Outlines are training wheels some people never take off and that's fine. some writers need every scene mapped before they start. some discover everything as they go. most are somewhere in between. try both. maybe you need bullet points of major beats but improvise the rest. maybe you need character sheets but a loose plot. maybe you just need vibes and a playlist. your outline can be one sentence per chapter or a 50 page document. it can change completely when you actually write. plans are permission to start. they're not contracts. break them when the story demands it.
This is the reason why I ended up thinking of this plot for Detective Dick Gumshoe.
On Archive of Our Own, if you were to filter for Dick Gumshoe (in English), there are 174 pages (3,510 fics) with him tagged in them (as of April 11th, 2026). Out of all of those, only about a quarter of them have him as a main POV, and only a small handful of those are actually about him.
And so while as I was pulling chicken today at work, my thoughts went from "I wonder how other people see him" to "I wonder what they'll realize if they almost lose him."
...Look, I was bored, okay? It took me 2 hours to pull 10 whole chickens!
My thought was to have each chapter from the POV of someone else, mostly because Gumshoe would be out of commission for most of it (sorry Gummy ;w;). I only really have a general idea for what I'd write in Edgeworth and (surprisingly) Franziska's POV. But really, you could do it long or short - the POV should just be someone who isn't Gumshoe.
Anyways, I'll detail the actual plot/what I've thought of below in case anyone wants to actually write the story. There wasn't a whole lot I thought of (the general idea and a couple of scenes). And I don't really know Ace Attorney Lore (I see people saying the timeline is confusing), so someone who knows the series better might be able to do this justice (ha) better. If ya do, feel free to make adjustments and lemme know so I can read~
I just want my himbo to see that people actually care about him ;w;
"I wonder...would you miss me?"
SYNOPSIS:
When a near death experience makes you realize how much that person means to you.
Gumshoe accidentally calls Edgeworth after being shot during an investigation.
SUMMARY/PLOT for 1st Chapter:
Edgeworth gets a call as he's about to go to bed and is annoyed to see it's Gumshoe (because he's wondering why Gumshoe is phoning him at 10pm at night).
"Why are you calling me at this time?
"...Mr. Edgeworth?"
"That should be obvious since YOU are the one who phoned ME!"
A moment of silence
"...Oh."
Edgeworth notices something's wrong with the Detective (disoriented, out of breath, sluggish).
Asks him where he is but Gumshoe just says he was trying to phone...someone else. Confused, he questions who because it's slipping his mind (he was trying to call for help but accidentally phoned Edgeworth instead).
Panicking now, Edgeworth is trying to keep Gumshoe awake, mostly with either asking him questions or just generally telling him not to pass out. Bit it's a losing battle because he HEARS the phone slip out of Gumshoe's hand and hitting the ground (whether he does too or is already slumped over is undecided).
Panics more, calls out his name ("Detective" to "Gumshoe" to "Dick" because first names feel more personal) and Edgeworth has no choice but to end the call. He phones the precinct to ask what assignment was Gumshoe doing tonight (investigation for something minor) and then tells them to get an ambulance to where he is because something happened to him. Asks to be updated when Gumshoe is found, then hangs up.
And just take a moment to imagine that: you get an unexpected phonecall from a coworker/sorta-friend and there's obviously something wrong with them but you don't know what it is because you can't see them. Then they pass out and you have to hang up to phone to call for help while not knowing where they actually are.
Edgeworth is up until almost 1am (3 hours) and he finally gets the update that the paramedics brought Gumshoe to the hospital.
"And how is he?"
"We're not sure, but it sounds pretty serious"
They tell him what hospital he's at and Edgeworth phones in to confirm that Gumshoe is there. He's told that he's still being treated and they'll call him when there's an update.
Edgeworth doesn't get much sleep that night.
I don't really do ships, but I can easily picture some alterations to include Phoenix if they live together.
I only have a vague idea for two other scenes. One where Franziska bursts into Edgeworth's office, demanding to know where Gumshoe is (she needs him for something I guess?) because she tried calling him and he's not picking up. I don't know what their working relationship is. But Edgeworth tells her he's in the hospital (I don't think he'd go into detail about the phine call) and he's waiting to hear back from the doctors for an update.
I don't really know what her reaction would be (anger, probably, but not at anyone specifically) but I definitely think she'd be upset. How she expresses that or if she even understands why is up to how you would write it.
Obviously people would be worried but I picture Edgeworth telling people he'll be fine, kinda coming across as indifferent when it's really his way with coping. I can see conflict coming up because of that, questioning if Edgeworth even cares about how often Gumshoe sticks up for him (because one of your first interactions with his has him defending Edgeworth).
And because I love him, I have an idea for an interact between Edgeworth and Godot at the hospital (I guess he's out of jail, idk, I really don't know what the timeline is - I just think he's neat). He says he's there to check up on Gumshoe on Maya's behalf because she's busy at the moment (maybe he's lying, maybe he's telling the truth).
That's all I really have for now. I don't wanna make this too long but if I think of anything else, I'll post it in a separate post.
BUT IT'S DONE😆😆😆!! I'm actually ahead of schedule. I wanted to get that done by January 1st, but I am certainly not complaining.
(I don't even remember the exact date I started this. I had to look through some things, but I think it was roughly around 2015/16). So, it's either been a decade or just under.)
Now onto...a new outline lol. Gotta keep these stories coming.
Got a friendship fic bunny free to a good home for anyone who wants it, although it's preferred that you have both a Klink and a Carter muse in order to do the idea justice. (It's a bit long, so I put it below the cut.)
The fic would start out with Carter being legitimately peeved at Hogan and the rest of the Heroes (could tie in as an aftermath to "The Well" if you need a reason, since he was legitimately so mad when Hogan joked they should transfer him to the Navy.) Carter's kind of lost without his friends, but also too upset with them to really talk to them. Like he'll do all the missions and whatnot, but refuses to elaborate when Hogan ask him what his issue is. In Carter's eyes, Hogan should know - after all, he seems to know everything else - and, like...Carter is just sick of the disrespect he gets. (Maybe Newkirk and/or LeBeau have been giving him more crap than usual off-screen or something; that's up to you.) Carter is the team's demolitions expert, he's the only one who can make the explosives that the team needs - the least they could do is be nicer to him. And one day - for some reason or another - he ends up getting a chance to talk to Klink for about 10 minutes or so. (Could be out of the compound, could be in the Kommandantur...whatever works. Ideally, it should probably be out on the compound, 'cause I feel like Hogan would be present in the Kommandantur if Carter was in there...and the whole idea here is that Carter is talking to Klink alone.)
In any event, the two discover they have a few things in common. Carter begins spending more time with Klink, just having genuine conversations with him and being a friend. Klink, meanwhile, is so thrilled to have someone he can talk to that doesn't make it a point to annoy him at every turn, he doesn't really stop to think that maybe he shouldn't be doing this. Of course, it doesn't help that he's lonely and desperately wants friends who don't have to worry about being shot for being a traitors. Klink is able to relax for the first time in ages, and just be himself the man he was prior to World War II starting. I feel like the main thing they would discuss would maybe be horses? Maybe? Like, Klink is minor nobility, and he would have most definitely ridden one in the first war before Germany more or less got rid of their calvary units. I also feel like Klink would be an animal lover, since animals aren't snide or judge-y. So maybe his parents owned a horse when he was young.
Anyhow, Hogan obviously isn't happy about this. He tells Carter to stop seeing Klink, but in a rare show of backbone, Carter refuses. He still won't elaborate on why, though - only that he's genuinely enjoying the conversations he's been having. So Hogan goes to Klink and demands to know what the Kommandant wants with one of his men. (Optional: Hogan could be secretly jealous - even if he won't admit it to himself - because while Klink may be an enemy Kraut, that's his enemy Kraut, and nobody gets to talk to Klink alone but him! Can be done with or without underlying unspoken Klogan vibes.) After a bit of Hogan's usual manipulation tactics, Klink (rather haughtily) informs Hogan that he happens to enjoy speaking with Carter, that Carter isn't an annoyance like Hogan - which obviously irritates the colonel - and that he has learned much about America while telling Carter a bit about what Germany was like prior to the World Wars in turn. I feel like that'd be a fairly safe topic for the pair to discuss, especially since Klink outright says in one episode that he's never been to America, and the only version of Germany Carter knows is how it is after the Nazis took control. However, Klink gets legitimately offended when Hogan sarcastically suggests that he's only using Carter to get at him, Hogan. Klink tells him something to the effect of "The world does not revolve around you and your arrogance, Hogan!" before throwing the colonel out of his office.
As Hogan heads back to the barracks, he starts thinking: what if he could use Carter's friendship with Klink to gather information? He's had crazy ideas in the past, and they've always worked. But when he suggests it to Carter, Carter outright tells him no, and adds that he would never betray a friend like that. Hogan (who is already irritated about being thrown out of Kommandantur office) tries to remind him Klink is the enemy and not a friend, to which Carter replies something to the effect of "With all due respect, sir, he's more of a friend than any of you have been to me lately! At least he listens to what I have to say and doesn't constantly make fun of me!" Like, Carter is so legitimately upset, he doesn't even call Hogan 'boy" on accident. And so Hogan is just left standing there in a rare show of speechlessness as Carter stomps off, presumably to go have another conversation with Klink.
Afterwards, it finally dawns on Hogan that the reason Carter is acting this way is because he's upset about the level of disrespect he always gets. He says as much the other Heroes after calling them for a meeting in his office. All of them were under the impression it was just good-natured fun, and didn't realize they were taking it too far. Cue them apologizing to Carter and making things up with him. Hogan tells Carter to gently break things off with Klink, pointing out that while he does respect the friendship bond they formed, it could be considered a conflict of interest if either Burkhalter or London found out.
So Carter does. I see him giving the reason as not only being a conflict of interest, but Carter genuinely being concerned that their friendship could put Klink at risk if somebody like Major Hochstetter were to ever learn about it. However, he further softens the blow by suggesting they don't have to end it permanently; only pause it while the war is raging. Klink understands and agrees, expressing genuine gratitude to Carter for being the first real friend he's had during this war. Afterwards, cue a joyful reunion with the rest of the heroes and either something fluffy, sweet or funny to wrap it up.
Whew! I realize that's more like a plot outline than a plot bunny, but it wouldn't go away until I put my thoughts out there😂 Do all of these need to be hit? No, but it would be ideal. The entire vibe of this fic is, essentially, Carter and Klink bonding over both shared interests and as the person who everybody makes fun of/teases/puts down. Think two misfits forging a friendship with each other because nobody else wants to talk to them.
Thank you in advance to anybody who decides to writes this. If you do, please send me either a DM or an ask with the link! Should you happen to put it on AO3 (which is my preferred platform for multiple reasons, but you do you), feel free to either tag me in the notes or gift the work to me. (Or as one of my fellow Menaces™️ likes to say: "Both. Both is good."😂) My username there is Frau_Wilhelm_Klink.
