Brian's home at Cotchford Farm had been a beautiful place, even if Keith certainly didn't want to be there now under these circumstances, even if he supposed he wasn't really there. This was again some strange trick to make him believe something that wasn't true. He was in Hell and nowhere else, even if he wished he was everywhere else, but there. Brian's former home perhaps didn't really make his top ten of favourite places either, making this not the least bit better. Why couldn't have Hell send him to a beautiful beach in the sun or something? That would have been nice after what he already had to suffer through with Persy and seeing her in a bikini would have been a great bonus as well. She might be annoying, but her body was perfect and as long as she didn't say anything he could have appreciated the view. He sighed. Hell didn't do any favours, so instead of his beautiful devil in a bikini, he had to deal with his former grumpy band mate.

Brian was like the Reason Charlie probably just a projection of his mind, at least Keith hoped he was, but it was harder to tell with him than with Charlie. Brian was dead, so why shouldn't Hell have appointed him as some overseer of these tests? Even if Keith couldn't understand that decision. Brian was one of the most unreliable people he knew and giving him such a task didn't sound like a good idea at all. This left Keith with only one other option, that Brian was part of one of these seven tests. Making him wonder which sin Brian was exactly representing, his former band mate could probably have represented every single one and no one would have questioned it too much.

"Brian, what do you want?"Keith asked.

The blond man snorted. "Oh wow I'm nearly surprised that you still know my name, I thought you had perhaps forgotten it. I mean now that you have everything off mine you ever wanted, my band, my girlfriend, just to name two, who needs to remember the person you took it from? I was just someone in your band, someone everyone could do without and nothing more. The Rolling Stones were surely not my idea. They were yours and Mick, but me? No I was just your problem child that you could push around to the point where you stole even the last thing that mattered from me."

Keith bid his lip. He clearly wanted to tell Brian his opinion, but if this really was a test (from the sound of it he would have guessed envy), that didn't sound like the best choice and he was unsure how he should react. He nearly wished Persephone was here and would tell him what was going on, but he doubted she would have been a big help anyway. He needed to figure this out on his own and fast, because he doubted he had all eternity to ponder his options.

He took a deep breath and started to analyse the situation. He could either disagree with Brian and risk ending up in a fight with him or he could try to calm his former band mate down, which was easier said than done, but it was at least an idea.

"Brian, I get that you're angry and we probably didn't handle this whole mess right, but damn you were not the easiest person to work with either. You can't just blame Mick and me for everything that went wrong in your life..."

"Why not? You two pushed me more and more to the limit where I couldn't turn back. You knew how I suffered and what did you do instead of helping me?"

Keith really couldn't use this guilt trip, but he hardly had a say in that matter. The only choice he had was to solve this mess and pass this stupid test, even if he had no idea how. Keith thought about it, if this really was a test on envy, what was he supposed to do then? Be kind towards Brian, show empathy? It sounded at least like something that would fit and it was worth a try, because Keith had no other ideas anyway.

"Now I am not even worth your time anymore?" Brian accused him before Keith had even the chance to say something. "Fucking great. I thought you would at least bother to talk to me when you had to. This test is another thing you got and nobody even thought about offering me. You get everything and I? You know I wouldn't have had a problem with a long life either instead of dying at 27."

"Brian, I am sorry you definitely would have earned this chance, but trust me it's not really something you want.... I'm not sure if it really was a good idea to go along with it. I don't trust Persephone and I really had no say in this matter. I need to go back. The band they need me, I'm sure you wouldn't want to see it all ruined? It was your dream and it's a pity you're not around to witness it anymore. You could be a real pain in the neck, but you were what the Stones needed to get there where we are now, okay?" Keith tried to appease Brian, but judging from the others face he wasn't being very successful.

"Do you really think I believe you? You just want to pass this stupid test. You probably would tell me everything, just to get me of your back, but it's nothing more than empty words. You don't mean a single one."

"Of course I mean it. I love this band probably as much as you do and it always was my main priority. Brian, it wasn't my or Mick's decision to throw you out. The band decided and it was for the best... At that point we couldn't work together anymore and we thought you would maybe find a new project. We couldn't have known what would happen to you or do you think Charlie would have agreed to it if he knew? You might think Mick ad me are bastards, but Charlie really? He couldn't hurt a fly." It was a shot in the dark, Keith knew it. Brian obviously blamed mostly him and Mick, so mentioning Charlie maybe would give Keith a chance to distract him or maybe not. Brian always was a surprise and his reaction rarely the most logical.

"Don't start to blame Charlie now. We both know, he had the least to do with this decision! It's your fault!"

Keith wanted to groan. Arguing with Brian always had been a pain in the ass, but now he couldn't even do anything much except tying to keep his cool and it was getting harder and harder or maybe he was looking at this from the wrong perspective. Maybe he was supposed to do something else than trying to calm Brian down, but maybe admit he had maybe done him wrong.

"I-Okay you're right I'm not innocent on that matter and it probably was not the best thing to do. It probably was a rather shitty thing to do, but it happened and I can't take it back. You can hate me forever for it and I would totally get it, even if I would prefer you could forgive me instead. I probably didn't earn it, but we had some great moments together and they meant something to me as well. So what will it be?"

Brian didn't reply, instead he smiled. A smile Keith had never seen on him, but on somebody else he had come to know in the last few hours. The interior of Cotchford farm faded into darkness, except for Brian who was still where he had first appeared. Keith concentrated on his former friend with the devil's smile and slowly his feature's seemed to blur and transform into someone, Keith wanted even less to see.

"I suppose seeing you means I somehow passed this stupid test."

Persephone chuckled. "Yes you did, even if you guessed wrong that wasn't envy, but wrath. Do you want a drink to celebrate your first successful?" She asked and like always with her out of nowhere appeared a bottle of the whiskey he had already had a taste of back in the hotel and a glass. She filled it up and Keith eyed her suspiciously.

"Wrath?"he asked, not even trying to question her drinking idea.

She stepped closer to him and the bottle had again mysteriously disappeared. The glass however was still in her hands. "Yes, you were supposed to get annoyed and fight with him. Apparently your friend is good at annoying people or at least you. So do you want to celebrate with a drink?"

The whisky unnerved Keith to the degree, that he didn't even question the Brian bit. Of course he wanted a drink, but he didn't trust her. Maybe this was again some strange trickery of her to get him to do something he didn't want to and still... The whiskey she had given him back in his hotel room had been so amazing... How could he resist? It was hard, but deep down he knew saying no was a small sacrifice compared to whatever devilry she was up to now.

"No I just want to finish this and go home. What are you playing at now?"

"Are you sure? A glass can't hurt and I know how much you liked it back at the hotel. Come on and take it." She said as she took another step to him. The glass and her were right before him and he wondered what was more tempting her or the whiskey. Both were probably not only similar tempting, but poisonous as well and he should stay far away from the two, no matter how innocent both of them could look.

Persephone frowned. "What's puzzling you? The nature of my game perhaps? I'm really just trying to be nice for once, after all you're doing me a favour. "

Keith snorted. "If you insist so much, it can just be a trap and I surely won't take it. We can however always talk about it when we get back to the hotel."

"I knew you wouldn't fall for this. Well Mr. Richards looks like you managed to pass Gluttony as well and all I can say is have fun with the next one," she said smiling and clapped her hands, disappearing again and he was all alone in the darkness.

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