Family Reunion

"Newt, I'm so sorry," Tina said softy. They stood on the docks, preparing to board a ship to New York to go pick up Dawn. "What on earth for?" he asked nervously. The kiss between him and Leta was still fresh in his mind. How could I have been so stupid? Newt scolded himself. 

"Didn't you hear that Leta was getting a Dementor Kiss?"

Newt flinched at the word "kiss."

Grief ran across his face at the thought. "I gave up everything for her," Newt said softly. He gripped his case more firmly, knuckles turning white.

"What happened?" Tina asked softly. 

"What do you mean?"

"What happened when you visited Leta?"

Newt began to fiddle with his fingers anxiously. "I'm not sure if I want to tell you. I don't think I deserve you anymore after what happened-"

"Newt, I would never stop loving you, no matter what," Tina said gently. "Tell me."

"Leta confessed she had feelings for me. I tried to walk away, but he kissed me." Newt tensed, waiting for Tina to explode on him. She simply shook her head. "Leta's a brat."

"You're not angry?" Newt sounded surprised. "Why would I be? I mean, you said you were trying to walk away, and if you were in love with Leta, you would be dead because of the Unbreakable Vow. So I don't see a reason to be mad," Tina said. Newt grinned, kissing her cheek. "I don't deserve you," he whispered. Tina giggled slightly. "No. You deserve far better."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jacob had been trying.

When Alice and Theseus had come to pick up Carter, Dawn screamed when she realized that her parents weren't with them. Dawn refused to do anything he asked. She sat by the window of his apartment, watching for her mother and father. But a week had passed since they had seen Theseus and Alice, and there was no sign of Newt or Tina ever coming back for Dawn.

Would he have to raise Dawn?

He loved Dawn with all his heart, but the thought of raising a magical, broken child was too much to bear. Even as he looked at her now, his heart broke for her. She sat on the windowsill, her eyes dull, her beautiful black curls now resting in a tangled clump. She wore her father's blue overcoat, the sleeves pushed up extremely far so that you could see her tiny hands in the large sleeves, and the coat was so long it trailed behind her.

"Uncle Jacob? Will Mommy and Daddy ever come back for me?" It was a simple question, but Jacob's breath hitched in his throat, making it nearly impossible to speak. "I don't know," he confessed.

"I miss Mommy and Daddy. Mommy made the best noodles ever. She read me a story every night. She and I used to play cards together while we waited for Daddy to come home from work. Daddy used to take me down into his case. He showed me the Niffler and the Occamies, but he said the rest of the creatures were too dangerous. He used to give me piggy-back rides and pretend to be all sorts of magical beasts," Dawn said wistfully. She clutched the overcoat more tightly as she spoke. "I miss them too," Jacob said softly. Dawn turned, wrapping her arms around Jacob and burying her face into his shoulder. He rubbed her back gently, not sure how to comfort her.

A crack was heard outside. Dawn ran to the window. Her eyes widened with joy, and she squealed. "MOMMY! DADDY!" Dawn ran out the door of the apartment, thumped down the stairs, and threw herself at Newt, who stumbled backwards into a wall. Tina laughed, and Dawn wrapped one arm around Tina as well, pulling the reunited family back together once more.