iii. That incident, seven years ago…

Phoenix turned sharply from the stove as someone banged on his front door. He strove for calm as he ran through the possibilities. His landlady. The police. Child Protective Services. An angry poker player. Gavin.

"Phoenix? Phoenix."

Phoenix closed his eyes briefly.

Mia.

The relief he felt was short-lived. He'd had a feeling this was going to happen sooner or later, but he'd really hoped for later. Much later, when he had some answers.

"Phoenix Wright." Mia banged on the door again. Somehow, the fact that she sounded calm made Phoenix even more uneasy. "Phoenix, if you don't open this door, I'm going to really make a scene."

Trucy glanced to the door, then back at him, her expression filled with fear. "…Daddy?"

"It's all right, Truce," Phoenix reassured her, moving the noodles off the heat. He picked her up and gave her a cuddle. "Just go to your room, okay? This'll only take a few minutes."

Trucy didn't look so sure about that, but she ran to her room anyway. Phoenix took a deep breath and walked into the tiny hallway. He unhooked the chain and slid back the deadbolt, and opened the door.

Mia stood there, leaning heavily on her cane, and Phoenix knew he should invite her in, just to let her sit down. Instead he moved to block the doorway, ignoring the little pangs of guilt.

"Phoenix." Mia looked him up and down, quirking an eyebrow at his hoodie, sweats and sandals.

Phoenix nodded. "Mia."

"You told me you were going to Kurain for a few weeks to get your head together," Mia said matter-of-factly. A faint smile appeared on her face, but there was absolutely no warmth behind it. "Did, did you think I'd forget to call Maya and see if you'd arrived?"

Phoenix swallowed nervously, and carded a hand through his messy spikes. "Uh…"

"Did you think Maya would lie to me when I did call?"

No, but I'd kinda hoped. Phoenix shifted his weight and tried to maintain his composure.

"Did you think I wouldn't look for you at your old place?" Mia continued. "Did you think I wouldn't ask your landlord if you'd left a forwarding address? Nice trick with the PO box, by the way." Her smile had disappeared, and a stern frown had taken its place. "Avoiding me is one thing, Phoenix. Treating me like an idiot is another."

Phoenix took a deep breath and let it out slow. He didn't blame Mia for being mad at him. But he couldn't risk Gavin targeting the people he cared about, especially her. Not when he could see part of the scar Redd White had left on her temple. Three and a half years later, and sometimes he still had nightmares about it.

"Chief, I gave you my resignation," he said shortly. "I don't owe you any explanations anymore." He stepped back and moved to close the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to finish making lunch for my daughter."

Mia jammed her cane between the door and the frame.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, Phoenix," she declared, a note of steel in her voice.

The words poured out of him in a rush.

"Chief, I've asked you to leave, so as of now you're trespassing, and I have the right to call the police and have you removed."

She stared at him in surprise and hurt, but she took her cane out of the doorway. Phoenix shut the door on her and locked it back up before he could think about it any further. He moved back into the kitchen and tried to compose himself before he called Trucy out of her room.

He heard the mail slot squeak open.

"Fine," Mia called. "I guess I'll have to investigate Kristoph Gavin by myself then."

A cold chill ran down Phoenix's spine at her words. He tried to shake it off. She was just bluffing.

"You know, the only other lawyer who spoke in your defence when you were disbarred? The one who was supposed to defend your client until a few days before the trial? And whose little brother just happened to be the prosecutor?"

Phoenix swallowed, struggling to stay calm. Mia was just trying to get him to talk to her. She wouldn't actually…

"Here I go! Teetering on my gimpy leg… with my easily loseable notebook with all the important details jotted down… because of my memory…"

Phoenix sighed and walked to the front door. He opened it and stepped back to let Mia hobble inside. He followed her as she made her way to the kitchen table and carefully sat down.

"Damn it, Chief," Phoenix murmured wearily. He joined her at the table. "If you've been looking into my last case – especially if you've been checking up on Kristoph – you ought to know why I didn't want anyone else involved."

"And you ought to know that I can't let you do this on your own," Mia countered. She gestured at herself. "Here's what happens to attorneys who take on bad guys with no back-up. And I got lucky. Think about Gregory Edgeworth. Think about Prosecutor Armando."

Phoenix looked away, fidgeting guiltily. Trucy didn't need to lose another daddy. Or to spend five years sitting by a hospital bed, hoping he'd wake up.

Mia reached out and covered his hand with her own.

"Phoenix, if I have to be a silent partner in your investigation, so be it," she murmured. "But we're in this together."

Phoenix mustered a smile. "There's no way to talk you out of this, is there?"

"Not a chance," Mia answered, smiling back.

Phoenix stood up. "Then I guess you'd better stay for lunch." He walked to the edge of the kitchen-and-living area and called down the hallway. "Trucy, you can come out now. I want you to meet a friend of mine."