Just one of the many parts of the Ace Attorney AU.

Croix scratched her hair, feeling frustrated with the amount of work that wouldn't end. She has been working on this case for days and there were no leads so far, and not just that, but there could be lives on the line.

She didn't trust the detectives who took her place to do their work, they were hopeless. They were a bunch of idiots.

She had to work. She had to find leads. She had to save as many lives as she could.

It would be the least she could do to redeem all the wrongs she has done.

She felt herself sinking in her thoughts, thinking of all the regrets she had, of all of the 'what ifs' and how she could have avoided all of that.

It drove her mad.

Fortunately, she heard a knock on her door, and it snapped her out of that raging ocean. She sighed, and walked towards the door.

She opened it, and was surprised to see her… girlfriend, standing there.

"Chariot? What are you doing here?" She asked, then winced at how stupid her question was. She noticed that the redhead was carrying a few plastic bags, and looking at her with an unimpressed expression.

"Why do you think I would be here other than to visit my girlfriend?" She insisted on the last word, before moving past her and heading towards the kitchen to place the groceries she bought there.

Croix silently followed her, feeling stupid for the way she greeted her. It has been this way ever since she served her sentence.

Chariot refused to break up with her over that, and Croix didn't know whether she was glad or not.

She of course wanted to be with her for the rest of her life, but the question was… did she deserve to be with her?

"I had a feeling you wouldn't eat anything because of your work, so I thought I would make you something." The redhead said, adjusting her glasses, and looking at the mess that was the detective's kitchen.

Croix's eyes wandered from her long untied hair that she loved to slip her fingers through, to her tired face, and finally to her pouting lips.

She looked away.

How could she think about holding her and kissing her, after everything she has done? And all the secrets she kept away?

Once again, she withdrew herself, and kept her distance.

When was the last time they spent the night together? She couldn't remember.

Chariot looked at her, and frowned. The hands she had on her hips fell to her sides, and she sighed.

"You can tell me, you know." She said, and the lilac haired woman looked at her confused. "If you want us to break up…" She finished, and hugged herself.

She wasn't supposed to say that, but she was keeping it inside for so long that she blurted it out.

Croix was taken aback. She did not expect that, so she kept opening and closing her mouth, trying to find words.

Did she hurt her lately? Has she been too distant? Does Chariot think she hates her or doesn't love her anymore?

She was such an idiot…

"Why would you say that?" She asked slowly, fearing what the answer might be.

Her heart sank when she heard it.

"I feel like all this time, I've been forcing you to stay with me. I refused to break up over what happened but, perhaps that was me being selfish?" Chariot said, and struggled to come up with the words that would explain how she felt, how she blamed herself. "I… don't know if you love me anymore, so if I'm keeping you trapped, please tell me."

Croix stood in shock, staring at the woman she loved, the woman she admired, the woman she would give her life to, pouring her heart out in tears.

She really was a complete idiot, wasn't she?

Chariot couldn't look at her, instead she muttered a 'sorry' and walked towards the exit.

"I screwed up." They both thought.

Croix's heart has raced so many times in the past, from the adrenaline in danger situations, from a bullet wound, from a lost case, and from admitting to everything… Yet none of these times did her heart race this fast, this strong.

She was about to lose Chariot, about to break her heart.

She turned, and caught her by the arm, startling her. Her red orbs turned to her, shining due to the tears.

"I'm sorry." Croix said, and pulled her into her arms, hugging her tighter than she ever had before. "I love you, I really do. Please don't ever leave."

The redhead didn't hug back, she was too scared of holding her only to feel her slip away.

"Then why can't you even look at me?" Chariot whispered, shutting her eyes tightly.

"I'm sorry…" Croix held her tighter. "I've made so many mistakes, that I don't feel like I deserve you."

"I think that's up to me to decide." The redhead said, clinging into her lover's shirt, She leaned up and kissed her, unsure and scared.

The kiss ended as soon as it started, and the redhead looked away with a heavy heart. However, she felt a hand touching her cheek, gently moving her face back before a pair of lips has been pressed against hers.

Her heart raced as she responded with the same amount of passion, if not more. Her lips moved against her lover's, and this act affirmed just how much she missed her, how much she missed her warmth.

Chariot wrapped her arm around the lilac haired woman's neck, and tangled her free hand in her hair, pulling her as closer as she could.

She missed her. She missed her so much.

They both pulled away panting, and stared at each other, trying to communicate everything they were feeling, before kissing again.

They both moved around the room while doing so, and so Chariot found herself pressed against the couch, not wanting to pull away.

It's been so long, more than two years, since she was able to do this, since she was able to kiss her and hold her like this.

She found she would never get to, that being away for that time would push them to no longer love each other, and to eventually break up.

Chariot slipped her tongue into Croix's mouth, both moaning softly at the contact, and she pulled Croix down, pressing their bodies together. They were both on the couch, on top of each other.

Croix pulled away breathless, and carefully watched the woman beneath her. Chariot's eyes were shining, as if a fire is being reignited in them. Her chest was rising up and down at a fast pace, and her neck was exposed, showing off her pale smooth skin.

She had to avert her eyes, which caused the redhead to chuckle.

"You've seen way more than that before, you know?" Chariot teased her, while still trying to catch her own breath.

"Shut up, I respect women."

"Pfft."

"Shut up."

"How about you shut me up?"

Croix raised an eyebrow and leaned down, biting her neck. Chariot gasped, and gripped tighter. "Like this?"

"I think that is doing the OPPOSITE effect, Croix."

"You think?" The emerald eyed woman smirked.

"What happened to respecting women?"

"I said women, not Chariot."

"Excuse me?!" Chariot punched her shoulder, making her laugh. Her expression softened, and she kissed her, while guiding her hand towards her shirt, prompting her to unbutton it. "I missed this. I missed you." She whispered into the kiss, before allowing her lover's lips to move lower, now that her shirt was open, and more skin was exposed.

Croix paused.

"I know… Me too." She said, sighing. She then smiled softly as Chariot's hands cupped her face, bringing her back to reality, and away from her regrets. "You're staying tonight?" She said, hopeful.

Chariot smiled.

"Of course."

Croix smiled before leaning in to kiss her again, and two spent the night in each other's arms, rekindling the flame that been lost between them.

The next morning, Chariot woke up to the sound of the rain. She yawned, before sitting up and letting the blanket fall off, leading to her shuddering from the cold.

She looked down at her bare form, and the clothes that are scattered all over the place, looking like a trail from this room to the outside. The door was left open.

As sleep began to dissolve, she started to remember what happened between her and Croix. They made up and spent the night together.

She looked at the body sleeping next to her, and smiled at the sight of her lover. If she wasn't right there in the flesh, she wouldn't have thought it was a real.

Her stomach growled. They were too busy to eat anything last night.

She yelped when she felt a pair of arms wrapping around her and pulling her back under the covers. Chariot was met with a grumpy Croix staring back at her.

"You know Croix, usually people aren't grumpy the morning after." She said, chuckling, but the older woman interrupted her with a kiss.

"It's cold, and I don't want you to freeze." Croix said, pulling her close to her, and gently playing with her hair. "When are you leaving?"

Chariot thought about it, before kissing her jaw.

"I can stay here, if you're around."

"I'll be all home working on a case." Croix smiled, pulling a strand of her hair off her girlfriend's eyes. "Chariot, will you marry me?"

"EH?!"

Chariot pulled away, almost falling off the bed.

"Hey, that's no way to answer to a proposal." Croix said, unamused, while Chariot was trying to remember how to function.

"I… this is sudden! It's out of nowhere! But we've been together for years so it's not actually sudden but also…!" She was interrupted by a pair of lips pressing against hers.

She closed her eyes, and shuddered from the cold now the blanket was completely off her, so she hugged her lover, hoping to get as much warmth as possible.

Croix pulled away, breathless. "You were rambling." She stated simply, with furrowed eyebrows and a slight pout on her lips.

Chariot grinned at the sight, and it warmed her heart. She knew the answer, she has known for a long time now.

"Yes." She said, pulling a surprised Croix down with her, and covering them again. "I would marry you."

"Wait, really?" Croix said, still shocked. She didn't expect that after everything she has done, but she also SHOULD have expected things would be better after last night.

"Of course! We will be the power couple, the great Ace Attorney Chariot Du Nord, and the great private detective Croix Meridies! Wait… who is taking the other's name, or are we keeping ours?"

"I would have taken your question seriously if I wasn't still baffled by the fact you called yourself the 'great Ace Attorney'..."