(This was a request from MiaFey on This is set sometime before case one of Trials and Tribulations, before the murder of Diego Armando.

Phoenix Wright and related characters belong to Capcom…who are nice people and don't want to sue me.

Challenge: Write a Kristoph x Dahlia fic.)

Kristoph Gavin was in a foul mood as he strolled onto the Ivy University campus with all the subtlety of a storm cloud. Why one of his fellow students had called him back on campus at this hour still eluded him, but Kristoph hoped it was important (otherwise said student would find himself in an…unpleasant situation.) As he strode by the Pharmacology Department, Kristoph noted a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. It was so quick, he wasn't even sure that he had seen it. Curious, he walked down the path before approaching a side door to the Pharmacology Department.

The building itself was relatively dark, with only enough light to see the outlines of the shelves and equipment that littered the lab. A series of noises tore through the silence of the room like lightning across a dark sky. Following the source of the noise, Kristoph slowly made his was to a more open area of the lab, which had several rows of lab desks. A woman was mixing something at one of desks by the light of a small battery powered lantern. In the dim light the woman's only distinguishing feature (aside from the fact that she appeared to be rather attractive) was her flame red hair.

Deciding to make his presence known, Kristoph cleared his throat. The woman's reaction was almost immediate. Her head flew up and her eyes narrowed.

Stepping forward, Kristoph began slowly making his way over to her. "Good evening, miss. Seems a little late for a student to be here, don't you think."

"Wouldn't the same apply to you?"

"Yes, but I'm just a curious passerby who happened to witness your entering this building and decided to investigate."

"…What do you want?"

"Well, that's not very cordial, is it? You could at least tell me your name before you start making demands, my dear."

"Only if you give me yours first."

"Tad touchy, are we? Very well, my name is Kristoph Gavin."

"Dahlia Hawthorne."

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Dahlia let out a derisive snort before going back to whatever she had been working on. "You never did answer my first question, Mr. Gavin. What do you want?"

"Nothing really, I was just curious."

"I see. Well, now that you've sated your curiosity, shouldn't you be getting on your merry way?"

"I should, but I'm not going to."

"What?"

"Let's just say…you intrigue me, Ms. Hawthorne."

Dahlia tensed a little at this. "I'm not all that especially interesting, Mr. Gavin."

"Oh, but I think you are. You see, nobody would be in here at this time of night unless they weren't supposed to. I know this from experience."

Dahlia's voice took on an acidic tone, "Oh, really? What would someone like you be in here for? Aside from bothering other students, that is."

"Developing poison, of course."

Dahlia's head jerked up at that. "What?"

Kristoph continued as if it was the most mundane thing in the world, "More effective poisons can only be obtained in a pharmacology lab such as this, and I've had to use these facilities for that purpose more than once."

Dahlia just stared, her look betraying a hint of fear and anger.

Kristoph noted her look and chuckled, "Come now, ms. Hawthorne, surely you didn't think me dense enough not to notice the ingredients you're mixing. You're using the facilities for the same purpose I do."

"That puts us at a stalemate doesn't it?"

Kristoph tapped the top of one of the bottles, "You've got a good base mixture here, but you might want to add something to increase potency. Hold on a second."

Kristoph rather quickly disappeared among the darkened shelves. The clinking movement of glass bottles was heard for a moment or two before Kristoph slowly rematerialized in the patch of light created by the lamp. "This is what you'll want to add, Ms. Hawthorne."

Dahlia warily took it from him. "Not to sound rude, but why are you helping me?"

He graced her with a decidedly devilish grin. "Let's just say, I have an appreciation for fine poison."

(Reviews are welcomed and appreciated.)