Titanic (Aziraphale X Crowley)

Chapter Twelve: The Damage

Everyone in Third Class was heading above deck, away from the water practically following the rats out. Mr. Ismay was making his way to the captain's quarters too to find out what was going on while Gabriel looked for a Crewmember. When Gabriel found one, the Crewmember tried to tell him that nothing was wrong since everyone was asking about what happened with the shudders. Gabriel told the crewmember that something was wrong, claiming to have been robbed.

Sandalphon told the crewmember to fetch the Master-at-Arms. Up on deck, everyone was playing football with the ice that had landed on deck. As Crowley and Aziraphale left the deck they were on, they overheard an officer telling the Captain what the reported damage was. Boiler room six was flooded above capacity and the mail hold was a lot worse. The Captain asked if they were able to make it to shore and the officer said that they could if the water pumps held up.

Mr. Andrews asked him if he had seen the damage in the mail hold but no one could get in there as it was already underwater. Hearing this, Crowley and Aziraphale knew this wasn't going to end well. But Aziraphale gave worse news saying that they had to tell the Metatron and Gabriel about this. In the room, officers were searching the place for any evidence or any sign of Gabriel's missing property. Aziraphale and Crowley made their way to the cabin where Sandalphon was waiting for them. As all three walked into the cabin, Sandalphon slipped something into Crowley's pocket. The three walked in to see everyone waiting for the two.

"Something serious has happened," Aziraphale told them

"Yes, it has," Gabriel said looking at Sandalphon who gave him a nod, "Indeed. Two things dear to me have disappeared this evening. Now that one is back I have a pretty good idea where to find the other. Search him."

"Take your coat off, sir," The master-at-arms told Crowley

"Now what?" Crowley asked, annoyed at the treatment at this point

"Gabriel, what are you doing?" Aziraphale asked him, "We're in the middle of an emergency. What's going on?"

"Is this it?" an officer asked, pulling the Diamond from Crowley's pocket

"That's it," Gabriel confirmed, taking it back

Crowley looked at it in absolute shock. He remembered putting it in Gabriel's safe, not his pocket.

"This is horseshit!" Crowley said, "Don't you believe it, Angel. Don't!"

"He couldn't have," Aziraphale said not believing it

"Of course, he could," Gabriel told him, "It's easy enough for a professional."

"But I was with him the whole time. This is absurd."

"Perhaps he did it while you were putting your clothes back on, Aziraphale," Gabriel whispered to him but Crowley heard him

"Real slick, Gabriel. Angel, they put it in my pocket," Crowley told Aziraphale

"Shut up!" Gabriel told Crowley

"It isn't even your pocket, is it, son?" Sandalphon asked Crowley, "Property of A. L. Ryerson."

"That was reported stolen today," The master-at-arms confirmed

"I just borrowed it. I was going to return it," Crowley said truthfully.

"An honest thief? We have an honest thief here, do we?" Gabriel asked the other gentlemen in the room

Crowley turned to Aziraphale, begging him not to believe them as he knew he wasn't like that. But, with all the evidence in front of him, it was almost hard to believe that Crowley didn't steal all of this. As Crowley was dragged away, he continued to beg Aziraphale not to believe the lies. But let's assess what will happen to the ship. In the Captain's cabin, Mr. Andrews quickly rolled out schematics of the ship to explain what their situation was with Mr. Ismay present.

"Water... 14 feet above the keel in ten minutes. In the forepeak, in all three holds, and in the boiler room six."

"That's right, sir," An officer confirmed everything Mr. Andrews had said

"When can we get underway, damn it?" Mr. Ismay asked, irritated that they were making such a fuss over seemingly nothing on an unsinkable ship

"That's five compartments!" Mr. Andrews argued, "She can stay afloat with the first four compartments breached but not five. Not five. As she goes down by the head the water will spill over the tops of bulkheads at E deck from one to the next. Back and back. There's no stopping it."

"The pumps," the captain pointed at where they were located, "If we opened the doors-"

"The pumps buy you time," Mr. Andrews interrupted, "but minutes only. From this moment, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder."

"But this ship can't sink," Mr. Ismay said thinking this wasn't a massive problem

"She's made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can... and she will. It is a mathematical certainty."

Everyone in the room was quiet. There was no saving this ship. So the Captain started to assess the situation.

"How much time?" The Captain asked

"An hour," Mr. Andrews said, "Two at most."

"And how many aboard, Mr. Murdoch?"

"2,200 souls on board, sir," Murdoch said feeling responsible for what happened that night

The Captain turned to Mr. Ismay, "Well, I believe you may get your headlines, Mr. Ismay."

Back in First Class, Aziraphale and Gabriel had been left alone in the cabin. Gabriel was irritated at the fact that Aziraphale preferred to be with a demon over being an Archangel. He walked over to Aziraphale and stood in front of him doing nothing at first before slapping him, calling him a slut, assuming the two had slept together after that picture was drawn. A steward then walked in, just as Gabriel was about to give him a strong word about all this. Gabriel tried to make the steward leave but he told them both to put on their lifebelts and to dress warmly as it was cold out.

Gabriel once again tried asking him to leave but he insisted as it was Captain's orders. Gabriel left Aziraphale who was recovering from the surprised slap. The steward tried to assure Aziraphale saying that this was all a precaution. But they were quick to tell everyone in the Third and Second classes to put their lifebelts on, not giving them time to properly wake up to take in the news. While everyone in the crew was as calm as possible, the passengers were confused as to what was going on. But they would soon find out.