Chapter Text
“I hope ye bring me something useful, lads...and lass”, the sergeant added when he felt Anathemas sharp look rest on him. It had been a lot of work to persuade Shadwell into taken her into the group and Newton was still convinced their leader only saw her as possible bate.
“Well we do have news.” Aziraphale took the opportunity to speak, and Newton once again was happy he was part of the Vampirefinders. The middle-aged man worked as an archivist, knew of things the rest of them had never heard off before and had no problem with going threw newspapers for hours. He was an important part of their group, but often times didn’t join them on the field, whereas Newton and Anathema where more specialized to observe the cemeteries for whole nights while playing cards. Right now, they started to get closer to a vampire master and this surely wasn’t thanks to Newton, who once nearly ran into a vampire that was strolling over the cemetery.
.
Aziraphale coughed lightly, pulled out his notebook and laid it opened on the table in front of Shadwell.
“We have found some worrying similarities in the newspapers from this area of the last weeks.”
“Weeks? We aint have weeks. We need to work fast and swift as a....”
“Darling! Would you and your friends like some tea?”, Mrs. Shadwell tried to enter the room, but he jumped up and blocked her way, faster than Newton ever thought he could move.
“Not now! We'r workin'!”, he yelled at her. Shadwell wasn’t generally cruel to her, but his behavior had changed a lot after he returned from the last war he had been involved in, not for the better.
“Where was I?” They heard Mrs. Shadwell walk away and Aziraphale answered: “We've been showing you our discoveries.” before he coughed again and pressed a handkerchief to his lips.
“Ah right. What is it then?”, Shadwell asked and opened the door to carry in the tray his wife had left for them.
“We suspect the master must be in the area. In the nearby villages we found some people two round wounds on their neck, and when questioned none of them remembered how they got them. Afterwards we went to the cemetery and looked at a few of the recently deceased, and I still must say there was no need to dig the third one up, after we had seen the other two, laid out in their houses...”
Anathema interrupted Newton and stated: “They all have bite marks.”
“But if it's the master, he would have turned 'em.”, Shadwell remarked.
“Maybe they weren't worthy enough.”, Newton suggested and Aziraphale nodded.
“Well, we won’t find out if they would have turned, because we impaled them, so we don't have to worry about those three in the future.”
“Good. Let’s assume it’s the master and all those people weren’t turned, he probably is travelin’ with a flock. Fell, d' we know where they are goin´?”
“Yes, and if our predictions are right, we do have to take precautions immediately.”, Aziraphel answered and removed the handkerchief from his mouth before he spread out the map on the table.
“That's bad news. We have ta prepare for their arrival. Ya know the drill; this’s the moment we trained for. I don't want any of ya goin´ `round without any pegs, understood?”
The three of them nodded. Newton looked out of the window, it started to dawn, and he yawned. Ever since he had started to work for Shadwell, he had felt like he himself was slowly turning into a vampire. His working hours where just the same as theirs and he had started to turn paler since he had arrived here. The days he worked in the Shadwells' Pub. Waiting for the evening, where he would group together with Anathema, and sometimes Aziraphale, only to try and catch a few hours of sleep until noon.
“Alright, go and get some rest, will ya?” Aziraphale walked over to the door and held it open for Anathema and Newton.
“Fell, ya don't look to good. Don't think this old man hadn't noticed. Be careful, I don't wanna have ta impale ya.”
“Oh, don't worry, Shadwell. I'm just not feeling myself lately.”, Aziraphale answered and Anathema and Newton exchanged a worried look but hurried to get out of the street before the archivist could catch up to them.
“I'll do the talking.”, Anathema said and gave Newton a warning look. She always had been better with talking to people. Maybe we should switch jobs, so she'd work in the pub and I in the cemetery, the shovels she used to dig graves wouldn’t be offended by what I have to say, Newton thought and shuddered.
“Aziraphale, may I ask you something?”, she wanted to know when he exited the building. He startled and exchanged the worried expression on his face for his normal smile when he noticed them.
“Sure, why not?”, he asked and coughed again while they walked together through the small town.
“Is this what's been bothering you lately?”
“What? No. I'm not bothered by anything.”
“Well you do look like you lost some weight and you don't seem to be yourself.” The facial expression of the older man changed. Newton had never seen him this angry before. “I don't see what me loosing weight has to do with anything!”
Aziraphale walked away at a faster pace, but didn't get far, until he had to cough again, this time for a longer while, and stopped.
“See? This doesn't look good.”, Newton mentioned and took Aziraphale's arm. “We'll get you home. You should rest.”
“But the vampires...”
“If they come you can help us with them, but you need to regain your strength.”, Anathema said and rubbed Aziraphale's back.
He relented with a sigh and let them help him back to the house where he lived with his siblings. The white building looked at posh as his clothing, even though it was half-timbered, but his family owned the whole building, and they led a comfortable life.
“Thank you, I can manage the rest on my own.”, he said and attempted to unlock the door, but his sister opened it.
“Have you been away all night, again?”, she asked with a frown, but made way for him to enter.
“Yes.”, he answered truthfully and walked into the hallway to get out of his nice, white coat.
“Who are you?”, she wanted to know, after noticing the other two.
“Oh, we just found him in the streets. He seemed to need help.”, Newton stuttered and nestled at his glasses. By the looks the other three gave him, it hadn’t been the best thing to say.
“You maybe want a doctor to have look at him.”, Anathema added and got an annoyed look from Aziraphale.
“I will think about it.”, the sister answered and closed the door in front of them.
“What have you been up to?”, she asked and inspected him with a worried look. Why could people not leave him alone today?
“I've been going through some papers and lost track of time.”, he answered and hung his jacket on the cloth rack to escape her searching eyes. “Don't worry about it, Uriel. I'll go to bed and try to get some rest, Good night, or Good morning I shall say.” Aziraphale tried for a laugh but it sounded horribly troubled, and then turned into a worse cough.
“I'll go and get the doctor.”, he heard his brother Gabriel say, who he hadn’t noticed standing in the hallway, and hurried to get into his room and away from his family. Gasping for air when he had made it up the stairs.
He had hoped no one would notice, but apparently it was quite obvious. He looked down to unbutton his shirt, it indeed looked like it was too wide for him. It hadn't worried him when he noticed he was losing weight a few weeks ago, it had been a rather stressful time back then, but it hadn't changed for the better, as had the coughing. He changed his clothes and tried to convince himself that it would all go away after he got some sleep. Closing his eyes, he knew this wouldn't happen, but it was a nice thought, so he held onto it until he fell asleep.
The doctor finally left and Aziraphale got up to get some paper and a pen. There was a knock at the door, and Gabriel entered. With a sigh his oldest brother looked into the room and but on the stern face he had inherited from their father and which he so often put on during his sermons.
“You have heard what the doctor said. You are supposed to stay in bed.”, he commanded.
“I just have to write a few letters and tell some people I'll be out of business for a while.”
“Be as stubborn as you like, but remember you are risking your life with it and there’s only One who truly will hold you accountable for your doings.” He put the teacup and the rosary he had carried with him onto the nightstand and gestured above with one finger before he finally left Aziraphale to himself.
Since Michele's death their relationship had gotten worse. On the outside, it seems like they cared for one another, but Aziraphale knew, if he died, they wouldn't be too concerned. They all had regrouped and found new ways to fill the void her death had created. Gabriel was more and more involved with his community, Uriel had started a bookclub with other ladies and Aziraphale… he had joined the man who had helped him kill the vampire that was responsible for Michele’s death, and made sure she wouldn’t return as one of those creatures as well.
The hours seemed to stretch endlessly. Funny, now that he had the time to read whatever he wanted, his mind didn’t seem to find the will to concentrate for long. Time and time again he had found he didn’t remember what the story was about when he was at the end of the page and had to look back up to reread it. After some time he had settled on staring at the ceiling and counting the boards, but even then time crawled by way too slow.
It was about noon when he heard something hit the wall near his window. Happy about the distraction he stood up to open it. When he looked down at the street he found Anathema standing below the window and looking up at him, her eyebrows wrinkled in worry.
“Hello, Dear. What brings you here?”, he asked and tried to look unbothered.
“I saw the doctor leave your house a few hours ago. How are you feeling?” No need to lie to her then.
“Not great I'm afraid. I should stay at home tonight and get some sleep. It’s probably just exhaustion. Will you tell the others please?”, he answered and waved it off. Like it was that simple.
“Of course, take your time.”
“Thank you, Dear. Have you got any plans for their arrival?”
“No. Shadwell is planning something, I guess....so, did the doctor tell you what it is?”
“Just some speculations. “And none of them had sounded too good. She raised an eyebrow, but thankfully didn't ask any further questions.
“Will you bring this letter to the archive for me?”
“Sure. Do you need anything else?”, she asked and reached for the letter he threw out of the window.
“There are some old books in my office, which might be helpful. Go to the back very back. There’s a big bookshelf on the right and… there are actually two big ones, but you need to go to the one with the teakettle and cups in it. Bring me the books on the upper shelf there and I'll take a look at them.”
She shook her head and answered: “You need to rest. Newton and I will read them.”
“Anathema, I appreciate your worries, but I need something to do. I would feel entirely useless if I can’t be of help to our cause. Also you two are needed with preparations.”
She sighed and waved.
“I'll decide this, after I get them. I'm sure Newton and Shadwell will drop by soon.”
“Be careful tonight, will you?”
“Always.”, she smiled and slowly walked away. Aziraphale watched her disappear behind a corner and leaned against the window frame. His room was on the southern side of the house, which meant it was always nicely lit, but in the summer it sometimes heated up in the spring though, the sun was pleasantly warm, just like today.
“Who are you talking to?”, Uriel asked from behind him.
“A friend.”, he answered immediately and turned around to face her.
“You don't have friends.”, she reminded and fluffed up his pillow. “Take some rest, the doctor said you'll need it, even if you're going to die.”
“He didn't say I was close to it.”
“It's your decision.”
She grabbed the empty cup and left him alone.
After Anathema had brought him some books he had sat at the desk and read all evening, until the sun went down and it started to get dark in his room. He lit a match and hold it at the candle until the flame caught onto the wick. Right now Anathema and Newton would start their observations and he wasn't allowed to go with them. Over the past few years working with them he had developed a habit of staying up late, sometimes until sunrise. As he knew he couldn't find sleep that soon he decided to continue reading, some distraction would be nice, but books were all he had.
It wasn’t the best topic to be reading about all on your own and at nighttime and he soon felt watched. A feeling that wasn’t entirely new to him, but today it made him shudder. Was that the illness getting worse? No, that wouldn’t make him imgine two yellow eyes outside of his window. Those were probably just candles in one of the windows across the street, he told himself, but the feeling remained. After a few more minutes of staring at his book and trying to look at what was outside without moving his eyes was a challenge and he only realized he had held his breath when he had to cough again. Something moved outside and he jumped up, throwing the chair on the ground in the process. His heart pounded in his ears by the time he looked to the window on his right. There was nothing, and no one, out there. Not even when he opened the window and looked outside. After a few calming breaths he closed the window, picked up the chair and decided it was time for bed.