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“Mommy? Where’s Daddy?”
Tina looked up at the little voice that called from her bedroom door. Ellie was standing in the doorway hugging her stuffed niffler tightly to her. Her daughter had tear stains on her cheeks and Tina could tell she’d just woken herself up from a nightmare. Nightmares were normally Newt’s territory, but he wasn’t here. Tina heard Ellie hiccup as she rose from the bed.
“Daddy’s still working, Elle Belle. Remember how he had to go help Mr. Dumbledore?” Ellie nodded and used her sleeve to wipe her eyes as Tina picked her up. “He’ll be home soon.” She hoped. Tina wasn’t exactly sure when her husband would be home. If he would be home. But she wasn’t telling their three year old that.
“After da election tomorrow?” Ellie murmured as she laid her head on her mother’s shoulder as Tina rubbed her back soothingly.
“Hopefully. He may have to help Uncle Theseus for a few days. But he’ll be home soon.”
“Tell Uncle Tree we need Daddy, Mommy.” Ellie whispered in a sad voice.
“I’ll try, baby.” Tina whispered back as she kissed the girl’s forehead and maneuvered them so she was sitting on the bed with Ellie in her lap. “Now did you have a bad dream?”
Ellie nodded into Tina’s shoulder before speaking. “Daddy was hurted in it. So was Aunt Lals and Uncle Tree.”
“Aunt Lals, Uncle Tree, and Daddy are strong. I bet they’re okay.” Tina whispered, continuing to rub Ellie’s back. She only hoped she was right, that Newt, Theseus, and Lally were okay. That Jacob was too, especially after what the evening papers reported about him. Morrigan, Newt said Bunty was coming along and Kama. What happened to them? Where the hell was everyone? No sooner did these thoughts enter her mind did a transparent Thunderbird enter the room. Ellie jumped at the ghostly sight and burrowed further into Tina as the patronus administered a message.
“I know it’s late, love. Believe me I know, it’s late here. But spare a minute for a mirror?” Newt’s voice was whispered and hesitant. Tina looked over at her side’s end table. She reached over and picked up the mirror sitting on top of it. She’d tried over the last few days to get ahold of Newt. Ellie had been asking for him and the twins had been looking around in confusion, sensing their father’s prolonged absence. But everytime she called through the enchanted mirror he’d gifted her after Paris, Newt hadn’t answered. No one had, not even Bunty or Theseus. It was making Tina question if he’d remember to pack his mirror despite putting it in his case herself.
No sooner had she raised the mirror to her face did Newt appear. He gave her a tired grin as he raised a hand so his fingers were just visible in a clear attempt to mimic cupping her cheek.
“Tina.” He sighed out with relief which Tina matched in her response.
“Newt.” She could feel tears filling her eyes. “Thank goodness you’re alright.” Newt hummed in agreement as he drank in the sight of his wife. Tina was attempting to do the same at her sight of Newt, but a little head shifting on her left shoulder stole her focus. Tina looked down to see Ellie staring at the mirror in slight disbelief. It was as if the girl didn’t believe her father was really able to talk to them after several weeks of travel prevented regular mirror calls. “Ellie, say hi to Daddy.”
“Hi, Daddy.” Ellie spoke up and shyly tucked her head back into Tina’s neck as Tina shifted the mirror for Newt to see their daughter.
“Hi, little love. What are you doing up at-“ He turned to presumably read a clock next to him. “10 o’clock at night?”
“I had a bad dream.” Ellie said with her face still buried. “And I wanted you. But you’re not here.”
“I’m sorry, niffler. I wish I was there.” Newt sounded heartbroken. Both for their daughter having a bad dream and for not being here to comfort her.
“It’s otay. Mommy gives good hugs.” Ellie finally shifted her head to look at Newt through the glass. Tina saw both father and daughter share the same crooked smile as Newt nodded in agreement to Ellie’s statement.
“Mummy does give good hugs. Her hugs always help me feel better. But I sure miss my Ellie hugs. Those are the best hugs.” Newt said with a wink to the three year old causing Ellie to smile with pride.
“Well I think you’ll be getting plenty of Ellie and Mommy hugs when you get home, Mr. Scamander.” Tina teased. “And some cuddles from Jack and Joe. They keep trying to find you everyday when Percy arrives. It seems they don’t want their new babysitter.”
“Uncle Percy is okay, but we want Daddy back, Mommy.” Ellie said while looking Tina in the eyes. She said it so matter of factly, Tina would have thought it was one of her aurors reporting on a case, not her three year old talking about how Percival Graves is only an okay babysitter.
“I’ll be home soon. Then you can tell me all about what you and your brothers have been up to. Sound good, Elle Belle?” Ellie nodded and Newt smiled at her. “Could I talk to Mummy privately now?” Ellie looked up at Tina then. The girl was clearly torn between wanting to be a good girl by giving her parents space and not wanting to return to her room, the scene of whatever bad dream she’d had.
“Why don’t I take Daddy with me and I’ll go get your blanket from your room and you and Franklin can get comfy on Daddy’s side of the bed?” Tina asked, using her free hand to push Ellie’s hair back.
“Franklin and I can stay here tonight?” How Ellie was able to say the name of beloved stuffed niffler, Tina wasn’t sure. But the girl was gripping the toy tighter than ever when she asked her question.
“Of course.” Newt said through the mirror, backing Tina up, even from Scotland. “I need someone to help protect Mummy while I can’t be there.” Newt had a glint of mischief in his eyes at that comment. Tina wasn’t quite sure where he was going with it.
“Mommy doesn’t need anyone to protect her. She’s the strongest Auror in the world.” Ellie rose to Tina’s defense. Tina smiled and kissed the top of Ellie’s head as Newt let out a quiet chuckle.
“That she is, little love. That she is.” Newt smiled brightly. Ellie shifted off of Tina to let her mother up. Tina handed Ellie the mirror to hold while she shimmied out of bed. The girl took the job only slightly seriously as she began making funny faces at her father as Tina maneuvered Ellie under the covers. Her daughter handed Tina the mirror back as she turned on her side and started to close her eyes.
“I’ll be right back, Ellie.”
“Okay, Mommy.” Ellie whispered already half asleep as Tina kissed her forehead. The relief flooding through Tina must have been clear on her face once she got in the hallway.
“Didn’t think she’d go back down that easy?” Newt asked as Tina lifted the mirror to see him as she casted quiet ‘lumos,’ providing her enough light to see as she went two doors down the hall to Ellie’s room.
“She never does.”
“I know.” There was a silence between them as she entered their daughter’s room and grabbed Ellie’s worn baby blanket for her bed. “Did she say what the dream was about?”
Tina heaved a heavy sigh as she sat in the rocking chair they still kept in Ellie’s room. She directed her eyes at the ceiling and watched the enchanted constellations they had painted dance around above her. “She said you, Lally, and Theseus had gotten hurt. That’s all she said before you sent the patronus. Speaking of that patronus, what are you doing up and calling so late? It’s three in the morning for you.”
“Adrenaline is finally wearing off from Berlin, but we have to leave early in the morning to get to Bhutan. I was going to be up in an hour anyway. Why go to sleep for an hour when I could talk to you?” Newt gave her his best smile, which she tried to ignore. She really did. She tried to want to be mad, but she couldn’t. She just couldn’t. The fact that he was sitting there looking just a little worse for wear, but alive allowed her to find excitement and happiness in the situation. “Love? Are you alright? You’re crying.”
Tina reached up and wiped a few tears that had strayed down her face. She hadn’t even realized she’d been crying. “I just miss you. So much. And so do the kids and the creatures downstairs. We all miss you and love you and want you home.”
“I love you all too.” He said and Tina saw the little tears forming in his own eyes. “And I miss you and Ellie and Jack and Joe more than anything. Teddy and Pickett and the rest of the creatures in the case do too. I’ll be home soon.”
“Don’t make promises you know you can’t keep.” The comment was met by dead silence from Newt. Tina looked at the mirror and saw him with an expression that was a cross between hurt and angry.
“Tina, I’ll be coming home.”
“Newt, Grindelwald is involved. We learned coming home isn’t always an option.”
“I will always come home to you and the kids.” He spoke with confidence that Newt’s voice normally lacked when speaking with other people. But not with her. Never with her. After Paris, after they’d established what they were to each other, they had never lost confidence in their relationship. Even when they were young idiots who had gotten pregnant before getting married. Even when they’d spend weeks apart because of one having a mission while the other took care of the kids at home. Even when Tina had been falling apart after losing her sister and Newt wasn’t sure how to help her. They’d built a strong foundation and wouldn’t let the other one down. “Tina, look at me.” She hadn’t even realized she looked away until she was pulling her gaze from the wall and back to his eyes. “I will come home. I will be back hopefully in time for Thanksgiving but I will definitely back for Christmas shopping and our anniversary and Hanukkah. And I’ll take Ellie up to see Santa Claus because you hate it. Not because you’re Jewish but because his elves unnerve you. And I’ll be home to help make sure the house is ready for the chaos that is Oliver and elder Eleanor Scamander before they arrive for the holidays. I’ll be home to take the twins for a day so you can take Ellie to the library since I’m sure she hasn’t gotten to go recently. I’ll be home to help with bedtime and to hold you at night. I am going to come home, Tina. I don’t care what Gellert Grindelwald thinks he can do to me, he won’t keep me from my family. Not anymore than he already has.”
The look of pure determination in Newt’s eyes caused something to stir in Tina. It was the telltale signs of hope rising. Hope that he was right. Hope that they’d be okay, that he’d be okay. Tina just smiled and nodded at him before speaking. “God, I want to kiss you right now.”
“Just kiss?” Newt threw her a smirk.
“Mr. Scamander!” Tina said quietly as if she were scandalized, but privately agreeing with his sentiment. Before either of them could continue teasing, Tina could hear a pounding on the door on Newt’s side of the mirror.
“NEWT! IF YOU ARE GOING TO MIRROR CALL YOUR WIFE CAN YOU AT LEAST NOT MAKE SEXUAL JOKES WHILE THE REST OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP?!” Tina heard her brother-in-law yell through Newt’s door. She stifled a laugh as Newt clearly rose and was muttering under his breath.
“I make one comment about not just kissing you and he-“
“WIFE?!” She heard another male voice yell. A voice recognized as Jacob Kowalski. “Newt?! You got married?! What about Tina?” Tina heard the door to Newt’s room open as he turned the mirror to face the two men being obnoxious in the hall of whatever hellhole they were staying in. “Tina?!”
“Hello, Jacob.” She smiled brightly at him before turning to Theseus with an angry look. “If either of my one year olds wake up now, I’m blaming you, Theseus Alexander.”
“Your husband is the one who mirror called you at 3 o’clock in the morning. My reaction is justified.” No sooner did Theseus speak and a little cry came from across the hall. Tina glared at him as she rose from the rocking chair. “Oh no.”
“Uncle Tree, I think your days are limited.” Tina heard Newt joke to his brother as she entered the twins’ nursery. Jack was still fast asleep in his crib, sucking his thumb while Joe was sitting up and reaching for Tina. Tears were strolling down his little face as he called,
“Mama.”
“Shhh, Joey. It’s okay. You’re okay.” Tina whispered as she lifted him up and adjusted him to her right side.
“Mama.” Similar to his sister’s reaction earlier, Joe buried his head in her neck. Tina quickly walked out of the room, hoping to prevent her third child from waking up. She was bouncing Joe when Newt called from the mirror.
“Mooncalf? Is he alright, Tina?”
“Dada?” Joe was looking in the hall for Newt as she raised the mirror. When the boy saw his father through the glass he lunged for it. “Dada!”
“Hi, mooncalf.” Newt was smiling as Theseus and Jacob stood in frame behind him. Joe saw his uncle and looked at Tina in excitement.
“Tree!”
“Yes, that is Uncle Tree.” Tina smiled at the 17 month old baby.
“I’m so happy that particular nickname isn’t going to die.”
“Oh you love it you, prat. Ellie gave it to you, remember? And you love Ellie.” Newt elbowed Theseus causing the brothers to enter a small shoving match.
“I do. And I love Joe and Jack. I just thought I’d get Uncle Thee this time around.”
“He’s seventeen months old, Thee.” Tina said as she cocked her eyebrow. “The fact that he can say ‘Tree’ is impressive.”
“My niece and nephews are always impressive, Tina.” Theseus beamed at her with pride. He really was a proud uncle and Tina was grateful for all the love he always gives the kids.
“Niece and nephews? You guys have more than just this little guy?” Tina looked at Jacob. Uncle Jacob as they always told Ellie when telling her stories of Newt’s first adventure to New York. She smiled as she turned Joe towards Jacob the best she could.
“Jacob, meet Joseph Alexander Scamander. Your youngest nephew. Joey, meet your Uncle Jacob.”
“Nephew?” Jacob was watching Joe in fascination as Newt spoke up.
“Joe has a twin brother, Jack, and we have three year old Ellie, who might still be awake.” Newt shot her a hopeful look. She knew he wanted her to go introduce Jacob to Ellie. She also knew that those two would get along swimmingly, but if her baby was asleep like she had been on her way to when Tina had left their room, Newt was in for a ride awakening.
“Newton Artemis Fido Scamander, I am not waking her back up.”
“Love, it’s not everyday she gets to meet Uncle Jacob.”
“Uncle Jacob?” Jacob said a little choked up as the name they’d been calling him finally hit his brain.
“And she will meet him when you get home, but you know as well as I do how Ellie is.”
“Love, please.” Newt gave her the look. It was the same look each of their children gave when they really wanted something. They pouted their lips just right and looked at her through their lashes and Tina was putty in their hands. She hated that her husband, daughter, and one year old sons all knew how to turn that charm on.
“Fine. But if she’s asleep he can meet her and Jack when you all get home.”
“Deal.” Newt was smirking, knowing he won. Tina moved quietly down the hall with a quietly babbling Joe. He was babbling at his father and uncles who were indulging the toddler. She quietly charmed open her bedroom door to see Ellie still half asleep on the bed, watching the door.
“Mommy? You were gone longer than a minute.”
“I’m sorry, honey. Daddy needed to talk and then Joey needed me. But I have some people who want to tell you good night.” The little girl’s interest was rising as she shifted to let her mother sit down and cuddle up to her side again as Tina shifted Joe to her left side and handed Ellie the mirror.
“Uncle Tree?” Ellie asked as she saw Theseus.
“Hi, Elliphant. How are you?”
“I’m okay. I miss Daddy.”
“He misses you too. So do I for that matter. Can I come visit soon?” Theseus asked as he smiled at the little girl.
“Mhmm. Bring Nan and Gramps!”
“Nan and Gramps will be coming in a few weeks, niffler. Remember for Hanukkah and Christmas?” Ellie nodded at Newt but her eyes were still locked on Theseus.
“But Uncle Tree can come early right? He can come visit when he and Daddy come home?” Ellie looked up at Tina, who nodded.
“If he wants to.”
“You gots to come, Uncle Tree! I gotta show you the new consolation Mommy put in my room.”
“Constellation, Elle. ConsTellation. Not consOlation.”
“Yeah that.” Ellie was still looking at Theseus who smiled.
“Of course, Elliphant. I’ll be happy to see the new constellation.”
Ellie beamed until she saw the third person in the frame. She started to hide her face in Tina, but Tina stopped her. “Elle Belle, there’s someone Daddy and I want you to meet.” Theseus and Newt moved slightly so Jacob was more in the center of the frame. “Eleanor Ruth Scamander meet Jacob Kowalski, or-“
“Uncle Jacob.” Ellie whispered as she looked at the man. “You’re Daddy’s friend from here.”
“Where’s here?” Jacob asked politely.
“New York, of course.” Ellie said matter of factly. Her little voice carried a small New York accent with pride.
“I see.” Jacob said with a smile. “Well it’s very nice to meet you, Miss Ellie. I’m sorry it took so long.”
“Me too.” Ellie turned to Tina. “Mommy, can Uncle Jacob come see my stars too?”
“Of course he can, sweetheart.” Tina looked up and smiled at her daughter then at the mirror. “He’s always welcome to come visit and if you want to show him your constellations then you can do that.”
“Are you sure? I won’t need to be-“ Tina knew where Jacob was going with that question.
“You let me worry about that, Jacob.” Tina said. She had no plans to have him obliviated. As Newt had pointed out when they started telling stories to Ellie about their meeting, he was their children’s uncle whether he knew it or not, he was their family whether he wanted to be or not. Jacob was a good man who would only be obliviated if he told Tina that’s what he wanted.
“Well Jacob, it's high praise for your first impression if Ellie wants to show you the constellations.” Newt joked, changing the subject. “She wouldn’t even show Theseus them until her birthday this past May, right niffler?”
“Right, Daddy.” Ellie beamed at her father and Tina stifled a chuckle, trying to not wake up Joe who had recently fallen asleep on her shoulder.
“This isn’t fair. I helped paint half the damn things.” Tina heard Theseus mutter as Ellie let out a huge yawn. It was then Tina decided it was time for bed, for everyone.
“Hun?”
“Yes, love?” Newt looked at her with adoration Tina knew was reflected in her own eyes.
“I hate to cut this off, but it’s late here and I have to go into work early for the election. And you are going to start packing up any minute over there, soo-“
“It’s time to say Good Night.” Newt smiled, finishing for her. He looked at Theseus and Jacob who each called a good night to Tina and Ellie before leaving the frame and letting Newt sneak back into his room. “I don’t know how no one else didn’t join our little party just now.” Newt commented as he made his way further into his room. Tina smiled.
“Theseus probably put up a silence charm right before he yelled, but Jacob may have heard his knocking and came to investigate?”
“Maybe.” Newt shrugged, clearly not interested in solving the mystery. “Now for good nights. First Elle Belle.” Ellie looked up at Newt. “Give Mommy a tight hug for me.” Ellie handed the mirror back and reached around Tina and squeezed. Tina returned it the best she could with her full hands. “Now give Joey a quick kiss on his cheek.” Ellie leaned over and lightly kissed her sleeping brother. “Now one for Mommy.” Ellie left one on Tina’s right cheek before she flipped back on Newt’s side. Tina leaned over and kissed the top of Ellie’s head as Newt spoke. “I’m sorry I can’t be there in person to give you a hug and a kiss, little love, but I love you.”
“More than all the stars in the sky.”
“And creatures in the sea.” Newt smiled as he finished his nighttime ritual with Ellie. The little girl laid her head down on Newt’s pillow as she watched her parents say goodbye. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Tina said with a watery smile. “Be careful. Please be careful.”
“I will. Will you be watching as they broadcast it in the morning?”
“That’s the plan.” Newt nodded, suddenly solemn. “Newt?”
“If it gets rough, walk away. Don’t watch if it-“
“Newt, you’ll be okay.”
“Tina, you said earlier-“
“I know what I said.” Tina responded as she looked down at Ellie and then glanced at Joe before looking back at the image of her husband. “But I was wrong. You always find a way to come home. Don’t give up on me now, Mr. Scamander.”
“Never, Mrs. Scamander.” Newt turned then. Tina assumed there must have been a light knock on his door she didn’t hear. “I have to go, love. I’ll see you all soon.”
“We look forward to it. Love you.”
“Love you.” Newt called back with a smile as he faded from the mirror. Tina let a small smile grace her face as she laid Joe down next to Ellie. Her daughter looked up at Tina in confusion, but Tina just brushed her daughter’s hair out of her eyes.
“I’m going to get Jack and all of us can stay in the big bed tonight, is that okay?” Ellie nodded as Tina left the room. Her heart was full of love and hope as she walked down the hall. She just prayed it all lasted.