Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. The only thing that was going through Sesshomaru's mind right now was:'This is not right.' He was currently sitting in a courtroom clutching his mother's mothers sweaty hand trying not to cry. He didn't quite understand what was going on at the moment, but he did know that he didn't like how all eyes on in the room where on him. He didn't like how his mother wasn't her usual perky and funny woman she always was. He hated how quiet she was at the moment, mumbling out answers with fear and uncertainty when questioned. It gave him shivers when his father stared cruel and unfeeling at them instead of with the warm smile he was used to. He clutched his mother's hand a bit tighter and focused back on what his father's lawyer was saying.
"The boy is still young and can't possibly make this kind of decision on his own. It makes sense to just let him live with his father. Who better to take care of a boy than a man?"
The Judge hums in thought before replying. "Even if that is true, we should still ask the boy who he prefers to live with."
"With all due respect sir, even if we do ask him we might not get an honest answer. The child has been living with his mother throughout the whole divorce prosses. As an angry and jealous ex-wife, she can't be trusted to not have poisoned the child's mind with false evils about his father."
"Women are petty like that." One of the juries whispers to another next to him.
"You make a very convincing argument, but I still think that both arguments are equal. Regardless of it would raise him to be a bit girly, what matters is where he will be happiest. He is holding on to his mother's hand as his life depends on it."
"Ms. Wushang has a very time-consuming job. How can she be expected to raise a child correctly?"
The Judge strokes his beard in thought considering all the conditions. I'll leave it up to the Jury to decide. We'll meet back here when they come to a decision." He slams his gavel to signal a dismissal and then gets up himself.
Sesshomaru glances at the Jury and knows he will be living with his father in the near future. The whole Jury is made up of men and half of them are glaring at his mother.
'What a pathetic Judge', Sesshomaru thinks, 'He couldn't even do his one job and make a decision. This whole thing is messed up.'
"Come on Sesshomaru", His mother says, "Let's go get lunch while the Jury make their decision."
Sesshomaru grabs his mother's hand again after she gathers up her things and follows her toward the door. He spares a glance at the cruel man wearing his father's face. When he notices Sesshomaru looking he sends him a strained smile and a tiny wave. It was then that Sesshomaru realized that that cold stare that he had been giving them was actually directed his mother only. Not sure what to make of it, he raises his hand and gives a slow wave back.
Maybe... Maybe it isn't all bad. Perhaps he is still the same man that Sesshomaru has always known. Maybe his father isn't bad like he had thought moments before. His parents must have had an argument that resulted in a break-up. most everything would probably be the same. He would still be able to see both of them every day at the very least...
While Sesshomaru was lost in thought, he didn't notice as he and his mother walked out of the courtroom and toward the car until she was speaking to them.
"I know that today has been very stressful for you Sesshomaru, so today I will let you pick your own lunch. Even if it is ice cream or gummy bears. Whatever you want."
"Hmm... " With his previous thoughts cut off, Sesshomaru contemplates what he wanted for lunch. He didn't seem to realize that the real reason why his mother let him chose his lunch was that she feared this would be the last time she wouldn't be able to see him in a long while. Inuyasha was a very charming man, but Kimi was well aware that he was selfish too. he would take everything from her own son. She knew he would rub it in her face. Knew that he would actually be the one to try and turn Sesshomaru against her. Kimi wished she could fight harder to keep her son, but she knew it was a losing battle. in this world were men were more important than women.
And even if that wasn't the case, many people were friends with InuTasho. Many people liked him more than they liked her. They would always choose him. She didn't necessarily care if he won, she didn't care if he took all the money. She could always make more money. She could always buy new stuff. Those things could be replaced. But he shouldn't be able to take her son away from her! It wasn't fair! He was already having a child with his mistress! Why did he have to take her number one pride and joy?
"There are so many things I want for lunch that I can't decide, "Sesshomaru's voice snaps her out of her mental ranting. "I wish for you to choose for me."
Kimi smiles at her son's spoiledness and ruffles his hair a little bit, chuckling at his offended look. "Very well, Sesshomaru".
For a child with rich parents, Sesshomaru had very weird tastes. He'd rather have a burger from McDonald's or Burger King than one made by a professional chef. Weird little boy. In the end, she decides they should have lunch at a nearby Subway. He orders a chicken sandwich with honey mustard, barbeque Sause, tomatoes, ketchup, and spinach. On the side, he orders a small cup of apple juice and a chocolate chip cookie. There is nothing wrong with what he orders, but how he eats it.
He always orders his sandwiches with spinach, but then picks it out and doesn't eat it. Then he eats his sandwich from the center outwards. He moves on to his cookie and picks out each and very chocolate chip and eats it one by one. That's not even the weirdest part. He takes the rest of the cookie, crushes it and then drops it into his apple juice before drinking it all up in one go.
It's like he is doing it on purpose. Like he is just trying to gross out all of the people around him. After he finishes his meal he wipes his mouth and rests his head on the back of his seat. Kimi is happy that he is done with is questionable eating habits so she can eat the rest of her meal in peace.
This was a good place to come to lunch. I couldn't have picked a better place myself," Sesshomaru says after a few minutes of silence. Kimi Just hums in agreement because the fact of the matter is that he didn't pick a better place to eat. Sesshomaru has been watching too much television lately and has been repeating everything. It gets a bit annoying at times, but she supposes that it is only to be expected from a child his age.
"Mother... " Sesshomaru starts but doesn't finish.
Kimi finishes the last few bites of her meal before speaking. "What is it, Sesshomaru?"
"Mother, will I get to see you every day if I live with father?"
She picks up her cup and takes a long drink to stall before she finally had to answer due to an empty cup. "I'm not really sure. it all depends on the terms of custody for us to know when you can visit me. Then it depends on whether your father wants to let you visit me or not."
"In other words, you have no idea."
Kimi just shrugs at his smartass word and pretends to take a sip from her empty cup.
"I don't want to be separate from you. I hope father lets me visit often."
A soft sigh escapes her. "I hope so too."
Just then her phone starts ringing and she brings it to her ear. After a few 'yeses' and an, 'I'm on my way' she puts the phone in her purse with another sigh.
"Come on, Sesshomaru. The Jury has made their decision."
"Okay." He jumps from his seat and quickly grabs his mother's hand again.
Kimi looks at the ground and prepares herself for the worse possible news. She knows that InuTasho will get the most custody and she just hopes he doesn't get full custody. The drive back to the courthouse is quiet and tense as Sesshomaru and Kimi both know their fates. Sesshomaru sees a downcast look on his mother's face and starts to fidget. The only time he has seen her like this was the night his father declared that he wanted a divorce. Kimi notices her son's fidgety behavior and turns on the radio to lighten the mood. It doesn't work.
When they reach the courthouse, Kimi parks in the parking lot, turn off the radio and shuts down the car. She turns in her seat so she can see Sesshomaru.
"Sesshomaru, no matter what happens in there know that I will always be a call away. I will find a way for us to see each other eventually. Even if your father gets full custody over you." Sesshomaru gulps before nodding his head in a jerky motion. If his mother is saying this it must mean she doesn't think they can see each other that often. Kimi sighs again but opens the door before stepping out to open up Sesshomaru's door and helping him out.
He takes her hand and hops out of the vehicle. The leaves crunch under his feet when he does and continues to crunch as they walk into the building. These leave weren't here this morning due to a lawn worker blowing them away every morning. They walk back to the room and take a seat in the same place they were previously. The Judge and the Jury is already present when they take their seats and so is Inuyasha's lawyer. The only one who is missing is the man himself. After a short while, everyone has their papers ready and are sitting awkwardly, still waiting for Mr. Kusoyaro to arrive.
The Judge checks his watch for the fourth time before motioning the courtyard toward him. "You did call Mr. Kuroyaro, didn't you?"
The guard nods, but answers anyway. "I called him before I called Ms. Wushang even."
The Judge pinches the bridge of his nose. "Call him and tell him if he is not here in the next twenty minutes I will revoke his custody rights."
The guard does as he is told and everybody waits.
Nineteen minutes pass and Kimi holds her breath with hopefulness. Then InuTasho walked in without a suit jacket, hands shoved in his pockets, sunglasses on and her hopes are crushed. He walks to his seat like he owns the place. The Judge purses his lips in annoyance.
"The Jury's decision." The Judge says and holds out his hand. He gets the paper and reads it out loud. "The Jury has decided that InuTasho Kuroyaro Will get full custody of Sesshomaru Kuroyaro. Sesshomaru will only be able to visit Kimi Wushang on his birthday or when Mr. Kuroyaro allows it." Sesshomaru's shoulders stiffen more and more as the words tumble out of the Judge's mouth. Kimi's shoulders slump and her head bows. Tears build up in her eyes and she closes them so they don't fall. The Judge continues. "I have personally decided to give Sesshomaru a week to gather all of his belongings and say goodbye to his mother before he lives with his father." Sesshomaru can see his father's hand clench in a fist at the news.
"Dismissed." At the Judge's final word, everyone gathers up their papers and get out of their seats. Everyone is talking quietly to each other, gossiping about one thing or another. Kimi is just happy that she will have one more week to say goodbye to her only and perfect son before he leaves and she will only be able to see him once a year.
"Come, Sesshomaru. I think we should celebrate tonight." She lifts his head up and pushes his bangs out of the way so she can see the blue crescent moon on his forehead that matches hers. At his uncertain look, she sends him a smile. He suddenly feels at ease and all the tension in his shoulders melts away and he smiles back at his mother.
"Okay", he says, "Let's go". he takes her hand and shakes his head so his bangs fall back in place before taking a step toward the door. On their third step, someone grabs Kimi's arm and pulls her back. Sesshomaru snaps his head toward the imposter and his eyes widen when he sees who it is.
"Don't think you've won. I'll take Sesshomaru and you'll never see him again if I can help it. You are such a useless woman and I don't want my son to be contaminated by the likes of you." Sesshomaru's body stiffens in fear at is fathers intimidating poster and aggressive voice. His father still has his mother's wrist in his hand and is holding on tightly. Too tightly. Kimi snatches her wrist out of his hand with a bit of trouble before stepping back and taking Sesshomaru with her. A bruise is already forming on her skin.
"Haven't you had enough?"She says, "You've already taken everything from me. What have I done for you to be so cruel to me?!"
"I did need a reason to be cruel. I don't need you anymore. I've got someone better now. You just need to bug off."
All of the hopes Sesshomaru had about being able to see both his parents regularly or even just having a happy life is shattered at his father's words.
Kimi's hand that isn't holding her son's clenches and she glares at her ex-husband. "No matter what you say or do Sesshomaru will always be my son, too! No matter how hard you try to keep us apart he will come back to me eventually." InuTasho glares at her words but doesn't respond to her. He bends down to so he can look at Sesshomaru in the eye with a bright smile on his face. He pets Sesshomaru's head and Sesshomaru takes a half step back at the sudden expression change.
"Sesshomaru, you can pack your stuff and move in today if you want. You don't have to stay with your mother for a whole week if you don't want to." The man in front of him suddenly seems so strange so Sesshomaru hides behind his mother and peeks from behind her leg to give his answer. "No. I'd rather spend my week with mother." His father's bright smile disappears and his jaw clenches in annoyance. He stares at Sesshomaru in a creepy way. Like he is trying to study him and threaten him at the same time.
"Okay", he says, "If that's what you really want." He abruptly stands up like he's offended and turns away without another word.
"Come on. We have a lot of work to do before you have to live with your father."
"Yes."
They make it back to the car and climb in. Sesshomaru is still in shock if his blank stare out the window has anything to do with it.
"Everything will be okay Sesshomaru. Your father is just acting a bit like a baby. Sadly, I won't always be there for you when he gets like this. Just stand your ground. Whenever someone that he feels can replace him shows the tiniest bit of resistance he crumbles." Sesshomaru nods his head and mumbles out a reply to his mother knows he listening. In truth, Sesshomaru doesn't think he can do that. He's not sure if it comes from fear or respect. In any case, Sesshomaru knows that he is not going to use the method his mother advised him to.
The blank look on Sesshomaru's face lets her know that she advise just flew right by him.
'Oh well," she thinks, 'I'm going to teach that bastard a lesson for you, son. Just you wait, Mr. Kusoyaro, just you wait.'
LATER THAT NIGHT
Sesshomaru wakes up to the sound of heaving. He doesn't get out of bed when he hears it because his mother has been throwing up in the late hours of the night for quite some time now. The first time that it happened he when to go check on her and she insisted that she was fine. That was about three months ago when his father had been gone for about a month on a business trip. Since she said she was fine so he never checked again. But he couldn't get any sleep when she was making that horrid noise. He would just lay awake in bed listening and trying not to gag himself. He does wonder why she is throwing up so frequently though. She has been a bit secretive about the reason why. When he asked she just said it was 'probably a food bug'. She wasn't looking him in the eye when she said it.
'Maybe... Nah. It couldn't be. She would defiantly tell him if she was dying. She wouldn't keep it from him, would she?'
Sesshomaru's bare feet touch the cold wooden floor when he jumps out of bed. He takes quick steps toward the bathroom. He opens the door just as his mother gets up from being bent over the toilet to rinse her mouth of that nasty taste.
"You're not going to die, are you?! You would say something I you were. wouldn't you?!" He half shouts the words and there is a look of panic filling his eyes. Kimi stares at her son in surprise before she starts giggling. "Oh dear. Sesshomaru, you can't die just by throwing up a couple of times." She giggles again before speaking again, this time to herself. "Well, I guess a little boy who completely adores his mother would jump to that conclusion. I feel so loved!"
Sesshomaru frowns in annoyance since she is clearly mocking him. "So you are fine?" His voice holds little patience.
"I'm pretty sure I am fine. But just in case I will go to the doctor in a few days."
"Hmph! If you are alright I'll be heading back to bed." he walks back to his room while Kimi contemplates what could possibly be making her throw up so much.
'No, it can't be,' she thinks, 'There is just no way. I'm not that unlucky. Maybe… just maybe. It has to be something else. I can't. This just can't be happening.'
That night Kimi didn't get any sleep because her head was filled with panicked thoughts.