Chapter 13

Russ found himself standing in the antechamber and Fred ran up to him and hugged him fiercely. He was caught by surprise, and maybe a touch of pain, by the hug that came out of nowhere but kept his balance and hugged her back strongly. Glad to be back was an understatement.

"Oh my god." Fred said as she saw him when they separated slowly and he winced at this. She studied his bruises and wounds with the eyes of a worried, concerned and fretful lover. He leaned on her slightly, not exactly steady on his feet, and she took his weight without a word. The look of worry, concern and fret was enough 'tutting' for Russ.

"What happened?" Fred asked and Russ winced again. Somehow he knew that the answer wouldn't thrill her.

"I was beaten up by the best fighter in this dimension." Russ said, wincing at how good and pro it made him sound that he'd survived but also at how weird it sounded. Oh yeah, he was also wincing at the pain.

"What? Why didn't you heal?" Fred asked, her big brown eyes studying his face which was still in the process of swelling and turning various colours.

"Not sure. Randy?" Russ said, turning to Randy who looked like a deer caught in headlights. Fred shifted her attention to him too and he looked between the two of them with this look that just said how sure he was that he was about to get hit many times.

"Well... I believe that the spell will wear off in due time." Randy said, shifting uncomfortably from the attention.

"There was a spell?" Fred asked incredulously.

"That would explain the belief that it was Fred..." Russ muttered to himself simultaneously.

"I'll just grant those second chances, shall I?" Randy said and walked quickly over to Angel and Cordy, who was now lying on the table with Angel holding her down.

"One for the road." Cordy muttered under her breath and Russ panicked.

"Hurry up Randy," Russ winced as he moved as quickly as he could to Cordy's side, "She's almost done." Russ looked her over, concerned.

"Very well." Randy placed his hands on her temples and closed his eyes. After a few seconds he re opened them and Cordy immediately stopped struggling and seemed to go peaceful as she relaxed visibly on the table. Well as relaxed as you can be on a hard table. Randy moved away and Russ and Fred went with him. Angel stopped holding her down and moved his arms to either side of her. She opened her eyes slowly and looked up to see Angel.

"Angel?" She asked, blinking as if not really believing that Angel was hovering above her.

"Right here Cordelia." Angel replied, eyes shining brightly. Maybe the first time that that had happened and Cordy smiled widely up at him. She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled herself up for a kiss that matched the passion in their 'You're Welcome' kiss. They separated slowly and Cordy bit softly on her bottom lip.

"Hi." She said quietly and Angel smiled down at her.

"Hi." He returned softly and a small smile appeared on her face.

Russ, Fred and Randy witnessed this exchange from a distance far away enough to be classified as a 'comfortable' distance from the two. Russ kept giving Randy looks that prompted him to think that this was the time to give Fred her own second chance. Apparently the torture and then the fight to the almost death had made him have a tougher exterior. But this time Randy didn't need too much prodding to do it and he motioned for Fred to step forward.

"This way please miss." Fred obeyed and Randy put his hands on her temples and closed his eyes. Randy opened his eyes suddenly.

"Oh." He said and Russ shot him a look.

"What is it?" Russ asked, sighing slightly, his shoulders sagging knowing that his sacrifice was being defaulted.

"It's for you." Randy said, avoiding Russ' gaze.

"What are you-?" Russ was cut off by being flung backwards. He hit the ground with his head hard and was still. Fred rushed to him and Angel and Cordy stopped what they were doing to rush over too. Fred looked up at Randy with a look that was worse than all of Russ' looks put together.

"What happened?" She asked and Randy looked at her before taking in a breath and beginning his reason.

"The Powers wanted a word." Randy said, trying to pick the right words so that he didn't get into too much trouble.

"About me?" Fred asked and Randy nodded silently. Fred's gaze dropped and she decided to start worrying about Russ overtime.

Russ groaned loudly and then tried to get up slowly before giving up and lying back down in the sand-like ground. He looked around and knew exactly where he was and groaned again.

"How are ya Russ?" A very familiar voice asked him that was out of view and he groaned again.

"Great." He grunted and then swung himself into a sit up. He sat down on the sand and skimmed his hand across the sand, "Just great."

"That's good. Really." Russ was reassured when he shot an unbelieving look at the person who said that it was good that he was great.

"Alright, I was being sarcastic." Russ said, pushing himself up with one hand on the ground.

"Oh really? Well I... wasn't." The person finished lamely and Russ decided to 'cut through the crap' in a matter of speaking.

"Okay, what's going on here Doyle?" Russ asked and Doyle looked at him with an 'I don't know what you're talking about' expression on his face.

"Nothing. Okay something. Fine, the Powers don't want to let Fred live." Doyle said and then realised how that sounded. But Russ was too withdrawn into his own thoughts to notice Doyle's ramblings that continued on for quite a bit until Russ spoke again.

"The first trial... That was true?" Russ asked and Doyle nodded.

"That was me. And, it wasn't the first trial. Just me."

"So when I said I didn't care that wasn't me passing a trial was it?"

"No, no. That was me running out of credit."

"Oh," Russ nodded and then stopped and stared at him, "Are we talking about the same thing? Cos I think you're thinking of your phone bill."

"We are. But I get energy credit, see? Y'know since I wasted a lot on getting me a few drinks the Powers kind of limited my usage. And getting into your head was a tough thing, lots of energy. So, I ran out."

"Okay..."

"So how bout we get to the reason why you're here." Doyle said, doing his own cutting through the crap.

"So you're trying to get me to let Fred be a Power." Russ stated and Doyle nodded. Russ sighed heavily and sat down on the Chair.

"Before you start the whole 'I don't care' thing think about this. Maybe Fred might... want to be a Power." Doyle said, unsure about his safety after saying it but he needn't worry. Russ was too involved in the thinking process.

"Why would she want to be a Power?" Russ asked and Doyle shrugged.

"Why does anyone want anything? People are complicated and unpredictable."

"So you reckon she really wants to be a Power?" Russ asked.

"Yeah I do. I mean, life is good when you're a Power. Uncomplicated, you have control over many champions who are at your beck and call..."

"And why would Fred want that? Do you even know Fred? She's not some power crazed lunatic. She's sweet and beautiful and smart and funny and represents everything that is good and pure."

"Exactly. How much more good and pure can you get than the Powers? She was destined to be a Power from the moment she was born. To live in a hell dimension yet still be good and pure, to meet a hero and help him. Can you think of anyone more qualified to be a Power?" To this Russ was silent because he knew the answer. Then he came up with his last defence.

"Not to sound too self centred here, but she loves me. And Fred isn't the type to leave someone she loves behind."

"She could help millions by becoming a Power. Do you really think she'll choose you over helping millions of innocents?"

"Truly? Yes. I mean, even if I told her not to she would. Cos she's that kind of person. Then again, I would do exactly the same thing. Look, there are already Powers up there and they're not doing too bad. I think that Fred could do better but the world isn't meant to run better. The world is what the people living in it make it. Not what the people watching over make it."

"That's what you think?" Doyle asked, a derogative tone in his voice. There was something different about him but Russ let it go and just concerned himself with the question.

"Yeah Doyle, it is." Russ said, not thinking about his answer before delivering it.

"Well you're wrong. And it doesn't matter what you say. Fred is going to be a Power. With or without your approval."

"So... Are you asking me to let go of the best thing that has ever happened to me in any of the hundreds of lifetimes that I've gone through while working for the Powers?" Russ asked, almost quivering with rage.

"I'm not asking you," A fire appeared in Doyle's eyes and he continued on the border of yelling, "I'm ordering you. You still work for me Brown and nothing's going to change that. So when I tell you to let go," Doyle somehow managed to loom over the seated half demon, "Let go!" Russ actually winced in front of Doyle who had managed to turn scary, looming and boss like.

"No." Russ said quietly but also firmly back at Doyle and Doyle seemed to implode.

"You don't get to say 'no' to me boy." Doyle said and he trapped Russ in the chair by putting each of his hands on the side of him going back to the back of the chair. Russ leaned back in his chair and looked extremely uncomfortable at their current position. Then he swallowed it and got his own fire.

"And you don't get to call me 'boy'." He said as he brought his face forward to Doyle's own so that he was looking him square in the eyes and his nose was about an inch from Doyle's. Doyle snickered and took his hands from the chair. He turned away from Russ and the chair and let loose a chuckle.

"Nothing ever changes. Still as fiery as usual." Doyle said and swung his fist at Russ as he turned, connecting with his jaw. Russ' face went flying sideways and it swayed to the side, incredibly loose. He slowly managed to get some of the feeling back in his cheek and he felt like it was on fire. He turned slightly to see Doyle standing there, not looking like he'd exerted himself at all when he'd made Russ probably end up with permanent brain damage and a concussion.

Russ looked at Doyle and blinked slowly. Maybe it was just his brain damage but Doyle didn't look like Doyle anymore. He was now a big, built, strong looking guy who looked quite unremarkable. He was like one of those guys that you'd forget their face immediately after they passed you in the street. But this face was so familiar to Russ.

"C'mon boy. Don't tell me you can't remember me?" The man asked and sneered at Russ. Then Russ remembered and looked at him, his head swaying slightly.

"Jesus Christ..."