Crowley searched the building up and down but found no sign of a discorporated body. They could always have disposed of it somewhere else, but Crowley's experience with these kinds of things was that if criminals left an obvious crime scene they rarely bothered to hide a body. There was a chance. Especially after last time, who knew how many years or if all it would take Aziraphale to get a new body and return to earth if he was discorprated. But if he was taken, there was still a chance Crowley could find him. Either way the demon would track those men to the ends of the earth.

Something small caught Crowley's attention in the mess. Bending down he swiped a piece of down from the floor. It couldn't be Aziraphale's, this was a rusty brown not an angel's demon rubbed it between in fingers and frowned, it was large for a bird's. An eagle's perhaps? Except there were few of them in such a populated area, much less in old-fashioned bookshops. Looking down the demon realized he was standing on a plastic bag. He moved his foot and shoved it away only a small shirt to fall out. It was a kid's shirt, dark blue covered in tiny rubber ducks. Flipping it over, Crowley examined two long slits cut into the back. Too neat and regular to be accidents. The demon really should have put it together then but he was so tired and worried that Crowley simply couldn't connect the dots between the feather, slits, and child.

Remembering the boy, Crowley's head shot up. He forgot the kid. The boy was there when it happened, he should know what the hell was going on. Grabbing the bag and stuffing the shirt in, Crowley strode down the steps, making sure to nab Aziraphale's severed primary. It could still be reattached with a simple miracle, a lot easier than growing or making a whole new one. As Crowley drove back in a slightly less frenzied state another question popped into his head. If he was taken why didn't his angel simply miracle himself to safety? Sure Aziraphale had been squeamish with such miracles in the past but, this was an emergency for crying out loud! He wouldn't hold back now, would he?

When Crowley got back to the flat, the boy was sitting in the demon's chair with his knees to his chest. He looked like he was fighting sleep with his head nodding down and up again, but he still ran to the door the second it opened. Looking up at Crowley he didn't seem scared of the demon anymore just apprehensive.

"Is he okay?" the kid asked hopefully. The demon was almost taken back, this child was actually worried about Aziraphale.

"He's uh...Aziraphale's gone," for once in his very long life Crowley didn't know what to say. Even so, a look of pure shock flashed upon the small face. Small hands and legs began shaking and his brown eyes grew larger. It looked to Crowley like his young life had been torn apart, Aziraphale must really mean something to him. The poor thing was practically having a meltdown, not like Crowley wasn't considering having one himself. A memory surfaced in the demon's mind, when Warlock was young and his cat ran away his face looked exactly like this boy's did now.

"Hey, hey, hey," the demon whispered crouching down and placing a firm hand on the kid's shoulder. Just enough pressure to get his attention and distract him from his panic. Sure enough the brown eyes locked onto his shades. "It's okay, I'm going to fix this. Now how about you tell me how you know Aziraphale?"

The kid looked like he wanted to respond but wasn't sure if he should.

"Aziraphale wouldn't send you here if he didn't trust me, would he?" Crowley reasoned, "So, how do you know him?"

After thinking it over a moment the boy answered, "He saved me,"

That sounded like Aziraphale, he was always sticking his neck out for other people. Must be an angel thing. Crowley had lost count of how many times he saved the principality from his own good deeds other the centuries.

"From what?"

"Bad people,"

"The ones who attacked the shop," finished Crowley. The kid nodded and looked down at his shoes. It made sense now, Aziraphale must have really pissed those men off when he got in their way. Now they had come back for revenge, wanted to make an example. Not wanting some soft bookshop owner from Soho to muddy their reputation. But still Crowley didn't have a single clue on who was responsible for this.

"Tell me everything about them," Crowley lifted the boy's chin until they were eye to eye again.

"Cain, it was Cain. He found us," said the child. Damn, Cain was obviously an alias, impossible to track by itself. Crowley needed more, something to attach to the name.

"Who's Cain?"

"He was after me, wanted to take me away,"

"Do you know why or at least who he was with?" Crowley tried. He had nothing to go off of except a cryptic name and desperately needed information. A strange expression flashed across the boy's face quickly replaced by a shake of his head. Of course he had no idea.

"Anything at all, I just need to figure out who took him," the demon was practically begging now and the boy could tell. He looked like he wanted to help, but just didn't know how. Suddenly the boy pushed off Crowley's hand and rushed over to the plastic bag left by the door. The demon had brought it with him from Aziraphale's apartment, not sure of what to do with the small clothing. Rummaging through it, the kid pulled a flimsy looking hospital gown from the bottom. It was stained past repair with filth and torn at the bottom, not good enough for anything but the landfill. Even so the boy brought it up to Crowley with a sense of urgency.

"Wha.." the demon looked down confused, taking the thin fabric into his hands. But then his eyes flashed to the upper-right corner of the stained white. At first he thought it was just another stain, but it was far too uniform for that. Looking closer Crowley could see a logo printed right onto the gown, it almost looked a flipped over C with a box in the middle. He didn't recognize the brand but perhaps someone else would. If it was an organization that took his angel there was no easy way they could hide. There was always a money trail with them.

"Brilliant!" the demon jumped up and ruffled the kid's hat. It was just the break he needed, with a little help from a friend he would finally have a real lead. A tentative smile from the boy next to him reminded Crowley of the other problem at hand.

"Come on, I'll take you home to your parents," the child must have been reported missing by now. The sooner he got him home, the sooner he could go find his angel.

"But I don't have any parents," insisted the boy sounding confused. Of course Aziraphale would take in a stray. Damn, Crowley could always ditch him at the police station or something, but he would never hear the end of it. Aziraphale would hold it against him for decades, saying that he was being negligent or something. If he ever came back. Another idea popped into the demon's mind, he was going there anyway.

"Then I guess you'll have to come with me then," Crowley placed the hospital gown back into the plastic bag, moving towards the door. The kid went to follow, he didn't completely trust this man but there wasn't many other options. If Aziraphale trusted him, then he would just have to too.

"I never caught your name," the demon realized stepping into the hall. He was so concentrated on finding answers Crowley never bothered with the basic exchange.

"Barnaby,"

"What kind of name is that?" snorted Crowley. Seriously who named their son Barnaby in the twenty-first century?

"I like it, Aziraphale gave it to me," defended Barnaby. That surprised the demon, even if he didn't have parents now, Barnaby must have at some point. How could he have gone so long without a name that his angel had to give him one? But like most things, Crowley masked his concern with humor.

"Well Bart, I'm not calling you that,"

"But my name's Barnaby!" the boy pouted. He took it back, he didn't like this man at all. Crowley lead the way to the parking lot out front and opened the Bentley's passenger side door dramatically.

"You'll thank me when you're older," the demon smirked.

Thanks everyone for their support. 33 followers, I had no idea this fic was so popular. I honestly started rhis just for something to do this summer. I appreciate you all so much! Anyway, I hope you are enjoying your favorite demon's return(even with the circumstances), I know a lot of you had been asking about it. You all rock! :D

P.S Have a nice lunch break, Aileil!