Following her release from the hospital, Edgeworth paid the fees and offered her a place at his residence while they sorted things out. Everything was still unclear, whether or not Phoenix had died or if he was alive. When Maya told Edgeworth she was pregnant, he forced her to take his offer. "We will find him, no matter what it takes," Those were his words, and he kept them.

During the next few weeks, he had offered to let her help his prosecution of a few felons. Maya accepted, needing to get out of the house, out of her head, away from her thoughts. Edgeworth smiled. "Thank you, by the way.." She spoke softly, unlike her usual pep. "For everything.." Edgeworth patted her head and lead her to the car. "Do you know if the baby is a boy or girl yet?" He had been paying for everything. Food, doctor visits, therapy, and even a private investigator to find Phoenix. If Maya ever doubted that Edgeworth cared, this broke any last shred of it. Maya shook her head. "They can't tell yet, I guess.." Sensitive subject. Maya's abilities grew weak after her hospitalization, and she hadn't been able to contact Mia at all.

As they entered the courthouse, Maya was offered a chair and happily took it behind the prosecution bench. The judge noticed immediately. "Oh, Ms. Maya, Why are you with the prosecution today?" Edgeworth stepped in before she could say anything. "I offered for her to join me today." The Judge nodded, and the defense was surprised. She looked over the evidence. "Have you shared all of this with the defense?" Edgeworth nodded, but Maya still doubted him.

The trial was a breeze, with a guilty verdict falling upon the defendant, accused of stealing over $1000 worth of car parts from his employer. To her surprise, Edgeworth hadn't lied. The defense and prosecution both had the same evidence. The ride home was, to say the least, happier than the drive there. The trial really helped her take her mind off of.. And now it was ruined. Maya tried playing a thumb war with herself to keep her emotions at bay.

Edgeworth surprised her again, a few days later, when he brought home a small puppy. "Oh my gosh Miles!" Maya jumped up and down, hugging the small dog. Edgeworth smiled. "I figured you could use some companionship, besides your goldfish, and he was in a box all alone." Maya stroked the dog softly, and Edgeworth continued. "We have a new lead on finding Wright." Maya's eyes lit up, but still panged with sadness. "Are you sure he's alive..?" Edgeworth shook his head. "We're not sure of that yet, but.. we found ransom notes and threats in the loft above the office." Maya looked concerned, and he nodded, continuing, "We have yet to trace the sender, but many of the notes were about you and previous cases. We found one of Shelly De Killer's calling cards stashed in one, delivered on the day he left. We fear he may be trying to escape them." Maya nodded. "I understand.." He noticed that she was still upset at why he would fake his death but not tell her, that is.. if he faked it at all.

"Maya, is there a reason you're not asleep yet?" Franziska entered the room, to find it glaring with lamp light at 3 am. "I just, I can't sleep." Maya said, pulling the blanket further over her head. Franziska sighed, lowering her offensive nature. "We are working very hard to-" She got cut off. "Every time i couldn't sleep, I'd just knock and enter, and he always made room for me. No matter how late or if I woke him up pointlessly at night, he was always there. Through nightmares or even if i just wanted to not be alone.. my room was mostly pointless, y'know? It was more or less just storage or if we got into an argument.." Maya trailed off, blabbering to herself. Franziska put a hand on her shoulder. "Is that why the mutt is around?" "Yes, Miles found him, and brought him back." She smiled, and Maya never saw her smile before, at least, not genuinely. "What's his name?" What a good question.. Please don't judge me for this.. "I.. I uh. I kinda named him Griffon.." The pup jumped up onto the bed happily upon hearing his name. "Ah.. It only makes sense, you had to fill the void with another mythical creature." Maya smiled, she wasn't being judged here. It's hard to believe that prosecutors who've tried to call you a murderer before could be kind.

When Edgeworth was out being a prosecutor and didn't need her help, Maya found herself doing small chores like she would around the office and lofts. Cleaning the tables, dusting the shelves to make it look like they've had clients recently.. It took her back to when she first decided to stay there, and it took Edgeworth by surprise. He was used to maintaining everything himself, but now someone else was helping him out.

Maya burst into Edgeworth's home office, crying but smiling. "I have good news Miles!" He looked up at her, confused. "Nick is still alive!" His eyes went wide. "How do you know?!" "I tried to channel him, but I couldn't. I then saw my sister standing by a sign.. I don't think I've ever seen it before, but.. It was a town!" Edgeworth frantically wrote everything down, ensuring to not miss a beat. "What did it say?!" "Rhoatzin, i think.." Miles quickly dialed Gumshoe and told him everything, with Maya to verify.

"You just hold on Maya! We'll get him back asap!"

Phoenix found himself in an unfamiliar town. The fall didn't kill him like he had hoped, but the river washed him away so quickly he couldn't fight it. This little town was open to him, they listened to why he was found half dead on the banks, and why when asked for his name or profession, he couldn't tell them. He just had to lay low. He had no idea of how anyone else was doing, but he needed to trust that they were going to be fine. He could return once it all blew over..

The silence didn't stay long, though. Investigators found the town quickly and he had to move. They asked no questions as he left, but he heard some of the detectives and Gumshoe mentioning Maya.. that she was in therapy. "If only I had really died, I wouldn't have this guilt..."

He slinked away into the night again. The weight of not only Mia's death, but Misty Fey's was also on his conscience. Now Maya, he hurt her again, and he didn't think she would ever forgive him.

The dream he had while unconcious in the river stung more than any word.

"Phoenix.." Its started off with Mia hugging him, pleading to know why. "The cards, the ransoms.." He told her everything. From De Killer to the people saying they'd kidnap her to get back at him, and Mia understood. "You thought dying was the only way out.." He nodded, burying his head in his hands. "It wasn't selfish, you just wanted the best for her, for her protection even after, you knew someone would help her. But now, you left behind not one, but two people who need you more than anything." She spoke softly, not coldly. No matter the tone, Phoenix took this harder than a pile of bricks. "What do you mean two?!" But Mia just smiled sadly, and faded away.

Running from the cops was far from a good idea, but it had to be done. He found himself alone again, hiding off of the coast line a few miles away from the other town. He wished he could just call her, but that would be a death sentence to finding him. He wanted to ask so many questions, why Mia said two, how she was doing, anything. The few weeks were tough. The gloomy clouds never seemed to part anymore, they followed him wherever he went. He kept watch, he knew that police would soon try and find him even more.

The light was all he craved, whether it be a smile or the flame from flint, ignigting the embodiment of tar and death.

Maya was growing weaker, her powers were slowly fading again. Her training couldn't be stopped. She had to devise a plan, somehow, she needed to contact anyone. Mia, Dhalia, Mother, anyone she could talk to to ease her mind about him. Edgeworth kept a good watch on her, always. Be it in trials or just lounging at home. He had to keep his word to his best friend, and she knew he wouldn't let her visit Kurain, or the temple. Running away into the night was not an option.

She stared down at her pink cellphone. The stickers had been scratched off in panic and anxiety, only the charm of the Signal Samurai was left. She had taken it from the office, her last reminder of him. She looked at the contacts, seeing the words "Nick" front and center. She could call, but she doubted any electronic survived in the river. Her desperation took over her, and she hit dial. The electric static of ringing shocked her out of her bed. It rang, and it rang, and it rang and it rang. The ringing drilled into her skull as she started to panic again. No one picked up, and the voicemail message started "Hi, This is Phoenix Wright, the Defense Attorney. I'll return your call as soon as possible if you leave your name, number, and reason for calling. Thanks!" She gripped the pillow and when the beep was heard, she started sobbing out her words. "Nick, i..i know you may not get this.. but.. I know you're alive. I want to see you again. I'm not mad, I.." she trailed off into tears as the message space ended.

The message didn't go ignored.

It was the sixth week since Nick had left, and the seventh of development of a new life. If Edgeworth, Larry, Gumshoe, or even Franziska had doubted she was pregnant, they knew she was now. Maya was throwing up at least once every day, sometimes up to four times a day. During the trials when she was helping either Von Karma or Edgeworth, a trash bin had to be next to her at all times. Her clumsiness and dizzy spells started to increase. It was only luck she hadn't broken anything in her new home. Pearl had come to visit as well. The younger girl, now approaching 11 years old, knew instantly that Maya was pregnant and became infuriated with Nick, spouting that she would smack him and punch him when she saw him next for abandoning his maiden. Maya tried hard to calm her, but even in her visits she never ceased to be mad. She was too young to be festering anger at all times.

Maya approached Edgeworth with her wish of wanting to return to Kurain or Hazakura Temple for training, but he refused, unless she would let him go with her. Giving up, she agreed. The drive to Hakazura was a calm one, watching the cardinals and titmice eat seeds and bugs. Blue jays and robins fighting over worms, Kites and Hawks diving after prey. But one bird was missing, and that fact kept her awake a night.

Approaching the temple, the spring was littered with flower petals and birdsong, sunlight and the smiles of young animals blessing the landscape. Training could take her mind off of it, she knew it, or at least she could try. Sister Bikini was eager to help, but forbade her from the chamber as she was concerned about the effects the freezing temperature would have on a baby. Maya begrudgingly went with it, and Edgeworth was right there the entire time.

The week passed at Hakazura Temple and Maya had found herself and her powers stronger again. As they were about to leave and withdraw to the city, Sister Bikini stopped them. "Mystic Maya, I have one thing to give you." Maya tilted her head, and kneeled at the empty fire pit. Sister Bikini undid a knot on a pouch and pulled out a necklace with a red pendant attached. "Mr. Phoenix gave me this, He found it back when the crime scene had just happened. It is the ceremonial necklace of the Master of Kurain, your mother wore it for fifteen years, up until her passing." She presented the necklace to Maya, who was crying and thanking her sincerely. As Sister Bikini put it around Maya's neck, she closed her eyes and said with glee, "To the new Master of Kurain, Mystic Maya Fey, your mother would be so proud of you." Any tear that had yet to be shed was released from the flood gates.

At ten weeks in, nine from separation, Maya began to show a small amount. She had thought about this, and had Edgeworth take her back to the lofts to steal some of Nick's larger hoodies and sweaters for when her robes needed washed. The necklace, the symbol of a Master of Kurain, was never taken off. Even in showering or court, she never let it leave her.

As it turns out, for a prosecutor, having a friend and companion in the court who can channel the spirit of anyone is an incredible advantage. Many murder trials were put over the edge due to Maya's abilities and channeling of the deceased. Although he felt like he was using her, as her bubbly demeanor with Phoenix was gone, Maya insisted that she was happy to help. The sky reflected in her eyes was never clear, so he had reason to doubt. He did everything he could to help her, even taking the batteries out of that cursed robot when it kept repeating Phoenix's message to her.

Mia was a frequent visitor, with Maya often channeling her out of despair for any news. The search for Phoenix was never running dry with a spirit who knew where he was constantly. But every lead they had, by the time Mia was gone, it seemed Phoenix was gone too. Like a phantom, he always avoided detection. Edgeworth knew the continual search was putting a strain on Maya, with each passing day it seemed like they would never bring him back. The only comfort she seemed to have was her photo album and her mp3.