Bad Omens 8: Ye Saga Comes To An End

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Eden winced as Aziraphale gently peeled away the bandage on her cheek. He pushed her into her and Gabriel's bedroom in the wheelchair and shut the door before he began the bittersweet task.

"How.....how bad is it?" Eden asked shakily. The saddened expression on her Papa's face confirmed her fears.

"It's not bad my Little One." Aziraphale murmured. "But it'll take some time to get used to."

Eden's right cheek now had a large burn scar, nearly the size of baseball on her right cheek. Along with a vertical line from when the Dragon nearly slashed out her eye, her face was now covered in very noticeable scars. The worst of the scars was the vertical slash mark that ran down the right side of her face. That's where the Dragon clawed her....

"Oh." Eden murmured as she gazed at her reflection in her and Gabriel's bedroom mirror.

When Eden didn't speak for several moments, Aziraphale knelt at her side. "Little One, look at me please."

Eden turned and met her Papa's gaze. Aziraphale reached up and gently touched the newly formed scars on his daughter's face one by one.

"You're still my beautiful daughter, Eden Alexandria Queen Fell. Don't you ever forget that for even a second."

"Papa...." Eden's voice cracked as he pulled her into a fierce hug. Aziraphale hugged his little one tightly until there was a soft knock on the door.

"Angel? Queenie?" It was Crowley. "Can I come in now?"

"Little One," Aziraphale asked softly, "Are you ready for your father to come in? Or would you like to wait a little longer?"

Eden wiped her eyes and replied with conviction, "I'm ready. He can come in. But.... just him....I'm not ready for Gabriel to see just yet." Eden reached for the bandages on her arm and began to unwrap them with the help of her Papa.

Crowley and Gabriel were waiting outside the master bedroom. Today was the day that Eden's bandages, the bandages that were concealing the terrible burns, were going to be removed.

And there were definitely going to be scars, which made everyone feel like the weight of the world was on their shoulders.

But despite the heaviness that dragged at them, Crowley, Gabriel, Aziraphale and even Eden put on a front for the children up until their naptime.

Crowley and Gabriel watched as the bedroom door creaked open and Aziraphale stuck his head out.

"She'd like to see you first Crowley."

"Queenie?" Crowley said as he followed his husband into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

Crowley felt a lump in his throat as his and Eden's gazes met. She was still wheel chair bound thanks to her broken leg. Aziraphale had busied himself by brushing Eden's wild curls and then tucking her tartan bow barrette snugly in-between some curls on the right side of her head.

"What do you think Daddy?" Eden pointed to her scarred face and lifted her ravaged arm. A ragged burn scar nearly covered the entire top of her arm.

Crowley, his whole body trembling, rushed forward and yanked Eden into a tight embrace.

"I see no difference, Eden." Crowley rasped. "All I see is my beautiful daughter."

"And words can't describe how much I love you and how proud of you I am....."

"Daddy...." Fresh tears stung her eyes as she buried her face in her Daddy's shoulder.

Gabriel waited outside the master bedroom quietly and a little impatiently. He wanted to see if Eden was okay but he knew she needed this time to be alone with her parents.

"Gabriel, you can come in now." Aziraphale murmured as he opened the door. The Archangel didn't even hesitate. He entered the room and barely glanced at Eden's new scars. Gabriel immediately dashed to his wife and hugged her tightly.

"Edie." He rasped. "My beautiful Edie."

Eden smiled up at her parents. "I could get used to this....."

Gabriel eventually pulled back to meet her gaze. Eden reached out and held up his hand, gazing at the palm. It was riddled with scars from when he dug her out of the rubble. Eden kissed his scarred palm gently and didn't have to say a word.

Gabriel kissed the newly scarred side of her face in return.

"I love you, Archangel fucking Gabriel." Eden murmured softly.

"I love you too, Eden Alexandria Queen Fell Archer." Gabriel rasped in reply.

"I guess we can add these new scars to the collection, huh?" Eden rasped as she and Gabriel continued to exchange kisses. Eden shot a knowing glance at her parents. Gabriel knew the meaning behind that look. Crowley and Aziraphale bore their own scars from their time on Earth, which made Gabriel feel a fresh pang of guilt about his past treatment of Aziraphale. He had no right to be cruel when humans and the Opposition were already such monstrous creatures at times.....

But that was all in the past. Gabriel pushed the guilt away and focused his gaze back on Eden. Her dark flame red hair, her crystal blue eyes......

"Indeed we can, Little One." Aziraphale replied, smiling at the sight of Gabriel placing a hand on Eden's stomach as he adjusted Eden’s barrette just so. There now. Perfect.