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

The Return - Another Bookworm

"Tear party over?", Crowley's voice snapped the two angels out of their discussion and they looked to the door where the demon stood grinning with a tray on which was a pot of tea as well as a couple of cups. "Yes, definitely," Nathanael cleared her throat, stood up and helped him put everything on the shelf so that the cups could be filled.

As they did so, the two of them did not notice how they were being watched by Aziraphale. The latter immediately noticed the friendly interaction between Crowley and Nathanael. Of course, there was the odd bit of banter, but on the other hand, he could feel a certain respect between the two. So it was not surprising why plans were already being made in the background for what would happen next.

"Here you are, my angel," Aziraphale heard and one of the filled cups appeared in his field of vision. "Thank you..." he murmured and accepted it. Only now did he realise how he had longed for one. The temptation to eat something was far from him because of his condition, but a good cup of tea seemed like paradise on earth.

"So and you sit there!" said Nathanael pointing to the chair beside the bed, "To your angel where you belong!"

"Hey, we haven't got to that point in the friendly plane yet, you giving me orders here!" teased Crowley back, but went to the aforementioned seat with his cup anyway. Nathanael himself, grabbed another chair and now sat at the vacant side of the bed.

"Yours...angel...", Aziraphale thought aloud, and at that he had to smile.

"Yes, so you're not mine. I like you Aziraphale, but I'm not going to risk head and neck, get you out of there and thus banish myself from heaven so I can just throw the main reason for my mission in the bin!"

"I thought your main reason was your old score with the old old man?" suggested Crowley with a raised eyebrow and Nathanael shrugged.

"Not really. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I just still believe in true love!"

After she uttered the last part of the sentence Nathanael noticed two bright red heads staring at her. "What, did I just help you notice something?" she grinned before taking a sip of her tea.

"True...love...", Crowley stammered out and had to swallow. His and Aziraphale's eyes met causing the demon's skin colour to even rival that of his hair.

"You know her Angel..." he gritted out from under clenched teeth, "...has she always been like this?"

No less red in the face, Aziraphale looked briefly at Nathaniel and nodded mutely.

"I was even like this as a human. So can't blame your angel for that. Why do you think I was considered a 'doubter' among the apostles? I have never been able to hold back my opinion, my questions or my comment. Not even in front of the boss's son. If I had questions or doubts, I had them! End of story."

"Consider yourself lucky you weren't an angel at that point...sometimes asking is enough..."

Silence fell after Crowley's interjection. Only now did he realise what words had just left his lips.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to open old wounds with my line."

Crowley looked at Nathanael in astonishment. "You didn't," he said, "...it was just a comment on my part. Nothing more. Don't put everything I put out at the mouth in gold."

"You seem to have learned more about each other already than I thought," Aziraphale steered the conversation in another direction and already Crowley was grinning mischievously again.

"Well, you have to know your enemy," he joked and Nathanael raised an eyebrow. "Aha. Enemy. I get it," this one chuckled, "...but seriously, you do have to open the book and have it read if you want to build a good base!"

Crowley, as well as Nathanael, winced as Aziraphale gave a short gasp. His expression, however, clearly showed that this was not from pain. "Books!" he stammered, "Oh woe! Muriel...I know you told me she was ordered back to Heaven but...she was in charge of the bookshop! I don't mean to speak ill of her..."

Nathanael was the first to regain her composure. "Oh, I see!" she laughed in relief, "Well, if you want, I can take a look over it and clean up the mess, if that makes you feel better."

"You...?", Crowley stumbled.

"Yes me!" replied Nathaniel, unimpressed, "In the moments I've been looking for you, I've always been able to catch glimpses of the collection. Amazing works you have there Aziraphale. I am truly envious. Especially the first editions of Jane Austen and Oscar Wild."

As Crowley's upturned eyeballs moved ever upwards, Aziraphale's smile widened.

"And that's not even all of them," he gloated, setting his cup down and taking Nathanael's hand. "Would you really do that for me?"

"Sure. We wouldn't want your recovery to be delayed because of worrying about your shop!"

"Thank you!" whooped Aziraphale, which was interrupted when he clung tighter to Nathanael and apparently took a deep breath.

"So much for that," Crowley grumbled, joining Nathanael in helping to lay Aziraphale down.

"Sorry...I..."

"There's nothing to apologise for, Angel!" grumbled Crowley, cutting Aziraphale off. "Absolutely not. You're in pain and you're weak. Then something like this can happen. It was probably all a bit much just now too..."

"...And that's what people always have to go through when they're not well?" asked Aziraphale addressing her and Nathanael nodded with a sad smile. "Doesn't leave much choice but to bite through...or give up..."

"...That again sounds stupid!", Crowley now couldn't help commenting.

"I'll whip you indefinitely and leave you lying there, then we'll talk some more!", Nathanael returned no less sarcastically and the two didn't even notice for the time being in their war of words that Aziraphale had fallen asleep again in the meantime.

But when the realisation came, they wordlessly put the tea service back on the tray and walked out of the room to the kitchen.

"And you really want to do this?" asked Crowley as he miraculously cleaned the dishes and put them back in the cupboards. "Put the bookstore back in shape? Yeah, why not?"

With a puckered mouth, Crowley bobbed his head back and forth at Nathanael's query. "I'll put it this way, things have been happening around here lately that have led to a right mess. So if you want to bring a system back in, I wish you the best of luck with that!"

"You trust me to rescue your beloved from heaven, but not to sort a collection?" wondered Nathanael, and her expression became even more confused when Crowley put a hand on her shoulder after he had also put the tray away again.

"Do what you will - but I warned you," he said in a dark voice, reaching out, "...and while you despair, I'll check the quarter to see if my miracle still holds, or maybe you still have to do your bit!"

"I will not despair," Nathanael piqued herself, bracing her hands on her hips.

"As I said, I warned you!" almost sang Crowley, and left the kitchen.