Okay so... guess who finally re-wrote this fic? For anyone who doesn't know, I wrote and published this fic about 3 years ago now. But I lost the whole thing and I've only just got around to finishing this re-written version. Either way, I don't own the rights to Professor Layton or Ace Attorney. Enjoy!
At first, Phoenix wasn't sure what had woken him. He sat up in the bed slightly, leaning on his elbows as he blinked to adjust his eyes to the surrounding darkness. The room was silent. But just as he turned over to go back to sleep, the sound that had woken him caught his ears again; it was a small, quiet sob. His first instinct was to look over at Espella. But she was in a deep and peaceful sleep, her chest slowly rising and falling with her breath. Slowly, Phoenix turned to look behind him and saw Luke sat on the end of his bed, his back to Phoenix. Quietly, while glancing back at Espella to make sure he hadn't woken her, Phoenix stood and tiptoed over to Luke's side.
"Luke?" Phoenix whispered, gently placing a hand on the boy's back. After a moment of silence, Phoenix sat down next to him and wrapped his arms around around Luke's shoulder. Slowly, Luke leaned into Phoenix's hold until his head was resting against Phoenix's chest. The two sat in silence, comforted by their embrace until eventually, Luke lifted his head slightly and spoke quietly.
"What am I supposed to do without him?" his voice was so scared and innocent that Phoenix couldn't help but wrap his arm around Luke a little tighter, a fierce sense of protection washing over him.
"He'll come back for you, I'm sure of it," Phoenix smiled down softly and Luke turned his head to look up at him fully.
"How can you be so sure?" Luke asked, frowning.
"Well, it's not very gentlemanly of him to leave you here, is it?" Phoenix smiled slightly.
"I suppose not..." Luke nodded, lowering his head again.
"We'll find a way to bring them back, both of them," Phoenix said, more to himself than anyone else. The two of them sat in silence for a little longer, before Luke finally sat up.
"The Professor and I have had loads of adventures, it can't end here," Luke sighed, rubbing his eyes from both sleep and tears.
"What kind of adventures?" Phoenix asked, hoping to draw Luke's attention to happier times. Instantly, he saw the boy's face light up.
"Well, one of the best ones was the village full of robots," Luke smiled and Phoenix raised an eyebrow slightly, not quite sure whether to completely believe him or not.
"Go on..." Phoenix encouraged with a smile. And so, Luke told him a fantastical story of puzzle loving robots, a lonely girl in a tower, and a legendary legacy of family. Until a few days ago, Phoenix would have had a hard time believing any of it. But, given what he had been through recently, he figured there was at least a small chance the whole thing was real after all. Once Luke had finished his story, Phoenix felt that he should return the favour. And, in fairness, some of the cases he had been part of had been almost as mad as Luke's story anyway. So, he told Luke stories of long lost friends, unlikely evidence, and, of course, putting a parrot on the witness stand.
"Really?" Luke asked incredulously.
"Yep, Polly the parrot. And, she blew the whole case wide open," Phoenix smiled as Luke stared at him in shock.
"That's something I would love to see!" Luke giggled at the idea of it all.
"Well, you never know, you might get to see something like that yet. Some pretty crazy stuff has been going on in this town," Phoenix nudged Luke gently before ruffling his hair. Luke giggled quietly, leaning in to Phoenix's hand. They stayed there in silence for a while longer, listening to the quiet night around them.
"They'll come back, won't they?" Luke asked quietly, his presence suddenly seeming so small next to Phoenix.
"Of course they will, they have to," Phoenix reassured him, trying to believe the words himself. Luke nodded before yawning and stretching out his arms, narrowly missing hitting Phoenix's chest.
"We should get you back to bed," Phoenix smiled softly and Luke nodded. Phoenix stood up as Luke laid down, his head nestled into the pillows.
"Thank you," Luke sleepily whispered as Phoenix pulled up the covers.
"Goodnight, Luke. Try to get as much sleep as you can," Phoenix gently brushed his hand through Luke's hair before standing up fully as he heard Luke's soft snores. Sighing quietly, Phoenix returned to his bed and laid down, staring at the blank ceiling above him. But, as much as he tried, he couldn't find the same peaceful sleep Luke and Espella seemed to have found. His mind raced with everything that had happened these past few days. But he knew that whatever was going on, he had to get to the bottom of it all. He decided there and then, as he finally began drifting to sleep, that he needed to find out what had happened to the Professor and Maya no matter what. Luke and Espella deserved that much at least. Once he finally managed to fall asleep, his final concious thought was beign reunited with his friends.