A/N: I'm not sure how I came up with this one, but I figured I'd whack it out and put it up anyway.

Pairing: Edgeworth/ Phoenix

Disclaimer: I suck less as updating than Fanfiction does. I've had these chapters done for ages. Oh, and the actual disclaimer, I don't own these characters. Or any wine. Thank the crikey pants.

Disappointed

Though Edgeworth had only been here once before, he had preferred it that time when they were enemies. This time he was a regular man visiting another, and had no idea how to handle himself.

The door was opened by a man clutching a bottle of grape juice, wearing what Edgeworth presumed was what people may have exercised in, a hat and had stubble that had clearly not been looked after in days.

"Edgeworth." The stranger said, and it was then that he had heard his name that this was the man he was looking for. This was the fallen Phoenix Wright. "I suppose you want to come in? Be quiet though, my daughter's sleeping."

"Yes, of course- Daughter?"

"Did I not just tell you to be quiet?"

"Wright, since when did you have a daughter... that's so old?"

"Trust the newspapers and your police buddies not to mention anything about that. Meet Trucy Wright."

Edgeworth took a step back. He had come here to find out more details about the last case that had ruined Wright's career, he never expected such a... huge development.

"You adopted her?"

"She has no family left. Seemed the right thing to do." He shrugged.

"How are you providing for her?"

"We get by." Wright said. "You seem agitated."

"It appears that I can't piece together what has happened."

Phoenix laughed then, and laughed harder when he saw Edgeworth's glare. "Who'd have thought, I can still leave the demon prosecutor stumped."

"This is no time for jokes, Wright."

"No, it never was with you, was it?" Phoenix said. Looking away and taking a quick swig of grape juice, draining it. He then dropped the now empty bottle next to his feet and shoved his hands in his pockets, and managed to agitate Edgeworth even more by looking bored.

"I should be disappointed in you." Edgeworth suddenly blurted out, which to his satisfaction caused the slightest of glimmers in Wright's eye.

"You should." Wright agreed.

"I can't."

"Then don't." He said simply.

Edgeworth stayed silent for a moment. He hadn't seen the man in front of him for just over a year. Was it possible that Wright could have changed so much without himself changing at all? Edgeworth still wore his magenta suits, still practised law, still learned as much as he could about it.

Wright...well. Wright didn't even wear suits anymore. Wright looked like a hobo and drank cheap wine by himself. Yet he looked comfortable, nothing seemed to intimidate him. He had a daughter, and was somehow providing for her.

He followed Wright's eye line and noticed him staring carefully at the young girl lying asleep on the sofa next to him.

"Sometimes she has nightmares." Wright told him as explanation when he noticed that he was being watched. "And I like to keep watch so I can wake her if she seems uncomfortable."

"How old is she?" Edgeworth asked him, guessing that this girl must be around ten.

"Nine. She's ten in two months."

Edgeworth nodded. "And what does she- um, Trucy call you?"

He smiled like he was genuinely happy. "Daddy. Always."

"Like I said Wright, I should be disappointed in you... but as usual, you've somehow come out at the other end smelling of roses."

A little bit happier... at the end. I don't know. I think Edgeworth would freak out more than this, or yell or do something more drastic, but since in the last case he called Phoenix 'partner' I assume that he harbours some slightly less hateful feelings towards Phoenix by this point... Hopefully.