"So," Logan looked at Patton over his paper as Patton set his briefcase on the table. "How crazy is he?"

Patton sighed and took off his jacket. "You can practically smell the crazy on him."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"You know that exercise with the ink splotch?"

"Yeah."

"He barely looked at it, stared me right in the eyes and said it looked like a blood splotch from someone who got stabbed."

"So, really crazy."

"Pretty much. They had him fastened to a chair. Said he was dangerous."

"Who?" Virgil walked in behind Patton.

"Someone is trying to get a friend out of the asylum. Problem is the friend is really off his rocker."

Virgil frowned. "So he's staying in the asylum?"

"I don't see any other option." Logan turned the page.

"There might be other options. Maybe his friend could prove he can take care of him." Patton untied is necktie.

Virgil looked like he wanted to say something but just settled for "Oh. Did you pick up lemons?"

Patton slid a grocery bag on the table. "I also got some jam. Logan."

"Hm?"

"They were out of Crofters."

Logan looked up, his eyes wide.

"I'm kidding. They had Crofters."

Logan frowned. "That's not something to joke about, Patton."

Patton snickered.

Roman suddenly burst in, heading straight for Virgil.

"You cursed me!" He shrieked.

Virgil held his hands up. "Slow down, Princey. What are you talking about?"

"Do you know how many times I've tripped today?!"

Virgil smirked. "Did you also trip when you were walking on stage?"

"Of course not! I was not going to get on that stage with this curse on my head!"

"Wait, you're not doing Jekyll and Hyde?" Patton asked.

"They're holding auditions tomorrow as well. Though they run a little later."

"All good then." Virgil pulled a lemon out of the bag and started to peel it.

"Stay out of those!" Roman reached for it but Virgil danced away and booked it up the stairs, Roman hot on his heels.

Patton glanced back at Logan who was still staring at him over the paper.

"So do you think we should try to help them?" Logan asked.

"Virgil and Roman? They should be fine."

There was thump above their heads.

"No, Mr Delphi and his friend."

Patton buzzed his lips as he thought about it. "I don't know. His friend's name is Wolf Duke, by the way."

"Wolf Duke?"

"Mhm."

"That sounds made up."

"All names are made up, Lo." Patton flopped on the couch.

Logan couldn't disagree with that logic so he moved on. "Well, whatever the case, I'm not sure how much we can help Python Delphi without going to court."

"Why do you think he wants to stay out of court?"

"He's a private man. It's understandable."

"I suppose."

***

The next day was busy. Virgil had to clean the mortuary, Roman got stuck on costume mending, and both Patton and Logan had more clients than usual.

Virgil arranged some flowers around the coffin. He noticed a streak on the shiny wood and polished it off with his sleeve. He saw his reflection in the paint. His sunken eyes stared back at him. But he didn't look like a stray dog anymore. He had changed. Most people wouldn't notice but he did.  Just like he had rubbed that streak away, Logan and Patton had wiped away his past.

He still had nightmares. A few times he had woken from them screaming but usually a few moments later Patton would be there, speaking soothing words. Once he had worked late though. Roman didn't know what was happening but had hugged Virgil until he calmed down.

Virgil appreciated that about Roman. Even if his questions weren't answered he would do his best to help in any situation he could.

The only downside of Roman is he reminded Virgil of... someone. They hadn't necessarily been bad but they were part of the past.

And Virgil wanted nothing to do with the past.

***

"Ouch!" Roman dropped the costume he was working on. He had poked himself while sewing a button on a dress. It wasn't bad, just a little blood, but he still went into the lobby to get a bandage so that he wouldn't get any blood on the costumes. He leaned over the counter, his back to the large front window, and sorted through the first aid supplies. Suddenly the back of his neck tingled and he wheeled around. There wasn't anyone around. He ignored it and went back into the costume room.

He had been feeling apprehensive all day. He blamed Virgil for that. Obviously Virgil's ominous fortunes were in jest but they still unnerved him.

When he had first met Virgil he had thought he was Logan and Patton's adopted son. The guy had shadowed them and refused to make eye contact with Roman. Logan had briefed him on the situation of Virgil having a weird childhood and had been somewhat mortified when he learned Roman thought that Logan was Virgil's dad. To be fair, Logan did look older than he was and Virgil looked to only be fifteen years old.

Virgil didn't seem to like Roman, avoiding interacting with him even if it was inconvenient. At first Roman thought the guy was just racist against Italians but then quickly realized he treated everyone like that unless they were Patton. The first time Virgil had actually spoken to him other than to say "sorry" and "excuse me" on the occasional accidental offense was when they had been home alone together without realizing the other was there. Roman thought he was with Patton and Virgil thought he was still at work.

He had gotten that same weird prickly feeling on the back of his neck when he entered the apartment. He had hung up his coat, turned on the lights, and moved to the fridge.

"Why are you here?" The jump scare must have altered Roman's memory but the sentence seemed to sound like a demon, doubled and screeched.

Roman had whirled around to come face to face with two purple eye shaped lights boring into him as the lights flickered.

Roman slipped, a scream strangled in his throat.

"Oh! Oh no! Roman, it's just me!"

Roman opened his eyes that he hadn't realized were squeezed shut. There in crouched front of him was his small and very much not a demon roommate.

"Virgil," he gasped, anger welling up in him. "What the heck?"

"I'm sorry for scaring you. I thought you were a home intruder."

"Obviously I'm not," Roman ignored Virgil's extended hand and struggled to his feet.

"Well, you needn't be a prick about it," Virgil snapped as he rose as well.

"Why are you even here?" Roman indigently stomped towards the stairs.

"Because I have no where else to go," Virgil growled and disappeared into the shadows of the living room.

Roman had meant at the moment but his pride kept him from apologizing.

They avoided to each other even more after that but it started to get exhausting and eventually they warmed up to each other.

***

Logan and Patton had almost forgotten about Python and Wolf until they arrived home that evening. Their phone was ringing wildly.

"Hello?" Logan answered it.

"I have been trying to call you for the past half hour!" Python's voice snapped across the line.

"Why didn't you try our office phone?" Logan inquired lazily.

"I did! Five minutes ago!"

"We had left by then."

"Oh, never mind! I have an emergency!"

"Sir, there's not really anything we can do about Wolf Duke-"

"Well, now you don't have to! He's already out of the asylum!"

"What? They released him?" Logan was now slightly annoyed.

Patton looked up from the glass of milk he was poring.

"No, you idiot! He's escaped!"

Oh, now Logan saw the problem. But he didn't really get the problem. He pushed his glasses into place.

"Isn't this a good thing for you? Can't you just find him and leave the city like you planned?"

Logan heard Python take several deep breaths, obviously doing his best to not reach through the phone and strangle Logan.

"I don't think you understand. My friend isn't stable enough-"

"Then shouldn't he be in an asylum?"

"My friend," Python pressed on. "Isn't mentally stable enough to be anywhere but in my care."

"So find him."

"How? In this huge city how am I going to find him? He is purposefully avoiding me!"

"Why is it such a big problem?"

"I don't think you understand," Python's voice got low and dangerous. "He has a... different sense of humor. I... I'd rather not find him covered in blood."

"He is a danger to himself?"

"No, Dr Gandhi, to others."

Oh dear.

"Has he killed anyone before?"

There was a pause so Logan continued.

"Why don't you call the police?"

There was a sound of glass shattering on the other line, causing Logan to start.

"They will return him to the asylum. He can. not. be. in. the. asylum!"

Logan rubbed his ear, sure he would go deaf if Python kept the yelling up.

"Well, what can we do?"

"Help me find him!"

"Now?"

"Yes. Now. Before he... before he finds who he's looking for."

"Who he's looking for? Do you know who this is?"

"I don't even know. Or even if he still lives in this country."

"Oh." Logan wasn't sure what to do. He glanced over his shoulder at Patton who was eating a cookie. "Why don't I let you talk to Dr Lovegood?"

Patton looked up, crumbs all over his shirt and a milk mustache.

"Fine. But hurry."

Patton walked over and took the phone. "Hello?"

Logan couldn't hear what Python said but he talked quickly and Patton started to go pale.

"I understand. What do you want to do?... Do you know where to look?... Okay. We'll meet in front of Lo- Dr Gandhi's office. M'kay. Bye." Patton hung up.

"So we're helping him?" Logan asked in annoyance.

"If it was me that was missing would you look?" Patton looked over his glasses shyly.

Logan sighed. "Let's go."

***

Roman carefully mounted the stage. No tripping, thank Dionysus.

These were new directors and he wanted to make a great impression.

"Hello, my name is Roman C Star and I am auditioning for the part of Jekyll/Hyde."

The director looked up from her notes and smiled. "Hi, Roman, we're glad to have you. Do you need the script to read the lines?"

"No, I have them memorized."

She nodded approvingly. "When you're ready."

He took a deep breath and dropped his chin to his chest, getting into Hyde's character. He looked up, his head still down, and started.

"Tonight, the devil himself is by my side..."

***

Python paced nervously in front of the law office when Patton ran up, Logan fast walking behind him, refusing to run.

"Gentlemen, thank you for coming so quickly." Python adjusted his bowler hat so that it hung lower over his lazy eye.

"Of course," Patton said.

"I have a taxi waiting. And while we're going I'll fill you in on some... details I didn't think were necessary."

Logan nodded distrustfully but followed Patton and Python into the carriage.

"Dr Lovegood, you could tell how, uh, eccentric Wolf is, couldn't you?" Python asked after he called an address to the driver.

"Yes."

"Well, the thing is Wolf was put into an asylum at a very young age. By his own family. When I found him he was in a terrible state... And, well..."

"Yes?" Patton pressed.

"Oh, hang it all," Python thumped his cane on the carriage floor. "Wolf is legally dead so if he shows up in court he will be."

The two doctors froze.