Dinner was fun, you laughed You joked you forgot all about the trial at dinner. But in the car ride back to the apartment you were washed away in thought. Thinking about the trial, thinking about Powers, thinking about....Edgeworth. You stared out the window drumming your fingers against the armrest on the side of the car watching the buildings that passed by as the driver navigated the street to get you and Phoenix home.

Phoenix was equally as silent, staring at the floor of the cab just staring at the black cloth that coated it. He didn't know what to do either just as lost as you were in the moment. Neither of you spoke a word the light hearted atmosphere was gone, you felt lost. Spiraling out of control in a storm that wasn't going away. Your fingers steady rhythm became erratic no longer in a tune of a beat. Just heavy tapping.

Did you want to say something? Ask him what he thought? What you both should do? You didn't have much of a case now, Mia was right Cody was a serious handicap in court. You wanted to try and ask Gumshoe not to say anything to anyone to burn the reports and to forget that he ever saw Cody. But that was wrong, something you couldn't do. You've seen attorneys use forged evidence to get their verdicts, that wasn't what you wanted to become. That wasn't what you wanted Phoenix to become. He was smart, you had faith in him.

You sighed staring out the window more feeling so defeated, you weren't sure what to do now. Lost, it was all that was on your mind. This was like running in circles, like a dog chasing its own tail never to catch it.

"(Y/N)?" Phoenix called your name suddenly in the silence. It was piercing hearing him say something after so long. You slowly turned your head to stare at him your eyes meeting his. There was so much inside them, you found your self getting lost, lost in his look, in his expression. He was thoughtful.

"Yeah?" Your eyes stared at him feeling the silence of the ride was gone.

"What are we going to do tomorrow?" He was looking for guidance, you figured he normally looked to Mia. But now you supposed you were his mentor for now, you had been playing this "game" for a while now. You swallowed feeling that burning passion back, it made you almost shake.

"I was sort of hoping you had an idea..." you laughed but found no amusement behind it looking to the cushion of the chair letting your hand rest there. You stared at the deep gray leather before looking up again. "I'm going to be honest, this is going to be impossible, our best bet is to hope that Cody had lied some where in recalling his story" You pressed your lips together.

"And if he isn't?" Phoenix looked at you his eyes searching yours for something.

"Then we bluff, there's nothing else we can do but bluff if that's the case..." you trailed off a bit looking away now biting your lip. "But if we fight we will get some where, besides.." you trailed off looking back at Phoenix with a spark in your eyes. "I believe in you, and we'll have Mia there with us tomorrow the trick is to just last for a third day and figure out who really is behind this."

Phoenix was silent staring at you with almost wide eyes, then they narrowed a bit. He didn't know why you had so much confidence in him. He thought that maybe you should be the one to fight tomorrow, he knew you were better than he was. But it had to be him he guessed. His eyes stared for a little longer until finally he released a breath.

"Okay..." he trailed off feeling his hand slowly inching towards the hand you had down on the seat.

"You don't sound very optimistic" you smiled faintly staring still at Phoenix, the car ride felt longer but maybe that's what you wanted it to feel.

"I'm not" Phoenix sighed shaking his head. His fingers crept closer to yours moving in their own as if they were thinking for themselves. Suddenly you felt his fingers intertwined with yours making your eyes widen. Your heart skipped a beat in your chest eyes staring down at the intertwined fingers before looking at him. He avoided your gaze pressing his lips together. He looked a mix of thoughtful, serious, and flustered. You finally smiled.

"I'm not either, but we have to be...have a little faith in justice!" You squeezed his hand as best as you could. Phoenix turned to look at you shocked that you had done that before he blushed more.

"Justice?...doesn't feel like it'll be on our side." Phoenix slumped his shoulders.

"It wasn't on our side a month ago." you stared at Phoenix deeply feeling tears stinging your eyes. "It had just been us against the world, literally. My best friend had been murdered, by a man who was nearly untouchable by the law. My best friend's sister was originally accused of murder and it was just you and me who would fight for her. No lawyer wanted to touch the case! But we did, and even when we figured out who did it and felt like nothing was on our side, we still went to him. And then when you were falsely accused for Mia's murder I took the case with everything riding on the line." You didn't like relieving the memories, you didn't like thinking about a month ago. But here you were breathing it all out to Phoenix.

He was watching you so intently absorbing your words like a sponge to water. He pressed his lips together thinking about what you were starting to get at. You had lost so much a month ago. You lost a friend, you nearly lost your job, everyone was against you even your ex. You lost your ex to him. Phoenix often wondered what would of happened to him if you hadn't of chosen to take his case and gone along with what Edgeworth had told you. You were right it was you and him against the odds. It almost made him smile at the thought that you wanted to stick it through with him.

"My point is Phoenix since I've known you we've been fighting for what's right. You and I both think Powers is innocent, and we have to fight for that, so even if things seem really bad we have to fight still!" You sighed as you finished looking at Phoenix deeply. You didn't realize you scooted closer to him in the seat watching his thoughtful eyes. They stared at you before he sighed, it was then you realized how close you were his hot breath brushing against your lips. You shivered almost delighted by the sensation, though you're not about to say that aloud.

"Okay....we fight." Phoenix squeezes your hand a bit before he flashed you a bit of a smile. "Though I don't feel optimistic about this.." Phoenix groaned now. You just laughed in return feeling the cab come to a stop.

"Neither do I" You hummed out paying the driver as you got out standing on the street now. You followed behind Phoenix back inside the apartment in silence. As you stood at the apartment door you wanted to lean into his shoulder the weight of the day now finally falling in your shoulders as you stood there waiting. Phoenix fished around for his keys unlocking the door and walking inside with you behind him. The door locked and you immediately ditched the heels. You sighed relieved to stand in your flat feet holding the heels in your fingers before looking up at Phoenix.

He was staring at you looking thoughtful, his eyes scanned over your face and he seemed to be weighing some sort of option. His hand extended out reaching to brush away your hair from your face. There was something inside of him yearning to caress your soft skin as your hair was with every movement you made. But in the end he merely brushed back the stray pieces of your (H/C) hair from your face.

You stared at him with a heavy breath leaving your lips feeling his fingers lingering against you skin. Both of you lost in a trance, you leaned forward as he had. There was a taunting silence as you both leaned forward.

"Phoenix?" You found your self muttering his name quietly afraid to speak any louder than that. He didn't say anything finding his hand was now cupping your face pulling your body closer to him. It was like reliving that moment in the elevator a month ago. Feeling like nothing else mattered. That it was just you, that it was just him. The world nonexistent.

"I-" Phoenix tried to speak his voice wavered as he leaned closer your lips brushing against one another. You felt a lump form in your throat, your lips now feeling as though they were dry. All your senses numbed by his touch. Your eyes fell into a half lidded state your hands pressing against his chest dropping your heels to the ground with a soft thud against the carpeted floor. Your head tilted, you stood on your toes to better reach his lips finding you were so close. And this time there was no guilt to hold you back, only the fear that he wouldn't want to be your friend anymore.

Your lips hesitantly brushed against one another, almost awkwardly neither of you sure where to take this both lost in a moment that couldn't be shaken. You had wanted to kiss him earlier, for saving you for being so close that rush that feel. You felt his hot breath against your lips your hands began to run up his chest gripping his suit jacket with a shaky breath. You felt shaky, you felt nervous. Like a teenager getting their first kiss the adrenaline the confusion. You parted your lips as he had staring into his eyes one last time before finally letting your eyes fall close. So close, yes so very close. The sensations were overwhelming. But just before you could kiss, just before your right hand slithered up his suit jacket and shoulder to run through his dark spiked hair. A noise jerked you both away.

Ring! Ring!

You held your breath opening your eyes as you jerked away flushed that you had almost kissed Phoenix again. Phoenix stumbled back blinking from his trance a deep blush crossing over his face. His eyes stared at you wide and he seemed to be panting catching his breath at how close you both had just been.

Who's phone it had been you didn't know, but you cussed at the phone in your mind hating it for ruining what could of been a kiss at long last. You swallowed down that lump in your throat shaking your head as you looked equally as flustered.

"I-should be getting ready for bed! Don't want to be...late...tomorrow!" You trailed off feeling your heart pounding in your chest. You slowly brought your gaze to stare at Phoenix as he stared at you, your eyes locked and he just flashed you an almost nervous smile.

"Y-Yeah..." Phoenix stutterer. You though he had blushed a lot when Miss May had flirted with him a month ago, but you think this is the most he's blushed since you've known him. Could it be you both felt the same? No...no of course not... right? "Y-you're uh, welcome to come to my room if you get upset again like last night..." Phoenix trailed off rubbing the nape of his neck nervously.

"Oh!-um-yeah sounds good thank you!" Your blush nearly matched his as you played with the hem of your own suit jacket. "Well in that case I'll just...get my stuff and head to bed!" You laughed nervously picking up your heels from the floor making a move to rush to your room.

"S-sounds good! Th-Thanks for dinner!" Phoenix called after you as you rushed to your room leaving him in the living room/kitchen.

"Yeah no problem!" You called back entering your room before shutting your door. You tossed your heels to the floor not caring where they landed now as you leaned against the wooden door. Your back was flush against it feeling the "design" digging into your back in the slightest. But you didn't care. You caught your breath leaning your head back looking up at the ceiling. Then you closed your eyes beginning to sink down.

This was different, this feeling this adrenaline. It wasn't like a month ago, a month ago something surely was there but to you it was nothing more than a thrill of the unknown. Now it was more, now it was emotional not just a thrill. You admitted it once to your self but you knew you were in love with Phoenix. But were you ready, ready to be in a relationship again? Ready to fall back into that sort of commitment? Deciding that you needed to think on that you stood up off the floor and got ready for bed.

But sleep was the last thing you knew would come to you.
  __________________________

You wanted to leave early in the morning, you wanted to rush down to court and hope you saw Mia. You had to tell her what was bothering you. You had to ask what to do you didn't know what to do! You had rushed your shower, you nearly had put on mix matched suit jacket and dress (pants/skirt) in your haste. But now you were ready clutching your briefcase. You had put Cody's photo album he had given you in it with the vain hope it would come in handy during the trial.

But as you stood in the living room/kitchen you knew you should wait for Phoenix. You stood at the door staring at it with rushing thoughts gripping your brief case tightly. You should of been looking for an apartment, you should of searched and searched you'd of found one eventually. You don't know if you can stay here much longer, you knew that eventually these feelings would burst right out of you. Living with him made it worse, you knew his quirks, his downsides, his good sides, what you liked, what you didn't. Living with him was almost hurting you now, because you had more feelings for him than you ever wanted to admit.

"Leaving with out me?" Phoenix sounded almost hurt as he sleepily walked out of his room closing the door behind him. He was fixing his tie grabbing his briefcase walking over to you. "You didn't even eat" Phoenix tried to smile but the air was different today. A different you didn't like. You turned your head from the door to look at him before you sighed defeated.

"I'm not leaving, I guess I just got lost in thought..." you sighed shaking your head now. You followed him to the kitchen, which luckily was right by the door. You stood by his side as he just shoved something in the microwave. "I guess we should eat in the cab I'm afraid we won't have much time to make it to the court house" You pressed your lips together looking up at Phoenix as he looked at you. Both of you stayed that way until the microwaved beep as if saying the food was ready.

"It's early" Phoenix looked away from you to the microwave pulling his hot food out. He yawned in the process rubbing his eye with his free hand. "But if you think that's what we have to do" he yawned between his words. You smiled a bit finding your heart was beating again. You made your own food now before walking out of the apartment with him both of you attempting to scarf your food down as fast as you both possibly could before rushing to the street to hail a cab.

At first you were afraid, afraid that things would be weird as you road in the cab, but it wasn't. Conversations flowed as if nothing had happened last night just like yesterday morning. You were thankful for that. Getting out you and Phoenix made your way to the court house finding a few reporters still around. Not all of the reporters were here yet waiting for powers to get there you assumed.

You didn't answer any questions rushing to the door with Phoenix's hand in yours letting him lead the way inside the court house. It wasn't until you were inside that you relaxed happily walking by his side. But as you both walked to the defendant lobby you saw Powers was already there talking to Mia, she looked unhappy but she was smiling during some parts of conversation. Even if she didn't look happy they were certainly talking a lot like old friends.

"Um?" You cleared your throat decoding to forget about asking Mia about what you should do about your feelings for Phoenix. It was business now.

"O-oh! Ms.(L/N)! Mr.Wright!" Powers turned to face you and Phoenix only to frown as he saw Phoenix's expression. "Umm.....Mr.Wright?" Powers looked at Phoenix who snapped out of his thoughts looking sourly at Powers. But he was trying not to look so unhappy you'd have to give him that.

"Yes?" Phoenix squeezes your hand like he was expecting it to give him strength.

"Why do you look so... unhappy?" Powers sniffled bringing a tissue up close to his face. Phoenix looked shocked like he hadn't expected to look so unhappy.

"O-oh! Oh, nothing! Eh heh heh. Really, it's nothing. Right (Y/N)? Mia?" Phoenix turned to look at you and Mia trying not to seem so unhappy. Even if he was met with your strained smile Mia looked like she was scowling her eyes narrowed lost in a thought. She turned to look at you both whispering to make sure only you both could hear her.

"Phoenix. (Y/N). Your client is now practically a dead man walking... Perhaps that's why I feel particularly close to him." Mia had crossed her arms looking thoughtful as she gazed at you both. You guessed that's why they seemed to be easily talking.

"This is no time for dead-people jokes, please." Phoenix sighed looking strained as he shuddered from the words Mia had said. You didn't find them very helpful either, she was right powers was a dead man walking right now.

"You know we're going into this trial utterly defenseless. Yet, if Mr. Powers is truly innocent... We should be able to find something overlooked in the evidence to prove it." Mia sighed as she brought a finger up to her chin.

"I hope we can find something" you sighed with Mia looking at her with strained eyes.

"There's no hope you two, we HAVE to find something over looked today. It's that or loose the trial" Mia wasn't very optimistic today as she spoke and you looked at Phoenix wondering what he was thinking.

"This isn't going to be easy" Finally he said something looking to you with worry clear in his eyes.

"Has it ever been?" You smiled before sucking in a breath. He was right this wasn't going to be easy, you just hoped that this would work out better than you expected. It was time for the trial, at most you hoped to gain an extra day for clue searching. This was it, court was called into session.