So where the F**k is our boy? '''Cerri'''

[natsumi]

He'd followed Eryk and that Kat's scent all the way to the outside of this confusing place. Nat knew not to enter for Eryk had explained certain things to him. Instead he shifted back to his human form and got dressed. Then he stood and waited for the little messenger he'd sent to find the princess. When he'd first arrived as a pitch black wolf, bigger than the grey wolf they'e used to a few of the guards reacted poorly. They'd even thrown some magic toward him. Until he shifted to naked male and yelled at them he came in peace.

Whether it was the fact that he was a naked dude yelling at them or the words that signaled a whte flag. Whatever it was they had left to find the princess...or the queen. He really hoped for the Kitty Cat. What would go to the queen or Cerridwen were words of a black wolf the size of a small horse. A man with dark eyes and snow white hair. The contacts never stayed when he shifted, and the hair never kept it's dye job only the bleaching. They were convinced he was some evil being that only said he came in peace. Black canines often fell into lore of being a spirit of death. So they had justice to be afraid. Or they just wanted the queen to make the creepy nude guy to go away.

Natsumi leaned against a tree dressed in causual black jeans, and a tight black sweater. He'd come to ask her where his Eryk was, where she was hiding him. Because no way would he give up his Whip without a fight.

[©erridwen Corrigan]

Cerridwen moved slowly through the cottage sighing as she went. Was he avoiding her? Was he doing something horrible that he didn't want her to see? Didn't he know that night, that one they had, had was magnificent, that it had changed her, made her feel so good, it had made her smile, for hours, days, weeks even, well maybe not weeks, but at least a week if not two, and even Maelee had picked up on it. Where was that girl? She was about to go find her when a guard came up to her telling her about a wolf. Right. A wolf, not a gray one, they were use to the gray one, they all knew it was Eryk...no this was black? Picking up her skirt to enable her to run faster, no need to fly, she had been relying on her wings far to much lately.

Plus it was still a bit chilly, and she didn't want to damage her wings any more. The winter had already played a harsh toll on them, she didn't need to permanently damage them. Of she went to the front to see who it was, and get ready to fight if need be, though she wasn't feeling in a fighting mood, maybe she could sway them to go away with just a few simple words.

______

Minerva as well got the message and got there before Cerridwen. She was eyeing him, watching him, and contemplating on what to do with him. "Who are you then hmm? Coming here, a black wolf, I've heard of you...that one that always hurt my sister and Eryk yes?" She asked narrowing her eyes. She had him mixed up with Xavier. She clearly hadn't gotten the memo that this was Nattie, and even though he wasn't high on Cerridwen's list, he was still considered alright. Almost a friend...only because of Eryk though.

Watching him, she couldn't help but smirk. She had gotten there and blasted him, an ice block he was stuck in, from just above his waist down. It wasn't like he could do anything with his hands.

"Now tell me, why shouldn't I kill you, torture you, and make you wish you--" She was cut off by a screech.

"Minerva! What are you doing!?" Cerridwen glared at Minerva as she came out of the clearing, her skirt still lifted, now she was hauling as she hurried across the courtyard towards the two. "I-I-" She couldn't speak as she looked between them.

Minerva glared. "Cerridwen, this is him, the one that hurt you and Eryk yes? I was about to..." She paused when she looked back to him. "I"m wrong aren't I..." She asked finally seeing Cerridwen's angry expression. A small smile creeped onto her face, she found this fairly amusing.

"Yes your wrong! Now let him go!" Cerridwen argued. "This is not an enemy!" Cerridwen said arguing with her sister. "Go return to the palace, and go work on something. Please! Just leave!" She insisted.

Minerva waved her hand. "Whatever you say.." She rolled her eyes and waved another hand towards the ice block and let it start slowly melting. "Have fun with that..." She muttered and with that started away moving slowly, creating frost with each step. She truly was the Queen of ice. She disappeared behind the Fae walls and soon was out of sight.

Cerridwen turned back to Nat and smirked. "Got caught I see" She mused. She watched as the block slowly started to melt. Not fast enough, but he'd be free in a few minutes. "I'd say I'm sorry but some how I can't bring myself to do it, especially since I know this isn't a visit of kindness. What did you need Natsumi?" Cerridwen asked crossing her arms over her chest and looking to him expectantly.

[natsumi]

There he was minding his own business when a woman came out of no where and blasted him with ice. He yelped and tried to leap away but failed miserably. There he was stuck in ice being accused of hurting Eryk and Cerridwen. The more he tried to speak the more the woman seemed to talk. She must be the Queen that he hadn't wanted to find him. Not wanting to make her even angrier he leaned over to rest an elbow on the ice block and just waited to be rescued. Lucky for him he didn't have to wait long.

"Yes, you're wrong. Xavier was a white wolf not black." He muttered tracing a circle in the ice as he watched the two sisters bicker. So it wasn't just him that she liked to argue with. Nat sighed starting to loose feeling in his legs from the cold. Other appendages were none too happy to be trapped in ice, and he rolled his eyes at the Queen as soon as her back was turned. "Tata nice meeting you!"

Straightening he crossed his arms now waiting for the ice to melt. Great now he couldn't even taunt the Kitty with physical contact. As she grinned at him he glared at her not at all thrilled that she was enjoying his capture. "Yes, your sister just came an attacked. No real warning. I came here to talk not to be made into an popsicle."

Next time he wanted to hunt down the princess of the fae he'd just go to her flower shop. This ice cube business did not sit well with his precious parts. "Where the hell are you keeping Eryk? He hasn't been home in days." Just jump into the mess of it that was his way all right.

[©erridwen Corrigan]

Cerridwen couldn't help but watch him and not grin. "Awwww the mouse not to happy?" She asked gliding over to him now running a hand down his neck, her nails being sure to dig into his skin, she was gentle with him but not as gentle as she would be with say someone such as Eryk. I think the tables have turned and the Kitty cat has finally caught her prey." She teased and pulled away again at his words.

A startled almost worried look replaced the amused one, and if it were possible, she may have paled even more. What? He wasn't with Natsumi?

Cerridwen shook her head. "Impossible. Surely he's with you." She shook her head. "I was under the impression he was with you, I haven't seen him since we...er, talked just a few days ago...well week." She nodded. "Week ago.." She murmured to herself thinking. Has it really been that long since she had seen him? "I'm not going to force him to spend time with me,a nd I thought he was with you, and I don't, Where is he?!" She asked now demanding. "Surely you know" She said.

Pacing now back and forth, she started to worry. "well I mean...we...you know, and then we laid together and then I fell asleep again and I woke up and he was gone. I didn't think anything of it, I just assumed he went to be by himself or be with you.." She trailed off shrugging. "I thought maybe it had been to much for him, all of that emotion one night, and then followed by...well I mean your not stupid, we had sex yes, but it was...something more then that this time, it was different, and certainly he must have felt it, and maybe it had been to much--" She stopped rambling and put a palm against her forehead. "If I scared him away again I'm going to...I don't know" She sighed.

A sickening feeling took place in her stomach as she jumped to conclusions, making her feel queasy and lean against the ice block.

[natsumi]

He glared at her and went to knock her away when she dug her nails into his neck. Eyes going wide he shivered and gave her a look that promised pain as soon as he was free. "Don't you ever f*cking touch me like that again."

Natsumi snarled his hand flying upwards to knock her hand away. "I'm not your f*cking mouse. Eryk is. So leave me the F*ck alone you- You don't have him?" His eyes went just as wide as hers and filled with the same amount of worry.

"No, I don't have him, nor do I know where he is. I just figured he was spending lovey time with you." Then she rambled on about things he rather not know about, ever. On and on she went making his fists clench tighter, his teeth ground harder, and is will to not change and rip her to pieces smaller. "Shut the f*ck up about your love life with Eryk! I don't care! I only care about where he is? If you don't have him, I don't have him then where the f*ck is our boy?"

He strained against the melting ice wanting to be free. To run and track him down. But he knew that would fail for many times over the past week or so he'd searched for Eryk. Natsumi clawed at the ice letting out a small snarl. "Stupid controlling, insane, dammed pixie b*tch." He was talking about both of the Corrigan sisters of course but she probably didn't know that.

"I want out of this stupid ice!" He slammed his fists into the ice a sharp crack shot from the force. Natsumi played the role of being older but when it came down to it he was young. And he wanted Eryk. He was not worried and terrified as to what had happened to him. "If you're lying, Kitty, I swear I'll bite your f*cking hand off."

His eyes screamed his fear his nail longer than normal as they clawed at the slowly melting ice. "I...I don't want to find him...I don't want to find him like that ever again...If you've hurt him..."
A childlike expression fell into place as he stared at her reaching across the ice for something but not for her. That raw fear died as he covered it with a veil of hate for the girl. Sex, with Eryk. Did she have to describe it so?

"I hate you..."

[©erridwen Corrigan]

When he snarled at her she just merely looked up at him. "Touchy are we?" She questioned. "No. Eryk is not a mouse. You are. You are a small, in coherent mouse the cat's life. In his life. You don't get that do you?" She asked standing up now. He doesn't love you!" She screeched at him. "He is not yours! He is not an 'our' he is mine!" She yelled at him getting angry quite quickly. Remember that jealousy she felt? That possession she felt over Eryk was coming back into play.

"If I ever hear you claim him, as yours, as ours, as anything, I'll simply have to correct your state of mind." She snarled glaring. "Clearly, we haven't gone over ground rules. Eryk is, and will always be mine. I do not intend on sharing him. She narrowed her eyes. "And you want to know something else? We had sex. Wonderful, blissful sex." She said "And as far as I know, he never once took his eyes off of me, he never once thought of anyone but me, and how many times do I have to tell you he said 'I love you', to me" She said said.

Cerridwen narrowed her eyes. He had hit a nerve with her. She was being harsh, sure, but she was on fire, and she wasn't angry, she was livid.

"If you want him" She said "Come and claim him" Cerridwen hissed, only making it clear she wasn't going to give Eryk up without a fight. She'd gone through this once with Xavier, hell no was she about to go through this again with Natsumi. He was Eryk's friend, she wouldn't kill him, but she had no problem playing with his mind. Letting the vines crawl up the ice block, one went around his neck and tightened. "I would have no problem killing you right now, to ensure that Eryk was mine, I wouldn't lose a bit of sleep over it" She assured him. Cerridwen grew closer to him again "But I wouldn't do that. Your his friend, and I wouldn't be able to do this to him." She assured him, "Nor have you once hurt him, I have no reason to do anything to you. Sadly." Cerridwen glared letting the vine that had gone around his neck slacken and then finally wither away back towards the ground.

The vines retreated and now the block surely was warmer then before, melted slightly more, though not enough to free him completely.

"I don't hate you Natsumi, I would never hate someone who has only helped my love, but you, you make me quite frustrated. Now wiggle around, try too, maybe it will generate enough body heat and get this thing going. She flit about using her wings though she had promised herself she wouldn't and flew up to move back a few tree branches to let the sun shine down on him, warming the block and most likely setting him free.

[natsumi]

As she screamed at him, threatened him, spat out truths he desperately didn't want to hear he curled over. The words hit him over and over pounding in the truth that she was not a kitty cat, she was a lioness protecting what was hers. As the vines wrapped around his neck he straightened on reflex trying to get away from something he couldn't. His breathing came shallow and he glared at her wanting nothing more than to just...

"Don't you think I know this? I know he doesn't love me. I know he doesn't think of me. I know he's yours...but he is my friend...you can't take that away." His voice was barely above a whisper as the vines tightened on his throat. A piece of him wished she would just do it. Just end it all already. To stop taunting him and do it. He closed his eyes not wanting her to see the truth inside. The feelings that came with her actions and words.

"He is my friend. So I can say ours all I want." Natsumi bit out as the vines slipped away from him. "I don't want to fight you to claim him. What's the point in that when all he thinks about is you. I'm not here to take him away from you when are you going to realize that?" His hands ran over the ice all fire lost from him.

"If you want to kill me so badly then just f*king do it. How is he gonna know. He's not here now is he." He snapped his eyes upwards watching her fly. At least she hadn't touched him again. Wonderful blissful sex... He shut his eyes against the pain his muscles bunching in his arms. Never his, always the ones who hurt his gentle Eryk. Maybe he should hurt Eryk then maybe he'd love him. Natsumi bunched his hands into fists once more and let out a frustrated scream as he slammed them into the ice right above the previous crack. That crack went deeper into the ice almost all the way down. He gasped as the force of it hit his body encased in the cube.

Natsumi bent over staring at the ice hefelt so defeated trapped and being taunted like this. "You win. I give up. Now will you help me find him?" He didn't look up because from her height she could be able to notice the liquid on the ice was mixing with salty drops. Nat ran his hands over the ice once more before raising his fists and slamming them downwards once again with all the strength he had. He hated her but he hated himself more for wanting something he could never have.

[©erridwen Corrigan]

Cerridwen held the branch back and looked down at him. She felt a slight guilt for yelling at him, but not enough to make her go down and apologize. She didn't feel enough remorse, and they were not friends. "You say your not going to try and take him from me, but I've seen people try to take him. They say they won't and then they do, I've seen Xavier flat out tell me Eryk belonged to him, Eryk's father hates me, do you think, after all I've done, all I've worked for, everything that I've striven for, you think I'm going to trust you? I know how you feel about him, I may not know what you feel, but I get the idea, you don't want to be just friend's with him, but Natsumi I needed to let you know how I felt. How it is." She nodded. She pulled the branch back a bit more as he pounded away at the ice, most likely letting out his frustrations.

Cerridwen certainly had her own but she wouldn't take them out, not in public, not in front of him. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"You can't say ours. Not when associating myself, him and you because he won't love you. He loves me as I love him, and you don't fit into that. You can say ours, perhaps when your associating him with Rae and your fine self but not with me." Cerridwen murmured. She doubt he heard her but she didn't care. As long as it was said, she didn't care, it was just out of her system.

As for killing him, that was another story entirely. "I wouldn't kill you. Even if I wanted to I wouldn't do that. I'm not going to lie to him you know. I refuse to do it. So if I did kill you I would tell him, and then he would be devastated, he would be devastated if anything happened to you but, still.." She trailed off. Jealousy pricked her heart again, how he use to speak of Natsumi with such fondness. She wondered if he ever spoke of her, with the same fondness? "He speaks of you fondly, I doubt he would let me go on living my life with him the same way, if I killed you. In truth I don't find a need to kill you." She said again as she looked up at the sky.

Finally letting the branch go she fluttered back down to him. "Find him? With you?" She asked skeptically now arching a brow. "Why...would...WE of all people go find him. I can understand yes, separately, but...together?" She questioned doubtful of the whole plan.

[natsumi]

"Actually I can. Because he was MY friend first. I've known him FAR longer than you. When he was in pain? He ran to me. When his heart was broken? Me. Xavier beat the crap out of him? Me. When YOU told him to f*ck off? ME! So I have EVERY right to say WHATEVER THE F*CK I WANT!" He screamed up at her his eyes blazing with loathing and they were blue. But not his normal bright unnatural blue for those were contacts, but they were so light that the whites of his eyes almost blended in. His version of wolf eyes, rare, but there they were.

"I've ever shoved him away. Never hurt him! I'm always there for him no matter what he needs, wants, or does. You aren't! no one but me has ever been there for him!" If she still insisted he couldn't say what he wanted he'd loose it. More than he was at the moment that is. Nat hadn't caught the last part that she'd said but he didn't care. He'd heard a name but he didn't recognize it so he wouldn't bother with it. What he needed to do was calm down. Rage and curses won't make Eryk love him, and it won't free him from the ice. Nor will it make her change her mind. Oh, how he hated her.

He took deep breath after deep breath as she spoke trying to center himself and push away his emotions. Natsumi bit his lip knowing he should have never come here, she wouldn't be a big help in finding Eryk anyway. Wasn't like she had a nose that could catch his scent, or ears that could hear his pain filled howl miles away. Natsumi had tried to find Eryk's alpha but had failed to do that as well. He'd searched everywhere he could and gotten some traces of the older lycan but couldn't follow them for long.

"All he does now is speak of you. How beautiful you are, how lovely, how good you are to Mae. On and on and on...I sit and want to shove a tent steak into my ear drums." He mumbled the last part wiggling a bit in the ice. She spoke so highly as if she was so much better than him. Just because she had Eryk's love didn't mean she was better than him. Nat hated people like her, all high and mighty just because who they know and who they're related too.

As she came down he lifted his head with a wicked smile finally back in place. "Yes, help me. You know his friends he has here. You know his hiding places here." He rolled his eyes at her obviously logic. "Right, I don't want to hang around you either, but this isn't about us. It's about finding him and making sure he's alright."

He quirked and eye brow upward and winked a her. "Never know maybe I'll steal your heart." Nat laughed harshly then slammed his fists into the ice once again. "Besides he prolly wants to see you more than me anyhow, so you being there when we find him would be a plus."

Natsumi sighed knowing he was almost free of his encasing of ice if he just had a little more umph. He took a deep breath his body going still his face completely calm as he searched for that little spot. The spot that called the wolf and in an instant he felt it's strength and his fists met the ice shattering it finally releasing him from it's confines.

"Ah, freedom." He gave her a tooth filled grin his hands flexing at his sides. Crud I think I broke something. It'll heal soon enough. Nat lifted a hand to gaze at it and frowned at the other hand felt around finding the broken bones. He shrugged and dropped the back to his sides. "Okay, Pixie Princess. You gonna help or not?"

[©erridwen Corrigan]

Cerridwen looked to him rolling her eyes. "Stop being mellow dramatic" She said tossing back her hair "I'll help you, pfft though why do I get the distinct feeling I'm digging my own grave and you were the one that handed me the shovel?" Cerridwen grumbled. If she had it her way she would be the one looking for Eryk, finding him, finally having him beside her, not arguing, not fighting just together watching Mae grow up and then possibly a family of their own. "Look lets just get it done. No talking, no speaking zip." Cerridwen demanded "And I guess Minerva will have to watch Mae...make sure she gets her school work done...and make sure she's in bed by eight.." She murmured to herself letting her feet touch the ground again as she thought about Maelee.

Cerridwen wasn't even paying attention to Nat. She was trying to figure out how to tell Minerva all of the rules. Cerridwen had Maelee on a specific schedule. Did she trust Minerva enough to stick to it? Did she trust Maelee to keep Minerva too it? Sighing to herself she was hesitant, she didn't want to leave Mae...but it was only for a few days. She would find Eryk with this...dog, and then come home immediately. Sighing to herself Cerridwen looked to him. "I refuse to be gone longer then a week." She said. "I can't leave Mae...I don't want to, and against my better judgment I'll leave her with Minerva, but no longer then a week." Cerridwen murmured.

Yes, Cerridwen was in a way laying down the law, but she knew Eryk was safe. He could take care of himself, he was a grown adult, a wolf, and he had more then once proven himself to be worthy, and Maelee did need her, well not NEED, but her family was pretty screwed up...and Cerridwen wasn't totally perfect, but she was a pretty level person, and hopefully, she considered herself the stability in her life right now, and even though she has friends now, she has a life, she's getting older and older by the day, Cerridwen couldn't help but still think of when she first met Maelee...what was it? A year ago? About that? Time flew so fast...and Maelee wasn't the little girl she use to be...

Why was Cerridwen freaking out like this? Shaking her head, she brought herself back to reality and looked to him. "I don't want to leave Maelee alone for any longer then a week." Cerridwen nodded.

At his comment about stealing her heart she shrugged. "What heart?" She asked "You can't steal something that's already been stolen.." Cerridwen reminded him "And I wouldn't be so sure. You claim to be his friend, I'm sure he'll be excited to see you too, that is of course he wants to be fond..." She added quietly under her breath. Cerridwen looked up at the trees the leaves that were turning green, spring was near, and most fae would be celebrating the departure of winter, and welcoming the warm spring.

When he broke free, Cerridwen just rolled her eyes. "Don't act surprised. You were going to be freed eventually." She said sarcastically. "Don't call me that and fine. Pixies....so annoying" She muttered again not to fond of this arrangement. "Look, I don't like this anymore then you do, but if we're going, and going together, then I plan to set some rules, you need to tell me when we leave, how we're going to travel, and money, and all of those things, are we just going...to er...well you can't fly...but I can...I don't know" She said to herself feeling slightly stupid for asking this.

How would she tell Maelee she was leaving? That would be hard as well...sighing to herself, Cerridwen pushed her black smooth hair behind her ears, tucking it back and out of her eyes. Cerridwen looked to the man in front of her a look of thought which then turned to a scowl. "And to keep things straight, we are not friends." She clarified and with that put her hands to her hips looking him over unsure whether to trust him or not.

[natsumi]

He rolled his eyes at her finally free he rubbed at his frozen legs. Certain other parts wanted to be de-thawed as well but he wasn't going to rub those in front of her. Nat shifted his clothes shaking off the remnants of ice from his jeans. Per norm he hated being cold and being encased in ice did not put him in a pleasant mood. He continued moving trying to get the blood flowing as she spoke. What came out of his mouth didn't really irritate him it was her voice that irritated him.

"Yes, you dislike me. Can't see us working well together. I won't touch you, you don't touch me." He waved his hands rolling his eyes once again as she rubbed at his legs some more. As she continued to set some ground rules he straightened and smiled at her. "Wow, you actually make sense when you're not trying to be a giant bitch to me."

"And I'm going to talk if I want to by the way. I will also be paying the expenses money is not an issue for me." Nat pointed at her at the first part then smiled his expression softening. "This is my idea after all I wouldn't make you pay for things. Women shouldn't pay for things they should be taken care of like princesses. That's one thing I agree with Eryk about."

Not that he dated women but he happened to have a girl back home with a little girl who would someday call him daddy. He wasn't going to inform her of this little tid bit but at the thought his face melted. The child had his wolf blue eyes, and her mother's rich auburn curls. The girl was a doll. Someday he'd have enough money, enough fame to take care of them both. He'd get the right part someday and it'd take off from there.

"Right...um. We can leave as soon as you want and have Mae-Mae all ready." The lycan shoved his hands into his pockets and started away from the labyrinth. "I'll be back in three days to see if you're ready. Tata, Kitty."