One look at Gideon's face immediately had her feeling guilty. She knew she probably shouldn't have just ran off. Billie had hoped that because she hadn't snatched all of her stuff that he'd realize she would be back. Maybe she should have left a note. Though, what would she have said in it? 'Dear Gideon, I need to go do some stuff.' That would have been pathetically vague. Even she hadn't been sure what she was going to set out to do, just that she needed to get away.

Crossing the room, Billie reached down for a gray puff of a cat that she cradled like a baby. He began to purr immediately, which helped ebb away at some of the pointier edges of anxiety. It was another escape to avoid the subject she knew they needed to speak about.

After a minute or two of silence, she finally murmured. "I caught one." Though she didn't sound proud, nor victorious. It was more a statement of fact than anything. Normally, she would have ran into the shop, shouting about her adventures before Gideon had a chance to get a word in edgewise, but that wasn't to be today. "A bowtruckle in the park." Since she didn't seem to have one on her person, it could be assumed she had let it go.

It at least explained away the bits of tree she had stuck to her clothing. But not the rest of her disastrous appearance.

"I..." She started to say, but she soon buried her face in the cat's fur, muffling any follow up commentary or change of subject.