This chapter is focused more on the girls and Edgeworth…and someone else…

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Ace Attorney series characters!

Chapter 3 – Turnabout Return

"Well, where is it Trucy?!" Athena asked eagerly when she got to the Wright Anything Agency.

Trucy pulled a packet of paper from her magic panties. "Here you go!"

Athena hesitated a moment before taking the paper from Trucy. Those magic panties of her…they never cease to amaze me…and freak me out. Nevertheless, Athena looked over the packet. "Perfect! He answered everything! Now, let's just enter this into Widget."

Athena touched Widget, and an electronic screen appeared in front of her. With Trucy next to her, Athena had Widget scan the papers. After a few minutes of processing, four letters were shown on the screen.

"INTJ." Trucy had a look of confusion on her face. "Um…what does that mean Athena?"

"Here. Let's have Widget tell us."

"'INTJs are analytical problem-solvers, eager to improve systems and processes with their innovative ideas. They have a talent for seeing possibilities for improvement, whether at work, at home, or in themselves.

"'Often intellectual, INTJs enjoy logical reasoning and complex problem-solving. They approach life by analyzing the theory behind what they see, and are typically focused inward, on their own thoughtful study of the world around them. INTJs are drawn to logical systems and are much less comfortable with the unpredictable nature of other people and their emotions. They are typically independent and selective about their relationships, preferring to associate with people who they find intellectually stimulating.'" (AN: I copied this description from the typefinder website. I have a link to it on my profile, so all credit goes to that website.)

The two of them were quiet for a moment. "Do…you think that's accurate description of Mr. Edgeworth, Trucy?"

Trucy tapped her chin. "I…think so. I'm not too sure. I've known him for a while, but I don't know him that well." She then smiled as an idea hit her. "But I know someone who would!"

Athena knew exactly who Trucy was talking about. "We better go consult these results with her!"

"Consult what results?"

"Eek!" The two exclaimed.

"Polly! It's rude to listen in on people's conversations!"

"For the record, you guys weren't exactly talking quietly for me not to hear you. Not to mention it was just a question." Apollo crossed his arms. "Well? What are these results you two are tslking about."

"They're none of your business, Apollo," Athena countered.

Great. Now I'm curious and want to know. "Oh? Is that so?"

Trucy nodded. "That is so Polly. It has nothing to do with you, so don't worry!"

"O…K…" Apollo shook his head and left the agency without another word. What is with everyone keeping secrets from me?! First Mr. Wright and now Athena and Trucy! Wait. Why should I worry about them keeping secrets from me if those secrets have nothing to do with me? Apollo sighed. "I really need to get another case to work on. It's unhealthy for me to have this much free time on my hands."

"Mr. Edgeworth. What should we do?" Detective Gumshoe was standing in Edgeworth's office. "No one's called back to accept the offer."

Edgeworth sighed, his brows furrowed. "Yes, so I've heard. I admit I find it quite surprising. You would think people would be willing to do the job, especially given how much the pay is. I mean, we could always drop the position, but…I think it has proven to be quite useful in past cases we've gotten."

"Hm…" Detective Gumshoe thought long and hard. "Hey! I have an idea! How about we ask Dr. Sterling?"

"Her? Ask her what?"

"Ask her to be a temporary medical consultant sir!"

That…actually isn't such a bad idea. "I'm impressed, Detective Gumshoe. That idea didn't really occur to me."

Gumshoe rubbed the back of his head. "Gee, thanks sir."

"Hm...That's definitely a good idea. But I should probably discuss this matter with Mr. Tate himself and see if he would have any ideas."

"I'll you to it, Mr. Edgeworth. Good luck!" With that the detective left, and Edgeworth picked up his phone and began dialing a number.

"Helloooo! This is Conan Tate! How can I help?"

"Mr. Tate? Hello. This is Miles Edgeworth."

"Ah yes! Prosecutor Edgeworth. It's nice to speak to you. What do you need?"

"Mr. Tate. I'm currently working with the police department to try to find a new temporary medical consultant, and I figured it would be a good idea to speak with you and find out if you had any suggestions as to who we could hire."

"Who you could hire? Hm…Gee, that's a good, but hard question. I'm trying to think of someone who would be good for the job, but no one's coming immediately to mind. Do you have any ideas as to who you might ask?"

"Well, someone did suggest a few names at the local ER. For example, Ms. Sterling…"

"Sterling? As in Serena Sterling?!"

What is with this sudden outburst?! Could something be wrong? "Yes, her. Is there something wrong, Mr. Tate?"

"Wrong! You've got your answer right there, my boy! The girl's a genius when it comes to medicine. She really knows her stuff. I've had the honor to meet her. She's a promising young doctor, that one."

"So you believe that we should ask her to be the new temporary consultant then?"

"Yes, absolutely. Do whatever you possibly can to get her to agree to it. She'll be a real asset to you, I guarantee it."

"Alright then. I appreciate your taking the time to speak to me. Have a good day."

"Thanks! I'm out fishing with my grandsons. Oh!" He heard some commotion from the background. "Oh boy! And it looks like I just got a big one on my line. Gotta go, Prosecutor Edgeworth!" The phone line was cut.

"I guess I should give Ms. Sterling a call then." I'm sure she'd appreciate a good excuse to leave her apartment as well.

After one ring, he heard the doctor's professional greeting on the other line. "Good morning. This is the Sunshine Medical Center Emergency Department...how may I..." He heard a heavy sigh, followed by a rather miserable voice. "I'm sorry. I meant to say that you've reached the Sterling residence. This is Serena Sterling speaking. How may I help you?"

It seems like she hasn't quite gotten over not being in the ER. Even after a month…

"Ms. Sterling."

"Mr. Edgeworth? Hi. How are you?" Her voice was perked up a little.

"I'm doing well, thank you. And how about you?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Did you need something?"

"Yes, I do actually. I'd like to discuss something with you; however, I don't feel it would be appropriate to speak over the phone about it. Would it be possible to meet with you in person soon?"

"Of course! When would be a good time for you?"

"Oh, anytime today would be perfectly fine."

"Um...would be inconvenient if I was to come to your office, in say...the next half hour?"

"Oh. You don't need to come in that soon. I shouldn't be busy this afternoon."

"No, no. It's alright. As long as it's okay with you, it doesn't matter for me."

"Well, the sooner we meet, the better it would be...alright Ms. Sterling. I'll see you in half an hour."

Fifteen minutes later, he heard a couple of knocks on his door.

"Come in. Ah Ms. Sterling! I wasn't expecting you for another fifteen minutes."

"I hope you don't mind. I thought it'd take me longer to get here." She was wearing an emerald green shirt and black pants.

"Please, have a seat. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Oh, um...sure, thank you." He stood up and walked over to his tea set and poured some tea into two cups. He brought them over and set them down on his desk. "Thank you. So...how can be of service, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"You see. The Police Department and the Prosecutor's Office have a medical consultant who we call upon to testify in court in regards to matters of medicine. Unfortunately, our current medical consultant, one Mr. Conan Tate, has decided to retire this year."

"Ah yes. Dr. Tate. I remember speaking with him. He was a very bright man. He knew so much about medicine." She shook her head in admiration. "It's a shame he's retiring, but he deserves it, with all of the years he's given to serving the community."

Edgeworth nodded. "So as of right now, we've been trying to figure out who we could find who could replace him temporarily. It would be a shame if we had to remove the position, as it's proven to be quite helpful in cases."

Serena considered it. "Hm…you're right. Let me think." She played with her necklace absentmindedly, brows wrinkled in concentration. "Who at the ER would be willing to fill the position?"

"Actually Ms. Sterling, the reason I asked you to come in was that I wanted to know you if you would like to fill the position in for us."

Her eyebrows went up in apparent surprise. "Me?" She pointed to herself. "You want me to be a medical consultant?" When he nodded, she frowned a little, pushing a strand of hair back behind her ear. "I don't know…I'm not so sure I'd be good enough for a job like that."

"I spoke to Mr. Tate himself just recently, and he recommended that you be hired for the job." Well, if we were to be more precise, then he pretty much necessitated me to have you hired.

"He did? I…didn't know." Her cheeks turned a slight bit pink, and she ran a hand through her hair. "I…well…I'm pleased by the offer, and…I wouldn't mind having to testify in court if it has to do with medicine."

"Does this mean you're willing to consider being hired?"

She nodded. "Yes, I am. But isn't there an application for me to fill out and paperwork I need to submit?"

He shook his head. "You would think there would be, wouldn't you? The Police Department decided that there was no need for paperwork when Mr. Tate was hired; however, they were eventually convinced that we needed to do some sort of evaluation before we hired someone for such a post, so the decision made was to have an informal interview with the candidate. As for background information, the Police Department can just type the person's name into their database and have immediate access to any and all information about them."

"I see…so who would I be doing this interview with?"

"There isn't anyone who solely does the interviews. Whoever's available, whether it be a police officer or a prosecutor, will do the job."

"Oh. So how soon would you like to hire someone?"

Edgeworth crossed his arms. "Well, Mr. Tate's last day is a week from now, but he has taken off work until then. So the sooner we could get someone, the better it would be for us."

"Well, then I guess I wouldn't mind filling in the job, that is, if no one else wants to do it."

"So far, no one's come up and requested that we hire them, even though we have made this issue known to many doctors. You haven't heard of it?"

She shook her head. "No. I've…" She selected her words carefully. "…conveniently been left out of the circle in the hospital ever since my little…'vacation.'"

"I see. Well, we would greatly appreciate your services, Ms. Sterling, but the choice is ultimately yours to make."

She sat there for a moment. "So, theoretically, if I was to accept the position and I got hired, and a case came up, say, this week, where you need a medical consultant to testify. Would I be allowed to?"

Edgeworth considered the question. "I don't see why not."

This seemed to make her much happier. "Then I'll be glad to fill the position for you."

What a relief. That'll be one less thing to worry about. "Alright then. Since we're here, why don't we get that interview out of the way?"

"Oh, sure. That's…fine." She looked down, playing with the gold chain around her neck.

"This is completely informal, so there's no need to be nervous, if you are." Edgeworth took out a notepad and a pen. "Moving along, where did you go to school, Ms. Sterling?"

"I went to school right here in Los Angeles through high school."

"And college?"

She looked away. "Er…about college." She shifted her eyes back to look at him. "I actually went abroad to Borginia when I was 19."

Edgeworth regarded her carefully. "Borginia?"

She nodded. "It's a long story, but basically, I went to the medical school there for five years. I came back here to do my three year residency, and I started working in the ER after that."

Hm…Borginia. That's a rather interesting place to go study medicine. Perhaps I should ask more about that.

"So why did you choose to go study in Borginia rather than stay here in Los Angeles, or at least in the country?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Well, after I graduated from high school, certain…circumstances prevented me from applying to college here."

"'Certain circumstances?' What might those have been?"

She struggled a little. "My…family…they…didn't exactly want me to go to college. I couldn't really apply anywhere either, since I needed the money from them to be able to apply. I would've stayed here if I could have though."

Hmph. So I see. Such cruel people to hinder someone from getting their education.

"But you eventually applied to go there? To Borginia, I mean."

She nodded. "Someone recommended that I send in an application and see if I could get accepted. I wasn't too keen on the idea, because it was a really competitive program, but I didn't want to be rude and decline the offer. So I applied, they called me back and asked me to take an entrance exam, and…I guess I passed."

I'll need to look into this Borginian medical school myself, it seems.

"I see. Thank you for the explanation." Edgeworth considered what else he needed to find out. "You haven't committed any felonies, have you?"

"No, although, I was arrested two times for murder, as I'm sure you're aware of. And technically I am guilty of perjury, even though I wasn't charged for it."

"Ah yes. There is that. But those won't prove to be an issue, I can guarantee that, although your honesty is appreciated." Edgeworth tried to come up with any other questions he could ask. I really don't see any reason why I would need to ask her anything else. She's obviously quite interested, she has a recommendation, and I don't doubt that she knows what she's talking about when it comes to medicine.

"Well Ms. Sterling, I really don't see any need to further prolong this. I think you'd be perfect for the job. Consider yourself hired."

"Oh, thank you Mr. Edgeworth. It'll be so nice to finally have something productive to do."

"I take it that sitting at home for the past month hasn't been very fun."

She shook her head. "Absolutely not. It's been horrible, to be completely honest. I'd much rather be back in the ER, but I still have another month to go. But this will be the next best thing, I guess." She stood up. "I should get going. Thank you again."

"Thank you, Ms. Sterling. You've saved me and the Police Department a lot of work."

She smiled. "Don't mention it. See you."

Hm...she seems to have recovered from her brother's passing. That's good. And now I won't have to worry about a medical consultant for the time being.

"This is a pretty good description that fits him." Kay read over the description again. "Especially this quote: 'INTJs are the most independent of all the sixteen types and take more or less conscious pride in that independence.' He's the perfect example of this." (AN: This also comes from that website.) She looked across the table to Athena and Trucy. They were at the local burger joint. "So what's next?"

"Well, I did some more research, and apparently, the natural matches for INTJs are ENFP or ENTP." Athena then frowned. "The problem we have now is that we have to find someone who has one of these types."

"Hm…" The three girls went into deep thought.

"Do you any of you know a lady who might fit one of these two types?" Athena asked.

"No…no one comes to mind, anyway." Trucy sighed. "This is going to be harder than we thought, isn't it?"

Kay was silent for a while. "You know? I think I might know someone who would fit one of these descriptions."

"You do?"

"I do. And it just so happens that she's looking for someone to date."

Athena clapped her hands together. "This is perfect! All we have to do is set the both of them up on a blind date!"

"That…might be hard to do, Athena. Not with my acquaintance, but with Mr. Edgeworth. He's not into dates, you know."

"Yeah, that is true." Athena tapped her earring a couple of times before snapping her fingers. "But what if he doesn't know that it's a date?"

"Mr. Edgeworth doesn't get tricked easily. It's going to be hard to get him to go out."

Trucy smiled playfully. "Actually, I think I have the perfect way to get Mr. Edgeworth to unknowingly go on a date."

Oh boy. These girls…I can't wait to get the next chapter out! I don't know if this chapter was very good, but I hope you guys like it. This story should get better, at least, I hope it does! Feel free to leave me a review or private message me. Thanks!