Two women's voices could be heard even over the din of the sand blowing all about them. One might wonder if they might've been trying to whisper or if they were just goofing off... maybe they're retarded... I wouldn't doubt it... Sanzo thought.

"Sh sh sh! Duck!"

"They does no even realise we here!"

Finally Sanzo lost it. This had been going on for hours, ever since they had left the tiny village. The desert had become too sandy to drive over. "Would you two stop following us?! We know your frickin there!"

"No you don't..." Kodo stared at him, slightly crouched about 10 meters behind the group. Sanzo clenched his jaw and gave her a death glare.

"C'mon Sanzo!" Goku piped in. "Maybe they could be useful...?" Gojyo smirked and looked Telope up and down.

"I'm sure..." he muttered. Telope's eyes widened with fright.

"K... k-kodo... oneesama...?" She said on the verge of tears.

"Don't even think about it." Kodo said as she stepped in front of Telope, her voice low. Despite the physical abuse that she herself frequently dealt to Telope, she would never let another person harm her.

"I think it might be too late for that!" Hakkai said to himself. Kodo's eyes narrowed in a death glare that might've rivaled Sanzo's... except that Kodo isn't enough of a piss head the rest of the time for it to be truly effective.

"So why are you guys following us like this, anyway?" Hakkai smiled uneasily, trying to break the tension.

"We is stalking you!" Telope cried. It worked.

"So really it comes down to a question of... 'Would you rather have a companion or a stalker that watches you while you sleep?'" Kodo smiled; body-guard mode discarded.

"Just leave us alone! I'm not gonna be responsible for 'saving you' or any of that crap! We don't need you two around getting in the way!" Sanzo snarled.

"We won't get in way! We promises!" Telope gave him the sappiest 'puppy-dog' eyes she could make. Gojyo purposely gave Kodo a crude look just piss her off. It worked.

"Ok, that's it!" Kodo snapped, cracking her knuckles and jumped at him. He blocked her claws with his staff. She swung her other hand at his head, but he stepped to the side. The force she had intended for his skull made her trip and run into Sanzo.

"Sanzo!" Goku shouted and swung his staff at Kodo's neck. She jumped out of the way and landed behind Goku, about to stab him with her claws when Hakkai sent a Ki wave at her.

"Goku!" Hakkai shouted.

"Telope!!!" Telope cried as she leapt into battle. About 200 flesh wounds, 3 lost limbs and a few hours later, they forgot why they were fighting. Kodo, who was lying on her back, propped herself up on her elbows.

"Does anybody know what happened to my hand?" She asked, staring at the bloody mass at the end of her elbow.

"Over here..." Goku said, holding up her forearm/hand. There was an uncomfortable silence, interrupted only by a few coughs and the sound of blood dripping onto the sand.

"I think they should come with us..." Gojyo finally said. Goku nodded.

"That's what I've BEEN saying! They kick enough ass that they wouldn't be left behind!" Goku was looking at Sanzo... just like everyone else.

"Why are you looking at me...?" He asked, knowing the answer, but it still made him uncomfortable.
"Well...?" Hakkai asked. Sanzo shut his eyes.

"If you're all so insistant, I can't really stop you, can I? But remember- don't expect us to come rescue you two if you get into trouble. And none of that out of character romantic nonsense! This 'companionship' as you may put it is going to be nothing more than an ironically platonic thing. I don't wanna walk into a forest clearing and find someone making out or anything! Got that?" But no one had listened past the first sentence. Telope and Goku were dancing in a circle around Sanzo now, Telope leading in a song. Kodo slapped Sanzo on the back, smiling brightly at him.

"I wouldn't worry if I were you!" Sanzo gave her a questioning glance. "We're completely spoken for! So you won't catch anyone making out! ... Unless Gojyo is making out with some random skank... or one of you guys is gay...? Are you gay or do you just hate everybody? C'mon, tell me Sanzo! I'm just curious! ... Don't look at me like that! ... TELLS MEH!"