Welcome to Champions. This, as you probably guessed, is set in the Angel Universe, picking up approximately halfway through season four and sticking…more or less…to that season's chronology. Those of you who've never read anything by me before: This features…heavily…my original character, and some guests from non-Angel stories. I think you don't have to have read those: let me know if you're hopelessly confused, but give it about three chapters first.
Those of you following me from Allies and Powers: thanks, first of all. Yes, the guests are from Allies. And in this series, we learn a bit more about what drives Tara, and we also get to see her absolutely stark raving bonkers.
Anyone who watches Angel and Buffy; various characters refer to Buffy at various times. I can't keep the internal chronology straight, but please feel free to point out where I went wrong.
How this works: I assume, if you're reading this, you watch Angel (Unless you're following on from Allies or Powers. Did I mention thanks?) Parts of this are pretty much taken straight from episodes; parts are looser; and the rest never appeared on any TV screen at all, being totally in my head. There are also parts where episodes are skimmed over, but you should know pretty much what went on.
This is a long sucker, boys and girls, so settle in for a haul.
Enjoy!
Apocalypse, Nowish
On the show: Cordelia's visions come true as The Beast rises, bringing with him a rain of fire.
"You're not from around here, are you."
The voice startled Connor and he spun, automatically slipping into a defensive stance. Having just dispatched three vampires, he was in no mood to be messed with.
The girl behind him didn't seem to be messing, though. Standing several feet away, she had her arms crossed tightly across her chest-tightly enough that she couldn't pull any weapons she might have hidden.
"Who wants to know?" Connor relaxed out of the stance and examined her more closely. Blond hair should have clashed with black eyes but she managed to pull it off nicely.
"Just an interested party. Where are you from?"
"Around."
"That's not what I meant." He started to walk past her, but he jerked to a halt when she continued, "I meant which dimension?" He spun back around to stare at her. She returned the gaze calmly as he circled her.
"Quor'toth." he said slowly.
"Ah, yes. Hell dimension, right? Time runs at about…oh…five years a day?"
"Who are you?"
"No one. Why does it matter, Stephen?" He shook his head slowly.
"That's not my name."
"Yes it is. It's been your name far longer than Connor has."
He shook his head again. "I'm not Stephen."
"Sure you are." She grinned at him.
"Who are you?" he asked for the third time.
"A name…" she murmured.
"That would help." Connor said.
"Deirbhile."
"Deirbhile." He repeated it flatly.
"It'll do." Connor shook his head.
"I don't know who you are, and I don't care. Get out of my way."
"Or what?" She grinned, unfolding her arms. "You going to attack me?"
Connor shook his head slowly. "You're crazy."
"Nope." She smiled again. "Well, a little. But that's your fault."
"My fault? How is it my fault?" He glanced up as Cordelia appeared behind the girl.
"Your stupid Quor'toth. Makes me sick."
"My Quor'toth…?" He cut himself off as Deirbhile whirled.
"You stay away from me." she hissed at Cordelia. "You're just as bad as he is with your higher plane. You both make me sick."
"You mean that in the literal sense, don't you." Cordelia said, making a wide circle around her and joining Connor.
"Yes." Deirbhile closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "You have a friend. One not from around here. I need to see him."
"'Not from around here'? Can you narrow it down a little?" Cordelia asked.
"She means the demon. Kreve'Lorne'Swath." Connor said quietly.
"Lorne?" Cordelia looked back at him. "Why Lorne?" Connor shrugged, not looking away from the girl.
"She said the same thing about me. That I wasn't from around here."
"What is she…"
"Can I please go talk to your friend?" Deirbhile interrupted them. "I really need to talk to him."
"Why?" Cordelia asked.
"He's in trouble. I need to talk to him before I sort it out."
"You're going to sort it out?" Connor repeated. "Must not be much trouble."
"You have no idea." Deirbhile muttered. "Where is he?"
"At the hotel." Cordelia said. "Isn't he?"
"Gonna havta be a bit more specific. I don't know LA. What's the hotel?"
"It's where he lives. Do you know anything about him?" Cordelia asked.
"He used to be in Caritas. I know there. But he doesn't go there anymore."
"Caritas was destroyed last year." Cordelia said quietly. "Lorne lives at the hotel now."
"Hotel, hotel. What hotel?"
"I'll show you." Cordelia said finally.
"I'll do it." Connor said quickly. "You go home. I'll take her to the hotel."
"All right." Cordelia agreed. "No trying to kill Angel."
"I won't." Connor said absently, turning back to Deirbhile. "Come on." Deirbhile grinned.
"You shouldn't have left, you know."
"I didn't have a choice at the time." Connor said tightly, turning on his heel and walking away. Deirbhile ran to catch up.
"Connor!" Cordelia called. Connor half-turned to look back at her; Deirbhile squeaked and ducked away from him. "No trying to kill her either!"
"Anyone home?" Connor called when they reached the lobby.
"Connor." Angel came out of the office; Fred came down the stairs, followed by Gunn. "And company."
"She's looking for Lorne." Connor turned on his heel.
"Leaving, Stephen?" Deirbhile asked vaguely, wandering around the lobby. Angel looked at Connor in time to see the flinch.
"Connor. Not Stephen."
"Leaving, Stephen?" He sighed.
"I said I'd bring you here. I've brought you here. Now, since I make you sick, you stay here and talk to Lorne. Goodbye."
"Who is she, Connor?" Angel asked.
"She found me. I don't know who she is, but she wants to talk to Lorne." He glanced at Fred. "You might want to stay away from her."
"Why?"
"She doesn't like people from other dimensions."
"I'm not from another dimension."
"Neither are Cordy or I but she didn't like us much."
"Connor." Angel said warningly.
"Deirbhile." Connor said after a moment. The girl stopped twirling and looked at him.
"Yes, Stephen?"
"Deirbhile?" Angel repeated. He pronounced it differently than Connor had, softer. She was smiling as she turned towards him.
"Yes, Liam?"
"Liam?" Fred repeated.
"That's…" Angel hesitated, switching track. "You're looking for Lorne?"
Deirbhile frowned. "He's not from around here, right?"
"No." Connor supplied. "Lorne's from Pylea."
"Right. Then I want to talk to him, please." She looked around. "Before I forget what I want to say, preferably. I hate LA."
"I'll…" Fred trailed off, heading back upstairs.
"Yeah. Thanks." Angel agreed. "Who are you, Deirbhile?"
"Trying to help your friend, Liam. That's all you're getting right now."
"You're not Irish."
"So?"
"Angel?" Gunn asked.
"Deirbhile's an Irish name…not a common one. I haven't heard it used in over a hundred years."
"I used it a long time ago. Galway, right? You've probably never heard of me, but I was famous once."
"This better be important." Lorne groused from halfway down the stairs.
"A crazy girl's lookin' for you." Gunn told him. Fred elbowed him in the chest.
"No appointment." Lorne said, turning away.
"Kreve'Lorne'Swath!" Deirbhile called.
"What?" Lorne came the rest of the way down.
"Do you know how much trouble you're in?" Deirbhile demanded, hands on hips.
"Have we met?"
"Nope." For a young girl facing off against a green-skinned red-horned demon, she was doing pretty well.
"She's not afraid of him." Connor muttered from beside Angel.
"Please. You think this guy's scary? Try facing off against Merrick sometime." Before anyone could comment she went on, "You're anagogic, yes? Can I sing?"
"Can you?" Gunn repeated. "You gonna remember the words?"
"The words aren't important, Gunn." She didn't look away from Lorne.
"She's got you there. OK, honey, stun me."
Deirbhile smiled, backing away. She took a deep breath, and…
Angel blinked. Fred was shaking his arm…when had that happened? And Lorne was looking at him funny.
"What happened?" Connor was stanced beside him, watching for danger.
"You're really her." Lorne sounded dazed. Deirbhile bowed and then glanced at Angel.
"Well that's never happened before. How odd."
"Angel." Lorne said urgently. "Have you heard of Thariin?"
"Thariin?" he repeated. "Yeah…mystical earth goddess, right? Elven."
"Not…so much a goddess. Also, not so much mystical." Lorne turned to look at Deirbhile, who was closely examining some wallpaper. Everyone followed his gaze.
"Her? The girl's crazy!" Gunn protested. "She's an earth goddess?" He frowned. "What's an earth goddess?"
"She's crazy because she's here." Lorne explained. "Thariin's a manifestation of the Earth. She needs earth or rock or wood—natural elements—around to keep her balanced. LA's all man made."
"Am not." Deirbhile said, turning away from the wall.
"Not what?" Angel asked. Connor was staring at the girl.
"Manifes…what he said. I'm an Elf. I was an Elf for years before I could do that other stuff."
"And you're here why, exactly?" Gunn asked. Fred elbowed him again.
"She said you were in trouble." Connor volunteered when Deirbhile didn't answer.
"Me?" Lorne said. "What'd I do?"
"You weren't born here, Kreve'Lorne'Swath. Earth doesn't like you very much. Do you know how often I've saved you?" Deirbhile asked, sitting carefully on one of the seats. Lorne frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Deirbhile sighed, gesturing around. "Everyone else here was born on Earth. Stephen's given me some problems, but nothing major. But you weren't born here, and you've been living here—what—six years now? Not every earthquake is natural, Kreve'Lorne'Swath, and not every portal is unexplained."
Angel saw Fred tense at the word portal and decided it was time he stepped in. "What are you talking about?"
"No, I get it." Lorne looked troubled. "I giving you headaches, Thariin?"
"Headaches, stomach aches, periods of violent throwing up…" She grinned. "I can handle it. I just needed to make sure you want to stay here."
"Here as opposed to Pylea?" Lorne asked. Deirbhile nodded. "You couldn't drag me back there."
"All right. I'll see to it." She glanced at Connor. "You wanna go home, Stephen?"
"Home?"
"Quor'toth."
"Quor'toth's not my home."
"You were raised there."
"Not my home." he repeated. Looking at Angel, he added, "I have to go. Cordelia's on her own." Angel nodded, not bothering to watch as he left.
"Lorne, what about her?" he asked, indicating Deirbhile, who had curled up on the seat and was apparently asleep. "Is she on our side?"
"Not really. But she's definitely not on the other side."
"What do you mean?" Fred asked. Idly, Angel started counting how many times one of them had said that in the last five minutes.
"Thariin protects the earth. She's not going to attack just because someone's a demon, but anyone who harms the earth had better watch out. A few years ago there was a demon of some kind in a little town called Silver Hills causing earthquakes. Thariin buried him alive. Entombed him in solid rock. But the town had been attacked on and off for a few years before that and she didn't do anything."
"Why not?" Gunn asked.
"Weren't attacking me." Deirbhile said, sitting up. "I don't like this place much. It smells funny."
"Funny how?" Fred asked gently, sitting down beside her.
"Funny dead. No earth, no wood…except dead wood." She gestured towards the weapons cabinet. "How do you people live like this?"
"It doesn't bother us so much." Fred said, pretending not to notice as Deirbhile slid away from her along the seat. "I lived in a cave in Pylea."
"I know." Deirbhile murmured, abandoning pretense and rising to her feet. "Kreve'Lorne'Swath, I need…"
"I know. Hang tough, kiddo." He looked at Gunn. "You wanna take a ride?"
"Where to?"
"Griffith Park. She needs earth or rock or wood and that's the closest."
"There's a garden out back."
"It's dead. There's no connection there." Deirbhile said, leaning against the desk.
"Dead?" Fred repeated a bit nervously.
"It's just a big lump of earth sitting on concrete. There's no connection to the earth." She looked at Angel. "I'm not normally this crazy, Liam."
"It's not something I've ever heard about you."
"What have you heard about me?"
"Pretty much what I said. Mystical Elven earth goddess."
"Well, let's not see. Not mystical," she held up one finger. "Also not a goddess." She held up another. "50%. Not very impressive."
"Yeah, but you're a legend, kiddo." Lorne reminded her. "Legends get distorted in the retelling."
"Even his?" She glanced again at Angel.
"All legends."
"So someone want to fill the rest of us in?" Gunn asked. Lorne glanced at Deirbhile, who gestured for him to go ahead.
"Thariin was fighting in a war, a very very long time ago. She managed to get separated from her companions and was injured doing it. A friend, a sorcerer, found her, but the only thing he could do was draw strength straight out of the earth for her. What he didn't realize was that by doing that, he'd linked her forever with the planet. Either goes, now, the other goes too."
"And you've been alive since then?" Fred asked. Deirbhile nodded distractedly.
"I was a princess then. Last time I was Deirbhile I was a Queen." She laughed. "That was more fun, I think. But, no…'cos I met Conchobar then."
"Connor?" Gunn said.
"Conchobar. Very old form of Connor." Angel explained.
"Look, fun and all as this is," Lorne said, "You really need to get going, kiddo."
"I know." she agreed. "But I don't know where the place is."
"You can't track it?"
"Not from here, Kreve'Lorne'Swath. Concrete and dead earth. Blergh."
"We're going." Gunn said at a pointed look from Lorne. "D'you want me to bring her back here after, Angel?" Angel glanced at Lorne, who shrugged.
"If she wants to." He looked at Deirbhile, who was huffing on the desk and drawing in the steam, and added softly, "if she can tell you what she wants."
"I'm not stupid!" Deirbhile said defiantly. "Just…distracted, right now." She grinned suddenly. "I was distracted this way during the largest battle of the war. My brother kept having to pull me out of danger."
"He let you fight?" Angel asked.
"He didn't let me do anything, Liam. He might have been older but I was every bit as royal as he was, and no one, no one, told me what to do. Ever."
"If you don't stop distracting us you're never going to get to the park." Lorne said, pushing her towards Gunn. She cringed away from his touch.
"We don't want that." Fred murmured, trying to take attention away from her. "Come on, Charles. I'll come too."
"It's a party." he muttered, holding the door open. Deirbhile stared at him vaguely until he gestured, then she smiled and headed out.
Angel looked across at Lorne, who was gazing after the departed figures. "Lorne?"
"Something big must be coming. Thariin wouldn't come here for no reason."
"I thought she came to help you."
"Yeah, but she could do that from anywhere…I think. Angel, LA is to Thariin what churches and holy water are to you." Angel whistled softly.
"So what's coming?"
"I'm sorry to say we'll find out soon."
Cordelia looked up as the door opened.
"Hey. Kid find Lorne?"
"Yeah." He shook his head as he sat down.
"What?"
"She's an earth goddess. Or, not a goddess, but…something. Thariin, Lorne kept calling her."
"And?" Cordelia asked.
"She's just a crazy kid!"
"Sounds like something Gunn would say. Connor, you of all people know the outside doesn't count for very much."
"I guess." Connor agreed. "But still…" He shook his head again.
"Oh, that's much better." Deirbhile turned in a small circle, looking upwards. "Much, much better." Glancing around, she headed for the nearest tree and settled herself cross-legged beneath it.
"Hey." Gunn hunkered in front of her. "This gonna take long?"
"It will take as long as it takes, Gunn." she answered, eyes closed. "It shouldn't be long. Just don't talk to me." Gunn snorted, pushing back to his feet.
"Well, this is certainly turning out to be a swell day."
"Come on, Charles. We get to spend the afternoon alone together in the park. In the sun." Fred said softly.
"Yeah, alone except for looney not-a-goddess over there."
"I may not be a goddess, Gunn," Deirbhile spoke up, "but I can still kick your ass without even trying, so don't push your luck. 'Kay?"
"You think you can take me?" Gunn asked. Deirbhile opened her eyes and tilted her head to one side, considering.
"Hmm—yeah. I could. Now leave me alone."
"Hey, no problem." Gunn started to walk away, halting only when Fred called after him.
"We can't leave her here, Charles."
"She's a mystical whatever, she can take care of herself."
"Oh, crap." Both turned around; Deirbhile was on her feet, staring at nothing.
"What? Is something wrong?" Fred asked.
"You could say that. Can we go back to the hotel?"
"You ready?" Gunn asked grudgingly.
"I'll live. Please? I need to talk to…Angel's in charge, right?"
"Yes." Fred said quickly.
"Good. Then I need to talk to him. Please." she added, when neither moved.
"All right, crazy girl, let's go." Gunn said finally.
"I'm not crazy, you know."
"You are if you think you could take me."
"It's not just you."
Lorne looked up as Deirbhile burst into the lobby. "Excuse me?"
"It's not just you. Someone else came as well. Who was it?"
"What? Honey, you're gonna have to calm down."
"I don't have time." She drew a deep breath. "Wherever you're from, there's someone else from there here. I need to find him."
"What, Groo? He took off months ago. Haven't heard from him since."
"Groo." Deirbhile muttered.
"Why? What's up, kiddo?"
"He's…I need to find him." She sighed, rubbing her face. "Sorry I freaked, Kreve'Lorne'Swath."
"Did you freak? I couldn't tell the difference." Gunn said from behind her.
Only Lorne saw Deirbhile's expression at that. What he saw was enough to send him out from behind the desk and across the lobby, away from her.
"Lorne?" Gunn said in surprise.
"I'd stop baiting that girl if I were you." Lorne said, gesturing at Deirbhile.
"Who, crazy girl? What's she gonna do?"
"Charles, you're…" Fred gestured and he reached up to touch his face, frowning when his hand came away bloody.
"Thariin…" Lorne said hesitantly.
"What?"
"You don't want to be doing that."
"Hell yes I do. This guy is the most uptight, intolerant…"
"Maybe, but you really don't want to be doing that." Deirbhile stood for a moment before relaxing suddenly; the flow of blood from Gunn's nose slowed and stopped. "I didn't know you could do that."
"It's not something I advertise, Kreve'Lorne'Swath. It's not something I do lightly, either. But in here there's not much else I could do."
"There's a cabinet of weapons over there." Gunn pointed out. "You want at me, do it the regular way."
"Your weapons are crude and ugly and I'll have no part of them." She looked over her shoulder at Lorne. "I have to go now. This other person, this Groo, is in trouble and I have to go."
"You don't really need to go find him, do you." Lorne said carefully.
"I certainly can't do anything from here."
"That's not what he meant." Angel spoke up from the landing above them.
"I know what he meant."
"I don't." Gunn said. "Someone want to clue us in?"
"I don't need to see Groo to help him. I just need to know where he is, but I can do that from almost anywhere. I didn't need to come here either."
"So why did you?" Angel asked.
"You're famous, you know, Angel. There are others…demons who've forsaken evil…but none of them fight the way you do." Angel nodded slowly.
"That's not why you came."
"No." she agreed easily. "It's not. I came because…" she frowned. "Something is coming. Something very big. Something I can't fight."
"You don't fight." Gunn pointed out, frowning. "Not unless Earth's threatened."
"Earth's threatened." She didn't look at him as she spoke. "But this is a demon. That's not what I fight."
"A demon?" Angel repeated. "Which one?"
"I don't know, Angel. But I can sense him getting ready…he'll be here soon." Her voice took on an odd lilt. "Death will rise from the place of life, and rain destruction and fire down on the city of Angels. As you stand now you can't defeat him; he'll rise, and he'll kill." She swayed, automatically reaching for the counter to steady herself. "Damn," she whispered, "I hate when that happens."
"What happened?" Fred asked. Deirbhile looked up unsteadily.
"Things that will happen send…ripples, sort of, that I can sense."
"Backwards?" Fred asked.
"Sometimes, if they're strong enough. It happened a lot when…when this started." She gestured vaguely to herself. "Oh, that does it. Angel, may I look at your weapons?"
"My weapons?" Angel repeated. "Sure. Why?"
"Something in there is singing. It's calling." She crossed to the cabinet, pulling open the doors. Angel came to stand just behind her, watching as she knelt down and unearthed a dagger without hesitating. She rose slowly to her feet, holding the dagger lightly.
"Where did you get this?" Angel squinted at the blade.
"I took it from a demon a few years back."
"Where's the other one?"
"The what?"
"The other one!" She spun to face him, and he involuntarily took a step back; Deirbhile's hair was blowing in a breeze they couldn't feel, and her eyes had gone very dark. In that moment she looked every bit the Elf she claimed to be. "This was a pair! Where's the second one?"
"There wasn't a second one." Angel said carefully.
"Thariin, you wanna explain?" Lorne asked from behind Angel. Deirbhile glared at him. Her hair settled, but her eyes were still dark.
"The dagger's mine, Angel, it's always been mine. And I want to know where the other one is."
"That dagger? Angel's had that long's I've known him." Gunn protested.
"The Lady of Light made the daggers for me, for the battle under the Horn. She knew I would fight, no matter that I was told to hide, so she made me the daggers and a chain mail. The daggers are mine, Angel." Angel studied her for a long minute. The names meant nothing to him, but there was something in her voice…
"The demon I took it from said it had powers, powers he couldn't use." Deirbhile snorted.
"There's no power in this blade. Power is never in things…only in those who use them." She lifted her top slightly, tugging on her belt. With a click she attached the dagger at her side.
"You gonna carry that around? It's kinda obvious." Gunn said.
"It won't be seen."
"You willing to bet on that, crazy girl? 'Cause if you…"
"Look, black man." she interrupted him. Lorne blanched. "You're good at…" she waved vaguely. "Chopping things up or whatever. I'm good at this. The dagger won't be seen."
"You can't call me black man!" Gunn said.
"Why not? You're calling me crazy girl."
"You are crazy."
"Actually, I'm not. And you are black."
"Black man's a racist term." Fred pointed out. "It's offensive."
"I find being called crazy offensive. And if he keeps calling me crazy, I'm going to keep calling him black. And at least one of us will be telling the truth." Turning her back on Gunn, she looked up at Angel. "This demon…he had only one?" Angel nodded slowly.
"I've never heard of another."
"It's somewhere." She turned, pacing absently away.
"Are you sure?" Lorne asked. "It could have been melted down, or destroyed."
"No." She shook her head firmly. "Not this dagger. It exists, somewhere." She stopped and looked at Angel again. Slowly, she unclasped the dagger from her belt and held it out to him.
"It's yours." Angel said quietly. "You keep it." When she was about to refuse, he added, "For helping Lorne. Keep it."
"I didn't do that to get something back." she said sharply.
"I know." Angel said placatingly.
"So why did you do it?" Gunn asked.
"I don't fight, Gunn, but that doesn't mean I'm not on a side."
"Turtle Cove." Lorne said, out of nowhere.
Deirbhile cocked her head. "You read more than I thought."
"What's…Turtle Cove?" Fred asked.
"It's a place where I lived for a while. And while I was there I fought some." Deirbhile told her. "That's what Kreve'Lorne'Swath means."
"Why fight there?" Fred asked.
"Because the enemy, there, came from the earth. That made them my responsibility. Demons are not part of me…they have nothing to do with me." She shook her head, absently playing with the dagger. "The point is that I am on your side. And Kreve'Lorne'Swath is a good person, and if I can help him I will."
"And I'm very grateful, but can you stop calling me Kreve'Lorne'Swath? I keep thinking my mother's coming up behind me." He shuddered hugely; Deirbhile smiled, ducking her head.
"Duly noted. Sorry."
"All right." Gunn said. "So what's coming?"
"If I knew that I could do something about it, Gunn. All I know is it's big and scary and it's coming."
"Can you see it?" Angel asked.
"No. Feel it, yes, but not see it."
"What does it feel like?" Gunn asked.
Deirbhile rolled her eyes and said slowly, "Big. Scary. And planning on rising."
"Where?" Fred asked.
"I don't know."
"You just said…" Gunn protested.
"I know what I said. I just don't know what it means." Before he could say anything, she added, "Cordelia doesn't always know what her visions mean, OK? I don't know what I meant."
"You know an awful lot about us for someone we just met." Gunn said suspiciously. Deirbhile rolled her eyes.
"Lorne, can you please explain this to him? Use small words, I don't think he'd get it otherwise." Without waiting for Lorne, she went on, "Every time you step into the streets I can sense it. I can track your movements back until you were born, if I want. That's why Stephen and Lorne upset me."
"Why do you keep calling him Stephen?" Fred asked. "It's not his name."
"It's the name he was raised with…I have issues with the name Connor. They're my own personal issues, nothing to do with him, and he answers to Stephen."
"Keep calling him that, see how long he answers." Lorne murmured.
"And…you called me Liam." Angel said quietly. Deirbhile shrugged.
"I was crazy then. What did you expect?"
"And you're not now?" Gunn muttered. Deirbhile made a face at him and then looked around uncertainly.
"Um…could I…stay here? Just for the night? Please? I didn't think I'd be here so long."
"Sure." Fred said, when no one else spoke. "Come on, we'll find you a room."
"Thanks." Deirbhile nodded to Angel and followed Fred, pausing to murmur to Lorne as she passed.
"What about Groo?" Lorne called suddenly, and Deirbhile paused on the stairs.
"I'll handle it."
"From here? You said…"
"I'll handle it." she repeated. Turning, she continued upstairs.
"Angel…" Gunn started.
"Gunn, unless you want to stay inside for the rest of your life, shut up." Lorne said fiercely. "Stop pushing her. She can do a whole lot worse than make your nose bleed."
"Why are you defending her?" Gunn demanded.
"Why are you so set against her?" Angel countered on Lorne's behalf.
"Because she's crazy."
"She's not. She's probably the sanest person you'll ever meet." Lorne said quietly. "She has to be, or else we'd all suffer the consequences."
"What?" Gunn asked. Lorne groaned theatrically.
"She's Earth, Gunn. If she goes mad, earth erupts. Earthquakes and volcanoes, and probably other things as well. She holds all that in check." Gunn started to say something, but Angel interrupted him.
"Just…pretend like you believe us, Gunn, and let it go for now, OK? We need to think about what she said."
"It's not much." Fred said apologetically. "We didn't really…we don't run a hotel."
"It's fine." Deirbhile said; she sounded slightly distracted. "Thank you very much, Fred."
"Do you want anything?"
It took a minute for Deirbhile to focus on her again; Fred waited patiently.
"Does that sink work?" Deirbhile asked finally.
"Yes."
"Then that's all I need. Thank you." Fred nodded and turned to leave; Deirbhile suddenly called after her. "Fred? Don't give up on Gunn. He loves you."
"I know." Fred said softly, closing the door behind her.
Deirbhile stood for a long minute without moving; finally she crossed to the window and unlatched it. "Staying out there all night?" she asked mildly, heading back to sit on the bed. Connor swung in through the window and studied her carefully.
"Maybe. I hadn't decided."
"What have I done to rate a guardian?" She leaned back on her elbows, deliberately placing herself in a vulnerable position. It worked; Connor relaxed slightly.
"I'm not guarding you."
"Who are you guarding then?"
"Them." He jerked his head towards the door.
"Them?" Deirbhile sat up again. "In case you've forgotten, 'them' is your father, who you hate, Lorne, who you hate, and Fred'n'Gunn…who you're probably pretty much indifferent to."
"I don't hate Lorne."
"Sure you do." she said cheerfully. "'s the way you were raised. It's why he went to Vegas in the first place, Stephen."
"Connor."
"So why protect them if you don't like them?" Connor stared past her at the back of her door. Deirbhile took advantage of his distraction to cross to the sink and splash some water over her face.
He was looking at her when she turned around, and she bowed mockingly. "Well?"
"Because I don't know what you are. You're not human. I don't know if you're a threat."
"I'm not, but I don't suppose you're going to take my word." She stared at him for a long moment. "Cordelia needs you."
He stiffened. "Why?"
"A vision…I think…something's upset her very much. She's alone, Stephen." He didn't object to the name this time.
"How can you tell?" he asked warily. "You didn't even know where Lorne was earlier."
"That was earlier. I'm better balanced now." When he didn't say anything, she added, "I tracked you earlier, when you left the hotel. Gunn thinks I'm mad…too busy tracking you to pay attention to him." She looked at the door for a moment; when she turned back, Connor had vanished.
No one had time to check on her the next day, what with the rise of the Beast. No one even really noticed she wasn't around; it wasn't until the morning after the rain of fire that anyone even thought to wonder where she was. Lorne was delegated to go and check on her.
"Thariin? You awake, kiddo?"
He pushed open her door and looked around; the room looked empty, but he could hear faint noises. "Thariin?"
Moving around the bed, he found her huddled on the floor, staring blankly straight ahead.
"Thariin? What's wrong?"
"Fire." she murmured. Lorne followed her gaze and realized she was staring out the window.
"Ah. Pyrotechnics courtesy of our new best buddy the Beast. Nearly killed us last night." Deirbhile dragged her gaze away from the window to look at him.
"You are a bit banged up, Lorne. Everyone all right?''
''We'll all live. Connor broke a couple of ribs. Angel managed to get stabbed in the neck. We're all a bit battered." He looked at Deirbhile, who was looking out the window again. "Are you all right?"
"I...fire. It burns."
"I didn't think...are you all right?"
"No. But I will be."
"What do you need?"
"To go back to the park." She grinned bitterly. "But that's not going to happen, right? So I'll have to manage."
"Can you?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine."
"Sure? We'll get you there, if you need it."
"I can do it. Where's Stephen?"
"Hmm?"
"You said he broke his ribs. Where is he?"
"Cordelia took him home."
"Right." Deirbhile muttered. "Could you do me a favor, Lorne?"
"Anything."
"I need you to call my friends back in Turtle Cove. They know I'm here, and they're going to be worried."
"No problemo. What do you want me to say?"
"Just...tell them I'm all right." Lorne nodded, taking the piece of paper she held out.
"What name do you want me to use?"
"They'll know Thariin, or Deirbhile. Whichever you want." He nodded again, but he still didn't leave.
"I don't like leaving you like this. You sure you don't need anything?"
"Just call my friends, please. Ask Cole to keep a grip on Merrick."
"Will do, kiddo. You get some rest."
Deirbhile smiled faintly, bowing her head. "I will, Lorne. Thank you." Lorne left, and she turned her attention back to the window.