"All We Are"
by KeiG
A Phoenix Wright Fanfic
Disclaimer: I do not own them. Capcom does. However, I do own the original characters here, so if you don't want me to sic Franziska and her whip on you (I have her on speed dial), please ask permission first before you use them. Thanks.
Author's Notes - at the end of each chapter.
Chapter 1: Relief
July 15
7:22 PM
Gatewater Hotel
"Alexander, my boy! So good of you to come!"
Alex looked up at the sound of his name and smiled at the old man approaching him. Mr. De Marco was one of his father's good friends, and he figured he should still keep in touch with him even after his father passed away. Besides, the old man reminded him of his father. "Happy Birthday, Uncle Francis."
The old man raised an eyebrow as he gripped the younger man's arm firmly. "Now, now, what did I tell you about this whole 'Uncle' business? You're Gohda Corp's new CEO! You can't be going around and calling me 'Uncle', especially since I'm one of your clients."
"I'm not on official business, Uncle," he grinned and handed him a small box. "It's your birthday, so right now you're family."
Uncle Francis stared at him for a moment, then at the box, then back at him again before breaking into a lopsided grin and taking the box. "Stubborn, just like your father. But thank you for the gift, son. Now come," he motioned for Alex to enter the main hall. "I have some people I would like you to meet."
The young CEO spent the next half an hour trying to remember names of his uncle's associates, chatting about the stock market with men and women old enough to be his grandparents, sipping champagne while his uncle and friends gave him advice. He would glance around the room every now and then, hoping to catch someone - anyone - that did not have graying hair. After the 7th time, he was beginning to think he was the odd man out.
"Alex! Come here, son!"
Alex looked over his shoulder and saw Uncle Francis standing with a large man with a bushy mustache and a young woman in a black suit, waving at him to come over. He excused himself from the other old men - who had started arguing which advice was better for the young executive - and made his way to them.
"Marvin," Uncle Francis addressed the large man. "I'd like you to meet Gohda Corp's new CEO, Alex Parker. Alex, this is Marvin Grossberg and his associate, Mia Fey."
Smiling, Alex shook their hands while noting a small, golden object pinned on their suits. "Pleasure to meet you. Defense lawyers, I presume?"
Marvin Grossberg blinked in surprise. "It looks like they were right, you really are sharp." He smirked when Alex gave him a confused look. "Your reputation precedes you, young man."
The young CEO nodded slowly. "That made me nervous all of a sudden."
"No need to worry, my boy," Uncle Francis reached up and put an arm around Alex's shoulders. "Everybody loves you! I mean, just look at you! Who could resist that handsome face, eh?" He looked expectantly at Marvin's associate. "Right, Ms. Fey?"
The young attorney, startled at being included in the conversation, looked at the three men with a flustered expression. Alex took the opportunity to really look at her - and immediately concluded that she was by far the most beautiful lawyer he had ever met. She was also starting to blush a lovely shade of pink, so he decided to keep things from becoming more awkward for her.
"You don't have to answer that, Miss Fey," he said with a smile, and then turned to his father's friend with a level stare. "Have I ever told you that you're sometimes worse than my father?"
That sent the old man and Marvin laughing. The four of them continued to talk until Uncle Francis excused himself to see to his other guests and Marvin had to speak to some old friends, leaving Alex and Mia standing there and observing the party.
"You noticed how we are sorely outnumbered?" Mia asked him as she looked around.
Alex chuckled. "Which is why I was so relieved when I saw you."
A waiter walked up to them and offered Mia a glass of champagne from his tray. Mia took one and nodded her thanks to the waiter. "I take it you had an interesting time with all these 'experienced' businessmen?"
"Quite a bit," Alex smirked, and then pointed Mia's attention to the group he was talking to earlier. "They've been arguing for ten minutes on whose advice on investments I should follow. That guy over there--" He gestures to the other side of the room, where a short, old man was looking daggers at them. "--thinks I'm too young to take the position and that my dad made a huge mistake by dying."
"Someone's bitter," it was Mia's turn to smirk, and then took a sip from her glass. "But I have to ask, how can you handle that kind of pressure? Being a CEO at a young age, I mean."
"Good question," he sighed and shook his head. "Enough about me. So why did you become a defense lawyer?"
Mia studied him for a moment, before taking another sip. "Let's just say someone has to defend the innocent. I can't just let the prosecution throw anyone they want in jail."
"So you're saying all of your clients are innocent?" Alex put his arms across his chest, looking at her intently. "You've never defended a guilty client?"
She shook her head and smiled, genuinely amused at the other man's surprise.
"Wow," Alex breathed. "How do you know if your client is really guilty or not?"
The young attorney pursed her lips, trying to come up with a sensible answer. Unfortunately, she could think of any at the moment. "I don't know," she replied, looking a little sheepish. "They tell me they didn't do it, and I believe them. It's worked so far."
Alex nodded, and Mia noticed that his eyes were gleaming with curiosity. "Really?" he asked, rubbing his chin. "Maybe you could tell me about one of your cases?"
Mia blinked. "A-are you sure, Mr. Parker? It might bore you..." she trailed off.
Smiling, he took a brief glance at their surroundings. "Ms. Fey, after listening to stocks and bonds for the past half hour, even a simple breaking and entering case would sound exhilarating to me." He paused for a moment. "And please, call me Alex."
She stared at him for a moment before laughing softly. "Alright. But don't say I didn't warn you."
"I won't, I promise." Alex grinned. Mia laughed again and then began her story, all while realizing how much this young tycoon had managed to pique her interest.
July 22
12:06 PM
CEO's Office, Gohda Corporation
It's been a week since the birthday party and Alex was now sitting in his office on a lazy afternoon, vainly trying to think of ways to kill time. When he started this job three months ago, the last thing he expected was the boredom of having to sign approvals and listen to semi-lifeless men and their presentations almost every day. He was 25, for crying out loud.
Maybe that bitter old guy at the party was right; he was way too young for this.
There was a light knock on the door, and Alex sighed as he straightened in his chair. Yey, more papers to sign, he thought. "Yes?"
The door opened to allow his secretary to enter the room. She was tall and slender, with her long, black hair tied back, and she was wearing a dark blue coat and skirt. "I'm afraid the network presentation is postponed, sir," Eunice Sanz handed what looked like a planner over to her new boss. "It seems that their representative had just had a car accident, and they don't have anyone to replace him."
Frowning, the young man glanced at the planner and shot Eunice a quizzical look. "They don't have a replacement?"
"None, sir," Eunice nodded. "Should we reschedule another presentation for them?"
Everything was silent for a moment as Alex thought about it. "I think the fact that they were not prepared if something like this happens says a lot about their company, don't you think? Now I'm not sure if I'm willing even listen to their proposal."
"So I should just go ahead and cancel everything, sir?"
Alex fell silent again, obviously debating with himself. Before the secretary could ask again, he shifted in his seat and looked at her. "Give them three days to prepare." He leaned forward to hand the planner back to the tall woman.
"As you wish, sir," Eunice paused and smiled at her boss. "You're learning. For a moment there, I thought I was talking to Sir Johann."
"Only more handsome," he grinned. "Thanks, Eunice. You been a great help."
"It's my job, Sir Alex." Eunice hugged the planner against her chest. "And your family has been very good to mine. I'm just returning the gesture." The Sanz have been working for his family for more than a decade as secretaries. The role of the CEO's secretary is not just for rescheduling presentations, making coffee, nor running errands; it was more than that. Over time, the two families have come to an understanding and have formed a deep, trusting relationship. No, the Sanz's were not considered as slaves or employees - they were the Parker's confidants and safe keepers.
"Thank you," he said, and with that, Eunice left him to ponder on what the hell he was supposed to do now that he had the rest of the afternoon off.
July 22
2:15 PM
District Court, Defendant Lobby No. 5
Mia lagged behind, waiting for the trial's spectators to walk past her before heaving a sigh of relief. That had been one of the closest close calls she had ever experienced, and her heart hasn't even begun to slow down. Her client would have been dragged to the detention center by now if it weren't for the prosecution's accidental blunder.
Speaking of prosecutors, she spotted Winston Payne trudging bitterly towards the elevator. It was funny how the old, over-confident prosecutor, also known as the "Rookie Killer", would now literally cower at her presence after throwing condescending remarks and insults at her on their first meeting. Smirking, she shook her head and walked to the nearest water fountain. She didn't realize her throat had become really dry.
"That poor prosecutor," a voice behind her said just as she leaned down to drink. "Completely obliterated by a lawyer young enough to be his daughter."
She stopped and looked over her shoulder to see Alex, his hands in his pockets, looking at the direction Payne disappeared to before turning and smiling at her. "It's nice to see you again, Miss Fey."
"Mr. Parker?" It had been a week since she met him, and to be honest, she thought it was another one of those first and last encounters with someone she had a nice conversation with. She didn't think she'd ever see him again. "What are you doing here?"
"Well," he ran a hand through his hair. "I suddenly had the afternoon off. And after that case you told me last week, I thought I'd see you in action." He glanced back at the courtroom doors. "Is it always that intense with you in court?"
Mia paused, recalling what had just transpired behind those doors. It was an intense battle of wits alright - but not between her and the prosecutor. The witness, who turned out to be an accomplice of the real murderer, was incredibly smart and irritatingly cocky. If it weren't for Payne's slip of the tongue, she wouldn't have spotted a contradiction and her client would've been sentenced for a crime he didn't commit. For Alex to ask that, it would mean that he had seen the entire exchange. "Um, most of the time, yes," she answered, feeling shy all of a sudden. "Especially when they're getting desperate."
"I'm really impressed," he told her. "I think I know who to call if I get in trouble."
The lawyer blushed at his praise. She didn't think he'd hold her with such high regard and even consider trusting her with his life (if it ever came to that) only after seeing her in court once. "Thanks...but I'll take your case only if you really are innocent."
"Aw, and I was thinking of robbing that burger joint across the street."
An image of the CEO wearing a suit and a ski mask over his head while stuffing wads of money from a cash register flashed in her mind's eye, and finding that scene particularly goofy, she started to giggle. Nobody's been able to do make her laugh like that since...
Alex glanced at his watch. "So, you want to have lunch?"
She looked to her left, where a big digital clock announced the time in glaring red numbers.
"Now that you mention it, I am quite starving."
The young executive grinned. "Good, let's go to that burger joint so I can a little spying."
She grinned back, noting his more relaxed demeanor now that they weren't surrounded by old men with critical and sometimes condescending gazes. "Don't expect me to help you if you get caught."
This time it was Alex who laughed, and the two started walking to the elevator while Alex decided which restaurants to "rob" and Mia mused about how amusing it would be to personally throw a CEO in jail.
A/N: My first fanfic for this fandom. It's also the first time I've posted any of my work, so yes, I'm nervous as hell. Comments are always welcome, but please be kind to a newbie. ;
Wow, that chapter was a little long, isn't it? I'm not sure about the next few chapters, but what the heck. Anyway, more notes!
Timeline – This chapter starts off approximately three years before the first game, and three months after Mia defended Phoenix in court.
Gohda Corporation - It's um, a business company obviously. I'm still deciding what kind of business it will be.
Hmmm…I'm not sure if I've clarified everything but what the hell. You can ask me questions anytime and I will try to answer them in between lesson plans. I hope you enjoyed reading.