Sorry for the hiatus! I did a lot of things. School and work had me busy, then my computer decided to have a mind of it's own. Anyway, you guys get a special little present. This chapter and a started half of Mike's chapter. XD Don't be mad at me too much. I have bought myself a flash drive to take this story all over now!

"I make my own luck." -Harvey

SEE YOU AFTER SCHOOL, MIKE. –CHARLIE

I sighed as I sent the message, feeling bad that I never told him what I was planning on doing as I got out of Ray's car for school. After he suggested I skip, I really considered it. I wondered what he would do when Mike found out that I had a change of clothes in my backpack and skipped school. I already knew what Harvey would do, and I wasn't looking forward to it. His parenting, or whatever he was calling it, was pissing me off. It wasn't parenting, it was a dictatorship. I had a parent, and, as much as I hated to admit it, she was gone.

GOOD LUCK. SEE YOU AFTER. –MIKE

I smiled as I read the text, knowing there was some confession of love in there that he wasn't putting just in case Harvey was nearby. After waving Ray off, making sure he was within that point of no turning back, I waved down a taxi and got in, pulling out my money.

"I will give you twenty bucks in a tip if you drive me to these two places and not say a word about what I am doing," I said, knowing this cabbie would listen to money.

"Where am I taking you today, Princess?"

I knew that name was meant as a term of endearment, but I was almost disgusted by it. I was the princess of the great Harvey Specter at Pearson Specter. The last thing I wanted was to be a princess to someone else. I told him Harvey's condo first, knowing I could change and drop off my bag with the bellhop to pick it up later when I returned. As the taxi took off, I began to get my jeans on under my skirt, changing into the clothes I had packed.

"Why are we going there?" the taxi driver asked.

"I live there with my father, and he doesn't know I am skipping."

"Your father?"

I nodded. "Yeah, he's a lawyer."

"Oh? I know many a lawyer. Who is this?"

I sighed as I took off my uniform top and replaced it with Mike's hoody that I took from him with no intention of giving it back. I still thought of Harvey as a lawyer trying to be a parent. Mom, when I thought of her, was different. I thought of her as a mom, who was a lawyer.

"Harvey Specter," I said with a sigh.

The cabbie stopped and looked to me. "What?"

I nodded. "I know. He seems quite famous around here."

"That is your father?"

"Yes, and I would appreciate if you didn't bring this up to him and stop talking about it. Please," I begged, already feeling odd about skipping school for the first time when I wasn't even eighteen yet.

"As you wish," he said with a nod.

I tried not to roll my eyes at the reference to "The Princess Bride". If I were Princess Buttercup, Mike would be Wesley, and I was pretty damn sure that Harvey was the sheriff. I tried not to even think as I made my way to the bellhop in the lobby of the apartment building the condo sat on top of. After I got back into the cab again, I asked to head to the train station. I was going to go home to see my mom.

The train was quiet as I made my way toward my old home town. After scrolling through pictures in my phone and debating, for the hundredth time, on whether or not to text Mike, I decided on looking out the window. Where I came from wasn't far, but with no car to take me and no cabbie willing to drive this distance, I settled on the rickety train. Looking back at my phone, I unlocked it, bringing up my messages, and staring at Mike's name with his message the last thing we sent to each other. Without thinking or stopping myself, I felt my fingers nimbly type out a text message and send it.

HEY, CAN YOU TALK? –CHARLIE

That was probably a wrong move, Charlie, I thought as I watched the screen, wondering if he was going to text back soon.

It wasn't long before I received a reply from him.

SOON. WHAT'S GOING ON? –MIKE

What was going on and how should I tell my boyfriend I decided to skip school during their bi-annual Relay For Life? Biting my lip, I knew I had to tell him eventually. At least let Mike know, perhaps Donna. But I had to tell someone just in case something happened. Or I decided to stay and live as a hermit from Harvey and his connections.

I stared at the blinking cursor for a while before typing out my message.

LONG STORY. WILL TELL YOU WHEN YOU CALL. –CHARLIE

CHARLIE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WHEN I CALL? –MIKE

I bit my lip harder, already feeling the regret and guilt of what I had done.

I WILL TELL YOU WHEN YOU CALL. I PROMISE. –CHARLIE

About two minutes later, my phone started going off, the OneRepublic ringtone dancing in the air. I smiled weakly when I saw who it was. My heart pounded against my chest and my mind reeled with possible questions from Mike or how this conversation was going to go.

"Hello?"

"Charlie, where the hell are you?" Mike asked, sounding both concerned and ticked.

I took a moment to pause, hesitating with my words and word choice. "On a train," I responded sheepishly.

I heard Mike let out a breath. "A train? Why are you on one of those?"

"Because it's the only means of transportation I could get," I said, trying to relax knowing that Mike was asking because he was worried.

"Charlie," he said evenly. "What is going on? You can tell me, I am outside alone."

I let out a tensed breath. "I skipped school today."

"I managed to get that much. Where are you going?"

"Home."

He sighed. "Charlie. Define home."

"Where my mom is," I said, fighting the tears.

This sigh from him was less tense and more of relief. "Charlie, why didn't you tell me this morning?"

"How was I supposed to know if Harvey wasn't around you?"

"Good point, but did you at least tell Donna?"

I stayed quiet.

"Charlie."

"No."

"Why not?"

Mike sighed again. "Damn it, Charlie. You should have told someone you were doing this. At least then if something happened, we could help."

"I am telling you."

"Charlie, that isn't what I meant and you know it."

"Would it help to tell you that I thought about it?"

"Not too much."

"Well I did."

Mike was silent for a second and it freaked me out.

"Mike?"

"Yes?"

"I'm okay, I promise I am."

"Good. I guess that is all that matters."

"I'll be home tonight."

"Okay. By the time you are home from school?"

"Maybe later."

"Alright," he said. "By the way, I will be telling Donna. She can keep this a secret."

I nodded, trying not to cry. "Okay."

"Charlie, it will be okay. He won't find out."

I nodded. "Okay. And Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

There was another pause. I knew he was smiling. "You too, sweetheart. I have to go. Keep me updated, okay?"

I felt the pang in my heart when he didn't say it back, but I knew he was just covering his ass. I nodded again. "I will, I promise."

My home town really didn't change since I left. Mom's law firm was taken over by her partner, who left it in her name. The same businesses were open for the public and school was in session. Kids were on the playgrounds at the elementary school and day cares. It looked like I really hadn't left the place. That this whole ordeal with Harvey and living with him was a dream. But I knew it wasn't a dream. I was still dating Mike, Harvey was still my dad, whom I was forced to live with, and this isn't my town anymore. Instead of heading home, I was just a visitor. That feeling sank into the pit of my stomach and sat there, turning the rest of my body cold. Pushing back the emotions, I headed toward where Mom was buried. I ignored the world around me as I made my way through to the cemetery that resided just on the outside of town, not yet into the outskirts.

The cemetery was a small one compared to some of the others I've seen. It was well kept by an old, retired marine vet who had seen two wars and countless deaths. Now, he maintains the cemetery like it was his own lawn and never asked for anything in return. In turn, Mom always made him home cooked dinners and invited him over for Sunday dinners and holiday dinners because she could and it was her way of saying thank you. Mr. Rollands was a good man to know. He knew anything from home repairs to car repairs, and was helpful in school subjects. He never asked for help himself when he needed it, which always prompted Mom to step in when he needed it. While he'd come over to the house, Mom would be busy doing whatever and I'd sit and listen to Mr. Rollands talk about the wars he's been in, the places he's gone to, and the wild things he's done in his lifetime.

After walking through the iron gates, and past the well kept flower garden, I made my way to Mom's stone. Staying on the path meant for cars and hearses, I watched as I passed the other stones, taking note of some of the names and how barren their final sites were in some places. When I neared Mom's grave, I started to notice the things around it. The small bundle of flowers that rested against the dark stone, the little candles that were placed around it. I felt my heart lurch in sorrow. I should have been here to do all this instead of being in New York. When I saw all the offerings left around my mom's grave, tears streamed down my cheeks. Wiping them off, I saw the one thing that made me drop to my knees and sob.

It was a picture from Independence Day, just before she had really gotten bad. Mom and I had gone to the town party they held every year. Mom had made her famous blueberry and chocolate chip cookies. The house had smelled like chocolate covered blueberries for two days after she was done. Mom and I had decided that year to wear matching T-shirts and wear our hair the same way. The newspaper was there, taking pictures and preserving memories just like they had always done during town gatherings. But they took a picture of us, our happy smiles plastered on there with no way to remove it. It was a happy day with no care in the world. I could still see the caption printed from the newspaper from that Monday when it came out in print: "Robin and Charlie, all set and ready for fireworks and Fourth of July Festivities." That day, we were. Mom and I already had our spot picked out for the fireworks and everything. We had been planning this day for two weeks, just wanting and needing this break from the harsh reality that Mom might not make it to see next year's festival.

I couldn't stop the tears no matter how hard I tried. They kept flowing like Niagara Falls. I was home without my mom beside me to tell me everything was alright, that things were going to work out. I was alone and regretting on how bad of an idea this was to come back so soon. Perhaps it would have been a better choice to stay around Harvey's condo and watch bad soap operas and TV while I did nothing. Maybe I should have just toughed out the Relay for Life thing going on at my new school like Harvey said because I definitely wasn't ready for this deep scar to reopen like this. I thought it was time to see her. Time to say hi to her. But I guess I was wrong. This hurt was like watching her be lowered into the ground slowly on that day. If only I had enough sense to avoid being here like everyone else in their right mind would have.