Title: Turnabout Advent

Length: 25 Chapters- Chapter 1 (250), Chapter 2 (162), Chapter 3 (401), Chapter 4 (605), Chapter 5 (200), Chapter 6 (195), Chapter 7 (355) Chapter 8 (424), Chapter 9 (563), Chapter 10 (287), Chapter 11 (455), Chapter 12 (713), Chapter 13 (1,556) Total (6166)

((A/N: To the reviewer who claimed the witness prize, I have to apologize and humbly request your forgiveness. The character you requested would be strange to have her as part of such a case. However, I promise you that she will make an appearance!))

December 13

Despite Edgeworth's warning, Phoenix found himself arriving at the coffee shop at eight forty-five. He was thrilled to see that Edgeworth was still there, though he looked more than slightly annoyed.

"Hey, thanks for waiting." Phoenix said, taking the seat across from him. "Unfortunately, that one crazy lady was the security guard for this apartment building thing, and that woman never shuts up."

"Much like a certain defense attorney." Edgeworth smirked.

"Yeah, much like—Hey! I shut up sometimes!" he protested.

"Hm, I'm sure." The small smile didn't disappear. "Now. Tell me what you've discovered."

Phoenix rolled his eyes. "There was a lot to take in. There are three witnesses, and one of em is a crazy old woman whose testimony took literally an hour. So… the victim's name was..." he quickly pulled out a notebook and flipped through it as he continued. "Mary Sue. The two suspects are, of course, Kay Faraday, and Sleven Stappey."

"Have you gotten a chance to speak with the second suspect yet?"

"No, not yet." He shook his head. "But it's fairly safe to assume that he's the true killer, right?"

"Never assume, Wright. You know what happens. Now continue."

"The crime scene is a sort of extended stay hotel, if I understood that correctly. The night of the crime, fourteen people were in the building, but only six were awake at the time of the crime. The victim, the two suspects, and the witnesses. The first witness I spoke with was the night shift security guard, Ms. Um…Oldbag." He noted that Edgeworth shivered slightly at the name, so he continued. "Esmerelda Mace, who heard that murder when it occurred as her room is right next to that of the victim."

"What was her reason for being awake? The murder occurred at 3 o clock in the morning, hardly a normal hour for a young lady to be awake."

"According to her testimony, the new Legend of Zelda game had just come out and she lost track of time playing. The owner of the building confirmed that this was normal behavior for Ms. Mace. The final witness is a young woman by the name of Pasha Lynn. She was apparently very acquainted with Sleven, according to Esmerelda. Unfortunately, she refused to testify until tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?" Edgeworth raised his eyebrows warily. "You are aware that tomorrow is the third and final day of investigation, are you not?"

"Yes, Edgeworth, I'm aware." Phoenix growled.

"And that we will most likely only get one chance in court? This witness could change the entire course of the case, and you're going to wait until the last minute to get her testimony?"

"…she hasn't given you her testimony either?"

Edgeworth frowned and shook his head. "She said she wishes to discuss it with…both sides of the case. Simultaneously."

Phoenix nodded. "We're supposed to meet tomorrow at the detention center. She said she wanted to talk to Kay as well. I didn't realize you'd be there too."

Edgeworth frowned. "Something is strange about this girl. I have to wonder if her testimony will truly turn the case around, or if it will simply be a waste of our time." Shaking his head, he took a drink from his tea, then continued. "What do you have in defense of your client, Wright?"

"Come on, Miles. I don't think I'm supposed to be discussing my strategy with the enemy." Phoenix teased, but his smile faded as he saw Edgeworth's grim stare. "…right. Um… to be honest. I don't have much. Kay says she doesn't remember anything except hearing a gunshot and climbing down the outside of her building to climb into the victim's open window, then she woke up in handcuffs. Neither Ms. Mace, nor Oldbag have interacted with her very much, so they can't give a testimony in defense of her character, and the fact that she admitted to scaling a building really doesn't look good for her."

"So what's your defense, then? Saying 'Oh, no, it was that other guy!' I mean, really. You're digging your own grave, Wright."

"Hey. Where's your faith?" Phoenix tried to smile, but Edgeworth's glare made his lips form into a grim line. "Okay, fine. I'll admit. I'm relying pretty heavily on Ms. Lynn's testimony. I mean, seriously. The police found Kay with the murder weapon in her hand and fingerprints all over the weapon and the victim's apartment."

"…Wright. Don't you see how that information is impossible?"

"…what?"

"Please, Wright. You don't even know your client. Do you know what she does? She's spent the past few years living as a thief. She wears gloves, even as she sleeps. If she were to commit a crime, she would know how to avoid leaving fingerprints."

Phoenix frowned. "…I don't think that's a good defense to use in court."

"Of course not." Edgeworth waved him off. "but having that knowledge should give you the proper questions to ask. Such as, perhaps, who removed her glove. Who knocked her unconscious that night. Perhaps if you were to find that glove, you would find the true murderer." With that, he rose to his feet. "Unfortunately, I have a great deal to do today and don't have time to spoon-feed you all the answers. I will see you tomorrow morning."

"Y-yeah." Phoenix had fallen deep into thought at Edgeworth's words and looked up as Edgeworth walked away.

"Oh, and Wright?"

"Hm?"

"…Good luck."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So, you're Sleven Stappey?" Phoenix asked, taking in the male on the other side of the glass. According to his profile, Sleven was twenty-two years of age, taking a break from college for 'health reasons' that had yet to be confirmed.

"Yup, that's me." The suspect smiled broadly, leaning back slightly in his chair. "You must be Mr. Wright, the murderer's defense attorney."

"My client is innocent until proven guilty." Phoenix replied, eyes narrowing slightly. "Tell me, have you ever met Ms. Faraday?"

"Met her? Geeze, are you kidding me? Look at her. Do you really think a girl who looks like that could start living across the hall from me and I wouldn't meet her? It's practically my job to know everyone, Mr. Wright. Especially cute girls like her."

"…you are aware of the fact that my client is seventeen, correct?"

"Eighteen in two months." Sleven shrugged, easy-going grin never leaving his face. "Besides, it's not like I'm interested or anything. If anything, she is the one who totally has a thing for me. It's kind of cute, actually. She practically worships the ground I walk on."

"…really, now?" Phoenix tried not to let his disbelief show on his face, even as Sleven leaned closer, face suddenly serious.

"That's why she killed my girl, you know. Mary, she was a sweet girl. Beautiful, kind, and she tried to befriend Kay. But you could see the jealousy in her eyes. If you ask me, she's just as crazy as Pasha."

"Pasha?"

"Yeah. My ex. God. Knowing her, she's gonna come forward as a witness in this case. She… has all sorts of mental issues, Wright. Bipolar or split personalities or some crap like that. It's why she broke up with me. She gets these crazy ideas, like some sort of alternate reality or something. Says she can feel people's emotions, see things before they happen sometimes. She said, and get this," he laughed "that I was hurting her. Me. Like I could ever hurt a fly. Anyway, my point is, you really shouldn't trust her, or anything she says for that matter."

"Then what should I trust?"

"What I say, of course." Sleven looked at him incredulously. "Now do you want my testimony, or not?"

Phoenix pulled out his notebook and pen and motioned for him to begin.

"Alright. So I've been with Mary for like. Three months now. It's kinda become a tradition of ours that I go to her room late at night and we… you know." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Anyway. So, I go to her room at three in the morning, which is kinda normal for us, and then I see Kay, standing over her, with a gun pointed at her body. I panicked, and slammed Kay into a wall, knocking her out before she tried to off me, too. I call the police and for whatever reason, they take us both into custody. Probably because of something Pash said."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The girl comes outta her room, which is right across from Mary's and starts screaming at me, saying that I was the one that killed Mary and accusing me of all that crap. The police overheard her, I guess, and took her seriously. As if I haven't been through enough."

Frowning, Phoenix took a moment to review what he'd just written down before asking his next question.

"So…you didn't actually see the murder take place?"

"Nope, thank God. Like I need that sorta trauma bringing me down for the rest of my life."

Phoenix silently wondered how it was possible for a man to be so indifferent to the death of his own girlfriend, and somehow turn it around to be all about him. Deciding he'd had more than enough of this, for lack of a more appropriate word, douchebag, Phoenix said his goodbyes and headed back to his office. With any luck, tomorrow would be more productive.