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: Eek, a bit of a cliff hanger at the end, here. All I'm going to say is I have left a very big clue… and I shall say no more! All will be explained eventually :)

Still, thanks go to my reviewers! Love to all my readers.

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

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Turnabout the Morning After
Chapter 5

April 2nd
2:13 PM
Miles Edgeworth's Hotel Room

Phoenix knocked on the door and leaned against it as he waited for the click that told him Miles had unlocked the safety catch.

Unbeknown to him, however, it had been off all day.

He toppled backwards onto whoever had opened the door, sending them sprawling together onto the floor.

"Ha-ha! Absolutely class, Nick!" Larry shouted from somewhere in the room. He clapped loudly and stepped over to the pile of bodies to lend Phoenix a hand getting up. "Wish I'd thought of that, dude."

Phoenix scowled at him.

"Wright, what are you doing here?" Miles asked, slowly getting up from his position on the floor, looking a bit flushed in the cheeks. He started to dust down his burgundy suit.

"Same could be asked to this idiot." Phoenix sent Larry a glare.

Larry grinned and stuck his thumb up. "Edgey asked me to come, didn't you, Edgey?" He frowned and scratched his head. "To be honest, dude, we can't remember much about last night."

"I know the feeling; that's pretty much why I'm here." Phoenix paused. "Hey, why wasn't I invited to your little social gathering!?" He pouted. "I was there last night as well, you know."

"Couldn't get hold of you Nick," Larry answered with a shrug. "You should turn your brick on from time to time."

Hey! It's not a brick! It's just…not ridiculously small...

"Larry has been about as helpful as a bloody brick," Miles added. "Though, he did mention a certain prank he had pulled." He smirked at Phoenix.

"Thanks for reminding me, Edgeworth." Miles bowed and Phoenix turned around to face Larry square on. "I owe you one, Mr. Larry Butz."

"Ooh, you used my whole name. Geez, that made me so scared that I'm shaking in my shoes," Larry muttered. "Tell him what we dug out our brains, Edgey."

"We have managed to scrape a few facts together," Miles said. "Things like the name of the bar, the time we went in. Nothing of interest really came up."

Perhaps I can get them to remember something more. I'll jog their memories a bit…

"So, do you know two remember about the drinking competition we had?"

Miles looked at Phoenix blankly and Larry fidgeted a bit.

"Wright, I highly doubt I would ever enter into such an uncivilised social activity as a drinking competition," Miles replied dryly.

Larry bit his tongue, a sheepish look on his face.

"Oh, no, Larry... Say you didn't," Phoenix stated with a smirk.

"I…uh… Didn't do what, Nick?" Larry asked, not quite being able to meet his eyes.

Phoenix shook his head and reached into his pocket and took out the bottle caps. "Perhaps you could enlighten me on why there would be beer caps at a table where no one had knowingly drank beer?"

"D-dude, where the hell did you get those?"

"You put beer in an unsuspecting person's orange juice in the hope that they would join in with your little games, didn't you?" Phoenix continued.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about," Larry said nervously.

Miles turned to scowl at him.

"Were you adding alcohol to my drinks?" He asked Larry, his voice dangerously calm.

"Erm…I might have… But, I also might not have..."

It looks like the boot is on the other foot, my friend.

"Still, we had a good time, right, Edgey?" Larry grinned at them.

"I have no idea, Larry, did we?" Miles asked in the same tone of voice. "If I've done anything idiotic, I'm holding you responsible." Miles' fists clenched for a second, but then relaxed again.

Phoenix chuckled.

Unlucky, Larry.

"I don't see what you're laughing about, Wright," Miles snapped. "I saw that mark on your neck when you fell on top of me before. Are you so pathetic that you can't even remember who you were with last night?"

Phoenix's smile faded and he felt his cheeks heat up.

Uh… Why did he have to bring that up now? Couldn't he have kept it to himself in front of Larry?

...And how the hell did he see it?!

"Don't get mad at me, Edgeworth," Phoenix retorted. "Just because you can't handle a drink, it doesn't mean I should get the blame for it." Phoenix loosened his collar in hope that it would cool him down.

"Whoa, Nick, you have a lurve bite!" Larry exclaimed and pointed at said spot on Phoenix's neck. Phoenix quickly pulled his collar back up and felt his face heat up even more. "Hah, and I bet you can't even remember it!"

"Yeah, well, I guess I am pretty pathetic." Phoenix sighed. "I bet she was the best bit of action I've had in ages, and I just go and forget it all." He looked down at the floor.

Miles sighed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry for being a bitch, Wright."

Phoenix smiled weakly. "Good, so you should be."

I wouldn't expect any less from you, Edgeworth.

Larry studied the two of them for a second. "Did you get lucky as well, Edgey?"

Miles turned to face him and let his hand drop off Phoenix's shoulder. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, Nick has obviously had some fun, even if he can't remember it, and I woke up in some gorgeous babe's bed, only to find out it wasn't my Maria!"

"Hold it, you mean you cheated on your girlfriend?" Phoenix stared at Larry in disbelief.

"Ah, well, Maria and I, we… uh… haven't seen each other in a week. She wasn't returning my calls and sent back the box of chocolates I gave her..."

Phoenix frowned.

What worries me is that I'm really not surprised she's ditched you.

"Anyway, we both had a bit of fun, so you must have got lucky too, seeing as a lot of the girls in the bar were eyeing you up, dude." Larry rubbed his chin. "I think they liked your frills."

"My… frills?" Miles blinked and the colour seemed to drain from his face.

"Yea, that cravaty thingy you wear." Larry grinned. "Would you mind lending me it?" He winked at Miles.

He really knows how to get Edgeworth wound up, doesn't he?

"I highly doubt it will make you any more attractive to women, Larry," Miles replied. "You couldn't get away with wearing such a sophisticated item as a cravat, anyway."

Phoenix snorted and quickly covered his mouth.

"What's so amusing, Wright?" Miles asked, his mouth forming a slight smile.

Phoenix blinked at him.

That's not right. Since when has Miles Edgeworth made a joke?

He laughed through his fingers and tried helplessly to get his breath back.

"Nick, why are you laughing? I don't get it, what's so funny?!" Larry scratched his head.

"Don't worry, Larry, it's just his screw coming loose."

"Uh…Okay…"

Phoenix eventually calmed down and started to breathe normally again. He let his hand drop. "Is Larry right, Edgeworth? Did you manage to seduce a lady and win her over with your frills?" He grinned at him.

"No, I did not," Miles answered quickly,

A little too quickly there, Edgeworth…

"You did, didn't you, Edgey? I knew it!" Larry jumped on the spot and his fist pummelled the air. "I knew it!".

"What part of 'No' do you not understand, Larry?" Miles said hotly. "I did not bring a female companion home last night!"

"Oh…" Larry paused. "That must mean it was a male companion, then! I knew it! I knew you were gay!"

"I didn't bring anyone home with me last night," Miles answered through his teeth.

Larry blinked. "Eh…? Are you sure?"

"Yes," Miles replied.

"Really sure?"

"Yes."

"Really, really sure?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's good enough for me! Guess I was wrong after all." Larry slumped down onto the leather couch and picked up a glass of water from the coffee table. "God, I'm parched." He glanced around the room. "Hey, Edgey, you don't have anything a bit stronger, do you?"

How can he even think about drinking after all the alcohol he had last night!?

Phoenix sat down next to him and studied the hotel room for the first time since he had entered. Edgeworth had already introduced his own style into the room; everything looked straight and in its place. He had even arranged all the books on the shelf in alphabetical order.

Phoenix snickered. "Hey, Edgeworth, what's with the alphabetical books?"

"It's merely a habit, Wright," Miles answered. "It's like the way you always know Larry will put up his feet on the coffee table." He pointedly looked over in said man's direction, making Larry hastily remove his feet from the coffee table.

"Sorry, dude, I just can't help it! It's like having an itch you just have to scratch."

They sat laughing, drinking water – no matter how much Larry complained, Miles wasn't about to hand over the rum bottle - and occasionally talked about the past. It was a short little reminiscing session, but Phoenix enjoyed being with his childhood friends again.

As Larry and Miles got in a argument about some paper cranes, Phoenix went back to examining the room. He suddenly turned quiet when his eyes caught the bookcase once again.

He blinked at the shelf.

Oh, hell no…

Phoenix rubbed his eyes.

This…It can't…'M' isn't there…?

He quickly jumped to his feet with wide eyes, the cogs in his mind were whirring at full speed."What the hell?!"

"Nick...? What is it?" Larry asked, both him and Miles looking up at Phoenix with confused expressions.

Phoenix stared at the bookshelf and shook his head. "No... That's not possible... No way...!"

-Bang bang bang-

Miles quickly went to open the door to stop the frenzied knocks as Phoenix stared at the bookshelf. A girl pushed passed him and stood in front of them all, before shouting loudly:

"It was me, okay! I gave him the mark!"