Hi!

I've had this story in my head and then on my computer for a long time.

The setting for this is Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations: case 5 Bridge to the Turnabout. Mainly canon, but as the summary explains, with one major detail changed. :D

Inspired by the song: Love and Trust by Our Lady Peace (please listen to it to set the mood)

Disclaimer: I do not own The Ace Attorney series :sadface:

/end rant

Case 1.1

Love and Trust

White hot burning flame flickered around the poorly built remains of the wooden structure that was almost unrecognizable. The heat melted the snow, creating rivulets of water that trickled over the edge of the massive cliff and slowly collected into hundreds of small waterfalls that splashed into the frigid surging river below. The noise was even worse, like a hurricane ripping through a forest. The crackle was only getting louder as more of the old wood caught alit.

Around it all, soft white snow floated down from the pitch black sky. Like a barrier, the snow melted before it even hit the ground.

From his precipice it looked like the end of the world. His jaw clenched and locked as his steely gaze tried to cut through the steady rise of smoke to better see the situation on the other side. It was futile, the bridge was the only way across.

Wright had long fallen silent beside him, he made a quick glance to his left to ensure he was still there, and quickly took in his trembling form before his eyes trailed to his adversary's pale face awash with light.

Miles felt his gaze subconsciously soften when he caught the pained expression crossing his face. His cobalt blue eyes, even glazed over and half lidded, reflected the wild dance of the fire. His eyebrows drew together and lips parted slightly when a large chunk of flaming wood made a loud tearing sound and broke away from the bridge.

"There's no one." Phoenix whispered, his jaw clenching briefly and tongue coming out to flit across his lips.

Miles made a small sound in the back of his throat as a coax for the lawyer to elaborate, but thought it must have been drown out from the crackle of the fire, because Phoenix remained silent after that quiet reveal. Until,

"No one else can save her." Phoenix eyes hardened and his brows drew down as he took a tentative step forward.

Miles sighed and shifted his weight slightly. "Wright…" He started uncomfortably, a knot was forming in his stomach from out of nowhere when he saw the slight change in his friend's demeanour.

"She'll die." He stated eerily, in a matter of fact type way, with no emotion tracing his voice.

Miles softly bit his lip to prevent the lie, of her safety and strength, from escaping. Instead he looked away, lowered his lashes and followed the flow of melting snow by his feet.

And that was all it took, a brief moment of personal insecurity of raising false hopes, to the rash decision that he felt he should have predicted from his friend's first step.

Phoenix broke off into a sprint, before Miles was given any time to react, the Lawyer was nearing the bridge at a speed that made stopping impossible. Miles felt gut wrenching pain in his heart. His breathing froze and a hand that he didn't remember reaching out, was there in front of him ready to grasp nothing but air. Miles closed his hand into a fist as his best friend disappeared into the haze and flame of the bridge. His feet moving of their own accord, raced him the 20 feet to the edge of the cliff where he was just in time to witness a huge crucial beam split down the center with a loud bang and slowly tumble the huge drop.

The heat this close was unbearable, Miles quickly shed his long over coat and blazer, for the first time ever not paying attention to where they landed, as he tried to see through the rising smoke and into the flaming remains of the bridge. His heart was racing trip hammer and the feeling in the back of his throat and stomach where getting worse by the second. Breathing, already difficult from the pain in his chest, was increased by the rolling waves of smoke attempting to suffocate him.

He quickly dropped to the ground on his knees, warm water instantly soaking into his pant legs, he closed his eyes against the loud crack as another large piece of the bridge broke off and hurtled below. Squinting against the smoke, his eyes opened just in time to catch Phoenix's frightened expression as his last foothold collapsed from underneath him.

In slow motion Miles could only watch, his gloved fingers digging into the jagged rocks of the cliff, as his best friend, hand out stretched as if toward heaven and face set in a defeated expression, fell slowly to the consuming waters.

Shaking, Miles tried to swallow a lump in his throat and blink past the stinging in his eyes, as he moved himself to face the narrow path along the side of the cliff, that from investigation, led to the bottom of the cliff and a small shack.

His lungs fighting violently for air, Miles pulled himself up and climbed down the couple feet to the narrow footing that hadn't seemed so dangerous during the day. Moving his hand against the wall he pulled himself along at the fastest speed he could manage.

A sudden atmosphere drop happened suddenly when he escaped the bubble of heat the fire had created. The air suddenly turned back to the icy chill it was before, and his supporting hand was suddenly sliding against ice more than rock. He was momentarily relieved he hadn't taken his gloves off. His thin cotton shirt was turning stiff with the cold and his breath came out as icy fog.

It was such a long fall. He estimated about 50 feet. Even hitting water at that height could easily be fatal in itself. He swallowed. No. No way, this wasn't happening. But it felt like there was so much farther to go, he was going as fast as he could without breaking out into a full out sprint. The knot in chest and pain in his heart increased as neared the bottom.

How long had it taken him to get down here? And even worse, how easy it looked to avoid the water at all and hit the long expanses of rock. He tried to force it all from his mind and set his eyes on the dark water, the only thing lighting his way was the flicker of flames above.

In the flickering light he saw the outline of something on the shoreline. His heart in his throat, he raced towards the dark outline, the Blue and the Black and the White and the Red. Miles knelt before the body of his friend and adversary. Took in everything at once, from the calm expression on his pale face, blazer open to reveal his white dress shirt to the water lapping at the lower half of his body most of it still in the water. Dark liquid was slowly spreading across his shirt creating a shocking clash against the stark white material.

Miles quickly knelt down and carefully pulled Phoenix fully out of the water and onto the bank. Even through his gloves Miles could feel the icy coldness of the blue suit. He took it off Phoenix's body reducing the weight and resistance against the snow of the bank. The move caused crimson water to flow. As it ran from his body to the snow covered ground beneath him, his blood melted the snow.

He couldn't tell how serious the injury was, but that meant his heart was still beating, didn't it? He wasn't too convinced, the jacket was just acting as an insulator, what he had already lost had to go somewhere.

Miles gently laid a hand against the other man's cheek and trailed it to his neck. His breath hitched at the loud crash as more of the bridge behind him fell into the water. It wasn't safe here, but oh god he wasn't breathing, was Miles' only thought when he lowered his head to listen.

The hand that was searching for a pulse found nothing, whether that was because there wasn't one, he wasn't sure. His hands were cold to the point of numb and Wright wasn't moving. Even though his emergency training had been a big part of his career, he felt like he lost it all as he stared down in shock at his friends limp body. God he wasn't even supposed to check for a pulse! He had six minutes from when blood flow stopped. 6 minutes.

The order… it had changed from ABC. Was it BAC or CAB? No. It didn't matter, there were exceptions; Respiratory Arrest, he was sure that was one of them.

Still instead of wasting more time he forgot the acronyms and started compressions. Trailing his hands down his chest and placing them over his heart he lay one palm on the other hand and started a steady rhythm. Soon he stopped and didn't hesitate to press his lips against the icy blue ones and exhale warm air into the other's body. Phoenix's chest jumped with the breath but it just as quickly went out into the cold air and left him still again.

Miles swallowed and bit his lip, his heart racing so fast he thought he was going to pass out, as he continued compressions on the man he couldn't possibly bear to lose. His mind went blank when the severity of the situation started to sink in. His brows drew together letting another breath fill into the lifeless body. Letting his best friends face fall from his palm, he shifted and took off his leather gloves and began chest compressions again.

He didn't know how long he was at it for. The only indication of time being the fading flame as the fire was gently quelled by the heavily falling snow. Miles swallowed again and brought his lips to his friend's, the feel of them so stiff and so cold. Something that could only truly be experienced in death.

The blinding accusations of his past were filling his mind. He destroyed everything he came in contact with, ruined countless lives, and at one time held the vague satisfaction that came from false victories. He was a present day totalitarian, all he longed for was the suffocating thrill of power and control. Whether it was because his Defence Attorney dreams had became twisted and distorted after his father's death, or if Von Karma's abusive hand was the cause of his hatred for humanity, he didn't know.

But regardless of all that, this man had shown him that living didn't have to be one long painful act. He taught him compassion for others, love and trust. How couldn't he have seen this coming? Of course the most selfless man he had ever known would risk his life running across a burning bridge to save someone he loved. Why didn't he say something when he had the chance? Watch him closer? If he had just comforted him and said the lies he knew he needed to hear, maybe… maybe he wouldn't have acted so rash. He was right there! He ignored him! Put up a steely façade and ignored him. Wright wouldn't have done that, if it was someone Miles cared about trapped in a shed in the middle of a terrible winter out in the middle of nowhere. But that would never happen would it? Miles had to have someone he cared about for that to be…

A small noise like a half gasp half cry came from the body below him. Miles stopped the repetitive compressions and felt his heart catch in this throat and cut off his breathing as the man below him took another shaky breath. Then another.

The painful squeeze in his chest let up and stirred a warm contentment he had never felt before. He let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding and pulled the cold shaking body of his friend against him.

"You idiot" he murmured against his cold skin, a small smile tracing his features.

Its up to you to decide when the next chapter will be up :D