175 Across the Pond

A/N: For my more innocuous readers who didn’t realize the pun of the last chapter name, The Miles High Club… THE MILE HIGH CLUB definition is: indulging in any form of sexual intercourse in an in-flight airplane restroom while being at least a mile off the ground. Given their multiple trips, the little bunny rabbits known as Phaya are now gold members! 😆

There are going to be spoilers/references to Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney crossover game in the next few chapters as the gang is now officially in merry ol’ England!

p.s. Every single one of those ridiculous items mentioned by Larry in chapter 174 is for real including the dong-shaped making egg contraption and the vibrating beer wand of dubious shape! 😋

“Don’t gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold. The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”
~Bob Marley~

Miles Edgeworth and Phaya
The Savoy Hotel, London
July 20, 2026 9:00 AM

Exiting the main doors of Strand Palace Hotel, Phoenix and Maya walked several meters up the road and waited at the crosswalk, even though Edgeworth’s hotel, the Savoy, England’s most upscale caravansary, was almost directly across the street from their lodgings. The extra walk may have seemed like an unnecessary precaution, but jay-walking would have been suicide, as even at this early hour, the London streets were already milling with buses and cars and taxis.

The psychic had, of course, wanted to take a shortcut and just sprint across the road, but her boyfriend had sharply reminded her that the British drove on “the wrong side of the road” and when attempting to cut across an intersection the last time they’d visited the country, she’d nearly made them both become as flattened as the pancakes they’d just had for breakfast!

Also, although the English were comparatively well-mannered to Americans, they were not too civilized to blare their horns and yell a few choice words out their windows when displeased!

Layton had tactfully warned his visitors that English courthouses had a strict dress code and would probably frown upon his hobo gear, then politely suggested the card shark at least wear something business casual.

Phoenix had balked at the idea of wearing the same sweltering black suit he’d borrowed for Larris’s wedding last month just for a day trip, even though the prosecutor had grudgingly agreed to lend it to him again. However, although he was dressed more smartly than usual in a polo shirt and khakis in preparation for a visit to the courthouses, the pianist felt self-consciously out of his realm as he and the Master walked into the posh, five-star Savoy. It was even more upscale than the Regent Beverly Wilshire in LA – which he’d naïvely thought was la crème de la crème in snoot factor lodging!

But there was no comparison …The Savoy was leagues above even the most luxe caliber in Los Angeles splendor! It was an entirely different elite world even from their own hotel, the four-star Strand Palace. Even the regal lobby, which in itself looked fit for royalty, was done in English Edwardian design – which made the contemporary modern décor of their lodgings seem like a hovel in comparison!

As always, only the best for (future) Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth!

Never a morning person, the card shark was feeling quite disgruntled as they approached The Savoy Suite, the second-most luxurious room only to the Savoy’s exclusive crown jewel, known as The Royal Suite.

“I don’t understand the man at all! The Professor isn’t meeting us until after mid-day, and The Old Bailey isn’t open until 10:00 to the public! So remind me again why Grumpworth insisted I be up so early, especially since we were all out so late at dinner last night?”

He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“I’m still jet-lagged and getting used to the time difference here! I wish I could have made like Pearls and stayed in bed!”

“Stop sounding like such an old man, Nick!” She admonished laughingly. “Pearly is a growing girl who needs her beauty sleep when she sees her boyfriend again today! You’d think the coffee you had at breakfast would have awoken you somewhat!”

“Don’t even pretend you aren’t going back to bed as soon as Mr. Early Bird and I get into our taxi!” He grimaced at the mention of Luke. “And by the way, Mr. Triton is most fortunate I even allowed him to talk his way out of that horrendous scenario instead of throttling him! And Pearls is lucky we didn’t ground her after that little incident yesterday!”

“It was a misunderstanding! Luke is ever the perfect gentleman he’s always been!” Maya lightly cuffed her frowning inamorato on the arm as they approached their friend’s hotel room door and knocked on the rich wood. “Stop being such an overprotective papa bear!”

“I’d be the same way if it were Trucy and you know it!”

The door was flung open at that moment by a snowy-haired, uniformed butler.

“Top of the morning to you,” the Savoy-appointed steward bowed in greeting. “You must be Mr. Wright and Ms. Fey. Mr. Edgeworth is just finishing his tea in the lounge and will be with you shortly.”

The butler ushered them into the entrance foyer of the grand suite. Just like the lobby, the palatial Edwardian influences were combined with a color palette of creams, ivories, and blacks in keeping with the 1930’s look that ran throughout the hotel. A bolder, contrasting cinnamon tone provided warmth and complemented the wood used throughout the posh suite.

“Good Morning, Wright, Maya.” Miles joined the duo at that moment, looking well-rested and as immaculately groomed as ever in his usual suit and cravat. “Are you ready to leg off?”

“Good Day, sir,” the Englishman greeted the lawyer. “Was this morning’s nosh to your liking?”

“Breakfast was quite lush, thank you. I won’t be back until evening, so that will be all for now.”

Phoenix bit back an amused grin as he noticed his friend’s slight English inflection had sharpened to the point where it nearly rivaled Sebastian’s!

Lush?! God save the Queen! How is it that Edgeworth’s British accent and mannerisms could have possibly magnified a tenfold … overnight?! Ah well…when in Rome, right? Or in this case… when in London?

“Very good, sir. Shall I ring Benson, your driver, and make him aware you will be down shortly?”

“Yes, thank you. My companion and I shall meet him at the car park.”

“Right away, sir. Best of British to you gentlemen, and fair lady.” The old man smilingly excused himself. “Pip pip!”

The couple stared in awe as Hendricks 2.0 bowed his way out of the room, and Miles smiled smugly.

“This place has all the comforts of home, including the manservant. Sebastian comes with this suite, along with a courtesy travel Rolls, which will be taking us to the courthouse, Wright.”

“A Rolls you say? As in Rolls Royce?!” Phoenix whistled appreciatively. “Wow! Jolly good! It sure beats taking a plain old cab!”

He looked around, utterly blown away by the opulence of the room as he took in the two wall-to-wall windows, which boasted unrivaled views of the River Thames, then glanced back at the prosecutor.

“By the way, Edgeworth, do you mind if I duck into your bathroom before we head out?”

Maya was just opening her mouth to say she suddenly needed to use The Whizz Palace as well – she blamed the combination of all her breakfast tea and the unbridled sight of that glorious rushing river view! – But went mum as Miles crossed his arms and affixed the swains with his trademark glare.

“Yes, I jolly well do mind! After the blood-soaked, nightmare hellscape that was the plane ride over here, largely thanks to your libidinous shenanigans, I made a solemn oath to myself. That I would share any sort of facilities with either one of you … When pigs fly and I own my private jet!”

The barrister blithely disregarded the simultaneous flush of crimson which crept over the lovers’ cheeks at the ruthless outing of their Mile High Club lechery while he drove his point home.

“Furthermore, such is a personal avowal I intend to keep! Now, gather your bearings, and let’s chivvy along.”

The spiky-haired man’s eyes widened in dismay, while the now mildly incontinent Maya silently thanked all that was holy that her own hotel restroom was just across the street rather than dare ask if she could powder her nose as well! The look on the prosecutor’s face indicated he wasn’t at all kidding about his refusal, as it was as forebodingly no-nonsense as it was in court!

“Have a heart, Edgeworth! I went a bit overboard with coffee at breakfast!” The hobo complained as the lawyer practically grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and hurled him out the door. “Where am I supposed to answer the call of nature?”

“The courthouse is only a quarter-hour ride away, and has a public loo,” the barrister said crisply, marshaling them down the hall. “You’re a grown man, Wright. I’m sure you shan’t melt into a puddle until we arrive there.”

“But there’s morning traffic already!” Phoenix protested pitifully. “It may take longer than 15 minutes to get there! What am I supposed to do in the meantime?”

Miles glared at his best friend.

“Hold It!”

Maya Fey
The Savoy Hotel, Main Entrance
July 20, 2026 9:05 AM

“Cheerio, mates!” Maya swallowed back a giggle at the strained expression on her beau’s mien as he visibly squirmed in his seat while waving goodbye to her, indicating how desperately he needed to relieve himself! “Ring me later to advise where you two fancy meeting us for this eventide’s scrummy fare!”

Feeling quite proud of herself for her use of local slang – and ignoring the cringing exchange between Miles and the chauffer at her admittedly godawful English accent – she leaned in the rear door of the luxury, chauffeur-driven vehicle to give Phoenix a quick goodbye peck, then stepped back as Benson closed it shut, tipped his cap at her, and took his place behind the wheel.

The spirit medium let out a yawn as she watched the Rolls-Royce drive away. As much as she’d been teasing Phoenix about acting like an old fart for being so knackered, as they said here in England, the eight-hour time difference between Los Angeles and England remained a rough adjustment for her as well. Now that the swains had enjoyed their breakfast, she did have every intention of making like Sleeping Beauty and catching a few more winks for at least another few hours. She and Pearl weren’t due to meet up for sightseeing with Luke and Flora, Layton’s foster daughter, who was home from boarding school for the summer, until noon.

The Master peered across the street at Strand Palace and let out a wistful sigh that she couldn’t just make the mad dash over the busy roads to the other side like she would’ve done if she’d been at home. Jaywalking was almost unheard of in the UK, therefore she would have to forgo it and do the more civilized option of walking all the way to the crosswalk in order to get back to her lodging, which seemed like such a waste of time and energy!

Suddenly her mocha orbs morphed into the size of silver dollars as she spotted something at the outdoor bistro adjacent to Strand Palace that made her stop dead in her tracks and rub her eyes; she was quite certain that in her bleary-eyed state, her vision must be deceiving her.

“Sweet crustacea of west Asia!” The diviner gasped in disbelief. “Of all the café joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into the one right next to mine?!”

Forgetting all about her previous fatigue and urgent need to go pee, the Master quickened her pace on the sidewalk, never taking her vision off her target as she reached for her cell phone and quickly dialed front desk reception at her hotel, asking to be connected to the slumbering Pearl’s room. She cast one last, frantic gander across the busy road, in final contemplation of simply saying sod it to British social convention and just making her way over, in the shortest distance possible!

A fleet of double-decker red buses and back-to-back cars swarmed past just as she tentatively placed her foot down on the cement, as though giving her an ominous indication to not even think about it!

“Hello?” The teenage spirit medium’s groggy voice answered the line, indicating her guardian’s phone call had woken her up. “Luke?”

“Pearly, it’s me! Throw on some clothes and get yourself downstairs to the café next door this instant!” Maya’s voice came out in frantic huffs as she hurried towards the crosswalk. “I’ll explain later, but you’ll never believe who I just spotted sitting outside, after practically stalking her this past year!”

Cursing the fashionable high-heeled sandals she’d opted to wear with her chic summer dress, as running shoes would have undoubtedly allowed her to run at a faster pace, the village leader hightailed it across the street. At a golden marathon Olympic-level sprint, she dashed towards the table where the mysterious figure, who was wearing a large sun hat and black sunglasses, was seated. The necromancer was panting heavily as she stood there, her chest heaving in exertion from the unexpected exercise.

Uncaring of the fact that she must’ve resembled a mad hatter candidate for Bedlam, her face flushed, red and sweaty, long tresses in a disarray, and eyes wild, the winded psychic dramatically slammed both her hands down on the unsuspecting patron’s table, courtroom style, in a manner that would’ve made Phoenix proud.

“The cruel hide-and-seek game you’ve been playing with me ends today, right here, right now!” She declared, staring accusingly into the face of the startled woman who had been evading her for so long. “Don’t even think of trying to run away from me this time, Franziska Von Karma!”

Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright
The Royal Courts of Justice
July 20, 2026 11:00 AM

Phoenix couldn’t stop fidgeting.

It wasn’t because he still needed the loo, as he’d long since relieved himself in the public restrooms. His current discomposure had absolutely nil to do with the urge to tinkle anymore.

Humorously enough ‘to give someone a tinkle’ in England had nothing to do with draining one’s lizard, any more than ‘giving them a ring’ meant buying them jewelry! Gosh, the British had some strange jargon!

No, the reason the former Ace Attorney was wriggling like he had fiery ants in his pants was that he was vainly trying – and failing! – to appear interested while Miles relentlessly plied his ears with facts and trivia regarding their impromptu detoured location, on as though he were an official tour guide, instead of just sounding like one!

“Queen Victoria opened the Royal Courts in December 1882 after eleven years of construction. The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, has approximately 1000 rooms, 35 long corridors, and 19 courtrooms, and The Great Central Hall alone is about 238 feet long, 48 feet wide, and 80 feet high. This place houses both the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales.”

The prosecutor continued to refer to his information pamphlet and drone on in the same tireless manner of the past hour since the courthouse doors had opened, uncaring of his friend’s palpably distracted twitching or bored expression.

“The enchanting building instantly became an awe-inspiring landmark in the heart of London’s Fleet Street. The architecture is 19th-century Victorian Gothic style, reminiscent of a cathedral in both style and scale.”

Miles kept swiveling his gaze to fully take in the soaring arches and beautiful stained glass windows, ornamented with the coats of arms of Lord Chancellors and keepers of the Great Seal. The courthouse was even more enhanced by its spectacular, mosaic marble floor, leading to a maze of enchanting corridors that went on for miles.

“It is quite evident why this place, one of London’s best-kept secrets, is considered to be such a smashing, can’t-miss destination. During my year sabbatical, when I toured Europe, I somehow missed the chance to fully explore this place, so I knew I had to see it before we went to the Old Bailey…”

The ex-defense attorney clapped a hand to his mouth to stifle a yawn. He thought he’d been discreet, so was taken aback when subjected to a penetrating glower by the other man.

“Are you still knackered by the time difference, Wright?” Miles pursed his lips disapprovingly. “Surely you aren’t such a bloody chav that you’re actually bored in such splendid, majestic settings?”

Phoenix opted not to snap at the growing more British by-the-minute Anglophile counselor to please speak (American!) English, even though he was having an increasingly harder and harder time understanding the prosecutor’s UK idioms! Nonetheless, he was astute enough to recognize that a chav was probably not a complimentary term!

“So this is why you made me get out of bed so early when I could have been catching a few more Zzzz’s?”

He goggled at the nerdy Poindexter he called his best friend, who even on a mini-vacation before heading off for Interpol duty, could manage to be so frigging dull with his rendition of a jolly good time!

“I thought you were taking me to Central Criminal Court extra early so we could check out the jurist system, but instead you dragged my exhausted rear end … here!”

“Here being one of the largest courts in Europe, you xenophobic, unappreciative cur!” Miles shot him a withering look. “Both locals and tourists alike find this to be an ace opportunity to immerse themselves into the fascinating history of the courts and the majestic setting! And it’s not just a courthouse. There are many different popular attractions located both inside and surrounding the courts, such as the Bear Gardens, the Painted Room, the Crypt, the Great Hall, and the sculpture/costume exhibit room, and as you can see, all the masses around us find this place to be right blinding! Ergo, there is no issue with the location itself.”

He narrowed his eyes at the poker champ.

“Well, Wright? I see no problem here. No problem… except you.”

“I guess I can’t see the point of this place,” Phoenix shrugged helplessly. “I mean, sure it is pretty to look at, but we were supposed to be taking jury notes for when we get back to the States, and there’s not much here that’ll help us do that! The Royal Courts of Justice only deal with civil, not criminal issues, and the majority of cases involve topics such as financial or family disputes, as well as asylum, libel, or deportation hearings, which means they will more than likely be boring as heck!”

“Horses for courses, I suppose.”

Miles sighed in resignation, knowing there was no point in trying to argue the historic and cultural richness of their location to such a willfully unschooled plebeian!

“Wright, I was planning to allow myself only a few days of leisure with your British chums before I let Lang know that I was back in Europe, and he commands me to join him wherever he’s stationed! Can you not cease your whinging and allow me another few hours of recreational pleasure before we are due to go meet Professor Layton at the Old Bailey, which is only a half mile east from here?”

His voice hardened as Phoenix continued giving the logic genius the same pained look as when he’d been denied using his Savoy suite lav.

“I was loath to pull out my trump card this early, but your gormless self has left me nary a choice but to give you the bollocking you sorely deserve! You will stop your grousing, posthaste, and allow me this rare opportunity to enjoy myself because after what I endured on the plane ride over here, you and Maya owe me for at least another decade!”

“You’re never going to let this go, are you?” The pianist groaned, his cheeks reddening at the reminder. “Maya told you what happened to us last night! Don’t you think we’ve suffered enough for our sins, after the harrowing incident with Luke and Pearl?”

“That was not suffering, Wright!” Miles emitted a derisive snort. “That was pure, unadulterated karma!”

Flashback: Previous Night

Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey
Strand Palace Hotel, Deluxe Suite
July 19, 2026, 6:45 PM

Standing before the bathroom mirror of their hotel suite, the elegantly dressed couple had nearly finished their primping for their first London dinner with Layton, Luke, and Flora that night at Le Gavroche.

“It was pretty cool of Edgeworth to get us a room right next to our not-so-little girl.” Phoenix fastened the rear clasp of Maya’s dangling ruby pendant and lightly kissed the side of her neck. “Even though Pearls is going to be legal age next year, it’s still quite comforting knowing this lavatory has a connecting door to her room, in case of emergency.”

“Nick, Pearly will always be our little girl, even when she’s 100! This place is really nice, too. It’s one of the nicest inns I’ve ever stayed at, and heaven knows how extensively I’ve traveled for my Master duties! Funny how it ultimately wasn’t good enough for Mr. Moneybags Prosecutor.”

The diviner stepped away from him and did a little twirl so he could admire the simple but chic black cocktail dress she was wearing, then suddenly tapped a finger to her chin, as though trying to remember something.

“Refresh my memory… are we taking the taxi over to the restaurant with Miles, or was he going to go there on his own?”

“He said he’d meet us there for 7:30.” Phoenix gave a rueful shake of his head. “Apparently, it’s not enough that he’s staying at a different hotel from all of us entirely; it seems Edgeworth’s nerves remain too shot from the plane ride over with us to even stomach sharing a 20-minute cab ride over to this snooty establishment of fine French dining!”

“Where, according to the website, tonight, we shall have the choices of haute cuisine fare such as succulent lamb rump from Yorkshire, or lamb plucked from the mountainous peaks of the Lake District if you want to eat more than merely its arse! Mais non! It’s not limited to cute nursery rhymes starring sorts of dead animals to feast on! Pas de tout!”

Maya’s eyes were dancing with mirth as she began ticking the items off on her fingers.

“There’s also gastronome options of Roast Saddle of Deer, Dorset escargot, Orkney scallops, Venison from the Moreland Estate, and Yorkshire Galloway Beef, which is probably the sole item there that’s closest to a simple steak! Since the kindhearted Professor is hosting our welcome meal, I didn’t have the heart to let him know how much I hate French food and would have been happier merely going to a burger place!”

“This bon-vivant stuff is definitely more up Edgeworth’s alley than ours,” Phoenix sniggered. “But I guess it’s not too surprising that a knighted English gentleman would also occasionally opt for the finer things in life. Heck, as long as the Professor is buying, I guess we can’t really complain!”

“I wonder what the deal is with Miles! He was supposed to have the room next to us, and I thought we were all going to be together until he had to take off on Interpol business. I still don’t get what was so unbearable for him on the flight that resulted in him doing a last-minute turnabout, pulling his reservation here, and deciding to stay at the Savoy hotel across the street instead!”

“Yeah, Edgeworth isn’t exactly the fly-by-seat-of-his-pants, spontaneous type – he’s always mocking me because such is more my go-to style!” The pianist chuckled, adjusting the last button on his dress shirt. “But I know the Savoy is the swankest hotel in London! Maybe he just wants to live large?”

“I couldn’t help but overhear the front desk lady on the phone tell him that they were fully booked, except for The Savoy Suite, which is 9000 pounds a night! He didn’t even blink, or seem to care about the fee he’d be charged for the last-minute cancellation at this place and put it on his American Express Centurion anyway! Ya know, the Amex Black Card that’s invitation only? Longines had one, too!”

“Edgeworth has the same exclusive credit card as Mr. 1% ….aka richer than Croesus? That is impressive! I should feel less guilt now about all those times I let him pick up the dinner tab!”

Phoenix was grinning as he put a final dab of gel on his spikes and slicked them back – only to have the same stubborn stray lock resume its tenacious spot back on his forehead in its endearing Superman curl, no matter how many times he attempted to smooth it back into place. Groaning with defeat, he reached for the bathroom doorknob which connected it to Pearl’s suite.

“Let’s just take the shortcut over. Pearls must be ready since I just heard Luke’s voice next door – I guess the kid couldn’t wait any longer to see his girlfriend again! Ready to go eat some overpriced gourmet food, my love?”

The spirit medium put a final dab of lipstick on her smiling mouth, dropped it into her beaded clutch, and nodded at her boyfriend.

“I’m good to go too. Luke must’ve been counting down the hours since he met us at the airport this morning to see Pearl and his furry little son again! Those two are just the sweetest, most adorable Disney couple in the world!”

The adjoining door had just been flung open, but before they could announce their presence, the duo heard the teenage boy’s garbled speech, along with the acolyte’s frantic cries – and froze in their tracks.

“We need to hurry! Do you think you’ll be down there much longer, Luke?”

“I hope not! It’s hard to breathe under here!”

“Is that why it seems like you have no idea what you’re doing? Hey, watch it! Your hair is tickling my leg!”

The Master let out a soundless gasp, one hand flying to her heart as she and Phoenix remained cemented in the adjacent doorway, their poleaxed eyes taking in the happily tail-wagging Feyt in the corner of the suite. Various pieces of girl’s clothing were haphazardly strewn on the carpet by the bed … right next to a pair of discarded male loafers and a suit jacket!

“Apologies, love!” Luke’s voice was muffled. “There’s not much light here and it is rather small…”.

“How are you going to find it if you don’t even know what you’re looking for?!” Pearl exclaimed in exasperation.

“It’s not like this is the sort of puzzle I’m used to solving! I’ve never done anything like this before!”

Maya’s mouth froze open in silent horror, and Phoenix’s orbs were nearly bugging out of his head as the thunderstruck yet still unnoticed couple saw the unmistakable shape of the British boy’s head moving beneath their untouched, virtuous daughter’s bedcovers.

All the while, the teenage girl’s bare arms were holding up the duvet as she peered below at her beau and directed her conversation downward.

“Oops! Sorry! I didn’t know this would be so hard for you! What can I do to make things easier?”

“Please keep holding up those blankets so I get enough light to see what I’m doing! I only had a quick look at it earlier, and there was still a lot of hair in the way!”

Snapping out of their mutual stupor and bursting forward into the room, the traumatized pair, at last, found their voices at the exact same time.

“Argh! Luke Triton, I’m going to kill you!” Phoenix bellowed just as Maya shrieked “Gack! Luke, what are you doing to our daughter?!”

“Eeep!” Pearl squeaked, her eyes widening in shock. “Mr. Nick! Mystic Maya!”

“What is the meaning of this?!” Maya shouted, waving an accusing finger at the stupefied teen. “Luke Triton, you little creep! Get out of my daughter’s bed this instant, before you’re the next spirit that needs channeling!”

The startled young woman dropped the blankets and sprang up from the bed like a shot.

Maya sagged with some relief against Phoenix’s side as it was mercifully revealed that in spite of their initial view of her exposed shoulders and arms, Pearl was in an entirely dressed state, as her slender, barefoot frame was clad in the strapless lilac dress she’d been showcasing to Miles on the plane.

“Cor blimey!” Luke rasped, poking his head up from under the sheets, his sandy head tousled as he waved his hand triumphantly in the air. “I finally found it!”

Turning his head, he spotted first the stormy faces of the adults and then that of his panicked girlfriend, and his face turned white with fright. Clutching the unidentified, glittery object in his fingers like a peace offering, the fully clothed lad slowly slid off the mattress, his saucer-sized eyes reflecting his petrified state.

“Maya, Mr. Wright!” He croaked. “I know this seems bad, but I swear, this isn’t what it looks like!”

“Please don’t kill him!” Pearl begged, snatching the item from her boyfriend’s trembling fingers and holding it up in the air. “I swear we can explain!”

Flashback: 15 minutes earlier

Pearl Fey and Luke Triton
The Strand Palace, Junior Suite
July 19, 2026, 6:30 PM

Pearl carefully applied a final coat of pale pink lip gloss in front of the mirror and smiled at the sleepy-eyed canine lying on his furry tummy atop the thick shag carpeting at her feet.

“You look like how I feel, Feyt! I almost wish I could nap a little bit longer, too! But that would mean not seeing your Daddy again, and that just won’t do! Tonight will be lots of fun and catching up! Plus, I really liked Flora, and it will be great to have a new female friend here.”

Feyt yawned.

“Now stop that yawning, you! At least you can go back to sleep after I leave – I’ve read that most dogs sleep at least 10 hours a day! I’ve gotten used to traveling and being in countries with different time zones over the years with Mystic Maya – it’s a good thing I’m young enough to adapt! Regardless, this latest time difference is going to take some getting used to! I woke up from my nap half an hour ago yet I haven’t entirely shaken away all the drowsy!”

Her four-legged son tilted his head to the side as though listening intently to his Mommy, his tiny pink tongue sticking out in what appeared to be a goofy puppy grin.

“Tee-hee! Professor Layton had to practically drag Luke away after our group lunch because he insisted that we all needed to get some rest before dinner. He was right; I crashed the minute my head hit the pillow, but after not seeing your Daddy for a month, these were the longest four hours of my life! There’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t do if it meant my sweetie could live closer to us, instead of across the pond! Although considering I wasn’t expecting to see him again until Christmas, I shouldn’t be griping, right?”

Feyt wagged his tail, as though nodding agreement, and Pearl giggled as she bent over and scratched him behind his velvety ears.

“I promise you, we won’t leave you alone too often, little guy. This place we are going to tonight is super fancy, but for the most part, we’re going to stick to outdoor cafés, so you can always stay with me because Luke won’t want to be separated from you any more than I will! Speaking of your Daddy, I sure hope he likes my new dress! Time for dinner! I should go next door and see if Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick are finished getting ready.”

There was an unexpected knock at the door. She naturally assumed it was her cousin and was smiling as she answered it.

“Hi, Mystic Maya! I was just about to come to get you guys…” Her eyes lit up with surprised delight as she saw not the mahogany orbs of the village leader, but the loving cinnamon ones of her boyfriend. “Luke!”

“I’m sorry to spring myself on you like this instead of just meeting you at the restaurant,” Luke smiled sheepishly and bashfully held up the rose bouquet he’d been hiding behind his back. “But I just missed you so much, and this morning at the airport, I was a bit too bleary-eyed from our late-night conversation during your plane ride to have remembered to bring you this little welcome back to England token of my affection …”

“Please don’t apologize!”

Pearl’s face was shining with happiness as Luke crouched down and scooped up Feyt, who had come over to investigate the new visitor and upon seeing his Daddy, was merrily yipping in greeting.

“This was the nicest surprise ever! You, I mean, not the flowers. They’re beautiful though. Thank you so much! By the way, I love that navy suit! You look so handsome.”

Luke was blushing shyly as he stroked the puppy’s head, his visage aglow with admiration as he took in the flattering shade of the frock, and how extra fetching his girlfriend looked with her caramel mane partially pulled back at the crown and the rest tumbling loosely around her shoulders in silky waves, with wispy tendrils framing her pretty face.

“Thank you, love. I’m glad you like them – the Tudor rose is the national flower of England. But the flowers are merely pretty. You … you’re beautiful.”

“Thank you! You really think so?”

Her cheeks turn pink with pleasure at the compliment as she ushered Luke into the room and placed the bouquet on top of her dresser before turning back to him.

“This is a brand-new dress. I bought a whole bunch of new clothes for this trip. I hope you like them!”

“It’s not the dress. It’s just … you.”

Carefully placing Feyt back onto the floor, Luke stroked her cheek with his knuckles, still awestruck at the reality that they were together again and he could actually take in that treasured visage in person at last.

Her gray eyes sparkled, the light making them look alive while reflecting the warmth of her unconditional love. They were such a unique color, a mix of light and dark silver. They gazed adoringly into his, so big and beautiful, so much emotion held inside. They smiled constantly, those doe eyes. Eyeliner rimmed her expressive orbs, making them stand out so much more, and making him fall even deeper under her spell each time he saw them.

How exquisite the fair Fey girl was. And how just like her to be so wonderfully diffident in thinking mere clothing could in any way enhance or alter her naturally ethereal beauty. He loved how blissfully unaware of her comeliness Pearl still was, all this time later. It only made him love her more.

She could never understand the beauty she is made of because she doesn’t see herself as I do. As anyone does.

“You don’t need to ever worry about changing anything about yourself for my sake, Pearl,” Luke said tenderly, already tilting up her chin for his descending lips. “You’re perfect just the way you are. I love the dress, but you could be wearing a potato sack and you’d still be the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

Pearl felt a warm glow spreading through her at this ardent declaration, but any response she could have given was lost in the next instant as his mouth gently covered hers.

His lips were the sweetest; every word uttered by him would always leave her weakened and deeper in love than before. These were the memories she cherished most. There had been times, in the beginning, when she would look into his bright eyes, wondering if he truly meant it when he said he loved her, and her fragile heart would question her for falling in love so easily; and she’d feared it’d only be a matter of him to leave her for someone else, to say he was tired of her love and wanted to be with someone who lived closer to home. Those doubts were fewer and far between nowadays, but at times she still sought some reassurance that this was real; that it was forever.

“I don’t suppose,” she whispered shakily when their lips had finally parted. “That your biased opinion of my looks is in part because I live so far away and you appreciate me so much because we hardly see each other?”

Recognizing the underlying query beneath her humility, Luke threw his head back and laughed at her quip. It was a sound she hadn’t heard in a thousand years and it was a sound she would wait for another thousand to hear.

He leaned close, their breaths mingling, and kissed her again. Short and sweet.

“I love you,” he told her, pulling her tightly against him and breathing in the fragrant scent of her hair. “Near, far, wherever you are, my Princess Pearl, I’ll always love you.”

All fleeting doubts were vanquished in the next instant, and Pearl blissfully melted in his embrace, knowing that every day she was with him, she could feel herself falling deeper. She often wondered if this was that elusive treasure known as true love or just an ever-growing love that simply existed and would never extinguish.

“We really should get going,” she said reluctantly, a few lingering kisses later. “I was just about to go get Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya right before you came along.”

“I suppose you’re right. As much as I’d like nothing more, I reckon I can’t keep a hold of you the entire night.” He flashed her a cheeky grin and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, then frowned slightly. “Er, Pearl, did you know one of your gem studs was missing?”

“No way! Are you serious?!” Pearl clapped a hand against her barren earlobe and spun around to confirm this terrible news in the mirror. “Oh no! When did I lose it?! These were the gold and diamond teardrop earrings Mystic Maya gave me as a maid-of-honor gift last month! I’ve only worn them once!”

Her face fell, and she looked as though she were about to cry.

“I love these earrings! They were my first ever diamond jewelry… And Mystic Maya is going to be so disappointed that I could be so careless with something so expensive!”

“Don’t fret love,” Luke said quickly, never one to ever wish to see a lady in distress, especially this one. “Let’s retrace your steps. When is the last time you remember having both of the earrings on?”

“I know when I’m tired, I tend to forget smaller details, like jewelry, and I was exhausted by the time I got to my room this afternoon,” Pearl recalled, biting her thumb. “I knew I wanted to wear these earrings tonight, and before I took my nap, I put them on. I set the alarm clock on my cell phone to wake me up at 6:00. As soon as I got up, I drew back just the corner of the covers – it’s easier to make the bed afterward if you do it that way instead of rolling them down all the way. Then I took a shower, and emptied half my suitcase onto the bed trying to figure out what to wear to dinner…”

She gestured at the discarded pile of outfits and groaned.

“It may have fallen somewhere amongst the clothing… Or it could have gotten snagged on my pillow while I was sleeping.”

“That’s a good possibility. Which means it could still be on the bed somewhere.” Luke cast a dubious glance at the jumbled mess on the bed. “Or…somewhere in that massive heap.”

“But we can’t just toss everything onto the floor! What if Feyt sees it before we do and accidentally swallows it? You know he likes bright and shiny things!”

“Well then, we’ll check under the covers first. We can’t have you ruining that lovely hairstyle, so I’ll do the honors,” Luke declared valiantly, already shucking off his jacket and slipping out of his shoes. “I just need you to carefully slip back onto the bed and hold up the covers to give me some light so I can have a look. They always make hotel linens so heavy!”

Pearl’s cheeks warmed slightly at the idea of being in the same bed as her beau, with whom she had shared nothing but the utmost chaste relationship for the past year, but her urgency to find the missing earring quickly outweighed her brief moment of modesty.

“It sounds crazy but it just might work!”

As Feyt eyed his parents inquisitively, she carefully slid back under the blanket flap and held them up just high enough for Luke to slip underneath, and then shift himself, feet first, down the length of the queen mattress.

“How’s this for allowing light?” She asked anxiously. “Can you make out anything down there?”

“It’s darker than I expected but I can try to feel my way around. I wish I had thought to use my cell phone as a flashlight before I ducked beneath these things, but I left it in my jacket pocket!”

For what seemed like ages, the English bloke frantically groped around every surface of the mattress, his questing fingers roaming for anything that even marginally mimicked the glittering stone he had only briefly glanced at in his girlfriend’s ear.

“Luke!” Pearl tittered as his fingertips accidentally grazed her bare calf. “Your hands are freezing!”

“Whoops! Sorry love!” He chortled self-consciously. “Didn’t mean to grab at your leg like that! But you know what they say, cold hands, warm heart! Ha-ha!”

He sounded more embarrassed by the unseemly situation than Pearl was. However, after what felt like eons, it seemed as though the whole thing was an exercise in futility.

“We need to hurry!” She cried in frustration, nearly fed up and ready to call off the entire pointless search at this point. “Do you think you’ll be down there much longer, Luke?”

“I hope not!” Luke was barely audible beneath the mountain of linens. “It’s hard to breathe under here!”

Peeking at the wall clock, Pearl was abruptly reminded of the time, and realized Phoenix and Maya would probably come to fetch her at any minute!

She would simply die of embarrassment if they happened to walk in on her and Luke now!

End Flashback

Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright
The Old Bailey
AKA
The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales
July 20, 2026, 11:35 AM

Miles’s fleeting moment of annoyance had vanished, and he sounded positively chipper now as he and Phoenix neared the criminal courthouse.

“It’s the egregious adventure tales of parenthood such as this, which undoubtedly shall forever live in infamy within your tormented memories, that make me genuinely rue switching hotels at the last minute!”

The prosecutor treated his best friend to one of his infamous smirks.

“Since my room was supposed to be next door to yours, I do not doubt that you and Maya’s screams of horror would have definitely been palpable, even from behind closed doors!”

Phoenix scowled darkly at his friend.

“I can’t believe you find my trauma at the lurid, albeit misconstrued, moment of walking in on my innocent eldest daughter – whom you and I have both known since childhood! – being in bed with her boyfriend so damn amusing! You’re such an ass, Edgeworth!”

“I can’t believe you can’t see how the whole misunderstanding with Luke and Pearl is naught more than divine retribution at its finest!” Miles snickered unabashedly, ignoring the other man’s glare. “Any more than I can believe you and Maya were at all nonplussed about why I decided to change not just rooms, but hotels! It occurred to me after my torturous plane ride – during which I countlessly contemplated going skydiving without a parachute! – that it wouldn’t have mattered if I had decided to take a room on even another floor from you two incorrigible randy rabbits!”

He crossed his arms and stared pointedly at his old courtroom rival.

“Staying at the Strand Palace would have meant enduring my second biggest phobia if I were to be in the quarters above yours, what with having my floors shake in the manner of a California quake…”

Miles paid zero heeds to Phoenix’s telltale blush.

“Otherwise, I would face the equally hellacious prospect of having “Dancing on the Ceiling” be an actually experienced sensation instead of merely being a hit retro song, should I be the unfortunate sod in the room beneath your ever tremulous bed! You can see how a mere hotel cancellation fee and 9000 pounds was a small price to pay for a guaranteed piece of mind!”

Phoenix wisely dropped the topic. Inside the courtroom, he’d been only defeated by Miles Edgeworth one time, and upon his own free will. Outside of it, though, he conceded when he needed to throw in the towel and acquiesce his defeat in this particular battle of wits.

He also knew he should be thankful to whatever God was watching over him that, all things considered, the lawyer hadn’t murdered either him or Maya in their sleep!

The childhood chums stopped in front of the main entrance of Old Bailey, and looking up, Phoenix drank in the sight of his first destination for jury studying. Even though he wasn’t the architecture enthusiast the culture snob solicitor was, the former King of the Turnabout found himself venerating the bronze statue on the dome above the court. It was Lady Justice herself, holding a sword in her right hand and the scales of justice in her left.

Miles nodded approvingly at his mate’s visible approbation.

“This sculpture was crafted by the British sculptor F. W. Pomeroy,” he informed Phoenix, folding his arms over his chest. “She holds a sword in her right hand and the scales of justice in her left. The statue is popularly supposed to show blind Justice, however, the figure is not blindfolded: Lady Justice was originally not blindfolded, and because her “maidenly form” is supposed to guarantee her impartiality which renders the blindfold redundant.”

Phoenix slid a sideways glance at his friend, and the barrister gave a smug smile that unlike at the previous courthouse, this time he had his companion’s rapt attention as they entered The Great Hall.

“During the Blitz of World War II, the Old Bailey was bombed and severely damaged, but subsequent reconstruction work restored most of it in the early 1950s. In 1952, the restored interior of the Grand Hall of the Central Criminal Court was once again open. The interior of the Great Hall, underneath the dome, is decorated with paintings commemorating the Blitz, as well as quasi-historical scenes of St Paul’s Cathedral with nobles outside. Running around the entire hall are a series of axioms, some of the biblical references. Amongst them: “The law of the wise is a fountain of life”, “The welfare of the people is supreme”, “Right lives by law and law subsists by power”, “Poise the cause in justice’s equal scales”, “Moses gave unto the people the laws of God” and “London shall have all its ancient rights.”

“That’s a brilliant wealth of Old Bailey trivia to know, especially for somebody who is not even an official tour guide! What’s even more ace is not even once needing to consult a visitor pamphlet,” a third voice intervened from behind them, sounding simultaneously impressed and amused. “Most impressive indeed, Mr. Edgeworth.”

Whose voice is this? How the devil do they know my name?

Miles’s brain was already shifting into high gear in attempted recollection as they both turned around to face whoever had spoken. Meanwhile, Phoenix goggled incredulously at the sight of the very familiar form standing there, belonging to a person whom he’d never dreamed he would set eyes on, ever again!

“It’s been a long time, but welcome back to England, Mr. Wright.” A mystical smile flickered across the person’s face. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

A/N: Thanks to my reader, mostypesofsalt for the amusing suggestion of Luke and Pearl getting caught in bed… Resulting in a traumatizing experience for all parties involved! 😆