A/N: I'd like to give a shout-out to everyone who's reviewed the story so far: TuuPii, risenfromash, and Indochine Ramera. Thank you all so much! :D
Anyway, to the story!
"Miles!"
"…Yes, Franziska?"
A twelve-year-old Franziska pouted up at her "little" brother. "Papa said we should be preparing for the dinner party we'll be attending tomorrow!"
Edgeworth closed his eyes and furrowed his brow. "Franziska, how can I prepare for a dinner party? Practice eating?"
"No, Miles!" Franziska said, exasperated. "It's a dance! We have to know how to dance!"
"…I already know how to." Miles had received instruction in ballroom dancing, as all young gentlemen were expected to know how to dance.
"Yes, but…" Franziska fidgeted, nervously bending her riding crop. "I have not received proper instruction in this…this foolish endeavor! I do not wish to embarrass the von Karma name by not being perfect in it."
Miles stared at her, giving her that all-knowing smile that made her grind her teeth in irritation. "…Are you asking me to teach you how to dance, Franziska?"
Turning her head so that her eyes would not meet his, she mumbled something along the lines of "Yes." Her face grew a pale pink. She wasn't used to asking for the help of others, least of all from her older brother whom she loathed…
"Here." Franziska looked back at Miles to see him extending a hand toward him. He wore a tired smile.
And for the first time, Franziska let herself take the hand that was offered to her.
Franziska von Karma snapped out of her reverie as a voice called out to her, "Hey! Ms. von Karma!" She turned her head to see Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey walking toward her. They both looked very dapper, Phoenix in a tuxedo and Maya abandoning her spirit medium garb for a lilac dress. She nodded curtly toward them.
"Phoenix Wright," she said with a smirk. "I see you decided to show up. Hopefully you won't embarrass yourself."
Phoenix almost smiled; though she seemed to be in lighter spirits, he knew not to provoke her. "Well, thankfully, I had a good teacher."
"Ha! 'Good'? I think you mean 'perfect', Phoenix Wright." Franziska crossed her arms. "I am a perfect teacher, as I am in everything else..."
Phoenix glanced at Maya, who returned a worried look. Franziska's last statement did not sound like her usual boasting, but rather it was as if she was reassuring herself of that fact.
"Well…er…" Phoenix struggled to find words. "You…er…look really nice, Ms. von Karma."
"Yeah!" Maya cheered, nodding her head rapidly. "Really!"
The corners of Franziska's mouth twitched. "…Thank you, Phoenix Wright." She turned slightly, allowing her pale blue dress to swish about her knees. Though she did admire the way she looked, it was displeasing because there was no place to keep her whip. Phoenix noticed this and began to relax slightly.
"So…" he said, casually walking up to her. "Are you waiting for someone?"
"Hm? No! W-why would you think such a foolish thing!"
"…But why are you standing here by yourself?" Franziska's head snapped in his direction. "Er…I mean, why aren't you dancing?" Phoenix backed off.
"Because," said Franziska impatiently. "I have no one I wish to dance with. What a foolish question…"
"Well…" Phoenix looked over his shoulder to Maya, who nodded subtly. "…Would you dance with me?"
"You?" Though she initially appeared shocked, Franziska smiled; Phoenix wasn't sure if that was good or bad. "Yes, I shall dance with you, Phoenix Wright." She took his arm as he led her out onto the dance floor.
Edgeworth got out of his sports car and jammed the keys into his pocket. Bloody traffic, he thought resentfully. Just as he was about to enter the building in which the dance was being held, he spotted a horribly familiar face.
"L-Larry?"
Larry turned around and waved. "Hey, Edgey! Man, I almost didn't recognize you without your costume…"
Though he did not mean to show that Larry's comment had gotten to him, Edgeworth self-consciously picked at his tuxedo that had replaced his customary attire, straightening the bow tie and the jacket. "Larry, why are you here?"
"Well, I got dance lessons from Franzy, so I figured I might as well come, right?" Larry gave Edgeworth a crooked smile.
Edgeworth sighed. "That's what I need to talk to you about."
"Huh?"
"Larry, there's no indirect way of asking this so…" Edgeworth inhaled and exhaled, bracing himself. "What do you think you're trying to pull with Franziska?"
"Wh-what do you mean, Edgey?"
"You know very well what I mean!" Edgeworth's voice began to rise in his temper. "She doesn't need someone like..like…"
"'Someone like' me? What the heck's that supposed to mean?" Larry shouted back. "Look man, don't you think I deserve a chance with one hot girl? And if she thinks I'm cool, too, what gives you the right to say anything against it?"
"Because she-!" Stopping himself before starting a scene, Edgeworth paused. The same nagging thought prodded the back of his head. Because she's mine! He shook his head "…Larry." He stared at Larry seriously. "I've…known Franziska for a long time, and it's just…based on the way your past relationships have gone…I don't want to see her…"
"Hey, man, don't worry about it!" Suddenly, Larry was back to his smiling self. "I'll treat her right, you'll see!" He gave Edgeworth a thumbs-up.
Though what he had wanted to say had not gotten across, Edgeworth resigned himself to this defeat. "…I see." The two of them proceeded to enter the building.
Franziska leaned against the wall of her father's associate's ballroom. Scowling, she observed the guests around her. All older people; the youngest were in their mid to late thirties. Except for her and…
She looked around. There was no sign of him. Miles was nowhere in sight. She folded her arms and found a chair to sit upon. She even wore a dress for the occasion; she hadn't done so in years, but this one was different. Even Miles told her that it looked nice.
She waited. And waited.
…and waited…
"Wake up, Franziska." Manfred von Karma's voice resonated through her ears, and Franziska sat up immediately. She must have dozed off. "Y-yes, Papa!" He frowned. "We are leaving now."
Franziska looked around. The room was much more empty then it had been before. A few people lingered here and there. But no sign of him. "Papa, where is Miles Edgeworth?"
"Edgeworth?" Manfred said the name with the same disgust that he always had for his apprentice. "He never came; he had work to do." He began to walk away. "Come."
Obediently following her father, Franziska continued, "Wh-what sort of work, Papa?"
"Organizing his flight back to America to join the prosecutor's office," her father replied with indifference. "For he passed his Bar exams already." He stopped his sentence at that, but Franziska could feel the unspoken continuation. "Unlike you."
"…Franziska?"
Franziska returned her thoughts to the present. "…Yes, Phoenix Wright?"
As the song ended, Phoenix let go of his dancing partner. "Er…nothing. You just seemed sort of distracted."
"I'm fine!" she snapped. Unsure of what to do, Phoenix gave her a small smile. "Good. Uh, may I escort you back?"
"Yes, of course." Still slightly lost in her thoughts, Franziska took Phoenix's arm and walked back to where she had been standing previously. As they walked, Franziska turned her head toward the opening door, where she saw Larry Butz, followed by…
Miles Edgeworth. In an attempt to appear confident, Franziska flashed Edgeworth a sly smirk, and turned her head up.
"H-hey! Franzy!" Larry rushed toward her and Phoenix. "Oh, hey, Larry!" responded Phoenix, who seemed surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, you know. Hangin' out." Larry turned to Franziska. "So, Franzy!"
Franziska gave him a small curtsey. "Mr. Deauxnim."
"Do you…wanna dance with me?"
Franziska peered over Larry's shoulder to see Miles Edgeworth. She looked at Larry and smiled. "Of course." She nodded toward Phoenix, who released his arm.
Looking very content, Franziska and Larry walked onto the dance floor.
"Hey, Edgeworth! Geez, it took you long enough…" Phoenix grinned. "Get cold feet?"
"Of course not!" Edgeworth snapped.
"…" Phoenix and Maya sensed that he was upset about something. "Um…Mr. Edgeworth?" Maya poked his arm. "Would you…like to dance?"
"Me? Didn't you come with Wright?"
"It's cool, Edgeworth." Phoenix waved his hand nonchalantly. "I just finished dancing with Fra—"
"Yes, yes, I saw," Edgeworth said quickly. He mustered a smile. "May I have this dance, Ms. Fey?"
Beaming, Maya nodded as Edgeworth led her to the dance floor.
"So…Mr. Edgeworth…what's wrong?"
Edgeworth, who had been staring across the room, looked down at the spirit medium before him. Even this girl, whom Edgeworth had always suspected to be slightly air-headed, could sense his unease. Edgeworth sighed and tried to make himself look less irritated. "My apologies. I was just…distracted. That's all."
"Uh-huh…" Maya looked over her shoulder, then back at Edgeworth. "You were looking at Larry and Miss von Karma, weren't you?"
"I- er, no…that is…" Edgeworth stuttered in his surprise. Beneath her light-hearted surface, this girl is terribly perceptive.
"Mr. Edgeworth, did you and Miss von Karma fight or something?" Her eyes gazed into his. "You both seem rather…distracted."
"Er…no, I…"
"And you both used that word," Maya continued. "'Distracted'."
"…"
"Come on, Mr. Edgeworth! Who do you think gave Nick the magatama? I can tell when you're hiding something, too!" Maya continued to look at him seriously. "What's wrong?"
"Hm." Edgeworth closed his eyes and smiled bitterly. "It's nothing I don't deserve, I assure you."
"But Mr. Edgeworth!"
"Really, it's fine."
Maya grew silent, though she looked as though she was deep in thought. Edgeworth sighed. "Please, Maya, don't think too much of it. It's my problem, not yours."
"But Mr. Edgeworth!" exclaimed Maya, surprised. "I thought we were friends!" She squeezed his hand. "When something's wrong with one of us, it's up to the rest of us to help you out!"
"…I suppose…we are, aren't we?" Edgeworth paused to spin Maya in a circle. "…But it's really not very important. Just a trifling matter."
As the song began to slow to a halt, Maya peered over her shoulder to see that Larry and Franziska walking back to the area where Phoenix was standing. She immediately pulled Edgeworth's arm and began running toward them.
"H-hey, Maya, what are you-?" Edgeworth, being forced along by this petite girl, had no choice but to try to keep up with her. It was either that or lose an arm.
"Ms. von Karma!" Maya waved to her. "Mr. Edgeworth wants to dance with you!"
Franziska froze as she watched the two make their way toward them. She smirked, but made no response. As Maya and Edgeworth reached her, Maya shoved Edgeworth toward Franziska. "Off you go, now!"
"Maya, I—" Clearly uncomfortable, Edgeworth looked between Maya and Franziska. Franziska stared at him, her arms folded, an almost expecting look in her eyes. "…Yes, Miles Edgeworth?"
Edgeworth hesitantly bowed. He couldn't refuse a lady, even though it was Franziska. "May I…have this dance?"
