Authors Note: Yes I know, it's been ages since I updated this story. I lost the chapters I'd already written that just needed editing - so I'm re-writing the end of this story from memory. *sigh* Stupid laptop decided to crash. I am determined to finish this story though! So I hope some of you are sticking around! Give me a yell. :)

Chapter 6:

Will sat lost in his thoughts. He couldn't figure out what was wrong with the situation but it just didn't feel right – apart from the fact that they had been trapped in a gigantic hole with no known escape… something else felt wrong.

"I have an idea." He perked up at Magnus words.

"What is it?" She stood slowly obviously still in a fair bit of pain even though they had rested for an hour or so now according to his watch.

"If you could give me a boost I'd like to see if the soil is firmer further up the wall, maybe just this –" she brushed the wall nearest them and they watched the soil fall to the floor. "-is the only part that is loose."

"Okay, it sounds like a long shot. It's worth trying though." He followed her to the wall that was most well lit. It only took a few steps as the hole they were trapped in wasn't exactly wide, just extraordinarily deep. He bent and cupped his hands for her to stand on. "Are you going to be okay?" She placed one boot in his hands and looked down at him with a frown.

"I will be fine Will. Stop pestering me." He couldn't help but be concerned for her wellbeing but he really should just keep his mouth shut he was obviously irritating her and there was no escaping her in this place so he really needed her on his side. He sighed and began counting.

"1, 2, 3…" He heaved but as he did he realised they were both balanced wrong – probably because of their injuries. He heard Magnus scrabbling for purchase on the soil above her head but her leg wobbled in his hands and he tried to look up to see where her other leg had disappeared to when she began to fall. He slipped his hands up cupping her rear to try and hold her steady but they both tumbled backwards.

"Ow," Magnus cried as she landed on top of him. They both lay there for a moment trying to catch their breath. He grunted in pain as Magnus wiggled off him knocking his already bruised body. "Sorry Will," she knelt over him and pressed a hand softly to his forehead.

"Why are you checking my temperature?" He lay on his back staring up at her in confusion.

"Oh…" She lifted her hand from his forehead and looked at it in confusion. "Uh habit…" They both laughed at this and she took his elbow helping him sit up.

"So what's the soil like up there?"

"Just as soft…" She trailed off, her eyes locked on something on the wall and she cocked her head to the side a curious expression creeping onto her face.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure…" She got up and tugged on something stuck into the wall but it disintegrated into her hand.

"What the hell…" She turned to him and held up her hand showing him the black dirt now coating her hand. "What do you make of this Will?" She moved closer so he could get a better look.

"This will be strange but hold on…" He gently took her wrist and brought her hand closer taking a sniff. "It smells of… fire. Of burnt wood…?" He let go of her hand and shook his head in confusion.

"It was stuck into the wall, I think it was a root, or stick of some sort."

"The temperatures to get it to the point where it disintegrates like that…" they both stared at her blackened hand.

"Do the Kaldis have any special abilities? Do they use fire?" He hadn't read anything in the papers she gave him about the creatures knowing how to use fire…

"No, definitely not. The group of Kaldis in America are afraid of fire and from what I've read it's been assumed this group is too."

"And there are no other abnormals up here?"

"Not that we have recorded…"

"Could it be… humans… making a fire and just leaving the wood behind?"

"Potentially, but this far down…? It was trapped in the wall and you wouldn't expect it to be still intact… It's like it was burned recently."

They both sat down again beside the remaining backpack – Will's one. He tried to digest the new information but every scenario he played in his head of how the burnt wood found its way wedged into the wall of the hell hole they were stuck in – made no sense.

Gradually the part of the sky he could see darkened and the temperature dropped as night began to fall. He rubbed his tired eyes, still irritated from the blood that had caked them shut earlier and sighed aloud.

"I think I might try and get some sleep." Magnus didn't respond though, so he reached his hand over and touched her arm. She had been staring at the dirt wall across from her, lost in her thoughts for a long time now. Her arm felt cold beneath his fingertips and he frowned in concern. "Magnus," he prompted again. This time she turned to him with a slight smile on her face.

"Sorry Will, think I zoned out for a minute there."

"A bit more than a minute," he chuckled. "You are cold. I brought a hoodie, I'll find it." He dug through his backpack until he felt the soft material of his hoodie and handed it to Magnus who took it without a word and awkwardly slipped it over her head – her injuries hindering her. He lay down satisfied Magnus would be okay and used his backpack as a pillow.

"I think I might try and sleep too." She told him obviously catching onto the fact he was going to rest even though she hadn't heard his earlier words.

"Here," he shuffled over a bit so that she could use his backpack as a pillow too. She lowered herself into a comfortable position opposite him and he felt her shivering through the backpack. "Come here," he reached up and tugged gently at the shoulder of his hoodie she now wore. "Come lay beside me." He sat up slightly and she slid around to his side of the backpack snuggling into him so that he was now spooning her. He didn't expect her to be a snuggler but he felt himself smile despite the horrible situation. He learned so much about Magnus when they were off on their missions.

"Thanks Will," she mumbled. He lay back down and risked placing his arm over her waist to hold her against him. After a few seconds and no response from Magnus he decided he'd gotten away with it and relaxed taking in the scent of her hair and their warmth, now shared.

"Goodnight," he said quietly. Magnus, exhausted from her injuries – didn't respond. Her breathing had already evened out, she was asleep! It took him far longer to finally drift off. He could see the moon glowing brightly against the blue-black sky by the time he closed his eyes.

TBC.