A/N: Warnings once more for language
March 29th 9:10 am
District Court building,
Courtroom no. 4
"Order, order!" The Judge called, despite there being no particular disorder in the courtroom. Nick wondered if he just liked saying it. "Defence, Prosecution, are you ready to begin?"
Nick nodded, "The defence is ready your honour." He eyed Edgeworth with a nervous smile.
"As is the prosecution." Miles replied, "Your honour, owing to recent revelations regarding the murder weapon I have asked for further analysis and ask the court to allow for the results to be provided before we make any further mention of it."
"So noted, the defence will refrain from discussing the murder weapon until results are obtained." The judge boomed out.
Nick flinched and frowned, damn Miles. And Gumshoe, the policeman was so fiercely loyal to Miles that he'd probably gone and spilled his guts about what Nick had worked out already about that cloth, not having it in his arsenal would make today's testimony all the harder.
"The Prosecution calls the defendant to the stand."
Over at the Defendant's chair, Godot smirked and rose, moving like a panther across the courtroom to the box and brushing back his white hair with one hand. He placed the other on the offered bible, "I swear to tell the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me god. And coffee."
The gavel banged, "Mister Godot, you will refrain from-"
"Can we just get on with this?" the man asked calmly, his smirk not leaving his face.
Miles shook his head to himself, he didn't envy Nick, working with a man like this, who seemed to be almost determined to annoy the judge even at his own trial. He cleared his throat, "Mister Godot, would you please testify about what happened the day of the murder?"
Godot sniggered, "Sure thing prettyboy." In a pretty accurate impression of Miles, he cleared his own throat and flicked his head as if moving his fringe, (by Nick's side, Maya giggled). "I was visiting a friend in the prison. I rode the bus out there, handed all metal objects in at the security check and then followed Officer Peirce into the visitor's room. I was sat there waiting maybe, ten, fifteen minutes when I heard a noise by the door. When I looked around Officer Peirce was falling to the ground." Godot paused and looked away, though with the visor in the way it was difficult to discern what he was feeling. "There was nothing I could do."
Nick rubbed his chin as the testimony closed. Well it wasn't a lot to work with. He glanced sidelong to Maya.
She looked thoughtful, knowing what he was about to ask, "Well we know Mister Godot didn't do it, right Nick? So… I guess you just have to press and try and find any info you can." She paused, taking another look at the man, "I just know in my heart he didn't do it."
Nick shook his head to himself, wondering once again what was with her today. She seemed weirder than usual.
He'd work that out later, he turned his eyes on Godot and went over the testimony in his mind. Press everything, find the info the guy didn't even realise he was withholding.
"Mister Godot… this friend you were visiting, tell us more about her."
"Her?" the Judge exclaimed.
Edgeworth sighed in a long-suffering manner, oh for a Judge who would actually read the briefs. "The prison which hosted this murder is a women's prison, your honour. It stands to reason that the defendant was visiting a woman."
Godot looked slightly uncomftable for the first time that day. "It's got nothing to do with the case… but if you're that eager to find out, check out the visitor's registration. You have to book time in advance, it lists prisoners and visitors."
Nick muttered under his breath and glanced to Edgeworth, "I assume the prosecution is in possession of this list?"
Miles nodded, drawing it from his pile of evidence, "Mister Godot was visiting one Miss Iris Hawthorne."
There was a beat of silence.
"Mister Wright, please continue the cross-examination."
Maya flinched, glancing to Nick and noting the expression of sudden pain on his face. She reached across and touched his arm lightly. "Nick… don't lose it now."
A barely perceptible shudder ran through Nick's body. He took a deep breath, "Sorry, your honour, this line of questioning has nothing to do with the case, I was mistaken." He swallowed hard and forced his mind onto the testimony, thinking about it from all angles.
Something just wasn't sitting right with him.
"Hold it! Officer Peirce just fell? You didn't hear any sounds before that? No sign of struggle?"
Godot smirked. "I wish. I just saw him falling."
Nick frowned, this didn't add up at all, how could he not have heard the sound of struggling?
…
Because there wasn't a struggle!
Nick's eyes went wide, and when he glanced up at Miles he saw that same expression of sudden realisation.
"Your honor!" Nick called, "The defence wishes to present a theory! If Mister Godot truly did not hear a struggle then it's possible Officer Peirce was killed by someone he knew and trusted, that also explains why he would open the door a second time!"
The viewing gallery buzzed with chatter.
Miles winced at this leap of logic. Damn it, why the hell did Nick always manage to do this? Pull something out of thin air that no-one with a logical brain would ever work out.
Nick bent over his desk slightly, on a roll now. "Mister Godot, you said you saw the victim fall, but not another person in the room, are you absolutely sure of that?"
Godot paused, the lights in his visor flashed. "…Sorry Trite, I didn't see anyone."
Around the room everyone began to chatter, the two Lawyers stared, deep in thought, at the defendant, both pondering the same thing.
How can there be a third person in the room and not be at the same time?
"Mister Edgeworth, Mister Wright!" The judge barked, "I believe you to have come to court today with only half of the evidence in place! As such, I am calling a fifteen minute recess in order for you to work out exactly what happened that caused the death of this young man."
The gavel thumped three times.
March 29th 11:00am
District Court building
lobby
Nick groaned and rubbed his forehead, turning to Maya, "Any chance of Mia showing up to save our bacon?"
Maya pondered this for a moment, then smirked, "I like bacon."
Nick banged his head on the desk. "Maya!"
"I'm sorry Nick, sometimes she comes and sometimes she doesn't!" Maya protested weakly, lowering her head in a sad fashion. "Besides my powers aren't at top level today, I've been using them too much."
Nick raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean, I havn't seen Mia in-"
"Leave off the kid, Trite." Godot said calmly, walking over from the coffee machine with a paper cup full of his drug of choice. "Mia's successor ought to be able to do this without her holding his hand the whole time." He let out a low yawn, "Sorry. Didn't sleep last night…" he sipped his coffee, then folded his arms with a smirk, "Remember what I told ya? Once you eliminate the impossible…"
"Whatever remains, however improbable, must be fact." Nick finished for him. "All right… then… if there had to be a third person in the room, but you didn't see anyone…"
"Hey Pal!"
The trio turned as one as the doors burst open and Gumshoe pounded into the room. He glanced around, clearly looking for Miles, but not seeing him anywhere, instead almost dove towards Nick, holding a file out in front of him like a shield.
"Pal, we had another look at that red cloth you were suspicious about, Mister Edgeworth asked us to do a full in depth analysis!"
Maya blinked curiously, "How's that different to usual?"
Panting slightly, Gumshoe smiled, "Well see, pal, usual procedure is just to check for blood, prints and anything else on the cloth. In depth we work out what it's made of and anything else that might be useful." He smiled, his shoulders shaking slightly, "Take a look pals!"
Nick opened the folder and examined the pages of scientific discovery within. His eyes narrowed slightly, "Hmm…"
"What is it Nick?" Maya asked, almost bouncing on the spot. "Is it decisive evidence?"
Godot placed a hand on her shoulder, "Settle down kitten. Let the man read."
Nick rubbed his chin. "Possibly…"
"Excuse me?"
Nick turned around and blushed a little in shame. Miles was standing behind him, arms folded. He unfolded them and held out one hand.
"My report, I think." He said, it wasn't an instruction, but Nick obeyed anyway, handing it over. "Officer Gumshoe, what have I told you about handing evidence over to every Tom, Dick and Harry?" he glanced at the little defence group in a condescending manner, "Or Godot, Nick and Maya in this case?"
Gumshoe winced and lowered his head, "I just thought, with you and Mister Wright's situation telling one of you's as good as telling the other…"
There was an awkward silence. Miles lowered his head slightly to look at the ring on his finger, his pretty gold band with a small but special diamond in it.
Nick shook his head to himself. God, there was the other thing he had to sort out, this fight between him and Miles, and if the wedding really was called off altogether or if it was just the tension of the trial. He cleared his throat.
"Miles, can we-"
"Fifteen minutes is almost up, Nick." Miles replied curtly, but there were the beginnings of a smile on his face. "Better get back in there." There was a moment of silence, and then Miles' dark eyes flickered up to Nick's face, "We'll talk when this is over."
With that, Miles turned and swept away, heading back into the courtroom like the pro he was. Nick let out a low sigh.
"Just a guess," Godot commented, "Your Nick, he likes 'em fiery, doesn't he?"
Maya giggled softly, "Hah, and you don't?"
If Nick had been looking, he would have seen a sight few ever saw, Godot blushing. Unfortunately his eyes were still fixed on the retreating figure of his opponent.
"So what did the report say then Nick?" Maya asked anxiously.
Nick bit his lip as he thought it through, he was getting that feeling he always got when something big was about to be stumbled onto. If he made the right choice here, there might yet be a way for him to prove his client not guilty and find the real killer in one move.
"…Maya, I need to you to get Gumshoe and persuade him to search the locker room at the prison. It's a long shot, but I've got a hunch there's something in there we've overlooked because we've all been looking too hard at the crime scene."
Maya blinked, "Huh? But why would there be anything there?"
"It's the room closest to the crime scene where another guard could go without looking suspicious." Nick replied, "…Maya, think about it, if the third person was someone the victim knew and trusted enough to let into the room, most likely it was another guard. I want you to go there and look for anything that seems out of place."
Maya gasped, "Oh wow! You're like a detective, Nick!" she nodded and winked, "I'll do my best and you do yours!"
March 29th 11:15am
District Court Building
Courtroom no.4
"Court will come to order!" The judge called, "Well, after the revelation of a few moments ago I hope the prosecution and the Defence have some intention of explaining what they believe happened in the visitor's room that day?"
Nick didn't reply, merely set his jaw in a determined way. Miles smirked and flicked his hair to one side, "Your honour, I believe I have decisive evidence explaining why Officer Peirce might scan his card twice and not be letting anyone else into the room."
Nick bit the inside of his own mouth, but hid it well. No you don't, Miles. You don't because you can't. Godot didn't kill that man, which means there had to be someone else in the room. I believe in my client more than your surprise witnesses.
"The prosecution calls Officer Trey Torres to the stand." Miles declared.
The young man, still in his pale blue uniform walked up to the witness box. He smiled gently, with the uniform and those perfect teeth he was looking more and more the perfect young man to take home to meet your grandmother.
"Please state your name and occupation."
"I'm Officer Trey Torres, I work with…" the boy began, then lowered his head, eyes softening a little, "used to work with Officer Peirce in the prison." He clenched his hands and looked up, glaring at Godot, "And that coffee-swilling bastard over there is a murderer!"
Godot sipped his coffee. "I'm insulted. I don't swill."
Nick felt the nervous sweating coming on, of all the things for him to get offended by… "Objection! The Witness is not here to declare Mister Godot's guilt!" he paused, glancing to Miles, "Is he?"
Miles tapped his nose, "Not directly. Officer Torres, would you please testify about the Victim and the way he worked?"
Trey nodded, fringe flopping in his eyes like an adorable puppy's ears. "I'll try…" he cleared his throat. "Officer Peirce and I joined the security team at the prison around the same time, so we usually ended up assigned to the same areas. This month we were on the visitor's room, Peirce was really nervous that nothing should happen on our watch. He was really big on making sure the rooms were secure as possible, especially when we saw Mister Godot was booked in to visit a prisoner." The boy paused, eyeing Godot venomously, "Officer Peirce was on high alert that day, but I guess that wasn't enough."
Up in his chair, the Judge hummed thoughtfully to himself. "I'm not quite sure how this demonstrates why the victim would open the door twice."
Miles bowed elaborately, "All in good time, your honour. I'm rather eager to see how the defence deals with this."
Nick raised an eyebrow. What are you doing, Miles?
Well, right now the only option Nick could see was to press for more information. He needed time, needed Maya to get back with what he was sure was hidden in that locker room.
"Hold it! Why would there need to be two officers assigned to the visitor's room? It is after all, only one room and the building itself is a prison, it's hardly insecure."
Trey raised an eyebrow, a small smile appearing on his face, "Mister Wright, what if one of the prisoners or visitors attacks? Even you must see that two gaurds have a better chance than one on his own."
Nick frowned, "But then why is Officer Peirce dead? Shouldn't you have come to help him when you heard a struggle in the room?"
Trey flinched at this, as did Miles at the prosecution bench. The Judge banged his gavel, "Witness will answer the question!"
Trey lowered his head once more, his voice going very small, "…I'm sorry… I stepped away from my station for a few seconds to use the bathroom. I thought Peirce would be ok, the building's so secure and… and I never thought Mister Godot would try to kill him!"
Nick grunted slightly in frustration. Well that was no help, he got some more info but made his client look bad at the same time.
"Um, You said Officer Peirce was particularly eager for the room to be secure when he saw my client's name on the visitor's list, why was that?"
Trey blinked, looking mildly surprised at the question, "Well, we both kept up with the papers when they reported big cases and Mister Godot's trial was the biggest of the last few years!" He smirked, "Peirce was a particular fan of the case. I think between us we knew just about everything there was to know about that case, so you can imagine he was concerned about security when he read a clever and wicked man like Godot was coming in."
Nick frowned a bit. Fans of court cases, just when he thought the world couldn't get any weirder. Still, there didn't seem to be anything useful there, even he would admit it was reasonable for a prison officer to want the room extra secure when a previous offender was coming in.
He tried another angle. "Officer Torres, you mentioned in your testimony that Officer Peirce was eager to make sure the room was secure. Can you tell us more about that?"
The boy nodded, "Oh yes! Officer Peirce was an old-style guard, he didn't really trust the new electronic security measures."
Up on his chair, the Judge nodded, "Ahh yes. I don't trust my car's locks at all, electronic nonsense, what was wrong with a key rather than some silly little remote control?"
Nick rolled his eyes, turning back to the witness. "He didn't trust them?"
Trey nodded, "He'd walk the corridors himself as well as check the camera feeds, and he insisted on searching all visitors by hand as well as with our scanners. He said it paid to be careful." The boy smirked a little, "He even double-checked that the doors were locked whenever he was in the visitor's room."
Nick's eyes widened. Across the room, Miles smiles and added, "A perfectly reasonable assumption could be that Officer Peirce scanned his card twice to check the door was locked!"
Nick winced. Behind him in the defendant's chair, Godot smiled in that slightly worried way he sometimes did. "Ouch… how're you gonna pull us out of this one Nick?"
The gavel hammered, "Order! Order! The court sees how this is a good explanation, and with the discrepancy of the door being opened and closed twice the defence's theory of a third man seems to collapse." The old man stroked his beard thoughtfully and glared down at Nick. "If you cannot come up with an alternate murderer then I have no choice but to find Mister Diego Armando, AKA Godot-!"
"HOLD IT!"
The room froze. One by one everyone turned to the entrance of the courtroom.
Maya and Gumshoe were standing there, both panting. Gumshoe held out an evidence bag containing…
Well it just looked like a pile of red material.
"What is the meaning of this?" The Judge demanded.
Maya beamed her most adorable smile, "Oh! We're sorry your honour! It's just we have some evidence here the court needs to see!" she grabbed the bag from Gumshoe's hand and tore it open, pulling the material out and holding it up.
Miles' eyes went wide with terror. Nick stared.
It was a red body-suit, similar to one worn by acrobats and similar when they performed. Part of one sleeve was torn.
"What on earth?" The Judge spluttered, "Is this a Halloween costume?"
Gumshoe rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Truth be told we're not sure, your honour. Miss Maya had an idea that us police should check the locker room next door to the visitor's room, in case there was a secret passage or something…"
Nick smiled slightly, Maya winked back at him. So, that was how his clever little assistant got in.
"While I was checkin the ventilation duct we found this, stuffed up there all secret-like." Gumshoe finished, and grinned widely.
"W-w-well this has nothing to do with our current case!" Miles snapped, "That costume could have been put up there ages ago, and besides, what possible relevance can this have on who killed officer Peirce?"
"Objection!"
Nick grinned, it was the grin Miles hated, the one that meant the man across from him had just worked it all out.
"It has everything to do with our case!" Nick declared, "Your honour, may I demonstrate?"
The Judge, bewildered by all this sudden activity, nodded.
Nick moved to where his assistant was still holding up the suit, then reached to the evidence table and picked up the cloth which had been wrapped around the handle of the blade. In one slow and deliberate movement he unfolded it and held it up to the torn sleeve of the suit.
The two pieces matched perfectly.
"This is what the killer wore when he murdered Officer Peirce!"
The courtroom erupted in chatter.
"We assumed the cloth was there to stop prints being transferred onto the handle of the blade," Nick said calmly, "But what if instead the killer tore off a part of his own sleeve to wipe the prints away? Think about it, if the cloth was wrapped around the handle while it was being used, why is there no blood on it?"
Miles stammered, "Objection! If the victim fell backwards when he was stabbed, it's possible no blood got onto the cloth-"
Nick shook his head, "That doesn't work Mister Edgeworth, you saw the crime scene, Officer Peirce fell forwards, against the door, the bloodstains on it prove that, as well as my client's testimony."
"Objection! He was found facing upwards though!"
Godot lifted his mug, "Objection, I tried to help the man, couldn't do that with him facing down. Even the cops will tell you that."
Miles glared at the man, falling silent for a moment, "…All right, but this still doesn't explain who did this and how."
Nick shook his head again, "On the contrary, Miles, this little cloth and suit together prove exactly who did it, and how. The only thing I can't work out…" he turned his eyes slowly to the witness box. Trey Torres was gritting his teeth and looking furious.
"…Is why?" Nick finished smoothly.
Trey glowered at him, the innocent face of boyhood was gone so suddenly Nick wondered if it had ever been there at all. "How… how dare you! You can't prove a thing! Godot must be lying, how on earth could he miss another man in the room!"
Nick nodded, "Yeah, I've been wondering about that for two days now. Godot didn't kill the victim, but he also didn't see another person in the room. I've been racking my brains trying to work it out." He winked, "But then I started thinking about it from another point of view. Namely, if Godot didn't see another person, how could a person enter that room without being seen by him."
The judge's lips moved as he tried to follow this logic, then gave up, "Mister Wright, what do you mean?"
"Perhaps it's easier if I demonstrate." Nick declared, and picked up a piece of paper from his desk, followed by a pen with several different ink colours in it. In one quick movement he signed his name on it, holding it up for the court to see, then turned to Godot.
"Mister Godot, can you tell me what is on this paper?"
Godot frowned a little, clearly he too was having trouble following Phoenix's line of logic. "Mocking the blind isn't nice, you know." He muttered. "The colour red doesn't exist in my world. I can't see anything."
Nick grinned and turned, "Precisely! Your honour, my client's mask prevents him from seeing the colour red on a white background! The visitor's rooms are painted completely white!" he turned on Trey once more, "You simply had to enter the room wearing this suit, to Mister Godot you were completely invisible!"
Trey flinched and his teeth grit harder, "N-no! How could I know something weird like he can't see red?"
"Objection!"
Nick turned slightly and smiled at Miles' expression, it was the one he always got when he realised he had been lied to by a witness. He tapped the desk irritably, "You yourself stated that you read about Godot's trial. The main turning point of that trial which proved his guilt was Mister Godot's unique inability to see the colour red."
Nick heard Godot muttering something like 'Stop going on and on about it' but ignored him.
Folding his arms, Phoenix spoke up once more, "Here's how I think it happened. You saw Godot's name in the visitor's log and you realised you had a chance to get away with murder. I still don't know why you decided to kill your colleague, but you did. On the day it happened, you smuggled the weapon and this red suit into the prison, not a difficult job for a security guard, and waited. When Godot arrived and Officer Peirce took him to wait in the visitor's room, you took your chance. You pulled on the suit over your own clothes, grabbed the weapon and went to the door. Seeing you dressed so oddly and waiting at the door, Officer Peirce was naturally concerned and opened the door with his key-card."
Nick paused a moment here, going over the events. It all fit, like a jigsaw coming together at last to form a picture.
"That was when you took your chance. You stabbed him three times in the stomach before he'd even removed his card from the scanner. Then you fled, allowing his falling body to close the door behind you. You went straight to the locker room next door and removed the suit, taking the chance to tear off part of the sleeve and wipe off your prints. That was when Godot raised the alarm. You realised if you were caught you'd be done for, so you stuffed the suit into a vent and ran back to the scene. Being the first one there, and with the knife wrapped in red cloth, which Godot cannot see, it was simple to plant it in the room. After that, all you had to do was keep insisting that Godot must have done it."
There was silence in the room, Trey's head was lowered as a man on the way to the execution block.
There came a soft sniggering. Low and insidious.
"Huh?" Nick asked.
Trey's head snapped back up, an evil grin covering his face, eyes dark. "It's… exactly as you said." He growled, then sniggered again. "I thought it was all such a perfect plan… who'll believe a murderer over a security officer, huh!" he brushed a hand through his fringe, "I suppose now you want to know why? Before I'm dragged off to jail?"
Miles folded his arms. "I hardly see why that's necessary-"
The gavel, almost forgotten, banged as the Judge seemed to realise it was supposed to be him running this courtroom. "Order! The uh… accused will explain his motive!"
Trey smiled. Nick really hated that smile, it reminded him of Dahlia's own misleading innocence.
"I told you, Peirce and I were friends… really good friends." He shrugged, "Lovers, if you must know."
On cue, the Judge's eyes widened. "Wh-wh-"
Ignoring him, the handsome young officer went on, "Or at least we were until a few weeks ago. I loved Peirce, I wanted to marry him. But when I asked…" the young man trailed off.
"He turned you down?" Miles prompted.
The boy's head snapped back up like a gunshot, "He said he didn't want to ruin his career with scandal! He thought his stupid little guard job was worth more than me! I thought of loads of ways… loads of ways to get him back… for breaking my heart… and when I saw Godot's name…" he grinned, eyes flashing with the fire of the deranged. "…it was the perfect opportunity."
Silence rang through the courtroom. The judge, sensing he ought to do something, called, "Baliff! Take this young man away!" then turned his eyes back onto the two lawyers, still looking slightly shocked, and the coffee-drinking defendant. "Well, in light of this revelation, the court has no choice but to find Diego Armando, AKA Godot; NOT GUILTY!"
March 29th 5:00pm
District court building
Lobby
If there was confetti thrown that day by the over-zealous observers, Nick didn't notice it. He exited the room with Maya and Godot at his sides, mind still full of all that had happened.
"…Wow… I never would have figured it was a broken heart that lead to this." Maya muttered.
"I would." Godot added. "Broken hearts leave sharp shards, kitten. It's all too easy to pick up a piece and hurt someone with it." He turned his head slightly towards the doors. "Thanks, Nick, I know it must have been hard to believe me after everything."
Nick shook his head, "Not really. I knew Mia never would have loved someone capable of killing an innocent man." He paused, "Hey, wait, you called me N-"
"I think I'm gonna go on home." Godot cut him off, "Long day." He hesitated, then glanced to Maya, "Care to keep a helpless old blind man company?"
Maya smiled, if Nick had been paying attention, he might have seen her blush. "Oh! Sure I will! But shouldn't I stay with Nick and-"
Godot shook his head, glancing back to the courtroom doors. "Nick's got something else he needs to do right now. Come on, I'll make you some special blend #02."
Nick watched them both walking out of the doors, it was rather sweet really, they both probably missed Mia and found comfort in one another, that was why they made good, if odd-looking, friends. He sighed and rubbed his neck, pondering his own return home. He wasn't sure where he should go, back to his own place or…
Someone almost ran into him from behind and two magenta-clad arms wrapped around his waist. He wobbled slightly from the impact, about to complain, until he caught the scent of the cologne he knew very well.
"…Miles?" he asked softly. Miles was never big on public displays of affection, it'd taken weeks for him to even agree to holding hands, and yet here he was embracing Nick in the courthouse, where all of their colleagues would see.
Speaking into Nick's shoulder, Miles mumbled, "There is nothing in my life as important as you. Not my stupid over-clean apartment and certainly not my career…" he pulled out of the embrace, blushing furiously and clashing with his suit. "I…wanted you to know that."
Nick turned to face the man, still looking puzzled. "Miles…"
"I've been having some doubts." Miles admitted, looking away in shame, "I got a bit… scared when I noticed you bringing things over to my home… I suppose I just didn't like the idea of all this change, but after today… I'd rather learn to put up with all the changes you're going to cause than hurt you as badly as Trey Torres was hurt."
Nick blinked, and then smiled and reached his arms out around the other man, stroking his soft silvery-brown hair he replied, "Miles, it's ok… I know you don't like when things change, all you had to do was tell me and we could figure it out. As for hurting me… whatever Trey was feeling in the end, it wasn't love. Even if you broke my heart as hard as you could, I'd still rather you were alive, the world's a lot more interesting with you in it."
Miles drew back, Nick couldn't tell for sure but he thought he could see traces of tears in the man's eyes.
"Nick, let's go get married. Right now. The Judge is still here, he can preside and-"
Nick laughed, he laughed at Miles' sudden eagerness, then leant and kissed his cheek. "…Brilliant as that sounds, Miles, you're tired from the case and not thinking straight, you'd only hate me if I let you get married in a dingy courthouse like this." He stroked the man's fringe from his eyes, noting the slight disappointment at his romantic gesture falling flat. "Lets go home and set a date for it, eh?"
Miles hesitated, just for a second, then smiled and nodded. "All right."
March 29th 11:00pm
Palace Apartments
Penthouse suite
Nick stretched on the excessively comfy bed and put his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Beside him, Miles let out a low, almost lady-like, snore and he smirked.
Not a bad day, in the end. Three months from now he'd be getting married. With Maya at his side the whole way.
Shame about her not being able to channel Mia that day, he mused. She could have been handy. He couldn't remember Maya channelling the woman any other time, but she'd said "I've been overdoing it lately." Or something like that.
Nice of Godot to keep her company as well. The man always struck him as a loner but with Maya he seemed to be making exceptions. After all he'd even let Maya sleep over at his house the previous night, knowing her she'd probably conked out right after walking him home.
Well, they could reminisce about Mia together, Nick thought. It would be good for them both.
…Odd that Godot had seemed tired today. Maybe they stayed up late talking about Mia?
Odd that he'd paid for Maya's little snack as well.
"Mister Wright has other things to do now, Kitten."
Nick sat bolt upright in the bed, eyes wide. "Oh Good god!"
Next to him, Miles jerked awake and looked around blearily, "What? What? Is the apartment on fire?"
Leaping out of the bed and scrambling for his clothes, Nick shook his head, "No, but I'm going to kill Godot with a stick!"
Miles tilted his head slightly, then yawned and nodded, "Make sure to hide the body and leave no witnesses, I'm not defending you if you do a sloppy job."
