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New Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Trailer | Sci-Fi Jubilee

Christine nods. "I guess we can. I have missed our long hallway talks."

They usually involved Stephen talking about something he was researching, or speaking at.

"Shall we, Dr. Strange?" She turns to walk back under the river.

"We shall," he walked beside her, hands clasped in front of him.

"So... um. One thing you should know. In my universe, we cross on green and stop on red. That might be an adjustment."

"That doesn't make any sense, why would you reverse it?" Red is just when you cross, always has been.

She is interested in the differences though.

"What else is different? I imagine a lot of things."

He chuckled, amused. "Not as much greenery in my New York. Might not be as beautiful as you'd like. There are some beautiful places though. Kathmandu. Orkney Islands. Upstate New York. Some remote Midwest places."

"You haven't maximized the cities oxygen production?" Seems like an oversight for his universe to not have more greenery.

"What is your Christine like? Is she still a surgeon?"

"People aren't keen on breathing or preventing inevitable heat death." He wondered if he ought to figure that a little bit.

He wasn't Sorceror Supreme after all.

"Christine is still a surgeon. Newlywed. Probably on her honeymoon."

"Seems reckless, but humans here are pretty keen to find stupid ways to die as well."

Just not from a lack of fresh air.

"Oh. To someone else." That much is obvious. "Are you okay?"

"I love her dearly and I want her to be happy. It's best not to wallow in regret. I was dust for five years and she moved on, rightfully so. I just regret not making her the priority she deserves to be."

He also had to be the one in control, which didn't make for very good relationships.

She feels for him, she had lost her Stephen before they could really figure things out.

"I'm sure she loved you too. But you're not the easiest man to be with; in any universe it seems."

He shook his head. "No, I'm... probably more excellent at dysfunction and miscommunication. I'm sorry your Stephen didn't have the ability to tell you that he cared."

"I knew, but thanks." She nods, "this feels like the weirdest second chance in some ways."

She gets the chance to be around him again.

"You're the same and different at the same time."

"Yes well I'm trying to face my fears. Second chances aren't always a thing, it seems. Other you also told me there were other ways to save lives. When I thought it was all lost and pointless."

Strange guessed they couldn't touch until they were canceling out each other's frequencies.

She chuckles, "I told my Stephen something along those lines after his accident too."

The similarities were so fascinating, hearing all the little ways their lives had matched up.

They're almost back to the lab.

"Of course you would." It's like he knows her even though he accepts he doesn't. She already said before it didn't matter.

It is like they know one another, even down to the way they fell in step walking. It was like being back in the hospital all over again.

"The building is still a bit of a mess."

He thought about offering to make repairs using magic but that might drain him of resources entirely.

Maybe just her lab in general but it seemed well-ordered and had been cleaned up a bit to be functional.

"Should all be back in working order in a few days."

All of her important bits had been first priority and were up and running.

The bracelets are waiting on one of the lab tables, simple looking things with a little latch to keep them secure; one larger and one smaller. They are the test run and she made them with the two of them in mind.

"They don't look especially impressive, but that's the best tech, isn't it?"

'Experimental," and therefore dangerous but the best experimental surgeries have the same issue. Stephen was a bit thrilled over it because no lives other than Christine and his own were at risk.

He picked up the larger bracelet and held it out to be fastened.

Edited Date: 2022-05-09 04:00 pm (UTC)

"We're scientists still, we love a good experiment."

They are protecting their universes, that was the goal. If they want to be foolish and see one another, only they should suffer if things go wrong.

She fastens the bracelet on him.

"That and ... to prove it will work." He takes her bracelet and puts it around her wrist, waving his hand slightly so it clasps.

"You brought me here, first - instead of coming to my universe, so - is there something you want to show me?"

He knows he usually outdoes her or talks over her before she can or isn't as impressed as he should be. Not this time. This variant will be different.

"All of my equipment is here." She shrugs. Christine takes his hand to lead him to one of the computer screens.

There is an array of graphs and charts, and she watches them while she moves closer to him. She is making sure the lines barely fluctuate when they touch.

"We aren't registering as anomalous." She had done a lot of programing after Stephen and America came through, she finally had someone from a different universe to get data from.

"We can touch now."

Stephen moved closer, pulling her into his arms. "I really am sorry I didn't make you a priority. For myself and - for your Stephen, even if - it doesn't matter." He kissed her head, followed by her nose (meaning to make her smile) then her lips.

He missed Christine.

She leans into that kiss, there isn't even a seconds hesitation. No alarms start blaring, which means she can relax.

It's just a gentle little kiss, they are testing the water.

"It might matter."

"So you ... saying that whatever we were to each other not mattering - wasn't exactly true?" He wants to be clear about this part, he had thought at the time it was her way of trying to push him away. He kept her close, unless she seemed to want to move away. He kissed her head again, unable to help it. "We were both afraid. It's probably okay if we admit it."

"That is what I'm saying. You had just shown up in my universe, I couldn't go getting attached." She can imagine him doing something similar, pushing her away to be safe.

She cups his cheek with her hand, letting a bit of her affection spill out.

"I'm still a bit afraid. This is beyond the laws of the multiverse, it's worth a bit of fear."