Chapter Eight Feelin' Like a Teacher

"Louis thinks you're hitting me." Mike announced as he walked into Harvey's office when he got back to the firm. He had gone to Jessica and assured her in no certain terms, that Louis was wrong. The managing director seemed to believe him and allowed him to go back to working with Harvey.

"I'm sorry, what now?" Harvey questioned incuriously. He had expected Louis to be playing some sort of game with Harvey not that he would be trying to protect Mike from a non-existent threat. It wasn't like it wasn't the first time Louis had tried to poach Mike. The last time had almost been successful. So, Harvey's first thought when Jessica had ordered Mike to work for Louis he assumed that it was a continuation of that attempt.

"He thinks you're hitting me." Mike clarified. He took a seat in front of Harvey's desk and clasped his hands together. Harvey was stunned into silence. Mike realised that he was panicking internally.

"He thought…" Harvey trailed off.

A flash of hurt was noticeable on his face before they hardened. His jaw tightened and his eye became as hard as steel. He was hiding his emotions well but out of necessity; Mike had developed an uncanny ability for reading people. It was especially effective when it came to Harvey.

"Look don't worry. I told him that he was wrong: Jessica too. I imagine that Louis complained to her and arranged for me to be 'away from you." Mike tried to ease his friend's fears, but he could see that it wasn't working.

"That makes me feel so much better, thank you." He grunted sarcastically.

Harvey knew that he wasn't being fair. Mike was only trying to help but the fact that Louis had thought that about him, and that Jessica had believed him so easily hurt him more than he cared to admit. He knew he could be an ass. Harvey would readily admit he could be a little harsh, but he would have thought his friends would have enough faith in him to know he would never willingly hurt Mike. He would certainly never cause any physical harm to the associate.

"If it makes you feel any better I think Jessica only agreed to shut Louis up. As for his ability to suspect you, well I can't speak for his faith in you, but I do know that this wouldn't be the first time he jumped to the wrong conclusions. You know Louis he can't see the forest for the trees half the time." Mike responded.

"That doesn't mean it doesn't piss me off."

"Or hurt your feelings." Added Mike hesitantly. He couldn't say he was surprised when Harvey's face morphed into surprise before it changed to denial.

"What? No, you've got it wrong. Feelings have nothing to do with it, I'm pissed because it's my integrity at stake. When it comes to rumours, the truth rarely matters."

"Come on Harvey I thought we didn't hide things from each other."

"You mean like how you hide the fact you were a human punchbag for half your childhood." Harvey snapped. He regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth. He was out to hurt but as soon as he did just that he felt guilty.

Mike was not an idiot. He understood why Harvey said what he did. He knew that Harvey didn't mean it. That didn't save him from the pain completely. Having his past thrown back in his face hurt. His wounds as a result of sharing his childhood were still fresh.

"And that right there tells me I'm right," Mike affirmed trying to keep the hurt out of his voice. "Because I know you, Harvey. You only lash out when people are near the truth."

"I'm sorry Mike. I shouldn't have said that." Harvey apologised regretfully. He at least had the decency to look abashed. He could never blame Mike for hiding his past from him. It was up to him to talk about if and when he felt ready to. Anyway, he had told him about it at some point.

"Heat of the moment, I get it." Mike forgave. He waved his hand to show that he neither blamed Harvey nor took what he said to heart.

"I think I need to have a little talk with Louis."

"Go easy on him." Mike urged "He's an idiot but a caring one."

"I am making no promises."

"Harvey."

Mike rose his eyebrows and gave him a pleading look. While he was pretty pissed at Louis himself, he didn't want anything to happen to him. He was sure that Harvey would not punch Louis (if only because he didn't want to risk his career) but knew from experience that his lashing tongue could do its own damage.

"Fine. He won't come to any lasting harm."

"I suppose that's the best I'm going to get so I will take it."

Harvey confirmed it with a nod. Leaving Mike to his own devices he set of the confront the man that was top of his hit list. Louis was in his office talking to that damn Dictaphone of his. Honestly, why did he even have that thing? It made him look ridiculous. Harvey had ribbed him endlessly for years over it. He was partly convinced that the guy slept with it.

"Louis, what the hell are you playing at?" He demanded as he stormed in without so much as a knock on the door. He took some stratification when he saw the way Louis jumped in his seat.

"I am recording this Harvey. If you hit me it will be on record." Louis warned showing Harvey the Dictaphone. He would have preferred to record the meeting in secret, but he was too worried about his safety.

"I'm not going to hit you, Louis. I am going to ask what the hell is wrong with you." Harvey remembered his promise to Mike and while it would be tremendously satisfying to punch Louis in the safe, he wasn't going to break his word. Having Mike angry or upset with him was not worth it.

"Is that what Mike asked when you hit him?" Louis bated knowing that his best shot would be to provoke Harvey into attacking him.

"What did you just say to me?" It was a question Harvey seemed to ask a lot. It was his go-to response when his integrity was in question.

"You heard."

"Louis I never hit Mike!" Harvey pleaded. He needed Louis to believe him. The more he insisted that he hurt his little brother the more desperate he became. He never wanted anyone to believe he could be responsible for causing Mike an injury.

"That's exactly what an abuser would say. And once I have got proof I'm going to send you down. All I have to do is wait for you to mess up."

"Two can play at that game! You're making a fool of yourself. Mike is going back to work with me."

"Over my dead body!" Louis bellowed loudly.

"That can be arranged!" Harvey yelled equally as loud.

"Enough!" The shout came from Donna. Norma had run to her a few minutes ago to inform her that the situation between Louis and Harvey was getting out of hand. In all honesty, she didn't need to. Donna could hear them yelling at each other at her desk. The desk was all the way on the other side of the office.

The redhead stood in between the two of them and fixed both men with a steely glare. This was not helping Mike and the associate had already voiced concerns about the two lawyers. She turned to Louis first. Clearing up this misunderstanding was the priority.

"Louis. Harvey did not nor did he ever, hit Mike." Donna assured. "You have my word on that."

"Yeah right and I'm just going to believe that. Everyone knows you'll do anything for Harvey even break the law!" Louis accused harshly.

"Hey. Don't talk to her like that." Harvey interjected. No one spoke to Donna like that no one. He didn't care about what Louis said to him. His quarrel was with him not Donna and Harvey wasn't going to let Louis take his frustrations out on her.

"Harvey shh." Donna rebooked sternly. She did not need Harvey to defend her. She was a big girl and was perfectly capable of doing that herself. She glared at him, silently suggesting that it would be best to keep silent before turning back to Louis.

"Do you honestly think Louis that I would let someone hurt Mike even if that person was Harvey? Do you think, really, that I would let Harvey abuse someone?" She interrogated fiercely. Her eyes pierced into him and dared the man to suggest otherwise.

"No," Louis answered honestly. He knew Donna wouldn't do that. She was too good a person to let Mike -or anyone else for that matter- be hurt. Even if the person hurting them was Harvey. That was a line she could never cross.

"Good. I'm glad to see that our friendship means something. I wish I could say the same for yours and Harvey's." Donna replied purposely. She rose her eyebrows reproachfully. Really, Louis should have known better than to assume to worse, but she couldn't lay all the blame at his feet.

"Yeah, Louis." Harvey goaded with a smug smile on his face.

Donna spun around and fixed Harvey with a fiery scowl. Speaking in a low, calm but very threatening voice she delivered a serious warning.

"Harvey if you say one more thing I'll staple all your ties together and throw them all on a bonfire."

Wisely, the man decided to keep his mouth shut. He had long since given up reminding her that he was her boss and had also learnt long ago that no threat she gave was empty. Donna had learnt how much his times had meant to him and what to threat to keep him in line. Pissing her off was not something he wanted to risk.

Donna turned back to Louis once she was satisfied that Harvey would head her warning.

"Now Louis. Think about this for a second, do you think that Harvey would hit Mike? If you didn't hear Mike earlier."

"No," Louis admitted. Now that he thought about it, there were other explanations for what he saw. One of them had already been posed by Mike himself. Maybe he had jumped to the wrong conclusions. Again.

"If you had concerns you could have approached me or Mike. But you decided to go Jessica and blew this into a big thing." Donna pointed out. There had been no real need to involve the managing partner that early. While she could she could understand his need to look out for Mike she still felt annoyed with the way he handled it.

"Ok, I'm sorry." Louis apologised.

Donna was not done. She turned to Harvey who was wearing a smile that was far too smug for the predicament he was in.

"And Harvey, Louis may have been misguided but his intentions were pure. If Mike was being hurt you would want Louis to care enough to try and help him you wouldn't you." She would wipe that smirk off his face pretty quickly. Harvey wasn't completely innocent here, but he seemed to have forgotten that. Well, she was only too happy to remind him.

"Well…" Harvey tried to deny it, but Donna wasn't having any of it.

"Ties, Harvey, Ties."

The reminder that the threat was still on the table served as an effective encouragement. There was no way Harvey was going to risk his ties. Louis wouldn't dare tease him. Donna wouldn't let him.

"Yes. I would want Louis to help Mike if someone was hurting him."

Donna smiled. Now they were finally getting somewhere. There were just a few more things that they needed to deal with before they could put this unsavoury business behind them.

"Good. With that in mind would you like to say something to Louis?"

"Sorry for yelling at you."

"And…"

Harvey should have guessed that Donna wouldn't let him off that easy. He knew exactly what Donna wanted him to do. She must enjoy torturing him. He always knew she was a sadist.

"Thank you for trying to help Mike. Even if you were wrong."

"Now shake hands."

"Are you kidding me, Donna?" Harvey spluttered. Ok, she was defiantly a sadist. There was no other exclamation for her request.

"Shake them."

Donna's voice promised nothing good for them if they refused. Harvey and Louis shared a knowing look. Since it was in their jointed interests to cooperate, they decided to do just that. Neither stepped forward first: they did it at the same time. Then they reached out their hands and gave them a firm shake.

"Now get back to work and stop acting like children. This is a law firm, not a playground!" Donna scolded. She shared Jessica's view that it often seemed like she was a teacher and not a lawyer's secretary. Sometimes she felt like making Harvey stand in time out or assign him lines.

The boys (Donna felt that at the minute that was exactly what they were) blushed at the reprimand. Donna had made them feel like two children who had been caught fighting and who were being scolded by their principal.

Leaving Louis and Harvey to stew after their lecture Donna left the office. The first person she came in contact with was Jessica. The managing director was smiling and was leaning against a nearby desk with her arms folded.

"I see you managed to resolve our little problem," Jessica noted.

"I did. Though if you ask me it isn't completely sorted yet. You still need to talk to Harvey." Donna informed her.

"What?"

"You hurt him when you went with Louis' accusations. I know that you were only trying to get Louis to shut up, but Harvey doesn't. He needs to know that you would never think that badly of him. He cares what you think." Donna warned. Harvey would never admit that to anyone (except maybe Mike) but it was true. Jessica was Harvey's mentor, her opinion mattered.

"I'll speak to him later. And Donna? Thank-you. Anyone who can keep Louis, Harvey and Mike in line will always have a job at my firm." Jessica thanked. She hadn't realised how much her actions had hurt Harvey. It was important to her that she made it right now that she was aware of it. People may think she was cold, and to a certain degree she was but Harvey was important.

"You're welcome. I can't help but feel like a teacher sometimes. There are times when I want to give Harvey a time-out or detention. Where would you be without me huh?"

"Back home." Jessica's response was immediate and surprising. She laughed when she saw Donna's stunned face.

"What you think Harvey and Mike are the only ones that can make a Movie quote off?"

Mike and Harvey's quote offs were a hot topic at the firm. Jessica thought it was annoying at first now she thought it was just cute.

"I'm just surprised you've watched Enemy Mine."

"Come on Donna. That's a classic. Anyone who hasn't watched that film is not welcome in my firm."

Harvey left Louis' office shortly after Donna did. He quickly went to locate his associate. They had a lot to work on and he was scheduled to meet a new client. Thanks to Louis they had lost precious time.

"Mike there you are!" Harvey greeted his associate as though he had been looking for him everywhere.

"Here I am. I take it we are going to the conference room to meet our new client?" Mike responded following Harvey down the hall.

"That's right," Harvey confirmed opening the door and holding it open for Mike.

"Mike, this is…."

Mike froze in the doorway. He drowned out everything Harvey was saying. He began to see black dots and he began to hyperventilate. Do. Not. Pass. Out. Mike tried to remind himself to keep conscious. He felt fear wave over him like a tsunami. He didn't want it to be true. But it was. He couldn't believe it, but he could never forget that face. He was terrified. Because right there, stood with a knowing smile and dressed in a suit that cost more than Mike's annual salary, right there, in the conference room in the once place where Mike felt truly safe, was Mr Linas Goodwin.

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