#that being said YIPPEE PHOENIX IS MY FIANCE NOW

[self-shippy]

Best-Case Scenario

“Court will now adjourn for recess!”

Lora sighed as she left the courtroom, trying to ignore all of the things being said about Phoenix. They’re only seeing him defend a criminal, she thought to herself. It’s reasonable they would think that he’s evil.

Still, she knew those words were affecting her boyfriend more than her. He needed a pick-me-up. As the jury was chatting amongst themselves, she discreetly slipped out to go meet Phoenix in his lobby.

As Lora approached the door, preparing to knock, she heard Phoenix’s and Edgeworth’s voices speaking, and listened in.

“I just don’t know what the right choice is here,” Phoenix’s muffled voice said. “Do I save Maya and let Engarde go free, or do I indict Engarde and let Maya die?”

“It’s a tough dilemma, yes,” Edgeworth said. “Gumshoe and his detectives are currently on their way to De Killer’s hideout. All we have to do is stall for time.”

As Lora was about to enter, Phoenix spoke again.

“Before this whole fiasco started, I… I was planning on proposing to Lora, but after this, I don’t know if I’ll be able to face her.”

Lora’s heart stopped. Propose? Did she hear that right? She heard Edgeworth say something else, but she was too shocked to actually decipher what he said. She quickly walked back to the jury lobby, where the bailiffs ushered her back into the courtroom. As she sat back down, she couldn’t help but smile as the words that Phoenix said processed in her mind.

From there, the battle between Phoenix and Edgeworth continued. As time passed, it became increasingly obvious that Engarde was the one who hired a hitman, and that Phoenix was just grasping at straws. The murmurs from the jury were getting louder and louder, until eventually everyone erupted in shouts. Lora gazed down at her boyfriend, who was face-down on his desk, holding the back of his head. Now was the time he really needed a pick-me-up.

As the judge banged his gavel and the yelling died down to murmurs again, Lora stood up from her seat and yelled out, “Niiiiiiiiick!!”

Phoenix looked up once again, and Lora flashed him a smile.

“I’ll marry you, Nick! I’ll marry you, so don’t give up just yet!”

It didn’t take long for the bailiffs to grab Lora’s arms and pull her towards the door. She didn’t resist, but as she was being pulled away, she continued to shout. “I love you, Nick! I know you can do this! Don’t lose hope!”

As the doors closed in front of Lora, she could catch a glimpse of Phoenix’s dumbfounded face. Well, at least it was better than despair. She finally turned around to face the front. One of the bailiffs stayed behind while the other loosened his grip on Lora’s arm.

“That was the weirdest thing I’ve had to remove someone from court for, you know,” the bailiff said. “I hope you actually know the guy.”

Lora stayed silent, humming to herself. Once she was finally outside the courthouse, she found the nearest bench and sat, waiting for court to be over. As she waited, a car pulled to the front, and from it emerged a man holding a radio. When he left, the radio was no longer in his possession. Then, a while later, another car pulled up, and out came Franziska von Karma, holding Gumshoe’s coat like a bag.

Franziska ran up the steps, but abruptly stopped when she saw Lora. “Lora Wing?” she exclaimed. “What are you doing out here? Aren’t you supposed to be in the courtroom?”

Lora shrugged. “I got thrown out.”

Franziska stood, mouth agape, for a few moments, before shaking her head and saying, “It is not my business what a fool foolishly does before getting their due punishment. I have other matters to attend to.”

Lora let out a small laugh as Franziska rushed into the courthouse.

Some more time passed, and suddenly, an influx of people left the courthouse. Among those people were two police officers carrying a cuffed Matt Engarde to a cop car.

Lora’s heart immediately sank. “Oh, no,” she whispered. “Maya…”

“Birdie?”

That voice came from the other side of the bench. Lora whipped her head around, laughing when she saw Maya Fey standing next to her.

“Maya!” She shouted, embracing the girl in a hug. “You’re alive! Then, Engarde…”

“Matt Engarde is also getting his due punishment.” Lora’s head turned around again at the sound of Edgeworth’s voice. “I was told that if you accompany me to the defendant’s lobby, Miss Wing, you’ll be allowed access to the courtroom again.”

“Again?” Maya asked. “Wait, what were you doing out here, Birdie?”

Lora gave a sheepish laugh. “I… I was thrown out.”

As Lora and Maya followed Edgeworth, Lora retold her account of what had happened.

“WHAAAAT?” Maya shouted. “He didn’t even actually get to propose?”

“I know, I know,” Lora said. “I really shouldn’t have done that. I just couldn’t hold it in anymore.”

Before they knew it, the three had reached the defendant’s lobby. As Edgeworth opened the door, a relaxed Phoenix appeared on the other side. He turned around, his face brightening immediately. “Maya!”

Maya ran to Phoenix. “Nick!” She practically tackled him as she wrapped her arms around him, Phoenix doing the same to her. Lora stood back with Edgeworth, smiling.

“Mystic Maya!” Pearl slammed into Maya the way Maya did to Phoenix, letting Phoenix’s arms go free. He gave a smile to the two, then looked over at Lora.

“Birdie,” he said. He very calmly walked over, pulling their lips together for a kiss. When he pulled away, he had the sweetest smile. “You ruined the surprise.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Lora said. She gave Phoenix another kiss. “It’s just… from what I heard, it sounded like I wasn’t going to get the surprise at all.”

“From what you heard?” The smile went away, being replaced with a puzzled look. “You were eavesdropping?”

“It wasn’t on purpose!” Lora laughed. “I was coming to give you encouragement, and I was only listening to see when you were done talking to Edgeworth.”

“Well, accident or not, you shocked me out of my despair in the courtroom, so thank you.” Phoenix took a deep breath. “And since you’ve already said yes, you’re only missing one thing.” He rummaged through his back pocket, and pulled out a little box. He opened it up, revealing a glimmering ring, then grabbed Lora’s hand, slipping it on.

“You did it, Nick!” Maya shouted from the other side of the room. She ran to give Phoenix another hug from the back as Lora hugged him from the front. And all of the sudden, the shoulder that Lora was resting on started to wet, and muffled sobs 

“Oh, Birdie.” Phoenix ran his hand through Lora’s hair.

“I love you, Phoenix,” Lora cried. “I love you so, so much.”

Phoenix placed a kiss onto Lora’s head. “I love you, too, Lora.”

Lora’s cries abruptly stopped as a growl came from Maya’s stomach.

“Oh, right! You were starved for two whole days!” Lora lifted herself up and rubbed Maya’s head. “We need to get you something to eat!”

“Right!” Maya said. “I say we make up for lost time and have a gourmet feast, like the one we had right before I got kidnapped!”

“Another one?” Phoenix asked.

“You’re coming too, Mr. Edgeworth!” Maya grabbed Edgeworth’s suit sleeve and Pearl’s hand, pulling them both out of the courthouse. “We’re gonna have a party with everyone!”

Lora let out a laugh. “She never loses her energy, huh?”

“For better and for worse,” Phoenix sighed. “I’m just happy she’s alive right now. For that, she can eat whatever she wants to.”

The two dawdled behind Maya in front, staying within sight. After some time had passed, Phoenix spoke again. “You know, when you said you eavesdropped on Edgeworth and I’s conversation… I was surprised you didn’t mention what Edgeworth said after what I said.”

“That’s because I didn’t really hear what he said,” Lora replied. “I kind of stopped listening after you said ‘propose’ and ‘I don’t know if I can’.”

Phoenix made a small laugh. “Well, what he told me was that punishing myself for something that was punishment in and of itself was an idiotic thing to do, but doing something that would punish you in its wake was downright evil. He said that you really loved me, and if I were to disappear on you, proposal or not, it would hurt you. I decided that, even if the worst case scenario happened, I wouldn’t leave you, and I’d wait until I was ready again to propose.”

“And look at that,” Lora said. “Not only did the best-case scenario happen, but you now have a fiancee.”

“I wouldn’t call this the best case scenario. I didn’t get to actually pop the question myself.”

“Oh, shut up!” Lora bumped Phoenix’s shoulder. “You had a court as an audience when I said yes! Isn’t that poetic?”

The two of them laughed, and Lora intertwined Phoenix’s hand with her ring-adorned one. “I really do love you, you know.”

“I know.” Phoenix said. “I really do love you, too.”

And the two walked, hands together, both deciding that this was the best case scenario.