Tina wakes up in a hospital in 1925 after a difficult mission. Her head aches terribly and is wrapped tightly with a clean, white bandage. At first glance, everything seems normal. Only, it's not 1925. It's 1928 and things have changed. For one thi...
Tina scowled at her dresser. She had been through every box on the surface and searched in every corner of every drawer, but she couldn't find what she was looking for. Worry was beginning to gnaw at her insides.
Where did I put it? she wondered. And it really doesn't help that I can't remember when I last saw it.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, she gave up her search and made her way back to the living room.
Newt looked up from his book when she entered. He noticed the look on her face and frowned. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but she interrupted him before he could speak.
"Newt, I can't find it!" she cried.
"Find what?" he asked.
"My ring."
He froze. "W-what ring?" he stammered.
"My engagement ring! I don't remember taking it off and now I can't find it anywhere."
Slowly closing his book, he set it to one side and got to his feet. "You remember your engagement ring?"
"Of course I do. Do you know where I put it?"
"No, I mean, yes, but-- I mean, you remember that we were engaged?"
Tina frowned slightly. "I remember you proposing to me."
"You do?" Newt asked. He knew he sounded far too hopeful, but he didn't care.
She nodded. "It was my birthday. Queenie and Jacob were here. You had given me . . . something. I don't remember what it was. Anyway, after Queenie and Jacob left, you told me you had one more present for me. We went down into your case and into the Thunderbird enclosure." A small smile formed on her lips. "You were being even quieter than normal. I didn't know why, but then you were on one knee holding up a beautiful diamond ring and asking me to marry you."
"You do realize this was before your accident."
She nodded. "I haven't had a birthday since my accident. My birthday is in August, the accident was in September, it's only March now."
Newt moved forward. "I hope you know I don't expect you to marry me if you don't want."
"Why wouldn't I want to marry you?" Tina asked. "I accepted your proposal, didn't I?"
"You did, yes," he agreed. "But that was before you lost your memory. It's okay if you've changed your mind."
"But I haven't," she protested. "And I can't find my ring anywhere!"
"So you still want to marry me?"
"Of course I do! Haven't you been listening?"
Newt made a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob. Lunging forward, he picked Tina up and spun her around before setting her down again and pressing a kiss to her lips. She returned the kiss, but she pushed him away a moment later.
"My ring, Newt."
"Don't worry about your ring."
"But I liked it!"
"It's fine, Tina. I've got it," he assured her. "I can go get it for you if you like."
She nodded so he let go of her and vanished into his room. He reappeared a minute later, holding something behind his back. Stopping in front of her, he dropped onto one knee and held up a small blue box. A silver ring was nestled in the velvet lining.
"Tina Goldstein, will you marry me?"
"Of course I will," she laughed.
He pulled the ring out of the box and took her left hand in his. Then he carefully slipped the ring on her ring finger. Getting to his feet, he pulled her into a kiss. This time, she didn't push him away. Instead, she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer.
Their lips moved together gently. Newt's hand settled on the small of her back as the other buried itself in her hair. Her arms were wound tightly around his neck, making it impossible to move away. Not that he was trying to. Eventually, they had to part for air.
"Why did you have my ring?" Tina asked.
"You took it off before you went on that mission. You were afraid you might lose it," he explained. "It was in your jewellery box. I took it out after your accident because I hoped I'd be able to give it to you again one day."
She grinned and looked down at her hand. The silver band on her finger had a beautiful pattern etched into it and the single diamond caught the light.
"Well, it's certainly good to have it back."
"I can hardly believe you still want to marry me," Newt admitted.
"Why wouldn't I want to marry you?" she demanded.
He laughed. "Do you really want me to list all the reasons?"
Tina shook her head. "No. They wouldn't be true anyway."
She grinned at him so he pulled her back for another kiss. She could feel his lips pulling into a smile against hers.
"I love you, Tina," he murmured.
"I love you too, Newt," she replied.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please vote and comment!
The title of this chapter is "Absentis" which is what Google translate tells me means "missing". You know, because the ring was missing. . . . Anyway.
I really wish I could have done this chapter justice. I know I could have written it so much better, but because this whole book has slowed down so much, it's going to be the way it is. I wish it was longer and more descriptive, but at least it's finished.
Here's the picture of the ring:
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Look at me actually remembering to include the picture in the chapter it belongs in.
