Hello, folks!
This is it! The ending for this fic.
I wanted to thank averyone who read, commented and favorited this work.
I'm a bit sad to let this story go but who knows, if I'm inspired I might write one-shots about them.
Let me know what you thought of it ;)
Epilogue
Juliet stirred when she felt warm, familiar lips graze against her cheekbone.
"Happy anniversary, Mrs. Magnum," Thomas whispered in her ear and she couldn't stop the wide grin from spreading on her face. She felt his warmth spooning her from behind but kept her eyes closed, relishing in his sexy, gravelly vocal timbre that he always had first thing in the morning.
She turned her head blindly towards his voice, not willing to leave the land of sleep just yet, but still willing to help herself to more kisses.
Their lips met unhurriedly and Juliet moved them softly against her husband's until she couldn't take it anymore and rolled over to face him, their mouths still fused together.
"Happy anniversary, Darling," she responded when they broke apart but stayed wrapped in each other's embrace.
She blinked her eyes open, trying to get used to the light streaming through the French doors but as soon as her vision became clear she saw his blinding smile - all white teeth and stretched out lips - and her heart started to race.
She still couldn't believe how handsome her husband was and how lucky she was to call him hers. His eyes were still as soft as when they met even with a few more lines drawn at the corner of them. She ran the palm of her hand down the side of his head where there was now more salt hair than pepper near his temple. She chased his grin with a kiss.
"I can't believe we've been married 7 years already," she added after a while.
Thomas ran his hand slowly up and down her back, eliciting a soft hum from her.
"In dog years it's almost half a century," he stated before she burst out laughing.
"Why on earth would you say that?" She asked with a wide grin.
He pushed her lower body closer to his and pressed a small kiss on her nose.
"Because it's so silly that I knew you would laugh; and I love it when I make you smile."
"You're such a sap," she chuckled as she shook her head slightly.
He shrugged.
« You love me that way, » he stated, and she could see the mischievous glint she loved so much appear in his eyes.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew herself even closer to his body before rubbing her nose slowly against his.
« More and more everyday, » she whispered before seizing his lips again for a thorough kiss.
When he slipped his fingers beneath her tank top and ran them up her sides, bringing the fabric up as well, she broke away from him.
« Let's not get too carried away, shall we? Or have you forgotten what happened the last time? » She asked in a husky voice.
He groaned, letting her know he remembered quite well.
« That's too bad, I wanted to start our anniversary with a bang, » he said with a grin.
She rolled her eyes at his lame joke but couldn't stop a smile from appearing on her face either. She was also disappointed about not pursuing this lovely morning with Magnum.
« You know, we can make it up for it tonight and end the day beautifully, » she told him with a naughty smirk.
His face lit up.
« I can't…. »
He didn't have time to finish his sentence before the bedroom door burst open and giggling little feet ran on the floorboards until they could jump on the bed to join Juliet and Thomas.
« … wait, » he muttered as he rolled away from his wife and earned an accidental kick in his lower belly from their daughter as she settled between them. He moaned from the pain and Juliet laughed. Nothing like kids to kill the amorous mood!
The little girl saw that her father was in pain because of her.
« I'm sorry, Daddy. »
« That's ok, Peanut. You didn't do it on purpose, » Magnum told her to stop her from worrying.
Juliet turned towards the small frame of her daughter to press a good morning kiss on her forehead.
« Mama! Mama! »
The little babbling voice that shifted her attention away from her daughter belonged to their toddler who was desperately trying to follow his big sister and had trouble climbing on the bed. Juliet sat up to help him and he wasted no time before he climbed on his mother's lap for a hug.
« Good morning, little one. How did you get out of bed? »
« Ellie, » her son answered as he buried his face in Juliet's neck.
Both Magnum and Juliet looked at their daughter with raised eyebrows and the little girl grinned sheepishly.
« Ellie, you know he's too heavy for you, » Thomas scolded his daughter.
« He almost did it all by himself, » the 5 year-old said to justify herself.
Juliet sighed. She wasn't really surprised her daredevil of a toddler was now climbing out of his crib by himself. They might have to switch to a regular bed to prevent him from hurting himself, which was making her sad because that meant her baby wasn't a baby anymore. She wished he wasn't in such a rush to grow up.
She nudged the little boy, still clinging to her.
« Want to say hi to Daddy, James? »
« No. Mama. »
She threw an apologetic look to her husband. Their little boy was in full ´Mommy phase´ and while she adored being her son's whole world, she knew Magnum was a bit jealous.
"That's ok, at least my daughter likes me, right Peanut?" he asked his daughter who threw her arms around her father's neck.
"Yes. I love you, Daddy."
He squeezed her small body to him as he exchanged a tender smile with Juliet.
"I love you too, Peanut."
"What are we doing today?" Ellie asked her parents.
"Well, what day is it today?" Magnum asked her in return.
"Sunday! Pancakes day!"
Juliet laughed at her daughter's excitement just as she felt her son's weight rest more heavily against her. It looked like little James was still a little sleepy and Higgins was looking forward to a little cuddly nap with her baby.
"Why don't you and Daddy start on the pancakes and we will join you in a little while?"
Magnum caught up on how their son needed a bit more sleep and rose from the bed before grabbing their daughter like she weighed nothing and threw her over his shoulder, making her giggle when her head was upside down. Higgins watched them affectionately while they left the room, smiling at how Magnum managed to draw out those sounds from their always so serious daughter.
She lay down on the bed again slowly while trying not to jostle James too much. She blindly reached inside her nightstand for a pacifier, and when it was in her son's mouth, he stroked the soft skin of her neck while inhaling her scent deeply as he settled more firmly against her.
He truly was his father's son, as tactile and addicted to her scent as Magnum.
She relaxed as she drew soft circles across her son's covered back.
Seven years.
Seven years since they had said 'I do' in front of their friends under a false pretense, not knowing, then, how it would change their lives forever. After they confessed their love to each other, they realized life wasn't that different than it had been before: they were still working together, they were still getting on each other's nerves, and they were both driving their friends crazy.
The only novelty had been how they expressed their love for each other, out in the open, a little too out in the open according to their friends who were tired of witnessing their sessions of PDA. Her immigration issues were finally resolved when she received her green card on their first anniversary, the very same day she found out she was pregnant with Ellie. Their wishes were eventually granted when their children completed their Ohana.
She pressed a kiss against James' blonde curls as she felt him lose his battle against sleep, and basked in the warmth his little body was providing. She had never thought she would love being a mother that much.
When their daughter Eleonor "Ellie" Katherine Magnum was born, their whole world had flipped on its axis; everything they thought they knew about love had been shattered to pieces when they first laid eyes on the tiny, dark-haired infant.
Ellie was the spitting image of her father when it came to looks - caramel skin, dark eyes and hair, and the same puppy eyes as Magnum - however, she was a skinny little thing just like her mother and inherited of Higgins' serious and quiet temper which made her the most determined 5 year-old they had ever met. Kumu often laughed that, with Juliet's determinism and Magnum's skillfulness their daughter seemed to possess, Ellie would most likely become one scary teenager.
Higgins wasn't in a rush to find out about teenage rebellion as she squeezed her arms more tightly around her little baby, who unfortunately for her, wasn't so little anymore.
James Thomas "J.T" Magnum had been quite a surprise to his parents from day one because they had both agreed that having one child was enough for them, especially since none of them were getting any younger and Ellie had been giving them plenty of work already.
One day, Higgins had woken up with flu-like symptoms and after feeling miserable for a week and a lot of pestering from Magnum, she finally went to the doctor who announced that it wasn't the flu after all.
James also decided he was done waiting to be born and arrived three weeks early, almost giving his father a panic attack when Juliet told him he needed to bring her to the hospital.
Her son was now 20 months old and he was the opposite of his big sister, with the same blond curls as his mother, and if his skin wasn't as dark as his sister's, it was still at least two shades darker than Juliet's. His eyes were the biggest surprise of all - green eyes just like her mother's. Whenever she looked at her son, she couldn't help the slight pang of sorrow at seeing her mother's eyes looking back at her - the same clear eyes she had remembered before they were haunted by confusion and memory loss.
James' personality was, however, the complete opposite of any Higgins family member's. He was a little clown, always thriving on the attention and laughter he could draw out of people, and he had a full audience devoted to his every whim, especially Uncles Rick and T.C, who always volunteered to get in trouble with him. Higgins tried to throw them stern looks when that happened but hearing her baby giggle at his uncles' antics more than made up for it.
She must have dozed off with her son because the next thing she knew she was awakened by lips on her skin again.
"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," Magnum whispered.
She hummed but didn't open her eyes.
"I think I need a kiss from my Prince to fully wake up," she told him.
She heard his chuckle before feeling the pressure of his closed lips against hers and couldn't stop herself from trailing her fingers through his hair and deepening the kiss. She was still astonished at the butterflies making an appearance in her belly each and every time her husband kissed her, even after all these years.
She opened her eyes slowly and met the tender gaze of the love of her life - she still had yet to find a better way to wake up than with his kisses.
"How long was I out?" She asked him.
His hand joined hers on their son's back, still asleep on her.
"20 minutes. The pancakes are done and served and I had to bribe Ellie not to eat them without you."
She chuckled.
"Of course, you had. What did she get this time?"
"She will be allowed to visit Kumu after breakfast. Should we let him sleep?" He asked, gesturing to James.
"No, if he sleeps too much now he won't want to take a nap and we both know what happens when he doesn't sleep in the afternoon."
Magnum's eyes widened, remembering the exhausted, cranky baby they had to deal with the last time their son didn't take his afternoon nap.
Just as Juliet started to stroke her baby's cheek to rouse him, Magnum leaned towards her for another kiss and she knew exactly what her husband was aiming for when James whined.
"No kiss Dada!"
She rolled her eyes when Magnum broke away from her with a smirk; he couldn't help it, he complained about his son's 'Mommy phase' but still had to provoke him.
"I can't kiss Mommy?"
"No!"
"I'll let you boys settle the matter," Higgins sighed as she sat up.
She handed Magnum his son to deal with while she went to retrieve her bathrobe in the bathroom. She heard some complaints from her toddler but soon there were some giggles and she knew Thomas was being the 'Tickle Monster'; it always worked like a charm. They had already gone downstairs when she came out of the bathroom.
When she arrived in the kitchen, she joined her family who was gathered at the kitchen counter where her daughter was already chewing a mouthful of chocolate chip pancakes.
« What happened to waiting for me? » She asked her as she dropped a kiss to the top of the little girl's head before sitting next to her.
« Oops, » Ellie answered with food still in her mouth.
« I'd rather you wait until your mouth is empty before talking, » she chastised her daughter as she took the offered cup of coffee from her smirking husband's hands.
The little girl swallowed before apologizing.
« Sorry Mommy. »
« It's ok. How good are those pancakes anyway? »
Ellie giggled.
« They're excellent, like always. Right, Daddy? »
« They sure are, Peanut, but I'm guessing it was your mother's way of asking where her share of pancakes are, isn't that it, Love? »
Magnum grinned as he slid a plate with three pancakes and a drizzle of maple syrup shaped like a heart on top of them. Her husband, the hopeless romantic; not that she was complaining.
« You know me too well, Darling, » she told him as she squeezed his hand in thanks.
She watched her son, who was suspiciously quiet in his high chair, but when she noticed his mouth was otherwise occupied with his bottle of chocolate milk, she felt reassured. Keep the toddler fed and he was happy as a clam.
They all ate in silence until Ellie declared she was done and going to Kumu's, even though it was barely 8:15. Thank God Kumu was an early riser.
"Are you going to Kumu's in your pajamas, Sweets?" Higgins asked her before she rushed outside like the little Speedy Gonzales she was.
Ellie jumped from her chair and almost ran towards the stairs.
"I'm going to get dressed," she announced.
"Don't forget to brush your teeth," Juliet yelled so her daughter could hear her as she probably was already upstairs.
She grabbed her phone to text Kumu, warning her about Ellie's visit. The little girl and Kumu shared a special bond and Juliet loved that. The Hawaiian woman was like a grandmother to her kids and since neither Thomas nor she had living parents, she was glad they had someone to fill that spot. Ellie was a sponge, always willing to learn new things and Kumu was always happy to share her culture and historical facts about Hawaii.
When they found out about her first pregnancy, Kumu offered to go live in the guesthouse so their growing family could settle comfortably in the main house.
Ellie came downstairs in no time wearing a white tank top and light green shorts that enhanced the caramel hue of her skin. Higgins smiled at how beautiful she looked.
"When you're done with Kumu, you come meet us at the beach OK?" Magnum told her.
"OK, Daddy."
And with that, she was gone, followed by Zeus and Apollo who were always near her daughter, ever since she was born.
Higgins turned towards her husband again.
"And she's barefoot again."
Magnum shrugged.
"There are worse ways to live your childhood than being barefoot, don't you think?"
"I guess you're right. I told Kumu to kick her out in an hour or else she'll stay there all day."
"Which means we have to start cleaning things up here if we want to be ready, and by things I mean…"
He gestured to James who was now covered in chocolate from the only pancake he ate. How did any of it end up in his stomach when it seemed like he wore all of it on his face?
She sighed but, when her baby caught her staring and addressed her to a toothy grin, she couldn't help returning one of her own.
« Mama. »
« Yes, Baby. I'm here. »
She saw Magnum snap a picture of their chocolate-covered son with his phone and smiled.
« Come on, Buddy. Let's get you ready for the beach, shall we? » Magnum told his son while extending his arms to show James he was going to pick him up.
The toddler clapped his hands and giggled when he heard the word « beach » and gladly went into his father's arms. The prospect of going into the ocean made him forget about clinging to his mother and accept his father's arms which Magnum knew when he offered them.
Juliet watched her two boys go upstairs to get ready while she enjoyed a moment of quiet to finish her coffee. She loved how wonderful a father Magnum was, not that she had any doubt about him being a devoted, hands-on Daddy before their children were born. She knew how his close relationship with his father meant to him and guessed he would do everything to build the same kind of connection with his own children.
She finished her hot beverage and stood up to put every dish in the dishwasher before going upstairs herself to get ready for an outing at the beach.
One hour later, Higgins was lying on several spread beach towels while doing crossword puzzles under the shade of the big beach umbrella above her head. She could hear Magnum's and James' laughter while they were playing in the waves which was one of her favorite sounds ever, followed closely by her husband's voice and intimate moans. She was interrupted in her musings by her daughter standing in front of her with a Doberman on each side of her.
« Hello, Sweets. How was Kumu? »
Ellie sat indian style in front of her mother while the lads lied on the sand, watching James and Magnum in the ocean.
« It was great, Mommy. She taught me about leis. Did you know there are different leis for boys and girls? »
« Really? That's interesting. »
Juliet often pretended not to know certains facts because she loved how enthusiastic her daughter got when she could explain something to her. While Ellie was reciting all the new things she had learned, she handed her daughter her bathing suit so she could change.
Once she was in proper beach attire, Higgins urged her to sit in front of her so she could tame her long, straight hair into a French braid so as not to gather all the sand from the beach in her locks. Juliet cherished those privileged moments she could share with her daughter.
« Mommy? »
« Yes, Sweets? »
« Will you teach me how to play chess? »
Juliet smiled. Her daughter was so eager to learn about anything and everything and has always been curious about her playing chess.
« Well chess is quite complicated for someone your age. Maybe we could start by playing checkers first, what do you think? »
« Checkers? Okay. »
« We can start this afternoon during your brother's nap. »
Ellie rose up and turned to Juliet again, showing her mother all of her teeth when she threw her a wide grin.
« Yay! I can't wait! »
She threw her arms around her mother.
« I love you, Mommy. »
Juliet squeezed her daughter against her body.
« I love you too, Baby. »
She just had time to grab Ellie's wrist before she ran away from her.
« What about sunscreen, young lady? »
Her daughter groaned but came back to her mother anyway. While she lathered her daughter's small body she couldn't help notice how much of Magnum she carried in her features, except for her serious expression - that was all her.
« Water or sand? » she asked the little girl when she was finished with the sunscreen.
« Sand, I want to build a castle. »
« Ok, » Juliet answered and turned around to grab a blue Tiger cap to place on her daughter's head. « There you go, all set. »
« Thanks Mommy. »
Ellie grabbed all her building sandcastle equipment and was off in no time. Just at that moment she saw Magnum and James come out of the water, her son trying to keep his balance while walking in the sand in a rush to join her.
« Mama. »
When he finally got to her he climbed on her lap and kissed her face wherever he could reach like he hadn't seen her in hours. Juliet chuckled at her snuggly baby's PDA and grabbed a towel to wrap around his cold, little body.
« Easy, James. I'm not going anywhere. Did you have fun with Daddy? »
He answered her in his own blabber and she understood the words wave, dada and fun. Magnum finally joined them after stopping to check on Ellie and her castle.
James' attention was immediately drawn to his sister.
« Ellie, » he said, pointing his finger to the little girl playing in the sand.
« Okay, Baby. You can join Ellie but you don't ruin her castle this time, ok? » She admonished her toddler.
« Okay Mama. »
She grabbed his own Tigers cap, which was something akin to a uniform if you were part of the Magnum family, and let her son go join his sister, while she kept an eye on him.
« How's your anniversary so far, Mrs Magnum? » Thomas asked her as he sat next to her on her beach towel and pressed a kiss on her shoulder.
« Great. I'm spending the day with the most perfect husband and the 2 perfect children he gave me, » she answered as she turned her head towards him for a short kiss on the lips.
« Must be quite a nice guy, » he told her with a smirk.
« The best. And tonight he's taking me out on a date. »
« Oh, is he? »
« Yes, Kumu agreed to babysit, » she informed her husband.
She threw a quick glance towards her children to make sure everything was fine.
« Mmh, better make reservations then unless you want to eat fish and chips at La Mariana, » Magnum pondered.
« Don't worry, it's already done, » she told him smugly.
« Are you sure you're not the one taking Mr. Perfect on a date ? » He asked her.
« Maybe I am, » she said as she looked at him again and threw him a cheeky grin.
His lips stretched in a wide smile.
« Lucky me. »
He leaned towards her to share a sweet kiss.
« I love you, » she breathed against his lips.
« I love you too. You're the love of my life, Babe. »
Juliet sighed happily as she caressed his cheek, her heart beating wildly in her chest like every time her husband told her he loved her.
They were interrupted by cries coming from the sandcastle building site.
"Daddy! JT destroyed my castle!"
They both sighed and chuckled. It wasn't funny as per say to be interrupted mid declaration of love but they wouldn't have it any other way. Their family meant the world to both of them.
« Until tonight, my love, » he promised her.
He went to their children to settle the argument and help Ellie build her castle back while Higgins watched them, the three most important people of her life.
She smiled at the thought of all the progress they had made since their fake marriage became a real one.
The introvert who liked quiet and the extrovert who loved noise made a compromise; and that was basically what marriage was all about.
Especially if you wanted it to last forever.
THE END