Previously on Angel: Wesley breaks Faith out of prison to aid in capturing Angel. She and Connor immediately clash. Faith succeeds in destroying the Beast, bringing back the sun to LA. Cordelia tells Connor she's pregnant.
Deirbhile Release
"You're upset."
"No kidding. What tipped you off?"
Deirbhile squirmed, settling more comfortably against the wall. "You haven't stopped moving, looked at me, or spoken to me since you fell asleep."
"What's happening at the hotel?"
"Beats me. I'm asleep."
"No you're not."
"Yes I am. I do sleep sometimes, Stephen, and this is one of those times. What's wrong?"
"It's private."
"OK." she said agreeably. "But stop pacing anyway. You're making me tired looking at you."
"You're asleep. How can you be tired?" She didn't bother answering, and after a minute he went on, "Are you OK? You were pretty out of it earlier."
"Yeah. I know. I'm better, now." Connor looked at her for a long minute, and she laughed and ducked her head. "Not all the way better, but better than I was. The sun helps an awful lot." She stretched slightly. "Faith probably thinks I'm crazy."
"You fit right in." She smiled.
"Thank you. That's sweet."
"The others, I'm not sure about. Lorne was giving you some very odd looks."
"Ha. You're so funny. Stick to sweet, Stephen, you do it way better."
Connor smiled faintly. "I really ought to wake up."
"Go ahead. I'm staying here for a while, though."
"Have fun." He faded from view. Deirbhile sat up, all traces of sleep lost.
"Damn it, why now? It's too early…!"
Deirbhile sat quietly in the lobby, reading a book she'd taken from Angel's room and ignoring Lorne, Fred and Gunn as they prepared defenses against Angelus. Lorne had taken over her care and wouldn't let her leave the room; they were all taking Connor's 'She gets worse when she's alone' way too seriously.
She watched surreptitiously over the top of her book when Connor came down, but he barely glanced at her. She pointedly ignored the subsequent conversation about what he and Cordelia might or might not be doing together; she could have told them, if they'd asked, but since they didn't, she didn't volunteer the information.
"Hey." Lorne sat down beside her. "What are you reading?" She held up the book so he could see it. "Oh. A French book. In French. Very nice."
"It's interesting. I guess." She shrugged, laying it aside. Lorne, she noticed, had put down his pistol just within reach. "What's wrong?"
"Those things you said to Faith, kiddo."
"I don't know what they mean." She was staring past him, eyes unfocused. "They haven't happened yet but they will. Things will fall and Xander will stop knowing."
"Who's Xander?" Lorne asked. Deirbhile shook herself, breaking out of her trance.
"He's one of the Slayer's friends. They're having their yearly apocalypse over there."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." She sighed, dropping her face into her hands. "I don't…I don't know where those things come from, Lorne. They've come…I've seen them ever since the War, but…"
"Don't sweat it, Kiddo. We'll figure them out. Try not to worry."
"I do, though." She looked up suddenly, picking up the book and fiddling with it.
"Something wrong?"
"No…I'm just tired. I might go back to my room."
"Are you sure? Don't you think…"
"Stephen worries too much." she cut across him. "I'm feeling much better, now that the sun's back. I just need some sleep."
"You sure, Kiddo?"
"Yes. Perfectly."
"You do seem less…cosmic."
"I'm fine, honestly." She rose to her feet, bracing herself on Lorne's shoulder. "Just…" She took two steps and stopped, swaying.
"Whoa, Kiddo. I think you need a hand."
"I'm not…" She stopped, swallowing hard. "I hate when that happens." she breathed, leaning more heavily on Lorne.
"Uh…Gunn? Can I get a hand here?" Lorne called.
"What's up?" Gunn came out of the office.
"I think we're overtired." Lorne said.
"I'm not a child." Deirbhile muttered, pulling away from him and overbalancing in the other direction. Gunn jumped forward and caught her.
"Come on, crazy girl. Let's get you upstairs."
"I'm not crazy, either."
"Tell that to Faith."
Lorne followed them upstairs, leaving Fred to continue working on finding information on the BeastMaster. He came back down in time to walk into Fred's dart as she fired at Angelus.
"Gunn, go downstairs." Deirbhile pulled away from him.
"What? Are you…"
"I mean it! Go downstairs. Outside. Angelus is…" That was as far as she got before Gunn spun and left, grabbing a stake from the table next to her door as he went.
Deirbhile moved to the window; there was a very narrow view of the garden from there, and she could see three figures moving in and out of her view. After a minute Angelus ran from the garden and was well away before Faith appeared; the Slayer glanced once over her shoulder and turned, heading back into the hotel.
Deirbhile shifted her gaze, watching a doorway across the street; after a long moment Merrick stepped out of it, searching and finding her window easily. She watched him until he turned and walked away, mercifully not following Angelus. Once he was out of sight she moved to the sink in the corner of her room and ran some water, splashing it over her face. Finally, feeling slightly better, she left the room and headed downstairs.
Wes and Faith were leaving as she came down; each glanced at her before they left, marking her movements. Neither stopped to talk to her, though, and she ignored them completely, heading into the office.
Fred spun, lifting her gun, and immediately relaxed. "Sorry. Jumpy." she offered.
Deirbhile frowned briefly, then shook her head. "No big. Where're they going?"
"Track down Angelus." Fred shrugged, tidying the desk without looking at her. "Wesley says they either get him this time or there won't be a next time."
"They'll get him."
"You think so?" Deirbhile crossed to the wall and sat down, leaning against it.
"I think Faith gets what she wants. And what she wants, more than anything, is a world with Angel in it, because a world with Angel in it is right. Even if she's in prison, or dead, or bumming somewhere, as long as Angel's out there the world's going the way it ought."
"She's not the only one who thinks that way." Fred murmured.
"He's more important than he knows." Deirbhile agreed.
"You don't." Fred said suddenly. "Think that way, I mean."
"The world's been without Angel an awful lot longer than it's been with him, and survived." She shrugged. "He's a good person. I like him a lot. But the world's never been totally dependent on just one person."
"Except you."
"I'm not a person. Not in the strictest sense of the word. Why are we having this conversation?"
"Gallows humor." Fred said, shrugging again. "Or the non-humor equivalent, anyway."
"Yeah…" Deirbhile was barely listening at this point.
"What's wrong?" Fred asked.
"Nothing. It's nothing. I have to go out for a while, OK? I won't be long."
"Do you want me to find Charles to go with you?"
"No, no. It's not important. I'll be back soon." She smiled quickly at Fred and climbed to her feet, heading out of the office.