Crowley slammed through the bookshop doors, the angel trotting along behind him. His steps faltered when he saw Lucifer as Aziraphale lounging on the beaten up sofa in the office area.
"Change back. Now," Crowley growled.
"Oh dear, I think he's onto us," Lucifer stage whispered conspiratorially, as he rose and stepped forward, taking Aziraphale's hand.
Aziraphale watched Crowley intently as they switched back.
"What the heaven were you thinking?! He could have been killed!" Crowley snarled.
"Oh come on, he looked like me. They wouldn't have worked it out, they're far too stupid for that," Lucifer countered. "Besides, it got you back up here didn't it?"
Crowley shook his head and headed for the doors.
"Crowley!" Aziraphale called, following him. "Don't go. Please,"
"We've been through thissss."
"For Heaven sake, I'm not a damsel in distress! I am an angel, a principality with a flaming sword. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself!" the angel snapped.
Crowley wheeled round to face him. "Who got himself discorperated with a fucking ethereal phone call!"
Lucifer made himself comfortable in Aziraphale's desk chair and smiled to himself. The chaos that surrounded these two was a lot of fun; it didn't take much to create mischief.
Aziraphale grabbed Crowley's silver scarf to stop him from walking away. "Now listen here, Serpent. That was one misstep and it was almost entirely Shadwell's fault! A great many things have changed since then, I may be an angel but I'm not completely useless!"
"I've never thought you were useless," Crowley told him, his voice almost a whisper.
"I went to Hell for you, three times in fact and I've survived without even a raised eyebrow of suspicion. Yes, Gabriel may be my Achilles heel but I'll deal with him or anyone else that comes, just like I have with everything else that's been thrown at us the last few weeks." He paused as a thought struck him. "Unless you've changed your mind about us. That you feel indebted to me for saving you, and staying in Hell is a convenient compromise rather than feeling obligated to stay with me." His hand slipped off Crowley's scarf, his eyes drifting away as he stepped back.
"Don't be ridiculous," Crowley grumbled.
"I'm not being ridiculous, it's a perfectly reasonable conclusion. When have you ever done anything you didn't want to do? You are a demon."
Crowley frowned. "Anything I didn't want…..? Have you not been paying attention for the last 6000 years? It's ALL been about doing things I didn't want to do! About surviving. I thought you knew me better than that. I thought you actually trusted me," he said sadly.
"It's a little hard to trust you when you keep running away."
"I haven't run away!"
"Well what else do you call it?!"
Crowley's eyes blazed behind his glasses like a pair of glowing embers fresh from a fire. "Keeping you safe," he snarled.
"No one has ever escaped Hell, Crowley. That's a poor excuse."
"It's not about him escaping!" He was grinding his teeth now in frustration. "It's about what he does after the sulphur. When he's declared a demon and he's free to roam. If he retains part of himself he will come for you. I don't know how much clearer I can make it."
"So you're just going to stay down there for centuries, waiting?"
"If that's what it takes to keep you safe."
"And I don't get a say in this?"
"Not this time. I'm sorry, Angel.
Aziraphale shook his head. "You've convinced yourself that this is the right thing to do, yet it makes no sense!"
"Maybe not to you."
"This is ridiculous. You are being ridiculous!"
"I'm being ridiculous? Me? The one who knows what's going through that arsehole's head? Well excuse me for…." he almost said it, in that heated moment he almost confessed. "You know what? Fine." Crowley looked over at Lucifer's amused face. "Don't you dare."
"Dare what?" Lucifer asked with mock innocence. "It's none of my business," he said, raising his hands in a placating gesture.
"Just stay out of it."
The prince raised his eyebrows and smirked causing Crowley to hiss. With a last look at Aziraphale he stalked out the doors and into the dark.
The angel stood staring through the glass onto the street, tramping down the pain in his chest that threatened to overflow.
Lucifer sat silently mulling over his options, watching Aziraphale's ramrod straight stance, but noticing the slight tremor.
"What did he mean?" the angel asked at last, turning to look at him.
"Oh a great many things," Lucifer grinned.
"You know a lot about him."
"I do. Probably not in the same way you do I'm betting."
"What happened when he Fell?"
Lucifer's smile faltered a little. "You already know. He asked too many questions and hung out with the wrong crowd."
"That's not a reason to be banished from Heaven."
"It was in those days," Lucifer told him. "She isn't as wonderful as you think."
"I know that."
"It wasn't his fault. Crowley…. he's…. complicated. Look, I see the lists of the ones who fall, the reasons why they fall, he never did anything that came close. He didn't even really rebel. He's…. he was my friend. He was a good angel, he just had a bit too much free will, free thought."
"You said he had it worse than the rest."
"Don't ask me that."
"Ask what?"
"The question that follows that statement." There was no mirth on his face, the usual twinkle in his eye was missing.
"Why do you and Crowley look so different from the rest? I mean they all have…" Aziraphale fluttered his hands around his head in explanation.
"Oh well, I don't need a familiar when I look like this." His face morphed, making him look like the devil everyone knew, the devil they'd seen at the airbase…. only smaller. "Crowley was his own familiar. He's always wanted to fit in here, hence the glasses. You've never asked him?"
"He's never been one to talk about himself really. And I suppose, until recently, I'd never thought to ask. Not much of a friend I'm afraid," he sighed.
"Oh I don't know. Your lack of questions might have been what he liked. No awkward questions, no reason to talk about himself. You should trust him. He knows what he's doing."
"Oh does he? Does he really? Why are you here?"
"Sorry?"
"Why are you here, fighting his corner?"
"Just call me an old romantic," Lucifer grinned.
A tremor rippled through the shop halting any further discussion.
"What was that?" Lucifer asked, looking around.
"Something's changed," Aziraphale told him, voice breathy and full of concern.
XxXxX
Crowley flopped down at his desk, banging his head on the table multiple times.
He hadn't failed to notice the pain on the angel's face. Pain he'd inflicted, pain that made his heart ache so much he thought he'd pass out. He'd wanted to reach out, to tell Aziraphale everything but his stupidity and the angel's anger stopped him.
A tentative knock on the door roused a tired and beaten sounding "What now?" response as a small demon poked his head through the door.
"S….sorry to bother you, your Highness. It's just…. we thought you'd want to know." Hesitantly they stepped into the office and placed a clipboard on his desk.
Crowley grunted as he picked it up, his eyes scanning over the paper.
Propelled into action, he barged through the door.
XxXxX
The phone on Aziraphale's desk started to ring. Angel and demon looked at it and then each other.
Straightening his shoulders Lucifer gestured to it.
The angel shrugged and allowed the demon to answer. There was a pause, then he placed the handset on the desk and moved away from it.
Black pixels rushed from the speaker and swirled around the room before settling in a pile on the ground and taking shape.
Aziraphale kept back, nervously watching the black mass writhing and rising.
"Fuck that was harder than it should've been," came a familiar rasp.
"Crowley!" Aziraphale was torn between hugging him and telling him to fuck off.
"You alright?" Lucifer asked, eyeing the demon as he righted himself.
"Do I look alright?" Crowley hissed, stumbling to his feet. "Bloody temporal shifts."
The angel had felt it moments ago, time shifting for Crowley so he could catch up.
They're bloody coming. And they're coming for you!" He looked at Aziraphale.
"Who's coming?" Aziraphale asked.
"Your lot. There's a traitor in Hell. Feeding info to heaven….. working for Gabriel."
"Oh my."
"Who's the traitor?" Lucifer demanded.
"He's been dealt with. Aziraphale, you're going to need to protect your books against friendly fire," Crowley told him sweeping his arm in a circle around the room.
"Friendly fire?"
"Look. They're coming to kill you to get back at me. They're not going to play nice, so unless you want your beloved bookshop to be razed to the ground I suggest you do something other than stare at me!"
The urgency in the demon's voice wasn't lost on him and he did as he was told, putting a protection on the building. "Can't I just keep them out?"
"What and never leave? No more cafes, no more Ritz, no more walks in the park."
Aziraphale frowned. "But why come after me? I mean they were sent to Hell…. I mean they Fell! I didn't do that. THEY DID!"
"I told you; to torture me before killing me."
"Sounds like I'm the one in for the torture."
"Satan's sake! You two are a nightmare! You being killed would be torture for him Aziraphale!" Lucifer announced.
Crowley looked from the angel to the demon and back again for a moment, glad he'd remembered his glasses. He could hide, yet again, what he was afraid to say.
The doors burst open, breaking the moment.
Aziraphale, flanked by two demons, turned to look at the intruders.
"Well isn't this cosy?" an angel said. "Should have known you'd find your way here Crowley. Demons are horrible at keeping secrets. Still at least you'll have a front row seat to watch your boyfriend die."
Aziraphale took a deep breath and summoned his sword as Crowley's fingers burst into flame.
"Ready Angel?" Crowley whispered.
"Am I ever?"
Lucifer cracked his knuckles and smiled. "It's been a long time since I've been in a decent fight. This should be fun."
Feathers and flame blurred as the intruders leapt forward, battle cries filling the shop.
Aziraphale didn't have time to count them all, he just swung his sword, vanquishing one of the tainted angels.
Lucifer struck out with his claws, enjoying the hand to hand combat as Crowley shot fire balls round the room, the fire swirling round creating a wall that was impossible for the angels to escape.
Aziraphale stepped back, sparing a glance at the demons at his side. Crowley's face was tense, the fire reflecting in his glasses. Lucifer was… different. He was obviously enjoying himself and then something changed about him that stalled the enemy's advance. He suddenly was red, with horns, his wings transforming from white and fluffy to red leather, more like a bat.
Aziraphale vaguely heard Crowley scream his name over the roar of the fire and was suddenly pinned to the floor, face down, encased in darkness. He tried to fight his way out, the heat cloying, making him feel claustrophobic as he tried not to panic when he couldn't move his sword arm, the battle muted through his prison. All he could think about was whether Crowley was ok.
A ragged breath in his ear prickled fear as the hold on him started to weaken. He managed to flick his wrist enough that the sword came into contact with his captor briefly but the scream that resulted just filled him with more dread.
As light penetrated the surrounding darkness, he saw a demonic looking Lucifer dragging a mass of black feathers from him.
XxXxX