Bad Omens 8: Ye Saga Comes To An End

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"Are you sure you're ready?" Eden asked gently. "We can take a couple more minutes if you need them." Eden dried her husband’s tears with gentle fingers and couldn't resist stroking his bristly black beard.

"No." Gabriel rasped. "I'm fine." Gabriel noticed that her tartan bow barrette was crooked and the Archangel instinctively reached out and straightened it, like he had done so many times before. And would do till the end of time.

When they arrived at the gate, an unearthly shriek cut through the air and a light brown goat with red eyes and curled horns peered through the bars of the gate.

"Hello Hester." Eden said as she pulled a carrot from the bag she was carrying. "I brought you something." Hester accepted the treat without hesitating and let out another bellow,  which prompted a scrawny figure dressed in ratty clothing to dash to the gate.

"Eden!" Eric exclaimed excitedly as he opened the gate with a snap of his fingers. "What brings you here?" Eric's excitement nearly disappeared when he saw Eden's family. "You brought company…."

"My Papa wants to see if he can assist and help the wounded in any way." Eden explained. "And my husband and Daddy are here to provide extra protection while we stay."

"Oh yes of course!" Eric ushered the group inside. "Please come in, I'll take you straight to the infirmary. Metatron will be glad for the extra help I'm sure."

"So no one is in charge?" Crowley asked as Eric led them past Michael's quarters. 

"Michael was but he hardly leaves his chambers nowadays." 

"Sounds about right." Crowley muttered. 

"Crowley!" Aziraphale snapped. "That's inappropriate!" 

Crowley shrugged as the group finally reached the infirmary. The door was already open and the Metatron looked exhausted as he, along with Beezlebub, were removing bandages from Dagon's shoulder, revealing his scarred stump.

"I recommend you walk around with him for a bit." Metatron said to Beezlebub. "It'll help rebuild the strength in his legs and get him out of this bed."

"Don't want to." Dagon hissed. "It hurts too much." He gripped his side tightly. His clothes hiding other injuries apparently. 

"That's why I'm here." Aziraphale said softly as he entered the infirmary, with Crowley close behind. "I've brought a few things that will help soothe the pain, even help rebuild your strength. That is, if you'll allow me to help."

To everyone's surprise, Beezlebub didn't hesitate. "Please." They rasped. "Please help my partner in any way you can." Their dark brown eyes were round with desperation. 

Aziraphale nodded and set down his suitcase on a nearby table. "Crowley, Eden, Gabriel, tuck the rest of  my supplies under this table please." The trio did as they were asked. "Crowley, I need you to see if this place has a kitchen of some sort. These herbal remedies will be much easier to work with if we can brew them in teas."

"We can do that Papa!" Eden said. "We need to find a place for us to sleep anyway!" 

"I can take you there Eden!" Eric said, "And I can help you search for a kitchen…..even though I have no idea what the bloody hell that is…….."