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I was an island before you came along,
Put your boat in my sand, your hand in my hand,
Your heart in my songs.
I was a fighter, and I was so brave.
But I lowered my sword when you held me and swore
You'd stay, stay, stay oh
I can't do this alone anymore
'Cause I'm no good on my own anymore
What did I do to deserve this?
What did you do to me?
Baby, come back.
You know I don't want to be free.
~ I Was An Island, John-Allison Weiss
The first thing Kay Faraday noticed was the dust. The very moment she jolted awake she could feel it making its way up her nose, forcing her to push back a sneeze. The second thing that she noticed was the scratchy length of thick rope wrapped around her wrists, constricting her movement. Bound wrists plus unclean environment plus the pitch-black darkness could only mean one thing, she thought. She’d been kidnapped again. At this point, she could probably give Sebastian and his record a run for their money. She made herself breathe deeply in and out a few times, despite the dust, and told herself that everything would be okay. She needed to be in a calm headspace before she attempted any kind of escape, and the longer she waited, the more her eyes would adjust to the darkness. She’d been in situations like these often enough before to know that panicking and wasting all her energy immediately would only make things worse. After a few minutes, she felt comfortable enough to attempt untying the knot binding her wrists together. Luckily, this was the kind of thing she practiced weekly. What kind of great thief would she be if she couldn’t wriggle her way out of any trap? she thought to herself as her deft fingers wound their way through the rope, slightly amused by the low-quality of the knot. Amateurs. What, is this their first time kidnapping someone? It only took a few moments and some expert wiggling to free herself from the rope. Once it came undone and fell to the floor, she stretched out all of her fingers and massaged her wrists a little, before pulling off her gloves to allow the skin to breathe. She would have welts and some scratches for a few days, but other than that she was fine, she thought as she inspected herself as well as she could in the thick gray darkness.
After analyzing the state of her body, Kay began to look around the room she was being kept in. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the dark, allowing her to see farther and farther away. She was being kept in a barn, or else some sort of storage shed for farm tools. Everything was, as she’d sensed earlier, covered in a thick layer of dust, except for the large smeary patch where Kay had been lying a few minutes prior.
Investigating the ground on which she had been set, the sight of a previously pristine white lab coat now caked in dust and small amounts of dried blood yanked Kay right out of her forcibly calm state. God, please no. Not her, anybody but her. She threw herself towards the body laying on the floor, grabbed hold of it, and cradled the woman in her arms.
“Ema!” she heard herself shout, as she tapped desperately and heavily on the woman’s shoulder, hoping to wake her up. There was no response. Kay could feel her heart pounding in her throat and up into her head. “Ema, Ema, wake up, please wake up. I can’t lose you too,” she whispered furiously, shaking Ema’s limp body back and forth, praying to a God that she didn’t believe in that Ema would be alright. She unwrapped her scarf from around her neck and pressed it heavily against a gash on the other girl’s left leg, hoping it would be enough to stop the bleeding. Apply pressure to the wound, she told herself, repeating the words of her father’s first aid courses, then clean and rinse it with water to prevent infection. Apply an antibiotic before bandaging. Well, she didn’t have water, antibiotics, or a bandage right now. Thanks a lot, Dad, she thought bitterly as she tied her scarf around Ema’s leg as makeshift gauze. What the hell am I supposed to do now? Just sit here and wait to be rescued?
A few seconds ago, Kay had been carefully hatching plans for her great escape, but none of them factored in having to drag along an unconscious/injured person. Of course, she could have escaped on her own, run for help and come back, but she would sooner die than leave Ema here alone in an unknown location, with possibly dangerous and violent kidnappers who could return at any time. So, the decision was made for her. She would stay here and remain sentry, waiting for Ema to regain consciousness, for the kidnappers to come back, or for help to arrive, whichever came first. Then she would reevaluate her plans from there. Hoping that the first scenario was the most likely, Kay decided to try a few of those old farm tools to see if they could budge the door open. Maybe she and Ema could sneak out without the kidnappers even noticing. If Ema was too hurt to walk, then Kay could carry her, princess style, rescuing the maiden and then fleeing heroically into the night, like a knight of yore. Kay laughed under her breath at her own imagination as she weighed a rusty trowel in her hands. She highly doubted Ema would appreciate being rescued like a helpless damsel, and she doubted the idea of Ema presenting her with a kiss as a token of her affections at the end of said rescue even more, even though that was certainly the track on which her mind was headed.
Several unsuccessful farm tool-based escape attempts later, Kay heard stirring from the other side of the room. She quickly dropped the broken pickaxe she’d been holding, and ran to Ema’s side.
The girl was slowly sitting up and rubbing her eyes. “Kay?” she asked, “What’s going on?”
“Okay, so don’t freak out-” said Kay, reaching around to begin untying the length of rope wrapped around Ema’s wrists.
“That’s never a good way for a sentence to start,” muttered Ema.
“-but we’ve been kidnapped, I’m pretty sure. The last thing I remember was us stepping away from the investigation with Mr. Edgeworth at the concert hall to try and follow up on that finger-print lead. Now we’re in some sort of old barn, and I can’t get any of the doors open,” Kay finished, giving the rope one last tug and freeing Ema’s hands.
Ema brought her hands back out in front of her body and flexed them several times, obviously trying to restart blood flow and get feeling back. “Oh hoorah, my first kidnapping,” she said sarcastically, “I should have known that hanging out with you and Sebastian would make it rub off on me.”
“Sorry,” said Kay, checking the cut on Ema’s leg again. It didn’t seem to be bleeding as heavily, at least, which was a good sign. “Occupational hazard, I guess.” Then she stood up, brushed her hands off, and leaned against the wall, hoping she looked suave and unbothered, rather than frantic and panicky, which was how she was actually feeling. Being kidnapped by yourself sucked, obviously, she decided, but being kidnapped with someone else might be even worse. When you’re by yourself you can freak out as much as you want and know nobody's gonna see it. But when someone else is there, especially someone like Ema, you suddenly feel like you have to be all put together and prepared.
Ema sat there in silence for a while, evidently letting the situation sink in, before she started to breathe rather heavily. Kay thought she could also hear her sniffling. She decided it wouldn’t be polite to comment on it unless it was clear that Ema was having an actual panic attack or something and needed medical attention. Was Kay qualified to give medical attention? Well, she was the best they had right now.
Ema gave one long sniff and began muttering to herself. Kay could distinctly make out the words “stupid fucking dusty barn” and “never gonna get out of here”.
“Em? Are you...uh, doing alright?”
“No. I’m locked in a fucking barn in the middle of who-knows-where with no way out and one day some archeologist is gonna find our skeletons down here so they’re not even gonna get to study my body for science cause it’ll be disintegrated by then.”
Kay didn’t really know what to say to that amazingly pessimistic statement, so she just said nothing. Dejectedly, she slid down the wall, wrapping her fingers through her empty belt loops. Wait...empty? It shouldn’t be… “Oh, fuck,” she said softly to herself.
“Is something wrong?”
“Little Thief is gone. The kidnappers must have taken it at the same time as our phones.”
“God, there really is no way out,” Ema whispered, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, “What if we’re stuck down here forever and no one even cares that I’m gone?”
“That’s not gonna happen!” Kay protested. I’m right here next to you and I would miss you. So much, she thought. I love you.
“It could!” argued Ema, angry tears suddenly streaming down her cheeks. “My parents are dead, my sister lives halfway across the country, I’ve alienated everyone I knew before I became a detective, everyone who’s met me since then thinks I’m cold and mean and closed-off and abrasive, all my coworkers hate me because of how much I complain about my job, you guys and Mr. Edgeworth probably only put up with me because you feel bad for me.”
Oh, Ema. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Kay knew that Ema was spiraling, so just denying everything that she claimed wouldn’t be helpful at all, because she would just argue back. She decided to handle this the way she always handled problems with Ema; with compassionate humor.
“Aw come on, Em. Don’t you remember what you told me the first day we met?” she asked. She would have ribbed Ema affectionately with her elbow, had they both not just been tossed down the stairs by kidnappers and gotten severely bruised.
“There’s only one spot in this group for a loveable spunky girl with family issues, so don’t even think about stepping in on my turf?” Ema offered, miserably.
“No! Well, I mean you did say that...your cheeks puffed out and went all red cause you were trying to look tough, it was so funny…” And also really cute.
“Kay? What’s your point?”
“Oh, sorry. Anyway, after you were done threatening me, what did you say?”
“Uh,” Ema thought about it for a minute, “Any friend of Mr. Edgeworth’s is a friend of mine?”
“Exactly! So you can’t say that you don’t have friends or no one’s gonna miss you cause we’ve been friends since the moment we met! And there’s not just me,” she continued, “You’ve got Gummy, and Sebastian, and Ms. Von Karma, and Mr. Edgeworth, of course. And those are just the people we’ve got in common! You know Mr. ‘That Man’ and all of his weird little family too. And I’m sure your sister really cares about you, cause she sends you letters all the time. All those people, myself included, care about you exactly as you are right now, even if you think that you’re ‘mean’ and ‘abrasive’ and all those other things you said. Ema, you’ve got a ton of people in this world who would care if you died. And, I mean, we care about you while you’re alive too.”
Ema smiled half-heartedly up at Kay, eyes rimmed red from crying. “You really think so?” she asked softly.
“I know so,” Kay promised. “I can even give witness testimony as to the fact, if you’d like.”
Ema gave a watery giggle, which Kay considered a victory, and then she looked down at the ground again. At this point, Kay decided it would be best to use a technique she’d learned from Athena, the redheaded psychologist girl who hung around with 'That Man'. “Do you maybe wanna talk about why you feel that way? I mean, we’ve got all the time in the world.”
Ema sat in silence for a while, considering it. “There’s no scientific way to prove that someone cares about you,” she said eventually, “I think that’s why it’s so hard for me to believe. My whole life I’ve had trouble understanding the world, people especially, but when I started to use science to interpret, things started to make a lot more sense. Simple stuff at first you know, like how the wind is caused by imbalances in air pressure, or how plants are green because of chlorophyll, or how babies look more like their dad when they’re born cause it’s evolutionarily advantageous to spark paternal bonds early. But when I started to try and use science to explain everything, there was some stuff I could still never figure out. Like why my parents died, or why the kids at school were so mean to me all the time, or my sister acted so cold and distant, and most of all, why people loved each other. Love has always been the ultimate mystery to me. Why do human beings decide to love each other when most of the time it would save a whole lot of pain and suffering if we didn’t? There’s no method or pattern to it, love is just something that happens. And it happens randomly and unexpectedly and sometimes really inconveniently. You can’t see it, or touch it, or hear it, or anything like that, so how am I even supposed to believe it’s real?” Ema let out a heavy breath through her nose, and Kay was distinctly reminded of a bull. She decided to keep that thought to herself. “I know it is though,” Ema muttered a few seconds later. Kay must have looked confused because Ema explained herself; “Love, I mean. I know love is real. I’ve felt it. Not as much as most people, probably. I guess I loved my Mom and Dad when they were alive, but I don’t remember that. I think for most of my life I’ve just loved Lana. And maybe Bill Nye, but I never actually met him so I don’t think that counts.” Kay laughed, and Ema smiled, seemingly glad her joke had been well received. “Lana is...difficult to love. Or at least, she worked really hard to make herself that way. And I know she loves me too, I mean she practically threw her whole life and moral code away just for me. So I guess I know what it feels like to be loved, but a sample size of one really isn’t much to go on.”
Kay decided that if there was ever going to be a moment, this was it. “Would a sample size of two be any better?” she breathed. Ema turned to face her, eyes narrowed in confusion. “Because for what it’s worth,” said Kay, fiddling with the bottoms of her gloves, “I-I love you.”
Ema blinked. “You what?”
“I love you,” Kay repeated. “But like, not your sister loves you, or how a friend does but, uh, like how Mr. Edgeworth loves ‘That Man’. That kinda love. That’s not to say I don’t love you as a friend too, of course, I mean you’re a great friend and I love spending time with you even if sometimes it means that we get kidnapped and locked in a dark basement overnight and-”
“Kay?”
A voice in the back of Kay’s head told her to shut up, but her mouth just kept moving. “-but I think I love you as more than a friend, or at least I could, if you gave me the chance. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, of course, it’s entirely up to you. And if you don’t wanna give me that chance I’d really like to stay being friends with you, unless I make you uncomfy and you don’t wanna do that either, even though that’s gonna make sitting in this barn until we get rescued pretty awkward-”
“Kay.”
“-I just, I think you’re really pretty, and super super smart, and I love how your eyes light up when you talk about science things, and I love that you don’t yell at me when I sneak in your window instead of using the door, and I love how you watch the Jammin’ Ninja with me even though you don’t really like it, and I love those little snarky comments you make under your breath when you think that no one’s listening, and I love your pink glasses and-”
“Kay!”
Kay finally shut up. Her whole face was flushed, her heart was going a mile a minute and she felt like she could feel it in every part of her body. She was breathing heavily too, but that probably had something to do with how long she’d just talked without taking a breath. “Yeah?” she answered, unable to look Ema in the eye.
Ema leaned forward and down, forcing herself into Kay’s field of vision. As soon as those sharp blue eyes locked onto hers, she couldn’t force herself to look away. Ema gave Kay a long appraising look, as though she were a particularly interesting bloodstain on a crime scene floor. Then she gave her a small, soft smile the likes of which Kay had never seen before. Seeing Ema Skye smile was something Kay knew for a fact that she would never get tired of. It was like seeing the sunrise the morning after a particularly bad storm; warm and comforting, reminding you that everything was going to be alright. Slowly, her hands made their way up to cradle the sides of Kay’s face.
“Would it be alright if I kissed you right now?” she breathed, voice barely above a whisper.
Kay’s heart seized in her chest. She managed to unstick her tongue from the bottom of her mouth long enough to get out some semblance of “uh-huh”, which Ema must have miraculously understood, because the next second her lips were on Kay’s, soft and warm and alive.
It wasn’t the way Kay had ever imagined their first kiss. It was far from perfect-- Ema’s hair was dusty and slightly grime-y when she reached her hands up into it, and she could taste something slightly coppery which seemed to indicate that Ema had bit her lip hard enough to draw blood earlier, but still Kay didn’t let go. As the kiss deepened, she couldn’t help but smile. It was hot, and chaotic, and full of energy; all of the things that Kay loved most about being alive. It felt like a dance, in its own way, with her fingers tangled in Ema’s hair, the other girl's hands tugging at her hips, their two bodies pressed against each other, moving in sync.
After what was simultaneously the longest and shortest minute of Kay’s life, they broke apart. “Wow,” she muttered. It was the only word she was able to articulate.
“Yeah. Wow,” agreed Ema.
“That was...that was good. Right?”
“Yes. Good. Very good, even.”
“Maybe great, if you’re feeling generous,” Kay laughed. “Sorry I went on an awkward tirade,” she muttered, reluctantly pulling her face a few inches farther back from Ema’s and breaking their eye contact, “I’m not very good at...romantic stuff.”
“You’re a hell of a lot better at it than the fop,” laughed Ema, releasing her grip on Kay and leaning back against the wall again, “and he thinks he’s some sort of sex-icon with a rock god physique.”
“Please don’t make me think about Klavier Gavin’s ‘physique’ while I’m trying to confess my feelings to you,” Kay groaned, having to force away the mental image of the German rock star dramatically posing shirtless, like in one of those firefighter fundraiser calendars.
“Trying? You’ve succeeded. I think that your feelings came across very clearly when you went on a rant about all the things you like about me and then we kissed in this underground kidnapper’s hideout,” said Ema, a smirk growing on her face.
“I think it’s a fitting origin story for us. And you can’t deny the ambiance of the place,” said Kay, gesturing vaguely around.
“The floors are dirt, we’re surrounded by farm tools that look like they’re from the 19th century, and it’s nearly pitch black.”
“Say it’s rustic, with antique furniture and mood lighting. You could probably make a killing on Airbnb.”
Ema chuckled. “Wish the stupid door wasn’t metal, or else we could probably use one of those shovels to break it.”
“You think I didn’t try that while you were unconscious?” asked Kay, insulted. “You can’t keep the Yatagarasu under lock and key, Ema,” she said, posing dramatically with her hands on her hips. “I tried, like, every tool in here. Broke a bunch of ‘em too,” she gestured to a pile of broken rusty metal scraps and shattered wooden handles that lay next to the door.
“Should’a known you wouldn’t just sit around waiting for me to wake up,” said Ema. “It’s a shame we don’t have Nitric or Hydrochloric acid, I could melt through the door.”
“Why would we have acid with us?”
“You don’t know what I keep in my bag!”
“Yes I do!” said Kay indignantly, beginning to list off items on her fingers, “Your phone, your wallet, which has a picture of Mr. Edgeworth in it, a pair of rubber gloves, fingerprinting powder and respective files, that blood testing stuff that has a dumb name, collection tubes, a bunch of bottles of liquids that you may or may not be using to mix drugs, your notebook and pen, extra pairs of those pink glasses that remind me of Lavagirl, an absolutely ludicrous amount of Snackoos-”
“Okay, okay, I get it,” laughed Ema, “You’ve been looking through my stuff, you snoop!”
“Well what kind of great thief would I be if I couldn’t even snatch a purse?”
“Kay. When did you steal my bag?”
“Last week when we were investigating that history museum murder. We were there so long, I got the munchies, so I may have quickly borrowed your bag to dig out a bag of Snackoos.”
“Oh, that crosses the line!” scolded Ema, feigning annoyance. “I don’t care who you are, not even my girlfriend is allowed to touch my Snackoos.”
Kay was taken aback. “Girlfriend?” she repeated.
Ema seemed to realize her mistake, and her eyes bugged out. “I didn’t mean--I wasn’t like assuming or anything, I just like--I thought--I mean we did kiss but like--I’ve never done this before okay!” she burst out. “I don’t know how dating works!”
Kay rubbed her chin for a moment in thought. “Well, based on my observations, you spend months, maybe even years, dancing around your homoerotic courtroom rival, or your childhood best friend, or possibly both, then one of you finally confesses, you go on an awkward date which gets ten times less awkward when you discover a dead body and have to investigate a murder, which then goes to court, and when you finally solve the case you and your lover share a passionate kiss and then you go on to annoy everyone in your vicinity with your shmoopy affection.”
“We really need more friends,” muttered Ema.
“I mean, that whole scenario happening once is kinda weird, two times is a funny coincidence, but three times? With all three attorneys from the Wright Anything Agency? That suggests a conspiracy.”
“Or maybe there’s something about the Agency which lends itself statistically to zany occurrences. If I had my pen and paper I could do the math, maybe come up with a formula. Let’s see, if membership in WAA is the constant, and the love interest is the variable, then…” Ema scribbled a few things on the dusty floor with her finger before giving up. “Then I don’t know, maybe our friends are just weird.”
“Gonna reiterate here, we just had our first kiss while being held hostage in a barn.”
Ema waved her hand in the air dismissively. “That’s tame compared to what happened to Athena and Juniper. I found out through very reputable means-”
“Your weekly gossip chats with Apollo?”
“Very. Reputable. Means.” Ema repeated. “That Athena and Juniper actually had their first adult kiss during a trial where Athena was defending and Juniper was judging. Apparently, Athena did her trademark objection pose with such vigor that Juniper actually fainted at the bench and had to be revived by the bailiff. Then, Athena like, ran over to check on her or something, and they ended up making out on the floor of the courtroom while the defendant, the prosecution, the witness, and the whole gallery watched. I’m pretty sure it got a column in the local paper for being the most sexually charged thing to happen in court since Mr. Wright called Mr. Edgeworth ‘daddy’. And now Athena and Juniper both refer to that trial as their ‘first date’.”
“Wow, you’re right that a lot more chaotic than what we have going right now,” laughed Kay, “But at the same time it’s so authentically them, you know? I’ve heard it said that good memorable dates like that can set the tone for a whole relationship.”
“But you’re okay with us using the ‘girlfriend’ title without doing any of that date stuff first?” asked Ema, circling back around to the original question.
“Uh yeah, I am. But I promise you that when we get out of this hostage situation, Ema Skye, I’m gonna take you on a real date and I’m gonna romance the hell out of you.”
“Mhmm, sure,” Ema teased. “What exactly is on the itinerary?”
Clearly, Ema expected Kay to falter and admit that she had no actual plans, but she wasn’t going to get any sort of satisfaction that way. “First, we take a true crime tour of LA. We make fun of all the theoretical police officers and talk about how we could have solved the crimes both better and faster. You talk about scientific investigation until the tour guide gives up and lets us lead the tour. Maybe I sneak us into one of the locked rooms and we take a look at the real historical evidence. Maybe we make out at a crime scene, we’ll see where the night takes us. Then, we go to dinner at that hibachi place you like. I tip the chef extra to make a sauce that looks just like blood, and you can show me different blood splatter patterns on our plates while we eat. I pay the bill, because while I may be a thief, I’m also a gentleman. Lastly, we take a walk through the park across the street from the restaurant. I dazzle you with my parkour tricks and demonstrate how quickly I can scale a lamp pole. I find the park’s fuse-box and shut it off so we can look up at the stars. We hold hands while you tell me about all of the constellations and I make up my own and give them dumb names. You pretend to be annoyed, but really you find it charming. Then, we share a passionate kiss at the door to your apartment before I vanish dramatically into the night,” she finished. “How does that sound?”
Ema blinked several times. “How long have you been planning that?” she asked.
“Since we met.”
“That was like eight years ago! I was still wearing that dumb newsboy hat!” squawked Ema, but her flushed cheeks revealed that she was touched by the idea.
“What can I say, I’m a romantic,” Kay shrugged.
“You’re a dork, that’s what you are,” said Ema, rolling her eyes, but that didn’t stop her from leaning forward and pulling Kay into another long kiss. Kay was sure that this time her insides would actually melt, and Ema would have to explain to Mr. Edgeworth how she had accidentally killed her investigation partner after she was rescued from the kidnappers.
“What was that for?” asked Kay after they broke apart, slightly out of breath.
“For understanding me,” said Ema simply. “And planning the perfect theoretical date. Though, there was one little issue I noticed…”
“What?” gasped Kay, “I was so sure it was perfect. What was wrong with it?”
“The idea that after a night like that I’d let you ‘vanish into the night’ after one kiss, instead of dragging you into my apartment to give you a proper thank you.”
Kay blushed so hard she was sure that there was no blood anywhere in her body besides her face. “I-I can probably add that to the schedule,” she stammered. Ema laughed again.
Ema said earlier that people see her as cold and closed off, but I don’t know how anyone could think that, Kay thought to herself as she basked in the golden glow that was Ema Skye’s laugh. Sure, she’s different from how she was when we met, before they shunted her into the Detective Position instead of Forensics where she belongs. Quicker to anger and more cynical, maybe, but she could never be cold. Anyone who thinks that clearly hasn’t seen the way her eyes light up when she talks about scientific investigations, or how much she cares about her friends and wants to help them with everything she’s got, or how enthusiastic she is every time she gets to see Mr. Edgeworth.
Somewhere in the distance, a door slammed, jolting Kay out of her musings. She felt Ema’s hand intertwine itself with hers and stay there, clenched tightly.
“Do you think it’s the kidnappers?” she whispered.
“If it is, they won’t be very happy that I untied our ropes.” Ema frowned at that. “But it’ll be okay, babe. I’ll protect you. I promise,” Kay said, bringing their clutched hands up to mouth level and giving Ema’s hand a reverent kiss on the back.
“Babe?” Ema repeated disbelievingly.
“I’m still trying things out, okay?”
Then the door somewhere outside slammed again and Kay heard a familiar gruff voice shout; “Hands up! This is the police, pal!” Sounds of a brief scuffle could be heard, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the man she knew so well say, “That’s all of ‘em, Mr. Edgeworth, sir. I’ll handcuff these last two and take ‘em to the squad car.”
And then, the door to their prison swung open and like a magenta guardian angel, Miles Edgeworth was running down the stairs to them, all dignity forgotten in his haste.
“Kay! Ema! Are you alright?” he shouted breathlessly, “I’ve been so--well, I’ve been very concerned for you.”
“We’re alright, Mr. Edgeworth,” promised Ema as he reached them.
“And you're not hurt? Nothing broken, nothing bleeding?” he asked, bending down to inspect them, and to stare into Kay’s eyes to make sure she hadn’t received another concussion.
“Just a couple of bruises and scrapes, but they’ll heal. I’ve had worse.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” After he’d helped them both stand up, the Chief Prosecutor did something he’d never done before, and gripped both of them in a brief but tight hug.
Ema was momentarily too dazzled to speak, so Kay took it upon herself to say, “Jeez, Mr. Edgeworth, I think Mr. ‘That Man’ is rubbing off on you. You’re getting sentimental.”
“Nonsense,” muttered Edgeworth, but Kay could tell by the slight twinkle in his eye that he didn’t really mind the teasing. “Now,” Edgeworth continued, his voice turning more professional and business-like in a familiar way that Kay appreciated, “Sergeant Gumshoe and his men have your bags and your phones, yes, Kay and Little Thief,” he continued, answering her unasked question. “The kidnappers had attempted to dispose of them to avoid incrimination, but they were easily found with a little investigation. Those things are back at police headquarters and you’ll have to sign them out of evidence storage once the forensics team is finished checking them for fingerprints. You can both borrow my phone,” he said, pulling it out of his pocket, “to call your friends and relatives, who are very concerned about you. I’ve had multiple calls from the Wright Anything Agency, Prosecutor Gavin, and your sister for updates on your situation, Ms. Skye.” Kay shot Ema an ‘I told you so’ look. “And Kay, your phone has hardly stopped beeping with texts from someone labeled ‘Debestie’, who I assume is Prosecutor Debeste. Prosecutor Von Karma, Agent Lang, and former detective Badd have also been in touch.”
Kay smiled, genuinely touched at the thought of how many people had been worried about her and Ema. The door to the basement swung open again and she had to shield her eyes from the unfamiliar light. “You two should count yourselves lucky to have so many people who care about you. Myself included, obviously,” said Mr. Edgeworth softly as Gummy ran down the stairs to wrap her and Ema both in big bear hugs, before beginning to escort them up the stairs and outside to Mr. Edgeworth’s waiting car.
We’ve got each other now too, thought Kay, noticing that Ema still hadn’t let go of her hand. I mean, we always have, but it’s different now. A good different.
“How did you find us, Mr. Edgeworth?” asked Ema, climbing into the backseat, evidently having recovered from the shock of the hug enough to be interested in the process of crime-solving again.
“It was simple. We used data from the moment your phones stopped sending signals to triangulate your last known position, located any abandoned or otherwise useable buildings in the immediate area, and then used traffic cam footage to see if any cars linked to individuals involved in the murder we were investigating had been to those buildings in the past day,” Mr. Edgeworth said, before turning the key (somehow painted the same color as his suit) in the ignition and pulling out onto the road.
“Wow,” Ema breathed softly, her eyes shining, “How scientific.”
“There was one weird thing though, pals,” said Sergeant Gumshoe from the passenger seat, clearly eager to contribute, “The car we tracked belonged to Carrie A. Tune, a member of the rival acapella group from the one we figured out was guilty of murdering the competition judge. Ain’t that kinda strange? Why would they wanna help their rival group get away with murder by committing a kidnapping?”
“Hey, wait a minute,” muttered Kay, thinking hard, “Didn’t we find in one of those files on the rival acapella group that one dude’s parents owned a farm outside the city that was abandoned a few years back?”
“Eureka!” shouted Mr, Edgeworth, breaking heavily, “That would mean that the murder and the kidnapping were committed by the two acapella groups respectively! They’d told us they were rivals to try and stop us from figuring out they were really working together to sabotage the competition!”
The whole car went silent. “Eureka, Mr. Edgeworth? Really?” asked Sergeant Gumshoe.
“You are such a dork,” said Kay. “Ema, I can’t believe this is the guy you idolize so much you keep a picture of him in your wallet.”
“Shut up, shut up, shut up,” muttered Ema, attempting to slap her hand over the other girl’s mouth, accidentally starting an all-out tickle fight before they both collapsed in a giggling embrace.
When he noticed that Kay and Ema had fallen asleep in the backseat practically on top of each other, hands still intertwined, Miles Edgeworth smiled to himself and wondered if it would be polite to send the kidnappers a thank you note for finally resolving all the romantic tension that had been crowding up the Prosecutor’s Office as of late.