Sophia sat within the safety of Aziraphale's book shop as she waited for her boys to return to her. She had no doubt in her heart that they would be safe, she'd practiced them both in the art of imitating each other to perfection… and yet her heart would not stop racing, her stomach performing a dance of anxiety as she sat at the front desk, her eyes shooting killing daggers at any who dared to try the front door.

She knew it wasn't fear for her boys, they would be safe. No, now it was something far more complex. Now it was thinking about her own predicament. And yet, it wasn't so much that she was fearful of her own fate. She was afraid of leaving her boys behind when it came to light that, really, despite all of her confidant speech, Sophia had no plan at all… She had been focused on Crowley and Zira. That had been all that mattered to her at first.

"You have not thought this through, young Sophia"

The voice was disembodied as Sophia found her body falling forward and her eyes shutting to a blank universe, a shadow facing her as she blinked against the bright light of her surroundings. Her left eye felt burnt by the light as she clamped a hand across it to protect it, her voice a simple groan. She didn't need this right now.

"God?"

"Yes. Why did you lie to them both, Sophia? Do you not love them enough to tell them the truth?"

Sophia flinched at those words. How could anyone question her love? But then, how had she found it so easy to hide the truth all this time, to pretend that nothing could touch her when, in truth, she was the one most likely to perish now.

"I love them too much… That is my failing. I've always loved them, and I want to keep them safe. I couldn't tell Crowley the truth of his origin or how he fell, it would break him. I couldn't tell them the truth of Matilda because it would have caused them pain, and that is the same reason I stayed away so often like I did… and I'm scared to tell them now that, in all likeliness, I am going to be destroyed. I have no escape plan, my lord."

"Do you not believe that they have the right to know? They love you in equal measure and yet you deny them the facts that they need. If you were to die when feeding them only the strongest of hope, do you not feel that that would destroy them in turn?"

Sophia felt her heart stutter at that thought. She hadn't even considered it, she'd only thought that feeding them hope would help them… and yet it seemed so clear that the truth would be a greater aid.

"I… I hadn't considered it. I never thought that it would come to this. That I would need to recall my time with Raphael and Aziraphale. That I would need to tell them of my time with Matilda or what had caused my descent… I never thought that this would happen"

The shadow seemed to flicker slightly, portraying vague annoyance at the angel's ignorance.

"And I had believed that you had begun to grow. You know so much of love in others, and yet you are completely ignorant to the love felt towards yourself."

"that's a bit harsh!"

The Shadow flashed towards her, almost giving the image of an androgynous individual as Sophia tried to jump back and failed.

"It is the truth! You have never truly considered such things. Instead of turning to those who could help you, you chose to hide in a hole for 30 years. Instead of staying with the child who bears your lifeforce, you chose to leave her believing it was for the best. You have always fled when it concerned those you truly loved, forgetting that they loved you also!"

Sophia felt her eye twitch as something began to dawn on her. God didn't speak like this. God spoke in either riddles, questions or simple speech. God was relatively lazy when it came to communication. So who the hell was this, and what were they getting at?

"Ok, playtimes over. Who the hell are you because you aren't god"

The shadow flickered before materializing and showing a mirror image of herself, it's eyes a perfect set of her own demonic left eye as they both glared at each other.

"You could have played along for a little longer! I thought I really had you there"

"You're an asshole, this is why we have problems. Spit it out, what do you want? I embraced my demon side; I haven't tried to hide the physical evidence of what I am. What do you want now?"

The reflection threw her arms up in exasperation, looking at Sophia like she was a complete fool.

"I want you to stop acting like a martyr for a bullshit cause! Stop thinking that you have to hide your own pain to solidify the happiness of others! If you die, I die. If you die, they suffer, no matter how you look at it. If you die without telling them even a little of the truth, they'll remember that you lied to them. That's it. You can play the suffering angel of love, or you can take some action and try to change things. Fuck! For all you know, they might actually be able to come up with a plan to save your dumb arse!"

Sophia blinked in shock at the character assassination. She hadn't expected it from a variation of her own being… and yet it was completely true. If she wanted to survive this, then she needed to stop acting alone, she needed to stop thinking that she could do everything without help or running when things became too much or too difficult. She needed to stop trying to protect those that didn't need protecting so much as they needed embracing.

"You're right… As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. If I… no, WE, want to survive this, then I need to stop thinking like a single force. But do me a favour?

"What's that?"

"Don't pull this bullshit again. Just talk to me normally or I'll swallow holy water and see what happens"

The mirror image recoiled at the threat, looking visibly horrified before nodding solemnly.

"Touché, I'll remember that"

The world around Sophia began to dull once more to the familiar shades of Aziraphale's bookshop as she became aware of hands shaking her and two worried faces staring down at her. Both Aziraphale and Crowley sighing in relief as she lifted her head and blinked weary eyes towards them.

"Oh thank goodness! I thought you had been struck down dearest!"

"You have to listen to the things we pulled off in each other's bodies! We really shit them up!"

Sophia felt her heart swell and then deflate once more as she remembered everything that had happened in her own head. She hated having an alternative personality. She was so happy to see them both alive and well, and yet she now had to destroy it all with her own issues… But it was the best thing to do if she wanted to continue being beside them.

"I'm so glad you're both ok, I knew you could do it!. But now, I need to tell you somethings, well it's actually a lot of things… I'm sorry, it's going to be a lot"

*In a separate dimension*

"You freaking owe me, you faceless gas-ball"

Demonic Sophia glared at the entity before her, sending the proverbial dagger as an airy chuckle filled the space around them.

"Ah yes, I am indeed grateful… And yet, my request of your aid has benefited yourself also… Surely we are actually even in this endeavour?"

The cat eyed creature sputtered for a moment before realising that, indeed, she had benefited from this also. God had yanked her from Sophia's mind and told her the situation, and she'd taken it from there. She'd gone with the plan without actually placing any conditions down, because the real condition was that she would continue to exist.

"You're a crafty bastard… bitch… What the fuck are you?"

"I am whatever is needed in the moment. I am nothing and yet I am everything in the mind of a desperate individual. But, at the same time, a world without love is unthinkable… A world without Sophia must be avoided. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Teach me!"