Disclaimer: I own very little.

A/N: Sorry, but there's not going to be Uriel/Michael in this fic, and there's not going to be a sequel. (There's going to be Michael/somebody in the next chapter, though.) However, I'll soon be starting to work on my fanfic100 challenge about Aziraphale, and that will indeed contain Uriel/Michael... Although I make no promises as of how long is it going to take from me to get to it.

Chapter 23:

Salvaging Souls

When Crowley finally opened his mouth to speak, there was nothing else to be heard. The angels hardly dared to move a finger, they were all so strained to hear his response.

"I have been a demon for six millennia," Crowley said quietly. "Most of what I did during all those years was definitely wrong, with no justification of any kind behind my actions. Even after all this, I'm finding it hard to believe that all that could just be forgiven." He now raised his eyes to his older brother, gold-freckled blue meeting pure blue. "But if it only is possible... Yes, I do want to be forgiven."

Now, an extremely rare smile spread onto Uriel's face. "Then consider yourself forgiven," he said softly, reaching his hand towards his brother. Very hesitantly, Crowley -- Carowiel -- stepped forward and grasped on it, only to be suddenly pulled into a tight embrace. "Carowiel," Uriel murmured into his brother's hair, "it is so good to have you back again... You have no idea how much I missed you!"

For a moment Carowiel was too stunned to act. Then, however, he returned the embrace. "I missed you too, Uriel," he said quietly, a tiny smile on his lips. "I missed you too."

The other angels watched this reunion with various reactions. Michael looked a bit surprised, Aziraphale and Raphael smiled, and Gabriel was wearing his best "awww" expression. (Which was rather good. Gabriel was what one could call a professional awww-er.)

At last Uriel released his brother, still keeping his hands on Carowiel's shoulders. "I blamed myself for it," he said quietly. "I thought that if I'd done something differently, you wouldn't have Fallen..."

"It wasn't your fault, Uriel," replied Carowiel with a weak smile. "I just hang out with the wrong people."

"You could have just stuck to Aziraphale's company," Michael commented, "but then again, I'm one to speak. After all, I was sleeping with the then future Adversary."

Now a brief grin crossed Carowiel's face. "You know, I always did wonder whether you two were more than just friends," he said with a bit of teasing in his voice. "It's nice to finally find out."

Michael rolled his eyes, a hint of smile tugging at his lips. "Well, I can assure you that I'm not sleeping with him anymore," he then said with perfect seriousness in his voice. "I'm glad to have you back, Carowiel -- and you too, Aziraphale. I definitely need people of your skill and power. In fact," he then said, now openly smiling, "I've been thinking that with all this added demonic activity, I have to get a couple of generals down on Earth to keep an eye on the situation. You two wouldn't be interested in that, would you?"

Aziraphale and Carowiel glanced at each other. Then Aziraphale raised an eyebrow in a way he had directly copied from Crowley. "I guessss that might be an acceptable tasssk," he hissed.

"Aziraphale!" exclaimed Gabriel, shocked. Every hint of awww-ness was immediately wiped away from his face. "Don't do that! It feels like you're about to Fall at any moment when you hiss like that!"

"Fine, fine, big brother," Aziraphale said, smirking a bit. "I definitely didn't want to make you feel like that." Grasping his lover's hand and finally pulling him out of Uriel's grasp, he then added, "I'm sure Carowiel will keep me from any evil ways. He definitely knows them well enough -- no offence, love."

"None taken," Carowiel replied mildly. Then he glanced at the archangels. "Well, now that this has been taken care of," he said, "could you now please leave us to our Christmas preparations? They were kind of interrupted by all those angels and demons running about, you see."

Michael grinned. "Go ahead, you two," he said. "I'm sure you have lots of preparing to catch up with, now that there's no more a demon in the house." His expression, however, told that he suspected true Christmas preparations were farthest from Carowiel's mind at the moment.

"We'll come to check on you after Christmas," Gabriel said. "Until then, behave yourselves."

"Oh, I believe we will," Carowiel said, smirking a bit. Then, however, he glanced at Raphael and frowned. "You don't look too good," he stated. "What is wrong with you? And why aren't you in bed?"

"Oh, nothing is wrong," replied Raphael with a weak smile. "And I'm out of bed because I forced Gabriel to take me along, lest I would have come down here all by myself. He apparently didn't want to risk that."

"Apparently you're still as stubborn as I remember when it comes to your own health," the youngest angel commented dryly. "You wanted to help us, didn't you? Well, there's no need to help us anymore. Now go Up There and get some sleep before you collapse."

"Giving orders to archangels now, eh?" asked Raphael with mild amusement. "Very well, I shall do as you say, Carowiel. And you shall go to whatever 'preparations' you had in mind."

"That's a deal," Carowiel said, grinning, and turned around. This time it was he who pulled Aziraphale.

For a moment the four archangels just watched as the two cherubim flew away. Then they glanced at each other. "It looks like being a demon didn't change him at all," commented Gabriel calmly.

"Apparently not," Michael said just as levelly. "Green and silver, Uriel?" he then asked. "How fitting."

"Well, he is my little brother," the darkhaired archangel replied with a hint of pride in his voice. "It is only appropriate for him to carry my colours and not yours. And before you say anything about Aziraphale, Gabriel, you are a messenger, not a warrior like us. And besides, he had your colours when he was young, Michael. Although he maybe doesn't appear to have changed, there must be some difference to the past."

"Indeed." Smirking a bit, Michael then glanced around at the puddles of slime and unidentifiable liquids that had once been demons. "I suppose we should now all head back to Heaven," he said. "Raphael definitely does need sleep, and I need some paperwork to complete, as does Uriel, I suspect."

"Well, yes," Uriel replied. "This is definitely the first time a demon has ever Risen. I suspect it will take quite some work to find a way to put that down to the records." He rolled his eyes and snorted, "Bureaucracy."

"Indeed." Michael smiled a bit. Then, he was away. Seconds later, Uriel was away, too.

Gabriel glanced at his lover. "You up to it, love?" he asked gently with only a hint of worry in his voice.

Raphael smiled a bit, turning to kiss Gabriel. "Definitely," he then murmured against his lover's lips.

A moment later the two stood in their apartment. Raphael almost fell, but Gabriel caught him, collecting the redhead into his arms. "Now, that's it. You're not getting out of the bed before you're well," he said sternly while carrying his lover towards their shared bed. "You shouldn't have even left it at the first place!"

"Oh, shut up," murmured Raphael, then let out a soft sigh as he was lowered onto the bed. Grasping on Gabriel's sleeve, he tugged at it and said, "Stay here. I want to sleep next to you."

Gabriel smiled a bit, then laid himself down next to his lover. "I'll stay," he promised, gently petting Raphael's hair, a slight smile on his lips as his fingers slid over the coppery locks. Smiling in contentment, Raphael shifted a bit, soon drifting into peaceful sleep. Gabriel soon followed him.

Quite some time later, there was the sound of somebody moving under the sheets. A man-shaped form made to leave the bed, but another one reached out a hand, grasping on the first one's arm and tugging at it, clearly indicating that the first form should stay in bed.

"...What about leading the choirs?" asked a voice. Its owner didn't sound too enthusiastic to fulfill the task.

"Nah," replied another voice, sounding even less eager. "Uriel's there, and we told Michael that he sings sometimes. After two millennia, I think we're entitled to a little break from that particular duty."

"I think," the other voice said, "I think you're absolutely right."

There was still some ruffling of sheets, then no more motion. Mere seconds later the only sound in the room was the breathing of two celestial beings, limbs tangled together under the sheets, one's head resting on another's chest.

Both asleep, neither of them heard as outside the choirs of angels soon began to sing.

Next chapter:

Michael meets somebody up on a cloud.