A/N: Hello everybody! This is my first time uploading to Fanfiction, and I hope that this story will be taken well. Anybody familiar with the Bartender series will hopefully appreciate the drink choice I selected. I'm looking to create chapters based around a drink, while also keeping the Phoenix Wright case structure in play. If anybody has suggestions, please feel free to let me know! I will do what I can to include them in the story.

I am extremely slow when it comes to writing, so updates will be sporadic, but I will complete this!

Disclaimer: I of course own neither Phoenix Wright or Bartender, though I wish I did. They are the property of Capcom and Shueisha, respectively.

~ x ~

"Well, I never would have imagined any of this. Does the prosecution have anything to say?" The judge glanced over to Winston Payne, whose normally calm demeanor had turned into one of disbelief. He set his hands on the stand in front of him, trying to remain standing. His knees had become weak, and he could barely speak.

"The pr-pr-prosecution…rests…y-your Honor."

The entire courtroom was silent. What had just happened defied any and all logic, and yet after all the evidence had been examined and every witness had been questioned and cross-examined, there could not be any doubt that it was the only plausible scenario. Even Phoenix Wright, the defense attorney who had just proved this scenario could not mutter a sound. Impossible, he kept thinking to himself. Impossible. Impossible. How can it…

"Well, if that is the case then, I am ready to pass down my verdict. This court finds the defendant, Dick Gumshoe, Not Guilty. Court is dismissed." The judge tapped his gavel, stood up from his seat, and left the room without saying another word. The prosecutor had finally broken down and fell to the floor. The case should have been open and shut, but even he – the "rookie killer," the man who once had not lost a case in over seven years – had not thought of the situation from that angle. Impossible.

Moments later, the crowd in the courtroom exploded into cheers for the defendant. Before they could reach the defendant, his attorney, and his attorney's assistant, however, they had escaped into the lobby. And none of them had a smile on their face.

June 13, 5:17 PM

District Court

Defendant Lobby No. 4

For the past three days, Dick Gumshoe had been the prime suspect in a murder case. He was a free man now, but he sure did not feel like it. Even though he was innocent, he still felt guilty because if he hadn't suggested that they eat at that restaurant on that night, Miles Edgeworth would more than likely still be alive. Perhaps he would not have wanted to kill himself the way he did, or perhaps he would have attempted to and been unsuccessful.

Miles was like a brother in Gumshoe's eyes – they had been through over one hundred cases together, and he had been the lead investigator on every last one of them. Sure he screwed up from time to time. Sure he missed a few vital pieces of evidence. Sure his salary had been dropped to the point that he could only afford instant noodles. But when he was needed, he would always come through with exactly what they needed. That much was absolute. And that relationship would have continued, if only…

He knew that Nick would find him innocent, but he did not realize that he would ultimately discover that what Edgeworth had done had been intentional. Five nights ago, Edgeworth had thrown himself in front of a subway train. He did not lose his footing and trip. He had not been pushed; Nick had proven that much in Court. Edgeworth simply walked past the safety lines and off the platform directly into an oncoming train before Gumshoe had been able to stop him. If only my reflexes were better, he had said. "Hey, pal," Gumshoe said, finally speaking up after getting off the hook.

"Gumshoe, I…" the defense attorney Phoenix Wright began to give a response.

"No, let me get this off my chest, pal." Phoenix stopped and nodded. "I know that there's no other possible scenario, but I also know that Edgeworth was a bit…off that night. But I can't put my finger on exactly what it was." He scratched his head, still in disbelief, trying to figure out some legitimate reason for why Edgeworth did what he did.

Phoenix sighed. "But all of the evidence points to him doing it of his own volition."

"I know what the damn evidence says!" The detective immediately jumped to his feet and began to slam his foot on the ground. "And I still think there's something missing! Mr. Edgeworth wouldn't do such a thing. He has too much pride to do something like that!" Edgeworth was a strong, smart individual, and even Phoenix was a bit thrown off by this entire case. His rival, no, his friend, was not the type to do something like this. However, thus far there wasn't a single shred of evidence that shows otherwise, and Winston Payne was not the type of person to miss important details. Translate them incorrectly, sure, but not miss them outright.

So Gumshoe thinks there's still more to this case then what meets the eye.

"Nick…" came a quiet voice to his side. The voice belonged to Phoenix's assistant, Maya Fey. "Let me channel Mr. Edgeworth!" She said this quiet enough so that only Phoenix would hear. Maya was experienced in channeling the spirits of those who had moved on to the afterlife, but she knew that doing so had certain risks. She did not want to destroy Gumshoe's psyche by channeling the person he felt responsible for killing right in front of him. Phoenix nodded, saying he would look into doing that later in the evening.

"Gumshoe, I'll look into this for you, but for now, why don't you go home and rest for a while. Spend a little time with Maggey. You look exhausted." That much was certain – he was sure Gumshoe hadn't slept during the entire trial, much less ate. The man looked weak, and a little R&R with his fiancé Maggey would certainly help clear his mind and think about what had happened from a different perspective. "Stop by my office tomorrow morning and we'll go over your thoughts."

As much as Gumshoe did not want to admit it, he was tired. "All right, pal. I'll try to get some sleep tonight. I'll see you in the morning." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his ragged jacket and walked out of the courtroom. A few people had lingered about and tried to speak with him, but he completely ignored them as he walked to his beaten up car. There was no way he would be able to sleep tonight without some sort of aid, and Maggey worked on Friday until late, so he decided to visit an old acquaintance. That gentleman's name was Sasakura Ryuu.

June 13, 7:23 PM

Side Street

It's said that only people who are invited can see the heavy wooden doors that lead into Eden Hall. Gumshoe had always found that claim quite hard to believe, as the oversized door and shiny silver-plated sign that read "Eden Hall" in cursive script stuck out so strongly against the buildings around it. Then again, there were rarely other people in the bar when he arrived, so if that were the case, then he was thankful that he had been given the privilege of being able to enter a fine establishment like this one.

He had come into Eden Hall about half a dozen times before this one, and they had all been because he needed help with a case. Ryuu was not an information broker, but he was able to provide the different perspective Gumshoe needed to find that last bit of evidence to help Edgeworth. He had always told Gumshoe though: "You know exactly what you are missing, you just don't realize it. Sometimes you just need a little prodding in the right direction."

When he pushed open the door and descended the steps contained within, he found two familiar faces. One was an older gentleman who was preparing to leave, and the second was manning the bar. The latter turned his way and gave a small bow. "It's good to see you again, Mr. Gumshoe." The other gentleman gave a similar greeting, and Gumshoe bowed in return.

"Well, Sasakura, I thank you for your time. I'll be taking my leave before the wife starts to worry." The bartender thanked him for stopping by, and the man walked by Gumshoe quickly and out the heavy doors. "How can I help you today, Mr. Gumshoe?" He didn't respond immediately, and Ryuu knew the detective's downtrodden look was for reasons other than his poor salary. He did know that the detective had been on trial, and since he was here, that was a good sign. But rather than having a smile and celebrating, he had a frown and was here. Whatever the case was, he would prepare the perfect drink to help him through it.

Gumshoe took the middle seat the bar, directly across from the bartender, and leaned his head on his hands. The sheen coming off the wood was pristine as usual, almost to the point of being too bright. "Could I get something cheap, pal?" Ryuu smiled at this. There was a rule that all bartenders followed, and that was to show their customers the best time they could have. Based off Gumshoe's mood, something cheap would not suffice for this. The detective needed a pick-me-up, and he had the perfect drink in mind.

From under his bar he produced a glass designed for mixing, a highball glass filled halfway with thin sheets of ice, a wooden muddler, and the ingredients for the drink: sugar, shaved ice, spearmint, and a top-shelf brand of bourbon whose label had long since worn off. The detective's head rose enough to take a glimpse at the ingredients, and after seeing them, he straightened his back. His interest had been piqued.

The bartender combined the first three ingredients, as well as a splash of the last, and began to gently grind the ingredients. The process was meant to draw out the strong flavor of the spearmint and let it mingle with the rest of the ingredients. While he had only used a small handful of spearmint leaves, the scent that had been released from the concoction was incredibly strong as it wafted through the now-empty bar. Delicious.

After gently muddling the ingredients, he took the strainer he kept in the pocket of his apron and strained the mixture into the highball glass, to eliminate the excess. The liquid had a pale gold color that showed hints of green. Three more shots of the same bourbon, a few more spearmint leaves for garnish, and a quick stir later, he had finished his masterpiece. "Here, a Mint Julep. This one will be on the house." Ryuu flashed his smile and bowed to his customer, who took the glass in his hand and brought it to his lips.

It was almost as if a weight had been pulled of Gumshoe's shoulders, and a wave of relaxation passed through his body. It was invigorating, and Ryuu was satisfied with this reaction. Gumshoe took another gulp and an audible "ahhh…" escaped his lips.

But that feeling disappeared as quickly as it came, but instead of a frown, Gumshoe regained his normal business composure. If anybody could help him, he was positive Ryuu could. "I'm hoping you can help me, pal."

"I will do my best, Mr. Gumshoe."

~ x ~

A/N: So what do you think? Please R&R and make drink suggestions!