Written: August 18 2004

A/N: The response I got surprised me! blushes Well here's chapter 2... And I know the chapters are short but it's a short story so... sticks out tongue
Anyway... The plot thickens ever so slightly...

Chapter 2

He watched Goku over the top of his newspaper as the boy ordered a large breakfast, bouncing happily in his seat. Gojyo made several sarcastic remarks on Goku drooling over food, and the two began to argue.

Everything seemed normal. Had he just been too tired the night before? Had his mind been playing tricks on him?

Sanzo winced, his temple throbbing as his two companions--how he hated calling them that, even in his head!--began to argue at a louder pitch.

"Damn it, you idiotic kappa! Just give it back to me!"

"Too late!" Gojyo's voice was muffled as he stuffed whatever he had stolen into his mouth.

"Well then I'll take this!" Goku lunged forward, chopsticks swooping down.

Gojyo used his own chopsticks to defend his plate, and the two began a complicated sword fight with Goku trying to snatch Gojyo's food, and Gojyo blocking him.

Finally, Goku jabbed Gojyo's hand and took advantage of Gojyo's distraction to swiftly nab something off of his plate.

"That's cheating, you--"

"Shut up!" Sanzo yelled, pulling out his gun and firing in their general vicinity. How he hoped that one day he'd accidentally shoot one of them....

Silence reigned once more as Goku and Gojyo glanced at him meekly before eating quietly. Hakkai got up to make sure no one else was hurt, and Sanzo resisted the urge to snort.

As if he would actually hit someone else. His aim wasn't that bad, thank you very much. He always hit exactly what he'd aimed to hit.

Sanzo stood up. "Enough Hakkai, let's go." He strode out of the room, knowing Hakkai would drag the other two after him.

He was annoyed with Goku and himself. Why had Goku acted so suspiciously and tried to cover his bruises? And why had he nearly panicked? That was an overstatement. He didn't panic. But he had been a bit worried.

It had to have been Homura. There was no other explanation. He nodded to himself and got into Jeep.

However, Sanzo kept catching himself glancing back at Goku, trying to find something written on his face which would explain everything. It all didn't seem to add up, and Sanzo just couldn't understand why.

A vein throbbed at his temple. He didn't like mysteries, and he especially didn't like the fact that his brain couldn't accept a situation for what it was. Had he become paranoid overnight? Or was he--

"Shut up!" he yelled, pissed off that his mind just wouldn't stop thinking for one god blessed moment.

He turned around and glanced back threateningly, pretending to have yelled at the two behind. They looked at him sheepishly, hands covering their heads.

"But Sanzo--"

He silenced Goku with a glance. As he turned around in his seat he heard Gojyo mutter, "We weren't even that loud yet."

Sanzo snorted. What an idiot.

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the rare moments of peace. His mind was finally clear, and so far none of Kougaiji's annoying minions had attacked them. All he had to do was block out the argument in the back and he'd be just fine....

Suddenly, Jeep swerved violently to one side, then, the second later, to the other.

Sanzo gritted his teeth as Goku and Gojyo continued punching each other, trying to count to ten and rein in his temper.

Gojyo yelped loudly. Sanzo glanced back and noticed that Gojyo was rubbing one of his sides with a hand.

"You little shit! That's going to leave a bruise!"

"Poor Gojyo," Goku taunted. "Don't worry, it'll fade after a couple of days, you great, big baby."

"Who are you calling a baby?"

Sanzo fired several shots into the air, then hissed, "Both of you are going to become dead babies if you don't sit down this instant!"

Hakkai chuckled.

Silence enveloped them once more, but Sanzo kept a hand on his gun. If those two started up again, he would kill them for sure this time. Just give me one reason, he thought angrily.

And then he had one. To kill Goku, at least. Goku's taunt about Gojyo's bruise fading had finally made him realize why he was so bothered that the fight with Homura was the reason behind Goku's injuries.

The bruises he had seen on Goku's side were new, maximum a day old. Unless Homura had come down for a secret skirmish with Goku, which was highly unlikely, Goku was lying.

Was that why Hakkai had been suspicious? Sanzo didn't want to ask.

A part of his mind persisted asking questions. And if it was true that Goku had been bruised while fighting?

I'll watch him, Sanzo thought back angrily, shoving aside the question. I'll see what he's getting up to. If nothing happens, then I'll just drop it all.

He'd find out, one way or another.

Goku would never be able to keep things hidden from him for long.

To Be Continued...