Story set in: mid/late October to early November in 1940

Phoenix – 22nd June 1931 – 9 (going on 10)
Linnet – 13th January 1933 - 7 (nearly 8)
Leo – 3rd March 1935 – 5 (going on 6)

(Miracle baby not born yet – Tina's still in her early-stages of pregnancy!)

Tobias "Toby" – 15th October 1929 – 11
Daisy – 7th April 1931 – 9 (going on 10)
Abel and Ruth (twins) – 20th November 1933 – 6/7
Elijah "Eli" – 28th January 1939 – 1 (nearly 2)

Jacob had decided to take the children to visit the new house a week or so later; Queenie had stayed behind with Eli to finalise some things with Tina (and, admittedly, to have one of their now-often 'ladies chats'), and so he had walked with their four eldest children down the road to the new house in order to take a look around. It was also worth hearing what the kids thought as well, he and Queenie had decided, to see if they were agreeable about living there.

The new house was far bigger than the apartment in New York, of course – all of the children could only look around in awe when they had entered, absolutely stunned and amazed.

"So…what do you guys think?"

They looked at Jacob briefly before turning back to examine the house; Toby was the first to speak, putting a hand on Abel's shoulder. "It's…big. Really big."

"Are we going to live here, Papa?" Daisy asked, eyes fixed on the stairs; they hadn't had floors in their apartment, just rooms, and it was strange to think that this could be their home.

Jacob was grinning, amused by their reactions. "Yeah – not yet, we still got some things to fix first, but once that's done…this place is ours."

Abel's mouth fell open; Ruth frowned. "What about our home, Papa? What about the apartment?"

Their father was silent for a moment, smile fading rapidly – but Abel's eyes widened. "We're not going home."

"Well…"

"What?!" Ruth exclaimed, tearing her hand out of Abel's and looking up at her father angrily. "But we have to – it's our home! We can't just not go home!"

"Ruth, honey…"

But she wasn't having any of it, it seemed. "No! Our friends are back in New York, Papa, we can't just leave them! And the bakery, we can't leave the bakery-"

"Papa's gonna get a new bakery," Toby told her hurriedly, sensing a temper tantrum coming on. "And it'll be just as nice as the other one. We'll make friends here, Ruth, you'll see."

"But I don't want to move here!" She complained tearfully. "It rains too much here, and it's too cold!"

Daisy was gnawing on her lip. "But we'll be close to Uncle Newt and Auntie Tina," She stated, trying to cheer her sister up. "And we can play with Phoenix and Linnet – and Leo – whenever we want. It's gonna be great over here, you'll see."

Ruth's bottom lip was wobbling, a sure sign she was going to start crying properly soon. "But…But our home…"

Abel suddenly reached out and linked their hands again – a surprising gesture considering it was usually his twin who did such things and not him. "Don't cry, Ruth," He said quietly, and he was looking at her intently. "I know. Don't be scared."

Toby and Daisy shared a look; it was moments like these that they were sure their younger brother might have been more like their mother than they had thought, that perhaps there was more to him than met the eye. He just seemed to know how people were feeling, seemed to know what they may have been thinking – they couldn't know for certain, however, and neither of them were particularly comfortable about asking him directly.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay," Jacob told her soothingly, and he bent down to take her into his arms; she returned the embrace, hugging him tightly. "I know how you feel, sweetheart – I miss New York too. And we'll go back someday, alright? That's a promise."

Ruth gave a sniffle but nodded into his shoulder. "Okay, Papa. Only if you promise."

"Yeah, honey, I promise. Alright," He muttered, standing up and taking his youngest daughter by the hand. "You guys wanna take a look upstairs?"

"Teen, you know I don't wanna lecture you…"

"Then don't," Tina muttered, flicking her wand at the kettle so it boiled. "I've already got Newt worrying over me – even if he won't admit it – and I don't need you doing either."

Queenie folded her arms, pursing her lips. "I just wanted to say that you're so thin – and you're barely eating now as it is. You've gotta a baby to take care of, and you ain't doing it any good by going hungry."

"I'm not going hungry," Her sister disagreed stubbornly. "I'm eating just fine."

Eli gave a whine from the floor, reaching his hands up for his mother; Queenie bent to pick him up, settling him against her side before looking back at her sister. "Maybe you should get a potion for that nausea."

"My…stop reading my mind," Tina mumbled, going pink. "It's just morning sickness – it doesn't happen just in the morning, you know."

"I know. I'm just worried about you, Teenie, that's all."

"Well, don't," She said pointedly. "You've got enough to worry about, Queenie; the kids, the new house, the new bakery…just don't, alright?"

Queenie sighed, shaking her head. "Alright, fine…I'm just trying to look out for you, Teen."

Tina tried not to wince at how hurt her sister looked. "I know, Queenie. I'm sorry – I've got a lot of things going on, that's all."

Her sister was quiet as she skimmed the surface of the older woman's thoughts, and her eyes were soft. "You worry so much, Teen; you keep giving and giving, and that's wonderful…but you need to think about yourself too."

"I'm fine, really," Tina disagreed, and she waved her wand at the cupboard; two mugs floated out and towards her. "Does Eli want any juice or anything?"

Queenie didn't look to pleased by the change of topic but turned to her son anyway. "You want any juice, baby?"

"Mmm-hmmm," Eli agreed eagerly, grinning at her. "Juice!"

Once the tea and coffee had been poured (and Eli had been given a bottle filled with juice), the two sisters sat at the table; both of them silently watched as Eli drank his bottle, holding it in both hands and licking his lips every time he pulled away to catch his breath.

"He's getting big," Tina stated quietly. "How old is he now?"

"He'll be two in January," Queenie murmured fondly, though she looked somewhat saddened too. "Hard to believe he's getting so big."

Tina smiled weakly. "Two…if it makes you feel any better, Linnet's going to be eight in January… Phoenix will be ten next June." She folded her arms, looking down at the table. "It doesn't feel like ten years."

"No. Toby's going off to school next September… I always thought they'd be going to Ilvermorny," Queenie stated sadly. "But I guess now they'll be at…at wherever it is Newt keeps talking about."

"Hogwarts." She hesitated. "If it makes you feel any better, I've been to Hogwarts a few times; Newt's had business and classes up there he's had to talk to, and I go with him whenever I can. It's not that bad, Queenie, honestly – it's not Ilvermorny, but it's still nice."

Her sister didn't look particularly happy, but she still forced a smile onto her face. "It does look nice," She murmured, clearly having seen the image that Tina had been thinking. "I suppose we should be glad he can go to school, all things considered."

"Yeah; he'll like it there," Tina agreed softly, and she reached out to take her sister's hand. "Just wait and see."

Eli put his now-empty bottle on the floor and pushed himself into a standing position; he toddled over to Queenie, raising his arms to her. "Mama, sit w' you."

"Alright, come here, baby."

Tina watched as her sister picked up Eli; Queenie's face lit up, a radiant smile gracing her features suddenly, and it made Tina feel warm to look at. It was obvious how much her sister loved her children – being a mother suited Queenie so well, and it was almost as if she was born for it for she certainly lived for them.

I'm not like that, she thought to herself morosely – she loved all of her children too, all three of them and she'd love the new one too when they arrived…but she wasn't as well-suited to parenthood as Newt or Queenie were. She was, in her sister's words, a 'career girl' – she wasn't adept at playing with children or comforting them, and it was no surprise that she was the working parent while her husband stayed at home.

Queenie looked over at her older sister, smile fading somewhat, and shook her head. "No, Teen, don't think like that; those kids love you so much."

"Queenie-"

"Just 'cause you're the one at work, doesn't mean they love you any less," Her sister continued firmly. "They certainly don't love you any less than Newt – you should hear what Linnet thinks, you know…and don't get me started on my kids." She laughed quietly to herself. "Daisy adores you, Teenie: she was so excited to see you again, and she's always felt real close to you."

Well, that wasn't particularly surprising to hear, to be honest: it was clear that Daisy was especially fond of her, and Tina suspected it was because they were rather similar – both physically and in terms of personality.

"She's just like you," Queenie agreed, beaming to herself. "So don't go thinking any less of yourself, 'cause there's no reason to."

Tina refused to cry at this, and so instead she found herself smiling tearfully at her younger sister. "Thank you, Queenie. I know you guys miss New York, but all the same…I'm glad we're gonna be living so close to each other again."

Queenie squeezed her hand. "I am too."

It took just a few more days for the repairs to be fully done – much to Jacob's dismay, for he'd been rather unaware that magic could repair things so quickly – and it was with mixed excitement and trepidation that the Kowalski family spent the weekend moving in properly. The Scamanders had agreed to help, of course, and so whilst the children explored the new house Newt and Tina helped to move all of their luggage and belongings in. They spent the first day simply moving things around and judging what they needed to purchase.

"I'm sure you can decorate properly later," Newt decided, looking around the sitting room. "For now, we should focus on the basic necessities; firstly, beds. I'm supposing you'll want six at the moment, yes?"

Both Jacob and Queenie nodded; Tina gazed around, clearly deep in thought. "You'll need a couch – at least one, maybe more – and I'm guessing more things for the kitchen like a table and chairs…the stove is built in, and so's a fridge…how about sheets? You need any sheets?"

"We can buy some," Queenie dismissed. "There's gotta be a place nearby that sells that kinda thing, right?"

"We can buy just about anything in Diagon Alley," Newt agreed.

Both Jacob and Queenie looked somewhat perplexed; Tina grinned fondly. "It's a street in London that's just wizarding stores – we can go tomorrow and you'll see."

The trip to Diagon Alley had amazed all of the Kowalskis, and it was no wonder – none of them had seen anything like this in New York, especially not an entire street of wizard shops. It was clear that they wanted to explore every single store (Toby, especially, had looked over longingly at a shop displaying broomsticks) but it had to wait, of course, for they had things they needed to buy.

"We'll come back," Queenie had laughed when Daisy stopped to gaze in a bookstore, placing a hand on her back. "Come on, sweetie, we'll have plenty of time in the future – we'll have a real day of it."

Her daughter hadn't looked happy at all, but continued walking nonetheless.

Who had what room in the house also caused a few problems, it soon transpired; there was a master bedroom, which was of course Jacob and Queenie's – but the children couldn't quite agree on which room was who's.

"I want this one," Ruth announced, walking into one of the rooms and looking pointedly at her older sister, who was sitting on the bed. "It looks out at the trees, see?"

"But this is my room," Daisy disagreed with a frown. "It's got the window-seat so I can read."

Her sister huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "No, I wanna have this room!"

"I was here first!"

"I'll tell Mama and Papa that you're being mean!"

"But I'm not!"

The argument wasn't pretty at all, and it had taken both couples to calm the girls down; in the end, Newt somehow managed to convince Ruth to take the room overlooking the yard out the back – though he had to promise quite a few things to do it.

"What did you agree to?" Tina asked quietly when no one else could hear them.

Newt went red-cheeked. "I might have promised her a Puffskein…and a Kneazle kitten… Don't look at me like that!" He added at his wife's look. "She'll be more than able to take care of them, I can assure you."

"That's not all, is it?"

"…well. No," He admitted sheepishly. "I may have also agreed that…maybe…I'd let her have a Hippogriff out the back as well."

Tina groaned. "You didn't!"

"I did," Newt muttered, half-amused and half-exasperated. "I didn't know what else to do…and she wouldn't be the only one looking after it, I'm sure Queenie and Jacob would be more than happy to help…"

"Jacob, maybe," She allowed. "But Queenie? She's going to absolutely freak out."

One of the children's favourite pastimes back in New York had been visiting their father's bakery – and it was no wonder, for he was truly a genius with his cooking and designs. It was with unmeasured glee that all of them accompanied their mother to visit one afternoon later that week, excited to see the new bakery.

"Oh, it's lovely, Papa!" Daisy exclaimed when they walked in, eyes lighting up; it was decorated somewhat modestly, like the one in New York had been, but it was larger and had more racks to display things on around the room.

"You think so?"

Ruth nodded eagerly, blonde curls bouncing underneath her hat. "Yes – ooh, you should be the Nifflers here, near the counter, and the Demiguises next to them; that way people will see them when they wanna come to buy something and they can just pick them up."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jacob chuckled. "Alright, you guys wanna see the back-room?"

The oven was already on, and all of them were delighted to smell that there were pastries baking – it was a smell they hadn't experienced in so long, and it reminded them of home.

"I know we ain't opening for another week," Jacob explained. "But I wanted to get back into practice, you know? You guys can try 'em in a minute."

Queenie put the hand that wasn't holding Eli on his arm, smiling softly. "Jacob, honey, don't worry 'bout it; your baking is always perfect. People will love everything they buy, I promise."

"You really think so?" He asked, and he looked somewhat nervous. "I dunno, it's just…it's been so long since I last baked…"

"It smells delicious, Pa," Toby announced with a wide grin. "Ma's right – everyone will love your baking!"

Abel, remaining silent as ever, nodded and smiled eagerly; Daisy beamed. "It smells real delicious, Papa – it's gonna be delicious too!"

"Yummy!" Eli declared happily.

Jacob seemed to flush with pride at their comments.

It was safe to say that Daisy loved her new room; back in New York, she'd had to share with Toby, and while she loved her brother she didn't really appreciate having to share such a small bedroom with him. This new room, however, was everything she could have wanted; it was large enough for her to move about in, probably large enough to dance in, and it allowed her some space for more personal belongings too.

She had been humming to herself as she organised the toys on her bed when there was a knock on the door; when she turned, she saw Tina standing there somewhat awkwardly.

Daisy beamed. "Auntie Tina!" She exclaimed, and she rushed forward to embrace her. "Do you like my room?"

Tina managed a smile. "It's very nice," She agreed, putting an arm around her. "I take it you like it then?"

"Oh, yes!" She stated eagerly, nodding her head. "I can have my own books and my own wardrobe and everything now!"

"Well, I'm glad you like it," Tina said fondly, and as she stepped into the room Daisy realized she was holding something. "I…well…I didn't know if you guys would have a lot over here, you know, what with the sudden move…and I remember when I first moved here, it was kinda strange, so I thought I'd bring you something to help you…you know, settle in."

Daisy's eyes widened. "You got me something?"

"I got something for all of you," Her aunt affirmed. "I was trying to think about what you might like, Daisy, and then I remembered how you looked when we were near the book store and…" She lifted her hand and passed a small bag to Daisy. "Here."

Daisy took it from her, touched, and opened in; to her astonishment, there were a number of books inside – and not second-hand ones but new ones.

"I don't know what kinda thing you like to read," Tina continued, somewhat anxiously. "But I thought that you might like some books to fill up a shelf or something." She watched as her niece pulled one out and examined it. "I know it's not much, and you'd probably have wanted something else, but-"

"Oh, Auntie Tina!" Suddenly Daisy had flung her arms around Tina, embracing her tightly. "Thank you! Thank you, it means so much to me!"

Tina, though surprised, hugged her back. "You like them?"

"Yes!" Daisy was beaming up at her. "I love books! Ruth thinks I'm strange because I like books so much, you know – she always wants to play with her dollies, but I like reading better."

"I'm glad to hear it," Tina told her, somewhat relieved as she grinned. "I used to love reading too, and…well, when I moved over here, I used to love spending time in the book stores; it felt like I was in New York again sometimes, even just looking at the shelves."

The girl pulled back, looking extremely grateful. "Hey, Auntie Tina?… Can I tell you something? You know, without you telling my Mama or Papa?"

"Oh," Tina looked somewhat taken aback; as much as she would have loved to have agreed, she wasn't quite sure she could keep something too serious to herself – or, rather, without telling Queenie or Jacob. "Well, you can tell me anything."

Daisy bit her lip. "Don't tell them, but…I do miss New York. A lot. I mean, I like it here but…but it's not home, not yet. I feel bad 'cause I know they moved us here for a reason, but I still miss New York." She looked up at Tina pleadingly. "You won't tell them, will you? I don't want to upset them or the others, but still…I need to talk about things sometimes."

Tina suddenly realized what her sister had meant earlier during the week – Daisy was similar to herself, and it was no wonder her niece felt so close to her. She understood why Daisy was so keen to want to talk to her – because while there was no doubt she loved her parents, sometimes it was necessary to have another person to be close to, someone who might understand.

"Daisy," Tina murmured, crouching slightly so that they were level. "You can talk to me whenever, alright? I know sometimes you don't want to talk to your mother or father – and that's fine. Sometimes you just…need someone to listen, right?" Her niece nodded. "Well, I want you to know that if you ever want to talk or anything, then you can talk to me. I can't promise I'll always be helpful, but I can listen."

"Okay," Daisy said softly, looking rather touched by this. "But…But you're gonna have another baby, that's what Mama said. Toby told me that you won't have time for m- I mean, us."

"I'll make time," Tina promised. "And if I can't be there to listen for whatever reason, then your Uncle Newt will be there – both of us would be more than happy to talk, alright?"

Daisy nodded again, leaning in for another hug and closing her eyes. "Thanks, Auntie Tina."

Tina returned the hug, unable to stop herself from smiling with only the slightest glisten of a tear in her eye.

It was late by the time all of the children had calmed down and settled into bed; the excitement of moving into a new house had clearly made all of them more energetic than usual, and so it had taken some time for all of them to finally settle down enough to fall into sleep.

Once they were certain all of their children were asleep, Jacob and Queenie had settled themselves at the new table in the kitchen for coffee; it wasn't nearly as nice as coffee in America, for some reason, but it did the trick. The simply sat in silence for a few moments, relaxing in the peaceful quiet that had settled over the house after so much drama and turmoil.

Finally, Jacob exhaled slowly. "So…what you thinking?"

"It's nice," Queenie said quietly, clasping her mug in her hands tightly. "I like it here."

"Yeah," He agreed. "Me too… Plus, the kids have got a place to play now, right? All that open space is bound to be better than the streets."

"The fresh air will do 'em some good," She mused, smiling to herself. "They all like it here, you know; they're all still kinda sad that we had to move since they loved New York so much but…but they're warming up to here too."

Jacob looked down at his cup thoughtfully. "You know, I gotta admit, I was kinda wondering how the twins were gonna react to being split up – they ain't never slept apart before. They seem to be taking it well."

"Yeah…I worried about Abe," She admitted. "He relies on Ruth so much sometimes…but he's absolutely fine. He's such a strong boy, even if he don't show it."

There was another short silence during which Jacob finished his coffee and looked around the kitchen – Queenie heard him thinking to himself, It ain't so bad here really…nice big kitchen, perfect for cooking in – bet Queenie will like that. It's real nice.

"It is real nice," Queenie affirmed, smiling to herself. "And I am looking forward to using that stove, I have to admit."

Jacob grinned, and his thoughts were still wandering absent-mindedly; I'm real glad she's happy – that all of 'em are, actually. Last thing I want is them to be unhappy. It's a good size, better than the apartment…maybe, if we wanted to have more kids…

She heard him trying to dismiss the thought suddenly, going somewhat hot in the face – but Queenie just beamed, reaching out to take his hand. "Oh, Jacob, honey – it's perfect for more kids."

"Oh. Yeah, I mean…I didn't wanna assume or anything, but…"

"No," She assured him quite happily. "The more the better, if you ask me…and Eli is nearly two, right? It's the right time to be talking about it."

Jacob was still flushed but she knew he was pleased by her answer – joyful even – as he held her hand tightly in his. "I don't think I've told you in a while – I love you, Queenie."

"Yeah," Queenie agreed lovingly, and her heart felt like it might burst. "I love you too, Jacob."

They'd certainly talk about a new baby; they'd settle in properly first before discussing it, making sure their kids were happy and the business at the new bakery was running smoothly…but they'd talk about it nonetheless. They had the room now, after all, and if the bakery was as successful as the one in New York then they'd hopefully have the money too.

There was a definite future for their family here – one of freedom and hope.

Jacob and Queenie also adopted – a new fic idea! XD

I hope you all enjoyed this fic as much I enjoyed writing it; it hasn't always been easy at times, but I've found so much joy in writing it all the same 3 You guys' comments are keeping me going, so thank you!

Next up: newtina/miracle baby pregnancy; Newtina desk-smut; and much more!