Revelations
Tina had refused any argument that suggested the Scamander manor would be a better place for the Kowalski family to search for a house from. Newt had backed her up implicitly. Theseus maintained that Scamander manor had more space and was therefore more suitable.
In the end though, Diana had piped up from the corner that it had been a foolish suggestion on Theseus’s part from the very start. As much as it made more logical sense for Jacob, Queenie and Aurie to move into the manor temporarily, the reality was simply that Queenie would not be without Tina, and Tina would not be without Queenie. Any other suggestion was simply inadvisable.
Hippolyta voiced her support of her sister-in-law, hand resting gently on her nearing eight month stomach. Queenie flat out informed Theseus that is was her decision, hers and Jacob’s so he should butt his beak out. And so it was decided and acted upon.
Queenie, Jacob and Aurie moved into the Dorset cottage without much fanfare. The creatures were left in their case for the time being, Newt and Tina spending their early morning in the case before ensuring they were up and available to help their family through escaping their home country.
A MACUSA employee and a member of the Ministry had approached Tina at work the day after. She’d told them to mind their own business in unflattering terms and had been reprimanded half-heartedly by Theseus. Pettigrew had been a surprise. Her small, weasel-like boss had turned to the MACUSA agent and proceeded to spout off the entire section of Britain’s Rapport Law that gave shelter to those running from the stringent Rapport’s of other countries. He’d proceeded to, very politely, tell the MACUSA agent where to stuff if, before continuing with his day.
Queenie and Jacob had to register under the subsection, and they had done so without complaint. They had planned to leave in June, of their own volition. They’d had a plan to have ample time to buy a house and set it up before moving across to
a different country.
One thing they did like however, were the ministry officials addressing her as “Mrs Kowalski” without a hint of derision. One woman had stopped them on their way out to tell them how brave they were, and how much she respected them. She’d been painfully genuine.
It had been a whirlwind 72 hours to say the least.
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Newt hummed off-key as he fed, watered, soothed and checked on the creatures. He was paying particular attention to Jingyi, checking if she'd settled, when he heard the door to the shed open. He leant back, peering round the demiguise nest to see who it was.
To his surprise, his brother stood there, hands in the pockets of his trousers, his jacket thrown carelessly over a chair on the terrace, his face turned towards the artificial sky. Newt frowned. He hadn't properly seen his brother since before they'd gone to Taiwan, and even in the family meeting three days past, his focus had been on Jacob and Queenie, not Theseus and Hippolyta.
His brother, always the more handsome and upright of the two, had lines scored into his face, etched reminders of the daily punishment he endured as the head of the British auror and magical law community. His brother's skin hung from his face, pale, lacking sunlight and elasticity. It made Theseus look ten years older than he was.
Theseus's shoulders sagged, and for the first time in his life, Newt felt that his brother looked small. It was an idea that refused to gel with how he'd always pictured his older brother. Theseus filled every room he was in unconciously. He occupied every space, leaving no room for Newt. It had been the way of things and it had been the way that both of them liked it. Theseus liked the light, while Newt was content to hide in the shadows.
Theseus looked like he was desperately seeking a shadow.
Newt wiped his hands on his trousers, leaving Jingyi to peer round at the new human with curiosity before Dougal took her hand and led her over to the nifflers. He approached his brother carefully. Newt didn't know to talk to his brother like this. This was abnormal behaviour, and he was wary. Wary of his own ability to successfully navigate this new situation, new behaviour.
"Hi," he said awkwardly, arriving to stand next to Theseus, hands in his pockets and shifting slightly. "Wasn't expecting you down here."
Theseus shrugged, looking more like Newt in that moment than Newt was comfortable with. Theseus was unsure. Newt felt a hollow feeling settle in his stomach.
"You always seem peaceful down here," Theseus admitted, eyes fixed firmly on the magical horizon, "I could do with some of that."
Newt nodded, turning to face out with his brother.
"Can I offer you a chair?" He said awkwardly, pleased when his brothers shoulders huffed slightly in an exhausted approximation of a laugh. He pulled the chairs forward, and the two brothers sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the case.
….........................................................
"Hey, you ok?" Tina fretted, asking Queenie again as her sister sank down into a chair. Queenie's flawless porcelain skin was taunt, deep bags under her eyes that Tina knew were also present on her own skin. Neither of them were adjusting well to the time zone change and the leaking stress of their new situation.
"Yeah," Queenie dismissed with an easy wave of her hand. "It's just baby tired on top of really tired on top of stress. It'll take a few days."
"You should try some of this tea," Tina advised, pulling the tin of dried leaves that Tai had gifted her in Taiwan. "It's from a friend in Taiwan. It really helps with the exhaustion. Also nausea, incidentally. She won't tell me what's in it, but at this point I don't wanna know. Who cares what its made of so long as it works, right?"
Queenie perked up a bit in interest, watching as Tina scooped leaves into mugs while the kettle on the stove whistled to a boil. She absently skated over Tina's surface memories of Taiwan, of Tai and Sofie and the beautiful scenery. Sometimes it was easier than trying to find the words to explain such places. She paused over some of the snippets of conversations, frowning as Tai explained the tea and its properties. Then she snorted, loudly. Her sister really was oblivious sometime.
"Why did you need a tea that helps with exhaustion and nausea?" Queenie asked, head to one side as she accepted the sturdy mug from Tina and not one of the pretty china teaset they had been given for the wedding. That set was under so many spells they weren't worth risking.
"I wasn't feeling to good," Tina shrugged, "I guess I've spent too long on desk duty because I tire out so easily now. It's like one minute I'm fine the next I have to go to sleep. Right there."
"Yeah," Queenie agreed absently, resting her hand on her barely there bump as she blew over the top of her tea. It smelt nice, whatever it was. "Hey Teen, how long you been married now?"
"Four months," Tina smiled into her mug, "Legally anyway."
"Any... news you might want to share with me yet?" Queenie prodded, eyebrows raised.
Tina's brow furrowed, she was thinking. Queenie felt her mind skate over their latest rip to Taiwan, the new creatures, setting up their gardens before summarising that everything important had been said in a letter. This was going to be painful.
"Not that I can think of," Tina shrugged, sipping her tea and instantly feeling the tension in her shoulders unknot. Queenie followed suit, marvelling at how the deep seated exhaustion in her bones seemed to lift even if it didn't dissipate entirely.
"Wow," She studied the contents of her mug, "I wish we'd had this a few months ago when Hippolyta was suffering from that awful morning sickness. This is a great pregnancy tea!"
Queenie watched carefully as Tina smiled. Then she watched as Tina's smile froze on her face. She could feel Tina's mind start skimming over conversations and exchanges in recent weeks, her own precarious seeming state of health soothed by the tea, Tai's protectiveness and Sofie's absent comments. She remembered a flower being given to her. And finally, Queenie was relived, she heard her sister start skipping back through a mental calendar.
"So, like I said," Queenie waited a sufficient amount of time before speaking, "Any news you want to share?"
Tina's eyes lifted from her mug to her sister. She blinked twice, her mouth opening slightly, before she suddenly went very pale, leaping for the kitchen sink. Queenie grimaced. Poor thing. Morning sickness wasn't fun.
…....................................................
Tina couldn't sleep. She couldn't do anything but think about what Queenie had said over tea. She couldn't stop double and triple checking her calendar. But it didn’t make a difference. She was still five weeks late on her period. She was five weeks late, exhausted and nauseous. And they were on the brink of getting involved in a global war to fight for the precarious balance between magic and non-magic to be maintained.
Could they bring a baby into that?
She found her feet directing her to the case (they needed to unpack), letting herself into the darkened case. She pulled her dressing gown around her tighter and staid in the doorway, resting her head against the door jam.
It was easy to picture. She thought it'd be harder. She could picture a baby in here. They'd had Aurie down here so often that sometimes it had felt like what was missing in the landscape was the sound of laughter, of children playing, of childish excitement and exclamations. Was it the right time though? Would it ever be the right time?
Tina had thought they'd have years before introducing children to their strange family made up of parents, aunts, uncles, and children from a range of species. She thought they'd have years for her to go and fight and battle.
She wanted to go to the battle, that was the problem. No, want was the wrong word… she felt obliged to go. If she was called, she would answer. She knew she already loved her baby, she didn’t doubt she was pregnant, but she wasn't sure she'd stop if she was asked to go and fight. There was a war on and she was a protector. She couldn’t stand by and watch as good honest aurors fell while she stayed behind, cowering behind her desk.
She needed to protect the Credence's of the world. She needed to protect the people who couldn't fight.
The baby couldn't fight.
She was going in circles.
She let out a long breath, jolting slightly when she felt a pair of skinny arms circle her waist and a tousled head come to rest on her shoulder. She turned her head slightly towards him, winding her hands over his.
"What are you doing up and down here?" Newt asked softly, his breath ghosting over her cheek.
"Couldn't sleep," Tina answered honestly, wondering if she should tell him now or if she should wait till she'd seen the Healer. The Healer was a formality really, pregnancy was the only reason she could even imagine that explained her symptoms.
"Want to talk about it?" Newt murmured. She shook her head, and they stood in silence for a few seconds, watching the sleeping case and listening to the nocturnal animals moving about. "I'm a little worried about Dougal still." Newt offered finally.
Tina frowned, this was a strange track of conversation. But, Newt was a bit scatter-brained, it was one of the things she both loved about him, and was frustrated by on a daily basis.
"Why?" Tina asked curiously. "I mean, he's doing ok. He seems to like having Jingyi around and merlin knows Jingyi and the nifflers have been getting along. She needs to stop helping Bennie you know."
Newt nodded his agreement into her shoulder, before hesitantly continuing, "I meant that he still seems very concerned with where you are, what you're doing. He seemed quite distressed yesterday when you didn't come in all day. Sat by the gate. I thought he'd stop after we arrived home."
That was strange. But recent realisations made this attachment behaviour a little more understandable. What if Dougal had known before they'd gone to Taiwan?
"Are you asking what I think you're asking?" Tina asked, amusement lacing her voice. She felt Newt stiffen and attempt to draw away, but she pulled him closer.
"I don’t know what you mean," he replied defensively. Tina smiled.
"You mean you weren't worried the entire time we were in Taiwan because I was so tired, and easily exhausted, and was nauseous and less willing to try new foods and the demiguise were incredibly close all the time?" Tina asked. She felt him freeze. "I didn't notice. I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry," Newt was quick to reassure. "I'm sure the demiguise just liked having you near. That's all."
"You're right though," Tina continued as if he hadn't spoken, nerves mounting and just getting this over with. "Dougal didn't stop hovering once we were back and I … I don't think he's going to stop for a few more months yet."
"Tina," Newt warned slightly. She tugged his hands free, turning to face him in the doorway of the case.
"How do you feel about another magical creature arriving in … say... seven months?" She asked shyly, biting her lower lip and waiting for him to realise that she wasn't teasing him any more. She watched as his eyes widened and nodded. He opened his mouth, and then closed it again promptly. Tina pulled his palm against her lower stomach.
Newt smiled at her. A bigger smile than she had ever seen, resting his forehead against hers.
"I think a new creature sounds marvellously dangerous," he whispered to her.
"Yeah," Tina laughed in relief, "Me too."
Was there ever a right time for a baby? Maybe not. Maybe all that mattered was that this baby was theirs, and this baby would be loved. There may be a war going on, but if they would keep each other safe. They would protect each other and protect their baby and that was just how it was going to be. It would be hard, but when was life ever easy?