CHAPTER 2

Phoenix is not particularly hard to find. He still has the same office though when I go there the professional looking gold name-placard has been replaced by a paper one. Written on a note card the office is now labeled as the "Wright Anything Agency." I'm not sure what that means, but it can't be good. No one seems to be in or at least answering the door so I hang around in the hallway. I go upstairs to Wright's apartment that used to be Mia's but nobody seems to be there either. While I'm standing in the hallway contemplating what my next move should be an old woman approaches me.

"Lookin' for someone?" The woman is short, grey haired and smells faintly of cat urine. I seem to recall Wright or Maya mentioning her at some point. I think she lives here though I've never met her before.

"Yes, I'm looking for Phoenix Wright."

She laughs. "Aren't we all? He's sort-of let himself go since Maya left and all that nasty business with his last case."

I'm a little surprised this woman knows so much, but then again Wright picks the strangest people to confide in.

"I'm an old friend of his. I've come from overseas to see him."

She arches her brow, but says nothing.

"Do you know where he might be?"

She nods. "Him and his daughter work at the Borscht Bowl Club."

"Daughter?" I grimace. What the hell?! "You mean Pearls?"

"No, I mean Trucy. A little magician girl. Cute as hell. Her dad up and vanished so Phoenix is working on getting approval to adopt her."

I frown. I'm not entirely sure what a "magician girl" is. Perhaps it is some kind of slang? I wish Kay were here to translate for me.

"The Borscht Bowl Club? On Third Avenue?"

"That's the one."

I thought that place was a dingy bar. What the hell would a little girl be doing working in an establishment that serves alcohol? Wright! What the hell are you up to?

~xxxx~

I find the Borscht Bowl Club to be fairly empty. I scan the room for Wright, but I don't see him. Maybe he works in the kitchen or something. I had figured he'd be the bartender. I mean he obviously must be a decent listener after all those years of listening to the pathetic problems of his insane clients.

I take a seat at the bar. A blonde woman wearing entirely too much eye makeup and toxic perfume asks if she can get me anything. I could ask her about Wright immediately, but I decide to take my time a little and do a more subtle investigation. The selection of drinks here is appalling. I order a gin and tonic and find myself wishing I hadn't because they obviously water down their drinks. So I'm really drinking greenish seltzer water. As I grimace from the nastiness of the beverage I curse my childhood friend. Why do I put myself through these indignities for THAT MAN?

And what horrible music they have here! I swear the piano player must be drunk because he's got no rhythm and has actually hit the wrong keys at least three times just since my arrival. I'd play the viola better than this idiot and I haven't held one in my hands in nearly ten years. God, I miss it. I close my eyes remembering the feeling of the strings and the sensation of the bow in my hand. I wonder what Manfred did with my viola. Then again I probably don't want to know.

Then the piano player messes up again. Oh, good God! Maybe I can tip him not to play. As I glare at the back of the piano player I see a little person approach the piano and the playing stops. Either that's a midget or that's the little girl the woman at Wright's building was talking about. She's wearing an odd cloak-like garment in an eye pleasing color. The man at the piano says something to the little girl and gives her a sideways hug before she runs off into some back room of the club.

Logically I know that if that was Trucy this is probably Wright and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he really is this crappy a piano player, but what in the hell is he wearing? The man has never had good taste, but if my eyes aren't deceiving me he has on open toed sandals and some kind of jogging suit or something and a knit beanie of some kind. Not exactly the attire of a professional pianist, at least not last I checked. Of course, his playing isn't professional so I suppose it doesn't really matter.

"Can I get you something else?" The bar woman asked me with a raised eyebrow. "Like my number maybe." She wiggles her upper body in my direction so her cleavage jiggles.

ERRRRRGGGGHHH! I hate women. They are always coming onto me and always at the most inconvenient times. I whirl my head around. Oldbag isn't here is she? That would make this nightmare complete.

"No, thank you. I was just wondering that gentleman at the piano-"

"I know. He sucks. Sorry about that."

"No, I was just wondering is that Phoenix Wright?"

"Oh! Are you here to play him?"

"Play him?"

"Poker. He's a champion. That's what we keep him around for, but you…I'd find you something else to do."

EEEEWWW! I wish Franziska were here. She'd get this woman to leave me alone. I'm sure of it. It's odd, before Franziska I wouldn't have even recognized that this woman was coming on to me. I've learned a thing or two from my sister. I always scoff when she says lots of people find me attractive, but maybe she's correct. I still maintain only head cases wish to be with me, but I'd never say that to Franziska. She'd think I was including her in that statement and, well, I only enjoy so many lashes…

"Poker, huh? Isn't that illegal?" I try to seem casual about it as though every alarm in my prosecutorial body is not ding-ding-dinging at this moment.

"Are you a cop?"

"No."

"Good, but we don't play for money, only glory. You play for the chance to beat the champion."

"What's his record?"

"He hasn't lost yet. He's getting a reputation fast."

"I bet."

I gaze over at Wright as he fumbles his way through a piece that sounds kind-of like an old crooner's classic and kind-of like ragtime. Is he just making this shit up as he goes along?

"Yes, I'd very much like to challenge him." I feel my competitive nature coming back even though poker is definitely not my game. There's just something about competing against Wright…I try to discard the thought. I guess old habits do die hard.

The woman collects money from me and leads me down into a weird basement room. I feel a little claustrophobic down here so I'm relieved that when I step into the room I find it's bigger than a service elevator. I don't need to pass out on Wright. It's hard enough already to keep all my emotions in check without me being reduced to a sniffling coward by my stupid phobias.

I know why I'm here, but I can't be sucked in by him. He has this magic draw about him and Maya, Pearls and I are the victims. I sigh. Why must I be grouped with those two insane girls? I'm a grown man. Why do I have these feelings for him? Why do I care about him so damn much?!

I'm seated at the table when Wright enters. He carries himself in a kind of slouch and slumps into the chair without looking up then says cockily, "Well, let's do this thin-g-g…"

His eyes have met mine and his confidence has faltered.

"Edgeworth?"

"Yes, Wright, it's me. Though I believe you're the one who looks less recognizable. I mean I still have the same fashion sense."

"If that's what you call it." His tone is acidic to me, but what was I expecting? Logically my reappearance in his life here at the Borscht Bowl Club means I know what has happened.

"Wright, what's going on?"

"We're playing poker. Or is that not what you're here for, because it's why I'm here."

"Phoenix, obviously I came here to talk with you about what happened."

"Nothin' to talk about. I've lost my badge. I play piano now. So if you don't want to play get out."

His eyes aren't meeting mine. I can tell he is embarrassed. I find myself wanting to hold him and convince him things will get better. He doesn't need to go through this alone. He's such a moron sometimes.

"Wright-"

"Are we playing or not?" The lady with the horrific perfume asks apparently she is going to act as our dealer. And I thought I'd be lucky enough to get away from her.

I nod for her to deal and she explains what the chips are worth. They have some illogical system where the bigger chips are worth less than the smaller chips.

"Let me guess. It was your idea to do it that way, Wright."

Phoenix's shoulders go up in a noncommittal shrug. "You gotta do what you can to keep things interesting." Phoenix is not a man that needs to worry about having a boring life, but I say nothing. We ante.

We get dealt our cards. I have a couple jacks, a two, a nine, and an ace. I don't play poker much so I don't even pay attention to what suite the cards are. I just decide to discard the two and the nine as I contemplate what to say to my friend.

"Franziska and I wanted to offer our help."

Phoenix scoffs as he discards two cards.

"Like either of you care about me. I'm sure Franziska's as happy as a pig in shit about me being disbarred."

"I don't like your tone, Wright! Don't you talk about my sister like that!"

I swallow. Should I tell him? No, telling him that I've fallen in love with her will only complicate things further and I need to remember he's only acting this way cause he's hurting. I should have known better than to mention Franziska she has been awful to him, but she's my life now…we're a unit. She's the one who sent me here. I don't have to have her permission to do things, but I know I never would have come if she hadn't told me it was ok with her. I love Phoenix, but I love Franziska more.

The woman deals us our cards.

"You just take off to Germany-" he mutters

"And Maya returns to Kurain…" I watch him as I say her name and I think I see a twitch. That's what I thought. He always gets hugely depressed when she's away from him. It's a pity he's still in denial of the reason.

"So, how is Iris dealing with all of this?"

I have now been dealt another nine. Ugh! I shouldn't have discarded the other one. And a seven. Wonderful. Looks like Phoenix's winning streak will not be harmed by his encounter with me, but I bet anyways. What's it matter?

Phoenix throws some chips on the pile. "Raise yah."

I grunt and meet his raise though I know I'll loose. It's probably rigged anyways. I don't trust this dealer woman and not only because she keeps staring at me.

"Ready?"

I flip my cards over. "Pair of Jacks."

Phoenix shakes his head and displays his hand. "Full House."

Damn him.

I grit my teeth. Why couldn't we be playing chess? I could school him in that…

I remember all the times we played games, hung out, I remember how much it hurt when I moved away. How I thought about him constantly...

Phoenix pulls his winnings over towards him.

"Wright, you didn't answer me? What's going on with Iris?"

"We broke up all right?" He growls.

This doesn't surprise me. It's been obvious to me for years that Phoenix is in love with Maya, but I wonder about the timing of this. Was Iris really so shallow as to dump him for loosing his badge? I never liked her much, but I thought she cared about him enough to stick around when things got…well like they've gotten.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Phoenix says nothing. The dealer collects the cards and starts shuffling them.

"So, Wright I hear you are in the process of becoming a father."

"That's right. Trucy's father was the defendant in my last case."

I smirk. This makes sense to me. Phoenix was always very dedicated to his clients…and a sucker for little girls. No wonder he's taking her in.

"Do you think that's wise right now? Shouldn't you be working on getting your badge back?"

"No. Trucy's my priority right now. She needs someone and I screwed up. I didn't forge anything, but I presented it so I may as well just move on with my life."

"And push away everyone who was part of your past? Is that your plan, Wright?"

"Gee, Edgey? Who does that remind me of? At least I didn't fake my own death." His glare at me over the table is almost painful. He and Franziska grieved for me. I think Franziska has forgiven me, but Wright, obviously, has not.

"You sure have a flare for the dramatic, Edgeworth."

"You know I'm sorry about that. You had made me realize so much of my life had been a lie. Surely, you can understand that, Wright?"

He chuckles as he looks at his cards. I can't tell whether it's at my comment or at the cards in his hand.

"Wright, I'm sorry Iris-"

"She didn't dump me, Edgeworth. I dumped her."

Oh, interesting. I wonder if that was before or after he adopted this new que-sera-sera grumpiness of his.

"Wright, why are you adopting this little girl? What do you know about being a father?"

"What? You don't think I can do it? You think I'm not stable enough? Look, it doesn't take an attorney's badge to take care of a kid. I helped Maya and Pearly. I can help Trucy."

"Nick, do you really think of Maya as just some kid?"

"What do you mean? Ok. So we were closer than that for a while. She's…was like a sister to me."

I could educate Wright on the finer points of having a connection so close it feels like a sibling relation when in actuality its much more, but I stick with my decision to leave Franziska out of this.

"Are you sure you aren't adopting this little girl to fill some kind of void in your life? When really what you should be doing is coming to terms with how you feel about Maya?"

Phoenix throws chips in the center to place his bet. He's betting big. I wonder if I should fold. I feel like folding on this entire endeavor. Wright can be so damn pig-headed.

"I don't have feelings for Maya and I resent your insinuation. Like I'm some kind of pervert."

I roll my eyes. "Wright, Maya's older now. It's ok to tell her how you feel."

"You sound like Pearls."

"I do not." I say remembering fondly the precocious little spirit medium. "I didn't use the words 'special someones'. Not even once."

I think I see Phoenix's lips curl upward ever so slightly. I realize that even though his life with Maya and Pearls doesn't seem that long ago to me he is allowing it to feel like a different lifetime ago to him. Like he really is dead to them and he needn't be. Maya and Pearls wouldn't give a damn what he did for a living. Hell, they'd probably be happier if he sold Samurai Dogs at the park or drew sidewalk chalk pictures for a living. They might even think his piano playing is great. They love him, too, and I am sure they miss him like I do.

"I merely think you need to reevaluate your motivations for adopting this young girl."

Phoenix jumps up. "Shut the hell up, Edgeworth!"

"Phoenix, I assure you I didn't mean it like that!"

He's damn touchy. I run to his side. Card game be damned. He looks at me with a hardened look. I wish I had the ability to comfort him somehow, but I don't know what to do and telling him that's its killing me to see him like this isn't going to help matters.

"Phoenix, I think it's nice what you're doing, but you don't need to cut off ties with everyone. I know it's painful but we don't care about what happened! We haven't given up on you."

"Well, you should."

"I don't understand. Tell me why! Why are you throwing away everything you've worked so hard for so you can adopt that girl? Do you think this is what Mia would want?"

"Don't talk to me about the Chief! You didn't know…her like…I did."

Phoenix turns from me. I think he's crying, but he's not about to let me see that.

"Get out of here!" I shout at the dealer and Phoenix nods his agreement, but refuses to turn around. He must be crying.

I hear the dealer scuttle out of the room but my eyes never leave Wright. I wish I could get inside that head of his and figure out what he's thinking. I feel like crying, but, of course, no tears come. Those would be too human for someone like me. Damn you, Miles Edgeworth! He's hurting. Do something! But what the hell am I supposed to do?

I realize now that his current predicament is merely the tip of the iceberg. How much pain has he been holding in?! The last few years flash through my mind. He lost his mentor… I came in and out of his life… Maya left to become the Master…I don't know when the last time he talked to his parents was…

"Wright! You can adopt Trucy and still fight to get your badge back. I'll help you. Franziska and I-"

"Since when are you so into Franny? She's a bitch-"

I swing at him before I know what I'm doing. He doesn't understand. It's not his fault. It's me. I should have told him. I wish I could say what I feel. I wish I could tell him how much I care about him. I wish I could tell him how Franziska has finally made me feel like I'm not alone anymore. I wish I could tell him that I want him to get to feel that way and that's why he needs to call Maya. I know she's hurting too. She didn't want to leave. She just wanted him to be happy. So she left so he and Iris could be together. I'm sure of it.

I look at my fist with a look of horror on my face. I've just punched my best friend. One of the only friends I have and I can't even cry when I see the look of shock and hurt upon his face. He's like a puppy or a child. What have I done?!

"Edgeworth, get out. We're over."

I'm too in shock to apologize for my behavior and what he said about Franziska! Phoenix isn't the only one who's been through hell…

I tell myself that it doesn't matter. I'm with Franziska. He can deny his friendship to me. He can deny the love he has for Maya. Fine. I'll move on with my life. If he's too proud to accept my help and support then he's right I can't be his friend anymore.

I turn toward the door and I know that though my eyes are burning the tears won't come. No matter how I wish they would. I can hear Phoenix sniffling in the corner and I find myself jealous. It would be such a relieve to just let it all out. All the pain. All this damn frustration.

But standing in front of me the blocking my exit is a little girl with reddish-brown hair wearing a cape decorated with suites of cards. I wonder how much she saw and heard.

"Daddy?"

She looks at me in fear, but Phoenix turns around and smiles at her despite his blood shot eyes. The little performer's demeanor immediately changes and she runs to him and climbs into his arms.

"How'd the show go, munchkin?"

"Pretty good. I made us some money. See?" She holds up a handful of bills she seems to have produced out of thin air. "I'll call the power company and have them turn the lights back on."

Wright shouts me a look that tells me he wishes his naive daughter hadn't just said that in front of me, but I don't comment.

"Daddy, did you remember to call the landlord about us moving out of the upstairs apartment."

"No, sorry sweetie I forgot."

She shakes her head. "Daddy, am I going to have to do it?"

"No. I promise I'll do it tomorrow. Ok?"

She smiles. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here's a grape juice for you." A bottle of grape juice also seems to materialize out of thin air. She's amazingly good at this sleight of hand thing, especially for one so young.

Watching them together I understand it now. He isn't taking care of her. She's taking care of him. This makes a lot more sense. Maybe they both will be all right after all.

I turn to make my exit but Trucy hops off her Daddy's lap and comes and joins me in the hallway much to my surprise.

"Were you an attorney, too?" She looks up at me.

"I am a lawyer."

"Oh, so you weren't disbarred, then?"

"No." This young lady obviously is not aware of how rare it is to be stripped of your attorney's badge.

"Well, it's ok because Daddy will get his back. I make things disappear in my act all the time, but I always make them reappear."

"Like your Daddy, huh?"

A look of sadness comes over her round eyes and I curse myself for having said something so insensitive. I'm no good with children and I've already reduced a grown man to tears today. What the hell is wrong with me? Did Manfred make me like this?

"Well, I have Daddy now so Daddy can be gone as long as he needs…I guess. I miss him, though, but Daddy is my hero."

I'm confused. "Which Daddy?"

"Ace Piano Playing Poker Playing Daddy, Mr. Phoenix Wright. He's very nice."

Well, I have to admit Phoenix hasn't done too badly for himself. This is one sweet little ward he has.

I kneel down and look at her. She seems wise beyond her years and not just because she seems to understand the importance of paying utility bills. She has that same old-beyond-her-years way about her Franziska did as a kid. It's sad that we grown ups screw the world up for so many youngsters.

"Trucy, can you do me a favor?"

She nods.

"Take very good care of Phoenix. Your Daddy…well…he means a lot to a lot of people."

"I'm sure he does, but no worries Mr. Currently-an-Attorney! I make sure Daddy eats good and gets up out of bed and exercises and…"

"And I make sure he laughs."

Some enormous marionette pops out of her cape from somewhere and I grip the wall of the hallway in fear.

"What the hel-ck-kk is that?" I clumsily stop myself from cursing.

"Hello, Mr. Attorney. I am the Amazing Mr. Hat. I live with Trucy and her Daddy and Charley."

Wait! Who the hell is Charley?! Oh, my God! I thought I was over him. I gotta get out of here…

"Charley is our plant," Trucy says apparently somehow reading my surprise.

Oh. Right. That palm plant of Mia's. I knew that. I sigh. I shouldn't care if Phoenix has a boyfriend…but I do. I'll probably always care about him a little too much, but it's Franziska I love…and Phoenix loves Maya, but I'll be damned if I can make him realize it.

"Well, Trucy it's been very nice to meet you." I extend my hand for her to shake, but she doesn't take it. I start to withdraw it. She's right. Shaking a stranger's hand isn't a good idea.

"But, I haven't met you. I've introduced you to my friend, Mr. Hat, but you haven't told me your name and Daddy…well, Daddy's not always good about introducing people."

I bet.

I extend my hand again. "I'm Miles Edgeworth. I…was a friend of your father's."

She throws her arms around me and hugs me and I find myself getting bonked in the head by the wooden guy. I clear my throat in response to the awkwardness. I'm not used to this kind of thing. I can't remember the last time anyone other than Franziska was this close to me.

"Mr. Edgeworth, please don't give up on my Daddy. He's been through a lot."

I look down at her and pat her head. Maybe Wright has better luck than I thought.