Chapter 25

On the fifth day after Magnum had come out of the coma, Ron pronounced him ready to leave the hospital, if he had someone who could look after him at home. Terri gladly volunteered for the position, and after receiving permission from her supervisor, she told Ron and Thomas the good news.

"That's great," Thomas said. "Thank you."

A little while later, Jonathan drove them to the estate and Terri helped Magnum get settled in his house.

"Someone definitely cleaned up around here," he remarked with a sly grin.

Terri returned his grin. "Me. I needed something to do with all my nervous energy."

He happily sank down on the sofa and motioned for Terri to join him.

"I appreciate everything you've done. I know Lily appreciates it, too."

"It's been my pleasure," she assured him. "We've been waiting for this day and now it's here. You're finally back home where you belong."

Magnum wondered if that were true, but he wasn't up to thinking about his future at that particular moment. He just wanted to enjoy the fact he was no longer in the hospital. He visited with TC and Rick and Jack and Janet and when he had stayed up for as long as he could; he told Terri he was going to rest in his bed. She helped him get comfortable and then told him to let her know if he needed anything.

She started to rise from the bed when he reached for her hand.

"Stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course."

He still had nightmares as did Janet. They both wondered if they would ever have a normal night's sleep again.

The next morning after Thomas had eaten breakfast, Higgins asked if he could have a moment alone with him. Terri nodded and excused herself. Higgins pulled up a chair and sat next to Magnum's bed.

"You look so serious," Thomas commented. "Is Lily okay?"

"She's fine," Jonathan assured him. "This is about you."

"What about me?"

"I've been holding something for you that I think you're now well enough to hear about."

Magnum looked at Higgins curiously when he pulled out a sealed envelope from the inside pocket of his navy blue suit jacket.

"This was brought to you by Mr. Pineda. He asked that I hold it for safekeeping while you were in the hospital."

"Thank you," Magnum said, taking the envelope from Jonathan.

He slid his finger underneath the flap and opened the envelope. His hazel eyes grew huge when he saw the amount of the check. Pineda had given Magnum $250,000, too. Carlos had also attached a brief note, saying the check was to cover his fees, along with the unnecessary pain and suffering he had endured because of him and his family.

"Wow. I knew he had paid my hospital bill, but this...this is incredible."

"Spend it wisely, Magnum," Jonathan said, rising from the chair. "I trust you know how to do that, especially now that you have your daughter to think about."

Higgins left Magnum alone to ponder what receiving the check meant for his future.

"This definitely makes some of my decisions easier," he said out loud, still staring unbelievingly at the huge sum of money he had just been given.

That afternoon, Janet asked Terri if she could talk with Thomas. Alone.

"Of course."

When Janet arrived at the guest house, Terri excused herself to the main house.

"You're looking so much better," Janet said, once they were alone.

"I'm feeling a lot better," Thomas said and winked. "Terri is an excellent nurse. She's taking wonderful care of me."

They were both seated on the couch. He had been spending more and more time up and around, which suited him fine. He needed to get his strength back.

"How about you?" Thomas asked. "I heard you had a rough time after you were freed. Are you doing better?"

Janet nodded. "I am doing better now that I know you're going to be all right. I've been wanting to thank you for saving my life."

Thomas shook his head. "I wish I could take credit for that, but I can't. I stumbled upon you in that warehouse quite by accident."

"But still. You confronted Melinda, who was holding us hostage. You gave us the chance to get out of there."

"I'm just glad you and Frank got out of there alive and that you weren't hurt."

Janet nodded.

"I heard you're leaving the Island. I feel really bad about that. I'm going to miss you very much."

"I'm going to miss you, too," Janet said, "but things just won't be the same for me here."

"I understand. I hate that something so traumatic had to happen to someone as nice as you."

"That's so sweet. Thank you."

"I mean it," he said. "I care about you. A lot. What are you going to do? What are your plans?"

"That is the $64,000 question, or should I say the $250,000 question?"

Magnum's eyes widened. "You got a check from Pineda, too?"

Janet nodded.

"Isn't it amazing?" Magnum asked.

"Yes. I was flabbergasted. What are your plans?"

"Well, I definitely need to invest some of it after I pay off my debts. I need to invest wisely. Very wisely. And I need to put some away for Lily's education and her needs. I think I'm going to take a break from the PI business for a while. I've always wanted to write a book about being a private investigator, so I think I'm going to take this opportunity to do that. I haven't said anything to Terri yet, but I would love it if she would agree to be a part of my future. A big part, if you know what I mean."

Janet's eyes widened in surprise. "You and Terri have gotten that serious? How could I not have known that?"

Thomas chuckled. "I think because I've been keeping her prisoner down here."

"You're serious?"

Thomas nodded. "We'll take it as slow as she wants to, but yes. I definitely don't want to lose her. She's become a very important part of my life. I can't imagine my life without her in it."

Magnum's words gave Janet pause. Was that how Jack felt about her? And now that Jack had re-entered Janet's life, could she imagine him not being around? Did she even want to?

"Did I say something profound?" Thomas asked and smiled, noting the serious expression on Janet's lovely face.

"You said something that I never thought about and now that I have, I don't like the answer. Not one bit."

"What did I say?"

"You said you couldn't imagine Terri not being in your life. I just realized there's someone I couldn't imagine not being in my life either. I need to tell him that. Thank you, Thomas. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome," he said, as Janet bounded off the sofa and headed for the staircase as if she were being chased.

When she reached the top of the landing, Thomas' voice stopped her.

"You know I wish you and Jack nothing but the best."

He smiled and nodded knowingly as Janet laughed and shook her head.

A few minutes later, Janet found Jack sitting on the terrace reading a sports magazine he had purchased at the mall. She sat down next to him and tore the magazine out of his hands.

"Hey," he complained, "I was reading that."

"What I have to tell you is more important," she said, reaching for his hands.

"Okay," he said, noting how serious she looked and sounded. "What's up?"

"Remember when I received that check from Mr. Pineda and you told me I needed to invest it?"

"Yeah. So?"

"I've found the perfect thing to invest in."

"You have?" he asked, sounding skeptical. "When did you start reading the stock market pages?"

"This is not part of the stock market. This is an investment in us. In our future."

"Our future?" he asked, clearly not understanding. "I didn't think we had a future."

Janet's non answer to his declaration of love had remained with him and probably always would, he realized.

"I wasn't sure about anything when you told me you loved me, Jack, but now I know what's in my heart. I love you, too, Jack. I tried to picture my life without you in it, and I couldn't do it. You are right in the middle of every good thing that has ever happened to me. I'm sorry I didn't say anything when we were on the beach. I know that was a mean thing to do. I've just been so scared and frightened and afraid to feel, afraid to commit, afraid to live. But that day on the beach, you got to me, Jack. You helped me get out of myself for a while, and it felt wonderful. I come alive when I'm around you because I realized you are the very best part of my life. And together we're better, right?"

"Together, we can be unstoppable," he said, standing up and lifting her out of the chair to swing her around.

"I think so, too," she said, running her fingers through his soft hair, as they stared at each other. "That's why I want you to take whatever you need from my check and invest it in the Bistro or any other restaurant you want. I'm going back to Santa Monica with you, Jack, whenever you say you're ready to go. My future is with you, and I won't ever doubt that again. I love you so much."

Jack's clear blue eyes misted as he heard the words he had been longing to hear and thought he never would. "I love you, too, baby, and I'll spend the rest of my life proving that to you."

"You don't have anything to prove to me," she said. "But I love the part about us spending the rest of our lives together."

"Me, too, Janet," he said, holding her close and swinging her around again. "Our forever starts right now."

Janet agreed and then agreed some more when Jack sealed their future with a red hot, smoldering kiss that set her insides on fire.