CHAPTER 17

The sound of Franziska's heels hitting the sidewalk annoyed her; she didn't plan on leaving the apartment today, but Miles insisted that they go for a walk and get their lunch while they were out. Since his favorite lunch stop wasn't in walking distance, they decided to settle for a small restuarant on the side of the city park closest to his apartment. She held his hand gently as they walked through the restuarant doors.

They ordered their food to go; Miles got a club sandwich while Franziska got a small salad. They walked into the park to find a bench to eat their food together. Miles seemed to be enjoying his sandwich, and Franziska just took small bites of her salad while looking up into the sun-filled blue sky, watching birds fly around the trees up ahead. Miles was doing to same thing. Franziska thought to herself quietly during this moment of observation; Today is such a beautiful day. It's been great so f- She felt something drop onto her head. SPLAT!

She heard Miles' laughter as she wiped something that was dripping down her forehead off with her leather glove-clad hand; The gag-reflex kicked in as she turned red with embarrassment. A bird had done it's business, an it had fallen on her head. She looked at her food; Miles took his napkin and wiped it off of her, repeating his motions until it was all gone. She felt so foolish that she didn't want to look up from her salad. After he was done cleaning her up, he gently picked her head up with his index finger and then proceeded to attempt to tell her something comforting; "You know, Franziska, most people wouldn't be able to tell this about you unless they spent enough time with you, but you're a very awkward person..." Gee. You sure have a way with words, don't you? "...and that's one of my favorite things about you. It's really...cute." She blushed once again, except this was a pinker shade of flattery that offset her pale skin.

After they finished eating, they walked around the park together for a little bit. They were holding hands and reminiscing over the days of von Karma manor when a frisbee smacked into the side of Franziska's head. When she had thought things couldn't get any worse, a goofy man in an orange jacket ran up to get his frisbee. After he picked up his frisbee and looked up to apologize, a big, foolish grin came over his face. "Yo! Edgey! Franzy! What's up?" CRACK! Larry Butz let out a yelp of pain, and then he motioned towards Miles for a high-five. "Edgey! Gettin' some! Alright! You always were popular with..." Edgeworth just glared at him, simultaneously shooting down his gesture for a high-five, while Franziska hit him with her whip. CRACK! "THE LAAAAADDDDDIIIIESS!"

Larry began rubbing his shoulder in pain. "W-well, a-anyway, I'm here having a picnic with my new girlfriend." His face brightened up. "I really think she's the one..." Edgeworth interrupted him. "...You've said that about every girl you've dated since your very first romance, Larry." Larry blushed and began to yell, leaving Edgeworth and Franziska in awe of his foolishness, rather than making them feel bad, like he hoped. "OH! SURE! PICK ON POOR LARRY BUTZ! SEE IF YOU TWO GET AN INVITATION TO MY WEDDING IN HAWAII, PALS! EVERYONE HATES ME! I"M USELESS, AREN'T I!?"

Edgeworth just let out a sigh. "...I'm sorry you feel that way, Larry. Now, Franziska and I must be going." They turned to leave and Larry yelled out once more. "W-WAIT!" They turned back around, Edgeworth maintaining his composure while Franziska couldn't hide a scowl of irritation and tranferred her rolled up whip from her right hand into her left hand to prepare to use it. "I was thinking, since, you know, you two are together, and I'm with my one true love, maybe the four of us could..." Edgeworth spoke up. "No."

Larry began emotionally yelling again, as if he were performing in a Broadway play. "YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY!" CRACK! Both Edgeworth and Franziska spoke in unison with their response this time. "No." With that, they walked away from the scene, because Larry was drawing the attention of everyone in the park with his outbursts now.

Franziska had a searing question on her mind after this encounter; "Miles, how did you ever become friends with that man? I mean, Mr. Wright is understandable, but HIM? I can't use the word 'fool' enough when describing that man." Edgeworth just sighed. "I wonder that myself, but he's still my friend..." He looked down towards her with warm eyes and a smirk. "...even if I try to avoid him by any means necessary." This made Franziska smile. After this brief exchange, his cell phone began to ring, echoing the Steel Samurai theme throughout the park. He picked it up.

"Miles Edgeworth speaking."

Franziska heard of voice on the other line screaming; "EDGEY! AFTER ALL WE'VE BEEN THROUGH TOGETHER! YOU JUST..." *click*

After he hung up, the Steel Samurai theme began playing once more, seemingly even louder. Both Edgeworth and Franziska were getting irritated by this man now.

He picked up his cell phone once more; "I swear, if you don't stop calling this number, I'm going to..."

It wasn't Larry Butz on the other line; "O-oh...sorry, Miles...I just needed your help with something...can you stop by my office later, if you have the time?"

Edgeworth told his old friend with utmost confidence "Yes, Franziska and I will start heading over there immediately."

Franziska heard a strained, forced laughter on the other end of the line. "You and Franziska sure do spend a lot of time together now..."

Edgeworth smiled and let out a cheerful chuckle; "Yes, I suppose we do. We'll be over there as fast as we can, alright?" The voice on the other line said alright and Edgeworth hung up the phone, and made haste to his destination, pulling Franziska along with him.

She didn't understand everything that was happening right now; "Miles, what is the meaning of all this?" He kept looking forward. "That was Phoenix Wright. He sounded troubled, and we don't have a car to get to his offices, so we're just going to have to walk there." Franziska nodded in understandment and left with him towards Wright & Co. Law Offices.

When they arrived, they opened the door to a dark room, with the only light to be found eminating from Phoenix's computer. Franziska didn't see his assistant, Maya Fey, anywhere.

Edgeworth must've noticed this too. "Hello, Phoenix. Where's Maya?" Phoenix looked up with a false smile. "Oh, she just needed to be alone. I let her into Mia's old office to think."

Even though she didn't know how to deal with people very well, Franziska knew that Phoenix was greatly troubled...more troubled than she'd seen him to ever be.

He turned his attention to her. "Franziska, if you want to go talk to Maya, that'd be great. I think she needs some help right now..." His expression grew serious. "...and please leave your whip here with me." She didn't like going anywhere without her whip; but she obliged none-the-less.

She opened a door that read Mia Fey, Attorney at Law, to find the young acolyte crying beside a chalk outline in a dark room. She knew that Maya had heard her come in, but didn't give her any of her attention. Franziska didn't know what to do with this situation; she didn't talk to people about their feelings, especially who she generally considered to be her enemy, or at least her enemies' allies. She walked over to the spirit-medium and sat down beside her. Maya turned and jumped when she saw who had taken a seat beside her. "Ms. von Karma...I'm just not in the mood for your shallow ramblings, ok? And I really, really don't want to get hit with your whip right now..." Franziska tried thinking of how to handle this; she's in a lot of trouble right now...

She tried smiling at her like she did Edgeworth, but it apparently wasn't as good, and didn't articulate what she wanted to say correctly. "...I'm just here to...help? Maya Fey?"

Maya just kept looking at the chalk outline. "That wasn't very comforting, Ms. von Karma..." Franziska jumped back. "I-I'm sorry...I haven't done this before..."

Maya decided to humor her attempt at consolation; "You know...do you remember when I was kidnapped by de Killer? I was 18...Pearly is only 9...do you think she will make it, Franziska?"

Franziska put her hand on Maya's shoulder. "I'm sure...Miles and Phoenix Wright will find a way to save her...like they saved you last time."

Maya spoke up once more; "Why don't you call Mr. Edgeworth by his full name like you do everyone else? ...do you like him or something?"

Franziska jumped back; "Y-yes well, we're...together now."

Maya looked up at Franziska with something she hadn't displayed yet; hope. "Franziska...we're both 19, right?" Franziska nodded yes. "And Mr. Edgeworth and Nick are both 26, right?" Franziska nodded in agreement once more. "Have you been in love with Mr. Edgeworth since the first time you saw him?"

Franziska knew exactly how to answer this; "Yes...I have..."

Maya smiled through her tears; "I think we have more in common than we realized, Franziska...except you have Mr. Edgeworth, and I have Nick...and you're with Mr. Edgeworth, and I don't think Nick knows I'm in love with him yet...and I don't think he'll ever love me back anyway..."

Franziska was finally begininning to relate; "You know, Maya Fey, I've known Miles for 17 years...and I've been in love with him since I could remember knowing him...but all I was to him was just a little sister for most of that time. I had no hope of ever having him feel about me the way I felt about him...until he confessed his feelings for me...and I never thougth that something like that would happen...so never give up hope, ok, Maya Fey? I think things like this have a way of working out in the end."

Maya looked up with both a tear and a twinkle in her eye at Franziska; "Thank you..." and gave her a hug. She jumped back at first, never being this physically close to anyone but Miles; but after a bit, she hugged back, realizing she had just made a new friend; something she hadn't ever known in her life; a friendship. It hadn't ever been platonic between her and Miles; it was always her being in love with him, and until recently, she was his adopted little sister. She couldn't help but smile at this realization of a newfound friendship as she patted the crying acolyte on the shoulder.