A/N: Kira is a typical teenage girl, she gets flustered and unsure, she's impulsive where Peter is calculating. There is a pretty big age difference between them and I want to make that evident because it will play into their relationship. Normally I would frown on such a relationship, since Kira is so young and Peter is Peter but I just like the idea of these two... plus I'm not making Peter nearly as creepy as I could, he's aware of his actions and teases but knows there are lines. We're in both of their heads a lot throughout this whole thing, seeing just how complicated their feelings are (and will be) for each other.

Also, more of a solid timeline for this, since season 3b ended around November/December, all of this takes place maybe late January or early February. That gives Allison about 2 months to have recovered from the sword in her stomach and for Stiles to be a little less... traumatized (just a bit less). Just an fyi since I wasn't really clear in my first chapter.

Also, I'm changing up Canon Kitsune lore again XD Regarding both Kira's aura and her physical Tail because yay fanfiction- I do what I want!

*Saturday*

Kira was pacing in her room, wondering if she was just supposed to head to the loft? But what if Derek was there… Peter had only mentioned keeping it a secret from Scott but surely Derek and the rest of Pack were including in the warning. Maybe she could… no, she didn't have his number… why hadn't she remembered to ask for it? He had told her that he does text. Then her phone dinged.

Head out into the woods by the lacrosse field, we'll train there. Don't keep me waiting too long- PH

Kira quickly glanced at her phone and then did a little dance- he was ready for her! Well, that totally worked then… How he had gotten her number, she wasn't sure but now she knew where to meet him. Obviously Peter was far more prepared than she was for this- how did she get so lucky? Kira was just so excited to be learning about all this that she hadn't thought ahead for anything of the prep work. Today had taken forever to get here and she'd set her alarm for like 6 this morning just so she'd be ready whenever she got word. It had been weird, Wednesday at school, trying to tone down her excitement, since no one was supposed to know about what they were doing. She managed to convince everyone that she was just excited to be learning about a new weapon today, instead of her katana like always- it wasn't a lie, she was going to begin practicing with some nunchaku that afternoon. They seemed to believe her. But now it was finally Saturday and she was all set to go.

Her parents were both at the store, in her mom's car, so that meant she could borrow her dad's. She scribbled a note about meeting up with the gang and taped it to the fridge, grabbing the keys and flying out of the house. She barely managed to keep the car under the speed limit- she didn't need to get a ticket on the way to the high school. Luckily, there were some cars in the parking lot, probably teachers going over assignments and stuff, plus the Saturday school kids, so her dad's car wouldn't look out of place at all. Kira even parked it in his usual teacher's spot, just to cover all her bases. And then she sprinted out past the lacrosse field and into the woods. She pulled out her phone, texting Peter back.

Where are you? I'm here

Well, come find me- PH

Oh, she had to find him? Her hearing wasn't as sharp as Scott's, not usually; she had to really concentrate to pick up extra conversations and stuff. And her sense of smell wasn't that great at all… was that something that she'd get better at over time? Maybe as she learned more about her Fox, she'd be able to borrow her senses like Scott could with his hearing and stuff. That would be pretty awesome! But… right, time to actually find Peter… Kira bit her lip and spun in a slow circle, as if she'd find signs of his passage or something, broken twigs, footsteps. Right, she wasn't a girl scout, she didn't know how to track animals! So how was she going to do this?

"Concentrate!" Kira chided herself aloud, scowling. Her Release, that was what she needed; if she woke up the Fox, she'd be able to hear better and then she could pick up on Peter's heartbeat. Slowly, Kira calmed her excited mind, focusing on the Release she'd found for herself. It was the elated feeling she'd get when imagining the look of complete shock on her mother's face, as Kira presented her with her first Tail. Just focus on the Release, let her power wake up... There was a tingling sensation that started in her fingers and hands, then it spread up her arms and got stronger, until she felt like even her teeth were vibrating with energy! Now that the Fox was awake within her, Kira closed her eyes and listened. The small chittering of the birds grew louder, the scrapes of squirrels jumping branch to branch now reached her ears as well as sounds from various insects. Kira sorted through all of it until she heard the steady sound of a heartbeat, one her Fox immediately identified as 'Wolf'. Kira navigated through the woods, getting frustrated that she'd have to stop every few yards to concentrate again; it was too much for her to walk and listen apparently… Wow she was really bad at this… But she kept at it, heading towards the sound until finally, she found Peter perched atop a good sized rock.

"You've made it, and faster than I thought," he commented, staying put.

"I… faster?"

"Well yea, you mentioned that you practically knew nothing about being a Kitsune so I gave you a large window of time. Maybe it felt slow to you but considering you've never tracked someone by sound before, you kept a steady pace."

Kira smiled and then frowned, "What would have happened if I was late? Would you have left because I failed so badly?"

"No, I wouldn't be mean and just abandon you. I just would have come to you instead, tired of waiting. This isn't a 'pass or fail' kind of teaching- as long as you're trying, you'll get stronger."

"Oh, okay," she sighed, absolutely relieved. She wasn't really sure she could operate under that kind of pressure, if in the future she didn't meet his standards and he just gave up on her. What he just explained though, she could work with that. "It was harder than I thought… I totally can't walk and listen at the same time… all the noise from my own footsteps interferes and my hearing just turns down on its own. But! I totally found my Release! That's the only reason I was able to come find you at all!"

"Release?"

She blushed a bit, realizing she'd named it herself, like a total geek. "You guys all have Anchors, something that keeps you grounded. But for me, you said I needed to wake up my Fox and my powers- calling it an Anchor didn't feel right so… I came up with a Release instead."

Peter chuckled, she was absolutely excited for this, just brimming with energy. With this kind of energy, he'd get her the Tails in no time; then he just had the small worry of how she'd be paying him back. But, the Wolf had plenty of time for that later. "That's a good a name as anything else. So, you still want to work on your FoxFire?"

"Yea, I think that would be a good place to start, since I can do a lot with electricity, once I master creating it, I can learn how to wield it."

"Smart thinking. Alright, so, you have your Release, your powers are awakened. Go ahead and create some FoxFire for me."

"Umm…"

"I'm just teasing, I'm a better teacher than that!" he laughed, dropping down from his perch. He walked up to Kira, stood behind her and smirked to himself as she tensed ever so slightly. "What you're going to want to do," he told her, as he gently grabbed her hand and lifted it so it was pointing out in front of her. "Is focus all that brimming energy you have, into the palm of your hand. Once it's there, just let it out, and some electricity should be created."

Kira felt her heart pounding, knew that Peter could hear it but his voice remained even and calm; this… this is what it was like around a man? He didn't get flustered, didn't tease, and didn't get distracted. Peter was totally focused on the lesson and here she was, the one distracted by him. Any time Scott had gotten this close to her, he'd give her a look, lick his lips. There was just always this tension between them, but it seemed like Peter wasn't affected. From here, she could feel Peter's chest pressing against her shoulders, hell he could probably rest his chin on her head he was that much taller than her. Had she always had a thing for height differences? Sure, Scott was taller than her a bit... but this... this felt...

"Kira, are you channeling?"

"Huh- w-what? Oh, yea, I am," Kira stammered out, flushing in embarrassment. Channeling, right, FoxFire. She cleared her throat and tried to push all her tingly energy towards her palm but didn't get anywhere. It just pulsed over her whole body, unruly, it wouldn't go where she wanted. "I… I don't know how…" she confessed after a few minutes.

"Hmm, alright, I have an idea then," Peter offered. Secretly he was excited about this turn of events; Kira was so full of hormones that she couldn't focus with him so close. Wow, no wonder it had been easy for Kate, teenage boys were arguably even worse. He wanted to teach her, truly he did, and he wasn't going to toy with her like Kate had with Derek- destroy her family, but… that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun. "Can I touch you?"

"What?! I um… well… what do you mean exactly? You kinda already are?" Kira's heart skipped as she processed his question and his proximity.

"I'm going to help you focus, but you have to say it's okay for me to touch you," he said.

Wow that was vague, but Kira just knew he didn't mean in that way. "S-sure, yea, if you think it will help."

"Alright, let's start here, focus on this spot right here," Peter told her, pressing a fingertip against her skin, right above the low collar of her shirt. He was still behind her, other hand casually on her waist, "Nod when you're ready."

Kira closed her eyes, knowing it would help her focus. Slowly, and with a lot of effort, Kira managed to pool her energy around the area in her chest, where she felt the pressure of his finger. She nodded.

"Okay, now, just follow my finger."

Ever so slowly, Peter dragged his finger across her skin, up towards her shoulder; he paused there, waiting for her to nod again when she'd managed to shift her energy to the new spot. Then he moved down her arm, around the back of her hand, and pressed it against her palm, most of his larger hand wrapped around hers now.

"Okay, you might want to move," Kira whispered, not wanting to break her concentration. When she felt the heat of Peter's hand disappear, Kira opened her eyes and pushed her energy out from her body, giving it a tangible form. A very small jolt shot out and dissipated into the air and her arm dropped in surprise. "I did it, like… on my own! It wasn't Mom using her own influence to push my powers out."

"Is that how she helped you… or made you reforge the katana earlier last year?"

"Yea, when she held my hand over the sword, it felt… weird, like my powers were being pulled from me instead of me letting it out. But this time, it was all me! Well I mean, you totally helped, that wasn't what I was trying to imply, that I did it alone or anything but-"

"It's okay, I know what you meant," Peter soothed, holding back laughter at how much she rambled whenever she thought she'd said something wrong. "So, you have the general idea now but you are still very far from your Tail."

"Really? How good do I have to be to actually… like earn my Tail- how will I know?"

Peter shrugged, "According to all the Kitsunes I've talked to… you'll just know. And that your first Tail is… special. It isn't something that just materializes out of nowhere, you make it."

"I make it?"

"Yea I can't… I don't want to give anything away because it's something that you do have to piece together on your own. But, I'll help you once we get to that point, I promise."

Kira smiled, happy that he was willing to just stick around and help her with all of this. "So… can I try again, only this time…" She turned to look at him and found her face dangerously close to Peter's "Th-this time, can we try you just holding my hand- I mean um… touching my palm!"

"Sure, that seems like a good second try," Peter said, voice soft. He stepped away from her, politely ignoring the soft whimper of protest; now he stood at her side, one hand touching her palm and one cupping the back of her neck. "Just let me know when to move, I'd rather not take a dose of Kitsune energy this early in the morning."

"Yea, of course," she laughed. Okay, she could do this, even better than before. As long as she did not think about how embarrassing she was acting; God that whimper had actually happened! Really, she needed to get herself under control and focus on her powers! But Peter had just felt so warm and having him close... It took a little longer to shift her energy to the palm of her hand since she didn't have the physical trail leading her (it was totally the lack of trail, not because she was thinking about Peter) but, with the pressure on her hand it helped a lot. With a small nod, she warned Peter that she was ready. This time though, instead of just blindly forcing the power out, Kira focused on an image of lightning. She willed it into creation instead of forcing it. When jolts of electricity finally did form at her finger tips, they pulsed around her fingers, bright and strong instead of fading. "Wow…"

"You're getting the hang of it," Peter cheered, hand on her neck squeezing in reassurance.

Kira focused on keeping a steady stream of power flowing into her hand and she brought up her second hand. Maybe… maybe she could make it arc from one hand to the other! But the second she tried to split the focus between her two hands, the jolts on her right hand diminished in size and quantity. "Awww…"

"What?"

"I was trying…" Kira stopped talking, since that was making them fade even more. But the moment was broken and her energy stopped flowing. "Dammit! I was trying to… to make it arc, from one hand to the other but the moment I tried to split my energy I started losing it. And trying to talk? Yea, I apparently can't multitask at all. I fail so bad…"

Peter tsked at her, "I have a long way to go with you, don't I?"

"Wh-what?"

"Your confidence level is so low. Our powers, all of our supernatural powers, are tied to our confidence. If I ever doubt my control, if I feel like I can't keep my Wolf contained, I will lose control. It's all a mental game. You have to believe that you're badass and powerful, capable! Are you capable?"

"I, um… I…"

"Yes! You are! Say it, mean it!"

Kira nodded, "I'm capable!"

"Do you want to earn your Tails!"

"Yes!"

"Do you deserve your Tails?"

"Of course! I'm a Kitsune!"

"Then don't stop until you can built up enough power to destroy that boulder I was sitting on!"

She paused and looked at the rock, could she?

"Don't question yourself Kira! Just do!"

Kira started to step towards the boulder but Peter's hand on the back of her neck tightened, "No, from here."

"I can't shot my lightning that far!" she cried out.

"Then we're going to be here all day. If you aren't going to try, then I have nothing to teach you." Maybe she needed just a bit of tough love to push her into action; after all Peter didn't have time for stubborn and unsure children. He understood that Kira was uncertain but if she couldn't overcome that… he wasn't sure he could teach her, he wasn't overly patient when it came to stuff like this.

Kira grit her teeth and clenched her hands, "I won't give up! I can do it!" Peter was taking the time to teach her, was risking everything by being here alone with her. If the Pack found out, they would be furious with him, accuse him of something. The least she could do was actually listen and do as he said. Kira wasn't a child anymore, she was strong and she wanted to get stronger! As she got all worked up, she felt her power increase; there was enough now that she was able to pool it in both hands. Slowly she lifted them, open palms facing the rock, then she pushed. A few arcs joined between her hands and then jumped towards the boulder but nothing awesome happened.

"Again!"

Another push, another jolt jumping to the boulder, but nothing exceptional.

"Again!"

This continued for an hour until Kira collapsed, dropping to her knees and panting. Why was she so drained? Her body was quaking from exhaustion, muscles like jelly and unable to support her; she was covered in sweat and gross. And she hadn't even moved the entire time.

"Are you done?" Peter asked, standing in front of her with his arms crossed.

"N-no… of course not I just… I'm tired. I need a second."

"You've never trained like this, you deserve a break," Peter told her. He could push her harder but this was only their first session and he didn't want her to run away. If he pushed too hard, Kira might balk at his methods and become afraid. But she wasn't willing to call it a day yet either, she was showing more initiative than Scott ever did. Good thing he'd brought some snacks and water. "Here."

Kira looked up and saw that he was holding out a bottle of water and a granola bar, "Thanks, I hadn't even thought to bring anything…" Peter sure was prepared, he must have been a great teacher back before the fire. And he had even cracked the bottle top for her, seeing how exhausted she was; she drank half the bottle in one go, gasping for air afterwards. "Will I even be able to do this today? Like, honest opinion, how long do you think it's going to take?"

"You are doing great, Kira I don't think you realize how much power you have. Up until a few months ago, you didn't even know you were a Kitsune. And now, you're shooting electricity from your hands."

"But it didn't take Scott this long to learn about his powers…"

"Scott's a Wolf, it's very different. It doesn't take much to tap into strength and hearing- even you were able to awaken your agility easily. Producing FoxFire, that's hard. Even awakening something like your healing will take a moment because it's been dormant inside your body all these years. Ours are awakened all at once and are always awake. It's the same with the aura hiding, I think it's easier for Wolves to learn that than Foxes since we're more of a 'one' with our Wolf while you and your Fox are more 'two' make sense? Our Wolf is a separate consciousness from our own, but it still comes from within versus how I told you that yours came from outside. The Fox has been protecting your body, how you never, ever get sick, but other than in small ways like that, she's been asleep. On your second try, even though you needed my help, you were able to produce real FoxFire, on your own terms."

"I suppose, yea that makes sense although that's not really fair… You… you aren't lying right? I mean… I'm really doing good?" Kira asked.

"No I'm not lying, lying to you wouldn't help you achieve anything and would make me a horrible teacher. If you were doing badly and needed to work harder, I'd push you harder, not give you false hope that you're doing well. You're like a child that is walking well before their first birthday- it's not unheard of, but not everyone can do that either. You might feel like you aren't making a lot of progress but, if you keep your spirits up, I think you might actually get your Tail sometime today." And Peter wasn't lying, she was truly progressing very fast. For someone that had a hard time understanding her powers, who only had a few days to process the entire list of Tails she could earn, Kira was learning fast. She'd even managed to find a Release for herself, something that would jump start her spark- without asking him for any kind of help.

"I'm ready to try again," Kira stated, quickly eating the granola bar and standing again. If Peter was telling her that she was working hard, she didn't want to let him down by taking a long break. She'd keep at it until she had nothing left!

"Easy, we still have plenty of time today," Peter told her, stepping forward and steadying the girl as she wavered.

"No, I have the energy inside me but… just keep me balanced? My legs are still a little shaky is all."

"Alright, we'll try but don't push yourself too hard, okay? It's fine if you need to rest a few more minutes," he assured her. He stepped behind her and pulled her against his chest, one arm wrapping around her stomach, other hand resting on her shoulder. "Why don't we try something a little different first, just something to strengthen the FoxFire you can create."

"You're the teacher, I'll do what you say," Kira promised, body warming from his touch.

Peter decided to ignore those words and their implication for now, "So, I want you to call forth the current again, let it cover your hand. But then instead of shooting it out, rein it in, so it's only jumping from one finger. Just practice going back and forth like that."

"So have it cover my hand, then just a finger, then my whole hand again?"

"Yes, exactly. That will help you create control, help you learn how to meld it to your needs. Let's just try that for a few minutes first."

"Okay." Kira let her body rest against Peter's solid chest, knowing that he wouldn't let her fall, so she could focus solely on her powers right now. Getting her whole hand lit up again wasn't hard at all, but then reining it in without completely losing it was a lot harder. It wavered and sputtered but didn't die out completely and in a minute or two, she had it jumping out of only her pointer finger. Then Kira opened the floodgates again, letting it envelop her hand once more. "The dimming it is hard of course but… I understand what you're trying to teach me. This is helping me to learn how to strengthen my flow and concentrate it."

"Well you must be getting better, you're able to talk now," Peter joked, thumb rubbing her shoulder a bit.

"Yea, if I keep it short." For the next few minutes, Kira just let the current fluctuate until she felt absolutely comfortable with it. She could even have it jump seamless to her other hand and flow there instead, definitely an easier place to start instead of just blowing up a rock. Then she was able to move it from finger to finger, first letting it arc out of her thumb, then her ring finger, her pinky and back to her thumb. This was what he meant by control and it was fascinating. At first she wondered why they hadn't started with this easier method of control but then she realized the hard start was smart on Peter's end; it had forced her to really wake up her spark and wear it out, get a feel for it before starting in on the intricate work. No way would she have been able to do something like this right off the bat. Once she had intricate down, they could go back to raw power.

"Alright, I'm going to step back and I want you to just, unleash all of your power, let it travel over your body. This will help you realize just how much energy you have at your disposal, your Fox is an endless well of current and electricity. Give your Fox control, just for a moment and let her express herself."

That sounded kind of scary, what if she lost control completely? Sure, she wasn't like a Werewolf, she wouldn't try to just tear Peter's throat out but… what if she couldn't rein it back in?

"Don't fear your Fox Kira, she's here to help you. Wolves are more primal, wild in our alternate persona, which ironically enough, isn't like real wolves at all. Your Fox is more like your real world counterpart than ours, you won't go on a rampage, you won't become animalistic. Just let her show you what she's capable of, trust her and she'll take care of you. Remember, you and her are in a balance together."

"Balance, right… trust." Kira could trust her Fox, she had no reason not to if she thought about it. After taking a deep breath, Kira reached out to her Fox, relaxing her body and offering over control, wishing to see more of her power, wishing to understand the extra part of her soul. Her skin started to tingle and she could feel tendrils of something dancing across her skin. When she opened her eyes, she saw that her body was lit up with arcs of lightning, every inch of her skin was covered in the moving energy. "Wow!" Kira didn't even have to focus on it, it was just happening!

Wow, this was absolutely breathtaking to see- a Kitsune fully coming into her powers. And with all the electricity in the air, the hairs on his arms were standing up, but even without it, Peter knew that he'd be in awe. Hanako, the Spirit Kitsune he'd gotten to know in Japan, had been stunning when she'd showed him her FoxFire, surrounding herself with it. But with Kira and her electricity, he didn't have words. The current was alive, covering Kira in a protective barrier and Peter noticed that it was forming a new aura around her. She was even more powerful than he'd thought, more powerful than she could ever comprehend, and she was trusting him to help her. The Wolf couldn't wait to see what else she'd be capable of in the future, but for now, it was time to finish the lesson. "Now, destroy that rock."

"Yea, okay," she agreed. Both of her hands lifted, pointing at the boulder; Kira took another deep breath and forced all this excited energy towards the tips of her fingers once again. This time it didn't diminish at all, it gathered and grew, sliding over her body to her hands, creating two huge orbs of alive current. Kira took a moment to just realize how beautiful it was before pushing it away from her body. When the lightning hit the rock, the sheer force blew the rock into pieces, one coming directly at her face. Quickly, without even thinking, Kira's hand snatched it out of the air while she was still staring at where the rock had been.

"You did it, congratulations!" Peter exclaimed, feeling a buzz of excitement himself.

"Awesome," Kira whispered and then collapsed, the Wolf catching her before she hit the ground.

"Easy, easy," he soothed, effortlessly tucking an arm under her knees so he could lift her. The poor girl was absolutely exhausted; awakening the Fox spirit wasn't easy work, and this was one of the simplest Tails to learn. Kira better get used to this feeling, things weren't going to get any easier from here. As he carried her all the way back to the parking lot, he noticed that the small piece of rock was still clutched in her hand- she'd done it! Now, she just had to realize what it was she was holding in her hand. But he couldn't spoil it for her, she needed to figure it out on her own, otherwise its power would be diminished. With luck that just seemed to always follow Peter, he got her into her car and climbed behind the wheel without anyone seeing them- if anyone saw an older man carrying an unconscious teen, they'd be on the phone with 911 faster than Peter could blink. But, Peter was nothing if not cunning and lucky, but luck was the reward when you saved a witch from a rabid Kanima- the cunning he was born with. Peter carefully drove her back to her house, smiling as his luck continued to hold, her parents still out as he heard no heartbeats in the house. The Wolf fished the house keys out of Kira's pocket and unlocked the door before going back and gathering the Kitsune in his arms. He slipped into the house and kicked the door shut before taking her up to her room.

"Mmhmmm," Kira mumbled nonsensically, shifting slightly as he put her on the bed.

"Just rest, you're home now." Double checking to make sure the rock fragment was still in her hand, he carefully placed it over her chest, keeping the raw Tail close to her heart. She was sure to question him about it later but it could wait until she was rested. He stood there a moment, blue eyes flashing as he looked her over- yes, it was different now. The Wolf hadn't thought to tell her about the change... she'd been so focused on her Tails more than any of the other lore. When he'd first seen her, Kira was surround by a simple, orange aura, a baby Fox that was trying to find herself. But when a Kitsune finally realized their power, their element, the aura shifted. Now Kira was surrounded by icy white Fox with sharp features, made of electricity. Even Fire Kitsunes had an aura change, although one could argue that the original aura looked very flame like. When theirs grew, it billowed and glowed even brighter with shimmering colors. To all those with special eyes, they could identify a Kitsune by their aura, as long as they let it show. Kira wasn't a baby Kitsune any longer and he felt proud knowing he'd sparked that change in her. But, it was time to go; Peter locked the front door and then slid her window open and hopped out, backtracking all the way to his car.

An hour later, when Kira finally rolled over and woke herself up, she was disoriented, surprised to find herself in her room. She'd gone to meet with Peter right? And they'd worked pretty hard to get her to create strong FoxFire… that hadn't just been a dream right? As she moved to sit up, Kira realized that she had something hard in her hand; blinking, she uncurled her fingers and stared at the rock fragment. "Well, it wasn't a dream, I remember exploding the rock. And unless I'm able to just produce physical objects straight outta dreams… that happened. But why am I…?" She trailed off, not remembering anything after catching the rock. No… she… she remembered strong arms catching her, a voice telling her to just rest. Peter? Had Peter brought her home? "The car!" she squealed, shooting off the bed and over to her window. But the car was right there in the driveway, and now her parents were just pulling up in the other car. Kira dived back onto her bed and stuffed the rock fragment into her pillow case and flipped the pillow over. Why was she hiding it? Eh, she didn't have time to think about it, instead she grabbed some clothes and jumped into the shower to give herself some extra time before facing her parents. They had no reason to suspect anything really, but Kira couldn't help the guilty feeling, so hopefully the shower would help. By the time she was dressed again, Kira felt ready to answer their questions… if they even had any?

"How was everyone?" Noshiko asked as her daughter came into the kitchen.

"Huh? Oh, Scott and them, right, I forgot I left you that note. Umm, they were good, mostly just glad for the weekend. Stiles is still…" Kira trailed off.

"It will be a long time before Stiles will feel comfortable in his own skin, it isn't easy being possessed by a Void Kitsune and being made to do awful things."

"No, I can't imagine so…" Kira agreed, frowning. Poor Stiles… But it was thanks to Peter that they'd even managed to save him, with that Alpha memory trick he showed Scott. Hadn't Peter proved himself enough for the Pack to forgive him yet? Wait, they were talking about Stiles. "But he's strong, I know he'll be okay… eventually. And Allison is finally feeling better although she still has to be careful with what she eats… Having no gall bladder really changes your diet."

"She's lucky that's all she lost," Mr. Yukimura commented. It was dangerous for people to get involved in the supernatural, even people like Hunters. That was why he'd promised Noshiko that they wouldn't tell Kira about her Kitsune heritage- they didn't want to invite complications into her life. And it had happened anyways. But Noshiko had been adamant about coming here when she realized that the Nogitsune had been released. Nothing to do about it now but keep moving forward.

"So what did you do all day? We came back in between stores and you were still out."

Kira opened the fridge to hide her face, Mom could always tell when she was lying… "Mostly just tried to not think about last semester. We played some video games and didn't do anything responsible like homework… so I should actually get started on that." She grabbed a dish of leftovers to heat up for lunch and then headed to her room. But she couldn't concentrate on homework at all, instead her mind kept going back to the piece of rock under her pillow, it demanded to be held. Without realizing it, she was sitting at her desk with it in her hand, fingers just touching the rough material. Her phone chirped and startled her.

You didn't die right? –PH

Kira laughed and messaged him back, No, just slept for awhile… Thanks, for getting me home. I really appreciate it- you're a great teacher! Wait, had he been waiting for her to get up? Wow, now she felt totally rude… she should have messaged him when she woke up to say thank you. But a smile tugged at her cheeks, he'd messaged her, asking if she was okay. Well, he had technically asked if she'd died but, still, it was the meaning behind the message. Was this even okay? Kira was probably reading into this way too much… he was just concerned because she'd passed out like a child or something, it wasn't like he liked her… But still, Kira pouted a bit, wondering why Scott never checked in on her like that.

Of course, I couldn't leave you in the woods. I should have done a better job of warning you- today was an easy day, it's only going to get harder from here on out.

I'm ready, I can handle it!

I'll let you know later when I'll be free to continue training you, get lots of rest- PH

Kira sighed, deep down she knew of course that this was going to be hard… but if she couldn't even handle this first lesson without passing out from exhaustion, wouldn't Peter think she was weak? No, he told her that learning about her powers was difficult, he was proud of her for even learning control like she had. Hell, Kira had exploded the rock, just like he told her to! Plus she apparently had some time between now and their next lesson so she could start preparing herself now. There was no way to really tell what was coming next but, she'd try her hardest to stay conscious next time. But for now… homework- blah! Slowly, and with the rock constantly in her free hand, Kira sifted through her stack of assignments.

*Sunday*

When Kira's alarm went off, just to prevent her from being lazy and sleeping all afternoon, the Fox stretched happily. Yesterday had been rough but boy did she sleep good after such a hard workout! As she sat up, she saw that the rock was still in her hand- that couldn't really be normal, right? It was just a rock… so why did she feel so drawn to it? Hesitantly, she picked up her phone, thinking of texting Peter about it; would he think she was being stupid? Besides, was it okay for her to message him out of the blue? If Derek or anyone saw… And if they even noticed him looking at his phone, they'd want to know who exactly was contacting him. Kira debated it for a good ten minutes before finally just shooting him a message, it couldn't hurt right? Besides, if he was busy, he'd just text her back later, when he had time.

Peter, I um had a question? Nothing important, it can wait. Yea, that sounded okay. Then she flopped back on her bed, wondering what Tail she should try for next. It was a surprise when her phone chirped immediately.

What's up?

It's about the rock… Did you give it to me or?

No, you just held onto it. It's a memento of your achievement, and I didn't think I should take it from you.

Yea, I guess it is! =D I just thought it was weird that I had it but, looking at it that way, it's nice to have a souvenir of my accomplishment.

I want to talk to you about something, make sure your window is unlocked –PH

What? Peter was going to come here? Like, right now? She'd only texted him a few times but it seemed like he added on his initials whenever he started a conversation, and also when he deemed a conversation was over. It just had a feel of finality to it. What could he want to talk to her about? She frowned and looked back through her short list of messages from him but found no hints. Should she be concerned? No, probably not, maybe he wanted to tell her about his training plan or something. Prepare her for all the hard work she was going to have to do. Yea, that was probably it. Kira was smiling again, liking that the Wolf just seemed to be taking this so seriously instead of just as some boring favor.

Minutes later, when Peter deftly climbed up to her window, he looked in for a moment before knocking. She looked deep in thought and was staring at her phone… But she wasn't crying so hopefully that didn't mean Scott had broken up with her or something- no way was he going to deal with a heartbroken teen girl. Derek had been bad enough! He knocked lightly before sliding the window up and dropping inside.

Kira looked up at him and flushed, dropping her phone onto the bed guiltily, "H-hey, what's up?" Wow he was fast!

Peter lifted a finger to his lips, heading to the door and twisting the lock. Even if he was technically Pack, he wasn't about to get caught here with Kira, luck or no luck.

"Sorry, I forgot my parents are home…" she whispered.

"I figured I'd come tell you about the rock in person, much easier than over text. Now, why do you think it's special?" He'd been surprised the text hadn't come yesterday but it wasn't like he couldn't have prodded her about it then. Again, she was the one that had to figure it out although Peter was getting a little impatient. That was why he'd just come over, figuring if he was here, he could give her a small push in the right direction. He didn't really understand why, but he wanted her to realize that it was her Tail, the sooner the better.

"Special? I don't know… I mean, like you said, it's a memento of yesterday but…"

"But?" Peter nudged, voice low.

"It's just weird, I keep holding it, like I don't want to let go. Plus it's this interesting shape, almost triangular but it has these two little divets in the sides. I just like it. I woke up holding it actually"

Peter dropped himself onto her bed and laid back, hands under his head as he propped himself on the pillow next to her, booted feet politely hanging over the edge. "Maybe you should look up handheld weapons, see what you find."

"Huh?" Kira was desperately trying not to think about the fact that a grown man was just lounging on her bed, looking like he belonged there. He hadn't asked permission, hadn't paused nervously- just laid down right next to her. And his boots weren't on the bed! Scott had put his shoes up on the blankets a few times and she got mad at him for it. She blushed when he looked at her, blue eyes catching her dark ones, feeling like he could read her mind.

"I thought I was the teacher, and that you'd do what I said?"

Had she? Oh yea…. She had. Kira swallowed, thankful that Peter was such an adult about all of this. How could she have said something so… ambiguous?! Any other boy would have immediately turned it sexual but… Peter wasn't a boy. God it was obvious he wasn't a boy! It took a lot of self control to not just turn and nuzzle into his chest.

"Kira," Peter called out, raising a brow again. She certainly liked to get distracted, although, judging by the change in her scent and the way her eyes roamed, it wasn't hard to realize what might have called her attention away. Peter was a very vain man, took pride in his looks and his body; he wore clothes he knew complemented him. When her gaze cleared and she was back in the present, Peter told her again, "Handheld weapons, go on, search."

"Right, okay." Kira climbed of the bed and sat at her desk, pulling up the browser on her laptop . Images of all kinds of weapons filled the page and Kira just mindlessly scrolled, unsure of what she was doing exactly. He'd mentioned coming here and talking about the rock and now she was on the internet looking at weapons? But then suddenly an image caught her attention… "This one… what is it? The page doesn't say," she asked, pointing it out to Peter. Instantly Peter was off the bed and leaning over the back of her chair, pressing into her space, hand covering hers as he moved the mouse.

"Hmmm, looks like a push dagger, why?"

"I'm not sure, it just caught my eye… Peter, why am I looking up weapons? I thought I didn't get a Tail from weapon training?" Kira willed herself to not focus on the fact his hand was covering hers.

"You don't, but, what weapons did your mother have that were special to her?"

There was a pause before it hit Kira, the 'did' part giving it away, "Her kaiken! They were her Tails!"

"Shhh, but yes, her Tails were forged into weapons."

Kira glanced down at the rock in her hand and then back at the picture… they were a similar shape, her piece just needed to be worked on a bit but she could totally form it into something like the push dagger. "Is… Peter… is this my first Tail?"

"Not yet it isn't, but it will be. That's why it's special to you, it's calling out to you, waiting to be made."

"I don't understand though, my Mom's Tails…"

"I have no idea how, or what exactly your mother's Tails were formed from, I never saw them. But I can tell you about Kitsune Tails in general. It stems from the proclivity all Kitsune have for weapons; when you train to first use your powers, there is always something that marks your experience. Something that lets you know, deep down inside, that you've mastered it. Whatever the object is, it sticks with you, until you find its inner weapon, the shape it wants to take. After you form it, then it becomes your Tail."

"Okay, I… I understand that. Because I blew up the rock and this piece spoke to me I kept it. And because it's small, I can totally make it into a weapon like a push dagger and then have my Tail but…all of my Mom's Tails were the same, same material and size, everything. Do I need to go back and pick up more pieces of the rock for later? And how will I know when it's right to make those pieces into new Tails?"

"Whoa, easy. The other Tails aren't like your first. The first Tail marks a Kitsune reaching maturity, becoming aware of themselves and their powers. Which is why there is the trial of realizing the inner weapon and figuring it all out on your own- it's part of the maturing process. Also the reason I said I couldn't spoil it for you… even if I did give you a bit of a push. But after you have your first one, the others just… appear. The shape of your first Tail is supposed to mark the very special event and afterwards, every subsequent Tail will remind you of where you started. Also, the Tails will be generated by your Kitsune spirit as a representation of what you've earned, it's all very magical- one of the perks of being supernatural- Tails out of thin air."

"Really? I… all my other Tails will be duplicates of this one? So that means I have to make it just right… I can't mess up, they have to be perfect! I… how do I even…?"

"I have to perfect place, come on."

"We can't go downstairs though, my parents…"

Peter chuckled, finally stepping back from the computer, from the Kitsune, "And that's why we're going out the window."

"We're sneaking out?"

"You're sneaking out, I was never even here as far as your parents know. Let's go." With that, Peter was back out her window and dropping onto the grass.

Kira bit her lip and leaned out the window; her house was similar to Scott's, with the sloping roof instead of a straight drop out the window… but still. She tucked the rock into her shorts and climbed out, shuffling to the edge but making sure to not step on the gutter, it wouldn't hold her weight.

"Come on then!"

"I… I can't…"

Peter frowned at her, "What do you mean you can't? You're a Kitsune, you fly through the air while swinging a katana, and you can't jump from a roof?"

"No…" Kira mumbled, shaking her head. She still didn't have… control like that. When she had a sword in her hands, yea, her level of coordination skyrocketed. But… she still tripped over her own feet on a daily basis! It was like, if she wasn't holding a weapon, she was beyond clumsy to make up for the super coordination she exhibited from time to time.

"Fine, I'll catch you, just jump."

"Jump?"

"Hurry, before someone comes out here to see what all the noise is! Trust me, I'll catch you!"

Kira bit her lip and leapt off the roof before she could talk herself out of it. Her brain processed everything in slow motion, how Peter spread his legs to brace himself and as she dropped down, one arm swept her legs out so she reclined back. Then his other arm cradled her back and slowed her descent, pulling her to his chest, legs draped over his right arm. She was in his arms again and her heart was racing… and if she was honest with herself, it wasn't because of the short drop either.

"See? Now my car is this way, come on." Peter lightly set her down on her feet and led her down the sidewalk, hand on her lower back. Really, he should tone it down, Kira was very impressionable at this age and it seemed like she had developed a serious crush on him all of a sudden. But he loved the affect he was having on her! Loved that with a simple touch, he'd make her heartbeat skyrocket; it was also reassuring. Peter knew he was good looking, but he hadn't really concentrated on relationships since he'd woken up and knowing he still had this effect on a teen girl inflated his ego even more. The Wolf was treading on dangerous ground though and he had to make sure to keep his head above water.

"So, where are we going exactly?" Kira asked as she buckled herself in.

"To Chris's weapon depot, he has all the tools we'd need to forge your Tail."

"But I thought… no one was supposed to know? We can't just go up to him and ask to go in…"

Peter smirked at her, "What makes you think we're going to need to ask?"

"He gave you a key?" Kira asked, disbelieving.

"What? No… of course I don't have a key. We're breaking in. Or, I'm breaking in, you're just tagging along. Don't look so nervous, I've done it before. Chris should be more cautious but I mean, we're all supposed to be on the same side so he has no reason to be suspicious. Although honestly, I don't think I'm even supposed to know where it is- he'd probably move shop if he knew that I know."

"So, this is another secret, got it!"

"Good girl," Peter said. Moments later a shy whine reached his ear and Peter turned to look at his companion. Her face was pink again and her pulse was a bit erratic; he raised a brow at her, deciding to tease her a bit. "What? You don't want to be a good girl for me?"

Kira willed her flush to go away, she hadn't been expecting Peter to call her a good girl, or that it would have made her feel this way. And then he said what? "I, um, I…" an intense heat covered her body at Peter's tone, like he was hinting at more than just keeping secrets.

"I mean, come on, isn't it appealing to be such a bad girl, sneaking out of the house, keeping our meetings a secret? I've always liked bad girls, they keep things exciting," Peter commented nonchalantly, eyes turning back to the road.

"But… you just called me a good girl…" Kira whispered.

"Because you're being a good girl for me, by acting bad" he emphasized. Kira whined again and Peter had to force his mouth shut before things went too far. She didn't even seem to be aware that she'd made a noise, and the heat coming from Kira was clouding his thoughts. Good thing they'd arrived, "We're here."

"We... are? Oh, right." Kira physically shook her head to chase away the thoughts of Peter. She watched as Peter picked the lock and let himself inside, holding the door open for her. "So, this is his weapon depot?"

"Yup, it's where he loads everything, where Allison came to forge her arrowheads, all his guns are stored here. He's got a grinder, sander, all sorts of tools to help us shape your Tail and polish it up. Do you have an image in mind, how you want it to look?"

"Yea, I do, these divots are perfect for my fingers, this part turning into the blade. Then I can form the handheld part so it fits snuggly in my palm."

"Let's get started then."

The two of them got to work, Peter helping Kira figure out how the tools all worked; slowly they chipped away at the stone, refining its edges and shape. Once Kira was happy with how it fit between her middle and ring fingers, she worked on the handle. It took a lot of time and finesse, getting it just right but eventually the handle took shape too. All that was left was to put an edge on the blade, make it sharp and lethal. By the time they'd finished, the Tail was nice and smooth in her hands, sanded down to a nice finish.

"I love the coloring of it, what type of rock do you think it is?" Kira asked, looking at the black and white striped pattern of the dagger.

"I'm pretty sure it's a type of Phyllite. It came out very well, congratulations."

Kira just stared at it for a moment before closing her fingers around the handle, testing its weight. It felt natural and just holding it like this, Kira could feel her power surging. Her first Tail! The Kitsune smiled up at Peter, full of excitement at this accomplishment! Peter was smiling back, proud of her and Kira impulsively leaned up and kissed him, taking a few seconds to come to her senses. She stepped back suddenly and looked away, hand covering her mouth, "Oh my gosh, that was so inappropriate of me- I'm sorry, I shouldn't have!"

Peter was gripping the table with one hand, grounding himself so he didn't just press her into the fencing and kiss her senseless. It had obviously been too long if he was letting her have this effect on him. Once he was in control, Peter lightly stepped up to her, bent down to whisper to her. "We should probably go, before Chris finds us here." He wasn't going to mention it, knowing that if he made her feel guilty, she'd never be comfortable around him again. And Peter didn't want that at all. He wanted to press in close to her but knew that he couldn't because then he'd lose his head. So, the Wolf decided the best course of action was to just leave here and move past it. This was mostly his fault anyways, with his teasing earlier, he'd have to remember to take it easy on her in the future. Besides, as far as he knew, she and Scott had a thing.

Subconsciously Kira leaned back towards his body, even as she flushed with embarrassment at what she'd just done. But Peter hadn't admonished her, pushed her away, did this mean she hadn't messed up? If Peter thought she wasn't able to rein in her hormones, he might stop teaching her and Kira couldn't risk that! All he said was that they should go, so they didn't get caught. She nodded and hurried out to the car, looking down at her lap the entire way back to her house. When she felt the car stop, Kira immediately just jumped out of the car and sped down the block to her house. It wasn't until she got there that she remembered she had no way of getting back inside… they'd snuck out her window.

"Need some help?" a voice called from behind her. Peter had followed her of course.

"N-n-no… I…"

"Let me help you back up. I'm the one that talked you into sneaking out." Peter moved in front of her and clasped his hands together for her to step on. "Up you get."

How wasn't he embarrassed about the kiss? It wasn't like he really wanted some teenage girl, not when he could have any older woman he wanted. Kira was an absolute mess but, she needed his help to get back inside so she braced herself, hands on his shoulders as she stepped up. Then Peter easily lifted her up over his head so she could grasp the roof and hoist herself up. He even stayed until she was back in the house and sliding the window back down. Kira watched him walk away, uncertain of what was going to happen now, so she just sat on her bed once he was out of view. Her phone chirped and Kira was afraid to look, not wanting to read that Peter was calling off her training… but she had to look, had to face the truth. A smile lit up her face when she finally read it.

Tuesday after school, the loft will be empty. We'll start on Tail #2 then. You did good today- PH

A/N: omg, Kira is falling so hard! And well Peter... Peter is conflicted XD he loves to tease but at the same time, he knows he can't push too far because he won't be like Kate. But obviously he's drawn to her, seeing her as this beautiful young Kitsune, not just as one of Scott's annoying friends anymore. Early Saturday it had been a game to him, seeing if he could get her flustered but now...?

Also for the height differences, I went off of Ian Bohen's height and Arden Cho's; I plugged them both into a simulator thing that showed me the exact difference. So Peter is 5'10" and Kira is 5'3" and literally, he can rest his chin on her head if they were both standing normally hahaha. Although for the record Tyler Posey is the same height as Ian... for the sake of my fic, Scott is shorter than Peter =P Why? Because I said so!

Also, I just picked Phyllite as the type of rock because I found a cool pattern, I'm basically picturing a black/white layered rock (since Phyllite is metamorphic rock) and that it would took totally badass for her Tails. Obviously I couldn't use obsidian and turn it into a shuriken like in the show so I changed it a bit XD Other than the look, I have no idea about the properties of the rock so, let's not focus on that too much XD