"Come here Queenie." Crowley called the chubby little toddler, who was up to her elbows in soil.
"Heh, your Papa's going to kill me when he sees the state of that dress." He was supposed to have changed her clothes before they went outside to garden, but the demon forgot and within minutes, Eden's red dress was smudged in dirt and grass stains.
"Anthony Jennifer Crowley!" Crowley winced. "It's just a J Aziraphale." The angel had emerged from the cottage dressed in casual attire, ready to join his family in the garden.
"Giving you a full middle name seems to leave some sort of impact! What have I told you about changing the baby's clothes before you two garden? Her dress is ruined!"
Crowley shrugged, "No worries angel, a little miracle and it'll be as good as new, and she was eager to get outside."
"You do have a point." Aziraphale finally relented with a smile as Eden rose to her feet and toddled over to her Papa, her arms in the air, the signal that she wanted to be held.
"Watch me Eden." Crowley said patiently as he dug a small hole in the soil with a spade and then he placed a tiny seed in his daughter's hand. Eden gaped at the seed in wonder; she had never seen one up close before....
"Here sweetie, like this." Crowley guided Eden's hand and despite her being so young, she seemed to know what to do, thanks to all of her hours spent in the garden with her Daddy, watching him drop seeds in holes in the ground.
"Well done Little One." Aziraphale beamed once Eden dropped the seed into the hole and together, they buried it. Eden quite enjoyed it, getting even dirtier than before.
After Aziraphale made sure that he was satisfied with the amount of pictures he had taken while Eden and Crowley planted the seed, Eden yawned, which was a clear sign that her naptime was approaching.
"Let's get you cleaned up Little One." Aziraphale murmured as he scooped up the dirt covered toddler. "Are you coming Crowley?"
"I'll be in as soon as I water Eden's rose bush." Crowley replied after he pecked Aziraphale and Eden on the cheek.
Once his husband and child went back inside the cottage, Crowley turned back to the pile of dirt that concealed the seed.
"Now you drink up and grow big and strong for my Eden." Crowley murmured as he tilted the metal watering can over the mound of dirt, quietly, so the other plants wouldn't hear him. "And if you tell the other plants that I was sweet on ya, I'll feed ya to the Queen's corgis!"
Many years later......
Eden woke with moan, the pain in her stomach and other wounds a rude awakening. "Nnh."
"Little One?" It was Aziraphale.
"Papa." Eden murmured, her voice tight with pain.
"Hush, don't try to talk, you must save your strength, you father stepped out for a brief moment. As soon as he returns, I'll have him brew you some tea."
Eden had woken up from her coma the day before and was very weak due to blood loss.
Eden's TARDIS bedroom door slowly creaked open and in stepped Crowley, a bouquet of roses in hand.
"Daddy." Eden tried to sit up but Aziraphale stopped her.
Crowley darted to the bedside, "You can't do that Eden." He scolded gently, "You could open your stomach wound and aggravate your other injuries."
"You brought my roses." Eden murmured with a pained smile.
Crowley smiled through his tears; the sight of his daughter's smile was something he thought he would never see again. "Of course I did, love." He placed the clutch of roses in the glass vase that was sitting on the bedside table and with a snap of his fingers, filled it with water.
"Crowley, she's in a lot of pain..." Aziraphale said as his voice cracked.
"I'll be back in a bit sweetpea, you take it easy and lie still for your Papa." Crowley whispered softly as he stroked Eden's unbandaged cheek.
"Okay Daddy." Eden murmured, her dull blue gaze fixed on her bright red roses.
