Chapter 4

Unanswered Questions

Goku looked up from trying to drown his rubber ducky, "Nai. How come there are no children here?"

The woman finished tying back her hair and knelt next to the tub, bringing Goku's gaze with her, "Well…there will be children here in the summer. Some young monks will come to learn."

The boy pouted, "Can't you have a child? I want someone to play with."

Nai laughed a genuine laugh, "And who do you suggest I have a child with Goku?"

"Sanzo!"

The woman rolled her eyes and started to wash his hair, being careful of his diadem, "That won't happen Goku. But until the other children come in the summer, you have me to play with."

Goku splashed her a little, "Okay."

Sanzo stood in the doorway of the bathroom with his arms folded. Watching the two splash each other and laugh excitedly. He heard what Goku said, and even better he heard what Nai said. He wasn't sure what he thought about it. But something happened in his chest, it clenched up a little, he didn't like it.

"Hey! Shut up all this noise!"

Nai laughed as she held out her arms and Goku jumped into the towel she was holding. "You are such an old man Sanzo."

He grumbled under his breath about irritating women and monkeys and followed the two into Goku's room. "You have to stay here for the night."

"Really? Why?"

"I have some business to attend to. Someone killed an entire demon clan and I have to bring him in."

"Him? It was one man?"

"Yes."

"A whole clan? Sanzo this might be a bit dangerous for just you." She was worried but she tried to hide it in her voice.

"I'll be fine."

Nai ran a hand through her dark chocolate locks, "Just be careful."

He grunted in response and she rolled her eyes with a smile on her face. Sanzo exited the room and stood in the hall, "Nagging me like my wife." He paused as he brought a cigarette to his lips. Him with a wife? It was almost laughable… almost.

"Hey Goku you wanna hang with me tonight?"

"YAY! I get to hang with Nai-chan!"

Her laugh drifted into the hall and he grunted again, leaving to do his job.

"He's so cute!"

"I just want to eat him up!"

"How old are you little boy?"

"Where's your mommy?"

Goku had finally had enough and took off at top speed towards the bar, jumping over it and cowering behind Nai. The regular floozies made their way to the item and sneered at Nai, "Is he yours little girl?"

"No as a matter of fact. He's a friend of mine's child."

"Aw, so you've taken up babysitting."

The women giggled in delight, their lipstick covered mouths making rude and nasty comments about the young bartender. It hurt her feelings but she ignored it. These were just old women who never found love. She hung her head and continued to clean out a glass.

Goku hugged her around the waist, "Nai, are you ok?"

"I'm fine Goku.

"But…they said really mean things…"

"I know." She gently cut him off, "They don't bother me anymore Goku."

The women continued to speak loudly; "The only man who would lay with her is probably Gojyo."

"Oh! That hottie from the next town over?"

"Please. She can't handle him."

Another of the women laughed obnoxiously, "You're right. The cute blonde monk doesn't even want her."

Goku watched carefully as Nai wiped under her eyes and continued her cleaning, pausing to get a patron their drink. He'd never seen Nai so…defeated.

The women talked even still, "So did you hear about Gojyo's new bed partner?"

"Oh yeah I did. A cute brunette with green eyes."

"Well it doesn't shock me. Gojyo liking men is actually pretty hot."

"Have you been drinking?"

Nai laughed and put her arms around Sanzo's neck, "What? Of course not. Guess what I heard today?"

"Nai you're drunk."

She gently traced her fingers along the shell of his ear, "No I'm not. Now listen to me."

He gently pushed her away and she sat on his desk, eventually lying down, "These sleazy women in the bar say that this guy in the next town is housing another guy who might be your guy."

"What? Go home, you're talking nonsense."

Nai sat up and turned so her legs were on either side of the monk, "Sanzo, am I sexy?"

The question caught him off guard and he felt the heat rush to his face, as well as other places. What provoked this behavior from her was unclear to him but he didn't like it. "Nai that's enough."

"Answer the question…please." She sounded so sad.

Sanzo helped her off the desk and escorted her to the couch in the corner of the room. When she landed on it she kept a firm hold on the front of his robe, "You didn't answer the question."

He looked over her, those long, tanned, legs, silky dark chocolate hair that curled lightly at the end and those bright, perplexing, hazel eyes. Nai's cloudy gaze was hiding something. She wanted so badly to hear his answer.

"You're beautiful."

She smiled briefly and kissed him lightly on the lips, finally surrendering to the couch. Her snores made him sigh, "Damn woman."

"They were mean to her Sanzo." Goku stood in the doorway rubbing his tired eyes.

"What are you talking about monkey?"

"These scary ladies in the bar. They said mean things, they said you didn't like her."

Sanzo put a hand on the boy's head. "You don't have to worry about that. Now get your sorry ass in the bed."

The sun in her face made Nai all the angrier on top of her pounding headache. She didn't remember much about last night. She knew she talked to Sanzo, which would explain why she was in his office, but what about? She fought past her headache and it finally came to her, "SANZO!"

The man entered the office with his gun raised, "What the hell?"

"Your guy! The one the sanbutshin wants! I know where he is!"

"You stupid woman, go back to sleep."

"No! I mean it, these girls said that some guy in the next town over picked up a guy who was wounded in the woods. He has brown hair and green eyes! Isn't that the description of your guy?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah? Well get a move on! Let's go!"

Sanzo grabbed her wrist as she headed for the door and spun her around effortlessly, letting her back gently hit the wall. He put a hand on the wall next to her head, "Do you know what you did last night?"

She scratched her head, "Not really. I worked, came back to the temple, put Goku to bed…I think I talked to you…"

He sighed and walked away from her, "Forget it."

"Stop. I was drunk wasn't I?"

Sanzo didn't answer and she folded her arms, "It's a bad habit I need to work on. I'm sorry, for whatever I might have done."

"Don't worry about it."