Hi! This is the first AU I've attempted and this is an idea that's been bouncing around in my head for nearly a year now and I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm hoping it'll be anywhere between 10-20 chapters but we'll see how it goes!
As much as this is a Darvey AU, as I began outlining it i realized it also takes on a minor Machel AU (Hi Machel fans!) and I hope ya'll enjoy Chapter 1!
Pearson Hardman, June 2007
It had been a busy year at Pearson Hardman, one of New York City's greatest law firms and Mike Ross found himself staring out the window at the skyline as he settled into his new office. He'd been working at this promotion for years and he'd finally made it. He smiles to himself thinking about the etched glass that read, Mike Ross Senior Partner; it was about damn time. He'd been working at Pearson Hardman since he was a first-year associate, fresh out of law school and had spent the better part of the last decade as a junior partner. Now here he was, a senior partner before the age of forty.
His initial promotion to junior partner had been exciting, he finally received his own office and a secretary to go with it, the same secretary that now sat outside his new office, Donna. They'd been working together for the past five years and if he had time for friends, he'd like to think she'd be one. It's not as though the pair would ever spend time together after hours, but she was pleasant towards him and they got along well. God, he sounded so anti-social by saying that, if he had time for friends. It's not like he was so much of a workaholic all he did was work, but he also wasn't much of a womanizer. In reality, most of his free time was spent with his 5-year-old daughter, Claire. Her mother would drop her off on weekends and Mike enjoyed every second he got to spend with her, which unfortunately didn't leave him much time for a social life.
Interrupting his thoughts, the red head strolls into his office to tell him his afternoon meeting got pushed back an hour and he offers her a genuine smile before thanking her and flipping his laptop open, a notification popping up to remind him of his sister's birthday dinner later that evening. He makes his way over to Donna's desk and clears his throat to get her attention.
"You know we have the intercom for a reason, right?" she jokes.
"That's not very personal. Why would I use that when I can easily just walk out here and tell you in person?"
"I just wanted to make sure Sophie's dinner was in my calendar?" he adds.
"7 o'clock" she smiles up at her boss.
"Thanks Donna" he nods, before making his way up the hall.
She'd been working for Mike Ross for nearly six years and couldn't complain if she tried. He was an excellent boss who always went above and beyond to help make her job easier. He often refused to use the intercom because he found it impersonal and preferred to interact with her face-to-face, which she found refreshing in the world of corporate law. When she'd first been assigned to his desk, she was a bundle of nerves; according to the other secretaries, new junior partners always tended to be on a power trip, but she was so sick of sitting at the main reception desk she was willing to try anything. She'd lucked out because Mike Ross was perhaps the only corporate lawyer in the world who was not taken in by a title, rather he was humble and hard-working.
She knew life hadn't been kind to the man, his wife left him a year after she came to work for him and took their then year-old daughter with her. After years of battling it out in court she knew he now got to see Claire on weekends, which meant he never worked weekends or stayed late on Fridays, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the other partners. She felt bad for Mike, everyone at the office painted him as a snob who thought he was above working long hours when she knew the truth was he refused to miss out on time with his little girl. She doubted any of the other partners even knew he had a daughter, as he mostly kept to himself and didn't have many friends at the office. She had to hand it to him, despite the mess that was his personal life, he was one hell of a lawyer and an excellent boss.
"Mikeee" Jessica calls into the hall from her office, causing him to stop and peak his head into her open office door.
"Come in" she smiles, motioning for him to take a seat on the sofa.
"Was there something that you needed? Because I have a deposition to prepare for and …"
"We both know why I called you in here. I told you to hire an associate weeks ago and you still haven't done it."
"That's because I don't have time to mentor some kid."
"You do, and you will. Which is why I set up the interviews for tomorrow afternoon. And Mike, I mean it you better hire somebody, or I'll do it for you."
.
.
Harvey Specter had been studying his ass off to become a lawyer for the better part of the past five years. There was only one small problem, he couldn't exactly afford to go to law school. Despite working hours on end to try and save up enough for tuition, it seemed a family emergency or a sudden increase in rent would always yank away his chance to be a part of this year's law class. And so, he found himself sneaking into classes and reading textbooks along with the Harvard Law Class of 2007 every semester for the past three years. He'd enjoyed listening in, even if he had to hide in the back of the classroom and couldn't actually participate, he felt as though he'd learned enough in his three years to truly become a lawyer.
Some days, he forgot he wasn't a real student at Harvard and other days – days like today; the graduation day for the class of 2007, he was easily reminded that he wasn't really one of them. Moving back to New York for the summer, he was hoping to land an entry level job at any firm or clinic that would take him. Dressed in his best suit, he stops to grab a coffee from the cart on the corner of 53rd on his way to drop off yet another resume when he spots the folder the suited man in front of him had dropped. Picking up the folder, he helps the man gather the scattered forms that had fallen out, glancing briefly at the top form before handing the stack back him.
"A wrongful termination suit must be a tough one" he jokes as the man takes the forms from his hand.
"Boring, if you ask me" the man answers, paying for his coffee and stepping out of the way so Harvey can order.
"How can a case like that ever be boring?" he asks, grabbing his drink and moving towards the man.
"Let me guess kid, you aren't a lawyer?" the man laughs.
"Not yet, but I'm going to be" he smiles back.
He doesn't know why he does it, but suddenly the gears start turning when he hears the kid say he's going to be a lawyer and all he can hear is Jessica telling him he has to hire an associate. He can't pinpoint exactly why, but all he knows is he likes this kid, there's something different about him. He reminds him of a younger, less good-looking version of himself and he decides then and there that if this kid checks out, he'll be the newest associate at Pearson Hardman.
"Mike Ross" he sticks out his hand and introduces himself.
"Harvey Specter"
"So, Harvey Specter, you're going to be a lawyer, are you?"
"Well, it's complicated…" Harvey begins
"Why don't you take a walk with me and tell me what's so complicated about it."
.
.
"You want me to be your associate?" Harvey repeats Mike's words back to him, "Even though I just told you I haven't officially gone to law school?"
"Look kid, you're smart, you've attended all the mandatory classes, and at Harvard no less, and you're not like the typical stiffs they send us for interviews. If you want the job, it's yours."
"I'll take it" Harvey stares back in disbelief.
"Come by the office this afternoon and we can work out the details" Mike hands him a business card with the firms address and turns to walk away.
"Oh, and Harvey, your little law school stunt, that stays between us" he calls as he walks away, leaving Harvey alone on the street, business card in hand; the biggest opportunity of his career awaiting him.
Walking back to the office Mike lets a small smile spread across his face. He can't pinpoint exactly why he did it, but something about that kid screamed lawyer and he felt obligated to give him a chance. Maybe Donna was right, he was going soft and fell sucker to the kid's sob story. Maybe he was bored in his everyday routine and looking for some way to keep him on his toes, or maybe he saw something in the kid that reminded him of a younger version of himself. Regardless of why he did it, he had formally offered him a job and there was no going back now. He knew Jessica wouldn't approve of his choice of associate, but he'd never been a complete pushover and decided if he stood his ground on this one and made sure she didn't know he hadn't actually attended law school, that this would work itself out.
Harvey stays seated on a park bench sipping his coffee in disbelief as he watches Mike walk away. Did that really just happen? Was he really just offered a job as an associate at one of the biggest law firms in the city? He hadn't even gone to law school for god's sake. Well, okay, technically he had attended law school, he just hadn't been registered for it. He was positive Mike had been kidding until he began to quiz him on his knowledge of the law and asked him how he did on the LSAT's, then he began doubting that the guy was joking about offering him a job. He did have a pretty decent LSAT score, so he supposes it wouldn't hurt to swing by the address Mike had given him to see if this was a serious offer. If it wasn't, he would just move on with his day and pretend it never happened, because really, what was the worst thing that could happen if he showed up?
.
.
The elevator door chimes and opens to reveal a marble floored lobby, filled with well dressed people all seeming to be in some type of hurry. He stumbles out of the elevator, suddenly extremely aware of his own attire, a white dress shirt rolled to the elbows and grey pants, wishing he had thought to go home and grab a jacket and a tie before coming here. Waiting at the reception desk, he glances over at the silver letters lining the wall that read Pearson Hardman before the young women opposite the desk clears her throat and asks how she can help him.
"I'm here to see Mike Ross" he tells her while fiddling with the handle of his briefcase.
"Is he expecting you?" she eyes him curiously.
"Yes" he nods.
"Down the hall and on the right" she directs, turning her attention back to her computer screen without bothering to ask if he needed further help of clarification.
He wanders down the hall, peaking through the glass walled offices as he goes, watching as the residents of each office continued to work as he made his way past. He pauses to observe an empty office decorated like something out of a catalog, accessorized with pale blues and silver, not a paper out of place. This must be a female's office, he thinks to himself, looking towards the engravement on the door to see that he was right, it read Rachel Zane, Senior Partner. Continuing down the hall, a short balding man looks up from his desk and makes eye contact with him before proceeding to talk into something Harvey had never seen before, his eyes catching the name Louis Litt on the door as he turns a corner and heads to the right.
Down the hall, on the right, he repeats to himself, looking for anything that might say the name Mike Ross but instead he finds that the last room on the right appears to be a kitchen. He pops his head inside to see if he can spot Mike, but the room is empty except for a red head who's back is to him as she pours a cup of coffee. He's about to turn and head back up the hall when he hears her call out to him,
"If you're here for coffee, you're going to need to make a new pot."
"How did you…"
"Know you were there, it's what I do" she turns around and offers him a smile before gesturing towards the cupboard where the coffee is kept.
He's caught off guard by how beautiful she is, pale skin littered with freckles and piercing hazel eyes sitting behind an adorable smile. Before he knows what he's doing, he's made his way over to the coffee maker and begins brewing a fresh pot.
Once the machine starts running, he turns towards where she's pouring an absurd amount of sugar into her coffee, taking in the form fitting black dress she's wearing and smiles to himself.
"Do you need some coffee to add to that sugar?" he smirks at her.
"Let me guess, you're one of those guys who think it's manly to drink black coffee" she rolls her eyes as she brings her mug to her lips and takes a quick sip.
He reaches into the cupboard he saw her grab a mug from when he entered and grabs himself a cup, filling it with the freshly brewed coffee and taking a sip without adding anything.
"I knew it, you're one of thooose assholes who think they're better then everyone because they prefer their coffee black" she huffs.
"Can I be one of those lactose intolerant assholes instead?" he quips, taking another sip from mug and watching as she struggles to come up with a witty remark. When she can't think of a snarky comeback she turns to leave the kitchen when he calls out to her,
"That was fun, we should do it again sometime."
"We'll see" she smirks before strutting out of the kitchen, aware he would be watching her walk away.
.
.
"Mike, don't forget about the interviews tomorrow" Donna calls into his office.
"Won't be necessary."
"But Jessica said…"
"I know what Jessica said, I hired an associate this afternoon."
"From where?"
"We met at the coffee cart" he says, making his way over to her desk and leaning against it.
"You hired an associate you met at the coffee cart?" she stares back at him.
"Yup. There he is now" he gestures to the dark-haired man approaching her desk.
"Donna, this is Harvey…"
"Specter" he finishes, extending his hand to shake her outreached palm.
"Harvey, this is my secretary, Donna"
"We've had the pleasure of meeting actually" he says, a sly grin playing across his lips.
"Let's get to it, shall we" Mike gestures into his office and closes the door behind him, motioning for Harvey to take a seat across from him.
"Alright. First things first I've been thinking a lot about this" Mike begins.
"And you can't hire me" Harvey finishes for him, certain that was where this conversation was headed.
"No, now let me finish, would you? What I was going to say was I've been thinking, do any of the other Harvard graduates know who you are?"
"No, not by name anyways" Harvey nods, nervously folding his hands in his lap.
"Perfect, then we're going to go with this. You graduated from Harvard a few years back, went back home for a few years to help take care of a sick family member and then moved back to the city looking for a job, got it?"
"But I don't have any sick family members?" Harvey stares back at the older man.
"Well, you're going to pretend you did if you want a job as my associate without having gone to law school" Mike smiles back, proud of the plan he'd come up with.
"He what?!" Donna calls over the intercom
"Donna, you know how I feel about that thing" Mike sighs, gesturing for the red head to join them in his office.
"Were you listening the entire time?" Harvey asks her as she joins him on the couch.
"It's my job to listen" she answers with a smug smirk. Harvey looks to Mike to disagree but he only shrugs his shoulders in admittance that listening in on his conversations is in fact something his secretary does.
"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" Harvey asks her, wide-eyed.
"Not if you play your cards right," she winks, "I like two sugars in my coffee, just so you know" she adds, crossing one leg over the other as she turns towards the new associate.
"Alright, if you two are done I have a meeting to get to. Harvey, you'll start first thing tomorrow. Don't forget you'll need a coat and a proper tie. If you haven't got one for tomorrow, you're welcome to borrow one of mine. Donna will get you my cell number in case you need anything, and she can also answer any questions you may have. I have a feeling we're going to make a great team" Mike smiles before reaching out and shaking Harvey's hand.
"Oh, and this little secret stays between the three of us, we're a team now" he beams, "Donna, do you mind giving Harvey the tour?"
"Not at all" she answers, not wasting any time she's nearly halfway down the hall by time Harvey realizes he's supposed to be following her.
"On the left we have the partners offices. If they aren't in their office they're probably busy, so don't bother waiting around. Down that hall is the partner's kitchen, associates don't get to use it" she turns and stares at him as they pass the kitchen they met in earlier.
"Oops" he mumbles and continues to follow her down the hall.
"That" she points to a large corner office at the end of the hall, "Is Jessica's office, she's the managing partner. Stay in her good books and you're golden, piss her off and you're in for a long few years."
He follows her across the lobby where she pauses to greet a few people in suits and joins her in the elevator where she presses the button for the 46th floor.
"So, what about you, what's your story?" he asks.
"My story?" she clarifies, turning to face him.
"Ya, you know mine and I want to know yours" he replies. Before she can answer the elevator chimes indicating they had reached the 46th floor and he follows as she moves from the elevator towards a large open area filled with cubicles.
"This," she points to a vacant desk behind him, "is where you'll sit. This is the bullpen where all the first-year associates live. Louis Litt oversees the associates, but you report directly to Mike, though Louis is pretty quiet so I can't see you having a problem with anything. Any questions?" she blinks up at him.
"Just one, how long have you worked here?" he smiles at her and plops himself down at his soon-to-be desk.
"About six years. Once I finished school in public relations I worked as a receptionist in the lobby before I went to work for Mike."
"Now, was that so hard" he smirks and tosses her an obnoxious wink.
"Do you always flirt you women you just meet?"
"Only the beautiful ones. You thought I was flirting with you?"
"I know you were flirting with me" she struts away, leaving him standing alone in the bullpen.
After catching up with Donna at her desk on the 50th floor Harvey asks if there is anything else he should do to prepare for his first day and she suggests getting some sleep while he can because once he starts work a good nights sleep will be hard to come by.
"What do you think of him" Harvey asks as he leans against her desk, "As a boss I mean" he clarifies, looking towards where Mike is making his way down the hall back towards them.
"He's as incredible a boss as he is a lawyer. Very fair, always putting others first, always playing by the rules. What he's doing hiring you, I'll never understand" she chuckles at the last part of her statement.
"Maybe he thinks I have potential" Harvey protests, folding his arms across his chest.
"No matter how much potential you have, I can tell you right now, you are trouble" she pokes a finger into his chest.
"Do you like trouble?" he raises an eyebrow at her playfully.
"Oh god. Alright, let's get one thing out of the way right now. If we're all going to work together, you've got to stop with the corny pick up lines."
"My pick-up lines are not corny!" he exclaims and is met with a dramatic eye roll.
"Alright, alright, for you, I'll stop" he concedes.
"Good. And for the record, I'm way out of your league" she flirts, as she strolls into Mike's office and places a stack of forms on his desk. Harvey watches as she walks back to her desk and then turns his attention to where Mike is now crossing paths with the brunette he saw this morning.
"H-h-hey Rachel" Mike stutters as they walk by the lanky brunette.
"Mike" she nods at him before turning into her office.
"What was that all about?" Harvey whispers to Donna.
"He's been in love with her since she moved here three years ago. One of the most brilliant lawyers I know but he forgets how to use full sentences around her" Donna answers.
"Aw, that's sort of sweet, have you ever thought of setting them up?"
"He'd never go for it."
"I wasn't thinking you'd tell him about it" Harvey beams while trailing after Mike towards the elevator.
.
.
As per usual, the next morning she's one of the first people at the office, which is why the coffee cup placed on her desk throws her off. She picks it up and notices something is written across the cup in marker.
2 sugars. Playing my cards right.
She shakes her head and takes a sip, she had to admit, that was smooth.
