Risenformash: This is the Sequel to "Stolen Angel". If you've stayed away from the other story because it's in the mature section you should know there is nothing explicit in it just allusions to things, peril, and language and I've been encouraged to rerate it as T for teen, but I haven't just to be on the safe side. His story will have the f-word once. I think you can handle I, but be forewarned . You know how my Apollo talks!

Previously in the Polly/Vera story arc…

Vera Misham was put on trial for some of the multiple forgeries she had created. Due to her guilty conscience she was less than helpful to Apollo in his struggle to defend her and he lost the case. She was placed under house arrest and moved into an apartment above the Wright Anything Agency and Justice Defense Company with Phoenix Wright as the "overseer" of her arrest. They often refer to this arrangement as Nick being Vera's guardian. Apollo and Vera started a relationship without traditional dates since she can't leave the building. One night she was abducted and it took the family along with Detective Skye's held almost a week to get her back.

I had made a promise to Spark that he would get an exclusive interview with Vera and me if he helped with the investigation during her kidnapping and even though Spark's work for me had proved to be a dead lead I was true to my word. IT was a little awkward telling Vera that I had volunteered her for this without talking to her about it first, but she had been gone and she knew I had been desperate to do or try anything to get her back ok.

So about a month after Vera returned to us we had Spark over to our apartment. It was still a little weird calling it "our" apartment, since Vera had never really invited me to move in. I had moved in "temporarily" to keep her company after the stress of her abduction, but then I'd never left. I had felt like maybe I should sit down with her and ask if she wanted me to leave, if I was "dismissed," but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Vera was my world. Granted it was a small world, one little one bedroom apartment with lavender walls and the smell of herbal tea and pencil shavings, but it was home. Or at least I felt that way. Sure, it didn't look like I lived there. Other than my dirty coffee mugs in the sink and my stinky sneakers in a corner of the closet the place was really Vera's but I felt home there because we were together.

Vera was sitting on the couch deeply absorbed in drawing something when I woke up that morning. I wasn't sure if she had been up all night or just happened to wake up before me. Thank god I'm a deep sleeper or Vera's constant nighttime activities might mean death to our relationship.

"Morning." I said drowsily stumbling into the kitchen to make coffee.

"Good morning. I'm glad you're awake. Did you forget Mr. Brushel is coming today?"

I had forgotten. I mean I had remembered yesterday, but my appointments weren't the first things that popped into my mind that morning. The first thing I thought when I woke up that morning was…um…more enjoyable.

Vera was dressed in jeans and a purple and pink tie-died t-shirt. Her blue hair was tied back with her usual bandana. She looked absolutely gorgeous even better than she had in my dream the night before.

"Crap! That's today…" I said as much to myself as to her. I was kind of looking forward to a day without anything to do. Trucy and I had been working our butts off the last week on a couple of insane cases and what with helping Phoenix study for the bar exam I was feeling the need for a day of…relaxation.

Vera giggled.

"You should make your coffee extra strong this morning. I don't think you're really awake yet."

My brain might not have been awake, but there was another part of me that certainly was. I sighed. We still weren't making love. We were taking things slow since Vera got back, too bad only my brain had figured that out.

"Remind me again what time Spark's supposed to be here." I said fiddling with the coffee maker. It was really a piece of crap, but since Vera doesn't drink coffee I couldn't see spending money on a better one. I mean technically this one worked. It just kind of sucked.

"He should…be…here…in…about…an…hour." She answered, her words oddly separated by her concentration on the sketch she was working on.

I came over to sit next to her on the sofa.

"Vera, I'm really sorry about this. I wish I hadn't promised to him…"

"Polly, please quit apologizing. It's not that big a deal. I'm just a little embarrassed about having an article about our relationship in the paper."

I nodded. It wasn't unusual for attorneys to get their names in the paper, especially with some of the bizarre cases people like Mr. Wright and I tended to take, but Vera was an amazingly prolific artist and her mastery of so many different styles had made her a celebrity and the fact she was also the creator of some of the world's most convincing forgeries was only adding to people's fascination with her.

The whole thing made me kind of nervous. Her kidnapping had called attention to where she lived and our relationship. There was no way I was moving back downstairs. No way! Nobody was going to hurt her again. The image of her swollen lip and bruised face after her rescue would always be in the back of my mind. There was still a part of me that wished I could line her kidnappers up beat the shit out of them and then have a firing squad finish them off. Not that I have a problem with the fact they'll be living comfortably in little cells with more dignity than they afforded her with meals and proper facilities like flushing toilets provided for them. No problem at all…

"Whatcha drawing today?"

"Your nasty shoes littering our beautiful rug."

I looked over at where her gaze is and see that I've left my sneakers in a heap right in the walkway of the living room. I guess I'm not as good about putting them in the corner of the closet as I thought.

"Oh…ah sorry."

"It's ok. Your poor housekeeping inspired me."

She turned her drawing pad toward me to display for me a beautifully drawn rendition of my shoes.

"Very nice. I'm glad my sloven nature has contributed to your Mona Lisa."

I smiled at her and she set the drawing pad and her pencil on the floor and wrapped her arms around me and kissed me. I closed my eyes thinking maybe she was well enough again…maybe things were stable enough…I started leaning into her and then the coffee pot beeped and startled both of us so badly we both jumped. I guess, we were both still a little traumatized…