A/N: I don't ownzors squat.

Umm…okay. So I couldn't fulfill my promise of making the next two chapters more fluffy. -sniff- My humblest apologies. ;-;

BUT! Maybe later on in this chapter, things will be………better?

-gets shot by an impatient reader-

-x-s-x-

Chapter 3, continuation

Court Record

Evidence:

Attorney's badge

My attorney's badge. Important to my line of work.

Magatama

Imbued with spiritual power. It pulses with a soft light.

Autopsy report

Date of death: 7/24. Traces of coal found in the victim's mouth, died between 2 - 3 AM.

Coal

Leftover charcoal from the fireplace of Jeremy Barbers' study.

Crime Photo

Photo of the crime scene. Shows the victim.

Button

Found in the victim's study. Appears to be belonging to the defendant.

Cuckoo Clock

A clock in the study. Runs on a one-day movement. Plays for at least one minute during full hours and half-hours.

Remi's Testimony

"I was awake at 12:30. I heard something heavy fall, and I went first into Father's study across the hall. When I entered the room, I heard the clock strike on the fourth bell."

Profiles:

Jeremy Barbers

Age: 35

Gender: Male

The victim. A politician and a landowner who recently acquired a great amount of wealth.

Remi Barbers

Age: 8

Gender: Male

Son of Jeremy Barbers. A witness to the alleged murder of his father. Is highly allergic to sunlight. Diagnosed with photodermatitis.

Matilda Barbers

Age: 31

Gender: Female

Wife of the victim. A kind and reserved woman of reticent sincerity.

Klavier Gavin

Age: 17

Gender: Male

A young prosecutor and a rock star. Is the leading prosecutor in the current case.

Detective Gumshoe

Age: 33

Gender: Male

Homicide detective at the local precinct. In charge of the initial investigation.

Gimlet Limegarn

Age: 19

Gender: Female

A maid to the Barbers. A suspect to the murder.

Iris

Age: 26

Gender: Female

An elementary school teacher at Ford Elementary and is a tutor to the witness. We have a history together...

July 25

Gribble Mansion

Main Gate

The unexpected arrival of both defense lawyer and schoolteacher at the front gate of the Barbers' home cut through Gumshoe's well-prepared 'No trespassing!' speech so thoroughly, he lost his words. "…"

Phoenix, wise to the detective's intentions, decided to start with a greeting. "Hello, Detective Gumshoe."

"HELLO YOURSELF, PAL!" Gumshoe found himself again, and looked fresh for a serious debate with Phoenix right there on the spot. "YOU'RE COMING IN BUT THE NURSE STAYS OUT HERE! OFF-LIMITS TO CIVILIANS!"

Iris blinked twice, clearly not understanding who he was referring to by 'nurse'. "…?"

Phoenix saved her, luckily. "Gumshoe, Iris is a teacher. And for one thing, she plays an important part in this case."

The detective was far from skeptical, looking at the young woman up and down before asking, "Why…? Don't tell me…SHE DID IT!?"

(NNGH! NO!)

"That's-that's not it! I mean that she could very well have everything to do with cooperating with me now!" Phoenix struggled to explain.

Gumshoe quirked a dubious brow. "And I just got finished telling you she's the real killer, didn't I, pal?"

"…"

(You're missing the point by a mile, Gumshoe.)

"Please just let us in." he begged, doing his best man-drowning-without-a-lifejacket look.

Detective Gumshoe, for once, dropped the goofy demeanor, and then, pasted something scary on his rugged face that made Phoenix cringe visibly, thinking how much of Edgeworth rubbed off onto this guy(making him twenty times scarier to look at). "The lady stays here. I'm not hearing any more of this. Pal."

"-gulp-"

(Edgeworth isn't a very good influence.)

(The good detective knows how to stare people down now. Including me.)

"Feenie?" Iris was fidgeting a little from where she stood behind him, and fixed her worried gaze upon his face. "It's…really okay. I don't want to slow you down with the investigation today."

Phoenix gritted his teeth in response while keeping his lips clamped shut, not liking this. "… …No. I can't just leave you here, Iris. I need you in there."

She reacted out of curiosity to the word 'need'. "But…but why?"

"…Y…well…I…you…that is…"

He looked away from her to the detective for a second, and was trying, failing, to say something quite, embarrassing to her. Something he wouldn't dream to say in front of other people who knew him, including Gumshoe. Something, he would have screamed for the whole world to hear when he was young and in love, to put it adequately. When all that mattered to him was his Dollie, and loved her enough to shout it out to the world. That and flash their 'symbol of love' around his neck wherever they went. Maybe there was one thing to admit for Phoenix today. Perhaps the old spark wasn't easy to rekindle after for so long but…there was a steady flicker there that he wanted to maintain. Something he wanted to share. Afterall…

Having developed a little crush on Iris since their second reunion wasn't probably that embarrassing. Probably.

In fact, he was still trying to get over that sudden realization himself. Along the way with the mansion as their destination, Phoenix wanted to pound himself in the head senseless to drive the nutty idea away. The image of her soft, pale-red lips upon close-up from recently had stayed with him. Keeping him from averting his eyes on her face. That sweet face full of innocence, and honesty. He remembered falling in love with that too. But could he now? Because having a crush on her today was completely different from how 'madly in love' he was in the past. Why, he couldn't even completely tell the difference between her and Dahlia Hawthorne, and by a stretch, his gut feelings weren't the most trustworthy; he had even doubted himself, but not so much. Phoenix always felt a little…if not extremely…ridiculous remembering himself that way. Compared to who he was and who he is now, the contrast was…glaringly bright.

(…Iris, to be honest, I…)

…No. Maybe this wasn't the best time for getting…………sentimental. Phoenix promised himself that there would be no distractions on their way here. Including the personal stuff.

(Ugh. I suck at this.)

But still. He couldn't help but wonder…

She could…accept that…right? That he had some mixed feelings about her since the last time they crossed paths?

Maybe…still like him just a tad bit after a six-year separation? Maybe think about…

"I give up."

Phoenix nearly jumped two feet when Gumshoe broke his contemplating mode and he stared. "H-huh?"

"Pal, you're the worst when it comes to persuading a professional police officer like me into squeezing some extra hands into the investigation." he told him, traces of humor and self-satisfaction evident in his face and voice.

And that's when it him.

Phoenix's mouth moved like a fish's as he stared disbelievingly at Gumshoe; silent and busy getting his head straight. "……"

(He…he was playing around with me…?!)

Gumshoe put some emphasis to his bout of laughter with a, "Hahahahaha! Oh well! You tried, you failed! I didn't think my Mr. Edgeworth impression was that convincing! Boy, oh boy! Best I've ever had today!" he laughed at the helpless couple again before going on. "Anyway, I've had my share of fun, so you two can go in."

The iron gates swung open, Phoenix in a slack posture with a twitching brow, and a very confused Iris.

(It must be Edgeworth's absence and inability to cut Gumshoe's salary that's turned him into a comic.)

(Oh…Lord. Don't tell me…Gumshoe…the next Demon?!)

(Somebody have mercy and smite me, please…!)

Iris took even breaths and closed her eyes to take in the scene, before turning to Phoenix. "What do we do now, Feenie?"

"I say…we start talking. Evidence has a story to tell, and so do people. Let's try to talk with the detective, okay?"

She nodded determinedly. "Alright. Let's."

(Talking to Gumshoe)

(Today's trial)

"You know I was pretty surprised, pal." Gumshoe began to say about the case. "When you told everyone about the cup and the dichloral hydrate. So much for an open-and-shut case. Now I gotta run around with the boys looking for the tranquilizer, canvas the whole mansion and scare the willies out of that poor Remi kid!"

Phoenix gave him a long look. "Sometimes, I wish I had…better peripherals?"

"…? Huh?"

"Scouting for a sleeping drug without a single lead. I'm not sure that's the way to go, Detective." Phoenix found it in him to try and bluff the other man, confuse him enough into giving away an important clue.

Somehow it worked, confusing him that is. "…HEY! It's not like I'm running blind around here, pal! I'd like to make some changes around here myself with the way things are running but…"

"…!" This was…new. Phoenix could hardly believe how Gumshoe felt like complaining about the way the police did their work. This really was a first. And the first thing that occurred to the defense attorney, was to exploit this particular area of the detective's frequently muddled brain.

(Police work)

He decided to push it and ask, "So, what is it about the investigation that's bothering you?"

Gumshoe opened his mouth to say, but his eyes darted left to right first before going on, dropping his voice. "Well…this is just between you and me, pal. But aside from Mr. Edgeworth, I'd rather any other prosecutor gave me orders than that kid."

(Is he…talking about Prosecutor Gavin?)

Suspicious, Phoenix pressed, "Klavier Gavin's that hard on you, huh?"

"No, pal. He's HORRIBLE!" Gumshoe burst, unable to hold back anything from anger. "Bosses me around saying I'm too slow and taking up too much of his precious time, and nags the forensics about lack of detail and whatever comes out of his brat mouth just…makes…me…sOoOoOo…!"

"O-o-okay. You don't have to tell me anymore about that." Phoenix wisely chose to calm the detective down before he got in trouble.

(Wait a minute.)

"Detective, where is Prosecutor Gavin?"

Gumshoe snorted. "Beats me, pal. Probably chasing down the guy with our Missile. Maybe he thinks clues just pop up under a dog's nose."

(Isn't that how it usually goes?)

Iris decided to ask. "Feenie? Do you think we'll meet up with him here?"

"With that attitude? Hopefully not."

(The cup)

"Detective, what are the latest results on the victim's teacup?"

He furrowed his brows, thinking. "Well, the results are the same as always, pal. The dichloral hydrate was applied pretty good around the rim of the cup. So thanks to you, we're kinda stumped about the whole thing now."

(I do my best…)

"But if Feenie hadn't pointed it out," Iris began to say for him, "Gimlet would have been…"

"…Done for, huh?" Gumshoe thought about that, then slumped. "I…I guess. You're right, lady."

(…?)

"Can I ask something, by the way? Why hasn't the cup been mentioned earlier in court?" Phoenix thought to ask.

"Well…" the detective mumbled something incoherent before continuing. "Look, pal. Prosecutor Gavin's orders were: not to reveal too much about the crime scene unless well, by protocol."

"He hid the evidence on purpose, didn't he…?" came the flat assertion from the attorney.

"…" Gumshoe's silence was all he needed for an answer.

"Oh, Feenie…" Iris gave him a worried look, and Phoenix was quick to reassure her of something.

"Don't worry. It's not like he was cheating. As long as I could continue to defend Gimlet, he drove it in harder into the Judge's skull that she had everything to do with the murder."

"I-is that so?" Iris smiled in return. "Then you really did do a good job, as expected."

(First time I've been praised in a long time. This coming from Iris probably makes it sweeter to hear.)

He turned back to Gumshoe. "So, the cup's still being analyzed for anything else odd?"

"Naw. We're done. Thing is, we can't determine that the victim drank from this cup since the stuff evaporates pretty fast upon digestion. Still, it's a sharp hunch, pal. Since the victim's fingerprints are all over it as well as the maid's. Prosecutor Gavin thinks so too."

"Mm…great." was all the attorney could say.

(Cup added to the Court Record.)

"Looks like that's about all we can dig up with Detective Gumshoe." Phoenix spoke to Iris, who nodded as they made their way past Gumshoe and through the wide garden path towards the mansion.

"We'll go talk to Mrs. Barbers and Remi now?" she looked down with worry at the gravel. "I wonder if Remi's alright after today…?"

Phoenix began to look unsettled by this. "…I…I'm sure he is. He was pretty brave to have been talking at all, in my opinion."

"…" Iris muttered something incoherent to herself. Phoenix had to strain his ears to catch the words, '…have been hard…'

(Oh, Iris…)

He wanted her to cheer up already. "…!"

And it hit him then.

"Iris, listen." he got her to look his way with a puzzled look. "I um…I wonder if…"

"…?" she continued to stare at Phoenix, clueless.

"Do you think…I could…ask you…to…" he worded way too slowly for himself to squeeze the nervousness out of his system, asking her this. "Uhhh…I mean…"

"Y-yes, Feenie?"

He had stopped walking as soon as his guts began to pull out on him, and Iris stopped as well. Now, they were standing face to face with each other. And Phoenix was dreadfully reminded of how it must have looked like when he was trying to ask 'Dollie' out in college for their very first date. The dreadful part him feeling cold and clammy all over while hot in the face; it was like having a fever. Spring fever.

Phoenix automatically palmed himself on the forehead to drive the mental block away, and went on. "Well…I'm thinking about…going to……………cook."

There was a silence that followed his broken sentence. A finch dropped down near the couple for a seed or two spotted on the pathway before taking into the air again with his fellows. The leaves in the trees rustled with the warm afternoon wind blowing by from the south. It ruffled Phoenix's olive green leather coat and blew past Iris' blue floral skirt, as they stood there gaping openly at each other. But Iris was actually more like, if not truly, staring blankly at Phoenix.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Feenie?"

"…!" he jumped at the late response, and answered rather anxiously, "Y-yeah?"

"…" Iris furrowed her brows in thought, taking her eyes off Phoenix for a minute as she did. Then lifted her head to look at him, strangely might I add. "Um…you're thinking about, cooking?"

"…Th…" he unraveled his tongue then bit it(literally), before saying, "…yeah. That's right. I'm thinking about cooking something tonight."

"Oh? Oh really?" Iris gave him a curious look. "Feenie, you don't cook that often at home?"

(And here's where I backpedal to make myself even more pathetic…)

"I've had a…a diet consisting of noodles and burgers lately."

(Yeah, right.)

"It kind of makes a guy a little sick, eventually."

('A little'?)

"So…" Phoenix reached up to scratch the back of his head. His embarrassment coming up tenfold. "I, haha…really, really can't cook to save my life."

(I burn things! What am I saying!?)

Iris blinked rapidly listening to him, before stammering, "O-oh! I-i-is that so?"

"…!" A loud gasp from her, surprising him as she looked like she just had a revelation of something. She watched him for a few seconds with widened eyes.

And that's when she gave him the saddest most heart-breaking face he'd ever seen, and he could hardly believe himself(let alone let himself live after) for making her upset over nothing. "Oh, Feenie! I had no idea that you were suffering in the kitchen!" she sobbed, blinking some actual tears away. "I-I didn't know you couldn't cook at all! Now I understand why you preferred my omelettes to yours! And I was asking to taste your cooking so rudely before! I'm so sorry, Feenie!"

"…" Suddenly, Phoenix felt like the worst peanut in the pack.

(Well, screw me.)

(What the hell were you making her cry for, you idiot!?)

Great. It had looked so perfect in his mind. Phoenix was turning it over in his head for a while, but he knew it would be safe that way. He only had a problem on how to convey the right words without getting anyone's hopes up. Afterall, what was wrong with asking a good friend like Iris out for dinner? It wasn't a date! He told himself that several times before considering bringing up the subject. And so he tried.

And now he messed up. In a murder scene, of all places. Where the police were still on the watch. Where Jeremy Barbers' ghost could frown dangerously upon them for defiling his death's worth. Where Klavier Gavin was bound to appear out of nowhere and make Phoenix Wright look like the biggest jerk lawyer in history!

All Phoenix wanted to do was vaguely ask her if she wanted to join him for a friendly dinner for two, but…

Okay, he had to say something quick before his little white lie started stinking to high heaven.

"I-Iris!" Before he knew it, he was half-yelling at her, startling them both into a short silence. "D…Don't cry! I'm not suffering that badly…! I-I'm just trying to tell you something!"

(How do you undo something like a screw-up with a woman and still come out smelling like a rose!?)

She had stopped crying and was just sniffling a little now, obviously embarrassed with herself. "Wh-wh-what?"

"Um…" Phoenix struggled, never taking his eyes off the confused Iris. "I was just wondering…I mean! I said those things because I…"

(…possess the lousiest ability to make an excuse of being even more pathetic-looking in front of women?)

"…wanted you to…………come over…?"

Iris blinked some of the wetness out of her eyes, and forgetting her own troubles, came to give Phoenix a look of mere curiosity now. "M…me? Come over?"

Inside, he drew a breath of relief before answering. "Y…yes. I know I'm not the best at cooking as of today. So…I just wanted to ask you if…I could have you…over…for…………dinner?" he dragged the last word out, waiting with bated breath for an answer from her.

"…" Iris gave him the most curious stare. "I…I……………I will think about it."

"…! Oh…!" It was Phoenix's turn to blink hard, his heart having been beating at 195 per second slowed down to match his steadying breathing. "I um…I see…"

Iris was still giving him that strange look. And to be honest, it was disturbing.

There was nothing else to say, it seemed. Iris held her gaze to Phoenix's face some more, before breaking off to say quietly, "I…we should get going."

"Y…yeah." was his similarly quiet reply.

"We…we need to find Remi, yes?"

"…Yep."

The two of them turned in unison towards the mansion and resumed their pace again. Phoenix felt the urge to look in Iris' direction, but could tell just by his peripherals…that she wasn't looking at him in any way.

(I wasn't expecting that.)

He truly wasn't. It was so odd. How flatly he'd been answered by her. She didn't look the least abashed by his invitation; possibly the most unnatural thing to happen with someone like Iris. And he didn't know why that happened, and why it ate at him the way she had looked at him then when she gave her answer. It settled in his stomach and felt as heavy as lead.

(…Nevermind. I have to focus on the case…no…we have to. I mean…ugh. Let's just go already.)

(Remi first, then the missus.)

-x-s-x-

A/N: Cut to update the Court Record just this one time PLEASE! Oh, and REVIEW PLEASE! PLEEEEEEEASE! -does that Ron-hair-accordion thing- XD

Burgers and noodles, yes. Why? Because it seems to just go both ways with the Phoenix arc translations, and the Apollo arc translation. Whether it's noodles or burgers, Maya's favorite food in this chapter will have to be the both of these to clear away discrepancies. XDDDDD; Forgive me!

So um…OOCness there? Don't smite me! D: Criticism, may be welcome. But not that harshly, please.

Feenris fans, don't kill me for killing the suspenseful fluff, as well as butchering Iris somewhat? ;-;

Feenris fan: -shoves a pineapple in my mouth to torture me instead-