AN: Here's the next chapter. Thanks for all the reviews. Enjoy. ~safarigirl

Night Rain

Chapter 5

She woke up slowly. Her body hurt less as she stretched out the kinks from lying in bed for so long. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment, hands resting across her forehead as her thoughts raced.

She'd had a dream again, but she couldn't remember the details. She was running from something, or maybe to something. There was some task she was supposed to do, but it was fuzzy. She closed her eyes, trying to recall the images that danced through her mind while she slept.

"Come on, Sanzo, you were the one who was in such a hurry to leave this morning," a voice yelled from outside.

Amaya sat up and leapt from the bed. She looked around the room, suddenly frantic. Everything was gone: the paper, the cigarettes, the reading glasses. Folded over the chair was a pair of clean jeans and a clean grey tank top.

"Yeah, you didn't even let me have breakfast," a second person called.

Amaya striped out of the borrowed black button-up shirt she had been sleeping in and hastily dressed in the provided clothing, which, judging from the fit, were hers. She barely got shoes on her feet and the pants zipped up before she shoved the door open and raced down the hall. Muscles first overused and then not used while she was bedridden protested to the sudden rush of activity, but the girl ignored her complaining body.

She raced down a set of stairs, across a small reception area, and almost collided with the young girl who must have worked there before bursting through the doors. The hunter jeep was just pulling away and Amaya leapt in front of it, almost causing a repeat of the night she was first hit by the four men.

Hakkai slammed on the brakes just in time.

Amaya let out her breath all at once as a shaking hand crept up to rest on the hood of the jeep.

"Amaya, are you all right?" "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Hakkai and Sanzo cried out at the same time. Amaya leaned against the jeep, catching her breath before she replied.

"It seems she doesn't want us to leave without her, Sanzo," one of the other men offered. Amaya glanced up at the speaker. His hair and eyes were the color of crimson hibiscus flowers. He smiled. "And why should we leave such a pretty lady behind?" Amaya could feel the blush crept up her neck to her ears.

"Shut up, Gojyo," Sanzo growled. Amaya immediately switched her gaze to the monk. Her breath caught as he stared down at her.

"Amaya, you should be resting," Hakkai called. Amaya nodded slightly, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from Sanzo's harsh amethyst orbs as they bore into her.

"Amaya." Hakkai was next to her, a hand on her hand where it rested on the jeep. "I should get you back upstairs. You need to rest still."

"You can't leave me here," she suddenly yelled out, her gaze never breaking from Sanzo's. "Please, you can't leave me."

"Take her inside, Hakkai," was Sanzo's unsympathetic response.

Amaya broke. Her knees gave out and she collapsed to the ground. She fisted the dirt in front of the car as tears threatened to spill from closed eyes. She felt a hand on her back, another on her shoulder.

"Sanzo," Hakkai said softly.

"I knew you were a jerk. I didn't know you were such a heartless bastard," the man named Gojyo spat out. "Making a girl cry."

"Really, Sanzo, this is harsh even for you," the forth added.

She could feel the hot tears running down her cheeks. She couldn't help it. And she couldn't stop it. She didn't even understand why she felt the way she did. She had only known these men for a day, but they were all she knew. They were all she could remember and she didn't want them leaving her behind. She didn't want him leaving her behind. There was something else, as well, something deeper that she couldn't put words to. It didn't matter anyway. All that matter was that they didn't leave her.

Mumbled words finally reached her ears. It took her a moment to realized it was her voice, begging. "Please, please please please please please please." Over and over again, she repeated the word as if it were her own personal mantra. She felt someone kneel in the dirt next to her.

"There there," Hakkai whispered. "It'll be all right."

"We're not taking her with us," Sanzo repeated, his voice cold and distant.

"What an ass."

"What did you say?"

"You heard me, up tight bastard. "

"I'll kill you."

"Go ahead and try it."

"Sanzo's right, though," Hakkai whispered as Sanzo and Gojyo continued to yell at each other. "We shouldn't take you with us. We're in some seriously deep shit right now, and you could get hurt. Stay here, Amaya. I'm sure someone will be able to help you find your family. Or your memories will return and you'll find your way home."

Amaya kept her head down as she listened, shaking her head back and forth. She didn't care where they were going.

"Please, don't," she choked out. "I won't be in the way, I promise."

The man next to her sighed. "Sanzo, we might as well just take her with us. We can at least take her to the next town, were someone might recognize her."

"Come on, Sanzo, it's the least we can do. We did hit her with the jeep," the forth spoke up.

Amaya stayed silent. She held her breath. It felt like her heart stopped beating in her chest.

"Fine. If it means I don't have to listen to you guys bitching any more, she can come with us."

Amaya's head shot up. She wiped her eyes and nose with the back of her hand before slowly standing. Sanzo was sitting in the jeep, his arms crossed over his chest, his head cast down.

"You're sure?"

"Get in the damn jeep before I change my mind."

Amaya scrambled past a chuckling Hakkai to the tail of the vehicle. Gojyo extended a hand and helped her into the back. She took a seat in the middle, in between the redhead and a brunette with a golden crown around his head.

"I'm Goku," the brunette introduced himself the second Amaya was seated.

"She doesn't care who you are, monkey boy."

"Shut up, asshole. I wasn't asking you."

"Thank you, Sanzo."

"Whatever."