I decided that my other fanfic, Accident, occurs before this chapter and after the last. It's in the same continuity, but I'm not cheap enough to repeat it :) www . fanfiction . net /s/4284653/1/Accident


Maya had to admit tedium was setting in. The requirement to cultivate continuing positive relationships with the Justice Minister, the Shadow Justice Minister, the Chief Justice… She was sick of doing free channellings for them [they would have all been clients anyway and raked in the money] and sicker still of sucking up to them and their odious relatives and ideas she didn't agree with. But anything,
anything to save Nick.

While she worked the 'diplomacy' openings, Edgeworth had poured years of long hours into extra legal publications, research, machinations and communications in the law world, anonymous and otherwise.

Maya had just endured a whirlwind two days meeting with diplomats and performing channellings in the city, and it was getting to her. She'd decided to take the opportunity to drop by and visit Phoenix too. Gingerly she massaged her fingertips against an aching shoulder-blade, but was thwarted from sufficient gratification by the bodily twisting requisite.

Phoenix, returning from the kitchen, noted her expression. "Shoulder pain? I can fix that for you," he offered eagerly, delighted to be able to offer her some form of practical assistance.

"Oh, I'll be fi… ooh. That's nice," ceded Maya appreciatively, reclining into his ministrations like a Burmese cat. The accumulated tension dissipated, displaced by the firm pressure of his touch.

Phoenix was enjoying this too. The opportunity to touch Maya had admittedly proved far more alluring than anticipated.

"You know, I could pay you to do this," commented Maya, eyes luxuriantly half-closed.

"How much?"

"My eternal love and friendship."

"Sounds great."

"So, what's been happening with you?"

Phoenix swept his fingers in a final arc on her back, caressing her rather tenderly before retreating. "Let's take a walk," he indicated meaningfully.

The vacant lot was fenced by rusted chains, barbed wire, and a screen of weeds. It was almost certainly devoid of surveillance devices and obscured from undesired passers-by. A useful location for imparting sensitive information.

"So you found Trucy's mother? That's amazing," breathed Maya.

She'd originally offered to channel Thalassa Gramarye in the hope of untangling both Trucy's family situation and hopefully some useful insight on that case, but she'd run into an unforseen 'complication'. That, of course, was how Phoenix had known to 'look' for a dead person in the first place.

"Yeah, and good thing too," sighed Phoenix. "Trucy's always demanding I find her a 'mother'. I guess she just doesn't realise no woman would ever find me attractive," he reasoned, awkwardly tugging his hobo hat.

"Yeah," agreed Maya non-committally, marginally bemused that forming her reply was so difficult. Perhaps it was that flash of forlorn not completely disguised by his feeble laugh.

***

"Well, bye Maya," sighed Phoenix, bittersweet at the train's impending departure. "Take care." Impulsively he pulled her into a loose hug.

Maya reciprocated the gesture. Glancing at his face, suddenly something in that doleful expression and those eyes captured her. Impulse caused her to drag his head down to her level.

"What makes you think no woman would ever find you attractive?" she murmured, the resulting flicker of surprise spontaneously forcing her to press her lips to his, a brief kiss where the flow of time compacted and dilated as blissful elation glided… before jarring back into the shock of conscious reality. Maya reeled back, eschewing eye contact.

"Sorry," she muttered, and dived onto the train, tearing down the carriages until she finally locked herself into the train's toilet cubicle, panting. What had she done? Waves of humiliation shakily collapsed her into the wall as she bemoaned how it would be insufferable to face Phoenix again.

Maya drooped in the corner of her seat, overwhelmed, as the train sped towards Kurain. It wasn't so much the revelation she still had feelings for Phoenix that had jarred her – she consciously deluded herself that she'd repressed that 'juvenile teenage fantasy', but admittedly, it had probably always continued to pool just below the surface – but the exposing that she had been unable to control them and had no doubt wreaked a destabilising chaos and awkwardness into her most valued friendship. It's not mutual, she lamented, recalling that day long ago in the law office when he'd seemingly denied his feelings, he just thinks of you as a cousin or sister or something. He'd probably be with Iris if she hadn't gone to jail.

She came to the gradual awareness her phone had been ringing. Nick, the caller ID told her. Resisting a fearful compulsion to switch it off, she answered.

"I'm so sorry Nick! Just… forget it happened, okay?"

"Uh, okay. You… don't have to apologise." As an afterthought he added "Because.. because I liked it."

Silence.

"Er, well, I'm glad it's okay.." Maya finally stammered.

"Y..Yeah.." stammered Phoenix.

"M…maybe we could do it again sometime?"

"Maybe."

"Well I'll.. see you soon." They hung up.

Confusion racked Maya. She'd had (well,apparently still had) a thing for Phoenix, she admitted, but she'd assumed they would only ever be friends, she'd long ago resigned herself to the fact that he only saw her as some kind of cousin…

But he said he'd 'liked it'?

Did it mean anything at all, or was he just being polite?


-Pretend Maya's trip to Borgonia in some way aided Phoenix in finding Thalassa Gramarye. I didn't want to have to play 4-3 again to ensure plot consistency with canon, so exactly 'how' is vague...

Maya: "I expected money, and they pay me in these *useless cocoons*!" =)

If Edgeworth is indeed still 'overseas' at this timepoint, she probably took a side trip to see him too. This chapter is set after case 4-3 but before 4-4.