Chapter Two
She slept most of the way there, waking up just as the house where Gojyo had taken up residency came into view. "Is this it?" she wondered aloud.
"This is it!" Hakkai replied, pleased to know that he wouldn't have to wake her.
It was a small, two-story house with a garden in the back yard, surrounded by an ill cared for lawn. Hakkai parked the jeep and the two of them exited in silence and Hakuryu resumed his natural form. "Does he live here all alone?"
"No..." Hakkai said. "He has a son, Makoto just a year or two older than you."
"Hakkai!" They looked up to see Gojyo casually leaning against the porch rail wearing jeans and a blue button-down shirt that he hadn't bothered to button down, crimson hair tied back behind his head. "You drive so slow! Even for an old man!" Hakkai laughed and they came up to the porch where Gojyo was standing. "This is Mei-chan?" He said tilting his head sideways. "You've grown up a lot." He placed a cigarette in his mouth. "And you didn't turn out too bad, after all. In fact, if I were twenty or so years younger-"
Gojyo suddenly stumbled forward as a familiar harisen made contact with his thick skull. "Cradle robbing kappa!" Sanzo's stated and kicked Gojyo the rest of the way down the stairs. Goku appeared behind him, slightly taller.
"What?" Gojyo turned back to the straight-faced monk. "What'd you call me?" he raised a fist.
"Everyone seems to be here..."Hakkai stated, smiling nervously at the thought of what kind of fight might break out after ten years of not seeing each other.
"Pervy, cradle-robbing kappa!" Goku repeated for Sanzo who was becoming increasingly annoyed by the situation.
"Baka." Sanzo stated, picking his ear.
"Harahita..." Goku said as his stomach growled. "Gojyo...can we have lunch NOW?"
Gojyo placed his hands in his pockets. "I ordered some Chinese and sent Makoto on an errand." He turned to Mei. "That's right! You haven't met Makoto, yet have you?" He smiled and winked at her. "You're in luck, Mei-chan. Makoto's just become available."
Mei shrank back slightly and felt her cheeks begin to burn.
"Okaasan!" Gojyo's eye twitched and he turned his head slowly, making it very obvious that he was annoyed, to his son's voice. Goku snickered.
"Stop calling me that! I'm not your mother!" Makoto shrugged and walked past everyone without any sort of greeting. Gojyo growled.
"That was Makoto?" Mei asked staring after him. What happened to the red hair and eyes that his father wore so proudly and that she hid in shame? He was a tall, well-built brunette with strange blue eyes...
"Hai..." Gojyo replied, scratching his head. "Looks more like his mother, ne, Hakkai?" Hakkai only smiled.
"Hey..." Sanzo said pulling his cigarette from his mouth and blowing a steady stream of smoke out. "You're all going to starve if you don't go pull Goku away from the food, Gojyo."
"That's right!" Gojyo said, suddenly remembering the food, and headed back inside followed by Hakkai.
Sanzo stopped Mei at the door. "You're dying your hair." He noted without a change in expression. "And wearing contacts, too."
"That's right." She did her best not to sound as if she felt ashamed.
"Hmmph..." He flicked the butt of his cigarette out into the yard. "How do you and Hakkai get along?"
She couldn't tell if he was just trying to make conversation or tying to make a point of some kind. Either way, the answer had to be a lie. "Fine."
Sanzo narrowed his eyes for a moment then looked away and said nothing. As she proceeded into the house she heard him say something quietly: "I should have taken her instead."
For some reason the statement struck strangely, as if he'd touched on an old wound she didn't know she had. Why did it even matter to him? He'd openly stated that he didn't want her around. Goku was hard enough to take care of, he'd said. I don't need another one. She sighed and moved past the doorway. Sanzo-sama didn't want her, Hakkai seemed to ignore her...But Gojyo had spoken to her and he seemed to care at least that she was there. For the moment, that was all that mattered.