Limits of Perfection

Chapter 3:

Perfect Feelings

Author's note: Okay…you know the drill. I don't own Phoenix Wright games or characters…and if I did, I'd be swimming in my own pool of money (which would be shaped like a dollar bill!) This part is also extremely important to the plot, so bear with me!

When Miles rang the doorbell, he shuddered at the familiar chime and buzz combination of the bell. In a flash, Franziska Von Karma…Big Sister…was at the door. Miles was speechless. She was…really here…he was really seeing her for the first time in over a year. And now, in front of her, he had lost all composure that he was known for. With an understanding smile, Franziska ushered him in, wordlessly, and quickly.

From there on, everything was a blur to Miles. He distinctly remembered sitting in the spectators stands in the German courthouse, watching as Franziska prosecuted a hired assassin, who had taken out the CEO of a big German-sounding company. Her trusty whip lashed out at everything, and in the end, she ended up winning the case by a landslide. He remembered the criminal shouting threats upon threats…nothing unusual for a man who was about to spend his life in prison. Then, suddenly, he remembered being in America. In the terminal to the airport, watching as Franziska took her bags from the baggage claim. She had wanted to come back. After almost two years now, she felt confident enough to face Phoenix Wright in court. Miles couldn't blame her…there was something different in the way she walked now, her head held high, her eyes shining with determined fury…it was horrible, but Miles wished that a murder would happen now, just so she could prosecute it.

He got his wish.

Sort of.

Just as Miles was introducing Franziska to his refurnished apartment, he got a call…and while his wish had come true, it was he who was to be prosecuting the case…which would be tried in court…the next day.

Date: March 14

Place: Miles Edgeworth's Apartment

Time: 2:50 AM

He had poured over the case until he knew it forwards, backwards, upside down and inside out. It seemed simple enough. A mother had slain her child who was defying the family's strict religious beliefs by being addicted to pop music. Edgeworth wondered how a parent could be so cruel…and then he remembered how Manfred had treated both him and Franziska, and understood completely.

'Human beings…are…they are twisted in their own right…'

Still, something didn't seem to add up, and he couldn't let his case have a hole in it…so he had spent all his time up until now, studying the case, trying to make things fit where they shouldn't…after all, how else would he win? It was about this time, that Franziska walked in, still dressed in her clothing from yesterday. She wore a wine colored dress that went just a little above her knees, with white puffy sleeves that went all the way down to her wrist.

"Miles…you'll end up losing due to lack to sleep." She stated in an obvious tone of voice, folding her arms. Though she was standing so that he had his back to her, Edgeworth knew that she was scowling at him. He knew, just as well as she, that if he lost this case because of lack of sleep…to Phoenix of all people, it would be more than just a mere blemish on his "record." Still, as stubborn as he was, Miles Edgeworth would not listen to Franziska, and therefore remained quite, as he continued to study. Though, he realized that the words WERE starting to get a tad bit jumbled on the page. And he would read the same line over and over again, several times before he realized such. But as always, Franziska had anticipated this, and she reached over and grabbed the file.

"Miles! Stop this foolishly foolish display of your foolish pride. Get some sleep now, you imbecile!" She snapped, walking out of the room, with the file in her hands. Miles groaned, and let his head sink into his hands, running his fingers through his own hair. It was not long after this, that he fell asleep at his desk in his study. Franziska walked back in with a triumphant, yet holding some sort of mixed emotion in it, smile, and turned the light off with the flick of her wrist.

'Fool…I knew he needed rest.'

Date: March 14

Place: Miles Edgeworth's Apartment

Time: 7:50 AM

It had already been one hell of a morning. Miles had awoken to find himself with a nice imprint of his own hand on his face, and realized that he had also awakened later than he had originally intended. Franziska had been up for quite some time, he observed as he headed for the bathroom, for she was already in the dining room, drinking tea, dressed in another practically knee-high dress, which was completely white, save the broach in the center, which was a ruby red color. When he had showered and put on his magenta suit, cravat, and shoes, and fixed his hair the way he intended to, Edgeworth came out of the bathroom, only to find Franziska waiting impatiently outside the door, in the hallway, for him. She opened her mouth, as though to speak, but never got the chance to. Miles was too irritated from his lack of sleep, and from his Big Sister taking away the case file from him this morning, so he did what any man of his position would do.

"Franziska…don't say a damn word to me this morning." He muttered this as he walked away, heading for the door. Was it him, or did he see just a little bit of hurt flash into her eyes…no…it must have just been him, for she followed behind him without a word being uttered. They both got into Edgeworth's rather fancy car, and drove to the courthouse, only about a five minute drive…but it felt like forever, with the tense silence in the car. When they pulled up, both of them got out wordlessly and stood on the sidewalk together, before Franziska started to head up the steps to the courthouse.

"No."

Franziska stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to Miles, with a look of complete confusion written across her face. "I beg your pardon? What did you just say?" she asked slowly. "I said no." Miles replied, walking up the steps to meet Franziska eye to eye. "I don't want you in the spectator's stand today. You've already ruined enough for me in the first 'day' you've been here. Go off and do something else." The bombshell had been dropped…and its target had just been hit…Franziska stood there with the most surprised and hurt look Edgeworth had ever seen on her face after she had left those "childish feelings" behind.

"I don't want you in the spectator's stand today."

"F…fine…" Franziska managed to reply, before walking off. She looked visibly shaken as she walked down the steps, and began walking away. Miles turned away and sighed, shaking his head. There were slight pangs of guilt that formed, but he waved them away…for a moment. At that time, he heard something that sounded like…like…

'Franziska…!'

His mind seemed to move faster than his feet did, and although he wanted to budge from the courthouse steps, he felt frozen in place. Only after people started rushing past him, did Miles finally get the signal to his legs, and he took off in the fastest sprint any man in a magenta colored suit could possibly pull off.

It didn't take long to see what had happened. The minute he caught sight of her body, laying on the sidewalk, the blood pouring from her wound, staining that beautiful white dress she was wearing, he couldn't help but cry out her name. Whether it was due to the sheer horror or just the thought of possibly losing her, he didn't know. Edgeworth ran over to her, just in time to catch her in her last state of consciousness.

"M…Mi…"

As he held her limp body in his arms, Edgeworth never thought that those words would be the last words he would ever hear from the Franziska Von Karma he had once known.

And as Miles came back to reality from his recollection of events, he shook his head, and held back extremely bitter tears. He...was...though he was not a Von Karma...he had to be perfect...he was raised that way...and to cry...

No...a Von Karma is perfect...
For Franziska's sake, he would not weap over his failure to apologize for his hostility and his brutal pride.

Even though...it really was his fault...