Inspired by an idea from Drjscully - thank you! - and little twists and tweaks along the way, and still not fully completed, but I hope to find some time to write soon. Set right after Honor Among Thieves. For the purpose of this story, Abby doesn't exist. Enjoy.
MAGNUM
It was the sudden change in Juliet that caught his attention. It was very subtle, almost to the point that if Thomas hadn't looked at her the precise moment she read the text on her phone, he would have missed it.
The Kid was still playing, he'd been at the piano for hours, his peaceful voice rolling through La Mariana along with the warm laughter from around the table. TC had just invested in Rick's new adventure. Jin had showed up with Keo, who was apparently real, and they had left not long after Kumu.
Thomas had continually tried to convince her of accepting his offer as a partner, and today, he thought he might have scored a point. He was a bit anxious, that she would go back to MI6, but he'd tried to hide it. She made him better and truth be told, he didn't want her to leave.
All this thinking, was why he had been stealing glimpses of her all night. And caught the transformation in her eyes as she read the message. He watched her take a deep breath and let it out slowly, the others none the wiser, before she moved to her feet.
"Higgy-baby, where' you goin'?" TC asked her when she pushed the chair to the table. Rick paused his storytelling, before she answered with a smile, like nothing had happened.
"I have an early start tomorrow, that's all," she said with a gentle hand on his shoulder. The pilot was definitely buzzed and accepted her explanation with a nod and a smile.
"A'ight, s' you t'morrow?" Rick asked and she nodded as she started walking away. He was considerably more buzzed than TC and would probably not feel all that great the next days.
"Of course. Goodnight, gents," she said in her singsong voice, not even looking at Thomas.
"Night, Jules," Rick called after her and resumed his storytelling, one Thomas was already familiar with. He spaced out some time after Juliet had left and only when Rick's hand landed on his shoulder, he was pulled back to the present.
"You good, bud?" he asked, realizing both him and TC was looking at him curiously. Thomas nodded and sighed and got to his feet.
"Yeah, all good, brother. Ima head home, it's been a long day," he said, excusing himself. He yawned as he walked to the Ferrari and soon after the dark evening air was blowing past him. It wasn't long before he parked in the driveway and turned off the engine.
The main house was quiet and dark, Juliet had probably already gone to bed, except Thomas didn't see her car anywhere. There's no possible way that he'd beat her to the Nest, unless she wasn't going home, like she said.
He paused and looked down the driveway, hoping she would be right behind him. A gnawing feeling grew at the bottom of his stomach and his head filled with 'what-if's. He scolded himself for the worry and forced his legs to carry him to the guesthouse.
Juliet Higgins was more than capable of taking care of herself, he had to remind himself as he glanced over his shoulder again. She probably had a reason for not being home yet. An errand to run, maybe stopping for gas, he thought.
No need to be overprotective. Not yet. He would give her an hour. If she wasn't home by then, he would give her a call. If she was in desperate need of help, he was confident, that she would call him. The 'what-if's nagged the back of his mind as he made his way to the kitchen in search of a sandwich, but he refused to entertain them.
Forty-nine minutes later, Thomas was anxious enough to walk back out to the Ferrari. It was the fourth time he did this lap, thinking he might had missed the rumble of her engine, but still no luck. He looked to his phone again, still no messages or missed calls.
He was just about to call her, when headlights lazily roamed around the corner and caught him, making him squint. Juliet parked the car and as soon as she got out, looked questioningly at Magnum.
"Can I help you, Magnum?" she asked, as if nothing had happened. Thomas walked over, studying her intently and then shrugged.
"I thought you said you were going home?" he asked, and Juliet gave a vague shrug herself.
"Actually, I didn't," she said briskly and started walking to the main house.
"Where did you go, then?" Thomas asked, following a couple of steps behind her.
"That's none of your business," she just said and turned around to look at him, intently. "And I suggest you'll leave it at that. It really doesn't concern you, Magnum," she continued sharply, before he could even think of a reply. He held both his hands up placatingly.
"Okay. I just wanted to make sure you were alright, that's all," he said and Juliet's eyes softened just a bit, revealing some well-hidden tension. Tension, that hadn't been there before she got the message, earlier.
"You really didn't have to, but thank you," she said and Thomas let his hands drop again with a little smile.
"Yeah, I did. Whether you choose to go back to MI6 or stay here and work with me, you're still ohana. Of course, I'll check up on you, you know that, right?" he asked and was confused when she briefly looked to the ground. It wasn't like Juliet to look ashamed or hesitant, but Thomas sensed that he shouldn't be pushing her tonight, so he didn't comment.
"Yes, I know," she said and turned back around to head for the door. "Good night, Magnum," she called over her shoulder. Thomas looked after her for couple of seconds before strolling back to the guesthouse. Juliet wasn't one to make a hasty retreat. Something was definitely wrong, he thought as he went to bed. She would come to him, if she needed help.
Right?
MAGNUM
Thomas woke earlier than usual and still managed to feel like he had pulled an all-nighter. Juliet's uncharacteristic behavior, last night, still had him confused. He spent a couple of hours on the surf ski and by the time he hit the sand near Kumu, his whole body was burning.
"Hey, Kumu," he said with a smile after he pulled the surf ski another couple of yards inland.
"Good morning, Thomas. You look about as tired as Juliet," she said with a warm smile and Thomas felt a pang of worry rush through him. But he didn't show it other than a friendly shrug.
"Must be the full moon," he explained and Kumu eyed him before they both walked back towards the house. They chatted about last night, yesterday's case and Jin and his, apparently very real girlfriend, before Thomas paused and looked to the older woman.
"What's on your mind, Kumu?" he asked, when she had beaten around the bush long enough. She sighed and briefly looked to the main house.
"It's just something Juliet said this morning, before she headed out," Kumu said and Thomas rubbed the back of his neck. "More like, didn't say, actually," she continued.
"Do you know where she went?" Thomas asked and Kumu shook her head.
"No, usually she lets me know where she goes or what her plans are, but this morning she was very secretive. She didn't even mention when she would be back," Kumu replied and Thomas could she the worry in her eyes. He gave her a reassuring smile, though he felt the uneasiness himself.
"I'm sure everything's fine, Kumu. She's just got a lot on her plate, lately," he said. It was partially true, nonetheless, he told himself. It nagged at him, that he couldn't tell her about everything and get it off his chest, but he wasn't sure Juliet would appreciate it.
"You're right, she has been very distracted since her trip to London," Kumu said, seemingly accepting the explanation. As far as Thomas knew, he was the only one who had figured out the MI6-connection to her trip.
He excused himself and headed back to the guesthouse for a shower and breakfast. He tried telling himself that he wasn't prying, when her looked up her location on the Find my Friends-app. No, he was simply looking out for her. That's what friends do for each other.
The little icon of a dog silhouette was moving slowly in downtown traffic and Thomas made the decision to go down there to set his mind at ease. He wasn't prying. Just looking out for a friend.
MAGNUM
Somehow, his foot seemed a bit heavier than usual, like his stomach, and he had to remind himself to ease up on the speed a little too often. The icon showed that Juliet had stopped at the Kewalo Basin Harbor and Thomas wasn't far behind.
He rolled to a quiet stop behind a container, hoping the sportscar was out of sight and made his way closer to where Juliet had parked. Her SUV was parked nose to nose with an older, grey sedan and he could see her talking with two men, both of them, clearly packing heat.
Thomas stayed out of sight but silently moved closer behind pallets of drums and stacks of crates. He could see Juliet stiffen when one of the men reached behind his back and Thomas briefly thought gun before the man produced a manila envelope and handed it to Juliet.
She barely gave the flat envelope a glance, as the other man handed her a smaller, brown bag. This one she was a bit more apprehensive about accepting, but she did and checked its contents and gave them a sullen nod. Thomas was still inching closer when Juliet turned to her car and left seconds later.
He watched her taillights disappear and then switched his focus back to the two men and snapped a picture of the two. Apparently, they were waiting, both leaned on the hood of the car. One of them took the opportunity to light a cigarette. He was a bit shorter than his friend, but had the presence of someone not to be messed with about him.
The taller one was scruffy with unkempt hair and more than a five o'clock stubble but not yet a full beard. Both of them were dressed in badly fitted suits, hiding the handguns but not fully concealing the bulges. Thomas was now close enough so that, if discovered, they would have no problem putting bullet between his eyes.
An engine rolled closer and Thomas crouched as to make himself invisible from the other angle. The car, a gleaming black Lincoln town car stopped exactly were Juliet had parked and the rear door opened. Thomas was quick to snatch a picture of both the car and the man exiting it.
The two men straightened and the smoker threw his bud into the water. The new arrival walked up to them, face set in stone. He was taller than the two others even with his Asian features. Older and more distinguished with greying hairs in the black. His suit looked well-fitted and expensive, the shoes immaculate, soft leather.
"Did she go for it?" the old man asked and the two men nodded.
"Yes, sir," the non-smoker said. Thomas got the impression that the two of them actually feared the older man, on account of them being a lot more hesitant and barely saying a word other than replying to the old man's question.
"Good. Make sure she disappears when she's done," the old man replied and turned on his heel to walk back to the door. "I don't tolerate loose ends," he said, almost as if it was a warning to the two guys. They certainly looked warned. He slipped into the back seat and the car turned around.
Thomas looked at the two men, who also got in their car and took off. He briefly thought about following them, but decided against it. He needed to find out what was happening so he jogged back to the car and headed to the HPD.
MAGNUM
The titles of my works might seem connected, but they're all stand-alone. Enjoy.
Let me know, if you have any request for future works - I'm fairly openminded.
/kwueenie.