"Hmm.." One Defence attorney Phoenix Wright frowned as he looked in deep concentration of the game in front of him. His brow deepened in a frown that would dare to challenge even his opponent in this game.

The red clad prosecutor sitting right in front of him whom also started to look just a little bit impatient as he pushed up his glasses with his finger. "It is not like you to think this much before making a move." He commented in a frown. "In fact, it's not like you at all to even think."

Phoenix pouted. "This is a very sophisticated game you know!" he told looking up at the prosecutor. "Wasn't it yourself whom insisted I should train my own tactical thinking?" he asked.

Miles Edgeworth, chief prosecutor, sighed deeply as he crossed his arms. "And wasn't it you, whom insisted this was supposed to be fun?" he asked sarcastically.

"You're just unhappy because I am winning! Like always!" Phoenix rebutted in a very childish manner, which really wasn't fitting for a veteran defence attorney now mentor to two promising students in his own law firm.

And oh yeah.. Had become a symbol for the brighter future in the law world. How on earth had it come to this?

"AHA!" Phoenix smirked triumphantly grabbing a round brick moving it two spaces. "Got you!" he grinned as he had moved the checkers pieces on the checkers board.

Miles were unimpressed as he glanced over the checkers board then sighed deeply, moving his own piece, truthfully he had already calculated long ago which piece he was going to move himself depending on which piece Phoenix decided to move ones he got around to it.

And apparently this one was a grant surprise to Phoenix as his mouth dropped and his eyes widened.

Miles couldn't help it, help but smirk. "Didn't see that one coming?" he asked.

"No.. no!" Phoenix exclaimed. "Of course I saw it coming! I just wanted to make sure you were awake!"

Typical Phoenix bluff, it was almost amusing that even in an innocent game of checkers, while Miles's actual chessboard for the much more refined game stood in the corner collecting dust.. Phoenix would still be Phoenix.

There were very few people in this world, whom Miles Edgeworth considered friends, he wasn't very out going, he liked things quiet and private, to him sitting at home with a good book or a good Samurai television show and a good glass of red wine, or tea, was much more enjoyable than any social outing.

That though didn't mean he didn't value his friendships, in fact, the few Miles had was friendships he valued over anything else, and the individuals this special testimony of friendship was giving to, were people he would trust with his life, any day, any time, always.

Detective Dick Gumshoe, Franziska Von Karma, Kay Farraday, Ray Shields and Phoenix Wright.

For them Edgeworth would do what was right to make a better world, for them he would be the best man he could be, and for them he would take time out of his busy schedule to be actually social.

In his own way. Like now as he were having his private little celebration with Phoenix.

Just the two of them, in Mile's private home, enjoying a game of checkers drinking tea, that was their way to socialise with each other.

These kinds of things would be short and informal, but meant a lot to both parts.

For they were both great rivals and best friends. As well as each other's greatest inspiration.

It hadn't always been like this though; Phoenix's and Miles's relationship had been across a strange rocky road.

They had known each other since they were mere children, and back then had been the happiest best of friends, curious and excited about the future, but had then been pulled apart, and Miles to change his entire attitude towards life itself, only for Phoenix to stop at nothing to see his friend safe ones again.

Both men had had strange rocky lives, with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in their lives.

How-ever, when Miles Edgeworth had been at his very lowest, his weakest and most vulnerable, Phoenix Wright had been there to pull him up again, no matter how long it took, no matter how much Miles struggled against it, Phoenix would stick to the very end or die in the process.

With such devotion and such sincere belief, Miles had found himself in a strange spot where it had seemed downright impossible not to try and return the favour.

They had pushed each other the very hardest, challenged each others believes, questioned each others motives, actions and approaches, forcing both of them to look back and think it all over ones again.

But they had also always believed in each other, pulled each other up when needed.

The trust they had in each other wasn't just any normal trust, it was.. trust with no contempt or holding back, it was trust at its fullest.

If one told the other that jumping out from a flying airplane would be perfectly safe, the other would believe him.

After yelling some few words about insanity of course.. But they still would, to the bitter end. A trust so great that it was blinding, which was both a pretty scary thought yet also weirdly assuring.

Thoughtfully Miles lifted his teacup to his lips.

"Miles?" Phoenix blinked at him.

It was true, in court and in their functions as Prosecutor and Defence attorney they called each other by their last names.

In the beginning, it had been a way for Miles to try and distance himself as much as possible; now, it was a statement of respect for each other's profession.

But behind closed doors in private, what would the use even be? Especially now, after so very much, where you could truthfully say.. no one knew Miles Edgeworth better than Phoenix Wright, and no one could see right through Phoenix and into his very thoughts better than Miles Edgeworth.

"Hm?" Miles asked looking up. "What is it?" he asked.

"You seem kind of lost in thought." Phoenix commented.

Miles slightly rolled his eyes. "You take a very long time making any moves." He commented.

"Well I guess that's true." Phoenix chuckled awkwardly scratching his neck. "So, any clever thoughts?" he asked.

Miles slightly shook his head. "I suppose my thoughts wandered a bit." He admitted. "I couldn't help wondering, how on earth did the two of us end up here?" he asked.

"Urhm.." Phoenix blinked. "You invited me, I said all right, and then I bicycled over here from my apartment." He commented.

The glance Miles send Phoenix told every-thing, he didn't even have to say, you are an idiot, the glare told every-thing.

And first then did Phoenix realise his mistake, but all he did was just smile amused in his own laidback manner he had gained over these last seven years as he leaned back in the couch. "Ah, standing there in the court of justice, being looked upon by the entire world suddenly scrutinised by everyone, having to be a shining example for the people to regain trust in the court." He smiled amused then reached for his own teacup. "To tell the truth… I got no clue what so ever." He told sipping his own teacup. "It's certainly wasn't a thing I ever aimed for, this one, is entirely on you Miles!" he told pointing at Miles.

Miles lifted an eyebrow. "Oh?" he questioned.

"This is exactly what you have been going after, like a hawk!" Phoenix commented dryly. "And then you saw it fit to pull me with you into it! Making me the poster boy for this new ideal of justice, thanks a lot." He commented dryly. "It was kind of nice having a private life ones."

Miles smirked amused. "You're welcome." He commented his sharp eyes landing on Phoenix's face.

Phoenix snorted. "And this is coming from the prosecutor who ones thought winning was every-thing!" he commented dryly.

"And this is coming from the defence attorney whom has been dubbed the bluffing master." Miles replied calmly drinking his tea.

"What?" Phoenix blinked then squinted his eyes mistrusting. "Since when, I can't say I ever heard of that nick name."

"Come to the prosecutors office one day, there no one talks about Phoenix Wright, they just call him the blue bluffer." Miles commented.

"Urgh." Phoenix commented in a tired voice. "I should have known, still an interesting thought though." He commented thoughtfully scratching his chin. "I mean, who would have ever guessed?" he asked.

"What exactly?" Miles asked lifting an eyebrow.

"That I would end up a defence attorney and you a chief prosecutor." Phoenix commented in a light smile. "I guess that just goes to show no one can predict the future, I mean, if there was anything at all I was sure of when I was a kid. It was that you would become the world greatest defence attorney."

"Hm, I guess that's a compliment." Miles smirked. "And you wanted to be… an artist, if I recall correctly." He frowned.

"Either that or an actor." Phoenix chuckled a bit amused. "And I wasn't half bad either, at drawing I mean." He commented.

"So you gave up your dream?" Miles asked.

"No, not really." Phoenix shook his head. "I was pretty aimless as a kid and a teen, I really had no idea what I actually wanted, art was just.. Some-thing to pass time with really, and looked fun enough. Studied a bit of law on the side, because well.. I remembered you and you seemed to be all over it, I guess you also looked a bit like a hero to me back then." He grinned.

"And I don't now?" Miles asked.

Phoenix shrugged then lifted his hands in that apologising shrug. "I sure have to work hard to even keep up with you." He then admitted. "And now you made sure everyone is watching my every move, so I guess I better do my best to at least keep up some kind of appearance."

It was a pretty fascinating thought actually; Phoenix had to admit that, that all of this, all of this madness, had started so long ago, with a small eight year old boy standing up for another eight year old.

Without that little gesture, Phoenix would never have even thought about becoming a defence attorney, he would never have met Miles Edgeworth in court.. And then what would have happened to Miles Edgeworth?

Perhaps he would have been found guilty for murder, courtesy of Manfred Von Karma, and that would have been the end, perhaps not.

There was no way of ever knowing, an entire other reality had to be build, certainly there wouldn't be these two men, fighting so hard for a better justice system, actually managing to somehow budge the old ways.

Sitting here playing a game of checkers while drinking tea.

That shout sounding so sure, no hesitation in the little boys voice.

"OBJECTION! No one should stand alone, no one! Phoenix you don't need to cry it's all right, I'm going to stand beside you, until we can prove to everyone that you didn't take those lunch money! Then they will feel like idiots for sure!"

Back then, it had been so simple, they could be so childishly naïve, so bright eyed, and yet..

It was that exact kind of bright-eyed optimism Phoenix had adopted for his own and now carried him through anything.

When his pupils looked upon him with such doubt, it was downright childish foolishness and bright-eyed optimism that pulled Phoenix through and made him able to give them that assuring smile.

What only very few people managed to figure though was that, Phoenix's bright-eyed naïve optimism wasn't due to ignorance, not by a long stretch!

No, he had learned, he knew of the darker side of the world and had seen just as much tragedy as happiness, even experienced it on own body, and he didn't push those experiences away, he took them in, looked upon them and learned as could as he could.

He had learned to know that really, it was all merely just, a part of life itself.

And thusly, his bright-eyed optimism was indeed, a conscious choice. A choice he made every day, to be the person that the people around him needed.

To be a person, like Miles Edgeworth, like Mia Fey, those whom inspired him, those whom drew him to change into the person he the most wanted to be.

Never turning bitter, never turning revengeful, after all if he did that.. It would be bringing Miles Edgeworths example to shame and Phoenix would never be able to face that in a million years.

That little eight year old boy whom had shouted so loudly.

"OBJECTION!"