Author's note - Hello everyone! I have been away in a hovel of emotional turmoil, insecurity, and inspirational drought. I truly apologize for my absence, but as I suppose everyone is trying to navigate this dumpster fire of a year with any semblance of sanity that we can. I'm hoping to keep writing. I hope all that are reading my writing are doing well.

Shout outs -

Thank you for the kind review geogirl2014! It is much appreciated!

Thank you Safa1610 for the fave and the follow!

As always, please enjoy, read, and review!

It had been a few weeks since Liya's fainting episode. The case that Castle and Chloe were working on was solved, Cosma had been cast, and production on the film was underway. Castle had tasked the princess with correcting some of the script, putting in things that were more closely related to Amaliya's way of speaking, he was insisting that Cosma be as authentic to the Vanir as possible. The princess was still staying with Lucifer in his loft but had taken to being withdrawn trying to make this fictionalized version of her more authentic when the most the world called her fake and wicked.

Liya looked at the folded over script she had placed on the table that morning and scowled at it. It was taunting her, in a Russian accent no less; she picked it up off the accent table and moved to the piano. For some reason Liya thought better at the piano. Narrowing her eyes at the typed words taking a sip of coffee and crossing her legs on the piano bench; the princess hunched over the bound pages letting out a sigh mixed with exasperation and frustration.

"How in the world am I supposed to make a fictional character more authentic," she asked out loud setting down her mug.

She looked at the cup and chuckled lightly. Lucifer had gifted it to her, it was a bright red ceramic mug with black horns painted on the front of it with a goatee and handlebar mustache and read "Handsome Devil". Her smiled stayed on her face as she looked back at the pages.

She picked up the pen on the closed fallboard and tapped the end of the pen to her lips as she scanned the page. This page contained a rather passionate scene between Detective Ochoa and Cosma. They were arguing before Ochoa kisses her.

Liya rolled her eyes, "Sure, Castle, authentic," she quipped, "because Javi and I always fought before we did anything romantic." She started tapping the pen on the page rapidly, "Ugh," she let out in mounting frustration. "I'm never going to get this done."

"Perfect, then you'll have to spend more time with me," the voice of the Devil came from behind startling her.

"Lucifer," she said getting up to embrace him, "Did I wake you?"

"No, my pretty princess," he kissed her forehead lightly. "No luck still?"

Liya shook her head, "I just don't know how Rick expects me to get into the head of a character he made up, and she's nothing like me."

Lucifer thought for a moment, his sharp features furrowed, "I think we need an expert on the subject. Get dressed and we'll go get her."

The couple headed down to the precinct to hopefully pick up Ella. The station was busy with the usual comings and goings of all the officers as they headed back to where Ella's office was. Lucifer led Liya through the glass doors to see Ella head down in a microscope.

"Be with you in a sec," she said holding up a finger.

Ella finished examining the sample on the slide to look up and see the couple. Her face stretched into a huge grin before walking toward the princess taking off the blue latex gloves and hugging the Vanir. Liya returned the warm embrace and the two held each other for a matter of moments. Amaliya would miss this…she thought then caught herself; she was staying with Lucifer in California. Or was she? The embrace broke and Ella turned to the Devil hugging him almost against his will.

"I wasn't expecting you two today," she said gleefully.

Liya laughed quietly at the look on Lucifer's face, "Unscheduled visit, I'm afraid. I need your help Ella."

"Me," she questioned with an enormous smile.

The princess returned the smile, "Yes, I'm afraid Mr. Castle has tasked me with the rather impossible task of correcting some of these lines to make them more authentic, the problem…"

Liya was interrupted by Ella ripping the script away from the Vanir and she looked at it with wide and wet eyes, as if it was the most precious thing in the universe. The princess looked on thoughtfully at this young woman; she was certainly one of a kind.

"I will do anything I can to help," Ella said in an awed whisper.

"Thank you, Ella," Liya said before finishing her original sentence, "As I was saying, the problem is I have no idea how to make Cosma authentic, I have never read the books."

Ella turned her head slowly to the princess, "You've…never…read…them?" She spaced out her words in disbelief. "How can you be the basis for one of the greatest characters Richard Castle has ever made and not have read them?!"

Lucifer chuckled to himself watching Liya try to find some sort of excuse that would placate Miss Lopez from force feeding the character to the princess. He would surely miss this when she was gone. His mirth faded; she's not going though. Is she? Liya looked away from Ella meeting the Devil's dark brown eyes, what was happening?

"If you would excuse us Ella," Liya said distractedly escorting Lucifer outside, "Is there somewhere we could talk?"

Lucifer nodded taking the princess under his arm, leading her to an empty interrogation room. The Devil pulled out a chair for the Vanir before taking a seat across the table from her.

Liya looked perplexed and lost trying to find the right words to bring up with strange phenomenon. She looked at him with an expression he could hardly describe, she looked shocked and dismayed that was mixed with utter confusion.

"You did agree to stay in Los Angeles with me," he asked genuinely concerned that he had heard her incorrectly.

"I did," she gave her answer breathlessly.

Liya stared at her hands in disbelief, it was decided that she was staying, she even told Rick, or at least mentioned it. So why had both of them thought that Liya was still leaving after Rick was done? What could have that kind of reach to not only alter her memories but Lucifer's as well? She sat searching her memory for any type of being or affliction that could manipulate…

"No," she whispered in a shaky voice, "that's not possible," her eyes grew wide and shook her head slowly as emerald green fabric flooded her vision.

Thank you all again, if any of you need or want to talk feel free to inbox me.