Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Time ❯ All Inn Good Time ( Chapter 7 )

 

Anya got noticeably fidgety as they neared her home. Goku looked at her oddly before asking what was wrong.

 

“I just . . . I'd better talk to Rei before you guys come in. She's a little overprotective sometimes and she won't be happy that I was hurt.”

 

Goku frowned. “We didn't hurt you.”

 

“I know that but you know how people are sometimes. They don't see the details of the situation; they just see someone they love got hurt.”

 

Her prediction turned out to be right on the money. They pulled in front of a small inn, which was where Anya said she lived. Apparently, she and her sisters owned and ran the inn since their father died. They had barely gotten out when a woman in her late twenties with hip length braided red hair came out. She took one look at her sister and things went a little crazy. Hakkai had been helping Anya out of the jeep and suddenly found himself flat on his back and several feet away from the others due to the solid punch to the eye that had sent him flying backward. He shook it off a little and looked up to find the woman holding a knife to Sanzo's throat and Sanzo pointing the gun at her.

 

“Anya, inside. Now!”

 

“But, Rei . . .”

 

“Don't argue. One of you braying jackanapes want to tell me what happened before I slit pretty boy here's throat?” she asked, digging the blade a little deeper into Sanzo's skin. He glared at her and she just smiled nastily at him. “And yes, I am fully aware that's a banishing gun, I've been shot with one before. It annoyed me tremendously. Explain.”

 

“We didn't hurt her,” Goku said. “There were these two guys tryin' to hurt her but I smelled blood before that and thought someone might be . . .”

 

“Goku, stop, please,” Hakkai said from the ground, trying to contain the swelling with chi and wondering if anything was broken. “Let Anya explain to her sister. She isn't going to believe a word any of us say.”

 

The woman looked at Anya expectantly, keeping Sanzo in her peripheral vision. “Well?”

 

Anya sighed and just barely managed to stop from rolling her eyes. “It was the village idiots. They caught me when I was mushroom hunting and these guys helped me then brought me home. None of them touched me except to heal the swelling and take away the pain.”

 

“I swear to the gods, I'm going to break every bone in their worthless bodies,” Rei said, shoving Sanzo roughly away from her.

 

“I think that's already done,” Gojyo said, lighting another cigarette.

 

One of Rei's eyebrows went up and red eyes met red eyes. “Huh, I haven't seen another half breed in ages,” she said.

 

“You and me both, sweetheart,” Gojyo said.

 

“Call me that again and your eyes and hair won't be the only thing on you that's red,” Rei said. “Anya, go get changed and then see how Shun is doing. She's in the infirmary.”

 

“She had the baby?” Anya said, perking up instantly.

 

“Babies. Her husband should be thrilled, she had two boys,” Rei said, gently petting the top of Anya's head. “Don't worry, I won't hurt them. I just want to talk to them for a minute.”

 

“Promise?” Anya asked, looking at her sister doubtfully.

 

“Promise. Get going,” she said. She watched the younger woman walk inside before turning to the four men in front of her. “Two of you aren't going to go crazy, are you?” she asked, looking pointedly at Goku and then Hakkai, who was still on the ground.

 

“Not that we're aware of, no,” Hakkai said, getting to his feet.

 

“How'd you know?” Goku asked.

 

“Youkai have a different feel and energy about them than humans do even with the power limiters. It's easy to tell if you've been around both fairly often. Things have been a little tense around here since the youkai population started losing their sensibilities. I suppose you want some sort of thank you for saving Anya.”

 

“Direct and to the point,” Hakkai said, dusting himself off and squinting at her through his good eye. “Actually, no. But if you have rooms and a meal, we'd appreciate it.”

 

“Depends on whether or not you have money,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.

 

Sanzo flicked the credit card into view and she eyed it suspiciously. “How do I know you didn't steal it?”

 

“Forget it. I'm not giving her any money, we can drive on to the next town,” Sanzo growled before getting back into the jeep.

 

“You could. But taking into account the next town with an inn that you wouldn't have to double back to is over a hundred miles away through the mountains. There's also the fact that the only route through them is blocked by snow for at least another two weeks so I wouldn't advise it.”

 

“We'll drive around,” Sanzo snarled.

 

“You can, if you'd rather spend the two months driving around the mountain range.”

 

“Damn it!” Sanzo said, getting out again. “You enjoyed telling me that.”

 

The smile she gave him was positively evil. “Why, yes, I did. Thank you for noticing,” she turned on her heel and motioned for them to follow her. “Come on. Anya can make you something to eat. I'll heat bath water for the dragon but the rest of you are on your own.”

 

Hakuryuu changed back into his dragon form and took flight, settling on Rei's shoulder much as he always did Hakkai's, wrapping his tail around her neck comfortably. She chuckled and said something quietly to him then scratched him under one wing, making him chatter and squeak at her then snuggle against her shoulder, poking his nose into her hair.

 

“Well, that was . . . odd,” Hakkai said, not knowing what to think of Hakuryuu's desertion. He also knew that the little dragon didn't take to just anyone and someone he trusted instantly was worthy of it.

 

“How'd she know Hakuryuu's a dragon?” Goku asked.

 

“Presumably the same way she knew that you and I aren't exactly human,” Hakkai said, gingerly touching his bruised cheek and eye. “It always annoys me that I can't do anything for bruising. She does hit incredibly hard, even for a half youkai.”

 

“Why'd she hit you, Hakkai,” Goku said.

 

“Probably because I was the one who had their hands on her sister while I was helping her out,” Hakkai said, starting to walk toward the front door of the inn. Goku followed directly behind him with the other two slowly bringing up the rear of the party.

 

What they found inside was not what any of them expected. Surely an inn run by women would have been more . . . girlish as far as they were concerned. This was far from it. The ceilings and walls were rough hewn timbers; all the tables and chairs were made of solid hard wood with brass fittings as was the bar. They chose a table near the huge stone fireplace and a very pretty blonde with ample attributes bounced up to take their order.

 

“Such handsome gentlemen,” she said. “See anything you like. On the menu, that is.”

 

“Hmmm. I think I see something I like all right,” Gojyo said, leering at the girl.

 

Rei was walking by and heard the conversation. She reached out and slapped the blonde in the back of the head.

 

“Ow!” The girl glared at her and rubbed the back of her head. “That hurt, Rei!”

 

“It was supposed to. You don't have to do that anymore so stop it. These men don't know you're only thirteen.”

 

“Some men like the fact that I'm only thirteen,” the blonde said somewhat defensively.

 

“That's because they're vile, Mai. If one of these men even <i>thinks</i> about it, I'll be removing his head and I won't be terribly particular about which one.”

 

“Whoa! Okay, gotcha,” Gojyo said, cupping his hands over the most important head defensively. “Way too young for me anyway. But call me in ten years, honey.”

 

Rei and Hakkai both rolled their eyes at the comment and the girl grinned at Gojyo before she flounced away.

 

“Which one of you is Goku?” Rei asked, looking them all over. “Anya wants help in the kitchen and specifically asked for Goku.”

 

Goku bounced up from his chair. “Me, me, me! Where's the kitchen?”

 

Rei put her hand over her mouth to hide the smile and pointed him to the double doors behind the bar. She shook her head as Goku flew past her, the air current was enough to blow back the braid she had pulled over her shoulder. When she turned to look the only thing she saw was one of the doors to the kitchen swinging closed. “Gods, you'd think the kid hadn't eaten in five hundred years. You get whatever Anya is cooking, by the way. Which is usually enough to feed a small army.”

 

“Should be about enough for Goku, then,” Gojyo said with a grin.

 

“Hn. Did you want separate rooms or should I shove you all into one? It would be cheaper,” she said, slyly looking at Sanzo as though doubting he could put that much on the credit card.

 

The vein in Sanzo's forehead started to throb. “Give us the four. I'm not spending any more time with these losers than I have to,” he growled, resisting the urge to throw the credit card at her. She took it, twirling the card between her fingers and walked to the register.

 

“Why do I have the feeling I just got played?” Sanzo growled.

 

“Probably because you did,” Hakkai said, his usual smile broadening.

 

Gojyo was trying to keep from laughing for fear of being shot when Rei came back to the table. Sanzo was stunned when she set a bottle of beer and a newspaper in front of him, an ashtray on the table for he and Gojyo and tea for Hakkai.

 

“Thank you. For helping Anya,” she said, looking at them all in turn, finally settling on Hakkai. “I'm sorry I hit you. I'd offer to help with the bruising but it's already too far gone and I'm not much of a healer beyond standard first aid.”

 

“It's okay. I do understand why to some extent,” he said, looking down to break eye contact with her. He saw flickers of strange things in her eyes and she seemed very familiar to him even though he knew they had never met before. “May I ask where Hakuryuu is?”

 

“The little dragon? He's being bathed, fed and generally made much of at the moment. Don't worry; I'll get him back to you shortly.”

 

Goku, Anya and the blonde girl came out carrying trays of food. They set them down on the table and Anya turned to go get the rest from the kitchen. Rei followed her sister, wanting a private word with her.