"Stay with you?" Catriona asked, looking at her mate's serious expression. -Am I ready for something like that?- She asked herself as she watched Sesshomaru give a slight nod. -Could I leave my life in modern day America for this youkai lord? Would Josh mind me staying here? Would he join me if permitted? What about Isamu? Would he be ready for something like this?- She lowered her gaze to the bedding as these thoughts went through her mind.
"Catriona?" Sesshomaru's tone was questioning as he spoke. "Have I upset you with my question?"
"No," she answered. "You haven't upset me. It's just that I wasn't expecting you to ask me that question. Can I have some time to think about it?"
"Of course."
"Thank you," she said as she rose from the bedding & made her way out of the room they were sharing. She walked to Isamu's temporary bed chamber & knocked slightly on the screen that led into his room. "Isamu?"
"Come in mommy," came a soft reply from inside.
Catriona walked into the room after she moved the screen to the side. "Isamu, can I talk to you for a little bit?" When her son sat up on his floor, where he had been coloring with crayons he brought from America, she moved to him & sat beside him.
"Is something wrong mommy?" Isamu asked, looking at her with empty eyes. Ever since they got him back to the castle, he had become quiet, withdrawn, & his eyes hardly ever showed emotion.
She gave a slight frown as she tried to imagine what could have changed her son like this. "Isamu, your father has asked me if I would stay in this time with him. I want to know what you think of this."
A small smile came to Isamu's mouth as his eyes grew a bit wide. "Does he really want that mommy?" He asked.
"Mhm." She nodded as she reached out to touch him & began to rub the top of his head. "Would you like to stay here in the feudal era with your father?"
"If it's okay with you, I would love to. I've wanted for so long to be able to live with my father."
"It is fine with me love. I just want you to be happy."
"It would make me very happy."
Catriona nodded before she removed her hand from his head. "I want you to think about something before you make a final decision. Now think each question through before you answer. Okay?"
"Yes mother."
"If your Uncle Josh is either not permitted to join us here, or just doesn't want to come, would you be able to live with the chance of not being able to see him again? And, do you think you are ready to leave behind the life you know in modern day America, for a life here in the feudal era?"
"How long do I have to decide?"
"That's something else I wish to talk with you about. I want to think about some things too, but I want to be able to think about them with no influences on what my decisions are. So I decided that I'm going to leave the castle to think without interference."
"But where are you planning to go?" Isamu asked as he rose to his feet, looking eye level at her.
"I could only think of one place so far that I could visit in total safety. That's at Koga's den with your Aunt Kagome. Is this okay with you Isamu?"
"I would be okay with it because I know it is safe for you there. But what does father think of this? Do you even know if you will be welcomed by the ookami & his pack?"
"I have thought about this Isamu, & I have come to the conclusion that before I go to the den, I will speak with your father to see what he thinks of the matter. And, if he is fine with it, then I will find a way to send a message to Koga to ask him if he would permit me to stay with him until I have reached a final decision. That is the only thing I can think of & so far it sounds like it would work just fine."
A moment of silence passed between mother & son as Isamu ran her idea through his mind, letting everything sink in so he could give her his say in the whole thing. He learned already at his young age that if he wanted to give an honest answer, the best way to do so was to think it through before he spoke on it. It was the only way to avoid looking like a fool in what might be an important situation.
"Mother, if father does not agree to you leaving, what are you planning to do?"
"If he objects because I would be going to Koga's den, then I will work something out with him. Find a place he might agree on where he would only come to me if absolutely needed. I will try my hardest not to cause fight with him if that's what you are worrying about Isamu."
"It isn't what I'm worrying about mother. What I am worried about, is Miroku finding out that you are at Koga's den & then him going to see you. I don't want him to separate you & father. He's done enough damage as is." Isamu sighed as he walked to the window that gave him the ability to look out over the Western Lands from his room. "I just don't want my family to break apart. Am I making sense?"
"Of course you are Isamu," Catriona said as she looked at her son, then rose to her feet. "You always make perfect sense to me."
Another silence feel between the two as Isamu went into a daze as he stared out the window. Catriona knew that whenever he went into his daze, it was best to just leave him be & get on with what she was doing. As she left the room, she bumped into Rin, who smiled up at her.
"Lady Catriona, is Isamu feeling well?" Rin asked, her eyes reflecting her wide smile within their depths.
Catriona smiled down at the young human. "Rin, Isamu is in his deep thoughts again. Perhaps you should come back later, okay?"
"Yes Lady Catriona!" Rin said as she stood straight up & her smile grew wider.
Rin turned & ran from Catriona in search of something to do, while Catriona made her way back to the bed chamber she shared with Sesshomaru. As she walked into the room, she felt a discouraging wave wash through her when she saw that Sesshomaru wasn't in the room. -Where the Hell could he have gone?- She asked herself as she left the room to search for Jaken or Rin, in hopes that they would know where to look for Sesshomaru, or at least be able to find the youkai lord herself.
When she finally did find him, he was in his weapons room, looking at the swords that rested in cases. She noticed that the case in which she & Rin had been hiding in, was missing. After staring at it for a few moments, Sesshomaru's voice brought her attention to him.
"I got rid of it because the scent of your fear, mixed with Rin's, made me sick whenever I was in here," he said as their eyes met. "Surely you can understand how I would not want to have something in my possession that reminded me that I almost lost you while trusting your safety in the hands of a houshi. I should have never trusted your safety in Miroku's hands."
"Of course I can understand," she said as she moved closer to him & rested her hand on his shoulder, feeling his muscle tense under her touch. "Sesshomaru, my love, may I have a few words with you about what you asked me earlier?"
"I suppose it would not cause harm to discuss it," he spoke as his hand came up to brush a lock of hair from his face that had fallen there a moment ago.
"I want to be able to think about my answer without any type of influences," she started off, bringing her eyes to his gaze from her hand on his shoulder, where her gaze had fallen when his muscle tensed. "And if it is okay with you, I would like to travel to Koga's den to think. I know I would be safe there, & it is not too far for you to come get me if something were to happen."
"How long would you be gone?"
"As far as I've decided, I'll be gone until I can reach my decision. I don't know how long that could be."
Sesshomaru took a moment to look away from her, his gaze falling on the Tenseiga in its case behind her. -I want to give her an answer, but I will need to speak with Koga & Kagome first,- he thought as he looked back at Catriona. "Can I have until after you have had your dinner, to have a decision?" He asked.
Catriona nodded. "Yes. Should I find you, or will you find me?"
"I will find you when I have come to a decision of my own."
"Yes my love," she said before she kissed him softly & left the room, walking to her bathing room.