Risenfromash: Hello, everyone! I haven't updated in a while for a couple reasons. One reason is because this Miles/Franziska tale has ended up being much longer than I had anticipated so it is going to be a three-parter, something I never anticipated. Second, I have been undergoing some relationship turnabouts of my own and, therefore, have found myself distracted and having a difficult time getting into the minds of my hopelessly devoted and loving couples. But like old friends they are aiding me in moving forward and hopefully they won't seem too OOC as I work through my new beginning.

PART I:

"Spaghetti. Spaghetti! Spa-OUCH! Franziska! Damn you, Franziska!"

"What? What did I do?"

"Franziska, the reason we have a safe word is so that if someone says it we stop."

"We have a safe word? When did we decide that, fool?"

Mile grumbled as he attempted to remove hot wax from his naked body. "Back when you went through that phase of shouting, "No, stop," and would then get mad at me when I did stop. And don't you dare claim that you thought I had a sudden craving for Italian food. You know the rules perfectly well."

Franziska pouched her lips out. She hadn't expected her brother to be so grouchy. Sure she'd been a little slow to stop, but she never would have imagined after all they had done together that he would invoke the safe word over a little hot wax.

Miles leaned over and blew out the candle she had been using to drip wax on his chest. He shook his head. "I can not believe some people find that pleasurable! Personally, I think it hurts like hell."

Franziska laughed at him, but her giggles were only met by an irritated glare.

"I don't find it amusing that you didn't stop, Franziska. I love you, but you cannot assume that you can do whatever you want all the time. I would appreciate it if at least some of the time you pretended to care about my feelings."

Franziska was hurt. Could he really believe she didn't care about his feelings? "Well, if you feel that way then perhaps I should just-"

"Don't even claim that you're going to withhold sex, because you and I both know you can't do it. Every time you try you end up giving up after a few days."

"I do not and I can go without sex for more than a few days. I have before."

Miles raised his eyebrow. While her statement was fact, it had been a long time since she'd gone without while he was around. Whenever they were together, they were constantly making love in one way or another. Miles found it a comforting release after being faced with the cold bitter heart of criminals and the reality that life could end easily and abruptly. Holding his sister provided him with succor that nothing else did, though he constantly feared losing her. He was no longer fearful that she would leave him for another lover, but he still couldn't overcome his fear that she would be stolen form him by some evil-doer just as his father had been.

He glanced at the candle and sighed. If this brought her joy perhaps he should endure it. Self-sacrifice was a sign of enormous love.

"Darling, if you really wish to I suppose…"

Franziska smiled and set the candle down on the bedside table. "Never mind, fool. I don't have some kind of candle fetish." She kissed his lips and smiled seductively. "But that doesn't mean I'm done with you yet."

Miles rolled onto his back and Franziska climbed on top of him and he gazed up at her thinking she was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on.

~xxxx~

"Is Franziska home yet?" Helga asked.

Miles Edgeworth's eyes popped up from his book. "No, I don't believe so. She was intending to have her hair done after work today and after that she has to stop by the shoe repair place. Her favorite stiletto broke yesterday in court when she stomped her foot." Miles chuckled recalling how silly his sister had looked when she had suddenly been forced to grab the prosecutor's desk to avoid falling over as she lost her balance as a result of her broken heel. He had laughed so loudly at her that Franziska had temporarily abandoned her line of questioning so as to bombard his section of the gallery with shouts of "foolish fool" and a barrage of whip cracks. This had only served amuse Miles even more and further escalate Franziska's irritation with him. But once they had gotten home from work she had more than evened the score.

Naughty, naughty Franziska, Miles thought recallingher antics in his bedroom that night.

"You and I need to talk." Helga stated flatly in no way amused by Miles musings about his lover.

"Uh-oh. Anytime one of you wants to talk to me when Franziska is out it's bad news. What is it? Have you found a lead about her sister?"

Helga shook her head. "No, I've been trying to find the records from the household staff from that period, but I'm no investigator and I think Manfred must have destroyed them."

Miles nodded. He was finding the investigation into the missing von Karmas to be an excruciatingly slow process because he wasn't entirely sure where to start. With a murder one usually had a body or a crime scene or at least a date that someone disappeared. In this instance, he had no specific date of disappearance and no details. It was the ultimate cold case, but he worked on it dutifully every day only taking breaks to ensure his mental acuity did not decline.

"I might be able to access some accounting records…" Miles reached for his investigative notebook that was lying beside him and started to jot a few notes.

Helga waited patiently, but it became obvious to her that Miles had forgotten she was intending on speaking to him about something other than the search for the missing von Karmas. "I need to talk to you about Franziska."

"What has my sister done now?" Miles answered an air of delight evident in his tone though he didn't bother to look up from his notes.

"She is out of control."

"Yes, yes." She had been yelling a lot the last few weeks. Miles sighed and set his notebook down on the end table. He crossed his arms in thought. "What to do about dear sister-"

"Miles, this is not a game! She's run off three new maids in the last six weeks…and it's your fault."

"My fault?" Miles drew back in surprise. How could Franziska's actions be his fault? Clearly Helga was being incredibly irrational. "Helga, that's not logical."

"Yes it is. You're spoiling her. Ever since you got back together you let her walk all over you."

"I do not." Miles Edgeworth did not let anyone walk all over him. Though he would admit to being tightly coiled around her little finger, at least to those who were entrusted with the knowledge of the true relationship between the siblings.

"Helga, contrary to what you may believe I am not my sister and just because I am her lover does not give me the power to make her behave any differently than-"

"Miles Edgeworth, she threw the marble Persephone statue at Taiga! She was aiming for her head. Thank heavens she missed. I tolerate a lot more than I should from both of you, I know, but you pay me well and, frankly, I've come to think of you as family…but there are limits and I'm through. You want me to run this household? I need help. So if Franziska can't play nice with the rest of the help I'll leave and none of you will get that Hungarian soup you like so much."

"Helga, did you just threaten to not make my favorite soup anymore?"

"Yes, I did…and I see it's as I feared. A lack of soup gets your attention, but the fact your lover tried to clobber one of the servants in the head doesn't." Miles scowled.

"Miles, I am serious. I'm not sure how much more of this crap I can take. Did you know another reporter showed up the other day asking questions about the nature of your relationship with Prosecutor von Karma? He was offering a lot of money for some juicy tidbits for the tabloids."

"Are you blackmailing me?" Miles asked calmly.

"No, course not." Helga grunted. "I'm just trying to point out how important it is for you and your sister to have a good, trustworthy staff with low turnover…unless you want Franziska's name plastered on every gossip page in Germany. The trashy papers love stories of kinky relationships and violence."

"True, but I can't make Franziska behave. You know that."

"Well, you're going to need to try to find a way, because the way you're worshiping her is making her princess complex worse. Miles, I understand you feel guilty about not forgiving her sooner, but this is ridiculous. You must put her in her place."

Miles found this choice of words amusing, as in his mind there were only two places his sister belonged, on an alter to be worshipped or in his arms.

"Helga, you do not get to dictate the nature of my relationship with my sister."

"Agreed, but my job is to keep this household functioning and frankly I'm about ready to tell you to shove this job up your ass and go find myself a normal household to work in."

Miles was displeased. Since when did Helga tell him how to treat his lover?

"Look, you like to play games. That's fine, but Miles you can't let her win all the time. So, you left her for a while; shit happens. It's no reason to let her walk all over you and everyone around her."

"Helga, you have no right to speak of my sister in this manner."

"Miles, I'm her friend and I'm your friend. That gives me all the right I need."

Helga turned and exited the library giving Edgeworth no chance to get the final word.

~xxxx~

That night Miles lay in bed holding Franziska pondering Helga's comments. Was he too tolerant of her violent outbursts? Was he pretending not to notice when she drove others to tears? Had his love for her made him the kind of person to be okay with treating others with disrespect?

Upon reflection, he had to admit that he had perhaps been too tolerant of her antics. He had chuckled as she belittled people. He had kept his mouth shut as she verbally abused the servants rather than insisting she desist. It appeared that Helga was right. He was allowing Franziska to rampage about unchecked and that put her at risk of getting herself into serious trouble and he couldn't allow that. He would have to intervene for her own good.

Miles Edgeworth sighed. He hated to risk what he had with her, but he had no choice. Holding her more tightly to him, he whispered, "I love you, darling" into her ear as he contemplated how to increase his sister's empathy for the plight of their subordinates.