Jess is back updating again. Pippa got done with her job (for now. I think they're on break or something, but not sure if she goes back or not.) Some important things about this chapter, and this section of the story:

~Italic talk means the person in that POV is trying to speak in a language not familiar to them. Regular text is when they're speaking in their native language.

~If a person outside of the POV is speaking in italics, that means the language is getting translated.

I know that makes absolutely no sense, but I hope it will in the story. That's only for the past though. Everything else is normal. Phone conversations not in the POV are italicize, that sort of thing.

Chapter Nine

Franziska

I look at my brother from across the large wooden table. We sit in our old family home in Germany. It's been kept clean despite being vacated for a while. Even so, it feels so familiar to sit in our usual spots across from each other.

Even though the chair at the head of the table was clearly unoccupied neither of us makes any move to try and fill it. Even though one of us technically would now.

I wonder if it would be Miles since he's the boy, and yet I'm the heir to the von Karma name. So I do wonder…

I also wonder a little why we returned here. When my brother said we were leaving to discover what it meant to be a prosecutor I hadn't thought our first stop would be the house we grew up in.

"Miles?"

"I figured we could start from where it all began. They say you have to know your past to understand your present. Plus there are some things that just don't add up yet," he says speaking German. It was a habit in the household, but I suppose it also just feels right.

"You're always thinking, aren't you?"

"Of course."

"You know… I remember when we first met."

"I remember that too."

(Past)

I watch the door carefully. I know Papa will be coming home soon, he has to be.

"Fräulein, we really should get you to your room," Edda says. She reaches down for me but I back away holding my crop.

"No! I am waiting for Papa!"

"Herr von Karma would be very displeased to know you're staying up late."

"I do not care! I'm waiting for Papa! He has been too long!"

She sighs a bit trying to pick me up again, and I give her a smack with my crop.

"Fräulein, you really shouldn't do that."

"Do not care! I wait for Papa!" I declare stomping my foot.

"Listen, you're still little-"

"No! Big girl!"

"You know you're only this cranky because you're up too late, now come along, it's time for bed."

"No! No! No! Not tired! Want Papa!"

"Franziska, what have I told you about being loud in the house?"

I jump a bit turning around to see Papa standing in the doorway.

"Papa!" I say running over to him.

"I'm sorry, Herr von Karma; I was trying to get her to bed, but she insisted.

"Franziska, why are you not listening?" he asks looking down at me.

I look down shuffling my feet. "Cause I miss you. I wanted to see you. You have been gone forever."

He sighs. "Well, you know better than to misbehave."

"Yes, Papa, I am sorry," I say.

"You should be apologizing to Edda for your behaviour."

I look up at Edda. "I am sorry."

"It's alright," she says picking me up. "I suppose I should take her to her room now."

"Before you do, I have something else I'd like you to do."

"Yes, Herr von Karma?"

He looks behind him a bit then moves so we can see a boy and a little doggy. "This is Miles Edgeworth, he'll be staying here so he'll also be your charge for now. You'll have to speak English though, he doesn't know German."

"Of course, Herr von Karma."

I squirm a bit in her arms and she puts me down again. I walk over to the boy and trying my best to cursy. Trying to speak English like I was being taught. "Hello, I'm Franziska von Karma."

"Hi," he replies shyly in English bowing. "I'm Miles Edgeworth, and this is Missile."

The doggy wags his tail and I lean down petting his head. "That is a… umm…"

Why is this language so hard?

"It's okay, just tell me and I'll tell him," Edda says.

"Okay… umm… silly."

She relays my message and the boy pouts a bit.

"No, I mean…" Then he says something I'm unsure about. I look up at Edda for a translation.

"He said his friend came up with it, and he thought it was cute."

"Oh."

"Well I'm going to go. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"But Papa, do I not get a story?"

He looks at me. "You broke the rules so you won't get one tonight."

"But if I went to bed properly I wouldn't get one anyway."

"Don't talk back to me, Franziska, if you behave yourself I'll consider giving you one tomorrow, but that's provided you do as you're told."

"Yes Papa."

"Come along then you two," Edda says picking me up and taking Miles' hand.

Papa says some things to Miles.

"Thank you, sir." Miles says with a short bow.

Papa then leaves and Edda takes us first to my room. She helps me into my pajamas and then into my bed."

"Horsey!"

"Fräulein that's not how you ask for things."

"Horsey please."

She smiles going over and grabbing it. She brings it over and hands it to me. I cuddle the horsey.

"Do you think you'll enjoy having a big brother."

"No! Little! Little brother!"

Miles cocks his head to the side.

I point at him. "Little… brozer!"

"Little?"

"Yes."

"You know I'm older than you."

"I am two!"

"Yes and I'm nine. Nine is older than two."

"But I came here first! So you are little!"

"Well alright, if you want me to be your little brother that bad."

"Where did you even come from?"

"Aren't you supposed to be going to bed?"

"Want to know!"

"Well I came from Los Angelis, California in the United States of America. I've lived there my whole life so this is a very different experience for me."

I tilt my head to the side.

"I'll show you on a map later if you'd like."

I nod. "Why here then?"

"Oh.. well… I'm not exactly sure. I mean… my father…" he shivers a bit hugging himself and the dog whines rubbing against his leg. He picks him up hugging him tight. "My father was killed and… your father.. Took me in so…"

"Did Papa catch the bad guy?"

"Well no, he wasn't on the case, but… he still said I could stay with him so…"

"Okay."

Papa's the best!

Miles

After saying good night to Franziska, Edda (who's apparently Franziska's nanny) shows me to my room.

As Mr. von Karma said my things have already been moved into the room. It's rather big, bigger than I'm used to.

That's not to say that we were ever poor. Father was actually quite well off, but he said there was no point in having a huge house for just the two of us.

Father….

It's still hard to believe that he's actually gone. Sometimes I feel like I'll wake up and he's not actually dead, but I know that's not possible.

"I'm sorry if Fräulein Franziska was a bit nosy and for your loss as well."

I look up at Edda. "It's okay, but thank you."

"She doesn't have a lot of people to talk to, and she's very smart so she asks a lot of questions."

"Well girls her age should be asking questions. It's how we learn things. I mean I'm not great with people, and I haven't really met anyone as young as her before, but I guess I am her brother now."

"Her little brother apparently," Edda says with a chuckle as she helps me unpack.

"She is right that I'm the newcomer here," I admit staring at my bags as she folds my clothes and puts them in the dresser. It's so strange to think I'm here now. Things happened so fast. I barely even remember the plane ride from LA. It must have ben long, but I think I may have slept through it all, because I feel like one minute I was boarding the plane and the next minute we landed. Though that wasn't completely true. I do remember drinks and plane food. It wasn't the best, but it was pretty decent. The seats as well. Though I have a feeling that may have been because we were in first class. Some people looked at me a bit strangely but Mr. von Karma looked at them and they proceeded to ignore us.

"Herr Miles."

"Huh?" I look up at the woman with her dark brown hair tied back and brown eyes. I blush a bit at what she called me. "Umm… you don't have to call me that, and I'm sorry I zoned out."

"Yes I do Herr von Karma would be displeased if I didn't."," she says formally. I suppose there's no use arguing with her on it.

"I guess I'm just not used to that kind of thing."

"Well you'll get used to it in due time."

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Of course, and I'm here to help with anything you need."

"Thank you, so did you want something?"

"I was just wondering where you wanted me to put some of these things."

I look down at the box of things. Apparently they still have some things to sort out with Father's possessions and will, but for now I was able to grab some of the things I wanted. Mr. von Karma aid he'd have the rest of the stuffed shipped here when everything was settled. He apparently had it under control. He told me that any money I got from my father would go to me, though I won't have access to it until I was older.

"Oh, umm… I'm not sure," I admit looking around the room. It's so different than my room back at home. Of course my room never had bright colours or larger designs on it like other kids did. I remember Phoenix's room was bright blue with a phoenix painted over his bed.

Phoenix…

Even though Larry was also my friend I have to say I miss Phoenix a bit more. I actually went to his house a couple of times before, and it was really nice.

But I guess I can't do that anymore. I wonder if Mr. von Karma will let me write letters to him and Larry. I know we'd have to pay for postage, but I wouldn't do it often if it was any trouble.

I pick up the picture frame with a photo of me, ,y father and Missile. I walk over to the table next to my bed putting it down. I hope wherever father is he's okay now. I just miss him a lot.

"It's hard to lose someone you love," Edda says from behind me.

I turn around to look at the woman.

"I lost my mother when I was really young. I never knew my father. We were poor and he left her with me. They had met one night and one thing led to another and she had me. She told me she always loved me though, and never blamed me. But one day she grew doctors did what they could, but they couldn't save her. My uncle works as a gardner for Herr von Karma so he took me in and I got work as Fräulein Franziska's nanny."

"I'm sorry."

She smiles a bit. "It's alright, I know it's tough to lose people you love. The pain never truly goes away, but you can find people to help with it."

"I… see."

"If you ever need to talk I'm here to listen. It is kind of my job really."

"Thank you," I say with a small bow.

She smiles then gets back to unpacking. I find Missile's bed and put it at the foot of my bed. I don't know if Mr. von Karma would like Missile sleeping on my bed. Father didn't really want him to either, but Missile always managed to get up anyway.

"He's a very cute dog," she says.

"My friend Larry found him. We tried to bring him back to his owner who abandoned him, but she got mad. Since my friends couldn't keep him I asked father and he let me keep him. I had to train him, but he's a good dog really."

"I'm glad to hear that. Fräulein von Karma has been begging her father to get her a horse for a while now."

"A horse?"

"Yes, she takes lessons, but she's not old enough to have one of her own. Yet she's very determined."

"She does seem to be."

"Though I've always been more fond of dogs myself," hse says scratching Missile behind the ears. His tongue lols out happily.

I'm just glad Mr. von Karma let me keep him. From what I heard around the courthouse he was very scary, and I have to admit he kind of is, but Father said you should never judge someone until you've gotten to know them first.

Father always said that Mr. von Karma was a great prosecutor, in his own right. Though he believes that prosecutors and defense attorneys are meant to work together instead of being enemies.

I always wanted to be a defense attorney like father and yet…

When it came to his trial no one seemed to care. That defense attorney got him off and no one seems to think anything of it now. I wonder if anyone will ever care about who killed my father.

After we finish unpacking Edda smiles at me. "I'll leave you alone now, you should try and get some rest. The bathroom is across the hall if you need it. My bedroom is right next to Franziska's if you need me. I'll wake you up in the morning when it's time to get ready and have breakfast."

"Thank you," I say again.

She leaves and I get changed into my pajamas. I take my things to the bathroom and brush my teeth. After that I go back to my room sitting on the bed.

I really don't understand why you had to die, Father… I miss you already.

Though I guess I really should get some sleep. After all, I'm sure I'll have a busy day tomorrow. I'll have to start a new school and anything else Mr. von Karma wants.

At least Edda seems nice, and Franziska isn't too bad despite being a bit of a brat.

I wonder what Larry and Phoenix are doing right now.

It takes me a bit before I remember that the time zones are completely different. I look at the time on the alarm clock on the bed side table. It says that it's past ten. In fact it's closer to eleven. I check my watch. I haven't changed the time yet. It's still only one back home. No wonder I'm not really feeling very tired.

I suppose that men the two of them should still be in school. Then again knowing Larry he might have ditched again.

Still it is getting late here, and I might as well start to get used to the time-zone somehow.

I turn off the lights and walk over to the bed crawling under the sheets. I pull them around myself. The darkness closing in a little bit.

I was never afraid of the dark. My father explained to me that it was nothing to be scared of.

But that was then and this is now. It's not that the dark scares me exactly.

No, it's not the dark that makes me want to hide.

I close my eyes and I feel like I can feel the whole lace shake. There was a lot of noise and crashing. In that moment the elevator stalls and the lights go out.

For hours we sit there unable to get help or air. It's too dark… too…

I feel a warm body press up against me and a cold wet nose press into my neck and I start.

I look down at my dog who looks up at me as well. He lies next to me looking as concerned as a dog could.

I pet his head. "It's okay, Missile."

But it really isn't okay, I'm not sure if it will ever be okay.

Manfred

I close the door to my private study hissing as my shoulder throbs. This stupid wound. A part of me tells me I should just get the dumb bullet out, but another part of me refuses to leave any evidence behind.

And yet… what was the need for it?

Why had it come to what it came to?

How could I have been humiliated in such a manner? It wasn't even that that fool had discovered that I'd tried to convice Master, but that he had the gal to insinuate I made that stupid autopsy.

Perhaps I sometimes go a bit above and beyond, but in order to catch criminals sometimes you have to make choices that aren't always the best.

Yet this time…

That infernal case. It went a whole year just to end like that? At least I was able to get a verdict. Or… a semblance of one.

That whole trial was a complete mess and I wish I never have to think about it again.

And of course the chief prosecutor had to choose that time to assign me a penalty. That stupid fool. He could have easily just left it be, b ut he had to assign me a penalty, and bring my "cheating" up in court. That stupid fool!

He didn't even give me a chance to explain why I'd made the mistake I had, and I suppose I wasn't sure what to tell him.

Those words played through my mind of hours without end. I went to the records room, though I'm not even sure what drew me to the location.

I'd been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't even registered the incident that occurred.

When I realized tings the lights had gone out. I started heading to the exit. Without really any reason I went to the elevators. I suppose I should have known they wouldn't work, but I was still not thinking much about it.

And then with a loud crack I felt an intense pain. I screamed as I touched my shoulder. Thick sticky blood started to coat my hand. I hiss. Where the hell had that come from? The elevator?

I wrapped the wound up with a handkerchief I had knowing it wouldn't do for very long. I was about to turn and take the stairs when the lights came back on. The elevator opened and I saw him. The pain and the anger must have made me crazy…

At the time I hadn't even registered the young boy. The boy had been in the elevator with his father that day. He'd been watching the trial so of course he would be with his father, but I didn't know him.

I had no idea that child was even there. Nor the bailiff who took the brunt of the blame fro the murder.

The pain had been so intense that I couldn't really do much for the next three months, but I did work on adopting the child.

Even that is a question in my mind. Why did I choose to adopt the boy?

Could it really be some further revenge on that defense attorney? On Gregory Edgeworth? If the boy showed promise as an attorney then I suppose it's possible he could make a good prosecutor, but…

There's no guarantee the boy has what it takes.

There are too many ways a plan like that could go wrong. Something like that could never be perfect.

So why then? Why did I take him into my home? Bring him here?

Do I feel guilt for what I did? Do I feel as though I made a mistake?

Gregory Edgeworth needed to pay for the slight, and yet…

To stoop so low is far from becoming of a von Karma. To stoop to the level of a base criminal is so imperfect and foolish.

I walk over to my desk grabbing my fountain pen and some paper. I suppose I'll have to put Miles into a school. Then again since he doesn't know any German as of yet I suppose I'll have to hire some tutors.

I may have to instruct him on German though. Edda and some of the other students know enough English, but they can't teach him to the same standard as I would like. Franziska would be a good teacher if he were to also help her with her English, but she is still young and unsure. So it may have to wait until they're a bit older. I'm sure I can find some tutors that might be able to help them out.

I'll have to test the boys skills. I know I have access to his school record, but that will only tell me so much after all. I'll also have to come up with some other things for him to do as well. No use having someone living in the von Karma house being unsophisticated.

Not that he's too bad. If I have to give Edgeworth credit for anything it's that at least he was able to raise his son to be polite and respectful.

The child's fears could hinder him though. I could easily tell he was too afraid to go down the elevator and he passed out a number of times on the flight due to even the slightest turbulence.

Of course it was an earthquake that has caused the elevator to stall for five hours so he can't be blamed for that. Though I'll have to keep it in mind for the future. If we go on more flights in the future that might become an issue.

I take down a few notes about things I need to do. Perhaps I will let the boy sleep in a bit tomorrow. He'll probably have a rough night since it's only 2:03 in LA currently and it's 11:03 here. He'll need some time to adjust.

And because Franziska was up late he won't want to wake up. Yes, perhaps I'll tell Edda to give them a few extra hours tomorrow.

That will give me a bit more time to sort some things out for the boy's future.

After I'm done I set my pen down and put it away. Then I head to my room getting changed and getting into bed. I sigh closing my eyes.

My shoulder throbs and I growl.

"I'll have to assign you a penalty for this."

I growl again.

Gregory Edgeworth had to pay..

Translations:

German→English:

Japanese→English:

Preview

Miles

As if she could understand the English words and wanted to counter her father's words Franziska at that very moment put her hand in the sticky syrup and reached for me.