Author's Note:This is the last chapter of action, i may add only footnotes after this, and you can bet someday i'll edit it to perfection. Thank you all for sticking with me so long and thank you for waiting almost a month for this one to come out. Sorry about that by the way.
Disclaimer: My Username is ValorieDevore, and i do not approve you thinking i own any of the character mentioned here unless it has been otherwise stated that i do.
Warnings:Death...briefly makes a little appearance kind of sort of... Alright fine, he just is like a side note at the end. Other people do make appearences though, like Jesus, and Adam, but not God, well, he does but that's because he's everywhere at once. Also this is really long, it's the longest chapter, make sure you're comfortable because without furthur ado, we have... THE FINAL CHAPTER!
It was empty in Raphael's apartment. Very empty. Even Raphael's dog (Because all dogs go to heaven, unless, they you know, are bred in hell) jokingly named killer (he was a Doberman who didn't have half his teeth, his original owners had been cruel to him, but Raphael loved him almost as much as Uriel and that made up for killer's sad life on earth.) was in the yard playing with the squirrels. Suddenly he perked up his ears and looked up at the door in expectation.
A bright blue ball of light was forming, and growing bigger and bigger, brighter, and brighter, until suddenly, through it stumbled Crowley still in his demonic form. Aziraphale was right behind him followed by Raphael Uriel, The Metatron, Michael and lastly Gabriel. The ball of light disappeared.
"Are you alright Aziraphale?" Crowley asked as worry flashed across the golden fire still burning in his eyes.
"Crowley?" Aziraphale said completely ignoring the question.
"Yes angel?"
"What happened?"
"Raphael opened a portal so we could escape. We're in heaven now."
"I know that Crowley." He said as he reached out to touch Crowley's face. The demon turned away before his fingers ever made contact.
"What happened to you dear?"
"I Fell."
Aziraphale took this opportunity to turn Crowley's face. The tips of his fingers burned just slightly but he ignored it. Crowley closed his eyes and leaned gently into the cool touch, and sighed happily.
To the surprise of all the angels in the room, Crowley began to transform back into the Armani-clad demon they had captured. Crowley blinked his golden eyes with blue specks open. Aziraphale gave him a small smile. His fingers didn't burn anymore as he trailed them down Crowley's jawline and onto the nape of his neck.
"My poor, dear. It must've been painful."
"I'm sorry Angel."
"Whatever for? I'm sure it was ineffable."
Michael came up behind him with the heavenly object akin to handcuffs.
"Alright Crowley, let's take you to the holding cell now." He said.
"What?" Aziraphale said shocked.
"Crowley had decided that the only way to escape was to come here. I told him that if we were to come here, we'd have to arrest him. He wouldn't hear it. He insisted."
"Sorry Angel." Crowley said sheepishly as he followed Michael out.
"He just saved our lives?! You're letting him get arrested?!" Aziraphale asked Raphael angrily.
Killer came in as Crowley and Michael left. Uriel immediately grabbed him before he caught a whiff of the demon. But, killer stayed put. He didn't even take a second glance at Crowley.
"Come on Zirah, I'll make you some tea and then you can settle down in the guest room." Raphael said pulling Aziraphale away from the door as he watched Michael and Crowley leave.
"I want to be with Crowley."
"Aziraphale, he's going to a cell." Raphael said.
"I don't care; I want to be with Crowley!" Aziraphale said pulling away roughly and staring Raphael down. It was like when they were younger. Raphael had come into existence some time before Aziraphale and had always tried to take care of him. Whenever Aziraphale decided he didn't want to do whatever Raphael had told him, they'd stare each other down until finally one would look away or laugh. Usually Raphael won.
"If he wants to stay with the demon let him." The Metatron said rubbing his temples. "He's our angel, not hell's, he'll be fine. Gabriel please take him."
Everyone stared at the Metatron. He gave them a look that said 'why are you still here?' and they all finally moved.
"Follow me Aziraphale." Gabriel said reluctantly.
As soon as they'd gotten out of earshot Raphael spoke up.
"Why did you let him go?"
"That demon is extremely powerful, and he doesn't seem to be on either our side our hells. But, Aziraphale can control him. I'd rather Aziraphale spend one night with him, after he's proven he could spend 6 millennia in his presence, than give him the opportunity to escape and cause mayhem." the Metatron walked towards the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to and I must let father know we've arrived successfully."
When he was gone, Uriel shut the door and walked over to Raphael.
He put a hand on Raphael's tense shoulders. Had he really been that tense?
"We lost."
"I know love. Let's get out of these ridiculous outfits and go check up on them. It's getting late."
It was late in heaven. A while ago, some angels had gone to earth and seen the stars and moon, and all of the other things in space. They became absolutely enamored with them. They asked God to make some for them too. So god strung a few diamond like and marble like objects in heaven's sky at created night and day in heaven. The angels all loved them, and of course spent nights staring up at them instead of sleeping. No one ever admitted that the humans' stars and planets were much more mysterious and therefore much more Godlike. Anyways, each night when morning begins to break, the angels will carefully take down the stars. Right now however, the stars were just barely being put up. Uriel and Raphael flew past the angels putting them up. They arrived the holding cells and swooped down.
No one was guarding them. Not that they needed anyone to guard them. They'd decided they may as well just stay in that cell if they were given the option. As long as they were together, it wouldn't matter where they lived. Crowley sat on the floor, his back against the gray cool wall of the cell. Aziraphale's head lay in Crowley's lap. He'd been asleep for a few minutes now. He'd only fallen asleep to please Crowley, and partly because the fighting had been tiring, not that he'd admit it ever. Crowley hummed a deep tune he heard Aziraphale humming once upon a time, almost a lifetime ago. He stopped humming when he heard footsteps approaching. His whole body tensed and Aziraphale shifted a bit.
It was only Uriel and Raphael.
"I tried to convince Zirah to go back to your house. He insisted on staying here. I didn't want him to leave anyways." Crowley said sadly.
"I doubt anyone could've gotten him to leave your side." Raphael said.
"Why did you come?" Crowley asked his eyes looking up at them for the first time since their arrival.
"Look, Crowley, we came up with a plan for this. Just in case this was to happen, we had it planned out. The first step is-"
"I don't want to hear it Raf."
"What?"
"We're not going to try and escape."
"Why not? Did they drug you?"
"No, no, it's just that, Aziraphale was talking to me about it before he fell asleep. He doesn't want to try to get away anymore."
"Crowley, The Metatron is planning on killing you. Please, just let us help you escape again; I'm sure you can do it. You're with my brother, and I need to help him any way I can."
"Do you honestly think Zirah's going to let us try and escape? Of course not. He's so upset. You guy's, God's favored Archangels caught him. It's worse than when Adam and Eve got caught. To him, it's like having been caught by God. He's not going to try and escape his rightful punishment. He was with a demon after all, he tried running from you, he sprained Michael's wing, he did all these things that the usual tartan-wearing, book-reading, blushing, blessing, cake-baking, Aziraphale would not normally do. And now he is being punished for it. He's too unrighteous and stuff. Raphael, you saw what he did to himself that one day after he kissed me. He doesn't play around when it comes to repenting, or penance. Besides even if we were to escape, then what would we do? Keep running? Not only are you after us, so is hell, and I'll be da- ble- redeemed before I allow Satan to lay a finger on my Angel."
"That's it then?" Raphael said throwing his hands into the air, "You're just going to give up, and die, die for him?"
"I Fell for him; twice, how much harder can it be to die for him." Crowley said as he looked down at Aziraphale's sleeping peaceful face.
"It's not that simple Crowley. The Metatron has decided that unless Aziraphale is to reject you, completely, they'll kill him as well. If he doesn't reject you, they'll make him watch while they kill you, which will make him question what is going on, which means he'll be questioning God, which means he will Fall, which means he'll be a demon. And remind me Crowley, what is it we do with demons?"
"I won't let that happen, I have a plan."
"Really? What sort of plan?" Uriel asked.
"Call up whoever it is in charge of this."
"The Seraphim council? Why?"
"I have a plan."
"What is it?" Crowley looked at Aziraphale lovingly.
"You see I've got a confession to make, and since your kind are so keen on confessions I may as well right? To stay on your good side?"
"What in the world are you talking about?"
"Well, I was assigned to Fell all angels that were put in charge of earth, so we could have full reign of it. When I discovered it was only one angel, this, pathetic lowly excuse of an Angel, I decided it wouldn't be too hard.
"I tried to tempt him into lusting for me, but, I failed. He fell in love with me. I decided, that was close enough and began to act that I loved him as well. I married him, thinking it'd make him fall, but it didn't. I've done so many ungodly, and possibly illegal things trying to make him fall but he just won't. I'm tired of him; kill me now so that I may break the marriage covenant."
"What?" Raphael asked astounded.
"Oh, no, that's not the only reason I'd like to die. You see, I'd like to break his heart. I've tempted him into loving me, and now, I'd like to break his heart as well. If you don't do it release me into Hell, and I'll off myself. That way, not only will I break your little cherub's heart, but I'll be dying in a way hell seems fit."
"What?!"
"You don't want me to off myself? Are you really that upset at the lows I've stooped to just to Fell one angel? Really, you think I deserve heavenly punishment? You'll do it for me? You'll kill me? Alrighty then, tell the angel I won't miss him."
"WHAT?!" Raphael asked now furious. How could he have let himself be so misguided by a demon? He would have launched himself at the demon had Aziraphale not been sleeping on his lap.
"If you were able to believe that I tempted Aziraphale into loving me, why wouldn't the Seraphim and the Metatron who don't know me. I die, Aziraphale cries gets very upset with me, maybe even believes it like you did, and hates my guts, but that's not all. He'll vow never to Fall, and then he lives forever after. He'll forget about me eventually, maybe even find an Angel to love. He'll get married again and this time, it won't fail. Because they'll be the same stock, and it will be fine. He isn't made to choose between me and God, he's never made to question his love for God because we all know God comes first for him, even if I were an angel, but he might make a mistake, and choose me, and none of us, want that. Now, call them up. I want to get this done with before Aziraphale wakes up."
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Uriel asked
"Yes, but, when it happens, Raf, Uriel, neither of you can tell him what it really was. You can't tell him I died because I wanted him safe, you can't ever tell him the truth. Do you understand? If you ever tell him, he'll realize how much I loved him, and he'll remember how much he loved me, and it will kill him, and I want him, no, I need him alive, and in God's Grace. Please, promise me that."
Raphael and Uriel glanced at each other unable to believe such a strong love could exist in a demon.
"We promise Crowley." Raphael whispered.
"Alright. Bring me some pillows and blankets for Aziraphale please Uriel. Raphael, call up the council."
The two Angels left. Crowley bent over Aziraphale and tenderly pecked his cheek. Something wet and hot ran down his cheek and onto Aziraphale's. Crowley realized he was crying. He wiped it away and kissed him one more time, trying to remember the feeling of Aziraphale's soft cheek against his chapped lips, trying to remember the angel's booky smell, still so strong even though he'd gone a few days without any reading.
"I love you Zirah, I'm sorry I'm about to lie to you, I'm sorry for all the pain I'm going to cause you, I'm sorry for all the trouble I've been, I'm so sorry for Falling, I love you."
He looked out the window in front of his cell, and couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. The sky, usually so filled with the lights of stars and the moon, was remarkably empty. Only a few stars remained. An angel flew among them taking them down for the night. Soon the sky would be dark and empty.
He stooped down to give the angel one more kiss as Raphael and Uriel returned.
"Five hundred and one."
'Too bad we never made it to infinity.'
Gabriel was at a bar in heaven. Yes they have bars in heaven. After all with the ability to sober yourself and others up, it'd be a great business. And besides, according to heaven, Alcoholic beverages were their creation. (Then again, hell says the same thing.)
Michael walked in soon after.
"Scotch and soda please." He told the bartender/angel as he took the stool besides Gabriel.
"Funny business with that demon eh?" Michael said mocking Uriel and Raphael's accents. He often did it, but it was usually out of love. And besides Michael didn't want to admit that when he had spent a few years in Canada, it had sort of stuck.
"Yes. It was odd behavior wasn't it."
"Usually Demons don't help us."
"No, they don't."
"Usually they don't come to us on their own accord."
"No they don't."
"Usually they don't fall in love with Angels."
"No, they don't."
"Usually they don't change from monster to, less-monster, with the touch of an Angel."
"No, not usually."
"And usually, an Angel and Demon do not wear matching rings on their ring finger."
"Quite an unusual demon we have isn't he?"
"Spill it Gabe."
"Spill what?"
"I don't know, whatever it is that you haven't been telling me."
Gabriel looked around at the bar. Some angels were alone, looking somewhat desolately at their glasses; others were laughing and joking around with their friends. Some were hitting on the other angels both male and female shaped.
"It's to public to tell you here, let's take a winged-stroll," Gabriel said before downing the last of his drink.
Michael smiled and did the same.
They walked outside and spread their wings letting them fill up on a cool breeze that swept through the streets.
"You see Michael; the story goes like this…" Gabriel said once they were among the clouds and last few stars.
The Metatron arose from his position in the watchtower. From there he had full watch of everything. Every human, every angel, every cherub, seraphim, archangel, saint, soul, martyr, everyone. But not all at once. No, that was God's job. The Metatron simply popped in and spoke to the beings he watched whenever God commanded it.
A cherub fluttered up to his post.
"Sir, I have a message for you from the Seraphim Council." The cherub said before handing The Metatron a folded paper with a red seal. On the seal was a stamp composed of two wings side by side that looked like wings from the top half, but like flames on the bottom half, it was the seal of the head Seraphim.
The cherub had long since flown away. The Metatron ripped the seal and read.
'Our demon has decided to confess his crimes. We are having an emergency session to dispose of him. Please attend to witness. We've sent word to the other Archangels, we expect you at our meeting hall within the hour.
Her Honorable, Saraphina Head of the Seraphim'
The Metatron sighed. He looked over at the pile of requests from God sitting on his table. He'd been gone too long searching for the demon and Aziraphale and now, his work had piled up. But he supposed it wouldn't hurt to leave for a few more hours.
Gabriel and Michael sat atop the clock tower. One of the Angels had been present in England during the construction of big ben, and had become absolutely fascinated by time and time keeping. So God had let him build a working model of it and assigned him to take care of it. God was a rather nice fellow, who loved His children. Whatever hobbies they enjoyed He made sure to encourage them. He hadn't always been that way, but after Jesus, He had, well, changed, for the better everyone supposed.
"I knew it. I guess I've sort of known for a while. But the whole ordeal in Raphael's apartment sort of cemented it in for me I guess."
"Yeah."
"I mean, you have to be an idiot not to see how much Crowley loves Aziraphale."
"Yup."
"We have to help them escape." Michael said after a short pause.
"You're willing to suffer God's punishment for them? They broke so many rules and disobeyed God, who knows how many time. You sure you want to land in the middle of all that?"
"The only rules I see broken, are pointless social conventions and paradigms we have of the world. Nothing more. They simply chose not to follow our society's way of functioning. They never did anything for any reason other than love."
"Exactly. Let's go find them." Gabriel said before standing precariously on the ledge.
"Do you see that cherub?" Michael said standing rather unsteadily.
"No, you've had too much to drink." Gabriel said squinting to stop the heavens from spinning.
"The one right there, coming towards us?" Michael said pointing.
"Oh, oh, yeah. I think he has a message." Gabriel said as he sobered up.
The cherub flitted on the ledge trying to gain balance. Gabriel grabbed him by the arm to steady him.
"Thank you Gabriel."
"You're welcome. What is it?"
"I have a message for you and Michael." The cherub said as it pulled out two cream colored envelopes, each with the official Seraphim seal, out of his messenger bag.
"Why thank you."
"Of course." The cherub said before flying away.
The Archangels opened their letters simultaneously, eyes flickering across the words.
'Our demon has decided to confess his crimes. We are having an emergency session to dispose of him. Please attend to witness. We've sent word to the other Archangels, we expect you at our meeting hall within the hour.
Her Honorable, Saraphina Head of the Seraphim'
Gabriel looked up at Michael.
"He's confessing? What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing good. We need to go right now. Maybe we can catch them before they leave the jail."
They spread their wings and flew off in the direction of the jail.
Crowley sat in a cage, alone in the middle of a big, deep burgundy room. Raphael and Uriel sat off to the side in their designated chairs. They were rather fancy chairs that were gilded and shaped almost like lions. They looked rather nervous sitting there.
In truth Crowley was nervous as well. Sure he sat in the nice chair they'd provided him as smugly as he could, trying to act like a jerk (which for him wasn't too hard, he'd been pretending for years), but in truth his useless heart was pounding, and adrenaline rushed hopelessly through his veins, preparing him for a flight that would never have its chance and a fight he'd never take.
He took deep steadying unneeded breaths, but found they only made him more nervous. Slowly, other Angels filled the room, each peering at him as they took their seats or greeting friends they hadn't seen for a while. Crowley hated it, all. He didn't want them to stare at him like that, he didn't want them to see his eyes showing a mix of fear and nervousness and stubbornness.
'Besides' he reasoned with himself as he miracled a pair of sunglasses 'I promised Aziraphale he could see my eyes, not these guys.'
Gabriel and Michael rushed into the Jail and called out for Crowley and Aziraphale.
"Crowley! Zirah!"
"Aziraphale! Crowley! Where the Devil I mean uh, blazes are you!?"
Aziraphale stirred out of his sleep.
"Michael?" He asked sleepily rubbing his eyes.
"Aziraphale! Where's Crowley?!"
Aziraphale looked around pulling the blanket tightly around him. Wait, he hadn't gone to sleep with that blanket. And his head didn't hurt. Usually when he woke up the next morning after a drinking party with Crowley his head hurt from lying on the ground, but, that's a pillow on the floor isn't it?
'Wait, where is Crowley?' Aziraphale thought. Suddenly, he looked around frantically.
"Where is he Michael!? What did you do to him?!"
"Nothing Aziraphale, he didn't do anything!" Gabriel said holding him back.
"Where is he Gabe? Where's Crowley?" Aziraphale asked anxiously.
"We got this from a messenger cherub a few minutes ago. It says he's confessing. The Seraphim are going to, get rid of him. I'm sorry Aziraphale."
"Confessing to what?!" Aziraphale screamed.
"We have no clue Zirah!"
"We have to go NOW." Aziraphale said spreading his wings.
"Aziraphale we can't stop it." Michael said.
"I can try, surely God wouldn't have let me fall so in love with Crowley and then have him taken a way so forcefully. Please Gabe take me to him."
Aziraphale didn't mention what he'd been thinking of for a while. What if God let him get this far into love with Crowley for a reason? Maybe he was trying to set up a precedent for the other Angels who were having similar thoughts? There was this story of a shepherd that he'd heard a while ago. If a sheep from his herd strayed away too often, then the shepherd would break its legs and then personally heal it. From then on the sheep would never leave its side. Is this what God was trying to do? But then what about Crowley. Didn't Crowley love him?
"Alright Zirah Let's go."
The angels headed towards the meeting house, but knew they'd be arriving late. Aziraphale flew with only the lights below him guiding his path. He sighed, after being on earth for so long, he became used to the little pinpricks of light in the sky. Now, there was simply an empty black canvas waiting for a cloud, or star, or anything. He knew it wouldn't be filled until the next night.
Aziraphale reprimanded himself. He knew he should've never fallen asleep. The last time he did, his Angel had left him. Now, it had happened all over again, and maybe this time, he wouldn't get him back.
Saraphina arrived and sat down. Immediately all talking ceased. She looked around the room and noticed a few chairs were empty. Michael and Gabriel were missing. Presumably late. Aziraphale was also absent. That was not good; he should be here to witness the confession. Perhaps Michael and Gabriel were looking for Aziraphale? It did not matter, everyone else was in attendance, and that was what they needed.
"Let us begin." She said before directing her gaze towards Crowley.
"Alright, now," she said deciding to ignore the sunglasses, "What do you confess to?"
"I attempted Felling your earthly servant." Crowley said shortly.
"Why?"
"To benefit Hell."
"No, why are you confessing?"
"In my attempts to Fell him, I was forced into a marriage with him. Now, demons are only as good as their word down in hell. If I tried to escape the marriage in hell, no doubt they'd send me back, for their amusement. But I'm quite tired of the angel. Six millennia and all that. I'd really rather just die." Crowley said coolly.
Saraphina stared him down. The sunglasses made it difficult to see what he was really thinking. She glanced at Raphael who was gripping the chair in what appeared to be anger, as Uriel tried to calm him.
"Council, let us begin the vote. I have two punishments in mind. Either we allow this demon to go back to earth and let hell deal with him, or we can deal with him here."
"With all due respect Ma'am," Crowley said leaning back in his chair, "If I get sent back to earth, first, I'll fell your little angel, the besssst way I know how" he said looking at her suggestively from over the rim of his glasses, "And then I'll kill myself. Do you really want that?"
Saraphina was taken aback for a brief second but it did not show on her face. She didn't get to her rank by showing emotions, but by her coolness and authoritative nature.
"Council, vote. We begin with the first precinct" Saraphina said, only raising her voice a fraction of a decibel. She was not going to let this worthless bastard see her flinch.
Crowley smirked anyways.
"I suggest Holy Water."
"Second precinct?"
"Holy water."
"Third?"
"Holy water."
"Fourth?"
And so it went for seventy three more precincts.
Only one objected.
Saraphina smiled,
"There we have it Crowley, majority rules."
"Nice knowing you all."
A silver chalice in encrusted with yellow Garnet stones and blue Topaz was brought by a cherub. Saraphina filled it up with a clear liquid from a similar flask, and handed it back to the cherub.
Careful not to spill any, the cherub handed it over to Crowley.
Crowley cockily swirled it in the glass watching as it spun around and around.
"Now is there a preferred method of drinking it? Do I swirl it in my mouth, do I keep it from touching my tongue? Do I down it all at once?"
Saraphina smiled. "Usually our demons aren't so compliant. We tie them to that chair and pour it down their throat. But by all means go ahead and do it however you'd like, create the precedent."
Crowley smiled.
'CROWLEY.'
Crowley ignored the voice as he brought the chalice up of the platter.
'CROWLEY! YOU TOUCH THAT AND YOU WILL BE PUNISHED.'
Crowley felt the cool metal against his lips.
'CROWLEY STOP IT NOW, I HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER YOU, DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND? WITH YOU BY MY SIDE, AS POWERFUL AS YOU ARE, WE COULD TAKE THE WORLD. I AM OFFERING YOU THE WORLD HERE CROWLEY! THE WHOLE WORLD FOR YOU TO HAVE, AND CONTROL.'
Crowley paused before tipping the cup. The angels all tensed
'YES CROWLEY, YES, YOU AREN'T EVEN BEING HELD DOWN, ESCAPE NOW.'
Crowley smirked.
'Aziraphale's my world.'
In one swift motion he tipped the chalice back and downed the liquid.
He turned towards the door. This was it. This was the moment where Aziraphale would burst through the door, with Michael and Gabriel and Jesus and God, and then God would save Crowley, and then Aziraphale and he would live happily ever after in a nice sunny little cottage with a garden filled with all the flowers Aziraphale loved but never wanted to admit to, and all Crowley's plants that he'd gotten "rid of" and that Cat Crowley had wanted to get, a nice Siamese cat, because they seemed like nice dastardly creatures, and besides, cats indulged in many of the deadly sins.
Crowley's eyes started watering and he began spluttering, his sunglasses fell off after a fit of coughing. Crowley continued watching the door. In any second, his Angel would burst through.
In any second.
In any moment.
In any instant.
Crowley told himself over and over again as the choking and spluttering came on harder and more intense. He fell to his knees heaving but watching the door.
'Please, let me see Aziraphale one last time. The last time wasn't enough time. It wasn't long enough. Please.' Crowley thought.
But if Aziraphale were to burst through the door it'd be just a clichéd ending to a clichéd story. Of course Aziraphale wouldn't reach that door before it was too late, or before Crowley died. And even if he did he wouldn't be bringing God. Crowley wasn't going to be redeemed.
He closed his eyes and snippets and pieces of Aziraphale ran through his mind.
Aziraphale nervously holding the 'broken' Faberge egg.
Aziraphale going on and on about those damn Faberge eggs.
Watching Aziraphale gazing at the stars.
Aziraphale covering himself with his wings after Crowley had upset him.
Aziraphale complaining about Crowley picking him up and carrying him through the threshold.
Watching Aziraphale come into the church in his white suit.
The look of comprehension when Aziraphale realized that Crowley was proposing.
Aziraphale standing stoically amidst the chaos of the day Christ died.
The first small kiss Aziraphale had ever given the demon just before killing him once upon a time.
And of course their First kiss.
And Crowley smiled at the memory of angel wings hitting another pair of angel wings. Wings that weren't dirty with sin and Falling. Wings blue like midnight, and wings white like cream. And Crowley Died smiling.
And that was when Aziraphale burst through the door with Gabriel and Michael, like in every clichéd movie, or book or story ever told. It was too late however.
"Where's Crowley?!" Aziraphale asked hysterically.
"The demon? He's in the cage." Saraphina said.
"Crowley!" Aziraphale said running to it before Saraphina was even able to finish.
Aziraphale opened the cage door.
"Crowley you bastard, what did you do?!" Aziraphale asked kneeling besides the body.
"He didn't love you Aziraphale. It was all just a scheme." Raphael said approaching his brother slowly.
"What are you talking about Raf? Don't lie to me, Crowley loved me, he loved me, he told me, so many times." Aziraphale said sobbing holding the demons head in his lap.
"No, Zirah, honey, no." Uriel said gently kneeling down beside him. "He didn't love you. We were all fooled into thinking he did, but he didn't. He was a tempting, cunning, bastard, and he lied to you."
"No, no, no, shut up, shut up! Crowley wouldn't lie, he loved me, he was my angel, he loved me. Crowley dear, come on now, wake up, wake up dear, tell them they're wrong, tell me they're lying!" Aziraphale said turning his attention to the body before him.
The rest of the council began to feel an odd feeling of guilt at the angel's tears, and started to leave in pairs or alone.
"Please Crowley please, remember what you promised. You said that if I slept, I got to see your eyes remember? I slept tonight, you remember? Come on dear, open your eyes for me, come on Crowley, open your eyes." Aziraphale said sobbing.
"Aziraphale, he lied to you. He never loved you." Saraphina said coming up behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder.
'Well, Angel, think of each star as a reason that I love you. That's a lot of reasons. I hope you aren't vain enough to try counting them all.'
Aziraphale looked out the window, to reassure himself of Crowley's declaration.
The sky was empty.
Aziraphale wouldn't be able to do lots of things for a long while. Like sleep, or eat, or go out at night, or call anyone dear, or let anyone call him angel, or talk to people with lisps, or see the color yellow. Eventually he seemed to get better. It only took a century. Which might have been a clue that everything was not alright? It takes more than a hundred years to forget 6 millennia's worth of memories. He became a model angel though. He would come down with the flu sometimes, which was odd in heaven. It was also the second hint that everything was not alright because the sicknesses always happened at about the same time each year, when certain anniversaries came up. He managed to convince the others that he was fine, even if all he was doing was pushing away memories. Besides, the other angels were playing their part in convincing themselves Aziraphale was fine by only seeing what they wanted to see. He didn't leave heaven in all that time.
After Crowley's death, Aziraphale had been seriously convinced that Crowley had truly lied to him. Everything and everyone told him Crowley hadn't loved him, and so he believed them. Deep down inside, Aziraphale knew they were lying. One day he decided to visit the earth.
He sat beside a gravestone, in a cemetery atop a hill, that he'd been to only once before.
Soon Adam appeared. He'd been granted an immortal body at the age of 97 when he'd tried to kill himself, as a sort of punishment from his father. He now had the body of a 31 year old, but still had the mind of his younger self.
Jesus was with Aziraphale as well, seeing as the Metatron was busy and couldn't watch over Aziraphale in case Adam tried to offer the angel a life in hell. Not that Adam would but, one had to be careful wherever Aziraphale was around.
Aziraphale sat between the two as they all looked at the grave. It only had two words 'My Angel'. As twilight began to approach Adam spoke up.
"You haven't been down here on earth since… well, for a few decades. Why now?" Adam asked.
"He realized something." Jesus said turning to the Antichrist.
"I knew that, I was wondering what he realized." Adam said gently.
"He realized something Father and I have always known, and something he always knew but just wouldn't admit to."
"Wait. You and Your Father knew?" Adam asked.
Jesus gave a kind smile.
"Of course."
"Right, sometimes I forget I'm not as powerful as You Guys are."
"So what is it you realized Aziraphale." Jesus said coaxing Aziraphale along.
"God didn't catch us. The Metatron did."
"And?" Jesus asked.
"And the archangels were all on our side. And that the Metatron had seen me with Crowley and thought it was a terrible dire sin that had to be stopped so he started up an expedition to save me, without God's permission."
"And?" Adam asked.
"And that's why God hadn't blessed them before they left, He hadn't known."
"And?" Jesus asked.
"And The Metatron was only acting out of fear for my safety and love for me as one of his brothers."
"And?" Adam and Jesus asked.
"And," Aziraphale said smiling as he looked up at the sky. "Crowley loved me. No matter what everyone said."
Adam and Jesus smiled.
"Too bad the sun's gone down so early huh Adam?"
"I know, it's always been my favourite star."
"It's so nice and warm, and close."
"And no one knows what's at the center of it."
"It could be a whole different world."
"One that may never end."
"In spite of what current theories there are about it."
"You know, I just took a trip to Moscow Jesus."
"Really Adam?"
"Yup, I stayed in an abandoned house that belonged to Alexander Moiseyev. I found this egg there. I wasn't able to open the egg in the little chariot. It seems it requires a key."
"What a coincidence! I found a key in the bouquet of fresh flowers placed here by God knows who. Shall we try it?" Jesus said pulling out a key.
"I don't see why not." Adam said handing over the egg.
"Well, it looks like a note addressed to you Aziraphale." Jesus said.
"Is it? Hmm. What and odd occurrence!"
Aziraphale had long ago ceased to try to attempt to make sense of what the Christ and Antichrist were trying to do.
'Hello A,
I'm sorry I lied, and I'm sorry you suffered, but I had to make sure you understood Crowley's love for you, and your love for him, whether he be angel, demon, or in between. As you can see there is no portal, however, if you were to arrive at a certain nearby declaration of love in the form of a gassy ball of flames, and God knows what else, you'd find a certain demon that has been demoted from his high position of power back to 'vaguely sauntered'. Father, Holy Spirit and I wish you the best.
Signed, J.
P.S. Please tell aforementioned demon I'm sorry he had to spend a week with Death while We sorted everything out. It must've been torture.'
"What an odd note." Adam declared.
Aziraphale stood up and genuinely smiled for the first time in decades.
"Thank you." He said genuflecting for Jesus before getting up and shaking Adam's hand.
Aziraphale looked up and saw the stars. Stars he hadn't seen in a thousand years. Real stars, balls of gases and other sciency elements. Tightly condensed clouds of these things floating around deep in space. Aziraphale flew straight up. He didn't want to stay on earth anymore.
He was flying to the stars. Eventually he got into space, between the two realms, between heaven and earth, and then he flew to the nearest star, the sun.
Because Crowley loved him.
Aziraphale knew it deep down,
Even if at first, he'd truly thought Crowley hated him,
He knew now, beyond any doubt, that Crowley loved him.
Crowley loved him for a million reasons.
For as many reasons as there are stars in the sky.
Should Aziraphale ever forget that,
The stars were there, appearing every night without fail,
Waiting for him to come back down
Away from all the fake ones in heaven,
All the ones that disappear at night and leave the sky dark and empty
Waiting for him, all these years, there on earth.
He was sure that wherever Crowley was right now.
He had been waiting all those years as well.
Crowley was never a patient one.
And damn, would he be angry with Aziraphale when he finally got there.
Author's Note: Sniffle sniffle... The End...