When the doorbell rang, Asteria got up excitedly from the couch. "I'll get it," she called out, before ultimately tripping over the blanket that had been tucked in around her. She sprawled out across the floor like a baby giraffe face planting. Rachael helped her back in her seat while Natalie answered the door.

Matt and Damien came in with several pizzas and 2 liters of soda in hand. "There's more junk food in the car," Damien said as he carried the soda into the kitchen. "We've got enough sugar and carbs to give the entire town health problems."

In short order everyone was piled into the living room with full plates and cups. Several of them opted for a shot of vodka in their soda, Asteria not being one of them. They figured she had pushed her luck far enough; she was one bad decision away from becoming an episode of Grey's Anatomy at this point anyway.

"Here's to Asteria," Matt said while raising his cup. The others were quick to join in, with Asteria being the last. "We knew she was going to be one of us when she bitched out Madison on day one, and she never disappointed. She's the only person I know that's bat shit crazy enough to get drunk and fight a bear."

A chorus of cheers went around the group before drinks were taken. Asteria almost felt bad taking credit for something that didn't happen, but even with her sluggish, concussed brain she knew saying "actually, I got into a fist fight and tried to take on some demonic spirit with a squirt gun" wasn't going to fly. On second thought, maybe she was getting all the credit she was due for anyway. Both events were equally out there.

The group kept it mostly light, and Asteria dozed in and out of their marathon of Parks and Recreation. It was comforting background noise to her that allowed her to peacefully float in and out of consciousness at leisure, which was the overall goal of the group. She had just woken up and been offered ice cream when the doorbell rang once again.

"Shit, is that someone's parents," Damien asked as he threw their bottle of vodka under the couch.

"Just calm down, we'll be fine," Rachael responded as she got up to open the door.

"I'm sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting," a familiar musical voice sounded from the doorway.

"Alice," Asteria yelled from her seat on the couch. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to check if you were feeling better," Alice said with a glance around as Rachael held the door open and let her in.

"I'm doing fantastic, thanks for asking," Asteria giggled. "I've decided I want to jump out of a plane sometime. With a parachute, obviously."

"Dr. Cullen said the concussion was going to make her a little loopy," Rachael explained to Alice. "It should wear off soon."

"Of course," Alice replied. She cast a concerned look over at Asteria. "He mentioned she was a little worse for wear. I just wanted to check in, and once again offer help. I'm more than willing to take her back with me and watch her through the night. It's a lot of respons-,"

"It's no problem," Natalie cut her off with a wave. "We've all been there. Obviously not there, but you know what I mean. We've got each other's backs."

"Of course," Alice replied again coolly.

"I've got an idea," Natalie said. "Why don't you stay with us? It would be fun. We're just watching some movies, and we're planning on taking turns staying up to watch Asteria. It wouldn't hurt to have another person in the mix."

"I wouldn't want to intrude," Alice said softly.

"Pfft," Rachael snorted. "It would fun. After all, you're family is hanging out with Asteria more, and I'm sure she would appreciate having you here. We could all be friends."

"Hi, sitting right here," Asteria said without the annoyance she felt her words needed. After all, she still registered that they were talking about her.

"Would you want me to stay," Alice asked Asteria directly.

"It would be nice," Asteria echoed the other girls. "If you want to."

"Alright," Alice practically beamed. "Let me tell Carlisle and Esme. I think I have a spare change of clothes out in the Volvo."

Asteria had to think hard to remember that Alice was a psychic as she came in with a bag filled with a "change of clothes". Leave it Alice to play off having an entire wardrobe and toiletry set as her latest shopping haul that hadn't made it out of the car yet.

After Asteria had finished her ice cream Alice insisted on being the one to help her into pajamas and get her ready for bed. Rachael offered to help but Alice was always a force to be reckoned with. By the end of it Rachael had even agreed to let Alice put her hair in braids after she was done with Asteria.

"I'm so sorry, Alice," Asteria said once the two of them were in the bathroom alone together.

Alice sighed. "There's no way of changing the past now, so you might as well not worry too much over it. You did give us all a bit of a scare, though."

Asteria winced while Alice gently helped her into a new shirt. It wasn't from her wound so much as the hurt in Alice's tone. "I didn't think it could do that, attack me in the daytime like that. It was..," she trailed off as more of the incident came back to her.

"Sssh, don't worry about it," Alice said soothingly as she ran a brush through Asteria's hair. "It can't get to you right now."

"What, why," Asteria asked hazily as Alice pulled her hair into a chic messy bun.

"I remembered the herbs in that protection spell you made, the one you put around all the entry ways to keep out unwelcome visitors. When Carlisle explained what happened I mixed some up, and when your friends weren't looking I placed it around the house. I'm not positive it's going to work, of course, but I think the attack today weakened it enough that it won't get passed the spell," Alice replied.

"Alice Cullen," Asteria whispered at the other girl. "Look at you, making your own spells."

"I'm not sure that it will work," Alice sighed. "I don't know if just anyone can mix together herbs and call it a spell, but it's the best we've got."

"It will work," Asteria responded easily. She said it with so much confidence and a lack of the general lethargy and hysteria that had been plaguing her all night that Alice actually had to do a double take.

"How can you be sure," Alice asked.

Asteria shook her head. "I don't know, I'm just positive. Whatever you did, it's going to work."

The rest of the night was a blur to Asteria. She couldn't really remember making it to the couch, but she was woken up several hours later by Natalie. The other girl forced her to drink water like it was a keg stand at a frat party and helped her to the bathroom. The next time she woke up it was to Rachael gently shaking her shoulder and asking if she needed anything.

The rest of the night, however, was all Alice. Asteria wasn't positive, but she was fairly sure she had convinced the other girls to let her be the sole caretaker. It seemed the boys had departed sometime after Asteria swan dived onto the couch for the night.

"Alice," Asteria blearily whispered out from her spot on the couch.

"What is it," Alice responded instantly. She was already at her side by the time Asteria had finished the word.

"I don't know, I feel weird," Asteria responded.

"It's a concussion," Alice responded. "You might not feel like yourself."

"That's not it," Asteria said while shaking her head. "It's something else. Something witchy."

"What is it," Alice asked more urgently this time.

"I think," Asteria responded, dragging it out so she could process the feeling. "I think everything is going to be okay."

Asteria could sense Alice roll her eyes in the dark. "No, I'm serious. I feel like I'm about to figure something out, and it's going to make things better."

"Alright," Alice said patronizingly. "In the meantime, get some rest."

"You're not the boss of me," Asteria said childishly even as she snuggled into her pillow deeper. She was already back to sleep before she could hear the other girl's response.

The first hint of morning light was rough. Asteria woke up to a fully fledged migraine, which Alice did her best to combat with aspirin and water. Natalie and Rachael were just rolling out of their sleeping bags when Alice had Asteria fully packed up and ready to go.

"I'm going to take her back to my house so that Esme can watch her for the day," Alice told the other girls as she helped Asteria put shoes on. Asteria was just thankful she got to stay in her pajamas; trying to struggle into clothes was not a challenge she felt up to facing.

"It's awfully nice of Esme to take care of her," Rachael said with a yawn as she sat up. "Thanks again for everything you guys did."

Alice waved her off as she grabbed her bag from the floor. "Carlisle and Esme adore Asteria, and she's my friend. We'd never let anything happen to her."

Shouldering her bag as well as Asteria's, Alice went out the door to start up the Volvo. Natalie crawled out of her sleeping bag and threw Asteria into a half awake hug.

"Feel better," Natalie told her. "Get some rest and let me know when you're feeling better. Don't ever scare me like that again."

"Okay," Asteria promised. "I'm so sorry for all of this."

"Just don't go full Daniel Boone on us again," Rachael replied sleepily as she gave a hug of her own. "Not unless you're properly armed."

"Ready," Alice asked as she came back into the house. Asteria nodded and finished up the goodbyes, and then they headed out of the house. She felt less sluggish at this point, now it was just tiredness.

"I promise you can sleep more when you get to the house," Alice said as she looked over at her.

"I think I've slept more in the last 12 hours than I have all week," Asteria responded groggily.

"That's not something to celebrate," Alice said critically as she drove on. "You really need to get a proper sleep schedule."

"Yes, ma'am," Asteria responded with a yawn.

Esme fussed over her almost as soon as the car door was thrown open. Carlisle gave her another once over to make sure she was on the right track and then she was led up the stairs to Alice and Jasper's bedroom again. Asteria was given plenty of water and the promise of breakfast upon waking up, and then the curtains were drawn and the house fell quiet. It was warm, and just dark enough to feel cozy without being creepy, and the sheets were velvety soft. She was out in minutes.

Asteria was vaguely aware that she was dreaming. It was one of those dreams where everything didn't quite make sense, but it wasn't unnerving. It definitely wasn't another nightmare, and for that she was thankful. She walked through her old house; not the one she shared with Liam, but her childhood home that belonged to her parents.

"Mom? Dad," Asteria called out while peeking through the old rooms. She had made an effort not to think about her parents for several years now, and it was slightly unnerving to have it happen out of the blue. A familiar ache awakened in her chest. She wasn't sure what she wanted to happen, but knew whatever it was wouldn't be enough.

"Mom," Asteria called out again as she stood in front of the door to her parents' bedroom. She was nervous to open the door, which struck her as utterly ridiculous. This was her home, her childhood. Never once had she hesitated to go into her parents' room, and here she was hanging around outside like a coward. "Dad?"

Asteria pushed the door open and took a few steps inside. The room was exactly as she had remembered it, and she paused to turn and take it in. A giant king sized bed pressed against one wall, a beautiful hand stitched quilt spread across it. Asteria belatedly recognized the Celtic knot embroidered across the surface, full of intricate loops. A large vanity sat opposite, three separate mirrors reflecting back at her.

What really caught her eye was the open window across from the doorway. A small breeze came in through the open window and ruffled the curtains enough to catch her eye. The view was breathtaking, and certainly nothing Asteria had ever seen. The breeze rustled through the tall grass outside in waves, which shown a pale white under the full moon. Honestly the sky was the most breathtaking. It swirled in a variety of dark blues and purples with stars dotting the entirety of the sky, making the whole thing surreally beautiful.

"Mesmerizing, isn't it," a voice asked behind her. Asteria spun on her heel but couldn't locate the source. "Over here, by the vanity."

Asteria edged closer to the vanity but could only find her own reflection. While she was studying her own reflection she noticed a darker mass swirling into focus behind her. Turning, Asteria couldn't find the shadow behind her, but was able to make it out once again in the mirror behind her reflection.

"What are you," Asteria asked the shadow bravely. This was still her dream, and she wouldn't be bullied.

"I am everything you think I am, everything you fear I might be," its voice oozed out into the room with unsettling laughter. "Keep trying, child, but you are no match for those more powerful than you."

Asteria took a few stumbling steps backwards, out of the frame of the mirror. She watched as the shadow grew closer until it took up a larger portion of the frame. "Where there is light, there is shadow. Always remember that. No matter what you do, we will be there. There is no escape."

Her heart beat faster in her chest and Asteria struggled to keep herself calm. "I don't need an escape. I just need a way to defeat you, and anything like you."

The shadowy being laughed at her. "You think you are any match against me?"

"Go ahead and do your worst, and I'll do mine," Asteria said with a bravery she didn't feel. She almost winced as she braced for the oncoming pain, but it never came.

"You're stuck, aren't you," she laughed with the realization as it came to her. The instant clarity hit her like an old lady backing her Honda into a parked car. "All that bark, and you've got no bite."

"Foolish girl," the darkness spit at her. "I am malice, I am darkness and deceit. You cannot escape-,"

"Yeah, uh huh, sure Malice, Darkness, Deceit, or whatever else," Asteria said in a faked conversational tone. "But I think you're full of shit. Let's test that theory." The darkness continued to howl abuse at her, but she slipped out of her parents' bedroom and back into the hallway. The sound faded until she made her way down the stairs towards what used to be their living room.

The amazing thing about hindsight was the clarity it brought. Looking back, Asteria could see the bundles of herbs hanging in her pantry that once seemed like every day kitchen supplies, or the Celtic knots symbols carefully carved into the corners of doorways that looked more like faded decorations. The scented candles throughout the house took on a second meaning as well. Clearly, her mom had more secrets than Asteria thought.

It was indescribably painful, to walk around that house again. It felt like a tomb for all her childhood happiness. And yet somehow, it felt comforting. She sensed her mother like a warm blanket around her. It was hard to explain, but Asteria just felt like if she could turn fast enough she would catch a glimpse of her mother out of the corner of her eye, cooking at the stove or carrying a cup of tea into the living room.

"Mom," Asteria called out tentatively. She was still fully aware that this was a dream. Since this was her dream, in her own consciousness, why couldn't she control it? She should be able to see her mom again. Deserved to see her again. "Mom!"

"Mom," Asteria called out again as she felt a gentle shaking. She woke up fully alert to see Esme staring down at her with painful concern.

"Asteria, darling, I was just trying to wake you up," Esme said.

Asteria took a shaky breath and let it out in a sigh. "I'm fine."

"Do you want to talk about it," Esme asked softly.

"No," Asteria said immediately. It was a knee jerk reaction and came out so harshly she winced. "Sorry, I just…is there breakfast? I'm hungry."

"Of course, sweetheart," Esme responded quickly, but Asteria could still see some emotion in the back of Esme's eyes. "Would you prefer to eat in the kitchen or here?"

"I'll go down to the kitchen," Asteria responded. She couldn't fathom tracking crumbs into the nice bed.

"Alright, I'll give you a minute while I get breakfast ready," Esme said gently as she straightened from the bed. She seemed to hesitate for a second before gripping Asteria's shoulder comfortingly and then leaving the room.

Asteria took a few seconds to breathe before going over the events of the dream. It felt surreal, like diving underwater for too long. She wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but it left her with several ideas to mull over.

First and foremost, the thing that was in the mirror. Asteria was sure that it wasn't a real entity in her dream; the protection spells she had put around the Cullen house ensured that, and she couldn't sense anything upon waking up. However, the bit about the mirror was interesting and worth looking into. She couldn't be positive, but Asteria had a strong hunch it was going to factor into their solution.

"Breakfast looks great, Esme. Thank you," Asteria said as she sat down at the kitchen table.

"Thank you, darling," Esme replied. Although the response was genuine, Asteria was still able to pick up on the slight grief that plagued the other woman.

"I just had a dream, was all," Asteria said quietly while she picked at her food. She stared at her plate and refused to make eye contact. "I don't have dreams about them much, and it took me by surprise. I'm sure it was the concussion."

"Of course, sweetheart. If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you," Esme replied.

"Thank you," Asteria said. She finished her breakfast in relative silence. It wasn't quite uncomfortable, but it didn't exactly instigate conversation.

Napping seemed out of the question after her last sleep session, so Asteria settled for a bit of research. She borrowed one of the Cullen's laptops and spent her time looking into her hunch, trying to figure out exactly what her dream was trying to tell her. Finally releasing a long pent up sigh, Asteria did her best not to slam the Cullens' laptop shut. There was absolutely no information she could find online about mirrors.

Pushing back her hair, Asteria resigned herself to drinking the tea Esme had made for her and mulling over the last twenty four hours. It was like waking up morbidly hungover and trying to figure out how embarrassing your drunk alter ego got. She somehow knew that no one would let her live it down.

"Hey Esme," Asteria called from her spot on the living room couch. The other woman was in the room before Asteria finished saying her name. "Did we happen to tell people that I got drunk and fought a bear?"

Esme's lip twitched slightly. "I believe that was your friend's theory, and no one denied it."

"Sweet," Asteria responded. Esme gave her a pointed look. "What? You have to admit, as far as cover stories go that's pretty great."

Esme shook her head with mock sternness. "Sometimes I can't tell which of my children you remind me more of. It's Emmett at the moment."

Asteria grinned. "Has he seen his fair share of bear fighting?"

"You'll have to ask him about it," Esme responded. "I'd hate to deprive him of telling you the story. It's a theatrical experience."

Asteria grinned as she settled into the couch some more. Esme was making her some soup and the rest of the Cullens were due home from school any minute. It seemed she would get dinner and a show before she went home.