Chapter 7

A/N - Wow it's been awhile! I've been slowly but surely rewatching Teen Wolf and was reminded of this fic!

Rory heard the small beeping of the coffee maker as though it were miles away. Out of habit, she collected her favorite mug and walked over to retrieve her fourth cup of coffee that day. Not that Rory was aware of it. She'd been in a daze since the conversation with Kira only hours before and now she set her mug down on the kitchen table in front of an open book, which normally would've been her textbook or the Margaret Atwood novel Oryx and Crake she had been currently reading, but instead was a stack of books she'd gotten from the library of all the folklore and supernatural information she could find.

With a sigh, Rory sat down. She still had so many questions running through her head and though Kira had answered them as best she could, Rory couldn't help but feel like her entire life had been a lie. Everything she learned in school seemed pointless if there was this whole other world right under their noses that nobody paid attention to. Still, she used her research skills to her advantage. The problem was, she wasn't entirely sure what books to believe, or even how to check their credibility. She supposed the more she knew in general, the better. There had to be some form of the truth somewhere. And if what Kira said was true, they were all in danger. The look of guilt in Kira's eyes when she had explained why she had come to Stars Hollow was enough to make Rory's blood run cold and Lane to freeze in disbelief.

Frustrated at running in circles, Rory slammed her book shut. Maybe Lane was right. They knew nothing about Kira after all, who knew if she was even telling the truth. For all they knew she was making it up or mistaken about things.

Rory didn't think so though. There was something so final about the way Kira had talked and she included so much detail it wouldn't have made much sense to make it up. Lane on the other hand, seemed to be in denial. She had fervently disputed everything Kira had said and basically chalked it up to her being crazy.

"So I was thinking, let's go to Luke's," the sound of Lorelai's voice called from the living room. "Not an especially novel idea, I know, but see I'm watching this old ladies cooking and they are really good at it, which makes me want to cook, but we both know I can't, and that makes me think of people who can cook, and THAT makes me want to eat."

Rory barely heard her and was only faintly aware of her mother's presence at all, until Lorelai was standing by her side and looking at the collection of books Rory had spread on the table.

"What class is all this for?" Lorelai asked, eyeing the titles skeptically.

"Extra credit," Rory mumbled.

"O-okay. Well do you want to get some food before you learn to wake the undead?"

"Rory?"

"Rory!"

Rory jumped and finally looked at her worried mom. "Oh, sorry what was it?"

"Hey you okay kid?"

"Yeah, sorry just tired." That part was true.

Lorelai seemed unconvinced. "You would tell me if something was wrong, right?"

"Right."

.

.

.

"Lane. Please Lane, you have to believe me." Kira stopped to catch her breath. Lane spun around and began walking, or more like stomping, back up the sidewalk to where Kira stood.

"Why? Maybe if you started making sense and stopped trying to scare all of us with bullshit!"

"It's not bullshit. I know how it sounds, it was hard for me to grasp too, but I can prove it."

"How? By having this no-git-soon thing infect me with some fly? Or your ex-boyfriend BITE my arm and turn me into a werewolf?!"

"Nogitsune," Kira said quietly while Lane scoffed and shook her head. "Please, just take my picture. With flash."

"You know," Lane continued, ignoring what Kira had just said, "maybe you're right. Maybe we are all going to die at the hands of some crazy fox man! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to band practice."

"Lane! Please! Wait!" But it was too late. Lane had already hurried away and turned the corner.

Kira sighed in frustration. She couldn't completely blame Lane, she wasn't too sure she would believe it if the roles were reversed. Not for the first time that day, she resisted calling Beacon Hills for help. Bringing them to Stars Hollow would only get them killed. And she didn't want to put that on Stiles. Though they all knew that he wasn't responsible for the nogitsune's actions, he always seemed to feel it was his fault.

As Kira turned around she found herself face to face with a winded young man who braced himself on his knees as he caught his breath.

"Are… are you Kira Yukimura?" He asked between heavy breaths.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Good… good…" The young man straightened up and spoke with some urgency. "My name is Dave Rygalski. We need to talk."