Bad Omens: The Last Novella

4

"Come on, where is it?" Polaris griped as he dug through his toy box. "Ah! There it is!" Polaris pulled out his dark red cricket ball and then he rushed to his bed and grabbed his wooden cricket bat. "I can't wait to show Dad and Grandpa how much I've been practicing!" 

As Eden and Gabriel reached the bottom of the stairs, a sudden wave of exhaustion caused her to sway on her feet. "Eden!" Gabriel caught her with one arm, afraid she was going to fall. "Are you alright?!" Her tartan bow barrette was crooked and he instinctively reached out and fixed it with an expert motion.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine-AH!" Eden gasped as Polaris bumped into her.

"Sorry Mummy!" Polaris exclaimed when he realized what he had done. "Are you okay?"

"Polaris, I've told you before that you need to be more careful!" Gabriel scolded but Eden cut in, "I'm fine Lars, go on and play. We're on our way." Polaris nodded and dashed outside. 

"Peek-a-boo!" Mercury exclaimed as he popped out of a pile of leaves, making Kokabiela laugh hysterically. This was one of her favorite games. "Okay Galli, your turn!" But instead of climbing into the leaf pile, Gallifrey was laughing hysterically too. "Huh? What’s so funny?" Mercury turned and met the gaze of an black serpent with amber orange eyes. Which was making funny faces at them.

"Grandpa!" Mercury exclaimed, jumping to his feet and throwing his arms around the serpent. "You're finally here!" As he felt Grandpa Crowley snuggle him with his smooth scaly nose,, Gallifrey exclaimed, "Get him!"

"Oh look, it's just like how we first met." Aziraphale quipped as he approached the small pile of children on top of his husband, who had a goofy grin on his face. "Oi, you weren't exactly complaining on that day, angel!" 

Aziraphale chuckled. "Indeed."

"Grandfather!" Mercury and Gallifrey exclaimed as they scrambled off of Crowley and yanked their grandfather into a fierce hug. "I've missed you too my loves." Aziraphale replied softly as he set his basket down to wrap his arms around his grandchildren. The angel's smiled widened as Crowley led Kokabiela towards him. Her chubby little legs furiously working to get her to her grandfather as quickly as possible. 

"I haven't forgotten about you, my little Dutch baby!" Aziraphale pulled her into the group hug. "I've missed you terribly!"

"You saw us yesterday at the bookshop, Grandfather!" Polaris dashed up to greet his grandparents with a cricket bat and ball in hand. 

"I simply can’t bear to be apart from you for long." Aziraphale replied as he gave Polaris a hug, only to have the embrace quickly end as Polaris pulled himself away to turn to Crowley. "Will you play cricket with me? I wanna show you how good my swing has come along!"

Crowley smiled kindly. "Later Lars. We're here for the cranberry harvest, remember?"

"Oh." Polaris sulked but smiled when Crowley scooped him up in his arms. "And you're not going to escape a hug from your Grandpa if it's the last thing I do!"