Out of Context Snippets

Welcomed Company

Fandom: Ace Attorney/Original Material
Story: Iza gets an unexpected visitor during one of her all night work cramming sessions.
Excerpt from: (a yet to be titled and written story)

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A low hum echoed around, lulling Iza into an unwelcome sleep.

Crack.

Her hand flew up to her forehead as she lifted her head back up from the kitchen counter, a dull ache slowly crawling its way to migraine territory.

Oh, how she hated working late at night with no immediate access to coffee.

She slid back down to rest on her elbows, watching the coffee machine with a dull expression.

As her eyes slowly began to close again, the wood floor creaked behind her.

It was a light sound, followed by a faint dragging. A set of sounds she had picked up on and knew all too well at this point.

"What are you doing out of bed, Alexander?" Her voice cracked from lack of use, but the look in her eyes carried most of the weight of her question.

A small boy clinging to a blanket looked up at her, a little teary eyed and definitely half awake.

"... Another nightmare? Why don't you go talk to Edgar about it?"

"Daddy's asleep... Can I stay with you?"

She stared at him for a few seconds before sighing in defeat, "All right, but you must stay quiet. I have a lot of work to get done."

Alexander nodded, "Okay."

They sat in silence for a moment as Iza waited patiently for her hourly dark roast.

"Why don't you tell me about your nightmare?" She wasn't interested in getting invested with his feelings, but if it prevented him from having it again it wouldn't hurt to learn. Why she cared? Even she couldn't tell.

"There was a... big, scary man. And he was hurting everybody. You, daddy, Auntie Tonya... I was scared..." The small boy let out a sniffle, making Iza twitch nervously.

She sighed and turned to face him, taking a knee to get down to his level, "Well, he's not here. No one is hurt, there's no scary man to be seen, and we're well protected. We'll be fine."

He nodded, "I know..."

"Do you now? You must be smart, then." Though she didn't crack a smile, she at least tried to be reassuring which made her... uncomfortable, to say the least.

"Daddy tells me I get it from you."

"Oh, really?"

He nodded again.

"Well, you're a very lucky boy. Not everyone gets to be as smart as I am."

That earned a small grin from him.

She let out a mildly amused huff and stood to turn back to the coffee pot, finally able to obtain her fuel for her working fire. With a swift pour and a turn of her heel, she walked out of the kitchen with a small child hot on her heels.

Maybe she was starting to regain that soft side or maybe she was dying, but whatever it was that compelled her to connect with her child then and there seemed to set off the world's best - and worst - chain reaction.

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