Chapter Text
Miles eventually stepped out of the bedroom to make some tea. As he stood by the electric kettle, waiting for the water to start boiling, Pearl approached him.
“Mr. Edgeworth? I wanted to ask you a question…”
“Yes? What is it?” He watched as she looked up at him with an uncertain expression on her face.
“What does ‘fruitcake’ mean? Is it…is it tasty?” His eyes widened hearing the question posed in such an innocent manner. How can people seriously say this kind of thing in front of a young child? It felt as though everything stopped for a moment.
“It…It’s not. Well, you can’t eat it. ‘Fruitcake’ is an insult used against gay men.”
She gasped, now looking remorseful.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you!”
“I know. You didn’t, don’t worry about it.”
“Oh, okay…good.” Pearl let out a sigh of relief. “So…Why did he say that?”
“Because he’s upset by the fact that Phoenix is gay.”
“But why…?!”
Of course, Miles had known that this conversation was coming, but that knowledge didn’t make it much more pleasant.
“Certain people are bothered by it. They have many reasons as to why, though I don’t personally see any of them as right.”
“Reasons? Like what?”
“They might say it goes against their beliefs, or that it goes against nature itself and people choose to do it out of defiance.”
“That doesn’t make any sense!”
“I know that well.”
“I thought they got mad for an actual reason, since adults usually make sense…”
“Some people, whether young or old, are simply cruel.” He explained, setting some mugs on the counter.
“That’s true. But it’s okay, Mr. Nick doesn’t need them, since they’re so mean! He has you and me and Mystic Maya and Ms. Franzy and Detective Scruffy!” Franziska’s name for Gumshoe had rubbed off on her. Still, the sentiment touched Miles.
“I agree. Tell me, Pearl, would you like some tea?”
“Yes please, Mr. Edgeworth!” With that, he set another mug on the counter, placing a filter in each.
Really, nothing much happened for the rest of the day. Phoenix spent his time wrapped up in a blanket, crying and talking wistfully about what he would have hoped for. Miles listened to everything that he had to say, holding the little blanket burrito against his chest. He’d never seen his boyfriend in a state like this, or even anything remotely close to it. Then again, he had a horrible day and it would take a while for pain this fresh to subside. Losing a parent must result in an entirely different kind of hurt if they’re still alive and simply out of one’s life.
Eventually, after Phoenix dozed off during the wee hours of the night, Miles fell asleep too. But that hadn’t done much good, as he was subsequently startled awake by the usual suspect – his nightmares. They were becoming more infrequent, thankfully, though they persistently appeared on the nights of stressful days, as an extra helping of garbage on top of something that was a trash heap in and of itself.
His eyes shot open, heart pounding violently against his ribcage. But everything was fine, nothing had truly gone wrong…not more so than previously, anyway. Now he had trouble with willing himself to fall back asleep, however.
Miles’s eyes crossed over the room as they began adjusting themselves to the dark. A faint, cold glow emanating from the outside street lamps lit up the room. The door was open ever so slightly. To its left, a red light indicated that the TV was plugged in. That was an odd thing to focus on, though there wasn’t much else to be seeing at such an hour.
He subconsciously pulled the bundle that was Phoenix just a little bit closer, feeling himself shiver. The awkward time period before the heating comes in is particularly hard to get through when your boyfriend snatches your blanket.
It was weird to see someone he generally saw as strong and capable, someone who saved him when nobody else would in a depressive state such as this one.
In the end, he managed to fall back asleep. Morning came with Phoenix blearily opening his eyes, before getting up and leaving the room, still wrapped up. He returned shortly after, dropping on the bed like he was made of lead. And that’s where he stayed, even as his phone began buzzing quite obviously.
“Are you going to answer it?” Miles questioned, looking at it sliding up and down on the bedside table.
“No…I don’t wanna talk to anyone.”
“Can I answer it?”
“Sure.” It was a number that hadn’t been saved in the contact list of the phone. Answering the call, he heard the voice of a man on the other side.
“Hello. Am I speaking to Mr. Phoenix Wright?”
“Good day. You are not speaking to him but I will transmit the details of this conversation in a moment.”
“Oh, I see. I’m calling in the name of Elois Agnes. She is being held at the detention center on charges of murder and has requested for Mr. Wright to defend her.”
“I see. I will tell him. If he accepts, shall we call this number?”
“I suppose. But he can also turn up to accept it in person.”
“Alright then. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
Hanging up, he turned to Phoenix.
“It’s a case they requested you take.”
“I’m not taking it…” He rolled over on the bed, having been facing Miles previously but now staring at the wall.
“That is quite unfortunate for Ms. Agnes, then. I’ll call back to let them know.”
“Wait. Agnes…You don’t mean Elois, do you?”
“That is indeed the name of the defendant.”
“Oh damn it.” Phoenix pushed an arm out of the blanket wrap, reaching out for a pillow and pulling it over his head. “She was a friend of mine in college, I can’t just let her down but I feel horrible, I don't know what to do– wait! Miles!”
“Yes?”
“Take the case, please!”
The phone fell out of Miles’s palm as he turned towards his boyfriend, who was now intently staring at him. “What?!”
“She’ll probably agree if I vouch for you! Please, I promise I’ll pay you back!”
“You don’t…that’s not my issue, you know that I would normally do anything you ask of me without hesitation. However, this is very sudden, I'm not quite sure I'm ready…”
“You are, I'm sure of it. Please.” By then, Phoenix had gripped onto the t-shirt he was wearing.
“I… I'll do it. I can't let you down.”
“Thank you so much…” He went in for a kiss, even though the blanket made the movement pretty difficult.
Miles was displeased. The last thing he needed right now, after busting his ass working on the renovation, was to have a whole murder trial sprung on him at the very last moment. But at the same time, he'd been running away from taking cases even when given the opportunity.
Sure, he did have to deal with all the workers but Phoenix could have done that just as easily. Really, he was nervous that he'd be unable to do it. It was stupid… he had his badge, unwavering support, by all means, he was ready to proceed.
And yet, the nerves stopped him. What if he didn't live up to the defense attorneys he knew? There were two possible ways that this could go, neither of which pleased him. Either the client is guilty, which is indeed a sad way to start a career… or she's innocent, meaning failure will result in the incarceration of a woman that hadn’t done anything.
No. He can do it. For all the opportunities he ended up receiving, the good fortune of being allowed out of prison. If it weren't for someone caring enough about his defense to put in all those months of effort and to use the all encompassing power of nepotism… he'd still be in there, currently sitting in his cell. Instead, he's a free man who has the right to refuse this case if he so pleases… which is exactly why he will take it.
With that, Miles extracted himself out of Phoenix’s arms, standing up and beginning to get dressed.
“If you excuse me, I need to head down to the detention center.”
“Oh! Wait, I gotta go with you.” He stood up as well. “I have to explain to her that you'll be her defense… She's an attorney too, actually, or she was last I heard.”
“So she's a defense attorney that's going to be defended by a defense attorney who was defended by a defense attorney who was also defended by a defense attorney.”
“Uh… yeah. Now that you mention it.” Phoenix also began getting ready, though he wasn't sure if he'd just tag along to the detention center or visit the crime scene as well. Sitting at home wasn't easy, and he couldn't exactly expect Maya or Franziska to listen to his troubles, meaning he'd probably be rotting alone in the bedroom. At that point, it's better to stand around and be useless next to his beloved boyfriend.
They finished getting ready, saying goodbye to the girls and leaving right after. The walk to the detention center was silent, and this time, no moves to hold hands were made.
Inside the building, in one of the waiting rooms, sat the defendant. Wait a second… oh no.
“Hold up, Phoenix, why are you bringing that guy here?!” Elois crossed her arms from behind the glass. “Is HE gonna be my prosecutor?! Then I might as well not get a lawyer, I'm going to jail anyway!”
“Hey Elois… uh…” Phoenix turned to Miles, shooting him a panicked glance and mouthing ‘how do you know her?. “He's not gonna be the prosecutor, I can assure you.”
“Oh thank God. He's the reason I quit defending!” She grimaced.
“Ms. Agnes, I… I wanted to apologize. I was very harsh to you when I was a prosecutor.”
“You quit, did you? Great! One less jerk to worry about!”
“...he's gonna be your defense, by the way.”
“WHAT?!”
“Yeah, I'm kind of going through something so I can't do it but he's my b— you know, best friend. I promise he's the best for this job!”
“I asked YOU to defend me, not him! Why would I want some napkin wearing fraud as my lawyer?! He sent all MY clients to jail! What, are you in your hopeful period now? Pretending you want to help others?!”
“I understand.” Miles sighed, beginning to turn away.
“Whatever. Phoenix, you’ll defend me, right?”
“I won’t, I’m sorry. I can’t do it because something happened recently and I don’t wanna do a half job at it, that’s why I asked Miles.”
“But– then what am I supposed to do? Can’t you make an exception? We’re friends!”
“Something happened, alright? I can’t.” His voice was firm, but different than usual. “At the end of the day, I can’t make you accept a lawyer you don’t have faith in. I can give you another guy’s number, he’s pretty good.”
“I…ugh. Fine, I’ll take Edgeworth as my lawyer, if you’re sure he’s good.”
“He is, I promise!”
“So, Ms. Agnes, could you tell me about the details of this incident?” Miles stepped back towards the glass with certainty.
“Yeah. My dad was throwing a dinner party and I just arrived there but the door was locked, no matter how much I rang the doorbell. So I go in with my spare key, this other dinner party guest is there with me…And he’s dead, in the kitchen! I called the cops and they arrested ME! Why would I even go back there like some kind of muppet, if I was the culprit?!”
“For future reference, please don’t start arguing with the judge about how you would have hypothetically committed the crime. It will not look good.”
“Yeah, I guess.” She shrugged, lowering her arms and leaning back in her chair. “Anyway, any other questions?”
“Where were you at the presumed time of the crime?”
“I was literally at home, where else? Listen, how about you stop standing here asking dumbass questions, and go to the crime scene?! My trial is tomorrow!”
“Tom– of course it’s tomorrow. It would have been shocking if we had prep time this time around.”
“Let me just tell you the address and then you two can go be useful!”
“Need I remind you,” Miles glanced at her with disapproval. “That I haven’t officially taken your case yet and can still refuse?”
“Oh no, uh, sorry!” Elois clearly panicked at the threat, not that it was anything more than that.
They made their way to the crime scene after being told just where it was, intercepting with none other than the old reliable Detective Gumshoe! They greeted each other casually, only for the usual question to come up.
“Pal, do you really take every single murder case ever? I see you more nowadays than I see my family!” Phoenix pressed his lips together at the insinuation, looking off to the side.
“This isn’t my case. It’s Miles’s.”
“HUH?! Mr. Edgeworth!” Gumshoe absolutely lit up. “This is your first case, right?! Well, your second first case! Really, I’m honored I got to see your debut as a prosecutor, and now, this! I don’t like the prosecutor that took this case, I hope you win!”
“Huh? Franziska didn’t take this case, did she?” Miles blinked at him.
“No, of course not! It’s some guy, he’s new in the office, his name is Godot.”
“Just…Just Godot? No last name?”
“Yeah. He wears a weird visor thing, always talks in riddles, and according to Chief Gant, Chief Prosecutor Skye had to quadruple the prosecutor’s office’s coffee bean orders because he monopolizes it THAT much!”
“Wow. I do recall that I had to face off against a defense attorney that hauled a coffee cup around at some point. But I don’t remember it too well anymore.”
“And now you’re the defense attorney!”
“Yes. Anyway, could we go in?”
“Yeah, of course, pal! Here’s an autopsy report as well!” He handed it over, and then walked off to speak to a coworker. But before they could head inside, somebody called out to them.
“Excuse me, hi!” It was a man that seemed to be a good bit older than they themselves were. He had black hair and was wearing a vest and a tie. “Are you Elois’s lawyer?”
“I am. Miles Edgeworth, nice to meet you!”
“Oh! My name’s Kent Tract! I was business partners with Will, I was just driving by here to see the commotion!” He extended a hand towards Miles, and then towards Phoenix.
“I’m Phoenix Wright, I’m also a defense attorney.” He shook Kent’s hand somewhat hesitantly.
“You know, I don’t think Ellie would do something like that, her and Will always had a good relationship. Then again, you never really know what’s going on in someone’s life unless they tell you! But anyway, I hope it wasn’t her! If you two have any questions, let me know and I’ll try my best to help!”
“Alright Mr. Tract.” Miles nodded. “I would like to ask you about the day of the crime. I can only assume you were here.”
“Yeah. I got here to Ellie trying to open the front door. We went inside, poor thing was the first to see her dad like that!”
“Alright then. You two were the only ones to discover the body, correct?”
“Yeah, that’d be right.”
“Do you know anyone who the victim might have had some sort of bad blood with?”
“No, not really. He was pretty well liked.”
“And there were no conflicts in his family as far as you know, were there?”
“No! None at all!” Inverted colors flashed before Miles’s eyes, a collection of chains appearing in front of Kent, connected by locks. These seemed like those Psycho-locks Phoenix had told him about, but that didn’t make their appearance any less surprising, causing a temporary crack in his poker face. For whatever reason, the man had lied about the victim’s family situation.
“I–I see. I don’t have much else to ask you at this time. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Tract.”
“Don’t worry about it, Miles!”
Him and Phoenix headed inside in silence, to be met with a rather nice looking home. The crime scene itself wasn’t very bloody for a change. In its place sat a fairly large puddle of water with some glass shards inside of it – seemingly pieces of a broken drinking glass. According to the autopsy report, the victim had been bludgeoned to death. The file also housed a photo of the crime scene. There wasn’t much else to be found at that place, and it wasn’t wise to start crawling on the floor with a dozen detectives around…
Wandering into one of the side rooms inconspicuously, they were now in what appeared to be a study. Miles walked around the desk to see if he’d spot anything interesting. His eyes landed on a paper shredder, which clearly hadn’t been emptied for a while. It wasn't any more interesting or unusual than the stationery on the table or the picture frames on the walls. And yet, something told him to take out its contents. So he kneeled down behind the desk, taking a small plastic bag out of his pocket and pouring all the official looking confetti inside.
Phoenix stared at the room around him, suddenly feeling himself becoming agitated. This guy seemingly had it all! A daughter, a nice house, good friends, everything! And he still got murdered! Now, he himself knew that for as aggressive as Elois could be, she wasn’t the one who did it, but someone still did. What is the point of anything if you can just randomly die someday anyway?
Suddenly, he spotted a watch that seemed strangely out of place. Maybe cause it was out in the open, or maybe cause it was a little too gaudy in comparison to how tasteful the rest of the house seemed…But either way, it didn’t fit. Noticing that Miles was digging around for something on the floor, he slid it into his pocket – it’d be useful later. Everything always IS, no matter how irrelevant it may seem. If you find it at the scene of the crime, you should take it, bar none.
“Miles?” He called out.
“Yes?”
“Did he have any Psyche-locks going on? You kind of looked like you stepped into a puddle with socks on at one point, so I can only assume.”
“Yes. He had three.”
“Okay, what exactly did he lie about?”
“About Mr. Agnes’s family issues. I suppose he had some.”
“Maybe Elois knows something about it. We should go back and talk to her.”
“Yes, that is a good idea. Let’s head back now, before visiting hours are up.”
“Is it really that late?” Phoenix almost pulled out the watch, box and all, but ultimately went for his phone, only to realize they had like 30 minutes left.
A few minutes later, having run the entire way, they got back to the detention center. Elois stepped into the room with a bit of a neutral expression on her face.
“So? What happened?”
“The means of the crime are very uncertain as of now, but we have gotten some valuable intel.” Miles said. “ I was wondering, Ms. Agnes, would you say there were any issues in your family?”
“No, I had a great relationship with my dad. I don’t really talk to my mom, I was always a daddy’s girl and we especially got close after they divorced. I don’t have any siblings, or any uncles or whatever. I can’t say they had an ugly divorce, either. She just moved out and I meet with her every once in a while.”
“That’s strange…” Not a single lock appeared. She must be telling the truth, but while answering the same question, Mr. Tract had been lying. “Thank you.”
“I have a question too, Elois.” Phoenix spoke up.
“Huh?”
“Do you know anything about this?” With that, he took out the watch, much to his boyfriend’s shock.
“Of course you pocketed something…”
“Yeah, I know it, actually!” She nodded, cutting him off. “My dad won it from Lex.”
“Lex?
“Yeah! You know Kent Tract? Lex is his son.”
“And your father won this watch from him?” Miles questioned.
“Yeah! He was supposed to be at the party too.”
“And was he there?”
“I don’t know man, my dad literally died, I didn’t care whether that snotty brat showed up or not! He’s insufferable!”
“That’s fair enough.” He nodded, turning to Phoenix. “Your habit of stealing evidence once again came in handy. I myself have lifted something as well. What I have managed to fit inside this plastic bag, that is.”
“What’s that?!” Elois raised an eyebrow.
“The contents of your father’s paper shredder.”
“And you took that?! There’s nothing in there, lemme tell you.”
“Rule number three of evidence law – anything that isn’t nailed down should be taken.”
“I…You know what, fine. But if I get the chair because you paid more attention to literal garbage than your work, I’m going to literally poltergeist your house!”
“I can assure you, I know what I’m doing.” Or at the very least, Miles really hoped that he did.