Chapter Text
"Trucy, dear, stop playing with your food."
"She can do whatever she wants, she's doing no harm, no?"
"I just don't want her to grow up to be a slob, like you, Zak…"
"A slob?- don't speak like that, especially in front of her!?"
"Oh please, she is only 3 years old. Do you think she can understand us? use your brain for once for my sake-"
"Well, what happens when she does? Will you keep degrading me for as long as we stay together? Alive? Happy?"
"You are overreacting."
"Well! Look who's talking—"
"Truce? You've been… staring at your food, are you alright?" Phoenix asked.
He was just talking to Trucy about her father. That he'll come back, that he's missing her so much. So much reassurance for a little girl to take right after losing someone dear to her.
They were eating dinner, leftover spaghetti.
The overhead light above their heads kept flickering; a simple thunderstorm would've knocked the bulb out, but it was hot and humid out.
The windows were opened to let the air in, just for the fan to blow it around the room.
Trucy eyes the clock: 9 PM, her bedtime.
She usually gets into her pajamas during this time, tucks herself in, and waits.
Wait for him to come and tell her about his day, give her a big hug, then leave.
But Phoenix doesn't know that. Phoenix Wright doesn't know all the routines she goes through, her nighttime remedies, or even herself.
But it's alright. He'll come back to pick her up. Phoenix doesn't need to learn all about her interpersonal life, and Trucy doesn't need to adjust. "This is temporary," she thought.
"All will go back to normal."
She thought.
"I'm not hungry anymore… sorry," Trucy said. She stared down at her plate, looking at the remains of the food she didn't eat. Feeling a bit guilty for wasting food.
Phoenix swallowed, then eyed her plate, "You sure? You still got a lot left…"
"I'm sure," she said, still looking down at her plate. Phoenix acknowledged her. He was about to let her be excused, but before she sat up to return her plate, he intervened.
"Hey uh, Trucy?"
Trucy halted, "Yes, daddy?"
Phoenix got a good look at her face. Examining her expression, as if she were on the stand.
It only lasted a few seconds before Phoenix interrupted again.
"Still not hungry?"
"Nope!"
…
"Right."
Phoenix finally let out a smile.
"Alright, you can go now." He said. Trucy stayed to hear more. Surely that wasn't all he had to say?
"-Oh, right." There it is. "Remember to brush your teeth before going to bed."
And so she did. She made her way to the bathroom and hopped on the little stool; looked at the mirror, and stared.
"Does he… know how?"
…
"nah."
She then grabbed her toothbrush.
Meanwhile, in the dining room, there Phoenix was still sitting down. He looked at his lap, showing his hand gripping the magatama.
And it was glowing.
Trucy got into her bunny-themed pajamas and was ready to spend her third night at the Wright residence. She thought of it as a sleepover, a very long one. But, it's okay, cause at the end of every sleepover, she gets picked up.
Before Trucy was to stay at Phoenix's house for a while, he cleaned out the storage room and decked it out with a twin bed that he found on the marketplace, some shelves he built himself, and whatever stuff a child needs for a bedroom. Very extra for just "temporary'.
He mostly got all of the stuff from when he was a little kid. When Trucy moved in, he offered to let her customize whatever she wanted to fix, like painting the walls or refurnishing the closet. But Trucy declined— she didn't wanna ruin his hard work, and some of Phoenix's old childhood furniture, and that seemed too much for just "temporary".
She gets on her bed and pulls the covers. But then a few knocks were heard.
The door slowly opened, and there Phoenix was in his apron, still with soap suds from washing the dishes.
"Ready for bed already, I see?" he chuckled.
Trucy perked up, "Almost! You just have to tuck me in now!"
Phoenix nodded and removed his apron to hang it on Trucy's doorknob.
He tucks her in and notices a pile of unfamiliar children's books on the bedside table.
"Are these yours?" he asked, pointing at the books.
"Yup! I usually read some before sleeping!"
"Ah, so you read yourself to sleep then?"
A slight pause happens before she speaks again.
"Well… no."
Phoenix understood immediately.
Sure, he could offer to read a book or two for her, but that would seem like "replacing" her actual father. So he just nodded as a response.
"Well…" Phoenix exhaled, "I'll be off now, make sure to call me if you need anything, alright?"
"Roger that, sir!" Trucy snickered.
Phoenix stood up and flicked the light switch off. He stepped out of the room, and just as he was about to close the door, he felt the need to say something. Anything to reassure her that everything will be—
"Okay! Goodnight, Trucy. See you in the morning."
"Night, daddy! Don't let the bed bugs bite!" she answered.
The door clicked as it closed.
And the familiar footsteps now trudging away, leaving silence, a deafening silence.
Trucy glared at her digital clock, sitting on the bedside table along with her books; the numbers glowing in the dark.
It read: 10:45
"… close enough. "
"You can't just— I don't know what you're-"
"Hey, hey- you're cutting off."
A few mumbles came from the other line, then they began to speak again.
"Goddamit, Wright.. You can't just feed her lies!?"
Phoenix sighed, "I'm not, he said it himself, he'll be back— I'll just be here to take care of her in the meantime."
"Still! What if he'll never come back?!"
"Then I'll take her in, make it official. Be her father."
Silence came from the other line. Then a sigh replies.
" 'Keep her'? Wright, do you understand what you're saying?!"
"Well, tell me. What am I supposed to do? She has no other family, and she watched her own father leave her right in front of her eyes. Am I supposed to just leave her behind like that?!"
There was a tone of anguish in his voice as he said it. Along with passion and love. But does that matter anymore?
"Look, Wright— you just lost your badge, are you sure you'll be alright? I know you wanna help her and-"
"Help her? Of course I'd wanna help- Who else is going to?"
"I know, but-"
"Okay, you're busy and all, you've got a job to do. I get it. I'll- I'll hang up now."
"Wait- Wright, I-"
beep… beep…
Phoenix just stared at his phone, wondering if he really just did that. Wondering if he actually hung up on Miles Edgeworth.
But hey, there's always a first time for everything.