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A stack of Christmas cards lay before Athena, an insurmountable wall of blank spaces that she needed to fill before the post office closed. She’d set aside time in her schedule to work on them and now had to think of what to write to everybody that she hadn’t already written to them before.
Dear Simon, she began, I’m so glad that you’re spending Christmas with us this year instead of in jail…
“No.” Athena pushed the card off of her desk and reached for a new one. “I can’t say that every time I send him something for Christmas.” No further inspiration hit, and so she grabbed one addressed to Mr. Wright.
Dear Mr. Wright, Thanks for being such a great boss. You’re the best I’ve ever worked for…
“Arrrgh, no. Everyone writes that to their boss.”
Dear Trucy, Hope your Christmas is magical…
When the doorbell rang for the Wright Anything Agency, Athena wanted to jump up and hug the new arrival, whether they were a friend, a client, or even a burglar. Thankfully, the person on the other side of the door turned out to be Prosecutor Gavin. “Oh, hey there!” she greeted him. “You’re not here because you need one of us to defend you, are you?”
Klavier laughed. “Nein. I’m here to pick up my Secret Santa.”
“Oh, right! You weren’t here when we gave them out.” Athena bounced over to Mr. Wright’s desk and opened the drawer that held the remaining envelopes. Only a few names were left. “Are you ready to embrace your destiny?” she announced in a dramatic whisper. Klavier snorted. “Go ahead, pick one out!”
“My destiny awaits.” With a playful grin, Klavier plucked one of the envelopes from her hand and opened it. His eyebrows shot up when he read the name written on the card. “Ah.”
“Oooo, who’d you get? I can tell it’s a good one!” Athena scooted behind Klavier to take a peek. “It’s not me, is it?”
He swiped the card out of her line of sight. “Isn’t that against the rules, Fraulein?”
“Aha! So, it is me!”
“Nein. It’s…” Klavier looked at the name again. “Ah well, I guess it doesn’t matter. I might as well tell you.” He flipped the card over, revealing the name: Apollo Justice.
Athena’s eyes widened. “Ooooo, your rival! This oughta be good!”
“I don’t know about rivals. We haven’t gone up against each other in court in over a year. Still…” Klavier frowned, placing the card in one of his many jacket pockets. “This is going to be a challenge. I have no idea what he’d want, particularly from me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Athena, propping herself up against Mr. Wright’s desk.
Klavier gestured to his whole self, complete with flashy, designer jacket and the big chain with the Gavinners’ “G” symbol hanging off of his neck. “Let’s just say that he and I don’t share the same taste in style...or anything, for that matter. Besides, my last attempt to get him a gift went poorly.”
“Oh?”
He was still smiling, but she could hear the tone of discord entering his voice. “Ja, and I couldn’t tell you why. You would think that VIP tickets for a rock concert featuring a platinum band and their special musical guest from overseas would be a dream gift, wouldn’t you?”
Athena played with her earring as she considered it. “Yeah, that does sound pretty cool. But I guess it depends on the band. Apollo doesn’t strike me as someone who likes hard rock.” Then it hit her. “Oh - that was your concert, wasn’t it?”
“That’s right. Trucy seemed to like it, but Herr Forehead spent the final set sulking backstage. I even gave them a 20% discount!”
“Yeah, well, Apollo doesn’t really…” Athena stopped. “...Sorry, what was that about a discount?”
“Well, it was a gift, so it wouldn’t be right to charge them the full price. So, I dropped it down a bit.”
Athena blinked. Then took another minute to process what he’d said. Something was getting lost in translation, because she knew she couldn’t be hearing the story right. “You…made Apollo pay for the tickets?”
Klavier laughed. “Well, of course. A Gavinners’ concert is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Fraulein. We are not some cheap cover band. Many of our fans would die just to hear us perform live, and we repay them by putting our hearts and souls into every note we play! What, did you think I’d just throw them some tickets for free?”
Athena had no idea where to even start. Which meant Widget was ready to fill in the blanks. “Wow, how’d you get that ego through the door?” Athena grimaced and slapped her hand over him.
“Here’s the thing, Prosecutor Gavin…when you personally invite someone to your concert and offer them the most expensive ticket option available…they do expect to get them for free.”
“You think so, Fraulein?” Klavier was smiling in that polite, amused way that people did when they didn’t believe what she was telling them, but weren’t going to say so out loud. And yet she could detect the faintest increase of discord in his voice. Someone would probably be calling his colleagues tonight to see if she was right.
Athena huffed. “Look, do you want my help getting a gift for Apollo or not?”
“As embarrassing as it is to admit it…” Klavier flipped his braid over his shoulder. “Ja, I do need your help. What kind of gift do you think Herr Forehead would like?”
Athena shifted against Mr. Wright’s desk and propped her chin on her elbow. “Well, we can rule out Gavinners’ merchandise.” In any case, Klavier was right; he and Apollo had very different styles. Apollo wasn’t the type to enjoy something needlessly expensive, flashy, or over-the-top. He didn’t need to draw attention to himself anyway, not with a voice that loud. “What to buy…what to buy…”
If Mr. Wright were here, he’d tell me to turn my thinking around, Athena realized. And then it hit her. “Instead of buying him a present, what about giving him something homemade?”
“Homemade?” Klavier wrinkled his nose. “Like what? Making crafts isn’t one of my talents.”
“Listen, most people aren’t crafty. You should see some of the stuff I used to make for my mom and the people at GYAXA. It’s really about the effort. People like knowing that you took the time to make them something special. And honestly? I think Apollo would be kind of impressed if you went that route. It’s the last thing he’d expect to get from you.”
Klavier nodded slowly, still frowning. And thinking it over some more, Athena had to admit to herself that getting a macaroni picture frame from your five-year-old daughter was a little different than getting that kind of gift from your professional legal peer. Still, the idea felt right. Something simple, but nice too.
“Hey - how about baking him some Christmas cookies?”
“Me? Bake?” Klavier shook his head. “I don’t think Herr Forehead would appreciate getting food poisoning for Christmas.”
Athena giggled. “No worries, Prosecutor Bestie. How ‘bout I help you bake them? I’m not an ace chef or anything, but I know enough not to set an oven on fire.”
He laughed with her, and she could hear the discord levels dropping. “I too like to think I know that much. Well, if you think that’s what he’ll want, I will defer to your judgement. But where were you planning to bake these cookies?”
“My apartment?”
“Ja, I was afraid you’d say that.” Klavier glanced out the window - and Athena noticed, for the first time, that a few people were hovering outside the agency that hadn’t been there before. People with cameras. “It’s one thing for me to show up at your law office, but if I show up at your apartment, or you show up at mine, your face is going to be all over the tabloids for all the wrong reasons.”
“Oh. Yikes. I didn’t think of that.” Athena shuddered. “No offense or anything, but I’d rather not be your new mystery woman.”
Klavier just laughed. “I’m not offended. Though it does raise the question of where we’re supposed to bake.”
“Oh, that’s no problem! We can just do it here. There’s a kitchen in the back behind the office. so I’ll try and figure out what kind of cookies he likes without him getting suspicious.”
Klavier agreed. Then he left, forcing Athena to return to her stack of empty cards.
Dear…Apollo…I’m glad you’re home from Khura’in…can’t believe it’s almost Christmas…
Apollo. He would be back from Khura'in soon. Athena dropped her pen. If he walked into the Agency at the wrong time…
Someone would need to distract him. Someone like Trucy. Or maybe…
“Sorry, you want me to keep Apollo away from the Wright Anything Agency for how long?”
“We don’t know yet, Ema,” Athena repeated. “I’ll text you when the coast is clear.”
“C’mon, Ema!” added Trucy. “I’ll be there to help you, so it’s not like you’ll have to do it by yourself. Do it for Christmas!”
Detective Ema Skye munched on her Snackoos - red and green ones that came in a special edition seasonal bag - and took her good, sweet time answering. “Why me? Can’t you do it yourself, Trucy?”
“Well, yeah, I could,” she replied. “The thing is, Polly always knows when I’m up to something, even if he can’t guess what it is. He’s way less likely to think anything’s going on if you’re the one creating the distraction.”
Munch munch munch. “Okay. Count me in.”
“Really?” Athena high-fived Trucy. “Thanks, Ema! I owe you one!”
“Not really.” Ema shrugged and reached into her bag for another fistful of Snackoos. “You’re kinda doing me a favor too.”
“Huh? How so?”
Ema chose not to answer. Athena could hear her discord loud and clear with every crunch, but couldn’t quite place the hidden emotions. Once she finished swallowing, all that she said was, “Sunday afternoon, right?”
“That’s right.” Athena exchanged a look with Trucy, who nodded back. She must’ve picked up on some tension with her own special vision. “Ema, are you…?”
“Sounds great. Talk to you Sunday.” Ema turned on her heels and left the courthouse before they could dig deeper.
The next morning, Athena had the kitchen prepped and ready. It didn’t have much to offer, just a tiny room in the back of the agency with the basic appliances and a counter space about the size of her desk. They’d have to do some maneuvering when it came time to decorate the cookies. But for the time being, there was enough room for the mixing bowl and the ingredients. It would have to suffice.
She heard her phone buzz. Simon had sent her a text.
Got a text from Gavin-dono last night. You will not believe what that fopdoodle thinks qualifies as a gift.
Giggling to herself, Athena went over to answer the door. Once again, Prosecutor Gavin stood behind it, glamorous as always in his usual designer clothes.
The man had clearly never baked a day in his life.
Athena shrugged it off. They had enough aprons. “Okay, Prosecutor Gavin, ready to rock?”
“When am I not?” he replied, striking his air guitar. “So, did you solve the mystery of Herr Forehead’s favorite cookies?”
“Yep!” Athena led him into the tiny kitchen and held up cookie cutters for gingerbread men. “Turns out they don’t have gingerbread cookies in Khura’in, and he’s been missing them. He used to eat them at Clay’s house every Christmas.”
“Well done, Fraulein.” Klavier beamed as he took down an apron that Mr. Wright had bought from Kurain Village with a bizarre pattern on it - some kind of funky green donut. Athena grabbed her own that she’d brought from home; black with planets and stars swirling through the cosmos.
“Okay, let’s get started."
Apollo didn’t mind answering an urgent text from a friend, though Ema didn’t give any indication of what kind of help she needed from him and Trucy. Nor did he mind waiting outside of the police station a whole thirty minutes after she’d asked them to show up.
What he did mind was their current companion, standing proudly by the entrance. Its wooden joints wriggled and jerked from side to side in ways that just weren’t natural. Nothing about its design made sense; not the jester cap currently hidden underneath a Santa hat, nor the police club in its hand. Its black, pupiless eyes bore into Apollo’s soul and its smile told him that he would be waiting for Ema for all eternity.
Trucy wasn’t helping matters by standing next to the disturbing piece of plywood and imitating its bizarre dance.
“Please promise me you’re not putting that thing in one of your shows,” he said.
Trucy stopped dancing and put her hands on her hips. “It’s not a thing, Polly. He’s the Blue Badger! A symbol of peace and justice! And no, I’m not putting him in my show. Mr. Hat would get jealous.”
Apollo gave the Blue Badger another once-over and took a step back. “Looks more like a symbol of nightmares to me.”
“Don’t worry, Apollo. He can’t follow us where we’re going.” Ema finally stepped outside, her usual Snackoos tucked under her elbow. “Sorry about that, guys. I got held up by an evidence transferal mixup - someone put evidence from the PH-4 incident with PH-9. Let’s go.”
Apollo cautiously moved away from the blue abomination, Trucy skipping alongside him. “So, where are we going, Ema? Is there a new crime you need us to investigate?” she asked.
“Nothing like that.” Ema checked over her shoulder, though the parking lot in front of the station was empty. “Let’s just say it’s a shopping emergency. I’ll explain more when we’re in my car.”
Apollo stopped walking. “A shopping emergency? You made it sound like you were in trouble!”
“I am in trouble. Just get in the car.”
Apollo looked at Trucy. She shrugged. “She’s a damsel in distress, Polly. We have to help her. It’s in our job descriptions.”
“I’m positive that it’s not.” Apollo sighed. Well, not like I was doing anything else today…
Once they were inside, Ema double-checked that the doors and windows were shut tight. Then she swiveled around in her seat and pointed to each of them in turn. “What I’m about to tell you does not leave this car until the day of the Christmas party. Maybe not even then. Got it, you two?”
“No…?” Apollo was starting to regret answering her text. “What’s this all about?”
“You have to promise or I’m not telling you.”
“Promise her, Polly!” echoed Trucy, though she’d done no such thing herself.
Apollo threw his hands up. “Fine! I promise. What’s the emergency?”
Ema responded by pulling a slip of paper from her lab coat. “Behold. My Secret Santa.” With a dramatic flourish, she dropped it into his hand. There, written in Trucy’s handwriting, was the name Klavier Gavin.
“You got Prosecutor Gavin?” Apollo smirked. That explained her current mood. “Alright, look, maybe at least try to get him something he’d like? It is Christmas.”
“I know that!” snapped Ema. “I…I just…” She stuffed her mouth full of Snackoos and mumbled something incomprehensible between bites. “Wannagesomthinice.”
Apollo and Trucy glanced at one another. “You’re…on thin ice? With Prosecutor Gavin?” he clarified.
“No.” Ema swallowed. She reached for another round of snacks, stopped herself, and fiddled with the edges of the bag instead. “I said…I want to get him something nice.” Apollo’s mouth fell open; Trucy let out a squeal of delight. She immediately brandished the Snackoo bag in their faces. “Remember: this does not leave my car. He’s unbearable enough as it is and I don’t want him rubbing this in my face every time we work a case together.”
“But Ema, that’s so sweet! It’s like a Christmas miracle!” cried Trucy.
“I don’t know; I’m not following this,” said Apollo. “If you don’t want him to act unbearable to you, then why are you so worked up over getting him a nice gift? Just buy him a gift card or something.”
Ema leaned back against her seat’s headrest. “You really have to ask? You guys were there for the Misham trial. You saw what I did.”
Apollo nodded, still not seeing the connection. His expression must’ve indicated as much and she continued her explanation. “Look, even if he hadn’t gotten Mr. Wright disbarred, I don’t think I’d have ever really warmed up to the guy. We just have completely different styles and personalities, you know? But a lot of it had to do with that trial. Phoenix Wright saved my sister’s life and helped clear up an incident that haunted me for two years. And then along came this stuck-up, German rock star, barely out of high school, who went and got Mr. Wright disbarred on something that I knew he’d never, ever do.”
A certain bloody ace came to Apollo’s mind, but he opted not to bring it up.
“And then I find out during the Misham trial that Gavin didn’t do anything wrong. I mean, should he have realized that there was no way Mr. Wright could have whipped up some forged evidence with only twenty-four hours’ notice? Obviously. But…” Ema groaned. “Who am I kidding? If I’d been solving my first big case, and Lana gave me a tip like that, I’d have done the same thing he did.”
“…So, you feel guilty and you want to get a nice Christmas present to make up for it,” Apollo realized.
Ema groaned. “Wouldn’t you? And I couldn’t stop at just hating the guy in private, could I? Oh no, I had to go up on the witness stand during the first day of the Misham trial and freak him out by impersonating his evil brother. And the very next day, I find out that his evil brother was the one who got Mr. Wright disbarred. Made a complete fool of myself, just like during Machi Tobaye’s case, only this time, it was completely my fault.” She struck her head repeatedly against the steering wheel. “I. Am. An. Idiot.”
“Oh, Ema…” Trucy sighed.
Apollo put out his hands to stop her from giving herself a concussion. “Look, if it makes you feel any better, Kristoph Gavin pulled a fast one on me too. I think everyone in the legal community was thrown for a loop. I mean, the guy was on an ethics board, for crying out loud.”
“Yeah. I know it wasn’t just me.” Ema reached for the fallen slip of paper. “This just feels like karma, y’know? Not that I’ve ever believed in karma, but when the evidence is staring you right in the face…”
“You realize you’ve had two years to apologize, right?”
Ema pouted. “I tried so many times. I was always afraid he’d laugh at me. Not like I don’t deserve it though.”
“Well, this is your chance to set things right!” declared Trucy. “That’s why you wanted our help, isn’t it? You need our advice on what to get Prosecutor Gavin.”
“But I’ve barely spoken to the guy in months. I’ve been in Khura’in this whole time,” Apollo protested. “How am I supposed to be any help?”
Ema shrugged. “I don’t know. You and Trucy are kinda friends with him, right? Who else was I supposed to ask?” As she turned her key in the ignition, Apollo felt his bracelet tighten.
“Sorry, what was that?” He focused on her face and noticed that her eyes kept glancing at her watch. “Ema. Do you really need our help?”
“Yes. How many times do you want me to say it? I want to do something nice for the fop.” Apollo’s bracelet relaxed. So, she wasn’t lying about the gift part at least. The tension must be coming from her reason for inviting the two of them.
Apollo decided to let it go for the time being. The truth would make itself known, one way or another.
Klavier Gavin, the legendary rock star and self-proclaimed scourge of the courtroom, hovered over the carton of eggs as if they were live grenades. Athena put her hands on her hips. “Klavier, if you want to bake cookies for Apollo, you’re gonna have to accept getting a little messy. The eggs won’t kill you.”
“Don’t eggs have bacteria inside them?” he asked, still keeping a safe distance away.
“Yeah? You just wash your hands afterwards.”
Klavier did not look convinced.
“If it makes you feel better, you could always wear disposable gloves. That's what Mr. Wright does whenever he bakes.”
“Nein,” Klavier sighed. “There is no sense in wasting time looking for them. I will tough it out.” His hand hovered over the carton for an entire minute before he grasped an egg by the tips of his fingers. Another moment of hesitation followed as the egg lingered over the side of the mixing bowl. Then he struck - leaving barely a scratch on the shell.
“¡Venga, venga! You’re supposed to crack it, not tap it, you big wuss.” Klavier glared at Athena. She pretended to swoon against the counter. “Ach! Ach! Oh, mein Gott, the egg is going to get all over my perfect nails!”
Klavier took aim and struck the egg against the side of the bowl once more. This time it crunched open and the yolk and whites came spilling out. Athena wasn’t paying attention and continued slumping dramatically over the counter. “Save me from the bacteria! How will I ever…ahhhh!” Klavier dipped his hand in the batter and smeared egg yolk across her face.
“You jerk!” Athena sputtered. "You're gonna pay for that!" And without giving it any thought at all, she grabbed another egg from the carton and mashed it against his apron.
“Ach!” He stumbled back against the counter, but relaxed when he realized that none of it had gotten on his own clothes. “Oh dear. I’m afraid Herr Wright’s dry cleaning bill is coming out of your next paycheck, Fraulein.”
“Ahhhh!” Athena had forgotten who the apron actually belonged to. “Eh. what he doesn’t know won’t kill him,” she added quickly. “Give me that. I’ll get you another apron.”
After a roundabout discussion, Ema, Apollo, and Trucy agreed that the simplest solution might be the best and made their way to the nearest music store.
“Does Lamiroir have any new albums out?” Ema wondered, as she filtered through vintage records.
“No, and he has all of them,” replied Apollo. He wandered over to a wall stacked with guitars. They were almost as impressive as Klavier’s own collection at the Prosecutors’ Office. “What if you got him one of these? Like, to replace the one that got burnt at his concert?”
Ema brightened up. “Oh, hey, that’s a great idea! Thanks, Apollo! This is why I brought you guys.” She stopped smiling when she got a look at the price tags. “$1,200…$1599…$2,500?”
Trucy shrugged. “I don’t know what you two were expecting. That kind of equipment gets expensive. You should see what I have to pay for some of my props.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Ema grumbled. “So, it needs to be less expensive than the guitars, but more special and unique than a music record. And it has to be something that he’d really like. Something he wouldn’t even think to get for himself.”
“Y’know, Ema, I think you’re better equipped for this mission than we are,” said Trucy. “Think about it: you work with Prosecutor Gavin every day, not just the cases where he’s going up against us. So, what’s something that you know he needs?”
“A new hairstyle.”
Trucy put her hands on her hips. “Remember, Ema, we’re being nice to him now.”
“I know, I know…” Ema sighed. “This is going to be impossible.”
“What is? Finding the right present or being nice to Klavier?” asked Apollo.
“The answer to your question is ‘yes.’”
“Alright, once we’re done mixing the dough, it has to chill for a couple of hours before we can start shaping it,” said Athena, reading off the recipe card that Mr. Wright had given her. That first task was proving easier said than done; the dough felt heavy and kept sticking to the spoon. “C’mon…c’mon…”
“May I?” Klavier took the bowl from her hands and whipped the dough up in no time. “So, what do we do while we wait for the dough to chill?”
“Whatever we want! Let’s see…” Athena browsed through the TV listings on her phone. “The Shipshape Aquarium is having their big Christmas show in an hour…Home Alone and Muppet Christmas Carol are playing right now…and hey, I know! We could play some Christmas music! Did the Gavinners ever make a Christmas album?”
Klavier coughed. “No. We never got around to that before our breakup, um, sadly.”
Athena heard the barely suppressed panic and an evil smile spread across her face. “Oh, you didn’t, did you? Well, let’s see what the evidence from an Internet search has to say…”
“It’s your turn to stir,” said Klavier, shoving the mixing bowl in her arms.
“But you’re doing so well! And it’s your present, so you should stir,” she countered, shoving it back.
“But it’s rude to be on your phone when you have company over.”
He was too late. She held up a screenshot of the album cover, featuring a Santa hat hanging off of the Gavinners’ G logo. “All I Want for Christmas Is the Truth - Naughty or Nice - I Met the Witness Under the Mistletoe - What Verdict Will The Judge Get Me for Christmas?” Athena cackled. “Oh, we are definitely listening to this!”
Klavier tried to swipe her phone. She ducked and bolted for the office, the prosecutor right on her heels. “Fraulein, I’m indicting you for harassing a public official!”
“Oh yeah? What verdict will the judge get me if you do that?” Athena continued to laugh maniacally as he chased her around the agency.
Back at the records store, the last notes of “Jingle Bell Rock” finished and a new song blared over the radio. Apollo cringed. “Oh please, no. Not the Gavinners’ Christmas album.”
“I hate ‘I Met the Witness Under the Mistletoe,’” Ema groaned. “C’mon, let’s get out of here. Nothing’s jumping out at me anyway.”
“Oh, come on. It’s a passionate ballad about a conflict of interest in the courtroom! I think it’s beautiful!” said Trucy, as they left the store together.
“No, it’s stupid. Why would there be mistletoe in the courtroom?” Apollo retorted. “Although, I will admit that their cover of ‘Last Christmas’ was a little better than the original. Not that the original was setting the bar high.”
“Ick, don’t bring up that one. I am this close to going an entire Christmas season without hearing it once.” Ema stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to survey their surroundings. Most of the other stores nearby sold clothes or jewelry, and every other building was a restaurant for a different type of food. A bookstore stood across the street, and next to that was a small electronics shop. “...Maybe I should just get him a gift card.”
“No way. We only just started shopping. You are getting Prosecutor Gavin a nice gift and that’s final!” And with that declared, Trucy pushed Ema down the street, Apollo following behind her.
Athena poked at the sulking figure on the couch with the rolling pin. "C'mon. I said I was sorry." He responded with a deep, soul-wrenching, melodramatic groan. "I liked 'Naughty or Nice.' It was catchy!"
Another groan.
That did it. "Excuse me, buster! The dough is ready! Are you going to make some cookies or am I going to give them to Apollo myself and say they're from me?"
Klavier finally pushed himself off the couch. "Sorry."
"I am too. Now, allons-y! I don't know how long Trucy and Detective Skye can keep Apollo occupied and we have to get these done."
She'd already prepared them for the next step by laying out the cutting board and dusting it with flour. They took turns rolling out the dough and stamping it with the cookie cutter. Dozens of gingerbread men soon lined the baking sheet, while the remaining scraps of dough piled up.
Athena noticed one particular, funny-shaped little scrap and picked it up. "Hey, look at this! It's like one of Apollo's horns!"
"Let me see." Klavier took it from her and stuck it on one of the gingerbread men. They both laughed. "You are right. It does." He took a look at the rest of the scraps and started shaping out the second "horn." Then a magician's hat for Trucy, and Athena's ponytail on the side of her head.
The real Athena shaped the swirl of Klavier's braid and placed it on a separate cookie. "Achtung, baby!"
"Well done! It looks just like me," Klavier chuckled.
"Hey, we could do some other weird ones too! Like the judge's gavel, or Apollo's bracelet, or Widget?"
The baking sheets were soon filled, not just with Athena's suggestions, but with the profile of Mr. Wright's spiky hair, the weird green donut on one of his aprons ("Come to think of it, I think he calls that a 'mangotama.'"), and the Gavinners' signature "G" logo. The smell of baking gingerbread permeated the kitchen and the agency office beyond. Athena decided to open a few windows, just to make sure Apollo didn't catch on if he did come back soon.
"You know, I think we just might have avoided giving Herr Forehead food poisoning for Christmas," Klavier quipped.
Athena grinned and switched on the oven light to sneak a peek at the latest batch. "You know what? I think you're right."
"How can I ever thank you, Fraulein?"
A thought popped into her head. She went back into her office and over to her desk, where a certain mountain of envelopes and blank cards awaited.
"Would the genius lyricist behind 'All I Want for Christmas Is the Truth' be able to help me write out some Christmas cards?"
He winced, but then laughed. "For you, Fraulein? I think I could provide some assistance."
The bookstore had been a bust. The restaurants, with their enticing gift cards, were a last resort. The electronics shop seemed to be their last hope.
Apollo wandered down one aisle, then the next, while Ema worked from the other end of the store and Trucy chatted with the cashier. His hopes for this store weren't high. Anything that Prosecutor Gavin needed, he probably already had.
He ran his fingers over his bracelet. Maybe his perception could spot the perfect gift the way that it spotted other people's tells.
Then his eyes fell on something interesting.
"Hey, Ema. Over here."
She came running. "Yeah? What've you got?"
Apollo held up a flat disc with a flashing light. "You attach this to your key ring and it lets you know its location if you ever lose it."
"Like the time when Detective Crescend stole his keys?"
Apollo grinned. "Exactly. This would stop that from happening again."
Ema took one off of the shelf and held it up to the light. Why she needed to flip down her glasses and scientifically analyze it, Apollo couldn't say. "Hmmm…yes. I like it. And if it means less diva tantrums, then that's an added bonus. Thanks, Apollo!"
But as she went up to the counter to pay for the gift, she hesitated. The cashier held out his hand, but the little disc stayed locked in her grip.
"…No. This isn't going to work."
Apollo slumped over. "Are you kidding? Why not?"
"Because if I give him something like this, it's just going to remind him of that stupid concert, and he'll think I'm making fun of him." Ema sighed. "I'm sorry, Apollo. I really am. It was a good idea. But it wouldn't look good coming from me."
Trucy patted her on the shoulder. "You'll figure it out, Ema. You're getting close. I can feel it."
"Thanks, you guys. But I'm running out of steam." She glanced down at her watch. "Okay. Maybe I can try for a little while longer. But man, my feet are killing me. I don't know how Gavin manages two careers like that. He never has any time to…"
Both her eyes and voice suddenly drifted off. "…You know what? I think I know exactly what I need to do. Might as well get the tag too, while I'm here."
"Oooo, what is it?" asked Trucy.
Ema lowered her glasses and winked. "Sorry. Can't tell, not even among science friends. You'll see when it's time for the party."
Nearly a week after Christmas, everyone's desks had been rearranged into makeshift buffet tables, Trucy's magical props were stored away, and Mr. Charlie had been wrapped in colored lights. Athena sat between Trucy and Ema on the sofa with her hands over her ears. "Achtung," she groaned. "I can't take this anymore!"
Ema munched her way through a fresh bag of Snackoos. "Yeah," she grumbled. "I should have known I'd never make it through the entire month without hearing 'Last Christmas' once."
"I don't mind hearing it. I mind hearing the Larry Butz version." Mr. Wright's childhood friend couldn't carry a tune at all, and to make matters worse, he was singing the refrain on loop, except to swap out "you" with the names of his various ex-girlfriends.
"Last Christmas, I gave Iris my heart, but the very next day, she gave it away…"
"OKAY, EVERYONE!" Mr. Wright shouted over his friend's teary warbling. "It's time for our Secret Santa gift exchange!"
That cheered Larry up quickly. "Alright! Hey, Edgey! You'll never guess who I got…!" Athena heard a piercing cry of "Nghoooooooooo!" from Prosecutor Edgeworth's heart. It almost overshadowed the sudden panic coming from more than a few people, Klavier among them. He sat across from Athena on the opposite sofa with Apollo.
Athena winked at him. Relax, Mr. Rock Star Prosecutor. You've got this.
She heard no discord in Apollo's heart as he leaned forward with his own carefully-wrapped gift. "Here you go, Athena. Merry Christmas!"
"Hey, you got me? Thanks, Apollo!" Athena grinned. She ripped through the paper and uncovered a beautiful Khura'inese lantern with butterfly engravings on the sides. "Wow. This looks amazing! I can't wait to put it in my room!" Apollo beamed. "And, actually, I had a little something to do with your gift too."
Klavier pouted at her. "Go on." Athena nudged him with her foot. "Give it to him."
Apollo looked around at them both. "Wait, one of you got me? It wasn't you, was it?" he asked Klavier.
"What?" Klavier fell back on his usual teasing. "You don't want more discount tickets to one of my concerts?"
"Ohhhhhh booooooy. I can hardly wait." Apollo blinked as the wrapped plate was placed in his lap. "That feels way too heavy for discount tickets. What is this, some Gavinners' brand of tupperware…?"
"Well, the plate is," Klavier admitted.
"Of course it…is…" Apollo ripped apart the wrapping paper, only to find more wrapping underneath to preserve the cookies. Even after peeling that back, it took a minute for him to realize what he was looking at. "Gingerbread cookies? Hey, thanks, those are my favorite…"
He paused again as he noticed a cookie shaped like his bracelet, right next to one shaped like the Gavinners' logo. "Wait, did you buy these or…?"
"Nein. I made them myself, with some help from this lovely fraulein." Klavier nudged Athena back with his own foot. "Well? What do you think of them, Herr Forehead?" It sounded like a dare, not unlike the times that he challenged Apollo to point out a contradiction in court. But Athena heard the underlying anxiety of an artist about to unleash his latest creation.
Apollo tried the bracelet cookie first. His eyes bugged out, like he was perceiving the taste. "Oh. Oh, these are good."
"You like them?" Klavier grinned. "Better than VIP tickets to my latest concert?"
It took three more cookies for Apollo to answer Klavier properly. "These are worth the price that it costs to get VIP tickets to your latest concert."
"Really? In that case, that will be $2,250.00, please. Not including tax."
Athena spit out her hot chocolate. "That's how much Gavinners' tickets cost? What about the 20% discount?"
"That is after the 20% discount."
Athena wiped some sweat from her brow. Yeesh, no wonder his first gift attempt failed miserably.
Apollo chuckled. "Seriously, though: thanks, Gavin. These are really good. I'm going to take some back to Khura'in so my friends over there know what they're missing."
Trucy interrupted by lifting Ema's hands and waving them in the air. "Wait, Prosecutor Gavin! Someone has a gift for you too!"
Ema yelped. "Hold on! Apollo needs more time with his cookies!"
"Awww, Fraulein Detective, did you make something just for me?" Klavier teased.
She bit her lip, then stomped over to Mr. Wright's desk and pulled out a gift basket, which she dropped into Klavier's lap. "Here. Merry Christmas."
Klavier winced when it hit his legs, but recovered quickly enough with his usual charming smile. "Thank you, Fraulein. Let's see…is this some kind of forensics kit…?" Athena leaned forward to see better, but the wrapping was covered in Christmas prints, making it impossible to see what was inside until Klavier undid the ribbon keeping it all together.
Inside the basket was an assortment of little things: slippers, hot cocoa mix, scented soaps, gift cards to local restaurants, and the little device to attach to one's personal belongings so that they wouldn't get lost again.
Ema kept her eyes on her Snackoo bag. "I figured you have two of the most stressful jobs in the world: prosecuting and performing rock music. So you probably need something to help you unwind at the end of the day more than the rest of us."
Klavier's smirk melted away as he ran his hands through the soft fuzz of the slippers, then held up the gift cards. "Thank you, Ema. I will certainly enjoy all of these." He laughed as he noticed the device for his keychain. "And I will attach this to my keys immediately."
"Good. Glad you like it." Ema crumpled up her empty bag and muttered, "I'm sorry."
"Whatever for?"
"Nothing. Forget I said anything."
Klavier gave her a soft smile and let the matter drop as he went back to examining the basket's contents. Apollo passed around the plate of cookies for the rest of their group to enjoy. All around the room, emotions ran high, but they were filled with joy. Athena settled back against the sofa to enjoy the noise.
Then Larry Butz decided to make more noise with "All I Want for Christmas Is Banjolina."
"Okay, everybody!" Athena shouted, following her boss' lead. "I've got the perfect music for us to listen to! Who wants to hear the Gavinners' Christmas album?"
"NEIN!"