Chapter Two [Kaldis]

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They had arrived at the truck stop with only a little grumbling from Magnus about how slow he was driving. (Meaning, he was driving the speed limit the entire way). They now sat on stools waiting to be served. Thankfully someone had come and wiped down the bench. When they had first sat down they had to avoid resting their arms on the bench as it was quite obviously sticky with old beer not to mention tomato sauce had been splattered around looking alarmingly like blood.

He kept glancing at Magnus. He just couldn't believe he was seeing her in this dirty place. She always seemed so proper, so clean and so very elegant. He figured she did deal with all sorts of humans and abnormals so he really shouldn't be surprised how relaxed she was in a place like this. She just looked so out of place. A fancy restaurant, a glass of wine in hand…? Now that was how he pictured her.

"Doctor Magnus!" A small man with an alcoholic's bright red and swollen nose approached them from the other side of the counter. He took her hand and gave it a quick kiss. He pressed his lips together trying not to laugh at the chubby hands with dirty black fingernails holding Magnus' pale, delicate hand. He didn't think he'd seen two such different hands in such close proximity before. The man ran a hand over a shiny bald head as red as his nose.

"George," Magnus face had lit up the moment she saw him. However funny Will found the situation George must mean a lot to her, her voice was warm and her smile genuine. "This is Will Zimmerman,"

"Nice to meet you," Will put out his hand and shook with George. He took in a little more of George's appearance and decided he must help out with the trucks rather than cook the food (which was a relief after seeing the state of his hands). George had on a mechanics outfit. He also had a very kind and open smile. Will liked him already.

"So," George said lowering his voice. "You are here to see them?"

"Yes we are," she waved over another man who didn't seem to recognise her as George had but smiled politely all the same.

"Can I take your order?" He nodded at Magnus "M'am," and then at Will "Sir,"

"I'd like the chicken burger and fries," Will told him after perusing the menu for not even a minute. There wasn't a lot of choice. He didn't mind though. A nice greasy meal after snacking all morning would be rather nice.

"I'll have the same, with a Steinlager Pure, thank you." She looked over at Will. "Are you having a drink?" He found himself staring at her blankly. He didn't think he had ever seen her drink a beer. She didn't even ask for a glass! He watched the man who had taken their orders pull a beer bottle out of a fridge and pop the cap.

"Uh," he struggled to find his brain. "Uh," he repeated stupidly.

"Will," she ducked her head to look him in the eyes better. "Are you okay?" Her face, filled with concern, brought him back to reality.

"I'll have the same, thanks." He shook his head to ensure it was actually clear and watched Magnus take a swig. She looked like a natural and he couldn't help but smile. He had missed a lot of her conversation with George during his stupor so he quickly focused on the man before them once again.

"Thank you George, I will keep you updated." Damn, he'd missed out. George patted Magnus on the arm and left out the back door.

"Was that your source?" He asked Magnus and took a mouthful of his beer. It was actually quite nice. For someone who didn't drink beer often she had good taste.

"Mm hmm," Magnus agreed. "We can talk about that on the way out." She cocked her head to the side in question and he knew she was wondering about his strange behaviour. Should he try and come up with a better excuse? She was going to think he was a fool.

"I've never seen you drink beer," he admitted. She let out a small laugh, looked at him as if checking to be sure he was serious and then began laughing in earnest. It took her a while to contain herself.

"Oh Will," she covered her mouth as if trying to prevent another laugh escaping. "There is so much you don't know about me." Their meals arrived and they thanked the man who turned out to be named Tom.

"I don't really understand what is so funny." He admitted after finishing his burger. He was really enjoying watching Magnus eating hers and seeing bits of lettuce falling messily onto her plate. She seemed to think over his question while she chewed but eventually answered him.

"I guess it's just that… I have lived a very long time. You have known me for three years… You don't think you could possibly know everything about me by now? Psychologist or not…" She patted his arm and began on her fries.

"Yeah," he supposed he had a lot to learn about Magnus yet. For all he knew she could have spent the first part of her life a beer drinker and only turned to wine in recent years. "Do you smoke?" She almost choked on her fries.

"Of all the questions you could ask me Will… I have smoked. I do not smoke now."

"Sometimes I just want to know the little things," he retorted still a little offended by all the laughing.

They finished their meal in relative silence and the moment they got back into the car – Magnus driving again since she knew the way to The Dell – he again asked her about George. Magnus started the car and looked over at him her face deadly serious.

"Thirty two years ago George – like you – saw his mum attacked by an abnormal. He was only ten years old." She sighed sadly. "He had already lost his father to cancer a couple of years previous so he was devastated by the loss of his mother – and in such a brutal fashion too."

"Did he know what killed his mother was an abnormal?" He asked remembering how crazy everyone had thought he was when he tried to tell them a monster killed his mother.

"He was injured during the attack and had a bout of amnesia. It wasn't until he was twenty three that I heard from him. Someone told me he was researching the death of his mother, his memories had resurfaced and he would do anything to dig up the truth. I came to New Zealand and I took him to the Auckland Sanctuary." She stopped the car in a driveway but he couldn't see anything except trees so he remained seated waiting for the end to the story. "He is a good man, George. He helps out with the Sanctuary network where he can and has never had ill-feelings towards the abnormal that killed his mother. It was a terrible accident… They were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"He must have a very big heart to forgive after losing both his parents." Will said trying to imagine how he would have felt in George's situation, it was bad enough being left with only one parent.

"Well, we are here." She got out and grabbed her suitcase and he followed suit. The stairs leading down to the house were steep and he was glad they had arrived during the day so he could see them clearly. The Dell was a large house nestled in the bush. It looked old but sturdy and the moment they entered the front door he could smell freshly cut firewood.

"It's beautiful," he told Magnus taking in his surroundings. They were in a Lockwood home and had entered into a kitchen/dining room. A large picnic table of some expensive looking wood dominated the dining area and an obviously newly renovated kitchen stood next to it.

"Wait until you see the view," she dumped her suitcase by the table. "Let me show you around," so she led him from room to room. There were two bathrooms, five bedrooms and a balcony that lined the entire front of the house. She took him there last and he gasped aloud at the view. He had read about Lake Taupo before but he had never seen it. The water stretched so far to the left he couldn't see the other side but he could see the city of Taupo (as Magnus pointed out to him) directly across from them and to the right he could see Turangi where they had just come from.

"Amazing," the water looked so clear he felt he could almost see the bottom from where they stood.

"Shall we go down?" She gestured to the lake. From the balcony he could see another set of steep stairs leading into the bush below the house.

"Absolutely,"

TBC