"So, how've you been? Is.. everything okay?"

Phoenix sifted out what to tell her. He'd been fired for piano-playing incompetence at one of his 3-night-a-week contracts, but that was the norm, these things were temporary till they found out he couldn't actually play. He wasn't sure he'd be able to pay the electricity bill, because he'd forgotten about it before consenting to buy that expensive magic prop for Trucy. The local supermarket continuously accused him of shoplifting, based on his dubious appearance. He was aware these nasty sad wrinkles had appeared over his eyes. Oh, and there was that unfortunate evening with Kristoph Gavin.

"Everything's been fine," he assured, hoping she'd hear his faked grin over the phone.

They chatted about neutral topics for a while, intoned cheery parting formalities, and hung up.

A minute later, something compelled Phoenix to redial.

"Nick? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. I'm just… lonely is all. Trucy's away on camp."

"Aww." Maya knew Trucy had a stabilising influence on him, as well as her care being a main daily motivator. Her usual presence made it easier to leave him. "Do you want me to come over?"

"Oh no, that would be too much trouble.."

"Not at all. I was going to go to the city tomorrow anyway. I'll just come a day early," declared Maya, rapidly rearranging her week.

"If you're sure.."

"I'm sure." It was such a relief to get out of Kurain, anyway. "I'll be there right away.."

***

"Nick? Are you drunk?" Maya's query was non-judgemental. Phoenix abandoned his surreptitious attempts to shove the bottles under the couch with a foot.

"No. It's grape juice. It kind of puts me on a high. It's… not working right now though."

"Sorry for dragging you out of Kurain," he continued as they settled on the broken couch.

"Oh don't thank me. I.. I'm so sick of it there. I wish I could escape.."

"Maya… I'm so sorry."

"I'm sure things are worse for you. You said something happened?"

Phoenix sighed. "You and Edgeworth were right of course. I always knew it really."

"Sorry I've been so ungrateful," he added awkwardly. "I know you were trying to help me."

Maya sighed too, she was way beyond holding onto resentments . "It's okay. I'm sure it's only because you care, right? I.. worry about you too, you know."

"I'm sorry."

"No, no. I think I understand…"

Their eyes met, and whatever Phoenix saw there compelled him to continue.

"I've just been.. deluding myself. I have to accept I won't ever clear my name. I know Kristoph did it, and I know there's no way I can legally prove it. Nothing. I wasted all this time and now I'm trapped. And why? Even if I did become an attorney again, I could never believe my clients, not really."

"Oh Nick…"

"I know he's a murderer. What if he hurts Trucy because of me or the case? I'm so scared, Maya. I haven't protected Trucy. I've just made everything worse…"

"Nick..." Why contradict him when it was probably partially true. His eyes sprung tears mirroring her own.

'A lawyer can't cry until it's all over,' she vaguely recalled, and he definitely thinks it's all over.

Tentatively she wrapped her arms around him. Phoenix responded by lightly resting his palm on her back.

They expected the cautious physical contact to be awkward, but it was not, and they clung to each other with unanticipated desperation.

"I've been so lonely," admitted Maya, somehow spurred into candidity. "I can't admit my problems in Kurain to anybody. Not even Pearl, it's tactless if she sees I don't even like being Master when really it could have been her there. I have to pretend I'm happy. It's a lie."

Phoenix hugged her tighter in responding empathy. "I'm so tired.."

"It's all an act…"

"A façade…"

"So other people don't get hurt…"

"Or feel guilt over what they did which wasn't their fault…"

"Yeah. Nick, when did you become psychic too? We can complete each others' sentences now!..."

Their manufactured fortresses of years-old emotional isolation proved futile against collapse from whatever magnetism compelled their friendship and the weight of sheer emotional exhaustion. Maya's head spontaneously descended to rest on Phoenix's shoulder and his fell to incline with her head under his chin. They partially lidded their eyes. Words were almost superfluous as they nestled against each other.

Hours drifted past in a semi-wakefulness. Neither could amass any desire to move away. Years of parted dulling daily motions and mediocrity paled into irrelevance as they relaxed into this antidote to their debilitation.

The sun's rays streamed in next morning on the pair still groggily entangled on the couch. In the mutual final comfort of their emotional exhaustion, they'd drifted off to sleep, limbs intertwined.

"Feel better?" enquired Maya, recalling his sombre mood the previous evening.

"Yeah. You know, we should do this more often."

"Definitely…" Both hoped the other wasn't joking.