Friday, the work hours passed uneventfully for Simon, who, frankly, was glad to be left in peace after the turn this week had taken. Yesterday evening, his superior had filled him in on what the crone at the DMV had said about him after he had yelled at her and left… but before that, Edgeworth had related to him for just how long she had haunted his steps. Even the thought of his brand-new license resting in its appropriate place in his wallet did not quite make up for the resulting renewed bout of hilarity at his expense, nor for the positively shudderworthy thought that he had apparently earned himself a stalker who had a habit of turning up when least expected. He would rather face down every single one of the vilest muckrakers in the entire country, nay, the English-speaking world, if it meant never crossing paths with the old bag again.

Since Edgeworth's lips still began twitching at the sight of him the moment he let himself into their home that night, he retreated to his rooms on the double after quickly procuring a cold dinner from the kitchen – while he could not exactly blame the man for his amusement, especially since he had apparently lived with the elderly woman's specter hanging over him for more than a decade, he did not want to risk showing his remaining annoyance to his superior.

When he emerged from his domain Saturday morning after exercising through a prolonged set of sword kata and showering, he ran into his housemate in the kitchen, the other man looking up at him from spooning tea into an infuser.

"Good morning, Mr. Blackquill. Tea?"

Finding that thankfully, Edgeworth had apparently finally lost his urge to chortle whenever he laid eyes on him, Simon nodded after a moment. "Please."

Since he usually only partook of a piece of fruit for breakfast, and kept his stores in a bowl in his own living area as they did not require refrigeration, he returned to the living room for the time being, gazing out of the window as he withdrew this morning's fare – an orange – from a pocket of his sweat pants. While peeling it, careful to not let any of the resulting detritus fall to the ground, it struck him that he could now count on his superior to come to him to hand him his tea – something he would have never permitted without initial protest at the beginning of their cohabitation.

He may have stated his preference to be regarded as a mere housemate back then, however… even after beginning to dwell within these four walls, it took me a while to accept this. Yet, it had somehow occurred at some point, completely escaping his notice.

Simon heard Edgeworth approach a moment later; wrapping the fruit peels into a paper tissue and placing them onto the couch table, he accepted the cup and took a sip. For a moment, both men stood by the window, the orange uneaten in Simon's hand until he had drained the contents of the drinking vessel, setting it aside. He was in the process of separating the first segment from the whole when his superior spoke up.

"Mr. Blackquill… I feel I owe you an apology for my overdrawn amusement at your confrontation with that insufferable woman. Since you mentioned that you were interested in finding your companion's new nest… what would you say to visiting the park today to look for it together? After all, four eyes see more than two, and seeing that I am already four-eyed, so to speak…" His housemate raised his hand to his glasses, adjusting them on his nose.

Chuckling slightly at the wry self-reference, Simon nodded. "I did not have any particular plans for today."

Something else that would have unsettled him only a few weeks ago – Edgeworth had remembered their casual conversation from last week, and had offered to turn a tentative wish into a reality without any prompting on his part. Moreover, other than letting him rent his rooms and allowing him to use his vehicle in his bid for a new license, it had not arisen out of concern for his progress in regaining his life, nor truly out of a perceived need to apologize – Simon could tell that his superior was looking forward to spending time with him in this manner.

He is not merely my housemate anymore, either. Somehow, at some point, the chief prosecutor had become a trusted and valued… friend.

He hid his smile at the thought by consuming the fruit, putting the seeds into another tissue he had brought with him and disposing of the inedible remains in the kitchen.

When he returned after washing his hands in the sink, Edgeworth made a vague hand gesture towards the window. "Well then, shall we?"

"Certainly. Allow me a few minutes to get changed."

Half an hour later, they were on their way to the park, his superior having offered Simon his car keys in an unspoken invitation to drive, only for the latter to demur since he did not know the way. The sun shone brightly, the weather surprisingly pleasant for the beginning of April, when even southern California experienced unpredictable spring storms bringing frequent rain.

As he turned into a side road, Edgeworth inquired, "How did your relationship with Taka begin, anyway? It can't have been due to the defunct animal companion program in… well. At any rate, I seem to recall you speaking of him back in the day when we first became acquainted professionally."

Glancing around at the passing landscape on the off-chance that the hawk had selected a spot en route to their destination for his new nesting ground, Simon responded, "I found him as a nestling in the courtyard of the apartment building where Aura and I lived – I was 17 at the time. His sires were nowhere to be seen, and he had suffered a few minor injuries; I suspect he was taken from the nest by a predator and miraculously abandoned while still alive. Since I was volunteering with a local raptor rescue program after school during those days, I had the means to treat and raise him at my disposal. Yet, when I attempted to reintroduce him into the wild after his fledging, he kept returning to visit me frequently, even though he was obviously competent at hunting and living without human assistance. He has followed me wherever I have gone ever since."

"His loyalty to you is admirable."

While his superior's response had obviously only been meant as harmless commentary, Simon's jaw clenched for a moment – Edgeworth could not possibly know just how much he had depended on the bird's loyalty during a time when he had been at his most pathetic.

Attempting to come up with a different topic, loath to ruin this outing by descending into memories he had futilely sought to erase from his mind for years, he remembered the fascinating revelation that his housemate had apparently once worked as a defense attorney, or at least in a related capacity.

"I just recalled… you never told me more about your affiliation with your father's law firm which you hinted at a few weeks ago…"

Edgeworth's responding smile was bittersweet. "That, Mr. Blackquill, is a fairly long story, as I will likely have to begin by telling you about my childhood ambitions, and how they changed over time, for you to fully understand the conclusions I reached due to this temporary cooperation. However, since we have nothing but time today… ah, here we are."

The car pulled into a parking lot shadowed by a canopy of leaves, and the two prosecutors emerged.

His superior squinted up into the branches for a moment after locking the vehicle. "Before I begin… are we looking for a particular structure?"

Simon pondered for a moment how to best describe his companion's typical dwellings. "Hawk's nests tend to be fairly wide and flat. If you see one, point it out to me – Taka decorates his home with cast-off tail feathers, and I would recognize his plumage pattern anywhere."

They began walking along the designated path, gravel crunching underneath their feet as they kept their eyes trained upward.

After a short while, Edgeworth spoke up again, his voice quiet and contemplative. "I am aware that you are familiar with the court proceedings surrounding the DL-6 retrial. What you may not know is that Wright actually had to convince me to let him handle my defense at first, as he was determined to not see someone he once regarded as a friend convicted of murder. You see, we happened to attend elementary school together prior to my relocation to Germany, alongside one of the witnesses of the trial, Larry Butz."

'Larry Butz'… Simon vaguely recalled having heard that name in another venue much more recently than during his law school days, but could not quite place the memory just yet.

His superior continued, "During my childhood, I was determined to follow in my father's footsteps and become a defense attorney – in fact, I defended Wright against allegations of having stolen money in a class trial, which in turn became one of his inspirations in taking up that line of work, himself. It only came out after my 'not guilty' verdict fifteen years later that Larry had been the culprit – as we always used to say, 'When something smells, it's usually the Butz.'"

Snorting at the wry comment about Edgeworth's former classmate, Simon was still occupied with racking his brain as to where the name had popped up. Butz. Butz…

The implications of his housemate's words took a moment longer to register, but when they finally did, he came to an abrupt halt.

"Wright-dono became a defense attorney because of something that happened to him when he was no older than 12? And due to your influence, no less?"

"Nine, actually. It had been my money for school lunches that had been stolen, and he was apparently impressed by the way I stood up for him in spite of that, seeing that there was no proof for his guilt." Although Edgeworth kept looking into the canopy, his gaze seemed unfocused. "Larry also spoke in his defense after I had taken the first step. The three of us quickly became friends thereafter, and I would frequently tell them of my father's work at court, until he was murdered half a year later and I was whisked away to Germany to live with the von Karmas from one day to the next."

It all sounds so familiar. Athena, likewise, had been made to leave her home state for Europe on the double after her mother had died – and Edgeworth had had no recollections of what had truly occurred at the time of his sire's demise in spite of having been present, just like her.

They continued their stroll; so far, nothing resembling a hawk's nest seemed to be in evidence, but the park was quite spacious, so it might take a while yet.

"While you may have never met Manfred von Karma in person, I am sure you can imagine what he was like if I tell you that Franziska retains some of his mannerisms, but that her zeal for perfection has never been anywhere near his monomania. No one in his household would have ever dared to resist him, and he would have never stood for one under his care taking up the path of a defense attorney."

Simon could not even fathom what growing up in those circumstances must have been like. In spite of both myself and Athena losing our parents prior to reaching adulthood, at least we were given leave to choose our own lot in life.

"Additionally… my vague notions of potentially having killed my own father, although I was barely conscious at the time and it would have been accidental even if the bullet had struck him after I threw the gun, caused a shift in my thinking. Instead of standing up for the underdog, I felt the need to see all criminals face their rightful sentence. Perhaps I wanted to atone for my self-perceived guilt by making the world a better place. Had I had any conclusive proof of my culpability prior to the retrial, I would have immediately turned myself in."

Edgeworth took a deep breath. "So much for my humble beginnings – you will see that they have influenced my path after having been proved innocent, as well. Before you ask, I am not sure what has become of Larry in recent years – Wright and I only maintained loose contact with him until the evidence forging scandal that cost Wright his badge, and he has held a number of jobs over the years. Hot dog vendor, security guard, occasional actor… I hate to tell you this, but he has even mimed the Steel Samurai on stage at one point. The last time I ran into him, he had been trying to make a living as a picture book artist. Curiously enough, when that particular career change had just occurred, I found myself forced to unofficially stand in for Wright in court for a day, as he had fallen off a burning bridge into a ravine river and was out of commission for the first day of that trial. You could say I gained experience as a defense attorney thanks to him, as well."

"Wright-dono fell into a ravine and returned to work the next day?!" Simon found himself wondering whether the man was some sort of supernatural creature at this point, all other bits of information receding into the background for the moment. To not only survive such a fall largely unscathed, but to then talk his rival into temporarily doing his work, regardless of whether he had been a childhood friend…!

"Even at times when his reasoning skills fail him, he has sheer dumb luck on his side more often than not, Mr. Blackquill – don't tell me you hadn't noticed?" Edgeworth laughed quietly. "It's another long story, and not all that related to your original question. I might tell you one of these days – it was quite unbelievable, but as Franziska was also involved, she can corroborate what happened. The official court minutes don't do it justice. At any rate, Larry did maintain his wish to become a picture book artist for a number of months, but I don't believe I have ever encountered anything published under either his real name or his favored nom de plume in a bookstore, so something tells me that it didn't work out."

Now it finally clicked why this man's name sounded so familiar. "Did you say 'picture books'? A number of weeks ago, I happened to meet a taxi driver who was rather given to small talk and did not seem to recognize me at all. He mentioned having tried his hand at such a career in passing. Slim, sandy hair, goatee… Would that be him, perchance?"

Edgeworth snorted. "So that's what he has been up to… I believe congratulations are in order – you chanced upon the creator of the 'Steel Samurai Sushi Slice.'"

That weaselly-looking, twitchy little man?! Simon grimaced. "Everything I thought I knew was a lie."

He knew that his beliefs regarding the franchise were about to be even more thoroughly shattered when his superior's lips began to twitch traitorously. "Oh, it gets worse. During the stage production in which he mimed the Steel Samurai, which was sponsored by the then-divided countries of Allebahst and Babahl, the actress usually portraying Pink Princess was replaced by a much, much older stand-in…"

…No. No. It cannot possibly have been…!

Simon had to give his housemate that he valiantly tried to suppress his chortles at the look of dawning horror on his own face. "Indeed, Mr. Blackquill – your very own recently acquired, not-so-secret admirer."

"… I will never be able to lay eyes on any of the stage plays ever again. Thank you very much, Edgeworth-dono."

"My deepest apologies." His superior did not seem to be particularly sorry.

They walked on in silence for a while, their continuing investigation of the premises still not meeting with success. When they had reached the halfway point of the wide loop in which the gravel path spanned the park, Edgeworth decided to finally continue his tale.

"I apparently got sidetracked; since you wanted to know what led to my temporary affiliation with my father's law office, that tale unfolded a few weeks after the 'Cohdopian Incident,' during which that stage production was shown. I found myself accused of prosecutorial overreach after investigating a failed attempt on the Zhengfaese president's life in which one of his bodyguards was killed, and the PIC was suddenly intent on rescinding my badge. However, since the suspect in that assassination attempt was murdered while being held in the detention center, and a seemingly innocent person suddenly stood falsely accused, I grasped for an opportunity offered to me by Raymond Shields. He was the defense attorney for Horace Knightley, the murdered suspect, and is the proprietor of the Edgeworth Law Offices. In order to continue my investigations, I temporarily became his assistant."

Edgeworth stopped walking yet again, closing his eyes as he continued to reminisce. "During those two weeks, we were also able to finally solve my father's last case, which had ended in a coerced guilty verdict for his client just prior to his murder. When we freed an innocent man after nearly 20 years in prison, I found myself wondering… was I treading on the correct path? With von Karma's influence on me a fading memory, and the corruption in the upper echelons of the PIC at the time gradually becoming clearer, I was tempted for a while to begin anew, following in my father's footsteps as I had intended during my childhood. However, after an assortment of further incidents, during which I and my affiliates at the time managed to uncover the manifold misdeeds of the committee chairman, Blaise Debeste, I realized that justice does not depend on which bench you occupy in the courtroom – it emerges when we dedicate ourselves to finding the truth, no matter how unfavorable the circumstances."

His superior's smile was imbued with a mixture of melancholy and conviction after this final declaration, and Simon could not bring himself to look away.

"That is the story, Mr. Blackquill. Ever since then, I have never once harbored doubts about my career – and I am glad that I was able to assist in uncovering your truth in the end, as well."

Words failed his subordinate at this point. Suddenly, everything about the chief prosecutor's behavior had become clear – the man's insistence on justice and fairness, his willingness to exploit loopholes in his pursuit of the truth if proper procedure yielded no results, his utter lack of drive to have his way when evidence proved him to be wrong in his assumptions.

Noticing that his revelations had stunned Simon into silence, Edgeworth once more faced the gravel trail ahead of them. "Shall we continue?"

They completed another quarter-circle of the looping path, spotting not so much as a robin's nest in the branches above, the younger prosecutor still attempting to process the information he had been given. Eventually, he found himself forced to admit something he would have never dared utter a few weeks ago.

"While you have praised me for my dedication before, I have never been as steadfast in my belief in my chosen profession. It may have survived learning about Skye, von Karma, and Debeste, however… after having been privy to the tactics of some of our esteemed colleagues during my mandatory trial observations, and later hearing their self-aggrandizing tales in the break lounge, completely devoid of any reflection on the fate to which they had consigned their suspects, I could not bring myself to trust that Athena would receive a fair trial seven years ago. Then, in the clink, I encountered a few fellow prisoners who had obviously been wrongfully convicted – they were rare, but they did exist, and they seemed to become more numerous as the years went by."

Simon paused, wondering for a moment how to phrase his conclusions, or if he should actually speak them aloud at all. However, the need to be truthful won out over the reticence born from concern of offending his superior.

"Of course, I was unable to tell whether their presence had been caused by malicious selfishness or mere uncountered bumbling on the responsible prosecutor's side, but… if I learned anything from my experiences, it would be that a lot of us refuse to admit to our fallibility, due to vanity, jealously guarding our track record, or because we simply cannot face the guilt of cocking it up. Were I asked what one quality should change on the prosecutorial side of the justice system in order to bring about the end of the dark age of the law, it would have to be its inherent lack of humility – I myself have yet to completely overcome this failing, seeing that it is encouraged in our training as well as in the courtroom."

Edgeworth turned away from his survey of the trees lining his side of the path to glance at him. "An astute observation, Mr. Blackquill. Perhaps I should consider how we can implement it at the office, as I would rather not see my subordinates' year-end bonuses and promotions being gained on the backs of the unjustly convicted."

They finished their round without further conversation; it seemed that Simon's feathered compatriot had not decided to make this park his new home, after all.

"We'll likely find out where it is one of these days – I will keep my eyes out for any nest like the one you described to me, as well," his superior stated as they approached the car from the path exit.

"I, for one, don't consider our afternoon wasted," he added quietly after pulling out of the shady parking lot. "It has been a long while since I have spent any appreciable amount of time taking in nature – or speaking of the things I did today. Thank you for your patience."

Simon shook his head. "It was an enlightening talk. Thank you, Edgeworth-dono."

The drive home took only ten minutes, and ended in a surprise – as they approached the house from the other side, Edgeworth pointed towards the back portion of the roof. "Mr. Blackquill, look!"

There it was, wedged behind the slim metal furnace exhaust – his compatriot's elusive nest. Since he had never come towards the building from this direction during daylight hours, as the bus stop he used for his office commute was located down the road they had taken in departing the property, and he had directed his steps the opposite way in a bid to scout out more of the neighborhood during his strolls, he had never gotten a good look at this part of the house.

Amused, Simon closed his eyes for a moment. Idiot bird… you just cannot bring yourself to leave me to my own devices, no matter what. Sometimes I wonder whether Aura has gotten to you somehow, as concerned as you both are about me.

Next to him, his superior chuckled slightly, the sound filled with delight at having achieved their objective so unexpectedly.

Simon chalked his heart skipping a beat at just that moment up to his own pleasant surprise at the sudden discovery.