(-- --)

Chapter 4

The Edgeworths

(April 6, 2043, Monday)

What shocked everyone was that Richard Edgeworth and Luna Marshall were in the principal's office for fighting in the hallways.

Richard was so laid back and level headed, that no one would expect him to start a fight. Luna was so sweet and adamantly avoided any drama, so no one would expect her to punch someone in the face. But as they sat in the principal's office, listening to the principal and the dean lecture on the proper behavior for handling a confrontation, they showed no signs of regret. If there was a reason as to why Richard and Luna were fighting, there was one. Richard's was nobler than Luna's, however.

It all started about twenty minutes ago in the hallway. School had just ended, and students were socializing in the hallways. Richard and Luna were among them. Richard was at his locker waiting for the twins to arrive so he could drive them home. Luna was passing by and started up a conversation. About five minutes into their chat, they overheard a couple of junior guys talking pretty loudly around the corner.

"Hey, have you ever seen that freshman girl? Gavin's her name."

"Dude, there are two Gavin girls."

"Yeah, but they look the same. They're pretty hot, dontcha think?"

"Not bad to look at. They're only fresh meat. They'll fill out soon enough."

"What's the name of the younger twin? Y'know, the one that's super smart."

"Tch, I dunno."

"Bet she's a freak in bed."

"I hear ya. All those nerdy girls are all the same. They may look quiet, but they gotta be freaks in bed."

"I wouldn't mind havin' a go at her."

Richard clenched his fist. He moved to confront the guys when Luna grabbed him by his uniform jacket and pulled him back.

"Don't Richard! It's not worth it!" she whispered fiercely.

Luna trembled slightly when Richard glowered down at her. He was just as frightening as his father when angered.

"Do you not hear them?!" he demanded. "They're talking about your cousins!"

"I know that! But those morons over there would never be able to lay a finger on them! The twins are both smarter than that! You know that they would never look twice at pigs like them!"

Luna didn't blame Richard for getting pissed off. Hell, she was pretty pissed herself. Richard thought of the twins like little sisters. They grew up together and from the closeness of their family, they were just as good as siblings. Those guys were talking about the twins with disrespect. They couldn't even remember their names. Lotte and Lisa were not sluts at their school. They didn't wear short skirts and unbutton their shirts to the point where their breasts were showing. They were in no way tools to inflate the egos of sex crazy boys who couldn't even control their hormones.

"If she's a real freak in bed, then maybe she's let us have a go at her at the same time," said one of the guys.

Richard cursed and tore off Luna's hands from his jacket. He rushed around the corner and tackled one of the guys to the ground and began throwing punches at him. The whole hallway erupted into screams as they all gathered around. "Fight! Fight!" they yelled. The guy's friend laughed and watched while Luna tried to pull Richard off. It was no easy task. Richard was much taller and more built than her.

When Luna finally pulled him off, Richard was panting. He pointed to the guy on the ground. "Don't you fucking dare touch Lotte and Lisa, you hear me?!" yelled Richard.

"Let it go, Richard!" said Luna. "Come on."

They were about to push past the crowd when the guy's friend drawled, "Well, if it ain't Luna Marshall! I wouldn't mind havin' a go at you, too."

Luna whirled around furiously and without a second thought, she punched the guy in the face. With no one to restrain him, Richard jumped back into the fight. The students around them became rowdy again, cheering and urging on the fight until teachers came in to break it up.

And that is how Richard and Luna ended up in the principal's office with bruised knuckles.

"--I don't understand why kids have to use their fists to solve their problems! You go to a teacher if you have a conflict!" lectured the principal.

Richard sat up, his face bored. "Ooh, yeah, because that really helps – tattling. "Oh teacher, someone was talking shit about my friends and disrespecting them! Please go out and take care of it because I obviously can't fight my own battles!"" He scoffed. "Are we done here?"

"No, we are not, Mr. Edgeworth. Stay seated. This is a very serious offense!"

"Miss Marshall, I'm ashamed of you," added the dean. "I never expected you would be brawling in the halls!"

"We had a perfectly good reason for--" began Luna.

"And I'm sure it was very noble," interrupted the dean. "But it doesn't change the fact that you were fighting in school!"

"Can you just give me my punishment?" asked Richard. "I'm sick of hearing you preach."

The principal opened his mouth to say something when there was a knock at the door. The secretary came in. "Sir, Mr. and Mrs. Edgeworth and Mr. Marshall are here."

Luna smirked. If it was her father, she wouldn't have to worry about being lectured by him. (Although she knew that would be yelled at once her mother got home.) She glanced at Richard who still held the same indifferent look in his face.

"Send them in."

Edgeworth, Franziska, and Jake came into the office. Richard could see the way his father's eyes were gleaming dangerously, just like the way they used to whenever he did something wrong as a kid. His mother was absolutely fuming, but she kept quiet. He was certain that once they were alone, she would start yelling at him in German and English. "Fool" would definitely be abused throughout her speech. Richard secretly wished his parents would be more like Jake. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, and he was whistling. Richard knew that Jake wouldn't yell at his daughter. He would probably laugh and ask how the fight went. Phoenix would do the same.

"I assume you know what happened?" asked the principal.

"Yes," answered Franziska through gritted teeth.

"I've decided that Luna and Richard will be suspended from school for three days. Then they will serve morning and afternoon detentions for the rest of the week," replied the principal. "You're excused."

Luna rolled her eyes as she got up. Sure enough, her father put an arm around his daughter's shoulders and laughed. "All right, Bambina. Tell me all about it."

"Well, what happened was--"

Richard glanced up at his parents. His mother pointed at the door. "Außerhalb jetzt," she ordered.

The boy got up and strode casually out the door. He expected his mother to slap him at that point but she did nothing.

"Richard, take your car and drive home. We'll talk more there," said Edgeworth.

"And the twins?" he asked.

"I told Ema that you wouldn't be able to drive them home. I gave her a break from work so she could pick them up."

"Fine."

Richard was almost out of the office when his mother called out, "Don't take us for fools, Richard! Don't you dare make any side trips going home!"

(-- --)

They got home the same time. Richard went inside and plopped down onto the couch. When his parents came in to join him, he leisurely waved and said, "All right. Let's hear it. Let's see if this lecture can bore as much as the old man principal."

Edgeworth crossed his arms and frowned. "Hmph. You're a cocky bastard."

Richard looked directly into his father's eyes and answered, "I've gotten that from you."

"You're rude, as well," added Franziska. "We did not raise you to be like this!"

"You tried to raise me to be perfect," the boy answered coolly.

"We did not," said Edgeworth through gritted teeth.

"Yes, you did. You're just not aware of it. "Richard, you have to be the best."" Richard scoffed. "Parents don't even realize that they push their kids towards perfection." He glanced between his parents. "It's even worse since I have the blood of von Karma through me. "To be perfect in every way…" That's the von Karma family creed, isn't it?"

Franziska paled. She always knew that her family's name would come back to haunt her. It took many, many years for her to dissipate the ways of "perfection." She had her husband to thank for that.

"Y-you--!"

"And you shouldn't even try to lecture me on fighting, Mom," answered Richard. "It'll just make you look like a hypocrite--"

SLAP!

"Franziska!" yelled Edgeworth, grabbing his wife by the wrist.

Franziska panted heavily as her hand tingled and burned. Richard reached up to touch his reddened cheek. It was the first time Franziska ever slapped anyone with her hand. She usually had her whip do all the talking for her. She would never have physically slapped a person like a foolish barbarian!

"How dare you?!" she screamed. "You insult my family name and then you insult me, your own mother?! You foolish, ungrateful child!" She tore her wrist away from her husband and stormed into her bedroom, slamming the door shut.

"Richard," began Edgeworth, sitting down on the coffee table across from his son, "why did you say that?"

"Dad! Don't you know about what the von Karma family did?!" demanded Richard. "Manfred von Karma, Mom's father killed your father!"

"I know that. But that was just Manfred. Don't associate your grandfather's sins with the rest of the von Karma family," replied Edgeworth. "And do not insult the von Karma family."

"Dad--"

"Listen to me, Richard. The von Karma family may not chase perfection anymore, but they're still considered as family. Think about your aunt. Think about your cousin. Keep that in mind."

"But Dad, don't you feel any animosity towards Manfred von Karma?"

"To an extent, yes. He did kill my father, but I am grateful to him for taking me in."

"What about his teachings?"

"They were wrong. I know now that perfection is not everything. No one can be perfect."

Richard smirked. "Yeah, I know. I heard from Uncle Larry that you couldn't fold a paper crane."

Edgeworth scowled. "I'm going to kill Larry for telling that story." He nodded towards the master bedroom. "Go apologize to your mother while I go kill Larry."

Richard nodded. "I'll tell her to prosecute your case while I'm at it." He walked over to the master bedroom and opened it up a crack. His mother was sitting at the foot of her bed. "Mom?" he called quietly. She made no move of acknowledgement. "Mom?" He walked to Franziska, kneeling in front of her. "Liebste Mutter…"

Franziska peered at him through the strands of her bangs. "You haven't called me that for a very long time."

"Mom, I wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Her lips curled up slightly. "I know you are. Richard, you're my son, and I obviously have to love you--"

"Do you?" asked Richard with amusement.

"Don't be a fool. Of course I do," snapped Franziska. "Don't ever make a remark like that about family ever again. It may seem foolish, especially coming from me, but family is very important."

"I understand…"

"Mm…" Franziska smoothed out her son's hair and kissed his forehead. "You look so much like your father."

"So people have said," remarked Richard.

"But you're like Kyra. You're not like your parents at all."

"I don't think that's true. I think I'm equally condescending as you and Dad."

"Perhaps worse." Franziska surveyed Richard's face. "Your grandfather would despise you."

"Oh, yeah?" Richard laughed.

"You're everything he loathes. Imperfect, rude, laidback, no discipline, careless… If you were living under his roof, he'd beat you everyday with his cane."

"Then it's a good thing he's never met me."

"I guess so." Franziska chuckled. "I remember when you were a child, your father and I used to bring you to the courthouse. I remember Scruffy or Ema would chase after you in the lobby."

The boy grinned. "I remember that."

"Your grandfather would beat you for that, too. He says it's disrespectful to run in a courthouse."

"It probably is."

"Now about the fight at school day…"

Richard frowned. "I was defending the twins."

"I know. I'm sure Ema and Klavier would be grateful," she replied. "Don't do it again. I don't care how much influence your father and I have in Germany. We won't be able to send you to college there if you're a delinquent."

"Can't make any promises. You just better hope no one dares to mess with my friends."

His mother smirked. "I'll give you a little tip, Richard. Become a prosecutor and you'll be able to get away with just about anything."

"Yeah! In the courtroom!"

"What's your point, dear?"

"Nevermind…oh, and by the way, speaking of courts," said Richard, "Dad is about to murder someone."

"Who?"

"Larry Butz."

"Oh, let him." Franziska narrowed her eyes at her son, surveying his face. "How did you know about what your grandfather as done? That is a subject I would rather bury."

"I've been reading old case files of the cases Uncle Nick have worked on. Those lead to related cases."

Franziska smiled, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Are you thinking of going into law?"

"Maybe."

"Hm." Franziska kissed Richard on the forehead. "Maybe you are our son after all." She stood up, smoothing out the imaginary creases of her skirt. "I'm grounding you for a month."

Richard shot up. "What?!"

"You got suspended from school. You broke your perfect attendance record."

"Perfection doesn't exist!" argued Richard. "And besides, I dit--" His voice trailed off when he realized what he was saying.

His mother crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "What was that?"

"N-nothing!" Richard bolted from the room, his mother in hot pursuit.

"RICHARD!!"

Bah. This chapter was supposed to go up on Sunday, but it wasn't finished because I've been so busy. Another essay, a major test I need a good grade in...I have no life.

Finally, a chapter focusing on the Edgeworth family. It's much more serious than I originally thought. Well, it proves that nothing is "perfect" in the Edgeworth household. I really wanted to bring up the subject of Manfred von Karma. I think it would be a little taboo to talk about it because of what Manfred did. ("Uh, yeah, so your grandfather killed your other grandfather...") I got the Ace Attorney Investigations game (w00t!) and I'm already at the fourth case. (-spoiler alert!-) At the very beginning, after meeting Kay, Manfred says something about it being disrespectful to run inside a courtroom so I wanted to incorporate that in here somehow. I really do believe that Manfred would despise Richard. Oh, and don't forget that Franziska also had a sister and a niece. It was kind of nice to mention them.

So, right, next chapter. Thinking about making it fun. Last chapter and this one are rather dark. I need some more comedy! Next chapter will include a lot of flashbacks, so expect italics.

Until next time, ta ta!