CHAPTER 8

Miles Edgeworth took a sip of his tea as he looked out the window of room 1202 in the high prosecutor's office, into a dark, cloudy sky. He had received word from Franziska that she was returning to America from Germany full time, and he had made preparations for them to eat dinner together later that night. He knew very well she was angry at him for what happened 8 years ago, and he really wanted to make amends. He knew she wouldn't understand why he had left h all those years ago, but he had finally found the truth, thanks to a man he once considered his worst enemy. He heard the clock ring for 7 o'clock p.m, and he grabbed his jacket and his umbrella in case it were to rain as he made his way out the door.

He walked into the dark restuarant lit only by the single candle at each individual table. The host led him to a table for two where Franziska had already been seated, wearing a silver cocktail dress with matching heels. Miles wondered why he didn't dress up for this event, but he let it go as soon as he sat down across from her. "Hello, Franziska." She continued tapping on her shoulder with her arms crossed as she looked down at the table with her eyes closed. "Miles Edgeworth." Miles noted how to choice of silver brought out her hair, but also seemed to almost blend in with her very pale skin. Miles thought pale skin looked better on her, though. "You look lovely this evening." Franziska didn't look up from the way she was seated. "Thank you, Miles Edgeworth." He tried to think of something to say, but couldn't think of anything, so they sat in silence together for a little while. After sitting in silence for a while together, the waiter brought them their meals. Miles tried thinking of a way he could talk to her about what happened 8 years ago, but thought it'd be better to do so away from other people, just the two of them. After they had finished their meals, Miles made an offering. "Sometimes, I go for a walk in the park at nighttime in the city park just a couple of blocks down from here. Do you want to go for a walk with me tonight?" Franziska didn't look up. "Alright. That sounds acceptable."

With that, the two made their way out of the restuarant and walked side by side to the park. Streetlamps illuminated the paths they walked on, while the moonlight illuminated the lake that lay dead center in the park. Miles struggled to bring it up, but he knew what he had to do. "...Franziska, about all those years ago..." Franziska looked up for the first time all night. "What about it? You left me all alone. I will never forget that." Miles let out a sigh. I was afraid she'd say something of that extent... "...Franziska. You need to understand all of the circumstances that lead to my return to America." With that, he told her about how he was looking for what happened to his father and all about the DL-6 case. "...so my papa killed your father and tried framing you for someone else's murder, eh?" Miles looked down in sadness. "Yes, I'm afraid so."

Franziska stopped dead in her tracks, while Miles took a couple of more steps before turning back to face her. "...you know, I'm supposed to be moving into my new office tomorrow afternoon in the prosecutor's building. Maybe you could stop by and we could share a cup of tea?" Edgeworth smiled, as Franziska was usually only entirely hostile towards him and everyone else. "Yes, Franziska. That sounds splendid. If I could get the number of your office, please?" Franziska mulled over it for a second. "I believe they told me 1201." Miles smirked. "If that's the case, it looks like we're neighbors then." Franziska looked towards the ground and hugged herself, whip in hand. "It appears so."

After that, as if someone let the flood gates loose in the sky, rain began pouring down very heavily on the two of them while they were in the park alone. Miles pulled out his umbrella that was only big enough for one. He looked back at Franziska, who hated rain and storms, to see her looking up in the sky with her mouth gaping open, no shelter from the cold, heavy rain. Miles made his way over to her, and held his umbrella over her head to keep her from getting wet. She looked it him in shock. "Miles...you didn't have to do that..." He smirked. "I know, but I wanted to." He walked her over to the sidewalk and waved for a cab. The yellow car pulled over to the sidewalk, and Miles continued to hold his umbrella over Franziska until she had made it safely into the backseat of the cab. He handed the cab driver his fare and made his way back to Franziska in the backseat, who had her window rolled down. "T-thank you, Miles Edgeworth." Edgeworth just closed his eyes and smiled. "Anytime, Franziska. If it storms tonight, don't hesitate to call me, alright?" Franziska just looked back up at him. "O-ok, Miles."

He replied "Ok." She rolled up her window, and when she had done so, Miles saw his reflection. His hair had fallen flat because of the rain, and his clothes had become damp. He put the umbrella back over his head and hit the top of the taxi, signaling the cab driver it was alright to drive. With that, he made his way back to his Fiat 500 back at the restuarant, alone, in the rain with his umbrella over his head, a warm, geniuine smile plastered on his face the whole way there.

Later that rainy night, Miles was back at his high-rise apartment, a towel draped around his shoulders as he watched the nightly news over a cup of tea. His dog, Pesu, had laid down on his feet as to where he couldn't get up. All of a sudden, the sound of thunder clapping shook the entire apartment, causing the dog to sit up rather quickly, but leaving Edgeworth just to pull out his phone in anticipation of Franziska's call. After thunder clapped violently a few more times, his phone finally began to ring, causing the Steel Samurai's theme song echoing throughout the apartment. He picked it up to hear a crying, sobbing voice on the other end. "M-m-Miles! I-I...I need you!" She let out a moan of fear before his response. "Don't worry, Franziska, I'll be right there." As he made his way out to the car, he called his subordinate, Detective Dick Gumshoe, to make sure he got nothing but green lights on the way to the von Karma manor. After the confused detective did so, he inquired as to why Edgeworth needed him to do that, but Edgeworth simply hung up the phone.

After he had made it up to the von Karma manor's doorstep, he didn't have time to knock on the door before Franziska, still in her clothes from earlier that evening, ran out the door and pulled him into the manor, hugging him tightly while crying into the dry clothes he had changed into. He put his arms around her in return and began swaying slowly, as the sound of her crying was the only noise in the vast, dark house. She led him back to her bedroom, were she had set up a sheet that was hanging over her bed and her dresser, creating somewhat of a makeshift roof over their heads. He looked under the sheet to find a thick blanket on the floor with a couple of pillows, his Captain America flashlight he had given to her, and her favorite book, The Call of the Wild. He didn't even have to ask what she had wanted to do.

He lay back on the pillows, and she lay against his chest. He opened the book and shined the flashlight on it, and began reading it aloud to her as her sobs began growing softer. After he had read 4 or 5 chapters, she had grown completely silent, asleep against his body. He kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight, Franziska. I love you." And with that, fell asleep himself.