Trouble is Always Around the Corner

Prompt for: Guest #2

Kid!Mike with Harvey as the dad.

Something different, but I'm gonna give it my best shot! Enjoy

(Mike is 13 and Harvey is a single dad- but still New York's best goddamn closer ;))

"But Dad, this is the third time," a thirteen year old Mike whined. He was standing outside his school on the nearest payphone. It was cold and he knew a storm was getting close…but stupid him didn't think he would need a coat and left it at home despite his father's words. "And it's gonna rain soon, I don't have my jacket."

"And whose fault is that?" Harvey Specter said on the other end of the line. "I told you to bring it but you didn't listen to me. Sorry kiddo, you're gonna have to walk home again. I have a meeting to go to and more work to finish up after that. I won't be home until late."

"What about Ray? Can't he pick me up?" He really didn't like walking home at this time of day. It was always so crowded and he was so small compared to all the adults. He was probably the shortest in his grade.

"Ray has the day off. Besides, you need the fresh air. You didn't do anything this weekend but read."

"You're always working," Mike said angrily. "Why can't you be home for once?"

"I have a job, Mike and it's very important."

"Apparently more important than your son," the blonde mumbled. He was pretty lippy for his age, but he got that trait from his dad. He got a lot of behaviors from his dad…like he was good at getting what he wanted- most of the time- and he loved to argue.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you even care about me at all?"

"Mike, I'm not arguing with you right now. We'll talk about this tonight. Call me when you get home."

Mike ground his teeth. He was so pissed. "I hate you." And with that, he hung up the phone without letting Harvey get out another word. Hiking his backpack higher on his shoulders, he began the half hour trek home.

Harvey pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration as Mike hung up after saying the one thing a parent dreaded to hear from their child. The kid was really being a pain in his ass lately. Always talking back and not listening…he always had to question him it was annoying. Maybe it was a just a phase…he hoped it was just a phase. But he did feel guilty for making his son walk home for the third time this week when it took nearly thirty minutes and that's if the foot traffic was light. He wished he could call him back right now, but Mike didn't have a cellphone. He needed to get that kid a cellphone. Maybe tonight after work he would go buy one. Yeah, that's what he was going to do and maybe he'll get the boy's favorite cheese pizza with stuffed crust and some root beer. With a small smile, he stood up and grabbed his things for the meeting that he honestly didn't want to go to. He prayed that Donna would come up with an excuse to get him out like the last time.

Mike heatedly walked home, getting shoved by other citizens that "didn't see him." Why did his dad have to work all the time? Why couldn't he just take one hour out of the day to bring him home? Especially when it looked like it was about to rain and the wind was really starting to pick up. He turned the corner, roughly getting bumped again and he was fed up. Mike decided to take a short cut through the alley and that way there will be no one in his way. He was halfway down the passage when he bumped into something tall and soft. When he looked up from his glare at the ground, his heart raced at the person he saw.

"Shit." It was Aaron Cody, the school bully. And the guy hated him…especially after he ratted on the guy today. He nearly got beat up, but someone shouted for a teacher before it could escalate.

"Hey, short stuff," Aaron smirked.

"A-Aaron," Mike chuckled nervously as he slowly started to back away.

"Hey Jason, look who it is! It's the smarty pants, golden boy."

Jason? Mike didn't go far when he bumped into another person behind him, blocking his escape. Great, Aaron brought back-up. Two against one.

"Look, I don't want any trouble."

"Too bad. You started it at school today and we're gonna end it. Right here, right now. No teacher to save you this time, Mikey."

"What do you want from me?" Mike said, trying to hide the tremor in his voice. Dad said never to show fear to your enemies.

"Well, if you want us to let you pass this time, give me your money," Aaron sneered.

"I…I don't have any money."

"Then I guess you're gonna have to pay the toll another way."

In a blur, Mike felt his arms wrenched behind him, Jason gripping his biceps tightly and no amount of squirming could get him out. These guys were three years older than him and not to mention a hell of a lot bigger, too.

"Please…don't do this."

But Aaron didn't listen and began punching Mike brutally in the stomach. Pain erupted in his ribs and the wind was knocked out of his lungs. The bully wouldn't even let him take in a single breath. Black spots danced in his vision when he started to feel lightheaded; he thought it would never end, but Aaron finally stopped…only to start striking him in the face. His head snapped back and he could feel blood gushing from his nose and trickling down the back of his throat. His legs folded underneath him, but Jason wouldn't let him go anywhere. They were gonna kill him if he didn't fight back. In a surge of adrenaline, he rammed his head back, knocking it into Jason's nose and forcing him to let go and tend to his own injuries. While he was distracted, Mike wasted no time kicking Aaron in the jewels.

"You little bitch!" Aaron shouted in pain, bending over and holding his crotch.

Mike took this time to clock Aaron in the jaw and send him to the ground. He used this opportunity to grab his bag by the shoulder strap, not bothering to put it on, and run for the exit of the alley…to the safety of the crowd.

Aaron scrambled to his feet, fuming with rage. He grabbed the revolver, he stole from his dad's drawer, from his pocket and pointed it at Mike's retreating form; without another thought, he pulled the trigger and Mike dropped seconds later.

"Fuck." He was frozen to the spot…he couldn't believe he actually shot someone.

"Aaron, what the hell?! I thought we were just gonna beat him up a little not fucking kill him! I didn't sign up for this!" Jason shouted, staunching the blood coming from his nose.

"I-I…" he was unable to form words. Mike wasn't moving. "Lets get out of here!" Aaron tossed the smoking gun in the dumpster before he and Jason ran in the opposite direction and out of sight…leaving Mike alone to die.

~+SUITS+~

The pain of the gunshot had made Mike blackout for a minute, but now he was awake...and hurting. His face and hands stung from scraping them against the pavement when he fell and his breathing was raspy and erratic as his eyes rolled around, scanning the area. God, his entire body was screaming…why did he pick the alley? Never go in the alley; he watched plenty of scary movies and should've known nothing good came out of going down one. He wanted his dad…he was scared and hurt and alone.

Mike, get your ass up and get help. You're stronger than this. His father's voice played in head. Just get to the street and you'll be okay. The man was right; now's not the time to give up. Exhaling shakily, Mike rolled onto his back with a cry; he tucked his chin against his chest and pressed a trembling hand to the area that felt wet. His palm came back soaked and red.

"Oh god." Dad's gonna kill me. Tears rolled down his cheeks, feeling extremely nauseous all of a sudden. Sucking in a breath, he got onto his hands and knees before weakly standing on legs made of spaghetti. His vision tunneled and the ground rocked back and forth. He could hear his frantic heartbeat in his ears, muffling all the other sounds around him. He had to get to the street. Get to the street and he'll be okay. His kept his hand against the bullet wound and staggered towards the end. Shit, the pain was unbearable…getting shot was definitely not what they showed in the movies. He started wheezing, hunching over more than before, nearly unable to keep upright. Almost there. Almost there. It seemed like a lifetime, but he finally reached the sidewalk and crashed into people.

"Oh my god!" A woman shouted. He wished she would stop shouting. His head was pounding. "Someone call 911! This boy's been shot!" He felt warm hands grab his face gently, trying to get his attention…but it was so difficult. He was so tired.

"Are…'kay? Can…ear me?" She said, looking into his glazed over eyes. Mike blinked in confusion. Her words were distorted and her face was blurry.

"Honey?" Her voice was echoing.

His chest was tight and the pain in his stomach intensified. Unable to stay conscious any longer, Mike's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell limp in the woman's arms. The last thought he had was of his dad…he prayed that he would wake up and apologize…to say he didn't hate him.

Harvey rubbed his eyes in exhaustion, bored out of his freakin skull. The meeting had only been going on for a little over half an hour…which Mike should be home by now. He wondered why he hadn't gotten a call yet. He glanced at his watch and chewed the inside of his cheek. There was an uneasy feeling in his stomach -call it a father's intuition- that something was wrong. If Mike was avoiding him because of their little argument, he was gonna kill the kid for making him worry. He let out another stifled yawn as Jessica droned on about budget cuts that he couldn't give two shits about. His job was safe and Donna's job was safe. That's all that mattered. Speaking of Donna, where was she and when was she gonna break him out of this jail? He glanced out the glass doors and right on cue, Donna was padding down the hallway towards them. Harvey sat up in his seat, hiding a smile and started getting ready to leave.

"Harvey, I need to speak with you. It's an emergency," the secretary said after she opened the door.

Nodding casually, he got up and went out into the hallway away from the conference room. And the second he got a look of her face, he knew she had a real reason for getting him out of the meeting.

"Donna, what is it?" He said, trying to get a read on her expression.

Fearful tears were in her eyes and her lips were pursed in sympathy. Harvey gently grabbed her shoulders, needing an answer. "Donna!"

"You got a call from the hospital. Mike was shot."

It was a huge blow to the stomach, all the air leaving his lungs. Mike was shot. Mike was shot. Mike was shot. He leaned against the wall to catch his bearings, trying to breathe. He felt really sick right now. "W-When?" He choked.

"Thirty minutes ago."

"Is he…is he okay?"

"They wouldn't tell me."

Harvey closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. "Jesus Christ." That would explain why Mike didn't call him. "I um…I gotta go." He briskly walked to his office to grab his wallet and coat. He was on autopilot, his whole body numb. His son was shot and it was his fault; he had been an ass to the kid and made him walk home. He would never forgive himself if this ended badly. Mike was the only one he had left in his life and he couldn't lose him. He really couldn't. "W-We're my phone?" He said as he made his way to the elevators.

"In your coat pocket."

"I need to call-"

"Ray. I already did. He's downstairs."

Harvey got into the elevator and turned around to look at her. "Thank you." And the doors slid shut.

The whole ride to the hospital was agonizing and nerve-wracking. He, the Great Harvey Specter, was never scared…but right now he was freaking out. By the time he got there, he jumped out of the car and ran inside the building, demanding to see his son.

"Michael Ross Specter, where is he? He was brought in half an hour ago. I got a call."

"You need to calm down, Mr. Specter," the nurse behind the desk said before getting up and coming around.

"Don't tell me to calm down! My son was shot!"

"He's in surgery, sir. There's no news on him right now, so just take a seat." She handed him a clipboard with papers on it. "Fill these out and his doctor will be out shortly."

Grumbling in frustration, Harvey reluctantly took the clipboard and walked over to sit in an empty chair.

An hour passed and Harvey still had no answers. He was restless and kept pacing, glancing at the double door ever few minutes to see if the doctor would come out. He couldn't lose his son…he wouldn't be able to live with the guilt if he died. Please be okay, buddy. Please. Another couple of minutes went by and he was about to go storming past the doors when a man came out and walked over to him.

"Mr. Specter, here for Michael?"

"Yes, that's me. How's he doing?"

"I'm Dr. Wilder, I operated on your son. Mike is stable at the moment," he smiled warmly.

Harvey let a sigh of relief, the weight on his chest lifting. "What happened?"

"He was shot in the left abdomen, the bullet entering from the back and exiting out the front. It was through and through, missing the bone but it perforated the intestine and lacerated a kidney; the cavitation caused severe trauma to his liver. He suffered major blood loss as well. He's lucky they got him here when they did. If not, he'd be dead."

"God," Harvey breathed. It had been too close.

"We transfused back the blood he lost, cleaned and stitched the damage during the surgery. He has a slight fever, but holding on his own. I'm not gonna lie, Mike has a tough fight ahead of him."

Harvey nodded. "Can I see him now?"

"Of course, right this way. We have him up on the third floor on ICU."

When they got upstairs, Harvey saw Mike in a large room with glass walls. He rushed ahead of the doctor and the sliding doors opened, letting him into the quiet area. "Oh Mike." The kid was pale and his face was bruised and swollen with a black eye. An oxygen mask covered his nose and mouth, puffs of air creating spots of condensation on the plastic.

"What's wrong with his face?" He stammered.

"He was like that when they found him at the scene. His nose was broken, he had a few cracked ribs and a small bump on the back of his head, but nothing too serious. It looks like he was attacked prior to being shot. The police came before we stitched up the wound to collect evidence. They're gonna catch the bastard who did this."

Harvey clenched his jaw. Someone had did this to Mike. Someone had shot his kid. And that someone was going to get their ass handed to them. Or worse.

"I'd like him to stay here for at least a week before he can go home. Visiting hours are over at nine, but since you're his father, I can make an exception and let you stay the night. The anesthesia is still wearing off, so he probably won't wake up until tomorrow morning. Even then, he still might not be lucid."

"Thank you."

"If you need anything, the nurses are right across the hall." Dr. Wilder left, the door swishing close and leaving Harvey alone with his son…his quiet, too still son. Mike was always fidgeting but now…his eyelids were barely twitching. Wiping his mouth, Harvey sat down next to his son's bed, observing the thirteen year old. Mike's left arm was resting over his bobbing chest, a gray clip on the tip of his index finger, while his right arm was outstretched on the bed with an IV protruding from the crook of his elbow. The gown's sleeves were short and he could see hand shaped bruises around both Mike's arms and he knew the kid had been held against his will. Pursing his lips, Harvey grabbed Mike's cold hand with one of his own while brushing back the sweaty strands of blonde hair with the other.

"Mike…I'm so sorry buddy. I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm sorry I'm barely ever there for you when you need me, but it's going to change…I promise." He stroked Mike's forehead with his thumb and inhaled. How could he have been so stupid? He knew how New York got and a thirteen year old walking home alone, even with a crowd, could be dangerous. But it didn't matter now. It was over, Mike was okay and he vowed that he would catch the lowlife who did this. No matter what it took; nobody hurts his family and gets away with it.

Six a.m. The Next Morning

Harvey was sleeping in the uncomfortable hospital chair, still holding his son's hand when he felt a weak twitch, followed by a moan. Immediately he sat up and leaned forward, cupping Mike's cheek. The oxygen mask had been removed and replaced with a nasal cannula now that he was breathing better on his own.

"Michael? Kiddo, can you hear me?"

The blonde's head rolled on the pillow and his eyelids fluttered open with difficulty, revealing tired, drugged up blue eyes. Harvey could tell his son was fighting to stay awake, so he was going to make this quick.

"Mike?"

"D'd," Mike slurred, blinking sluggishly. "C-Came."

"Course I came, buddy," Harvey smiled. "Couldn't leave you here all by yourself."

The corner of Mike's mouth flicked upwards briefly before his eyes started to close.

"Hey, not yet," Harvey said, patting the boy's clammy cheek. "No sleeping yet. You gotta tell me who did this to you."

Mike stared at Harvey with distant eyes, trying to comprehend what was just said.

"Who?" He repeated back to Harvey.

"Yes, who beat you up and shot you?"

The only response he got was Mike closing his eyes again.

"Mike!" He didn't mean to be harsh, but he needed to know.

"A-Aaron…n' Jas'n," the blonde mumbled before whimpering. "It h-hurt so…much, dad."

"I know, Mike. You're gonna be okay, though. You're safe now, just go back to sleep."

Mike barely nodded his head and then succumbed to the darkness. Almost instantly, the smile fell from Harvey's face and he stood up to go and call Donna. He had some business to take care of. He knew very well who Aaron and Jason were; they were Mike's bullies. The kid would come home sometime with a bloody nose or a split lip because of those two. Mike was usually always a target because of how small he was and the fact that he was basically a genius. And now they were both done for.

The next time Mike woke up, he was still tired but a little more clear-headed than before. The room was bright from the morning sun shining through the blinds and it was peacefully quiet. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes he glanced to his left to see a familiar red-head reading a magazine.

"D-Donna?" He whispered.

The woman looked up, startled at first before a smile spread on her face. "Mike, hey sweetie." She smoothed his hair back before squeezing his shoulder gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore…tired." He scanned the room for the one person he wanted most at this time…but he wasn't here. Of course. "Where's my dad?"

Donna sighed. "He's taking care of some business."

Mike rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, more work?"

Donna gave him a look. "Well yeah, working to put those morons that did this to you in jail."

The blonde frowned. "R-Really?"

"Mike, he would do anything for you; he may be married to the job sometimes but he loves you a hell of a lot more…and you know that."

Mike looked down at his hands and pursed his lips. "Yeah…I know."

Donna smirked. Mike was so like his dad, stubborn being the big one. And that's why they butted heads a lot. "Do you want something to eat?" She asked after it was quiet for too long.

Mike peered up at her and grinned. "Jello?"

Donna chuckled. "Coming right up." She stood and left to go find a nurse.

When she was gone, Mike sagged into the pillows with a yawn. He was exhausted and he wanted to sleep but he wanted to wait for his dad also. He shifted in the bed and took this time alone to examine the large room he was in. When he looked over to the nightstand, he noticed that there was a Batman toy sitting on it and knew that his dad had probably gotten it for him. Mike smirked with a roll of his eyes; he was too old for toys and wondered when the man would realize that…but he grabbed it anyways, it giving him a sense of comfort. Another few minutes passed by and neither Donna nor his dad had come back. Yawning, he got comfortable and kept his gaze at the door in case someone did return. But as the minutes ticked by, he found it challenging to keep his eyes open and before he knew it, he nodded off once again, clutching the toy in his hand.

Not long after, Donna returned holding two cups of jello. "Alright kiddo, do you want green or red? You can't have both or your father will get-" but she stopped short when she noticed Mike had fallen asleep. The Batman toy that Harvey bought at the gift shop was held tightly in the boy's grip and it made her smile; it was a heartwarming sight. If only Harvey could see. Donna glimpsed at the clock before going to sit down. That man was taking an awful long time.

"You better get your ass back here, Harvey Specter," she whispered, stroking Mike's arm. "Your son needs you."

Two Hours Later

Harvey was sitting by his son's bed, watching him sleep peacefully. The kid was looking a little better, mind the discoloring bruises, fading scrapes and sunken looking eyes. He felt a surge of warmth in his chest when he saw the Batman doll clutched to his chest. He knew Mike said he was "too old" for toys, but he knew that Mike secretly still liked them. Earlier, he had gone to the police station to talk to his friend who was a detective there. Apparently he had worked the crime scene and found a revolver in the dumpster that belonged to a Michael Hass…but the guy had no clue that his gun had been missing and he was at work all day. So that left the man's son, Aaron. Harvey could see that the boy had bruised knuckles and the crime scene techs had found Mike's blood underneath his fingernails as well as gunshot residue on his hands. But the kid wouldn't talk, however his friend, Jason, was involved too and he broke down about how Aaron wanted to follow Mike and beat him up, but not shoot him. They thought Mike was dead so they ran. Harvey was furious and he wanted to at least punch them for leaving his son to die, but then he would end up and jail too. And Mike didn't need that. He needed to be there for him since he had been doing a pretty crappy job recently. He rested his hand over Mike's and exhaled. "I'm sorry, Mike."

All of a sudden, the blonde's eyelids peeled open and his blue eyes, now clear and alert, were staring back at him. "Dad?"

"Michael," Harvey breathed with a grin. "God, I'm so glad you're okay." He brought the small boy into a hug, being careful not to be rough on the ribs and bruises. Mike hugged back, glad his dad was with him again. When they pulled apart, Mike wiped his nose and looked at Harvey sadly.

"Dad, I'm sorry."

Harvey frowned. "For what, buddy?"

"For saying I hate you…I didn't mean it."

Harvey smirked and ruffled Mike's hair. "I know you didn't Mike. We were both angry and I promise that the job is definitely not more important than you are, okay? I'm gonna work on being there for you more often."

Mike smiled and the two hugged again. "I love you, dad."

"I love you too. And I got a present for you."

Mike's face brightened. "Better than this silly Batman?"

Harvey rolled his eyes. "You know you like it. But yes, way better." He pulled out a box from the drawer of the nightstand and handed it to Mike. The blonde looked at him questionably and then ripped the wrapping paper…and his smile grew ten times wider.

"A cellphone?! Awesome!"

"And…" he pulled out two tickets from his pockets and gave those to Mike also.

"And Yankees tickets?! Are these really real?"

"Yes, Mike they're really real," Harvey chuckled. "Box seat tickets near the dugout and I'm friends with Derek Jeter so we'll get to meet him before the game."

"Wow!" Mike said eagerly and hugged his father tightly, digging his face in the man's shoulder. "Thank you! You're the best dad ever!"

"And?"

"The best goddamn closer in New York," he replied in his best Harvey impression.

Harvey laughed as they pulled away, giving the kid a high five. "Damn straight little man."

"What's with all the commotion?" Donna said brightly, stepping into the room.

"Look what dad got me!" Mike said excitedly as the secretary came around to the other side of the bed.

"Wow! A cellphone? You sure you're old enough for that?" She joked.

As Mike showed off his presents to Donna, Harvey sat back in his chair with a small grin on his face. He had come to close to losing his son, but he was gonna make damn sure something like this would never happen again. New York may be dangerous at times, but he was too when it came to his family. As much as he wanted to punch out those snot-nosed bullies, Aaron was a repeat juvenile offender and therefore getting tried as an adult for assault and attempted murder…so he guessed that made it a little better. He was Harvey Specter and he would beat the shit out of anyone that harmed his son. Anyone.

FIN

I hope you liked it! Not entirely sure if the bully would be tried as an adult since Mike wasn't murdered, but I think he deserved it :p

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