Zeus is who alerts her to the presence of a newcomer first, lifting his head from a sleeping repose and cocking it slightly to one side. Ellen glances up from her book seconds before the sound of someone pounding on her front door answers the question hovering on her lips, the familiar voice following seconds later. Her growing dog is up on his feet, tail wagging excitedly as he stares at the front door and back to her expectantly, waiting for her to walk over and open it. She sets her book down, gently nudging him aside with her knee as she opens the door to see Matt looking as frantic as he sounds.

"What's wrong?" she asks, stepping back to give him space to enter. Zeus knows similarly by now and sniffs tentatively before giving them both a wide berth, half-circling with curiosity.