Author's note: And I got exactly…no reviews. Riii-ght. Anyone want to see if I can do better this week?
Previously, on Angel: The Beast casts a spell to block out the sun, throwing LA into eternal night. This spell is cast from Connor's squat, rendering it uninhabitable and forcing him back into the hotel. Certain things the Beast says lead the team to think Angelous has knowledge they may need.
Awakening, Pt 1
"How long have you been up here?"
She didn't react to the voice. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Ten minutes."
"Then I guess I've been sitting here at least that long."
"Why?" Connor moved around the end of the bed to stare at her. "You're not even doing anything."
"Not that you can see." she agreed. "How are you?"
"Just fine, thanks." She squinted up at him.
"No you're not. What happened? And, sit down."
"What happened? Haven't you been paying attention?"
"Your Beast friend dropped fire all over the city, I've been busy. And blocking out the sun didn't help much either."
"He cast the spell from my home.'' Connor said bitterly. ''I now have no home.''
''Well that's just not true.'' Deirbhile said.
''Why do you say that?"
"You're here, aren't you?" Connor snorted.
"And this is so much better."
"Than sleeping on the streets, yeah it is. Look, bad things really do happen to good people, and I know you're a good person." He snorted again.
"You're about the only person who thinks so."
"Well, I have advantages. But I'm not, you know." She rose unsteadily to her feet and reached out to touch the cut on his face. He flinched away and she backed off.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Stephen. I just want to see if you're all right."
"Cordelia looked at it."
"Cordelia doesn't have my advantages. Stand still, for goodness' sake. Let me see." Connor stood and allowed her to touch the cut; her fingers felt very warm for a moment before she turned away. Slightly dazed, Connor followed her down to the lobby; the others, with the exception of Wesley, were scattered around the area and no one paid much attention as Deirbhile headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Connor called after her.
"Out."
"Out?" Fred repeated. "Is that wise?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"The streets are full of demons, that's why not." Cordelia said.
"So's the hotel. Doesn't seem to bother you."
"That's different. None of us want to kill you." Angel said.
"Speak for yourself." Gunn muttered.
"There's no-one out there who'll hurt me."
"You sure about that?" Cordelia asked.
"They won't see me." Deirbhile said. "And even if they did, no demon will attack me—not if they know who I am."
"There's a flaw in your theory, kiddo." Lorne pointed out.
"I have to go. I don't have time for this." She moved towards the door again.
"You gotta go, I'll go with you." Gunn offered.
"You'll just make it harder. I won't be seen, but you will."
"I'll go." Connor said. "I won't be seen either."
"I don't think..." Cordelia started.
"I don't have time." Deirbhile said again. "If you're coming, Stephen, let's go."
"This is a bad idea." Angel said.
"Unfortunately, you're not my boss." Deirbhile turned to face him, suddenly very serious. "I know it's a risk, Angel, but I have to go. No one has to come."
"What's so important?" Angel asked.
Deirbhile turned to look at Lorne. "When you talked to my friends, Lorne?"
"Mhm. Cole said he'd hold onto Merrick if he knew where Merrick was."
Deirbhile looked back at Angel. "Merrick's a friend of mine, Angel. He's also stubborn as hell and thinks he has to take care of me. He's here in LA, and I have to go find him and make him go home."
Angel nodded slowly, glancing at Connor. "You mind going?"
"Wouldn't have offered."
"Great. Lovely. Let's go." Deirbhile started towards the door again. Connor followed quietly behind her.
"Where are we going?" Connor called.
"My house."
"You have a house?"
"Yes."
"I thought we were looking for Merrick."
"He'll be there. Do you always talk so much?"
"No one ever asked me that before."
"Think about it. Quietly." She turned abruptly down an alley and stopped, staring ahead.
"What?" Connor asked after a minute.
"Do you trust me?"
"No."
"All right. Forget trust. If I asked you to close your eyes and stand still, would you?"
"Depends. Are you trying to leave me behind?"
"No. I'm trying to get us there faster."
Connor studied her for a moment. "He's important to you."
"Merrick?" Deirbhile looked away. "I thought I was in love with Merrick once."
"What happened?"
"He loves someone else. I want him happy, so..." She trailed off.
Connor nodded slowly. "All right. Do—whatever you're doing." He closed his eyes. Deirbhile touched his hand, linking her fingers through his.
"You might be dizzy for a minute. Don't let go, no matter what." Connor nodded without opening his eyes, and Deirbhile made a gesture with her other hand.
The ground began to move under them, rippling and propelling them along. Connor jerked and his grip tightened.
"Relax. We're nearly there.'' They stopped with a jerk that nearly knocked them off their feet.
"Are we here?" Connor asked.
"We're here." Deirbhile squeezed his fingers affectionately and let go, moving away. Connor looked around curiously.
"Where are we?"
"Outskirts--extreme outskirts. Look." She gestured upwards and Connor glanced up.
"The sun." he murmured. It was still blocked here, but not completely; the effect was like standing beneath a tree on a windy day.
"I feel better already." Deirbhile murmured, turning towards a nearby house. Connor followed her, casting one last, almost wistful look upwards as he did so.
Deirbhile had reached the door when he caught up with her. She had one hand pressed against it and was speaking quietly.
"You have some explaining to do, Merrick. Now please ask Shayla to drop her wards." She pushed on the door and it swung inwards.
"Who's Shayla?" Connor asked quietly.
"Merrick's wife. He's not supposed to bring her--he's breaking the rules." She glanced back at Connor. "Close the door and let's go."
"The door's broken. The lock's still attached to the frame."
"It's supposed to be like that. Just push it closed." Connor pushed it closed and watched the door melt around the lock.
"Can you do that anywhere?"
"No. This place is special in a very particular way."
"Deirbhile." He caught her arm.
"Not now, Stephen. Just wait a few minutes, OK?" Pulling away from him she opened the door in front of them and slipped through.
Connor thought seriously about going back to the hotel at that point. If Deirbhile was going to ignore him, there wasn't much point in his being there. She'd proved she didn't need protection, so he didn't have to worry about that.
In the end curiosity drove him through the door and into the room beyond. Deirbhile was talking animatedly to a man about Wesley's age. On a nearby couch, a young woman about Fred's age was holding a boy of about four.
When she saw him, Deirbhile broke off her conversation and crossed to stand beside him. "Connor or Stephen?" she asked quietly.
"Connor. That's my name, after all." he added, a little bitterly.
"Connor," she raised her voice, "this is Merrick. Princess Shayla, his wife, and Cole, their son. This is Connor; he's part of the group I'm with."
"Connor?" Merrick repeated questioningly.
"Are you Uncle Cole's cousin?" the little boy piped up. Connor glanced at Deirbhile.
"No, he's not. And Connor's not Cole's cousin, either." Deirbhile glared at Merrick as she spoke.
"We had to tell him something, Tara." Shayla said quietly.
"Deirbhile, Princess. And no, you didn't. What are you doing here, Merrick?"
"Looking for you. Cole said your friend called..."
"Lorne. Yes, he did, and he would have told you not to come."
"It wasn't my idea." Merrick looked over at his son. "Cole had a dream, and he wouldn't stop until we came to find you."
"Cole's precog?" Deirbhile asked in surprise. "You're keeping secrets from me, Merrick."
"That wasn't my idea either."
"It was mine." Shayla said calmly. "Cole's only four. You can't have him yet."
"I don't want him, Princess. You know that." She knelt beside Shayla, looking at Cole. "You wanna tell me your dream, short stuff?"
"I already told Mama and Papa."
"I know you did, but I didn't hear it. Will you tell me?"
"Is he your Champion?" Cole asked, looking at Connor.
"Cole, honey. The dream."
"It was scary." Cole informed her.
"Well, maybe I'll just ask Papa to tell me, and that way you won't be scared."
"I didn't say I was scared. I just didn't want you scared."
"Thank you, Cole. Tell you what. Start telling me, and if I get scared you can stop."
"OK. You were in a big room--you, and him," he gestured to Connor, "and a black man, and a girl with brown hair, and a man with stubbly-beard."
"Wesley." Connor muttered. Deirbhile glanced up at him.
"Gunn and Fred." she agreed. "Is that all, short stuff?"
"No. There was a man with green skin and horns."
"Lorne." Deirbhile muttered. "Go on, short stuff."
"You all were talking about prayers."'
"Prayers?" Connor repeated.
"Angelus." He pronounced it oddly, putting the stress on the first syllable. "That's a prayer, right, Cousin Tara?"
"Right, short stuff. What did we say about them?"
"I couldn't hear it."
"That's OK. Then what happened?"
"This is pointless." Connor said, turning to leave.
"It's not pointless, Stephen. Sit down."
"This child doesn't know anything."
"He does. Sit down." Connor stared at her for a long moment before stalking away a bit.
"Still pointless."
"Stephen, shush. Go on, short stuff."
Cole looked uncertainly at Connor, before squaring his shoulders and continuing. "A big rockman came in. Everyone started yelling, and he-" he gestured to Connor again "-tried to hit him with a sword. The rockman smacked him, and he flew over a counter. You'd been sitting on it, and he knocked into you and you both fell off onto the floor. The black man threw an ax, and it just bounced off and nearly hit the beardy man. He yelled for the girl to run, and she did, but the rockman picked up the sword and threw it, and it hit her in the back, and then the rockman picked up the black man and threw him at the beardy man, and they landed on top of the ax, and…"
"OK, honey." Deirbhile interrupted him. "That's enough."
"Cousin Tara?" Cole asked. "Is that really going to happen?"
"Not if I have anything to say about it, short stuff." She looked back at Merrick. "He dreams true?"
"Sometimes. Not always."
"Cole, I need to ask you one more thing."
"No, Tara." Shayla said. "It's enough."
"Deirbhile, Princess. And this is important, and it's just one thing."
"Let her ask." Merrick said quietly. Cole nodded vigorously.
"I want to help, Mama. I don't want Tara and Connor hurt." Connor looked up in surprise.
"You don't even know me."
"I don't care. Tara needs her Champion."
"Cole…"
"What does he mean?" Connor interrupted. "That's the second time he's said that. What does he mean?"
"It doesn't matter." Deirbhile said.
"I think it does."
"Stephen, just…"
"Don't tell me to wait, Deirbhile." Connor said quickly. "What did he mean?"
"You haven't told him, have you." Merrick said.
"Not now, Merrick!" Deirbhile looked back at Connor. "Angel's the Champion of the Powers That Be, right?"
"Yes…"
"You're mine." When he didn't say anything, she went on, "Merrick is mine, and his friends…or they were, anyway. Shayla is afraid Cole is mine too…"
"I'm not yours." Connor said suddenly.
"You are, Stephen."
"If I was yours you'd know what my name is."
"I do. It's Stephen."
"I thought it was Connor." Cole said to Shayla.
"So did I." Shayla agreed.
"It is Connor." Connor told them.
"No it's not. Connor is who Angel Inc wants you to be. Stephen is who you were raised…do you know how you were born?"
"Yes. I'm the bastard child…"
"Hey!" Merrick said sharply.
"He's being factual. Go on." Deirbhile said.
"…Of two demons."
"True, but not what I meant. Darla couldn't give birth to you. So she staked herself, right there on the path. She dusted, and you were left lying on the ground. The first thing you ever touched was the ground, Stephen, the earth."
"So what? That doesn't mean anything!"
"He's not taking this too well, is he." Merrick said quietly.
"You didn't do so well either, Merrick." Deirbhile reminded him. She looked back at Connor. "If Angel had touched you first, you would have belonged to the Powers. If Darla had, you'd have been something else entirely…but I got you. You're my Champion."
"I'm not." Connor protested.
"It's not so bad." Merrick said clinically. "Tara's fairly easy to work for."
"Not helping, Merrick." Deirbhile said through gritted teeth. "You don't have to do anything about it, Stephen. It doesn't mean anything."
"If I'm yours," Connor said, "why did you let me be sent there?"
"Not my choice, Stephen. Holtz wasn't mine; I couldn't do anything with him."
"Don't…you could have. If you'd wanted."
"This isn't the place for this."
"I don't care! Tell me. If I'm yours, why did you let my father take me?"
"Because it needed to happen. Holtz needed redemption, and he got that through loving you. And you needed to grow faster than you could here."
"Oh, and that's a great excuse for ruining my life."
"Better ruin it than end it." She rose to face him. "If you'd still been a baby you'd have died in the rain of fire. I know that. You had to grow, and that's not something I can do. So I just…" she shrugged.
"Didn't bother to do anything." Connor said bitterly.
"Don't think it was easy for me, Connor. Protecting you there wasn't possible. I had to believe in Holtz, and in you."
"Mama?" Cole asked softly. "Why are they fighting?"
"I don't know, love. Shush now."
"Was it really so bad, Stephen?" Deirbhile asked.
"The hell dimension? Oddly, yes."
"Really? Holtz loved you, you know. Just as much as his first children. He raised you as best he could. And you're strong, Connor, you're so strong…and you're as quick as Angel, and as smart as Darla, and you're not a vampire…"
"Vampire?" Merrick repeated sharply.
"Not a vampire, I said." She hadn't looked away from Connor. "Shayla, you might want to take Cole away."
"Now you're thinking of him?" Shayla said.
"Princess…" Deirbhile turned, now, to look at her. "Cole's not one of mine. Not if you don't want him to be. But he is special, especially if he's dreaming true. Now please, take him away and let Connor finish yelling at me."
"You didn't ask me the one question yet." Cole said, pulling away from Shayla and standing up. "Everyone got angry, and you never asked."
"I didn't, did I, short stuff. OK. If I ask, will you go upstairs with your mom?"
"Are you going to yell?"
"No, I…"
"Not you." he interrupted. "Connor." He stepped around her to stare at Connor. "If you're gonna yell, I'm not leaving."
"Do you know what she did to me?"
"Yes." Cole nodded seriously. "She didn't stop you going to Quor'toth."
"Do you know how that feels?"
"I don't. But my father spent three thousand years in a tomb. Possessed." He thought for a minute, then added, "And my mom spent three thousand years asleep. Does that count?"
"No. How did you know it's Quor'toth?" Cole stared at him, confused, and he shook his head. "I've only been in this world for…"
"Eight months." Cole agreed, nodding again. "I've only been here four years."
"You didn't spend eighteen of those years in a hell dimension!"
"No. I didn't. Do you know how old Tara is?"
"No. Should I?"
"I don't. But it's very very old. She knew my parents before they went to sleep, and she was old then."
"So?" Connor demanded.
"When you came back from hell your family was still here, waiting for you. Tara doesn't get to have a family…not for long, anyway, because they die and she doesn't."
"Cole, stop it." Deirbhile said sharply.
"He ought to know."
"Stop it! Stop reading us like that. It's not good for you."
"I'm not reading you like anything, Cousin Tara." he protested. Deirbhile buried her head in her hands.
"I'm not good at this." Raising her head again, she looked at Merrick. "Did you know your son's empathic?"
"Is that what it is." Merrick said blandly. "He doesn't meet many people, so it doesn't often show up."
"You should have told me." Turning her back on him, she looked back at Cole. "In your dream, short stuff, could you tell when it was? Is it going to happen soon?"
"Three days."
"From now?" She glanced at Merrick.
"Give or take a couple days, he's usually right."
"All right. We'll remember." She crouched in front of Cole. "Thank you, Cole. We'll be extra careful. Now, go upstairs with your mom, ok?"
"Can I say one more thing?" He turned to Connor without waiting for an answer. "Before you knew you were her Champion, it didn't bother you that she didn't stop Quor'toth, right? And you keep saying you're not her Champion, right? So why does it matter now?"
"It changes things." Connor muttered.
"The Powers aren't particularly nice to Angel, come to think of it." Deirbhile mused. Looking up, she added, "Can we talk about this later, Stephen?"
"Why do you keep calling him Stephen?" Cole interrupted.
"Private joke."
"Not a joke." Connor muttered sulkily. He had the odd feeling he'd lost, but he couldn't understand what they'd been doing or why it didn't feel like Deirbhile had won.
"Can we wait? I promise we'll talk about it later, OK?"
"Whatever." He turned away, leaning against the wall next to the window.
Deirbhile turned back to Cole. "OK? No yelling. I promise."
"Don't go without you say goodbye first." he ordered, throwing his arms around her neck. Deirbhile lost her balance, flopping backwards with Cole grasped tightly between her arms, and landed at Merrick's feet. Merrich glared at them and then bent down, swinging Cole easily up and transferring him into Shayla's arms.
"I'll say goodbye before I go. I promise, Cole." Deirbhile took Merrick's hand and hauled herself to her feet. Shayla leaned briefly against her husband before leaving the room.
"OK. Hit me." Merrick leaned against the back of the couch and watched Deirbhile.
"Hit you?"
"With the 'go home, Merrick, you shouldn't be here, Merrick' speech."
"You're taking all the fun out of it."
"Boo hoo." Merrick glanced at Connor. "Are you in on this?"
"I'm just the escort."
"Angel wouldn't let me out without one." Deirbhile rolled her eyes.
"And Angel is…" Merrick stopped expectantly.
"My father." Connor said.
"In charge of the group." Deirbhile said at the same time.
"Did I mention he's a vampire?" Connor added.
"Now you're just being nasty." Deirbhile chided him.
"A vampire." Merrick repeated flatly. "What does that make you?" He glanced at Connor.
"We're not sure yet." Deirbhile said.
"You're not a 'we'." Connor muttered.
"Was there a reason you came, or did you just want to annoy me?"
"That's a bonus. I came because you would have killed Gunn if he'd come, and no one else was volunteering." She frowned, studying him. "What?"
"Were you worried about me or him?"
Connor shrugged uncomfortably. "Both, I guess."
Deirbhile studied him for another minute before smiling. "Thank you." Before he could answer she turned back to Merrick. "Go home, Merrick."
"No."
"At least send your family home. Have you seen the news? It's nighttime all the time in this city. It's not safe here."
"I know that. Why do you think I'm here?"
"You don't have to protect me anymore, Merrick. You never did."
"Cole wanted to come, you know." Merrick said. Connor glanced at Deirbhile, confused.
"Merrick's son is named after a friend. Cole's still in Turtle Cove, though." she added, looking back at Merrick.
"Because I made Alyssa ask him to stay home."
"Thank you. Now please, send Shayla and Cole home." Deirbhile was pacing, her words spilling out.
"I was planning to, but Cole wouldn't go until he'd talked to you. He's fond of you for some reason."
"Can't imagine why." Connor muttered. Deirbhile grimaced at him.
"Because he's four years old? Cole's fond of the mailman." Before Merrick could comment, she added, "Is there any chance you'd go with them, Merrick?"
"You don't want me here?"
"That's not it." Deirbhile looked across at Connor for a second. "You're my Champion, Merrick. You know that. You're always mine. But this isn't my fight, there's no reason for you to be here."
"Then why are you here?" Merrick challenged her. "If this isn't your fight? Why come here?"
"I needed to be here. And now it feels wrong to leave."
"Don't let that stop you." Connor put in. "We'd manage somehow."
"Wow, can you just feel the love?" Deirbhile said. "Stop talking, Stephen."
"You're not my boss."
"Just…"
"If you tell me to be quiet again…"
"You'll glower at me?" She turned back to Merrick. "It's not my fight. This is a demon, not…"
"An Org?" Merrick filled in when she hesitated.
"Yeah. I don't fight demons. But these," she gestured to Connor, "are the good guys and I want to help them."
"You're going to fight?" Merrick asked in surprise.
"If I have to. Merrick, this demon, this Beast, caused a rain of fire and blocked out the sun. Those are attacks on me. I'm entitled to defend myself."
"You're contradicting yourself." Connor told her. "You said it's not your fight, but you've just said you're going to fight anyway."
"Crap. Did I?" She looked at Merrick. "Was I making sense?"
"In spots. You're making this your fight when it isn't really."
"Right! Yes, and that's why you shouldn't be here. Because it's not really my fight and you have a family to protect."
"You're family, Tara."
"Not this time, Merrick. Please, take your son and your wife and go home." Merrick lowered his head for a long moment. "Please." Deirbhile whispered. "Don't make me lose another family." Connor looked up sharply, but she was focused on Merrick.
"I don't like it." he said finally, looking up. "But I'll go. If you promise to keep in touch and let me know if you need me."
"Always." Deirbhile wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest; Merrick held her lightly, not moving until she pulled away. "I always need you. But I'll let you know."
"See that you do. Now go and say goodbye to Cole." Deirbhile glanced at Connor.
"I won't be long."
"Oh, don't worry about me."
"I always worry about you, Stephen." She left the room without waiting for him to answer, leaving him alone with Merrick.
"She cares about you." Merrick said finally. Connor looked up at him.
"No, she doesn't. She came to see Lorne."
"Tara cares about very few people, you know. Everyone, in an abstract way…but there are people who are special to her."
"Champions?" Connor said bitterly.
"And others. She's told us about your group, you know."
"Really."
"Yes. Not much."
"She's only been here two days."
"More than enough for her." Connor pushed off the wall and paced closer to him.
"Three thousand years, huh?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I was possessed. My friends buried me so I wouldn't hurt them."
"Good friends."
"They were." He considered Connor for a moment. "Friends doesn't always mean they do what you want, you know. They do the best they can for you."
"That's very profound. Thanks." He bowed mockingly.
"Everyone getting along? Good, good." Deirbhile breezed back into the room, carrying Cole. "Here, Stephen, hold this." She swung the child into his arms.
"Why?" Connor asked suspiciously.
"I need to put my shoes on." Deirbhile sat down, picked up her shoes and looked back up. "Oh, honestly, Connor!"
"What?" Connor asked defensively. Cole wriggled uncomfortably…Connor was holding him under the arms, out away from him.
"Not like that, silly." She took Cole away from him again.
"Not so many babies in Quor'toth." Connor said defensively.
"We'll work on it." Deirbhile said. "Sit down, then."
"Why?"
"I still have to put on my shoes. Sit down." When he did, Cole scrambled into his lap and made himself comfortable.
"Why is your son sitting on me?" he asked Merrick.
"He's got an odd sense of the appropriate."
"And inappropriate." Deirbhile added, sitting up. "OK, short stuff, Connor and I have to go now."
"You just came." Cole protested, not moving.
"Get up or I'll push you off." Connor threatened half-heartedly.
Cole laughed. "It's like you're my brother. Wanna be my brother?"
"No." Connor tipped him off his lap onto the floor.
"Ow." Cole said cheerfully, clambering laboriously to his feet and climbing back onto the couch, sitting on the back of it with his feet between them. "If I hit you, will you hit back?"
"Yes."
"Do you dream?" The question was so wistful it caught Connor's attention; glancing up, he checked to make sure Deirbhile was still talking to Merrick before answering.
"Sometimes."
"What do you dream about?"
"Lots of things." When Cole just stared expectantly, he added, "My fathers. Fighting. Cor…" he broke off abruptly.
"Your fathers loved you." Cole said softly. Before Connor could say anything, he added, "I only remember my dreams when they haven't happened yet."
"Does that happen often?"
"Sometimes."
"Whatcha talkin' about, short stuff?" Deirbhile asked, leaning back into them.
"Dreams." Cole said cheerfully. Deirbhile studied him thoughtfully.
"Really?"
"Yup. He said he'd hit me back if I hit him, though."
"I'd trust him on that. I've seen him fight. Come on." She swung him off the back of the couch into Merrick's arms. "Now we have to leave, and you're going back home. So, listen. I'm going to call you as often as I can. I want you to listen for me in the evenings, OK? Around seven. I'll call if I can."
"OK." Cole agreed. Then his face fell. "Mama doesn't like it when I do that."
"All right. Then I'll ring you. On the phone. Will that be OK with Mama?"
"I guess."
"How were you going to call?" Connor asked.
"It's complicated." Deirbhile told him. "I'll ring you when I can, short stuff." She looked at Merrick. "I'll call."
"I'll listen." Merrick said quietly.
"Give the others my love."
"I will."
"And…"
"She's fine." Merrick interrupted her. "You should go."
"Yeah, we really should." She looked at Connor. "You want to walk, or shall we go the way we came?"
"I'm walking. You can do whatever you want."
"We need to talk, Connor." He stared at her.
"You called me Connor."
"Yeah…I guess I did. Come on, we need to get going." She looked once more at Merrick and Cole and then led the way out of the house.