Phoenix once again wiped his brow, cool as he acted in Court he couldn't say safely that the intimidating Godot had left him any him any more calm than he was when he had entered that court to perhaps the fiercest battle he had ever or will ever be in. Not just on a law status, but on in an emotional one too. Perhaps the encounter with Dalihia pushed him past his known limit, a mess of feelings with only one think he knew: he was fighting the woman who had once held his heart and thrown him away with so much ease, but that thought soon faded as he heard and remembered more about the woman's wicked actions. In a plan and act to kill off Maya, her own cousin for a shallow grudge that had kept her from resting in the afterlife; he had trouble keeping his own disgust and rage down in his own thoughts, a merciless grin and pose of victory was on him once she screamed with a fiery voice and left their lives hopefully for the last time.

He looked towards Maya, who despite her love of her favourite food, was not devouring them at the inhuman rate she had so often done in the past. Instead, she kept glancing to Pearl and keeping up both their spirit through the dinner.

Despite the victory, the atmosphere in the Tres Bien was a mix of a funeral and a party with a patient who had survived a crucial operation. It wouldn't be that way, the victory it self was a sparkle in otherwise a picture of wreckage; so many people had been lost; Armando, a true friend to the end but lost in his own words, Misty Fey, Maya's mother who she met a few days earlier without knowing who she was, and never getting to acknowledge that fact to her, and Mia, one of the most important people in both Phoenix and Maya's lives.

He eyed the small mountain of burgers Maya was eventually getting through that seemed so much more than the horribly made pseudo-French food on his plate. Now he wished he had joined Maya's mad dash to the Burger Joint when he reached out for a burger, resulting in a playful slap on the hand.

"This is mine and Pearl's dinner, Nick!"

Edgeworth at the opposite side of the table looked like he was about to leave any moment, Gumshoe seemed to be the only one truly happy talking about Maggey and how she was going to get him a present and another table, sat Franziska, chin on her leather hand and circling the rim of the wine glass, with her whip looking like she only needed a split second to have it armed and attacking.

It was odd, Franziska hadn't sat with the group all the night, nor did she seem to make any contact with the group after the trial. There seemed to be something troubling her from the look of her eyes and the sigh he swore her heard from her at times perhaps she was bored he though. But if it was really this bad, why hadn't she left yet? Yet unlike Edgeworth, she seemed to have no intention of leaving anytime soon.

Maya caught the look in Phoenix's eyes, "Looking at Franziska?" She said with a mischievous look on her face, "I never knew you-"

"No!" Phoenix said quickly to avoid a punishment from Pearl who looked ready to strike, "S-She just looks upset that's all."

Maya turned around and a mark of sympathy was on her face when she was spoke again to Phoenix, "She didn't look sad earlier!" She said quietly, but somehow he got the feeling Franziska noticed as her eyes narrowed.

"It hasn't been easy for anyone I guess, I think she might have been worried about you."

Was it him or that did that whip seem a little sharper?

"She stayed up all night trying to free you from that cave when we thought you were there."

Maya's eyes widen at this information, having not been told before, and previous encounters with Franziska didn't seem to be good for her, but before she could react, someone else spoke up.

"Franziska's probably just wallowing in self pity," said the firm voice of Edgeworth, "She could never take a loss from you well. I can imagine our half of the case really wasn't fun for her." He said with the most Edgeworth like smirk possible, Gumshoe, however, looked a bit more concerned than he did, and wordlessly he joined in Phoenix's and Maya's wonder.

"Maybe someone should go over to talk to her." Maya said finally, after no talk from anyone on the table, Phoenix seemed to almost fall out of his chair.

"Go up and talk to her?"

"What's wrong Nick?" Maya said with her usual sing-song teasing voice, "Why are you so scared of her? You always act so brave in court-"

"That's when there's people to protect me" His defence never noticed by Maya.

"She tried to save me Nick! More than you've ever done!"

Maya. A mix of enigmas, riddles and.. burgers. Whatever went on in her head Phoenix didn't guess, nor ever wanted to.

"I'm going to see her." Getting up with her tray of burgers, she passed Phoenix who had sighed with his head in his hands again as usual, woken up sharply by a surprisingly powerful smack.

"Mr. Nick! You've disappointed Mystic Maya! You should be ashamed!" Pearl had provoked a hefty laugh from Edgeworth as he sipped his tea.

"Franziska..?" The grey haired woman had her back to Maya, she slowly turned around with what seemed an even angrier look at the presence of her, Maya however, remind cheerful.

"..You.." She said sharply, "What do you want?" To her surprise Maya sat down with her tray and held her half eaten burger.

"I've come to say thank you for what you did!" As she took another bite of her burger, Franziska's expression seemed to be more gentle until it hardened again, maybe Maya imagined it, because now she a crossed her arms unimpressed.

"What about it? She said rather interrogative.

"Well." Maya savoured the burger taste, before talking with her mouth half full, Franziska closed her eyes, irritated. "I heard you stayed up all night trying to get me out."

"Good. Great. You're happy, you can go now."

Maya swallowed her food and looked at her a little bewildered, she tilted her head at the unmovable Franziska.

"I'm sure you should get back to that fool over there, " She nodded to Phoenix who was pacifying Pearl with a new carton of juice, "You said your thank yous."

Instead of leaving, Maya pushed her tray over to Franziska with one fresh burger on it. She stared at the food, then back to Maya, who had a inviting smile on her face.

"We should hang out together more."

Franziska seemed to be struggling with herself, she clenched her fist before muttering "I don't eat food like this.."

"Just try a little bite!"

"No. Really. I'm full anyway - " She shook her head as if clearing a thought from it, "Wait, why am I even-"

Maya couldn't understand Franziska; so clearly upset, yet unwilling to be the least bit sociable."What are you doing?" a quick interruption with a plea of tolerance which seemed to irritate Franziska even more whose clothed hands had turned into a tight clench, "Franziska, I've just come to-"

By this time Phoenix and Gumshoe were watching with a grim look, Pearl infuriated and Edgeworth with the last bit of tea in his cup to his lips, two loud bangs from Franziska's fists on the table, she crouched over with her eyes closed and shaking.

"...Franziska?"

She opened her eyes, and as quick as her whip she left for the bathroom behind, Maya turned her head around to see Gumshoe, Phoenix, Pearl looking bewildered, and even Edgeworth looked a little surprised.

"..Is... she okay? Asked Gumshoe with eyes focused where she had been, perhaps against her better judgement Maya got up followed Franziska to the bathroom.

Opening the door softly, the image of Franziska gasping in front of a mirror slowly appeared to her, she took a few steps in without her being noticed, then the door falling behind her, giving Maya the thought if she had locked herself in with a tiger. She watched as Franziska splashed water on herself with an ungloved hand, and walking up to her, she was surprised when her head turned to simply look at her.

"You.." she said just over the soft running water into the sink, Maya stopped on the spot and awaited what she thought was going to be a brutal question.

"Your sister.."

"..My sister?" Maya replied, very much surprised, wondering why Mia would be a subject.

"Yes, your sister.. how close were you?"

"My sis...?"

"Yes, Mia Fey, your sister." She saw no harm in answering and began to speak lovingly of the person so close to her. "I love my sis.." she sang with a happy sigh, eyes as bright as the day she met her once again, she carried on with stories of younger days, unknowingly as Franziska read her face, and felt more and more happy. "She's always been there for me.. And still is!"

"..I see.." Franziska said dully, going back to the sink, rubbing her face again. Maya took tiny steps once more when Franziska soundly started to speak again.

"My sister and I were never that close.."

With what seemed to be a hidden sigh, she got up from the sink facing the wall, a new found tenderness was on Franziska with those words, perhaps one that seemed out of character for her in Maya's opinion. Half out of respect, and half out of nervousness, Maya awaited to what Franziska said next.

"Always away from us.. She never spoke to me much; more interested in her own life, her own rules, not that of the von Karma. I suppose she saw me as something she had hoped never to be." Her shoulders moved a little as she laughed at the bitterness at her own voice, "Yes, so everytime I saw you your sister, it reminded me of something I never had."

"W-Wait?" Maya finding some courage to ask out, twirling her hair as she did so, "Is this about your sister? My sister?"

She span around, despite being the same age Franziska had left an influence on Maya who in comparison was nothing but a little girl, while she was a mature woman with an established career, making her seem like older and wise than her. This feeling was enlarged by the the stern eyes focusing on her.

"No." She said bluntly, "Its only ...part of it."

What could have been more than a few seconds, but felt more like hours, Franziska examined Maya clearly with following eyes, then, walking back to the sink replacing her bare hand with a gloved one. For a few moment, she stood without moving, then leaned over clenching her hair. She was troubled, there was something about Franziska like this that Maya couldn't leave, she was vulnerable and despite her actions a year before, she had shown herself in flashes – big flashes- to be a good person, and that was enough to justify Maya going up to her and placing her hand on Franziska's shoulder to simply tell her there was a human here to listen to her.

The touch of her hand, sent Franziska jumping to the corner of the bathroom as if she was was touched by the hand of death, her mouth open and her applies shaking as he stared at her.

What was wrong with her? Had Maya done something to scare her, insult her? What had happened to her? She wondering where the tall mighty figure had gone from the court rather than the shaking figure in front of her now; instead of elegant movements and triumphant smiles, she looked no more stronger than Maya.

But what would happen next would be replayed over in her mind over and over again.

"...Maya..Fey..." Franziska said finally, after three deep gasps, her muscles tensed now and her face looking as if a lock inside her had finally started to crack up, "I... I..."

"Franziska?" She said invitingly, wondering if this was against her better judgement.

"...I hate... you..." She with venom in each word, resentment. All over her face. Then she cried. The dark words effects were completely destroyed as two tears raced down her cheeks on to her fine clothing. Franziska von Karma was crying in front of her? The sharp pain in her heart from those words was quickly over-shadowed by the numbness in her body, an effort for words ended with her with a small gaping mouth.

"I HATE YOU!" She screeched through her tears and Maya stepped back as she continued, "I hate you! Ever since day we first met! E-EVERYONE LOVES MAYA FEY..." She rose her hands and clenched them once again, "EVERYONE! Your s-sister, that lawyer, your cousin, and..."

Seemingly in slow motion, Franziska walked up to Maya, scared on the spot, flashes of thoughts and images of Franziska attacking her, a deadly shot of fear exactly the same when Shelly de Killer spoke to her. Franziska leaned her head over, and quickly Maya could feel her tears on her own face and gasped out loud when Franziska's realized her lips were on her own.

As seemingly quickly as it had begun, it was over. Franziska pushed herself off, still shaking and taking not another moment more to leave the bathroom.

Not moving, not a single thought in her head, she slowly rose her hand to her face then to her lips, just to make sure what had happen was real.