Disclaimer: I do not own Phoenix Wright or Ace Attorney...

"NIIIIIIICK!" Maya Fey shrieked as she launched herself into Phoenix's arms. She beamed up at him from her position in his embrace, face shining joyfully. Phoenix's heart physically swelled at the sight of her, and the hole that had fabricated itself in his being filled up with a fulfilling sense of completeness.

At this point, he was literally grinning ear-to-ear as he held her tighter, all implications of despair at losing his badge fleeing abruptly to the very corner of his mind. "Maya..." he breathed into her hair. "Do you know how much I missed you this past 6 months?"

"I've got a good idea," she told him shortly, and pecked him fondly on the cheek, her smile returning full force.

Phoenix said nothing; not that he had to, or even could, for it was at that moment they both heard a shrill squeal of "Awww!" from behind them.

Maya released Phoenix from her vise-like grip to whirl and face the newcomer. Pearl Fey stood in the doorway, hands clasped and eyes misty with pure adoration. She started to bounce up and down. "Mr. Nick! Mr. Nick!"

Phoenix laughed and knelt to hug her as well. "Hey, Pearls! How are you?"

She grinned enthusiastically. "Better, now that you and Mystic Maya are reunited!"

"Pearly..." Maya started hesitantly, but Pearl wasn't quite finished.

"Mystic Maya couldn't stop talking about seeing you again, Mr. Nick!" Pearl's cheeks were becoming flushed in her excitement.

A faint hue of scarlet was slowly creeping up Maya's neck and face. "Pearly, honestly." She sighed in exasperation and turned back to Phoenix.

He watched her, waiting for her to speak, as he noticed - though he knew he oughtn't - that she was growing more and more into a truly feminine form, and looking much closer to her sister; except, of course, the spirit medium robes that she wore unfailingly.

"Hey, Nick?" She was looking at him concernedly. "Are you alright? You don't look too great."

"Hmm...? Oh," He snapped out of his reverie. It was true: he hadn't been sleeping well, and maintained the dark rings beneath his eyes. "Yes, I'm fine." Unconsciously, he rubbed his collar again, where his badge should be. His fingers still itched for the smooth, rounded bronze.

Maya sat in her usual chair and regarded him with curious brown eyes. "I smell a lie," she murmured, tilting her head to the side. This action was so Mia-like, it almost scared him.

Phoenix, thoroughly ashamed, hung his head in his hands, curling his digits through his spiky, black hair.

Suddenly, Maya gasped. "Nick! Where's your... your badge?"

He couldn't meet her steady gaze. "I..."

But he was saved for a few seconds by the racket in the kitchen, created by Pearl as she searched for something to eat. Maya was temporarily distracted by the temptation of joining Pearl in the hunt for food, but turned back to squarely face her best friend, determined to hear him through.

"I... lost it. My badge."

Maya almost laughed, misunderstanding. "Lost it? Like, down the drain?"

"No, Maya... It was lost to the court and my own stupidity."

She was painfully silent for a while. "So they took it. Why, Nick? You didn't do anything... did you?"

Phoenix sighed, feeling the pressure of her gaze as her eyes filled with the silent plea for him to assure her that he had done nothing wrong. His own eyes were downcast, and lost their luster.

"...Yes, Maya. I did do something wrong. Unintentionally, granted... but it was still wrong."

"What...?" The purple-clad girl in front of him wore an open expression of betrayal. "What did you do... Nick? What could be so bad?"

Phoenix recognized her words as a second chance for him to redeem himself in her eyes. "I presented falsified evidence to the court. At the time, I had no idea... Not that they would've listened," he added bitterly. "It was my job to secure the evidence, after all..."

"WHAT?" Maya leapt from her seat, upsetting the lamp in the process, knocking it to the floor. Neither one of them bothered to pick it up. Maya's fists were balled up angrily. "Nick, that's so unfair! You should have gotten a fair trial on that!"

Phoenix shrugged. "I was still being too stupid to realize-"

Suddenly, he was attacked and wrapped into the tight embrace of one extremely forgiving spirit medium. "Shut up, Nick..." she muttered, pressing her face to the blue suit he still wore from force of habit. "It's not your fault! You did nothing bad... And here I was expecting you to tell me you actually intentionally committed some kind of evil..." She looked up at him. "Plus, you're good enough to be able to take the bar exam again, anyway."

Phoenix was thrown by her total 180 mood swing. But it was working wonders on his ego... and she did support a valid point.

"Tell me you'll take the exam again, Nick..."

He ran a palm down the smooth, black length of her hair. "Okay," he whispered. "I'll take it again."

She clapped her hands together. "That's my Nick!" As she licked her lips thoughtfully, a pitiful gurgle echoed through the room. "Whoops. Nick, looks like-"

"I'm taking you out for burgers. Yeah, yeah," he teased lightly, and she punched at his midsection.

But before she could call Pearl out from the small kitchen, Phoenix snaked his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to his body and kissed the top of her head in the big-brotherly fashion. "It's good to have you back, Maya."

It was fairly easy, to have Maya and Pearls with him. They chose to sleep in a hotel for their stay. Maya had been earning lots from increased spirit-calling demands (she was now richer than Phoenix... sad), and proposed the surprisingly sensible logic that they couldn't all stay in Phoenix's small apartment; it'd get overcrowded, with the addition of Trucy - whom Phoenix still deemed unfit to be around too many strange new people.

The two eager Kurain girls visited Phoenix during the day, when Trucy attended school; when the young 'magician' came home, she was none the wiser.

Gradually, the constant distraction during Phoenix's former 'alone time' allowed for the wound of his missing badge to slowly begin to heal - as well as his pride.

Why hasn't Edgeworth gotten to me yet?

One thought had been nagging at his mind all week. He wanted - craved - to talk to his (ex)coworker. His best friend. Sure, maybe Edgeworth didn't win the 'Best Bud of All Time' award, but he was Phoenix's nonetheless. Perhaps that was what almost 5 years of a trust connection did to people.

He paced, itching to pick up the phone on his desk and dial the High Prosecutor's office, but stopped himself every time. What if he was busy? What if I interrupt a meeting? What if he can't make time to sit idly by and chat?

Eventually, Phoenix decided he didn't care. He'd leave a message, if the prosecutor was busy. Taking a deep breath, he dialed the number from his cell phone.

He was secretly relieved when his call actually did go to voicemail. "You've reached the desk of Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. I apologize for missing your call, and will return it as soon as I deem possible."

Phoenix chuckled as the answering machine beeped loudly. "Um... yeah, hey, Edgeworth. It's Phoenix... Wright. Good to hear your answering machine again." He paused, unsure of what to say. You hear yet? I lost my badge. Isn't it great? You're supposed to sympathize, so wanna meet for lunch? "I just..." he continued. "I haven't heard from you in a while, and since I won't be coming to court anymore that'll probably end up becoming commonplace. So I was wondering if you wanted to catch up over a sub or something?" That sounded a bit awkward. A sub, really? That's the best you can do? Running a hand through his hair, he added, "Maya wouldn't be coming, so I guess you won't have to worry about her. Uh... I suppose you'll call me back, then? 'K, bye." He hung up decisively.

Phoenix hated ending phone calls. It was always too abrupt, too...final. Not that he'd ever been able to end a call with any kind of literary finesse.

"Hey Nick?" Maya asked from her position on the office couch (Both of them agreed that it was probably better to hang out at the office instead of his cramped apartment or the hotel), contentedly watching Steel Samurai reruns. "What wouldn't I be coming to?"

"Hmm? Oh," He motioned to the phone. "Just some lunch meeting I was trying to arrange with Edgeworth."

She gasped loudly. "Mr. Edgeworth? I wanna come! Please?"

Phoenix shrugged. "Ask Edgeworth."

Her face fell. "Does he... not like me?" She seemed intensely upset by that thought.

"No, it's just..."

"Oh, I see," Maya contemplated, then began to turn back to the flashing television screen. She seemed to find the current episode of 'The Steel Samurai' too distracting to much care anymore. "It's guy stuff." She didn't voice it, but she knew 'guy stuff' would end up being a comfort for Phoenix in light of losing his badge.

"...I suppose you could put it that way."

"You'll buy me a burger when you get back, right? Compensation, you know."

He sighed. "Yes, Maya."

Phoenix rose from the rolling desk chair to wander to the tattered tan sofa, where Maya sat up so that he could settle. She eventually ended up resting her head comfortably against his chest, as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and the other on the side of the couch. After a while, they both drifted into light sleep.

AN: Thanks for reading! More action and better writing in the next one, I promise... I wrote this a while ago and didn't bother fixing it.

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