Phoenix found Mia's silence heart wrenching.
She blinked heavily, as if the simple action alone was tremendously difficult. It had been a few minutes since Phoenix had finished retelling all that Godot had told him along with the shocking details of his visit with Morgan. They were long, excruciating minutes drawn out by the silent pain of a woman whose heart was breaking all over again.
She didn't need to speak. Phoenix knew what she was thinking. Nothing was constant anymore. The facts kept changing and it didn't matter how long you had believed in something, or how important that belief was. None of that mattered. Mia's father's death was no longer an accident. She could no longer hold on to the comforting belief that his death was something unavoidable. He had been taken from her, and from Maya. Phoenix knew that in death she had likely met him again, but too many living years had been spent suffering. Misty's heartbreak, Mia's own grief, Maya's loneliness – it was all Morgan's fault.
Phoenix sighed audibly as he scanned the room aimlessly. He didn't know what to say to Mia to make her feel better. Really, was there anything that he could say that would remotely stand a chance of helping her? He hoped that Sister Bikini's return with the acolytes he had requested would help distract Mia from the memories she was no doubt reliving painfully, although there was still the business of the fire to explain to Bikini, which he knew that she would probably react to in a similar manner.
This was all so hard, so draining. But he knew he had to stay strong for everyone else. He had to fix this. Maya needed him and he would never let her down.
Guilt flashed through him as he considered that perhaps telling Mia the truth about Sebastian's death was a bad idea. The thought dissipated quickly. She deserved to know what really happened. Somehow, some way, Morgan would have to pay for what she had done.
He watched in silence as her shoulders slumped and her head fell. He felt his fists clench at his sides. His eyebrows knitted together closely in a look of fierce determination. Her pain was fuelling his anger.
"Everything… All this is because of her." Mia whispered eventually.
The pang he felt in his chest at her words surprised him. It was almost like he could physically feel her heartbreak. He wondered how Maya was going to take the news. It was probably more than she could handle right now. The mere thought of Maya's tears did nothing but anger Phoenix further.
"No more." Phoenix said grimly, his expression hardened. "Too many people have been hurt or killed because of her and I can't let this happen anymore. Not to anyone else. Not to Maya."
"What can we do?" Mia said, defeated. Phoenix sighed sadly at his former mentor. It really hurt him to see her like this. Mia was strong. Mia was capable. Mia could leap tall buildings in a single bound. The woman sitting before him was broken and dejected. Crushed under the weight of a truth she could never have imagined was so vile.
"Godot told me that proof is the key, and he's right. We can't do anything without something solid. I have a feeling that we're close, but there's something missing. There has to be a way to prove that everything can be traced back to Morgan."
Mia straightened herself, regaining some composure. She sniffed lightly and wiped at her eyes.
"We have to do this right this time, Phoenix. No mercy," she said stoically.
"I know," he nodded.
Morgan was still capable of far too much even though she was in prison. Even locked up, as long as she lived she would still pose a threat to Maya. Phoenix was not the type of man to wish death on anyone, but he knew that this time they needed Morgan taken care of for good. There was no other way. If they could pin her with a murder charge, she would be executed.
"Chief," Phoenix began. "Tell me, do you have contact with your parents on the other side?"
Mia nodded, but quickly frowned when she realised where Phoenix was heading with his line of questioning.
"I do, but don't get excited. The only way for you to get information out of them is to have someone channel them. There are certain rules… It's difficult to explain. There are questions we can't ask and things I'm not permitted to repeat. We communicate differently on this side. I can't ask my father anything about his death."
"Damn it." Phoenix swore, raking his hand through his hair. "We're going to have to get someone to channel him then. Your mother too. But I don't have time for this. Maya has been out there in those woods long enough. I need to go and get her. Morgan knows she's out there alone. It's not safe."
Mia nodded, still staring down at her hands in her lap. They were so close to finally bringing everything to an end. She could feel it. She fought the urge to flee back to the other side where it was safe and warm. There was no pain there, no tears or heartache. But she had to stay. She had to see this out. She could still help, and as long as that was the case, she wasn't going anywhere.
She looked up at Phoenix, surprised at the strength she saw in his posture. His back was straight and his arms crossed as he watched the door, waiting for Sister Bikini's return. His jaw was set in a hard line and his eyes cold, rendering his thoughts all too transparent. It was then that Mia knew that this would be the last time she would be summoned under such circumstances. Phoenix would end this.
"Phoenix…I…" Mia began. Phoenix looked over to where she sat, his expression softening.
"I knew I could count on you to protect her," she finished, her voice heavy with emotion.
Phoenix smiled wanly, placing a hand on Mia's shoulder, conveying his gratitude at her faith in him with a small nod. They weren't out of the woods yet. He wouldn't rest until Maya was safe with him and Morgan was gone for good.
But right now they had to focus on clearing up the events of the first Hazakurain Incident. Sister Bikini would return at any minute with the acolytes and there was still one rather touchy subject he needed to run by Mia.
"Bikini doesn't know..." he broached carefully, "...about what happened to Diego."
Mia glanced up at him, her silence willing him to continue.
"I don't think he wants her to know," he finished.
"She didn't know he was here? That he was the one that..." Mia trailed off, alluding to the more recent Hazakurain Incident.
"No," Phoenix said, shaking his head. "He didn't want to disappoint her. I don't know if I can bring myself to ruin that, but we have to tell Sister Bikini that he was there on the day of the fire and that we have seen him since."
"Well then, maybe we should leave out a few details when we talk to her. It probably wouldn't hurt to be a little vague on the details. We don't have to lie, we can just... well... leave a few things out," she suggested.
"That's what I was thinking," Phoenix sighed.
"He should be remembered as Diego Armando. He never deserved anything that happened to him after Dahlia poisoned him," Mia added sadly.
Godot had done him a huge favour by telling him what he knew about the day of the fire. Leading his mother and Sister Bikini to remember him in the way that he wanted was the least Phoenix could do.
"How did everything end up going so horribly wrong, Phoenix?" Mia said rhetorically, sighing heavily.
She shook her head sadly as silence filled the room once more. It was true, they had all seen so much heartache and sorrow, but he also knew that in between there had also been a lot of joy. He had found love where he had never before thought to look for it, and he knew that Mia had too, however fleeting that might have been.
"You were right, Mia." Phoenix said eventually, smiling softly.
"About what?"
"About Diego," he replied. "He is a good man. I shouldn't have been so quick to judge him. He loved you so much that he'd do anything to protect Maya. It's only now that I know the same kind of love that I can finally see that properly."
Mia smiled sadly as a tear broke free, coursing down her cheek. She said nothing in response, instead using all of her concentration to hold back the tears that were threatening to flood forth. Phoenix moved closer to her, reaching out to wipe away her tear with his thumb as he offered her a smile.
"Everything is going to be okay," he said softly. She made a small noise before resting her head against his hand. He stroked her hair absently. She'd been through so much today.
The moment was broken when Bikini finally entered the room with Jess and Deanna following closely behind. Phoenix dropped his hand back to his side, straightening his shoulders as the trio approached. Mia also straightened in her chair, trying her best to clear her mind. It was time to get down to business.
"Sister Bikini," Phoenix said, "Before we begin, you'd better sit down."
Sister Bikini's eyes darted around the room nervously as she wondered how bad the news was that Phoenix was about to deliver. She settled herself next to Mia, who wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders. Deanna and Jess sat also, their expressions concerned over the tense situation they had been summoned into.
Phoenix stood silent for a moment as he gathered his words. He dropped down to a crouch in front of Sister Bikini, taking one of her hands in his as he began to speak.
"Sister Bikini... I'm sure you remember last night when Mia and I speculated that you weren't the one responsible for the fire,"
Bikini nodded, swallowing nervously.
"You didn't take that too well," Phoenix said, concern filling his voice. "I just want to know if you are okay now. I know you have so much to process and I can't even begin to imagine how you might feel right now so if you aren't ready to hear about everything I'll totally understand if –"
"Mr Wright," Bikini said calmly, cutting him off. "Please. I am fine. Tell me what I need to know. I have waited twenty five years for the truth."
Phoenix nodded tersely, letting go of her hand. He stood, pacing slightly.
"I can confirm that what Mia and I believed was correct. Morgan started the fire and blamed you for it," he said quickly.
Bikini swallowed hard, nodding as she accepted what he had said.
"Do you know why?" she croaked.
"Yes." Phoenix said. "She had murdered Luciana Armando and needed to cover up the crime scene."
"She did what?" Bikini cried, shocked. "Luciana? How could... I mean why would anyone want to kill Luciana?"
"Luciana had accidentally discovered that Morgan was embezzling money from Hazakurain. She had been helping with the books. It's highly likely that she didn't even know what the transactions meant, but I would imagine Morgan didn't want to risk being caught."
"Oh no," Bikini said, bringing her hand to her heart in shock. "I gave her that paperwork. I told her she could help. Oh my goodness! It's my fault she's dead!"
"Sister Bikini, you can't possibly believe that." Mia said softly as she stroked Bikini's back soothingly. "Morgan made the decision to do what she did, not you. Don't ever blame yourself for what happened."
Bikini hung her head, sniffling to herself. Regardless of whether or not she had actually taken Mia's advice to heart, she nodded.
"How do you know all of this?" Bikini asked eventually.
Phoenix and Mia glanced quickly at each other.
"Diego Armando was hiding in the room when Morgan struck you down as you prepared to channel. He found his mother's body and hid when Morgan returned to the room with you. After she lit the fire, he escaped out the window and ran away." Phoenix explained.
"Diego is alive?" Bikini exclaimed, her eyes widening.
"Yes," Phoenix said. "He believed you had died like his mother, so he never returned to Hazakurain. He was quite happy to learn that you lived."
"Oh that poor boy, growing up all alone..." Bikini said sadly. "I can't believe this, I really believed that he died in the fire. How did you find him?"
"Mia and I both know Diego quite well." Phoenix said, choosing not to elaborate further.
"And he is well?" Bikini queried.
"Yes," Mia said quickly with a small smile. "He is a lawyer, just like Phoenix and I were."
Phoenix felt his stomach knot at Mia's use of past tense with regard to their occupation. With all the drama surrounding Maya he had almost forgotten that he had lost his badge. He quickly shrugged the feeling away. This was no time to be feeling sorry for himself.
Bikini smiled softly.
"I always believed he would be something special. Diego was such a smart boy."
Phoenix half smiled, happy with his decision to withhold the downfall of Diego Armando from someone who thought so highly of him. Such a little white lie would do more good than harm.
"Are you okay?" Phoenix asked Sister Bikini. "I know it can't be easy finding all of this out now and I'm sorry it has happened this way."
"I'm fine, Mr Wright," Bikini said with a small nod. "I believe I will hurt for some time over what I have lost. I blamed myself for the fire for twenty five years. I thought I was responsible for the death of my good friend and her son and all those other girls too. But what you have given me today is a clear conscience. I could not ask for a better gift. I am sad, but what I am feeling mostly is relief."
Phoenix nodded.
"If it's okay with you, I wanted to get Mystic Jess or Deanna to channel Luciana for us. I want to find out what really happened."
Bikini nodded in reply, her gentle smile surprising him.
"Now that I know I am not responsible for her passing, I would love to see my friend once more."
"Could one of you girls do the honours?" Phoenix asked the two mediums sitting quietly across the room.
"Sure thing Mr Wright," Jess said quickly, relaxing into the same meditative stance that he had seen Maya perform many times.
After a few short moments, before their very eyes, Jess's form began to shift until before them was a beautiful olive skinned woman with almond shaped eyes and a very surprised expression.
"Where am I?" Luciana said quickly, her eyes darting around the room before settling on Bikini. "Angel? Is that you? What is going on?"
"Yes Lucy," Bikini said quickly. "It's me. I know this must be a shock to you, but you need to trust me, you are safe."
Luciana nodded as she continued to look around the room at the less familiar faces. Mia stood, moving towards Phoenix as Bikini motioned for Luciana to take a seat next to her.
"Angel, you look so much older. I don't understand..." Luciana frowned.
Phoenix was puzzled. He frowned lightly, leaning towards Mia as to not interrupt the other conversation going on in the room.
"I don't get it." Phoenix whispered to Mia. "How come she doesn't remember that she is dead like you do?"
"She knows on a subconscious level, but being channelled, especially for the first time can be traumatic and confronting. Right now she would be getting a rush of memories that she hasn't remembered in a long time," Mia whispered in reply. "Besides, only spirit mediums can consciously experience both this plane and the next and retain memory of both. It stops a channelled spirit from blabbing about what happens when you die. It's one of the big no no's."
Phoenix nodded in understanding as he turned his attention back to Luciana. For once something related to this whole channelling business actually made sense to him.
"Try to calm your mind, Lucy." Bikini said soothingly. "I need you to relax and tell me the last thing that you remember.
Luciana frowned softly before her eyes snapped open in shock.
"Master Morgan!" she cried.
Phoenix and Mia looked at each other quickly. It was just what they had suspected.
"Master Morgan accused me of having an affair with Mr Hawthorne, and then she struck me. I do not remember anything else." Luciana said, her voice tinged with panic.
"Daniel?" Bikini asked, surprised. "How could she have thought that? I mean I don't doubt that Daniel was capable of such a thing, but she should have trusted you. You would never..."
"I tried to tell her that, but she was so mad. So angry. She asked me to leave and I remember feeling sadness that Diego and I had to leave our home. Then I felt pain in the back of my head, and then nothing..."
Bikini sighed, taking her friend by the hand.
"You died that day, Luciana. I'm so sorry. You are being channelled right now. You've been gone for twenty five years."
"Oh... oh my..." Luciana stammered. "Diego!" she cried, as clarity began to return. "Where is my son?"
Bikini opened her mouth to speak, but Mia beat her to it.
"Diego grew into a fine man, Ms Armando," she said lovingly. "He finished college and became a lawyer. He has helped a lot of people."
Bikini stood, motioning for Mia to take the place where she sat.
"Mia, please, sit. Tell Lucy all about her son." Bikini said.
"Mia...?" Luciana asked, surprised as Mia sat down. "Princess Mia?"
Mia chuckled softly to herself, remembering her father's nickname for her with fondness.
"You know my son? I mean now that he is grown?" Luciana asked, her eyes pleading for more information.
"Knew," Mia corrected her sadly. "I died three years ago."
"Oh, child..." Luciana said, her heart lurching. "Oh no."
"But rest assured, Ms Armando. Diego grew into the kindest, most wonderful, loving man that I ever met. I loved him more than I can tell you in words. I still do."
Luciana shook her head, smiling sadly.
"Princess Mia fell in love with my boy. I bet Master Misty was so surprised."
Mia simply smiled at Luciana's mention of her mother. There was no point telling her about the DL-6 mess. Not when she looked this happy.
"So beautiful," she said, patting Mia's hand. "But love lost is so sad. He must miss you terribly."
"He does." Phoenix piped in. "He told me so when I saw him this morning."
Mia smiled as she dropped her head. She recognised that his comment was just as much for her as it was to reassure Diego's mother.
"Phoenix Wright," Phoenix said, offering his hand to Luciana as he stepped forward. "I'm a friend of Mia's. And of your son."
Luciana shook his hand, her eyes darting to Mia and Bikini. A tense atmosphere had begun to fill the room now that the pleasantries and introductions were done with.
"Ms Armando –" Phoenix started.
"Please, Lucy." Luciana instructed.
"Lucy..." Phoenix nodded. "I really wish that we had brought you here under more positive circumstances, but I'm afraid we need your help with something really important."
"Is something the matter with Diego?" Luciana asked, worried.
Phoenix bit his tongue. If she only knew.
"Diego is... fine." He said quickly, choosing his words carefully. "Our real problem is Morgan Fey."
"I have a little sister." Mia interrupted, explaining further. "She's someone very special to Phoenix... Morgan is trying to hurt her."
Luciana's expression hardened.
"How can I help?" she asked.
"I just need to know what happened that day, with the fire and all." Phoenix said.
"It is like I said," Luciana frowned. "Master Morgan accused me of having an affair with Mr Hawthorne, she yelled at me to leave and then struck me when my back was turned. I don't know anything about any fire..."
"That doesn't make any sense," Phoenix said, stroking his chin. "Diego said that Morgan murdered you over money. Is it true that you were helping with the bookwork?"
Luciana looked confused.
"Yes. Yes I was," she nodded. "But Master Morgan and I did not argue about that."
"Why would she think you were having an affair with Mr Hawthorne?" Mia asked, anticipating Phoenix's next line of questioning.
"Oh Mia," she started sadly. "Mr Hawthorne was not a good husband. He was... how can I say? Amorous with many ladies. Master Morgan was pregnant too. The morning that she... umm, the day that it happened, I overheard them arguing. Master Morgan had a bruise on her face. I felt so sad for her. She did not have his love."
Phoenix frowned lightly, recognising a slight feeling of compassion for Morgan loitering somewhere in the back of his mind. He scowled, shaking it off. Morgan did not deserve an inch of compassion from anyone. He could clearly see that Mia was struggling with the same emotion.
"So he believed that her husband was having an affair with you based on his actions alone? There was nothing from you that might have made her think that her belief was true?" Phoenix asked.
"Oh no," Luciana said, shaking her head. "Mr Hawthorne was always very forward. He made me very uncomfortable."
"So basically now we've got two possible motives. The money or jealousy." Phoenix surmised.
"Well we know that both are correct, we've seen the bank statements and Luciana would have no reason to lie, so maybe it was a combination of both." Mia suggested.
"What happened after...?" Luciana asked, pausing to word her question correctly. "After what Morgan did. You mentioned Diego. Master Morgan did not hurt him, did she?"
Phoenix shook his head.
"From what he told me, he found your... your body... and hid himself away in the room when Morgan returned."
"What happened then?" Luciana asked.
"Morgan bought Bik-...err, Audrina back with her, telling her she wanted her to channel a spirit for her. She then struck her down in the same way that she did you and set the room on fire. She blamed the spirit that Audrina had supposedly channelled for starting the fire."
"Oh no," Luciana frowned. "Diego escaped?"
Phoenix nodded.
"But a bunch of other acolytes didn't. Audrina has been living in exile for the last 25 years, blaming herself for everything. Her own mother abandoned her because of it."
Luciana stood, moving towards Sister Bikini with open arms.
"Oh Angel... you poor thing! You have lived with this guilt for so many years!"
Bikini hugged her friend close, unable to hold back her tears any longer.
"Lucy..." she sobbed. "I'm so sorry for everything. I wish I could have saved you. I wish..."
Luciana stroked Bikini's back as she cried openly.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Angel. You made life wonderful for me and my son, and I will never forget that."
Phoenix smiled to himself as he watched the emotional exchange between the two women, happy that Sister Bikini was finally letting go of the guilt she had carried for twenty five long years.
Mia motioned silently for Phoenix to follow her as she stood and left the room. He followed her quickly, leaving Bikini, Luciana and Mystic Deanna inside.
"So what now?" Mia asked, shrugging against the cold breeze.
Phoenix shook his head and stuffed his hands into his pockets.
"Well in terms of finding undeniable proof that Morgan was responsible for what happened, I guess we came up short. But I think what we just did was still very important."
"Sister Bikini can finally put the past to rest." Mia agreed before scoffing lightly. "I wonder what Althea will say when she finds out. Twenty five years of being wrong isn't going to go down well with her."
Phoenix's head snapped up as the answer suddenly became clear in his mind.
"Chief, you're a genius!" he cried.
"I know that," Mia said, slightly puzzled. "But for what reason this time?"
"Althea!" Phoenix said excitedly. "There were still transfers being made to Morgan's accounts after she had gone to prison. Maya said that no one else could have authorised them."
"You think that Morgan was blackmailing her?" Mia gasped.
"Yes. I do." Phoenix said as even facts started coming together. It was all starting to make sense. "Althea knew that Bikini was out here. I wouldn't doubt for a second that Morgan did too. It's the perfect ammunition to get whatever she wanted, and it's so undeniably Morgan's style that I can't believe that I didn't see it sooner."
"Go on..." Mia urged.
"Althea believes that Bikini was responsible for the fire and the deaths of all those people, right? Morgan threatens to tell everyone about what happened, so Althea gives her whatever she wants."
Mia nodded emphatically, catching his train of thought.
"I get it now. If we tell Althea the truth about Morgan being the one responsible, she won't hesitate to turn over details about the money." Mia continued. She paused, her shoulders slumping slightly. "But Phoenix, that won't be enough to get her executed. We need to prove that she's guilty of murder."
"That's where your father comes in." Phoenix said. "I went to a council meeting with Maya not long ago. Althea and Maya got into an argument and she mentioned Sebastian. I have a strong suspicion that she knows what happened to him. And who did it."
"You didn't know your father was a lawyer, did you? They were married immediately and Mia was born only days after your mother turned twenty. Who do you think convinced your mother to help with that damn case that caused all the trouble?" Althea asked. Maya was dumbfounded.
"Right before he died." Althea added cryptically, tilting her head slightly, making Phoenix wonder what that had to do with anything.
"Why would you even mention that?" he couldn't help asking her.
"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to, lawyer." Althea shot back."Oh god, this just keeps getting worse." Mia said, shaking her head.
"We'll need to channel him, but it's going to have to wait until I get back. I have to go and get Maya. I'll bring her back here and we can all work out what to do next."
"That sounds like a plan. She'll be safer here." Mia nodded.
"I need Mystic Deanna to channel Lillian again for me. The sooner I can get a map to Ami Fey's cabin, the sooner I can get out of here." Phoenix said.
***
Tired and hungry, Phoenix continued to stumble through the bushes. Dark clouds had appeared overhead, making it impossible to tell what time of day it was or how long he had been walking. A quick glance at his watch told him that it was around half past five, which meant that it had been about three and a half hours since he had left Hazakurain. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he sighed. He needed to find the cabin soon, or prepare for a night of camping, and with the threat of rain looming overhead he knew which he would prefer, without a doubt.
He was getting frustrated. He had been following Lillian's map for hours and the woods just seemed to be getting thicker and thicker. He had expected to find something by now – a trail, a light off in the distance, perhaps even the smell of smoke from a chimney, but there had been nothing. Not even the slightest shred of proof that there was anyone living in these woods at all.
"But I guess that's the point really…" he mused to himself, a slight smirk crossing his face. This place wasn't meant to be found. At least not easily.
From what Lillian had told him, the cabin was much closer to Hazakurain than it was to Kurain. It was hidden somewhere in the vast woodland between the two villages, and he should have been able to reach it in around three hours on foot.
With a small groan, he sat down on a rock and unzipped the backpack he had thankfully had the hindsight to grab from his apartment, along with clothes more comfortable for the hike he knew would be ahead. His suit would have been well and truly destroyed by now. He laughed lightly to himself at the absurdity of his worry. It wasn't like he was going to wear the damn thing again anytime soon.
He pulled his map out and scanned it thoroughly, his brow furrowing as he attempted to pinpoint his location. The compass in his palm told him that he had been travelling northwest, which according to the map, was correct.
"The river is there…" Phoenix said to himself as he traced the line with his finger, "And I passed that about an hour ago. I don't get it. It should be right here!"
Frowning, he stood and scanned the surrounding area. It was getting darker already, making it hard to see. He looked down at his map again, trying to discern if he was, indeed, where he thought he was.
"Wait a minute…" Phoenix said as he studied the sky above the tree line. Behind him, he could see the silhouette of Hazakurain's snowy mountain ranges. On the map he had in front of him, they were clearly South – but according to the compass in his hand, the ranges were definitely more South East of his current location. The clearing where he stood was marked on the map, but the direction he was facing was all wrong.
Realising just how close he was, Phoenix stuffed the map back into his bag and took off in a sprint, using energy that he had no idea that he still had. The terrain dipped into a slight valley as he raced through the trees, picking up speed as he moved down the slope.
"This is it. I know it." Phoenix thought to himself as adrenaline began to pump through his veins. He pushed through one last branch and there it was.
The log cabin he had been searching for.
Phoenix sank to his knees, emotion overwhelming him as the rain began to bucket down.
He had found her.
***
Maya hummed quietly to herself as she sat in front of the mirror in her room, brushing her hair. She frowned, struggling to remember where the tune had come from.
"Was it the Steel Samurai movie part three or four?" she wondered silently.
The sound of the door to the cabin opening shocked her out of her thought process. She froze, dropping her brush. Who could possibly be out here? Panic filled her as she scanned the room, looking for anything she could use as a weapon. Grabbing the only thing within reach that could even be remotely considered effective weaponry, she headed out into the hallway to investigate.
***
Phoenix closed the door behind him, running a hand through his hair and brushing the stray droplets from the soaked sleeve of his grey hoodie. He turned, just in time to see Maya moving down the hallway to his right, brandishing a hairdryer in front of her.
She froze when she saw him, her chest rising and falling with laboured breaths as the hairdryer clattered to the ground.
"Nick!" she cried, darting forward and leaping into his arms. "Nick, is it really you? Tell me I'm not dreaming."
Phoenix tightened his arms around her, lifting her off the ground.
"You're not dreaming," he murmured into her hair as he set her back on her feet. "I'm really here."
Maya took a small step backwards, so she could look at him again, just to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. Satisfied that he was indeed standing before her, she wrapped her arms around his neck again and began planting kisses across his cheeks, nose and lips.
Phoenix couldn't help but giggle at Maya's affectionate barrage. All of a sudden everything didn't feel so bad. Things weren't so hard. Maya made things better.
Releasing him from her death grip, Maya led Phoenix over to the table and sat him down.
"What are you doing here? Are you hungry? Tell me what's happening. I was just about to eat. You eat fish, right? Mia wrote me a letter. She told me that Bikini unlocked the spirit boxes. How did she do that? I didn't think she had any powers."
"Maya, please." Phoenix laughed. "One question at a time."
"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly. "I haven't talked to anyone in weeks. And I missed you so much, Nick."
He sighed. He doubted he could even put in to words how much he had missed her.
"I missed you too," he smiled. "And to answer your questions, one, I'm here to take you home. Two, I'm starving. Three, yes I eat fish. Four, Bikini opened the spirit boxes after Kay and Iris stole them from Kurain. It turns out that she does indeed have spiritual powers. Sister Bikini and Audrina Fey are one and the same."
Maya's mouth dropped open.
"You're kidding me," she said.
"I'm not." Phoenix said. "But there's more. Audrina Fey's mother is none other than Althea Fey."
Maya quickly finished loading up their plates of food and returned to the table. Placing the plates down, she watched Phoenix, wide eyed.
"Oh my god!" she cried. "Mia didn't tell me that! All she told me was how she was free and you guys were working hard to take down Morgan."
"Is that all she told you?" Phoenix asked, taking a mouthful of the dinner Maya had prepared. It seemed to be some sort of fish curry.
"Well, she also told me how lovesick and pathetic you are without me," Maya laughed. "But I could have guessed that anyway."
Phoenix shot her an annoyed look as he took another bite of food.
"This is delicious," he mumbled through a mouthful of food.
"Naturally," Maya said with a self satisfied shrug. "But never mind the food, tell me what is happening!"
Phoenix sighed, placing his fork back down on the table.
"It's not all good and exciting news," he said sadly. "In fact, most of it is pretty damn terrible."
"I can handle it." Maya said plainly.
Phoenix eyed her carefully. He hoped she was right.
***
Phoenix placed a hand over Maya's as she sat at the table, her eyes downcast. He had finished relaying the truth about the Hazakurain incident, about what Diego had seen and how he'd tried to tell Mia before Dahlia came into the picture.
"Poor sis," she said sadly. "Poor Sister Bikini, Poor Luciana, Poor Diego... Oh Nick, it's just so sad. How could Morgan do all this?"
Phoenix blanched. He hadn't told Maya about Sebastian's death yet. He would wait. She had enough to process right now.
"But Althea lied, right? Which means I don't have to stay here anymore?" Maya asked.
"We can leave first thing in the morning," Phoenix nodded.
"That's something good at least, right?" Maya said, forcing a smile as she stood began clearing the plates from the table. Phoenix stood also, moving out of her way as she tidied around him. He swallowed hard. It seemed that Mia hadn't told her about his badge. He had to tell her now.
"Maya, there's something else I need to tell you, " he said seriously. Maya stopped, placing the plates down. She watched him intently as she waited for him to continue.
"You remember my last trial?" he said, scratching the back of his head nervously.
"Oh yeah, the magicians. How did it go? I tried to call you after but you didn't answer."
"Something happened..." he started. "I was careless. I got... I got set up by someone."
"What?" Maya asked, confused. "What do you mean, Nick?"
"Someone supplied me with forged evidence. I didn't check it. I stupidly used it," Phoenix frowned. "I'm so sorry, Maya."
"Nick, what are you talking about?" Maya said firmly. He wasn't making sense.
"They stripped me of my badge. The bar association, I mean. I'm... I'm not a lawyer anymore," he finished sadly.
"Oh, Nick..." Maya said, moving forward to envelop him in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry... I can't believe it. You can fight it right? When we get home, we'll fight it okay?"
He said nothing, just closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her hair. How he had missed her. She stepped back, eyeing him compassionately and stroking his cheek gently.
"Don't worry," she said confidently. "We've got through worse than this. We'll get your badge back."
Phoenix smiled at her. He wondered if she knew that she was exactly what he needed. She was the positive counter weight to his ever present pessimism. She said things with a conviction that made him believe in her. She made him believe in himself.
"Maya... I lo-"
He was cut off by an unexpected sneeze. Oh no. This was not the time to get sick again.
"Oh Nick, you're sneezing!" Maya fussed. "You need to get out of those wet clothes. Go and take a hot shower, you'll feel better."
He nodded slowly. A hot shower did sound pretty good.
"The bathroom is the first door on the left down the hall." Maya smiled. "Go on... shoo!"
Phoenix chuckled to himself and moved towards the doorway.
"Oh and Nick?" Maya said as she reached out to him.
"Yeah?"
She raised herself up on her tiptoes, placing a kiss at the tip of his nose.
"I love you too," she said softly.
***
Maya busied herself cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen and hanging Phoenix's damp hoodie to dry while he showered, still unable to believe he was actually here with her. Her sadness at the news of his disbarment was strangely counterbalanced by the good news that she didn't need to remain in this cabin any longer. She wasn't sure what emotions she should be feeling right now. Everything he had told her had left her feeling overwhelmed. But first and foremost in her mind was the news that she could leave with him tomorrow. She knew she would do everything in her power to help him get his badge back, whether he wanted her help or not.
Phoenix emerged from the bathroom moments later, interrupting her thoughts. Maya felt her mouth go dry at the sight of him, dressed only in a pair of shorts, absently running his towel over his wet hair. He seemed unaffected by his state of undress in her presence, however Maya felt like her whole body was blushing. The plate she had been drying slipped through her fingers, shattering as it hit the wooden floor with a crash.
She cursed inwardly as she dropped to her knees, picking up the broken pieces. Phoenix was beside her in an instant, his expression one of concern.
"Maya, are you alright?"
She nodded quickly, unable to meet his gaze.
"I'm fine, Nick. It slipped," she managed finally. "I'll… uh… see if there's some robes in the closet that will fit you."
She stood, pivoting on her heels and heading for the hallway, desperate to get away from him for a few seconds to calm herself. She dropped the broken plate pieces in the garbage as she reached the doorway, almost free of the kitchen when she felt his hand clamp over her wrist.
She let out a small yelp of surprise before turning to face him. His eyes locked with hers as he let his fingers slip from her wrist. He took a step towards her, closing the short distance between them. Maya swallowed hard, feeling as if she was glued to the spot. She could feel her heartbeat hammering wildly in her throat. He gazed down at her for a few moments, his expression curious before bringing a hand to cup her cheek. He ran his thumb delicately across her cheekbone, watching intently as her eyes fluttered closed. Slowly, he lowered his head to hers, their lips meeting in a gentle kiss.
Maya felt all the tension drain from her body as she leant against him, resting her hands against his chest. His skin was warm, and she could feel his erratic heartbeat beneath her fingertips. Excitement coursed through her at the realisation that his heart was beating in that manner for her. Because of her.
She snaked a hand into his damp hair, pulling him impossibly closer to her as she felt him take tiny gasps of air against her lips as their innocent kiss deepened into something more passionate. His hands rested against her lower back, holding her body against his. She revelled in the sensations running through her. He had never kissed her like this before. No one had. She had never felt anything like what she was feeling now.
He kissed her with a desperation that she matched eagerly, almost afraid that if they broke apart, the other would disappear and this would all be a cruel dream.
Almost as if her body were on autopilot, she found herself backing out of the kitchen and leading him down the hallway, her lips still locked with his. Her blood pumped furiously through her veins and the need to touch him was almost too much for her to bear. He paused when they reached the doorway of her bedroom, his lips leaving hers to trail across her jaw and down to her collarbone. She gasped and clutched at his hair.
"Are you sure about this?" he murmured heavily into her neck, anticipating what would likely happen between them if he walked through that door. It wasn't that he didn't want it to happen, quite the contrary, but he had to be sure that it was something she was ready for.
"Yes," she breathed into his ear with a conviction he wasn't quite expecting. She couldn't think of anything else she wanted more right now. Although she felt some nervousness about the physical aspects of what she had agreed to, the desire to bond with him on such a deep emotional level far outweighed any trepidation she felt at her lack of experience.
His lips met hers again as he swiftly hooked an arm behind her knees and lifted her up, carrying her into the bedroom. He lowered her gently to the bed, breaking their kiss as she lay back against the pillow. Bracing his forearms either side of her head, he admired the woman beneath him, trying his hardest to commit everything about her to memory. He never wanted to forget how she looked right now. She smiled at him then, with a fire in her eyes that excited him more than he thought possible. It was something he knew that he would never, ever tire of.
She looked up at him as he gazed down at her, wondering if he had paused to give her another chance to change her mind. With a smile she reached up and twisted her fingers into his hair. The corner of his mouth crept up slightly as he seemed to register her certainty. His lips were quick to find hers once more, all caution quickly discarded as rational thoughts seemed to cease and the powerful forces of instinct took over.
***
Moonlight spilled through the open curtains, and Phoenix lay awake, watching the woman sleeping across from him. She slept on her side, the ambient light bathing the pale skin of her bare back in a luminous blue glow. Her hair spilled on to the bed behind her, the silky black tresses pooling at her waist and disappearing beneath the sheet that covered the lower half of her body. Her breathing was calm and steady and even though he couldn't see her face, Phoenix couldn't help but admire how beautiful she was, from any angle.
He reached out and traced the line of her shoulder causing her to shiver involuntarily under his fingertips. He didn't think it possible to love her any more than he already did, but Maya had a habit of constantly surprising him. He understood the significance of what they had shared earlier, masculine satisfaction flooding through him at the realisation that she had given him a gift that she would never give to any other man. He had been her first, and nothing could ever change that.
She had seemed almost timid at times in her inexperience, trusting him to lead her as if he had known exactly what to do. He scoffed lightly at the thought. His experience with women was minimal at best. There had been a few in his twenty seven years, but he had never felt anything like he had tonight with Maya.
He reached out to her, slinging an arm over her waist and pulling her petite frame against him. She murmured softly, but didn't stir any further as he pressed his lips against her shoulder, and settled in to get some sleep himself. Despite their difference in stature, she seemed to fit against him almost perfectly. Phoenix wondered sleepily if that meant she was always meant to be with him, like fate or serendipity or something like that.
His last thought before slipping into a deep, restful sleep was that he had to protect this woman, no matter what the cost.
No one would ever hurt her again.