Crowley's voice rang through the room as he sang I Want To Be Free, all the while trying his best to put clothes on a three year old. Yes, he had danced a little to make sure the toddler kept her attention on him and not run out the room again. "Free!" The toddler raised her hands above her head, giving the demon the opportunity to put on the top half of her ensemble.
Crowley seized his movements and singing as he carried the toddler in his arms before she could run away. "You're making it more difficult, Eden." He chuckled and kissed her tiny head. Toddler in his arms, Crowley walked out the room and down the stairs.
"Dada." The smaller child in Aziraphale's arms reached for Crowley.
Demon and angel proceeded to exchange children at the bottom of the stairs. "I'll take Anthony next time." Crowley chuckled. "A one-year-old is much easier to change. Doesn't wiggle as much."
Eden wiggled in Aziraphale's arms, wanting to do nothing but to get a move on. "I don't know, dearest," Aziraphale smiled at Crowley while bouncing Eden in his arms, "Anthony can be dramatically wiggly at times."
"I can handle dramatic." He chuckled as he balanced the small red head on his hip and made his way to the front door. "Erm," he raised a brow as he picked up the diaper bag and noticed an empty bowl where he would usually place the car keys.
"Eden?" The angel looked at his daughter in his arms, grey starlike eyes looking back at him; Eden playfully smiled. "Did you take the keys again, sweetheart?"
Eden's blonde curls bounced as she shook her head. "No." She giggled.
Aziraphale playfully scrunched his nose at her. "You must have misplaced them, dearest."
"You're probably right." Crowley played along. "Last time I saw them," he pretended to be in deep thought, "I was with you." He stepped forward and looked through Aziraphale's pocket. "Hmm, and I do believe," he turned to his daughter, "you had our lovey in your arms."
The entrance echoed with Eden's giggles as Crowley tickled her silly. "Stop…daddy…" she squirmed in her papa's arms.
"Ah ha!" The demon smirked as the keys clanged to the floor from the toddler.
Aziraphale chuckled softly and bounced the young nephalem. "I wonder how those got there."
"I wonder as well."
Eden gave a hard nod. "Me too!"
The angel kissed his daughter's small nose and let her down, allowing her to open the door and run towards the car. "Lovey, careful…you'll fall." Crowley called after the toddler. "I don't know where she gets the energy." He chuckled.
Aziraphale wiped Anthony's drool with his coat sleeve. "I'm not sure either, however, I do enjoy watching you run after her."
The demon bounced the small red head in his arms. "You're going to do the same aren't you, baba?" He questioned the baby in his arms. "Make me run around like a loon."
Anthony babbled and the only coherent words the parents were able to process were nanas and papa.
"Why is he so obsessed with bananas I wonder?" Crowley raised a brow at his husband. "Thinking about food when we miracled him?" The demon teased.
The angel pondered. "I might have been thinking about the delicious banana pudding we had eaten on our date that night, which you have yet to fulfill your promise of taking me back to that restaurant."
"Daddy! Papa!" Eden screamed. "Let's go!"
"Just as demanding as a certain someone." The demon smirked.
Anthony grunted as Aziraphale wiped his face clean. It seemed the food had landed all over the small face instead of inside his mouth. "Nonono." He shook his head and thrashed his body back.
Crowley held onto the highchair with one hand while the other was busy scooping Eden's peas back into her plate. "...and they don't sleep." Crowley ended his comment.
The angel rolled his eyes at his husband. "Regardless-" he gave Anthony one last wipe and left the child to turn his attention back to his coloring pages, "-they have been wonderful and no use in letting them just be in the living area all the time. They babysit for us when we ask, the children love them, and it would be nice for them to have their privacy when they visit."
"Unannounced." Crowley scoffed. "So what?" He sniffed. "You are sacrificing my garden, just like that? Lovey, eat your peas."
"They are for the ducks, daddy."
"Eat your peas sweetheart and we'll feed the ducks tomorrow. Just a small area, dearest," he turned to Crowley, "a nice little abode for them. After all, they are the children's parents-non-parents, it's the least we can do…as a thank you for…for everything."
Crowley sighed in defeat. "Fine!" He growled. "We can turn the shed into, I don't know, a room or something."
"Papa," Eden said with a mouthful, "I'm done." She raised her palms up, showing her angel father no crumbs were left on the plate. "Cake?"
Anthony clapped his hands. "'ake!"
Crowley smiled down at his daughter and snapped his fingers, making Eden's smile widen as she touched the party hat on her head.
Aziraphale clicked his tongue, "Really, my dearest." He adjusted Anthony's hat. "They are impressionable."
"Relax, angel," he smirked, "they are hats."
Eden bounced in her seat. "Quite right. Mhmm!"
Aziraphale raised a brow towards his husband as their server made her way into their private dining area with dessert. "Here's your cake, as requested." She smiled brightly and placed the cake in front of Eden. "Happy birthday."
Eden giggled and shook her head. "Daddy, she thinks it's my birthday." She whispered.
"Does she?" Crowley leaned down and whispered back.
The small child smiled up at the server as she began to set the candles on the brightly colored cake. "Please let me know if you need anything else."
The parents smiled as the angel thanked her. "Right," Aziraphale cleared his throat, "sweetheart, would you like to go first?" He slid the cake towards the middle of the table.
Eden beamed, nodded and closed her eyes, placing her hands in front of her as if she was making a wish. "Sissy?" she began. "Happy birthday! Um, this year papa promised me he will teach me to fly and-and, ngk…I'm not 'oppse to fly on my own because I'll float away. I told them I'm a big girl, but they don't believe me." She opened her eyes and turned to her demon father. "Can I tell her, daddy?"
"Mm? I don't know. Why do you think, angel?"
Aziraphale gave Crowley a subtle wink. "Gosh, I think…she would love to know."
Eden squealed and closed her eyes once again. "Sissy," she said in a whisper, "we are getting a new sister." Her blonde curls bounced. "But daddy said until…until…" she opened her eyes and shot Crowley a questionable expression.
"Daddy's and I's first kiss anniversary is today as is sissy's birthday. Next month is…?"
"My birthday!"
Aziraphale scrunched his nose towards his daughter. "Right. Your birthday is next month, Anthony's after that, and so your new sister will be here in…?"
"Three months!" Eden chimed. "Juliette is here in three months, sissy! I will be the biggest bestest sister just like you! Tell her papa."
"Oh," Aziraphale smiled at his toddler. "My turn?" He closed his eyes and imitated Eden, only for him, it was not a wish he would make, but a secret prayer. "Cassi, darling," he paused as his memory recalled how his eldest daughter would look at him when he would call out to her, "um, are you," he gulped down the lump in his throat, "well?" He let out a shaky breath wanting nothing but the image of Cassi in his mind to manifest itself next to him. "I do hope you are more than well because I worry you…you," he bit his lip and opened his eyes as he felt his husband gently take his hand in his. Aziraphale nodded and it took a second for him to collect himself. "Erm, like your sister said, dad and I decided to have another baby and unfortunately, dad said it's the last one but I don't know, we'll see."
"What do you mean we'll see?"
"Shh, daddy, it's papa's go."
Aziraphale chuckled softly and continued. "Happy 132nd birthday, my darling girl. Remember I love you and miss you every day and I will talk to you later, like I do every night hop…hoping you can hear me." He sniffed.
Crowley squeezed the angel's hand and, as their eyes met, they understood the words that were unsaid.
"Daddy?"
"Right." Crowley cleared his throat and smiled at his toddler, afterwards straightening his back as he too closed his eyes and prayed. "Cassi, you don't mind sharing your father's and mine's attention again, do you? Anthony was going to be the last one, but you know how your dear papa can't keep his hands to himself, and he keeps thinking of another one while we are," he glanced down at Eden, "loving each other." The demon grinned.
"Crowley!" Aziraphale chastised.
Crowley laughed lightly. "What? Cassi's not a child, she can know."
Eden scrunched her nose. "Know what, daddy? I'm a big girl too, I want to know."
"Papa will tell you when you're at least one thousand years of age." Crowley laughed and closed his eyes. "Anyway," he grinned, "l just want to say, like your father, I… miss you as we-well and remember you are never alone. We are simply…separated for the moment. These past fifty years went by quickly, just as your father said, blink of an eye. In the meantime, I'll keep your records and books safe. Love you, Cassi."
Aziraphale picked up Anthony and placed him on his lap. "Your turn, honey."
"Papa, it's his first time." Eden put her hands together. "Like this, Anthony."
Anthony tapped on the table and pointed at the sweet treat before him. "'ake!" He wiggled.
"Daddy, he's not doing it right."
Crowley chuckled and wrapped an arm around his daughter. "It's alright, lovey. Cassi knows Anthony is too young. Ready?" He snapped his fingers and lit the candles.
Eden nodded as did Aziraphale.
"3…2…1…Happy birthday, Cassi!" The family said in unison.
"Daddy," Eden began as Crowley started the car, "do you think sissy liked her birthday?"
"I can guarantee you she did." The demon said cheerfully.
"Promise?"
Aziraphale turned his head back and gifted Eden with a loving smile. "We promise, sweetheart."
"Ask her."
The parents exchanged glances. "Ask?" Crowley questioned.
Aziraphale shrugged.
"Errm…Cassi? Did you like your birthday?" The demon asked no one in particular.
The family held their breath for any sign and unfortunately for them, like always, nothing came of it. "I'm sure she did, sweetheart."
"...and then Daddy kissed me."
Eden giggled as she heard the story of her parents' first kiss. "And then you told Daddy to bugger off!"
Crowley smirked while Aziraphale nudged him in annoyance. "Where is the lie, angel?" He looked back at Eden through the rearview mirror. "You're on my side right, lovey?"
The small child shook her head.
"No?"
"Because she knows when you are exaggerating."
"You shoved me out of the shop, angel. How is that exaggerating?"
Aziraphale patted Crowley's thigh and leaned over to kiss the demon's warm cheek. "Just you wait, love."
Crowley smirked and raised a brow. "When do they get in?"
The angel smiled and took out his pocket watch. "I say in an hour or so. Gabriel has been insisting on buying the children toys on each visit. He suggested it was an earthly tradition for the parent-non-parents to do so. Something about it being an earthly law."
"As long as he and Beelzebub get here, I don't care what he buys." He took hold of Aziraphale's hand and planted a kiss on it. "Finally, a week to ourselves."
"We had a week a month ago."
"Yes, exactly. A month! Too long, angel." He leaned over and whispered, "I am in need of a good fucking."
"What about three days ago?"
"Those," he looked back, "erm, 'quick snacks' do not count. Please I want, need, a full course meal."
Aziraphale clicked his tongue. "I see you started begging already."
Before their flirting could continue, the Bentley stalled and eventually came to a complete stop on the open road. "Daddy?" Eden questioned.
"Crowley?"
The demon grumbled, trying to figure out the problem. Had his beloved car finally given up? Meanwhile, in the back seat, Anthony squirmed in his car seat. "Sissy!" He squealed and clapped his hands.
They all remained still while the car's radio produced nothing but static. The parents exchanged looks because there was no denying a familiar overwhelming sensation coming from every which way. They felt the warmth cocoon them like a security blanket. Aziraphale held on tight to Crowley's arm in disbelief. "Crowley, I-I feel…feel…"
"Loved." Crowley concluded. "Ngk, it's not…Eden? Anthony?" He gulped in disbelief.
"Eden, sweetheart, do you feel that?"
Eden squealed in excitement letting the warm feeling engulf her small person. "Sissy." She stated as a matter of factly.
Underneath the static, a faint and gurgled voice tried to break through. Second by second, Aziraphale smiled as the voice sounded clearer and clearer until, "It's like a dream. No end and no beginning. You're here with me." Madonna's song echoed in the car. "It's like a dream. Let the choir sing!"
The angel frowned and the demon grinned in amusement. "Really, my darling girl." He clicked his tongue in displeasure. "After fifty years and you do this?" he chuckled.
"I like this song, daddy." Eden danced in her seat, encouraging Anthony to do the same.
The car started again while the volume on the radio rose itself. "When you call my name, it's like a little prayer. I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there. In the midnight hour, I can feel your power. Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there."
Crowley leaned into his husband and planted a kiss upon his temple. "Glad to know she is still as lively as ever."
Aziraphale nodded in agreement and, as the family drove to their cottage, the ineffable parents could not help but sing along to the catchy lyrics.
Thank you all so-so-so very much for taking time out of your day to read and comment on this story. I hope you had fun reading it as much as I had writing it. It was truly a pleasure to work on this fic and thank you for allowing me to give our favorite husbands a child, well children now haha. I had never written a fic this long and I honestly did not want it to end. My friend even suggested a sequel and I will think about it but for now, *insert shameless plug here* don't forget there's another fic tied to this one titled, That, in my profile, of course. Again, thank you and wishing you a wonderful, magnificent, unicorn of a day!
