Catastrophe || n.s

xviii. epilogue

It was quite sudden, Penelope had to admit, to pack up all her things and get them ready to go across seas the following morning. She barely slept that night- though it wasn't because she had spent all her time packing her things, as Newt helped her with that with just a simple wave of his wand. No, it was the pure excitement she felt towards beginning the new chapter of her life, with Newt by her side.

She had informed her mother that night; the old woman started crying over the phone, and Penelope immediately felt guilty, and considered changing her mind for her mother's sake. Though Dorothy Finch had reassured her daughter that they were tears of joy; she told Penelope that, ever since her father died, she had noticed that the young girl was growing more and more depressed every day. She was happy that her only daughter found somebody who made her happy.

She made Penelope promise, however, to come back to New York to visit her as often as she could. It was a promise she could easily keep- especially with Newt's handy ability to Apparate from place to place within seconds. And the two woman ended it at that, after exchanging a few emotional "I love yous", Penelope hung up the phone and attempted to sleep the rest of the night away.

~

The next morning, Newt arrived back at her house just after the sun rose into the sky. He had a huge, crooked smile on his face as he greeted Penelope at her door, which filled her heart with warmth. He wore the dragon necklace that she had given him the night before around his neck, and Penelope could see a small piece of paper sticking out of the breast pocket of his trench coat.

Currently, Newt and Penelope were standing at the docks, waiting for their ship to arrive. Tina Goldstein was standing beside them, there to say goodbye to the friends she had made. She looked to Newt with an almost hurt expression, though she forced a smile onto her lips whenever the British man looked her way.

Penelope knew the dark-haired woman fancied Newt Scamander, and Penelope understood the hurt she felt towards the fact that he chose Penelope rather than her to join him on his journeys.

Felix and Pyra were being safely toted inside of Newt's magically expanding suitcase; he had made them their own habitats the night before. The beasts seemed happy when they were introduced to the secret world of magical creatures, which made Penelope smile.

The loud bellow of a boat horn stabbed Penelope out of her daze, and she immediately knew it belonged to the ship that would carry her and Newt to England. Suddenly feeling nervous, Penelope looked to Newt with wide eyes.

The British man sent her a reassuring smile before turning to Tina Goldstein, who now had tears in her dark brown eyes. "Well, it's been, um..." Newt began, though he seemed lost for words.

"Hasn't it?" Tina agreed, as if she knew exactly what he was going to say. She smiled at the man, though Penelope knew it was forced. "Listen, Newt- uh, I wanted to thank you."

"What on earth for?" Newt asked with a short, breathy laugh.

"Well, you know..." Tina murmured, suddenly sounding nervous. "If you hadn't said all those nice things to Madam Picquery about me, I wouldn't be back on the investigative team right now."

Newt smiled slightly, looking to the ground as he did so. "Well, I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather have investigating me."

"Try not to need investigating for a bit," Tina told him sternly, though she had humor shining in her eyes.

"I will," Newt agreed, looking to Penelope. "Penny'll keep me in line, I'm sure."

Penelope nodded at this, trying to ignore the look of hurt Tina shot her way.

"Quiet life for me for now on," Newt continued, seeming to not have noticed the look the brown-haired woman had just given his new assistant. "Back to the ministry for a bit, working on my manuscript. Maybe researching some beasts here and there."

"I'll look out for it," Tina told him softly. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

"Is that really going to be the name?" Penelope suddenly spoke up, humor in her tone. "Why can't it be something like 'Magnificent Monsters and Where They're Found'?"

Newt turned to look at the woman with an eyebrow cocked, though he laughed as he saw the innocent look on her face. Penelope was surprised when Tina laughed, as well.

Suddenly, however, Tina Goldstein's eyes grew sad once more, and her voice was higher than normal as she asked him, "Does Leta Lestrange like to read?"

Newt seemed taken aback by the sudden question, his blue eyes immediately filling with emotion at the mention of the name that was unknown to Penelope.

"Who?" The British man asked after a moment of stunned silence.

"The girl whose picture you carry," Tina explained quietly, and Penelope suddenly felt her heart stop. Did Newt have someone waiting for him back home; someone who he cared for more deeply than herself?

"I actually don't really know what Leta likes these days," Newt told her simply, yet awkwardly as his gaze snapped to Penelope for a split second. "People change, you know. I changed, I think... maybe a little." As he said this, he turned towards Penelope; though the dark-haired woman didn't notice, as she was staring at her feet. Newt wished that she had been staring at him, so she would know that she was the one he cared deeply for now.

Another blaring horn caused Newt to turn around, gazing at the ship as passengers began to board. He turned back to Tina after a moment, his heart sinking as he saw the woman becoming emotional. He wished he could comfort her, though he didn't know how to. "I'll send you a copy of my book, if I may."

"I'd like that," Tina Goldstein murmured as she smiled through her tears. "I'd like that a lot."

Newt nodded slowly, staring at the woman for a moment more with a sunken heart. Then, without another word, he grabbed Penelope's hand tightly in his and turned towards the boat. Before the pair had a chance to board, however, Newt turned around to look at Tina once more. The woman now had tears trailing down her cheeks as she stared after them, and once again Newt wished he knew how to comfort her.

"So sorry," Newt suddenly said, causing the dark-haired woman to look up at him. "How would you feel if we gave you the copy in person?"

Another smile crept onto Tina's face, this time a genuine one, and Newt felt his heart become warm at the sight. "I'd like that, a lot," she answered him and laughed lightly. "Very much."

Newt chuckled alongside her and nodded slowly, "Okay," he murmured, smiling at the American woman. "Then I reckon we'd better start planning a trip to New York, Penny," he added towards Penelope beside him. His new assistant only nodded, smiling up at the man warmly. "Are you ready to begin your new life, Penelope Finch?"

"Yes, I am, Mr. Scamander," Penelope answered him in a small voice; he could tell she felt nervous.

"Alright, then." Newt grabbed onto the woman's hand tightly, pulling her close to him as he lead her onto the ship that would bring them to England. "I do promise you, you won't regret it."