IN YOUR TIME

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A Magnum Vignette, set post Epi. 7 The Cat Who Cried Wolf
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TC's turn for a little help from a friend
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The watcher frowned and leaned forward, as the dark head began tossing restlessly from side to side. When the helicopter pilot shot upright on his bed, crying "Thomas?", he spoke, softly, reassuringly, "It's alright, TC. You guys found me, brother. I'm safe and so are you. Calm down, easy." He held his hands out, palms facing Calvin like he was asking the man to count his fingers.

TC's hand dove under his pillow, looking for a gun, Magnum knew damn well wasn't there. "Peace, T." He chuckled. "Lot of good it does going for a gun that isn't there, TC. You could use some security around this place - Want me to help you out with that?"

"Damn, Thomas; you scared the living shit out of me."

The PI shook his head. "As if, I know you don't scare that easy."

"Well, okay, startled the living shit out of me."

"I'll buy that…and a vowel please."

"How in the hell did you get in here?"

"Oh, please. I know Higgins thinks I can't pick a lock, but the lock on an Airstream isn't even a challenge for me." Magnum gave him what TC always thought of as 'the eye', like 'What are you talking about?' kind of eye.

"How'd you know?"

"I am a private investigator, you know. I've got skills. Besides your bags are getting bags, Theodore…and you've had the distracted thing going on the past couple of times I saw you. Was I right?"

"About?"

"About what the nightmare was about…"

"It was damn close, Thomas. When I saw the bingo fuel light come on, I thought we'd lost you for sure. Hell of a footnote for a squid, dude. – 'Lost at sea'."

"Wouldn't be the first time that was the epitaph of a sailor, T." Thomas remonstrated, gently.

"Not on my watch, Tommy - no way, no how."

"And thanks to you, Rick and Higgins, it wasn't. So, thanks for that."

"Maholo, TM."

"Now, go back to sleep, Theodore."

TC shook his head. "Thanks for coming, Thomas, but you don't have to stay."

"Oh, chill, big guy. I'm not going anywhere, besides now that I've startled the living shit out of you, you don't want to miss my pancakes in the morning, do you?"

"For real? All this and you're going to make me pancakes, too -not with chocolate chips though, right? That's too sweet first thing in the morning."

"Nope, I bought some fresh blueberries on the way over here. They're in your frig. Now, lay back down."

Calvin chuckled. "Okay, okay, mother hen."

"Naw, that was Nuzo."

"Well, you're doing a pretty good job of channeling him right now."

"Sleep, jarhead." Magnum coached persistently. He began softly singing. "In your time, the innocence will face away…"

TC snorted. "Going sing me to sleep, sweetheart?"

Magnum crinkled his face at him and kept softly singing. "In your time, the mission bells will toll, All along, The corridors and river beds, There'll be sign, in your time..."

TC's eyes began to close, as his friend kept softly singing the song. The sound of that calm, smooth voice was reassuring and he drifted off surprisingly swiftly, musing to himself that he usually had a much harder time falling asleep after a bad one like he'd been having; then all thoughts were gone and blackness and song rocked him into the deep.

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In the morning, Calvin woke to the smell of pancakes and freshly brewed coffee. He found the table already set with silverware. "You are better than an alarm clock any old morning, Thomas. How'd you know when my first tour was today?"

"Plenty of time to eat first, though…and, private investigator, remember? I saw your calendar. Should I make enough for Shammy?"

"I think he'd appreciate that, buddy."

"No problem, had enough batter already made up."

"You'd make someone a hell of a wife, Tommy. How are you staying single?"

Thomas just gave him 'the look'.

"Oh, come on, T. You've got to get back out there."

"Not really in any hurry, Theodore. My taste in women clearly sucks."

"Oh, come on…we all made the mistake of loving her, dude. The mom in the cat case looked pretty fondly at you."

"Not ready yet, TC."

"Gotta ride the horse again before too long, buddy."

"Pot meet kettle." Magnum snorted, as he retorted, quizzing back. "Where's your gal pal, Theodore?"

"How many Bob Seger songs did you sing me last night?"

"Why?"

"I've got 'LIKE A ROCK' playing in the back of my head. Damn earworm!"

"Hey, sue me…you kept getting restless. It worked like a charm though."

"Yea, but I keep hearing the guitar solo, too."

Magnum laughed, "No, son, that was supplied by your imagination…I don't have my guitar here. I think I covered all him and the Bullets Greatest Hits before you totally settled. Well, skipped the real rocky ones."

Thomas glanced at his watch. "Have to go…have an appointment this morning for a job. Have to go to the estate, shower, change, and head out."

"You didn't eat."

"I'm good, T. Don't eat Shammy's!"

"I won't …don't need the extra pounds."

"Later, TC." As he headed out the door, he sang the last few words to the song from the previous night. "There'll be peace, across the great unbroken void, all benign, in your time, you'll be fine, in your time."

Calvin smiled and shook his head. It was good to have friends you could trust to always have your back.

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A/N: Don't worry...I am working on the next Chappie for Just A Simple Exchange, but this one wouldn't leave me alone, so it made it here first. And I realize we don't know if Jay Hernandez can even carry a tune in a bucket, but it's my head, that's what fanfiction is all about, right? The Magnum who only lives in my crazy headspace...and I like to share.