The door slammed shut behind him.

"Alright, let's make this quick," Harvey dropped his files on the metal table and dragged the metal chair across the concrete floor, eliciting a ridiculous screeching noise that he pretended not to notice. The cringe the other lawyer in the room gave at the sound was exactly what he'd hoped for. For entertainment purposes of course. When he'd finally undid the buttons of his suit jacket and settled into his chair, he clasped his hands together on top of his manila envelope and looked up to greet his new opponents. "Mike," his smirk dropped immediately.

"Mr. Specter, do you know my client?" The lawyer asked, looking between them. "I'd be happy to go tell the judge right now that we need a new prosecutor who's less biased." His look was pointed. What he read on Harvey's face screamed I am not a fan of Michael J. Ross.

"No, no, we're all professionals here. Right? Now, Mike, what exactly is your profession, shall we take a look?" He opened up the file he'd been to arrogant to look at before he came in - it's just a basic case, he'd thought, I can do this with my eyes closed from Mars. "Drug dealing," he looked back up with pursed lips. "With enough to put you behind bars for years."

Mike glared down at the desk, furious with everyone and everything. Of all the prosecutors out there, he had to get Harvey goddamn Specter.

"Nothing to say for yourself? Alright, I'll keep going-"

"Mr. Specter," the lawyer interrupted. "Can we just get on with the case, please. We'd rather not take forever in court. We'd like to settle this now so we can take it to the judge and get it over with."

The smile Harvey gave Mike was so ironic Mike could feel it. The nodding of his head, the sarcastic way he spat back at the lawyer with all of the anger he probably wanted to aim at Mike, the young man could swear his heart would just give out any second. If only he were so lucky. "How about this," Harvey started again after he'd seriously pissed off his opposing counsel. "Tell me exactly what happened, Mike."

"We'll answer questions only, Mr. Spe-"

"I got kicked out of school," Mike blurted out, pretending he didn't feel the glare his court appointed attorney shot him. "I'm making less than minimum wage. Grammy is sick and I can't afford her medication. Trevor offered me a quick job so that I could take care of her. Did you know she's in a home now? And her rent is more than mine?"

When he finally risked a peeking glance at Harvey, up from beneath his scowl, he saw not a glimmer of who he used to know on the man's face. Just hard eyes, and lips pressed so tightly together that they were white.

"Well, now that you've basically pled guilty," The attorney snarled, "I'm going to go talk to the judge and get a new prosecutor. Clearly this one can't be professional like he said." He stood up from his chair roughly and shouted over his shoulder, "don't say a word to anyone Mr. Ross. Harvey, please step out of the room while my client isn't with his counsel."

"That's alright, Mike and I needed some time to catch up."

"Out, Mr. Specter."

Ignoring the other man, Harvey kept his gaze fixed on the blond in front of him. He was skinnier than he remembered, with deeper, darker bags. His hair was the same though, blond and terrible, just the way he liked it. "You're not a criminal, Mike. You committed a crime but that's not the same thing."

"Isn't it, Harvey? 'Cause I'm pretty sure according to the law-"

"I know what the law says," Harvey cut him off. "And you're not it. See, I don't know what you are, exactly. But I do know that I severely overestimated you. I thought that since you were dumb enough to not ditch Trevor before, that losing me might get your ass moving but just look at you now Mike, kicked out of Harvard Law, and a felon."

"I never made it to Harvard," Mike sneered, jaw clenching and unclenching while he let the words sink in. "I took a test for Trevor. I needed money for Grammy. I took another test, and another, until finally I took a test for the Dean's niece and I got caught, and Harvard retracted their acceptance."

"Mike," Harvey breathed, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. "You fucking idiot."

"Well, at least now you know what I am. A fucking idiot felon. I'm sure you must be glad to know me."

"I'm ready to make a deal," Harvey finally looked up to the fuming defendant, still gesturing for him to leave.

"How can you be ready to make a deal? We just sat down. Oh, and I'm replacing you, remember? Get out of my case."

"One year probation, community service, and Mr. Ross has to show that he's a stand-up citizen by going back to school. Think you can stay out of trouble for a year, Mike? Or are we just going to end up here again?"

"Fuck you, Harvey," Mike dropped his fist onto the table and the sound reverberated throughout the room.

"Do we have a deal?" He asked, this time to the lawyer, who sighed and returned to the table.

"Take the deal, Mike."

"Harvey can't offer that, the judge has to-"

"Take the deal, Mike." The lawyer repeated.

Crossing his arms like a petulant child, Mike spat out his consent.

"Good boy," Harvey said with a voice that was still stone cold.

Hours later, Mike was walking out onto the cold street, still in the suit he wore yesterday - only this time, he didn't have a suitcase full of pot.

"You're welcome," a voice said from behind him and he whirled around to scowl again at Harvey.

"You want me to thank you? Damn it, Harvey, did you really think this would work? You think I'm going to be let back into school? Into Harvard?"

Harvey just shrugged and turned around, heading to a black town car that appeared to be waiting for him. "It's your life, Mike," he shouted without turning around. "Do whatever you want with it, but I'm not bailing you out again."

"Are you saying that you posted my bail?" He cursed under his breath, wanting so badly to hit something. "Fuck you."

Harvey turned around and stalked back to him. "Want to?" He questioned, licking his lips angrily. "I don't know what happened to you, Mike, but you went from genius to moron overnight."

"I didn't ask for this!" His arms were up in the air. "I didn't ask to get stuck with all of these expensive responsibilities that I can't afford. It's impossible, Harvey! There was nothing else I could do without both Grammy and I getting stuck on the street!"

"You could have stuck with me," his voice was hard but the mask across his eyes was cracking. "You'd have one semester left and then you could have come worked with me. We could have done anything. You would have been fine."

"Would I have been?" He waited, though Harvey knew he wasn't really supposed to answer. "With you? I'd somehow magically have come up with the money to pay everything I needed to pay? Or is it just that if I'd stayed with you that Grammy wouldn't have gotten sick? You think being a bartender would have gotten me through? 'Cause let me tell you, Harvey, it didn't."

Harvey just shook his head, turning around and heading back to the car. He said something else but Mike didn't hear it. Maybe he wasn't supposed to.

What a day it had been. Or rather, what a life it had been.

The walk back to the hotel was a long one, and that evening was much colder than it had been the morning he'd put on the now crumpled and filthy suit. He was shivering by the time he was unlocking his bike (he was lucky it was still there) and his nose felt frozen by the time he pulled up outside of the long-term care home. He looked like shit but he had never missed a Wednesday night bingo game with Grammy since she'd moved into the place.

"Oh, Michael!" She started when she saw him. Her eyes softened. "Job interview? Hot date?" She teased, knowing he'd tell her the reason for his terrible, filthy state when he was ready.

"Oh, haha Grammy," he smiled, bending down to kiss her cheek.

"You're late for bingo, Michael," she tutted, pointing to a have melted smoothie on her side table. "I didn't want to go without you. A really nice PSW brought that for when you arrived. It's chocolate and strawberry, he remembered it was your favourite," she winked.

With a roll of his eyes, he picked up the drink and took a sip, realizing how hungry he was. "What's the crunchy thing?"

"I don't know, they put lots of stuff in there to make it healthy. It could be anything."

He shrugged, not really caring because at the end of the day, it was a kick ass smoothie and who was he to complain about free food?

They ended up making it for the second half of bingo, and Mike stayed late to watch the late night news with Grammy's floor mates. Mostly, he was just glad to see her enjoying herself, laughing and making jokes with people that Mike was counting his blessings for. He didn't expect her to move in and become fast friends with everyone in there. He was so relieved he could kiss each and every one of them. Except for Mrs. McRay. He would not kiss Mrs. McRay.

The rest of the week was uneventful - something that Mike was glad for. He was able to pick up extra runs with his company, getting some good miles in on his bike. He'd also applied for school - which he had to do, court order - and had applied for a few new jobs. He even had an interview for one of those jobs in an hour.

"Thanks, John," he nodded as he took his daily pay from his manager. "See you tomorrow." The man didn't so much an nod an answer, but Mike was used to it. John was the silent type. Unless he was mad. So as far as Mike was concerned, silence was like a hug when it came to John.

"How are you Mr. Ross?" An absolutely beautiful, absolutely terrifying, absolutely way taller than him woman asked, shaking his hand when he entered her office.

"I'm quite well, thanks. Yourself?"

"I'm well, Mr. Ross. Please take a seat."

He did as he was told, and watched as she sat down behind her desk as if the movement was a part of the worlds best ballet.

"So you're applying to work in the mail room?"

"Anything actually. See I'm going back to school, hopefully to finish my JD and I really just want any experience I can in a law firm."

She squinted down at his resume in front of her, already printed out and ready before he arrived. "We have many openings at Pearson Hardman. And actually, as unusual as it is, if you want experience I'd be able to give it to you, if you're selected Mr. Ross. You could most definitely work in the mail room, but for your first week or two I would want to put you as the assistant to one of our lawyers. I see here that you have experience in the legal field already and if you can work with this guy for a few shifts, you'll do just fine in the field."

He knew he had the job two days later. Honestly, he didn't think he'd get it, what, with his fresh record and all, but Jessica Pearson apparently loved his persistence and determination to get into law that she thought he'd be a really promising employee. What luck.

He would keep his courier job as well, and save up as fast as he could to get away from Trevor. Harvey was right, though he hated to admit it. If he wanted to get anywhere in life, he had to get away from Trevor. The thought hurt. But his other option was worse.

Grammy was thrilled. He was thrilled, is he was being honest. But if heard what Ms. Pearson said correctly at the start of his first shift, he was ready to turn and run for the hills.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"I said, Mr. Specter may not be the easiest man to work with, but if you impress him you'd be getting a letter of recommendation from New York's fastest growing lawyer."

"I, uhh,"

"Mr. Ross?"

"I-"

"Jessica, I told you I don't need a new-" Harvey stopped in his tracks in the long hallway of Pearson Hardman.

"Harvey, it was not a request, it was an order. This is Michael Ross, your assistant until the company sends in a new temp. He has enough experience to keep you from crashing and burning until then. Not. Another. Word." Her glare shut him up and she turned and stalked away like a god. And maybe here she was.

"Get out."

"Harvey I didn't know-"

"I said, out."

After a moment, Mike took a breath and followed Harvey down the hall.

"I thought you were working for the DA?"

"I am."

"So then why-"

"It's none of your business."

"Shit, Harvey."

"I'm not going to tell you again, Mike, get out."

Again, Mike decided to follow after Harvey, getting into his office before the door finished closing.

"This is your office?"

"Mike!"

"Harvey, please, it's just for a few days and then I'll be moving to the mail room. I'm trying to fix my life. I swear to you after this you won't have to see me again."

Harvey ignored him, sitting down behind a desk that if Mike didn't know any better, would make him think Harvey was overcompensating for something. Really, the whole office screamed I am amazing and you should fear me.

"Please, Harvey. And then you won't have to see me again."

"Your desk is outside."

"Thank you, I-"

"Go."

"Yes, sir." He left before Harvey could change his mind.