Unfortunately for Maya, Nick had realized that two could play her game. He'd pulled his beanie out of his coat pocket and pulled it over his hair, shading his eyes. When Maya slid the door open, he was lounging on a couch, head down, looking for all the world like he was sleeping. Lazily, he forced one eye open.

"Ah, Miss Fey, you're here," he drawled. "I heard you wanted to talk to me?"

Any and all intentions Maya had of making up crashed to the ground.

"Well naturally," she said, that sickly sweet smile returning to her face, along with her resolve to make Nick understand what he'd done to her all those years ago. "It's been seven years, hasn't it? I've been dying to catch up."

"Only natural," he retorted, grinning insincerely. "Seven years is a long time."

"Isn't it?" Maya sighed breathily, settling herself on a low chair. "So, what do you do now?" An ever so subtle emphasis was placed on the "now."

"I'm a pianist and poker player at the Borsht Bowl Club," was the cool reply. "Trucy works as a magician and Justice is a defense attorney."

The deadpan stare Maya gave him made him remember that she hadn't really met Apollo.

"Apollo Justice, Trucy's half brother. He works for me now."

"Interesting."

The conversation dragged on, each party refusing to show any weakness in their icy mentalities. They confabulated about trivial details, how their jobs were going, what was new, even briefly bringing up the weather.

Both were almost entirely drained when the dinner bell finally rung.

"Ah, time for dinner!" Maya exclaimed, swirling up from her seat. She opened the door and indicated that Nick should precede her. As he stepped out, a gust of cold air nearly blew his trench coat open. He clutched at it, keeping it closed, but not before the bottoms of his coat flew up, revealing a snatch of old blue cloth. It did not escape Maya's attention, but the only outside reaction was the raising of one elegant eyebrow.

"My, it's awfully cool up here, isn't it?" Nick commented.

"Oh, you get used to it," Maya said, taking a deep breath of the chill air. "You know, training and such."

"Ah, of course."

-------

Dinner was a horrifyingly tense affair. It was Maya, Phoenix, Pearl, and a few acolytes who were nearing the completion of their training. The Master and her guest were on opposite sides of the table and speaking with such courtesy it felt like the air between them was pulled as taut as a bowstring. Midway through the meal, the youngest acolyte dropped her bowl. She retrieved it swiftly and placed in on the table, blushing so furiously she looked sunburnt. Her two companions looked consolingly at her, one moving to sweep up the spilled meat and rice while the other reached for the serving platter, which Pearl silently passed her.

One by one, the other acolytes finished their meals and left, leaving the three at the table. Pearl shot glances at Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick, the tiniest hint of a childish pout forming on her lips. She swallowed the last bite of her food slowly and took a deliberate sip of tea. Then she was gone, running out of the dining hall with a choked sob in her wake.

Across the table, two pairs of panicked eyes locked gazes and as one, they leapt from the table to follow the sound of Pearl's crying.

They found the sixteen-year-old medium curled up next to the table that the Sacred Urn rested on. It looked as if she had tripped and then pulled herself into a miserable ball. She was wailing as if she was nine again and the same urn on the table was shattered across the ground.

Instinctively, both Maya and Phoenix ran to Pearl's side and wrapped their arms around her. Maya began murmuring into her ear, asking what was wrong as if she was her mother. Pearl responded between sobs, making the two adults hold her even tighter. After what seemed like ages, her lamentations died down into shaky breaths, and eventually into silence.

"Thank you Mystic Maya," she said quietly. "And you to, Mr. Nick."

They looked up at each other and grinned sheepishly for a moment, and then Pearl began to detangle herself from their arms. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but there was a sudden sparkle in them.

"Now you two had better make up, okay?" she ordered playfully, turning and racing away down the corridor. In shock, Nick and Maya locked eyes again. This time, there was no façade, no false pretenses. And they both understood the heartache of the other in a heartbeat.

Nick stood first and offered his hand timidly to Maya. She took it equally as timidly, allowing herself to be pulled up. They stood silently for a while, looked anywhere but at each other.

"I-I'm sorry," Maya spoke softly, brokenly. "It's just that, well, I was hurt, Nick. Hurt pretty badly. And I guess…I guess I didn't think about you. I mean, I don't know what you must have gone throu-"

She was cut off by Nick's powerful arms wrapping around her.

"No, no, no Maya, don't say that," he whispered into her hair. "You at least tried to make contact again. I didn't- I didn't think I could face you. So I just turned my back on everyone." At this point both of them had tears streaming down their cheeks, but neither one made a move to dry them.

Then, taking her completely by surprise, Nick grasped her shoulders and looked her seriously in the eye.

He couldn't be thinking…Could he?

His lips brushed hers, lightly at first, then more assertively as hers parted in response.

So he was.

"What was that for?" she gasped when they both emerged, breathless from the kiss.

"I thought words would be too simple for an apology," Nick responded in kind.

"You were right."

And this time, there was no hesitation.