What the hell just happened?

It may have happened an hour ago but it still didn't make any sense to Apollo when it should have. He was right in front of her when everything happened. He needs to see it again. Slow motion until he finally understood what had happened.

That case, their first one together as a trio, him, Mr. Wright and Athena, a woman that saw him as her mentor of some sorts. They were at the high point of their case as the truth was finally revealed and just when that verdict that Miss Athena Cykes was innocent,

Bang.

Her wonderful golden red hair paints the white tiles orange before it starts to stick to the blood around her. Her eyes still shaking as her breathing was low, from his distance he thought he lost her for that moment. He wasn't thinking straight, it was understandable for that moment for a lawyer like himself to get caught up in the moment.

He could hear Mr. Wright's loud voice in the background calling his name and to duck for cover for he could get injured him as well. If a falling roof couldn't hurt him Apollo was sure that a gunshot wasn't going to either.

Some phantom had haunted them and caused them to break apart and even let the seed of doubt in him to grow and doubt the only person that saw him as a mentor – a teacher; somebody to look up too and respected. He lost trust in Athena after all they had been through in their short time together. Yet she still remains loyal to him.

He deserved that bullet. Not her.

And now with her blood painted on his white sleeves he presses her onto his chest, rocking her slowly and whispering that everything was alright. I'm fine. I'm fine. Apollo Justice is just FINE!

To hell with that,

He wasn't fine. It was just damn clear to see that he wasn't.

A sniper had shot this imposter or known as the 'phantom' and the hired assassin had been shot but was still alive. He was told the police had taken care of the sniper but how could he just accept that? What if the phantom was involved in a much bigger gang then they all had thought? What if there was another sniper waiting around the destroyed courtroom?

The crowd panics and Juniper, a shy friend of his and Athena's comes as close as she could go as Blackquill, or known as Simon to Athena rushes over and Phoenix does the same.

Apollo didn't need Athena's sensitive hearing to see they were just at a panic as they were. He didn't need some Mood Matrix to hear the discord in their voices.

Everything happened in a blur afterwards.

Screaming, panicking, somebody picking him up and pulling away from Athena, men in blue rushing over and taking her somewhere. A building in white that only brought despair and concern to anyone that entered. Either Mr. Wright or Edgeworth helping him to guide him to somewhere safe and then the hospital, not even Trucy's tricks made him say anything.

None of them were so used to seeing Apollo so silent. There were no 'I'm fine' or "Apollo Justice is just fine' today.

And now it sinks in the reality of everything. The memory of the day plays in his mind. On the hallway and on the cold tiles Apollo lays. His head slumped on one side with knees curled up. His eyes half lit and his auburn eyes remained empty.

The carts pass him by as the squeakiness of their wheels fills his ears. Chatter between nurses and doctors irritated him quickly and he snapped like a twig. He holds onto their coats so tightly and the first time he spoke happened to be at a doctor who had nothing to do with Athena. Damn it, do something. Don't stand there. She's dying and you're standing here gossiping?!

Phoenix rips him apart from the innocent bystanders as all attention was brought towards the two lawyers as Apollo's voice was muted again. Phoenix had no idea when he would explode again and he worried about it, as if Apollo was his son. Standing in the middle he was at a lost. He let his two young lawyers break from each other and now was suffering.

One from the pain of a bullet and another from heartache.

Some boss he turned out to be.

As much Phoenix and the others placed him on the chairs that were scattered in the hallway, Apollo still finds his way down to those cold tiles. He didn't understand it himself why the act.

He just came to the conclusion that with the death of his father as a child and not knowing his mother and the recent death of Clay haunted him so that anyone hit with a bullet was seen as instantly dead to him.

He can't even speak his name as his voice was gone. As if Athena provided the voice he needed for his Chords of Steel. Not even the voice inside his head had anything to say.

Nobody knew but when Clay was murdered he never showed up to work, contacted Mr. Wright or the others and the pain he brought. That smile he showed, the passion in his voice. Everyone I care for...just dies. Why...should I care?

He decides to stop caring and Apollo hopes that maybe that could take the pain away.

But he can't. He just cares for Athena so much that stop caring – stop thinking about her would cause just more pain.

So when midnight falls and no signs of doctors or nurses are in sight he somehow finds the courage to enter into her room. Everyone had a home to go, a family or not if a friend. Him? Just some cat.

A chair was by her bedside and Apollo slumps in, his body leaning forward and onto the mattress. Without even thinking his hand found a way onto hers. His eyes glued at how tightly he was holding her hand. Wake up, please wake up.

By her side Apollo stayed as his eyes closed for the night.

And that was where he found himself for some nights. When the crew had faded to their homes he would be by her sides throughout the nights. Apollo knew the sensation of being alone. Sure she had relatives somewhere in Europe but here? If was just her and the agency.

Playing with her fingers he holds her hand and tells the stories of the cases he had gone doing without her by his side. The tears and the emotions just slide down his cheeks every night he spends with her. The whimpers and the muffles and the muttering of words only he knew what they meant were shared with her. They're just not the same without you, you know?

The cold hospital becomes his home for a month. As the sun sets he would sleep by her side in the hope that she'll wake up and they would return on their cases. Give him a reminder that he was alive. But the more silent Athena remained the more 'dead' Apollo became.

He never knew how much he needed her. Their time was short but she made such an impact on him that Apollo found it hard to do a case without her by his side.

There had been many close calls. As he stands there in the room occupied with the others he stands at the back; the further the better. He didn't want to see him all emotional like he was with Clay's death. But he couldn't hide it from everyone as Trucy walks over to him and gives him a hug that for a moment he felt they were related.

The dread passes over and she is safe again – for now. They have no idea how long the coma would last and if her body could stand it. How many times had it been now? Three - four times that she has died on them but with the help of modern times she was revived from the dead like a God.

Oh the irony.

He doesn't speak about the ordeal and drowns himself in his work and cuddles up with his workmates when the time came. The sensation of them being there for him – a family makes him forget that the bullet Athena had gotten was for him, strangely.

Apollo just 'can't' forget about it like the others have been telling him. Or that 'she doesn't regret saving you' or 'don't feel bad. None of us saw it coming' As he stands up from the floor his boss and his daughter and everyone in between stares at him. How do you know that? It's been over a month and she hasn't woken up and it's because of me!

Game night never had so much tension before.

He'll never understand why some sniper decided to end his life. Maybe they felt sorry for him and decided to help him reunite with Clay. Apollo decided to give them a knife next time to get the job done right. His worked on enough murder cases to get the job done.

The feeling dies down as Apollo puts his feelings onto the paper work needed to be done. Phoenix stands by his doorway with arms crossed. He could tell it was him by the shadow that overcast his office. Apollo runs his fingers through his hair, causing his hair to lose their shape. Strands of brown hair cover his face as he buries his emotions into the palm of his hands.

Phoenix felt he was doing an awful job as his boss.

He always felt the bond he shared with Athena was strong, but this was too much to say he was genuinely concerned about her. He missed her presences; her joining in his "Chords of Steel" work outs every morning, helping him solve cases that where sure to get a guilty verdict.

"Go see her."

Apollo looks up to his boss and mentor. He knew he was still in the room but had forgotten. He was lost in his thoughts again.

He speaks in a calm and soothing way. He says that it isn't his fault and that the guilt he felt was alright but he couldn't drown in it forever. Somehow Apollo feels glad that Phoenix finally understood him. Maybe he did the entire time but spoke nothing on the matter.

"Once she'll wake up she'll understand."

There he goes again, speaking to him as if he was his son. I'll be heading home now Mr Wright.

But somehow Phoenix knew Apollo's version of home wasn't quite like his. As Apollo walks out he stands there still, scratching his chin with a grin.

They were bound up to end up together sooner or later.

So there is Apollo. Somehow magically able to reach the hospital before visiting hours was up. He holds onto her hand and tells her about his day and some new cases he and Mr Wright were doing. Sometime Ema or Trucy would help him on some days. The office couldn't be more alive. Of course you're missing out on all the fun Athena.

He smiles at all the possible crazy acts they could do. Pull a few pranks, stuff up Trucy magic tricks to only later on get scolded by Nick. He could even see Athena convincing him to do something stupid with her like messing up the Boss's paper work. He didn't know how to react to that. Apollo felt that he could lose his job with that idea.

But that one night as the wind passes him by, his eyes flick open. He did it again. He fell asleep in her room again. What seemed to be wind at first rubbing against his brown hair soon reveal to be no other but Athena. Sitting up and messing up his hairstyle, waking him up with that silly grin of hers.

She greets him with a smile.

He greets her with a tight embrace with tears falling.

Athena doesn't understand what overcame Apollo. His voice was normally so loud and cheerful that seeing him so broken scared her. It was as if she lost him. She nearly lost him during that case with Clay's murder. She couldn't handle that again.

She took that bullet for him to make sure that wasn't going to happen again.

"So you finally decide to speak?" She knew Apollo wasn't going to let her go just yet. "I could hear your voice but that wasn't the Apollo I knew."

He doesn't speak and just holds her. He knew he wasn't going to get another moment like this.

Closing her eyes, a smile crosses her lips. "It's so nice to hear your voice again Apollo." Her arms found their way around him.

Apollo smiles for the first time in a long time, "Same here."

And all of the sudden, his guilt lifted. And it was from that moment he knew he was all fine now.

Apollo Justice is fine.

A/N:

Haha, headcanons can make the best fanfiction sometimes.

I had this idea that what if another sniper was on top of that courtroom and due to Athena sensitive hearing she was able to take the bullet for Apollo since she didn't want to lose him. Idk, I think I ship these two much I'm making up silly ideas in my head.

And now I shall wait here, waiting for a DLC that invovles either Athena or Apollo...just waiting.