Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuki. The wonderful Kazuya Minekura does.

AN: This was an old one-shot fic I found on my computer. I've never uploaded it, so I thought I would share it with everyone.

Warning: I'm sorry about any grammar mistakes. English is not my first language, but I do my very best to make sure it's not blaring obvious. Sanzo/Goku.

Summary: I think the title speaks for itself.

The Pet of my Pet is the Devil

Sanzo was not happy.

When Goku first brought in the injured weasel, the first words out of the blonde's mouth was an order to ditch the rodent out back.

"But Sanzo!" Goku whined. He held the suffering animal up and pleaded with his eyes. Goku practically shoved the beast in his face and Sanzo didn't have much of a choice but to take a long good look. He eyed the animal warily noting the twisted leg, the broken paw, and the look of anguish as it whimpered in Goku's arms. There was a large gash on its forehead which bled freely through the makeshift bandage that Goku made by tearing off a strip of his own sleeve. The way Goku held it, firmly at the neck and lower back, Sanzo didn't doubt it had a broken rib or two.

Whatever did this, did a number on the thing.

The way its eyes were glassed and the way its chest heaved in slow, unsteady breathes, Sanzo didn't think it had much time left. It was probably best to get rid of it now rather than later, before Goku got too attached. A depressed Goku was even more of a hassle to take care of than a happy one.

Besides, Sanzo could feel his own throat closing up as his allergy kicked in. Damn animal.

"No."

"I'll take a look," Hakkai offered. The green-eyed man held up his hands in surrender when Sanzo glared.

"You're the best, Hakkai!" Goku's golden eyes looked at Hakkai in relief. In his elated mood, Goku ended up crashing the animal to his chest. The animal gave a whined protest and Goku was quick to apologize.

He carefully set the animal on the table and waited impatiently for Hakkai to examine the creature. Goku rung his hands and looked anxious. "Do you think its gonna be ok, Hakkai?"

The animal gave a little snarl when Hakkai got too close for comfort.

"Hello. I'm here to help," he said in a soothing voice. Hakkai, who was so normally good with animals, barely managed to snatched his fingers away in time when the animal lunged forward. Its sharp fangs snapped in warning.

"Mean little bugger, isn't he?" Gojyo reached out and snatched his hand away when the animal's unhurt paw lashed out.

"How did you get him up here anyway, Saru?" Gojyo asked. "This place doesn't allow pets."

"I snuck him up the back staircase," Goku said. He looked smug. So smug that Sanzo grab his harisen and gave the boy a thwack for good measure. It wouldn't due for the boy to think he could get away with breaking the rules.

"Itai!" Goku held his head. He forgot all about it a moment later when the animal whimpered. Goku kneel down so that he was at eye level with the man hating beast and offered a comforting smile.

"Hakkai just wants to help, ok?" Goku reached out.

"Goku, I don't think-" Hakkai trailed off as Goku gently stroke the animal's head. Almost instantaneously, the creature seemed to calm. Goku looked at Hakkai questioningly.

"Nevermind," Hakkai shook his head. "Goku, can you distract him?"

"Yeah, sure," Goku continued to pet the animal.

Placing his hand on the creature's back, Hakkai sent in a small amount of chi. He reset the broken paw and gently mended the broken ribs. A second later, the animal was asleep. Its chest heaved evenly and its breath came out in a shallow, but steady pace. It was out of danger for now. Hakkai placed a comforting hand on Goku's shoulder.

"He should be fine, Goku."

"That's good," Goku said. His eyes were fastened on the animal.

Sanzo just watched the smoke from his cigarette.

Fourteen days.

For fourteen days, Goku had meticulously watched over the animal, feeding it, bathing it, and changing the bandages as they drove. Even while battling the demons that showed up in their path, Goku kept one eye on the beast.

Sanzo didn't know whether to praise the boy for his diligence or smack the crap out of him for wasting time on an oversize rat.

In the end, he did nothing and let the boy do what he wanted.

By the fifteenth day, the animal was healed enough to go back into the wild. Goku release the beast, who he named Dango, out into a forest that they were passing by.

"He healed amazingly fast," Hakkai noted as they watch the beast scamper off into the trees.

"Good riddance," Sanzo said.

"I hear you," Gojyo nodded. The red-haired man looked mournfully at his shredded cigarette pack. The beast had taken a perverse pleasure in shredding Gojyo's smokes, stealing food from Hakkai and Hakuryuu, and in general, annoying the piss out of Sanzo. On more than one occasion, Sanzo had gone to bed and noticed a nice surprise waiting for him on the top of his covers in the morning.

"He didn't mean to go to the bathroom on your bed," Goku apologized. "He doesn't know what he's doing."

Sanzo wasn't so sure.

He noticed the way the little bastard's beady eyes would gleefully looked at him.

Goku was going to be the only member of the party to miss the beast.

Sanzo ignored the sharp look Gojyo tossed him when he laid a hand on Goku's head. He wasn't trying to comfort the boy. He needed a place to rest his hand the boy's head happened to be the right height.

Goku watched Dango disappear with a small sniff.

All four headed back to the jeep to continue on their journey.

Goku mopped for the next few days.

He didn't rise to any of Gojyo baits. He picked at his food. He barely spoke and when he did, it was with a quiet and low tenor. He became uncommonly obedient.

Somehow, this annoyed Sanzo even more than when the creature was with them. His left eye twitched when he noticed Goku sighing forlornly at the sky. At the next inn, he made sure to bunk with the monkey.

When they were in their room, he slammed Goku against the door and pinned his charge in place with his body.

"What was so damn important about that thing?" he growled.

The angry tick at his head grew when Goku gave him a confused look.

"Thing?"

God. Goku was going to make him say it, wasn't he?

"Dango," he spat out. "What was so important about Dango?"

Goku lifted an arm and scratched his head. "He was my friend. You're suppose to be sad when friends leave, right?"

Was that it?

Sanzo had the insane urge to slug the boy. He settled on the harisen instead and smacked Goku on the head.

"Well, get over it!"

"I can't!" Goku cried. He looked down at the floor with slump shoulders. "I'm really sad. I miss him."

Sanzo needed a smoke. He patted his pockets and cursed when he realized he was out.

"I like having something to take care of," Goku mumbled, almost under his breath.

Sanzo paused.

"I mean, Hakkai can drive and can cook and do all sort of helpful stuff. He even heals you when you get hurt."

"You take care of the demons," Sanzo pointed out.

"Gojyo and you can do that," Goku shot back. He looked miserable. "I'm the only one who's not needed."

Sanzo felt a headache coming on.

"You think that thing needs you more than we do?"

"It's the truth, isn't it?" Goku looked up. His golden eyes were serious. "You don't need me. I'm useless."

Sanzo gritted his teeth. His headache had just blown into a full-grown migraine.

"Then make yourself useful, idiot!"

"How?" Goku looked desperate. "What can I do that no one else can?"

He backed away when Sanzo got a glint in his eye.

"Sanzo?"

He yelped when Sanzo grabbed the collar of his shirt.

The next morning, Goku was back to his usual cheerful self. He and the kappa were arguing over breakfast.

"You perverted kappa! That was my pancake!"

"It didn't have your name on it, you damn saru!"

"Maa, Maa, let's settled down," Hakkai held up a hand. He looked over to Sanzo. "You're not going to stop it?"

Sanzo lazily let the smoke from his cigarette drifted into the air.

"Nah."

He watched as Goku and Gojyo got up from the table to head to the inn's kitchen to ask for supplies.

Hakkai noticed the small limp Goku had and the satisfied smirk on Sanzo's face. He looked at Sanzo with disapproval. Sanzo knew what he was thinking.

"I'm not playing with him."

"Oh?" Hakkai's mothering instinct was obviously to grab Goku and hide him from the world.

Sanzo looked him straight in the eye.

They held gazes for a long moments. Green clashed with violet. Neither looked away.

"Sanzo? Hakkai?" Goku had come back. He and the kappa had a bag full of food. He sensed the tension in the air and looked bewildered between them.

"It's nothing," Hakkai smiled reassuringly. "Let's head out, shall we?"

Sanzo got up. "Come on, bakasaru."

Like a puppy, Goku followed him outside.

Sanzo felt eyes watching him. He turned his head in time to see that damn weasel watching them all from a distance away.

None of the others noticed.

Sanzo twitched in fury when the animal winked. It's image wavered for a moment and he caught sight of a slender figure dressed in white before it vanished.

Kanzeon Bosatsu...that annoying, meddlesome, sad excuse for a...

Sanzo felt something tug on his sleeve.

He looked down at Goku.

"Last night...that's only something I can do, right, Sanzo?" Goku asked. He looked unsure. "I'm useful to you."

"Brat. You were never useless."

Sanzo felt stupid. He never noticed how depressed his charge was before the Dango incident. He would have gone on not noticing if that nosy god hadn't butted her nose into his business.

Goku beamed.

Sanzo made sure no one was looking before he leaned down and grabbed Goku's shoulders urgently. He tightened his grip so that Goku understood how serious he was.

"And you're not allowed to be useful like that with anyone else, got it?"

Goku nodded.

"Good."

"Oi, what's the hold up!" Gojyo yelled from the car.

"We're coming!" Goku shouted back.

Sanzo slid into the passenger side.

"Where to, Sanzo?" Hakkai asked with a grin. The other two waited eagerly in the back.

"You know where," he grunted.

"Aw, but Sanzo. It's like tradition. You have to say it!" Goku protested.

"Yeah, you shitty priest. It's like a good luck charm!" Gojyo chimed in.

Hakuryuu let out a small cheep of agreement.

"Please, Sanzo?" Goku pleaded. His eyes were double their normal size. There were even little tears in the corner.

"Fine," he slumped into his seat, grouchy. "West!"

"West!" the rest of them cheered.

And that's just where they headed.