Author's note: Hey, Mery-key! Hope you're enjoying the story; we're almost at the end now. angel-wings, thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a bit shorter; sorry.

Previously on Angel: Fred and Angel managed to break the others free of Jasmine's influence; but even free of her Connor chose to stay with her and betrayed the others to her followers.

Angel:

Jasmine Sacrifice

"They're here! Come quick! They're here!"

"Connor, you have to listen to us." Angel said urgently.

"Listen to you?" Connor demanded. "You're the ones who lie. You're the ones who hate."

"No, Connor…" Fred started. Deirbhile moved, ducking out of the room and around Connor.

"Jasmine's controlling you. Controlling your feelings." Angel said.

"You're wrong, Dad. About me, about her, everything. It doesn't matter anymore what you say." He glanced down the hall, where a lot of people could be heard coming. "We're going to tear you apart."

Angel shoved him out of the room and slammed the door behind him. Connor glanced at Deirbhile. "You stay out of the way. We're gonna kill them all."

"Not get in the way." Deirbhile agreed. Connor looked at her oddly for a minute before turning and beginning to pound on the door.

"I'm part of something. I belong! I won't let anyone spoil that." Connor muttered as he banged on the door. Angel broke through the door and grabbed him, shoving him against the far wall. Deirbhile jumped out of the way, neatly blocking the corridor as the mob tried to get Angel.

"Angel, stop it." she said, watching him pound on Connor. "Stop, Angel. Stop it!"

Angel glared at her, holding Connor up with one hand. "Are you with us or them?"

"I'm with him." She glanced behind her. "Can't block the road forever, Angel. Gotta pick a side." He didn't move, and she frowned. "That was a hint. Run away."

Angel turned and darted back through the room, still holding Connor. Deirbhile followed him through the window and onto the fire exit to the street below, where the others were waiting in Angel's car.

"Are you coming?" Angel asked, leaving Connor in the street and climbing in.

"Angel, that's…" Fred started.

"I know what he is. Deirbhile, are you coming?"

Deirbhile shook her head faintly. "Can't. Need to be here."

"Fine. Wes, go."

Deirbhile backed up as the mob, deprived of their target, picked up Connor and carried him upstairs, back to Jasmine.

Later Connor came to look for her.

"Someone said you tried to stop Angel."

"I did."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "Shouldn't have tried to hurt you." She looked up at him. "What did she do?"

"Helped me." Connor said with a faint smile.

Deirbhile caught at his hand, studying the palm intently. "Caught you, more like. Welcome to my parlor."

Connor sighed. "I know you don't like her. But I do. Can you just…leave it at that?"

"It's so long since I had a Champion, I'd sort of forgotten…Anything you want, Connor. You know that."

"You called me Connor."

"Yeah." She smiled faintly. "Sometimes I do that. I'm wacky that way."

Connor studied her for another minute. "I have to go."

"Go?"

"To kill Angel and the others. We know where they are."

"I know where they are. What does that matter?"

"We're going to kill them."

"You're going to try. Connor…" She caught his wrist when he started to rise. "Be careful. All right?"

"You're not going to ask me not to hurt them?"

"That's up to you, Connor. We've had this conversation, too."

He stared at her for a long time before leaving the room.