This is a very loose sequel to my story Alualu ʻia. You don't have to read that one first, but it will give context and explain Magnum's injury. I've been working on this pretty much since I finished that story, but Miggy isn't my usual genre and I'm not as comfortable in this particular space so it took a while. Please forgive me any medical inaccuracies or mistakes with the layout of Robin's Nest, and I still don't own Magnum. Anyway, all that to say - thanks for stopping by, and I really, really hope you enjoy. -abby


Thomas balanced the bags of ice so that they wouldn't shift as he slowly made his way into the house. Despite the permanent muscle damage to his right thigh, a souvenir from being shot by an arrow, he was walking pretty steadily. The limp was not as pronounced as even a few days before, but his leg still dragged a little and he was careful to watch his step so he wouldn't trip. He'd only been completely free of walking aids for a week and had no desire to set back what had already been a lengthy recovery.

He was thrilled that Kumu had actually assigned him something to do for the big party she was hosting at Robin's Nest. Eight weeks on crutches and another month with a cane had kept him sidelined (and under the watchful eyes of his 'ohana) for far too long, and he was glad to get back to something resembling normal. He was especially excited to be driving again, even if that meant schlepping drinks and ice from the nearby corner store.

Once in the kitchen he set the bags on the counter and opened the freezer, then chuckled when he discovered that it was packed completely full of ice cream and other frozen treats. "Kumu isn't kidding around," he commented aloud, shaking his head with a smile. After another moment of pondering his options, Thomas remembered the big walk-in freezer.

He scooped the swiftly melting bags of ice off the counter and headed down to the cellar, gingerly navigating the stairs one at a time because he still didn't entirely trust his leg. Once at the bottom, he juggled the ice with one arm and unlatched the freezer with the other.

Thomas didn't pay much attention when the heavy door closed behind him because he was too focused on finding a place to put down the bags, and by the time he'd shifted items on the well-stocked shelves to make room he was beginning to feel unpleasantly chilled. Time to go.

He tried to open the door and had a sinking feeling in his stomach when the latch didn't immediately release. He made another attempt, yanking hard on the handle as he simultaneously shoved his entire weight against the heavy door. Oh no, he thought, rattling the mechanism desperately. Aw man, what the hell.

He pulled out his phone and tried to call Higgins, but wasn't surprised to find that he had no service. He tried to send a text anyway, but of course it didn't go through. For a few minutes he pounded on the door, yelling in an attempt to get someone's attention, but quickly abandoned that plan. Unless someone happened to be in the cellar and standing right outside the freezer there was no way they would hear him, and he knew it was just wasting precious energy.

Not good not good, Magnum thought as he paced, trying to ignore the miserable cold that was already seeping into his core. His teeth were starting to chatter and he wished desperately for warmer clothes than shorts and an aloha shirt.

He knew he'd have better luck keeping his body temperature up if he did jumping jacks or jogged in place, but there was no way his recovering thigh could withstand that kind of activity even under the best of circumstances. Which this is definitely not, Thomas thought with a shiver.

Every few moments he would try the door again, hoping that maybe something had changed and it would miraculously pop open. In between tries he searched the large freezer for anything he could use as a tool but as with all of Robin's Nest, Higgins made sure that it was immaculately neat. There was not a single thing out of place, and Thomas sighed. He had nothing of use in his pockets either, and somehow he'd even forgotten to wear a belt that morning. Of course.

He looked at his watch and was surprised to find that only fifteen minutes had passed since he arrived back at the Nest. It felt like an eternity. Thomas shivered and wrapped his arms around himself, but kept pacing.

The tender muscles of his bad leg were starting to tighten up in protest of the cold. Though it was difficult beyond his constant trembling, he alternated between massaging his thigh and rubbing his hands together to try and keep blood flowing. He looked at his watch again. Twenty-five minutes.

Soon he was shuffling more than walking, and after another ten minutes he was shaking so hard it was almost impossible to keep moving at all.

"Hurry up, Higgy," he mumbled, finding that his mouth was just as cold and uncooperative as the rest of him. He doggedly kept at it, pacing unevenly from one end of the large freezer to the other in an attempt to stave off the threatening hypothermia.

Eventually his leg gave out and he landed hard on the unforgiving concrete floor, groaning at the impact. It took a great effort to push himself up and keep going, but he managed.

Unfortunately he was only able to stagger a few more steps. When his leg gave out a second time, he simply couldn't find the energy to push back to his feet. It was so cold and walking was so hard and besides, his partner would find him soon anyway.

Right?


"I'm not really sure where Thomas is," Kumu replied, and a note of faint concern colored her next words. "I sent him to pick up a few things for the party, but that was a while ago and he should be back by now."

Higgins frowned. "The Ferrari is in the driveway."

"It is? Well that's strange. I haven't seen him and his phone is going straight to voicemail. Or it was, when I tried calling him twenty minutes ago."

"Yes, same." Juliet turned on her heel and headed for the office. Kumu followed, knowing that the younger woman intended to ping her partner's phone and determine his location.

A few seconds later, they were even more perplexed. "Doesn't that mean he's here at Robin's Nest?" Kumu pointed at the blue dot on the screen.

"Yes. Or at least he was here forty-five minutes ago." Juliet's brow furrowed slightly as she continued typing. "His phone must be turned off, or he's somewhere it can't get a signal." She sat back thoughtfully. "Kumu, what did you send Thomas to buy?"

"Soda," the cultural curator replied, lifting one shoulder in a slight shrug. "Oh, and ice, because the ice maker in the kitchen won't be able to keep up."

Suddenly an uncomfortable feeling began to churn in Juliet's gut. "Ice?" She rose to her feet. "There's no room in the kitchen freezer for bags of ice."

"No, he probably had to put them in-" Kumu's eyes grew wide as she picked up Higgins' train of thought.

"The walk-in," they said in unison.

Juliet continued, "That interior latch is still getting jammed. Eli is going to take a look at it when he gets back from vacation next week," she said, referring to the Nest's general repairman.

Kumu gasped. "Thomas could be trapped inside."

The two women rushed for the door and ran down the hallway. The walk-in freezer was adjacent to the wine cellar, and they hurriedly clattered down the stairs.

Juliet reached the metal door first and she immediately noticed that the locking pin was dangling freely on its chain, indicating that someone had indeed entered the freezer. She pulled on the handle and was surprised when nothing happened. "What the-" she cut herself off, yanking more forcefully on the release mechanism.

"It won't open," she said over her shoulder to a worried Kumu. Higgins pounded on the door. "Thomas? Thomas, are you in there?"

Thomas was wrapped around himself, uselessly trying to preserve what little remained of his body heat. After reaching a crescendo that made Thomas think his bones were going to completely rattle apart within his body, his shivering had begun to taper off. He vaguely knew that was a bad thing but couldn't bring himself to care too much.

It was becoming harder to stay awake and he was content to let his mind drift, but he roused at a muffled thumping sound. He lifted his head and wondered if the faint voice was only his imagination. "Hig…gy?" His voice was barely more than a whisper and he tried again. "Higgins," he croaked, knowing there was no way she could hear him through the insulated door. But it didn't matter, and he laid his head back against the cold floor with a weak smile. She found me.

"Thomas, can you hear me? Just hang on! We'll get you out of there!" Juliet shouted through the thick insulated door before spinning to face Kumu. "Please go get Eli's toolkit. I'll need to take the latch off."

As Kumu dashed in the direction of the garage, Juliet pulled out her phone and dialed 911 as she simultaneously raised the temperature of the freezer as high as it would go. She swiftly explained the situation to the dispatcher and was in the middle of impatiently answering the woman's questions when Kumu returned. Without another word, Higgins thrust the phone towards the older woman and began rummaging in the toolbox for a power screwdriver.

Even as she feverishly worked on the door, heart hammering inside her chest, Juliet could hear Kumu still talking to the emergency dispatcher. "We don't know how long he's been trapped," Kumu was saying. "Possibly as long as 45 minutes."

Urgency renewed at the words, Juliet felt a twinge of satisfaction when she managed to get the screws out of the locking mechanism. Just as Kumu hung up with the dispatcher, the industrial-strength latch suddenly popped loose and with it, the door.

Juliet slipped her fingers into the small space and pried the door all the way open, then rushed into the freezer with Kumu hot on her heels. "Thomas!"

Her partner was curled into a tight ball on the frigid metal floor. His skin was impossibly pale, ice frosted his dark hair and he was completely, terrifyingly motionless. Her heart sank. Oh no. Please no. I can't be too late. She knelt by his side and after a second's hesitation, forced herself to press her fingers into the cold skin of his neck. Relief flooded her body when she felt the slow but steady pulse. Oh thank god. "Come on," she said gently. "Let's get you out of here."

Thomas twitched weakly at her words, but couldn't seem to muster the energy to move beyond that. His eyelids fluttered but didn't open.

"That's okay," she soothed. "We've got you." Juliet gently rolled Thomas so that she could grab him under the arms and looked up at Kumu, who lifted Magnum's stiff body at the knees. Between the two of them they carefully maneuvered the half-frozen man out into the much warmer hallway. They placed him gently on the floor and Higgins sat down behind him, cradling her partner in her arms while Kumu dashed off in search of blankets. The cultural curator was back in a flash and wrapped the two investigators in several layers of warmth.

"I'm going to go wait for the ambulance," Kumu said, and left them alone.

Higgins tucked herself around Thomas as best she could, her own body shivering in reaction to his icy skin. However, her partner was not shivering at all and Juliet knew that was a very bad sign. She had to resist the urge to rub his arms and chest to warm him, knowing that could do more harm than good. The skin-to-skin contact would have to suffice, and she murmured in his ear as she gently rocked his unnervingly still frame.

"Hang in there, Thomas," she said softly. "Don't you dare die on me." She paused. "After all that you survived, is this how you're going to go out? Killed by a silly freezer, of all things?" This is not the end, Thomas Magnum. Don't you dare do this to me. She planted a gentle kiss on top of his head before she even realized what she was doing.

As if in response, his body jerked convulsively and to Juliet's great relief he started to shiver. "Good. Good lad," she said encouragingly, holding him tighter against her body as he trembled violently.

"H-h-igg-y?" Magnum's teeth were chattering so badly she could scarcely make out her own name but she was glad to hear his voice, thin and weak as it was.

"Yes, Thomas. It's me," she reassured. "You hang in there, okay? Help is on the way." Inwardly she cursed the distant location of Robin's Nest. "We're going to get you warmed up in no time."

"Mmm," he groaned as hypothermic muscles continued twitching and shuddering painfully. He was shaking so hard that she had a hard time keeping her arms around his alarmingly cold body.

"You are going to be fine," she said firmly. "You'll survive this, just like you've survived everything else. You'll be absolutely fine," she repeated. Then suddenly more came pouring out before she knew what was happening. "You have to survive this, because I'm not sure I can live without you." She kept talking, unwittingly spilling her innermost hopes and feelings. Things she hadn't even acknowledged to herself. "Somehow you've become the most important person in my world. I haven't cared about anyone this much since Richard…and never thought I could," she realized the truth in those words even as they came out of her mouth. "I want you to know who I am, where I came from. Maybe you could come with me for a visit home. Have you ever been to London? Probably," she mused, her scattered thoughts flitting to his years in the military. "Thomas Magnum, listen to me. You cannot die," her voice became more urgent as she rambled on. "Do you hear me? You cannot do this to me. Not before I have the chance to…to tell you. I want to tell you exactly how I feel." The last few words were quiet, almost whispered.

Thomas didn't react, and Juliet wondered if he'd heard. Part of her hoped that he had not, even as she wrapped her lithe body more tightly around his. Juliet Higgins, what have you done? She didn't have the chance to dwell. As if to save Higgins from herself, Kumu suddenly reappeared with two well-equipped paramedics in tow.

Looking back, Higgins wouldn't recollect much of the time after the ambulance arrived. All she would remember was the feeling of desperation. She would only be able to recall the single thought that had consumed her entire consciousness.

Do not leave me, Thomas Magnum.


He was cold.

Thomas could feel the weight of blankets covering his entire body all the way up to his chin, but they seemed fairly useless as the cold apparently originated from deep within his very bones. He put the discomfort aside and kept assessing his situation. A soft, steady beeping came from somewhere behind his left shoulder and oxygen, strangely warm, tickled the inside of his nose. Hospital, he managed to determine without even being fully conscious.

As he drifted closer to the surface of wakefulness, Thomas noticed that his right hand was much warmer than the rest of him. The only part that felt remotely warm, actually, and he finally pried his eyes open to see Higgins dozing in the bedside chair. One hand propped up her head, and the other disappeared under the blanket on Magnum's bed. He realized that the mysterious warmth was her fingers wrapped around his own, and he squeezed them gently.

Juliet startled awake instantly and sat up straight. A smile brightened her face when she realized what had awakened her. "Welcome back."

"You found me," he whispered.

"Of course I found you," her smile became wistful. "I just wish it had been sooner. Hypothermia had a pretty firm hold by the time Kumu and I got you out. How are you feeling?"

"Cold," he observed with a shiver.

She nodded and glanced over at the vitals monitor. "I know, but at least your body temperature is finally within a few degrees of where it belongs. Your nurse should be in here soon with another heated saline infusion. Hopefully that will make you more comfortable."

He nodded. There was a long pause, and then a tired but self-satisfied smile crossed Magnum's pale face as he suddenly realized something. "Not m'fault."

Juliet laughed, feeling herself relax for the first time since she discovered that her partner was trapped. "You're right. Trouble managed to find you yet again but it absolutely was not your fault. That's twice in a row," she teased, referring to the recent incident with Katsumoto. The smile dropped from her face as she continued. "If anything, it was my fault. I should have warned you about the freezer."

"No...apologies," Thomas said tiredly. "Accident."

"I know," Higgins admitted. She reached up and smoothed a stray lock of hair from his forehead. She would never understand how straight hair could be unruly. No wonder he kept it short.

Focus, Juliet. She cleared her throat. "I know it was an accident. But it doesn't stop me from feeling awful. You might have died. Again."

"Didn't. 'M fine."

"You're not quite fine, Thomas. But you will be." She continued smoothing his hair. The repetitive motion was relaxing and he couldn't quite keep his eyes from drifting shut. "That's right, just rest."

Thomas shivered then gasped as the muscles of his right leg chose that moment to seize up. He abruptly let go of Juliet's hand to grip his thigh with a groan.

"Thomas? What's wrong?"

"Leg...doesn't like the cold," he explained through gritted teeth.

Higgins nodded and stood so that she could reach better. She gently moved back the blanket and nudged his hand out of the way to take over massaging the cramp. After a moment the knotted muscles relaxed under her fingertips, followed by the rest of her partner's tense body.

He sighed in relief. "Thanks, Higgy."

Juliet gave his thigh a gentle pat. "Of course. Are you okay?"

Thomas nodded, his eyelids getting heavy again. "Glad I live in Hawaii," he mumbled softly, "if that's gonna happen every time I'm a little chilly."

She laughed softly. "Guess we can mark London off your travel wish list, then."

He fought to get his eyes open, her words triggering a faint memory that teased the edges of his consciousness. "Wait. You said something...after you found me." She'd been talking…there had been a lot of words that he couldn't quite recall, but one particular phrase stuck out in his spotty memory. "What...did you want to tell me?"

Juliet froze.

She got a brief reprieve with the timely arrival of her partner's nurse, who did indeed have a bag of heated saline. The nurse busied herself at the bedside, taking Magnum's vitals and attaching the bag to his IV. After a moment she left and the two investigators were alone again.

Juliet smiled at her partner's visible relief as the warm liquid found its way into his veins. "Better?"

"Nice," he smiled lazily. "'S good."

"Good." She resumed stroking his hair, vaguely hoping it would distract him so she could further avoid the conversation.

Her partner was persistent, though. One of the many things she adored about him, if she was being honest…except when it didn't work in her favor. "Higgy," he sounded exhausted, but entirely alert. "What did you want to tell me?"

"Maybe we should talk about it later." He simply lifted an eyebrow and she sighed. "I really don't think…"

Thomas continued to study her with an expression she couldn't quite read. Concern, perhaps. "Higgy?"

"Fine," she finally acquiesced. You are a bloody fool, she said to herself, but plunged forward anyway. She had apparently captured the entirety of her partner's attention. He was staring at her raptly, and she took a deep breath to settle her nerves.

"I first realized it when we found you and Gordon in the forest. You were...dying." Juliet cleared her throat nervously. "You were dying, and suddenly I couldn't imagine life without you. I was terrified of losing you. I just..." She paused, searching for the right words. "I don't know...if you've felt it too, or if I'm just...imagining things." Ever so gently she caressed his cheek with her fingertips, careful not to dislodge the oxygen tubing.

He smiled and turned his face into her touch. "You're not imagining things."

Higgins let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "It's probably terribly foolish but I just...had to tell you how I feel. We came so close to losing you out in that forest and then to think it almost happened again because you were locked in a bloody deep freeze, of all things." She chuckled humorlessly. "I simply cannot bear the thought, it seems. After Richard I had a hard time letting anyone in. But somehow you got in anyway and...it turns out that I care about you more than I ever thought possible."

"I feel the same way, Higgy." His voice was soft and a little rough, but he squeezed the fingers that she had tucked back into his own.

She placed a tender kiss on her partner's forehead, then pulled back and regarded him thoughtfully. "I'm so glad. And relieved," she added with a shaky laugh. After a moment, she leaned in again and tentatively brushed her lips against her partner's. "I'll make you a deal. Behave yourself, do what the doctors tell you and when you get out of here, we'll…see where things go."

"Deal," Thomas breathed. The vitals monitor chirped as his heart rate spiked, and both private investigators chuckled.

"I'd better quit before the nurse comes back in here to see what's going on," Higgins teased. "Rain check?"

"Promise?" The expression in her partner's dark eyes was pleading.

"I promise." She gave him another gentle kiss on the forehead, then settled back in the bedside chair. "Now go to sleep."

Thomas didn't want to sleep. He wanted to stay awake and reassure himself that what just happened was real. But then Higgins resumed stroking his hair and it didn't take long for his exhausted body to fall into a deep sleep, fully against his will.

He dreamed of Juliet.


"I told you I'm fine!" Thomas shook his head, chuckling, but didn't fight as Higgins helped him out of the car.

Higgins ignored the protest. "How's your leg?"

"I'm not going to be running a marathon anytime soon, but it's okay. Just a little stiffer than usual." He traced his fingers through her hair and trailed them down her cheek, smiling at her doubtful expression. "I'm fine," he repeated. His smile turned mischievous. "Of course, relaxing in the hot tub might help loosen things up."

Juliet grinned. "Oh, do you think? That can probably be arranged." In fact, Higgins had already planned to get her partner into the jacuzzi. His body temperature was back to normal, but she'd noticed that he couldn't seem to shake the lingering chill. And although he tried to play it off, she could also tell that his time in the freezer had really done a number on the sensitive muscles from his previous injury. She was hoping that the hot water might help on both counts.

And if it had side benefits...all the better.

She took his elbow and let him set the pace as they headed for the main house. The limp was still present but no worse than before the freezer incident, and she had to admit that he didn't seem to be in too much discomfort.

"Did you mean what you said?" His question was sudden. At the look of confusion on her face he elaborated. "In the hospital. When I woke up."

She stopped short, and turned him gently so they were face to face. "Thomas Magnum, are you insinuating that I made a promise I don't intend to keep? Or worse, that I lied to you?"

He looked sheepish. "I...no?"

She kissed his cheek. "Indeed. Now come along." She slid her hand from his elbow down to his fingers, interlacing them with her own.

"Yes ma'am." Thomas grinned broadly and followed her out to the pool, chuckling when he recognized his own swim trunks neatly folded on top of a lounge chair. He lifted an eyebrow at Juliet.

She smirked in return and offered an unapologetic shrug. "I like to be prepared."

A few minutes later both investigators were in their swimsuits. Juliet was already seated in the jacuzzi when Thomas exited the pool house, and she watched with a critical eye as he slowly eased himself down into the hot water with a contented sigh.

"Good?"

"No. This is awesome," he grinned, sinking into the bubbles up to his chin.

Juliet laughed. "Glad to hear it. Maybe we'll finally manage to get you warmed up." She slid over until a hip was pressed against his.

In response he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. Their eyes met and after a moment Thomas leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, tentatively at first and then more passionately as she willingly reciprocated.

They got lost in the moment and both startled at the sound of a throat being pointedly cleared. They glanced over their shoulders to see Kumu beaming at them, hands firmly planted on her hips. "Well it's about time! I was beginning to lose hope. I wasn't sure that you'd ever figure it out," she admonished in her gentle Kumu way.

They laughed somewhat abashedly. "I can be a little slow sometimes," Thomas joked.

"He's not the only one," Juliet admitted.

"Better late than never," Kumu teased. "I'll leave you two alone. Welcome home, Thomas." She smiled warmly at him as she turned to leave.

"Thanks, Kumu." Once the older woman was out of sight he turned back to Juliet. He cupped her face with both hands and looked deep into her eyes, then stroked his thumbs across the smooth skin of her cheeks. "I'm glad we finally found our way."