A/N: Okay, I'm tired of waiting for AA5 to release in English so I kind of wrote my own story for Phoenix and Edgeworth's reunion. No spoilers for AA5, since I have no idea what happens in that game so this fic is completely canon divergence. All my knowledge of the District Court layout comes from Ace Investigations so it should be relatively accurate.

-District Court Defense Lobby No. 2-

Phoenix Wright stood in the Courtroom Lobby with his palms sweating and his heartbeat hammering in his chest. He hadn't been this nervous since the first trial after his debarring. Though this time it wasn't the eight years of rust he had gathered that had his head spinning, oh no. Phoenix had regained his confidence as a lawyer. The only thing that left him sweating now was the name printed on the prosecution roster: Miles Edgeworth.

Just down the hall was a man he hadn't spoken to in eight years. And just like eight years ago, they were about to face each other in court.

Phoenix couldn't do this.

"Daddy what's wrong? You look like you're going to drop dead."

Two girls came over from where they had been chatting privately to peer closely at the nervous attorney. Phoenix, not for the first time, questioned his choice of assistance for the trial.

"I just might, Trucy," Phoenix said.

Whack!

"Don't say things like that Mr. Nick! You'll scare your client!" The second girl scolded and Phoenix rubbed his cheek where she had hit. Eight years hadn't done much to soften the wrathful arm of Pearl Fey.

Wait, who was his client again? He really needed go focus. Phoenix couldn't even remember what the charge was. It was probably murder. It was always murder.

Speaking of his client, he was nowhere to be found. The whole gang had arrived at the District Court early so they could question him- her?-some more, only to have a no show. Though, that would be just Phoenix's luck.

"Yeah, I'll give them a good scare if they ever show up," Phoenix said, though the girls were no longer paying attention to him, having gone back to chatting amongst themselves. Phoenix had to admit that having a girl Trucy's age around wasn't such a bad call on his part. She could use a friend her age for a change. Besides, Pearl had to pretty lonely up on that mountain all the time. Getting them together was mutually beneficial, honestly.

Speaking of Pearl, it had been a while since Phoenix had seen her. With all that had happened to him in the past few years, time had gotten away from him. Pearls was no longer a little girl, instead she was quickly approaching the end of her adolescence. She still wore her acolyte robes and her hairstyle hadn't changed much, but there was no denying it: Pearls was growing up. And if she was a young lady now that meant Trucy was too. Jeez. How old was he again? And that meant Miles was...

Phoenix decided to wreck that train of thought before it began and tried to listen in on Trucy and Pearl instead of going back to panicking.

"So who is this Eggsworth guy anyways?"

"I told you, it's Mr. Edgeworth! He's Mr. Nick's special some-"

Or maybe Pearl wasn't so great an idea after all.

"Pearls!" Phoenix interrupted desperately. "Where did you hear that?"

"Mystic Maya, of course!" the teen explained brightly, clapping her hands together. "She said that she couldn't be your special someone because you're in love with Mr. Edgeworth!"

Phoenix was going to kill Maya next time he visited Kurain. He risked peaking at his daughter to assess damage control.

Trucy had her hand drawn up to her mouth in shock.

Dammit, this is going to be bad...

"Daddy... do you really love this Edgeworth guy?"

Phoenix sighed. This was not what he needed right now.

"...Cause that means I can have a new Mommy!" Trucy said.

Oh, Maya was so dead.

"Listen girls, Mr. Edgeworth and I used to be together, but that's it. We haven't seen each other in years. Really, it's all over now."

"Mr. Nick, how dare you ignore your special someone like that!" Pearl was rolling up her sleeve threateningly again.

Trucy shifted into a more contemplative position. "You know, Daddy, I really wouldn't mind having another Daddy as a Mommy..." Pearl took a step forward, arm still raised.

Phoenix shook his head. For all the good adolescent girls were at solving murders, they still didn't understand that sometimes love just wasn't enough to keep a relationship together. Miles had left and he hadn't come back. It was that simple. Phoenix was sure the prosecutor had his excuses, but he sure as Hell didn't want to hear them. It wasn't the first time that Miles had dropped off the face of the Earth, and even if Phoenix had found him there was no guarantee that it would have been the last. Besides, then that one trial had happened and... well, Trucy had happened. Suddenly Miles wasn't the only thing in his life anymore. So maybe, just maybe-if he hadn't been so busy raising a child and generally trying to stay off the streets- he might have chased after Miles. But Trucy and Pearls didn't need to know any of that. He wasn't going to crush their dreams with his own soppy story of what could have been.

"Girls, please. We are not talking about this right now. Or ever. Okay? Just leave it alone." Phoenix tried to back away from the girls who had stepped far too close into his personal space, but was captured by both arms.

"Mr. Nick I think you need to go talk to Mr. Edgeworth."

"Yeah Daddy. You're supposed to be finding me a Mommy, even if your best shot is a Daddy!"

Phoenix felt himself being shoved toward the door, first by Pearl with Trucy following suite. Did they really expect to push him all the way down the hall?

"Girls, you're not going to be able to-"

This time both girls gave a hardy shove and Phoenix had to stumble a few feet to regain his balance.

Oh no. Phoenix was not about to lose to a couple of teenage girls.

Who decided that hormones and law made a good combination again? Oh, right. That would be him.

-District Court 3rd Floor Lobby-

Returning to California had only been a matter of time if Miles was being honest with himself. He had stayed away for weeks, months, and-by some impressive feat-years, but there had always been a reason to return. And that reason was just a short trip down the hall.

Before, Edgeworth hadn't had the confidence to return, especially after Wright was debarred. What could he possibly say to him? Try to comfort him after he was framed for doing something that Miles had practically built his own reputation off of and gotten away scot-free? It would have been awful.

And so, Miles had stayed away for weeks and months and years until it had gotten to the point where he had even less of an idea of who was waiting for him than what words he would say.

But one day the name Phoenix Wright made its way back into his life outside of his personal reflections. The great Ace Attorney had retaken the bar. It was then that the job offer for Head Prosecutor had come, and Miles had taken it without hesitation.

Now, there was plenty of hesitation. Edgeworth stood glaring at the door to the hallway. Maybe if he stared hard enough it would burst into flame and the case would be postponed. Indefinitely.

Instead, the door opened and in stumbled a familiar face.

"Wow Mr. Edgeworth, sir, you really got here early."

Detective Gumshoe was assigned to today's case and Edgeworth couldn't say that he wasn't more than a little relieved. It was nice to be working with someone he knew, even someone as incompetent as Dick Gumshoe. He appeared to be roughly the same as ever since they had started this case and still had a dirty, patchy coat hanging from his broad frame. Edgeworth could only hope that he had replaced his old one sometime in the last few years and that this one just happened to be of identical make. A pencil was still stuck firmly behind his ear. The Detective had kept his scruffy beard and always had some bandage or another stuck to his face, though whether he earned it from his job or clumsy shaving Edgeworth could never tell. A lot had changed in his eight years of absence, but Gumshoe seemed to be the exception. Speaking of which...

Turning his glare on the Detecive, Edgeworth crossed his arms as he regarded his old partner. "Tardiness has no place in the Court, Detective."

Under Edgeworth's gaze, Gumshoe struggled to straighten his deplorable posture. "Right you are, sir! Which is why I'm also here early, just like you asked."

If Edgeworth didn't feel like melting into a nervous wreck every time he thought about having to step into that courtroom sooner or later he might have even smirked at the Detective's dopey grin.

Might.

The pair lapsed into silence and Edgeworth went back to trying to burn holes in the door.

It wasn't long before the Detective was shuffling awkwardly next to him.

"Detective Gumshoe?" Edgeworth questioned, again turning his sour expression on the poor man. Anything to stop the fidgeting. Edgeworth was already about to crawl out of his skin and the Detective was not helping.

"Um, well, it's just that, sir... Your glasses look nice."

Edgeworth could tell that Gumshoe had chickened out of some question at the last second, but he decided to take the bait anyways. Maybe some mindless chatting would take his mind off the inevitable fiasco waiting for him in the courtroom.

"Thank you, Detective. Might I ask, do you have any thoughts on the case?"

Gumshoe only seemed to grow more uncomfortable with this topic of discussion. He scratched the back of his neck nervously before answering. "Ah, well, the defendant is clearly guilty, sir! We've got decisive evidence and everything!"

"Yes, yes, I am well aware of your police work, Detective Gumshoe."

Actually, Edgeworth couldn't remember a thing about the case at the moment. He'd have to check the Court Record, though not in front of the Detective. The second he had seen who would be opposing him all thoughts of truth and justice had vanished from his mind. He had been meaning to see Wright again, just not like this. He had wanted to arrange a time and place where they could talk like the civilized adults they were. Then they had gotten this case together and Wright hadn't so much as tried to contact him. He probably hated him. So instead, Miles was going to hide in his lobby for as long as time would allow.

Another uncomfortable silence came over the pair.

"Um... Mr. Edgeworth..." Gumshoe began after the quiet dragged on noticeably.

"What is it, Detective?" Edgeworth griped. Gumshoe was really starting to get on the few nerves he still had intact.

"Well… now, sir, I really don't mean to pry or nothing but-"

"What is it, Detective?" Edgeworth started tapping his finger menacingly against his arm.

Gumshoe took the hint. "Mr. Edgeworth, isn't... isn't he defending this case?"

There was absolutely no need to clarify who 'he' was.

"I believe so, Detective."

"Well... and weren't you two... That is to say..."

Edgeworth found that it was possible to glare harder than he already was. "Yes." Edgeworth said, cutting Gumshoe off before he could go any further. Edgeworth was not prepared to have this conversation with himself, let alone the Detective. "What of if?"

Gumshoe gasped. "What of it, sir? You haven't talked to him since you've been back! Don't you see? Now's your chance!"

Edgeworth turned away from the Detective, back to the door. "There will be no chances, Detective."

"Aw, how can you say that, sir? You haven't even talked to the guy! Come on, I bet he misses you just as much as you miss him." Two large hands descended on Edgeworth's shoulders and began an attempt to steer him towards the door.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Edgeworth exclaimed, trying to shake the offending hands off. "Unhand me this instant! And what on Earth makes you believe that I miss him?" Edgeworth gave his best effort to root himself to the floor, but it was no use against the Detective's superior bulk.

"Of course you miss him, sir! You've been all moody lately, and whenever you're depressed it always has to do with Mr. Wright! I can't stand to see you so upset, sir. This is for your own good, you know," Gumshoe continued to ramble as he forced Edgeworth out the accursed door and down the hall. The prosecutor wasn't even going to try to argue with the Detective's failing logic and instead focused on trying to escape his iron grip, to no avail. Maybe there was a reason Gumshoe was still on the police force after all.

-Courtroom Defense Lobby No. 2-

Phoenix had both hands planted firmly against the doorframe while two teenaged girls continued to shove him from behind.

"Trucy, get the door handle!"

"Aye-aye!"

"Oh, no you don't." Phoenix swatted at the offending hand that came darting out in another attempt to grab the handle.

"Daddy!"

"Mr. Nick, you shouldn't hit girls!"

"Yeah well girls should learn not to meddle in other's love lives."

There was a collective cheer from behind him.

"So you do love him!"

"I'm gonna have a Mommy-Daddy!"

"Girls!"

A loud scuffling noise from the hallway made the trio pause in their antics. The three quieted and listened to the sounds of struggle.

"Daddy?" Trucy piped up first. "I think someone's getting mugged."

Pearl chimed in from behind as well. "I don't think muggings are common in courthouses..."

It was obvious that the muffled voices were getting closer. The hands on his back that had been jostling him earlier were now pushing him toward the door again, though this time more timidly.

"Daddy, you should go check it out..."

"Yeah, Mr. Nick..."

"Just hang on a second." Phoenix waved the girls off easily and they stepped back tentatively as he pressed his ear to the door. If someone really was in trouble, Phoenix wanted to make sure the two of them stayed out of it. Pearl was a Fey after all, and bad news had a habit of following that family around. He would know.

It was only a few moments before the voices could be heard clearly. It helped that the fight seemed to be escalating.

"Detective Gumshoe, if you don't release me your paycheck is going to be so severely evaluated you'll be lucky if you can afford dog food!"

"Please don't do that, sir..."

That's-! Why is he-?

A jumble of half-articulated thoughts raced through Phoenix's brain. He tried to back away from the door in shock, but he bumped into Trucy. Unfortunately, this allotted enough time for Pearl to snatch him.

"That's Mr. Edgeworth and that Scruffy Detective!"

"Oh no, Pearl..." Phoenix moaned, but at her announcement both girls had redoubled their efforts of forcing him through the door.

"See Mr. Nick? He's coming for you! You're his special someone!"

"Pearls..."

"You love him and he loves you!"

"Pearl!"

"Daddy, I expect to get a Mommy this time!"

"Trucy!"

"That's it, Detective! You're not going to see a paycheck for a month!"

"Please don't be mad, sir. You're going to thank me later."

The girls were really determined now, and Phoenix's hands slipped from the doorframe and he found himself braced against the door itself. Great.

"Daddy!"

"Go get him, Mr. Nick!"

"Girls!"

"Detective, this is your last warning!"

"For your own good, sir..."

The door opened and Phoenix found himself falling forward in the absence of his support.

Falling right into a very flustered man in a maroon trench coat and glasses.

Miles.

Wait, glasses?

A/N: Please review if you want me to continue!