-----2-----

Hanna was clearly not pleased with being thrown out so easily, but that did not mean that she was giving up. No, she had found her beloved Malachai after searching for so long and she was going to get him back from those horrible men. How could they brainwash a child so thoroughly? I bet that priest is even doing inappropriate things to him! she thought, her cheeks flushing with anger as she stomped down the street. In fact, she was so deep in her own muddled thoughts that she barely heard the sound of someone trying to get her attention.

"Excuse me, but are you Miss Hanna Ishimoto?" a breathy, barely decipherable voice called, causing the brunette woman to turn sharply on her heel. The voice belonged to a rather scruffy looking man, wearing a strange looking coat and holding what appeared to be a bunny doll at his side.

"So what if I am? Who exactly are you?" she asked defensively, taking a step back. She didn't like the way those ebony eyes were studying her, giving her the feeling that she needed to take a bath to wash the film of imaginary filth off of her skin.

The man looked unperturbed by her reaction, continuing to lean casually against the wall were he was stationed. "Oh, simply an empathizer. I overheard the commotion in the hostel, and had to offer my services. You see, I am a doctor…and I specialize in the study of the mind," he offered evenly in explanation. He took a slow drag from his cigarette, looking up to meet her eyes for the first time since they started speaking.

Despite herself, he had caught her interest. "What exactly do you mean by that?" she asked cautiously, trying not to sound as eager for a response as she felt. Something about this man made her skin crawl, but his charisma was undeniable. Especially with the way their conversation was heading.

The man's smile broadened, slightly lopsided as he clutched the bunny more tightly to him. "I mean, I may be able to help you."

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Several hours had passed since the incident with the strange woman, but Goku still seemed to be mulling over it. He had been unusually quiet throughout dinner, even only offering a soft 'thanks' when Hakkai gave him a bag of his favorite meat buns from his trip to the market for supplies. Currently, he was locked in his room, having only mumbled a goodnight greeting to the others in the common room connecting their two rooms.

"Something's gotta be seriously wrong with the monkey's brain…something that crazy bitch musta said is bugging him," Gojyo noted, glancing from Hakkai's worried expression to the back of Sanzo's newspaper. Both were strangely quiet as well.

"I have to say I agree. Though I have to say, the resemblance between the two of them was rather striking," the green-eyed man commented, startled from sipping his tea when he heard Sanzo slam his own cup down onto the table. "I was merely stating…"

"Well, don't. It's bad enough that the stupid monkey's brooding over it, I don't need you two idiots doing it too," he growled menacingly from behind his paper, clenching it tightly in his fists. He couldn't admit that he was jealous, and slightly afraid. What if the monkey was thinking of running off, before he could…no. That didn't even warrant thinking about.

However, he didn't really need to say anything, as his two comrades were more perceptive than he was comfortable with. "Spill it, Sanzo. You're pissed because she got to him before you could. Maybe if ya actually said something to him," Gojyo said, cut off when the usual warning shot whizzed past his head threateningly. He sighed, looking at Hakkai for support on this.

"Sanzo, that was uncalled for. We're not as stupid as you like to think we are. I doubt Goku is either, but this dancing around each other is getting rather tiresome to deal with. After all, you cannot fault him for 'brooding', as it were. He never knew the love of a mother, or father, for that matter. For him, we are the closest thing to a family Goku has ever encountered, you more so than Gojyo and myself. As hard as it is for you to admit, you know it's true. We all are alike in that respect, though we managed to find it in other places," the brunette replied evenly, practically able to feel the silence thickening in the air around them. "You were fortunate to have your Master for such a time, Gojyo had his older brother, and I had Kanan. Though, such things were briefer than we would have liked, we still had it. If what you say about Goku is true…imagine being in a cave alone for five hundred years, and then think about his reaction again." Hakkai's words trailed off after that, giving both the blonde and the redhead something to chew on for a bit. He sipped his tea, feeling relieved when the tension began to drain away.

The thoughtful silence stretched between them, until Gojyo's audible yawn echoed through the quiet room. "I guess it's time to hit the hay. I think we all wanna get the hell out of this village as soon as we can," he said, stretching and getting up from his chair to head toward the room he would be sharing with Goku.

Until… "Wait. I'll go," Sanzo said simply, the expression on his face clearly indicating that there was to be nothing said and no arguments. Gojyo nodded compliantly, tossing confused look at Hakkai, who only shrugged. They both watched as the blonde disappeared into the room, before looking at each other.

"Interesting development, wouldn't you say?" the green-eyed man commented, accentuating his mild shock with a chuckle. He sipped the last of his tea, setting the cup down before looking at Gojyo with a rather intense look on his face. "Since we're going to be sharing a room tonight…"

The redhead caught the double meaning to that seemingly bland statement, smirking despite himself. "Well, when you put it that way…" he said, less than innocently as he quickly followed his green-eyed lover into their bedroom.

Meanwhile, Sanzo walked into the bedroom he would be sharing with the monkey, surprised to find him fast asleep in the window. He thought about waking him to move him, but decided not to when he noticed how peaceful the boy looked as he slept. "Dumb monkey," he muttered, allowing a very, very rare smile to grace his face as he picked his sleeping charge up and set him in the nearby bed. He stared for a moment, his apathetic mask falling away in the darkness, knowing that nobody could see it.

The boy was beautiful, even in sleep, and Sanzo couldn't help but keep smiling. He had been struggling with his feelings for his charge for God knows how long, trying to keep them strictly keeper-charge as not to complicate his life further. He had tried to convince himself that it would be weakness on his part, breaking the promise that he had made so long ago. But…it was proving harder than he anticipated.

He brushed a lock of brown hair from the tanned face, secretly delighting in the way the skin felt beneath his fingertips. If only the others could see me like this, he thought wryly, slipping into the bed with his charge after he shrugged off his robes. Clad only in his jeans and leather garments, he wrapped his arms protectively around Goku's smaller frame and pulled him closer. A soft murmur was his only reply, as Goku easily fell into the embrace even in sleep. Feeling emboldened, the priest planted a delicate kiss on the tanned cheek before once again laying back on his pillow. Perhaps tomorrow would be a good day to talk to Goku about all this nonsense. Maybe.

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(A/N- Okay, forgive me if Sanzo seemed a trite OOC. I've always thought that deep down he could have a gooey center despite his hard candy covering. He is only human, after all. I'm not gonna go wild here, since it is Sanzo, after all. Expect the prickly stoic priest we all know and love to stay just the way he is.)