Chapter 11

Sanzo was still grumbling to himself as he descended down the stairs to the secret basement behind the inn they were staying at. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he noticed that Gojyo had regained consciousness and was acting like his usual self – being annoyingly loud. Of course, he was only second to a certain saru but then, you can't deny the fact that the kappa can create quite a riot. At the moment he was whining to Hakkai about being bed ridden and being spoon-fed by the later.

"Hakkai!! I think I can feed myself well, thank you very much." Gojyo said as he turned his head to the side, effectively dodging the incoming spoon. Hakkai sighed as he set the bowl down and crossed his arms over his chest.

"And do you think I enjoy playing nurse to you? Come on Gojyo!! You can't even lift your arms up!! How the hell are you going to feed yourself?" Hakkai said, clearly exasperated with his patient. Said patient just huffed indignantly.

"Suit yourself. Feed yourself if you can. Here you go." The monocled one said to his koi as he picked the bowl from the table and set it down on Gojyo's tummy. It balanced precariously for a while before it settled. With that Hakkai turned his back on the kappa and sat down tiredly on the chair beside the bed.

Gojyo sneaked a peek on Hakkai, making sure that he was not looking at him. Satisfied that his koi had lost interest on him he started to lift his arms to grab at the bowl when his ribs started to hurt like hell. He hissed in pain and grudgingly put his arm down. He glared angrily at the bowl of food on his tummy like it was mocking him.

Of course, in the kappa's hunger induced brain it was indeed mocking him. He growled angrily and tried to swat at the bowl away but then of course, owing to his condition – several cracked ribs – he can't raise his arms much less move around. But this time he can't help but cry aloud.

"For pete's sake!! OUCH!!" Gojyo exclaimed as he tried to keep still. Hakkai heard the commotion. He looked at his koi and smirked.

"Told you so." He said as the kappa continued to grumble.

"That was nice and all but I think I'm going to puke." Sanzo started as he stepped into the light.

"Sanzo!! You're back! What happened…?"

"With you know who? Well, as of now, I am officially dead." Sanzo said with a flourish as he swiped some of Gojyo's cigarette on the table and lit it up.

"Hey buozo that's mine." Gojyo snarled. He was pretty sore right now, his body and his ego had taken quite a beating and damn it to hell, he was hungry!! And because of that little stunt with Hakkai it seemed like he had just proclaimed a hunger strike. Now the fair mannered koi of his won't even bother trying to feed him. Of all the bad luck…

"And you owe me your life, stupid kappa." Sanzo noticed Gojyo's face and smirked.

"And don't you take out your anger on me!! If you had just played the role of a good patient you might have a full stomach right now." Sanzo added, jesting Gojyo, much to his entertainment. But that will do for now. Now he needed to lay his plans down to get the saru back. It was time to get serious.

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Gojyo pouted to himself. First he had made a fool out of himself to Hakkai and now he was being ridiculed by his least favorite person in the world. Whatever has he done to be resigned to this fate?! Gojyo could think of none so he opted to sigh loudly and tried to calm himself down. No use in getting all riled up and be mocked again by a certain buozo.

Sanzo seated himself on a chair situated on the other side of Gojyo's bed. He puffed deeply on Gojyo's cigarette, visibly calming himself down before talking.

"So now that we are all out of the picture, we have more room to move." Sanzo said as he threw the cigarette down and stepped on it. Gojyo scrunched his forehead. What the hell was Sanzo talking about?!

"If you don't mind an update would be fine." Gojyo said as he looked back and forth at the two. Sanzo shrugged his shoulders and motioned Hakkai to explain.

"Well, Kougaiji believes us to be dead."

"So what's got to do with Sanzo?" Gojyo asked yet again. As far as he knew the buozo wasn't harmed at all during the brunt of the prince's attack. So how could he have been presumed dead? And looking at the man right now… He doesn't seem to have any visible injuries that the youkai prince and his ikkou might be led to believe that he was already a goner.

"How…?" Gojyo turned to Hakkai.

"Do you really have to know the details?" Sanzo asked sharply.

"My, aren't we the snappy one!!" Gojyo retorted.

"Now, now… This isn't the time…" Hakkai intervened calmly. Sanzo narrowed his eyes at the kappa and looked away after awhile of glaring down at each other. Gojyo was a mite surprised. Sanzo never lost at their little glaring games. If this is the case then surely something is wrong with Sanzo. A light bulb flashed in Gojyo's head. Sanzo being moody equals only to one thing… Gojyo che'd to himself.

"Goku's alright, you know? One tough gaki, that saru is." Gojyo said in his most disarming and innocent voice. He really does know what the buozo might be feeling right now… After all he nearly lost Hakkai and he knew that if he were in Sanzo's place and Hakkai was in Goku's, surely he wouldn't be as composed as the buozo is now, so a little respect coming from him won't hurt. Sanzo looked at him shocked; he moved his mouth a couple of times but nothing came out. Gojyo chuckled inwardly.

"So how come that you are officially dead?" Gojyo asked, changing the topic abruptly. Sanzo spluttered but recovered quickly.

"I acted like the weakest thing in the world since I'm 'vulnerable' and let myself be stabbed." Sanzo summarized quite quickly. Gojyo and Hakkai raised their brows in unison. They raked their eyes over Sanzo's form as if looking for a sword sticking out of his body.

"Done with interrogating yet?" Sanzo snapped irritatingly. The two shrugged their shoulders and nodded. They thought that it really wasn't important to know how Sanzo achieved his goal… The two really trusted Sanzo's word and if he says so then it must be true.

"Good, now as soon as you are completely healed we will commence with the plan."

"The plan? I believe you haven't told us what your plan is…. Want to spill?" Gojyo asked. Sanzo looked at him.

"I haven't? Well all we got to do is this…"

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 "How's the invalid?" Doku bellowed happily as he and the prince entered the small shack they currently reside. He sat down on a chair and fanned himself.

"Is it just me or is it really hotter in here than outside?" He asked Lilin who was hanging upside down from a beam in the ceiling, obviously entertaining herself.

"Well, Doku. It isn't just you. It really is hot in here since Yaone decided that cooking with campfire inside the house is practical." Lilin said in a singsong voice. Yep, definitely entertaining herself. Doku said to himself grinning.    

"Hey, Yaone!! What's up with this?" He asked as he noticed the ashes of the supposed-to-be-logs.

"Doku!! Back already? Where's Kougaiji-sama? Is he alright?" Yaone asked frantically when he noticed that her prince was not around.

"Nice to know that you care for me so deeply, Yaone." Doku smirked as he stood up and stretched. Yaone looked up at him irritably.

"Alright, alright. Kou is outside still inspecting that damned sutra. And he's perfectly fine. Not a strand of hair out of place. Happy now?" Doku asked, his eyebrow lightly raised. Yaone nodded.

"So, as I was asking… What's up with that campfire thingie? And how's the saru doing?"

"I needed that 'campfire thingie' for making Goku-sama's medicine. I can't just boil it on a regular stove or something… It has to be cooked with wood fire. And second Goku-sama's doing perfectly okay. In fact he's awake right now." Yaone said as she approached the stove and ladled some soup. Doku shrugged and proceeded to check up on the saru. Not that he was fond of the little guy but he reminds him so much of his half brother… And he had never spent that much time with him. It's good to have some of the familiarity he's had when he was younger. Yaone distinctly heard Doku announcing his arrival jovially and a squeal of happiness from inside the door.

"Woo… Food!! Why didn't you tell me that there's food, Yaone? I've been hungry for like… ages!!" Lilin whined as she went to Yaone, who was surprised at the intrusion since she was concentrating in Doku and the saru, started ladling some of the soup herself.

"I've been telling you that, Lilin-sama but you were so busy amusing yourself." She replied steadily as she noted that Doku had closed the door to the room. Damn!! How was she going to know that her potion worked? Yaone fretted to herself silently.

"Oh, I see." She heard Lilin say. The little princess gulped at the soup messily. Yaone turned her attention to the noisy Lilin and sighed fondly.

"How's Goku?" Kougaiji asked as he suddenly appeared at Yaone's side. Yaone gasped with surprise.

"Kougaiji-sama! I didn't notice you coming!!" Kougaiji chuckled.

"You were busy with Lilin. And you're mind seems so far away. How's Goku?" Kougaiji asked casually. Yaone swore to herself as she tried to smile amiably. She really doesn't understand why her Kougaiji-sama was so smitten with that golden-eyed freak!!

"He's fine and he's awake right now." Yaone replied tightly. Kougaiji looked at the soup bowl in her hands.

"By any chance… Is that Goku's?" Kou asked as he gestured towards the bowl.

"Yes."

"Hn. I'll give it to him." Kou said as he picked the bowl from Yaone's hand and went to Goku's room. Yaone snarled behind Kougaiji's back. But she controlled herself. Soon, she promised to herself, soon the obstacle between me and the prince will be gone.

"Whoever's in there that is not Goku should be out by the time I get there." Kou hollered as he walked towards said room. Yaone glared at no one in particular and then turned on her heels to do something outside. Awhile later, Doku came out of Goku's room looking smug and happy.

"How's he?" Kou asked as Doku passed him. Doku smiled widely and clapped at the prince's back.

"As far as I can tell he's almost back to normal." And with that Doku winked at Kougaiji and then set out to eat some of that food himself.

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"Doku!! Doku!! Why'd you go? I'm going nuts here man!! At least have the consideration to at least entertain me!!" Goku yelled at the top of his lungs. When he heard no response from said youkai he pouted to himself.

He can't believe the gall of that man, err – youkai. He had the guts to actually tell him and swear on his 'magnificent' sword that he'll be here to entertain him and feed him until he was ready to burst. But where was he?! After hearing a non-decipherable yell he fled like a plague was after his tail. And speaking of feeding… Goku remembered that he was hungry!! He really can't recall any events leading to his bed-rest order but what the hell?!! He really can't think about it now!! The grumbling in his stomach is so loud it makes thinking doubly hard!!

"Anyone out there?!! I'm hungry and if you don't remember I'm being the invalid here!!! I can't just waltz out and get my own food!! Oi!! Oi!!!" Goku yelled yet again when he heard faint footsteps from outside his door. He shut himself up and listened carefully. If it's Lilin outside… Well, let's just say that he'd rather bore himself to death. That girl is simply energetic and annoying with the capital a. He sighed.

Nope, it can't be Lilin. The footsteps are paced and much to quiet for it to be Lilin's. That girl had a bounce in her step that adds a bang to his already aching head. He raised his brow. It can't be Doku. That damned liar will not come back anytime soon. Not with the escape act he pulled earlier. So who could it be? His waiting was awarded when a red-haired fellow poked his head in. When the youkai raised his eyes to meet Goku's golden one, Goku noticed that he had wine colored eyes – certainly beautiful – no it was simply breathtaking.

"Goku, are you feeling well? I've brought you food if you're hungry." The youkai said as he opened the door to its full extent and stepped inside. Goku noticed that he was bearing a tray with a soup bowl so big it covered half the tray and a tall glass of water and some fresh looking bread. Goku's mouth watered at the sight.

"Food!!! Thank the heavens!! I'm famished!" He said as the prince laid the tray on his lap and smiled fondly at him. Goku noticed the smile and tried to smile in return, his attention was solely on the contents of the tray for now. With such reverence he picked the bowl and looked at the swirling contents inside, after a little prayer of thanks he pushed the edge of the bowl to his lips and gulped it like there's no tomorrow. The youkai prince stuttered.

"Hey, Goku. There's no need to rush, if you want more there's still some outside." Goku looked at him funny.

"Not to be rude or anything but, are we introduced yet?"

t.b.c

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A/N: Thanks for everybody who's been reading (especially to dream-eater-is-hungry, Anael Razualle & Attigah Greenleaf/Gensui who has been reviewing my fic and the reason/s that keeps me going…. :) )

Anyway, are you still enjoying reading this? Oh, I hope so….

Anyway, I would like to ask you if you'd like Goku to be with Sanzo or Kougaiji in the end or he could have both! I haven't decided on that part yet.