Quicksand
Chapter 4: Welcome Home
He felt as if he was going mad.
Being out in public was a constant panic for Miles. It was pure paranoia, Franziska assured him, but he felt as if every single person was staring at him, staring right into him, judging him. He couldn't calm down, the anxiety causing his breathing to be heavy and quick, his vision to be unfocused, and his hands to shake. All that kept him going was his lover's firm grip on his arm as they moved through the airport and boarded their flight to Germany. He refused to look around after a while, just staring at the floor as they took their seats in First Class.
Miles sat next to the window, wanting to get as far from the other passengers as he could in this enclosed area. How the hell was he supposed to sit through the entire flight like this, constantly on edge and-
"Here." He looked up at Franziska to see her holding a medicine bottle in one hand and offering a small pill to him in the other. "I had a feeling you would need this..."
He recognized the bottle; she'd taken his sleep aids from the medicine cabinet and brought them along in her carry-on bag. He took the pill and thanked her, and then waved over a flight attendant to ask for a bottle of water, considering liquids were not allowed to be brought onto the plane by passengers.
Well, the drug didn't work miracles, but he did relax a bit, and later on into the flight, he was able to fall asleep. This trip was always so long, and it was a relief when they landed in Germany... sort of...
Miles didn't feel any more secure here at the Frankfurt Airport than he had back in Los Angeles, but fortunately, they didn't have to be in the building nearly as long. All they had to do was grab their luggage and then make their way out to the hired car that would be taking them to the magnificent Von Karma Manor on the outskirts of the city of Bitburg. There they would be out of the public eye, only accompanied in the huge house by the servants that kept it while the last remaining members of the family were not using it, which were only Miles and Franziska now. She had a sister, but no one ever heard from her and she had nothing to do with them. Miles hadn't ever met her and just had to take Franziska's word for it that she even existed.
But it was as they pulled up to the large manor that Miles knew he wouldn't feel much better here either. This was where it had all started... where his torment had taken place for four long years, and the six he'd spent in it before that weren't all a basket of roses to begin with. Yes, they had some happy memories here... all of them involving his time spent with the girl he'd at that time called his sister. Looking back on that, he inwardly laughed. How could they not have known, even then, that it was more than that? It had probably been the age difference; they couldn't really have been anything more during the time he was living here, for she had been far too young.
And after what had started when he was sixteen... well... he wondered how he'd ever justified the relationship in his mind, but that certainly didn't mean it felt wrong. He loved her, had always loved her in some form or another, and he sincerely hoped that her presence alongside him would make staying here and completing this task seem less impossible to him.
"Herr Edgeworth. Frau von Karma. Welcome." The suited man gave them a bow as he greeted them upon their entry into the house. "Shall I take your bags?"
"Ja. Dankeschoen, Mein Herr," Franziska replied politely, handing off her suitcase as Miles did the same, staying silent. No one here seemed to be looking at him strangely... Were they all clueless...? Perhaps this news hadn't made it overseas... even considering that this was the country his mentor had resided in, where he'd been trained. Ah well... if it hadn't really been big news here in Germany, he wasn't about to complain, but it just seemed unlikely, being the point of origin and all.
They were greeted by every member of the serving staff and welcomed back to the house, but Miles was simply eager to get away from everyone and get some privacy. They were allowed this soon enough, and later on that evening found him and Franziska sitting on a plush two-seater couch in the library, a fire alight in the fireplace and two glasses of wine sitting on the expensive wooden table before them. They had been mostly silent as they sat here together in the dim lighting, but it was a comfortable silence. They were both inwardly reminiscing about all the times they'd sat here together as children, reading or studying. Those were the happy moments he had in this house, and he was glad to be dwelling on them instead of the memories that lurked only about ten feet behind them, closed off and locked away behind a heavy wooden door.
"It's been so long..." Franziska stated, her soft voice breaking the silence as she slowly twirled her wine glass between her fingers before taking a small sip. "Did you ever think we would be here again... like this, I mean?" She looked over at him, the firelight reflected in her bright blue-gray eyes.
Miles gazed into them for a long time, watching the flames dance and getting lost for a few moments. He then gave a soft chuckle, managing to crack a tiny smile. "Not really..." he replied, sipping from his own glass of wine and then placing it back on the coffee table. "But I am certainly glad that we are... After all... the happiest moments I have are with you at my side."
A faint blush colored her cheeks, and the young woman turned her head away for a moment with a soft giggle. "...You're such a foolish romantic, Miles Edgeworth," she said, looking back up at him and leaning over to press a kiss to his lips. "Mmm..." she murmured after doing so, her smile becoming a bit brighter as she drew away a short distance. "The wine tastes better that way," she purred, leaning in for another kiss to taste the wine on his lips.
This got another soft laugh out of the male prosecutor, and he gladly joined in those kisses, reaching up to smooth her hair back from her face and entwine his fingers in it. Slowly, he felt Franziska's weight shift, and she was soon sitting in his lap, their kisses having become passionate and heated. Her hands rested on either side of his head, and his were on her thin waist, the wine, the lighting, and the warmth of the fire creating the perfect romantic atmosphere to let them get lost in the passion between them.
Franziska soon pulled away, her breathing slightly heavier than normal. "Come on..." she whispered, the want easy to detect in her voice and her expression. "...Let's take this upstairs..."
He felt the weight removed from his lap and her smaller hand taking hold of his to lead him, but this was when Miles was hit with reality again, or rather the effects of his own reality.
"...Franziska... I can't..."
She blinked in confusion, staring down at him from where she was now standing in front of him. "...What do you mean?"
"...I'll go with you... but only to sleep..." he murmured, now staring at the carpet beneath them.
That confusion lingered for a moment, and then her expression fell to something like hurt. "Miles, I don't know what's going on in your head, but... this is now, not then... There is no reason to... change how we are because of where we are..."
Miles bit his lip slightly and turned his head to the side, looking away. "...I'm sorry..." he whispered. "I know I'm being foolish, but... you don't understand... Please, it's not you..." He looked up at her, trying to show her his sincerity and pleading for understanding in his eyes.
She stared for a moment, and then sighed sadly. Yes, it hurt, but... she knew she had to be understanding and patient with him. "Very well... Let's just... turn in for the night then..." she murmured.
He nodded and stood up, but before they headed upstairs, he took a moment to embrace her. "...I'm truly sorry..." he swore. "...I love you, and... and I'll get through this... for you... Then, I'll make it up to you... I promise..."
She was silent and still, taking a couple of seconds to just enjoy the embrace and then looking up at him, forcing a smile. "...I love you too, Miles, and I know you'll get through this... I can wait for you..." She leaned up to place a small, affectionate kiss against his lips, and then moved from the embrace, taking his hand once more. "Now come... We've had a long day."
Indeed they had, and Miles could feel the exhaustion setting in as they made their way out of the library and up the grand staircase. Hopefully, it wouldn't be long before he could clear his head and recover from the trauma that he had never truly taken the steps to overcome. He knew they had a battle ahead of them, but he was determined to do this the right way this time around. Maybe then he could get on with his life, and let no more distractions come between himself and the woman he truly loved.
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
Well, it was the most obvious place to begin the search, the prosecutors' offices where Manfred and his secretary had worked while he was in Germany and not traveling elsewhere. Miles didn't really hate this place quite as much. Yes, he'd been here a few times with his mentor to observe him working... or just because he wasn't allowed to stay at the house by himself after all of that had started. Franziska had also worked here from the time she was thirteen until she'd begun to travel and make frequent trips to America.
Many people recognized them, more so Franziska than Miles, but it was now that Miles began to notice a few curious glances. He tried to tell himself he was being paranoid, but even logic told him that most of them knew...
"Oh! Frau von Karma! What a surprise!" A bubbly woman with heavily-curled blond hair looked at the two of them with surprise, long lashes raised slightly as her icy blue eyes widened.
"Yes, hello, Frau Isold," Franziska greeted the woman with a professional air. "I'm afraid I will only be here for a short amount of time; my visit is rather urgent..." She then paused, noticing how the woman's eyes seemed to keep going over to the man standing at her side, and a bit of possessive jealousy flared up within her, seeing another woman checking out her lover. She took Miles' hand and held it close to her. "...And this is Miles Edgeworth. He has accompanied me here to take care of some business..."
"Oh, uhm..." The blond was blushing slightly, giving him a nervous smile. "Well, it is... good to meet you, Herr Edgeworth."
Miles said nothing.
Franziska looked over at him, and then just laughed, shaking her head. "In any case, I would like to speak with the chief prosecutor."
"Of course!" the older woman exclaimed, snapping out of her dreamy, girlish state and smiling brightly. "I'll go tell him you've come by!" She gave them a cheery wave and trotted off, her curls bouncing lightly as she went down the hall.
Franziska watched her go, and then turned back to Miles. "...Are you doing all right, Love?" she asked, kissing him lightly on the cheek while no one was around.
"...Fine..." he replied, not even looking at her, which made it clear to her that this wasn't true. She was about to call him on it and demand to know what was bothering him, but a familiar voice stopped her.
"Fraulein! What a pleasant turn of events!" The man walking toward them looked to be in his mid-thirties. He wore a burgundy suit with dark gold trim, a white collared shirt and matching tie visible beneath the suit jacket. He sported neatly-combed black hair that was grown just a little longer than average, just long enough for his bangs to cover his forehead and reach his eyes and the strands in the back to reach the collar of his jacket. He was a rather well-built man and on level height with Miles. He stepped up to them and shook Franziska's hand, grinning. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming back."
Franziska shook his hand politely, but didn't look as enthused to see him as he was to see her. "Yes, well... I will not be here for very long, Mein Herr," she informed him.
The chief prosecutor laughed. "Always working, aren't you, Fraulein? I do hope you'll take a few moments to catch up, though." He then turned his attention to Miles. "Ah, and you must be Herr Edgeworth," he said, offering a handshake to Miles as well. Miles accepted it, but the shake was brief.
"Yes... I suppose we didn't ever meet face-to-face, Herr Astor." He was trying to maintain his cool, but it was obvious that all was not well.
And the chief prosecutor knew exactly why. "Heh... Well, I thought I would be meeting you soon anyhow," he said with that same smile, although a flash of something in his dark brown eyes confirmed the meaning of his words to Miles. The younger man bit back a snarl and retracted his hand, folding his arms and fixing him with a cold look.
Astor just laughed, then turned to Franziska. "So, Amelinda tells me you wish to speak with me."
Franziska nodded. "Yes..." She then turned to Miles. "...Wait here..." she murmured, the look on her face telling him that she knew what had just happened. She then turned, walking past the chief prosecutor toward his office. He followed, but looked to the blond woman as he walked by her.
"Keep Herr Edgeworth entertained, won't you, Amelinda?"
"Of course, Mein Herr," she replied, biting lightly on one of her ruby-red nails, looking a bit nervous.
Franziska refrained from saying anything and just walked with Astor into his office, the door swinging closed behind them.
"So, Fraulein, to what do I owe the honor?" he asked as he walked over to his desk in preparation to take a seat behind it.
"Stop the flattery, Ewald," Franziska said coldly, folding her arms and glaring at him. "I'd like to get this finished with and out of here as soon as possible. I don't plan on shooting the breeze while you ogle me."
A laugh of light amusement was his initial response as Ewald Astor took a seat in his large office chair and leaned back in it a bit, looking completely relaxed. "Now, why would I do something like that, Klein Mädchen...?" he asked, drumming his fingers lightly on one of the arm rests of the chair.
Franziska gritted her teeth, slamming her palms on his desk and glaring daggers across at him. "Show some respect, you incorrigible pig!" she snapped fiercely. "I'm here because of recent events and believe me, you are the LAST person I wanted to have to speak to about this!"
He didn't seem at all effected by the venom she was spitting, just smirking at her, his eyes fixed calmly on her from just beneath his veil of bangs. "Ah, yes... That...I've always said that celebrities need to keep a better handle on their old sex tapes."
Oh, it took every ounce of self-control Franziska had to keep from smacking him. "Schweinhund!" she spat at him. "How dare you! I want to know who has those tapes, because I'm willing to wager that you know!"
"Hey, hey, hey," he said, waving his hand at her slightly as if to ward off her anger. "No need for the harsh words and name-calling, Klein Mädchen. Who says I know anything about that? All the man-on-man action isn't really my thing, you know. I don't make it my business to know anything about that."
"This is more than just some disgusting pornography flick!" she exclaimed, furious. "People who worked here were involved in attempting to destroy Miles' reputation! I want to know what happened to the woman who worked as my father's secretary during that time!"
Ewald inclined his head, looking at her quizzically. "...And why should I tell you that?" he inquired. "You've been rather rude to me since our talk began... I see no reason to do you any favors, Fraulein?"
"Because this isn't about me!" she retorted. "Not only is what those videos depict illegal, but their non-permitted release is a direct personal attack on Miles! If your employees are involved, it is your responsibility to help ensure that these actions are stopped!"
Slowly, Ewald leaned forward in his chair, folding his hands on his desk. "...Heh... It's not going to be that easy, Klein Mädchen..." he said, smirking across at her. "I can't just... give information about someone away without any solid grounds. All we know about that woman in that video is what her right hand looked like. How, with only that information, can you automatically assume that she was your father's secretary? That seems to be quite a random deduction..."
A challenge. Well, Franziska had never been one to back down from a challenge. "I have the victim's testimony," she stated calmly, though she was still glaring back at him. "That is enough cause to investigate."
"Really now...?" He wasn't giving in that easily. "And what about the other man in the video?" he asked. "Why aren't you looking for him with both guns blazing, hm?"
She felt her chest tighten up and her stomach churn. Her resolve cracked momentarily, but she pulled herself together quickly. "I know who he is as well, and he is no longer around to be brought to justice for his crime or to question. The only one left that could be responsible for this is the woman filming, and according to Miles, that is my father's former secretary."
Ewald was silent for a brief period of time, appearing to be in deep consideration. He then stood up, his palm brushing over the polished surface of his desk as he walked around it to stand in front of Franziska without that piece of furniture between them. "Very well, Fraulein, I'll give you a name, but I want something in return."
Franziska gritted her teeth, glaring up at him angrily. "What is it, Ewald?"
oooooooooooooooooooo
Miles stood there and watched Franziska and the chief prosecutor walk into the office at the end of the hall, and as soon as the door closed behind them, he turned to walk in the opposite direction, to find somewhere to sit and wait, somewhere away from-
"Oh, where are you going, Herr Edgeworth?" the blond woman asked, looking upset that he was walking away. She was quite attractive, looking rather young for being in her late thirties. Her high heels clicked against the floor as she moved toward him, as if to guide him back to the bench set out in the hall for people to wait on.
Miles took another step away from her, clenching his teeth. "Don't you dare touch me, Isold," he hissed, something showing in his expression that was rarely seen of him in public: fear.
"Ahhh... So you do remember...?" Her cheery voice had suddenly become low and seductive. She gave him a coy smile and batted those long lashes at him. "Why so hostile? It's been sooo long... Just have a seat. Let's chat..." As she spoke, her long, slender fingers closed around his wrist, those bright red nails pressing lightly against his skin.
Miles wrenched his hand away, the tightness in his chest making his breathing slightly more labored. "I said don't touch me!" he snapped.
She gave a soft chuckle, simply taking a step closer to him and gripping his shoulders firmly. "Oh, Schatzi... don't be that way..." she purred. "Come on..." She didn't look it, but she was powerful, and this coupled with Miles' current state made it easy for her to guide him over to the bench and sit him down. He was extremely tense and stiff, his fists clenched in his lap. He was determined not to look at her, and he cursed his weakness. Why couldn't he stand up to her! This was pathetic!
He felt the cushion he sat upon shift as she sat down beside him, much too close for comfort. He shuddered as he felt the tip of the nail on her index finger move over his lips and her breath breeze lightly against his neck. "My, you've grown," she murmured, now cupping his chin in her hand and pressing those nails lightly into his cheek, just beneath his eye. "I was so upset when you and Herr von Karma left for America... I thought I'd never see you again..."
"I was hoping for it..." he replied bitterly, hating this contact, wishing he had the strength to push her away, get up, and leave, but he felt frozen. Her touch was like ice, freezing his blood and putting him at her mercy.
Her expression showed some disappointment and hurt, but it wasn't genuine. "Schatzi, you've become so cold... Poor thing... Do you miss Master...?"
He was certain his heart had stopped in that instant, all color draining from his face. Panic set in, and he made a sudden move to get up and escape, but he didn't get that far. He gave a hiss of pain as those nails dug sharply into the side of his face where her fingers had still been resting.
"Ah, ah, ah..." Amelinda said as if correcting a child. She pulled him back and then pinned him against the wall behind them. "You're supposed to wait here for Frau von Karma to return, remember...?" As she spoke, she was shifting again, and before he could do anything about it, she was leaning over him, her full red lips pressed hard against his own, those nails still pressing into his skin painfully.
And right on cue, he heard a gasp. His entire body lurched, and Amelinda echoed the gasp, standing up quickly with a bright red blush on her cheeks. "Ach! F-Frau von Karma! I, um, we..."
Franziska – having been utterly furious after her conversation with Ewald that had ended up going nowhere – had walked out of his office just in time to see what looked like Miles and Ewald's secretary making out. She was completely stunned, her pale face and her shocked expression made it clear that she had taken this in the worst possible way, and the hurt in her wide blue-gray eyes showed that she felt as if he'd just stabbed her right in the heart.
Perhaps if she hadn't been so angry and upset already, she might've stopped to try and understand, to clear things up, to ask Miles why he'd done it, but that wasn't what she did.
The heels of her boots hit the floor at a rapid speed as she bolted past the two of them, holding back tears of frustration and pain. "Franziska!" Miles called after her, horrified at what was happening. He stood up as he called for her, but he didn't give chase, knowing in that moment that she wouldn't hear him out... that a heavy blow had just been dealt to his relationship.
"Oops... You should have told me earlier, Schatzi..."
And it was all because of her... He felt a blinding fury rising up within him, and he turned on her, his eyes blazing and his teeth borne. "You! Conniving bitch! How dare you!"
Far from frightened of his anger, Amelinda tsk'ed at him. "Now that was uncalled for," she pouted, before stepping up to him and taking a hold of his shoulders once again. "Look, darling, I know exactly why you're here," she murmured, now getting to the situation at hand.
He was shaking, wanting so badly to push her off of him, hard, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. "I know it was you," he growled, trying to remain steady, but finding it impossible.
She just chuckled. "...Why don't we take this out of the hallway?" she suggested, taking his wrist to lead him toward the open door of her office. When he didn't budge, she inclined her head slightly. "Unless, of course, you want more of them to 'mysteriously' make their way into the public domain...?"
He needed to go back to the manor...to try and explain this to Franziska, to assure her that there was nothing at all like that between himself and Amelinda, but... he was trapped. She was forcing him to comply, and so reluctantly and with a heavy heart he went with her, allowing himself to be led into her office and for the door to be closed.
"Have a seat," she offered/demanded, sitting him down on the cheap fake-leather couch near the door. She then sat down beside him once more, leaning over against him and placing a hand against his chest, stroking the fabric covering it lightly. "Now... what did you come here to discuss, Schatzi?"
He wished she'd stop calling him that... It was degrading and only brought back old pain, but... that was what she was trying to do, wasn't it? "...I know you have those tapes," he said, refusing to look at her. "I want them destroyed... All of them..."
"Oh, but why...?" she pouted, leaning in to him further so that now her lips were on his neck. He didn't think he could get any more tense as she kissed him, and then began sucking at the skin, her nails now lightly tracing circles on his throat. "You made such a good little pet... I think that's worth remembering... preserving... don't you?"
"N-no!" he snapped, sounding much more panicked than he'd intended to. "Y-you're not about to ruin my life, Amelinda."
"You're so dramatic, Schatzi," she said with a laugh, now moving to straddle the prosecutor's lap, proving wrong Miles' theory that he couldn't get any more tense. "I just want people to know the truth... Isn't that what you're always preaching about now days: the truth?"
"G-get off of me!" he hissed, finally making an attempt to fight back, but she put a stop to it.
"Ah, ah, ah... Be a good boy, Schatzi," she murmured, pinning his shoulders to the back of the couch and pressing a hard kiss to his lips before pulling back to speak again. "If I were you... I'd cooperate. You'll do what I want, or the world will get another look at who Miles Edgeworth reallyis..."
He was trapped... There was no way out of this... If he resisted, he knew she would make good on her threat to release another video, but he could only dread what she wanted from him. This woman was a devious, conniving, sadistic witch despite the cheery, bubbly, air-headed front she displayed for just about everyone else.
"I've missed you sooomuch, Schatzi," she whispered, placing hungry kisses against his throat, and he half-expected her to sink her teeth in like some sort of animal. "I've always wanted you to myself... Looks like I finally get my chance, hm?"
All he could think about in this moment was Franziska... He'd never once had the desire to betray her, but he had no choice...
Franziska... Es tut mir Leid... Ich liebe dich...