Chapter 3

Crying Voices

"A voice, really?"

Sanzo growled as the woman handed him some water for the trip up the unforgiving mountain, "Don't look at me like that."

Nai smirked, "Look, I've known you for a little over a year now Sanzo. You're a bit too dainty for a trip up the mountain. Then on top of that you're chasing a voice."

"Shut up woman!"

The young waitresses at the bar giggled and scurried off to do their tasks. Sanzo glared after them, "What the hell are they laughing for?"

Nai chased the blush from her cheeks, "Don't worry about it Sanzo-sama. Just be careful, they say there's a monster up there."

"Like you really care."

She chuckled, "I care a lot more than you think I do. Now get out, you're scaring my customers."

"Five hundred year old monster my ass." Sanzo caught himself from tripping over a rock and scowled at the thought of Nai laughing at him.

He continued on until he reached level ground and was baffled by the huge stone prison he saw. Sanzo gathered himself and approached it, "Hey you."

There was a child inside and he looked up at Sanzo with huge gold eyes. He was a small child, with long brown hair and a gold crown around his head. He took a moment to answer the monk. "Yes?"

"You the one whose been calling me?"

"I…I haven't been calling anyone."

"Whether it was you or not you can knock it off now. I'm here."

The child was baffled, "Who are you?"

Sanzo stuck his hand through the rock bars, "Just c'mon already."

The trip back down the mountain was only made longer as the child rambled on and on. The moment he learned Sanzo's name he wouldn't stop calling it, he talked about how pretty Sanzo's hair was, and how nice Sanzo was for saving him and how hungry he was, begging for Sanzo to feed him. Upon seeing the town he became excited, "Can we go there?"

"Not yet. I can't be seen walking around with a strange child."

The young boy, named Goku, pouted, "Why not?"

"Because I said so you stupid brat!"

Sanzo looked out at the village, particularly the bar. Nai was gonna nag, he didn't want to sit through that. "C'mon chimp. I have to find some place to put you."

"A child? The monster that's been locked away for five hundred years is a child?"

Sanzo's cold glare answered the woman's question. She put down the basket of food she had and sat on the end of his desk, "Okay, so if this thing really is a five hundred year old child, why do you have it locked in the shed?"

"It's not an it. It's a he and his name is Goku."

Nai put a hand through her hair. "Ok. Why is Goku in the shed?"

"I'm not sure what he is and I can't just announce that I have a child."

The woman felt the blush on her tanned cheeks, "Fine. Can I see him?"

"No."

"Why the hell not?"

"This ain't a fucking exhibit in a zoo!" Sanzo took a deep breath, "They've already noticed food going missing from him sneaking out and I can't have any more complications with this. That's why I asked you too bring more…his eating is uncontrollable."

Nai sighed, "Well he was locked away for five hundred years with no food…" Sanzo growled at her and she grinned, "Ok ok, I'm leaving."

Sanzo stood and folded his arms in his sleeves, "You know the way out, I'm going to check on him, then I'm going to the sanbutshin."

Nai put her hands in her pockets, "I'm just down the hill Sanzo, don't be afraid to call me."

She was outside gathering barrels of beer to replenish the bar inside when Sanzo ran past. At first she didn't stop. But then when Nai thought about it, something had to be up.

"Nai-san, where are you going?"

"To the temple."

The young waitress wiggled her brows, "Going to see the handsome blonde monk?"

Nai rubbed the bridge of her nose, "It's not like that! Watch the damn bar until I come back."

Nai swore that everyone in the village was insinuating something about her and Sanzo. Even the monks whispered among themselves when she brought the wine, or when Sanzo requested her presence. When would they realize that right now she was the only one he felt comfortable talking to?

Though she would admit that he was very handsome, in fact she told him all the time. But he would just tell her to shut up and wave the compliment away as if it were nothing.

That scowl would really ruin his face one day.

She took the steps two at a time and ran through double doors. Her heart started to pound when she didn't notice any monks around. The compound was huge and she didn't know where to look first.

A scream pierced the evening air and she took off in a random direction, hoping it was right. She entered a building, rounded a corner and was greeted by whirls of what looked like Sanzo's scroll.

Everything that happened next happened fast, and she swore that Sanzo had no clue she was there as he spoke softly to the crying child under him.

Sanzo lent against the wall and put his hand in Goku's hair, "How long are you going to stand there?"

Nai opened her mouth, "Um…what did I miss?"

"A lot."

She took hesitant steps forward, "So he's a…you know…"

"Demon?"

"Yeah that."

"Apparently."

Once she was close enough she peered down at the boy, "What's his name again?"

"Goku."

She chuckled, "He's pretty damn cute."

Sanzo watched her settle next to him and leaned his head in the newly formed hole in the wall. "Yeah. Cute pain in my ass."

Nai reached over and wiped the rest of the tears on the child's face. Goku reached up and gently grabbed her hand; his eyes still clenched shut. She moved fluidly, lifting the boy away from Sanzo and holding him in her arms, she stood and he wrapped his little legs around her waist and started snoring.

The monk glared at her as he stood, "He's not gonna let you go is he?"

"Looks like I'm staying over."

"Hey chimp."

Goku looked over his shoulder at the man standing in the doorway to the room. He watched Sanzo for a second before turning back to the woman in front of him and playing with her hair, "Who's this?"

"Do you know what you did last night?"

He shook his head and Sanzo sighed. "Who is this?" Goku asked again.

"That's Nai."

"Hm…she's pretty."

Sanzo let the comment sink in. She was pretty, her pouty mouth pouted even further when she was asleep, and her hair was tousled all over the pillows. "Yeah…"

Nai smiled and opened her eyes; she sat straight up in the bed and pointed to Sanzo, "Ha! You think I'm pretty!"

"I never said that!"

"Don't deny it Sanzo! You said it!"

"Shut up you crazy woman!"

Goku's giggles made the two of them stop and look at him. Sanzo scowled, "What the hell are you laughing at?"

He put his chin on his knees and hugged his legs, his face broken into a huge grin, "I'm happy you saved me Sanzo. I love it here."

Nai laughed, "Aw, Sanzo's a hero!"

"Shut up Nai!"