Bad Omens: The Scar (Short Story)

5

"You could have hurt yourself, Little One." Aziraphale said sternly as he gently peeled off the bandage. "And you don't need this anymore, your cheek is completely healed." 

"I don't want anyone to see it…especially you guys…" Eden murmured. "It just makes you upset and you probably think it makes me look awful…"

"What do you mean awful?" Crowley demanded. 

Eden looked away.  "That you don't like to look at me anymore because of the scar…" 

"Oh darling no, it's not that." Aziraphale rasped. "It's just hard for us, not being able to heal you.  But no matter how you look,  we will always love you unconditionally."

Crowley nodded as Eden asked. "Even if the scar never fades away?" 

"Even if it never fades away Queenie." Crowley rasped softly. "Remember when we first talked about scars?"

Eden nodded as Aziraphale stepped in. "I love your father scars and all." Crowley had removed his shirt and turned around in a full circle, revealing a thin slanted line across his hip and two large ragged burn marks on each of his shoulder blades. "And I feel the same way about your Papa." Crowley murmured as Aziraphale took off his waistcoat and undershirt, which revealed that his right shoulder was dotted with large scars. The scars were the teeth marks of a hellhound. A big one. Aziraphale then extended his arm and let Eden see the terrible scar on his left arm, which nearly covered the entirety of his arm just beyond his wrist.  And finally the angel turned to show the scars from the lashing he received all those years ago in Egypt.

Eden had been very young when she first saw her parents scars, but they had waited until she was much older to tell her how they got them. Despite the scars and the trauma they suffered they were still her Papa and Daddy and she loved them very much.

Crowley and Aziraphale blinked tears out of their eyes as Eden darted forward and hugged them tightly.

"Ditto."

[See Bad Omens: The Next Battle (Novella)]