AN: Hi! Here's the next chapter, as promised. I hope you enjoy it, and I want to thank everyone who's taken the time to read/ review my story. It makes my day!

Chapter Three:

Athaya looked at him hopefully, 'What? What is it?'

Crowley swallowed, 'This might seem like an odd question…but…is your mother dead?'

The girl's expression went blank and she grew very still. 'Why…what does that have to do with anything?'

'Oh…nothing…Doesn't matter.' Crowley inwardly cringed. She was one of Azazel's lot.

'Yes it does. Don't lie to me, I can tell.' She said harshly and walked right up to him. He refused to look at her, instead staring out to the sea.

'When did she die?' He asked quietly.

'When…I was a baby.'

'In a fire?'

Athaya grabbed his arm and pulled him so he faced her. 'How? How did you know that?'

'Because…you're not human. Not completely, anyway.'

'What?' She let go of his arm and took a step back. 'What are you talking about? Of course I'm…' Realisation dawned on her face as her special ability told her what she didn't want to hear. 'No. I'm not.' Once again the clouds cleared to shine light down on her face and Crowley noticed for the first time – now that she was so close – that her eyes were slightly glazed.

Then they cleared.

'No…I'm not human…am I?' She looked at him sadly, but Crowley couldn't quite get over what had just happened.

'Your eyes…they just…'

She shook her head distractedly, 'Yeah. It happens when I feel something.'

Ah. 'You…When you were a baby…a yellow-eyed demon killed your mother and gave you some of his blood.'

Her face went pale. 'When you say 'gave'…'

'I mean…made you drink…yes. You've got demon blood in you, sweetheart.'

Athaya sank to the ground and rested on her heels. She looked like she was about to throw up.

'I don't…feel so great.'

Crowley crouched down next to her. 'Hey. You need to focus and stay with me. If you're one of his lot, then he'll come for you. I don't know when…but he will.'

'Who's he?' Athaya said and looked up at Crowley hopelessly.

'His name…is Azazel.'

'Azazel? He's the one who did this to me?'

'Yes.' Crowley felt like he should show some kind of sympathy, even though it wasn't really in his nature. 'I'm…sorry.'

'No, you're not. Not really. You don't know how to be sorry. You've forgotten.'

Damn this girl was good. He stood up and offered her a hand. 'Alright,' he said as she took it and let herself be lifted up. 'I'm going to make a deal with you.'

'Really?' Athaya said, astonishment in her wide grey eyes.

'Yes.'

'Why?'

'Because if this demon finds you, your life will be truly cocked up. I think you should at least have something good in it, now that you're gonna have this hanging over your head for the next few years. I figure I can at least give you that, at least.'

Hope blossomed across Athaya's features, 'Thank you so much!' Her head darted towards Crowley's own and before he knew what had happened, she had pecked him on the cheek softly. When she pulled back, she was blushing slightly, but he thought it was more flushed with excitement at his agreeing to help.

He laughed softly and nodded. 'There's more than one reason as to why I'm agreeing to help you, by the way. I told you earlier I don't make a habit of working with children.' He held up his hands as though he expected her to protest. 'Yes, I know you're a teenager – an entire sixteen years old – '

'I wasn't going to say anything.' Athaya interrupted quickly and then let him continue.

Crowley raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. 'Anyway, I don't usually do kids because they don't know what they're getting into. They want something, think they'll live forever and hell to the consequences. Literally. But you're different. You actually seem to know what's going on here, and that's more than most people understand. You're unique. I like that. It's good to see. In fact – I reckon you'd make a brilliant demon.'

Athaya's eyes widened slightly and she blinked a few times. 'Er…thanks?' She warily accepted what she felt was a compliment and smiled uncertainly.

'It is a compliment, darling, not an insult.'

'Ah. Then…thank you,' she said sincerely. 'But…there's something else…'

'What do you mean?'

'There's another reason you're going to make a deal with me, isn't there?'

Crowley shook his head in amazement. 'Nothing gets past you, does it?'

'Not lately, no.'

'Well…I'd be lying if I said I didn't want your soul. You seem like an incredibly valuable asset. I could make use of you.'

'You? I thought souls went straight to hell.'

'Well that depends on who you are…and I do seem to recall a certain girl mentioning my ascent to power earlier, yes?'

'Uh…yeah. I did say that. You mean…'

'I mean…if I'm in the position to do so…I'll do my best to make sure you don't end up on the torture rack. Maybe an office job, handling complaints,' he said with a grin.

'They have those?'

'How do you think Lucy keeps everyone in order?'

'Lucy? As in…'

'Lucifer, yes. He's real. As real as you and me, and a bit of a prick, actually.'

'Oh, really? Why does that not surprise me? The devil being a jerk? An everyday occurrence.' Athaya said with a sarcastic shrug of her slim shoulders.

'Quite right. But anyway…that's my promise to you. If I can do it, I'll try to keep you safe.'

'Thanks…but…' Athaya looked up at him with a sly grin, 'How do I know you're telling the truth?' She knew he was, but felt like teasing him.

'Because we're going to write it down as one of the conditions in your deal, of course.' Crowley swiftly pulled a scroll of paper out of his jacket and waved it in front of Athaya's nose good-naturedly.

She grinned and reached out to grab it but the king of the crossroads held it back. 'Uh-uh. Demon handles all the details. Girl gets to sit there and tell him what to write.'

Her smile didn't fade even a little. 'Fine. Do you want to do this here? Or perhaps somewhere you can write?'

'Yes…a table would be preferable.' Crowley looked around as if searching for one and Athaya laughed.

'It's not like one's just going to turn up.' No sooner had she spoken, when Crowley grabbed her arm and they found themselves standing in a completely different room. It appeared to be an office of sorts, with bookshelves lining the walls and a large, beautiful desk in the centre of the room.

'What? What just happened? Where are we?' Athaya stumbled away from him and used the wall for support momentarily before straightening.

'Step into my office, love.' Crowley gestured around and Athaya grinned.

'This is yours? You certainly have nice taste, I'll give you that.'

'Have you seen my suit? Of course I have good taste.' He sat down in the large leather chair behind the desk and indicated that Athaya take a seat in the smaller one opposite him.

'Where are we?' She asked curiously.

'My place, like I said.'

She smiled knowingly, 'Yes, I know that, but where is your place?'

'Ah. Afraid I can't say. A demon's got to keep up some form of mystique.'

'Not even the country?'

'Sorry, darling. Not even that.' He shifted slightly, crossing one leg over the other and scanning over the deal specifics until he came to a spot where he thought it best to make an adjustment.

'So…' Athaya said, glancing around the impressive room before finally letting her eyes rest back on Crowley. 'What changes do we have to make?'

'Only a few, really. I've already gotten rid of anything that could potentially be deemed 'unfair' by you.'

'Oh?' Athaya leant forward to try and read the script upside-down. 'And what exactly have you taken away?'

'Any clauses involving the accidental death of your good self, in which you would ordinarily come to hell immediately. Those are gone. You'll live for however long the allotted time states.'

'And?' Athaya said expectantly, 'What else?'

'Oi. Watch it, cheeky.' He growled with a smile. Crowley had produced a pen and put the lid in between his teeth as he scanned the document. 'Let's see…any involvement or connection to hellhounds whatsoever. That should make you happy.' He spoke around the lid and then scribbled something out.

Athaya smiled in relief. 'Thanks.'

After another minute of writing, Crowley took the pen lid out of his mouth. 'Well…it is only a standard soul deal, so there's not a lot I can change without drawing attention to it…but I can probably do one last thing.'

'What thing?' Athaya said, giving up on reading upside down and pulled her chair around the other side so she could lean over Crowley's left arm and peer at the deed.

'I know we haven't discussed this…but as you know, the standard time for a deal is ten years. After that amount of time has passed, the soul of the client comes directly to hell, one way or another…' Crowley trailed off as he read some fine print and Athaya frowned. They'd discussed the years, if only briefly.

'We talked about it.'

'Yes, but not your set time. We talked about others', but never your specific date with the devil.'

'Oh. I assumed it would just be the standard ten years.' Athaya felt the first prickles of worry travel along her spine. Was he trying to trick her? He was a demon.

She let her senses take over for a moment and lost track of time, space, sounds and her surroundings. When she came back to reality, only a millisecond had passed, but she'd seen enough to know he wasn't tricking her.

'Normally it would be…' Crowley continued, not even noticing his client's momentarily lapse. 'But now that we know Azazel will be coming for you…'

Athaya shivered. Now she finally had a name to put to the horrible darkness that had been plaguing her for her entire life. Always hovering, right above her, but never close enough for her to see. She felt that now she knew its name, it had drifted even closer, and she dreaded the day when the yellow-eyed demon would finally come to call.

'Perhaps…we should make an amendment.' Crowley continued, oblivious to Athaya's dark thoughts. She shook them from her mind and looked at the demon inquisitively.

'What amendment?' There was no accusation in Athaya's voice, only interest.

'When he comes to find you – which he will – your life will never be the same. And most definitely not for the better.'

'What do you suggest I do?'

'Well…first, I would have suggested you figure out how to kill demons, but that would never pan out. No offence, love, but you aren't exactly the toughest looking creature.'

'Thanks.' Athaya sent a tiny glare at him but didn't say anything else. He was trying to help her, even if that meant he insulted her occasionally.

'So…what I can do for you…is make your remaining years adjustable.'

'What do you mean?'

'Unfortunately, I have no idea what he would want with you. All I know is there's a whole bunch of you guys.'

Athaya started, 'Wait. You mean there are other people like me…kids? With demon blood?'

'Exactly. I don't know who, but that's the word at the moment.'

'What would he want us for?'

'I have no idea, darling. If he makes any more of you, though, I'd guess an army.'

'An army? That's…terrifying.' Again, Athaya shivered at the thought of the demon who had her life planned out before him. She would have no say in it. That was for certain.

'Yes. Can you imagine it?' Crowley put the pen down momentarily and looked at her. 'And entire army made out of humans with extraordinary powers. He could destroy the world.'

'Well then, we don't let him.' Athaya said bravely, the defiance clear across her features.

Crowley smiled. 'That's not your immediate problem. We'll get to that chicken when it hatches.'

'Nice idiom,' Athaya said with a smirk, but then she sobered. 'Fine. What's my immediate problem?'

'Your immediate problem…' Crowley said as he picked the pen back up and started scanning the article once again, 'Is that he's going to make you wish you were dead.'

Athaya didn't even bat an eye. 'I get that feeling. And I don't mean in a demon-blood way. I mean he sounds like that kind of person.'

'Trust me. He is. My point is…' Crowley wanted to approach the subject as delicately as possible, and thought he'd been doing quite a good job so far, but Athaya had noticed and interrupted his chain of thought.

'Out with it, Crowley.' She said, slightly worried. 'What's such a horrible idea that you've spent the past five minutes skirting around it?'

Fine. 'Okay.' He put the pen down once again and stared directly into Athaya's eyes. 'I'm thinking we make your deal advantageous to you, so that when Azazel comes for you, your soul comes to hell – and hopefully me – effective immediately.'

Athaya paused for a moment. 'Wait…so you're saying that when…Azazel shows up…you'll just spirit away my soul?'

'That should keep you safe from him, yes.'

'Should?' Athaya said doubtfully. She didn't doubt that he would try to help her, but whether he could was another matter entirely.

'It all depends on how much power I eventually get.' Crowley said reasonably and Athaya nodded.

'Right. Because then you can try to find me.' She stopped and thought for a moment. 'Being king of the crossroads doesn't help?'

'Unfortunately, His Royal Prick-ness Lucifer seems to have it out for demons. Or at least, that's the direction that his mind is turning to. I wouldn't count on him to be obliging in any way.'

'Right. But…I do get the feeling you'll be quite powerful…' Athaya said with a slight frown. 'However…I understand what you're saying. I sign the deal, you give me what I want, then whenever Azazel comes for me – be it five years, ten or even a hundred – then my soul goes straight to hell.'

'Yes. And then I'll find you.'

Athaya smiled kindly. 'Are you sure you can make that promise? I'd understand if you couldn't.'

'Since when do promises matter to a demon?' Crowley asked as he raised an eyebrow.

'Since the demon I'm making a deal with is you. You value promises. I can tell.'

'Right…' Crowley chuckled slightly. 'I keep forgetting you're ESP.'

'Hey,' she flicked him on the arm lightly. 'Be nice.'

'Sorry, darling. That's not one of the conditions on our agreement,' he said with a smirk.

'We can change that. I haven't signed anything yet.'

'Indeed we could…' Crowley grew thoughtful. 'This is an awfully large amount of trouble that you've gone to for this deal here. It better be for something good.'

Athaya's smile only flickered briefly, but as she chose her next words carefully, Crowley's vanished altogether. After a moment, she slowly spoke. 'I…actually…don't know what I'm going to ask for yet.'