Risenfromash: I want to clarify something so no one thinks I'm whacked. In this story Apollo and Trucy do not yet know their special relationship. Hopefully, that says what I need to say without being a huge spoiler to someone who hasn't finished the Apollo Justice game and don't worry we will be getting to Santa real soon…

My apologies somehow when I uploaded this I got the rough drafts of the next few chapters tacked onto it. Teach me to forget to check after uploading…anyways, so sorry about that.

CHAPTER 3- A Man's Needs

When Trucy and Apollo got back home they found the door to the office was unlocked but Ema appeared to have left. Apollo wandered around calling Ema's name in case she was in the bathroom or inside a cupboard hoping to find more elusive packages of Snackoos, but when he received no response, he shrugged.

"I guess she left," he said, returning to the living room.

"Sorry! You poor thing! I'll make sure not to interrupt next time," Trucy teased with her signature tip of the hat and wink.

Apollo groaned. This was going to be awful. She was going to tease him all the time now and who knew how she'd act when Ema was around and he was genuinely trying to concentrate on getting some work done.

"And, Polly, don't worry about being honest. You can lie to her as much as you need to. It doesn't bother me."

Sighing, Apollo mumbled to himself how nothing Trucy believed or said ever seemed to make any sense, which he might understand had she been a Wright by genetics.

"I know it may seem strange to you, considering today's events, but, in actuality, I don't think lying to a girl…er…woman is the proper way to start off a relationship. I was just…trying to be supportive, I guess."

"Well, you just keep it up. I want nieces…or nephews."

The young defense attorney could have pointed out that since he and Trucy weren't actually brother and sister that she would have to be especially nice to him if she wished his offspring to honor her with the title of "auntie," but he was too disturbed by Trucy's assertion that if he went on a date with someone he was automatically going to impregnant his companion. He hoped that this was just some kind of overexerburance on her part and that she didn't actually believe things worked that way, but knowing Mr. Wright's parenting style Apollo considered it highly possible that Trucy had not yet had "the talk." He made a mental note to verify with Mr. Wright that someone had discussed the birds and the bees with Trucy while at the same time doing everything in his power to ensure Mr. Wright didn't saddle him with the job. He had learned a thing or two since moving in.

"So, tell me your plan to woo her…and you better have a plan, Polly. Because you have competition and Daddy says you should always have a plan."

Apollo snorted, "Your dad bluffs his way through everything. I've never seen a man with less of a plan!"

"I know," the magician giggled. "He's not very good at following his own advice. You know Daddy."

"Speaking of which, where is your dad?"

"Away on another secret mission, I guess."

"I thought those would have stopped after I proved he didn't really forge anything."

Crossing towards the kitchen to make the hot cocoa she had promised him, Trucy answered, "Well, sometimes I think they aren't all business meetings…I've got the suspicion that some of his secret missions may be more social in nature."

Apollo glanced at Trucy. "Really? You think he has a girlfriend?"

"Maybe. I dunno."

"Doesn't it bother you that he won't tell you?"

"Not really. I think he's testing my detection skills. Besides, he is my Daddy, but he's also a man so he deserves some privacy."

"What about me then? Don't I deserve some privacy?"

Trucy's laugh could be heard reverberating throughout the apartment.

"Of course not, Polly! You can't do this by yourself! You're wonderful, but I'm the only girl who thinks so."

Apollo sighed and sat down on the couch. He felt like crawling under it and hiding. "Thanks, Truce. I really needed that vote of confidence right now. How 'bout you just go right on and compare me to Klavier while you're at it."

Trucy popped out from around the corner of the kitchen.

"Oh, Polly! You're so much better than Klavier."

Apollo lifted his eyebrow and stared at Trucy. Her statement didn't have the air of lip service about it. Therefore, it roused his curiosity.

"Oh? How so?"

"You're honest."

"Klavier is honest. He's not like his brother. He just got caught up in stuff he didn't understand."

Trucy grinned. "You're smarter."

"I'm less distracted. I don't have two careers."

"Which is good because it means you can devote more time to pampering her!"

Apollo's face scrunched up involuntarily. He couldn't imagine getting close enough to Ema to "pamper" her, whatever that might mean. He couldn't even imagine kissing her without feeling the imaginary sting of a slap on the face afterward.

"I mean, sure, Klavier is incredibly dreamy and famous and rich-"

"Do you think she likes me at all?" Apollo whined.

"Hhhhhmmmm. I don't know. It may never have crossed her mind. I don't think she thinks like that."

"I'm sure she doesn't," he grumbled.

"But don't worry, Polly, we'll make her see you for the sexy beast that you are," Trucy shouted from the kitchen.

"Oh, God! Trucy, I love you, but I do not need your help on this, ok? I'll be fine on my own. I'm fine. Just fine."

Apollo heard Trucy murmur something that sounded like a placating response and he threw himself down on the couch. He was screwed. Trucy, bless her little heart, would somehow make this ten times worse for him and she was sure to tell her father and Apollo could only imagine what Phoenix would say about Apollo having a crush on his old friend.

He rubbed his face in his hands, desperately wishing he could remove that part of his brain that desired to make Ema happy. He tried to convince himself that she was undoubtedly chemically imbalanced and that no matter what he did he would never be able to please her, but he couldn't shake his desire to be with her. It made him upset to think about how futile it would be to try to get her to go out with him and as he mulled it over he got more and more grouchy, until he realized that part of his problem was that he was uncomfortable. He was laying on something.

Assuming it was part of one of Trucy's magic tricks he reached behind him and pulled the object without looking at it ready to automatically chuck it onto the floor as he had to do so often with her plastic chickens, foam bunnies, and collapsing hats, but to his surprise the article that had been poking him in the back didn't have anything to do with Trucy's act. It was the file folder that Ema had tossed on the couch as she had raided their provisions.

When Trucy walked back into the room carrying a tray with two cups of steaming hot cocoa she found Apollo sitting up on the couch deeply engrossed in something in a manilla file folder.

"What's that, Polly?"

"It's about our next case. The state vs. Kris Kringle."