Ineffable Family

Chapter 11

PLAYLIST:

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by AC/DC

Fences by Paramore

Face Down by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

TW: violence, peril, mild bodily harm

Crowley's demonic captors, as it turned out, were not prepared for their target to fight back. They certainly weren't prepared for her to kick, bite, and throw fire as they dragged her from the shop. She discorporated three of them before they reached the alley, and managed to sink her fangs into all but one. Unfortunately, the denizens of Hell were immune to her venom.

"Stop fighting!" a female demon growled. "Just calm down!"

"Let me go and I'll calm down!" Crowley beat her wings and almost escaped, until something hit her in the back of the head and her knees buckled.

A rough hand grabbed her chin, wrenching her face upward. "Hell's bells. Crowley, is that you?"

Crowley's wings and arms were pinned behind her, leaving her belly exposed and unprotected The only weapons she had left were her fangs, and she used them. She bit into that rough hand and held on until two demons pried her jaws open; by that time, she realized that she was on her knees in front of Hastur, Duke of Hell and longtime enemy.

"Bless it!" Hastur cursed. "Now I know it's you! Oh, this is precious. We knew the angel had someone in whelp, but we didn't know who! An angel/demon hybrid—think of the possibilities."

Crowley spit Hastur's own blood in his face. Then something struck the back of her head and everything went dark.

~~~~

Aziraphale wasn't sure how long he was passed out. He also wasn't sure if it was being thrown against the shelves, lack of oxygen, or getting his vagal nerve crushed by a demon's fat thumb. Whatever it was, he struggled through the pain—and the pile of James Patterson hardbacks—to stand up and go check on Crowley.

Except she was gone.

"C-crowley?" Aziraphale called, his heart in his throat. Perhaps she was in the kitchen? "Crowley, darling, where are you? Are you..."

He saw a trail of something dark on the floor. Blood, and black feathers.

"Please, God, no," he breathed.

Aziraphale tamped down the panic rising in him. The thoughts racing through his head— I failed, they have Crowley, they have the baby, please don't let them be hurt—wouldn't do anyone any good. He had to set the fear aside, for the sake of his family.

He bent down for a closer look. The feathers were Crowley's, but the blood wasn't. Someone was bleeding ,and it wasn't her. Wherever they were taking her, she hadn't gone without a fight. Of course she hadn't.

Aziraphale picked up his sword once more, and followed the trail of destruction out the back door.

~~~~

"I told you we shouldn't trust a demon! We told him 'unharmed' and he brings it in unconscious!"

"It was a matter of safety, Hastur said. That's not a human like we thought. It's a demon."

"A demon? Carrying an angel's offspring? How is that possible?"

"I'm not sure. But we're going to find out."