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Never No Answer	By : animegher Category: Gensomaden Saiyuki > General Views: 8695 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Gensomaden Saiyuki, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
Disclaimer: Saiyuki and characters belong to Kazuya Minekura and I�m sure a lot of

people who own stock or somethingY not me, though.

Sanzo was first aware of the heavy warmth of
his own body. It felt like he had fallen asleep in a bathtub of scalding hot
water. His skin was tight as if it had shrunk while he slept. All his muscles
were heavy and tired; unresponsive when he demanded them to move. Sanzo could
barely keep his eyes open, blearily staring at the ceiling and left to wonder
what in the world had happened.

He was looking up a the flat and smooth ceramic
roof, simple white walls bare except for a few cheap and tattered painted wall
scrolls with bold, black calligraphy writings that Sanzo doubted any of those
idiot common folk would even be able read. He could tell that it was some kind
of hotel room by the sparse personal things decorating the room. In fact, it
reminded him of the same inn they had stayed at�the last night Sanzo could
clearly remember.

He tiled his head up off the pillow a bit,
glancing around to see a large, circular wood table in the center of the room
with four old chairs surrounding it. An old, stained pine dresser was in the
corner with a small mirror hanging on the wall over it. In the far corner of
the room was a small refrigerator. That had better be full of alcohol, or he
was going to stay in this bed and rot to death.

There was a locked door that likely led to a
hallway in a small alcove opposite the wall of the bed directly to his right.
Another open doorway that was facing the foot of the bed that led in to what
must be a private bathroom. Inwardly, Sanzo was pleased that there was the
prospect of a bath tub or shower where he could finally take his own damn sweet
time in scrubbing the dirt from the road off. He hated the shared common
bathrooms, always choosing to go late in the evening and early mornings when it
was unlikely for anyone else to be there. He didn�t want to deal with
harassment from fat, ugly naked older men far too horny for their age while he
was trying to enjoy a shower. He didn�t need to hear their idiot comments whhe whe was trying to close his eyes and relax, the closest he ever got to
meditation these days.

Sanzo sighed, forgetting the bath to wonder
how the hell he had even gotten here. His memory was one big, pathetic black
hole as to whatever had laid him out in bed. Sanzo felt uniquely bone-tried and
drained, like he usually did if Hakkai had been at work. Something must have happened;
something that had caused such injury that Hakkai had needed to heal him? What
could have happened to force the brunette to try and save his life with that
power of his? He didn�t like it.

Damn the lack of answers. Sanzo hated not
knowing, throwing his head back on the pillon irn irritation. This left him
vulnerable. He could only wonder at how long he had been out. Sanzo
detested when Hakkai would cheerfully announce that he had been asleep for over
two dar sor some other ridiculous number like that. It galled Sanzo to no ends
that he had taken �days� to recover sometimes. If he had been a stronger
person, he wouldn�t be getting fucking mauled half the time. Sanzo seemed to
attract stray bullets and knives and claws�and teeth, sometimes; mainly on the
bad days.

Sanzo felt a headache coming on at that
train of thought. His skull ached like it was going to become one of those
goddamn migraines that he suffered from constantly. His brow was already
tightening up as he became more irritated at being no closer to remembering
what had happened to put him in a bed. It only tensed him up further when he
couldn�t even move out of bed.
p>

His neck was stiffening up almost
intolerably around his pillow and Sanzo cursed this as well. It was another
weakness, something that afflicted him because he was so cowardly and weak. For
things he had done in the past, he paid for now with every little bit of pain.
Sanzo almost relished it at times; feeling like it was a penance to be paid. He
could get some satisfaction out of seeing his blood, to make up for the one
that had already given his life to protect him. The stupid Buddhist monk had
given his life to protect Sanzo, not as a High Priest, but as person with weak
emotions. Komyou had gotten himself killed because he had allowed himself to care enough to throw himself in front of
Sanzo so many yeas ago.

With a grin at the pain it caused, Sanzo
looked down at his body to assess the injuries he had woken up with today.
His left arm was sprawled out on the mattress on to the the covers, the rest of
him hidden underneath the sheets. He considered himself lucky because he didn�t
think he could lift the sheets up right now to look at the rest of his body. He
was too damn tired and weak to even try. It was rather fucking pathetic and
there was very little he could do to change it.

His wrist was wrapped up in thin linen
wrappings, almost exactly how Gojyo wore bandages on his own arm everyday.
Sanzo�s mouth tightened distastefully at the thought of the womanizing and loud
half-breed. Gojyo�s only redeeming trait was the times Sanzo could grudgingly
bum a cigarette off the bastard when he ran out and was desperate for a smoke,
with Goku yelling in his ear and Hakkai laughing it all off like usual.

Sanzo turned his thoughts away from his
unwanted traveling �companions� and back to his own injuries. He would need to
know exactly what had happened so he could pay back the favor with a hell of a
lot of interest. Nobody was allowed to beat him without suffering his
wrath. Sanzo had never been beaten twice by the same person, be it human or
youkai� Even a group of youkai. Sanzo was disgusted that it had even happened
once.

Grimacing, Sanzo noticed there was a large
folded gauze bandage taped down over his shoulder. He felt like his neck was
also wrapped up as well. An experimental lick of his lips discovered a large
patch of medical tape on the outside corner of his mouth. Damn interesting. He�d
very much like to know what had put him out like this, and if it was still
alive. Because if whoever it was that did this to him was still living, Sanzo
would very much like to make that not the case.

He wondered where his gun was. His robes and
small personal belongings, the biggest concerns begin the sutra, and his gun.
The robes were gone and Sanzo felt the fabric of an unfamiliar shirt and long
cotton pants on him. Someone had chosen to give him a new pair of pajamas.
Fucking wonderful. Sanzo�s head pounded in frustration that someone had
taken it upon himself to strip him down to the skin and tuck him in a bed.

A stranger pawing at his naked body when he
was unconscious was not a pleasing image. If it had been someone other
than Goku, Sanzo would have the person�s head. Only Goku�s loyalty was
infallible and Sanzo was sure that the dumbass ape hadn�t a clue that he
should even appreciate a naked person. Goku didn�t have any inkling
toward sex yet, no matter how old he really was. Sanzo knew that Hakkai was
always so nice and respectful, but there was a dangerous, violent streak
that ran though the man. Sanzo wouldn�t want to risk it with Hakkai�s dark
streak. Gojyo was a sick pervert and would probably try something even if Sanzo
were unconscious during it or not. The half-demon had fewer morals than Sanzo,
at least when it came to sex.

Sanzo sighed with his head aching and the
softness of the bed insisted that he stop thinking about such things and lie
still. Sanzo didn�t want to move for another few years and despised the
weakness at the same time. He was a monk, after all. Worldly pleasures shouldn�t
interest him. Beyond cigarettes and the feeling of the Smith and Wesson in his
hand, Sanzo didn�t find much to enjoy in life. He shouldn�t be relaxing in a
bed right now. He should be out finishing this damn mission�

Sanzo fell back into the mattress, not able
to hold his head up any longer. He felt like falling back asleep and not giving
a damn when someone groaned next to him. Sanzo had enough time to take one
sharp breath before Gojyo rolled over and flapped his arm over Sanzo�s chest.

He looked down in utter horror at Gojyo
lying sound asleep, like Sanzo was nothing more than another cheap, loveless
fuck that he could use as a pillow afterwards. Sanzo nearly gagged with
revulsion before finding the strength to start up from the bed and throw the
arm off with as much force as he could manage right now, like the touch was
poisonous. It was, in a way.

What the fuck is going on? I�ll kill him. I�ll kill him, Sanzo
chanted in his head as he struggled up in the bed. He looked around wildly for
his gun; searching for the places Hakkai would have put it. The Smith and
Wesson must be in the dresser so it would be hidden from sight. They all knew
better than to try and hide his gun from him while he was sleeping whatever it
was off. Hakkai had tried it once and the fury that followed was one not to be
roused again.

Sanzo swung the covers off, ignoring the way
the world spun and tilted sickeningly. He would not stay in a bed with Gojyo
for one moment longer. What the hell had brought that man into his
bed?! Did the bastard think he was welcome there? Sanzo growled at the
lack of answers coming forward from his blank memory, his flesh crawling with
the remembered touch of the half-breed.

Disgusting. Unacceptable, Sanzo thought bitterly as he dragged one
foot over the mattress and got it on the ground. Damn it all to the deepest,
darkest rotting hell he knew of. Gojyo was groaning and finally starting to
rouse from his sleep eveoughough Sanzo had thrown him off seconds ago and was now
leaving the bed as quickly as possible.

What happened? What the hell happened? Sanzo wondered
frantically as he took a step forward. First, he�d shoot Gojyo in the thigh or
shoulder, somewhere bloody and painful but not life threatening, and then get
some answers. Depending on if Gojyo�s explanations were pleasing, he might
allow the kappa to live. Might? He would kill the bastard for
daring to sleep in the same bed

Sanzo fell heavily when he took the third
step, landing in a hard sprawl that nearly knocked the wind out of him. Sanzo
bit his lip as his chin hit painfully against the floor, drawing blood. The
loud smack of a body hitting the hardwood floor was finally enough to rouse
Gojyo. Sanzo just knew thatyo wyo would see fit to finally awaken when
he was sprawled out on the floor like this.

What the fuck had happened to leave
him this weak? Blood was lea out out like a faucet from his cut lip and
starting to drip on the wooden floor. An unfamiliar and painful ache was
centered in the area between his hips and his back. His whole lower body felt
bruised and sore on the inside. Sanzo must have taken some heavy kidney punches
or the like. It hurt like a bitch, even more then the fresh wound on his lip.

�Sanzo? What the hell are you doing on the
floor?� Gojyo drawled as he raised his head up from the bed in mild curiosity.
He still lookedepy epy and bedraggled, his hair falling down over his
shoulders, wearing nothing more than a pair of boxers. Gojyo wasn�t fully awake
yet as he examined Sanzo�s bent head and the shaking back turned to him.

I will kill him.

�What the fuck do you think I�m doing,
you bastard?� Sanzo cursed, blood splattering as he yelled at Gojyo. Did he
think Sanzo liked being on the floor, struggling around like a wounded
animal? The half-breed was amazingly stupid at times, always falling
victim to his softhearted emotions. Gojyo was a pathetic, romantic asshole that
had chosen to fall asleep in his bed for some unfathomable reason.

�Shit, what did you do? You�re bleeding,�
Gojyo cursed, rolling out of the bed as he noticed Sanzo had blood covering his
lower lip and chin. Gojyo was thankfully wearing a pair of plain white boxers
and his familiar white tank-top. If he had been naked, Sanzo wouldn�t have
spoken for how much time Gojyo had left to live. Being decently dressed had
earned him a few more seconds.

�Of course I�m bleeding, you retarded
piece of shit,� Sanzo returned. Gojyo knelt down next to Sanzo on the floor,
reaching out to grab at his jaw and examine him like a pet. Sanzo slapped Gojyo�s
hand away and gingerly pressed his own fingers on the cut, noticing that his right
arm also had wrappings around the wrist to his elbow. This just kept getting
better and better. Sanzo could feel more bandages underneath the loose,
borrowed pajamas. He could save those for examination later.

�Well, excuse me for giving a damn, High
Priest Sanzo,� Gojyo drawled, making the title sound like a slur. Sanzo
wanted his gun to put a bullet straight through the half-breed�s head. He didn�t
have to listen to the redhead�s bullshit. Sanzo didn�t want to even see
Gojyo right now. Why the hell was he in my bed?

�Get me a towel, asshole,� Sanzo ordered
crisply, choosing to ignore Gojyo�s comments for now. Gojyo blinked at the tone
of voice, but didn�t even move, like he couldn�t understand the words.
Obviously Sanzo needed something to sop all the blood up with. With a snarl at
the bastard�s inability to understand the simplest of orders, Sanzo cupped his
chin to keep the blood from dribbling further down his chin and tried to stand.

Sanzo got one foot under himself when the
world went backward. It felt the the floor had suddenly been yanked out from
under him as he collapsed for the second time that morning. He was lost,
helplessly falling backwards with nothing to catch himself with.

Gojyo was fast, out of the mattress and
getting one arm under him before Sanzo knocked his brains out on the floor. It
would have been an embarrassing way to die, but Sanzo would have preferred it
to the humiliation of looking up into those inhuman red eyes. He hated the way
Gojyo looked at him, managing to seem predatory because of the color. He felt
like he was being examined and measured up, which was something he despised
with a passion.

They were silent for a moment as Gojyo held
him, not letting Sanzo sit up on his own power. Sanzo gave the youkai till the
count of three. If he didn�t release him, Sanzo was finding the gun and screw
it if he wasn�t able to walk. He�d crawl if need be. Gojyo finally sat
back up but took his own damn time in releasing the hold enough to allow Sanzo
to sit on the floor.

Standing seemed to be out of the option for
a while, at least until Sanzo recovered enough. He was dizzy from the worsening
migraine as his skull tightened painfully around the grey matter inside. Why
couldn�t Gojyo just leave him alone right now to curl up in the bed until he
died from this excruciating pain?

�Say please,� Gojyo demanded. Sanzo wished
he could kill Gojyo with a look alone as he gave the man an enraged glare.
Gojyo smirked next to him and brushed his long red hair around one ear, waiting
until he heard Sanzo use the old �magic word.� Sanzo ground his teeth for a
moment, too infuriated to even speak in the face of Gojyo�s obvious disregard
for his anger.

�Go to hell,� Sanzo hissed with enough ice
to freeze the man to death just by being in the same room right now. Sanzo
would die before begging like that. It was beneath him, so abhorrent
that his skin crawled at the idea. He was High Priest Genjo Sanzo and he would
bend knee to no one... Ever.

His headache was starting to worsen. It was
Gojyo�s fault, for being so damn selfish when Sanzo was obviously stuck on the
floor. Sanzo still would not say �please.� He would take death before that, so
all Sanzo could do was sit up on the floor a little straighter, ignoring the
twisting of his stomach and the clenching of his throat that threatened to
throw up what little was in his stomaspanspan style='mso-spacerun:yes'>

�Well, I think I�ll be leaving now,� Gojyo
drawled, standing up beside him. Sanzo swallowed, trying to keep from being
sick on the floor like a child. He was almost jealous of Gojyo�s uninjured
state. Sanzo hated the feeling of nausea, rarely eating so he could avoid
having anything to throw up later when the migraines got really bad.

Somehow the half-breed had avoided being
scratched up in whatever fight Sanzo had gotten himself involved in. Gojyo�s
shaku-jou allowed very few to come in range of actually injuring him. Usually
Sanzo�s gun worked to the same advantage, but it seemed he had somehow managed
to be overwhelmed. He couldn�t remember if he had used the sutra or not. It was
impossible for him to imagine being beaten by the usual youkai they ran across.
He tisked, not wanting to remember if it was going to be some stupid story like
he had tripped and been knocked out by his own fool step. That was the only
thing Sanzo could think of happening to him, because the demons simply just didn�t
beat him up every other day.

�Good. Get the fuck out,� Sanzo snapped,
wanting to be alone to nurse his lip and to be rid of Gojyo�s irritating voice.
The bastard�s voice seemed to be louder than usual with his voice echoing
between Sanzo�s ears and slamming against the inner walls of his skull. It hurt
to listen to the bastard�s low voice right now. The thought of Goku coming in
and being loud and worried as usual made Sanzo�s nausea worsen.

He wasn�t even sure what time of day it was
to guess what meal the boy would stuff himself with. He just didn�t want to
hear the boy eat, slurping and chewing with his mouth open, loud and obnoxious.
Sanzo wouldn�t be able to deal with the ape without gagging him right now. All
he wanted was peace and quiet to recover from this awful headache.

The door clicked distinctly in the silence
Sanzo had made. He glanced over to see who had made the mistake of coming in.
If it was some hotel employee, he wouldn�t have been able to handle the
humiliation of being sprawled out on the floor and holding a hand to his broken
lip. The person that walked in the door was going to catch hell for seeing him
like this.

�Oh, Sanzo! You�re awake,� Hakkai greeted in
an astonished, polite voice. The man was standing in the doorway with Jeep
fluttering behind his head, the reptilian set of red eyes staring in. It was
like a having a smaller match of Gojyo�s eyes. Hakkai slammed the door shut and
Sanzo winced at the painful crash, wishing that he had never woken up. Why
couldn�t he have stayed unconscious for a while longer?

�Are you all right? You�re bleeding all over
the place, Sanzo,� Hakkai said with a more than the usual amount of concern in
his voice. Sanzo glanced up sharply at the thin man that had already walked to
the bathroom door. Jeep was following in lazily waves behind the man, chirping
in those painfully high-pitched squeaks. Sanzo wanted his gun so he could shoot
a bullet through that dragon�s head and silence it forever. They could buy
a normal car. Screw the gas bills. As long as Sanzo wouldn�t have to hear it
croon and whine ever again.

�He�s just perky. Already bit his lip
getting out of bed,� Gojyo informed Hakkai, like it was any of his concern to
know why Sanzo was bleeding like a stuck pig this early in the morning. Or
perhaps it was afternoon? Sanzo didn�t know, but the pounding in his
head made him want to go back to bed and sleep the rest of his miserable life
away.

�He wasn�t talking to you, youkai,�
Sanzo snapped, informing the animal of his place. He was fed up with Gojyo�s
constant questioning and sentimental opinions that got them into trouble more
often than not. Sanzo rarely felt any satisfaction out of helping people out
like Gojyo and Goku, but Hakkai seemed to find in every good deed. It only
delayed their mission more, taking another precious traveling day. Sanzo didn�t
want to die of old age before finishing this. He refused to die on this stupid
quest.

�Youkai bastard,� Gojyo corrected,
not about to let Sanzo have the upper hand for a single moment. Sanzo reached
blindly for the gun he didn�t have with his bloody fingers. The desire to
commit murder only burned stronger when Gojyo just laughed at the reaction.
Gojyo wasn�t frightened of him anymore with the threat of death having worn off
a long time ago.

Sanzo was going to do a limb shot for the
next warning and after that it would be the last shred of his priestly
patience. He couldn�t stand the way the half-youkai seemed to laugh at him all
the time. Genjo Sanzo was not a man to be mocked lightly. It looked like he was
going to have to finally back up his threats. If Sanzo really had his gun right
now, he wouldn�t have made it an empty promise any longer.

�Don't start fighting! Sanzo is recovering.
Don�t pick arguments right now, Gojyo,� Hakkai admonished like the
schoolteacher he had once been, the cordial smile never leaving his face the
whole time. Hakkai came back carrying a towel without even being asked to fetch
it, just like a good servant should. Why hadn�t Gojyo caught onto this system
of order as well as Goku and Hakkai had? Jeep was following its master out of
the bathroom, squeaking merrily.

�Here.� Hakkai handed Sanzo the towel and he
snatched it angrily out of his hand. Sanzo pressed it gingerly against his lip,
wishing that he hadn�t fallen out of bed like some cripple, wishing that he
wasn�t on the floor like a weak child. Gojyo stayed on the bed, grinning that
insolent smile at the sight of the leader of this ragtag group slumped on the
floor of a hotel.

Jeep was flying a lazy circle around their
heads, not ready to take perch anywhere yet. It was distracting to have
something that reminded him of a scavenger bird above his head. The dragon was
making the headache worse for Sanzo, making his neck tighten unbearably as he
held the towel against his bleeding lip.

�So, Gojyo, what did you do to make Sanzo
fall out of bed?� Hakkai asked. Sanzo smirked at the man�s berating of Gojyo.
The son of a bitch deserved it for daring to sleep in his bed. Hakkai knew that
Sanzo wouldn�t sprawl on the floor without good reason, and the only other
living creature in the room had been Gojyo at the time.

Surprisingly, Gojyo actually winced at
Hakkai�s words, looking down to Sanzo on the floor guiltily before glancing
away. Sanzo suddenly didn�t like being below their heads. He was used to being
shorter by a small amount, but at least when he was standing it wasn�t quite as
noticeable. If he trusted his legs to hold him, Sanzo would have chosen to
stand right now.

He felt small right now and didn�t know why.
Something was going on between the two with the way they shared guilty,
concerned looks. They were pitying him, for what damn reason Sanzo didn�t
have a clue. It was disgusting. He hated these emotions that his whole party
seemed to fall victim to. Why couldn�t at least a single one of them forget his
feelings for a moment and actually be of some use to him?

�He did it all by his own damn self,� Gojyo
returned, looking angry that Hakkai would accuse him of doing something to
Sanzo. Hakkai only chuckled knowingly, probably coming up with his own
deduction of what had happened and held out his arm for Jeep. Jeep squeaked
after its master, finally sick of flying above their arguing heads. The dragon
settled on the smiling man�s elbow, fawning and crooning.

Sanzo studied the angle of Hakkai�s face
from his seat on the floor. As usual, that goddamn smiling poker expression was
looking right back as Sanzo glared up at him. Except it was cracking at the
corners; Hakkai looking a bit strained and too cheerful. Something
serious must have happened. Hakkai wouldn�t look this worried otherwise. Sanzo could tell where anxiety was starting to
take its toll on the brunette. Worry lines and large, blue bruises under his
eyes were all very distinct.

�What
the hell happened?� Sanzo demanded, wanting to know why they looked at him with
pity. He despised those eyes. He didn�t want to be worried over.
Sanzo was ready to forget the stinking gun and just believe he had the strength
to choke Gojyo successfully. That would be enough to serve as a lesson to
Hakkai about looking down on him. Then, he could crawl back into the bed and
sleep without them watching him.

�You don�t remember?� Hakkai asked in a very
worried and soft tone, his smile slipping a bit he looked down at Sanzo with
concern. Even Jeep was silent and watching him in such a way that Sanzo knew it
wasn�t a simple-minded, flying snake. It was just as much another person to
stare at him. They both looked at him with unblinking eyes, knowledge about
what had happened burning behind them.

Hakkai glanced to Gojyo, a disbelieving look
shared with the scar-faced man. Sanzo gritted his teeth, wondering why the hell
they were staying silent. What had happened that would make them hold their
usually flapping mouths? Sanzo had never known Gojyo to hold his tongue. Why
were they being hesitant to answer him?

�Of course I do. What I want to know is why you
saw fit to crawl between my bed sheets, you piece of shit,� Sanzo lied, turning
on Gojyo. He didn�t want to admit to not knowing in front of them. It seemed
like it would be admitting to a terrible weakness. What did they know to be so
goddamn worried, and why didn�t he remember it?

�You almost died of hypothermia, Sanzo. I
healed what I could back�there,� Hakkai said with a pause and an angry
look. Where the fuck is �there?� Sanzo silently screamed, raking his
memory for the answer. Nothing. It was like looking at a large, blank wall. No
unveiling of the mystery like a curtain being pulled back as he remembered. Why
wasn�t Hakkai saying any names, any descriptions beyond �there?!�

�But it was still touchy on the drive back,
with the snow and fog,� Hakkai explained with Jeep finally quiet and still on
his upper arm. Sanzo didn�t remember any of it, but he still stiffened at the
thought of snow. Snow was only frozen rain. Rain was always reminded him of that
night. Sanzo gritted his teeth and waited for the answer to his second
question. Gojyo was staying silent for once, looking somber as he remembered
with his oh-so-convenient and accessible memory. Sanzo wanted to kill him.

�You didn�t have any body heat so somebody
had to sleep with you to keep you warm. We couldn�t very well put you in front
of the common room ,� H,� Hakkai explained in a rush, noticing the homicidal
look on Sanzo�s face. It was true that he would have rather died before he let
a bunch of strangers watch his suffering, but having Gojyo in the same bed wasn�t
an acceptable option either.

Sanzo pursed his lips in a displeased line
as he pulled away the towel and checked if the bleeding had stopped yet. The
white terry was damp with red blood and a careful prodding with his tongue told
Sanzo that his lip was indeed still bleeding. What a great fucking way
to wake up today.

�I was a gentleman, if that�s what you�re so
goddamn worked up about,� Gojyo defended rudely. Hakkai shot the half-demon a
look that almost matched the furious glare Sanzo gave Gojyo as well. Hakkai
looked like he expected an order to kill Gojyo from Sanzo and was more than
happy to carry it out. It might not be a bad idea at this time to take
advantage of Hakkai feeling protective and get him to beat the shit out of
Gojyo. That might amuse Sanzo enough to drive away this headache.

�I didn�t even touch you�wrong,�
Gojyo trailed off suddenly, looking away from him. The prick blinked at his own
words as he realized everyone in the room was not at all pleased with him.
Then, Gojyo ducked his head with the utter audacity to look ashamed!
Like the half-breed had felt the faintest fucking flicker of remorse at all in
his entire life! What the hell was going on? Gojyo didn�t care about
Sanzo enough to feel like he needed to defend himself. It was like he thought
Sanzo needed to hear it.

Something very serious must have happened in
the time that Sanzo couldn�t remember. He looked between the two people in the
room, studying their reactions with disgusted curiosity as he put the towel
bac his his bleeding lip. They both were being silent and wary of him, like
they had suddenly realized how very mortal and how easily Sanzo could expire
despite being more than able to take care of himself. Someone needed to pay
with for this beating, because that was all Sanzo could deduce it to be, so these
two wouldn�t look at him with those pitying eyes.

Sanzo didn�t like being in the dark, but he
didn�t want to ask them what had happened. He would wait for the memory to
return naturally. Even if that took a hundred years. He would rather die
without the knowledge than beg answers from one of the idiots he had to travel
with.

Gojyo and Hakkai always got a little more
sensitive when Sanzo had a brush with death. They always seemed to think it was
their fault or along the lines of that usual shit. Sanzo was responsible for
his own actions and the result of them, even if he had no fucking clue
as to what had happened.

�What do you mean?� Sanzo shot back,
wondering why there was even a doubt. Obviously, they would continue west once
he healed enough to sit in the jeep again. Right now, his bottom just felt
numb, tiny pricks of pain stabbing through him whenever Sanzo so much as wiggle
his toes. He would probably fall out the side of the jeep in his current state.
He wouldn�t be able to take the jerking, hard road that was usually was either
dried up wagon wheel tracks or unexplored mountainous terrain. Some might
consider such large expanses of untouched nature breathtaking. Sanzo considered
it a damn inconvenience when there was no road.

�Are you going to do anything?� Gojyo asked
vaguely again, waiting for him to answer. Sanzo glanced up from putting the
cigarette to his mouth, curious why Gojyo was insisting on knowing his state of
mind. Why were Gojyo and Hakkai dancing around the subject, not saying anything
specific like names or places? Sanzo couldn�t deal with these word games right
now. He lit up before answering such a ludicrous question.

�Asshole. What�s your point?� Sanzo
addressed as he blew out a large cloud of smoke. Gojyo�s immediately angry face
was enough to show that Sanzo had hit a mark. Gojyo hated it when his questions
were disregarded, as Sanzo tended to do most of the time. The half-breed rarely
ever asked a question worth dignifying with an answer.

Goku looked to Gojyo, expecting an answer as
Sanzo took the cigarette out of his mouth and reached down with his other hand
to drink the beer. Hakkai coughed politely and looked at Sanzo with one good
eye, his expression unreadable. Sanzo watched his smoke drift out over the
table with Goku�s large golden eyes watching every move. It was unnerving, to
have such a rapt audience all the time. <
<

�Don�t you want to find whoever did it?�
Gojyo asked rudely as Hakkai gasped and winced at the question, like it was the
worst thing Gojyo could have asked in the history of the world. What was Hakkai
getting so agitated about? Sanzo looked out of the corner of his eye to see
Goku tuck his chin against his chest. He couldn�t even see the boy�s eyes under
the fall of his bangs. Goku wasn�t even saying a word. Things must have been
bad to silence the loud, irritating ape.

What could be so serious to unnerve all of
them so? They all were acting like Sanzo was a bomb, ticking away in the
silence as they waited for an answer. How were they expecting him to react?
Sanzo wasn�t sure if he should pretend to be angry or not. Gojyo stared at him
balefully; those eyes watching him to tto think about what was happening. Why
couldn�t he remember?!

�Maybe,� Sanzo drawled as he sat his beer
down mechanically. He wasn�t sure what they were even talking about, but he
didn�t want to sound like Genjo Sanzo had just rolled over and taken the blows.
Someone had beaten him good and spat on him at the end� He thought.
There was no real evidence to him being beaten or not. He could have fallen off
the side of a mountain for all Sanzo knew.

But, if Sanzo could remember the exact
details, he could be more specific in how he would take the proper course of
revenge. No living creature had managed to look down on him and live long
afterward. Once Sanzo had his gun, he would make them all regret acting like
this toward him, but for now Sanzo could brew until he knew whom he had to
kill. Killing one of these three might relieve some stress, but also take away
someone who knew what had happened.

�Sanzo, I�ll�I�ll find them,� Goku promised,
looking down at the useless fists he made in his lap. The boy was shaking with
barely contained anger, his eyes staring down at the table as he remembered
what had happened. Sanzo doubted that if he had done something so
idiotic as to fall off a mountain that Goku would be acting this incensed.

�Do as you wish,� Sanzo conceded lazily,
shrugging to show he didn�t care what any of them chose to do as long as their
duty to follow him was filled out. He wanted to get back to taking a bath
everyday and not having to fight off hordes of slavering youkai every five
minutes. Screw swearing off worldly pleasures. It sucked royally to be out in
these backwater towns all the time.

Besides, if Goku felt there was some reason to
get revenge, the less work Sanzo would have to do in the end. He didn�t
particularly care how the punishment was carried out unless someone had really
insulted him. If it were a gang of roving youkai, Sanzo would let that faceless
horde get wiped out without a care. If it had only been one though, that
might require his personal attention, just to make sure everyone was taught a
lesson.

He was not a man to be easily trifled with.

�Sanzo, if you feel like you need to talk,�
Hakkai started, breaking in as Goku said not another word. What the fuck?
Sanzo thought furiously, his hair on the back of his neck rising at the thought
of Hakkai having the pretense to offer his shoulder. What right did
Hakkai have to ask him that, as if he was suddenly weak and falling apart? What
did they know? Why were all of them acting like he was made of glass?

�You think I want to pour my heart out to
some bastard like you?� Sanzo snapped, feeling dizzy and furious. Gojyo only
stared on curiously from the bed as Sanzo glared murder at Hakkai. What had happened
to make them think he was so vulnerable right now? He would kill the
next person to dare present a �caring ear.�

�No, I didn�t think so,� Hakkai laughed
bitterly, the smile on his face faltering slightly as Sanzo glared up into the
gambler�s face. Hakkai looked a little angry with Sanzo being such a prick, but
he didn�t care. He wanted to get them all to back the hell off, livid that they
were all trying to mother him. Sanzo especially hated Hakkai�s perfect mask
that hid his emotions. Sanzo couldn�t read the man's expression to find out
what the hell was going on, left to only guess at what Hakkai might be
thinking.

�If I did want to talk, it wouldn�t be to a
group of fucking idiots like you,� Sanzo informed Hakkai and the rest of them.
He finished off the beer in the next swallow and took another drag from the
cigarette as they were all silent, properly berated. Wasn�t this a perfectly
nasty little development? He would throttle the next person stupid enough to
ask him if he was all right.

Goku took the hint and was wisely silent,
finally understanding that stupid comments lead to getting hit with a fan.
Gojyo shrugged at Sanzo�s complete lack of manners and closed his eyes like he
was going to try to go back to bed. How long had Gojyo ignored Sanzo�s usual
distance and slept next to him like a lover? It drove Sanzo to homicidal
thoughts. He didn�t want to deal with them right now.

�Then,� Hakkai started right as the door
opened, ruining whatever silence and respect Sanzo had finally managed to
cultivate again. Sanzo was ready to murder the person who stepped in after he
had put the three back in their places. Just when he had checked them to
confirm just who was in charge, a stranger thought it was a good idea to not even
knock on the door.

�Hello! I brought up the food, Hakkai,� a
girl giggled, obviously already infatuated with the pretty face that had
ordered food only minutes ago. Hakkai�s politeness tended to be read as
flirting for these common village girls. There was one in every village, some
girl that got besotted with their looks or reputations.

The girl was deftly carrying two large trays
in each arm, only slightly shorter then Gojyo and looking twice as
strong. Sanzo couldn�t believe there was a woman this tall, even taller than
himself Sanzo realized with a grit of his teeth. She had large breasts held in
by a white, one-piece dress that hugged her form tightly. But her voice was
cute and young, bizarrely out of place on such a tall woman.

He flicked his ashes out on top of the
table, a large clump falling to the polish wood. She stared at him, the
welcoming speech effectively muted as she stared in stunned astonishment at his
open rudeness. Gojyo laughed as he got up from the bed in only his boxers,
grinning at her open mouth as she gaped at the bare muscles of his chest and
stomach.

Sanzo snorted, feeling like he would very
well be ill at the obvious flirting Gojyo was engaging in. The two of them
seemed to think they were actually being subtle as Gojyo sat down next to Goku.
Mei shook her beet-red face at Gojyo�s unabashed showing-off of his body. It
was the usual sort of depraved act the youkai bastard did every day when a
female was stupid enough to wander close enough.

�Sanzo, your cigarette. Really, would you
try to mind it a bit?� Hakkai asked, lying for his attitude while he placed the
tray down on the table. Like Sanzo was so absentminded as to let ash fall on
the table without it being on goddamn purpose! Hakkai smiled and
took one tray from the frozen girl while Sanzo glowered at Hakkai for covering
up for him.

He didn�t want to be excused. Sanzo
wanted this idiot child to get a fuckinue tue that she meant absolutely nothing
in his eyes. He hated this kind of village, this kind of hotel and more than
likely this kind of food Hakkai had ordered. Sanzo would die before eating
something made by Mei. He reverently hoped she hadn�t cooked it herself or some
idiotic love struck gesture of such.

He�d kill Hakkai later, he decided, as the
brunette helped place food on the table. Sanzo realized he was feeling a bit
hungry, hoping that there would be something plain enough to stomach. Sanzo
hated the taste of over spiced foods or delicacies. Plain rice and vegetables
would be good enough.

Megan gan to place the large, overflowing
platters of food down on the table, smiling and giggling as Gojyo said some
ridiculous comment about her beauty that Sanzo couldn�t catch through the
disgust he felt. Gojyo really would go for anything on two legs, even this tall,
hulking �woman.� Sanzo pinched the bridge of his nose with the cigarette
burning down to the last good part before the filter. He hated this.

Goku put a large, over-packed bowl of wild
rice in front of Sanzo, dropping it noisily on the table. Sanzo blinked down at
the bowl in surprise, realizing it was actually just plain, white rice. Small,
black dots were drifting across his vision, painfully familiar. He let go of
his nose, giving up on trying to relieve the ng ong of his skull.

Sanzo smirked at the development of his
harsh migraine, the pain so sharp that he could only enjoy it. If he didn�t
find pleasure in it, Sanzo would have gone mad with the pain by now. His skull
felt like screws were being slowly tightened into it. He was starting to have a
hard time just remaining steady on the chair despite the fierce order he gave
his body to remain tall and straight. Genjo Sanzo did not fall out of chairs.
He took the last bit of tobacco left in the cigarette in one heavy suck before
snubbing it out on the table and leaving the filter hissing in the wood.

�Whoa! They�ve got egg rolls. Look, look,
Sanzo,� Goku cried, hefting one up in front of his face. Sanzo looked down at
the sizzling, light golden wrapping that was still glistening from being
cooked. Steam drifted up from it and the smell of meat was sickeningly strong
in Sanzo�s nose. He flinched back from the greasy thing and found himself going
further back then he thought he would, the chair no longer behind him.

He body just gave out around him, his
muscles going limp and even as each joint painfully seizing up in tight balls.
Sanzo felt himself falling back slowly� Goku�s wide eyes as his face was
glimpsed for a moment in ect ect clarity. Sanzo had enough time to blin
in
surprise at the chair being swept out from under him before he hit the cool wood
floor. Mei screamed distantly from the other side of the table.

�Sanzo!� Goku cried, dropping the egg roll
as Sanzo stared at the floor in front of him. One arm was trapped underneath
his side, digging into his sore chest and ribs. The other hand was on the
ground in front of him, every finger spread out and relaxed despite the burning
ice that was between his knuckles. He just stared at this new angle of the
floor, the chair legs and Gojyo�s bare legs visible under the table.

�What the hell just happened?� Gojyo yelled
as Sanzo stared at Goku�s boots taking two steps until they were right in front
of his face. He couldn�t lift his head to look at Goku, still too pissed that
his chair was standing, unaffected by Sanzo�s own heavy fall. He thought that
for sure the chair had been knocked down with him, or snatched out from under
him. That was the only way to explain such a lack of coordination.

It was absurd for him to be on the floor and
the very chair that had caused the whole thing could have at least fallen with
him. It couldn�t possibly be because of one beer. It didn�t go his head like
that, migraine or not. Oh�the migraine. His poor, aching brain was throbbing so
much tSanzSanzo almost welcomed the oblivion of passing out cold. At least that
way he could escape the humiliation of falling off his chair.

�Sanzo? Sanzo,� Goku repeated, like saying
his name enough times would rouse him. Sanzo wanted to reach up and strangle
the idiot, but he just didn�t have the strength. Instead, his let the
excruciating pressure building behind his eye sockets overwhelm him, dragging
him into unconsciousness.

* * *

It was foggy. It was so goddamn thick and
gray that Sanzo couldn�t see twenty feet in any direction. The sky was dark
even through the fog, likely ready to snow at anytime. A storm was starting to
brew, ready to drop on their heads. Everything was covered in a heavy,
beading wetness mist that got Sanzo�s face wet even though he was sitting in
the front seat with the windshield in front. Moisture shimmered on the thick,
green pine trees and white snow, making everything look like it had been frozen.

The forest they traveled though was oddly
clean with a white and untouched cover of snow was on the ground. There wasn�t
even a trace of snow melting off the trees or any dirty spots on the ground
from animals or falling branches. There was an odd feeling about these
supernaturally-clean woods, the silence so weighty he could taste it.

Sanzo didn�t like this fog settling on the
snowy mountain pass. Sanzo hated it with a furious passion. Snow was almost as
bad as rain, except everything was so eerily quiet. At least snow didn�t
sounde rae rain, but instead the fog was swallowing every noise they made.
Nothing moved in these woods except the jeep Sanzo was riding in with the usual
bunch of idiots.

They took a road obviously not used often by
the unbroken snow that followed dangerously close along a river still flowing
strong next to them despite the frozen overhang of ice on the banks. Sanzo
loathed rivers, like the one that he had first been found floating in,
intimidated by the fact it could take him back so easily. Pity he hadn�t
drowned when he was some squalling baby, because that would have saved him some
of the pain and irritation now of having this forsaken, hopeless mission. Sanzo
wouldn�t get into anything deeper than a bathtub willingly; much less take a
swim in the rushing water. It was nerve-racking just to drive so close.

Sanzo took a deep breath of the cold fresh
air and glared at the windshield wipers going back and forth in front of him.
Sanzo was already regretting insisting they leave this morning from the lazy
little town they had found to spend last night in. Hakkai and Gojyo had wanted
to stay and wait out the oncoming storm while Sanzo demanded they try to find
the next town before it came down. Goku just agreed with him, so they all had
learned to not listen to Goku�s opinions.

Sanzo hated this stupid mission with the
constant trudging through the elements. He hated this kind of weather. Anything
damp was not pleasing. He hated the people he had to travel with. It was
miserable, tedious, and he felt like vomiting whenever he thought too long on
just how much longer he had until this mission was completed.

�Rock, paper, scissors,� Goku chanted out
loud, breaking the hypnotic silence in the jeep�s wake. There was a second�s
pause so quiet that Sanzo felt like they had entered a tomb. He stared moodily
forward; waiting for the next outburst he knew was coming. Hakkai pleasantly grinned in the driver�s
seat next to Sanzo, wrapped in a heavy, white, winter jacket. Hakkai obviously
wasn�t picking up on the same unease that Sanzo sensed as he settled
into his own heavy coat, wishing that he had thicker pants on under the robes.
They flapped annoyingly against his legs, waving the cold on him despite the
heavy jeans.

�Aah!! How did you know? Sanzo! Sanzo,
Gojyo�s cheating,� Goku whined from the backseat. Gojyo snickered at the
accusation, making Sanzo glance back to see the half-breed sitting there
confidently with his eyes closed and his head turned the opposite way of Goku.
Gojyo had a boot braced on the middle divider between the seats and his heavy
leather jacket unzipped in the front without a care in the world. The usuaandaandanna held the long, red hair back, but the two untamable strands in front
were hanging down with the fog and wetness in the air.

�No, he�s not, you dumb ass ape,� Sanzo
snapped back, knowing that the half-breed had no reason to cheat at a child�s
game. Gojyo probably played with his eyes closed the entire time, not that it
was anything special with how predictable Goku was at this game. The ape always
picked scissors.

Goku made a choking noise that Sanzo didn�t
even bother to turn around and investigate. Sanzo cared little if his words
hurt Goku because he was only speaking the simple truth. Goku knew better than
to expect a monk to lie just so they all could assuage their carnal emotions. Sanzo
didn�t give a damn about the moral of this group as long as the job got done
soon.

�What, what, is the great Sanzo-sama
defending me?� Gojyo swooned mockingly. Sanzo didn�t even have to look back to
have the Smith and Wesson immediately trained between Gojyo�s eyebrows. Goku
snickered at the youkai bastard under Sanzo�s aim; obviously pleased Sanzo was
taking his side for once.

A youkai screaming in his ear gave Sanzo the
chance to look around just in time to see the one he had kicked in the groin
come at him again. Sanzo was picked up around the waist and lifted from the
ground in one sickening, lucid moment. All he could see was the bloodstained
snow underneath him, large, white holes stirred up from fighting. Then,
everything went shockingly dark and cold and� wet.

Sanzo opened up his eyes blindly to find
himself underwater, his nose filled with the river as he was plunged into the
freezing current. The youkai still had a grip around his waist and was holding
him down under the surface of the water as they were tossed downstream,
probably trying to drown him. He couldn�t move, he couldn�t swim and the water
was colder then Sanzo could ever have imagined, freezing him in a single
instant.

He would not die like this! Sanzo
elbowed the youkai holding him in the gut, hard, over and over again until the arm around his waist released.
Immediately Sanzo was lost in the dark current of the river, unable to tell
which way was up as the current carried him away from the youkai. The water was
so damn cold he couldn�t even move anymore to try and struggle to the surface.
He was choking on the river, not knowing how to swim or breathe underwater and
unable to fight aga the the freezing cold temperature of the river.

A sharp and beaten boulder breaking out of
the water collided against Sanzo�s back with enough force to knock the air out
of him. Or, in this case, the water Sanzo had pathetically swallowed in his
struggling. He scrabbled with wet hands and found an edge to cling to before
the river could tear him off the rock.

Sanzo held onto the boulder for all he was
worth, not giving a damn how much his fingers felt like they couldn�t
grip a damn thing in the icy water. He cut his palms open on the slick rock and
didn�t feel a thing, only concentrating on hauling himself to the surface. His
head finally b fre free of the river to a take deep, soggy breath of air.

Water crashed down on his head in a second attempt
to drown him, making Sanzo fumble his bloody grip. He was freezing to death, he
was going to drown and that same cursed youkai came hurtling down the
river to grab Sanzo around the neck like he was a drowned cat. He couldn�t
fight at first, too confused by the sensation of being in so much water to
feel anything more than the cold.

It was too damn icy. His skin was freezing
off as the heavy robes dragged him down in the water. Sanzo tried to knee the
youkai in the stomach through the wet and clinging robes, not giving a damn if
the demon was the only thing keeping him from drowning. Sanzo refused to be
saved by something he should have killed four bullets ago.

He still wasn�t as strong as he would like
with his blood freezing in his veins. Sanzo couldn�t even form the words to
chant the sutra underwater, if it had been able to work in the river in the
first place. His gun was back at the cursed riverbank and his muscles were
useless now.
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Never No Answer