"There's something we need to talk about," Newt said as they sat around the Goldstein dinner table. He glanced at Queenie, who gave an encouraging nod. He looked back to Credence. "I don't know if you've heard yet, but. . . Grindelwald. . . He escaped."

"When?"

Newt was surprised to hear a calm Credence, but he suspected the boy was just numb with initial shock. The emotion would be coming soon.

"Two days ago," Tina answered. "My team, we've been working on finding him."

Newt had never heard Tina sound so defeated.

"So he's coming for me," Credence said emotionlessly.

"No!" Newt cried forcefully, placing his hand over the trembling hand of the young man he'd come to think of as his son. "We won't let that happen."

"But if it could stop him from hurting everybody-"

"It won't," Tina said softly. "Trust me, I've looked at his records. He was using you to hurt everyone. But that won't happen again. We won't let it happen again."

Credence looked down, and everyone knew that he was crying. Silence filled the Goldstein apartment except for Credence's thoughts.

Tina immediately reached out with Newt, both of them hugging Credence as best they could.

"It's alright," Newt said.

"You're safe," Tina assured him. "Even if you weren't in Britain, where Dumbledore was, we'd fight the world to keep you safe. We helped save you from him before. We'd do it again."

"Why?" he managed to sob. "I'm just trouble, I'm a monster, a freak-"

"No, you're not," Newt said. "You're no monster. If you can care about others like you can, you couldn't possibly be a monster."

"And we do it because we're family," Queenie added. "Family gives to each other."

"We love you, Credence," Newt added. "You're as good as our son. You're worth it."

All those words did the trick. Credence had never been told he was worth the trouble before. He'd never been told that someone loved him, either. The words were warm, like the apartment, like blankets, like the tea he'd come to enjoy.

"Thank you," he muttered.

"Just promise me one thing," Tina added.

"What?" Credence asked.

"Don't go seeking Grindelwald out," Tina said. "We don't want him hurting you again. Do you understand? Revenge isn't worth it."

"I. . ." Credence seemed to be considering what Tina said deeply. "I understand. But I'm never forgiving him."

"And he doesn't deserve your forgiveness, honey," she replied.

They slowly turned to silence in that apartment, and while the future looked grim, they knew they'd face it together.