A/N: Hello there! I'm so in love with this fic - it's nearly 7k words in total and I managed to write it in, like, 3 or 4 days. Newtina and the Bromanders single-handedly snapped me out of a funk that lasted over a month, I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I loved writing it!

Newt poked through the store's collection of scarves, searching for one Tina would like. "What do you think, Pickett – black and blue, or black and purple?"

Pickett poked out of his coat pocket, crawling down his arm and onto the shelf. After a moment, he pointed to the purple, looking back at Newt.

Newt smiled, picking up the Bowtruckle and the soft scarf with black and light purple stripes. "Yes, she has been liking purple a lot lately. Good choice."

Pickett let out a happy trill before crawling back into the safety of his pocket. Newt paid for the scarf, glancing at the clock. Good, he had plenty of time to walk home to drop off the present before heading to meet Theseus and Tina for lunch. He thanked the cashier and headed out the door, turning into the alley between the shop and its neighbor for a brief shortcut.

"Hello, Mr. Scamander."

Newt froze, suddenly itching for his case full of useful creatures. But he had left it in Bunty's care.

"You and I need to have a little… chat."

Newt grabbed for his wand, but he was too slow.

The spell hit him square in the back. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

-FB-

Tina settled on a bench outside of the Ministry entrance to wait, drawing her coat tight to ward off the brisk breeze. Thankfully, Theseus was a punctual man, and right on time, he came strolling outside. "Afternoon, Tina."

"Afternoon?" she repeatedly teasingly, greeting him with a hug. "Not even a good one?"

Theseus chuckled. "I don't know. I've just… had this feeling for a little while now."

Tina tilted her head – she had learned years ago to trust an Auror's instincts. "What sort of feeling?"

"That something is amiss," Theseus admitted. He waved it off. "I'm sure it's nothing. Where's Newt?"

Tina furrowed her brows. "I thought he would be with you."

"No, he took off early," Theseus said slowly. "He promised to be on time though… Maybe he'll meet us at the restaurant."

"Maybe," Tina said.

But she was starting to get that same feeling.

-FB-

Newt jerked awake, his cheek, nose, and forehead stinging, he guessed from the fall. He was in a small stone basement, evenly but dimly lit. Half of the room was covered in a colorful rug and a pair of comfortable chairs on either side of a small table, atop which sat his wand, like any normal living room. There was a thin wooden staircase beside them. But Newt's half had plain concrete, and the only furniture was the pole he leaned against, his hands cuffed around it behind his back.

In one of those chairs sat Queenie.

"Queenie!" Newt exclaimed, though he didn't know whether to be relieved or suspicious. She had only been here for a few months, and Grindelwald trusted her alone with Newt?

She looked up, beaming. "Oh, you're awake! Pickett was worried."

She held out her hand. Newt's heart clenched at the sight of Pickett on her palm, scrabbling against the shimmering golden thread attaching him to Queenie's wrist. "What are you doing with him?"

She lowered her hand, looking a little dejected. "I'm just watching him until Mr. Grindelwald lets you go. Can't have you running off, you see."

"Queenie," Newt said slowly. "He's not going to let me go."

"Well, of course he is! He just has some questions, is all."

Newt stared in disbelief. "Are you really so naïve, Queenie? You're a powerful Legilimens, surely you can see-"

The door atop the stairs opened, allowing in a stream of light around an imposing silhouette. "Perhaps," Grindelwald said, "there is simply nothing for her to see, Mr. Scamander."

Queenie nodded, rising to her feet as Grindelwald joined her. And she looked up at him like she had once looked at Tina – like he had all the answers, like he would protect her. Like he was the one who had grown up taking care of her.

Newt set his jaw, looking resolutely at Grindelwald's feet. Queenie, please, see reason.

"I'm not supposed to read your mind, Mr. Scamander," Queenie said stiffly. "Remember?"

"What a considerate friend," Grindelwald purred, smiling down at Queenie. "Why don't you run along, my dear."

She nodded, scooping up Newt's wand and pausing on the bottom step. "Really, Mr. Scamander, you'll be back with Teen much sooner if you cooperate."

With that, she disappeared. Leaving Newt alone with Grindelwald.

Grindelwald stood in silence for a moment, considering Newt. Newt forced his eyes upwards, meeting his with the steadiest glare he could manage as his heart began to pound.

"You are right," he finally said. "About Ms. Goldstein," he elaborated at Newt's evident surprise. "It is difficult to keep her out without her noticing, and I keep her close lest her heart get the better of her."

"She'll see through you eventually," Newt insisted.

"My dear Mr. Scamander, you no longer trust her with your precious Bowtruckle – are you so certain of that?"

Newt set his jaw defiantly, but he couldn't hide his anxious swallow.

Grindelwald smiled darkly. With a flick of his wrist, Newt's vest and shirt tore open, exposing his chest to the basement's cold air. "Now," he said, "I have some questions about your taskforce."

"I've been tortured before. I won't tell you anything."

"That little display back in New York, you mean?" Grindelwald asked. "Oh, that was but a mere taste of what I can do."

He sank into a crouch, looking directly into Newt's eyes. "Believe me – you will tell me what I wish to know."

-FB-

Nothing.

Theseus and Tina went to the restaurant, and Newt wasn't outside. They went inside, and he wasn't there. They went back to his apartment, into his basement, into his case – no Newt. They even popped back to the Ministry to make sure he hadn't shown up back there.

"Where else would he be?" Tina asked, fear beginning to show through her voice.

Sorry, little brother. "The place he left early to go visit. Come on."

She took his arm, and he apparated them to the clothing store Newt had told him about. Tina paused a moment, staring. "He went here? Why?"

"He wanted to surprise you," Theseus said, as evasively as he could manage.

Tina glanced at him, but he just went into the cramped but quaint store to find the cashier, a petite woman with intricately braided dark hair. "Excuse me, miss, but I was wondering if you'd seen my brother? Tall and lanky, messy light brown hair, very awkward?"

She smiled. "Yes, he was in here not too long ago. I think he turned left."

"Thank you," Theseus said, following Tina outside.

"Left," he repeated, looking down the street. "Left. He could be anywhere."

"True," Tina said, "but I've been here with him, and that alley is a shortcut to his house."

Theseus started down it. It was narrow and shadowy, vines creeping up the walls on either side of them, and he heard the distinct sound of rat paws scuttling along between a few garbage cans. He was about halfway down when Tina's voice froze him in place.

"He bought me a scarf."

He turned slowly, not entirely sure he wanted to see what she had found.

Tina was kneeling by a pair of garbage cans. Reaching between them, she pulled out a bag from the clothing store, and took out a neatly folded, black and purple scarf. She looked up at Theseus, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I've been talking about it for weeks, but I didn't think I could justify spending the money."

For a moment, Theseus couldn't breathe.

I let him go. I let him come here alone. And now he's… he's…

"Theseus!"

He snapped out of it as Tina grabbed his arm, meeting her eyes, fierce and steely behind the tears. "Newt needs us – we can't freeze. Ok? We need to focus."

Theseus nodded, swiping at his own welling tears. "Right. Right, yes, we need to- Who took him?"

Tina took a couple steps back, guiding Theseus with her. Pointing her wand at the bag, she murmured "Appare vestigium."

Gold swirled from her wand, building up the image. Newt lay a few feet from the bag, facedown and unmoving. Someone crouched over him, gripping a fistful of Newt's coat. Tina and Theseus watched his image build from the ground up, waiting for identifying details, waiting for-

They gasped at the same time, recognizing the pale hair and bicolored eyes.

Looking at her, Theseus could see the horror he felt showing blatantly in Tina's eyes.

-FB-

He was burning. Burning alive. His vision was flame red. The smoke reached into his throat, choking his lungs. His skin melted, oozing off his bones. He tried to scream, but the breath wouldn't come.

The flames disappeared.

Newt sucked in a breath, coughing raggedly as he looked down to make sure he was still intact. Well, mostly intact – the cuts on his chest and stomach that Grindelwald had started with still dripped blood. But he wasn't a melted mess, at least.

"Hm," Grindelwald said, as calmly as if he were discussing a slightly surprising bit of weather, "you do have more resolve than I bargained for."

Newt closed his eyes, focusing on breathing through the pain. Theseus had taught him that, the first time he'd been injured in the war and their healers ran out of painkillers – breathe, just count every breath, and the pain would fade to the back of the mind.

"Well, Mr. Scamander, I'm afraid it's dinnertime. I shall have to figure out how to break you afterwards."

Newt listened, counting his footsteps, until the door creaked open and clicked shut. Only then did he slump forward, weight jerking against his bound wrists, pulling his knees up to his chest. He rested his forehead on them, keeping his eyes closed as he struggled not to tremble and shake. Shaking made the cuts hurt.

Breathe, Newt. You have to get out of here.

He forced himself to lift his head, twisting painfully to look at the pole he was cuffed to. It was firmly embedded in both the floor and ceiling, and a tap of his knuckles proved it was solid metal – there would be no breaking it without magic. And he had no Pickett to pick the lock on his handcuffs.

There was, however, one thing he could break from here.

Newt took a deep breath that was more painful than steadying. Biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, he jerked his thumb against the pole.

It snapped out of place.

His hand popped free of the cuff.

The final burst of pain sent him plunging into unconsciousness.

-FB-

Theseus burst into the Ministry, managing to spot Travers as he was crossing the lobby to leave. "Travers. Travers!" he called, running over.

"Calm down, Theseus," he said, still heading for the exit.

"I can't," he said. "Travers, sir – Grindelwald has kidnapped Newt."

That made Travers stop. "Are you certain?"

"Absolutely, sir."

"Then I am very sorry for your loss."

"Sorry for your… Sir, no, we have to find him!"

Travers shook his head, resuming his path to the exit. "We cannot afford to expose our knowledge of him and his followers for the sake of one wizard, Mr. Scamander. I truly am sorry, though."

"Mr.- Mr. Travers, please!"

Travers left without another word, leaving Theseus alone in the empty lobby.

-FB-

Tina apparated straight into Newt's basement, courtesy rules be damned, clutching the scarf in one hand. Bunty and Jacob, in the midst of chasing around the baby Nifflers, both leapt about a foot into the air as she grabbed their arms. "Tina, what the hell-" Jacob started.

"We have to move," she said, turning them to the other creatures and pointing at Newt's case, tucked in the corner. "Pack all of the creatures in there, now."

"Woah, Tina, what's going on? Aren't you supposed to be out with Newt and Theseus?"

Tina wavered, her determination faltering at the sound of Newt's name. "He's been kidnapped," she rasped.

"What?" Jacob demanded.

Bunty, thankfully, started waving her wand, flicking open the case and beginning to transport the creatures inside. Tina aimed at the baby Nifflers, transporting them one by one into Jacob's arms as she explained. "He was late for dinner, so we went looking for him. And we found evidence that Grindelwald ambushed him."

"Grindelwald?" Bunty exclaimed, horrified.

Tina nodded. As Bunty transported the last creature – the Kelpie – to safety, she found a ragged piece of paper and a quill, and enchanted it to write down the instructions Newt had given her. "This man has a portkey that can take you to Paris. Go to that address and wait there – once Theseus and I find Newt, we'll meet you there."

"Shouldn't we help-"

Tina cut Jacob off, squeezing his shoulder. "Theseus and I are the Aurors – this is what we do. And now, Newt would want you two and his creatures to be safe, where Grindelwald can't find you. Ok?"

Jacob nodded reluctantly. "Ok. Ok, just- just get some rest, ok? You don't gotta sleep, just- I dunno, eat something, take a minute. You'll find him faster if you two don't run yourselves ragged overnight."

"Promise," Tina said, pushing him towards Bunty. He dropped the baby Nifflers into the case and let her take his arm. "Now go!"

They vanished, leaving Tina alone in the empty basement.

The sudden still silence pressed in on her. It was wrong, all wrong. Newt was life, his heart and home full of an abundance of love and movement. There was always a creature to watch, always some piece of him moving, fidgeting.

Now there was nothing. No scampering paws, no fluttering wings, no noises demanding attention. No Newt to admonish his creatures while lavishing love upon them, looking at each and every one with undying love in his eyes.

Someone apparated in behind her. She spun, reaching for her wand, only to realize it was Theseus.

She knew from his expression what he was going to say.

"We're on our own."

A/N: Ngl, I barely considered a Tina and Theseus friendship beforehand, but after writing this fic, I would die for it