Chapter Text
February 12, 2019, 9:02 AM
Hotel Grande
Sunlight assaulted Franziska’s eyes. Though the hour is still considered morning by laypeople, she was not used to waking up so late. A necessity no matter how much she hated it; she needed the extra sleep after all that.
She did not wake up of her own volition. Her ringtone – not her alarm – was the true culprit. She took some time finding her phone, turning her head to look at the two nightstands on either side of the bed. Whatever thoughts she may have had as she was waking up were stashed away, her mind focused on finding the source of the nuisance.
Any pretense of answering after the second ring was out of the question now. Finally realizing it’s under her pillow, she grabbed it to look at the caller ID and quickly put it to her ear.
“von Karma,” she half-whispered, still drowsy.
“Franziska.”
Edgeworth.
“I apologize for waking you. How are you feeling?”
His question sounded genuine, but if he simply wanted to check up on Franziska, he could have called much later in the day. She briefly considers whether her ‘little brother’ wants to ask her for a favor, or if he’s that clueless.
“I’m fine. Is something the matter?” she asked, her voice almost back to its usual icy self.
There’s no answer for a moment too long.
“No. I simply wanted to make sure you were alright,” he responded, sounding almost resigned to something.
Franziska sighed. “Your consideration is noted. I’m fine.” After a beat, she added: “Thank you. But I’d like to go back to sleep now.”
“Of course. My apologies.” The line died immediately after the last word. He hung up too quick, as if he had something else to say.
She dropped the phone down on the bed haphazardly, and laid back down. A few minutes passed. Franziska could not fall back asleep no matter how hard she tried. The silence of the room gave way to those same thoughts she figured were gone when she woke up. No way around it, then. Up she went.
She walked out of the bedroom and hovered around the terrible coffee machine on the table in the living room. The quality of the machine – and the coffee it produced – betrayed the “fancy” marketing of the hotel. It wasn’t her first choice of caffeine, but it’s caffeine nonetheless. Her fingers idly tapped in a drumroll-like pattern on the table as she stayed there waiting for her drink.
Two minutes later, the coffee was done. She took the cup and relocated to the couch with the coffee table. Taking her first sip, she looked out the window, but she wasn’t actually paying attention to the cityscape outside. The sky was gray, and snowflakes stuck to the glass immediately melted. All she could make out was her own faint reflection.
She sat like this for a while, staring at herself. It almost felt like today she will be free of the questions that still plagued her mind.
Almost.
How could that foolish girl lose so much and smile through it all?
She couldn’t help but compare herself to Maya Fey. They were the same age, yet Franziska cried when she lost her ‘perfect record’. Maya’s first thought after losing her own mother, on the other hand, was to find her little cousin to comfort her. With that genuine, almost infectious smile of hers. Had she no concern for her own well being?
Or could she just be… stashing it away?
Did I just call her smile… infectious?
Thinking back on it–
No. The last thing she wanted right now was to think about Maya’s smile. The way she sometimes found herself looking for it when the spirit medium was at the opposing bench, even if Franziska’s argument was not going well. And the way Maya would catch her looking, Franziska allowing – no, not allowing, very much the opposite though it couldn’t be helped – the slightest tinge of pink to paint her cheeks before they both quickly parted their gazes.
Stop it, Franziska! You’re thinking about her again!
She sets the cup down on the saucer. Then buries her face in her hands, hoping it would stop her from thinking. With a slow inhale and an even slower exhale, she set her hands down at the edge of the couch and looked at her reflection again. She wished she was asleep again.
She got up to go to the bedroom to try to sleep. As she enters, like a curse, the phone rings again. Same Caller ID as last time. She considers not picking it up – she told him she’d be sleeping after all – but her curiosity of the impending ask got the best of her. She picked up, right on cue for the third ring this time.
“von Karma.”
“Franziska,” a voice decidedly NOT belonging to Edgeworth blurted out. It was raspy. Phoenix Wright, then. “I’m sorry to impose…” He trailed off, and covered the mic to shield it from a cough.
“Phoenix Wright. Are you quite well?” she sighed.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Listen… I want you to do me a favor-” he got cut off again, though not by a cough this time. He covered the mic again, but Franziska could faintly hear another voice in the room. Edgeworth, frustrated at Wright taking his phone, she deduced.
“Can you… visit Maya for me? I’m in no state to go anywhere, and Edgeworth… insists on staying.”
“Have you tried inviting her to your location instead?” she smirked.
“Yeah. She said she’s fine. But she hasn’t been back in Kurain. Just been in my office. I asked Pearls to give her some space, but…”
Franziska could hear how shaky his voice was, and she was sure it wasn’t the sickness.
“You want an adult to make absolutely sure,” she sighed.
“Yeah. Sorry. I don’t know who else to ask.” His tone grew more concerned. “Just… make sure she’s eating and drinking water.”
Was Maya doing that bad? Phoenix Wright did impose, but what sort of person wouldn’t at least check on someone?
“Very well. But you’ll owe me.”
“Anything. I can’t bear the thought of her suffering any more-” he couldn’t cover the mic in time, the coughing fit got the best of him. Franziska almost felt bad for saying he’ll owe her.
“I’ll be on my way, then.” She almost hung up, but added: “Get well soon, Phoenix Wright.” Not waiting for his surely foolish response, she cut the line.
Franziska took a deep sigh, still clutching her phone. Whatever thoughts, whatever… feelings, she’s been having about Maya these past few days, or months, just became utterly irrelevant in the face of needing to make sure she’s breathing. Dropping the phone on the bed, she walked up to the closet to finally change out of her nightgown. She considers for a second if her usual outfit would be too much for such circumstances, but shakes her head at the thought. There were more important things to worry about at the moment.
As she waited outside the hotel, the taxi she hailed arrived. Thankfully the driver knew where Wright’s office was. She’d totally forgotten to ask Phoenix Wright or even just look it up. If she wasn’t sure before, she knew now that she was worried.
It only hit her when she stepped out the car how cold it was outside. The snow wasn’t that bad, there was barely any on the ground, but she was damn near freezing all the same. She’d also forgotten it was winter, it seems.
Coming up the steps to Phoenix’s office, Franziska’s mind was racing with how to even make herself known. Is two knocks enough? Three, too much? How fast should she knock? What should she say? Why was she overthinking it so hard?!
Just be yourself. Knock. Wait for response. If there’s no response–
No! Don’t finish that thought!
Franziska finally noticed she was pacing around the office door. Doesn’t seem like anybody noticed, or cared. With an exasperated exhale, she stopped herself and faced the door.
Two knocks. Not too fast. Not too slow. And no self-pep talk.
She knocks twice, at a steady pace. To her surprise, even though she should really be relieved rather than surprised, there was an answer.
“Door’s open!” a quick, resonant, confident voice called out, practically inviting her in.
“Maya Fey,” Franziska began, trying (successfully?) to hide the tremor of her own voice as she opened the door. Maya was sat on the couch, facing the TV, back to Franziska. She was wrapped in a blanket. “I heard you were… unwell,” she said softly. Uncharacteristically so, she thought.
The girl turned around to face Franziska and eyed her for a moment. Franziska, not missing a beat, did the same. Maya had bags under her eyes. Two empty popcorn bowls sat on the coffee table and a large empty drink cup from a fast food place next to them.
“Uh. I’m okay. Just… tired,” Maya finally responded. “You can come in, by the way,” she casually threw out as she turned back around to face the TV again.
Franziska almost locked up at the casual invitation, but gave a quick nod and showed herself in, closing the door behind her. She gave the office another glance over. What must be Phoenix’s desk is clean, for some definition of ‘clean’. The office plant is alive. The TV had some tokusatsu show on. The only signs of damage are near Maya.
“Wanna watch Steel Samurai with me?” Maya blurted out, almost drearily.
Franziska ignored her, and instead asked, “Have you eaten? In the past 12 hours?”
“Umm… I’m not sure, to be honest. That probably means no,” she replied, no doubt realizing what she’s saying.
Franziska was already taking out a bottle of water from her bag. She approached the couch, taking care not to click her heels too loud on the hard wood floor of the office, and offered it to Maya.
“Probably dehydrated as well, then. Take it. And drink.”
Maya looked up at the prosecutor’s hand, then took off her blanket. She took the bottle, her shaky fingers just barely scraping by Franziska’s for a microsecond too long than the latter would consider appropriate. Franziska filed it off as Maya being sleep deprived, though her cheeks got slightly pink all the same.
“T-Thanks. I think I really needed that,” she said with a smile that looked almost… forced? All the same, she opened the bottle and took some sips.
Don’t think about it. Not now. Not when she needs you.
…she needs you…?
Franziska, internally, told herself to snap out of it. She had to make sure she was breathing, though who ‘she’ referred to here was starting to become ambiguous even to Franziska.
“Is there any food here in this office?” she asked, averting her gaze from Maya and looking for a fridge.
“Um… Franziska. Can I ask you something?” Maya completely ignored her question, still staring at the TV.
Franziska did not respond for a moment.
“What is it?”
“A year and a half ago, you were happy to charge me with murder and prosecute me.” Oh no. “Then, half a year later you’re busting your ass trying to save me from a kidnapper. And now… You spend a whole night uninterrupted looking for me.” Franziska knew exactly where this was going. She’s trying to prepare herself for the one word that has filled her head with those exact thoughts. She thought she was so ready she could almost say it in unison with Maya.
But she was wrong.
“And yet still.” Where was she going with this now? “You came here. To check on me. Probably because Nick asked you to,” she let out a sigh.
There is a deafening silence. Franziska will never be able to figure out how Maya Fey’s mind works. That much was clear. At the same time, though… Something was off.
“…What is your question?” Franziska asked sheepishly.
“Huh?” She was genuinely caught off guard, if there was any to begin with. “Oh, uh… Sorry. Never mind me. I’m just being silly. Or foolish, in Franziska-speak,” she snorted, though that felt forced too.
The answer somewhat infuriated Franziska. She instinctively reached for her right hip where her whip was usually at the ready, but all she could feel is her nails biting into her skin. Her lips curled, but she was thankful Maya was not looking at her. She’d probably make fun of her. But maybe that’s what she needed right now? A distraction? A cheap laugh? Either way, Franziska was not prepared to be the laughing stock.
The silence, besides the strange dialogue of the show, was growing. Franziska wished the past few minutes didn’t happen, but now that they did, she thought she may as well ask the question herself. Maybe Maya already knew the answer. Franziska inhaled, preparing to break the silence.
“You wish to know why, is that it?” The coldness of her tone was in extreme contrast to her own doubts about everything leading up to now, let alone the instant regret. She may have raised her voice a decibel too loud. To her ears it sounded like an accusation she’d make in court, except she was the one on trial.
“I-I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful,” Maya responded. Her voice was a cent higher than usual. “You were just doing your job, right?” She was still looking at the TV.
Yes, that must have been it. Franziska is an officer of the law. It’s her duty to make sure people are not put in harm’s way. It was simply duty. That’s why–
“But why are you here now?” Maya turned to face Franziska. The bags under her eyes now glistened slightly, her breathing sharper.
Because I heard you were not doing well, obviously. I said as much when I first came in.
But she can’t manage to put those words out.
“I–” is all she can blurt out before being cut off.
“The case is over… I’m no longer in danger. Everyone can go back to pretending everything’s fine.” Maya added, softer. “Just like every other time.”
Franziska froze for a moment, trying to avoid the girl’s eyes.
“P-Pretending? Fine? Have you seen yourself, you fool?!” she almost shouted, her brows furrowed, right hand pointing at the empty bowls.
Perhaps this was too much. She thinks of apologizing, but it’s too late–
“Yeah! I have!” Maya shouted back as she smeared the tears on her face – but the effort was in vain. “Sorry I’m not coping properly with losing my fucking mother!”
Her voice cracked. The cheerful theme of Steel Samurai mocked them both.
“You could have said no. Nick wouldn’t blame you. Edgeworth wouldn’t blame you. So why are you here, Franziska? Why do you–?” She hitched. “Do you just pity…” Her voice trailed off before she could finish.
Franziska recoiled, hands shaking. She looked at the ceiling in a pathetic attempt to avoid Maya’s gaze.
“I do not pity you, you fool. I–” she chokes.
I what?
“…Then why?” Maya wasn’t shouting anymore. She was begging. She got off the couch to stand next to Franziska.
Franziska looked back down, meeting her now damp eyes with Maya’s. Then she looked away, and turned sharply toward the door. Her lips parted to say “This was a mistake,” but the words dissolved in her throat. Coward.
Maya lurches forward, grabbing Franziska’s wrist to try and stop her. “No. No. Please… Just… say something–” her voice was trembling. The thought of pulling away did not cross Franziska’s mind even once; she stopped, but did not turn to look at her.
Maya swallowed, tears streaming. “No, you don’t even have to say anything. Just… stay. Please. Just… be here.”