Chapter Four: The Better Place (The Judge)

Time: A few days after Apollo's funeral

Location: Judge's chambers

Up until a little less than a month ago, the elderly, bearded gentleman would have relished a trial at a healthy volume level.

If you asked him today, he probably would answer the exact opposite.

The judge was no stranger to loud voices. After all, he had reared a family of his own, and he had grandchildren. Not to mention that the typical defense attorneys and prosecutors weren't very quiet, with their constant yells of "Objection!" hollered back and forth. But the late young Apollo Justice had been in a league of his own.

Today was another trial like any other, with Phoenix Wright at the defense's bench. Right now, court was in recess for twenty minutes, as Winston Payne was trying (and failing) to keep the blame on the defendant instead of the witness, whom Mr. Wright had expertly implicated as the true culprit. Maybe Payne would pull through, but the judge doubted it. Wright had an uncanny way of seeing the truth. If he indicated that Whit Ness was guilty, then Whit Ness was probably guilty.

The judge couldn't help but notice that the defense attorney was decidedly less enthusiastic than usual, as was his daughter who was serving as his co-counsel for the day. He sighed. The poor man. The judge knew that Apollo Justice was as good as a son to Wright. He knew that if one of his children had been taken from him, he would have been devastated. Not to mention Justice had just been buried. And yet Wright was still fighting tooth and nail for his clients. That is an admirable trait, the judge mused.

The judge allowed himself a brief moment to reflect upon when he had first met the defense attorney. He had been surprised, of course, as he had been expecting Kristoph Gavin alone. Instead, he had brought a greenhorn with him. The judge didn't know what to think at the time; he wasn't sure what stood out more, the excessively loud voice or the crazy hair. Still, he did feel a slight twinge of envy every time he looked at that hair. The judge himself hadn't had any hair for the past thirty years.

Slowly, but surely, Justice had begun to prove himself, though, even though he had needed some guidance at first. Then again, who didn't? That eyesight of his was something else. The judge still had no idea how it worked. And sure, maybe he was a bit less respectful towards his elders than he should be, but he was, after all, young, and his concern for his clients was the genuine article.

The judge felt a twinge of sadness. It was true; at some point, he had begun considering the young attorney a friend of sorts. A very loud friend with an ego to match and about one third his age, yes, but a friend nonetheless. And he had just found love, he thought sadly. The judge was not a blind man. He had, after all, fallen in love himself once, and seen it happen to his children. He had had a hunch about what was going on between Justice and Cykes long before even they had suspected it. He had discussed it, and exchanged several chuckles about it, with Wright on a few occasions over lunch. From what he had heard, Cykes had taken a leave of absence after the funeral, saying she needed some time to think things over. He hadn't seen her since. I hope she's alright, the judge thought.

There was a knock on the door and it creaked open. "Your Honor?" A bailiff peaked into the room. "It's almost time to reconvene."

The judge nodded, and with a short sigh, rose to return to the courtroom. Then pain exploded in his chest. Every breath felt like his chest was constricted with iron bands, and darkness was eating at the corner of his eyes. He fell to his knees, and his eyes widened. It can't be...

Then he collapsed on the floor. He heard footsteps, heard the bailiff screaming for someone to call an ambulance, and the last thing he heard was the bailiff's plea for him to stay with him, just stay with him...

A few weeks later

It was a clear, sunny, beautiful day.

The two small children held their mother's hands as their uncle lowered the urn into the grave. Their granduncle was hugging their crying grandmother.

"Mommy?" the girl piped up. "Where did you say grandpa went?"

Ariel Chambers forced a smile at her daughter. "To a better place, sweetie", she said through the lump in her throat. "To a better place."

Turning from the grave, Aaron put an arm around Ariel. The ceremony was over. The family left silently, leaving the white marble gravestone behind them.

His Honor

Justus Chambers

1953-2028

Author's note: I'm sorry! *dives for cover*

This wasn't what I had in mind when I started writing this chapter. It just came to me, and I decided to fly with it.

Also, not-quite-so-random family name. I haven't played through Turnabout Substitution.

Well, that's it for now.