My Christmas prezzie to you all. It's not the most-loved pairing, but my last ApolloXMaya, "Going to Kurian" was well-recieved, and I really wanted to write another, so here it is. I also got my first try at writing a cross-examination (you'll see what I mean). I hope you like it!
Apollo Justice wasn't a great believer in Christmas. Life at the orphanage had been tough, and the festivities had been scarce. At law school he had always been too busy studying to think of celebrating.
Trucy, of course, didn't pay any attention, demanding that he spent Christmas with her and Phoenix. "It'll be great!" she beamed. Apollo wasn't so sure - having never done much for Christmas he had no idea how he was supposed to act. Phoenix happily supplied him with several Christmassy DVDs to "pick up tips".
With Christmas just a week away Trucy became unbearably excited. Her usual silk top hat had been replaced with a Santa hat of identical colour; he was singing Christmas songs at every opportunity and she had developed an annoying habit of making sheep noises whenever Apollo didn't show enough Christmas spirit.
"Why?" he asked her.
"You're all Scrooge-y! Baa humbug!" She giggled.
"Scrooge-y?"
"Don't tell me you haven't read A Christmas Carol?"
"No. Isn't that really old?"
"The old ones are the best!" she grinned. "Wait here!" she rushed into her bedroom to retrieve the novel in question. Sitting down on the sofa, Apollo exhaled and enjoyed the quiet of no Trucy. It didn't last long, for all of a sudden there was a series of loud knocks on the office door. Grumbling like an old man, Apollo got up and opened it.
"NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!" yelled the girl at the door, flinging herself at him.
"Sorry?"
"Wait." Said the girl, removing her arms from around his neck and grinning sheepishly. "You're not Nick. You're Apollo Justice!"
"Y-you know who I am?" he sputtered
"Sure I do! You're that defence attorney from the Gavinners case!"
"Well, the defendant was -"
"Shush! I know that!" She grinned. "I also know from the deeply confused gaze you haven't a clue who I am." He shook his head."Maya Fey, Master of Kurian at your service!" She put her hands together as if praying and bowed. "I worked with Nick back when he was a lawyer!"
She must mean Mr. Wright. Thought Apollo. He had heard that Phoenix had had a "sidekick" rather like Trucy was to him when he had been an attorney, but this woman wasn't a teenager anymore. She had long, raven hair down her back, almond-shaped eyes that seemed to widen as she smiled, and the silken robes of Kurian Master that fitted perfectly to her petite, shapely figure. "Do you want to come in?" He asked.
"Sure!" Just then Trucy came back, a battered paperback in her hand. Spotting Maya, both girls let out an identical ear-splitting squeal and ran to hug each other. "Truce! It's great to see you!"
"Same here!" Smiled Trucy. "I bet you want to see Daddy."
"Well, yeah. But I'm sure I can wait a while." She said, her eyes flickering towards Apollo. Trucy nodded knowingly and the two exchanged a glance before Trucy left the room again.
Maya sat down next to Apollo and started asking questions. How many cases had he worked on? Did he like Nick? Wasn't the snow great? To each one Apollo gave an answer, but before he could elaborate she moved on. After ten minutes she said suddenly
"I think I know you pretty well now. Your turn!" Catching on, Apollo started to ask her about her life. He listened intently as she explained the duties of a Master, and rambled on about the pink princess and the evil magistrate's apparent secret romance. The enthusiasm in which she put into her explanations was endearing, and Apollo found himself feeling slightly jealous of Phoenix.
All too soon, Phoenix returned home from... wherever he had gone. "Maya?" He said in surprise when he opened the door. Maya looked up, surprised, from the conversation she was having with Apollo. "What's going on?" He asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.
"Oh, I was chatting to Polly why I waited, how've you been?" Apollo left the two old friends to catch-up, and, discreetly as he could, went to find Trucy.
"Hey Truce, what's up?" he smiled as he entered her bedroom. She bounded over to him from where she sat at her desk.
"I have a secret I want to tell you!"
"What?"
"I can't say!" she smiled evilly. "But you can guess!"
Sighing, and wandering if the secret could possibly be worth the hassle he would go through to get it out of Trucy, Apollo started going through names of people who might be involved. He got a no for Trucy, Phoenix and the Judge. When he reached Ema and Klavier, she grinned and said she knew a different secret involving those two, but didn't go into any more detail. He listed all her school friends, most of the witnesses and defendants from the cases they were on, and finally cases Phoenix had worked on.
"is it to do with... Prosecutor Edgeworth?" She shook her head. "Dick Gumshoe?" (Apollo had met the detective recently and had been less than impressed). Trucy shook her head again. "Erm... Maya?"
"Dingdingdingding!" yelled Trucy, but quieting her voice after a warning look from Apollo. "It took you long enough, Polly! Yes, it's her secret. Now guess what it's about. This is fun!" Apollo didn't agree. Not only did he feel guilty as hell extracting information out of Trucy about a woman he'd just met, he found Trucy's "games" exhausting.
"can't I just cross examine you instead?"
"Sure! That's a great idea! I've always wanted to be a witness!"
-Trucy's Testimony-
"Maya's secret"
Yup, you guessed right. Maya has a secret.
What is it? Polly, I'm not telling you that.
It's Maya's secret, but I promise, learning it is worth your while!
Huh? Thought Apollo, I swear my bracelet reacted there. "That's a bit of a rubbish testimony, Trucy. You didn't give me any facts!"
"So what? You've cracked harder!"
Yup, you guessed right. Maya has a secret.
"Hold it! Can't you just tell me the secret and get it over with?"
"Nope!" she grinned.
What is it? Polly, I'm not telling you that.
It's Maya's secret, but I promise, learning it is worth your while!
There it is! My bracelet's reacting to that statement!
"You can feel it, can't you?" asked Trucy. "My nervous habit?"
Apollo didn't answer -he was concentrating.
It's Maya's secret, but I promise, learning it is worth your while.
"Got'cha! Trucy, why is it that when you say "worth your while" you start twisting your hands?"
"Um... Oh, I'm sorry, Polly! It's just so exciting! You and Maya... in love..." she sighed girlishly.
"W-What?" spluttered Apollo. "Trucy. Tell me the whole story. And tell me it now!"
"Fine, fine!"said Trucy, looking worried at how red in the face Apollo had become. "Maya called to talk to Daddy. I was curious, and Pearl (Maya's cousin) would kill me for missing an opportunity like this, so I picked up the other landline and listened in...
Maya: But promise you won't say a word to him!
Phoenix: Wouldn't dream of it.
Maya: Ni-iick! It's really embarrassing.
Phoenix: Ok, ok, but why Apollo? You've never even met him!
Maya: It's more like a celebrity crush, I guess. Like Trucy likes Klavier.
Phoenix: Trucy likes Gavin? No I -
I put the phone down after that because daddy was coming down the hall."
-x-
"Psst... Trucy? You awake?"
"Yeah." Said Trucy, putting the light on and struggling into a sitting position. "What is it, Daddy?"
"I have a plan."
-x-
Christmas day at the Wrights' was a sight to behold. Their tiny hall leading off into an even tinier living room was hung in so much tinsel and fairy lights Apollo had a headache looking at it. The artificial tree had been decorated by Maya, who was staying for Christmas, and Trucy. Their theme had been "rainbow" so they'd gone all-out decorating the tree with every colour of bauble they could get their hands on. It was insane, but it somehow fitted the Wrights perfectly.
"Oh my gosh! This is so perfect!" exclaimed Trucy, holding up a blue leather satchel covered in silver stars. "Isn't it perfect, Polly?"
"yeah, I guess." He said. It was obvious that it was given to her by Maya - only a girl would be able to find something like that. Because Phoenix was broke, he suggested a Secret Santa. The idea was that way you'd only have to buy the one present. He had received "Driving - a beginner's Guide" from Phoenix. Apollo knew it was Phoenix because he had never got his and it was somewhat a joke between them that Apollo was following in his footsteps. Phoenix had received a new customised beanie hat. It was just as badly-made as the last one, and there was no doubt that Trucy was behind it.
That had left Apollo with Maya. He had thought long and hard on what to get her. If Trucy was telling the truth, he wanted to be careful to get something she would appreciate without being to forward.
-x-
Apollo had spent Christmas Eve wandering through town with the rest of the last-minute shoppers, thing what he could possibly get a woman who he had known for less than a week. True, in that week the two of them had spent an unsettling amount of time together with the Wrights, and he had got to know her pretty well, but he still felt he didn't know enough to pick out perfect present.
And the perfect Christmas present was vital. From what he knew about Maya she was big on Christmas, very giving but also very demanding. She was sweet, funny, adorable, childish, beautiful, and bit-by-bit, throughout the week, Apollo started falling for her. It wasn't anything major, but he got butterflies when he saw her, and he found himself thinking of her most of the time.
Apollo had almost given up hope when he spotted a something perfect in the window of a little shop selling dream catchers and books on spiritual healing. It was an O-shaped polished stone, Opal, if he remembered right, that seemed to reflect a hundred colours. Its tied by an understated piece of ribbon. It was completely perfect.
He went in and asked the old lady the till if he could buy it. She took it from the stand and produced a small box with a leaflet of gemstones.
"Is it for someone special?" she asked as she wrapped it up.
"Yeah." Said Apollo.
-x-
Apollo watched nervously as Maya took her present from under the tree. He wondered if he sould of taken the leaflet out. It had seemed like a good idea to keep it - Maya definitely seemed the type to believe in the spiritual aspect of gemstones - but now he thought that keeping it in made the gift seem tacky. He was so busy worrying he missed watching her open the gift, and only noticed when he heard a sharp intake of breath.
"Oh, Polly, it's wonderful!" gasped Maya, flinging herself at him for a hug. Maya was a very hug-prone person.
"How d'you know it was me?" he asked gruffly.
"It's was obvious who gave what to who. All I had to do was eliminate who'd already given their gifts, and I was left with you!" she smiled. "I love it. Thanks."Apollo went to look at Trucy, to see an empty space. Maya noticed too. "Oh no they didn't! They're going to eat all the Christmas cake!"
Giggling hysterically, she grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him up, not letting go as she pulled him through to the kitchen.
"Ha!" Yelled Trucy from goodness-knows where as they reached to door. "You two have to kiss now!" Looking up, Apollo spotted mistletoe.
"Please no!" groaned Apollo. "That's just some stupid tradition."
"I'm the master of Kurian," quipped Maya "I live for stupid traditions. Besides," she added, looking nervously up at Apollo, "It shouldn't be too bad. Kissing me."
Nice one. Though Apollo, You hurt her feelings. Now you have to kiss her to make up for it. So he did. After a few seconds - or maybe longer - they broke apart. Trucy was giggling and he could have sworn he heard Phoenix wolf-whistle, but it didn't matter right now. Silently, he gestured to the living room. The two of them had a lot to talk about.
It was Apollo's first proper Christmas, and, with Maya by his side, he knew that they'd keep getting better.
Just click on that little button below and you've given a girl on he internet the best prezzie they could ask for (well, except Miles Edgeworth.)