- Turns out all three kids slept through the afternoon and evening—they must have been zonked—so now it's Sunday morning and they're face-to-face with a pink-haired librarian.
- The librarian wants to know how old the kids are and what their deal is. When Zach tells her he's twelve, the librarian decides it's time to call their parents or the police—their pick.
- Zach considers running but the moment passes. He realizes that the Queen is missing. The librarian did mention she thought she heard someone downstairs…
- Poppy freaks out when she realizes the Queen is missing. The librarian says they'll deal with the doll later, then she takes them to the break room where she gives them hot tea and Fig Newtons.
- The librarian introduces herself as Miss Katherine. She's going to lock them in the break room while she goes to call her director, but she promises to return in a few minutes.
- Finally Poppy apologizes to Zach and Alice—she's really sorry she brought them on this crazy quest.
- Poppy admits that it's been hard watching her friends grow up; she feels like they're leaving her behind, and she's afraid to grow up herself.
- Miss Katherine returns. It's time to make those calls. Alice volunteers to go first, leaving Poppy and Zach in the break room.
- Poppy asks Zach if he's mad. He's not… probably. He's really worried about how much trouble they're in, though.
- It's Poppy's turn to call home. Alice tells Zach her grandmother seemed mad, but also upset.
- Feeling romantic, Zach seizes this opportunity to ask her to the movies. She says yes, though they both know it'll have to wait since she's going to be grounded for a while.
- Poppy returns and says she needs to catch a ride back with Alice or Zach because her parents aren't coming.
- Now it's Zach's turn with the telephone. He dials his home number, and Miss Katherine takes the phone first to explain the situation.
- When Zach gets on the phone, his dad is on the other end. And he's not mad (as Zach expected), instead he sounds scared and he apologizes for making Zach run away.
- Zach realizes in this moment that he would've returned home. He tells his dad that he's simply been on a quest. His dad seems really chill about the whole thing, asking him when he'll be finished—is two and a half hours enough time?
- Zach isn't sure. He's worried that the conversation is deteriorating, but then something unexpected happens: Zach's dad apologizes for throwing away the toys. He knows it was mean, and that's not the kind of father he wants to be.
- The call ends with Zach feeling like something momentous happened; he pauses for a moment to gather himself.