Goodnight, My Angel
Title: Goodnight, My Angel
Rating: G
Characters: Phoenix and Trucy
Time Period: Six months after disbarment
Words: 1,800
I don't write songfic anymore... This is pretty much as close as I'll ever get again. Beta thanks to croik. Fic written with making silverwind9 cry in mind. I wonder if it'll work...?
It was a familiar scene by now for Phoenix Wright. He was in the kitchen making a bag lunch for the little girl watching the last cartoons of the night in the other room. He peeled carrots, humming tunelessly under his breath. Of course, this time instead of it being Maya or Pearls or Maya and Pearls in the other room watching TV, it was his own daughter, Trucy. The pressure was almost unbearable: making her lunches, getting her off to school, making sure she was safe at the somewhat seedy bars she did her little magic shows at... But the two of them were making ends meet, and Phoenix was surprised that despite the fact that he’d lost his badge six months ago, he was as happy as he’d ever been in his life. Maybe even happier. Trucy was infectious like that.
He chopped the carrot into bite-sized pieces and put it in a plastic baggie he’d written a note on in sharpie. The internet parenting sites recommended stuff like that, especially for children who were going through transition periods. That was definitely Trucy, he’d thought upon reading it. Sure, she was irrepressibly cheerful, but sometimes Phoenix could see her struggling underneath it to understand what had happened to her, her mother, and her real father.
The TV clicked off in the other room and Trucy came into the kitchen, cocking her head as she silently watched him buttering bread and measuring out ham and cheese for her sandwich. She hopped up on a chair to see over the counter better. “More pickles, please!” she chirped.
He chuckled and brought out the jar, slicing a pickle lengthwise and laying it across the sandwich. “This sufficient for you, Miss?” he asked, chuckling.
She inspected the sandwich, and snaked her fingers into the jar, quick as a wink, crunching on a pickle as she responded, “Yes it is!” There was a happy hum in her voice that continued as she contentedly munched.
As he sliced her sandwich, (‘diagonally, Daddy!’) and put it in the baggie he’d drawn a silk hat on, (‘lemme see~’) he noticed Trucy becoming bit by bit more quiet. This was almost old hat by now: she usually got contemplative around bedtime, asking him complex questions in an effort to get him caught up in explanations, allowing her to stay up for a few more minutes.
But this time it was a little different. She put the uneaten end of her pickle on the counter and jumped down from the chair, tugging on the back of his hoodie insistently as he put her lunch in the fridge.
“Daddy...” He ignored her, and she persisted, “Daddy!”
He blinked down at her, a smile blooming across his features, and then turned back to the fridge, pretending to be interested in a magnet advertising recycling pickup times. “Hmm...”
She stomped her little foot - so cute! - and gravely said, “Daddy!! This is... this is important, OK!”
He turned to her, his smile fading. Her voice was serious, not sing-song like it usually was. “What is it, Truce...?”
She looked up at him, her eyes determined, almost fierce. “Where- where do people go when they die?” she asked him, her lip quivering slightly as she did.
He blinked back at her, shocked. “Truce, I...” He looked off, rubbing the stubble on his chin. That parenting website sure would be useful right about now.
She continued, “I just want to know. I want to know... in case.”
‘In case’..? In case of what!? He ran his fingers through his messy spikes. “Uh, Trucy...” he began uncertainly.
She pressed on, ignoring him, “Because, because I know all sorts of secrets, so you can tell me, all right! I know that magic’s- I know about magic, ok?” She tugged again on his sweatshirt, curling her fingers into the pocket.
He leaned down, “Trucy...” he started, but he still couldn’t think of what to say. He tried to think of this question as just another ploy to stay up, but the shine in her still-defiant eyes wouldn’t let him. She was getting his answer to this question tonight, or there wouldn’t be peace for a long time. Still, it was a complicated question, and considering the strange relationships he’d had with people who had passed on... not one he wanted to go into.
“You have to tell me, Daddy,” she said, “because I need to know.” She clung tenaciously to his pocket.
He sighed, “Come on.” He leaned down and lifted her into his arms, and she let her grip on his shirt go. “I’ll tell you while I’m tucking you in, all right?”
Somewhat doubtfully, she nodded. “All right.”
He carried her into her little bedroom, barely bigger than a closet and full of magic tricks. He sat her down on her bed and pushed a mirror box out of the way, sitting cross legged on her beanbag chair.
She stared him in the eye on her hands and knees. “Where did my mommy go? Where is my daddy going...? My- my other daddy.”
His heart wrenched. “Your other daddy’s still alive, Truce.”
“I- I know.” She looked down, sliding her feet into the faded pink princess sheets he’d found at the Goodwill.
Suddenly, as if it was him, not her, who was able to see into people’s hearts, he knew exactly what she was asking him. She didn’t really want to know where people went when they died; she wanted to know where her father went. She wanted to know where her mother went. What she wanted from him right now was context, a way to deal with what had happened to her. And maybe... He curled his finger under her little chin, lifting her eyes to his. Maybe she wanted his promise.
“Trucy... Listen,” he started, taking a deep breath. “I’m not going anywhere, all right?”
She stared at him for a moment and then turned away, abruptly defiant. “Of course not! You’re my bad-piano-daddy now, you’re not allowed to go anywhere!”
“Right.” He chuckled. “I’m not. Your magic daddy... He probably misses you very badly.”
She glanced back at him, “He’s a big boy, he’ll be fine.” She crossed her arms.
A rueful smile crossed his face. “He will be. So will you, because the two of you are still together.”
She cocked her head at him.
He pressed his finger into her chest. “In here.” He smoothed down her hair, gently easing her down onto her pillow. “Your mommy’s there too. As long as you remember them, as long as you keep them in your heart, they’re with you always. Whether they’re actually here with you or not. Your daddy went somewhere, but that doesn’t mean you don’t still have a part of him.”
“...But where...?” she asked softly, not looking at him, her little hands pressed to her chest. “I don’t think I know the trick of how to pull a person out of me yet...”
He nodded slowly. “No, but the tricks you do know, where do you suppose they come from...?”
“My magic daddy taught them to me!” She said, her voice rising proudly.
“That’s right. And even though he’s gone, you still have those, and all the memories that you two made together. Nothing can take those away. The same is true for your mommy. The same is true for me.” The last sentence came out just above a whisper.
“You were lying,” she said.
“What...!?”
“When you said you weren’t going anywhere, your eyes...” She trailed off, staring back at him, her eyes teary. “...you were lying.”
He looked down, pausing for thought. She saw right through him, as usual. He knew, inside, that he was in danger all the time. Even if the vague suspicions he had were unfounded, there were many people he’d gotten put in jail, many people whose actions were probably not monitored as well as they could be. He was in a precarious position, and he couldn’t promise her that nothing would ever happen to him. No one could promise that.
He ran his fingers through her hair, rubbing her wet cheek with his thumb, “I was lying, Trucy. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t lie...!” she cried, “You can’t go anywhere, you have to promise and tell the truth!” her voice was weak, uncharacteristically so.
He met her streaming eyes, steadfast. “I won’t promise you that. That would be a lie, too. Nobody knows what’s going to happen in the future. Not lawyers, and not magicians. But I can promise you one thing.”
She sniffled. “What...?”
The corner of his mouth turned up, and he swallowed, knowing she was looking at him as hard as she could, knowing she could tell that he had a lump in his throat as he spoke, “I promise that I’ll never leave you. Even if something happens to me... I’ll still be a part of you, and you’ll always be a part of me. Just like your real mommy and daddy. And nobody can take that away from you, no matter who they are.”
Her lip quivered, but she seemed something close to satisfied. At least, she didn’t accuse him of lying. She threw her arms around him. “Stay here, okay...? I don’t want to have to find a whole other daddy. It’s hard.”
He held her for a few minutes, “I’ll do my best.” He sighed and it caught in his throat. He let her go and she lay down on the bed, staring up at him with wide eyes.
“Time to sleep, Truce,” he said, and he put his hand on her bed to leverage himself up.
She put her hand on his. “I’m gonna be asleep in a little while,” she said, “so just wait, okay?”
He settled back down, nodding agreeably, “All right then.”
She patted his hand reassuringly. “It’ll be all right, Daddy. I’ll be okay.”
He raised his hand to her head, smoothing down her hair. “I know, Truce.” he mumbled softly. She lifted her hands to his arm, holding it in place.
He sat there in the beanbag chair, humming a lullaby low under his breath and watching her as her eyes slowly closed, and her breathing evened out, and the hands that held his arm slackened and drifted elsewhere. He sat there until his legs fell asleep and he had to bite his tongue when he got up so as not to make a pained noise at the pins and needles.
He looked back at her from the doorway, trying to see her the way she saw him. The little scrapes on her curled fingers from doing card tricks over and over, the way her breath whistled through her nose and lips, her brown curls spread across the pillow. Even with eyes puffy and red from crying, she still looked like a little angel as she lie there, abandoned to sleep.
He closed the door as silently as he could, watching its shadow ripple across her peaceful face. He left it a crack open, hoping that if she woke up, she would hear his snoring from the other room and know she wasn’t alone.
Rating: G
Characters: Phoenix and Trucy
Time Period: Six months after disbarment
Words: 1,800
I don't write songfic anymore... This is pretty much as close as I'll ever get again. Beta thanks to croik. Fic written with making silverwind9 cry in mind. I wonder if it'll work...?
It was a familiar scene by now for Phoenix Wright. He was in the kitchen making a bag lunch for the little girl watching the last cartoons of the night in the other room. He peeled carrots, humming tunelessly under his breath. Of course, this time instead of it being Maya or Pearls or Maya and Pearls in the other room watching TV, it was his own daughter, Trucy. The pressure was almost unbearable: making her lunches, getting her off to school, making sure she was safe at the somewhat seedy bars she did her little magic shows at... But the two of them were making ends meet, and Phoenix was surprised that despite the fact that he’d lost his badge six months ago, he was as happy as he’d ever been in his life. Maybe even happier. Trucy was infectious like that.
He chopped the carrot into bite-sized pieces and put it in a plastic baggie he’d written a note on in sharpie. The internet parenting sites recommended stuff like that, especially for children who were going through transition periods. That was definitely Trucy, he’d thought upon reading it. Sure, she was irrepressibly cheerful, but sometimes Phoenix could see her struggling underneath it to understand what had happened to her, her mother, and her real father.
The TV clicked off in the other room and Trucy came into the kitchen, cocking her head as she silently watched him buttering bread and measuring out ham and cheese for her sandwich. She hopped up on a chair to see over the counter better. “More pickles, please!” she chirped.
He chuckled and brought out the jar, slicing a pickle lengthwise and laying it across the sandwich. “This sufficient for you, Miss?” he asked, chuckling.
She inspected the sandwich, and snaked her fingers into the jar, quick as a wink, crunching on a pickle as she responded, “Yes it is!” There was a happy hum in her voice that continued as she contentedly munched.
As he sliced her sandwich, (‘diagonally, Daddy!’) and put it in the baggie he’d drawn a silk hat on, (‘lemme see~’) he noticed Trucy becoming bit by bit more quiet. This was almost old hat by now: she usually got contemplative around bedtime, asking him complex questions in an effort to get him caught up in explanations, allowing her to stay up for a few more minutes.
But this time it was a little different. She put the uneaten end of her pickle on the counter and jumped down from the chair, tugging on the back of his hoodie insistently as he put her lunch in the fridge.
“Daddy...” He ignored her, and she persisted, “Daddy!”
He blinked down at her, a smile blooming across his features, and then turned back to the fridge, pretending to be interested in a magnet advertising recycling pickup times. “Hmm...”
She stomped her little foot - so cute! - and gravely said, “Daddy!! This is... this is important, OK!”
He turned to her, his smile fading. Her voice was serious, not sing-song like it usually was. “What is it, Truce...?”
She looked up at him, her eyes determined, almost fierce. “Where- where do people go when they die?” she asked him, her lip quivering slightly as she did.
He blinked back at her, shocked. “Truce, I...” He looked off, rubbing the stubble on his chin. That parenting website sure would be useful right about now.
She continued, “I just want to know. I want to know... in case.”
‘In case’..? In case of what!? He ran his fingers through his messy spikes. “Uh, Trucy...” he began uncertainly.
She pressed on, ignoring him, “Because, because I know all sorts of secrets, so you can tell me, all right! I know that magic’s- I know about magic, ok?” She tugged again on his sweatshirt, curling her fingers into the pocket.
He leaned down, “Trucy...” he started, but he still couldn’t think of what to say. He tried to think of this question as just another ploy to stay up, but the shine in her still-defiant eyes wouldn’t let him. She was getting his answer to this question tonight, or there wouldn’t be peace for a long time. Still, it was a complicated question, and considering the strange relationships he’d had with people who had passed on... not one he wanted to go into.
“You have to tell me, Daddy,” she said, “because I need to know.” She clung tenaciously to his pocket.
He sighed, “Come on.” He leaned down and lifted her into his arms, and she let her grip on his shirt go. “I’ll tell you while I’m tucking you in, all right?”
Somewhat doubtfully, she nodded. “All right.”
He carried her into her little bedroom, barely bigger than a closet and full of magic tricks. He sat her down on her bed and pushed a mirror box out of the way, sitting cross legged on her beanbag chair.
She stared him in the eye on her hands and knees. “Where did my mommy go? Where is my daddy going...? My- my other daddy.”
His heart wrenched. “Your other daddy’s still alive, Truce.”
“I- I know.” She looked down, sliding her feet into the faded pink princess sheets he’d found at the Goodwill.
Suddenly, as if it was him, not her, who was able to see into people’s hearts, he knew exactly what she was asking him. She didn’t really want to know where people went when they died; she wanted to know where her father went. She wanted to know where her mother went. What she wanted from him right now was context, a way to deal with what had happened to her. And maybe... He curled his finger under her little chin, lifting her eyes to his. Maybe she wanted his promise.
“Trucy... Listen,” he started, taking a deep breath. “I’m not going anywhere, all right?”
She stared at him for a moment and then turned away, abruptly defiant. “Of course not! You’re my bad-piano-daddy now, you’re not allowed to go anywhere!”
“Right.” He chuckled. “I’m not. Your magic daddy... He probably misses you very badly.”
She glanced back at him, “He’s a big boy, he’ll be fine.” She crossed her arms.
A rueful smile crossed his face. “He will be. So will you, because the two of you are still together.”
She cocked her head at him.
He pressed his finger into her chest. “In here.” He smoothed down her hair, gently easing her down onto her pillow. “Your mommy’s there too. As long as you remember them, as long as you keep them in your heart, they’re with you always. Whether they’re actually here with you or not. Your daddy went somewhere, but that doesn’t mean you don’t still have a part of him.”
“...But where...?” she asked softly, not looking at him, her little hands pressed to her chest. “I don’t think I know the trick of how to pull a person out of me yet...”
He nodded slowly. “No, but the tricks you do know, where do you suppose they come from...?”
“My magic daddy taught them to me!” She said, her voice rising proudly.
“That’s right. And even though he’s gone, you still have those, and all the memories that you two made together. Nothing can take those away. The same is true for your mommy. The same is true for me.” The last sentence came out just above a whisper.
“You were lying,” she said.
“What...!?”
“When you said you weren’t going anywhere, your eyes...” She trailed off, staring back at him, her eyes teary. “...you were lying.”
He looked down, pausing for thought. She saw right through him, as usual. He knew, inside, that he was in danger all the time. Even if the vague suspicions he had were unfounded, there were many people he’d gotten put in jail, many people whose actions were probably not monitored as well as they could be. He was in a precarious position, and he couldn’t promise her that nothing would ever happen to him. No one could promise that.
He ran his fingers through her hair, rubbing her wet cheek with his thumb, “I was lying, Trucy. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t lie...!” she cried, “You can’t go anywhere, you have to promise and tell the truth!” her voice was weak, uncharacteristically so.
He met her streaming eyes, steadfast. “I won’t promise you that. That would be a lie, too. Nobody knows what’s going to happen in the future. Not lawyers, and not magicians. But I can promise you one thing.”
She sniffled. “What...?”
The corner of his mouth turned up, and he swallowed, knowing she was looking at him as hard as she could, knowing she could tell that he had a lump in his throat as he spoke, “I promise that I’ll never leave you. Even if something happens to me... I’ll still be a part of you, and you’ll always be a part of me. Just like your real mommy and daddy. And nobody can take that away from you, no matter who they are.”
Her lip quivered, but she seemed something close to satisfied. At least, she didn’t accuse him of lying. She threw her arms around him. “Stay here, okay...? I don’t want to have to find a whole other daddy. It’s hard.”
He held her for a few minutes, “I’ll do my best.” He sighed and it caught in his throat. He let her go and she lay down on the bed, staring up at him with wide eyes.
“Time to sleep, Truce,” he said, and he put his hand on her bed to leverage himself up.
She put her hand on his. “I’m gonna be asleep in a little while,” she said, “so just wait, okay?”
He settled back down, nodding agreeably, “All right then.”
She patted his hand reassuringly. “It’ll be all right, Daddy. I’ll be okay.”
He raised his hand to her head, smoothing down her hair. “I know, Truce.” he mumbled softly. She lifted her hands to his arm, holding it in place.
He sat there in the beanbag chair, humming a lullaby low under his breath and watching her as her eyes slowly closed, and her breathing evened out, and the hands that held his arm slackened and drifted elsewhere. He sat there until his legs fell asleep and he had to bite his tongue when he got up so as not to make a pained noise at the pins and needles.
He looked back at her from the doorway, trying to see her the way she saw him. The little scrapes on her curled fingers from doing card tricks over and over, the way her breath whistled through her nose and lips, her brown curls spread across the pillow. Even with eyes puffy and red from crying, she still looked like a little angel as she lie there, abandoned to sleep.
He closed the door as silently as he could, watching its shadow ripple across her peaceful face. He left it a crack open, hoping that if she woke up, she would hear his snoring from the other room and know she wasn’t alone.