For some reason, this story came together far more easily than any of the others. It was a pleasure to write, and I hope you all found it a pleasure to read. Until next time! -abby

Since being released from the hospital, Thomas had been careful to keep his back hidden from Juliet. Despite their open conversation several days prior, it was obvious that she was still struggling with feelings of remorse and self-recrimination. He knew she just needed more time and while he couldn't do much else to assuage her guilt, at the very least he could protect her from the visual reminder.

To that end, either Rick or TC had been stopping by daily for almost two weeks to tend his wounds themselves. And though gauze and the additional weight of a shirt made the wounds itch miserably as they healed, Thomas had made sure to always keep them covered whenever he ventured outside the guest house.

Magnum got out of the shower and toweled off, meticulously avoiding the sutures that were scheduled for removal later that same afternoon. He threw on a pair of basketball shorts, leaving the gashes temporarily exposed to get a reprieve from the relentless itching. Humming to himself, he wandered to the kitchen in search of breakfast and opened the refrigerator to explore the options.

He didn't hear the knock at the front door.

Deep in an internal debate as to whether he wanted eggs or pancakes, unfortunately he also missed the fact that someone had entered the room - until it was too late.

"My god."

Thomas froze, closing his eyes as he registered the familiar voice. By letting his guard down momentarily he'd ended up in the exact situation he'd worked so hard to avoid. In retrospect, he would realize it was a testament to how safe he felt at Robin's Nest, how much he'd come to trust the other resident of the property. But in that moment, he simply felt a pang of failure.

Slowly he pushed the refrigerator shut and turned to face Juliet, who stood just inside the doorway.

Her face had drained of all its color when she took in the sight of his injuries. The tanned skin was a nightmarish roadmap of ugly wounds, all varying in size. Newly healed pink scars from shallower cuts crisscrossed those which had required stitches. And there were so many. The damage was somehow even worse than she'd expected. She'd never actually seen that many sutures in one place, and her heart shattered all over again. "Oh,Thomas. I'm so sorry."

"Hey." He took a step forward, voice gentle. "Hey, no, we talked about this. It's not your fault."

"Your back," she whispered. "It-"

"Looks much worse than it feels," he quickly interjected. He crossed the room to stand in front of her, bending slightly down so that his eyes were directly at her level. "I'm actually getting the stitches out today. Everything's fine."

"But the scars-"

He cut her off again. "Will blend right in with all the others," he smiled, but his tone allowed no argument. "I'm fine. I promise."

She finally looked at him then, really met his eyes as she responded. "Okay." Her gaze dropped to the thin scar across his belly where he'd been knifed, but he simply tipped her chin up with two fingers.

"That one's fine too."

"You've been through so much, Thomas. I just...I can't bear that I added to it."

"You did not," he reminded her. "Malcolm Baker did that. Don't worry about me, Higgy. Really."

She hugged him then, impulsively yet gently, mindful of his wounds. At first he startled at the uncharacteristic move, then wrapped his arms around Juliet's slender frame and rested his head against hers.

After a long moment she pulled away, looking sheepish. She cleared her throat. "Have you been released to drive?"

"Not yet." Rick had already offered to take Thomas to the follow-up appointment, but the private investigator knew that his buddy would understand a change of plans. He'd been worried about Higgins too. "Was that an offer?"

"I suppose it was." Juliet smiled.

"Well in that case, yes - I'd appreciate the ride." He paused. "You hungry? I was thinking pancakes. Chocolate chip?"

"That sounds lovely," she said. "Do you need help?"

"Nope. You just relax. I'll be right back." He trotted into his bedroom and grabbed a shirt, slipping it on before returning to the kitchen.

Higgins had seated herself in a bar stool and glanced over as he approached. She frowned a little at his attire. "Thomas, you didn't have to-"

He held up a hand, grinning. "Hey, it's not very sanitary to cook for guests while half-naked."

She barked out a surprised laugh. "I suppose not."

They settled into a familiar rhythm, chatting and bantering as Thomas prepared breakfast. Juliet watched as he worked, pleased to see that his movements were fluid and graceful, almost completely free of stiffness. He didn't appear to be in pain, except for one brief flinch he couldn't quite hide when reaching onto a high shelf. She didn't bother to comment, knowing exactly what the response would be.

"One good thing has come out of all this, you know," he tossed over his shoulder while pouring batter onto the griddle.

"Oh? What's that?"

Magnum turned around, spatula in hand. He pointed it at her thoughtfully. "Now I know that you really do care about me. If you didn't, Baker wouldn't have chosen me for his little revenge scheme."

Higgins arched an eyebrow. "He was a lunatic, Thomas. You said so yourself."

The stunned expression on Magnum's face was absolutely priceless, and she couldn't help the delighted smile that spread across her own. She started to laugh, harder than she had in quite awhile, and felt the last remaining bit of tension drain from her body as he cheerfully joined in.