This is my first fic ever, so it may not be that good, and characters might be a little OoC, but I put my heart into this. I hope you enjoy.
It was a night like many others.
Phoenix looked around the office. He had put Trucy to bed some time ago, it having been late and the sun having gone down some time ago.
He was dressed in a simple outfit consisting of a simple dress shirt and some pants. He stopped wearing his blue suit some time ago, partly because he no longer needed it for defending, and partly because it was too expensive to keep having it dry cleaned…
...He was considering getting something simpler, but he hadn't had the time, nor any idea what else to wear.
He had been sitting at a table downing one of his last bottles of grape juice. Looking at the bottle in his hand, he sighed and downed the rest of it, getting up and walking towards the windows.
A storm had been brewing for some time. Phoenix could see the clouds looming over the buildings all around the office. He looked up at the Gatewater Hotel across the way, watching the rain hit the window pane and pavement below.
"Well, isn't this a lovely night?" He quipped sarcastically to no one it particular, shaking his head.
He'd seen many nights like this, with clients coming in, drenched from head to toe. He'd invite them in and maybe give them some hot cocoa or tea. Not coffee though; if he saw another coffee cup again it would probably be too soon.
As he began to reminisce about the past, he was interrupted when he thought he heard a slight knock on the door, but he dismissed it as being his imagination. Or perhaps it was just wishful thinking. He wasn't expecting anyone, after all, and there shouldn't be anymore clients…No, there aren't any more clients, he corrects himself mentally. After all, it was probably all over the news by now…
"My 'forgery'…What a joke. All of my past clients know I'm innocent. Anyone who even remotely knows me knows I wouldn't do that. Even Edgeworth can see it, and he doubts almost anyone…"
He turned away from the window, taking care not to step on any of Trucy's magic props. She hadn't been there too long, but she had already messed the place up pretty badly anyway. He didn't mind: it wasn't like he needed the office for clients anymore anyway.
"Honestly, I think the forgery was just an excuse; just the straw that broke the metaphorical camel's back. I think the higher-ups have had it out for me for a long time."
He walked towards the other room absentmindedly, where Trucy was sleeping. She lay on the sofa in the entryway, covered in one of Phoenix's old blankets he had from when he was still studying under Mia. There were a few nights when he would stay over late studying with her before she died, and then other night where he would look over case details for anything he had missed into the wee hours of the morning, so he had always kept a blanket in the office. It was a little big for Trucy, but she didn't seem to mind as she was sleeping peacefully, with a smile on her face.
Trucy's smile, while bright and cheery, served only to remind him of everything that had happened.
"That's the same smile she smiled at her father on the day at the trial. How could she have known that would be the last time she saw him?"
He moved back towards the main room of the office, turning his back towards the door.
"How could she have known that was page was her father's undoing?"
A small, bitter chuckle escaped from him.
"Who are you trying to fool, Phoenix?" He began speaking aloud to himself, only making sure not to speak too loud, as to not wake Trucy. "The page wasn't the problem; you were. You and your stupid arrogance cost you everything. If only you hadn't been so arrogant, so full of yourself, maybe you would've seen the trap before it closed and took everything away from you!"
He had to resist the urge to punch a wall that his rising anger was creating.
"How could I have been so blind? I was so preoccupied with winning that damn trial that I never stopped to consider where the evidence had come from! It was too convenient; I should have noticed something was wrong. But no, I just had to present the page, like an idiot."
Walking towards where the desk was, he picked up a picture of Mia.
"I'm sorry Mia…I know I'm never supposed to give up, but I'm not strong like you were…like you are…Thanks to me, Trucy lost her father, and I lost my job. How many people are now going to be declared guilty under false charges all because I couldn't be there to defend them? How am I going to get by? I'm such a fool…"
He pounded his right fist against the desk as he leaned his forehead onto it.
"You can't help anyone now. You're just an old, washed up has-been. You've got nothing left..."
"No...No,I've got Trucy."
"You can't possibly take care of her."
"I have to try…"
"You'll fail;It costs too much. You might make it a few months, but eventually you'll run out, and then what will you do?"
"I'll…get a job."
"Like anyone would hire a failure like you."
"I'm not a failure…"
"Of course you are. What kind of attorney presents forged evidence?"
"…I didn't know…"
"Tell that to Trucy,and all the people that'll be guilty now, because you weren't there. You failed them all."
"No…"
"You failed."
"Shut up…"
"Everyone was counting on you, and you failed."
"Shut up…"
"You're a failure as a lawyer, as a father and as a person."
"Shut up…"
"YOU'RE A FAILURE, PHOENIX WRIGHT!"
"SHUT UP!"
With a swift motion, he tossed the picture up against the wall in front of him in rage.
The glass shattered and flew everywhere. Phoenix slumped against the desk and onto the floor, energy draining from his legs. He began sobbing, unable to hold it in any longer. The emotions he had been holding in for a long time finally began to flow out…
The words he spoke weren't really words, but gibberish, cries, apologies, amongst other things. His face felt hot, and his throat was sore. His mind was going full force in a hundred different directions, and his eyes were closed. Therefore, it took him a few seconds to register that a pair of arms had wrapped around him from behind. He opened his eyes, tears still hanging off them, and began to turn around, the arms being removed from him.
"…Trucy…I'm sorry-"
He stopped. Standing in front of him was not Trucy, but someone else entirely.
"…Iris?"
Standing in front of him was, in fact, Iris, dressed in her normal kimono of purple and lavender, and her long black hair. There was no mistaking that it was her.
"Feenie…"
Phoenix wiped the tears out of his eyes with his sleeve. "When did you get in here? How did you get here?"
"I knocked on the door, but no one answered. I was going to leave, but I heard you talking to yourself, and the door was unlocked, so I stepped inside. I saw you…" She trailed of, the implication speaking for itself; she had seen all of it. "I'm sorry for intruding, but you seemed to be in great pain…I just had to try to help somehow.
"It's fine…" He said wearily. "I'm sorry you had to see that, though."
"This isn't the first time…"
"Right…we dated for those six months. It's still a little weird to get used to..." He sniffled, the signs of his crying not yet entirely gone.
"I suppose that is true…" He wasn't entirely comfortable with the silence that settled over them, but at the same time it wasn't exactly uncomfortable, either.
He ended up breaking the silence, however. "Well, I'm sure there was a reason you came here. I don't defend anymore though, in case you hadn't heard, so if it's a request for defense, I'm afraid I can't help you with that."
She nodded somberly. "Yes…I had heard. That's part of the reason why I came here; to see you and ask about the truth in person.
"Well I didn't do it, not that the public believes me. Ironic; the one person I can't defend properly seems to be myself." He chuckled bitterly again. "And the other reason?"
"I came here…to give you a gift." She blushed a little.
Phoenix looked slightly puzzled for a moment. "What for?"
Now it was Iris turn to look confused.
They stood like that for a few moments, a silence hanging between them.
This time, however, Iris was the one to break the silence.
"You… you really don't remember, do you? How could you forget something so important to you?"
"Wait; is this something important, like the day we first kissed while dating or the day we went on our first actual date? I'm so, so sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you-"
"It's your birthday, Phoenix."
Phoenix stopped mid-sentence, his mouth hanging open. His birthday. That was right. Today had been so hectic and no one he knew had said anything, so he had ended up forgetting his own birthday!
"…I feel like more of an idiot than before."
"Here." She pulled out another sweater, this one knitted with a fiery bird design on the front. "I know you probably don't need another sweater, but It's the only thing I seem to be good at making…"
"It's fine, I love it." He said, gladly taking it; it had been rather cold today.
"I'm glad you like it." She said, smiling and blushing slightly. Her expression became more serious, though." However…what caused you to act like that?"
"It's…nothing…I'm fine now, I just was feeling stressed…"He said, not entirely willing to tell her everything.
"Feenie…let me help you…Please don't push me away. You have friends"
"I'm a disgraced attorney. They're better off not associating with a forger."
"We don't care what the public says about you, because we all know the real you, and we all believe in you. For example, Mr. Edgeworth came here to see you on your birthday."
From outside the door, Phoenix could hear Edgeworth swear under his breath, then walk inside reluctantly.
"Hello, Wright."
"Edgeworth? You're here?"
"Mr. Edgeworth pulled some strings to let me out for today and volunteered to be my escort." Iris explained.
"Ah, that explains that contradiction." Phoenix laughed.
"I apologize for not coming in earlier; I'm…afraid I'm not the best when it comes to emotions…"Miles said, clutching his right arm as he always tended to do.
Before Phoenix could respond, Iris was talking again, looking him straight in the eye.
"Feenie, I will always be here for you, and I believe in you, just as you believed in me. You can make it through this. Do you remember what Mr. Diego said at my trial? 'The only time a lawyer can cry is when it's all over.' If you didn't do this, then you have to prove your innocence, even if no one else believes in you, just like you did for all of the defendants in your trials.
Phoenix stopped for a moment, and then sighed and smiled. "You're right, Iris. I guess this will be the Phoenix's Rebirth-day! I won't cry until it's over. But even then, I won't cry then. Because then I'll still have you…right, Rissy?
Iris began to blush profusely. "Wha-?"
"I thought of pet names for you, in case we ever wanted to try again…"
She looked away, still hiding the blush on her face. "Thank you but I…don't deserve your love. Not after everything I've done to you…"
"I've forgiven you a long time ago, and we sometimes get things we don't deserve because of the kindness of others."
"Well, but…I…If you want to…I guess when I get released we could-"
Iris was quickly cut off by Phoenix embracing Iris and kissing her, while Edgeworth just gasped. "Um…I'll be outside if you need me." He slowly backed away until he was out of the door, feeling very awkward.
Iris was shocked by his suddenness, but soon began to return the kiss, until he broke away gently.
"I'm sorry…I…uh…don't know what came over me…" Phoenix was blushing furiously.
"…Don't be…" she whispered softly, embracing him and placing her head on his chest, listening to his gentle heartbeat.
A few moments went by like this, until a small voice piped up.
"Is she going to be my new Mommy?!"
"Trucy, go back to bed."He said, embarassed.
Like it? Hate it? Review and let me know. (But I hope at least some of you like it.)