"That I know." She put on an innocent expression. "I've used it to my advantage when I want something from you." She playfully slapped the records.
—-
"She is an extraordinary being, Aziraphale." The Metatron looked past the angel's shoulder as he spotted Crowley and Cassi coming out of the record shop.
Aziraphale looked back and could not help but smile seeing his partner and daughter enjoying each other's company.
The two angels had left the pub and opted to talk in a more intimate setting and so, they had moved over to the French restaurant next to the coffee shop. As they sat, the Metatron had offered Aziraphale a coffee in which the angel politely declined.
"I hear you're getting married."
Aziraphale turned back and gave a nervous smile. "Ah, yes. I am."
"Well, that's wonderful. Let me extend my congratulations from all of us in heaven including the Almighty."
"Oh?" Aziraphale was baffled.
"You're still an angel after all, even if you don't think you belong to heaven, you are still one of us and if one of us is happy then, well, let us be happy for them."
"Well, I would assume I don't actually belong to heaven after all that, em, has happened."
"You are an angel, Aziraphale. All angels belong to heaven."
"Except for my daughter." Aziraphale echoed Crowley's words from his trip to hell. "She doesn't belong to heaven nor hell; she is her own ethereal being. She has her own opinions, her own personality, likes, dislikes, and she's…free. Free to be wherever and whoever she chooses without having to worry if someone will reprimand her."
The Metatron clicked his tongue. "Did heaven make you feel like a prisoner? We do not have rules, Aziraphale, simply, hm, guidelines in which we must follow as it is the Almighty's wish that we do. We are the good guys after all."
"With all due respect, I don't believe the good guys torture unknown entities for answers. They do not lock them away or try to…cast them into hell fire."
"We do not torture, Aziraphale. That is hell's job and yes, maybe when we need help with something, we sometimes ask our old enemies for help regarding a task that is not in our nature. We are straying from our original topic, Aziraphale and that is your daughter, is it not? I mean the reason why you ask for me to come?"
Aziraphale felt a slight knot in the pit of his stomach, but he had to find out the truth. "Was my daughter truly responsible for-" he gestured to the area, especially the snow flurries falling from the sky, "-all this?"
"I'm afraid so." He chuckled lightly. "But it's not a bad thing. The end of the world has always been part of the great plan after all. Your daughter just happened to be a fail safe."
"Fail safe?"
"Well, you did read it in the files, did you not? The real reason why I'm here. You want me to tell you she is not and the files are wrong?" The Metatron questioned.
Aziraphale turned pale and shook his head. "But…she's my daughter." He whispered as a lump formed in his throat.
"She is one of a kind. Uncorrupted by her demon side, unlike the rest of the nephalems who let that side consume them. Her birth was ineffable and the reason why we have always been so lenient with you and your friend. We needed you."
"You used me." Aziraphale pursed his lips. "You used Crowley as well. Was his fall part of the great plan?" The Metatron's silence was the answer Aziraphale needed, and his eyes widened at the realization. "He didn't deserve such…a cruel fate."
"The fate in which he ends up with you?"
Aziraphale's lips became a thin line.
"It is all part of the great plan, I will admit but are you not happy, Aziraphale? You have a place on earth, your shop, your partner, and your daughter and it's all thanks to the Almighty." The Metatron sighed. "Don't be too cross…we simply needed a fail safe and if that meant having one of our most powerful archangels fall then, I'm afraid, it had to be done. I'm sure he does not mind being a demon."
Aziraphale clenched his jaw. "He's been tortured from what I've perceived and…he, well you must know, he is kind and just."
"Of course, we knew as much before he fell. That is one of the reasons why we chose him. His angelic side is still in there somewhere, not fully a demon, which, in turn, makes your daughter the way she is; more angel than demon. Perfect for winning the war."
"They are not…pawns in this game between heaven and hell and I refuse to let them be, especially my daughter." He stood up in fury.
"Same daughter the Almighty gifted you with?" He stood too and faced Aziraphale. "Your partner, your daughter, your happiness is all thanks to the Almighty and it seems you are not fully grateful for any of it. You need to be grateful, Aziraphale, as was Job a long time ago."
Aziraphale shuddered and looked up towards the heavens.
"Stop looking down at your feet, what on earth?" The demon laughed as he held his daughter close. "I got you; I promise."
Cassi looked down at her feet once more, if only to reassure herself she would not step on her father's foot yet again. Reluctantly, she looked up and swayed to the music, following Crowley's lead. "How do you even know how to do this?" she asked as she spun around.
"All demons know how to have a good time." He twirled her around with grace. "Apparently," he started once he noticed Aziraphale had entered the shop, "there is this thing called the father-daughter dance at weddings. I figured we can have a turn with Cassi and call it a daughter-father dance instead. Problem is…our daughter does not know how to dance."
"I do." She turned her head to Aziraphale. "I simply do not know how to slow dance with a partner. Never had one before." She laughed. "Oh, I invited the whole Whickber Street Traders and Shopkeepers Association to the reception. Everyone is wonderful and it would be a shame to leave people out of the celebration of one of their own."
Cowley swayed Cassi to the music. "Yes," he turned to Aziraphale, "I did mention how it was not needed."
"It's, um, fine."
"Have you guys picked out your song already? Newlyweds must have their first dance, it's tradition."
"We have." Aziraphale replied.
"Err, Muriel, take over." He handed Cassi to Muriel.
Muriel reluctantly took Cassi's hand with their own. "I don't know how to do this either."
"Perfect. You can both learn." He snapped his fingers and changed the song. As Cassi and Muriel tried their best not to step on each other, Crowley led Aziraphale towards one corner of the shop. "Did he try anything? Was beginning to worry."
"I'm fine." The angel looked up at Crowley and for a brief second, he recalled his once upon a time bright brown eyes. He remembered the smile Crowley expressed as he built the stars and the feeling of pure happiness that vibrated from him. This dear being fell from his position, from his happiness, only because he was fated to be with him. On the other hand, would he have managed to be with Crowley if he remained an angel or would they be simple coworkers who said hello as they passed each other up in heaven? Their love would not have existed, especially their daughter who was the consequence of such feelings.
Crowley furrowed his brow and examined his fiancé's expression, which to a random person looked normal but to the demon, it was nothing but. He clicked his tongue and quickly embraced Aziraphale, and as soon as he did, the angel muffled out a sob on Crowley's shoulder.
"Dad," Cassi beamed from the other side of the room, "I've only stepped on Muriel three times so far."
Crowley swayed Aziraphale as the angel's shoulders shook, his tears soaking the demon's jacket. "That's great, Cassi but why not try zero times. I will be wearing new shoes on the day, and I will hate to ruin them by having your shoeprint on them." His tone was light as his embrace tightened. "Shall we go back home?" He whispered.
Aziraphale shook his head and wrapped his arms around the demon. Part of the reason why they had come to the shop, apart from finishing reading the heavenly files, was to let Cassi out of the house and cheer her up. She loved spending time with the other shop owners, which she had become fast friends with as they followed each other on social media, texted and called each other frequently.
"Papa, I think I'm ready to step on you." She giggled.
Aziraphale lifted his head up, letting Crowley wipe his cheeks with his thumb. "Oh, ah, I'll be right there, darling." He sniffed.
Crowley kissed Aziraphale's forehead and removed himself from the angel. "Right." he came around the hidden corner, "Let me show you how we properly danced back in the 70's."