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It was well into evening when Jeremiah made his way back to his actual home. He did not want to be found, to be seen, until he actually laid eyes on Zac and they talked.

About a lot of things. It was not just about what to do with them being missing but also about what had been said while they were in other ashdown. The deal the other had tried to make ...

The knot in his stomach that had loosened from actually talking to Algie was back. He could still picture the slump of Zac's shoulders, the way he had looked defeated and shut off from everything.

Jeremiah deserved it, knew he did, because he had made decisions before he knew what was really going on. What he could possibly cost those close in his life.

The door to his house was unlocked, the detective noting that there were some lights on as he went inside.

Closing it behind him, locking it without a second thought, Jeremiah slipped off his shoes by the doorway (because no shoes past the entryway) and called out. "Zac?"

Jeremiah had not been sure that Zac would even be here. His worst fear was that Zac would, in all honesty, have gone back to his mother's. His stomach was twisted into knots, the chill of the burns on his back not helping at all.

He was making his way through the house, pleased to see that they really had not gone through it. There was no point, not since they had already gone through it the first time when Zac had gone missing. Himself going missing a few days later? Not much had changed.

The detective was dressed, so very obviously, in one of Algie's sweaters (it was the pattern that gave it away) and his own shirt sleeves visible. Not that much time had passed and, if anything, the bruising was in full bloom on his face now. There was no pause at his own bedroom once he was upstairs, instead going straight for Zac's. His hand rested on the doorframe, blue-green eyes coming to focus on the young man. "Zac, I -"

Jeremiah blinked.

His hand fell from the doorframe to his side because he saw the duffle (which was not damning) and then he saw the panda (which was).

Whatever he was going to say was suddenly stuck in his throat. For all the headway he had made with Algie, this was ... The silver-haired man let out a sigh, coming into the room and sitting at the desk chair. Standing he would clearly be trying to prove his point or whatever, by sitting it was clear he was here to talk. Not that he knew where to start.

"Space?" Jeremiah ventured. It was not like he had not been in similar posture not all that long ago. Right down to the hands clenching at thighs. He was having trouble sitting back against the chair, instead sitting forward and raking a hand through his hair.

Nervously.

Perhaps if he had not already had some kind of talking to, or if he did not already feel guilty for putting Zac in this position. It was only natural that Zac would want to save the man was basically his father, that he would do whatever was necessary ... He did not like it but he understood it.

"You can have it," he said finally, "but ... we have to sort out what we're going to do about the fact we were missing." Zac for a week, Jeremiah for five days. Just leaving would not work, not at this moment.

Jeremiah was always a little amused to see that familiar braid, that bit of hair, fight with Zac. Had since the young man started wearing his hair that way and coloring it.

"I do, actually," he spoke, moving to sit back and then stopped himself as if remembering it would not be a good idea. His palms pressed along his trouser leg, eyes down for a moment in thought. He raise them back up to look at Zac. "You got lost in the forest. Looking for clues that might help my case." It wouldn't be unrealistic. Everyone knew he was Zac's legal guardian. "Finally managed to get a call out to me about where you were ..."

Tilting his head back he looked to the ceiling, another breath released. "I went in after you. The fog rolled in and we both ended up lost. Apparently there were some issues with communication services during the fog so it would not be too far-fetched." Except that it was clear Jeremiah did not like this idea but there was little else to go with.

"Fog cleared up earlier today, so we can go announce ourselves at the department. That we made our way out." His lips were pressed together thinly, trying to not frown. Both of them had lost weight over their stay in other ashdown. "Once we got that taken care of you can ..."

Definitely frowning now.

But ******** if he did not deserve this.

"I know ..." Jeremiah spoke slowly, mostly because working through saying thoughts and feelings were not easy for him. Algie had the benefit of being around him for his entire life (sans the years they had been apart, they had still kept in contact and there had been visits) and Zac ... Zac he had cared for and loved. The young man was his son and he had made a deal before he realized that everything was not as it seemed.

He would make the attempt, so help him.

"Algie already read me the riot act about my overprotectiveness," he started instead, "which he is right to do. You have every right to be mad as well for that and other reasons." Shifting in the chair, he raked a hand through his hair. "I have no plans on you losing another dad, Zac. So whatever can be done, whatever needs to be found out to bring all of them home ... I'm doing it." A pause. "And any help you can offer, I will take."

If this had been a few hours earlier perhaps he would have been more defensive, more argumentative. Instead he just had a sinking feeling in his gut. Jeremiah had to reinforce it. That he had no plans on leaving Zac. Which he had said already. If he needed to say it again he would but for now ...

"When you're ready."

As he would give Zac the space.

Jeremiah huffed, more at Mogget than anything else. He pushed himself up from the chair with a quiet hiss of breath. His fingers were held out for the curly-tailed cat, wiggling them and waiting for the inevitable scramble of Mogget up along his arm and onto his shoulders.

"Anything I find out, I'll text about. Apparently there was something that happened in the town while we were on the other side." He raised a hand, ignoring the pull and pain, to rub at Mogget (who wasted no time in his attempts to groom his other human, paws on either side and licking until his hair was spiking). "I'll find out about it after the station and let you know."

His head tilted towards the door. "Let's get this over with." Then, a moment later. "So that we can focus on figuring out how to work around immortal teenagers and get some answers."

"Too many extras," Jeremiah agreed, eyes rolling a bit towards the back of his head because he could feel Mogget licking spikes into his hair. He raised his hand to scratch at that cat's fur and then smooth along it until he was letting the tail curl around his finger.

This did not seem so bad but it still ... Jeremiah was chilled and his back ached and Zac was leaving.

"Algie has been in it." A sigh. "Since Sunny brought him into it." A frown. "We have been pulled into this and ... we'll going to figure it all out." At the mention of Aleksy, the frown disappeared and instead it was his lips pressed together in thought. "Aleksy. He owns a flower shop but I would wait a few days before you go to see him." The man had been with Finn, mostly puking his guts up because of everything.

Which also reminded him that he had to apologize to Aleksy as well. Bloody hell. "Give him time to recover from being over there."