007: Bridges

[beautifultragedy]

Fandom: Ace Attorney
Story: Bridges
Summary: Pearl Fey wants to find her father; he's closer than she thinks.
Notes: For the Phoenix Wright Big Bang, Round one
Warnings: Vague description of non-con


“Who is my father?”

Pearl thought it was such a simple request .It was so innocent, so innocuous. And completely reasonable, too. She had gone ten years without so much as questioning the fact that her father was completely and utterly absent from her life.

So, when she asked that question, the last question she ever wanted her mother to answer, why was that answer five Psyche-Locks and a stated, “I don’t know, Pearl. I did not know his name”?

You’re lying! she wanted to cry. Mother knew that she had a Magatama. Maybe she didn’t know she had it right that moment. But, knowing that Pearl now knew how dishonest she was, and that she had access to a Magatama- heck, she could’ve simply charged her own, she didn’t need Mr. Nick to loan her Maya’s- Pearl thought it would be common sense for Mother not to lie to her.

Apparently not.

“Pearl, my darling,” Mother said, upon seeing the child’s angry and confused expression. “The identity of your father is of no consequence to you. All that matters is that you are a Fey, and next in line to be the Master.”

“Mother, stop it,” Pearl cried. “Mystic Maya is the Master. I’m not, and I’m never going to be! I don’t want to be the Master!”

“We don’t always get what we want, now do we, Pearl?” Mother spat back. “If we did, you would be the only choice for Master!”

Pearl bit back the urge to burst into tears. The advice her guardians gave her resounded in her head: this was not about the position of Master, or about Maya, or even about Pearl herself. This was about Pearl’s right to know who her father was, and not to let Mother change the subject. She just had to remember to apologize to them for messing up right then. Pearl took a deep, calming breath, and said, “I’m not going to talk about the Master. I just want to know about my father.”

“Unfortunately, I cannot help you with that.”

“You can’t tell me anything at all? Not even where you met him?”

“It was so long ago, Pearl. I’m very, very sorry.”

“No, you’re not!” Pearl said, angry tears stinging her eyes. She got up to storm out of the visitation room, frustrated and feeling like she’d just wasted everyone’s time. How was she ever going to make this up to them? Especially Mr. Nick. He didn’t have the time to spare to waste anymore. He needed to find a job, he needed to file appeals, he needed to start the process to get the little abandoned girl in school and get legal custody of her…

Without another word, as Pearl sat there, feeling helpless, Mother smirked, although Pearl could see real sadness in her expression. She knew who Pearl’s father was. She knew, she had to know. And if Mother knew, then it had to be possible to find out. “If you won’t tell me,” Pearl said, standing up, “then I’ll find him myself!”

She took three steps towards the door of the visitation room when she faltered. If she walked out now, she doubted that Mother would ever want to see her again. Mother spoke in that moment of hesitation. “Pearl, my precious daughter… don’t. You will regret pursuing this, you will hurt when you find the answer, and you will hurt several others. It is simply not worth the expense, my sweetheart.”

Pearl started to turn to face her mother, ask her what she meant by that. It sounded very, very important. She stopped, though, holding firm and remembering what Mr. Nick, Mystic Maya and Mr. Edgeworth told her. Her mother was not the wonderful woman Pearl thought she was and she had every right to not listen to her instructions. “Mystic Maya told me that it’s my decision to make, not yours,” Pearl responded in a quivering, frightened voice. “I think I agree with her.”

“… You are quite right, my Pearl. Do not worry.”

There was a horrible, satisfied smugness in Mother’s voice now, and it scared Pearl even more. Pearl retreated, fighting her tears until she got back out into the lobby.

“Well?” Mr. Nick prompted. “How did it go?”

She tried to answer him, and found herself instead bursting into tears and flinging herself into Maya’s arms. As Maya stroked her hair comfortingly, trying to calm her, an account of the exchange tumbled from Pearl’s lips.

Both Mr. Nick and Mr. Edgeworth seemed to be growing increasingly angry as she sobbed out the story, with Mr. Edgeworth finally saying, “That’s enough. I’ll be right back out,” he said darkly, and despite both Maya and Mr. Nick calling after him to stop, barged into the visitation room, snapping at the guard to get Morgan back in there.

~*~

Miles held his breath as he checked the mailbox. It had been several weeks since he’d written that letter, and several months since he located the address he needed to mail it to. It simply took that long for Miles to get the courage to write to her.

His heart sank as he flipped through the articles that were in the box; they were all ordinary. Bills, a notice from court for Sir, a letter from Mr. Amano. Just behind it, a letter from Franziska, probably telling them all about her progress in her studies from her perfect perspective.

Miles sighed a little sigh, his hope that he would hear back fading away again. And he was so close, too; in a few weeks, Sir was taking him to the United States with him on a business trip. He wanted to hear from her before then, arrange to meet. It looked like that was not to happen.

Just as Miles was about to close the box, something caught his eye. Ach! He missed an envelope! He was quite glad that Sir sent him to do this alone; Miles really didn’t wish to explain how he could be so careless as to be able to not do something so simple as checking the mail anything but perfectly. The teenager reached in and grasped the envelope, and then paused. The envelope was different. It was made of a thicker kind of paper than he was used to handling, rougher to the touch.

He almost forgot that he was holding a pile of mail already as he eagerly yanked the envelope out and slapped the box shut behind it. The handwriting that graced the parchment-like envelope was utterly unfamiliar to Miles, and yet he knew immediately who it was from, reading his own name as the addressee written in beautiful, flowing script.

Ms. Misty Fey had finally written back.

~*~

When Mr. Edgeworth emerged from the visitation room, everyone in the lobby immediately knew something was wrong. Mr. Edgeworth was pale, trembling very slightly. Something had gone on in that room that Mr. Edgeworth absolutely did not like. He seemed almost frightened, in Pearl’s opinion. She was the first to speak upon his return. “Mr. Edgeworth? Are you alright?”

The man’s greyish-brown eyes fixed on Pearl, staring hard at her. “Yes. I am fine. I don’t think your mother is going to give up any information than she already has. I’m sorry.”

As he spoke, dark chains and bright red locks wrapped around him, in Pearl’s mind’s eye. She felt cold and scared herself, now. What could Mother have possibly said to him to make him so determined to not tell her? Wasn’t he the one who told her that she had a right to know who her father was?

“What do you want to do now, Pearly?” Mystic Maya prompted, gently.

Pearl bit her thumb lightly as she thought about this. She was the only one in the room who had a working Magatama- she had indeed borrowed Mr. Nick’s- and she didn’t like the idea of talking about Mr. Edgeworth’s Psyche-Locks until she understood why they were there. But, on the other hand, she wanted to find her father. “I’m going to look for him myself,” Pearl finally told her, quietly. “I don’t know how I’ll do it, but I want to find him. I have to know the truth. Especially since Mother doesn’t want me to know. If she doesn’t want me to know, then it must be something I should know. Right?”

“I’ll help you, Pearl.”

All of them looked to Mr. Edgeworth; all of them saw the strange way he was looking at the child. He was distraught. He was bewildered. He was trying to figure something out. And whatever it was, it was upsetting him, a lot.

Pearl, being the kind girl that she was, momentarily forgot her own troubles. “Um… Are you alright, Mr. Edgeworth?” she asked again, biting her thumbnail. And then she winced. Oh my, did that sound stupid. Mr. Edgeworth didn’t like stupid things much, he didn’t like them at all. Pearl thought, in fact, that Mr. Edgeworth would retract his offer after that. She couldn’t tell if she wanted him to, or not.

But instead of chuckling condescendingly at her repeated question, he smiled. It was very, very small, and barely imperceptible. But it was a smile. “I am fine,” he said softly. “I’m sorry that I seem to be worrying you; there is no need for it.”

“Oh. Okay. You really want to help me find my father?”

“Yes. I do.”

Pearl gnawed on her thumbnail some more, feeling terribly awkward. This was unexpected. “Oh. Okay, then,” she said again. “Mystic Maya, is it alright?”

“That’s fine, Pearly, of course it’s fine,” Maya replied, hugging her, her gaze on Mr. Edgeworth, along with Mr. Nick’s, as well. They looked confused and just as worried as Pearl was. They knew Mr. Edgeworth a lot better than she did; if they were concerned, there was cause for concern, whether or not Mr. Edgeworth admitted it.

“Let’s head back to Kurain,” Mr. Nick said after a moment. “It’s been a long, rough day and I’m sure Trucy’s pretty bored by now. I take it you’ll be coming with us, Edgeworth?”

“Yes, if that’s alright with Maya.”

“Of course it’s alright,” Maya returned with a grin. “You’re always welcome in Kurain, you know that.”

At Maya’s statement, Mr. Edgeworth’s grey eyes darkened slightly, although his tone didn’t reflect this change in his mood. “Of course; it’s still impolite not to ask.”

“Oh, whatever. You guys are practically honorary Feys anyway. Come on, let’s go get some burgers before we go.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Mr. Nick said with a smile.

Maya gently guided Pearl to the door, followed by Mr. Nick. The girl looked back, as Mr. Edgeworth hadn’t immediately followed; she was worried. Very worried, almost more worried about him than she was about her own troubles. Sure enough, he was staring after them dully, his expression one of a man who’d just had his life utterly ripped apart. She knew that look well; Mr. Nick wore it all the time, when he didn’t think anyone was looking at him.

Poor Mr. Edgeworth, Pearl thought in sympathy. Her mother even found a way to be cruel to him. With that thought came another wave of burning anger. Why couldn’t Mother just stop hurting people?

As Mr. Edgeworth started walking, finally, Pearl faced forward, utterly determined. She’d had quite enough of all the pain. She didn’t know anything before the horrible events at Hazakura Temple. She knew everything now, and she’d put a stop to all of this horribleness herself. She’d find out who her father was, and she’d get stronger so Mystic Maya wouldn’t have to be strong for her, too, and she’d make Mr. Edgeworth happy enough to make up for whatever Mother said to him that made him so upset. She just had to. Morgan was her mother; Pearl had to make up for all the cruel things she’d done.

~*~

He had no earthly idea how he managed to keep these correspondences a secret from Sir for so long. He was, though, somehow, and their plans were coming together like a dream. Soon, very soon, Miles would meet Misty Fey again. And when he did, he’d be able to ask all the questions he couldn’t when he was nine. What happened? Why did she lie to the police? Was what she told them a lie in the first place?

Miles scolded himself: of course it was a lie. Spirit channeling? Feh… it didn’t exist. He was a fool for even entertaining the thought. She was a charlatan. There was nothing more to the situation but that she tried to scam the wrong people and got caught.

She was a nice charlatan, for sure. His correspondence with her had been tersely polite, since he had wanted a response. He’d gotten it, and it was well-written, utterly lacking in outward manipulation, and sympathetic. That wasn’t the only exchange they had; it had continued on through the year, and the last time he had contacted her, it had been over the phone. That was a purely pragmatic decision, for it made them easier to coordinate this.

Sir barked at him to stop daydreaming. Miles, shamefaced, returned to his studying. Just because he wasn’t “home” didn’t mean he could slack off, nor did the fact that he’d be flying out to Philadelphia in a few hours. If Sir caught on to the fact that something wasn’t right, he’d root it out and, in the best case scenario, Sir would send him back to Germany.

He didn’t want to think about the worst case.

It was the fact that Sir knew him so well and wouldn’t hesitate to raise hell if he caught Miles in this plan that kept Miles calm. He was excited, and it took a great deal of self-control not to show it. In a few hours, he’d be on his way to meet the woman who arguably ruined his life, find out why she’d done it, and judge her. He didn’t want to dislike her, he found; but if her reasons for destroying him weren’t good enough, she’d not ever forget what happened when you crossed a von Karma.

Studying continued even after Sir took Franziska to their own room. Even with them gone, he had to keep studying, to keep himself calm. He was grateful that Sir felt that, as a young man, he deserved privacy. After all, Miles had always been a good, trustworthy boy. He saw the furtive look Franziska set him with as they said their goodnights; she knew something was amiss. She could very easily tell Sir about her concerns. Keep calm, and keep studying.

He rested for a few moments, at one point. But only a few. After that, he got up again, and put his carry-on bag back together. It was all he’d need; as soon as he was discovered to be missing, Sir would start looking. Misty and he only needed a few hours to talk, and their plan would allow for that.

Next, Miles wrote The Note. He felt like a bad boy, a delinquent running away from home. When he thought about it, that was exactly what he was doing: running away. Even if he didn’t mean for it to be permanent. Even if Sir never wanted him back after this. But he sincerely prayed that Sir would understand, this was something Miles had to do. He wrote all of those sentiments down; they’d either pardon or damn him in Sir’s eyes, with no in-between, but he didn’t have the luxury of deciding which.

Escaping the hotel was the easiest part of this plan, just after midnight. He took the fire escape stairs, as he usually did, since the night counter person was paying attention to the front doors, not the fire escape. He was out into the night air before the counter person saw him.

Miles had memorized the directions to the second nearest bus station by foot; of course, he would never take a public bus. He would call a taxi from there, and have the driver drop him off at the airport.

This segment of his plan pulled off without a hitch; he got through security without issue, and when the time came, boarded without issue. He was glad that Sir would make him come home when he was discovered, because if Sir was buying the tickets Sir would make sure he didn’t suffer the indignity of flying coach, as Misty did. It was a small price; Miles would rather fly coach than pass up the opportunity to speak to her in person.

As the plane took off, the teenager looked longingly out over Los Angeles. He both wanted to see his old home again and dreaded it, nostalgia and homesickness twining with pain and grief, making him confused and heartsick. And now it would probably be another two years before he saw the City of Lights again.

At least he’d never seen Philadelphia before.

~*~

Back in Kurain, Pearl found that now that her anger had been cried out and cooled, she had absolutely no idea how to go about finding her father.

“That’s what we’re for,” Mystic Maya said cheerfully, when Pearl expressed this. “Don’t worry. We’ll be sure to find him for you!”

“Ah… Mystic Maya? If it’s alright… I do want help, but… I want to do this myself, too. Please. If it’s okay.”

“What? But that doesn’t really make any-“

“It makes perfect sense,” Mr. Nick contradicted her. “We do what she needs an adult to do for her. She takes it from there.”

Pearl nodded. “That sounds like what I mean. Can we do that?”

“I think that is a perfect plan, Pearl,” Miles said. “That was what I intended when I offered to help.”

“Okay. Thank you so much, Mr. Edgeworth!”

He smiled very slightly. “It’s no trouble.”

Pearl looked around the room, feeling hopeful about her task once again. It was still going to be a huge task, but the adults all probably knew everything she needed to do. After all, if he thought it was possible, it must be. “So, what do we do now?”

“Now,” Mr. Edgeworth said, “we all get some rest. It has been a trying day, especially for you, Pearl.”

“But I want to start looking!” Pearl said urgently.

“It’s late, and you’ve had a stressful day,” Mr. Edgeworth replied, his tone stern but quiet. “It will be much better for us to begin in the morning, when you’ve had time to rest and look at everything with a refreshed mind.”

Pearl bit her thumb, thoughtful and worried again. Something had changed. She couldn’t place it, but it seemed like his whole attitude had changed from how he was in the morning, before they went to visit Mother in jail. But he was right; she was very tired, and very emotional. Maybe she was seeing something that wasn’t there.

A glance at Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya told her otherwise. No, he had definitely changed, because both of them saw it too. At least, that’s what she thought the fact that they were looking at him in just as much worry as she felt about him right now. That’s when she remembered the Psyche-Locks and she decided that she was right. Something was most distinctly off about Mr. Edgeworth now.

Something was most distinctly off, yes, and now she also remembered her vow to herself to make him happy to make up for whatever Mother did or said to him to make him so upset. Of course, she still wanted to do that, but this was more than just him being sad. She wasn’t sure she should meddle, especially since she didn’t know what was going on in his heart or thoughts. After all, very bad things had happened when Pearl meddled when she didn’t know everything that was going on.

But she still wanted to make him happy, so, what did Pearl do when she was in doubt? She asked Mystic Maya!

That decided, Pearl said solemnly, “You’re right, Mr. Edgeworth. I am really, really tired. I should get a good night’s sleep, have a good breakfast and do some good training before I start looking. Thank you, and good night.”

Miles, taken aback by this sudden compliance, replied, “Oh, well, very good. Good night, Pearl. Have a restful sleep.”

“Mystic Maya, can you come tuck me into bed?”

“Oh! Sure, Pearly!”

As Maya, surprised as she was, started to follow Pearl out of the room, Miles said quickly, “Maya, wait. A brief word with you, if you please.”

“Alright. Go on ahead, Pearly. I’ll be there in just a moment.”

“Okay, Mystic Maya.” Pearl felt funny, almost frightened now, as she shuffled to her bedroom alone. She was positive Mr. Edgeworth wanted to talk to her about whatever was bothering him so much. This seemed to be confirmed for her when she heard both Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya shout in surprised dismay, although Pearl couldn’t make out their words and their voices quieted again immediately.

The young Mystic distracted herself from her distress by preparing for bed, mechanically. Undress, bed clothes on, little bathrobe on, face washed, teeth brushed. She didn’t know if Mystic Maya would be long enough to let her brush her hair, but she sat down at her vanity and took down her hair anyway. One stroke, two, three, four, and on, like the rhythm of the metronome Mother gave her to help her with her music lessons.

Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred. Pearl put her brush down, and pulled her hair into a pony tail, to keep it from tangling too much in her sleep. All ready for bed now, and Mystic Maya was still not in the room with her. Pearl stripped off her bathrobe and hung it up, pulled her letters workbook and a pen off her desk, and then sat on her bed, opening the book to the next exercise.

This workbook was especially precious to Pearl. Mr. Nick had purchased it for her after they met. She was so sad about Mother being taken away, and Mr. Nick felt badly about it, so to make her feel better, her took her to a bookstore and offered to buy her a book. Since Mother had always told her to always work on making herself better, and she knew she was bad at reading and at letters, she’d asked him for a book that would help her read and write better. This had been the book they had selected together.

That was the very first time she’d thought about her father, ever. She’d wondered here and there, but never really thought about it. That night, while Mr. Nick was helping her with the very first exercise, Pearl decided that she didn’t need her father, because if her father loved her, he’d be there, like Mr. Nick was. She’d just think of him as her father, although she was always too shy to tell him that.

But with how much Mother lied to her, and how horrible she really was, how could Pearl believe anything she said anymore? How could she believe her when Mother said that her father wasn’t important, that he had just left them? Mother was lying, and there was a man innocent of her horrible accusations out there, somewhere. She had to find him, at least, and find out the truth. If that had been the only thing Mother told the truth about, it would break her heart, but now she just had to know.

Mystic Maya came into her room, finally. “Sorry, Pearly,” she said, sitting on the edge of Pearl’s bed. “Mr. Edgeworth, Nick, and I had something super important to talk about.”

“I see.” Pearl closed the exercise book and gave it and her pen to Mystic Maya, who put them back on her desk. Pearl didn’t like leaving exercises half-done but she was tired and she could finish it tomorrow. “Mystic Maya, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course, Pearly. What is it?”

Pearl decided to start with the first question she decided to ask. “Do you know why Mr. Edgeworth seems so upset?”

Maya hesitated, for a moment fast enough for Psyche-Locks to slam down around her. Pearl couldn’t help but feel dismayed and very scared, now, as Maya replied, “I do, Pearly, but you shouldn’t worry about it right now. It’s an adult thing.”

She sighed heavily. “Mystic Maya… I’m just a kid, I know. But, a lot of what has happened are adult things, and I had to worry about those. What makes this so different?”

“What makes this different is that right now, it’s Mr. Edgeworth’s problem to deal with alone,” Maya replied. “Believe me, Pearly, if we discover that it involves you, we’ll tell you right away. I wouldn’t keep secrets from you.”

“But Mystic Maya, you’re keeping a secret from me right now,” Pearl whined, her fear and frustration finally getting the better of her.

Maya couldn’t help but grin wryly, unphased by Pearl’s whining. “Let me guess- Psyche-Locks?”

“Yes. Five of them, just like Mr. Edgeworth.”

“Oh, goodness. I’m sorry, Pearly, but I really can’t tell you right now. I don’t know anything for sure.”

“Can Mr. Nick tell me?”

“No, honey, he doesn’t know either.”

Pearl wanted to tell Mystic Maya that she knew that Maya was lying to her. She wanted to cry in frustration, wanted to demand to know why no one was telling her the truth anymore. Why was everyone lying to her?

Instead, she got a hold of her emotions. A lady didn’t go around calling people liars without proof. All the Psyche-Locks meant was that Mystic Maya and Mr. Edgeworth knew the answers to her questions but they didn’t want to tell her. Maybe they didn’t want to tell her because, as Maya said, they didn’t know the answers, but thought they knew. That would mean they weren’t lying, right?

So she decided to trust them, believe that was really why they weren’t telling her what they knew. “Okay. You have to promise to tell me as soon as you know for sure.”

Maya hesitated. “I can’t promise that I will tell you,” she replied, and then said quickly, as Pearl opened her mouth to protest, “But I can definitely promise you that you will be told. It might not be me that tells you, but one of us will.”

Pearl nodded in acknowledgment. She saw no Psyche-Locks when Mystic Maya told her that, so she was confident that it was a promise that would be kept. There was no intentional deception, and that made Pearl feel a lot better. “Okay. Um, can I ask one more thing?”

“Sure thing, Pearly. If I can ask a favor from you after.”

“Do you think Mr. Nick will be upset with me, if I find my father?”

Maya laughed. “No, of course not, Pearly! Why would he be upset?”

She shrugged. “I just think he might.”

Maya leaned over her and tickled her sides; Pearl burst out in giggled and squirmed, trying to get away from her older cousin’s fingers, and Maya laughed. “Now now,” Maya said, stopping her tickling, “I don’t need the Magatama to tell that wasn’t honest. Come on, you can tell me.”

Pearl hesitated a moment before answering, unsure, “I just think that, well… I thought of Mr. Nick as my father, a little bit. Maybe he felt the same way and thinks I won’t care so much about him if I find my real father.”

“He does think of you like an adopted daughter,” Maya confirmed with a nod, “but I can also tell you for sure that he definitely won’t be upset or think you don’t care as much. And he won’t care any less about you. So don’t worry about Nick, okay? He’s behind you one hundred percent.”

Reassured, Pearl smiled at her. “Thank you, Mystic Maya.”

“No problem, kiddo. Anytime you need reassurance, just talk to me or Nick.” Maya stood, and then said, “Good ni- Oh! Silly me, I almost forgot! May I borrow your hairbrush, Pearly? I can’t find mine; I think I left it at Nick’s.”

“Oh! Sure, Mystic Maya. It’s on my vanity.”

Pearl pointed, and Maya grabbed it off the table. “You’re a lifesaver, Pearly,” Maya said, heading for the door. She flicked the light switch at the doorway, and the room immediately darkened. “Sweet dreams. Love you.”

“Love you too, Mystic Maya.” As the door closed, so did Pearl’s eyes. She was excited, but she was also sleepy and she knew she needed lots of rest. Tomorrow she’d start looking for her father. Who knew where that journey would take her?

~*~

By the time the plane landed, across the nation, Miles was terrified. He was an American citizen; living abroad for seven years didn’t change that. He had as much right to be in Philadelphia as he did in Los Angeles. But the only American identification he had were his passport and his birth certificate; those had been enough to get on the plane, but security had raised their eyebrows at his German ID. He didn’t know if he’d run into a law enforcement officer who would ask why a teenage permanent resident of Germany was running around alone.

And then there was the fact that Misty insisted on having their discussion in a casino hotel. He was sixteen; he needed to be twenty-one to be on the casino floor. That wouldn’t be a problem, Misty insisted, since they would be staying in the hotel, and the restaurants and such were well away from the casino. Miles wouldn’t have any reason whatsoever to go near the casino. But it was one more opportunity for someone to stop him and check his ID, and there would be trouble.

Miles knew, though, that he was inflicting all of this worry on himself to distract himself from his real concern: Manfred von Karma wasn’t there to guide him. He had to do this all on his own, without anyone giving him cues or stopping him when he may slip and fall. There was no one to catch him if he messed up. Miles, for the first time, was alone.

He tried to put it out of his mind as he hailed a taxi to take him to the Gallery in downtown Philadelphia. It was a beautiful day out, and he found that he quite enjoyed the walk from there to the so-called Love Park, where Misty said she would meet him.

Miles smiled as his gaze fell on the statue that gave the park its name, and the fountain behind it. Despite the hustle and bustle of the city, the scene was quite peaceful and soothing. He sat on the edge of the love statue and waited.

He didn’t have to wait long. A woman with long, black hair that tumbled down her back and shoulders, dressed in a purple tunic-blouse and blue jeans, approached him after only a few moments. “Good sir,” she said, cautious and polite. “I am looking for a young man matching your description. Might you be Mr. Miles Edgeworth?”

Miles stood, and extended a hand. “I am. You must be Misty Fey.”

“Indeed,” the woman replied with a smile and a slight bow, taking his hand and shaking it delicately. “I’ve long waited for this day, Miles. You’ve grown quite a bit since we last met.”

“I hope so. I was a child when we last met.”

“And you certainly are no child now.”

There was something in Misty’s tone that made Miles’ skin crawl. His very first impulse was that he was in danger, and he needed to get away from her. There was no basis for his sudden fear, but there was reason to believe that he was merely overcautious; after all, he didn’t have his mentor there to tell him if his feelings were justified. He was in a frightening, exciting situation; he was on edge. His visceral reaction was an overreaction born of heightened emotion.

And so, Miles just shrugged, as if to brush off his discomfort. “I’m glad I’m not a child,” he replied honestly. “Even two years ago I wouldn’t be able to have this conversation with you.”

“You were angry with me, good sir.”

“I still am. But I feel I can hear you out now.”

“I am glad. We’ve much to discuss and clear the air about.”

“Right. I guess I want to start with-“

Misty laughed, cutting him off. “As much maturity as you’ve displayed in contacting me and restraining your anger in interacting with me,” she said, eyes sparkling in amusement, “it seems you’re still afflicted with the impatience of youth. I’d prefer not to have this discussion out in the open, if it pleases you, good sir.”

He was frustrated by the delay, but that was the plan they agreed on and he had to admit that he was impatient. “Very well. I apologize for my hastiness.”

“It’s quite alright. You’re eager for answers, and I am eager to provide them. But let us run our meeting in its proper order. It’s quite a distance from Los Angeles to Philadelphia. Are you hungry, Miles?”

Miles had to admit that he was. “Yes. The fare on the flight was, shall we say, less than adequate.”

“I can imagine. I’ve been on several flights myself, including the one to bring me here. I wasn’t impressed with the airline’s offerings, either.” Misty smiled, again. “Shall we go to lunch, then?”

“Yes, please.”

The two walked to a restaurant just up the street from Love Park; it was a little lower-class than Miles was accustomed to at this stage of his life, but Misty had told him that she would cover all joint expenses, including food. He wasn’t going to complain about her choice in dining if she was paying. He felt a bit like a hoodlum for not paying himself, but she insisted, even after he offered.

As they dined, Misty asked him questions. What kind of guardian was Manfred von Karma? She wanted to know how Miles’ studies were coming, and about his friends in Germany. She was shocked when he told her that he didn’t really have friends. Surely such a handsome young man at least had a love!

He was telling her that he wasn’t really interested in girls- or boys, he answered, when prompted- when his cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and looked at the display as it flashed Sir’s name and cell number. Despite the dread that knotted in his stomach, he answered the phone and greeted, in German, “Hello.”

“Miles Edgeworth! Where in blazes are you?!”

Miles swallowed hard, hesitating before answering, “Somewhere safe.”

“Boy, I guarantee you that you are not safe! Tell me your location! Now!”

“I’m sorry, Sir. I can’t.”

There was a moment of hesitation on the other end. It struck Miles as uncharacteristic; Sir never hesitated like that. It seemed he had a purpose in pausing. “Miles, listen to me,” he said finally, his tone less harsh. “You do not know what you’re doing. If your reason for withholding your location is fear of the consequences, as you wrote in your note, I assure you what you expressed fear of will not happen. I simply want you to stop this foolishness and return to me.”

“I intend to, Sir, once I’ve gotten answers. I will return to Los Angeles tomorrow.”

“That is not good enough, Edgeworth! You are in-“

“Goodbye, Sir,” Miles said over him, not wanting to hear how much trouble he was in. “I’m sorry.”

“Miles! Miles, don’t hang-!”

The teenager disconnected the call, and turned his phone off. “You handled that beautifully, Miles,” Misty said, beaming at him.

His face flushed and he pocketed the phone again. “Thank you,” he said, not feeling nearly as proud of himself as Misty seemed to be.

“Where were we in our conversation?” Misty mused. “Oh yes! So, if you’ve no friends or social acquaintances, are you homeschooled? Tell me about it, please. All of the village girls are educated in the village; it would be nice to hear of different techniques we might employ…”

~*~

When Pearl woke up in the morning, Mr. Scruffy Detective was there. That was strange; the only time she ever saw him was when he was investigating a murder. And if he was here… Worried, she approached him as he sat in the dining room, happily eating a biscuit and sipping a cup of fresh milk. “Excuse me, Mr. Scruffy, but, please, tell me no one else has been killed…”

“Oh, hiya Pearl!” he replied, grinning at her. “No, no one’s died. I’m doing a favor for Mr. Edgeworth, see?”

“Oh! What kind of a favor?” she asked him curiously.

“Well, he wanted me to bring him a particular file,” Gumshoe replied, thinking. “And he wanted me to take something back for forensics to-“

“Gumshoe!” Mr. Edgeworth said sharply, as he came into the room. The poor detective got that poor kicked puppy look he often got that made Pearl feel sorry for him, and then he said, “Sorry, Pearl. Can’t say much else about it.”

Pearl turned her attention to Mr. Edgeworth, and saw that he had a folder. “Is that the file you wanted Mr. Scruffy to bring you?” she asked.

“It is,” he replied.

She got a biscuit of her own from the plate on the table, expecting him to continue; when he didn’t, she asked. “What is it?”

He was uncomfortable. “It is something I believe will help us determine the identity of your father.”

The young Mystic’s eyes lit up. “Oh, Mr. Edgeworth! I didn’t think it would be so easy! May I see it, please?”

Mr. Edgeworth regarded her with a blank, half-smile. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable, too, when he said, “This is confidential information, Pearl. I have to examine it first to make sure it is what we’re looking for. If it is not, I can’t let you see it.”

“Oh.” She fought not to feel downtrodden about his words. “Well, I guess if it’s not helpful after all, it wouldn’t be something I would be interested in reading, right?”

“Precisely. I shall be studying it today; I ask your patience, Pearl. I’ll be able to tell you more about it tonight.”

“Okay,” Pearl said, and happily munched on her biscuit. She needed to do some training, anyway.

Much to her surprise, although Mr. Edgeworth didn’t eat anything, he stayed to talk to her. He only paused in the conversation to make himself a cup of tea, and she was sure he’d go be by himself or Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya when he was finished, but he didn’t. He stayed right there in that kitchen until Pearl had her biscuit, a glass of milk, and a banana, and she said, “Um, I’m sorry, Mr. Edgeworth, but I have to go train now.”

“Of course. Thank you for talking with me, Pearl.”

She bowed slightly and got down from the table to go find Maya and tell her that she wanted to start training now. But when she heard Gumshoe started talking from the room she’d just left, she paused. It was rude to listen in on other people’s conversations, but she couldn’t help it. “So, you think the victim in that case is her father, huh?”

“I’m almost certain of it.”

Pearl leaned against the wall to get her ear closer to them, her heart beating fast. “But, sir, the name of the victim is permanently sealed. There were all kinds of problems with the case- the kid was a minor; he was real uncooperative, denied anything the perp was charged with actually happened- they eventually had to drop the case because her victim refused to talk about it. There’s absolutely no way to get this guy’s name unless there’s a relevant criminal investigation.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“Wait. You mean that you know who the victim is?”

“I do.”

“But how? You were just six- ah! Oh, sir, no-“

“Lower your voice, Dick,” Mr. Edgeworth said flatly.

“Is it true?” the detective asked in a hushed tone. “Are you really saying-“

“Yes, I am. Keep it quiet, and get that DNA test back to me as quickly as possible. Tell the tech I need it for an extremely urgent investigation and plead ignorance if you’re questioned about it.”

“Yes, Sir. Oh my goodness, I can’t- I’m so sorry, sir.”

“Stop. I don’t need it.”

Mr. Edgeworth’s tone was simply matter-of-fact; it bore no judgment or resentment, and no hostility to Gumshoe for whatever he was apologizing for. He meant exactly what he said, and nothing more. He simply didn’t need the apology.

The two men continued speaking in very hushed tones, frustrating Pearl. If she wanted to hear more she had to go into the room and show them that she was eavesdropping. At that thought, guilt washed over her and she fled, excited. Mr. Edgeworth already knew who her father was. This was happening so much faster than she thought it would; and she had to admit, she was a little scared and a little disappointed. It looked like there was no way for her do any of her own searching.

By the time she got to the waterfall, she decided that was okay. The important thing was that she got to meet him. And maybe Mr. Edgeworth would let her do the actual looking for him on her own. That would work just fine. Content with her plan, she tried to settle down enough to train.

~*~

After they’d finished lunch, Misty escorted Miles to the train station, where they got an express train to the Atlantic City Convention Center. They were silent as he watched the scenery zip by him; despite the distance between Philadelphia and Atlantic City, the trip was quite short and he was grateful for that. The train was, amazingly, making him motion sick.

When they arrived at the Convention Center, Miles was amazed at how empty the building was in contrast with how busy it was outside of it. He could see an outdoor shopping center from their vantage point. “Come,” Misty said, beckoning him to follow her. “We have only a short walk to the hotel.”

He followed her through the street- the Outlets, as the sign indicated- to the boardwalk. Miles wanted to stop and admire the surf; he’d never seen the Atlantic Ocean from this side of it, and he wanted to get a better look.

She hurried him along. “We have more pressing matters to attend to, good sir,” Misty said as she did so. “Once we’ve talked, perhaps we will go together to the beach and walk. For now, this is more important; we don’t know when you will be found by your guardian.”

At the reminder that his genius mentor was looking for him now, Miles followed Misty without complaint. The casino she was staying at wasn’t far from where the Outlets opened onto the boardwalk, and when they entered the building, he had to walk faster to keep up with her.

Immature curiosity rose in him as she guided him along the walkway edging the casino floor; lights flickered on the various machines and a constant undertone of ringing floated dissonantly through the air. But even if he could explore that territory forbidden to him, he didn’t have time to; Misty was a woman on a mission now, and she quickly guided him to the elevators.

Once they were in the elevator and heading up- and up, and up, and Miles wondered just how high-class a room Misty had booked in awe- the sounds of the casino faded, and common sense flooded back to him. Why was he curious about it? Was he really such a kid that a bunch of colorful lights and sounds alone would make him want to investigate? He knew what was on that floor; a bunch of machines that took one’s money and refused to give any back. Nothing special, really.

The elevator stopped at the second to last floor. “Nice room,” Miles murmured.

“It is a bit more private in the luxury rooms,” Misty explained as she led him down the hallway. “I’m sure I needn’t tell you why it’s necessary for me, good sir.”

His chest tightened painfully. DL-6. It was easy to forget that Misty Fey had been ruined in that fiasco, as well; with all that happened, he hadn’t much room for sympathy for her, and thinking about the consequences she faced made him feel badly, even if he didn’t want to. Thus, he merely assumed that she’d walked away from the situation scot-free and a little richer for it, too. He knew that wasn’t what happened, but it was easier to think about than the truth.

She swiped her keycard and entered the room, Miles right behind her. He looked around in awe as Misty said, “Sit, make yourself comfortable. Would you like to have something to drink?”

“Water is fine.”

“Truly? There is wine and champagne as well, if you like.”

Miles got the feeling, again, that he needed to walk away, quickly, and never contact this woman again. However, she was the only one who could give him answers. He couldn’t do that. “I’m a minor,” he said.

“Sixteen is the age you are permitted to drink alcoholic beverages in Germany, is it not?”

“Yes. But we’re not in Germany.”

“So we aren’t.” She got him a little bottle of water from the mini bar and sat down next to him. “I merely thought to take the edge of this conversation off. I apologize deeply if I’ve offended you.”

He took the water from her. “No, of course not. I appreciate the thought.”

Awkward silence descended between them, and Misty only broke it after Miles had taken a sip of the water. “Per your letters to me, you wish to know what happened when I channeled your father,” she said.

“Right. When you told the police that you could contact him.”

Miles made no effort to hide the accusation in his voice, and she flinched, very slightly. “I told them that I could, because I could,” she replied quietly.

He sipped his water again, regarding her thoughtfully. “You wrote that you wished I believed you,” he said finally, with a gesture with his free hand. “Now’s your chance, Ms. Fey: call him.”

“Are you serious, Mr. Edgeworth?”

“Very.”

“I suppose I shall have to do without the benefit of your doubt, then,” Misty said sadly. “These powers require incessant training to maintain. After I channeled your father, I swore I’d never use the powers again. I’m afraid it’s been far too long; I’m not sure I could channel anything, even if I trained forever.”

Miles sighed heavily. How was he to believe a word she said? He wanted to speak with his father, find out from him what happened, directly. Seeing his father before him, hearing his voice again, was all Miles wished for, but it appeared that the question of legitimacy would forever be unanswered.

Despite that, Miles was determined to hear her out. He didn’t run all the way from Los Angeles to Atlantic City to be told that there was no way to discover the truth beyond a shadow of a doubt. She could still present her case, and he could still judge it. “Very well. Will you tell me what happened, then?”

“I suppose… I will be violating your father’s wishes, however.”

“Wh… what? What does that mean?”

“Our final communication was for him to tell me that he never wanted you to find out what happened. Do you still wish to hear it?”

“Yes,” Miles said immediately. Oh, there was no way she was telling the truth. There was no way his father wouldn’t want him to know what really happened. He would know, and then he’d expose her lies for what they were. She had absolutely no way of knowing anything; he knew for a fact that she had never, ever seen any of the files, and the detective investigating his father’s murder didn’t tell her anything, either, in an effort to ensure that it stayed on the up-and-up. She was lying through her teeth.

Misty didn’t start speaking immediately. “I was given a photograph of the victim, your father,” she told him, “and told to ask him to speak, into a tape recorder, the name of the person who killed him.”

So far, this was exactly as it happened; no lies yet. Miles took another sip of his water, his heart racing, as she continued, “I did this, of course. Yanni Yogi was not the name the victim spoke. Not at first.”

He didn’t expect her to admit she’d lied. “Then who did my father say?” he asked her.

She closed her eyes, wincing as though speaking the name caused her physical pain. “Miles Edgeworth.”

The bottle of water slipped out of his hands.

~*~

When she returned from training, Mr. Edgeworth was in his room, alone, and Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya looked awfully worried. “What’s wrong?” she asked instantly. All this worrying was starting to give her a tummy ache.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Mr. Nick told her. “Do you want to do some writing with me?”

Oh. She was being distracted. “Well… I was hoping to talk to Mr. Edgeworth a little bit.”

“That might not be a good idea right now,” Maya said quickly. “He’s really busy.”

Oh. “Well… Could you ask him to let me talk to me when he’s not so busy anymore?”

Mr. Nick and Maya looked at each other. “Yeah, I think we can do that,” Mr. Nick said, finally. “Tell you what, Pearls- you come write some letters with me and Maya will go tell Mr. Edgeworth you want to talk to him. How does that sound?”

“That sounds perfect,” Pearl replied, smiling. “Let’s go practice, Mr. Nick. Mystic Maya, please don’t forget to tell Mr. Edgeworth!”

They both stood up; Mr. Nick reached for her hand as Maya said, “I’m going right now so I don’t forget. He’ll be in as soon as he finishes what he’s doing, okay?”

“Okay,” Pearl replied, nodding, and she and Mr. Nick went to her room. Mr. Nick practiced his writing too, as they talked; he said it was bad enough that he always should practice and Pearl found that she couldn’t disagree, not even to be polite.

They started talking about Trucy, and how she was taking a nap but wanted to play with Pearl after dinner. They didn’t get very far in the conversation, though, because Mr. Edgeworth arrived at the room after only a few minutes. “Maya tells me you wish to speak with me, Pearl.”

He looked super tired, and Pearl felt very guilty. “Oh! Um, you weren’t taking a nap too, were you, Mr. Edgeworth?”

The man smiled slightly. “No, Pearl. I was not napping.”

“Oh. You’re not busy now, are you?” She didn’t think this was quite correct. Mr. Edgeworth, when he was busy, did Super Important Things. He didn’t just stop doing those things because a little girl asked him to.

“I was, but it nothing urgent. It can wait.”

She stared at him. She couldn’t help it. Did he really- “I’m so sorry, Mr. Edgeworth,” she said, “I didn’t mean to make you stop your work! It’s really not that important. I can wait, really!”

“Nonsense. The work I have right now isn’t urgent, I promise. I only brought it with me to ensure that I don’t fall behind. It is busywork.”

“Oh, well… if you’re sure, Mr. Edgeworth…”

“I’m sure. Now, what can I do for you?” he asked her.

Mr. Edgeworth had never been unkind to her, ever. Even though they’d just met, when Maya was kidnapped and they were looking at the big teddy bear, Mr. Edgeworth had not only included her in the conversation, even though she was just a kid, he’d also softened his tone for her. And then when she was just rescued from the Inner Temple at Hazakura, even though she could tell that he knew she was lying to him, he didn’t push her. He just told her that if she wanted to talk, he was there.

But she never thought he would be the type to stop his work to chat with a little girl. Although she didn’t know him that well, she knew him well enough to know that he absolutely wouldn’t stop his work unless there was a very good reason.

Then she realized that she hadn’t said anything. “Um… I just wanted to know if we can talk about looking for my father. Have you had a chance to look over the file?”

His smile faltered; the tiredness in his eyes shifted to something else, something darker, upset. “As a matter of fact, I have,” Mr. Edgeworth replied quietly, his voice still kind and neutral. “I believe it is what we need to examine to find him.”

“Can we?”

“Now?”

She almost giggled at his surprise. Almost. “Well… if there’s nothing else that’s very important… Please?”

In a rare moment of insecurity, Mr. Edgeworth looked to Mr. Nick, searching for the correct answer to that question. The two of them looked at each other for an uncomfortable moment, and Mr. Nick finally said, “Excuse us for a moment, Pearls. We’ll be right back; keep up with your letters, okay?” Before she could respond either way, the two men had left her bedroom.

It felt like they were gone forever; she could hear them talking outside of her room, but they were so quiet, not even putting her ear to the door would let her hear them. A few moments later, she heard Mystic Maya, and then silence.

Even though she knew it had only been a few minutes, at best, Pearl was finding it hard to stay there and keep practicing her writing, alone. Just as she had decided to go make sure they hadn’t forgotten about her, someone knocked on her door. “Come in,” she answered, putting her book and pencil aside.

Mr. Edgeworth opened her door and came inside. He sat on the vanity bench, the file in his hands. “I apologize for the delay,” he said. “This file has some… rather adult topics in it. I wanted to confer with Phoenix and Maya, as they are your guardians. I can’t unilaterally decide to expose you to adult material.”

“What’s ewn-ee-lat-rilly?” Pearl asked, feeling horribly stupid.

“It means I couldn’t decide that alone. I had to ask someone else.”

“Oh. Okay…”

He broke the awkward silence before it could take hold of them. “They both agree that you’re mature enough to handle the contents of this file,” he continued. “After what you’ve been through, it would almost be an insult to believe anything else. And so, here it is- on two conditions. First, I will be present while you read it.”

She nodded in agreement. “I want you to be here. You’re helping me, after all.”

“The other condition is that if you become upset, I will take the file and put it away for the night.”

Pearl wasn’t sure she liked that condition very much, but if she didn’t agree, she wouldn’t get to see the file at all, and so she nodded again. “Okay. I’ll give it right back if I get upset.”

“Good.” With that, he held it out to her; she took it, and read the name on the tab. Her mother’s name. What…? “Don’t be afraid to ask me what any words mean that you don’t understand,” Mr. Edgeworth said. “I’ll be happy to explain.”

“Alright…” With that, Pearl opened the file, and began reading. She knew “suspect”, and “victim”, but the very next word… “Um… Mr. Edgeworth? What is… re-dak-ted?”

“Redacted. That means that whatever was written there has been removed, for any number of reasons. In this case, it is because…”

~*~

“I refused to accept it. You were but a boy; there was no way I could turn your name over to the police as a murderer. I recorded over Gregory’s voice, explaining to him that this was a murder investigation. Even if the police would not prosecute a child for an accidental killing, it would destroy you to discover that it had been you who had killed your father. As you may remember, I spoke with you a little bit, as did my daughter, Mia; you adored him, and you missed him so terribly much. I would not- could not- hurt you in that fashion.

“That done, I channeled him again; he must have listened, because when I was released, he’d left another message. He understood that was why he was being asked who killed him, but he didn’t know what else to do; he sounded so helpless, so frustrated, so scared. He wanted to protect you but he saw no way to do so without lying. Then he told me about the fight with the bailiff, Yanni Yogi, and the circumstances in which the weapon fired. I again recorded over his voice, telling him that if Yogi had not attacked him, you would not have felt compelled to throw the gun. Indirectly, Yogi was the guilty party; much more so than you, Miles.

“He agreed with me, and said this would be the last time we recorded an exchange. I was to wipe out the tape completely, and channel him a final time; when I did, his voice was on the recorder, naming Yanni Yogi as his murderer.”

Miles listened to this story in stunned silence. “So it’s true,” he said flatly.

“That I channeled your father?”

“No… that I killed him.”

Misty put a hand on his knee. “Who told you that?” she asked him quietly.

He shook his head. “No one… I remember… he screamed, just after I threw the gun. I dream of it every night. I didn’t think…”

“Good sir…”

“I’m sorry,” Miles managed to say, before the pain overwhelmed him and tears began. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Fey. You… you lost everything because of-“

“Hush, Miles.” She pulled him into her arms as he cried, devastated. He had his answers now. He had his answers and he wasn’t sure he wanted them anymore. He just wanted to go back to Germany, forget that he’d done this foolish, foolish thing.

She was rocking him gently, and he felt her lips on his temple. A gesture that would ordinarily bother him immensely, Miles couldn’t find it in him to protest; he couldn’t stop crying, his upset preventing him being properly embarrassed that he was sobbing like an infant. He thought nothing of it when she kissed him again, this time on the cheek; but when her hand trailed down to his waist, the tears stopped abruptly, startled. “Ms. Fey-?”

Any protest was muffled by her mouth on his, and then her hands on his body, far lower than acceptable. He grasped one of her wrists as her hands went to his belt, but it was a reflexive motion. Misty brushed his hands away, continuing with her actions.

It happened too fast for his emotion-fogged mind to catch up. He wasn’t entirely there; he was somewhere else, thinking of Los Angeles and how quickly he could be back there, or if Sir would wire him the funds to just get a flight out of Atlantic City Airport back to Germany. He needed to tell Sir the truth; he needed to see that justice was done for his father. He thought of poor Franziska, how much she adored him, and how disappointed in him she would be for killing his own flesh and blood, running away and doing this, and that this felt really, strangely good.

He was still dissociating when it was over. He rearranged his shirt and pants in a daze as Misty suggested they order room service; “I want to go home,” he said.

“So soon? I’m quite hurt, although I guess this could be attributed to inexperience. It is quite bad manners for a man to leave his lover immediately after their lovemaking.”

“I want to go home!”

“I’m not stopping you, although it is a shame, good sir…”

Miles, his face hot and bright red, yanked his belt secure again, the haze wearing off as he started to understand what just happened. He grabbed his overnight bag, mournful tears now humiliated and angry, although he wasn’t entirely sure why he felt so embarrassed and enraged. Just as Misty was about to protest once more that he really did not have to go and should not, the door to the room opened.

Both of their heads snapped in that direction; neither of them were even remotely close to the door. In the doorway stood a security guard; Miles’ blood froze as he looked past him to see Manfred von Karma, and beside him a woman who looked a lot like Misty. “Miles!” Manfred’s voice thundered.

Despite the severe tone, Miles brushed past Misty and went straight to Manfred; the guard stepped into the room and out of the way, clearing the path for Miles to go straight to Manfred. The older man’s arms wrapped around him in an uncharacteristic show of care and protectiveness, as the woman beside them said in a horrified voice, “What did you do to him, Morgan?”

“M-Morgan?” Miles stuttered, looked at the other woman.

She returned his gaze, pityingly. “My name is Misty Fey,” she said very, very softly. “That is my older sister, Morgan.”

Horrified, Miles looked up at Manfred; his stony expression, glowering hatefully at the woman in the room, told Miles that the one beside him spoke the truth. He then turned in his guardian’s arms. Manfred held him as still as he could, making Miles have to crane his neck to see Morgan again. She smirked back, satisfied and smug, and Miles cried out in fury and consternation.

Manfred put a hand to the back of his head and pressed him against his chest. “Arrest her,” he snarled viciously.

He dragged the boy to the end of the hallway as the guard entered the room and handcuffed Morgan, radioing for the front desk to summon the police. As they got to the end of the hallway, Miles heard Misty say, her voice utterly horrified, “You didn’t-Morgan, how could you?! Why him?”

“Why not him?” Miles heard Morgan reply.

“Because there’s no reason for such an elaborate deception just to entrap a teenage boy-“

“You seem to be confused, sister dear! He contacted me!”

“He contacted me, Morgan! You had no right-“

The police had arrived then; two of the officers went into the room while the third escorted Miles, Manfred and Misty down to a police car. No one asked him any questions; it was silent but for the police radio as the officer drove them to the station, the real Misty Fey in the front seat, and Manfred beside Miles in the back.

~*~

Sexual misconduct. Corruption of a minor. Coercion. Kidnapping. Pearl needed help with all of the charges laid against her mother before she’d been born, except with kidnapping. And when she read the whole sheet, with Mr. Edgeworth’s neutral explanations, she was utterly horrified. How could her mother do that to someone? “She really hurt this man, didn’t she?” Pearl murmured, wanting to cry for him.

“Yes, she did,” Mr. Edgeworth replied solemnly, something else in his voice that she couldn’t identify.

“How… how can this file help me find my father, though?” She didn’t understand. She refused to understand.

“I believe that the man she hurt in this incident is your father, Pearl.”

Pearl felt something terrible well up in her chest. “Would he even want to see me?” she asked fearfully. She wanted to know who he was, but if her just being there would remind him of what her mother did and hurt him again…

“Why wouldn’t he?”

“Because… My mother hurt him… and I’d just remind him…”

“Pearl.” Mr. Edgeworth took the file out of her hands gently, closed it, and put it aside. “You may be right,” he said, looking in her eyes. “You may remind him of your mother. But what your mother did is not your fault, in any way. You’re not responsible for her actions. Not when she tried to hurt Maya, and not now. You did nothing wrong.”

“I know,” Pearl replied miserably, looking away. “But I still don’t think I want to take the chance! He didn’t do anything wrong, either! It just seems selfish of me to want to find him now, not knowing if he’ll want me around.”

“Perhaps he won’t,” Mr. Edgeworth conceded, “but do you think he even knows you exist? I somehow doubt he does. What if he would want to know you? I think we have an obligation to give him all of the information, and give him a chance to decide for himself.”

Pearl didn’t answer him immediately, deep in thought about what he just said. He broke her concentration by adding, “Unless, of course, you’ve changed your mind about wanting to meet him. That’s perfectly fine, if you have.”

“No, I still want to. I’m just even more afraid now…”

“You needn’t be afraid, Pearl. I’m here, and so are Phoenix and Maya. Everything will be alright, no matter what happens.”

She looked at him again. “You really think I should find him anyway?”

“I do think that you should find him.”

Reassured, Pearl smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Edgeworth. And thank you for letting me see that file. I… I had no idea my mother was so… so evil. I don’t get how she could trick someone like that.”

“I think you do know, Pearl,” Mr. Edgeworth replied softly.

She bit her thumbnail, thinking hard. “I guess… it’s pretty bad that she tried to make me hurt Mystic Maya, isn’t it…?”

“Very bad. But again, Pearl- that is her crime, not yours. You’re blameless in it.”

Pearl looked down again. “Sometimes I’m afraid Mystic Maya doesn’t think that,” she told him, as though she were divulging a deep, dark secret. “I’m the one that made Mystic Misty channel Dahlia. I’m the one who believed my mother after she’d already tried to hurt Mystic Maya once. It was my fault all that happened.”

Instead of just telling Pearl that she was wrong, Mr. Edgeworth said, thoughtfully, “Why did you believe your mother?”

His question took her by surprise. “Well, um… Because she was still kind to me. I thought that she learned her lesson, not to be mean to people.”

“I see. And not because she was your mother?”

She shook her head. “No. Well, maybe a little. But if she kept being mean about Mystic Maya, I don’t think I would have listened as much. I would have wondered why she wanted to help Mystic Maya and the village so much if she still hated Mystic Maya.”

“I can understand that,” Mr. Edgeworth said finally. His tone was strange, as if he’d just realized something. “When we want to trust someone, we look for reasons to do so, even if we know we should not.”

“Yes, that’s it. I wanted to trust her. She’s my mother. I don’t like that I can’t…”

“No one can fault you for that. You should be able to trust her. She knew that you did, and she took advantage of that trust.”

“We’re right back to everything being her fault and not mine, aren’t we?”

“Precisely. Do you see now?”

“I think so. Mr. Edgeworth, thank you,” Pearl said. She stood, crossed the short distance between the two of them, and hugged him, as tight as she could. He inhaled sharply as she did, and fearing he was about to ask her to back off, said quickly, “You’ve helped me so, so much. I know I wanted to find him myself but there isn’t much I can do, is there? I wouldn’t even know any of this without your help, and you don’t have to do any of it.”

“I do, Pearl.”

“Huh? Why?” When he didn’t answer her, she said, “Oh… that’s right. It’s your job to help people who need it, isn’t it?”

He responded then, in a way Pearl wasn’t expecting. He returned her embrace, hard. He tried to say something, faltered, and settled for just continuing to hold her. At first it scared her; this was way different than Pearl expected Mr. Edgeworth to act.

But it only scared her for a second. After that, she decided that she liked it when Mr. Edgeworth acted like this. Who could have guessed that as formal and cold as he was, Mr. Edgeworth gave good hugs?

~*~

“She intentionally misrepresented who she was.”

I have to deny it.

“She lied to you, Miles.”

She didn’t do anything.

“She used your heightened emotional state and coerced you into sexual contact.”

She didn’t coerce me into anything.

“Edgeworth, what she did was sexual assault. You’re accomplishing nothing by refusing to cooperate with the investigation.”

What she did was play a cruel practical joke. Nothing more, and certainly not worth forcing us to stay in America and prosecute her.

“God damn it, boy, why won’t you cooperate?! What she did to you was heinous!”

She didn’t do anything of the sort. It was mean-spirited but that was all.

“You are a minor.”

We didn’t have sex.

“Why are you lying? No one’s judging you, Edgeworth.”

Can we go home now?

“We have no choice. Drop the charges and let her go.”

Good. Thank god this foolishness is over without a pointless trial.

“Miles? Do you still want me to tell you about DL-6, sweetheart?”

… No. I just want to go home.

~*~

Dinner went smoothly, pleasantly. Afterward, when Pearl declared that she wanted to watch television, Maya suggested Steel Samurai instead. It was a suggestion that was met by a heavy objection from Mr. Nick, and he clearly expected Mr. Edgeworth to side with him.

His reaction when Mr. Edgeworth did not was funny and almost made Pearl laugh. “Sorry, Wright. She’s almost ten years old. There comes a time when a girl has to put away the Children’s Masterpiece Theater and watch something more suited to her age.”

“Oh! But Mr. Edgeworth, what if I don’t want to put away the Children’s Masterpiece Theater?” Pearl asked him mischievously.

“Yeah, Edgeworth, what if!” Phoenix chimed in vehemently.

He shrugged, grinning. “Then I suppose we shall be watching Children’s Masterpiece Theater tonight,” he said matter-of-factly.

“See? Put the DVDs away, Maya. We’re watching Children’s Masterpiece Theater.”

“But Mr. Nick, I didn’t say I wanted to watch Children’s Masterpiece Theater!”

“Oh, Pearls, don’t do this to me-“

“Say, Trucy,” Pearl said, ignoring Mr. Nick. “Which would you rather watch? Steel Samurai, or Children’s Masterpiece Theater?”

“Children’s Theater sounds really childish and boring,” Trucy said immediately. “I think we should watch Steel Samurai.”

“Trucy, why did you have to say that?” Mr. Nick moaned, and Trucy giggled. “Sorry, Daddy.”

“Yeah, fine, it’s okay…”

“Oh, stop it, Wright,” Mr. Edgeworth clipped as he took the box from Maya and started setting up the TV. “You enjoy these shows just as much as we do, and you know it.”

Mr. Nick didn’t reply, choosing instead to pout. Pearl and Trucy giggled at him, as Pearl explained to the other girl what Steel Samurai was. She didn’t tell her much about the story; they were going to start over so Trucy wouldn’t be in the dark. Mr. Edgeworth liked Steel Samurai almost as much as Maya did, or so her big cousin said. The fact that he hadn’t asked about it before agreeing with Maya about what to watch made her think that was the truth. So, Mr. Edgeworth wouldn’t need to see it from the start.

In a few minutes, hot tea and hot chocolate were distributed to everyone, and some popcorn, cheese and crackers set out on the coffee table, and they started watching the show. Even Mr. Nick was enjoying it, although he was trying to pretend that he wasn’t.

When the Manor’s phone rang Maya got up to answer it, telling them not to bother pausing it.

She returned only a few seconds later, somber and subdued. She whispered a few words to Mr. Edgeworth, who repeated the statement not to pause the movie, and went to get the phone.

Mr. Nick looked over at her as she sat back down. “Gumshoe?” Maya nodded, and he cursed, causing both of the girls watching the show from the floor look up at him in shock. Maya said his name reproachfully, and he mumbled an apology and an order for the girls not to use that language.

When Mr. Edgeworth came back in the room, his face was red, as though he was really upset. Even his eyes looked a bit red and wet, like he was trying hard not to cry. The discomfort Pearl felt since she saw her mother yesterday came back in a rush; Mr. Edgeworth didn’t drop his work for children, he didn’t give hugs, and he certainly didn’t cry. Ever. She wanted to know what was going on, and she wanted to know now.

“It’s true, isn’t it?” Maya asked him softly.

Mr. Edgeworth just nodded, staring at a spot on the floor, eyes unfocused. “You have to tell her,” Mr. Nick said.

“I don’t know how.”

Mr. Nick paused the movie, suddenly. “Trucy. Come on, let’s go look outside at the stars. We didn’t get the chance to yesterday.”

“What’s going on, Daddy?” Trucy demanded. “Everyone’s all upset!”

“Just come outside with me. Please.”

“But-“

“Trucy.”

She pouted, but stood up and left the room with him, leaving Pearl, Mr. Edgeworth and Mystic Maya. “Do you want me to stay?” she asked him gently.

After a moment, Mr. Edgeworth shook his head. “No, it’s alright.”

As she got up to stand, Pearl did so as well. “Should I go, too?” she asked, scared and unsure.

“No, Pearl. I need to speak to you,” Mr. Edgeworth answered, as Mystic Maya squeezed her hand and then left the room as well.

Mr. Edgeworth leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees as he tried to gather his thoughts. “I have a confession to make,” he said finally. “I offered to help find your father because I suspected that I knew who he was.”

“Really?” she asked, putting a hand to her mouth. “Why didn’t you tell me, Mr. Edgeworth?”

“Because I had to make sure I was right. It simply wouldn’t do to tell you that I thought I knew, and then have it turn out that I was mistaken. I couldn’t get your hopes up unless I was absolutely sure.”

Pearl was starting to understand what was going on, and it made her feel sick to her stomach. “And you are sure now?”

“Yes. I apologize, Pearl, but to confirm my suspicions, I asked Detective Gumshoe to run a comparison between your DNA- the stuff that makes you- and the man I thought was your father.”

“And it showed that he was?”

“Correct.”

There was a terribly awkward silence between them. Just as Pearl was about to ask him the man’s identity, he said, “I had no idea, Pearl. If I had…”

“It’s you, isn’t it, Mr. Edgeworth?” He didn’t reply; he just looked at her, guiltily and at a loss. She took a shuddering breath and said, “You’re the one my mother hurt so much.”

When he still didn’t answer, Pearl took a step back, and then another, causing alarm to overwhelm the other emotions on Mr. Edgeworth’s face. “Pearl-“

The girl didn’t wait to hear what he was going to say. She turned around and bolted from the living room, crying, leaving him there, all alone.

~*~

Miles was furious. After what this woman had tried to do to Maya, she had the gall to think that she had the right to hide anything at all from those girls? Preposterous! He’d been in Pearl’s position, in a way; having been lied to his whole life, being used for his guardian’s personal amusement and ego-stroking; he was used to hide Manfred von Karma’s own guilt.

Much like Pearl was used to hide her mother’s guilt.

“Get her back in here,” Miles snapped at the guard, who hurried to obey him.

It took only a few moments; his eyes narrowed in hatred when Pearl’s mother emerged from the doorway again. “Well. We meet again, Miles Edgeworth. You look well.” She sat down on the chair again serenely. “How may I help you, good sir?” she asked him, vicious and polite.

“You can help me by dropping dead!” he exclaimed tensely.

“How rude. You were much more polite as a youth, Miles.”

“I can’t believe a hateful thing like you is Pearl’s mother!”

“I see you’ve cultured an acerbic tongue to go with your unattractive personality,” Morgan replied sourly. “What do you want, Mr. Edgeworth? I haven’t got all day.”

Of course, she did indeed have all day. There wasn’t much to do in detention, facing trial. Miles knew that from experience. He didn’t want to spend anymore time with this woman than he had to, though, and bit out, “She has a right to know who her father is, Ms. Fey. After all you’ve put her through, the least you can do now is be a decent human being and just tell the poor girl.”

“If you think she has such a powerful right to know, Mr. Edgeworth, then you tell her.”

He understood the implication immediately and suddenly felt cold and overwhelmed, and very much like a hoodwinked and devastated sixteen-year-old. “You’re lying,” he said, his voice wavering.

“Believe what you like. I, for one, believe we are done here. Good day, good sir, and good luck.” Morgan stood, and gracefully walked back to the doorway leading to the holding cells.

Miles stared after her for several moments, before pressing a hand to his mouth in horror. Pearl was his child. He had a daughter, suddenly, and he had no idea what to do now.

~*~

Pearl found herself quite a distance from the manor. Certain that no one was around to hear it, the girl sat down on a large rock by the edge of the path and cried even harder than she had when Mother had been arrested.

Once she was all cried out, and her throat hurt, Pearl looked around again. Yes, she was definitely alone. All alone, with no one to tell her what to do. What she should do.

Her thoughts immediately turned to her mother, and she first tried to imagine what her mother would say, before she stopped listening. No. Mother wasn’t a good person to ask about this, about anything. Mystic Maya- no. She’d not know what to do, either. She was good friends with Mr. Edgeworth, that would mean she’d side with him.

Side with him? What did that mean, anyway? Whatever she meant by it, Mr. Nick was in the same position.

That left Mr. Edgeworth himself. Pearl started to think about all the things he’d said in the last day, and then stopped herself. That was cheating a little bit, wasn’t it? No, she had to decide what she wanted to do. Not what Mother would want, or Mr. Nick or Mystic Maya, not even what Mr. Edgeworth would want. She needed to do what she wanted to.

Well, if she answered that honestly, there were two things Pearl wanted to do. The first was the right thing, and the second was what would make everyone happiest. How was she to reconcile those wishes with this situation? This would be complicated to reason out and Pearl wasn’t sure she was smart enough to do it.

Now that she had come to that conclusion, she sorely wished that she hadn’t run away like that. She was cold, she was lonely, and really, she needed an adult to help her find out what the right thing was, and what the thing that would make everyone happiest was. But how was she supposed to make anyone happy? Her father… She was born because her mother hurt Mr. Edgeworth. How in the world could she make him happy now?

Her dismayed thoughts grew darker still. What if the right thing and the thing that would make everyone happiest, were things that were directly opposed to each other? What if, by doing the right thing, she made someone miserable; but by making everyone happy, she’d end up being bad?

The prospect was so horrifying to her that she burst out into tears again. Her next thought was to assume that scenario to be the true one, and now that she’d run away, they all knew she was bad and she’d have to go live at Hazakura Temple, for real this time. She’d finally found her father and now he wouldn’t want her.

That thought made Pearl cry even harder, hurting far, far worse than anything she’d ever felt before. Even when Mother was taken away. Even worse than when she found out that her mother tried to make her kill Maya. Her mother only wanted her for power. There was no way Mr. Edgeworth- her father- would want her. Surely he knew! He was super smart! He figured out everything. Why didn’t he ever say anything about it?

The only reason she could think of was that he didn’t want her. She had been right. Her father had been there for years and he didn’t want her.

She was crying so hard that she didn’t hear voices calling her name; not until she heard Mr. Edgeworth’s, his voice almost panicked. He sounded really, really afraid, and Pearl gulped back her tears and slid off the rock. As she started walking towards their voices, Mr. Edgeworth called her name again, even more scared now than before. Why? Was it because she was crying, and now he couldn’t hear her? Just in case, Pearl called back, “I’m here, over here!”

There was a break in the shouting, and then Mr. Edgeworth called her name again. She heard him running towards her, and when he saw her, he stopped. Utter relief crossed his face as he asked her, “Are you alright?”

She nodded. “I’m okay,” she said, her voice a little raw from crying so hard. “I’m sorry, Mr. Edgeworth.”

“Don’t apologize, Pearl. You’ve done nothing wrong and I’m just glad you’re alright.” They were quiet as Mystic Maya, Mr. Nick and Trucy ran up behind him. Pearl looked down, feeling badly for making them all worry, so selfish… she couldn’t cry. She was a big girl, and she needed to be a big girl. “Pearl,” Mr. Edgeworth said again, and she looked up at him.

He was holding a hand out to her, smiling slightly, unsure and anxious. “Let’s go back to the manor,” he said. “We can talk more, or watch more Steel Samurai, or something else.”

“Y-you’re not angry with me?”

“Goodness, no. You’ve done nothing wrong,” he repeated.

Pearl took his hand. His fingers closed around hers, gently, and the group headed back to the manor together. As they walked, though, Pearl found her footsteps getting heavier, more hesitant. “Mr. Edgeworth,” she said quietly, finally coming to a stop in the middle of the path. “I think we better talk instead of watching Steel Samurai.”

“Alright,” he said quietly, almost fearfully. Fearful? But why…

Five minutes later, Pearl firmly led him to her bedroom, trying to be brave. He sat down on the bed next to her, hands folded in his lap, waiting for her to talk. Why? Didn’t he have anything to say? “Mr. Edgeworth… I…” She gathered up her courage and blurted out, “Why didn’t you ever tell me!”

“I didn’t know.”

“You did!” she cried, the stress of the last few days breaking her control. She couldn’t be calm and polite anymore. “You had to know! You knew who my mother was! You knew how old I am!”

Mr. Edgeworth put his hands on her shoulders. “Pearl, please listen to me. I did not know. When we first met, I did have questions, but I think both of us were thinking about something else at the time.”

She tried to look away, but the way he was holding her limited her range of movement, and so she opted to just look at her lap, not answering. After a moment, Mr. Edgeworth added, “After that… I have no excuse. Such things do not simply slip one’s mind. I chose not to think about it. I was wrong to do that. But I did, and all I can say about it now is that I’m sorry, Pearl. Forgive me.”

Pearl leaned against him, hugging him, her anger melting at his sadness; he pulled her into his arms, returning her embrace tightly. “You can’t go away anymore,” she said firmly, voice thick with emotion. “You have to stay, okay? I won’t forgive you if you go away again.”

“I won’t leave. You are my daughter.” And then, in a lighter, teasing tone, he added, “You’re stuck with me now.”

She laughed and pulled away, looking up at him, smiling. “And you’re stuck with me. You have to help me with my letters now, you know.”

“I thought that was Phoenix’s job.”

“It’s yours now. You’re my father.” He raised an eyebrow, and she giggled quietly. “Okay, maybe Mr. Nick can still help.”

“That’s a relief to hear. Pearl?”

“Yes, Mr. Ed-“ Pearl stopped short, unsure. He was her father. Should she address him as such?

He ignored her hesitation. “Please don’t think I don’t want you. I meant everything I said today.”

She smiled up at him. “Okay. I’ll try. Let’s go watch TV with the others... Father.”

Mr. Edgeworth’s- Father- eyes watered instantly, and he wiped them with the back of his hand as he smiled back. “Yes. Let’s.”