New chapter, new style, new... Umm...

Actually, I think that's the only thing that's new at the moment.

Miles, Franzie, Manfred, Mia and Maya ain't mine, but Mara, Nat, and Zane are.

'.' Miles '.'

"Miles Edgeworth!" Franziska shouted, whip cracking, heels clicking loudly. She stomped towards me, stopping less than three feet from the chair I was sitting in. "MILES EDGEWORTH!"

"Yes?"

"Don't you 'yes' me, fool! I have called you over and over, and you foolishly ignored my calls! I finally had to come here, to this foolish hospital!" Her whip cracked violently, emphasizing her frustration. I looked up, running my long fingers through my hair. I had removed my jacket and cravat, and had draped them on the chair next to me.

"What do you want, Franziska?" I asked wearily, shuffling through a pile of photos documenting Natalie's wounds. She snatched them from my hand. "What are you doing? Those are-AUGH! Bloody hell, Franziska!" I yelled, clutching my forearm. She twitched her whip again in warning. I rolled up my sleeve, looking at the raised welt forming where her whip had struck me. Her whip had struck me with inspiration. (pun not intended, I assure you.) "Welts..!" I took the photos from Franziska, searching through them frantically. "There!" I pointed to a wound in one of the photos. "What does this look like to you?"

"A wound." She blinked. "Wha-" She took a closer look. "That looks like..!" She rubbed the back of her hand in an unconscious reaction to her memories. "Papa." I nodded, remembering the many... 'Run-ins' I had endured with Manfred vonKarma's cane as a young man. "So... She was beaten..." My adopted sister whispered, wrapping her arms around herself as if to ward off a sudden chill. "This foolish fool of a monster had better be found soon, Miles Edgeworth." She warned, flicking her whip as she spun on her heel and headed off in the opposite direction.

I shrugged at her typically odd behavior. Speaking of sisters... I wonder how Maya's doing..? I considered pulling my phone out to dial her cell number as the door to Natalie's room opened. Her twin sister walked out.

Although she looks almost identical to Natalie (their preference in clothing style is really the only way people can tell them apart), Maralie is, for the most part, rather quiet and reserved. Even her outfit was subdued - a khaki calf-length skirt, brown boots, and a white sweater. Of course, there was also the enormous emerald hanging from the gold chain around her neck; but with her fiery red hair softly brushing her shoulders she made the jewel look tasteful, as opposed to tacky.

I wondered idly if Tallie would ever wear something like that. My mind wandered to the drawing from my elder sister Mia's favourite movie - "Titanic". I attempted to shake the image from my mind, but only succeeded in lodging it in deeper. When I tried to think of something else, all that came to mind was the morning she was kidnapped. When I had walked in on her in her...state of undress. Bloody testosterone!

"Oh... Hello, Mr. Edgeworth. Natalie's... she's still not responding. I'd love to stay and chat, but..." Maralie's comment faded as she saw the photos in my hand.

"You have evidence to analyze." I said, slightly confused as to why Tallie wasn't talking to anyone - she had talked with me several days ago. Well, she said a few words. Of course, the doctor had informed me later that she may have simply been speaking nonsense... But I'd like to think she knew what she was saying. I gestured to the door, silently asking if I was allowed enterance. Maralie nodded, her smile seeming to wish me a silent "good luck".

'.' Natalie '.'

"Do you... Um... Do you remember anything?" Mara asked, holding my hand, gently. "Oh, Nay Nay... I wish... I wish you could tell me what happened." I thought of our hands, clasped together, just like when we were innocent little girls. Those days seemed like an eternity ago, now... He had said that my voice was what first drew him to me. He said it fit 'my role' perfectly... He said my voice was that of a queen, both beautify and terrible, with the power to control men with a single word. He went on to say that the men I had controlled where going to turn against me, and, as such, they must be destroyed. It was supposedly for this very reason that I had saved him from the inferno.

Oh, yes - I had 'saved his life'. I had forgotten the event, but he had reminded me of it often, sometimes several times an hour. It had happened when I was still at the academy - I was doing rounds with a senior officer when a call came out. It was for a fire, possible arson, at a dry cleaner's. Looking back, I wish I had stayed in the stupid cruiser. If I had, then he wouldn't have lived, he wouldn't have killed Zane...

Of course, if Zane hadn't died, I would have never met Miles. I rubbed the bandage on my wrist as I thought of him. My cheeks began to heat. Mara looked at her watch as it beeped.

"Time's up for today, huh?" She squeezed my hand before letting it go. "I miss you, Natalie." When she said that, I nearly opened my eyes - nearly called out her name - but I remembered that he was still out there, somewhere. He could be in the hall, even. I was determined to keep silent until he was found and brought to court. I heard her footsteps - click, click, click, click, pause - the door open - cherk - more heel clicks - click, click, pause - "Oh... Hello, Mr. Edgeworth. Natalie's... she's still not responding. I'd love to stay and chat, but..."

"You have evidence to analyze." I hope the EKG doesn't take that skipped heartbeat as anything serious... His quiet, determined footsteps enter the room - But all I could really hear was my heart thumping loudly in my ears. He pulled the chair up next to the bed - skuurch - sat down, and sighed. "I know you're awake."

"Can't... fool you... can I?"

"Maralie said you're not responding. Why aren't you talking to anyone else?" Because they want to talk about what happened. And I'm not really in the mood for that drive down memory lane just yet.

"They... wanna ask... about... what happened. I don't wanna... think about it. Hurts too much."

"Ah."

"Miles..?"

"Hmm?"

"Say my name... please." He leaned in closer. I reached up with my right hand to brush the hair from his cheek.

"Natalie..?" I shook my head, stroking his jawline with my thumb. His head tilted slightly, his eyes narrowing in thought. They widened as he understood my request. "Oh..." He smiled slightly, the twinkle in his beautiful chocolate-grey eyes once again sending my heart skipping down into my toes. "Tallie."

"Mmmm... I like that." His head still tilted, he reached out to touch my face with his fingertips. They haltingly danced across my lips.

"Tallie." I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. "Tallie..." I closed my eyes as his hand rested on my cheek. "Tallie..."

A cup of hot tea could never taste as delicious as that first kiss did.