[2er RPG] The Shepherd [ENG]

Marcus smiled. Logan had some answers to deliver and Dylan wouldn't let go of it.
"No. He was one of the people with the guns and everything. The thing is: He was pretty good at his job."
"So you were bad?"
"No. I was alone at my job and didn't wear as much armor as this guy."
Marcus pointed towards Logan.
"There is a big difference between police work and being a soldier. It's really complicated, actually."
Marcus brought another plate of Pancakes over for Logan.
"War is not fun, though. Logan got lucky. Many people don't have that."
He put a kiss on Logans head, then went over to Dylan, to do the same, before going back upstairs for his shower.

Marcus did some explaining in Logans stead and he just nodded a little. Dylan brought over some pancakes for him too and he started eating, while Marcus went upstairs to take a shower. Dylan seemed as he wanted to know more.
"What did he mean by it's different?", he asked and sat down across from Logan. He wasn't sure if he should answer such questions, Dylan wasn't his son.
"Uh.. you know. As a soldier you're always on the lookout. Bad guys are everywhere, so you have to be careful. When being a police officer you have to talk to people, most of them like any other. You also have to trust them and show that trust. I guess that's the difference."
"But you are doing the same job now... you didn't get hurt still."
"Yeah...well... don't you think I look intimidating enough as is?"
"No.", Dylan answered without thinking. Logan sighed, that hurt.
"Well, to me you are not. To others I guess you are... like yesterday at school. You two looked cool."
"Thanks. But you heighten the expectations of us as your parents quite a lot. People will be disappointed when seeing that we are just like anyone else."
"But you are not!"
"Sure we are. Think about me at morning. A child could win a fight against me."
"I certainly could!"
"Yeah, see?"
Dylan seemed to think about it.
Logan stood up meanwhile after he finished eating and cleaned his plate. Marcus came back down again too and they brought Dylan to school. Afterwards they went to work again.

The shower worked true wonders, especially after the nightly activity.
When he came back down, Marcus send Dylan to get ready for school. The boy was so well behaved... he almost always did what he was told to do. When Dylan was ready, they drove him over to school, looked cool for a second so Dylan could have his superhero moment, then headed back to the office, where the chaos of work greated them. They had a bunch of new intell to go through.
Andrew gave the military stuff from the embassy to Logan, who was the only one who could decipher that stuff. Stan was still working on the videos as indicated by the four energy drink bottles next to his monitors. Marcus started going through the interactions of the inmates and Andrew looked at the staff.
There was a lot. Like... a lot. And Marcus still had to sort out his thoughts from yesterday.
While he was working though the files, Andrew fetched one of Logans operatives. They disappeared for a couple of minutes; Marcus only noticed on the edge of his consciousness. They actually brought in a couch for some reason. Stan had one, now the big office had one, too. Marcus didn't ask, until Andrew just grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him on that couch and told him, to lay down. Marcus was confused, to say the least.
"Do the Sherlock thing", Andrew said.
"The Sherlock thing?"
"Yeah. Lay down, relax and just think. I know how you work and I noticed, that you took a break yesterday. I'm proud of you for doing that, but that does also mean, that you didn't work on anything. So, we got you a thinking couch."
"A thinking couch?"
"Yes. Just try it. If it doesn't work, we're gonna put Logan with some Ben'n'Jerry on it."
Marcus was still confused, but he tried it out, so he could actually work instead of arguing with Andrew all day long. So Marcus relaxed and started thinking. And thinking. And thinking. He basically did the same thing, Stans computers were doing: Processing. He took some notes, so others could follow his thoughts - which was an art all by itself - and actually got somewhere. Once he was done, he jumped into the files again and startet putting up a working-wall. Pictures of people and places, names, dates and timestamps landed on the glass wall leading to Stan's office and slowly but surely, there was a pattern emerging. Marcus was back, one hundred percent. This was how he worked, this was how he tracked down killer after killer after killer. This was what got him the nickname 'Bloodhound'.

At work everyone had something to do. Logan went through some files, where he read some names that rang some bells, but nothing special. For a long time now he wasn't thinking about his team back then, he wondered if everyone was alright. But he never were good friends with them anyway, so he dismissed that thought.
Andrew somehow had the time to get a couch, Logan watched them get where Andrew wanted it with a cup of coffee in his hands. Afterwards he watched him grab Marcus and putting him on it. "He'll start to sleep in the office again.", Logan commented but got ignored. When Andrew said his name he just shook his head and left for his own desk again to let Marcus do his thing.
Meanwhile he wondered why Miller broke out of a prison like that. What did he want to prove there? Well... at least it wasn't a certain other prison. Also he broke out all alone, the other inmates were still secured. If he was challenging Marcus how personal would he get with this? He apologized for Dylan at least, he wouldn't do anything to him right?
Logan sighed, it was useless to think about that, especially when Marcus was on the case. So instead Logan went through the files again and wrote a short summary report of what he found important. He left the report on Marcus desk for him to look through later.

Around noon, Marcus got a phonecall from his son. Dylan was asking, if he could hang with Kyle and his sister for the day, since they had no homework to do. Marcus said yes. It came kinda handy for him and Logan. They would pick Dylan up for dinner then.
He worked a couple of hours more on his tracking-wall, before sitting down on his new thinking couch and looking at it. Andrew stood there as well, nodding.
"See? It works. Now we have somewhere to start working."
The profiler and former coroner put his additional information about the psyche of the people involved to the wall, completing the picture for now. Weirdly enough, Marcus liked the looks of this. They were coming for Miller, the man must've known that at this point. Nevertheless, Marcus was sure, they would get him. Because of this wall, because he could think straight again. This man threatened his family just by saying his sons name. The last one who did this landed in a super secret high security prison after he almost got killed by another super killer. Miller stood no chance. It may take a while, but in the end, Marcus would be the one calling the checkmate.
He was pleased with his work for today. The tracking-wall was the most effective way of communicating his toughts to the others of the team. They were able to follow his thoughts and to add new information for him to process. Everyone was able to work with this. The hunt was on. But for now, it was family time.

Andrew had a good idea there with the couch and Marcus made a lot of progress in only one day. And he didn't even had to explain his results, the wall did that for him. Logan stood there and looked at it. He got the idea, but not how Marcus knew all that, well... it wasn't important. But Logan - again - got a bad feeling about all this, since it was a habit by now he ignored it though.
Nevertheless he walked back to his desk again and looked through his paperwork once more, he had the feeling he missed something important and therefore Marcus missed it too.

"What are you doing?!"
"Change of plans."
"There's no reason for that!"
"Well I have one."
And what's that?"
"It's more fun going this way, wouldn't you agree?"
Logan looked up, looked at his comrade and Miller, then shook his shoulders without answering. He didn't want to get between them and he didn't care which way they were going.

"Logan, are you listening?"
"Huh?" Logan looked up and saw into Saras face. The thought he just had slipped away.
"Since when do you gaze off like that, didn't sleep well honey?"
"Uh... no slept well. What's up?"
"I think Marcus already is waiting downstairs since about 10 minutes. You told him you'd come down 'in a sec', remember?"
"Yeah uh... sorry. Thanks for reminding me." Logan stood up, took his jacket and hurried downstairs to sit in the car with Marcus.
"Sorry. Got carried away.", he apologized and together they picked up Dylan from Kyles place.

At home Dylan was more excited than usual while Logan cooked some spaghetti for all of them.
"Tomorrow's the big day, huh?"
"Yeah! Dad, are you bringing your gun? It would be so cool to show it and... your ID and... you should wear a working outfit! You know, one of the cool ones! And... uh... what else...?"

Something was up with Logan, but Marcus decided to let it go for the moment. Logan was the kind of guy who needed to solve his problems on his own. He would help, yes, but for now, Marcus left his boyfriend to his thoughts.

"I thought, you have five to ten minutes to talk about me and my job", Marcus tried to slow his sons excitement.
"That's a real long time! We need to fill it!", Dylan demanded.
Marcus sighed.
"You remember what's in the trunk?", he asked and Dylans eyes grew big.
"You gonna bring it?"
"I mean, I bring the car so..."
"Best dad in the world!"
Marcus chuckled. This would be very weird but he was determined to not embarres his boy on their first real familiy thingy. He would be a proud dad and Dylan would be an excited little boy. And if that meant to bring a Kevlar-vest, a gut, a badge, handcuffs and all the other stuff they stored in their trunk, than so be it.
"Okay. But I'm not gonna shoot. This is really important. I'm gonna bring my weapon, but it's gonna be empty."
Dylan sighed but was okay with it. He would get anything else.
"And maybe I show some self-defense if asked."
And he smiled again.
"Sorry that I cant's bring you, too, Logan", Dylan said when he started bringing plates over to the dining table, "Would be really cool and nobody could top that. But I'm only allowed to bring one parent. Maybe next time. You can take turns!"

Logan followed the discussion. He didn't want to be the bad guy, but... "You think that's a good idea?" Logan looked at Marcus and got a pretty shocked face from Dylan. Maybe he now thought twice before wanting to have Logan at such an event next year.
"I mean... just be careful not to over excite the kids, showing your gun around. Guns shouldn't be labeled as 'cool' and even if it's only my opinion, you don't know what the other parents want to teach their children. I'm just sayin'... I know you'll do great tomorrow."
At least Logan hoped Marcus wasn't too focused on making Dylan proud as his dad, leaving common sense out of the discussion. And common sense especially when dealing with people wasn't Marcus domain anyway.
"And the kid friendly variant of this." Logan pointed at Marcus neck. Then he turned around again to finish their food.

Marcus went over to his boyfriend, put his arms around his waist and his head on his shoulder.
"I'm not an idiot from the NRA. I'm gonna show my gun, yes. But it's not gonna be loaded and I'm gonna explain how we work with it. Television teaches people, that we shout who we are and then shoot to kill. We never do that, if we don't have to. We don't even use our gun, if we don't have to. And I'm not gonna take the shotgun, I'm not crazy."
Dylan came over and staredat Logan with a determination that was unusual for a kid his age. He looked so serious.
"Guns are bad, I know that. All weapons are. You hurt people with a gun and that's never a good thing", he said, crossing his arms, "I know that sometimes you have to do a bad thing to stop people from doing worse things. But that doesn't mean, that it's suddenly good."
Marcus looked at Dylan and noticed that something was off. So he picked the boy up, who immediately cuddled with him.
"You okay, buddy?"
Dylan nodded and rubbed his eyes quickly. Marcus realized, what happened.
"Your mom told you that, right?"
Dylan nodded again.
"She complained about a case when her friend was over. I was supposed to be in bed but I couldn't sleep. So I heard her. She defended a man who shot someone to protect his family from a bad guy. I asked her, why she helped him. People with guns are bad, she said all the time."
Marcus planted a soft kiss on Dylans forehead.
"You mother was a wise woman. How about teaching your classmates about this, hm? Guns are bad, no matter what you do with it."

Logan instantly got reminded that neither of the two thought guns were 'cool'. Dylan almost stared Logan into the ground while explaining what his mother taught him. Guns are bad, huh? It's bad to shoot people, but sometimes you have to, to protect others. Yeah. That's what they told you in school, that's what society needed to think. Logan didn't want others to use guns all the time, to seemingly protect someone, nor did he want Dylan or his friend to dream about having one sometimes. On the other hand he never thought twice about shooting and killing someone himself. If he was told to kill, he did it, no questions asked and no remorse. He wasn't like Marcus who was scared to be a killer when only thinking of taking someones life.
After the time Logan spent overseas he thought at least Doc Rosemary was shocked his profile was this clean when it shouldn't be. No PTSD, no nightmares, nothing. He was hot-blooded and emotional when it came to his family, maybe that was why it wasn't that obvious something was off. At least since Logan knew Marcus he thought something was off. He never thought of it before.
How was it he saw this random psychopath for a moment and suddenly he was only thinking of his past. He decided to stop that. He didn't want to add something to the discussion although he maybe should have. Instead he put a big pot of spaghetti on their dining table for everyone to take some and sat down.

After diner and after their nightly routine before bedtime, Marcus ordered Logan to follow him. There was next to no talking about work in the house, so he led Logan outside.
"Sit", he told him and crossed his arms, before looking at Logan for a moment.
Physically, he seemed okay, so now it was Marcus' turn to play the parent to a grown-up.
"Spit it out. I can see you think. And you talk even less than usual. You forced me to work on my problems, so now I'm forcing you. Talk to me. Or go to Doc Rosemary and talk to her. But you have to do something. You're not completely here and I need you to be. I won't get Miller without your insider knowledge. And I can't be a good father without your help."
He crouched down in front of Logan and put a hand on his knee.
"I'm here. Always. I may not be completely mentally stable and I might not be great at social conversation but I'm pretty good at listening."

After Dylan went to bed Marcus led Logan outside where he sat down as ordered.
"What do you mean, even less?", he asked although it was clearly besides the point. But he thought he talked pretty much actually... maybe too much sometimes. Logan sighed.
"There is no problem." Actually the problem was that there was no problem and the other problem was just Logans gut feeling that told him something was off. But he couldn't lay his finger on it, so why mention it? The last time he did, nothing happened and he was completely wrong.
"I'm here. And if you for a change stick to my plan this time, which I'll work on as soon as I get the order, than everything will work out and we'll get that guy. So don't worry. And my insider knowledge is packed up in a neat little report on your desk, although I don't really have some to offer.", he answered somewhat defensive. He talked enough yesterday, more than enough for this year. Logan somehow felt how childish he just behaved, but he just didn't want to talk about any of this.
He looked at Marcus who kneeled before him and somehow... got angry. Angry at him to always play his mentally unstable card as if he was the only one. Angry at him for needing help with every little detail, pointing out he needed Logan at his side to be a good father. This wasn't Logans responsibility and although he didn't mind at all until now, he suddenly did. Maybe it was just Marcus saying it like that. Maybe it was just all that shit Logan had in his mind which piled up for months now. Logan knew this anger came from nowhere and was completely out of place but he couldn't help it.
He stood up.
"Need to do something. Don't wait for me." With these words he just left. He needed to get out. Out of this house, out of this relationship, out of this job, this town. Just for one fucking moment.

A bit surprised and clueless, Marcus stared after Logan. What the heck was wrong with him? This wasn't like Logan at all. But what could he do about it?
With a deep sigh, Marcus got up and went back inside to distract himself by doing some laundry. It was rediculous how much dirty clothes their little household was able to produce. The problem with repetitive work was that it didn't quite do the trick in distracting from ones thoughts. So Marcus did, what he always did with a problem: He tried to solve it.
"Dammit, Logan. Why wouldn't you just talk to me?", Marcus sighed, giving up on this one.

Around midnight, Logan was still not home. Marcus was of course worried, but he knew that his boyfriend could take care of himself. Also, Logan had said not to wait for him. So Marcus didn't. At least he tried. After another hour of just staring at the ceiling, he went into Dylans room and watched his boy sleep, before laying down next to him. He just hoped that Logan was okay.

It wasn’t the first time Logan just left. For Marcus it was, but his family had him vanish more than once. Whenever everything just grew too much for him, he hopped in a bus or on his bike and just took off. The first time he did something like that, he was twelve and his parents even called the cops to look for him. In the end he just came back home after four days, he didn’t even mind the yelling afterwards and just felt better altogether.
The last time he did it he ended up in the army, that probably was his longest trip. It wasn’t really work for him, it actually was relaxing not to think about anything for a change.
He wasn’t someone to drink excessively or get into fights in moments like this, he just cut himself off somewhere in the mountains or a forest or whatever. No phone usually, this time he had it in his pockets though. He knew he acted irresponsible and he knew he had a job to do. Catching this guy and helping Marcus with Dylan. But now he was thinking again, about work, about them, about himself. He usually just ignored all of that, cooled down and came back as the happy jokester he always was. He hoped this’ll work out this time too.
He just drove somewhere without having a destination in mind. Driving fast, only concentrating on the road, that helped. He stopped on some quiet mountain parking lot where people got out of their cars to follow some nature paths. Quiet was what he needed and so he just climbed this mountain.
He reached the top at sunrise and sat down to take the view in. The sky was beautiful, and Logan felt like he could breathe at last. Just that he immediately thought of Marcus again. Logans family knew the drill, Marcus didn’t and Logan didn’t want to worry him.
Logan took his phone and wrote a message to his sister. Then he laid down and stared at that thing for a moment. He wanted to message Marcus, tell him he shouldn’t worry, but on the other hand he just wanted to be alone and with this thing it wasn’t possible.
Without thinking further about this Logan removed the battery from his phone and threw it off the mountain. He needed to be alone, Marcus and Miller could wait a day or two… Marcus was occupied with this school thing anyway.
Logan sighed and stared at the sky, taking his mind slowly off of things.


Leia got a message early this morning and sleepily looked at her phone. Her brother left a very strange message. »Explain to Marcus« Explain?
»Explaining what?«, she wrote back but got no answer.
»Logan?«
Leia sighed, he didn’t even receive the message so she could imagine what was up. Still she waited for an appropriate time to call Marcus to not wake him. Around seven she finally called him.

Their morning was more hectic than usual. There was no need for it but with Logan gone for the whole night, Marcus' brain started to get creative in a not so pleasant way. Good thing that Dylan distracted him with his excitement.
"You got your gun?"
"Don't wear that, that's not cool enough!"
"Leather jacket! Leather jacket! Leather jacket!"
Marcus somehow managed to get Dylan quietly eat his breakfast when he got a call from Logan's sister?
"Hey, what's up?", he answered.
With his phone stuck between his ear and his shoulder, he got himself another coffee.
"Logan send me a message. He wants me to tell you what's going on."
Marcus listened closely. At least Logan was save. He didn't like the fact that he could not just contact him, but Marcus was willing to give him the space he needed.
"The more I know", he said, "thanks for explaining. Look, I gotta go, but if there's anything I can do for you-"
"I'll call. Tell Dylan, I said hello."
"I will. Bye."
Marcus took a second to breathe, then it was time to be cool dad and impress other parents.

The whole thing went pretty smoothly. Marcus waited in the back with all the other parents. There was an achitect, a gardener, a nurse, and so on. Marcus was pretty much the only one who wasn't polished and pretty. Everyone else was dressed for a job interview or something. He knew, this neighborhood had somewhat of a stick up their ass but this... just wow.
Dylan's presentation was great. He told everyone about the Ministry of Justice and got all of that correct, he explained Marcus' job without one mistake and told everyone in his class why guns were bad, before he made Marcus present it. And Marcus delivered. He had his usual gun, his badge, a Kevlar vest and different kinds of handcuffs. The kids wanted to try them out of course and he showed them how to wear a holster for a gun.
"Have you ever shot somebody?"
Of course that was a question. Kids always wanted to know that.
"Yes, I have."
Marcus lifted his shirt a bit, exposing a scar from a stabbing.
"A bad guy attacked a young woman, about twenty years old. She screamed for help and I was around, so of course I ran over to do my job. The man had a knife and threatened to kill her. We fought over the knife, he stabbed me. I shot him in self-defense, protecting the woman and myself."
He pulled down his collar to show of the scar from a gun shot wound.
"I shot another person who shot me. I didn't kill him, but he has a limp because of me."
He saw the unease of the other parents and reminded himself to be kid-friendly.
"I shot a lot of people. It's no fun. Never. But it is my job to protect people. So if you point a gun at me or try to stab me, I'm gonna shoot. And I am quite good at hitting."
He put a military looking briefcase on the table and opened it. In it were a bunch of guns. Soft airs of course.
"Anyone wanna try to beat me in a sharpshooting contest?", he asked the kids with a smile.
The kids loved it. Of course nobody beat him. Not even the parents who tried. They all had their fun. They all were impressed, when Marcus pulled the sniper on them. Mission accomplished.

After the presentations of the kids and the stuff that the parents did with everyone, there was a little picnic for the parents outside while the kids had to still do some school work. Marcus shined bright like a diamond during the first part. Now he felt kinda lost and his thoughts wandered back to Logan. He would know what to do during a social gathering like that.
With a plastic cup filled with some coke, he sat on a climbing frame thingy, ellbows on the knees, scanning the people present like the cop that he was.
"Still not a people person?", a familiar voice asked.
Marcus smiled.
"Finally a friendly face", he greated Laura.
She climbed up the metal and sat down next to him.
"It's hard to not be a cop right now and analyze everyone out here", he said.
"The details, right?"
Marcus nodded.
"Let's do our own gossip then! Tell me, what you think about the others and I tell you how far off you are."
"I have to warn you: I'm usually not that far off."

The two played their little game and after a thank you speech of the teachers, they could finally go home.
"You sitll owe me a DNA-Sample", Laura said when they parted ways.
Marcus gave her his phone number so they could stay in touch. Just in general, there were no further plans on his side.

"Dad?"
"Hm?"
"Do you think, Logan made it out of bed without us?"
"I don't know."
Marcus decided to not tell Dylan, that Logan wasn't home. He didn't want his boy to be worried about another parent.
"But you can always check the bedroom."
"It's creepy since he threw everything out of there. Why did you do that?"
"A guy's coming over and checking it out. You know about my sleeping problems?"
"Yup."
"With a little work on the walls, we can make it easier for me. So we had to make room for that."
"Oooohhhh.... so it's gonna go back in?"
"Hmm-hmm."
"Good. I don't like your bedroom right now."
Marcus chuckled. Sometimes, Dylan was such a seven year old.





@Earinor

Logan didn't come home for three days. He didn't take anything with him, so he was slightly cold and hungry, it was just great! Having time to be alone, sucking in the view and just being in the moment.
He did think about Marcus a lot though and he couldn't take his mind off of him. He wondered how this school thing worked out and what he did at work. Also, he remembered his promise. To help catching Miller as soon as he was asked too. Kind of disappointed that he couldn't flee reality for much longer he went on his way home.

"Leila? You need to pick me up."
"What? Where from? What's this number?"
"The hospital."
"What?! What did you do?"
"Nothing. Had a little accident."
"How 'little' are we talking?"
"Little enough to just go home. My bike's junk now though."
"Does Marcus know?"
"No. That's why I'm calling you."
"You need to call him."
"I'm coming home anyway. Uh...can you bring me some clothes to change, too?"
"How can you be that...! Fine! I'll be there in half an hour."

"See? This is exactly why we always get worried about you!", Leila punched Logan against his chest. That hurt.
"Calm down. Nothing happened."
"Nothing happened? You didn't even wear a helmet and look at your arms and legs!"
"I'm fine though."
"You could have landed in some bush and nobody could have found you. What if you broke your leg and couldn't even call anyone? Where's your phone anyway?!"
"Right here, but I threw the battery away."
"Idiot!"
Logan put on the long-sleeved shirt Leila brought him.
"See? You can't even see anything has happened."
"Uh... and you intend to go to sleep with that?"
"Better idea not to come home yet?"
"No! Just tell Marcus what happened! Why didn't you call him from the start?"
Logan sighed and looked away. "Because he was worried about me and when he knows something actually did happen, he'll put a tracker in my teeth or something."
"Well our parents should have done that years ago! Are you sure you are alright?"
"Yes. My head hurts a little but that's it. The rest are just some scratches, I didn't even need stitches. I also went here by myself, like an adult."
"Adult... adults don't run away like this. And don't think you are invincible just because you got away again."
"I don't. Can you drive me home now? Please?"

Leila clearly was upset but she drove her brother home. Dylan was at school and Marcus seemed to be at work. Logan had no idea what happened the last three days and Leila wouldn't know... He sat down on the couch and Leila brought him something to drink.
"I told you, I'm fine."
"Not with a concussion like that."
"Please, my head hurts enough already, I get your point, okay?"
"I don't think you do."
"You sound like mom..."
"I sound like mom should have sounded when we were younger! You think you are the only one who needed to look after everyone else? Who do you think managed everything when you were away?"
"Oh sorry! Sorry for you having to work three days when I needed some time. Sorry for ditching work for like two weeks in total!"
"Do you even know how hard it was on us when you went to the army?"
"I was an adult by that time and I wrote you every week. Please just stop wanting to be angry at me. I needed a break and now I'm just as annoyed as before, thanks for that."
"You are such an idiot!"
"Alright, I won't call you again if I need help."
"That's not what I-"
"Leila. Please."
Leila sighed and grabbed her bag. "Don't you think Marcus and Dylan have enough on their plate already? You are making it even harder on them if you act that selfish." With these words she left.
Logan sighed and leaned back. He was at the start again. He was tense and angry. He tried to rest a little until Marcus came home.

After a nice day with Dylan, reality kicked back n again and Marcus had to work on his case again. Logan was still gone. By now, even Dylan knew. He was worried, marcus could see that. He himself was, too. But he had a job to do and thankfully, it was a welcome distraction.
Dylan made plans to spend the weekend with Kyle for the boy's birthday. So after a quick drop off around noon, Marcus spend all his time in the office, to work. Without a reason to go home, he fell back into his old habit of staying longer than he shoud've.
"Go home, Marcus", Andrew said at some point.
"I'm more useful here", he replied.
Everyone was worried about Logan, even though Marcus had said, that everything was okay and that he just needed a break. But everyone also knew, that Marcus wasn't quite himself, since Logan disappeared. In the last two days, Marcus went on a road back to his old self where he would live in his office down the hallway. Dylan was the reason he went home in the evening.
"I know that you don't wanna spend your time in an empty house. But you need to go, Marcus. Now. I won't let you live in here again."

After some back and forth, Andrew convinced Marcus to actually go home. On the way, Marcus grabbed some chinese take away. What would he do with that empty house? Marcus hated quite places when he had emotional stuff to think about. And his place was just that without Dylan or Logan.
When he came home, he was surprised to see the lights on. His first thought was about an intruder. His second thought made him running up the front yard and into his living room, where Logan sat on the couch.
"You fucking asshole", he said, before going up to him and wrapping his arms around him.
He was angry, yes. But having Logan back was way more important than that.

Logan heard the door opening, it was pretty late and he dozed off while watching TV in the living room. He looked up to see Marcus hurrying to him and wrapping his arms around him. It was strange Dylan wasn't here but if something had happened Marcus would look different. He sure was angry but also glad, Logan could feel that. Logan didn't want to tell Marcus about his little accident, he'd only be more angry...
"I'm sorry...", Logan sighed, Marcus swearing was what Logan had coming and he deserved it. "But actually you are the one always telling me to not swear in this house." Logan smiled a little and put his arms around Marcus too. He should have told Marcus what was going on, where he was going and he should have called him in the hospital. Logan knew all that, he also knew it wasn't fair just telling Leila to explain everything. But he couldn't help it. And if he had kept his phone, or called Marcus he had hurried right back and that was not what Logan needed. Now he was here, just slightly better, but better and ready to get yelled at or whatever Marcus wanted to do.

"Shut up, idiot!", Marcus said and kissed Logan.
For a moment, there was silence. Marcus just wanted to hear Logan's heartbeat to make sure, he was really there and really alive and not just a ghost his mind made up.
"Now. I won't ask you where you've been or why you couldn't tell me. Take this judgemental look for that. Just... leave a note next time, okay?"
Macrus wasn't able to look Logan in the face right now. So he fixed his gaze on his own hand he put on Logan's chest. His heart was beating, that was all that mattered for now.
"You had pretty bad timing for coming back though. I mean, if you still want some quiet time, you should crash at Leila's or something. The sound guy's coming tomorrow to check out the bedroom. Dylan's at Kyles, celebrating a birthday with a sleepover for the weekend."
He went to the kitchen, trying his best at surpressing all the emotions he felt right now. If he would let them in, he would lay on the ground sobbing for some reason. He would tackle them one at a time and not right now. So he got himself a coffee, even though he shouldn't be drinking one. And he made Logan one, too. Which meant, he had to face him again. Shit.
"Here."
He sat down on the couch and looked a the TV. The news. Logan didn't miss anything. The last three days were quiet as a graveyard in the dead of night.
What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? Logan was back so what now?

Marcus kissed Logan and Logan was glad about that. He held him tight for a moment, then he watched him touching his chest. He felt bad for leaving him behind, he never did with his family... that was probably the reason he wasn't relaxed again, he still was worried out there. "I'm sorry.", he apologized again and shook his head when Marcus brought up Leila. "We kinda had a fight. I don't mind that guy here, maybe I'll just move to Dylans bed then and keep on sleeping there."
Marcus stood up to make them a coffee. Logan looked at the clock, it was damn late for a coffee, but he had slept before Marcus came home anyway. Logan took the cup and waited for the coffee to cool down a little.
Now they both sat on the couch and stared at the TV. Logan should tell Marcus... he knew that. So he took the remote control and turned the TV off.
"I had an accident.", he just said it, no shipping around the topic, no cautious approach. He just said it. "Today, actually. I already was on my way home. I'm fine though. Even went to the hospital to get checked."