Chapter Text
Lights from the traffic on the street played out on the ceiling of Edgeworth's motel room. In the end, he found it was not quite safe to come home without attracting unwanted attention and talked to his landlady about discreetly removing his possessions from where they still stood. He supposed he should have done that before he left. Paying rent while not even living there was rather... a foolish move. Did I really think I'd want to come back here? I may very well leave again after making myself known.
With that, most of his stuff was hauled by Gumshoe into a storage unit down the road about a mile away. By spring, he had completely returned to his formal attire. The cravat once again was a staple in most of his everyday wear. He'd be fully prepared to make his reappearance.
At least, that was what he thought. That night, Gumshoe had announced it was time. Franziska was looking into a certain case... as was Wright.
He never thought about how some day, Wright would take on someone who was guilty. Matt Engarde just had to be guilty, or at least involved, in some way. Edgeworth had looked into the victim's past that night. Celeste Inpax's missing note... Celeste's entire reason for killing herself... Juan Corrida had found an opportunity to defame Matt Engarde. The latter had a definite motive to kill him.
All this... just from her suicide. I'm... very glad I didn't go through with mine. I just hope my world isn't in such shambles yet. He rolled over in his bed. He had to admit, he was dreading tomorrow. Not only would he have to teach the stubborn Franziska that perfection was impossible... he'd have to teach Phoenix Wright, the man who changed his entire perception of the court system, that he was in the wrong this time around. Trusting and believing in Engarde's pretty-boy façade wouldn't be enough. Working to get a "not guilty" in any way possible would be just as bad as Franziska aiming for the opposite verdict.
Before he could formulate enough scenarios for this problem, his alarm clock blared him out of bed. The bitterness in his mouth told him he must have nodded off for a couple hours, but otherwise, sleep hadn't come.
"I suppose Franziska's going to have her revenge after all," he told Gumshoe once they met again at the Criminal Affairs Department that afternoon. Gumshoe sat at his own desk space in the far side of the office while Edgeworth slowly swayed in another chair across from him.
"Why do you say that?" replied Gumshoe, looking up for a few seconds from a report he was writing. "You don't think Wright can do it?"
"Oh no, his skill isn't the problem. I don't know anything solid yet but... I have a bad feeling about this case and I'm afraid how he'll react to... all this." Edgeworth told Gumshoe about Celeste Inpax.
"I see now," Gumshoe said, turning his head to his paperwork again. "And Wright's been in such a state lately. Especially last night. He's going to freak... no pressure."
"I expect it. I... deserve whatever horrible things he'll probably say to me." Gumshoe's face twitched like he strongly disagreed, but Edgeworth pushed on before he could object. "But I'll make it up to him. I'll help him see the truth. Although I'm not sure if it's something he'd want to hear from me."
"You should just ask," said Gumshoe, cocking his head towards the door. "He's coming in here right now."
He stifled a gasp and unknowingly shrunk a little in his seat. "Go see what he wants first. Just give me a second to..." But Gumshoe had already went to meet the defense attorney in the middle of the room. If Gumshoe had been under his command, he'd have suggested a raise, or at least a pat on the back.
Wright seemed not to notice that Edgeworth was sitting just down the row, like he was absorbed in something that drastically decreased his field of vision. A worried-looking young child accompanied him, stealing a glance or two at him.
Not too long afterwards, a whip cracked across the room. Like a flash of lightning, he saw Franziska storm right by him towards the detective, berating him in all the ways she knew how, essentially firing him.
It's been years since we've seen each other and she's still the same little kid, he thought, willing himself to stand. He approached Franziska and Wright from behind and Gumshoe's eyes widened. The little girl appeared to be the only other person to sense his presence.
"If it weren't for traitors like you...!"
"'I would've won.' Is that what you want to say?"
Franziska became startled and spun around quickly. "W-Who?"
"Edgeworth!" Wright cried out, and the little girl (who, on closer inspection, resembled Miss Fey) seemed to have recognized him in some way or another.
Neither seemed particularly glad to see him, yet finally looking at Franziska and Phoenix after so long...
This is where I was meant to be. Nothing can stop me now. Franziska looked ready to drop her whip in disbelief rather than beat him silly as usual. Wright was downright livid and his face was as blue as his suit, but he was also too vulnerable to cause any trouble yet. It was a story he was looking forward to retelling to his family in Germany when the case was through.
My family. He couldn't help himself but smile. "It's been a long time... Wright."