The Healer

Chapter 37: Grief in the Forest

He stayed sitting in the Deadheads with Evelyn sleeping on his chest all morning. And he was okay with it. He was neglecting his duty as second in command, but he needed this ..she needed this.

He sat with her on his chest, his face smoshed into the top of her head, just holding her, wishing it would never end. He heard leaves rustling and looked over to see Hephaestus crawling towards him. He held out a hand and the lizard crazed onto his hand and he lifted him up.

"Hey buddy. How's it going?" He asked the lizard. At first it was weird, but he had been with Evelyn for little over a year now and talking to the lizard was normal now.

He made a noise at the back of his throat.

He talked to the lizard for a few mintbefore he heard someone's footsteps. Both Newt and Hephaestus looked to the noise.

Out of the gloom came the tall figure if Nick.

"There the shuck you are!"

"Shhh!"

"What..?"

His eyes went wide as he saw Evelyn fast asleep in Newt's chest, just like a small child, arms and legs loosely wrapped around Newt's body. He stepped closer and gently moved her hair out of her face.

"She okay?"

"No. It's George and -"

"-Jack's anniversary, yeah... I figured this's where she was when Jeff said she hadn't come back yet."

"She cried herself to sleep." Newt whispered.

"That's not normal..."

"She hasn' been sleepin' very well. Lots of bloody nightmares and weird buggen' dreams." Newt said quietly, trying not to wake up the girl.

Nick hummed and frown. Evelyn groaned and turned her head in her sleep, but stayed asleep. Newt ran his fingers through her hair and she settled.

"Who were ya talking to?"

"Uhh... Hephaestus." He said sheepishly.

Nick sat and quietly talked with Newt for a little, eventually he had to get back to work.

"I'll tell Alby and Jeff. We'll see ya at lunch. She needs a break."

"Thanks Nick."

Newt settled back down, holding Evelyn tight to his chest. She eventually stirred and woke up with a groan. She sat up straight and rubbed her eyes with her first. Newt brushed some of her hair out of her face and held the sides of her face.

"Did ya have a good nap?" He asked, his big brown eyes searching her sleepy ones.

She nodded with a small yawn.

"I'm sorry. You probably had a lot to do. I didn't mean to."

"Nah, Love, it's okay. You needed a sleep. I let ya sleep. Perks of being second in bloody command."

She smiled sleepily at him. He chuckled.

She frowned and looked down at herself confused. "What?"

"You. You're just so bloody cute!" His big happy smile made her smile again, "I could kiss your whole buggen' face an' never get tired of it!"

Leaning forwards, placing her hands on his chest she kissed him quickly. He immidiatly pulled her face that he was still holding, closer. Shifting so she was closer she felt him suck in a breath. And a hand slid down to the nap of her neck and the other down her back to her back pocket. Evelyn's hands slid up Newt's chest, up his neck and into his hair.