Well, I decided to turn this into a one-shot series, mostly because I didn't want to have a bunch of topics posted on CR at once... So there you go. Here's the first one....

Title: To Choose Death
Author: Firexxxsaber
Rating: G
Genre: Friendship
Warning: Spoilers for JFA and 1-4!

Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses death.

“No... He’s... He’s not serious! This is all a joke... Yeah, that’s it...” The other officers watched Gumshoe sadly as the detective read through Prosecutor Edgeworth’s note again and again.

“No!” Gumshoe swiped his arm across Edgeworth’s desk, throwing files spiraling through the air. “He’s not...”

He turned and threw everything off the shelf by the window, smashing a delicate looking teapot. Destroying things wouldn’t bring Mr. Edgeworth back, but it sure did make him feel better.

The other officers nodded in understanding before leaving the room, letting Gumshoe vent his grief in private.

Case records went flying, cabinets were knocked over, and a draw of tea leaves spilled out.

“Why?” Gumshoe repeated over and over. “Why, why, why, why, WHY?” He threw the desk over, as if Miles Edgeworth was hiding under it and would explain everything to him.

“Why, pal?” Sinking to his knees, Gumshoe let his tears flow freely as he stared around at the prosecutor’s destroyed office. “Huh? What’s this?” He looked down at one of the files that he threw off of Edgeworth’s desk. “DL-6...” He was staring down at a picture of his friend’s dead father. That case... Wright proved that it wasn’t his fault! Was this the reason of Edgeworth’s disappearance?

He gently closed the file and gathered its parts from among the debris. Gumshoe tucked the file under his arm and stalked out of the room. He was going to find Edgeworth and talk some sense into him!

Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses death.

Not with Dick Gumshoe on the case he wouldn’t! I just hope I’m not too late... He wiped tears from his eyes. “No... Can’t think like that... Gotta have hope...”

The other officers watched him as he walked out of the office. All had sympathetic expressions on their faces. None of them really care... They never really liked Mr. Edgeworth...

“Meekins!” He called.

“Y-yes sir?” Meekins rushed up to Gumshoe and saluted. He had always liked Meekins; he reminded Gumshoe of himself when he first joined the force.

“Organize some search parties,” Gumshoe ordered. “We’re finding Mr. Edgeworth.”

“Yessir!” Meekins shouted into his megaphone. “I’m on it!” He ran off.

Gumshoe raced down to his patrol car and started it up. Where could he find Edgeworth? Turning on his sirens, he raced towards Gourd Lake. Could he be there, thinking about the incident with Yanni Yogi?

He screeched to a halt at Gourd Lake and found that a patrol car was already parked there and that an officer was already searching. “No sign of him sir!” he reported.

He raced off again, sirens blaring, towards Edgeworth’s house. The door was locked, but he forced himself through the door, terrified that he’d find Edgeworth’s body hanging on a door frame. He ran through the whole house; no sign of him.

Gumshoe stood panting by a counter. “Mr. Edgeworth...” He spotted a receipt on the counter. Picking it up, he stared at it. It was an online purchase. “Airline ticket!”

Without locking the door behind him, Gumshoe was racing off towards the airport, dodging cars that didn’t get out of his way fast enough, and running every red light.

“MR. EDGEWORTH!” He shouted, running through the airport.

“I should’ve known this would happen...” The prosecutor sighed and turned around.

Gumshoe came to a halt right in front of Edgeworth. He gave him a bear hug, barely able to contain his joy. “I knew you weren’t dead,” he cried, letting tears flow from his eyes. “I knew it...”

“Detective...” Edgeworth felt a tear or two come to his own eyes, but he banished them instantly. He pushed himself away from Gumshoe. “I appreciate your concern, Detective, but I’m leaving now, so...”

“Leaving?” Gumshoe repeated. “Is this why you’re leaving, sir?” He shoved the DL-6 files toward him. “It’s not your fault! Wright proved that... There’s no reason...”

“That’s not it,” Edgeworth said, looking down at the files.

“Then what is it?” the detective asked.

“After Wright ruined my perfect win record... I felt... I felt that it was pointless, to continue...”

“Your win record?” Gumshoe echoed. “You’d kill yourself over your win record? That’s... That’s... Ridiculous! How could you? I... I...” he was at a loss for words. “... So you’re running away? Is that it?”

Edgeworth looked away, unable to meet the detective’s angry stare. “No, I’m not... I’m...”

“How could you just leave all your friends thinking you were dead?” he demanded. He had never been angry at the prosecutor, not through all the abuse, all the salary reductions, but this... This was just too much for him to take.

“Friends?” Edgeworth stared at him. “I have no friends... The other prosecutors are jealous of me; the detectives don’t think much of me, and the defense attorneys... All I had here was my win record...”

Gumshoe looked betrayed. “But... I... I’m your friend... And Wright...”

“Y-you?” Edgeworth looked away again. “After... After all the times I’ve chastened you? After I had a hand in reducing your salary... You... You consider me a friend?”

“Would I have come all this way if I wasn’t your friend?” Gumshoe replied.

“Detective...” Edgeworth looked at Gumshoe again, tears filling his eyes. “I’m-I’m... I’m sorry!”

This was the first time the detective had ever seen the prosecutor show so much emotion, let alone cry.

“Sir... It’s alright... Let’s go back to the precinct and forget this whole thing happened... We’ll have to clean up your office a bit too... I kind of... Yeah...”

But Edgeworth shook his head. “No, detective... I can’t go back... Not yet... I... I’m lost, and I need to find my way again.”

Gumshoe blinked. “What? Of course you can come back... What will I do without you?”

“I’m sorry,” he said again. “Wright beating me in court... It showed me how wrong my ways were... I... I need to find out what being a prosecutor really means...”

Their eyes met, and Gumshoe looked away. “If... If you say so...”

“I’ll come back, Detective... I promise... Just don’t tell Wright about this... I... I don’t want him to know...”

“You’ll come back?” the detective repeated.

“I promise,” the prosecutor wiped the last of his tears from his eyes and nodded, regaining his composure. In an instant, he returned to his ‘cold as ice’ image. “Goodbye, Detective... We’ll meet again.”

Gumshoe bear hugged him again. “Goodbye, sir... I’ll be waiting for your return...”

---

Last edited by FirexxxSaber on Sun Dec 07, 2008 1:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.

<sniff>
Not bad, not bad at all!

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Aww...How sweet.

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good job with this

Thanks! ^-^

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Title: Speed Dating
Author: Firexxxsaber
Rating: PG
Genre: Friendship/ Humor


"Come on, Mr. Edgeworth! Please! I don't want to be the only one I know there..." Gumshoe looked at Edgeworth with his sad puppy eyes.

"No, that's completely idiotic!" Edgeworth exclaimed. "Speed dating? What ever happened to Ms. Byrde?"

"Um... That didn't exactly work out, sir... Turns out she just saw me as a best friend..."He scratched the back of his head and looked away dejectedly.

The prosecutor sighed. "Oh all right... I'll go with you."

Gumshoe grinned. "Thank you sir! Now come on, we're going to be late!"

"Why does something tell me I'm going to regret this?"

Later that night, the pair were sitting at separate tables in the pub. It seemed that the women would just come, talk to you for five minutes and then a bell would ring and they'd move on.

Edgeworth glanced around at the dingy pub and then at Gumshoe. "Do you come here frequently?"

"Er... Yeah," Gumshoe replied, scratching the back of his head again. "Stuff's cheap here, so..."

"Alright ladies!" someone announced. "You know how it works... Begin!"

Edgeworth stared at the woman across from him; the blond stared back.

She finally broke the silence. "What's someone like you doing here?"

He blinked. "Someone like me...?"

"Yeah... You know... Someone... Gay... Not that there's anything wrong with being gay, but you're only going to meet women this way, so-"

"I'm not gay!" Edgeworth exclaimed.

"Then what's with the pink?" she asked.

"Its not pink! It's magenta!" He glowered at her.

"Is there really a difference?" she asked. "Its pinkish..."

Yes," he snapped. "There is." He glowered at her until the bell rang, not bothering to learn her name.

"Edgey-poo!"

Edgeworth scowled as Wendy Oldbag sat across from him.

"Fancy seeing you here!" Wendy exclaimed. "You know, I've never been to one of these things before, but you see my friend told me that I should go out and meet a man, you know since all my crushes end up being murdered. Except for you, Edgey-poo. It's like fate you know? We both end up in the same place. This means you've officially been on a date with me! You know, this one time I-"

"They let old women like you go on these things?" Edgeworth asked bluntly.

"Old?" Wendy's eyes filled with tears. "You know, just because my last name is Oldbag, doesn't mean you can go around calling me old! I'm far from it! You're just as bad as this kid from my seventh grade class. You see, I liked him, but he called me Oldbag, and I cried. You see-"

He sat there and listened to her never ending stream of chatter. He glared over at the bell ringer, who didn't hasten to save him from his plight.

Finally, after what seemed like an hour, the bell rang. Wendy wrote down her number. "Call me," she said, winking at him.

Edgeworth shuddered and decided that that would be the last thing he'd ever do.

"Hmm... You look familiar... Hey! You're that prosecutor, I reckon!"

"And your that witness that tried to get me declared guilty, I reckon," Edgeworth replied, glaring at Lotta Hart.

"Yeah... Um... Sorry about that... I reckon you have a right to be mad and all... I just thought I could be a witness in a murder trial." She looked away dejectedly.

"Murder trials aren't games," he chided.

"Yeah... I know... Hey! Why don't we put that all behind us! And get reacquainted! My name's Lotta Hart and I'm a country gal!" She held out her hand.

He shook it. "Miles Edgeworth."

"So... Want to get to chit-chattin'?"

"No." He crossed his arms and once again glared over at the bell ringer.

"Well, why not? You came here for a reason, din't cha?" She crossed her arms. "These have been the worst speed dates ever."

"I can agree with that. I'm only here because of Detective Gumshoe..." He continued glaring at the bell ringer.

"Well that ain't no fun. No point in being here, if you're not going to take this seriously." Lotta got up as the bell rang and moved on.

Edgeworth sighed and decided the country bumpkin could be right... He'd take the next woman seriously...

"Miles Edgeworth?"

"Franziska!" He blinked. "You're... You're speed dating?"

"Well if I'm not mistaken, so are you, Miles Edgeworth."

Edgeworth sighed. "I'm only here because of Gumshoe... Hey, you don't have your whip with you?"

"They wouldn't let me take it," she replied, crossing her arms. "They said I had to save that for 'later tonight'. I wonder what they mean by that..."

He slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. "I'll... I'll explain it later..."

Franziska blinked. "Why are you blushing? What's the matter?"

Edgeworth sighed. She carried around that thing and didn't understand what people could think about it? "Nothing..." He smiled slightly. "You know, Gumshoe's at the next table."

Franziska looked over to the next table where Lotta was talking Gumshoe's ear off. "Scruffy? Now why would I ever want to go on a date with Scruffy?"

"You like him, don't you?" Edgeworth teased. "That's why you were going to keep his coat, and why you tracked him..."

"That's not true Miles Edgeworth and you know it!" she exclaimed. "You're foolish fool if you believe that! I would never like a foolhardy foolish fool like him! He's too foolish! Besides do you think I'm some sort of stalker?"

He just smiled at her. "Alright then... I believe you. No need to get flustered."

"I am not flustered!" she exclaimed. "I'm... I'm just... You're a fool Miles Edgeworth!" She got up and stomped to Gumshoe's table as the bell rang.

By the end of the night, Edgeworth had received quite a few phone numbers from women who deemed him cute, or charming. He would probably never call any of them of course... He made sure to dispose of Oldbag's right away.

"Mr. Edgeworth sir! Look at this!" Gumshoe came over with a large stack of woman's phone numbers. "Everyone thought I was so nice... Of course... That could be because they had just came from your table... And can you guess who else gave me their number? I'm thinking of calling her..."

"Oldbag?" Edgeworth asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well... Yeah... But she's just kind of creepy, sir..."

Edgeworth smiled. "Let me guess... Franziska?"

Gumshoe blinked. "No... She said she was only there for an undercover operation... She didn't seem to happy to see me, sir..."

Edgeworth snorted. Undercover? What rot! "Well who are you going to call then?"

"Adrian Andrews! Did you know she used to work for the stars?"

"Adrian Andrews?" He blinked trying to recall who she was. "She's the woman who thought I was gay!"

Gumshoe looked like he was holding back a laugh but he shrunk away as the prosecutor glared at him. "Er... It was probably the pink, sir..."

"It's not pink!" Edgeworth nearly shouted. "And I'm not the one who was once mistaken for a man..."

This time Gumshoe couldn't hold back his laughter.

Edgeworth instantly realized his mistake and blushed. "Oh you know what I mean!"

"Of course sir... Or should I say ma'am?" He was instantly silenced by a patented Edgeworth glare.

---

I really liked both of those. ^____^ They were enjoyable and cute (I really liked the Fran/Edgey interactions in the second one).

HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!
I loved both fics, and I loled while I was reading the speed dating.

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Title: Raise
Author: Firexxxsaber
Rating: G
Genre: Friendship
A/N This one is really short... Inspired by 3-5...

It wasn’t often that Edgeworth saw a grown man reduced to tears.

“This is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me, sir!” Gumshoe sobbed. “Th-thank you!”

“You’re... quite welcome, Detective.” Edgeworth frowned as he noticed every eye on the room on the pair. “Could you... Could you stop crying?”

“I’m sorry sir,” the detective replied. “It’s just... I haven’t been able to afford something like this for years...”

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow as he watched Gumshoe devour his hamburger and fries that he had bought him. “Perhaps it’s time I got you a raise, Detective...”

---

Ha, ha. How do you come up with this stuff?

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These are very cute. My favorite so far is the Speed Dating one. I loved Franziska's excuse to Gumshoe. I guess Edgeworth will have to give Gumshoe her phone number if things don't work out with Adrian.

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I have no clue. It just randomly pops out of my head before I go to bed. ^^;

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Isn't it odd how that is?
I used to have ideas for poems pop into my head in the shower.

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I get ideas for stories in my head while I'm asleep.

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Title: Miles Edgeworth: In Too Deep
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama/ Friendship
Summary: When Edgeworth and Gumshoe investigate a case together, Edgeworth makes a mistake, and Gumshoe must pay the consequences.

"Have you found any clues yet, Detective?" Miles Edgeworth stood at a crime scene holding a black, beaten-up-looking umbrella over his head while Detective Gumshoe poked around, getting soaked in the process. "Any identification on the body?"

"Uh..." the detective squinted, having a hard time seeing through the pouring rain. Of all the days for a man to be murdered... He squatted next to the body of a well dressed man. He had a black suit on that was fancier than Edgeworth's. He spotted a wallet dumped out next to him. Gumshoe took out an evidence bag and put it in using the evidence bag itself to protect the wallet from being contaminated by his own DNA. "Aha!" Underneath the wallet was some sort of driver's liscense. He slipped it into another evidence bag before getting up to show it to Edgeworth. "Here it is sir." He held it out, and Miles glanced at it.

"Devan Manning... His name sounds familiar, but I can't quite..." Edgeworth's eyes narrowed in thought for a moment before he nodded. "He's that gallery owner."

"Gallery owner, sir? I've never heard of him... I'm not much into the arts..."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course you're not, Detective. Well, Manning was this gallery owner who came out of no where. He just showed up one day and rented out a building. The next day it was filled with rare paintings."

"Oh... So he was really rich then?" Gumshoe looked down at the wallet in his hands. It was empty. "Looks like it was probably a mugging then... Damn muggers... We never catch 'em. Especially when they don't take any credit cards..."

"Don't be so sure, Detective," the prosecutor replied, his arms crossed. "Sometimes things aren't what they seem."

Sighing, the detective leaned against the alley wall. "They never are. Somehow when you or Wright are involved things get really complicated. I swear, its bad enough people murder each other, but do they have to do it in such a complicated way?"

The corners of Miles' mouth twitched in amusement. "Just keep looking for more clues, Detective."

Gumshoe sighed and went back to searching. He took a moment to squeeze out the bottom of his coat. He was absolutely soaked. He had brought an umbrella to the crime scene, but Mr. Edgeworth had forgotten his that day, so... He let out a sigh. There was nothing here. "I can't find anything, sir. It's the rain, it probably washed any clues away... It even washed the blood from the bullet wound away." He gestured toward the victim's head, where a neat clean little hole was.

"But don't you think that's odd, Detective?" Edgeworth asked. "Shouldn't there at least be some traces of blood left? There should at least be some blood mixed with water on the ground, shouldn't there? There isn't a drain anywhere near here for it to have disappeared to."

The detective scratched the back of his head, thinking. "I guess there should be, sir..."

"Ergo, it's very likely this wasn't really the crime scene."

Gumshoe blinked. "Wow, sir. I never would have thought of that!"

"Which is probably why your salary is so low," he replied bitingly. "How is it that you get assigned to so many cases?"

The detective stared down at the ground while he answered. "Powers of persuasion, sir... And... The right criminal is always caught in the end..."

"Thanks to Wright. Sometimes I think he should get your job instead!" Edgeworth tapped his fingers on his crossed arms, agitated. He always ended up doing Gumshoe's job for him. Why did he bother keeping the detective around? Why should he keep getting the detective's job back for him when he gets fired? Catching sight of the detective's depressed face, he sighed. "Let me take a look around... Hold this."

Gumshoe brightened. "Alright sir!" He took the umbrella and held it over Edgeworth as he investigated the scene.

Immediately, Miles noticed something that the detective hadn't. "Evidence bag."

He fumbled and finally placed a bag into the prosecutor's outstretched hand.

"Its some sort of pin," Edgeworth said, examining it. "It looks familiar..." He held the back up for the detective to see.

Gumshoe took it and examined it for a few moments. "I've see this before, sir."

"Really? Where?"

"Uh... I don't remember."

Miles sighed. "Of course you don't..."

"Sorry sir..." He stared at it a few more moments, trying to remember. He flipped it over and squinted. "Huh... Made in Italy... Think it's the victim's?"

"Maybe," Edgeworth replied. He turned his attention to the victim in question. "This was no mugging, detective."

"Huh? You sure?" Gumshoe blinked. "How do you know?"

"Look at the wound. If it were a mugging, the victim would have been close to the murderer, right? They usually hold the gun to the head."

"Right..." the detective stared blankly at the wound, as if the answer would suddenly announce itself.

The prosecutor was determined that the detective would have to figure at least something out on his own... "So then, what's wrong with the wound?"

"Um..." He thought for a few moments. "Oh! Powder burn! There'd be a powder burn! And there's no way the wound would be that clean!" He grinned, looking proud of himself. The grinned vanished in a few moments. "So where was the real crime scene?"

"That would be what we have to figure out, now isn't it?" Miles stood up. "I think that's all we can find here. Come, drive me to the gallery." He waved his hand, and some forensic specialists came to start checking out the body and moving it. Gumshoe followed after the prosecutor, careful to keep the umbrella so it would block every drop of water from hitting Edgeworth. He opened the squad car door for him and waited for him to get in before closing the umbrella and climbing into the drivers side.

After giving Gumshoe the directions to the gallery, Edgeworth sat in silence as the detective drove. He was aware of the detective glancing at him frequently using the mirror as if to start a conversation, but he ignored him, staring out the window instead, being in no mood for idle chatter with the detective.

Within a few minutes, they arrived at the Gallery de Manning. There was a hostess standing at the front desk who glared at Gumshoe disapprovingly.

"You can talk to the manager sir, but you'll have to leave the riffraff outside." She stared pointedly at the detective.

Gumshoe scowled, then looked down self-consciously at his raggedy old coat that was soaked with water. He didn't have a mirror, but he could just imagine how scruffy he looked with his hair plastered to his head from the rain. He was about to flash her his police badge when Miles put a hand on his arm.

"It's alright, Detective. I can talk to him alone."

"Yes sir... If you're sure..."

Edgeworth nodded and he was lead away to the manager's office.

Gumshoe sighed and helped himself to some complimentary mints as he waited for the prosecutor to return. By the time the two got back, the entire bowl had been eaten. The hostess gave him an ugly glare, but he shrugged it off as he looked toward Miles expectantly.

"I have a hunch," he said. "Drive me back to my office."

"Yessir!" The detective followed Edgeworth out to the squad car. It had stopped raining, leaving the air heavy feeling. He got into the drivers seat. "So what did you find out, sir?"

"Manning left the gallery yesterday with a man named Vincent Giovanni, and Vincent was wearing that pin I found."

Gumshoe stared st him expectantly, then frowned. "That's it, sir? Then what took you so long."

He looked slightly embarrassed. "That hostess... She wouldn't let me talk to the manager until I gave her my phone number... I gave her yours instead, by the way."

"Oh..." The detective shrugged. "Alright then..." So now he would have that nasty hostess calling him? Well, better him than Mr. Edgeworth, he supposed... "So what's your hunch?"

"Hm?" Edgeworth glanced over from the window, which he had been staring out. "Oh, I'll tell you later, if it turns out to be correct..."

"Oh," Gumshoe sighed, disappointed. Edgeworth never did tell him any of his hunches unless they were right... He pulled to a stop in front of the Prosecutors' Offices. "Want my help, sir?"

"No, it's quite alright, Detective. It's getting late. Just go home."

"Yes sir..." He sighed, clearly disappointed. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Goodbye, Detective." Miles turned and walked into the building. Gumshoe would have just gotten in the way... He always did. He made his way up the stairs to his office- he tended to avoid elevators. Sometimes he wished his office wasn't so high up...

Walking into his office, he immediately headed for his files. He sifted through the letter C until he found what he wanted. He searched through the file for a moment before smiling to himself. Of course, all his hunches were correct... Now he just needed to confront the criminal, and the case would be done. His hand went to his cell phone, but he hesitated, tthen shook his head. He didn't need Gumshoe for this. The bumbling detective would mess something up somehow.
----
Gumshoe sat in his small dingy apartment and sighed. He wasn't much use to Mr. Edgeworth, was he? Why couldn't he ever figure things out? Scowling, he rubbed his temple, as if that would help the answers come to him. He was determined to figure this out.

"Manning comes out of no where and opens an art gallery. Some one shoots him and tries to make it look like a mugging... A professional job maybe?" He frowned, thinking things through. "That pin... I've seen it before... But where? Think, Gumshoe! Think!" His eyes closed for a moment as he racked his brain for information. They snapped open again. "Aha! It's that family crest! So that Vincent guy works for them, right? I gotta tell Mr. Edgeworth! Wait... He probably has it figured out by now..." He bolted to his feet. "Mr. Edgeworth wouldn't... I know he hates crime, but he wouldn't go that far, would he?"
-----
"Ah, Miles Edgeworth. Your reputation precedes you." The man at the door gave him a slight bow. "Would you like to come in?"

Miles stepped in and nodded at the man. "Your reputation precedes you as well... Vincent Cadaverini!"

"You're quite mistaken, my good sir. My name's Vincent Giovanni." The man furrowed his brow. "What would make you think I was connected to people like them?"

"I know all about you, about what you did," Edgeworth replied, crossing his arms. "The Cadaverinis had some kind of deal with Manning, didn't they? That's how a nobody like him could just open up a gallery out of no where and have it filled with paintings. But the deal went sour, and Manning was becoming a problem, so you had him 'erased'."

"That may be what the Cadaverinis did, but I am not one of them, I assure you."

"There's a witness who saw you leave the gallery with Manning," the prosecutor stated matter-o-factly.

"So? Do you have some sort of evidence that I killed him?"

"You dropped your pin. Your pin with the Cadaverini family crest on it!"

"You think it's mine?" Vincent snorted. "Do you have any proof of that?"

"A witness saw you wearing it." Edgeworth's eyes narrowed. "You did it, didn't you?"

Vincent stared him down for a few moments. "That crest's supposed to be a secret. The cops keepin' tabs on us? The boss isn't going to like that..."

"So you confess," the prosecutor pressed. "You're a Cadaverini."

"Yes, I am... Who was the witness? Who saw me leave with Manning?" He stepped toward Edgeworth, staring at him intently.

"I... I'm not going to tell you that!" Edgeworth took a step backwards. Had he made a mistake?

"Oh boys, why don't you come in here and join in on this chat?"

Two men wearing suits walked into the room. One of them stood between Edgeworth and the only exit from the room.

Miles' eyes widened as he caught sight of the pistols in their hands.

Vincent pulled out a gun of his own. "You some kind of an idiot, Edgeworth? You really thought you could take down the Cadaverinis?"

"You are criminals, and criminals should be brought to justice," the prosecutor scowled, putting on a brave face in front of the gangsters. He couldn't show them his fear... It would be all over then...

"You're a fool. The police can't touch us. You should know that." Vincent laughed. "Now, tell me who saw me leave with Manning!" When Edgeworth shook his head, he laughed. "Fine then, looks like you'll be taking a dirt nap!" He cocked his gun.

"Nobody move, pal!" Someone burst through the door. It was Gumshoe with his gun out. He swept it around the room, taking the scene in. "Just drop your weapons, and nobody gets hurt!" He pointed his gun straight at Vincent, seeing how he was aiming at other two grunts took aim at Gumshoe and waited for the order to shoot.

Vincent pointed his gun down toward the floor. "Nobody gets hurt, eh Copper?" He hesitated for just a moment. "Nobody except you two!" He whipped his gun up again.

Edgeworth squeezed his eyes shut and he threw himself to the ground as he heard the sound of a gunshot. It brought back so many bad memories... It was just like that time in the elevator. A screamed echoed in his ears and he forced himself to open his eyes. Vincent was on the floor in front of him, dead. In the next instant, he heard three gunshots. He glanced back and his eyes widened in horror as he saw Gumshoe falling backwards, hand clenched to his chest.

"Detective Gumshoe!" Miles cried, crawling over to him. He looked across the room to see one of the men dead, the other still alive. The latter lifted his gun.

"Now its your turn, you moron!"

Edgeworth dove toward Gumshoe's pistol just as he fired. He felt the shot whiz over his head as his hand closed around the gun's handle. He lifted it and took aim at the gangster.

"You don't have the guts to pull the trigger!"

The pistol felt heavy in his hand. Could he kill another human being? As the gangster took aim, he realized that he had no choice. Closing his eyes, he squeezed the trigger. Gunshots echoed through his ears, and his mind flashed back to the boat. Two shots, and then a splash... He opened his eyes as he realized he heard a thump, not a splash. He looked over to see that the man fell to the ground.

The bile rose in his mouth as he smelled the metallic tang of blood. His eyes swept over the four prone shapes, and he felt that he was going to be sick. "Gumshoe!" He rushed over to the detective. "Gumshoe, wake up!" He put a hand over the bullet wound in his chest, trying to feel for a heartbeat. "Dick!"
---
Miles stared dully at the floor of the hospital. How could he be so stupid? How could he have done that? What kind of idiot just burst into the house of a Cadaverini? He wrapped his arms around his stomach feeling like he was about to retch.

"Miles? I came as soon as I heard..."

Miles looked over to see Phoenix Wright standing above him.

"Wright... This is... It's all my fault..."

"Have they said anything?" Phoenix sat next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"No, nothing..." He looked up at the clock. It was early in the morning. How long had Gumshoe been in surgery? He lost track... "The nurses don't look optimistic." He glanced at the grim faced nurses who immediately tried to make themselves look busy. Tears came to his eyes and he went back to staring at the ground. "Wright... This shouldn't have happened."

"Yeah," he replied. "You're right. Things like this should never happen... But things will be alright... Gumshoe's always been lucky, right?"

"Right... I just hope... I just hope his luck hasn't run out..."

They spent the next hour in silence. Edgeworth looked up as he heard a sharp 'SNAP!' "You WILL let me see him NOW!"

"Franziska?" Phoenix got up and walked over to the whip-wielding prosecutor.

"Phoenix Wright! These fools won't let me see Scruffy!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but... His condition isn't stable... We're not even sure if..." The nurse trailed off.

Franziska turned and stomped toward Miles. "That foolish fool hardy fool! How could he foolishly go and get foolishly shot? That-That fool!" Tears came to her eyes. "How could he do that, Little Brother?"

Edgeworth winced. So she didn't know that it was his fault?

Wright came and stood next to Franziska, putting a hand on her shoulder. "He'll pull through, I promise..."

"It's my fault," Miles said softly.

She glanced at him sharply. "Don't be a fool, Miles Edgeworth. How could this be your fault?"

Swallowing the bile that had risen in his throat, he began to tell the story. The story about what an idiot he was, going to a gangster's house without telling anyone, without a weapon, or even backup. About how he thought he could take on a family like the Cadaverinis. He choked up once or twice as he explained how the detective had burst in to save him, and the shoot out after that.

Once he finished the story, no one spoke. Everyone was in complete silence, and Miles went back to staring at the floor. His eyes snapped up as he heard footsteps coming toward him.

It was a surgeon. "Miles Edgeworth?"

He nodded faintly.

"Could you come with me please?"

Edgeworth nodded numbly and followed after the surgeon. His heartbeat quickened as his heart jumped into his throat. Was this it? Was the surgeon going to tell him the unthikable? Was Gumshoe... Dead? His knees almost failed him as they walked down the silent white corridor. He kept waiting to hear Gumshoe's voice calling from one of the rooms. But everything remained silent. He finally got up the courage to ask. "What happened?"

"Two bullets to the chest," the doctor replied. "He was in surgery for hours..." He opened a door and ushered Edgeworth inside.

On one of the beds was Gumshoe. He was so still... He wasn't... He couldn't be...

Miles fell to his knees. "Gumshoe! How... How could this have..."

"Th-that you sir?"

"Gumshoe? Gumshoe! You're alive!" He got up and ran over to the bed.

Gumshoe stared at him for a few moments. "You can't kill me that easily, sir."

"I'm so sorry, Gumshoe!"

The detective blinked. "Sorry?"

"This is all my fault!" Edgeworth exclaimed. "If I hadn't been such an idiot..."

"What are you talking about sir? If anything, this is my fault... If I had been able to figure out things sooner..." He sighed. "Now I feel like a train's hit me..."

"Still... I should have known better!"

"Everyone makes mistakes, sir... I should know!" Gumshoe grinned for a moment before it faded. "You know... I... I never had to kill anyone before, sir. It's not a good feeling... But I guess we had to, huh."

"Yes, Detective... We had to... Because of my dumb mistake... My dumb mistake that put you in here!"

"Stop." Gumshoe's voice was stern. "Stop blaming yourself! It isn't your fault!" For once in his life, he sounded irritated at Edgeworth. "I knew what I was getting into when I burst through that door, sir! I was trained for it!"

"You shouldn't have... You should have just let me get shot... It's what I deserve for being such an idiot." Miles stared at the ground, unable to meet the detective's gaze.

"No, pal... I would never let a friend of mine get killed! Never!" His eyes narrowed. "Listen, I've had to put up with a lot from you, but I won't put up with any of this blaming stuff! Friends don't blame friends, and that's a fact!"

"F-friend?" Edgeworth looked at Gumshoe, surprised. "You consider me a friend? After... After all I've done to you? Your salary reductions? Working you so hard? I even made you carry around your umbrella for me! I've been so terrible to you..."

"'Course we're friends, sir!" the detective grinned. "As soon as I get out of here, lemme take you out for a drink!"

Miles shook his head. "No, Detective... I should be the one buying you a drink."

"Well, sir... Guess I won't turn down a free drink..."

"Forget the drink... I'll buy you a full dinner. At one of the best restaurants in town."

"Wow, sir... You'd do that? For me?" Gumshoe's grinned broadened. "I haven't been to a fancy restaurant in... well... Actually, I've never been to a fancy restaurant..." He yawned. "Can't wait... I'm gonna be in here a long time though..."

Miles smiled. "I'll let you get your rest, Detective. I'll be back to visit you later... I'll bring Franziska and Wright with me."

Gumshoe let out another yawn. "Alright sir... See you later..."

"Oh... And Gumshoe?"

"Yes sir?"

"I think it's about time you got a raise."

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Awwwwwwwwww...

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Title: The Questioning
Rating: G

"Does it really have to be me, sir?"Gumshoe stared out the two-way mirror, a frown on his face. The suspect was staring at the floor, his right arm grasping his left unconsciously. "I... I don't want to..."

"You're the only one available," the head detective scorned. "I'm much too busy for this. Just go in there and question him already... Or do you want your salary to go down again?"

"No sir... Sorry sir..." Gumshoe walked over to the door to the questioning room, his head down.

The head detective sighed. "I'm sorry, Dick... This is just how it has to be."

"I know, sir... I know..." He opened the door and stepped into the questioning room. "Mr. Edgeworth..."

The prosecutor glanced at Gumshoe before going back to staring at the floor.

"You have the right for an attorney for this questioning... Do you have one sir?" Gumshoe swallowed and shifted uncomfortably at the following moments of silence. " Do you... Do you want me to call Phoenix Wright?"

The detective saw Edgeworth's slight shake of the head and he frowned, a bit worried. "No sir?" He sighed and turned on the tape recorder between them. "Well, alright... You... You're suspected..." He took a deep breath and swallowed, having a hard time saying what he needed to be saying. "You're suspected of mur- of shooting a man with a pistol." He waited for a response from the prosecutor, but wasn't surprised when he didn't get one. "Where were you the night of December 24- last night?"

Edgeworth clenched and unclenched his hand on his sleeve and he seemed to take a deep breath, as if to speak, but he didn't answer.

Gumshoe closed his eyes for a moment. They knew exactly where he had been; they had arrested him on the scene of the murder. That question had been to get him to open up, to get him comfortable with talking to him. Why wasn't he saying anything? He could trust him! He knew that, right? "Mr. Edgeworth... I know you must be scared, but..." The detective put a hand on his friend's shoulder, only to have it shrugged off. "You have to talk to me, sir. You have to!" He glanced down at the tape recorder, its presence reminding him that he had a job to do.

Gumshoe slid a picture of the victim across the table for the prosecutor to look at. "Here's a picture of the victim we pulled out from Gourd Lake... Can you tell me who he is?"

Edgeworth creased his brow for a moment, staring at the picture intently. A barely perceptible look of confusion crossed his face before vanishing as he turned his gaze to the wall above Gumshoe's head.

"What were you doing at Gourd Lake that night?"The detective drummed his fingers against the table in front of him, his anxiety beginning to show. "Mr. Edgeworth?"

At the sound of his name, the prosecutor turned his gaze to his worried friend's face. Their eyes met for a moment before Edgeworth turned his gaze away, back to the floor.

Gumshoe opened his mouth as if to ask another question, then closed it again. He turned the tape recorder off with a click. "Mr. Edgeworth..." his voice shook slightly, and he had to take a breath to strengthen it. "Mr. Edgeworth... I don't think you did it. I know you didn't do it!" He pressed his palms onto the table and leaned toward Edgeworth. "I'm on your side, sir! I can help find you innocent! I can find the real murderer! All I need for you to do is tell me! Tell me what happened that night on Gourd Lake." He stared intently at Edgeworth, his deetermined gaze not wavering.

Edgeworth didn't meet his gaze. He chewed on his lip, still saying nothing. His silence was like a knife; a knife stabbing into Gumshoe's chest.

"Please sir! Can't you see? Can't you see that you're just making yourself look more guilty by not saying anything?" He slammed his hands on the table, leaning closer to him.

Silence, still not a word from Edgeworth.

"Please sir! I know I've screwed up in the past, but... I can do this! Just tell me what happened!" It took all the willpower he had to keep his voice from getting hysterical. "Is... Is that it, sir? Do you not think I can handle this case? Is that why? Because I'm a failure?" His eyes watered, and he squeezed his eyes shut for a few moments. When he opened them, he found his gaze meeting Edgeworth's. They stared at each other for what seemed like an endless amount of time, neither moving. The prosecutor's face was an impassive mask, not giving a single hint to his real feelings. Finally, Edgeworth reacted with a tiny shake of his head. Gumshoe thought he saw a shadow of something pass through his friend's eyes. What was it? Regret? Concern? With Edgeworth, it was hard to tell.

"I-I'm going to find the real killer, s-sir," Gumshoe said after Edgeworth looked away again. "I-I promise! Everything's going to be okay... Even if you don't want to talk to me... I'll do it! I promise."

Edgeworth shook his head, just barely, but Gumshoe caught it. "I promise," he repeated softly, turning away so his friend couldn't see his watering eyes. "Even if no one believes in you- even if you don't believe in yourself, I'll always believe in you, sir... Even if I'm too much of a failure to help you..." He began to walk away.

Edgeworth looked up, his eyes misting slightly. "Detective..." But by then it was too late; Detective Gumshoe was gone.

A/N This takes place as 1-4 is taking place. Inspired by Gumshoe saying that Edgeworth said "not a word" to the police, and Maya's quote.

Maya: Detective Gumshoe was really worried about you!
Edgeworth: ...

Interrogating him must have been really hard on Gumshoe....

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Aw...Poor Di- Gumshoe. XD

I never really thought about it, but someone was questioning Edgeworth, and it was probably Gumshoe. And that sounds exactly like what they would say.

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