If you haven't read Sense Memory and Sense Memory - Miles POV, then this probably won't make any sense.
I remember writing this thinking about the steps I had to take to get to the conclusion. I hope you enjoy!
*Not Beta-Read so any comments, criticisms or concerns, please leave them with the Bellboy...haha just kidding of course! Please let me know what you think! Remember, this was written about two years ago, when I first starting writing fan-fiction!
"What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil." ~Friedrich Nietzsche
Miles looked around at the remnants of what used to be a defense lawyers office. A bookcase and a desk and the plant that had seen better days, were the only things that Miles recognized. Now it seemed to be a traveling magic show. He was also surprised at the sleepy fourteen year-old girl that opened the door for him. She reminded him a lot of Maya...
"Miles...?" Phoenix's voice brought him out of his reverie and he caught himself and blinked. Was that really the Phoenix Wright that he had left oh so long ago? He cleared his throat.
"Wright." Miles saw the girl peeking out from behind Phoenix and heard her say something.
"Oh yeah," Phoenix paused as he stepped aside and pushed her forward. "Um, Trucy, this...this is M-Miles, Miles Edgeworth. Miles this is Trucy, my daughter." Miles could not contain the surprise in his face, but recovered quickly. "Oh, heh, no, adopted, but I... love her like she is my own."
"Its nice to finally meet you Mr. Edgeworth." She held out her hand as Miles shook it gently.
"Er, yes. Nice to meet you too."
"Papa was right, you are handsome, but he never mentioned an accent." Miles turned his face as he felt the blood rush to his head. So, phoenix didn't completely forget about him. Trucy turned to Phoenix. "Papa, he sounds like Kristoph." Miles froze and his mind went blank. Trucy gave him a sideways glance, as she sensed Miles change of mood.
"Ahh...er, Trucy, um maybe you should go back to sleep." Phoenix then knelt and whispered something to Trucy and she nodded. They hugged and Trucy went into the back office.
"Sorry about that. She's always spoke what's on her mind." Phoenix adjusted the knit cap on his head. "What are you doing here, Miles?"
Usually Phoenix was easy to read, his emotions always played out on his face. But Miles was having a hard time deciphering the look on the hardened face before him.
"Did you read my letter?"
"Yes, thank you for that trip down memory lane." Phoenix frowned up at the silver haired man. Miles noticed his tired red eyes for the first time.
"I can help you."
"With what Miles? There's no way the board is going to give me my badge back! I have no desire to step into a courtroom again." Phoenix ducked his head so the cap hid his eyes. "My spirit is broken. I blame you partly for that. Leaving me...again."
Miles took a deep breath. "If you let me explain why I left, everything will make sense. Even the information that I have. I understand why you are mad and bitter, I don't blame you. I've been there."
"No! You run away from your problems Miles, I had no where to go! I'm living in my god damned office with my clients daughter! I can barely afford to feed us and keep up with rent here! What the hell do you want me to say Miles? Do you want me to say that I forgive you after all these years? Do you want me to say-" Phoenix had backed Miles into the office door. Miles did something that he wouldn't normally do. He grabbed Phoenix's wrist and got into his face.
"No, Phoenix, I don't expect anything from you because you have become so caught up in your self-loathing that you are afraid to do anything. That little girl deserves everything that you give her and more. You owe it to yourself and her to stop the pity party and go out there and face the world. I know how it is to feel like you've lost everything! But the Phoenix I knew wouldn't have let himself get like this. He would've pulled himself together and faced the world. I'm not sure who you are now." Miles's words hit him like a tank. His brow furrowed and he sat down onto the couch that Miles had backed him into and put his head in his hands.
"H-how...how did you know? You haven't seen me in so long, and I haven't said or written anything to anyone." Miles sat next to him. "I-I was so...so angry and so broken when they took my badge away. And when you weren't there for me..." Phoenix looked at Miles with dull eyes. "I almost killed myself. That badge was my whole life. And I was so mad at you because you were the sole reason I dedicated myself to that badge." Phoenix choked on his words. He didn't want to cry in front of Miles. He took a deep breath and contained his tears.
"All I have to offer is an apology and my friendship again, if you'll have it." Miles turned slightly and put a hand hesitantly on Phoenix's shoulder. He flinched, but didn't turn away. "No, that's not right. All I have to offer is all of me. I want to be part of your life again. I've realized in these past six years how hard it was not having someone to share certain moments, certain looks..." It was Miles turn to gather himself. Phoenix looked at him incredulously, and opened his mouth to say something, when a little voice interrupted him.
"Please, Papa? Please forgive him. I don't want to see you cry anymore." Trucy's bottom lip was trembling and her eyes were watery. Miles turned away, unable to contain his own tears. Phoenix blinked. He went over to her and embraced her. Her body wracked with sobs.
"Oh Trucy..." Was all phoenix could choke out. He took a deep breath and tried to control the torrent of emotions that had attacked him. He knelt so he could be eye level with Trucy. He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Its not going to be easy. But, you're right, I don't want to cry anymore either. I guess I didn't realize how much I missed him." Trucy threw her arms around him.
"Papa, I knew you were missing something ever since I met you." She looked over at the couch and noticed Miles had moved out into the hall. "Be careful with what he has to say to you. I have a feeling there's some tension between him and Kristoph, and what he's going to tell you isn't going to be good." Phoenix's brow furrowed. He considered Kristoph a pretty good friend.
"Thank you Trucy." He kissed her on the ear and she giggled. "Goodnight, kiddo. Sleep tight." He tousled her brown hair and she smiled her perfect smile at him.
"Goodnight, Papa. Goodnight Miles. It was nice to meet you." She waved to Miles, who had just walked back into the room, before disappearing into the inner office.
"So, do you want a drink?" Phoenix walked around his desk and opened the mini-fridge he kept there. "Umm, I guess its beer, wine, or grape juice. Oh, just beer or grape juice." Phoenix corrected himself as he pulled out an empty wine bottle and tossed it towards a tiny garbage can, but not before it hit the dented metal file cabinet that it sat in front of. Miles cringed at the noise, but Phoenix didn't notice as he was preoccupied with the contents of the file cabinet drawer. It was a bottle of a higher end thirty-three year old scotch. When Phoenix bought it, it was only twenty-six years old, on the night that Miles left. Ironic, Phoenix thought.
"Is that a bottle of Scotch?" Miles squinted through his reading glasses.
"Are those reading glasses?" Phoenix smirked as he found a couple of glasses and carefully poured the scotch.
"Yes, they are." Miles self-consciously touched his glasses as he looked down at the documents he was reading. They were replaced by a glass of scotch. He looked up as Phoenix read and drank the scotch like it was water. There was a tiny cringe, but nothing noticeable. Miles lifted an eyebrow as he put the glass to his lips and let the liquid warm him as it reached his stomach. It had been a while since he had good scotch. Then it occurred to him.
"How...where...how did you afford this?" He held up the bottle and gave his dark-haired friend a glare. Phoenix glanced over the papers at Miles and chuckled.
"Well, if you must know, I bought this that night I went to play poker and you decided it was a good time to leave without saying goodbye." He sat down and poured himself another glass.
Miles looked away. He knew Phoenix wasn't going to forgive him for that. But at least he was going to listen.
"Now I have an idea of why you left. But, why so sudden?" Miles took a deep breath and drank the rest of his scotch. He reached for the bottle, but Phoenix covered his glass. Their hands brushed, and whether it was the alcohol or old feelings resurfacing, they each felt a spark, and looked away. "You aren't getting another glass until you tell me about you and Kristoph." Miles closed his eyes, took a deep breath and told Phoenix about his relationship and the evening Kristoph confronted him.
Phoenix held his head and tapped his empty glass as he took in all of what Miles told him.
"So what does my 'forged piece of evidence' have to do with this?" Phoenix's tone turned sarcastic as he poured the scotch.
"I believe this was his plan he was threatening me with that night. He had this page forged and planned for you to acquire it sometime during the trial." Miles took a drink of the golden liquid.
"Trucy..." Phoenix said quietly and looked away.
"What?"
"Nothing." He finished his glass quickly. "I'm not sure what to think any more. Kristoph was one of the lawyers at my hearing that objected to the allegations towards me. We have to find this journal page and have it examined."
"No, first we investigate the past. I've looked into Trucy's family, the Gramaryes. Interesting family they are. Anyway, a couple weeks ago, I received a call from a gentleman named Shadi Enigmar needing some legal advice about his daughter that lives in America and if I knew anyone in America that could help him. I asked him what part of America he was going and he mentioned he was coming here." Phoenix gave Miles a knowing, yet confused sideways glance. "Phoenix, I believe this man was Zak Gramaryes and I believe hes going to be looking for you at the Borscht Bowl."
"What! Thats crazy. How can you know that was Zak?"
"He mentioned that his ex-wife was involved with a trio of magicians and his daughter was still with her." Miles moved closer to Phoenix to emphasize his next sentence. "He had off handedly mentioned that their last name was Gramarye." Phoenix stared at Miles wide-eyed.
"We have hired a new dealer and waitress at the Club." Phoenix said slowly. "But she's terribly shy and doesn't speak very good English. I wonder if she was hired to watch me."
"Its the quiet ones you have to worry about." Miles took a drink that emptied his glass as Phoenix snorted.
"You were the quiet one in class till your money got stolen!" Phoenix poured more scotch into their glasses. Miles blinked. Then smirked at the memory.
"Heh, you're right." They sat in silence for a moment. The scotch was settling in and Miles was starting to feel the effects.
"Miles I... it's going to be hard, but I would like to have you back in my life. Well, as much as you can be as far away as you are."
"I'm going to be in town for a week. We can play catch up as slow or as fast as you want." Miles looked over and made instant eye contact with Phoenix. For a fleeting moment, he saw the bright blue eyes that he used to get lost in. Miles sighed and leaned back in the couch, noting that it was quite comfortable. Phoenix touched his arm and he flinched.
"May I?" Was all phoenix said as he lifted Miles arm and put it around him. It took Miles a minute to realize that this was the start of a new beginning for him and Phoenix.