#eseli

“Mr.Edgeworth!  You know it is rude to keep the best prosecutor waiting!”

Edgeworthsighed.  He never really was able to gethim out of that habit, either.  The punin the man’s last name was apparently too good for him to just ignore.  And while he had improved drastically in hisabilities, he still had a lot to learn.

“Sebastian.  You’re earlier than expected.”

Hepulled out a baton and waved it around as if he was conducting an orchestrathat only he could see.

“Ms.von Karma and I were able to catch the culprits earlier than expected due toour uh…”  Miles couldn’t help but smile;Sebastian still also had a difficult time figuring out the right words toexpress himself once in a while.  It wasan endearing trait now, not that Edgeworth would ever admit such out loud.

“Cooperation?”  It was Trucy who suggested the word – her andPhoenix had not stopped staring at the man since he entered.  They had wrongly believed that they had metall the prosecutors who worked close with Edgeworth, and so they couldn’t helpthemselves.  Not that Sebastian evenregistered their stares.  Either hedidn’t care, or hadn’t registered yet that there were others in the room.

“Right!  Cooperation!” Sebastian grinned, and it was only then did Edgeworth notice the pinkishmark on his face.  Franziska still at itwith her whip.  Despite her constantlyasking (demanding, actually) for Sebastian to be her assistant on Interpolcases, she still was quite harsh with him, perhaps even more so than withothers.  She really liked him a lot, anddespite his…eccentricities, she saw a lot of potential in him.

Somethingclicked, and Sebastian jumped a bit in surprise.  The piece of hair on top of his head stoodup, as if to mimic his shock.  He lookedback and forth from Trucy, to Phoenix, to Edgeworth.  

“Um…”  He began to bend his baton slightly, a signthat he was uncomfortable as Edgeworth had learned.  He swooped in to save him.

“Sebastian,this is Phoenix and Trucy Wright.”  Whentheir names were said, both waved. Though Phoenix still had that confused expression on his face, Trucy wassmiling and said hello in that cheerful voice of hers.  “This is Prosecutor Sebastian Debeste.”

“Phoenix…Wright?  Is he…” Sebastian looked to Edgeworth and puthis hand to his mouth, as if about to say a secret.  His voice dropped to a whisper, but was stillaudible to everyone in the room.  “…that man?”

“What?”  Phoenix turned to Edgeworth with a smirk,which only deepened as soon as he witnessed Miles’ face change colors, almostto match the shade of his suit.  “What ishe talking about?”

“Oh,well, Mr. Edgeworth would always talk about-”

“That’squite enough, Sebastian,” Edgeworth firmly said, cutting off Sebastian with aglare.  Unfortunately, it didn’t have theeffect it once did; years of training under both Miles and Franziska had given Sebastian a layer of steel that he didn’tpreviously have.  

“No,no, no, please continue,” Phoenix said, wanting to hear what Sebastian had tosay, but unfortunately, Sebastian listened to his boss and kept quiet now.

“Well,then, as you can see, I have a lot to deal with.  So I cannot accompany-”

“Sebastiancan come too!”  Trucy looked excited atthe prospect of a new audience member.  “Please, Mr. Edgeworth?”

“Come…where?”  Sebastian was curious, and Trucy stood.  After a flick of her wrist, suddenly therewas a folded poster in her hand, and she handed it to Sebastian.

“Mymagic show!”

Sebastianhadn’t unfolded the piece of paper, instead just staring at Trucy with starspractically shining in his eyes.  “…Dothat again.”

Trucybeamed.  “Oh what…this?”  She pulled out those awful magic panties andfrom it, seemed to conjure a flower, which she handed over to Sebastian with acertain performer’s flourish.  Sebastianwas still amazed.

“…Sebastian,it’s just a-”

Mileswas about to reveal some secret, so Trucy turned on him with her hands on herhips and a frown on her face.  “Now, Mr.Edgeworth, you should know not to spoil the magic for others!”  She again turned to Sebastian.  “And there’s lots more where that came fromat the show!  But…Mr. Edgeworth isrefusing to come.”  She made sure to lookas sad as she could without crying. “After he promised me…”

Sebastiangasped, and whirled on Edgeworth, pointing his baton at him with dramatic andrighteous justice.  “Mr. Edgeworth,that’s unlike you!  You’re the mosthonorable person ever, so why would you break a promise like that!”  He glanced at Trucy, and dropped his voice tothat audible whisper again.  “And to a magician, of all people!”

Edgeworthwanted nothing more than to tell Sebastian that Trucy could not curse people,given what he was implying.  But insteadhe was staring down three pairs of eyes, all looking in his direction withpleading looks.  

Hesighed, defeated.  

“Fine.”

Trucycheered and Sebastian smiled wide.  Shegrabbed onto Sebastian’s gloved hand, pulling him from the room, though he wasmore than willing to go with her given the excited look on his face.  “Come on! On the way I’ll show you some more things that didn’t make it into theshow!”

Whenthey left the room, Edgeworth got up and quickly arranged his papers in a waywhich would make it easy for him to pick up where he left off when he came tothe office tomorrow.  

“Inever really had a choice in this, did I?” He asked the question to Phoenix, who had hung back to accompanyhim.  Phoenix laughed, and his voice hadan instant calming effect on Edgeworth.  

“No, noyou didn’t.”  

Edgeworthled Phoenix into the hall, walking towards the stairs only after telling hissecretary he would be taking the rest of the day off.  They only walked around five steps whenPhoenix looked at him, again with that knowing smirk on his face, the one thatEdgeworth usually saw in the courtroom.

“So…that man, eh?”

Edgeworthglared at him finally, but the effect of it was lost due to the flush thatcovered his pale skin.