family part 9
"Aziraphale, you have a pregnant wife waiting at home for you and your have your phone turned off?" Anathema asked incredulously. "What is the point of even having the thing if you're not going to leave it on?" She picked the phone up from the desk where it was sitting and pushed the button to turn it on.
"I only have it if I need to contact Crowley." Aziraphale answered with a shrug.
"But what if she needs to contact you?" Newt asked from across the room. Aziraphale really hadn't thought about that. The phone started to ding repeatedly as soon as it was completely on.
"And that is exactly why I keep it off." Aziraphale said rather exasperated. Anathema read through the text messages and then dialed the voicemail.
"What's your pin for your voicemail?" Anathema asked.
"1234." Aziraphale said. "It's easy to remember." He said in response to the rather irritated look she gave him. Anathema put the phone on speaker to play the messages.
1115 AM Crowley: Zira, darling, I don't mean to alarm you but my waters broke. The contractions just started and are about thirty minutes apart so you've got plenty of time to get home, dear.
1230PM Crowley: Zira, my love. The contractions are twenty minutes apart now. I need you to come home right away, please. Why aren't you answering your blasted phone?
1245PM Crowley: Well, darling, now the Youngs are going to be taking me to the hospital because you can't be bothered to ANSWER YOUR BLASTED MOBILE!
215PM Crowley: Aziraphale I swear to all that is holy if you do not get your angelic ass to this hospital in the next few minutes I will make sure you definitely regret it.
415PM Deirdre: Aziraphale, this is Deirdre Young. You need to get to the hospital right away. Your babies are healthy but something's gone wrong. The doctor says that Anna is losing a lot of blood. He's doing everything he can but you need to get here. Please.
There was no missing the shaking of Deirdre's words before the end of the message. Anathema had been looking at Aziraphale the entire time. Her look at originally said 'I told you so' but at the last message from, it turned to concern very quickly. That last voicemail had been left two hours earlier and there weren't any other voicemails, or texts for that matter. All attempts to contact him had completely stopped. Before anyone in the bookshop could say anything, Aziraphale simply vanished.
Aziraphale appeared just outside the hospital immediately after getting the last message. He only ever traveled by car to fit in with the humans, and this was definitely a situation that required speed. Fortunately Arthur Young hadn't been facing the hospital when Aziraphale simply appeared out of nowhere. Aziraphale walked into the hospital in a hurry, looking around desperately.
"Aziraphale! Thank goodness you're here." Deirdre came over and pulled him into a hug.
"I'm so sorry. I had my phone off. I didn't....I got here as quickly as I could. Is....Crowley.....is she...." He felt like he was on the verge of a panic attack. Deirdre put a hand on his arm to calm him a bit.
"There was a bit of a scare but she's going to be fine. She's resting now. Doctor says it's going to be a little longer before you can go home, but she'll live." There was a touch of sadness in her voice but Aziraphale tried to ignore that for the moment. The important thing was that Crowley hadn't been discorporated. That's what mattered.
"Can I see her?" He did feel a bit of the fear lift from him, but only a little bit. Deirdre nodded and led him to the room where Crowley was currently sleeping. Before Aziraphale went inside, the doctor approached. "I got here as quickly as I could..." He said, a little defensive for no real reason.
"I know. Kids come when they want to, not when they're schedule." He tried to smile but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Aziraphale was starting to panic.
"There was significant blood loss after the birth. I believe that it was an unexpected hemorrhage. We did everything we could to stop the bleeding but I'm afraid the only way to keep your wife in her body was to perform an emergency hysterectomy. I'm very sorry." He put a hand on Aziraphale's shoulder. Aziraphale looked a bit confused at first, just staring at the doctor for a moment, and then it registered.
"No more children....." He said softly. Of course that wasn't really the case, was it? They weren't human, after all. Couldn't they just miracle up the right body parts to make it happen again if they wanted? That seemed rational to him just then.
"I'm afraid not." The doctor cleared his throat. "She's resting right now. I haven't had a chance to go over the situation with her since it happened. I think it's best if that waits until she's a bit stronger."
"You don't know my wife. She's the strongest being there is." Aziraphale was defensive again. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go sit by her side, now."
"Of course." The doctor nodded and went to check on another patient. Aziraphale went into the hospital room and pulled a chair up next to the bed, taking Crowley's hand.
"I love you, so much." He said, bringing her hand to his lips. "I'm so very sorry I wasn't here for you. I know you'll probably never forgive me." He sighed softly.
"S'not my job." Crowley said as she opened her eyes, blinking a few times. She felt like she'd been run over by a million stampeding elephants. "You're the one that's supposed to do the forgiving." She gave him a tired smile.
"You're very right about that." Aziraphale smiled back and reached up to place a hand on Crowley's cheek. Before either of them could say anything else, two nurses came in wheeling a bassinet each and moved them over to the bed. Both of the babies were sound asleep and had flaming red hair. Aziraphale picked up the one wrapped in a pink blanket and kissed her forehead. "Our beautiful little girl." He whispered softly before handing the baby over to Crowley.
"What should we name her?" Crowley asked, smiling down at the little bundle in her arms.
"I thought perhaps we could name her Eve. Without whom her parents most likely never would have met. At least not on good terms." Aziraphale smiled a little, then went to pick up their son.
"You do have a point there." Crowley chuckled a little, then winced. Oh it even hurt to laugh. "Eve. I do like that."
"And what about our son?" He went over and gently sat on the bed, holding the little blue bundle close to his chest. "What shall we name him?"
"If it's alright with you, my love, I would really like to name him Frederick." Crowley looked down at the two babies, a little nervous about what Aziraphale would think.
"Why Frederick.....oh....." It clicked after a second. "Freddie for short, I assume?" He gave Crowley a little smile.
"If it's alright...." Crowley nodded.
"I think that is an absolutely fitting tribute to your very dear friend." Aziraphale said before leaning in carefully to give his wife a kiss on the lips. He could almost feel Crowley relax. Eve started to make soft cooing noises and Aziraphale moved back a little bit. When the baby opened her eyes, Crowley gasped. Looking up at her was a beautiful pair of eyes that were almost identical to her father's. Soon after, Freddie opened his eyes to reveal the same.
"I only have it if I need to contact Crowley." Aziraphale answered with a shrug.
"But what if she needs to contact you?" Newt asked from across the room. Aziraphale really hadn't thought about that. The phone started to ding repeatedly as soon as it was completely on.
"And that is exactly why I keep it off." Aziraphale said rather exasperated. Anathema read through the text messages and then dialed the voicemail.
"What's your pin for your voicemail?" Anathema asked.
"1234." Aziraphale said. "It's easy to remember." He said in response to the rather irritated look she gave him. Anathema put the phone on speaker to play the messages.
1115 AM Crowley: Zira, darling, I don't mean to alarm you but my waters broke. The contractions just started and are about thirty minutes apart so you've got plenty of time to get home, dear.
1230PM Crowley: Zira, my love. The contractions are twenty minutes apart now. I need you to come home right away, please. Why aren't you answering your blasted phone?
1245PM Crowley: Well, darling, now the Youngs are going to be taking me to the hospital because you can't be bothered to ANSWER YOUR BLASTED MOBILE!
215PM Crowley: Aziraphale I swear to all that is holy if you do not get your angelic ass to this hospital in the next few minutes I will make sure you definitely regret it.
415PM Deirdre: Aziraphale, this is Deirdre Young. You need to get to the hospital right away. Your babies are healthy but something's gone wrong. The doctor says that Anna is losing a lot of blood. He's doing everything he can but you need to get here. Please.
There was no missing the shaking of Deirdre's words before the end of the message. Anathema had been looking at Aziraphale the entire time. Her look at originally said 'I told you so' but at the last message from, it turned to concern very quickly. That last voicemail had been left two hours earlier and there weren't any other voicemails, or texts for that matter. All attempts to contact him had completely stopped. Before anyone in the bookshop could say anything, Aziraphale simply vanished.
Aziraphale appeared just outside the hospital immediately after getting the last message. He only ever traveled by car to fit in with the humans, and this was definitely a situation that required speed. Fortunately Arthur Young hadn't been facing the hospital when Aziraphale simply appeared out of nowhere. Aziraphale walked into the hospital in a hurry, looking around desperately.
"Aziraphale! Thank goodness you're here." Deirdre came over and pulled him into a hug.
"I'm so sorry. I had my phone off. I didn't....I got here as quickly as I could. Is....Crowley.....is she...." He felt like he was on the verge of a panic attack. Deirdre put a hand on his arm to calm him a bit.
"There was a bit of a scare but she's going to be fine. She's resting now. Doctor says it's going to be a little longer before you can go home, but she'll live." There was a touch of sadness in her voice but Aziraphale tried to ignore that for the moment. The important thing was that Crowley hadn't been discorporated. That's what mattered.
"Can I see her?" He did feel a bit of the fear lift from him, but only a little bit. Deirdre nodded and led him to the room where Crowley was currently sleeping. Before Aziraphale went inside, the doctor approached. "I got here as quickly as I could..." He said, a little defensive for no real reason.
"I know. Kids come when they want to, not when they're schedule." He tried to smile but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Aziraphale was starting to panic.
"There was significant blood loss after the birth. I believe that it was an unexpected hemorrhage. We did everything we could to stop the bleeding but I'm afraid the only way to keep your wife in her body was to perform an emergency hysterectomy. I'm very sorry." He put a hand on Aziraphale's shoulder. Aziraphale looked a bit confused at first, just staring at the doctor for a moment, and then it registered.
"No more children....." He said softly. Of course that wasn't really the case, was it? They weren't human, after all. Couldn't they just miracle up the right body parts to make it happen again if they wanted? That seemed rational to him just then.
"I'm afraid not." The doctor cleared his throat. "She's resting right now. I haven't had a chance to go over the situation with her since it happened. I think it's best if that waits until she's a bit stronger."
"You don't know my wife. She's the strongest being there is." Aziraphale was defensive again. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go sit by her side, now."
"Of course." The doctor nodded and went to check on another patient. Aziraphale went into the hospital room and pulled a chair up next to the bed, taking Crowley's hand.
"I love you, so much." He said, bringing her hand to his lips. "I'm so very sorry I wasn't here for you. I know you'll probably never forgive me." He sighed softly.
"S'not my job." Crowley said as she opened her eyes, blinking a few times. She felt like she'd been run over by a million stampeding elephants. "You're the one that's supposed to do the forgiving." She gave him a tired smile.
"You're very right about that." Aziraphale smiled back and reached up to place a hand on Crowley's cheek. Before either of them could say anything else, two nurses came in wheeling a bassinet each and moved them over to the bed. Both of the babies were sound asleep and had flaming red hair. Aziraphale picked up the one wrapped in a pink blanket and kissed her forehead. "Our beautiful little girl." He whispered softly before handing the baby over to Crowley.
"What should we name her?" Crowley asked, smiling down at the little bundle in her arms.
"I thought perhaps we could name her Eve. Without whom her parents most likely never would have met. At least not on good terms." Aziraphale smiled a little, then went to pick up their son.
"You do have a point there." Crowley chuckled a little, then winced. Oh it even hurt to laugh. "Eve. I do like that."
"And what about our son?" He went over and gently sat on the bed, holding the little blue bundle close to his chest. "What shall we name him?"
"If it's alright with you, my love, I would really like to name him Frederick." Crowley looked down at the two babies, a little nervous about what Aziraphale would think.
"Why Frederick.....oh....." It clicked after a second. "Freddie for short, I assume?" He gave Crowley a little smile.
"If it's alright...." Crowley nodded.
"I think that is an absolutely fitting tribute to your very dear friend." Aziraphale said before leaning in carefully to give his wife a kiss on the lips. He could almost feel Crowley relax. Eve started to make soft cooing noises and Aziraphale moved back a little bit. When the baby opened her eyes, Crowley gasped. Looking up at her was a beautiful pair of eyes that were almost identical to her father's. Soon after, Freddie opened his eyes to reveal the same.
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