Hey Phoenix Wright fans! I'm relatively new to Phoenix Wright in general, but I'm addicted. I've read a lot of PW fan fiction on here and have decided to give it my own shot... there is a lot more brewing so let me know what you think!

"Hello Iris."

I looked up; staring at my hands that were placed in my lap was no longer an option. His eyes met mine. Those eyes, they hadn't changed for all those years. My Feenie was long gone, having changed into the confident man that sat opposite me. I bit down on my lip, feeling my eyes fill with the tears I'd promised myself I wouldn't let him see.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered, for what seemed the eightieth time since that trial.

"I know." He said, placing a delicate hand on the glass that separated us. My eyes shifted to his hand, and I noted how much older they looked. "It's not your fault."

I felt a single tear drift down my cheek. I made no attempt to wipe it from my face. There was no point, there would be more following it in due course.

"I'm going to be in here for a long time aren't I?" I smiled slightly, resigned to my fate.

"Probably, yes." Phoenix returned my smile, but it didn't meet his eyes. "I've bought someone to see you Iris. Do you think you would be up to it?"

I sat more upright in my seat, nodding slowly. Phoenix stood, letting out a huge sigh, and walked to the door of the detention centre. I glanced wistfully at the door; Phoenix would be able to go whenever he wanted, and I would be left here, alone.

"No more tears Iris," I scolded myself. "He wouldn't want to see you like this."

He opened the door softly and whispered to the person stood behind the door. I saw his face soften as he talked to my unknown visitor with nothing but quiet adoration in his eyes. I knew who was there in a heartbeat. He used to look at me like that, when I was pretending to be Dahlia, and falling in love with him.

But his heart didn't belong to me anymore. That much was evident in the way he conversed with my "mystery" guest.

Maya Fey, master of the Kurain Channelling Technique. How could I ever compete with that?

Phoenix reached his hand through the door, but instead of Maya being attached to it, the one person I wanted to see was walking through the door, holding onto Phoenix's hand with a fierce grip.

"Hi Pearl." I grinned happily.

The little girl stood behind Phoenix's leg biting the nails of her free hand. Phoenix released his hand from Pearl's vice like grip, and placed it protectively around Pearl's shoulders. Pearl blinked at me slowly.

"Sister Iris!" She wailed suddenly, tears streaming from her eyes. "It's all my fault!"

"Pearl," I said sternly, wanting nothing more to get to the other side of the glass and hold my sister. "None of this is your fault."

Phoenix sat back down in his chair, picking Pearl up and sitting her on his knee. The little girl held onto the lapel of his jacket like a safety blanket. He leant forwards and whispered something in her ear. She looked at him and nodded, wiping her nose with the back of her hands. I smiled; they made such a happy little family. Phoenix grinned and turned to me.

"Iris, Pearls has something important that she would like to say to you." He nodded towards Pearl, who stopped looking at him for the first time since he had lifted her to his knee and turned to face me.

"Sister Iris, I am very sorry for what has happened."

I opened my mouth to speak, but Phoenix very quickly shook his head, so I let Pearl continue.

"Mr Nick and I are going to peal!" Pearl grinned. I stared at Phoenix, who nodded, smiling at the little girl sat on his knee. I smiled sadly; it was a lovely idea, but there was no way I could afford to raise the capital for this.

"I'm sorry, Pearl," I said gently. "I don't think there's any way I'd be able to affo-"

"I'm not 'splaining properly." Pearl cut across me, looking at Phoenix for encouragement. He smiled softly and she turned back to me. "Mystic Maya is going to help once she becomes Master properly, she says that family has to stick together, and were family."

I grinned, shifting my eyes to Phoenix, who was looking at the little girl proudly. I heard the click of the door and watched as his eyes shifted to where he had bought Pearl in from. There was nothing but adoration in his facial expression and as I looked to the door I could see why. The young woman stood in the doorway smiled at me, and with the backlight of the white corridor she looked like an angel.

Maya walked over and stood next to Phoenix, placing a hand on his shoulder gently.

"I couldn't just see you in here Iris, after everything you've been through." She smiled softly, ethereal in her mannerisms. "You're the only family me and Pearly have left. I will do everything in my power to help."

I smiled, feeling the tears coming back into my eyes.

"I'll make sure Pearly and I come and see you whenever we can." Maya continued grinning, "I might even bring Nick at some point."

I looked at Phoenix; his gaze hadn't left Maya since she had been in the small room.

"Thank you Maya, for everything."

Phoenix looked at his watch.

"We better be going." He said, picking up Pearl and resting her on his hip. He smiled at me and nodded. "I'll see you soon Iris."

I sighed contentedly, starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I had so much to thank Maya for, but I didn't know the best way to go about expressing it in front of her cousin and Phoenix. They started to make their way to the door.

"Maya," I said sharply. "Do you think I could have a word with you?"

She turned, a quizzical expression on her face.

"Alone." I added.

She looked at Phoenix, who nodded, leaving the room with Pearl snuggled into his shoulder.

"I'll be outside." He said, closing the door behind him. Maya walked to the chair opposite me and sat down with the same quizzical expression she held as I first requested to have a word with her.

"Maya, I –" I started.

"There's nothing that you need to say to me." She cut me off, smiling politely. "I'm doing this because I want to, for Pearly and Nick." She looked wistfully into the middle distance.

"Maya," I said again, not prepared to let her cut me off this time. "I know you think it's me, but it isn't. " She looked at me quizzically. I kept going.

"Are you blind? Have you seen the way he looks at you?" I grinned. These were rhetorical questions I did not need answering. "You're amazing Maya, you've practically raised Pearl and she's on the route to becoming a person as amazing as you."

"I couldn't have done it without Nick." She whispered, It was now her turn to look at her hands.

"Exactly." I kept staring at her, willing her to make eye contact. "You can see the way he looks at you. He's got it bad Maya; he tried to cross a burning bridge to reach you for God's sake!"

She looked up at me, smiling softly.

"It's really me?" She whispered, putting a hand up to her lips, as if she was scared that saying this would result in an admission of her own personal feelings. I smiled happily.

"If you're doing this for Phoenix and my happiness, there is no need." I said softly; maybe in another life this would all have been different, but I was resigned to this. "He loves you Maya, and you clearly love him back, so tell him."

The guard walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Miss Hawthorne." He said, pity reaching his stern features. "It's time to go."

I stood resoundingly, nodding my thanks to the guard. Maya looked at me pleadingly, I placed a hand on the glass, the other side of where Phoenix's had been.

"Go get him." I winked. Maya practically bounced to the door of the detention center. I watched her leave, smiling sadly to myself.

"Miss Hawthorne?" The guard asked, "Are you alright?"

Straightening my dress so it sat properly on my hips I spoke to the guard, flashing him what could only be defined as a Dahlia-esque smile.

"I'm fine." I said, "And it's 'Fey'."

Maya closed the door and observed her two companions. Pearl had fallen asleep against Phoenix, and he was stroking her back softly. She smiled at her little dysfunctional family.

Phoenix's head snapped up as he heard the soft click of the door closing. He reached out a hand to Maya, and she took it, relishing in the warmth of this minimal contact.

"Is everything okay?" He asked softly, standing gently in an attempted to stop Pearl from waking.

"Oh Nick," She stood on her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "They couldn't be better."

Phoenix stood watching his assistant as she sauntered away down the corridor. He touched his face where she had just kissed him, feeling a slight blush tint his cheeks.

"Maya?" He questioned, the girl in front of him came back and took his hand.

"Come on," she grinned. "You promised me and Pearly burgers."

"Women." He sighed, adjusting his hold on Pearl and letting Maya lead him from the detention center.