Hold On

Chapter 22

Thomas and Juliet were both dozing off for some time when they heard the sound of footsteps in the corridor and then the lock in the door being turned. They instantly opened their eyes and sat up. They looked at each other with fear. Juliet was already on alert. Was that man Timothy coming back to check if Magnum was really dead? What would he do when he found out her partner was alive? Would he finish what he had started? Or was it Burt who still felt that he didn't get his revenge and wanted to accomplish his mission?

Those and many other thoughts were clouding Juliet's head this very moment. One thing was sure – she wasn't going to let anyone harm Thomas that easily and fight till the end.

The door slowly opened and the pair held their breaths, ready for anything that was going to happen. The person who came inside really surprised them. It was Nick who seemed to be as much surprised as them when he noticed that Magnum was very much alive.

"You're... not dead." Nick stated.

"I see you're very observant." Magnum replied with sarcasm and then he added, glancing at Higgins. "Yes, I'm alive, thanks to my partner."

She met his gaze and smiled lovingly.

"Wow, you did it, Juliet. You did the impossible, you really saved him." Nick whispered with awe. "I underestimated you. I was sure he was gone."

"It's not just me." Juliet protested at once. "Magnum here is strong and doesn't give up that easily so it helped him to come back."

"Perhaps it's true but there's one more thing, though. Maybe even more powerful than this strength of his." Nick stated and when he noticed confusion and curiosity on both their faces, he clarified his thought with a smile. "He had someone to come back to."

Thomas and Juliet shared a look and grinned sheepishly. That was so strange to hear this man talk about that. He was their kidnapper after all but like before, his behavior didn't match a typical bad guy.

"Anyway, I've got something for you." Nick suddenly spoke and reaching into his pocket, he took out a small bottle of water. "Here, you need to stay hydrated after what you went through." He said and moved closer to hand the bottle to Magnum who shook his head instantly.

"No, give it to Higgy first, she needs water too." The PI replied.

"Magnum." The woman hissed instantly. "As I remember correctly, it's you who literally died and in that case it's you who have the priority to get the water." Her response was matter-of-fact as usually all her replies were when she tried to convince him of something he didn't want to do.

Magnum smiled inwardly. Yeah, that was his Higgins and that was definitely one of the things he loved about her. Of course, he didn't show it to her but played along. He just crossed his arms and waited for more.

Juliet copied his gesture at once and sat with her arms crossed too, her eyes saying that she wouldn't give up either.

Nick stood there, being the witness of this highly amusing situation. He could say for sure that those two were perfect for each other. He would like to think about it more but he didn't have time for those things, actually he had very little time so he had to act quickly.

"Magnum, here, take it. I've got another one for Juliet too."

"Oh, is today some sort of holiday I'm not aware of? Or do you want to celebrate my coming back to life?" Thomas asked, making his partner shake her head and chuckle at his sense of humor.

"I just thought you would need something to drink." Nick replied. "But of course celebrating your presence among the living would surely be a good idea."