Chapter Text
The serpent wound his way through the Garden. It was beautiful, he had to admit. Lots of greenery. This was his first time out of the Pit, away from the dim, smoke filled halls of Hell. The sunlight was warm on his scales as he slithered past the great waterfall. The crystalline blue almost made him turn from his path… but no. He had a job to do. With a flick of his tongue just capturing the fresh scent of the water, he turned and headed deeper into the leafy underbrush.
At the center of the Garden was a tree. It wasn’t that much different than other trees that grew around it, except this tree had large red fruits that drooped heavily from the branches. And this tree, alone of all the ones beside it, had a small sign around its trunk. “Do not eat,” was written in large black letters against the white of the boards, and the serpent raised himself up to read the sign. His tongue flicked out several times as he contemplated the words, the sun shining off of his red belly scales, the same color as the fruits that adorned the tree. His top scales were black, dark as the night, so dark it was as though they drank in the light around them.
Hmm, he thought to himself. That sign won’t do those humans a lick of good. Can’t read, can they? Of course, there were angels around… four to be exact. One on each of the walls. Perhaps they could be convinced to explain it to the couple. If they weren’t too haughty to speak to the new creations. The very thought sent a shudder down the serpentine coils. He’d probably be smited on sight. Smote? Or was it smitten? If a snake could shrug, it would have raised its tiny shoulders. As it was, he simply continued on to the tree and easily climbed into the branches. Finding a nice fork, he settled himself in to wait.
It wasn’t too long, though to be honest he was out of practice with telling time. The sun had moved a short way across the sky at least when there was the sound of movement close by. The serpent lifted its head, golden yellow eyes searching through the leaves. Yes! There… a figure stepped forward from the surrounding foliage.
So this was a human. The serpent cocked its head as it took in the figure. She had dusky skin, with wide honey colored eyes and full red lips. Long curly hair tumbled halfway down her back. The swell of her breasts and hips were markedly different than the appearance of the angels that that the serpent had known. She was humming as she walked, passing closely to the tree, but didn’t spare it even a glance as she went.
“Good morning,” the serpent said, stretching himself in her direction as he kept his tail curled around the branch he rested in, letting his head break through the leaves that hid him from view. With a surprised “Oh!” the woman turned, a brilliant white smile lighting up her face.
“Good morning,” she replied. Slowly she moved forward, no fear causing her to hesitate as she closed the distance and put her face close to the dark snout. The light glinted off of two needlelike fangs that dripped down the sides of his snout. He flicked his tongue again, tasting the innocence that rolled off of her skin. “I haven’t seen you yet.”
“No, indeed… well, it’s a big place,” the serpent said, keeping his yellow eyes steadily on hers. “But s’nice to meet you… do you have a name, then?”
“Oh! Yes, of course! The angels did teach us that. I’m Eve.” She looked pleased to have remembered. The serpent blinked. This was going to be easier than he had thought.
“Charmed,” he said, slipping out of the tree and slithering towards her. He was a large serpent, and rising up on his coils he was able to bring his head almost up to her eye level. “You may call me ‘Crawley.’”
“Crawley.” Eve tested the word on her tongue, and smiled as she found it acceptable. “What are you?”
“Just a sssnake,” the serpent hissed, elongating the ‘s’ as though savoring the word. “Have you… seen other snakes here?”
“No, I’ve never seen anything like you. We do have birds, and lions, sheep, bears… yesterday I saw a ‘cat’!”
“What a variety,” Crawley said.
“You’re very pretty.”
“Do you think so?” Crawley swept his tail across the tip of his snout, preening a bit. “’s very kind of you.”
Eve reached out a hand slowly. The serpent gave her a guarded look but remained motionless, allowing her to touch the top of his head. The warmth of her hand felt good against his cool scales. She slid her fingers down between his eyes to his nose, and then very gently followed the curve of his fangs. As she reached the needle sharp points he drew back and shook his head.
“Careful,” he reprimanded her. “It'd be a shame to prick that finger, wouldn’t it?”
“I didn’t mean to… I hope I haven’t done anything upsetting.”
“’s alright,” he said breezily, closing his eyes with a lazy air. “No harm done.”
***
“And the long yellow ones are bananas, those small ones are figs, and near the waterfall they have something fuzzy and brown called a coconut. It’s all so lovely. We eat as much as we want every day! Do you like fruit? I can get some for you if you’re hungry.”
“How generous. No thank you, I’ve already eaten.” Crawley and the woman were lounging by a large rock in the dense foliage near where they had met. Three days had passed since then, and every afternoon the serpent had arrived to speak with her. When he had arrived today, Eve had asked if they could sit in the sunlight, but the serpent had refused to leave the cover of the plants, and not wanting to risk losing his company, Eve had agreed.
“There are other things, too! Pomegranates and peaches, oranges…”
“How about that Tree at the center of the Garden?” Crawley asked. “The one where I met you? It must be very special, it has a little sign.”
“The angels said that it’s the Tree of Knowledge,” Eve replied. “But we’re not supposed to eat it. We can have anything else here that we want, but not that one.”
“Seems a bit strange, doesn’t it?” the serpent mused. “Why not that one? Wouldn’t knowledge be a good thing?”
“I guess I never thought of that…”
“I wonder what you’d learn?” he mused. “The name of every creature under Heaven, perhaps? Or of the great lands that lie beyond these walls?”
“There’s nothing beyond these walls,” Eve laughed.
“Isn’t there?” Crawley looked at her for a moment, and as she gazed into his golden eyes the laughter faded from her lips. Suddenly she was uncertain. Crawley always did seem to know so much. Was it possible that there were lands, away beyond the Garden? The angels had never mentioned it, but in truth she had never asked.
“Have you… seen other lands?” she asked quietly. With a sinuous wiggle he slithered closer, circling her, sliding over her bare feet and ankles. She stood still as he wound himself around her body until he curled across her shoulders, his head level with hers.
“Such things I have seen,” he whispered. She shivered as his forked tongue flicked her ear, at the feeling of his heaviness hanging off of her, at the clutching of his scales. “I could tell you all about them, and anything else you’d like to know.”
“How do you know so much?”
“Just a matter of experience,” Crawley hissed. “And speaking with… friends. You learn so much from friends, don’t you think, Eve? I’ve got so many acquaintances, and they all have such interesting stories. You must have lovely conversations as well, when I’m not around?”
“Well…” Eve hesitated. “There’s Adam,” she said, casting a glance over her shoulder towards where she had left her companion. “But he’s not really a storyteller. To be honest, he’s only a few days older than me, and neither of us has left the Garden. We didn’t even realize there was anything else out there.”
“Not much of a conversationalist, eh?” the snake commiserated.
“Not really. Not like you.”
“What a nice thing to say!” The snake slid forward, dropping from her shoulder onto the ground and slowly making his way deeper into the underbrush. “Glad I decided to speak with you the other day. I’ve enjoyed our conversations very much.”
“Oh, me too!” Eve beamed as she walked beside the snake. “I didn’t realize how lonely I was until you showed up.” The snake paused, lifting its head so it could look at her with those glowing golden eyes. It squirmed just a little, a guilty shifting of its coils, but Eve didn’t seem to notice. “You will keep visiting, won’t you?” she asked, a tinge of worry threaded through the question. “It’s just… the angels are always so busy, and it’s just me and Adam and…”
The serpent dropped his gaze and began moving again, the woman following beside him. “Course,” he replied without looking at her. “If you like.”
***
Eve and Crawley lay very still, cheek to cheek. Through the leaves of the underbrush where they hid, they could just see the brilliant red of the fruits hanging from the Tree. Like two children peering through a fence at an abandoned house, their eyes never strayed from the tree and it’s forbidden fruit. The morning sun made the apples shine like rubies dripping through the emerald leaves.
“Can you imagine putting up a don’t touch sign on a tree smack in the middle of a Garden?” Crawley drawled. His voice was quiet, as though he were trying very hard to keep anyone but the two of them from overhearing.
“The angel says it’s a test. To make sure that we’re honoring the things God tells us.” She could feel the long thick body of the serpent shudder at the mention of the angels. He always seemed to do that when she spoke of them. “Are you afraid of the angels?” she asked, turning so that she could face him. “I know they can look fierce, but they’re awfully nice… well, at least the Angel of the Eastern Gate is. He’s the only one that comes down to speak with us.”
“I’m sure I wouldn’t know.” Crawley tried to stuff down his reactions to the angels and returned his attention to the tree before them. Eyes on the prize, that’s what he had to remember. “What d’you suppose it tastes like?”
“I’m… not sure.” Eve shifted uncomfortably next to him. She shot a last guilty look at the tree and then turned towards Crawley, trying to keep her eyes off of the tree. “But I really think if the angels don’t want us to concern ourselves with it, maybe we should heed them.”
“If we only took one, we could eat it right here,” Crawley mused, ignoring the discomfort of his companion. “No one would ever even have to know!”
“I don’t think we should talk about the tree anymore,” Eve said, and Crawley was surprised to hear the hardness in her voice. He turned his head so he could take a good look at her, blinking slowly.
“Why Eve… what’s the matter?”
“The Angel of the Gate said that God told us no… but now you keep saying yes, and… and… it’s very confusing.” She sat up, her head and shoulders breaking through the underbrush as she crossed her arms and looked away from the serpent beside her.
“Fine… I’ll let it go,” Crawley replied, raising himself to stay in her line of sight. “Pay it no more mind.” Eve nodded stiffly, and an uncomfortable silence bloomed between them. Eve wasn’t sure what she ought to do… or even what she wanted to do. Crawley was facing away from her, stubbornly refusing to turn her way. She began to realize that he was muttering to himself something quite unintelligible.
“What are you saying?” she asked. She said it gently, not meaning anything by it. She was desperate to start their conversation again. The quiet made her uncomfortable.
“I said,” he replied somewhat peevishly, finally turning his gaze her way, “s’what happens when angels get involved.”
“What do you mean?”
Crawley’s coils twisted, feeling restless at the thought of the Heavenly guardians. The pragmatic part of him knew that he should say nothing. Shrug this setback off and begin again tomorrow. Yes, that would be the prudent plan. The girl had mentioned the angels several times… particularly this ‘Angel of the Eastern Gate.’ To push too hard against him might be risky to all the progress he had made with her. Indeed, he was so very close to his goal. But if he did this just right… it might be worth the risk.
“Let me guess… shoulder-length blonde curls? Perfect downy white wings? Nose stuck in the air like he’s better than any other creature in creation? Not a single original thought in that perfect, boring head, I’ll bet. Doesn’t have a single thing to say to you or Adam except ‘don’t touch’, does he? Much too concerned with keeping those pretty white robes from smearing at the hem. Angels are too pure to let their feet touch the base earth, don’t you know. Not like me.” He glanced down where his red belly scales gripped the dirt. “Or you,” he added, glancing to where the soil of the Garden dusted her bare toes.
“That’s NOT what he’s like,” Eve said. She felt her cheeks begin to grow warm, her heart beating quickly. She could almost feel it pounding in her throat. “You don’t know him. He’s very kind.” Seeing the color growing in her cheeks, Crawley scoffed and shook his head.
“I know angels, Eve. More than you do. Arrogant, self-righteous pricks who care more about following the Great Plan than doing what is good…”
“That’s enough!” Eve’s chest was heaving as she glared at him, her arms crossed tightly. She had never felt whatever emotion was coursing through her, but she knew she didn’t like it. It was confusing. “Apples and angels… you talk too much about things you shouldn’t! I don’t want to talk with you anymore. Go away!”
“I didn’t mean to offend,” Crawley said quietly, drawing back. “I apologize, Eve. I wish you happiness, you and your Adam. May you give each other every joy.” With just a few strokes of his tail, he slipped out of sight in the underbrush. A brief rustling showed his path, and then like that, he was gone and Eve was alone.
That night, Eve sat across from Adam as they waited for the angel to come and light their fire. Adam was busy looking at a feather he had found, running his fingers over the soft barbs, watching the fading light glint off the vivid colors. Eve watched him for a while, and then cleared her throat.
“Adam,” she started. He glanced up, smiling as he met her eyes. “Have you ever wondered what’s outside of the Garden?”
His brow furrowed as he thought for a moment, and then he laughed and returned his attention to the feather in his hands. “There’s nothing outside of the Garden,” he chuckled. “Why would there be anything out there? We have everything right here!”
“But if there was… what do you think there would be?”
Adam shrugged, glancing back at her. “Why?”
Eve huffed. She rubbed the tops of her arms, though she didn’t feel cold. It was never cold here. There was an uncomfortable squirming in her stomach as she contemplated her partner as he continued to play with the feather. It was never this hard to talk to Crawley. Didn’t Adam have any curiosity? The thought of the serpent made her eyes prickle in a way she didn’t like. She rubbed them hard with the back of her hand, hoping that it would go away. Why had she gotten so angry at him? Regret washed through her, and her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath.
Behind her, a rustling in the underbrush cut through the emotions coursing through her. She leapt to her feet, a wild smile on her face as she turned, grateful that Crawley must have forgiven her. He was back! But as a white robed figure stepped into the clearing, her heart dropped, the sadness crashing back into her with double the disappointment.
“Good evening!” The angel smiled widely at the two humans as he approached. His pearlescent wings were arched behind him gracefully. His white hair was short and fluffy, and he had the most gentle blue eyes. In one hand he grasped a flaming sword as the other pulled up the edge of his robes to keep it from the dirt. One sandaled foot peeked out from the golden edged hem.
“Ah! Aziraphale!” Adam stood, grinning, and moved away from the small pile of wood that waited in the center of the clearing. “How are you?”
“Well, thank you. And yourselves? Doing alright?”
Adam nodded, holding out the feather he found for the angel to inspect. Aziraphale nodded indulgently at it, and then moved to the waiting fire pit and, bringing forth his sword, touched the flames to the wood until a merry blaze crackled into life. Yellow light filled the darkening confines of the Garden, and the light danced through the angel’s white curls until it looked like he had a glowing halo around his brow.
“There, now! That should do. Is there anything else either of you need?” Adam shook his head, and with a final beatific smile Aziraphale turned back towards the East and took a step into the surrounding forest. Before he could move further, Eve rushed forward and grabbed his sleeve.
“Wait!”
The angel stopped in his tracks and turned her way, brow furrowed in concern.
“Aziraphale, will you speak with me a while?”
“Oh… well, I suppose that would be alright. But it mustn't be for too long, I have to get back to the Eastern Gate. Can’t have anything trying to slip in!” He bounced a bit as he spoke, and his smile was warm and friendly. He was the only angel that came near the humans. The other angels didn’t seem to be very interested. They must be all too involved with their mission, Eve thought. Guarding the walls against… well… she didn’t really know. Whatever was out there, she supposed. With a pang, she thought of Crawley. He would know what was out there. He knew so much. A wave of sadness rolled over her as she regretted sending him away. She didn’t even know how to find him again. What if he never came back?
The angel stepped away from the light of the fire and led her into the darkness of the Garden, leaving Adam to his own devices. In the gloom the angel shimmered with a soft light, illuminating the night. Not far from the clearing he found a large rock and settled himself on it, wings splayed out behind him.
“Now,” he said genially. “What do you want to talk about?”
It took a while for Eve to settle herself. She stood uncomfortably before Aziraphale for a moment, and then tried to sit next to him on the stone, and finally slid down to kneel at his feet. That was best. She could look up into his face, but it would be easy enough if she had to turn away from his grace.
“Why can’t we eat from the tree in the middle of the Garden?” she asked finally. She was worried that the angel would be angry… he had been the one to tell her and Adam that they weren’t to eat of it in the first place, and she feared that he wouldn't want to repeat himself, but the smile he turned her way seemed full of infinite patience.
“But that’s so simple, Eve. God said not to. And so, you must not! It’s all part of the ineffable plan!” Eve nodded slowly, trying to puzzle out what ineffable might mean.
“But what would be the harm in knowing things? In asking questions and learning about all the animals and plants of the Garden so that I could appreciate it more? Or about the… the… lands outside of the wall?”
Aziraphale’s gentle expression hardened slightly as he listened.
“Who have you been talking to?”
Eve bit her lip. She didn’t want to get the serpent into trouble. He was her friend… the only one she had, and it was so lonely here in the Garden without him. He had told her such marvelous things. And with every story he told, the more Eve wanted to know. If she told Aziraphale about him, the angel might make him leave, and then… what would she do? Maybe he was already gone. Her gaze traveled around the area and at long last settled on the beautiful blue eyes of the angel, and she burst into tears.
“Oh, goodness.” Aziraphale slid off the rock and crouched down next to her. He took her hands and held them. His grip was warm and gentle, but it only made Eve cry harder. “What is the matter, dear?” he asked.
“I.. I… think I did something… wrong,” she wept.
“Oh, now I don’t think that’s possible,” he consoled her kindly.
“Why are my eyes leaking?”
“Those are called tears,” Aziraphale explained. His hand was soothing as he rubbed her bare back, trying to calm her. “They're for when you’re sad. Now, tell me, won’t you? What is this all about?”
It took a few minutes for Eve’s tears to subside. Her breathing wound down to a soft hiccup, and she wiped the tears roughly from her face. “I… I met a serpent,” she explained. Aziaphale stiffened, but Eve didn’t notice as the words began to bubble up in an unstoppable stream. “We’ve been talking, and he’s so kind, and interesting, and he knows so many things… but I sent him away and now I’m worried that I won’t ever see him again, and I miss him. He was my… my… friend, and I shouldn’t have, and now I don’t know where he is, or how to find him. What if he left? What if he never comes back?” With a wail, her tears redoubled.
***
Aziraphale waited quietly as he continued to try and console her. His brow was furrowed with worry… this was the first time he had seen one of the humans express these kinds of emotions. He hadn’t even realized they were capable of it. He was at a little bit of a loss. Few of the other angels ever showed feelings of any kind, and he had learned long ago to hide his own behind a gentle smile. The last time he had let himself cry was after the Great War, he supposed. When he had watched the Starmaker led to the edge… Roughly he shook his head. It wasn’t worth thinking about that. His own tears were not something that Eve needed to see now. And it had been such a long time ago.
This serpent, though… that was definitely a cause for concern. He was quite certain that there had been no mention of serpents when the animals were placed in the Garden. His mind began whirling at the implications of the news, but before he could begin to formulate any ideas Eve’s tears were beginning to slow, and he set his concerns aside for later.
“I’m sure things will turn out right,” he said, his voice warm and calming like a balm over her jangled nerves. “May I ask… what is it that you were fighting about?”
“Oh… a few things.” She wiped a hand under her nose as she sniffled, the last few tears running their course down her cheeks. “He keeps talking about those apples… and he doesn’t like angels very much.”
“Indeed.” Conclusions were forming in Aziraphale’s head, but he tried to keep his voice even. “What did he say about us?”
“That you’re ‘arrogant, self-righteous pricks’. But I don’t know what that means. And that you’re better than Adam and I because your feet don’t touch the earth.” Her eyes drifted down to where the heels of his sandals appeared from under the hem of his robes as he knelt next to her. Aziraphale cleared his throat as he stood, reaching down to help Eve back to her feet. As he did so, her gaze shifted to the large dark stains on his pristine robes from where his knees had pressed into the dirt.
“Well, it’s only his opinion, I suppose,” Aziraphale sighed, reaching down to wipe at the stain.
“He really is kind… he just doesn’t understand about angels.”
“My dear,” Aziraphale said gently. “If this… serpent… is truly your friend, as you say, then he will not stay away for too long. Have you thought about just apologizing to him when he returns?”
“I don’t know what that is,” she admitted.
“Well… it’s saying that you’re sorry. Yes,” he held up a hand as she started to interrupt. “You don’t know what that is, either. Sorry is what you say when you have done something to hurt someone, even if you didn’t mean to, and you feel bad about it. It starts with sorry, and then moves on to making amends. That is, trying to fix whatever was hurt.” He looked at her seriously, his blue eyes electric in the darkness of the evening. “Do you think you might try it?”
Eve’s smile was a bit wavery, but it was there as she wiped at her face and removed the final traces of her tears. She nodded and then Aziraphale found himself enfolded into her arms as she threw herself into a hug, her face pressed tightly against his chest. “Thank you, Aziraphale,” she said, her voice muffled by where her face smooshed against his robes. “Do you really think he’ll come back?”
“Oh, sweet child. I’m sure of it.”
***
Crawley stared down into the night dark waters of the pool underneath the great waterfall, golden eyes reflected back at him brighter than the stars in the sky behind him. The plan was going perfectly. In just a few days, Eve would be desperate to speak with him again, and then it was just a matter of time. He took no pleasure in tempting her, at least nothing more than a professional interest; a question of showing off his skills, nothing more. To be honest, he felt a bit confused. The lords of Hell had been very clear what he was to do here… and at the time he had agreed readily. Anything to get out of Hell, even for a little bit. But now that he had met her, he felt a twinge of … well, something. He wasn’t really sure. Guilt, maybe, or possibly shame.
Lost in thought, he didn’t hear the soft footfalls behind him until a gentle voice called out, “Let there be light.” A blinding radiance flared to life, and the black serpent found himself at the center of a cylinder of light. Crawley narrowed his eyes to slits against the pain of the sudden brilliance. This was bad. His heart was hammering in his chest, and he began to writhe as he frantically calculated his way out. There was only one possibility who this could be… one of the angels had found him.
At the edge of the pool of light Aziraphale stepped forward, looking down at Crawley. As Crawley’s eyes adjusted to the brightness and the angel’s form resolved, his breath caught in his throat. The white hair, short and softly curled, the curve of those wings… and that smile. That smile that lived as a secret in his heart, and had since before the Beginning, was unmistakable.
“I know you,” he hissed before he could stop himself. As soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth he snapped his jaws shut, but it was too late. The angel was taken aback. He stared down at the serpent in confusion, a frown creasing his aristocratic features. Just the sight of him made Crawley’s heart do a little flip-flop in his chest.
“You know me?” the angel asked, confused. Another step closer, and Crawley drew back. The angel stopped as their eyes met… and to Crawley’s surprise, recognition flickered in the blue eyes. “Oh, my goodness,” the angel breathed, half prayer and half despair. “Oh, my dear… It’s you.” Crawley slowly began to move closer. He couldn’t help himself. It had been such a long time. “I never thought I’d see you again, Star-”
“NO!” Crowley snarled, and the vehemence in his voice stopped the angel with the name trembling on his tongue. “Don’t say it. That’s not my name. Not anymore.” He turned and darted into the waiting darkness, his cool scales sliding effortlessly across the stones in his desperation to be away.
“Wait!”
Every instinct that Crawley possessed was screaming at him to keep moving, disappear into the darkness of the Garden. Maybe even go to ground, back to Hell and return when some time had passed. But… It was Aziraphale. He had missed the cherub so in the long years since his Fall. With a tiny sigh and a shake of his head he stopped, turning back and raising himself up enough so they could talk.
“So.” He cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice even. It wouldn’t do for Aziraphale to know how much he had longed to see him again. “You’re the ‘Angel of the Eastern Gate,’ I take it.” Try as he might to seem relaxed, his voice was forced and tight. Crawley grimaced at himself.
“Yes…” The angel looked caught between being sheepish and proud.
“That’s great… an honor. Really, uh, splendid.”
“Oh! Well, that’s very kind of you.” A smile lit up Aziraphale’s face, and Crawley’s heart did that funny little flutter again to see the beauty of it. But the smile flickered quickly. “And you must be the one who’s put Eve in such a state.”
Another jab of shame settled in his belly to hear it put into words in that voice he hadn’t heard for so long. He dropped his gaze and nodded. “Are you going to smite me?”
“No! Of course not. I could never…”
“The others won’t like that. You’re supposed to smite me. I’m a demon.”
“... I know what you are. But you were an angel, once.”
“There’s nothing left of the angel you knew.” An uncomfortable silence descended on them for a moment. “How d’you know it was me?”
“How could I do otherwise?” Aziraphale’s voice was so soft, Crawley almost couldn’t hear it. “I have thought of you every day since… since…” His voice cracked, and he fell silent, turned slightly away from Crawley’s golden eyes. His fingers twined nervously in his robes as he rocked slightly on the balls of his feet. His eyes flicked up towards the Heavens, and then he cleared his throat, one hand moving to uncomfortably rub the back of his neck. “Well… I should…” He stopped again, struggling to find the right words, those that wouldn’t give too much away or leave too much unsaid. He sighed, shoulders drooping. “I suppose I must be getting back. To the Wall, that is…”
“You’re not gonna to kick me out?” Crowley was incredulous. “Or stop me? You know what I’m doing here, don’t you?”
“Would you get into trouble if I did? With… Below?”
The very thought made Crawley’s scales shudder uncomfortably. “Yeah,” he allowed. “A bit.” Inwardly he cringed. It would be more than ‘a bit.’ The Lords of Hell would be furious if he was found and expelled… might actually be better for the angel just to smite him right here.
“Then I think that the best course of action is for me to trust to the Great Plan.”
“Back to the wall, then?”
“Yes, indeed. Can’t have anything… well, anyway… it’s my duty.”
“Goodnight, then… Angel.”
Aziraphale smiled a final time, the brightness of it soothing Crawley in a way that he hadn’t felt since his Fall. It had been quite an evening - thinking he was getting caught, meeting Aziraphale again after so long, realizing the angel had missed him. He was feeling quite frazzled and definitely out of sorts. But that smile… he sank into it like a warm bath. Aziraphale turned and began to make his way back towards the wall, when he stopped suddenly and half-turned, brow furrowed as he remembered something Eve had said.
“Did you actually call me a ‘self-righteous prick’?”
***
Eve wandered aimlessly, letting her feet move without thinking about where they were taking her. Aziraphale had said that he was sure Crawley would return, but it had been days now with no sight of the serpent. She had taken to circling the Garden as soon as the sun rose, always keeping to the shaded areas that she knew he preferred, and not stopping until the light faded into the evening gloom, prompting her to return to their clearing.
She had wandered for hours this morning, lost in her thoughts, replaying their fight over in her mind and cringing every time she remembered sending him away. Exhausted, she came to a stop and looked around. She was surprised to find herself near a place where she and Crawley had met many times. All the memories of those conversations hit her like a tidal wave, and she could feel the breath hitch in her chest.
For a while she stood and let the sounds of the Garden wash over her, but even that made her feel lonely. Crawley would know the names of all the different birds that sang, or the creatures that wandered by. She was so lost in thought that she almost missed the glimpse of black scales breaking though the leaves, snapping her out of her reverie.
“Crawley!” Eve looked caught between tears and delight, and she rushed towards the serpent as quickly as her feet could carry her. Much to her dismay, the serpent took one look at her and began to slither off in the opposite direction. Her heart constricted as she watched him turn from her, and she threw out her arms towards him and ran, desperate to catch him before he disappeared from view. “Wait!” she pleaded.
The serpent froze, and then slowly turned his head her way, eyes narrowed as he watched her approach. He coiled his body beneath him until he was as small as a giant serpent could get.
“Eve,” he said. His voice was lazy, almost bored. “What can I do for you this afternoon?”
The tone he used left her uncomfortable. It was so cold, unlike their previous conversations. She bit her lip in consternation before taking a deep breath. “I’m so sorry,” she said quickly, the words falling out of her mouth in their haste. The fear that he would simply slip away before she could say everything was agony to her, and she was blurting everything out. “I said things that hurt you, after you’ve been so kind to me.”
The sounds of the Garden pressed in around them as she waited for a response. But she waited… and waited… the golden eyes of the serpent never left her, but he made no move to speak.
“So…” She faltered. She hadn’t really thought about what to do next. If he wouldn’t forgive her.
“Eve,” he sighed finally after making her wait in silence as he watched her fidget. He lifted his head up on his sinuous body until he was able to look her in the eyes. “I understand that all of this is new to you,” he said. “But you hurt my feelings. I’m afraid a simple ‘I’m sorry’ will not suffice.”
“What else can I do?” she asked.
“What else, indeed,” he replied. And he waited.
“I could…” She wracked her brain. “I could sing you a song? The angels have taught me a few.”
“No thank you. Celestial harmonies aren’t really my cup of tea.”
“I could fetch something for you to eat?”
He lowered his head back to the ground and began to unfurl his body, hissing as he did so. “I think not. Fare you well, Eve. I’m sure that Adam’s been keeping you company just fine, hasn’t he?”
“Don’t go!” She tried to keep control of her tears this time, but they slipped over her cheeks anyway. The desperation in her voice was unmistakable, and inside Crawley was thrilled to hear it. Yes… she was ready. He allowed himself to slide almost all the way into the foliage, stopping at the last second to raise his head over the greenery and turn back her way. “There must be something,” she finished miserably.
Crawly reached up with his tail and tapped it against his snout, as though deep in thought. He took a few slides back towards her. “You still wanna be friends with me?” he asked, his voice smooth as silk. Eve nodded furiously. “Even though I ‘talked too much about things I shouldn’t?’”
“I shouldn’t have said that,” she said quickly.
“I only tried to tell you about all the things you’ve never experienced. Apples and far away lands and such.” Eve stood before him, not quite understanding if this was going well or not. He sighed. “Well, without being able to tell right from wrong, I’m afraid it’s all just words to you, isn’t it? How can it mean anything if you don’t know why it’s bad?”
“But… if I did…” Eve’s head came up, a glint in her eye as she suddenly realized what she could do. What he’d been wanting her to do from the beginning. It couldn’t really hurt, could it? Aziraphale had said that apologizing was a good thing and if this was how to apologize to Crawley, that would make it good! “If I knew the difference, then I could apologize properly.”
“I suppose… yes! Yes, that'd be alright,” Crawley agreed. He slid over to her, gliding over her feet like he used to, and Eve rejoiced in the heavy weight of him. “And how will you gain ssssuch knowledge?” he hissed, his voice seductive, mesmerizing.
In answer Eve turned towards the direction Crawley knew the Tree lay. She took a few steps forward and then looked back, gesturing to him to follow. He complied, slithering next to her as she continued on. Hardly a rustle from the underbrush disturbed the quiet as they passed by, heading towards the center of the Garden.
***
The humans were gone, out through a hole in the wall Aziraphale had opened for them. Crawley’s insides squirmed uncomfortably at the thought of their expulsion. He would get a commendation from the Dark Council, he was sure, but the thought did little to please him. Alas, poor Eve, he thought. If only she could have understood, could have seen the danger in the exchange he had offered. Red flags littered the final path to that tree, but her innocence had left her color blind.
The serpent wound his way up the stone wall to where Aziraphale stood watching as Adam and Eve made their way across the sands. The slim form twisted and stretched until a tall, lanky, human-like figure with brilliant red hair and large black wings stood next to the angel.
“Well,” he sighed, squinting his still golden eyes to follow the human’s progress. “That went down like a lead balloon.”