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The space was silent. Clouds stretched impossibly in every direction.
Yet the sun still shone on them here.
The angel. The demon. The humans who loved them.
Aziraphale stretched a wing. Twisted his neck with a contented little groan.
‘A bit more crowded than the last time we were here,’ he said.
‘They’re not the Antichrist, angel.’ Crowley slipped his sunglasses on. He studied the assembled masses.
‘It’ll take all of you to pull this one off. I don’t think fighting them would do any good. You’re going to have to come up with something else.’
He was met with silence. Helpless shrugs. Frowns.
‘We’re nobody,’ someone shouted.
‘Just… people,’ another said, more quietly.
‘But that’s not a bad thing to be,’ Aziraphale said. ‘You’re not Hell incarnate. You’re not Heaven incarnate either.’
He paused. Gave them a smile.
‘You’re not either of those things.
‘You’re much better.
‘You’re human incarnate.’
He turned to Crowley.
‘Reality will listen to you right now,’ Crowley said. ‘You can change things.’
Aziraphale added, ‘And whatever happens, for good or for evil… we’re beside you.’
Crowley let out a breath.
‘I’m going to start time.’
He spun the crank, and with a roar, time began.
The bookshop was filled with an invisible presence.
Not just God and Satan.
Crowley grinned at Aziraphale. ‘Packing ‘em in tonight, Angel.’
He glanced around the room at the invisible host.
‘Ready? We haven’t got much time.’
The bookshop rumbled. Books rattled on their shelves. A few tumbled to the floor. The lights flickered, threatening to go out.
The air reeked of sulphur... and... lilies.
The silent host spoke.
‘You’re not my god or my devil. Real gods shouldn’t need all the threats.
‘They don’t wait until you’re alone and afraid, and then turn up to tell you off.’
‘You can do it!’ Aziraphale cried.
‘Say it,’ Crowley shouted. ‘Say it again!’
A silent cry rang out.
‘You’re… not… ‘
The words that followed varied.
‘The one who belittled me.’ ‘The one who rejected me.’ ‘The one who hated me.’
‘The one who crushed me.’ ‘The one who told me to hate myself.’
‘The one who said I was made wrong.’ ‘The one who said I sinned.’
‘The one who made me cry.’
And, ‘My mum.’ ‘My cousin.’ ‘My friend.’
And, of course, ‘My dad.’
A pause.
‘You never were.’
The bookshop filled with a swirling mist.
Then...
Silence.
Crowley and Aziraphale were alone.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then Crowley pointed.
In the corner—
‘Angel. Look.’
A wicker basket sat on the floor.
They knelt beside it.
Inside slept a white puppy. The whitest possible white.
Beside the puppy slept a black kitten, of the blackest imaginable black.
Aziraphale said, ‘What happened?’
Crowley chuckled. ‘They did it.’
‘Who?’
He shrugged. ‘People.’
It was only then that they heard the traffic noise.
Crowley went out first. Aziraphale followed close behind.
The Bentley was parked in its usual spot. Nina was at the cafe door, letting Maggie in. They waved before going inside.
Crowley laughed. ‘I’ll bet it’s all back. Everything. Everyone.’
Aziraphale frowned. ‘And we’re still here.’
He led Crowley back into the shop.
‘You know,’ Aziraphale said. ‘Heaven and Hell. I can’t feel them.’
Crowley smiled. ‘I can’t either. Just those two.’ He nodded at the puppy and the kitten, sleeping in their basket.
Aziraphale was still frowning.
‘But…‘ He squeezed his eyes shut and gave a wave of his hand.
Now he was holding an ink well.
‘Angel,’ Crowley growled. ‘No magic tricks.’
Aziraphale pouted. ‘Why not? I like them.’
Crowley snapped his fingers.
He held a bottle of Talisker out to Aziraphale.
‘Now that’s magic.’
‘Perhaps,’ Aziraphale conceded. ‘But it doesn’t answer my question. Why are we still here?’
‘Two things,’ Crowley said.
‘First, someone has to keep an eye on those two.’ He nodded at the basket.
‘Do you think they’ll wake up?’
‘Nah. Probably just show up in someone’s dreams once in a while.
‘Second.’ He grinned. ‘Someone has to be here to keep the magic in this world.
‘Angel, it’s what you always wanted. To be a real magician. And now you are. We both are.’
Aziraphale gave Crowley one of those smiles that threatened to undo him.
‘Perhaps. There is one difference.’
He reached out and gently lifted Crowley’s sunglasses off and waved them out of existence. He held a mirror up so Crowley could see his face.
‘I’ll miss your beautiful yellow eyes.’
‘Huh,’ Crowley said. ‘They’re brown. Well.’
‘Crowley. Do you think we’re still immortal?’
Crowley patted his chest, his arms. ‘Yeah. We are. Gotta be to do our new job. Caretakers. Keep an eye on those two. On all of it.’
Aziraphale’s face reddened. ‘Do you think… Since we’re starting over, so to speak. That we might...’
He reached one hand out and took Crowley’s.
‘I should hate to waste eternity being shy about it,’ he said.
He smiled. ‘If you’d like to…’
‘Of course I bloody well want to,’ Crowley growled.
‘Just making sure. We always have been so bad at talking.’
Crowley groaned. ‘Stop winding me up and bloody well get on with it.’
‘Very well,’ Aziraphale said with a prim nod.
He pulled Crowley close.
And kissed him.
Slowly. Carefully.
Without hesitation. Without fear.
It went on for just long enough. After all, they had time now.
When they paused, Crowley leant over, his arms still around Aziraphale.
‘Still asleep?’ Aziraphale asked.
‘Yup.’
‘Good. I’m sure the human race will do just fine without them.’