DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the installments of Ace Attorney or any of the characters.

A/N: This prompt is from Yankeegal13. Thanks for your patience and I hope this was worth the wait. Enjoy!

ACE ATTORNEY SCRAPBOOK
Chapter 42: Free

Case Tag: Post 5-5 (Turnabout for Tomorrow)
Quote: User Suggested Prompt!

Aaaand a second prompt from 6-4 where Athena calls Simon a panda

Simon:

Who are you calling a panda?!

December 27, 2027, 3:08pm
Prison Facility

So long had he waited for his release from wrongful imprisonment, despite pleading guilty to protect the daughter of his beloved mentor. He expected to feel relieved because his release would have meant that Athena was safe and the truth behind Metis' killing had been revealed with someone other than Athena as the culprit. But, now that the time was here, Simon Blackquill felt...apprehensive.

Taka the hawk fluttered over to the prosecutor, coming to rest on his shoulder. Blackquill mustered a small smile as he scratched the feathers on the underside of the bird's beak.

"You are once again a free bird, Taka," he murmured. "You and I both."

Taka cocked his head to the side as he listened to Blackquill. The bird's head whipped around at the sound of footsteps approaching the cell.

"It's time, Prosecutor Blackquill," the prison guard said.

Blackquill exhaled slowly and rubbed his palms against his black pant legs. After the guard unlocked the cell door and opened it, the prosecutor rose and took a ginger step toward the exit. Blackquill paused for a moment, his hands balling into fists at his sides. He forced himself forward, taking his first unshackled steps into freedom in over seven years.

It was silent in the hallways except for the echo of boots thundering past the rows of prison cells as he and the prison guard made their way toward the prison exit.

"You're free to go, Blackquill," the prison guard stopped once they reached the lobby doorway.

Blackquill stood motionless, silently staring at the prison doors. Taka chirped quietly, almost as if asking him, what are you waiting for? Simon thought in reply: To be honest, I don't know what I'm waiting for. What is my purpose now? The person I had been chasing and the person I had been protecting for the past seven years, both are where they're meant to be. One in a box six feet under, the other safe and sound at home. Now what? Maybe...maybe I can find a way to start anew and live my life in Metis' honor. Yes, that is what she would want, so that is what I shall do.

Standing tall, Blackquill strode toward the doors, throwing them open with an air of confidence. The black-clad prosecutor was immediately greeted by a rush of cold air that swirled around him. The sun shone overhead, making the icicles on the trees and prison building glisten. Blackquill closed his eyes and took a deep inhale of the crisp, snowy air. Never had winter ever seemed so beautiful.

"Prosecutor Blackquill!" a voice called out.

Blackquill opened his eyes. It was Athena Cykes. He hoped his surprise at seeing her here didn't show on his face.

"Cykes-dono," Blackquill's voice was calm and even. "What are you doing here? What is all that?"

"All this is for you, Simon!" Athena replied in her typical sunny demeanor. "I brought you a balloon and some cake and a present!"

A barely discernible smirk appeared on the prosecutor's lips. Despite all she's been through with the trial and having to relive the death of her mother, Athena is still...Athena. I could not ask for anything more.

"It's all too much, Cykes-dono," Blackquill started to say.

Athena waved him off, at least, as much as she could while carrying a polka-dot gift wrapped present, a "congratulations!" balloon and a freezer bag, which Blackquill could only assume contained the cake the young attorney mentioned.

"Simon, you're finally getting out after being wrongly imprisoned for over seven years!" Athena said. "And...I...I want to thank you for that."

Blackquill held a hand up.

"It's not necessary-"

"Yes, it is necessary!" the younger attorney cut him off. "You have no idea how much you've done for me during the trial, let alone over the past seven years! You suffered in prison all to protect me. I need to do something to thank you."

"You already have," Blackquill said.

Taka screeched and took flight, stretching his wings as he flew majestically in the skies overhead. Athena and Blackquill both watched the bird in flight above their heads.

"Like Taka, I am now free," Blackquill turned his attention from the sky to the young attorney in yellow. "And, for that, I have you to thank."

Athena blinked repeatedly and bit at her bottom lip to keep herself from crying. Blackquill's normally stone faced expression softened. He walked over to Athena and took the freezer bag from her.

"Come, Cykes-dono," he said. "Let's celebrate."

December 27, 2027, 3:30pm
Athena Cykes' Apartment

"Sorry for the mess!" Athena said as she opened the door to the apartment. "I've been so busy with cases that I've kinda neglected my housework."

"No worries, Cykes-dono," Blackquill replied. "Anything is better than seeing the same prison walls day after day."

Athena's apartment was tiny, but functional. Blackquill followed Athena a few steps into the living room where she shoved some papers on the coffee table and couch aside to make room to sit. Blackquill took a seat on the end of the couch and Taka nestled himself down next to him on one of the throw pillows.

"Let's have cake!" Athena said cheerily.

She withdrew the cake from the freezer bag, Blackquill catching a glimpse of the white cake with rainbow frosting that said "thank you!" in bright yellow icing before it was whisked away into the kitchen to be served. Athena returned a few moments later with two plates. She handed one to Blackquill before sitting down on the couch near the prosecutor.

"Oh!" Athena put her cake on her lap as she reached forward to grab the present and hand it to Blackquill. "You have to open your present!"

Blackquill placed his cake on the coffee table and accepted the gift from Athena. He looked at Taka out of the corner of his eye and the bird stood up and pulled on the end of one of the ribbons. Blackquill smiled and Athena chuckled. The prosecutor then unwrapped the remainder of the present and removed the lid of the box. Inside was a stuffed panda bear and a picture in a frame.

"A panda bear?" Blackquill asked.

"Yep!" Athena said with a smile. "When I was looking for a good present for you, I found a panda bear and immediately thought of you. A bear can be kind of scary and intimidating and can cut you down in an instant, just like you in court. But, at the same time, you're cute and cuddly and sweet and caring deep down inside, and you showed all that by the way you protected me for all these years after my mother's murder. Put those all together and, poof! A panda!"

"It's fascinating how your mind works, Cykes-dono," Blackquill said.

He ran a few fingers over the soft fur of the stuffed animal.

"Maybe," Athena grinned. "But don't forget about my special hearing! I know you like that stuffed panda because I can sense it."

Blackquill let out a snort that was more laughter than indignance. He put the panda bear aside and turned his attention to the picture in the frame. His heart stopped at the sight of the photo; it was a picture from seven years ago of a young Athena smiling brightly as she stood between her mother, Metis, and her mother's protege, Blackquill.

"Where...did you find this?" Blackquill asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I found it while looking through some old boxes. I was searching for something, anything to help clear your name, and I found this in an old photo album my mother made me. I wanted to give it to you when I finally cleared your name and, well…"

Athena stared down at her cake. She sniffled.

"It's perfect, Athena," Blackquill said.

The young attorney's head whipped up at the sound of her first name. The prosecutor very, very rarely addressed her as such. She could feel the warmth and appreciation radiating from Blackquill. Her lip began to tremble.

"I don't need to have your special hearing to sense your sadness, Athena," Blackquill said. "It's all right to miss her. I...miss her too."

With those words, the dam burst and the tears began spilling down Athena's cheeks.

"I never realized how much I meant to her," she said through her tears. "You were willing to throw your life away for me, all to protect your mentor's most precious treasure: me. All these years I wondered what really happened with my mother. Now that I know the truth, I…"

Athena's voice trailed off.

"I understand, Cykes-dono," Blackquill said.

He grabbed some tissues from the box on the end table next to the couch and handed them to Athena, who dabbed her eyes with them.

"For the past seven years, my goal was to protect you. I swore to defend you in Metis' honor," Blackquill continued. "But, now that we've unmasked the Phantom and your mother's true killer, and I've been released, I don't know what to do with my newfound freedom."

"We're both finally free and neither one of us knows what to do with it," Athena said with a laugh and a sniffle.

"Yes, that does appear to be the case."

"Is there anything you really wished for while you were in prison? Any special foods you wished you could have? Maybe you could start enjoying your new life with a big fancy dinner!"

"Hmmm," Blackquill paused in thought. "I suppose I could have gone for a steaming hot bowl of soba noodles made by a genuine soba shop. The noodles in prison...did not suffice."

Athena giggled at Blackquill's deep frown.

"That bad, huh?" she replied. "Soba noodles sound good. You know what I would have wished for? Something sweet...maybe something like apfelkuchen."

"Apfelkuchen?" Blackquill repeated.

"It's delicious! I had it while I was in Germany during my time in Europe. It's like apple cake. I should make it for you sometime."

"I admit that I am far more partial to Japanese desserts and traditional foods, but I would not object to a slice of apfelkuchen."

"A prosecutor not objecting is music to the ears of a defense attorney, you know," Athena said.

Blackquill looked at Athena, who burst out laughing. Her contagious laughter broke down his last walls and he started laughing too. Free, he mused. I don't know what I'm going to do with my freedom now that I have it. But this is certainly a good place to start. Don't worry, Metis, I will continue to watch over your precious treasure, just like I have been. Things may change, but that will always remain the same. Free or not, I will always watch over her.