Fanfiction: Phoenix Wright/Gyakuten Saiban: Even if You Never Understand Why. Part 8
Title: Even if You Never Understand Why.
Rating: PG/FROC for a few bad words, and an eventual, completely *non*sexual bath scene.
Genre: Seinen-ai/SoftSlash.
Pairing/Characters: Narumitsu (P/E), the rest of the main cast.
Length: Long. As in, insanely so. Posted-in-chunks long. *sweatdrop*
Squicks: Miles is sick, but he'll get better.
Spoilers: Post GS4. Set a few months after "Forward into the Past."
Author's Notes: Written for the kink meme, and grown beyond all possible reasoning. For anyone's reference, it's filling this here: http://teagueful.livejournal.com/31002.html?thread=8391962#t8391962.
Nick gets a reminder that fear is universal. Parts are going to slow down for a bit, though I hope they don't stop completely. I will be gone for a week, and then it's packing to move. I'm still going to try to find some time to write, so I don't go mad.
Disclaimer: If they were mine, I wouldn't be where I am now, I'd be writing GS5, Turnabout Commitment Ceremonies, and raking in cash hand over fist.
"Pearl isn't really mad at you for not being with Aunt Maya, you know." Phoenix looked over at her as they waited, though her gaze was fixed out the window.
"I rather sort of figured that. She had a few psyche-locks on her when she said it, but I didn't want to press."
"It's just that... she's jealous, kinda... for herself and for me." She took a deep breath and brought her attention back on him, then set to watching the cups shake in the machine. "I was depressed last night, and said some stuff I'm not sure I really mean. At least, I don't want to mean it."
He drew her to his side as they waited, wanting to make her feel safe. "Sweetie, whatever it is, you can tell me. If there's a question you have that I don't know the answer to, we'll find someone who does, just like we always do."
"Do you love Mister Edgeworth more than you love me?"
The question, along with the lack of her normal affective term for the man cut him to the core, his eyes widening in shock. "What? No, of course not!"
She bent her head even as she leaned up against him, twiddling her toes inside her sandals as she examined them. "You sent me away so you could be with him."
"You remember when you were ten and had chicken pox, and I stayed home from the Borscht Bowl to take care of you?" She nodded, and he continued on. "It's just like that, I promise. This stuff... it's nasty. Some people get it, get over it, and are fine for the rest of their lives. Other people get it, and can never really get rid of it, and I'm scared that'll happen to you. You have so much energy and inspiration in you; I'd hate to know you got something like that because I didn't care enough about you to try to keep you safe."
"So... as soon as it's all clean again, I can come home?"
"I am not abandoning you, Trucy." He tightened his arm about her shoulders, squeezing her firmly. "I know I'm not always the best father. I'm spastic and grumpy sometimes, and we don't always have that much money, but I would do just about anything for you. You have done so much for me, and I'd scramble from here to the moon if I had to, to make sure you get what you need."
They had to pause when their drinks were ready, and he took the moulded, paperboard carrier as she walked beside him with her own cup. "You retook your bar exam for him," she managed around a mouthful of tapioca.
"No, actually, I retook it for me. He was a catalyst, yes, but I did it so we could bring in more money, and so I could do what I've wanted to do for a long time. I miss defending, proving people innocent. It's..." Phoenix let out a breath, fully aware he was currently failing to communicate. "A long time ago, I was an idiot and fell in love with with a girl who wanted to use me to keep herself from going to jail. Because of her, I was accused of a murder I didn't commit, but I was saved by an angel named Mia. I wanted to be like her, to save those who couldn't save themselves." He knew he was fudging a bit regarding his decision, but this didn't seem to be the time to bring up Gregory Edgeworth, or his search for Miles. "She inspired me to push myself, to learn how to be a lawyer, and save the people who needed saving. I know I'm no angel, Truce, but if there's someone who needs my help, and I don't give it, I might as well be playing judge, jury, and executioner to someone who truly didn't do anything wrong."
Trucy blinked at that, and was silent for a time, sipping at her tea. "What happens if they really did do it, but they're paying you to say they didn't?" she asked.
Phoenix snickered. "Then, Papa manages to miraculously find the information, and he sees that it gets to where it needs to be."
"Isn't that illegal?" When she tipped her face up to frown at him, the confusion and disapproval was clear in her eyes.
"Not unless I directly give it to him. I don't know how he manages to find it..." Phoenix directed his eyes skyward in apparent innocence, before sneaking a glance down.
"You mean, you leave it on your desk with a stickynote or something." Trucy's frown deepened, and she gave a soft huff through her nose. "I thought you were doing this to follow the law."
"Sometimes, there's a difference between the law and the truth, sweetie. It's hard to always know where the line is, and Miles is very good at pretending that his way is the only way to go. But, even he knows that sometimes, the truth is more important than a tick mark on his record."
That kept her quiet for several minutes, and they got back to the building and into the elevator before she spoke up again.
"So... you're not kicking me out. You're just taking care of both of us."
He nodded, letting out a breath of relief that she seemed to finally understand him. "Yes, exactly that."
There was a pause, and then she hugged him as tight as she could with one arm, forcing Phoenix to balance the carrier with one hand. He rubbed his free hand soothingly over her back, feeling her breath hitch. "Don't cry, dove. I know you get scared. I don't ever mean to worry you. You are Trucy Wright, and you have been for a long time. I won't just leave you behind, I promise." He gave her a squeeze as the elevator doors dinged open. "I know how much that hurts."
Part 9
Part 7
Rating: PG/FROC for a few bad words, and an eventual, completely *non*sexual bath scene.
Genre: Seinen-ai/SoftSlash.
Pairing/Characters: Narumitsu (P/E), the rest of the main cast.
Length: Long. As in, insanely so. Posted-in-chunks long. *sweatdrop*
Squicks: Miles is sick, but he'll get better.
Spoilers: Post GS4. Set a few months after "Forward into the Past."
Author's Notes: Written for the kink meme, and grown beyond all possible reasoning. For anyone's reference, it's filling this here: http://teagueful.livejournal.com/31002.html?thread=8391962#t8391962.
Nick gets a reminder that fear is universal. Parts are going to slow down for a bit, though I hope they don't stop completely. I will be gone for a week, and then it's packing to move. I'm still going to try to find some time to write, so I don't go mad.
Disclaimer: If they were mine, I wouldn't be where I am now, I'd be writing GS5, Turnabout Commitment Ceremonies, and raking in cash hand over fist.
"Pearl isn't really mad at you for not being with Aunt Maya, you know." Phoenix looked over at her as they waited, though her gaze was fixed out the window.
"I rather sort of figured that. She had a few psyche-locks on her when she said it, but I didn't want to press."
"It's just that... she's jealous, kinda... for herself and for me." She took a deep breath and brought her attention back on him, then set to watching the cups shake in the machine. "I was depressed last night, and said some stuff I'm not sure I really mean. At least, I don't want to mean it."
He drew her to his side as they waited, wanting to make her feel safe. "Sweetie, whatever it is, you can tell me. If there's a question you have that I don't know the answer to, we'll find someone who does, just like we always do."
"Do you love Mister Edgeworth more than you love me?"
The question, along with the lack of her normal affective term for the man cut him to the core, his eyes widening in shock. "What? No, of course not!"
She bent her head even as she leaned up against him, twiddling her toes inside her sandals as she examined them. "You sent me away so you could be with him."
"You remember when you were ten and had chicken pox, and I stayed home from the Borscht Bowl to take care of you?" She nodded, and he continued on. "It's just like that, I promise. This stuff... it's nasty. Some people get it, get over it, and are fine for the rest of their lives. Other people get it, and can never really get rid of it, and I'm scared that'll happen to you. You have so much energy and inspiration in you; I'd hate to know you got something like that because I didn't care enough about you to try to keep you safe."
"So... as soon as it's all clean again, I can come home?"
"I am not abandoning you, Trucy." He tightened his arm about her shoulders, squeezing her firmly. "I know I'm not always the best father. I'm spastic and grumpy sometimes, and we don't always have that much money, but I would do just about anything for you. You have done so much for me, and I'd scramble from here to the moon if I had to, to make sure you get what you need."
They had to pause when their drinks were ready, and he took the moulded, paperboard carrier as she walked beside him with her own cup. "You retook your bar exam for him," she managed around a mouthful of tapioca.
"No, actually, I retook it for me. He was a catalyst, yes, but I did it so we could bring in more money, and so I could do what I've wanted to do for a long time. I miss defending, proving people innocent. It's..." Phoenix let out a breath, fully aware he was currently failing to communicate. "A long time ago, I was an idiot and fell in love with with a girl who wanted to use me to keep herself from going to jail. Because of her, I was accused of a murder I didn't commit, but I was saved by an angel named Mia. I wanted to be like her, to save those who couldn't save themselves." He knew he was fudging a bit regarding his decision, but this didn't seem to be the time to bring up Gregory Edgeworth, or his search for Miles. "She inspired me to push myself, to learn how to be a lawyer, and save the people who needed saving. I know I'm no angel, Truce, but if there's someone who needs my help, and I don't give it, I might as well be playing judge, jury, and executioner to someone who truly didn't do anything wrong."
Trucy blinked at that, and was silent for a time, sipping at her tea. "What happens if they really did do it, but they're paying you to say they didn't?" she asked.
Phoenix snickered. "Then, Papa manages to miraculously find the information, and he sees that it gets to where it needs to be."
"Isn't that illegal?" When she tipped her face up to frown at him, the confusion and disapproval was clear in her eyes.
"Not unless I directly give it to him. I don't know how he manages to find it..." Phoenix directed his eyes skyward in apparent innocence, before sneaking a glance down.
"You mean, you leave it on your desk with a stickynote or something." Trucy's frown deepened, and she gave a soft huff through her nose. "I thought you were doing this to follow the law."
"Sometimes, there's a difference between the law and the truth, sweetie. It's hard to always know where the line is, and Miles is very good at pretending that his way is the only way to go. But, even he knows that sometimes, the truth is more important than a tick mark on his record."
That kept her quiet for several minutes, and they got back to the building and into the elevator before she spoke up again.
"So... you're not kicking me out. You're just taking care of both of us."
He nodded, letting out a breath of relief that she seemed to finally understand him. "Yes, exactly that."
There was a pause, and then she hugged him as tight as she could with one arm, forcing Phoenix to balance the carrier with one hand. He rubbed his free hand soothingly over her back, feeling her breath hitch. "Don't cry, dove. I know you get scared. I don't ever mean to worry you. You are Trucy Wright, and you have been for a long time. I won't just leave you behind, I promise." He gave her a squeeze as the elevator doors dinged open. "I know how much that hurts."
Part 9
Part 7