A/N – this chapter's timeline takes place during the SL-9 incident, which was the one that the whole foundation of the Rise From the Ashes game was based on. So…I guess the time falls around the RFTA prequel?
"A human being who trades away individuality for conformity is nothing but a slave."
~Auliq Ice~
Chapter Forty-Six: Fire and Ashes
Lana Skye and Miles Edgeworth
Los Angeles Criminal Affairs Department
October 30, 2014, 3:00 PM
There was a knock on the door to Lana's office, causing the workaholic detective to pause in her paperwork. The door opened, revealing a towering hulk of a man in his early 60's with twinkling green eyes over his ever-present pink sunglasses, which were perched upon his tanned hawkish nose.
"Come on in!" She called, smiling at the sight of Damon Gant, her office mate and literal partner in crime.
"Glad I found you here, Skye."
"What's up, Gant? Going on a donut run?" She flashed a teasing smile at her workmate. "Make mine a Boston cream, please."
"Oh, you're hilarious, partner," The silver-haired detective flashed a wry grin. "Nope, no donuts for you this time. I just wanted to introduce you to someone." Her broad-shouldered co-worker stepped aside and ushered the man who'd been standing behind him into the room. "Skye, I'd like you to meet the man who hopefully will be making his US courtroom debut once we finally catch the bastard behind these SL-9 killings, Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth."
Edgeworth stepped inside and as his eyes met Lana's, she found herself unabashedly staring at the flawless male specimen before her.
Her mouth went dry.
Your reaction is completely inappropriate, not to mention ridiculous! The small, sane remaining part of her mind screamed at her. Act your age, woman! You're 27-years-old, not some hormonally-crazed teenager! And this – man/boy can't be more than 22-years-old! Stop gawking at him already! Besides, have you forgotten that you're spoken for?! To one helluva looker, to boot!
Right. She had a lover already. Jake Marshall. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Studly. Her fellow detective boyfriend, whom she'd been seeing the past few months. The cowboy-loving man with the sultry Western drawl wasn't exactly hard on the eyes, and there was no denying that he most definitely sported head-turning, rugged good looks in his own right.
But there was good-looking…and then there was Miles Edgeworth.
Lana felt her breath catch in her throat as she studied him intently. Edgeworth's tall and broad-shouldered frame was clad in a well-fitted merlot-red suit and snowy ruffled cravat, which should have made him look like some sort of old-fashioned, flouncy dandy sort. But instead, it perfectly set off his immaculately groomed greyish-black hair, which she suddenly itched to run her fingers through. His bone structure was fine, his chiseled features perfectly symmetrical. He had distinct cheekbones and an angular jaw, his pale skin making him look devilishly handsome. And those eyes…Lana had never seen eyes like his before in her entire life. He had strong arched brows and eyelashes so thick, it could be illegal. She was utterly mesmerized by those long-lashed, grey eyes, the color of ash remnants of a roaring fire.
Much like the fire that had ignited inside of her at the sight of him, in a way that it never had before with her Jake!
It was an irrevocable case of lust at first sight. She sure wouldn't need to ask him to walk by her again!
On shaky legs, Lana rose from her desk and walked over to shake his hand, hoping he wouldn't notice the slight trembling of her fingers as his long, elegant ones clasped hers. At the touch of his skin, she felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her. Standing this close before him, she could see the flecks of silver in his eyes, the momentary knowing glint in them leading her to realize she wasn't the only one who had been affected by the contact. She dropped her gaze to the well-manicured, yet masculine fingers still gripping hers and cleared her throat before allowing her eyes to meet his again.
"Detective Lana Skye." The pleasant, professional smile on her pretty face hopefully belied none of her lascivious thoughts. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Edgeworth."
"The pleasure is all mine, Detective Skye," he assured her, bowing slightly in a smooth, fluid motion that would have looked ludicrous if done by any other man, yet with this man, was suave genteel epitomized. There was a hint of a teasing smile on his lips, indicating he was well-aware of her ill-hidden reaction to him.
Lana flushed slightly.
"The department is quite happy to have you take over this case when we capture the perpetrator, Mr. Edgeworth. I'm not sure how much Detective Gant has told you about the homicides thus far, but I can assure you that this first case of yours will be the most memorable one."
"Actually, Detective Skye, my first case was last February." The debonair young man's cadence, as polished and elegant as the rest of him, was vaguely British sounding. "I squared off against a rather formidable opponent; a rookie attorney by the name of Mia Fey."
My old college friend? Lana was taken aback by this news, but her partner in crime interrupted before she could voice her thoughts. What a small world!
"Ah, my mistake, dear boy." Gant emitted a loud, booming laugh, making both Lana and Edgeworth start, as they'd nearly forgotten he was still in the room. "I guess I misunderstood Von Karma then! Although I could have sworn that he declared you as a prodigal genius with an undefeated record – I'd taken that to mean that this was your first ever American case and you'd had a long streak of wins over in Europe!"
"While it is true that I've yet to have lost a case…" The rookie lawyer smiled thinly at their flummoxed expressions. "I technically still cannot claim that I've won a case to date, either."
"Jesus Christ with a crack pipe! Why the riddle speak?" Gant idly twirled the grey curl in the middle of his forehead. "Care to elaborate on just what that's supposed to mean?"
"The defendant of my premier trial against the illustrious Miss Fey…" Edgeworth's smooth brow furrowed as he recalled at the memory. "He, er, committed suicide on the witness stand."
"Suicide?" Lana gasped. "How awful!"
"Yes, quite the tragedy," the handsome prosecutor abruptly ceased frowning and gave a slight shrug of attempted nonchalance. "But that's neither here nor there now, is it? I am quite confident in the LAPD's ability to apprehend the killer, Detective Skye, especially with you and Detective Gant on the case. He's spoken most highly of your sleuthing skills."
"Did he now?" Lana shot an impish grin at her partner. "Well, wasn't that nice of him? I suppose this is my cue to tell you that Gant ain't too bad of a cop either then?"
"You're both referred to as the Legendary Duo, are you not?" Edgeworth countered, crossing his arms across his chest and smiling at her. "Surely not the kind of praise that is given lightly?"
Lana blushed modestly. "I suppose not."
"You know that you're kind of a big deal when even greenhorn prosecutors have heard of us, huh, Skye?" Gant chuckled, clapping Edgeworth affectionately on the shoulder with his huge hand. "Come along, Miles, I need to introduce you to the rest of the team in charge of investigating the SL-9 case, detectives Bruce Goodman, Angel Star, and Skye's personal favorite, Jake Marshall."
It was the prosecutor's turn to look confused this time.
"Personal favorite?" Edgeworth echoed.
"He and Skye are kind of a thing," Gant confided with a smirk as he ushered the younger man out, ignoring the irritated look his partner shot him for discussing her personal affairs with a total stranger. "Take it easy, Skye."
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Detective Skye," Edgeworth graciously inclined his head at her, although his previous conviviality seemed to have lessened a tad since finding out the news that she was off the market. "I'll be seeing you, then."
Lana returned his perfunctory smile with a cordial one of her own, despite her own attempted cool demeanor being the opposite of her thoughts.
A sly smirk curved on her lips.
Not if I see you first, Mr. Edgeworth.
Lana Skye
Chief Prosecutor's Office
February 25, 2015, 8:00 PM
Devastation and hopelessness were the only emotions Lana had been experiencing since the end of the SL-9 case. The ability to laugh, to smile, to feel any sort of joy completely alluded her, and she had no idea when or if she ever would be able to again.
Up until last week, when Neil had been murdered, life hadn't been perfect, what with them all spending every hour around the clock trying to catch the culprit behind the mysterious homicides, but it had been filled with some areas of happiness. Things had been going well with Jake, who had, at last, told her that he loved her, and was hinting at the two of them moving in together in the near future. She was enjoying the challenges of her work as a detective, as well as the friendly, not-so-idle flirtations she shared with Edgeworth whenever he'd come by for required evidence on cases he was working on.
Lana sensed he was holding back on his obvious attraction to her because she was in a relationship, but she unabashedly acknowledged that she rejoiced in seeing the look of admiration in his eyes whenever he thought she didn't notice, and she, in turn, found him to be clever, witty and engaging whenever he indulged her in a battle of wits on occasion. Even though he was five years her junior, there was a maturity in him that belied his years, and she couldn't help but admire that, along with his work ethic. For such a young man, he'd achieved quite a lot already, career-wise, and she had little doubt that he would be the utmost success in all of his future endeavors.
Also, he was so different from Jake!
Lana was thinking, more and more often, that ranchers in Stetsons were sexy only in Western films! Especially when, for the love of all that was holy, the cowboy enthusiast was born and raised in California, not Texas! He was no more a yokel country folk than she was!
There were times she was sure that she loved Jake Marshall, and wanted to jump at the opportunity to "shack up" with him, as he'd so eloquently put it. But then there were times when she wondered what other dining venues were out there that didn't mostly include some sort of pasta or spaghetti! And had an actual wine list! She wondered what it would be like to be greeted with something other than 'howdy' and called a pet name other than Bambina.
In every one of these potential scenarios she'd been imagining since their fateful meeting in her office last fall, the man was always Edgeworth – a man of refinement. Of taste. Of style. Of class. A man who would have no concept of what a poncho was and would recoil in horror at the concept of drinking wine from a box! A partner who would actually take her out dancing, instead of spinning her around the makeshift dance floor of a tavern, to a jukebox blaring country western music and refer to it as a 'hoe-down'! A gentleman who would occasionally opt for a filet mignon rather than Salisbury steak, take her to places other than his familiar 'stompin ground' saloons to 'wet his whistle.' Or at the very least, not scoff and dismiss any other suggested venue as 'them high-falootin fancy, schmancy places that are only fer these namby-pamby city-slickers!'
Most importantly, she wondered what it'd be like to make love to a man in a place other than a bed, and not be forced to be the one to have to always take the top and holler 'ride em, cowboy!'
Furthermore, she wanted to know what it was like to f*ck a man who took his hat off during sex!
Even all that she'd managed to overlook for the past year!
But then Neil had been killed and soon after, Gant, in one of his first acts as Police Chief, had fired Angel Star, who was now pedaling lunches, and demoted the still grieving Jake to patrolman guard of the evidence room!
And then, on top of that, Jake's girlfriend had suddenly been unwittingly promoted.
Talk about adding insult to injury!
Unaware of the circumstances surrounding Lana's newly appointed role, which she could in no way tell him, the new situation had put such a strain on their relationship that there appeared to be no end, or hope of reparation, within sight! There were times Lana wasn't even sure who she was anymore … and most of the time, she felt she no longer knew Jake! He'd become more and more distant since his brother died, refusing to open up to her and let her be there for him, preferring to drown his sorrows at his favorite tavern, and acting resentful of her because of her new job as a 'big shot' and acting as if she could no longer relate to the 'little folk anymore!
For her part, Lana was trying to deal with the fact that her only remaining family, her baby sister, had nearly been murdered…and was potentially the one who had accidentally killed Neil Marshall! Her continued guilt and silence over the matter only created a further rift between her and Jake, but what choice did she have? It felt hypocritical to be trying to offer him comfort, knowing what she did, and then there was the horrible, lecherous Gant she had to contend with now.
Lana had sold her soul to the devil. The blackmailing son of a bitch who'd helped her cover up Ema's crime so the Skye sisters wouldn't have that cross to bear. However, Gant, who incidentally, was old enough to be her father, had also been making it more and more clear, as he had just now on the phone, that he was expecting some sort of repayment for his kindness and generosity in the whole matter!
Just the thought of it made her skin crawl and hysteria rise within her.
Kindness and generosity? Lana thought bitterly. The only reason that bastard promoted me was so that he could keep tabs on me while blackmailing me! And Jake is jealous about this? I never wanted it! I never wanted any of this! But I can't tell him the truth. How he'd despise me if he knew. And then Ema…
Nope. It wasn't going to happen. Ema was her baby, her sole reason for living. Lana would die before she'd ever let anything happen to her. Therefore, she would degrade and debase herself and suffer anything to ensure the now-teenage girl who she'd raised would go on and live a blissful, happy, although oblivious, existence, no matter how much she had to suffer to make that happen.
Aside from Ema, Jake was all she had. She needed him. And he needed her too…even if he couldn't properly express it.
The night before, Lana and Jake had gotten into a screaming match over his shirking duties at work, and his drunken late nights were causing him to miss work more and more. He had stormed off and not returned until dawn, smelling of cheap liquor and…Salisbury steak – just like the one from Angel's lunch wagon…even though he'd insisted her accusations were ridiculous.
Ergo, she tried her hardest to believe him.
She knew she had to be supportive. He was grieving and hurting and needed her love and patience. She couldn't just up and leave the man while he was down! And she loved, Jake. She honestly did, she insisted to herself as she hung up the phone from her latest threatening call from Gant and began to sob.
Lana Skye had never felt more miserable, alone, and helpless in her entire life.
Miles Edgeworth & Lana Skye
Chief Prosecutor's Office
February 25, 2015, 8:00 PM
Miles rapped on the door of Lana's office for the second time, but there was no answer. Which was odd, because he'd seen the light shining from underneath the door, and her car was still in the parking lot, the only one left at the office other than his own. He'd come by to give Lana the last of the records and paperwork, officially closing the SL-9 incident. That was the case that Gant had initially assumed he would be taking over, but which had ultimately been given to his senior colleague, Prosecutor Neil Marshall.
He had been unwittingly thrust into the newly vacated role of Prosecutor when Joe Darke, the serial killer behind all the grisly homicides that they'd been seeking since last fall, had at last been apprehended - but unfortunately not before making Marshall his final victim in his heinous murder spree.
Darke had since been incarcerated and was sentenced to death row. The arduous case had been wrapped up a week prior, and now Miles was delivering the requested final case files to his new boss, who had just been promoted the month before to Chief Prosecutor by the newly appointed Police Chief and former partner, Damon Gant. The last of the paperwork had taken forever to complete, and Miles was eager to deliver them as requested and at last head on home. It had been a long day.
Frustrated at the lack of response to his knocking, Miles hesitantly turned the doorknob and to his surprise, found it open. He was even more astounded at the sight that greeted him.
The normally disciplined and hardworking, albeit cheery and pleasant, the former detective was sitting hunched over at her desk, completely oblivious to his arrival. Several folders and papers were messily scattered about, and her head was buried in her hands, her slender shoulders shaking with sobs that wracked her whole body.
Miles stood there awkwardly, uncertain of what to do, and debated about ducking out before she noticed him standing there, witnessing her breakdown. He struggled with his options, feeling utterly torn.
On the one hand, he was unaccustomed to having to deal with such scenarios – his mentor, Manfred, had run a tight ship, raising both Miles and his adopted sister, Franziska to be as emotionally guarded and brusque as he. Ergo, Miles had never been overly uncomfortable with expressing or even feeling emotions of his own – never mind being those of a weeping person! And dealing with the weeping of an emotional female was about as welcome to him as a trip in an elevator!
But on the other hand, he was quite fond of the captivating Lana Skye – both as a cohort, and as a person, and his innate gentlemen qualities just couldn't allow him to ignore a damsel in distress. Especially not this particular one.
Miles was reluctant to admit it, but there was something about the brunette beauty he'd found particularly beguiling right out of the gate, when Gant had introduced them last year, and he'd been led to believe by her coquettish actions towards him that she'd been as struck by his presence as he'd been by hers. But then Gant, perhaps sensing the blossoming mutual attraction, had nipped things in the bud when he'd had not-so-discreetly let it slip that Lana was the girlfriend of Detective Jake Marshall, and that had been the end of that.
Despite working with her sporadically on his other cases the last few months, Miles had swallowed his initial attraction and tried to maintain a friendly distance, trying to block out the images of her come-hither glances and luminous smile. Innocuous flirting was one thing, and at times, while he indulged in the odd playful banter with her, he repeatedly reminded himself that Lana Skye was off-limits. She belonged to another man, and Miles Edgeworth had no desire whatsoever to be a homewrecker of any sort, even if he did often think a classy lady like Lana could have done better for herself than a wannabe cowboy whose idea of a seven-course meal probably consisted of a plate of spaghetti and a six-pack of beer!
Whatever, it was her choice. Miles had simply thrown himself into his work and tried his best to get the unforgettable Detective Skye out of his mind and turned a blind eye to everything, including all other women, to work. It wasn't much of a stretch, truthfully.
Normally the workaholic prosecutor was blissfully oblivious to female admirers, although over the years Franziska had been teasing her "Little Brother" about how handsome he'd become, and how he was the targeted crush of her numerous girlfriends over the years. However, he'd dismissed such proclamations. For one thing, albeit a budding beauty, his adopted sister was only 15 and her childish idol worship could hardly be taken seriously. For another, Miles had been too focused on his lofty achievement of becoming a prosecutor by the age of 20 – and hopefully winning the respect of Manfred while at it – to pay women much mind.
Well, the loss of his virginity to his piano teacher, Gretchen, who was ten years his senior, seven years ago notwithstanding…
Miles cleared his throat uncomfortably, opting, at last, to let Lana know of his presence, and her head shot up, looking up at him with red, watery eyes.
"Edgeworth," she muttered, quickly wiping her eyes with the back of her hands and rising from her seat, all resumed poise and haughty countenance intact again. "What brings you here?"
"I er, brought you those files you wanted on that SL-9 case, Chief Skye," Miles mumbled, averting his eyes from the tears he could see still sparkling in her lovely teal eyes despite her vain attempts at professionalism. "I – I'm sorry to have just barged on you like this. I did attempt to knock, but there was no answer, and you did indicate you wanted the final papers tonight…"
"You're right, I did." She walked over to him then and lifted her chin. "Thank you, Edgeworth. I appreciate your due diligence in this matter. I'm sure you'll be as relieved as I am to finally put this nightmare all behind us."
He caught the pain in her eyes at the words, and it was at the moment that Miles realized just what a hellacious ordeal the whole case must have been for the Chief. Not only had Neil Marshall been her boyfriend Jake's brother, but her younger sister, Ema, whom she'd raised like a daughter, had nearly become Darke's victim as well.
Miles knew that as much as Manfred had raised him to be a stoic son of a bitch, he was still Gregory Edgeworth's son first and foremost, and still had a heart underneath his icy veneer – he didn't know what he would have done if anything had ever happened to Franziska, who he truly loved as if she were his own flesh and blood. And now Lana was dealing with the additional responsibilities of her impromptu promotion on top of probably still trying to console her freshly grieving lover over his brother's passing.
How much could one poor woman possibly endure?
She is an exquisite piece of broken pottery, put back together by her own hands. And a critical world judges her cracks while missing the beauty.
Miles took a deep breath and slowly released it before speaking his next words.
"I can only imagine what all this must have been like for you, Chief Skye," he said quietly. "And for what it's worth…I'm glad I could help put that monster behind bars where he belongs, where he can never hurt anyone ever again."
Lana attempted to smile at his words, but then her lips began to tremble, and she blinked rapidly to stop the tears that once again had begun forming in her eyes. She looked away and grabbed the file from his hands.
"Most appreciated, Edgeworth," she replied stiffly, keeping her head down as she turned back towards her desk. "I shall take care of these now. That will be all."
It was an obvious dismissal, one that Miles knew, as her subordinate, that he was obligated to comply with, yet he couldn't leave just yet. A voice in the back of his head niggled at him that there was more to this than met the eye – and that she shouldn't be left alone in her current state. He had to at least try to offer her his condolences if naught else.
"Chief Skye...Lana...I know how hard this must have been on Jake…and you."
He walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder, turning her around so she could see his sympathetic expression.
"And I know words can't possibly ease the suffering you and Jake have both gone through, and are still going through, but I just wanted to let you know – you have my utmost sympathies. I'm truly sorry."
Lana's lips parted, about to tell him that she was beyond needing any obligatory consolation and platitudes, but her words died in her throat as she looked at the veracity in his handsome face, along with something along the lines of…empathy? How was that even possible? Did Edgeworth also have a sob story under that stern demeanor? Was it possible that he could truly understand, at some level, the fresh hell her life had become?
"You really mean it, don't you Miles?" She breathed. Peering searchingly into his eyes, she was astounded at the unmasked whirling emotions she saw there now. "You're not just saying you're sorry to be nice…you really and truly are, aren't you?"
The prosecutor found he couldn't speak. Someway, somehow, this woman had made him take his guard down with her tears, and he had no idea how to draw it back up. Wasn't even sure if he could…or even wanted to. He merely nodded mutely, and even though he normally hated to be touched, didn't even try to resist when she reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face, her wide-eyed gaze transfixed on his.
"You know, don't you?" She whispered, her eyes wide and seeking. "You know what it's like…to have your world turn upside down and feel like you have nobody."
It was a statement, not a question.
Miles was stunned at the insightful revelation she'd realized…of the secret pain he'd tried to bury all these years since his father's murder. He'd always tried to mask his suffering under his laconic, impassive façade… How was it that this woman, whom he'd only known for four months, could see so deeply into his heart? Into his soul?
Lana stared into his beautiful grey eyes; the swirls of emotion she saw there made her breath catch. She was completely mesmerized. They were the grey of the last ashes on the fire, tossed upon the breeze. Those hypnotic orbs now gazed deeply into hers, ensnaring her from that moment in a net of intrigue, comfort, and promise, all at once.
His hand reached under her hair below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek, his eyes revealing more than his words could express.
They both knew it was coming. There was one final intense look before she pulled his face closer. Hesitantly, she glanced up at him one last time. Lust and desire. However, before she could ponder about it further, he yanked her to him.
Unexpectedly, his hand drifted to her hip and settled there, and pulled her closer. She inhaled sharply. She was against his warm chest, chiseled to perfection. Must he be so perfect? She splayed her hand against it, intending to push him away, but instead, she left it there. His breathing quickened as did hers. He began nuzzling her neck with delicate kisses. So faint, they were whispers. She urged herself to push away, but couldn't. Her limp body began to tremble uncontrollably. His head was angled slightly to the side as his lips came closer and closer to hers. She was surprised to find her own lips parted. Their breaths mingled. Her heart fluttered inside her chest. At first, it was a delicate butterfly of a kiss. Then his arms encircled her and his hungry mouth devoured her own.
The kiss obliterated every thought. For the first time in forever, Lana's mind was locked into the present. The worries of the day evaporated like a summer shower onto a hot car. Her usual mode of hurrying from one thing to the next was suspended, she had no wish for the kiss to end.
Drunk on endorphins, Miles' only desire was to touch her, to move his hands under her blouse, and feel her perfect softness. In moments the soft caress had become firmer, he savored her lips and the quickening of her breath that matched his own. A kiss like this was a beginning, a promise of much more to come.
When they finally parted, she looked up at him with her beautiful, tear-stained face and he felt a stirring within his chest that he'd never felt before. As trite as it seemed, the moment was just like the movies. For that single moment, time stopped. It was just them.
Then his lips claimed hers again.
Lana no longer cared about the world or the people around her. She no longer paid heed or mind to them. There were no cruelties, no death, no suffering. Right there, at that moment, it was just her and Edgeworth. Because apart they might be as different as night and day, black and white, right and wrong, but together they created two sides of a whole. Together they balanced.
It is a frightening thought, that in one fraction of a moment you can fall into the kind of love that takes a lifetime to get over.
She wasn't sure what this meant or what would happen tomorrow. All she knew was that right now, kissing Miles Edgeworth was the best idea in the world.
March 18, 2022: 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 196? 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, 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) plus all 100+ chapters of Singing In The Courtroom can be found on THEJORDANPHOENIX dot com
All 196 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) 😄