Nicky called into work and said that she had the flu. Carol sympathetically told her to take the whole week off—an offer she promptly accepted.

"Oh, and please don't give any of the employees my address," she begged. "I don't want them to get sick, and I really just need my rest now."

"Of course," Carol told her. "I understand. I don't like being bothered when I'm sick, either."

"Not even Larry," Nicky added. Especially not Larry, she thought to herself. She coughed a bit for good measure.

"Oh my," Carol exclaimed. "I'll let you go so you can go sleep, okay? Is there anything I can do?"

"No, I've got plenty of soup and stuff. I'll just rest. Hopefully, I'll be better by the end of the week."

"Oh, sure. Just call me when you feel like you can work again, okay?"

They said good-bye and Nicky hung up, feeling bad for taking advantage of Carol's kindness. She went to the freezer and got out a pint of chocolate ice cream. She was angry at Edgeworth, but that didn't mean she couldn't be sad, too.

Nicky turned on her TV and plopped down on the couch. The news was on this channel, talking about the Theodore Kiln Murders. They flashed a creepy-looking mug shot, but she changed it. There was a romance movie on. She flipped the channel again, but she couldn't find any luck anywhere she flipped—romantic comedy, romance movie, dramatic romance, horror-romance (what??), kissing scenes in sitcoms. Finally she turned off the TV, threw the remote into the floor, slumped over on the couch, and sobbed.

Franziska was incredibly confused.

She had never considered herself to be a woman-lover. She hadn't ever been particularly attracted to the supple curves of a woman's body, or the pink lips on a woman's face. However, she had never considered woman-loving foolish, either. And now, here she was, knowing that she had inadvertently lied to Miles Edgeworth about her love for him. When she thought of him, her stomach still turned over in an unpleasant way, but that was totally different than the feeling in her stomach she got from being around Adrian Andrews. It was as though some fool had foolishly tripped while carrying a box of butterflies, foolishly letting them loose to flit about somewhere around her navel.

"Do you like coffee, Franziska?" Adrian asked her.

"A bit, yes," Franziska replied.

"Would you like to go back to my place and get some?"

Get some? Franziska thought to herself. Yes. Yes I would.

They drove to Adrian's apartment and entered it, still talking about nothing in particular. Adrian brought up what types of coffee she had as she walked toward the kitchen. "I have espresso, decaf, mocha, cappuccino, whatever! You come in here, too. You can look."

Franziska walked into Adrian's kitchen and looked at the cabinet with coffee in it without interest. She sighed. Perhaps she needed to tell Adrian Andrews. It was foolish of her to keep these feelings to herself. She turned toward her, away from the coffee. "Adrian Andrews, I need to talk to you."

"…okay. Let me make coffee first!"

"No, I would like to do it now."

Adrian nodded. "Okay."

"Adrian Andrews, we are friends, no?"

"Of course, Franziska. Why do you ask?" Adrian smiled beautifully. The butterflies flitted madly, and Franziska cleared her throat.

"Well, I have been…feeling…some things around you. I have been feeling some things toward you."

Sweat broke out on Adrian's forehead. "What sort of things?"

Franziska considered this. How would she describe it? "Romantic things."

At this, Adrian's glasses shattered, sending glass flying across the kitchen. Franziska jumped and backed away. "Oh my God! Are you all right? Did any get in your eyes? What happened?"

Adrian smoothly pulled another pair of glasses from her pocket and put them on. "I'm fine. That happens when I get upset or nervous."

Franziska looked around at the shards of glass lying on the kitchen floor. "Your glasses shatter every time you get upset?"

"Yes."

"That seems dangerous. Perhaps you should consider contact lenses. I have seen those—they are rubbery and do not shatter." Franziska continued to look around at the tiny pieces of glass glinting in the overhead light. "Very dangerous indeed," she muttered.

"I've tried," Adrian replied, adjusting her glasses slightly. "I can't touch my eyeball. It freaks me out and makes my skin crawl."

"You cannot touch your eyeball, yet you can have glass explode near them?"

"I know, it's silly, but everyone has their little quirks, right? You have your whip, Edgeworth spreads his hands and shakes his head, Mr. Wright points a lot, Maya Fey smiles and cocks her head, Pearl Fey jumps up and down…everybody's different."

Franziska didn't think any of those things was as severe as glass shattering near one's eyeballs, but they were digressing. "The point is, Adrian Andrews, that I have feelings for you." She tensed, preparing herself for shattering glasses, but it didn't happen. "Do you think that you could…return these feelings?"

Adrian seemed quite nervous indeed. Sweat had broken out on her forehead once again, and she was gritting her teeth and clutching a random book she always had with her. "Franziska, I…didn't think…"

"I understand if you do not."

"No, I mean…I didn't think that…you felt it too." Adrian took a deep breath. "I…feel that way towards you as well."

Franziska could have laughed loudly. "You do?"

"Yes."

"Oh! Well…what do we do now? Do we kiss?"

Adrian's glasses shattered again. Franziska leapt backward, shielding herself. "My goodness! Really, Adrian Andrews! Perhaps you are comfortable with your eyes near all that glass, but I myself am not! If we are to kiss, kindly remove your glasses!"

Adrian laughed. "Okay. I won't put another pair on yet."

Franziska lowered her arms and slowly walked over to Adrian, setting her whip on the counter. "How do we…"

"I'm not sure…I think I just…tilt my head…" Adrian went to move forward, but she slipped on a piece of glass and fell into Franziska, who caught her around the middle. Seeing her chance, Franziska shed her gloves quickly and grabbed the back of Adrian's head, tilting it up and pressing her lips to hers. Adrian whimpered slightly, but her hands snaked up into Franziska's hair.

It was quite romantic, even though glass crunched noisily underneath their feet.

Edgeworth glanced at the clock. This was usually the time Nicky would show up and add some spice to his monotonous day, but today, that wasn't going to happen. It wasn't going to happen tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day, even.

He was incredibly certain that they had enough evidence to incriminate Theodore Kiln and at least put him behind bars. He put his face in his hands, thinking of Nicky again. He thought of her sweet smile, her understanding eyes, the way she had punched Franziska in the face, the way she always surprised him, how she probably hated him now and never wanted to see him again…how he would never get to hold her, touch her, kiss her, ever again…

Edgeworth sat up as his vision blurred with tears. He was doing the right thing, right? He remembered how hurt and sad she had looked the day she had shown up, her eyes all red and swollen. Was she crying over him now? No, he reasoned. She hated him now.

He slumped over his desk, resigning himself to his fate.