A/N: Sooo...it's kinda been a while, hasn't it? Like a super long time. College and work have been sucking away my free time and really, I'm left with zero energy to do anything but eat Smarties and sleep. This is chapter 7, and while I can't promise I'll be updating the story as frequently as I have in the past, I can promise that I'm going to do my darndest to keep updating at a reasonable pace. So read, review, yell at me, what have you. I always enjoy your feedback. Enjoy :)

Both Goku and Sanzo stood, temporarily frozen in place, trying to process what was happening. There was a look of great confusion splayed across Sanzo's face and his jaw had slackened. This is not real…Goku thought to himself before finally recovering his sensory abilities and taking off in the direction of the temple.

The scene that came into view was all too familiar, and bits of old memories flashed through Goku's mind. The temple was on fire; flames were drowning the structure and a black smoke rose into the sky. This is what he meant by "business." Jiao-long had sought revenge against Goku and Sanzo, two birds with one stone. The damage to the temple was going to be extensive, and moreover, Goku knew the boy had chosen this method specifically for him. After all, it was fire that started the entire ordeal; Jiao-long intended for those incidents to be forever charred into his mind.

"Goku!" Sanzo's voice was heard, but Goku was still too lost in his worst fears to react. Sanzo didn't attempt to rouse Goku, but chose to join the acolytes in collecting water.

It was only when darkness began to fall and the flames had begun to fade into hot cinders that Goku felt like he could breathe again. For the situation, they had been lucky; Jiao-long had obviously used a burning agent to spread the fire and most of it appeared to have burned before reaching the structure itself. Realizing that he had been no help at all, Goku tried to slink back into the long shadows of dusk, but found himself in the embrace of his lover. His heart stopped. What's he going to do? What do I do? I don't know what to do!

"We need to talk, don't we?" There was no animosity in Sanzo's voice, only a calm sadness.

Goku said nothing, but allowed himself to be led to a wing of the temple that was left unscathed. Sanzo took a seat on the porch's steps and gently pulled Goku down to sit beside him.

Nothing was said, but Goku leaned heavily on the blonde's shoulder and never let go of his hand.

There really is no way to hide this now. I'm pretty much stuck. I have to tell him. Goku slid his eyes shut, wanting to believe, if only for a minute, that he was a week back in time, and things had not complicated themselves again.

Finally growing tired of the silence, Goku decided there was no better time to speak. "Are you mad?"

"Should I be?"

"I don't know."

"Goku, what is happening? You've pulled away and now the fire, are they connected?"

"Yeah, they are." Goku's voice cracked as he finished, and he couldn't stop himself from burying his face in Sanzo's shoulder. "He's back." Sanzo noticeably stiffened, and Goku could hear his lover's heartbeat speed up. "He found me, at the festival. I don't know how. But he's back. And he wants to continue what he started."

Silence hung over the two again; Goku's body went numb and Sanzo began to shake.

"Why did you not tell me?"

"How could I?"
"How could you not, you idiot?!" Sanzo's composure was beginning to crack.

"Do you know what it was like? To see the person who almost destroyed your life and all but ruined your entire being? I didn't know what to do!" Goku snapped back.

"You could have told me!" The priest rose suddenly and began pacing in front of Goku, who watched him nervously, still very much afraid of what he might do.

"I really couldn't have."
"Why not?" Sanzo's voice was slowly returning to a softer tone.
"I was scared. He scared me. I didn't want you to see me so weak. And I scared me. I didn't want to scare you too."

"You scared yourself?" Goku nodded. "How?"

"I want to kill him. I have never wanted to harm someone so much in my life. I have never had such a strong desire to hurt. I want revenge, dammit." Standing so that he was in front of Sanzo, Goku placed his hands on the blonde's shoulders to stop his pacing and made eye contact. "I didn't want you to see me as the scared, fragile, boy I was when you first found me at the mercy of him. But I also didn't want you to see me as Seiten Taisen. I couldn't find a middle ground. I couldn't find a way to tell you." Goku leaned his head forward so that it rested Sanzo's his chest, a sign that he was done talking.

"I think I understand. But you're not weak Goku, and I would never think that of you." Sanzo paused and lifted Goku's chin so their noses were nearly touching. "Do you still want revenge?"

"I…do. But, that's wrong isn't it? To kill a human?"

"Goku, that boy is not human. He's a monster and he's hurt you beyond all belief. Truth be told, I'd really like to put a bullet straight between his eyes myself, but I think this is something that you need to do."

"I can't believe you're agreein' with me on this." Goku lowered his chin into the crook of Sanzo's neck. "Won't I get in trouble?"

"In trouble with who?"

"You. The other monks. The gods?"

"Goku," Sanzo sighed and placed a hand on the small of Goku's back. "I really don't know the answer to that."

"So what am I going to do?" Goku looked up at Sanzo with worried eyes, gnawing on his lower lip.

"Well first, you stop that." Sanzo gently pulled out Goku's lip from between his teeth. "I'll see if I can't get ahold of the Merciful Goddess tomorrow. She might be able to give you some sort of direction with this. Until then, you'll tell me if something's bothering you, right?"

"Yeah." Goku turned and surveyed the temple; it was charred but not beyond repair. And thankfully, most of the damage had been done to the right wing, where the sparring and meditation rooms were. The bedroom he shared with Sanzo would be untouched.

"We'll start rebuilding tomorrow. It'll give them something to do." There was a tinge of anger in Sanzo's voice, and Goku guessed he was trying to mask his anger at Jiao-long.

"I think I'm going to go lie down." Goku turned back to Sanzo and planted a soft kiss on his cheek before making his way into the left wing, and to their bedroom.

Goku's head was pounding as he slid under the covers, not bothering to remove any clothing aside from his boots. Closing his eyes and pretending he didn't smell burnt wood, he thought about what tomorrow would bring, and how he was going to explain things to the Goddess. Would she be mad at him? Would she give him permission? Sleep was beginning to descend onto the brunette when someone whispered his name. Startled, Goku cracked his eyes and looked around the room. It hadn't been Sanzo's voice, and it hadn't be Jiao-long's voice. And as far as he knew, none of the acolytes had voices so low. It took a moment, but suddenly Goku realized the voice hadn't come from his surroundings. It had come from inside his head.

The sage was trying to talk to him.