For the next month, things went normally. I settled into life as a high school student and barely even griped about it anymore. Deaton worked with me on magic, teaching me how to cast protective and healing spells. I knew I wasn't going to be the best fighter anymore, but at least I could help people.

"Have you been training since Derek left?" Deaton asked me one afternoon.

"Yeah, I mean sort of. It's kind of hard to stay motivated when I don't feel like I'm in danger, you know." I paused. "I think that the more I mess with this magic stuff the less powerful those adrenaline rushes are getting."

"I suppose it makes sense. The cauldron wouldn't leave you vulnerable, but now that you have another way to protect yourself it's power is leaving you."

"Random protection spells, that we can't test the usefulness of, and occasional target practice in the woods. Yeah, I'm definitely one step ahead of what's coming."

"Speaking of, how are they holding up?"

I sighed. "Lydia and I have tried to get Allison to talk about it, but if she's experiencing anything weird she's not telling us. Scott and Stiles are pretty much as tight lipped about it as she is."

"I sense a but."

"Stiles keeps calling me in the middle of the night, the first time he didn't say anything and hung up. I asked him about the next day but he didn't even remember calling. He's called at least four times since then, but every time it's been to just talk. Something is definitely up with him. No one calls their friends at three in the morning to talk about school."

"Nightmares and hallucinations are side effects of being put under, maybe he's waking up from a nightmare and just needs someone normal to talk to."

"Then why me? Why not Scott?"

"Because you weren't there and you don't ask questions."

"I just want him to be ok."

"That's all he needs right now. Tell me if he says anything about the nightmares, if he tells you that means they're getting worse."

"I will. I'm meeting Allison and Lydia at the loft, so I should probably head out. Thanks for the help today."

When I reached the loft, the girls had already let themselves in. "Sorry I'm late, I got caught up at the clinic."

"How's the voodoo stuff coming along?" Lydia asked.

I rolled my eyes. "It's not voodoo." I sighed. "I don't know, alright I guess? Maybe I'm getting somewhere, maybe I'm not. I can't just sit around and do nothing."

"Because there's something coming, right?" I nodded. "I'm the banshee and even I'm not catching this great evil you're so freaked out by."

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid," I mumbled. One look at Allison told me I wasn't. "You ok, Allison?"

"Huh?" She jumped. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Right, well, can we move on to something more sleepover appropriate?" Lydia asked. "Like boys. Ava, how is your…whatever he is?"

I shrugged. "I actually haven't talked to him at all this week. But last I heard Cora was settled and he was heading back."

"Is he traveling by dog sled? If Derek left Cora a week ago, why isn't he back yet?"

"I dunno. I'm sure he's fine. He can take care of himself."

"You're not concerned? Not in the slightest?" Lydia asked.

"Not really."

"Allison, please tell her this isn't normal."

"Lydia's right, normal girls would probably be freaking out if their boyfriend left the country and went MIA," Allison said.

At my blank expression, Lydia rolled her eyes. "I forget this is Ava, she doesn't know what normal is."

"How about you, Allison?" I asked, changing the subject. "Any guys in your life?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" Lydia repeated. "That is a shockingly different answer than the last time we asked."

"Last time it was a resounding no," I remembered.

"I may have been lying a little bit," she said with a shrug.

"If last time was actually a maybe, does that make this time a yes?" Lydia asked.

Allison hesitated. "Oh, come on! Who's the guy?" I pressed.

"Isaac."

"Oh," Lydia said. "Not entirely unexpected, but I do get your hesitation."

They both looked at me. "That's great," I told Allison. "Honestly." I really did mean it. A little part of me would probably always love Isaac but I had made the right choice. I wanted Allison and Isaac to be happy and if they were happy together then I was going to support that.

"Now what about you, Lydia? How's Aiden?" Allison asked.

"He's Aiden, what do you expect?" Lydia groaned.

"I sense a story, stories call for snacks. I'll be right back." When I got in the kitchen my phone rang. I knew it was going to be Stiles before I even pulled it out of my pocket. "Hey, Stiles."

"Did I wake you up?" He asked, he sounded exhausted.

"No, no, I'm with Allison and Lydia."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll let you go."

"Wait!" I hesitated. "Stiles, are you having nightmares?"

"How'd you know?"

"This is the fifth time you've called me in the middle of the night this week," I reminded him. "Are you ok?"

"They're just nightmares."

"But they aren't just nightmares, are they?" He didn't say anything. "I'll stay up with you, if you want me to. Lydia and Allison can entertain themselves."

"I want to go to sleep."

"Ok, that's probably a good idea. But I'm here if you need to talk."

"Thanks, Ava."

"Goodnight."

OoOoO

At school a few days later, I found Lydia talking to a confused looking Allison in the hallway. "What's up?" I asked.

"I don't remember how I got here. I was running from something, from Kate. The next thing I know I'm here," Allison said.

"Stiles has been having nightmares," I told them. "I'd be willing to bet Scott is seeing things too." We headed outside and found Scott and Stiles by the stairs.

"You're seeing things aren't you?" Stiles asked Scott.

"How'd you know?" He asked.

"Because it's happening to all three of you," Lydia told him.

OoOoO

Our first class of the morning was art; on the first day of the semester Lydia had claimed the seat next to Allison leaving the only remaining easel next to Isaac. I'd barely spoken to him other than to ask him to pass me a paintbrush. "How are you?" I asked.

He looked surprised to hear me talking to him. "I'm good, how are you?"

"Great, yeah." I paused. "So, um, today's a nice day, huh?"

He gave me a funny look. "Yeah, it's a little cold though."

I searched hopelessly for something to salvage this conversation. I was realizing I was terrible at small talk. Finally I blurted, "I think it's great that you and Allison have a thing for each other."

"What?"

"I mean you do like her, right?" I asked. He nodded. "Good, you should be happy. That's all I want." He didn't say anything else but after a minute he leaned over with a darker shade of green than the one I'd been using and shaded the lime I was working on. I wanted to sigh in relief; Isaac and I were going to be ok.

OoOoO

Scott and I were sitting in an empty classroom with piles of notes laid out in front of us. "How do you not know this stuff? It's history," Scott said.

"American history, I didn't come to the states until the eighties. It wasn't like I was keeping up with who was fighting who during the 1800s." My phone rang and I answered it. "What's up Lydia?"

"Allison is having a lot of trouble shooting her bow. In case you weren't aware, I am not an expert marksman. I know that you were getting pretty good with a bow when you were training with Allison. Could you maybe try to retrain her?"

"Right now?" I asked.

"Yeah, she says we're at the usual spot."

"Scott and I are sort of cramming for a test right now," I told her, apologetically. "Tell her to text me if she wants to meet up after school."

Lydia groaned and relayed what I said to Allison. "Cramming for a test, what kind of person are you. You were much cooler before you decided to go full human on me."

"Sorry, Lydia. I gotta go."

"Is Lydia having a crisis?" Scott asked.

"No, she wanted me to help Allison gain back her confidence with a bow. Why they decided to leave right now instead of waiting two hours until school gets out is beyond me."

OoOoO

The next day at lunch the whole group gathered. "It's a good thing you weren't in the woods with us yesterday," Lydia told me. "Allison's little hallucinations almost got me killed."

"This is getting out of control," Scott said. "This isn't just in our heads anymore this is real."

"So what happens to people who has a near death experience, hallucinate, have trouble knowing what real or not, and are potentially haunted by dead relatives?" Stiles asked.

"They get locked up because they're insane?" Isaac offered.

Stiles made a face. "Very helpful."

"Part of the reason it's so dangerous to cross over is because of the evil you can bring back with you," I told them. "It's like you open a door and then when you try to close it someone wedges something in between the lock."

"Are you saying I might actually be haunted by Kate?" Allison asked.

"Maybe."

A girl walked up to our table. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation and I think I know what you're talking about. There's a Tibetan word, Bardo, that means in between state."

"And who are you?" Lydia asked.

"Kira, she's in our history class," Scott said.

She sat down on the end of the bench next to Stiles. "All that stuff you were talking about could happen in Bardo. There are different progressive states, you can hallucinate, or even be visited by peaceful or wrathful deities."

"Wrathful?" Isaac asked.

"Like demons."

"Demons, lovely. Don't suppose you have any friends that are interested in messing around with a few kids, huh Ava?" Stiles asked. I made a face.

"If the states progress what happens in the last one?" Allison asked.

"You die."

"Thanks for the input," Lydia said. Kira smiled and left.

"I kinda miss being the expert," I mumbled. The bell rang and we all gathered our things.

Scott and I headed towards our next class together. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked defensively.

"Like what?"

"Like you want to laugh at me."

I laughed. "I just think it's cute that you like the new girl."

"No, I don't."

"Oh please, you totally have a crush on Kira."

"Shut up, Ava."

"Never."

OoOoO

I was in the loft watching Netflix when I got a text from Isaac asking if he could stop by. I told him he could and he said he'd be there in ten. I rushed cleaned downstairs and then sat back on the couch nonchalantly, so it wouldn't look like I'd been worried about him coming over.

He came up stairs and found me. "Hey, Isaac, want something to drink?"

"Nah, I won't bug you for long."

"It's not a problem. I am surprised to see you outside of school though."

He shrugged and joined me on the couch. "I'm tired of acting like a wounded puppy, plus I missed you."

"Oh please, your spirit animal is a wounded puppy," I teased. "I missed you too."

We talked for a while, neither of us brought up Derek or Allison but it didn't feel like we were avoiding the subjects either.

"For the first time I actually feel normal, isn't that crazy?"

"I guess normal works on a different scale for you."

"Yeah, I suppose so." I shrugged. "It's a really good feeling having friends and a life. For once I'm not just surviving, I'm settled in and living. And, honestly, I have a lot of faith that we'll figure out what's going on with that whole in between state thing."

"I thought you were the one panicking about the evil they supposedly brought back."

"I was, but come on, could you imagine Beacon Hills without a little supernatural drama to keep things interesting. I want to be normal but there is such a thing as too normal."

"You may be the only person who doesn't stress out over danger."

"What can I say, it's a talent."