Cover art by mustachossom on tumblr.

Trucy Wright was starving.

She sat down across from her father and opened one of the menus that the smiley waitress had left them. Chewing her lip, she browsed each line until she found exactly what she wanted, and let the menu fall to the table. She clapped her hands together happily.

"It's been so long since we ate here." She smiled up at him from behind her fingers. "I'm glad you finally said yes, dad."

Phoenix grinned at his menu and leaned in. "You make it sound like I didn't want to come."

"Oh dad, it's not like that. You've just been so busy lately." She picked up a fork and twirled it between her fingers. "Which is great! But I'm glad you finally decided to take some time for important stuff. Like food."

Phoenix chuckled as he set his menu down. "I know a certain spirit medium who'd agree with you."

"Maya knows her food, so I'll take that as a compliment," Trucy said lightly.

Phoenix laughed again. At the same time, another patron laughed in the background.

The waitress came and took their order, her lips stretched just a little too wide over her gleaming white teeth. She promised speedy service with a wink, and true to her word their food arrived in no time at all.

They devoured everything. Trucy burped and covered her mouth with her napkin, shooting her dad an apologetic look. Phoenix just grinned and rubbed his stomach, leaning back and gazing across the room. Suddenly he sat up, his shoulders stiff as a board.

"What is it?" Trucy asked, looking around the room.

"Ah, it's nothing sweetie. I'm just full." His index finger stroked idly across the back of his jawline. Trucy's eyes narrowed and she looked over his shoulder.

A burst of laughter came from the other side of the room and Trucy spotted the source. Mr. Edgeworth was sitting near the back of the restaurant, across from an older gentleman. They were both over-dressed for their American-style family restaurant surroundings, Edgeworth wearing a dark blue military jacket with a charcoal grey lining and large brass buttons, and his companion dressed in a smart grey suit with a blue silk tie. Edgeworth had a warm smile on his face. Trucy's interest was piqued. She made to get up from her table.

"Where you going, Truce?" Phoenix asked.

"Didn't you see Mr. Edgeworth over there? I wanna go talk to him."

Phoenix's eyes trailed slowly over to Edgeworth's table.

"Ah." He sighed. "Well look, he probably doesn't want to be disturbed in the middle of dinner. We can see him another time, honey."

"No, they're finished eating. See, their plates are empty!"

Phoenix sighed again, sinking a little in his seat. Trucy pouted at him.

"Daddy, you've been friends since forever. I'm sure he won't mind if we go over and say hi."

Biting his lip, Phoenix looked from the table to his daughter.

"Okay, okay, we'll say hello. But let's get our check first."

Trucy clapped and sat back down, and they waited for their waitress to take away their empty plates.

Five minutes later, Phoenix was tucking his credit card back into his wallet and Trucy was already halfway across the room.

"Mr. Edgeworth!" she said, her voice suffused with excitement, standing before his chair.

He looked up at her, eyes wide. "Oh, Trucy! I didn't know you were here."

She bounced on her heels, hands clasped behind her back. "Yup, it's our weekly go-out-and-pay-other-people-to-make-us-dinner night." She looked down at the ground. "I mean, it's more monthly than weekly these days."

Edgeworth smiled at her, his eyes crinkling behind his glasses. "How nice to have a father-daughter meal." Phoenix appeared by Trucy's side and Edgeworth nodded to him. "Wright. I hope your evening has been pleasant."

Phoenix rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, sure. It's just nice to eat something other than noodles for a change."

"Daddy's been really busy with work lately." Trucy shrugged. "I guess keeping a bunch of lawyers in line is tough."

Edgeworth tipped his head forward in agreement, about to say something when his friend shifted in his chair.

"Ah – where are my manners." Edgeworth shook his head with dismay. "My apologies. This is Maurice Deuxcoeur, an old family friend. Maurice, this is Phoenix Wright and his daughter Trucy."

Mr. Deuxcoeur smiled and extended his hand, which Phoenix shook graciously.

"Hello!" Trucy said, shaking his hand next with a confident grip. "So, you know Mr. Edgeworth's family?"

"Ahum, yes, in a sense. I was close friends with Miles' mother long, long ago." Mr. Deuxcoeur spoke with a heavy accent as he smoothed down his sleek grey mustache with his blunt fingers.

"I believe they met in high school," Edgeworth interjected.

"Yes, that's right. It was many years ago, but I remember it well." He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, hands clasped over his stomach. "She was charming and beautiful and we became fast friends. A few years after her marriage I moved back to France. I'm afraid that when she passed, I lost touch with her husband and darling child." He glanced up at Edgeworth apologetically. "It is something that I have always regretted, especially in consideration of…ah, well I'm sure you know, monsieur Wright. Miles tells me that you two have been friends for quite some time."

Phoenix went pink and scratched his neck. "Yeah, we kind of grew up together."

"You are both in the same field of work, are you not?"

Edgeworth snorted. "You could say that."

Deuxcoeur grinned brightly. "And what a lovely coincidence that is. How serendipitous."

Phoenix turned pinker. "Uh, yeah. Well anyways, I guess we should be go-"

"So how did Mr. Edgeworth find you," Trucy said, leaning forward onto the edge of the table. Phoenix grimaced and Edgeworth gestured for her to take a seat. With reluctance, Phoenix dragged a couple of chairs from the nearest table and Trucy sat in one without looking down.

Deuxcoeur chuckled. "Your name is Trucy? Well Trucy, as it happens, I was perusing the local paper one morning when I saw the name Edgeworth in large bold letters. At first I thought it was mere coincidence, but the article was accompanied by a photograph of Miles." Deuxcoeur gestured both hands in Edgeworth's direction. "I recognized these gorgeous features even in black and white." Edgeworth ducked his head modestly.

Trucy scrutinized Edgeworth's face, her brow drawing up as her imagination took over. "I think I can see it. Your mom must have been really pretty, Edgeworth."

Edgeworth choked a little bit and Phoenix gave a strangled laugh.

"Gregory was a very lucky man," Deuxcoeur said with a faraway look. "It's an absolute shame that we lost her so young." He shook his head and paused for a moment of remembrance. "Despite these years between us, getting to know Miles has been a joy. He's a gracious, brilliant young man." Edgeworth blushed, staring firmly down at the table. "I'm glad that I was able to show him my home. In return I asked him to introduce me to his home when I came back to America and he has kindly obliged."

"Oh," Trucy whispered slowly, like a light had gone off in her head. "That's why you're eating at this place. I thought it was a little weird to see Mr. Edgeworth here."

Deuxcoeur laughed. "I requested a true American experience. A lot has changed here since I was a young man. I found the meal to be rather charming."

Edgeworth smirked and raised his cup of tea to his lips. "Trucy, I don't know what your father's been telling you, but I don't dine exclusively at five star establishments."

"Really?" She turned to her father. "He told me that anything less than a five star restaurant would be like poison to you."

Phoenix snorted and Edgeworth shot him an affronted glare. "That was a joke, Trucy," Phoenix assured her. "Although sometimes I do wonder. If you're bred on caviar and foie gras, everything else must taste like dog food." He gave Edgeworth a cheeky grin.

Edgeworth rolled his eyes and pushed his empty cup forward. "I think we're about ready to be on our way," he said.

Deuxcoeur's golden watch chain glinted as he pulled it from his pocket. "Oh goodness, I suppose you're right. We wouldn't want to be late."

Phoenix grinned. "Let me guess. Triple platinum box seats at the Roxy theater. The true American experience."

Edgeworth crossed his arms. "I believe a rousing musical counts as traditional Americana."

"Well in that case, I hope you find it nice and rousing." Phoenix stood and stretched his back before reaching his hand out to Trucy. "Come on, Trucy. Let's go rot our brains with some good old fashioned American trash TV."

Trucy laughed and took her father's hand. "Hope you enjoy your show!" she said over her shoulder

Deuxcoeur waved to her. "Have a lovely evening, mademoiselle!"

As they walked across the restaurant, Trucy noticed that her father glanced back several times. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Mr. Edgeworth met his gaze dead on.

As they crawled into the backseat of a cab, there were a number of questions buzzing around in Trucy's head.

Her father was staring intently out the window. "Dad…" she started, her voice a little strained.

He turned to her, his eyes distant. "Yeah, Truce?"

"Are Mr. Edgeworth's parents…I mean, is he…"

Understanding dawned on Phoenix's face. "Oh, I guess I've never told you about that."

Trucy shook her head.

Phoenix sighed and shifted towards her. "Edgeworth lost both of his parents when he was very young. His father was killed when he was nine and his mother died before I met him."

Trucy was used to hearing about tragic deaths, par for the course in her father's line of work. Her eyes brimmed with curiosity.

"You know, Trucy, I think he would talk to you about it if you ask. It would probably be better if he told you the story himself."

Trucy bit her thumb, her eyes wide. "You really think he would?"

Phoenix studied his daughter's face and smiled gently. "Trucy, I think he would be happy to talk to you."

Trucy looked pleased. "Okay, if you think so."

They sat in comfortable silence. Phoenix reached over and rubbed her back, and she gave him a warm smile.

A few days later, Trucy found herself standing in front of a giant circular desk in the middle of a lavish foyer. She took a deep breath, trying to clear the nervous lump in her throat, and stepped up to the woman sitting at the desk.

"Oh, hello. May I help you?" the woman said with a kind smile.

"Um, yes!" Trucy bounced a little bit, still trying to shake off her nerves. "I was wondering if Mr. Edgeworth was available?"

"And what is this regarding?" the woman asked, preemptively picking up the phone.

"Um, well I guess it's kind of a personal thing?"

The secretary eyed her up and down and held the phone receiver to her chest. "Ah. And may I have your name, please?"

"It's Trucy. Trucy Wright."

The secretary glanced down and mumbled under her breath. "Trucy…Trucy…Wright? Oh, you're Phoenix's daughter?" Her eyes brightened instantly.

Trucy tilted her head. "You know my dad?"

"Well of course, honey. Your father used to skulk around here day and night," she said with a laugh, her voice slipping into a drawl.

"Really? But isn't this the prosecutors' office?"

The woman laughed again, a short bark that shook her shoulders. "Lord, I have no idea what he was up to. He'd come in here and get Chief Edgeworth all riled up and then skip out the door chipper as all get out. Of course, this was before Mr. Edgeworth became the chief prosecutor. I haven't seen your father around here much in the last few years. A darn shame too, he was always such a peach."

"A…peach?" Trucy said, her finger resting on her chin.

"Nevermind, darling. I'll call up Mr. Edgeworth for you right away." With that, she sat up straight and her voice went right back to its polite, professional cadence. "Chief, Trucy Wright is here to see you. Yes she is. Certainly, I'll send her up now."

The woman gave her a thumbs up and Trucy grinned.

"Go on up. You know how to get there?"

"Yeah, my dad told me. Thank you, miss!"

"Call me Christine. You have fun now. Don't rile him up too much!"

Trucy waved and scurried over the elevator as she tried to quell the bounce in her step.

Everything in the hallway leading up to Edgeworth's office was extravagant and polished to perfection. Trucy walked slowly across the large tiles underfoot, awed by the sight. The office doors towered high above her head. She knocked three times, and heard Mr. Edgeworth's muffled voice beckon her inside. She pushed the doors open, and stared slack-jawed at the size of the room. It was enormous for a single person's office, with two lush couches in the middle of the room, a huge desk that looked like its surface was buffed every single day, bookshelves that stretched up to the ceiling, and a view overlooking the city. It all served to reinforce how important Mr. Edgeworth was. She gulped. Trucy was so used to being around her father's friends, she couldn't ever remember a time when she was intimidated by them, but now she was rattled.

Mr. Edgeworth was perched on one of the couches, manila folders spread neatly across the coffee table. He adjusted his glasses with two fingers and cleared his throat.

"Trucy, please have a seat over here." He gestured to the couch across from him. She had to force herself to pick up her feet and walk to the couch. It looked like the most valuable thing she would ever sit on. Edgeworth looked up at her, holding an open folder in his hands. "Is everything alright?"

"O-oh, yeah, of course. I just - I don't think I've ever been in this office."

"Mmm," Edgeworth hummed. "Yes, the size is a bit impractical for my purposes. It seems to be intended for intimidation more than function. Still, I'm happy with it."

Trucy nodded and finally sat down. Even with her gloves on, the fabric felt luxurious and expensive. "It's really beautiful. It's…hey, why is your laundry on the wall?"

"I'm not sure what…" Edgeworth looked over his shoulder. He chuckled. "Oh, that. It's the first coat I wore as a young prosecutor. I suppose you could say it's a reminder of who I used to be."

Trucy squinted and looked from the coat back to Edgeworth. She gave a small shrug.

"Mr. Edgeworth, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions."

"Yes, of course. I must admit, I was curious when I heard you were here alone." Edgeworth snapped the folder shut with one hand and set it down on the table.

Trucy shifted and took a deep breath. "I know it's kind of weird, but I want to talk about something a little personal."

Edgeworth's expression turned severe. "Trucy, are you sure you're alright? If there's anything the matter, please tell me. I'll do everything in my power to help."

Trucy smiled and looked down at her lap. "It's nothing like that, but thanks for the offer. I actually wanted to ask you about your parents."

The breath seemed to leave Edgeworth's body all at once. He studied Trucy's face carefully, his skin just a little more pale than usual.

"If you don't want to talk about it, I understand. Maybe I should just go." Her thighs rose from the couch, but Edgeworth gestured for her to keep sitting.

"It's alright, Trucy. Please understand, this isn't the sort of thing that I normally share with others. Have you tried speaking with one of the Feys? They have experience in this matter."

Trucy hugged her arms close to her chest. "It seems like everyone does, actually. The dead parents club isn't exactly exclusive around here."

He blinked.

Trucy put her hands up. "I'm sorry, that was too harsh, wasn't it."

"No, no. It's nothing more than the truth," Edgeworth said. "You're right, many of our colleagues have lost family members at a young age. Perhaps that is what drove so many of us towards our pursuit of justice."

Trucy rubbed her chin. "I've never thought about it like that before." She shifted again, her hands coming to rest on the edge of the seat. "Do you miss your parents?"

Edgeworth closed his eyes. "I miss them constantly. Some days, it feels like every little thing reminds me of their absence. There's a yearning that doesn't go away, and I don't think it ever will. I think it's meant to be there."

Trucy looked down at her hands, thumbing at her soft white gloves.

"I guess I was just wondering how you dealt with it. I mean, you were just a kid when it happened, right? And now you're one of the most important people in the city. I try to be happy and put on a good show for everyone." She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "And I love my dad more than anything, but sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if things had gone differently. And then I feel bad, but dad says it's normal to think about things like that. I just don't want him to think that I don't love him. Did you ever feel that way?"

Edgeworth sat in silence, drawing in a long breath. He answered in a slow, steady voice. "Trucy, I spent nearly 20 years of my life wondering what could have been. I am lucky, in a way, that I never got to know my mother very well. I only have a few vague glimpses of her in my memory that vanish like smoke when I think on them too hard." He scratched his neck, his eyes unfocused. "As for my father, well. Of course I still think about what could have been. What my father would say if he could see me now. For a very long time I thought that if he were to appear in front of me he would barely recognize me as his own flesh and blood. That he would loathe me. But now I know that despite my choices, my father would be proud of the man I've become."

He glanced up at Trucy, surprised by what he'd just said. She stared back with wide, unsure eyes.

"I'm so sorry, that's probably not what you wanted to know. I shouldn't have-"

"No! No, that's great! I'm glad you're happy now, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Happy…" Edgeworth mumbled, twisting a small gold ring on his index finger.

Trucy's eyes slid down to his hands and back up to the distant look on his face.

"Mr. Edgeworth, sir?"

Edgeworth's focus snapped back to her. "Hm?"

"You knew my dad when he was little, right?" she asked.

"Yes, I did. We were schoolyard friends."

"Were you good friends?" she asked, keeping a close eye on his response.

"Yes, we were quite close." His hands drifted together, his finger rubbing over his ring again.

Trucy squeaked.

"Yes?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Nothing! It's nothing."

His eyes narrowed but she said nothing more about it.

They talked into the evening, about what Trucy was feeling, and Edgeworth's experience with grief. Trucy was surprised that he was so open with her. Though he'd always been kind to her, she'd pictured him as being very closed off about his personal life. Now it felt like he trusted her, and in turn she trusted him.

Later that night, Trucy studied Phoenix carefully while they ate. Halfway through the meal, when he noticed that Trucy hadn't yet interrupted his daily work report, Phoenix decided to comment on it.

Trucy's head was resting on her palm, her eyes glazed over as she slowly chewed her food.

"Do I have something in my teeth?" Phoenix asked, tapping his front teeth.

She jumped a bit. "N-no! No, you're good."

He stared at her. "Is everything okay?"

"Yup, fine and dandy." She took several bites in quick succession.

"Hmm," he muttered, sitting back in his chair. "How did your talk with Edgeworth go?"

She looked up, eyes wide, food hanging off her fork. "Um, good! It was really good, actually."

He nodded. "That's great."

They ate in silence after that, and Phoenix didn't bring up the topic again.

After dinner, Trucy went to the kitchen to get some juice while they caught up on their shows. With a glass in hand she walked back to the couch, and saw that her father had fallen asleep, head lolling gently as he snored. She smiled and sat down, reaching behind the couch to get her favorite woolen blanket, and draping it over his shoulders. She would wake him up before she went to sleep, but letting him get even a few extra minutes in dreamland was more important than their reality TV bonding time. In the glow of the screen, she could see a few small stress lines etched on his youthful face. Her heart clenched suddenly.

What's going to happen to you when I'm gone?

She knew that her father would always make himself busy, and she was sure that he would never stop taking on apprentices and assistants. But there was something else missing from this picture, and she now knew exactly what it was.

And in that moment, she made her decision.