Chapter Seven Louis Intervenes

Louis thundered into Jessica's office with a determined look etched in his face and anger in his eyes. The managing partner was neither happy nor impressed with his entrance. She had also dealt with Louis for long enough to be largely unaffected by him.

"One moment." Jessica instructed as soon as the other lawyer opened his mouth. She raised a finger in the air. She wasn't in the middle of anything, but she did want to make sure Louis remembered exactly who she was. It was a show of power, nothing more. She almost made him re-enter her office, knocking this time, but decided to be merciful.

"Good morning Louis." Jessica began raising her head to meet Louis' eye line. She also raised her eyebrows pointedly reminding him of proper etiquette.

"Good morning." Louis growled not really in the mood for pleasantries but also not in the mood for an argument around said pleasantries.

"What can I do you for?" Jessica asked. Her interest was slightly peaked for the reasoning behind his ruffled feathers. It didn't take a lot to annoy Louis, but it usually had something to do with Harvey. Whenever it was brought to her attention her reaction could be anywhere on the spectrum between amusement and annoyance. What did Harvey do now?

"It's about Mike Ross."

Jessica sighed. She didn't have time for this. Louis was a brilliant lawyer; he wouldn't be employed in her firm if that wasn't the case but could also be an idiot sometimes. An idiot who was far too easy to rile up. She couldn't lay all the blame on Louis though he was the one that made it so fun to mess with. Harvey was just as immature. Honestly, with Louis and Harvey Jessica often felt like a teacher. That feeling had only increased since Mike Ross had joined them.

"Louis whatever Mike's done to annoy you unless it's a threat to this firm, I don't care."

"He hasn't done anything wrong! Something's been done to him." Louis protested. Why did Jessica automatically assume he was about to complain about the associate?

"All right, I'll bite. What's been done to him?" Jessica questioned knowing that the sooner Louis got to the point the sooner he would leave her alone.

"He's abusing Mike. He hits him!" Louis reported.

Jessica almost laughed. It was quite clear that Louis fully believed what he is saying but that didn't mean it was true. Louis had a flair for the dramatic and when that skill was put to good use, he could be a brilliant asset. When it wasn't it could blow up in their faces. Jessica had a feeling that this was one such occasion.

"I think you've got the wrong end of the stick," Jessica informed him. She tried to go back to her work, but Louis wasn't going to let it go that easily.

"You don't believe me." Louis acknowledged slightly hurt at the fact Jessica had dismissed him.

No shit sherlock.

"I believe you believe you."

"Jessica this is serious! We have to do something. Are you really just going to let one of your employees be abused? You have a legal and moral duty to protect them." Louis scolded. He couldn't believe this! He knew that Harvey was Jessica's Golden Boy but surely she wouldn't just dismiss any concerns around him?

"I know what my damn duty is Louis. And I'll thank you to remember who exactly it is whom you are speaking to!" Jessica snapped. She wasn't going to let Louis disrespect her or her authority like that.

"I'm sorry Jessica. But I am right. I know what I saw, and you still think I misinterpreted the situation."

"Well, you do have a history. This is like the time you were convinced the IT guys were working for the CIA because you heard them talking about surveillance. Or like you the time you were certain your neighbour murdered his wife when she was just in Germany. And what about the time when-" Jessica pointed out.

It was true, Louis had to admit it. There had been a few instances where he had got the wrong end of the stick. Sometimes he got a little excited and jumped the gun. He couldn't help it; it was just his nature. But this wasn't that. He knew he was right. It was the only explanation for what he saw.

"Alight. I get it. But this time is different." He asserted. Just because he was wrong a few times before didn't mean he was wrong this time.

"That's what you said last time Louis and the time before. It's not personal Louis. It's just I really don't think that Harvey would hurt Mike. You've seen what he's like."

"He begged him not to hit him, Jessica. He called Harvey sir."

Jessica thought back to before when she had overheard Mike say the same thing. She remembered him flinching at Harvey's yell. That didn't prove anything though. If they were in a court of law the prosecution would object on the grounds of it being circumstantial. They weren't in a court of law though.

"Fine." She gave in. "Get me some actual proof or better yet a statement from Mike, and then we will talk."

"Jessica…"

"That's my offer, take it or leave it."

"Can you at least get Mike to work with me today?" Louis asked knowing that he needed to approach Mike without Harvey which was easier said than done.

"All right. Now that's my final offer. Take it and leave my office." Jessica ordered.

Louis smiled. It wasn't exactly what she wanted but it was better than nothing. He had the perfect idea to get Mike to talk. He would butter him up and promise to protect him. He would never let Harvey hurt him.

Mike was sat at his desk. Since he had admitted his mistake he had been working hard to make up for it. He had a few files that Louis had requested him to do but he had left those completely. He needed to focus on Harvey's work, not anything else.

"Mike!"

He groaned as Louis approached him. He did not need this right now. Explaining that his files were completed because he was Harvey's associate was never something Louis expected.

"Look Louis I haven't got to your files yet. Harvey has me going something."

"Don't worry about my files." Louis replied taking them from Mike's carefully constructed pile and dumping them on a nearby associate's desk. The associate in question gave a yelp of protest but Louis fixed with a glare and so he fell quiet.

"Are you all right?" Mike asked hesitantly.

"You are working with me today."

Mike groaned. Louis really didn't know when to quit. He was not Louis' associate. He was never going to be his associate. He worked with Harvey. That was the way he liked it.

"Look Louis, I'm very flattered but I work for Harvey. I've already messed up this week and if I don't get this work to him by lunch it won't be good."

"What's Harvey going to do?"

"Be angry and yell at me. Or worse do that eye stare thing that makes it feel like he is looking into your soul."

Louis should have known that it wouldn't be that simple. Of course, Mike wouldn't just tell him. He would have to coax him into telling him all about it and that meant taking him mudding. It was a good thing that the owner of the salon owed him a favour. All he would have to do is make a single phone call.

Harvey saw Louis speaking to Mike and wasn't happy. The last thing either of them needed was to have Louis intervene in their very important work. Louis had a habit of choosing the worse moments to be a pain in the ass. Mike often struggled to say no to Louis because of the man's sonority. The next thing he knew he was approaching the two of them and was getting ready to confront the annoying man.

"Louis, what are you doing?" He damned. Mike paled slightly and so he gave him a reassuring glance. He wasn't angry at him after all.

"Mike is working for me." Louis explained.

Mike began spluttering. It was something about how he wasn't involved and had no idea what it was Louis was talking about.

"Says who?" Harvey outraged.

"Says me."

The three of them turned around to where Jessica was standing with a glare of disapproval. How Louis had managed to get Jessica involved in whatever stunt he was pulling was beyond Harvey. He didn't like it.

"What?!" Mike and Harvey exclaimed in unison.

"Mike you will be working with Louis today. Harvey you will have to do without Mike today. No arguments." Jessica ordered and went without another word, effectively cutting off any objections either of them may have had.

That was how Mike found himself bathing in mud. Louis was an oddball that was for sure. When he had demanded Mike work for him he thought that he'd make him work some long case. He had not expected Louis to take him mudding. Why he even liked it was a question he never found an answer for. He supposed it was meant to be a stress reliever. If anything, it made him more stressed.

"Mike. You know you could tell me anything." Louis reminded him.

That sounded ominous. Was Louis aware of his secret? That would be very bad. Then again, if Louis did know about that the last thing he would do would be to take him mudding. Mike was still sure that he was being lulled into a false sense of security. He just didn't know why.

"What?"

"If there's something wrong or someone's hurting you then I can help."

"Ahh. I see. What we got here is a failure to communicate."

Louis scrunched up his nose in confusion. He clearly wasn't a movie fan. See this? This was why Mike preferred to work with Harvey.

"What?"

"You've seriously never seen Cool Hand Luke?" Mike rasped incredulously.

"Look Mike, I know."

"You know that you live under a rock because you haven't seen one of the greatest movies of all time." Mike commented dryly.

Louis shook his head. Maybe the best way to deal with this was to hit the situation head-on. Pun not intended.

"I know Harvey's been hurting you. I know he hit you." Louis admitted.

"What?!" Mike yelled.

How could Louis think that of Harvey? They were friends. Louis had worked with Harvey since they were both associates. It was clear despite the rivalry that they were friends. It was a friendly rivalry and one that was fuelled by banter more than anything else. And yet here Louis was accusing Harvey of something he would never do. Surely the years they spent together counted for something?

He jumped out of the mud bath and charged for the changing rooms, Louis hot on his tail. He slammed the door shut and quickly got changed. He heard Louis doing the same thing.

When he was done Louis grabbed his arm to stop him from moving. Mike felt himself flinch under the rough touch. Louis let him go like he had been burned.

"I'm sorry Mike. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that. I'm not going hit or hurt you." Louis reassured. God, what was Harvey doing to him? If he had flinched it must be a reaction that Mike had learnt. That meant Harvey must have been abusing him for much longer than Louis had first considered.

"I didn't think that you were. I just don't like people grabbing me. Has the concept of personal space ever been explained to you?"

Louis backed away from him. The space between the two only seemed to consolidate his suspicions. He raised his hands in a placating gesture as if he were talking to a wounded animal and not an annoyed associate.

"Mike it's all right. I know you think you owe Harvey but that doesn't give him the right you hurt you. I know he gave you that black eye. That's not all right. I am going to help you. I'll represent you in court and will protect you." He rambled. All he needed to do was persuade Mike to tell him and Jessica everything. To do that Mike needed to feel safe.

"Louis. You have got this all wrong." Mike assured.

Part of him felt happy that Louis was trying to defend him. He thought that Mike was being hurt and wanted to protect him. That felt good. The rational part of him realised that Louis was only trying to help. That part was also washed out by his protective anger over Harvey's reputation.

"Harvey has never hit me. He would never hurt me."

"Then why did you beg him not to hit you?" Louis questioned.

Ok so apparently Louis had overhead his conversation earlier. He really regrated saying that now. He had been far too week. He had known that Harvey wouldn't have hit him but this was the first time he had truly messed up since the nightmares had started again. So when Harvey had roared with anger at he was deaf to the sound of his rational brain. Now, this was the blowout. Louis thought Harvey was hurting him and there wasn't much that could change his mind. He was too stubborn for his own good.

"Because someone used to, and I was reminded of that recently." Mike told him.

"Who?"

"I'm not sharing that with you. I'm only telling you this much because if your outrageous accessions get out it could ruin Harvey. Next time I suggest you actually find some evidence before you jump to conclusions." Mike caterwauled.

"Mike."

The associate turned rapidly to face Louis. He was looking at him softy and with pity. That was something that Mike hated. Why did people have to look at him like that? He didn't need pity and he certainly didn't want it either.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not the one you should be apologising to. That's Harvey." Mike huffed.

"You're going to tell him then?"

"Of course, I am Louis. I don't hide things from Harvey. I respect him too much."

"If he does hurt you, call me." Louis offered.

Mike snorted. He didn't need that offer. Harvey would never hurt him. He was more certain of that than he ever had been there have been many times when Harvey would have been perfectly justified in hitting him, but he never had. So, Louis' frankly irritating concern was unwarranted.

Louis let Mike go. He wasn't completely certain that Harvey was innocent but at the minute there was little he could do. He wasn't going to get any evidence or a statement by the end of the day. He would have to keep digging. If he was guilty and Louis kept at it, Harvey would slip up eventually. All he had to do was catch Harvey in the act. It was a good thing that he had a Dictaphone then.