Chapter 21

"I... what?" He stared at his fiance (if she still was) as if she'd grown a second head. "What... I don't... what?" He heard a choked sound coming from Miles, who most likely was as confused as Phoenix himself.

"I want you to be with us both." she clarified simply, her face expressionless, except for her eyes, waiting for his response.

"... I'm not a Mormon you know and... I mean... what?" What the hell was he supposed to say in a situation like this anyway?

Her tone turned hard again as she got up from crouching, then sitting near him on the couch.

"I am leaving this choice up to you. I will not leave you, and I am allowing you to be with Miles Edgeworth as well, if that is what you want."

Miles stared at his sister. "Wait a minute. What are you saying Franziska? That you still want to date and marry Wright, I suppose, but at the same time... he's free to be together with me? Isn't that like making me the other - uh-...That's..." He wasn't quite sure what it was. He felt as though he was being made into the other woman, but he didnt exactly want to say that out loud.

"I was shocked at first when I found out the truth of the way you both felt for each other, but with time to think, I've realized that there was no way I could stand between you both if I truly loved Phoenix." she spoke forcefully, "I am fine with this, and now you both need to decide what you want."

Being silent for a moment she added in a threatening tone, "But just know, I will not give you up, Phoenix Wright."

"But... but..." He was stuttering and he knew it. "But how could I possibly make a decision like that? I mean... this is... What... Oh god... I don't know what to do." He buried his face in his hands with a heavy sigh. He just didn't know what to do.

Franziska studied him intently and she bent forward on the couch until she'd drawn quite close to Phoenix, speaking softly but forceful in his ear, "Touch him again, and then tell me you don't know what to do. I saw you then, and I know you, Phoenix Wright."

"But... how could I ever go along with something like this? It's... it's immoral and... and... and I would be cheating on you... with your adoptive brother! I... that's... how...?!" How on earth could she simply say 'it's cool, it's fine. As long as I know about it.'

Miles was sitting and carefully keeping his mouth shut. What the hell was going on inside Franziska's head right now? Not to mention how flustered, uncertain, and ashamed Phoenix was. Miles felt sorry for him, this couldn't be easy.

She continued to whisper, feeling awkward to have Miles hear exactly what she was saying, her tone turning a little impatient, "You are someone driven by your emotions, Phoenix Wright. You love him and you want him, and you will just snap again."

Resting her forehead on his head for a moment, she sighed softly and continued, "I want you to be happy. I do not want to see you in pain."

"But Franziska... what about you? How could you possibly be happy if we went into an arrangement like that? I don't want to hurt you." He bit his lip. Life sure was far too painful and complicated sometimes.

"I was hurt when I first found out about your feelings for Miles Edgeworth mostly because you did not tell me the full truth about them, not because you had them. I...would have been better prepared that way."

Franziska's voice turned a little stronger again as she finished speaking, "As long as I have you, I will be happy. No one has cared for me the way you have, even with the number of times I've corrected you with my whip and otherwise, nothing has changed. I can't give you up, I won't! I'm not such a big fool."

"I'm sorry about that Franziska... I didn't think that it would ever matter so I..." He grew silent. It was a stupid excuse, but that was the reason behind his actions.

"Franziska..." He didn't know what to say to that.

Miles was silent the entire time, wondering if they would ever even ask for his opinion on the matter. He loved Phoenix, beyond reason, but this... A relationship like this... a love triangle that wasn't really working like they should... He grew frustrated with the thought.

Franziska then leaned down slightly to give Phoenix a soft kiss on his cheek, and then when she leaned away from Phoenix, her eyes wandered over to Miles. She could tell he looked clearly conflicted and frustrated, so she decided it was time to find his thoughts on the idea. She wasn't sure how well he would go along with something like this, but she also wanted him to be happy, especially now that she knew everything her father had done to him.

"Miles Edgeworth. I do not want it to seem like your opinion on this matter is disregarded either." she said awkwardly, feeling strange that she was suggesting straight to her brother's face to date her fiance as well.

Miles flinched, of course she would notice. "I... I'm not sure... I don't think... this is... This is definitely something that would be frowned upon by the public. Not that it matters but... How on earth did you of all people come up with something like this?" He bit his lip, and glanced at Phoenix who still seemed conflicted.

"You seem as though you want to be unhappy, Miles Edgeworth." Franziska said, raising her eyebrow at him in somewhat of an impatient manner, "I was having trouble coming up with an idea that would leave all of us the most happy, and strangely enough, something Maya Fey said to me made me think of this."

"I don't deserve to be happy." That was the truth. He hurt people, he had hurt so many people, destroyed their lives and left them in the ashes. He didn't deserve to be happy, he only deserved misery.

"Maya... of course." Who else could come up with an idea like this?

Phoenix frowned. "You're thinking about people whose lives have been destroyed because you are a prosecutor, right? Well... you're an idiot for thinking like that. Think about the many times you've helped me get the guilty party get their sentence rather than getting away. You were a victim of circumstances and you need to stop hating yourself for your early years as a prosecutor." He spoke slowly and carefully. And he believed every word.

"For once, Phoenix Wright is absolutely correct. Don't be a fool. You found the perpetrator in many different cases, even at cost to yourself. You'vesaved me from making the same mistakes in my life that my father made. You've selflessly helped many others, and you're saying you truly do not deserve to be happy? You stop with those foolish words from your mouth or else I will make them stop." Franziska gripped her whip tightly, glaring in Miles' direction.

Miles felt like a child, stubbornly clinging to what he believed was the truth. To him it was almost as if they were telling him that, no Santa doesn't exist. Well... if he had believed in Santa that is.

"..." He said nothing, he simply frowned deeper and refused to look at the other two who were currently populating Franziska's living room.

"Miles! We're serious! You need to stop kicking yourself over everything that happens. Far from everything is your fault." He frowned at the other man, quite glad that Franziska was backing him up on this one.

Suddenly feeling angry, Franziska got up from where she was sitting and approached Miles in a threatening way, towering over him, and finally poking him in the chest with her whip.

"There is enough sorrow in the world without your self pity, Miles Edgeworth." she said in an irritated tone, her glare intensifying.

"How can I not feel guilty over nearly wrecking your relationship? How can I possibly not feel bad about that? I deserve to feel miserable because of something like that!" He wasn't as much sad as he was angry at the moment. Were they just writing his actions off as nothing? He nearly ruined their relationship! They're getting married and he nearly ruined that! Were they stupid?

Franziska bent so that she was eye to eye with Miles, and she said in an emotional and slightly irritated tone, "And it was I who ruined your chance for a relationship with Phoenix Wright in the first place. What of that?"

She poked at him with her whip again and continued, "I also want you to be happy. How do you think I would feel knowing that my brother was unhappy because of me?"

Miles let out a dismissive snort. "Please Franziska, I handled that on my own considering the way I acted when he first told me about his feelings. You had nothing to do with it... until later." She obviously didn't have all the facts.

He simply muttered when she said that she wanted him to be happy.

Franziska's eyes moved from Miles to Phoenix, hoping that her glare would be enough to convey how she wanted a bit more help with Miles, not sure what else she could say to him, emotions not being her strong suit either.

Phoenix felt like a deer caught in the headlights. "Uh Miles... maybe you should... stop... blaming yourself for everything? I mean... I'm kind of to blame for this whole mess too..." He hoped that would be enough.

Now it was Miles turn to look like a deer caught in the headlights. How was he supposed to counter that argument? You can't go against the truth. "I... suppose..." Oh, good job mouth. Way to go to make him sound like an idiot.

Franziska stood up and looked down at him as she towered over him and she said, "I'm glad you've stopped speaking like a fool. First words of sense out of your mouth since the pity party started."

She swiftly took her seat next to Phoenix again and laid a hand gently on his leg, knowing now that she wouldn't ever be able to make herself separate from him.

Phoenix squirmed some. "..." What to do now? Sure, Miles had gotten the point but... Phoenix couldnt stand how unhappy he seemed, so he leaned forward and hugged Miles. And he didn't want to let go, neither of them did. So they held on to each other.