*ON HOLD* Unlawful Attraction: Turnabout Samurai

Chapter 23 Bubbling Emotions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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