“Pearl!! Stop!!” Maya caught Pearl by her sleeve and pulled her to her. Pearl was putting up a good struggle, but Maya was doing a better job of containing her. Meanwhile, Miles and Phoenix pulled themselves together.

“Sorry, guys. I tried to stop her but shes so quick.” Maya ducked her head, embarrassed and giggling at the same time.

“It's okay Maya, I, uh, let things, uh, get out of hand.” Phoenix bent down to be at eye level with the now calm Pearls and was immediately smacked by her tiny hand.

“You are not supposed to be kissing Miles, you are supposed to be kissing Maya.”

“Pearly, get a hold of yourself, please! Lets leave these two to discuss what happened.” Maya grabbed Pearls hands and tried to calm her down again.

“I guess I deserved that.” Phoenix straightened and rubbed his cheek.

“Mr. Nick, I am very disappointed in you. You too Mr. Edg-y-worth. I don't ever want to see you again.” She pointed at Miles, then ran off in a huff to the back door where they heard an excited Pess enter as she left. Miles was speechless and confused. He hadn't been spoken to like that since Franziska was that age. My how time flies, he thought as he let out a sharp breath. But why would Pearl be mad at them, it was an innocent kiss after all. Unless...

“I'll go get her. Poor Pearls. I'm so sorry, Nick, your night is ruined now.” Maya turned to go after her but Phoenix put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. Miles walked over to the sliding glass door that Pearls ran out of and watched as she ran to the gazebo, holding her head in her hands.

“The night is not ruined, Maya.” Phoenix pulled her into a hug. “It was perfect and it was my fault for letting things go as far as they did. We will have to tell Pearls very soon that you and I are just really good friends and nothing more.”

Maya pulled away. “But Nick, she's going to be so heartsick. I'm not sure I can deal with that.”

The prosecutor was just about to step out when what Phoenix said next stopped him.

“She needs to understand, Maya. She needs to know what happens outside of Kurain Village is not all fairy tales and butterflies. I realize that her vision of true love is distorted by her upbringing, but I think if she is ever going to reach her full potential she has to get over this hurdle.” He pushed a stray hair out of her face, and kissed her forehead. “Maybe not tonight, but we will eventually sit down and talk with her about her version of you and me.”

“Thank you, Nick.” She grabbed Phoenix in a clumsy embrace and squeezed him. “I'm so glad my sister took you under her wing.”

“Uhnnng....Me too!” He squelched.

Miles was struck by his words. 'Her vision of true love is distorted by her upbringing.' How ironic that he would have so much in common with a nine-year-old girl. Miles brow furrowed as he grabbed Pess's leash and took her into the back yard to play. The lights from the house cast crazy shadows over the darkened back yard. Miles spotted Pearl's pink garb in his gazebo that sat at the back of the yard. He decided not to approach her right away. Instead he threw Pess's ball in that general direction, hoping maybe the dog would bridge the gap between them. He didn't know Pearl very well, but the few times he had encountered her she was either slapping Wright or nervously chewing on her thumb. The innocence of little kids always astounded Miles, and he wondered about how his childhood had been different if...


“Aww... Pess, you're slobbering on me.” Pearl was petting a very excited Pess then picked up the ball and threw it as far as her little arm would let her. She spotted Miles and ran out of the gazebo. He watched her run for the giant apple tree at the other end of the yard and disappeared behind it. Pess was by his side now, wagging her tail happily and drooling on her ball. Miles took the ball and threw it toward the gazebo, then walked over to the apple tree.

“Pearl?” Plucking an apple off the tree, he hesitated before sitting beside the little girl.

“I-I'm still mad at you Mr. Edgyworth. I don't want to talk to you.” She sniffed.

He shifted nervously. “I'm really sorry Pearl.” He paused to collect his thoughts. His experience with dealing with children was nil. “I, uh, didn't realize that your feelings about Phoenix and Maya were so strong.”

“I love Maya, and I know that Mr. Nick loves her. I want them to always be happy together.” She wiped her nose on her sleeve. “I don't want to see them unhappy like my mom and dad. They fought a lot and then my dad left. I was sad, but I don't remember much about him.”

Miles brow furrowed as he watched Pearl chew on her thumb. He couldn't believe he was going to share his story with this little girl. “Um, you know Pearl, I lost my father when I was very young. He was a great man and an even greater defense attorney...”

“Like Mr. Nick?” Pearls eyes became wide as saucers. “But aren't you a pros... a porsec... a prosecu...”

“Prosecuting Attorney? Yes, I am, but, I ...I wanted to be a defense attorney,” Pess had dropped her ball in his lap and he tossed it across the yard. “But the, uh, incident surrounding my fathers ... death made me re-think my decision. Also, being raised by M-Manfred Von Karma hurried that decision along as well.” Miles let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

“Karma? It sounds like one of our lessons that we learned at the village.” Pearl stopped to throw the ball for Pess. “Ummm...what one does in the past affects one's future...” She chewed on her thumb. “Performing good deeds will result in good effects and performing bad deeds will result in bad effects.”

Miles looked at Pearl incredulously. “I...Pearl, you... remembered all that?”

“I remember a lot of things I learn in our lessons. Maya helps me a lot. She takes good care of me, since I can't see my mother as often as I would like.” Pearl brought her legs up and wrapped her arms around them.

“Oh, why not?”

“She...she's in a pen-etent-ary.”

Miles felt like he should comfort her, but wasn't exactly sure how. “Um, I'm sorry Pearl. That can't be easy to deal with.”

“It's okay Mr. Edgy-worth.” She looked up at Miles and touched his arm. “We are strong people. I see us going through tough days ahead. But everything will turn out fine. In the end, it always does.” She sniffed and rose up. Miles had to look up to see her face and her shining eyes. Then she did something that no nine-year old since Franny had ever done. Pearl wrapped her little arms around Miles and whispered in an voice that was vaguely familiar, Mia's voice: “Thank you for listening to Pearl. I know you love Phoenix and she will understand one day.” Miles swallowed and looked at Pearl incredulously. Pearl only smiled and then bounded off.

“Mr. Nick, Mystic Maya!” She ran and hugged them. Miles heard her tell them something, but he was still in shock from what he had heard from Pearl. He wasn't a spiritual man by any means, but what he had just witnessed made him believe more and more in the whole spirit channeling business that the Fey sisters were involved in.

“Miles?” Phoenix stood in front of the silver-haired prosecutor with a inquisitive look on his face. “Is...is everything okay?”

“Wha-...yes. Everything will turn out fine! It always will.” Phoenix had his hand held out for Miles and helped the prosecutor up, his brow furrowed. Miles wiped his backside and straightened his vest. “Please don't look at me like that. I will explain later.” Miles leaned in close to Phoenix's ear. “We have some unfinished business to attend to.” And kissed the dark-haired man along his jaw.