Notes: There has to be a reason that it's taking them so long to get to their destination.

Wrong Turn

From the way Sanzo was chain-smoking his cigarettes, it was obvious that he was going to empty the pack within a matter of minutes, and they were nowhere near a town where he'd be able to buy more, but Gojyo didn't feel particularly brave enough to mention it to him. Gojyo just fished around in his pockets and supplied his own cigarettes when Sanzo had emptied his own pack.

Even Hakkai was keeping his mouth shut about this one, and so they trundled along in awkward silence, wreathed in cigarette smoke, while Goku rattled the maps around in the back seat, oblivious to the vein that was beginning to throb on Sanzo's forehead. "Heyyyy, no wonder we're lost!" Goku said finally. "We should have made a left turn three towns ago. Sanzo, how come you said we needed to go right?"

"Uh, Goku, aren't you getting hungry?" Gojyo interrupted, reaching into the front seat and grabbing the bag of buns they'd been saving for a snack.

"Not really, Gojyo, this map-reading business isn't that hard," Goku said, absently taking one of the buns anyway. "In fact it's really easy—URK!" He ducked out of the way of Sanzo's gun just in time to avoid being shot. "Sanzo, what'd I do?"

"Idiot ape," Sanzo muttered, cocking the gun and taking better aim this time.

"Sanzo, please don't kill Goku," Hakkai said, voice mild. "We need someone who can read a map, after all."

"Especially since you can't," Gojyo muttered under his breath, and ducking on reflex so that the bullet went cleanly over his head. "Don't you think you're overreacting a bit much?"

"I hate you all," Sanzo growled, crossing his arms and scowling.

Hakkai just chuckled and asked Goku how much further they'd have to backtrack before finally hitting the proper route west.

end