Chapter 19

The Inevitable

A/N: I'm sorry for the wait. I usually don't take so long to update my boys. School is making me extra busy. I hope this was worth the wait.

"Jeez Gojyo, when did you get so soft?"

The redhead smirked and swung at the woman who ducked and caught him in the shin. "Fuck! Dammit Nai!"

Goku chuckled from the crates he was sitting on, "Is the Kappa afraid to hit a girl?"

"Shut up monkey!"

"Pay attention stupid!" Sanzo shouted at the man as Nai swung her leg.

Gojyo moved in time and went to trip her. She jumped over his long leg and blocked a punch that followed right after. It was tit for tat until Nai took a hit to the face. She spit on the ground and smirked at him, "Was that supposed to hurt?"

"I'm not gonna hit you any harder girly."

Nai caught his cheek hard enough to leave a small scratch and a bruise, "Really? Goku must be right. Pussy half breed can't hit a girl."

The woman landed on her back so hard she instantly rolled onto her side, turning her head away from the man. The red Gojyo had seen before faded away and he approached her, "Nai? Dammit, girly are you ok?"

Her leg shot up when he got too close and he doubled over in pain. She took the chance to knock his legs from under him and roll above him, "You fell for that. Tsk tsk Gojyo."

He was still grimacing, "Why there girly?"

She pouted, "Aw, I thought you would be mad about your face."

He smiled at her, "It'll heal."

Sanzo moved to stand over the two and gently nudged Nai in the side with his foot. She obliged him and rolled off the half-breed. "That's enough of that." He growled out.

"Fine."

"Man, we weren't going to do any thing with you watching." Gojyo grinned and said.

The priest scowled and shoved him down before he could stand all the way.

Nai rubbed her stomach. "I'm so hungry."

"You sound like the monkey."

"Hey now..." Goku started to say something else but stopped as Hakkai exited the house and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Can you all come indoors please? We have some guests."

The four followed Hakkai inside who lead them to the kitchen. Gojyo approached his brother and embraced him, "Long time Bro."

Dokugakugi grinned at his brother in return, "Yeah man it has. Wish we were here with better news."

"Better news?" Nai stepped back from hugging Yaone and frowned at the woman, "What does he mean?"

"I'm afraid we do have some bad news."

Kougaiji sighed, "The experiments are underway. Dr. Nii has all of the scriptures except yours Sanzo... And he knows it's here."

Goku dropped into a seat, "That means they're coming right? But this village is protected."

Lirin balled her fist, "The force my mother put together to come get the scripture. They're all really strong."

Nai shook her head, "But all those weaklings we've faced... We thought she didn't have anything left..."

Dokugakugi folded his arms, "That's what she wanted you to think."

Sanzo sighed heavily from his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose, "So what now?"

"We need to team up and leave this village. If we stay here the force will level it and if we don't team up, each of us will go down with it."

"That sucks." Goku pouted. He looked to the old woman who was frowning deeply by the stove. "We can't let anything happen to these people. They were able to stay sane through this. We can't let them lose it now."

"And they have those little generators now. Have a mobile minus wave." Hakkai added.

Gojyo ruffled Goku's hair, "The monkey's right. We need to leave."

"When is she sending them out?" Nai asked.

Kougaiji sat, "Midnight."

Sanzo nodded, "Then we leave at midnight."

The old woman forced herself to smile at least a little, "I'll start on dinner then."

The table was quiet except for the clanking of silverware on plates. No one looked up from their food or reached past there own glass of water. Nai slammed her fork down, "Can we please stop acting like this is our last meal?"

Hakkai smiled a little, "The atmosphere is a bit somber."

Gojyo smirked, "Sorry girly."

"Don't apologize. Just stop acting like someone is going to die when we leave this table."

Everyone seemed to hold his or her breath, "Death is inevitable." Kougaiji said softly.

His sister punched his arm, "Don't think like that!"

Nai rolled her eyes and picked up her plate, storming from the table, "With that attitude we're all gonna die."

The old woman frowned at the rest of the table, "She has a valid point. You all have to think positive, even if death in unavoidable. Our god and goddess could have been killed for leaving heaven, but because they had faith they made it."

Sanzo sighed and pushed back from the table and tucked his arms in his sleeves. He stood and walked outside to the vast front porch to find Nai pacing in frustration. "You need to calm down."

She stopped and took a deep breath, "I..."

The blonde noticed the clouded look in her eyes; the look that said something was hurting, "What is it?"

Nai chuckled a bit, a lifeless chuckle, "I don't want everyone to dwell in this. It'll only make it harder when something does happen."

Sanzo narrowed his gaze on her, "I'm really starting to get sick and tired of your feelings. What the hell is going on with you?"

"I don't think I'm going to make it."

The monk did a good job of not panicking, even though he wanted to. "I believe that in order for you to come along on this journey you had to stay alive."

"The way I feel it. It's me or the four of you."

"No."

"Sanzo-"

"I said no. That's enough. We're not going to talk about this anymore."

Nai blocked his way back into he house and fixed her gaze, "You know my feelings are always right."

"That's not true." He tried.

"Always." She pushed.

Sanzo looked at her and for the first time his gaze completely let up. The wrinkles eased on his face and the tension cleared away, "Why?"

"You know I don't know. But I'm not afraid or angry. I'd rather it be me than any one of you."

The silence became a bit intolerable and Nai finally moved out of Sanzo's way. She sighed, "When you told me the four of you were leaving, I had another reason to kill myself."

"What?"

"Before… I had planned to do it the very day you walked into my bar. My mom was dead my dad had killed himself… I had nothing to live for. Then there you were. A tired traveling monk who made my feelings spark like nothing I'd ever felt before. Then I had Goku, Gojyo, and Hakkai. The four of you are my family and I would gladly die for you."

"Well girly, that was quite beautiful, but I don't think I can stand for that."

Goku buried his face in her chest, "You can't just die."

Hakkai rubbed her shoulder, "How long have you been feeling this?"

She shrugged, "A long time. A very long time."

Gojyo nudged Sanzo, "Cheer up blondie. We won't let anything happen to her."

"Tch. We have to do everything in our power."

Nai frowned at them. She admired their love for her, their valor. But some things just couldn't be undone.