Chapter 15 the angle in me

"Police," two men shout entering the bookshop. "Hands up."

"What's all the racked down here?" Aziraphale calls still half asleep. He watches as the two officers get handcuffs on a person, a human.

"We are the police, are you in any danger, sir,"

"No, I..." Aziraphale blinks, trying to wake himself up more.

"This one was breaking in,"

Aziraphale slides his hand down his face.

"What? A robber was in my store?"

"Yes, a friend of yours called it in, said that she was dangerous."

"What friend?"

"A guy in black," One officer comments.

"He said that she was coming after you. And that we needed to get here fast."

Aziraphale blinks then recognize that it's the women from earlier.

"What are you doing here this late? Um," Aziraphale didn't even get her name, what was he suppose to call her.

"You know her sir," The officer who had Cyntha, by the arm.

"She's a friend of a friends, anyway, I..."

"Sorry Aziraphale I lost my notepad, from our talk earlier and I was trying to."

"Break in you were, and that's a crime ma'am." Second officer, chimes in.

Aziraphale turns the lights on, "Why didn't you just knock,..."

"I...I don't know,"

"Let her go,"

"Are you sure sir?" The officer releases her. Cynyha rubs her wrists.

"Yes, she's no harm to me, like I...I said she was a friend, who just well."

"I'm sorry to wake you up Aziraphale but I really needed that notepad before..."

"No one was going to get it."

"Are you sure, she's who you think she is?" Aziraphale could hear Crowley day inside his head.

"I got this, officers, thanks." Aziraphale waves them off. "Cup of tea,"

"I would love some," Cyntha answers.

"Sorry about wasting everyone's time," Aziraphale once again apologize for someone else's mistake.

Crowley watches as the two officers leave without the girl. He walks up the car, "That's it? You didn't arrest them?"

The owner says that she's a friend, there is nothing else we can do, sir, now have a nice night." and with that, the police car drives off. Crowley shakes his head. "Damn I guess I will have to think of something else." He peers in the window watching the two of them talk. She is one that I will be watching. He once again ducks when he sees the girl staring over at him.

"Is someone else out there?" Aziraphale stands going towards the window.

"No, I just...I came from a bar. You know you get paranoid, thinking you see something." Cyntha continues on.

"The bartender, says not in so many words but that he knows my father."

"what?"

"And this Terry guy, says that you were possibly his lover."

"Wait, me what? Me, I...I am not..."

"So you don't know him?"

Aziraphale was in shocked to learn this about his friend that this could possibly be Crowley's daughter. He didn't give her the location in case that this was payback for what they had done. He really couldn't trust anyone anymore, that was what was scary. Before he could and now he couldn't. He didn't think that his people would have been coming after him but then again...

Crowley slips away into the night.

"Got to be something else that I can do. I still don't..." That's when he hears it. A cry, a cry for help. Soon the smell enters his nose smoke and not normal smoke. Crowley do something. Crowley sticks his tongs out and with a cash is gone off to find the source. He remembers the pain he felt when he almost lost his best friend in a fire and now, someone else might be. "I am coming hold on," Crowley shakes his head, what am I now a good guy?

He hears the screams get louder and it was more than one. In fact Crowley could hear a few and it sounded to him like children. Oh no. Kids in danger was one of his weakness. For the most part he couldn't hurt any child. The smell of the fire was now burning his nose. He turns to face a wooded area. There it was in the woods and burning quickly. He walks to the edge, there sitting huddling in a circle three young scared children crying out. Crowley after noticing the kids not looking his direction walks through the flames. Why am I doing this?

"cause deep down you are a good man," he hears Aziraphale calls. Once again he glances around, seeing nothing but the flames. Why do I always do that? And this time I should have known, Aziraphale can't be that close to fires without burning like these kids. How do I?

Crowley, he hears Aziraphale call again.

Right. He answers, and with that Crowley opens his wings.

that's not...

Angel this one it's me and only me

Flapping his wings, Crowley forces the wind to swirl around, making a gust tunnel. He was trying to pull the fire apart long enough for the kids to run through and it was working. He whistles, making the kids look his direction.

"This way," he yells over the crackling flames. "Cover your faces and run towards my voice. Towards the gust tunnel. Crowley shouts. All of them still afraid to move.

"Come on it's your only hope, to get out of here alive." And with that, they jump up and bolt towards him escaping to safety.

"who?"

"What?"

"Are you?" all three question, still staring at him with wonder in their eyes.

"Angel," Crowley, not wanting to be caught by any other humans, calls flying upwards in the sky. "I need some help I...we can't leave it burning."

Rains, heavy rains begin to pour down putting out the fire, saving what was left of the woods. The kids just stare at Crowley, trying to figure out who what he is. Sirens could be heard in the distance. Flapping his wings more he vanishes.

Cyntha, was watching Aziraphale. He knows something he's not telling me to.

"I think my father, is your best friend!" she shouts, "And you not telling me anything about him. I don't care about your relationship if there is one. I just want to know who my father is, and you..."

"I I..." Stutters,not really able to think of something to say in response.

"What kind of friend does that?" she huffs, grabbing her notepad, slams the door.

"A coward," Aziraphale answers after she leaves him standing there. Aziraphale was about to follow her out when his phone rings again.

"Now what!" Aziraphale hesitates for a second, "It could be Crowley. The officers said someone in black called it in." The phone rings once more before Aziraphale answers in a harsh tone.

"Is this Aziraphale." asks the man on the line.

"Yes, this is he." Now Aziraphale was intrigued, no one calls this late at night unless something has happened, usually not good.

"Your friend's with a Crowley, right?"

"Yes, I mean..."

"And he drives an old Bentley car black." Aziraphale swallows at the info. Was his nightmare coming into play now? Were they going to tell them the rest?

"um..." was all the Aziraphale brain was able to muster out. "Yes,"

"Well I hate to tell you this," a pause, "We found a car tonight. A Bentley, upside down and there was a," another pause,

Don't say it, Aziraphale wanted to say on the phone. It was his nightmare coming true. He just knew it was.

"A body of a man, but no one recognizes him. Your number was in the glove compartment," Aziraphale could hear the man sigh on the line and then continue, "Can you please go to the morgue and well..."

"You want me to make an id..." Aziraphale finishes that the man was going to say.

"Sorry to have to do that but no one around here, how do I say this cares but we need to make sure, the car is in his name but..."

Aziraphale put his hand to his face trying to hold back the tears he knew were about to flood his eyes.

"I...I will be right there."

"Thanks, I tell them to expect you. And I am so sorry, for your loss."

After placing the phone down, Aziraphale went down to his knees balling his eyes out. Was this the last time that he was going to see his friend, laying on a slab. And the last act he did was steal from his friend after he was so nice to help him out. Were, either of them that different than each other? Aziraphale lays on the floor for a few minutes wishing again everything he had that this was not his friend in the car that it was someone else but he knew no one else would be driving Crowley's car, he wasn't even allowed to drive it, till tonight.

Guilt rushes him from taking the book instead of making sure that Crowley was going to stay there in bed and not get back in his car. Did he kill his best friend just cause he wanted the book himself?

To be continued...