If you haven't played Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney yet, then let me give you some advice.

Do so. Immediately.

In the meantime, stay away from this piece of fanfiction. It's riddled with spoilers.

If you have, I beg your forgiveness that it's another one of those stories, involving Apollo, Trucy and 'Lamiroir'. All I can say is that it's been in my head since I completed the game in December, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't attack with the pitchforks and torches. Instead, I recommend reading it, if you don't mind :)

"Please, Apollo?"

"Come on, Polly, it'll be fun!"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Apollo Justice sighed, putting down the pen which had been hovering above the page for the last ten minutes without doing anything. "Trucy, it makes no sense for me to move in with you and Mr Wright whatsoever. We aren't related, and I have an apartment of my own." Even if he couldn't quite keep up on the rent sometimes.

"So if we were related, you would?" Trucy pressed.

"You're just being silly now."

Trucy frowned. She was being silly, was she? "What's the big deal, Apollo? You spend practically all your time here at the office anyway. You may as well come to live with us. I've always wanted someone else there!"

"I'm not some sort of pet." Apollo replied, going back to writing.

"You're so grumpy." Trucy told him, frowning. "Klavier's never as grumpy as this. Neither's Daddy."

"You obviously weren't at the same concert as me if you think that about Prosecutor Gavin." Apollo told her. Trucy had to admit he had a point. "And speaking of Mr Wright, where is he?"

"He said he had to go meet someone about something." Trucy replied, shrugging.

"That's helpful."

"That's Daddy. So, Apollo, will you?" Persistence, Trucy had found, was the easiest way to get what she wanted. Especially from Apollo.

"Look, Trucy, I'm working. Why don't you watch some TV or something just now? We'll talk about it later."

Trucy sighed. So that was a 'no' then. Not that she was planning on giving this up.

"Welcome to the Wright…oh, it's you, Daddy." Trucy who had stood up upon hearing the door open, sat down again. "Where were you?"

"Ah…I was…is Apollo here?" Phoenix Wright was looking very uncomfortable, something which did not escape his rather perceptive daughter's attention.

"What's wrong?" she demanded.

"Nothing." Phoenix replied, far too quickly for Trucy's liking. "Is Apollo here or not?"

"I'm here." Apollo came out of the bathroom, frowning. "Is something wrong?"

"No." Phoenix replied. "Nothing. It's just…well…"

"Spit it out, Daddy."

"I have someone…there's someone…"

"Mr Wright?"

Phoenix sighed. "I have someone here who wants to see you…Trucy."

"Really?" Trucy asked excitedly. "Who is it?"

From behind her father, Trucy saw a woman hiding in the shadows of the doorway. Phoenix turned, beckoning to the woman, who hesitantly made her way forward into the light.

She wore a white dress, and had long caramel coloured hair, which she continuously and perhaps unconsciously pulled at as though nervous. She was beautiful, Trucy noticed. Beautiful, and…familiar.

"Who…?" she began, glancing from the woman to her father and back again.

Apollo, who had come forward to get a closer look, spoke suddenly. "I know who that is." He said.

"You do?" Trucy asked, surprised, turning to face her friend. She wasn't the only one. Both Phoenix and the women had spoken, both sounding equally shocked.

"Yeah." Apollo replied, looking confused by the voices of the two other adults. "You're Lamiroir, aren't you?"

The moment Apollo said this, Trucy realized it was true. She glanced at the woman, at Lamiroir. A brief look passed Lamiroir's face as she stared at Apollo – hope, followed almost instantly by another. Was it pain? Why…?

"Yes." Lamiroir replied, looking down, hiding her eyes. "Yes, you're right. How…very perceptive." And then she laughed, a soft laugh, as if her last words were somehow funny. Trucy knew how it could be funny, of course, in relation to either Apollo or herself, but how on earth would Lamiroir know about something like that?

But that laugh…it was familiar.

There was silence in the room for a few minutes, before Apollo spoke again.

"So, you got your eye operation? You can see?" he asked.

"Oh, yes. I can see everything now."

"And your memories?" Trucy jumped in. "Do you remember anything about your old life?"

In her peripheral vision, Trucy thought she saw Phoenix stiffen. When she glanced around, however, he looked just as he usually did.

Lamiroir hesitated. "I…" she began, and then faltered, as if there was something she couldn't bring herself to say.

"She remembers everything."

Phoenix's voice caused Trucy to start. She turned around to look at him as he continued to speak.

"As soon as she could see, she knew." He went on, apparently deciding that Lamiroir wasn't going to say whatever it was for herself. "She remembered her husband, her father, her name and…" Here he paused. "The first name she said when she woke up was her daughter's."

It came to Trucy in a flash then. How she recognised this woman, even more than she should.

Silence descended again.

"What was - is - your name?" Apollo asked three or four minutes later, evidently trying to break the tension, to understand the situation.

Trucy watched as the woman looked up, staring straight into Apollo's face. 'Lamiroir' took a deep breath, swallowing before speaking.

"My name was…it is…"

Partly because she wasn't enjoying watching her struggle and partly because she wanted her thoughts proved right or wrong, Trucy interrupted. "Thalassa Gramarye." She said softly. "Right?"

A look of stunned understanding crossed Apollo's face. The woman – Lamiroir – Thalassa – Trucy's mother spun round to face her. Her face was unreadable. She didn't answer, but Trucy noticed the tears pooling in her eyes.

"Daddy?" Trucy asked in the same quiet tone. "I was right, wasn't I?"

Phoenix seemed to hesitate. His eyes met 'Lamiroir's' for a second, and something passed between them. Finally, he answered. One word. "Yes."

Trucy had known it was coming, but she was still almost overtaken by the shock.

"Thalassa Gramarye?" Apollo asked, apparently finding it almost as difficult to process as Trucy was, despite it not actually relating to him. "You mean you…you're Trucy's…?"

"She's my mommy." Trucy told him.

A look of the utmost joy crossed her mother's face at that moment, the words of acceptance making her look radiantly happy. The tears spilled over from her eyes and ran down her cheeks unchecked, and Trucy felt her own eyes pool over as Thalassa pulled her into a hug.

Out of the corner of her eye, Trucy saw Apollo leaving the room. While at that particular moment in time it didn't bother her, Thalassa seemed to stiffen.

"Mommy?" Trucy asked uncertainly, looking up.

Her mother was now looking over her head, staring at the door. From the little Trucy could see of her face, she was suddenly wracked with indecision.

"It's alright." A voice said gently, a voice Trucy recognised as Phoenix's. "I'll go after him. You've lost enough time as it is."

And with that, he too left.

"Mommy, what…?" she asked, pulling away slightly. But Thalassa didn't answer, and simply pulled her daughter closer.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. "I'm so sorry I left you."

Trucy suddenly found that Apollo was the last thing on her mind. "Don't." she said. It was imperative that Thalassa knew that Trucy didn't blame her at all. "Don't, please. It wasn't your fault."

Thalassa drew back, putting her hands on Trucy's shoulders and staring into her face. "You've grown so beautifully." She sighed. "What sort of mother have I been to miss all of this?"

"You were – are – a good mother!" Trucy protested, meeting her mother's eyes. She didn't want to talk like this, not now.

Thalassa laughed slightly, a soft, bitter laugh. "Ten years, Trucy. I haven't seen you, my own daughter, since you were five years old, and I left a child without her mother. I left my son before he had a chance to know me. I hardly know which crime is worse."

"You haven't committed any crimes." Trucy insisted. "You didn't want to leave me. It was an accident."

It took a minute for the rest of what her mother's speech to sink in, but they both seemed to realise exactly what she'd said at the same time.

"Son?" Trucy asked.

Thalassa broke eye contact. "Yes." She replied softly. "I had a son."

"Where is he now?" Trucy demanded.

"He…he's…" Thalassa began, and then seemed, yet again, unable to go on.

It didn't matter. Trucy's eyes had already found what they needed to, and part of her felt she'd known it all along. She took the hand resting on her left shoulder away and held it in her own. She stared at Thalassa's right arm for a moment, scarcely able to take in what she was seeing, but understanding almost at once.

"That's a nice bracelet, Mommy."

Apollo had left the room only a few moments after he'd realised exactly what was going on. He, of course, had no experience whatsoever with family matters, but he had the feeling that if his mother suddenly turned up, he'd want a chance for some peace.

He was halfway down the stairs and out the door when someone called his name. He turned to see Phoenix half running after him.

"Apollo!" Phoenix called again.

Apollo began to make his way back upstairs, burning with curiosity. "Mr Wright? Is something wrong?" he asked, confused.

"Wrong?" Phoenix asked, glancing back at the doorway he'd just come through with the air of someone making sure he wasn't being followed. "No, of course not."

Both men said nothing for a while.

"Then why were you following me?" Apollo asked eventually. "Or did you just want to give Trucy some room?"

"Room…? Oh, right. Yeah. Something like that."

"You seem distracted. More than usual." Apollo said, frowning.

Phoenix sighed. "Seven years, and finally it's nearly over." He mused, apparently to himself.

Now Apollo was utterly confused. Seven years…that phrase had become a big part of his life over the last almost-a-year. But why was it being brought up now? Surely, after all that less than a month ago, surely all the loose ends had been tied up, the mysteries solved? "What do you mean, nearly?"

No answer. The muffled voices of Trucy and her mother could vaguely be heard through the door in the silence that followed.

"Mr Wright?"

Phoenix blinked, apparently bringing himself back into the real world. "Apollo." He asked abruptly. "About Thalassa…"

"Yes?"

"Her surname, Gramarye. When did you last hear it?"

Apollo should have known better than to expect a straight explanation of the facts. It looked like he was going to have to try and untangle this last step himself. "Last time I heard it was about a month ago." He said, despite the fact that Phoenix knew this as well as he did. "If you discount the amount that Trucy's went on about that 'gift' that you gave her, that is."

Phoenix nodded. "I assume you remember what happened."

Apollo stared. This was taking it a bit far. "I could hardly forget. Mr Gavin was…"

"No, not that." Phoenix said impatiently. "Well, yes, that. But do you remember why?"

"Because he was a crazy serial killer?"

"No! I mean, yes, but do you remember why he was a crazy serial killer?"

"Can't you ever just tell someone something instead of making them guess?" Apollo demanded, exasperated. Phoenix gave him a look which obviously said 'no'. He sighed and thought about it for a second.

"He killed Mr Misham and tried to kill Vera because of the diary page, obviously." Apollo started. "And Zak Gramarye because of his involvement, and…"

"Right. The diary page." Phoenix interrupted. "The case it was involved in…"

"I'm hardly going to forget that." Apollo pointed out.

Phoenix looked at him pointedly. Apollo sighed. Was it so difficult to say something straight? "Let's see…Magnifi Gramarye shot himself in the forehead and his student was blamed."

"You remember why?"

"Magnifi sent him a letter, right? Ordering him to shoot him. And he apparently couldn't refuse." Apollo knew that Phoenix knew all of this. Phoenix was the one who had found it all out in the first place, after all. He could only assume it was to give Trucy some time with her mother. Which reminded him. "Because of Thalassa – his daughter - being killed. Well, not really killed, obviously." He finished.

"Right." Phoenix nodded. Then he paused, apparently unsure how to go on. "Magnifi Gramarye had a gift, you know."

Apollo shifted his weight, wondering if this was going to be Phoenix rambling again. Likely. He may as well listen, in any case. "A gift?" he prompted.

"Yes. A talent. His daughter has it too. As do her children. Not that she's been able to use it for the last decade…"

"What are you talking about, Mr Wright?"

"As Lamiroir, Thalassa Gramarye was blind." Phoenix explained. "And that's the thing. Her gift is extremely powerful…but it's all about seeing. Seeing clearly."

"Trucy has it too?" Apollo asked, confused. Then he understood. "Oh. That. You mean…it's genetic?"

Phoenix nodded, once.

"But I can do it too."

Nod.

"I never knew my parents. Do you think one of them…?" Apollo asked, but trailed off seeing the expression on his boss's face. It was a mixture of what looked like pity and exasperation. So he was obviously missing something.

Apollo thought about it for a second, mentally going over the conversation again. One bit seemed off. "Children? As in, another child besides Trucy?"

Phoenix nodded again. "Right. Thalassa was married when she was only eighteen and she had a son. Her husband died a year later, and the son was apparently taken into care. She didn't have Trucy until seven years later."

All this was said without eye contact, but the meaning was becoming abundantly clear. "So this son…" Apollo began, trying to keep his voice steady. "This boy, he'd be about twenty two now, right?"

Nod. "I'd assume so, yes."

"So she just left him? Alone, without any idea of who he really was." Apollo wasn't surprised to hear his voice shaking slightly.

"I wouldn't say that. I'm sure he knows his name, and that he's fine." Phoenix replied, smirking slightly. "In any case, she didn't leave him completely alone. She gave him a gift."

"Gift?"

Apollo's question was answered by Trucy's voice through the doorway. "That's a nice bracelet, Mommy."

Apollo walked as if in a trance, past Phoenix, back along the corridor and through the door. The first thing that he saw was Trucy, standing slightly apart from Thalassa, staring at him in nothing short of awe. His eyes met hers, and he knew that there was a lot to be said, all of which was relevant but none of which was important to him at that moment. As if understanding this, Trucy moved away from her mother and towards the other side of the room.

Apollo's eyes met Thalassa's then. She, too, was staring at him, but her emotions were much too hard to read. Behind him, he heard Phoenix enter the room and saw him go to stand next to Trucy out of the side of his eye, but he really didn't care.

He'd seen the movies, read the books. He knew how reunions were supposed to happen. He knew he should be angry with her, furious that he'd been left, but he wasn't. He knew he should be overcome, perhaps burst into tears, but that didn't happen either. He wanted to speak, but it was proving impossible. Only one word would allow itself through his lips.

"Mother?"

Thalassa started towards him at that moment. Hesitant steps, at first, but soon she was stumbling across the room and she threw her arms around him. Apollo didn't know how to react. After a pause, he gingerly hugged her back. They stood there for a few minutes, both of them together, before a voice interrupted them.

"I'm really hungry. Are you hungry, Mommy? What about you, Apollo?"

Apollo turned to see Trucy, looking as carefree as ever, and couldn't help but laugh. Some things never changed.

Toast and spaghetti was hardly the envisaged meal of a family reunion, but Trucy's insistence hadn't given Phoenix much time to prepare. In any case, she seemed to be enjoying it, and no one else was eating much anyway.

Trucy, naturally, was chatting away nineteen to the dozen, completely unfazed by the tense atmosphere. "And, Mommy, you'll come and visit Apollo and me here and at home all the time, won't you?" she asked.

"Visit?" Phoenix repeated, unable to stop himself.

"Huh?" Trucy turned to face him. "Yeah. That's not a problem, is it?"

Apollo couldn't help but notice that Phoenix looked rather disorientated as he replied that no, of course it wasn't.

It took Trucy a moment, but she seemed to catch on. "Oh, right. I get it. Just because I have my mommy now doesn't mean you're not my daddy anymore." She said lightly, taking a bit of toast before continuing. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Apollo watched as Phoenix visibly relaxed, but couldn't help but think that his boss had been worrying needlessly. It was then that the rest of what Trucy said registered. "What do you mean, 'visit Apollo and me at home'?" he asked.

"Well, you promised." Trucy replied.

"Promised what? We already talked about this, Trucy, and…"

"You said that if you were somehow related, you'd move in." Trucy interrupted. "I'd say that you being my brother is pretty related, right, Mommy?"

Thalassa didn't attempt to hide her smile. "Yes, I have to agree."

Apollo made a mental note to thank her for all the help. "But it's not up to you, Trucy. It's Mr Wright's house, and…"

"You're the one that pays the bills." Trucy replied, glancing at her father.

Apollo turned to face Phoenix, and could hardly miss the grin. "It's true." Phoenix said. "But if you don't like us enough, then forget it."

"I really don't have a choice here, do I?" Apollo grumbled.

"Nope." Trucy said brightly.

"Welcome to the family, Apollo." Phoenix said, still smirking. "Now, why don't you show your mother how helpful you are by washing the dishes?"

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