Disclaimer: I do not own Phoenix Wright in any way. Nor do i own The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists, which is where the title of this fic has been taken.

A/n: This is a vague idea i had many months ago and decided to put up. There will be seven 'chapters' and an epilogue, probably updated one a day.

Hazards of Love

1) Isolation

Iris can't stop herself from peering through the car windows at the building on the mountain. She's sure she's never been here before but at the same time, it looks familiar.

Her attention is jolted when the car turns a corner particularly sharply. She jerks forwards sharply, saved by the seatbelt. After adjusting it so that she can breathe, she looks over to her sister, to make sure she's OK. Dahlia seems completely unperturbed, her face just as cold as it has been since her argument with their father.

Dahlia's left hand is clenched in a fist in the seat between the sisters. Iris glances out of the window again and then places her hand over Dahlia's fist. Her twin doesn't seem surprised but Iris notices that her fist unclenches and when she looks at Iris, her eyes are smiling.

(But not her mouth. Dahlia rarely smiles with her mouth when their father is nearby. It breaks Iris' heart)

They sit like that until the car stops. It makes Iris feel useful. Dahlia may be the outspoken one – the fighter, the smart one – but it's moments like these which remind Iris that Dahlia needs her too. Because Iris is the calm one. The loving one. The caring one. They make a good team, she thinks.

And with a family like theirs, they need each other.

(But Iris needs Dahlia more)

Their father opens the car door and tells them to get out. Obediently, Iris exits. Dahlia looks ahead stubbornly and does not move. Mr. Hawthorne begins to shout but Dahlia's expression does not change.

'Please, Dahlia', Iris mouths when her twin glances sideways. For a second, the nine year old's expression softens. Then she flicks her hair back scornfully and leaves the car.

"Thanks," Iris whispers.

Dahlia doesn't say anything.

"I need one of you to go into the temple for me and get the head nun," Mr. Hawthorne says, his face still red from shouting.

"Do it yourself," Dahlia mutters.

Seeing her father's expression, Iris says, hastily, "We can both go." She grabs Dahlia's hand.

"No, only one of you," he replies. "I need the other one to help me out here."

Iris' gaze flickers to the strange temple. She doesn't want to go in. But she isn't sure she wants to stay outside when her father is in a bad mood. As he so often is.

"I'll go if it gets me away from you," Dahlia says spitefully to him. He doesn't show any sign of caring. Iris watches her twin's face carefully and realises that, in actuality, Dahlia doesn't want to go into the temple either.

"No, I'll go," Iris says quickly, to stop herself from taking it back.

"You hate him too?" Dahlia asks in a flat voice. But her eyes say, 'aren't you scared?'

"I ... I don't hate anyone," Iris replies.

Dahlia looks curious and opens her mouth to ask something but Iris smiles and begins to turn around. Then she turns back and gives her sister a hug. Dahlia, startled, hugs her back.

(And despite the circumstances, Iris thinks that this hug is so heartfelt that it will become one of her favourite moments, ever)

As Iris walks through the gate, her new-found courage begins to evaporate. But if she turns back now, her father will shout at her and Dahlia will be forced to come in instead. So Iris walks up to the strange door, takes a deep breath and pushes it open.

The atmosphere in the room is weird and Iris shivers. It reminds her of home. Not home like where her father is planning on making her live but home in Kurain Village. With spirits and ghosts. The dead. Iris doesn't like it.

(It reminds her of failure. Failure in her mother's eyes for not being able to channel the dead. Failure in her father's eyes for not being powerful or a member of the main family)

She steps through as quickly as she can. She wants to shout out, to ask if anyone is there, but she can't make her voice go above a whisper. She's nine years old and she's scared of ghosts. Dahlia would laugh at her if she knew. But Dahlia isn't scared of anything.

She hears movement in one of the rooms to her left. Iris turns towards it, trying to convince herself that her shivering is from the freezing temperature and not because she's scared or nervous. She knocks on the door. A loud voice tells her to come in. Tentatively, Iris does so.

There's a short, stout woman inside. She greets Iris cheerfully and asks if she can help.

"My father," Iris answers quietly, slightly intimidated by this woman's presence (it's not her size that seems so large but her ... self). "He asked to see you." She pauses and then adds, very uncertainly, "Um ... he wants to see the Head Nun, anyway..."

"That's me," the woman assures her. "I am Sister Bikini."

A giggle escapes Iris' lips before she can stop herself and she blushes as Sister Bikini looks at her. But then the nun starts to laugh too and Iris can't help but smile back.

(She can't remember the last time she heard laughter which existed just because it could.)

"What's your name?" the nun asks. Iris blushes again because, of course, she's been impolite by not introducing herself.

"My name is Iris, Sister Bikini."

Sister Bikini laughs again. It's a big laugh which fills the room, making it seem less scary than before. Iris isn't sure what's so funny but smiles politely anyway.

"Nice to meet you, Iris," the nun says once she's stopped laughing. "Let's go find your father."

The woman starts to walk with Iris following closely. As they go through the halls, Bikini points out different things, explaining what they mean to Iris. Iris knows most of it already but doesn't want to offend Sister Bikini by saying so. Besides, she likes the enthusiasm in the nun's voice.

It changes once they're outside. Sister Bikini frowns as they approach the gate.

"Where did you say your father was, Iris?"

"He was here, Sister Bikini." Iris' lips tighten as they walk through the gate. Where are they? What if something bad has happened to them?

(She knows Dahlia won't have left her here. Dahlia would never try to hurt Iris like that. After all: Iris would never hurt Dahlia)

Sister Bikini looks around and sees a note pinned to the gate. She unfolds it and reads, her face becoming more and more serious. Meanwhile, Iris looks around frantically.

"Iris," Bikini says gently and Iris knows the news is bad. She's only known this woman for about fifteen minutes but she can tell that if she's being this serious... "Your father has gone."

"Maybe he went to drop Dahlia off. I'm sure he'll come back for me. He... I love him."

(She doesn't like to lie. And saying he loves her...)

Sister Bikini places her hand on Iris' shoulder. "I have a note here, dear. It says that he wants me to look after you."

"Is he coming back?"

"I'm sorry."

"But what about Dahlia?" Iris looks around frantically.

"It only mentions you."

Iris nods. Her eyes begin to fill with tears. Why has she been left here? What did she do wrong?

"Let's go inside, Iris," Sister Bikini says and takes hold of Iris' hand.

The last time Iris held someone's hand, she was doing the comforting.

"Why d-did he not w-want me? I love them," she says quietly, trying to fight off her tears.

"I know, dear," is the reply.

('It wasn't enough for him' is the unspoken answer)