CHAPTER 10

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm going back to regular story format here, dudes. I'm going to use a regular format for the chapters in which I'm not describing the case. The game format is, in case you haven't noticed, more difficult for me to write in, but I'm going to stick with it for every case part I do from this point forward, along with every story, because of the immersement I believe it creates for you guys.

Happy reading, dudes!

-ghostfacekiller39

Maya watched as Phoenix walked a few steps ahead of them, veins emanating from his forehead. What is with him right now? It's like he's not knowing what to think...oh, yeah, he doesn't really ever think, he just does. She smiled to herself at her small joke she had made.

"Pearl! Give it back! Or I'm telling!" Pearl stuck her tongue out at Trucy, holding her friend's magician's hat in her hand, keeping it away from her.. "No! Not until you do it!"

"No! Give it back! Pearl!"

Maya spoke up before Phoenix could snap at them; he was just stressed, that was all. "Truce, what does she want you to do?"

"She wants me to make Mr. Edgeworth's wife disappear." She looked pouty, and Pearl put the magician's hat on her own head, and instantly began fidgeting around. "Trucy, what do you keep inside this thing!? It's so heavy!"

Trucy grinned. "A magician never reveals her secrets, Pearl. You get used to it, though."

With that, Trucy snatched her magician's hat back, causing Pearl to let out an irritated squeak.

Phoenix just sighed; "Pearl, is your friend staying the night again tonight?"

Everyone looked at Pearl, Trucy shooting her an irritated glare. "You didn't ask?"

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..." Her voice died down. "...I told her she could live here until her parents get back from their world tour..." Oh god, Pearl! Now's not the time! Look at him! He looks like a baby who pooped his diaper for crying out loud! Everyone stared at Maya. Oh...must've been acting out my thoughts again...

Phoenix just sighed. "Well, I guess it'd beat living on the road like that. Maya could move into my room with me and Trucy could have Maya's old bed. How's that sound to all of you?" The two younger girls were giddy with excitement, but Maya wasn't.

"U-umm, Nick?" She knew she sounded very unconfident, and she could feel her knees beginning to buckle. "Yes, Maya?"

She pulled him over to the side and began whispering. "Don't you think it's a little early for that? I mean, we did just start dating last night..."

For the first time since they left the restuarant, he smiled. "Just because we're sharing a bed doesn't mean we'll be doing that, Maya."

"Oh. Okey dokey then." She felt a wave of relief sweep over her. It wasn't that she didn't want to, it was that she didn't want to yet.

"Hey, Nick, for dinner tonight, we should order from that new pizza place that just opened a few blocks over! I heard they delivered and everything!" Maya wanted to change the subject, and fast.

Phoenix continued looking at the door. "Let's ask Trucy and Pearl before we make out desicion." Huh. He didn't say 'Truce' or 'Pearls'. He must really be stressing over something. I'll find out later, after dinner. I don't want to spoil my food!

The two little girls were still giddy over the fact they were going to be sharing a room for 6 months, so they probably didn't even hear that they were getting pizza for dinner. "That's fine with us!"

"Ok, I'll call it in when I sit down on the couch. Better yet, you do it, Maya. I have an important phone call to make." Hmmm. Edgeworth, probably. I doubt he'd have to make an important phone call to Larry or Gumshoe.

DING. The elevator had finally reached the Offment. Nick had sided with her on that matter; he also liked Offment better. Pearl and Trucy were on team Aparffice, however. How could someone like that name? It sounds like a really grody vegatable.

As they walked into their home, the Steel Samurai theme started playing. Maya checked her phone, knowing Franziska was supposed to call her tonight, but it was Phoenix's instead. Ughh, we really need to do something about these ringtones.

"Hello?"

She heard someone talking on the other line.

"Ok, that's fine. We were about to order a pizza, if you wanted to join us."

She didn't hear a response for a little bit. Then she heard a quick and to the point one.

"Oh, that's too bad. Well, we'll be expecting you."

With that, they both hung up.

Maya piped up about the phone call as she dialed the pizza place's number. As she hit call and put it up to her ear, she asked him "Mr. Edgeworth and Franziska don't like pizza, huh?"

Phoenix smiled. "Nope."

She placed their order and hung up; it was a cheese pizza, because you could never go wrong with just plain cheese, and Pearl and Trucy were at that age were they didn't like toppings on their pizza.

She sat on the couch, behind Pearl and Trucy who were seated on the floor watching one of the few cartoons she didn't like. All of a sudden, a voice called her into the kitchen; she immediately recognized it to be Phoenix's.

She made her way out of the living room and into the kitchen, to find Phoenix standing, back against the counter top, glass of grape juice in his right hand. "Hey, Maya? I have a question."

She smiled, her lips to barely curving up. "Shoot."

"What's it mean when a person has 5 Black Psyche Locks? I can't figure it out."

Maya was confused, but she didn't know it. "Why? Did Gumshoe have 5 of them? I always thought he was suspicious."

Phoenix hit his hand against his face before making his way off of the wall and moving closer her. "No, not Gumshoe. I'm not sure why, but the shy waitress had 5 black psyche locks when I asked her about how she knew the victim."

Maya felt bad; she honestly didn't know what this meant. Psyche Locks were Pearl's area of expertise, not hers. "You should ask Pearl. She'll know. I'll call her right now." Maya huffed, and she puffed, and she let out a building shaking "PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRR RRRRRRRRRLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYY!"

Pearl came hopping along into the kitchen, happy as a clam. "Yes, Mystic Maya?"

Maya smiled wide and clapped her hands together, and then held them in place. "Nick has a question for you."

Pearl looked happy as ever; nevermind the fact Maya let out an Earth-shattering roar to call her in there or that Phoenix had a question for her. "Yes, Mr. Nick?"

"Pearls..." Phoenix looked away for a second, as if he were thinking about what to say. He got down on his knee to be face to face with her. "Pearls...what does it mean when a personat has 5 black-psyche locks?"

Pearl gasped. "You saw...black psyche locks?" Phoenix nodded.

"Mr. Nick...whoever had the black psyche locks has a secret locked away so tight, hidden so deep...it's impossible to break them." She looked down at the floor in shame. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nick. I can't help...you won't be able to ever be 100% sure as to what they're hiding, you can only get enough information to make a high probability guess."

"It's ok, Pearls." He patted her on the back and she walked off sullenly, back into the living room.

What is with these psyche locks Nick saw? They're affecting everybody but me!

She must've looked hurt, because Phoenix walked up and put his arms around her; "Don't worry, Maya, I'm sure it'll all be ok." With that, he leaned in for a kiss.

Huh? I-I... Involuntarily, she jerked her head back, avoiding his lips.

Phoenix was surprised. "H-Huh? I don't..."

She looked back down at the floor. "I'm sorry...I-I'm..."

The elevator door rang, and the scent of pizza filled the apartment. Trucy and Pearl got up and yelled "PIZZA!" and ran across the apartment to get it.

Phoenix spoke up, breaking the silence. "I, um, better go pay."

Maya looked up at him with hurt eyes. "I-I'm sorry..." He left the room.

She wanted to kiss him, she really did. She didn't know what happened to her back there; she didn't mean to jerk her head back like that...it just sort of, happened...

The two little girls came running into the kitchen and hopped into their chairs at the table. Maya slowly took a seat as Phoenix brought the pizza to the table, and after he set it down, the two girls ripped it open. The scent of pizza rose through the air, and the scent of it made Maya feel good enough to eat a slice or 4.

After they all finished, Pearl and Trucy ran back into the living room to make up for what they had missed on their cartoon.

Before Maya and Phoenix could say something to each other in private, a knock came at the stairwell door.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'll pick back up here tomorrow, and I'll try to update my other work, Trees of Green, tonight. This chapter and next chapter (Which is behind Trees of Green on my update today list.) will both be bridge chapters, and I'm going to try to post the entire first day of the trial in Ch. 12, and then the next two would be the investigations that follow. Sorry for not updating yesterday, I was a very busy dude.

Happy Reading, dudes!

-ghostfacekiller39