"You broke through," Lucifer hissed.
"I'm sorry?"
"I hadn't taken down the barrier and you broke through. You shouldn't have been able to do that."
"I hardly think that's a priority right now," Aziraphale countered as they led a very dazed Crowley into the bookshop.
Seating themselves, Lucifer miracled a bottle of scotch and poured out three very large glasses. "Here." He planted one in the demon's hand as Aziraphale placed a blanket round his shoulders.
"What did I do?" he kept muttering.
"Crowley. Relax. You did what you were supposed to do," Lucifer assured him. "They were on their way down. You just gave them an encouraging shove, but if you ask me it wasn't enough; you held back."
Crowley looked up at them, his gaze flicking behind his glasses between Lucifer and Aziraphale.
The angel was busying himself, purposefully avoiding any eye contact and Crowley cried inwardly.
He'd really fucked things up this time and now there was no going back. He couldn't change who he was or what he'd done. Taking a large gulp of alcohol he made his decision.
"I gotta go. I'll see you around." With a click of his fingers he disappeared.
"What?! Where did he go?" Lucifer looked round at the angel.
"Crowley runs when things get too hard. I thought we were rather past that phase now. Clearly not," Aziraphale sighed.
"Well where would he go?"
"Home I would think. Although…" the angel crossed to the window and looked down. "That's odd. His car is still here. He never leaves without his car if he can help it." He crossed to his phone and called Crowley's mobile. "That's even more odd. His phone says it's out of service"
Lucifer suddenly cried out as a stabbing pain shot through him, knocking him off his feet.
"Oh my, are you quite alright?" the blonde asked.
Lucifer gulped in some air, regaining his composure. "Bastard," he spat. "I know where he's gone, he's taken my bloody job!"
"Your job?... you don't have a job on Earth do you?" It was a rhetorical question really.
Lucifer raised his eyebrows in answer.
"Oh dear," Aziraphale started wringing his hands. "Why would he do that? He hates it down there! He's not meant for…...what is it you do?"
"I make sure the damned are treated accordingly."
"S….so he would be…"
"In charge of their punishment. Yes."
"Oh heavens." Aziraphale collapsed into a chair, the air leaving his lungs and a cold, sick feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.
"Guess he wasn't done with Gabriel after all. That's quite a hold you have over Crowley."
"Sorry?"
"You haven't worked it out yet have you?"
Aziraphale frowned.
"That display? That was about you. About how they treated you. About how Gabriel treated you. He wanted them to pay the price for hurting you. He was avenging you."
"I don't understand. I never asked him to. I never even told him."
"Exactly. You never told him. But they did, well as good as. He couldn't let them go without them knowing why, knowing what the final straw was."
The angel just blinked at him and Lucifer groaned in frustration.
"So what are you going to do?"
"There's nothing to be done. Crowley has clearly made his decision."
The demon stared at him incredulously for a moment. "Really? That's what you're going with? After everything that's happened in the last 6000 years, this is where you draw the line?"
"I can't keep chasing him," the ethereal whined.
Lucifer sighed. "I suppose the Devil can take a holiday."
Aziraphale stared at him for a moment.
"Well it's pretty pointless me going back down there with nothing to do. I may be Satan but I'm only the Prince of Hell, he's a king. If he wants that job then I have no say."
"He was meant to be you."
"When he'd finished Falling." Lucifer nodded. "Like I said, he fucked up so ended up in Eden. Was all I could do to save him."
"Save him?!"
"Look, it wasn't my fault he Fell. She's got a temper and he asked questions, questioned her plans. When I came out the other side I was good at punishment so ended up with the gig. He was…. soft. The other demons would have killed him."
"Beelzebub said Satan had had plans for him."
"I did. I'd hoped being with humans would strengthen his demonic tendencies, that he'd return to Hell stronger. That he'd take his place as the strongest of the kings, that way I could just deal with the assholes sent to me rather than try and keep Beelzebub and everyone else in line and Crowley would be safe."
"And Armageddon? You seemed pretty….Satanic."
"Look, Armageddon was Her idea not mine. I couldn't care less whose gang is better. I was just pissed off that the brat didn't want to take over."
"He was your back up plan?!"
"Exactly. If he took over Hell I could retire and just torture people for fun."
Aziraphale huffed.
"Oh don't look at me like that. She made me this way. She created Hell especially for us. And I only torture people who deserve it. So what are we going to do to get him back up here?"
"I told you. There's nothing to be done. He's obviously made his choice."
XxXxX
Lucifer gave up on Aziraphale, they just kept going in circles. The angel was clearly very hurt by Crowley's departure so the demon decided to give him some space.
He took over Crowley's flat and enjoyed a bit of a holiday. It wasn't the comfiest or homely of places to stay but it had a good bed and the views were impressive. He'd enjoyed the nightlife in London, especially Soho and the west end and he could see why Crowley settled where he had.
It was a cool, damp night a couple of weeks after Crowley had disappeared and Lucifer was strolling through Covent Garden. His plan had been to let the angel stew for a while and then try to convince him to help bring Crowley back. But the angel had carried on with his life as if nothing had changed, being used to the demon disappearing.
As the rain got heavier, Lucifer grumbled and ducked into a bar. It was a lively Saturday night but not over crowded, the rain seeming to keep people closer to the bars near tube stations and bus stops.
He ordered a drink and slid into a booth, watching the patrons.
A piano filled the room with melody and the customers cheered singing along, getting louder and louder.
Lucifer has heard this song before and smiled as the humans joined in with tha "na na na"'s. He's always wondered who "Jude" was but never bothered to find out.
Soon the whole bar was singing and the demon realised why Crowley and Aziraphale liked them so much. They had so much spirit, finding enjoyment in small, uncomplicated things like singing at the top of their lungs with wild abandon.
Lucifer's smile turned into a full on grin as they cheered loudly and shouted out song titles, rowdy and drunk but all in good humour. He moved to sit at the bar, getting a better view of the piano and almost choked on his drink.
Light glinted off red hair and sunglasses as a next song began, fingers drifting over the keys effortlessly drawing cheers from the drinkers.
Lucifer chuckled. "Couldn't stay away," he muttered, enjoying the music.
Crowley hadn't noticed him, too intent on the piano keys, he didn't look up even at the crowd as they joined in again, swaying in time and drowning his voice out completely.
The prince shook his head and laughed to himself. If only Aziraphale were here to see this.
"It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see
To forget about life for a while
And the piano, it sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?"
With drunken cheers and applause as the song ended, the crowd began to thin. Heading out into the street, presumably to find a club to spend the rest of the night in.
Lucifer watched his fellow demon take a deep breath and play with the piano, pressing seemingly random keys until a melancholy melody came together.
The prince sighed and debated whether he should interrupt. He needed to find a way of getting Crowley back on Earth so he could go back home. He was enjoying his break but it was time to return. He missed the torture, he missed hearing the screams, he missed people being scared of him. Crowley's song was seeping in, spreading it's melancholy through Lucifer and everyone else left at the bar. A few had started waving their lighters, swaying in time. Lucifer took out his phone and started recording, hoping it would be of some use later.
"And this is why my eyes are closed
It's just as well for all I've seen
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows
So I would choose to be with you
That's if the choice were mine to make
But you can make decisions too
And you can have this heart to break."
"Oh for Satan's sake. This is ridiculous," he groaned and rose from his stool, crossing over to Crowley. "Can't you play something a bit more upbeat?"
"Toniiiiiight. I'm gona have myseeelf a reeal good tiiime, I feel aliiiiiiiiiiiive."
"Alright, alright, no need to take the piss."
"What do you want?" Crowley picked up a glass from the piano top and slugged back the alcohol.
"I was just passing. You're back!"
"Just visiting."
"Visiting?"
"Had to make sure.. oh never mind. I'm not staying."
Lucifer smirked. "You were checking up on him, weren't you?"
"Dunno what you're talking about." The redhead reached behind the bar, poured himself another drink and gulped it down.
"So you didn't come back to Earth to make sure your angel is safe?"
"No need. Gabriel is in Hell, Hastur is gone." He shrugged. "And no one else would dare," Crowley hissed Viciously.
"Hey, he's in no danger from me," Lucifer assures, putting his hands up. "I actually quite like his company. You should talk to him. He thinks you ran away from him. Crowley, he broke through my shield to get to you! That shouldn't be possible!"
A sick feeling settled in Crowley's stomach, catapulting him to the door. "Time to go."
"Crowley!" Lucifer started out after him but lost him in the crowd passing the front door. "Dammit."
XxXxX