Perhaps it's been too long since I last played that game, but...



One thing I've been a tad concerned about is fleshing out the story here without making the chapters seem like fillers. I definitely know where the next major point in the plot is; the difficult part will be getting there without being hasty or redundant.

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And I know the feeling. It's hard when you have something that you really want to write, but you can't until you get to that point. I feel your pain. You're doing a fine job with it though.

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Lana had heard that she had a visitor that day, but it certainly wasn’t who she had expected. Rather than Ema, Lana’s visitor was a young woman in a short old-style dress that did a good job of showing off her legs, both of which had a boot on the foot with an intimidating high heel. More prominent than the dress and boots, though, was the whip she held in her left hand.

“You must be Franziska,” Lana said through the speaker.

“Franziska von Karma, prosecuting prodigy,” the visitor replied. She had a very faint German accent, but Lana would probably not have noticed it had she not heard about it from Miles. “I have to admit, I never thought I’d meet my little brother’s lover in prison.” She smiled in a somewhat arrogant manner. Miles sometimes smiled like that when taunting a defense attorney.

“The worst of it’s over.”

“Surely you’ve heard about Miles Edgeworth’s death.”

“I don’t believe it; Miles is too proud to kill himself—especially after all that happened between us. He has nowhere to go but forward.”

Franziska chuckled. “Forward? He has shamed himself with three defeats—all against the same person. What could possibly be left for him?”

“Me. No matter what path he follows, I’ll be there for him. He knows that.”

Franziska chuckled again. “The foolishness of a fool is foolish to all but other equally foolish fools.”

Lana could not help but smile in amusement at Fransziska’s words. Never before had she heard the word “fool” used so much in a single sentence. She laughed. “Perhaps Miles and I are fools,” she said, “but that what makes us go together so well. He’ll return—I’m sure of it. He wouldn’t leave his life behind when he has so much to live for.”

“If love is all that’s left for him, then it appears I have already surpassed him. Such a pitiful man.”

“And yet you still care about him.”

Franziska glared at Lana. Were Lana not used to the intensity with which Miles glared, she would have probably felt a shiver go down her neck. Lana simply smiled.

“Miles told me about you,” Lana said. “When I hear you talking about Miles, it’s almost the complete opposite of what he says about you—with a few exceptions. In general, he talked about you in a positive light. He says you’re like a sister to him, and he always felt as though you looked up to him and respected him. Despite your view of him as a competitor, he says he thinks of you as a sister more than a rival. He also says that you think of him as a brother, although you don’t express it that easily.”

“Hmph. He’s nothing more than a rival to me.”

“Liar. He told me about when he first left for the United States. He said he saw tears in your eyes as he said his good-byes.” She smiled. “It appears you have more in common than just your job.”

“And what do you mean by that, Ms. Svetlana Skye?” Lana could tell from Franziska’s tone that she was beginning to get annoyed.

“You both have the same weakness: you both seem to think you’re able to do well without anyone to support you. It took me a long time to get that nonsense out of Miles’s head. No one’s invincible.”

It occurred to Lana that Franziska’s whip had not seen any use. She was most likely worried that she might break the security glass and hurt herself.

“Give it some thought, Franziska,” Lana continued. “Family is an important part of life. Whether you outwardly express it or not, Miles and I both know that you care about him.”

“Hah. I am a von Karma, someone destined only for perfection. Why should I care about someone so imperfect?”

Lana smiled, amused.

“And just what is so funny?”

“The way you’re reacting,” Lana answered. “Tell me, Franziska: have you ever been in love?”

“Excuse me?”

“You’ve been so focused on victory—and revenge against a man who is above the need to be perfect—that you’ve lost sight of the much closer, more important parts of life. Miles has had me there to calm his fears and point him in the right direction when he feels lost. You’re not accepting anyone like that.”

“I don’t need anyone’s help; I’m stronger than Miles Edgeworth is. That’s why I’m here: to prove it to him.”

Lana again smiled. “I don’t doubt that you’re a strong woman. But the mere fact that you exist is proof that even a von Karma needs someone close.”

“I’ll save family for after I’ve defeated him.”

Lana chuckled. “Then you’d better hope he gets a guilty client in the next case you prosecute against him. As you have learned, Mr. Wright will not allow innocent people to get convicted. If his client’s innocent, he’ll prove it.” She closed her eyes. “But then again, Miles no longer cares about getting a perfect record. As long as you only have your sights set on your idea of perfection, you will never surpass Miles as a prosecutor.”

Franziska was clearly angered by Lana’s statement. “Were it not for this glass, Ms. Svetlana Skye, you would have a grievous gash across your face right now.”

Lana sighed. “I’m sure you know Miles is more than just a rival. I owe my life and my happiness to him. Have you read about that case? The one in which I was blackmailed into feigning guilt for a murder? I tried to be found guilty. Miles—the prosecutor himself—stopped me. He fought for the truth on the last day of the trial. The Miles Edgeworth you viewed as a rival chose death. In his place is a far better man—someone who more than deserves to be by my side.”

Franziska didn’t appear to have anything to say in response. Lana had no doubt hurt her.

“Sorry if I hurt your feelings,” Lana said. At that moment, Gumshoe had the misfortune of entering the visiting room. “Don’t even think about it,” Lana said, realizing that Franziska was going to take out her anger on the poor detective. “He has nothing to do with this.” Franziska hesitated. “Franziska… Miles and I are going to be married one day—I’m sure of it. I hope to see you at the wedding.”

“Hmph,” Franziska spat. She smiled conceitedly. “I’ll think about it. До свидания, Светлана Юревна.”

“Before you go, could you please call Detective Gumshoe over here? I’d like to talk to him.”

Mere moments after the words left her mouth, Lana realized she should have worded her request more carefully. It was too late by then, though. The whip’s crack and Gumshoe’s scream left an unpleasant ringing and an even more unpleasant silence in the air.

“Scruffy,” Franziska called flatly. “Ms. Svetlana Skye would like to talk to you.” Franziska got up from her seat and walked out of the room. Gumshoe hobbled over—the whip had struck him in the thigh—and slumped into the chair.

“Sorry about that,” Lana said. “I realized right after asking to speak to you that Franziska would call you over with her whip.”

“It’s okay, pal,” Gumshoe replied, still clearly in pain. “How’re you holding up with everything?”

“I’m doing just fine, detective. Have you heard anything from Miles?”

“Yeah… He said he’s started to prosecute in England.”

“Where in England?”

“London. He said he ran into Ema over there.”

“Really? That’s great. I’m sure Ema was happy to see him again. It’ll also make it easier for me to start dating him again.”

Gumshoe blushed slightly, the way he usually did when he had some sort of secret.

“Is there something you’re holding back?” Lana asked, knowing the answer.

“Um… S-sorry, pal, I promised Mr. Edgeworth I wouldn’t tell. But he said he sent a letter to you.”

“I see. I won’t press the matter, then.”

For a brief moment, neither of them said anything.

“Franziska’s not causing any serious trouble, is she?” Lana finally asked. “Just from what Miles has told me, I can tell she’s probably caused a few injuries.”

“No, nothing serious, pal. Well… Okay, a few people got some cuts or muscle injuries, but nothing really bad.”

“What about you?”

“Huh?”

“That blow to your thigh a moment ago didn’t look too small. Are you going to be okay?”

“Sure. I’ve gotten kinda used to it. …It’s no secret I’m not the best detective around…”

“Your heart’s in the right place, though. I’m sure I’m not the only one who realizes that.”

“Thanks… You know, it’s good to have you back.”

“It’s good to be back, Gumshoe. I hated having to keep all that emotion sealed away.”

“I can imagine. …Say, um… I wanted to know if you had any advice…”

“About…?”

“Well… uh…” Gumshoe rubbed the back of his head. “See, there’s someone on the force that, uh… I… kinda have… a… crush… on. I was wondering what would make a good gift…”

Lana smiled. There was no decisive proof, but almost everyone who knew about Gumshoe agreed on who this mystery crush was. “It would probably be best to try to become friends with her before buying any gifts. You never know what she might like or dislike.”

“Uh… but… what if she thinks I’m… uh…”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re a good person, and if you’re referring to who I think you are, then trying to make friends wouldn’t seem out of the ordinary.”

“Wait… Who do you think I’m talking about?”

“I forgot her name, but I’ll describe her to you. She’s almost exactly five feet tall, has short brown hair, wears glasses, and is a recruit who works under you.”

“Maggey… Yeah… That’s her…”

“Well, try to become friends with her. You’re a nice guy, and there’s nothing strange about trying to be on good terms with your subordinates. I’m sure you won’t bother her. I’ll be cheering on your efforts, and I’m sure Miles will, too.”

Gumshoe looked touched. “Thanks, Ms. Skye. I’ll be cheering you and Mr. Edgeworth on, too.”

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I really enjoyed this chapter. The interaction between Lana and Franziska was very interesting to read and you handled them perfectly. Nice work. :)

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I just want to say that I'm greatly enjoying your story, perhaps I'm exagerating or maybe this is even't what you've planned but your story make the characters look very human, also other I loved is Lana's comments on the cases, when she's watching the trials, I'm always been a great fan of the outside opinion. I would like to ask something (please don't think I begging for you for you to put something on the story, is just a question and a opinion) are you going make Lana watch or at least hear about 2-3? Maybe you hate the case(many people here hate it, I personally love it), but as stupid as the case may look, it's backstory (in other words Acro, Bat and Regina), reminds a lot of Lana, especially Acro's actions, maybe I'm exagerating again, but some things that the characters of the case did, Lana did similar, like Acro "avenging" his brother or Bat risking himself, just to show his love for Regina, I'm sorry if I'm bugging or irritating you.

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You're not bothering me. I haven't decided on Turnabout Big Top yet, though. It's a connection I never drew, so I'll consider it. In all honesty, I liked that case, too. It was a bit of a runaround, but I enjoyed the case as a whole. I definitely sympathize with Acro's situation, and I enjoyed a lot of the exchanges of dialogue that went on in court. I often mess up on purpose just to see Phoenix get humiliated or whipped (or both). I got plenty of laughs out of that case.

The case itself will be mentioned in a future chapter, though I don't know how far I'll delve into it.

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Wonderful chapters! I haven't responded since part one ended, so I will now.
This seems rather minor, but I'm actually glad Lana knows the truth about Miles's 'death'. And that he told her ahead of time. Somehow, that drama didn't appeal to me, and it seems to seem much sweeter this way. I have sappy tastes, I know, but somehow that small thing made me enjoy the next chapters more.

The exchange between Franziska and Lana was great. The relationship between her and Miles was explained well, and it was rather touching. And poor Gumshoe. The part with Maggey was sweet

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It's good to hear--uh, read--from you again. I had known beforehand that I wanted Lana to know that Miles was alive; given their relationship, I didn't think Miles would leave without telling her.

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Nice! I really like this story (unusual pairings make me happy). My faovrite parts are when Lana is commenting on how Phoenix's case is going. PW is always funniest when recreated from an outsider's point of view, because everything is either insane or awesome. I really want to see Edgeworth and Lana commenting on 2-4 (Farewell My Turnabout).

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I can't say I think of Miles and Lana being an unusual couple. I'll admit that there is almost nothing in the games that suggests a romantic relationship, but looking at their personalities, it's easy to see the possibility of them falling in love and the likely strength of such a bond.

With regards to Farewell, My Turnabout, that case is definitely going to be in there; I think it's too important with regards to the main characters for me to simply omit it.

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Miles was often looking up from his newspaper to the exit from the baggage reclaim, only to see that Lana hadn’t arrived yet. Ema had invited Miles along to greet Lana when she arrived in England. After each glance, he would struggle for a brief moment to find where he had stopped reading before he had looked up. Russia had recently agreed to recognize Borginia as an independent country. There was one obstacle, though. Both Estonia and Russia had made the first step toward Borginia’s total independence, but neither nation had any interest in giving up its land. The borders could not be agreed upon. In particular, Russians in the Pskovskaya Oblast objected to the proposed borders. It was agreed that Pskov was going to remain part of Russia, but all of the Russian land the Borginians wanted was in the Pskovskaya Oblast.

Another issue was a number of Estonians (especially in Tartu maakond) who opposed Borginian independence. A large number of people were going to have to move if they wanted to stay in Estonia. As moving would be expensive, it was understandable that people wanted their homes to remain on Estonian soil. There was also Tartu’s cultural history to keep in mind. As the second largest, and one of the oldest, cities in Estonia, few Estonians wanted to part with their claim to it. There was also the claim that the Borginians were only pushing for Tartu because they believed they’d never convince Russia to give up Pskov. No matter what happened, there was going to be some political tension for a while, even if Borginia were to be given its official borders tomorrow.

Miles’s cell phone rang. He reached into his pocket and answered it.

“This is Edgeworth,” he said.

“M-Mr. Edgeworth, sir…” the voice on the other end said. Miles recognized it instantly as a nervous Detective Gumshoe. “You’ve gotta help me, sir. They arrested Maggey!”

“On what charges?”

“Murder, sir.”

“What evidence did they have against her?”

“Um… Hold on, sir, I’ll go get the files.”

Miles heard the sounds of rummaging.

“Something going on?” Ema asked.

“Someone Gumshoe is infatuated with got arrested,” Miles replied.

Ema gasped. “Oh, no! Is she…?”

“That’s what I intend to find out.”

“What is?” Gumshoe asked.

“Sorry,” Miles replied. “Ema’s with me right now, and she was curious about your call. So, about the evidence…”

“Well, first, we’ve got the autopsy report. The victim was shoved from a height of two stories and broke his neck.”

“I see. And what pointed to Byrde?”

“Some glasses were found under his body, and Maggey’s wearing her spare pair.”

“Circumstantial. What else?”

“Her name was written in the dirt by the victim’s finge—”

“That’s impossible.”

“Huh?”

“If he broke his neck, he died almost instantly. He wouldn’t have had time to write anyone’s name.”

“But we found dirt under his fingernails…”

“That only proves that his finger was used to write the name; it doesn’t prove he wrote it.”

“It doesn’t?”

Miles sighed. “Suppose I grabbed your hand when you had your finger extended and wrote a name in the dirt by moving your hand in the right directions. Does that mean you wrote the name?”

“No…”

“That alone throws suspicion on the case against Byrde. What else pointed to her as the culprit?”

“A witness.”

“And what does the testimony sound like?”

“He said he saw Maggey push the victim off the ledge.”

“Is that it?”

“Yeah, sir. He said she ran away after that and he called the police.”

“I see. Do you know who the defense attorney is?”

“It’s Mr. Wright, sir.”

“So that implies Franziska will be facing him.”

“No, sir. Not this time. She hasn’t been around the last few days. Probably sick.”

It must be really severe if it can stop her from facing Wright…

“I see. So who is the prosecutor?”

“Winston Payne.”

Miles laughed. Having Payne face Wright in a dubious case was like sending a fly to kill a frog. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Detective. I’m already suspicious that Byrde was framed, and if Payne is facing Wright in this case, then he’ll almost certainly lose.”

“You really think so, sir?”

“I remember Byrde; I doubt she’d ever feel the desire to commit murder. You have nothing to be concerned about. If Byrde’s innocent, Wright will prove it.”

“O-okay… Thanks, sir.”

“You’re welcome.” Miles hung up. He turned to Ema. “From the sound of it, Byrde was framed.”

“And Mr. Wright’s defending her?”

“Yes. Considering who the prosecutor is, I think a not guilty verdict is almost guaranteed.”

“That’s good…” Ema trailed off. She looked as though she had something on her mind, but didn’t want to bring it up. Miles decided to return to his paper until Ema decided to start talking again. He looked up from his paper from time to time. After finishing the Borginia article, he flipped through the pages.

It was then he noticed Franziska’s picture on one of the pages. “Legendary Prosecutor Deprived of Chance at Revenge.” The article was a fairly small one. Franziska had fallen ill, losing an opportunity to face Wright in Byrde’s trial. The disease itself was unspecified, but the general consensus was that it was the flu.

“Lana!” Miles heard Ema chirp. He looked up from his newspaper and saw Ema run to her sister and hug her tightly. He folded his newspaper and walked in Lana’s direction, feeling a smile form on his face as he approached her. Ema noticed Miles approaching and let go of Lana. When Lana looked in Miles’s direction, she closed her eyes briefly, then opened them. Miles took Lana’s hands in his own as they leaned forward for a small kiss.

“It’s wonderful to see you again,” Miles said when their lips parted.

“And this time, nothing’s going to come between us,” Lana replied with a smile.

“Yes.” Miles sighed happily. “I feel as though we’ve never been closer than we are now. All that happened…”

“It only served to strengthen our bond.” Lana let go of Miles’s hands. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Lana turned to Ema. “You and Alice will have to lead me,” she said. “I don’t know where you parked.” They started walking in the direction of the car park. “So how’s everyone adapting?”

“The cats were going nuts back when we first got here,” Ema said, “but they’ve calmed down now. I’m just doing fine. I’ve made a whole bunch of new friends, and I’ve learned so much about forensics!”

Lana smiled. “And what about you, Miles?”

“Getting used to London was rather easy for me. I had purchased an apartment before I even arrived, and I’ve found a good home for Pess.”

“A good home?”

“A defense attorney I met was willing to take care of him. Apparently, his own dog needed a companion.”

“That’s good to hear. Is he doing well?”

“From what I’ve heard, he’s doing wonderfully. Mr. Gavin seems to enjoy his company, too. Supposedly almost the polar opposite of his own dog.”

“That’s great. You’re not too lonely without him, are you?”

“It sometimes bothers me, but now that you’re here, I doubt I’ll have to worry about being alone again for a long time. I’ve been putting a lot of work into cleaning my apartment now that Pess is gone. Hopefully, you won’t even notice his traces when you visit.”

“Thanks. It’ll be nice to visit you without sneezing every three minutes. And what about a job?”

“Do you even need to ask?” Miles replied. “I’m a prosecutor.”

“You should see him prosecute!” Ema exclaimed as they walked out of the terminal. “He’s amazing! He gave up a guilty verdict once to make sure the defendant got the right sentence.”

“That was a relatively simple case,” Miles stated. “It’s the complex cases that I need to master—cases like the ones Wright usually ends up handling.”

“You’re making progress, though, from the sound of it,” Lana said. “Finding the right path is hard to do in one step.”

“Of course. Now, what about you? Now that you’re in England, you will finally be able to prosecute.”

“That’s true—assuming I can get them to overlook SL-9.”

“That’s been taken care of. I discussed the situation at length with the courts, and they agreed that your actions could not be held against you.”

Lana closed her eyes and blushed slightly. She opened her eyes again and looked to Miles, smiling. “Thank you. Sometimes, I feel as if we’re already married.”

“Likewise.” Miles looked to Lana. “I don’t think I’m ready yet, though… But I’m close; I can feel it just by looking at you.” He paused as he looked into her eyes and took in the smile he had waited half a year to see again. “Your smile really does your name justice. You shine with an angelic aura.”

“Miles…”

“So how did you fare? I imagine prison wasn’t a fun place for you, but given your crime, it probably wasn’t Hell.”

Lana sighed, losing the red tone to her face that had developed. “You’re right in saying it wasn’t Hell. Still, I’m glad to be out. It actually reminded me of dormitory life back in college—communal showers, cellmates, a few amenities available… The main difference is that we were forced to stay in our cells most of the time—not to mention one of my cellmates had a grudge against me.”

“Angel Starr, I presume.”

“Yes. Nothing serious broke out, but she just wasn’t ready to let the past go. I suppose I can’t blame her; my actions have—”

“Lana,” Miles interrupted, knowing that she was going to be saddened by thinking about what her actions did. “That no longer matters. What matters is that you regret it. If the criminal truly regrets their crimes and realizes that what they did was wrong, there is no need to punish them any further. Laws and sentences exist to make sure that those who commit crimes without regret have other reasons than guilt to avoid breaking the law.

“Besides, thanks to all the forgeries you pointed out, those who were convicted with illegal evidence were allowed to appeal their cases. I know it was too late for some, but you did the right thing in the end. Anyone who hasn’t forgiven you is someone you don’t need forgiveness from.” He paused. “Look to the future, which for you is brighter than even your smile.” He looked to Lana again. It was difficult not to see how wonderful she was feeling. He thought he saw her eyes forming tears.

“See?” Ema commented to Alice as they entered the car park. “I told you they’re a good couple!” At that point, both Miles and Lana laughed.

“I guess I owe you an apology, Mr. Edgeworth,” Alice said. “I was rather skeptical when I heard that you were dating Lana. You’re almost nothing like my brother.”

“Consider your apology accepted,” Miles replied.

“Speaking of siblings, Miles,” Lana said, “Franziska decided to visit me in prison for some reason.”

“Really? Hm. That’s not like her at all.”

“I thought about it, too. I get the impression she wanted to look mentally strong.”

“How so?”

“Well, if I had thought you really were dead, then she would look the more stable of the two of us.”

“I suppose that makes sense… Even though she’s got some sensitive points, she always does try to appear strong.”

“And who better to look strong in front of than someone who recently lost the man she loved? She’d seem invincible.” Lana half-sighed, half-laughed. “I think I rubbed her the wrong way by being strong.”

“Don’t let it bother you. Franziska’s under a lot more stress than she wants people to think. She’ll calm down in enough time, but for now, she needs to handle things on her own.”

“Um…” Ema cut in, “you never said anything about a sister…”

“Franziska’s not my sister, per se, but she and I are very close. You know I was raised by von Karma after my father died, right?”

“Yes…”

“Franziska is Manfred von Karma’s second daughter. She looked up to me when we were a lot younger, but now she tends to think of me as more of a rival than a role model. She doesn’t express it much, but I know she still cares about me to some extent.”

“See that car?” Alice interrupted, pointing to a small blue car parked near the back. “That’s mine.”

“Hm…” Lana sighed. “We might have a problem, then. I don’t think all my bags are going to fit in the trunk.”

“That’s an easy problem to solve,” Miles said. “Some of the bags will be put in the back seats and we’ll take the Underground. That’s how I got here, after all. All you need to do is switch trains at King’s Cross St. Pancras and take the Circle, Metropolitan, or Hammersmith and City line to Barbican. Alice and Ema can meet you at the station and take you to her flat.”

Lana chuckled. “You mean you don’t have a car?”

“There’s no need for a car in a city with such great public transit. Besides, the traffic here makes San Diego look good.”

“Yeah!” Ema chimed in. “There are actually parts of the city where the traffic is so bad that they make you pay a toll just to drive through them!”

Lana looked out at the parked cars.

Why…? Right.

“Lana?” Alice cut in. “Is something wrong?”

“Oh,” Lana managed to say, returning to reality. “No, nothing’s wrong.”

“You were staring at the cars.”

“I just thought about the Prosecutor’s Office parking lot.”

“Oh…” Ema said somewhat sadly, apparently recalling the murder.

“I wasn’t thinking about that,” Lana said. “You can guess what I mean, right, Miles?”

“Of course,” Miles answered. “That’s where I confessed my love to you—and where we shared our first kiss.”

“In a car park?” Alice asked, apparently thinking it was a silly place to confess one’s love.

“Yes. I had noticed my feelings for her a few weeks earlier, but it was only that morning, after dreaming about her, that I realized I was not just infatuated. I managed to catch Lana as she was about to leave for home. She had been there to deliver a report to someone.”

“By that time, I knew I was in love with Miles, too,” Lana added. “But I didn’t want to cause him any unnecessary stress; he was dealing with five cases at the same time, and I could tell he was under a lot of pressure. I didn’t realize that part of his stress was his feelings for me.”

“Let’s see if I can recall my exact words…” Miles paused for a moment, thinking as he tried to redraw the scene from memory while Lana’s bags were loaded into the car.



Miles saw Lana opening the door to her car and realized he had to act now. He had decided that morning that he was going to tell her the moment he saw her. He had an entire afternoon to gather the courage to do so, and he knew that it was best just to keep the confession simple and to the point lest he wander away from doing so while talking to her.

“Lana,” he called. “I’m glad I caught you.”

“Is something wrong?” Lana asked as Miles approached her.

“No… nothing’s wrong... but I need to see you.”

“What is it?”

Miles closed his eyes and struggled for a moment. He could feel the hesitance build up. I need to tell her... I need to tell her... I need to tell her...

“I love you,” he finally said. He felt the slight pressure on his heart lift as the words left his mouth.

Lana gasped slightly, then smiled as she placed her right hand over her heart. “I love you, too," she replied with a pleased sigh. "I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. You’re under so much stress already…”

Miles took Lana’s right hand and held it in both hands. “I can already feel some of it lifting.”



“And then we kissed,” Miles said, “and the rest is history.”

“And what a good time to end the story,” Alice said as she closed the trunk. “We’ll meet you at Barbican.”

“Hold it!” Ema interrupted. “Do you mind if I tag along? I’ve never been on the Underground before.”

Lana looked at Miles, smiling. “I don’t mind at all,” she said.

“Likewise,” Miles said.

Alice waved good-bye as she got into her car. Miles, Lana, and Ema stepped aside so she could back out of her parking space and leave. Despite the comfort provided by being together, no one was able to find a topic to talk about. Perhaps it was better that way; Miles never thought too highly of small talk—too surface-level for his preferences. Ema shared stories of forensic science—in great detail. Lana, being the loving sister she was, paid attention and occasionally gave her input. From time to time, Miles commented, but he was mostly quiet during the trip to his stop. He bid the two sisters farewell when he got off and switched to the train to his apartment.

I’ll have to watch some of Lana’s trials; I’m sure to learn something. The sooner I know which path is right, the sooner she can walk that path with me. I already get the feeling that the ring will leave my hands before long. Despite all that happened to her, she’s still the same incredible woman she always was… I suppose that’s one of the reasons I love her; she’s as strong as she is kind—even more beautiful on the inside than she is on the outside.

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Last edited by General Luigi on Tue Apr 28, 2009 5:54 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Great chapter, loved the Borginian reference, but are you sure Pess will be safe with Kristoph? By the way, Gumshoe probaly forgot everything Edgeworth told him, when testified against Maggey, probaly nervous, our just embarrassed.

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That's our lovable, scatterbrained detective for you. Then, of course, there's the fact that it's the defense's job to point out contradictions. Perhaps he just figured Phoenix would see the problem and point it out. Of course, I hadn't considered that issue when writing this chapter, so it's open to interpretation.

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You did a very nice job on the chapter. I loved the exchange between the always sensible Edgeworth and the lovestruck Gumshoe over Maggey's case. It was nicely done and I found it amusing. Their personalities play off each other well.

The only thing that bothered me a bit is that Edgeworth seemed a bit too together during the flashback scene. Feelings are not something that Edgeworth is particularly comfortable with, more so in the past before he met up with Phoenix again (and all through the first game), but he's always a bit hesitant on emotions in the game, and when "unnecessary feelings" start to stur, his demeanor tends to break a bit. I would have expected a bit more awkwardness on his part as he confessed his feelings to woman he loves. I thought Lana's reaction was good, but Edgeworth's just struck me as a bit off, but that's just me.

Anyway, enough babbling. Good work. :)

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That's a good point, and it appears I didn't explain it properly. I'll edit the chapter a bit so that Miles's mindset at the moment makes more sense.

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Lana tried to get her mind in the right position. It was her first case, and part of her was excited and thought of it as though it was a game. She hated that side of her at the moment. The case had room for doubt, but the investigation was quite certain that the defendant was guilty. Lana herself had participated, so she thought the same thing. Still, it was possible that she was framed, too. Her husband could have conceivably committed the crime and simply put the incriminating evidence in her flat. Lana returned to looking over the report.

Is there anything odd at all about this case? Mr. Hall is the only other suspect, and he has a rather strong alibi.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in green,” a voice said. Lana recognized it as belonging to Miles almost instantly. He walked closer to her. “I’ve never seen you in that suit before. Is it new?”

“Yes,” Lana replied. “It’s… kind of weird, actually. A while ago, I took a look in the mirror while wearing my old suit, and I decided that I didn’t like it that much. Just looking at myself, I felt as though I was returning to the way I was under Gant’s control. I couldn’t bring myself to wear it…”

“Well, though it means nothing with regards to how you fare in court, I think you look even lovelier in your new suit.”

I had a feeling he’d say that. “Thanks,” Lana said, feeling herself blush.

“What do you think about the case?” Miles asked, sitting down next to her.
“I’m almost certain the defendant is guilty. Given the circumstances, the only other possible suspect is her husband, and he’s got an excellent alibi.”

“And that alibi is…?”

“Cataplexy.”

“I’m… not familiar with that term.”

“Basically, it causes REM sleep paralysis while the patient is still awake. Patients can sometimes collapse completely and spontaneously. If he tried to steal the vase and had a cataplexy attack while fleeing, he’d be caught for sure. Considering the stress involved in stealing a valuable artifact from the British Museum, an attack is almost guaranteed.”

“You know that doesn’t guarantee he’s innocent.”

“Of course I know that. However, he was also at a pub when the crime happened. Plenty of people corroborated his alibi. Besides, there’s also evidence that the defendant was at the scene of the crime: a security camera picture of her. It’s still technically not decisive, but she and her husband are the only people who could have taken the vase to their flat. Unless she was there after the museum’s closing time by chance while her husband sneaked past all of the security cameras and stole the sculpture, she’s guilty.”

“And what if there’s another possibility?”

“It’s possible someone else did all this, but it seems unlikely. The investigation didn’t uncover any other leads, so it falls on the defense to point out anything we missed.”

“I see.”

“I tend to think of the defense as my partner in a game of whist. Either one of us can take the trick, and in that way, we’re competing, but we also work together.”

“Well put,” Miles said with a smile.

Lana chuckled. “You look nice with a smile, too.”

Miles was silent for a moment. He placed his hand on Lana’s. “I think it’s my turn to be proud of you. It’s your first case and you already have an excellent sense of how to proceed.”

“I have you to thank for that. Seeing you prosecute, seeing you fight for the truth… You didn’t have a fellow prosecutor to learn from; you made your own path. That takes true strength of will and mind.”

“It’s time,” the bailiff’s voice called.

“I’ll be watching from the gallery,” Miles said as he got up. He took Lana’s hand as she stood up. She smiled, amused.



“All rise for His Honour Judge Peter Maxwell,” the clerk called out as the judge entered. Lana had seen Miles prosecute a murder case, so she was used to the layout. However, as this was a less serious crime, a lower-ranking judge was presiding.

Purple on a judge… I certainly can’t imagine Judge Clous in that kind of robe.

“You may be seated,” the judge said as he took his position. “Court is now in session for the trial of Mrs. Hannah Hall.”

“The prosecution is ready, Your Honour,” Lana said.

“The defense is ready, Your Honour,” the defense attorney said. Her voice almost sounded like Mia’s voice.

“Very well,” the judge replied. “Ms. Skye, your opening statement, please.”

“Of course, Your Honour,” Lana stated. “On the night of the Eleventh of November, the Medici Valencian vase was stolen from the British Museum. A security camera took a photograph of an intruder that night, and the stolen vase was found in that intruder’s flat the following day. That intruder is none other than the defendant, Mrs. Hannah Hall.”

“Very well. What plea does the defense intend to enter?”

“Not guilty,” the defense said.

“Understood. Ms. Skye, please call your first witness.”

“The prosecution calls Detective Richard Cox to the stand,” Lana said. “His testimony, in addition to the evidence presented, shall make the defendant’s guilt quite clear.”

The detective took the stand.

“Please state your name and occupation to the court,” Lana requested.

“Richard Cox,” the detective replied. “Constable, Criminal Investigation Department.”

“Very good,” the judge said. “Testify to the court about the circumstances of the defendant’s arrest.”

“Yes, Your Honour. The case was pretty simple. You see, there was nothing abnormal in the museum’s camera data—save for one photograph. That photograph, taken after hours, was of the defendant. We identified her and got a warrant to search her flat. The vase was found hidden in a wardrobe. The only other suspect was her husband, but the security cameras didn’t get any shots of him, not to mention he was at a pub when the crime happened. It’s pretty clear-cut.”

“Hm. Indeed, it does sound clear-cut. One has to wonder why the defendant didn’t just bypass the trial entirely on a plea bargain.”

“It’s because she’s innocent!” the defense attorney snapped. The courtroom was silent for a moment. The judge banged his gavel.

He cleared his throat. “If that’s the case, I hope you’ll be able to prove it in this cross-examination. By the way, please don’t snap at me like that. The next time you make any unnecessary outbursts, you will be penalized.”

“Your Honour,” Lana added, “before that, I would like to present to the court the photograph taken by the security camera.” Lana opened a file folder and took out the photograph. The defendant had barely been caught in the photo, but her face was recognizable. “Mrs. Hall worked at the museum before the crime was committed. She knew the location of all the security cameras. It appears she was just a little too slow to avoid this one, though.”

“Accepted into evidence. Ms. Crocker, please begin your cross-examination.”

“Detective, what you have said makes perfect sense,” Crocker said, “but you have forgotten one thing. My client has an alibi.”

“Excuse me?” Lana asked. “During questioning, she never mentioned an alibi.”

“That doesn’t mean she didn’t have one. It just means she didn’t feel like telling you about it. After all, it’s not something she wants publicized.”

“Please enlighten the court, then,” the judge requested. “You claim the defendant has an alibi. What is it?”

“She was having an abortion performed.”

The gallery started up. The judge banged his gavel repeatedly.

“Order! Order!” he yelled. “This abortion…”

“Was legal,” Crocker finished. “However, as the witness is a Catholic, she wanted the procedure—as well as her pregnancy—kept a secret. After all, abortion is heavily frowned upon by the Catholic church. However, since she refused to reveal it, it fell upon my shoulders to disclose it to the court.”

The gallery was silent for a moment.

“I… I see…” the judge finally said.

“Objection!” Lana shouted. “Ms. Crocker, this abortion… I assume you have medical records of it?”

“Right here,” Crocker said, pulling out a file.

“A-accepted into evidence,” the judge said.

“I see,” Lana said. “Then please tell us: who is the woman in the security camera photograph?”

“The defendant’s husband,” Crocker replied.

“Objection! Mr. Hall has a watertight alibi!”

“Objection! That alibi was completely fabricated! Everyone who claimed Hall was at the pub had a personal connection to him and lied to protect him!”

What nonsense is this? You think you can turn the tables on a solid case that easily? “In that case, where’s your proof that the person in the photograph is Mr. Hall?”

“My proof is a witness. The defense requests to call Mr. David Gurns to the stand!”

The gallery was noisier than a rock concert at this point. The judge banged his gavel several times.

“Orderrrr!” he yelled. “Ms. Skye. This alibi the defendant’s husband had… was the prosecution aware that it was flawed?”

“The prosecution stands by its claim that Mr. Hall’s alibi is watertight,” Lana replied. “The defense is undoubtedly lying to win the case.”

“Prove it,” Crocker taunted.

I will. But right now, let’s look at this witness of yours. “The prosecution will establish the fault in the defense’s claims through the very witness they wish to call. Other witnesses will further confirm our claim.”

“Very well,” the judge said with a whack of his gavel. “Mr. David Gurns shall assume the stand.”

Gurns took the stand. Lana knew from Crocker’s claim that he was going to lie.

So the game of whist has become a game of hearts. You’ll regret that decision, Ms. Crocker.

“Witness, please state your name and occupation for the court.”

“David Gurns,” the witness replied. “I’m a digital artist.”

So that’s your trick, is it? Well, I’m sure you’ll play the queen of spades soon enough. I have all the aces, and I’ll put them to good use.

“Please testify to the court, then,” the judge requested. “The person in the photograph: the defense claims it’s Mr. Hall; the prosecution insists it’s the defendant. Who is it?”

“That photograph is a fake,” Gurns testified. “One of my co-workers was hired by Ms. Skye to alter the photograph.”

The gallery started jeering at Lana, interrupting the testimony. The judge banged his gavel.

“Order! Let the witness continue!”

Cute trick, Crocker. It’s going to be exposed, though. I’ve heard more believable lies from Philip Morris.

“He was paid a thousand pounds for the job and eagerly accepted it,” Gurns continued. “Originally, this was a photograph of Mr. Hall. Part of it was cut off so the person in the photo looked as though he had the defendant’s physique.”

The courtroom was quiet enough for one to hear a pin drop.

“M… Ms. Skye!” the judge roared. “You…”

“I deny all claims of forgery,” Lana interrupted calmly. “After all, where is the original photograph, then?”

“Right here,” Crocker answered, taking a photograph out of her files. “This original photograph, as you can see, is larger and clearly shows the defendant’s husband.”

Foolish move. Exposing that lie will be child’s play.

“Objection!” Lana shouted. “Your Honour, I’d like to request that the two photographs be measured.”

“E… Excuse me?” the judge asked.

“Standard security photographs—including those taken by the cameras at the British Museum—are size A4 when printed out. Which one is size A4, I wonder?”

“Size… A4? Um… Bailiff! Bring me a ruler!”

The bailiff ran out of the courtroom and brought back a ruler moments later. Lana looked over to Crocker and saw that she was sweating. The queen is mine now, Crocker. This next trick has the last of the hearts. I’m sure I’ll take it.

“Thank you,” the judge said. “Hm…” He measured the two photographs. “They’re equal in the short dimensions, but the one from the defense is longer. But… what are the measurements for A4 paper?”

“210 by 297 millimeters,” the stenographer said.

“I see. In that case, they’re both fake.”

“Wait!” the stenographer interrupted. “Size A4 paper is still acceptable if the dimensions are off by two millimeters or less.”

“Hm?” The judge looked at his notes. His face contorted into a scowl. “Ms. Crocker.”

And I’ve shot the moon. You should have played fair, Crocker.

“Yes, Your Honour?” Crocker replied, pretending to be calm.

“You are hereby held in contempt of court for presenting forged evidence.”

“Objection! What about the medical records? As long as those are real, my client has an alibi and is therefore innocent!”

“They will be examined. This court will take a thirty-minute recess for the necessary analyses to be performed. Regardless of their legitimacy, your presentation of fabricated evidence will be reviewed by the Bar Association. I retract my previous decision to hold the defense in contempt of court… for now. Court is in recess.”



Lana entered the Defendant Lobby. She and the defense needed to talk.

“What do you want?” Crocker snapped, noticing Lana.

“The truth,” Lana replied.

“I’m guilty,” the defendant said.

“No!” Crocker yelled. “Stop saying that! You’re innocent!”

“No, you stop!” the defendant yelled back. “I never should have hired you! I ask you to give me a proper defense and you forge evidence and try to pin the crime on my husband! You’re just a selfish wench who doesn’t give a damn about her clients! You… You’re fired!”

Crocker laughed. “And what will happen to you? You saw Ms. Skye—”

“I don’t care! I’d rather go to prison than have you get my husband convicted of a crime I committed! Get out of my sight!”

“I’ve heard enough,” Lana said. “You’re not fit to stand in court, Ms. Crocker. We deal with people’s lives in here; lies can send innocent people to their deaths. What was said in here can’t be used in court against you, but you can be sure that this case will end in disaster for you.” Lana walked out of the lobby. Mrs. Hall was hardly any better, considering that her decision to try to get acquitted meant that someone else would be convicted if she succeeded. Still, Lana respected her for coming to her senses in the end.

Crocker was almost sure to get disbarred; she had forged evidence, not to mention the “witness” was probably bribed and Crocker’s alibi for her client was likely a lie. It was foolish to lie in court, let alone in such a small case. Lana had no pity for the woman; she deserved whatever punishment she had coming.



“Court is in session,” the judge said with a whack of his gavel. “The analysis has confirmed that the medical files were forged. Had the defense not been dismissed during the recess, they would have been held in contempt of court. Mrs. Hall, you may represent yourself now or ask for a public defense attorney.”

“I…” Mrs. Hall stammered. “I give up. I’m guilty. The director had fired me a few weeks ago because I had rejected his advances on me. I stole the vase as revenge. The money from selling it would make me and John able to get a better flat. A cataplexy attack cost him his last job… I didn’t want him to be stuck in a substandard flat just because he can’t get a job.

“In my desperation, I forgot… if I was acquitted, someone else would have to be convicted. I should have gone with a plea bargain from the start. If I had known Crocker would try to get my husband convicted, I would have never hired her. I had nothing to do with the lies Crocker told.” She started crying. “Lock me up. I’m guilty. I stole the vase.”

The gallery started up. The judge banged his gavel. “Very well,” he said. “Ms. Skye, do you have anything to say?”

“The defendant has my respect for telling the truth in the end,” Lana said, “but that does not absolve her of her crime. As Mrs. Hall has confessed and all points have been considered, I believe there is no need to wait any longer for the verdict.”

“Agreed. This court finds the defendant, Mrs. Hannah Hall, guilty of theft. I sentence her to three years in a Category C prison. Court is adjourned.” The judge banged his gavel.



Lana returned to the Prosecution Lobby and saw Miles waiting there. He was sitting on the sofa, relaxing somewhat. He got up upon noticing Lana.

“You were incredible,” he said. “You stood your ground against a dishonest defense and came out unscathed. And the strategy for revealing the forgery… genius.” He walked closer. “I learned so much from you in just one case.”

“It’s only because you blazed the trail for me,” Lana replied. “I’ve learned even more from you, and I can tell just from seeing your trials that the path you walk is a just one.”

Miles smiled. Lana saw tears in his eyes. “Yes… Yes… it is a just one.” He reached into his coat pocket and took out a small red velvet box. Lana knew what was in it before he even opened it. “Which is why I want you to walk that path by my side.” The ring was inside. Lana felt her heart try to burst out of her chest. “I want to marry you.”

“Miles…” Lana felt tears form in her own eyes as she took the ring from the box and delicately placed it on her left ring finger. Never mind that he’s proposing in the courthouse… The answer’s still the same… “You know I will.” She walked into Miles’s arms and hugged him tightly, placing her chin on his right shoulder. She felt Miles’s arms tighten around her.

“I love you, Lana,” he said. “I always will.”

“I love you, too Miles. And now we’ll never be forced apart again. I’ll always be there for you, and you’ll always be there for me. It’s finally over. After so much struggling, so many fights, we’re together again.”

“Yes. And we always will be. …I have a new definition of perfection now. A job I excel at and take pride in, a great home, a fabulous wife… My life is so close to perfect that anyone seeing it from the outside would think it was.”

Lana took her head off of Miles’s shoulder and looked into his eyes. “Not your life, Miles… Our life.”

Miles leaned in slightly. Lana took the hint and kissed him on the lips.

“Yes,” Miles said. “Our life.”

---

Great chapter, though the defence attorney was rather...evil, and judging for what I know about the games, something will happen that will force them to postpone the big day, or (probaly, I'm very, very, wrong) is it AU?
Also, this story is making me love / , thought I still prefer / , sorry, really, it's just I can imagine them living in a little farm in the middle of Texas, also Edgeworth seems the kind of guy who is married to his job, but your story is making me change my mind about him, maybe he has some time for romance, judging from their personalities, their dates probaly involve going to operas, theatre and fine dinning (thought the idea of them going to Tres Bien by accident, is rather amusing ).

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You have no need to apologize; disliking people over which pairings they support is like disliking them over their food preferences or taste in music. Anyway, could you please clarify what you mean by "AU?" I have no idea what "AU" means--or I just can't recall what it means.

I had actually intended to have Miles propose in Chapter 6, but as I worked my way through typing this chapter, I realized that this was a better opportunity.

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AU means alternate universe, like changing the original, for example, let's say I want to write a story in which Mia survives 1-2, that would be an AU, and thanks for not discriminating pairings, I also think that those kind of people are stupid, sure there are some pairings that I don't like, but it doesn't mean I should say YOU ARE A NOOB to them.

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I have no intent to deviate from the canonical storyline--though I did accidentally already do so in one situation. Apparently, Miles and Mia only faced each other once in the games' storyline. However, any other differences between my story and the games are accidental. Of course, that might change if future games that blatantly contradict my story are released--for example, if Lana is revealed to have married someone else in a future game.

I can also imagine the possibility of Jake and Lana being in love, but Jake doesn't strike me as the kind of person who would remain loyal all his life--nor does Lana strike me as someone who would tolerate an affair from someone who doesn't regret it.

Don't get me wrong; it's clear Miles takes a great deal of pride in his job. However, despite that, I don't see him living only to prosecute, just as I don't see myself being too absorbed in my music to make friends or fall in love. In fact, people with a passion for their pursuits tend to fall in love with people who are in their field of work or study. For example, the composer whose music I'm listening to as I type this married a pianist.

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[laughs] Funny how at the Citadel, my latest chapter went largely unnoticed for a few days, too. I would have expected more replies, given the content.

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Ack! I hadn't realized that you had updated. I apologize for not responding sooner.

Anyway, poor Lana! Getting accused of forgery like that. I'm actually glad to see that you handled the fact that Lana wouldn't be able to simply slip back into her job without some difficulties. Her past would not be so easy to escape after what had happened even if she had been blackmailed into it. I'm a little surprised to see you have her as a prosecutor as, in the credits of the fifth case, she talks about how she probably couldn't be a prosecutor anymore, but that she would work hard to become a detective again so that she could work beside Ema. I suppose that it's not impossible that she could recover enough to take back her old job though, so I won't harp on the point.

And being the tremendously sappy person that I am, I love the ending of the chapter.

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That was pretty good. Well, really good, actually. I liked how you made Lana seem like a nicer Franzoiska (well, that's how I pictured it). This is a rally good fic- unusual pairing, but I have nothing against pairings, really. The ending was a bit fluffy, but nice as well. I sort of want to see what happens next- will Edgeworth leave Lana to go to America, or will Lana come and watch 2-4 as well? and what about 2-2 and 2-3? Errr.... now I'n ranting... sorry...
(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaughh!!! My shift key doesn't work unless I hit it really hard, and this is taking painfully long to write!!!))

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Miles looked out the window of the terminal at the jet that would take him back to the United States. From the outside, it didn’t look particularly large, but he knew from the sheer length of the flight that it had to be immense. Besides, considering the visible second deck, he knew its outside appearance was deceiving. He smiled, amused, as he raised a camera and took a photograph of the aircraft. Ema had asked him to show her a picture later. The gigantic Airbus A380-900 was the largest type of passenger jet in the world. This one would take Miles from London to Los Angeles, non-stop. The plane wasn’t boarding yet, but he knew they were going to make the announcement soon.

He sat down and took out the newspaper he had been reading earlier. It was a day old, but he had seen an article in it that sparked his interest. Specifically, Franziska was prosecuting a case that Wright was defending. The proceedings the previous day had ended in a big mystery. Specifically, a witness had testified that the killer flew in order to flee the scene of the crime.

Gumshoe, who was utterly confused by the case, had called Miles about it and asked for help. There were only two possibilities, and given how difficult a flying trick would be, it seemed far more likely that his theory was correct. Then again, his theory was just as far-fetched.

Miles felt his cell phone start vibrating in his coat pocket.

Славься, славься, наш Русский Царь!
Господом данный нам Царь-Государь!
Да будет безсмерте—

“This is Edgeworth,” Miles said, answering his cell phone.

“I didn’t call at a bad time again, did I?” Gumshoe’s voice asked.

“No. It’s around nine over here. Still, I can’t understand why you’d call so late at night on your end.”

“I’m busy filing reports, sir.”

“On Franziska’s orders, I’m guessing.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I hope it’s not interfering with your work.”

“Oh, no, sir! I’m on double overtime!”

“Hm. Other than Franziska’s presence, how are things with you?”

“They’re just great, sir! I finally got the thermostat in my apartment fixed!”

“Ha. I see. Was it a do-it-yourself job or did you hire someone?”

“I hired someone,” Gumshoe said, sounding a little downcast. “When I tried to do it myself, the building blew a fuse and I got charged for the electrician to fix it. …So how are you? Have you made up with Ms. Skye yet?”

“Yes. She and I got engaged a month and a half ago.”

“That’s GREAT, sir! When’s the wedding!?”

“We haven’t decided on an exact date yet, but we’re planning for it to be sometime this spring. Ema’s quite excited about it.”

“Um… I’m… kinda scared to ask, but where is it?”

“We haven’t decided yet. Balboa Park was suggested, but neither of us saw much point in going all the way to San Diego just for a wedding. We’ll most likely have it at one of the churches in London—provided they’re willing to host a secular wedding.”

“Oh…” Gumshoe sounded extremely saddened by that news.

“I’d be willing to pay for your trip over here if money’s an issue for you.”

“No… I couldn’t… Not that much, sir…”

“If it means your presence at our wedding, Lana and I are both willing to pay.”

“I… I really couldn’t…”

“Not even if it was because I want you to be my best man?”

“N… No… I really need every penny I can earn… E-Even if you…” Gumshoe paused. Miles thought he heard the sound of crying.

Poor Gumshoe…

“I’ll take Balboa Park into further consideration,” Miles said. “If the wedding were there, would you be able to attend?”

“Wh… What, sir?”

“If we had the wedding at Balboa Park, would you be able to attend.”

“Yes! Yes, sir!”

“I’ll talk to Lana about it, then. Don’t get your hopes up, but we’ll definitely give it more consideration than we initially did.”

“Thank you, sir…”

“Now… On a different note, has the Galactica case ended, or is it carrying over another day?”

“Not guilty. I gave Mr. Wright your messages, too.”

“I see… What made the case?”

“Just like you thought… Yesterday’s search really paid off, sir! Umm… You had it all figured out yesterday, didn’t you?”

“It was just a theory… If Acro really was the killer, I thought this was the only way it could end. Especially if ‘he’ was the defense attorney…”

“You mean Mr. Wright?”

“Of course… Well Detective, my plane is about to leave. Do me a favor and try not to be too harsh on Acro. Once I get back, I’ll make a stop by the Chief Prosecutor’s Office.”

“Yes sir! I’ll be waiting for you! Goodbye Mr. Edgeworth!”

Miles sighed as he hung up. Admittedly, he felt somewhat sorry for Franziska, though he was glad the right verdict was given. Still, given her likely mood after losing a case, it was probably going to be a good idea to avoid her for the time being. The trip was more so business than social. The only reason he was going was in order to help convince the Bar Association that Lana could still prosecute. The British had been willing to excuse her actions, but the American system was unlikely to be so forgiving.

Lana had left for the United States the previous day. As Miles was engaged to her, he was not going to actually help decide whether or not she could become a prosecutor. However, he was going to attend the meeting to help Lana’s case. Dzhugashvili was going to be leading the panel, and he was known for sticking strictly to the rules. However, there were rules that he would likely forget. That was what Miles was there for; if necessary, he would bring up counterpoints to every point Dzhugashvili made.

“VIRGIN ATLANTIC FLIGHT 13, NON-STOP SERVICE TO LOS ANGELES, HAS COMMENCED BOARDING FOR UPPER CLASS PASSENGERS.”

Miles folded the newspaper up and placed it in his bag. After checking to make sure everything was in order, he walked over to the gate. The flight was going to be a long one. Then again, he chose Upper Class seating for a good reason. What better place on a jet to take a nap in than an Upper Class seat?



Miles could not help but smile as he walked into the Prosecutor’s Office Lobby the following day. The receptionist briefly glanced at Miles as he opened the door, then looked back to his computer. A moment later, he looked back at Miles in shock.

“M-Mr. Edgeworth!?” he exclaimed. “H… How…?”

“That can be cleared up later,” Miles answered. “I’m needed at the hearing for Ms. Lana Skye.”

Without another word, Miles walked to the elevator and called it, waiting a few moments before the doors opened with the familiar ding. He entered, pressing the button for the thirteenth floor as the doors closed.

Upon reaching the thirteenth floor, Miles walked into the meeting room. Several lawyers were waiting there to serve on the panel that would decide Lana’s case. Lana was already seated at an individual table while the rest of the tables were arranged in a U shape, all positioned so the panel could see Lana perfectly. Miles recognized several of the lawyers there. Marvin Grossberg’s unmistakable figure occupied one table next to Winston Payne. Dzhugashvili was at another table.
Miles took his seat next to Lana as the last members of the panel filed in.

“And here I was thinking Ms. Skye was joking,” Payne commented as Miles entered.

“I’d think my ring would prove that I wasn’t,” Lana replied.

“Moving on,” Dzhugashvili said, “everyone has arrived, so let’s begin the hearing. Ms. Skye, what is your reason for thinking you should be allowed to prosecute in the United States?”

“The forgeries I committed were coerced, and were Ema not in danger, I would have never committed them.”

“If your sister were to be used to force you to forge evidence again, would you?”

Lana didn’t answer.

“Ms. Skye, answer the question,” Dzhugashvili said.

“I don’t know,” Lana replied.

“And that is why we cannot let you prosecute here,” Payne said.

Miles laughed.

“What’s so funny, Mr. Edgeworth?” Grossberg asked.

“The argument that since Ms. Skye might act selfishly, she cannot prosecute,” Miles answered.

“Well, that is a rather—”

“Mr. Grossberg,” Miles interrupted. “The argument is severely flawed. Plenty of people are allowed to stand in court despite selfish desires. In fact, one such person recently did just that. If you’re going to use selfishness as an excuse to keep Ms. Skye from prosecuting, then it appears a fair number of you will need to be disbarred.”

“Excuse me? Mr. Edgeworth, I won’t have you slandering us.”

“It’s no slander. After all, Mr. Grossberg, I believe you are one such person who acted selfishly. Do you recall what I speak of?”

“My boy, I did nothing ille—”

“Stop right there. This argument is not about legality, but selfishness. You sold sensitive information for a large sum of money. I think few here would not call that selfish. In fact, that particular leak was illegal.”

Lana cleared her throat. “Indeed,” she said, “my time serving Gant has shown me that the legal world is not an altruistic one. At least half of you have acted selfishly at one point or another.”

“Nonsense!” Payne barked, striking the table with his left hand.

“Coldkiller X,” Lana said.

Payne winced. “I-I retract my previous statement.”

“How many of you can safely say that you have never once in your legal careers acted selfishly?” Lana continued.

There was no response.

“Well?”

Still nothing. Even Dzhugashvili was silent. Lana smiled.

“It looks like that argument has fallen short. What other reasons might there be for not allowing me to prosecute?”

“You broke the law,” Grossberg said.

“So did you,” Lana replied before Miles could speak, “yet you still have your badge.”
Grossberg didn’t reply, but it was clear that Lana’s statement had hit a nerve.

“Anything else?”

“The law is still the law,” Dzhugashvili said after a moment. “You are right in saying that there are lawyers who have broken the law. They will be dealt with as is necessary. The fact remains that you broke the law, though, and thus, you cannot be allowed to prosecute here.”

“I disagree,” Miles responded.

“Excuse me?”

“Yes, Ms. Skye forged evidence. However, responsibility for the evidence used in court does not fall on the Chief Prosecutor. Rather, it falls on the prosecutor in charge of the case. As Ms. Skye has not directly prosecuted any cases here, she cannot be kept from prosecuting on the grounds that you outlined. However, if you intend to call for the disbarment of all lawyers who have presented forged evidence, knowingly or unknowingly, then the Prosecutor’s Office will be a rather lonely place before long.”

Dzhugashvili was silent for a moment, apparently thinking.

Let me guess: “You’re only saying that because you love her.”

“Mr. Edgeworth, I think it’s rather clear that your reason for saying that is that you love Ms. Skye.”

“The law is the law,” Miles replied, smiling. “My reason for bringing it up does not change the fact that it will need to be enforced if your demands are to be met.”

“Surely you realize that you will be among the disbarred.”

“Of course I realize it. After all, I’m the first person who used Gant’s handiwork.”

No one seemed willing to speak.

“So,” Miles continued, “is there anything more that needs to be debated? Indeed, Mr. Dzhugashvili raises a valid point. However, this panel would not be voting on the matter were the law all that carried weight in this hearing.”

“Hm,” Dzhugashvili hummed. “I have a proposal. Ms. Skye, you are currently authorized to prosecute in the United Kingdom, correct?”

“Yes,” Lana replied.

“In that case, I propose that you prosecute there for one year. After the year has passed, we will review your record there and use only that to decide whether or not you shall be allowed to prosecute here. Does that sound fair?”

“Yes.”

“What about the rest of you?” Dzhugashvili asked the panel. “Any objections?”

There was no response.

“Then we have a consensus. Ms. Skye, you will return in one year to have your record reviewed and your privilege to prosecute in the United States ascertained.”

“Thank you,” Lana replied.

“That is all. This meeting is adjourned.”

Dzhugashvili stood up and calmly walked out. The rest of the panel did likewise, as did Miles and Lana. As they waited for everyone to walk out the door before they left, there was an uneasy silence between them.

I hope I didn’t offend her… The way I spoke in there, I didn’t give Lana a chance to prove her point on her own…

“Miles…” Lana finally said as they walked toward the elevators, “back in the meeting… were you bluffing?”

“Bluffing?” Miles asked, confused.

“When you pointed out your own responsibility for the evidence, would you have really accepted disbarment over this, or were you bluffing?”

“It was no bluff,” Miles answered without any pause. “Justice means very much to me, but I won’t fight for a system that is unjust even if it is in the pursuit of justice.” He looked to Lana. “There was also you to consider. I wasn’t going to stand by and do nothing as you took partial blame for Gant’s crimes. You deserve another chance; I wasn’t going to let the Bar Association be swayed by a bad first impression.”

Lana took Miles’s right hand in her left as they walked. “You risked your badge for me. I didn’t know you cared about me that much.”

Was it really for you? If I was helping someone I had a neutral opinion of, would I have done the same?

“I choose to believe you did it for me,” Lana said, apparently noticing Miles’s sudden change in facial expression. “And even if you didn’t, that wouldn’t change anything. I know you take pride in your duty. Whether you do it for yourself or for someone else, as long as it’s just, I approve of it.”

Hopefully, choosing between you and justice will never be an issue.

“I’ll catch up with you in a moment,” Miles said to Lana. “I need to have a word with the Chief Prosecutor.”

“Okay.” Lana let go of Miles’s hand as the elevator heading down to the parking lot arrived. She was about to walk in, but then stopped and turned back to Miles. “What do you think about going out for dinner tonight?”

“Do you have anywhere in particular in mind?”

“I’m fine with any place. I’m not picky.”

“As long as it’s not some squalid diner, I’m fine with any place.”

“Okay. I’ll call you once I’ve chosen a place. Does that sound—”

The elevator buzzed loudly, interrupting Lana’s question.

“That sounds fine,” Miles replied over the buzzing.

Lana smiled, her teeth shining like polished white marble, before entering the elevator.

Miles turned to another elevator and called for one to take him up. It didn’t take long for one to arrive. He stepped in and went to the twentieth floor.

Why do I get the feeling Dzhugashvili’s the new Chief Prosecutor?

Miles approached the door, and, sure enough, the plaque in front said, IVAN DZHUGASHVILI. He knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Dzhugashvili said from the other side. Miles opened the door and walked in. Apparently, Dzhugashvili had seen fit to change the décor. Rather than the high-tech modern appearance it had when Lana was the Chief Prosecutor, the office now looked like a trip to the 19th Century. The only modern-looking object in the room was the computer. A gigantic dark wood bookcase lined an entire wall, stretching from floor to ceiling and filled with numerous law books, case files, and leisure reading. “Have a seat,” Dzhugashvili said.

“Thank you,” Miles replied, sitting down in the chair in front of Dzhugashvili’s desk.

“I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to go so far for Ms. Skye.”

“I don’t know whether I pointed out our responsibility to save Lana or because it simply needed to be considered.”

“Would you have done that had the person at the hearing, for example, been Mr. Payne?”

“Probably not.”

“Exactly. It appears you are still swayed by personal opinions and emotion from time to time.”

“However, regardless of the reason, I was still correct.”

“That you were, which is why I kept your argument in mind. …Moving on, is there something you wished to discuss with me?”

“Yes. I get the impression that my parting message led to a rather serious misunderstanding.”

“To some, yes,” Dzhugashvili stated. “Your friend Mr. Wright apparently thinks rather ill of you now.”

“I’ll tend to that wound when the time comes. More importantly, has my record here been terminated?”

“No. I was almost certain you were still alive. Had you really died, I’m sure Detective Gumshoe would have been far more depressed than he acted.”

“I see. Did he actually tell anyone?”

“No. Anyway, if your record’s all you came to ask about, then that’s it.”

“That’s all. I imagine I’ll come back every now and then. I’m sure Franziska’s under a lot of stress.”

“That much is quite clear. The detectives are under even more stress because of it.”

“I hope she hasn’t given you any trouble.”

“Not at all. The instant she tried to whip me the first time, I blocked the whip with my cane. when the whip wound around it, I easily wrested it from her hands. Ever since then, she’s had a good understanding of who’s in charge.”

“Congratulations,” Miles said with a laugh. “Very few people can tame that wild mare.”

“I got that impression.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

“Anyway,” Dzhugashvili said, “if that’s all you came for, then you may go.”

“That’s all,” Miles said as he got up. “I’m sure we’ll meet again soon enough.”

“Until we meet again,” Dzhugashvili said as Miles walked out the door.

Mere seconds after Miles entered the elevator, his cell phone rang.

“This is Edgeworth,” he said upon answering it.

“Miles,” Lana said, “I’m really sorry, but we’re going to have to cancel our date.”

“Why? Did something come up?”

“Yes. Ema called during the meeting, saying that she found Barbara lying on the floor of our apartment.”

“Dead?”

“No, just inactive. She was breathing, and could still tell when Ema or Katara was nearby, but she wouldn’t get up.”

“Oh, dear…”

“She’s at the vet now, but Ema wants me to be available to call once the diagnosis is done.”

“Okay… Do you want me to come to your room?”

“No… Not now, anyway.”

“I understand. If you ever feel you need to be with me, just call me. I’ll be over as soon as possible.”

“Thank you.”

“Best wishes, Lana,” Miles said.

“Thanks. You, too.”

Lana ended the call. Miles had a strong feeling Barbara was not going to live much longer. According to Lana, she was almost twenty, which was very old for a cat. In addition, she was already suffering from all sorts of problems; she was almost completely blind, had arthritic limbs, vomited almost daily, and was extremely skinny despite having an excellent diet. Even if Barbara survived this latest problem, she was unlikely to live for more than a few months.

It’s at a time like this that families need to be together. I’ll be there for you, Lana. For Ema, too. After all, both of you will be part of my family soon enough.

---

Very nice chapter! I was rather amused during that part that said that Dzhugashvili ( I hope I got the name right) managed to tame Franziska, I assume that he will play an important part?
Perhaps I missed the particular part, but where is the airport that Miles was in the beginning of the chapter?

---

It's not stated in the chapter, but he's at Heathrow Airport.

---

Forgive my stupidy, but where is the Heathrow airport?

---

London. I actually did some research and found that Virgin Atlantic actually does have a non-stop flight from Los Angeles to London. In addition, they've expressed interest in the A380-900 (which is still in production right now, but is almost guaranteed to be in use by 2017).

---

Ah, I see that you answered my concern about Lana's eligibility to prosecute. That explanation works quite well. And Edgeworth was so gallant with his "If you disbar her then you must disbar me too." <3

I can't really see Edgeworth asking Gumshoe to be his best man. While he seems to trust Gumshoe, he doesn't have a very high opinion of the man and, in 3-5, he sort of behaved like Gumshoe was an annoyance at times. The best man has a lot of responsibility and I have trouble seeing him entrusting that part to Gumshoe for fear that things would get messed up.

Anyway, enough with stupid complaints. Nicely done. :)

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I suppose that is true. I probably should have specified the reason for that in the chapter. Then again, I'll also have the opportunity to do that in future chapters, too.

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It took me some time to finally get to that last chapter! Well at least you caught my attention. Thanks to you I finally add to my infinite list a pairing involving Miles, I never thought of the possibility of Lana and Edgeworth being in love or to my surprise engaged.

For me the fact of the engagement was a surprise but that was the thing that gave your fic the power to kept me concerned about it`s progress.

Anyway what I think of these last chapters is that they have been great, you`ve created a great background for everyone and the thing with the cat made me sad... :( Just to remember which cat according to one of the chapters was a gift from Miles? And I have another question until what point in the story will your fic reach? Maybe until GS3? Maybe making a great jump until GS4? Maybe Miles already married with Lana for a lot of years?

Well I hope I`m not bothering you with so many questions. Now the only thing left to say is:

Can`t wait for the next chapter!

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Thanks for the kind words; it's always nice to have new readers. I've been a bit swamped with my classes as of late, but the chapter is being worked on. I've done romance stories before, though with this particular story, I felt it was best to start right in the middle of the relationship rather than build it up from nothing.

As for the matter of the cats, neither real cat was a gift from Miles; the porcelain statuette Lana had in her old office was the gift. Both real cats are based off of cats I once lived with.

As for how far the story will go, I intend to carry it past the end of Apollo Justice. Miles and Lana won't be the only couple focused on here, though they have the spotlight for now. However, I'm going to avoid spoilers about future couples.

---

Is that so? *EJEM!!!* *COUGH* FRANNY/NICK *COUGH *COUGH* *EJEM*!!

Well STFU GrayGodot! I don`t want to rbut I`m one of the biggest suporters of this couple. I`m really sorry.

BTW, soon after some editing I`ll be releasing my first fanfic. It`s about Godot.
Hope to see one coment of yours there General Luigi. Don`t think I`m posting to make advertisement!

---

Barbara’s ailment was terminal. Even though the veterinarian could have administered treatment that would keep her alive longer, she would have died before much longer from blood poisoning. Her kidneys had failed. No matter what, she would die soon. The veterinarian, pointing out that Barbara would not last much longer anyway and would otherwise die slowly and agonizingly, suggested euthanasia. Though neither Lana nor Ema liked the idea, they gave their consent.

Lana returned to England two days later. The scene she saw when she walked out of customs was very heartwarming. Miles, who had arrived a few hours prior, was waiting for Lana on a bench, Ema sitting next to him and leaning against him for emotional comfort. There were no tears in her eyes, but it was clear that Ema was still dealing with the initial pain of Barbara’s death.

It had been quite a surprise for Lana; she never expected Miles to go to such lengths to comfort her sister—though it was probably only at Ema’s insistence that he had done so. Even with Lana, he was not particularly physical. From time to time, they hugged, and there was an occasional kiss, but both actions were typically either done as formalities or because of a mutual surge of passion—such as after Miles’s trial or when they got engaged. He always had a fairly strong aversion to touching, which is what made the scene of Ema leaning on him all the more surprising—and all the more pleasing to see; it reassured Lana that he would prove to be a fine father someday.

Still, the matter had been discussed beforehand, and Miles and Lana had both agreed that unless they had a calmer, more settled life by the time they got married, it was best not to have children immediately. What Miles said made perfect sense, even though Lana wasn’t necessarily happy about it. As much as she loved children and wanted to have a child someday, she agreed that it was best to settle down before starting a family.


About three weeks had passed since Barbara died. Ema and Lana had moved on for the most part, though her memory still lingered in their minds. Katara had become somewhat cuddlier because of Barbara’s death. Now that she didn’t have another cat to spend time with, she settled for humans.
At the moment, both Lana and Ema were simply killing time. Ema was on the sofa, watching The Nickel Samurai while she waited for some gases in the “lab” to react. Katara had curled up on her lap. Lana had purchased a flat in the Lauderdale Tower. As there were three potential bedrooms, one of them served as a laboratory for Ema to conduct chemistry experiments. Admittedly, the experiments were all planned out, and Ema essentially knew how the reactions were going to be. Naturally, only specific experiments were allowed—especially after she scared their neighbors by placing nitrogen triiodide near their door. It was a lucky thing that they understood it was a joke and didn’t raise a stink over it.

Lana, on the other hand, was reading the most recent issue of TIME while she waited for her birthday cake to be ready. Today was her thirtieth birthday, though Lana had been against the idea of a cake, knowing that Ema would sneak more than her share of it. Eventually, Lana gave in, but she chose a cake that would be less appealing to her younger sister; Ema wasn’t overly fond of lemon cake, even if it had chocolate frosting. At the least, Lana could have more than a fourth of the cake that way—and it would help keep Ema in good health, considering her newest favorite food. Lana had made the mistake of buying Ema a bag of a new snack food called “Snackoos” around a week ago. The chocolate-flavored ones had proven especially addictive for her, so much so that Lana started forcing Ema to start taking Hwa Rang Do classes with her to exercise off all the extra calories she was getting—though Ema was practicing at a lower level, naturally.

Miles had asked Lana on a date to celebrate her birthday, but since Ema wanted Lana to stay home, they reached an acceptable compromise: Miles would visit Lana and Ema in their flat. Their dates were rarely much more than friendly outings except for the occasional kiss, hug, or sweet talk. He was due to arrive fairly soon. Part of her was expecting a very expensive present from him. Earlier that day, she had jokingly suggested to Ema that Miles might have bought her a piano; Lana was good at playing the piano, but she was fairly certain that there would be no room in their flat unless it was an upright—not to mention the neighbors might complain if Ema tried to play it.

Ema checked her watch and quickly got up, running to the lab to check on her experiment. Katara almost fell off the sofa, but she righted herself before landing and simply walked over to Lana, curling up in her lap instead.

Ever since Lana got engaged, Ema had made an effort to refer to Miles by his first name—it seemed somewhat rude to talk formally to her future brother-in-law. The results of those efforts had been mixed so far. When it was just her and Lana, Ema said “Miles” a little over half of the time, but whenever Miles was actually there, she tended to still call him “Mr. Edgeworth.”

“Traitor,” Ema said to Katara as she walked back in. Lana, smiling, stroked the little cat with one hand as she set the magazine aside with the other. Ema sighed, still mock-glaring at Katara. “No matter what you do, I can’t get mad at you.” She walked to the chair and got down on her knees to stroke the cat. When Lana put her hand down, Katara started licking it.

For a moment, neither sister spoke. The only sounds were the usual sounds of London as heard from their flat, the television, and the faint scratching sound of Katara’s tongue across Lana’s hand.

“What was the name of that defense attorney Pess lives with now?” Ema asked.

“Kristoph Gavin,” Lana replied.

“What’s he like? I mean, if Miles trusts him enough to let Pess live with him, then he must be a good person, right?”

Lana briefly took her hand away from Katara and placed her index finger below her lower lip, rubbing it slightly. “It’s a bit of a complex answer. He’s a kind person, and I don’t think he’s one to do anything illegal out of malice, but…”

“But…?”

“He’s selfish. He can handle defeat, so it’s not as if he plays dirty, but he said he became a defense attorney because he turned out to be good at it and he wanted to live a good life. He doesn’t really care whether his clients are innocent or guilty. As long as he’s not hurt by the case, he’ll take it and see it through to the end.”

“Oh…”

“He does his job, and he does it right, but for the wrong reasons. Still, Miles and I both think he’s a good man on the inside, even if he’s selfish.”

“Um… Hm…” Ema appeared to wander deep into thought.

“I know the feeling. You want to say bad things about him for being selfish, but a lot of other people are just like him, doing their jobs out of a need or d—”

The doorbell rang.

“Would you mind getting that?” Lana asked, indicating Katara.

With a fake annoyed sigh, Ema got up and walked to the door. Both sisters knew Katara was “portable,” so Lana could have easily walked over to the door while holding Katara and then sat back down without having to worry about the cat leaving.

“Hi, Mr. Edgewo— Miles!” Ema greeted after opening the door, managing to catch herself.

“It’s nice to see you again, Ema,” Miles responded. “May I come in?”

“Oh!” Ema stepped out of the way. “Sure! Sorry about that.” Miles entered with a stuffed fox in his hands—Lana’s present, no doubt.

A fox?

“Thanks for coming,” Lana greeted.

“Thanks for having me,” Miles replied, approaching Lana. He knelt down and placed the fox on the floor next to the chair. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.” She extended her left hand. Miles took it and leaned toward Lana and kissed her lightly.

“Also, I have some good news. The people at Hyde Park contacted me and said that the event planned on April 29th was canceled, so we can have the wedding then if we want.”

Lana felt herself smile.

“Really!?” Ema chirped.

“…Are you sure Gumshoe doesn’t mind?” Lana asked, looking at Katara.

“I happened to discuss it with him recently, and he said that he didn’t mind—though he wanted us to send him pictures.”

Lana smiled and let out a small laugh through her nose. She looked at the fox. “So… why a fox?”

“Because I think a fox suits you. Beautiful, clever, and loyal.”

“Loyal?” Ema asked.

“According to the clerk at the store I got it at, foxes mate for life.”

“Well, I think a fox suits you for the same reasons, Miles,” Lana replied.

“It looks expensive…” Ema commented.

“It cost about one hundred pounds,” Miles said. “Růžička is a very expensive company. According to the clerk, their products are 100% handmade from high-quality (and high-priced) materials. I recall seeing a life-size leopard in the store that cost something along the lines of a thousand pounds. There’s also the fact that they’re all imported from the Czech Republic.”

“All that for a birthday present?” Lana teased. “While you’re at it, why not buy me a ring made of francium?”

Ema laughed. Miles simply smirked.

“Moving on… about the wedding… Do you want it to be sooner, or do you want to wait until Balboa Park has an opening? I’m in favor of taking this opportunity, and Gumshoe doesn’t have any problems with it, but you also have a part to play. I’m not going to push for an earlier wedding if you want to wait.”

Lana placed her right hand over her heart and closed her eyes, trying to think.

I’d love to get married sooner, but can we prepare everything in that time? And what if Gumshoe only said that to make us feel better?

“Do you need time to think about it?” Miles asked.

“Yes,” Lana replied. “How long do I have before you have to contact Hyde Park again?”

“Until someone else asks for the spot.” He paused. “Still, don’t worry about it too much if we run out of time. We’ve waited this long and remained loyal, so what’s another year if it comes to that?”

“Well, I know where my vote goes,” Ema said. “The sooner, the better. You’ve waited so long, after all.”

“That’s a good point…” Lana admitted. “I’m just worried Gumshoe only said he was okay with it so we wouldn’t feel bad about excluding him. You do owe him your life, after all… as do I.”

“…That’s true…” Miles agreed. “I’ll call him again and ask him if he’s sure he doesn’t mind.”

“No. I’ll do it. No offense, but I think your way of talking to him might also have encouraged him to lie about it if he was lying.”

“I understand. I know I can be a bit intimidating at times.”

“But that’s for later. Tonight’s just about being together.”

“You’re absolutely right. So what do you propose we do?”

“How about a game of poker?” Ema chirped, stopping Lana from suggesting anything she would be left out of. Miles and Lana both laughed at her enthusiasm. “…Is that a ‘no?’”

“I think poker’s fine,” Lana said, reassuring Ema. “What about you, Miles?”

“I only know five-card draw,” Miles replied, “so if it’s any other variant you have in mind, it’ll just be you and Ema.”

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem. In prison, that was the style I played with my cellmates.”

“I thought you played hearts.”

“We played more than just hearts. Whist, bridge, blackjack… you name it. …You’re not annoyed about this, are you? I’m guessing you didn’t come here just to play a game.”

“It’s not a problem. I knew we’d be including Ema in this date. Besides, I’ve always enjoyed a good game.”

“Wonderful. Ema, what about you?”

“Don’t worry!” she replied, holding the frames of her glasses over her eyes. “If gambling were legal, I’d be bringing in enough money at school to let you stop prosecuting!”

Another round of laughter arose from Ema’s statement.

“Five-card draw it is, then,” Lana said after everyone was silent. She picked up Katara and took a seat at the dining room table while Ema ran off to get their parents’ old game box. Katara curled up on Lana’s lap again as though they hadn’t even moved. Miles seated himself next to Lana. A moment later, Ema returned.

“Is that your cake I smell?” Miles commented.

“Yes. Would you like to have some once it’s done?”

“Certainly. It smells like the days of a certain defense attorney’s youth.”

They laughed.

“I only chose lemon because Ema’s less likely to sneak extra slices during the night,” Lana responded. “She likes lemon cake, but not so much that she’ll eat more than her share of it.”

The sound of crunching signaled Ema’s entrance. She walked in carrying the game box with a bag of Snackoos on top of it.

“Give those to me,” Lana ordered. “We’re going to be having cake soon enough.” Lana extended her hand. With a sigh through her nose, Ema gave Lana the bag, then opened up the game box. After taking the green poker chips for herself, she gave Miles the yellow chips and passed the red chips to Lana. Lana placed the bag of Snackoos on the table, out of reach from Ema’s seat.

“So who will deal?” Miles asked.

“Not me,” Ema said. “I stink at shuffling.”

“I’ll do it, then,” Lana said, taking the deck of cards and shuffling them. She then proceeded to deal out the cards and place the ante of one chip in the pot. Miles and Ema did the same. She picked up her hand: junk, but with the potential for a straight if she got lucky.

“I’ll bet three,” Miles said, placing three chips in.

Ema said nothing as she called and placed in three.

“I’ll call that and raise to five,” Lana said, placing four chips in the pot. Miles and Ema both called. “Drawing time.”

“One, please,” Miles said, discarding one card from his hand. Lana removed a burn card and handed Miles one card.

“I’m good,” Ema said.

Lana replaced two cards herself. As she expected, she didn’t get the straight she had hoped for, but she had the luck of getting a jack, making a pair.

And of course it’s not a straight. “Bets?”

Miles placed an additional two chips in. Ema placed in two and raised to four. Lana folded. Miles called.

“Showdown time,” Ema said, doing her best to sound tough.

Miles revealed his hand: three aces. Ema had two pairs. Ema’s shoulders sagged as Lana extended her right hand for Ema to place her cards in. Miles placed his hand near the deck.

“Hm,” Miles muttered.

“Just you wait,” Ema taunted.

“No, that’s not it,” Miles replied. “I just noticed a light line on Lana’s palm.”

“That’s the scar from when I cut myself around a year ago,” Lana explained.

“Mm.” He closed his eyes as Lana shuffled the deck, apparently still struggling with that memory. “That’s what I thought…”

“Come on, don’t start thinking about that,” Ema requested, noticing Miles’s expression. “Lana was acquitted, Gant’s in prison, and you’re getting married! It’s a happy ending!”

Miles smiled. “It is…” He looked toward Lana. “Though our story’s far from over.”

Lana smiled as she dealt the cards out again and placed the ante. Miles placed nine chips in almost instantly after picking up his hand. Lana checked her hand to see if she had a chance. Knowing Miles, he wouldn’t raise to ten on a bluff.

“I’ll see it,” Ema said, placing nine chips in the pot.

“Not me,” Lana said, folding. Miles laughed.

“Good choice,” he said.

“We’ll see,” Ema teased. Again, Miles laughed.

“I’ve never seen this side of you,” he said to Ema. Then, to Lana, “One, please.”

Lana removed a burn card and took Miles’s card, giving him one.

“Two for me,” Ema chirped.

Lana took the two cards Ema discarded and passed two new ones to her.

“I’m staying at ten,” Miles said.

“Heh heh,” Ema chuckled mischievously. “I’ll raise it to fifteen!” She placed an additional five chips in. Miles said nothing as he called. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Miles and Ema placed their hands down at the same time. Ema had a full house with three kings and two queens. Before Lana could see Miles’s hand, Ema’s reaction told her that he had won again.

“I was so sure you were bluffing…” Ema whimpered.

“I almost never bluff,” Miles said, taking the pot. Lana looked at his hand: four aces and the remaining king.

How on earth did that happen? Did I shuffle improperly?

“I’m n-not usually this bad…” Ema stated, crossing her arms.

“Since when were you so competitive?” Miles asked. He looked to Lana.

“She’s used to winning,” Lana explained. “She almost never gets to play anymore because her friends are convinced she’ll always win.”

“Well… I’m also used to seeing people get all stone-faced when they’re bluffing,” Ema said to Miles. “But you always look that way in a poker game. I guess that’s one of the ‘poker faces’ I keep hearing about.”

Ema and Miles passed their hands to Lana and waited for her to shuffle again.

“That was very strange,” Lana said. “I didn’t expect to see all the high cards in your hands. Maybe I’m not as good at shuffling as I thought…”

“I’ve seen it happen before,” Ema replied. “It’s pretty rare, but I’m sure it’s a coincidence. I mean, you’d never stack the deck, right?”

“I suppose that’s true…”

Lana dealt the cards out again and placed in her ante.

The rest of the game proceeded more slowly, Ema and Miles winning most of the hands and Lana’s share of the chips slowly and steadily decreasing. Ema never managed to make up for her losses in the first two hands, though; in the end, Miles won. The night was one of the best Lana had had. She had a lot of fun, as did Ema and Miles. For her, it was a glimpse of things to come. As she and Miles were going to get married, there were going to be plenty of peaceful nights like this.

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It was awesome... just a peaceful day at Lana's birthday was enough to make this chapter good.

I loved the part of the poker game, I could hear all kinds of music of suspense form the OST's I have like the ones of MGS 1, 2 and 3 and GS1, 2 and 3. Any of those great songs made me imagine a battle of titans between Ema and Miles.

I didn't find any problem... but I thought you could have putted more attention to the gift... it's just a habit I have: to see the gift in a special situation as a vital point in the chapter or scene.
And I liked the idea of a Fox... I like foxes...XD.

Good work with this! Just keep doing you awesome job!

X

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Aw, very sweet. <3 The whole thing with the cat dying made me sad though. That's not really a complaint as that kind of thing is life and it gave the story an extra touch of realism even if it is sad realism.

I really like the dynamic between Miles, Lana, and Ema. They make a cute family. And the whole thing with Ema trying to change what she calls him is just precious.

On a separate note, is Pess supposed to be the dog Kristoph talks about in AJ? I seem to recall that the dog may have had a name mentioned somewhere (Vongle or something like that), but now I can't recall if that's canon or fandom... I'll defer to you on this since usually your research is very solid. I am surprised that Edgeworth gave Pess up so easily though considering on his character page where Pess is mentioned, it also talks about how attached he is to the dog. If you're going to take the possibility of there being a Pess seriously, then I think that it would only make sense to follow through with his attachment to his dog (Even with Lana's cat being an issue, I just have trouble seeing him giving up the dog so easily. Dog's can be trained quite easily to leave a cat alone), but that is just my opinion and this is a decision for the author.

Anyway, very nice work. I look forward to more.

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Ah, there's a good reason why he gave Pess up, and I could have sworn it was brought up in an earlier chapter, but I guess it wasn't: in this story, Lana has a severe dog allergy.

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Great stuff here, dude. *pounds it, manly-style!*

I think it's awesome that you chose to elaborate more on what Lana and Ema were doing all this time (although killing my fanfiction idea in the process (but who cares, I'm writing it anyway!)) and explaining what happens when Phoenix isn't around (a-la Edgeworth burning his hand, Lana answering the call from White, etc.)

You're an excellent writer. I want to see how you can take this all the way to AJ.

I had read everything up to Part 2, Chapter 7 on fanfiction.net a while beforehand but I decided to re-read a lot of the story before reviewing this.

I think it shows a lot about an author's skill when they go into this much detail that centres around a pairing that hardly anyone else has mentioned in their work. I can completely agree with their characterizations between SL-9 & 1-5 and afterwards. I like how you started with them actually in a relationship instead of building it up from nothing, it shows up well in some of the scenes, example being the end of Day 2 of the 1-5 Trial. You pulled me into the pairing, and I've enjoyed it ever since.

I look forward to more.

I like this fic! It's really..hmmm I can't even describe it since I'm lost for words.

But when I read the starting part...

MILES AND LANA!!!

woah I was shocked.

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