ZEDD - SEVERAL HOURS LATER
I stretch and get up from my desk, realizing that darkness has fallen and I've yet to see Thomas. Sighing, I leave my office, work finally caught up for the time being. Once our company leaves, the rest of us really need to sit down and make that schedule so that things don't fall so far behind again, not only for Thomas but the rest of us as well. My stomach growls again, reminding me that I haven't eaten much all day. I head down, hoping that Thomas is with the others in the kitchen as if he's not I'll have to grab the others and go and find him.
As I reach the main floor, already plotting the former Red Ranger's death if Thomas isn't back, as it was his bright idea to let him go off alone, a sound catches my attention. I move in the direction of the noise, keeping quiet and using the darkness of the halls to my advantage as I now realize that the sound is the main door being opened. Hearing a muffled snicker as I look around the corner. I'm reasonably certain that the silhouetted figure in the doorway is Thomas, which means that while he is back, he's also been out for several hours on end. Fine I won't kill Jason, just maim him a bit.
Watching silently as he slowly and quietly closes the door behind him, plunging the area into darkness I hear him again represses a muffled laugh, followed by whispers to himself that I can't quite make out. "Thomas?"
A yelp and a crash later and I have the light on, as well as the former Ranger laying sprawled out on the floor now. "You all right?"
Thomas picks himself up off the floor looking slightly more embarrassed than harmed. "Geez, Zedd you scared the hell out of me!"
"I scared you? You're the one trying to creep in here past sundown and-" Stopping as I finally get a good look at him it takes me a moment to register just what I'm seeing. "What the hell happened to you?!" I can't help but stare. He looks like he found the nearest dirt pile and rolled in it until he was covered from head to foot in dust, dirt, and debris.
Forgetting his slight outrage over the heart attack I gave him he suddenly grins widely. "Took a little fall. I'm fine. No big deal." He's not serious, is he?
I cross over to him, pick a couple of leaves out of his hair and a twig out of his collar. "Looks like you took a little fall and a little spring," I joke weakly.
"Ha!" Damn right ha. Slapping me on the arm playfully he shakes his head. "That was a good one."
"Thank you." He brushes his hand through his hair, raising a cloud of dust. I cough and step back, waving my hands to clear the air. "By the hells, Thomas, what did you do?"
"I told you - I took a little fall. Seriously it's no big deal Zedd."
"Are you hurt?" Doing my best to get a look at him, it's however not happening as the dust is quickly getting in my lungs and eyes.
"Scuffed up a bit, but nothing's broken if that's what you mean" he states again barely holding back a rather odd sort of laugh. Right nothing's broken, except maybe your head it seems. At my skeptical look he heaves a dramatic sigh before suddenly doing a handstand and basic forward flip. "See I'm great! Well good. Well less bad than before. And not bad in an evil way, just you know, a not good way." Right.
"Thomas are certain you're-"
"I'm fine Zedd, honest." Pushing me gently but firmly in the direction of the kitchen he gives me another grin. "Look you go get some dinner, since I'm sure it's almost dinner time and I'll go get cleaned up and meet you there, okay?"
I look at him dubiously. Finally, I say, "If you had any more dirt on you, we'd have to hose you down outside."
"I know you mean that as a threat, but that does kind of sound like fun." He chuckles lightly, moves around me and heads upstairs quickly. "I'll be as fast as I can. Don't wait for me, though!"
I stare after his retreating form, unsure how to react. Hesitantly, I head for the kitchen. The room is bustling with activity as everyone helps get dinner and it takes a minute before anyone even notices that I've come in. Finally, Jason greets me with, "Hey, Zedd. Have you seen Tommy?"
"He - went upstairs to clean up. I'm sure that he'll be joining us - eventually."
Pina shoots me a questioning look, which is mirrored by the others. "Eventually?"
I shrug helplessly. "He was filthy when he came in and he was acting, I don't know, like he was drunk or on drugs almost." Looking at Pina in concern I can see her already taking this in and trying to work through the cause for it. "He wasn't behaving like himself, well I mean not his moody self at least."
"Oh, I hope he didn't eat anything while he was out there. I have no idea how half these plants will react with his physiology."
I turn on Jason. "So - is this normal too?" I demand my annoyance returning over it being the human's idea to let him go off alone to start with.
"Not sure," he admits. "I'll have to see when he comes down. Did he say anything about what happened?"
"He claims that he took a little fall," I inform him, still not loving that explanation myself.
"How little? And when?"
"He didn't say, but again he was filthy so I find it hard to believe it was all of that little."
Jason thinks about this for a minute. "Adrenaline, maybe."
"Should we wait for him?" asked Andros.
I shrug, again at a loss for what to do, as Thomas didn't seem concerned and neither do the majority of the others. "He said not to."
Thirty minutes later and we're more than half done with the meal when Thomas joins us looking much cleaner and calmer than before. "Sorry I'm late. I had to get cleaned up."
"So we heard," Jason responds. "What happened?"
Thomas shrugs lightly. "I took a little fall, rolled down a hill. Nothing serious."
"Where?" Pina asks. Thomas describes the area, which is foreign to me, as it's in the woods, but truthfully it again doesn't exactly sound like nothing serious. "How far did you fall?"
He frowns. "Not far. Less than ten feet, I'm sure." Suddenly, he grins again. "It reminded me of the rush I got from skydiving."
"Doing what now?" I ask.
"You do not want to know," Dar interrupts.
Jason looks at Thomas seeming as unconcerned at he is now about the matter. "Man, you'll sleep good when the adrenaline wears off."
"Don't I know it" he smiles again. "Still, it was awesome." Really? Just really? Falling down a cliff side is 'awesome' but the thought of mating with me causes a panic attack.
I keep an eye on him through the rest of the meal but don't bother hounding him for further details on his outing as while odd, his behavior seems at least a bit better than before he went trekking off into nature. Once done eating Dar and Pina clear the dishes before Dar retrieves dessert. He sets a bowl in front of Thomas and plates in front of the rest of us. Thomas is obviously trying not to laugh as he realizes that the rest of us have pie and he only has filling. "Oh, yeah. Guess you found the pie huh."
"We did" Dar agrees looking less than pleased.
"Sorry about that Dar, but I was hungry. And in fairness it seemed like a reasonably evil thing to do putting the top crust back on and sticking it back in the fridge." I suppose he has a point, though I wish he would have just stuck to that type of evil deed rather than trying to overthrow me, as pie I could deal with. "So given the bowl of filling I'm guessing that Jase filled you in?"
"More or less" Dar grunts. "Just don't do it again."
Thomas surprises me by laughing as he says, "I make no promises."
Dinner over and kitchen cleaned up, we all head to our respective sleeping areas. As I follow Thomas upstairs, he yawns hugely making me grin slightly. "Tired?"
"A bit, was a nice hike and climb but kind of wore me out."
"You know we still need to discuss-"
Cutting me off with another yawn and wave of his hand, he apparently isn't having it. "If it's all the same to you, Zedd, can we put off any talking until tomorrow? I'm not sure how long I'll be able to stay awake."
I'm not happy about this as there are still things I want to address, however one look at his already exhausted expression breaks down my resolve. "I guess we'll have to."
Once in the room, he turns to me. "I'm not saying I'm fine or that we don't need to talk. All I'm saying is that I'm - okay right now. Everything else can wait until tomorrow."
"You're certain? Because the last time you said something along those lines…"
"Zedd, I give you my word I will not run off and go lock myself in the dungeon tonight" he states, holding his hand up as if taking an oath. "Cross my heart and all that stuff."
"Fine, but we are talking tomorrow."
"Deal." In another minute, he's in bed and half asleep. I get ready for bed myself, still keeping a careful eye on him as I climb in and turn the lights out.
I'm barely even settled under the covers when Thomas begins moving around at first I assume to get comfortable and then almost as if in distress. However I know he can't be having a nightmare already. Just about to question him I'm stopped as he curls up against me, wraps his arm around my waist and yawns, "Good night, Zedd."
I squeeze him lightly but lay awake for a long time, thinking.
