Gosh, this chapter proved to be tough to write! I know how the story is going to go, but writing these kinds of chapters gets difficult. Hopefully, I didn't mess it up too bad! Enjoy!

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

Background: It's been one week since Thalassa's passing (May she rest in peace).

Chapter 21 – Turnabout Threat

Edgeworth once more found himself at the front desk of the ER in the afternoon, speaking to the receptionist. "Ah, Mr. Edgeworth. You're here to see Dr. Sterling?"

"Yes I am."

Tina popped her head in the window. "You're out of luck. Dr. Sterling isn't here, I'm afraid. She's out on a date with Dr. Emilio."

"She is?!"

"I knew it!" Tina pointed a finger at him. "Even you're shocked, and you don't even know her that well!"

"What do you mean?" He asked, trying to feign nonchalance.

"You reacted the way we all did when we heard." Tina crossed her arms. "She's been acting pretty strange for the past week now. I don't know what happened. But he asked her out to a party yesterday, right here in the nurse's station. We were all expecting her to reject him, for the 175th time, and yes, I've been keeping track." She pulled out a piece of paper full of tally marks, waving in front of her. "And she said yes! Either she's gone insane, or she's gone crazy."

"Those are both the same thing," Edgeworth pointed it.

She nodded. "Exactly, meaning there's no other explanation. She's gone mad!"

"Right…anyway, when she returns, I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd tell her that I had stopped by and had something to discuss with her."

"Sure! No problem! Have a nice day."

Well, that's surprising. Given what she had told him about her coworker, he thought she was rather annoyed by his constant pursuit of her.

(Flashback)

It was a couple of weeks ago. She was leading him down to her office, all while talking to Tina over the radio. "Who left these red tulips in front of my office?" She had asked when she spotted a huge vase right at her office door.

"Guess who?" The voice on the other side taunted

"Oh no," Serena groaned, shutting her eyes and shaking her head.

"Oh yes! Your not-so-secret admirer, Dr. Emilio." Tina giggled in the background. "You do know what red tulips mean, don't you Dr. Sterling?"

Serena frowned. "I wish I didn't. Anyway, I'll talk to you later." She picked up the flowers and set them on one of the tables in her office.

"That doctor seems to be quite taken on you, Ms. Sterling."

"Honestly, I hate to complain about a fellow coworker, but he's been getting on my nerves. He just can't take no for an answer." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be whining to you about my insignificant little problems. Let's get to work."

(End Flashback)

I suppose he must've finally grown on her. He himself could not say the same. The flirtatious doctor obviously held a huge grudge against him, as he had come to realize later on that same day as he was leaving the ER.

(Flashback)

"Listen here, Prosecutor." Dr. Emilio snarled at Edgeworth. "I don't like you."

Hmph. I figured as much.

Dr. Emilio smiled arrogantly. "You just watch. I'll win Serena's heart."

"Hmph. You speak as though we're actively competing with each other for the affections of Ms. Sterling. I am not, Dr. Emilio. I'm here strictly for business purposes. So you are free to pursue her as you wish. However," he crossed his arms. "I'd advise you to tone it down a bit. Your actions could be misconstrued as harassment." With that, he walked away.

(End Flashback)

I hate to think this, but she lacks good taste in men. Shaking his head, he went back to his office, where a ton of work was waiting for him.

At the Wright Anything Agency, things were a little awkward. While all of the secrets Phoenix and Apollo were keeping had been revealed and explained, Trucy and Apollo were both still quietly mourning Thalassa's death. She had passed away on a Saturday, and her funeral was held two days later, on Monday. Now, it was Sunday, just a little over a week since she had passed away.

Apollo and Trucy were both sitting on the couch together, silently. They hadn't really talked about Thalassa ever since she had passed away. Both of them had been gracefully avoiding the subject, but now, with the office empty, it seemed to be the perfect time for them to talk.

"Polly. I…have something I wanted to ask you."

He turned to Trucy, a smile on his face. "What is it, Trucy?"

She took off her top hat and started playing with it. "Do…you remember Mommy? From when you were younger?" She glanced at him. Now that I think about it, I never really asked Polly about his family. Who would've thought we'd be siblings?

Apollo sighed, placing his elbows on his knees and clasping hands. "Not really, Trucy. She…left…when I was a year old."

"And…what about your Daddy?"

He shook his head, looking away. "He passed away when I was born. He was apparently a stage performer."

Trucy was intrigued with that little tidbit. "A stage performer? Was he a magician?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe he was." He let out a small laugh. "That would mean I could have magician's blood flowing through me."

Trucy tilted her head then wagged her finger at him. "Dear Polly. I guess you didn't realize it, did you?" She giggled at Apollo's confused facial expression. "You have Gramarye blood flowing through you, Polly. So you do have magician's blood in you, just like me!"

Apollo raised his eyebrows. "You're…" He stopped to think. "Right."

"But you're more like Mommy. She was a magician's assistant."

"She…was?"

"Mmhm! She was awesome!" She frowned a little, remembering the day when she found out that her mommy had disappeared so many years ago.

Apollo stared at her. She's my little sister. He knew Trucy was being strong. He had heard that she ran out of the ER crying when she heard the bad news, but she didn't show any signs of being very upset. He knew better though. She was like him in that sense: she didn't like to show her sadness to anyone, but unlike him, she always had a bright, cheerful smile on her face.

Trucy abruptly looked up at him when she felt a warm arm wrap around her shoulder and pulled her close. "P-Polly?"

"It's alright to feel hurt, you know."

"I know," she said quietly. She cuddled closer to him. They rarely ever had moments like this together. Usually, Apollo would be helping Trucy with a magic trick, or she would be helping him with his investigation. They would pick on each other occasionally too (Trucy especially), but each had already begun to see the other as a sibling.

After learning that they really were siblings, they had actually been distant a little, not knowing what to say to the other. What exactly could you say? It wasn't every day that you learned one of your closest friends is actually your long-lost sibling.

"She'd want us to be happy, Trucy. To treasure the time we spent with her and keep her in our hearts." Apollo was surprised with himself. When the truth was revealed, he had felt bitter at first. Thalassa had left him behind, abandoned him, and he had to stay at the orphanage with no family.

He was angry at her for what she did. Even when Phoenix explained the situation, he wasn't satisfied. In his mind, he had refused to accept the reasoning behind her actions. But as he began thinking everything over, he gradually came to see how she really did do what's best for him.

He came to this revelation especially when he thought about what Trucy went through. Sure, she did get to spend more time with Thalassa then he did, and she had a father too, but she grew up with Troupe Gramarye. Thalassa was accidentally shot and soon disappeared. Then, her father got accused of murdering her grandfather, only to have Trucy help him disappear and leave her all alone, until Phoenix took her in. She'd been through a lot more than he had.

"But you barely got any time to spend with her, and I…don't even remember her that well."

"That's…true, but we got to spend time with her when she was Lamiroir, remember? We saw her singing on stage at the Gavinners' concert."

Trucy nodded, a smile appearing on her face. "I do remember. I even cried a little when I heard her sing."

Apollo chuckled. "Yeah, she had an amazing voice."

"And Prosecutor Gavin's guitar accompaniment was nice too."

"Yeah, he was okay, but she was the best."

"Mmhm. And don't forget Machi! His piano playing really complimented Mommy's singing."

Apollo nodded, and silence fell between them. His eyes searched around, until they fell on Trucy's wrist. Something was peeking out of her glove. "Hey Trucy. What's that in your glove?"

Trucy saw him pointing to her right hand. She pulled off her glove to reveal a bracelet. "It's Mommy's bracelet. She…gave it to me…before she…" Trucy stopped, her voice cracking a little.

"Trucy. You can cry, Trucy. It's just the two of us."

She let the tears run down her cheeks and soak Apollo's shirt. "I…I miss her, Polly," she whispered to him.

They had both been informed by Phoenix that she had some kind of terminal illness, but she was supposed to have three more months to live. She had contacted Phoenix, wanting to reunite with Trucy and Apollo and tell them the truth about everything. But she had also requested that he keep their meetings a secret from the two of them.

He hugged her tighter, laying his cheek on her head. "I miss her too, Trucy. I miss her too."

Things would never truly be the same between them, but at least they knew the truth now. They were family.

Edgeworth was exiting the Prosecutor's office that evening when he noticed a blonde-haired woman standing there near the entrance. "Miss Reece."

"Hey, it's you! Mr. Edgeworth! How ya doin'?"

"Well, thank you. And yourself?"

"Oh swell." She took out her phone. "Man. Still another hour before she gets back." She turned to him, smiling excitedly. "Did you know Rena's on a date?!"

"I've heard. With her coworker, correct?"

"Yes! I knew she liked him! It was just a matter of time! But…" She crossed her arms. "I didn't think she'd go out with him this quick, but then again, she's been acting kind of weird lately."

"Weird? Care to elaborate on that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know what it is, but she seems a bit…out of it. Distracted. Like something's bothering her. She won't tell me though. I'm kind of worried, actually. The way she acts, it's like she's got some hidden agenda or something." She was serious for a moment, and then she laughed, waving her hand. "Ha! As if she'd have a hidden agenda. She's the most boring person in this world…" Her smile disappeared. "But you didn't hear that from me!"

A hidden agenda, hm?

"Anyway, gotta jet. See ya!" The blonde haired girl walked away.

Edgeworth shook his head. What an odd woman. He then heard someone call out to him.

"Hey Edgeworth!"

He turned to see Phoenix running up to him with Iris right behind him. "Wright. Ms. Fey," he nodded his head at them.

"Edgeworth. I've got something I need to show you," Phoenix said urgently.

Edgeworth watched as the blue-suited man pulled out an envelope from his pocket. Opening it, there was a folded piece of paper in it.

"Check this out," he handed the paper to the prosecutor, who took it and read it aloud.

"Be careful about those who are precious to you, Phoenix Wright. Before you know it, they will disappear from the face of the Earth…Just like he did." Edgeworth looked from the note. "Who is this 'he' the note is referring to, Wright?"

Phoenix shrugged. "I don't know, Edgeworth. The only person I can think of…" Phoenix hesitated.

"Yes?"

"Is Zak Gramarye."

"Zak…Gramarye? Ah yes. That magician who disappeared during the trial."

Phoenix nodded. "I wanted you to see this. I'm…I'm a little worried about it. I want to think it's just a dumb note someone's sending me, but…"

"Hm…I can see the reason why you'd be concerned. I wouldn't take this note lightly. Where did you get this and when?"

"It was in the mailbox at my apartment complex, and I got it today in the afternoon."

"If I were you Wright, I'd make sure to warn Ms. Cykes, Mr. Justice and Trucy to be very cautious. And if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to keep this with me. I'll make sure to go to the police department and give it to them, although it would be much better to have you come too." Edgeworth stared at the note. It was handwritten, but Edgeworth couldn't recognize the writing style. "Do you have any idea who might have sent this to you?"

Phoenix shook his head. "None whatsoever. Definitely someone who has something against me."

"Hmph. That's the only logical explanation for this note, Wright. Anyway, it's getting late. I better get going now. But how about you drop by my office tomorrow, and we'll head over to the police?"

"Sounds good, Edgeworth. Thanks."

Edgeworth nodded. "Be careful. Both of you."

"We will, Mr. Edgeworth. Take care," Iris said.

As Edgeworth went to his car, he was thinking about this new event. So someone's threatening Wright? Hm…not a surprise. I'd imagine many people would have a grudge against him, given how many criminals he's helped put into jail, but this is the first I've heard from him of someone threatening him. Who could it be?

Good question, Edgeworth. Who could it be? I mean, I know who it is…

Anyway, not an awesome chapter, but hopefully I'll write better chapters. There's going to be a time skip in the next chapter, but I'll be sure to explain everything about it. Please feel free to leave a review and/or private message me! Thanks!