Gregory was quiet for a long while, longer than he should have taken to answer, that much was certain. When at last he did speak again, it was non committal at best.

"Well then, I suppose the next matter of business would be establishing what needs cleaned. I... I will ask her... mother that is... to look and see if she can find him in hell. Once we know if he's there, we'll know to what extent we need to clean him out of here."

"Are you able to... to I suppose summon her to London? We're so far from the rift. Is it possible?"

Gregory thought it over for a brief time. "No. No I don't imagine I could. I would have to either descend a few layers into hell... or make a quick trip across the pond. Personally, that sounds the safer option. But... if I go back over, we can't leave the temple unmanned, not with.... not with /brother/ still out there. If I go to Pittsburgh to speak with her, I'll have to go alone."

For a moment, Lawrence looked as though he might be afraid to be left alone for much time, but that was silly. The man was never one for company anyhow. He reveled in the solitude... or so it seemed. "Very well then. But be quick about it. You know how I feel about leaving you two alone."

Gregory scowled at him for a moment. "I'll talk you quite kindly to let that portion of my life fall into the past brother. Lethiel and I are... different... now. We've gotten over that little addiction, and frankly, don't need it anymore. Or at least... she doesn't need me anymore." Was that a note of bitterness in his voice? Perhaps sorrow? Whatever it was, it was gone in an instant. "But there's far more important work to be done, so right right then, moving right along." Gregory stood and stretched. "I'll go pack. Shouldn't be gone more than a day or so, and that's only if things in Pittsburgh need my attention. Might even check in on an old friend back state side while I'm there, if you can spare me for the few extra hours."

Lawrence leered at him, but decided not to pry. He'd poked enough holes into his brother's past for one conversation, no need to deflate it completely. "Very well." He stood. "But if I hear any sort of trouble, I will not hesitate to come find you."

"As you wish, Brother." Humming quietly to himself, Gregory bid his brother fairwell, and slipped off to his room to pack a light overnight bag.

As much as seeing Lethi again worried him, he couldn't deny that he was actually a bit elated over it. He missed her. There was no two ways about it. She'd brought him life when he was unfeeling and lost, and he'd needed her when she'd needed someone to look after. They'd saved each other again and again even if they'd also caused each other so much pain. She'd burned and died for him, and he'd died for her. Demon or not, she was Mother, and he could never hate her, even if he tried.

But that didn't mean he didn't fear what she'd become, or how he would react to it. He was raised to be a demon killer. That was all he'd known since he was an infant. Now Lethi, his beloved Mother, the angel who'd given everything for him, or so it felt to him, was a demon. Or mostly a demon. The details were still unclear to everyone, even her. What had happened to them, to her, because of her, because of him, had been utterly unprecedented.

A knock at his door interrupted Gregory's quiet musing. "Lawrence, you really needn't worry. I'll..." He opened the door to find a large black man he barely recognized from Cairo standing outside it, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh... you... you're not Lawrence."

"Hellooo," Randal sang. "Mister Worth change his mind about stayin' an' send me to take care uh London while you two was in the US."

"Uh huh. Right then." Gregory paused and smiled awkwardly for a moment before glancing down the hall toward his brothers room. "Right right. Excuse me for a moment." He turned in an about-face manor and began all but marching down the hall, his leather overnight bag slung over his shoulder casually.

"Lawrence!" He called a little too loudly for the normal London composure as he reached his brothers door. "Care to explain the sudden lack of faith in me?"

"Because just because your little... addiction to her is in the past doesn't mean that it will stay there," he said, packing. "It hasn't even been a year yet. Neither of us can say how you'll react to seeing her again and well... honestly /someone/ has to be there just in case." He snapped his suitcase shut. "I'll trust you one day, just not today. Not with her."

"For gods' sakes Lawrence. You're acting as though we're a couple of teenagers alone at an unsupervised party! She's the closest thing I've ever had to a mother. I thought surely you of all people could understand and have the slightest bit of faith in me!" His rant aside, Gregory's seething passed and he accepted that argument would net him nothing more than a pissed off travel companion. "Fine. Have it your way. But you will not be in the sanctuary when I call to her. You can wait outside."

"I made a promise to look after you," he said. "I left you once and just look what happened! I won't be doing it again." He slid the suitcase off of his bed and breezed past him into the hallway. "Shall we go, then," Lawrence said, appearing to try to decide which hallway they needed to head down into.

Gregory sighed audibly and half rolled his eyes. "Left. You've been away to long, /Lawry/, if you're getting lost in /our/ home. Left, straight for the next 2, another left, straight straight straight, right. Cairo hallway." Pushing past his brother, Gregory began to lead the way.

Their stop in Cairo was brief, just long enough to give Ammun their regards, and then they were on their way. The Temple of The Children in Pittsburgh was still little more than a steel sided warehouse. This group had been Lawrence's home for the duration of his time away from London, so here Gregory finally slunk into the background and let him have the lead.

"Lawrence," Josephine cooed. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to come back to me." She wore a very serious smile which indicated that she was not serious at all. The most confusing woman, some might argue, is the the one who wears them right on her sleeve. Which, today, was green. She quite liked green. It seemed to be her lucky color. She was flanked with other members of the temple, and rightly so: though the initial danger of the hellmouth was over, Pittsburgh was still the weakest spot on the planet. If the wrong person came through that door, it would not take much for it all to start over again.

He met her with a kiss on the hand, but of course it was a show for both of them. "Josephine," he said. "I can't stay long: business you know. You've met my brother, Gregory, haven't you?"

"Yes. Always a pleasure." Gregory sighed out in irritation. No matter how useful Lawrence claimed she was, he still couldn't stand to be in the same room with this woman. "Are you going to be a minute Lawrence? If so I'll just go visit my acquainted now and meet you at the Nexielium. Promise I won't go see mother without you."

Josephine rolled her eyes once Lawrence waved him off. "Frighteningly social creature, isn't he?"
"I'm working on him," Lawrence said. "You remember how I was when I first escaped London, don't you?"
"That was the tightest, roundest ball I have ever seen a man curl into. Breaks the record still today."
"I'd be much obliged if you never mentioned that in front of him."
"Only so long as keeping it a secret is useful to me. Now go on... you're here for... something important, I trust."
"Very. But you needn't worry; we just need to check on something for the London temple." He began to turn.
"Ah-ah... keeping secrets from ME?" She put her hands on her hips, one-two. You of all people know how well that goes, Mr. Worth."
"Trust me, this is really nothing for you to worry about. We can handle this on our own." Before he could leave, the fine, feminine fingers wrapped around his bicep and pulled him close.
"Curling up in a ball isn't the /only/ secret I have the rights to, Lawrence," she hissed. Then smiled. Then let go. "But you go ahead. You know I'll find out what you're doing... somehow." With an uneasy stare, he backed away, she turned and gathered her new minions... some of which Lawrence recognized as demons. Only Josephine could convert the damned.

Tugging on his tie, he stepped out of the corrugated aluminum of the warehouse that served as the temple and followed the sound of his brother's footsteps crunching against the wreckage.

A few blocks up, next to the newly re-opened trolly/subway hybrid system, Gregory stopped by a payphone that read 'Free Local Calls'. To his surprise, it did in fact have a dial tone. The city was being rebuilt and reclaimed with a remarkable speed, but he supposed that when you had angels, demons, world benders, and every manner of supernatural creature under the sun working together to do so, it would go rather quickly. So lost in the thought was Gregory, that a soft and proper female voice from the other end of the receiver had to jar him back out of it.

"Worth-While Cakes, This is Marissa speaking. How can I bake your day?" The voice chimed, and Gregory cracked half a smile, barely suppressing a chuckle.

"Rissy... really? 'WORTH-WHILE'... 'BAKE, your day'? Oh gods have mercy. Have you gone daft Sissy?" He chuckled. Gregory Sharp actually chuckled.

"Gregory? Darling what are you doing calling my cell?" Her moment of elation turned immediately to the kind of concern that only could come from an insane, murderous, overprotective, creature who's obsession knows no bounds... in otherwords... a mother. "What's wrong? Are you alright? Is Lawrence alright?"

"Calm down Marissa." He gestured with his free hand despite her inability to see it. "Everything's fine."

"IF everything were fine you wouldn't be calling me at five in the morning."

Bloody hell. She was right. He'd forgotten all about the time difference in his rush to get here. It was five in the morning.

"No, no Marissa I promise, everything is fine. It's just... well... I'm in town. I wanted to check in. Lawrence is here as well, but don't be cross with him. It was a split second decision and he got sideswiped by that horrible shrew woman the moment we crossed the threshold. Why the hell that bloody bitch..."

"Gregory Sharp! You know I don't like those words in that combination. Be they about me, or my boss, or anyone else."

"Right. Right you are Sissy. I'm sorry. Anyway I was only saying that I don't even know why she was awake this early."

"The woman is bionic. She doesn't need sleep."

"Really? She doesn't feel like a robot..."

"What? No... dear boy... it was just a figure of speech. She's human.... I think... But, back on topic, Lawrence is with you so he'll probably be getting in touch shortly but you want to find time to both break away from him and everything else going on to meet up and vent, is that right?"

"You know me so well Rissy." He said flatly. Of course she did. They wouldn't be doing this if she didn't. Aside from Mother, Marissa was the only person to whom he could be open and speak his mind freely. She was as damaged as he was after all. In different ways of course, but she understood. She understood, and did not judge, nor share his secrets with anyone else, nor ask him to share more than he felt like saying at any point. She didn't touch him, or coddle him, nor did he try to hold or comfort her. They had an understanding. "Right then... do you think we can find some time?"

"Oh Gregory dear of course we can. You boys aren't the only ones with your secret connections and covert means to the desired end. Meet me at one this afternoon."

"One? At your old place again?" There was a tone of disgust in his voice, and of course she picked up on it. She always did.

"Don't be that way. I own the entire building now dear. I run my cake business out of it. First floor is my storefront. Second floor is the actual bakery, and third... third is still my 'me' space. Be there at one. I'll buzz you up. There's a cargo elevator around back that only I can see the camera on. No one has to know you're here."

"One O'clock. I'll be there. Sorry to have woken you Sissy."

"Ha!" Marissa Laughed in the delightfully fake way that said she was about to lie. It drove him up the wall. "Oh darling you didn't wake me. I was already awake and busy busy busy!" This was Marissa speak for 'I fell asleep doing something else and would have completely over slept had you not called because I was having one of those few moments where in I was actually so exhausted that I was really sleeping.' "Now off with you. Go find my husband and do whatever it is that you two are here to do. I don't even want to know. He'll be busy from noon till three. I promise. See you soon Brother dear."

And with that, the conversation was done. Marissa always liked to be the one to end a conversation. The woman was solidly off her rocker. But that was his Sissy. Not by blood of course. Just as Lawrence was his brother by trauma and upbringing alone, so was Marissa. It was sheer circumstance that those two found each other, or so he'd let them continue to believe.

Shaking his head, Gregory hung up the payphone and started heading for the giant, towering, crystal spire over where the crack in the layers used to be. Only once he reached it did he slow his pace. Placing his hand on the door, he paused, and waited to push it open. Turning back, he chose to wait outside, and took up a spot leaning against the crystal spires wall.

Pittsburgh had changed a lot since his last visit. Some of the skyline had been rebuilt, though there were still skeletons of skyscrapers reaching past a low cloud. Memories of the giant bird that perched upon it flooded him and gave him a chill. However, now it was empty: he'd watched the demon and its devotees die almost simultaneously. The memories themselves made him feel unclean.

Just as he was about to reach instinctively for the alcohol wipes in his front pocket, Gregory heard the crunch of his brother's footsteps. He was tugging nervously at his tie, which invariably meant that something was bugging him in a way that he preferred not to discuss. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he said. "Let's... let's get on with this. I will need to call my wife to let her know I'm in town."

"You /can/ go see her you know. I've told you, I can talk to Mother on my own. You have a wife Lawrence, and you've been away for weeks. Go. Be with your family. Invite me over for dinner while you're at it." Gregory pretended to be irritated by the whole situation as he huffed his way through the still empty lobby of the great cathedral-esq building, nodding to the ex-angel night watchmen as he went. "Some Brother you are. Get married without so much as inviting me, then never even once invite me over to meet the Mrs."

"Its a bit hard to keep in touch when you've run away from home, if I recall," Lawrence said, not sensing the humor in his brother's voice. "Imagine if I'd contacted you while you were still..." Lawrence's eyes caught his. He didn't want to say it. He could tell Gregory didn't want him to say it. He took a deep breath as if about to apologize, but stopped.

"I suppose I should go see Marissa," he said, taking a step back. "I'm certain she'll be awake by the time I get there."

"Oh I'm sure." Gregory had made his way to what looked to be an elevator, but made of solid marble. This particular elevator also had no buttons. He placed a hand on the wall closed his eyes. Within a few moments, the doors slid open to the dimly lit marble interior, which was also buttonless."Now shoo. Go see your wife. Keep your cell on, and I'll check in in an hour so you know I'm done with Mother. Get me an invitation to dinner. If the weight you've put on is any indication, you're wife must be a smashing cook."

Lawrence glanced self-consciously at his belly and then back up at him. He pointed. "If you even get the inkling of doing something stupid, you call me." And with that, he pivoted and left him.

He took his own sweet time making his way to their old loft. Truthfully, his mind wasn't on his wife, but stuck long before they'd met, long before their marriage and long before Pittsburgh. He had so many mixed feelings about this visit. On the one hand, he had a creeping feeling in his stomach that there Gregory's discussion with 'Mother,' and he almost spat the word out in his mind with horrible distaste, would not end there. He hoped it would and they could go back to rebuilding. What passes for normal for the mentally disrupted pair they were.

And yet... lord, he felt so guilty. He hadn't called Marissa since he'd moved. He should have, but guilt tore at him. He should have, for Danny. He didn't.

Maybe he should call now.

No. No, his feet had already wandered back to their old flat... to find that she still had the same blue-green sedan, parked in the same spot.

The bakery had only been a plan in the works when he'd left. He smiled to see that it was off the ground without him. It was for the best, perhaps, that he'd left. He might have only slowed her down.

Should he knock? He stood outside the door for what could have been hours if minutes: the morning sun creeping over the mountains to a clear cobalt, simply watching her bustle about through the wide storefront windows.

It only tok a few moments for Marissa to notice her husband outside. In her elation, she nearly forgot to unlock the heavily bolted door front door. A few moments of awkward strugling with the front door soon ended in her arms wrapping around him in the gentle, propper way to which they were accustom.

"Darling! You're home! Oh Daniel will be so excited to see you. How are things going in London?"

"Shhh," he said quietly, wrapping his own arms around her. "Let's not talk about London just yet." Their marriage may have been a ruse to keep the neighbors from poking their nose in places they didn't belong, but that didn't mean he didn't genuinely care for her. Rough though he'd had it when he was in London prior to his escape, she'd had it worse. So... so much worse. To tell her the truth would bring it all back. To lie would make it worse. Brilliant liar though he might be, she could always tell. "How's the cake business, Love? You must be busy, being the only baker in the entire town."

Warm lips pressed to his cheek, followed almost immediately by a soft handkerchief she kept in her pocket for the express purpose of wiping the "Blushing Begonia Pink" lipstick she always wore back off the cheek of her husband or son after she'd kissed them.

"Oh it's not just Pittsburgh that's ordering them. Your friend from Chicago, Representative Keenel, still places large orders every time he has an occasion, and has even spread the word to other high ranking government officials. Who knows, before long I may be baking cakes for the president." Marissa gave one of her signature plastic laughs as she pulled away and looped her arm around his to usher him in. "I was just about to go wake Danny up for school. Perhaps you'd like to wake him up while I get his breakfast, and then we can drive him in together? Unless, you have to get back to business right away of course."