Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the game. They belong to Capcom. And I've written this without permission… so sorry.

A/N: Thanks again to my reviewers! I hope this will keep you interested :)

Edit: Revised for grammar, phrasing, layout and POV.

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Turnabout the Morning After
Chapter 3

April 2nd
1:01 PM
Criminal Affairs Dept.

Maya decided that it would be best to go and visit Detective Gumshoe first, mainly to thank him for the lift. After their quick stop at the burger bar down the road, they entered the Police Department.

Gumshoe got up as soon as he saw the duo arriving, his clumsy actions leading to the contents of his cup being spilt all over the pile documents on his desk. After apologising several times to the Chief, he turned to face them.

"Hey there, pals! How's the hangover, Mr. Wright?" Gumshoe's shoulders shook in silent laughter underneath his trench coat.

"It's… uh… fine," Phoenix replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

I feel as if my head will split into two any second, but other than that...

"I just came to thank you for the lift last night, seeing as though Nick was in no fit state to take me home." Maya smiled sweetly and bowed.

"No problem, pal!" Gumshoe smiled back. "Did you both enjoy yourselves?"

"Well, I don't really remember much to be honest…" Phoenix laughed nervously.

Gumshoe chuckled. "I'm not really surprised, pal. I personally never touch those spirits! It saves me from getting in these situations, see."

More like you just can't afford them.

"Is there anything you can tell me about the time before and after we entered the bar?"

"Not much. I took your assistant home early, didn't I, pal? And before the bar, we all just broke up to meet later on. You went off somewhere with Butz." Gumshoe laughed again, this time out loud. "There was one other thing, actually. That criminal friend of yours--"

Phoenix slammed his hands on the desk, making Gumshoe flinch. "Hold it, you mean Larry?" He pointed at Gumshoe. "How many times…!? He was tried and found innocent!"

"…Uh… Sorry, pal…"

"Just ignore him, Detective. Nick's cranky from having a hangover." Maya raised an eyebrow at Phoenix.

Ouch, that's a hefty penalty…

"Sorry, Gumshoe..." Phoenix mumbled, rubbing his neck. "Please, continue."

"Well, the Butz guy decided it would be funny to pull an April fool on you before the bar, pal," Gumshoe explained.

Phoenix felt his throat dry up. "A-April fool?"

"You know, the first of April? Some people find it funny to go around tricking their friends." Gumshoe smiled widely. "He got you good, pal."

"W-what!? How come I don't remember this!? This is before I had the drinking competition!" Phoenix frowned and rubbed his forehead.

If only I didn't have this stupid headache…

"Wow, that is kinda weird, Nick. Do you have some kind of short-term amnesia that runs in the family?" Maya gasped. "Maybe you were drugged!"

"I don't think that's it, Maya…"

How could I forget? I probably blanked it out from being so emotionally scarred…

Wait… The competition Larry set up…

Phoenix hit the desk, making Gumshoe flinch again. "Now I know why I agreed to that drinking competition; it was to forget that prank!"

Larry, you scheming jerk!

Maya frowned. "It can't have been that bad, Nick. I mean, this is Larry we're talking about."

"Exactly, it's Larry: Master of Pranks!" Phoenix's hand made the shape of a fist, ready to hit the table, but the rush of emotions made his head hurt even more. He cringed and rubbed his forehead. "Gumshoe, you don't have any painkillers, do you?"

"Not on me. Sorry, pal." Gumshoe scratched his head. "Shouldn't you have taken some before going out?"

…Good point.

"Never mind the painkillers," Maya interrupted. "What's this prank you're both talking about?"

"Oh, that." Gumshoe chuckled. "Well, you know April May from that case where your sister was kil--" Gumshoe cleared his throat and sent Maya a sympathetic look. Maya nodded and gestured for him to keep talking. "Well, the Butz guy knew her too."

April May…?

Phoenix's eyes widened.

Shit! I remember!

"April May! She'd just got out of prison for perjury!" Phoenix ran a hand over his hair. "Oh, I bet he thought it would be hilarious to hire her for his little prank..."

"You remember, pal?" Gumshoe asked with a massive grin on his face.

Phoenix snorted. "The bastard led me down a side alley and started winking at something. That's when she came running up to us and told me--" Phoenix suddenly stopped and bit his lip.

"What? What did she tell you?" Maya pressed.

Phoenix rubbed the back of his neck. "She said she was… pregnant, and that the kid was mine," he mumbled.

Maya looked at him curiously for a second. "You believed her didn't you?" She burst out laughing when Phoenix didn't answer.

"It's not funny," Phoenix said weakly over her laughter. "I mean, it wasn't even possible because I'd never slept with her, so I guessed that she just… liked me."

"That's priceless!" Maya exclaimed

Phoenix felt his face heat up. "A-anyway, I realised the whole situation was a bit weird. Larry was standing there with this massive grin on his face, May started to giggle, and then he decided to shout 'April fool' at me." Phoenix sighed. "You're both right; I must have downed a hell of a lot of alcohol to forget this."

Maya giggled. "Who knew Larry was such a genius? April Fool… that's too funny!"

Please let that be the last time I have to hear you praise that idiot…

"Now, this encounter with our first witness may have led us to a few answers about what happened before entering the bar, but I still have no idea who I--" Phoenix glanced around the room.

Oh, great. I bet all these detectives were listening in to Maya's hysterics.

"…Well, you know."

"Know what?" Gumshoe asked. Maya leaned across to whisper something to him. "Whoa, pal! Who's the lucky little girly then?"

Girly…? Is he patronising me?

"That's… kinda what I'm trying to find out," Phoenix replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You don't even remember that?"

"No, I really don't." Phoenix sighed and massaged his temples again.

First, I forget the best bit of action I've have had in ages, and then I forget to take painkillers. It's not as if I didn't have enough damned time! Instead, I had to sit and read that stupid book…

Phoenix paused. "Did either of you notice anyone carrying a book?"

Gumshoe raised an eyebrow. "A book?" He scratched his head. "No, sorry, pal. But Ema did have a notepad with her."

"No, I never noticed a book either," Maya said, playing with her ear. "Is it important?"

"Ah… it's nothing." Phoenix frowned.

Where the hell did that thing come from if no one had it in the bar?

"If you say so, Nick." Maya shrugged and turned to wave at Gumshoe. "Thanks for the help, Detective! If you can think of anything to help our 'case'…"

"You'll be the first people I call." Gumshoe grinned and waved at Maya and Phoenix as they left the department before trying to mop up his now cold, spilt coffee with one of the papers.