Present Day

The night was still and the air had a certain chill to it. For a common human, a jumper was needed to keep warm but for two nephalems, it was another ordinary night.

Elliot tilted his head up to the night sky. "Too vast if you ask me."

"I did not."

"May I?" he asked, pointing to the telescope. Cassi moved slightly, allowing Elliot the space. The young man looked through and whistled in awe. "I wonder if you can see heaven through this."

Cassi rolled her eyes. "It's not meant for that." She pushed him away and looked through the telescope herself. "I'm feeling back to my normal self. Which means, how are you doing?"

Elliot closed his eyes, inhaled, and exhaled. "Are your pare-"

"Ah!" Cassi jumped up and waved dismissively at him. "No talking about my parents…loving each other at the moment. It's bad enough I can feel it."

Elliot chortled and looked up at the cottage where a light illuminated through an upstairs window. "How does it feel?"

"Hm," Cassi went back to her telescope, "the love between them intensifies when they are…when they are loving each other. It's both beautiful and annoying."

"Have you told them?"

"Gosh, no. My papa would probably discorporate from pure embarrassment while my dad would," she looked up at the sky and shrugged, "think it funny?"

Elliot kept his eyes on the cottage. "Is it nice to love?"

Cassi turned her attention to her guest. "It is. Quite nice, really. Sometimes it can be painful."

"Painful?"

"Love comes easily for me and so, I loved my earthly parents dearly. When they passed, it left me hollow. Left me wishing, only for a moment, I never loved them."

"And your parents?"

Cassi looked up at the cottage. "I adore them as well and I'm glad we found each other but other times," she sighed, "I think of the what ifs. What if we were separated and I never see them. They would be lost without me." She giggled at her last statement. "Was there something you needed?"

"Huh?" He turned to her.

"You texted me, you needed to talk to me about something?"

"Oh, um, yea." He scratched the back of his head. "You said your angel dad mentioned how they don't really know me enough to judge me, heaven I mean. So," he cleared his throat, "I was wondering, what if I take the chance and talk to your parents first?"

Cassi opened her mouth and immediately closed it. She looked up at the cottage and back at Elliot. "Yo-you…you want to meet my parents?"

Elliot shook his head. "Not like that. It's…" he started to pace around, "...listen…"

"Yea?" Cassi asked after Elliot looked as if he had forgotten how to speak.

"We have been researching on our own on how we can, you know, not be dead, and why not ask guidance from the two beings that have been there since the beginning."

Cassi snorted. "My parents didn't even know of our existence until my papa became supreme archangel."

"Exactly."

Cassi shook her head slightly. "Exactly? What do you mean exactly?"

"He has access to heaven's files and therefore he ca-"

"Let me stop you right there. In no capacity will my dad allow him to go back to heaven. Not even to go snoop around and, may I remind you, he is no longer supreme archangel. And I don't believe heaven will let him waltz in after he basically told the Metatron to piss off."

Elliot smirked. "I do enjoy it when you let your horns loose."

"For the last time, I don't have horns. I don't have wings. I don't have extra abilities and I am not going to help you…what is it you said before? Oh, yes, bring the whole institution down." Cassi grunted. "Besides, from what I've gathered, heaven already knows, knew, I'm with my parents and I doubt they will try anything. They might as well leave me alone. I'm not harming anyone."

Elliot moved closer to her, practically breathing into her space. "What? You're joking? You really think heaven is just going to let you be? Have you not been paying attention to me at all? What part of we should not exist do you not comprehend because I can go over it once again! Slow this time, for your innocent angelic side to understand! They hate our free will!"

"Innocent angelic side he says when he bloody has one as well!"

"Well," Crowley appeared behind Elliot, his minacious snake eyes were on full display, "looks like we have a guest." He hissed and in a split second, Crowley had Elliot pinned to the ground. "Don't think I won't fucking destroy you because I've killed worse things than you." Crowley spat as he twisted Elliot's arm.

Aziraphale ran towards Cassi and twirled her around, checking for any injuries. "Are you alright?

"I am. Ugh, Dad, stop." She gently pushed away Aziraphale and tried to pull Crowley off of her guest. "He wasn't hurting me. Get off my friend!

Crowley looked back at Cassi, at Aziraphale, at Elliot and back at Cassi. "What?" He looked back down at Elliot. "What do you mean friend? He's a demon."

"As are you."

"Nephalem." Elliot grunted. "Not a full demon actually."

Crowley looked at Aziraphale for answers and the angel was as confused as he was. "Cassi, I -"

"Dad! Get off him or I'll never talk to you again!"

Crowley growled and removed himself from Elliot. "What the -"

"Fuck, Cassiopeia!" Aziraphale finished Crowley's thought. "Explain, young lady."

Elliot was back on his feet. "I didn't know that one could get mad." He whispered loudly in Cassi's direction.

"Right." Crowley spoke with his arms crossed. "So, you, a stranger, who doesn't seem all that right in the head, want Aziraphale here to go to heaven, look through some files and do what exactly? Risk his life for you?"

Aziraphale patted Crowley's thigh. "Crowley, be nice."

All four had moved their conversation into the living area. Crowley and Aziraphale sat on the sofa while Cassi sat on the armchair to the right, Elliot standing in front of them.

"Angel, I don't think you understand what this bloke wants you to do."

Aziraphale glanced and Cassi and back at Elliot. "Um, it seems, this young fellow wants me to look through heaven's files and find a way uh, stop the war before the second coming?"

"Oh, yes, soundssss simple enough." Crowley hissed.

"It's not just a war." Elliot explained. "It's another war between heaven and hell. A war that will use me and your daughter against each other."

Crowley stood and towered over Elliot. "What makes you think I would let heaven use her as a weapon?"

"Because it's…the Great Plan."

Crowley raised his brow. "The Great Plan? A great plan where they use my daughter as leverage?" He turned back to Aziraphale. "Is that an angel thing because you lot keep thinking all that has happened and will happen is part of a great pustulent, mangled blasted plan!" He turned back to Elliot, noses almost touching. "I don't like you." He growled.

Aziraphale stood and pulled Crowley back by his waist. "Um, why don't we all continue discussing this in a civilized manner? Hm, Crowley?"

"But," Cassi stood, "it is part of a plan."

"Ugh, Cassi, not you too." Whined Crowley.

"I saw it back in Wales, inside Barclodiad y Gawres."

Crowley detached Aziraphale's arm from his waist. "You were in Wales with him?" He walked back, cracked his neck and exhaled. "You lied to us, Cassiopeia?" He placed one arm on his hip. "You went to

Wales alone with a demon! After your father and I have done nothing but try to keep you safe?! What were you thinking!?" He clenched his jaw.

Cassi knew for a fact Crowley was indeed a demon however, since knowing him she had never come across anything that said he was a demon. Not one ounce of him screamed demonic, and yet the man in front of her, sent shivers down her spine. His nostrils flared, his eyes dark, his aura intimidating. "Heaven and hell are wanting you and you're going around, as if nothing, with strange entities? He could have fucking killed you!"

On the other hand, Elliot was a nephalem who was more demon than anything; however, he too cowered under Crowley's presence. "I didn't." He said under his breath.

Crowley whipped his head towards Elliot and before Crowley could do anything to the boy, Aziraphale intervened by placing himself between Crowley and the boy. "Ah, I think it best you leave."

Without looking away, Crowley hissed, "Yes, get the fuck out of my house!"

Elliot scurried to the front door and looked back at Cassi. "I'll ring you later?"

Crowley was ready to pounce and Aziraphale had to physically restrain his demon partner. "Crowley." Aziraphale patted Crowley's chest while his other held the demon's hand and rubbed soothing circles on it. "Cassi, darling, go to your room please. I'll be in shortly."

Cassi obeyed without question, semi afraid of Crowley.

Aziraphale rested his hand on Crowley's neck and stroked his cheek with his thumb. "Something could have happened to her." Crowley choked out.

Aziraphale nodded in agreement. "I know, dearest, and I will talk to her but," he sighed, "we can't keep her locked in here forever. Yes, it's safe here but this is not the life I, we, want for her, is it? It was a temporary solution and well, we can't ignore the actual issue now, can we? She has a mind of her own."

"Of course we can."

"Crowley."

Crowley tilted his head back and looked up at the ceiling. "No. I suppose we can't." He looked back at Aziraphale. "We knew another war between heaven and hell was coming but why does it have to involve our daughter? It's all a mindless game between heaven and hell and, after all these years, we are still stuck in the middle."

Aziraphale smiled at him softly and pulled him in for a hug. Crowley rested his head on Aziraphale's shoulder and wrapped his arms around him as if his life depended on it.

"May I come in?" Aziraphale had found Cassi under her covers and her only reply was lifting the blanket, making room for her angelic father.

Cassi turned to her side, facing Aziraphale. "I'm sorry I did not say anything before, but he did not hurt me."

"And I'm glad for it but Cassi, darling, you can't go running off like that when heaven and hell know of your existence and are relatively searching for you."

"But…I've been managing by myself all these years."

"Erm, I know, darling, but you have us now. Let us take care of you and protect you."

Cassi's eyes roamed around their little cocoon, and sighed. "I take back what I said." She looked Aziraphale in the eye. "Dad is a demon."

The angel chuckled. "Only when he needs to be."

They fell in comfortable silence for a while until, "I think…I think he wanted me to know." Aziraphale raised a brow. "Elliot. More about what I am."

"Oh."

"He told me about Barclodiad y Gawres and I wanted to see what he meant. He showed up in Wales and took me there." She gulped. "There were more like me. A long time ago…before they were destroyed."

Aziraphale nodded slightly, trying to recall if he had heard of a nephalem before. He had been informed angels were mingling around with humans and about the nephilims, but it seemed heaven had sealed anything to do with nephalems. "You said it's part of a plan?"

"There were markings on the wall. It told stories. Elliot was there and opposite was…me. Dad and you were in the markings. You were meant to be together." She licked her lips. "I wasn't a total accident. I was planned just not by you two."

Aziraphale's eyes showed nothing but adoration for his daughter. "Regardless, if you were spontaneous or planned" he gently caressed her cheek, "dad and I are happy we have you."

"Would you…would you be opposed to meeting him? Have a decent talk with him. He's the only other person that understands me. Sometimes there's this pull in me telling me to be good but other times it yells at me to be bad."

"Good always wins I take it?"

Cassi nodded. "It's not his fault his bad wins and he knows more about the war before the second coming."

Aziraphale contemplated for a moment. "Very well but I would have to convince dad. You can ring him and set it up but afterwards, I will be needing your phone."

"What for?"

"Dad said you're grounded."

"But…you can't ground me. I'm an adult."

"Yes, well, technically, technically, compared to your dad and I, and your friend, you are quite young. Almost like, what do humans call them, ah, a teenager."

"How will I show you fanarts of Rhys? I think your favorite artist will be posting a new one this week. You know how they like to draw him…in a certain way."

"Are you," he furrowed his brow, "trying to tempt me?"

"Not at all, papa."

Aziraphale sipped his wine and slouched it in his mouth for a second or two. If his mouth was occupied, there was no way he could possibly be able to talk, could he?

Next to him, Crowley drowned another shot of whisky and winced as the warm liquid went down his throat. Afterwards, fixing his glasses, he went back to his previous position of having one arm behind his chair and staring directly at the nephalem in front of him.

It was the waiter who broke the silence, asking the group if they needed anything. "Perhaps another whiskey." Aziraphale glanced over at Crowley. "So," he cleared his throat, "Elliot, you lived here long?"

"Um, for a year or two." He eyed Crowley. "But I've, um, mostly spent my time in Wales."

Crowley clicked his tongue. "Did you now? Tempting others to follow you into unknown spaces?"

"Dad."

Aziraphale patted Crowley's thigh under the table. "Wales is a lovely place to live. Crowley and I saw it develop into what it is today. Performing miracles and, well, doing what demons do for Crowley's part. Remember, dear, when you tempted that farmer to, um, burn his neighbor's farm down." He drank more of his wine. "Ah, good times." The angel chuckled nervously.

The waiter returned with a shot of whisky and it only took a second for Crowley to drink it. "Tell me, Elliot," Crowley placed emphasis on the t, "your little demonic aura changes with the weather? Certainly feels different than when I first encountered you months ago. You have an off switch, Elliot?"

"It, um," he gulped, "li-like Cassi it, um, reflects on what or who is around me. For instance, at the, um, moment I'm with you guys so there's more uh," he drew a heart in midair, "around at the, er, moment."

"There's what?"

"Love, dad. There is a lot of love between us that it overwhelms him a bit."

Crowley leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "And he can't just say that?"

Aziraphale squeezed Crowley's thigh, trying to make the demon behave. "Oh, how nice to hear." The angel smiled. "Tell us, Elliot, how is it you know about the war before the second coming? We heard of it but not much was said. Heaven focused more on the second coming itself."

"As I mentioned before, I lived in Wales and I would spend most of my time studying the markings inside Barclodiad y Gawr although some parts I still struggle to make sense of. However, it clearly states another war between heaven and hell on earth. That's wh-"

"I'm sorry," Aziraphale interjects, "you said on earth? As in…where we are now? Where," he looked around, "all the people live?"

Elliot exchanged looks with Cassi before nodding.

Aziraphale turned towards Crowley. "But wouldn't that be the same battle we thwarted years ago?" Crowley said nothing as he kept staring at Elliot from across the table.

"Well, um, kind of?" Elliot drank some of his wine for some liquid courage. "You, um, wer-were meant to pre-prevent it? Postponed until um, 'the nephalem, whose eyes mirror the stars, will come in defense of heaven, opposing the one who has walked through earth for millennia.'"

Crowley's chair scraped the floor as he stood enraged. "This has been fun. Angel, Cassi we're leaving."

"Dad, we were going to discuss wha-"

"Nonono," Crowley shook his head and held up a finger, "you don't get to talk. You're still grounded for lying and going away with him." Cassi looked at Aziraphale for help. "Nope, don't…don't look at him, look at me. I let you borrow the car to go visit your parents, you lied to me. You came back as if nothing, you misled me. You pretended you didn't know him, you deceived me." He took off his glasses. "I do not care for any of it." He growled.

Aziraphale stood and tried to calm his lover down. "Crow-"

He shrugged Aziraphale's touch. "You may be my daughter, but I'll be damned, again, if I let you be like me. This little demon phase you are going through stops right now before disappoint me any further."

Cassi stood as well, her eyes turning darker. "Then this will definitely disappoint you, dad," she spat, "I hate you."

Crowley's eyes did not relent from his daughter as she moved through the restaurant and out the door, Elliot following close behind. Aziraphale looked at Crowley but ultimately decided to follow his daughter as well. Meanwhile, everyone at the quaint restaurant was staring at him, though he did not care. "Why can't you," he looked up and whispered, "just leave us alone? All I…I ever did was ask questions."