6PM
Miles Edgeworth left the airport feeling triumphant, Franziska's whip no longer weighing his prosecutor issued brief case. That was good of Phoenix to give that to him - as great as he was at constant bluffing and issuing random pieces of evidence, it looked like he had given him something useful this time. The red clothed prosecutor climbed into his matching coloured car, but couldn't start the engine without thinking about him. This car was once played a key part in a certain case, one that he'd rather forget. But just as ever, the spiky haired defence attorney had won that case, unbeatable it seemed. But Miles knew that a perfect record was definitely not what Phoenix worked for.
Starting the engine, he switched on the radio, which happened to be playing a news program. After hearing Shelley De Killer's name twice, he switched it off swiftly.
"It's spread so quickly..." he muttered to himself, whilst being held at the traffic lights. "At least Wri-"
There was a click noise from his pocket and a sudden ringing sound, which could only be created by his mobile phone. "Really?" he groaned, reaching for it. "Who is it?"
The number flashed onto the screen. Phoenix Wright. He had only seen him a couple of hours ago - what more was there to discuss? Phoenix had always been cold towards him, which he could understand, but now a strong bond of trust had been formed, and Edgeworth hoped at least they could remain good friends and colleagues, despite being opposite sides of the courtroom.
Deciding that this call was probably important, he pulled over at a very close gas station, and picked up just before the ringing ceased.
"Hello?" he answered, in his usual formal work tone voice.
"Hey Edgeworth!" came the chirpy voice on the other end of the line. "It's Maya!"
"Oh...hello Maya." he mumbled, a little surprised, with a strange sinking feeling taking over. "Why have you called me?"
"I just wanted to talk, about Nick!" she declared. Edgeworth slumped in his seat, grey eyes rolling. This couldn't be important.
"You've just been rescued from being held hostage- shouldn't you be recovering with a nice bath and some steel samurai?" he pointed out.
"You're avoiding the subject! Tell me, was the whole Edgeworth-death-on the path to discovery-year brought on because of Nick?"
"..."
"Hey! Answer me!"
"Why do you have his phone anyway?'
"I'm always with him! You know what, why don't you come over next weekend and we can have a proper informal chat! I'll make you tea if you like, and Pearly makes the meanest salads!" she suggested, sounding like she was in high spirits. Edgeworth sighed.
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to decline your...generous offer." he replied, biting his lip.
"AW that's a shame! Well, think about it, okay? There's loads I would like to nose ab- I mean know - but mostly I think you should be seeing Nick more." she snickered, he could almost feel her smile from where he was sat.
"No promises." he said promptly, and hung up.
He wasn't into Maya's games, as much as he liked the girl. It wasn't Maya at all actually, more the fact that Wright would be there. Although Phoenix's friends has been so welcoming earlier, Edgeworth still felt like he didn't fit in. There was Phoenix, good fun and simple to see through, deep thinking and passionate. Gumshoe, still a scruffy, clumsy towering man, with the kindest heart and enthusiasm. Maya and Pearl, Wright's smaller companions, both dear to his heart, especially Maya, whose aid and enthusiastic comments kept her dear 'Nick' comforted and determined. Then all those miscellaneous figures from past cases, who were all drawn to Wright, and stuck with him despite the court battles. All those people a prosecutor could never befriend, especially with him being the uptight, harsh man he was.
It was not long before he had arrived home. He lived in an average sized, modern house, a stones throw from the prosecutors main office. Smoothly, he parked his car in the drive way, and checked out the letter box, in case of any mail. As expected, there were various documents sent from the criminal affairs department detailing their progress on De Killer, which he tucked under his arm, and also various bills. Reaching for his keys, it wasn't long before he was in the house. Quickly, he took off his matte shoes and loosened the chiffon scarf from his neck. He strolled over to the large sofa and stretched his long body on it. Using a small pocket knife to break into the letters, he eventually found a rather light letter at the bottom of the small pile.
Edgeworth,
Take the next couple of weekends off. I've heard about you and Wright's interesting solve on that tricky case and I don't want to see you in office until Monday, is that clear? If you violate these orders, I will have to suspend you for another four days.
Kind regards,
Chief Prosecutor, Lana Skye.
Edgeworth rolled his eyes with a smile. Lana Skye, always a surprise, but more importantly, what was he going to do? In the year he was gone he travelled far away, did a whole lot of nothing, but under the surface he had been doing a lot of thinking. Depression had truly gripped him... he didn't want to relive his darkest moment, there was no need. Realising there was no other way to prevent him going to work, he made an unusual decision. He punched the numbers onto his phone, letting it ring, waiting for Maya to pick up delightedly.
"Hello?" came a mans voice, with echoes of 'who is it?' chiming in the background.
"Oh, it's you, Wright..." Edgeworth stammered a little at the surprise.
"Well yeah, it's my phone," he replied as it was obvious.
"Sorry, may I talk to Maya?" Miles asked, closing his eyes.
The other line paused for a minute- was that hesitation?
"You can say it through me-" Phoenix started, sounding a bit defensive. "Maya, get off me!"
Edgeworth couldn't help but smile as he imagined the chaos that was occurring at that office. He glanced at the grandfather clock on the other side of the room; Seven PM.
"EDGEWORTH?" rang out Maya's voice in its usual spritely manner.
"Hi! It's Maya again! Did you reconsider my offer?"
He could hear Phoenix asking what she was talking about, and couldn't help but grin.
"I suppose, I'm off work this weekend so I most likely will have the time. But you have to ask Wrights permission first." he warned her, in his usual sternness.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's totally fine with it, aren't you Nick?"
"Fine with WHAT? Give it here, you privacy invading spirit medium!"
Edgeworth held the phone a few centromeres away to avoid hearing damage.
"Maya invited me for tea," Miles told him. "I'm off work this weekend, so I thought it rude to refuse it now, especially after the way you treated me today."
Phoenix sighed, but didn't sound against the idea.
"I guess there's no harm. Be at the office at 10 AM tomorrow, and no bringing up work issues. I'm serious, you need to relax a little, the whole realising what it means to be an attorney has really worn me out,"
"I understand. I'll see you then," Edgeworth said, ready to hang up.
"Edgeworth..." mumbled Phoenix, much quieter. "Thank you again for today. I couldn't have saved Maya and gotten justice without you..."
"No, thank you, Wright." Edgeworth muttered in reply. "Thank you; so much."
10 AM the next day
Edgeworth stood outside the doors to the office. Above it was a small sign, stating 'Wright and Co Offices' in bright colours, with a smiley face at the end. Very professional. Edgeworth didn't have to wonder who made it. With a deep inhale, he rang the doorbell curtly. He waited a few brief moments, and then the door was opened promptly by a spirit medium clad in purple.
"He's here!" Maya yelled in excitement. "Pearly, start the tea!"
Edgeworth hesitated for a bit as Maya dashed inside. Phoenix appeared in the doorway. He was wearing a beige shirt and relaxed jeans. Miles himself hadn't strayed very far from his usual attire- he found it most comfortable. The two men's eyes met, strange, as they had not met before outside of the courtroom or crime scene before.
"Edgeworth..."
"Wright."
"FEYYYYYY!"
"PEARLY! You've overflown the bath AGAIN!"
"Why are you using the bath!?" exclaimed Phoenix, running inside with a panicked expression.
"Why is there a bath in an office, that's what I'd like to know..." muttered Edgeworth. This was a terrible idea.
"Edgeworth! Almost forgot you were here. Come in!" Maya greeted him, with a flashy smile. Miles swiftly took his shoes off, tucking them a safe distance from Pearls reach, and followed the young woman inside. It was a pretty space. There were several desks, and a large sofa with a tv in the other side. Strange noises were coming from the bathroom, and Maya shot him an apologetic look. Phoenix emerged several moments later with a towel over his shoulder, and a dismayed and discombobulated Pearl trailing beside him.
"Just because there's one extra person, doesn't mean you have to make tea in the bath," Phoenix explained. Pearl pouted and jumped onto the sofa next to Miles.
"I read it in a book. You're meant to use a larger container." Pearl insisted.
"Wright is not the only bluffer here it seems," Edgeworth said, feeling a bit out of place. "I should leave..."
"No. I need to discuss something with you," interrupted Phoenix. "And sorry for the pretence. It is work related."
"But I thought it was Maya who wanted to speak with me?"
Edgeworth questioned, looking the slightest bit suspicious.
Phoenix gestured towards Maya, who was in the hallway, furiously chasing Pearl with a tea-stained sponge. Edgeworth felt grim.
"I think she's a bit preoccupied," Phoenix pointed out. "Anyway, take a look at this."
Phoenix presented a boarding pass for a plane. This took Edgeworth by surprise; this couldn't be evidence. He took the paper out of his hand and read it, suddenly coming to a conclusion.
"Defence Attorney Phoenix Wright chooses death?" Miles guessed, with a solemn glance.
"Not quite, I'm not that dramatic. More like, Phoenix Wright chooses Paris."
"So, you're leaving?" Edgeworth asked, in a rather matter-of-fact tone, conveying little care for the proposal.
"Not forever obviously, but since the case, well, you know it was published and everything...'
"Get to the point, Nick!" Maya yelled from the other side of the room, furiously brandishing a towel in Pearl's face.
"Basically, I'm going to be away investigating on a foreign trip and I'm not going to be here, so-"
"In what way do you think this affects me?" Edgeworth retorted defensively. "What are you inferring? Something pretentious I bet, like you're my counterweight in the courtroom and you're concerned for my well-being?"
Maya whistled and Phoenix's demeanour shifted to embarrassed, but he didn't look completely sought out. Unlike usual, Edgeworth seemingly had NOT hit the nail on the head with this one. In news of his departure Edgeworth's mood had shifted towards instant agitation.
"Maya, I knew this wasn't a good idea-" Phoenix muttered, avoiding eye contact with Edgeworth and looking as awkward as awkward could get.
"He trusts you," Maya cut in, saving Phoenix with her extroverted flair of innocence. "He wants you to look after the office whilst he's gone as you did such a good job of defending him last case - he views you as sort of, a counterpart now rather than a rival in a sense. Don't you, Nick?"
"This could just be avoided if you were a bit more mature Maya," argued Phoenix. "Edgeworth, that's the gist of it. No pretentious reasoning, nothing."
Something about his flattened tone sank Edgeworth's heart a little, for reasons he didn't resonate with and decided to ignore. Did he always have to be so harsh on the man? Something about this situation made Edgeworth actually feel better about himself - he had never really had a strong bond with any human at all since his dad died, which mightbe evident in his dismissive attitude towards the friendly attorney.
"Alright."
"That's a yes!" cried Maya triumphantly. "Edgeworth understands, don't you, Edgy?"
Edgeworth shrugged off her suggestive connotations and sat down as Phoenix smiled, leaving to aid Pearl in her unfortunate tea disaster. Teenage girls always niggled him for various reasons, as well as women in general. As Maya and him were the only two left in the room, the prosecutor braced himself for what was to be a bombardment of questions about his life as an evil prosecutor, his opinion on all things Nick - a wry smile took over his lips.
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"No."
"Hmmm. Well - that can't make you a bad person, I suppose. Nick doesn't have a girlfriend - or the Steel Samurai..."
Edgeworth winced, and for the first time in his like wished Phoenix could come back.
"Are you gay?"
"No."
"Well, the Nickel Samurai is gay. Or so I've discovered with extensive research and minimal stalking!" she laughed, but Edgeworth was starting to see through her fan-girl façade and saw a girl who was simply attempting to suss him out. Due to his enigmatic presence on her life,he wasn't surprised. But why such strange questions?
"Does Nick mean a lot to you?"
"Why are you asking all these weird questions?" Edgeworth replied, sheepishly, not really wanting to open up to the perky 19 year old girl who couldn't keep her mouth shut for five seconds.
"Well, think about it. I'm not stupid. You're going to feel lost with out him. He's your opiate, your counterweight and part. It's just an inference on my part - but trust me, I'm a spirit medium."
"Sounds like song lyrics." Edgeworth muttered, dryly. What were these wild imaginings she was conjuring n his head? The discomfort the small medium gave him caused him to leave soon after. In reality, he needed to have a long think about his stance in life - but he was so tired of thinking, would it be such a crime to do something without thinking for once?