Chapter 4

We had a full day. I barely had a minute to put my things down in the sleeping room when Maya and Pearl dragged me off into the wilderness. They had given me at least enough time to change out of my suit. I put on instead a simple pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt. Boring, I know, but it suits me fine.

They took me fishing, wading in the creeks and on many of the hiking trails. I had to admit it was fun, probably the most fun I'd had in years. The last time I even ventured into the depths of the great outdoors like this was when I was a Boy Scout.

"Nick . . ."

"Hm?"

"You're standing in poison ivy."

So much for being a Boy Scout . . .

Twilight had come before I even knew it and we headed back to the Fey complex.

Dinner was a simple but satisfying traditional meal served and by the household servants. Now I understood why Maya always had such a craving for burgers when she was with me in the city. She could not get them here.

The Fey's steward came to greet us and be introduced to me. I had wondered who was taking care of everything with Maya's aunt incarcerated.

The steward was an older woman who looked about seventy years of age. She did not wear a channeling costume but a traditional kimono with her white hair back in a pompadour.

"We are very honored to have your staying with us again, sir. I hope your first visit here and that dreadful scandal which came into our halls did not mar your opinion of this place."

"Not at all, Mrs. Furokawa."

"Given you a tour of our extensive gardens?"

"No, she hasn't."

"I forgot all about that!" Maya gasped. "I'll show you after dinner, okay?"

"Sure."

"I wanna go, too!" Pearl cried petulantly, not wanting to miss the romantic scene that, to her mind, would inevitably unfold there.

"I'm afraid not, Mystic Pearl, it is now your bed time," Mrs. Furokawa said firmly.

"She's right Pearly," Maya joined.

"I'll only go to bed if you promise to tell me all about it in the morning."

"There will be nothing to tell," I assured her as I patted the little psychic's head. "We'll see a few bridges and weeping willows then we'll be back inside."

"It will be romantic, whether you want it to or not!" Pearl called over her shoulder as a servant led her away to get ready for bed.

I think I successfully stifled a blush.

Maya and steward coaxed me into wearing a sleeping kimono instead of my normal pajamas. Maya also changed into one as well. We donned our outer robes and stepped out into the first courtyard.

The air was fresh with the scent of pine needles from the carefully sculpted bonsai trees. The delicate sound of flowing water reached my ears. I felt almost as if my muscles were relaxing, one-by-one. I let out an involuntary sigh.

"Peaceful, isn't it?" was Maya quiet inquiry.

"Yes."

"Relaxed?"

"Very."

I closed my eyes and breathed in deep again the calming fragrance of the garden. When I opened them I saw that Maya had gone to sit down on a nearby bench situated by one of the pine trees. I followed and sat down beside her. The bench was fashioned out of stone, but surprisingly comfortable.

We sat in silence for a minute listening to the crickets chirp and watching the fireflies float about us.

Now was as good a time as ever.

"Maya, I received some left out evidence from the last case from Edgeworth yesterday which I had been meaning to ask you about."

The young woman turned to me, her eyes lit up with curiosity that was visible even in darkness. I couldn't help but give a little smile. I pulled out the card from my sleeve and showed it to her.

Maya jumped and snatched the card out of my hand. I could see her blush even in the dim light. She tucked the card into her sleeve and turned her face away from me.

"There's nothing to be ashamed about!" I hastily insisted. "It's a really good likeness!"

I heard a small sound emit from Maya, something like a hiccup. I gently turned her face towards me. I was taken aback when I saw that tears stood in her eyes.

"I thought I would never see you again," her head bowed under the weight of the sob she was trying to hold back. "So, I drew a picture of you on the only paper that was available. 'There,' I had thought, 'I can see him one more time.'"

I was about to move to put a comforting arm around her shoulder when she abruptly got up and walked swiftly the in the direction complex

I rose and followed her just as fast.

"Maya, wait!"

She stopped so promptly that I almost ran into her. For some reason I had expected her to keep walking. "There's more to this. You're not just embarrassed by what you think is a bad drawing, which it isn't."

"I don't think it's a bad drawing, either." She said with a small smile to me from over her shoulder.

"It's . . ."

"What?"

"I'm afraid it . . ."

Afraid?

Stepped around her so I could see her face, immediately full of concern.

"I can't! It would ruin our friendship, Nick!" She suddenly burst out and turned away from me again."

"What? The drawing?"

"No! Nick . . ." Maya gave a long-suffering sigh. "Sometimes you are just so dense!"

I'm dense?

"But, that's what I love about you," she said it so quietly and tenderly that it caused me to start. I then saw she had clamped a hand over her mouth. She abruptly turned back to the house once more.

"Maya, you—"

"Just forget it, Nick!"

I reached out and grabbing her hand, I pulled her to me. Putting both hands on her shoulders I looked at her lovely, tear-streaked face. She looked tired and resigned.

"You couldn't possibly ever . . . I'm just the girl who tags along . . . I know you could never feel that way about me . . ." She was muttering half to herself and half to me, I think. "Who am I kidding?"

"No one but yourself," I said quietly. She had not noticed, nor had I really, but as she had been talking, my face kept lowering and to hers by degrees. When I spoke, she looked up with surprise and found my lips scant inches away from her own.

To this day I'm not sure who moved forward to close the gap first but, nonetheless, the gap was closed.

"I love you."

The End

A/N: I leave it up to your imagination who said the last three words.