Ch. 2-
Gojyo glanced through the bag Lee handed him and pulled the scarf and lab coat off the back of the door, tossing it to Hakkai. The green youkai discarded the tattered shirt on the lab table and pulled on the coat, tying his hair back with the scarf. His slightly mismatched eyes seemed to glow in an unearthly way and Gojyo could feel the anger building in his mate.
"Hakkai, chill dude, we have things to do first." He laid a gentle arm over Moa's shoulder and spoke softly, letting his words sink in.
A low growl escaped Hakkai's pale lips, but the tension in the room dropped noticeably.
"Very well. Lee, I'm going to have to handcuff you so they don't think you helped us, ok?" his eyes were hard, but there was a sad determination in them that made her let out a shaky breath and wink at them.
"I thought you'd never ask. Of course, I wasn't really planning on it ending like this, you know?" she ran a hand through her short hair, a light flip of the wrist causing the rusty metal to clank together off-key.
"Lee." She looked at Gojyo straight on for the first time since they'd met her a year ago.
"Gojyo-san, I expect you to take care of them. All of them. I won't forgive you if you fail. Although I don't expect a lousy cockroach to know how to take care of a family."
"What'd you say you little she-demon!"
Gojyo's antenna were up on end, fist clenched as the two verbally spared for a moment.
"Yare, yare, come now children, let's leave the 'grown-ups' to their bickering."
"Hey, Hakkai! Wait-up!" he grabbed the pouch and slung the straps over both shoulders, hefting Kai up in his arms as Hakkai went through and checked their escape.
Hakkai led them back through the adjoining room and over to a bookshelf laden with boring medical texts.
"Umm, Hakkai, I don't think we really have the time to...oh. Ok, then."
Hakkai had his usual 'you were saying' smile plastered across his face, though the addition of the vines made it kinda freaky-sexy to look at. As he waved them through the shallow opening in the floor he wondered, just what kind of clinic has a secret escape route?
"This was here when I took over. Seems the previous owner of the building was a weapon's dealer, funny how life works, isn't it? The tunnel runs out towards the lake, we can cut back along the forest trail to the house and see what we can get before they find this. You two ok? Do you hurt anywhere?"
His gaze slipped down to the shivering figure in his arms.
Kai shook head against Gojyo's chest emphatically; Mao just stared up at Hakkai not speaking. The look she gave him, Gojyo remembered that look, it was the same look he'd given his brother after Jein had killed his mother to save him, fear, awe, respect, yeah, he knew that look well.
"Hey Hakkai, so what's the plan, I don't think we're gonna be able to stay at the house for very long."
"Clothes, food, whatever we can carry and nothing else. Jeep'll be the fastest way out of town, if we can put the mountains between us and them, I don't think they'll follow."
He nodded and kept running. Hakkai's brain was going in a million directions at once, who, what, where, why, all the while the anger seethed below the surface. He tapped into it, using the hot frustration to spur his legs to move faster over the rough terrain.
*huff* *huff*
"Ok, we're like, completely out of shape or something."
"Oh, I didn't realize you were such an old man, Gojyo."
"Heh, yeah right, if I am so are you. Only difference is you're cheating."
Hakkai turned a stricken face to the hanyou, "Cheating? I'd never dream of cheating on you, Gojyo."
A broad smile crossed the red-head's face, "Ha! Don't even start, 'Kai, there are kids present."
He shifted the young boy higher onto his shoulders and took a quick look around.
"Seems like we're what, quarter mile from the house?"
"Yes, it takes about ten minutes at a brisk walk. That way." Hakkai raised a long fingered hand and pointed off towards the west."
"West, huh? Seem familiar to you?" he tossed a crooked smile over his shoulder and started jogging.
"Hmm...maybe a bit more violent than last time."
"Oi! And how do you know how long it takes to get home from here?"
"Ah, yes, well, late shifts do tend to make one find the quickest and most efficient way home."
Hakkai smiled at him as they ran on skirting the edges of the woods.
"So, where to after this?"
"Hmm...do you really have to ask?"
"Shit. And here I was thinking we'd finally gotten rid of those two."
"Well, it does seem the most logical place to hide for a bit, doesn't it?"
"Damn it. That droopy eyed little princess of a priest better not open his mouth about us showing up with kids. Not one, fucking word!"
"Gojyo, please. You really do need to cut back on the swearing. We have children now."
"Oh don't even start with me Hakkai. Not now of all places!"
***
Lights in the distance told them to hurry. Hakkai shouted out a list of things to collect to Gojyo as they raced through the house. Taking the kids into the bedroom he rummaged around for two of their smallest shirts and helped the twins out of their torn and bloody ones.
Sparing a few moments to grab a wet cloth from the adjoining bathroom he ran it carefully over their faces and arms, taking great care around the bandages. Every time they hissed or cringed in pain he felt the anger rearing back up to the surface.
"Stay here for a moment; I'm going to go check on Gojyo." Kai nodded and pulled Mao closer against him. He was starting to get worried, he hadn't heard a single word out of her the entire time they were running, he'd have to keep an eye on her, make sure the shock didn't go too deep.
He turned and ran for the door, almost getting hit as Gojyo burst through, duffle bags swung over his shoulder. Grabbing the healer by the collar, he swung him around and pushed him towards the window.
"Not that way Hakkai! We got visitors, and they don't seem to be the type to wipe their shoes before coming in!"
"Oh, how very rude of them, perhaps I should..."
"NOT NOW, HAKKAI!!! Here! Take the bags and get out the window, I'll hand the kids down to you."
"But, Gojyo!"
"No arguing! Just go! Jeep! Where the hell are you, you little flying rat?!"
"KYU!!"
"Good, go Hakkai, go! Mao! Kai! Come here, hurry!"
Kai pulled his sister's hand harshly, dragging here towards the window and pushing her into waiting arms.
"Go, Mao, go!" her fingers clung to his, crying out as they were ripped apart.
"KAI!!!"
"It's ok, just wait here, he'll be right down, please, just wait Mao. I promise we won't leave him behind." Hakkai reached up as Kai came flying through the window at him.
Gojyo smiled, he liked the kid's style.
Setting the kids in the backseat, Hakkai pulled himself into the driver's seat, craning his neck back to see where Gojyo was.
"Gojyo!"
"Alley-op! Hit it 'Kai!"
As Jeep squealed onto the dirt path leading from their house the sounds of doors being broken down carried to them by the wind.
*Sigh*
"And I had just waxed the floor too."
"Yeah, doesn't look like we'll be able to go back anytime soon either. So what now?"
"We go west of course."
"Yeah. West."
Gojyo settled down into the seat, leaning back as small, chubby hands squirmed their way over the seats and into his arms. As two little red-heads brushed up under his nose ha saw Hakkai smile into the moonlight and he sighed.
Well, one way or another, their lives were never boring, were they?
***
TBC