1Author's Note: I'm a horrible person and I took so long to update this story... Forgive me! This story should hopefully get a little less silly now and the chapters will be getting a little longer. Not too long but longer, since there's more to write... and I'll ramble on and on and on and on in the Author's Notes as I attempt to procrastinate. And the content might get a little more adult starting with the next chapter so be on a look out for that! The rating will change. I'm evil... I could write bad bad things... bad evil things... ramble ramble...

Disclaimer: Why can't we all just share Saiyuki? (Other than the fact that I would Lock Gojyo away as my own private..) Saiyuki is owned my Kazuya Minekura...

Chapter Six

The vein that popped out on Sanzo's head whenever he was pissed was now very much prominent as he watched Goku stuff more food than he could handle into his mouth at once. Yet, even with food still sticking out between his lips the boy managed to chew and swallow without choking. Yet even more annoying than Goku's terrible table manors was Gojyo's scowling face as he sent rather angry glares at him from his place across the table. The monk felt himself being pushed over the edge with every shifty gaze from the kappa and soon found his hand reaching for his gun under the table.

"We should do some shopping before we leave. I wasn't able to do any yesterday since Goku was missing and we had to search for him," Hakkai said, breaking the mounting tension at the table. Sanzo sighed and instead of retrieving his gun he whipped out his ( aka the Three Aspect's) credit card and handed it over.

"And remember that you're only shopping for us and Goku. Those two are staying here," he said, pointing to the pair of kittens that could be seen romping around with Hakuryu outside the window.

"Can I come shopping with you Hakkai?" Goku asked, having finally cleared the monstrosity of a plateful of food he had been eating at an unnatural pace.

"Of course." Hakkai stood and gave Sanzo and Gojyo a cheerful smile before leading Goku out of the restaurant and off down the street. Sanzo watched through the window as Hakuryu flew off after Hakkai and the small black kitten went bounding off after him.

Sanzo stood, intending to leave without Gojyo but he followed him instead. Once out on the street Gojyo became bold enough to yell at the monk, attracting the attention of a few people and the little red kitten as well.

"What's your problem?" Gojyo hollered at Sanzo's back.

"You're the one with the poor ass attitide," Sanzo growled still walking away.

"If you want to do something about it then do it already ass face," Gojyo snarled, ready for a fight. It was really starting to piss him off that Sanzo was being such an asshole. The monk had been the one who picked the two girls up, and now he wanted to dump them in some town in the middle of no where.

Sanzo turned on him, throwing his fist as he did so. The throbbing vein in his temple melted away along with all of his anger and aggravation as his fist collided with the side of the half-Youkai's head. The noise around him all sort of drowned out and he had a sick feeling of sinking as Zima hit the ground in front of him.

Saiyuki-Sanzo's Favorite-Saiyuki

"Hakkai, your wounds do not still bother you at all do they?" Riku asked, shifting a bag of groceries so she could see him better. Hakuryu had transformed and they were loading their supplies into him.

"No, thank you for your concern but I believe that they have all healed," he said with a smile. Riku nodded and carefully placed the groceries into the back seat. She looked over her shoulder and frowned slightly at Goku's back. He had gone up to Sanzo's room to tell him that they were all done shopping. She had hoped to try once more to plead with Sanzo to let Zima and herself stay by his side.

"I'm glad that Zima was able to remove the poison before it became troublesome for you." She turned back to him and clasped her hands behind her back. "You're very strong Hakkai, his poison claws normally kill within a few moments of entering a person's system."

"I'm afraid I didn't even know I had been poisoned until just before I lost consciousness," he admitted. "It was convenient that you knew about the poison."

"It was my fault that he attacked all of you in the first place. It was his intention to kill all of you and take me back. I thought that we had managed to escape from him when we lost him in the forest and even if he did find us again he wouldn't try to take me away since Master had picked us up. But I was wrong, and you were almost killed as a result."

"That Youkai choose to attack us. You have no reason to blame yourself for someone else's actions. And you killed him, you're free to do as you will," Hakkai sighed, leaning against the side of the jeep. Riku looked away from him as though she were ashamed and shook her head.

"I fear that killing him may have just made things worse."

"What do you mean?" Hakkai asked. Riku bit her lower lip but did not answer.

"Hakkai, Sanzo wants you to bring that girl up here!" Goku yelled from a window above their heads. Hakkai and Riku both looked up at him in surprise and immediately Riku took off to get to Sanzo's room. Hakkai paused momentarily, he wondered what it was the girl was keeping to herself. An urge from Goku stirred him from his thoughts and he headed for Sanzo's room, telling Hakuryu that they'd all be down soon.

He nodded a polite hello to the girl sitting behind the desk in the lobby before heading up the stairs and down the hall to Sanzo's room. The door had been left slightly ajar and he entered cautiously before shutting it behind him.

Sanzo and Gojyo were at opposite sides of the room, as far from one another as they could be while Goku stood near the still open window. Riku was standing in front of a small table she made a faint choking sound before her legs gave out on her. Hakkai rushed to catch her, both of them sinking to the floor as he held onto the girl and saw what it was she had been looking at.

"What happened?" she breathed, her voice faintly a whisper on the still air.

"She got in the middle of a fight between me and Sanzo, and she got hit by a wild punch," Gojyo said.

Riku took a deep breath and leaned forwards, reaching out to touch the small kitten that was laying on a pillow on the table. Her fingers gentle caressed the soft, warm fur.

"She's alright, only unconscious," Riku said. Her shoulders relaxed with relief and she scratched behind one of Zima's ears.

"Riku-" Sanzo began but Riku raised a hand to stop him.

"It's alright. She wouldn't have put herself between to fighting men if she wasn't willing to take a blow or two to break up the fight," she said. "Zima won't bear either of you any ill will so you can go."

Gojyo looked away from the spot on the floor he had been staring at and glared daggers at Sanzo. The monk seemed to know this and without looking at Gojyo he walked over to Riku and Hakkai. Riku frowned up at him as Sanzo fought not to scowl.

He opened his mouth but couldn't seem to find the words to say what he wanted to when his eyes met hers. Their was a soft breeze that came in through the window, it made Sanzo look away from her and his eyes opened wide with surprise as he found himself looking at a strange Youkai standing inside the room.

Instictivly he reached for his gun but the Youkai simply held out his hand and smirked at him. Sanzo felt something hit him in the gut before he was thrown back into the wall, his head making a loud crack as it struck. The Youkai threw something down and the room filled with a strange greyish green smoke. When it cleared the Youkai was gone, alone with Goku, Gojyo, and Zima.