A/N: So hello, I have rematch the series and found a wonderful web series on YouTube that inspired me to write this. Please enjoy and don't forget to review.
Temptation comes in pairs
In the beginning, there were two snakes in the garden of Eden, one being Crawley...and the other his twin Averza (Aver-sa). She , like any other twin looked exactly like Crawley except her eyes were a darker amber more like rusting than amber but still just as dangerous. Her snake sigil had moved to form a sort of loose curl on the side of her temple and her hair hung half up tied with a singular black ribbon and half down. Her hair a more muted fiery orange which bled into a dark red. Her skin a touch paler and her clothes being a very stark contrast to her almost white skin. Aziraphale would later admit that she looked more angelic than she did demonic. She sighed as they slithered their way up beside the angel whose face was furrowed in deep concern. She knew what was worrying him, he had just let Adam and Eve go and was fearing divine punishment.
As she watched with mild annoyance as Adam and Eve walked away from the garden...She envied them. Oh how they could just walk away with all that knowledge, all that power and not get more than a slap on the wrist. "Well that went down like a lead balloon" Crawley admitted. Aziraphale's form sagged "Yes quite..." Averza sat, legs dangling over the edge of the wall "What if we did the right thing brother?" Crawley chuckled...an earthy kind of chuckle that rumbled from the stomach "Well we'd be in big trouble then" Aziraphale looked none the less tense as Crawley turned to him "Didn't you have a flaming sword? Yeah I'm sure you did...Great big flaming thing." Averza chuckled "Did you loose it?" Aziraphale blushed and began to stumble with his words "Well...I...erm...no I didn't...I gave it away."
Both demons now chortled at this "You gave it away?" Crawley wiped a tear from his eye. Aziraphale sighed, discouraged by their laughter "She's expecting...and its cold out there." Averza rolled her eyes "Such a precious angel, giving a holy weapon to a pair of outcasts" Aziraphale bit his nail "I do hope I didn't do the wrong thing..." at this Crawley stepped an inch closer, in a somewhat strange comfort to Aziraphale "Oh you are an angel, I don't think you can do the wrong thing." Averza watched as Adam slew the lion that had threatened their existence and a faint but still fresh pang of pain seared its way through her slowly dying heart. Another animal needlessly dead...
Then thunder boomed overhead and she scowled, being reminded of the night she Fell. Aziraphale held his wing out to her but she stayed where she was sat, leaning her head to the heavens and letting the water drip on her face. It may have been the First Rain for Adam and Eve but to the Fallen angel...it was the second. She watched as her brother inched closer to this ethereal being, taking shelter in his wing and as her hands rested beside her body she bit her lip. She was supposed to comfort him not some...unknown angel. Aziraphale caught her eye "I never got to know your name" Averza sighed and looked back up to the sky "...Averza" Aziraphale smiled a little "So what is next for you both?" Averza shrugged, it may have just been the creation of Man...but she had fallen over three years ago along with the rest...there was hardly anything to do.
(Present day – 11 years to Armogeddon)
Aversa sat in her brother's vintage Bentley, clad in a deep crimson tank top that had been bleached to make it look worn and a tired pair of jeans with knee high boots and adorning her face, covering her snake like eyes was a silver pair of sunglasses, an exact likeness to her brothers but a shade or two lighter. Her brother may be for monochrome and black but she liked the softer hues. They had been called upon by Hastur and Ligur in the middle of night to an abandoned churchyard and she felt a pit of uneasiness in her stomach as her brother drove. Although Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody was blaring not a word had been spoken between the two demons. Most the time there was little need as they could both read each other like a book.
As the little dirt pathway opened up and the other two demons came into view she wrinkled her nose. Hastur may have been a Duke of Hell but he stank of something foul and even as a demon herself she had to hold her breath. Hastur and Ligur both proceeded with their evil deeds of the day and she groaned and rested her body against the Bentley. Most of this was outdated crap, tempting priests and corrupting politicians..not that they needed help with being corrupt. She laughed inwardly at her little joke. "Half of London has no cell reception...isn't it just marvellous?" Hastur and Ligur looked unimpressed and gazed at her expectedly. For all those confused it was expected of each demon upon calling a meeting with other demons to make some sort of evil deed in order to show superiority over the other.
Averza, not really keen on the Bentley, reached over and yanked the hood ornament off and swung it into the back seat "I just dared to ruin another demons property." Crowley spluttered in anger and hurt at his sisters actions. The other two smiled, clearly knowing who was victorious. She glanced around the group and that's when she noticed the wicker basket in Hastur's hands. Surely it couldn't be upon them already? Surely. Hastur began explaining how they'd both been picked out for the task of delivering the antichrist to the church ready to swap a child. She knew what this had signalled and she knew that she would hate it.
Now dear reader before you look at this tale a bit confused I will explain why she...and by extension her brother felt this way. You see for the past 6000 years she and Crowley had been on Earth, they'd grown quite accustomed to their life and in general living. She knew, as did most demons that armageddon signalled the Last War, a fight to the death between Heaven and Hell and she didn't want this lovely little planet to die because of this. She watched her brother take the basket tentively, frightened he would break it at any moment. She snapped her fingers and the Bentley's hood ornaments was fixed as she climbed back into the passenger seat and stared in silence at her feet. This was going to be a long night...
Crowley stepped in a moment later and placed the basket on her knee as the other demons sunk back beneath the Earth under the steady beam of the Bentley's headlights. She let out a breath of relief that she hadn't realised she'd been holding and looked towards the basket...both terrified and curious at the same time. Her brother was still, hands clutched on the wheel but not moving...just staring into the abyss that was the start of the end. "We are going to Tadfield...to some nunnery that holds the chattering nuns." Averza nodded wordlessly without really knowing what to say next. After all, what could one say? It wasn't like they could refuse an order. She gripped the hair tie that now held up her messy bun and released her hair from its restraints. The hair flowed like liquid lava down her shoulders and pooled on her chest, reaching just above her mid drift.
"Well then, we best get driving..." Averza noted as she settled the basket between her feet, seeing the hesitation in her brothers amber eyes. The Bentley roared to life and soon they were back on tarmac roads and watching as the wee hours of the morning passed. She rested her slender elbow on the door handle as she looked out into the inky blackness, reminding her of a time before she Fell. She had taken to wearing a darker crimson bikers jacket which was fully leather and had a sort of worn in feel. She rolled down the sleeves and adjusted her sunglasses. She knew that her eyes would betray her if she removed them so she bit her forked tongue and watched the dark fall away as they drove. Soon the busy urban motorways were replaced with country roads and she looked up. As she did she saw a beautiful array of stars twinkling in the inky blackness and as she glanced at her brother she realised he had glanced briefly and his lump bobbing as he swallowed the bile.
Soon the nunnery where the Order of Chattering Nuns were housed came into view and Averza sighed "You go deliver the baby, I'll wait here." Crowley nodded wordlessly and took the basket from her hands as he stalked off into the abbey walls. She sat in silence, watching the entrance with mild worry in her stomach. This was about to start Armageddon and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Soon her brother returned and she looked at him "Well?" he sighed, his shoulders slumping "Its done, we have to warn Aziraphale." She nodded as the car sped off.
Saint James' Park was their meeting place of choice and even though they were in public, they could have a meeting without any interference. To make things a little less inconspicuous Averza sat feeding the ducks whilst Crowley sat waiting on the usual bench for the angel. She was look out for her brother as they knew both sides would be watching them more intensely now. The ducks came closer to Averza, waiting as patiently as possible to be fed. They like Averza, she always had the most delectable bread. Soon Aziraphale arrived and the meeting had begun. It had been this way for several centuries and she knew better than anyone that if they didn't get through to him today...well there would be no more chances. Her brother and Aziraphale soon stood up and left, she knew better than to follow for this was her brothers time to try and twist the angels wings. For the past 6000 years her brother and Aziraphale had been growing closer in both friendship and romantically and she knew what he was going to do.
She sat in relevant peace, although she may have fallen a little over 6000 years ago her creatures, the ones she had created still gravitated towards her. Knowing her presence. Just another painful jolt of remembrance. She didn't want a war...didn't want more pain and suffering. She may have been a demon but this was just cruel. She felt the rain begin to fall as the day grew darker and she shuddered, it was a cold evening and being a snake demon had its disadvantages. She stood and made her way to a bookshop on the corner of a busy London street and readied to knock, as she had for centuries. This was Aziraphale's shop and she knew they would be here by now. Before she could knock a hand landed on her shoulder and it gripped hard. She turned to see Gabriel, an archangel arsehole and Uriel behind him. She grimaced at what was to happen next.
She was soon panting on the floor of Gabriel's office as he had punched her a few times and bruised her face, split her lip and blackened her eye. She kept her head looking at the floor, she didn't want to see his snivelling face. "We'll try again, what were you doing outside the bookshop?" Averza sighed, not really wanting to talk "As I've said, I was looking for a copy of Agnes Nutters Nice and Accurate prophecies...I didn't know it belonged to an Angel." Uriel kicked her square in the nose rupturing her nose and shattering it to a million pieces. A small yelp admitted from Averza but she did not give them the satisfaction of hearing her scream. Gabriel sighed "Open your wings" Averza paled and tried to back away, opening her wings would mean she would have a feather yanked and they would have their trophy. She backed into a wall as Uriel appeared in front of her and Averza hissed in retaliation.
But out of her control her wings came forth from some ethereal plane and protected her from the oncoming attack. Uriel gripped the wing close to the base and dug her unusually long nails into the muscle. Averza cried out, not being able to hold it in, and slumped to the floor. Gabriel waltzed over and knelt eye level with Averza "You ever show your face at the bookshop again...and you will regret ever being created." And with that he yanked hard on the primary flight feather and it came loose with a dribble of blood. "Go ahead Uriel, its been a while since you had a trophy no?" Uriel grinned from ear to ear, a little too pleased with the situation. From where she was stood it was a bit awkward to reach the feathers so she grabbed a handful including the primary feather and yanked sideways completely damaging the blood vessels. An unearthly scream erupted from Averza as she slumped to the floor...whimpering in pain as a huge chunk of her feathers were now missing.
The angels deposited her back in Saint James's Park and left her, unable to be seen by humans and stashed under a bench like trash. She groaned and changed into her snake form, coiling around herself in hopes of keeping warm. In snake form her scales were missing and her soft flesh underneath visible. She looked upto the sky above and groaned, those bastards made demons look like the good guys. Elsewhere in the little shop a little while after Crowley had left Aziraphale was humming a tune of Mozart to himself. Gabriel and Uriel dropped in soundless and coughed to get his attention. Aziraphale turned, paling slightly...had they known? "Oh Gabriel...Uriel, what a surprise. How can I help?" Gabriel looked around and dusted off a book "You'll need to be more careful, we intercepted a demon trying to get into your shop earlier, stupid bitch was trying to trick you I'm sure of it. But you are lucky Uriel and I were here to stop her." Aziraphale paled at these words.
The only two demons to actually know Aziraphale's location was Crowley and Averza and the way they referred to a she meant only one thing. "O...Oh well...erm...yes well thank you, what...did you...erm...do with her? Just so I know I'm safe..." he said, a pained chuckled forced on the end. Gabriel smiled pulling out a large, sleek inky black feather and smiled as Uriel did the same. "We took our trophies and left her in Saint James's. If she bothers you again you come see us, we will put her straight." And with that they both disappeared . Aziraphale began counting to 20, to make sure no one was watching or intended on coming back. He grabbed his coat and rushed out the door, making sure to lock it and hide himself from both angels and demons so none could follow. He ran as quickly as his corporal vessel take him and soon he found her.
He slowed as he neared her and fear etched its way onto his face, she was in snake form which always meant she wanted to be as small as possible. He scooped up the snake and rubbed her head. Her eyes flickered in fear and pain but once she realised who it was she relaxed a little as Aziraphale began the long walk to Crowley's apartment. He felt Averza shiver intensely and he knew it was due to her cold blooded nature as a demon. He opened his jacket and wrapped it around the demon hoping to share what warmth he could. You see angels, despite appearances where actually cold to the touch. After a long and rather tedious walk Aziraphale arrived and knocked rather impatiently on Crowley's door. He heard a drunken response and called out quietly "Crowley its me, this is urgent please..."
The bolt unhooked and door opened Aziraphale stepped inside. He ran to the near by dining table and placed Averza down. She coughed weakly and turned back human...and my did she look worse in this form. Her face was littered with bruises and cuts and hair messy and unkempt. But most shocking of all was her wings, which now splayed out behind her and drooped. The left wing had a huge chunk of feathers missing and two primary feathers missing. Crowley walked over slowly and cautiously. Who had done this? When had they managed to hurt her and most importantly why. Crowley seethed as he stepped closer and Aziraphale began "It was Gabriel and Uriel, she was coming to the bookshop and they found her outside, she lied to them obviously but they have hurt her bad...and well, I'm sorry my dear but I...I should have tried to help." Crowley ran his hand along his sisters forehead realising she was drifting in and out of consciousness.
"S'kay angel, there is nothing you could have done. She will have to stay here until she is fully healed, which could take at least 5 days...you best go before your people notice and get us all in shit." Aziraphale nodded and instantly left the room using his magic. Crowley's anger bubbled over and he turned in a blind rage and hit the solid cement wall. Annoyed that he hadn't realised his sisters pain. Crowley sat next to his sister, wing to wing and back to back as they had done ever since their Fall. It was a comfort to both, having familiar wing pressed against the other. Crowley's anger soon fizzled out and he couldn't help but brush her missing patch. They were always such beautiful feathers regardless of being a demon. He felt Averza's breathing ease and he turned so their faces were mere inches from each other and smiled...his sister was alive and that was all that mattered.
(*Five years Later – Dowling residence*)
Young Master Warlock hold in his hands a huge snake in which he found in the garden. "Please Mumma, can I keep it?" Mrs Dowling sighed, not really sure what to say but one look into the snakes eyes and she begun "Of course Warlock dear, just be careful." And so that day Averza under the guise of the new pet lay in the Vivarium as her brother was introduced to Warlock. He held his hand out to shake the Nanny's hand and begun "Do you like snakes, because I love them." Crowley turned to Averza and chuckled at her unfortunate circumstances "I do love them dear, such majestic creatures aren't they?" Warlock grinned ear to ear pleased that his new Nanny loved snakes. And so the years passed as so with both angelic and demonic influences colliding with the boy. Averza had watched Aziraphale and Crowley for many months but one night, Warlock tip toed to Averza's tank and took her out gently, cradling the important parts of her body. "Nira...I need a friend to talk to." He slumped in bed and looked at the ceiling "Where is my place in this world Nira? Where do I belong? I...I hate that I don't feel right being here." Averza watched his eyes, seeing a wave of emotions crash in them and she coiled around his hand a little in reassurance. "I want to run away, run away from it all..." he stops and sobs as his little body racks with the effort of trying to stay quiet. "...I cant handle it anymore, Nira will you run away with me?" Averza nodded her head and curled around him, hoping to provide what little comfort she could.
Soon Warlock slept soundly, the tears now faded and she stayed beside him. Her brother and Aziraphale may be trying to influence him in either direction but it was nights like these where the true Warlock shined through.
(Monday – 6 days left)
Two demons and an angel sat on a park bench as Warlock and his mother visited it. Crowley who now had his hair short and styled in a messy way sat slouched, Averza had forgone the half up half down look and now had her hair in a tight winding braid that snaked around the back of her head and came up on her shoulder. "We've done all we can..." Crowley muttered as he watched his once young charge scribble something on the information plaque. Averza sighed and removed her glasses and rubbing her eyes, these early morning trips hurt her eyes.
There was no comfort in the morning sun, no relief in the summer breeze. The end of the world was upon these beings and it frightened them that this...despite all odds would be their final moments. Averza sighed, looking out to the lake and she shook a little in pain, she'd hoped to one day see the hallowed halls of Heaven before her death, on last look before eternity in Hell. "What if there was no boy?" the words froze Averza...killing children was definitely not the twins way of working and she knew Aziraphale could never. She stood and walked off, silent and upset. She had grown fond of Warlock, to see him hurt well...it made her blood boil. "Wait up sis!" Crowley shouted as they both caught up to her. She turned her head, angry and coiled to strike "Why are you acting so righteous now? Its not like you haven't killed kids before" Crowley spat "Or are you forgetting Egypt, Alexandria, 1346..." Averza turned, Hell's fury in her eyes "Those were accidents! They were never supposed to happen and if I could take them all back I would...you know what, I'm going home. I'm spending the last few days on my own with a bottle of whisky and some time to atone...goodbye" and with that she was gone.
Crowley groaned into his hand, he had hurt her worse than holy water. Little did he know, that in her little house waited a surprise that not even Averza knew was coming. She opened the door and threw her jacket on the grey chair sighing and rubbing her temple. The air felt different in her apartment, something sweet yet dark brewed and she readied her fists, awaiting an imminent fight. And thats when she was struck from behind, being rendered unconscious.
A/N: And I'm leaving it here for this chapter, so I hope you all enjoyed it and I know it seems a bit weird to add a female Crowley but trust me the Aziraphale x Crowley will still be there. A big chunk of the original TV show will be missed from this due to it not quite being where Averza is but rest assured there will still be content.
