Everyday it's a-gettin' closer - English Version

The Return - Nathalie and the coffee

As morning broke, Nathanael leaned back deeper in the armchair and massaged her face. "The temptation for coffee is rising," she announced, and Crowley, who had rejoined Aziraphale's side, raised his head.

"There's a coffee house on the opposite side. I've included the area around the bookstore in my miracle, so you can move around the neighborhood here. I know the owner a little bit. Doesn't do a bad job," he recommended, and Nathaniel nodded with a grateful sigh.

"Can I get you something too?"

"Um...yeah. When Nina, the owner, is at the counter, you can just say you want Mister Crowley's order. Then she'll know exactly what to do: otherwise, just a big cup of six shots of espresso."

At Crowley's response, Nathanael looked at him with wide eyes. "Bit excessive, don't you think?"

Crowley merely shrugged. "Well, if you say so," the angel then conceded defeat, standing up and pulling out a small wallet from the back pocket of her jeans.

"You seriously have a wallet?" chuckled Crowley, amused, and now it was Nathanael who shrugged.

"I just still learned it that way. You can't shake old habits. However, it's handy that I can always replenish it with a miracle!"

With these words, she said goodbye and left the bookstore.

However, she stopped for a moment and looked at the entrance sign that hung on the door to indicate the opening hours. She flicked her finger briefly, and a plaque appeared noting that the store was closed due to illness.

"Excuse me," a pleasant female voice rang out, and Nathanael turned around instantly. She looked directly into the eyes of a woman of darker complexion, braids and colorful clothes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she smiled, and Nathanael waved her off. "It's all right. Can I help you?" she asked kindly.

"Well, it depends: I'm an acquaintance of the owner of this store. I hadn't seen him in the last few weeks, though, and I was starting to get worried. Especially since neither he nor his partner, have stopped by my place lately."

"You must be Nina," Nathanael understood and extended her hand, "Na...Nathalie. I was actually just coming to see you to place a take-out order!"

"Oh," the woman marveled after shaking Nathanael's hand, nodding behind her. "Well, let's go!"

Together, they walked to the small, but nice café that was sparsely attended in the early morning. Immediately, Nina headed to her work area.

"So, what'll it be, Nathalie?"

"One Mister Crowley's order...and for me...do you do caramel lattes?"

"Will do!" confirmed Nina, walking over to the machine. "I hope you brought a little time with you. I just opened and had to fix the machine unexpectedly. It's just taking a little while to heat up."

"No problem," Nathanael replied, sitting down on one of the bar stools.

"As long as that's happening...can I just ask what's been going on at the bookstore? Please don't take this the wrong way, but I've become good friends with Mister Phil and Mister Crowley and...met my partner through these incidents...and now some beautiful gal shows up and puts a new sign on the store after no sign of the two of them for weeks!"

At the compliment, Nathanael had to smile briefly and used the time to think carefully about what to say.

"Well, I'm from Mister Phil's side of the family, and I'm actually here visiting to get some distance from the toxic part on my part. Unfortunately, Mister Phil had an accident just before. That's why he and Mister Crowley were away for so long. In the meantime he was allowed to go home, but he has to take it easy. For that reason, I'm staying a little longer to help Mister Crowley get the store back in shape, and Mister Phil too!"

Nina's eyes widened. Nathanael could see in her eyes that she was really worried about them. Apparently, there really had been a friendly bond formed.

"Oh...and we didn't realize that...so by me I mean me and my partner. We should have looked more..."

"Don't worry about it," Nathanael said gently, "caught us off guard too. Hence the mess. But well, we are cleaning it up! The main thing now is that Mister Phil gets better."

Nina agreed with her. She turned back to the machine as it let out a loud beep to announce that it was now operational again.

"Well, Mister Crowley is really lucky that Mister Phil has such a helpful relative," she continued the conversation anyway, "you don't have it every day that you're accepted by at least part of the family when it comes out that your relative has a partner instead of a mate."

And there you always say that humans would not understand anything.

"Well, it was pretty obvious with those two, wasn't it?" smiled Nathanael and Nina laughed. "Glad it wasn't just me and my Maggie who saw that!"

Nathanael returned the grin. "But...if the two of them were away for several weeks now, then Mister Phil really got it though..." murmured Nina worriedly, preparing the first cup.

"Well...but he's tough...but an injury to the back is just always tricky."

"Oh, just thinking back to my last lumbago," Nina recalled with a groan, pressing the lid onto the cup. As she did so, she paused for a brief moment, which caught Nathanael's eye.

"Are you all right?"

"Um...yeah...sorry. I was just thinking back to the old man who took a coffee for Mister Phil weeks ago..."

Immediately, Nathanael's ears perked up.

"Some nice looking old gentleman with a beard?" she inquired, and Nina nodded. "Yes...exactly. Just before I had seen him then with Mister Phil...silly thought on my part but...I had watched Phil drink the coffee and then suddenly...seem so different."

"Different?"

"Yes...it seemed like all his worries had fallen away. Normally, as a diner owner, you're happy when something like that happens...but...oh I just worry too much!"

That damn bastard!

"Sometimes you can't stop the mind carousel," Nathanael remarked tersely. "Yeah...first of all, I think I saw the man twice more after that...but not for a couple of weeks now either...Never mind. He's not around anymore and I was just wondering. As I said, I've grown fond of the two of them and I just want them to be okay," Nina then said more clearly and placed the two prepared mugs in a small carrying box on the table.

"Are we allowed to visit the patient then?"

"Not yet, but I'll be sure to ask and let you know," Nathanael replied, glancing briefly at the scoreboard and then taking out a bill. "That's fine," she announced.

"Oh, thank you very much. Wait a minute!" With those words, Nina disappeared briefly through the door behind her into a back room and returned with a small box.

"Something sweet for you all to eat, on the house," she explained with a smile. "How thoughtful," Nathanael thanked her and accepted the box.

"Well, like I said, I'll be in touch!" she said goodbye and headed for the door.

"Nathalie?"

Nathanael turned between the door and Angel and looked at Nina. "Take good care of those two for me, please!"

"I will, I promise!" she assured, and then walked out of the store for good, where she had seen her features derail, matching the anger that had been building up inside her.