Risenfromash:
"Oh, Miles Edgeworth! Oh!"

Miles glanced up from a book he had been engrossed in. Franziska was seated across the library at a table presumably checking her e-mail.

"Do you remember Mrs. Fiddlefall?" She asked leaning around her laptop so she could look at her brother as she spoke.

Miles rolled his eyes and returned his gaze to his book. "Unfortunately." He regarded Mrs. Fiddlefall as a twit of the highest rank and he wasn't terribly interested in whatever gossip his sister had learned about her.

"Let me guess that parvenu of a husband of her's has run off with the maid and taken with him half of her possessions." Inwardly, he smiled. It would be ashame to have to prosecute someone who victimized that hag. She had been so incredibly rude to him in his youth.

"No. She died."

"Oh!" Miles was startled. He hadn't expected that. "Well…may she rest in peace." He said awkwardly, but not insincerely.

Franziska laughed at his discomfort. It amused her tremendously when she could blindside him like that. He was usually so foolishly collected all the time and it pissed her off.

It took Miles a moment to digest the news that one of his least favorite people had passed away and he ran through his mind any recent news he had heard about her. He was fairly confident he hadn't been aware that she was ill…

"Wait!" Miles said more loudly than he had intended. "You're not intending on dragging me to the funeral are you? Because I refuse to-"

"No. I'm dragging you to an auction. That parvenu husband of hers is selling her entire art collection."

"Don't bother. The woman has…er…had terrible taste."

But Franziska had a smile of fiendish delight upon her lips like a child being spoiled by a grandparent.

"But, Little Brother, they're selling the fountain."

Miles head shot up. His eyes were wide with excitement. He set his book aside and jogged over to Franziska.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It's right here on the auction house website, but they aren't making it easy on us. The auction is next Thursday."

"Damn. Can we send a proxy? Helga or Shelby?"

Franziska curled her lip in distaste. "There is no way we are sending one of the help. This is too important."

"But, darling, we'll probably both be in court. I almost always have a case on Thursday mornings."

Franziska smiled. "Yes, you do on Thursday mornings, but the auction begins at one-thirty in the afternoon. I guess you'll just have to make it a speedy victory. I mean I seem to recall that you do currently hold the record for the quickest guilty verdict. Or have I hallucinated you gloating about it?"

It was possible for Miles to wrap up a trial that fast and still present an unbeatable case. In fact, he did so quite often, but to guarantee it?

"What about you?" He asked her.

"We'll have a race and whoever gets there first bids on the Lover's Embrace Fountain and when we have successfully won the auction we will immediately call a construction company to remove the Manneken Pis replica."

Miles chuckled. "Yes, I know it's a classic piece, but…I can't say as I ever understood what your father saw in it."

Franziska lifted her hand from the keyboard in a noncommittal gesture. "You know Papa. One never knew what he was thinking. You wouldn't believe some of the tacky objects d'art I found while cleaning the storage rooms. It would have likely sent you into seizures."

Miles placed his hands on her shoulders. "Thank you for sparing me that agony, darling."

Franziska looked up and smiled. "Get that fountain in its rightful spot in our garden and I'll be the one thanking you."

Miles smiled. He liked the sound of that.

~xxxx~

"Gutzberg, I wish to speak to you alone in my office," Edgeworth ordered. He was never one to use niceties with the subordinates, especially with Detective Gutzberg. The detective followed Edgeworth into his office and Miles turned.

"I have a favor to ask. I need your help to ensure that either myself or Prosecutor von Karma wins an auction at Josef's auction house this Thursday."

"You and your lady love have your eyes on something in particular?"

Edgeworth inhaled deeply. Miles and Franziska continued to keep the nature of their relationship private yet Gutzberg had figured it out long ago. "As a matter of fact yes. It's an elaborate fountain that Angelina von Karma commissioned in the eighteenth century only to have it stolen out from under her. My sister and I would very much like to have it back in the possession of a von Karma."

"And what do you want me to do about it? Need me to bump off the auctioneer or something?"

Edgeworth drew back in surprise. "Good God, no! You had better be joking. No I just need you to either stall the auctioning of the fountain or find ways to deter other people from bidding on it. Create rumors…I know you're good at that sort of thing."

Gutzberg's eyes met Prosecutor's Edgeworth's. "Edgeworth, I'm not the only one who knows about you and your sister."

"I know that, but we prefer our privacy."

"You prefer to make me look like a crazy fool for saying you two are an item, don't you mean? Why should I do this for you? Because of you I was made fun of for years by people too narrow-minded to pick up on the way you two are constantly flirting with one another. All those rumors that Franzy is a lesbian are obvious bunk and I suspect I know who started those rumors and why."

Miles Edgeworth crossed his arms and tapped his finger in irritation. So, Gutzberg knew about that, too. It would seem he was a better investigator that Miles had given him credit for.

"What I do with Franziska is no one's business, but my own Gutzberg. Do you understand that?"

"Touchy, touchy. You sure don't know how to ask a fella for a favor. I don't know how it was between you and your beloved Gummy Bear back in the states, but here we-"

"Gutzberg! I know you hacked into the human resources department's computer to access personal information about Renee Durls. That's in violation of several codes of ethics even if you and Renee are writing it off as romantic."

"Well, if she were my sister I could convienently access that information by being her next of kin."

"I do nothing without Franziska's express permission!" Miles' insides were boiling. Gutzberg was an infuriating man. "Will you do this or will I be forced to report your indescretions?"

The detective grumbled and Miles knew he had won. Gutzberg may know some of Edgeworth's secrets but none of them were fireable offenses, whereas the detective's little foray into computer hacking most surely was.

"Fine. Tell me about this fountain."

Miles smirked. Much better, he thought. This is how subordinates are meant to behave.

Miles walked over to his desk and grabbed a manila folder with pertinent information including information about the location of Josef's auction house and their code of dress. He doubted very much that Gutzberg had ever had cause to go to an art auction before. Gutzberg flipped through the printed information and then grunted.

"I'll do this for you. I'll get your damned Lover's Embrace, but you need to understand, Edgeworth you aren't above the law anymore than Manfred von Karma was. You and your sister will be in for a world of hurt when a new Chief Prosecutor takes over."

Miles Edgeworth stood to his full height. "That is assuming the new Chief Prosecutor isn't myself or my sister."

The thought struck terror into the detective and he backed out of the office in a hurry all the while mumbling to himself about damned prosecutors and their prima donna attitudes.

~xxxx~

"Your honor. It is obvious that this witness is lying. I have multiple eyewitnesses that place Mr. Jokela at his place of business instead of at the crime scene. Why the defense is insisting on wasting our time with this-"

"Objection! Is it so difficult to believe that a conspiracy is at work?"

This is ridiculous, Miles thought, grumbling audibly about Defense Attorney Clavamore's pathetic excuse for a defense. Miles Edgeworth believed everyone deserved a fair trial, but he also believed he deserved to not have his time wasted and by his timepiece it was now already eleven-thirty. He would miss the auction if this charade went on much longer.

He wished he had a coffee drinking habit and could peg Clavamore in the head the way Godot used to do to Wright. If nothing else it would have released some of the agitation he was feeling, because admittedly he was rather tense.

There were few things he could buy his sister that she did not already have and both he and his sister had always admired the statue that topped the fountain thinking it to be one of the most beautiful likenesses of the male and female form they had ever seen. He wanted very much to win that fountain for her and he wanted that damn peeing wanna-be cherub with its psychotic little grin out of their yard.

He had an almost desperate desire to text Franziska to see if her trial had wrapped up, but it would have been extremely unprofessional to do so. Therefore, he just stood rolling his eyes in impatience as Clavamore attempted to explain to the judge why having a witness on the stand who clearly witnessed nothing was somehow relevant to the case.

Normally, this song and dance would amuse me, he admitted to himself as he slammed the desk shouting, "Objection!"

~xxxx~

Down two flights of stairs and southward in courtroom 324A Franziska was having her own in-court struggles.

"Fool! Is the blood spatter consistent with a point blank range shooting? Yes or no!" She cracked her whip and the authority on the stand trembled.

"Yes…we believe so."

Franziska tapped her toe madly like a woodpecker hammering at a tree. "I believe that a simple 'yes' is enough."

"Oh…OK…Mrs. von Karma."

Franziska emitted a sound not unlike that made when someone is being choked.

"You are to refer to me as Prosecutor von Karma."

"Ok, Franziska." She rolled her eyes. This guy had been on the staff of the crime lab for only two months and already thought he could call her by her first name! And in the courtroom of all places!

He felt the sting of her whip upon his chest.

"Moving forward, Crime Lab Member Jacque Curtis, can you please testify about the hair found at the crime scene?"

"Oh, yes. There was a hair found at the crime scene."

"And…"

"And?"

If I loose out on having the Lover's Embrace placed in it's rightful spot in the von Karma garden because of this buffoon I will kill him. Miles Edgeworth isn't her to stop me and I will make this courtroom run red with his blood. I am too much like Papa to tolerate this kind of blatant stupidity. My God! Where did they find this guy? I half expect his entire report on the hair to be nothing but its color.

"Well, near the body we found a white hair."

Ugh!

~xxxx~

It was two thirty in the afternoon when Miles was finally able to get a guilty verdict and he rushed from the courtroom attaché case in hand and dashed down the stairs toward the courthouse parking lot. He knew the auction had already begun and there was no way Gutzberg could stall the bidding on the die Umarmung des Geliebten Brunnen for much longer.

Leaping into the car he hooked his phone to the hands-free device and dialed the detective as he pulled out.

"Edgeworth?"

"Any luck?"

"Yeah. I managed to deter a few buyers by claiming I knew the certificate of authenticity wasn't from a reputable company."

"Good man. I'm assuming Franziska hasn't arrived yet."

"No. I think she got stuck in court. She was supposed to have that new crime scene guy on the stand this morning."

"Which new guy?"

"The idiot."

"Oh." There were many buffoons, imbeciles, and incompetents in the crime lab probably even a few morons, but there was only one idiot in the crime lab, even Gutzberg knew this.

"Oh, God. She'll never make it. I don't think that man knows how to tie his own shoelaces."

"Yeah. I know. He must be somebody's relative or something. I should look into it."

"Well, you do know how to hack into the HR database." Miles said with a chuckle.

"So, why does this fountain mean so much to you? I understand it should be Franziska's but…"

"It's a thing of amazing beauty and artistry. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Don't treat me like that, you arrogant son-of-a-bitch. I've been to an art museum. They're a great place to pick up women."

Edgeworth decided to let the man's insult slide. Reluctant as he was to do so, Gutzberg was assisting him.

"Hey, Edgeworth since I'm doin' you a favor could you do something for me?"

"I'm already doing something for you by concealing your actions of questionable ethics."

"I know, but if things don't work out with Renee could you put in a good word with Prosecutor Landree for me?"

"Thora? Why would my opinion matter any to her?"

"'Cause she has a lot of respect for you…and she has the hots for you."

"I find that highly difficult to believe."

Gutzberg laughed. "Prosecutor Edgeworth, you are far too damned pompous to play dumb."

"Hmph," grumbled Edgeworth. Now he's pushing his luck, thought Miles.

~xxxx~

Edgeworth dashed into the auction house and marched up to Gutzberg like a man on a mission. as he indeed was.

"Ya made it." Gutzberg said handing Miles his bidder's paddle.

"Call Franziska and tell her that she doesn't need to come down and that I have it under control."

Gutzberg snickered. "I'm glad I'm not in whip range. I don't think she takes well to being told anyone else is in charge, especially you."

"That's true. But she's almost undoubtedly still in court so you'll just get her voicemail." Edgeworth smirked. "You'll be safe. I'll deal with her later."

Gutzberg shook his head. "Well, you better get in there. The bidding should be starting any minute."

Edgeworth nodded and took a deep breath to calm himself as he did before a court case. The problem was that Miles knew in this scenario he had less control over the variables than he did in the courtroom and it made him tense. But he had managed to make it here. All he had to do now was not get outbid. He thought with a panic of what valuable thing he might be able to sell to get more capital for this purchase. He couldn't sell his car. He needed a car, but he couldn't exactly insist Franziska sell hers. That seemed like a very bad idea if he didn't want to end up receiving a lashing everyday for the next twenty years and the value of a motor vehicle, even one as rare and flashy as his was of little consequence when they were talking about the millions of euros this purchase was going to take.

"And here we have an authetic replica of an outhouse. You'll see the crescent moon shaped hole in the door. This design has been immortalized in modern culture…"

Miles shook his head in distaste and attempted to block out the rest of the auctioneer's babble about the outhouse and various other tacky items only a newly rich person would feel the urge to purchase.

He looked around warily. I hope not everyone is here to bid on the fountain.

Then it was on the auction block.

"Item number thirty-three. Die Umarmung des Geliebten Brunnen. This original marble statue dates from the eighteenth century and was created by Baldwin Emery before his untimely death. It captures a moment of tenderness between a winged fairy and her earthbound human lover. You will notice the exquisite quality of the work. From every angle the human form is accurate and lovingly portrayed making it one of the finest such statues from Germany during this period. We'll start the bidding at…"

Miles smiled. Here goes, darling. The bidding was brisk and Miles found himself wishing he could either just keep his paddle with the number 41 on it up all the time or that Franziska was here to whip the paddles out of the hands of the other bidders.

Bt soon the bidders began to drop out quickly and Miles felt a sense of confidence growing within him until a person in the third row on the left shot there arm up and announced an enormous bid. There was no way Miles could beat that. He felt himself get short of breath. For years he'd considered it one of the greatest works of art in existence and a grave injustice that the von Karma family who had essentially designed the piece had been cheated out of it.

Miles Edgeworth glared at the back of the winning bidder before taking his leave. Dejected he exited the auction house as soon as the opportunity arose. Gutzberg had already departed no doubt fearing Edgeworth's mood.

Edgeworth walked outside the courthouse and pulled out his cellular phone contemplating how to tell Franziska the news. She would be heartbroken. It was a one of a kind thing and there was no way he could make it up to her.

"Miles Edgeworth?" A voice from behind him called his name and he turned to see a cloaked figure standing and a feeling of unease overtook him.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"Yes, I believe you can. I have something you want and you have something I want. You see, I won your fountain." She pulled her hood down to reveal flowing strawberry blonde curls and pouty lips painted in a shade of pink. There was something familiar about this woman but Miles was unable to place her.

"Miles, it's me Caroline Fiddlefall."

"Caroline?" Caroline was a distant relative of the deceased. "I'm sorry I failed to recognize you. It's been so long." He thought back and he must not have seen her since he was a teenager.

She smiled. "Well, I wouldn't expect you to recognize me. We never were that intimate. Though admittedly I did try. Come to dinner with me to catch up and you can have the statue…" His eyes boggled. "For the adjusted value of what Angelina von Karma would have paid for it."

He nodded. While Caroline was one of those society people Miles typically tried to avoid he believed he could survive one evening with her.

"Let me just call Franziska and let her know where to meet us. I'm sure she would love to catch up." It was a lie, but Miles Edgeworth found he could only survive social occasions with aristocrats when accompanied by his sister.

Caroline's hand shot forward to stay his hand. She shook her head. "No, Miles just the two of us." The woman's eyes scanned over Miles Edgeworth's body as though he were an item on the auction block himself.

Miles gulped. So this was how it was to be.

"Caroline, I appreciate your…offer, but I will not prostitute myself even for the fountain."

"One dinner. One night. No sex."

Miles grumbled. The more contact he had with rich people the more it seemed like those sensational TV dramas were true. Why, oh, why was she doing this?

"Look it won't kill you to be social with me. You used to kind of like it."

"I'm not sure about that, Caroline."

"I think there is a lot you're not sure about, Miles."

I don't know about that. I know a couple things for sure. You're coming onto me and Franziska would not approve. And I know I'm going to go along with your request in hopes that I can somehow manage to get the fountain for her without having to sleep with you…which is probably very unlikely.

"Fine. Dinner. Now." He barked.

Caroline smiled coyly. "Funny. I believe it's awfully early for dinner. Don't you? Or are you and your sister such prudes you retire at four o'clock in the afternoon? Come shopping with me."

She took Edgeworth by the hand, which he resisted, but Caroline mouthed the words "fountain" and he groaned and went along with her.

Edgeworth didn't know how to feel about all this. He wasn't interested in starting some kind of affair and he wasn't particularly eager to admit to Caroline that the pesky crop-toting twelve year-old she had last seen him with all those years ago was now his lover. So he decided to do as she said until it crossed an obvious line of inappropriateness or seductiveness. If that happened he would wish her well, while inwardly telling her to go to hell, and leave her fountain or no fountain.

Caroline drug Miles into a bunch of exclusive boutiques which he was sure were the types of place Franziska would also shop although Caroline's taste was far less sophisticated than his sister's. Caroline seemed to be drawn to pinks and prints and rather gaudy hair ornaments. Miles played the part of bored suitor as she modeled trendy garments for him and he contemplated how many lashes he would get if Franziska saw him here with Caroline which was, of course, the kind of thing that occurred in those dramatic soaps. He desperately hoped that in this case his life would not follow typical plotlines.

Miles Edgeworth was making sure to send no signals that he was interested. He didn't smile or flirt. He glared all evening and envisioned Franziska whipping Caroline until she was a bloody pulp. It was easy to imagine this because he was very dissatisfied with this usage of his off work time. He wanted to be at home, curled up with a good book, snuggling his sister or soaking in a hot bath.

And as the evening proceeded Miles Edgeworth seemed lucky. As far as he knew his accompaniment of Caroline was going undetected. He hadn't run into his sister or anyone else he knew and as they ate their dinner at Garconage he thought that he would be able to end the night with a quick peck on the woman's cheek and be done with her and her advances.

"Ah! Ms. Fiddlefall!" Miles looked up to see a young man with a sidesweep hairdo and a silver button down shirt that was insanely reflective, but what Miles was most startled by was that the man had a large camera around his neck, a professional looking camera.
"Oh, Gregory Snapits! How are you doing?"

Miles eyes bulged as he gawked at the camera.

"May I take your picture for the society page?"

"No!" Miles said jumping up from his seat.

"Miles, is that anyway to behave? But I suppose world famous attorneys don't necessarily appreciate their personal lives being mentioned in the paper."

"Oh, I knew I recognized you! You're Miles Edgeworth! Wow, dating the ladies now. Excellent. This turnabout could make the front of the society section."

"Not if I don't give my permission. I'm sorry, but I will not permit my likeness to be used in any article or my precense her with Ms. Fiddlefall to make news. We aren't dating. I have absolutely no interest in her. I find her boring and her tastes appalling. I think this resaturaunt is overrated and I'm only here as a nice gesture as we haven't seen each other since we were teenagers."

Caroline's jaw opened and dropped farther and farther until it was completely slack as though she were dead. She was obviously flabbergasted by his bluntness and she appeared to be rather hurt, but she turned to the photographer. "Actually, I must agree. Miles and I have some private reasons for being together and I would appreciate it not being mentioned in the papers. My husband might not pleased about it."

"Husband? You're married?" Miles Edgeworth clutched the table in shock.

"Sorry, I'm a reporter. It's my duty to share what I know, especially the scandalous."

"What a wonderful profession…" grumbled Edgeworth.

Caroline was chewing her lip. "Mr. Snapits, would you feel that same way about us, if you knew where Prince Garrisher has been staying while he's been in Germany and with whom?"

The reporter's eyes lit up and Caroline pulled from her purse a business card and scrolled some information on the back.

The reporter nodded and was off to paparazzi the prince and his lover. Miles and Caroline both breathed a sigh of relief that their dinner was not as good a story as the indiscretions of the royals.

"There," Caroline said. "Thank goodness. I know you may not believe me, but there is a very important reason why I wished to have dinner with you. I have to ask you something very personal."

Here it comes.

"Miles, I was hoping we could have a baby together."

Miles drew back. He had expected an attempt at seduction, but this!

"I'm afraid that isn't poss-"

"No. It isn't possible with my husband, and after months of scanning through books of anonymous sperm donors I thought I would prefer to chose someone I know and you came to mind. You're intelligent, handsome, confident…though you do lack some social skills, but then again so does Horace." She sighed. Edgeworth was still reacting from the shock that while she may have claimed no sex was involved in this little proposition she was in fact after his "abilities."

"Caroline, I feel used. I thought you were attempting to seduce me."

"I doubt you're disappointed that I'm not. I mean I figured that was what you would think and I suppose if you wished to conceive the old-fashioned way I would have an affair with you, but if you weren't interested in me when I was eighteen why would you be interested now? I have gained weight…besides I know you're gay. I suspected it back then, too. Why else would you have turned me down when I suggested you slip into my bedroom?"

Edgeworth blushed.

"But, you see I am married and after years of trying to get pregnant we've discovered Horace is sterile and I want a baby."

"Well, that's a very touching story and my heart does feel for you and your husband, but I can not help you."

"You won't even consider it? But you might need a surrogate down the road. I would be willing to do that for you, Miles. When you find the right man."

Caroline looked very sad as Miles stood up. "I have found he right person and that's why I can't. I'll send a check for the fountain by curiuor to your residence tomorrow if you will give me your address."

"What do you mean you-"

"Caroline, I am as good as married myself and-"

"Just because you refuse to help me doesn't mean it's ok to lie to me, Miles! I know there is no one in your life since Walker went back to the U.S. I've done my homework. I know you're still leaving at the von Karma estate with no one but the servants and Fran…"

Her voice trailed off and a look of shocked understanding graced her painted face.

"Caroline, I'm sorry. Despite your false pretenses and manipulation I might have been tempted to help you, but it is no longer my decision to make."

Miles phone rang and he answered it.

"Hello, darling. Guess what? I believe that I've managed to convince the high bidder to sell Lover's Embrace to us."

"Really? Oh, Miles Edgeworth, I'm so excited, but where are you?"

"At dinner with an old friend. Do you remember Caroline Fiddlefall?"

"That little hussy! She better be keeping her hands off of you or I'll-"

"No, she has been quite pleasant company, but I'm eager to come about to get home now. I love you."

Miles rarely could be so blatant in showing his affection for Franziska in front of people, but he wanted Caroline to have no doubts. He hung up his phone and turned to face her a smirk on his face.

"So, Ms. Maiden-Name-of-Fiddlefall, I've now informed my whip-wielding-wildly-feisty-love-of-my-life that you were the top bidder and that I've been out to dinner with you. I suggest therefore that you stick to our agreement lest you wish to have her to deal with. She has a tendency to not manage anger or jealousy well."

Caroline looked defeated.

"Caroline, I am sorry, but I'm not in a position to help you. Good luck to you and Horace."

~xxxx~

Tearing out a modest fountain of a boy peeing and replacing it with a much more artistic and elaborate fountain of two half dressed lovers clasp in one another's arms was a time consuming and noisy process Miles and Franziska were to discover and had they not wanted to make sure no mistakes occurred they might have been tempted to stay at a hotel while the construction was going on as it made the garden an unpleasant place to be and it rattled the windows and doors of the estate, but finally it was done.

"We should Christian it like a ship." Miles said smiling at the lover's before turning on the water.

"We should fill it with chocolate," said Franziska suddenly having one of her cravings.

"Darling, I don't think that would be good for the marble."

She shrugged. "Oh, Miles. It looks lovely doesn't it."

"It does. I can't believe it's taken over two hundred years for it to get to where it belonged."

"Miles, I've been wondering what that fool Caroline wanted from you…"

"But you've been afraid to ask. You can trust that I didn't give it to her."

Now or then. It's always been you, Franziska.

~xxxx~

"Lovely isn't it?" Miles Edgeworth commented. "The way the human forms are entwined its so-"

"Erotic," offered twelve year-old Franziska.

"Franziska, I believe that is inappropriate for a child of your age to say." Miles scolded.

"Shut up, Little Brother." Franziska told him slapping him in the side with her riding crop.

"I'm just trying to keep you out of trouble."

"Yes, well you needn't bother. I know all about sex and intercourse and coitus and-"
"Oh, please Franziska don't talk like that. It's very disturbing."

"It's not my fault you're asexual."

"I am not asexual! Just because I don't wish to hear my sister who is a tween for God's sake ramble on like one of those radio talk show sex therapists."

Franziska hit him once again with the riding crop and he dropped the subject.

"It is beautiful." Franziska said.

"Yes, it is. Her wings are magnificent."

"Most men would be oogling her breasts, but I should have guessed you would ignore them. Have you decided if you're gay yet?"

The blood drained from Miles face and he swayed. "Franziska, must you talk so loudly? Your father is just inside with the Fiddlefalls!"

"I was just wondering. I thought you might know by now." Franziska sounded exasperated, but went about her business pulling something from her purse.

"Here, Little Brother." She handed Miles a coin.

"What's this for?"

"To make a wish, fool."

"That's a stupid old tradition."

"I don't care, fool. Quick, before papa comes out."

"No."

"Fine." Franziska held her coin and threw it with great ferocity into the fountain and then snatched back the coin from Miles hand, but instead of placing it back in her purse as he expected her to do she kissed it and threw it into the fountain as well.

"You can't make two wishes, Franziska. That's not only stupid. It's greedy."

"One is for me and one is for you. Just because you're too proud to do it doesn't mean I can't make a wish on your behalf."

Miles rolled his eyes. He could only imagine what Franziska had wished for him. Knowing her she probably wished for him to leap off a bridge or something.

"Oh, Miles!" A strawberry blonde teenager in a low cut pink sundress was approaching them and neither Miles nor Franziska were pleased about it.

"That hussy!" Franziska muttered under her breath as she turned to take a final wistful look at the fountain that everyone knew should have belonged to the von Karmas.

~xxxx~

"Ok, I'm dying of curiosity, Little Brother, what did Caroline want?"

"A sperm donor."

Franziska leapt into the air whip unfurling as though she were about to run the fifteen miles to the Fiddlefall residence and lash Caroline to death.

"No, no. I'm not being vulgar. She's married and her husband has fertility issues."

"Oh." Franziska settled back down like a smothered fire. "That's a little sad."

"Yes, I believe it is, too."

"What did you say?"

"I said that I wasn't able to help them."

"Oh?"

"Yes, she didn't know about us, but she does now. I hope you don't mind that I told her."

He fished in his pocket and presented Franziska two coins.

"For you, darling. One for me and one for you."

Franziska smiled. It was a foolish custom, but it was a guilty pleasure and the Lover's Embrace Fountain had served her well last time. It was time for a new set of wishes.

She held one coin for a moment thinking and then tossed it into the fountain. Then she gazed at Miles, kissed his coin and chucked it into the fountain as well.

"Don't let Shelby steal it."

"I'd dock his pay if he did that."

"Miles, I can understand why Caroline asked you, but thank you for telling her no even though we aren't planning on-"

Miles Edgeworth kissed his sister and without meaning to their bodies mirrored the pose of the lovers in the fountain, except Franziska had no wings and held a whip. Their lips parted and Miles adoring smile reassured Franziska that she didn't need to feel bad about anything and as he walked away from the fountain with his arm around her, Miles Edgeworth thought that he was happy Franziska had thrown those coins in the fountain years ago because knowing what he now knew made him have the sneaky suspicion that him jumping off a bridge had not been what she had wished for.