-----14-----

The three remaining party members managed to find the path without too much trouble, with Sanzo still trundling onward with the determination of a grizzly bear. It was almost too much for his two companions to keep up.

"Slow down, will ya? We're going to get there when we get there," Gojyo wheezed, barely managing to match the priest's stride. Hakkai was having a time at it as well, though he wasn't as obviously tired as his red-haired lover.

Sanzo chose not to answer with words, instead whirling around for the briefest second to cast a very angry glare in their directions. The look clearly indicated that there was to be no argument, blatantly telling the two of them to quit whining and walk. "If you would shut your face for more than five seconds, maybe you could actually keep up," he said finally, increasing his pace just to spite them.

"I'm going to kill that damned monk. BAM! Right in the forehead," the redhead grumbled, staying close behind despite his anger. He wanted to find the monkey just as much as the other two, but what sense did it make to tire themselves out before they got there? It was likely that the Hanna woman would cause a ruckus, and if they were winded it was going to make this that much harder.

Hakkai audibly sighed, his own nerves fraying from the strain of the situation. "No you won't. You know just as well as I do that this is the way that he behaves when he's anxious or worried," he replied, forcing his voice to stay even in effort to calm his companion. Gojyo didn't look too convinced, but decided to wisely drop the issue for the time being.

The three of them fell into a somewhat companionable silence, all animosity forgotten in the face of the house that appeared in the distance. Sanzo caught sight of it first, breaking into a run in desperation to reach it as soon as possible. It wasn't until a moment or two later that the others noticed their destination so close and followed in their quasi-leader's footsteps. As the house grew closer, the three of them could each make out a pinprick of a person sitting on what appeared to be a porch.

"Goku! It's us, Gok-" Gojyo started to call out, taken aback when the priest turned around and slammed his hand over his mouth. He glared for a moment, quickly wrenching out of Sanzo's grip as he asked in a much quieter voice, "What the hell was that for?"

"Because, you moron, if Goku's there, then we can assume that the crazy bitch is there too. We need to be as quiet as possible," Sanzo snapped back, glancing and finding that it seemed they had been just out of hearing range for the boy. Good. He had to keep in mind that his charge most likely had no idea who they were for the time being, and the last thing they needed was a spooked monkey.

Hakkai knew this as well, looking to the red-haired kappa with a bit more patience than the priest had showed. "Besides, Gojyo…Goku will most likely not remember who we are. If we barrel in without thinking, we may involuntarily chase him away," he explained softly, turning a serious expression towards the blonde. "What do you propose we do?"

The blonde grunted, lighting a much needed cigarette and taking a deep drag before even glancing at the other man who was still staring rather intently at him. "I haven't a fucking clue. Whatever happens, happens." The other two nodded in agreement with this rather surprisingly sound advice. Then, they did just that, making their way towards the house with the perfect façade of calm on each of their faces. It wouldn't do for the oblivious boy to see their looks of anger and frustration.

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Malachai felt the presence of the men making their way towards his house before he saw them, jerking his head up to look at them. He waited to hear Kuro growl, but was mildly surprised to find that the dog sat rather quietly at his feet, watching the approaching men. As they drew nearer, a dull ache began to thump behind his eyes, as though his brain were pushing for something. Their faces…he had seen their faces somewhere before. Getting up from the swing, he started to walk out to greet them. "Hello there…can I help you?" he asked politely, or at least with some semblance of manners.

Not a single one of them answered his question, making him uncomfortable with their knowing glances as they studied him. He had definitely seen them before, but where? "You most certainly can, Malachai, isn't it?" one of them asked politely, his emerald eyes friendly and…a little bit scary. He remembered the twinge of memory when he had first woken up and couldn't remember, seeing the same color flash before his eyes when his mother had touched him.

"How do you know who I am?" the golden-eyed boy asked warily in turn, though the undercurrent of confusion lay just beneath the surface of his words. Their very aura seemed to befuddle him all over again, as if something was interfering with his already cloudy perception. These faces, those eyes…that voice. He stepped closer towards them, feeling an entirely different pressure in the back of his mind that had not been there days before. Straining, he could almost hear a voice pulling back there, demanding attention.

The redhead smiled cockily, slinging a rather ominous looking weapon over his shoulders as he winked at the boy. "We never forget a monkey," he replied easily, that singular word jolting Malachai upright.

"Don't call me a monkey!" he sniped back angrily, hands flying to cover his mouth when he realized what had just left it. That nickname raised a swell of anger in his veins that he couldn't really understand, feeling justified when the other three seemed just as surprised with his reaction.

The blonde, the only one who hadn't spoken as of yet, turned to look at him with cool violet eyes that made him shiver when he found himself caught in them. "Who am I?" he asked simply, and the boy immediately recognized the voice as the pull in the back of his head.

"I…don't know…but…" the boy replied unsurely, stepping forward before stopping to think about it. These men, especially this one, were familiar to him. The names he couldn't recall, but their very presence was one that he knew better than even his own.

The priest smirked for a moment, as if reading the boy's very thoughts. He strode toward the boy purposefully, until their bodies were nearly touching. The man reached out and took the boy's chin in his hand, tilting it until their breaths mingled. "I'll tell you who I am, you damned brat. I'm the Sun, remember?" he murmured, pressing their lips together and wrapping his other arm around the smaller body to hold it more tightly to his own.

Suddenly, the boy was assaulted by a rush of images that made hardly any sense, until his mind was bathed in a buttery-yellow light and he knew. He didn't need to remember these three to know that he belonged with them, especially the one that held him so firmly in his arms.

Sanzo…you're Sanzo. My sun, my savior, my…everything, his mind called out, as the kiss grew deeper and more passionate. Tears began to flood down tanned cheeks unchecked, ignored in favor of the kiss.

Damned right, you stupid monkey. Don't you forget it. You're mine, no matter what, you fucking brat, Sanzo answered back, with just as much endearment as the boy could expect. Finally, the need for air broke the kiss, though the two stayed attached to the other.

"Ewww…that had to be the grossest thing I think I have ever seen. A monk and a monkey kissing is just too weird," Gojyo commented, smirking when he saw the boy's deep frown and felt the shot fly past his ear in warning. Once glance at the boy's eyes showed that they were a bit more self-aware, but the depths still remained cloudy.

Hakkai just chuckled, slightly embarrassed at having witnessed such a tender show of affection between his companions. He wasn't entirely prudish by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a private moment, after all. "Well, no matter. Welcome back, Goku. We missed you," he said softly, entwining his fingers in the baby-soft brown locks as a show of an almost fatherly gesture.

"Yeah, it was too quiet without your damn whining!" Gojyo added playfully, pulling his pseudo-little brother into a fierce headlock and looking very satisfied when the boy struggled against the hold.

A rush of warmth flooded over Mal-no, Goku, at that moment, bringing a bright smile to his face. He winced a bit when the action stretched the bruised skin of his face more than he intended, looking slightly flush when he noticed the intense stares trained on him.

"Goku…did someone hit you?" the green-eyed man asked calmly, though the undercurrent of anger lurking just beneath the surface of such an innocent question. At first, Goku (he supposed that was his real name…he might as well get used to it) didn't know what to say in response to that, finally settling on staring at his feet.

"Mama…well…I guess she's not really my mama…she hit me," he mumbled, almost tangibly able to feel the shock on each of the expressions trained on him. It was enough to make him start squirming where he stood.

"That fucking bitch…why didn't you defend yourself? You could've-" Gojyo started to say, stopping when a thought hit him. Goku still thought that she was his mother, and he knew exactly how the boy must have felt then. He knew because he had stood in the same place many, many times, letting the blows fall when he knew he was more than capable of defending himself against them.

Sanzo and Hakkai traded a knowing look, each of them only nodding once in the kappa's direction before the priest turned back towards his charge. "Doesn't matter. We'll pay her back for that," he muttered gruffly, offering a smirk that looked almost dangerously close to a smile. The boy blushed in pleasure, nodding before latching back onto the blonde and nuzzling his face into his chest. The blonde was duly surprised by the action, flushing a little himself as he awkwardly returned the embrace, all while shooting a clear "don't-either-of-you-say-a-word" glare in the direction of the other two.

As wonderful as the little reunion had been, it was at that moment that Hanna decided to walk outside with the clear intent of patching things up with her son, a mix of rage and shock flooding onto her face as she took in what she was seeing. "Malachai! Get away from them now!" she screamed furiously, balling her hands into tight fists.

Goku flinched when he heard her scream at him, more so at the name then anything else. He knew instinctively that as long as these three were nearby, he would be safe. "No…I don't belong with you…y-you keep hurting me. They won't hurt me," he answered as evenly as he could, keeping his tight hold on the blonde priest, who couldn't help looking just a teensy bit smug at the prospect. His formerly bruised pride at being forgotten was assuaged by the look of shock on her face, and he couldn't help but smirk even more.

"That's right lady…we figured out your little plans, and now you're going to pay for stealing the monkey," Gojyo called out arrogantly, resummoning his staff and pointing it in her direction. God, that had felt good.

The shock from the woman's features slowly faded, leaving only the raging anger that she felt. These men were going to die, just as Kenzo had. Her eyes narrowed to almost snake-like slits as she pulled out the simple white box that the doctor had given her. "No…I don't think so. You're not going to take him from me again, Kenzo," she snarled, ripping it open and noticing the little vial of orange liquid. Immediately, she opened it and drank deeply, falling to her knees as her body began to glow.

The four of them watched as she was bathed in a strange yellow light, hearing the rather sickening sounds of bones and muscle rearranging echoing through the air. "Well, shit," Gojyo said after a moment, and the others couldn't help but agree whole-heartedly with him.

(A/N: CLIFFHANGER! Ah well. I couldn't help myself. Guess you'll have to wait until next chapter to read what happens. -evil laughter-Hope you enjoyed!)