What is this? An update from me!? Everyone run!

Ahem. Well, I apologize for the insanely long hiatus I've had from this website. To celebrate my coming back, here's another chapter of Feeniska goodness!

I gotta admit, Apollo thought, feeling a weak blush forming on his cheeks. She's pretty.

He wasn't accustomed to seeing Phoenix with another woman. Let alone a very pretty woman. She stood near Phoenix, chatting idly and occasionally glancing at Apollo curiously, which prompted him to smile tentatively back at her. She was fairly short, but her presence was that of a much taller person. He surveyed her appearance. She had silky, pale hair that fell an inch below her shoulders. She wore a black ruffled blouse and a knee-length white skirt. And…she had a black whip clutched in her hand.

At first Apollo thought it was some kind of magician's toy that she'd bought for Trucy, but upon closer inspection he realized that it was the genuine article; not anything like the horrendously large and florid panties he'd helped her recover a few months ago. When he leaned in closer to take a peek Franziska shot him a glare that almost caused him to stumble backwards onto Trucy.

Phoenix laughed as Apollo rubbed his nose self-consciously. "Be nice, Franziska." Moving behind her, he put his hands on her shoulders and purred into her ear. "I like this kid. Don't scare him away just yet." She responded by stomping on the tip of his right foot with her heel, making him jump back and yelp in pain. Her look of satisfaction was almost uncalled for.

"Trust me, Mr. Wright," Apollo said as Phoenix struggled to regain his composure. "If I had any intention of running away, I'd have packed my bags months ago…."

Phoenix chuckled again, brushing away Apollo's remark. "Anyway, we should be heading off now. Try to keep the place in one piece while we're gone, all right?"

"Have fun, Daddy!" Trucy piped in, waving at Franziska despite that they were only a couple of feet away. Franziska waved back and let out a small giggle.

Phoenix smiled and gently kissed the top of Trucy's head, then reached out to ruffle Apollo's. "Thanks, we will. Call if you need anything." He pulled his beat-up cell phone out of his pocket briefly to show them. Then he and Franziska stepped outside and closed the door behind them.

Apollo and Trucy settled back onto the couch as Apollo hopelessly attempted to fix his mussed hair. Trucy faced him and grinned. "I like her."

Apollo paused. "You mean Ms. Von Karma?" He frowned thoughtfully. He was glad to see that Phoenix had acquaintances who weren't related to him or the Gavins in any way, but he still couldn't help thinking that the entire arrangement was a bit…off.

"Daddy said she's an old friend who came to visit," she reminded him. "They haven't seen each other in years, so he's taking her out to see the city." Suddenly, her expression became very coy. She leaned closer into Apollo's confused face, one eyebrow raised. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking…?"

Apollo sighed and gently pushed her away. "If you're going to go into that 'new mommy' business again, I'm not going to hear it. Can't Mr. Wright have female friends without getting romantically involved?"

Trucy shrugged innocently. "Just saying. I mean, they do look pretty cozy together…."

"If by 'cozy' you mean stomping on his bare foot while wearing high heels, then sure."

"Aw, come on, Polly," she giggled. "You know it's just her way of showing love. Just like this!" She reached out and yanked, hard, on Apollo's hair spikes.

"OWW! Trucy, that hurt!" He returned the gesture by flicking her forehead. She giggled even more but suddenly paused when she glanced at the coffee table in front of them. "Hey…isn't that Ms. Von Karma's…?"

Apollo blinked and stared at the shiny coiled whip sitting on the table. "Yeah. That's her whip, right? I guess she forgot it here." He instinctively reached to pick it up, but then stopped. He suddenly felt as if he shouldn't touch it without getting Franziska's permission first.

Trucy looked up at him. "What's wrong?"

"I…think it'd be better if we didn't touch it until they came back."

"Hmph. You're no fun," she chided as she grabbed the whip and uncoiled it, then stood up and brandished it toward the ceiling. "Truciana Jones! Whip-wielding sorceress!"

"Trucy! Put it down! She's gonna realize any minute now that she left it here. She's gonna come back for it!" Why did Mr. Wright have to show her all those movies…? He shuddered when he imagined what Franziska would to do them if she saw them playing with it.

"Wait. I have to try something." She skipped away from the couch and began rummaging through a nearby cabinet as Apollo watched her curiously. After a few moments, she turned and held up what she had been searching for.

"Trucy Wright's famous Magic Panties!" She plopped back down next to Apollo and began unfolding her panties.

Apollo groaned. "Is this really the time for that…?"

Trucy ignored his complaint. "Now, watch carefully…" She held up the whip in front of his face. "A full-sized whip, as you can see," she said in a hushed, dramatic voice. "And a normal pair of panties. Ah, but what would you think if I said that I could fit this entire whip into these panties?"

"Practice your stage performances later. I've seen this trick about a million-"

"Impossible, you say? Well, you just sit back and be amazed!" She suddenly turned away from Apollo, stuffed the whip between the elastic waistband and whirled around again. "Ta-dah! The whip has magically disappeared."

"Great." Apollo sarcastically clapped his hands. "Now take it back out before Ms. Von Karma comes back and discovers it's gone."

"Fine. You're such a spoilsport, Apollo." Trucy pursed her lips as she stuck her hand into the panties, rummaging for the whip. After a few moments her eyes grew wide. "It…it's gone!"

Apollo's heart stopped. "What!? No, it can't be gone." He grabbed the panties and shook them frantically, then looked back at Trucy's face. "Please tell me this is a joke."

"I don't understand…!" She lifted the cushions on the couch and looked underneath. "This never happens. The props are usually right there inside the panties…."

"Oh man…" Apollo stood up and searched the entire room for the missing whip, but to no avail. It really had disappeared. Ok, Apollo, he told himself, feeling a cold sweat break out on his forehead. Just don't panic. If we can't find the whip, then…then we'll just have to figure something out.

He suddenly glanced curiously at the jar of candy on the dining table, then at Trucy, whose smile told him that she already knew what was on his mind.

At five o' clock that night Phoenix opened the door of the apartment and led Franziska inside. From what he could hear, Apollo could tell that the two had been sharing a conversation previously.

"…believe you forgot it here," Phoenix was saying, a teasing grin on his face.

Franziska hmphed. A very pale blush, which Apollo wouldn't have spotted without his bracelet, filled her cheeks. "Well, you can't expect me to be perfect all of the time," she defended curtly, avoiding Phoenix's amused gaze and searching the room for the leather weapon.

Apollo and Trucy were faced away from the pair, innocently browsing a magazine together, when Franziska addressed them, quietly. "...may I ask what you two have done with my whip?"

Apollo squeezed his eyes shut and hunched his shoulders. Though her voice sounded calm, there was a very sharp edge to it. It sent shivers down his spine. "…u-um…" he stammered. "I-isn't it right there on the coffee table…?"

Franziska looked to where Apollo indicated. There, lying plainly in sight, was some sort of makeshift whip. It was black, and long, and shiny, and might have convinced a four-year old into thinking it was genuine. But Franziska von Karma, whip-wielding prosecutor, immediately discerned it from what it was tried to duplicate.

It was made up of nothing more than a very long piece of black licorice, with a thick knot tied at the end in order to resemble a handle.

For a full minute Franziska and Phoenix only gaped at the pitiful candy replica. Apollo clasped his forehead and groaned. Trucy closed her eyes and crossed her fingers.

Franziska slowly walked over to the "whip" and picked it up, examining it curiously. To Apollo's great surprise, she didn't immediately beat the living daylights out of him or Trucy. In fact, she moved away from the two brunettes and instead advanced toward Phoenix, who was still standing by the door. His wide eyes darted between her face and the candy whip.

"Phoenix Wright." She held the licorice tautly between two hands. "You foolish fool…!" She then proceeded to lash at him wildly with the licorice, causing him to dart out of the way and dash toward the kitchen. Franziska, not missing a beat, immediately followed him, still lashing the whip at him while calling him inappropriate names in German.

"Wow," Apollo, remarked, clearly amused. "She's even a pro at using candy."

Phoenix sent Apollo a sour look, narrowly dodging another licorice attack. "Franziska, why are you punishing me?"

"Simply because…" Franziska replied, "you were closer in proximity."

"No, I wasn't!"

Apollo couldn't help chuckling as he watched her continue chasing Phoenix around the office. Trucy, on the other hand, slowly started shrinking back, hiding herself behind Apollo.

He noticed. "Trucy? What's going on?"

"I uh," Trucy said sheepishly, glancing to her side, "think I owe Daddy an apology."

Before Apollo could ask, Trucy walked to the shelf and lifted the spare silk hat, revealing Franziska's whip, the real one, underneath. Trucy smiled and laughed weakly at Apollo, who raised his eyebrows in shock. You crafty little...

"Should I give it back to her now?" Trucy whispered. Apollo glanced behind him – Phoenix had been backed into a corner and was covering his head with his arms; Franziska was playfully twisting her "whip" in her hands, giving him more verbal warnings.

Apollo grinned. "Nah. Let's wait until she's had her fun with that one first." He couldn't help chuckling to himself again. "Karma," indeed…