A/N: Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, followed or favorited this story. Just a short last chapter to tie things up and then it's on to the next one. Hope you enjoy this final part.

"You put on sunscreen?" TC asked as he flopped himself into the seat next to Magnum's.

"Yes, mom," Thomas replied, trying and failing to stifle a cough. The action earned him matching looks of concern from his friends, and he rolled his eyes in response.

When it became apparent that the coughing jag was over, Rick added his opinion. "If you weren't so pasty, we wouldn't have to nag you about sunscreen."

"Pasty? It's not my fault the doctor kept me in the hospital for ten days," Magnum retorted, although part of him wondered at the comment since they'd insisted on sitting under the shade of an umbrella.

"That's what you get for inhaling dirty water," TC shrugged with forced indifference.

The day after their midnight chat had seen Magnum's fever steadily increasing as the congestion in his lungs began to suffocate him. Despite the doctor's aggressive regimen of antibiotics, Thomas' ravaged body had succumbed to the bacteria he'd unwittingly inhaled. What followed was five days of anxiety and sleepless nights as the detective had fought for every breath.

Even though he'd barely been getting enough oxygen to keep the doctor from intubating, it didn't stop him from mumbling unceasingly as he railed against unseen demons in his delirium. Rick and TC had refused to leave and argued tirelessly against the return of restraints. In the end, they'd won, barely, but the cost had been their constant vigil to prevent Magnum from hurting anyone, including himself.

When the antibiotics had finally turned the tide and his fever had broken, all of them were exhausted and emotionally drained. Still, there was nowhere else they'd rather be, and it was only the threat of medical intervention that finally removed the men from the room long enough to shower, rest, and eat a proper meal that didn't come from the hospital's cafeteria.

Fortunately, Higgins stepped in while they were gone and steadfastly watched over their friend in their place. She'd been in and out during Magnum's illness as well, but always deferred to the two men, allowing them their rightful place at Thomas' side while she offered what support she could to his protectors.

The relief they'd felt at Magnum's improvement was contagious, and the mood in the room quickly turned from despair to excitement as the doctor began to cautiously discuss releasing his patient. Finally, ten days after he'd been admitted, he was set free and turned over to his friends.

The three eagerly took up the mantle of continuing Magnum's care, ensuring he rested, took his medication, and forcing him to eat carefully planned meals that were nutritionally balanced. It was this latter bit that Thomas especially hated, craving the comfort of a beer after everything he'd endured.

While his friends were ecstatic at his recovery, Magnum was finding it difficult to share their good mood. It wasn't that he was unhappy to be home, but the spectre of Hannah's most recent betrayal still weighed heavily on him. During the day, he found his thoughts wandering to her, and his nights were filled with dreams that replayed in vivid color each moment of suffering that he and his friends had endured because of her duplicity.

Luckily, it didn't take long for the others to notice the dark bags under his eyes despite the many hours he'd spent in bed. That prompted the first of many attempts to get him to open up, attempts which he'd initially rebuffed, but eventually had given in to, offering his friends small tidbits of how it had felt to be betrayed by the person he'd loved.

After several days, his sleep began to improve, and his friends noticed how he was visibly relaxing, the tension bleeding from his body as he continued to heal. It was then that Higgins suggested a change in scenery, understanding that boredom was just as likely to set back Magnum's recovery as his emotional trauma.

As a result, they now found themselves ensconced on a private beach about an hour away from Robin's Nest. The group had obsessively planned every aspect, making sure the trip itself didn't add any undue stress, and that Magnum would be comfortable and pain-free during their stay. From the satisfied look on the detective's face, they'd succeeded.

"Yeah, not really my choice," Thomas said as he took a drink of the beer in his hand. He'd finally finished his meds, paving the way to his one and only alcoholic beverage of the day. Although he'd complained about the restriction to his friends, he didn't really mind, content to savour the single drink he'd been allowed.

Besides, capitulating to his friends made them happy, allowing them a sense of control over a situation where they'd had almost none. He'd done that; through his choices he'd removed the others' ability to decide and, more importantly, to support him. The pain of that decision had been clear in Rick and TC's eyes that night at the hospital, and it was the only thing he could recall with any certainty from the early part of his stay.

That the men had been affected so keenly ate at him; just another thing for which he felt guilty and needed to atone. He'd never tell his friends that, knowing well how upset they got with him when he felt guilt for things they believed he had no control over. Regardless, he would make it up to them in any way he could, including limiting himself to one beer despite knowing there was no reason for the restriction.

Raising his hand and his voice, he offered a toast, "To good friends. I don't know what I'd do without all of you, except that I'd probably be having more than one beer."

His toast was met with chuckles and upraised bottles, Higgins and Kumu joining in from several feet away where they basked in the full sun. Before they could drink, Juliet countered his toast with one of her own. "To family."

The words were softly repeated by everyone and followed by swallows of their drinks. As Higgins and Kumu turned from them to once more face the sun, TC leaned in so that only Magnum and Rick could hear. "You know what they say about family?"

Rick grinned as he replied, "Yeah, you can choose your friends but not your family."

TC shook his head, giving Thomas an inquiring look. "Friends are the family you choose for yourself?" the detective asked.

Shaking his head again, TC grinned broadly as he said, "No. I'm smiling because you're my brother, and I'm laughing because there's nothing you can do about it!"

The laughter that broke out from the men had Higgins and Kumu turning to see what had happened, but the men's wide grins didn't offer any clues. Shrugging, Juliet said, "You know what they say about family: like fudge, it's mostly sweet, but with lots of nuts." Kumu's bark of laughter echoed across the waves.

End.

A/N: Thanks to AZGirl for catching my typos; all remaining mistakes are mine.

Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts if you're so inclined. Until next time!