It had been a week since the mysterious box appeared on Phoenix's doorstep, and he still had no idea who it could have been from. He had asked anyone who could have sent it to him, including Mia, but his search turned up empty. No one had any idea who sent it, but Gumshoe did look slightly uncomfortable when the attorney presented the letter.

"Really, pal, I have no idea who it's from." One hand was on the back of his head, and a sheepish smile was on his face. "No fingerprints. Whoever sent this must've been thinking hard about hiding who they were, pal."

"Are you sure, Detective?"

"Yeah, pal. Positive."

"Huh. Well, thanks for your help anyway."

Exiting the building, Phoenix ran into the Blue Badger, dancing as creepily as before. Unsettling smile, jerky movements, and oddly bright colors still distinguished the automaton from the rest of the normal city, definitely something that would catch anyone's eye.

Couldn't it have just stayed broken? Why did Gumshoe have to fix it? I thought that it would stay in pieces after it fell apart after the case finally ended. Staying together….not leaving….how simila-

"No, no, don't think about it, don't think about it, he's gone, he isn't coming back." Mumbling those mantras to himself, he walked on to the Wright and Co. Law Offices. Being there, doing paperwork, that would help him take his mind off of him. Hailing a taxi, he sat down on the well-worn leather seat and greeted the driver.

Rattling off the address of his office, he sat back. Closing his eyes, he sighed deeply. It had been a year, and winter's chill was returning once again. Christmas was a few days earlier, and cheery decorations still adorned nearly every building. Children threw snowballs, laughing and playing.

A particular group of children caught his eye. Three children, to be exact. One was teasing the other two, but it seemed friendly. The other kids were laughing at the first, happy laughter silenced by the car windows. They all were smiling, even though one looked like he was trying to keep more serious. Even though it was a cheerful scene, a wave of nostalgia and sadness swept over Phoenix.

They remind me of-

No no no! Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it!

But it was too late. Almost as if his body was moving on its own, he pulled a small photo out of his coat pocket. Three smiling faces looked up at him, and his eyes immediately gravitated to the boy on the left, the one in maroon. A small smile adorned that boy's face, but he genuinely looked like he was having fun. Another wave of sadness, a more powerful one this time, crashed over his heart, and it finally shook with emotion.

The taxi pulled to a stop in front of Wright and Co. Law Offices, screeching as it did so. His eyes misting up, he got out of the car and paid the driver. Stumbling into his office, and then into the bathroom, he broke down crying.

Tears poured down his face, and he held his head in his hands. Hiccupping sobs escaped his mouth, and he pulled his knees up to his chest. He wept and wept, his sadness surrounding him and suffocating him. Because Edgeworth was gone, gone forever, and he would never come back.

•••••

"Hey, Nick, I'm back!" A cheery Maya breezed into the office, carrying a to-go bag with her. She had bought some burgers for her best friend, and was excited to see his reaction when he found out that she used her own money instead of "borrowing" his.

"Nick, where are you? Niiiiiiiiiiiiick, come on! Don't hide!" The 18 year old put down her bag, and began to search. She checked the main office, under the desks, and even behind Charlie, until she heard small whimpers coming from the bathroom.

"Nick, are you ok?" Pushing open the door, she gasped. "Nick!"

He was curled up in a ball on the ground, tears still flowing freely from his eyes. Small mewls were coming from his mouth, and it was clear how sorrowful he was. The spirit medium could feel from the distance she was at, without even trying, how wounded his soul was, and how much sadness had entered it. Gasping at the pain that radiated from his curled form, he stirred.

Brown eyes looked down into bloodshot ones, and the defence attorney said nothing. His face looked blank, as if all the emotion had bled out of it for good. "Come with m-m-me, Nick. It's o-o-ok."

When Phoenix didn't move, she put one of her hands on his shoulder. He flinched, a shudder racking his whole body. "G-go-gone…."

Helping the attorney to his feet, Maya half carried him to the couch and sat him down. Draping a blanket over him, she sat down next to him and stayed silent. No words needed to be said at this point in time, as he had fallen asleep. Tear tracks still stood on his cheeks, and it is hardly necessary to say that his dreams weren't anything but nightmares.