Archive of Our Own

August 8th, 2027, 2:30 pm 

"Pollyyyyy," Trucy whined, flopping over her brother, who was sitting down on the couch, eating a popsicle, "I'm so boredddd." 

"And what do you want me to do about thatttttt?" Apollo asked, mimicking his sisters tone. 

"I wanna do somethinggggg!" She cried out, kicking her feet. 

Apollo sighed, "Trucy, its too hot out to do anything." 

Trucy huffed, her legs falling back down onto the couch. She sat there for a moment, thinking, before she perked up, looking up at Apollo as she spoke, "Pollyyyy!" 

Apollo looked down, his eyes widening as he knew Trucy was about to suggest doing something that definitely wasn't allowed, "What?" 

"Lets go up in the attic!!!" She exclaimed, sitting up. 

Apollo's face dropped. They were very much not allowed into the attic. The entrance was inside of Phoenix's room, the key was hidden away,  and they were told they were forbade from going up there.  

"We're not going up to the attic." He stated, shaking his head. 

"C'monnnn, Pollyyyy! You're such a killjoy!" Trucy frowned, "Daddy and Papa aren't even home! They won't know we went up there!" 

"Mr. Wright probably has a good reason for us to not go up there." Apollo replied, not wanting to invade Phoenix's privacy, "It's probably full of, like, old court records or something, anyways." 

"Daddy keeps those downstairs." Trucy noted, standing up off the couch, "Just one little peek, Polly!!" 

Apollo sighed, taking Trucy's hand to get up as it was offered out, "Fine, but when we get caught, I'm blaming you." 

"Yay!" Trucy exclaimed, dragging Apollo into their fathers room, which they also weren't supposed to be in. 

As they entered the room, Apollo took in the space. It wasn't a terribly large room, but it had enough room for Phoenix and Miles's bed, a dresser, and a bookshelf to all fit in comfortably, with room to walk around. Along the far wall, there were two doors. One was open and lead into the closet, while the other was closed and lead up to the attic.  

Trucy ditched Apollo in the doorway, going over to the bookshelf and pulling out an old copy of Terry Pratchett's Gaurds! Gaurds! to reveal a key tucked behind it. Trucy reached out, retrieving the key, bringing it over to the closed door, a little bit too excited as she slid it into the lock and the door popped open. 

"I got it, Polly!" She gleamed, ushering Apollo over.  

The older boy sighed, closing the door behind him as he fully entered the room and followed Trucy up the carpeted stairs to the attic. 

As soon as he entered the space, Apollo was hit with the smell of dusty, stagnant air, like no air-flow had been provided to this room in years. Which is probably what had happened. 

Trucy reached the top of the stairs before Apollo did. She stopped at the landing, gasping slightly as she took in the space. Apollo tilted his head to the side slightly, picking up his pace to reach the landing faster. Once he did, he looked around the room. It was an unmaintained, dusty space. There were two bookshelves, separating the space into three different sections. 

In the first section was an old CRT TV with a DVD player hooked up to it. There was a box stacked on top of it, which had been left open, and an old, worn out looking bean bag nearby. Surrounding the TV and beanbag were a variety of boxes, most taped shut, but some had been left open. 

The second section seemed to consist of a bunch of old school materials. There were unboxed books that didn't fit on the shelves stacked on top of each other, next to stacks of folders and stacks of colorful canvases. There were also two of what looked like toolboxes, but were covered in splotches of paint. 

Apollo couldn't see into the third section, as the space was concealed with a sheet. 

After taking in the space, Trucy almost immediately jumped into action, moving to the first section, rummaging through the first open box she got her hands on.  

"Trucy, I don't think you should be going through that." Apollo said, wandering over to see her flipping through what seemed to be a book of a child's drawings. 

"It's fine, no one will know." Trucy said, setting the book down and pulling out an old photo album and flipping it open. Apollo crouched down, interest piqued. 

The photo album was full of what seemed to be pictures of Larry, Edgeworth, and Phoenix. 

"What year is this album from?" Apollo asked, leaning over to get a better look at the photos. 

"It said 2001 on the front." Trucy replied, turning the page to see a picture of a child Miles standing in a stream, holding his shoes and socks awkwardly, the next photo being one of Larry splashing into the stream, getting Miles wet, the photo's were labeled "August 30, 2001 - Larry and Miles play at the creek." 

Trucy giggled at the photos of the boys at the creek as she turned to the next page. The next page was a series of photos of Phoenix climbing a tree, the last one being one of him seated on one of the branches, smiling so wide his eyes were scrunched shut. The page was labeled "August 30, 2001 - Phoenix is being unsafe." presumably labeled by a young Miles. 

As the two neared the end of the album, they began to realize that there were only photos of Phoenix, Larry, and Miles in it. "I'm gonna see if I can find more photo albums." Apollo said, standing up and going to rummage around in one of the boxes. 

After taking a minute to see what albums were in the box, Apollo pulled out one labeled "2005." Apollo sat back down on the carpeted floor, putting the album down on his lap and flipping it open as Trucy moved over to be seated next to him. 

Flipping through the album, the two discovered that this album was also mostly photos of Phoenix and Larry, but Miles wasn't present. 

"Why isn't Papa in any of these?" Trucy questioned, turning the page to see a photo of Phoenix, wearing a black skirt with a blue sweater, and Larry, dressed in a, orange suit, stood in front of a building, smiling. The photo was labeled "Oct 16, 2005 - Fall dance." 

"Mr. Edgeworth moved away in 2001, remember?" Apollo noted, turning to a page with a picture of Phoenix working on homework in what seemed like someone's kitchen, labeled "November 21, 2005 - Nicky's working on homework." This one seemed to have been put in by Larry. 

"Oh, yeah." Trucy replied, flipping forward a few pages to find a photo of Phoenix sitting in the passengers seat of a car, the photo showing only the torso of the man driving the car. The photo was captioned "December 16, 2005 - Papa and I are going to the movies!" 

This piqued both of the siblings interest. They looked up at each other, Trucy smiling slightly. "Polly," Trucy spoke, using that same tone she had earlier when suggesting they come up here, "We should see if there are other photo's of Daddy's parents in here." 

Apollo nodded, putting the album back in its box. Phoenix never talked about his parents, almost to the point where Apollo and Trucy had assumed he was an orphan. That is, until they asked Larry about it, who just told them that they were alive, but had a "complicated relationship" with Phoenix. 

After searching for a while, Trucy called out to Apollo, seeming to have found the appropriate photo album, "Polly! I found one!" Apollo immediately rushed over to Trucy, sitting down next to her, the two opening up the album together.  

The first page was a large photo, in the photo was a young girl wearing a sky blue dress, only about 7 or 8 years old, a woman wearing a white blouse, and a man in a grey suit who held a striking resemblance to Phoenix. The photo was labeled "May 6, 2001 - Family photo." 

The two flipped to the next page. At the top of the page was a picture of Phoenix, smiling brightly, a large hand ruffling his hair, the caption reading "May 25, 2001 - New haircut! I look just like Papa!"  

"So that first photo was of Phoenix and his parents..." Apollo muttered, turning the page after skimming over the rest of the page. 

The next page was a group of photos of Phoenix and who they assumed was his dad out for ice cream. There was a photo of the ice-cream parlor, a photo of two bowls of ice-cream, a photo of Phoenix's dad seated at a park bench, and a photo of Phoenix seated at a park bench. The page had "July 30, 2001 - Ice cream with Papa." 

"Daddy's papa looks just like him." Trucy noted, turning the page again. The next page was another spread of photos, these ones seeming to be from some sort of office. There was one of Phoenix in a one-way mirror, the next was one of the woman, Phoenix's mother, working on something on a computer, and the last one was one from the back seat of a car, Phoenix's mother driving the vehicle. Unlike the previous series, no one was smiling in these photos. The text on the page read "February 16, 2002 - Mama brought me with her to work today." 

"Look, Truce," Apollo spoke up, pointing to the woman's face, "Phoenix's mom has vitiligo just like him." 

Trucy nodded, "She does! But why do these photo's feel so sad?" Trucy asked, confused by the solemn tone of the photos.  

"I'm not sure." Apollo said, turning the page again. The last photo in the album was from several years later, the text just reading "June 20, 2010." There were two photos on these pages. One was of Phoenix and his mother, both of them wearing a serious expression, standing in front of a well-maintained garden. The next photo was of Phoenix and his father, both smiling brightly, holding hands, standing in front of that same garden in dimmer lighting, seeming to be taken in the evening rather than mid-day. 

Apollo, confused by the lack of caption, pulled the first photo out of the sleeve, flipping it over. On the back it read "June 20, 2010 - Last photo with mom." Apollo tucked the photo back in its spot, removing the other photo to find that it simply said "June 20, 2010 - Last photo with papa." 

"Polly?" Trucy questioned, reading the caption, "What does it mean 'last photo?' Did something happen with Daddy's parents?"  

"I don't know, Trucy." He replied, putting the photo away, snapping a quick photo of the page with his phone, and putting the album away, "But I think I know who we can ask about it."  

May 6th, 2001 

"Phoenix, just wear the dress." Phoenix's mother spoke, glaring down at her daughter, her tone condescending, "It's just family photos. 

"I don't wanna wear it." She mumbled, tugging at the hem of her t-shirt, "I wanna wear a suit like papa's..." 

Phoenix's mother sighed, bringing a hand up to her temple, rubbing it slightly, "Why are you being so difficult? I just want us to have a nice family photo." 

Tears started to gather in the corners of Phoenix's eyes. She was glad her hair obstructed them. "I don't like the dress." 

"Jesus Christ, Phoenix! Just-" The older woman was cut off by a hand being placed on her shoulder. Phoenix's father now stood just behind her mother, having finished changing into the grey suit he'd be wearing for the photos they were having taken. 

"Phoenix," he spoke, his tone much warmer than that of her mothers, "lets make a deal, okay?" 

"Don't try negotiating with her, -------." Her mother spoke as her father crouched down, Phoenix looking up at him. 

"If you agree to wear the dress for photo's, I will take you out to get your hair cut however you like." He said, smiling warmly. Phoenix immediately perked up. She'd be asking to get her hair cut short for months now, only to be shut down every time by her mother. 

"You promise?" She asked, worried that she was being tricked. 

"Promise." Her father said, offering out his pinky. Phoenix quickly linked her pinky around her fathers, smiling brightly. 

August 9th, 2027, 3:00 PM 

"Okay, let me get this straight," Pearl said, sitting on the floor in the attic with Apollo and Trucy, "You want me to channel Mystic Mia to snoop through Mr. Nick's personal possessions that he told you not to look at, so that it can jog her memory and she can tell you about Mr. Nick's parents, who you know something bad happened with, and he refuses to talk about?"  

"Well when you put it that way, it sounds really bad." Trucy spoke, frowning slightly, "But, yes. That is what we want you to do. Can you do it?" 

Pearl thought about it a moment, tapping her chin slightly, "Hmm, yeah, I can do that!" She smiled, "But you have to tell me about it after Mystic Mia leaves, okay?" 

"Okay!" Trucy perked up, happy that Pearl agreed to the plan. Despite how polite Pearl came off, she really did love snooping in peoples business. Guess that's what made her such a good investigative partner. 

"Thank you, Pearls." Apollo said, watching Pearl get into the proper position to channel, "This is a big help." 

Pearl shook her head, giving a small, "It's no problem, really." before her body began glowing gently, growing into the distinctive figure of the late Mia Fey. 

"Hello, you two." Mia greeted, wearing her usual warm smile. 

"Hi, auntie Mia!" Trucy greeted, giving Mia a hug. 

"I was told you two want me to look at some photos with you." She stated as Trucy released her, going back to her spot next to Apollo. 

"Yes, we were looking at some photos yesterday and wanted to ask you about them." Apollo explained, watching Mia inspect the space, frowning slightly at how messy the space was. 

"So, you're snooping?" Mia questioned, pulling a box close to herself, poking through its contents. 

"A little..." Trucy said, rubbing the back of her head. 

"Hmm.." Mia hummed, going quiet a minute before speaking again, "Gosh, these photos are old." 

"Do you know anything about them?" Trucy asked, leaning forward slightly. 

"Not really." Mia said, closing the box, "A lot of these are from when he lived with Larry, which was a while before I met him." 

"He lived with Larry?" Apollo questioned. Neither Phoenix nor Larry had ever mentioned living with each other.  

"Yeah," Mia started, "After he moved out of his parent's place he lived with Larry for a long time." 

"Moved out?" Apollo questioned. 

"Yeah, he moved out at eighteen. There's probably photos of his room there somewhere." She explained, getting up and walking over to a box labeled '10-12." 

After a minute of digging, Mia pulled out a photo album, sitting down so that Apollo and Trucy could crowd around her, looking at the photos. 

"See here?" Mia said, pointing to a photo of a room with a twin bed, bookcase, small desk, and a bean-bag, Larry sitting on top of it, playing a video game. The photo was captioned "June 26, 2010 - Finished setting things up, Larry's made himself comfortable."  

"This was his room at Larry's place." Mia explained, flipping to the next page, which was a few Photos of Phoenix asleep on the bean bag, book flopped open on his lap, they were labeled "June 30, 2010 - Nicky fell asleep studying." 

"Why did he live with uncle Larry?" Trucy asked, very interested in the photos. 

Mia got quiet, thinking for a moment before replying, "I don't think he ever told me." 

"He didn't tell you?" Apollo blurted out, "How? You knew him for years!"  

Mia looked up at Apollo as she began speaking again, "Phoenix is a very private person, especially about his past." she explained, "I tried to get him to open up many times, but he refuses to. I doubt anyone but Larry and maybe Edgeworth know anything about his life before college." 

"But why would he be so secretive about it?" Trucy asked. 

"Not sure." Mia said, flipping the album closed and tucking it back in its box, "I just know something happened, and Phoenix doesn't want to talk about it." 

Apollo grumbled, "Alright. Thanks for your help anyways, Mia." 

"Sorry, I couldn't do much." She said, sitting down. 

"Its alright." Trucy smiled, watching as Mia began to glow gently again, her spirit leaving and allowing Pearl to return. 

After orienting herself, Pearl spoke up, "Was Mia any help?" 

"Not much. She said she doesn't know anything." Apollo explained, watching Pearl's expression shift to one of disappointment. 

"Aw, that sucks." She sighed, "We'll just have to investigate on out own!" 

"On our own?" Trucy questioned. 

"Yeah, there's probably some more clues about Mr. Nick's parents in here!" She said, standing up and brushing off her robes. 

Trucy perked up, standing up along with Pearl, "Yeah! We've just gotta look for them!" 

"Yeah!" Pearl exclaimed, smiling brightly.  

June 25th, 2010 

Phoenix stepped back, taking in his freshly redone room at Larry's house. After Larry had picked him up that night, his mom agreed to let Phoenix stay at their house in what was the guest room. Larry's mom really was too kind to him. Phoenix had just gone back to his parents house while they were at work and retrieved a few important things he hadn't been able to take with him that night: his old sketchbooks, a photo album, his DS, and his stuffed animals. Having all his things in the room at Larry's made it feel more like his room, and less like he was staying in his best friends guest room. 

"You done setting things up?" Larry asked, appearing in the doorway, a soda in each hand. 

"Mhm. Thanks again, for letting me stay here." Phoenix smiled, taking the soda that was now being offered out to him.  

"Of course, man. We're not gonna let you sleep on the streets." Larry chuckled, ruffling Phoenix's hair, smiling brightly. 

Phoenix laughed, pushing Larry's hand off his head with no real force behind it, "It's still really nice of you, even if it is just till August." 

"Oh, shit!" Larry exclaimed, "I forgot you got into that fancy art school!" 

"Its not that fancy," Phoenix chuckled, "but I am excited that I got in." 

Larry lightly punched Phoenix's arm, smiling, "Yeah, Mr. Big Shot here's going to art school." he teased, leaning into the door frame, "Maybe you'll finally get a girlfriend." 

Phoenix laughed, "Yeah, sure. And you'll finally get one while I'm away." 

"Maybe I will." Larry said smugly. 

Phoenix laughed. Things really we're turning out okay.

August 9th, 2027, 4:30 PM 

Oh, God, there was so much stuff in this room. Apollo, Trucy, and Pearl had now been searching through the attic for almost an hour and a half and had found no clues about Phoenix's parents. They had started putting on the old DVD's in the background, none of which were any help so far, while they looked through old binders of photos, sketchbooks, and notebooks. They had even peeked inside the bean-bag at some point. 

"I don't think we're going to find anything." Trucy said, sighing as she put on the next DVD, which appeared to be a series of short recordings of a day at the beach between Phoenix, Larry, and Iris, disguised as Dahlia. 

"We have to find something eventually." Pearl insisted, pulling another photo album off the shelf and flipping through it. God, Phoenix took a lot of photos. 

As Pearl looked through the photos, Trucy wandered over, looking over Pearl's shoulder. 

After a minute of flipping, Trucy stopped her, "Wait! Pearl! Go back a page!" 

"Hm? Oh, okay." Pearl complied, flipping back a page. The page only had one photo, a photo of Phoenix as a small child, only about 6 years old, standing in front of a house with soft, light yellow siding and a brown shingled roof. The photo was labeled "April 29, 1998 - Our new house! Mama says moving here will be good for us." 

"Look, Pearl!" Trucy said, pointing to a sign in the yard, "It's the house number! A clue!" 

Pearl gasped, a wide smile breaking out on her face, "It is!!" 

Apollo put down the book he was holding, walking over to Pearl and Trucy, "When's the photo from?" 

"1998." Pearl said, watching Apollo tug the photo out of its sleeve, "Is this still helpful, even though its from a long time ago?" 

"Yeah, of course." Apollo said, looking at the back of the photo, "If this house is in Japanifornia, we can find the ownership records and use that to find out more about Phoenix's parents." 

"Yay!" Trucy exclaimed, causing Pearl to flinch slightly as Trucy yelled in her ear. 

The handwriting on the back was a bit messy, but not unreadable, it read "April 29, 1998 - New house in Japanifornia! Mama says the U.S. holds good opportunities for us. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet." Under this text was a much neater note, reading "From left to right - Marie Wright, Phoenix Wright, Francis Wright." 

Apollo hummed, "This is their house in Japanifornia, and it has Mr. Wright's parents names." 

"That's super helpful, then!" Pearl celebrated. 

"Mhm. We don't even have to look at ownership history, we can just look up the names here." Apollo said, watching Pearl put the album away, making his way to stairs. 

Upon reaching Apollo's room, he pulled out his laptop, flipping it open typing the names 'Marie Wright and Francis Wright.' Into the search engine. Trucy and Pearl crowded around Apollo, watching as Apollo clicked on a LinkedIn page for Francis Wright. 

"Polly!" Trucy spoke up, "His email is there! You should send him one!" 

Apollo hesitated a moment, was it really a good idea to go snooping like this? Clearly, Mr. Wright was trying to distance himself from his past, was it right to do this? To reach out to his parents, who he hadn't ever brought up, without telling him? 

"Polly!" Trucy said again, snapping Apollo out of his thoughts, "C'mon, what's the big deal? You snoop around in people's lives all the time." 

Apollo sighed, "That's different, Trucy, I get paid for that. This is your dad's personal life." 

"Yeah, he's my dad! We should at least try, I want to know more about his past!" Trucy reasoned. 

Apollo paused another moment before giving in, opening up his email and typing the address provided. "If we get into trouble, I'm blaming you." Apollo said, beginning to compose an email: 

"Hello, Mr. Wright. 

My name is Apollo Justice. I am reaching out as part of an investigation into one Phoenix Wright for a client of mine. We we're hoping that you would be able to provide us with some insight. 

Thank you in advance. 

- Apollo Justice, attorney at law." 

Before clicking send. Apollo decided to keep it simple, nothing to complicated, this was a man they knew nothing about, after all. 

Apollo leaned back in his chair, sighing slightly, "Okay, now all we have to do is wait." 

"Yeah!" Pearl spoke up, smiling, "Hopefully He'll be willing to talk with us." 

"Yeah, hopefully." Apollo replied, standing up. 

August 28th, 2004 

Phoenix slammed the door behind her, only for another yell to echo up the stairs "And don't slam your door, young lady!!" from her mom. Phoenix grumbled, opening the door to her closet, closing it as she plopped down in the pile of blankets in the corner of the space. 

"Stupid mom." She mumbled, feeling around in the dark for the small lamp, turning it on once she found it, "Stupid rules." 

Phoenix and her mother had gotten into yet another argument. Phoenix had wanted to get a new hoodie with a graphic from a show she liked, but her mother had deemed it an "unnecessary purchase" and "too masculine" and wouldn't let her get it. Sure, she could probably ask her dad later, but it was still irritating. 

Phoenix picked her MP3 player up off the floor next to the light, putting the headphones, pressing play on the album she'd been listening to recently before setting it down and picking up her sketchbook instead. She flipped to an empty page and began drawing. Most of the drawings Phoenix did were with oil pastels, and drawings of her friends. A lot were of Miles. A lot were of Larry. A lot were of men from bands she was into. Phoenix couldn't tell if she wanted to be them or be with them. Did it really matter either way? 

August 9th, 2027, 7:30 PM 

"Polly! Polly!" Trucy called out, rushing into the kitchen, where Apollo was eating dinner, by himself, as Phoenix and Edgeworth had gone out for dinner. "He responded!" 

"Really?" Apollo was shocked, he'd expected a reply to take more than a few hours, if they even got one. 

"Mhm! C'mon, lets look!" Trucy was practically vibrating, pulling Apollo's laptop out of seemingly nowhere and shoving it into his hands. Apollo moved his bowl, setting the computer down and quickly signing into it, opening up his email to see one 'new mail' notification from a Francis Wright. Apollo opened up the email, reading it aloud as Trucy sat down next to him, excitedly patting her thighs. 

"Dear Mr. Justice, 

I appreciate you reaching out, however, I am afraid I may not be of much help. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I have not seen or spoken to my son in many years, but if you still wish to speak with me, I would be delighted to do so. 

- Francis Wright, [email protected]" 

"We should ask to talk to him more, Polly!" Trucy decided, bouncing up and down in her chair. 

"I was just about to, Trucy." Apollo said, starting to compose a reply: 

"Dear Mr. Wright, 

I am very sorry to hear about your loss of contact. Despite this, I would still find it very beneficial to meet with you. When and where would work for you to meet? 

- Apollo Justice, attorney at law"

October 16th, 2005 

Phoenix stood in front of the full body mirror in her bedroom, staring at herself in the black dress she was wearing. Larry, her best friend, was sprawled out over her bed, playing some game on his DS. The two were getting ready for the fall dance at their middle school, and Phoenix's mother had insisted that she wear a dress instead of the jeans and sweater she had planned on wearing. 

"I don't know, Larry." She grumbled, turning slightly, getting a different view of herself in the dress, a heavy feeling setting into her chest, making her want to puke, "Its just... It feels so wrong for me to wear a dress." 

Larry looked up from his game, glancing at Phoenix, noting her scrunched up face, clearly upset, "Dude, you look good. Besides, you can just throw on a sweater like usual once we get there." 

Phoenix sighed, moving to rummage through her hamper of clean, but still unfolded, laundry, trying to locate the deep blue sweater she wore almost everywhere, "I guess." She spoke, finding the hoodie and tugging it out, "Still hate the dress, though." 

Larry saved his game, flicking the console shut and tucking it away in his pocket, "Well, so long as your moms here, I don't think you're gonna get out of the house without the dress on." 

"I know." She huffed, tugging the sweater on over her dress, feeling a little less awful with the garment on. Phoenix looked at herself in the mirror again, pulling at the front of the sweater, almost like she was trying to drown in it. 

"Shall we head out?" Larry asked, having stood and now offering his hand out to Phoenix, bent over slightly in a faux-romantic gesture. 

"We shall." Phoenix replied, chuckling at her friends antics. 

August 11th, 11:30 AM 

"Thank you so much for meeting us, Mr. Wright." Apollo said, sitting down at the booth across from the older man, Trucy sat next to him. After the exchange of a few more emails, Francis Wright agreed to meet the two at a local deli and sandwich restaurant for lunch. 

"It's no trouble at all." Francis spoke, offering out a hand to Apollo, the attorney taking his hand a shaking it. "So, who's this little lady with you, Mr. Justice?" He asked, gesturing to Trucy. Gosh, this man looked just like Phoenix. He had the same smile that crinkled his eyes shut, the same warm, brown skin, the same hair, the only difference being that Francis's was greyed slightly with age. The man was wearing a soft, blue button up shirt along with a pair of medium brown pants.  

"I'm Trucy!" She introduced herself, "Trucy Wright!" 

The man paused a moment, his smile faltering slightly, but only slightly. "Wright?" he questioned. 

"Trucy was adopted by Phoenix eight years ago." Apollo explained. 

"Oh, I see." He nodded, smiling, turning his gaze to Trucy, "Well, its a pleasure, Trucy." 

"It really is, Mr. Wright!" She replied. 

"Please, just call me Francis. You are family, after all." He said, waving his hand slightly. 

Trucy nodded as Apollo began to speak again, "So, Mr. Wright, we wanted to ask you about Phoenix." 

"That is what you said in your email." he nodded, twisting his ring around on his finger, a habit Phoenix also possessed. 

"I was hoping you could tell us about some photos." Apollo said, pulling the 'last photo' pictures out of his bag, passing them across the table to Francis. The man gently took the photos, looking at the text on the back before flipping them to look at them. 

"Mmh," He hummed, passing the photos back to Apollo, a sad look on his face, "These are the photos we took at an arboretum Phoenix took us to. It was pretty soon after he got his college acceptance letter, and we went as celebration. 

Apollo nodded, taking the photos back, "Do you know why they say 'last photo?'" 

"These are the last photos Phoenix took with us." Francis explained, "I suppose he planned on leaving. In a way, that trip was probably a last good memory for him to make with us." 

Apollo's brow furrowed, confused, "What do you mean 'planned on leaving'?" 

Francis frowned, looking down at the table, "The next day was when Phoenix moved out. I haven't seen him since." 

Trucy looked up from her lemonade, "Why not?" she asked, earning a small kick from Apollo. 

"Trucy, you can't just ask that! He's clearly upset." He whisper-yelled. 

"No, no, it's alright, I don't mind." He spoke up, looking up from the table, smiling slightly, though it was clearly forced, "I think it was a bit over 17 years ago now. Phoenix and his mother, Maire, never got on too well, and I suppose it just got to be too much for Phoenix. I feel awful about the whole thing, really." Apollo felt his bracelet tighten slightly, but didn't push the matter.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Francis." Trucy replied, a sad look on her face. 

"It's okay," He said, sighing slightly, "It isn't something you should dwell on." 

Apollo nodded, deciding to change the subject, "There was actually a few more photos I'd like to ask you about." 

Francis perked up at this. He did seem to share Phoenix's passion for photography. "Oh, really? What photo?" 

Apollo pulled another photo out of his bag, this one being the one labeled 'new house.' Apollo passed the photo to Francis before he began speaking, "I was wondering if you could tell us more about this." 

"Oh!" He exclaimed upon receiving the photo, his smile becoming much more genuine, "Do you mind if I take a photo of this? I've been looking for it for years." 

"Oh, uh, not at all." Apollo replied as the older man was already pulling out a small digital camera and snapping a picture of the photograph he'd been given. 

"This is a photo from when we first moved to America." Francis began, tucking the camera back away into his pocket, "We moved in the spring of 1998 for a job my wife had been offered. Gosh, Phoenix was so nervous. He wouldn't talk to any other children until he met that Butz boy." 

"Where did you move from?" Trucy asked, her interest being piqued. 

"We moved from the Philippines, we lived in Mandaue." He explained, reaching into his bag and pulling out a small photo album, "I actually have a photo of out home there." 

Trucy leaned over the table, watching the man flip through the photos. After a minute, the man pulled out an old photo, passing it to Apollo and Trucy. The photo was of the back yard of a home, the residence being visible. The yard was enclosed by a fence and there was a young girl sitting in the yard, smiling brightly at the camera. 

"This photo was taken about 6 months before we moved." Francis spoke, smiling, "Its the backyard of our old home. Unfortunately, I lost a lot of photos in the move, and then more over the years."

"This place looks so pretty!" Trucy smiled, examining the photograph, "Daddy never told me he lived in the Philippines!"

Francis nodded, "It really was a lovely place to live, I do miss it, though." He reached back into his bag, pulling out another photo, passing it over the table. This one was of the interior of an expanded bungalow-style home. The room was filled with various boxes, and a young girl sat atop one of them, reading a book. "This is just after our move, the child in the photo is Phoenix." He explained.

The conversation between the trio went on like this for a while, Apollo and Trucy asking about photos, and Francis explaining them, and discussed possibly meeting again in the future after Apollo gave Francis his phone number. The siblings were able to learn quite a bit about Phoenix's childhood through his dad, but one mystery still remained; why hadn't Phoenix spoken to, or about, his parents in 17 years? This was a case the duo were determined to crack.

February 9th, 2008 

"You got any plans for Valentine's day?" Larry asked, not looking up from the magazine he was reading on Phoenix's bean-bag. 

"Nope." Phoenix replied, sprawled out on the floor, doodling something in her sketchbook, "You?" 

"What do you think?" Larry asked, looking up from his magazine, an exaggerated upset expression on his face. 

Phoenix chuckled slightly at how exaggerated Larry had made his face. "Maybe if you were less of a douche girls would like you." she teased. 

"That's just how I am, Nicky." Larry scoffed, turning his attention back to the magazine, "What excuse you got?" 

Phoenix was quiet for a moment, staring down at her half-finished drawing, "I'm just not interested in that type of stuff." 

"There no way you're 'not interested' in that stuff, dude." Larry spoke, flopping his magazine down onto his lap, refusing to accept that his friend, who'd seemed almost obsessed with some guys over the years, suddenly had no interest in romance. "C'mon, you've gotta like at least someone." 

Phoenix looked up at Larry, thinking for a moment, "I dunno, dude. I like celebrities and stuff, but I'm just not really into the idea of dating anyone." 

Larry scoffed, picking his magazine back up, "Whatever, man." 

"Whatever." Phoenix replied, amused by how annoyed Larry was by this, and how obviously it was displayed on his face. Larry was always bad at hiding his emotions. 

August 11th, 4:00 pm

Edgeworth entered the Wright Anything Agency, his footsteps as quiet as ever, to see Apollo and Trucy hunched behind the reception desk, whispering about something. His interest piqued, Edgeworth made his way over, speaking up once he was in front of the desk, "What are you two up to?"

The pair jumped, startled by the mans voice. "Ah! Hi, papa!" Trucy was the first to speak up, smiling brightly as Apollo tucked his note pad away in a drawer. "You weren't supposed to be back until later."

Edgeworth sighed, these two were definitely doing something they weren't supposed to be doing. "I got off work early. Now, care to tell me what the two of you are whispering about?"

"Uhh.." Apollo let out, glancing at Trucy, who looked back at him. Apollo's gaze saying "Should we tell him?" While Trucy's said "I don't know!" The two continued to look at each other, Trucy's look now saying "I think we should tell him." Before Apollo nodded.

Trucy turned back to Miles, "Well, you see, papa-" She began, only to be cut off by Miles, who was now holding up his hand.

"You two went into the attic, didn't you?" He asked, to which Apollo flushed red at being caught, and Trucy just nodded. "Well, it was bound to happen at some point." He sighed, pulling up a chair to sit down.

"How did you know?" Apollo asked, confused.

"It was rather obvious." Edgeworth explained, "The book Wright hides the key behind hadn't been replaced when I went to change into my pajamas a few days ago." To which Apollo responded with shooting a glare at Trucy.

Trucy inhaled sharply, tapping her hat with her fist, "My bad!" 

"Not to worry, I have not told Wright, I believe it would stress him more than necessary." The older man explained, setting his briefcase down next to his chair.

Apollo and Trucy both let out a sigh of relief at this. If Phoenix found out they'd been snooping, they might both get crazy murdered by him, and it would be deserved.

"Papa?" Trucy spoke up, "Do you know why Daddy is so secretive about his life before college?"

Edgeworth looked up at the young girl, trying to decide whether or not to tell her, "Not very much, it is not a time he likes to revisit," Apollo payed close attention to the lack of tightening of his bracelet. "And I didn't know him for very long when we were children, so I have little first-hand experience with that time."

"Aww," Trucy groaned, deflating a bit, "Thanks anyways, papa."

"If you would like to know more," Edgeworth began again, "I believe you would have more luck speaking with Larry."

Apollo nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Edgeworth."

Edgeworth simply hummed, standing, taking his briefcase with him, "Do not tell Wright we had this conversation and I will not tell him about your snooping." As he reached the door he added, "I fear he may be very upset with me for providing you with any insight at all."

November 12th, 2001 

"Hello, Mr. Edgeworth. Its nice to meet you." Phoenix introduced herself, slightly nervous, offering out a hand for her friends father to shake.  

"Its a pleasure, Phoenix." Mr. Edgeworth spoke, smiling as he shook the child's hand, "I'm glad my son has made friends with such a nice young man such as yourself." 

Phoenix nodded, taking her hand back. She didn't correct Mr. Edgeworth. "I appreciate you having me over tonight." 

"Anytime. All friends of my sons are welcome in our home." He spoke. Miles's dad was so kind, Phoenix was almost jealous of it. 

"Okay, Nick! Let's go to my room!" Miles spoke up, tugging at Phoenix's hand, not wanting to deal with pleasantries between his friend and father. 

"Okay!" Phoenix exclaimed, smiling as she followed Miles down the hall to his room. There was a warm, fuzzy feeling in Phoenix's chest as she followed Miles down the hall. It was unlike anything she'd felt before. The ease with which Mr. Edgeworth called her "young man" and Miles called her "Nick" both brough this fuzzy feeling. She wanted to feel like this all the time. 

August 12th, 12:45 pm

"Thank you for agreeing to meet up with us, Uncle Larry!" Trucy said, smiling at Larry, who was sat across her, munching on a basket of fries he'd bought the group,

"It's no problem at all, Trucy-Goose!" He spoke, his smile just as bright as Trucys.

Thankfully, Larry had an incredibly flexible schedule as a children's book author, and was able to meet with Apollo and Trucy on very short notice. Though, Apollo wasn't fully convinced that it wasn't just because Trucy asked, as Trucy was, according to Larry, his 'favorite niece' to which Trucy reminded him that she was his only niece.

"So, whaddya need to talk about?" Larry asked, munching on about three french-fries simultaneously.

"Well," Apollo began, "We were actually wondering if there was anything you could tell us about Mr. Wright before he was in college."

Trucy nodded, "We've been investigating, but no one will tell us anything!"

Larry's smile dropped from his face at this, "Does he know you kids are here?"

Trucy shook her head, "Nope, this is a top secret investigation."

Larry sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, chewing on it nervously, "Look, I'd love to tell you, but I don't think Nicky would want me to."

Apollo focused his gaze on Larry, determined to draw out what specifically made this subject touchy. "C'mon, Uncle Larry! Pleaseeeeee!" Trucy begged, flopping over the table, "Not even Papa knows about it! You're the only one who can help!"

Larry scratched at the back of his neck, sighing, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk a bit about it..."

"Yay!" Trucy immediately perked back up. This whole charade was her oldest trick, and it worked every time.

"Alright," Apollo began, digging his list of questioning points out of his bag, "First, I'd like to know why Mr. Wright lived with you the summer of 2010."

"Oh, uh, jumping right into the deep end, are we?" Larry nervously laughed. "Well, uh," He thought a moment, "Nicky moved into the guest room at my parents house cause he needed a place to stay!" 

Apollo sighed. Larry did this every time he was questioned, it was a habit he'd picked up from interacting with Phoenix, the human lie detector, "But why did he need a place to stay, Larry?"

Larry tugged at the cuffs of his jacket, gulping nervously, not wanting to reveal more of Phoenix's secrets than necessary, "Afraid I shouldn't tell you about that, Polly! Nicky would kill me if I started spilling his secrets everywhere!"

"Is it related to why Daddy doesn't talk to his parents?" Trucy asked, her brows furrowed.

Larry nodded, "Yeah, Nicky got into-" Larry cut himself off, "Oh, shit, I probably shouldn't tell you that."

Apollo slammed his hands down on the table, maybe a bit too hard, "He got into what?" he pressed.

Trucy joined Apollo in slamming her hands on the table, something they definitely shouldn't be doing with the restaurants rickety old table, "Is it related to his mom?"

"Ah!" Larry jumped at the pairs loud voices, "How do you know about that?!"

"Not relevant!" Trucy barked, "Tell us!"

Larry's face scrunched up, thinking over if he should tell them or not. On one hand, these were Phoenix's kids, on the other hand, Phoenix was his best friend, and this would be betraying his trust. "Fine!" Larry huffed, crossing his arms.

The pair sat back, listening to Larry speak, though he clearly didn't want to be telling them this, "After Nicky graduated, he got into a real bad fight with his mom and ended up moving out."

Apollo stared at Larry, his bracelet tightening at the last part, "You're not telling the whole truth, Larry."

Larry glared at Apollo, "Of course I'm not! I can't go airing out everyone's business!"

"That's all you do, Uncle Larry!" Trucy exclaimed.

"I can't go airing out Nicky's business. Especially on this topic." He corrected.

Apollo sighed, rubbing his temples, "I don't think we're gonna get much more out of him, Trucy."

"Curse you!" Trucy huffed, though there was no real bite to her words, "Curse your good relationship with Daddy!"

Larry shook his head, "Sorry, Trucy-goose."

Trucy let out a breath, "It's okay, Uncle Larry. I understand."

"If were not gonna get anything out of him, we should get going, Trucy." Apollo said, gathering his belongings and standing up.

"Alright!" She popped up out of her seat, following Apollo, "Bye, Uncle Larry!" 

Larry waved goodbye to the siblings, a bit nervous they would manage to find Phoenix's most close kept secret.

April 17th, 2010 

Phoenix was sat on a bench outside his high school, staring up at the sky. It was about 11 pm, and their senior prom had just ended, leaving him and Larry, who was sitting next to him after being ditched by his date, to wait for Larry's mom to come pick them up. 

"Larry." Phoenix spoke, not looking over at the other boy. 

"Hm?" Larry hummed, his attention still mostly on the sky. 

"I think I'm going to tell my parents." He said, twisting the silver ring he was wearing around on his finger, "That I'm trans, that is." 

Larry's attention was caught by this, turning his head to look at Phoenix, "I support you and all, dude, but are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked, his tone concerned. "Your parents aren't exactly the most supportive types." 

Phoenix sighed, turning his gaze down, now staring at the ground, "I know." he admitted. "I can't just keep it from them, though. Even if they don't support me, I can't keep living as their daughter. It's killing me, Larry." 

Larry took a moment before smiling and placing a hand on Phoenix's shoulder before speaking again, "Even if they don't, I'll always be here for you, Nicky." 

Phoenix looked up, smiling, "Thank you, Larry." 

August 12th, 1:20 pm

As Apollo pulled up to the bike racks behind the WAA, Trucy hopped off the platform he'd installed on the back for her to sit on.

"It seems like we're back at square one, Polly!" She huffed, watching Apollo lock up his bike.

"Not true." Apollo said, looking up at Trucy, "We've learned that the reason Mr. Wright doesn't talk about his past has something to do with a rocky relationship with his mom!"

Trucy perked up at this, smiling, "True! We're getting closer to the truth!" 

Apollo nodded, tucking his keys back in his pocket as he stood, "Yeah, we just have to keep investigating!"

Trucy put a finger to her chin, looking up as she thought, "But where should we look next? We've exhausted all leads!"

Apollo thought a moment, "I'm not sure, but we can figure something out."

Trucy hummed in response, still thinking as the two entered the agency from the back entrance. As they walked down the hall, past the bathrooms and the personal offices, the pair began to hear an elevated voice, and it sounded like Phoenix's voice. The two glanced at each other and rushed for the reception area, desperate to know who Phoenix was so upset with.

Reaching the space, Trucy and Apollo stopped in the doorway, just out of sight, listening to the argument.

"No-" Phoenix seemed to be speaking on the phone, as no other voices were heard, "What did you tell them?"

There was a pause. Apollo concluded it must be Larry on the other end.

"Larry, why would you tell anyone that?!" Phoenix snapped, confirming Apollo's suspicions.

"Nark." Trucy whispered, causing Apollo to let out a quiet giggle, muffling it with his hand.

"Oh my god-" Phoenix huffed, rubbing his temples, "I just- I can't with you right now, Larry. I told you to never tell anyone about what happened."

Phoenix was very upset, it was evident to both of his children by this point. "It's whatever, Larry. I'll- I'll get it sorted out. You owe me, though." He let out a breath before hanging up the phone and flopping down on the old couch in the room.

Apollo and Trucy looked at one another, deciding it best to talk to Phoenix. Trucy made her way out into the room first, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Daddy?" She spoke up, catching Phoenix's attention. The older man pushed himself up off the sofa as Apollo entered, standing next to Trucy.

"Uncle Larry told me about your lunch with him today." Phoenix began, his face clearly displaying his displeasure, "I'm very upset that you two went snooping in the one place I told you not to go."

"But, Daddy-" Trucy began, only to be cut off.

"Nope, I'm not taking any 'But, Daddy's this time." Phoenix shook his head, "This is the one big rule I have for you. It was incredibly inappropriate for you to break it."

Though Phoenix hadn't yelled or even raised his voice at the either of them, Apollo could clearly feel how upset he was. "I'm sorry, sir."

"And Apollo," He turned his gaze to Apollo, "I thought you'd know better at your age."

Apollo looked down, "I know. I'm sorry."

Phoenix sighed, bringing a hand up to his face, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "You two won't be staying here tonight. I need to have time to discuss this with your father."

"Wait, Daddy!" Trucy exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes.

"This isn't because I don't love you." Phoenix clarified, "But you have broken my trust, and this is the consequence. Apollo, you have to figure out your own place to stay. Trucy, I've already called your aunts and they're coming to get you."

Trucy looked down, nodding. Though they both knew that Phoenix would be upset, this was a version of him neither of them had seem before; a Phoenix who was deeply hurt by both of his children.

"Yes, Daddy." Trucy mumbled, moving to go upstairs to pack an overnight bag.

"Apollo," Phoenix began once Trucy had left, "I'd like you to come back in the morning so I can discuss this with both of you after I've cooled down."

Apollo nodded, "Yes, Mr. Wright." he replied before heading back out to the alleyway, calling Clay to come get him for the night.

June 21st, 2010 

"You know what?" Phoenix's mom snapped, her voice raised quite a bit, "You can go pack up your things and leave! I'm not letting someone like you live in my home!" 

"FINE!" Phoenix yelled back, storming up the stairs. 

As he made it to his room, he started shoving things into a backpack and the duffel bag he used for trips. He'd come back for the rest later. This had really not gone the way he wanted it to. 

After coming out to his parents, Phoenix had gotten into an awful argument with his mother. By this point in his life, their relationship was already strained, and this was the last straw for her. Phoenix's parents were very traditional people, and while his father may have been open to it with time, his mother was a different story. She'd always been like this; pushing anything different or new away. Different and new now including her son. 

After finishing packing up his things, Phoenix hurried down the stairs, walking down the stairs and to the front door.  

"And don't come back until you've learned better, Phoenix." His mother spoke, standing over him as he put on his shoes, "I don't want some delusional girl living in my home." 

Once Phoenix has his shoes on, he stood, turning to his mother one last time, "I guess I won't be coming back then." He sighed "Goodbye, mother." 

Phoenix then turned and left, slamming the door behind himself. Phoenix walked and walked until he wasn't so worked up, then walked some more, until he found himself in a park several miles away from home, at midnight. As he realized how exhausted he was, Phoenix plopped down on a bench, the exhaustion hitting his body almost immediately. 

After sitting and staring out at the lake at the park for a good five minutes, Phoenix pulled out his phone and dialed Larry's number. It only rang once before it was picked up. 

"Hey, dude. What's up?" He spoke, his tone just as chipper as always. 

"Could you come get me? I'm at the park at Gourd lake. My mom kicked me out." He explained, realizing how thirsty he was as he spoke. God, he wished he'd brought a water bottle.  

"Oh, shit." Larry said. Phoenix could hear ruffling on his end on the phone, "Yeah, man. I'll be there in like ten minutes, 'kay?" 

"Thanks, Larry." Phoenix let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, "I really appreciate it." 

"Of course." Larry replied, the key clicking in his car door, "I've gotta hang up, see you soon!" 

"See you soon." Phoenix spoke before hanging up the phone, tucking it back in his pocket. 

After sitting for another minute, Phoenix picked himself up off the bench, sighing as he picked up his bag. He took his time walking over to the parking lot, the dew on the grass dampening the canvas of his shoes. Once he reached the lot, Phoenix sat down on the curb, waiting for Larry's car to pull up. 

Maybe everything would work out in the end. Sure, his mom had kicked him out, but Larry was always there to pick him up when he was down.

August 13th, 10:00 am

The next day, after Phoenix had time to calm down and Maya and Franziska had a talk with Trucy, the Wrights gathered in the living room above the office. Trucy and Apollo sat on the sofa with Pearl, who had confessed to helping them, while Phoenix and Edgeworth sat on the loveseat, Edgeworth holding Phoenix's hand, rubbing his thumb across his husbands knuckles.

"So, do any of you care to explain just what happened?" Phoenix began, eyeing the trio on the couch.

Trucy took a breath and began explaining, "So, five days ago Polly and I went up to the attic." her voice was shaking slightly, but she kept talking, "And we went poking around."

Apollo picked up explaining the next part, "We got curious about the photos and called Mia to explain."

This is when Pearl butted in, "But Mystic Mia wasn't any help, so we did our own investigation of the stuff up there, trying to find out more."

Phoenix began looking more and more impressed by how nosey the three were as they went on.

"We found a photo with grandpa and grandmas names on it." Trucy spoke, "So we did some digging and reached out to him."

Phoenix looked a bit horrified at this.

"He wasn't much help in our investigation," Apollo recalled, "but we did exchange contact information."

Trucy nodded, "We continued to investigate until you caught us yesterday."

Phoenix let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples. "So, you went snooping where I explicitly told you not to, spoke to three separate people we know about it, reached out to my father, who I haven't spoken to in years, about it, and only stopped because Larry told me?"

All three nodded, looking ashamed at their actions.

Phoenix remained quiet for a good minute before looking up again, "That was incredibly inappropriate of all of you and a betrayal of my trust, you know that, right?"

They nodded again.

Phoenix looked up at the ceiling, thinking again. "I suppose," He began, "It's about time I tell all of you what happened."

The three looked up, surprised by this.

Phoenix began explaining. Explaining the strained relationship with his mother growing up. Explaining how he'd felt that he couldn't be himself in their home. Explaining how his father never stood up for him. Explaining how he felt more at home with Larry's family than he ever did his own. And finally, explaining how he'd been kicked out after he came out, and never spoke to his parents again after that.

After sitting in silence for a bit, Trucy spoke up, "Daddy, when we talked to Mr. Francis, he kept saying how he wanted to see you again, and how much he missed you. He was even calling you his son and everything!"

Phoenix seemed a bit surprised at this. "Well, isn't that nice." He replied, and this was the one time it didn't seem sarcastic.

"We should talk to him and Ms. Marie as a family!" Trucy suggested.

Phoenix sighed, "It's not that simple, Truce."

Trucy's smile dropped, letting out a small, "Aw..."

"But, I suppose," He began, causing Trucy to look up again, "It may be time I give them another chance. It has been seventeen years, after all."

Trucy's smile returned, hopping up to hug her dad, who returned the gesture.

"Mr. Nick?" Pearl spoke, her voice quiet, "Does this mean we're not in trouble?"

"Oh," Phoenix laughed, "No, you three are in so much trouble."