Aziraphale's soft knocks echoed inside Cassi's room. "Darling girl," the angel spoke through the door, "are you alright?" After a silent moment, Cassi cracked the door open. "Did something happen?"
Cassi smiled politely. "Not at all, papa. I'm…simply tired, that's all."
"Did you get your coffee?"
"N-not really but Nina says hello."
"Oh, that's lovely. We should pay a visit tomorrow morning, the three of us." Cassi nodded. "Goodnight, my darling." Aziraphale kissed his daughter's forehead.
"Goodnight, papa."
Downstairs, Crowley waited patiently on the sofa, his leg shaking with uneasiness. "Angel?" He asked when he saw Aziraphale descend from the staircase. "Everything alright?"
Aziraphale sat opposite him in his armchair and exhaled. "Not quite."
Crowley raised an eyebrow.
"She lied to me just now. Probably best to let her be."
"She lied? Again?"
"Now, Crowley, before you march up there and interrogate her, I hardly believe a little white lie will be damaging."
Crowley scoffed at Aziraphale's accusatory tone. "Ngk, I was not going to…interrogate." Crowley leaned back on the sofa and crossed his arms. "Hmm?" He ran his fingers through his hair. "This whole parenting thing is tougher than I thought. I would see a human deal with their…their teenager and I thought the bloke just needed a quick smack on the head. That'll correct them."
Aziraphale's mouth hung open in disbelief.
"Not…not a hard smack. Always a ti-tiny one." The demon smacked the air. "I mean that's how hell handles the lower demons. That and the dung pits." He sniffed.
The angel raised his hand in front of him; palm facing Crowley. "I hope you are not contemplating on smacking our daughter for whatever reason."
"I would never." Crowley defended himself. "I'm simply saying those were my thoughts on parenting before. You know, a quick smack on the head but now…now I see it's a lot more complicated than that."
"Indeed, it is."
Crowley stood from the sofa, his feet making a loud thud on the floor, and walked towards the front door, retrieving his glasses from one of the tables. "Right, I'm off then."
"Where are you going?"
"I haven't sinned in a while. Might as well do it while we're in the city." He grinned. "I'm in a devilish mood after not being able to finish."
"Don't stay out too late."
"Care to join me?"
"Um, I'd rather not."
"Your loss. Erm, simple temptations and I'll be back." He rushed back towards his lover and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before exiting the shop.
Alone in the shop, Aziraphale looked up to the second floor. "Flashes of love." He whispered.
"This is just the ticket." Aziraphale's happy tone rang. "Fresh air to clear one's mind."
The small family, technically Aziraphale, had decided to take a stroll through St. James' Park. It was nearly noon when Aziraphale made the spontaneous decision to have a family outing. This after witnessing his daughter gazing longingly at the window.
"You know, Cassi, dad and I have had many strolls through this very park and have seen it grow from a barren field to what is it is now." The angel's smile beamed as he took hold of Crowley's arm. "Oh," he breathed in, "the bandstand. How lovely. Is it not lovely, dearest?"
Crowley raised a questionable eyebrow. "I, um…I guess? Did you accidentally consume something? A case of wine perhaps?"
"Oh, shush you." Aziraphale smiled ear to ear. "It's simply lovely to be here. With you, my partner and you, Cassi, my daughter, our daughter. Lovely indeed."
They walked some more and, all throughout, Aziraphale pointed out the loveliness of it all. "Ah, how about lunch? We can go to The Ritz or, if you prefer, somewhere else." He questioned Cassi.
Cassi pointed at herself. "Wha- me? I choose?"
Aziraphale smiled and nodded. Before Cassi could answer, he began walking away. Crowley wrapped his arm around Cassi's shoulder and pulled her close. "You'd been awfully quiet. Are you alright?"
Both red heads started to follow Aziraphale at their own pace. "I am." Cassi exhaled. "Dad, um, may I ask you something?" She looked up at him. "What do you love about papa?"
"What do I love about Aziraphale?" Crowley eyed Aziraphale, who had walked even further away from them, hands behind his back. Crowley laughed lightly. "You'll think this odd but it's the things that infuriate me that make me love him. His openness, his consistency his…his kind heartedness makes me…make me want to leap from the tallest bridge in the world…and yet," he let out a content sigh, "it is what drew me to him in the first place. Especially his innocence of how he sees everything, constantly pondering on what's over the horizon even knowing exactly what's behind it."
Cassi looked up at her dad and snuggled closer. "Love sounds nice."
Crowley kissed his daughter's head. "Meh, only when it's with the right person. Otherwise…what a pitiful thing it can be. Why…why the question?"
"Oh, I was," she waved dismissively, "simply wondering."
—-
"Oh, this one is good." Aziraphale spoon fed Crowley. "There's a hint of mint to it. Can you taste it?"
Cassi had decided on a small dessert cafe where the concept was, well desserts. The popular item on the menu was a dessert tray with different kinds of cake slices, like the ones one gets when cake tasting for weddings. "I rather like this one more." Aziraphale pointed to a lemon slice. "What about you, dearest?"
Crowley enjoyed a pastry or two as much as the next guy but having consumed a large amount of nothing but sweets in the last hour, the demon was positive his human body was going to throw up at any minute. Aziraphale kept spoon feeding him different cakes, and Crowley was not at all keen to say no to his angel. "How is this lunch?"
Cassi was miracled with the lovable traits of her celestial parents, unfortunately for Crowley, he had forgotten Aziraphale's love for food was one of those traits he thought of back in 1941. "Did you try the raspberry one, papa? I think it's better than the lemon."
"Ah." Aziraphale stuck his fork on the mentioned cake and moaned as the sweetness engulfed his taste buds. "My, my, that is delicious." Once again, he spoon fed Crowley.
"How is it, you refuse to eat flavored ice cream, you know, other than vanilla, but are okay with eating this much sweet?" Crowley asked his daughter after swallowing the raspberry bite in his mouth.
"Not at all the same. Cake is cake…ice cream is ice cream."
"She's quite right." Aziraphale agreed. "Two entirely different things, dearest." He got into another cake and tried to spoon feed Crowley.
Crowley winced and gently lowered Aziraphale's hand. "Er, angel, I really can't…not another bite."
Aziraphale drew his puppy dog eyes and pouted.
Crowley exhaled. "Last one." He said defeated as he opened his mouth.
"Lovely." The angel wiped some frosting off Crowley's mouth with his finger, making the demon blush. Though Crowley wore his glasses, he knew they were making eye contact. He noticed Crowley leaned forward and so he mirrored his demon's movements.
Cassi knocked on the table, taking her parents out of their trance.
Crowley cleared his throat. "Right! Where to then?"
"Where to?"
"Are we not having a family day?" Crowley raised his brow.
"Oh, are we?" Aziraphale questioned. "Um, actually, Cassi, darling, would you mind terribly if dad and I have a day to ourselves? I'm sure you would like some time off from us."
"Oh, I, um…don't mind."
Aziraphale smiled at his daughter. "Thank you, darling. We can give you a lift anywhere you want."
Cassi stood. "No, please, you two enjoy. I think I'll take the transit back to the shop. Probably call our neighbor back at South Downs and inquire about Hex's status."
"Be careful of the transit and no miracles." Crowley instructed. "Call when you arrive."
Cassi rolled her eyes and left her parents behind.
"I need a word with you." Aziraphale immediately stated once Cassi was out of sight. "I believe Cassi is experiencing love."
"Wha-how do you mean? Of course, she is…she experiences love every-everyday. Both of you."
"Yes but, I mean love love."
"Love love? What does that even mean?"
"Ugh, yo- I mean, in love. How I love you and you love me." He said a little too excitedly. "Love love?"
Crowley crossed his arms and tried his best to take in what his angel was trying to convey. If he was honest, his mind was simply not catching up, either because it refused or…nope, the demon decided it was not possible for his daughter to experience such feelings. She was relatively too young for any of that nonsense and who would she possibly even have feelings for? The only people she would interact daily with were them and…
Crowley opened his mouth to protest. "Have another bite of the angel's cake." Aziraphale spoon fed him. If the demon was chewing, he was not grumbling.
Crowley wiped his mouth with his palm. "I don't want…stop." He stood. "You…you're wro-wrong." He snaked through the tables, exiting the restaurant.
"Crow- Crowley, wait, please." Aziraphale followed him out.
Crowley's hips slinked at a more exaggerated pace as he tried to get away from the awful words he had heard.
Aziraphale paced behind him. "I-I wanted to clue you in as soon as I noticed but -"
"You're being ridiculous. This is ridiculous. My daughter has no such feelings."
"Our daughter."
Crowley turned around, making Aziraphale bump into him. "Why would," he groaned, "make you think this nonsense? You know what…ugh, no, don't tell me. You-you're clearly letting your angelic whatever persuade your thoughts. It's not…not possssible." He hissed and continued walking. "Just because she was made out of love does not mean she is in love. Nope. Like I said, not possible."
"How…how is it not possible? According to the files from heaven I was reading last night, demons and angels have been fraternizing for millennia. Since the beginning of time. Not to mention you, a demon, fell in love with me, an angel."
He halted and turned. "Tha-thats entirely different and not the point and it is my understanding you," he pointed at Aziraphale, "fell in love with me first. Who's to say angels aren't the ones tempting demons? Hmm?" He walked further until he reached the Bentley. "You guys are not so holy, mind you."
"Why are you so angry?"
"I'm not angry!"
"So, our daughter is in love. Why is that such a horrible idea? Is it because of who her feelings are swaying towards?"
"Stop that! She…Cassi is not having those detestable thoughts…those…those feelings. It's not possible. Ugh, you…you might as well categorize this as the worst conclusion you have come up with."
"Detestable thoughts? Oh, so being in love is detestable?"
Crowley whiplashed back to Aziraphale. "I didn't say that!" He gritted through his teeth.
"Gosh, I didn't know loving me, an angel, was detestable." Aziraphale pursed his lips.
"For the sake of - I'm not…I love you despite the fact you're an angel."
Aziraphale gasped and clenched his jaw. "Do you now?"
Crowley removed his glasses. "Shitshitshit…fuck! No, I didn't mean…fuck me! Angel, no, I don't…fuck! Aziraphale…just get in the car and we can discuss this."
"Oh, I'd rather not. We don't want to risk my angelic whatever, as you put it, getting all over you, especially in a tight space." The angel huffed. "You still have access to your flat, yes?" Aziraphale crossed the street, not one glance back to his partner.
Crowley's phone rang before he could follow Aziraphale across the street. "What!?" He answered without checking who it was."
"Hello, Crowley." Shax's familiar voice rang on the other line.
"Are you following me?" Cassi questioned her left as she walked the streets.
Elliot smirked and appeared fully on her left. "Not necessarily, I too was heading in this direction."
"You were going to my parent's shop?" she teased. "Decided to finally pick up a book?"
"Rather toss it somewhere."
"My papa will definitely smite you if you do. Were you actually going to the bookshop?"
"There are too many people in Soho and unfortunately, you're the only one I know."
Cassi held her laugh. "Should I be flattered or feel sorry for you?"
"Either works for me. I thought you would finally share the heavenly files with me."
Cassi turned to her friend. "Oh, um, I'm not…I'm not sure you're allowed in the bookshop."
"Is your dad there?"
"They're on a date."
"Then there's no harm." Elliot winked.
Cassi blushed and made her way to the shop, the other nephalem following close behind.
Elliot whistled in awe as he looked around the shop. "Is this a bookshop or a house with books in it?"
"My papa's collection is, um, extensive." Cassi closed the door behind her. "Being his daughter, I get to partake in whichever book I please, except the books of magic. Not allowed near any of those."
Elliot browsed around, not really looking at anything in particular. "Lord Byron? Old Georgie. Kind of a strange man if you ask me."
Cassi rolled her eyes and escorted Elliot towards Aziraphale's desk. "You can sit on the sofa while I look for the files. I'm not sure if they left them on the desk or the office. I have to ask, why so eager? I believe they only carry information on us. It's not as if we don't know who we are."
"Did you look through them yourself?"
"Um, not necessarily."
"By all means, there might be more to them."
The door opened as someone walked into the shop. "Cassi, darling, are you here?" Aziraphale closed the door behind him. He made his way towards his daughter's presence and apparently someone else's. "Oh." He smiled. "Elliot, my, what brings you all the way to Soho?"
Elliot shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Cassi, um, mentioned she was visiting, and I invited myself."
Aziraphale nodded and shooed Cassi away from his desk. "Were you offered tea, Elliot? Cassi, how impolite."
Cassi rolled her eyes. "He doesn't drink tea, papa. Only coffee and human tears." Aziraphale gaped in bewilderment. "It's a joke. Um, where's dad?"
Aziraphale sat in his armchair, opposite both Elliot and Cassi on the sofa. "Never mind him. Where you interested in the heavenly files, Elliot? I'm sure Cassi has mentioned them as it seems you two get along quite nicely." Cassi gave her angelic father a "don't embarrass me" stare. Aziraphale ignored his daughter. "Unfortunately, I'm not inclined to show them to you. Not that I mind however, I have yet to read through them all and make sense of them. But I can tell you there is mentioned of your parents if you're interested."
Elliot shook his head. "No need. I don't even remember them, especially my father. My angel mother was destroyed around a year after I was made so there's not much history for me to miss her."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."
"My parents were almost destroyed by heaven and hell. Were you not, papa?"
Aziraphale cleared his throat. "I- I do believe that is not the same, darling."
The door slammed open and shut, making Aziraphale exhale in annoyance.
"Shit." Cassi stated under her breath.
"Angel! I'm not -" Crowley growled as he eyed Elliot sitting next to Cassi. "Hello." He said through gritted teeth. "Aziraphale…a word."
Aziraphale drew air through his nose and smiled at the nephalems in front of him. "Darling, why don't you take your friend to the coffee shop."
Cassi nodded as she and Elliot stood.
Crowley blocked Cassi's path. "Um, no, I need to talk to you as well."
"Go on, darling." Aziraphale encouraged.
Crowley grunted and removed his glasses. "I'm your parent, by my accounts you're still grounded and you will listen to me."
"I'm also her parent." Aziraphale's tone was firm. "Now, move out of her way and notice I am asking you nicely."
Crowley narrowed his eyes towards the angel. "Ar-Are you…are you threatening me?" He clenched his jaw.
"Cassiopeia, please do as I say."
Cassi stood frozen as she had never seen her parents mad at each other. Annoyed with each other, definitely yes, but never angry. Because of her lack of movement, Elliot held Cassi's wrist and led her out of the bookshop.
30 minutes prior
"Let's go over this one more time." Crowley turned around. "Either call on the phone and talk or appear mysteriously."
Shax coughed as if to hide her embarrassment. "Right." She straightened up and gave Crowley what looked like a crudely made gift basket, a bottle of wine, and a bouquet of balloons with one of them reading "congratulations" and another with "it's a girl."
A baffled Crowley reluctantly accepted the gifts although Shax did not give him much choice as she shoved the items into his arms. "Uh, what?"
"Oh, how brilliant, your plan. Our master wishes us to congratulate you on your accomplishment."
"A-a-a-again…wha-what?"
"We will have a medal made for you and the possibility of becoming a duke of hell is imminent."
"What's happening?"
"No one else would have come up with a more brilliant plan. Tempting an angel into a romantic relationship and creating a powerful being. You have been persuading her to be in tune with her demon side, have you?"
"Oh…"
"Our master is pleased and will expect you and your offspring to join us in the upcoming war."
Crowley gifted the items to a random person passing by them. "I gave up being on hell's side some time ago. You know that Shax. Why on earth would I entertain the idea of a war?"
"D-did you not create your offspring for our benefit?"
"No!" Crowley defended. "It, she, was a complete accident…a drunken accident."
Shax looked disgusted. "But in order to create one of those things a demon and an angel have to be-be…even by accident." She threw up in her mouth. "So, you did not create hell's ultimate weapon to use for our benefit?"
"No! I fell in love, Shax. It happens. I did not tempt anyone, it…it just happened. Why would you assume I tempted him to reciprocate my feelings?"
"It sounds like a good plan, from an evil standpoint. Form some sort of friendship, nay bond, make the angel fall in love, make him comfortable with you, comfortable enough to reveal his most intimate secrets, manipulate him into doing whatever you desire."
Crowley scoffed. "No one can manipulate Aziraphale into anything. He is too strong minded."
"Yes, but if you implanted your friendship/bond early on, he could do no wrong in your eyes; would always have a soft spot for you. That's when you make him all yours. Tempt him into doing your bidding, hell's bidding."
"That is the most ri-" Crowley's mind swirled back to Aziraphale's words, especially the ones where he mentioned Cassi being in love. Their daughter was too much like Aziraphale in a way. Too naive and innocent however, she lacked Aziraphale's life experience, experience with dealing with demons, experience of knowing when temptation is being thrown at her. "No!"
Currently
"You have no idea what you're doing." Crowley growled. "Call her back!"
Aziraphale scoffed and walked to his office. "Why? So you can accost her again for the company she keeps?"
Crowley followed Aziraphale into his office and slammed the door behind them. "You don't know what kind of company she keeps. Both of you are…are too…too trusting. The world doesn't work like that. He's a demon."
"Half demon. There's some angel in there."
"I don't give a fuck if he's eighty percent angel, he will still be twenty percent demon and I don't want him near our daughter."
"By your logic, Cassi is bad like all demons."
"Fortunately and unfortunately, she is more like you."
"Oh, right, I forgot, despite the fact I'm an angel." He threw Crowley's words back at him.
"For Satan's sake, Aziraphale, why…look, I apologize for what I said but right now I need Cassi not to go near that boy."
Aziraphale sat down on a nearby chair, pressed his lips, crossed his arms, and looked up at Crowley. "Why?"
Crowley knelt in front of the angel and placed his hands on the angel's soft thighs. "I need you to first understand I would never do this to you. So whatever I am about to say, please understand it does not apply to us. Has never, does never, and will never apply to us." Crowley pleaded with Aziraphale and once the angel nodded in agreement, the demon continued. "That boy. He…he might have tempted Cassi into having feelings for him."
Aziraphale rolled his eyes and tried to stand up, however, Crowley put more weight on the angel. "No…no…please, angel, listen to me. Listen to me, please, and I'm not asking you to trust hell, to trust Satan, to trust whomever, I'm asking you to trust me." He placed Aziraphale's palm on his heart. "Trust me."
—-
"Your dad is," Elliot clicked his tongue, "a piece of work."
Cassi and her friend had moved to the restaurant across the street. Elliot had ordered two wine glasses to calm a tensed Cassi. "He can be…a little too -"
"Demon?"
"I was going to say protective."
"Ah, yes. He does not like me very much, does he?"
"Well, you are, shall we say, an acquired taste."
Elliot grinned ear to ear. "Thank you." He looked beyond Cassi. "Parents approaching."
Cassi turned around and sighed. "You think they would treat me like the adult that I am."
"Hardly an adult, little nephalem."
Cassi giggled and turned as she felt Aziraphale next to her. Meanwhile, her demon father stayed back near the street, fingers in his pocket, and no doubt glaring in Elliot's direction.
Aziraphale smiled politely in Elliot's direction before giving his attention to his daughter. "Er, Cassi, um," he looked back at Crowley then back to Cassi, "dad wants," he cleared his throat, "um, we need you back at the shop."
Cassi turned her head and faced Crowley. "Why?"
"I'd rather you just follow me to the shop, Cassi, darling, hmm?"
Cassi knew when to disobey her parents, this was not one of those times. She stood and waved goodbye to Elliot. Aziraphale disregarded Elliot's presence as he wrapped a protective arm around his daughter's shoulder. "I think I have some books you might enjoy. Some from my secret collection. What do you say?"
"Dad?" she asked as they walked past Crowley. "Is dad angry with me?" She whispered.
Aziraphale kept his steps. "Of course not, my darling child. I'm afraid dad and I had a little spat and placed you in the middle. We apologize."
Crowley walked up the restaurant's ramp and sat across the table from Elliot. "I'm going to say this only once and will try to make it as clear as possible." He removed his glasses. "Stay away from my daughter or I will make you wish you were never miracled. And if by some chance, you see her again, because let's face it, she tends to do her own thing, and any harm comes to her," he stood and placed his glasses back, "I shall throw it back at you a thousand times over." The demon flared his nostrils. "Have a lovely day."
