Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it. Larry McMurtry, Rysher entertainment, and probably a lot more people I've forgotten do. I'm just borrowing them for my own entertainment and will return them when through. Gray Fox and Jesse Calder, though, are MY creations and I'd like to be told if you plan to use them. I'll probably say yes anyway.

Author's note: This is an AU story, based on the Lonesome Dove Saga by Larry McMurtry. AU means that some of the faces, features, and facts might have been altered. If there are any questions, send them through my profile and I'll try to answer them quickly.

Author's note #2: I know I've been neglecting my other stuff, and I PROMISE to work on them when I can, but this took hold and wouldn't let go.

Author's note #3: Reviews are like food and water to me. If you read, won't you please review?

Part Three

Call was surprised nonetheless when Jesse woke him before dawn with strong coffee and a couple of dry biscuits. "Gonna storm soon," she said simply. "If we're goin', we should go before it hits or find some shelter to ride it out."

He could feel the change in the weather as well, and the horses were restless too. "Gonna be a bad blow," he said simply. "Need to find a hole and pull it in after us." He cast an eye over the surrounding countryside, but it was still too dark to make out landmarks. "You got any suggestions?" She'd been a scout, and she knew the area as well as he did if she'd planned that ambush.

She nodded west. "There's a bunch of dry caves up there, at the end of the canyon, with a path that leads up. Big enough for us and the horses too." She'd spent a lot of time up here, once she'd escaped the Comanche. She had known, even then, that she wasn't going to be welcome in most civilized places. Her youth wouldn't excuse what had been done to her, so she'd kept herself apart from both worlds, learning to live on her own, and when she'd learned enough, she'd gone to the army.

Call could see her lost in her memories again and cleared his throat as he went to his horse. "Then let's move. Air's gettin' close." The wind had begun to pick up and he was careful to dowse what was left of the fire before swinging into the saddle.

She followed suit, then moved forward to lead him to the caves. She'd never thought she'd be opening her former home to anyone, much less a Texas Ranger. "It ain't anything fancy but it'll keep us dry." She said nothing more, simply led him inside in a few minutes and swung down, waiting. She'd lived here, living rough, but living. It was sparsely furnished, but there WAS furniture. Even a portioned off space for the horses.

She untacked her own, rubbed him down, and then put out some grain for him. "You can do the same, Call. There's enough."

Thunder rolled outside, loud enough to vibrate the rock under their feet. Rain began to sheet down, but the inside of the cave remained dry and cozy. "Not bad, if I do say so m'self. Made this up after Gray Fox showed it to me."

Call looked around the place with a steady eye and nodded. "If you'd made this far before I caught up to you I'd never have found you," he said evenly. He gazed at her steadily for a moment before looking toward the entrance, as though gathering his thoughts. She was living rough and working for the army as a scout, so she had guts to spare. Why not live in town where she could have a real bed, meals, and people around? "Tell me why."

Jesse hunkered down and got a fire started before settling to the ground and looking thoughtful. "Why what? Why did I let him go? Why do I live rough when I could go to town and be comfortable? Or is it something else you want to know?" She couldn't look at him directly, though. Once he knew she'd been done by the Comanches she'd lose this easy camaraderie that had developed between them. "I'm an army scout, Call. I'm also female. Women in town tend to frown on my type. They make life difficult. Men in town think if you're a scout, then you're also a whore, and they get riled when you don't live up to what they want."

She fell silent, gazing into the fire, thinking. Call did the same, unwilling to ask a second time. She'd talk when she was ready. He was already realizing there was much more to her actions than he'd been told when he was sent after her.

Thunder continued to peal outside, sometimes shaking the rock with the violence of it, but the storm seemed to be easing. Call figured another hour, maybe two, and they could be back on the trail. Then he recognized the expression on her face and shifted, trying to appear as less of a threat.

Her eyes showed her fear. The rest of her was impassive, but she had fear and sorrow in her eyes and he didn't want to have put it there. He saw her draw a deep breath and waited.

Jesse told him. She told him everything, from the attack on her train to helping Gray Fox out of the army jail. She told him everything, her voice wooden and expressionless, knowing that she'd lose any chance of friendship or even courtesy from him. Call was a legend, even among the soldiers she worked for. Everyone knew how he felt about the Comanches, how he'd like to hunt them all down. How the feud between him and Blue Duck had turned into a war. No, he'd have no use for her at all.

Call waited until she'd finished and slowly nodded his head. "I reckon you had a good enough reason for what you did," he finally stated quietly. He admired the courage it had taken her to tell her story. She'd known what could happen, that he could have turned on her in an instant. That he would be within his rights to take her and hang her right now.

She was tough. That was the word he was looking for. Gus would have had it out first, with his big words and blabber, but that was the word that came to mind when he regarded her. Tough. It would take a lot to break her spirit. He made a judgment on the spot, based on her tale, and pulled out a book. "It'll take a while for this to pass. Too much lightning out there for the horses, it'd wear em out before we got too far. You want to rest, go ahead."

Jesse stared at him as he opened the book and promptly got lost in it. It would be so simple to bash him in the head and escape, but she found she didn't want to any more. She merely nodded and picked up a cloth and some saddle soap. She could work on her saddle while they waited. It had been needing attention for some time, since she'd been out in the elements for quite a while.