I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during these...interesting times. All this sheltering-in-place has given me more time to write, though not necessarily the inspiration. But this story is done and should go up pretty quickly! My usual hurt/comfort, revolving around Higgins and Magnum's friendship sometime in season 2. Plenty of Thomas whump, of course. Usual disclaimers: I don't own Magnum or any of its characters, I am not an expert in anything relevant and most importantly, I sincerely hope you enjoy! -abby

Higgins crossed her arms across her chest. "Magnum. Please be serious. You cannot possibly believe this woman."

"Call it a gut feeling, Higgy. I think she's actually telling us the truth." Magnum rolled his eyes at his partner's obvious skepticism. "If you would just listen to to what Leah is saying, maybe-"

The blonde cut him off impatiently. "Listen to her? Magnum, come on. Leah Ho has been in and out of trouble since she was a teenager and by all accounts is a barely-functional adult. She's an alcoholic, has been arrested for possession, and recently got fired from her job after...how many chances? She's lucky the courts haven't taken away her child. Meanwhile, Kai Takagi is a well-respected member of the community. He's been happily married for over thirty years, sits on the hospital board of directors and has raised four daughters! He hired us to find out who was stalking him. Why would he do that if her story was true? There's no evidence he's ever even met Leah!"

Magnum's dark eyes narrowed. "Why would she lie?"

Juliet barked out a laugh and flung her hands into the air. "Why would she lie? Thomas, listen to yourself. She would lie because she's broke and desperate! Takagi is quite wealthy. Why wouldn't she lie?"

"But why him?" Thomas was insistent. "There are thousands of wealthy men on this island. Why, of all people, would she claim that Kai Takagi fathered her child? Why would she seek him out?"

"Oh I don't know, Magnum. He's a public figure. Leah went to high school with one of his daughters. Not to mention that she worked at the same hospital. Maybe she saw his picture on the wall, or read an article about him in the employee newsletter, or any number of other places. Who knows?"

"It doesn't make sense," he retorted. "He keeps saying they've never met, yet she can give a detailed account of the entire day leading up to their one night stand? Some of the minor stuff varies but the important details of her story haven't changed at all, Higgins. Not when you asked her, not the three separate times I interviewed her, and not when she was talking to the social worker. Don't you think that an alcoholic drug user would have a harder time keeping her lies straight? I'm telling you, something's not right."

The barest flicker of doubt crossed Juliet's features but she didn't back down. "So? Leah rehearsed her story because she wanted to get it right. She was a theater arts major before dropping out of university, remember?"

"Whatever," Magnum scoffed. "I'm telling you, something doesn't add up with Takagi. But it doesn't matter. Clearly you've made up your mind so there's no point in discussing it further."

Kumu watched the exchange from across the room, forehead creasing with worry. Thomas and Juliet fought often, but this had gone far beyond their typical good-natured banter. She stood and put her hands on her hips. "Hoʻolohe. Stop it and listen, you two." Kumu's voice didn't carry over theirs as the argument continued, and she cleared her throat loudly.

When two irritated faces finally turned in her direction she continued, keeping her voice soft so they'd be forced to pay attention. "You need to learn how to listen. Hoʻolohe," she repeated. "You're partners for a reason. You work better as a team, if you'd just stop tripping over your own egos for a minute."

Thomas snorted, but had the sense to look somewhat abashed. "You're right, Kumu." He glanced at Higgins, who nodded. But that didn't stop her from lifting an irritated eyebrow in her partner's direction as she turned on her heel and walked away.

"I hope you're aware that this is going to be completely fruitless," Higgins said.

Magnum could tell she was needling him, trying her best to draw him into another argument, but he simply wasn't in the mood. "Maybe," he replied, never taking his focus off the road.

To his relief Juliet didn't say another word. The rest of the trip continued in tense silence, and fifteen minutes later Magnum parked the Ferrari in front of Takagi's large beachfront property. The garage door was open, and with a glance at each other the two private investigators headed in that direction.

"Mr. Takagi?" Higgins called out, but there was no reply. "Hello?"

Magnum had entered the garage first, and from her vantage point two steps behind him Higgins unfortunately had less than a heartbeat to react.

Kai Takagi moved surprisingly fast for a man his size, and there just wasn't time for Juliet to shout a warning. The attack was too swift, too unexpected, and Thomas didn't even have a chance to defend himself from the crowbar aimed directly at his windpipe. With a strangled yell, he dropped like a stone as Higgins scrambled to retrieve the weapon tucked in her waistband.

As Magnum writhed on the ground clutching his throat, Higgins made quick work of neutralizing Takagi with a gun butt to the skull. She was calling 911 before he even hit the pavement. Once satisfied that help was on the way, Juliet restrained their former client with a zip tie then hurried to kneel by her partner's side.

"Thomas, let me see. Let me see," she coaxed his shaking hands out of the way, cringing at the bruises that were already starting to blossom. "Oh my god," she murmured.

"Can't…breathe," he mouthed soundlessly. Juliet's stomach knotted with fear as she watched Thomas fight to pull in air. His legs kicked involuntarily as he struggled, desperate wheezes breaking the silence, and she pulled his head and shoulders onto her lap in what she knew was a futile attempt to make him more comfortable.

"Hang in there, Thomas. Just keep breathing." She felt completely helpless. Her partner - her friend - was suffocating in her arms, and all she could do was grip his cold fingers tightly and hope that the ambulance arrived in time. "Stay with me. Help is on the way."

His bloodshot eyes were glassy and unfocused but suddenly they locked onto hers. Juliet's heart shattered into a million pieces when she saw something most uncharacteristic in their depths: abject terror. "Just stay with me, Thomas," was all she could think to say. "In and out," she coached, forcing her tone to remain calm though she felt anything but. "Good, that's a good lad," she encouraged over his frantic gasps.

True to stubborn form, Thomas held onto consciousness even as his skin paled and lips turned blue, and with each of his hard-won breaths Juliet could feel her own desperation growing. "Don't you dare leave me, Thomas Magnum," she whispered fiercely in her partner's ear. I'm so sorry. I should have listened. "Keep breathing, dammit!"

All of a sudden there was a familiar sound in the distance and as an anxious Juliet listened it grew steadily, blessedly louder. She had never been so relieved to hear sirens in her life.