Unlikely Pairing

Warning: None needed... I don't think...

Written: June 24 2003

A/N: So many reviews!! Thanks alot... you guys are my inspiration to continue! (especially those who give chocs! ^^) I don't know why most people (minus chris!) thought Goku was going to try commit suicide! Hehehe... well you'll see what happens! My finals went well for anyone that cares. *looks around - no one is listening* hehehe *sweatdrop* so to the nasty habit of replying to reviews... sorry so long! kill me if you want... T_T
chinoz: your nick in the cough? *innocent look* i don't know what you're talking about!! :) sanzo is a tiny bit better in this chapter... hopefully nicer in the next! don't know how he can resist the charm of such a kawaii saru!!
sanzo-chan: yay!! two buckets of chocolates! that might last... a day, if you consider the fact that my brother is a vacuum cleaner and always steals my chocs... ^^ thanks for the review!
muchacha: I couldn't blame Sanzo for wanting revenge either! But poor Goku. Sanzo will realize what a dumb mistake he made. That's true about Goku fighting for himself and not getting emotional and depending on others... good point. As for you not seeing Hakkai getting drunk, and with a man... well you never really know what goes on behind his smile. You should read yoong's story, "Heal the Healer"... basically the man behind the mask... thanks for the long review anyway!!
Isil: you like me being mean?? *big evil grin* Yay! I've found a compatriot! Actually, this story is going to end pretty happily, which is not my style normally. But I guess I can just write another and be meaner!! ^^
yoong: can't imagine a happy SxG ending? you haven't tried hard enough!! you should really write tons more fanfics, ok? thanks for the review!! *huggles*
gallatica: *starts laughing really hard* I can really imagine Goku bouncing back up after hitting the floor!! thanks for the year's supply of goku hugging sanzo chocs... they are too cute to eat... ^^
genjo sanzo: sankyu for the review! (hey that rhymes!!) of course I couldn't kill Goku... sanzo really is baka... but he'll learn... one day... I hope...?
chris: yay! you realized he was going to run! i mean most people thought he was going to die!! you know, i hadn't thought of Goku's head injury... ^_^;; thanks for reminding me!
Win, Dew & Tetra: love long reviews! it wasn't rambling! it was funny!! you made me laugh so much... ^^ I like the stare/glare contest... Yeah Hakkai won't be happy. They'll all suffer from guilt pangs! *evil laughter* Those miracles are going to happen... probably... unless a weird twist comes out! Liked the Sanzo quote... *hugs*
--NC--: more twisting of the knife in next chapter... poor Sanzo... .^^ you're writing a story? evilness gone overboard? I wanna read! I wanna read! thanks for the review!
nan: thanks for the review.... you seemed a little crazy... are you alright?
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Chapter 6 - Set Things Straight

Goku sprung down easily and landed on his feet amongst the soft, green grass. He glanced around to get his bearings, and then he was off, running and running as if he didn't ever want to stop.

The streets were empty and Goku raced on, heart pounding and sweat trickling down his body. Ahead of him a group of men were coming out of a bar, drunk and throwing insults around like stones. He continued running, avoiding the jeers thrown at his lean form. He ignored the ache that was slowly creeping up his legs.

He passed a group of prostitutes waiting for a customer, and continued running. Streets blurred and joined together to form a confusing maze, and had he been running in circles, he would not have known the difference.

Goku suddenly stumbled on a small rock and fell down, choking back a cry as the hard ground bruised his knees and elbows. Panting, he sat up and glanced around in surprise. Somehow - in the middle of such a big industrialized town - he had managed to find the only park.

He limped over to a bench and sat down, holding his head between his hands and letting the pain he had ignored wash over him. His legs were trembling and unsteady, and a headache seemed to be about to split his head open. Goku pulled his hand away when he felt something sticky on his forehead, and cursed when he saw blood. He had forgotten about banging his head on the door.

A faint gurgle of water caught his attention and he lurched over to the fountain, washing the blood off his head and then splashing himself to get rid of the dirty feeling of sweat trickling down his body, like a waterfall upon rocks.

"I really am a bakazaru…" he whispered softly, "Only a bakazaru would have hit his head off a door. Only a bakazaru would have ruined his friendships."

Slurping up water to quench the gnawing ache of hunger, Goku returned to the bench and curled up, closing his eyes in exhaustion. Fighting against the want to fall asleep, Goku opened his eyes once more and pulled up his head, blinking repeatedly. He tensed when a strange man walked by, spotted him, and then sat on the same bench.

"Hey kid!" The man slurred over the two deceptively simple words. Goku did not respond and tried to inch away. When the man realized what he was doing, he raised his arms, "Look, I don't wannaa hurt ya! I could just sense you was in trouble, like."

"Oh." Somehow the man's slurred speech made Goku relax. It would be easy to escape from someone so tipsy. Goku's head nearly dropped as he fought waves of exhaustion.

"What's ya name?"

"Goku."

"You hungry?" The man pulled out a lunch box from his jacket pocket, "I jus' ate an' didn't want this anymore."

"No thanks." Goku refused politely, no longer thinking of how to escape. His stomach grumbled loudly.

"Ya stomach don't seem to agree!" The man roared with laughter and opened the lunch box, holding it out. It was filled with small sandwiches.

Goku eyed the box hungrily. "Well maybe one or two…" he took the box and ate quickly, blinking when he realized he had emptied the whole box.

"Atta boy!" The man then closed his eyes and seemed to go to sleep.

Goku, stomach slightly appeased, eyed the man suspiciously for a few moments, but the man did not move any more. He's a little drunk. He can't pose any threat to me. Goku closed his eyes and within seconds was sound asleep, snoring slightly, lines of fatigue creasing his young face.

Swiftly the man got up, his movements no longer uncertain and shaky. He walked over to Goku and searched the boy, until he gave up in disgust. "Ate all my specially prepared sandwiches and not even a yen on him!" As the man turned away a flash of gold caught his attention, and he bent over to examine the gold band on the young boy's forehead. "Now, this looks valuable!" He began to grin, "Real gold, I'd say. A little blood on it, but nothing that can't be washed off!"

The man frowned, "Wonder where he got it." Then he shrugged and stepped back, examining the beauty before him. "Now that I think of it, he could be worth something to the right people." A leer crossed the man's face, "But maybe I'll have my fun first."

As he reached out to pick up Goku, a cold voice rang out, "I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

The man whirled around and stared at the intruder, "Well you aren't me and I do what I bloody well want to."

"You will not touch him."

"Oh yeah? Who do you think you are?" The man launched forward, fist drawn back, and yelped in surprise when the intruder vanished before his very eyes, only to reappear behind him.

"You may call me Homura." The stranger punched the man from behind, sending him flying in to a tree. Then he smugly added, "And I am a god." Homura turned around and walked over to the drugged saru. Gently, he brushed some hair off Goku's forehead and murmured something quietly. The wound on Goku's forehead closed, leaving only a small, almost invisible, scar.

"San…zo?" Goku called out in his sleep.

Homura sighed softly, "I would take you with me, but I am not the one you want." He leaned down and brushed his lips against the newly formed scar, and then he stepped back. Homura jumped up on a nearby tree and sat down, cross-legged. Goku slept on, unaware that he was being protected by someone he wanted to defeat.

~~~~~

Sanzo stared out of the window and coolly examined the sunrise. The sun. Goku always said that I was his sun. Sanzo dropped the cigarette and crushed it beneath his heel in disgust, I am not worth being anyone's sun. I cannot protect those I love. I cannot love those I love!

"Fuck this." Sanzo said to the empty room. He stood up angrily, trying to get rid of his headache caused by Goku's incessant appeals; "I have listened to him calling me enough!"

The monk recalled with a sudden pang what his master, Komyo, had once said, "There might be a time when you'll hear someone's voice as well." Sanzo mused over the words. What did I reply, that autumn day? Oh yes, "If there is such a person, when that time comes, I'll obstinately find him to beat the hell out of him and shout 'shut the fuck up!'"

Goku called my name over and over, so many times, that I was ready to kill him. But when I looked in to Goku's eyes, I could not do that. I could not say anything. I had to help him, I had to save him. Sanzo winced inwardly when he thought of what he had said to Goku the night before. I don't know why I say things I don't mean. He's calling me… Maybe now is the time to set things straight.

It was with that thought in mind, that Sanzo marched across the hall to talk to Goku. It was with that thought in mind that Sanzo stared blankly at the empty room.

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A/N: One or two more chapters people, and then it's over! I don't know when I will be updating - please check my bio (at the bottom) for comments and stuff. I should know by thursday!! Please review...