December 23, 6:00 pm

Parking Lot

Detention Center

Kristoph Gavin's words resounded with force in Apollo's head, the more he thought about them the more he was intrigued. He walked to Edgeworth's car almost automatically.

" So he just wanted to warn Wright about the attack. And based on your reaction, he did it in order to kill him by himself." resumed Edgeworth.

" Indeed." answered Apollo.

Edgeworth noticed a puzzling look on the young lawyer's eyes. Before starting the engine, he calmly looked at him and said. " You have doubts."

" My bracelet reacted when Mr. Gavin talked about Mr. Wright."

" Huh? So he was lying?"

" It didn't react on Mr. Gavin, it reacted on you, Mr. Edgeworth. " even if it took Edgeworth by surprise, he didn't said a word" You tend to be calm and serious all the time, we can't tell for sure what are you feeling just by looking at you. However, back there you made an interesting move. When Mr. Gavin said "I bet you never thought about all the things he gladly gives off in sake of his precious truth", you reached for your pocket and held something in your hand.""

" That's hardly relevant."

" It isn't. I know you keep your Prosecutor's badge in your pocket, somehow what Mr. Gavin said made you held that very badge, and if I'm right it has something to do with Mr. Wright."

" Ngh..." Edgeworth crossed his arms.

" You can keep silent if you want, but I will investigate on my own if you do."

" Are you threatening me?"

" No no, I can just ask Trucy, Mr. Wright and her know a lot about each other, you know?"

" You're basing an entire investigation in plain gossip?!" If it wasn't a serious conversation, Apollo would have laughed at the expression in Edgeworth's face.

" So, what will it be?"

They had time, Kay was still to join them. Edgeworth sighed and took his badge, looking at it like it was his most treasured possession.

" When I was young I thought that the most important thing was a guilty verdict, I didn't care if the defendant was innocent or not, I just wanted to win. " Apollo couldn't even imagine it, he had heard something about a Demon Prosecutor back in the days. " But then, that man appeared. He showed me how wrong I was, I learned that what really matters is the truth, I was able to find my own path. All thanks to him."

" Mr. Wright..."

Edgeworth nodded.

" He helped me countless times to arrive at the truth hiding behind the cases we solved together. I owe him everything I am now."

Apollo couldn't help but smile, their relationship was even more than it looked at plain sight. But there was even more to it.

" I get it now, but then, why did you thought about it all back with Mr. Gavin? He mentioned Mr. Wright, not you."

" Listen, Mr. Justice. " his face turned serious, he even took off his glasses and looked at him right in the eyes. " The Wright you and I know is a man of respect, a caring father and a great lawyer. But, after all, he's just human. " Edgeworth's glare suddenly locked in the front of the car. The night was very close and it was starting to feel cooler, the sky turning into a colorful canvas full of oranges and red as the sun fell on the horizon. " He too thinks in the truth as the ultimate end, and has committed so many mistakes in the sake of it. Mistakes that had made him enemies, like Kristoph Gavin, it's true that he betrayed his friendship three years ago, and that he used you or even his daughter. Kristoph may think that he did it just because of vengeance, but there wasn't another thing on his head than justice. And at the end, I think he did it because he trusted you. He put his faith in a complete stranger back then if you think about it, a plan of seven years suddenly being carried away by a rookie lawyer like the one he once was. He bet everything on you and you did it."

" Nobody used me, I acted on my own will. I went to Mr. Wright's office all by myself and I betrayed Mr. Gavin because that was the only way to reach the truth, not for anything else." answered Apollo.

" You answered yourself, thanks to these ideas of yours, Wright saw in you an ally. You were just what he was looking for and you did it better than anyone expected."

Apollo smiled, he had always thought about that days as terrible ones and tried not to think much about them, there were so confusing and crazy. Now a new way of seeing them was exposed by Mr. Edgeworth, one that didn't sound so bad and actually give him some merit.

" That doesn't explain some of Wright's actions, like the forged card, but..." he put his glasses on again. " In despite of his mistakes, he's still the Wright we knew. And I intend to know the whole truth behind all of this, I hope you're on board too."

" Of course Mr. Edgeworth."

" Just one thing, I thought you were looking at Mr. Gavin all the time but you managed to perceive me."

" Oh, that was actually a bluff. I saw you moving but I can't actually feel the arm where my bracelet is, remember?"

" Ngoohh! A bluff? " Apollo laughed loud, and Edgeworth just looked at him. (As expected from Wright's partner.) he thought.

" So, Simon, what's going on with Mr. Edgeworth? " asked Athena in their way to the hospital. " I don't know a lot about him but he looked troubled."

" I don't know a lot about him either, but enough to know what's going on in that head of his right now."

" Okay, let me see, he doesn't want to come to the hospital but it isn't for Trucy's fault, he seems to be in good terms with Ms. Fey so his problem is with Mr. Wright himself."

" Looks like you actually can think on your own."

" Simon! Let me continue! It's not a big thing, he was invited to Trucy's show after all and knowing Mr. Wright if it were some problem he wouldn't even talk to him. It has to be something specific from Mr. Edgeworth."

Simon listened to her carefully.

" I suppose he feels responsible for the attack, or the fact we found Mr. Wright in his office, or that he was accused of hurting him."

" The first one, but it's impossible for you to know the exact reason. " Athena looked at Simon filled with curiosity, he seemed to remember something. " He's feeling guilty for failing him again and doesn't want to see him until the case is clear."

" Failing him again?"

" Yes. I don't know the details, but Edgeworth-dono is who he is thanks to Wright-dono's help back in the days, they supposedly cracked so many cases together in the past and shared a strog friendship since ages ago, they are almost as legendary as the Great Thief Yatagarasu. But in despite of the fact that Wright-dono always helped Chief Prosecutor, he couldn't help him when he lost his badge, he had no way."

" But he helped afterwards when he recovered it, just when I come to the Agency."

" Yes, but in the Chief's mind that's his greatest failure. If you see it from a psychological point you will understand."

" He wasn't there when Mr. Wright needed him the most. Now that feeling returned to him as he saw him almost murdered in his office, he blames himself for letting him down again and doesn't feel like his debt is paid until he finds the truth..."

" Indeed, he feels like he doesn't even deserve to know how is him. It's like a lock, he locks up his feelings and worries until he reaches for the end. He doesn't want to know anything if possible."

" Wow, that must be pretty hard for him..."

" He will be fine, don't be worried for him."

The pair then was called by a nurse who was supposed to guide them to Phoenix' room.

"I'm sorry, you will have to wait a little, there's already a visit on his room."

" A visit?..." Athena and Simon looked at each other before running at the room, nobody was supposed to be in there. Simon opened the door quickly, but he sure wasn't expecting being wipped right in the face.

" Argh!, V-von Karma-dono!"

" YOU FOOL! " Franziska yelled" How you dare to broke in like that?! This is a hospital you foolish fool!"

" Oh, like you aren't the one yelling, argh"" he could easily draw his sword and cut that darn whip to pieces again, but he was surprised enough to compose at least a little.

" Miles Edgeworth may respect you, but you all are just a bunch of fools…"

" Oh, it's Ms. Von Karma! I panicked…oh wait, it's Ms. Von Karma? " murmured Athena looking at a mad Blackquill, Franziska looked at them and held her whip in her hands. One that she was calm, Athena studied the room. Maya was still in there, her boss was looking almost the same as the night before, so still and fragile and with no signs of response, Trucy was asleep very close to him, holding his good hand. The previous scene waked her up.

" Oh, Thena, have you figured out something?" she asked in a sleepy tone.

" A lot, actually, I will tell you everything but first I need you to tell me if you saw a yellow envelope in your father's possession."

" A… yellow envelope? Oh yeah! He was looking at it in the morning of the incident, but I don't think it were pay bills or something like that. He smiled from ear to ear."

"He…smiled?"

" Yeah! Maybe it was a postal from Apollo, he loves these things. But he never opened it."

" What, are you sure?"

" Absolutely, why? There's something bad with that letter?"

" Someone tried to warn him of the attack, someone called Kristoph Gavin."

" Whaaat? No Mr. Gavin again…" Trucy reacted at the sole mention of the name, leaning closer to Phoenix like looking for protection, but knowing Trucy it was probably the other way around and she was the one who wanted to protect him.

" You know him?!"

" Y-yeah…I thought you too."

" She was still at Europe when all that happened, I'm kind of in the dark too, I just know what Nick told me. " commented Maya, putting her hand at Trucy's shoulder.

" Well… he kind of hates Daddy, he put him in prison and exposed all of his doings. And he killed my other Daddy."

" What? Are you serious? " Athena was more impressed by Trucy's behavior, she knew that she was strong but just talking like that about her father's murderer was pretty brave.

" He was also responsible for Phoenix Wright's disbarment and the murder of Drew Misham. " Added Franziska.

" I had no idea. You're a Prosecutor, Simon, you knew something?"

" It was just after I was sent to prison, I didn't know the details." commented him.

" So he's after my Daddy again? " her voice cracked and her face paled. She was brave, very brave, but that doesn't mean she wasn't scared. And that was a feeling everybody in the room could understand.

" No, Ms. Wright, the letter wasn't threatening him, it's the opposite, he warned your father." said Simon.

" Oh? Really?"

" But, you said your father never opened the letter and that he smiled when he saw it. He was expecting something from Mr. Gavin?"

" Huh, I don't think so, are you sure it's from Mr. Gavin?"

" Pretty sure."

Trucy stayed quiet, suddenly at a loss of words. She looked at her father and started sobbing.

(Song I recommend to listen: watch?v=z1_5PI-Slkc&index=59&list=PL6akIKaXBeU3jYgKd0SGcxReXvn9qK_de )

"You really think he will be okay? I-I mean, I know Daddy isn't so strong and… I just can't stop thinking about it, what if he just…can't hold it any longer."

(Trucy being pessimist? Oh god, this is the end of the world… ) thought Athena while trying to say something to soothe her. Long faces were all over the room, it was like her pain was present in each one of them, but no one dared to say a word.

"He isn't so strong? " for everyone's surprise it was Franziska the one who talked first. "Objection. He once broke down a locked door all by himself, not even the police figured out how he did it."

" Really? How heavy was it? " asked Trucy in wonder, her tears still making her eyes look like tiny crystals.

" Oh! I remember now, the door alone was pretty hard but it had a giant lock made of pure iron, it had to be carried by two people just to put it, and Nick just torn it up like if it was made of paper!" clarified Maya.

" The boss did that?!" Athena sounded shocked.

" Yeah! And he even crossed a rope bridge!"

" That's hardly a feature to be proud of. " muttered Blackquill, clearly amused.

" It is when you are afraid of heights like Daddy. " Trucy wiped her tears while she kept on listening.

" It is WHEN THE BRIDGE IS ON FIRE! " Maya made it sound like told by a ringmaster or something like that.

" Say whaaaat! Oh my god boss!" yelled Athena.

" The fool didn't even cross it, he fell to the freezing river and only came out with a cold. " Franziska remember it all too well, that day she was as surprised as they were right in that hospital room.

" You're joking. " the audacity of Blackquill to make such comment came rewarded by a quick lash.

" How dare you to doubt of my testimony!" yelled Franziska.

" Why he would do such thing to start with?!"

" His assistant was at the other side."

" Ms. Fey?"

" That's just crazy, why he didn't tell us all this? " Trucy giggled at Athena's burst.

" But he was young then, did you know that he passed out almost an entire day due to back pain in Kura 'in? " teased Maya.

" Aww c'mon Maya, my dad was starting to sound like a superhero!"

" That was different. " Franziska closed her eyes and crossed her arms. " The situations in which Phoenix Wright showed this sheer force had one thing in common; He did it for someone he cares about."

Everyone looked at her.

"He may be a complete fool, but when it comes to people he bets everything. He won't leave you alone, Trucy Wright, he will fight till the very end and survive."

Trucy looked at her with her eyes wet, seconds away from crying again.

"That's unusual in you, Von Karma-dono, complimenting someone, let alone Wright-dono." here comes Simon to ruin the mood. Franziska exploded.

" I'm not complimenting foolish Phoenix Wright, I told the truth and that alone!"

Then she came out of the room, almost running, Athena and Maya tried to go after her but Simon stopped them.

"She's fine, believe me." he said.

" Why did you said such things? You ruined the mood! " claimed Athena.

" She was starting to feel uncomfortable once she was done speaking, I just give her the opening she needed. " Simon answered with a little smile.

" But you were right, she's usually more whippitty-whip and less talkative…" Maya seemed to remember something. " What happened to her?"

" She's the same as always. " Simon looked at Trucy. " You only get to see her more human side, she empathizes with brave girls as a reflection of herself. She wanted to lend a hand to Trucy and there she was, but deep inside I think she truly respects Wright-dono."

Franziska was truly a piece of work, always so proud and perfect, but, as everyone, when she acts on her own is when she truly shines. Adrian Andrews and Kay Faraday can give testimony of her human side as Blackquill called it, and now, Trucy.

Thanks to her, Trucy finally smiled again…