Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A tall man in a silvery grey suit, grey trench coat, and a purple scarf sat on a park bench. He watched the humans walking past him, not having a care in the world. The man was suddenly startled out of his thoughts as a bright blue ball hit him in the shin. A little human, a young boy, ran over to him with a bright smile. His heart twinged as he smiled at the tike, who looked so like one of his two sons.

“I’m sorry Mister, I didn’t mean to hit you,” the boy looked up, his smile fading slightly, a sign of true remorse.

“No worries little one,” the man picked up the ball and handed it to the child. “Go back to your mom, be safe.”

“Thanks Mister!” The child turned and ran back to his mother, who was dutifully watching her son like a hawk, nodding politely in thanks to the man.

“That waz zztomach turning. I thought you hated thezze humanz.”

The man looked to up to see his partner walking up to the bench. “Bee, glad you could make it.”

“Do. Not. Call. Me. That….Feather brain,”Beelzebub grumbled through gritted teeth.

Gabriel sighed and rested his elbows on his knees, head hanging for a moment. “Of course, your highness… Prince of Hell.”

Guilt rippled across the demon’s face before they could compose themselves. They went to touch the angel’s shoulder, but stopped and quickly pulled their arm away before sitting next to them.

“I have zzome …disturbing newz Gabriel,” they sighed heavily.

“The End of All Things has started, has it?”

Silence was his answer and Gabriel shook his head. This was moving quicker than either of them could’ve predicted. Gabriel had hoped to have more time, warn his sons… the sons he had to pretend to hate so they could fulfill their destinies. No one could understand that type of torture… except his mate. He turned to look at them, still so beautifully handsome in his eyes. Sure he had to put up a front when around other angel’s, but the love he felt for Bee had never waned, not in over 6000 years of separation.

The two beings sat in silence for a bit longer before Beelzebub turned to the angel. “Gabe, he’z already found a human hozt to overtake. I only juzzt found out yesterday by azzident. He’zz keeping it a zzecret from all the demon’z in Hell. I think he knowz if hiz plan was ever found out that he’d have a mutiny on hizz handz.”

“Well, it’s one thing to start Armageddon. War, blood, and passion is exciting to demons. Loss of existence without even a fighting chance…not exactly a demon’s forte.”

“That iz true. I think you angel’z would be in the same boat though, no? Wazn’t it the thought of…pazzion that had uz forcing Armageddon to happen? A chance for matez to possibly zzee each other again, remember each other, BE with each other in every zense.”

Gabriel could hear the longing in his mate’s voice and shuddered slightly. He nodded in agreement, unable to find the words to express himself. Silence once again hung in their air before Gabriel sighed and stood up. Adjusting his jacket, he turned and held his hand out to Beelzebub, an instinct that had never truly left him when it came to them.

He waited for them to rebuke the offer, like they had ever since their fall. This time however, was surprisingly different. The demon hesitated, but eventually reached up and took their mate’s hand. Energy crackled across their connected hands and each shuddered at the sheer force of power. Both of their corporation’s bodies reacted; muscles trembling, breath catching, pupils dilating. Gabriel pulled his mate closer to him and cupped their face, caressing their cheek with the pad of his thumb.

Unable to ignore the call any longer, Gabriel leaned his head down and captured his mate’s lips with his own. Raw power crackled and spun around the two beings, a quick miracle from Gabriel making it so no human could witness their embrace.

Beelzebub groaned and clutched the lapels of their mate’s jacket tighter. Bollocks, they had missed this! 6000 years of missing their mate, remembering who he was and wishing they could be together once more. The rush of old feelings came back; compassion, acceptance, understanding, and love bubbled through the demon’s corporation. They gasped in discomfort, pushing the angel away and hunched over, breathing heavily and shaking.

“Bee, I mean, Beelzebub. Are you okay?”

Beelzebub could hear the shake in their mate’s voice, a tremble, that they knew meant he had felt overwhelmed too. They nodded and rightened themselves up to look at the angel. A small smile dusted their face, causing Gabriel’s breath to catch, a smile he hadn’t seen in a very long time.

“Yeah, Feather-brain. I’m better than okay. That was… deliciouzzz.”

Gabriel stared for a moment and then burst out in a belly laugh, pulling the demon into a side hug. “We should do it again sometime.”

They snorted, but nodded in agreement before looking serious once more. “We need to find our children, Gabriel. They need to be warned.”

The angel sighed and nodded, pulling out a piece of paper he had tucked in his jacket pocket. “I have the address their staying at, but they aren’t alone. It’s *their* house… those traitors.”

Beelzebub snarled before shaking their head and taking a deep breath. “We muzt stop calling them that Featherhead. We were…furiouz. We thought we had a fail proof plan to finally be together and it didn’t work. They weren’t wrong Gabriel in choozing their zide …and you know it. Pluz, one of your sons is mozt likely with Hizz daughter. We can’t let Lucifer zteal her… you know what that would do.”

Gabriel clenched his hands and shook in anger, before sighing and forcing his corporation to relax. His mate was right, they had bigger fish to fry than two idiots who someone managed to stop the Apocalypse. Gabriel felt a tentative touch on his shoulder and lifted his head to see Beelzebub awkwardly patting it.

He snickered a bit before clasping their hand in his, bringing it up to his mouth and placing a gentle kiss.

“Okay, you’re right Beelzebub. Let’s go see our sons.”

Chapter Text

Sam and Jordan sprinted through the portal Merlin had created. A phone call from Newt had both beings leaving their celebratory engagement holiday early. Jordan’s wings were out and his ethereal energy crackled, snow and ice swirling around him. Sam’s fire flickered over her forearms and hands, occult energy whipping around her. Merlin sprinted with his parents, growing to the size of a liger and roaring loudly to let the others know they were on their way. The trio caught up with Crowley, Aziraphale, Jung, and Al, who were all looking at their two uninvited guests.

Sam came up next to her dad as Jordan stood next to his brother. He growled at Gabriel, flapping his wings aggressively.

“If you’ve come to hurt our family, you’re gonna get your asses kicked.”

Gabriel snorted in humor and arched his brow at Jordan. The archangel allowed some of his grace to burst through. The Earth under their feet began to shake as deep black thunder clouds formed above them and lighting crackled. Thousands of eyes covered Gabriel’s body as six large blue, white, beige and brown wings burst from the pocket dimension causing a sonic boom to echo across the field.

“Enough!” Aziraphale growled as he began to glow brightly as many eyes cascaded across his corporation, four wings sprouting out of the pocket dimension.

All of the present demon’s shuttered at the shear amount of grace being produced by the two full blooded angels. Even with their essences mixed with their angelic counter parts, each demon began to grow woozy at the display of raw ethereal power.

“Angel,” Crowley whispered and Aziraphale immediately turned to see the demon’s in his family struggling. Taking a breath, he called a good amount of his grace back into his corporation. His many eyes disappeared and his wings went from four to two. Aziraphale looked to Crowley with an apologetic look, that the demon waved off.

“Why are you *gisaengchung both here,” Jung spat out.

“Izzzz that the way you treat the perzzzon who gave you life?” Beelzebub drawled, tilting their head.

“My mother gave life and birth to me. You’re just the unfortunate genetic donor she had to work with,” Jung spat out, sneering at his sire in contempt.

Crowley flinched in surprise as he noticed the Prince of Hell looking deeply hurt for a split second before shielding their expression to one of boredom once more.

“I’ll ask again, why are you here!?” Jung’s voice rang through the garden, air whipping around the group as he called his Element.

Beelzebub sighed before putting their hands up in the universal sign of surrender. “We are actually here to warn you-“

“BULLSHIT!” Sam yelled, her Fire expanding to her shoulders, eyes glowing dangerously with flame colored irises.

Beelzebub growled something to Gabriel that the rest of the group couldn’t hear. The angel looked to the demon prince in dismay; but a quirked eyebrow and flick to the head with a few of their flies pelting the angel made him pause. Gabriel lowered his head in defeat, recalling all of his grace and appeared before the family, hands held up in a sign of surrender.

“Oi! What game are you two playing?” Crowley exclaimed as his fangs grew longer and scales began to grow over his corporation’s arms.

Gabriel opened his mouth, but before he could state anything the kitchen door slammed open as Anathema came sprinting out of the cottage.

“Stop! Stop, don’t attack them! They’re here to help!”

“Ahhh, the prophetic witch is here…lovely,” Gabriel smirked. He lowered his hands, placing them in his pockets.

“Book Girl, what are you talking about? They are the enemy…you’ve SEEN them in your visions-“

“I KNOW,” Anathema yelled as she caught up to the group, breathing heavily. “But I just had another vision, they are here to help. They don’t want the universe to end…they just want to be together.”

“Watch it Witch,” Gabriel sneered, but Beelzebub grabbed his arm and shook their head.

“They need to underztand Feather-brain. Let the witch talk. They’ll trust her words.”

Gabriel grumbled, but conceded to Beelzebub’s logic. Motioning for the witch to continue, Anathema came over to the group and started to explain what she had seen.

“They’re here to help, they aren’t here to fight.”

“Dear girl, I believe you need to explain more. You’ve had visions of them fighting along side beings such as Hastur and Micheal. How could they be on our side?” Aziraphale cocked his head in confusion.

“They were mates, before the fall,” Anathema began causing the rest of the group to gasp and glance over at the angel and demon. Beelzebub kept their composure, Gabriel on the other hand was obviously uncomfortable with this becoming public news, looking everywhere but at the group in front of him.

“My word,” Aziraphale started, reaching to clasp Crowley’s hand, needing to feel his husband.

“That’s why they were so adamant about the Apocalypse. They wanted to be together and thought that was the only way. They weren’t upset about the war not happening (that was just their excuse), they had hoped that by causing Armageddon all the mates who had been separated could find their partner and remember their lives before the fall. At the end of it all, Gabriel and Beelzebub just wanted to be together again.”

Crowley and Aziraphale looked at their ex-superiors. Both were attempting the look anywhere but at the small group. Aziraphale felt a twinge of guilt, but brushed it off quickly. They had done the right thing stopping Armageddon. Only a fool would disagree. Crowley rolled his eyes and looked back to Anathema.

“I call bullshi-“

“You can choose to not believe her Crawl-ey, that’s up to you!”

Gabriel moved quickly to the group standing in front of Crowley and sneering at him. “You disgust me. SHE made you to be her perfect angel and you couldn’t even get that right! You have all of this power and you do NOTHING with it! Can’t say anything to prove me wrong, can you Rapha-“

A fist coldcocked Gabriel in the face, the force knocking him to the ground. Holding his left cheek, the archangel turned to scream at Crowley, only to look surprised at a different red head standing over him.

“If you EVER talk to either of my parents like that again, I’ll pluck every fucking feather out of your wings…all six of them. Capeesh?”

Sam stood over the archangel, pure rage written on her face. Occult energy swirled chaotically all over, hair whipping around at the sheer force of her power, black pupils overtaking her entire eye. One of Gabriel’s sons stood behind her, a hand on her shoulder. Not holding her back from attacking him, but as a sign of partnership and support.

Gabriel’s eyes widened and he swallowed, nodding. She wasn’t even a full demon and her power seemed to surpass every Prince and Duke Hell had in its service. A buzzing hiss came from his left as Beelzebub joined them.

“We get it young one, but turn down the occult energy now! You have no idea who walkzz thiz plane and he’zz zearching for you.”

Crowley and Jordan moved in front of Sam protectively. “You threatening my daughter Lord of the Fliesssss?” Crowley hissed.

“No Crowley, they’re not.” Anathema moved to stand in front of the two uninvited guests. “They came to warn us. Lucifer’s here, on Earth. He’s looking for a mate… he wants Sam.”

Chapter Text

Crowley could feel his corporation’s heart fall to it’s stomach as he tried to breath. He shook his head and shuddered in disgust before pulling Sam into his arms, holding her tightly. Memories of the torture he endured under Lucifer’s hands came crashing back to him. He couldn’t have that happen to Sam.

“Why Sam?” Aziraphale asked, moving to his family and placing a hand on his husband’s back and rubbing it soothingly.

“Because,” Gabriel started as Beelzebub helped him onto his feet. “If Lucy couldn’t have Raphael as a mate in angel or demon form… he’ll settle for his daughter. He needs a powerful being to reign with him when he destroys everything and starts the universe over in his image. Constant pain, torture, destruction, violence….” Gabriel shuddered unable to finish the description.

Aziraphale felt Crowley tense under his touch. The angel glowered at his ex-boss. “That’s enough! You’ve made my mate uncomfortable and I will ask you to leave if you continue to do so. I don’t know what you’re insinuating about Crowley and Lucifer, but it will cease this instant!”

“Wait… snakey here never told you that Lucifer tried to court him before the Great War?” Gabriel snickered, still holding his cheek.

“Gabriel… that iz enough!” Beelzebub grabbed their mate’s arm and gave it a warning squeeze.
“You are cauzing all of them diztrezz! How can you expect them to truzt uz if you keep goading them into a fight, hmm?!”

They pointed to a log by the edge of the forest. “Go zit there and I will try to zalvage thiz converzation.”

Gabriel opened his mouth to argue when a ball gag suddenly appeared and buckled in place behind the archangel’s neck. Beelzebub looked pleased with themselves, a little bit of mischief well managed. They pointed to the log again and tapped their foot.

“I will mischief the gag away when I can truzt our zonz, the first created’z daughter, and our ex-employeez will not dizcorporate uz…idiot.”

Blushing, the archangel grumbled against the gag, but moved to the log and sat down like a petulant five year old in time out. Beelzebub sighed and adjusted their scarf, while rolling their shoulders. They looked back to the group and smirked at the expressions of humor and confusion mixed amongst the group.

“Now, zhall we get back on topic or do you ztill wizh to fight?”

Aziraphale glowered at the demon. “Alright Prince Beelzebub, I’m willing to listen to what you have to say. As I’m sure the rest of us are.”

The angel turned and scrutinized the rest of his family, each nodding in consent at backing off, with the exception of his mate, who wore a glazed look while still clutching on to their daughter. Aziraphale turned back to Beelzebub and waved his hand, miracling the table and chairs, originally set up by the pool, to their location. He motioned for the Prince to sit at one end of the table and the demon buzzed a somewhat sincere thanks.

Aziraphale then gently moved Crowley to the closest bench at the other end of the table, allowing the demon to continue to hold onto their daughter. Sam was gently talking to her dad as Aziraphale moved them, hoping to coax him out of his catatonic state. Jordan stood behind his mate and future father-in-laws, making sure to keep his eyes on what his instincts perceived as threats, his father and his brother’s mates’ sire.

Jung and Alejandro sat next to each other on the right side of the table, the house behind their backs allowing them to keep an eye on Gabriel and Beelzebub. Alejandro sat next to his mate’s sire, growling deeply in his chest as a warning. The demon snorted in amusement, but continued to hold their hands up in surrender.

Aziraphale moved a chair out for Anathema, the witch thanking him, grateful of having a moment to breathe. The angel stayed behind Anathema, guarding her back in case his ex-boss got any ideas about sneaking up on them.

“Well then Beelzebub, perhaps you could now explain why Lucifer is looking for our daughter.”

Crowley suddenly whimpered and clutched Sam tighter.

“No, no, no,no…he can’t…he can’t have her.”

Beelzebub sighed and looked to their former employee, sympathy surprisingly filling their eyes. “Crowley we are going to do whatever we can to keep her zzafe-“

“How can I trussst you?!” The demon roared, startling everyone at the table. “You helped him! When he tortured me, beat me, whipped me, cut me with various knives… you… you fucking helped him! When he t-touched me and groped me you watched him do it! When he tried to forcccce a m-mating bite onto my neck you helped hold me down! You forccced me to do thingssss I DIDN’T WANT TO DO! I wanted to sssave myself for my mate, but you FORCCCED me to have sssex with Victoria by threatening me with what I endured at Lucifer’s hand! You’ve RELISSSSHED in touturing me for millennia! HOW the HELL am I sssupposed to trusssst YOUR WORD?!”

Crowley heaved in breaths of unnecessary air as he finished his verbal onslaught. Realizing what he had just uttered out loud, horror descended upon Crowley. He looked to his mate first, unable to face his daughter or the men he had begun to consider sons just yet. He didn’t want to see their pity, their outrage, their sadness. What the demon needed was the scent and feel of his mate.

Noticing his husband looking for him, Aziraphale rushed forward and clutched to Crowley. Tears streamed down his face as he heard he mate sob into his shoulder and collapse into his arms. The angel was thankful for his supernatural strength as he held his husband in his arms and let the demon unleash six millennia’s worth of pain and fear. Calling Merlin over, Aziraphale picked his husband up bridal style and asked the felid to open a portal to their bedroom. The Mustafir shrunk to his normal size and jumped onto the angel’s shoulder, flicking his tail as a hazy cloud appeared before them. Before walking through, Aziraphale turned to Beelzebub, eyes glowing brightly.

“I expect you to give these young ones the information you intended to give me and my mate. If I find out you have be untruthful, treated them unfairly, or disrespectfully, I will rip one your wings clean off of your celestial body… do you understand?”

The demon prince nodded, “Of courze. You may not believe it, but my goal iz to help.”

Aziraphale stared at Beelzebub with hard eyes, as if trying to see their celestial body through their very corporation. Nodding to himself, the angel turned back towards the hazy cloud and stepped through, leaving an eerie silence hang over the group. No one said a word for a full minute, the words Crowley spewed still ringing in their ears.

Sam was the first to snap out of it, breathing heavy as she suddenly threw a fireball at Beelzebub. The demon prince barely had time to duck as the fire blast soared over them, right where their head had just been. A flaming hand suddenly grasped their throat, nails digging deep into the skin. Looking into Crowley’s daughters’ eyes, the prince shuddered in genuine fear. The only other being they had ever truly feared, since becoming a demon, was Lucifer. Looking to the opposite end of the table, they noticed the other four Elements were moving in slow motion. Realizing that Crowley’s daughter had slowed down time, Beelzebub grasped that this could be their final moments. Gabriel would never make it in time, as he too was almost frozen in place. The demon prince shuddered again as they felt Sam’s energy brush their very celestial body and squeezed.

“I could kill you right now and your mate wouldn’t be able to do a fucking thing about it.”

“I know, but you won’t,” Beelzebub wheezed out.

“Why?” Sam squeezed tighter.

“Becauze, you need the information I have,” they continued to rasp out. “And you’d never hurt my zon like that. Deep down you know it would hurt him to zee me die.”

Sam turned to see Jung’s face, frozen and torn into multiple emotions, seemingly unable to settle on one. The Fire Element stayed still for a moment before sighing, dropping the prince and taking a deep cleansing breathe in. Time sped back up and as Beelzebub crashed into their chair, wheezing as they fought through the pain their celestial and corporate body felt. Gabriel rushed to their side, kneeling down beside and mumbling through the ball gag (still present in his mouth) as he checked his mate for lasting damage.

“You do anything to hurt anyone in my family, especially my dad, I won’t hesitate to eliminate you.” Sam stated eerily calm, as fire encompassed her entire being, a statement that both full celestials recognized.

Beelzebub nodded in understanding, grasping onto their mate’s suit jacket when it became evident he wanted to retaliate.
“No Feather-brain, that was dezerved. I would have done the zame thing if I were in her zhoes.”

The four other Elements stared at Sam with varying degrees of fear and awe. Jordan moved around and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. No one said anything as the Water Element consoled his mate, using water from the pool to cool her down. Everyone within their little family knew how triggering this must be for the young half demon and gave her time to reacclimate herself, as well as, give the demon prince a moment to collect themselves.

A minute later Alejandro cleared his throat and Jordan looked over, to see him motioning to the bench. A silent nod and Jordan ushered Sam back over to the bench, never leaving her side, in fear she may flame up once more. Alejandro took a moment to glance at his mate and noticed the conflicting emotions playing on his face; fear, anger, frustration, sadness, confusion, uncertainty. The half angel moved to grab his mates hand and place a gentle kiss on the palm, startling the Air Element out of his thoughts.

A tiny smile from the Earth Element had Jung relaxing his shoulders and smiling gently back. Alejandro moved to kiss his mate’s cheek before whispering in his ear.

“*Te amo mi vida. ¿Estás bien?”

Alejandro felt Jung nod, “*Geulae, nae insaeng-eun gwaenchanh-eulgeoya.”

Alejandro pulled back and stared into his beautiful mate’s eyes. He moved gently to kiss Jung tenderly on the lips, not caring for the grunt coming from his biological father. The two gave themselves another moment, before parting. Alejandro turned to his father and mate’s sire at the end of the table, both watching them all intently.

“Alright then, tell us what you know. You came all this way to supposedly help us, so then help.”

A wave of Beelzebub’s hand and the ball gag was removed from Gabriel’s mouth. The chair that they currently were sitting in grew longer and Gabriel sat down next to them.

“We zhould actually be leaving,” Beelzebub grunted. “This one’z display muzt’ve attracted Lucifer by now,” they pointed agitatedly at Sam. “If we don’t move, he’ll come take her and then all is truly lost.”

Alejandro looked to Jordan and smirked a bit. “Actually, we should be okay,” Jordan started. “We have a way of hiding occult energy within a 5-mile radius it was activated when Sam and I got home.”

“How? I’ve never heard of any sort of shield.” Gabriel glared at his sons, hoping his intimidating gaze might crack one of them and give the information away.

“None of your concern,” Sam growled out, not wanting to disclose Merlin’s unique gifts. “Just know that we are safe and Lucifer shouldn’t be making any unexpected visits right now.”

Gabriel opened his mouth to argue, but Beelzebub quickly stated, “That zeemz fair to me.”

Gabriel turned to his mate, about to rant when a look stopped him mid word. He knew that look well, one that stated to let it drop, or else. The angel deflated and nodded, grazing Beelzebub’s hand with his fingers.

“Well, that zertainly helpz and will make thiz far eazier zince we don’t have to leave.” Beelzebub leaned forwards and clasped their hands together. They turned their head to Jung and genuinely smiled, causing the Elements to look on confused.

“You are all so powerful, more powerful than your mother’s or ourselves anticipated. It’s… a welcomed surprise.” They continued to look at their son before moving their gaze to Alejandro.

“You know of the Event that could Destroy All Thingz, yez?”

After gaining confirmation Beelzebub continued. “Lucifer had thiz idea for a very long time… before the Great Fall. You zee, he waz upzet, with God and Her newezt creationz… humanz. He felt that we were better than them, that we zhould have her full attention. He wizhed to eliminate them. He gained zupport from many fellow angelz that were feeling lozt… abandoned by her. I waz foolishly one of them, zeeing how her leaving hurt my mate. Nothing Gabriel zaid zwayed my train of thought.” The demon stopped for a moment as memories that they should no longer have, flashed before their eyes.

“I made a miztake,” they whispered. “The biggezt regret of my long life. I thought I could change the way our world worked… but I waz greatly miztaken. The war hurt zo many. Zo many matez loozing their partnerz, whether in battle or when we were kicked out.

“I did not know it waz his plan all along. Luzifer either wanted to take over Heaven or be kicked out. The arzehole wanted to be banizhed or rule so he could have a chance at creating hiz own utopia, one built in hiz own image. But, he needed a strong and powerful mate… one that could boozt hiz giftz.”

Beelzebub turned their gaze to Sam, “Your dad iz the original angel, you knew thiz yes?”

Sam nodded in acknowledgment, “Yeah, he told us a few weeks ago.”

“Well, before the battle Lucifer tried to… woo your dad. Thought he could juzt take over if he manipulated and mated with Raphael. But, your dad is cunning and zaw through the veil of deceit, turning Lucifer away. Zatan did not take kindly to the rejection, starting the War and planning to take your dad as hiz prize whether he won or lozt. In hiz mind, even loozing was winning really.

“Now God’z original plan had been to wipe all of our memoriez before zending uz down. Luzifer found a loophole, and remembered uz all. When he realized Raphael waz now a demon, well…. he made it hiz mission to get the then named Crawley to bend to his will. Hundreds of years he tortured him, forced himself upon him, hoping that your dad would relent, but he never did. In hiz anger, Luzifer would… uze me to unleash hiz increazing fruztration. He’d break me over and over and… I cracked. I became hiz loyal zervant juzt to make the pain end. I am juzt so grateful that the day Lucifer decided to force a biting mark into him waz the day Crowley remembered who he had been and waz able to brake free from hiz chainz. To then cleverly ztrike a deal with Luzifer to let him go.”

Beelzebub looked up to their son, who was silently crying, and then turned their gaze back to Sam. “Your father iz right. I did hurt him…but I lozt myself so fully to the torture and abuze I experienced… it iz no excuse… but I… since I remembered who I once waz…remembered my mate I… I regret how I helped Luzifer try to break him. I am truly zorry.”

The Elements looked at the demon with surprise. This was not what they expected from Beelzebub at all. The prince was calm, collected and genuinely remorseful. It was unsettling.

“When did you remember who you once were? Who your mate had been?”

“To be perfectly frank, the recognition zparked the moment I first zaw Gabriel after being turned into a demon, two millennia after the fall. I remembered him az my mate and alzo who I had onze been. I waz angry and upzet at firzt. I didn’t want theze memoriez or feelingz, they… hurt. My corporation’z heart ached with the weight of it all. I mizzed him, zo very much, but I couldn’t act upon my feelingz. I didn’t even know if he remembered me and if Luzifer ever got wind that I knew and loved Gabriel? Well…I am zure you can imagine the torture he’d bring uz both.”

The Elements all nodded and shuddered at the potential horrors that played in their minds, what could have happened to both Beelzebub and Gabriel. As much as Sam hated to feel pity for the one that helped torture her dad, she also began to see the demon prince as another victim in all of this despair and pain caused by Lucifer.

Jung looked at his sire with new eyes. While still upset with how Beelzebub had treated him before, he now had a better understanding as to why they had kept their distance from him. Why they had been so shitty to him when they had met in the past. It was both weirdly unnerving and yet reassuring. Jung felt his husband squeeze his hand tightly and was grateful for the grounding it gave him.

Alejandro cleared his throat and looked at his father. “And you,” motioning to Gabriel, “when did you remember Beelzebub?”

Gabriel looked startled at first. No one seemed to want to acknowledge his presence since he had been ball gagged earlier. Looking at the younger beings he was about to answer haughtily, a knee jerk reaction, before Beelzebub clasped his hand in their’s and squeezed.

“Kindly Feather-brain. Remember, we talked about thiz. And you know you wizh to make amendz with your zonz…az do I.”

Gabriel stared at his mate, amazed by their ability to act so honestly and openly after having to put up a front of disinterest and cruelty for so many years. This was the Bee he had fallen in love with and mated so many years ago. Kind, honest, full of patience and understanding, but ruthless and bloodthirsty when wronged.

Gabriel clasped their hand in his and brought their palm to his cheek, staring into their eyes. “I never forgot them. I became, cold and cruel without them by my side over the years. They had always brought the best out of me… seems the worst of me came through without them with me.”

“Yeah, you have been a dick,” Jordan blurted out.

Keeping his on eyes Beelzebub, Gabriel sighed heavily before turning to look at his sons. “Yes, I guess I have.”

“You guess?” Sam’s voice rose and Jordan quickly clasped her hands when they engulfed in flames, cooling them as quickly as he could. “You straight up mentally abused my father! Actually, seems like you messed with both of my dads as well as your sons! If it wasn’t for your younger son holding onto me I’d be kicking your ass!”

Gabriel quirked an eyebrow at the half demon staring him down. He couldn’t help but be both amused and slightly annoyed. “You know, I’d normally say you didn’t stand a chance… but your Raphael’s biological daughter and it seems you don’t have the same hang ups on violence your demon dad has.”

“No apologies for your bullshit attitude though?”

Gabriel snorted, “That’s not really me, never has been. I did what I thought I had to do. Was it always right… eh, probably not. But, in the moment, every decision or comment I’ve ever made was done because it felt right.”

Beelzebub sighed and smacked the back of their mates head. “That iz hiz zhitty way of zaying ‘I’m zorry for all the pain I’ve caused your parentz and my zonz.’ I know hiz commentz must be irkzome to you, but I muzt ask that you all to ztay calm.”

Surprisingly it was Anathema, who had been quietly sitting, that slammed the table with her hands. “You want us to trust you, but you have a dipshit mate making it very hard to! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I trust the demon right now more than I trust the angel…an archangel at that! If you want us to believe you Gabriel, you gotta put some effort in. You’ve hurt your sons for over a century… doesn’t that hurt you? Doesn’t that make you feel like… you’ve failed them?”

The entire time Anathema spoke, Gabriel could feel himself get more upset. How dare this human question his decisions! She was lesser, a human, and a witch at that! The audacity this lesser being had! But before Gabriel could loose himself to the anger he felt, a rough hand touched his. He looked over to his mate, those beautifully kind eyes staring into his very celestial bodies and they felt all that anger wash away.

“Tell them the truth Gabriel. We both agreed, thiz iz the time to make amendz.”

The angel felt his shoulders sag, he was so tired. So tired of hiding how he felt about his sons. How he felt about his beautiful mate. He was tired of feeling afraid of not knowing what to do. His mother hadn’t talked to him in so long. He pretended to know what he was doing, to make the other angels feel better, but it was all an act. Honestly, he had no idea if he was doing the right thing… but he had no one else to turn to. Yet everyone expected him to have the answers… and most of the time he didn’t. He’d make stuff up of the fly and hope it stuck. He needed to stop living for them now, he needed to start living for himself. As much as he loathed to admit it, Gabriel wanted what Raphael…no… what Crowley and Aziraphale had. Being able to love each other and love those around them. He wanted that desperately with his mate and sons.

Nodding he looked at his boys and felt tears start to roll down his corporation’s cheeks, he hadn’t even know he could cry till that moment.

“I know that you don’t trust me and you might never be able to. While I can not change my past actions; I promise, on my word as an archangel, that I will work to earn your trust from now till the end of my days on this plane of existence.”

Gabriel closed his eyes taking a deep breath. There was only one way this group was ever going to trust him and that was to make a demonic deal. Gabriel called his grace into his hand before standing up and moving towards his younger son’s mate. The archangel held out his now glowing hand to Sam, coaxing her to shake it.

The half demon rose an eyebrow in surprise before looking to Anathema. The witch shrugged her shoulders but gave a thumbs up in encouragement. Tentatively beginning to reach out she looked to Jordan, Al, and Jung, each nodding in support.

Sighing the half demon stood up to meet Gabriel head on, allowing occult energy to encompass her hand. “If you shake my hand, a demon deal will be struck. There is no going back on your word,” Sam warned.

Gabriel nodded before clasping his golden hand into her demonically charged one. “I, Gabriel, the messenger of God Herself, promise to do everything in my power to prove my allegiance and bring aid to my sons, their mates, their friends, my *ngk* ex-employee, his mate, and humanity. Most of all, I will prove my undying love and affection to my mate, Bee, and assist them in saving this universe. This is my bond as an archangel.”

A pop of energy and scent of sulfur mixed with ozone fell over the South Downs cottage. Ethereal and occult energy swiped through the area, each being feeling the weight of the promise the archangel just declared to the world.

For the first time Sam smirked at Gabriel, “Okay Gabe, you officially have my interest. Tell me, how do you and Prince Bee plan on stopping the universe’s biggest asshole.”