A/N: Onto chapter two!

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Chapter Two – Thalassa

Phoenix

The Hospital – Two Hours Later

I couldn't believe it. Even in this Dark Age of the Law, it was unfathomable to think that someone would bomb a courtroom, especially one full of people. I hadn't been in court today. I was meeting with an old friend, instead. But I knew Apollo could pull off this case, even if it was the murder trial of his closest friend. And even if something had been bothering him since yesterday.

But it was Apollo. Under that fiery, passionate, hot-headedness of his, he was smart. Very smart. And it only made sense that Athena would be his co-counsel. She needed the experience, and her and Apollo made a brilliant team the last two cases those two had worked together.

But now, Apollo was in the hospital, laying behind those doors somewhere, as the doctors tried to stabilize him and assess the extent of his injuries.

Athena said he didn't want to leave, even after the warning, and that she had to drag him out, but he got away from her and ran back in.

Why, Apollo? Why'd you let your emotions get the better of you this time?

Trucy came over, wrapping her arms around one of mine and stopping my pacing.

"Daddy, are you okay?" she asked. I looked down into her worried face and smiled weakly.

"I'm okay, Trucy," I confirmed. She nodded and gently tugged me over to where she had been sitting with Athena.

"Okay. Sit with us?"

"Alright."

I allowed myself to be pulled into the chair, and wrapped an arm around my daughter. That's when it struck me.

Trucy and Apollo still didn't know they were half-siblings.

"Excuse me," an older voice said from above us. We all looked up.

"Mr. Cosmos!" Athena said in surprise.

"Who?" Trucy asked.

"He's the Director of the Space Center where the murder took place," Athena explained before turning to the older man. I couldn't help but notice that he was riding a scooter thing. In a hospital.

"The police just released Clay's jacket back to me since it doesn't have anything to do with his murder," Cosmos said, holding up the blue jacket. "We usually give these to the family of the deceased, but… well, Mr. Justice is the closest to family Clay had."

"Oh," I said, standing again and taking the jacket. "Thank you, Mr. Cosmos. Apollo will greatly appreciate this."

"You're welcome," he said, before scootering his way out of the waiting room. I sat back down, the jacket draped across my knees. The closest Clay had to family was Apollo. As far as Apollo probably thinks, Clay was probably the closest thing he had to family too.

And now, like the rest of his family, Clay was taken away from him too.

But he doesn't know about Trucy or Thalassa, his sister and mother. I gripped the jacket in my lap with a frown. I guess it makes sense as to why Apollo let his emotions get the better of him. I couldn't imagine the pain, emotionally, he was going through.

"Is he a witness?" Trucy asked, leaning around me to look at Athena and motioning to the man who just left. Athena nodded.

"Yeah. He was one of the first to discover Clay's body," she explained.

"Ah."

Just then, a doctor came out and looked around. "Are you guys here for Mr. Justice?" he asked. I stood yet again.

"Yes. Is he okay?" I demanded. The doctor nodded.

"Yes. We have him stabilized, but he took on some pretty severe bruising all over his back, and second degree burns on his arms when he got caught in that explosion. He will survive and recover, but he's going to need a lot of bed rest," the man explained. I relaxed, and heard sighs of relief from the girls behind me as well.

"Can we go see him?" Trucy demanded. The doctor smiled.

"He's not awake yet, but sure," he said, leading the three of us. I turned, glancing at the seats to make sure we had everything, when someone caught my eye.

Thalassa Gramarye, wearing a simple white dress and that familiar, large bracelet. She had a frantic look on her face as she searched the room.

"Go on ahead," I told the others. "I'll be there soon."

"Well, okay," they said. I waited until they were gone before going over to the woman, crossing my arms.

"Mrs. Gramarye," I said. I don't know if it was my realization at the emotional pain Apollo is going through, or the protectiveness I felt over Trucy and Apollo, or both, but I was suddenly very angry at the woman in front of me.

"Mr. Wright!" she gasped. "I came as soon as I heard. Apollo, is he okay?" she demanded.

"He's okay. Injured, but he'll recover."

"I want to see him." Thalassa went to follow Trucy, Athena, and the doctor back into the room, but I sidestepped into her path. "What are you…?"

"A year."

"What?"

"It's been a year since your memories came back, Thalassa. You said you'd tell Trucy and Apollo, and it's been a year, but you haven't. Why?" I demanded.

"I just… there hasn't been a good time," she said.

"So you think now is?"

"No! I just… my son is injured. I want to see him," Thalassa said, her blue eyes widening.

"Don't you think he and Trucy might question as to why the famous Borginian singer they met once during a case is now visiting him in the hospital?" I pointed out. Thalassa bit her lip before looking up at me.

"Then I'll tell them today."

"Out of the question," I replied. Thalassa looked at me, now thoroughly confused. I continued before she could say anything. "Apollo has thought that his mother was dead for most of his life, Thalassa. And now, the trial he was in was for the murder of his best friend and the only family he had for years. As far as he's concerned now, he has no family left."

"But he does! Me and Trucy," Thalassa objected.

"You're right. He does. But he doesn't know this!" I pointed out. "So if you come in, and tell him you're his mother, with the emotional state he's in now, the fact that you abandoned him is all that'll stick in his mind, not that you abandoned him because your father made you," I finished. Thalassa's eyes widened at this, and she looked away.

"I didn't abandon-"

"Yes, you did." I took a deep breath to calm myself and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Just give it two weeks. Once Clay's killer is caught, Apollo will be able to find closure and will be able to grieve him properly. Then tell them."

I dropped my hand and turned, heading towards the door, before realizing something. "But Thalassa?" I turned.

"Yes?" she asked, looking up.

"I'm not going to let this go on for another year. If you don't tell them within the next two months, I will."

Without waiting for a reply, I walked into back, quickly finding Apollo's room, where he still slept. His usually gel-filled hair was messy. I could see bandages peeking out from under the hospital gown at his neck, and his arms, hands, and fingers were covered in bandages, no doubt to protect the burns. He also had a bandage covering his right eye, but he had had that before the explosion.

Sitting on his nightstand was the bracelet that matched the one Thalassa wore. Athena and Trucy sat in chairs at the side of his bed. Both looked up when I walked in.

"Everything okay, Boss?" Athena asked. I nodded, walking over to the bed and spreading Clay's jacket over Apollo like a second blanket, looking down at the young man's face. I hadn't realized before, but in the year that Apollo's been working for the Wright Anything Agency, I'd come to see him the same way I saw Trucy, even if he hated me in the beginning.

"Everything's fine, Athena," I said softly, pulling up a third chair to the side of Apollo's bed, wrapping an arm around Trucy. "Just fine."

…

A/N: Aaaaaaaand… as we all know, Apollo's up the next morning to defend Juniper Woods (even if he passes out before the trial even starts).

Well, will Thalassa tell them or will Phoenix have to? Who knows!

I guess it's always kind of bothered me that Thalassa basically abandoned Apollo. I know it was probably because Magnifi made her, and he was a straight up ass, but it still bothers me. And I feel like it would bother Phoenix too, once he had time to actually think about it (and once his morals weren't as loose as they were in Apollo Justice).

Also, I seriously feel like Phoenix has some paternal feelings towards Apollo…