Disclaimer: Sorry for the radio silence over here, my old computer died and I had to get a new one. I don't have the writing program I'm used to anymore and a bunch of files had to be converted and also, life came after me with a vengeance. But I still live!


Without Wings

XI.


"I want Nick to defend me."

Miles wasn't as surprised at those words as he should have been. Some part of him had expected them. He glanced at Phoenix and wasn't surprised, either, to see his friend nod.

Maya can translate, Phoenix signed to Miles.

In the end, she doesn't, but only so that she and Miles can sit in the stands behind the defense bench as Mia and Phoenix defend Larry.

Watching as Phoenix quickly overcame his nervousness, as his sign language became more controlled and expressive, Miles realised that Phoenix was good at this. As good as Diego. Rapidly catching up to Mia's level of skill.

And, at least to Miles' way of thinking, far better at it than Miles himself.

No one was surprised when Phoenix won the case, excepting Phoenix himself. He was grinning so much his cheeks hurt when Larry was declared innocent.

Mia took the heavy statue of the Thinker from him. "We can keep it in the office," she explained at his hurt look. "As a reminder of your first court case."

Phoenix lit up, smile becoming impossibly wider.

"I'm so proud of you," Mia continued, gaze sweeping to include Miles and Franziska as well. "All of you. And, well, maybe we're not a family in the traditional sense- but I love you all." Her smile softened at the varying expressions on her kitten's faces. "I just thought you all should hear that."

"Me too, right sis?" Maya piped up.

Mia laughed and ruffled her sister's hair. "How could I forget you, Maya?"

"Hey," Diego called from near where they were parked. "I've got us reservations at my favourite place, kittens. Don't normally need'em, but," his gaze swept over the assembled group, "We're a bit larger party than they're prepared for on short notice."

Their regular group was large enough now that even outsiders rarely noticed that one of them never spoke.

Because they were all comfortable enough with the idea now, the next time Phoenix and Maya went to Kurain, Mia didn't go with. Maya and Phoenix communicated well enough that she didn't really need to, and she had a few things she wanted to take care of at the office that she'd rather they not be around for anyway.

Looking at the Thinker clock where she'd stored the relevant papers, though, Mia sighed as a realisation hit her and picked up the phone.

"Maya? Hey, I'm sorry to call you while you're in Kurain, but I have a favour to ask you…"

Even catching the first available train back, Phoenix and Maya didn't arrive at the office until late. Phoenix wanted to go home first and visit Miles. Maya was adamant, but she relented when she saw just how badly Phoenix wanted to stop by.

Once there, Diego absolutely wouldn't let them go to the office without him. Miles was asleep and no one wanted to wake him, and Franziska had stayed late at work, so just the three of them planned to go.

"We can surprise Mia-kitten, yeah?" He said with a wink as the three scrambled into his battered, beloved car. "Besides, this is much faster than having to call a cab. Cheaper, too."

When they reached the office, Diego couldn't seem to stop fidgeting with something in his pocket. After he parked, he twisted in his seat to address the younger lawyer and spirit medium. "Hey, kittens, I'm going to go ahead, okay? I have…" His eyes softened and he stopped fidgeting for a moment. "I have something to talk to Mia about first."

Phoenix nodded enthusiastically while Maya made vague noises of agreement and returned to counting the number of discarded coffee cups on the floor.

It wasn't until they heard an enraged shout, quickly cut off, that the two rushed in.

They found Diego unconscious, clearly having suffered a blow to the head like Mia before him.

Unlike Mia, Diego was still breathing.

Phoenix was pretty sure he was in shock as he moved to examine the room. Maya was definitely in shock, sobbing beside her sister and the unconscious Diego. After a while, she stood up and lurched towards Phoenix.

He put his arms around her awkwardly, still staring at the Chief's body and wondering why he wasn't sobbing himself. He wanted to go check and find that his senses were lying to him, that Mia was fine. He wanted to call the police, wanted to call an ambulance for Diego, but he couldn't use the phone and Maya was in no state to make the call.

Those decisions were quickly taken out of his hands. Maya fainted as he held her upright, so he carried her out to the front office and laid her on the couch before returning to try and rouse Diego and look for clues.

Mia's body was still warm, which he was sure would haunt him for many nights after this one. Especially as he felt the warmth fade. Especially as he checked again and again for a pulse that wasn't there.

He found clues, though, the lawyer part of him acting on instinct. A broken light stand. The Thinker clock, that- that was only kept here as a memento of his first case. Phoenix's eyes burned as he looked at it, then away, and he spotted the piece of paper fluttering in Mia's hand.

It had Maya's name written on it in blood. Phoenix felt lead coil in his stomach.

He didn't see anything else, so he started on trying to wake Diego. Diego would know what to do. Diego would be able to call the police. Diego would be calm and coherent, even now.

Diego wouldn't be or do any of those things, because Phoenix couldn't wake Diego up.

His attempts to do so were interrupted by a scream from outside the window. Looking up, hoping desperately for some kind of help, he saw a terrified-looking woman staring through the window. Straight at him.

That leaden feeling in his stomach grew worse.

He couldn't wake Diego, and he couldn't call the police, so Phoenix went to check on Maya.

She wasn't on the couch.

Searching frantically, he almost jumped out of his skin when she appeared behind him suddenly.

"Nick," she cried, throwing herself at him again. "Nick, who'd do this? Did you find anything? Is… is Diego okay?"

Phoenix tried to free his arms to answer her and couldn't, so he wriggled one arm out of her grasp to show her the receipt with her name on it.

Maya's eyes watered again as she stared at it. "B-but why would Sis write my name?" she stammered.

He shook his head just as they both heard the sounds of sirens outside. Maya stiffened, then ran to the door and threw it open.

"Gumshoe!" she cried as the detective ran towards the building. "Gumshoe, Gumshoe, you've gotta help! Diego needs an ambulance, and Mia… Mia…!"

"Calm down," Gumshoe said, not unkindly, to both her and Phoenix. Phoenix thought he was still in too much shock to be anything but calm, but nodded anyway.

"We received a report from the building across the way," Gumshoe continued, picking his way further into the office with Phoenix and Maya on his heels. "A woman said she saw a murder." He slowed a little, then looked worriedly to Phoenix. "Uh, pal? Is… is Mr. Edgeworth okay?"

Phoenix nodded vigorously, then signed Chief over and over again and pointed to the door. Then he signed, Ambulance. Need ambulance.

"He says you need to call an ambulance," Maya translated.

"Already on its way," Gumshoe assured her. "Can you two wait here for a moment?"

Without waiting for their agreement, Gumshoe ducked into the next room, only to return moments later with a defeated expression and a crumpled piece of paper in his hand.

Swallowing, he said quietly, "I'm gonna have to arrest you, Maya."

Before anyone could take Maya away, Phoenix interposed himself quickly and signed, Did you find anything else?

After a quick translation Gumshoe nodded. "This fell out of Mr. Armando's pocket, pal."

He showed them what Diego had been playing with on his way into the building.

It was a ring.

After Maya was taken away, and after Diego was taken to the hospital and Phoenix was let out of questioning, Gumshoe drove Phoenix home since Phoenix didn't have another way to get home. Gumshoe spent a moment just sitting in the car in the driveway, watching Phoenix stare down at his hands in his lap. Finally Gumshoe cleared his throat.

"I, uh. I think you should have this, pal."

He held out the ring.

"I know it was found at the scene of the crime and all, but… it isn't like it's really evidence. I mean, not really, right? I just…" Gumshoe fell silent a moment. "I think you should hold on to it."

Phoenix nodded and took the ring, running his fingers over it before slipping it into a pocket of his- Diego's- hoodie. He was dreading going into the house- it would feel wrong without Mia and Diego and Maya there. Turning to Gumshoe, he signed, Would you like to come in?

The detective's face fell. "I… I can't understand you, pal."

Phoenix sighed and got out of the car, shoving his hands into the pocket of his hoodie as he did so. For the first time in a long time he wanted to kick something in frustration. Mia had made his handicap seem, well, not a handicap, but there was no Mia now to make him just another normal person. There never would be again. There was no Mia, and if Diego ever woke up he'd never be the same, and if they couldn't prove her innocent there would be no Maya either.

To Phoenix's surprise, Gumshoe got out of the car as well, looking hopeful. "I can come in and Mr. Edgeworth or Ms. von Karma can translate."

After a moment's hesitation, Phoenix nodded. It seemed ridiculous to have Gumshoe come in so that he could ask him if he'd like to come in, but all the same, Phoenix didn't want to walk in alone. More than that, he didn't want to explain himself alone.

After he let himself in quietly with his key and motioned Gumshoe in behind him, Phoenix simply stood in the entryway for a long moment.

The house was quiet. Far quieter than he could ever remember it being.

Always before, no matter the time of night, he'd hear Maya snoring in her sleep or arguing with Franziska. He'd hear Diego clattering around in the kitchen as he made yet another cup of coffee. He'd hear Mia scolding Diego for drinking coffee so late at night. He'd hear something.

But the house was silent.


Guardian: I'm, uh, gonna go hide now.