Terribly sorry for the delay, bee busy with real life. To make up for my absense, here's a long chapter.

...

The following day was as uneventful as one could get. Aziraphale was still was in his room, going through the book the young girl who ran her bike into his car the night before. Crowley wasn't entirely sure as to why he was being so secretive, but he understood that the angel was just sometimes like that. Sometimes his old habits got in the way. Neither the demon or William had seen him all morning, at the very least until lunch, when Crowley managed to coax Aziraphale from his unending research.

"I just need to cross reference some things with books I have back at the shop." Aziraphale stated between bites of the home made shepherd's pie. "Plus it has been a while since I've seen it, would be nice to check things over and be sure it's fine, all that."

"'f course, angel. Nothing wrong with that. I'll take William into town. Maybe we'll catch a matinee or something. How does that sound?"

William smiled up from his plate, it had been a while since they went to watch a movie. "Sure, sounds great!"

Crowley smiled, not letting it slip about the message he had received that morning from hell; about how Hastur was heading to Megiddo to meet with the 'anti-Christ'. Only problem being is that the boy who heaven and hell thought was the anti-christ, they already knew wasn't as Warlock Dowling, as far as they could tell when they checked on him, did not have a pet dog. He didn't need to worry Aziraphale about any of that. Plus, like he said, old habits often get in the way.

...

Aziraphale could not help but smile at the sight of his shop. He'd had it for so long, just over 200 years, it had been his home for that long. It was comforting in a way, to see all the dust covered tomes, the cobwebs that had developed in his absence. It was nice. Still though, he did not have time to reminisce about the shop. He had work to do, and check on the references mentioned by the prophecies he came across. He was close, and he was certain that his own books will reveal the answer they had been needing.

And he was right. His heart pounded with the answer that became so clear. He had to do something with this information, he had to call Crowley. He pulled out his address book, but before he had a chance to look up the demon's mobile number, the front door to the shop tingled as it opened.

"Oh, uh I'm terribly sorry, but we are closed!"

"Oh we are fully aware that you've kept your shop closed lately, Aziraphale."

Aziraphale's heart skipped a beat at the familiar voice. "Gabriel. What a pleasant surprise!'

The archangel entered the shop followed shortly by another angel, whom Aziraphale didn't recognize at first.

"My question is, why? After so many years of you insisting using this as a base of your operations, it seems almost out of character for you to just leave this sit for so long."

The principality smiled, carefully moving the old news papers on his desk to cover Agnes's book. "Oh, well, you know. The past eleven years I HAD been attempting to raise the anti-christ child to the side of good. Got tied up with all of that, no time to tend to my shop. I had only just got back in town."

"Oh, yes, your little experiment." Gabriel's purple eyes twinkled with a joke Aziraphale most assuredly had not known the punchline to. "That does make sense, especially considering the boy should be on his way to Israel right now, where he shall come in to his powers as we speak."

Aziraphale struggled to keep his smile on his face. How had he not known that bit of information? "Is he now?"

"Yep. Shouldn't be too long now. The horsemen have already been dispatched."

"Horsemen? Who?"

"I don't know, not my department. By the way, you know Sandalphon, right?"

Aziraphale smiled nervously at the other angel. Now he knew why he was familiar. "Yes. Sodom and Gamora. Turning a lot of people into pillars of salt."

The other angel smiled as if it was the most proudest achievement it ever accomplished. The grin sent a chill down Aziraphale's spine.

"In any case, Aziraphale, we just came here to let you know about the horsemen. And see if you wanted to come up to heaven and get ready."

Aziraphale swallowed nervously. "Well, not quite, I do have some things I need to take care of first. But I was wondering, does there really have to be a war?"

"You can't have a war, without war." Sandalphon stated matter-of-factly from the door.

"Sandalphon, that is such a great way to put it. 'You can't have a war without war.' Don't you agree, Aziraphale?"

The principality gave a nervous smile, and nodded. He looked over at where the book of prophecies was sitting on his desk. Suddenly everything started to become clear on what he had to do.

"Well, we will leave you to your little shop. See you soon at the battlefront, Aziraphale."

Aziraphale took a steadying breath. He didn't like deceiving other angels like this, but he had no idea how battle hungry they all were. He looked upwards sadly, and wondered... just what would be the right thing to do? He fiddled with his pocket watch and popped it open to check the time and paused. Yes. He knew what he had to do.

...

Crowley and William were enjoying their afternoon matinee. After he had contacted his human operative, they had found a theater playing a fun little series of clay-mation movies called Saturday Morning Funtime. It was an entertaining cartoon; the demon had always enjoyed cartoons. They gave a chance for humans to tell their stories in an inventive manner. He always loved stories that humans told, regardless of the type of story.

However it would soon be apparent how UNfriendly for children this cartoon would turn out to be, when one of the cartoon characters morphed into the demon Hastur, who after threatening Crowley for screwing up the swap, brutally murdered one of the other cartoon characters.

Without skipping a beat, the demon grabbed Williams hand and they rushed out of the theater, ignoring the confused clamor of the other audience members.

"Who was that, dad?" William struggled to keep up the pace, feeling confused as well as concerned for his dad's sudden change in demeanor.

"Danger. We need to get to my old flat, and fast. There's no time to waste."

Crowley drove through London as fast as possible, in spite of his usual rule of not driving that fast when William was in the car. Sometimes there were exceptions to the rules. They made it to his Mayfair apartment in no time.

As soon as he entered the apartment he made a beeline to one of his more precious items, a framed sketch by none other than Leonardo Da Vinci; the original mock-up of Mona Lisa. Had he had more time, he would have reminisced about how much the artist lamented about not being able to capture the woman's smile in the painting like he did in the sketch. He opened the safe revealing the most important item he had acquired in the past 6000 years. Even the sight of it sent a chill down his spine, mainly because of what it could do to a demon such as himself.

"William, be a dear and grab that flask for me, would you?"

"Sure, dad." William grabbed the tartan print thermos, and then held it out to Crowley, who flinched backwards on instinct.

"Careful, love." The boy tilted his head in confusing, bringing the flask back towards his body. "That there is a very dangerous item for someone like me."

"What is it?"

"Holy water; given to me by your papa, Aziraphale. We're going to use it against whatever is coming for me. Come on."

William helped set up a trap with a red bucket leaning against the open door, it was a bit precarious, but Crowley hoped it would work. There was one last loose end though.

"Listen, we don't have much time. I want you to listen to me carefully William." The boy nodded. "I need you to go into the bathroom and lock the door." An elevator dinged outside the apartment, drawing both of their attention. "Quickly now. No matter what you hear, you must stay in there and stay quiet. Do you understand?"

The boy nodded. "Yes, dad."

"Promise me." His glasses slid slightly down his nose, and William could see that his dad's eyes were fully yellow. The boy nodded.

"I promise."

"Good. Go now." Crowley grabbed the green spray bottle and headed towards his massive desk, sitting on the throne. His heart pounded in his throat. He heard Hastur and Ligur calling his name from the hall.

"In here, people." Crowley watched as the pair of demons made their way in, his jaw clenched. He gave no reaction to how Ligur was destroyed by the holy water trap, or to Hastur's obnoxious screaming. He halfway wished it had landed on both of them, then his problem would be solved. Now he had to deal with one of hell's more vicious demons. He leveled the spray bottle onto him. "Hi."

"Holy water! I can't believe that even a... a demon would... HOLY WATER!? He hadn't done nothing to you!" Hastur was visibly shaking, his terrible white wig slipping off his frog.

"Yet." Crowley sneered as he raised the green plastic plant mister, sloshing it around threateningly. "Go away."

"You don't frighten me."

"Do you know what this is? This is a plant mister, cheapest and most efficient on the market today. It can squirt a fine spray of water into the air. It's filled with holy water. It can turn you into that." Crowley gestured the nozzle to Ligur's remains. "Now. Go. Away."

Hastur eyed the bottle warily. "You're bluffing."

Crowley quirked an eyebrow. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. Ask yourself. Do you feel lucky?" It was all he could do to not add the word 'punk' to his threat. The reference would have gone over the other demon's head, and the last thing he needed to do was make the only other person who would get in the flat laugh.

Hastur grinned as he watched a droplet of water leak from the bottle land on Crowley's finger. He had caught a strange whiff in the air and now realized what it was. He bared his teeth. "Yes, actually I do."

The demon waved his hand causing the bottle to burst in Crowley's hand, and the red-haired demon waved his hand as it stung.

"In fact, you should ask yourself, Crawley, whether YOU feel lucky." Hastur moved fast, bursting into the bathroom and snatching the human child he found in there, bringing it roughly back to the main room. "Didn't take you as one for human pets."

It was all Crowley could do to keep his face neutral. "Eh, well somebody had to handle the holy water. Couldn't just very well walk into a church and take it from a font, could I?"

"So then you wouldn't mind then disposing of it. Why keep it around?"

"Well you lot showed up didn't you. Didn't have the chance to wipe his memories, and send it back to his parents. All that." Crowley's mind raced. He had to think fast, he HAD to get William to safety.

"Why bother, seems his 'parent' is right here."

Crowley's heart froze. He maintained his composure. "What's that mean? There's no other humans here."

"Crowley, hell should have realized just what a terrible liar you are. It smells just like you."

William struggled against Hastur's grip, turning his face away from the demon's foul smelling breath.

Crowley put on his best cavalier attitude. "Well, obviously he smells like me. This is my flat, you'd be hard pressed in finding something in here that doesn't smell like me. 'cept for the obvious." He nodded to the remains of Ligur, which was still smoking.

Hastur did not like the reminder. "Well then you wouldn't mind if I took care of it for you, won't you."

"What?" Crowley's facade slipped as he watched the next moments pass as if in slow motion. He watched in dismay as Hastur waved his hand and in a flash of fire, William vanished. "No, wait!" He stared at the now empty space in shock, the sound of William's voice calling out 'dad!' rang in his ears as he was sent to wherever Hastur sent him. "Where did you send him?"

Hastur grinned menacingly. "Hell of course. Gonna have some fun with him once I get back there."

Crowley's blood ran cold. He was now out of options, and if he didn't do something, the end of the world was going to happen. He had to act fast, think fast. He cleared his throat. "Well congratulations Duke Hastur, you passed the test!"

"Test? What you on about? I have you dead to rights. Having human pets, mucking up the anti-Christ. Hanging with an angel, all that!"

Crowley bared his teeth in a menacing grin. Of course they would know about that. "Yes, all a part of something bigger. Bigger than you and I, as big as Armageddon. We had to be sure that you could be trusted as general in the front lines. I've been in contact with the dark council Hastur. We had to be sure what side you were on, and how you would handle it if something such as a demon consorting with an angel or getting chummy with a human. And you, Duke Hastur, passed with flying colors."

"You've gone mad!"

Crowley chuckled. "I wouldn't expect you to believe me. Why don't we call the Dark Council and you can hear it from them directly."

Crowley pulled out his cellphone and pressed a couple buttons on his dial pad.

"You're calling the Dark Council?"

"Yep. And they say SO LONG SUCKER!" Crowley stuck out his tongue and vanished into his phone, following the line to the number he had dialed. With luck Hastur would follow. And he did. He could hear Hastur shouting at him behind him, he heard the fourth ring and immediately changed direction, too fast for Hastur to catch on time and as soon as he landed back in his flat, he hung up his phone. He looked at the answering machine as he heard Hastur's voice calling for him to let him out, and switched it off. He vaguely wished he had more holy-water to deal with him, but perhaps it would be better not. He might need Hastur alive later. He looked over at the singed ground, his heart squeezing. As tears fought to come out, he made a solemn vow.

"I'll come for you, William. Wherever he sent you, I'll get you back. I promise." But first, there was an apocalypse that needed to be stopped.

(Dont forget to comment! I may not reply buy i appreciate them all the same!)