86 In My Life

There are places I’ll remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone, and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends, I still can recall
Some are dead, and some are living
In my life, I’ve loved them all

Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey
Wright & Co. Law Offices
March 23, 2018, 10:15 PM

 

The duo stood there in disbelief listening to the dead silence on the phone, as the third voice that’d been on the line had since departed without their notice.

“I can’t believe Mr. Edgeworth hung up on us like that!” Maya was positively indignant. “How rude!” 

“Well, we did sort of go off on a tangent,” Phoenix admitted sheepishly. “Considering the poor guy was coming to me for love advice about what to do with the whole Franziska thing and then somehow we got on the topic of your cousin and her Special Someone spiel…”

“Right! I remember now!” She recollected, then cleared her throat. “Um, hey, Nick?”

“Yeah, Maya?”

“Er, why are we still talking to each other on the phone when I’m right next to you?”

Phoenix turned around, the telephone still at his ear, and snickered as he realized Maya was indeed correct – she was standing beside his desk in the office, with the cordless phone still held against her head.

“The only reason you were on the phone was that you decided to snoop in on that very personal phone call, Miss Nosy,” he teased, replacing the receiver in the cradle. “All this time I thought you and Pearls had gone to bed. Which is where you should be too! It’s been one helluva day for all of us!”

“I got up to go to the bathroom and overheard you saying all this sweet stuff about moving heaven and earth to ensure we stayed in touch!” She smirked, completely unapologetic. “How could I not want to investigate!”

“You mean to eavesdrop, don’t you?” He corrected gruffly, his cheeks reddening as he realized just how telling his half of the conversation with Edgeworth had been and wondering just how much his assistant had listened in on when she’d picked up on the other line. “A man is entitled to some privacy, Maya, you know that don’t you?”

“Oh come on, Nick, we’re best friends!” She flashed a cheeky grin. “Surely you don’t have secrets from little ol’ me?”

The legist’s hand reflexively went into his pants pocket, his fingers wrapping protectively around the small box within it, and smiled innocuously.

“Of course not,” he assured her. “I’m only kidding!”

Man am I lucky she takes off her magatama when she goes to bed and didn’t think of putting it back on when she came downstairs to find me! He thought nervously. I’m sure there are about a million red psyche locks she’d be able to see in front of my face if she had!

“That’s good to hear!” She clasped her hands in front of her chest and put on a sunny smile. “But while we’re on the topic of laughing matters…did you sort out that mess with the Gatewater Hotel about the Honeymoon Suite reservations Pearly made for us tomorrow night?”

“I did. I may even have some good news on that front. ” Phoenix broke into a smile then, as he recalled the outcome of that whole situation. “Actually, I was going to talk to you about that in the morning, but since you’re awake…

“You mean you’re not mad at her anymore?” The psychic demanded, her eyes wide with surprise. “I figured you’d be suing that stupid hotel for taking a credit card reservation from an eight-year-old! I thought you’d be furious! I’m furious, and it wasn’t even my card!”

“Yeah, I was too, at first, as you very well know!” He chuckled. “And then even more so when they told me that hotel policy dictated that due to the high demand for the executive suites and rooms, they’re non-refundable, and all reservations are final. Ergo, they simply can’t afford to refund the cash for them.”

“That’s terrible!” She stared at him with even further incredulity. “For one thing, you’re not even engaged! For another, the cost of such a luxe room there will cost you a fortune! I mean, you were complaining about the cost of just me, you, and Pearly’s plates for dinner! Surely it’s more than the cost of Lotta’s camera, which your stingy self refused to pay by the way!”

She waved her finger at him in disapproval.

“Maya, I am not a bank, nor am I rich! Also, I don’t owe that frizzy-haired, Southern she-devil a gosh-darn thing!” He rebutted for the millionth time. “Yes, the room will cost an arm and a leg, but we are absolutely going! Costs be damned!”

“B-But…why, Nick?” Maya looked positively stupefied.

“Because you’re worth it,” the blue attorney replied simply. “I think after the hell on earth you and Pearl and I have been through these last few days, we’re entitled to a little luxury, are we not?”

This was too much. Despite having had zero qualms about shamelessly spending Phoenix’s meager,  hard-earned dollars for her every whim, without a second thought, in the past, Maya’s reflective time in captivity had taught her to take nothing for granted. The spirit medium flopped down in the chair across from his desk and shook her head vehemently.

“No, Nick. I can’t let you do this! That’s a five-star hotel!” She protested. “You’ll never be able to pay for it in a dozen lifetimes!”

“Truth be told if people are true to their word…” he paused for dramatic effect and flashed her a shit-eating grin. “As of tomorrow morning, I shall be able to pay for it within this lifetime, no problem!”

“Whaaaat?” Her jaw dropped open.

“I slipped away to the front desk during the fiesta to talk about this whole Honeymoon Suite thing, not to mention get away from the aggravating sounds of Lotta’s squawking about me not paying for her camera, and Will Powers and Gumshoe Powers noisily counting their combined change to pay for their portion of dinner, and fretting that they’d have to do dishes,” Phoenix explained, smiling sardonically at the memory. “As I turned away, completely disgruntled when the snooty concierge broke the news about how we were stuck with the said room, I got a very surprising phone call…”

---

Phoenix Wright 
Gatewater Hotel Lobby
March 23, 2018, 8:00 PM

 

 

“Phoenix Wright speaking.”

“Mr. Wright. How nice to speak to you again after so long.”

HE grimaced. The man’s cadence on the line was strangely familiar and somehow, grotesque.  Was it even possible for a person’s voice to sound – moist?!

“Thanks. Er, who’s this?”

“How r00d can j00 get!” The voice sounded like it was slobbering on something. “J00 don’t remember ME!? It’s Sal Manella. I’m the Global Studios television director!”

Ugh. The lawyer barely squelched a disgusted sound, which he hoped the other man hadn’t heard. Of course, he hadn’t forgotten the perverse, repulsive human Wet-Nap of a man – the associated harrowing memories of him were eternally seared into both Phoenix and Maya’s skulls!

Sal Manella was the aptly named, walking bacteria director of The Steel Samurai and The Pink Princess shows, who tended to sweat profusely and salivate excessively at the mere mention of a pretty girl, or food, which he always seemed to have in his mouth. Phoenix wasn’t at all surprised that the morbidly obese glutton was feeding his face right now, as he was presently being forcibly subjected to listening to the disgusting slurping sounds on the other end of the line!

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?” He asked politely, waiting patiently for the other man to noisily swallow whatever wad of foodstuff he was chewing beforehand.

“I’m calling on behalf of the new head producer of the studio, who is the successor of Dee Vasquez since her ah, regretful departure from Global,” Manella explained. “Mr. Shea V. Yerbush would like to have me thank you for all your work in the Matte Engarde trial.”

Phoenix was speechless – and it wasn’t just from hearing the hilarious but unfortunate moniker of the man who now ran the studio. Global was grateful to him? For putting one of their hugest stars, The Nickel Samurai, in the slammer?!

“Mr. Yerbush feels most grateful for the horrible media publicity you have saved our studio by getting Engarde declared guilty and sparing us the stigma of having a potential murderer on our payroll,” Manella explained, noting Phoenix’s silence. “He and his partner, Haywood Jablomi have invested a lot of money in the studio since restoring its reputation after that Will Powers incident, and are hardly keen about letting it get dragged through the mud again.”

“Well, you’re welcome then, I guess?” The attorney was still confused. “However, I still don’t understand…”

“Names notwithstanding, these are men of the highest reputable esteem,” the director interrupted, sounding like he was chewing on something again. “They value trust between themselves and their subordinates above all else, and it was obviously misplaced in Engarde. Not to mention the fact that we no longer have to pay his outlandish salary! Did you know that criminal activity completely nulls and voids his contact?”

“I, er –” the Baron of Bluffing was too flabbergasted to come up with an intelligible reply.

“Therefore, for having saved Global monetary squandering, as well as more future scandal and burden down the line,” Manella went on, as though the lawyer hadn’t spoken. “Mr. Yerbush and Mr. Jablomi wanted me to let you know that they intend to pay respect to those who have aided them, wittingly or unwittingly. A check will be couriered to your law offices at 9:00 tomorrow morning, Mr. Wright. The amount will be what Engarde would have paid for your legal fees, plus a little extra.”

“T-there must be a catch here!” Phoenix exclaimed, at last finding his voice once he heard the staggering sum. “There’s no way your studio could make such a magnanimous gesture without wanting something in return?!”

“They do,” the soggy hog admitted. “The one condition is your unconditional cooperative silence, Mr. Wright. In the unlikely event that you are approached by any of the media who will try to link a connection to your previous case with the studio, or with Global Studios in any way, you deny any and all involvement of either entirely. It would also be in your better interest to deny any association while you’re at it.”

No need to twist my arm! Phoenix thought wryly. The sooner I leave any and all memories of Global Studios behind, none of which were good, the better! So this is essentially hush money. No problem! I know when to keep my mouth shut!

“I shall take your silence as acquiescence,” Manella noted. “Now, I just need to confirm your address.”

As Phoenix recited the information to the director, he was still dumbfounded at this latest unexpected turn of events.  Somehow, though, through the recesses of this reeling mind, he heard himself manage to utter a thank you.

“It’s my pleasure,” Manella told him, before assuming his trademarked nausea-inducing lascivious tone. “How is my delectable Pink Princess doing? You know she’s the one who triggered my CR34T1V3 P0W3RZ, along with creating quite the stir in my…”

Jesus take the wheel! Maya still has the occasional nightmare about the lecherous Otaku and his ever-roaming gaze, which had always made her feel like she needed a shower afterward!

“She’s fine, thanks! I should get back to her now, we’re at a party in her honor. Thanks again!” With that, Phoenix quickly hung up.

Still feeling dazed, the spiky-haired man found himself wandering into Belle Epoque, the small corner jeweler’s shop that he’d passed through about a dozen times the past few days, situated just outside the hotel lobby.

As he entered, he was recognized by the same elegantly thin, fussy-looking silver-haired saleslady, whose gold-plated nametag read Ainsley.

“Mr. Wright,” she greeted him with a bright smile. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Good evening, Ainsley,” Phoenix smiled. “I’ll bet you know what I want to look at.”

“It’s still here, you know,” she told him with a conspiratorial wink as she unlocked the glass counter drawer. “I know you seemed to like it when you came in the other day and asked me about what a nice token of affection would be for the special lady in your life. I sensed you would be back, so I tried to keep it sort of hidden in the back row behind the more ostentatious pieces. Would you like to look at it again?”

Phoenix nodded mutely, his eyes transfixed on the exquisite adornment on a braided gold necklace he’d previously eyed on several occasions.

When Maya had been kidnapped, he’d wanted to have some sort of token, some sort of symbol of hope, to show how much she meant to him, which he wanted to gift her with if she ever came back to him. The minute he’d set his gaze on that heart-shaped gold pendant, he’d known it was perfect for Maya. At the time, he hadn’t bought it because it’d seemed like a frivolous expense, in the grand scheme of things, as the item was definitely outside his affordable budget, and he’d had to consider the fact that Pearl would most likely be his ward if anything horrible had happened to his assistant.

But now that Maya had been brought back to him, what was a few dollars compared to the joy it would bring her?

“It’s a locket,” Ainsley told him, opening up the pendant and showing him the open sides where two small photos could fit. “It’s a hand-crafted, exclusive creation from Europe and it’s the only one we have like it. If you were to purchase it today, I can also do custom engraving for you, at no additional charge.”

“Sounds perfect.” His eyes lit up. “I’ll take both the chain and locket, please.” He handed over his credit card without a second thought, still smiling ruefully at Pearl’s pickpocket ability to have gotten it out of his wallet without his notice. If that sleight-of-hand magician-like skill wasn’t proof she was Maya’s cousin, he didn’t know what was!

“Did you have an inscription in mind?” Ainsley asked as she took out a pen and paper to jot down whatever it was.

Smiling, Phoenix told her.

“That’s so romantic!” She gushed, clasping her hands to her chest and swooning slightly, making the attorney blush slightly. “That’s one lucky lady you’ve got there, Sir!”

A few minutes later, the small velvet box secured in his pocket, Phoenix headed back to the party, whistling cheerfully to himself. The small token had cost him some pretty big bucks, but he knew Maya was worth it. It helped sweeten the deal that it wouldn’t take him half a year to pay off his Visa, either!

As the news of the director’s phone call further sank in, a broad smile crept over the attorney’s face. He’d finally gotten a break, after all, it seemed. If what Sal Manella had said was true, then it appeared this festive shindig wouldn’t bankrupt him after all. Phoenix was going to go right back to his guests and tell Powers and Gumshoe not to worry about getting dish panned hands, he would gladly pay for their plates that night! Heck, he’d even pay for Lotta’s meal, too. He’d certainly be able to afford to do so now!

However, he still wasn’t paying for that blasted woman’s camera!

---

Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey
Wright & Co. Law Offices
March 23, 2018, 10:20 PM

 

“Ugh, Nick, you could have spared me the traumatizing part of the story where that horrendous warthog asked about me!” Maya shuddered, scowling as Phoenix sniggered at her reaction. “But that is such great news! I can’t wait to tell Pearly tomorrow morning! Did Manella happen to mention how much the check was going to be for?”

Phoenix told her the 5-digit amount, which was easily a good few 4 to 6 months’ salary, and she let out an ecstatic whoop.

“Oh my God, Nick! You should defend homicidal Hollywood stars more often!” Maya crowed. “With that kind of money, we can afford to maybe even buy those plushy hotel towels and robes, not just steal them like I planned to!” With that she threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him over backward with the effusive vigor of the action.

Startled, but happy to hold her, Phoenix returned the embrace, until the two were finally clasped together in a warm, slow, and luxurious hug, each feeling all the stressful, hellacious events of the last 72 hours melting away as they melded together, chests rising and falling against one another’s, breaths in unison, as they felt the warm blood in each other’s embrace. He buried his head in her fragrant hair as she nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder.

“It feels good to be back, Nick,” she whispered, drawing back and looking searchingly into his eyes.

“I’m so happy to have you back, Maya,” he whispered, reaching up and smoothing an errant lock of satiny ebony hair off her cheek.

“Nick, I…” She began at the same time he started with “Maya….I…”

They both stopped and laughed.

“You first,” he urged softly, tucking the stray strands behind her ear.

“Nick…I just – I wanted you to know…”

Maya’s words were suddenly interrupted by a loud, piercing scream from upstairs, effectively breaking the spell.

“Oh my God, Pearly!” She cried, breaking free from Phoenix’s arms and casting an apprehensive glance over her shoulder as she raced up the steps leading to the loft. “She must have had a nightmare, and then panicked when she woke up and I wasn’t there in the bed with her…”

Phoenix was hot on her heels, reaching the room just in time to see Maya cradling the little girl in her arms on the bed, making soothing, reassuring sounds to her as Pearl cried, whimpering that she’d had an awful dream that the “bad man who tried to hurt Mystic Maya had come back to steal her away again.”

“Shhh…I’m here, Pearly, it’s OK. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” Maya rocked the little spirit medium against her, looking apologetically at him over the head of the child, whose eyes were starting to drift closed. “She’s starting to drowse now,” she whispered. “I’ll see you in the morning, Nick.”

He nodded silently and went down the hall to his room to change into his pajamas, peeking into the girl’s room one last time before he hit the hay, and saw the two of them snuggled tightly together on the bed. Maya was holding her cousin against her, and Pearl’s head for the most part was buried against Maya’s chest, her caramel strands sticking out behind like she’d just woken up from a long nap. Her tiny fingers were curled into the fabric of Maya’s nightshirt, not clasping it tightly, but just enough to reassure her they were staying together.

The two looked like such a picturesque maternal vision of The Madonna and Child that despite the circumstances, Phoenix’s heart was filled with so much love for both girls at that moment he thought it would surely burst.

---

Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey
Gatewater Hotel Lobby
March 24, 2018, 8:00 PM

 

As it turned out, in spite of Phoenix’s offer to bring Pearl along with them to the suite the following evening, Gumshoe, who’d had to take Maya’s statement for the formal police records earlier that afternoon regarding the whole kidnapping ordeal, offered to babysit Little Missy for the night.

It was his way of conveying his thanks to Phoenix for his dinner generosity, which had saved him from getting dish-panned hands!

Pearl had been delighted to spend the evening at the flat of the Scruffy Detective, who would be joined by his new friend, Maggey Byrde, who was babysitting her little out-of-town nephew for her sister that weekend anyway. Maya’s sole stipulations were that she forbade Gumshoe from getting behind the wheel of the car that weekend as he was still recovering from his head injury. And secondly, her little girl was only to be in the vehicle if Maggey was driving! The detective had blushingly agreed, fully aware of how his recent collision with a telephone pole had made the normally easy-going spirit medium weary of his motor skills!

Phoenix was just finishing checking them into the suite at the front desk, which had been reserved under Mr. Nick when suddenly his cell rang. Juggling the room keys and his overnight bag with one hand, he hastily clapped the phone to his head with his free one, without checking to see who the caller was.

“Phoenix Wright speaking…”

“Hi, Mr. Nick! I just wanted to tell you and Mystic Maya to enjoy your special room of love tonight!”

Pearls. He closed his eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh. What am I going to do with you?

Luckily, Maya saved him the trouble of having to reply to such an embarrassing statement.

“Pearly, don’t you dare start on that again!” Her voice was uncharacteristically stern. “You know that you’ve been very naughty, going behind Nick’s back and squandering such a huge amount of money like that without his permission!”

“I’m sorry Mystic Maya,” Pearl replied in a small voice. “I just wanted to do something nice for you after what you’ve been through, and do something that would make Mr. Nick happy too, because he’s been so sad without you when that bad man took you away…”

The psychic felt all her ire draining out of her then. How could she possibly stay angry at this innocent child, who lived and breathed for her happiness? And it just so happened that her time away had made her realize that her cousin’s fantasies did hold validation.

Maya did love Phoenix.

But a girl loving a guy doth not a couple make! She silently screamed in frustration, wishing Pearl would understand that. It takes two to tango, kiddo! And as far as I know, I’m dancing with myself!

“Pearly, next time you want to do something nice, buy Nick a new coffeemaker or buy me The Pink Princess collector’s edition merchandise!” The diviner said at last, in a gentler tone. “You know it’s a fluke that Nick wound up getting the money to pay for all this, right? And that it doesn’t grow on trees?”

“But money is made from paper,” the little girl sounded confused. “And paper comes from trees, so how does that work, Mystic Maya?”

The spirit medium emitted a silent moan. As much as she loved her cousin like her own daughter at this point, there were also times, like this one, when she could just as easily have cheerfully throttled her!

Seeing her disgruntled expression, Phoenix hastily grabbed the phone back before the spirit medium exploded.

“We’re going to go now, Pearls,” he said quickly. “Be a good little girl for Ms. Byrde and Detective Gumshoe, OK? And play nice with little Joshua too!”

“I will, Mr. Nick! Josh is pretty cool, even though he’s a boy! He taught me how to make a homemade slingshot and he told me when it’s wintertime in Colorado, he can write his name in the snow!”

Phoenix pinched the bridge of his nose.

I don’t want to know…

“We’ll see you tomorrow morning Pearls!” Ringing off, he turned to Maya and extended his arm to her. “Shall we go to our room?”

---

 Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey
Gatewater Honeymoon Suite
March 24, 2018, 8:05 PM

 

“Woooooooooooooow!” Maya whistled appreciatively as they entered the luxurious room and dropped their bags by the door.

Phoenix’s jaw dropped as he took in their surroundings. The enormous suite was about three times the size of his apartment and office space combined!

“So this is how the other half lives,” Maya breathed as she walked around the place. “If rich people spend a single night in a room like this just imagine how they must live every day!”

The sky-lit grand entrance led to a library, attached to a majestic living room, with a comfortable sitting area. It had plush carpeting so deep, your toes disappeared, along with deluxe furnishings in beige and burgundy tones. It also boasted an 80- inch flat screen (the largest either of them had ever seen!) and Crestron technology for remote-controlled media, sound system, lighting, and curtains – all state-of-the-art media equipment. Next to this was an intimate dining room, which had an elegant ebony table and a dramatic, boat-shaped crystal chandelier. A Granite-countertop kitchenette area, with a fully stocked bar fridge, was adjacent to the eating area. The master bedroom featured motorized drapery, a stunning colossal California King bed, topped with sumptuous Italian linens, as well as a 42-inch″ plasma television, espresso machine, and a cocktail shaker, just in case they wanted to mix their own cocktails, as well as his and hers walk-in closets. Both were connected to the spectacular marble bathroom, complete with a high-tech toilet and climate steam shower for two, along with a deep soaking tub, mirrors with integrated, custom-designed televisions in the master suite, high-tech toilet with a bidet.

It was definitely a room with a view – shuttered doors open to the recently renovated over 2000 square foot terrace, furnished for outdoor living and dining, and featuring 270-degree views of Rodeo Drive and the Hollywood Hills.

The pièce de résistance was the fresh rose petals that were scattered throughout the rooms, along with a huge silver ice bucket with complimentary sparkling wine and chocolate-covered strawberries on the coffee table.

“I guess this means I get to pretend I’m Edgeworth for the night,” Phoenix joked. “One night of blissful fantasy, then back to humbling reality tomorrow, where I can be painfully reminded of how poor I am!”

“Come on, it was hardly chump change that Global studios gave you!”

“Yes, but it won’t last forever, especially not with you around to make me spend it on burgers and toys!”

“Bah! Stop being such a sour puss and enjoy this night of living the high life with me, Old Man!” Maya laughingly responded, barging into the living room and standing in the middle of it. She spun in a circle, giddily taking everything in, then began to spin faster and faster, like a pirouetting ballerina, nearly making him dizzy just observing.

He watched as this tiny dancer of a girl whirled around like poetry in motion, admiring the way her glossy raven hair flew outwards from her body. Everything about her was sleek and graceful. With her yukata shawl removed, he was free to gaze upon the enchanting form which the bulky outfit normally obscured; could see the full length of her slim arms as they tapered up to her narrow shoulders and followed a path down from her slender body to her smooth legs. While she wasn’t a buxom beauty like her sister had been, instead she was graced with a more subtle, gentler attractiveness, one you truly had to take the time to see to appreciate.

And appreciate her he most certainly did; he simply couldn’t stop staring at her. He was afraid that if he did, he might lose her again, and that terrified Phoenix more than anything else.

But despite the mess of a trial Engarde trial they’d been involved in, Maya was back to being her usual self. Except something was off – it was like she was trying a little too hard to act like everything was normal, and it was almost as if she was not only trying to convince Phoenix that she was OK but herself as well. It was unnerving. As he watched her flittering about the hotel room, he fought the urge to tell her, “It’s okay to cry sometimes. You don’t always have to be the clown who makes sure everyone else is smiling.”

Maya wasn’t the only one trying to recover, though. A lack of sleep and huge amounts of stress from the whole Engarde disaster were starting to catch up with him and he’d been plagued with nightmares, including the night before, where he’d dreamed he’d been experiencing the whole thing all over again, except he couldn’t save her this time.

I’ve missed you so much.

Phoenix mentally slapped himself. He wanted to ensure everything would be perfectly normal and platonic, but all of a sudden a thought like that would pop into his mind, which he knew could make things weird, and he’d stifle his sudden urges to hold her close. He certainly didn’t want to make things awkward between them while he came to terms with his newly discovered feelings, and was going to do his best not to act on them and ruin this amazing friendship. Every time he looked at her, he couldn’t look away, and then she’d tease him for spacing out like that, and the lawyer would laugh and apologize, a blush spreading into his cheeks for an entirely different reason than Maya thought.

“So, what do you want to do?” He asked at last.

“Well we’re in the honeymoon suite…” she grinned mischievously. “So we ought to be doing

honeymoon stuff!”

His jaw dropped again.

“Wh-what?”

---

The Beatles – In My Life