Lucifer woke up with a start. He was lying in a makeshift bed of furs and blankets on the floor in the little alcove of Fangtasia's dungeon, racks of clothes looming above him. He could hear movement beyond and he instinctively knew it was Maze cleaning up. The others, all three of the vampires, were tucked away in coffins for a day's rest, and if Lucifer had to guess, he'd say it was probably mid-afternoon by this point. They'd certainly stayed up well past dawn, all three vampires ignoring the bleeds, as they called the affliction, because no one was willing to stop what they had started.

Lucifer was smiling, feeling satisfied as he stood up from the little nest he'd been snoozing in. Maze was, indeed, cleaning up. Putting away all the toys they'd used—well, except the ones they'd accidentally broken. There were a few of those, in a pile by the stairs, waiting to be brought out to the dumpster out back. A good time had been had. Definitely a good time.

"Glad to see you're finally awake," Maze said, but the words were dripping with sarcasm. "Maybe you can help fix some of the things you broke."

Lucifer looked up at the wheel in the ceiling. It wasn't broken per se, but it was stuck now. He'd have to find a ladder and look at the mechanism to see if he could find the problem. But not while we was stark naked.

"Would you be a doll and fetch my overnight back from the car?" Lucifer asked. He looked around for his pants, not seeing his clothes anywhere. "What did you do with my suit?"

"It's with the dry-cleaning," Maze said, gesturing to a pile of clothes. "I figured you were staying long enough to need it pressed."

Lucifer shook his head and then padded over to sift through the petticoats and leather and silk to find his lightweight suit pants. He fished the keys out of the pocket and then tossed them toward Maze. "I'm hoping to keep this trip to a brief minimum," he told her. "But I do have a change of clothes in the car if you don't mind."

"And why do I have to get them?" Maze asked, a scowl marring her beautiful face.

"Because you've bloody got pants on!" Lucifer cried out, not in the mood for her desperate push for independence from him. He'd left her alone for over a month. Soon, he'd be back in L.A, giving her indefinite freedom with her new friends. Couldn't she be nice for just one single day?

She seemed to rethink her annoyance at Lucifer because a moment later she headed upstairs, hips sashaying in frustration as she disappeared through the heavy metal door. Lucifer relaxed, looking toward the handful of coffins sitting across the room. Eric was in a coffin that lived here indefinitely for any impromptu guests, the plain brown box looking so lackluster compared to his actual coffin.

It wasn't good enough for Eric, as far as Lucifer was concerned.

While he waited for Maze, he looked about the dimly lit dungeon. It wasn't just racks of lacy clothes that was new down here, although admittedly he hadn't really paid much attention the last time he was here. But there was a new fainting couch, which he definitely had used just a few hours before. There were extra cabinets and a large, antique armoire that almost matched the one in Sookie's house, although this one was real. There was also a fancy new display of knives—Maze's undoubtedly.

It seemed the women were slowly turning the dungeon into their home. It was still dank and dark, but it felt more . . . welcoming. If knives and whips and impressively-sized dildos didn't scare you. It felt lived in down here, not quite so much a place to squat because you don't have the safety of a home. The dungeon, for the sarcastic women in Lucifer's life, was becoming home, and not in a desperately sad way. More in a kinky, wonderful way.

Of course, no matter where he looked, he couldn't seem to find a ladder. He said as much when Maze practically threw his bag down the stairs. Rather than follow the bag, she swore at him and then disappeared again. Lucifer was just zipping up his pants when she came down the stairs again, dragging a stepladder with her. She tossed it to the ground, glared at Lucifer for a second, and then went back to picking things up where they'd fallen.

Not bothering with the rest of his clothes, he set up the ladder and climbed up to see if he could figure out what had happened to the wheel. It took some time, but he eventually figured out where things had gone off the rails, and using brute devilish strength, he managed to get it back into working condition. Happy that he hadn't put on a shirt before doing it, he hopped down from the ladder to see grease running up both arms. When he gave Maze an inquisitive look, she told him to go up to the staff washroom—that he'd find everything he needed there.

Leaving Maze behind, he returned to the main floor with a ladder under one arm and his bag in the other. It wasn't long after that that he felt presentable, having found the staff washroom to include a shower and an impressive selection of toiletries and shampoos that was yet another visible reminder that the three women were clearly living at Fangtasia. He didn't think it was legal, but did those kinds of legalities mater if you were a vampire or a demon? He couldn't quite decide.

It was neither here nor there. Point was, he came away from the washroom smelling far more feminine than he usually did, but he found he quite liked it. He had brought along a pale linen suit, complete with powder blue dress shirt, and he felt appropriately dressed for the deep south. The hint of jasmine that trailed after him seemed fitting, somehow. He felt refreshed, like his worries from the previous few nights had been washed away while he'd scrubbed first shampoo and then a moisturizing conditioner into his hair.

Rather than head back into the dungeon, he went the other way, coming out into the empty bar. He was both hungry and thirsty, and while he didn't know the first thing about Shreveport's food scene, he knew a good bottle of scotch when he saw one. He headed behind the bar and fixed himself a drink.

He was leaning against the bar, eyes on the thrones across the way, when Maze came through the Personnel door to join him. She sidled up on the other side of the bar and Lucifer was quick to pull out a glass and pour her a shot. "I see you've been stocking the bar with me in mind," he said, raising the bottle at her before topping himself up. "This wasn't here when I first visited Fangtasia."

"Well, I knew it was only a matter of time before you came to check up on us. That is why you're really here, right?" Maze pulled her glass toward her but didn't bring it to her lips. She watched Lucifer, waiting for his reply.

Lucifer tipped his glass back, enjoying the burn of the scotch as it slipped over his tongue. "No, it's not. We told you earlier. We are here because that bloody waitress is missing."

"That's the truth?" Maze asked. "You're chasing after your boyfriend's ex?"

Lucifer winced at the words, and decided another gulp of whisky was needed. "So it would seem," he agreed. "Although she's not the only one missing. It seems halflings are disappearing. It just so happens we know more about this particular halfling than the others. Well, the Viking does, anyhow." Lucifer sighed. And he'd been feeling so good about things just a few minutes earlier.

"So she didn't just up and leave?" Maze asked.

Lucifer shook his head. "No, they seem to be disappearing in a most unusual way. Someone is stealing them. Someone not human." Lucifer frowned into his drink. "And after our conversation with a werepanther last night, I'm convinced it might be something immortal."

"Oh?" Maze asked.

"She said something," Lucifer admitted. "A word I recognize but can't place. And even though she claims it comes from a dream, I feel it's related to the missing halflings."

"What did she say?" Maze asked, finally picking up her drink.

"She said she, and all her dead family members, were visited by a monster from the swamp—in their dreams. She mentioned the word Unseelie. Does that ring any bells?"

Maze seemed to think but ended up shaking her head. "Can't say it does."

Lucifer slumped against the counter. "I thought as much. I'm hoping Amenadiel might have some insight though."

"Celestial beings?" Maze asked.

Lucifer shrugged. "Not sure. But I bet if Dad were here, being an actual father, he could probably tell me what I need to know."

"You'd think," Maze said. "He should know everything, shouldn't he?"

"That is the theory," Lucifer muttered. "Not that he's ever proven it to be true."

Maze smirked at him before draining her drink. "So what are you going to do? Track down this waitress and demand the kidnappers give her back?"

"It's a bloody case, Maze. I can't just turn this away." Lucifer scowled at his empty glass. "Besides, it's not just Ms. Stackhouse that's missing. Her brother is gone, and we know of at least one halfling missing in Los Angeles. That makes it bigger than Eric's hangups about the mind reader."

"So your first case without Chloe Decker," Maze summed up.

Lucifer nodded, perhaps a bit too vehemently. "Yes, exactly. I've a case and it's mine. I don't need to share if I don't want to, nor will I be bogged down by police protocol."

"And how is that going for you?" Maze asked, sliding her glass back across the bar in a request for more liquid sunshine.

Lucifer acquiesced, filling both their glasses once again.

"I can do whatever I want and no one has bitched at me so far," Lucifer said, raising his glass to clink against Maze's.

"So you enjoy working with someone other than the Detective," Maze encouraged.

"Very much," Lucifer agreed. "And anytime we get a break, I've got a willing snogging partner too."

Maze rolled her eyes, but overall she seemed happy for him. "You haven't grown tired of him yet?"

"Why would I?" Lucifer asked. "A man who doesn't ridicule me or treat me like a child or simply just put up with me. What's to grow tired of?"

Maze made a noise in her throat. "I can see why he's kept your attention in bed too."

"And isn't that just the icing on the cake?" Lucifer asked, grinning. "The ruthless abandon of a Viking with a thousand years more experience."

"And not afraid of sharing roles either," Maze continued. "I see now why you wouldn't let me play with him before."

Lucifer narrowed his eyes at her. "He's my vampire. I am willing to share on occasion but he is mine."

Maze snorted a dry laugh. "Calm down there, boss. I've got vampires of my own."

Lucifer perked up at that. "How are you enjoying it here?" he asked.

"Aside from the fact that you dropped me off in the middle of nowhere?" Maze asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lucifer didn't bite, just waited for her to continue.

"Actually, I like it here," Maze finally said, taking another pull at her drink. "Pam is . . ." she trailed off, a far off look in her eyes. A spark suddenly lit them. "She's something else."

"I would expect nothing less of the Viking's progeny," Lucifer supplied.

Maze smiled. "She can keep up with me. In all sorts of ways."

"I don't want to know what goes on at Fangtasia, do I?" Lucifer asked. But then he chuckled. "Or do I?"

Maze gave him a lascivious grin. "You're missing out," she told him. "Not that you're invited. Keep your vampire and L.A. And I'll keep mine and Shreveport. This is a dirty little town, Lucifer. Dirty." She most definitely was not talking about the cleanliness of the streets, Lucifer knew.

"And they know how to eat, don't they?" Lucifer asked, his stomach reminding him he hadn't eaten anything since the night before at Merlotte's. He took the two empty glasses to the sink, leaving them there for someone else to deal with. "Where's a man got to go for a deep south dinner, Maze? I'm starving."

"I think I've got you covered," Maze said, pushing away from the bar. "It'll be nice to go out for a meal with someone who can actually eat." She headed for the door but then paused, turning to look at Lucifer seriously. She cocked her head to the side. "Do you think you should be worried about what you're working on?" she asked.

Lucifer came around the bar, checking his cuffs to make sure he was perfectly dressed. "Whatever do you mean?" he asked.

"This Unseelie. If you think it's something related to your Dad . . . maybe you're chasing down something dangerous."

Lucifer scoffed. "Nothing can hurt me," he said.

"Still . . . what about your Viking?"

This gave Lucifer pause, although he wanted to brush away that worry too. "The problem seems focused on halflings and Weres, not vampires."

"For now," Maze agreed. "But what if that changes?"

"Must you remind me of his weaknesses?" Lucifer complained, finding a ball of new anxiety working its way into the pit of his stomach. Not only would he worry about what Sookie meant to Eric, but now he had to worry about the man's safety?

Would this be a problem every time they had a case?

"Look, I'm not saying it's going to happen," Maze said. "But there's nothing wrong with being prepared."

"How, pray tell, would you suggest I prepare to save my immortal vampire's ass?" he asked his subordinate.

Maze shrugged. "I don't know. You're the devil, not me. But I could lend you some demon blades, if you'd like. They'll kill just about anything."

"That's a good point," Lucifer said, liking the idea. "I'd be grateful for a few blades." Just in general, even. She'd taken all of them when she'd left Los Angeles, and while Lucifer was normally confident in his immortality, she had been his security detail for years now. A couple weapons to stop the bad guys would be nice to have, no matter what he and the Viking were getting up to.

Maze brightened. "Consider it done, so long as you promise to go back to L.A. and leave me and Pam and Tara in peace."

"Worried they'll leave you for me?" Lucifer quipped, suddenly moving forward, his hunger outweighing his anxiety once more.

Maze rolled her eyes and then began to lead the way out of Fangtasia and into the late afternoon . . . fog.

"Man, the weather sure has been crazy lately," Maze said, as Lucifer led the way through the parking lot toward the little red Alfa Romeo.

"You're telling me," Lucifer said, wondering if the fog had followed him here from California. Despite the strange weather, and Maze's reminder that not everyone was as immortal as he was, Lucifer found himself in a good mood as they slid into the little sports car and Maze directed him out into the light Shreveport traffic.

He hadn't seen Maze in weeks. It was nice to catch up with his favourite demon. Bujailah had been nice to see and all, but she just wasn't Maze. No, Maze was indeed one of a kind.

He was happy for her. Happy that Pam and Tara seemed to be working out for her. It did his heart good to know that his being with Eric had put Maze on this path. Neither one of them needed to miss Hell anymore.

"So what are you in the mood for?" Maze asked as they moved toward downtown Shreveport.

"Something they'd stick their nose up at in Los Angeles," Lucifer replied quickly.

"Greasy and spicy. Got it." Maze pointed for him to turn left quickly. "I know just the place."

"Wonderful," Lucifer replied, taking the turn devilishly quick.