《 Skip a Beat 》

Guilty as charged

"Fine. No mattress. Happy?"

Theseus smiled lightly. "It's for your own good, you know."

"I know. It just feels... weird..." he trailed off, reminded that it wasn't just him and Theseus in the room.

Another few minutes of silence, until Tina broke it.

"So... you've now officially agreed to start walking again."

Newt beamed.

"Yes I have."

Tina grinned back at him.

The conversation relayed between the four of them like a game of table tennis, until a couple hours later, when sun rays started to filter through the window, casting a golden glow around the room. Tina squinted, and Newt glanced over at the clock.

"Merlin's beard, it's late," he murmured. Leta paused her story and followed his gaze.

"Yeah. We should probably get going..." she added.

Theseus stood up, brushing his palms on his pants. Tina followed suit, Leta reciprocating a moment later. All three of them tried to stall for a bit, then headed for the door, calling to Newt on the way out. Leta was the last one out, congratulating him on officially signing the agreement to crutches before whisking out the door.

Newt smiled to himself. He still couldn't believe that everyone would take time out of their day to come visit him, it made him feel so grateful for his friends.

A chirp rang out clearly through the room, cleaving his thoughts in two.

"Pickett?"

Newt looked down.

His Bowtruckle was kneeled over a tiny, leather-bound notebook, reading something written in loopy, neat handwriting.

Curiosity bloomed inside him like a flower.

"What have you found?" he murmured, lifting the notebook up. Pickett dutifully climbed onto Newt's shoulder, studying the book.

"This looks like a diary," he thought aloud, turning it over in his hands. Something on one of the pages caught his eye.

His name was written in the book.

Puzzled, Newt lifted his eyes to meet Pickett's. The Bowtruckle chirped something quietly to Newt. He nodded.

"It could well be Tina's, if her name is on the front."

After an intense internal battle with himself, Newt decided to read one page. Just the one with his name written on it. He knew he shouldn't, but if she'd written something about him, it was his right to know... right? Newt guiltily cracked the notebook open.

19/08/1927

Newt is still in hospital, though he's getting much better. Being able to see him talking and moving again is probably the best birthday gift I received, though I did get a lovely new quill from Leta and a pair of earrings from Queenie. Theseus and Jacob are apparently getting me a joint gift, but I can't tell them not to bother, otherwise they'll know Queenie told me.

I visited Newt today. He and Pickett surprised me with two gifts- a beautiful picture, drawn by Pickett, and a vial full of memories of the best parts of 1926 with me, Newt, Queenie and Jacob. It's such a creative idea- I still can't believe he went out of his way to give me something.

The rest of today was mainly uneventful- I still feel awful about not being there for Newt when Grindelwald attacked him. I've talked to Queenie about it, and she said that it's just a guilty feeling, and that I shouldn't beat myself up. Personally, I think that's rubbish. I made a fool of myself in front of Newt as well. He asked me if I was okay and I completely broke down right in front of him. I feel worthless, and I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm weak, though he didn't say so.

Newt is one of the most supportive people I've met, I still feel like I don't deserve his friendship. He's so caring, and he knows exactly what to say, even though he sometimes has trouble conveying it. I'm so glad I have someone like him in my life.

The first thing I did when I came home was look at the memories he gave me. I know our mother used to keep a pensieve somewhere among her belongings, and I adopted the habit of taking it with me on trips when I found it.

I won't describe the memories because I'm running out of room to write this, but they were perfect. I have no words apart from perfect. I don't deserve to have someone as kind as him in my life.

Newt averted his gaze to meet Pickett's. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to think.

His mind was swimming, turning the new-found information over and over, re-reading it, wondering what it meant. Was that what she really thought? What did it mean for him? Would this change everything between them?

Newt looked down at the notebook, then closed it and placed it on the wooden table in case Tina realised it was missing and came back to collect it.

Guilt roiled in his stomach. He shouldn't have read it. It didn't matter if Tina was writing about him. He shouldn't have read her personal thoughts. Pickett quietly clicked a sentence to him.

"No. I don't regret reading it. I just know I shouldn't have."

The Bowtruckle nodded understandingly.

"I'm not sure what to think, Pickett. Tina's obviously feeling guilty, but she shouldn't. She hasn't done anything wrong." Newt paused, then started again. He needed to tell someone how he felt. "And now she thinks I see her as weak. Tina is anything but weak. She's the most strong-willed person I've met. I wish I could tell her, but then she'll know..." he trailed off.

"This was a bad idea."

Pickett nodded.

"I shouldn't have done that."

Pickett nodded.

Newt pulled the blanket over his head. His muffled voice moaned sadly from underneath the white covers.

"I'm going to sleep."

Yay! A chapter sooner than I expected!

Ok, this was more of a filler chapter.

The diary is not going to posses Newt and force him to write on the hospital walls in blood- don't worry. It's more like a dumb idea because I couldn't think about anything to write and I wanted to create some drama.

I think we can all agree that I failed and this is a stupid irrelevant idea, so I'm ditching it after this chapter and it's not going to matter anymore... heh....

Shoutout for this week goes to snow7302 for commenting, voting, and generally being a lovely person :)

I think I've known this for a while, but I find writing some chapters a little tricky, because you have to clearly define the plot, i.e. get the message across, and make it entertaining, i.e. fun to read, so people get hooked on it and continue reading. I find that hard sometimes. Just wanted to say it.

As usual, feedback is always appreciated- don't be a silent reader :)

Next chapter, everyone's going to tease Tina about Newt ;) my gift to you, hehehehehe

Cateye992, out!