Welcome to Gaia! ::

Jeremiah was coming outside, still on the recovery from the entire thing that had happened in other ashdown with the house and Autumn and ...

His back hurt, the pain eventually lessening to a point that he could handle it. Luckily he could afford to take a few days off here and there but eventually -

The detective lieutenant did not think about it, instead stopping to immediately look down at his feet as he stepped out. It was an instinctive reaction, still not quite shaking the fact that Mogget and Zac were not there and he did not have to expect presents to be left right there.

It helpfully distracted him from the flicker that was just at the edge of his vision and his attention on his garden now.

Suspicious. Mogget was here. Hellbine had gone out again - heaven knew where, the cat was always out doing something - and Algie was working. He crouched down, the flicker at the corner of his vision still ignored, and offered an arm for Mogget to climb up.

"Good to see you, Mogget, but where's Zac?" It made him a little uneasy that Zac wasn't here and-

Pinch!

There was a sensation of pain on his arm, Jeremiah looking down immediately at his arm and that finally brought his attention to the oddness that was where the porch swing and seats were on the porch. He blinked a couple times, having to hold Mogget's face out of his way (he just started to groom him anyway), and shook his head.

For a moment he saw Zac and then he didn't and then he did. He rubbed his forehead. "Zac?"

Jeremiah blinked, watched as it faded away and it was just Zac there. He let out a sigh, shoulders relaxing and then rolling to try and ease the ache that was still there.

"They can't?" He blinked, tilting his head and studying the area around Zac again. "As if that's something you can do now because of everything that's going on?" Jeremiah shook his head. "It looks like there's a haze or something around you and then you're not there." His fingers rubbed across his eyes again and then scratched at Mogget.

The detective tilted his head towards the porch swing and he went to sit down. "I can, ah, see a bit different now." Before he could elaborate Zac was mentioning the house and the maze and-

"We're fine," Jeremiah's voice was soft as he sat. "As can be expected. I couldn't do much for a day or two, my back-" His hand flicked through the air, the pain of the magic that had touched him never had properly faded, nor did the chill. "You mentioned that. I was going to text you to see if you wanted to talk and check on you."

This was actually the first day he had ventured outside.

"Like a Mogget suddenly wanting my attention?" Jeremiah questioned with an amused smile. "Fairly useful thing to be able to do." He was still scratching Mogget, fingers resting against the white fur and the loud purr.

"No, not at all like that. Aleksy sees the truth. I see more like ..." He breathed in, then out. "I can see where I can get into other ashdown. Grainy, filmy, sometimes hazy. It's not the same every time." His blue-green eyes focused on Zac really looked but there was nothing around him this time. "I could see you a moment ago, even though you were not wanting to be seen. You were there but there was something over you."

He nodded about going inside. "I can put a pot of tea on. Need to stay warm anyway." Jeremiah paused at the door, blinking at the mention of a bite. "No, actually, it felt like I was pinched."

"... well that and what you know about not-our-friend smoky." Jeremiah sighed. "As I have been meaning to discuss that with you but there's never been a moment to do so."

The door was pushed open, the usual chair and table by the door. It had more coats on it than before, some of them clearly Algie's. Never mind the ring on his ring finger. "I'm not entirely worried about it, Zac, as I've got a fairly good idea of when I'm in trouble now but I will be careful all the same."

He meant it.

"You've met him. You and Autumn." Jeremiah ran his hand through his hair, pausing when Zac noticed the ring and his comment on the newness. His adopted son would have noticed immediately that it was Algie's pinky ring (and was not that on his own hand). "... don't know much beyond the fact that he works for it and that ..." He shook his head. "Let me put the water on to boil."

The taller man headed into the kitchen, Mogget still on his shoulders and he was not the slightest bit bothered. The kettle was double checked for water and then the burner turned on. His eyes glanced towards the phone and the picture - the one Zac had shown him before - and then back up to him. "It's okay, Zac, we all are."

Then because it had been a while since he had done so, Jeremiah was reaching out with an arm and tugging him close for a hug.

Jeremiah gave Zac an affection last squeeze before he let him go. "It is not your fault. He ..." A breath was released. "It just isn't. Whatever it is, it is not aligned with us and definitely out for something. Which means it will always be looking for ways to get at those that can cross over most likely."

He turned to start pulling things out for tea. The refrigerator opened and he was pulling out a tray with wrapped small sandwiches. The kind that could be eaten with tea (he was so very British) and shook his head again. "Again, it is not your fault. You are not the only one who, it was all of us. We were too blinded by what was done to us by the house and with what happened ..." Not that he expected Zac to really get that but he would tell him because he needed to hear it.

His fingers were clenching around the tray before he had to forcibly relax his grip. The mention of the lady in red ... "You know her brother, Zac. That's why she is familiar."

"You've met Aleksy, haven't you?" he asked, turning to take the kettle from the stove and set it onto the tray. "That was his sister. Not that I'm quite sure how she is there when she is suppose to be in Russia."

Jeremiah smoothed a hand across his face. "... and she asked me when I got old." That got a wry grin from him. "I don't know why she's there, not specifically, but she can't leave there."