One in the Same

Chapter Twenty-Four

   Saying goodbye to the rest of the children had been harder than Cat realized it was going to be. They all gathered together and brought them gift for the travel. Little things for them to eat, dolls to remember them by. Two of the boys, Kawa on the right and his best friend on the left brought a large bucket of water. Cat busted out laughing as she saw it and the shy smile on Kawa's face. Without hesitation she kneeled down on her knees, dropped her head and the children screamed with laughter as they dumped the pail over them. Cat respectively turned her head and spat the water out. The girls, with Mae leading the way, refixed her hair into the braid she had taught them and wove flowers into it. She kissed each one on the cheek. As she stood, Hina was walking up. A small bundle wrapped around her chest. Cat smiled softly as she heard the smallest heart beat.
   "Akachan wa genkidesu ka?" Cat asked as she bowed.
   "Kekkō. Kenkōna otokonoko." Hina replied and bowed back to her then opened the flap to show the littlest face that Cat had ever seen.
   "Kare wa tsuyoku narimasu." Cat replied smiling down at him then looking back at her. "Hina-chan wa kanpekidesu."
   Hina smiled up at her, then the smile slowly faded. "Anzen'na ryokō o o tanoshimi kudasai." She held a small wooden box up. "Soshite,-ka no sukoshi o oboete imasu."
   Cat looked down and tears filled her eyes all over again. "Hina, anata wa suru hitsuyō wa arimasendeshita."
   "Watashi wa sō shimashita. Sore wa watashitachi ga deatte kara watashi ga anata no tame ni yarubekidatta kotodesu."
   "Hina, arigatō."
   Hina nodded then sighed and stepped forward and gave Cat a hug. Cat blinked as she looked at Botan. Slowly, she wrapped her arms back around Hina. The baby cooed and the women separated. Without saying another word, Hina attended to the little boy as she walked away.
   Cat watched her for a moment then slowly turned and looked at Botan again. What in the seventh layer of fuck was that?
   He gave his growled "hmm" and shook his head.

   Cat watched him as he stood inside the hut looking it over. You wouldn't have known anything was missing with how simple and organized he kept everything. But even Cat could feel the emptiness in the air that surround them. Shin had agreed to have the Pack come and check on everything. "For when you return," Shin had said. As Cat watched him now, though, something had seemed to have shifted. She wanted to go to him. Hold him in her arms and tell him they could stay. Tell him everything was going to be alright. Nothing needed to change. Everything could stay the same as it had always been. But at the same time she didn't want to disturb him either.
   Finally, he sighed with a growl and turned to her. "I am ready now."
   "Where did you go?" She asked with a soft smile.
   "It feels strange," he said slowly then looked behind him. "How do you just leave somewhere that has been your home all your life?"
  Cat crossed her arms and gave him a look. He finally turned around and looked at her. Slowly, Cat raised her eyebrow. He swallowed, sighed and looked away. "I understand I may have spoken out of turn."
   Cat smiled and reached out taking his hand. "We can come back. We will come back. Or we can stay."
   "Cata," he sighed and pulled her closer to him. "You came here to me. Now, I will go with you to your home." He stroked her cheek and smiled lovingly down at her. "And we will stay as long as you wish, my queen. If you don't want to come back, then we won't. If you want to stay and be the queen that you are."
   "What am I to you?" She asked looking up into his eyes.
   He tilted his head as he looked down at her. "What are you asking?"
   "What am I to you?"
   "My mate?"
   "And?"
   "I do not understand," he said looking at her confused.
   "What am I to you?" She repeated.
   "You are my queen?"
   Cat beamed and laid her hand on his cheek, then on his chest over his heart. "Then I am already what I am. I don't need to go anywhere to prove that."
   Botan smiled wide and leaned down and kissed her deeply. Cat wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back deeply. Anywhere you are, I want to be there. You are my king.
   Forever and always.
   Always and forever.