Chapter 3. Third Parties

"There he goes again," Maya reported, she sounded slightly shocked. "That makes it…four, today."

"Mm," Phoenix replied from his desk. Maya had been perched by the window all day, in a state something like awe, watching as Edgeworth's car passed back and forth beneath them.

"Isn't this stalking, Nick?"

"I dunno. I think it's only stalking if I mind."

Maya smirked at him. "And you don't mind?"

"You know I don't."

In the past week, Maya had managed to worm quite a few details out of him. And what he hadn't told her, she'd guessed. He was very careful not to confirm or deny any of the facts…but somehow Maya knew.

"But I don't know why," she protested. "I don't see why you can't tell me about any of this. At least tell me how you feel about him."

Phoenix didn't say anything.

"At least deny it!"

"Why?"

"Because if you do then I will be able to see if you're lying or not, duh."

Phoenix just shook his head. "What do you want to hear from me, Maya?"

"Something! Anything! You can't pretend you don't care about him at all, 'cause I know you do. You consider him a friend at least."

"That's true," Phoenix agreed. "Although I'm not sure if he considers me one."

"He must, if he spent the night at your house."

"You know it wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like?"

"Odd," Phoenix admitted. "I've never seen him like that. He normally bottles things up, and it was like the bottle just…exploded."

Maya stared at him.

"What?"

She sighed and turned back to the window. "I will never understand you, Nick."

"Yeah, well, the feeling's mutual."

There were a few moments of rare silence, during which Phoenix actually managed to get some work done. Maya leaned her forehead against the glass and stared down at the street.

"Five," she muttered.

"Mm."

"I think Mr. Edgeworth may need some therapy."

"You'll get no arguments from me."

She tilted her head, following the red hot car with her eyes. "Looks like he's going back toward his place. Funny, I thought he usually worked late."

"How do you know where he lives?"

"I just know. I even know which bus…" She trailed off, and Phoenix could see her shoulders shaking in silent laughter. Always a bad sign.

"All right, Nick!" Maya spun around dramatically. "If you're not going to do anything about this, I will!"

"Maya!"

"I mean it!" She started crossing the office and Phoenix jumped up from his desk.

"Maya, no! This is none of your business!"

"I won't tell him you told me anything."

"Because I didn't."

"But I'm doing…something!" She flailed her arms. "I'm doing something because you are my friend and I like Mr. Edgeworth a lot too and you're both being stupid!" She stood still and panted for a few moments. "I've got a bus to catch." She pointed at him sternly. "Don't you dare leave before I get back."

Somehow, Phoenix just couldn't bring himself to stop her.

…………………………………………

There was a familiar smell of perfume and warm leather as Edgeworth entered his living room. He heard a clatter from the kitchen and muttering in German, and ignored it long enough to go up to his study and put his briefcase away. Then a loud crash and a feminine screech of "Scheiße!" informed him he couldn't ignore it any more.

"Good evening, Franziska," Edgeworth said, pulling on his usual blanket of calm.

"Ah, hallo." She waved to him distractedly from her position on the floor. "I apologize for the mess. I was looking for that bottle of brandy you had stashed away."

"I stashed it away for a reason. Besides, I thought you said alcohol was a foolish drink that makes foolish fools behave even more foolishly."

"Ah, well… There are times when one wants to feel a bit foolish." She got to her feet and adjusted her skirt primly. "So. Where is it?"

"Gone."

"What?" Franziska looked utterly devastated. "Why?"

"I drank it."

"Oh…" She kicked a pot, but her heart clearly wasn't in it. "Verdammt."

"Was there something you wanted? Or could you not bring yourself to solicit men for drinks?"

"I just…" she straightened up. "Do I need a reason to visit my little brother?"

"Ah. You got the letter then." Edgeworth moved past her and started picking up his scattered kitchen appliances.

"Ja," Franziska answered after a long moment. She picked up a box of noodles and started helping.

They had the whole mess cleaned up in just a few minutes, years of training paying off. Franziska didn't have to ask where anything went, since Edgeworth had his food and cooking utensils neatly ordered. Order was something every von Karma, even an adopted one, understood instinctively. And after the last spoon had been deposited into its proper slot, there was nothing left to do but talk.

"Are you going to go?" Franziska asked, her voice hard.

"I don't know," Edgeworth admitted. "I don't want to… I don't want to hear anything he has to say, and I don't have anything to say to him. But I know if I don't go, I'll always regret it." He sighed. "I really don't need any more regrets."

"Ja…" Franziska agreed, fingering her whip.

"I suppose you're going."

"Of course. I… couldn't not. Even though I do not want to see it. It is like you said. If I did not go, I would regret it. It would all feel…unfinished. Somehow. And!" She scowled furiously. "I am not so weak to be scared off by something like this. Der Teufel soll mich holen, wenn..." She trailed off. "Alte Landsau."

"Ja," Edgeworth agreed. "And that's why we need to go, I think. To show the alte Landsau we're not afraid of him."

"I never was!" Franziska snapped, her whip hand tensing automatically.

"I was."

"Fool," she snapped.

"Perhaps. But I am not perfect, Franziska. No one is. No one can be."

Her forehead creased and her face couldn't quite seem to settle on an expression. "Ich-"

Whatever she was going to say, and Edgeworth knew better then to hope it would be an epiphany, it was interrupted by a rhythmic knock on the door. "Shave and a haircut," to be specific. Edgeworth winced, already certain who it was going to be.

Franziska followed him out of the kitchen and hung back in the living room as he answered the door. For all her faults, Franziska knew she was rarely the person people wanted to see. And she used that to her advantage.

"Hello Maya," Edgeworth said, before he even saw her. "Won't you come in?"

"You're damn right I will!" Maya exclaimed. She was riled up about something…and Edgeworth was afraid he knew what. "I have a bone to pick with you."

"I'm sure you do." He sighed resignedly, shutting the door behind the girl as she stalked into the house. She caught sight of Franziska, in her usual 'prepared to strike' pose, and shot a significant glance at Edgeworth.

"Alone."

"Anything you have to say to my brother, you can say in front of me!" Even Franziska's voice was like a whip sometimes.

Maya raised her eyebrows at Edgeworth. "That so?"

"It's fine," Edgeworth said. She didn't know anything anyway.

"All right, if you say so." Maya folded her arms and glared at him. "Why don't you just tell Nick you love him?"

There was a horrible frozen moment. Miles felt a groan escape his lips, luckily it was mostly hidden when Franziska raised her arm, pointed at him, and screeched. No words, just primal shock and outrage.

"Nein! Nein! My brother is not ein Hinterlader!"

"Franziska!" he warned. "Sei nicht so primitiv!"

"I will be crude if Iwant to! This- this Miststück-"

"Franzisca!"

"She works for the man that shamed the von Karma name, and now she comes here with these baseless accusations!"

"They're…" He ground his teeth. "They're not baseless."

Franziska stared at him.

"I knew it!" Maya squealed. "I totally knew it! I mean, okay, I didn't know it until recently because honestly it never crossed my mind before, I don't have a lot of experience with this stuff you know? But when I finally figured it out it made so much sense! Ohmigosh." She clasped her hands in front of her and beamed. "When are you going to tell him? Can I help? I've seen a lot of great love confessions on TV and-"

"He already knows," Edgeworth interrupted. "And I don't see how it's any of your business anyway. Especially since nothing is going to come of it."

Maya blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I never had any intention of-" his lip curled in distaste "dating Wright. I was very drunk when I told him, and I'd just received…somewhat disturbing news." A flicker of pain shot through his chest, and Edgeworth grabbed his arm in a nervous gesture. "Wright does not return my…infatuation. I know that. I would never intentionally try to cause him discomfort. At least," he amended, "outside of court."

Maya was frowning. "What ever gave you the idea Nick doesn't feel the same way?"

"You mean aside from the fact that he has dated women in the past?"

"Only one that I know of, and she was batshit crazy." Her scowl deepened. "And I'm allowed to say that because she was family."

"I don't see what that has to do with-"

"I'm just saying! The past doesn't matter, what he feels now is what's important! And Nick loves you, I'm sure of it!"

There was an uncomfortable flutter in Edgeworth's chest. "How?"

"Because he was very careful about not telling me he wasn't. I can see lies, remember? If he'd said he didn't have any feelings for you, and psyche-locks popped up, well that would be as good as an admission wouldn't it?"

Edgeworth found himself grabbing the back of the couch for support. "I… I see…"

"So you should totally go tell him! And let me watch!"

"I told you, Ialready told him."

She waved a hand, brushing his objections aside. "You were wasted, that doesn't count. And this time, he'll get to say it back!"

Edgeworth shook his head. "I don't want that…"

"Why wouldn't you?"

Edgeworth groaned again and rubbed his temples. No wonder Wright let this girl drag him all over the city. She could crumble mountains with her cheerfulness.

Something struck him as off then, and it took a moment to realize what. Franziska. She had been uncharacteristically quiet through this whole exchange. Not even muttered German profanity. She was standing, frozen, still in the same spot, although her eyes were fixed firmly on the carpet. Thinking, or maybe listening.

"Franziska?"

"Why him?" she mumbled. "Why him, of all people?"

Edgeworth thought carefully about how to answer that. "You see him as the man who destroyed the von Karma name… I see him as the man who saved my life."

"Ah. But…" She looked up at him, with lost eyes. "Er geht mir auf den Sack."

Edgeworth felt the corners of his mouth pull upward. "I know. He can be a pain. But he doesn't do it on purpose. He's just that clueless."

"You really love him?"

"It doesn't matter, because I'm not going to be pursuing him in any way. He knows that. He even mocked me about it." Edgeworth frowned. "Although…if what Maya says is true… then maybe he really meant what he…"

"Hey, Franny," Maya said. "What are you doing here?"

"My name is Franziska von Karma," Franziska sniffed. "And you will address me as Prosecutor von Karma, or Ma'am."

"Yeah, no, I really don't think I will." Her eyes narrowed. "What did you call me earlier? Do I need to beat you up?"

Franziska laughed haughtily. "You! As if you could!"

"Students of the Kurain school are taught martial arts as a form of meditation," Maya said simply. "I thought you researched us."

Franziska's eyes flashed, and her hand tightened around her whip. "You dare-"

"Maya," Edgeworth interrupted, not wanting a catfight in the middle of his living room. Especially not one involving Franziska. When she got angry, her aim deteriorated dangerously. "You're…a straightforward girl."

"Yup!" Maya agreed. Franziska muttered something about that being a polite way of putting it, but the other two ignored her.

"Then, may I ask your opinion on something?"

"Anything!"

"If you had to go somewhere…do something, rather distasteful… Something that would dredge up a lot of bad memories… But you knew that if you did not do it, you would always wonder, always regret it…"

"Yes," Maya answered.

Edgeworth took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Yes you would go?"

"Yes I would go. And," she looked at him seriously, "yes I would invite Nick."

"I see." He stared at the couch thoughtfully.

"So hey!" Maya snapped him out of his reverie. "Are you gonna give me a ride or what?"

"What?" Edgeworth blinked.

"A ride! Back to Nick's office! I had to take like three buses to get here, but from there it's just a straight shot to my boarding house! Plus," she grinned like a cat. "I've been dying to take a ride in that red hot car of yours. So you'll give me a ride, right? You can drop Franny off along the way!"

"My name is Franziska von Karma!"

"So let's go!"

Edgeworth opened his mouth to say no. He was certain of that, he could feel his mouth preparing to shape the word, but somehow what came out was, "Okay."

"Great!" Maya bounced back out the door, long sleeves flapping.

Franziska moved forward to stand beside her brother. "One word. I'm sure there'ssomething in her past we can book her for. If nothing else, I could have her microchipped."

"No, I don't think so."

"What, because Phoenix Wright would never forgive you?"

"No." He sighed. "Because she doesn't deserve it."

Franziska sniffed. "Says you. I'm still having another transmitter made."

"Fine. Good luck catching her off-guard the way you did Gumshoe." He grabbed his keys from the bowl by the door and followed Maya. "You coming?"

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Entirely possible."

She sighed. "Wait for me."

…………………………………………

Maya had said not to leave. Phoenix didn't think she was going to succeed in…whatever she planned to do, but, well, it wasn't like he had anywhere better to be. He took a few phone calls, did some paperwork, stared wistfully at Mia's books, and then, finally, he heard the clatter of Maya's sandals coming down the hallway.

"I'm back!" she announced as she burst through the door.

"Clearly."

"I'm just gonna grab my backpack then I'll leave the two of you alone!"

"Two?" A figure appeared behind Maya, and Phoenix sat up. "M- Edgeworth?"

Edgeworth just nodded at him.

"Um, what-"

Maya was already back at the door. "I've gotta run to catch my bus! See you tomorrow Nick! Good luck Mr. Edgeworth!"

And then Hurricane Maya was gone.

Phoenix stood up, awkwardness coming off him in waves. "Um, do you want to sit down?"

"I'll stand."

"O… Okay…" Phoenix fiddled with the papers on his desk. "Um, sorry about Maya, by the way."

"You don't have to apologize for her. She's not your responsibility."

"I guess not, but I feel like someone has to."

Edgeworth's mouth twitched, just enough for Phoenix to relax.

"So what brings you here? Aside from Maya?"

"I…" Edgeworth seemed to suddenly be very interested in the woodgrain of the doorframe. "I have a favor to ask of you, Wright." He took a steadying breath. "Something that may make you… very uncomfortable."

AN:

Finally rewritten! I like it a lot better now. And there are at least two more chapters to come. The next chapter will reveal something that's, we;;, probably not that hard to figure out. And also contradicts the game canon, but makes for a better story on my part. So screw it.