A/N I've suddenly decided to write down the idea that's been bouncing around my head for over a year now. It's my first fanfic (but not my first story). The story, right now it's at K and a drama/romance. The story will become darker and rating will go up with following chapters, The category may change too.

Feedback will be much appreciated :)

If it'd been up to him, he would definitely not have returned to Chang'an. He would definitely not have chosen to once again live with the monks. He definitely would not have willingly submerged himself back into the hypocrisy and lies of the temple.

But, then again, it hadn't been up to him. Where else was he supposed to go? His own separate way? Goku had lost many hours of sleep over this question, rolling the possible answers back and forth in his head, when really, he already knew the answer.

So now that the four misfits had succeeded in their task and actually defeated Gyumaoh, none too easily, there was only one place to go. And that was wherever Sanzo was going.

For the time being, it was where they were all going; East. Sooner or later Gojyo and Hakkai would branch off and go their separate ways, leaving Sanzo and Goku to finish their way back on their own.

That time seemed to be drawing near. As it always is, it was much faster returning to where they came from than it was getting to where they were. The days were quieter, the mood was lighter and the road seemed a little smoother. Goku and Gojyo had come to realize that their many squabbles were never really more than something to break the monotony and bring a little energy into an otherwise forlorn trip. Nowadays, they seemed to get along much better, though still throwing a few barbs at each other once in a while. Old habits die hard.

Goku wasn't dreading going back to the temple. It had served as his home prior to the start of the journey. Truth be told, he missed the peaches. But even still, whenever his mind wandered into his future living there, he always found himself a little tenser than normal. Most of the time he was able to calm himself down by telling himself that he wouldn't be alone. Sanzo would be there with him, and it would be like old times. Only, recently that thought too troubled Goku. There was no way things would go back to being "like old times" now that so much had changed. They all had grown into different people. Not startlingly so, but even the slightest changes could have extensive consequences. Goku's biggest worry was if he was really even welcome back at the temple. He didn't trouble himself with the monks; he already knew they weren't too fond of him, but whether or not Sanzo wanted him there is what made him anxious. Each night Goku didn't pose the question was a night with little sleep.

So when the road actually forked, one leading to Chang'an and the other leading to elsewhere, when Sanzo stepped out of the Jeep, it was only natural that Goku would be at odds with what to do. Should he immediately jump out and trail behind, or should he wait for someone to nudge him out? It turned out to be a mix of the two; Goku was poised to exit the Jeep, but had had been frozen in the position by nerves. Am I making the right decision? He thought over and over in his head and probably would have continued to do so if it had not been for Sanzo turning his head back with an impatient glare on his face. That was all Goku needed. He finished climbing out of the Jeep, bid Hakkai and Gojyo farewell, and joined Sanzo, matching his strides on the path to home.

As expected, Goku wasn't exactly received with warm smiles like Sanzo was. It was the opposite in fact; as soon as Sanzo had passed by, the monks shot frowns and narrowed eyes at him. The same looks Goku had been oblivious to all those years ago began to unnerve him.

"Think they remember you?" Goku asked dryly, as he settled down on Sanzo's bed. He didn't get too comfortable; he knew the monks were preparing a room for him.

"Ch'" was all Sanzo mustered up as a response. "They probably remember you too, as that idiotic monkey who ate all the peaches."

"Yeah. I think they do." Goku continued to sit on the bed as Sanzo glanced over the room. It was the same what it had been before they left, and somehow that didn't feel right to Goku.

"Master Sanzo? We've finished preparing the room for…" the acolyte's voice faded, unsure of what to address Goku by.

"Thanks." Goku stood, not really caring what they called him in the presence of Sanzo. He knew that when he was out of earshot that titles like "heathen" and "scum" would be bestowed upon him. He followed the boy down the hall a bit, towards one of the back rooms. Obviously the men of the temple wanted him as far away as possible.

"Make yourself at home Master Goku." Goku rolled his eyes at the sarcasm tacked on to his name, but thanked the boy anyway. Once he left, Goku surveyed the room. It was small, maybe even smaller than the room he had when he first arrived all those years ago. It certainly hadn't been occupied in a while, as the webs of spiders nested in the corners and a thin veil of dust seemed to coat even the walls. Some preparation. Smirking, he walked over to the window, resting his forehead against the glass and peered outside. He was facing east, and the dark of night was slowly creeping towards the grounds. Great. He pushed away from the window and began making the room a little more acceptable. He was used to camping on the ground and going days without showering, but the condition of the room was too low for even those standards.

After about an hour of cleaning, Goku finally let himself fall back on his bed, immediately regretting the action because it felt as though he had collided with a rock. For fuck's sake…Coming to terms with the fact that he was not going to be comfortable, he closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep.