Rory pulled into the parking lot and Kira felt a little relieved. She was finally going to face her cousin.

"Thank you again, Rory."

"Yeah, don't mention it. Do you need any help with your stuff?"

"It's okay, I've just got my backpack and bag. I still can't believe you go to school at Yale…"

"Me either, some days it seems like a lot to handle. But it's fun! I love learning."

Kira smiled. "That's good. Well, I'll see you?"

"Yep!" Rory waved as she drove off, leaving Kira with her room number. Kira took a second to compose herself and set off to find the room.

She knocked and breathed a little to make sure she was in control. The door opened and there stood Lane, slight surprise on her face.

"Hi I'm Kira… Did Rory call you? I just met Rory, I was looking for you, um. Hi."

"Yeah she did, come on in. I'm Lane."

Kira shuffled inside the dorm room and closed the door quietly behind her. The room seemed very nice; considering it was a college dorm she'd thought it would be a little more… cramped. Perhaps housing accommodations are better at ivy league colleges.

"Well I'd offer you something to eat or drink, but unfortunately this isn't exactly my place. It's just temporary living arrangements since, well."

"It's okay, Rory told me. I'm also in a… not so good place and you're the only person I knew of."

Lane nodded. "You aren't in any trouble right?"

"Well nothing too bad… is it okay that I'm here?"

"Yeah of course! We'd probably both be best off if we stuck together!" Kira couldn't believe how nice everyone was she met here. Lane seemed fairly chipper, though Kira wondered how much of it she was just putting on.

"You can choose whichever couch you'd like, you're probably tired," Lane began, "Not that you have to, or look tired or anything! That's not what I mean. I only mean… a couch. Is there. For when you're tired."

With a small kind laugh, Kira responded, "Thanks! Really, thank you so much… I think I will get some sleep now."

"Oh don't mention it! I need to sleep too, gotta get back to Stars Hollow tomorrow for work."

"Right, Luke's Diner." Kira sat on the couch nearest the window and removed her boots, placing them on the floor up against the it.

"Yeah. I guess you could come with me? You could always tour around Stars Hollow for a day anyway."

When Kira nodded, Lane awkwardly nodded back, her excited energy focused now in her hands as she swung them together in front of her over and over.

"Ok well cool then! Um, see you, see you in the morning."

Lane left for her, Rory, and Paris's room.

"Night!" Kira called after her. The strangeness was felt by both of them and Kira felt bad about intruding on this dorm room and her cousin's life so suddenly. But what choice did she have?

The silky soft couch hugged her shape as she leaned into it, her head coming in contact with one of the pillows, carrying her steadily into her dreams.

The night held a slight chill and an ominous darkness, as though the air itself knew what was approaching. Kira stood in the clearing of the forest, realizing all too well where she was. Slowly, she stepped forward to the cut tree in the center of the clearing, not seeming to be able to control herself. She urged her feet back, to turn and run, but they seemed to have a mind of their own, dragging her forward with painstaking effort. As she approached the Nemeton, she heard the distant buzzing, growing closer and closer, causing shivers up her spine and the hair on her arms to stand up in discomfort. When her toes touched the edge of the Nemeton, she stopped. Finally, the noise she'd been hearing was made clear to her as she saw hundreds, if not thousands, of flies swarming together and forming a shape. A shape of a boy. Kira held her breath as it solidified and within seconds she was staring at…

Stiles. Except that it wasn't Stiles. The skin around his eyes was red and the dark amused glint present in the look he gave her was enough to make her want to scream. But she didn't. She knew she had to stay strong, she knew she could defeat him. This time for good.

"Come on, come on," she willed herself to say something, "Speak, Kira, damn it!"

The nogitsune spoke in a drawling voice. "Did you really think killing me would be so easy? I spent so much time in Stiles' body, I don't need a host anymore. I've memorized this one. And trust me Kira, you're going to be sorry you ever tried to 'change me'."

Her feet finally followed her lead as she broke free of the hold they'd had on her will, like a magnet, and began running as fast as she could to the forest, looking for anything she could pick up as a weapon along the way. The void's dark laugh echoed throughout the trees.

"Wake up, Kira," He taunted. "Wake up! WAKE UP!"

She screamed when he appeared right in front of her, gripping her shoulders tightly and shaking her.

With a start, Kira opened her eyes, to see Lane, holding her by her shoulders. A cold sweat was covering her body and her shirt felt soaked.

Lane was breathing almost as heavily as Kira. "Thank God, you're awake. You were screaming… you okay?" Concern and slight fear was etched on her face. Kira couldn't blame her. Why shouldn't she be scared? Just after meeting Kira, she began to scream into the night.

"Yeah," Kira breathed, "I'm fine. What time is it?"

Lane looked unconvinced that Kira was 'fine' but she replied. "A quarter to seven. I need to get ready to go to Stars Hollow… do you still want to come?"

Kira nodded. Anything to get the Void off her mind seemed to be a good idea.

It was around ten in the morning when they arrived back in Stars Hollow. After agreeing on a time in the afternoon to meet up again, Lane headed into Luke's Diner.

"Luke!" she called, "Luke I'm here!"

"Lane," he greeted her as she slipped past him behind the counter. "Hey did you find out what your cousin wanted?"

"She needs a place to crash… and I wouldn't mind a better one myself to be honest. I'm okay with her staying, I guess, but she's a little… strange."

Luke gave a sarcastic laugh, "well she'll fit right in with this nutcase of a town."

"Yeah. I guess." Lane responded a little absently, gazing off in front of her.

Soon enough, Lane was busy serving customers and clearing plates. It was better, doing something to get her mind off Kira and trying to shake the feeling that her presence was a bad thing. Maybe she just attracted bad luck in all parts of her life. Maybe if she had just been the perfect daughter… no. She needed to stop thinking this way. Lane couldn't change who she was any more than Mrs. Kim could, or Kira could. And it was time she accepted that.

With a sigh, Lane began writing a customer's order. She was so entranced by the task in front of her and her own thoughts that she didn't notice when the door opened. However she did notice, when a familiar voice said her name.

"Lane."

With a gasp, she looked up from her notes and met Dave Rygalski's kind eyes.

"Dave," she breathed, surprised, but beyond happy. Since Dave had started college in California, they'd come to the unspoken agreement that this meant their relationship was over. She'd cried more nights than she cared to admit, missing the boy who had stayed up all night, reading the Bible for her mother, who she had shared her first, secret kiss on her porch, away from Mrs. Kim's prying eyes.

"Why, how, what're you doing here? I'm so happy to see you!"

Dave's smile lighted up his face and Lane mirrored it. They embraced, not noticing the confused look on the old man's face who had been ordering his breakfast.

"I missed you," Dave said quietly into her shoulder.

"Ahem," the man said impatiently.

"Oh," a still smiling Lane broke off the hug and turned back. "Caesar, I'm taking my break now!" She practically screamed to the kitchen behind her. In the background she heard Caesar sigh, but she didn't care. Dave was here.

Dave smiled. "Let's go outside for a bit?"

Lane nodded in excitement, biting her lower lip to keep from laughing. Holding hands, they headed for the door.