The school bell rang, causing Trucy's eyes to light up. She got out of her seat, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. She got circulated in a maze of high school students. She left her classroom, weaving through the crowd of excitable high school students. It was a Friday and students were eager to start their weekend. Trucy squeezed her way out of the front doors, making her way to the bike racks. She undid her bike lock – her father always insisted on her using one – and tucked the cord away in her backpack. She pulled her bike out of the rack and started making her way down the sidewalk, a cool autumn breeze causing her brown hair to fly back. She made her way downtown, navigating the roads and crosswalks carefully. She had heard enough stories about her daddy's bike crashes to use basic safety. Her destination was on her right, and she squeezed the breaks, coming to a halt. She parked her bike once more and made her way into the building – Gavin Law Offices.

She made her way through the stuffy corridors, hanging up her jacket on a nearby coat hanger, putting her backpack down nearby. She was never fond of the office – the white walls and uninteresting paintings made it feel boring and quiet. Trucy recalled the layout of the Wright Anything Agency – the place always had charm and surprise to it. If being a lawyer was anything like the Gavin Law Offices, she couldn't see how her daddy could have ever become a lawyer. The profession seemed stiff and prestigious for a man like him. Then again, Trucy only had a few hours to know what kind of lawyer her daddy was. And, she knew better than to ask him why he became a lawyer. It would be like shooting a healing stab wound – refreshing a painful memory with an agonizing one.

She swallowed a lump in her throat.

She wasn't here to think about the past.

"Trucy," Kristoph greeted her crisply, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I wanted to see Polly," Trucy answered, crossing her arms.

"Ah, I see," the defense attorney clicked his tongue, "he's-"

The door opened as Apollo entered the room. "I-I got the files you asked for, Mr. Gavin."

"Thank you," Kristoph returned smoothly, taking the files from his hands, "you have an undesirable stuttering habit, Justice. You'll never do well as a lawyer with a shining lack of confidence."

Apollo bit his lip. "That's… something I have to work on."

"I think he's fine," Trucy shrugged.

"Trucy, you've seen one trial in your entire life," Kristoph pointed out, "and in that trial, the defendant ran away and the defense attorney lost his badge. Tell me why you would know better than I do about how a lawyer is supposed to behave."

Trucy flinched. "Well, I just thought…"

"Tch," Kristoph barely contained a scoff, "teenagers think they know everything, don't they? Well, Justice and I have work to do. If there's something you need to discuss outside of legalities, you'll have to wait an hour."

"Yeah, that's fine," Trucy mumbled, "I had some homework to finish up anyways."

Apollo looked over at Trucy guiltily. He didn't say anything, but she could read the message he was mentally sending her. She nodded, forcing a smile as she made her way back down the hall. Trucy grabbed her backpack by the door and sat down on a nearby navy, plush sofa, meant for troubled clients and their families. She grabbed her biology homework, glancing back at the law office with a troubled look in her eyes.

Although the place filled her with disdain, there were still good memories to be found there.

"Trucy," an eight year old girl shuddered as Kristoph rested a hand on her shoulder, "there's someone I would like you to meet."

"A defense attorney?" Trucy's nose wrinkled in slight disgust.

Kristoph chuckled. "He's not old enough for that yet."

A college student? Trucy wondered.

A short silhouette suddenly appeared from the corner. It was a teenager, though Trucy secretly wondered if he was even younger than that. He was scrawny and short, and Trucy knew that a kick to the shins would take him down in an instant. He wore a simple, button-up white shirt and a pair of dark jeans, a fair blend between fancy and not fancy. He had an odd, golden bracelet on his arm, which shimmered from the office lighting. His brown eyes seemed troubled with dark bags hanging under them. But, there was a kindness swimming in the sparkle of his eyes, similar to her new daddy's. Trucy felt herself smiling, trust forming in her eyes instantly.

"Hey," the teenager's voice was soft, almost scraggly.

"Hi!" Trucy grinned, a twinkle in her eyes, "d'you know Kristoph too, or are you an office intruder?"

The teen snickered. "Trust me – if I was a criminal, I wouldn't go to a defense attorney's firm."

Trucy smiled. "Me neither. My name is Trucy."

"I'm Apollo." He grinned.

"Justice, you know you're supposed to shake hands when someone introduces themselves," Kristoph chided.

"Sorry, American traditions still haven't caught up to me," Apollo winced, shaking Trucy's hand.

"Are you a foreign exchange student?" Trucy inquired.

"Well… You could kinda put it that way," Apollo bit his lip, "I'm from Khura'in."

"He came here a few months ago," Kristoph explained, "his father decided he didn't want to be around Apollo anymore."

Apollo grimaced.

"Oh, your daddy left you?" Trucy's eyes widened. "So did mine! He fled an entire courtroom with magic."

"Actually, he–" Apollo paused mid-explanation. "Wait… You're not talking about…"

"Zac Gramarye. He chose to abandon his eight year old daughter," Kristoph's hand was back on Trucy's shoulder, "she didn't have any relatives left to look after her, so she had to find a new family."

"That's rough," Apollo's eyes were filled with empathy, "I guess I should consider myself lucky. My dad abandoned me at fifteen…"

Trucy didn't like seeing the teenager looking so upset. She felt a wave of emotion crossing over her, and she swallowed it down, turning the situation around.

"Well, if both of our daddies left us, then… We can be siblings!" Trucy's eyes gleamed cheerfully. "We'll be best friends forever and always look out for each other."

Apollo seemed surprised. "I, err, well… We barely know each other."

"That doesn't matter," Trucy put her hands on her hips, now determined, "we'll get to know each other! We can watch movies and go to the park and go to the Santa Monica Pier and be the bestest siblings ever!"

Kristoph nudged Apollo. "I doubt you're getting out of this arrangement."

Apollo scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I suppose you're right."

Trucy checked the clock, relieved that the hour had passed by so quickly. Her biology homework hadn't taken long to complete, and she even got halfway through her math homework before giving up. Trucy had never been great at math, and it was reaching a point of complexity where answers weren't easy to Google. It didn't help that her teachers didn't explain the concepts very well. Or, maybe Trucy just wasn't paying enough attention. She'd rather spend her work time, contemplating how to perfect her magic acts. Trucy slid her math binder back into her bag and zipped it up. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and went to the back of the office to check on Polly.

The man had changed from the first time she met him. He was still scrawny and short, but he matured in different ways. He was more diligent in his work, more knowledgeable about a wide array of subjects, and seemed somewhat composed in his working environment.

Still, it wasn't perfect.

"Hey, Polly?" Trucy noticed that the man was organizing some files. "Are we still on for movie night?"

Apollo hesitated, checking the clock. "Err, yeah, which one were you thinking of seeing?"

"I dunno," Trucy shrugged, "I was thinking of just going to the theater and picking a random one."

"Alright," Apollo mused, "there aren't any crazy movie releases happening right now, so I don't mind."

"I'll pay," Trucy grinned, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Oh, no, you aren't," Kristoph fixed her with a sharp glare, "Justice, you ought to know better. Making a teenager pay for both of the tickets? Preposterous. Not to mention, the ridiculous cost of popcorn and–"

"Look, I'll pay!" Apollo cut him off, flinching. "Sorry, boss, I, err… I'll handle it."

Trucy looked over at Kristoph. "But, Polly always pays. I make enough from my magic shows to–"

"You need to save that money for college," Kristoph narrowed his eyes, "you don't want to end up unemployed after high school ends."

"I don't need a college degree," Trucy crossed her arms.

"Do you really think your magic schtick will take you that far?" The corner of Kristoph's lips twitched. "I am merely looking out for your best interest, Trucy. Your audiences take pity on your situation and past. And, you're just a child, so they feel obligated to financially support you. Their investments in your magic hobby will deteriorate once you turn eighteen."

Is that how they really feel about me? Trucy flinched, swallowing a lump in her throat.

"And, Justice," Kristoph changed targets, "you still haven't finished organizing?"

"S-Sorry," Apollo stuttered, rubbing his wrist, "I'm almost done."

"You still have more tasks to complete before you can leave the office," Kristoph's tone was crisp, "I expect that you wouldn't abandon your responsibilities for some rendezvous."

"Of course not," Apollo shook his head, "I wouldn't dream of it."

"Good." Kristoph patted him on the back, causing the young man to stiffen. "The keys to the office are on the counter. Please don't forget to lock the door on your way out… again."

Apollo averted eye contact. "I promise I'll remember."

Kristoph clicked his tongue. "Quite right. We wouldn't want any thieves breaking into the office. If something like that happened, we would all know who to blame."

Without another word, the defense attorney departed from the office, the sound of his shoes' click-clacking against the floor. Apollo's shoulders dropped, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair before resuming his task.

"What else does he want you to do?" Trucy asked him curiously.

"Well, he wants me to clean up the office and highlight some court documents…" Apollo thought for a moment. "And, I still have to wrap up organizing."

"Alright, we'll divide and conquer," Trucy brightened, "I'll magically clean the office while you do your boring highlighting."

"Wait, hold it!" Apollo faced her. "This is my job, you're not supposed to–"

"Too late," Trucy chirped as she grabbed a broom, "I'm going to help you, Polly."

"Trucy…" Apollo grumbled.

"Besides, the sooner we finish here, the sooner we can head to the movies," Trucy pointed out.

"...Fair enough," Apollo accepted defeat.

Together, the two wrapped up the tasks they needed to complete around the office. It didn't take them as long as they expected it to. The office was usually kept in pristine condition, and the information Apollo needed to highlight was scarcely mentioned in the documents. Afterwards, the siblings left the office, locking the door behind them.

"Shit," Apollo cursed, "the sun is setting already."

"Yeah, it does that sometimes," Trucy grabbed her bike.

"And, your dad is working late tonight…" Apollo mused.

"And, we are not asking Kristoph for a ride," Trucy insisted.

"Yeah, I don't want to either," Apollo shuddered, "we just have to be careful, especially on the way back home."

The siblings biked to the movie theater, which was a few miles away. They parked their bikes next to one another. They entered the cinema, glancing around at the variety of selections.

"What about that one?" Trucy pointed to a random movie poster.

"I don't recognize that title," Apollo merely shrugged, "let's do it."

Apollo pulled out his wallet and bought them tickets. The pair walked over to the snacks, their eyes sparkling with childish glee. Trucy grabbed her usual Butterfingers bites while Apollo got a generic bag of pretzels.

"Is that all you would like?" The cashier asked them.

"A large size popcorn," Trucy chirped in.

Apollo grabbed two waters. "And, add these in too."

"Alright, your total will be $13.25."

Apollo reached for his wallet, which Trucy swatted away. She pulled out her own, giving the cashier a twenty. The cashier put away the money in the cash register and was about to get her money back when Trucy interrupted the transaction.

"Keep the change," she insisted.

The cashier nodded, shutting the register. The siblings got their popcorn, along with their snacks and made their way to their theater.

"You should've let me pay," Apollo argued, "after all, Kris–"

"Nope, nada, no way," Trucy cut him off, "you already paid for the tickets. So, I'm paying for snacks."

"You could've at least asked for change back."

"I don't need the money," Trucy shrugged, "I haven't needed to buy new props lately."

"You really are serious about magic," Apollo mused as they entered their theater, "I swear, it's the only thing you'll spend money on."

"Apart from movie snacks." Trucy added. "Magic is my career. Obviously, I'm going to put my money toward it."

"Kristoph doesn't think so," Apollo grimaced.

"Kristoph just doesn't get it." Trucy muttered. "He makes me feel insecure about, well, everything. I just thought I'd… I dunno… 'get back at him' somehow."

They sat down in their seats. Trucy absent-mindedly started crunching on popcorn.

"My old family in Khura'in… They were different," Apollo said softly.

Trucy looked at him with interest. The man rarely talked about his old family.

"We were… different in a lot of ways. It was my foster father, my sibling, and my… err, I guess my 'uncle' of sorts. I know there was a lot of bad stuff happening behind the scenes, but we tried to make the best of it. We supported each other and cared about each other… like a family would."

"I can't believe they would turn their backs on you," Trucy mumbled.

"I don't understand it either," Apollo sighed, "I was all alone in America. I had a few foster families, but they… ended up being a bad fit. I ended up running from it all, and I…"

Trucy felt a flare of guilt as tears welled up in her brother's eyes.

"Hey, we don't have to talk about it," she squeezed his hand, "I'm sorry for dragging up bad memories."

Apollo took a deep breath, glancing around. The theater was sparsely filled, and no one was close enough to listen in on their conversation. "I don't mind telling you the details."

Trucy nodded, opting to stay quiet and listen.

"Kristoph was the only one who supported me," Apollo murmured, "he took me in when no one else would. Without him, I would have never gotten through high school, and my dreams of becoming a lawyer would've gone down the drain. He mentored me, and I… wouldn't be the same without him. I owe everything to him."

"That… explains a lot," Trucy murmured.

The two remained relatively quiet as the previews played. They would occasionally make a comment about how many car ads were playing, but they didn't stray into any further conversation. The balance was too fragile, and neither wanted to push their prior subject any further. The movie started playing.

Neither sibling uttered a word.

The film's plot spiraled into several different directions. There was all sorts of crazy things happening – bombings, trials, and a desperate search to solve a mystery. But, they were distracted from the basic premise by the levels of emotional depth that the characters went through. The protagonists – brother and sister – dealt with a father who… didn't treat them well. Although they weren't physically struck, insults were hurled at them left and right. The 'father' – the man didn't even deserve that title – would torment his children, manipulating their choices, and halting their investigations. He was clearly vilified by the story itself, and he got a cruel ending that he deserved.

Trucy and Apollo were trembling as they exited the film.

They didn't even notice that their bikes had been stolen, opting to walk home.

Trucy's only sense of time was felt in the growing numbness of her feet. Apollo held her hand, an instinct of his when they went somewhere at night. Before the two knew it, they had reached the Wrights' doorstep.

Apollo gave her a curt nod as Trucy opened the front door and stepped inside. Trucy looked back to see that the young man was gone, heading off to his apartment. Trucy sighed, swallowing a lump in her throat. She shut the door behind her, resting her back against the door.

That movie…

Why did it feel so relatable?

Trucy started to make her way up the stairs when she heard the muffled sound of voices. She paused, wondering if anyone had noticed her. The sound of the voices grew louder, and she was able to hear them clearly from the stairwell.

"I can't believe you still have that," the voice was laced with venom, chilling Trucy to her core.

"Look, I couldn't just throw it out–" a second voice argued, his tone defensive.

"Why not?!" Trucy had never heard Kristoph yell before.

"He was everything to me!" Phoenix's tone was wretched, tearing at Trucy's heartstrings.

"He left you!" Snapped Kristoph. "At your absolute worst. I've been here to support you through your darkest days. I helped raise your daughter. I've given you my precious time and kindness, and this is what I get in return?! A man who won't just give it up and move on?!"

A choked sound escaped her father's mouth. Trucy stiffened, feeling her heart racing in her chest. From the muffled sounds he was making, she knew he was crying.

"I'm sorry." Phoenix's voice shook. "I really am being ungrateful, aren't I? I just… I should've… if only I hadn't… He was so…"

Kristoph sighed. "Just give it to me."

"No!" Phoenix's voice was stronger now, filled with conviction.

"He's in the past now," Kristoph insisted, "seven years in the past."

"I know he's never coming back for me," Phoenix whispered, "but I still… I still need it."

"You're being ridiculous," Kristoph scoffed, "he was a miserable man. Just the thought of him is sickening. A man who broke every promise he made to you. A man who lacked any and all emotional maturity. A man who was corrupt–"

"Don't talk about him like that!"

Slap!

Trucy felt waves of nausea swimming in her stomach. She retreated upstairs, not wanting to hear more of the argument. She practically collapsed onto her bed, pulling the covers over her head to mute out the noise. Trucy clutched onto her nearby stuffed lion, clutching him close to her heart. She heard a quiet jingling, and she felt the brush of silver metal against her neck, igniting an old memory.

"Happy birthday, Truce," her daddy smiled at her sweetly, his eyes glimmering.

"Thanks, daddy!" The now-nine year old grinned with glee. "This has been the best birthday ever."

Phoenix chuckled, scratching the back of his jaw. "I doubt that…"

"Most of the time, my old daddy forgot about my birthday," Trucy admitted, "or, if he did remember, there would be a show that day. So, we never celebrated it."

"Oh, Trucy…" Phoenix absent-mindedly ran his hand through her hair. "Every year, I promise we'll celebrate your birthday together."

"Really?" Trucy's eyes widened. "What if you have work that day?"

"We'll still find time to celebrate," Phoenix promised her.

Trucy hugged him tightly. "You're the best daddy ever."

Phoenix smiled warmly, returning her embrace. "You're the best daughter ever."

"Obviously," Trucy grinned as she pulled away.

"There's just one more present I wanted to give you," Phoenix smiled, pulling something out of his pocket.

"Ooh, the best one for last?" Trucy's eyes twinkled eagerly.

Phoenix pulled out a silver, heart-shaped locket from his pocket, the heart gleaming in the light. Trucy gasped, her bright blue eyes captivated by it.

Phoenix smiled sheepishly. "Do you like it?"

"I love it!" Trucy's eyes sparkled.

Phoenix smiled, carefully operating the clasp. He put the necklace on the girl, gently pushing her hair to the side, so it wouldn't get caught. He stepped away once he finished.

Trucy examined the locket in her hands, hearing a faint sound coming from the object. She went to open it when Phoenix put his hand over hers.

"Don't open it," there was a serious look in his eyes.

"Why not?" Trucy asked him curiously.

"There's something very special inside," Phoenix warned her, "and it's for a very special person."

"Who?" Trucy tilted her head.

"I can't tell you," Phoenix shook his head, "but you're a smart girl. If you ever meet this person, you'll know what to do."

Trucy nodded. "And I can't open the locket until I meet them?"

"Exactly," Phoenix looked her in the eyes, "it will be safe, as long as it stays in the locket. You can't tell anyone about what's in the locket. It's our little secret."

Trucy tilted her head. "And, what's so special about the thing inside the locket?"

"It has the power to fix everything."

Trucy felt thick rivulets of tears running down her face. She buried her face into her stuffed animal, squeezing it tightly. Her silver locket was close to her heart, and she could hear the jingling of the mysterious object inside.

She wanted to fix what was broken in her family.