Hold On

Chapter 30

The door opened and they were greeted by Nick, standing on the other side and waiting for them.

"Come on, I'll take you back to your room." He said and moved aside to pass them through.

During their walk, Nick noticed that Magnum and Juliet were quiet, obviously both lost in their thoughts. Something wasn't right. The talk with the boss must have caused this tension that was almost visible between them.

"How was the dinner? Did you like the food?" Nick asked, trying to defuse the situation.

"Yeah, it was very tasty." That was all Magnum said.

Nick didn't try anymore. He knew that they should discuss whatever they had learned during the dinner and what was on their minds. The sooner the better.

They finally reached their room and Nick let them in. Juliet went inside and stopped by the window, her back turned to Magnum. The PI exchanged looks with Nick whose face showed real concern. He started caring for those two but he realized that in this situation he couldn't help them, they had to do it on their own. So he just whispered 'Good luck' and with that he left the room.

Magnum sighed deeply. As soon as the door closed, he decided to talk to his partner and he had a feeling that this conversation wouldn't be easy.

"Higgy." He said softly and took a few steps towards her but was instantly stopped by her reply.

"No." She said quietly, so quietly that he could barely hear her. "Please, don't."

"What's wrong?" Thomas asked.

She shook her head. "I can't talk about it right now."

The whole time she remained in her spot, her face still away from him. He couldn't see her so he found it difficult to guess how she was feeling at the moment but judging by her trembling voice, she was close to tears. He was surprised when he heard her say the words.

"It's quite late. This time you can be the first to use the bathroom."

Magnum wanted so much to take her in his arms, let her talk, maybe even cry and show her how much he supported her. Instead of doing that, he was standing there uselessly, looking at the back of her head, doing everything he could not to reach to her and act against her will. It took a couple of minutes, although it seemed like hours, before he let out a long breath and finally moved. He went to the chest of drawers which was nearby and took out some pants and a t-shirt, and with one last look at Juliet, he went inside the bathroom.

After that she hanged her head low. She felt awful. She knew her partner would soon be back so she quickly tried to find something to wear for the night. The first thing she came upon was a black silk nightgown but she instantly decided against it cause it wasn't time or place for such attire. She chose a plain t-shirt and a pair of shorts, thinking it would be much better and more comfortable.

A few minutes later Magnum emerged from the bathroom.

"It's all yours." He said.

Higgins didn't wait any longer and with a short 'Thanks' she quickly brushed past him and disappeared behind the door.

Now that she was alone, she couldn't hold back any more. Everything came crushing on her, all those feelings she had to suppress while facing Peter resurfaced and were really overwhelming her. Tears started streaming down her cheeks and she sunk to the floor, crying soundlessly. It was all too much for her – first the deep shock after finding out who was holding them and then the realization that soon she'd be facing a tragic choice – Burns' wife and son for Magnum's life. It would be a very tough decision to make and she knew that unfortunately whatever she chose, it would end badly for someone anyway.