Chapter Text
It was a chilly, windy March afternoon. The sun did not shine very bright and did not provide any warmth. The first week of March was always cold, as the upcoming spring slowly banished the remains of the passing winter. There were still a few patches of melted snow on the grounds and the roads. The sound of birds chirping, the trees dancing in the wind. The weather was perfectly ideal for taking a walk with friends and family in the city or out in nature.
For most people this was a beautiful, if cold day. For Miles Edgeworth… this was probably one of the worst days of his life. It could almost compare to the nightmarish day of the DL-6 incident fifteen years ago or the day when he was arrested at this very location he was sauntering about right now.
Gourd lake. It has been two months and one week since that case. But the passage of time was not enough to wash away the pain and guilt. Even if he was proven innocent for the murder of Robert Hammond and the murder of his father Gregory Edgeworth, nothing became easier for him. In fact somehow, the truth just made everything much more difficult to bear. A part of Edgeworth wished he could have just been the true culprit. By the time he confessed, he had already accepted that possibility. He would not have to suffer from all this newfound pain.
The pain of knowing that Manfred von Karma was responsible for ruining his life all those years ago. The pain of knowing that von Karma took him under his wing, after he orphaned him, in an attempt to mold him into the Demon Prosecutor he became known as during the years of his career. The pain of knowing that the man he looked up to and wanted to impress was in fact, the one responsible for all the hardships he had to endure in his life.
If it wasn’t for von Karma, Edgeworth would be a different person today. If it wasn’t for that earthquake… for that elevator…
That was what he told himself. For weeks. For the past two months, he tried to convince himself von Karma was the only one responsible for the horrible man he had turned out to be. But even if part of it was true, even if von Karma was largely responsible for it all, Edgeworth could not solely pin the blame on him. He had to take responsibility himself and he had to accept the fact that he has been a despicable prosecutor and even more so a terrible person for all these years. For his four year career, he still made it his policy to get every defendant declared guilty. He went above and beyond to uphold his perfect guilty record. Even going as far as manipulating witness testimonies and obtaining evidence in shady ways. Perhaps von Karma’s mentoring had a hand in what kind of prosecutor Edgeworth had been, but his choices were still his own. He still did what he did. The fact was that the path he has been walking as a prosecutor has not been a just one. He became a merciless and wicked man who condemned who knows how many innocent people just for the sake of a perfect record.
Because he stubbornly believed that it was impossible to prove who was guilty or who was innocent. He justified it by telling himself he couldn’t let anyone go through what he has been through. Letting the guilty run off scott free while the innocent suffer the consequences of the defense attorney’s poor and foolhardy work. But that was no true justification for his actions. It was nothing more than a poor excuse to protect himself from any potential feelings of doubt.
That is until Wright came along and broke his record. The way he saw Wright fight in court, not for a perfect record, not for the verdict, but because he truly believed in his clients. He pursued not a perfect record, but the only thing that really mattered in court. The truth. Just two months ago, he defended Edgeworth as well. He could still remember the fire in his eyes. Wright earnestly believed in his innocence even when Edgeworth confessed to that horrible murder which he never really committed. Even when von Karma did everything in his power to get his verdict. Wright stood strong and tall and did not back down.
Seeing him fight in court so honorably. Seeing him uncover this terrible truth about DL-6. That was what made Edgeworth finally open his eyes that were previously clouded by delusion and selfishness. The man he lost to in court for the first time in his career, the man he thought was his enemy stood up for him without second thoughts when no one else would. He not only saved Edgeworth’s life, he changed everything he knew about being a prosecutor. Wright’s actions made Edgeworth doubt his previous resolve, doubt his own convictions, his own actions, his own moral compass.
He felt terribly ashamed of it all. He felt too ashamed to stand in court again, let alone face Wright again after everything. He felt too ashamed to continue as a prosecutor.
He felt too ashamed to call himself Gregory Edgeworth’s son.
His father would despise the person he turned out to be. His father who much like Wright always fought for people’s innocence. Who always pursued the truth until the bitter end. That was who Edgeworth truly wanted to be before that terrible incident happened. The person who he instead turned out to be has been nothing but a disgrace to the Edgeworth name. He could no longer live with all this guilt and shame. He no longer deserved any kind of freedom. Regardless of what Wright or anyone else might think of him. There was nothing that could erase the hatred Edgeworth felt for himself.
Gourd lake. The place where his already crumpling life began to shatter further with another set of gunshots, no less. How ironic that it shall all end here. The park was empty, but even despite that Edgeworth walked to the barest corner of it. He stood by the docks, beside the boat shop. This added to the irony too, to die right behind Yogi’s shop. Where he once docked a boat with the man and was framed for his crime. Beside the building where Robert Hammond lost his life. It almost felt like self-mockery. Perhaps in a way it was. He hardly had any self respect left.
Edgeworth stood at the end of the docks, staring at the moving water. His breathing was shallow and weak. Like he was already out of breath even before jumping in the freezing lake and letting the depths of cold water take him. He could already see the headlines a few days from now. ‘ Miles Edgeworth Prosecutor found dead at Gourd Lake. ’ It was so ironic, Edgeworth almost found it funny. It felt all too fitting that he would meet his end here.
He closed his eyes, taking in one last breath.
“Mr. Edgeworth!” A familiar voice called out from behind him. He knew exactly who that was. He almost did not turn around. He almost leaped into the lake, ignoring the voice. He really had to show up here, now of all times. Then again, it would be foolish of Edgeworth to try to convince himself that this was a coincidence.
He slowly brought himself to turn around and he was faced with Detective Gumshoe. The detective looked distressed and exhausted, like he just ran several miles to get here. He eyed Edgeworth warily from a distance. Seemed like he did not dare make any sudden movements, fearing that would lead to Edgeworth stepping off the dock suddenly. “Detective.” Edgeworth folded his arms. His voice sounded even more toneless than it usually was. “How did you find me?” It hardly sounded like a question.
Gumshoe rubbed his head. “Call it a hunch…” Despite the circumstances and despite his expression perfectly giving away the fact that he was well aware of what was happening, Gumshoe was trying to act natural. “What… what are you doing out here sir?”
Edgeworth gave him a look, trying to communicate that this was a rather foolish question to ask. After all, Gumshoe had no business coming out here himself. Not unless he was aware of that note Edgeworth left in his office. Which, considering that Gumshoe looked like he got here in a hurry was more than plausible. “Hmph…” He hardly felt like giving this pointless question a proper answer. He also did not want to voice the fact that he was out here to end his life. Gumshoe already knew it surely, so why bother?
Gumshoe himself quickly dropped the casual tone and sounded more serious now. “I found that note in your office. But you didn’t really mean it, did you?”
“And if I did?” Edgeworth’s voice sounded rather cold now. Something twitched in Gumshoe’s expression as the reality of the situation was setting in. Most likely, a part of him did not truly want to believe Edgeworth’s note was serious. But now, to realize that it was… “Well you can run as far as you want, wherever you want, as long as I am around I won’t let you bring any harm to yourself!” Gumshoe took a step closer to Edgeworth, his eyes burning with that familiar determination.
Edgeworth turned his back on him. “Don’t bother, Detective Gumshoe. Leave me alone.”
“I mean it Mr. Edgeworth!” Another step closer.
“So do I.”
“Mr. Edgeworth… you are still a great prosecutor.” Gumshoe attempted the softer approach. Anything to make Edgeworth step away from the end of that dock. But that was possibly the worst thing he could have said at that moment. “No, I am not. You and I are both aware of the foul methods I have used in my line of work.”
“You were just doing your job, sir!”
“Is it a prosecutor’s job to blindly pursue guilty verdicts regardless of what the truth may be? Is that really justice?” Edgeworth’s cold words were cutting through Gumshoe’s shaky reasoning. The facts couldn’t be denied. He manipulated testimonies and fabricated evidence. Edgeworth looked down at his hands. He could almost see them dirtied with blood. That acquittal was not nearly enough to wash away the immense guilt he felt. “I have no right to step foot in a courtroom again. My resolve has been shattered long ago. My reputation could not be sullied further. My credibility is long gone. Everything… is over. There is nothing left for me.”
Edgeworth’s cold voice now turned very quiet. There was nothing but hopelessness ringing in it. The fight has long since been driven out of him. The man standing before detective Gumshoe who was known as the unbreakable prosecutor was now reduced to a shell of his old self. It was the first time Gumshoe ever heard Edgeworth sound so defenseless, so… broken. He was at a loss for words. “Mr. Edgeworth…”
“I do not deserve anything anymore. I do not deserve to stand here.” There was a slight tremble in Edgeworth’s steady tone. “No matter the fact that I was acquitted of that horrible incident, that alone is not enough to wash away my lingering guilt.”
“Mr. Edgeworth, Mr. Wright defended you because he believed in you.” Gumshoe stepped even closer to the prosecutor. He could feel his aura just inches behind him. But he could not bring himself to even consider turning around to face the man. “I can never forgive myself.” The little remaining strength in his voice began to fade further and further. “I selfishly convicted countless innocent people. I cannot claim with a straight face that I am innocent.”
Edgeworth stared intently at the cold water moving in the gust of the wind. Everything, even his own voice became background noise to him. All he could hear was the pounding of his heart. It was so strong, so loud. It was like someone was pounding against his head. Slowly, he felt his legs giving out. Then he felt a pair of hands strongly wrap around his shoulder. Everything else began to fade away as he was transported from the docks of Gourd Lake, into a boat. It was cold. It was night. He could see his own breath. Another man sat before him. Then the man stood up, pulling out a gun. Two loud gunshots broke the silence of the night, though Edgeworth only really heard one shot in his daze. He held a gun in his shaky right hand, trying to understand what he had just witnessed. Then that vision faded once more, into a scene in an elevator. He held a gun in his much smaller hand. He threw the gun. A gunshot and a terrible scream. Then… everything quieted down and faded to black.
* * * * *
His eyelids felt very heavy when he tried to open his eyes. It took only a few seconds for all his senses to return. The first thing he felt was that his throat burned and he was soaking wet. Then he realized wherever he was it must not have been outside because there was a bright flickering light shining down on his face. A pleasant scent hit his nose. It smelled like tea.
When Edgeworth managed to pry his eyes open, he saw that he was in an unfamiliar location. He was lying in a rather hard and uncomfortable bed. From where he was, he could see an old moldy couch that looked like it was ready to collapse as soon as anyone sat on it. A dusty desk with a simple wooden chair. A black coat hanging on the back of the chair which Edgeworth recognized was his own wet coat. In the corner a small kitchen that consisted of nothing more than a stove and a few cupboards. Gumshoe seemed to be making some tea by the stove. There was also a window next to the bed. The sunlight was still just as weak. The room was also rather cold, it was hardly warmer than on the outside.
The flat overall looked very poor, cheap and sad. Perfectly fitting with detective Gumshoe’s outward appearance. Edgeworth could hardly remember what exactly happened back there at the lake. Did he really fall in? He could somewhat recall blacking out before everything became a blur and now he was here.
It took only a few moments for Gumshoe to notice he woke up. “Mr. Edgeworth, you’re awake!” He sat by the end of the bed, handing Edgeworth a flaming hot cup of tea. “Are you alright, sir?”
Edgeworth tried sitting up on the bed, though he felt rather fatigued. “I am fine.” If he was honest with himself, he was not feeling particularly fine, but of course he would not admit that. “What happened?” He pinned his gaze at detective Gumshoe. He was unsure whether it was the worry tinting Gumshoe’s face all red or if it was something else. “Well uh… you were just standing at the edge of the docks, staring at the lake.” Gumshoe rubbed the back of his head. “Then you just sorta froze up and fell in. But I pulled you out quickly and brought you here.” Gumshoe looked around his second rate flat. Edgeworth did not particularly expect Gumshoe to pride himself in any impressive apartment given his low salary, but it was still a rather sad sight.
“I… I see.” Edgeworth knew he should at least thank Gumshoe for pulling him out of the lake but the words got stuck halfway in his aching throat. At a loss for what he could say, he just took a sip of the tea. It felt especially good right now and the taste was perfect. As strange as he found detective Gumshoe’s fixation on pleasing him when it came to things like brewing tea or cleaning his office, Edgeworth had to admit Gumshoe certainly knew how to make tea just the way he liked it.
As if he was reading his mind, Gumshoe looked at him with an expectant grin. “How’s the tea?”
“It is good.” Edgeworth nodded.
“Made it just the way you like it sir!” At least Gumshoe seemed to pride himself in his tea making skills, although Edgeworth would have certainly been a lot more pleased with him if he put this much effort into his actual detective work. Edgeworth took another sip of the tea as the silence continued to linger in the room. “Well I thank you for the tea but I think I should return to my office now.” In all honesty, he had absolutely no interest in returning to the Prosecutor’s Office but he also did not want to take up any more of detective Gumshoe’s valuable time. However Gumshoe stopped him before he could even make an attempt at getting up from that bed. “No way, I’m not letting you go along and sulk in your office alone Mr Edgeworth! Besides, you need to rest now! You fell in the lake!”
“I- I don’t-” Edgeworth looked away with an annoyed groan. “I’ll be fine alone.”
“I can’t just leave you all alone now of all times! I am going to keep an eye on you until you get better!” There was a hint of desperation mixed with the determination in Gumshoe’s voice. Of course as always, he would insist on staying by Edgeworth’s side. That was just like him. But that was not making this any easier for Edgeworth at all. He did not need anyone to go through all this trouble for him. “That is absolutely not necessary.” Edgeworth looked at Gumshoe with a hardened expression. “This is not your concern.”
“Yes it is! I cannot just leave you after what just happened! You almost… almost…” Gumshoe’s face started crumpling and Edgeworth could notice something shining in his eyes that most certainly looked like tears. “I was so afraid I would not be able to find you in time.” Gumshoe’s voice was breaking up. “When I found that note, I desperately needed to find you.”
Edgeworth looked away. Somehow he did not at all consider what people would think, had they found that note he left in his office. It did not even begin to cross his mind. At the time, he felt like he did not need to concern himself with such things anymore. It did not really matter anymore. He would not be around to see the aftermath of his absence. But detective Gumshoe finding him at Gourd Lake struck him completely unexpectedly. He did not really expect anyone to go look for him. He did not even expect anyone to find that note at all until he was already gone. “I… I apologize for the concern.” Edgeworth found that his voice was very quiet. Gumshoe inched closer to him on the bed.
“Please sir, I… I couldn’t help you through these past two months while you were struggling on your own. Let me at least help you now.”
“I…”
“If anything happened to you I would never forgive myself…”
Edgeworth was at a loss for words. He could not find it in himself to protest and he really hated it because of the fact that Gumshoe did just witness him nearly take his own life. It did just happen, out of sheer bad luck. Well, perhaps that is not all there was to it. After all, detective Gumshoe always seemed to have a knack for showing up at the last second whenever something bad was happening. Perhaps it was just some strange coincidence, perhaps Gumshoe had a tendency to go where he was needed at the perfect times, like there was this gut feeling that drove him. Edgeworth certainly could not wrap his head around it.
But knowing this and knowing just how much they have been through together in the years, even if detective Gumshoe often made poor mistakes in his work, Edgeworth always knew he was at least trying his best. His passion was there. All he needed was a little nudge in the right direction every now and then. There were significant enough times when Gumshoe knew exactly what he needed to do and there were certainly a number of times where he surprised Edgeworth with his capability.
He hated to admit it, but it was true this man had a tendency to always stay close by his side, like an annoying gum on your shoe that would never come off. In a way, it felt like fate. How strange that fate would bring him, the cold hearted hardened prosecutor Miles Edgeworth together with the often forgetful and clumsy, but well meaning detective Gumshoe.
In the end Edgeworth sighed. “If… If you insist…”
That was when the first genuine smile spread across Gumshoe’s face, for the first time that day. But Edgeworth could not find it in himself to even try to smile back.