A/N: I'm somewhat happy with this chapter... and yes, you'll get half way through this chapter and know instantly what's going on, it's obvious.
Disclaimer: I don't own Phoenix Wright. If I did do you think I'd be living in England where we randomly have bad snow for a day then the next day it has gone? No. No I wouldn't.
This chapter is even longer than the first one D:!
Butterfly Kicks
She tightened up her belt buckle and moved in to kiss him before stopping just short of his lips.
"If I do this are you going to cause some trouble?"
He looked at her with childlike eyes and asked as innocently as he could, "Trouble? Me?"
She laughed and backed away. "I thought so. I wouldn't want to have to snackoos you." She smiled at him before checking the watch she'd just retrieved from the bed side table. "I really have to get going- I love you." She called as she fled from the room still buttoning up her shirt.
He smiled and called after her that he loved her more, though in his worry that she hadn't heard it, he reached for his phone and fired off a message telling her just so.
The corner of his lips curled into a smile as he imagined her lips, doing just the same.
Ema slammed her car door shut and flung her back onto the seat next to her, she was just about to turn the engine on when her phone bleeped.
'I love you more. Come back to mine when you're finished today and I'll cook for you. :)
Love, K.'
Ema smiled and flipped her phone shut; she always went to his regardless. Her smile didn't leave her face until she thought about what he'd said. Why hadn't she moved in any clothes yet? Well, it had only been six months, she reasoned with herself. Not that she didn't love him, because she did, but it would be weird moving in with him since their relationship was still a secret.
Whoa. Move in? Ema banged her head against her steering wheel when she stopped at a red light. A red which Ema knew was slowing her down just to mock her. He'd only mentioned a few clothes. But... she could always get into his place because he'd told her where he kept his spare key, and they were always at his place when they weren't working. She was practically living there without actually moving anything in with him already. She usually had an overnight bag but last night she hadn't thought of it- she'd been too caught up in their game, and in his en suite bathroom her pink tooth brush stood next to his purple one. Where they stood always together apart from their daily break from each other, though even then they were together, because Klavier felt no need for modesty or privacy of his own body when it came to Ema, and would usually jump in front of his bathroom mirror anyway while they were both brushing their teeth, mostly to tease her, but partially, Ema suspected, was because really he was just a bit vain.
Which, she mused, was justifiable when it came to Klavier.
She smiled briefly at this but then let it fade naturally. In its place her usual grimace took charge and alerted everyone at the crime scene that today, as with all days, she wasn't to be messed with.
She was contemplating the irony in that it was Klavier Gavin, glimmerous fop extraordinaire who had sneakily moved her into his own place without her even realising it. She laughed despite the scene around her because it was him and it was her and she imagined neither of them had expected this when they first met.
Ema made her way up towards where the victim was and felt a funny feeling in her stomach. She wasn't nervous about anything, at this moment anyway, so why did she feel like she had butterflies? She dismissed it as an unhappy consequence of not sleeping and using muscles she didn't know she had and went straight to the lifeless body lying in front of her.
"Hey Gumshoe." She said, still trying to fight off those butterflies. "So, apart from someone really messing this guy's face up, what do we have?"
"Don't know the victim's ID because his wallet was taken, or at least he didn't have one on him, and we originally thought this was a gang thing but it's not."
"Why would you think its gang related?"
"Look at his face, pal. Who else does stuff like this?"
He looked at her and seemed to shrink under her gaze. He knew what he had forgotten. "There's ahh, there's no proof that it's gang of course, but there was some fresh graffiti on the wall round back, still wet, pal."
"So why don't we think its gang related anymore?"
"Because the graffiti was a copy cat, we've get all the major symbols that they do on the system, and this one didn't fit any of them closely enough."
"Could be a new gang? Or a rival gang trying to incriminate another. Or just some stupid kid. Alright, I'm feeling weird, I'm going to step outside for a second and see where we are with the vic's ID, that's top priority for now, ok? Then we'll look into this gang stuff after we get his background info, family, closest friends and any known enemies."
She got up and escaped the scene before Gumshoe could answer and she didn't notice him following closely behind her as she could think was 'don't contaminate the scene, don't contaminate the scene for Christ's sake Ema don't contaminate the scene! She walked across the apartment lot to the edge of the car park and started breathing deeply. 'Suck it up Ema' she told herself angrily. It didn't help though; she placed one hand on the wall for support and threw up, something which she knew the wall wouldn't appreciate, or the guy who cleaned this place. Her throat burning, she searched her bag for a tissue and angry tears stung her eyes when she couldn't find one.
"Uhh- here pal." Ema jumped back in shock and angry eyes landed on Gumshoe, who stood there sheepishly holding a packet of tissues and a bottle of water. She cursed Klavier for the warm feeling she got in her chest seeing such a large man like Gumshoe like this. He'd softened her up. Gumshoe didn't need to know that though.
She grabbed the tissues from him muttering a quick 'thanks' before whipping her mouth. She took a quick swig of the water and instantly regretted it. She handed back the water as quickly as she had taken it and doubled over again. A cold, large wet hand hit the back of her neck and she wondered what the hell Gumshoe was playing at before she felt it soothing her.
They stayed like that for about a minute while Gumshoe told her to try breathing in through her nose, out through her mouth. She did this and wondered when this large, clumsy guy had become so good at comforting people.
She used the tissues again, this time to dab at her eyes and to stop any tears from falling; she didn't want to appear that weak. She looked at him awkwardly; he knew he wasn't allowed to mention this to anyone on fear of death by snackoos, so she didn't say anything.
"...Did it help?" He asked, indicated at his hand and then her neck. Ema nodded once.
"I thought it would. That's what always calms Maggey down."
"What's up with Maggey?" Ema asked quickly, who had always liked the woman for her enthusiasm in what she loved.
"I don't know, pal. She's just throwing up a lot these past couple of weeks. It might be her change in diet considering that unexpected bonus I got from that Green case," Ema nodded in understanding, wondering if that was what was happening to her, her diet had changed radically since she ate with Klavier more often. "...But she keeps eating things she doesn't like. Or she didn't used to like. I don't know, I keep telling her "It's all these onions you're eating, pal!' but she won't listen, says she likes 'em now, 'parantly."
Ema stared at him. He stared back, though his expression more vacant.
"You.. you gonna throw up again?"
"No, I'm not going to throw up again." She snapped. She felt an eyebrow rise despite her best efforts to look sincere when she asked her next question. "And you have no idea what's wrong with her? None at all?"
He gave her a blank look and shrugged slightly. "Why... do you?"
She laughed slightly at this. "Figure this one out on your own, pal." She said, adding the last part as emphasis and looked away from him for a second as if something had caught her attention. She hitched her bag strap higher up on her shoulder and held onto it while she made her way back to the crime scene.
"Maybe- maybe you shouldn't go back in there just yet, pal. The body is still there and we don't want you being sick on the crime scene."
"Good point. I'll be at the station for the follow up work and see where we are with forensics."
Ema put her car in gear and drove out of the lot, though in the opposite direction to the Police station. Instead she drove to the local supermarket and recited every scientific point she had ever learned about being sick. Turns out she couldn't remember much, weight loss, change of diet, lack of vitamins, and stress were the top suspects. Or she had the most blatantly obvious reason why she was being sick, the same as Maggey.
Having nervously paid for what she needed at the shop in case anyone she knew had seen her she pulled out her phone and went to dial Lana's number when she remembered her sister was out of town, so she couldn't help. Next she went for Klavier's number and laughed out loud that he'd changed his name on her phone again, this time to 'Klavi- baby x' and wondered how she hadn't noticed that when she read his text earlier. Which reminded her that she still hadn't sent him a message back.
Crap, she thought. What on earth do I say?
'Sounds great. I'll be home by dinner time. E x'
She felt bad for keeping this from him but she only had to wait a minute before she got his reply:
'Can't wait. How about I make something special? ;) Love K'
Special? You have no idea.
Ema sighed and put away her phone, a feeling of dread washing over her as she thought about going back to his tonight, and realising that neither of them made a comment about her saying she'll be 'home'. Ema dragged herself through People Park towards the only place she could go with this problem.
"Hi, welcome to the Wright Anything Agency... Detective Skye! How are you? Come in!" Trucy beamed, bouncing around the detective and immediately shuffled assorted magical equipment out of the way so she could take a seat.
"Um, is Mr Wright here? Or Apollo?" Ema asked nervously, sitting down on the edge of the sofa.
"No, Daddy and Polly are out at the moment so I'm holding fort here." Trucy announced proudly.
Ema nodded once and looked down at her lap awkwardly, now she had no idea what to do.
"So... can I get you something? Tea?"
Ema's head snapped up. "Oh yes! That would be lovely. But first can I use your bathroom first?"
"Sure, you know where it is." Trucy said while waving in the direction of the bathroom while heading to the kitchen.
Once in the bathroom and she'd tried those breathing techniques Gumshoe had taught her as she got her phone out again and considered phoning Klavier. Her thumb hovered over the 'call' button and she decided against it. Not yet. Not till she knew.
...
Ema hadn't realised how long it had been until she heard a soft tapping at the door that echoed around the bathroom.
"Miss Skye? Are you ok? You've been in there a while now and your tea is going cold. And I thought I heard you talking to yourself earlier...? Miss Skye?" Trucy turned the doorknob uncertainly, she found it was unlocked and pushed the door open. Trucy stood for a second before rushing in and grabbing Ema, who sat crying on the floor.
"Ema! What on Earth happened?" She asked her, trying to find her hands to help pull her up but they were tucked between her knees and chest. So instead, Trucy sat down next to her and tried putting an arm around her shoulder, no matter how uncomfortable it felt.
"It's ok Ema, breathe deeply, tell me what's happened. I can help."
Ema slowly pulled her hands free but kept her hands tightly around something that Trucy couldn't see. Trucy lifted her arm back from around Ema and grabbed her hands softly, letting what Ema had been clutching as tightly as a lifeline fall into her hands. Ema looked away first and then covered her eyes with her hands, as if simply closing them wouldn't be enough.
It wasn't butterflies earlier. It wasn't stress or the hormone cortisol, it wasn't a change in her diet and it wasn't love, much as she'd hoped it had been.
Trucy gingerly held the small white stick in her left hand while her right reached frantically for the box on the sink she'd somehow missed until now. Grabbing it she confirmed what Ema already knew.
"Two lines."
Clear as day. Butterfly kicks.
"...Positive."
Obvious news is obvious. And for those who don't particularly like pregnant central fics, don't worry, that isn't the main part of this story.
The 'going down town' part is yet to come.
Which sounds a lot more sinister that it is. Maybe. I'm still new to having a plot line instead of smushy stuff.
