What happens to a returning weapon if someone else grabs and throws it?

Question

As per the SRD, "A returning weapon flies through the air back to the creature that threw it. It returns to the thrower just before the creature’s next turn", so before the thrower's next turn, the weapon is just lying there.

What happens if someone snatches it from the ground/body it's on (or a monk uses Snatch Arrow) and throws it to someone else? Does it return to the original thrower? Does it return to the new one? does it do both (first the original and then the new one, both in their respective turns)?

EDIT:
Step 1) A throws the weapon at B
Step 2) B Snatches it
Step 3) B throws it at C

RAW is clear without step 3. Don't forget Step 3. My question specifically includes Step 3, and it's not an optional part of the question.

Answer 1

The weapon is not "just lying there" for a turn. It says in the description of Returning:

Catching a returning weapon when it comes back is a free action. If the character can’t catch it, or if the character has moved since throwing it, the weapon drops to the ground in the square from which it was thrown.

Thus, the weapon is still in the air until the beginning of the thrower's turn.

It's seems a bit odd, but by RAW, it seems like if someone uses Snatch Arrows on your Returning weapon, then your weapon still returns to you on your turn. I can't find anything in the rules that says that a Snatched weapon does not apply the normal Returning rules, and the Returning rules don't mention people being able to grab the weapon. However, it makes the most sense (to me, at least) that if a Returning weapon is Snatched, it remains with the Snatcher.

EDIT:

To clarify, based on your edit, I'd say the following would happen, based on the RAW: A throws the weapon at B. B Snatches it. On Bs turn, he throws it at C. On As turn, the weapon returns to A. On Bs turn, the weapon returns to B.

Answer 2

To use the specific wording above, it is considered to be flying through the air, so I imagine there would have to be a snatch arrow check or some sort of touch attack to snatch it. If taken from the air, then possession/ownership of the object would change to the new possessor. What would make it difficult is if someone/thing grabs it on the way back, in which case you would have to determine how far it would have moved in the time since it was used to attack until the individual in question who wants to steal it acts (effectively wasting an action on what is likely one of many of the object)

Answer 3

When you throw a returning weapon (considering that a game round is equal to 6 real-time seconds), wheter it hits or not, it returns immediately to the thrower. I guess that if someone grabs it in mid-air there could be 2 eventuallities (however this is my opinion): -1-The weapon tries to return to the thrower and the grabber must succes a Reflex(?) check or loose the weapon. -2-The weapon recognizes the grabber as its new owner. After all it doesn't have a real intelligence and it can't recognize a person. However I'd opt for the first case.

If the grabber throws the weapon at another target the weapon should return in the hands of the "grabber" because the weapon's peculiarity is that it returns in the hands of the one who threw it last. For example Tom, friend of Bill, gently throws a returning javelin to his fellow so that Bill can use it to blast a nasty kobold. Bill grabs the javelin and throws it to the kobold. After the javelin hit the poor kobold it returns in the hands of Bill because it was Bill who threw the javelin to the kobold and not Tom.

Answer 4

Sounds good to me, and I've seen that exact situation happen in the several of the DnD novels, so...possibly if your DM wants to yes. Though activating the returning ability requires a command word to be spoken/thought/whispered as thrown, and since it's magic is activated at the time of the catching, it's not likely it would communicate the command word to the grabber. So if he threw it somewhere else, it wouldn't activate the effect so it would return to where it's effect was last activated.