A/N: OMG super sorry this took so long! I can't believe how hectic its gotten in the last several weeks! Without further ado, here's the next chapter:

The Call

~ Kitty

Chapter 13: Going alone in silence

…

"A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease."

― John Muir

"Oh my butt, my butt, my butt," Kagome moaned as she leaned over to bring her rear end close to the slowly dying fire. Her neoprene shorts, while they would be an advantage in the water, worked against her attempts to get dry on land and held moisture stubbornly against her skin.

"Just don't burn a hole in you shorts," Inuyasha said, eyeing her strangely. Her position was both comical and suggestive at the same time and he tried to busy himself with tying down their gear in their raft in preparation for tackling the next several miles of river.

"Totally and completely worth it," Kagome responded, "I have a whole new appreciation for butt warmer seats in cars now."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes with a snort before straightening and glancing back at her. He took a brief opportunity to absorb the humorous pose while Kagome chatted with Sango, both girls warming their posteriors before taking to the water again. They stood close enough for steam to visibly rise off their clothing. It was a bizarre sight and for the first time, Inuyasha wished for a camera to capture the ridiculous moment. He glanced up to spot Miroku staring and grinning, prompting him to send a full, heavy dry sack into the man's abdomen.

"Oof!" Miroku complained, "Hey! I'm allowed to stare, that's my fiancé!"

Inuyasha huffed and rolled his eyes. "Just get your raft ready," he ordered, pretending to be very busy with his own straps and packs. From the corner of his eye, however, he enjoyed the humorous view for a moment longer, then decided it was time to head out.

"Alright, all aboard," he shouted.

Kagome groaned as she reluctantly left the fire's warm vicinity and helped douse it with a few potfulls of river water. River stones clattered and tinkled as she stepped gingerly over top of them. The sections of her clothing that were still damp made themselves known immediately as cool air flowed overtop of them, raising goosebumps along her arms and legs. But at least her butt was dry.

Fire tended to, Kagome shifted to help push and shove the beached rafts back into the river, squealing when her toes made contact with the cold water. She could practically trace the veiny path her nerves took to relay the biting, frigid sensation up to her brain. She braced herself against the inflated walls of the raft, grimacing as she tried to balance herself enough to lift a leg over and into the vessel. After a second or two of struggle, a sense of deja vu swept over her when a callused, wide hand entered her field of view, very similar to how he'd aided her on land in the tangled alders.

His hands were one of those small features that stuck out to her in a particularly striking way. They were wide and rough, evidence of the rugged life he lived in the mountains. And they were firm, with a strong, secure grip that felt like a vice closing around her hand as he helped her back into the raft. And yet, those rough, firm hands felt careful and delicate in the way they handled hers. She'd offered up her hand to many, many men in her life. Cold, clammy hands, limp sweaty hands. Hard hands, that closed in tight around hers as though to crush her bones. She hated those the most, the type accompanied by beady, leering eyes that saw her for her slim waist and petite frame. The type that jerked sharply at her arms to tip her off kilter. Inuyasha's hands were different. When they closed in around her fingers, instead of feeling trapped, she felt safe. She didn't fear his grip, as inescapable as it was, because he let her go freely. There as a steadying presence, but non intrusive in the way that he held her. They were responsive, closing in when she needed them, opening up when she found her center. And it was instinctive, innately aware when he should hold tight, and just how much pressure to impart. His were hands that could nurture life.

The sun slowly grew in strength throughout the day until it was piercing them with its heat by mid afternoon. They were silent for the most part, grunting and sighing as they paddled. She was hardly aware of it but very quickly, it seemed their entire existence was whittled down to pulling stroke after stroke. Her mind began to fizzle down for a foggy blank and aching fatigue climbed gradually in her arms and back. Eventually, she blinked, startled to realize that the muscles in her shoulders, her forearms and fingers alternatively screamed and seized up from the monotonous exertion. Her back seemed permanently contorted into a stiff slouch and a strange rubbery flatulence from their squeaky raft cried out every time she shifted her seat to stretch it out.

"You should take a break," his voice spoke up from behind her, "And drink some water."

She felt his suggestion as a wave of temptation as her arms begged her to accept the offered rest.

"I don't wanna be dead weight," she said instead. She felt a tug on her paddle as he grasped it to pull out of her numb, cramped fingers and she pouted as he tucked it inside the raft. "I can still paddle," she insisted.

Warm arms crept in from the edges of her peripheral vision and strong hands took hold of hers. Grasping her wrists, they lifted them up in front of them and Kagome had to wince as she took a closer look. Her fingers were pale, as though all her blood had been squeezed out of them from the hours of maintaining the stationary, tense position. They trembled violently when she tried to open them.

"Yer hands look like they're permanently molded to the paddle shaft," he retorted. His voice was gruff but his fingers were gentle. He flipped her palms upward and carefully pressed his thumbs into the flesh of her hands and Kagome found it difficult to stifle the sigh as her cramped, locked muscles were kneaded apart.

"Take a break, stretch your hands, drink some water," he said, releasing her to take up his paddle again. Kagome allowed a begrudging smile to creep onto her face and she sighed, shaking her head.

"Aye, aye captain," she said, shaking her arms out before taking hold of one hand's fingers to force it open. She winced and wanted to whimper from the pain. But it was over quickly and relief soon set in her overexerted muscles. Behind her, Inuyasha snorted.

"Upgraded from 'mom' at least," he teased. The smile widened on her face and she giggled. It was silent for a breath, the water softly lapping at the raft as the minimal current slowly, carefully brought them downstream. Her hands were now throbbing as blood and sensitivity returned to them and then her mind turned to another aching part of her. Groaning, she tried to sit upright, the hours of perching on the makeshift seat in the raft with no back support had done a number on her spine and when she straightened, it was against a soundtrack of little popping cracks as her vertebrae realigned themselves.

"Back stiff?"

"Mhmm, this is worse than my desk job."

Kagome was startled when a pair of hands appeared at her shoulders and pulled her backwards. The loss of balance initially made her rigid as she involuntarily froze up. But her body trusted these hands and she relaxed almost as quickly as she tensed, and shortly after, she found herself reclined comfortably against the man behind her, her back singing its relief to finally have a firm, solid backrest.

"Better?"

"... mhmm…"

Inside, Kagome was sure her heart had stopped beating. Even through the layers of clothing and her life jacket, her back burned warm by the knowledge of their proximity. The excitement her buzzing nerve endings elicited was compounded by her conflicted feelings over their ambiguous and murky relationship and for an extended time, she was silent and anxious.

Inuyasha, for his part, was torn between two internally screaming voices. One frantically urging him not to push his luck, the other berating him over what the fuck do you think you're doing, you flaming idiot?! She'd been so warm to him these last two weeks, sunny and welcoming, and despite their initial turbulent start, he'd come to feel easy in her presence, comforted even, and he hoped she felt the same. But yesterday had been dark and stormy and he sensed a change in her attitude towards him, cautious now, and uncertain. He'd shared too much, frightened her off. Perhaps she saw him now as pathetic and broken as he saw himself, burdensome, and his actions were an unconscious plea to keep her close.

In the end, it was Kagome, bold and brave, who broke the ice.

"Thanks for opening up to me yesterday."

Could his brain possibly function any slower? Inuyasha could practically hear the screech in the gears of his mind as he struggled to piece together a reply. In the circle of his arms, her small, slender body turned and then she was staring up at him with bright, shining eyes.

"Thanks for trusting me." Her voice was soft and warm, there was a smile there, in the quirk of her lips. An oppressive weight suddenly lifted from his chest as relief washed over him. He hadn't been aware of how much he feared her rejection of his past and it made something inside him shiver and quake to see her react in the opposite direction.

For lack of a better response, he resorted to his trusty fallback. Inuyasha grunted.

The tinkle of her laughter was suddenly the most musical thing to his ears. Her eyes crinkled with humor before blinking and looking aside while she shook her head. They hovered in this excited, peaceful silence for a breath or two longer, her using his chest as a backrest, him quietly appreciating the feel of connection with another breathing body. The wind was with them and they drifted downstream steadily. Deep green scenery drifted by, and far above them, the sun was slowly gaining dominance in the sky and their raft suddenly seemed isolated and private, a little world unto itself and intimate. Eventually, Kagome heard Inuyasha breathe a long, deep sigh and then she found his arms reach around her again, shyly, carefully, and when she made no indication that the encroaching contact was unwelcome, she felt the tickling of rough stubble against her cheek and eventually his chin came forward to rest on her shoulder.

"Thanks," his voice said, low and deep, and tingles ran up and down her spine to feel his breath against her skin, "Thanks for listening."

Kagome smiled to herself, tucked securely against his chest. Whatever, she decided, shoving aside the little voice of caution in her mind. With a sigh, she turned her head to press her cheek more firmly against his, enjoying the sensation elicited by their contact. She felt his arms tense briefly, before constructing around her, pulling them together in a tight, warm hug. The forest lining the river bank was thick and lush and green, a deep, dark green both foreboding and inviting and reflected in the water as a gently shimmering mirage. She gazed at the green thoughtfully, reflecting how just a week ago, this land had been strange and frightening to her, a place to be admired from a distance, but not to be trespassed. She no longer felt that way. And while it was still mysterious with a dark and eerie aura, it comforted her to watch it drift by. She had traversed it, fought and toiled her way through it, spied its living secrets and accepted its harrowing challenges. She couldn't claim mastery of this land yet, she doubted anyone ever could, but she felt a sort of kinship with the wild lives in it, having breathed their air and tasted their water. And the smile on her face deepened, hooded, with a smoldering sparkle in her eye. Because her mind had now drifted to the hermit behind her and how her initial impressions of him were not so different from the wilderness he inhabited. Gruff, impenetrable, and daunting as any snow capped mountain, but alluring in appearance. And then she had to stifle a chuckle, the thought occurring to her that she'd been seduced, both by the beauty of the forest around them, and the attractive mountain guide behind her. And both were hers, for the moment at least, and she felt a surge of happy, warm contentment with this knowledge. The boat rocked them gently and feeling more peaceful than she could remember, Kagome released her mind to drift to sleep.

…

After one and a half weeks in twenty four hour daylight, each traveler had fully converted to village time. It was easy to lose track of the hours between nodding off and spurts of paddling. The monotony of the lazy river made the flow of time seem like a single long endless drudge and Kagome alternated between bouts of sleepy fatigue and restless cabin fever. She was heading for delirium with all this mindless paddling and she was going to make sure everyone knew it.

"Just whistle while you work! Dada da da da da da! And cheerfully together we can tidy up the place!"

Inuyasha groaned into his hand. His noises of complaint spurred her on and made her sing even louder.

"So hum a merry tune! Doo do do do do do doo! It wont take long till there's a song to help you set the pace!"

"Argh, stop, please!" He practically begged. He had to admit, he was sorely tempted to toss the young woman into the water.

"Different song?" Kagome chirped, "Alrighty then!"

Before he could utter protest, she was off again.

"Hi-ho! Hi-ho! It's off to work we go!"

"Cut it out with the Disney!"

Huffing, Kagome turned to pout at Inuyasha. She was able to hold her expression for one, perhaps two seconds before the beleaguered look on his face managed to tip her into maniacal cackling. Inuyasha's face shifted from peeved to hesitant concern for her mental state. It was a minute or two before she managed to calm her giggles.

"Ah, I think I can understand why ancient sailors go mad," she said with a sigh.

"Because of their crazy crew mates?"

"Har, har, har," Kagome laughed sarcastically. The sunglasses obstructed her eyes but her lips more than made up for them as she sent him a wide, beaming smile. Perhaps too wide, as she clearly was entering is dissociative state of mind. The tedious boredom was wearing away at her, he observed, and he heaved a sigh.

"Just pick a better song," he said with no small amount of defeat.

"Um… country roads?"

She was surprised when she suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder. His brow was damp from the beaming sun and the endless paddling. She felt him sigh in exasperation, a slight groan in his throat. Then he sat up abruptly, a frown still decorating his forehead.

"Fine," he said, "Better than fucking Disney."

Kagome wasted no time.

"Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River! Life is old there, older than the trees, younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze! Country roads…!"

The river rocked them gently with each push of the paddle. The water was cool when it splashed and sprayed against their hands and faces. Overhead, the sun burned even more of the clouds away until they were a scattering of fluffy white cotton balls slowly drifting across the sky. The air was filled with the twitters of songbirds as they danced and twirled in the tree branches lining the river. They made good time, taking turns as the constant, torturous exercise wore away at their bodies. As they progressed, Inuyasha found himself frowning, a little tendril of thought wriggling its way into the forefront of his mind.

"I hear her voice in the morning hour she calls me. Radio reminds me of my home far away! Driving down this road I get a feeling that I could have been home yesterday, yesterday!"

They were heading home, or at least Kagome was. It was as if the thought created a vacuum inside of him, empty, barren. Suddenly, the familiar wilderness surrounding them was tinged with a little bit of the unfamiliar, feeling strange and foreign to him as he slowly realized the company he was keeping would be gone soon, in just a matter of days.

He'd been alone for years, stagnating in a strange state of apathy. There had been dark times, usually in the perpetual winter night, when he began to feel a thing like loneliness creeping into his heart and mind. But he'd been lonely all his life, and isolated during his time with Kikyou. He'd felt alone, but less so lonely, merely numb. Now, however, just the thought of returning Kagome and Sango and Miroku back to civilization pierced him more sharply than if a blade were plunged into his body and try as he might to stave off full awareness of this, a tugging in his heart persisted as he watched the back of Kagome's head as she swayed in time to the words she sang.

"Country roads, take me home! To the place I belong! West Virginia, mountain mama, take me home, country roads!"

…

It was well into twilight hour when they decided it to high time to pull over and rest. Their rafts belched and squelched as they made contact with the pebbly shallows and the river stones clattered and knocked against each other as they scrambled up the gravel bar, beaching the floating vessels and unloading their packs. The clouds were bedazzling in their hot pinks and oranges, rewarding them for their long day with a display of color unmatched in any manmade creation. All four of them paused repeatedly in their tasks of setting up camp to appreciate the view, punctuated by the sparse calls of water fowl and rustles of the wind in the trees. As soon as she was finished with her share of duties, Kagome immediately dove into a dry bag, tossing up stuff sacks, until she re-emerged with a little black notebook.

"Those colors are awesome!" She exclaimed, pulling out a little watercolor palette and rushing toward the water. She plunked down beside the river, dipping her brushes into the current and precariously balanced her paints beside her. Inuyasha found himself approaching her before he knew it, his heart controlling his feet as it continued to ache over the knowledge that she would soon be gone.

When he was close, Kagome turned to beam up at him, a warm, coy smile. He wondered if she knew just how much that smile crashed through his insides and scrambled his brain. She shifted slightly to make space on the large rock she was sitting on. He sat beside her quietly, a smile slowly growing on his face as he watched her busily mixing her colors to recreate the exact shade of stunning, golden orange scattered across the sky and clouds. Her fingers were clumsy and more than once he leapt to attention to rescue an escaping paintbrush.

"How're you gonna paint anything?" he asked, "Yer hands can barely function."

Kagome shrugged. "Que sera sera," she said, her full attention on the stiff white page of her journal, slowly being stained the brilliant colors of tonight's sunset. Her hands shook violently as they tried to maintain control of her paintbrush, but her jittery movements added to the painting, accentuating the random, haphazard lines found in nature. They stayed quiet for an extended, peaceful stretch, the combined sounds of trickling water and the swirl of her paintbrush against the surface of her palette creating a soothing soundtrack. He tilted his chin upward, contemplating the energetically colored clouds, and wondered when was the last time he'd taken a moment to simply absorb the powerful serenity of nightfall after a long day of hard work.

"I miss the moon," Kagome said suddenly. Inuyasha shifted in his seat to glance at her, raising an eyebrow. She was leaning forward on her knees, tapping the wooden handle of her brush against her lip. Then she held still, opening her mouth to nibble the well worn handle. He was captivated by the absent minded motion for a pause, but then the silence stretched out longer and he frowned, trying to decipher meaning in her seemingly random thought.

"Waddya mean?"

The girl sighed, her face serious as though perplexed with herself. She met his gaze and shrugged.

"I miss the moon," she repeated, "I miss nighttime, I miss the shadows. I don't know, I just miss it."

Inuyasha gave her a concerned look, clearly baffled by her statement.

"I like to drive out to the middle of nowhere during the full moon and climb on top of my car and just lay there," she said casually. He watched the softness in her eyes as she spoke.

"It used to be how I'd make time to think," she continued, "my reset button."

He felt he ought to make some indication, an acknowledgement that he was following. When words escaped him, he wound up grunting again.

Kagome laughed, turning away from her art to give him a mock exasperated look.

"Back to Neanderthal? Come on, man!" She joked. But then her brow puckered to note the hint of distress in his face and moved a hand to his knee. Inuyasha inhaled sharply at the contact, her hand sparked lightning to race up his thigh.

"It's ok," she said gently, "I'm just teasing you."

Kagome sighed, bringing her elbows to her knees as she waited for her paint to dry. Her gaze was over the water but her attention was on the man beside her. Their journey was ending soon, and their association along with it. She couldn't be sure how the quiet, enigmatic man sharing her rock felt about it, whether he was anxious or relieved, but she liked to think he sat so close, close enough for her to lean against him, because he was reluctant to see them go and that he'd feel their absence when they were gone.

There was a cheerful clink and clatter in the rocks behind them and Miroku and Sango came up to join the pair at the water's edge.

"What are you two up to?" Sango asked.

Kagome shifted to show Sango her artwork, receiving a chorus of praise from her friend.

"Dinner's ready soon," Miroku said, handing Inuyasha and Kagome each of mug of whiskey.

"Cheers to our second to last night in the backcountry!" He exclaimed, striking a triumphant pose with his glass toasted high in the air. The metal mug trembled in his hand, it's folding handles clattering as he fought exhaustion from the day of paddling. Beside her, Kagome heard Inuyasha heave a sigh and she glanced over to spot him staring glumly down at his drink. Swaying so that her shoulder thumped against his, she mimicked Miroku's motion, raising her mug to the fiery orange sky.

"Cheers!" Kagome said before taking a hearty swig. It burned all the way down and she coughed, thumping her chest. Inuyasha snorted at her antics, but also raised a hand to steady her mug while the other reached up to pat her back. Miroku, ever sharp eyed for any sign his friend was lowering his walls, smirked at Inuyasha, who glared back and immediately retracted his hands.

"Woo!" Kagome said, "I can't believe it's almost over, I feel like we got dropped off yesterday!"

Sango agreed. "I both can't wait to get back and into a hot shower, and kind of want to stay out here forever."

"No work, no bills, just mountains and clean air. I used to think you were crazy," Miroku told Inuyasha, "But now I think I see the appeal."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and snorted. "I'd like to see you survive a full year," he challenged.

Sango and Kagome both laughed. "Yeah, I think the cold would send us all scurrying back," Sango conceded.

Dinner was served shortly after and they were all snuggled into their tents soon after that. The long, arduous day quickly had Miroku snoring away but Inuyasha and Kagome lay quietly side by side for a while. He listened to her shift, and settle and shift again. When he turned to glance at her, he jumped slightly to find her eyes focused on him.

Having been caught staring, she glanced away embarrassed. She nibbled her lip, frowned, and she sighed. She looked back at him and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously, a look that made her giggle.

"I'm gonna miss it out here," she whispered, "It's gonna feel like a dream when we get back."

Inuyasha snorted. "City life's busy, ain't it? You won't have the time," he said, "Besides, there's not much to miss."

"I'll miss you," she said teasingly, a mischievous glint in her deep brown eyes.

Kagome giggled at him as he opened and closed his mouth dumbly searching for a response. He blinked rapidly, his eyelids struggling to contain eyes that bugged out in surprise of her remark. She glanced away, a hand coming up to tuck a bang back behind her ear.

"I bet you'll be relieved," she ventured, peaking back at him from the corner of her eye, "to have us out of your hair."

Kagome was surprised by the strength of his reaction to her statement. She watched his eyes as emotion flickered through them, until his gaze eventually landed on a fierce, solemn look that seemed to be asking her something he could not quite put into words. His lips pressed against each other and his stare was conflicted, but in the end, all that came out was a sheepish, embarrassed grunt. Kagome sent him teasing look, an eyebrow raised, before softening, a warm smile on her lips. Their eyes searched each other's face for a breath or two more, so much and so little communicated in the silence. The air seemed thick, somehow heavy and tense, as they both danced on the edge of something neither was ready to recognize.

And then Kagome sighed and blinked, taking her lower lip between her teeth, and turned to stare at the ceiling. He watched her, her eyes staring hard and bright at the lines in the tent fabric. Her breathing was agitated, shallow, and he wondered what she was thinking about. Her restlessness unsettled him and gradually, a bud of anxiety grew within his chest

Her eyes were pensive and sober when they met his again. But despite the shift in mood, Inuyasha found himself leaning in, willing and open to hearing her thoughts where with anyone else he might have immediately reverted back to his prickly, defensive self. He was surprised at himself, his attachment to a woman who'd been a stranger barely two weeks ago. All his senses were focused on her as she took a breath, opening her mouth to speak.

"Have you ever thought of getting a job and moving back?"

The silence was excruciating. Inuyasha frowned. A part of him latched on to her question strongly, wishing to take it as an invitation of sorts. Another rejected it immediately, balking at the mere thought of shouldering burdens he'd run away from for years.

"Why should I move back?" He asked, the little defensive child inside rising up in protest to the suggestion of facing society again.

But Kagome actions immediately washed that petulant kid away. Her eyes stared into his, deep, long, and steady, a serious look, both searching and resigned at the same time. When she blinked and broke eye contact, he felt a lost sort of emptiness. She heaved a long, deep breath before sinking down into her down, tucking the sleeping bag securely under her chin. The innocent, comforting gesture eased his ruffled feathers slightly.

"It just seems so lonely to be out here on your own."

"I don't need anybody," he said quickly. He knew it was a lie before the words even left his mouth. But Kagome accepted the lie, and gave a different rebuttal altogether.

"It's not just about who you need," she said quietly, softly enough to force him to strain in order to hear her. Her eyes were still aimed at his face but seemed to see through him. There was something tired and longing in her expression, and her gaze flickered as her silent thoughts tumbled through her mind. He wondered just what was giving rise to that expression. And then she blinked at stared directly at him.

"You're smart," she said, her eyes fierce and her voice low, "You're educated. You're skilled, and you're privileged. You have a responsibility to get back out there and do some good."

He gaped at her, struggling to find words to excuse his lack of motivation. But then her look softened and her eyes glazed before refocusing on him with a smile.

"At least that's what I tell myself when I'm having trouble getting out of bed and going to work." She sighed and turned away, staring up at the tent ceiling.

"Maybe it's not my place to push this decision on you," she said, "But I know this: you can stay out here, like the moose and the bears and the caribou. You can live and die out here. And you might be fine. And it can be a full life. But that's all your life will amount to, that's all you'll ever be. You have the capability to be so much more."

Her eyes searched his face, trying to read the frown creating furrows in between his brows. She could sense him internalizing her words, chewing them, pondering them. That's enough, she decided. Extracting a hand from her sleeping bag, she reached out to him in a peace offering, a smile shining bright and true on her face when he clasped her hand in his wide palm. He squeezed it tight, a thumb gently stroking in small slow circles.

The next time they made eye contact, the mood shifted again. Her eyes held onto his with a grip that was almost tangible and his breath caught in the back of his throat. Inching forward, Kagome carefully brought her body flush with his. He felt her breath hot against his chest. A slender arm moved tentatively around his waist. His heart pounded in his chest and he was frozen for a moment before his arm came up to pull her closer. He felt her nuzzle her nose against him as she sighed.

"Good night," she whispered, her voice soft and shy.

Inuyasha gulped, certain there would be no sleep for him tonight.

"G'night," he replied.

A/N: Happy holidays everybody!