Pairings/Characters (for this chapter): Kougaiji, Genjo Sanzo's reincarnation, Hakuryuu, Son Goku, Lirin, Koumyou Sanzo's reincarnation
Rating (for this chapter): PG
Chapter summary: Jinhai doesn't have too much trouble moving on. Kougaiji wishes he could say the same thing.
A/N: Oops—my pairings are showing. And with this chapter, this fanfic is finally finished! I hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing this *hearts*
Word count (for this chapter): ~777

Chapter Thirteen: All Good Things

Goku watched Kougaiji and Jinhai ignore one another. They'd just arrived at the airfield and were waiting for a car to come pick them up. Neither of them had spoken during the entire trip back, though Goku had killed time by talking with Hakuryuu. He'd been ecstatic seeing him, especially since the last time he'd seen Hakuryuu was at Hakkai's funeral.

"Don't tell me they spent most of the time after I dropped them off ignoring one another."

Goku glanced at Hakuryuu. He was leaning against the side of the helicopter, one of his eyebrows raised. "Not really," Goku answered. "Just the part after we were rescued."

A black hovercar came around from the side of a hangar and made its way across the landing zone. "Ah, finally," Kougaiji said.

Goku wasn't sure who to expect—Yaone probably wasn't around anymore, but he didn't know who else would come to pick up Kougaiji. He couldn't help the laugh that escaped him when he saw the occupant of the backseat. "It's been a long time, brat."

The smile that made its way across Lirin's face was absolutely brilliant. "If it isn't the monkey himself!" She paused, hands on her hips. "You look old."

"Ha! No older-lookin' than you!"

They teased each other all the way to Jinhai's apartment, and Goku could honestly say that he didn't mind cramming himself into the backseat with everyone else, especially since he was sitting beside Lirin anyway.

The driver stopped in front of Jinhai's building and Jinhai quickly got out, muttering about damn brats. Goku was about to get down as well, but stopped when Jinhai growled, "Where do you think you're going?"

"What?" Goku quickly stepped out of the car. "I can't hang out with you for a couple of days? I haven't seen you in forever!" He ended up slamming the door shut in anger.

Jinhai scowled. "You and his highness over there seem to be sharing the same delusion."

Goku stared into the eyes that were almost exactly the same as Sanzo's and sighed. They were almost the same, but they weren't. He stuck his hands in his pockets and bowed his head. "Sorry. I just … miss him, sometimes. He was the closest thing I ever had to a dad."

There was another sigh, this time from Jinhai. A hand came to rest on top of Goku's head, ruffling his hair. "See you around, monkey."

Goku reached up to grab hold of Jinhai's hand, squeezing it in between his own as if he could stop this incarnation of Sanzo from slipping away like the original had. He let go after a few seconds and looked up at Jinhai's face, seeing that the scowl had softened a bit.

The height difference wasn't as big as before, but he wasn't sure if it was because he'd grown or if Jinhai was shorter than Sanzo. "See ya."

He turned around to open the car door and get in. There was a sympathetic look on Lirin's face, and Kougaiji was pointedly staring straight ahead.

"Thanks for the help," Jinhai said flatly, looking at a point somewhere on the roof of the hovercar.

Kougaiji nodded, still not quite looking at Jinhai. "What are friends for?"

Jinhai placed the sutra on the head monk's table, making sure to avoid eye contact with the younger man.

"Job well done!" the head monk said happily. He paused for a moment and looked up at Jinhai. When he spoke again, his tone was serious. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, sir."

"You know I'm not just talking about the physical."

Jinhai thought about the last few days that had gone by—of how he'd been forced to endure Goku and Lirin bickering and flirting like nobody's business when they'd arrived at the airfield, of how he had to stop himself from either pulling Kougaiji into a kiss or punching the bastard in the face, of the tests and check-ups he had to go through before he could meet the head monk.

He thought of the voices and feelings slowly fading away as the hours ticked by since he last saw Goku and Kougaiji.

"Don't worry, sir. I'm fine."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Lakshanya asked softly.

Kougaiji looked at her, his thumb rubbing against the wedding ring on his finger. He thought about the years they'd spent together, their children and their grandchildren, and how happy all of those things made him. "No," he said. "Not really."

Lakshanya sighed and pulled Kougaiji close, making him rest his head against her shoulder. "You're lucky I'm so understanding."

"You're right—I am lucky," he whispered.

End