Hey Everyone!

Hopefully everyone had a lovely holiday as well as a Happy New Year! Another thing to be excited about, another update! Yay!

I had no idea why this took so long to update. Call it lack of energy, or laziness. Either way it's the same.

MAX FINALLY FIGURES IT OUT! DUN DUN DUN!

This is one of three chapters that will intertwine with each other, so while there will be pieces finally being filled in this chapter, it will also bring out other pieces that you won't be able to wait for.

Also, you will begin to realize quickly that I am extremely happy Sherlock is finally back.

Enjoy!

P.S. I do not own Suits in any way, shape, or form

"This is Maxine Harris. Please leave your name and number and I will respond as soon as possible."

"Max, pick up the phone please," Mike said to the answering machine of his best friend/orphan-sister as he crossed the wet New York street, half-running, half-dodging cabs and black taxis, "I'm sorry, okay? Harvey and I got screwed in court and I lost track of time," he stumbled as he swerved around a biker, "and I know you're angry and you have every right to be but would you please answer. You're making me nervous."

He paused where he was at the corner.

"Call me back," the blond said as he hung up the phone, looking at the apartment building in front of him. He hadn't been to Max's place in a while, and when he gave up pounding on Harvey's front door, he realized that maybe she wasn't home, rather she was home home. Waving to the receptionist, while also praying he remembered him, he made his way to the elevator, waiting as he arrived onto Max's floor. Curving around the hallway, the elegant 221b stood against the door.

Sighing, his knuckles hit the door softly.

"Max," Mike spoke to the door, hoping there would be someone listening on the other side. "Please, just talk to me."

His forehead made contact with the door, "I'll start re-enacting Waiting for Godot."

As he turned his ear towards the door, he heard the slightest footsteps before the lock on the door unlatched. Grinning at his small victory, he looked up to the door swinging open, along with a very-angry Maxine Harris. Yet the anger didn't come from bailing, it came from a much more serious place.

Mike instantly knew something was seriously wrong.

"Max-"

"You little shit," she cut him off, "You absolute-"

Before Max could continue her attack on Mike, she nudged him to come inside, which he quickly made his way into her home.

Max shut the door harshly, turning the lock with force. She stood there, with her hand on the lock, trying to contain her emotions. Mike was nervous; Max was a type of angry he had never seen. It was as if she was fighting with herself, not knowing how to channel her anger properly. He watched as she took a deep breath, turning around and facing him with her arms crossed, bottom lip between her teeth.

"Say something," Mike pleaded.

"I don't know if I should kill you or Harvey."

Breathing a small sigh of relief, he continued.

"What did Harvey do with all this?" He asked, still curious, "Are you pissed at him too?"

"Oh hell yes," Max said, throwing her arms in the air, "Both of you are dumbasses."

"Max," Mike said, finally putting his foot down, "You were completely fine earlier today. I don't want to sound like a dick but this isn't the first time I've bailed on you-"

"I'm not pissed about the damn bar, Mike."

Now that threw Mike off.

"Then what…"

He never finished the sentence because he knew. He just knew by the way she looked. She was so angry, something he had never seen before, yet he had imagined. So angry, yet so disappointed. Worst of all, Max would be hurt, and being hurt would only intensify her anger. Mike knew exactly why Max was angry, because he remembered imagining how angry she would be.

Once she found out he never went to Harvard.

"I can explain."

"How do you explain something like that to someone?" Max paced around her apartment, "How do you tell someone a secret like that after so long? I've known you for over two years, Mike. I work with you; we consider each other best friends. Hell, we consider each other siblings!"

"Harvey gave me an opportunity," Mike reasoned with her, "I was in a bad place, and he gave me a chance to live a better life."

He walked to her with anxious eyes, "You can't tell anyone Max. It would destroy everything."

Max laughed without humour, "You really think I give a shit whether or not you went to Harvard?"

Mike looked at her.

"You're not mad that I lied?"

She shook her head at him.

"I'm mad that you lied to me."

Mike didn't know what to do besides stand still in her living room.

"I'm mad that you didn't consider that I would have kept your secret safe. A piece of paper doesn't dictate your ability to do your job. All that stuff about how you love Harvard? It wasn't needed Mike. That's why I'm angry. Because instead of planning this elaborate charade, and keeping up this ruse, you could have just been honest with me, and you know I would have accepted your secret."

Max crossed her arms again, "You should have come to me. At least I wouldn't be this angry."

"It's not that I don't trust you Max, because that would be bullshit," Mike spoke to her softly, inching closer to her, "I just knew-"

"That I would be pissed? That I would be so angry with you I might actually strangle you? I have my secrets Mike, but this is the type of secret you don't keep from people when it will affect them."

"Harvey and I have covered both of our asses."

"But you never know," Max said, her hands tucked underneath her arms to stop from shaking, "you never know who will say what or what information will come out and it what if it did? You get arrested, Harvey gets disbarred-"

She snapped her fingers in sarcasm, "Shit, he might even go to jail too."

"Max-"

"And I do not want to visit my husband in a prison cell."

"Max, for Christ's sake, nothing is going to happen."

"Don't think-"

"No," Mike said, coming close to her, grabbing her arms, "just listen to me, please. One minute."

Max huffed in anger, gesturing towards him to continue.

"When Harvey and I met, I had a briefcase full of pot spill out on the floor."

"What?" Max asked, stunned.

Mike continued, "I was running from the cops because Trevor set me up for a drug bust."

Max's eyes narrowed.

That little punk.

"Harvey was doing interviews for an associate. When the pot spilled, Harvey didn't freak. He was calm, and when I told him the story, he didn't call the cops. He gave me an opportunity because he saw the potential I had, and he gave me a chance."

Mike chuckled, "You know Harvey never makes a move until he's figured out all the odds. But he didn't give a shit because he took a chance on me, because he believed in me when he didn't even know me. Yes, we lied, and I'm sorry, Max," Mike sighed deeply, "I'm sorry that I didn't trust you with this secret. I know I shouldn't have kept it from you this long."

Max, standing with her hands on her hips, and lips between her teeth, studied Mike. She knew Mike's past wasn't a topic of conversation, neither was her own. Yet she hadn't known the severity of it. Mike never went to law school, but he had intended to become a lawyer. He was so good at his job, she never second guessed his credentials. Max knew Mike loved being a lawyer. She saw it every time his eyes were focused on a case file, or how his mind turned when he was throwing ideas, and paper balls, with Harvey. He loved the law, he loved practicing it, and mostly, he loved the atmosphere. Max knew exactly why Mike loved being a lawyer was because she loved the same thing. She could understand why he did lie, and why he was so afraid of telling her. She could see his point of view.

Even though he still lied.

"I'm still so angry at you," Max said, he voice losing her tone, but just by a bit.

"I know," Mike eased, realizing she was losing her resolve.

Before the two could continue their conversation, Max's lock on her door began to turn, as the door swung open to reveal Harvey on the other side. Harvey, not realizing how mad his woman really is, locked the door behind him.

"Before she says anything, I didn't tell her anything."

Harvey, raising an eyebrow at Mike, looked towards Max.

Oh fuck, Harvey thought, taking one good long look at his murderous fiancée standing in front of him.

"Mike, can you give us a moment?"

"I'll just head home," Mike said, "I feel like this is going to be a long conversation."

He shut up quickly when Max gave him an angry look, walking around Harvey as he scurried out the door. Harvey turned to face Max, wondering what the hell was going on through her brain.

"Babe," he said, "We talked about this, communicating. You can't not answer your phone when we call."

Max almost laughed.

"You think the worst, Harvey"

"I already think the worst when I don't know what's going on."

"I have been open with you," she said, sitting on the back of her couch, "I've been telling you parts of my life that I feel I shouldn't keep from you."

"Which I love Max, but-"

"But I don't keep secrets as big as… let's say, hiding the fact that my associate never went to law school."

Max watched as Harvey's figure froze, his thoughts clicking into place as he looked over to his fiancée, watching as Maxine crossed her arms.

"Babe-"

"Do not even attempt to use that word right now."

"What do you want me to say?" He said, looking at her defeated.

"I don't know Harvey, 'sorry' is a good start," Max said bitterly.

"I know I didn't tell you," the usually powerfully lawyer said as he meekly made his way towards his heart, "and that's one of the many stupid things that I've done to you. I know that. I want to give you an excuse but I can't because there isn't one. I should have told you, and not telling you was most likely number one on my list of stupid things."

"It's number two," she said, still very angry.

"Max-"

"No Harvey, just listen for a second. I talked to you about Harvard, trying to convince you to let Mike go there with Rachel, and you just went along without telling me."

"You would have been pissed if I told you right there in the office," Harvey countered.

"Of course I would have been!" Max shouted throwing her hands in the air, "But I wouldn't have lost my shit because we were in the office!"

"If I told you at home you would have thrown a vase at me," he told her with a raised voice, both of the unaware of Harvey mistaken his home for theirs.

"That's evident," she gritted her teeth.

"You still would have been pissed even if I told you in the middle of the street, Max."

"Harvey! I get it!" Max said, exploding at him, "I know I would be fucking pissed at you, but you should have told me! You don't get to stand on your pedestal and ask me to tell you all my shit when you are keeping shit like this from me!"

"Babe-" Harvey pleaded.

"Don't Harvey, don't try to sweeten your way out of this."

"Then don't put up this wall, Maxine," Harvey didn't give a shit if Max punched him, he moved closer towards her, "don't hide behind the anger."

"Then don't give me bullshit excuses Harvey," she spat out.

Harvey forgot that Max saw through him all the time.

"You knew the second I found out you lied to me I would be angry, angrier than hell. But most of all you knew I would be hurt. Why keep this from me for so long? You preach to Mike about loyalty, but where's mine Harvey?"

She moved away from him and towards the door, opening it for him.

"Just go, Harvey. I'm too angry to deal with you right now."

"No," Harvey said firmly, "we're too far in to be running away Max."

"If you don't go, I will."

They were both stubborn, and both determined to stand their own ground. Harvey wouldn't budge an inch, and Max was patient enough to wait for him to move. Her anger for him at the moment forgot about her sweet Harvey, the Harvey that called her 'babe' almost unconsciously, and almost all the time. Her hand was firmly on the door, her eyes firmly on Harvey as she watched him stay still, not even moving his eyes away from hers.

Max let go of the door, walking to grab her jacket.

"Lock up behind you."

As Max took one step outside the threshold, she felt a hand grab her arm.

She turned to face Harvey, his eyes changed.

"I can't watch you run, Max. I can watch you tear apart my apartment, kick, punch, scream bloody murder at me. But I've seen you walk out the door too many times in my life, and this isn't going to be another one. I can't watch you walk away with my heart again, babe. But mostly, I can't take it when you're mad at me. I screwed up Max. I screwed up, but I'm trying to fix it. You angry at me is worse than watching you walk away from me."

"Harvey-"

"Just don't go," Max saw he was begging, something that unsettled her, "Don't go, babe."

He was close enough to her that he pushed the door away from her hand.

"Please."

"Harvey," she whispered.

His hands found their way onto her waist.

"Stay, for the love of God stay. You're not running away this time," Harvey commanded, holding her tightly.

"We can do this, just stay," he whispered to her.

She knew if she let Harvey touch her, her resolve would instantly disappear. He could convince her out of anything, but he also had an unfair advantage. She was still madly in love with him. He always had this power over her, as she did with him. She held onto his arms, feeling his leather jacket while smelling her favourite scent in the world; him. She could feel her anger slowly leaving her body, but her mind was telling her to hold onto the anger. She just couldn't let him get away with this so easily. Harvey always manages to sneak away with something, she couldn't let him get away completely this time.

"Harvey," Max said, her voice soft but firm.

He looked at her.

"You need to go."

His grip on her loosened.

"Just for tonight," she said, smoothing her hands on his jacket, "I just need a night to screw my head on properly."

He sighed in relief and sadness, looking down.

"The place will be lonely without you."

"Yeah, well, just because I love you doesn't mean you get away with shit like this."

His head shot up towards her, and she realized he looked at her with the little sparkle in his eyes.

He thought that I didn't-

"Oh Harvey," she held onto the sides of his face, "I will always love you, moron."

She stood on the tips of her toes, her lips quickly pecking Harvey's as she pulled away from him.

"That's it?" he asked playfully.

"Don't push it," she said plainly.

Harvey nodded, making his way out of the door.

"Tomorrow?" he asked her.

She nodded, resting against the door.

"Tomorrow."

Harvey turned away from Max for a moment when he stopped, quickly turned back around and stole a kiss from Max.

"Love you," he rushed out, walking quickly down the hallway of her apartment building.

Max slowly shut the door, shaking her head with a smile as she pushed it shut completely with her back. Locking the door, she slid down the surface as she sighed deeply, realizing how long the night really was. Max finally met Trevor. Trevor was a dick. Trevor told her Mike never went to Harvard. Harvey hired Mike anyways. Both the idiots kept the secret. Did Donna know? Max shook her head instantly after thinking that, realizing that the redhead did indeed know. The brunette rubbed her eyes tiredly. She was glad she had a night to herself, back to sleeping in her own bed.

As she got up from the floor, she heard knuckles against the other side of her door.

What the hell Harvey, Max poked her head out the window, seeing the person standing there.

Her blood ran cold.

Oh no.

Rachel Zane had always hated being out of bed before six am. While she would have enjoyed hopping on a plane to Boston right now, she currently was wandering the hallways of an apartment building, making her way towards the one person she knew she could trust. Burning a hole in the ground with each step she took, she approached the big door, knocking intently. Tapping her foot and pacing, Rachel kept consistently knocking, ringing the doorbell, and peaking in through the window to see any forms of life within the home. After what seemed to be the twenty-ninth knock, the lock on the door clicked, and Rachel came face to face with someone who had a very rough night.

"You look like shit."

"You don't look any better," a very worn out Max bit out as she shut the door behind Rachel.

"You would look like this if you spent the night yelling at your boyfriend."

Max's eyebrows rose.

"Ah, so he finally told you."

"I can't believe you know!" Rachel shrieked.

"I found out last night, doll. Not long before you found out," Max said, walking towards her kitchen, intent on coffee.

Rachel sat on the stool, her elbows resting against the counter.

"Is that why you're at your home and not Harvey's home?"

"First of all, home is a loose term. Second, how the hell did you know I was at my place?"

"I made Harvey tell me."

Max nodded, opening the fridge, "Food?"

"Please," Rachel plead enthusiastically.

"French toast?"

"With raspberries, if you have them."

"Topped with icing sugar," Max smiled as she grabbed the eggs, "I assume Mike's in the dog house?"

Rachel nodded, "probably just as much Harvey is."

"Oh, you know how Harvey has his way with words," the owner of the home said as she mixed her ingredients.

The other woman's eyebrows furrowed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Max shrugged, "Harvey knows he screwed up, and I'm mad at him."

"But," Rachel persuaded on.

The light-skinned beauty rolled her eyes, "Harvey and I's relationship lately has been more understanding."

"Uh-huh, more understanding, or more understanding."

"Oh for the love of God Rachel, if I had sex last night I wouldn't look like this."

"Well now that you've brought up the topic, why do you look like you ran through Hell?"

Max sighed, placing the whisk down in the bowl.

"It's complicated."

Rachel's posture changed.

"And it doesn't have to do with Harvey, does it?"

Rachel looked at Max then, a small glimmer of pain in the brunette's eyes as she quickly put all her ingredients back into the fridge, cleaning up quickly as she moved over to the couch. Rachel quickly followed her, sitting comfortably beside her. Rachel leaned over towards Max, grasping onto her hand in comfort as she gave her a small smile. Max returned the smile gratefully.

"This is the one thing I hate talking about," Max said, shaking her head.

Rachel looked at her to continue.

Max took a deep breath.

"Did I ever tell you about the night my mother died?"

Rachel shook her head.

"When I was reading my book, Catcher in the Rye for school, there was a knock at my door around ten. Ten oh-six to be exact. It was weird, 'cause who knocks on someone's door that late? I go to answer the door and it's these two big police officers who look scary and I just keep thinking that they caught me for selling tests at school," Max avoided Rachel's raised eyebrows, "but they had this look on their face, and I just knew that it was one of those calls," Max closed her eyes, "they sat across from me on the couch, and they kept telling me my mother was dead. Shot point blank. Wallet, jewellery, all gone. They kept telling me they were looking for the guy, that they would catch him."

"Did they?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, they did, otherwise I would have found him."

Max sighed, "But those cops didn't realize that I was breaking down. I lost the one person in the world who meant everything to me."

She looked down to see Rachel's hand still firmly in her own. Smiling, she looked at her friend beside her.

Rachel mirrored the smile, "So why is this important now?"

Before Max could respond, her phone shrilled out, stopping the conversation for the moment. Max got up towards her phone on the kitchen counter, groaning as she saw the caller.

"Hi Dad."

"Max, I got an alert-"

"I'm fine," she said dismissively.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I'm sending two of my guys over there-"

"I'm hanging up the phone now."

"It's for your own good-"

"Bye Dad."

"Maxine Pene-"

Placing the phone back onto the counter, she walked back towards Rachel, who was patiently waiting.

"So?"

The brunette sighed, "The man who killed my mother."

"The guy the police caught."

"He came to my house last night."

Rachel's eyes popped out of her head.

"Oh shit."

Max nodded, "Oh shit is right."

"Well that's a very good explanation as to why you look like this."

"I couldn't agree more," she told Rachel as she got up to continue cooking.

"Wait," Rachel said, her arm over the back of the couch as she turned to face Max standing in the middle of her kitchen.

"Aren't you going to tell me what happened?"

"Nope," Max said, placing her items on the counter.

"And you aren't going to tell Harvey either, aren't you?" Rachel accused.

Max just shrugged.

"For now."

Rachel huffed in anger, her head now resting on the back of the couch.

"What's his name?" She asked softly.

Max sighed, looking out her window.

"Wade. Evan James Wade."

ON THE NEXT TPOG: "Did you or did you not kill her?"

"If I said yes, would that make you scared?"

Review?

xoxo N.