Here's my second chapter! I wanted to put it up before I left for college. It's short, I know, but I promise you'll be rewarded by the third chapter. It's longer AND there's a fight scene.

Thanks for the reviews, everyone! ^^ I'm glad you're liking it so far. If the adoption of Goku seemed rush, it's because it was supposed to be. Just the situation ended up.

So I've transferred all my files over to my new laptop. Go me! I'll have the third chapter up after it's edited and I'm settled down.

Disclaimers: Standard, thank you!

CHAPTER II

Knocking roughly on the door to the boy's room, Sanzo finally pushed the door open, his face twisted in anger and annoyance. "Hey! It's time to wake up!"

Instead of an answer, he got a muffled groan and a slight shift of the white covers intertwined around the boy. Scowling, Sanzo stormed in and ripped the pillow that Goku was using as a shield away. "Whaddaya want?"

"It's time to wake up."

"What? What time is it? Go away.." Goku batted at Sanzo before turning over. Violet eyes narrowed, and the cop reached out and grabbed the boy's arm, pulling him off the bed. Tumbling roughly on to the floor, Goku abruptly sat up, holding his head as he glared at Sanzo. "What the hell was that for?!"

"I told you! It's fucking time to wake up!"

"I don't care! I don't want to go to school, anyway!"

"It's not a choice, you idiot! Get out of bed and get dressed!" Yanking the boy off the floor, he pushed him towards his bag of clothes, not having bought a bureau yet, Goku had resorted to placing folded clothes on the floor for those that didn't have a hanger in the closet.

"Man, I just want a break! C'mon, Sanzo! Lemme just have one day off."

"No."

"I won't get into trouble. I just wanna get out in the city, I haven't been there in a while."

Sanzo glared a moment longer, before shrugging apathetically. He could care less if the boy attended school. Besides, some fresh air could be an advantage.

"Okay!" Breaking into a victorious grin, Goku eagerly began pulling on street clothes. "When will you be home?"

"Probably this evening. It depends on what's going on."

"Can I have money?" Goku asked hopefully, still smiling brightly despite Sanzo's leveled glare.

"No."

"I want to buy food. I can make dinner!"

"You'll burn the kitchen down."

"Nun-uh! I can cook."

"How many meals have you actually ever cooked, Goku?"

"Oh.well.I've watched.people cook. And I cooked in the facility! Besides, all I have to do is read directions, right? How hard can that be?" Goku finished, feeling as if his argument was definitely a valid one. Despite Sanzo meeting his hopeful gaze with a dry look, the cop reluctantly reached into his back pocket.

"Twenty dollars. And you better spend it on food."

"Okay! Thanks!" Grabbing the money, the boy was dressed and out of the apartment within moments. Shouting a cheerful parting over his shoulder, he slammed the door behind him and disappeared down the hall, out the complex door, and onto the street. Watching him go, Sanzo wondered again what exactly he had gotten himself into.

* * * *

Midafternoon found Goku in the police department, eyes wide as Sanzo charged towards him. "What's this?!"

"Um.." Goku began, trying to come up with an explanation fast enough to sate the angry man.

"Your first day on the streets and you're pick up for shoplifting?!"

"I was hungry," Goku began, as if that were a valid enough reason.

"I gave you money!"

"It wasn't enough."

"It was twenty dollars! What did you buy?"

"Steak."

"Steak?!" Sanzo nearly roared, hitting Goku in the side of the head with the case folder he had been carrying in his hand. "You couldn't make that!"

"I like steak."

"What'd you steal?"

"Just-"

"Some candy, sir. And a sandwich," the officer who had caught Goku supplied. Growling, Sanzo hit the boy with the thick manila folder again.

"Ow! Hey, stop that!"

"You would get yourself put back in that facility for some damn candy?!"

"I wasn't planning on getting caught." Sullen gold eyes slid away from Sanzo to focus on a caffeine stain on the worn carpet.

"I'll handle this, officer," looking at the man who had brought the boy in, Sanzo gave a dismissing nod. Catching the anger smoldering in the violet eyes, the man nodded his acquiescence, quickly stepping away to leave the two. "What the hell were you thinking, Goku?!"

"I'm not used to having money. And I wanted to fix us steak."

"But you have money now, and you need to learn how to budget it. You can't steal anymore," Sanzo said coldly, eyes narrowed.

"Are you going to beat me?"

Sanzo, who had been about to hit the boy again with his folder stopped, watching the boy carefully. "No," he said after a moment, lowering his hand. "Understand that hitting you upside the head because you were being stupid is not the same as a beating."

"I know."

"So don't be an idiot." Sanzo finished his reprimand, watching in amazement as gold eyes rose to meet his, a smile forming on his face again.

"So can we have steak tonight?"

"I'll take you out."

"Okay!" Goku turned to go, but not before Sanzo reached out and snagged his wrist. Turning, eyebrows raised, Goku looked at Sanzo questioningly.

"You're grounded, by the way."

"What?!" Goku look aghast at the news, mouth dropping open.

"Don't think you can fuck up around here and get away without a punishment."

"But Sanzo-"

"We're registering you for school tomorrow and then you're at home."

"How long?"

"For a week."

"I really don't wanna be grounded."

"I really don't care," Sanzo replied simply. "You can wait around here until I'm done today. Then we'll go to dinner," he said it in such a way though, as to indicate that although he had sounded like he offered the boy a choice; he really wasn't allowed to leave. Catching the tone, Goku nodded, dropping into a nearby chair. Casting a last dark look at him to make sure he would stay place, Sanzo returned to his desk, flipping the folder he had been holding open and filing through it, wondering exactly how this particular criminal was related to Cho and his situation. Scowling at the mug shot, which scowled back, Sanzo laboriously read through the man's history before growing tired with it and reaching for Goku's file. Staring at the cover for a while, he considered whether or not he should open it. Somehow, it didn't seem fair that he would know the whole boy's past.

Setting the file back down, deciding the boy would tell him things in his own time, he turned back to his work, adjusting the glasses on his face. He was a half hour in when suddenly the normal loud buzz of the department changed. Taking his glasses off, knowing automatically something was amiss; he stood, eyes scanning the area.

He was confronted with a policeman chasing Goku around the desks, a manila folder flapping in the boy's hand. Paper flew out in all directions as his grip loosened slightly, creating a chaotic snowfall of file information. Laughing, he ran past Sanzo's desk, completely unaware until the blonde cop quickly clothes lined him, sending the boy to directly onto his back, air knocked out of him. Goku's eyes went wide. As he struggled to catch his breath, Sanzo reached down and hauled him to his feet, voice cold. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm..bored." Goku managed through gasps of air, oxygen finally returning to his lungs.

"So what the hell are you doing?" Sanzo asked again, violet eyes still narrowed dangerously.

"Having fun?" The boy hazarded a guest, grinning sheepishly.

"We're not going to dinner," Sanzo said, refusing to play Goku's game.

"What?! Sanzo!"

"It's not up for debate. What the hell is wrong with you? You have ADHD or something?"

"I was tested with it." Goku began slowly.

"Where's your medicine?"

"I don't have any. C'mon, Sanzo! I don't need any stupid pills!" Goku pleaded, his voice a mixture of defiance and begging for agreement. After a moment, the cop snorted.

"It's time to go home. I'm finished here anyway." Grabbing his coat, Sanzo headed swiftly out of the police station, the boy shadowing him, jumping into the passenger seat of the Honda as soon as the cop had unlocked it. Remaining silent for all of five minutes, previous to which Sanzo had hoped would blissfully last the whole trip, Goku began by complaining.

"I'm really hungry, and I really want a steak!!"

"Then you shouldn't have caused all that havoc!"

"But I was bored!"

"You were only there because you stole."

"But I was hungry!"

"You can't continue to live by your base instincts! There are other things, other people, Goku!" Gripping the wheel tighter as he glared at the cars in front of him, taking the chance to glance at Goku who was sunk into his seat, eyes focused on the faded dashboard. Making a snorting noise, the cop turned back to pay attention to the road. The next few minutes were absent of Goku's voice again as he was aptly sullen for being reprimanded almost continuously.

"What school will I be going to?"

"Frederick Douglas High."

"What? That school is a shit hole!"

"It's the public school in the area," Sanzo replied with a shrug. He knew the reputation of the school well enough, but he didn't have money to send him to a private school, and it was too late to get him enrolled in any special programs. Hell, the year was almost over.

"I'm not going to learn anything there."

"You better pass your classes."

"It won't be a problem! The teachers are just as bad as the students at that place!"

"If you come home with anything less then a 'B', there's going to be hell to pay."

Looking aghast, Goku's mouth dropped open before he managed to come back with an answer. "What? That's not even possible! A 'C' is average, anyway!"

"You're going to get better than average."

"Sanzo!"

"I'm not arguing with you. You're in my house, you're living by my rules."

"Maybe I don't want to live here." Goku ventured, leaning slightly on this new attack to see if he could get some sort of slack.

"Maybe it's too late for you to decide where you want to live because I've adopted you," Sanzo replied unfazed, his eyes never leaving the road. Gold eyes glaring balefully at the cop as the teenager realized how short of a leash he was on... As he watched the city past at a painfully slow pace, he realized he wasn't angry. Sure, the demands Sanzo had were pretty steep, but he couldn't be that bad of a guy, right? He had freed him, after all.

And that move to take him out of the hellhole would place him in the cop's debt forever, however much he'd like to deny it.

Sighing, Goku let the remainder of the trip be passed in silence. When they reached the apartment complex, the teenager quickly bounded out, already forgetting the tense moment they'd had. Waiting for the cop to slide in his card to let them in, he bounced on the balls of his feet, expending nervous energy.

"Hey, are you serious? A week long grounding? Sanzo! I just got out of years of being grounded!"

"Then you should've thought about what you were doing more carefully," Sanzo led the gold eyed boy to the elevators, waiting patiently as the numbers above the doors counted down, eventually sounding a 'ding' that notified them that the elevator was on the ground floor. Stepping in as the doors slid open, the cop cast a glance at the boy. He looked younger then he was, his eyes just a little too large and naïve, his face just a little too open. Despite his seemingly forgiving nature, he had en edge on him, barely perceptible most of the time, but definitely a presence. Training his gaze on the teenager, he wondered if there would be problems in the near future. Breaking off in mid-thought as Goku turned to him, eyes quickly catching his, there was a moment of silence as they assessed one another again. The soft jolt as the elevator stopped at Sanzo's floor ended the stare-off, and Sanzo slid violet eyes away as he stepped from the elevator and led the way to his apartment. Belatedly, he realized he would eventually have to register Goku for a card and make him a copy of the key.

Kicking the door open, Sanzo watched the teenager dash in. Watching him throw himself on the lumpy, out-dated couch, the cop wondered what exactly had gotten into him to take this kid in. It would have been easy enough to deny his aunt her wish, to make some other unfortunate soul work on this case. He wasn't the only one who was good in undercover, after all.

Closing the door with a click, he turned the lock. Testing to make sure it wouldn't open, he turned back to the room.

Maybe it was just because he was tired of being lonely.

End Chapter II