Hakkai fans (as opposed to, say, […x]Hakkai[x…] fans ;)), rejoice! This fic is unadulterated Saiyuki/Hakkai fluff! It's based wholly on the anime, since I have had no experience with the manga. I hope you enjoy it, and please do R and R! I would greatly appreciate it! ^_^

Chapter Four Warning: Fluff Alert!

Teiya—He would, wouldn't he? ;) Hakkai's really is wondering if Meiryu is his kid. Sigh…
Polaris—hmm, yeah, I never thought about that. On the other hand, the rice field is flooded for planting so it would be pretty hard for Gojyo and Sanzo to set it on fire. You will like the upcoming fight, methinks—lots and lots of demons—and as for Kanan, WELL, that would spoil the ending and all, desu ne?
Gokugurl—bah! Sore douzen darou! Ah, um, Kanan I mean, not the yaoi. Oh, btw, I'm not a bunch of people so temee is sufficient to curse moi. :) Thanks for the alert.
Rook—Sanzo and Shadow Skill fan, eh? ^_^ Don't worry about Meiryu. No one dies in this fic…yet.
Passerby—keep watching.

Until Hakkai smokes, Gojyo is clean-minded, Sanzo is truly pure of heart (snort) and Goku's voice breaks…Gensoumaden Saiyuki is not mine in any way. I only own a Saiyuki fanbook that is falling apart after only a month—that, and 4 Terebi Magazine Ultraman posters, 6 hand-made Ultraman Tiga, Ultraman: Super Fighter Legend and Ultra Ninja Manual posters, a sketch of Dita and Hibiki by Zid from the MAAO (M'sian Amateur Artists Org), my big stuffed Ultraman…*ramble ramble*

Smile of the Father
By UltraM2000

PART FOUR
FRAGMENTS OF LOVE
Akumu

Old Han made Meiryu turn in early that night, and as he tucked the covers up around her head, he talked more gently to her than usual. "Sleep well, Meiryu. We will meet again in the morning."

"Un. Goodnight, Han jitchan." After Han left, Meiryu tossed and turned and tried desperately to sleep, but she was too keyed up to even close her eyes. When she finally did, though, a nightmare enfolded her in its grasp.

She was running towards Han's house, past the flowers and the rice she loved. The warm sun shone on her back, the wind played through her hair. "Jitchan!!!" she called. She had been saved from the sacrifice. Life was good. "Jitchan!"

"Are, Jitchan…?"

The house was empty, but Meiryu could hear the tap dripping. She walked into the kitchen to turn it off, but slipped on the wet floor.

Crack!

"Owwwwie!"

Meiryu had twisted her ankle it in the awkward fall. Gosh, it hurt like mad! She thought it was bleeding, but the skin wasn't broken. Why was she sitting in a puddle of water, then? Had she wet her pants? Bad, bad Meiryu!

Meiryu turned her head to see a lady sitting at the table. She seemed to be asleep, with her head pillowed by her left arm. Across the table lay a man she had seen often enough in her mother's one and only picture of him to be able to recognise him. Their fingertips just touched as they slept. It was then that the girl noticed the horrified expressions on the faces of Cho Kanan and Cho Gonou, and the scarlet that had spattered their clothes.

Scarlet?

Oh no.

"Okaasan! Otousan!! Oh my God! No, noooo!!!"

They weren't just sleeping; neither was the dripping from the tap but from the blood, red, and sticky from the table over which the couple had slumped. It was flowing all around her, staining her dress and legs.

And then they came; the youkai. So they did want their sacrifice after all. Eyes hungry and hollow, they surrounded her, chanting her name. Then each raised shiny claws to kill.

Meiryu screamed.

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"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

Meiryu jolted right up, clutching the damp blankets to her chest. Her breath was coming in frightened gasps and sweat plastered her hair to her forehead. Without wasting more time, she ran straight to Old Han's room.

Old Han wasn't there. His bed hadn't even been slept in.

Meiryu was almost crazed with fear. Maybe the youkai had got him while she was asleep. Maybe they got the other oniichan too. Oh no. Please, no. She ran to the room next to Old Han's. Gojyo and Goku were still fighting each other for space on the futon in their sleep. Her gaze flew to the sleeping, blonde figure on the bed.

"Sanzo-niichan! Sanzo-niichan PLEASE wake up!" She tugged furiously at his blankets, the only thing she could reach from the edge of the bed. Sanzo's amethyst eyes flew wide open and he lurched awake, whirling round to face Meiryu. "Whadja want?" he asked shortly.

Meiryu's eyes were round and scared. "I…I had a nightm-m-mare," she stammered.

"Ah, go find Hakkai. I want to sleep," snarled the monk and yanked he covers up over his head.

Meiryu was too scared to do anything else but do as Sanzo said. Hakkai wasn't in his futon—he must not have been able to sleep again. Still clutching her blanket like a talisman she ran towards the dining room. Hakkai's back met her, as he was staring into the candlelight once again.

Relief flooded the little girl's heart. Hakkai-niichan…he was here. He wasn't dead. He was nice to her, he would surely understand.

"Hakkai-niichan?" she called tentatively, her voice shaky.

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Cho Hakkai had been staring into the candlelight for the second time in 48 hours. They left tomorrow, and with their departure also fled the chance of his ever knowing for sure whether Meiryu really did have his blood and Kanan's. Whether Kanan had really died in vain because of his tardiness.

But what did it matter, now that someone was calling him with a note of desperation in her voice?

"Hakkai-niichan?"

Hakkai stirred at the sound of her voice, and turned to face her. "Meiryu? Why are you up at this time of night?"

Meiryu's whole expression seemed to disintegrate as she burst from the dark shadows and flung herself upon him, near-bowling him off the chair. She clung to his shirt, crying fit to break one's heart.

"Meiryuu-chan, dou ka shitan desu ka?" he asked, concern far outweighing surprise.

"Old Han's gone and Sanzo-niichan wants to sleep and I…I…I had a nightmare and I'm so SCARED!" she managed to stammer before breaking into fresh sobs. Hakkai could tell she was scared half out of her wits and asked nothing else. Must have been some nightmare, and he felt it had something to do with the rice analogy earlier that day.

_She felt sorry for the rice…_

"Shh…Maa, maa, it's all right. Nobody will hurt you, Meiryu. I'm here. We're all here. You're safe, all right?" he soothed, running his fingers through the still sweat-damp hair. She nodded slightly, closing her eyes against the tears that still threatened and leaning against Hakkai's shoulder, his clean ash-soap-and-water scent filling her nostrils. A sense of peace and security slowly crept up her, steadying the frantic heartbeat, relaxing the tensed muscles. She could faintly sense Hakkai running his long, slim fingers through her hair. It felt good somehow. and she snuggled closer to him, resting her head wearily upon his chest and listening to his slow heartbeat.

Hakkai was thinking of other things. There was a strong scent around him, not of blood or fear, but of pine and oranges. It smelt more or less like what Kanan's tresses had smelt like—he had spent enough time together with her to remember, although that memory was fast fading. It was so strong his eyes almost watered, and it took some time to realise he had his cheek resting gently on Meiryu's head, his nose buried in the little one's mahogany hair…

You know, he had always thought it was Kanan's shampoo.

"Come on, Meiryu, we'd best get to sleep," Hakkai murmured softly. He rose from his seat and carried her to her room like she weighed no more than Hakuryuu. After he had tucked her in and turned to go, however, a small hand caught his own.

"Stay with me a little while, oniichan, please?"

Hakkai seemed to hesitate momentarily before relenting. "All right. I'll stay." Meiryu smiled gratefully at him and scooted over to the edge of the bed.

"A…Anou, you want me to stay in bed with you?"

"Yes. I mean…if…if it's all right. I don't wanna have that dream again."

A wave of protectiveness surged up within Hakkai's breast. "You will not ever have that dream," he said with all certainty, "while I'm here. Count on it." He sat down on the bed—there would be just enough room for him to lie down. The bed really wasn't made for two people, though, so Meiryu ended up with her head on his chest and one arm flung across him. He stretched his arms out and crossed them loosely over the small of her back before closing his eyes.

"Ne, Hakkai-niichan…" whispered Meiryu sleepily, "did you know my dad?

"Cho Gonou? Yes, I knew him," Hakkai said after a short pause.

"Is he alive?"

"No...he died six years ago. Before you were born."

"What was he like?"

"Oh! He looked like me, actually."

"Really? Was he like you?"

"In many ways. Some people even say we were like the same person!"

"Is that so? Then I know he must be really nice, like you are, niichan. I would love to see him…someday…or maybe…(yawn)

"I wish you were my otousan. I couldn't ask for much more at the moment."

Her breathing became soft and regular, and Meiryu was lulled to sleep by Hakkai's steady heartbeat. The young man closed his eyes and sighed, stroking Meiryu's hair again and gently hugging her like she would break with too much pressure.

"Neither could I, little one. Neither could I," he whispered as drops of crystal slipped softly down his cheeks and onto her head.

Cho Hakkai was crying.

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The next day dawned hot and bright. Old Han did not go out to the fields today and Meiryu sat on the ground outside the shack looking at the clouds. The wind rustled the newly planted paddy and the flowers she had planted for Old Han along the cottage path.

Hakkai was scratching Hakuryuu's neck as the dragon sat upon his shoulder when he saw Meiryu looking pensive. "That dream still bothering you, then?" he asked, trying to sound cheerful.

"It won't be a dream soon enough," she murmured, patting Hakuryuu's head.

"?"

It was only now that Meiryu told Hakkai what had transpired during last night's nightmare, and the truth about her fate.

"…and every ten years, the youkai who guard our town come to this village for their sacrifice. They want children. This year it's me."

"What? Why did you never say anything of this to me?"

Meiryu hung her head. "I didn't want you to worry about me, oniichan. I'm sorry. Oniichan?"

Hakkai's expression had evolved from cheerfulness to shock to dead galloping seriousness.

"P…please don't be angry with me," she pleaded, wringing her hands. Hakkai just patted her on the head, got up and strode into the house to find Old Han.

It was then Goku appeared from the spare room, munching on a small banana and just in time to hear a war of words going on between Hakkai and Han.

"…Yes. It is true. We have no other children in this village. She will be offered as a sacrifice."

"She is your ward, for Kanzeon's sake! Are you not going to do something to stop it?"

"I can only defend her best as I can; that is all. If they do not get their sacrifice, the town will be destroyed. They have that power."

"But Meiryu's innocent. She doesn't even know why this has to happen!"

Han's expression turned grim. "It is the way we survive, Hakkai-san. Please do not question these motives. You are a stranger here. Why do you care?"

Hakkai's expression turned even grimmer, as if he had heard these words before. He undoubtedly looked quite scary without his trademark smile. "Tada…hoka no mono o tsukatte ikiru no wa ikenai desu kara," he replied quietly, the undertone of anger just barely controlled. Only because it is never viable to use others to survive. He could see no way to discuss this with Han—no, he would have to work alone on this one.

Hakkai exited the house and went to find Meiryu. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he smiled and told her "Meiryu, don't worry. Oniichan will find a way to save you."

"But, but…if I don't…then…"

"I will make sure those demons never harm you, or this village again."

Meiryu was shocked out of her wits. She could not, for the life of her, understand these sudden arrangements. "Why?" she finally managed.

"Because…" Hakkai took a deep breath and began. "Because I used to be married to a woman very much like your mother, Meiryu. She died before our child was born, and…"

_Why are you explaining all this to her? Tell her the truth. You have found yourself and you like what you have found._

"…she died before our child was born, and…anou, if she had lived, she would be just about your age." Seeing the look on her face, he softly added "If you don't or can't understand, then please forgive this oniichan's deeds."

Meiryu understood perfectly. "Oh, oniichan, I didn't know! That is so sad...I…oh Hakkai-niichan, arigatou!" she sobbed and flung her arms around him again. Hakkai did not hesitate this time around to close his arms around the child, certain that yes, this was the life born between Cho Gonou and Kanan six years ago.

This time, I will protect what is left to me. This time, I will not fail.

"Yare, yare…what a scene," said Gojyo with a resigned grin. He had suddenly appeared from nowhere, a cigarette stub dangling between his lips and shakujou over one shoulder. "Y'know, I still can't stand to see a woman cry."

"And I'm not letting such a cute kid die!" said Goku, nodding his head vigorously and swallowing the last of his banana.

"Kyuuuuuu!" squeaked Hakuryuu fiercely—well, as fiercely as a small, cute dragon could squeak.

"Don't look at me, Hakkai," muttered Sanzo, "I'm just coming along to keep these loons in check. Now where and when are those youkai going to show up?"

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Japanese notes

Anou = Well…
Dou ka shitan desu ka = 'What's the matter?' But then, you figured that out, ne?
Masa ka = Is this true?
Ne = Cute, rather uniquely Japanese particle. Used soliciting agreement, or softening the impact of a statement.
(O)kaasan = What you call your mother.
(O)tousan = What you call your father.