"Can you do me a little favor boss?"

That's how it started. What Athena had considered a small favor was rather large to him. And yet, he wasn't surprised. All these years he thought that the situations Maya managed to get him involved with were crazy but truthfully, she didn't hold a candle to the combination of Trucy, Pearls and Athena who had done nothing but gang up on him with their big, hopeful eyes and pouty teenage lips ever since they came in contact with each other.

He didn't even have backup today as Prosecutor Gavin managed to snatch Apollo away for the afternoon leaving him defenseless. This situation had perplexed Phoenix into silence. It was so bizarre that he couldn't even process an answer he wanted to give.

"...Tell me again what the favor is?" Clarification was definitely needed. Maybe he had misheard. Perhaps there was a statement he blanked out on that made the question Athena had posed less unusual than it really was.

"W-well. You see, Simon just got released from prison a few weeks ago and he's been having a rough time. He's still waiting on back pay for the cases he prosecuted while incarcerated and aside from that, he's having a tough time finding a place to stay." Athena mumbled.

It wasn't all that surprising. News had a funny way of spreading. When you were found guilty of doing something, everyone seemed to know about it, but when you were cleared of any wrongdoing, the information didn't seem to get to people as quickly. That or they chose to ignore it. Blackquill was cleared of all charges, but to many he was still an intimidating, crazed ex-convict. Not really the best thing for a rental application. It was a good thing that Edgeworth was Chief Prosecutor and he still had a job or that would have been another nearly impossible hurdle.

"So, I suggested that maybe Mr. Blackquill could stay here at our spare room at the agency." Trucy piped in.

There, that was the part he thought he had misheard earlier, but it was clear that he had indeed heard the request in its entirety the first time around. Trucy asked if Blackquill could stay at the agency, though that wasn't entirely accurate. What she meant was if he could stay in the spare room of the apartment that they lived in next door to the agency.

Phoenix looked between the three girls. He shared a more sympathetic glance at Athena because it was clear this wasn't really her idea. She was just the one with the dilemma. No, this had Trucy and Pearls written all over it.

"I thought if anything he would stay with you?" He directs the question to Athena. He's not sure if the response will have any effect on his decision. He's still trying to process it in his head after all.

"Oh believe me, I offered. He stayed there for a few nights but he's uncomfortable there. And my apartment is so tiny, all I have to offer is the couch and I don't want to subject him to that for too long."

Pearls gave him a wide eyed stare and he could feel the resolve slowly sinking with every passing second. "Please Mr. Nick; he has nowhere else to go. Master Maya says you always help those who need it the most."

He could argue that this was true of clients, but had that really been the case? He spent years trying to repair the childhood trauma of Edgeworth, he had taken honorary guardianship over Pearls and Maya after everything happened with them. He adopted Trucy when there was no one else, even though he had no means to provide for her. While things were slow at the agency, Apollo had taken up residency in the spare room, much against his will. And when Athena had first come from Europe, she needed a place to stay as well.

But this wasn't a childhood friend, a mentor's broken family, an orphan girl or protégés they were talking about. They were talking about a man who was as good as a stranger to everyone but Athena (maybe even her after all of the past time) and hadn't tasted freedom in the past seven years.

They all stared at him intensely, waiting for an answer. He wondered if Blackquill would even accept the invitation if it were extended. If the man was too proud to stay with Athena, clearly he wouldn't want charity from a courtroom rival.

It's a dangerous bluff, but Phoenix has yet to meet a bluff that he wouldn't take a chance on. "Well...the offer is extended to him, if he wants to take it."

Trucy and Pearl squealed in delight for no reason other than they felt good helping someone in need. Athena seemed shocked that he actually said yes.

"Boss, you're really amazing. I don't know if I've ever told you that but you really are." He can tell she's grateful by the sniffles and tight embrace he's suddenly pulled into. But the girls are all satisfied and happy.

Days passed and the entire thing becomes an afterthought until Athena comes cheerfully into the office Monday morning.

"He said yes!"

Phoenix and Apollo both look at her with a confused expression.

"Who said yes to what?" Apollo asks.

"Simon! He said he would come stay here."

Apollo expression was somewhere in-between fear and confusion, while Phoenix's was entirely unreadable. He hadn't expected Blackquill to accept the invitation in a million years. There was only two real possibilities. Either Athena is a great negotiator or the man has reached the lowest point of desperation for shelter. Either way, his bluffing failed. He reminds himself to alert Edgeworth, as he'd be warning him that this day would come for years.

"What...do you mean stay here? Stay where?"

Trucy smiled. "Daddy said Mr. Blackquill could stay in our spare room until he finds an apartment of his own."

Apollo turned to Phoenix, still wearing the same expression he had been earlier.

"Not like in the office, but at our apartment, across the hall." Phoenix explained, as if that's going to clear up any of Apollo's questions.

Trucy came over wrapping her arms around him. "You're the kindest daddy in the world."

"Wouldn't it be awkward for a prosecutor and a defense attorney to be living together?"

"You don't have to worry Apollo. Simon's not going to be breathing down your neck or anything. He just needs a place to stay." Athena smiled patting her co-worker on the back. "He insists that he'll only need a place to stay for a few weeks and he'll pay rent."

Getting paid sounded nice, Phoenix had to admit. It had certainly been a busy year for the agency but it was also one that barely offered any profit. Mayor Tenma had paid Apollo for his representation but it wasn't a particularly wealthy village. Plus his daughter Jinxie was a friend of Trucy's. Then Athena had taken up the case of Juniper Woods, her childhood friend so of course, she hadn't asked for payment. Then there was the defense of astronaut Sol Starbuck that again, Apollo had taken without any financial payment. Though with how financially strapped the space center was recently, it probably wouldn't have been much. Charging to defend Athena would have been taking money from himself. He had defended that Orca in his first case back but the only payment he received was lifetime passes to the aquarium, which Pearls and Athena took great advantage of.

"We'll work out a suitable rate when he moves in. When exactly will that be?"

"The end of the week. I can't thank you again for this boss. You have no idea how much this means to me." Athena smiled, hugging him again.

By Wednesday, he and Trucy were in the spare bedroom cleaning out all of the magic props they have stored there. As they cleaned, Phoenix tried to imagine Blackquill sitting on this bed, doing...whatever it is he did when he didn't work. He glanced over at Trucy as she hummed while straightening up. He isn't sure if he should be alarmed at her calm at the situation. A normal teenager would have questioned why their father was allowing an ex-con to move in with them. Trucy of course wasn't a normal teenager.

"So, how are you feeling about all of this Truce?"

"You mean about Mr. Blackquill? I think it'll be cool. Athena says that he's really good with a Samurai sword. Maybe he'll teach me some moves that I can incorporate into my shows! Or maybe he'll let me use Taka."

"Taka..." Phoenix echoed. The bird, or more accurately, the hawk. Phoenix had forgotten about his house guests little pet. The bird lived at the courthouse while he was incarcerated and apparently migrated now that his master was free. The one he had become rather effective at dodging in the courtroom he would now have to dodge on his way to the bathroom in the morning.

"Don't worry daddy, Athena says the only thing Mr. Blackquill needs for Taka is an open window for him to come and go. And we've got that! It will be like any other house guest."

"Somehow, I seriously doubt that Trucy."