Alright sorry again for not getting this chapter out quickly like I promised I would. Here it is though, good stories take time! Ha ha. How's everyone enjoying it so far? I think this story is getting to be pretty long and intense. To think... all this started off with Klavier and Ema holding hands. Maybe they will learn not to do that anymore! LOL! Nah, that's just mean. I am just surprised I have been able to continuing writing this story and every now and then I reread parts and go, "Wow I completely forget writing that!" Like just the other day I was reunited with my "toilet humor" of chapter 9. Ha ha, I feel like I need to bring more of those inside jokes of the Ace Attorney world. They always made the games more enjoyable haha.

Anyways... This chapter I think a majority of you will like. I feel like this is my "redemption" chapter. At least for a certain individual. Hope you all enjoy how it plays out! Chapter 25 everyone!

Apollo and Trucy arrived at the hospital. Apollo stepped up to the nurses at the receptionist desk and grabs the papers to fill out. He sits down and attempts to write with his left hand only to wince in pain and realize his handwriting is turning into just scribbles. Trucy huffs and grabs the clipboard from him and starts filling it all out. Apollo begins to scan around the room. There were only about three other parties in the room. There was an elderly couple with the male coughing a lot and the female consoling him, a crying child and a dad trying to hush him and then some random person just sleeping on the chairs. The majority of Apollo's attention was at the elderly couple.

'So that's what it looks like to grow old together, to be with each other through sick and health. They look so sweet.' The lady kept patting the man's back and was ruffling through her purse. She passed him what looked to be like a cough drop. He put his hand on his wife's hand and they leaned in to each other. 'Will I ever have that? That's what true love is, but that looks so hard to get. I don't feel like I could ever get that. I mean this is my first relationship after all and there are a lot of relationships that fail. I wish I could go over there and ask them for advice, but what would they say? They're a straight couple and I'm gay… they wouldn't have any advice that they could give me. I just don't know what to do. I feel so desperate and alone without Nick here. I don't think I'll ever be able to handle this stress again. I don't think I deserve a relationship. I think that's what it will boil down to.'

Trucy stood up and passed the papers off to the receptionist desk and sat back down. She noticed Apollo's attentiveness to the elderly couple.

"Apollo, is everything ok?"

"Huh? Oh yea, why?"

"Nothing, you just were spacing out a bit. What are you thinking?"

Apollo looked down at his arm and hand. He winced as he tried to fidget with his hands again like he typically would. "Just thoughts."

Trucy turned slightly towards Apollo and grabbed his hands. He brought his left hand away from him so he would stop. "Like…?

Apollo pulled his hand back from Trucy, "If I was meant to have a relationship."

"Oh Apollo, don't be silly, of course you are! Everyone is!"

"But I don't even know what to do in a relationship." He turned his head back to the elderly couple. "Looking at them it seems that a relationship is just so perfect. Like all the stuff they went through to be so in love after so many years. I don't think I can pull something like that off, I don't think I'm even strong enough. "

"Apollo what are you talking about? It doesn't take that much effort to be in a relationship. If you really love each other it's effortless."

"I guess. I just wish I knew what to do. I would love to ask them but what advice would they offer?"

"None."

"Huh?"

"Apollo, no two relationships are the same. Think of it like that. Why would they give you advice? They wouldn't know what to tell you because they don't know you. Only your partner knows you and that's it. You ask them for advice because only they understand the relationship."

Apollo just sat there in silence staring at the couple. He then turned to Trucy. "Trucy is this a dream or something?"

She just looked at him confused. "I'm sorry?"

"First my crush on my childhood superhero comes to full fruition and he feels the same way back. Then I immediately lose him, then I don't know what to do, and you being 7 years younger than me is somehow a master expert on relationships and is some philosophical genius when it comes to it, and- YOW! What was that for?"

"See you're not dreaming? And as for relationships? I'm a girl, we just know these things!"

"Apollo Justice? We're ready for you now." A nurse came up and approached Apollo. He was very tall and had on the basic green scrubs that you would find on any nurse. "You may follow me this way." Apollo got up and started following the nurse. They walked through a set of double doors and down a hallway. Towards the end they took a turn and walked Apollo over to a gurney. He sat down and Trucy sat down next to him. "Alright then so what brings you in today?" Apollo looked down at his half bandaged broken arm and the open lacerations on his hand that probably still had glass in it. "Uh, right. So what happened?"

"Well I was working on an investigation and unfortunately got caught up in an explosion and the lacerations… Well I guess this is what happens when you finally lose your temper for the first time."

"So you were caught in the explosion too. Huh, we are already dealing with a few of those caught up in it. You should consider yourself lucky. All of you seemed to make it out and had no bad outcomes. Let me just take some of your vital signs and we'll get you prepped for an X-Ray to check out that arm of yours. As for the cuts what caused them?"

"Broken glass."

"Alright I'll be right back, we'll need an Epsom salt water solution to get any other glass pieces out and then we'll see if you will need stitches from there." The nurse disappeared for a few moments and brought back a basin with a translucent white liquid in it. "Go ahead and put your hand in here, and try to keep it in. It will probably sting for a while." Apollo did so and the minute the first laceration touched the liquid he pulled his hand straight back out and winced. "I know it hurts but you have been through worse today. At least try, I'll go prep the X-Ray room." With that he left.

Apollo proceeded to ease his hand back into the basin. Not an easy task as with every laceration it caused a wince or a cry from him. Eventually he got his whole hand in the liquid and left it there.

"See Apollo? You can be strong!" Apollo glanced over at Trucy and rolled his eyes. She giggled, "Just teasing you there Apollo."

Apollo sighed, "Yea I know." Apollo continued to look at his hand and just space out. Trucy looked over and saw some magazines at a table nearby in the hallway. She walked out to get one and picked it up. It was one of those girly fashion magazines with whatever famous celebrity was having a baby next. Trucy started making oohs, ahs, and an occasionally, "How adorable!" Apollo paid very little attention. Eventually the nurse came back.

"Alrighty then, Apollo if you would follow me for a quick moment I can get a quick X-Ray of your arm and we can figure out how to deal with the situation." Apollo stepped into the room and sat down in a chair at the center of the room. The nurse walked over to the side and a machine moved around. Apollo's broken arm laid on an arm rest and eventually the machine moved over and flashed over the arm. The nurse got up and allowed Apollo to exit the room. Apollo started to walk back to his gurney when he noticed a red cloak going around the corner up ahead.

'I wonder…' Apollo began to walk down the hallway and turned the corner. His hunches were right and walking down the hallway about to exit the hospital he saw Miles. He called out to him.

"Hey Miles wait up!"

Miles stopped in his tracks and turned around. He saw Apollo running to catch up with him and he folded his arms up.

"You're here too? Did Franziska also get hurt?"

Apollo stopped in front of Miles, "Yea but not as bad. Just a cut to her head but she looked fine."

"So what's the diagnosis for you?"

"Oh, well I fell down from the explosion, hard. It looks like I broke my arm but I just got my arm X-rayed so we'll soon find out."

"I see." Stood there staring at Apollo and looked him over. He glanced over Apollo's left hand, "So they don't make Detention Center glass as strong as they used to now do they?"

Apollo raised his hand and hid it behind his head while rubbing his neck. "Franziska told you, didn't she?"

"She only told me the what and not the why." Miles continued shifting his weight from foot to foot staring at Apollo. Apollo tried to avert his gaze from Miles. "Well, since I'm here shall we go back to your room and you tell me what happened?"

"Oh, um I guess yea." Apollo led Miles around the corner back to his gurney where Trucy was laying down looking up at the magazine. She eventually noticed Miles and hopped right up.

"Oh! Hi Mr. Edgeworth. What are you doing here?"

"Just decided to check up on Shi-Long to see how he was doing. It seems ok and they say he will make a full recovery within 8-10 weeks. Depending on how well he does with his physical therapy. His legs were both crushed from the falling support beam, but it wasn't severe."

Trucy wiped her forehead off with the back of her hand, "Phew that's a relief. I'm glad he's ok. So you're no longer mad at him?"

"I never was in the first place. Just mad at myself." Miles turned to Apollo, "Well?"

Apollo fell down into the gurney. "It's complicated Miles. I don't really know how to explain it."

"Let me guess. Robyn either does know or does know something about where everyone is being held and it upset you a lot. Then for some reason you clashed with her and you were getting nowhere so you decided to take matters into your own hands."

"… Are you sure Franziska didn't tell you?"

"Apollo, it was either that or you decided to punch a window just for fun, which doesn't seem to be like you. So what made you so upset with Robyn?"

Apollo got really quiet. He looked at his injured hand and brought it close to his chest. "She knows."

Miles calmly sat down on the edge of the gurney. "Knows what?"

"She knows where Nick is." Apollo started to shed a tear.

"And the evidence to back this up is?" Miles calmly replied.

"Because she helped the Red Kakumei kidnap Nick. Because she's part of the Red Kakumei."

"And the evidence to back that up is?" Miles said as he continued to look at Apollo laying down holding his hand close.

"She impersonated a police officer."

"And the evidence for that is?" Miles continued as he added nothing to the conversation and Apollo started to feel hopeless in his efforts.

"Her Blue Badger patch is faulty."

"And that's why you believe she knows everything?"

Apollo soon lifted up and looked at Miles. He crooked his head and squinted his eyes. He fell back down, "Miles I don't understand. It's as clear as day."

"So let me see if I follow your logic. Someone alerted authority about a possible kidnapping and told us of a person that followed the Red Kakumei and not where the Red Kakumei went is our new lead. This is because she told you of Kay and where Kay followed led you to a trap. You believe Robyn set up the trap for you guys because she knew exactly where they were going even though she was already on her way to the Detention Center to warn us. She was able to set that trap up for you. It is her fault that Nick is kidnapped and everyone is injured and you believe this all because her patch was wrong."

"Well when you put it like that…"

"That's exactly how everyone would put it, the judge, the prosecution, and the jury if you were to bring her to court. So, where's your evidence to back it up that she's part of the Red Kakumei?"

"I… I don't know. I didn't get the chance to find out more."

"And that's because you let your emotions run wild."

Apollo started to sniff. "But Miles, I don't know where else to go she was the only lead we had!"

Miles shifted and turned fully towards Apollo. He picked Apollo up and sat him upright next to him. "Look, I understand it might be hard to lose someone you love. Trust me. I think we all know I know. But that does not mean it should cloud your judgment. When it does you start to stray farther from the truth." Apollo leaned on Miles and Miles wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "Look it might be hard to find the truth but there is never a need in our justice system to jump to conclusions. That is why there are defense attorneys. Some detectives and some prosecutors jump to some rash conclusions and unfortunately press charges on the wrong person. It is up to the defense attorneys to go through all logical possibilities and help to find the truth. Don't forget that was the reason you became a defense attorney… right?"

Apollo glanced up at Miles with big eyes. He looked back down into his lap. "Well to be honest I did it to be like him."

"So be more like him. This isn't his first kidnapping incident. He had to defend someone who actually was guilty. Maya was kidnapped and Phoenix had to get this guy acquitted of all charges. Do you think he ever attacked the guy? Do you think he ever lost his cool? His best friend who he had been working with for over a year was in severe trouble and he had no idea where she was. In addition he had her little cousin with him the other time and she was just as scared. He never lost his temper though. He found a solution. It was an extreme shot in the dark by the end but he struggled through it and survived. He was strong for Maya, Pearls, and even himself. That's what you need to do Apollo. Be strong for Phoenix, Trucy, and yourself."

Apollo started crying and wrapped his arms around Miles he started to sob into Mile's blazer. Miles shirked back a bit and tensed up with a bit of a surprised look. He soon relaxed again and tapped his hand on Apollo's shoulder. "You know you're ruining my very expensive satin blazer…"

Trucy put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes, "Still selfish Miles aren't you?"

Miles shrugged and shook his head, "Just saying he's crying over spilled milk right now and it's ruining my blazer. Although it wouldn't be the first time someone cried on my clothes and ruined them, hence why I don't wear my cravats anymore."

Apollo started to calm down and he lifted away from Miles a bit and looked up at him. "Thank you." He said quietly and hugged Miles again.

"Meh, it's nothing. If I was in your shoes I'd probably be crying for Phoenix myself. But that train has left the station."

The nurse soon returned with the X-Rays in hand and looked over at Miles. "Oh, hi there sir, are you this kid's father?"

Miles gritted his teeth and looked sternly at the nurse. "I'M ONLY A FEW YEARS OLDER THAN HIM!"

The nurse stepped back in both fear and surprise. "Oops! Sorry about that. It was just the hair…"

"WHAT ABOUT MY HAIR!"

"Uh, uh… uh… Apollo! Your results are in!" The nurse quickly shuffled over to the other side of Miles and Apollo and cowered slightly behind Apollo. "Seems like you have a couple of fractures in your arm. We'll have to make a cast for you and keep you in that for a couple of weeks. Otherwise you will be fine! I'll just go now to get the plaster mould." The nurse quickly shuffled away.

Apollo elbowed Miles in the side and giggled. "Heh, he thought you were old enough to be my father…"

Miles looked over at Apollo and stood up. "Oh shut up." He started to walk away from the two.

"Wait Miles, I was just joking."

"Yes, still though our conversation has ended. We aren't getting much closer to finding Phoenix sitting around here. You have your arm to take care of and I have business."

"Miles it's getting really late. Shouldn't you call it a day?"

"I rarely sleep when working on a case so no, I shouldn't."

Trucy stepped up to Miles and held his arm, "But what are you going to do? What is there to do? What can we do?"

Miles turned around and looked up at the fluorescent lights in the ceiling. "Well what you guys can do is nothing. With what Franziska said you both are off the case so you can no longer participate in the investigation."

"But Miles!"

"Look Apollo, I couldn't change Franziska's thoughts if I tried. This is her investigation right now and you need to play by her rules. From Shi-Long's condition it doesn't look like he'll be on this case anytime soon either so you won't be able to rejoin."

Trucy clenched her hands into fists, "But we want to help!"

"Look, I told you there is nothing I can do. I will make sure to keep you updated as much as possible but that's all I will do. I shouldn't even be doing that."

Apollo fell back down on the gurney and groaned. Trucy looked down and played with an imaginary lint ball on the ground. "So, what will you do Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Well, the fires have died down at the warehouse. I'll probably go check that area out next. Franziska I believe is probably done questioning our witness Robyn. We'll probably meet up and discuss our next tactic."

"What if you don't find anything?"

"Then Trucy, we'll have to find another lead. We might be dealing with the captain of the Special Forces team, but every criminal slips up at some point. There is no such thing as the perfect crime."

Apollo turned over on his gurney and looked at Miles. "Please keep in touch. Let us know if there's anything we can do."

Miles looked down at Apollo and smiled, "For now just get yourself settled so you can leave this hospital without any injuries. Then I may send a friend to you. She always seems to get in trouble and never takes no for an answer. Just like you. Goodbye for now guys." With that Miles turned around and walked down the hallway and out the doors.

The nurse shuffled on over looking over his shoulders. "Is he gone? That guy was scary. Who was he?"

Apollo smiled, "A really good friend."