Disclaimer: I don't own any characters of Ace attorney. I especially don't own Trucy and Phoenix Wright since they both belong to Capcom. Not me!

Trucy's protector

Phoenix Wright blinked open his heavy eyes, forcing his eyelids apart so he could study his surroundings and recollect all which had occurred the previous day. He lain on his comfortable bed that was practically strewn with socks and old filthy shirts that he had obviously neglected to pick up during the past few weeks.

Normally he would have been getting up and dressed right about now, getting ready for another day of being an attorney whilst rushing about the house in an organised frenzy. However he had to make and adjust to many drastic changes to his life since he had his lawyer badge taken away...and he had become a father as well.

He didn't have a job and he was basically a hobo; since his previous job as an attorney at law barely paid the bills to allowed him to keep this place his deceased boss, Mia Fey, had bought and buy some takeaway was all his budget could do. He didn't even fully know how he had come into the possession of a little eight year old girl named Trucy.

She was the little daughter of his final defendant as an attorney, Zak Gramarye, and she had aspired to be a magician just like him but had sadly gone missing just after his trial had gone array. After some weeks of trying to track down a family member, Phoenix had come to the conclusion that the girl had no living relatives so (having grown attached to the little happy-go-lucky eight year old) he decided to adopt her.

Phoenix gingerly sat up with his chest almost completely buried in dirty clothing and he managed to free an arm from the covers of his bed and stretched it up into the air so he could get a satisfying crackle from the air popping in his joints. He gritted his teeth a bit but a strained yawn slurred out from deep within his vocal chords.

He thrown the blankets off himself and turned himself around so his feet could hang off the edge of the bed and he slipped both feet into blue fuzzy slippers that were neatly on the floor waiting for him to stuff his toes into the fluffy feet wear.

Standing up, the former lawyer with spiky hair took a moment to completely wake himself up and he went to go and check on the little girl who he had brought home just a week earlier.

He wandered out of his bedroom, finding himself quickly standing in the small corridor, and he instantly walked into the sitting room which was nothing short of cozy with a large sofa obstructing his view which he just assumed the little girl slept in. Phoenix heard nothing from the sofa except for the sounds of muffled breathing that confirmed that Trucy was, indeed, still on the sofa.

The jobless porcupine-haired former attorney cautiously approached the sofa since he could feel a rather abnormal vibe and there was a very odd scent hanging in the air.

"Trucy?" Phoenix called out, softening his voice into a gentle whisper as he sleepily ambled over towards the front and he peered in closely.

He could see the blankets rise and fall in time with breathing but the lump beneath the fluffy covers had sounded pretty raspy and sniffly. Hearing these muffled sounds had made Phoenix feel somewhat uneasy and he couldn't help but feel his heart begin to sink into his stomach like a leaking ship being swallowed up by the stormy seas.

He reached forwards and grabbed a small portion of the blankets and pulled it off of the figure and what he saw made his heart freeze for several moments and his blood ran colder than an arctic chill.

Trucy lain curled up on the sofa and she was whiter than chalk. Her short brown pixie cut hair was all frizzy and sticking out at odd angles, looking sort of like what others would describe as a "birds nest". She was clutching her abdomen and her face was tight and contorted with pain, her eyes tightly squeezed shut in pain. She was shivering too.

Phoenix felt his stomach turn upon seeing his little girl in such a state.

"T-Trucy, sweetie? Are you alright?" Phoenix asked, worry etching all across his face. His deep blue eyes were swimming with concern and he was actually shivering a little less violently than his daughter and he immediately knelt down beside her and put his hand forwards, feeling her head with the back of his hand pressed against it.

He frowned harder. A temperature.

That would explain the shivering, at least.

Trucy opened her eyes weakly, her shivers worsening as she whimpered. Her voice became sickly, hushed and somewhat dry and hoarse as she tried to speak but it ended up sounding like a strained and agonising exercise for her vocal cords.

"D...Daddy...my...tummy...it...h-hurts!"

It was obvious that she was very sick. She looked exactly like a kicked puppy and she could hardly say anything to her adopted father without making a huge effort to try and get the next word out without having to strain herself.

Phoenix, worried for his baby girl, simply silenced her with a quiet and soothing "Shh" and he gently used his thumb to wipe away a strand of loose hair that almost covered her big beautiful blue eyes that very highly resembled his own. He could very easily determine that this was a case of a simple virus.

The former attorney kept his voice low and quiet as he asked his sick daughter "Trucy, where does you're stomach hurt?"

Trucy very deftly removed a hand from the place she had been clutching and pointed to her upper abdomen. Her eyes were tearful and her lower lip was quivering with sadness, telling the former Ace attorney that his little girl really was feeling miserable.

Phoenix felt so horrible for his adopted daughter. He'd only had her for a week and she was already sick, what rotten luck...

He sighed and stood up, muttering something that sounded like "my poor baby," beneath his breath, and he gazed down at the ill-looking "young professional" who was usually so full of happiness and optimism.

He shook his head with a sigh and proceeded to go towards the other room; he had to call Trucy's school and inform them that she was unwell.

He walked into the kitchen and pulled his mobile phone out from the pocket of his pyjama shirt, opened it up, pressed a few buttons to dial the right phone number and he held the little hand-held device to his ear. He waited for moments until somebody picked up with the professional phone introduction of the receiver of his phone call:

"Hello this is High ridge school, how can I help you?"

Phoenix cleared his throat, trying to smooth any concern he felt for his little Trucy from his voice and sound like a professional and keep his resolve strong "Er, yes, this is Phoenix Wright. I'm Trucy's dad and I just wanted to inform you that she may not be coming in today, she appears to have a nasty stomach ache."

"Oh. I shall inform Trucy's teacher at once, thank you for mentioning this to us. Goodbye,"

And with that, they hung up.

Phoenix had to admit it, the word "dad" sounded so alien to him. He just didn't think he would ever become a father and now here he was looking after a little girl who he adored with his entire being despite just barely knowing her. Every time he saw her smile, his whole world would light up like fireworks in the nighttime sky.

He turned a little bit when he heard Trucy say "I could...go to school...I-I'm not t-that bad."

Phoenix stared at his little eight year old incredulously. Seriously? Was she really trying to go to school despite her condition? Her complexion was so white that it looked like that if she was laying down on a snow-sheeted ground then she would be perfectly camouflaged. She had dark half circles stretching the skin just below her lidded eyes. She looked very shivery and she had goosebumps dotting each of her arms.

"I'm not that bad", indeed.

Phoenix shook his head and crept back over towards the sofa before he seated himself beside the sick little magician, deftly picking up her head before he laid it back down again on his lap so he could stroke her head comfortingly.

Trucy seemed to have quickly realised that the former attorney was not letting her go to school and relented. She wasn't in the mood nor did she have the energy to argue with him.

"D-Daddy, can you t-t-turn on the television?"

Phoenix looked down at Trucy upon hearing her request and he didn't hesitate to oblige, she was sick and she needed some distraction so this was a good idea as long as she didn't get a headache to go with that tummy ache.

Taking on a chivalrous tone, he said with a slight bow with the head "You're wish is my command, my little princess."

He reached towards a nearby table and grabbed the television remote. He pressed his thumb against a big red button and, within a time span of seconds, the screen came to life and was instantly filled with singing and colours and life which only cartoons could bring.

Smiling a little bit, Phoenix pressed a different button (a lilac one) and changed the channel into a familiar show which was called "The steel samurai".

Trucy seemed mildly fixated on the screen with the plethora of characters and the Japanese style music right along with the bright colours and highly-quotable lines coming from every other character who appears on screen. From what Phoenix could recall upon seeing this episode before, the episode was already in its half way point.

Trucy snuggled up against her father, trying her best to put on an affectionate smile as she rubbed her face along her adopted father's arm. Phoenix couldn't help but smile at this, feeling his usually hardened heart glow in a golden radiance that made him grin from ear to ear, albeit a sympathetic grin from ear to ear.

It took until the end of the episode before Trucy fell asleep even though she moaned and clasped her stomach tight in pain. Her face was screwed up and she was beginning to turn a very concerning shade of green. Maybe as green as wasabi and her lips sucked inwards, pursing them together as if to keep something at bay. She seemed quite squirmy for several seconds before her eyes snapped open, she used her hands to help catapult herself off the sofa, placed one hand over her mouth and ran off into a nearby door.

Phoenix immediately figured out what was going on when his sick little girl slammed the door to the bathroom shut behind her.

The former ace attorney jumped off the sofa too and hastened to the door where Trucy had practically tossed herself into moments earlier. A very worried look plastered against his face and his eyes were filling up with concern as he hesitantly tapped on the door and spoke very softly, trying not to allow the worry to leak into his voice as if to concern little eight year old.

"Trucy...?" Phoenix called, his tone softer than a shower of velvet cherry blossom petals "Trucy, sweetheart, can you lemme in?"

He waited patiently for Trucy's consent. He knew that it was rude to come in while a girl was in the bathroom but right now he was becoming increasingly worried for the little magician's well-being, he knew that she was desperately unwell and he didn't want her to have to go to the hospital.

The girl hiding behind the closed door could be heard violently retching and the sounds made Phoenix wince. He hated seeing the high-spirited little girl in such a state and it tore his heart in two separate pieces. He knocked on the door again and called in a slightly louder voice "I'm coming in, darling, hold on!"

He opened the door, not waiting any longer for her permission, and when he lightly swung it open and watched what was happening from the doorway he was staring at the pink-dressed heap on the floor. She had her head hanging in the bowl of the toilet and the rest of her hung as limp as a dead person.

Phoenix swallowed hard and approached the little girl -his baby girl- and he knelt down alongside her and put a hand tenderly on her back. Even through her pink cape he could feel a huge amount of sweat seep through the fabric and he could feel that she was all hot and clammy to go along with the fact that she was suffering with a stomach bug.

He softly and slowly ran his hand up and down along her back to try and soothe her vomiting and retching.

"D-D-Daddy..." Trucy sobbed whilst perking her head up to look at her concerned adoptive father before she dived into the toilet again, beginning to retch violently. During those split few moments that Trucy had lifted her head, Phoenix noticed the relentless tears streaming down her cheeks with no cease of dissipating into nothingness.

"Shh, shh, shh, shhhhh..." Phoenix shushed Trucy, silencing her whilst she continued to purge whatever she had consumed earlier from her stomach "don't talk. I'm here, daddy's right here."

Eventually, Trucy's marathon of throwing up finally subsided for now and she lifted her head although the tears were still running down her burning hot cheeks and she had a small amount of some kind of orange liquid dripping down from her mouth...and some on her chest.

Phoenix sighed and placed a hand on his little girl's burning hot cheek, delicately caressing it as he made her look at him. He felt horrible that Trucy was having to go through this and he silently promised to help his little light and pride and joy get better. He mustered up the most gentlest of smiles imaginable and he began to say something as softly as his usually authoritative tone took the most quiet of volumes ever.

He even managed to keep his pointing finger at bay.

"Let's get you cleaned up and into bed, huh?" He thinly disguised his demand as a suggestion and didn't wait until she answered. He carefully laid her down in his strong arms and carried her out of the bathroom and started to carry her into the other bathroom.

As Trucy laid her head against Phoenix's shoulder, she murmured to him with that dry and sickly tone "I...I love you...daddy..."

Phoenix almost stopped, his eyes wide with almost disbelief. Trucy just told him that she loved him! She hadn't done that in the two weeks he had her and he suddenly felt like he had just been dipped in hot chocolate and his heart had never felt warmer. He couldn't keep that smile at bay anymore -that gentle, compassionate smile that threatened to just reveal itself the minute he seen Trucy of everyday.

He craned his neck down, not caring if doing this got him sick too, and he pressed his lips against Trucy's forehead in the softest yet affectionate kiss imaginable.

He even hugged the little girl close against him as he disappeared into the second bathroom, telling her in a soft whisper "I love you too, Trucy."

He had no doubt that Trucy would be feeling better in no time at all and he knew that the little girl was stronger than she looked. She was brave and courageous so it wouldnt surprise Phoenix at all if she was back to her normal self within two days or so, until then he would just look after her and treat her with tending loving care.

After all, they were a family now.

A/N: Hi guys, this is my first Phoenix and Trucy soul fanfic. I think they have a sweet bond between father and daughter. I made this because I thought that you would all like it.

Awww, at least Phoenix is a good dad.

I loved writing this!

Even though I'm not feeling very well at the moment but I love writing so I couldn't just stop without trying to occupy myself and keep myself distracted.

Please review anyway.

-Chloemcg