Good Omens Fix-It â Prologue + Chapter 1: Under New Management: The Bookshop
Good Omens Fix-It
Prologue + Chapter 1 of 16
Rating: G (unless specified otherwise -- some chapters are T, epilogue is E)
A painterâs canvas hovered in an ethereally-lit room in Heaven, streaks and bursts of light brushing against it and disappearing into the white canvas, bright colors of pinks and blues and purples gracefully blending into an image of miraculous nebula, gorgeous galaxies, and bright universes. An angel hummed happily as he recreated the glorious, beautiful sky that he designed, the sky that hadnât existed an unknown time ago - perhaps a week, had the Systema Solis been fully formed at that point.
âYou did a beautiful job,â a precise, measured voice resonated through the air.
âThanks, Saraqael,â the angel grinned, âIt just sort of â â he brought his hand to his temple and dramatically pulled it away, outstretching his fingers, âBrrrrraaaahhhâkshhh! Came to me!â
Saraqael gave a singular nod, âHe wants to see you.â
Saraqael didnât respond; she just spun her scooter neatly and started away. âTry to keep up,â she said dryly, though her expression suggested she had no doubt he would.
The slender angel strode behind, quickly catching up to the scooter; the hum of the motor fading into the emptiness of the immaculate, glaringly white hallway. The pair approached a massive set of double doors, so pearlescent it was almost glowing. Lifting her hand, Saraqael glanced sideways at the angel next to her as the motion caused the doors to opening inward to enormous glass-walled chamber, brightly lit and oppressively luminous.
The artistic angel entered the colossal room, Saraqael gliding in a few feet ahead of him; as they made their way further into the chamber, the doors closed behind them with an ominous thud.
âSo itâs you,â an even, measured voice echoed from the opposite end of the hall, carrying all the warmth of a glacier.
The hum of Saraqaelâs scooter and the soft footsteps of the slender angel beside her were the only sounds as they crossed the vast, silent chamber. When they finally reached the far end, both of them were dwarfed by the inconceivable height of the high-backed alabaster bench, where an older angel sat behind a massive ivory dais.
âThat will be all, Saraqael,â the aged angel said.
A small sound came from the slender angel, and he looked down at Saraqael in question, eyebrows furrowed in confusion above green eyes.
âIf you donât mind, Iâd like to stay.â
With a look of disapproval, the authority figure huffed, âDo as you wish, but there will be no interfering.â
âAgreed, but let me ask one question,â Saraqael said rather boldly.
âArenât you aware of why weâre here in the first place?â
âOf course I am. Thatâs why I asked permission.â
Saraqael glanced up at the angel sheâd escorted in, whose face still showed confusion, had been tinged with curiosity, âWhere are the other Archangels? Isnât there meant to be a trial?â
âI am the Metatron. In any instance of Godâs absence, I am the Ultimate Authority â a trial isnât necessary.â
The angel at Saraqaelâs side trembled.
âE - excuse me,â he said, âCan I ask whatâs happening?â
The Metatron fixed piercing blue eyes on the angel, âIâve heard youâve already been asking questions.â
âI have it on good authority that youâve been second-guessing The Great Plan. That is not allowed. Â
âB - but it was only a few questions,â his voice quivered, emerald eyes filling with tears.
The Metatron continued, cutting off the confused question, âYou are henceforth banished from Heaven, just like all those other rebellious angels.â
The angelâs breath caught. That couldnât be right. It was just a few harmless questionsâŚ
âBanished!â The Metatron all but shouted, slamming his hand flat against the surface of the dias.
The moment his palm made contact with the top of the podium, the condemned angel was engulfed by darkness.Â
He was plunging through emptiness, icy silver shards slicing his skin, deafening drums of despair and dismay pounding in his ears, the temperature transforming from a pleasant, peaceful cool to a refreshing warmth of a spring day - that had only lasted for a millisecond, or it could have been a millennia, he had no way of knowing. He was hurtling down, surpassing the speed of sound, the speed of light, the speed of thought and he could feel his green eyes changing in some way.
 The ground, the flat, dry, hard ground was approaching and he unfurled his wings to veer from the trajectory, but his feathers were sparse, tinged with black at the edges, and burnt feathers were drifting down in his wake. It was no use; he was going to crash directly into the rock solid, newly-created Earth and he would be obliterated.
The angel smacked almost dully to the surface, though the ground surrounding his landing crumbled and cracked away and a hole opened into the planet. As he fell, returning to the impossible speed once again, an acrid burn washed over his eyes and the feathers that had clung heroically on burst into flames; a putrid stench of decay and sorrow engulfed him as he sped through the dense, suffocating emptiness. He was suddenly aware that he was screaming, a horrible, piercing shriek that comes when one is having their flesh peeled from their bones. And yet the screams were everywhere; cries of anguish, shrieks of despair, bellows of torment surrounded him, pressing painfully on his eardrums.
An appalling, nauseating, white-hot steam engulfed him a moment before the angel was submerged entirely in a milky-yellow boiling liquid - he tried to scream in torment, for help, for mercy, for pity, for something, but his head was beneath the surface. He could feel his skin bubbling and blistering, sizzling down to his bones, felt the fire of his wings somehow burning more violently, and he was suffocating - from lack of air, from anger, from sadness, regret, emptiness, loss.
Chapter 1: Under New Management: The Bookshop
âI thought you wanted your flat back, now that those demons are back in Hell,â Muriel commented, confused.
âI did - I do - and I do, actually have it back,â Crowley was seated in the armchair of Aziraphaleâs bookshop, âI just prefer it here.â
âDid Aziraphale ever sell any books? I mean, he has quite a lot, and, after all, isnât that kind of the whole point of a bookshop, to sell books?â
The demon didnât look her way, but continued to stare out the window at a table where Maggie was sitting with Nina, both nursing coffee, âNo. Well, to the first bit, but yeah, the point of a bookshop is to sell books.â
He sighed and looked around at the awkward angel left in charge of the bookshop, âAziraphale used it to store his books; no matter how many times I tried to tell him that, if he didnât sell books, people werenât shopping, so it counts more as a library than a bookshop, he would go on and on about how libraries are for common purposes and his books were anything but common; thereâs no getting through to that angel.â
Muriel looked at the floor, âOh. Right,â she fidgeted awkwardly.
The door opened; the couple heâd been moodily watching entered, glanced around to spot the demon and made a very determined beeline toward him.
Crowley groaned, leaning his head back.
âHello to you, too,â Nina quipped as she and Maggie sat on the sofa across from him.
âWhy are you here? The last time I was on the receiving end of one of your lectures,â Crowley gestured almost frantically from one to the other, âyou convinced me that Aziraphale and I needed to talk more and - â
âWhat did you need to talk about?â Muriel asked.
âOh, hello,â Maggie said kindly.
Stretching his neck to the side, Crowley said, âNothing. We didnât need to talk about anything.â
Nina and Maggie shared a look.
Shifting on the sofa, Maggie cleared her throat uncomfortably, âYou - your name is Muriel, right?â
The angel stood more straightly, âIt is. I am Muriel, Inspector Constable, at your service.â Muriel gave a salute.
Nina gave a look of confusion to her partner, âInspector Constable?â
âYes, thatâs my name.â
âWould you mind doing us a favor?â
Muriel suddenly looked very serious, âOf course not - I mean, I wouldnât mind, not that I wouldnât do it.â She smiled nervously.
âRight, well, do you see that coffee shop over the road? Thatâs Nina hereâs shop and she doesnât like leaving it unattended for too long - â
âItâs not unattended; Mrs. Chen is there,â Nina interrupted.
Giving her a look of significance, Maggie continued, âYes, but itâs an awful lot of work for the poor thing to do on her own and Muriel here seems to be perfectly suited to help Mrs. Chen; do you think you could do that for us, Muriel?â
The angel nodded dutifully, âI certainly can. Go help Mrs. Shin - â
â - Chen, Mrs. Chen,â Maggie corrected.
âRight, of course,â Muriel grinned in self-depreciation, âIâm not too good with names. Go help Mrs. Chen in the coffee shop over the road. Iâm on it,â she gave a little salute and left the bookshop.
Crowley waited for the door to close before saying (somewhat fondly), âNot too good with a whole lot more than names. Right, what do you want?â
âWe havenât seen Mr. Fell for a while - three months now, but we see you nearly every day, staring out this window,â Maggieâs voice was gentle and concerned, âWhere is he?â
Crowley looked at the soft beige mounding of the ceiling, his tone strained, âGone; heâs gone - gone to Heaven.â
âWhy?â Nina spoke, âWhat did you do to him?â
Maggie shot a scolding look at Nina, âIâm sure itâs not Mr. Crowleyâs fault; what happened?â
âYou two,â he gestured between the women, âsaid we needed to talk.â
âDid you?â Nina asked, a hint of accusation in the words.
âYes! Yes, he talked and I talked and The Metatron - the bastard - apparently told him he could be in charge, Supreme Archangel or something.â
âOh, well, thatâs good, isnât it?â Maggie sounded hopeful.
âNo, itâs the exact opposite of good, only worse; Heaven is going to destroy Earth and everything along with it - Aziraphale doesnât want that, no one wants that, but itâs all about The Great Plan or some nonsense - very big on The Great Plan in Heaven.â
âTheyâre going to destroy everything? Thatâs ridiculous!â Maggie exclaimed.
Crowley grumbled, âJust you lot, Earth, the moon, physical stuff; er..sorry?. Iâll still be around to watch on as itâs evaporating; Heaven and Hell will still exist, only theyâll both be more miserable. Aziraphale is too trusting; The Metatron is using him to getâŚsomething, I know I know it, but for some reason, donât know it. Aziraphale loves Earth, everything about it, the art, the music, the books - he doesnât really want it to be destroyed, but The Metatron wants to do exactly that; Aziraphale always thinks the best of people - Iâd have to show him undeniable proof, but how do I get thatâŚ?â He was now talking more to himself than the women.
Nina narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, âJust go up there and get it.â
âAarrhh! I canât just go up there and get it; Iâd need an angel to take me and, even if I did get there, I donât know what Iâm actually looking for.â
Looking victoriously and excitedly out the window toward the coffee shop, Maggie said, âThat girl, Muriel, sheâs an angel, too, right? Canât she help?â
âShe is. She canât,â the demon replied morosely, âDoesnât have clearance to get the information I need, whatever it is. I can access it if I know where it is, but where the hell - Heaven - is it? And what is it?â
âWhat about that man, Jim, I think his name was, heâs an angel, right? Pretty high up from the way they were all talking about him - maybe he can help?â
Groaning, Crowley answered, âHe ran off to wherever with Beezelbub; no clue where he is.â
âCanât you find out? I mean, you and Mr. Bookshop - â Nina suggested.
â - Mr. Fell,â Maggie said
â - Aziraphale,â Crowley corrected.
âRight, him. You two helped him out in a pretty major way, from what I remember,â Nina continued as if she hadnât been interrupted, âTell him he owes you.â
Crowley raised an eyebrow, somewhat intrigued by the idea.
âThat would be blackmail,â Maggie proclaimed.
âActually, itâd be extortion,â the demon had straightened up a little, âand, even if it were blackmail, Iâm a demon, I canât go worrying over whatâs acceptable, now can I?â
âFair point. So have this Jim fellow help you get what you need to get.â
Maggie made a sound of warning, âI - I thought the whole point of them leaving was not to be found; how are you supposed to figure out where they are?â
âHonestly, they were more concerned about being found by Heaven than by Hell; Shax isnât so much of a leader and I bet sheâs having to get instructions from Beelzebub - sheâll know where to find them.â
Crowley pushed himself up out of the chair, âRight, get on with yourâŚwhatever; Iâm going to Hell.â
Crowley hated Hell - thatâs to be expected, even for a demon - but Crowley really hated Hell; it was dingy and dirty, no one ever bothered to clean up, and it was crowded; at least eight damned bumped into him as he moved through the dark corridor that led to where Beezelbub - now replaced by Shax - oversaw the lost souls and the lesser demons.
âYou arenât the only one down here, you know!â Crowley shouted when a very wide man collided with him so hard that Crowley nearly called Satanâs name in vain.
He strode swiftly down the dim, cluttered and unkempt corridor, wincing as feedback came from the PA system âwelcomingâ the newly damned.
Crowley snarled, irritation flaring in his chest when he stepped in a puddle of something sludgy and unidentifiable.
âHavenât seen you here in a long time, Crowley; Iâve been sent to the pits three times since you were here last,â the beefy guard spoke; he was a thick demon, his two canines overgrown and dangerously pointed, practically stabbing his greasy chin.
Crowley turned on the charm, âMalmoth? Is that you? Youâve got two new spikes on your head, havenât you? Looks great!â
Malmoth smiled slightly, âYeah, Iâm trying to keep them good and dirty, you know, for the SuccubiâŚâ
âAnd youâre doing a wonderful job at that! Youâll be mistaken for an Incubus at the rate youâre going! âŚListen, I know I donât actually have an appointment, but I really need to talk with Shax; sheâs in, yeah?â
Malmoth looked around shiftily, his dark purple eyes reflecting the fluorescent lights that were flickering on the hallway ceiling, very near burning out, âShe is - go on.â
âThanks,â Crowley gave the thick, sweaty shoulder of Malmoth an amiable slap then opened the door and strode inside.
âHeyy, Shax; howâs the new gig?â he sauntered into the gloom of the chamber - not that the hallway wasnât gloomy (it was), but it was a general, spacious sort of gloom; this gloom was heavier, more tightly packed, condensed, really, so that there was even more gloom in the area than there was in the larger, open corridor - this gloom seemed like it could crush you if you didnât have a fair amount of determination and confidence; luckily, Crowley was made of confidence. It was quite possible that the demon was composed of clusters of confidence and snark rather than cells and atoms.
The new Grand Duke of Hell had turned the chair diagonally, facing both the door Crowley had entered through and the glass window that looked out onto the occupants of Hell.
âCrowley,â she said, âI wasnât expecting youâŚever.â
Looking around the mostly empty room, Crowley noticed a very wilted fern in the corner and a gruesome piece of artwork that he was fairly certain was made of intestines and bile, framed in bone.
âLove what youâve done with the place; really brought a personal touch to yourâŚroom? headquarters? office?â
Shifting to cross her legs, Shax raised her chin, âI know you, Crowley; surely you didnât pop down here just to admire my decor.â
âRight! I need a favor,â Crowley said.
âA favor? Youâre hardly in any position to ask for favors; itâs because of you that Arch Angel was hidden from Heaven; if heâd been caught, Beelzebub would still be here to run things!â
âAnd you would be back to pushing papers, checking in on lesser demons; you wouldnât be Grand Duke. Seems I did you a favor, Shax.â
The new Grand Duke of Hell took a while to think this over before straightening herself, âFine. What do you want?â
Crowley started meandering around the room, looking over the walls nonchalantly, âAh, not much.â He made his way to the dead fern and lifted its drooping leaf, feeling genuinely sorry for the plant, âThese things need water. Surely Beezelbub told you that before leaving.â
âActually, it was only last week; you have to give it water every day, Shax.â
Crowley showed no outward sign of interest, but his attention became focused; he casually spoke, âOnly last week? Why wouldnât she have told you on one of your earlier talks? They must happen everyâŚmonth or so? Checking up on efficiency under new management?â
Scoffing, Shax complained, âI thought I wouldnât have to be reporting to anyone, but itâs monthly evaluations - supposedly only for the first year - and I have to report immediately if anything goes wrong or any time a demonâs sent to the Fiery Lake.â
Crowley stretched his neck, âSo you know how to contact Beezelbub?â
Shax gave a slow, suspicious nod, âI do.â
Speculatively, the Grand Duke leaned back slightly, âWhy?â
âDo it now. Or did you like the idea of going back to typing intake form after intake form after intake form for the rest of eternity?â
Clicking her tongue, Shax slipped her hand into the pocket of her dark maroon jacket and pulled out a phone; she tapped furiously at it with one finger for a short while then spoke at it, âLord Beezelbub, Shax here; apparently Crowley - you remember Crowley - â
Crowley loudly said, âYeah, Lord Beezelbub, itâs me.â
â - has something urgent to speak to you about. Call when you can,â Shax finished before poking the phone screen moodily.
âRight, how long does she generally take to get back to you?â
Shax was idly looking at the fern, âI prefer it like that - seems more appropriate, donât you think?â
âSure,â Crowley replied, disinterested. âHow long?â
âItâs been about a week and a half since it was watered.â
âNo, Shax, how long does it usually take for Beelzebub to return your call?â
Shax returned her eyes to the demon, âI almost always hear back within a week.â
Crowley growled at the ceiling.
âCanât youâŚI donât knowâŚmark the message as important or something?â
The new Grand Duke narrowed her eyes, âI donât think soâŚbut Iâll let you know when I get an answer. Fair?â
Snarling up at the dank ceiling that was oozing a brown something undoubtedly unpleasant, Crowley snapped, âNothing about anything is fair in this world, Shax. But, yeah, you call me as soon as you get a response from Lord Beelzebub - immediately, you understand? You get the call, you get the message, and youâŚ?â
âEnd the call,â Shax finished.
âNo! Well, yes, but no, you call me, Shax, you call me!â Crowley was quickly losing patience; he suddenly froze, a thought coming to him suddenly, âWait, wait wait wait wait wait, did anyone do something about the mobile reception down here yet?â
âFff! Beelzebub upgraded it, specifically for these check-ins - with Satanâs approval, of course,â she replied, a little too obviously petulant.
Crowley gave a bark of laughter, âBet he wasnât too happy about the interruption to his day - probably feeding kittens to piranhas.â
âYou know he doesnât like fish.â
âItâs a joke, Shax,â Crowley said, exasperated. âFishâre completely useless - does anyone really even like them?â
Aziraphale did. Not that heâd ever specifically mentioned it, but he liked everything, so it was safe to assume he liked fish.
Feeling his chest contract in a similar, though much less intense, manner as when he watched the angel step into the elevator with the Metatron, Crowley shoved his glasses into his face hard, making sure they had no chance of falling off as his yellow eyes prickled fiercely.
He sniffed emphatically, âRight. Iâm leaving now. You hear from Beezelbub, you tell me straight away, right?â
Shax rolled her eyes but nodded; Crowley strode out the door, anxious to get out of Hell.
ââââââââââââââââââââ
Maggie and Nina were still in the bookshop when Crowley returned, and Muriel was now sitting in Aziraphaleâs chair, back straight, hands flat on her thighs, looking around, clearly uncertain as to what she should do.
âWhat the Heaven are you all still doing here? Get the fuck out,â the demon said, earning himself a growl with hands thrown in the air from Nina, a sympathetic and patient sigh from Maggie, and an uncomfortable fidget from Muriel. âAnd you,â he looked at Muriel, the relatively young angel - only three thousand years old - and he sighed with disappointment at himself, âYoucân stay; it is your post now, isnât it?â
Nina turned slightly around to glare at Crowley from the door, âYou try to help and all you get is get the fuck out. Charming.â
The two women left and Crowley turned his attention back to Muriel; he took a long inhale through his teeth, âAh, listen, I know itâs your assignment or whatever to keep an eye out for the bookshop while - since - Azira - he left, but you canât sit there.â
âOh!â Muriel jumped up, âI - I didnât know.â
Crowley stepped around her and sat down in the newly vacant seat.
âWaaaiiittt,â Muriel said, âI thought you said we canât sit there.â
The demon stretched his legs out in front of himself, âNo. Said you canât sit here. Azir - shit - heâs the only angel allowed. Iâm not an angel; you are.â
She looked even more confused than usual, but sat, instead, on the sofa, âMaddy and Nona said you went to HellâŚâ
oh, for Satanâs sake, he was correcting someone on what a personâs name is - and he recognized that his tone of voice was very reminiscent of - if not exactly like - Aziraphaleâs gently spoken corrections. shit.
âRight,â Muriel gave a nervous, self-deprecating laugh, âMaggie and Nina. They said that you went to Hell.â
Rolling his eyes and glaring at the ceiling, the demon grumpily nodded, âYep. Did.â
âWhatâs it like?â the scatterbrained angel asked, seemingly eager for information.
âFive star resorts, best dining there is, jacuzzi in every room, twenty-four hour room service, you know.â
âReally?â Muriel gaped.
Crowley couldnât help but laugh, âYou think Hellâs a high demand vacation spot? Hell? Really?â
The angel downcast her eyes; Crowley felt a pang of guilt.
âI - I donât know; I havenât been,â Muriel said to the floor, âand itâs not really talked about. I know itâs not a nice place, but I donât know how not-nice it is.â
âVery not-nice,â Crowley answered, âThe most not-nice place you can imagine, then tripled.â
A heavy silence filled the air, pressing in from all sides; after a few minutes, Crowley couldnât take it anymore; he glanced at his watch, âEuuhhâŚI remember you said youâd never had breakfast; can I tem - â probably not the best word choice for this particular angel, âtake you to breakfast?â
âWhat? Are you serious? I know Aziraphale used to eat, but are we supposed to? Angels, I mean,â Muriel stammered.
âYouâre not not supposed to; just few do,â he shoved himself hips first out of the chair, âCome on.â
Hesitantly standing, Muriel shifted awkwardly.
âYou canât wear that, though; Iâm not eating with a police officer,â Crowley declared. âWhaâs your favorite color?â
âMy - my favoriteâŚcolor?â she looked around, âI donât know. I like that flower over there.â
Looking the direction of the angelâs gesture then back, the demon snapped his fingers at Muriel and the Constable uniform changed into a soft blue dress and white leggings.
âOh!â Muriel started slightly, âOh, th - thanks?â She took the fabric of the dress in between her fingers to feel it; she grinned, âItâs very soft. Where are we going?â
âDo you like pancakes? You wouldnât know, would you,â the demon said, âNgk. Everyone likes pancakes. Letâs get you some pancakes.â
Crowley stomped out of the shop and went to his car; Muriel had her hand on the handle when Crowley glared at her - even though she couldnât see his eyes through the dark glasses, the glare was obvious on the rest of his features, âDonât touch my radio.â
At the restaurant, Crowley ordered a mini stack of buttermilk pancakes for Muriel and a mini stack of chocolate chip pancakes for himself, only because Muriel couldnât decide which to try, so he figured heâd let her have some of âhisâ.
Crowley downed a few cups of coffee as Muriel eyed the pancakes with an expression of fear that it was poisoned and that it would end her life.
Nothing like his angel, who was enthusiastic about every goddamned thing in the world, even the shit stuff like bills and parking fines.
Muriel poked at the pancake with her fork, took a tiny bite, and chewed slowly with a slightly puzzled expression. No wiggle of delight. No happy little noise. Just quiet, polite confusion.
Crowley watched her for a moment, something twisting in his chest.
Aziraphale would have already been on his third bite, eyes closed in bliss, making those soft contented sounds he always made when something was sweet or buttery or just good, the sound that would make Crowleyâs chest warm in a way no other demonâs ever did.
Instead, Muriel took another cautious nibble like she was worried it might explode.
He looked away, throat tight.
âSo, is this what humans do, then? Have breakfast with fri â â Muriel stopped abruptly, cheeks pink.
Crowleyâs eyebrow raised above the dark lens of his sunglasses.
A plump blue-aproned waitress with obnoxiously curled orange hair approached, âShorely you ainât done deery, is ya?â
The demonâs glare had a new target, though he spoke to Muriel, âDunno. Are you done?â
The young angel fiddled with her napkin awkwardly, âOh. YeâŚyesssâŚ? It was reallyâŚum, good.â
âYou shore? Ya didnâ eat much-it-oll. By the by, howney, thaâs ah awfilly purdy dress yew got on.â
The smile Muriel gave was still nervous, but genuine this time, âIt is, isnât it? Thank you.â She gestured toward the slouching Crowley, âHe just gave it to me this morning.â
âAw, now ainât thaâ jusâ sweet as pie? Looks like yew gotchur self a keyper.â
Muriel looked utterly confused, as though sheâd been walking in an open field when a brick wall materialized directly in front of her.
Crowley snorted, giving a bark of laughter, âYou - you think weâŚâ he gestured between himself and Muriel, âHardly. JustâŚfriends. Yeah. Not my type.â
The waitress puffed derogatorily and laid the bill on the table, âHereâs ya bill.â
The demon snatched the paper up, still shooting daggers soaked in Holy Water at the waitress as she walked away; he moodily took the correct amount from his wallet and threw it on the table.
âRight, letâs get out of here before she comes back.â
Muriel was quiet as they walked back to the Bentley, though this was a heavy, thoughtful silence, unlike her usual vacant quiet - she didnât even thank him when he opened the door for her to slide into the passenger seat.
They had just turned onto Whickber Street when Crowley couldnât take the silence any longer, âWhatâs up? Usually a right chatterbox.â
The angel fidgeted, âWhat - what did thatâŚthat waitress-lady mean when she said that you were aâŚa keeper?â
Growling at the steering wheel, Crowley stretched his neck, âShe thought I was your boyfriend.â
âOh.â There was a long pause before Muriel said inquisitively, âBoyfriend? Like romantic boyfriend?â
Muriel frowned as they came to a stoplight, âBoyfriend. Odd.â
The angel very suddenly pressed her lips to Crowleyâs cheek, letting them rest against his skin, eyes squeezed shut tightly as though bracing for something horrible; she moved away, sitting properly, back straight, in the passenger seat as though nothing had happened.
âHey! The fuck was that?â
Muriel didnât even look ashamed, âI - I donât knowâŚthatâs what Iâd do if you were my boyfriend, isnât it?â
âBut Iâm not,â Crowley snapped, âDonât do that again. Ever.â
The angel shrugged, âI justâŚbeing on Earth is weird, you know? All new stuff. I just wanted to know.â
The Bentley stopped in front of the bookstore, âYouâre not going to assault me again, are you?â
Muriel laughed, âN-no. Iâm sorry, Mr. Crowley.â
Gentleman as he was, Crowley went around to open Murielâs door.
She got out and blinked up at him, âThank you for the pancakes. And not getting too mad when IâŚI just wanted to know what it was like.â
The demon sighed, âI know. Not mad. Shouldâve given me warning, though.â
He scrubbed his hand over his face, snarling to himself, âThe only angel - or demon - or human - or anything, really, Iâm the tiniest bit interested in is Azir - your new boss. So weâre clear.â
Crowley growled at the damn helpful inclination that had rubbed off on him due to centuries of being around Aziraphale and kissed Murielâs cheek, lightly bringing his lips to her skin which warmed slightly with embarrassment and shock, âThere. Now you know.â
The angelâs face was bright pink, âRight. Now I know.â There was another million-ton silence before she filled with deep red, âTh - thank youâŚI think.â
His forefinger aiming at her, Crowley commanded, âDonât ask me to do anything else kiss-wise, because I wonât be pleasant if you do; got it?â
Muriel nodded once then saluted him, âGot it, Mr. Crowley, sir.â
Crowley, who had made his way to the bookshop door, turned around, holding up a finger, âJust Crowley - none of this Mister or sir nonsense, Mmkay?â
âRight. Just Crowley. Got it,â Muriel gave another salute as the demon entered the store, then followed after him.
The demon growled, âAnd stop with that wholeâŚâ he put a limp hand to his temple, âsalute-y shit.â
Muriel immediately dropped her hand, âRight. I donât know why I did that.â
âForce of habit, I suppose. Now, Az - he - never sold any books, so, I guess youâreâŚhere to make sure no one buys any,â Crowley flopped into Aziraphaleâs chair, taking out his phone to stare suspiciously at it for a moment before smacking it several times then holding it up in front of his face to glare intimidatingly at the device, âFucking ring!â
âDidnât you just get back from Hell?â the much-less-appreciated angel said, âDo they usually return messages that quickly?â
Crowley shot an angrily exasperated look at her but didnât say anything in response.
An hour passed before the demon looked at his watch, âDid we even turn the sign to OPEN? Not that itâll make a difference - weâre not selling anything.â
Muriel checked the sign on the door and gave a nervous chuckle, âNo, I guess I didnât,â she flipped over the sign and went back to stand behind the counter awkwardly. The angel looked down at the dress she was wearing, âThis really is nice. Can I keep it?â
âDonât care. Just wasnât gonna be seen with an officer of the law. I donât have any use for it, do I? Sure - keep the thing,â Crowley replied distractedly; he checked his phone again. Seeing nothing new, he turned it off then back on again, closed out every app and turned the ringer volume up all the way.
The demon shoved himself out of the chair, âGet me âf anyone wants to buy something. Iâm drinking and passing out.â Crowley snatched two bottles of wine from the desk and went upstairs to brood while he drank the first bottle before taking gulps of the second bottle in between choked sobs. Falling onto the bed without any grace, he kicked off his shoes, threw aside his glasses, and held his phone against his chest. Within five minutes, he was in a shallow sleep, memories of Aziraphale stepping into the elevator plaguing his slumber.
âMuriel? You still here?â he called out as he descended the stairs. It wasnât until he arrived at the first floor that he realized it was quite late - the sun had disappeared behind the horizon and only a few lingered in the streets - women with smudged makeup that had been expertly applied leaned against buildingsâ walls, two smoking cigarettes.
Crowley found the young angel sitting on her knees on the sofa, arms folded on the back of the couch as she looked out the window.
âHey,â Crowley said unenthusiastically.
âWhat are those women doing out there? Just standing around. Humans really are odd, arenât they?â
Flopping back into the armchair, the demon shrugged a shoulder, âDepends who you ask, really.â
Muriel hadnât taken her eyes off the women, âSeriously, what are they doing? Do you think they need help? Should I go ask?â
Having taken out his phone again, Crowley waved her off, âSure, yeah, why not?â
He snarled viciously at the device in his hand when it alerted him that it needed a software update, âEuurrrggghhh!â
The demon stabbed the âUpdate Nowâ button then moodily swiped his thumb repeatedly up the screen, wishing he had the knowledge of who exactly was to blame for the creation of Terms & Conditions, then prodded the I Accept button before glaring out the window to see the awkward angel Muriel standing near two women in revealing clothes and dangerously tall stilettos.
Crowley snatched his sunglasses from the table and rushed out the door, taking long, quick strides to the small group, âHey! HeyheyheyheyHey! What are you telling her?â
Muriel had taken a stunned step back away from the scantily clad women, covering her mouth with both hands.
The red-haired woman with smudged mascara laughing almost maniacally, the other, platinum blonde, snickering into her hand.
âWhat the hell âave you been telling her?â
âJust answering her questions, love,â the red-haired prostitute said, âShe asked us why we were standing out here. It felt wrong to lie to her.â
âOh, that felt wrong? Really? Are you out of your minds?â Crowley exclaimed, wrapping a protective arm around Murielâs shoulders, âWhy the Heaven would you show her that?â The demon glared at the women; even though he knew they couldnât see his narrowed eyes behind his sunglasses, the action made him feel better.
Tightening his hold on the angel, Crowley marched back to the bookshop, raging the entire way, âLike you needed to hear that - that - that grotesque things humans consider acceptable behavior! Whyâd she tell you that?â
The demon opened the door to the shop and ushered a traumatized-looking Muriel inside, guiding her to sit on the sofa, âSit here. Iâll be right back.â
Hurriedly, Crowley went to the kitchenette; he was back in the little alcove in less than five minutes, carrying a mug; he held it out to Muriel, who blinked up at him with confused curiosity.
âHot chocolate; take it - should help,â Crowley offered.
âHow?â Muriel questioned, taking the warm cup.
Sighing slightly, the demon flopped into Aziraphaleâs chair, âI donât know, if Iâm being honest. Gabri - Jim always liked it.â
âDi - did Aziraphale?â
Crowley frowned deeply, âMustâve; but he liked anything sweet, didnât he? If it was sugary, he was a big fan - if he liked it, âs a safe bet it was sweetâŚor sushi.â
âYouâreâŚbut youâre not sushiâŚâ
âWell-observed,â Crowley cocked his head slightly.
Muriel took a hesitant, suspicious sip of the hot chocolate, âOh, this is nice. Right. Youâre not sushiâŚare you? No, youâre a demon.â
âRight again. Now, what the heaven are you talking about?â
âYou said that if Aziraphale likes something, itâs either sushi or something sweet. But he likes you.â
Crowley couldnât contain his snarl, but quickly allowed melancholic brooding to replace it, âNot enough.â
Muriel furrowed her eyebrows, âWhat? What do you mean?â
âI laid it all out for him, didnât I? Told him how weâve been together forâŚwell, forever - since the beginning of - no, before the beginning of time, that I didnât know what Iâd do without him, that we could run off together - away from all the fighting and politics of Heaven and Hell, that we could be us, and he just buggered off to Heaven, thatâs what he did. HEAVEN!â Crowley jumped up suddenly and frantically felt his jeans pockets, then his jacket pockets, ripping his phone out of the inner hidden space of the jacket and crashing back down into the chair as his phone started back up.
âCome on, come on, come on, come on!â Crowley urged the device as Muriel drank her hot chocolate.
âYes, yes, yes, I know all that,â the demon swiped through the obnoxious mini-tutorials of new features, growling when it told him that he needed to re-verify the network connection and demanded that he sign in to his mobile service account after the update.
Next â Chapter 2 (coming tomorrow)