Turnabout Epiphany

-PHOENIXWRIGHT:D-

Phoenix Wright looked to his assistant Maya, worried. "Are you sure you can deal with the evidence and pictures this time?" He asked.

Maya Fey blushed as she saw Phoenix put his hand on her shoulder. The last case, a murder of two children, had left the poor channeler passed out onto the floor, right in the middle of the courtroom. "I'll be fine. The girl just reminded me of Pearls, and I wouldn't know what to do if that was her." She gave Phoenix a weak smile.

Phoenix returned the weak smile. He was apparently a good enough convincer that the photos didn't make him want to pass out, even though that was a huge lie. Despite the fact he wasn't married he thought quietly to himself, What if those were MY children? The thought had made him feel quite queasy and he shuddered it away quickly during the court trial.

"Did it freak you out?" Maya asked. She tugged on the ends of her hair nervously, as if she would be the only who could be freaked out by such a situation and picture.

"Of course it did, Maya!" Phoenix replied. He shook his head, " Knowing Miles, I bet he was freaking out on the inside too. He never really lets his emotions show, does he?" He finally took his hand off of Maya's shoulder.

Maya shook her head, "Not at all, Nick. Do you know why that is?"

"Not really. Perhaps something about being a von Karma. Maybe Franziska whipped the emotion out of him?"

Suddenly the door opened to Phoenix's office. Maya and Phoenix were chuckling to themselves, imagining Franziska whipping poor Miles until he didn't have emotions.

"MR. NICK! HAVE YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH MYSTIC MAYA YET?" shouted a voice Maya and Phoenix knew all too well.

"Pearls! You can't just come in Nick's office and shout that...with the door open!" Maya felt the heat rise in her cheeks and she looked down, obviously embarrassed by the greeting from the young Pearls.

Pearls slightly cocked her head to the side, "Why? It's going to happen one day isn't?" She gave a stare at Phoenix, "Right, Mr. Nick?"

Phoenix blushed as well, shaking his head profusely.

Pearls frowned, but didn't pry further. She plopped down onto the seat next to Maya and sighed.

"Pearls, what are you doing here? You know Nick has a trial today."

"I wanted to check on you, Mystic Maya. To see if Mr. Nick was treating you in all the right ways!"

She says it like we're dating, Phoenix thought, facing the window. He sighed himself. Dating someone wasn't on the list of his priorities at the moment. Being a lawyer was. Why is Pearls always so keen on having us date?

Maya patted Pearls on the shoulder, "He certainly is. Don't worry about it, okay?"

Pearls nodded, but her facial expression didn't show satsifaction. It was a thoughtful look. She suddenly stood up, pointing her index finger up in the air. "Is he taking you out to get burgers every day?"

Phoenix sat in the office leather chair absolutely speechless. He buried his face in his hands and groaned. He felt a slight blush to his cheeks. More than twice a day. Why does Pearl care so much?

Maya's jaw dropped. "...Sure, Pearls."

"Good job, Mr. Nick. I approve!"

"...Thanks?" Was all Phoenix could think of to say.

"Well," Pearls said, hopping up from the chair, "I'll be going now. Gotta go to training. See you two lovebirds later, okay?"

Maya groaned and waved at Pearls, as did Phoenix. Pearls trotted out of the room, humming some tune and giggling. Maya turned to look at Phoenix and immediaetly turned away.

"That was...embarrassing. Sorry about that, Nick."

"It wasn't a problem at all. She does it every day, doesn't she?" Phoenix replied with a sudden grin.

Maya nodded, still embarrassed. She had talked to Pearls about doing this type of thing before, but she had taken a wild guess and guessed that it didn't stick to Pearls' memory.

"Have you liked anyone else since Iris?" Maya asked. Her voice was a bit shaky, but calm.

Phoenix looked at Maya, surprised. What brought Iris up?

"What are you talking about, Maya?"

Maya shifted uneasily in the chair she was sitting in. She kept her gaze on Charley. "You know what I mean perfectly well, Nick. Have you liked anyone after you liked Iris?"

Phoenix gulped. Maya's voice tone sounded like she was hurt. What do I do? Does Maya like me? "Have you?" he countered to the spirit medium.

"Possibly."

"Will you tell me who this fine gentleman is?"

"You know him."

"Larry?"

"Nick!"

"Winston Payne?"

"Nick, stop guessing! You're doing miserably!" Maya pouted. She had turned around and saw that Phoenix was smiling.

Maya is so adorable. Phoenix's eyes widened at his own thought. Do I like Maya?

"Nick. Earth to Samurai Nick."

When Phoenix had fought his way back to reality from his thoughts, he noticed Maya was in his face, dangling a Steel Samurai charm in front of his face.

"W-What?" Phoenix answered with a blush. He snatched the charm out of his face and Maya returned to her chair.

"Making sure you were still alive and right in that noggin of yours." Maya answered with a grin. "And, you never answered my question." she added. She grabbed another charm from the bottom of her purse and dangled it in front of her own face, beginning to be mesmerized by the colors of the charm.

"Perhaps I do. But you never told me your love interest."

"I don't have to." Maya replied simply, the charm string beginning to web itself around her fingers.

"OBJECTION!"

"Nick, we're not in court." Maya said, struggling to get the strings of the charm unwrapped between her fingers.

"S-Sorry," Phoenix muttered. He stared at Maya, beginning to suddenly notice everything about her was gorgeous. Her hair, that was done in a simple bun and then a few strands on either side of her cheeks, caressing her shoulders. Her robes were simple, not long, but not too short either. She wasn't subjecting herself to men, and she always blew off the men that approached her, and that's what Phoenix had always liked about her. She was herself. She was a channeler, or a spirit medium, either name would suffice. Maya was Maya, and that's who Phoenix Wright liked.

"Well?" Maya asked, free of the charm's strings. She tapped her fingers on the arm of the chair, awaiting her boss's answer.

"If I tell you, you have to tell me."

"If I tell you and you don't tell me, you're taking me out to get burgers, and then telling me."

"Why don't we shout it together on three, Maya?" Phoenix suggested.

"Alright!" Maya agreed. She clapped her hands together.

This'll be fun, I guess. Phoenix thought. He had really regretted saying those words.

"One." Maya started, staring Phoenix in the eyes.

"T-Two." said a trembling Phoenix.

"Three!" They chorused.

"I like you!" They both shouted. The two stared at each other, shocked.

"R-Really, Nick?" Maya asked.

"M-Maybe. Do you mean what you said?"

"Of course I do!"

Phoenix smiled, "I meant what I said."

"Good." Maya muttered.

Phoenix, unsure of what to do, stared at Maya. "I...um..." He trailed off.

Maya smiled, "Spit it out, Nick."

"Like your eyes." Phoenix finished.

"I like your spiky hair. You remind me of a porcupine. A cute porcupine in a blue suit. With handsome eyes!"

"A...porcupine? I'm hopefully more cuter than a porcupine, Maya!" Phoenix said, a little hurt.

Maya jumped out of her chair and began to walk towards Phoenix. "Did I hurt your feelings, Nick?" She looked worried for a second, and she came closer and closer to Phoenix's face, until she was just mere inches apart; They were basically lip-to-lip. She crushed her lips onto his for two seconds and let go, and began to trot out of the Wright & Co Offices, saying, "I'm not sorry! Porcupines are adorable and you owe me a burger or six! And then after that we're watching three episodes of the Steel Samurai! And that's that! No objections either, they'll be overruled anyways, Nick!"

Phoenix sat there, amazed. He was grinning widely, from to ear to ear. The only thing he was dreading was buying Maya six burgers. His wallet could only stand for two burgers. And that was if his burger was about the size of Maya's Steel Samurai charm. He would need to go to an ATM machine on the way there.

"Maya, wait for me!" Phoenix said, as he ran out the door. When he was out of the door, he noticed Maya was actually waiting outside the door for him, smiling.

"No need to yell!" Maya said. She interlocked her arm with Phoenix's and they were off to get a burger...or six.

Fin