I know this update is sooo late, but life caught up with me. Here's the next installment. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Samurai Deeper Kyo or Samurai Champloo.

The woman wasn't acting like her normal annoying self. Sure she was smiling and talking like nothing was wrong, but something was off. She had been off ever sense he'd caught her sneaking around with the wild haired criminal not an hour before. That one was all criminal. Kyo had seen those tattoos before. Not that he cared overly much, but Dog Face hated criminals. Or at least she sure as hell talked like she did. As he scanned the people sitting around his fire, he wondered what she had planned.

Kyo watched the group, making sure that he looked more like he was enjoying his sake and pipe. Servant #2 was seated next to the new girl, Fuu. He had been chatting her up most of the morning. No secret what he was planning.

The quiet one who must have considered himself a samurai was sitting peacefully cleaning his swords. It was a nightly ritual for many swordsmen brought up in traditional samurai households. He served no real threat.

Bon had planted himself next to Kyo. He was enjoying his own sake and was laughing loudly with the criminal. The two got along fairly well once sake was shared. Kyo felt Bon's elbow jab at his knee. The one eyed man grinned up at him and gave him a weird nod. "So Mugen, how long have you known our Yuya?"

Mugen scratched the back of his head as he thought. Finally he looked across the fire and asked Yuya, "Yo, how long I known you?"

Yuya looked up from her revolver, which she had been cleaning, and answered, "Almost two years."

Looking back at Bon, Mugen nodded and said, "Two years. She tried to turn me in for the bounty, but didn't know what she was doing. I had ta teach her how to fire that thing." He chuckled at the memory and started in on a story. "When we were traveling together.."

Kyo didn't hear the rest of the story because on the other side of him Tora had leaned back and started his own conversation with Dog Face. "You traveled with him, Miss Yuya?" From his vantage point, Kyo could tell servant #2 had lost his usual smile. When Dog Face smiled and nodded happily, Tora burst out, "But he's a criminal."

Mugen's chatter quieted, and it sounded like even the night time bugs were holding their breath. Kyo his attention fall back on the criminal. Even if Dog Face had bested him, he still looked like he could go more than a few rounds with Tora. For her part, Yuya never lost her smile and didn't waver in her reply. "So are you." The smile and matter of answer made even Kyo's breath catch for a split second. Damn her. Dog Face wasn't supposed to be able to do that.

Servent #2 recovered quickly and pasted a flimsy smile on his. "That is true," he said and the conversations started again. Kyo spent the rest of the night privately studying her until everyone had fallen asleep. Even in the moments before he fell asleep he couldn't help the nagging feeling that she just wasn't acting like herself.

Something was wrong with Kyo. Yuya could feel it in the way his eyes bored into her back. She had fallen asleep the night before feeling exposed and she had woken up to that same feeling. It unnerved her and only one person could really make her feel like that. Kyo. He was watching her, but she couldn't catch him doing it. His attention always seemed to be turned another way when she would look up at him or turn around to catch a glimpse. It wasn't until they had reached the village that she got her first real break from the staring. Could she call it staring? Was it evasive spying?

"You want me to go find us rooms, Kyo?" Yuya asked, turning to look at him with a smile. It was a small village, but there had to be at least one inn. There almost always was an inn for travelers. At Kyo's curt nod she hurried off before he had time to add some comment about brothels, sake or anything else.

The inn wasn't hard to find and even though she was also paying for an extra bit of room for Mugen, Jin and Fuu the price wasn't too bad either. The guys were getting their gear settled in when Yuya started to make an excuse to leave, but instead of getting out of there alone Tora caught her in the hallway. "Miss Yuya, I'm sorry about last night, but I worry for you," he said, matching her footsteps.

Yuya stopped and propped her hands on her hips, fingers itching for her rope. "You were peeping, Tora," Yuya threw back at him. The pervert had apologized so many times for peeping that Yuya was half tempted to tie him up and leave him in the street.

"No. I mean about you traveling with Megun. He's a criminal and a foreigner. You can't always trust people, you know," he said, his normally goofy face taking on a more serious look. "He never hurt you, did he?"

Shock ran through Yuya like ice water. Benetora was trying to be a good friend and was just worried about her, but there really was nothing to be worried about. "Thank you, but Mugen never hurt me. I trust him," she assured him. "I'm going out for a while. I want to go check the bounties around here. We could use some extra money."

And just like that Tora was seemingly satisfied and let her go. Yuya hurried off, happy that she had gotten away from Kyo's not there stare and that Tora was trying so hard to look out for her. Even if they were worried she couldn't get caught up in that, after all, she had plans to make and an accomplice to meet.

Till next time!