Here's another chapter. I've tried my best to update as soon as I can, so if it's a little late, I humbly apologize. I'm getting busier by the week! _
-drops of jelly
Standard Disclaimer Applies
Fifth Turnabout
Place: ???
June 5 11:00 pm
"It's quite late… I can tell you two little sweeties hadn't had dinner yet." The kind old woman placed some plates of chicken wings and bowls of chocolate porridge each for the two prosecutors who were seated next to each other on a coffee table in front of the fire.
"Thank you very much… um…" Franziska wondered about the old woman's name.
"Cecile, honey. Just call me Cecile." She smiled as she took a tray of teacups filled with English earl grey tea.
"We're sorry about barging in on you like this, Ms. Cecile, but we'll repay you for all your favors soon." Miles timidly thanked her, taking the cup of tea she offered.
"Oh, don't worry about that sonny. I'm quite glad to have some company tonight. You see, my daughter's at the detention center now, and she's the only family I have left now. Quite a shame, you know." She sighed, taking a seat across the two.
"Detention Center?" Franziska turned to her.
"Dr. Lanette Steelbird, ace surgeon!" she grinned, proud of introducing her daughter's name to the two.
"She's that one suspected of the recent murder of two other doctors, wasn't she?" Franziska was shocked.
"Yes, unfortunately… But I assure you, my Lanettie is not a murderer! She's do anything to save a life in fact!" the woman defended her daughter.
"… I see. But, I heard that standing for her defense is Phoenix Wright." Miles Edgeworth commented.
"Yes, that attorney! I've heard a lot about him. It makes me feel at ease when I remember he was that attorney. His story impressed me so!" her face glowed.
"Ms. Steelbird will be fine, I assure you, madam." Franziska sighed and smiled.
"Thank you…" the old woman smiled gently.
O-o-O
"That hit the spot." Franziska sighed, feeling satisfied.
"Your room's ready upstairs, and I've prepared clothes too. You can have a peaceful sleep tonight." She giggled.
The two didn't know why she giggled, but volunteered to clean up.
"You can sit there in the living room, I'll clean up alone. Your foot's hurt." He eyed her injury.
"A little sprained ankle won't stop me, Miles Edgeworth. I… have to repay that woman too." She hated owing someone, or anyone.
He knew he couldn't stop her, so he helped her up and walk around.
Miles and Franziska picked up the plates, bowls, cups and silverware they used and placed them carefully in the dishwasher. They cleaned up the kitchen while waiting too. They placed all the utensils back in their proper places, then walked together upstairs.
"We should contact them now. We have to get back." Franziska said.
"You're right. Let's find the phone." Edgeworth went to the living room once again to find the house phone.
He picked up the receiver, but there was no dial tone.
"Oh, I'm so sorry… The phone lines in our area were destroyed just recently, and there's no internet signal too. But maybe you can find a payphone tomorrow morning. Don't worry, my house is the safest place you know." Cecile popped her head out of her room and told Edgeworth.
"I see. Alright, madam." He responded.
"So, the phone lines are dead in this spot?" she asked him as he came over.
"Yeah. But, I'm sure I can find a payphone outside if I try." He answered.
"No. It's too dangerous now. They might be out there, they might see you. The killers do think we're dead you know." She warned him.
"I'll be fine. We really need to get out of here as soon as possible."
"No!" she beamed, this time it surprised Edgeworth.
"You promised too… That you won't leave me…" her voice started to shake.
"I can't bring you with me. You're injured!"
"Then… Don't go. We'll find a phone together tomorrow, Miles Edgeworth." She pouted, with a frustrated face.
"…Alright." He sighed.
"Help me walk." She commanded.
"You never say please anymore." He monotonously answered, taking her arm and placing it over his shoulders.
"Quiet you!" she snapped back at him as he helped her walk to the room.
O-o-O
"It's one big bed…" Franziska's eyes remained on the queen-sized bed that sat in that huge white room lit by four yellow lights, one on each corner.
"Don't worry. I'll divide the double mattress bed. I'll take the top layer and I'll place it on the floor where I can stay. You can stay on the remaining layer." He settled her on the dresser's chair and began to strip the bed of its covers and transfer the pillows on one empty end table.
"It's been quite long since I've slept in the same room with you. Don't you feel a little awkward?" she asked.
"It's alright with me. Anything's fine with me, I can take it. I'm grateful enough not to die today." He said, sighing while lifting the upper layer of the bed and pushing it down to the floor.
"Ahh…" she averted her eyes from him.
She hadn't seen Miles panic like earlier, or suddenly get so athletic earlier, or even do a lot of housework in ages. She felt a feeling of nostalgia and those long gone feelings of attraction from her childish crush towards him long ago began to knock on her door's heart once more in that little moment.
Yes, he did look attractive that night, more than ever. He did save her too.
"You alright, Franziska?" he snapped her out of her daydream. She didn't notice she was staring at him like he was some kind of Rafael Santi sculpture.
"U-u-uh… yes. I'm a little tired, that's all. Moving around this foot is hard." She stammered. Yes, she was still immature in more ways than one.
"I'll run your bath for you. Just wait a little okay?" he gave her a look of concern, but his face remained stern as well.
"………" she hated the idea that he offered to run her bath. She'd bet he'd make it a bubble bath or something. She just hated it, for the most petty, unreasonable and invalid reasons.
Fool. She muttered as he walked passed her and turned on the bathtub faucet.
After a few minutes, he went out of the bathroom and helped her up. He walked her to her bath and seated her on a rattan-abaca stool inside.
"Will you be okay now?" he asked, slightly blushing. Was it because steam filled the room?
"Yes of course!! I can handle myself you know!" she stubbornly answered. Of course she needed no help in undressing herself and getting in the water! –To her thinking.
"I'll finish preparing the beds." He cleared his throat and quickly turned back. He couldn't afford her to see his face redden any more.
"HMPH!" Franziska barked back as soon as he shut the door.
O-o-O
She had the trouble of hopping out of the tub and onto the slippery, shined marble floor, grabbing a hold of the golden bar on the bathroom counter. She had the difficulty in changing too, careful of not hitting her injury or stretching it too much, or even applying too much force into that foot.
She barely got out in one piece. When she hopped out of the bathroom, she didn't look too properly dressed. Edgeworth couldn't help but stifle a laugh seeing her come out.
"You weren't able to check the mirror." He couldn't hold back his sarcasm.
"Agghh…" she banged the wall slightly with her fist out of frustration.
Miles helped her tidy up her pale blue hair and adjusted the bottom buttons of her pajama blouse. She apparently missed a hole somewhere in the middle and had to redo the rest of the buttons. He helped adjust the bottom hems of the ¾ cut pajamas, avoiding her injury carefully.
"… Thank you." She spat the words out, still full of pride.
How do you live by yourself? He thought, looking at her.
She walked herself, limping a little to the bed Miles prepared for her. His bed was the one laid on the bottom, on the clean, shined floor.
Miles opened the curtains a little to reveal part of a beautiful view of LA outside. He took his folded pile of clothes and went inside the bathroom next.
Franziska sat on the bed, recalling the events that transpired yesterday and today. It all happened quite fast, but she's trying to make sense of it all.
Phoenix Wright had been stabbed on the right side of his body, and kidnapped.
He left a clue on his blazer, which she retrieved from Trucy, his daughter.
It was a memo stating about Borscht Bowl Club and the planning that went on there.
She entered the Borscht Bowl Club to gather clues, but the moment she entered the hideout at the basement of the club- the same place of the murder of Shadi Smith, everything grew dark.
The next day, she found herself tied up in an unfamiliar room, and until 6pm, she had no contact to the outside world.
At 6 pm, Miles Edgeworth gave her an opportunity of escape, which she made use of, but she had been cornered and captured, while finding her way out.
She had almost died, drowned in the pool, until Miles Edgeworth saved her and revived her with the standard CPR, thankfully.
She paused, and realized how lucky she was that he was there. She still depended on him after all… And she was still somehow, following him in his shadow. She both hated and liked that.
Suddenly, the memory of his breath on her and their lips touching came back to her mind.
"Wh-what?! Why are you thinking about that this time…?! Aghh, the shame! He's making me stutter like a foolishly foolish foolhardy fool once again…" she shook her head rapidly.
After he revived her, they discovered her broken ankle and thankfully found the house they are currently staying in for the night.
Now, all's left is to contact the team and recover Phoenix Wright. From this experience, we've uncovered a little of the killer's strategy…
Seizing the limbs and putting the person to sleep, then bringing the person to an underground place… as I suspected, then, disposing the live body by murdering them in a suburban area and shifting all the evidence to point to an innocent bystander, or owner residing in the area.
She deducted the killer's strategy from their experience.
And just when the timing was perfect, Miles Edgeworth went out of the bathroom, properly clothed, looking perfect, as if made for him, in the bedtime attire he was lent.
"Tomorrow, we're going to strike back and recover Phoenix Wright. I've found out their strategy." He went over and sat on his bed.
"Then I guess we've both come up with a thing or two." She remarked.
They both discussed their deductions, which were in fact, similar.
"But then, will you talk to me about how you were captured?" he asked.
"There was a conspirator waiting at the basement of the Borscht Bowl Club. I think he knew it was a risk for an outsider to be in that place too since he was quick to seize me. There must have been clues there." She answered.
"Then, we'll be sure to check that place when we get out of here. For now, we will have to rest. Don't you feel tired struggling to stay alive today?" he laid himself down and took the covers.
"Exhausted, Miles Edgeworth." She glared at him, stating the obvious.
"I'll switch off the lights then. Good night." He pushed the switch, and it clicked off into a comfortable darkness.
"……………." She still couldn't get to sleep. She tossed and turned on the bed.
"…… Keep it down, Franziska." Miles Edgeworth complained slightly, being the insomniac he was.
"I can't sleep…" she whined, turning to his direction.
"… Sigh… I'll be nice today then, but just because I haven't done this in a long time." He stretched out his hand and tried to find her head in the dark.
He found the spot. He began to stoke her hair softly, in a warm comforting manner, trying to put her to sleep.
"… Hmph." She felt like the baby she was when he first came to the von Karma house when she was three.
She did grow up with him, and spent a lot of time with him, especially during bedtime. Her father didn't bother reading her a bedtime story or singing a lullaby. Miles had the job of helping her sleep, easing her fears when she couldn't settle down, and patting or stroking her hair until her eyes closed. He was nine and lonely, as she was also three and in need of love.
She hated him stroking her hair like that, but she liked it at the same time.
She also didn't realize that from where she was already lying down, tossing and turning a while ago, that she was just directly beside him. They were in the dark after all.
But her foot hurt and she couldn't move from her position. She realized that he body was just next to his, in fact she felt warmer with him beside her. When she stretched her hand, she hit him by accident.
"Ouch…" he whispered.
"AHHH…" she confirmed it, that she was indeed lying next to him. She had fallen off her bed and invaded his space.
Miles Edgeworth just realized it himself too.
"… You need help back up?" it took him a long time to reply, and he was uneasy.
He was lying down with her. He was a grown man, and she a grown woman.
"… My foot hurts already… Just scoot over." She replied, with the most embarrassed voice.
She closed her eyes slowly while he continued to stroke her hair gently. He smiled, then rolled away, giving space between him and her.
He turned to the opposite direction. Facing her was a bad idea to him. Having her sleep next to him was too tempting, and breaking his heart too much. He admits that he's uncomfortable, and he's afraid of not being able to stop himself.
So that's how their night ended. Pretty unusual, but it had to do, fortunately.
What lies ahead for them both would be tough,
And what Phoenix must be doing, sending those messages, and how he's progressing over this case will be revealed all too soon.
to be continued…
It's a MilesxFran chapter! Especially dedicated to my fellow MilesxFran pairing fans, Indochine Ramera and Dragonridingattorney43!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, reader. I'd love it if you dropped a review! Thank you very much!
-drops of jelly