Part 7: Friends in Low Places

Gojyo

I lean back in my chair on the porch and take a long drag on my cigarette. Lirin's been on me to quit. I did manage to cut back and for the moment it's enough to keep her happy. Kneading away the pain in my leg, I cast a loathing glare at the cane propped against the wall. I hear the door open behind me. My wife stands beside me. "You should take the potion Yaone sent for you."

"Yeah, well there are a lot of things I should do," I tell her eyeing the cleavage popping out of her top. "Jien won't be back for a while."

"Ya know, I thought you'd stop being such a perv after you got old!" She says with a laugh.

"Old huh? Well I'm not too old to show you a good time." I pull her down on my lap and stare at her still young face letting my gaze drift down to her breasts.

"I think you showed me just fine this morning and then after lunch again," she reminds me.

"But I think your forgetting that you married a lech, Lady Lirin, and I intend to make you remember over and over again." I try to lift her and myself out of the chair, but it's a fruitless effort. Pain shoots through me. I feeling like this. "God damn it!"

"Did you hurt yourself?" Worry shows in her big, green eyes and I hate that even

more.

"I'm fine. I guess I'll just be a step or two behind you," I tell her forcing the "wolf" look.

"UUGGHH! You'll never change!"
"Don't count on it, sugar."

"Fine," she agrees. "I'll be waiting." She casts a seductive glance over her shoulder.

Once I hear her footsteps on the stairs, I let the pain show. Gonou nearly took my damn leg off. I guess I should be thankful that I'm healing at all, even if it is slow, but—like I told Lirin—there are a lot of things I should do.

The memory of the fight floods back to me. I hadn't wanted to believe it was him…I'm not even totally sure that it is him. Those silver eyes just don't make me believe that it's really Hakkai. Even in youkai form, Hakkai never had that look to him. This guy is just evil. Even if it is Hakkai's body, it ain't Hakkai's soul.

Leaning on the fucking cane I turn to limp after my wife. Whoever the hell he is, he's not going to stop me from having great sex.

"Stop right there, water whuss! We've got to talk." Goku's voice calls from behind.

"God damn monkey! I have something important to do. Can't it wait?" I spin and my mouth falls open. "Sanzo?"

My own shock is mirrored in his eyes. "I didn't realize how long I'd been gone," he says. The air of annoyance is back in his voice. This isn't the dead man that disappeared twenty-five years ago, but in some fucked up way it is. He looks exactly the same. I must look like shit.

"So where the hell have you been for the past twenty-five years, bastard?" I ask angrily

"It's a long story and your not getting hospitality points making me stand here," he replies. Oh, yeah, Sanzo's back.