ Part Four ~
It was well past 12:00 in the afternoon when Ciara opened her eyes. For a time, the red haired beauty blinked groggily, trying to remember where she was. The room was nice, too nice. After bouncing around dive motels for several years, the woman had gotten used to waking up to a mess. But that wasn't the case here.
The room she found herself in was small and compact, but immaculately cleaned. There were two dressers and two beds, but otherwise the room was barren, save for the door and a single latch window. Ciara let her forest green eyes purposefully explore the room, taking in everything she saw to answer the mystery of where she had ended up.
She hesitantly folded back the covers, and was relieved to find herself dressed. Though not in her normal clothes. In place of her everyday clothing, now rested a pair of simple pajamas. They were quite loose, but comfortable, and they covered her body quite modestly. After fearing the worst, Ciara was comforted by the fact that she had something on.
Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, Ciara cautiously brought herself to a sitting position. Her bare feet touched the hardwood floor, and she enjoyed the feeling of the cold surface against her skin. Though if she were a hundred percent honest, she felt truly terrible. Her head was pounding, and her eyes felt matted and burned as she blinked. She could only guess what she must have looked like.
A bloody train wreck, I have no doubt. She thought to herself, as she finally stood up from the bed. With unhurried steps, Ciara stalked to the window and opened it, taking in great gulps of fresh air. As she fought to center herself, her memory began to return to her. The woman had always been a sluggish riser, and often had to take several minutes to focus when waking from a deep sleep. Now was no different. But sure enough the previous night came back to her, as did her acute sorrow and regret.
She had found out her twin brother was dead, and she had come back to New York to be with Doctor Strange. She'd done so completely on impulse, seeing as he was probably the best friend she had. But had her split-second decision merely stemmed from her friendship with the Mystic Master, or was it something else?
Aye it's somethin' else. . . He makes ya feel safe, lassie. That's worth its weight in gold after all I've been through.
For the first time since she'd approached the window, Ciara actually focused on what sprawled in her vision and lifted a brow. The city of Manhattan was nowhere in sight. Instead, gentle farmlands stretched beyond her view, including a herd of cows out to pasture and what appeared to be a barn off in the distance.
Ciara regarded the unexpected scenery for a time, and felt a certain peace descend over her heart. Though she had only recently regained her memories of childhood, she recalled a place quite similar to the one she now looked upon. When she and her brother Duncan had run away from the orphanage they had spent several months of the summer living in an abandoned barn in the countryside of Scotland. It had been one of the happiest times of her life, though it had been so short lived. Now, knowing that Duncan was dead, it meant even more.
If she hadn't been cried out and dehydrated, tears surely would have lined her eyes. But she had no more tears to shed. Her face remained blessedly blank of emotion.
Ciara continued to stare off towards the barn and cows for sometime, before she was brought back to the present by a gentle knocking at her bedroom door.
"Come in." The response to the knock was said easily and without hesitation.
Slowly the door opened a crack to reveal the handsome face of the Mystic Master. He looked tired, but otherwise very well. His blue eyes regarded her openly, as he stood at the threshold of the apprentice quarters.
"I hope I didn't disturb you."
"Not at all, Doctor." She dipped her head in greeting. "I was already awake."
"Oh good." He nodded, before adding. "How are we feeling today?"
Ciara sighed, running a hand through her tangled hair. If she'd been a shy person she'd surely have felt embarrassed by how ratty her hair was, but she wasn't, so she didn't think too much on it.
"Well, ma eyes feel like someone fried 'em and slid 'em back inside ma skull. And ma head aches like a giant bludgeoned meh, but other than that I'm right as rain."
Strange shot her an apologetic look. "Sorry."
"Not yer fault, Strange. But I appreciate the sentiment." Ciara smiled at him, before glancing back out the window again. ". . . You gave meh this view on purpose, didn't ya?"
When Strange had helped Ciara recover her memories, their astral projections had connected. Ciara knew for a fact that Strange had seen snippets of her past. It wasn't so crazy to assume that he'd witnessed her memories of the barn.
He was quiet for a moment before saying simply, "I wanted you to feel comfortable and at ease. I figured something familiar might help."
"Ya figured right. I couldn'ta asked fer a sweeter thing ta wake up too. Thank you, Stephen. It's loveleh."
Strange finally entered the room, unhurriedly coming to stand beside Ciara at the window. They looked out on the green pasture together for sometime before he spoke again, cutting the comfortable silence.
"I'm glad you got some rest. Wong and I tried to let you sleep as long as possible. You were so exhausted after your arrival, I was a bit worried."
His words were curious, and Ciara found herself turning to look at him. ". . . How long was I out cold?"
"You've been asleep for two days." Strange answered matter of factly, offering a shrug when she looked shocked. "It's normal to be drained when you experience such a devastating loss. And I assumed you used magic to teleport from Scotland to New York as well. Your body needed time to recover, so we let you sleep."
Ciara blushed, a shade quite similar to her fiery hair, but laughed softly instead of looking away. "Aye, I used magic. . . I did it without thinkin'. I wasn't myself and I just kinda popped up here outta nowhere. . ."
"I'm glad you 'popped up' at the Sanctum." Strange said. "It means I get to see your progress and health first hand."
Ciara brushed her fingers against his arm with a look of gratitude. "Ahh, you are a sweet one, Stephen. Thank ya fer all o' this. . ." Then she laughed. "Well, shite. . . Some house guest I turned out ta be. Sleeping in fer two days and looking a right mess while I'm at-it! I owe ya double after this fiasco."
Strange's eyes grew soft in that moment, his smile morphing into a gentle expression. "There's no debt, Ciara. I'm just relieved that you're here in one piece, and that you aren't off somewhere on your own dealing with all this by yourself."
Ciara, normally a woman who always had a proper response, found herself speechless. She studied the Mystic Master for a long moment, and knew that he was being sincere. He cared enough to worry. It was the sweetest thing anyone had said to her in more years than she could count.
Ciara held his hand silently and felt the scarred plains of his knuckles. She slowly raised it up, giving him plenty of time to stop her, and placed a kiss to his shaking hand. She looked at him, noting the unreadable expression on his face, and the faint blush beneath his facial hair.
"You are ma dearest friend, Stephen and I am grateful ta yeh beyond words or actions. This is the only place I could think ta come, because I knew I'd be safe. You make meh feel safe."
Strange dipped his head after a second, his expression bright in the light of the room. And Ciara noticed quite happily, that he hadn't let go of her hand, even after she'd loosened her grip.
"I am a doctor," he joked, eyes full of easy humor. "It's my job to make you feel safe."
"Nah," Ciara rolled her eyes. "But I suppose it didn't hurt. Must come in handy, being a Doctor and Mystic all in one."
"You have no idea."
They shared a quiet chuckle, before Strange finally let go of her hand. "Your clothes are in the dresser. I washed them while you were sleeping, so they should be fresh. I'll let you get dressed, and then escort you-"
"I get an escort?" Ciara interrupted, her brows lifting up teasingly, and somewhat coyly if she was being honest with herself.
"Only the best for Miss Ciara Duncan." He winked at her, before turning on his heel and exiting the room. Before he closed the door behind him, he added, "Take all the time you need to get ready. There's no rush."
"Thank ya, Doctor."
As the door shut firmly behind him, Ciara couldn't help the look of wonder that passed over her face. The sorrow that had been so suffocating not two days before was now easier to bear, and her heart didn't feel so quite so heavy as it had. . . Even the span of time since Strange had entered the room had granted a drastic change to her emotions.
Ahhh hell Ciara, she thought in a stunning moment of clarity, her eyes going comically wide. I think yer falling fer him. . . And surprisingly . . . I'm not upset about it in the slightest. . .
It was several minutes later that Ciara opened the door and found Strange waiting patiently. In his hands he held an old scroll, his blue eyes rapidly drinking in the text as he sped-read the contents. Ciara waited quietly, merely watching him as she lifted her hands to twist into her messy red tresses. She unconsciously willed her magic to warm her hair so that it would be pilant, in hopes of taming it into a ponytail. It was in the middle of this process that Strange looked up from his scroll and noticed her.
The scroll instantly vanished from his grip, as he watched her dark, misty magic waft through her fiery strands. After a moment, when she finally had some semblance of control with her hair, Strange shook his head in thought.
"Your magic is really quite unique. . . The constructs you make are formless and flow like a living entity. You don't adhere to pentagram formations or the basic casting styles. You just will it to happen and it's there. It's incredible. . . "
"Careful Stephen," Ciara teased. "Ya sound a wee bit jealous."
He lifted a brow. "Is it considered envious to admire something new?"
Ciara shook her head, before finally tying up her hair. "If ya like I could try ta teach ya, ya know. Yer mystic energy is quite different from mine, but I could perhaps pass on some of the easier points."
Appreciation shone in his gaze as they began to walk together. "I'd like that."
"Aye, I would too." She said before adding. "And perhaps you could show me the way yer magic works. We could learn from each other."
Strange seemed to consider before nodding, with a small smirk. "I think we could manage that. . . .That is, if you aren't in a hurry to leave?"
Ciara hooked her arm into the crook of Strange's as they walked, squeezing his bicep. "I'm good ta stay as long as I'm welcome, Stephen. It's a nice place you've got here."
Strange hummed in agreement. "The Sanctum does make a lasting impression."
"And the one who lives here offers a lasting impression too. Don't discount yourself, lovie." Ciara said lightly.
"My apologies, I didn't mean to forget to boost my own ego. So callous of me." He rolled his eyes, making her laugh.
"Well, yer forgiven," she held up a finger with fake severity. "As long as ya don't forget next time."
"I'll do my best," he promised.
"Good."
The two continued through the Sanctum before Strange said hesitantly. " . . . I hope you like waffles."
"Waffles? Ya mean the food?"
"Yes. . ."
Ciara brightened, her green eyes sparkling with excitement. "Oh, Stephen! Ya made meh breakfast, didn't ya? Ya lovely bugger!"
"It's actually a late lunch," he corrected. "But yes. I made you something to eat. . . Hopefully American Breakfast food isn't offensive to your pallet."
"Not at all, lovie." Ciara was ravenous, so the prospect of food made her mouth water. "Lead the way, Doctor. I'll eat anything ya put in front of meh."
"I'm holding you to that," Strange replied humorously. Secretly enjoying the woman on his arm far more than he'd have ever thought possible.
A/N: So. Much. Fluff. Hahah, I hope you guys enjoyed! ^^ Drop me a review if you like the story!
Special shout out to: loulouflowerpower, The Quirkyquizler femme, Christie Murdoch, and Disneysidegirl for reviewing!
See y'all next chapter!
~Lyn