(A/N) Penultimate chapter :o Thank you for all those who have read and a special thanks to those who have reviewed! :D

Fortitude

There was a small window in the door she was stood in front of, but she didn't have the courage to look through, knowing that in a moment someone will unlock the door and she would see inside anyway. As the guard walked up to her, she backed away a little and reached down to bury her hand in soft fur, gaining comfort from the action. She had been met at the car by a very energetic golden ball slamming into her, who had torn away from Lucy as soon as he had seen her. It had been such a blessing for Lucy to bring the wonder dog, and Sue had thanked both her and God repeatedly for the action.

The car ride to the secure hospital had been conducted in comforting rather than comfortable silence, her best friend seeming to understand her need to prepare herself. Right now, though, Lucy was several heavy locked doors away and, though she knew if anything went wrong agents would be in the room before she even drew the breath to call for help, she felt like she was stepping through the door alone. Praying silently, she smiled bravely at the guard and stepped into the cell, not hearing the gentle click of the door as it shut behind her.

It took her a few seconds to take him in, it was a small cell and with all the machinery and cables, it looked even smaller, but the man on the bed still looked large within it. Whether it was her fear, the smallness of everything else, or the man's presence, she did not know, but felt almost cheated in the way he looked as menacing as ever in a hospital gown and handcuffed to its side. Knowing all that was riding on her talking with Tony made her feel determined, it was that and Levi's leash that she held on to tightly as he turned his head towards her, that kept her grounded. Something akin to a smirk featured on his face, but in a way he genuinely looked happy to see her. After a few moments of silence Sue seemed to realise that she would be taking the lead in their little chat.

"I'm here, just like you wanted Tony, now tell us everything." The look he gave her was an evaluating one, and it was met with a hard glare of her own.

"It's really good to see you again Sue, why don't you come a little closer so we can talk face to face?"

"I can't say the same I'm afraid, and I would prefer to talk to you from over here if you don't mind."

"You know I honestly had feelings for you, back when we first met." Gritting her teeth, Sue called to mind Bobby's last piece of advice; 'don't let him provoke you.'

"The information Tony." Now that was a definite smirk.

"It was the reason why I chose you for it, I wanted to see your pretty little face again." He carried on like she hadn't said a word. "Plus I got to make you and your team," spitting the word out, Tony pulled a disgusted face, "suffer for what they did to me."

'He's mad,' the thought crossed her mind briefly before she shoved it to one side.

"This has nothing to do with what we want to know. Tell us Tony." The laugh that followed shook those listening in but, only seeing the crazed look in his eyes, Sue stood her ground. "Now."

"I missed that spunk." She didn't comment and he exaggerated an eye roll. "It has everything to do with it."

"Explain."

"I had such a lovely plan, but you all ruined it. Poking your nose in where it didn't belong. Because of you I had to rearrange everything, which involved having to show some very nasty people that I was on their level. Now don't get me wrong, Sue, I'm used to putting myself in the same bracket as those low lives, but that was just insulting." Her heart quickened.

"What do you mean?"

"I kidnapped you to show that I was trustworthy. That I would go to any lengths if they asked me to." Heart beating faster in anger, Sue gritted her teeth. "It helped that it distracted your team from my money making schemes."

"Are you telling me that you kidnapped, burned and cut me, just to keep your cover and make more money?"

"Yes." He said simply. No mocking, triumph, regret or other emotion was to be found in his voice. She couldn't keep looking at him. Turning away, she tried desperately to calm herself down. Just at the moment she was about to lose it, she felt a large wet nose nuzzle at her hand. Levi had sensed her emotions and was trying to help, the thought almost made her smile and her anger instantly vanished. A sudden, strange thought occurred to her that she almost didn't want to think about. He hadn't killed Levi. He could have done, easily enough. With one bark, he could have been exposed. With this thought in mind, she took a deep breath and turned to face him again.

"You said that you were the 'only one who was trying to stop it.' Help us now and tell us what you know."

"You still don't get it do you? This was your fault, all of it. It was impossible to re-build a reputation that you so valiantly slaughtered. Only a major, public incident in which I, single handily, managed to stop will cover the black spots all over my name. I'm not going to tell you anything, because you know what? – there is nothing in it for me anymore."

Sue has always found it hard to accept that people could be completely evil, always believing that there was some part of them, however deeply buried, that had the potential for good. As she focused on the man in font of her, and pondered over everything she knew about him, she felt a sudden conviction in that ideal. She stepped forward.

"I don't believe you." The words seemed to penetrate the former agent hard, bewilderment crossing his features. "No matter how misguided your actions, they always seemed to be done for some warped good intention. You may have wanted to re-build your reputation, you may have wanted to make us pay, but what it came down to was you trying to stop bad people doing bad things." Pausing momentarily, she saw that his face gave nothing away. "Finish what you started Tony."

You could have heard a pin drop in the short time that followed. Scanning his face, Sue, praying constantly, waited for a response. In one second all the air seemed to deflate from the man in front of her and his head fell against the hard pillow.

"They were supposed to be meeting me tonight." A sharp breath of laughter escaped him. "Guess you're just in time."

"Who?"

"They're no one of much importance, a group who are trying to fill boots far too big for them. They call themselves 'Rise'. Unfortunately, any small terrorist organisation with lots of money can do an enormous amount of harm."

A huge wave of relief filled Sue, but after sending a silent thank you upwards and a turning a brief smile to one of the cameras in the corner, Sue donned her 'F.B.I' mask.

He answered her questions in a weary tone, one that identified as defeat in the ears of those listening. She watched him carefully for any signs of trickery or deceit, but only found truth in his blank eyes. It turned out to be a simple story from his end, one that the team had already proposed as a possibility, but led Sue to feel disquieted in the pointlessness of it all. He had decided that to gain the credit and neutralise the threat he would have to work independently from the FBI. Needing the money and reputation to secure the groups interest, he used a pre-existing alias to take over the Apostles. When the team had got involved 'Rise' told him that he needed to send the FBI a message. Greed and jealousy he had said before, whilst being blind to his own.

He didn't seem as large now, and Sue felt reprieve from the fear that had been holding her captive much longer than the man in front of her had. Boldness crept into her, but before it could take hold, something nudged at her heart as she came to the end of her line of questioning. It only took her a moment to realise what it was, and her whole body tensed in rejection. Anger and resentment flared, only to die out as soon as Tony looked at her for the first time since she called his lie.

"Is that all?" All emotion seemed to have been drained out of him. Brain whirling her heart fought her head before a word slipped out of her mouth of its own accord.

"Almost." There was that little nudge again. She stepped towards him and his eyes grew wider as she got closer. Opening her mouth, the words got stuck. She couldn't do it.

'… through Christ who gives me strength."

The scripture came to her just as a wet nose nudged into her leg. Looking down, she felt bizarrely amused as brown wide eyes looked first at her and then to the man looking on in confusion. After taking a deep breath, she met his eye.

"I just wanted to let you know, all those things you did to me, I forgive you." As she spoke the words they filled with truth and a weight she was not aware she was holding, came off. Vulnerability saturated though the man on the bed, and with it came fear. Seeing both in his eyes, Sue took his hand. "You may think this is it for you, that there's nothing you can do to take back what you have done. You would be right. There is nothing you can do except maybe ask the one that can wipe your slate clean." Pointing upwards, she smiled down at the former agent before turning, and walking back towards the door.