The night passed quietly.
Miya, it turned out, lived just beyond the outskirts of the village in a small but comfortable house set just off the main road. She welcomed them inside, giving them the bedroom and bringing them old clothes so that theirs could dry, towels and blankets before leaving them for the night. It hadn't taken long for the four companions to settle down for the night; Sanzo had been moody and withdrawn, and Goku was sleepy from the huge meal. Both had fallen asleep almost immediately.
For a long time, there was silence in the small room, broken only by the patter of the rain and Goku's snoring. Sitting propped up against the bed on the blankets spread across the floor, Gojyo sighed at the sound.
Damn monkey, he thought idly, but there was no real irritation to it. Outside, it was very dark, and Gojyo watched the shadow of the rain, not quite tired enough to sleep and not quite awake enough to do anything else.
"So, what do you think of our hostess?"
Hakkai's voice came out of the darkness quietly, pitched low so as not to wake the others. He was sitting near the window, looking out sightlessly at the rain.
"I think," Gojyo replied with a grin, "that I'd rather be out there with her than in here with you guys."
Hakkai gave a low chuckle.
"I should have expected that," he responded good – naturedly. "That's not quite what I meant, though." He hesitated, then went on more thoughtfully, "I have the strangest feeling about her…"
"Yeah." Gojyo smiled in the darkness, turning to look out the window at the rain. "Kinda like when we met, you know?"
"Exactly."
Silence settled over the darkened room, broken only by the sound of the rain.
---
It was very rare for Gojyo to be the first to wake up in the morning; the water demon liked to sleep until a decent hour, generally around noon. He was more than a little surprised, therefore, when he found himself awake when the sun was still low in the sky and was completely unable to fall back asleep.
He tried for all of about ten minutes before giving up in disgust. Like it or not, he wasn't going to get any more sleep, and he sighed as he got to his feet and picked his way over Hakkai and Goku. It only took him a moment to dress before he left, wondering if their hostess would be up yet.
She had said she would sleep in the living room. Gojyo considered looking in to see if she was awake.
'Course, if she isn't… He grinned at the thought, then sighed. He wouldn't have minded getting a look at her asleep, but better not to give into his baser impulses until he knew her a little better. Gojyo headed for the kitchen, looking for tea.
In the doorway, however, he paused. On the stove, a teapot whistled happily and a pleasant smell from inside the oven filled the kitchen. Someone had already laid the table for breakfast and fresh flowers stood on the table and in the windows, adding color to the room. The back door stood open; Gojyo wandered across the kitchen, turning off the stove as he passed and stepped out into the bright, morning sunlight.
Miya was sitting on a little bench, out in the sunlight, looking out over the road and for a moment, Gojyo stayed where he was, savoring the sight. He hadn't really gotten a good look at her the night before, just enough to know that she was attractive; now, he took her in more thoroughly, enjoying what he saw.
She was more than attractive, he realized; she was downright beautiful. She was wearing a light, white blouse with long sleeves and a short, flowing skirt of deep green, with a wide waist that showed off her figure. She had stretched her legs out, apparently enjoying the feel of the sun on her skin and one hand lightly rested on the teacup at her side; even sitting still, she gave the impression of being incredibly graceful. Long, straight, ebony hair fell free around her shoulders and back, just brushing the bench she sat on.
And she had the most incredible pair of bedroom eyes he had ever seen in his life. Gojyo smiled to himself. They were the deepest shade of violet, dreamy and seductive at the same time, simply because she was lost in her own thoughts.
Damn, he thought admiringly. It'd be just my luck, if she were in love with someone else…
He sighed and stirred, heading over to join her.
"Looks like I'm not the first one up after all," he said as he drew near.
Miya didn't seem to hear him. Gojyo paused, standing just behind her, following her gaze across the road to the golden field that stretched out into the distance, giving way to the shadow of the nearby mountains.
"Nice place you've got here," he added casually. Miya still didn't react, and Gojyo frowned, glancing down at her.
"Hey, are you OK?" he asked, reaching out to touch her shoulder when she still didn't respond.
Miya started at his touch, then, so fast that he didn't even have time to be startled, grabbed his wrist with her hand and spun, her other hand flashing out in what would have been a stunning punch. Gojyo grabbed her other hand and snapped, "What the hell?" before he saw her expression. There was terror written across her face, mixed with anger and pain, but her eyes were distant, turned inward, and he realized abruptly that she was trapped in her own memories. She was still struggling against him, and he caught her wrists in his hands, concerned more for her than for himself.
"Hey, it's all right, I'm not going to hurt you," he said harshly. "Come on, Miya, snap out of this, it's just me…"
She twisted away from him sharply, going limp in his grasp as if she just realized she wasn't going to break free and brushed the cup resting on the bench. It hit the ground with a crash and at the sound, Miya jerked violently, then blinked, staring up at him with wide, startled eyes.
"What… Gojyo…" She shook her head sharply, then turned away from him, gently pulling her hands free. "Oh god, Gojyo, I am so sorry…"
"No harm done." Gojyo grinned at her, deliberately making light of the situation. "I always like a good workout in the morning."
"I can't believe that I…" She shook her head again, one hand over her mouth, her cheeks burning crimson. "I'm so sorry, you startled me, that's all."
"Hey," Gojyo said, more gently. "It's all right, OK? You didn't hurt me."
"Well, that's good, I just…" She shook her head again, but she was starting to regain her composure. "I was… dreaming with my eyes open, I think." She looked away from him again, a shadow flickering over her eyes for a second. Gojyo waited, still watching her; Miya took a deep breath and sighed, clearly settling herself, and turned back to him with a smile.
"Let's try that again, OK?" she asked hopefully and Gojyo grinned.
"Sounds good to me," he assured her. "Nice place you got here."
"It is." She turned a little, at his side, considering the scenery. "When I first came to this village, the place was abandoned and no one would live here… it was said that a demon family had lived here, before they went mad and left the place, back when all the demons changed. Anyway, they gave it to me in exchange for my protection."
"Is this why you don't leave?" he asked, glancing down at her, and she laughed softly, turning back toward the house.
"I haven't left," she said over her shoulder, "because it wasn't time yet. This is just the best part of living here."
Gojyo turned also, still smiling as he followed her into the house. She was heating up the teapot again, and he leaned in the doorway, watching as she pulled a loaf of fresh bread out of the oven and began to lay food out on the table.
"Tea?" she asked, turning with the teapot in her hand, and he nodded.
"Thanks." She handed him the cup, then turned to take another out of her cabinet and poured herself another cup as well, before putting the teapot down and turning to consider the table.
"I really don't care how long you guys sleep," she commented thoughtfully, "and you are welcome to stay here as long as you like… but if you guys need to get going, everything is ready for you to eat first."
"Well, I'm not in any hurry," Gojyo replied, eyeing her appreciatively, and she laughed again. "Goku'll get up as soon as he smells the food, though, don't worry. We'll be out of your hair soon."
"Oh, really, you don't need to hurry on my account, it's nice to have company around here," she replied cheerfully.
"Hey, something smells really good in here." Goku appeared in the door, rubbing his eyes tiredly; behind him, Sanzo and Hakkai followed, looking a little more awake.
"Good morning," Miya greeted them cheerfully as they paused just inside the door, her eyes sparkling a little as she took in Goku's tired look and Sanzo's rather dark expression. "I have hot tea and coffee, whichever you prefer, and breakfast… but take your time, they'll be here whenever you're ready."
"Coffee." Sanzo dropped into the nearest chair, scowling at the table blankly.
"You did all this for us?" Goku demanded incredulously, waking up a little at the sight of food, and Miya laughed.
"Well, I certainly can't eat it all," she replied lightly, placing a steaming cup of coffee in front of Sanzo, then glanced up at Hakkai.
"Good morning to you too." Hakkai returned her smile warmly, then grinned at Gojyo. "You're up early."
"Yeah, well…" Gojyo shrugged casually. "Goku's snoring kept waking me up."
"Hey, I don't snore half as bad as you," Goku shot back, glaring at him, reaching for the food. Gojyo tossed his hair back and reached for a cigarette.
"You're ten times worse than me, monkey – boy," he shot back.
"Shut up, water – sprite…"
"I can't believe you two are fighting this early in the morning," Sanzo snapped through gritted teeth. "Just give it a rest!"
Hakkai laughed quietly, taking a seat, and looked up as Miya placed a cup of tea in front of him.
"Thank – you so much for doing all of this," he told her. "You really didn't have to go to all this trouble."
"It wasn't any trouble at all," she replied lightly. "Besides, as I said to Gojyo earlier, it's nice to have somebody around here."
"You live here alone?" Sanzo turned his attention to her and Miya nodded.
"I can't imagine that the townspeople are good company." Goku looked up from his plate. "How come you stay here? I mean, if they hate demons that much…"
Miya smiled, almost as if to herself, and turned away from the table, an empty plate in her hand.
"Mostly because the time wasn't right for me to leave," she replied lightly, over her shoulder, and Gojyo considered her thoughtfully.
That's the second time she's said that, he mused. Wonder what she means by it?
Sanzo looked up sharply, half – turning in his chair to stare at her back. Gojyo glanced at him, startled, unable to read his expression, then shot a look at Hakkai. Hakkai, too, was watching Sanzo, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
I wonder just what the hell is up with him? Gojyo wondered, then sat back in his chair. Oh, well, he'll tell us if it's important.
"Hey, Miya," he said casually, "if you want any of this, you'd better come get some before Goku eats it all."
She smiled and shook her head.
"I ate while I was making it," she replied. "If you want, though, I can wrap up the leftovers for you to take with you, whenever you decide you want to leave."
"That'd be great!" Goku replied enthusiastically. "You're a great cook, thanks so much!"
"And on that note…" Sanzo pushed back his chair and rose to his feet. "You've been very kind, Miya. We'll help you clean up quickly, then we'd better be on our way."
"Hey, what's the hurry, preacher – man?" Goku looked up at him plaintively. "We've been driving steadily for days, can't we take a little break?"
"We're on a time constraint, remember?" Sanzo shot back sharply. "Besides, we've taken up enough of Miya's time."
"Yeah, but she said she didn't mind, right?" Goku grinned at Miya, then added to Sanzo, "Besides, what about those creeps back in town? Shouldn't we do something about them?"
"Like what, Goku?" Hakkai's voice was gentler as he, too, got to his feet. "They're human, and we can't very well kill them for being jerks, can we?"
"I could," Gojyo replied dryly and Hakkai sighed.
"Well, maybe not kill them, but…" Goku shook his head. "I hate to leave Miya here to deal with them by herself."
"So do I, but we have to go," Sanzo replied shortly. "I'll get the stuff in the bedroom. You help Miya clean up in here."
"It's really not a big deal," Miya protested, and Hakkai turned a warm smile on her.
"It's the least we can do, after everything you've done for us," he answered.
"Well, I'll pack some food for you," she told them. "Oh, and I have some fresh herbs you might want. They're good for healing, and I get the feeling you run into enough trouble that you might want them…"
"That's for sure," Gojyo admitted with a grin and Hakkai added with a laugh, "That's real thoughtful of you."
She chuckled. "I'll go get them," she replied, taking a small knife off of the counter and heading outside.
Hakkai glanced up after her, waiting until she was gone before turning to Gojyo.
"Hey, is it just me, or do you get the feeling that Sanzo is rushing us out of here?" he asked quietly.
Gojyo smiled darkly.
"Yeah, I picked that up too. What's his thing with her?"
"I don't know." Hakkai paused, hands still in the soapy water. "I'm not sure I want to ask him about it, although…" He trailed off and Gojyo glanced toward the back door where Miya disappeared.
"I don't like the idea of leaving her here alone," he pointed out. "That mob last night was serious about what they were going to do to us. She can defend herself all right, but…" He hesitated, not finishing his sentence out loud.
But something happened to her before, and I don't know if she could – or would – fight off a group of humans even if they did attack her…
Hakkai was watching him with knowing eyes, but when Gojyo met his gaze, Hakkai only finished, "but there are a lot of them and only one of her."
The sudden sound of voices outside interrupted the conversation. Miya's voice rose loudly; Gojyo couldn't make out the words, but she was clearly angry and a man's voice snapped something over her, sounding very much like the bartender from the night before.
"Damn," Hakkai snapped softly, drying his hands, but Gojyo strode out the door, not waiting for him.
Miya was standing by the road, facing three men, one of whom was, in fact, the bartender from the night before, her knife and a small bouquet of herbs in her hands.
"And I am telling you that no one left this house last night," she was insisting sharply, glaring at the three men as Gojyo came up behind her.
"What exactly seems to be the problem?" he drawled casually, eyes narrowed. The three men looked up sharply, and Gojyo noted with satisfaction that they seemed abruptly uncomfortable facing him.
"A man was killed last night," Tanaka, the bartender, answered shortly. "And we have reason to think that it was a demon that did the killing."
"Why, because he is dead?" Miya demanded sarcastically. "You think demons are the only ones who kill humans? Tell me something, was there anyone in town who wasn't his enemy?"
"He was torn to bits, Miya!" The man behind Tanaka cried out abruptly. "Only a demon could have done that."
"That still doesn't mean it was anyone here," Miya shot back. "Come on, the reason I live here is because we get demons in the woods from time to time. No one left this house last night, I told you. I would have known if they had, I was sleeping right by the door…"
"Now, the way I figure it, there are two possibilities."
Gojyo's eyes narrowed even further as he considered the man who was eyeing Miya thoughtfully. He hadn't spoken before, but now he held Miya's eyes steadily, a small, cruel smile playing on his face. "Either your demon guests did it without you knowing about it, Miss Miya… or you did know about it and you're covering up for them. Now, the one isn't so bad. You'd have to be punished, of course, for being negligent and all, but that'd be pretty minor, compared to what we'd have to do to anyone who helped a demon killer…"
Miya looked suspiciously like she was ready to spit in his face, but there was something else buried deep in her eyes. The man facing her seemed to see it; his voice was almost crooning as he added, "Now, you really wouldn't want anything… unnecessary… to happen to you or your guests. You might as well just tell us the truth."
"You know, I really hate it when someone threatens a lady like that," Gojyo said casually, drawing their attention to him. The man who had been threatening Miya smiled coldly, measuring him up with thoughtful, deliberate, insulting leisure.
"And what are you going to do about it, half – breed?" the man asked lazily. "Kill me like you killed that poor bastard last night?"
"I think that's enough." Hakkai had come up to Miya's other side, his tone cold. "As Miya said, no one left the house last night. All we want to do now is continue on our journey, so I think it'd be best if we just left."
"That may be all you want, but I'm afraid that things are a little more complicated than that now," Tanaka responded, eyes narrowed.
"Tell me, why is that?" Sanzo stepped to the front of the little group. "Just what exactly do you think you're going to be able to do that would stop us?"
"He's got a point," the nervous man in the back muttered. Tanaka was still watching them all narrowly, but the third man's expression didn't change.
"It doesn't matter, Tanaka," he said idly and shrugged. "You're free to go, the four of you."
"What the hell?" Goku glared at him. "You just said…"
"It doesn't matter because of the agreement Miya made with us last night," the man went on smoothly. "She agreed to take on the responsibility for your actions in the town. Your leaving will be taken as a sign of guilt, but that will hardly matter to you, for she will receive justice on your behalf."
For a moment, no one moved, then Gojyo snarled, "You fucking bastard…" and surged forward.
"Gojyo, don't, that won't help," Hakkai snapped sharply. For a heartbeat, Gojyo considered killing the man anyway and being done with it and the man smiled his small, cruel smile again, meeting Gojyo's eyes.
"Go ahead," he dared quietly. "If she fails to protect me, than her failure and my death at your hands can all be added to the crimes she will do justice for."
"Wait." Miya's voice was quiet and steady, and Gojyo paused, turning to look at her. She had gotten everyone's attention; she tilted her head to one side, her eyes thoughtful, and said slowly, "The law gives me three days to find out who really killed Taro, doesn't it? And during those three days, nothing can happen, not unless the criminal comes forward and confesses or the real culprit is found, right?"
"If they leave, it will be considered the flight of a guilty man, and taken as a confession," the man snapped, but he had lost just a bit of his composure.
"Yes." Tanaka shot a sharp look at his friend, then turned to Miya, his expression steady. "You have three days, if you want them."
"Yes, I think I do." She turned to Sanzo. "I am truly sorry about this, and I regret having to ask this of you, knowing that you are in a hurry, but…"
"Of course we'll stay and help you!" Goku cried and Hakkai added swiftly, "we wouldn't leave you to suffer for what none of us did."
"Don't worry about it," Gojyo added and saw her eyes flicker to him quickly. "Besides, I'm gonna enjoy seeing the bastard who tried to frame us get the justice he deserves."
She shot them a briefly grateful glance, then turned back to Sanzo. He was looking outward, away from all of them, and Gojyo had the feeling that he wasn't seeing anything around him. After a second, however, he shot a look at Miya and nodded.
"We'll stay," he said abruptly and turned away, heading for the house.
"Fine," the man beside Tanaka snarled. "Three days, but remember this: any crimes you commit over that time will be added to your sentence. You won't be put up in town, either. And if you leave…" He turned to eye Miya coldly. "You are pronounced guilty and your sentence carried out on her." He spun, stomping away back towards the village. The little man behind him shot them all a nervous and entirely inappropriate smile and darted away after him. Tanaka hesitated a moment longer, considering them.
"Is there something else?" Hakkai demanded coldly. Tanaka shook his head slowly.
"Good luck," he said quietly and headed off down the road.
Alone, the four stood silently together for a moment, then Miya sighed and dropped down onto the bench.
"I am truly sorry about this," she apologized quietly. "I never thought that their distrust would go this far, and to be honest…" She shook her head, looking abruptly puzzled. "It never has been before. I don't know what could have started all this…"
"It doesn't really matter," Hakkai was looking down the road where the three men had disappeared, his expression grim. "It was bound to happen sometime. I'm just glad that we were here and you didn't have to face this all by yourself."
"Yeah, at least now we can we can help," Goku added, offering her a reassuring smile.
"Still, I did drag you into this, and I do apologize for that," Miya replied.
"It does suck," Gojyo admitted, straight – faced, "but I'm not going to complain about getting a couple more nights here with you. Last night was kind of a disappointment, but…"
"God, Gojyo!" Hakkai shook his head, but he was clearly trying not to grin.
"I don't believe you, you selfish bastard," Goku snapped and Gojyo glared at him.
"Come on, like you're not glad that you don't have to eat Sanzo's cooking, you little asshole," he shot back.
"Yeah, but you don't have to say it like that," Goku retorted.
But Miya was laughing as she stood up and headed for the house, already looking more like her usual self. Gojyo watched as the others followed her, then gave a quick, satisfied smile before going to join them.