For A Thousand Years Part 15

Crowley needed a break.  He decided, after laying his angel to rest once again, that he needed some serious time off.  Being around him for his entire life and not being able to tell him who he was wore on Crowley.  It was like a knife to his heart over and over again.  He needed a nap.  Crowley went to his flat and curled up in his bed and went to sleep.  It was 1927 when he went to sleep.  The bombing is what woke him up thirteen years later.  

Of course there was another war.  Even though he'd been asleep through most of the beginnings of it he did manage to convince the head office that it was his idea.  That got them off his back so he could help get the remaining children out of London.  Some of the older kids were going along to help look after the younger ones.  He was at the train station when he got that tingle that told him he needed to look up.  Just down the platform there was a young woman getting ready to get on the train.  She had the bright blond hair and the beautiful golden glow but she was too far away for Crowley to say anything to him.  She also looked to be about sixteen at the oldest.  Best to just let her be, Crowley thought, though he really hated to miss his chance.  

The war seemed to go on and on and on.  Crowley did what he could to both help people and secure souls for Hell to keep the higher ups off his back.  The odd healing here and there wasn't that bad, after all.  And how were they to know that he was actually the one doing the healing?  On one occasion he did get asked about it but he just claimed that it was a deal with the devil kind of situation just securing souls for later down the road.  They seemed to believe that, at least for the time being. 

And then the war finally ended and everything was starting to very slowly get back to normal.  Crowley realized he'd made a huge mistake in not at least getting the name of the young woman that was his angel.  He kept his eyes on the train stations, waiting for that golden glow to show up amongst the passengers but it never did.  Train after train of children returning to their parents and none of them were his angel.  He waited until he was sure the last train load had come in before finally going about his business.  Maybe he'd just missed her.  He could find her eventually.  

Crowley found that his flat had actually been part of the casualties of war, though fortunately not the entire building.  The part with some of his most valuable possessions was still in tact.  He couldn't exactly miracle the rest of it back to like new condition without raising some questions.  He'd have to actually rebuild and that was going to take some time.  Two full years to be exact.  Given that he could get any amount of money from anywhere, he actually funded the rebuilding of his whole block.  He felt like it was the least he could do.  He made sure that everyone around him had a place to stay until the rebuilding was done.  

When he finally managed to get his flat back to looking the way he wanted it to look, he went in search of his angel.  The talisman told him that his angel was definitely in London and it seemed to be leading him to the North side of town.  There was a lot of ground to cover and he had absolutely no idea where to start.  He just made his way to the North side of town and started looking.  After about two months of searching every square inch, he finally managed to get that feeling that he needed to look up.  And there she was.  Crowley gasped at the sight of her and his heart absolutely broke.  

"Young lady?"  Crowley asked as he made his way into the alley.  

"I wasn't doing anything..."  She started, backing away from him a bit.  

"You're not in any trouble, I promise."  Crowley gave her a small smile.  "I was just wondering, if you're willing to answer, how long you've been on the street?"  She wasn't the first of the returned kids to end up like that, though she obviously wasn't a child anymore.  

"Couple of years."  She couldn't remember exactly.  She just remembered coming back from the country to an empty lot where her house had been and no family.  No one to help her out.  

"That's awful.  I'm so sorry you have to deal with that."  He shook his head as he looked around the alley.  "You haven't had to deal with any....unsavory men have you?"  It was the nicest way he could think of to ask how she was sustaining herself.  

"No."  She shook her head vigorously.  "Some have tried but I fought them off."  She wrapped her arms around herself as she looked up at Crowley.  

"How old are you, dear?"  He asked softly.  

"Twenty two.  I think.  I kind of lost track of the days."  She ran her fingers through her hair before wrapping her arms around herself again.  

"My dear, if you'll allow me.  I'd like to take you in.  Give you a place to sleep, some food.  You can get cleaned up...."  Crowley held out a hand to her.  

"And what will I have to do in return for this kindness?"  She asked as she stepped back a little more.  Of course she would be suspicious, it was only fair.  

"Perhaps a bit of cleaning, if you feel up to it.  Nothing distasteful."  Crowley kept his hand out and smiled a little.  

"You don't want.....that?"  She tilted her head.  All of the men that offered her kindness wanted that.  

"No."  Crowley shook his head.  "I truly only want to help you out."  He moved just a little bit closer to her.  "Call me your guardian angel."  He kept his eyes on her.  It took a moment for the recognition to kick in and then she smiled, moving closer to Crowley.  

"How long has it been this time, my love?"  Aziraphale asked as she looked up at him.  

"About a hundred and fifty years."  Crowley replied, wrapping his arms around her.  He didn't count the time that Aziraphale didn't know who he was. "And I have missed you so much."  

"I'm so sorry you had to wait that long."  Aziraphale said as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.  

"It's not your fault, darling."  Crowley smiled and kissed her softly on the lips.  "Now, let's get you back to my flat and get you cleaned up."  

"This poor girl.  The things she's been through."  Aziraphale shook her head and leaned a bit against Crowley.  

"Well, she doesn't have to go through them any more."  Crowley nodded.  Rather than guiding Aziraphale along the street, he picked her up in a bridal carry and started out of the alley, getting a bit of a giggle from his angel in the process.  Her took her back to his flat as promised and got her cleaned up and fed.  

No one questioned Crowley taking in a girl from the street and caring for her.  He thought it was kind of bad for his reputation but he didn't care.  He had his angel back.  That's all that mattered.  He did everything he could to keep her healthy and happy.  Their time together was rather short yet again.  On December 2nd, 1955, shortly after Aziraphale's thirtieth birthday, she was riding a train that crashed due to signal error.  Crowley was notified the next morning that his angel was one of thirteen people that were killed in the crash.  There was a very short, dark period of time immediately following that in which Crowley did quite a few very bad things to the people he considered responsible for the incident.