disclaimer: I own nothing

Author's Note: A day late! I'm sorry, I forgot. I had a lot going on and uploaded on two of my other stories, but this one slipped through. Enjoy, please.

They spent the next day with Queenie and Jacob. It was getting to the point where Newt was wondering if they were interrupting Queenie and Jacob's relationship, but he could not deny that having Queenie in London was helping Tina. He also could not deny that he enjoyed having both Queenie and Jacob around.

Even though Newt knew London, it was enjoyable to explore it with Tina, Queenie, and Jacob. After some exploring, Tina and Queenie went off together -at Queenie's insistance- leaving Newt and Jacob alone.

"Tina seems to be doing better." Jacob said as they walked along the river, not far from Charing Cross. "I mean, aside for hitting you in the head."

Jacob looked awkward when he said this. Newt didn't mind this. He knew Jacob meant well.

"I think she is." he said, nodding slightly.

It was true, though he knew it might be a while before either of them moved past the night they'd talked. Newt was tempted to ask Jacob what his and Queenie's plans moving forward were, but had the feeling that may be something that would be a rather delicate subject. He wasn't entirely certain, but he had been getting a little better with such things since he and Tina's relationship had started. If only because Tina was very clear on what he got wrong.

"How are you doing?" Jacob asked.

"My head is fine." Newt said distantly, gazing across the river.

"Not like that." Jacob said, seeming a little awkward that Newt hadn't picked up on his meaning right away. "I mean..."

"Oh." Newt considered this for a moment. "I'm all right."

He didn't think he could explain himself to Jacob as he had to Tina and he hadn't even truly had to try with Queenie. The words were difficult to find. Tina and Queenie were gone long enough that Newt and Jacob were able to have a fairly lengthy conversation and sit at a small Muggle cafe in Charing Cross. Jacob ordered coffee and talked some more, though Newt found himself tuning his friend out somewhat.

When Tina and Queenie rejoined them at the table outside, Jacob was on his third cup and it was beginning to show. Queenie was carrying a bag. Newt didn't inquire as to what they had been off doing and they all squeezed around the table and Queenie prevented Jacob from ordering yet more coffee. They went their seperate ways soon after this, though Queenie left her bag with Tina.

When they got home, Bunty came running up the stairs and told him that one of the baby graphorns was throwing up heavily. Newt hurried down with her. Tina followed, but the sound of the graphorn vomiting made her gag and she retreated back upstairs.

It was several hours later and after he'd sent Bunty home that Newt made it back upstairs, hair messy, shirt untucked, sleeves shoved up past his elbows, vest unbuttoned.

"Minty!" Newt glanced up at Tina's cry as he washed his hands.

Tina was sitting in the living room, something in her lap, trying to lean forward and grab something from Minty as the kneazle trotted off towards the closet. Newt turned the water off and dried his hands.

"What have you got there, Minty?" Newt said, catching the kneazle just as she made it to the closet, where her wobbly kittens were tumbling around together.

He picked up what turned out to be a ball of dark, sapphire blue yarn. Minty mewed at him as he rewound the trailing end.

"I don't think this belongs to you." he told the kneazle.

Minty glared at him, then went back to the closet. Newt felt that if she had been able, she would have slammed the door in his face. He brought the ball back to Tina.

"I believe this belongs to you." he said, holding it out.

"Thank you." Tina took it as Newt sat down beside her. "How's the graphorn?"

"Fine, once we figured out what he ate." Newt said tiredly, but was watching Tina. "What are you doing?"

Tina's shoulders slumped and allowed Newt to remove what she was holding from her hands. It turned out to be a pair of knitting needles and some blue and silver yarn. There wasn't much, but Newt realized what she was doing.

"A blanket for the baby?" he asked, glancing at Tina.

"Yeah. Queenie suggested it and it seemed like a good idea, but..." Tina sighed. "Sewing probably would have been better. If this doesn't work out."

Tina stared darkly at the two or so inches of knitted material.

"Then I suppose Minty's kittens will have their toy." Newt said.

"No. Queenie said she would do something with them if I couldn't. She bought some fabric for a sewing attempt."

Newt laughed. It seemed very sweet of Queenie to do. He handed the few inches of blanket back to Tina. She ran it through her fingers, then laughed, crumpling it slightly.

"Oh, Newt, why did I let her convince me to try this? I don't think I'm the kind of mother who handmakes her baby a blanket. It took me as long to get this much done as it did for you to cure a baby that weighs a couple of hundred pounds of vomiting." Tina sighed again and ran it through her fingers.

"You just have to get some practice in." Newt said, loosely draping his arm over her shoulders.

He recalled what he had thought about blankets before, but decided not to mention it.

"I think I've left it a little late." Tina said, rubbing her belly with one hand.

"You'll get there."

Tina smiled slightly and rested her head on his shoulder briefly.

"Do you know how to do it?"

"Yes, actually."

Tina laughed at this, lifting her head off his shoulder to shake it.

"That makes me feel better about this."

Newt smiled slightly.

"I'll show you, if you'd like."

"Not yet. I'm determined to do this myself."

Newt nodded, then moved his arm away from her shoulders.

"I'm going to get cleaned up." he told her.

"I'll get dinner started."

Newt stood up, helped Tina up, then went upstairs. When he came back downstairs, with wet hair and in clean clothes, Tina was in the kitchen. She was cooking the Muggle way. While it took longer than cooking with magic -much longer in comparision- it was a good way to occupy some time. Newt set the table and sat down as Tina served the food. The meal was relatively quiet and afteward, Tina resumed her knitting attempt in the living room.

Newt joined her with a notebook and turned the radio to a Wizarding station. Though that was the only kind it picked up. He was making notes about the graphorn's vomiting, but this was punctured by looking up at Tina's frustrated sighs. Newt watched her for a moment. It wasn't so much that she didn't know how to knit, he decided. It was more as if someone had showed her how a very long time ago and she had never practiced it. She actually managed a few more inches, though she had unraveled the equivilant of much more than that.

Newt was still making new notes when Tina set it aside, tucking it firmly into a drawer with the balls of yarn. She stood and walked over to him.

"I'm going to bed." she told Newt, bending and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Newt barely glanced up at this.

"I'll be up in a little while." he said, making another notation.

Tina went upstairs, leaving him alone. When Newt finally joined Tina upstairs, she was sound asleep, peacefully. Newt fell asleep quickly, but tonight his dreams took him back to the night that Tina had been raped. Nothing was altered, not truly, but he was still completely unable to help her.

"Newt." Newt woke up to a dark room, Tina's hand on his chest. "Newt."

Her hair tickled his face before Tina moved back and he sat up. He heard a clatter of wood on wood.

"Lumos." Tina's wandtip lit up, providing light that made Newt squint. "Are you all right?" Tina asked, placing a hand on his back.

Newt nodded, though his heart was beating hard in his chest.

"I'm fine."

"It looks like the nightmares picked you over me." Tina said, running her hand up and down his back.

Newt said nothing.

"What was it about?" Tina asked at his prolonged silence.

Newt hesitated for a moment, not sure if he should tell her. But he couldn't bring himself to lie to Tina. Especially not about this.

"When you were raped." he said quietly.

Tina's hand stilled momentarily. Newt looked at her. Her eyes were filled with concern, dark in the wand light she had pointed away from her face.

"I couldn't help you. It was happening to you and I couldn't help you, Tina. Just like I couldn't when it happened."

"Oh, Newt."

Tina looked pained by his words. She didn't argue with him. She must have known that he would have felt any protests would have sounded hollow to him. Tina leaned against him, pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

"That must have been terrible."

Newt laughed slightly, but it wasn't amused.

"More terrible than what happened to you?"

"Seeing someone you love being hurt and being unable to stop it is terrible." Tina said, cheek on his shoulder now.

Newt nodded, letting out a shuddering breath. It seemed silly that the dream, the memory, bothered him so much when the nightmares that plagued Tina were so much worse. Tina didn't ask if he wanted to talk. She knew exactly what he had been dreaming about and Newt didn't need to talk about it. Perhaps what he had already said was enough.

They were silent for a minute or two, neither of them moving except for Tina running her hand up and down his back.

"Are you okay?" Tina whispered into his shoulder.

Newt nodded.

"I am."

He twisted his head to look at her. Tina's eyes were still filled with concern. Something about that touched Newt, the fact that the horrible thing had happened to her and that she was able to understand how he felt about it and be concerned. There was something to be said about that, he thought.

"Do you think you can go back to sleep?"

"I can try." Newt responded.

Tina kissed his shoulder again and turned away with her wand, setting it on the nightstand.

"Nox."

She had placed it on hers tonight, which Newt hoped meant that she was staring to believe she wouldn't hurt him with it. Newt lay back down after sorting out the tangled blanket and sheet, laying on his side and pulling Tina against him gently. Tina rolled over to face him. She said nothing, but caressed his face gently, brushing hair away from his forehead. Newt allowed her to, feeling the baby kick against his own abdomen from how Tina was pressed against him. Eventually Tina rolled back over and he held her close, finding comfort in her proximity.

Tonight, it was Newt who fell back asleep first.

XXXXXXX

In the morning, Newt woke late, which was very unusual for him. Feeling out of sorts with the time, he went downstairs, tucking in his shirt and buttoning his vest as he went. Tina was in the kitchen and Newt found her giving Minty and her kittens a bath. None of the kneazles looked happy with the situation.

"Felines groom themselves." Newt said by way of greeting.

Tina looked over her shoulder at him.

"I know. But Minty brought something from who knows where to them and they are all covered in it."

"What was it?" Newt asked, joining her at the sink.

The kittens weren't big or corrodinated enough to get out of the sink, but Minty was certainly trying.

"I have no idea. I Vanished it and stuck them in here." Tina held Minty one handed and picked up her wand, which was laying beside the sink. "I already ate, but I made you some breakfast."

She flicked her wand at a covered plate on the table and the upside down plate covering it flipped right side up on to the table. The food warmed instantly.

"Thank you. But I'll help you first."

"No need. I'm almost done. And Bunty and I already fed everyone."

Newt didn't argue with her and sat down to eat, watching the bathing process. Tina was managing it fairly well and used a spell to dry all nine kneazles, turning them into fluffy balls of fur. The kittens tumbled around on their wobbly legs, flipping their tails around for balance. Minty glared at Tina and kept an eye over her litter. This was probably as far as the kittens had been from their birth nest, but Minty didn't seem in a hurry to return her family to their den. She was almost oddly comfortable with Newt and Tina around her babies, but Newt reminded himself that kneazles were almost unfailing in their judgement of people.

Tina watched the kittens, smiling, though she drew the line at the one that tried to play with her shoelaces. Tina paced around the kitchen, seeming restless as Newt washed the plates.

"Are you all right?"

Tina nodded.

"The baby is in an uncomfortable postion." she said, grimacing.

There was nothing Newt could do about that.

"Does walking help?" he questioned.

As versed as he was in creatures and their pregnancies, he knew nothing about human ones. Tina laughed a little, shrugging.

"I'm honestly not sure."

"Then how about we go for a walk? Get out of the house."

"I wouldn't say no to that."

Newt got both of their coats, though Tina was unable to close her's over her belly. The day was overcast and chilly and Newt locked the door behind them. They didn't head in any paticular direction, just started walking. They had no plans to meet Queenie and Jacob today. They were all aware that they all needed time apart from each other.

Tina was walking with her hand beneath her swollen belly, as if supporting the baby and there was a slight grimace on her face. Newt took this to mean was that the baby was still refusing to change postion. They didn't talk. Tinas's gaze was distant, as if she was thinking deeply about something.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" Tina asked when they had walked a few streets.

The question startled Newt, even though Jacob had brought it up before.

"I don't have a prefrence." he said honestly.

Tina nodded, but she looked a little troubled.

"Do you?"

Tina sighed slightly. "It's silly."

"I'm fairly certain being married means your can tell your spouse silly things." Newt said.

Tina smiled slightly at this, but it was fleeting.

"I'm worried about it being a boy." Tina said quietly.

Whatever he had been expecting Tina to say, it wasn't that.

"Why?" Newt asked it as gently as possible.

Tina stopped walking. Newt turned to face her. It took Tina a moment to meet his eyes.

"What if it looks like him, Newt?"

Newt blinked. He honestly wasn't sure what to say about it. Tina looked away.

"I remember his face, Newt. Above me while he was raping me, before he knocked me out. I see it in my nightmares. What if I see it again in the baby? If he grows up to look just like-"

Tina seemed ashamed to even be saying such a thing out loud and broke off. Newt wanted to tell her it was nothing to be ashamed of. It was a natural fear and just as natural to feel shame and guilt for feeling it.

"It's half yours, Tina. I think, even if there is some of him in it, you will be too." Even though Newt spoke the truth, it did nothing to change the look in her eyes. He continued. "It's your child, Tina. And I know you are capable of loving it no matter what. So don't be afraid of that."

Tina looked back at him.

"I already do." she whispered, giving him something that didn't quite make it to a smile.

Both her hands were on her stomach now, the unconscious gesture of maternal protection that Newt had noticed for months.

"So do I, Tina." he told her in a matching tone.

Tina released a deep breath.

"I know you do."

She took another breath. Newt gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder for a moment, kissing her forehead.

"Newt." Tina said with a small smile.

Newt smiled slightly at this. It seemed Tina wasn't entirely comfortable with publice displays of affection, even though the street was practically empty at the moment. They started to walk again, silent for a moment.

"We probably do need to start thinking about names." Newt said.

Tina laughed slightly.

"I have no idea where to even begin with that." she said, shaking her head a little, hands in her pockets.

"Neither do I."

"You? You name your creatures all the time. This should be easy for you." Tina's tone was lightly teasing.

"I named them what I thought suited them. I don't think I'll be able to come up with one for the baby until I see it. Right now you're the one who knows it best."

Tina sighed.

"I don't know. I've never named a living thing before."

"You've never had a pet?"

"Not before Minty. And her kittens are still unnamed."

"I seem to recall Queenie mentioning something about your grandfather breeding owls. Did you name any of them?" Newt said.

Tina laughed again. "If I did, I don't remember. I was pretty young back then."

Newt supposed that was fair.

"Well, we have time." he said.

"Not much, all things considered." Tina said.

Newt nodded in agreement. They crossed the river. They didn't go far on this side, but Newt found it was nice just to walk the city with Tina, even though their conversation had dwindled, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

It started to rain when they were recrossing the bridge. Neither of them had brought an umbrella and they couldn't use a spell when there were Muggles around. Newt stripped his coat off and held it over Tina's head. Tina laughed.

"Newt, you're going to get soaked." she protested.

"I'll dry out." Newt said response.

By the time they made it home, Newt was completely soaked and Tina was fairly damp, despite his attempts with the coat. Tina pulled her wand out once they were in the house and pointed it at Newt, using a spell to dry him before turning it on herself.

Once she had, Tina disappeared into the kitchen as Newt went down into the basement. Bunty would come to help later. Newt was giving her time off now that he had returned home, because of how long she'd cared for the creatures alone when he'd been gone. Tina came down when he was in the shed, carrying two mugs.

"For a second I thought you might be in the case." she said.

Newt smiled slightly.

"Here. I thought you could use something to warm you up."

"Thank you."

Newt accepted the mug she handed him.

"We could go into the case if you want to." Newt told her, sipping the cocoa that was in the mug.

Tina laughed, rubbing her belly with her free hand.

"I think that's not an option available to me right now." she said, smiling as she took a sip from her own mug.

"I'm sure I can fix it, if you'd like." Newt said.

Tina shook her head.

"I think I can stand not going in there for a while longer." she said.

Newt didn't argue with this, walking out of the shed. Tina followed him. Something suddenly came flying down the stairs so fast that it tumbled down the last few feet before it came to a landing, small round objects flying everywhere. Newt was startled to see that it was the niffler. Setting his mug down, he jogged up the stairs to it. Tina followed him as the niffler scrambled to pick up whatever had flown out of its pouch, its sides heaving.

"What happened?" Newt asked it gently, kneeling on one of the steps to be level with it.

The niffler ignored him and Newt picked up one of the round objects. It was a very shiny wooden button off of a coat and Newt sighed, realizing what had happened.

"You went into Minty's den, didn't you?" he said to the niffler.

It stared at him and Newt picked it up, looking for injury. There was nothing, though it had kneazle hair of various colors clinging to its own. Newt reposessed the buttons, stuffing them into his pocket and letting the niffler run off.

"What happened?" Tina asked.

Newt stood and turned to face her.

"I believe Minty's kittens got some early hunting practice."

Tina looked amused. "Is it okay?"

"Scared, but fine." Newt answered.

They went back into the shed and Tina sat on a crate as Newt climbed up to retrieve certain things for the ointment he was concocting for the kelpie. The murtlap, which had emerged from the case, popped out from behind some of the crates next to Tina. Tina stiffened and stared at it. Newt watched, recalling the first time she had seen it. The two regarded each other for a long moment. Newt noticed Tina was fingering where her wand undoubtably was. The murtlap made a noise at Tina, then ran off into the basement, practically screeching as it did so.

"Would he have bitten me?" Tina asked a moment later.

"I don't know." Newt admitted.

"Murtlap aren't friendly at the best of times."

Tina nodded, staring after it. Newt went back to making the ointment. A few minutes later, Tina took both of their mugs -now empty- up to the kitchen. Newt gave her the shiny buttons to return to their proper coats when she did. Tina came down to help him with the kelpie. The kelpie certainly liked Tina much more than it did Bunty and kept still long enough for Newt to apply the ointment.

The wound should have healed by now, but the kelpie kept reopening it. Newt hadn't quite figured out how it managed to do so. When they were through, the kelpie dove beneath the water so forcefuly that it splashed both of them, completely soaking them. Newt sighed slightly, though he wasn't angry.

"Wet again."

Tina laughed. When they headed back upstairs, Tina decided to take a shower, leaving Newt downstairs by himself. He tidied things up, though there wasn't much to do. When Tina came back downstairs, hair wet from her shower, it had started to truly pour outside, thunder rumbling.

Tina sat down with the blanket she was making as Newt stoked the fire. He sat across from her and watched as she started to knit, hesitant and somewhat clumsy. Several minutes later, she managed to get it into such a terrific knot that she was forced to pull her wand out to undo it. Newt chuckled at this, not meaning anything by it, but Tina looked at up at him, looking unhappy. Newt bowed his head slightly, still smiling. Tina went back to the knitting, though she continued to unravel more than she kept.

Finally, after about half an hour, she set it aside and ran her hands over her face.

"I think I'll try sewing instead. It can't be as stressful as this is." she said.

"You've only been at it for two days." Newt pointed out. "Perhaps you shouldn't give up yet."

"I know." Tina seemed annoyed and glared at her knitting. "But I could have sworn it wasn't this complicated."

"You haven't done it in years. You should be a little easy on yourself, Tina." Newt said.

Tina didn't respond to this, but she went back to her knitting. Newt was actually starting to doze off when he heard Tina breathe in sharply.

"Oh."

Newt raised his head. Tina was grimacing, a hand low on her belly. Newt was instantly alert at this.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Tina nodded, though she didn't move her hand. She winced again, her hand tightening.

"What's wrong?" Newt asked, standing. He walked over to her and sat beside her, setting the knitting aside.

"Pain." Tina said.

"Pain? How bad?"

"Not bad. Just a little sharp." Tina answered.

She hadn't fully relaxed, but the grimace was gone from her face.

"How often?"

"Just those two times." Tina answered.

Newt nodded. Tina must have seen his expression.

"I don't think I'm in labor, if that's what you're thinking." she said, taking his hand and squeezing it.

"No, I don't think you are." Newt agreed. "It's probably just some false contractions."

Tina nodded in agreement.

"If they get worse, tell me." Newt added.

Tina smiled slightly at this.

"I am capable of taking care of myself."

"I know."

Newt smiled a little and kissed Tina's forehead. She gasped again.

"Another one?" he asked.

"No. The baby is just -oh!" Tina laughed through a grimace, her hand moving. "It's just kicking pretty hard."

Newt placed his hand beside Tina's and felt the hard kicking. He winced in sympathy. It kicked again and Newt placed his other hand on Tina's belly as she winced again. Newt smiled and leaned down a little.

"You should give your mum a break." he said quietly.

Tina laughed at this and sat back with a sigh. Newt sat back beside her with the same contented sigh. Tina was rubbing her belly where the baby was still undoubtably kicking, but her gaze was far away again. Newt wondered if she was thinking about her confession to him about the baby. He had no idea how to truly reassure her about it. He felt that it would have been a natural fear. He frowned slightly as he tried to recall the face of the Dark wizard that had raped Tina.

He wasn't entirely certain he had seen it clearly. Newt felt certain that he would recognize the man if he saw him again, but right now he couldn't conjure up the image of the man's face. He also wondered if Tina was worried, deep down, that he wouldn't be accepting towards the baby because it wasn't his.

But he had told her the truth when he had proposed. He had known what he had been asking for and he had wanted it. He still did. Now more than ever before.

Author's Note: Ah, fluff. A rarity for me. So of course I mixed it with Tina's worries.

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