I Want to See Your Smile Again

Chapter 9

False alarm. His fists are pointed at the grim face of Miles Edgeworth. The man almost looks sympathetic, staring at their jumpy reactions. "I take it you've heard the news."

"Miles," Mr. Wright says, rushing at him and hugging tight. Mr. Edgeworth pats Mr. Wright's back, as Mr. Wright buries his face in the crook of Mr. Edgeworth's neck.

The silence that follows sparks the rest of them back to life. Trucy gets up numbly and goes to Apollo, shuffling like a zombie and squeezing him around the waist. Her hat is knocked off when she presses against Apollo, but nobody seems to care.

"Do the authorities know how he did it?" Mr. Wright mumbles.

Mr. Edgeworth snickers. "No comment, no disclosure. Code for they have no idea."

Apollo laughs weakly. He needed the joke just now, he isn't sure what else to do with his hysterics. He's so uneasy that the slightest thing sets him off laughing awkwardly, and Mr. Wright follows suit. It's easier to laugh then let himself think, it's easier not to let his mind fill the silence.

Apollo swallows, and when he speaks, his voice is hoarse. "You don't think he's going to-"

Mr. Edgeworth sighs, the hand on Mr. Wright's shoulder tightening its grip. "Justice, this is precisely as serious as you think it is. Kristoph Gavin is as selfish and vindictive as you remember him. I doubt that prison time to reflect on it has changed his views on any of you, or done anything to abate his anger."

Somehow, it's different the second he says the name Kristoph Gavin. The sentence transforms fear into reality, when the name they all whisper is being spoken aloud.

Apollo closes his eyes and inhales. He's terrified- hell, petrified. He doesn't think he's going to eat or drink anything for the next few weeks- or until Kristoph is caught. His brain is betraying him now, listing causes of death from every case he's seen. Gunshots, a bang and a lightning quick bullet before it's all over. Poisonings, body destroyed from inside out, no one realizing until it's too late. Drowning, lungs aching, burning for air, thrashing in vain.

Apollo shakes his head. He can't do thi- oh fuck, his brain interrupts, Trucy, and Mr. Wright. They're in danger too; they were as much a part of Kristoph's downfall as he was, please don't let either of them get hurt, please-

Klavier.

Apollo's eyes widen and he starts, fumbling for his pants pocket. Trucy draws away, staring, as Apollo fishes for his phone. Fuck, he needs to tell Klavier, he needs to warn Klavier, Klavier has to know- why the fuck wasn't Klavier the first one to know?!

Apollo's hands shake as he dials the number- what if he's too late? Klavier's house is probably the first place someone looking for Apollo or Klavier would go, they do have a security system but Kristoph isn't easily deterred- nor is Kristoph stupid, he'd probably threaten Klavier or do something awful-

Dial tone.

Apollo presses the phone against his ear, listening carefully through his own frantic breathing. It rings a few times; each time feels longer and longer as the eyes of everyone in the room fall on Apollo. It's quiet enough that the dial tone is the only noise anyone can hear, ringing endlessly.

"Achtung! You've reached Klavier Gavin-"

Apollo lowers the phone, hand dropping from his ear. There's a soft beep as Apollo turns off the voicemail. He doesn't even care that Klavier used achtung wrong. Apollo can't shake the feeling that maybe that morning is the last time Klavier and Apollo will see each other, that maybe everything is wrong.

He has to call again. Apollo punches the button again; he can feel Mr. Edgeworth and Mr. Wright staring- it might be pity, at this point, for a man in denial, but Apollo can't let it end like this. He has to keep on going.

Apollo brings the phone to his ear, and the dial tone starts again. Once, twice-

The third time is interrupted. Apollo holds his breath- he doesn't know what he's expecting to hear. He closes his eyes, hoping with all his might that it's Klavier, alive and well.

"...Apollo?"

Apollo laughs breathily, light and disbelieving. He feels like he's won some cosmic lottery. The voice is hoarse, sure, and deeper than usual, but there's no mistaking the German accent. Even if it sounds horrible, it's Klavier, and he's alive enough to speak.

"Klavier! You're okay!" Apollo laughs into the phone, and everyone else in the room adopts a similar expression. It feels warmer in here, now that Klavier is alive.

"Ja, Apollo, I was taking a nap." Apollo winces, now that he thinks about it, Klavier's voice sounds really bad. He's probably gotten worse in the time Apollo's been out. Apollo hopes whatever he's caught isn't too serious. "Wait, why wouldn't I be fine?"

Apollo closes his eyes, breathes in and out into the receiver. "Never mind that. I'll be home in- uh, Mr. Wright, can I-?" he asks unsteadily, he's already taken so much time off. Thankfully Mr. Wright nods. "a couple of minutes. There's some stuff I really have to tell you in person."

"Ja." Klavier agrees sleepily, there's still something drowsy slurring his words. Klavier hangs up after that, as much as Apollo would love to stay on the line. There's a part of him that still doesn't quite believe it, a part of him that wonders if he imagined the voice- it sounded weird enough, through the sickness.

There's a click, and the worry returns full force when Apollo can't hear Klavier anymore, when the sound of him breathing is gone. He can't help but imagine the worst, that he'd never hear Klavier's voice again, that he'd never even gotten to say goodbye. It's silly and clingy, Apollo knows, but he can't help it. He wants nothing more than to be with Klavier right now.

Apollo rushes to his office to gather up his stuff, he doesn't know if he'll be coming in tomorrow depending on how Klavier takes this. Besides, he'll probably work on his case tonight, there's a lot to do with it. Nothing like a good murder to take your mind off things, right?

Apollo waves goodbye to the Wrights as he pushes the door open, and Mr. Edgeworth is saying something to them, gesturing to his keys. He's probably driving them home. A good idea, especially with the sky like this. It's going to rain any minute, from the looks of it.

Apollo glances at the murky grey above him. How cinematic and fitting. It takes a lot, but Apollo resists the urge to stare sagely into the sky and proclaim that a storm is coming.

At least partly, it's because he believes it.

oh no it's the attack of the plot