Art thumbnail is a commission, NaruMitsu Wedding, that StudioKawaii did for me! Thanks! ^_^
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A/N: I do not own Phoenix Wright or Miles Edgeworth; they belong to CAPCOM. Delphine Cameron, other incidental characters and the plot are mine. ^_^
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It's California in 1880. Phoenix has his own law firm and has everything materially but feels a trifle lonely with the lack of a partner to share his life with. That's about to change but it will be a person that he doesn't expect...

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This is the birthday fic that I wrote for two very dear friends, StudioKawaii, for their birthday last year! ^_^ Happy Birthday, dears! ^_^

Prequel to After All This Time.

It's Phoenix, Miles and REO Speedwagon! *From my husband. I thought it was so cute I decided to include it. ^_^ * Set in the Victorian Era. ^_^

The title is the name of my favourite REO Speedwagon songs.

Thanks
to my readers and all those who have favourited, reviewed, story alerted, favourite author or author alerted me. I appreciate it more than I can say!

Thank you to my beta reader, Pearls1990, for her AWESOME beta reading! Much appreciated!

Special thanks to my beloved husband, DezoPenguin, for all his help, support, advice, nagging (when necessary) and encouragement! I appreciate it more than I can say! Love you!

Rated Teen, Romance/Drama, male/male relationships, Phoenix x Edgeworth

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June 21, 1880
Law Offices Of Wright & CO.
Los Angeles, California
11 A.M.

It was a beautiful summer morning. I was in my office sitting at my desk and looking out the window to the beautiful scenery outside, wishing that I could finish up what was on my desk so I could go outside and enjoy the sunshine. It had been a dreary week before with a lot of rain and I, for one, was very happy to see the sun come out.

I wonder if I could get away for an early lunch today? The weather is so nice and-

"Sir," a voice called out, breaking into my thoughts like a hammer. I jumped slightly as I flew up out of my chair, my heart pounding in my chest, whirling around to face the apologetic countenance of Neil Clark, my clerk.

"Don't DO that!" I managed to grate out through clenched teeth, my breath hissing like an enraged snake. I had often spoken to him about this sneaky way of his, explaining, on more than one occasion, why I would prefer it if he knocked first before entering any room, especially my office. Apparently, it hadn't really sunk in yet.

I sighed in irritation.

"I'm terribly sorry, Sir," Mr. Clark said apologetically, closing the door softly behind him, walking up to my desk with a thick sheaf of papers in his hand. "I didn't meant to disturb you."

I waved a lazy hand, counting to twenty four times in my head. "That's all right. It's my fault for wool-gathering." I forced a grin. "So, what can I do for you?" He opened his mouth to respond but then my eyes lit upon the papers he held. "Are those the papers I've been waiting for?"

"Yes, Sir," he replied as he handed them to me and I took them, flipping through them absentmindedly; when I looked up again a few moments later, I noticed him still standing there and waved him away. He took the hint, bowed stiffly and left, closing the door softly behind him.

I rolled my eyes at the closed door before I went back to leafing through the sheets of paper I held in my hand. While I had to admit that the man was efficient, his displays of passive-aggressiveness really bugged me since I had the feeling that he was being subtly dismissive for merely the amusement factor.

I really should fire him, I thought, my eyes quickly scanning the papers as they flew by one after the other, but he really is efficient so maybe I'll keep him around a little while longer although we will have a talk about basic manners... I made a face. Not to mention boundaries.

I sat there for awhile in silence before I sighed and turned back to the pile of papers that were spread over my desk. The rest of the morning flew by in typical fashion. At noon, I closed up the office, telling Mr. Clark where I would be in case someone needed me over my lunch break.

I walked down the street to Rebecca's Tavern where I knew the proprietress, Kate Newson. Kate had the best roast beef sandwich around and it had become a standing joke between us over the three years that I had been coming here since I took over the former Becker & Carson Law Offices on Carleton Street.

She had often teased me at the beginning of our association about my love for this particular repast although, to my mind, it was sensible; I was so often busy that I never really had time to sit down for a proper meal. It was portable and I could grab a quick meal on those hectic days when I really needed to.

She had said, on more than one occasion when I first started coming to her establishment that she would invite me over to her home in order to feed me a proper dinner and I hadn't missed the flirtatious look in her eyes when she said that. I moved to firmly, but gently, disabuse her of that particular notion and I hadn't taken her up on it since I knew it would have been unseemly for a single man to be in the home of a widow without a proper chaperon.

I knew how people thought since I had taken more than one case in the past where wagging tongues and rumors had effectively ruined someone's reputation; having my own law firm to run, I couldn't afford the scandal that would arise if I did. Besides, as buxom and comely as she was, and as warm and wonderfully engaging, I wasn't interested in her. Or any other woman, for that matter.

I was, to use the terminology, a "Friend of Ganymede" in that I loved men; I'd had four secret relationships in the past three years which had eventually ended and, although my former lovers and I did associate on occasion at social events, they tended to avoid me whenever they could. I suppose that I really couldn't blame them for that. After all we had shared, however, it still stung and it seemed to me that they were more than content to relegate me to the dustbin of the past. It made me wonder exactly why they had even sought me out in the first place.

There were times that I thought perhaps my former lovers weren't certain of which sex they were attracted to and wanted to work it out for themselves which, to be honest, I couldn't blame them for. How much heartache did I endure before I realized that the only people I would ever love, or want to be in a romantic relationship with, would be men? Since then, I had been very careful to keep my preferences a secret as it could very well mean either scandal or the ruination of my good name which would be detrimental to my own law practice and mean the end of it or imprisonment on sodomy charges.

All of the outcomes were bad and I was determined to keep my love for men a secret; it wasn't easy but I had done well so far although there were a couple of close calls last year when a marriage minded matron decided I would be a good catch for her very marriageable daughter. I had managed, without any hurt feelings or rancor, to ease out of both of them gracefully keeping the mothers' pride intact and their daughter's feelings unbruised. My mother always said I had a silver tongue and I certainly put it to good use in these instances.

At any rate, I was feeling a trifle lonely today and even Kate noticed that I was a little down in the mouth.

"What's wrong, love?" she asked, her voice thick with concern. "You're not your usual jovial self and that usually means that either you're upset or working too hard on a case." She tilted her head a little to the right, her eyebrows furrowing, her violet eyes worried. "Are you all right?"

I smiled wanly.

"Just feeling a little down today, that's all, Katie," I replied, dabbing the corners of my mouth with my napkin and lying it on the empty plate. "I'll be all right. Promise."

Her eyes narrowed.

"I think its more than that, Phoenix," she said tartly, swiping the bar quickly with a thick washcloth, her eyes glimmering dangerously, "and don't you dare lie to me." She glared at me and I quailed underneath that penetrating gaze. "I know you better than that and I can plainly see that you're upset but trying to hide it for God knows only what reason."

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat so large that it threatened to choke me. I should have known better than to try and hide anything from her; she was a good, honest friend and only asked honesty of me in return. She knew me better than I knew myself, it seemed at times, and I should have known better than to try and hide something from her. It was dishonest and it wasn't kind if the dark look on her face was any indication.

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Katie," I said quietly. "I wasn't trying to be deliberately sketchy and you're right: I AM feeling down today."

Her expression changed instantly from angry to concerned in the space of a heartbeat. She sat down quickly, covering my hand with her own, her eyes concerned.

"What's wrong, Feenie?" "Feenie" was my childhood nickname and she insisted that I call her "Katie" which was hers. Since we thought of each other more as siblings, I think it amused her to call me by my childhood nickname. I didn't mind, actually.

I took a deep breath. "I guess I'm just feeling..." I paused for a moment, trying to think of the right word. "...I guess lonely describes it best. My law practice is thriving; I'm making a good living and I love my job. I... just wish I had someone to share it with." I sighed as I raked my fingers through my hair. "It's been lonely going for the past few months since my last relationship ended and I'm tired of coming home to an empty house."

And an equally empty heart.

She squeezed my hand and sat in silence while I poured out my further frustrations: that my clerk was a royal pain and I wanted nothing more than to be rid of him but he was a good, hard worker and I couldn't see how firing him would be a boon to me even though I was tired of his constant interference. There was trouble brewing in a case where it wasn't clear to me who was in the right or who was in the wrong and I worried that I was helping the wrong party. Yet another case dealt with a mother who was frantically trying to keep her daughter from marrying the man she loved because she didn't believe that he was the 'proper consort' for her and there was another client who was embroiled in a property dispute with his daughter and son-in-law that was threatening to get out of hand and escalate into violence.

She listened sympathetically; I really didn't want advice but just a friendly ear to pour out my troubles. At the end of my litany she smiled, giving my hand a friendly squeeze before releasing it and sitting back in her chair.

"Don't worry, Phoenix," she said cheerfully. "I'm sure that you'll find an answer to all of these problems. You always do."

I smiled wanly. "I wish it would be sooner rather than later." I reached for my billfold. "How much do I owe you for lunch?"

She squeezed my hand once more before releasing it, waving it lazily in the air.

"It's on the house, " she replied with a smile and I couldn't repress the wide grin that started to spread over my face as I put my billfold away.

We sat in companionable silence for a few moments before I started to say something to her when we both heard the door to the establishment opening and, as one, we turned toward the sound and were surprised to see someone coming in through the door.

It was a tall, solidly built gentleman with dark grey hair, dressed impeccably in the finest black cut suit with a white silk cravat, black square toed boots and white kid gloves that looked to me to be made of the finest quality leather. He carried himself with immense dignity and, for some reason that I was hard pressed to explain, my breath caught in my throat, snapping my mouth shut when Katie nudged me with her foot.

He stopped and looked around, his piercing grey eyes landing squarely on me and I gulped, my face feeling very hot. I knew that I was blushing but I couldn't help it; all I could see for many long moments was those piercing grey eyes that seemed to fill my entire world and I had to remind myself to breathe.

What was it about this man that rendered me speechless with just a look?

Not such a simple look, I thought to myself my hand beginning to shake when I saw him making his way over to where both Katie and I were located, staring in stupefied amazement at him, but one with purpose... I could see his piercing grey eyes zero in on me as he locked gazes with me and held. I had to remind myself once again to breathe. He's so beautiful … I wonder what he's doing here? He certainly seems familiar to me but I just can't place where I've seen him before.

My brow furrowed slightly as he stopped beside my chair, a smile on his face.

"Mr. Wright?" he asked, his baritone voice mellow but with an undercurrent of steel. "Mr. Phoenix Wright?"

Breathe, Wright. Breathe!

"Yes," I replied, clearing my throat a few times so that I didn't sound like a distressed parakeet. "I am Phoenix Wright." I looked hard at him. "You have me at a disadvantage, Sir. Might I ask who you are?"

The corners of his mouth twitched in amusement. I swallowed hard, wondering how on earth this man could have such an effect on me when I didn't even know, at this point, who he was. I could see Kate trying hard not to laugh out of the corner of my eye and I couldn't help feeling a little nettled.

"My name," he said smoothly, "is Miles Edgeworth. Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth."

My mouth dropped open in real surprise. This man was Prosecutor Edgeworth, the so called Demon Prosecutor? This man, who was having such an effect on me, was Prosecutor Edgeworth? I stared at him in gape mouthed surprise as my thoughts whirled in a maelstrom. I had heard plenty about Prosecutor Edgeworth and not all of it good; in fact, most of it wasn't and, as I stood there staring at him, I couldn't help but wonder which rumors were true and which weren't.

He seemed amused at my reaction.

"I see that my reputation precedes me." I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not since his voice was so well controlled, keeping out the slightest trace of emotion. I had to admit that I was impressed.

"I-" I had to stop and take a deep breath, swallowing before I tried again, clearing my throat. "My apologies, Prosecutor Edgeworth. I didn't recognize you at first."

He inclined his head slightly, his gaze never wavering as he got straight to the point. "I'm set to prosecute a case next month and I see that you are to be the defending counsel."

I nodded, wondering where he was going with this. It wasn't a secret that my client, a man of some prominence in California, had specifically asked for me to defend him in his upcoming trial. I had agreed, all the while wondering why he had asked me when there were better, and more experienced, lawyers available who were all but salivating to take his case along with the fat fee it promised.

I wondered if that was the reason that he had asked for me, knowing that I would give my all for my clients. It was quite a compliment for a rookie attorney although I wondered if I hadn't gotten in over my head with this case; today had been a particularly bad day which was why I had come here to Katie's establishment, knowing that she would provide me with a sympathetic ear along with a wonderful sandwich.

I heard him cough impatiently and my wandering thoughts were yanked back firmly into the present and I looked up to see him glaring at me through narrowed eyes. This was a man who wasn't known for his patience and evidently it was clear that he had said something that he had expected a response to.

I flushed with embarrassment, trying to get my rattled thoughts back into some kind of coherent order. For some reason I couldn't explain, I wanted to make a good impression on Prosecutor Edgeworth and I wondered why that particular thought was at the forefront of my mind.

It was rather odd, to say the least, that I wanted this man, who was set to go up against me in court, to think well of me and not think that I was some sort of gape mouthed idiot. I was also hard pressed to explain why my heart was pounding so hard in my chest that I was surprised that neither Katie nor Prosecutor Edgeworth heard it.

"I... am," I said lamely, shaking my head while those steel eyes never once left me. I took a deep breath. "What do I owe the pleasure of this visit, which, I must admit, has caught me rather flatfooted." My eyebrow rose slightly, my blue eyes sparking when they met his and promptly made my insides melt. "What does the prosecutor want with me?"

"I wanted to size up my... competition, as it were, since I have heard much about you, Mr. Wright." He smiled, a genuine smile that left me dazzled by its intensity. "You're making quite a name for yourself in the legal world and I wanted to pay you a visit to see what I was up against."

My eyebrow raised slightly. That sounded like a very lame excuse to me-and judging by the look on her face, Kate didn't believe it, either-but I let it go. I was genuinely curious to see what he really wanted and he seemed to be using the trial next month as a convenient excuse to call on me. Perhaps he'd make his intentions crystal clear at some point and I just had to wait until he decided to reveal himself and what he was really after.

"I find that difficult to believe, Prosecutor Edgeworth," I replied drily, waving my hand in the air and I couldn't repress an iota of satisfaction when I saw his eyes narrow into little slits and the corners of his mouth turn down. "To the best of my knowledge, one does not seek the counsel of the opposing party simply to make small talk or to find out, as you have so succinctly expressed, what you are up against." For some reason that I couldn't explain, I wanted to let him know that I wasn't a pushover and, despite what he'd seen, that I was no shrinking violet, either.

Where was all this coming from? I really didn't know. I was puzzled since I couldn't imagine why this seemed to be of vital importance to me but reasoned that, since he hadn't exactly been forthcoming about why he had come to see me or even how he knew where I was, he deserved a little of his own back.

I also sensed that he wouldn't respect someone he could easily push around so it was imperative that I operate from the same footing as he; even though I could see he was clearly annoyed, I could also see that he was impressed and those hooded grey eyes were looking at me with approval.

He and I seemed to be the only people in the room as our eyes locked again and held. I could easily have lost myself in those depthless grey eyes and I struggled to try and keep from being drawn in but it seemed to me to be a losing battle and one that I wasn't in the least sorry to be losing...

I started when I heard Kate cough politely, my face flushing as she did so and even Prosecutor Edgeworth seemed to jump a little at the sudden intrusion into our private moment. Apparently I hadn't been the only one who'd been drawn in...

"Begging your pardon, gentlemen," she said mildly, sweeping her hand in a wide arc in front of her, "but I have customers coming in." I looked up, startled, in the direction her hand was pointing to see that there were indeed people starting to come in through the door. "Is there anything you require, Prosecutor Edgeworth?"

He coughed. "No, thank you, Mrs. Newson, though I do appreciate your kind offer." His eyes flickered over to me briefly and then back to her once more, an action that she was quick to pick up as he must have known she would, a half smile on his face. Kate was a lot smarter than people gave her credit for with a quick wit and a keen intelligence who was quick to pick up on things. "I have done what I came here to do and will now take my leave."

He started to turn away and then paused a moment, reaching into his breast pocket and taking out a magenta colored card with his name and address in elegant gold script, placing it on the table in front of me while I stared at him in fascinated amazement. "Come and see me at my office after the trial is over when you can conveniently get away."

I stared at him as my trembling fingers reached out to take the card that lay on the table in front of me, watching him as he bowed slightly to Kate and then turned and left, the other patrons in the tavern looking at him in amazement as he passed by, murmuring amongst themselves as he walked out the door.

I sat in silence for many moments before she spoke, her voice colored with amusement.

"Well, that was certainly interesting, I must say."

I didn't answer her, my thoughts whirling over one another as to the reason why the prosecutor of the case I was defending would pay me a call.

Why did he come here? Why did he want to see me? I bit my lip, thinking hard, my brow furrowed. How did he know where I go to for lunch? Why did he seek me out? Why...?

"Hey!" I felt someone give me a sharp blow on my shoulder and I squawked in outraged surprise to see Katie standing there grinning at me like a fiend.

I glared at her while I rubbed my sore shoulder, wincing as I did so.

"What was that for?!"

She looked unrepentant though I could tell that she was bemused.

"You've gone and done it, Phoenix," she began solemnly, leaning down until her eyes were level with my face. I sat back a little to get out from underneath that penetrating gaze.

"Done... what?" I asked somewhat tersely, wondering where she was going with this. She was a matronly thirty-five but sometimes acted like she was a teenager in the throes of adolescence.

She smiled. "You've stolen someone's heart." She reached out and chucked me underneath the chin with her fingertips, a mischievous grin on her face. "Looks like the good prosecutor was quite taken with you."

I rolled my eyes. "Very funny, Katie," I growled sourly, my mouth twisting as I picked up Prosecutor Edgeworth's card and tucked it into my breast pocket before I stood up, inclining my head in her direction.

"I wasn't being sarcastic, Phoenix," she said quickly, grabbing on to my arm and temporarily halting my departure. Even though the tavern was filling up with hungry customers, she didn't move which did surprise me. I looked into her face and noticed that she was looking at me very seriously, all traces of mischievous ribbing had all but disappeared. "I meant what I said."

I stared at her for a few moments trying to see if she was only pulling my leg. For the second time that afternoon, I was shocked into speechless wonderment and she hurriedly pressed her advantage.

"He really was, Phoenix; I saw the look on his face. While it is true that he was impressed by what he saw, that wasn't the only thing."

"And what might that have been?" I asked quietly, wishing that my racing heart would still.

"He was taken with you, Phoenix, and I mean that sincerely." She blushed. "I could see it in his eyes and in his body language; it was so obvious for anyone who was paying attention..."

"Are you serious?" I couldn't keep the skepticism out of my voice.

She frowned and sighed.

"I am." She looked me right in the eye. "Believe me when I say that Prosecutor Edgeworth is quite taken with you." Her brow furrowed, her tone of voice proving that she was annoyed. "I wouldn't lie to you, Feenie, and you know it. Have I not been anything but honest since I've known you?"

She had me there. She'd always had been right from the very beginning and I certainly couldn't argue the point. I looked at her again, really looked at her and I could see, to my astonishment, that she truly was serious and that gave me pause.

Maybe she does see something I don't. Come to think of it, the excuse he gave was pretty weak as far as that went.

"He really is attracted to you, Phoenix," she went on. "I was married for over twenty years to a man who adored me and I could see the same kind of emotion on Prosecutor Edgeworth's face, as well."

"Really? I didn't-"

"You didn't know what to look for," she interrupted impatiently, her mouth twisting sourly, "but I did and I tell you I saw the very same emotion on his face that was on my late husband's whenever he looked at me."

I was silent, not sure of what to say.

"Believe me when I say that he is attracted to you; you couldn't mistake that emotion." She smiled at me as she released my arm and stepped back. "He tried to hide it but I could see it plainly." She giggled a little. "You've stolen his heart, Phoenix..." She tilted her head a little to the right, looking at me thoughtfully. "It seems as if he's stolen your heart, too..."

I blushed; I couldn't help it. I was embarrassed that my feelings had been laid bare for all to see but Katie just smiled, told me not to worry about it and to have a good day before she went over to the table full of customers who had arrived earlier, greeting them heartily.

I stood there for awhile looking like a stunned sheep before I slowly turned and walked out the door, my mind whirling with possibilities.

Was she truly right when she said that Prosecutor Edgeworth was attracted to me? She had been very happily married herself for over twenty years and she would know the signs that would signal romantic interest in someone much better than I would.

I mulled over this as I walked back to my law office and thought about it for the rest of the work day and after I went home that evening. I couldn't seriously think that such a handsome man would truly be interested in me but yet my mind kept coming back to Kate's earnest words; she didn't lie and I couldn't dismiss her assertions out of hand because she had always been honest and upfront with me even before we had become friends.

It was on my mind when I went to bed that evening and I couldn't help but wonder if Kate really was right about Prosecutor Edgeworth's attraction to me... and my apparent attraction to him.

I really wasn't sure what to think of that but, before I could really take the time to think about it, sleep claimed me and I fell into a deep sleep, visions of Prosecutor Edgeworth filling my dreams...