I cannot express how liberating it is to be writing again. I hope you are not too confused with this chapter. The next chapter will be full of information and trial rewrite!
I want to thank everyone who has Favorited, or alerted this fiction!

To all those who have reviewed and commented, you guys get internet cookies! Cuz that's how I roll!

Anyway, more of Dahlia's beating Kristoph into her submission.

I do not own the lyrics nor any recognizable characters.

Still NOT Beta-Read.

It lies deep inside;
You can not hide,
It's the meanest fire.
Oh, it's a strange desire,
You can not lie
That's a needless fight.

This is where your sanity gives in
And love begins.
Never lose your grip,
Don't trip, don't fall,
You'll lose it all.
The sweetest way to die.

'Paralyze'
by The Cardigans

Kristoph's trepidation never waned as he descended the stairs from the Misham's fifth floor loft. He wouldn't have dreamed of taking the stairs before, but the appeal of taking time to think won over the fact that he simply hated the stairs. He wanted nothing more than to run back up those stairs and grab the bottle of nail polish out of the girls hand and shake the fear out of her. Maybe even tell her the truth behind his the forging of the page.

However, Dahlia's sickeningly sweet voice came at him with the force of an oncoming freight train, reminding him that he needed to see all of this through and he would be the most popular defense attorney in Los Angeles, even bigger than Phoenix Wright. Kristoph needed as much exposure he could get; breaking away from Grossburg and Associates had been easy. Getting clients to follow was the hard part.

Kristoph's phone ringing brought him out of his reverie, and he slowed his pace to look around. He realized he was two blocks away from the Mishams, and four blocks in the opposite direction of his car. He mumbled curses under his breath and started walking back in the direction he came from as he looked at the caller I.D. It was the detention center.

"Hello? Yes, this is Kristoph Gavin," He answered as he crossed the street and wondered how he got across the first time. He was silent as he listened to the head security at the center. Then he stepped out from the foot traffic on the sidewalk. "He wants to see me tonight? Why can't he wait until...Demanding? Doesn't he realize that..." Kristoph sighed loudly. "Yes, pending traffic, I can be there..." He glanced at his watch. Four-twenty-five. Then glanced again, surprised at how much time had gone by during his visit with Vera. He had arrived there at Eleven-thirty. "I can be there in an hour, hour and a half, depending on rush hour traffic." He ended the call and stepped back into the crowd.

~*X*X*X*X*X*X*~

"Thank you for coming at such short notice, Mr. Gavin." The Head of Security, Don Locke, was a short stocky man in a cheap brown suit and even cheaper yellow tie. His thinning black hair was in contrast to his thick goatee and mustache and his sharp green eyes. Kristoph cringed inwardly as he shook the mans clammy hand. "I've never had an inmate make such sharp demands, but he was insistent and starting to get very irritated and irrational."

"Haven't you learned that you run the prisoners, and not the other way around?" Kristoph's tone was a little more biting that he had wanted it to be as he looked at the man over his glasses.

"I understand, Mr. Gavin," He twisted his hands, then cleared his throat. "But Mr. Gramarye is such a high profile that I wanted to keep all the media and gossip at bay until the trial tomorrow."

This man is smarter than he looks. Then aloud Kristoph said, "Yes, well, that is very good thinking on your part." He adjusted his glasses. "Now, let's get this meeting over with. I would like to eat dinner and get a full nights sleep before the trial tomorrow."

"Ah, yes sir," the man shuffled his feet then started to walk down the sterile hallway.

The blond attorney was thankful for the brown suit's lack of small talk. The off-white walls helped discolor his thoughts and tone down Dahlia's prodding. Kristoph could feel a headache coming on, and he rubbed his temple with his free hand. He had a tight grip on his briefcase with the forged page in it. He knew it would have been safe in his car, but he didn't want to take any chances; everything was unfolding exactly as planned.

Except for this little meeting that Zak Gramarye had demanded.

Don stopped before a thick steel door and entered a code on the keypad that was on the wall with shaking hands and Kristoph heard a familiar click and thud as the door released its locks. Kristoph had been here plenty of times with Grossberg and a couple of other useless defense attorneys, so the ritual of going through the locked doors and handing over ID's was now almost second nature to him.

Now, as the elder Gavin stood in front of the visitor chambers that held Zak Gramarye, he felt that things weren't exactly right; That he really shouldn't be standing where he was.

'Get in there and get it over with!' Dahlia's voice echoed through his head as he watched the magician manipulate and shuffle the cards that were in his hands.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kristoph demanded. "Isn't it specified in the court documents that because of this mans nature, he is not supposed to handle or be in possession of any objects?"

"Yes sir, however he is being watched by three guards and five cameras-"

"Fool! He is a magician!" Kristoph hissed. He clenched his jaw and cleared his throat to calm himself. " Just let me in."

"Yes Mr. Gavin," the brown suit entered his third code since entering the building. As he opened the door, a quick rush of cold air made Kristoph shudder. He kept a stoic look on his face as he stepped in to the room. The thick door shut with a heavy thud that echoed off the walls of the barren room.

"Kristoph Gavin," Zak's deep voice resonated through the attorney as he glanced at the two guards that were standing motionless against the wall opposite him.

"Please, sit. Thank you for meeting me on such short notice." The magician gestured as Kristoph pulled the chair and sat down, setting the briefcase on the concrete floor beside him.

"Why did you demand to see me?" The blonde man asked curtly as he spied the third guard out of the corner of his eye, standing as still as the other guards next to the door.

"I would like to play a game of poker and discuss the trial tomorrow." Zak stated as if he had invited Kristoph to dinner to discuss old times. He noticed the others eyes slip to the guards, then the cameras. "I promise not to make any false moves, or play any tricks. You can see, we are being watched carefully." He continued to shuffle the cards.

The elder Gavin narrowed his eyes at the Gramarye sitting across from him. "Why play poker? Why not just discuss the case?"

"To ease the tension." Zak leaned forward and gave Kristoph a huge grin. "Plus, I like to make sure my attorneys have excellent poker faces!" He then leaned back in his chair and let out a hearty laugh.

"I see," Kristoph nodded slowly and adjusted his glasses. "Deal the cards. What do you want to discuss?"

~X*X*X*X*X*X~

"Thank you Kristoph Gavin," Zak said a half an hour and two hands later. "You were a formidable opponent, and this was an enlightening discussion." He stood suddenly and for the first time since he entered the room, Kristoph saw the guards shift, but made no movements after. He looked back at the magician and saw that his hand was extended.

"Yes, well," He said as he stood and shook the others hand. He had a solid grip and Kristoph hadn't realized until then what a large, burly man Zak was. "It was nice to exercise my poker skills. I bid you a good evening and I look forward to defending you in court tomorrow." He bent to pick up his briefcase.

"I look forward to seeing you in the court room as well, Mr. Gavin." Zak said with an unreadable grin on his face.

Kristoph could feel the mans eyes staring at him as he left the room.

The temperature outside the room seemed ten times warmer to Kristoph as he let Don lead him out.

'Iris!' Dahlia exclaimed so suddenly that Kristoph had to cover his surprise with a flip of his hair. 'You should go see Iris. She's here. I need to see her.'

"Excuse me," Kristoph said to the brown suit. "I need to see an Iris Hawthorne."

The short man stopped in his tracks and turned and looked up at Kristoph, wide-eyed. "Er, yes, Mr. Gavin. We have to turn around and go back the way we came. She's in with a visitor."

'Who would be visiting my pathetic sister?' Dahlia wondered aloud in Kristoph's head, as he followed the man through the doors and down a hall opposite from the room that Zak was in. Kristoph heard Dahlia gasp right before the door at the opposite end opened. He saw the cheap blue suit before it registered to him that it was Phoenix Wright.

"Oh, good timing Mr. Wright," The Head of Security exclaimed as he gestured to Phoenix, whose expression of confusion matched the blond attorney's even deeper expression. "If you will follow the guard there to the door at the opposite end, I will be there shortly to let you in."

Phoenix nodded to the short man. "Thank you." Then to Kristoph, he said, "Aren't you Kristoph Gavin?" He tapped his finger thoughtfully on his lips.

"Yes, that is I," Kristoph answered coldly, resisting the incredible urge to reach out and strangle the very man that he had set out to destroy. "And you must be Phoenix Wright."

"Yeah," Phoenix said, a little too gleefully, as he held his hand out to shake. "That's me! It's a pleasure to meet you, finally Mr. Gavin. I've heard good things about you."

Kristoph groaned inwardly and gave a thin smile. Then hesitantly shook the other mans hand. "Pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Wright.

"Why are you here in front of Iris-"

"Mr. Wright, visiting hours are up shortly and you are wanted in there." Don pointed to the other room as he interrupted the dark-haired defense attorney who promptly started walking away.

"Oh, yes, right, thanks," He waved. "Nice to meet you Kristoph Gavin. I'm sure we'll see each other again."

'Hopefully with my hands around your neck.' Kristoph thought as he nodded at Phoenix.

'Such a weak man,' Dahlia's voice echoed through his head. With a familiar deep thud, the brown suit unlocked the door to the room in which Iris sat. Kristoph thanked him as he walked through.

Iris gasped. "Kristoph!" She put her hand to her neck as she stood. "I never dreamed I'd see you again. When they said I had another visitor, I didn't think it would be you."

'Oh Iris, you haven't changed much have you?' Kristoph winced as he rubbed his temple.

"I'm sorry Kristoph, I'll b-" The dark-haired woman started to say as she sat on her chair a little to hard.

"It's okay Iris," the elder Gavin slowly pulled his chair out and sat down, setting the briefcase on the table between them. "It's not you."

"Oh..." Iris threw him a confused look.

"Listen, I came here because..." Kristoph stopped and realized how crazy he was going to sound. He looked around and noted that there were no guards here in Iris's visitors cell. He decided that Iris was sweet enough and close enough to her sister to know what he was talking about. He folded his hands and rested them atop the briefcase as he leaned forward. "Because your sister wanted to see you."

Iris slowly sat back in her chair as her hand went up to her mouth in surprise.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I can't shake her..." Kristoph squeezed his eyes shut as Dahlia's sweet cackle bounced around in his head. "But I love her too much to let her go."

"I was afraid of this," Iris said wide-eyed and astounded.

'Ha! You should be afraid!' Dahlia yelled.

Kristoph winced again, then asked: "Afraid of what?"

"Give me your hands," Iris leaned forward. Kristoph moved the briefcase to set beside him on the floor, and she and laid her hands on the table in front of them. The blond noted how tiny and fragile her hands were, just like Dahlia's. He placed his hands in the girls and instantly felt lighter and more relaxed.

"Dahlia," Iris said breathlessly as she squeezed her eyes shut. "No...you must go back to Kristoph...your spirit must be ...Dahlia you are doing no one any good."

Kristoph watched in fascination as Iris carried a conversation with the spirit of Dahlia in her head. She then laid one hand on the jewel that was around her neck, the other gripped his hand tightly.

"There isn't much time, I have her subdued." She took a deep breath. "You need to go up to Hazukurain village and have Maya or one of the nuns exorcise her. If you love her as much as you say you do Kristoph, then you will do this." Iris shuddered and squeezed her eyes shut.

"I...don't understand..."

"Her spirit can't inhabit you, but it can live within you. If she stays here with me, she will possess me..." Iris started choking and her nails were digging into Kristoph's hand. He hissed at the pain, but she never let go of his hand. Her other hand let go of the jewel around her neck, and Kristoph felt a rush of cold air fill his whole body. Iris collapsed on the table. It took a minute for the blond attorney to get his bearings as he tried to squelch Dahlia's loud screams in his head. When he had Dahlia under control, he stood and walked around the table to Iris and shook her gently, calling her name.

"I-I'm alright," she finally said quietly, her words muffled. She hadn't moved. "Just weak and exhausted. First time … spirit...inhabit..."

Kristoph carefully slid his arms under hers, and pulled her up to her feet. He then swept an arm under her legs and carried her to the door where he somehow turned the knob and used his foot to pull the door open. The Head of Security and a guard were chatting casually at the other end of the hall as Kristoph yelled at them to help. The guard made his way over to them quickly and Kristoph set Iris's feet on the floor.

"Iris," He started to say. "Can you walk?"

"Hmmm..." She hummed and nodded her head once. Her full weight was on the guard and Kristoph.

"What happened here, Mr. Gavin?" Don asked when he caught up with them, breathless and sweaty.

"She is exhausted by the events of the past several weeks." Kristoph figured it was partly the truth. He had read up on some of the trial she had been involved in. "I was talking to her, and suddenly she passed out onto the table."

Voices could be heard at the end of the hall as Phoenix exited Zak's visiting room. Everyone turned their attention briefly to him as he stared wide-eyed at them.

"Iris!" He called as he ran to the limp woman. "My gosh, what happened?"

"I believe she's exhausted from the past few weeks events and she passed out while I was talking with her." Kristoph hated repeating himself. He hated it more that he had to repeat himself to this fool.

"Feen-...Phoenix..." She choked out.

The dark-haired attorney rushed to her side and took the guards place as he stepped back.

"I-I think...I... Dahl-" The young woman broke out in a coughing fit.

'FOOL!' Dahlia screamed inside Kristoph's head. 'You are going to have to keep her quiet somehow! You're lucky she's a weakling!

In the meantime, Don barked orders to the guard as he escorted Iris away, then blocked Phoenix's path to her.

"Visiting hours are over, sir!" Don said sternly when Phoenix protested. "I assure you she will get the proper care."

"Thank you, Mr. Blocke." Phoenix hung his head in defeat as Kristoph had to hold his tongue to stop himself from laughing out loud at the pathetic man.

"I will escort the two of you out." Don huffed, then turned on his heel as the two defense attorneys followed.

~X*X*X*X*X*X*X~

"Kristoph!" Klavier exclaimed an hour later as his brother appeared in the door way of his office. He rested his hands on the guitar he was tuning. "This is a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe-"

"This isn't a social call, Klavier." Kristoph growled as he stepped into the room, his jaw clenched.

Klavier immediately felt the tension in the room rise, along with the hairs on his neck. "I don't understand? What's wrong Brüder?" He asked slowly as he lay his guitar carefully in the nearby case.

"You will not be facing me in court tomorrow as planned," Kristoph wanted to choke on the word. All of his plans had gone out the window when the Head of Security had called to inform him that Zak Gramarye had dismissed him as his attorney. He pulled his car over at the nearest exit, and parked at the far corner of a gas station. He paced in the shadows with his hands tightly clenched and his throat hurting from wanting to scream. He put his hands up to his head, attempting to quiet the insanity that was whirling in there.

'Kristoph,' Her crystal clear voice broke through the madness and in that same instant, the white noise in his head vanished. 'There is a way to resolve all of this...'

After Dahlia told him her plan, his mind cleared.

"What can I do to thank you?" He asked her.

'You need to go back to the detention center to see Iris so I can keep her quiet.'

"Yes, of course."

'You know I love you Kristoph?' Dahlia was starting to physically manifest herself more and more in his head, and he could swear he felt her touching his cheek. He closed his eyes and reached up to touch her, but feeling nothing but a cool evening breeze.

"You will be facing Phoenix Wright." Kristoph stated to his brother now as he stood in his office.

"But...I... what happened?" Klavier stepped up to Kristoph and flinched at the hard expression on his otherwise beautiful face.

"I will tell you the details of that later. They don't matter now. What matters is that second-rate attorney will be presenting forged evidence. I suggest you call a witness to back up the claim of forgery."

"Wait," Klavier ran his hand through his short blond locks. "Phoenix Wright presenting forged evidence, that doesn't soun-"

Before he could react, Kristoph back-handed him hard enough to send him stumbling backwards and off balance. He sat on his haunches rubbing his cheek.

"Was zur Hölle?" **

"I suggest you listen carefully." Kristoph walked to his brother as he spoke in their native German tongue.

"You will call this number at your earliest convenience and tell them they are wanted as a witness in a murder trial." Kristoph continued after no interruptions from Klavier. He handed the prosecutor a business card and he took it reluctantly.

"What the hell is going on? Why a-"

Kristoph grabbed his brothers wrist and knelt to look him in the eye. What Klavier saw there terrified him. It was like looking into a cold, mad version of himself.

"If you love me, brother, you will not question what is happening, and let it go."

Klavier opened his mouth to protest, but the words wouldn't come out.

"I-I do love you, brother," was all he said.

What Kristoph did next came as a complete surprise to Klavier. He pulled his younger brother to him, and whispered into his hair: "This too shall pass. I love you." He held his brother for a second longer, then stood slowly and walked out of the room.

** Translation: "What the Hell?"