A/N: Sorry this update took so long. Life, you know?

But anyway in writing this chapter I went back and made a small but incredibly important alteration to chapter 13. I've been thinking about it for a while, since I alluded to this happening off screen rather than wrote it properly, and I'm glad I made that change. I'll keep it bolded for a while for easier identification. Probably not a mandate to go back, but it makes Beelzebub's frustration more understandable imo so it's recommended.

Anyway, enjoy!

The wind had picked up, and the temperature had dropped, as the day wore on. Too stubborn to change locations, they unfurled their outermost wings to create a dome over themselves.

"Zo what now?" Beelzebub asked. "No war to plan for anymore, no reazon to keep tempting zoulz."

Gabriel took a deep breath, thought for a while, and then shrugged. "She clearly wants us back together, so that should be our main priority right now. But I don't know what Her plan is from there. We might never know."
"Wonderful."

"Mm."

After a while of thought, Beelzebub said, "You know… it might be that She juzt doezn't have a purpoze for uz anymore."

"That's ridiculous," he scoffed, "Of course She does."

"She made uz to build the univerze, and that'z been done for a long time. Zo She gave Herzelf 6000 yearz to come up with another job and juzt… didn't. Maybe couldn't." Ze shrugged. "I think it fitz."

Gabriel couldn't say it didn't, necessarily, but he could never agree to something like that.

"And if She couldn't figure out one in all that time, we might never have one again."

"We will."

"Might not."

"She wouldn't do that!" He insisted. "She would never just leave us."

Beelzebub turned zir head, unimpressed. "You know you're talking to a leader of the Fallen, right?"

"I know . That was different. What you're saying now is… it's not Her. We're just dealing with more ineffability. We dealt with it now, and it ended… well, badly. But…" Gabriel choked a bit at the last word.

"But?" Ze pressed when he hesitated for too long.

Gabriel brushed it off, and put on a smile to cement his decision. "Anyway, the more I think about it the more I'm actually glad the war didn't actually happen." He caught zir look and nodded, "No, really. Michael had said I wouldn't be able to do my duty if I got to close. But, given our history… I don't know if I could have done it anyway." His voice had gone small, almost inaudible with the wind that leaked through their feathers. It returned to normal volume with, "But thankfully She has willed-"

"Enough about Her will," Beelzebub sneared.

He faulted. "What?"

"I don't care about what She wants. She led uz on for thouzandzzz of yearz for nothing at all. And now I'm zuppozed to care what She may or may not plan? No." Ze crossed zir arms to shut out more of the cold. "I should have ztopped caring zenturiez ago when She threw me out. Embarazzing how long it took me to wize up."

"That's a horrible-"

"No it'z not. That you can't admit you do or don't want anything zubztantial without begging Her to zupport it iz what'z horrible. I'm shocked you don't pray over your blessed zuitz." Ze turned zir head from him and scowled. "If you have zomething to zay becauze you want to zay it then fine. But don't you dare bring Her into it." Ze slunk back. "And if you can't do that… "

Beelzebub didn't finish. Ze really didn't have to.

Angels didn't… partake.

Any inclination to do so had fallen with the Nephilim and all of those who'd even considered producing one. It was best to just avoid anything that might upset God, because you never knew what slight would be enough to fall for.

So Michael hadn't, though it also didn't necessarily surprise her (if she were honest) that Dagon did "frequently, and very well". It was just something to be expected of demons, Michael had supposed. But that did lead to a terribly embarrassing imbalance when it came time to… well… match skills.

She'd spent time after that researching and gathering supplies, and had a desk drawer ready for the end of the tour. Dagon was set to be completely in awe, Michael was sure, at least until she'd derailed the whole thing with her outrage over the filing system.

Michael now could only sit to the side and watch as Dagon whipped the records department into what they all had to admit was actual shape.

And, somehow, watching her command attention and respect like this, Michael didn't mind the wait.

Uriel propped her feet up on the row in front of her as she reclined deeply into the theater chair. She'd say through four movies so far, and there hadn't been any word. It was also her third bottle of wine. She'd never touched it before, but saw no reason to avoid it now since Aziraphale…

Aziraphale.

She blurrily looked over to the entrance where the late arrival and his demon lover had appeared. The smart thing would be to run, honestly. Nobody had any idea what they were capable of.

It was rather amazing what enough wine could do for you.

"Do you mind?" Uriel asked, loudly. Her eyes were now stubbornly locked back on the screen.

Aziraphale faultered. His mouth twitched into a nervous smile. "Uriel! What a… surprise. I didn't expect an Archangel to be here. Did you, Crowley?" he asked with a bit more force.

Crowley at least had the decency to mutter, "Wasn't looking for one."

Aziraphale's smile stretched more irritably. There was an awful lot to say about Crowley being able to spot Archangels across the globe when he was supposed to be on holiday, but not in the same building when he wasn't. But that'd probably be a conversation best left until later. Much later, once he saw Uriel actually drinking. Wine, no less.

"You're on quite the break."

"No," she said flippantly. "It just doesn't matter anymore."

"What doesn't?"

"Anything. The Plan is dead and gone, nothing's coming up, God won't talk, and Heaven is crawling with demons. And everyone is happy about that. So." She raised the bottle again and took a drink.

"So…" Aziraphale debated the value of running from an annoyed and inebriated Archangel. "What are you going to do?"

"This is the only way She'll talk, so I'm going to sit and watch this human garbage until She explains herself." Her lip curled a bit. "She owes me that much after 6000 years of loyal uselessness."

He smiled and put an arm up to steer Crowley back towards the door. "Well, we'll leave you two alone then. Enjoy yourself?"

Uriel grunted back at him and took another swig as the two rushed off.