a/n: We're so close to being done with part one! Loki will show up in a few chapters, I promise. First, we'll need to catch up on Scarlet, then we'll get to the good stuff. I also wanted to thank those of you that have read this story thus far. It means a lot. Please enjoy!

TheVulcanNara: Thank you so much! I'm glad you're liking it and I hope you continue to enjoy it.

March 2013

Gwen climbed the stairs only to find that Kaecilius had escaped. He had gotten exactly what he wanted. Gwen had chosen her father over Kaecilius. She didn't regret her decision, but still. Her hands clenched into fists when she thought that Sajit's killer was still out there, probably getting ready to kill again.

"Strange!" She spun on her heel to see Mordo. So he and Wong must have survived the collapse of the ceiling that she had caused. Good. She didn't want to be responsible for any other deaths. "Where is your father?"

"He's just behind me," she said, pointing down the stairs with the staff. "I'm fine, too, by the way."

Mordo ignored her sarcasm. His gaze was fixed on the staff. "Is that the Staff of Moriancum?" She nodded wearily. "It chose you?" he asked in disbelief.

"Well, I've been using it, so I assume so," she answered, still being sarcastic. Before Mordo could offer a retort, Stephen came rushing up the stairs.

"The Zealots?" Mordo asked.

"We trapped one in the desert," Stephen said. "Another's body is in the hall."

"I stranded the third in the jungle," Gwen offered.

"The Cloak of Levitation?" Mordo asked him, finally noticing the fiery red cloth draped over his shoulders. "It came to you?" Gwen couldn't help but roll her eyes. Was it really so surprising to him that some relics had chosen them? They were bound to get one eventually, so why not now, and why not these ones?

"No minor feat," the Ancient One remarked, entering the room. "It's a fickle thing. Same with the Staff of Moriancum. They rarely chose a master."

"Kaecilius escaped," Stephen said, ignoring her praise. "And Master Drumm is dead. They killed him." No one made any comment on his loss. "He can fold space and matter at will."

"He folds matter outside the Mirror Dimension?" the Ancient One echoed, sounding astonished. Both Gwen and Stephen nodded grimly.

She seemed to shake it off, but Gwen knew that this news was not a small thing in her mind. "The London Sanctum has fallen. Only New York and Hong Kong remain to protect us from the Dark Dimension. You two protected this sanctum. With its master gone it needs a new one, Master Strange." Gwen wasn't sure who she was offering it to: her father or her.

Stephen shook his head. "No. It's Doctor. Doctor Stephen Strange. Not master, not mister. And when I became a doctor, I swore an oath to do no harm and I have just killed a man? I am not doing that again. I became a doctor to save lives, not take them."

"You became a doctor to save one life and one life only: your own," she told him simply. "But thank you, Stephen, for making this job easy for us, because I now offer it to you." She turned to Gwen. "Sajit saw the strength within you. He knew that you were born for this world. Becoming master of this sanctum would surely be a good way to honor his memory."

Gwen didn't even get to open her mouth and form a response when her father answered for her. "Don't you do that!" Stephen snapped, stepping in front of Gwen protectively. "Don't you emotionally manipulate her into doing your dirty work. She is a child, a child who just lost someone close to her and you are going to use that against her? That is sick- "

"She is no more a child than you, Stephen," the Ancient One replied calmly. "Tell me, was she a child when you pushed her to become a doctor? Was she a child when you told her what life path she should take? You have always treated her as an adult until suddenly, it does not fit your agenda."

Stephen merely scoffed at her accusations. "Still seeing through me, are you?"

"I see what I've always seen: your overinflated ego and a daughter's desperate need for approval from her father." Gwen scowled at that, uncomfortable with how hard that statement hit her. "You want to go back to the illusion that you can control anything, even death, which no one can control."

"No one? Not even Dormammu?" he fired back, stepping closer to her. "He offers immortality."

"It's our fear of death that gives Dormammu life," said the Ancient One. "He feeds off it."

"Like you feed off him?" Stephen countered. "You talk to me about controlling death? Well, I know how you do it, I've seen the missing pages from The Book of Cagliostro."

The Ancient One went rigid. "Measure your next words very carefully, doctor," she said stiffly.

"Because you may not like them?"

"Because you may not know of what you speak."

Mordo's eyes flicked between the two of them. "What is he talking about?"

"I'm talking about her long life, the source of her immortality," he explained. "She draws power from the Dark Dimension to stay alive."

Mordo scoffed in disbelief. "That's not true."

"I've seen the rituals, worked them out," Stephen confirmed with a nod. "Even Gwen figured it out without the ritual. We know how you do it."

The Ancient One seemed to be biting her tongue. "Once they regroup, they'll be back. You'll need reinforcements." With that, she spun on her heel and left, not turning back to face either of them.

They watched her retreating form disappear until it was completely out of sight. "She is not who you think she is," Stephen told Mordo with a shake of his head.

"You don't have the right to say that," Mordo snapped defensively, gesturing in the direction she had disappeared. "You have no idea the responsibility that rests upon her shoulders."

"No, and I don't want to," Stephen retorted easily.

Mordo walked closer to the pair of them. "You're a coward. These Zealots will snuff us all out and you can't muster the strength to snuff them first?"

"What do you think I just did?" Stephen yelled.

"You saved your own life!" Mordo shouted back. "And then whined about it like a wounded dog!"

"Oh, and you would have done it so easily?"

"You have no idea the things I've done. And the answer is yes. Without hesitation."

"Even if there's another way?"

Mordo shook his head. "There is no other way."

"You lack imagination!" Stephen accused him.

"No, Stephen. You lack the spine."

"Shut up, both of you!" Gwen snapped, irritated. Irritated with the fact that she didn't get to voice her own opinion. Irritated with all the fighting. Irritated with both her father and with Mordo and even the Ancient One. They were all trying to make decisions for her. It didn't seem to occur to any of them that she was fully capable of thinking for herself. "This isn't going to help anything, arguing about who's way is better."

Both of them turned their fiery glares to her, but neither had the chance to counter her argument. In the distance, they could hear the doors being forced open. "They're back," Mordo grunted and together, they all three sprinted to the foyer. Down below them, Kaecilius and more Zealots were preparing what appeared to be a large sphere of magic. Whatever it was. Mordo did not seem to approve of it. "We have to end this. Now!" He leapt over the railing and charged towards the Zealots, leaping through the air with the Vaulting Boots of Valtor, and hitting them with the Staff of the Living Tribunal.

Gwen made a move to go and help him, but Stephen held her back. Gwen was about to snap at him, saying that she could make her own decisions and that he didn't control her, when he spoke. "I have an idea. Watch this."

He lifted his arms slowly. "Strange!" Mordo yelled. "Get down here and fight!" Stephen then swung his arms downward, and the world around them shifted. It looked almost exactly the same, just slightly shafted, slightly off.

"The Mirror Dimension," Stephen announced proudly. "You can't affect the real world in here. Who's laughing now, asshole?"

Kaecilius smirked. "I am," he said simply. And with a wave of his hands, the floor beneath them folded wildly. Gwen had to jump to get out of the way. Seeing that Mordo was sprinting for the front door, she followed his lead. Stephen was not far behind them, gliding neatly out the door to join them.

"I got his sling ring," he said, holding it up for them to see. "He can't escape, right?"

"Run!" Mordo said, pointing to the front door. Kaecilius and the Zealots were walking towards them. Gwen took off after the two men, racing through the streets. Outside, they could see cars and people, but it was just slightly distorted. The cars could still run them over, but the drivers couldn't see them. They weaved through traffic, dodging cars and watching as the streets of New York bent in odd angles. "Their connection to the Dark Dimension makes them more powerful in the Mirror Dimension," Mordo explained when they stopped to get their bearings. "They can't affect the real world but they can still kill us! This wasn't cleverness, it was suicide."

Behind them, the Zealots were catching up quickly. They turned tail and sprinted again. Stephen drew a portal several yards in front of them. Before they could reach it, however, the ground fell out from beneath them. The world was spinning and they didn't have time to catch themselves. They crashed face first into the windows of a city bus. Inside, an old man was reading a book while laughing to himself.

They climbed to their feet and jumped off the bus, continuing to run. They jumped through the air, landing on buildings, and running up the sides of them. Stephen opened another gateway and glanced behind him. Kaecilius was not far behind. "Gwen!" he shouted back to her. "Use your staff!"

She could not believe that she had forgotten about it yet again. She pulled the pen from her robes and attempted to click it. Before she could, Kaecilius sent the world spinning again. The ground beneath them rippled like water, and they lost their footing. Gwen's grip slipped and she dropped the pen. "No!" she shouted, trying to catch it, but it was no use. She had lost it again.

There was no time to mourn her loss. They were quickly falling through the air, hurtling towards more buildings. It was as if the sky was a reflection of the ground. They landed on the side of another building and stopped to catch their breath. "I lost the staff," Gwen said, cursing bitterly.

"This was a mistake," Stephen admitted. The building rotated beneath them and they were falling again, down what looked like an endless pit. The world was bending and folding in all sorts of weird ways. It was like living in a stoners world. Gwen slammed through a window and onto what appeared to be floating bits of concrete in the air. She looked up quickly to take notice of what was happening. Off to the left, she could see Kaecilius and the other Zealots sprinting after her father and Mordo. She scrambled to her feet and sprinted after them as best as she could, leaping and jumping over the folding matter.

Her father was below her now, running at almost the same speed. In front of her was a drop off. She could catch up to him now. Huffing and puffing, she ran as fast as her tired legs would carry her. Just as she reached the edge, she saw Kaecilius pop out from beneath both of them. He knocked her father to the ground and held him there. Gwen didn't hesitate. She leapt down, trying to land on Kaecilius's back. He was clearly expecting this, however, and when she got close enough, a piece of cement caught her and sent her flying far enough away. She could still see what was happening though, as she continued to make her way back to her father. Kaecilius had stolen the sling ring back. In his hands, he held up the sharp glass sword. He aimed to stab it through Stephen's heart. Gwen screamed out in terror.

Just then, her father was sent soaring away from Kaecilius. The world was folding and bending again, but more than it had been before. Someone more powerful had arrived. She looked around wildly to find the source, only to find the Ancient One. She had caught up to them somehow, and she was folding matter just as easily as Kaecilius and the Zealots did.

"So it's true," Gwen heard Mordo whisper to himself. "She does draw power from the Dark Dimension."

The same odd markings that covered the Zealots' faces were now covering her face. She clearly heard Mordo's comment, but ignored it. Her attention was focused on Kaecilius. He was pacing in front of her, his expression darkening. "I came to you broken, lost, in need. Trusted you to be my teacher and you fed me lies."

"I tried to protect you," the Ancient One replied calmly, matching his pace now. They walked in circles around one another.

"From the truth?"

"From yourself," she countered right away.

"I have a new teacher now," he said, switching topics.

"Dormammu deceives you. You have no idea what he truly is. His eternal life is not paradise, but torment."

"Liar!" he hissed, and together, he and his Zealots charged her. She easily took out the two nameless Zealots, knocking them down. Gwen had no idea if they were dead or not and she didn't really care. When Kaecilius tried to send a shockwave at her, the Ancient One merely absorbed it and sent it back, knocking Kaecilius backwards.

Kaecilius seemed to know that he could not best her on his own. So, he drew a portal. Gwen thought she knew what he was doing. He was going to escape and save his own skin like a coward. However, he didn't run towards the portal. He walked calmly over to the Ancient One and the Zealot that she was warding off. Using the Zealot as a shield, he thrust his weapon into her stomach. She gave a gasp of pain and shock. It was as if time was frozen for a minute. Gwen was too stunned to do much of anything. She could only stare.

Kaecilius lifted his leg and kicked her, sending her flying through the portal. Again, Gwen felt frozen to that very spot. She couldn't move, she could hardly breathe. In the distance, she could hear her father calling to her. "Gwen! Gwen! Let's go!"

She blinked and turned to look at him. Mordo had already jumped through the portal and Stephen was waving her forward, trying to get her to follow. She got to her feet slowly, as though sleepwalking. Somewhere inside her, she knew that she was running, but it didn't feel like it. It was like she couldn't really feel anything anymore. Everything was numb.

Stephen grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. On the other side of the portal, gravity took over, and they were falling fast. Luckily, the cloak was able to slow their fall. The Ancient One, however, did not have such luck. She had fallen fast and hard, crashing painfully into the concrete below.

Mordo, Stephen, and Gwen landed off to the side where no one could see them, then ran over to where the Ancient One's body lay. "Let me through, I'm a doctor," Stephen said, pushing people out of the way. He seized her wrist and began feeling for a pulse. "She's alive, but only just. We need to get her to a hospital. And fast." Both Gwen and Mordo seemed to be in a state of shock because neither of them moved. Stephen was the only one who acted. He found the sling ring on the Ancient One's belt and seized it. He tossed it to Gwen, which brought her out of her state. "Do you want to help her?" he bellowed. "Draw a portal and get us to the hospital. Mordo and I will carry her body."

The people around them were surely confused, but they ignored the crowd. Stephen and Mordo carefully picked up her body and they carried her back into the alleyway they had landed in. Gwen drew the portal into the emergency room. They quickly stepped through it. Either no one had seen them or those who did decided it was an illusion because no one commented on their arrival. "We need some help over here!" Stephen shouted to the nearby doctors.

Several doctors and nurses rushed to the scene, bringing a gurney with them and asking hundreds of questions, which only Stephen could answer. Gwen and Mordo were of no use to the Ancient One now. They remained behind in the lobby, sitting down in two empty chairs.

For several minutes, they sat in complete silence. Then, Mordo stood. "I am returning to Kamar-Taj," he said simply. Gwen didn't bother to say goodbye as he walked out of the doors and into the streets.

Now she was alone with her thoughts. Gwen couldn't help but feel responsible for all the deaths that had occurred today. If only she had been faster, if only she had been stronger, if only she had been quicker to act. Maybe she wouldn't be sitting here if she were good enough. Maybe she would be sitting with Sajit. Maybe… But maybe didn't change the fact that people that got close to her died. Her mother had died giving birth to her. When Gwen was twelve, her nanny, Flora, had passed away. Sajit had died trying to protect her. The Ancient One was now dying, trying to fix the mistakes that Gwen had made. The only one that had been spared was her father, but even he had had his many brushes with death. Just today, he had already been so close to dying so many times that Gwen felt physically sick just thinking about it. Would he be the next to go?

"Guinevere."

Gwen looked up sharply to see the astral form of the Ancient One hovering over her for a second, before disappearing. Gwen leaned back in her chair, concentrated hard, and left her body, entering her astral form. She looked side to side and saw the Ancient One standing near the windows. Time seemed to have stopped. Nothing outside the window was moving.

"Are you dead?" Gwen asked, floating over to join her at her side.

The Ancient One actually smiled and shook her head. "No, not yet. But soon, I will die." Gwen couldn't think what to say to that. Somehow, sorry just didn't seem to cut it. "Your father will be here soon, but I wanted to have a word with you first," she continued.

"Why?" Gwen asked.

"Because while you are strong, you still have much to learn. You still have so far to go," she said. "Your father will need your strength and support in these coming hours, and I know I can rely on you to be there for him." Gwen nodded softly. Of course she would. She would always be there when her father needed her. "Your loyalty to him is admirable, Guinevere. The two of you share a special relationship. But you are not him. You are two separate beings, with different destinies."

"What do you mean?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"You have spent your entire life in your father's shadow," she explained. "You've been trying to fit the same mold, with his encouragement. But you are not your father. Your life is your own, and you must make it so. From the moment we met, I knew that your destiny was beyond this place, beyond Kamar-Taj, beyond even this world. And you cannot fulfill that destiny if you are trying to be your father."

"I don't know who you want me to be, but I am not that person," Gwen denied, shaking her head. "I'm just Gwen. I'm not my father, but I'm not special either."

The Ancient One smiled brightly again. "Guinevere, you are one of the most important people to have ever walked through the doors of Kamar-Taj. You may not believe me yet, but soon you will see. You should be able to see it now. If you weren't special, would you have been chosen by this?" She held out her hands. Balancing on her palm was the pen that turned into a staff.

Gwen reached out slowly and took it back. "You should keep a better hold on that," the Ancient One chastised her. Gwen smiled a little and nodded, tucking the pen back in her robes. "Did Sajit tell you about that staff?"

She shrugged. "Only a little."

"That staff gives you the ability to do magic that is beyond this world," the Ancient One said. "That is how I know that your destiny is connected to another world. And I have complete faith that you'll find that out for yourself soon enough."

"I don't know if I'm fit for this world," Gwen said.

"None of us think that we fit in until we stop looking behind us and start looking forward," said the Ancient One. "And that is what I ask you to do now. Look forward to the future, not to the past. Only then can you grow." Slowly, Gwen nodded, agreeing to do as the Ancient One had said. "Your father is on his way. Please leave us to speak alone."

The blonde nodded again. "I… Thank you for being our teacher. Thank you for not rejecting us," she said. The Ancient One smiled and nodded simply. With that, Gwen returned to her physical form.

Gwen returned to the New York Sanctum shortly after her chat with the Ancient One. She needed time to think about what she had said. How she was born for this world, how her destiny fit in with another world somehow. How she was one of the most important people to have ever come to Kamar-Taj.

She needed to step away from her father's shadow to become that woman. So that was the real question. Who did she want to be? Doctor Guinevere Strange, surgeon extraordinaire, or Guinevere Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts? Even though the Ancient One has said being a Master was her destiny, she still had a choice. She could go back to her old life, she could go to Cornell, graduate with honors, become a neurosurgeon just like her father.

But did she really want that? The Ancient One was right, she had spent her whole life trying to fit the same mold as her father. She had been told her whole life how she was her father in miniature. It had been her life goal to be just like him, her hero. That wasn't a bad thing, but it also wasn't who she was.

Gwen had spent the first eighteen years of her life trying to be someone else. The past year had taught her a lot. It had taught her the existence of magic, how to fight, how to have faith and trust. But most importantly, it had taught her who she was: She was Guinevere Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts. Gwen was born for this world. It was time she took that mantle upon herself with pride.

She exited the Sanctum and entered Kamar-Taj, finding Mordo standing over the stone pillar with the orb, looking up at the glowing map on the ceiling.

"Is she dead?" he asked.

Gwen nodded. "I'm not sure if she's dead just yet, but she will be soon."

Mordo nodded simply. His face wasn't hard to read. He was very obviously upset, but there were no tears. "She lied to me," he muttered. "She lied to all of us."

"She had her secrets," she acknowledged with a nod.

Mordo shook his head. "No. She told us that it was a crime to draw power from the Dark Dimension and all along, she was using that power to keep her alive."

"She was a complicated woman." Stephen had just walked in, joining their conversation.

"The world is not black and white," Gwen added, nodding in agreement with her father. "Everyone has good and evil in them. The Ancient One was the same way. She did what she thought was best for us all."

"The bill comes due," Mordo insisted. "Don't you see? Her transgressions led the Zealots to Dormammu. Kaecilius was her fault! And here we are, in the consequence of her deception. A world on fire."

"Mordo, the London Sanctum has fallen," Stephen said urgently. "The New York one has been attacked twice. You know where they're going next."

"Hong Kong," Mordo confirmed with a nod.

"You told me once to fight like my life depended on it, because one day it might. Well, today is that day. Gwen and I cannot defeat them alone." They both looked at him intensely. Eventually, Mordo gave a small nod of his head. They both let out a breath of relief, and Stephen drew a portal to Hong Kong.

They all dived through it, ready to fight. All around them, people were screaming. Pipes had burst, spewing water into the streets. Buildings had crumbled and sparks shot off of broken down signs. Before them, the Sanctum has a dark cloud hovering over it. They were too late. Hong Kong has fallen.

"We're too late," Mordo whispered, confirming what they saw. "Dormammu is coming."

"Not necessarily," Stephen said. He made a complicated motion with his hands. Gwen saw the necklace on his chest open, the green gem inside started to glow brightly. Several yards in front of them was Kaecilius and the Zealots. When they saw what Stephen was doing, they sprinted towards them, trying to stop them.

Glowing green symbols appeared on Stephen's wrist and suddenly, everything around them froze. Slowly, Stephen began to turn his hand and wrist. Everything around them began to reverse. The Zealots walked backwards, the buildings began to go back together. "We still have time," Stephen said. "Come on."

They sprinted past the Zealots that were walking backwards and towards the Sanctum that was slowly returning back to its original state.

As Gwen sprinted, she suddenly felt a fist connect with her back and she sprawled face first on the ground. She rolled over and sprung to her feet, drawing an Eldritch whip and throwing it at the Zealot that had attacked her. It patched itself on his leg and Gwen pulled back sharply. He came flying towards her. Gwen dropped the rope and punched him when he was close enough. He fell down and Gwen kicked him harshly in the ribs.

A stabbing pain shot through her ankle. She fell down and realized that the Zealot had stabbed her. The Zealot stood and raised the magic weapon to stab her when another whip wrapped around his waist and he was pulled away.

Gwen sat up to Mordo swinging him into a wall, where he was trapped inside it. She gave him a nod that Mordo returned. "Your father," he said. They looked over to see that he was fighting off Kaecilius on his own. Mordo sprinted over to them. Gwen ran as fast as her injured leg would let her. By the time she reached them, they had trapped Kaecilius behind a wall as well.

"Are you ok?" Stephen asked.

Gwen smiled a little. "I've never felt so alive," she said, causing her father to chuckle. They turned to observe the wreckage going back to normal.

"Wong!" Stephen cried. Gwen looked over to see Wong pulled out of a pile of wreckage and returned to life. Stephen pulled him out of the loop. He looked around, dazed for a minute. "Breaking the laws of nature, I know."

"Well, don't stop now," Wong said, moving to stand beside them. "When the Sanctum restores, they'll attack it again."

"We've got to defend it," Stephen said. "Come on!" They all ran to get to the Sanctum in time.

Before they could reach the building, they heard the sound of Kaecilius escaping his bonds. They stopped and turned in time to see him send a shockwave through the ground, knocking them down. Time froze around them. Nothing moved. Nothing except the Zealots, Kaecilius, Gwen, Stephen, Mordo, and Wong. The Sanctum had not yet been fully restored and they could still see the Dark Dimension descending upon them.

"Get up, Strange," Mordo grunted, crawling to his feet. "Get up and fight. We can finish this."

Gwen crouched over to help her father get up. "You can't fight the inevitable," Kaecilius said, gazing up at the sky. "Isn't it beautiful? A world beyond time. Beyond death."

"Beyond time," Stephen muttered, looking up. Gwen looked up to, brows furrowed in confusion. Her father obviously had an idea, but he didn't tell her. He looked over at her, forced a smile, winked, and then flew off into the sky.

"Strange!" Mordo yelled, turning to watch him as he flew away. Wong turned too, watching in disbelief. Gwen watched too, trying to figure out what his plan was.

"He's gone," Kaecilius said. "Even Strange has left you to surrender to his power."

Gwen spun around, ready to attack, when she saw her father land behind Kaecilius. Kaecilius saw her distracted gaze and he too turned to look at him. "What did you do?" he asked, glaring at him.

"I made a bargain," Stephen replied, giving a ghost of a smile.

Kaecilius looked down at his hands, which were starting to turn to dust. "What is this?"

"Well it's everything you've ever wanted. Eternal life as part of the One." He chuckled as Gwen, Mordo, and Wong moved to join him at his side. "You're not gonna like it."

They watched as Kaecilius and the Zealots horrifically transformed into dust and were sucked into the dark dimension, which disappeared from the sky, letting everything go back to normal.

"You know, you really should have stolen the whole book because the warnings come after the spells," Stephen joked to himself.

Gwen smiled to herself at her father's dorky sense of humor. He reached out an arm and wrapped it tightly around her shoulders, pulling her closer. On their left, Wong started to chuckle. Then, he gave a full belly laugh, waving his hand in the air. "That's funny," he said, giving a sigh.

Stephen turned away from Wong and used the Eye of Agamotto to restore the Sanctum and unfreeze time. Everyone around them started moving again, unaware that anything had ever happened.

"We did it," Wong said, and he started walking to the Sanctum. Stephen and Gwen walked side by side, following his lead.

"Yes," Mordo said from behind them. They stopped and turned to look at him. "We did it. By violating the natural law."

"Look around you, it's over," said Stephen, trying to push his worries aside.

"You still think there will be no consequences, Strange?" Mordo counter argued easily. "No price to pay? We broke our rules, just like her. The bill comes due. Always! A reckoning. I will follow this path no longer." With that, he walked away.

No one tried to stop him. They watched his disappearing figure until he was completely out of sight.

"Do you think he'll be back?" Gwen asked, breaking the silence. She had actually come to like Mordo.

Slowly, Stephen shook his head. "No. I don't think he will." Once again, he draped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. "Do you realize what today is?" Gwen hadn't really been keeping track of the days ever since they had come to Kamar-Taj. She knew it was March and that it was 2013, but she wasn't sure what day it was. She shook her head in response. "It's the thirty-first. You're officially nineteen. Happy Birthday, Gwen."

She smiled a little. "I suppose that saving the human race from a world destroying dimension is a good birthday present."

He chuckled in response. "How about we go get some Dr. Peppers and watch That 70s Show?"

"Sounds like my kind of party," Gwen agreed as they walked through the doors of the Hong Kong Sanctum.

June 2013

Stephen decided to accept his role as Master of the New York Sanctum, and Gwen decided to move in with him. She still kept the Ancient One's words with her, about her destiny. Somehow, she knew that this was the place that she needed to be. At least for now.

Stephen hadn't returned to his job, and neither had Gwen. However, they both ventured into the city often, to see friends (which really only included Christine). Christine and Stephen started dating again, which Gwen supported wholeheartedly. Her father deserved some happiness.

About a week after they defeated Dormammu, Gwen decided to ask him exactly how he had convinced Dormammu to leave. He had explained about the time loop, how he had died over and over again until Dormammu finally agreed to leave if Stephen ended the loop. Gwen had been horrified by the story. She thought that he had been spared, but even he had died again and again and she couldn't do anything about it.

Today, however, was a better day. They had gone on a jog through Central Park and returned to the Sanctum to meditate. With both of their trainers gone, they had agreed to train with each other. As much as Gwen regretted Sajit's death, she couldn't help but enjoy this training far more than training with Sajit.

Life had gone back to normal. Well, as normal as their life could when they were both wizards guarding a Sanctum that guarded planet earth. But Gwen wouldn't have it any other way.

She had told her father rather firmly that she was not going to attend Cornell anytime soon. Or any college. She didn't care to. Stephen was clearly disappointed, but this time, he did not argue. He recognized that his daughter was making her own life, just as the Ancient One had said she would. Before she had died, she had told him to let his daughter follow her own path and to not push his wishes on her. He had agreed and he knew that it was what was best for his daughter. She was old enough to make her own decisions.

"I was thinking we could go out for lunch today," Stephen said, pulling on a thin jacket over his robes, while his cloak floated off to the side. "I've been craving Chinese lately."

"Dad, if I ever say no to food, I want you to shoot me because it's an imposter and not actually me," Gwen replied, wrapping herself up in a jacket as well. She was wearing normal clothes today: a plain white t-shirt and forest green pants along with her usual black boots.

"Quit being so dramatic," Stephen said, trying to disguise his grin.

Just as they were ready to leave, there was a knock on the door. They both halted in their steps and exchanged looks of confusion. Hardly anyone ever came knocking on their door. And if they did, it was a disciple of Kamar-Taj. As far as either of them were aware, no one had gone out.

Stephen gave a small nod and Gwen conjured two shields and held them high. Together, they walked to the front door. Stephen opened it just a crack. "Hello?" he asked the person outside. Gwen inched closer to hear better and to have a better vantage point should an attack occur.

"Are you Stephen Strange?" It was a man's voice.

"Who's asking?"

"My name is Captain Steve Rogers. I'm looking for Stephen Strange. Is he here?"