What if Part 3
The problem with tiny humans, Crowley thought as he paced in his sitting room trying to get the baby to stop crying, was that they couldn't tell you what was actually wrong. Even with Crowley's telepathic abilities, babies couldn't put thoughts into words so it was next to impossible to figure out what they really needed.
"I've fed you, changed you, I'm rocking you....what's wrong?" He sighed as he kept pacing. He tried to stay calm. He'd read somewhere that babies can sense when you're upset and it causes them to be upset but it was getting more and more difficult with each passing minute.
"Maybe you need some fresh air, yeah? We can try going outside." He cleared his throat and made sure little Damien was wrapped in a nice blanket before heading out into the garden. "Isn't that lovely?" Crowley asked and he just kept pacing around the garden.
"Hello?" A lovely young woman said from the sidewalk just the other side of the fence around Crowley's properly.
"I'm sorry. Is he bothering you? I'm trying to get him to quiet down...." Crowley moved a little closer to the fence.
"You're not a bother at all. Sometimes babies just need to cry for a bit. They've got all this energy and no way to burn it off." The young woman smiled. She reminded Crowley a bit of Aziraphale.
"Well, that seems to be the case right now. He just hasn't stopped no matter what I try." Crowley shifted the baby in his arms again.
"I think I see part of the problem. May I?" She asked and held out her hands. Before letting her take the baby, Crowley went over and opened the little fence, motioning for her to come in.
"Please." Crowley chuckled softly. One thing about being a demon, he'd be able to tell if she wasn't a good person. At least he was a good judge of character. The young woman took Damien from Crowley and positioned him in her arms. She adjusted his blanket, wrapping him a little more tightly.
"Now, hold him close so that his ear his against your chest so he can hear your heartbeat." She handed Damien back to Crowley and he did as she suggested. It didn't take long before the baby was quiet and almost asleep.
"Thank you so much." Crowley smiled.
"Angela." The young woman introduced herself. "Sometimes they just need a tight swaddle and a little comfort."
"I appreciate that very much, Angela. Thank you." Crowley cleared his throat. "I'm Anthony. And this is little Damien." He smiled down at the baby and then looked at Angela again. "Can I offer you some tea?"
"I would like that, thank you." Angela nodded. Crowley smiled and headed into the house, leaving the door open for Angela to follow.
"Let me just put him to bed." He motioned for her to take a seat before heading upstairs and putting Damien in his bassinet. It only took a couple of minutes and then he was back downstairs and making the tea. Crowley took a tray with the tea and biscuits into the sitting room.
"You have a lovely home here. I was hoping someone would take this cottage." Angela smiled as she took her tea and held it in both hands.
"Needed to get away from the city." And the possibility of being found out, he thought. Angela nodded and sipped her tea. They were both quiet for a moment.
"May I ask a personal question?" She cleared her throat.
"Of course. I'm a very open person." Crowley smiled. He was very thankful that he'd slipped his sunglasses on before going outside. He had to be extra careful in a little village like this.
"I just....I noticed you're not wearing a ring...." She kept her eyes on him as she sipped her tea again. Crowley nodded.
"Yes. Um....Damien's mother we....never really got a chance to get married." He cleared his throat and looked into his tea. He'd come up with a whole backstory since moving into the cottage. "She said she didn't want to be pregnant on her wedding day and then...." He closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry, it's still very fresh."
"Oh you poor dear. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up...." Angela set down her tea and put a hand on Crowley's arm. "I'm terribly sorry."
"It's alright, really. But that's why I had to get out of the city. Too many memories." He offered her a small smile before sipping his tea.
"Yes, of course. Completely understandable." She squeezed his arm before picking her tea up again. "Well, if the two of you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm just right across the road."
"That's very sweet of you." Crowley smiled genuinely this time. The two of them ended up talking for a couple of hours before Angela checked her watch and decided it was time to go. Crowley had a sense that having Angela in his life was going to be very helpful. He just had to make sure that she didn't get the wrong impression. When she was safely across the street, Crowley pulled out his phone and called Aziraphale.
"Yes?" The angel asked.
"Don't ask too many questions but I need you to know that you are my dead fiancee's brother, okay?" Crowley rattled off quickly.
"Am I?" Aziraphale asked with a laugh.
"Yes. It's a long story. Had tea with a neighbor and it just kind of came out. Needed to explain you coming by that wouldn't raise to much suspicion."
"Alright, alright. I can't say that I will blatantly lie but I won't correct anyone that asks. Is that fair?" Aziraphale sighed.
"Yes, that works perfectly. Thank you." And then Crowley hung up before Aziraphale could say anything else.
"I've fed you, changed you, I'm rocking you....what's wrong?" He sighed as he kept pacing. He tried to stay calm. He'd read somewhere that babies can sense when you're upset and it causes them to be upset but it was getting more and more difficult with each passing minute.
"Maybe you need some fresh air, yeah? We can try going outside." He cleared his throat and made sure little Damien was wrapped in a nice blanket before heading out into the garden. "Isn't that lovely?" Crowley asked and he just kept pacing around the garden.
"Hello?" A lovely young woman said from the sidewalk just the other side of the fence around Crowley's properly.
"I'm sorry. Is he bothering you? I'm trying to get him to quiet down...." Crowley moved a little closer to the fence.
"You're not a bother at all. Sometimes babies just need to cry for a bit. They've got all this energy and no way to burn it off." The young woman smiled. She reminded Crowley a bit of Aziraphale.
"Well, that seems to be the case right now. He just hasn't stopped no matter what I try." Crowley shifted the baby in his arms again.
"I think I see part of the problem. May I?" She asked and held out her hands. Before letting her take the baby, Crowley went over and opened the little fence, motioning for her to come in.
"Please." Crowley chuckled softly. One thing about being a demon, he'd be able to tell if she wasn't a good person. At least he was a good judge of character. The young woman took Damien from Crowley and positioned him in her arms. She adjusted his blanket, wrapping him a little more tightly.
"Now, hold him close so that his ear his against your chest so he can hear your heartbeat." She handed Damien back to Crowley and he did as she suggested. It didn't take long before the baby was quiet and almost asleep.
"Thank you so much." Crowley smiled.
"Angela." The young woman introduced herself. "Sometimes they just need a tight swaddle and a little comfort."
"I appreciate that very much, Angela. Thank you." Crowley cleared his throat. "I'm Anthony. And this is little Damien." He smiled down at the baby and then looked at Angela again. "Can I offer you some tea?"
"I would like that, thank you." Angela nodded. Crowley smiled and headed into the house, leaving the door open for Angela to follow.
"Let me just put him to bed." He motioned for her to take a seat before heading upstairs and putting Damien in his bassinet. It only took a couple of minutes and then he was back downstairs and making the tea. Crowley took a tray with the tea and biscuits into the sitting room.
"You have a lovely home here. I was hoping someone would take this cottage." Angela smiled as she took her tea and held it in both hands.
"Needed to get away from the city." And the possibility of being found out, he thought. Angela nodded and sipped her tea. They were both quiet for a moment.
"May I ask a personal question?" She cleared her throat.
"Of course. I'm a very open person." Crowley smiled. He was very thankful that he'd slipped his sunglasses on before going outside. He had to be extra careful in a little village like this.
"I just....I noticed you're not wearing a ring...." She kept her eyes on him as she sipped her tea again. Crowley nodded.
"Yes. Um....Damien's mother we....never really got a chance to get married." He cleared his throat and looked into his tea. He'd come up with a whole backstory since moving into the cottage. "She said she didn't want to be pregnant on her wedding day and then...." He closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry, it's still very fresh."
"Oh you poor dear. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up...." Angela set down her tea and put a hand on Crowley's arm. "I'm terribly sorry."
"It's alright, really. But that's why I had to get out of the city. Too many memories." He offered her a small smile before sipping his tea.
"Yes, of course. Completely understandable." She squeezed his arm before picking her tea up again. "Well, if the two of you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm just right across the road."
"That's very sweet of you." Crowley smiled genuinely this time. The two of them ended up talking for a couple of hours before Angela checked her watch and decided it was time to go. Crowley had a sense that having Angela in his life was going to be very helpful. He just had to make sure that she didn't get the wrong impression. When she was safely across the street, Crowley pulled out his phone and called Aziraphale.
"Yes?" The angel asked.
"Don't ask too many questions but I need you to know that you are my dead fiancee's brother, okay?" Crowley rattled off quickly.
"Am I?" Aziraphale asked with a laugh.
"Yes. It's a long story. Had tea with a neighbor and it just kind of came out. Needed to explain you coming by that wouldn't raise to much suspicion."
"Alright, alright. I can't say that I will blatantly lie but I won't correct anyone that asks. Is that fair?" Aziraphale sighed.
"Yes, that works perfectly. Thank you." And then Crowley hung up before Aziraphale could say anything else.
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