Crowley sat on his throne, deep in thought. He had sent all of his demons away for the time being just so he could have some time to think. He hadn't been able to get his mother off of his mind since he returned home. Normally he could brush off what she said to him like dust on his suit jacket, but these words dug in deep, made him stop and think. He replayed the words over and over again, turning them over in his mind like stones. He had said once before that he had based his entire kingdom on his hatred for his mother. But now her words served to undermine the very foundation of that kingdom. The ground on which he built it was being shaken.
It all came down to belief. If he believed her, he could potentially heal some wounds from his past. If he didn't, nothing would change, but he would always be left wondering what might have been if he had taken the chance. If he believed though, there was always the problem of if he could forgive her of what she'd done. Deep inside, he had always craved her love. Now, he wondered if he could accept it. Could he let go of that hate and anger and let her in?
A demon entered the room. He looked at him with smoking rage.
"GET OUT!" He shouted.
The demon, scared straight, turned and ran away. The door slammed and echoed, accentuating his loneliness.
For a long time he weighed the pros and cons of what he could do in the situation. Hours passed by, and he found himself leaning one way more than the other.
Finally, he made his decision.
Back in her room, Rowena got up from her bed, knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep anytime soon. So she brewed herself a pot of tea and went into the living room to drink it and maybe read a book, trying in vain to not think about the conversation she had with her son.
His words had cut her to the quick, and she felt awful. She had raised him this way. She had only herself to blame for his reaction. For the life of her, she could not fathom why she had not anticipated this and prepared herself accordingly. She should have known he wouldn't believe her. She was ashamed that she had dared to believe any differently.
She tried to read her book, but kept reading the same page over and over again, having not absorbed any of the words. Her tea was gone before she even picked up the book. She was restless, so when she finally threw the book aside, she ended up trying to clean instead, hoping to work out some of her anxiety through scrubbing out her oven or some grime left on some of her dishes.
When she finished, the sun was just rising over the horizon. She threw her sponge and gloves into the sink petulantly. Another new day was dawning with no promise for her, she thought bitterly. she decided to go and take a shower, taking care to wash her hair thoroughly. It always got tangled if she didn't brush it thoroughly enough. She used up all the hot water, but it was worth it. When she got out and finally looked at a clock, it was eight in the morning.
She went out to the living room intending to get her tea cup and book, and stopped when she found her son sitting in a nearby armchair, sipping a cup of tea.
"Fergus? What are you doing here?" She asked, confused. After taking a long sip, Crowley sat his cup on the nearby table.
"I've been thinking about what you said."
Her heart stopped in her chest. "Alright. And?"
"Frankly, when you first told me that, I didn't believe you. You've never given me any reason to believe anything you say."
He paused. She waited, and he took secret pleasure in watching her squirm.
"But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that you couldn't be lying, because you have nothing to gain from it. You weren't in public, no one else was there to hear the conversation, and you weren't under duress. So I had to ask myself why this was all happening now, and did a bit of digging into your mind. It wasn't until I looked inside that I saw what you had been thinking. Frankly, I was shocked. I didn't think you could feel anything at all."
"Ha ha." She deadpanned, crossing her arms. "So then Fergus, tell me, why have you come here?"
Crowley stood up. "I came here to tell you that after a lot of thought... I believe you."
Rowena had no words for the storm of emotions that were overtaking her chest. But before she could speak, Her son spoke first.
"But, just because I believe you does not mean that I trust you. That you'll have to earn."
Rowena stepped forward. "I don't think it will be easy, changing things between us. It will take a lot of hard work and time. But I want to give it a go. So I'm asking you now, Will you give me a chance to try and be a mother for the right reasons instead of selfish ones?"
Crowley stared at her for a long time. With a glance into her thoughts, he saw that the sentiment was true. But the knowledge that he was giving her the power to possibly destroy him was terrifying. He pacified himself with the thought that he could look into her mind at any time to see if her motives had changed. It was absolutely foolproof.
"I will." The words came out hesitantly, a reflection of his inner turmoil. Cautiously, he stepped forward, and held out his hand. His mother smiled, but something about it was different than before. It was softer and kinder. She shook his hand, and sealed their deal.