Authoress here.

Whee, I'm at nine chapters already! I'm happy I've had enough ideas to last me this long, but I also don't want this story to end. I love working on it!

(looks around room) Who wants to be the main character in a sequel? I do owe three of them for making them hookers in this chapter...

START CHAPTER

The Sanzo party left a few hours later, seated in their usual spots in the jeep. Machira didn't say anything to Gojyo on the ride to the next town. She didn't have much time to make up her mind, so her thoughts were elsewhere.

The town that they rolled into was a small one by the name of Karai. There was a very small market in the middle of the town with two dirt paths leading away from it, but no inn in sight. Upon looking around, it was apparent that there wasn't one.

The five agreed on taking a break from driving, and all went their separate ways to wander around Karai as they saw fit.

Gojyo stuck his hands in his pockets and looked skeptically at the stalls selling things all around him. An entire town and no one's selling cigarettes. Damn.

A hand suddenly slunk over his shoulder, and he turned to see a charming and busty redhead grinning at him. Her short red hair flipped out and didn't even brush her shoulders, and her shirt was cut so low it was almost a crime. She pressed herself against his back, and peered up at him through her eyelashes. "Looking for a good time, honey?" she asked slyly.

Another shorter woman that he hadn't noticed slid an arm around him, pressing her chest against his arm. This woman had long black hair that fell slightly above her elbows in cascading waves, and she too wore an impish grin.

Gojyo flushed, resisting the urge to nod vigorously. He forced his thoughts back to Machira, and replied, "Sorry, ladies. I'm taken."

The black-haired woman nuzzled his arm with her cheek. "She doesn't have to find out, now does she?" she whispered.

Thinking fast, Gojyo came up with a last desperate idea to get the women away from his before he gave in to his desires. Somehow managing to keep a straight face, he gave the short woman a quizzical look. "She?"

Both girls were too shocked to reply, and hurriedly moved on to do business elsewhere. Gojyo smirked after them, glad none of the others had heard that. It was something he couldn't live down if any of his companions had overheard.

Off looking at some sparkling necklaces that she could never afford was Machira, tenderly fingering a fine gold chain that had the Japanese symbol for half-demon hanging from it. She longed to buy it, but had no money.

The vendor, a toothless old woman who was about as attractive as the underside of horse hoof, cast a glance at her through dark eyes. "Do ye wish to purchase that, lass?"

Machira smiled. "I do, but I'm broke."

With a wave of a gnarled hand, the old woman snapped, "Take the accursed thing! It has claimed many lives with its message to trust half-breeds, and I do not wish for its dark cloud to hang over my humble shop any longer."

Giving the woman a strange glance, Machira accepted and clasped the necklace around her throat, tucking the pendant into her shirt. "You don't trust half-demons?"

The elderly woman gave a throaty chuckle. "Who does, lass?"

Machira smiled. "I do."

A gray eyebrow raised on the old woman's wrinkled face. "Why would that be, lass?"

Raising a hand to toy with her hair as she almost always did when being questioned by a stranger, Machira replied, "Because I'm in love with one."

The older woman waved her hands to shoo Machira away. "Good luck to ye with that, lass, but remember my words of warning when he turns on you."

Machira nodded to be polite, and walked off in the other direction. Finally, she had admitted it aloud. She did love him, but did she trust him? Machira sighed. Love was difficult, even in the earliest stages.

Gojyo cast a fleeting glance back at the two women selling their bodies to see that another had joined them; an attractive brunette. He rigidly turned to face forward again as the brunette offered him a beautiful smile. You're taken, you're taken, you're taken, he repeated in his mind. If she says yes, anyway.

Machira cast a distasteful glance at the group of women who were shamelessly pressing their bodies against every lone male who strode past them. The redhead eyed her for a moment before striding over.

"Is that man over there yours?" she asked, gesturing towards Hakkai, who had remained unnoticed until now. "I saw you two together when you came in."

"Uh...no, he's not," Machira replied, startled by the lustful gleam in the other woman's eyes that came from looking at the ever-polite Hakkai.

"What's his name?" she asked, not bothering to shift her glance from the green-eyed demon.

"Cho Hakkai," came the reply. "But I wouldn't suggest..." She trailed off as she realized the other wasn't paying any attention to her whatsoever. Instead of walking away, Machira decided it might help her get to know Hakkai better if she watched how he reacted to such a pretty girl flirting with him.

"Hello, handsome," the redhead said, smirking at Hakkai as she came within his earshot.

Hakkai smiled back pleasantly, seeming to know the girl's motives but trying his best to pretend not to.

"I'm Emiko," she continued, giving her short hair a flip. "You wanna play?"

Hakkai blushed a little, but his polite demeanor was otherwise unchanged. "I'm going to have to decline, miss."

Emiko's smile faded a little, but she cast a fleeting glance at Sanzo. "You think he could be tempted, then?"

Hakkai chuckled softly. "I wouldn't try it, Miss Emiko. He's a priest."

Emiko snorted, and muttered dejectedly, "Damn. All the cute ones are holy men." She then returned to her spot at the corner, which would undoubtedly lead to her returning home with someone she'd never met.

"What a worthless lifestyle," Machira commented quietly. Hakkai turned to see that she had moved to stand beside him in the amount of time he had spent talking to the redheaded temptress Emiko.

"Agreed," Hakkai replied.

Sanzo, who had been walking past, spotted them and headed over, looking grouchy. "I found an inn. It's a piece of shit, but it'll have to do."

Machira laughed, but inside was concerned. She didn't have much time to figure out what to say to Gojyo. She loved him, but was afraid of being hurt.

It was going to be a long night.

END CHAPTER

(embarrassed pause) Should I make the next chapter a lemon, or should I just stick to my PG-13 trend? I've never written one before and it might creep people out to read it (especially my little sister, who has been reading this as fast as I can type it), but everyone else is doing it. Why not me too?

Censor Demon (Haru, the annoying but hot guy I created in a bored frenzy): Because you're too young to even be thinking about that kind of stuff. R-rated means 17 and up. Are you 17, missy?

No. But that doesn't stop me from writing it!

Haru: But-

Try and stop me, foul demon!

Haru: (pulls out a sledge hammer)

Uh-oh.

Authoress out.