CHAPTER 24

Candlelight lit up an otherwise black room as Franziska lay against Miles' shoulder, sleeping once more today. She had fallen asleep twice today now, but he didn't bother her this time. He didn't understand why her fear of rain and storms always got the better of her, but he didn't question it. She was still young, and she was, in most peoples eyes, very mature for a 19 year old. He didn't refute this; she was much more mature and wise than your average 19 year old, but he saw her child-like innocence that she had in most aspects of life outside of the courtroom.

It was nightime now, and the power was still out. Pesu was in the recliner he loved so much, and Miles continued looking around the room as she slept against his side; he couldn't turn on the tv because the power was out, and he couldn't get up to get a book or make some tea, as he didn't want to awake Franziska. As he began pondering as to what to do at the moment, the Steel Samurai ringtone began sounding off next to him. Franziska moved a little bit, but remained asleep. He quickly picked up the phone before it could wake her up.

"Miles Edgeworth speaking."

"Mr. Edgeworth!" It was Detective Gumshoe, seemingly hysterical and excited. More so than usual, at least.

"Yes, detective?"

"We didn't find Vick...we searched his house. We managed to find a note from someone though! And you're not going to believe who it's from, pal!" He had a pretty good idea.

"Sir. Not pal. Sir." Gumshoe audibly flinched. "W-well, it's from Pearl Fey! You know, Pearl Fey? The little girl that's always with Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey?"

He sighed at the detective's absentmindedness. "Yes, detective, I know. What about the girl? Did you find her?"

Edgeworth knew the answer as soon as the first sound left Gumshoe's mouth. "Err...uh...well, no. We think he took her somewhere with him, though."

Edgeworth couldn't bite back a snide remark; "You think so, detective?"

Gumshoe failed to catch the context of the prosecutor's sarcasm; "Yep, pa...Sir! That's what we think."

Edgeworth let out a sigh of annoyance; "Ok, detective. Keep me posted."

"Will do, s-" He hung up on the detective. Although his stupidity was unintentional, he felt that there was no time for it, this was much too serious. He began scrolling through his contacts until he reached Phoenix Wright's number. As he prepared to call the defense attorney in order to inform him of the information he had received on the whereabouts of Pearl, Franziska looked up with half-open eyes.

"...did they find Pearl?" The tone of her voice had a strong sense of drowsiness too it. He kissed the top of her head; chances were she would go right back to sleep as soon as he ansewered her. "No. Not yet. They're working on it."

She yawned; "Call...Maya..." with that, she went right back to sleep on his shoulder. He pressed the call button on Phoenix Wright's contact info; it rang a couple times, and then he picked up. "Hello?"

"Wright, let me speak to Maya."

Phoenix was perplexed by this."Ok?" He heard the phone being handed over. "Yyyyyyyyyyyello?" Her annoying, ADHD-esque spin on hello sent a sharp pain shooting through Edgeworth's forehead. Franziska certainly keeps herself amongst classy company...

"Maya? I just wanted to inform you that we found where Pearl was being kept hostage." Immediately after stating this, he spoke up to avoid any confusion as to if they had found her or not. "We didn't find her; we have evidence that she was being held at Mick Vick's house."

It was as if he could hear the young acolyte's heart drop to her stomach. "Oh...ok. Is Franziska there?"

Although they were best friends now, he was caught off guard by the question. "Um...yes, hold on." He pushed the phone towards Franziska who looked up with the same drowsy eyes as before; "...hello?"

Miles heard incoherent babbling over the phone; he stifled back a laugh over the fact that Maya sounded like the adults in the Charlie Brown movies he used to watch with his dad from where he was sitting. "Yes...yes...I hope things get better, Maya." *YYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWNNN*

"Ok..bye bye." She yawned and laid her head back on Miles' shoulder. "What did Maya have to say?"

She didn't respond; she was asleep again. He let out a sigh; as soon as that sigh left his mouth, the lights came back on.

Franziska awoke with this. "Miles Edgeworth...are the lights back on yet?" She's still calling me by my full name. Heh. It's kinda cute.

She looked around and blushed. "Ohh...well, I believe we should watch a movie together. Don't you?"

He was indifferent; "I don't see how that'd hurt anything." He handed her the remote as she repositioned herself asto where her back was leaning against him; he moved himself beforehand to accompany this position.

She began flipping through the channels trying to find something to watch, until she found a movie that suited her fancy. He didn't object when it was a lifetime movie; he just felt like putting her on a pedestool today, as he felt like doing everytime it stormed. He knew what it was like to be scared of things that generally weren't scary to others. He didn't just want to ignore her fears.

They watched TV until midnight, until Franziska fell asleep laying on top of him once more. She's slept enough today to last her a week...He thought to himself as he carefully got up, not to awaken her, and carried her into the bedroom with him; she was of short stature and of skinny build, so it wasn't very difficult to do so. He lay her in bed and kissed her goodnight before he went to bed himself, knowing full well his efforts to rest his body would be in vain that night.