disclaimer: I own nothing

Author's Note: From here on out, this story is has no beta work on it, so paragraphing and grammar may pose a few more mistakes than usual. Thanks to the small but dedicated group that's been reading this story. Enjoy this chapter.

The next morning, Newt woke early, as was his habit with so many creatures to care for. Tina was still sleeping, so he quietly slipped out of bed and got dressed. He paused to rearrange the blanket and sheet over Tina a bit better. She was curled on her side and stirred as he did this, but all she did was pull them over her head.

Newt went downstairs and peeked in the closet on Minty and her kittens, as had become his habit. Minty was asleep, curled around her now fluffy kittens. She had added a several towels to her nest. The box in the living room was still unused and Newt found it strange that she had yet to move her family, as felines usually did.

He was about to step into the living room when he remembered Queenie and Jacob and paused for a second. Then he carefully and quietly walked through. They were both asleep in their resepctive beds -Jacob was snoring loudly- and Newt went downstairs. As he took care of the creatures, Newt thought about the night before.

"Tina loves you, Newt."

Newt jumped slightly and turned.

Queenie was standing on the stairs above him. Newt knew without a doubt that she was currently in his mind.

"I never thought she didn't." he said.

"I know that." Queenie said, her voice almost gentle. "But you wonder if you did the right thing. Asking her to marry you, taking her away from everything she knew. Especially after what happened to her."

"I've asked you not to do that." Newt said quietly, but it was half hearted.

"Tina knew what she was agreeing to, Newt. She loves you. And she feels like she askes too much of you, even though you're willing to give it, when she can't give it back."

"She doesn't. And she gives me more than she knows."

"But you feel like you can't talk to her." Queenie said.

Newt started to protest, but Queenie continued.

"You don't want to tell her how everything since the rape has made you feel, how you feel her pain like it's your own. How much you worry and want to help her. Because you don't want to add to everything she's already feeling."

It was almost strange to hear this repeated back to him, but Newt suddenly realized that Tina was perhaps not the only person who needed someone to talk to.

"Tina is strong, Newt. You're not going to add to her pain by telling her yours."

Newt said nothing to this, Queenie's words sinking in deep. She was watching him, not saying anything more. Newt dipped his head slightly, turning his attention back to what he was doing.

"You're pretty good at this, Queenie."

He heard Queenie walk down the rest of the steps.

"I told you. Pain is easiest to read."

"It isn't all pain." Newt said, looking at her.

"I know. The rest is love. That's easy too."

Newt laughed a little. Queenie placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it.

"How do I talk to her?" he asked after a moment.

This time it was Queenie who laughed.

"Newt." she said, smiling at him. "You're married. Are you telling me you don't know how to talk to your wife?" The smile and tone Queenie used took any sting out of the words.

Newt ducked his head awkwardly at the question, thinking back to his and Tina's fight, when he had said things he probably shouldn't have. He partially hoped that Queenie didn't pick up on that. Queenie squeezed his shoulder again before removing her hand.

"Just talk to her. There isn't any wrong way to do it. It's something you both need to hear."

Newt nodded, not saying anything else. Queenie helped him finish with the creatures. She was happy to do it and was enthusiastic to meet them.

When they went back upstairs, they found Jacob awake, though somewhat groggy. Newt made more tea and Queenie insisted on making breakfast. Newt went upstairs to wake Tina. It was another gray, rainy day, but the sun had already risen quite a bit. Tina was still sound asleep, though she had rolled on to her other side. Newt smiled a little and walked over to the bed. He sat down beside Tina. The bed dipped, but Tina still didn't wake up. Newt shook her shoulder.

"Tina." Tina groaned and threw her arm over her eyes.

"Leave me alone, Newt." she said, not moving.

"Tina, it's late." Newt said, with a small smile.

"You try sleeping when a baby is beating your insides." Tina said, voice muffled by her arm.

Newt laughed a little. "Unfortunately, you still have to get up. Queenie is making breakfast."

Tina sighed heavily and lowered her arm, just looking at him. Newt gave her a small smile. Tina smiled back and propped herself up on her elbows.

"How long have you been up?" she asked, brushing some of her somewhat messy hair behind her ear.

"Long enough to feed everyone and talk with your sister."

"About?" Tina asked.

Newt paused for a moment, not sure what to say. He understood what Queenie had said about needing to talk to Tina, but he didn't think now, first thing in the morning, with Jacob and Queenie downstairs was the right time to do so. Tina seemed to understand and squeezed his hand. She then took it and placed it on her swollen belly.

Newt felt hard kicking beneath his hand and laughed a little.

"No wonder you couldn't sleep." he murmered.

Tina got up and started to dress. The skirt she chose rode low on her hips and when she tucked in her shirt, it was stretched tight against her stomach. The breast area was starting to become tight as well. Tina looked down at herself and sighed.

"Being pregnant doesn't do wonders for your wardrobe." she said, running a brush through her hair.

There were spells that could help, but it was a bit tricky to alter clothing one area only. Most spells did it overall.

"There are a few places in Diagon Alley that should be able to help you with that." Newt said as they headed down the stairs.

Jacob and Queenie were talking, Jacob's eyes part way closed. He didn't seem to be much of a morning person.

"Good morning, Tina." Queenie said with a smile to her sister.

"Morning, Queenie." Tina said as Newt began to set the table.

"Did you sleep well?" Queenie asked.

Newt felt that Queenie had an interesting way of going into people's mind and then not doing so. Tina snorted a little at the question.

"Not really." she said, pouring herself some tea. She stirred sugar into it, avoiding the milk. Newt supposed milk in tea was an acquired taste when you were an American.

Breakfast was quite enjoyable and tasted better than anything Newt or Tina had produced recently. He told Queenie as much and she laughed a little when he did. After breakfast there was hesitation. Neither his or Tina's days had been very busy recently and now that Queenie and Jacob were there, it complicated things a little. Neither of them seemed sure what to do now that they had guests. And the fact that they had never just simply all spent time together.

In the end, Newt asked Queenie and Jacob whether they wanted to see Diagon Alley. Both agreed to this, though Jacob was surprised.

"Do they -Do they let people like me in there?" he asked.

They all looked at Newt, who frowned slightly.

"I'm not entirely certain." he admitted. "But they allow Muggle parents in when they have wizarding children, so I don't see why not."

They spent the walk there talking about the difference in wizarding laws in England. Queenie especially seemed enthusiastic on it and Newt noticed Tina eyeing her sister. When they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, Tom was there as usual, though the pub truly only had customers that had probably spent the night upstairs.

"Newt, Tina. Who do you have with you today?" The barman greeted in a friendly tone.

"My sister, Queenie." Tina said, nodding towards Queenie. "And her-" Tina broke off, as if she wasn't sure what to call Jacob.

"Jacob." Jacob filled in.

Tom nodded, looking a little amused. They passed through the pub and went out into the alley. It was an enjoyable morning, especially considering how amazed Jacob was by Diagon Alley in general. Even Queenie was impressed, as Tina had been. Newt felt a certain pleasure at sharing something that had been such a large part of his childhood with people that he cared about. It was a new feeeling. Newt realized that there hadn't been a lot of people in his life that he cared about like the three with him. What relationships he had were easily very complicated.

They spent some time in Diagon Alley and Newt convinced Tina to stop into a robe shop to resolve her wardrobe problems. This was a fairly successful endevour and they stopped to eat and drink in the Leaky Cauldron on their way out. Jacob eyed the butterbeer Newt had ordered for him with suspicion, sniffing it instead of drinking it.

"This ain't no more of that giggle water stuff, is it?" he asked.

"No. Butterbeer is very mild and has no...special effects." Newt said, sipping his own.

Jacob seemed skeptical, but took a cautious sip. When he seemed to determine that nothing had happened to him, he took a much larger one. Newt smiled a little at this. When they left, they all were in various stages of cheerful moods. Newt was relieved to see Tina seeming so carefree. It was something that she hadn't been nearly often enough since she'd been raped.

It was well into the afternoon when they returned to the house. Jacob expressed interest in exploring the rest of London, but it seemed he'd decided that seeing one of the busiest wizarding parts had been enough for the day. Tina followed Newt into the basement when he went to check on the creatures.

Bunty was due to come in this evening and he wondered how they would explain Queenie and Jacob's presence to her. He wasn't entirely certain if it was illegal for an American witch to be involved with a Muggle in a different country if they didn't live there. He asked Tina as much as he topped off some water buckets and dishes. Tina frowned, leaning against the wall, caressing her swollen belly.

"That's where it get's fuzzy." she admitted. "Queenie is still an American citizen and therefore is still technically bound by our laws. But she is bound by the laws of the country she is in and it's not illegal here. So I don't know. She's in for a world of hurt if they go back to America and get caught. Jacob will be Obliviated -properly, this time- and Queenie will be arrested. And I don't think she'd ever be released."

Tina ran her hands through her hair. She looked so stressed about it that Newt felt bad for bringing up the subject in the first place.

"Ever? Don't you know?" he said instead, wiping his hands off and walking towards her.

Tina gave him a look.

"It is a very firm law, Newt. The punishment clear. That deterred most people. And when it did happen...I only heard rumors. I never dealt with any myself." Newt wasn't sure what to say. Tina continued. "Imagine if you lived in America. Imagine if I was a No-Maj and we ended up where we are now, a bit differently. And we got caught."

Newt thought about this for a moment. It was an almost unreal concept to him, considering how he had been raised and his view on the American laws in the first place. It was also hard for him to imagine Tina as a Muggle. He nodded.

"You would get thrown into jail, maybe never leave. I would be Obliviated. Imagine that."

"It would drive me mad." Newt said after a moment of thought, voice quiet. "Remembering everything and why we risked it in the first place. Knowing you didn't remember a thing. That if I ever saw you again, you wouldn't know me at all."

"Exactly." Tina said, her tone matching his.

She seemed sad and Newt had no idea if she was imagining the scenario she had just told him or if she was thinking of what could happen to Queenie and Jacob. He closed the small distance between them and hugged her tightly, though her belly got in the way a bit. Tina hugged him back just as tightly.

"I just want to protect her so much, Newt." she whispered into his ear. "And I know I can't do that anymore."

She released a shuddering breath.

Newt suddenly had a different view of Tina and Queenie's relationship. He knew the differences between them instantly. Tina was strong, intense, protective. Queenie was sweet, trusting, and a little naieve. And they had lost their parents when they were children. Tina, as the older of the two, had taken it upon herself to look after and protect Queenie. That had continued into their adulthood. The sudden break of that relationship had probably been hard and Tina still wanted to protect Queenie. It was so very different from what he had ever had with Theseus. He didn't know what he could say, but perhaps, for once, Newt didn't need to say anything.

They stayed that way until Queenie called their names from the basement doorway. When she did, they parted and headed up the stairs together.

XXXXXXX

Queenie and Jacob had been with them for two days now and Newt was thinking that they were going to have find different arrangements. It was becoming a little awkward the way things were now, with Queenie and Jacob in the living room.

They had planned on exploring London that day as Jacob had wanted, but a massive downpour, complete with thunder and some lightning, had started sometime before dawn and was keeping them indoors.

When there was a knock on the door, none of them heard it over the rain until it came again, this time like someone was pounding on it. Tina answered it.

"Oh!" Newt heard her exclamation of surprise from the door and went to the front hallway where Tina was letting Theseus in.

Newt tensed.

They hadn't seen his brother since that day in the Ministry and he couldn't think of any good reason why Theseus would be here now. Theseus was soaked, but he ran his wand over himself with a drying spell as Tina shut the door.

"Theseus." Newt said, aware of Queenie and Jacob behind him. He wasn't certain he wanted to explain that to his brother.

"Newt. Tina." Theseus looked a little awkward.

"Why are you here, Theseus?" Newt winced at how that sounded. It wasn't how he'd intended it.

"I wanted to talk to you. To both of you. About what happened at the Ministry."

Before Theseus could say anything else, Queenie and Jacob walked up behind Newt. Theseus's eyebrows shot up.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had company. I can come back at another-"

"You're Newt's brother." Queenie interrupted.

"Yes. I am. But I'm afraid I don't know who either of you are." Theseus looked a little more awkward.

Fortunately, Tina came to his rescue.

"Theseus, this is my sister, Queenie, and our friend Jacob."

Theseus nodded at this, then seemed to remember himself and shook hand with both Queenie and Jacob.

"It's a pleasure to meet both of you. I'm Theseus Scamander. Newt's older brother." Theseus said politely.

"You're here to apologize to Newt." Queenie said when Theseus released her hand.

Theseus looked startled.

"You're a Legilimens." he said.

Newt felt his mouth twitch towards a smile at this and it grew when he heard Tina snort slightly.

"Yeah." Queenie gave Theseus a large smile when she said this.

Theseus shot a look at Newt. Newt gave his brother a small smile. He would get used to it if he spent any time around Queenie. Newt managed to get everyone coralled into the kitchen, where he poured yet another cup of tea. He was starting to think that Tina had been on to something when it came to the tea. The table was a little crowded with five people sitting around it, but they managed it.

"So." Newt said to Theseus, sitting down beside Tina. "You want to apologize. For what?"

Theseus cleared his throat slightly.

"I think that maybe I was a little harsh the last time we talked."

"No kidding." Tina said.

"Tina." Newt said, glancing at her.

"No, Newt. She's right. I shouldn't have just jumped in there and told you what to do. But I was just trying to help you. Maybe not in the way I should have. That's why I want to apologize."

"You didn't need to apologize in the first place." Newt said, a little quietly.

He felt like he was on uneven ground here. He couldn't recall the last time he and Theseus had spoken to each other like this. Or that Theseus had apologized to him.

"I did. But I want you to know that I'm trying to help you. The Ministry won't tolerate a slip up from you, Newt. And you have a lot more to lose now." Theseus glanced at Tina as he spoke.

"The Ministry isn't going to throw me in Azkaband for what happened in New York. Especially when Picquery cleared me." Newt said, tapping his fingers against his mug.

"They can't." Theseus admitted. "But it won't take much for them to get you on something else."

Tina made a sound like she was going to say something. Newt had a feeling that it had its basis in their argument. She knew how governments worked, but he knew just how much she didn't like viewing it as a completely corrupt system. And it wasn't. Just from this point of view it was.

"They can't send Newt to Azkaband for just anything."

"Not permanently. But a few months...they'll do that, at the least."

"Why?" Jacob interrupted. "I mean, throwing someone into prison just because they can-"

"They see Newt as a possible threat." The conversation had soured and they could all feel it. Theseus cleared his throat again and took a sip of his tea. "I just wanted to help you, Newt. You have to understand just how careful you have to be."

"I understand better than you realize."

There was an awkward moment of silence. Queenie and Jacob were staying out of the conversation, which Newt felt was for the best.

"Mum said you two were working on a nursery." Theseus said.

It was a weak attempt at changing the subject. Newt welcomed it.

"We've almost finished." Newt said, nodding slightly.

"After we figured out how to put the cradle together." Tina chimed in.

"After we did that." Newt agreed.

They talked for a bit about the baby, though Newt felt Tina's leg -pressed against his own because of the close confines- tense beneath the table. He placed his hand there and squeezed gently. They talked about Theseus's engagement, quite a few months old at this point, and about Queenie and Jacob. If Theseus saw a problem with Jacob being a Muggle and the situation, he said nothing about it, which Newt felt was almost strangely polite of him.

All in all, by the time Theseus was getting ready to leave, it was one of the better -and longer- interactions Newt had had with his brother in a very long time. Theseus, of course, hugged Newt before he left, managed an awkward one with Tina, and politely said goodbye to Queenie and Jacob, and left back out into the storm. Newt was left standing at the door, not entirely sure how to feel.

"I don't think you were exaggerating about your brother, Newt." Jacob said behind him.

"Theseus means well." Newt said, locking the door. "I'm just not sure he's there yet."

"He meant it, Newt. He does want to help you." Queenie said.

Newt nodded at this. He wasn't sure about what to say to that, even though knowing that Queenie wasn't lying actually meant something to him.

Author's Note: Newt and Queenie's conversation is one of my favorite parts of the story. We didn't get a lot of interaction between them in the movies, so I thought it would be interesting. And circling back to Newt needing a 'giver'.

Please review at any time!