Chapter Text
It was a beautiful September morning as the sunshine warmed Aziraphale’s skin. He watched as Crowley tended to his garden while Ethan played in the grass. The Angel kept busy as he hung up the wet clothes to dry.
”Aziraphale.”, A Divine voice spoke. It felt like a ancient presence with a velvety voice calling out to him.
”Hello?”, Aziraphale called out quietly, unafraid.
“You are favored. God is with you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid.”, They said.
“Oh, hello dearie.”, Aziraphale was surprised. The Holy Spirit has never spoken to me before, the Angel thought.
”You will conceive in your womb and give birth to a daughter. She will be strong and highly favored.”
“A daughter! Oh.” Aziraphale said with love and affection.
”The Spirit of the Lord will overshadow you.”
“Tell Her thank you for me.”
“Mother God is pleased with you. She blesses you with gift of new life, Aziraphale.”
Aziraphale closes his eyes, letting the warmth and love wash over him. He thinks of Crowley and Ethan, how they complete a part of him he didn’t know was missing.
The Angel began to weep, his hand went to his stomach. His atoms were expanding, a womb knitting together as muscles and tissues miracle into place at instruction of the Spirit.
He knows his baby girl is within him when a tendril of warmth fills him. Their souls met and he begins to sing an ancient song in Enochian.
The Angel is Overwhelmed with emotion. His knees buckle and Azirapahle collapses dropping the basket in his hand.
“Papa?”, Ethan shouts afraid when he cannot rouse a response from his father. He begins to cry as Ethan tries to get Crowley's attention, worried about his Papa.
Crowley frowns when he hears the boy’s distress and finds Aziraphale collapsed. The Demon bolts towards his husband’s unresponsive form.
“Aziraphale?”,Crowley calls out. The Demon picks up his husband and carried him into the living room.
Ethan has tears in his eyes, he’s holding Lamby and trembling with fear. He tugs at Crowley’s trousers and the Demons wants to melt as he sees the sadness in Ethan’s eyes. The Demon can’t help but think how Ethan and Azira have the same eyes.
“Is Papa sick?”
“I don’t know, lad.”
Crowley whispers to himself, "Get it together. Ethan needs you strong. You cannot fall apart, Anthony."
He tries to keep an awareness of his emotion, trying not to project his feelings of distress and uncertainty into the cottage.
Ethereal beings are sensitive to emotions and the waves they produce.
”Papa fell down.”
”I’m sorry you saw that.”, The Demon said with sincerity.
Crowley holds the toddler, carrying him on his hip. The toddler buried his face into his Dad’s shirt. He sits down and begins to pray, pleading quietly into the universe. The Demon miracles wet cloth for Aziraphale’s forehead and tries to cool him off.
He tries to fan him with a newspaper and get the Angel cool. The Angel's skin is warm to the touch and burns when Crowley touches him. It is really starting to wig him out.
Crowley nearly comes unraveled when he hears two pairs of wings unfurl and land within the vicinity of the cottage. He quickly sits Ethan down beside Aziraphale and draws a weapon.
The cottage has been fortified with sigils that prevent occult and ethereal beings from tracing their location. If threatened, Crowley can unleash a powerful sigil to protect his family.
The Demon Crowley looks very confused when he finds Gabriel in a lavender blazer alongside Micheal in their living room.
"Ug, Micheal, Gabriel, what are you doing in my living room?"
"You prayed, She answered. I'm just the messager.", Gabriel sneared. Micheal rolled their eyes, they didn't have time for such nonsense.
"Ew.'"
”You’re one to talk, Demon. Corrupting Aziraphale’s vessel with your devilish spawn.”, Gabriel spat.
”Don’t make me get stabby, Gabbie.”
Crowley and Micheal were ready to throw hands.
"Aziraphale is with child.", Micheal elbowed Gabriel, trying to do their job which God Herself sent them.
Something about an ineffable plan, neither Archangel were thrilled with the fact Mother ships Aziraphale and Crowley.
The Archangel Micheal wasn’t about to let Gabriel screw this up cause he got all bro-y again.
"What?", Crowley looked shocked, worried, and thrilled all at the same time.
"He got a little excited and overwhelmed. Aziraphale will be fine.", Micheal reassured as they placed a hand on Aziraphale and breathed divine healing grace over the Angel in Enochian.
Crowley whined softly hearing his mother tongue spoke over his Angel. He felt uncomfortably embarrassed he couldn’t heal Aziraphale himself.
"Is he going to be okay?", the Demon hissed, still unsure.
"Every cell in his ethereal, metaphysical body is expanding and trying to accommodate another being.”, Micheal explained.
”Oh. Too much love?”
“It's a lot of work. Aziraphale is literally burning with divine engery at the moment.", Gabriel treated Crowley like he was dumb.
"Is that why he's so warm?", Crowley's face burned with shame. Gabriel always made him feel unworthy and dredged up insecurities that he was a negative influence on his Angel.
"Yes, pregnancy is taxing on one’s vessel. You should continue to nurse him with cool cloths and this manana. His fever will break.", Micheal put a bottle of golden thick honey colored liquid on the coffee table.
Crowley stares blankly as he watches the Angels disappear within a wing beat. Ethan and Crowley make eye contact.
Crowley decides to pick Ethan up and call Anthema. If anyone can help it’s the Witch, Crowley thought to himself. She could watch Ethan while Crowley works to heal Aziraphale with time and manna.
“Anthema, I need help.”
”Crowley, are you alright?”, the witch asked picking up on his panic.
“Aziraphale is sick.”
”I thought Angels couldn’t get sick.”
”He’s pregnant.”
”Did this happen last time?”
”I don’t know!”, Crowley raised his voice.
“That’s okay, Crowley. I’ll be right there.”, Anthema reassured.
Crowley tried to be patient but he was really scared. He began to pace the room, stopping every so often to re-wet the cloth and drain the extra water so it wasn't dripping too much.
He stayed at his husband's side until Crowley heard Anthema at the door.
Ethan was still clinging close to him as Crowley answered the door and found a nervous Newt standing with Anthema who looked unshakable.
"Come in.", Crowley trembled.
Crowley kissed Ethan's forehead whispering a, "I love you.", "Papa will be okay, I promise." and " Be good, Lad." into the boy's before he handed Ethan to Anathema.
Ethan looked unsure, but he did like his Auntie Anathema and Uncle Newt. He went with them, but watched his dads from afar with a frown.
The Demon carried Aziraphale to bed and miracled him into a pair of pjs. He tucked the Angel in and tended to him. He held Aziraphale's hand and pleaded for him to return to him.
Crowley desperately wanted to see Aziraphale open his eyes and they be vibrantly filled with life. It was an antagonizing sixteen and half hour wait for his fever to break.
By hour eight, Crowley was exhausted and closed his eyes, leaning his head on the edge of the bed as he sat in a chair.
He slept for several hours before continuing to pace, busy himself with the rags, and nursing the Angel some bits of manna.
It wasn't like Aziraphale to sleep like the dead, that is much more Crowley's idea of a good time than the Angel's. That morning he Demon went for a walk to stretch his legs.
He showered and changed clothes at Anathema's insistence, Aziraphale would want the Demon to look after himself. He ate breakfast with Ethan before returning to Aziraphale's side about an hour and half later.
The Demon decide to give Aziraphale a sponge bath and miracle him on some clean clothes. He knew how much his Angel like to care for his vessel.
After tending to Aziraphale, he rested against the bed again, closing his eyes and trying to get his overwhelmed, anxious mind to settle around the time Aziraphale call out his name in a drowsy fog of confusion.
The Demon had been anxiously waiting for any signs of improvement and life for far too long.
"C-Crowley?"
"Oh Angel.", Crowley's voice cracked.
"Is everything alright?"
"It will be."
"What happened?"
"You collapsed."
"How long was I out?"
"About sixteen hours."
"Where is Ethan?"
"Downstairs with Anathema and Newt."
"Thank goodness."
"I was so scared, Azira."
"Carry on, I'm here now.", The Angel makes a sweeping gesture of welcome with his open awaiting arms.
Crowley sits on the bed and is more than happy to snuggle to his Angel. They cuddle together while Crowley weeps quietly until he has let it all out.
Reassuringly Aziraphale kisses his forehead and murmurs quiet reassurances.
"I'm glad you came back to me."
"I could never leave you or Ethan, not now, especially not now."
"Ah.", Crowley sniffled.
Oh, Crowley, darling! I'm having another baby! A girl."
“Brilliant. I’m thrilled, Angel.”
”Our daughter.”, Aziraphale whispered.
"Did you collapse last time?", Crowley asked softly like he might break as he was remembering he didn't know about Aziraphale's last pregnancy until the 12th week.
"I did feel quite faint. I do not remember passing out or having a fever last time but I did lay down for a while."''
"Should we tell the spawn?"
"Not yet, dear. Let's wait until we're sure."
"As you wish."
They sit for a while, knowing it was too early to awake Ethan yet. He was sound asleep for it was the middle of the day. Their toddler still naps for several hours a day. So Crowley and Aziraphale take the time to enjoy the quiet.
The Demon places a hand on Aziraphale's stomach which is soft and pudy but not yet filling out with their baby seeing as it's early yet.
But Crowley thinks warm thoughts and lets the trendils of warmth that is their daughter reach out to him. Their souls communicating, he feels like he knows her just as well as Aziraphale's soul.
His sepertine eyes fill with tears, he locks eyes with Aziraphale as they share a knowing glaze.
A name is on the tip of his tongue as he speaks her name, purpose and identity into the universe.
"Phoebe.", Crowley knew her name. It was like it bubbled up deep from within in, like she had always been a part of him.
Phoebe is the name of a notable woman entrusted with the task of delivering St. Paul's Letter to the Romans. A leader in the Early Church, the only place in the New Testament in which a woman is regarded with such honor. Phoebe was refered to both as a deacon, a leader in the Church and as a patron of many.
She is a leader, a story-teller, a bold prophetess, a friend to many, and a warrior woman who speaks her truth. Not much is known about their daughter's namesake, but we can infer she is important to have been mentioned by Paul.
" I quite like the name.", Aziraphale's voice is filled with a softness.
"It's a Greek name, that means bright or radiant."
"Crowley, it's perfect."
"It's ineffable.", the Demon acknowledged.
A sense of knowing fills the Demon with such a tenderness, it's moment like that spark his faith.
A faith in something bigger than all of them, not necessarily a religious belief or even an acknowledge of God. It is as if Crowley's soul knows her soul, as if they have never been apart a single moment in all of Creation.
The ineffability of the whole thing fills him with a sense of wonder and awe. Their family has always been apart of the plan, he just wasn't able to imagine such a beautiful story for himself and Aziraphale.
Fin.