A/N: I guess promises were made to be broken! I know I promised this would be finished by the end of the summer, but unfortunately I've been busy helping to look after a close family member who is currently fighting cancer :( Having said that, with the up and coming 'apocalypse' (;P yea right) I wanted to finish this fic before the world ended! So here is the final chapter of Forsaken, and I sincerely hope it was worth the wait! Thank you ALL for reading my Fic and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Chapter 25: Finality

Dark grey clouds concealed the last remaining shafts of light as day finally succumbed to the darkness of night; the silence that hung thick in the air punctuated only by the occasional sobs of a young blue haired prosecutor knelt by a freshly covered grave.

Franziska von Karma was heartbroken, her sorrow filled tears streaking down her face. It had been two agonizingly long weeks since the incident in the courthouse, every second of which the events of that night had replayed in her mind like a never ending nightmare that would serve as an eternal prison.

Standing at the end of the grave, Detective Gumshoe stood watching the broken form of Franziska von Karma slumped against the headstone as she brought her knees to her chest. After everything she'd been through, it hurt him to see her in such a state. Even when he had thought her to be dead, Detective Gumshoe had never seen her as vulnerable as she was now, unable to compose herself, unable to hide her fears and her grief. As the first drops of rain began to fall, all he could do was stand and watch.

There was a burden upon Franziska von Karma, unlike any she had ever felt before; guilt. It wasn't like the familiar stab of remorse she felt when whipping one scruffy detective too hard, or even the slightly greater feeling of unease for landing Adrian Andrews in prison; this was the crushing power of knowing that a person who was so important to you and whom you loved deeply had lost their life, had died, because of you. The weight now sitting on her shoulders was far greater than Franziska had ever imagined.

"I…I'm sorry….." were the only two words the young prosecutor could bring herself to utter.

There were people, Detective Gumshoe being one of them, who constantly kept telling Franziska that there was nothing else she could have done, and that she had nothing to be sorry for. Some fools had even had the audacity to call her 'brave' but not a single one of them understood. How could they understand? They hadn't been there. It is said, when you suffer a traumatic event, the body makes you forget to protect you from the pain you felt. But Franziska could see every second, scene for scene in her mind, as vivid as the moments in which they transpired. Franziska was sure the events of that evening would haunt her for the remainder of her years.

"S..sir…" Detective Gumshoe called out softly to her, "…Franziska…"

It was the first time in his life Detective Gumshoe had DARED call the young prosecutor by her first name, but with Franziska in such a vulnerable state, he wanted her to know that he was there for her, and that he would always be there.

The young prosecutor lifted her head to look at him, mascara running down her face, her eyes pleaded with him, begged him not to make her leave. The detective felt his heart begin to break; abandoning all thoughts of suggesting they leave the detective removed his coat, stepped forward and gently placed it around the fragile form of Franziska von Karma.

As the rain grew heavier, so did the weight of Franziska's guilt. Before she had time to dwell on her intensified guilt a voice called out of the rain.

"I…I'll kill you!"

Franziska looked up, startled by the sound of the man's voice. Greeted by the sight of a distraught Walter Strauss panic began to fill the young prosecutor. She had been so aggrieved by her father's death she had entirely forgotten to check in with the special task force, who had obviously not found and arrested Walter. Without a second thought, Detective Gumshoe moved to place himself in front of the young prosecutor.

"Scruffy no!" the young prosecutor exclaimed, climbing shakily to her feet. "I will not have any more deaths on my conscience!"

Franziska stepped forward. Her shoulders were hunched, her head hung, no longer the proud woman she had once been.

"You killed him!" Walter roared "He loved you and you killed him! HE LOVED YOU!"

Franziska felt the detective's hands grab her as she stumbled backwards, Walter's words hitting her hard; those last moments in the courthouse playing through her head.

*BANG*

Franziska's chest was heaving as her father fell to the floor.

"W…what have…y…you…done?" There was a look of pure shock residing on Manfred's face as he looked up to his daughter, still holding the pistol at arm's length.

"P…papa…"

Franziska was stunned unable to move, her finger still squeezing the trigger and her frame starting to shake violently. Miles Edgeworth, who had also been momentarily stunned, ran to Franziska, removing the gun from her hand and holding her tightly as the reality of the situation sunk in. Franziska pulled herself away from Miles, and despite everything, dropped to her knees beside her dying father, burying her head into his chest.

"P…papa….I'm so sorry…." Her sobs were broken, her voice hoarse, the blood from her father's fatal wound staining her hair.

The look on Manfred's face softened as he brought his hand up to the back of Franziska's head, his laboured breaths puncturing her sobs.

"F…franz..ziska….I….I am….so…prou…."Before he could manage to finish his sentence, Manfred drew in a final sharp breath, falling limp, his dying message incomplete.

Tears streamed down the young prosecutors face as she steadied herself to face her Father's broken lover.

Walters arm was shaking as he made his way towards Franziska, his pistol aimed at her never wavering. Franziska had killed the one man he had ever loved, the one man who he had pledged his life to.

"You killed him! After everything he did for you!"

Walter made his way closer, keeping a watchful eye on the detective.

"And you!" he pointed the gun momentarily at Detective Gumshoe, "if you think you're taking me alive…your wrong."

He turned his attention back to Franziska to find she had once again stepped forward.

"W..walter…I..i'm sorry…" Franziska had hoped to say something more profound, but these were the only words she could muster.

Before Walter had an opportunity to reply, Detective Gumshoe had jumped on him and wrestled with him for control of his gun. It wasn't long before the Detective had the butler face down on the floor in handcuffs, the pistol now safely in his pocket.

"Someone deserves a raise. Don't you agree Franziska?" Miles Edgeworth said from a distance as he made his way over.

"My apologies for my lateness, I was caught up at the office…how are you Franziska?"

Franziska looked over to the burgundy clad prosecutor, the weight on her shoulders lifting slightly. Miles took her hand and pulled her close, she was in a terrible state, but Miles knew she'd be strong enough to get through it; after all she was the great Franziska von Karma. The young prosecutor said nothing, instead deciding to bury herself into her lover's chest and release her anguish. Miles held her tightly; he could feel her sobs resonating through him.

"Detective Gumshoe, please escort Walter to the detention center, and we'll discuss your raise at the next salary review."

"Yes Sir!" The scruffy detective beamed, hauling Walter to his feet and leaving the two young prosecutors alone.

"M..miles…Walter said papa loved me…" Franziska broke into a new wave of sobs.

"Shhh, it's ok. Franziska, over the years I heard your father and Walter talking. I never had it in me to tell you what I heard, but please, listen to me now…you need to hear this."

Silently Franziska nodded, silencing her sobs.

"Your father loved you, of course he did, he was your father. He would never admit it, but he was immensely proud of you. You never did anything wrong. When he turned 18, your Grandfather murdered your Grandmother and disowned your father, claiming he was no longer his son and no longer a von Karma. He did that because of your father's relationship with Walter. Franziska, your father knows what it feels like to taint the von Karma name and that hurt him so deeply he ultimately took it out on you. He wanted a son to restore the von Karma name in his place. But none of this excuses the terrible things he did. Franziska, you made one of the hardest choices a person could have to make, and because of that you saved my life along with the lives of several others."

Franziska looked up at Miles, an inquisitive look upon her face.

"Earlier today we uncovered a plot organised by your father to have myself, Phoenix Wright and Detective Gumshoe assassinated. One Shelly de Killer gave us all the information via radio, saying that since his client was deceased he would no longer be performing his tasks."

Gently Miles cupped Franziska's face in his hand.

"It may not feel like it right now Franziska, but you're a hero."

It took Franziska a few moments to digest what had been said. Although no guilt had been alleviated it was as if someone had given her a light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Looking up into the calming, confident and loving eyes of Miles Edgeworth, she felt something she had not felt for a long time. Hope.

"I Love You Miles Edgeworth."

"I Love You too Franziska."

THE END.