Risenfromash: Hello! This is a short little story that links the two "epic" secret love stories "Our Secret Mission" and "Nature of Devotion". This story shouldn't conflict with any details in Capcom's canon or those two stories. It is a prequel to "Our Secret Mission" and happens sometime after the start of "Nature of Devotion"…if that makes sense to anyone besides me I'm amazed. The only thing that might throw you off is Franny/Edgey are in Germany and this is written more in the style of "Our Secret Mission". It's first person, present tense.

This story will have 2-3 short chapters from Edgeworth's POV and then probably just one from Phoenix's POV. Originally the entire thing was going to be two chapters, one for Edgy one for Nick, but then they would be kind of long chapters so I split it up a little.

CHAPTER 1

Wright has been disbarred!! I stare at the e-mail. I can't believe it. Wright has always had extremely unorthodox methods, but this? Gumshoe's e-mail offers few details other than to say that the case was complex and Wright presented forged evidence and that the defendant vanished so no retrial is possible.

I reread the e-mail multiple times thinking I've somehow experienced momentarily dyslexia. Surely it can't say what I've just read, but it does. I get up from my desk at the courthouse and head to Franziska office. Work can wait. This is far more important.

I knock at the door of my sister's office.

"Enter!" She barks.

When I enter I find her chewing out Detective Vladimir for his supposed incompetence. Vladimir is a mediocre detective at best, so it doesn't surprise me. After a few more lashes of her whip, Detective Vladimir excuses himself giving me a look that says he is shocked I would approach my sister when she is this whip-happy. He doesn't know about us. No one does. We never really talked about keeping it a secret. I don't think we'd even lie if someone asked, but keeping a low profile means we are able to have more privacy and it's nice.

"What do you want?" She asks me sharply. "I have work to do." And then with a quick glance to make sure that the door is closed and Vladimir has truly made his exit she adds, "And we are at work…" and she walks up to me and wraps her arm around my waist and kisses me.

"Sadly, I'm not here for that." She sticks out her lip a little in a fake pout. She knew I wasn't here to mess around. We have a strict not-while-at-work policy, well mostly strict, at any rate.

"I'm here about Wright."

She raised her eyebrow at me.

"Don't worry. I'm not about to make my move or something," I laugh. "He's been disbarred."

"What?"

I nod and walk over to sit on the brown leather couch she has in her office. She comes and sits beside me.

"The fool! What the hell did he do?"

I shake my head. "I don't know exactly. Gumshoe e-mailed me something about Phoenix presenting forged evidence."

"What a foolish fool how could he do such a foolish fool thing?"

"Well, Maya's back in Ukraine, so I think he's getting a little sloppy. The man needs help."

Franziska fondles her whip. "I know just what kind of help he needs! Damn foolish fool!"

We sit there in stunned silence for a while. Phoenix Wright was the only defense attorney who ever taught us anything. He put us in our place by helping us discover the true mission of a prosecutor should be pursuit of the truth not simply getting a guilty verdict at any cost.

Franziska puts her head on my shoulder. "I can't imagine him forging evidence not after what Papa put him through." I nod. Her father, my mentor, went to great lengths to exact revenge on Phoenix and I with the use of falsified evidence.

"Perhaps he was framed. I don't know. I don't even know who the prosecutor on the case was."

She kisses me. "Well, you'd better go clear up this foolishness, don't you think?"

I had not expected her to suggest this. Going to see my friend is my desire of course, but Franziska is so jealous and she knows I have feelings for Phoenix.

She takes my hand and gazes into my eyes. "You're his friend…and I suppose" she rolls her eyes and her lip twitches as though she's resisting the urge to bare her teeth. "That I am too. You need to go see if you can help."

I sit there. I don't wish to seem overly eager, but I am thrilled.

"Go to the foolish fool. I'll take your cases."

I rise from the couch and look at her. I love her so much. She may be jealous, but she doesn't show it. She knows this is important. It's important to Wright and it's important to me.

She stands up and I can't control myself my lips are all over her neck and her earlobe. She backs up against her desk as I kiss her. I really don't want to leave her. I'd love for her to come, too, but the two top prosecutors can't both suddenly request emergency time off.

I pull myself away from her with difficulty. I want to lock the door and lay her down on the desk and make love to her.

"Get out of here fool. You've gotta pack."

I nod but I can't seem to tear myself from her presence.

"I love you."

She nods.

"I trust you. Don't disappoint me, little brother." She says snapping her whip three times.

I nod and leave.

~xxxx~

It was not particularly difficult to get the time off. Franziska made it very clear to our boss, the High Prosecutor that she would be able to handle the additional cases and he's so fearful of her whip that he never argues with her. Really, one of us should be the High Prosecutor of our jurisdiction in Germany, but I have enough on my mind without pondering the ineptitude of our "leader".

I miss Franziska already…yet I can't stop thinking about Wright. What the hell kind of mess is he in this time? How could he let this happen? What the hell was he thinking? That annoying girlfriend of his better not have gotten herself embroiled in some plot again. Wright is getting to be as bad as the Butz, I swear, yet Phoenix will never be like Larry. Phoenix is a rock. He sticks to his values. He believes in people. He believes in uncovering the truth so why in the hell would he have presented forged evidence?! The world has lost its best defense attorney…the man I care about more than any other…

I'm a wreck. I wish Franziska were here. She'd straighten me out or her whip would. It's funny how she's suddenly become the main focus of my life until; of course, I got that blasted e-mail from Gumshoe. But it's love with Franziska. I don't know if I'll ever fully understand my feelings for Wright. They defy logic and, of course, he has no such feelings for me. The bastard.

I groan. I can't believe I'm on another damned transatlantic iFly flight. I feel like I might have a nervous breakdown and as much I don't want to ever return to the downstairs of one of these iFly jumbo jets again, I badly need a drink. So I rise from my seat. You can do this, Miles. You can have a drink, steady your nerves, find Wright, figure out what you can do to get his license reinstated, and get yourself back in Franziska's arms without a major disaster occurring.

On my way to the stairs one of the "helpful" flight attendants grabs me by the arm and says, "Sir, wouldn't you prefer to take the elevator?" I begin to shake. Stupid woman, never say elevator to me!!

"No, I prefer the stairs, thank you." I say curtly. I realize it doesn't just need to be a drink. It needs to be an incredibly strong drink, a stiff drink.

Damn you, Phoenix Wright! Get out of my head! I'm with Franziska. I'm just going back to the U.S.…to check and make sure you're ok. As a friend…a good friend who lov-cares about you.

Franziska, if this is some kind of test, I'll pass. I swear. I love you. I won't let you claim I'm only with you because Phoenix isn't…oh God Franziska why couldn't you have just tortured me by making me stay in Germany? Why did you decide to show your compassion now? Or are you enjoying knowing that I'm suffering?