And Then There Were Five (wait…five?)

Sanzo is seriously contemplating the taste of lead; damn whomever brought them here and took his gun away from him.

"You cook?"

The kappa's question is most assuredly ignored.

"I'm just asking, geez." Gojyo says with a pointed roll of crimson eyes. He lounges as comfortably as is possible on the sofa in the main room of the house, off of which is the kitchen. He, and Goku and Hakkai who have also found seats in the living room, was quite happy to discover that although they may pass through their counterparts like ghosts, they can still touch the furniture. "Look at him over there, cooking rice, getting out buns. Practically a homemaker."

The vein that has been throbbing on Sanzo's forehead for quite some time now nearly bursts. "Do you want to die." he growls, arms tightly crossed as he leans against the wall beside the kitchen counter, keeping a close eye on his other self while still looking rather menacingly at Gojyo.

The redhead raises an eyebrow in challenge. "Whatcha gonna do without your weapons, blondie? Hit me with one of those holier-than-thou hands? You might break a nail."

Hakkai immediately rises from his seat when Sanzo storms forward, stepping around to block the monk from Gojyo's all too willing line of fire. "Sanzo, please, we are all on edge. Let us not fight amongst one another. For once." This is said with a piercing look back at Gojyo that clearly shows the brunette is in no mood to be playing referee today.

Gojyo shrugs and turns away, obeying Hakkai's outward and hidden commands alike, and all the while knowing he is only lashing out in lieu of Sanzo's previous and continuing attitude. Sometimes the monk just goes too far.

Why shouldn't the redhead give a little back?

Turning with a grim sneer, Sanzo returns to his perch, transferring his anger onto the main source of his discomfort: himself. Or at least…a very near likeness.

The amiable blonde casts Goku a common smile as the youth comes out of the bathroom. He tosses a sweet bean bun over his shoulder for the brunette to catch--which Goku does. "I'll be quick. Wait for me and I'll walk you to work?"

Between eager bites, Goku nods with enthusiasm, coming into the kitchen to see what else is on the morning's menu. The blonde smiles again and leans down to peck Goku's forehead before heading around the counter to take the younger man's recent place in the shower.

Sanzo does not even try to mask his disgust for the display, and when his harsh violets meet the questioning look he suddenly discovers in the gold staring at him from across the room, he honestly does not know which desire in him is stronger. The one churning his stomach that craves some violent outlet. Or the desire to turn that violence on himself.

"Hey, 'Kai, what's the monkey doing in there?" Gojyo asks, leaning his head back on the couch to better see his friend, who is still standing just behind it after coming to the redhead's rescue.

The parody-Goku has since stolen another sweet bean bun, stirred the rice--though he left it otherwise untouched with much restraint--and is now shuffling about in the bedroom. The bedroom is in fact to the right of the kitchen and living room, while the bathroom is across the house to the left.

Hakkai moves back towards the bedroom and peers inside from the open doorway. His mild shock is instant and quite noticeable.

"He's…cleaning." he says, as if the fact must surely be some trick of the light. He looks on appraisingly. "Fixing the bed, picking up stray clothing. Goku," he adds, turning his head for a moment to look with a kind smile at the Goku still seated on one of the living room's chairs. "I do believe you could learn from yourself."

For the first time since discovering the occupants of this strange world, a flicker of amusement passes over Goku's expression. A quick look back to Sanzo, however, has his frown swiftly reinstated.

Hakkai frowns as well, matching the frown Gojyo has just given him for how they are fairing so poorly in raising the general mood.

Looking back to the bedroom again, Hakkai find himself much more in shock than he had been with the prospect of Goku cleaning. "Oh…my."

This gets everyone's attention, but Gojyo is the first to pounce. "What is it?"

"Ano…well…it's…"

"Oi, Koryuu!"

The drop of a pin, the thump of a heartbeat. All such things could have been heard in the room after that.

It is not hard for the others to figure out who the other Goku is calling to, and though they often forget that Sanzo is only a title, to hear the monk's true name spoken so casually makes them wonder if they should fear another outburst. But though Sanzo has paled a few shades lighter, he appears more frozen than angry, to the relief and anxiety of the others.

"Koryuu!" Goku calls again, appearing from the bedroom to stand just inside the doorway as he calls across the house.

This time, the blonde answers. "Aa!"

A strange cold wraps tightly around each onlooker's throat as the boy lifts the item in his hand. "Who did we borrow the handcuffs from again!"

For all his better judgment, Gojyo allows a laugh.

Hakkai's face has gone quite red.

Goku puts Hakkai's blush to shame.

Sanzo…is still contemplating the taste of lead.

From inside the bathroom still, Koryuu answers. "Who do you think!" he calls, with much humor in his voice.

Gojyo does his best to hold back yet another laugh as he promptly decides his ears must be burning, but the truth is always a bit more interesting than the expected. "Hai." Goku says to himself, all a grin as a gentle laugh leaves his lips. "Who else? No one I know is more of a sex freak than Gonou."

All previous blood that had rushed to redden faces now drains quickly away.

"Did he…say…Gonou?" Gojyo asks, though he knows the question is quite unnecessary.

"I think I need to sit down." And Hakkai does just that, making his way on teetering legs to the couch to fall into an inelegant sitting position beside Gojyo. "This world means to claim us all with…peculiarities."

Gojyo smiles in sympathy. "No shit. Just you wait. I'm likely to have two heads at this rate."

Just as the Goku holding the handcuffs is about to return them to the bedroom, Koryuu comes out of the bathroom, towel drying his very damn hair. "Hang on." he says, halting the monkey's retreat. "Give me those."

Sanzo hisses as his nails reconnect with the still fresh wounds on his palms.

There is a far too suggestive look on Goku's face as he holds the handcuffs out for Koryuu to take, but to all of their extreme relief, the blonde laughs the boy's look off and shakes his head.

"Don't get any ideas, monkey. I'm just going to return them." the blonde grins, plucking the cuffs from Goku's now less than eager hands. "I'm stopping by their place after I drop you off."

Hakkai may or may not have been the only one to notice the plural present in 'their place,' but having heard it quite clearly, he is assaulted with far too many possibilities. Gojyo notices the brunette's ashen face and places a careful hand to the man's shaking elbow, but the action only causes Hakkai to involuntarily flinch before smiling all too quickly with a ready apology.

Gojyo frowns. He has become rather sick of hearing, 'I'm sorry,' leave those lips.

Another sudden ringing startles the onlookers, much like the one they heard upon their arrival. This time, all know quite certainly what the ringing is, but they are still thankful when Koryuu picks up the phone to thoroughly silence the sound.

"Hello?" he says cheerily, the tone really quite odd for those watching, being used by that familiar, deep voice so easily. The blonde's violets light up in sudden surprise and barely concealed frustration as the other end replies to his greeting. "Mom!"

This time, Sanzo audibly chokes.

"Me? Great, Mom. Just great." The blonde looks to Goku with wide searching eyes as he speaks and begins gesturing with his hand as if he wants the other man to find him something. "Yeah, I'm on my way out the door right now. Of course I haven't forgotten." He gestures more wildly, pointing now at a pile of papers on the far too distant countertop. Goku goes to it, but searches with more than a little confusion. "Yeah, yeah, as soon as I drop Goku off at work. Yep." As Goku produces an envelope, Koryuu emphatically gestures that yes, that is exactly what he wants. "It's in my hand right now, Mom." he lies, not yet having a grip on it. "Of course I'm not lying." he says, finally catching his breath as the envelope is at last deposited in his waiting hand. He grins and shakes his head at Goku, who is doing all he can to keep from laughing himself. "Yeah, I know, Mom. Twenty years, pretty amazing. No, it doesn't make you old. Goku and I get older. You never age a day. Ha. Yeah. Sure, he's right here." The phone is suddenly held out for Goku to take. The monkey takes it.

"Hey, Ma!"

Sanzo is more than certain that lead would taste pretty good about now.

"Course I'm taking good care of him." the brunette beams, before promptly taunting his companion by sticking out his tongue. Even on an older Goku, the act is highly fitting. "Tonight? Getting together with the gang. You know, the whole extended family. Haha. Yeah, the expectant mother too."

Hakkai is quite certain he does not want to know who Goku is referring to.

"Yeah, and the underage brat." Goku adds, highly confusing the four watchers as to whom this extended family includes. "Ma, we're always careful. We never let her drink. We don't even drink that much ourselves."

Koryuu snorts. "Tell that to Gonou." he says, soft enough to be sure his mother could not possibly overhear him.

Goku brings a hand up to instinctively protect the mouthpiece regardless of Koryuu's softer volume, glaring a little at the blonde before his expression turns suddenly sinister. "Well, I usually leave Kory to take care of her…seeing as how she's madly in love him."

Narrowed violets--at last, something familiar.

"Totally. And I gotta say, Ma…Lirin is pretty persistent."

For the first time, the watching Goku has no choice but to release a disbelieving cry of his own. "Lirin!"

"My, oh my." Hakkai responds, taking some small solace in that the thickness of the plot does not end with him. It appears they will have unexpected company, though he is still faintly wondering just how much company there might be.

The Goku on the phone continues chatting aimlessly with Koryuu's mother, until the vein on the blonde's forehead is starting to very vaguely resemble Sanzo's own, and he taps his wrist impatiently, despite lacking the ownership of an actual watch.

A sudden look of panic crosses the other Goku's face as he realizes how late it must be, and he speaks quickly to bring an end to the conversation.

"Sorry, but I'm gonna be late to work if we don't leave. I know, tomorrow afternoon. Sure thing. Love you, too, Ma."

"Love you!" Koryuu calls, loud enough this time to ensure his mother hears him.

Goku laughs and nods a few moments more before finally declaring a victorious escape. "Bye." he says into the receiver, and the moment the phone is away from his ear, the pair breaks into a round of shared laughter.

The watching Goku, Gojyo, and Hakkai have all flinched at the renewed and all too casual use of the dreaded 'L-word,' but as each glance their gazes in Sanzo's direction, they see that he is more preoccupied with the pictures he had not until now noticed hanging on the wall. Four pairs of eyes look on now, scrutinizing each unexpected image despite most of the eyes being across the room from the source of their attention.

The pictures give them more pause than they would like to admit, but it is quite jarring to see such…happy images…from one of their childhoods. There is one of Koryuu no older than 4 or 5, alone in the shot as he waves at the camera. There is one of him and Goku, both looking to be in their teens and acting like loving brothers--or more--as they hang about each other with some sort of carnival scene behind them. There is one of a not-quite-teen Koryuu…and who can only be…his mother, both smiling as the woman holds her son close with an arm about his waist. Those scrutinizing the pictures are instantly caught by her beauty, resembling the Sanzo they know feature for feature in her pretty face, though her drooping eyes are brown and her hair brunette to match.

But the photograph that is the most jarring, and that seems to throw the others out of balance, is the one of a young Koryuu with a man in white robes who is gently releasing an orange paper airplane to the blonde child's extreme delight.

The taste of lead has gone stale in Sanzo's mouth.

"Come on, we better go."

Koryuu's voice jolts all of them to an uncomfortable attention. Slowly, each turns to watch the man as he and Goku head for the door, a few remaining sweet bean buns having been snatched up by each, though the rice has been left on the stove for Koryuu's return.

"I'll pick you up around four, okay?"

"Sure thing, Kory." Goku says, after taking another handful of pleasing bites from his breakfast. He licks his lips of any remaining sweetness, and then stops to look up at his companion as they are heading for the door. "Hey…one thing."

Pausing as he had been about to reach for the doorknob, Koryuu turns back, pleasantly surprised to discover that Goku's 'one thing' was merely a swift kiss touched to his cheek. The blonde grins and reaches again for the knob, fondly ruffling Goku's hair as they make their way outside and close the door behind them.

Surely, a full minute or more passes before any of the remaining men in the house know what to say.

"So…do we follow 'em?"

"I suppose that would be the most prudent thing, Gojyo. Sanzo, Goku?"

Goku shrugs.

Sanzo…surprisingly…shrugs as well, apparently too stunned, or numb, or bitter, or angry, or all of the above…to do much of anything else at the moment.

"Well, I suppose we should go then." Hakkai says at length, seeing as how no one has gotten up or moved. He lifts himself from the couch, gaining resolve to continue seeing this matter through. He looks down at Gojyo closest to him. "Come now, the show is…interesting to say the least."

Gojyo looks up and means to smile, but suddenly clutches at his stomach instead. "Shit, I'm nauseous."

Hakkai scowls. "Really, Gojyo, is that neccessa--"

"I'm serious." the kappa stresses, clutching his head now with his free hand while the other is still grabbing at his midsection. He looks about ready to pass out.

"Me too…"

Hakkai turns in surprise to stare at Goku, who is also quite suddenly turning green as he lays back in his chair. The green-eyed brunette immediately looks to Sanzo, who--though he has spoken not--is looking much the same as the blonde suddenly drops down to his hands and knees on the floor as if too nauseous and dizzy to stand. It is then that much the same begins to reveal itself in Hakkai, and the youkai has the urge to either curl into himself or find some outlet with which to hurl his sorry stomach into before thankfully passing out.

Pass out they do, and when the entirety of the group comes to, no true time having actually passed, the four find themselves to be in a kitchen--a very different kitchen--that is this time closed off, not attached openly to a living room as the other had been.

Suddenly, they are somewhere else.

"I'm getting real sick 'a this." Gojyo grimaces, glad at least to no longer be feeling the affects of whatever hit them before bringing them here.

Since the redhead had been sitting on the couch, he finds himself seated on the kitchen floor, much like Goku, while Sanzo and Hakkai had both been on hands and knees. The gathered group stands, quickly taking inventory. There are no obvious pictures or other signs to give away their new location.

There is, however, a very suddenly obvious and…rather well-formed rear-end sticking out of the refrigerator. Whomever it belongs to, all that can be seen of him at the moment is his behind, since his head and upper body are hidden. He is bent rather low at the waist, apparently looking for something in the very back of the appliance.

Sanzo rolls his eyes before pinning Gojyo with a glare. "I'll give you one guess who that belongs to." he says, his voice betraying only slightly the very small humor he occasionally allows to slip into his tone. Now that his own likeness is gone, that vein on his forehead looks a bit more manageable.

Just a bit.

Gojyo beams with perhaps a small shot of pride at the prospect of the figure being him, partly due to how well the figure looks in those slacks, and because…he is damn curious to know what his own parody might be like.

"Really, Gojyo." Hakkai says, crossing his arms as his face takes on the mask of a scolding teacher and strict parental figure. "Those pants are ridiculously tight. Even for you."

The figure in the fridge pulls himself from its depths, triumphant as he now has a large block of cheese and a bottle of wine, and uses his well-hugged hips to shut the door. Carrying the items to the nearby table, he shakes out his long brown hair--hair that falls past his shoulders to nearly mid-chest.

Hakkai's mouth is once again hanging open. That is definitely not Gojyo.

"You were saying, Hakkai?"

The likeness and yet many differences between this man and Hakkai are immediately apparent. The brown hair, the green eyes, the slim build, the paler skin. But then…the hair is long, there is no slightly dimmer eye to contrast the other, no monocle or glasses rest on his face but instead contacts, no carefully pressed clothing hangs about him but instead tight pants and a half-open and untucked button-up shirt.

And of course…there are no limiters.

"If Hakkai's human…" Goku begins in a strangely hushed tone, since it has been quite some time since he spoke more than a mere exclamation. "…then…does that mean…"

"Kanan!" Gonou shouts suddenly, looking up from the table after carefully looking over the cheese, wine, and other items currently strewn about.

Hakkai has somehow managed to back his way against a nearby wall, and is thankful for the support as he falls back against it. A small part of him almost wants to clench his eyes shut to block out the image he knows might very well be entering the kitchen at any moment. His emerald eyes stare, nonetheless, at the doorway his other self is currently calling to.

"Kanan!" the man shouts again, his brow slightly furrowed.

A female voice replies. "Do you need something, Gonou!" And for a moment, Hakkai does close his eyes, his breath caught in his throat at the pure, ringing tone of that voice.

While Sanzo and Goku remain reverently stock-still, Gojyo is internally panicking, and it outwardly shows. He is feverishly worrying his bottom lip as his crimson gaze remains locked on the sight of Hakkai so stricken. His palms are sweating as he tightens his fists. And if he had the courage, he would be bridging the gap between himself and Hakkai to do whatever might be needed to ease the brunette's reliving of this nightmare.

For all nightmares are worse when presented as false dreams.

"I think you better add another bottle of wine to that list of yours! We might need it for tonight!"

Hakkai's gasp is audible as the kitchen door swings open…and a woman who resembles him remarkably enters through it. "Ano…is this extra bottle for everyone…or just for you?" the woman smiles, a light laugh accompanying her teasing words.

She is as lovely as Hakkai could best remember her. Long hair twisted neatly into a loose semblance of a pony-tale at her shoulder, green eyes shining with laughter and so much sweetness, and that never-ending, honest smile. He almost misses that her choice of clothing is as out of character as his own.

Almost.

Kanan is wearing a long skirt, but a large slit up one side reveals her legs, and her top is…well…tiny. It is a rather short tank that shows off her small waist and hugs rather tightly up top. The welcome sight of her familiar cross is more than a little off-putting since it falls in just the right spot to pull all the wrong attention to her well-proportioned chest.

Gonou raises an eyebrow at the woman's comment. "Very funny. But I hardly think this one bottle would be enough…for any of us. Just one more should be enough though. We have other things planned."

"All right. I'll add it to the list." Kanan concedes, heading across the kitchen to grab a pad off the counter on which she writes the new addition. She looks up from it with a layered smile. "Anything else? Or will you be chasing me down the path with yet another thing you forgot to mention?"

Each onlooker is still remarkably frozen as they watch this encounter, none quite knowing how to most thoughtfully respond. Sanzo and Goku as a couple had been one thing. But this they know to have once been real, and the sight of it aches…for more than just Hakkai.

A melody of a giggle escapes Kanan's lips in response to Gonou's half-serious glare, and she turns away from him, still giggling as she adds a few other things to the pad of paper in her hands. Therefore, when Gonou slips up behind her and coils his arms around her waist from behind, she is slightly startled, though in truth she had been expecting it all along.

Hakkai's eyes wish they could close. Oh how they wish to have the power to look anywhere but at that unfair sight.

"Thank you so much for taking it upon yourself to pick up the supplies we need, dear…dear Kanan." Gonou's voice speaks like a weaver's hands through silk. "But do me a favor…and promise here and now…that you will not step foot in this kitchen again. I wouldn't want the guests poisoned by your cooking, after all."

An indignant huff clearly sounds in reply, but…Kanan has no rebuff.

While Hakkai is still praying for blindness--deafness too--he nearly misses that the kitchen door has once again offered someone entry.

"Hooboy…I could really get into this twin thing."

Now that is a familiar voice…though on a very unfamiliar character.

Gojyo and the others alike stare in complete disbelief at the kappa's likeness suddenly coming onto the scene. But the likeness, to be honest, is almost impossible to recognize. Oh, the face is Sha Gojyo's, but…the short-cropped black hair, the dark blue eyes, the pointed ears and slight show of claws and fangs…that is no Sha Gojyo that was ever born to their world.

Gojyo would almost swear his scars have started to sting.

"Really, Gojyo." Gonou reprimands the…youkai. He releases Kanan from his hold and begins to saunter his way across the kitchen floor to meet the other Gojyo half-way. "Curb those unseemly tendencies of yours." he grins, pulling in strangely close to the black-haired kappa. "You know I don't share." And while Gonou is enjoying himself quite thoroughly as he leans into Gojyo for a slow and easy kiss, Hakkai and the redheaded Gojyo are certain they must be seeing things.

Slowly, Hakkai begins to sink to the floor without even realizing. "I think I need to--"

"Sit down." Gojyo finishes, having beaten Hakkai to the floor as he falls quite heavily into a sitting position just off the kitchen table.

Goku can only stare on in confusion.

Sanzo is suddenly aware of tasting this morning's breakfast again.

Kanan…is rather enjoying the show playing out only a few feet from her, and the amused haze in her eyes proves it. Gonou and Gojyo are kissing quite heatedly now, with the brunette's hands gripping the front of Gojyo's tightly fit T-shirt and Gojyo's hands slinking around to rest at Gonou's lower back.

"Really, boys, don't mind me." Kanan says with a somewhat crooked smile. She casually walks forward, pulls a chair out at the table, sits, and rests her head on one hand as she continues staring at the couple's embrace. Eventually, both of the men turn from their kiss to look at her with skeptical expressions. "Really." she says again, gesturing with her free hand for them to keep at it. "I could sit here all day."

That old, familiar look of a teacher scolding a pupil crosses Gonou's face as it often crosses Hakkai's. He folds his arms in front of him. "Shame, woman. I'm your brother."

Hakkai swallows--hard.

Kanan laughs the comment off.

"It's okay. I just pretend you're someone else."

Sanzo wonders if he needs to sit down at this point too.

Goku…

"Wait." the heretic says suddenly, turning away from the continuing scene to look at each of his companions. Out of small understanding for the dangerousness of this situation, Goku does his best to look the least at Hakkai. "You mean…Kanan was Hakkai's sister?"

"Hahaha." Hakkai laughs, all common sense and normal thought process wholly out of his realm of capability at the moment as his hands come up to cover his face. He remains on the floor, propped up against the wall, and speaks into his palms. "I suppose you never had the pleasure of hearing that part of it, Goku. I do apologize." he says, and then goes on laughing, seeing as how it is as close to screaming as he can imagine right now.

Gojyo…is quite nicely numb. He doesn't know what to think.

None of them do.

"Well then, I guess I'm off." Kanan says brightly, pad in hand as she reaches for what must be her bag on the far end of the main counter. She breezes past the men--man and youkai, at any rate--placing a quick kiss on both their cheeks before heading out the kitchen door. "I'll be back in an hour or so!" she calls out behind her, and a soon to follow slam of a further door confirms her having left the house.

Not her house. The house. Gonou and…Gojyo's house? Their house?

'…their place…'

Fuck. What yet does this world have in store for them…?

tbc...

A/N: I bet this chapter really perked your attention if you liked the first one. So many hints at future things to come, and some big shockers. Haha. Oh yes, I have this all planned out, so be ready for quite an exciting ride. Next we'll get the chance to meet a few old friends and delve a little deeper. Thanks so much all for the reviews. You sound as excited as I am. I hope I won't disappoint. Nice to hear from some old friends, and welcome those who are new to my work. For those who questioned whether or not there would be 58/85, really now...what kind of Saiyuki fan do you take me for? ;-) Till next part, minna!

Crim