A/N: Please read previous chapter before reading this. Heed the warning or you'll be confused. Also, should I continue this? Please let me know ~

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor Inuyasha. Both belong to their respective owners and not me.

Chapter Two – Answers

Forks was actually very small.

Well, aside from the mass amount of forestry that flooded most of the area. Other than Port Angles and the small Indian Reservation, Forks was about the only town around these parts. Nature seemed a big part of the town, which was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo.

'Almost reminds me of home. Almost.'

Trees lined the road on either side of her, looming over the Jeep she was settled in as her cobalt eyes took in the sights and smells of such a foreign place. Honestly, she didn't know what possessed her to come here of all places.

Maybe it was Charlie, and his situation with Bella. How he needed help with her and her increasing depression. Some guy broke up with her months ago and now, she was falling down a dark path.

Three years ago, that had been her. But things change and so did she.

It wasn't like she didn't mind Forks though, on the contrary, it was absolutely beautiful. Nature calmed her in many ways, soothing her soul and spirit. For some reason, life thrived from the trees and little flowers that littered the road and open forestry. The greenery around her seemed to sparkle but the drab weather made the place look so dull. Many people weren't able to see that underlying blanket of thick mist that shrouded over most of Forks; it was invisible to the naked eye, but for her it was as clear as day. Probably an after-effect from living amongst youkai for so long.

Somehow though, it made her feel at home, like she could forget her worries and just fade into the background. Higure shrine was nice, of course, but held nothing but bad memories.

Memories that were better left buried.

A picture of a tiny fire with several occupants surrounding the flame appeared in her head, their smiling faces flashing behind her closed she remembered harder, she would still be able to remember the feel of the cloth from the robes of the Fire Rat. They were soft to the touch, very silky and smooth even with it's constant use. 'It always seemed to have that ashy smell to it, like a giant flame was burning.' The corners of her lips quirked up, a soft expression appearing on her face. Three years and Kagome could still remember him.

'Some memories are worth remembering though.' She shook her head then, opening her eyes and letting out a tired sigh as the scenery passing her window continued on to a more suburban part of Forks. .

"You alright?" The deep timbre of Sam's voice shook her out of her thoughts, her irises trailing over dark skin to meet a matching pair of eyes.

Kagome gave him a soft smile, "I'm fine, just a little tired." She refocused her vision back onto the road after, making a small note of the concerned look he had in his eyes. Or what she thought was a concerning look. He had such a serious expression on his face it was hard to tell if she wasn't so adept at reading facial expressions. Was it just her, or was 'Sam' staring at her a little too much?

Honestly, ever since the airport, 'Sam' had been staring at her a little too intently. Too much for comfort, she inwardly thought before crossing her arms.

Sam, he was...unusual. He was tall, almost several stories high with a muscular build and short, cropped hair. He had a well-defined jaw and dark brown eyes that practically tore a hole through her skull. They were so dark and cold, anger and sadness mixed within those chocolate depths. He seemed very distant, reserved even; standing off to the side but not focused on anything in particular. If she looked closely though, she could just make out the tiny flecks of light brown hidden in his pupil. Kagome couldn't put her finger on it but something happened back at the airport.

She didn't know what, only that 'Sam' was quite different. There was a minute where their eyes connected and...she felt something. Not just inside but her reiki flared ever so briefly before it was gone again, like the wind.

Or maybe she was overreacting a bit and she really needed to sleep when she reached Bella's. 'I probably just need sleep. That plane ride was horrible.'

But the intensity in his eyes, the way his vision seemed to follow every movement she made. And she noticed, she definitely noticed. Old habits die hard, I guess. When she approached Charlie's cruiser, Sam immediately offered to take her home. Which was good, for Charlie, since he trusted Sam and Billy did say he was a respected man on the Reservation. But still, she couldn't shake it. It was probably just a nice gesture to welcome her into Forks, but he had practically lunged forward and had this desperate look in his eyes when he glanced at Billy. His line of vision had been fully focused on her and for a split second, Kagome felt her heart skip a beat.

A foreign emotion entered her chest and she had suddenly found it hard to breath. Even her palms were sweaty – and her palm's were never sweaty! Well, never in that way, at least.

It unnerved her; made her feel extremely uncomfortable and alert. He was very quiet though, very odd too. Even now, he wasn't very talkative, not that she didn't mind the silence. But she was normally very loquacious, giving a smile to every stranger she met. Although for some reason, Sam seemed to make her nervous. Very nervous. Which was unusual since she was always very calm and reserved.

'But his staring is really starting to bug me.' She glanced briefly at the brown eyes that seemed to pierce through the side of her head, averting her gaze once they made eye-contact. Damn it, he caught her staring too.

Kami, this was getting a little old.

Kagome didn't know how much longer she'd be able to stand his staring. It was just so uncomfortable and she couldn't shake the need to bolt from the car even though it was still moving. But she resisted, chiding herself inwardly that it was just the jitters one got from meeting new strangers – male strangers. And that once he dropped her off, that would be that and she'd never see him again.

Much. Unfortunately, she experienced small towns ( villages, really ) like these and knew that once you saw someone once, your more than likely to see them again. And word would most likely get around fast about her appearance and her connections to Charlie and Bella. She hardly cared what others thought about her though, hadn't cared for a long time now since she'd had much much worse from youkai who were far more threatening than another human.

But still. She liked to avoid it all while she could.

"So, how do you like Fork's so far?"

His gaze was still trained on the road but Kagome had the oddest feeling he was watching her too – how? She hadn't a clue. "It's fine, I guess. Reminds me of home a little."

"Where is home, if you don't mind me asking?" Okay, seems like he wanted to make small talk even though she guessed they were almost there. Not that she knew but Sam had the steering wheel in a death grip and it was hard to ignore the 'squelching' sounds it made every time he tightened it between his large hands. "I-I mean, I know you're...Asian, but I just assumed you – "

She hid a grin, laughing softly despite her earlier worries. He was flustered. It was kind of cute. "It's seriously alright, Sam – I'm from Japan."

The corners of his mouth tilted up just the slightest bit before their eyes made contact again and made her turn her head away in a flush. Honestly, just one look and her heart started hammering away a mile a minute. It was kind of worrying her now.

"Is this your first time in America?"

"Um, not really. I...went to New York before this."

Kami, why did she say that? Why was she talking much at all? Sam was in the unknown department; the department that she was going to avoid the minute she got out of the car.

He never said anything for a while and Kagome actually thought she might be lucky and say nothing at all. Until he did. "Someone special in New York? Thought you were from Japan."

She furrowed her brows a bit, "I am. I was visiting a friend."

"Oh." He never said anything more after that, which was probably a good thing too since his last comment kind of ticked her off a bit.

But she brushed it off, nearly sighing in relief when Charlie's white, two-story home came into view. It was just like how he said it was, a little beaten down maybe but it would be home for now. Charlie was already at work and Billy was at some woman's house named Sue, but he said Bella would be home to keep her company but not to 'get her hopes up'. Whatever that meant.

She didn't know how she could help Bella personally when they hadn't even seen each other since they were both toddlers. But still, Kaa-san wanted her to get away and the change in scenery was honestly refreshing.

When the car pulled to a stop behind a beaten, red truck in the Swan's drive-way, Kagome slipped her seat-belt off and began to get out of the car when Sam placed a heavy upon hers to stop her.

"Wait! I-I'll get it. I'll get the door for you – and your bags."

There was a split second where Kagome would have punched Sam in his face for touching her without permission but she squashed it down when she saw the earnest look in his eyes. She was dumb-founded for a moment at the chivalrous act but said nothing since 'Sam' was already around the jeep and helping her out. It wasn't that high off the ground so she didn't know why Sam offered her his hand but she took it just to be polite. 'Must be a strange, American custom.'

Her eyes drifted down to her worn soles and she stepped back with a slight gasp when she realized how close Sam had gotten. A light pink flush spread across her cheeks and she quickly looked away before he could see it. Why did he move so close to her? "Um...thank you." her voice was quiet and soft, gaze down as she reached over the seat to grab her beaten, yellow backpack before it was yanked from her hands and slung over a board shoulder.

Kagomes eyes shoot up in slight surprise. "Sam, I can carry it myself just fine." her hands flew to the strap where his large palm curled over it, the cold pads of her fingers brushing over his heated, dark skin. She drew her hand back to her chest and met Sam's piercing, brown eyes that seemed to have been focused on her the entire time.

She assumed, anyway.

"Your skin, its so...hot."

Sam chuckled, and it was cavernous, like a rumbling engine that had just been turned on. "I know."

"I-I didn't mean it like that – your skin feels like an open flame!" the blush from before grew darker and she scowled slightly at the smirk that lit his face. Except...it seemed more like a smile than anything else. 'He looks...handsome, when he smiles.'

"It...runs in the family. Most of us run hot." And as soon as it was there, it was gone. The serious expression he sported earlier came back and he stepped back from her ( finally ) so he could shut the door and grab the rest of her things.

That was odd. She didn't know anyone normal who felt like a stove top. He literally felt like he was on fire – like he was running a high fever or something. But then again, it wasn't her place to judge. So she let it go, figuring everyone had their secrets or things they kept to themselves. If it was a personal issue, Kagome wouldn't press for more since she didn't really know Sam to begin with.

It was fine being strangers. Even if it seemed like 'Sam' was being a bit too friendly. Was this how American's flirted? 'They certainly are forward. But he's still weird.'

But just as she was about to walk around the jeep and make her way towards the house, she stopped. Something to her left moved out of the corner of her eyes and it was almost as if the trees were playing mind tricks with her. But then that familiar tug pulled at her senses, like a poke at the back of her mind.

There was something – someone, nearby. In the forest, maybe? If she stared closely, Kagome could barely make out the russet –

"We should probably hurry into the house – looks like it might rain."

Sam's voice broke her out of her trace and Kagome hadn't realized she'd been staring at the treeline to her left until his huge frame blocked her line of sight. She blinked, surprised. "O-oh...um, yeah. Right. Charlie said Bella should be home. I think she might be sleeping or something."

Kagome rubbed the side of her head softly, tucking a midnight strand behind her ear before she looked up and noticed Sam standing too close to her again. Her reiki flared just the slightest but she reigned it back in and tried to calm the rapid beating of her heart. Dainty hands out-stretched and she tried to push him back on reflex but withdrew her hand when the hard plains of his chest made contact with her fingers. She held back the gasp and quickly looked away when her blush from earlier came back full force.

No one had ever affected her this much – not even...him. 'Get it together! He's just a man – a stranger.'

The small pep talk did nothing though. It just made her all the more aware of his heated presence.

"Sam?"

Realizing he'd probably been staring too long, Sam turned away and faced Bella, who was staring at the two of them with a dumb-struck look on her face. Kagome sighed softly in relief but he looked back at her again and there was spilt second where realized she might have done that too loud. Had she? Or did he just have good hearing? 'Like a dog or something...' But she brushed that off the moment he turned back to address Bella.

"Bella. This is Kagome. Charlie had to head to work but he asked me to drop her for – " his sentence trailed off but he stopped minutely when a howl pierced the early morning sky.

It was distracting. Sam had his head swerved to the forest immediately. There was a pause but he found himself just as quickly as he stopped and deposited her bags into the house where Bella had the door ajar. He ignored Bella completely and made a move to the jeep but stopped before turning around and addressing Kagome in his usual, serious baritone.

His eyes were so deep as she stared at him but she never broke contact even as words flew out of his mouth. "You should come to the bonfire, this Friday. Charlie can bring you down or I'll come pick you up."

Of course her immediate answer would have been, 'No, thank you. I'm fine.' But she never got more than a strangled gurgle out before he was booking it out of the driveway and down the street. His eyes watched her the entire time and Kagome had the strangest feeling that 'going to the bonfire' was more of a demand than a friendly invite.

She turned around and shook her head, looking up when her half-sister, Bella, continued to stare dumbly at where Sam had been. But she came back to herself a second later and shrugged it off.

"Hi."

The greeting was short, curt, and to the point. Bella's eyes strayed anywhere but at her person and Kagome got the oddest feeling that her time in Forks was going to be quite awkward.

And weird. So weird.