Quickly you approached the dressing room door grasping the handle to walk in only to stop. You couldn't help but worry that maybe this was going too far, asking a kid about a murder. But then again Mia was right he was your one and only lead. You had to if you believed Powers was truly innocent.

"What are we waiting for?!" Phoenix looked at you with wide impatient eyes locking them with yours before he released a breath. "It'll be fine" Phoenix offered you a slight smile after he spoke.(Were you that easy to read?) Taking a breath you nodded and pushed the door open looking around the now empty dressing room, no child in sight.

"Where did he go?" You gasped. Your eyes tried to scan the area as Phoenix immediately walked in looking around before he started looking under furniture pulling up blankets and such.(He must of hid a lot as a kid if he knew all the best hiding places you guessed.)

"He's sure to be in here somewhere..." Phoenix trailed off looking through the clothing rack pushing all the hangers holding clothes to the side. They opened with a whush and there Cody had been. "Found you!" Phoenix looked pleased with him self. Your eyes widened as you stopped looking your self turning to face the two boys. But before you could say anything Cody had dashed away. "Dammit! He's getting away!" Phoenix tried to rush after him and you tried to grab Cody was he rushed past you.

"Cody please! We need your help!" As you spoke he had already run out to the employee area, he had stopped for a moment like he was hesitating before he still tried to get away.

"Come back!" Mia called after him, and for a moment you had forgotten she had been with you and Phoenix. Cody looked guilty skidding to a stop at Mia's words. He stood there for a moment before walking back slowly, like his mother had called him back after he did something bad. You couldn't help but suppress a smile, kids were cute sometimes.(In your opinion, of course!) "There. He's back." Mia smiled as she gently pushed Cody back into the room his eyes looking down at the floor. You don't know how Mia did it but you weren't about to question it. You slowly knelt down to meet Cody's level.

"Hey Cody, I'm glad you came back!" You offered him a sweet smile. He flushed before looking away with a puff of air.

"I-it's no big deal!" Cody crossed his arms.

"Hello Cody, I've heard a lot about you" Mia had knelt down as you had Phoenix standing in the middle of you both. Cody looked to Mia with wide eyes. "Good things of course, my friends could really use your help.."

"H-how do you know my name!" Cody seemed so shocked but he must not of put two and two together quite yet. Mia just smiled patiently.

"My friend (Y/N) told me, to make things even how about I tell you my name?" Mia gave another smile as she held her hand out. "I'm Mia, Mia Fey nice to meet you" Cody took her hand after she finished talking shaking it with a smile of his own.

"Yo!" Was all he had said after being introduced.

"And I'm Phoenix Wright! One of (Y/N)'s friends!" Phoenix smiled trying to look proud but both of you felt the same jolt, the same twist, in your guts. The word friend felt toxic to say, bitter to breath out, horrible to hear. Friends, yes just friends. You fear that is all you'll ever be.

"Who asked?" Cody spat out his words making sure they stung Phoenix who was already hurt from calling you just a friend. Phoenix widened his eyes in shock standing back a bit. The nerve of this kid. Mia began to stand up standing by Phoenix as you took the time to just take it over from here.

"Cody...do you feel like helping us? We could really use your help" you breathed out slowly. Cody looked between you and Mia before he looked at Phoenix.

"I don't want to help that lamer! He's an evildoer! Not like you and Miss Fey! I don't wanna!" Cody crossed his arms as he looked at you and you just strained a smile. What now?

"Hey!" Phoenix looked mildly offended. "I...I think the steel samurai is cool! I think he's um...."the bomb"" you didn't think it would be possible, but some how Phoenix just made him self sound older than a man who's in his early 20's still. You slowly stood up making a face trying not to laugh.

""The bomb"?" You bit back a laugh.

"I-I don't know what do the kids say these days!" Phoenix whispered to you now turning his attention to you.

"Not that, did you ever say "the bomb" when you were in school?" You felt a smile starting to stretch on your lips. Phoenix's face fell now as his eyes widened before he ran a hand over his face.

"No..." he groaned a bit forgetting all about Cody for a moment. You had to cover your mouth to keep your self from laughing.

"Hah! What would a lamer like you know about the Steel Samurai!" Suddenly Cody spoke making both you and Phoenix look away to stare at him with wide eyes. Lamer? Again? You don't think Phoenix is lame...he just has a charm to him.(Okay well, maybe he was a bit dorky but that added to the charm!)

"H-hey, watch that attitude!" Phoenix's voice rose dangerously close to a shout as he looked down at Cody with offended eyes.

"Phoenix, you really should't yell like that. He's only a kid." Mia looked shocked Phoenix had even began to shout. You how ever were used to the out bursts by now.

"She is right, he is just a kid" you smiled at Phoenix.

"Yeah! Don't yell like that I'm only a kid!" Even if the words Cody had said sounded so innocent the look on his face was anything but innocence. Phoenix just dropped his shoulders with a huff.

"Sorry" Phoenix was like a kid himself crossing his arms and turning his head with close eyes, a pout graced his lips. You found a smile on yours staring at him taking in the expression only to jerk out of thought as Mia gently elbowed you.

"You're staring" Mia whispered looking at you with knowing eyes and your own widened immediately looking away with a deep blush across your face. You didn't want to fight her on the fact you were staring in fear she'd see you even more guilty of the act.

"So, do you know anything about what happened here? Could you tell me, please?" Finally Phoenix opened his eyes to look back at Cody with a force smile on his lips. He didn't seem to notice that you had been staring and that Mia had just caught you.

"I don't know nothing!" Cody crosses his arms back at Phoenix sticking his tongue out after he spoke. Phoenix dropped his arms from their crossed state with a long face before he seemed to think hand on his hip, his other rubbing thoughtfully against his chin. He must of had an idea of sorts you saw the gleam in his eyes. Suddenly Phoenix reached in his pocket pulling out the steel samurai card that Oldbag had given you all for the studio one card key.

"Cody....this look familiar?" Phoenix smirked as he flashed the card watching as Cody's eyes widened.

"Hey! My UR!" Cody reaches for the card at first only to stop when he realizes how much taller Phoenix is compared to him. You couldn't help but make a face, what was a UR? Didn't maya collect some of the trading cards? Or maybe that was something else.

""You are"... huh?" Phoenix made a confused expression. He must not of gotten it either. You looked to Mia who shrugged, none of you knew what that meant.

""U.R." You know, "ultra rare"! That card's really hard to get! Man, for a grown-up, you sure are dumb!" Cody huffed and Phoenix made another face, he didn't seem too pleased to be called dumb but you didn't blame him. You'd be upset if you had been called dumb. Cody was a strange kid on top of it all! Phoenix decided to look as if the words hadn't bothered him sill waving the card around.

"I'll give you this...IF you help us." Phoenix smirked as he kept the card close to him watching Cody's eyes widen.

"But that's my card! By offering me something I already own, you're in effect eschewing the very basis of our consumer society, namely the principle of fair trade! Man, for a grown-up, you sure are dumb!" Cody stomped his foot down on the ground after he finished his speech and you found your eyes widening. You looked at Phoenix sharing a look before looking back to Cody, what do they teach kids in school now?! He wasn't that old! But he wasn't wrong you guessed, or maybe he was to be honest you were burnt out from the past two days. Your feet hurt so much. "What ever I don't need that card anyway!" Cody puffed his cheeks.

"Huh?!" You and Phoenix exclaimed together.

"I got a double. Just keep it. It's yours." Cody waved his hand in dismissal and you just sighed a bit. After all this trouble, oh well you guessed that was life. You still have to get used to this, how unplanned life was now that you were single again. "If you want to trade, find me a REALLY rare card!" Cody smirked now and you made a face in return. Really rare? Where do you get that?! You couldn't spend all your money on these cards!

""Really rare"!? You mean there's something rarer than "Ultra Rare"!?" Phoenix didn't seem like he wanted to believe there was anything but Ultra Rare and you didn't blame him. You felt like you were going in circles.

"Ultra Rare Premium cards are way rarer than plain Ultra Rare cards! Come ON! Man, for a grown-up, you sure are dumb!" That seemed to be Cody's favorite go too insult to Phoenix calling him dumb but it taunted no reaction this time. Phoenix just looked thoughtful.

"Premium... rare... why do I feel like we're talking about steaks?" Phoenix muttered under his breath and you felt a laugh bubbling in your throat again.

"You must be hungry then" you muttered back to him shaking your head as Phoenix looked at you with wide eyes. He blushed embarrassed you had heard him before he looked to Mia who just smiled knowingly still, she didn't know about his crush on you yet did she? Phoenix wouldn't be surprised if she did...

"Well thank you Cody for all your help" Mia began to speak now breaking the amused air around you all. "We'll be back with your premium rare card, we won't be long so don't go far alright?" Mia smiled again now just sweetly as Cody flushed looking at her.

"O-okay!" He smiled sheepishly and you wanted to make a face, it was strange how off and on this kid was!

"We'll be back soon Cody, promise!" You smiled at him now and he saluted you suddenly.

"I'll be here then!" After Cody had spoken all three of you walked out leaving him alone in the dressing room of his idol. But one thing was on your mind, how were you supposed to find these premium cards? You didn't know where to start!

"Well" Mia sighed as you all walked to the exit of the employee area. "I suppose now the best thing to do would be to just ask around the studio if anyone has a card to trade..." Mia trailed off standing outside feeling the wind in her hair again. You stood with her looking thoughtful.

"It's our best best I doubt we'll come across even one if we went to buy some trading cards" you shook your head.

"Well where to then!? We don't have the studio one card! Ms.Oldbag doesn't have anymore trading cards and I don't want to talk to Ms. Vasquez again..." Phoenix trailed off at the end narrowing his eyes a little, he must be just as burnt out and out of ideas as you were. You all stood in silence before your eyes widened.

"Penny! We can ask penny! She's an assistant, right? She has to know if someone here collects the cards and needs the card we have now!" You smiled proudly as you spoke.

"Good idea (Y/N)! An assistant would know what everyone's up too" Mia smiled as she pressed a hand to her hip. "Where would this "Penny" be?" Mia looked at you before looking at Phoenix who was sort of staring at you. She felt a trace of a smirk against her lips before she cleared her throat. "Phoenix, any thoughts?"

"Huh?!" Phoenix jerked out of his day dream after staring at you blushing deeply as he shook his head. "Uh, right, Penny..." he trailed off trying to think of where the assistant would be before he made an annoyed expression. "Probably studio two" he groaned.

"You're probably right" you sighed as you pressed a hand to the side of your face. "What do we do if she's not?"

"Maybe we can ask Ms.Oldbag she'd have to know where penny walks too" Phoenix shrugged. You bit your lip now staring at the building behind Phoenix thinking deeply before you nodded.

"Then let's go ahead and start the walk to studio two, we have a plan B now so this shouldn't take too long" you tried to be on the optimistic side even if the fates had made things pretty grim. You hoped this would work, you hoped that you'd be able to get some sort of lead before the day was over. You feared you wouldn't, but Phoenix and Mia didn't need to know your doubts. As the three of you began your walk your eyes lingered on Phoenix, maybe you shouldn't say anything about how you feel. Friends, friends is all you would be, friends is all you'd ever be. The truth hurt, but it wasn't a bad truth either even if you...you...love him.

You decided right then and there in the silence of the comforting walk back to the treacherous studio two. That if you were ever in life threatening danger, only then would you confess. Yes only then you would tell him just how you feel. You just didn't realize that sometime soon you'd be confessing faster than you thought.