Chapter Seven: Severed Ties

Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright
Wright Talent Agency
May 6, 2019, 4:20 PM

"Yes, Wright, it's me. Though I believe you're the one who looks less recognizable. I mean, I still have the same fashion sense."

The man has never had a sense of style, but unless my eyes are playing tricks on me, he's wearing open-toed sandals with some sort of jogging suit and a knit beanie of some kind.

"If that's what you want to call it, Edgeworth." Phoenix's tone was acidic, but Miles was expecting as much. Logically, his appearance at the residence during the workday meant he knew what had happened.

"Wright, what's going on?"

"We're doing business. Or is that not what you're here for? Because it's why my daughter called me out here."

"Wright, obviously I came here to talk with you about what happened."

"There's nothing to talk about. I've lost my badge. I have a kid. I run a talent agency now. Therefore, if you aren't here on business, get out."

The beanie wearer's eyes weren't meeting his. The legist could tell he was embarrassed. He wished he could somehow find the right words to convince the other man that things would get better and that he didn't need to go through this act of carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, alone.

Bloody hell, Wright can be exasperating at times!

Miles frantically contemplated what he could say to ease the tension of the situation.

"Wright, is there anything at that we can do? Both Franziska and I are keen to lend assistance in any way possible."

"Like either of you give a rat's ass about me," Phoenix jeered. "That woman can't stand me and only puts up with me for your sake and you know it! I'm sure Franziska's as happy as a pig in Scheiße about me being disbarred."

Miles bristled at this unexpected onslaught towards his betrothed.

"I appreciate neither your choice of words nor your tone, Wright! I will thank you not to speak of my fiancée in such a manner again!"

He swallowed hard, uncertain of what to further say that wouldn't complicate things further. The barrister's reflex was to remind the anterior attorney that his lover had played just as big a role as Miles himself had, if not a bigger one, in getting Phoenix and Maya together. Consequently, Franziska thus deserved some iota of respect for that, if nothing else. Nevertheless, he held his tongue. He needed to remember that his friend was only acting this way because he wasn't himself right now, and his curt demeanor was simply a front to mask his pain.

I should have known better than to mention Franziska, the chess enthusiast lamented. She has been beyond inexcusably horrendous to him in the past. But she's my life now…we're a unit. She's the one who sent me and held up our Interpol operation so that I could be here right now. I don't need her permission to do things, but I know I never would have come if she hadn't told me it was OK with her. As much as I care for my best friend, I love Franziska more.

"You just take off to Germany," Phoenix snarled. "Just took off, without warning. That was my thanks for getting your ass off the hook for a murder rap."

The prosecutor gritted his teeth against this second unanticipated attack. He remembered all the times they'd hung out as children, and then later as adults. He recollected how much it had hurt when he'd moved away both times. How he'd still thought constantly about his childhood best friend, Phoenix, who as a grown man, claimed that Miles had been his inspiration for his direction in life.

Without even knowing how much of an influence he'd played in Miles' own.

The magenta-clad man decided to change the subject.

"It was such unfortunate timing that when all this happened, Maya then had to leave on business travels…" Miles scrutinized his chum's pokerface as he spoke the name of Phoenix's girlfriend, and thought he saw a twitch.

It's just as I thought. He always gets hugely depressed when Maya's away from him. It's a pity he's still in denial that he needs her; that he's pushing her away from him, the way he is with me now. Damn him and his blasted stubbornness!

He decided to play dumb about his knowledge of Phoenix's neglect in contacting the woman he claimed to love.

"What's going on with you and her, Wright?"

"We broke up, all right?" He snarled. "There, you happy now?"

Miles was astonished. When he'd last spoken to the diviner that morning, the girl had sounded sad, confused, and hurt, but very much in love. Moreover, she'd also sounded very much like someone who was entirely in the dark about what was going on. Had the two communicated since his last conversation with her? He contemplated the timing of this. Surely, Maya couldn't be so low as to dump her lover for losing his badge? She'd always been so loyal and devoted, first as his employee, then as his friend and love interest. He'd assumed she cared about Phoenix enough to stick around when he'd hit rock bottom.

However, something about Phoenix's words contradicted information Miles was privy to, but which he wasn't about to disclose now. He wasn't there to question the validity of the spiky-haired man's statements.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Phoenix said nothing. He was back to avoiding eye contact.

"So, Wright, what's this about you becoming a father?"

"I'm in the process of the adoption application. Trucy's father was the defendant in my last case."

Miles smirked. That, at least, made perfect sense. Phoenix had always been very dedicated to his clients…and a sucker for little girls. He remembered how attached his friend had been to Pearl. No wonder he'd taken Trucy in.

"Do you think that's wise right now? Shouldn't you be working on getting your badge back?"

"No. Trucy's my priority right now. She needs a guardian, and my dumbass is the reason she lost her father, so I owe it to her. While I didn't forge anything, I still presented it. Therefore, it's my screw-up. So, I may as well just move on with my life."

"Ergo, this entails turning your back on everyone who was part of your past? Is that an instrumental part of your moving on plans, Wright?"

"That's rich coming from you! You're hardly a stranger to pushing people away. Or just ghosting on their asses when you feel like disappearing on a whim! At least I didn't fake my own death." Phoenix's glare over the table was almost painful as the weight of the ambush hit him. "You sure have a flair for the dramatic, Edgeworth."

He's certainly picked a prime time to bring up my playing dead for a year! I know he and Franziska both grieved for me. I think she's fully forgiven me, but Wright certainly has not. If he's still angry with me for the last time I took off to Europe, how on earth will he react when he finds out I'm leaving again … for much longer this time?

"You must know I'm very sorry about that. You brought so many ugly truths to light…things that I needed to reassess and reevaluate – in solitude. It was all so unforeseen and overwhelming. I just needed some time away to think things through. Surely, you can understand that, Wright?"

Phoenix chuckled bitterly and looked away. Miles couldn't tell whether it was at his apology attempt or just the whole situation that was the reason for the harsh sound.

"Wright, I'm sorry Maya-"

"She didn't dump me, Edgeworth. I dumped her. At least…I'm going to. Whenever I get around to it."

Eureka! Ergo, he hasn't contacted her yet, just as I suspected. Interesting. I wonder how the normally bubbly spirit medium could adapt to this newfound, que sera, sera grumpy demeanor of his? Regardless, it's downright rotten, the way he's treating her. She deserves more than to be simply ignored like this. At the very least, she's entitled to at least get a clean break.

"Wright, why are you adopting this little girl? What do you know about being a father?"

"What? You don't think I can do it? That I'm not stable enough? Look, it doesn't take an attorney's badge to take care of a kid. I helped Maya and Pearls. I can help Trucy."

"You're seriously going to lump Maya into the kid category with Pearl and Trucy, Wright?"

"What do you mean? Why not? Alright, fine. So Maya and I, er, we had some close moments that would contradict that. But ultimately, she is … was, like a sister to me."

Miles was fascinated by the disbarred lawyer's lame attempt to rewrite history. Was this truly the same man who had tearily confessed, merely last month, to himself, Larry, and Gumshoe that he loved Maya Fey more than the air he breathed? Who had made a public spectacle of himself proving that love to her that very night? Was he genuinely going to feign as if all those dramatic events had never happened and try to sweep it all under the whole 'I loved her but only as a sister' rug?

As an expert on the subject, I could elaborate and educate on the fine details on what it's like to have someone be so close to you for such a long time that it feels like a sibling relationship; until the day comes when you have no choice but to acknowledge that it's since developed into something much, much more. It's just that I don't think he'd appreciate me bringing up Franziska again, so I'm keeping my mouth shut and leaving her out of this. But since I can't seem to speak to or reason with him, I feel like forfeiting this entire endeavor. The blasted man can be so damn pig-headed!

"Are you sure you aren't adopting this little girl to fill a void in your life? When really what you should be doing is figuring out things with Maya?"

"I thought I had feelings for Maya, but I've had time to think about it, and I didn't, OK? I have no romantic feelings for Maya Fey whatsoever, and I resent your insinuation that I ever did – as if I'm some kind of pedophile!"

The cravat wearer peered searchingly at the hobo. Was there a particular reason Phoenix was suddenly trying to erase all history he'd ever had with Maya? The logic genius couldn't even begin to fathom what it could be. Instead, he just rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Wright, Maya's older now. It's OK for you to love her. For you two to be together."

"You sound like Pearls."

"No, I don't." Miles grinned at the mention of Maya's adorable cousin/pseudo-adopted daughter. "Not at any point here did I use the words Special Someones. Not even once."

The ghost of a smile flickered across spiky-haired man's lips at the mention of the precocious little spirit medium they'd both been so fond of. And that was when Miles realized that the Fy girls were amongst the list of people that Phoenix was trying to convince himself had been a lifetime ago rather than a few months ago, as though literally dead to them. Which was beyond ridiculous! Maya and Pearl wouldn't give a damn what he did for a living. Hell, they'd probably be happier if he flipped hamburgers or drew caricatures as his occupation. They might even like his new hobo-chic look. They loved Phoenix, and he was sure they would miss him, as much as Miles would.

As much as he already did.

Why can't the daft fool see that?

"Wright, about Maya; you can still make this work. Don't try to deny how you've felt about her. She's been trying to reach you. She loves you. It doesn't matter what your occupation is. She loves you because you're you…"

"No, we can't make this work Edgeworth!" Phoenix loudly cut him off, his voice trembling. "She's an important, high-status Master of Kurain Village now! She deserves better than a low-life ex-lawyer like me!"

His voice rose a notch, even though it was shaking with emotion.

"What right have I to imagine that she would wish to unite her life with mine? Who and What am I? A man of no account, wanted by no one and of no use to anyone!"

So that's why he's so coldly and cruelly cut off Maya. Because of his own self-loathing doubts about his diminished sense of self-worth. But it still bewilders me why a moment ago though, he was trying to convince me that there was never anything between them in the first place.

Miles ignored the impassioned Leo Tolstoy quote, fitting though it had been.

"I merely think you need to reevaluate your motivations for adopting this young girl."

Phoenix jumped up from his seat and slammed both his hands on the table, courtroom style, as he shot visible daggers at his friend.

"Shut the hell up, Edgeworth! Are you trying to insinuate that I have a twisted fetish/Lolita complex because I can't get Maya out of my head? You're sick! I thought you were my friend!"

"Zounds! I assure you I didn't mean it like that!" Miles protested. He hadn't expected Phoenix to be this touchy. He was at a loss for what to say, to comfort the other man somehow, but he didn't know what to do, and telling him that it was killing him to see him like this wasn't going to help matters. "Wright, I think it's nice what you're doing, but you don't need to cut off ties with everyone. I know it's painful, but we don't care about what happened! We haven't given up on you."

"Well, you should. Stick a fork in him, because Ace Attorney Phoenix Wright is done, OK? Washed up. Dead."

"I don't understand. Tell me why! Why are you throwing away everything you've worked so hard for so you can adopt that girl? Do you think this is what Mia would have wanted?"

"Don't you dare talk to me about the Chief! The memory of her is mine, not yours to throw around lightly! You didn't know…her... like…I did…"

Phoenix's voice broke, and he turned away then. He was unmistakably crying, but he wasn't about to let Miles see that.

The prosecutor wanted to cry as well, but of course, no tears come. Those would be too human for an android like him. How had things turned out this horribly? He'd come to help and comfort his best friend and somehow had only made a bad situation worse. But what the hell was he supposed to do to fix it? He realized now that Phoenix's current predicament was merely the tip of the iceberg. How much pain had he been holding in?!

The last few years flash through his mind.

He lost his beloved mentor… I came in and out of his life… Maya left to become the Master…he's got no living parents since they died in a plane crash when he was in college…

"I'm sorry, Wright." Miles's expression was pained. "I never meant to upset you. That was never my intention when I came here. I came here because Franziska and I are going back to Germany tomorrow for an Interpol assignment. I have no idea when I'll be back. I've been trying to reach you for the past few weeks so I could tell you so that, unlike last time, I didn't just up and leave without any warning. I wanted to tell you goodbye in person."

The spiky-haired man turned his head slowly, his eyes red but luckily dry now, as they stared at his childhood mate, the hurt and betrayal in them as clear as day.

Miles understood the reason for that look. First Maya, now him. Was it any wonder Phoenix thought he'd better off alone when the two most important people in his life had vanished, however unintentionally, at the same time?

If only I wasn't so damn emotionally constipated and could just tell him how much I care about him! I wish I could tell him how Franziska has finally made me feel like I'm not alone anymore and he deserves the same, which is why he needs to call Maya. She's in complete torment over all this; she didn't want to leave. She still loves him and would forgive him anything. I'm sure of it.

"You're leaving again." It was a statement, not a question. Phoenix's voice was hollowed, despite the cold, accusing glint in his eyes.

"Wright! It won't be forever! A few years, at most," Miles's tone was beseeching as he spoke, even though his dialogue partner had turned away from him again. "We can try to fix all this! You can adopt Trucy and still fight to get your badge back. Listen to me; I will still be accessible via email. I can do investigative work for you in the background. I'll help you. Franziska and I-"

"I am sick of hearing about your fiancée, Edgeworth, so stop reminding me of the woman who keeps taking you away from me!" Phoenix yelled, his face red. "You know, I can't believe you've been able to put up with her crazy, whip-happy ass for as long as you have. I honestly expected by now that you'd have come to your senses, gotten sick of her shit, and moved back here by now, permanently!"

"Phoenix, I know she's been awful to you in the past, but things are different now. Franziska is different now. She's the one who -"

"The hell with Franziska Von Karma, Edgeworth! I have no bloody idea what you see in that toxic, cold-hearted bitch –"

The DA was a pacifist man by nature. Despite all the vicious situations he'd endured in his life, he'd always been more of a lover than a fighter. He had never used physical force in his entire life on another human being. Right up until that moment.

His fist moved as if he had lost complete control of it, towards the other man's jaw before he had a chance to stop himself. It connected with the side of Phoenix's face with a sickening crunch, unlike anything he'd ever heard before. The other man staggered back against the wall but didn't fall.

Miles gawked at his fist with horror. He'd just punched his dearest friend. One of the very few that he had. He wanted to cry when he saw the expression of shock and hurt upon Phoenix's face, like that of a wounded child or puppy, as he clutched the side of his face where he'd been hit.

God's teeth! What have I done?!

"Phoenix, I'm didn't mean to – "

"Get out, Edgeworth."

"Please, I'm so sorry…"

"I am going to go upstairs now, to get an icepack for my jaw." Phoenix's voice was frostily calm, even as he glared at his unwelcome visitor with contemptuous loathing. "And when I get back, your ass had best be gone from my house. You and me, Edgeworth, we're history. Done. Now. Get. The. Hell. Out. "

Then, without another word or backward glance, the new father turned around and left the room, leaving the devastated barrister in his wake.

This shouldn't matter as much as it does, because I have Franziska now to ease this dreadful burden of mine. Yet it still does, and it hurts like hell because I care about that daft fool so damn much! He's right back where he was the night of Maya's party – in serious denial. It's painfully bad enough he's opting to deny his friendship to me. What's worse is the fact that he's denying his feelings for that woman. I know the big idiot loves her, though I'll be damned if I can make him realize it! The blasted man has given me no choice but to move on with my life, even if it's without him. So be it. If he's too proud to accept my help and support, then fine. Wright is right – I guess I can't be his friend anymore.

With a heavy heart, Miles turned towards the door, his eyes burning with tears that couldn't fall, no matter how much he wished they would because it would have been such a relief to just let it all out. All the pain. All this damn frustration.

Dear Lord, why does this have to hurt so much? I may have been the one to strike him, but I'm the one in total agony.

With a start, he realized his exit was blocked. Standing in front of the door, with an endearing grin, was Trucy. Miles winced at the sight of her; he'd genuinely forgotten she was still in the place, as she seemed to have disappeared as soon as she'd let him in. He wondered how much she'd seen and heard.

"T- Trucy," he stammered. "Where did you come from?"

"From upstairs. I was cleaning up the apartment, then I had to go make an ice-pack and get my Daddy a grape juice."

It was at that moment Miles, at last, understood the situation with Phoenix and his adorable daughter.

He isn't taking care of her. She's taking care of him. This makes a lot more sense. I must admit, Wright hasn't done too badly for himself. This is one sweet little ward he's wound up with.

Miles kneeled and smiled into the moppet's doll-like face. She had the aura of an old soul to her, and not just because she appeared to understand the importance of both housekeeping and ice usage to reduce swelling. It was more than that. Trucy had that same, wise-beyond-her-years air to her that Franziska had also possessed as a child, along with that twinkle in her gaze only the innocence of youth possessed.

Children truly do have such an amazing spark - until the harsh realities of the world around them dull that angelic glimmer from their eyes. This one has more than most. May life be good to this young tot. She's already seen enough tough reality to last a lifetime.

"Trucy, can you do me a favor?"

She nodded.

"Be a good little girl for Phoenix, OK? And please take very good care of him."

"You care a lot about my Daddy, don't you?" Trucy studied him solemnly. "You're not a client, are you?"

"No," he mumbled, his voice tinged with sadness. "I'm an attorney that worked with your father. I…was a friend of his. I wanted to make sure you looked after him really well, because your Daddy…has a lot of people that care about him, very much."

"I'm sure he does, but no worries Mr. Miles! I'll make sure he rises and shines, and gets plenty of exercise, and eats well! I do a lot of the cooking because Daddy can't cook. Also, I make sure he gets enough to drink…"

A bottle of grape juice materialized out of the thin air.

"And here's one for you too, for the road."

Miles was dumbfounded.

She's amazingly good at this sleight of hand thing, especially for one so young.

He couldn't help but smile again as he took the proffered drink. The child had a disarming, charismatic quality to her that would melt even the most austere man. Remaining in his crouched down position, he offered the little magician his hand.

"Well, Trucy it's been very nice to meet you."

Forgoing a handshake this time, Trucy threw her arms around Miles and hugged him. The non-tactile barrister cleared his throat in response to the awkwardness. He still wasn't accustomed to this sort of thing. To comfort. To feelings. To physical contact.

I'm not any good with children – yet for some unfathomable reason, Franziska wants to start a family with me! - and I've already reduced a grown man to tears today. What the hell is wrong with me? Was I born an automaton? Or do I have Manfred to thank for making me like this? I can't remember the last time anyone other than Franziska was this close to me. Or even wanted to be.

"Mr. Miles, please don't give up on my Daddy. He's been through a lot."

A wave of emotion hit Miles just then, and he gave the child a huge squeeze.

As we grow up, we learn that even the person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it gets harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love, so take many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is one minute of happiness you'll never get back.

"Don't you worry, Trucy," he vowed. "I promise you that I will never give up on your Daddy, even if it seems at times like he's given up on himself."

With these as his final spoken words, he saw himself out. He felt more at peace now, despite the disastrous outcome with his friend, because he knew Phoenix was at least in the good care of very capable hands.

I know you'll both be all right, after all, Wright. It looks like you're an even luckier man than I thought.

Mood music from this chapter - full video and lyrics on thejordanphoenix dot com:

No Doubt – Don't Speak

September 12, 2021: This story is now being uploaded to be more family-friendly as the previous version was removed for being too steamy and setting off the site smoke alarms, and for having song lyrics. No harm, no foul. Seriously, I'm not worried - who the heck only reads a story for song lyrics and like, TEN chapters of canoodling out of 195? That's grossly underestimating my amazing and loyal readers, wouldn't you agree?

In the meantime, as I go through the painstaking task of ensuring my new version complies with regulations per the admin's advising, in the meantime, the full uncut version of Turnabout Everlasting, and Filling The Void (the other far too sexy for this site previous casualty, which I've started reposting in a less risqué format) can be found on THEJORDANPHOENIX dot com

All 195 chapters are now on my personal site and going forward, I will be posting there first when I write new chapters, so make sure to follow me for the latest updates and direct music video links! (I am still taking reader song requests, BTW) 😄