Author's note: And here we have the last chapter of Champions. There will be the traditional two week break before the next posting. Thanks everyone who reviewed, especially those who've been with me all along…here's to the next one…

Jasmine Home

Angel pushed unsteadily to his feet. "Lilah."

"Angel." Lilah returned. "What's the matter, ace? Didn't think you were the only one that ever got to come back from hell around here, did ya?" She grinned. "Speaking of which, could I possibly get some ice water?"

"What are you doing here, Lilah?" Angel asked tiredly.

"She's not here. It's not her. It can't be." Wesley said quietly. He seemed oddly defeated.

"There's a signed dollar in your wallet that says different." Lilah offered.

"It's a lie." Wesley insisted.

"…Lah. It's a Lilah." To Angel, she continued, "You're the one with the preternatural senses. You tell him." Seeing Deirbhile, she added, "Or you. Someone."

"It's true, Wes. It's her." Angel said.

"But how? She was dead." Fred reminded them.

"She's still dead." Angel explained.

"Vampire?" Gunn asked.

"Eww, please. Angelus drank from me, it's true, but like with most men, it was a one-way street. I was dead already. Besides, my Wesley made sure I'd be spared, just in case." Looking at Wes, she added, "It's OK, lover. I never felt a thing."

"I'm sure that's true." Wes said distantly.

Deirbhile stirred. "She's trying to make it better, Wes. That you did the right thing. She's just not very good at it."

"Thank you, Deirbhile, stay out of it." Wes said in the same distant tone.

"I don't get this." Gunn deliberately ignored Deirbhile and Wes's continuing conversation. "If she ain't alive, and she ain't a vampire, what in the hell is she?"

"I'm just a messenger. That's all. They'll be sending me straight back to hell once I'm finished here." Lilah said.

"Who's "they"?" Gunn demanded.

"Wolfram & Hart." Angel said. "The contract she signed with them extends beyond her death."

"Standard perpetuity clause, I'm afraid. Always read the fine print." Lilah agreed.

"What's your game, Lilah?" Angel asked.

"No game. In fact, game over. Guess what? You win, which is why I'm here. I have been authorized to make you kids an offer."

"You can't possibly think there's anything we'd want from you." Fred scoffed.

"I don't think you'll want it, but you'll take it, because this is the offer of a lifetime. Just not, you know...mine."

Deirbhile ignored Lilah's speech, since she wasn't part of it anyway, listening just enough to hear what was going on. The rest of her attention was occupied with trying to track Connor. But, as had been typical for some months now, LA itself was disrupting her senses and making it hard to concentrate.

"Deirbhile?"

She looked up to find Fred standing over her. "Yes?"

"We're all going to sleep. Are you tired? You look tired."

"Tired." Deirbhile repeated, accepting Fred's hand up. "Yes, I suppose. Are you going to do it?"

"Do what?"

"Go to Wolfram and Hart."

Fred stopped. "I don't know. Would you?"

"Wolfram and Hart's got nothing I want. It's different for you, though." Deirbhile paused to look back down the stairs. "If you do go, try to remember something, OK?"

"OK." Fred agreed.

"They did evil things there. It doesn't mean the people there are evil, or the structure is evil. It just means evil things were done."

"I'm not following." Fred admitted.

"OK. Wolfram and Hart is Angelus? The people inside are Angel."

Before Fred could question her any further, she ran the rest of the way upstairs and vanished.

Deirbhile trailed the group into Wolfram and Hart the next morning, gazing around in that vaguely distracted way. She ignored everyone around her as Lilah sent the others away with their individual guides, following absently after Angel and Lilah.

They headed for the boss's office, Angel and Lilah arguing and sniping all the way, and when they reached it Deirbhile wandered over to lean against one wall, safely out of their way. Only when Lilah turned on a TV did it catch her attention.

"…evacuated and bomb units have been called to the scene where police say more than a dozen promenade shoppers are being held hostage at this hour. Police are trying to identify the suspect from these security camera pictures. So far, no motive is known for the siege, and the suspect has refused to speak with law enforcement officials. We'll keep you updated as this intense drama unfolds."

Deirbhile blinked, glancing over her shoulder as Lilah and Angel's argument resumed. Smiling faintly to herself, she slipped out of the room.

Connor was pacing randomly around the shop floor when she arrived, alternately talking to himself and yelling at his hostages. Deirbhile stepped into his path and waited patiently.

"What're you doing here?" he asked, stepping around her.

"Came for you." She looked around. "You need all these?"

"Keeps the others outside."

"I suppose it would. Connor…"

"Hey! I told you to be nice." Connor said to the man behind her.

"I'm sorry." he attempted.

"You're not holding her right. Why don't you hold her right?"

"I think you broke my arm."

"Do it right."

The man slowly lifted his arm and slid it around the child's shoulder. "Shh, shh. It's gonna be OK. It's gonna be OK."

Connor crossed to check the batteries for his explosives and then paused, tilting his head slightly.

"You got in. I thought you might."

Angel jumped down from the balcony, landing halfway between Deirbhile and Connor. Eyeing his son carefully, he took a few steps forward. "Connor? Son?"

Something exploded behind him and he jumped. Connor didn't react, except to frown at some crying hostages.

"You might not want to move. Everyone's rigged. Can't save 'em all, dad. Don't know who's gonna be first. Could be any one of 'em. Could be me. Could be her."

He took a step to the side. Behind him, Cordelia lay on the floor.

"Son...you have to listen to me. This is about Jasmine."

"Jasmine's gone." Connor snapped.

"I know. We all felt it, that perfect love, then when you had to give it up—"

"I didn't feel anything!" Connor yelled. "I can't feel anything. I guess I really am your son... 'cause I'm dead, too."

"You're not dead. You're just starting your life and—" Angel was interrupted again.

"No, you just weren't there before!"

"I know. I'm so—"

"Do not say you're sorry! Doesn't fix anything."

Angel took a deep breath, out of habit rather than need, and tried again. "OK, look, let me say this. I love you, son."

Connor shook his head tiredly. "It's a lie."

"Lah." Deirbhile murmured.

"It's not." Angel ignored Deirbhile, attention fixed solely on Connor.

"It's always a lie. My dead mother couldn't even love me."

Deirbhile looked up. "She did, Connor. She came back for you. Remember?"

Connor shook his head, and Angel picked up quickly, "You're wrong. She did."

"No. No. She knew she couldn't."

"She sacrificed herself because she loved you."

"You tried to love me. At least I think you did."

"I still do." Angel said.

"But not enough to hang on, dad. You let him take me. You let him get me. You let him get me. Cordy... you swore you loved me. Where are you now?"

"Connor... you have to believe that there are people who love you."

Connor glanced at Deirbhile for a minute before looking back at Angel. "Jasmine believed you when you said you loved her, but it was all a lie."

"Jasmine was the lie."

"Bad move." Deirbhile murmured, softly enough for only Angel to hear. "Wrong thing to say."

"No! She knew if you found out who she really was that you'd turn against her, and she was right. That's just what happened. People like you. People like this. None of you deserve what she could give you. She wanted to give you everything."

"I know how that feels." Angel was easing very slowly towards Connor. "'Cause I want to give you everything. I want to take back the mistakes, help you start over."

"We can't start over."

"We can. I mean, we can change things."

"There's only one thing that ever changes anything... and that's death. Everything else is just a lie. You can't be saved by a lie. You can't be saved at all."

Connor started to arm his explosive: Angel darted forward and caught him, disarming it in two quick moves and spinning Connor away.

Turning to the nearest hostages, he yanked their restraints free. "Run. Hurry. All of you. Go."

Back on his feet, Connor attacked Angel again. The pair fought around the room until Connor got some leverage and threw him clear away. Turning his back on his father, he moved towards Cordelia.

Angel rolled clear of the display case he'd crashed into and dug a knife out of the debris. Throwing it underhand, he caught Connor in the thigh, knocking him down.

Angel limped over to him, pulled the knife from his leg and shoved him down. "I really do love you, Connor."

"So what are you gonna do about it?" Connor challenged him.

"Prove it."

Angel slashed with the knife.

"Enough."

Deirbhile caught his wrist, halting his swipe. Connor took the opportunity to roll out from under him, panting as he put weight on his leg.

"All right?" Deirbhile asked him. She hadn't let go of Angel's wrist.

"I'll live." Connor said warily.

"He wasn't going to kill you. There's a spell he was shown. Was trying to help you." she told him.

Angel was rapidly discovering what Connor had several days earlier; Deirbhile was a lot stronger than she looked. He couldn't move or even feel his wrist or hand. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

Deirbhile looked back at him. "Think you can just do that? Connor's mine, Angel. You know that. Can't rewrite his history without me allowing it."

"What?" Connor demanded.

"He was going to make it so you weren't his son. Hadn't been born to him. Still you, just with a different life." Deirbhile explained. "He forgot, though, that you're my Champion. Without my saying it, the spell wouldn't have worked and he could have hurt you."

"More?" Connor asked dryly.

Deirbhile let go of Angel's wrist, pushing him back a few steps. "We're going. Go back and play in Wolfram and Hart. Don't come looking for us." Touching Connor's shoulder, she turned away.

Connor stared at Angel for a moment before following her lead.

Two weeks into his new job, Angel found Deirbhile already in his office when he came in one morning.

"Deirbhile." he said in surprise. "What're you doing here? Is Connor…"

Deirbhile shook her head quickly. "He didn't come. I just came to…I'm sorry, Angel. I was very…in the mall, I didn't mean to…I overreacted, I think."

"Maybe just a little." Angel agreed.

"I was right, though." Deirbhile muttered. "Anyway, I just came to tell you Connor's fine. And we'll be around." She paused at the door and looked back.

"We'll always be around, Angel. If you need us."