Eleven

Tina felt a soft, brushing sensation on her right cheek, and a soft chirping in her ear. Opening her eyes, Tina turned her head to look at Pickett. Perched on her shoulder, the bowtruckle leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. In that moment, Tina managed the tiniest smile of gratitude for the wonderful creature.

A deep groan brought both of their attention back to the drunken magizoologist, still lying on Tina's bed. He began to sit up as he murmured, "Oh, Merlin, I don't feel good…" Then, abruptly, he leaned over the edge of the bed and vomited onto the floor.

Though her face scrunched up in disgust, Tina was also grateful. This most recent development cleared her mind and focused it on what she knew that she had to do: clean up this mess, and she didn't only mean the contents of Newt's stomach on the floor.

Fifteen minutes later found the both of them inside Newt's suitcase. The magizoologist was laying on the cot in his shed that he used on his travels, deep in a drunken sleep. Tina, meanwhile, sat on the step leading into the shed with her face in her hands. Pickett, who still rested on her right shoulder, stroked her hair and chirped as soothingly as he could. Dougal sat on her right, leaning against her side in comfort.

It was taking all of Tina's will-power to not cry, because she knew that if she cried, she would lose control and break down. That was something that Tina could never do if she wasn't in a safe and secure place, and she certainly didn't feel that way now. In her mind, certain memories and words spoken to her were repeating over and over.

You had to choose a Jewish Yank?!

I swore to myself after Leta that I'd never let myself fall so far again…and then I met you…

Tina, you're always showing up where you're least wanted.

That oldest memory was loudest in her mind, cutting words uttered by the most powerful dark wizard of the age in the form of her boss and mentor. Grindelwald was not only powerful, but perceptive when it came to people's fears and insecurities. He'd known exactly the right words that would stick in her mind and taunt her in days to come, especially now.

It all boiled down to one terrible conclusion: Whatever Newt felt for her, he didn't want to feel it. And being involved with her would only cause more trouble than happiness for him, especially with his family and his own peace of mind.

Finally, Tina took a deep and fortifying breath after letting her hands fall from her face. She turned to look at the bowtruckle on her shoulder. "Would you like to go back to Newt or to your tree?"

Pickett's answer was firmly for the latter; the final raspberry that he blew in Newt's direction only brought the point home. Tina nodded and stood up. Dougal took her hand in his and walked with her to the bonsai tree of bowtruckles, most of whom seemed to be sleeping.

Tina held out her hands in front of her shoulder, and Pickett walked out onto them. Bringing him in front of her face, Tina tried her best to smile for the plucky bowtruckle. "So long, Pickett."

The bowtruckle's face fell and he shook his head.

"I'm going back to New York in a few hours, Pickett. I came here for work, and now I have to go back." Her tone was gentle but firm, because she was right. She had to go back home at dawn by portkey and would have a meeting with President Picquery that afternoon about the conference.

Pickett didn't move for a second, but then he chirped and encircled one of her wrists with his spindly arms. When Tina understood his meaning, she was shocked and said, "No, Pickett! I know you're furious with him now, but he would be absolutely heartbroken. He needs you, and I can't take you from him."

Pickett hung his head, but he let go of her wrist. Then, he stepped across her fingers and kissed the tip of her nose. This pulled out a smile from Tina; it was small, but genuine. She then brought him to the tree, and he climbed onto the branches. He then gave Tina a sad chirp and a little wave, which caused her heart to break even more. She waved back and said as reassuringly as she could, "It's going to be alright, Pickett."

She felt her fingers being squeezed by the paw that was holding them, and she looked down at Dougal. He looked up at her with those big eyes of his. Newt had told her months ago that demiguises could live even longer than humans, and Dougal was at least four-score years old. He must have seen a lot, and Tina didn't doubt at all the wisdom of this insightful creature.

Tina knelt down and gently embraced the silver-furred creature, who wrapped his long arms around her shoulders. "Please take care of him, Dougal," she whispered, her voice breaking. When she pulled back, Tina kissed the top of his head before standing up. With one last fond look at Pickett and Dougal, Tina turned and slowly walked back to the ladder that led out of the case.

Because the ladder was inside the shed, she couldn't avoid Newt, even if he was fast asleep. He looked younger, innocent and peaceful like this. Tina not only forgave him then and there, but she no longer had any doubts about her feelings: she was in love with him. Maybe he loved her, too, but what did that matter if it only made him unhappy?

With no anger in her broken heart but a lot of sadness, Tina walked to the cot. Carefully, without magic, she removed his shoes and sets them on the floor beside the cot. She then covered him with a blanket that had laid folded at the end of the cot. Then, her body acting of its own free will, Tina reached out and stroked his bushy, tawny hair, gently brushing it off his forehead. A soft moan came from him, though he didn't wake up.

It took all of the strength that she had left to climb up the ladder, climb out of the case, and shut it securely. It felt like shutting away the pieces of her heart.

Now came a new problem: what to do with it? She was leaving the country in a few hours, so she couldn't just leave it in a room that was no longer leased to her. She looked at the clock in the room: just past eleven o'clock. Surely the pub wasn't closed, and Paulie would be downstairs. He seemed familiar with Newt; hopefully, he knew Newt's address, or would have a better idea of what to do.

Picking up the case, Tina left her room and walked down the stairs to the pub. It wasn't particularly loud, just filled with low chattering and smoke coming from the patrons. When the bar came into view, she found a surprising sight:

Theseus sat at the bar, a worried expression on his face, and holding a full glass of clear liquid between his hands.

Recalling Newt's story of their family dinner, Tina didn't know what to think of this man right now. It was the expression of worry on his face – and her need for Newt to be taken care of – that compelled her to walk up to him. "Mr. Scamander?"

He turned his head abruptly in her direction. "Miss Goldstein!" he said, his voice matching the worry on his face. "My brother…" His eyes caught sight of the suitcase that Tina held, and the tension in his shoulders loosened. He looked back up at Tina, now looking somewhat nervous. "How is he?"

"Fast asleep," replied Tina. She then placed the suitcase in Theseus's lap. "My portkey is departing just before five in the morning, and I doubt he'll be awake before then. Would you take care of him? Be there when he wakes up?"

Her questions were much more loaded than she'd intended, but she found that she didn't regret that at all. Newt was hurting, and his brother had a hand in that. She needed to know that she was leaving him in safe hands.

To his credit, Theseus firmly took the case and looked at it with both worry and regret. "Of course," he said softly. Then he looked at Tina, and a new worry filled his face. "Tina…I don't know what my brother told you about this evening, but –"

Knowing that she was in no way ready for a conversation like this, Tina interrupted him firmly. "It doesn't matter what he told me, because it's none of my business." She hesitated, but then continued. "But I need to ask you something, Theseus."

The older man nodded. "What is it?"

She bit her lip, hoping that Newt would not be angry with her for what she was about to do, but knew that she had to. "When I met your brother six months ago, he carried a picture of Leta Lestrange in his case. I didn't see it in there this weekend, but he may have moved it somewhere else. Please talk with your brother about this, otherwise this evening will not be the worst that you spoke of this afternoon." Her eyes were pleading now. "I only want him to be happy."

Theseus looked at her for a long moment, and by the nature of his gaze, Tina couldn't help but wonder if this man shared her sister's mind-reading ability (because she wanted nothing more than to melt into the floor under that stare). Perhaps her bloodshot eyes were all that he needed to see, though. Finally, he nodded and said firmly, "I will, Tina. Merlin knows that we have a lot to talk about. I only want him to be happy, as well."

Not finding any trace of a lie, Tina nodded and managed to speak past the lump that had formed in her throat. "Then good-bye, Mr. Scamander." She turned on her heel and exited the pub by way of the stairs up to the guest rooms. She entered her own and locked the door behind her.

Exhaustion seemed to tumble down on her like a ton of bricks, so she walked to the bed and practically collapsed on the right side of it. She immediately rolled over to the other side, though (she could smell Newt's scent and the alcohol he'd drunk on the pillow he'd laid his head on an hour ago).

The sleep that Tina managed to get that night was not restful. The dreams that she had were not the kind of fierce nightmares that made you wake up screaming, but they were the taunting kind that left no memory of their contents but a bad taste in her mind. She was wide awake over an hour before she had set the alarm clock on the night-table to wake up. When she had packed her suitcase and left the room, she hung the key on the doorknob (as Paulie had told her to do the previous day when she'd asked about checking out). Since she was here on M.A.C.U.S.A. business, they had covered the expense of her room.

The pub downstairs was deserted when she entered, so she could only thank Paulie for his kindness and hospitality in her mind. At the fireplace, she flooed herself from The Leaky Cauldron to the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. At this hour, there were only a few witches and wizards wandering about and travelling in the elevators. She rode one up to the sixth floor and walked to the Portkey offices. This time, the portkey was a battered old umbrella. The witch overseeing her departure looked like she would much rather be asleep than at work at this hour; nothing like the sunny Deirdre who had welcomed her to England.

At exactly ten minutes to five in the morning, the portkey activated and Tina was pulled from England to the United States. It felt more like being ripped.

Tina managed to land on her feet in the Arrivals Room of the portkey offices in M.A.C.U.S.A. Jim, the same young wizard who had overseen her departure, was behind the desk in front of her. "Welcome back, Goldstein!" he said, his Brooklyn voice far too chipper for this time of the morning. Wait a minute…

"Hi, Jim, um…what time is it?" she said.

"It's ten minutes ta midnight," he replied, looking at his big, silver watch in his hand. "Welcome back ta American time!"

"Jim, I've never known anybody here to take such a liking to the coffee in the cafeteria," she said wryly, looking at the mug on his desk.

He snorted. "Are ya kiddin', Goldstein? This is from that all-night café round tha cornah."

She managed the smallest of chuckles. "Smart. Well, have a good night."

"Same to ya, Goldstein."

With that, Tina apparated from that office to the sitting room of her and Queenie's apartment.

To her surprise, the room was not empty. She saw Queenie lying on the sofa, an open book resting on her stomach and a lamp still on. She'd been waiting for her.

Only a few seconds after Tina had arrived in the apartment, Queenie stirred and woke. When her eyes landed on Tina, she smiled and moved to get up. "Teenie, you're back! Oh, my goodness, tell me everyth–"

She stopped talking so abruptly that she could have been hit with a sudden silencing spell. The smile vanished from her face as her sister's mind opened up to her, and Tina offered absolutely no resistance. She wanted her little sister to find out all that had happened this way. She couldn't talk about it now, even if she wanted to. A large lump was in her throat and hot tears filled her eyes.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she heard Queenie say in a tone that matched the state of her heart: "Oh, no, Teenie…"

Then the dam broke, because now she was in the safe and secure place that she needed to let herself break down.

Tina's suitcase fell to the floor as her own knees gave way. She crumpled as sobs burst from her body, and Queenie was kneeling by her in less than a second. The little sister held her big sister tightly, and she cried right along with Tina. And the big sister held onto the little sister for dear life as she let herself fully give in to her heartbreak.