Monday, March 7, 1927

Tina sighed in frustration as she laid the letter aside. She usually read through the letters Newt sent twice or three times, but it had been three months of receiving mail and she was beginning to feel frustrated.

She loved to hear from Newt; especially about his creatures. He rambled on for pages about how much the Occamys were growing, how Pickett was becoming better friends with the other Bowtruckles and usually agreed to stay in the habitat, or how Dougal had gone missing for a day. Newt hadn't forgotten to write and let Tina know that the Demiguise had been hiding in the Niffler's habitat.

"What's wrong, Teen?" Queenie asked. Tina glanced up from her position at the kitchen table to see Queenie resting on the couch reading a magazine. She knew that her sister understood what was wrong, but was pretending to give her an option to share.

"Its nothing," Tina replied. Queenie dropped the magazine onto the couch cushion before she sat up to face her sister with an all-knowing look.

"Oh honey, he's in love with you. I know he is," she said in a nonchalant tone. She ignored Tina's eyeroll and lowered the volume on the radio with a flick of her wand before she went to sit with Tina. She gazed at her older sister with a sympathetic expression, reading the thoughts in her mind. Tina's gaze settled on the window that the owl had tapped at earlier with Newt's letter. Doubtful thoughts still fluttered in the Auror's mind.

"You're ridiculous, Teen. It's obvious in the letters you've let me read that he cares for you."

Queenie smiled but Tina's head slumped to the table in exhausted confusion; her voice muffled as she spoke into the sleeves of her shirt.

"You don't know that. Also, I never let you read any letters. You listened to me reading in my head."

"You're being dramatic." Queenie prodded Tina's arm. "Listen to me."

Queenie waited for her to sit up. Tina's bangs were all messed up.

"I've listened to people think for many years now. I know how their faces communicate or don't communicate what they feel. You're impossible for people to read most of the time, but that interests Newt. He sees how kind and brave you are," Queenie said in a happy voice.

Tina stared at her after the reply, wondering if what Queenie said was true. She didn't feel especially kind or brave. However, she appreciated her sister's attempt to console her.

"I'm worried Newt feels obligated to write to me," she muttered.

"He doesn't. Besides, he could be worrying the same thing about you," Queenie answered before reading her sister's thoughts again, "Newt understood what I meant about him needing a giver. He likes you."

"Thanks, Queenie," Tina muttered. She wasn't sure if she believed her, but she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Tina attempted to compose a letter to Newt.

'Dear Newt,' she wrote, but she didn't know how to continue. She wished that she could tell him how she actually felt.

"Why don't you write a letter about everything you're thinking about, but you don't have to send it?" Queenie suggested before beginning to hum along with the radio. Tina rubbed at her eyes, tired but determined to write. She took her sister's advice, silently scolding Queenie for reading her mind.

Dear Newt,

I miss you very much. Please come to visit soon.

Yours, Tina

That was all that she wished to write to Newt, but she was sure that if he read it, he would think she was crazy.

I only knew him for a week before he left.

"I dare you to send it," Queenie said with a grin.

"Stop reading my mind," Tina replied. Without saying anything else, she stood and walked out of the apartment and down the winding stairs. She proceeded out of the front doors of the building and came to a stop on the sidewalk. Queenie knew that when Tina left the shared apartment, it meant that she needed to be alone.

The March air was cold as a few cars drove past her. Tina could hear the quiet drone of a radio; it was most likely theirs.

I probably forgot to close the window.

Tina folded her arms and rolled her eyes at herself. It was nonsense to miss someone she hardly knew. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her thoughts. However, they continued to wander to Newt.

He's a kind person. He helped me get my job back and he gave Jacob those silver Occamy eggshells to start his business.

As she stood there thinking about him, she came to the conclusion that there was no point in sulking because there was nothing to be done to change the situation. No matter how much she found herself missing him for some reason, all she could do was head back upstairs and write a reasonable letter.

People I care about always seem to leave or go missing.

Tina ran her hands through her short hair and looked up at the streetlight above her as her thoughts faded to work-related anxieties. Ever since Grindelwald had been captured, it was tense and busy at MACUSA. It didn't help that Tina's dreams were sometimes visited by memories of being in the subway with Credence, Mr. Graves, and Newt. Credence's death had haunted her ever since that day.

She remembered after Jacob had been obliviated, that she had Apparated with Queenie and Newt to the apartment. Queenie had collapsed to the couch, crying while Tina sunk down next to her and tried to console her. When everything was calmer, Newt had done his best to distract Tina from her consuming guilt.

"It wasn't your fault, Tina."

Three months after all of the events, it was as if the wizarding community was holding its breath, waiting for the next problem to occur. Tina took comfort in the fact that she had the next day off, so at least she could attempt to sleep in longer than usual. Tina unfolded her arms, deciding it was time to go back inside.

"Erm, hello Tina."

Tina turned around. Newt Scamander stood in front of her with his suitcase in hand and a nervous smile playing on his lips. Tina's eyes widened for a second as she stared at him, shocked. She took a few hesitant steps toward him.

I can't believe this.

"What are you doing here?"

Newt adjusted his grip on the handle of his suitcase. Tina saw that he was wearing his blue coat and it looked as travel-worn as ever.

"I finished my book." His smile was lopsided as he made eye contact with her. A moment of silence followed as Tina was still surprised. He continued.

"Thank you for the title idea."

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?"

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," he echoed.

Newt's gaze flickered away from her; he was beginning to think this was a bad idea. He'd gotten on the first boat to New York after receiving a copy of his book, and he hadn't mentioned his impending visit in his most recent letter to Tina because he hadn't even known the news himself.

She's beautiful.

He hadn't realized how much he'd missed her until he saw her. Now, Newt was wondering why he had even shown up.

"I'm sorry, I—"

He didn't have time to finish because Tina walked closer and threw her arms around him. He felt surprised for a moment before he embraced her with his free arm. She smelled like perfume. He felt her relax.

"Welcome back," she whispered.

Newt could trace the weariness and excitement in her words. Life in London had been lonely and dull whenever he wasn't inside his case with his creatures or reading letters written by her. Her statement made him happy, reminding him that in the short days that he had come to know Tina, Jacob, and Queenie, he had found a kind of home.

They let go and Tina hid the few tears that had trailed down her cheeks, feeling embarrassed before she smiled at him.

"How long are you going to be here? Are you hungry?" she asked in a still-shocked tone, beckoning him inside. She checked to make sure that Mrs. Esposito wasn't snooping.

"I think I can stay for two days at the most. My publisher wants me back in England," Newt whispered, "and I suppose I am hungry."

Tina felt disappointed at the thought of him leaving so soon, but she also couldn't believe that he was in New York in the first place. Before she could open the door to the apartment, Queenie whipped it open first, ecstatic.

"Newt! When did you get here? I heard Tina thinking about you just now. Come in!"

He walked in behind Tina, noticing that the place looked the same as it had a few months ago except the kitchen table was covered with pieces of crumpled up paper. What he didn't notice was the meaningful look that passed between the two sisters. Queenie grinned mischievously and Tina gave a warning stare. They both walked into the kitchen to make dinner.

(A/N: Queenie is the queen of Newtina shippers.)

"I see you got my letter," Newt spoke up with a smile. He hovered next to the table, his eyes sweeping across the scattered sheets.

Tina froze with wide eyes. She silently summoned the paper she had been writing on before, the words "Yours, Tina" replaying in her mind. The sheet of paper flew past Newt and into her hand.

Queenie burst out laughing while setting bowls of soup on the table; they would have broken if they hadn't been so close to the tabletop. Newt's eyebrows rose as he witnessed the scene and Tina blushed. She glared at Queenie while she crushed the paper into a ball.

The event was forgotten as Tina gathered up the rest of the papers and they all began to eat. Queenie noticed Tina and Newt glancing at each other surreptitiously every once in a while.

"How is Jacob?" he asked with a fond smile. However, he regretted it when he saw the painful look that crossed Queenie's face.

"Oh, yeah, Teen told you about Jacob and his bakery!" Queenie said, her smile dimmer than usual.

"Yes, how is he doing?" Newt asked. Tina shifted in her seat.

"I went to see him a week ago. He seems to be doing great and his bakery has had a lot of business. You know, he makes these amazing pastries that look like your creatures!"

Newt nodded in a way that he hoped was encouraging. Queenie continued.

"He said he thought we had met before, but that it had to be impossible because he would have remembered someone like me."

Queenie looked hurt as she explained. It had taken three months for her to decide to see Jacob again and the reunion had been simultaneously wonderful and disappointing. Tina gave her sister a sympathetic look while Newt seemed at a loss for words. It was difficult to forget Jacob's absence.

Eventually, the sisters began to ask about Newt's creatures. Queenie watched as her sister chatted with him about Frank's whereabouts, hearing some of the favorable thoughts they had about each other pass through their minds.

As it got later, it was decided that Newt would stay in his case (which would be left on the living room floor). Queenie couldn't help but chuckle at his embarrassed thoughts as he realized he hadn't considered where he would stay during the trip. All he had cared about was seeing Tina as soon as possible.

When Queenie left to get ready for bed, Newt offered Tina her long-awaited copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. His expression was eager and nervous at the same time.

"Do you like it?" he asked. He wondered if he should have written a note on one of the first few pages.

Perhaps I should have thought this through a bit more.

Tina gazed at it with a wondrous expression.

"It's one of the first that was printed," Newt stated. He watched as her fingers traced over the title.

"I love it, Newt. I can't wait to read it."

He grinned, unable to meet her eyes. Neither of them knew what to say, so Newt decided to escape into his case.

"Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Tina watched him descend into the suitcase before she walked slowly to her room, beaming as she clutched the treasured gift.

(A/N: Let me know what you thought about this chapter. Thanks for reading! This chapter has been edited (on 2/22/19) since it was first published.)