It was cold outside.
Snow was falling lightly, and Phoenix Wright was not a warm man.
He hated the cold. You'd think since he always wore a suit, he'd prefer the cold. Maybe he wouldn't be so damn hot like it always is in the courtroom.
However, today, he didn't feel the cold. He was too lost in his own thoughts. He had somewhere he had to be today, so he hopped on the bus, which lacked a heater, and rode it.
The date? February 18, 2029 . Time? 9:49 A.M. For most people this day wasn't important. If you said something happened on this day, nobody would really know what happened.
But this day was very important to Mr. Wright.
It has been 10 years since that...incident. There was a lot that had happened in those ten years. He was disbarred and lost the right to call himself a defense attorney. He spiraled into darkness, one that no one could save him from. Or so it seemed anyways.
Fortunately for him, he had Trucy. His beautiful, lovely, adoptive daughter who he loved so very much. If it weren't for his disbarment, he would have never had her as his daughter. So for that, he was grateful.
Apollo had come and gone, as he'd now set up his own place in Khura'in.
She...never got to meet him, did she?
Athena was now the only other lawyer in the office. It was quiet at times without Apollo and his "Chords of Steel." He did miss him a lot.
Suddenly, the bus stopped, and he looked up. The Los Angeles Penitentiary sat in front of him, along with two girls, waiting for him. Wright stood up and left the bus, heading out to meet the girls.
"Hey Nick!" The girl with black hair and weird beads in her hair greeted him.
"Hey Maya, hey Pearls." He responded to the two. The teenager, Pearl, puffed her cheeks out and looked away.
"Don't talk to me Mr. Nick. You were supposed to be Mystic Maya's special someone." She grumbled.
"Pearls..." Maya groaned. "We've been over this. Nick and I aren't like that." The teenager sighed, admitting defeat.
"I know." Her huffiness disappeared, and a big smile replaced it. "I'm just messing with you guys. I can't wait to see her again! I'll finally have a real sister!" Pearl jumped up and down like a little kid again. Phoenix chuckled.
"You really are something Pearls. Let's head inside." He gave her head a little pat, and they moved into the prison.
Emotions swirled within Phoenix as he talked to the desk lady, who pointed them in the direction of the place where convicts are released. He wasn't sure if he was ready. It had been 10 long years since her incarceration, and he hadn't seen her in a while. With the depression that came from disbarment, and then getting caught up at work, it had been nearly 2 years since his last visit.
He felt terrible about it of course, and he never meant for it to get that bad, but after a while, he thought that it was better if he left her alone. But, he also avoided her for selfish reasons. But something spurned him to come see her welcomed back into the outside world.
As they reached the door for the release center, Phoenix heard some talk on the other side of the metal door.
"...and if you'll sign here, that should do it. You'll be on parole until the end of the year, so make sure you meet with Mr. Gumshoe every two weeks. He's your parole officer."
"Thank you sir. Is that all?"
"Yes. You'll have to wait here for Gumshoe to come and get you. It should only take 15 minutes at most, but he's pretty quick, so it should only take 5, so he'll be here soon. Any visitors you may have will come here too."
"Haha, of course. Thanks, but I don't think I'll be getting visitors."
That's her. She's...really getting out. At long last, it's over.
"Mr. Nick?" Pearl had a sly smile. "You should go first." She looked at Maya, who seemed to understand right away. "You got it Pearls."
Phoenix was then shoved through the door against his will, and it was quickly closed behind him.
"H-hey!" He was about to turn around and open the door, but before he could, her eyes latched onto him. She saw him, and there was no escaping now.
He turned to stare at the women. It had been 2 years since he had last seen her, 10 years since she had been outside of jail, and 15 years since the day they met.
Yet, she was still just as gorgeous as the day he met her.
Jet-black hair, dark brown eyes, and despite being in her mid-thirties, she still looked not a day older than the day she was arrested. The same acolyte robes and same hairstyle she wore the day of her arrest. It was like she had been frozen in time, just waiting for him to come back.
The only thing different was something very few people would notice. Phoenix could feel an emptiness inside her eyes as her gaze pierced him. The lack of life in her eyes was noticeable, but that thought disappeared when she spoke.
F-Fee-" She stopped herself. "Mr. Wright."
"Iris."
...
...
Silence.
...
...
"I'm so stupid." Phoenix suddenly pushed out, throwing himself into a 90 degree bow. "To just flat out stop visiting because of some stupid reason, I'm sorry I-"
He looked up in the middle of his mini-tirade against himself to see Iris holding back tears. "N-No, Iris I'm so sorr-" He stood up straight, and moved towards Iris, reaching out.
thump
Iris threw herself into him, hugging him as tightly as she could and not letting go. After a moment of being shocked, he eventually hugged her back.
She smells like flowers, just like she always has. Did she lose some weight? She feels rather light.
"Iris, I'm sorry. I should not have stopped visiting. I made a mistake and because of it I hurt you." Iris kept her face buried into his just dry-cleaned suit. Phoenix didn't let her go though, and he didn't really care. She needed this, so his suit didn't matter that much.
"I-I-" Iris stammered, attempting to speak in between sobs.
"Shhh, it's ok. It can wait." He hugged her tighter, and the sobs got louder. She was soiling his newly cleaned suit, but he didn't care. He could tell. These weren't necessarily tears of sorrow. Maybe a bit, but... they're more like tears of relief.
Sweet relief that it's all over.
Damn you, you coffee addicted nutcase. I don't need to think about you right now.
Iris composed herself and let go of Phoenix.
"I'm sorry Mr. Wright " she bowed her head politely. Phoenix just shook his.
"Don't call me that Iris. It's too formal." He scratched the back of his head. "Just call me Phoenix, or Nick even." She nodded
"Ok Phoenix." She smiled again. "I'm sorry again for all that. I was just...shocked to see you again. I thought you'd forgotten about me."
Phoenix shook his head
"I could never forget you."
Iris gasped a bit before he continued.
"Besides, I made you a promise. As long as I wasn't dead, I'd come see you on your release date. " A goofy smile rose to his lips. "And here I am. I told you I wouldn't miss it."
Iris turned a bit pink at the reply.
"Thank you, I'm sorry for doubting you'd keep your promise."
Silence overtook them for a bit.
"I would like it if you'd allow us to take you out of here." Phoenix finally remarked. Iris's eyes lit up a bit.
"Us?" She asked.
Just then, Pearl and Maya finally came through with some rather...weird...looks on their face
I'm gonna have to deal with their crap now too, huh?
"Iris!" Maya exclaimed. "I'm so happy you're free!"
"Mystic Maya..."
"Hey sis. You better spend time with us now that you're out! Also, you can't keep Mr. Nick to yourself. You better share!"
"Ghk-! Pearl!" Phoenix exclaimed. The teenager laughed as he berated her. After finishing, he looked at Iris to apologize, only to see her turning a bit red. He saw the life in her eyes return for a bit, before fading back to normal, along with her pigment.
"I promise I won't." Iris put on a kind smile.
The sounds of a metal door slamming open caused the to turn there heads.
"Hey there pal, I was told to come and-" The scruffy looking man looked around. "Hey! What're you guys doing here!"
Phoenix looked a little annoyed.
"Nice to see you too Gumshoe. What do you THINK I'm doing here?" He gestured to Iris. "She was my client, and..." He swallowed a lump in his throat. "She's also my friend. At least, I hope she is." He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. Gumshoe gave him a bit of a strange look, but the veteran detective just went back to his job.
"Well, as you know, I'm a detective. But I'm also assigned as her parole officer due to circumstances." Gumshoe stated. Phoenix raided an eyebrow.
"Circumstances set up by Edgeworth, yes? You're not qualified to be a parole officer Detective." Phoenix cringed at the thought of Gumshoe being a regular parole officer.
"Yeah, something about the case this prisoner was involved in being close to his heart. Probably because of, y'know, him covering for you day one of the trial and all." Phoenix just nodded. Edgeworth had a sense of duty, and as much as he hides his own feelings, he was a good guy. He visited Iris just as much, if not more, often than Phoenix.
When Phoenix still visited that is.
"Alright then, well we decided we were going to take care of Iris on her first day out of prison, so if you could lead us out, and finish everything up, we'd like to go."
Gumshoe waved his hand in front of his face, in a sort of dismissal.
"Now now, you don't need to worry about that. In fact, we're all finished. She's free to go, I just have to see to her being picked up by whoever comes to get her. It seems that would be you guys." He chuckled a bit. "Let me show you the way out.
Gumshoe walked the group out. On the way, he and Phoenix caught up on life. He hadn't seen Gumshoe in a while, and it was good to talk again. Apparently, he had finally gotten married to Maggey, and their first child was on the way.
" They're made for each other." Phoenix thought to himself. " Both incredibly clumsy and unlucky. The Gumshoes, no shocker there."
As they left the penitentiary, Maya and Pearl caught up with Iris about everything she'd missed. Maya was now the master of Kurain Village and the Kurain Channeling Technique. Pearl was about to graduate high school, even though she was a bit behind because of her mother not putting her in school right away.
Gumshoe bid them adieu, as he shuffled over to his car and got in. He told them he had to go, but Phoenix suspected he just wanted to go see his wife. Of course he didn't mind though, they could get along on their own.
Except Phoenix forgot. He didn't have a car, and the next bus wouldn't come for a good while. He looked over to the girls who were still chattering.
"Hey girls, I uh, may have forgotten that I don't really have a ride back." He had a bit of a goofy smile on his face, clearly apologetic. Maya gave him an exhausted look, and she turned a bit green.
"Well Pearls is learning to drive so she drove us here..." She pointed at a small, but nice, red car parked in the rather sizeable parking lot. "But I'm not sure I-" She was cut off by Pearl squealing.
"Ahhh yes! I get to drive Mr. Nick! Get in everyone!" She skipped to the car, and pulled out a set of keys. Maya sighed.
"I hope you haven't eaten yet Nick. You too Iris. I'm not sure you'll hold down your lunch."
The group piled in the car, with Maya insisting she takes the passenger seat. He squeezed in and sat next to Iris, who had been mostly silent ever since the girls showed up. A bit nervous, Phoenix kept his gaze averted from her.
They didn't stay separated for long, as Pearl hit the gas and everyone was flung forward in their seats.
"Pearl! Slow down!" Maya exclaimed. "I'm gonna puke..."
"Sorry Mystic Maya." Pearl repented. "I'm just so excited that I get to drive Mr. Nick!"
Phoenix understood why Maya asked now. He DID want to puke.
--
Eventually, they reached the office. The light snow had stopped falling, and with the office not having any cases at the moment, Athena had the day off, so she wasn't there today. However the lights were already on, meaning there was another person there at the time.
"Daddy!" Trucy came running up to Phoenix as soon as he entered and gave him a big hug.
"Trucy! What're you doing here? Why aren't you at school?" Trucy released him and stared daggers at him, her smile dropping off her face.
"Why didn't you tell me about your new friend?" She responded, venom lacing her words. Her smile returned quickly though. "I learned from Maya that you were meeting someone and I figured I'd come meet them, and since you never bring friends home, I figured you'd bring them here."
She's way more perceptive than she needs to be.
The girls followed in, only after hearing Trucy berate her father. Iris came in last, but Trucy scurried over to her as she entered.
"So who are you? Are you daddy's friend?" She closely examined Iris, who in turn turned a bit red in her nervousness.
"I guess I'd say so..." She responded, looking at the floor, unable to make eye contact with Trucy.
"Hmm...ok." Trucy put on her hat, which appeared out of nowhere. "I'm Trucy Wright of the Wright Anything Agency, and daughter of the best defense lawyer in the history of law!" She accentuated her voice, sounding almost like a commercial voice over actor.
"I-I'm Iris." She responded. Trucy, a bit confused, closely inspected her.
"Just Iris? No last name or anything?" She questioned.
"I, uh..."
"Trucy, not too many questions at once." Phoenix stepped in.
"Ah, sorry Ms. Iris. It's a pleasure to meet you." She then gave her a tip of the hat. "I hope you enjoy your time with Daddy." She smirked a bit, then looked at Maya and Pearl. "Hey guys, there's a new burger joint downtown. You wanna go?" She asked.
Maya's mouth started watering instantly.
"B-Burgers?! Yes please!" She grabbed Pearl and Trucy.
"Guys, we just got back and you already want to go get burgers?" Phoenix questioned. The three girls shared a somewhat evil smile.
"Yeah, WE'RE getting burgers." Pearl said.
"You and Iris need some alone time." Maya chimed in.
"Daddy needs time to himself if I'm going to get a Mommy!" Trucy finished. She stuck out her tongue, and with that, the three girls left, leaving the two alone in the dark office. Phoenix looked at Iris, who was blushing, likely from the last comment made by Trucy.
"I'm sorry Iris, Trucy is a handful." He bowed slightly. "Skipping school and then getting burgers...what is she thinking?"
"It's alright Phoenix." A small giggle escaped her lips. "Your daughter sure is something. She's just as eccentric as you told me she is."
Silence filled the air once more. Phoenix didn't really know what to say. It had been a long time since the two of them had talked, and most of the talk they did have when he visited was just basic stuff. They always avoided the hard topics. Just as Phoenix was about to speak, Iris spoke first.
"I think we have a lot to catch up on." She stated. "A lot that we need to discuss." Phoenix nodded his head in agreement.
"There's a good ramen place just down the street. If you'd like, I'll buy you some and we can talk there." Phoenix suggested.
"I'd like that." She raised an eyebrow, with a bit of a smirk gracing her lips. "But change out of your suit, it can't be comfortable." Phoenix was about to protest, but she interrupted. "It's your day off. Please, you should be able to relax. Besides, I may have soiled it."
Phoenix relented, and moved into his office where he took off the wet jacket and tie, but kept the white shirt on. He put on his winter jacket, which he had stupidly left here instead of putting on to pick Iris up. He put it on, left his office, then motioned for Iris to follow him.
He locked the office, then the pair took off in the direction of the noodle shop.
After a little bit, Phoenix slowly hooked his arm around Iris's. When she turned to question him, he responded simply.
"Just making sure I don't lose you." He gave her a goofy smile, to which she giggled at. For a moment, Phoenix saw the life return to her eyes again. Only this time, it stayed.
"Thanks Phoenix."
They reached the shop and sat down. They were alone in the shop, being as it was quite early for anyone to be there. It wasn't even 11 yet. Once the noodles arrived, they began to talk.
"So how have you been Phoenix?" Iris asked, as she warmed her hands over her noodles.
"I've been fine I guess. " He played with his noodles for a bit. "The office has been pretty busy with cases lately, and with Apollo gone, it's become hard to take them all."
"Apollo is the young lawyer who defended you after you were accused of murder, right? What happened to him?" Iris questioned. "I think I'm two years out of the loop."
"Ah, well Apollo is currently in Khura'in. He opened his own law firm there, so he won't be coming back unfortunately." A small sigh from Phoenix. "He is an incredible defense attorney and he is a rather great loss, but Athena is fantastic too. I relate to her in a way. She also became a defense attorney to save someone, just like I did." A nervous chuckle escaped his lips. "Funnily enough, both were prosecuters. Who would have thought?"
Phoenix took a bite of his noodles, then looked at Iris, who was listening intently. She hadn't touched her noodles yet.
"What about you? How have you been getting along Iris?" The former nun put a finger to her chin and looked off into space a bit.
"Oh y'know, just sitting in a cell all day, occasionally reading at the library, the usual." She responded.
Phoenix Wright may be a stupid man.
"Ah right, sorry, dumb question." He looked down at his noodles, a bit embarrassed. Iris just giggled, amused at him.
"Don't be sorry Phoenix, I'm just kidding!" Phoenix looked up from his noodles to see Iris smiling. A real, genuine smile. One he hadn't seen in a long time.
thump
"R-right..." He paused. "You know, noodles are for more than warming your hands. You're supposed to eat them." He remarked. Iris still had not touched her noodles.
"Don't tell me what to do Phoenix Wright." She rolled her eyes, but she knew he was joking. She finally took a bite of the noodles. "These ARE good, but I haven't had real food in years so that's not a high bar to clear." She finally dug in.
A silence set between them, but it was no longer an uncomfortable silence. In each other's presence, they felt comfortable again. After a while, Phoenix finished his noodles, but Iris was only half done. So, he started to talk about the "stuff that they needed to catch up on."
"Allow me to cut to the chase Iris." He blurted out after finishing his noodles. She looked up at him, and stopped eating for a moment.
"You have my full attention." Her eyes burned into him, but rather in a good way. She was serious.
"Allow me to apologize once more for my absence these past two years. I made mistakes, and I couldn't bear to face you after them." He bowed his head in apology again.
"If you don't mind...could you tell me why? I just don't understand why you stopped visiting. That was all I had for years, and you stopped for no reason at all. No notice, nothing." Tears welled up in her eyes. "You were the one person I could lean on, and it felt like you didn't care anymore. That was why I was so shocked to see you today."
Phoenix felt like he was going to cry himself.
"I was stupid." He watched Iris until they locked eyes, forcing himself to face her as he spoke. "I couldn't get that…that witch out of my mind, and the more I visited you, the more I had nightmares. The more I suffered because of her. But instead of telling you, I shut you out and focused on work. It's all I knew how to do." He bowed again. "I don't expect you to forgive me for something so terrible, but I truly am sorry, and I didn't mean to put you through so much pain." He stayed in a bowing position, no longer looking at her. He stayed like that for what felt like hours before Iris spoke.
"P-Please look at me Phoenix." He obliged, looking up.
Iris was on the verge of breaking down. It was clear to Phoenix she knew he wasn't telling the whole truth. However, she seemed to avoid that topic for now.
"I-I missed you so much. I just th-thought you hated me. I couldn't bear that thought. I'm just glad you're here now." She wiped her tears away. "I forgive you Phoenix."
Dumbfounded, Phoenix responded.
"You...forgive too easily Iris. I don't deserve your forgiveness." He responded dejectedly.
"And I don't deserve yours, yet you forgave me." She smiled again. "But all of that is over, and we're here now." She took another bite of her noodles, now more calm again. Warmness overtook Phoenix, like he could finally relax.
He was forgiven, and that? That was the best feeling in the world.
Over the next hour, he caught Iris up on his life and what was going on. Trucy and Pearl were set to graduate this year. He expanded on what Apollo was doing. He told her about every case that came through, and about his interesting experiences in and out of court. She listened to it all with a smile, only interjecting to ask questions. Right as he finished, Iris finished her noodles. It was almost Noon now, and they'd spent a large amount of time catching up. However the more Phoenix talked, the more he got worked up. The more he got worked up, the louder he got. He was distracting customers a bit, meaning it was probably time to go.
On the way back to the office, she opened up a bit more about her time in prison, something she wouldn't do even when he visited.
"I met with Mr. Armando a lot." She stated. "He kept me from losing my mind, especially when you stopped visiting. He always had a smile on his face, even when times were tough." She sighed a bit. "I'll have to visit him whenever I get the chance. He's going to be lonely without me Ithink."
No wonder I was thinking about him earlier.
"Oh, and you remember Lana Skye? She said you defended her murder charge at the start of your career."
"Yeah I did! How do you know her?"
"She was my cell mate. We got along fine, but she is a bit like me. She was rather quiet, so we didn't talk much. I could tell she's a good person though. I hope she gets out soon." Iris rambled.
"She is. Her sister is a detective now, and we work together quite a bit. I know Lana has a good heart, so I know when she gets out, she'll be just fine." Phoenix replied. He looked over to Iris, who was nodding along in agreement, but was clearly shivering from the cold. Now that she wasn't talking, she seems to have noticed that acolyte robes don't do much for keeping you warm.
I guess the years of being in a jail cell took away her immunity to the cold she had built up at Hazakura.
Phoenix took off his winter jacket and wrapped it around her. She jolted at the sudden physical touch, but accepted the jacket wordlessly. A crimson color crossed her face, and Phoenix noticed instantly. But he knew it wasn't because she was cold this time.
She can't still...after everything I've done?
...
thump
They eventually reached the office, and Phoenix pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. He allowed Iris in first, before following in her stead.
After flicking on the lights, Iris removed the jacket and gave it back.
"Thank you." She mumbled, looking at her feet. He nodded and took the jacket back. It was a bit awkward again, but Phoenix was determined to not let it become awkward.
"So where are you staying then? Are you going back to Hazakura temple?" Iris shook her head.
"I love sister Bikini, but I can't return to the mountain. She won't let me, telling me that I have better things out here, waiting for me. Besides, in my absence, there are new nuns to replace me. I'm not needed there anymore." She smiled a bit. "Unfortunately, I'm not sure where I'll be staying at the moment, although I'm sure Bikini would let me stay at the temple, she'd try to get me out onto "bigger and better things" as she put it. I'm just not sure what those things are."
Phoenix scratched his chin, then rubbed the back of his head nervously.
"You're always welcome here Iris. There's a spare bedroom in the office that my old mentor used to use when she worked overnight." He stated. Iris looked unsure.
"Are you sure that's alright? I don't want to be a bother, and I'll probably just get in your way."
Phoenix shook his head.
"Of course you're not a bother Iris. I would love to have you stay here. If I had a spare room I'd let you stay at my house, but unfortunately this is the most I can offer as of now, sorry."
Iris took his hand inside of hers and shook her head.
"No, don't be sorry, in fact I'm grateful. I couldn't possibly ask for anything else. If you're ok with it, I'd love to." She reassured him. He nodded, and showed her the way to the bedroom.
The room was small, but it had a nice bed and a TV. There were pictures of Mia and Maya on the wall. Phoenix hadn't moved them since the day Mia died. They had been there through thick and thin, and had picked up quite a bit of dust from the amount of time they had laid dormant. Iris sat on the bed and felt it, pushing down on it out of curiosity.
"You know, I've never slept on a bed before. Only on the tatami and a cot in my cell. This is nice." A sweet smile graced her lips. "I really do appreciate it."
thump
"Well, I'll help you get settled in. But first..." Phoenix reached towards the tv and turned it on. "You wanna watch a movie?" Phoenix asked nervously.
Why am I asking to watch a movie? What gives exactly?
"Sure, what do you have in mind?" She questioned. Phoenix pulled out a disk from the shelf and put it into the CD player.
"A somewhat special movie. One that is rather special to me at least."
He turned on the tv and booted up the disk. By the time the tv was on, the disk had already loaded to the start screen. Iris's face registered a look of shock.
"You still have this disk?"
"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I? It's special to me." He rubbed his nose. "And besides, we made it together."
Phoenix clicked play and started the program.
The disc contained an old movie Phoenix had made in college as a part of his art classes. For the final exam, he made a short film with his classmates. It was only 20 minutes long, but it was precious to him.
They had spent hours filming the movie, and the movie only contained a few characters. One of which was Phoenix himself, and more importantly, the other was his girlfriend, "Dollie." She wasn't in art, but she was more than willing to be in the film. Her acting was great, and she played her role well.
Phoenix and her used to watch it occasionally when they hung out at his dorm, but that was a memory long since gone.
As the film started, Phoenix pulled up a chair to watch, while Iris sat on the bed. The distance between them though was minimal. She sat near the edge of the bed to talk to him as the movie rolled along.
As the climax of the film approached, they stopped talking and paid close attention.
"Dollie..." The young Phoenix coughs up blood. "Please, take this." He handed her a piece of folded up paper.
"N-No, Feenie! I won't, you aren't going to die!" She pushed his hand back. "Please!"
The young Phoenix shook his head.
"I'm sorry Dollie." He coughed again, blood spilling everywhere. "This is selfish of me, but please take it. I don't want you to forget me." He forced the paper into her hands as she continued to beg.
"You're not going to die Phoenix!" Tears fell from her eyes. "Please!"
Phoenix smiled, despite the pain. "You really were the best thing to ever happen to me. Thanks Dollie."
Phoenix's body went limp, and all was over.
A loud cry rang out, as the camera panned off of them, and the movie was over.
Phoenix looked over at Iris, just to see her crying again.
"I-Iris?" He asked. She quickly wiped her tears.
"I remember us making that like it was yesterday. Sorry for getting emotional, I was just reminiscing."
"So you're alright?" He asked, double checking.
"Of course, don't worry about me Feen-" She stopped herself. "Sorry, Phoenix."
thump
No way…
"Iris...you don't have to call me Phoenix."
He was approaching dangerous territory. He knew where he was going with this, but was it the right decision?
"W-What do you mean?" Iris twiddled her thumbs, not meeting his gaze.
Here goes nothing I guess.
"You can call me Feenie." He said quickly. "If you want. Phoenix is just, awkward, coming from you." He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "I prefer Feenie. From you that is."
thump
"A-Are you sure?" Iris asked shyly. "I thought...that nickname brought up bad memories. Of her."
"That's because I..." Phoenix stopped himself, then steered the conversation in a different direction. "Can I tell you the real reason I stopped visiting you Iris? I was pretty vague earlier." He stood up from the chair, and sat next to her in the bed.
Iris nodded, so he continued.
"I needed to separate you and Dahlia in my head. It was impossible for me to separate you two from each other in my head. I just couldn't comprehend it for some reason. The more I saw you, the harder it became." Phoenix paused to look at Iris, but he didn't meet her gaze right away.
"I needed to realize that it was you the entire time, and never Dahlia. That's what was so hard for me. It took me a while and I just cracked. The last time I visited, my head was so screwed up that I barely registered the conversation we had that day. I need that toxic woman out of my life, and I subconsciously believed you had to be too if I was to rid myself of her." He finally met her gaze, staring into her beautiful eyes.
"But you AREN'T her. You're your own person, and you were the person I really fell in love with. And when I made that realization, I realized that I had to see you again. With your release date coming up, I realized it was time to fulfill that promise." Phoenix felt his face turn hot, and tears started to flow. "Those aren't bad memories anymore, because those are memories of you, not Dahlia."
I'm supposed to be strong. I have to stop crying in front of her.
Phoenix wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. He was about to apologize again, when he felt a pair of warm arms wrap around him lightly.
thump thump
"Don't cry F-Feenie." Iris mumbled, still embarrassed about dropping the formalities. "I forgive you."
Phoenix's tears dried quickly. He wasn't usually one to cry, but it was an emotional few hours so far. He'd only been with Iris for about 4 hours now, but they had caught up on so much, had so many emotional moments, all in just a few hours.
They really were making up for lost time.
"Thanks Iris. Sorry you had to see that." He muttered, ashamed.
Iris shook her head.
"Don't be sorry. Everyone needs to cry sometimes, and besides, you let me cry on you earlier."
"Wise words. You're so smart you could be a nun." Phoenix wisecracked.
A small giggle from Iris sent his heart up into a frenzy again.
thump thump
Phoenix and Iris were still gently hugging, but neither mentioned it. Phoenix wasn't about to be the first to let go, but it seemed as though it was the same for Iris.
For a while the two stayed like that. However, eventually, after some time had passed, they gradually let each other go.
"I've made you cry a lot today, sorry about that." Phoenix said upon releasing her. She shrugged nonchalantly.
"It's ok. They're mostly happy tears anyways." Her eyes glazed over a bit as she reminisced. "I'm just happy to be talking to you again. I really missed you." She confided. Her eyes were lit like a Christmas tree, and an awkward, but comfortable smile rested on her face.
She really is just as beautiful as the day I met her. She hasn't changed. But I feel like something is missing.
Phoenix blushed at the thought, but shook it off. Iris noticed, but didn't ask about it.
After standing up, Phoenix helped her settle in, helping her unpack her few items she had that she brought with her from prison. Mostly just her robes, some basic clothing, like sweaters and such, and a few other necessities. It wasn't perfect, but it would do for now.
"Thanks again for helping me out. You're really amazing Feenie!"
thump thump thump
"Of course. You're always welcome here." Phoenix responded.
"Always?" Iris asked. "Isn't that a bit of a stretch? I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome." A bit of a pained look took place on her face.
Phoenix took her by the hands.
"I always mean what I say. You're always welcome here. I'd love for you to stay here forever." Phoenix stated confidently. It took him a moment to realize how stupid that sounded. While he continued to remain confident on the outside, turmoil was going on inside him.
What am I even doing?! It sounds like I'm about to confess or something! I need to hit the breaks. I need to stop.
"W-What? What do you mean by that?" Phoenix felt Iris tremble slightly. "Please, what exactly are you trying to say?" A sudden look of need from Iris scared him off. He needed to stop. He pulled away.
"I-I mean...I mean what I said. You're always welcome here." Phoenix backed off. Iris, however, didn't drop it.
thump thump thump
"No! Feenie, please tell me, what do you mean by that!" Iris practically shouted. It wasn't a question, it was a demand. However, she quickly realized her mistake, looking to the floor in apology. "Sorry Feenie."
Phoenix was shocked by this outburst. He'd never seen her yell. She really wanted to know what he was thinking when even he didn't know.
"I just..." He looked around for a second, making sure no one was around except them. "Give me a second to respond, please?" He asked, rubbing his temple.
Iris was wordless, and Phoenix kept his eyes on the bed frame for the moment.
I don't even know what I'm doing. Why am I doing this? Am I that stupid? Am I actually about to do this?
After a moment of awkward silence, Phoenix faced her.
"I'm not the same guy I once was." He began, as Iris focused on him. "I've changed a lot over the years. As you know, I've been through some rather traumatic things, and that caused me to cause you pain. I'm not proud of that, and it's something I need to work past."
Phoenix played with sweater he had subconsciously picked up. It was one of Iris's that he had never seen before. She rarely wore sweaters at all during the time they dated, but it seems that prison caused her to pick up the habit.
"I have a daughter now, and I'm no longer the sole lawyer of my company. In fact, I don't take on most of the cases anymore. People look up to me now, and it's quite a burden to be honest. I've changed a lot since college." He scratched his head a bit before continuing. "I'm an old man now. I'm not young and spry anymore, and I've grown up. But so have you."
thump thump thump thump thump
The moment is here Phoenix. Are you going to go through with it?
"What I'm trying to say is that, as selfish of me as this is..." He tensed up, and dropped his gaze from her, too embarrassed to face her.
"I want to start over with you."
There was silence for a bit, and Phoenix grew hotter with embarrassment by the second. He was still unable to meet Iris's eyes.
I am SO fucking stupid. Two years of not visiting and I drop a bombshell on her like that? Phoenix Wright, you win an award for most stupid man on planet Earth! I bet she's disgusted with me.
"Iris I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm so stupid." He looked in his attempt to apologize, but saw a different reaction from the one he was expecting. Instead of seeing Iris disgusted, annoyed, or even mad, he saw the missing piece of Iris return.
The life in her eyes is back. Her eyes aren't empty anymore. She looked at him like she did back in college, eyes full of life and pure, unadulterated joy.
Iris's face was a mess. She was bright red, and her lip was quivering in a half smile. She looked confused, ecstatic and terrified all at once. Her eyes told the story though, and they were as bright as he'd ever seen them, but there was already waterfalls of tears. Weirdly enough, relief washed over Phoenix.
I made her cry four times today. I'm such an idiot.
Stammering, Iris finally spoke.
"Ph-Phoenix Wright. You are, b-by far, the stupidest man I have e-ever met." She said, wiping her tears.
"Hey, I already know, you didn't have to say it." Phoenix replied, a bit hurt.
"N-No, I d-don't mean it like that! You decided you w-wanted to start over with someone who h-hurt you as much as I did. That's why you're s-stupid." She stammered out, correcting him. "I don't deserve you."
"Stop saying that." Phoenix responded gently. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her tears. "You already paid for your sins over and over. I've forgiven you. If anything I don't deserve you." He shook his head sadly. "I was selfish and asked for you to start over after meeting me again for the first time in years. I'm really dumb you know."
"N-No!" She took the handkerchief from him gently. "I already forgave you for that..."
"And I told you that I forgave you too. Stop beating yourself up over it Iris. You deserve to be happy just as much as the rest of us." He consoled. "It doesn't mean you need to be with me, but you deserve to be happy Iris." Iris pondered his words for a minute, wiping away her tears again.
"I'm such a crybaby. Are you sure you're ok with...this?" She expressed, gesturing to herself. Phoenix almost cackled at that.
"Are you kidding Iris? You're gorgeous. You look just like you did the day I met you." Phoenix disclosed.
I am saying some REALLY embarrassing things. How is this working out? I don't know how women work, Iris is the only person I've ever dated!
Despite his worries, it was clear that he was dumb lucking his way into saying the right things. Iris was embarrassed by his words, blushing profusely. He was sending her head into a spin the way he was talking.
"If you're sure, then I guess..." She tried to compose herself, but failed. "I feel the same way, Feenie." She scrunched up her face in an effort to not cry, and she threw herself into Phoenix, throwing all of the emotions she'd had for him over the years into her very, very tight grip.
Anger
Sadness
Guilt
But also Love. And there was a lot more of that than anything else.
Phoenix couldn't breathe very well, but he didn't notice. His system was still rebooting from the shock of her actually accepting. It was the equivalent of a blind squirrel finding a massive nut. Yet he found the same nut after losing it the first time.
After kind of coming to his senses, he hugged back.
Eventually, they pulled away, and held each other by the shoulders.
"Are you sure this is ok Feenie?" She asked one more time.
"Of course. I'm not sure if this is real or if I'm dreaming though, I never really thought we would be together again."
Iris gave him a sly look through her puffy, tear ridden eyes.
"Let me confirm this is real for you."
She leaned up and grabbed his face. She admired his features for a bit, before pulling him into a kiss.
thump thump thump thump thump thump
SHE'S KISSING ME AHHHHHHH
Iris pulled away and smiled.
"Real enough for you Feenie?" She asked, proud of herself.
"Y-Yesh?" Phoenix stumbled out. She laughed, letting herself feel at ease. Now he was the one who's head was spinning.
"Yesh? Is that some kind of new word Feenie?" She teased.
"I was just surprised ok? It's been awhile." He responded, embarrassed.
"Almost 15 years. Still wearing the same cologne though. You haven't changed THAT much Feenie."
"You noticed? That's embarrassing. Pretty sure you still use the same perfume though." Phoenix interjected.
"Of course I do. You told me you loved it so I never stopped wearing it." She said proudly. "Actually, that's kind of embarrassing. Forget I said that."
"Yesh, that's not happening."
"Good gosh Feenie, stop saying yesh."
"No."
The two laughed, finally able to share their feelings freely between each other without holding back. They could joke around and poke fun at each other, and the other would love it. Just like in college.
Iris yawned, tired from everything that had already happened today. It was only 3 or 4, Phoenix wasn't sure. He had lost track of time. However the amount of information shared between the two had worn her out. Sitting on the bed with Phoenix, she slumped against his shoulder, eventually falling asleep. Phoenix sat there, allowing it to happen, loving every second of it.
"I still love you...Feenie." Iris mumbled in her sleep.
A very stupid grin crossed his face. He rubbed her head, feeling almost giddy.
"You really are my Dollie, Iris." He hesitated, but decided to respond to her sleep induced comment.
"I love you too." He whispered. He kissed her on the forehead.
Phoenix stayed like that for a long time, letting her rest, before eventually she fell into a deep sleep. He sat there for almost an hour or two, just so incredibly possessed by this woman on his shoulder. He admired her features in her sleep, scanning her faces for signs of age. He found none, shocked at just how young she looked. Almost too young for an old man like him.
Phoenix continued studying her sleeping face, taking notice of the small bit of drool leaking from her lips. He wiped it with his sleeve, before taking that as a sign she was asleep enough to move
He tucked her into the bed, and shut off the light. Before leaving the room though, he kissed her on the forehead lightly.
I'll have to write her a note so she knows this isn't a dream. I'm still not completely convinced.
He took in the scene one last time, checking over Iris once more, and making sure everything was put away.
thump
Boy am I lucky.
Phoenix opened the door, looking forward to the future ahead.
Or, at least he hoped to. Instead, he was faced with the nosey faces of three girls, two teenagers, and another who might as well still be.
Oh boy.
Phoenix closed the door quietly, worried about the commotion these three might cause
"What do you guys need?" Phoenix sputtered.
The girls shared a look, and semi-evil smiles.
"Oh nothing, just fawning over you two maybe possibly getting back together?" Maya hinted.
Avoiding the question altogether, Phoenix looked at the clock in the corner and asked a question.
"It's six o'clock, and you guys decided to come by the office? Why did you come back?" Phoenix grilled the girls. "Also, Trucy, since you skipped school, you better have done your homework."
"Yeah yeah Daddy, of course I did." She waved him off, before elaborating. "Pearl and I worked on it at the new burger joint. Then we went to the movies and watched the re-run of that old movie poster you had on the wall a long time ago from your old boss."
"It was SOOOO good! Just like Mia said, I cried! It was so sad." Maya chimed in. A look of annoyance crossed her face. "Hey, you're trying to change the subject! Nick, what happened with you and Iris?"
This is gonna be a long day, isn't it?
The girls continued to lambast him with questions, most of which he ignored, before he finally shooed them out of the office.
With the girls out, he decided to do a bit of work. He had received a message from Athena during his time getting noodles with Iris. There may be a new case they would be getting, so he agreed to look it over. With Iris taking a nap, it would be a good time to do so.
Time flew by, and he barely noticed. Eventually, he looked at the clock to see it was almost ten. Trucy had to be home by now, and the Fey cousins were probably with her. He trusted them enough so he wasn't worried, but it was about time that he got going.
He figured he'd check on Iris one last time before leaving, so he went into the bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him again.
He saw Iris still sleeping peacefully. She had changed positions, now laying face up instead of on her side, but mostly the same no less.
Phoenix touched her forehead to make sure she wasn't warm. He didn't want her to get sick from the cold today. She was fine, so he removed his hand.
He placed the note he had written for her to read in the morning about everything that happened and information like his phone number and when he'd come to the office. He even left a spare key in the note.
After one final look, he left the room one final time for the night.
She must have been exhausted to sleep all the way through the afternoon.
Phoenix put on his sweater, and then his jacket. He rearranged his papers on his desk to make it look passable, but he mostly failed. It was still a mess.
He finished up and started to turn the doorknob when a pair of arms wrapped around him gently, startling Phoenix.
"Oh, sorry Feenie." Iris apologized. "I just, wanted to make sure this was all real. I woke up only moments ago and was worried that I had dreamed it all. When I saw you leaving, I had to hug you to make sure I wasn't dreaming again."
A soft expression was on her face, one of warmth and sincerity.
"Isn't that why you kissed me earlier? You seemed so confident." Phoenix remarked.
"I-I was only so confident because it felt like a dream." She responded.
A playful smile played on Phoenix's lips.
"Let me put those fears to ease once again."
Phoenix Wright leaned down and kissed her on the lips, with all the love he had to give. Love which had been bottled up for fifteen years, and that love was finally let out on full display.
Iris had gone through so much, and all for this moment. A selfless person like her deserves the world, in Phoenix's eyes.
"Iris, I love you."
"..."
"I love you too."
--
Missed Call, 10:21 PM.
Phoenix Wright
Message from Phoenix Wright
"Hey Trucy, sorry but daddy won't be home tonight. I'm going to be at the office tonight. Don't wait up for me."
Trucy Wright smirked as she read the message. She knew her daddy wouldn't be doing that. He was too innocent for that, especially right now. But he really needs to learn how things look to other people. However, she did wonder what he'd be doing.
"At least I may have a new mommy soon."
Trucy smiled, looking forward to their future together.