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Chapter Text

Phoenix awoke slowly, hearing his alarm going off faintly in his ear and mentally cursing its existence. He groaned, not even opening his eyes before turning over to make it shut up for a few minutes so he could go back to sleep. It was then that he realized he wasn't alone in bed. Someone else was there. And they were naked. Phoenix was naked.

His head was foggy with a mild hangover, and it protested when Phoenix tried to sift through his scattered memories at that hour, so he was forced to open his eyes and confront the problem with no context. After all, it was just a one-night stand; he had a bit too much to drink and ended up in bed with someone before(he was in college, after all).

However, nothing could prepare him to see Miles Edgeworth lying beside him.

His memories came flooding back to him all at once. How he pestered Miles for his phone number after Dahlia’s trial. How he texted Miles every day for a week before Miles finally responded. The lunch ‘date’ they eventually went on. His breakdown in front of Mia that led to her pushing Phoenix to confess his feelings. And then him doing that. And then him kissing Miles. And Miles kissing back.

One thing led to another and, with the help of a bottle of wine, led Phoenix to waking up next to his childhood friend and long lost crush Miles Edgeworth, both sans clothing.

Phoenix could see the hickeys on Miles’ neck and a few trailing down his chest before the blanket covered them from view. He reached out and brushed the hair out of Miles’ face, admiring his handiwork. He could only vaguely remember what they had done the night before, but it still made his face feel warm.

There was a lingering unease in his stomach, however. Was this a one-night thing only, or did Miles reciprocate his feelings? He couldn’t remember them talking about anything before the wine came out. Phoenix didn’t know if he could handle this only being a one-time thing.

His love for Miles was unfathomable. Indescribable. Like a light at the end of a dark tunnel filled with poison and betrayal. And he knew Miles needed love. Manfred Von Karma had done his best to beat the idealistic little boy Phoenix knew out of him, he suspected literally, and it caused Miles to become cold and ruthless. He earned the title Demon Prosecutor and had gotten a reputation for underhanded tactics and threats.

Phoenix believed those were all lies. He knew Miles. He wouldn’t do that, even with the man he had become. And he was determined that he could save him…somehow.

The sound of a phone ringing startled him out of his thoughts. It also startled Miles awake. He pushed past Phoenix, jumping out of bed and rummaging through his clothes on the floor until he found his phone and answered it.

“Yes, sir?” He stood up straight like a soldier, breathing smoothly and evenly even though he was butt naked at the moment. Phoenix couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but judging by the volume and tone of the muffled voice, it was Von Karma. That would also explain why Miles acted like he was being interrogated because he probably was.

“I apologize, sir. I went to study my next case at the courthouse late last night, but I’ll admit I fell asleep at my desk again-” more shouting, louder this time.

“No, I swear I-” he started before biting his lip and his shoulders sinking slightly.

“You’re correct. I admit I am only human and sometimes seek out companionship.” Miles stiffened even more and held his breath after speaking. Von Karma’s voice quieted, but the room seemed to get even more tense instead of calming down. Sometimes, a quiet scolding was more threatening than a shouting one. Phoenix made eye contact with Miles, his heart clenching at the barely veiled fear in his face. So he carefully got out of bed and placed his hand on Miles’ shoulder in an attempt to reassure him.

There was a flash of something across his face that Phoenix couldn't quite place, but after a moment, Miles placed his hand on top of Phoenix’s, keeping his attention on the phone call.

“I apologize again, sir. I will try harder not to disgrace the Von Karma name; you have my word. I will be over in thirty minutes-ten minutes.” Miles corrected after more stern words, finally hanging up the phone. He was shaking slightly, but by the way he was still standing, Phoenix knew he was trying to force himself to stop.

“Hey, it's ok.” He said, keeping his voice soft.

“It’s not . He called my bluff, and I fell right into his trap. He knew I was at someone else’s house and got me to admit it to him. He was never at the courthouse. I should’ve known better than to give him that information on a silver platter. Now, he has leverage over me.” He clenched his jaw and turned away from Phoenix, gripping his arms tightly.

“Why does he care that you’re sleeping with someone? You’re an adult.”

“I’m a Von Karma . They don’t have relationships; they distract from achieving perfection. My career has just started, so I must ensure I don’t fall behind. Otherwise I…” He trailed off, still shaking. Phoenix brought his hand up to Miles’s face, rubbing his thumb along Miles’s cheekbone.

“Don’t listen to him, Miles. You are worth more than that.” Miles made eye contact with him, if but briefly. Then he pulled away and began to gather his clothes.

“It would be best if we don’t speak of this to anyone.” Phoenix’s heart dropped.

“Why? Did I do something wrong? I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to-” He felt tears beginning to form, threatening to fall down his face. He couldn’t lose Miles, not when he was this close.

Miles was startled when Phoenix began to cry. He stood there with a confused look on his face before walking over to Phoenix and taking his hands in his.

“You misunderstand me. I wish to keep this… relationship going, but it must remain a secret. I’ve had other relations before where my mentor has found out about them, and they ended…poorly.” He turned away from Phoenix for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut. It must’ve been quite a painful memory because when he turned back, Phoenix could see a single tear in his eye. He reached up and wiped it away, and Miles did the same to him, which made Phoenix flush.

“I love you, Phoenix,” Miles whispered, pressing his forehead against Phoenix’s, “that’s why I can’t bear to see you get hurt. But I also can’t bring myself to push you away.” He brought his hand around to embrace Phoenix, pulling him in close. He held on tightly as if Phoenix could drift away if he didn’t.

He then unceremoniously let him go and started dressing himself again, furiously buttoning his shirt and jumping into his pants.

“Wait! Does this mean we’re boyfriends now? Like, are we official?” Phoenix asked, wanting confirmation before he let his guard down. Miles paused for a second, his suit jacket half-buttoned, and then crossed the room and slammed his lips against Phoenix’s.

The kiss was fiery. Desperate . As if Miles was attempting to devour his mouth. Phoenix leaned into it, pushing back against him and taking the lead. He sucked on Miles’ bottom lip, which made the other man moan. Miles’ hand ran through his hair, being both gentle and firm at the same time.

And then Miles pulled away, pressing one last kiss to Phoenix’s forehead.

“Is that sufficient proof?”

Phoenix nodded, wishing he had the forethought to cover himself before leaving the bed. Miles glanced down and then quickly looked away, his face bright red.

“What? Can you blame me? My hot lawyer boyfriend just made out with me.” He said with a laugh, sitting on the bed and throwing a blanket over himself to regain some semblance of modesty.

“You are insufferable, Wright.”

“Your tongue was just in my mouth, yet we’re not on a first-name basis?” Phoenix joked, throwing Miles a playful smile.

He finished getting dressed, checked himself over in the mirror, and then gave Phoenix one last chaste kiss.

“I’ll be busy all day, but I can call you later tonight? Does that work for you?” Phoenix nodded, now properly dressed as well.

“Have a good day, dear. Love you.” Miles gave him a warm smile before replying,

“Love you too, Phoenix.”

Chapter Text

Miles’ head was swimming. He had woken up with a little bit of a headache, but he had taken some pain medication and hoped it would go away if he ignored it for a few hours. But it refused. It made him dizzy and unbalanced, and the sharp lights of the courtroom were like daggers in his eyes. He was also beginning to get nauseated despite the tablet he had taken earlier to combat that very symptom. 

“Mr. Edgeworth? Is everything alright?” The Judge asked, catching Miles’ attention. He couldn’t afford to get distracted by anything, especially since Von Karma was currently in the States and probably watching him. Miles nodded, grimacing internally as that made his nausea 10 times worse. He bit his tongue until the feeling stopped and then responded.

“My apologies, Your Honor. I was busy thinking of a perfect rebuttal to the defense’s absurd statement.” Phoenix narrowed his eyes at Miles across the courtroom, and Mia crossed her arms and scowled at him. Normally, Miles would shake his head and shrug before pointing out a contradiction in Mia’s examination, but Miles had been too busy trying not to pass out and/or vomit all over the bench to be listening to the trial going on. And both those things would happen if he tried to move his head in such a way anyway. 

Phoenix leaned over to Mia and whispered something in her ear, glancing over at Miles as he did so. Was he talking about him? Miles could barely pay attention to anything other than his own misery. 

“Your Honor, I humbly request a 15-minute recess,” Mia said, addressing the judge. 

“Hmm? What for?”

“My co-council has informed me of some new information I must investigate. It won’t be long, promise.” New information? What was he talking about? The judge thought about it for a moment before slamming down his gavel and declaring, 

“Court will adjourn for lunch, which should give you enough time for your investigation.” Everyone began to leave around Miles while he stayed in his seat, sighing in relief. Maybe he could lie down in his office for a bit to get himself under control. He had some ginger tea and saltine crackers hidden in his desk for the days he had migraines. It had to be hidden due to Von Karma’s displeasure at Miles taking any kind of medication; he considered it to be a sign of weakness.

He walked up to his office in a daze, occasionally tripping over his feet while on the stairs. He pretended to be fine when people were in the hallway, but everyone else was leaving to grab lunch; Miles was likely the only one using the break to go deeper into the courthouse. 

He kept the lights off in order to make it easier on himself, not that he could see anything anyway through the pain. He stumbled over to his desk, fumbling with the drawer and trying to get the tea out. The thought of drinking the tea flashed in his mind, and his stomach protested. Violently.  

Miles only had a second to grab the bin under his desk before he was vomiting the little he had in his stomach. His body began to shake, and he couldn’t stop himself or keep the noise down. He was no longer in control of himself. All he could do was hunch over the bin and heave until he was only spitting up bile. There were tears falling down his face and his nose was running. Miles was embarrassed and exhausted, unable to move. 

Knock. Knock-knock . Miles froze, hoping that whoever was at his door would assume he had gone out to lunch and go away. 

Knock. Knock-Knock . Wait, that wasn’t just anyone. 

“Wright?” Miles called out, wincing at the sound of his voice. His throat was raw, and he began coughing from the irritation caused by speaking. Phoenix immediately opened the door and gasped when he saw Miles on the floor. Miles was about to remind him to be quiet when Phoenix ran to him without closing the door and knelt at Miles’ side. 

“ Fuck, Miles! What happened? Are you ok?” He asked, bringing his hand to Miles’ face and frantically looking him over. Phoenix pulled his hand away to grab at Miles’ wrist, checking his pulse, and Miles saw that his hand had come away bloody.

“Where did… that come from?”

“ You , Miles. Your nose is bleeding. And I think there’s blood in your mouth as well.” Phoenix spoke rapidly, holding onto Miles’ wrist so tightly that he doubted he could get an accurate pulse reading. His hands were shaking a little, and he may have been crying. 

“I’m fine . It’s just a little headache.” Miles attempted to stand to prove his point, only to fall into Phoenix’s arms when his legs failed him. 

“Stop, stop . You’re in no condition to move. Lie back down, and I’ll call the paramedics.”

“That is highly un-” Miles was cut off by another spasm in his stomach, coughing up bile and spit all over Phoenix as he clung to him. He could barely tell what was happening at that point due to the immense amount of pain he was in. 

“Miles, can you hear me? Please, just hang on!” Phoenix cried, holding tightly onto Miles’ hand. He turned his head and saw that Phoenix was on the phone, probably with the paramedics. Miles groaned, less from his discomfort and more from embarrassment. There would be no way to keep an emergency room visit from Von Karma, especially if it involved him being taken from the courthouse by ambulance. 

“Miles, I need you to answer something for me: Have you eaten or drunk anything today that other people had access to? Anything, including medication.” Oh. That was it. Phoenix thought he had been poisoned. He was reliving Dahlia all over again. 

Miles wished to reassure him, to tell him that everything would all be ok, but he could barely get himself to move, let alone speak. He shook his head the best he could. 

It was true; Miles had barely eaten or drank all day. This wasn't the first time he had stomach problems in recent weeks. He had found that skipping meals and eating gentler foods when he did eat made it easier for him to keep things down. That and downing nausea tablets every few hours. It would pass. Or so he thought.

Now that he was on the topic, this bug lasted longer than it probably should. Maybe there actually was something wrong. He obviously wasn’t poisoned, but there could still be something majorly wrong. 

The EMTs arrived soon after, running into the room and all but pushing Pheonix out of the way to get to Miles. He only left Miles’ side when Mia came into the room, likely hearing about the commotion. She dragged him off to the side, assuring him that Miles would be well cared for. 

They asked Miles all sorts of questions that he couldn’t really answer, causing them to get more and more concerned. 

“Mr. Edgeworth, we’re going to take you to the hospital to give you some IV fluids and do some tests. You are dangerously dehydrated.” He believed it. With all the vomiting and bleeding, he was losing what little strength he had left. 

He was loaded onto a stretcher, and they began to take him down a hallway to the elevator- fuck. The elevator. The paramedics had no reason to know that he had a severe phobia of them, and it was too much for him to really ask them to carry his stretcher down three flights of stairs. And he sure as hell couldn't walk in his current condition. He would just have to hope he was too tired to have a panic attack. 

But then, Phoenix wormed his way onto that metal death trap with them, sneaking through the closing doors and gluing himself to the side of the stretcher. 

“Ah, sorry, I thought I would catch a ride down with you guys.” He grabbed Miles’ hand as secretly as he could, squeezing it tightly as they descended. 

It was horrible . Miles had only dared to use a lift twice since DL-6, and both times ended with him kneeling on the floor and gasping for breath. This time, he couldn't move and could barely see, unable to get himself to safety. He was going to die. He couldn't breathe. His head was getting foggy. He was going to die in here-

“Shh, it’s ok. You can breathe. You are safe. The doors will open soon, and you can leave.” Phoenix . Phoenix was there with him, holding his hand and whispering in his ear. He was trying to give Miles something else to focus on besides his imminent doom.

It seemed to have worked, at least in part, because before he knew it, the doors opened, and Miles was once again in the safety of the lobby. 

Phoenix was promptly shooed away by the paramedics, who only barely tolerated his presence up to that point, and brought Miles through the lobby to the front doors where the ambulance was waiting. 

Unfortunately, that meant they had to bring him through the entire area, past everyone who just finished their lunch breaks. Including Manfred Von Karma. 

Miles saw the trademark suit of his mentor and shuddered, knowing that he would hear about this incident for months to come. He all but stood in front of the doors, crossing his arms. 

“And where do you think you’re taking him?” 

“To the hospital, sir.”

“Nonsense, he’s fine. He’s only being dramatic.” He scowled at Miles as he spoke, and if he had any energy left, Miles would’ve shrunk away. His disapproval was evident on his face. 

“Sir, I’m sorry, but he needs a hospital. He’s in danger of acute renal injury and iron deficiency anemia complications.”

“Do you take everyone with a minor stomach bug straight to the emergency room? Is this how you really spend your time? There are probably hundreds of people right now who are actually dying that will perish due to your incompetence.” 

He was being his usual stubborn self, throwing in a little emotional manipulation for good measure. 

“Sir, if you don’t let us by, I’ll have to call the police.” Von Karma narrowed his brow but stepped aside, staring daggers at Miles as they wheeled him past. If there was anything left in his stomach, he knew it would be churning with anxiety. He would have to endure that lecture at some point, but for now, he tried to focus on fixing what the fuck was wrong with him. 

Miles was in the emergency room for 5 hours before he saw a doctor, although they did their best to treat his symptoms. He was immediately put on IV fluids and was also given several vitamin shots, including iron and magnesium, which he was told he was likely deficient in as well. Once he was no longer about to die from dehydration, they took several blood and urine samples to run tests on. Miles didn’t know exactly what they were trying to test for, but since Phoenix mentioned poison, they were probably checking for anything even slightly out of order. After all, the whole Dahlia case only happened two years ago. It still was fresh in everyone’s mind. 

When the doctor did come in, she was carrying a large folder of papers and a clipboard. 

“Good evening, Mr. Edgeworth. How are you feeling now?”

“More like myself. I guess I was simply dehydrated.” She pursed her lips, looking down at her clipboard. 

“I’m glad you are feeling better, but I have your test results here, and I can assure you that coming to the hospital was necessary.” That didn’t sound good. He steeled himself for the bad news. 

Appendicitis was the most likely culprit. It was a relatively simple surgery with a streamlined recovery. He could still do his trials while sitting down as long as he reacted well to the pain medication. 

There was also the chance he had an issue with his kidneys or gallbladder, considering there needed to be a cause for his extreme dehydration. Those would require more involved care. 

The only thing Miles worried about was when he could return to work, considering that Von Karma would scold him over the missed trial days the second he got discharged. He distantly thought of Phoenix and how worried he probably was, but Phoenix also worried when Miles stubbed his toe or sneezed. He was a bit dramatic . Still, he hoped it wasn’t serious so they could both return to normal as soon as possible. 

“What did my tests show?” Miles asked, keeping his emotions out of his voice.

“I want to ask you some questions beforehand, if you don’t mind. You don’t have to answer them, but I assure you, your answers are purely confidential.” 

“Alright. Ask away.”

“Are you currently sexually active?” Not what he expected and certainly invasive, but it was something doctors had to ask. 

“Yes.” 

“With men, women, or both?”

“Men.” 

“What protection do you use?”

“I’ve been on testosterone since I turned 18, and my partner and I are both clean and monogamous.” The doctor inhaled sharply.

“You do know that testosterone injections are not a contraceptive, right?” Miles’ heart dropped. He hadn’t menstruated in years, and he and Phoenix had even discussed it when they first had sex; they were both sure that nothing could happen between them. They weren’t even forgoing protection for any actual reasons, either. When you’re in a secret relationship, and you both have roommates, it can be hard to plan or prepare for sexual encounters. They kind of just happened . In closets, the library, public bathrooms, basically anywhere, they both could be alone without anyone else noticing they were gone. But Miles considered himself infertile, so it was never a problem. 

And then he was handed a piece of paper with his test results on it, the top diagnosis being pregnancy . 

“How…how far along am I?”

“7 or 8 weeks, we believe. The nausea and vomiting symptoms you’ve been having are due to hyperemesis gravidarum, a rare and severe form of morning sickness that can happen in high-risk pregnancies.” Miles looked down on the sheet in his hands, on which HG was also listed, and several potential treatments for said condition. 

“You also have several severe vitamin deficiencies, including iron, manganese, and folate. I would highly recommend taking a multivitamin after you’re discharged to get your levels up.” Miles nodded, not fully listening at that point. He was still in shock from the whole pregnancy thing. 

“Now, judging from your reaction, I assume you and your partner were unaware that you could conceive?” He didn’t answer, but her question was essentially rhetorical at this point.

“You do have options at this point, Mr. Edgeworth. You’re still early enough to terminate if that is what you want. I can set you up with an appointment with a clinic we trust that is fully confidential, and they can discuss the procedure with you. Or, if you wish to keep the baby, I can give you the number of an OB-GYN I know that works with trans and queer pregnancies.” All her words swirled around in Miles’ head alongside vague images of babies and children, all incomprehensible. He couldn’t tell right now how he felt about potentially being a parent. There was also the fear that the sheer act of being pregnant would make his dysphoria return and make his life a living hell again. 

“You also don’t have to decide right this moment. I’ll give you their numbers and some additional information, and you can go home and discuss things with your partner. Does that sound good?” Unable to form a verbal response, Miles nodded. She handed him the folder she had been carrying, part of her attempt to keep his health confidential. 

One side of the folder was full of articles about pregnancy symptoms and diagrams of the fetus in the womb. The other side had suggestions for what to do after having an abortion and a list of local support groups. Overall, it looked like a very comprehensive collection, but Miles could barely read in his current state. He took it intending to read through the entire thing once he could. At this point he needed all the information he could get.

“Do you have any other questions for me right now?”

“What will my official medical record show?” She looked at him, confused. 

“The only people who can look at your medical records are you and other medical professionals that you give permission to.”

“Would it be possible to get a different copy of my discharge paperwork? One that keeps the…pregnancy out of it?” The doctor shifted in her chair, sitting straighter and more at attention.

“Are you concerned about your safety?” Miles paused for a moment, unsure of how he should respond. While yes, Von Karma was dangerous, and some of what he did could be considered abusive, but what did he want to do about it? What could he do about it? 

He feared what he would think of Miles’ pregnancy. He wasn’t queerphobic, that was beneath him, but he had opinions on Miles having relationships with anyone. He would hate that Miles had a boyfriend, especially that he was a defense attorney . That was essentially a cardinal sin according to him. And then to add on the fact that he was carrying a defense attorney’s illegitimate child? Miles, Phoenix, and their child would all be in danger. 

Wait, why did he care about the baby? It wasn’t even a baby at this point, it was only a small clump of cells that his body may very well expel in the next few weeks. And yet, he couldn’t think of them being hurt. He felt incredibly protective over his child, as silly as that was. 

And that scared him. 

“It would be best for me to have a decoy copy of my discharge paperwork in case I need to answer… uncomfortable questions.” He needed to keep this a secret as much as he could while he tried to understand what exactly he was feeling. And he needed to talk to Phoenix as soon as possible. That wasn’t a conversation he was necessarily looking forward to but if he made a decision on a matter as serious as this on his own he would regret it for the rest of his life. 

The doctor stared at him for a moment, before sighing and nodding her head.

“I won’t pry, as you seem to be handling it well, but I want to make sure you know that there is a domestic abuse hotline on the paperwork I gave you.”

“My partner is not the problem, but I thank you.” Miles wasn’t sure why he felt the need to defend the honor of his secret boyfriend that only he knew the identity of but the words came out of his mouth before he could even think better of it. 

The look on her face made it obvious that she didn’t believe him, but she did fabricate a new set of discharge papers that listed Miles’ main diagnosis as ‘acute dehydration, migraine, iron-deficiency anemia, and manganese-deficiency nausea’.  It also listed brands of multivitamins and at home care steps for prolonged vomiting. Very mild mannered but it made sense since the severe diagnoses were related to his pregnancy and that was the main thing he asked them to hide. It would be enough to keep Von Karma from investigating further at least. If he didn’t have anything to show him then he would use his sources to find out what happened so by having this he could hopefully throw his mentor off the scent. For a while at least. 

Miles was discharged about an hour later, the IV being removed from his arm and the nurse giving him his first dose of medicine. He was thankful that his pharmacy was inside the hospital because he could pick it up right then and there instead of running the risk of anyone seeing him and asking questions. 

Once he stepped outside, Von Karma immediately called him. 

“Are you done with your childish temper tantrum?” He spat into the phone, disapproval dripping from his voice. Miles could envision the scowl on his face quite easily, since he had seen that face just about every week since childhood. 

“I have been discharged from the emergency room, if that is what you mean. I needed emergency fluids and iron, which they gave me, and now I will be heading home.” 

“Next time drink water and take a multivitamin and save us all this embarrassment . They had to replace you on the trial since you were deemed ‘unfit to practice’, which I don’t know if you understand, but that is a slight against the Von Karma name. It’s not a penalty but I won’t tolerate this kind of sloppiness . I have dropped off six new cases in your office you’ll be taking next week and I will be watching your performance very. Closely. Understood?” Miles groaned internally at the sheer size of that workload. Even if he wasn’t in emotional turmoil and dealing with a severe diagnosis it would be unreasonable to expect a single person to be able to handle much in a short amount of time. But Von Karma was unreasonable. But Miles couldn’t muster up the energy to fight him.

“Yes, sir. I’ll get right on it.” He said, keeping the exhaustion out of his voice as best as he could. 

“Good. I expect you to be in the office by 8 am tomorrow.” Again, unreasonable. 

“Understood. I will see you tomorrow.” He then hung up, not knowing if he wanted to scream or cry afterward. This was too much for him to handle all at once by himself. 

So he texted Phoenix in an attempt to remedy part of his crisis. 

M: I have been discharged from the hospital. 

There was an immediate response, with no punctuation or capitalization. 

P: miles oh my god are you ok ive been so worried what did they say was wrong with you are you alright

Miles didn’t know what to say. A pregnancy wasn’t something one discussed over texting but at the same time he couldn’t say that nothing was wrong. 

M: I got a diagnosis. It is something I wish to discuss with you. What time are you free today?

P: please tell me youre not dying

M: I’m not dying. When are you free today?

P: the trial ended for today while they find a new prosecutor 

P: i am home right now

His throat tightened as he thought of talking to Phoenix right away and forced himself to calm down. This was something he needed to tell him as soon as possible. This was a good thing.

M: I will be there soon. I will let you know when I arrive.

Chapter Text

Phoenix paced back and forth during the entire 15 minutes it took for Miles to drive from the hospital to his run-down apartment. He absent-mindedly made some tea at one point, for Miles’ sake, and then returned to pacing in front of the front door. 

When he saw Miles lying on the floor, blood coming from his mouth and nose, he thought he was about to die in his arms. He remembered the stinging of the Dahlia’s poison, how he choked on his own blood and spit, even before he ate that necklace. The thought of Miles going through that was worse than any nightmare Phoenix had ever had. 

His mind was so busy catastrophizing that he didn’t notice his phone buzzing to notify him that Miles had arrived, so the knock on the door made him jump a foot in the air. 

He opened the door to his boyfriend, who looked like he had been to hell and back. There was a little more color in his face than that morning, but he was still way too pale, and he was all but swaying on his feet, standing in Phoenix’s doorway. He wasn’t wearing his suit jacket or jabot, and his shirt was untucked, the top unbuttoned as well. 

Miles opened his mouth to say something but was stopped by Phoenix embracing him, holding him tightly, and pressing his face into Miles’ shoulder. He stood still for a second before gently returning the affection.

“I was so worried!” Phoenix exclaimed, trying not to cry.

“I know. I’m sorry.” He sounded utterly exhausted. Phoenix figured that he had been feeling ill the entire day, and yet he forced himself to do several hours of a trial and then had to deal with the horrors of the emergency room. 

Phoenix let go of him, tenderly took his hand, and led Miles inside to the couch to sit down. He could tell that Miles felt like shit because he didn’t protest, just sat without saying anything and stared blankly at the wall. 

That really wasn’t good. 

He ran to the kitchen to get the tea, which wasn’t hot anymore unfortunately, and brought it out to where Miles was sitting. He looked down at the tea and then back up to Phoenix.

“Is this caffeinated?” He asked, looking at the cup but not really seeing it.

“Uh, I don’t think so? I made herbal tea since I didn’t know if your stomach was still upset. Is that ok? If not, I can go make another kind I’ve got lots-”

“Decaf is fine.” Miles cut him off with a wave of his hand. 

“Are you sure?” He nodded, taking a sip. He grimaced a little bit, probably because Phoenix sucked at making tea(and it was at best lukewarm) but he didn’t complain. He took another longer sip before placing the cup on the coffee table and sighing, turning to Phoenix. He took the hint and sat down next to him, his heart pounding in his chest.

“Is it… really bad?” Phoenix asked, wringing his hands. Miles didn’t answer right away. He reached into his coat pocket and took out a carefully folded piece of paper. Phoenix took it and read it with shaking hands. 

It was Miles’ discharge paperwork, the first page at least. And right there at the top was his diagnosis, and as soon as he read it, he realized why Miles was acting this way. 

“You’re pregnant ?!” He looked up at Miles and then looked down at the paper and then up again. Miles was barely looking at him and he was gripping his arm so tightly his knuckles were white. 

“I'm about 8 weeks along, or so they think.” He picked his cup up again and took another sip, holding it so tightly in his hands that he worried Miles would crack it.

Phoenix did some mental math to remember what was 8 weeks ago, and his face flushed when the date crossed his mind.

“8 weeks ago was when I passed the bar, and we, uh, celebrated all night long.” He stammered, scolding his past self for being so careless. They didn't even consider pregnancy as an option. And now…they had to deal with the consequences of their rash decisions.

Phoenix looked over at Miles to try and gauge how he was feeling about the situation, and he saw that he was more or less dissociating while holding his cup of tea, the cup shaking in his hands.  

“I…I know neither of us were planning on this happening, and I'm so sorry that it did-”

“Why are you sorry?” Phoenix asked incredulously. Miles looked up at him, confused.

“This is my fault.” 

“I argue that I am also 50% at fault, biologically speaking.” Miles couldn’t argue with that, sighing in defeat. He placed his cup back down on the table and folded his hands in his lap. Phoenix scooted closer to him on the couch, placing his hand on Miles’. 

“How are you feeling about all this?” He kept his voice low, not breaking eye contact with Miles the whole time. 

“If I’m honest… terrified . I don’t know how Von Karma is going to react to this-”

“If I can be honest, Miles, fuck that guy and his opinions.” Phoenix spat, grimacing at the mention of that scumbag. “You are an adult and he doesn't get to control all aspects of your life. If you want to have a boyfriend, then you can have a boyfriend. If you want to have a child, then you can have a child. So I’ll ask again, how do you feel about the pregnancy?” He spoke with such conviction, putting his whole heart into that last line. He wished to make Miles believe in his autonomy, to hammer in that he could live outside of the parameters of Von Karma’s unattainable standards of perfection. 

Miles was staring at him with tear filled eyes the entire time Phoenix spoke, looking at him with awe. But he still didn’t speak, his mouth hanging open for several moments. 

“I also want you to know that I will stand by you, regardless of your choice. I will either hold your hand in the clinic, or in the delivery room.” That snapped Miles out of his train of thought.

“You would stay? Even if I kept the baby?” Phoenix nodded.

“ Of course . I love you, Miles. And I’ll admit that I’ve always wanted kids, even if I wasn’t planning on looking into the matter for a few more years. I would love to raise our kid with you, if that is what you also want.” There was a brief silence between them before Miles kissed Phoenix, holding his face tenderly in his hands. 

“I want that.” He said, breathlessly, “I want to have our child and be a family together.” He was crying a little bit, all of his emotions spilling over at once. Phoenix was crying now too, kissing Miles on his cheek and forehead.

“That settles it then. We will be a wonderful family of three.” Miles smiled at him, still holding his face, and then suddenly, he froze. 

“Miles? What’s wrong?” 

“What am I supposed to tell Von Karma? I know you are going to say that he ‘doesn't matter,’ but I won’t be able to hide a pregnancy from him forever, and he could cause problems for us once he finds out. I don’t…I don’t want him to hurt you…or them.” He placed a hand on his flat stomach, his hand shaking again. 

Phoenix had to think for a moment. It was true, he wished to tell Von Karma where he could stick it and remove him entirely from Miles’ life. But, that wasn’t a feasible plan, especially since Miles currently lived with his mentor. They needed to come up with some way to hide their baby that still allowed them to raise them.

Then, he had an idea.

“Von Karma still has that estate in Germany, right?” Miles nodded, a little confused.

“Franziska lives there full time right now, but he prefers to stay here in the States for the moment. He is still trying to gain the title of Chief Prosecutor, which requires a lot of networking and lobbying. Why?”

“Well…what if you moved to Germany when you start showing too much? Do you think Fran would keep your secret?” Phoenix offered, his plan coming together in his mind. 

“I believe she would, but how would hiding in Germany help matters? I would still come home with a baby.”

“After they are born, name me as the other parent and then forfeit your parental rights. That way, I can swoop in and adopt them without your name being attached. I’ll raise them as a single parent, more or less, and then one day, when it’s safe, we’ll all be a family together.” Miles stroked his chin, thinking.

“Your plan has some holes in it.” 

“I am willing to hear any alternate ideas,” Phoenix said, raising an eyebrow. Miles thought for a moment more before sighing and nodding. 

“It should still work. Fran and I are still fairly close, and if I give her unofficial godparent status, then she should cooperate.” Phoenix didn’t know much about Miles’ sister, other than she was an incredibly young prosecutor and had a particular interest in whips. She and Miles had both been raised to be ‘perfect’ in the eyes of Von Karma, but he doubted that either of them would ever satisfy his unreasonable desires. 

“Contact her and let me know how it goes. If it goes poorly, then we will need to pivot.” 

“I will.” Miles looked away, more relaxed now, drinking the rest of his tea with his shoulders down and leaning into Phoenix. 

“Miles…can I ask you something?” 

“What is it?”

“Can I…feel them?” He looked down at Miles’ flat stomach, envisioning their little one underneath its surface.

“You know they’re too small to be felt, right?”

“I know, but still. I want to.” Miles flashed him a small smile and then placed his now empty tea cup back on the coffee table. He took one of Phoenix’s hands and placed it on his abdomen under his shirt, just below his belly button. 

His skin was warm under Phoenix’s touch, and even though he knew their baby was about the size of a grape at the moment, he still felt a connection to them.

“We’ll have to get our own place at some point. As much as I love and trust Mia, I don’t think she’d appreciate rooming with a newborn.” He joked, still looking down at his hand. 

“One of these days, when we both have time off, we can look at houses,” Miles said, wistfully. He put his hand next to Phoenix’s, their thumbs brushing against each other.

“I was more thinking of affordable studio apartments, Miles. Maybe two-bedroom ones if I can get a deal on it.”

“I will buy you a house.” Phoenix removed his hand and looked at Miles in shock, not thinking he heard him clearly. Miles’ face remained unchanged.

“That’s not n-”

“If you plan on being a single parent, then I will ensure you and our child are well cared for. Not that I think you can’t provide for them, but to take the financial pressure off your back a little bit.” 

“That’s…thank you, Miles.” He turned Miles’ face towards him and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. Miles brought his hand up and brushed a lock of hair out of his face and then settled back down on the couch and laid his head on Phoenix’s shoulder. He let out a deep breath, and Phoenix could tell he was slowly losing the battle against sleep.

“When does Von Karma expect you back?” He asked, leaning his head against Miles’.

“As long as I’m in the office before him tomorrow morning, I can theoretically stay the night here. That is if you think Mia would be fine with it.” 

“She will be. She was worried about you too, you know? Mia told me once that she only sees you sick when you’re about to collapse.” Miles huffed, but didn’t refute it.

“I will leave early in the morning so I won’t bother either of you, and I can claim that I was in the office the entire time, getting an early start on my workload.” Phoenix was annoyed that Miles was saddled with so much this soon after an emergency room visit, pregnancy aside. He knew there was nothing he could say that would make Miles stray from that path, but he hoped that he could at least stop him from overextending himself. 

“Make sure you take enough breaks, ok? Take breaks, drink water, and try to keep something in your stomach. I can do some research tomorrow to see what else can help with the nausea and fatigue, since I don’t have to worry about anyone looking at my search history.” Miles chuckled slightly at Phoenix’s rambling, his voice heavy with sleep.

“I’m glad…I’ve got at least one person looking out for me…” Phoenix was about to say something else, but he noticed how light Miles was breathing and realized that he had fallen asleep. He had a rough day and was probably only hanging on by a thread. Phoenix was happy that he felt safe enough to get some rest, at least.

“Have a good night, Miles.” He whispered, closing his own eyes and letting himself drift off as well. 

Chapter Text

Miles sat in his car for way longer than he would like to admit, looking at the OBGYN office and trying to psyche himself up to go in. He wanted this. Phoenix wanted this. So why was it so hard for him to get his first prenatal checkup?

Maybe because it would solidify that he was pregnant, that this was happening. He had known for a little over a week now at this point, but he could also ignore it for the most part. He took his nausea medication and vitamins every morning and abstained from wine and caffeine, but other than that, his life hadn’t been changed. 

But getting an ultrasound? That was a big step. He would see his child for the first time. He would hear their heartbeat. He would get their first picture. 

And he did still want all of that but that didn’t stop him from becoming anxious. 

Thankfully, his phone buzzed and brought him out of his thoughts.

P: ive arrived at the place

P: are you inside or outside

Miles sighed in relief. Phoenix was here, as he promised, and he hoped that by having his boyfriend there, he would be grounded.

M: I am here. I am still inside my car, but I will meet you outside the doors. 

He took a deep breath and then opened the car door, and made the daunting walk up to the front door. Phoenix came up from behind him, wearing a hat and mask to try and conceal his identity as much as he could, just in case. He waved to Miles and gave him a gentle hug, which almost immediately settled Miles’ nerves. 

“It’s gonna be fine , ok? Just a normal doctor’s visit. Oh, and I brought a spare mask if you wanted one in case you wanted to hide as well or to protect yourself from any germs.” Phoenix reached into his pocket and pulled out a cloth mask with Steel Samurai printing on it. Of course, that’s the one he brought. Well, it was better to be seen as a nerd than the risk someone spreading gossip about the ‘Demon Prosecutor.’ 

He gratefully took the mask, put it on, and walked through the door. 

The OBGYN office he had chosen was one that had worked with a lot of trans and queer pregnancies, so he didn’t also have to navigate that type of scenario. The receptionist greeted them at the door and signed Miles in for his appointment. Phoenix stood a respectful distance away while he gave his personal information, which he appreciated even though he figured that Phoenix knew him more intimately than any other person in the world.   

She told the two of them to follow her into one of the rooms, and then once they were settled, they began waiting for the nurse, which made Miles’ nerves come back. He had sat down on the examination table in preparation for the ultrasound, but it only reminded his brain that it was coming. It will happen soon. There was no turning back now. 

Phoenix, noticing his spirling thoughts again, scooted closer to him, took his hand, and squeezed it. He squeezed it back, feeling like his hand was Miles’ tether in the storm of his anxieties. 

Then, after what felt like hours, the nurse came in.

“Hello, my name is Joy. My pronouns are she/her. You are Miles, correct?” He nodded. She turned to Phoenix. “And you are?” 

“I’m the baby’s other father,” Phoenix said, hoping she didn’t ask for more information. Thankfully, Joy just smiled.

“I love it when both parents are involved in the prenatal care; it reassures me that the baby will be well supported and loved.” She began typing on her computer and turned to Miles,

“We’re at 9 weeks, right?”

“Approximately.”

“I see here that you’re being treated for hyperemesis gravidarum. How is that going? Have you been able to eat and drink regularly with the medication?” Miles nodded.

“I still get nauseous sometimes, but I haven’t vomited in a few days.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Not everyone gets HG when they’re pregnant, but it can happen sometimes for those who took testosterone beforehand. Speaking of, you have stopped your testosterone, correct?”

“Yes, but I didn’t know I was pregnant until last week, and I took my shots regularly up until then.” Phoenix raised his hand to ask a question in the midst of the examination.

“Is that ok? That wouldn’t have hurt them, right?” Joy shook her head, and both of them sighed in relief. 

“Your body produced enough estrogen when it was going into pregnancy mode that it essentially canceled out your HRT. However, it’s not recommended to continue with HRT during pregnancy just in case it interferes with your body’s natural hormonal process. Will you be comfortable with that?” He nodded. 

“I had to ask. Sometimes, pregnancy can trigger dysphoria, and sometimes, it doesn't. If you ever start feeling uncomfortable, please reach out to us, and we can find someone to help.” Miles hadn’t thought of being dysphoric as a side-effect of the pregnancy, but he didn’t believe it would be a problem. But it was nice to know that they had a safety net in mind, just in case.

“Today, we will do a full exam, which includes a comprehensive blood test, weight, and blood pressure monitoring, and finally, the main event: the ultrasound. Does that sound good to both of you?” Both Miles and Phoenix nodded, and Miles removed his coat so she could start to take blood from him, not removing his hand from Phoenix’s unless he absolutely had to. 

“Have you been tested for anemia since leaving the emergency room?” She asked, taking the first sample. 

“No, but I’ve been taking a prenatal vitamin daily, and I’m trying to add more iron into my diet.” 

“He ate an entire bowl of spinach yesterday for lunch. He wasn’t happy about it, though.” Phoenix added, chuckling. Miles scowled at him playfully, wishing he didn’t have to remain still so he could cross his arms as well. 

“Spinach is good. It's full of iron and calcium. I would also recommend looking at protein shakes if you are into those. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I drank two of those every day since they were quick and easy to eat, and I struggled with keeping those vitamin levels up too.” He made a mental note about that, just in case. It seemed to be more pleasant than eating an entire bowl of rabbit food, at least. 

Joy finished taking his blood samples and then led Miles to a scale to take his weight, which he knew was a key metric to monitor how well the baby was developing. However, once he was on the scale, she frowned slightly. 

“Hmm. You’re a little underweight for being this far along.” Miles paled and felt his anxiety return, but she quickly added on,

“It isn’t something we need to worry about right now, but I would highly recommend those protein shakes. If you are still having issues in a few weeks, then we can run some more tests, but for right now, it’s just something to keep in mind.” He looked down at himself, knowing that he couldn’t see any sign of his growing child but wanting to check anyway. He needed them to be as healthy and strong as they could be. 

He returned to the room where Phoenix was waiting, and they relayed the information to him, which, in true Phoenix fashion, he took incredibly seriously. 

“I’ll make sure to keep an eye on him. Or at least trying to get him to eat something more substantial than English muffins and oatmeal.” 

“Is that what you think I eat all day?” Miles asked with an eyebrow raised. Phoenix shrugged, and he rolled his eyes. Joy giggled at the interaction. 

“Well, I’ll send the blood off to the labs, and then when I get back, we’ll get started with the ultrasound. That sound alright to you?” Miles swallowed nervously, but he still nodded. This was it. The big moment. Joy left the room, and Phoenix sat beside Miles on the examination table, reassuring him with a hand against his back. 

“I’m nervous too, but I’m also really excited. Which one of us do you think they’ll look like more?”

“At 9 weeks of development I think they’ll look like a jelly bean.” 

“Don’t be rude to our kid, Miles,” Phoenix said in a playful tone. “But seriously, what do you think they’ll look like?” Miles thought about the question for a moment. 

“I think, if we have a boy, I’d like them to look like my father.” His voice was quiet, barely audible. This was the first time in years that he had even thought about Gregory Edgeworth, but he could clearly picture a little boy with brown hair and gray eyes looking up at him. Phoenix smiled at the thought and nodded in agreement. 

“That would be nice, to have our own little Gregory running around. I think…I’d like them to have your gray eyes, or at least for both of them to be the same color. I got bullied a lot in kindergarten for my heterochromia.” 

“In my opinion, your eyes are very nice.” 

“Awe, I love you too.” Phoenix playfully kissed him on the nose. Miles noticed that his face was a little flushed. 

At that moment, Joy knocked on the door and came in. 

“Your blood work has been sent off to the labs, and they’ll call you about it at some point this week, and we can discuss the results at your next appointment. Are you ready to begin the ultrasound?” Phoenix stood up off the bed and looked over at Miles, who took a deep breath and nodded. 

He laid down on the bed and adjusted his clothing so his abdomen was exposed, feeling a little vulnerable in that position. But Phoenix was sitting next to him and holding his hand, so he remained calm. 

“The gel may be a little cold, ok?” She put some of the ultrasound gel on Miles’ stomach, which was as she warned him, and then put the wand on top as well and turned on the machine. 

“Let’s see…” she searched around for a bit, gently moving the wand across his body. The screen was currently turned away from him, but he wasn’t looking yet anyway. He had his eyes closed and was carefully getting himself ready for the big reveal. 

“Ah, there you are,” Joy said, stilling her movements. “Are you ready to see your little one?” Miles opened his eyes and looked at Phoenix, who hadn’t looked away from the monitor since it started, even though he couldn't see anything. 

“Yes, I think we’re ready.” She turned it around, and they saw their baby for the first time. 

Objectively, they did look like a jelly bean. Small, oblong, and not very defined. But they could see their little arms and legs wiggling around. Their little hands and feet. Their head and developing eyes. 

Miles couldn’t keep himself from tearing up. That was their baby . They would one day be able to hold them in their arms and kiss them on the head. 

He looked over at Phoenix, who was also crying. 

“Hello, little one.” He said, sniffling, “We’re your dads.” Phoenix put one hand up against Miles’ belly, not close enough to interfere with the ultrasound, but close enough to feel connected. His other hand remained firmly clasped in Miles’. 

“And here is their heartbeat,” Joy announced, pushing a button on the machine. Then they could hear the whoosh-whoosh of their child’s heartbeat. To Miles, it was the most wondrous thing he had ever heard. 

“They sound nice and strong, which is good. And everything seems to be developing as it should.” Joy added, smiling at the two teary parents. 

“They’re healthy?” Miles asked. She nodded. 

“They’re going to grow exponentially in the coming weeks, and we will get to see more and more of them as time goes on, but for how far along you are right now, they are doing wonderfully.” That was a huge weight off of Miles’ chest. 

He couldn’t take his eyes off of their baby on the screen, content in the knowledge that they were doing ok. Phoenix was likewise enthralled, wiping his tears away with the back of his hand. Miles had worried that this experience would make him feel uncomfortable, but all it did was solidify that he was happy with being pregnant with Phoenix’s baby. 

Joy helped Miles clean up and then left the room to print out photos of the ultrasound at Miles’ request. He liked having physical copies of memories just in case. 

Phoenix was still on cloud nine, and even though he was still wearing his mask, Miles could tell he was smiling from ear to ear.

“Thank you for letting me come to this, Miles.” 

“I should thank you for coming. I didn’t know how I would feel about all this, and it really helped to have you here with me. And…we both got to see our baby.” He placed his hands over his belly as if he could still feel their heartbeat against his fingers. He knew that the second and third trimesters would be hard on his body, but he couldn’t wait until he could feel them move and kick. 

Phoenix came to sit next to Miles on the examining table, putting his arm around him and holding him close. He kissed his forehead through the mask and then leaned his head against Miles’ shoulder.

“Soon, we’ll have to get a nursery together. Make sure they have a nice cozy home to come to. I thought about painting the walls myself, stretching the old artist's muscles.” 

“Weren't you an art history student?” Phoenix shushed him, rolling his eyes. Miles loved the idea of personalizing their nursery like that, although he wouldn't say that out loud just yet. 

Joy returned soon after with the printouts of the ultrasound, handing one good photo to each of them. Phoenix tucked it straight into his wallet while Miles folded it and put it in his pocket, already having a permanent place for it in his mind. She handed Miles the visit summary paperwork, which had the number of the labs on it for when the tests were done. 

They walked out of the clinic into the parking lot, Phoenix only taking off his mask when he was standing next to his bike. Miles really wished he could offer him a ride home, but he knew that defeated the entire purpose of them arriving separately in the first place. 

“Are you going to be ok getting home?” He asked, looking up at the sky and hoping the dark clouds would be kind to his boyfriend on the ride home. 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. You gotta go back to the office?” Miles nodded solemnly. He still had half a mountain of paperwork to file before the weekend. 

“I can call you tonight when I’m done if you like.” 

“I can wait until tomorrow. You need to get some rest.” He kissed Miles on the cheek, placing one hand on his face and the other on his stomach. He looked up at him with such adoration Miles felt his knees go weak for a moment before removing his own mask and returning the kiss. Then Phoenix hopped on his bike and rode off into the distance, leaving Miles to head back to work alone. He couldn’t wait until they could ride home together, happily out and holding their child.

One day.

Chapter Text

Phoenix didn’t know what to expect when Manfred Von Karma summoned him to his office, but he knew it would be a Bad Choice to ignore it.

He thought about telling Miles about the meeting but decided better of it. There was no point in stressing him out before he knew what he wanted to discuss. He had just entered his second trimester, and Phoenix was still trying to keep him from overworking himself. His health had improved slightly , but not nearly enough to keep Phoenix from worrying. 

Von Karma was sitting at his desk, reading over a case file, and barely looked up when Phoenix entered the room. He cleared his throat to announce his presence, feeling like he was about to be cross-examined. 

“Excuse me, Mr. Von Karma, you wanted to speak with me about something?” Phoenix focused on keeping his voice calm and not thinking about who he was speaking to. 

He held up his finger in a ‘wait’ motion, closed the file he was reading, and then stood up and walked over to where Phoenix was, standing right in front of him. 

“You will break up with Miles Edgeworth and never speak to him again under any circumstances. Otherwise, there will be consequences. Understood?” Von Karma towered over Phoenix with a scowl, his threat clear as day.

“How did you-”

“Did you really think the two of you could keep this a secret from me forever? Nothing goes on in this city that I don’t know about. And I’ll say again, you either break up with Miles Edgeworth, or you will regret it.” Phoenix stood there, frozen. His heart was beating a million miles per hour in his chest. But even as terrified as he was, he wasn’t about to bow down to someone like Von Karma. 

“I will not . Miles loves me, and I love him. He deserves to be happy! There’s more to life than your delusional hunt for perfectionism! You want to turn Miles into someone like you, but you’re wrong; he’s a good man!”   Phoenix puffed up his chest and stood as tall as he could, barely keeping his nerves under check.  Von Karma stared at him for a moment before shaking his head and sighing.

“What a shame,” he reached into his pocket and pulled something out that Phoenix didn’t recognize, “I had plans later on today but now I have to deal with you. Try not to scream, as it will only make my job harder.” He hit a button, and electricity began humming across the barbs of the taser he held in his hand. 

Phoenix had only a second to think before Von Karma struck him with 50,000 volts of energy.

Every muscle in his body seized at once. He was blinded by pain and shock and fell forward onto his face, convulsing uncontrollably. His nerves felt like they were on fire. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t fight back. 

The last thing he remembered before the world went black was Von Karma standing over him, smiling. 

Phoenix awoke sometime later. At least, he thought he was awake. Everything was really blurry. He tried standing up but he stumbled forward, colliding into something hard and metal. A dumpster? Why was he next to a dumpster? He was at the courthouse, wasn’t he? Did the courthouse have a dumpster? 

There seemed to be a street in front of him, some distance between 5 and 50 feet, and he could hear the cars driving by. Phoenix was vaguely aware of the fact that he should probably seek help. 

Something was wrong . His side hurt, and brushing his hand against it made him wince. One of the sleeves had been rolled up on his shirt, and his arm was bruised near the elbow. Somehow, he had lost his blazer; he was standing there in just his tie, dress shirt, and dress pants. His shoes were missing too. What was going on?

He found himself blindly stumbling towards the road, barely able to keep himself upright. The cars were suddenly way too close, and one nearly hit Phoenix, missing him by mere inches. He fell forward, catching himself before hitting his face on the pavement. There on his hands and knees, he turned to stare right into another car's headlights as it slammed on the brakes to avoid running him over. Phoenix didn’t even blink, mostly unaware of what was happening or what nearly happened. 

The driver of the car slammed the door and stormed out, grumbling under his breath.

“Hey, pal! What the hell were you thinking?!” Wait, Phoenix knew that voice. He looked up to see Gumshoe, mad as all hell, staring down at him. He also seemed to recognize Phoenix, thankfully and realized that he was Not Well. He said something that Phoenix couldn’t quite make about, but his face was more concerned rather than furious. 

“Help…” He croaked, his voice raspy and raw. “Help me.” Gumshoe took his arm and led him out of the road to the curb, talking into his police radio the entire time. 

“Just hold on, Mr. Wright. The ambulance is on its way.” Phoenix nodded, sitting down on the curb. Or at least attempting to. He ended up falling over onto his back as soon as Gumshoe wasn’t holding onto him. 

His chest hurt. Like really bad. He grabbed his chest as he struggled to breathe, foam and spit coming out of his mouth as he began to choke. 

Phoenix cried out the best he could to get Gumshoe’s attention in a last-ditch effort to save his life, but by the time Gumshoe noticed his distress, the world was already going dark and quiet.

Chapter Text

Miles came home late that night, completely and utterly exhausted. His back was killing him, and the swelling in his feet made walking at the end of the day unbearable. He wished he had the foresight to make an excuse for him to stay at Phoenix’s apartment; he could’ve had a nice massage from his loving boyfriend instead of eating cold leftovers while his mentor scowled disapprovingly at him from the corner of the room. 

He sighed, turning the key in the lock and hoping that Von Karma had already gone to bed. Unfortunately, as soon as he entered the room, he discovered he wasn’t that lucky. 

He was sitting at the dining room table, waiting with his brow furrowed. There was a pile of paperwork next to him, likely case files. 

“Ah, good. You’re finally home.” He grumbled, putting down the file he was reading and motioning for Miles to sit across from him. He obeyed, thankful that years in court had perfected his neutral expression.

“Is there something you wanted to discuss, sir?” 

“What is the nature of your relationship with Phoenix Wright?” Miles tensed, his heart stopping in his chest. 

“He…he is just a friend. I find his idealism unrealistic, so we are friendly, but I keep him at arm’s length.” Von Karma tsk ed, shaking his finger at Miles as he did with contradictions in witness testimony. 

“False. I know the two of you are in an intimate relationship. I know you’ve been at his apartment overnight. I know you have eaten together at high-end restaurants, the type reserved for romantic relationships. I know he has been seen in your office after hours, either discussing cases illegally or, more likely, engaging in sexual acts.” He waited for a second to see if Miles would object, to see if he would lie and try and defend himself. But Miles couldn’t. There was no point. Von Karma wasn’t one to make baseless accusations. He had evidence, and he didn’t want to test his luck.

“Now, I understand you are still young and are bound to make these types of mistakes . I am still incredibly disappointed you allowed yourself to be distracted by someone, let alone a defense attorney , but I don’t believe you did this entirely out of malice. And thankfully, the issue has already been resolved.” Miles, who was already at the end of his rope, was about to break. He dug his nails into his palm and forced himself to calm down before asking, 

“What do you mean by that?” Von Karma grinned, like a fox about to go for the kill. 

“I’m afraid he’s broken it off already and skipped town. I guess he realized he didn’t want to be associated with the ‘Demon Prosecutor’ any longer.” Tears began to form in Miles’ eyes. 

“ No. You’re lying . He…he wouldn't do that.” 

“Really now? Has he called or texted you today? Have you been able to reach him at all?” That was true, the last message that went through was early that morning and it wasn’t anything substantial, just a simple ‘good morning how’d you sleep’. He didn’t make plans, didn’t ask him how his day was or talked about something funny he thought of while in court; he was silent. 

But Phoenix promised he didn’t believe the corruption allegations against Miles. That was part of why they started hanging out again, part of why Phoenix changed majors to become a lawyer in the first place. He believed Miles was a good man and he loved him. He had all but proposed when they found out he was pregnant, vowing to stay at Miles’ side until the day he died. They were going to live in Miles’ childhood house and raise their child, that was their plan. It was Phoenix’s plan. 

And yet…Miles had doubt. They were both young. They both made mistakes. Commitment wasn't something they were used to, especially not lifelong commitment like marriage or fatherhood . It was reasonably possible for him to realize he was making a huge mistake and leave. After all, what did Miles have to offer? He had blood on his hands, nightmares every night, and he had no idea how to navigate personal relationships. It must've been a chore to date him. 

Phoenix had a life ahead of him. He recently passed the bar. He had been mentored by one of the best defense attorneys in the nation. He could go on to have a very successful career. He didn’t need baggage. And Miles was nothing but baggage . 

“If you don’t believe me, why don’t you give him a call? I’ll make a deal with you: if he answers, I’ll retract all my previous statements and you and him will be free to ride off into the sunset together, if you so desire. However, if he doesn't , then you admit I’m right and we never speak of this again. Agreed?” He extended his hand to Miles, waiting for Miles to make his decision. Miles knew it was rigged, he had already convinced himself that he had been abandoned and would never experience love ever again, but at the same time, there was a faint glimmer of hope in his offer. Phoenix didn’t have to deny anything or affirm his affections, he just had to answer . Even if he just picked up the phone then they would be free to navigate whatever was left of their relationship to their hearts content. Maybe they could discuss an amicable separation or agree to remain close friends instead of strangers. 

Miles shook Von Karma’s hand and then took out his phone, dialed Phoenix’s number, and then put his phone on speaker.

It rang once. Twice. Three times. And then,

“We’re sorry, the number you are trying to reach is no longer in service.” The last bit of hope was cruelly snuffed out, leaving Miles alone in the dark. Von Karma laughed, coldly.

“Well I did try and warn you. It’s over now, so you don’t need to worry about it anymore.” The tears fell down Miles’ face silently. He forced himself to keep his neutral expression but the tears didn’t care about that. They betrayed his true feelings, regardless of how ashamed he felt at his unnecessary reaction. Von Karma noticed this and sighed in disapproval.

“Fine, I’ll give you the rest of the night to deal with all of this . However, I expect you to be back at full capacity by the morning. You have a trial to close after all.” He waved his hand, dismissing Miles and returning to reading his case files. Miles thanked him, biting his tongue in an attempt to keep his composure, and then fled upstairs to his room. 

As soon as the door was closed, the dam broke. He began to sob uncontrollably, barely able to breath in between his cries. His knees gave out and he slowly slid down until he was crumpled in the fetal position on the ground, curled in on himself. Being quiet was no longer his concern. He wailed , forcing all the pain he felt into it. The betrayal. The misery. The horror. 

What was he going to do? Phoenix was in all his future plans. In fact, Phoenix was his future. He only started thinking about the future a few years ago, the topic being too daunting and terrifying to address before that. He figured he would work on cases every single day for years until died, with no variation that could threaten his perfect record. And he was fine with that. It didn’t matter to him. His life wasn’t worth more than that.

Phoenix tried to tell him differently and Miles had begun to believe him. He now knew that was all lies . 

His thoughts drifted to his child, a permanent reminder of his lost love. The baby would be born, he had missed the window on that, but he didn’t know if he could bear to raise it on his own. He could arrange an adoption ahead of time, possibly. Or there was a local safe haven place he could leave it if he wanted to wash his hands of the whole thing entirely. 

The idea of that made him cry harder. No, he couldn't. He couldn't abandon them. They were innocent in all of this. They didn’t deserve to be punished for their parents’ rash actions. 

Maybe he could move back to Germany with Fran and raise them there. It would allow him some breathing room, since Von Karma planned on remaining in the States if he gained the coveted title of Chief Prosecutor. It would also put an ocean between him and Phoenix, allowing him to return to a nice but distant memory, like he had when they were children. 

It was a plan. Not a good plan, but a plan nonetheless. 

Miles took out his handkerchief and blew his nose, drying his face while he did so. He shook himself off and stood up, straightening his suit and clearing his throat. It was fine. He was fine. He would survive. Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth would live on. 

Chapter Text

It had been three days since Phoenix broke up with him, and Miles hadn’t slept. No matter how much he told himself that he was fine and that he was over That Man , his dreams wouldn’t leave him alone. So, he stopped dreaming. Normally, when he would go on sleep strikes like this, he would self-medicate with caffeine to keep himself awake and cold medicine to knock himself out into a dreamless sleep. However, even as depressed as he was, he wasn’t about to put his unborn child at risk by consuming potentially unsafe drugs. So, he suffered.

It was still early in the morning, and he had just arrived at his office, reading and re-reading over a witness statement for his case later in the evening. He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. This was going to be a long day. 

There was a knock on his door, and before he could shoo them away, Gumshoe waltzed into the room, his voice way too loud for 8 am. 

“Good morning, sir! I have the autopsy report you wanted!” Ah great, more things for Miles to read that he couldn’t read. Wonderful. 

“Just put it on the desk, Detective. And please , keep your voice down.” Gumshoe set the report on top of the massive stack of papers next to Miles with a plop . Unfortunately, the stack wasn’t structurally sound so by basically throwing it on there the entire stack of papers came tumbling down to the floor, scattering all around the room in a huge mess. Miles stared at it silently. 

“I’m so sorry, sir! I will clean it all up, right away! I promise!” He shouted right into Miles’ ear, beginning to scoop up assorted papers in his arms. 

Miles, reaching his limit for the day, slammed his head against his desk. Gumshoe, unsure of how to react to an uncharacteristically emotional reaction from him, stood there before patting Miles on the shoulder. 

“Hey, cheer up pal. It’s alright.” 

“Respectfully, Detective, you have no idea what I am dealing with right now.” He said, not picking his face up off the desk. 

“I’m worried about Mr. Wright too, but don’t worry, I’ve heard they may release him from the ICU soon.” Miles shot up, standing at attention and suddenly at full alert.

“What did you just say?” Gumshoe looked at him, confused.

“Mr. Wright’s been in the ICU for about 72 hours after a drug overdose.”

“ What?!”  

“Don’t worry! All drug possession charges were dropped and removed from his record after we found evidence that he had been tased, suggesting that someone else drugged him, we suspect, in an attempt to kill him. He was tased, drugged, and left in an alley next to a busy road. I almost hit him with my car in fact. We’re lucky I found him when I did. He stopped breathing soon after the paramedics arrived.” Miles was standing there in shock, his mind swirling from all this new information. Phoenix didn’t run off. He was in the hospital after someone tried to murder him. He could have died, and Miles would’ve never known. Or at least, he wouldn’t have known until his body was found. Until it was too late. 

“Why wasn’t I told about this?” He asked, his voice shaking despite his best efforts. “Why am I only finding out about this now ?!” 

“I’m sorry sir, I assumed you knew.” 

“Where is he? What hospital?” 

“The memorial hospital around the corner-” That was all he needed. Miles grabbed his car keys and ran out of the room, not even thinking about his cases, Von Karma, or anything else other than Phoenix . 

Miles made the 10-minute drive in 5 minutes. He hastily parked and then ran inside and up to the receptionist's desk. He was about to demand she tell him what room Phoenix was in when he saw Mia Fey out of the corner of his eye. 

It was weird to see her out of her court attire, as she was dressed in a simple jacket and pants, and her hair was a little out of place. She was sitting in one of the waiting room chairs with a styrofoam cup of crude hospital coffee, looking like she had been up all night. She was likely worried about Phoenix too.

Which meant she knew . 

He stormed over to her, his conversation with the receptionist now abandoned. 

“Where is he? Where is Phoenix?” She was startled when he spoke, nearly dropping her cup.

“Edgeworth? What are you-”

“Where. Is. He?” Miles growled, not caring about maintaining appearances at the moment. If he didn’t have confirmation that Phoenix was alive within the next hour, he wasn’t sure he’d survive. 

Mia looked him over for a moment, noting his crumbling composure, and then sighed.

“They’re moving him from the ICU to a standard room right now. They will let us know when he’s ready for visitors.” 

“Have you been here the whole time?” Mia nodded. 

“I’m Phoenix’s emergency contact. When the detective found him, I was the one he called first.” 

“And you didn’t think to let me know as well?” His voice cracked a little, and he cleared his throat. He wasn’t worried about appearances, but he still didn’t want to burst into tears in a public waiting room. 

Mia lowered her voice in an attempt to keep some semblance of privacy.

“ How could I have done that, exactly? I don’t know your personal cell phone number.”

“Wright has my number saved on his phone-”

“Which is currently missing. The only thing he had in his pockets was an empty syringe with traces of his blood and heroin in it. And that leads to issue number two, the fact that up until two hours ago , Phoenix was being investigated for possible drug possession charges. I only got those charges dropped after they proved that he had been tased, and I instilled reasonable doubt that he had done this to himself.” So not only did someone try to murder Phoenix, but they also tried to frame and slander him? For his own death? It was a decent plan, admittedly. Nobody would open a police investigation on a drug overdose if the victim drugged themself. It would end up as an open and shut case and get added to a sad and overlooked statistic. 

“If I had attempted to contact you at your office then the allegations could’ve gotten leaked and then it would’ve made it infinitely harder to get them removed from his record. Plus, and I mean this with no offense, I had no idea how you would react to the news. I didn’t want to taint your relationship with Phoenix if I didn’t have to. My plan was to sit here, drink my coffee, and then visit you at your office once it became a reasonable hour.” Miles stood there, blinking. He hadn’t expected her to be that considerate to him. 

“How did you even find out about him?”

“Detective Gumshoe.”

“Ah, that makes sense.” She said, nodding. “Well, why don’t you have a seat? It may be a while before we can see him.” He took her up on her offer and sat next to her, the cheap hospital chair not doing his sore back any favors. 

“The Detective said he stopped breathing… please tell me he was exaggerating,” Miles asked in a whisper, fearing the response.

“Unfortunately, he wasn’t. That’s the main cause of death for heroin overdoses, the victim stops being able to breath and they suffocate. But they got to him before any permanent damage could be caused, thankfully. He will still need to be monitored for a few days just in case, but at least he’s stable now.” He was fine , Miles told himself. Phoenix was fine. He would stay at the hospital until his strength came back, and then he and Miles could continue their lives as they planned.

Well, not entirely like they planned. Miles had a feeling he knew who tried to do this to Phoenix and he was worried what he would do when he found out that his plan to kill Phoenix failed. Especially if he discovered that they were still romantically involved after everything. For their safety and the safety of their little one, they needed to figure something else out. 

They sat together in silence for a while, Mia drinking her coffee and grimacing and Miles staring at an unimportant part of the hospital wall. Then, a nurse came up to Mia carrying a clipboard. He opened his mouth to speak before looking over at Miles and then back to Mia.

“He’s family, it’s ok.” The nurse, seemingly satisfied with that answer, nodded.

“Mr. Wright has been moved to room 135 for general observation. He is stable but still unconscious. However, the doctor expects him to wake up at some point soon. If you will follow me, I will take you to him.” He led them down a series of hallways, weaving in and out until they ended up in front of a room with the numbers written on it. The hallway was otherwise deserted with no foot traffic or noise going on. 

“As requested, the only people who know he’s here are the essential doctors working on him. If you need anything, there is a call button in his room. Otherwise, I will be around in a few hours to check on you.” He opened the door and then bid Mia and Miles farewell, walking back down the hall. Miles peeked into the room, his throat going dry when he saw Phoenix lying on the hospital bed. 

“I’ll let the two of you be. I’ll be out here if you need anything.” Miles appreciated the offer, walking into the room and closing the door behind him. 

The room was small and sterile, just like every hospital room Miles had been in. There was a small bathroom to the left and some chairs for visitors, but the walls were bare and painted an eye-aching beige. And then there was the bed itself. Uncomfortable, ridgid, with the bumpers put up so Phoenix couldn’t roll off while he was unconscious. He had blankets pulled up to his chest, but Miles could see the faint outline of bandages peeking out of his hospital gown. 

Phoenix was also hooked up to several monitors, wires sticking out of him in various places. EKG lines on his chest, an IV is his right arm, blood pressure cuff and heart rate monitor on his left. He also had an oxygen line taped to his face, the tube resting below his nose. It wasn’t an oxygen mask or the terrible breathing tube, but it was still the most anxiety-wracking thing he saw. 

He was also way too pale. And when Miles took one of his hands he found it was cold and clammy. But he could feel the thrum of a pulse under his fingers and the reassuring beats of the monitor behind him. He was alive . He had to keep telling himself that Phoenix was alive . 

“Please wake up.” He whispered, holding Phoenix’s hand close. He brushed his lips against his knuckles, hoping he could give him some of his warmth. 

“I need you to wake up. I need you to be ok. I thought…I thought you were gone. That you left me. And I tried to make myself ok with it. After all, I’ve been alone for this long. I can handle anything. But…I couldn’t . I couldn’t sleep, I could barely eat.” The last three mornings were really tough for him. He knew he needed to eat at least something to take his vitamins, but everything tasted like ash. 

“I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had lost you for real. After all, I had been told you had merely left town. If the Detective hadn’t found you and you died…I…” Miles sniffled, realizing he had been crying for a while. He wiped his face with the hand that wasn’t clutching Phoenix’s, still holding on for dear life. 

“You are really important to me. I didn’t fully understand how important you were until I had to think of my life without you. I don’t want to be without you. Please , don’t go where I can’t follow. I need you to wake up.” He was rambling at this point, not fully thinking about what he was saying. Phoenix couldn’t even hear him at this point, but he didn’t care. He needed to say these things for his own benefit. It was about telling himself that these feelings were ok and that they were real . He wasn’t over-exaggerating. He wasn't being overly emotional. He was in love . He loved Phoenix. 

He wanted to do all the sappy romantic things people in love did. He wanted to have a big happy wedding. He wanted to buy a house together. He wanted to watch movies together and fall asleep in each other's arms. He wanted to get each other cheesy gifts for no particular reason.

Miles pressed his forehead against the side of the bed, sighing. He was exhausted in every sense of the word. He might have fallen asleep for a moment, consumed by his thoughts and his body’s desire to remain still. 

Then, Phoenix’s hand moved.

Miles startled, lifting up his head and coming face to face with an awake Phoenix. They stared at each other for a moment in shock. Then, in a weak voice, Phoenix spoke.

“Miles? Is that…you?” He tried to reach out to Miles, but he was too weak to move his arm higher than an inch. So Miles grabbed his hand and brought it together with the other one, holding it tightly.

“I'm here. I'm here .” 

“What…happened?” he asked, looking around the room. He tried to move, but it only caused him pain, and he winced loudly.

“Don't move. You've…you've been through a lot. Just stay still and rest.” Miles said, keeping his voice low. He couldn’t stop looking at Phoenix, reveling in the sheer fact that he was awake and that he was going to be ok. 

Phoenix furrowed his brow for a second and then seemed to realize that he was connected to a bunch of wires and tubes and pulled his hand away from Miles to inspect them. 

“Careful, you still need all of those,” Miles warned, gently pulling Phoenix’s hand away from the oxygen tube in his nose.

“Was I really… that hurt?” He hesitated for a moment. How could he explain the severity of what was done without causing total panic? And was Phoenix even in the right headspace to address the issue? 

“You were attacked. We don’t have proof of who did it, but someone hurt you and left you in an alley in the rough part of town where Detective Gumshoe found you. You…you nearly died , Phoenix.” A single tear fell from Miles’ eyes. Phoenix was silent for a moment before asking in a tentative voice,

“Was it poison?” 

“No, but you were drugged. Thankfully they got to you in time so there’s no lasting damage and you’ll make a full recovery.” Miles tried to be optimistic, putting every ounce of hope he had into that statement. 

“Are you telling that to me… or to yourself ?” Phoenix, even in this state, was still sharp as a tack, which Miles admired about him. But when he read him like an open book, it was a bit jarring. Miles had hoped to keep the charade of him holding himself together for a little while longer but between his tears and the fact that his voice cracked on every other word he wasn’t hiding anything, especially not to the man who knew him best. 

Phoenix squeezed his hand weakly. His eyes were only barely open at that point, still glassy and unfocused. But he seemed to be trying to force himself into lucidity for Miles’ sake. 

“Are you ok?” He asked, his eyes searching Miles’ face. 

“I'm fine, don’t worry about me.”

“You look like crap.” He mumbled, motioning to Miles with his other hand. He didn't doubt that. Miles had been crying on and off for the last hour or so and hadn't slept well the few days before that.  

“I’ll be fine. Now that I know you're ok, I can rest.” Miles kissed Phoenix’s hand, happy that it had absorbed some of his warmth.

“Is Mia here?” Phoenix asked, attempting to look around the room.

“She is waiting outside. Do you want me to get her?” He nodded. Miles stood up and walked over to the door, calling Mia into the room. 

“He’s awake?” He nodded, and she gently pushed past him to Phoenix, standing at his side.

“Mia-”

“Don’t you dare scare me like that again, you hear me? I was this close to having to organize your funeral.” Mia said angrily, clenching her fists.

“Sorry, Mia.” She sighed, taking his hand and deflating a little, her ‘angry big sister moment’ now over. She wiped a tear away with the back of her hand, taking a deep breath to calm herself down.

“The important thing is that you’re ok. You’re ok, and you have your family here with you.” She looked over at Miles with a warm smile. 

“Yeah, my whole family is here. You, Miles, and the baby.” Phoenix mumbled, looking back and forth between the two of them with a warm expression. Both Miles and Mia froze at Phoenix’s words, slowly looking over at each other. Mia raised an eyebrow and then looked down at his middle, which he did as well, and then the realization crossed her face. He instinctively put his hands in front of him, but that only reassured her that her assumption was correct.

Phoenix’s brain eventually caught up with him, and he groaned.

“ Fuck …I wasn’t supposed to say that, wasn’t I?”

“Not really, no,” Miles admitted, looking away from both of them and trying to make himself appear smaller.

“I’m really sorry…” Miles started to say something else, but Mia cut him off. 

“I would have found out at some point anyway, so stop beating yourself up. At least now I can help you two if you happen to need it.” She stated, looking between him and Phoenix.  

“Thank you, Mia. I’m sorry…I’m-”

“What did I just say?” He closed his mouth shut, pushing the self-deprecating thought he had on the tip of his tongue away. Mia let out a sigh, brushing a strand of hair out of Phoenix’s face. She had a tremendous amount of patience and understanding when it came to Phoenix, which Miles admired. He had trouble taking care of himself on most days and had a poor habit of overextending himself for others, which mostly meant Miles.

So having an older, sterner sister who could keep him from running himself headfirst into the ground was appreciated. Although…wasn’t that him and Fran as well? 

Phoenix yawned loudly, shaking Miles out of his thoughts. He was on the precipice of sleep at this point and could barely keep himself awake. 

“Get some rest, Phoenix. I promise you, one of us will be here when you wake up.” Mia squeezed his hand one more time and Miles kissed him on the forehead, and then immediately afterward he could hear Phoenix snoring softly. The whole ordeal was taking quite a toll on his body. 

Miles stayed next to his side for a moment more until Mia cleared her throat, and he turned around to face her. 

“So…how far along are you?” 

“14 weeks.”

“How are you feeling lately?” Miles shrugged, but Mia pressed the issue further. 

“I grew up in a matriarchal society where my mother was the leader; I have been around more pregnant people than half the state. I know pregnancy symptoms and they are not a simple shrug, not at the second trimester.” She gave him the same fiery look she gave lying witness in court and he admittedly crumbled under her intense stare. 

“The back pain has started. It gets worse at the end of the day when I’ve been standing for too long. And I’m tired all the time. But the morning sickness has improved at least.” 

“I’m assuming that they gave you something for the nausea at the hospital?” He nodded. “Good. My aunt had a lot of trouble with her morning sickness when she was pregnant with my cousin, Pearl. As for the back pain, you can use epsom salt in the bath or the medicated patches they give for strained muscles, if you can tolerate the smell.” 

Miles hadn’t considered those options. He was planning on ‘toughing it out’ for the next few months, but he really should’ve considered that there were alternatives to suffering.

“Thank you. I haven’t been able to do much research on my own, and I don’t want to make Phoenix worry about me.” 

“I’m going to be honest with you: there’s nothing you can do to make Phoenix not worry. If he’s not talking about a case, he’s talking about you. And when you had to go to the hospital, he was inconsolable . I’m not telling you this to make you feel guilty. I’m telling you this to make sure you take care of yourself. If something were to happen to you or your baby because of your own bull-headedness, it would break him. So I ask you to promise me: start to focus on your wellbeing, for Phoenix’s sake.” He didn’t know what to say to that. She was dead-serious and it was a little bit scary, if he was honest. But it was pretty damn effective. 

“I promise.” He vowed. 

“Good. Now, in keeping with that idea, you are going to go home and rest . I’ll give Gumshoe a meaningless task so your current trial will be delayed so you don’t have to worry about Von Karma bothering you.” Miles appreciated that she thought of that since that was going to be his primary defense. He could feel the exhaustion of the past few days begin to weigh on him and all he wanted to do was to lie down and take a nap, now that he was assured that Phoenix was safe and sound. 

“Thank you, Miss Fey.” He turned to leave, but Mia stopped him, handing him a small card. 

“Here, it’s my number. Technically it’s the firm's but it re-routes to my cell. When you get a chance, contact me, and I’ll save your number. That way I can reach you if I need to.” He looked down at the business card in his hand with the Fey & Co logo on it with two numbers written below it. One was Phoenix’s, a number he knew by heart at this point, and the other unfamiliar number was Mia’s. 

Miles tucked the card into his pocket, content in knowing that he wouldn’t be kept in the dark again. 

“Will you let me know when he wakes again?” He asked, looking back over his shoulder.

“I will. Now, go home, eat something, and then get some rest. Or so help me god I will put you in a hospital bed myself.” Miles didn’t want to call her bluff, so he left the hospital and started the drive home, sending Mia a text once he was safely back. Then he fulfilled his promise and laid down, drifting off to sleep. 

Chapter Text

Phoenix couldn't stop smiling the entire drive to his and Miles’ new house. Legally, it was in Phoenix’s name, but it was also the house that Miles had lived in with his father, and it would be where they welcomed their child. 

He had finalized the purchase earlier that week, using money Miles had given him, and had spent every single day getting it ready to show his partner. They were still wary about being seen together, so Miles hadn't spent much time there, and this would be his first look at the nursery. 

Miles was quiet during the ride,  checking his pocket every few minutes for something Phoenix couldn't see. When he asked about it, Miles just said he was making sure he had the house key, which was in Phoenix’s pocket. He figured he was anxious about seeing his pseudo-childhood home again and was fidgeting to distract himself. He dropped the matter after asking, though. If Miles wanted to talk about what was bothering him, then he would let Phoenix know. 

They turned into the correct suburb and, a minute later, were pulling into the driveway. The house needed some upkeep, which they had scheduled, but it was still in pretty good condition after being unused for a decade. The green paint had begun to fade, and the roof could use a few new tiles, but it was still a beautiful three-bedroom home. 

They had discussed repainting the house blue, Miles had picked out a shade very similar to the suit Phoenix wore in court which he thought was adorable . Some of the rooms inside had been painted already, like the nursery, but others were still in the discussion stage. He wanted the house to be somewhere they both felt comfortable and safe in, and it was also the first time in either of their lives that they had full control. Phoenix was thrown from foster home to foster home as a kid, and then when he was an adult, he was too poor to own his house, and you can’t typically paint rental units. And then Miles lived under the iron fist of Von Karma, who never let him make any choice on his own. 

But now, they could do whatever they wanted. Together. 

Miles parked the car and got out, looking at their house with a smile on his face. Phoenix came up behind him and took his hand, pulling the key out of his pocket. 

“Well? Did you want to do the honors?” He looked at Phoenix and then took the key, going up to the door. He placed his hand on it for a moment before unlocking the door, and then he and Phoenix walked over the threshold together. 

Phoenix worked on the entranceway since it’s what everyone first sees when they come into the house. For practicality's sake, he bought a coat rack and a place to put people’s shoes, but he also framed photos on the wall above it. 

The first one was of him, Miles, and Larry as kids, taken during the summer together. Miles was in the middle of a hug pile between Larry and Phoenix, but he had a huge smile on his face. It was one of the few photos of Miles as a kid that still existed.

Another photo was of Phoenix just after he passed the bar. He was all dressed up in his suit with Mia by his side. His badge was prominently placed on his lapel, and he looked as professional as he could. He was quite proud of his accomplishment. He also knew what happened between him and Miles later that night, so the picture warmed him in different ways. 

But by far, the best photo he had was one Mia had found for him. It was hidden in the courthouse files as it was taken after a trial. It was Gregory Edgeworth standing proudly with Miles a year or so before he met Phoenix. He looked so happy, looking up at his father. 

Miles saw the photo and stopped, reaching out to touch it. 

“I wanted to ensure they knew their grandfather since I don’t know my parents. Although you’ll have to thank Mia for the picture since she’s the one who found it. “ 

“I…thank you. Thank you for this.” He turned away for a second, wiping a tear off his face. 

“This is our house. I know it’s not that way on paper right now, but it is still ours. I want you to remember that.” He kissed Miles on the cheek, causing him to flush. 

They continued their tour, ignoring the mostly empty and unrenovated kitchen and living room and walking upstairs to the bedrooms. 

One of the rooms had been turned into an office, with two desks on either side and a huge bookcase along the wall. He had also purchased a chess table, even though Miles had failed to teach him how to play chess properly. 

“You can always move more of your things here if you want. I tried to make it a relaxing environment, but somewhere we could both still focus. Not that I give myself more than a week to make a mess of the place.”

“I like it. It is certainly more inviting than my personal office.” Miles inspected the chess set. “This is a nice touch.” 

“Yeah, I figured after a long day of us battling in court, we could come home, and you could destroy me in chess—you  know, for stress relief.” 

“One of these days, you’ll win, even if it is just by blind luck.”

“Don’t diss blind luck; that’s how I win 90% of my cases.” He said playfully, earning him a scowl and an eye roll. 

The master bedroom was nothing much. It had a nice bed(one much nicer than Phoenix ever had) and was connected to the master bathroom, but it wasn’t much to write home about. That was, except for another framed photo Phoenix kept on the bedside table. 

It was the only photo he had of him and Miles in a romantic context: He was kissing Miles’ cheek while Miles was smiling with his eyes closed. The angle and composition of the photo weren’t great, as it was taken by a mall photo booth, but it was really special to him. It was all he had in terms of physical proof of his and Miles’ relationship, at least until the baby was born. 

Miles saw the photo and chuckled.

“I didn’t know you kept this.” 

“Unfortunately, it’s not a picture I can share with others right now, but it's still important to me. And one day, I’ll be able to put it on the wall with the others and display it proudly.” He longed for that day more than anything. The day when he could scream from the rooftops that he loved Miles Edgeworth and that they were dating. The day when they could stop hiding and stop making excuses about why they were always together. 

Miles took out his phone, removed the case, and took out another one of those mall kiosk photos, this one of a slightly different pose. 

“This is the only place I can keep it, but it’s always with me.” 

“Awe, that’s so cute!” he beamed, gently leaning against Miles and looking at the photo together. He noticed another photo tucked behind it, the one of their baby’s first ultrasound. 

“I want to be able to show this one off too. I want to be able to talk about our child.” Miles absentmindedly put his hand over his belly, which at 20 weeks was beginning to show.

“One day.” They shared a brief kiss before putting the pictures back and walking back out into the hallway.

“Are you ready for the grand reveal?” Phoenix asked his hand on the doorknob. Miles nodded, and he opened the door. 

The room had a window that let in some beautiful natural light, with the curtains gently blowing in the wind. The walls had been painted robin’s egg blue since they didn’t want to unnecessarily gender anything. Phoenix had also painted some illustrations of animals on there, all happy and smiling.

Against the wall was the crib, which was currently housing a baby blanket and several stuffed animals. The blanket was a handmade patchwork type of thing that Phoenix had made himself. It wasn’t perfect, but he loved being able to make something for the baby. 

Next to it was a bookshelf stuffed to the brim with baby and toddler books, all of varying subjects. He loved to imagine Miles reading to their child, even if they couldn't fully understand what the book was about yet. That’s what the rocking chair under the bookshelf was for: for many long nights, cradling the little one and reading them bedtime stories. 

On the other side of the room was the playpen. It was currently designed for infants, so there was a playmat with a mobile, one that was supposed to help babies develop fine motor skills. He had spent hours reading reviews to make sure he bought the very best one, and he was very happy with it. 

“Well, what do you think?” Miles walked into the room, eyes wide but not saying anything. He looked around with his mouth slightly agape, taking everything in. He spun around slowly, running his hand along the spines of the books and across the crib. Phoenix stood there nervously, hoping everything was up to Miles’ standards. 

“If you need me to change anything, I can return it or get something—” He was cut off by Miles slamming his lips into his, cradling his head to deepen the kiss even further. He ran his hand through Phoenix’s hair and caressed his face while kissing him with so much emotion and passion that Phoenix thought his heart was going to explode from the sheer weight of it. 

By the time Miles broke away from him, he had forgotten how to breathe, still holding onto his face. 

“Marry me.” That kiss must’ve made him forget how to hear too.

“What?”

“ Marry me , Phoenix. I want you to be my husband.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. Inside was a simple ring with a gold band with a blue stone set in the middle. Phoenix looked at the ring, then back up to Miles, and then back to the ring.

“I know it’s been hard for you to keep all of this a secret and the fact that we can’t be together except behind closed doors. I don’t want you to think that means I don’t love you and don’t want to be by your side.  If I could, I would take you to the courthouse right now and marry you today. But since that can’t happen, I want to give you this so you can one day hold me to my promise.” 

Phoenix couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was in shock. He was so in shock, in fact, that he forgot Miles was waiting for an answer. 

He started to deflate, bringing his hand down from Phoenix’s face, and opened his mouth to say something when Phoenix kissed him back, holding him in place.

“Yes. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!” He was jumping up and down, almost unable to contain his emotions. He was smiling so hard his cheeks were starting to get sore. 

Phoenix presented his hand to Miles and he slipped the ring on, planting one last kiss on his hand for good measure. 

Phoenix kissed Miles’ cheek, relishing in feeling the ring on his hand. 

“Well then, that means that I will need to buy you your own ring so we match. Can’t have my fiance feeling left out.” Miles’ face went red at the word ‘fiance’, unable to contain his smile either. 

“I love you, Phoenix.” 

“I love you too, Miles.” They embraced again, looking over their child’s room and imagining their future life together.

Chapter Text

Miles was so eager to get off this plane. Turbulence was hard for him to handle on a good day, let alone while he was heavily pregnant and missing his fiance. 

He hated having to leave him behind and hide in Germany, but that was the only plan the two of them could figure out; he told Von Karma he wanted to work on some international cases, and then he would live at his estate with Franziska and have the child there, keeping it a secret from his mentor. His sister already knew all about it, and she lovingly called him a fool for getting himself into trouble like that, but she was willing to help him still.

She organized the cases that allowed Miles to travel to Europe in the first place. If he had actual work, Von Karma wouldn’t have tried to pry into why he suddenly needed to leave and remain overseas for a few months. 

Miles had also secretly purchased a plane ticket for Phoenix, one that could easily be changed for the current date. That way, he could fly over after the baby was born, and they could spend some quality time together as a family before they finalized the adoption paperwork and their kid was legally Phoenix’s and not Miles’. 

After that, Phoenix would fly back home and raise them as a single parent while Miles looked on, coming over after dark and being as close as he could be without arousing suspicion. 

It was a heartbreaking idea that his child would be both so close and yet so far, but the alternatives were too depressing to think about. 

The chauffeur met him at the airport and thankfully took his luggage without asking, as it was barely too heavy for Miles to lift on his own. He adjusted the sweater he had picked out in an attempt to hide his growing bump and sat in the backseat of the car, staring out the window. 

Almost immediately after the car started moving, his phone got all the messages that had been sent while he was in the air. 

P: hey hows it going

P: is the flight on time

P: have you landed yet

P: did you eat today

P: hey miles

P: miss you

Miles scrolled through all of the missed messages from Phoenix and then wrote his reply.

M: You do remember that I cannot use my cell phone while in the air, correct?

There was an instant reply. 

P: hey i got nervous ok

M: I understand. I am well, I have landed, and I miss you too. 

P: and the baby

M: Still here. I’m surprised I wasn’t as nauseous as I expected while flying. Your kid used to barely let me eat anything other than saltine crackers.

P: why are they always MY kid when they annoy you but OUR kid when theyre doing something cute

Miles chuckled a little bit at that; he knew Phoenix enjoyed the playful teasing. 

P: has fran said anything yet?

M: No, but I assume she will soon. We will arrive at the estate in about half an hour.

P: ten bucks says she calls me a fool

P: or you a fool

P: thats her favorite word honestly

M: You should’ve been there when I told her the news. I’m pretty sure every other word was ‘fool’, either directed at me, you, or my biology. 

P: you dont know how much money I would pay to hear that conversation

M: Please don’t offer my sister the chance to embarrass me.

P: killjoy

M: Isn’t it 3am in the morning over there? Don’t you have a trial in the morning?

P: sleep is for losers

M: Go to sleep, Phoenix. Once the trial is over, you can call me and tell me all about it.

There was a short pause and then Phoenix’s response.

P: fine

P: love you miles

M: I love you too, Phoenix. 

He then sent a quick text to Fran that he had landed, which she left him on read for. She knew how long it would be until he got there, so it didn’t really matter. He really needed to make it up to her for this, for all she had done and would do with him staying there for several months. He was currently about 22 weeks pregnant, by their counts, and he would be staying there until the baby’s due date in July. Currently it was still the dreary winter months, especially in Germany, but he was happy to have a summer baby.

Thirty or some odd minutes later, they were pulling into the Von Karma estate. 

It wasn’t quite a mansion but it was pretty close. A large sprawling building surrounded by many acres of horse land and garden, all walled off to the public and the ‘imperfect’ common folk. This was where Miles had spent his formative years, dragged off to another country in the middle of a brutal winter and shoved into a completely new life. It didn’t have many good memories associated with it other than a few he shared with Fran, but it would do as a safe haven. 

He got out slowly, making sure he didn’t lose his balance with his different center of gravity. He asked the chauffeur to bring up his heavier luggage and then took his smaller bags up to the main house himself. 

Fran had supposedly set up his old room for him, gotten it dusted and cleaned and so forth, so that’s where he headed first. 

However, Fran had different ideas. She was waiting for him on the other side of the door, whip in her hands and her arms crossed.

“Good evening, Franziska.”

“Took your sweet time getting over here, you fool.” Ah, he got his first fool and he wasn't even inside the building yet. 

“You knew when my plane was scheduled to land, so you should know that I am on time actually.” He pushed past her, less as a sign of being rude and more that after a 13 hour international flight and almost 24 hours in and out of airports he needed to sit down before his feet fell right off. 

“Papa has already called me about you.” Miles froze. 

“What…what did he say?” More so what did you tell him ?

“Asked about what cases you were working on and how I thought it would take you to finish them. I told him that I expected you to finish in a few months, especially when Interpol was asking for your opinion. Also, I contacted Interpol on your behalf. They sent over some case files for you and I put them in your room. That way, when he bothers them to corroborate our story, they can back it up.” That was…surprisingly thoughtful. 

“Thank you. I really appreciate you helping me like this through everything.” For a moment, Fran’s face was soft with an emotion he hadn’t seen since they were both kids—one of genuine love and affection.

And then she hit him in the arm with her whip and it was back to the usual Fran. 

“Don’t get all sappy on me now, I won’t stand for it. You’re not going to teach my beloved godchild how to be spineless.” He rolled his eyes at her but with a small smile. 

Miles continued up to his room where he was hit with an instant wave of nostalgia. The same canopy bed he spent very few hours sleeping in. The same mahogany desk he stacked high with textbooks and files and wouldn’t leave until breakfast was served. The same balcony overlooking the estate that he would sit at and think about how his life could’ve been different, if only . 

As Fran had mentioned, there was an enormous pile of files, folders, and papers on his desk, with boxes of even more underneath it. His head hurt just thinking about working on international law at the moment, although he knew that was what would be expected of him. It was only by the grace of those files that he could even be there in the first place . 

He unpacked his carry-on bag as well as the rest of his luggage that was brought up a few minutes later. His closets were still full of his old suits with the ruffles, most of which unfortunately didn’t fit anymore. He did have a set adjusted for his new size for the sake of appearances, but he figured that once he hit his third trimester, he wouldn’t be able to hide himself in those types of clothes anymore.

Thankfully, he had already prepared an excuse for him wearing mostly sweaters, turtlenecks, and loose-fitting pants: He said he was ill-adjusted to the harsher climate overseas and needed to keep himself warm while his body transitioned. Not that he planned on spending a lot of time outside anyway, other than on the estate. He wasn’t worried about one of the staff saying anything to Von Karma, as he and Fran had given them a substantial bonus to ignore any signs of Miles’ ‘strange stomach illness’, but he still didn’t want to risk it. 

He set down the one personal item he had snuck in, the picture of him and Phoenix that he used to keep in his phone, now framed and set nicely on his nightstand. That way, he could still wake up next to Phoenix every morning, even all the way across the ocean. The frame also contained their baby's first ultrasound picture, although that was hidden behind the first photo. It was easier to explain a romantic photo than it was an ultrasound but he couldn’t bear to part with it. 

Once he was all unpacked, he sat on his bed, giving himself some time to think. The last couple of weeks had gone by in a blur, especially after Phoenix was attacked. They were fairly certain that Von Karma was to blame for that since he had the motive to get Phoenix out of the way and wanted to steer Miles away from looking for him, plus the fact that he knew Phoenix’s cell phone wouldn’t ring. That was why they contacted this little plan in the first place.

Von Karma was not a violent man, not really. He had a temper, for sure—Miles and Fran were on the receiving end of that one too many times growing up—but he was very rarely physical with them or anyone else. He was known to make threats and to get right up in people’s faces, but he never made contact. 

And yet, he had done things like that before with Miles’ other partners. He had a boyfriend at law school for a while, although they never got past a single kiss and some mild hand-holding. As soon as Von Karma found out about him, Miles was shamed and told to forget about him, and the next day, he discovered that he had dropped out and moved across the country. 

He even had a friend when he was younger and still followed Von Karma to trials. He was the son of another attorney, and Miles thought it was cool to see another kid like him. Since Von Karma homeschooled him and Fran, they barely got to interact with other kids their age, so it was a refreshing experience for him. 

And then, one day, he was talking to the boy about something when Von Karma came out of the courtroom and saw him. He was scolded right there in the lobby, punished for distracting himself with ‘something as meaningless as friendship’ when he should’ve been in the courtroom taking notes about the trial. Miles was dragged home that night and yelled at some more, and he cried under his bed once he was alone. 

He found out later that the kid’s father was a defense attorney and that he had been disbarred for presenting forged evidence. He never saw either of them again and learned a very valuable lesson about hiding things he loved from his mentor. 

Miles put a hand on his bump, feeling his child wiggle underneath his fingers. He admittingly hadn't been going to his appointments like he was supposed to, his last one being his 16-week check-up. After Phoenix was hurt, he was too afraid to risk such visits. He could get blood work done since he had to get monthly blood draws when he was on testosterone and could bluff his way out of that. However, his blood work was done at his primary care doctor, not the OBGYN office. Going there left too much of a trail. 

He did worry that he would miss something going on with his little one, but he was more concerned about what Von Karma would do if he found out.

Sighing, Miles figured he had rested enough and decided to start working on all his paperwork. He grabbed one of the folders and then returned to the bed, deciding he would rather be comfy than professional. He began to read over one of the case files, scratching down any contradictions on his notepad. He was so focused on work that he hadn’t noticed that it was several hours later until one of the staff members came up to invite him to dinner. His stomach growled angrily at him, so he shoved the papers aside and followed her down to the dining room. 

They had chefs on hand all the time to feed not only any Von Karmas staying at the estate but also the staff. They had been notified that Miles’ diet had changed slightly due to his ‘stomach illness,’ so there was no fish, no rare meat, and no soft cheeses. Thankfully, tonight, they were having pasta, which was a personal favorite of the baby’s. 

Fran was already sitting down and eating, not one to wait for Miles or for any semblance of respect. 

“It's so nice of you to join us, little brother.” At least she had enough manners not to talk with her mouth full. 

“I was busy sorting through the mountain of papers you gave to me to work on. There are at least 10 separate cases you’re having me consult on. It will take me at least a week for me to even properly start.” He took a bite of pasta, and his growling stomach rejoiced, making him take two more bites before continuing. 

“I can work faster if that's necessary.”

“It might be. Papa is not known for his patience. Didn’t he give you three cases right when you got out of the hospital?” Miles grimaced, unaware she knew about that.

“I will do my best to live up to his expectations then. The last thing I need is him coming to Germany himself.”

“And seeing your baby bump? By the way, how did you manage to keep that a secret from him?” Miles shrugged, taking another few bites of food. 

“I had one of my suits adjusted and wore my overcoat inside, but I am just as surprised as you that nobody has noticed outside of them being told.” 

“So the people who know are you, obviously, your fool of a partner, me, and who else?”

“Phoenix’s mentor/older sister Mia. She found out when he was at the hospital. He wasn’t fully lucid yet, and he talked about our baby in front of her.” Fran raised an eyebrow at that.

“You managed to keep a pregnancy from one of the shrewdest men in the world, and you are that sloppy?” she laughed,  and Miles scowled at her before shaking his head and rolling his eyes. 

“Don’t forget your first slip-up, remember? What was her name? Was is Ju-”

“ Don’t!” She pointed her finger at him, her other hand readying her whip. Fran wasn’t the only one who could bring up the embarrassments of the past, including a few years ago when Fran had her first kiss and asked Von Karma why she liked kissing girls instead of guys. That was certainly one way to come out. Thankfully nothing came out of it as far as Miles knew because Fran was so flustered by the whole thing she never talked to that girl again on her own accord. 

Miles smirked, proud that he got the last laugh in the end. He had genuinely missed Fran from his time in the States. She was the one good thing about this arrangement. 

“So,” she asked after a while, “did you and your fool of a lover discuss any names?” 

“I liked Trucy for a girl and Apollo for a boy.”

“You don’t know what you’re having?” Miles shook his head. 

“We decided to wait until they were born, so we didn’t try to make them fit into a box. Besides, I’m living proof that it can be incorrect anyway.” They both agreed that they didn’t care ‘what’ they had as long as they were a healthy, happy baby. 

“I understand that, but really brother? Apollo ?”

“Is there anything wrong about naming a child after the Greek god of medicine, music, and the sun?” Miles asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, and it's that it sounds pretentious. But I guess you are in love with someone named Phoenix, so I don’t trust either of you to make good naming decisions.” Phoenix wasn’t sold on the names either, but they agreed to discuss them further in the next few weeks. They had at least three more months before the baby arrived,  so they had time. 

He and Fran talked about nothing for a while longer until Miles finished two plates of pasta and felt the jet lag hit him all at once. He bid Fran goodnight and made his way back up to his room, all but collapsing in bed. 

As he began to drift off to sleep, he turned and looked at the photo of Phoenix on his bedside table with a longing look on his face.

“Good night Phoenix. It won’t be like this forever, I promise.” And then sleep took him, dragging him into peaceful dreams. 

Chapter Text

4 weeks later, Miles was starting to lose his mind. He would wake up, work on cases for two hours, eat breakfast, take his medications, work on cases for five more hours, eat lunch, work on cases for five more hours, eat dinner, and then work on cases until he couldn’t keep his eyes open, starting the whole cycle over again once he awoke. Von Karma wanted near-constant updates from Miles, which was contributing to the stress of the whole situation. If he didn’t work enough, then he was worried Von Karma would get suspicious, fly over to see what was going on and learn Miles’ secret. 

At 26 weeks pregnant, it was becoming impossible to hide what was going on with him. His back ached every day from the weight pulling on his belly, and he was constantly tired, hungry, and irritated. And he wasn't sleeping well lately, the little one rummaging around in his abdomen and kicking him nearly constantly as if they had four legs instead of two. He was kept awake at all hours of the night, regardless of what he tried to do. Miles figured he had drank more chamomile tea in the past two weeks than he had in the last two decades of his life. 

Between the lack of sleep, late-stage pregnancy brain, and his overall stress level, he was struggling to keep track of everything he was working on. Fran had to point out to him that he had started to write his most recent notes in French, then switched to German, and then back to French for the final line. The case was completely in English. He had sent these notes to his correspondent in London, who was understandably confused, and Miles had to translate his own notes, utterly embarrassed that he did that. 

Phoenix and Fran were his two lifelines in all of this. Phoenix kept him motivated, and Fran kept him grounded. Miles wouldn’t have gotten this far without them.

He was currently on a call with Phoenix, running ideas by him about one of the many, many cases he had to consult for. He had been at it for a few hours at this point, his brain melting into mush. 

“What time did the maid say she left that night? Was it 5 or 5:30? If she was still in the house at 5, she should've heard the gunshot, and that could be a possible contradiction,” he offered, not sounding nearly as bored as Miles felt. 

“She said 5, but I have nothing to corroborate that. It’s quite possible that she heard something and didn’t want to say it out of fear.” Miles yawned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. 

“Hey…when did you last get some rest?” Phoenix asked, concerned. 

“It’s fine. I need to get this done.” 

“That’s not an acceptable answer, Miles. Remember, it’s not just you that gets hurt when you overextend yourself.” Miles grimaced. He hated that Phoenix had a point. 

“It’s not too late over there, right? Can’t you take a nap and then continue later on tonight?” It was currently just after 6 pm in Germany, which meant that he could technically take a short rest before dinner. But knowing his luck, he would lie awake for several hours and end up more tired than he had started. 

“I’ll think about it. But first, I need to send a note to the investigator to press the maid on her statement.” 

“ Miles -”

“I will rest afterward.”

“Miles, I will swim over there if I have to.”

“Do you even know how to swim?” 

“I’m a fast learner.” Miles couldn’t see Phoenix’s face at the moment since his brick phone didn’t support Facetime, but he could clearly picture the grin he had on his face.

“Fine, I concede. But if I don’t fall asleep in an hour, then I can return to work, deal?”

“Deal. Have a good night. Love you!” 

“I love you too. Have a good day, Phoenix.” Phoenix made a kissing noise into the phone before hanging up, leaving Miles with nothing but his mountain of files and papers. 

He stood up slowly, trying to stretch out his back as he did so, and then went to his bed and laid down. 

Unfortunately, sleep did not come to him without a fight. After twenty minutes of desperately trying to fall asleep and failing, he sighed, got up, and waddled down to the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea.

He didn't see Fran around, which was unusual. Typically, at that hour, she was attempting to sneak a snack in before dessert and telling Miles that he didn't see anything. 

Maybe she was out with the horses or something. 

He filled the kettle with water and set it on to boil, looking through their tea cabinet to see what other options were available besides the same stale chamomile. 

“I wondered where I would find you.” Miles’s blood froze. He couldn't move, and he didn't dare breathe. Von Karma almost growled at him when he spoke, his shoes clacking on the tile. 

“I…I didn't know you were in Germany.” He tried to keep the fear out of his voice as much as he could, but his voice still shook slightly.

Von Karma walked further into the kitchen, ending up right next to Miles, but Miles forced himself not to turn around. 

“Do you know what arrived at the house last week? A note from your doctor saying that you hadn't picked up your prescription yet, and they wanted to make sure you still needed to take it. Their number was on there, so I called, saying that I was your guardian and I wanted to ensure you got what you needed. I asked what the medication was for and how long you could go without it. Do you know what she said?” Miles took a shaking breath, knowing that he was about to say next.

“She said that skipping any doses would be bad for both you and your baby.” He grabbed Miles by the shoulder and harshly turned him around to face him, his baby bump on full display. He tried to remain standing tall and stoic, but he was starting to shake uncontrollably. 

“Do you ever think about how your actions affect the people around you? How would the fact that you have an illegitimate child, the spawn of a lowly defense attorney, no less, affect the Von Karma name? Your name and reputation are irreparably tarnished, and you don't seem to realize the scope of what you've done!” He slowly raised his voice, getting right up in Miles’ face.

“However, not all hope is lost for you, not yet. I have devised a plan to do damage control as much as possible. You will remain here until the birth under the guise of working on all those international cases you have stashed in your room. Upon this, I have arranged for an adoption agency to take the child and place them with a family. Then you return to the States, and your original way of life like this never happened.” He spoke as if he was doing Miles a considerable favor. But hearing his words makes all the tension in Miles’s body reach a breaking point and change from anxiety to pure, unaltered rage.  

“Your solution is to steal my child away from me!?”

“I am not a cruel man, despite what you may think. It will be a semi-open adoption, and I will allow you to reach out to them once they are of age if you so wish.” Von Karma offered, keeping his voice firm.

“You don't control my life!” Miles shouted, tears burning in his eyes.

“Without me, you would be nothing , boy! You killed your own father due to your incompetence! How could you even think that you could be a good parent, especially now , in the prime of your career?” Von Karma shouted, stepping closer to Miles and forcing him to step back. 

A year ago, Miles would've rolled over and taken it. He would've stood there and nodded, letting Von Karma mold his life as he wished and only letting himself react in the quiet confines of his room in the dead of night. 

But Phoenix had taught him that he was worth more than that. That he could have a better life. And he wasn't about to let his abusive mentor take their baby away without a fight.

“ No. ” Miles pushed back against Von Karma, physically shoving him away. “I am going to have my child, and I am going to keep my child. I don't care how this will ‘affect my reputation’ because all it will do is show the world that Miles Edgeworth is a kind and loving father.” He puffed out his chest and tried to make his voice as strong and fierce as possible. He then pushed past Von Karma and started to make his way out of the kitchen. If he didn't need to keep anything secret anymore, then he would go back to Phoenix and spend the last trimester with his fiancee. 

But Von Karma grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

“I tried to be reasonable. I tried to be nice. But you won't listen .” Miles tried to pull away, but he increased the pressure on his wrist. 

“Let go of me.” He yanked his arm in another attempt to escape, but Von Karma was stronger than him, especially since Miles was as pregnant as he was. 

He shoved Miles against the wall, slamming his head against the counter and dazing him briefly. But he landed next to the tea kettle, and he used that to his advantage. 

Miles threw the boiling water at Von Karma, causing him to jump back to avoid being scalded. He used that opportunity to run past him and nearly got out the door before an arm wrapped around his neck and pulled him back in. He squirmed and writhed, but he couldn't break Von Karma’s grip. 

“I had hoped we could've settled this like gentlemen, but you are even weaker and more pathetic than I had previously imagined. And I guess I will have to take matters into my own hands.” Miles growled, still trying to get away. He tried to get into the drawers behind them to get something to defend himself with, but the angle wasn't easy. However, he did manage to grab something and keep it hidden from Von Karma. 

The next time he saw an opening, he struck, sinking the fork he had grabbed into his attacker's side. It wasn't deep or particularly damaging, but it was enough to get him to release his grip on Miles. He was freed, pushing him away, and was now standing about a foot away from Von Karma, turning to run.

Unfortunately, he didn't get very far. Von Karma still had his taser and no longer had reservations about using it. 

The device sank into Miles’s side, an intentional choice on Von Karma’s part, and it hurt like nothing he ever imagined. He screamed and lost all control of his legs, causing himself to smash into the ground, first hitting his stomach and then his head on the hard tile floor. 

He shook and convulsed for several minutes, mostly unaware of what was going on. His last lucid thought was an apology to his child for not being able to protect them better. 

Miles awoke sometime later in immense pain. He tried to move, but he could barely lift his head, which was sticking to the ground due to a partially closed head wound. 

His legs were numb, a painful tingling feeling lingering in his muscles. He tried wiggling his feet but realized he couldn't. 

And then there were the stomach cramps. Sharp waves of agonizing pain that was worse than anything Miles had ever imagined. He gripped his stomach reflexively, curling into a ball, and was shocked to find his hand wet with blood. He was bleeding . 

It had already soaked through his sweatpants and begun pooling on the floor underneath him. His heart dropped as his battered brain made the connections to what that meant. No,  he couldn't lose them. Not now. 

But he couldn't move. He had a severe head injury and was most likely losing blood at a serious rate. He needed hospital care. N ow . 

So Miles called the one person he believed had any chance of saving his or his child’s life. 

“You better be calling me with an explanation, little brother , because Papa told me you had run back to the States, but I haven't found your name on any planes-” 

“ Fran, ” he rasped, “I…I need help.” She was silent for a moment, and Miles feared that he had miscalculated their relationship and that she was about to hang up and doom him, but thankfully, that was not the case.

“Where are you?” She spoke clearly and concisely, as one is supposed to do in emergency situations, to keep from panicking.

“I think…I was in the kitchen. I don't know…where I am now.” He tried to look around, but the act of moving made him cry out in pain and collapse back on the floor, the world going blurry as his body recovered.

“- les ?! Stay with me, you hear?! I swear if you die on me, I am going to kill you.” She sounded a little more frantic now and judging by the volume and cadence of her voice; Miles could tell she was running. 

By some miracle, Fran found him fairly quickly. He had been moved to one of the storage sheds on the Estate and dumped unceremoniously behind bales of hay. 

Fran knelt at his side immediately, looking over at his injuries for a moment before calling for emergency medical services. While she was explaining the situation to them, she took one of Miles’ hands in hers and squeezed it tightly as if it were her lifeline. 

“Fran…I need you to do something for me.”

“As long as it's not your last request because, again, you're not allowed to die.” Miles couldn't help but smile a bit at that. Ever so stubborn Fran.

“I want Phoenix to be here…just in case…please.” Even if it was too late to save Miles, there was something they could do for the baby, and he didn't want them to be alone.

Fran paused for a second and then nodded. 

“I'll bring him over here, but only so the three of you can be sappy together, okay? You have to be okay.” She acted  as if Miles had any choice over the situation, but he was thankful that she was willing to help him. 

“Thank…you…” And then, the world went black.

Chapter Text

Phoenix yawned and stretched, just about to head into the courtroom with Mia. He had been working as her co-council ever since he got his badge a few months ago, and she taught him a lot about how everything ran. 

The trial they had today was on day 2, and Mia was convinced they had found the lynchpin in the case and would be able to prove their client’s innocence. 

Mia came into the room, holding two cups of coffee: black with one cream for her and an artery-melting sugary mess for Phoenix. 

“I still contest that this is a milkshake and not a form of coffee.” She joked, handing Phoenix his cup. He took it easily, downing half the thing in mere moments. 

“Thanks, Mia. I was up early/late with Miles. I'm starting to worry about the workload he’s got. He said he hasn't been sleeping well either.” Mia took a sip of her own drink and then took a seat on Phoenix’s desk. 

“I remember when my mom was pregnant with my sister, she also had some insomnia around the time of the third trimester. It’s quite common, I believe. What does his OBGYN have to say about it?” Phoenix shrugged. 

“I don’t know. I don’t know if he even has someone to see over there. I hope he does, but he's generally difficult to convince to see a doctor for anything.” 

“Look who’s talking.” She poked him in the shoulder, smiling. “Mr. ‘I ate glass in court to avoid adressing my feelings.’” 

“I’m never living that down, am I?” Mia shook her head, taking another sip of her drink with a large grin on her face. 

He was about to say something when his phone began to ring. When he checked it and saw it was Miles calling, he knew he had to take it. 

“Hey Miles, is-”

“This is Franziska Von Karma speaking. Miles Edgeworth is my brother.” Phoenix stood up, his heart hammering in his chest. If Fran was calling him from Miles’ phone, then that meant-

“What happened? Where’s Miles?!”

“I’m afraid Miles is in the hospital in critical condition- and before you ask, I do not know what happened. I only know that he was in rough shape when I found him, and he wasn’t lucid enough to tell me anything.” Phoenix scrambled and grabbed his coat and wallet, already beginning to plan out his trip to the airport and how he would move money around to afford a ticket. Mia looked at him, concerned, wanting an explanation. Phoenix pulled the phone a little ways from his face and said,

“Miles is in the hospital. I need to go to him. Can you cover for me, please?” Her eyes widened, but she nodded, handing him his keys, which he had forgotten.

“ Go .” She gave him a sympathetic look as he ran out the door, still on the phone with Fran. 

“I’m on my way to the airport now, but I don’t know when I’ll arrive-”

“Your plane leaves in 30 minutes. You can pick up your ticket at the gate.” Phoenix stopped in his tracks, nearly falling over as his body recovered from the sudden stop in motion. 

“Wait, you bought me a ticket?” 

“Miles asked for you to be here, so I am bringing you here. I have also arranged for a place for you to stay while you are in Germany.” Phoenix knew that Fran and Miles were close, but an emergency plane ticket halfway across the world was not an easy or cheap endeavor. 

“I…thank you. Thank you, Fran, for this.” 

“Just get here.” She hung up, and Phoenix returned to his running, hailing a taxi to take him to the airport and hoping that he would get to Miles in time.

Phoenix was restless during the entire flight. He had been on a plane before, after being thrown back and forth between foster families, but this was the longest he had ever flown, and he didn’t know how people did this regularly. 

He wished he could pace. He always thought better when he could pace or talk to himself and express himself with his hands and arms. But now he was trapped in the middle seat and had no way of knowing Miles's or their child's state. 

His mind was being downright cruel to him. He was bombarded with images of Miles lying in a pool of blood and looking up at him with blank, dead eyes. He saw himself going home to an empty nursery with an even emptier heart. 

Thankfully, his plane landed before those thoughts could fully take root. He didn't have any luggage, only the clothes on his back and the stuff in his pockets, so he got out of the plane and to the arrival area fairly quickly. However, he had no idea what hospital Miles was at or even where to go in general, so he called Miles’ number and hoped that Fran would answer and help him. 

“I'm assuming you have landed?” Fran asked, her voice noticeably less fiery and stern than when she had called him nearly 16 hours ago.  He assumed she hadn't slept, which was fair, as he hadn't either. 

“Yeah, my plane just arrived. How do I get to where you and Miles are?” 

“There’s a car waiting for you outside with a sign.” He kept walking and did, in fact, see a man standing there with a sign with ‘Wright’ written on it. He motioned for Phoenix to follow him, which he did, but he wasn't done with Fran on the phone yet.

“What…how is he doing? Do you know if he’s…”

“Miles is still in the ICU, and while he is said to be out of surgery, I have not been allowed to visit him until he stabilizes. I have not been told anything other than they are all alive.” Phoenix was thankful that he was already sitting down in the back of a car when she said that because his poor body would’ve fallen over when his brain caught up to what she was saying. 

“When you say ‘all,’ do you mean the baby? They were born?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes. A C-section was required due to the fact that the placenta was detached and there was massive internal bleeding. They don’t know what caused the abruption, but he had other wounds that are being investigated for a possible assault.” 

“But they…they weren't ready yet!” Miles had only just reached his 26th week. Phoenix didn’t know much about the intricacies of pregnancy, but he knew that babies were typically born around week 40. That’s when they were strong enough to survive outside the womb. But at 26 weeks…

“Hence, why they are in the NICU and can’t receive visitors.” She sighed, showing the exhaustion in her voice. It had been quite a long night for all of them.

“Do you know when we can see them, or Miles?” 

“No. As I said, I have been given very little information.” That wasn’t very comforting, but Phoenix understood that there was little she could do about the situation. 

“Are you still at the hospital?” He asked, trying to control his racing thoughts by slightly changing the subject.

“Yes. I have not left since I arrived here with Miles and the ambulance. I will not leave until someone gives me an update.” 

“Well, I should be there soon, so at least you won’t be waiting alone.” He tried to lift the mood, even if just by a little, but failed miserably. She said nothing else, merely hanging up on him and leaving Phoenix to spend the rest of the ride in silence.

Phoenix arrived at the hospital soon after, running to the reception area and seeing Fran waiting on one of the couches, a blanket draped over her shoulders. She looked up at him when he walked in, but other than acknowledging his presence, she didn’t do anything. He sat down beside her wordlessly and stared at one of the walls. His desire to pace and worry was overshadowed by his need to let Fran know she wasn’t alone in all this.

He knew how young she was beforehand, the fact that she had passed the bar at 13 was a well known fact, but seeing her sit on an uncomfortable hospital couch with a thin trauma blanket wrapped around her shoulders made it abundantly clear that she was still just a child. She was only 15 . 15 years old, and she just had to wipe her own brother’s blood off her hands and wait patiently for news about his prognosis. 

And Miles was basically all she had. Von Karma wasn’t what one would call a good parent and definitely not one who would comfort his crying daughter so she could be left utterly alone after all this. Phoenix had Mia and Larry, even if the unimaginable happened, but Fran had nobody.  

So he placed his hand on the couch next to hers, not quite touching but close enough to let her know that the offer was there. And if she grabbed his hand and held onto it for dear life, well, neither of them would mention it. 

Then, finally, after what could have been hours or minutes, a doctor came out to talk to Fran and Phoenix. 

“Good afternoon, I am Dr. Roe. I was told you are the family of Mr. Miles Edgeworth, correct?” They both nodded, standing up off the couch. 

“How is he? Is he ok?” Phoenix asked first. 

“Mr. Edgeworth has stabilized. We will need to keep him under close monitoring for at least another week or so to ensure that everything is healing nicely.” 

“What happened to him?” He asked again. Dr. Roe sighed.

“Several things. He came in with a fractured skull and placental abruption, both of which required emergency surgery. We performed a c-section and got the babies out and then had to re-admit Mr. Edgeworth into surgery to repair the fracture. But everything went well, and he is now on the road to recovery. As for the babies, they have been admitted into the NICU, and although they have low birth weight and underdeveloped lungs, they are doing well.” 

“Hold on, did you say bab ies ? As in plural ?” Phoenix stared at Dr. Roe wide-eyed, unsure if his tired ears had misheard him.

“Congratulations, you are the father of identical twin girls.” 

Phoenix could barely believe it. Twins . They had twins. Two little perfect girls. 

“Can…can we see them?” Fortunately, Dr. Roe nodded. 

“They are incredibly delicate, but I will allow one visitor. Ms. Von Karma, you may visit your brother if you wish, as long as you do not disturb him.” They eagerly followed the doctor down the hall, and a nurse met Phoenix and led him to the NICU instead.

The NICU was filled with very small babies, somehow getting progressively smaller, until she had Phoenix stop in front of a door. 

“I will need you to wear a mask, gloves, and shoe covers to enter. You will not remove any of these articles unless I give you permission to do it. Do you understand?” He nodded. He knew about premature babies and how fragile they could be, so he was happy to know that his daughters were being well cared for, at least.

Finally, when he was all suited up with his PPE, he was allowed to enter, and she showed him to his babies. Phoenix could barely believe his eyes.

They were both so small , barely bigger than his hand. The lights in the NICU were dimmed, but he could still see them clearly. They were in separate incubators, but they had very similar setups. They were connected to various wires and tubes while snuggled between two fluffy blankets. 

He pressed his hand up against the glass, feeling tears brimming in his eyes. 

“Hi there, little ones. I'm your dad.” He knelt down so he was at the same level as his daughters, putting one hand on their incubators in an attempt to connect to them.

“Your Papa and I love you both very much, and we were so excited to meet you…but you came early, and now you need to grow big and strong, OK?” He didn't know if they could understand him yet, but that wouldn't stop him from talking to them. He couldn't stop looking at them with wide eyes, not wanting to miss a second of their lives. 

He noticed that the nameplates above them said ‘Edgeworth, 1 and Edgeworth, 2’, which made sense considering that Miles was still unresponsive, but he didn't like the idea of his daughters not having names. He called the nurse over and asked her,

“Can I give them names, for now at least? I want to discuss the final names with their father before we make a final decision, but they need names.” 

“I understand. What would you like me to put down for them?” Phoenix thought for a moment, trying to remember what Miles had said when they had talked about it. 

“Trucy and Polly. My partner wanted Apollo if we were having a boy, and that's all I can think of right now.” She took out a marker, wiped off the numbers on their incubators, and added their names, which made Phoenix feel a lot better. 

He stayed there for a while, just watching them breathe. Every once in a while, they would kick their legs or make a noise, but for the most part, they were still and quiet. 

Eventually, the nurse told him that he needed to leave so they could keep the infants on their feeding schedules, so he was taken from that room to the ICU monitoring ward where Miles was. 

He thanked her and then prepared himself before stepping into the room, bracing himself for seeing Miles in that damned hospital bed. 

The room was bare and sterile, which made sense for a post-op monitoring area, but it made the entire area less inviting. 

Miles was scarily pale, dressed in a hospital gown, and he had a heart rate monitor in one arm and an IV in the other that was steadily giving him blood. There was a set of bandages wrapped around his head, the largest section being just to the left of his forehead. He was breathing slowly and shallowly but steadily. 

Fran was sitting next to him and clutching one of his hands. She only glanced at him briefly as he walked in and took the seat on the other side of Miles.

“How are my nieces doing?” She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Phoenix was worried that any more bad or unhappy news would break her spirit, so he kept it as upbeat as possible. 

“They’re both doing alright,” he stuttered, grasping at straws. I, uh, I named them. Informally, at least.” 

“Let me guess, Trucy?” He nodded.

“He wanted Trucy and Apollo, so I went with Trucy and Polly.” Phoenix was worried she would poke fun at his decision but, surprisingly, she said, 

“I think he will like those names.” There was the hint of a smile on her face for a fraction of a second and Phoenix figured he would take what he could get. 

Phoenix exchanged in small talk with Fran, mostly to distract himself, and she would only signal that she was listening to him with an occasional nod here and there. This was how the next three hours went, both of them holding onto Miles and pretending that they weren't huddled around a hospital bed and running close to being awake for 24 hours straight. 

And then, finally, Miles began to stir. 

He groaned, slowly blinking awake and looking at Phoenix and Fran with glassy eyes. They didn’t dare move or breathe for a tense moment until Phoenix spoke.

“Miles? Can you hear us?” 

“... Phoenix ? …is that you?” His voice was rough like sandpaper and he was only barely lucid. Phoenix squeezed his hand to reaffirm to Miles that he was there.

“I’m here. Fran is here too.” Miles turned his head so he was looking at Fran, who honestly looked like she was about to cry. 

“Fran?”

“I’m here, you fool. ” She sniffled, “You’re lucky you kept your promise because I kept mine .” He smiled at her and she wiped her face with her free hand, with the two of them politely pretending that they saw nothing. Phoenix was also crying at this point and he wasn't ashamed about that fact. 

“How are you feeling?” Phoenix asked, hoping for a good answer. Miles groaned in response. 

“ Bad .” 

“Understandable. You’ve…you’ve been through a lot.” He swallowed thickly, grimacing at the memory of the doctor recounting everything that Miles suffered. He didn’t want to recount everything to him until he was more conscious. 

“Feels like it. My…my head hurts.” He released Phoenix’s hand to bring it to his face, gently touching the bandage on his forehead. 

“Careful, that’s holding your one brain cell in.” Fran joked but also gently brought his hand away just in case he managed to injure himself somehow. She brought his hand back down to the bed and he began to wander again, touching the incision from the c-section and feeling the distinct lack of baby bump. 

Phoenix realized what was happening right before it happened. He pushed Miles back down in the bed and tried to get through to him in words.

“Calm down, it’s ok. They’re fine. They’re ok.” 

“The baby-”

“They are fine . Our daughters were born, and they’re just down the hall, and they are fine. ” Something clicked in Miles’ brain, and he stopped struggling. He let Phoenix and Fran get him settled back in bed. The monitors were beeping angrily at them, though, the jostling having dislodged some of the wires and cords. 

“Stay here with him; I’ll go find someone to fix this,” Fran said, motioning to the chorus of beeps and whines from behind Miles and then walking out into the hospital hallway. Phoenix had an inkling that this was also her way of giving him and Miles some space to talk about their babies since everyone knew you had a call button in the room. He truly appreciated it. 

Miles looked at him dumbfounded, opening and closing his mouth without any sound. Then, he found his voice. 

“ Daughters ?” 

“We had twins, Miles. Twins. You gave us twins.” He took both of Miles’ hands in his. “I’ve seen them. They’re so beautiful. They’re just…they’re so wonderful .” 

“Are they…healthy?” Phoenix nodded without thinking. True, they would need to stay in the NICU for quite a while, but they were currently healthy and stable. 

“I wish you could see them. I didn’t think I could ever love something more than you, and then…I met our girls. And I, uh, I did name them. Nothing permanent, but we didn’t know when you would wake up, and I didn’t want them to be known as Twin 1 and Twin 2 forever, so…they’re Trucy and Polly.” 

“You…remembered the names I picked,” Miles said with a smile, trying to keep himself from crying. 

“Of course I did,” Phoenix said, kissing Miles’ hand. “Unless you have any objections, those are their names as far as I’m concerned.” He looked at his fiance, wiping a tear off of his face. He wished that they could’ve had this scene in better situations. They could have welcomed Trucy and Polly into the world together, with them and Miles healthy enough for them to be held and kissed, and they could start planning to add a second child into their lives.

The reality was…less than ideal. He didn’t know when Trucy and Polly would be able to leave the NICU but he figured it would be quite a while, several weeks at least. Miles would be ready for discharge in roughly a week, so he is expected to return to work fairly soon. Phoenix would probably stay in Germany until they could travel, meaning the two of them would be split up for even longer.

And then there was the matter of alibis. He didn’t even know where to start on that front. 

But Miles was alive, and their kids were alive. And,  at the end of the day, that was all Phoenix could really ask for. 

A nurse came in a few minutes later with Fran in tow. She readjusted Miles’ cables and monitors, which thankfully stopped the machines from throwing their collective fits. She also asked Miles some questions about how he was feeling since he was awake and decided to administer some more pain medication. 

“It will probably make him loopy or sleepy, and that is all completely normal. And before you ask, yes, you can sleep with a head wound. He’s not at risk anymore for internal hemorrhaging, so we want him to rest his brain as much as possible.” Miles grimaced a little bit at being told to rest, but he wasn’t in any shape to protest. She took the side port from his IV and injected the medication right into it, and the effect was almost immediate. 

Miles’s eyes, which had finally become clear and focused, went back to being half-lidded and glazed over, and he was barely able to keep himself awake. 

“Phoenix? Are…you still there?” Miles slurred, starting to lose the battle against unconsciousness. 

“Yes, Miles. I haven’t left.”

“You…make sure to rest. Fran, too.” He rolled his head over, looking at Fran now, who also looked like she was trying not to fall asleep. Phoenix figured she would crash soon after Miles did, comforted by the fact that her brother and nieces were safe and well. 

He wasn’t so sure about himself, but just maybe.

“Don’t worry; we will.” Miles, satisfied, closed his eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep. 

Chapter Text

Miles awoke sometime later, his head foggy from the concussion and the sheer amount of pain medication flowing through his veins. 

The lights in his room had been dimmed, signaling that it was either late at night or early in the morning. He saw Phoenix sleeping in a rather uncomfortable position next to his bed, with one hand clasping his and the rest of him collapsed onto the chair, his head falling over the back. It made Miles’ spine hurt just looking at him. He was also still in his suit, although his tie had been visibly loosened. 

Fran was nowhere to be seen but he hoped that it was because his sister was finally getting some well deserved rest. She had been more or less awake the entire time he was hospitalized and he worried about her well-being. 

He looked over at his sleeping fiance and smiled, reaching out and brushing a stray piece of hair out of his eyes. That subtle touch made Phoenix jolt awake, nearly giving himself whiplash in doing so. 

“What, huh? Oh, Miles. You're awake!” 

“I am.” 

“How are you feeling?” Phoenix asked, stretching his limbs. 

“Better than yesterday, I guess.” Miles attempted to shrug but that only caused him to wince. 

“Do you need anything? Fran left a while ago to see if they had anything edible for breakfast in this place.” Ah so that's where Fran went. It also told him that they were in the ‘early morning’ span of time. He couldn't remember what time it was when he fell asleep so he had no frame of reference.

“Did the both of you get some sleep last night?” Phoenix looked around sheepishly and Miles narrowed his eyes a little.

“I mean Fran got some sleep at least. And I guess I must've fallen asleep at some point. But it's still a lot for both of us…” He sighed, his shoulders deflating for a moment.  

“How are our girls doing?” That seemed to perk him up a bit.

“Very well! I got to help feed Trucy earlier! I still couldn't touch her but the nurse let me mix her formula. And they're hoping that we can do some skin-to-skin contact soon.” The idea of finally being able to hold his daughter warmed Miles’ heart, especially since he hadn't even gotten a chance to see them yet. 

“I'm happy to hear that. I can't wait to meet them.” He gave Phoenix a warm smile and he gave Miles a kiss on the cheek. Miles, not satisfied with that, turned his face so they could kiss properly. 

Miles could still barely move his head and it was an incredibly awkward angle but this was the first time they had kissed in over a month and he had almost forgotten how Phoenix’s lips felt against his. He wrapped hand around Phoenix’s head so he could run his fingers through his hair and cup his cheek, rubbing his thumb against his features. 

Phoenix was being incredibly gentle with Miles, avoiding the bandaged part of his face and not making Miles move more than absolutely necessary. He was so thoughtful and considerate that it made Miles fall in love with him even more.

Phoenix pulled away and Miles noticed he was crying. He wiped away his tears with his thumb and sweetly kissed him on the forehead.

“S-sorry.” He said, sniffling. “I guess I now know how you felt when I was in the hospital. How…scared you must’ve been.” He shuddered, wiping his nose on his sleeve. 

“That was…hard on me, for sure. We are both incredibly lucky that we keep leaving our bad situations more or less unharmed.” 

“We somehow have the same world’s worst and best luck at the same time.” Phoenix said with a dry chuckle. He brought one of his hands up to his neck where his tie sat loosely undone and began fiddling with something between his fingers. Miles couldn't quite make out what it was until he caught a glint of sunlight shining off the golden metal.

“Is that the ring I gave you?” Phoenix looked down and smiled, pulling the ring out from under his shirt. It was attached to a golden chain around his neck although it was likely just painted gold instead of being real gold, judging by the specks of weathering Miles could see. 

“Yep. I never take it off. It's my good luck charm. Thankfully my job requires me to wear tight neckwear so nobody but me knows it's there, not even Mia. I thought that with all the secrets we have to keep from various people we deserved one that only the two of us knew.” 

He held the ring in-between two of his fingers, rubbing his thumb along the band, looking forlornly at the wall.

“I do fully intend to marry you, you know that, right? I don't care if it takes a decade. I will be at your side at the altar the second you tell me we can.” His eyes were still brimming with tears but they burned with conviction and Miles figured if he wasn’t strapped to the bed by various machines and could find an officiant, Phoenix would marry him that afternoon. And he couldn’t describe how much he wanted that. He yearned to proudly display Phoenix as his husband.

But, in light of recent developments, taking a decade to get married seemed like the more likely option. 

Phoenix noticed the slight change in Miles’ face and asked him about it. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Miles bit his tongue, not wanting to crush this sweet moment with the bitter taste of reality. However, he knew he couldn’t avoid it forever. 

“I was thinking about our future, specifically Von Karma.” Phoenix winced, pursing his lips. 

“I figured he was the one who did this to you…” He nodded solemnly. 

“He…he found some of my medical paperwork and found out about the pregnancy from that. He tried to get me to agree to give the child, or I guess children, up for adoption. When I refused…he got violent.” Miles shuddered, the painful memory crossing his mind. Phoenix rubbed his thumb over Miles’ hand to reassure and ground him.

“I’m sorry if this is a bad question to ask, but, do you think his intention behind attacking was to kill our child? I mean if he wanted to sweep them under the rug and you refused, that would be his next best option, as sick and twisted as that may be.” He didn’t answer for a moment, the sheer thought that his mentor would go as far to attempt to murder an unborn child made his blood run cold and his stomach churn.

But…it made sense. He did attempt to murder Phoenix by drug overdose for simply being in a romantic relationship with Miles. He did control Miles’ social life for several years by removing anyone he didn’t approve of. It would make sense that if he did view Miles’ child/children as a threat to the Von Karma reputation that he would stoop that low. 

When he found out that his plan had failed and that his daughters were born alive he would try and finish the job. It would be simple, they were only barely stable after all. Von Karma had access to high levels of heroin so he could inject them with something. Or bribe a nurse to unplug one of their monitors. Or he could find where Phoenix and they lived and attack them there. They would never be safe from Von Karma, not while he was free. 

“Hey, hey, Miles, it’s ok. Our girls are safe. They are ok. He can’t get to them.” Oh, Miles was hyperventilating. His thoughts had led him to spiral into a black hole of worse case scenarios and now he was on the cusp of having a panic attack. His heart rate monitor was starting to get concerned about him, beeping loudly in his ear. 

“Shh, it’s ok. Breathe with me, dear. Just breathe.” He took a deep breath in an attempt to get Miles to follow his lead, which he did his best to do. It took a few minutes but he managed to get himself relaxed, or at least, no longer actively having a panic attack. 

“Sorry…”

“We really need to stop saying sorry for things we can’t help.” He kissed Miles’ knuckles and smoothed out his hair. 

“They won’t be safe-”

“Miles, they’ll be fine-

“No, they won’t. Not if Von Karma knows they exist.” Miles stressed, preparing himself mentally for what he was about to suggest. 

“Ok then, what is your plan?” Phoenix asked seriously. 

“I’ll tell him our daughter was stillborn.” The room seemed to get several degrees colder after he spoke, the weight of the word settling on them like a boulder. 

Phoenix opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to find a flaw in that plan or maybe a reasonable alternative, but eventually he sighed in defeat. 

“I hate it. I won’t say that I don’t hate it. But it’s a good plan. There are few ways more effective in getting people to stop asking questions about your pregnancy than mentioning stillbirth or miscarriage.” He swallowed thickly, looking down at his hands. 

“It should be enough for him to stop looking into the matter.” Miles hoped. “The only thing we would need to figure out is your side of the story. The brief mention of a one night stand won’t be enough to get him to leave you and the girls alone anymore and we need him to not be suspicious.” Phoenix thought for a moment, pensively, and then spoke. 

“Tell Von Karma I cheated on you.”

Miles looked up at him in shock.

“What?!”

“Tell him I cheated on you with someone else. He already thinks I’m the lowest form of a human being so he should easily believe that I was just using you for cheap entertainment and while I was sleeping around, I got another woman pregnant. You found out and that’s truly the reason you ran off to Europe, in order to put some distance between us. We agreed to remain amicable for the baby’s sake but when you told me that we had lost her, I fully broke it off.” Phoenix’s face remained stoic while he spoke but his hands were trembling, betraying his true feelings. Miles shook his head at the whole idea. 

“That’s not going to stay between Von Karma and I for very long. It will get out. You don’t need to subject yourself to the horrors of the rumor mill for my sake-”

“But it’s not just for your sake, it's for Trucy and Polly’s. Think about it, if they have no relation to you and are just physical proof that I’m just as much of a scumbag as he thought I was, then he would have no reason to be interested in them. He won’t suspect that he was being tricked because the easiest explanation is the one that he really wants to be the truth.” Phoenix spoke with such conviction that Miles almost believed that it would work, despite the obvious risk. It was still a terrifying thought, to have to pretend that he not only lost his firstborn child but that his partner had cheated on him, and he knew he would need some time to come to terms with everything. 

He seemed to notice Miles’ train of thought and brought his hand up to his face, cupping it gently and turning him to face Phoenix. 

“We don’t need to get our story straight right this moment. We have time.” Miles was about to add that they thought they had time in order to prepare for their child’s arrival but he was interrupted by Fran walking through the door, bag in one hand and a cup tray with two coffees in the other. 

“Good morning, I have returned with something I can reasonably call breakfast.” She handed Phoenix one of the coffees as well as a soggy wrapped breakfast sandwich which was the same color as the sterile walls. Miles was almost happy that he was stuck to hospital food for the time being. Fran took a bite of her sandwich and wrinkled her nose, grimacing. 

“That bad?” 

“I think I would rather eat roadkill.” She said, slowly wrapping her food back in its wrapper. Phoenix, however, ate his in three bites. 

“I somehow respect you as a human being even less after seeing that.” Fran said in horror, staring at Phoenix. He just shrugged in response. 

“You should’ve seen what I ate my freshman year of college.” He then drank half the coffee in one gulp even though his body seemed to reject that idea by how he stuck his tongue out afterward. 

“Why is it cold?” 

“It is currently -2 degrees Celsius outside. You are lucky it’s not frozen.” She tried taking a sip of hers and scowled, drinking more but acting like it personally offended her taste buds. However, her exhaustion overtook her distaste and she finished the whole thing in a few minutes, slamming the cup down on the table and shoving it away from her. 

“Is it really that bad?” Miles asked, trying not to smirk. 

“I will show you no sympathy once your sad hospital food arrives. At least I am not restricted to jello for two weeks.” Fran fired back, also trying not to smile. 

The three of them talked about nothing for a few moments until Fran's phone dinged and she grimaced when she read it. 

“What is it?” Miles asked, unable to look over at her phone.

“Papa is asking where I am.” She looked between Phoenix and Miles, who were frozen in fear. 

“Is he still in Germany?” Phoenix asked, tentatively. 

“I don't know. The last thing he said to me was that Miles had ‘run off to the States’ and that he was an embarrassment to the Von Karma name.” Miles frowned, looking away from Fran. They hadn't explicitly said who did this to him yet and he hadn't told her about Von Karma attacking Phoenix and gaslighting Miles just a few months earlier, so she had no idea there was a precedent for Von Karma being violent. 

She knew that Von Karma wasn't the best man but two counts of attempted murder, more if you counted the twins, wasn't something one accepted right away. He was still her father and although Miles was Von Karma’s favorite, she was still close to him. He didn't want to have to address that right away. 

“What would you like me to tell him?” She asked, getting Miles’ attention. 

Miles didn't know how to respond. Between this conversation and the one he just had with Phoenix he was starting to develop a headache. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, wincing a little when he pressed too hard. 

Thankfully, Phoenix jumped in. 

“What if you told him you’re chasing a lead for a case? That way you can be busy, secretive, and you can take your time responding.” That was quite an idea, in Miles’ opinion. Since Von Karma was less interested in what Fran was doing he would likely not fact check what she told him and even if he did, she had enough connections to cover herself. 

“That could work. I’m glad to see you have at least something rattling around in that head of yours.” She sent the lie and then put her phone away, turning to face the window to stare out for a moment. Lying to Von Karma was a new thing to her and she would need to get used to it. 

“Fran, I have another favor to ask you.” Miles took a deep breath before continuing, “I need you to fabricate a death certificate for a newborn girl, and to help Phoenix get documents for the girls without my name on them.” If she was startled by the request, she didn’t show it. A lot of things had happened to the two of them in a short span of time so he hoped she was willing to roll with their plan.

“Fine. But you must answer something for me, Miles…Did Von Karma do this to you?” She asked, holding her breath. Miles only nodded solemnly. She didn’t respond for a moment and then picked up her phone, sending a flurry of texts before saying in an uncharacteristically shaky voice, 

“I will have the necessary paperwork within the week. I assume the plan is to pretend you lost the baby?” He nodded, that part of the plan still bringing a sick feeling to his stomach. 

“Miles will go home pretending he miscarried, meanwhile I stay behind here in Germany to watch the twins. I’ll take them home once they come out of the NICU and pretend that they’re the result of a one night stand.” 

“That is a horrible plan that could very well ruin both of your reputations.” She noted, crossing her arms. 

“Fran, we don’t have much choice. If Von Karma knows the baby we had together is alive and well, he will stop at nothing in order to hurt them. This is the only way.” Miles said sadly, still not enjoying saying the plan out loud. He hated the idea of causing Phoenix harm, even indirectly with false information.

Thankfully she didn’t fight them on it. 

“All I ask is that I be kept in the know on things. They’re my nieces after all, I want what’s best for them and I won’t allow you two fools to cause them harm.” Both of them agreed to keep Fran in the loop, which they would’ve done anyways. 

A few moments later Miles’ bland hospital food was delivered to him and Fran bid them farewell as she had a bunch of documents that she needed to get organized, as well as reaching out to her contacts to find a case to pretend to be working on, leaving Miles and Phoenix to their own devices. 

Miles picked at the food disinterestedly, the watery scrambled eggs all but mocking him, when he noticed Phoenix stifle a yawn. 

“Go get some rest. I’ll be fine on my own for a little bit.” 

“The last time I thought that you ended up on your deathbed and had to have emergency surgery. Nope, I’m staying right here.” Phoenix stated, stifling another yawn. That wouldn’t do.

“No, you need to get some actual sleep. There should be a decent hotel around here, they typically have them close to the major hospitals.” Phoenix had lower standards than Miles did but he wasn’t about to let him go to a cheap dingy hostel or something of the like. 

“Miles I have like 15 dollars.” 

“Irrelevant. Hand me my phone and I will book you a room on my tab. Nothing from this stay will come out of your own pocket. The only things I want you to worry about are Polly, Trucy, and I.” He took Phoenix’s hand in his and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. He meant it. Phoenix had a history of anxiety and the last thing Miles wanted was for him to stress himself out over money when it was unnecessary.

Phoenix knew better than to try and fight Miles on something like that so he conceded and allowed Miles to book him a hotel room, paying for a month with the option to extend the stay if the twins stayed in the NICU for longer. 

“Thank you, Miles. I really appreciate it.” He returned Miles’ show of affection and kissed him on the cheek. Miles blushed slightly and then turned his head so he could kiss Phoenix proper. 

“I will do everything I can for you. If you are in need of anything, please just let me know and I will handle it.” He meant it wholeheartedly. Miles would give anything for Phoenix and their little ones. And he knew Phoenix felt the same way. 

“I’ll be back here at 9am sharp, ok?” 

“Ok. I love you, Phoenix.” 

“Love you too, Miles.”

Chapter Text

Miles sat in his office, case file in his hand, and although he was supposed to be preparing for the final day of his upcoming trial his mind was thousands of miles away. Specifically in Germany, where his family was. He had only been back in the States for 24 hours but still couldn't get his mind off his daughters. 

They were now just over two months old now. Still in the NICU, but they would be able to leave within that month, hopefully.

Phoenix was sending him updates on everything and anything that their kids were doing, with pictures provided by Fran. They had opened their eyes officially earlier that week and Miles was eager to see that they had both inherited Phoenix’s bright blue eyes, although the nurses told them that their eyes could darken with age. Miles didn’t believe that though. Nothing could dial down those baby blues.

He wondered what their hair would look like. Some part of him hoped that they would have his gray locks but that would make it somewhat obvious that they were his kin, so he knew that wouldn’t be the best thing. 

Maybe it would be black like Phoenix’s, with spikes jutting out in all directions. Or brown like his father’s, straight and smooth.

Trucy and Polly wouldn’t have any hair for at least another month or so, or at least not enough to tell what color it was anyway. They were still incredibly small but developmentally they were almost at the level of newborns, even at two months old. Phoenix said they would still need more time in the NICU before they were able to travel back to the States. 

Miles couldn’t explain how much it hurt that he had to completely miss the first few months of his daughters’ lives. He held them once when they were 13 days old and he wouldn’t be able to do that again for quite a while. Even when Phoenix and them got back to the States it would be weird if they immediately met up so he would have to lay low. Pretend that he didn't care.

That was the hardest thing about all of this. He had to pretend that he didn't care.

Miles sighed, putting the paper he was trying to read down on his desk, giving up for a moment. He needed to get his thoughts in order before he continued.

There was a knock on the door that thankfully gave him an opportunity to focus on something else. He called them in and gently pushed the papers he was reading aside, pretending to be very busy doing important matters.

It was Gumshoe, walking into the room with a weird look on his face. He looked embarrassed and unsure, not things the usually confident detective felt much less wore on his face.

"Detective? Is there something wrong?"

"Yeah, sir…it's just…some of the men have been talking about you and I wanted to let you know what they're saying so you can set the record straight." Oh dear. He knew what was going to happen.

"What is it? Just tell me what they are saying."

"They're saying you were…pregnant sir. Is…that true?" Miles nodded.

"And then your follow-up question is 'where is the baby then' correct?" Miles took a deep breath, drawing it out for dramatic effect. "My daughter was stillborn, detective. She's buried in a small cemetery in Germany and I send fresh flowers there every single week." Gumshoe startled at the information, his jaw dropping onto the floor.

"I am so, so, sorry to hear that sir. I didn't-"

"No, nobody knew. But now they do. And that should be a good lesson for everyone who decides to pry into my own affairs." He said with a hint of venom in his voice. In reality, he was happy that this happened but it still hurt to spread such a lie. And he wasn't even done spreading it.

"Who was the uh, other-"

"Other father? A man you should know: Phoenix Wright. A man who used to be my closest companion but he's now dead to me. He abandoned me after she died so I have severed any and all ties to him." Miles stated, pushing the fabricated story out as if it was cotton stuck in his mouth. Thankfully Gumshoe wasn't as socially savvy as other people were and didn't notice.

"I heard he was on leave for a while, is that the reason for the leave?" Miles nodded.

"He's got more important things to take care of than his work apparently. He's lazy and incompetent and I hate that I must call that man my rival." He grumbled, pretending to look over the papers on his desk to signal that he was that much of an afterthought.

"I will do my best to ensure he and you don't have to rub shoulders very often." Gumshoe assured. That was fine. He was quite vocal about what he was doing so Von Karma would be more likely to believe they had broken up.

The detective took his leave afterward and Miles was left alone with his paperwork. Alone with his paperwork…and his thoughts.

Today was the day. The day Phoenix, Trucy, and Polly came to the States. The twins had spent their first two and half months in the hospital and then a few weeks in Germany while their paperwork got in order and now the three-months olds were about to return home.

Of course Miles couldn't show that he was excited about it. In fact, he couldn't even show that he knew Phoenix was returning. If he did then that would be suspicious, as nobody supposedly knew where Phoenix was or how long he would be gone. The circle of people who knew the truth were him and Phoenix, Fran, and Mia. Everyone else either only knew parts of the truth or knew nothing at all.

Even Fran's contacts who fabricated the birth certificates and passports didn't know the whole story. That was the only way Miles could feel safe with Von Karma around.

He was at his desk in his office, as he had been for every afternoon for the past few months, eagerly awaiting a text from Phoenix that he had landed in the airport. Traveling with two infants couldn't be easy but he hoped it all went smoothly.

There was a knock on his door and he was about to call them in when Von Karma strolled right into his office before waiting for an answer. He immediately stood up at attention and greeted him, a reflex earned from one too many mistakes.

"Good afternoon, sir." He said, thankful that he hadn't taken out his phone.

"That second rate defense attorney is coming back to LA today, isn't he? One of my connections spotted him at the airport." Miles forced himself not to show his fear on his face. Of course he found Phoenix. He may have been too preoccupied to focus on Germany but this was his hometown. Nothing got past him here.

"Oh? I didn't know he was coming back today." Miles lied.

"Unfortunately they couldn't trace where he came from but there was something they noticed that you would like to know: he's got two kids. He's replaced you." He sneered, smiling gleefully. This gave him some sick enjoyment and it made Miles shudder.

"How…how old?"

"Old enough that he definitely cheated on you. He found someone else, someone better." Bile rose up in Miles' throat, the anxiety of the situation starting to get to him. It was helping his case for it being a real reaction at least, as his legs felt like jelly and his heart was about to jump out of his chest.

Von Karma laughed at him. He laughed.

"I told you nothing would come from having a relationship. You will always be left alone as you don't deserve happiness. Murderers, like you, only deserve misery. The sooner you realize that, then the easier your life will get." He was right. Miles' life had gone downhill ever since he unintentionally killed his own father. He left Phoenix and Larry, breaking the only friendships he ever had, then he got stuck in a strict no-love household that was colder to him than the artic. He tried to make his life better but ended up nearly losing his fiance and his children, now forced to live a double life in order to keep them safe. Miles should really just stop trying to-

No. That was Von Karma talking. That was him getting into Miles' head.

Von Karma took Miles staring off into the distance as him recoiling from his vile words so he smiled one last time before shaking his head and leaving the room, letting Miles stew in his thoughts.

Meanwhile Phoenix was trying to juggle a double stroller and two suitcases by himself running in order to make his Uber. He had gotten lost in the damn airport five times ending up in the domestic flight area instead of the international terminals, still hopelessly lost.

In a desperate attempt to find his way, he went to ask one of the security ladies where the exit was.

"Lost your wife?" She asked before Phoenix even had a chance to open his mouth. He would have to get used to that. Single fathers of two were quite rare, especially with kids as young as his.

"No, I just need to find the exit. Can you help me?" She took pity on the wet paper bag of a man and helped get Phoenix to the loading dock where his Uber was waiting, impatiently he might add.

He got the two settled in their car seats, thankful that he had a 2 in one stroller, and then finally let himself relax once he got into the car. It had been a nonstop rush for almost 48 hours and he was sleep deprived, jet lagged, and ready to collapse on the first horizontal surface he could find.

Thankfully he wasn't out of it enough to not send Miles the text that he and the kids were safe and landed.

P: landed. safe and sound

There was no response for a while but eventually halfway through the ride, Miles responded.

M: Thank you. Von Karma told me you landed and I got worried that something happened. He didn't seem to know where you came from, so our secret of safe.

P: i got lost so not even i knew where i came from.

M: Of course you did. I'm glad you were able to find your way out of the easiest place to navigate

Phoenix missed Miles and his dry sense of humor.

P: we'll be home soon. come visit?

M: No not today. Next week, once it's safer.

That was a bit disappointing but he understood. If Von Karma was already watching him then they needed to be careful. One wrong move and everything they worked for would be for naught.

He dreamt of the day where the four of them could sit together as a family, happy and together, but that would be quite some ways off.