A/N: This particular entry exist in the same universe as my fic Ineffable

"Aziraphale!" A strident voice rang through the formless white halls of this particular corner of Heaven, attracting the attention of the industrious cherub, who was just putting the finishing touches on a drawing. "Aziraphale!"

"Over here!" he called in reply, leaning back to admire his work. A moment later, an angel with a curly mop of red hair appeared.

"Ah, there you are! D'you— oh," he paused, taking in the drawing, "How are the people coming along, then?"

"Oh, quite splendidly," Aziraphale replied, pleased that his friend had taken the time to notice, "I think we've just about perfected the design."

"Lovely. Do you have a moment?" There was an urgency in the redheaded angel's voice that took Aziraphale aback, and he turned fully to face him, blinking in surprise.

"Yes, of course."

"Good. Look, I've got this letter here from Luc—" Aziraphale snatched the scroll from the other angel's hand before he could complete his brandishing gesture and thrust it inside his robes.

"Give me that, before anything happens! Come here." He seized his friend's hand and with a blur and a shimmer, they departed the offices of Heaven and rematerialized near the two star-incubating pillars of gas and dust where they often came to talk. The redheaded angel rolled his eyes.

"I really don't think that was necessary. What do you think is going to happen?"

"You know what they've been saying about Lucifer, don't you?" Aziraphale straightened his robes uncomfortably, "How they think he's fomenting discord against the Almighty?"

"Fomenting discord? Really, Aziraphale. And who is they, anyway?"

"You know… they," Aziraphale gestured broadly, "angels. The grapevine, everyone who gossips!" One scarlet brow arched in the cherub's direction.

"Do you gossip?"

"No!" Aziraphale retorted, a little too quickly, "But I listen." The redheaded angel scoffed.

"Just look at the letter!" Hesitantly, Aziraphale pulled the now-crumpled scroll from his robes. He unrolled it, and began to scan its contents. His eyes widened as he read, and he shook his head, curls shaking with affrontery.

"This is.. this is… well, fomenting!" he cried hoarsely, "If anyone finds you with this—" In a moment of impulse, Aziraphale snapped his fingers on the scro and it went up in a puff of flame, the small haze of its ashes drifting off into space. "There," he turned to his friend, forced smile betrayed by brows knitted in concern, "No trail now."

"Aziraphale," the redheaded angel rolled his eyes, but also reached out to grasp the cherub's shoulder, "it's not fomenting, it's just asking questions! We just want to know—"

"We? We? You and Lucifer?"

"Well yeah, Lucifer and the guys and me—" Aziraphale broke away and put a hand to his mouth, chewing on the end of his thumb. "Come on, cherub! All we want to do is ask God some questions, you know, maybe get Her to let us angels be a little more involved in things, help make some policy. It's all for the people anyway, you should be on our side here."

"Your side? What do you mean side?" With one mighty push of his wings, Aziraphale returned to his friend's side, reaching out to clutch his arm with both hands. "There aren't any sides here, unless it's Heaven's side! Aren't we all working toward the same thing? Starmaker," he entreated, "please, please don't get involved with them. I just… I have a bad feeling about all this."

The redheaded angel, startled by this sudden outburst, looked into Aziraphale's wide eyes, their pale blue glittering with the reflected glory of his nebulae, and he softened. Gently he peeled the cherub's hands from his arm, and took them reassuringly in both of his own.

"It'll be alright, Aziraphale. God is Love, remember? What could She possibly do but listen?"