Abusive
Prompt for: What's'SupWitChu: How about Mike finds himself as a victim of domestic abuse (before he goes out with Rachel) and tries to hide it from Harvey, but of course Harvey grows suspicious and finds out what's going on.
A/N:
Sorry about the long wait guys, I had another story being written up and with work and starting up my master's program, I've been pretty busy! This is also a long chapter, I wanted it to be perfect! I will also start cross posting these stories (past and future) on archiveofourown, afterwards, from the recommendation of a reader and also since I noticed more people have shifted over to that site. I will continue to post here until this series is done and if people want me to have stories on FF.
Thank you so much and enjoy!
Set in season 1.
When Mike met Julia, it was love at first sight. She was beautiful, funny, and really smart…almost as smart as him. They met in a coffee shop, which sounded cliché now, but they ordered the same high caffeinated sugary drink.
"Lawyer," he shrugged sheepishly as he grabbed his cup.
"Doctor," she grinned.
"All-nighters?"
"What even is sleep? And I'm a health professional."
They ended up walking in the same direction, talking about their jobs and their lives. Eventually, when they had to go separate ways, Mike took a leap of faith.
"Listen, um, I may be stepping out of turn here, but would you maybe want to get dinner one night? I know we just met, but-"
"Yes!" Julia blushed, knowing she had been a bit too eager.
Mike laughed. "Really?"
"Yeah, you're cute, handsome, and a lawyer. What could be better?"
The blonde smirked and they exchanged numbers before parting. Mike's day had been made and when he got into work, he felt that nothing could get him down. He had a little pep in his walk and Harvey seemed to notice when he entered the older man's office.
"You look unusually happy today. Did you finally lose your virginity?"
Mike sat down in front of Harvey's desk, rolling his eyes. "Ha, Ha, very funny."
"Well? There's no way you're this happy to be here."
"I met someone."
Harvey's brow rose. "Oh really? You actually found someone that found you attractive?"
"Excuse me, I'm very attractive; probably more than you."
The brunette snorted. "You wish."
"I don't have to wish, it's already true."
"Shut up. Now enough fun, we have a lot of work to do."
The two got busy, burying themselves in paperwork and planning a deposition. The rest of the day went by smoothly and they were even able to get out earlier than expected.
"Taking her to dinner tonight?" Harvey questioned as they packed up.
Mike glanced at his watch. "I don't know. Do you think it's too fast? Not to mention it's late and she might be working. Did I mention she's a doctor?"
"You didn't, but you're making up excuses. You were all giddy this morning, what's the problem?"
The blonde sighed. "I haven't had much luck in the relationship department lately. I don't want to scare her off by doing something stupid or moving too quickly."
Harvey rolled his eyes. "One: you do a lot of stupid things, but if you really like this girl, you should go for it. Two: I'm an incredibly hot forty-five year old bachelor, so if anyone isn't having relationship luck, it's me."
Mike smirked. "Wait, why are you giving me advice…and being nice to me? Sounds like you-"
"Don't say it," Harvey grumbled. "Just go before she realizes she's making a mistake."
The younger lawyer laughed, pulling out his phone and quickly texting Julia, hoping for the best. "Thanks Harvey."
"Yeah, yeah. See you tomorrow, bright and early."
Dinner went surprisingly well. The fact that Julia had agreed to go so late was a miracle in itself. They had fun, talked, laughed, and drank a lot of wine. By the time the two realized what time it was, the restaurant was starting to close. They stumbled out, laughing; while Julia waited for their cab, they stood on the sidewalk, holding hands.
"This was amazing," Mike grinned. "Thank you for agreeing to give me a chance."
Julia smiled. "I can't believe we stayed here for almost four hours. The waiters were really starting to get pissed. But that was one of the best conversations I've had in a while and I didn't want it to end. To have someone actually understand what I'm talking about…wow, it's exhilarating. I'm glad you could keep up."
Mike laughed. "Does that mean we can do it again?"
The cab pulled up and honked, ruining the moment. Julia suddenly planted her lips on Mike's, letting them linger for a few seconds before pulling away and walking over to the car.
"Does that answer your question?"
Before Mike could respond, Julia got into the vehicle and it drove away. His heart skipped a beat. He was definitely in love.
Things went well for a few weeks after that; even though both of them worked a lot, they still had found time to make for each other. Harvey was happy for the kid, finally dating a girl with no baggage. The only thing he was worried about was when the whole 'I'm not a real lawyer' thing would come up. And he was especially concerned when Mike announced that Julia was moving in after a short time period.
"After a month and a half? You think that's a good idea?" Harvey asked as they got into the town car, headed to court.
Mike shrugged. He had been hesitant at first, but Julia had been convincing; plus, they would get to see each other more. "I thought that too, but…I really think she's the one. Honestly, maybe in another couple months we'll be married," he chuckled. "Besides, she stays over my place a lot anyways, the hospital she works at is a couple blocks down the road from me."
Harvey nodded and smiled forcefully. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was up. Maybe he shouldn't be worried, Mike could take care of himself, but this girl was a little suspicious. He hasn't even met her yet! In fact… "So, when will I meet your future fiancé?"
The blonde grimaced. "Um…I don't know. Julia's pretty busy and by the time she gets home, she's exhausted."
Harvey scoffed. "Are you embarrassed of me?"
Mike shook his head. "No, no…I uh…I kind of told her how much of an asshole you are, though."
The older lawyer laughed incredulously. "Wow, didn't hold back did you?"
"Sorry. Sometimes I need to vent."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Maybe I should tell her you're not actually a lawyer, then we'll see who's the asshole."
Mike rolled his eyes and smirked. He knew Harvey was all talk. "Maybe if you can agree to get Donna to be your date, I'll mention it to Julia."
"Alright, be prepared then. I can persuade Donna to do anything."
Mike glanced at him with a glint in his eye and Harvey scoffed. "So immature. Can we focus on work now?"
"Hey, you brought it up." Truth was, though, he didn't want Harvey meeting Julia. If he did, he might see something was up. Yes, things had been great, call it a honeymoon phase if you will, but lately…things had changed. Julia had changed. She was easily angered and suspicious of everything. She would get mad when they had plans and he would end up having to cancel because of work. Then started the name-calling; stupid, worthless, good for nothing, ungrateful. If he came home late or not at all, she would lock him out for hours. Sometimes he'd just go and stay at a hotel and return home early the next morning. Most times she'd apologize profusely, and he would forgive her, but then it'd just happen all over again. He thought she of all people would understand, but it seemed that she didn't work as much as the other doctors did. Soon she became more aggressive: punching, hitting, and throwing things at him. At that point, he had, had enough.
"Alright," he shouted one night after she hit him again. "I'm not gonna stand for this." He was sure the neighbors could hear; the walls were paper thin. "The name-calling I could deal with, but this…this crosses a line."
"What so you think you're gonna break up with me?" Julia sneered. "I would think twice before you open your mouth and say something you don't mean, Michael. You're not as smart as you think you are."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Julia picked up a pan she had just washed, gripping it tight in her hand. "It means that if you break up with me…I'll kill you. It wouldn't be the first time I got away with it."
Mike froze. Sometimes it was just a figure of speech, but with Julia, the look in her eyes and the way she brandished the pan, he knew she meant it.
"Fine," he choked as he started to back away. "But I think I'm gonna stay somewhere else tonight." Before he could take another step, the pan flew out of his girlfriend's hand and straight towards him. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, seeing stars and his cheek pulsing angrily.
"Oh god," Julia sounded so far away, but she was suddenly kneeling right beside him. "Oh my god, Mike, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that, it just-"
Excuse after excuse. "It's okay," he grunted, sitting up slowly. "I know."
Julia caressed his face and he flinched. "Let me get some ice, it's already swelling up and bruising. I'm so sorry."
Always an apologetic, but she'd do it again tomorrow. Mike pushed himself up and stumbled to the couch.
"Mike, I'm so sorry." She gently pressed the ice pack to the blonde's face.
"It's okay," he smiled weakly, forcing himself to look at her. "I know you didn't mean it."
"I didn't, I promise." She put the ice in his hand and stood up. "And to make it up to you, I'm gonna go get your favorite pizza from the corner store."
He grimaced inwardly. He had completely lost his appetite. "Julia, you don't-"
"I want to, okay?" She grabbed her jacket and purse. "I'll be right back. And keep icing that."
"Okay." Once she left, Mike's body sagged. This was becoming a nightmare. He was terrified and there was no way he could tell Harvey about this. One: it was embarrassing and two: he didn't want to drag him into his problems and potentially get him hurt, too. No, he could handle this himself. He got up and went to the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror. Julia was right, it was starting to bruise. "Fuck." Could he handle this?
~+S+~
"Holy shit, Mike!" Donna exclaimed when he arrived at her desk the next morning. "What happened?"
"I, uh…" Come on, you rehearsed this all morning. 'I ran into a cupboard' would make no sense, the bruise was too big for that. Neither would 'I fell.' "I crashed into a pole while riding my bike last night. A car almost hit me, and I lost control."
"Jesus, you need to be more careful." Donna got up and scanned him up and down. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"
Yes, but not from that. "Besides my dignity, no, I'm okay."
Donna squinted suspiciously. "You iced it?"
"Yeah, Julia did. She said the same thing," he chuckled weakly.
"Damn, who'd you piss off?" Harvey said as he came out.
Mike rolled his eyes which aggravated his oncoming headache. "A pole. Now can we get to work?" He just wanted to stop talking about it.
Harvey and Donna shared a look but didn't say anything more about the subject.
"Yeah," Harvey replied. "We have a meeting with Bidwell in an hour, he's starting to freak out."
The rest of the day went by without any issues and they managed to talk their client down from a ledge, assuring him everything would be fine. They even finished early. Thank god. Now Julia wouldn't be mad…hopefully, anyways. He picked up his phone to text her and his heart dropped. He forgot to take it off silent after the meeting…and there were at least ten texts and two missed calls. Calls from Julia. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. His mouth went dry, and his body numbed.
"Mike!"
He jumped and raised his head with a gasp. Harvey was staring at him with a raised brow.
"Huh?"
"You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Oh, um…no it's nothing, I just…" How could he justify his reaction? "I just remembered I didn't pay my rent and my landlord just texted me that he would evict if I don't give him the check soon." He was getting too good at lying. And if Harvey didn't believe him, he wasn't saying anything.
"Okay, well we have our deposition tomorrow so be on time. I know it's a Saturday, but hopefully we can be in and out quick."
Mike nodded tersely, said goodnight, and leaving before Harvey could ask any more questions. The whole bike ride, he was dreading going home. Julia was gonna be so pissed off. But imagine his surprise when he opened the door to see that she was humming and cooking something that smelled amazing.
"Hey babe! How was work?" She said with a smile.
Mike frowned. She was being nice…suspiciously nice.
"Um…good. Harvey was really on me today. I'm spent. What are you cooking?"
"Your favorite. Homemade mac and cheese with broccoli."
His stomach grumbled. That did sound good, he hadn't eaten all day. "What's the occasion?"
Julia just shrugged. "I can't make food for my boyfriend just because? Why not just be grateful?"
Mike swallowed. "You're right, sorry. I can't wait. Do you need me to help?"
"Nope, it's almost ready. Do you want a beer?"
"Yeah, sure, thank you."
"So, I was thinking since we have tomorrow off, we should go to that new museum that opened up in Manhattan." She grabbed a bottle and walked over to the couch. Mike grimaced and her smile fell. "You have tomorrow off, right?"
"Harvey wanted to do the deposition tomorrow so that our client would feel more secure, but I promise it won't be more than a couple hours. I'm sorry, you know how he is." Please, please, don't get mad. He could see her jaw twitch and her grip on the bottle tighten. If she was going to hit him, she must've changed her mind. Julia let out a huff, forced a smile and shook her head. "Julia-"
"It's fine. Don't worry about it." She had the bottle held out, but before Mike could take it, she pulled it away. "Hang on, let me open it for you." She turned away and Mike let out a sigh of relief. Maybe she was changing. He let himself relax and turned on the television, oblivious that Julia was taking a little too long with his beer.
"You didn't tell anyone did you?" Her tone of voice suddenly dark.
Mike's eyes went wide. "What?"
"The bruise. You didn't tell anyone what really happened, did you?"
The blonde swallowed fearfully. "Um, n-no of course not. I said I crashed into a pole." Would she believe him?
"Good," the woman said without turning. "Good."
~+SUITS+~
Mike woke up in his bed, feeling groggy and almost like he was hungover. But he couldn't be, he only had one beer…right? Come to think of it, how did he end up in bed? When did he fall asleep? What time…what day was it? He gasped, sitting up and looking around his seemingly empty apartment. Julia must've left. The blonde groaned, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to remember the events of last night. He came home, Julia made dinner, he could tell she was mad about him having to work- shit! He reached for his phone and swore. He was late…really fucking late. Several missed calls from Harvey and a few angry worded texts. He was surprised the man hasn't come and kicked down his door yet. Just as he was about to scramble around to get his things, he saw a piece of paper on his nightstand. Mike frowned and picked it up.
"I put a little something in your drink last night. You need time off even if you don't want to bother spending it with me."
-Julia.
Julia drugged his drink…she drugged him. He clenched the paper in his hand, pissed off. How could she do something like that? Well, he'd have to deal with it and her later, because the person who would most likely kill him, right now, was Harvey. Mike swayed as he got up, shaking off the pounding headache while running around, grabbing his things. The last thing he expected was Julia to come back. The audacity after what she did.
"So, you're still going to work?" She sneered after shutting the door.
"Yeah, Julia, I am…if I still have a job. Why the hell would you drug me?!"
"Because! You're ungrateful and you care about everything but me!"
Mike scoffed. "You know that's not true. I haven't broken up with you, have I? Jesus Christ, you're being crazy!"
Julia clenched her jaw and stormed up to Mike, violently kicking him in the shin. The blonde yelped in pain, doubling over, grasping his pounding leg.
"Fine! Just fucking go then! Don't expect me to be here when you get back!" She turned around and went into the bathroom, slamming the door.
Tears burned Mike's eyes. He couldn't keep doing this anymore. Julia was so abusive, and he wondered if it was just him or if she was like this with all guys? He was too afraid though; afraid to tell Harvey or Donna, afraid to break up with Julia, afraid that if he did one more wrong thing, she would snap and kill him…because he didn't doubt that she would. After the pain resided, Mike grabbed his things and limped outside to hail a taxi. There was no way he'd be able to ride a bike or walk to the subway in his condition. His phone rang and Mike saw the caller ID. Great.
"Harvey-"
"Where the hell have you been and why haven't you been answering my calls?!"
"I'm sorry, I-"
"Save it. Un-fucking-believable. You know how hard it was to stop Bidwell from freaking out and dropping us? If you're not at the office in the next fifteen minutes, don't even bother coming in."
Before Mike could reply, Harvey hung up the phone. The blonde sighed, massaging his temples before resting his head back on the seat. Julia had almost, and still might, cost him his job. Miraculously, he got to work within Harvey's time frame, but his leg was still hurting. He couldn't believe Julia had drugged him. Maybe he should really consider breaking up with her. But that mean he'd have to tell Harvey and maybe the police, which he didn't want to do.
"Hey!"
Fingers snapped in front of his face and Mike jumped out of his trance with a gasp. He must've been really out of it if he didn't even remember getting out of the elevator. Harvey was standing in front of him, a pissed off look on his face.
"Oh…um…"
"What the hell is wrong with you? And why do you look like shit?"
Mike turned and looked at himself in the mirror on the wall. Crap. His shirt was wrinkled and untucked, his tie crooked, his hair was a mess and his face pale and drawn. Had he really not paid attention this morning? No, because Julia kicked you and shut you out of the bathroom. He turned back to Harvey, unable to find the words.
"Um…I…"
Harvey rolled his eyes. "Fantastic. Just clean up or don't even bother on coming into the deposition. Bidwell needs competent lawyers, not whatever the hell this is," he gestured to all of Mike with a disgusted look on his face.
The blonde swallowed thickly and nodded. He quickly went to the bathroom and cleaned himself up as best he could before he returned to the conference room. Harvey gave him a look and he nodded, somewhat, confidently. The opposing counsel, their client and Bidwell were waiting. Harvey grinned and clapped his hands together.
"Alright, let's get started."
~+SUITS+~
The deposition did not got well and not Bidwell was more panicked than ever. Once the opposing counsel left, Bidwell flew out of his chair.
"I thought you knew what you were doing!"
"We do," Harvey replied calmly. "This is just a minor setback, Chuck, I promise."
The man snorted. "It better be; don't make me regret hiring you Harvey or everyone will know you lost one." With that, Chuck left the room.
Mike rubbed his eyes, waiting for the explosive lecture he knew he had coming to him. Without turning around, Harvey spoke gruffly.
"You better get your shit together and fix this or he won't be the only one who regrets hiring someone."
When Harvey left, Mike groaned, burying his face in his hands. He knew it was gonna be another long night. At least it would keep him away from Julia for a while, though he didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. Maybe he should text her just in case.
"Things not going well with the case. Probably pulling an all-nighter and won't be home, but I'll let you know…I'm sorry."
He didn't get a response for a couple hours and he was beginning to think she was ignoring him.
"O.K."
She was pissed; he knew she was pissed. And when she was in that mood, bad things happened. Two A.M rolled around, and Mike was about ready to pass out. Being drugged didn't have a good effect on sleep. In fact, it made him feel worse. There was no way in hell Harvey would let him sleep on the couch and the file room floor wasn't exactly comfy, but at this point, he'd take it.
"Mike."
Mike raised his head and blinked furiously, his eyes tired and burning. Harvey was staring at him and he looked almost pitiful.
"Huh?"
"I said go home."
"But-"
"I'm ready to leave, too. So as long as you promise to show up on time at 10am sharp tomorrow, you can leave now, and I'll even give you Monday off."
Mike sighed through his nose. Another weekend shot; Julia might literally kill him. "Um, y-yeah, I can do that."
"Good. Now go, I'll see you tomorrow."
Mike smiled weakly. "Thanks." While he was grateful he'd be able to sleep in his own bed, he was reluctant to go home at all…reluctant to face Julia and tell her about tomorrow.
"Hey, what's going on?"
Mike frowned. "N-Nothing. Why?"
Harvey shook his head. "No reason." But there was a reason. Mike had been acting strange ever since he and Julia had moved in together. And he still hadn't met her. That was grounds for suspicion. "You sure?"
Mike forced another smile. "Yeah, just tired."
Harvey sighed. "Alright, see you tomorrow, kid."
Mike left and as he rode the elevator down, he could no longer hold back the tears. He wasn't much of a crier, in fact the last time he cried was at his parent's funeral. But he was stuck in a place that he didn't think he could get out of. A hole he had dug himself so deep into that he couldn't see a light. He was scared for his life. What the hell was he supposed to do? Mike bit the inside of his cheek, hovering his fingers over the '50th' floor button, wanting desperately to go back and tell Harvey everything. Yet, he didn't want to drag the guy into his problems. It was stupid anyways; men didn't cry, men didn't whine to other men about their problems. Julia was a 150lb woman, he should be able to overpower her, take care of himself. But every time he got near her, he would cower…he would become a coward. He was raised not to hit woman, but why, when it was the other way around, did it seem wrong to defend himself? Mike pulled back his hand and wiped his eyes before walking out of the cart. He would've rather taken the subway, so his journey home took longer, but since it wasn't running this early, he had to get a taxi.
"Headed home." He texted Julia. She was probably sleeping or maybe- hopefully- at work, but if he didn't let her know things ahead of time, he'd have to face her wrath. Mike stared up at the roof of the car, feeling more tears burn his eyes. He knew this wasn't right; he had to tell someone soon before he got killed.
~+S+~
By the time he got home, it was past three a.m. He was exhausted and if he wanted to get any sort of rest, he hoped he'd be able to fall asleep right away. Mike trudged up the stairs and he cautiously opened his door, praying Julia wasn't home. And maybe his prayers were answered because the apartment was dark.
"Julia?"
No answer. His shoulders sagged. "Thank god." He dropped his things on the floor and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He couldn't wait to get into bed without worrying about what Julia might do to him. After changing, he trudged over to the kitchen to grab some Tylenol and a glass of water, a weight slowly lifting from him chest. He knew feeling this way was not normal. Red flags were everywhere, but he was too scared to acknowledge them. Mike sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying the silence.
"Thank god, huh? Nice to see you too, babe!"
Mike gasped, dropping the glass and before he had a chance to turn around, something heavy bashed him over the head and the pain made him black out instantly.
The second he came to, his head was screaming. It felt like his brain had been smashed by a bat. Ugh, what the hell happened? He felt so nauseous, his stomach was rolling in violent waves while feeling bile creeping up his throat. Mike peeled open his eyes, squinting at the harsh light that assaulted his blurry vision. It made his headache worse and when he tried to raise his arm to block it out, he found that they were bound by the wrist with duct tape.
"The hell?" He slurred. He rolled his eyes around and realized he was in his apartment. When had he gotten here? How had he gotten here? Wasn't he just at work? Fuck, memory loss, a gigantic headache and nausea were not a good combination.
"Oh, you're awake," a familiar voice spoke.
Mike frowned, blinking furiously. A skinny figure materialized over him and he gasped when Julia's cold, yet angry face was staring down at him. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and her eyes were wild. He carefully lifted his head and saw he was laying on the ground, his ankles bound as well. "J-Jul…lia? What…what are you doing?" He set his head back down, getting instantly dizzy.
"You made me do this, Mike."
"Wh-What?"
A large knife suddenly appeared in Julia's hand and Mike gasped fearfully. He had been right. She was going to kill him…he had waited too long. "Julia…please don't."
The brunette laughed, pacing in front of him. He tried to move, but he was in too much pain to do so.
"Always a whiner. Did you ever stop to think that's why Harvey doesn't like you? Why no one likes you?"
"Huh?"
She shook her head and scoffed. "You men, especially you, are so selfish, ungrateful, and pathetic. You always put yourself in front of me; you never cared about me. In fact, I don't think I ever loved you."
Tears burned Mike's eyes. "Julia…m'sorry…p-please don't do anything…you'll regret."
She laughed again. "Oh, trust me, I won't regret this. In fact, I'll enjoy it." She straddled his waist, brandishing the knife in front of his face. "I have enjoyed doing this. I've done this before, Mike, and I've gotten away with it twice. You see, when weak men like you are abused by an alpha female like me, no one believes them. Men don't get abused, it's embarrassing, just like I'm embarrassed that I was ever with you."
"Julia-" he choked.
The woman suddenly stuck the knife into his side. Mike yelped, feeling white hot pain spread throughout his torso. He could feel warm liquid spill onto his stomach and a shiver run up his spine. "Julia, stop."
"Why, I'm enjoying this, aren't you?" She grinned while stabbing him again. "Relax, I'm a doctor so I know where to puncture without actually killing you. Besides, I want to see you suffer before you bleed to death."
The blonde started hyperventilating, tears burning his eyes. "I'm sorry, Julia. I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?" Stab. "You've neglected me for weeks!" Stab. "And all you have to say, is sorry?" Stab. "You've been one of the worst guys I've ever met. Selfish, pathetic, asshole!" Stab. Stab. Stab.
Mike could feel himself fading as he gasped for air. Numbness began tingling throughout his body…he didn't like feeling so cold. He tried, a few times, to buck Julia off him, but he was too weak. The blood loss was quickly taking a toll, the whole front of his shirt sticky and wet.
"Ah, ah, no falling asleep," Julia said, slapping his cheek. "I want you awake for this."
Mike blinked sluggishly as Julia finally stood up off him. Even if he wanted to try and escape, there was no way he could. He was so tired…and felt so stupid for letting this happen to him. He should've told Harvey and now it was too late. He was going to die here.
"I'll be taking this. Just in case you get some burst of energy."
Mike saw his phone in her hand. He doubted he'd have the strength to raise his arm anyways. He felt almost paralyzed.
"And we can't have you scream for help once I'm gone." She took a piece of duct tape and plastered it against his mouth. It made it harder to breathe than it already was. It was terrifying. His nostrils flared, trying to take in more oxygen, but the scent of his own blood was making him gag.
Julia disappeared for a moment, but he could hear her rummaging through things in the bedroom. When he blinked, she suddenly appeared in his line of sight once more. Through his blurry vision, he could see that she had a duffle bag and had changed out of her bloody clothes. She was leaving him…she was leaving him to die.
"I would say it was nice knowing you, but it wasn't. I don't know what I ever saw in you," she sneered. "Goodbye, Michael."
He heard the door shut and he was left with nothing but silence. Mike tried to shout, but it was muffled by the tape and every time he moved, his whole body would protest. He was weakening, his heart frantically pumping which meant he would bleed out faster. The blonde started to cry, wishing he had broken up with Julia a long time ago…wishing he had told Harvey, or even Donna, everything so he could've gotten protection. With no way to call for help, Mike just decided to succumb to his injuries. Maybe he deserved to die. He's disappointed his dead parents by living the life of a fraud, he rarely visited his grandmother, the woman who raised him, Harvey probably considered him a burden…no one wanted anything to do with him. Mike stared up at the ceiling before letting his eyes rolls to the back of his head, letting darkness consume him.
~+SUITS+~
Harvey was fuming. He knew they had left late last night, and it was the weekend, but he had given Mike an extra two hours before having to come in. It wasn't too much to ask, was it? He pinched the bridge of his nose and swore underneath his breath. That kid was really trying his patience lately. Harvey paced his office angrily as he called Mike a third time without a response.
"Son of a bitch!" What really made him mad was the fact that his calls were going straight to voicemail. Which meant Mike had most likely let his phone die…again. There was a sudden niggling in the back of his head that had come out of nowhere. Or maybe he didn't. Maybe it was something else…something more sinister. Harvey bit the inside of his cheek and a feeling of dread slowly overcame him. What if something happened? He hadn't wanted to step out of line, but he was a little suspicious of Julia. Even Donna had some not-so-nice things to say about her, but they were too afraid to confront Mike and accuse her of something that might not be true. And now it seems their assumptions could be right. The bruises, the limping, the nervousness, changing the subject every time her name was brought up. Mike was getting abused…and he did nothing about it. Mike was getting abused by his girlfriend and now he wasn't answering his phone. Every fiber of Harvey's being was screaming at him to go find the kid. Harvey picked up his phone to call Ray and not ten minutes later were they on the road headed to Mike's apartment. His heart was racing by the time they got to there. He had called four more times during the ride, but nothing had changed. He wondered if he should have 911 on speed dial just in case things went south.
"I'll be right back, Ray."
"Is Mike okay?"
He swallowed. "I don't know." Harvey strode up the stairs and to Mike's door, becoming increasingly nervous. "Mike!" He shouted, banging on the door. "Mike, it's Harvey. Open up!" Just like on the phone calls, he got nothing. "Mike!" He grabbed the handle and his fear escalated. Locked. Mike wasn't answering and the door was locked. It was possible he just missed the kid by a few minutes, and he really was running late, but that dreadful feeling in his stomach wasn't going away. Besides, with Mike, things weren't that lucky. Mike wasn't that lucky.
"Mike if you don't open this door right now, I'm kicking it open!" 3…2…1. That's it. Harvey stood back and brought up his foot, slamming it against the wood. Instantly, it gave in and the sight he saw in front of him made his heart stop.
"No…nonononono." He felt sick to his stomach. Mike's face was deathly pale and bruised, mouth covered with a piece of duct tape. His wrists and ankles were bound as well, but that's not what scared him. It was the immense amount of crimson red blood that was soaking the entire front of his shirt and the surrounding floor beneath him. It was so much and the fact that most of it was dry made him more nervous. How long had Mike been like this? When did this happen? Was he even alive? Because he wasn't moving and it sure as hell didn't even look like he was breathing.
"Mike?" He dropped to his knees, hands shaking as he gently removed the tape from the blonde's face. Mike's lips were dark blue but when Harvey hovered his ear over the younger man's mouth he felt a weak breath puff against his skin. He was still breathing, but barely; Harvey knew he didn't have much time to get help.
"Oh god, Mike." There was so much blood, it was terrifying. He slapped the boy's cheek. "Come on, please wake up." He thought about calling 911, but it could take too long, and Mike was already approaching death's door. He didn't have time to waste. "Alright kid…you're gonna be okay. Just hang on for a little longer." Harvey got to his feet, slipping his arms underneath Mike's limp body and lifting him off the floor. Why the kid was lighter than he expected, he didn't know, but that was not his priority. He had to get Mike to the hospital now. The older lawyer rushed out of the room and carefully down the stairs. The moment he got outside, he shouted for Ray at the top of his lungs. He looked down at his associate and couldn't believe how much worse the kid looked in the sun. His skin was tinted gray with dark purple shadows underneath his eyes. The blood seemed stark against the extreme pallor and Harvey didn't even want to think about how much the blonde lost.
"Harvey!" Ray shouted, jumping out of the car. He seemed to already know what to do, opening the rear passenger door, looking horrified at the scene before him. "What happened?"
Harvey just shook his head. "He needs a hospital, Ray. Please… we need to get there fast."
The driver swallowed thickly as he waited for Mike and Harvey to slide into the back seat before shutting the door and running back to the driver's side. The brunette cradled Mike in his lap, trying not to panic as he scanned the younger man's body. He frowned when he saw multiple holes in his shirt. Breathing shakily, he lifted the hem of the blood soaked shirt up.
"Shit…Shit, shit, shit." It was bad; it was so bad. There were at least six or seven, maybe more, puncture wounds in Mike's chest and stomach. The kid had been nearly stabbed to death and he had a rather good idea who it was. "Mike, why didn't you tell me?" He whispered.
Suddenly, the kid's body shuddered and choking noises came from his mouth, blood dripping out and down his cheek.
"Mike?" Harvey choked.
The blonde's eyes slowly flickered open, struggling to roll them out from underneath his lids. Harvey cupped the back of Mike's head and helped him sit up a little so that he wouldn't choke on his own fluids.
"Mike, hey, come on, look at me. It's Harvey, can you look at me?"
And when the kid finally managed to keep his eyes in one spot, Harvey could see they were glazed over and unfocused.
"Mike."
The blonde blinked and glanced up at him. He started gasping frantically, trying, and failing, to move. Everything hurt, but he was feeling really cold and out of it. He remembered Julia sitting on him with a knife in her hand. Then there was nothing. How did he get in the back of a car with Harvey staring down at him? Mike shivered, raising his head a bit more and seeing red. A lot of it. It was blood, his blood. He was bleeding. Wait…Julia had stabbed him. Oh my god, Julia tried to kill him and by the look of himself, she might have succeeded.
"Mike…Mike, calm down. Just take a breath, you're gonna be okay. Tell me who did this."
He fell back, wheezing…panicking. He had to tell Harvey. He was probably going to die anyways, so there was no harm in telling him of Julia's abuse.
"H-Har…"
"Yeah?"
"J-Ju…Ju…" he couldn't breathe. His lungs wouldn't work, and he was starting to get dizzy. Sounds were distorted and his vision was getting blurry…and was that a white light? No, he wasn't ready, please not yet. He looked at Harvey one more time, knowing that this was it.
"M's-sor…ry." With that, he let his eyes shut and that was it.
Harvey's blood ran cold when Mike's eyes closed and his body noticeably stopped moving.
"Hey…Mike?" He slapped the kid's face. "Mike." Not breathing. His heart…Harvey quickly checked for a pulse. "No…" his heart had stopped. "Mike! Ray, how far are we?"
"Two minutes!" He honked on the horn and swore. Any other day, Harvey would commend Ray for his timely driving and praise his choice of words, but that's not what he was thinking about right now. Right now, Mike was bleeding out in his arms…dying in his arms, and there was nothing he could do. He should've done something…said something. He knew something was up with Mike. He had his suspicions about Julia, and he brushed it off. Now Mike could die.
Harvey didn't even realize they had gotten to the hospital until his door was ripped open by nurses. He must've been in so much shock, unable to tear his eyes away from Mike's emotionless face.
"Sir, we got him now!"
"Harvey, let the doctors take him," Ray said, appearing outside.
The older lawyer blinked, and his forehead creased. He let go of Mike's body, numbly letting the medical personnel take the blonde out of his arms and place him on a gurney. He followed anxiously, watching as the nurses cut open Mike's shirt, wiped the blood off his skin and start placing electrodes on his chest.
"No pulse, we need a crash cart in here!" They rolled him into the ER, carefully transferring him onto a bed while the doctors prepped the paddles. "Tell the O.R we need multiple units of O-Negative. It looks like he's lost a lot of blood."
Harvey watched fearfully as the paddles were charged and pressed to Mike's unmoving chest.
"Nothing. Go again. Clear?"
"Clear!"
Mike's body jerked, rising from the bed and landing heavily. They waited…and there was still nothing.
"Again! Clear?"
"Clear!"
Up
Down.
Mike was dying…Mike was dead and the longer it took for the doctors to get him back, the slimmer his chances were becoming. Please, please, please, don't take him.
"Noth- hold on, we got a pulse! Let's get him into the O.R. immediately, his B.P is dropping." They unlocked the wheels and began rolling Mike down the hall towards the double doors.
"Sir? Sir…are you alright?"
Harvey blinked, realizing that a nurse was talking to him. She looked concerned.
"Huh?"
"Is there someone we can call? You're covered in blood."
His nostrils flared as he looked down at himself…and he was indeed covered in blood. A shit ton of it and it was all Mike's. Oh god. "Where's the bathroom?" He choked, feeling his hands shake.
"Down the hall to the right."
He bobbed his head and quickly strode past her, feeling vomit bubbling in his throat. The second he got in front of the toilet, Harvey hunched over and retched violently. The scent of blood wafted into his nose, making things worse. Mike had died in his arms; bled out in his arms and it was all because he chose not to see what was really going on. If he had just questioned Mike about Julia, really pushed about the injuries he was getting, the kid might've told him. He would've been safe. Instead, he was dying.
~+S+~
Ten stab wounds, hypovolemic shock- he lost five pints to be exact- failing organs, a ventilator, and a coma. Mike was in really bad shape and his doctor was not optimistic about his survival much less him waking up. Mike could still die and the thought of that devastated both Harvey and Donna. When they saw him, Harvey had to choke back emotion. The kid appeared smaller than ever, his skin whiter than the sheets surrounding him…almost like a corpse. There was a tube protruding from his throat, bruises and shallow cuts on his arms and face, and tons of wires. It was almost like he was asleep if all the machines weren't there. But he wasn't asleep. He was in a coma, basically on his death bed with ten knife wounds in his body. Donna held back tears as she stroked Mike's fringe. This was not the boy they knew.
"We should've known, Harvey. How did we not know this was happening? Or why didn't he tell us?"
"Donna, I think you know why," he replied huskily, staring at Mike's lifeless face. "How many people do you know who go public about this kind of abuse?"
The woman swallowed. "Well, what are we gonna do? What about her, the police must be looking for her by now, right?"
"They're investigating, but they can't formerly start going after her until they find evidence she actually stabbed him, or Mike gives a statement…but he has to be awake for that. Doctor doesn't even think he will wake up."
"Harvey, you can't believe that. You have to believe that he'll come back to us."
The brunette bowed his head in his hands. He wanted to believe that, but…god, it was bad. It was really bad, and Julia was still out there roaming free. She could come back at any time and finish the job if she found out Mike was still…somewhat alive.
Donna watched him sadly. She didn't want to even think of how Harvey found Mike bleeding to death in his apartment. Julia must've attacked him after he got home…eight hours of lying on the floor, alone, scared, bleeding, bound and unable to call for help. Julia must've taken his phone because it was nowhere to be seen and the tape over his mouth prevented him from shouting. The poor kid. She was going to kill that bitch once they got her.
For one and a half weeks, twelve whole days, Mike remained in his coma with no sign of coming out of it. While everyone was ecstatic he was pulling through each night, the doctor was still worried. Mike wasn't out of the woods yet. His blood pressure was low, and heart was weak. The doctor wasn't sure if there would be any brain damage until Mike woke up and that was if he did. Julia was nowhere to be found so there was round-the-clock police protection outside the hospital room. Harvey was on edge, he wanted to do something, but he didn't want to leave Mike. No offense to the police force, but who knew what else Julia was capable of. No, he wasn't going anywhere. It wasn't until three more days did Mike start to improve. It was a huge sigh of relief for everyone. The doctors were able to remove the breathing tube, his brainwaves were getting more prominent, and color was slowly but surely starting to return to his face.
"Hey kid," Harvey sighed. "You can wake up any day now." He wasn't one to hold another man's hand, but he wanted Mike to know that it was safe…that he wasn't alone, and he didn't have to be scared anymore. He reached over and grasped the blonde's fingers. "You're missing a lot out here." He pressed his lips together. "Well, not really. It's actually really boring. Turns out you're pretty good entertainment and I miss having you around. God, I didn't think I'd ever say that out loud." He glanced at the clock. It was almost time to leave again, and he hated it; despite the cop standing outside the room, he wasn't comfortable leaving Mike alone. It was his job to protect the kid and even though he had done a horrible job so far, he wasn't going to mess it up again. "Mike…kid, please come back." He waited a few minutes, and nothing happened. Harvey pinched the bridge of his nose before he stood up to head for the door. Just as he grabbed the doorknob, he heard a small but audible noise. The lawyer's heart leapt into his throat as he spun around. The blonde's forehead was creased, his fingers weakly curling the sheets beneath his hands and his chapped lips parted.
"Mike?" He strode back over to the bed, gripping the side rail. "Mike, can you hear me?"
The man groaned hoarsely before a whimper escaped his throat and his breathing hitched.
"Hey kid, open your eyes. It's Harvey. You're okay now."
Mike coughed and whimpered again. As he started coming to, his entire body began to ache. His throat felt dry and scratchy and there was a bad taste in his mouth. Different smells assaulted him, like chemicals, clean sheets, and cologne. He could hear multiple voices, but there was one that stood out to him. Deep, warm, smooth. It sounded like Harvey. What the hell was going on? Where was he? Think, what's the last thing you remember? Julia…Julia was standing over him with a knife…she was ranting about hating men…hating him. She was stabbing him. He had lost count, obviously, after he started to black out. He thought he was going to die. Why wasn't he dead?
Cautiously, he groggily peeled open his eyes. Everything was bright and blurry, and he had to squeeze his lids shut a few times to focus. Yep, hospital room; it was a miracle. He was alive. And if Julia knew that…she would come back to finish the job.
"Mike?"
Flinching, the blonde looked to his left and a familiar face swam into view. It was a relief to see Harvey standing over him…but then he began to panic, because he didn't know where Julia was. What if she was lurking around the corner? What if she came back to kill him? What if she killed Harvey if he was in the way? Oh god, oh god, oh god.
"Hey, hey, hey. Mike! Calm down, you're fine, you're safe!" Harvey gripped Mike's arms briefly before cupping his cheek. The kid's eyes had instantly widened like saucers and Harvey could see the sheer panic in them. "Mike, relax, it's me. Just take deep breaths. In and out."
It took a few minutes, but Mike's panic attack gradually receded. The blonde wiped his tears and cleared his throat. "C-Can I have…s-some wa-water?"
Harvey nodded, grabbing a paper cup and filling it from the pitcher of water on the nightstand. He helped Mike take a few sips before the younger man laid back on the pillows, breathing heavily. They sat in silence for a moment before Harvey figured the doctor would need to come check on his associate.
"I'll be right back," he stood up. "I'm gonna go find the-"
Mike's hand shot out, lightly gripping Harvey's wrist. "No…don't leave." When he realized what he had done, though, he felt embarrassed…ridiculous and he retracted. "Sorry."
Harvey pressed his lips together sadly. "It's okay…I know." He sat back down. The doctor could come in on his own. Mike stared at his hands, swallowing thickly.
"Hey…talk to me. What happened? Who did this to you?"
Mike shook his head. "I…I don't know." He couldn't tell him. Julia would know; she always knew.
Harvey scoffed. "Mike, I know you're lying."
Mike paled…even more than he already was. "W-What?"
"You already told me who did this."
"Oh god…I d-did?" Now he was fucking terrified. "Oh god, she's gonna find out I told you. She's gonna kill me."
"Mike, she almost did! You died for three minutes! You were in a coma for two weeks! I thought…you bled out in my arms and I thought you were gone for good! Why didn't you tell me this was going on? Huh? Tell me!"
"I was embarrassed!" Mike choked. "Who lets a one-hundred and fifty pound girl beat up a two-hundred pound guy!? I should've stopped her…I should've…"
"Hit her? Mike, we were taught not to hit a woman, it's not your fault. Though, I wouldn't have blamed you if you had. How long has it been going on?"
Mike bowed his head. "Um…since after she moved in."
"Jesus, kid. A month?" His blood boiled. He was going to kill this chick.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let it happen."
"No, you don't have to be sorry for this. It's not your fault, understand? What she did to you, what she has been doing to you is severely wrong. Just because you're a guy, doesn't mean it's okay…that you're not a victim."
Mike's throat made a noise at that word. Victim. He was a victim of domestic abuse and no matter what, it was extremely embarrassing. Before he knew it, he was breaking down into heaving sobs despite it igniting every ache in his body. Why was he being so pathetic? Harvey was right there, what was he going to think? What was he going to say? Right now, he almost wished he were dead. However, the last thing he expected was to feel arms wrap around his body. He sniffed and immediately inhaled the cologne he smelt earlier. Was Harvey hugging him? It was weird but…it was comforting. He didn't know what it was but listening to Harvey's heartbeat and being in his arms, for the first time in months, he felt safe.
"You're gonna be okay, kid. I promise you'll get through this."
Mike continued to cry softly before exhaustion took over and he passed out. The older man smirked and laid the blonde back on the bed, fixing the sheets and then leaving the room to call the police. It was time to get this bitch.
The next morning, Harvey watched quietly as Mike gave his statement to the two detectives. And the one thing he noticed, besides the lack of color in his face, was how broken he looked. And it's because he was; Mike was broken. Julia had broken him, and he knew it would take a lot to put him back together. Even then, he didn't think Mike would ever be the same again.
"I just wanted to inform you, Mr. Ross," Detective Ambrose spoke as he and his partner stood up. "That we won't stop until we find her, but…she has disappeared. She's not at her old apartment or yours, accounts are all cleaned out and she hasn't been to work since the attack. She's fallen off the grid, but rest assured, there will always be a police officer outside your door."
Mike was silently screaming. Julia was still out there. Julia probably knew he was still alive and was just waiting for the right moment to strike. Fuck, how could he have been so stupid? He fell for her too quickly and now he was living in a nightmare. An embarrassing nightmare.
"Thanks Detective," Harvey said when Mike didn't respond.
"We'll call you if there are any updates. In the meantime, stay alert."
"Harvey," Mike spoke once the detectives left. "You should go."
The man frowned, taking a seat. "What?"
"If Julia comes, she might…I don't want you to get hurt because of me."
Harvey chuckled. "Mike, I can take care of myself. You're the one who's lying in a hospital bed with ten stab wounds in his body. I don't care if there are five cops standing by the door, neither me or Donna will leave you alone and we won't let Julia get to you. I promise."
Mike sighed, staring up at the ceiling. He was not gonna be able to relax until he knew Julia was caught. No matter what, most of the week, he was on edge, jumpy, and having intense nightmares. Harvey was there for most of it and so was Donna and he was always ashamed. He would apologize constantly even though both of them told him not to. He was just used to it…to being such an inconvenience lately. He wondered if Harvey thought so, too. He wondered if Julia was right to try and kill him…that he'd be better off dead.
"Hey, you okay?" Donna was sitting with him again, telling him something about Louis. She must've noticed he was drifting again after the lack of response.
"Huh?" He blinked. Crap, his eyes were wet.
Donna looked at him sadly before leaning forward to wipe the tears from his cheeks. "You spaced out before you started crying."
He sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry."
"Mike, you-"
"I know, I'm…" he bit his tongue.
Donna smiled and squeezed his arm. "It's okay, Hun. You know that we're here for you, right? That you can tell us anything? We love you no matter what."
Mike sighed and managed a weak lopsided grin. "I know…thanks, Donna."
The redhead brushed his hair back and stood up. "Well, as much as I don't want to leave you, it's time for me to get home. You'll be okay until Harvey gets here in ten minutes?"
The blonde chuckled. She asked that every time, which he wasn't surprised. The first few nights, he ashamedly begged the two not to leave him alone. "Yeah, I'll be okay." What could happen in ten minutes anyways?
"Okay. Like I said, Harvey is on his way and the officer is outside. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"
Mike nodded and once the woman left, he closed his eyes and groaned. He hated feeling like this…being treated like he was going to break at any second even though he was. God, he just wanted this all to be over.
~+SUITS+~
Julia watched from behind a newspaper as Donna left the building and disappeared towards the parking lot. It had been almost three weeks since she stabbed her pathetic excuse of a now ex-boyfriend. She had packed her things, cleared out her bank accounts and grabbed a new phone. Julia was about to leave town when she realized she had forgotten her medication at Mike's and needed it desperately. She ended up having to turn back which made her nervous…no, who was she kidding, Mike was probably dead by now, still lying on the floor inside. She just had to slip in and out then she was home free once again. But what she wasn't counting on was Harvey Specter, Mike's boss who the blonde complained about constantly, to care. She figured the man wouldn't come looking for Mike for at least a day, assuming his absence was something small and would probably consider firing him. But lo and behold, when she pulled up a few yards down the street, she heard a loud shout followed by Harvey carrying a body in his arms. Mike's body.
"No, no, no, no," she whispered.
"Harvey!" The man's driver yelled. "What happened?"
"He needs a hospital now, Ray. We need to get there fast."
Needed to get there fast meant Mike was alive. How the fuck was he still fucking alive!? She slammed the steering wheel angrily and watched as the car sped past her. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Now what was she going to do? It was possible Mike would still die, he probably lost a lot of blood, but she didn't want to take her chances. After making sure the coast was clear, she ran up to the apartment, grabbed her meds and left, concocting a new plan to get rid of Mike once and for all if he survived…and he did. She had managed to hang around the hospital unnoticed and would gage Harvey or the redhead's emotions, sometimes going as far as listening in on phone conversations if they came outside. So, for those three weeks, she watched and waited, studying the routines of police and the two Pearson Hardman workers. Once she felt comfortable, she would make her move and that was today. Donna was gone and Harvey would arrive in ten minutes give or take, so she had to be quick. Julia put a surgical mask over her face, adjusted her lab coat and stood up, briskly walking to Mike's room. She bobbed her head to passing nurses and other doctors who bothered to look up and she knew she was blending in easily. The brunette rounded the corner to a less crowded hallway and from where she stood, she could see the police officer standing by the door; this would be the hard part. Taking a deep breath, Julia clutched the syringe of sedatives that was in her pocket. She had to be swift.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Michaels, I'm here to check on Mr. Ross."
"Of course, just let me see your I.D."
"Sure." In one quick movement, the woman pulled the syringe out of her pocket and plunged it into the officer's neck.
"What the hell!?" His hand flew to spot where he was pricked. "What is that?"
Julia didn't respond, watching the man blink furiously and begin to stumble. He tried to go for the gun, but the drug was fast-acting. It wasn't long before the cop's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed on the floor. Glancing around to make sure no one heard or saw, Julia grabbed his gun and stuffed it in her pocket before continuing her mission. She carefully opened the door and peered inside. The only light in the room were the two lamps above Mike's bed. She closed all the blinds before walking over to the blonde. He was sleeping. He looked horrible, but she felt no remorse; she was pissed that Harvey had intervened, making her job ten times harder. Grinding her teeth in annoyance, Julia placed a hand on the man's cheek.
"Mikey…wake up, sweetie."
Mike was groggy and sore, a mild headache just stemming behind his eye. He felt a warm hand on his face and a soft, feminine voice. It definitely didn't sound like Harvey, but it could've been Donna, though he wasn't sure why she'd come back. Just as he was about to open his eyes, the hand slapped him harshly, his cheek stinging.
"Wake up!"
Mike's eyes flew open with a startled gasp, and he squeezed his eyes shut a few times to get his vision to focus. And when it did, his blood ran cold. No…it couldn't be. Why was she here?
"J-Julia?" Wait. "Where's Harvey? What did you do to him?"
"Nothing yet." She suddenly pulled the gun out and pointed it straight at his forehead. "Now get up."
"W-What?"
"Get up! We're gonna go for a little walk."
"Julia please-"
"Now! Before I shoot you right here!"
Mike swallowed thickly before throwing back the covers. He hadn't got out as bed for so much as the bathroom, so his legs were still pretty weak. Sometimes, Harvey would have to help him walk. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he slowly and shakily got up until Julia became impatient and grabbed him by the sleeve of his hospital gown. Mike gasped when the IV was ripped out from his arm, it slowly starting to bleed.
"Let's go."
Julia pushed Mike in front of her, hiding the gun in her coat pocket but still pressing it up against the blonde's back. "Walk."
Breathing erratically, Mike staggered out of the room, glancing to his right when he saw the body of the police officer. He looked dead. Oh god, he was getting people killed.
"What did you do?"
"Shut up. Take a left."
Mike did and he could tell they were getting further away from the public eye. He guessed it was a good thing; he didn't want other people getting hurt. Julia led him to an empty stairwell and forced him up the stairs. The further they went, the more dread boiled in his stomach. The roof, she was taking him to the roof. His mouth went dry as they stepped outside; he wished Harvey was here. Or maybe it was a good idea that he wasn't. Mike was sure Julia would've killed him and he didn't want that. It would better if it were just him, no one else deserved to get hurt because of him.
"Julia, please-"
She pressed the muzzle against his back. "Get on the ledge and jump."
"W-What?"
"I said get up there and jump off or I'll shoot you. Either way, you're gonna die, it's just up to you how painful you want it to be."
Julia wanted him to make it looked like he killed himself. That way she could get away with all of this, Mike choked, tears dripping down his face as he glanced at the edge of the building.
Meanwhile, Harvey strode out of the elevator with a coffee in hand and rounded the corner towards Mike's room. His heart nearly stopped at the sight and he tossed his drink in the trash before running towards the commotion. A doctor was tending to a police officer who was sitting on the floor, resting against the wall, looking pale. The officer that was supposed to be guarding Mike's door. More of them were surrounding the area, speaking on radios or talking with nurses. He was confused…until he glanced through the window and saw that Mike's room was empty. There was also blood splattered on the sheets and the floor which made his stomach twist. Oh no…no, no, no. He made a move to go inside, but an officer stopped him.
"You can't go in there, it's a crime scene right now."
"Crime sc- what the hell is going on? Where's Mike?"
The detective working Mike's case appeared, shutting his phone with a sigh. "We don't know."
Harvey grew angry. "What do you mean you don't know?! You're supposed to be protecting him!" And so was he.
"Mr. Specter, calm down. My officer was drugged. He said a woman came up in a doctor's coat and mask to 'check on Mike.' When he asked for I.D., she whipped out a syringe and stabbed him in the neck. He woke up and both of them were gone."
"Son of a bitch." He rubbed the back of his head.
"There's another thing."
"What?" They had all slacked off. Ten minutes; it took only ten minutes for Julia to come and take Mike. He would never forgive himself if the kid got hurt again.
The detective pointed to the officer on the ground. "His gun is missing."
Harvey clenched his jaw in fear and anger. How could this get any worse?
~+SUITS+~
Harvey followed the cops up the stairs, running towards the roof after seeing the security footage. In the ten minutes between when Donna had left and Mike was alone, Julia had disguised herself as a doctor, drugged the cop guarding the door and in a matter of minutes, had a sick and terrified Mike walking out, most likely at gunpoint, towards the emergency exit. There was no video that showed the two leaving the building, so there was only one other option. Up.
"Police! Drop your weapon!"
Harvey blinked, realizing they were up on the roof. And Mike…Mike was swaying on the ledge with Julia pointing a gun at him…forcing him to jump. "Oh no."
"Dammit!" Julia barked angrily. "Look what you did, you worthless little shit! You should've jumped when I told you to. Now, you're gonna suffer the consequences."
Mike looked back and when he made eye contact with Harvey, the older lawyer could see the absolute terror swimming in the blue orbs. "Harvey-"
"Shut up! Harvey can't help you, remember? All the things you told me about him not caring about you. I'm the only one who cared about you, Michael."
"Julia DeMarcus, drop the weapon now!"
She shook her head, keeping the gun raised. Harvey had half a mind to run and tackle the bitch to the ground, but he was too far away. She could still shoot Mike and he would get in the way of the cops. But he was getting agitated; even if Julia didn't make a move, Mike could still fall. He had lost half his blood supply, nearly died and was in a coma. If they haven't already, the medications were going to wear off and Mike would collapse on his own.
"I'm the only one who loved you Michael, so if I go down, you go down with me…if I can't have you…no one can."
Before the police could reach her, Julia pulled the trigger and shot Mike in the back, just as the officers began firing at her. And as the woman dropped to the ground, the blonde fell forward and off the building.
"NO!" He bolted towards end of the building, heart racing. Mike had fallen; he was gonna find the kid sprawled on the pavement below…dead. He felt sick to his stomach knowing that he'd never see…wait…Mike? He had reached the end and peered over. But instead of seeing his associate six stories below, the blonde was barely hanging onto a lower ledge. Crimson liquid was blossoming through his gown and Harvey swore. He just hoped Mike hadn't been shot and it was only ripped stitches.
"Mike!"
The younger man weakly raised his head, meeting Harvey's eyes. He seemed like he was in a lot of pain and it would only be a matter of time before he passed out and fell for real.
"Mike, grab my hand!"
"I can't," Mike choked. "It h-hurts."
Harvey knew the kid was speaking literally and figuratively. "Yes you can, come on."
The blonde sobbed. "No, just let me fall. J-Julia…was right; I'm w-worthless, pathetic, an embarrassment. I don't know why you even hired m-me."
Harvey growled. "Shut up. You take my hand, goddammit! Don't let her win, okay? Beat this, kid, don't give up…please. I…I can't lose you."
Mike hesitated, tears dripping down his face. He could feel himself slipping, so it was now or never. He shakily raised his other arm as Harvey leaned down, reaching out to grab his hand. They slipped a few times, both men's hands sweaty, until Harvey got a tight grip around the blonde's wrist and yanked him up, just before Mike's other hand let go of the ledge. They tumbled back onto the roof in a heap. Breathing heavily, Harvey maneuvered Mike into his arms, finding that the kid's eyes were rolling into the back of his head. Blood was soaking his own clothes, once again, and he knew that it hadn't just been the old wounds. Mike got shot.
"I need help over here!" He shouted before slapping the man's face. "Hey, come on. Stay with me, Mike, stay with me."
It wasn't long before a stretcher was brought up, Mike was removed from his arms and taken away. Harvey sat on his knees, in a state of shock as he looked down at all the blood he was covered in. He couldn't believe he let this happen again. Sniffing, Harvey got to his feet, mentally and physically exhausted. He looked over at Julia who was being handcuffed roughly. She had only been shot in the leg and shoulder so it looked like she would live. Part of Harvey wished she wouldn't, but the other part was glad he'd be able to tear her to pieces in court. He just prayed the brunette would plead guilty. Mike already went through a lot; he didn't need to go through the trauma of a trial also. He sighed and left, preparing to clean up, call Donna and put this nightmare behind him.
Five Hours Later
The kid was in bad shape once again. The bullet narrowly missed vital organs, but it nicked a few vessels, and he bled a lot, internally and externally. Mike needed another blood transfusion which the doctor had been hesitant about. While he needed it after losing a lot of it a second time, it came with complications that they would have to keep an eye on. The blonde was already sporting a fever, there was risk of an infection, the color of his skin was a sickly gray, and his breathing was weak and raspy. Thankfully, he didn't need a breathing tube, but it was going to be rough for the next twenty-four hours. Even after that, his recovery was going to be lengthy; at least a month, maybe two.
"Jesus Christ, kid," Harvey said, staring at Mike's unconscious form in the bed. He reached out and touched the blonde's hand. It was freezing. "You can't catch a break can you."
Donna had felt unbelievably guilty, blaming herself for leaving without waiting for Harvey to show up. He didn't blame her, and he was sure Mike would be glad she wasn't there; Julia would've hurt anyone that got in her way. After getting new clothes and changing, it was nearing midnight and he was exhausted. Even though Julia was now in custody, he was still uneasy. Anything could happen. But the more he listened to the soothing sounds of Mike's heart beating on the monitor, the soft speaking of nurses and doctors out in the hallway and the hum of the central heat, it was putting him to sleep. Harvey felt his eyes drooping and pretty soon he was out like a light.
~+S+~
Mike had no sense of time when he regained consciousness. His whole body ached, his mind was fuzzy, and his throat was dry. He slowly blinked open his eyes, though it was a move that instantly drained him of energy. He wanted to go back to sleep but then he remembered: the gunshot…Harvey's voice…Julia. Julia had shot Harvey. Alert and in a panic, he began hyperventilating, trying but failing to sit up.
"Hey, hey, Mike! Calm down, you're okay."
The blonde frowned, trying to focus his vision on the form next to him. Was that…
"H-Har…v-vey?" He croaked, his throat sore. He squeezed his eyes shut, extremely confused. The older man looked fine for someone who had gotten shot. "Harv-vey, I thought Julia…she s-shot you…I th-thought you were…you're okay?"
It was Harvey's turned to be confused. "Mike, calm down. What are you talking about?"
"I saw you…then I heard a gunshot. Julia shot-"
"You. Julia shot you, remember?"
Mike's brow furrowed deeply before he rubbed his temple. "I…no I don't. All I remember is being on the roof and Julia yelling at me to jump or she'd shoot. I saw you and then I heard the gun go off before everything went black."
Harvey pressed his lips together. "You almost fell off the building…and you lost a lot of blood again, but you'll be okay. It'll just take some time to heal."
The blonde swallowed. "And J-Julia? What happened to her? Is she-"
"She was shot twice, but once she was stable, they transported her to another hospital. She's been arrested, kid and I'll make damn sure she never sees the light of day again."
Mike sniffed, wiping his eyes and looking up at the ceiling. Despite what Harvey was saying about Julia being put away forever, he was skeptical. Who are people going to believe? He was a man who should've defended himself over a woman. Men don't get abused, women do. They always side with the women if they come up with a convincing story…and Julia was very convincing. He could feel Harvey staring at him, so he just closed his eyes, willing himself to fall back asleep and forget about this nightmare.
After a week and a half, Mike was discharged and went to stay with Harvey. But he wasn't the same person, maybe even worse than he had been in the hospital. Skittish, quiet, and timid. If he did talk, he would also ask if whatever he was doing was okay. Harvey let Mike take his bed since it was better than a couch, especially since his wounds were already causing discomfort. Nightmares were constant to the point where Harvey dragged the lounge chair from his balcony inside and next to the bed. It wasn't the comfiest thing in the world to sleep on, but it was better than getting up from the living room all the time. Plus, like Mike, he wasn't getting much rest anyways. Mike would always be apologizing, suggesting he should leave and that he'd be fine at home, but Harvey wouldn't hear of it. Not to mention the kid clearly didn't remember creating a huge blood stain on his floor; maybe he should help the man find a new place to live. He was positive there would be too many bad memories there anyways.
When Harvey was dealing with Julia and the hearings, Donna would stay at the condo with Mike. But since he was barely getting any sleep at night, he would mostly take long naps on the couch during the day. When he wasn't, though, he was worrying about having to testify. He's dealt with a lot of trauma in his life, but nothing as bad as this. He didn't think he can, nor does he want to face the woman who abused him for months. So, it came to him as a huge shock when Harvey came back one day and told him that Julia pleaded guilty.
"What?" The blonde was in disbelief as Harvey placed his briefcase on the table, loosening his tie and grabbing a beer for himself and a juice for Mike. He walked over to the couch and sat down next to his associate, handing him the drink. "She did? How? Why?" Julia didn't strike him as a person to go down without a fight.
Harvey took a sip of his drink before nursing the bottle in his hands. "I had a cop friend look into her a bit more. She was suspected of three murders of former boyfriends, though they could never get any evidence to prove it."
Mike jaw has dropped. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Julia had basically been living a double life. There was a darker side of her than he had ever known; if Harvey hadn't found him, he would've been another one of Julia's victims and she would've gotten away once again. She almost killed him. He almost died at the hands of a serial killer and he wondered if she had been planning this the second they started dating. He got to his feet, covering his mouth with both hands as he silently freaked out. You think you know a person. He had been too trusting, and it almost got him killed. How was he supposed to trust another woman?
"She also had a husband, and the police was dispatched to their house frequently for domestic violence calls, mostly from neighbors. Then he also almost died, filed a restraining order on her. He wouldn't press charges, however, if she let him have their kid. They ended up moving out of the country a month later."
"Jesus Christ." His heart was pounding hard against his chest.
"The evidence was stacked against her; there was no way out of it. She's going away for a very long time. I made sure of it."
Mike bit the inside of his cheek, feeling all his emotions start to bubble up in his chest, constricting his breathing. Tears burned his eyes and he felt humiliated. He couldn't cry in front Harvey. Letting out a choked grunt, he swiftly walked away and onto the balcony.
"Mike?" Harvey stood up and followed. "Hey, are you okay?"
The blonde gripped the railing, bowing his head as hot tears spilled from his eyes.
"Mike, talk to me." The second Harvey placed a warm, Mike broke down, his knees going weak. "Hey, hey, hey. Mike!" He caught the younger man in his arms, quickly bringing him over to the bench and sitting down. His heart broke at the sound of Mike's sobs; the kid was so vulnerable and broken. Harvey sighed, bringing Mike into his arms, rubbing a hand up and down the kid's back. "You're gonna be okay."
Mike couldn't believe he was crying in Harvey's arms again, but he couldn't help it. He had been through hell the last three months and he knew it would be difficult to get past what had happened. How would he even do it? He felt so alone. Harvey either read his mind or he said that aloud, because then he pulled away, keeping a grip on Mike's arms.
"Hey, look at me. Look at me, kid."
It took a moment, but Mike wiped his eyes and raised his head.
"You're not alone in this, remember that. The doctor recommended therapy, in fact once you're better you will be going, but if you ever need to talk, I'm here."
The blonde sniffed, drying his face a bit more before nodding. "Thank you…for everything, Harvey. I mean you saved my life…twice. And you got me out of that situation with her. I don't think I would've been strong enough to do it on my own. I don't know how I could ever repay you."
"Don't worry about it, kid. You being alive is repayment enough for me."
"Okay." Mike swallowed thickly, refusing to let himself cry again. He stood up and took a deep breath, going back over to the railing.
Harvey smirked and joined him, grabbing the back of Mike's neck, and squeezing it gently. The two looked out over the city, enjoying the peaceful silence that Mike hadn't felt like he had in an awfully long time. And it was nice.
The End
Again! I'm so sorry for the super late post! I'm hoping I can find some balance between school, work and writing. To the people still reading, thank you so much! We're almost done. Stay tuned for more and as always, don't forget to leave a review at the bottom!
Next Prompt for: Nerdy:Something happens to Harvey that leaves him injured/in hospital. Mike believes it his fault and so worries himself sick (perhaps physically and mentally) about Harvey and because he is so wracked with guilt. However, Harvey (or whoever you'd like) tells Mike that whatever happened was in fact not his fault at all. Perhaps he still struggles to believe this and still needs Harvey to assure him (and of course Harvey is unnerved that Mike actually made himself I'll because of it.)
Guest (22)
MarvellousMarvey
Magenta
Guest (23)
Bekah
Sabrina
Mary
Anonymous