Chapter 3

Crowley used to not sleep much. He enjoyed sleep and did sleep for an entire century once, but he didn't use to do it every night. Ever since Aziraphale left all he did was sleep and drink. His sleep was usually interrupted with nightmares of Aziraphale. Thankfully this one was pleasant. He was up in the stars again looking at the beautiful nebulas he had helped create. Everything was peaceful for the first time in a few days. He never wanted to leave it.

"Crowley?" Crowley turned around and saw Aziraphale standing there, his wings out stretched. He looked exactly like he did the day he left and left their love shattered in a million pieces along with Crowley's heart. Not that he would ever admit that to Aziraphale. Or admit to even having a heart.

"Can't I ever get any peace from you? It's bad enough you left and now you haunt me in my dreams?" Crowley growled turning away from him.

"Crowley please you have to listen to me! I don't have much time!" Aziraphale begged.

"I'm not helping you with any new Armageddon plan your side has thought of." Crowley warned.

"Crowley please listen! They are torturing me!" Aziraphale cried.

Crowley stopped and turned to face Aziraphale fully.

"What do you mean?"

"Please I don't have much time. I am barely holding this as it is." Aziraphale stated.

As if to prove his point, his form faded in and out for a moment.

"What are you-" Crowley was cut off as Aziraphale started talking again.

"I am in Heaven still, but they are torturing me because I wouldn't wipe out humanity. They have me tied with blessed ropes so I can't escape. I need you to find a way to summon an Angel. You need something personal of mine to make it strong enough. Please hurry." Aziraphale begged his form fading again and his voice sounding miles away.

"How do I know this isn't a trap?" Crowley asked but having a sinking feeling he already knew the answer.

"Crowley please I need you to trust me. I don't know how much longer I can hold on. Please get me out of this Crowley. I want to come home." Aziraphale gasped out with tears in his eyes his form fading more rapidly now.

Before Crowley could respond Aziraphale faded out completely and he was gone.

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Crowley woke on a choking gasp. He sat up in his bed breathing heavily, his chest heaving as he tried to slow his breath.

"No, no, no, no! Aziraphale what have you gotten into now!" he growled to himself.

Trap or not he couldn't take the risk on it not being one. Quickly he went to his books and tore them open looking for ways to summon an angel. The pages of multiple books flew around him in the air as he went through each of them looking for what he needed.

"Come on come on! There has to be something here!"

Finally he came across the page he was looking for. He snatched it out of the air and ran to the front room of his flat. Throwing a hand out the couch suddenly flew against the wall. He miracled a piece of chalk into his hand and started drawing the sigil in the middle of the floor. Once the sigil was finished Crowley snapped his fingers and a bowl of the ingredients he would need to make the sigil work appeared as well as some candles laid around the sigil. He put the bowl inside the sigil and lit the candles.

"You need something personal of mine to make it strong enough."

Aziraphale's words echoed in his head from the dream. Going back to his bedroom he opened a drawer in his dresser and took out a small box taking it back to the front room. Opening the box he took out Aziraphale's angel wing cup and his beloved Oscar Wilde book. When Aziraphale left Crowley swore he wouldn't want anything to remember the Angel by. He eventually changed his mind after the second day and went back to the bookshop. He quickly had gathered the items before Muriel had noticed his presence and left. He hoped they were strong enough for this spell. He placed the items down in the sigil. Stepping out he lit a match.

"Aziraphale hope you're right. Please let this work." Crowley whispered to himself. He threw the match into the bowl. The ingredients lit and there was a whoosh as the magic worked.

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Aziraphale was forced awake by Sandalphon grabbing his hair and yanking his head up.

"Still being stubbron are we?" Sandalphon asked.

Aziraphale didn't answer, just meeting Sandalphon's gaze.

"You know no one's coming to save you. The only way out of this is to obey." Sandalphon taunted as he shoved Aziraphale's head to the side letting go of his hair.

"Never. I would rather rot in Hell." Aziraphale growled.

"That can certainly be arranged but I am having too much fun." Sandalphon grinned.

Sandalphon suddenly had a knife in his hand, but once again was wearing the thick rubber gloves. Aziraphale could feel the evil energy radiating off the blade. It was made by demons. He pulled away as Sandalphon inched closer. The first cut was made on Aziraphale's cheek. It burned like the Hellfire did.

"You know it's funny. You consort with a demon, who claims to be your friend, but yet he has access to all of these things that could hurt you or even kill you." Sandalphon stated as he circled Aziraphale cutting almost where any exposed skin was.

Aziraphale flinched at every cut. Some were small nicks, others deep gashes that would elicit a gasp of pain from the Angel. He tried to keep his composure; he would not give Sandalphon the satisfaction.

"Maybe he is just waiting for the opportunity to catch you off guard and kill you. Oh, what a fool he must think you are, to trust a demon." Sandalphon taunted.

"Crowley would never..."

"How far you have fallen. Guess you forgot that demon's lie." Sandalphon pressed the knife onto the previous burns.

Aziraphale cried out as the heat from the knife caused the Hellfire burns to burn again as if they were fresh burns. What if Sandalphon was right? Crowley was just playing the long game to get what he wanted. An Angel who would not question or try to stop him from doing misdeeds in the world. But then the kiss made no sense. If Crowley truly was playing Aziraphale, why would he kiss so desperately and try to make him stay?

"Maybe we should just cast you into Hell and get it over with. Would certainly move things along finally. I never understood your obsession with humans." Sandalphon scoffed before slashing the knife across Aziraphale's chest.

Aziraphale screamed and his head dropped to his chest as he gasped for breath.

"It will give me great joy to finally have a hand in wiping them out. And I actually hope you are still there to see it, because then I will make my final act of this to have you watch as I kill your precious demon before killing you." Sandalphon threatened as he pulled Aziraphale's head by his hair forcing him to meet his gaze.

Aziraphale looked him in his eyes with all the anger he could muster, but before he could respond he felt a tug on his essence. The tug got stronger and stronger. Smiling then he knew what was happening. His message to Crowley had worked.

"What are you smirking about?"

"What is the line in that dreadful musical you and Gabriel were so fond of? Oh yes. So long, farewell." Aziraphale smiled.

He heard Sandalphon scream as space and time moved around him and he was transported out of Heaven. He landed heavily on a wooden floor, his head spinning and hearing an oh so familiar voice.

"Aziraphale!"

Aziraphale smiled as the darkness in his vision swallowed him. His plan had worked. He was with Crowley and knew he would be safe.