"Mine, we got more hands on deck there. Even our Tommy knows some first aid. If you live with Alfie, it's a requirement." Though he doubted Alfie was there. "Call Sam but ask him not to bring Gene. I don't want a fucking fight."
"Could... could you please not swear. There are minors present." Aziraphale tried very timidly as he bounced Eden and tried to distract her.
"Sorry, you God-fearing gasúr, but I ain't in the church. I curse all I bloody well please. I got three kids in my bloody car and none should be in this fucking state." Jonathan cursed as he pulled into the street and took off driving as quick as he could - at the speed limit. There was a baby and all.
"That's right. Go full Irish, than he won't understand enough to know you're cursing." Barty said it encouragingly and then he held his phone to his ear, having called Sam.
"Sam? It's me." Obviously. Now he felt he was stalling. This was a lot and not really the kind of vulnerability he liked to show, especially not to Sam. Whatever. "I'm about to ruin your weekend, darling. Can you meet me at Jonathan's place? Are you on duty or off?"
"You keep pushing this bogman and he's gonna go full fucking Gaeilge." Jonathan stubbornly complained as he pulled off the street and into the dual carriage. Only fifteen minutes left and he was able to properly sort this shit. Hopefully.
Sam picked up fast, as he always did. "You always do find a way to ruin my weekends." Oh yeah, definitely some baggage still there. "I'm off duty but I can be on. What's happened? Is anyone hurt? If it's something big, I'll have to phone in. Be honest."
"It's delicate. Look, come to Jonathan's house and I'll show you a video. Show you evidence. And then you can help me strategize, because you'll want this handled well." of course he would. He was a good cop. He was also someone who loved kids, oddly enough, given that he was awful with them most of the time. Unless he could just kick a ball around. But then, that was Sam and people in general. "It's concerning kids, Sam. How soon can you be there?"
"I'm going now. I'll be there in ten minutes. I'll look at my phone then. See you soon." Sam as always was to the point, efficient and hung up when he had to get into his car like the responsible driver he was.
Jonathan had to snort. "You two in a room? Fuck. That never ends well."
They'd either fuck or fight. And honestly, fighting was better. Fucking caused more problems. For both of them.
"It's going to be just fine. We're perfectly capable of rational thinking." Although, right now? he very rationally sent the video clip he had taken to Tally with the caption 'the crown vs mormons, are you ready?', so perhaps he wasn't entirely rational. At least he had not yet done any excessive cursing.
"We'll need to have evidence of their current state and all injuries before we treat them and then they need to eat and drink, probably sleep." All of them seemed exhausted. They were asleep or half asleep in the car right now. "I'll discuss it with Sam, but we'll probably have to get them to a hospital."
"We'll make it through, mate. We know we ain't done nothing wrong. We saved some kids today." Jonathan turned off from the dual carriage way and started towards his house, excited to just be back in his neighbourhood where everything was less white.
Aziraphale looked at his brother and his brother's odd friend with curiosity and then looked out of the window. It looked different here. Not in a bad way though. "I hope I don't get you into trouble. I couldn't very well tell you the situation, just in case they found the texts. I knew I had to do something. They're children."
"You did the right thing, sunshine." Now he just had to deliver on his promise of actually keeping the children safe. He didn't think they would take the kids back to their families, at the very least. He should be able to prevent that from happening. "I'm a lawyer now. I know how to keep you safe."
He promised it, wondering whether Aziraphale would have any conceivable idea what a lawyer was. Well, whatever. "For now we are going to Jonathan's house. He lives with his brothers and sister." Bill wasn't officially part of the family, but she might as well be. "Nobody will hurt you there."
"I am sure of it, yes. I was more worried about the children than anything. I could see poor Gideon doing garden work with no shoes and he was quite sunburnt. He did it for four weeks in a row. I watched him fall down from my window. There was no other option. And once he told me he had a baby, I was terrified. I tried to get them myself but I'm not as savvy as you. I got caught. Very fast." Aziraphale laughed in a self deprecating way.
Jon pulled up outside his place and parked up, not bothering to be perfect with the park job. He undid his seatbelt and looked at Barty. "I have to warn everyone else. You get the kids ready, yeah. Just come in."
Jon got out and left them to it while he jogged into the house. "HOLDEN! Something crazy happened. Crowley! You better know some fucking first aid, son!"
"Course I do," Crowley said, walking out of the living room with a frown, wondering whether Jonathan was hurt. He didn't look hurt, at least. "Are you all right?"
Holden walked out of his room, where he had been reading, frowning at his brother. Strange enough to see him awake so early on a Saturday, but just what could have happened? "What's going on, Jonny?" He glanced out the window, trying to spot the car.
Jonathan picked up his lighter and did the responsible thing he had to do at that moment. He lit himself a cigarette and took a deep inhale, blowing out his cheeks. "I just kidnapped three Mormon kids from a torture chamber with Barty and bloody Sam Tyler is on his way." Jonathan laughed and then gave Crowley a look. "Go and find any fucking drugs and hide my stash then come back here and help us out. And tell Tommy to stay in his room."
Jonathan looked at Holden and threw his arms out. "There's a wee little baby and a tyke with Barty's brother. We gotta get pictures before first aid, yeah? Then we need the copper before the ambulance. So take your time and brace yourself, mate. It's pretty shit."
"Understood." That was a lot of horrible news to get at once. He took a deep breath and watched as Crowley dashed off, evidently knowing exactly where to go looking for the drugs. He'd discuss that with Jonathan later. "Maybe don't smoke around the kids." That was some friendly advice. "Tommy's taking a nap right now, allergies are getting to him."
So at least that was one less issue. He got his phone out to check the battery life on it. "I can take pictures. They... We got some stew, don't we? In the freezer. Stew is nourishing. We should heat that up."
Barty opened the door, carrying the baby and gently pushing the two boys ahead of himself. "Living room is to the left, sunshine. Just sit down on the sofa there."
Holden smiled at the kids, unsure what else to do. "I'll get you lot some juice, all right?" He could get orange juice from the pantry. And the first aid kit.
"I don't have a clue how to start. We wait for Sam, right? Cause if we take pictures of random kids, we might be called a pack of nonces." Jon theorised as he blew smoke away from the baby, as if that somehow helped. He was stressed, this was his only calm down method.
Aziraphale went into the living room but there was a girl napping on the couch and his face went red. Oh. Girls. He had no idea how to talk to girls. "Come along, Gideon. Don't wake the girl." He whispered as he led Gideon to an armchair so he could sit, crouching down next to him and looking at his feet. "Oh dear."
"That's not a girl, that's just Bill." So. Maybe a girl, but Crowley didn't find it overly remarkable. He had hidden away the drugs well and good, thrown them out in some cases - a few cars that had driven by were in for a surprise - and now he was back in the living room, looking at the kids that had arrived. Damn.
He pushed his glasses up to seem less strange, his eyes currently only a bit reddened. Then he crouched down next to Aziraphale, looking at the boy's feet as well. "Damn. That looks bad."
Poor kid. "You can relax though." He smiled at Aziraphale. "It's safe here. I'm Crowley, by the way."
"His name is Anthony," Holden corrected, which made Crowley stick out his tongue. Holden set a few glasses down on the table and started pouring orange juice, handing one glass to Gideon and smiling at him. "Can your sister drink juice too? She's still little."
"Oh, hello. I'm Aziraphale! It's lovely to-- to meet you all. I'm sorry I'm not in a better state of affairs but it's been quite the week." Aziraphale remarked, sounding like a strange little adult as he crouch there, smiling. With the sudden appearance of all these new people, Gideon was suddenly clutching onto Aziraphale and he laughed nervously. "Oh gosh, he must be nervous. Gideon, answer your elders."
Gideon held onto Aziraphale's sweater and looked at the floor. He took the juice to be polite. "She's too little for sugar."
"I think she's almost a year, if I have my math correct." Aziraphale offered helpfully with a smile before he watched Bill sit up, swiftly looking away with a deep red blush. She had short hair. How strange.
Bill blinked and then frowned. "What did I miss...?"
"Hot lawyer brought in some abused kids," Crowley explained, sitting on the floor to hopefully make Gideon relax a little again. "The orange juice is good for you, you should have some."
Holden looked at the tiny baby, his heart hurting at the sight. He got his phone ready and asked, just to make sure. "Can I take some pictures? I need to have a record of how it looked before I can do some first aid."
Even that baby was bruised. How could this have happened?
"Oh yeah, it's not problem at all, sir. Gideon, you just have to take a few pictures for me and then we'll all be tip-top. Perhaps once your feet are better, we can go for a ... a jaunt around the neighbour. Look at the houses. You love looking at houses." Aziraphale tried, wanting to encourage the boy as best he could.
Gideon was trembling because there was a lot right now but he nodded his head and then sipped some orange juice. It was good.
"A smashing lad!" Aziraphale ruffled Gideon's hair, just trying to be as upbeat as he could be. "You can sit with me while we do it - if that's okay with you, sir?" Aziraphale looked up at Holden for approval, not wanting to overstep but knowing that evidence was important.
"Of course, that's all good. We don't have that many rules in our house." As was perhaps obvious from Crowley basically crawling on the floor over to where Bill was seated on the couch, not bothering with getting up.
Holden started taking pictures, gently directing Gideon. "Very good, sweetheart. You'll be in less pain soon." He tried to sound encouraging, while he took pictures of the little sister as well. Then of Aziraphale, who was comparatively in better shape. Slightly. "Jonathan is warming up some food for you and I think Barty is talking with Sam. He's a really nice policeman."
He was hoping the kids could calm down a little. "Maybe we could watch some television? Crowley, find something."
Crowley obliged, taking a look at the audience in this room - two tiny kids and a boy his age who used words like 'tip-top', 'jaunt' and 'smashing'. So he stopped when Postman Pat came on. Seemed about right.
"Oh. That's-- oh." They weren't supposed to watch TV. Were they? Gideon was sitting on his lap, staring at the TV with utter fascination and his protest died down very swiftly. It was for children, he was sure it wasn't that dangerous if they watched a bit. It seemed to be about a postman. Aziraphale lifted Gideon and set him back on the arm chair before picking up the baby, ensuring she was getting enough attention.
She did love pulling on his hair so he winced but let her.
Aziraphale looked at the two teenagers and had no idea how to interact with them. He didn't really talk to other teens. Never to girls, not teenage girls.
Bill leaned against Crowley and frowned. "What's a jaunt?"
"'s like a walk, innit?" Crowley wasn't entirely certain, but he shrugged and assumed he was right. He looked at Aziraphale who had that tiny girl on his lap, smiling a little. Maybe they ought to get her a banana or something? What did babies eat? Apples, maybe. He always liked a good apple, hard to say no to that. "Oi, what's your name?"
He addressed Aziraphale, then gestured to Bill. "That's my friend, Bill. She's a bit of all right."
"Hello. I'm Aziraphale Fell. I'm 15 and I attend the church of Latter Day Saints." Aziraphale smiled at them brightly, introducing himself in a way that he felt he had to. "This is Eden and that is Gideon. They are my neighbours."
"Your name is Aziraphale... Fell. Huh. What do they call you for short?" Bill asked, just utterly floored by the name choice.
"Well... They call me Aziraphale?" Aziraphale answered with a confused frown before shrugging his shoulders. "I'm named after an angel. The angel was a principality. And Eden is the garden and Gideon is the biblical judge."
"You look a bit like an angel, so that tracks." Kind of cute like that, with the lips and the blond hair and all that sunny attitude while clearly hurt and exhausted. "Gideon's a cool name. Giddy." He approved, smiling at Eden. "I hope she likes snakes."
He had a snake tattoo and a snake earring, after all. Only one of them was visible right now. "I'm just Crowley, I don't got a fancy story for that."
He shrugged and then sniffed the air. "Ah, you're getting stew. It's Irish, so you've gotta tell them it's great."
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thearrangement2024-04-14 04:49 pm
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"Could... could you please not swear. There are minors present." Aziraphale tried very timidly as he bounced Eden and tried to distract her.
"Sorry, you God-fearing gasúr, but I ain't in the church. I curse all I bloody well please. I got three kids in my bloody car and none should be in this fucking state." Jonathan cursed as he pulled into the street and took off driving as quick as he could - at the speed limit. There was a baby and all.
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"Sam? It's me." Obviously. Now he felt he was stalling. This was a lot and not really the kind of vulnerability he liked to show, especially not to Sam. Whatever. "I'm about to ruin your weekend, darling. Can you meet me at Jonathan's place? Are you on duty or off?"
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Sam picked up fast, as he always did. "You always do find a way to ruin my weekends." Oh yeah, definitely some baggage still there. "I'm off duty but I can be on. What's happened? Is anyone hurt? If it's something big, I'll have to phone in. Be honest."
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Jonathan had to snort. "You two in a room? Fuck. That never ends well."
They'd either fuck or fight. And honestly, fighting was better. Fucking caused more problems. For both of them.
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"We'll need to have evidence of their current state and all injuries before we treat them and then they need to eat and drink, probably sleep." All of them seemed exhausted. They were asleep or half asleep in the car right now. "I'll discuss it with Sam, but we'll probably have to get them to a hospital."
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Aziraphale looked at his brother and his brother's odd friend with curiosity and then looked out of the window. It looked different here. Not in a bad way though. "I hope I don't get you into trouble. I couldn't very well tell you the situation, just in case they found the texts. I knew I had to do something. They're children."
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He promised it, wondering whether Aziraphale would have any conceivable idea what a lawyer was. Well, whatever. "For now we are going to Jonathan's house. He lives with his brothers and sister." Bill wasn't officially part of the family, but she might as well be. "Nobody will hurt you there."
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Jon pulled up outside his place and parked up, not bothering to be perfect with the park job. He undid his seatbelt and looked at Barty. "I have to warn everyone else. You get the kids ready, yeah. Just come in."
Jon got out and left them to it while he jogged into the house. "HOLDEN! Something crazy happened. Crowley! You better know some fucking first aid, son!"
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Holden walked out of his room, where he had been reading, frowning at his brother. Strange enough to see him awake so early on a Saturday, but just what could have happened? "What's going on, Jonny?" He glanced out the window, trying to spot the car.
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Jonathan looked at Holden and threw his arms out. "There's a wee little baby and a tyke with Barty's brother. We gotta get pictures before first aid, yeah? Then we need the copper before the ambulance. So take your time and brace yourself, mate. It's pretty shit."
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So at least that was one less issue. He got his phone out to check the battery life on it. "I can take pictures. They... We got some stew, don't we? In the freezer. Stew is nourishing. We should heat that up."
Barty opened the door, carrying the baby and gently pushing the two boys ahead of himself. "Living room is to the left, sunshine. Just sit down on the sofa there."
Holden smiled at the kids, unsure what else to do. "I'll get you lot some juice, all right?" He could get orange juice from the pantry. And the first aid kit.
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Aziraphale went into the living room but there was a girl napping on the couch and his face went red. Oh. Girls. He had no idea how to talk to girls. "Come along, Gideon. Don't wake the girl." He whispered as he led Gideon to an armchair so he could sit, crouching down next to him and looking at his feet. "Oh dear."
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He pushed his glasses up to seem less strange, his eyes currently only a bit reddened. Then he crouched down next to Aziraphale, looking at the boy's feet as well. "Damn. That looks bad."
Poor kid. "You can relax though." He smiled at Aziraphale. "It's safe here. I'm Crowley, by the way."
"His name is Anthony," Holden corrected, which made Crowley stick out his tongue. Holden set a few glasses down on the table and started pouring orange juice, handing one glass to Gideon and smiling at him. "Can your sister drink juice too? She's still little."
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Gideon held onto Aziraphale's sweater and looked at the floor. He took the juice to be polite. "She's too little for sugar."
"I think she's almost a year, if I have my math correct." Aziraphale offered helpfully with a smile before he watched Bill sit up, swiftly looking away with a deep red blush. She had short hair. How strange.
Bill blinked and then frowned. "What did I miss...?"
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Holden looked at the tiny baby, his heart hurting at the sight. He got his phone ready and asked, just to make sure. "Can I take some pictures? I need to have a record of how it looked before I can do some first aid."
Even that baby was bruised. How could this have happened?
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Gideon was trembling because there was a lot right now but he nodded his head and then sipped some orange juice. It was good.
"A smashing lad!" Aziraphale ruffled Gideon's hair, just trying to be as upbeat as he could be. "You can sit with me while we do it - if that's okay with you, sir?" Aziraphale looked up at Holden for approval, not wanting to overstep but knowing that evidence was important.
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Holden started taking pictures, gently directing Gideon. "Very good, sweetheart. You'll be in less pain soon." He tried to sound encouraging, while he took pictures of the little sister as well. Then of Aziraphale, who was comparatively in better shape. Slightly. "Jonathan is warming up some food for you and I think Barty is talking with Sam. He's a really nice policeman."
He was hoping the kids could calm down a little. "Maybe we could watch some television? Crowley, find something."
Crowley obliged, taking a look at the audience in this room - two tiny kids and a boy his age who used words like 'tip-top', 'jaunt' and 'smashing'. So he stopped when Postman Pat came on. Seemed about right.
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She did love pulling on his hair so he winced but let her.
Aziraphale looked at the two teenagers and had no idea how to interact with them. He didn't really talk to other teens. Never to girls, not teenage girls.
Bill leaned against Crowley and frowned. "What's a jaunt?"
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He addressed Aziraphale, then gestured to Bill. "That's my friend, Bill. She's a bit of all right."
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"Your name is Aziraphale... Fell. Huh. What do they call you for short?" Bill asked, just utterly floored by the name choice.
"Well... They call me Aziraphale?" Aziraphale answered with a confused frown before shrugging his shoulders. "I'm named after an angel. The angel was a principality. And Eden is the garden and Gideon is the biblical judge."
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He had a snake tattoo and a snake earring, after all. Only one of them was visible right now. "I'm just Crowley, I don't got a fancy story for that."
He shrugged and then sniffed the air. "Ah, you're getting stew. It's Irish, so you've gotta tell them it's great."