Pitter Patter

AN: Short chapter, sorry, but i couldn't really see dragging this one out for too long. Next chapter should be longer. PS: REVIEW! :D please? ^.^

Chapter Three:

"WHAT?! Hakkai's PREGNANT?!" Goku gaped at Mantizi his jaw dropping. "But Gojyo said guys can't get pregnant!" Mantizi smiled and put his tools away.

"Does that mean..." Gojyo blinked and tried very hard to banish the image of Hakkai, very pregnant with breasts out of his mind. "Geeeze!"

"Demon men can. Although only once. It usually happens when the demon race is becoming smaller in number. Their bodies change hormonally and activate what could be called a uterus inside of them. Pheromones are released which encourages them to take a male mate to help revive the species. Once they become pregnant, it only takes six months for the fetus to be fully developed and born. Long ago, it would kill the 'mother'. This was long before medical advancements came along to save the life of the mother." Hakkai laid a hand upon his stomach and frowned.

"What do you mean that giving birth would kill the mother?" he asked looking into his lap nervously. Mantizi frowned and sighed.

"The baby's claws would be sharp enough to rip through the abdomen walls, and the mother would bleed to death. Regardless of what happened before in the past, it's very common now for male demons to become pregnant and live out the rest of their lives with their child." Mantizi smiled and patted Hakkai on the shoulder. "Don't look so worried about it. Judging by what you've said, you still have about four months to go."

"I...I can't believe that I...I'm pregnant." Hakkai swallowed and leaned back against the tree that they had built their shelter around. Sanzo looked up and frowned.

"Relax. Judging by the map, we can make it to that temple and leave our child there in their protection." Although Sanzo's words sounded harsh, Hakkai knew very well that the monk wanted to protect the child that waited in his stomach to be born. "We don't need anyone else slowing us down." Hakkai looked at Sanzo and shook his head. Sanzo had been quiet throughout the entire conversation up until that point, his eyes wide, and he looked as if he was trying to force himself to stay upright.

"But what if we don't come back, Sanzo? I don't want our child to be an orphan!"

"Hakkai, it'll be best for the kid," Gojyo said giving his friend an exasperated look. "The kid'll probably be better off if he doesn't know that he's the son of a Sanzo priest."

"Most likely it will be a girl; although if it is a half demon, it could be either sex. Judging by the evidence, dear monk, I'd say that you were the father. Look, when we get to town, I can take some ultrasounds as well as blood tests to make sure that everything is okay. Worry about your journey later. Ever sense the demon population has gone on that rampage, this is a very happy occasion for you. You have the chance to fulfill the greatest part in anyone's life, demon or human."

"You don't understand; we don't have time to look after a stinky little brat! This isn't some pleasure cruise we're on to India. We don't need another set back," Sanzo said around a new cigarette.

"Then I'll stay at the temple..." Sanzo looked up from lighting the cigarette at the black haired demon. The blond monk frowned his unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth.

"What do you mean you'll stay at the temple?"

"You're not gonna leave, are you Hakkai?" Goku asked kneeling and leaning forward, his golden eyes full of worry.

"I don't want to leave our child, Sanzo. I know what it's like to be alone in the world. I don't want our child to go through with that. Our child is going to be a half demon, so she'll be ridiculed because of her red hair and eyes. I thought that maybe you would understand what it's like to be alone in a temple with monks. I want to be there for her." A strange silence hung under the tent. Mantizi stayed quiet as the group talked, knowing full well it was not his place to speak up. Sanzo blinked and frowned going back to smoking.

"We'll worry about it then, okay? I just..." Sanzo frowned and tried hard not to let his emotions of wanting to care for his child show. He did have some sort of pride. Hakkai blinked and put his hand over the monk's.

"I'm sorry, Sanzo. I understand where you're coming from." Sanzo glanced up and smiled a bit before putting out his cigarette.

"I don't know about everyone else, but this mush fest is making me sick. I'm going to bed," he muttered laying down in his bedroll next to Hakkai. Hakkai nodded and yawned slightly.

"We should all try to get some rest then, especially you, Hakkai. You'll need all you can get being pregnant." Mantizi smiled at Hakkai, who nodded and gently lifted up Hakaryu, who had fallen sound asleep on his lap, and laid down on the bedroll. It was going to be a very interesting next four months.

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Morning came and the group piled into Hakaryu to continue their journey to the small village just outside of the forest. Having finally found out what had been happening inside his body, Hakkai felt that he could handle it. Not only that, but the fact that he was pregnant with the child of his lover also calmed his nerves.

Unfortunately, Sanzo's nerves were far from being calmed by that information. His smoking had increased since he had been informed of his lover's 'condition'. He wasn't angry at the fact that Hakkai had become pregnant, by far it was the opposite; he was ecstatic in a way. Unfortunately such energy quickly changed to dread and worry in the monk's mind. He was in fact not a very well off man, the only reason that they could afford food and such was thanks only to the three aspects of Buddha who lent him their 'gold card'. The fact that they were on such a dangerous trip also caused Sanzo to dig for another cigarette in his quickly emptying pack.

"Are you all right Sanzo...?" asked Hakkai glancing over at his lover's frustrated search for another cigarette.

"Fine," came Sanzo's curt reply. Hakkai frowned and continued driving. He knew very well that Sanzo was far from 'fine' but he wouldn't push it. One of the last things Hakkai wanted to do was to get Sanzo pissed off. Sanzo growled under his breath and tried to get his lighter to function, his fingers fumbling over the flint. Gojyo, quickly sensing the monk's rising frustration offered his own lighter.

"Thanks," he growled as he took a very long drag off of the cancer stick. Gojyo didn't respond and just sent the good doctor next to him an exasperated, but all too long suffering look.

Sanzo continued to smoke the cigarette, his eyes glancing down to the road below.

~What are we going to do? I can't take care of a child. I can barely handle Goku. What can I even offer to her? I'm a fucking monk not a millionaire!~ Sanzo clenched his fists and bit down on the filter of the cigarette. He could see in the back of his mind, what would happen even if they did leave their child at the temple ahead.

"Freak! You're blasphemy! Daughter of a Sanzo Priest and a Demon?!"

"Daddy! Why'd you leave me here...? ...didn't you want me...?"

"Look at those red eyes. She's going to start killing as soon as she gets old enough! We should destroy her now before she sends our home into further chaos!"

"Why'd you abandon me?!"

"Look at the little freak. Not even a great Sanzo Priest could find it in his heart to keep a thing like that. Probably just kept it long enough to keep its mother from eating it."

"Daddy..."

"Genjyo Sanzo's daughter...just like her father she's nothing but blasphemy to the ways of Buddha. He doesn't deserve the right to be called Sanzo..."

"Sanzo...Sanzo!" Sanzo snapped out of the horrors of his thoughts and turned to Hakkai.

"What? Sorry I...just kinda dozed off..." he lied.

"I was asking if you wanted to stop for lunch or if we should just keep going..." Sanzo swallowed and shrugged.

"Whatever...I don't care..." He went back to looking at the road and looked at his cigarette, finding he almost bit all the way through the tough filter. His entire life had changed, and there was very little he could do about it.

"Sanzo..." Hakkai looked over again at Sanzo and frowned. Sanzo looked up and met Hakkai's piercing green eyes.

"What...?" he asked.

"Are you all right...?" Sanzo swallowed and fished around for another cigarette, only to find the pack empty. Frowning he shoved the empty package into his pocket.

"I'll be okay. I guess it's still just sinking in..." Hakkai frowned and nodded before continuing to drive through the muddy forest road.

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It was mid afternoon before the group stopped for lunch, as meager as it was.

"Here Hakkai...you need this more than me..." Sanzo looked up from his thoughts as Goku handed Hakkai his food.

"No...I'll be fine, Goku, you go ahead and eat..."

"Okay!" Sanzo smiled a bit, knowing that Goku's appetite would win out over just about anything.

"I think that was a first for you, Monkey..." Gojyo said smoking his cigarette. Sanzo turned back to looking out into the woods, his mind turning to thoughts of fatherhood.

"I'd say you're pretty lucky, Sanzo..." Mantizi said sitting down across from him.

"Oh...? Why's that?" Sanzo's purple eyes drifted over to the doctor who sipped his drink.

"You have a wonderful start to a family. Hakkai is a very special man to everyone, it seems. And though I know monks aren't supposed to have relations, I can tell that you really love him. I think you'll make a wonderful father." Sanzo looked over at Mantizi and snorted, laughing a bit.

"Me? Hardly. You don't know this group well enough for that kind of judgment. I know this may seem harsh to you but...to me I think it would be better if the child never knew who her parents were. Then people wouldn't use her against Hakkai and I, or vice-versa. Don't get me wrong though...it's only for her safety that I would do that. And to save her from ridicule."

Mantizi watched as Sanzo turned his eyes back into the forest, his body tensed as if ready for a battle, but only because of the choices that lay ahead of him. The doctor got up and smiled.

"Regardless of what happens, you and Hakkai will make the best choice for her. I can feel it in my heart."

"Come on, Sanzo..." Hakkai's voice cut in, a smile in it. Looking back at the black haired young man, Sanzo frowned. How would he approach the subject with the mother of his son or daughter? "Hurry up or Goku will eat your share!" Getting up, Sanzo walked over and joined the rest of the group for lunch.

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Evening came and the group stopped for sleep. Hakaryu was exhausted, as was Hakkai. Sanzo got up and checked through one of his bags for another package of cigarettes and luckily found one extra. He stood for a moment at the side of the road, considering lighting it, and stared at Hakkai, who was walking back towards the jeep from going to the bathroom.

"Hey, Hakkai..." Sanzo said walking over to the demon. Hakkai looked up and blinked.

"Yeah Sanzo?" Sanzo bit his lip and put his cigarette away.

"Can we go and talk for a bit? Alone?" Hakkai blinked and nodded.

"Of course." Hakkai started walking towards the forest, just out of earshot, but not out of sight of the others. "What's wrong Sanzo?" he asked looking sternly at the monk.

"It's about our child. I know it's hard to think about it so early, but...can we really risk our child's life on this quest? We don't know how long it's going to take, and we're in near constant battles with other demons and Kougaiji's group. It's not going to be safe for a child...it's not even safe for us."

"I know...I've been thinking about it too, Sanzo. Maybe you are right, maybe we should leave her with the priests. Or someone who will care for her." Hakkai laid a hand gently upon his growing abdomen closing his eyes. "I don't want to abandon our child, but at the same time, it's what's best." Sanzo put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's not abandoning, we're doing what's best for her." Sanzo smiled a little and gave him a kiss.

"We still have some time to think it over, so there's no sense worrying over it now, okay?" Hakkai looked up and nodded kissing the monk back.

"Good point. Come on; let's get some sleep. We'll need to start out early tomorrow." Hakkai smiled and turned back to head to the others. Sanzo nodded and stayed back.

"I'll be there in a minute, I need a smoke." Hakkai looked at him and shook his head before continuing on. Sanzo sighed and lit his cigarette taking a long needed drag.