After Phoenix leaves for the store, Maya wanders back to the table of food with Athena, who keeps apologizing over and over for sending Phoenix on an errand when they were spending time together. Maya assures her it's fine, but she's sure Athena can hear the disappointment in her voice anyway. Just when it seemed like she and Phoenix were finally getting somewhere. They'd finally found themselves able to talk about some of the things that had happened over the course of this week, instead of acting like none of it meant anything, only to be interrupted. Who knows how long it's going to take both of them to work up the courage to discuss it again. And what had Phoenix wanted to ask her? The thought is going to bother her all night.

Trucy and Pearl appear around a corner when they hear her talking to Athena, all smiles. Their smiles drop when they see that Phoenix is gone and Maya doesn't exactly look happy about it.

"Mystic Maya!" Pearl says, coming forward. "Where did Mr. Nick go?"

Maya puts on a smile, hoping to disguise her disappointment. "He had to run to the store," Maya tells her.

Pearl crosses her arms. "I could've gone! Or Trucy. Then he wouldn't have had to leave his special someone."

Maya pats her head, like she used to when Pearl was a little girl. "Thanks, Pearly, but it's okay. He should only be a few minutes. You and Trucy can go back to whatever you were doing."

Pearl smiles. "Okay... hey, Mystic Maya? Can I have a sip of wine?"

Maya grins at her. "No, you're underage."

"Aw, Mr. Edgeworth was talking about how the drinking age in Germany is more like a guideline and everyone has a sip of wine before then, but he still wouldn't give us any."

"That's because Mr. Edgeworth knows better than anyone that the laws in Germany aren't the same as they are here." Maya winks at her. "Plus it wouldn't be fair to Trucy. I can't give her permission, she'd have to ask Nick first."

Pearl pouts. "Mr. Nick would never let her."

"Well, there you go."

Pearl sighs and goes back to Trucy, the two of them heading down the hall to Trucy's room again.

Maya heads into the back room and finds Edgeworth and Larry in a heated argument. It's a little funny to watch Edgeworth get so heated outside of court, especially with someone like Larry. She gets herself another glass of wine from the bottle Edgeworth brought and sits down on the couch beside him. He and Larry both glance at her.

"Maya, who do you think was the best actor to play the Steel Samurai on stage? If anyone has a proper opinion, it will be you," Edgeworth says.

Larry turns to her, crossing his arms and not saying anything. Maya taps her chin. "I don't really know them by name, but I'd have to say whoever played him in the very first stage show, at the embassy, was great. I didn't get to see it but I saw recordings and he was just great."

Larry grins triumphantly. "Ha! I told you!"

Edgeworth groans. Maya looks back and forth between them. "I didn't know you liked Steel Samurai, Larry?"

Larry smiles at her and shrugs. "I'm not as big a fan as you and Edgey here, but I know a bit about it."

"I'm not that big a fan," Edgeworth clarifies. "I just happened to see the show that time while on business…"

"Wow! Lucky you, Mr. Edgeworth. I begged Nick to take me but he couldn't afford the tickets. He made up for it tonight though."

Edgeworth looks around, suddenly realizing that Phoenix isn't present. "Where is Wright?"

"Oh. He had to go to the store."

"Hm. I could have gone. At least I have a car."

Maya shrugs. "It's okay. He won't be long."

Larry grins at her. "So what were you two doing out there on the patio? Whatever it was, I'm so jealous."

Maya smiles sympathetically. "It was nothing like that, not really," she says. "Besides, we told you about Molly. You should be happy she broke up with you already."

"But... she was so sexy."

"You'll find someone eventually, Larry," Maya consoles. "Someone who actually loves you for you."

He sighs but nods, and the conversation veers towards other things. Maya gets lost in the conversation, and time passes quickly without her realizing. Finally, Edgeworth furrows his eyebrows. "Is Wright not back yet? I'm sure he would have come to find you if he was."

Maya pulls out her cell phone only to find the screen dark. Her battery has died. "What time is it, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"It's past seven."

Maya frowns. "He's been gone almost an hour. Shouldn't he be home by now?"

Edgeworth and Larry exchange a glance. "Even walking, the closest convenience store is only ten minutes away. It should've taken him half an hour, tops," Larry says.

"Yes, but I wouldn't worry yet," Edgeworth says. "We all know how Wright is. He probably just got caught up in something."

"He didn't call either of you, did he?" she asks. "My phone is dead." Larry and Edgeworth both shake their heads. Maya chews her lip. "I'm going to go try to call his cell phone from the main office phone."

"Let us know if you hear from him," Larry calls as she leaves the room.

Back in the main office, Trucy has music pounding so loudly Maya can hardly hear herself think. As she approaches, she immediately catches sight of the blinking light on the answering machine, indicating a message. She finds the radio and turns it down, prompting a look from Athena.

"There's a message," Maya explains, "and Nick has been gone a long time."

"Oh, okay," Athena says. "Sorry, I didn't hear it. My ears aren't as good when there's other loud distractions like music."

"It's not a problem," Maya says, picking up the phone and tapping the play button, hoping it's him.

When she hears his voice on the machine, she breathes a sigh of relief. If he's able to call her, at least that means he's okay.

Maya listens intently to his message, and even though she knows he's okay thanks to his multiple reassurances in the message, it still makes her heart pound knowing he was in such a dangerous situation, and had such a close call. In fact, she feels tears pricking her eyes just knowing that he's in pain and had to be driven to the hospital by Molly of all people. He hasn't explained why she was there to drive him, but at the moment Maya doesn't really care. She just needs to go see him. She should be the one with him at a time like this.

She hurries back into the other room where Edgeworth and Larry are still conversing. Edgeworth seems to know right away that something is wrong. "Maya, did you hear from Wright? Is he okay?"

She shakes her head, but quickly changes it to a nod, waving her hands in front of her. "He said he's not in any life threatening danger, but he was caught in the middle of a bank robbery and was almost shot. He was still grazed or something, so he's at the hospital right now getting stitches."

She wipes at her eyes, trying to chase away her tears. Larry reaches out and puts a comforting hand on her arm. "Hey, it's okay, Maya. We know how sturdy Nick is, right? If he was able to call you, then he'll be fine."

She shakes her head. "It's not that. I just… I can't believe he almost died again before I could tell him…"

"Tell him what?" Larry prods.

She takes a deep breath. "N-Nothing… I'm sorry." She looks over at Edgeworth. "Mr. Edgeworth, are you able to drive me to the hospital? I want to see him. Also, he said that Molly was the one who drove him there. L.A. General, apparently."

Edgeworth raises his eyebrows. "That hospital is on the other side of the city. Whatever did she bring him all the way there for?"

Maya shrugs. "She probably wanted extra time with him. I don't know what goes on in her head. She's crazy, and really weird about how much she likes him. She just doesn't get that he's not available. I'm suspicious about why she was even at the bank at the same time as him to begin with."

"I wish Wright had told me about all of this sooner," Edgeworth says, standing up. "I could have taken her off the case, but he never said anything."

Maya furrows her eyebrows. "When did he talk to you last?"

"He came over a few days ago, I believe you were out with Kay and Ema. He hardly talked about Miss Hott at all, now that I think about it." He sighs and pats his pockets, looking for his keys. "I suppose we should go. I only had half a glass of wine so I'm fine to drive."

Maya nods. She waves to Larry and on the way out she lets Trucy know about Phoenix but assures her he's fine and that he would want her to stay and take care of the party. Then she and Edgeworth head out.

Maya always relishes getting to drive in Edgeworth's car. It's not exactly new, seeing as he's had it ever since she first met him, but he's taken such good care of it over the years that it still runs perfectly, and though that new car smell has worn off, it's been replaced by something even better, a sort of mixture of whatever cologne Edgeworth wears and the little air freshener hanging on the rearview mirror. The leather interior is worn down but still incredibly comfy. It's always a treat, but today Maya can't really concentrate on her excitement when she's so worried about Phoenix in the hospital.

Edgeworth seems to sense her nerves. "Maya, he's fine. You said so yourself."

"I know… But still. It's Nick. He could be lying in a hospital bed with ten broken bones and would still call and say he's fine."

Edgeworth smiles. "You're probably right. With Wright, I understand why you're so worried. He can be quite reckless."

"Yeah…" She clears her throat. "So, what else did you and Nick talk about when he visited you the other day?"

"Not much. He didn't stay long. We just talked a bit, he asked me if Molly ever hit on me, which she hasn't."

Maya smiles. Even if she had, she thinks, Edgeworth wouldn't have noticed.

"But," Edgeworth continues, "he never said a thing about her aggressively asking him on dates. I'm not sure why he wouldn't have."

Maya turns her head to look out the window. That is strange to her too. Phoenix could have ended all of this just by telling Edgeworth and having him take Molly off the case, so why didn't he? Instead he chose to prolong everything. Not that she minds, after all she's happy to be spending so much time with him, and she still isn't over that kiss the other night, which never would have happened if Phoenix had told Edgeworth about Molly. She has nothing to complain about, and secretly she doesn't even want it to end.

Sadly she knows it will soon, unless she works up the courage to tell him how she feels. It's a terrifying thought though. Despite all the hints that he does feel the same, she's still worried he'll reject her. She's still worried she's imagining the signs, or seeing them wrong.

Edgeworth suddenly seems like the perfect person to ask for advice. She doesn't know if he's very experienced with relationships, but he is Phoenix's best friend, and one of the smartest people she knows. Surely he must have some sort of idea of Phoenix's feelings? Besides, she's tired of keeping it bottled up. They'd told Athena, and that helped for a day, but yet again she's feeling the pressure of hiding it. She knows she can trust Edgeworth, so she decides to come clean.

She takes a deep breath. "Mr. Edgeworth, I want to tell you something."

He glances at her quickly before looking back at the road. "Alright."

"Nick and I… um… Well first, please don't think less of us for this."

Edgeworth furrows his eyebrows. "Okay…"

"Me and Nick aren't really in a relationship," she blurts out.

Edgeworth is quiet, staring at the road ahead. "What… What do you mean by that?"

Maya swallows. "It was all fake. Our dating. Because of Molly. The first day he met her she wouldn't take no for an answer. Nick tried every excuse along with flat out rejecting her and she would not stop flirting and bothering him about it, so eventually he just blurted out that he already had a girlfriend. And… I guess I just happened to be the only girl he could think of on such short notice."

The crease between Edgeworth's eyebrows hasn't smoothed at all. "So he used you in order to put off Miss Hott?"

Maya shakes her head. "No! He didn't use me. He asked me, and I agreed to do it. Molly was still a pain even knowing Nick had a girlfriend, but we didn't give up. And well… I'm not sure how he feels but after this week… it's not fake to me anymore. The relationship, sure, but the way I feel about him? No. I mean, I've always liked Nick. Ever since that very first time he saved me I've had some sort of feelings for him, but never such strong ones. I've never felt like this about anyone before."

Edgeworth nods slowly. "Ah. I have to say I'm quite shocked. It seemed so natural that the two of you would end up together, though I suppose you have anyway, thanks to this whole situation."

Maya looks back at him. "But I don't know for sure if he feels the same way. We even kissed the other night, because Molly was there and we wanted to prove to her once and for all that Nick wasn't interested in her. But he said that her being there was only part of the reason he wanted to kiss me. Except we haven't really talked about it since then! We were trying to tonight when we were outside on the balcony, but we were interrupted. It's so confusing, I don't know how he really feels and I'm scared that if I tell him how I feel, I'll have read the situation wrong and he'll reject me and it'll ruin our friendship." She puts her face in her hands and groans. "I wish I could read his mind." She looks over at him, expecting him to say something. "What do you think, Mr. Edgeworth?" she prods.

Edgeworth sighs. "I think I figured out why Wright didn't tell me about Miss Hott, if that's of any interest to you."

"Huh? Why didn't he?"

"If he had told me and if I had put a stop to it, he wouldn't have had an excuse to keep up the charade with you any longer."

"I'm not sure I understand…"

"He didn't want it to end," Edgeworth says. "He wanted to continue pretending you were his lover, because he secretly liked it too." Edgeworth glances at her. "Perhaps you've never noticed, but he cares about you a great deal, you know. I believe that over the years his feelings for you changed, but because of the direction his life took all those years ago, he could never admit that to himself, let alone anyone else. Maybe this pretend relationship you two have is making him realize what he's been missing all this time by not accepting how he feels about you."

Maya isn't sure what to say. "You really think he feels the same way?"

"I suggest you tell him your feelings, Maya," Edgeworth says. "I'm quite certain he feels the same way. You just need to give him the little push he needs to admit it. And if I'm wrong, I don't believe that will ruin your friendship, as you say. I've never seen two people with a bond as strong as you have with Wright. Nothing could get in the way of that."

She sits back in her seat, quiet, thinking. Now that Edgeworth has given her what she wants, proof that she's not just hopefully imagining that Phoenix feels the same way, she decides she needs to tell him. Even if they're both wrong and Phoenix doesn't feel the same, or doesn't want to admit it, at least he'll know. After his close call today, she can't put it off any longer. They both seem to invite trouble and she's afraid that if she doesn't tell him now, next time will be too late.

The rest of the drive is quiet. Edgeworth seems to know that she needs time to think, and her mind is practically racing, getting worse the closer they get to the hospital. How should she say it? Will he be on any sort of mind altering medication? Would it be better to wait for him to be released from the hospital just in case he doesn't remember it after?

She jumps when she feels Edgeworth's hand on her shoulder. She turns back to him with a raised eyebrow to find him smiling at her. "We're here. I suppose you'll want to go in alone, so give Wright my best."

She looks around, and sure enough on the other side of the road looms the hospital.

"Thank you, Mr. Edgeworth. Will you stay and wait? I'm sure Nick would rather a ride home from you than Molly. I'll call you if it's more serious than he let on and he can't be released yet."

"Of course. I'll pull around to the front parking lot."

Maya nods and starts to climb out of the car. "I'm sure I won't have trouble spotting you."

She watches him drive away before heading across the road and inside. She looks around the entrance, spotting a pharmacy and a little cafe, and a bit further down is a gift shop. She decides to go to the gift shop first, telling herself it isn't just to waste time. Yes she's nervous but she does want to see him and make sure he's really okay, but she should get him a little gift first.

She picks out a little teddy bear and pays for it quickly. It seems a sort of juvenile thing, but it's better than balloons or flowers or a crappy card. It's holding a heart in its hands, with 'Get Well Soon' written on it in white lettering. Well, he can give it to Trucy if he wants to.

Bear in hand, she heads to the emergency department. When she gets there, she finds a nurse behind the front desk.

"Excuse me?"

The young woman looks up at her with a friendly smile. "Yes?" She glances at the bear in Maya's hand. "Oh, can I help you find someone?"

"Yes actually. Phoenix Wright. He came here with a gunshot wound. I'm his girlfriend," Maya tells her. The lie comes easily now.

The nurse taps her computer. "Ah, yes. He's in room 115. The doctor should be finishing up by now, so you should be fine to go see him."

"Thank you."

Maya heads down the hall, glancing at doors as she goes. Some of them are open, and she can see patients sitting on beds, waiting for their turn to see the doctor. She's glad the emergency department isn't very busy right now, no one is screaming in pain and no one is rushing around too badly. It makes her search easier.

She finally spots the correct number. The door is open too, and she can clearly see the back of Phoenix's pointy hair from where she's standing. But then she spots Molly. Right there beside him. Sitting beside him on the hospital bed. A little too closely, in Maya's opinion.

She picks up the pace, but stops short when she sees his arm wrap around her shoulders. Her heart is pounding in her chest. Why is he embracing her like that? After all his comments about how terrible she is, he's voluntarily putting an arm around her? As if that won't lead her on?

She watches silently as she stands in the middle of the hallway, nurses bustling around her, the teddy bear gripped in one hand as her arms hang loosely at her sides. Molly is saying something to him that she can't hear from this far away, and reaching up towards his face…

Maya has never really known true heartbreak, not in the romantic sense at least. She's never had a boyfriend, and Phoenix has never been in a romantic relationship since meeting her, so she's never had any reason to be jealous or feel left out. She's always had a place in his life and she's always been happy with that.

She never thought it would be a real, physically painful feeling, but when she sees Molly turn his face towards her, when she sees Molly press those perfect, pouty lips against his, and most of all when she sees Phoenix close his eyes, it feels like someone has physically punched a hole in her chest to get at her heart, to squeeze it in their fist until it turns to dust.

She can't bear looking at them any longer than she needs to, and turns away from his door as quickly as she can. Tears are pricking her eyes and starting to blur her vision as she rushes back down the hall. She wants to run, and as soon as she's safely out of the emergency department, she does run.

When she makes it back outside and looks around, she doesn't spot Edgeworth's car anywhere. It's only then that she remembers he was going to go around to the front parking lot to wait for them. She wipes at her face to clear it of the tears that have escaped and starts walking towards the front.

She sees Edgeworth's car easily when she gets there, parked close to the building. She hurries towards it, and can see Edgeworth sit up straight, looking alert and worried that Phoenix isn't with her, and probably wondering what on earth has happened given the look on her face.

She jumps into the passenger's side and stares straight ahead, the little teddy bear still in her grasp.

"Maya?" he asks, sounding more harried than ever. "Where is Wright? Has something happened? Is he alright?"

She finds herself trying desperately not to start sobbing, but her tears are slipping freely down her face. "No… He's okay," she manages to say. "He was busy."

"Busy? Busy with what? Why are you crying?"

"He was busy with Molly," she snaps. "He was kissing her."

Edgeworth for once is speechless. "But… Why would he do that?"

Maya sniffs, and a wave of nausea hits her so suddenly she reaches out to grab the door handle, just in case she needs to throw up. It passes, but the dull ache in her chest is still there, and her stomach hurts. "I don't know. Can you please take me back to the office now? Nick was fine, and I'm sure he'll have a ride home."

Edgeworth sits back in his seat, and pauses. To Maya's surprise, he reaches over and pats her on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, Maya. Wright is truly a fool."

Maya just turns towards the window, so she can let her tears fall freely and silently without him seeing.

When they arrive back at the office, Edgeworth goes in first. He shuts the party down and tells Athena and Larry to go home, but not before assuring them that Phoenix is alright. Maya sits in the car attempting to compose herself before seeing Trucy and Pearl. They don't know anything about this situation, and the last thing she needs is either of them trying to come to her defense. She knows Pearl would slap Phoenix into next week for 'breaking his special someone's heart', but he wouldn't deserve it. After all, it's his choice who he dates, and they were never in a real relationship to begin with, so it's not like he's cheating on her.

The only thing that bothers her is the sudden change of heart. At the restaurant he'd kissed her to make Molly understand that he wanted nothing to do with her, and he hadn't spoken to her, that Maya knew of, since that night. He hates Molly's personality and how vain she is, he even hates the colour of her hair, so why? If a life or death situation was what it took for Phoenix to realize his feelings for someone, then perhaps he never did have feelings for Maya beyond familial. After all, they'd gone through plenty of those situations together already. And she had been so sure, particularly after the kiss at the restaurant, when he kissed her goodnight while thinking she was asleep, and after their short conversation on the balcony. Not to mention Edgeworth's certainty that Phoenix felt the same way for her. How could it all be so wrong?

Eventually she makes her way inside. Pearl and Trucy seem worried, but Maya miraculously manages to smile and convince them that everything is fine. She tells Pearl that there was an emergency in Kurain and that both of them are needed back right away, and lets Trucy know that Phoenix should be home soon.

She packs up her things quickly, and Edgeworth is gracious enough to load her suitcase into his car. She insists she doesn't need a ride all the way to Kurain, so he compromises and offers to give her and Pearl a ride to the train station instead.

Before she leaves, she sneaks quietly into Phoenix's bedroom, and sits the Get Well Soon teddy bear at the head of his bed.

A/N: I'm sorry to leave you on this sort of cliffhanger, but the next chapter won't be posted until January 5th. I don't want to post during the holidays when everyone is out and about enjoying their family time.

On that note, I hope everyone does have a very happy holiday, and I'll see you in the new year!