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*Tonks walks in, more slowly than usual, and walks over to the bar. Her hair, rather than its customary bright hues, is a dull silvery blue. The skin under her right eye is pink, as though it has just regrown, and she is walking a little gingerly.*

Vodka. Double shot.

*When the glass appears, she picks it up, hand shaking slightly, and drifts towards the back row of booths. She doesn't seem to be aware of anything around her.*

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Yeah, he was alone, but blazing mad. Kingsley and I managed to corner him on the roof of his flat.

*takes another drink*

Then he hit Kingsley with a pretty nasty curse, and looked like he was going to hit me, too.

*swallows and looks down at the scratched tabletop*

So I Stunned him. But I didn't realize...he was so close to the edge...

...Ah.

First time?

Yeah.

*takes another drink, hand shaking*

So much for the strong soldier-witch.

*sighs and scoots around the booth, putting a hand on Tonks' shoulder*

Sounds like it was you or him. And I'm bloody glad it was him. It was self-defence. Wait until you actively head out with intent to kill. Then, maybe, you can feel guilty.

*hollowly* That makes me feel less better when I think about his two kids.

*sighs* I'm sorry. I just...this isn't why I took this job.

I know, I know. To protect and serve, right?

Well, sometimes, this is what protection involves. Fucked up, I know, but... *shrugs*

Bugger, Tonks, this isn't helping, is it? I'm arse at this comforting business.

*gives him a tired half-smile* No, you're doing brilliantly, thanks, Crowley. I just...have to get used to this. Although most of me hopes I never do.

But I'm fine. Or I will be. Tell me about you.

Me? Well... I won't be around for the next... while. I've managed another series of royal cock-ups, and now I have to go and find the angel.

*dismayed* Find the angel -- where's he gone? What's happened, Crowley?

I... oh, damn. Long story. What was the last you heard?

Just that, because of our collective fuck-up with Janus, Aziraphale nearly Fell. But you saved him.

Because of my fuck-up with Janus - who is now sodding stone, by the way - Aziraphale nearly Fell. I... probably did not go about saving him in the best way possible. I ballsed up royally, Tonks. And now he's taken off.

I should've gone to him earlier. But I didn't. I was... scared - didn't know what effect my presence might have, so soon after... yeah. I didn't go. And now he's gone. So I have to find him.

...Stone? Bloody buggering hell. *shakes head* Never mind, not the point.

I don't know what you did to save him, Crowley, but the point is that you did.

Tell that to Door and Tom.

Do I even want to know? No, wait, just tell me. So I'll know why they're giving me dirty looks when they see us together.

Well, you heard about Door and that Joe Dick guy, right? Understandably, Door has... issues about these kinds of things. So when I...

*buries head in hands*

Aziraphale was making... unwelcome advances. On Door and Kassandra. So I did the first thing I could think of. I grabbed Door, and I called him on it. Invited him along to... have some fun, sort of thing.

It snapped him out of it - he'd've gone mad, otherwise. But... Door and Tom don't see it that way.

Tonks, why'm I such a fucking idiot?

*sighs wearily* Ah. That'll do it, I suppose. But y'know, Door might come around yet. Tom, too. Give them a little time. You had to do it, Crowley. And it worked.

*looks 'round to check that no one's withing hearing distance, and leans closer*

Love makes us all fucking idiots, Crowley. Hate to break it to you.

Wasn't... love, Tonks. It was... I dunno. Fear. Desperation. When an angel... See, they can go bad without Falling. And that's worst of all. That's what happened to Islington - the one who killed Door's family. When he went bad...

*looks up at Tonks, eyes full of remembered horror*

When he went bad, he sunk Atlantis. A whole country, gone. That's what could've happened to Aziraphale. I had to stop him. If I hadn't been able to bring him back, I'd've killed him.

*eyes widen, horrified* Killed him? You could never...

*reaches out and takes his hand* But you didn't have to do that. You saved him, and everyone else in the bar, I'd wager. You did the right thing.

Whilst, of course, managing to do it in the worst possible way imaginable.

Did you have another option? Was there another way you could've snapped him out of it?

I don't know, Tonks, that's the thing. I always act on my first instinct. And my first instinct usually works out to be something dementedly stupid.

Well, my first instinct is usually to trip over something, but people still seem to like me.

Listen. The bottom line is that it's done, and you can't change it. But here's the good thing: you've already decided to go after him. Last time I had to push you to do it. That's a definite improvement, in my opinion.

*snorts*

Sorry to disappoint, Tonks, but you've Kassandra to thank for this one. I'll say this for the two of you - you bloody know how to extract a promise.

Well, good on her, then. At least you're smart enough to have friends that keep you in line, eh? *smiles slightly*