(Enter, Francis [oui, oui, mon ami]. I hope you all like this story so far! We still don't have an ending... we'll probably have to start writing again. Fun times. Leave a review if you have comments, questions, just want to say hi, or have actual review things to say. Thanks!)

"Et, why is it zat you need my 'elp specifically?" the vain demon asked, French accent still evident after all these years. Gilbert smirked. "It has to do vith 'your beautiful Angleterre'," he answered, complete with his own mock French accent and finger quotes.

"Ah…'e is quite a, hm, treasure," the Frenchman agreed. He sipped his hell-champagne. Gilbert had no idea why the bar even bothered serving anything except German beer, but… to each their stupid own.

"Look, Francy, I don't care about your sexual tension. You're just lucky mein awesome plan involves you distracting him…"

"Zat, I can do."

The pride demon snorted. "Only because you can't keep it in your pants."

"Guilty as charged. What is zis plan of yours, anyway?"

"My part of se plan is irrelevant to your part. You don't need to know," Gilbert insisted. Francis was unconvinced.

"It's l'amour, isn't it?"

"Se hell? Nein! Don't be stupid!"

"It IS! Ah, mon Gilber' has finally found ze love—"

"Shut UP! I have not!"

Francis giggled. "Alright, I will help you~" he said. Gilbert gave him the worst glare he possibly could. It did not affect the Frenchman at all.

—

Thanks to Alfie, Mattie was a lot stronger now. He could beat his brother almost half of the time instead of none of it, and he felt like he had a much better grip on making his wings and halo disappear to blend in on Earth—something that a lot of angels evidently had much trouble with. He'd also stopped trying to touch them, which was sort of a milestone in the heavenly community.

He'd actually been down to Earth a few more times in the months since his first time, though never alone. Alfie went with him at first, and then he'd travelled with some do-good groups—clubs of angels that went to all orphanages or all schools. He didn't particularly enjoy those, but he was really just glad he got to go at all. He was tired of sitting up in heaven and being useless.

Arthur had refused to travel with him after what had happened, but he did show him some basic spells. Mattie could perform, with some concentration, low level shielding, healing and hiding spells. If Alfie had gotten his way, Mattie would have learned attack spells as well, but Arthur said they took more control than the young angel had, at the moment. He'd just end up hurting himself. Mattie tried not to take that lack of confidence personally, because he knew the two of them—his family—were only looking out for him. Whether they were actually related or not, Mattie loved them. He trusted them with his death.

—
Gilbert stared down at the small, white bear he'd found earlier. "You better do exactly as I said," he told it.

It yawned. "Who?"

"Me. As I said. Now go find him."

"Who?"

"For the devils' sakes—Mattie! Go find Mattie, let him touch you, und bring him to New Prussia! Got it, Pooh Bear?" It stared at him, eventually nodding, and waddling off.

"Damn thing…"

—

Gilbert hated waiting. It had been about an hour since he'd set begun his mission, and he sat in his hiding spot at New Prussia, hoping that that goddamn bear was going to come into view with his precious engel soon. The bar was not going to fare well tonight if it didn't.

He hated waiting…

—

"Alfie? What are you doin—oh. Hello."

There was a bear in his tiny kitchen. Whether that was preferable to his brother or not, he didn't know. It seemed awfully cute…

"Hello," he said again, raising his hands above his head to show he meant no harm, "I'm Mattie…"

The bear turned its attention from the cabinets and stood on its hind legs, looking at Mattie.

"Who?"

The angel gasped, not from fear so much as adoration. This thing was so cute! He wanted to hold it, pet it, give it a name and home…

"Wonder if Arthur will let me keep him…" he murmured. to himself. He hoped so. He crouched down where he was in an effort to get the bear to come closer. It cocked its head to the side—so cute!—and moved slightly towards him.

"Yes, that's it," he heard himself whispering, "that's it. Come here, I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. You're just so cute! What's your name, bud? Just a little closer…"

The polar bear slowly made its way over to Mattie.

"Who are you?" it asked, its voice still surprisingly light. Mattie giggled. "I'm Mattie!" he replied. The polar bear seemed to nod, and let the angel reach out and touch the fur on its head. "Ohh, you're so soft!" As he continued petting his newcomer's ears he got an idea. "Who are you?" he asked, copying the creature's intonation. He was hoping to communicate on like terms with the bear.

It was quiet for a moment, as if it were thinking. "Kuma," it eventually said, or at least that was what it sounded like. Mattie smiled. "Kuma it is, then!" Carefully, he gave the bear a small hug, and sat down on the floor to play with it now, just in case Arthur wasn't too fond of the idea of keeping it.

—

Arthur was nervous. He was planning on finally going down to Earth with Mattie again, although the younger angel did not yet know. It had been a long time since he'd let anyone become important to him, ever since he'd met Fr—well. It didn't matter. The point was he didn't know how to take care of Mattie. He was still kicking himself for letting the boy fall into a demon's hands while at St Francine's, and while Mattie had almost certainly forgiven him… he had not forgiven himself. He thought back to when he was a new angel, all those years ago. He had also been too kind, too caring, once he had understood the concept. It broke everyone in the end, especially if you were in love with a d—

He HAD to stop thinking about him.

Mattie, focus on Mattie. Luckily Alfie had been surprisingly helpful when it came to the younger angel, teaching him all the self-defence, not to mention them being brothers now. Arthur's lips quirked a little at the thought. Alfred had always been such a free-spirited individual. And Mattie; he was even kinder than—

Who?

Arthur blinked. What had he been thinking about? Alfred? …Silly boy. Perhaps one of these days he would learn some good, Victorian manners.

Oh, no, it hadn't been Alfred. It was Francis. Again.

He sighed. He used to think angels were so pure… and perhaps they were, the ones whose hearts belonged to only heaven itself. Sweetness and trust and purity were one thing, but… Arthur needed someone to bring out the worst qualities in him. Luckily, he had someone.

He gave in. Arthur went down to Earth to go find him, immediately.

He was not forgetting anything.

(In case it isn't clear: Gil enchanted Kuma to make everyone forget Mattie when Mattie touched him. Only temporarily, most likely—our demon may be powerful, but magic just isn't his strong suit.
Also, as a reminder, this story is not connected with any major world religion. Everything is fine. It's all cool.)