Chapter 37

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

AN1: Thanks for the support. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.


It has been a few hours since Mike quit and somehow word of that has already gotten all around the firm. Having gotten the details from Donna about what happened Katrina is walking up to Mike's apartment, while on the phone with Donna.

"Yeah, I'm walking up now." Katrina informs her friend.

"What are you going to do if he doesn't answer?" Donna asks curious.

"Use my key." Katrina says as she knocks on the door to Mike's apartment.

"You don't think he's going to be okay." Donna realises.

"No, I don't." Katrina confirms, knocking again and once more she gets no answer, "Okay. Mike's not answering his door, so I'm using my key." She explains, "I'll talk to you later." She says before hanging up.

Putting her phone in her pocket Katrina pulls out her key and uses it to enter Mike's apartment. Looking around she sees Mike sitting on his couch, holding a bottle of Katrina guesses Vodka, staring at his picture wall.

"Mike?" Katrina asks worried, "Mike, talk to me." Katrina says, walking towards him.

"You told me they wouldn't put me in the middle, they did." Mike says, pain in his voice, "I thought they cared more."

"I'm sorry, Mike." Karina says, walking over to her best friend.

"Sorry doesn't matter." Mike says, taking a large drink of the vodka, "Nothing does." He says and Katrina can't help but look worriedly at her friend, as she worries whether there is anything she can do to help him.


At the firm Donna is sitting at her desk when she sees Scottie walking up to Harvey's office.

"Not a good idea, Scottie." Donna tells her.

"I need to talk to him." Scottie informs Donna.

"We'll he's not in any state to talk to anyone." Donna explains to Scottie, being pretty sure that if anyone were to walk in Harvey's office to talk him then things won't end well.

"I still need to talk to him." Scottie says, heading into the office.

"Don't…. do that." Donna says as Scottie walks in the office and closes the door behind her, Donna being more than a little sure that things aren't going to end well.

"Get out, Scottie." Harvey says, not looking up from the glass he is drinking from.

"I come in peace." Scottie says, raising her hands in surrender, "I want to help." Scottie reveals, as she closes the door behind her.

"Well, I don't want help, so get the hell out." Harvey requests, his voice full of anger.

"Okay, I don't know what the hell is going on, but I've heard the rumours that Mike quit." Scottie reveals, and as she does she notices Harvey tense, "Which means you need this." Scottie says, throwing a file at Harvey, "You'll win with that." She says, giving the file to Harvey as Mike quitting has made her realise that things are getting out of control and they need to end, before everyone suffers.

"I don't care about winning anymore." Harvey says, saying words that Scottie never though she would hear from Harvey.

"Since when? What the hell is going on?" Scottie asks, sounding completely shocked.

"I don't care about winning because I've already lost what matters most to me." Harvey reveals, downing the rest of his drink in one go, "Just leave, Scottie." Harvey requests his voice sounding defeated, something else Scottie never thought she would hear from Harvey.

Staring at Harvey Scottie tries to figure out what the hell is going on, and after a few moments, longer than it should, the answer comes to her.

"Mike's the person you're seeing." Scottie realises, "And he didn't just quit."

"No, he didn't." Harvey says, not even bothering to deny it, "In one conversation he quit, ended things between us, and told Jessica we're together." Harvey says, and though she notices the use of present tense Scottie has no intention of pointing that out.

"Wait, you didn't tell Jessica that you were dating her son?" Scottie asks shocked, and Harvey doesn't say anything, "That was a bad idea, Harvey." She informs him.

"You know what Scottie; I don't want to talk about this." Harvey reveals, completely meaning that, as he gets up to pour himself another drink, "So get out and take your file with you." He requests, for a few second she debates what to do and then she turns around and leaves Harvey's office, leaving the file behind.

After Scottie walks out Harvey pours his drink and then walks back over to his seat where he once more continues to drink. A few minutes after Scottie walks out Harvey's door once more opens again and Donna walks in.

"Go talk to him." Donna tells her friend.

"Donna…." Harvey starts to say.

"Don't Donna me, you need to talk to him, before you drown your liver in scotch." Donna tells her friend, concern clear in her voice.

"He probably won't open the door." Harvey comments, "I wouldn't blame him for that." He admits.

"You're right, Mike probably wouldn't answer." Donna reveals, agreeing with him about that, "but Katrina's there and if he doesn't answer she will." Donna explains to Harvey.

"Call Ray." Harvey requests, standing up.

"Of course." Donna responds as Harvey walks out of the office, Donna planning on messaging Katrina once she calls Ray so that she knows Harvey is coming.


A little while after he left Donna in his office Harvey is walking up to Mike's apartment, the walk never feeling as long, or as difficult. Finally reaching Mike's familiar door Harvey reaches out and knocks, honestly expecting, even with Donna's words, for the door to remain closed to him.

After a few seconds The door opens revelling Katrina.

"Good luck." Katrina says, letting Harvey in into the apartment.

"Thanks Katrina." Harvey says and as he heads in Katrina heads out, "Hi." Harvey says, closing the door behind him as he walks over to Mike who is still on the couch.

"Hi." Mike responds, and Harvey can tell that he is at least tipsy, probably drunk, "What are you doing here, Harvey?"

"You know why I'm here. I'm here to talk about what happened." Harvey tells him.

"Right." Mike says, sarcastically, "But honestly what's there to talk about? You and Mom are so concerned with winning that you don't care who you hurt."

"That's not true, I care." Harvey argues, completely meaning that.

"Really?" Mike asks with a disbelieving snort, "I asked you not to put me in the middle, I asked you not to make me be in that room today…."

"And you agreed." Harvey reminds Mike.

"Because you wouldn't take no for an answer!" Mike says back, sounding angry, "I tried to get you to get Katrina to take that meeting, but you said you needed me to do it, and I couldn't let you down, which you knew."

"You're right, I shouldn't have done that." Harvey realises, "I am sorry, Mike."

"Yeah, now." Mike says, bitterly doing so because he has drunk so much, as he stands up, "I'm finally back together after everything Trevor did to me, and I know I wouldn't be if it wasn't for you, but that doesn't change the fact that what you had me do today crossed a line, and I can't be with someone who put me in that position, not again, I just can't do that to myself." Mike explains to Harvey, pain in his voice as for the first time, ever, he's putting himself first in a relationship and even though he loves Harvey completely he can't do that again.

"I never wanted to put you in that position." Harvey says, meaning that completely, "I'm sorry." He says, as he's been trying so hard to do things right by Mike and he ended up doing something horrible, "I love you Mike, but I think I should go." Harvey says, doing so because there are a few things he needs to figure out before he can start to make things up to Mike, before he can be the person who deserves to be with Mike.

"You know the way out." Mike says, heading to the bathroom, honestly surprised and a hurt that Harvey is just giving in, as Harvey fights, and yet he's not fighting for him.

"Yeah." Harvey says, heading out of Mike's apartment, making a promise to himself that the next time he is in Mike's apartment things will be different, he will be better, and be someone who deserves Mike's love, because right now he is pretty sure that he doesn't.


After leaving Mike's apartment Harvey headed back to the firm to pick up the file that Scottie gave him before heading home where he had a few more drinks before heading to bed.

Even though he knows that with Scottie's file he could beat Darby, and Jessica, Harvey meant it when he said that he doesn't care about winning, not on this, because he's already hurt Mike and winning this, this way, will just hurt Jessica, which is going to hurt Mike more, which he isn't going to do.

As he didn't bother to go into work Harvey isn't at all surprised when there is a knock on his door after lunch as he knows that Jessica's now officially won, his non-compete has been extended and now he has to decided what to do next. Opening the door Harvey also isn't surprised to find Jessica on the other side.

"Giving up without a fight, I didn't see that coming." Jessica admits, when she sees Harvey.

"There's a lot you didn't see coming." Harvey tells Jessica as she walks into his condo.

"Yeah, that's become clear." Jessica says angrily, "You lost."

"I gave up, there's a difference." Harvey corrects, as he closes the door and follows Jessica into his condo.

"No, there's not. It's the same thing." Jessica says, putting her bag on the bench as she turns and looks at Harvey, "Our deal is still in place, you stay, you're going to be humble, and you'll learn your goddamn place." Jessica informs Harvey.

"Wow, he was right about you." Harvey realises, anger in his voice as all he can think of is Mike.

"Who?" Jessica asks in confusion, though she could guess.

"Mike." Harvey says, pain in his voice, "He said that we were both so concerned with winning that we didn't' care about who we hurt. He was wrong about me, but right about you."

"I'm not the one who started this Harvey, you did." Jessica tells him, "You put Mike in the middle first."

"I asked him to do paper work, and had no intention of having him anywhere near this merger, but then Darby sent in his number two, and I begged him to go in, even though I knew he didn't want to." Harvey explains, "That's on me, but how hurt he is, how betrayed he is, that's on both of us." Harvey reveals, knowing that he is to blame in part for how Mike is, but so Jessica, "And I for one do regret that, but it doesn't seem like you do."

"Of course I do!" Jessica says angrily, "And if you regret everything so much why did you start this whole thing in the first place?" Jessica asks, "I had a deal that put your name right next to mine, and before it was even up there you started to act like it was on top of mine."

"I did that to protect you!" Harvey reveals, "We know nothing about Darby."

"Bullshit. This wasn't about protecting me. This was about advancing you!"' Jessica says angrily.

"No, it wasn't." Harvey admits, walking over to his desk to pick up the file that Scottie gave him, which he walks over and gives to Jessica, "I had that, I could have won, but I realised that there are things more important than winning." Harvey reveals, causing Jessica to look shocked as she realises that he is right, and that he could have won, "I'll be at the office later, you know your way out." Harvey informs Jessica, heading towards the bedroom.

"Why didn't you tell me about you and Mike?" Jessica asks, before Harvey can even make it across the room.

"We wanted time to figure things out, to figure out what we were." Harvey explains, turning to look at Jessica, "We decided to tell you after the Folsom case was over, but then the merger happened and so we talked and decided that no matter the outcome we would tell you once this merger either went through or was stopped." Harvey explains.

"Who knows?" Jessica asks.

"Donna, Katrina and Doctor Jenkins. Ray probably suspected and Scottie knew that I was seeing someone, but she didn't know it was Mike." Harvey explains, "We were serious, Jessica, and I screwed things up." Harvey says, pain in his voice, "Like I said, you know the way out." He says heading into his bedroom.


After leaving Harvey's apartment Jessica's goes to her son's place where she has been knocking and calling out for several minutes, realising that her son's not answering and so she pulls out her own key and lets herself in.

"When someone doesn't answer the door there's a reason behind it." Mike informs his mother.

"You're mad." Jessica realises.

"Of course I am." Mike tells his mother, standing up, swaying slightly as he's already tipsy, "I always knew how important winning was to you, but I always thought there was a limit to what you'd do, I thought I was the limit." Mike says, stressing the I, "I guess I was wrong." Mike says bitterly.

"You weren't." Jessica tells her son, pain in her voice.

"Seems like I was." Mike says, heading to his bathroom as it's the one place in the apartment that has a door, one place where he can shut himself away.

Watching her son walk away Jessica feels an incredible amount of pain, but she knows him well enough to know that he's not going to listen, not now and so she turns and heads out of Mike's apartment.


A while after Harvey talked to Jessica he arrives at his office and he heads straight to his office, and he isn't at all surprised when Donna walks in after him and closes the door behind her.

"So, how'd things go?" Donna asks.

"Badly." Harvey answers, "Mike told you, and Katrina, and even me that I deserve better, but the truth is, he does." He reveals, "I screwed up Donna. I forced him to do something he didn't want to do, I was wrong." He informs his friend.

"What are you going to do?" Donna asks her friend, knowing him well enough to know that he is going to do something.

"Become the kind of person he deserves." Harvey reveals, "I want to be with Mike, but there are things I've got to do first, things I have to handle." He explains to Donna.

"Okay, if there is anything I can do to help, let me know." Donna requests.

"I'm pretty sure that you'll know I need help before I do." Harvey admits.

"True." Donna says before leaving, leaving Harvey to his work.


It has been two days since the Harvey officially gave up fighting the merger and since then it has gone through and Scottie has been fired by Darby for giving Harvey the file, though Harvey got her re-hired and assigned to the London office.

Having made a trip out to Brooklyn where Harvey bluffed a client, in hopes of getting triple the money, Harvey is just arriving back home where he is surprised to find Jessica waiting, reading a magazine and drinking wine.

"Jessica." Harvey greats, sounding less than happy as neither of them have talked since the last time Jessica showed up at his condo.

"Harvey. I expect I'm not the Pearson you were hoping to see." Jessica comments.

"That Pearson currently isn't talking to me." Harvey comments, sounding less than happy.

"He's not talking to me either." Jessica admits, sadness in her voice.

"I'm not surprised." Harvey admits, "What are you doing here? I don't recall giving you my key." Harvey comments, walking over to the couch.

"I don't recall authorizing you to negotiate behind Deron William's back." Jessica comments.

"His back is just fine. I'm standing right behind it." Harvey says, removing his jacket.

"Then why is the contract he signed in my hand?" Jessica asks, showing Harvey the contract as Harvey sits down, "How much did you ask for?" Jessica asks curious.

"Triple."

"You out of your mind?" Jessica asks shocked.

"We have leverage." Harvey answers as Jessica gets up and walks over to him.

"And what is that?" Jessica asks curious.

"It's complicated." Harvey answers, wanting to avoid mentioning what he did.

"Simplify it for me." Jessica requests.

"I bluffed him."

"That's not leverage." Jessica says, anger in her voice.

"It is if he believes it." Harvey argues.

"And if it fails, he fires us and takes ten other plays with him." Jessica reminds Harvey.

"Then it better not fail." Harvey comments.

"You asked the man for triple!" Jessica says angrily.

"If I had what I said I had, that's what I'd get. I don't ask for triple; he knows I'm bluffing." Harvey explains to Jessica.

"Then don't bluff in the first place." Jessica informs him.

"I'm afraid that's what I do." Harvey comments, meaning that.

"You know what I think? I think you want it to fail. I think you're stuck with a merger you don't want and a non-compete you can't stand, and you're trying to get me to fire you." Jessica informs Harvey.

"I could bust that non-compete wide open." Harvey argues.

"But you gave me your word." Jessica reminds Harvey.

"Which is why I'm staying." Harvey says, standing up, "Jessica, I've always operated this way. It's what you hired me for, it's what you pay me fore, and it used to be what you valued me for." Harvey reminds Jessica.

"I'm not going to fire you." Jessica reveals.

"Neither is Deron Williams." Harvey reveals, showing Jessica his phone, "Nets just caved so unless you want to yell at me about what you're really pissed about, I'd say we're done." Harvey says, heading to his bedroom and leaving Jessica.


The next morning Katrina got up even earlier than she had to and has made her way to Mike's apartment, because she doesn't expect him to answer if he knocks Katrina just uses her key to enter the apartment and she isn't at all surprised to find her best friend pasted out on the couch.

"Mike, wake up." Katrina says, walking over to him and starting to shake him awake, as she puts the coffee she brought on the coffee table.

"Go way." Mike says and Katrina continues to shake him awake, "Okay, okay, I'm up." Mike says annoyed, opening his eyes and sitting up properly, "What the hell are you doing here?" Mike asks confused, seeing his best friend.

"I'm here to get you up, and get you to work." Katrina explains as Mike reaches over and grabs one of the coffee.

"I quit, Katrina. I'm not going to work." Mike informs his best friend.

"You should." Katrina says, "I know Harvey and your Mom hurt you, but I also know that you love your job, you shouldn't just quit."

"I can't." Mike tells his best friend, "I can't work with either of them right now, I just can't." Mike tells her, his voice full of pain.

"So you going to just stay in your apartment and drink?" Katrina asks curious.

"I don't know, maybe." Mike says with a shrug, "Thanks for the coffee, Katrina." Mike says, heading into his bedroom.

"That could have gone better." Katrina mutters, as she watches him walk away, though she knows that it also could have gone a lot worse.


A little while later Katrina is arriving at the firm, specifically at Donna's cubical where she hands her friend coffee and a muffin.

"So, did you succeed?" Donna asks curious as she takes the food and drink from Katrina.

"Nope." Katrina says, it being clear that she is concerned, "He said he can't come back, and wouldn't confirm or deny whether he's going to stay in his apartment and drink."

"That's not good." Donna says worried.

"No, it's not." Katrina confirms, "I don't think he's okay, Donna, and I don't know how to help him." She admits, pain in her voice.

"We'll figure something out, we always do." Donna tells her, it being clear that she is offering to help too.

"Yeah." Katrina says, sounding less than convinced and the two of them drift into silence, and not even a couple of minutes later they both hear footsteps and Harvey walks up.

"Katrina, Donna." Harvey greats and Katrina just gives him an angry look.

"I'll talk to you later." Katrina tells Donna before walking away, without even glancing at Harvey.

"I probably deserve that." Harvey admits, "How long do you think she's going to be mad?" he asks curious.

"Mike's to her what I am to you. How long would you be angry if someone did to me what you did to Mike?" Donna asks her friend.

"A really long time." Harvey realises.

"Exactly." Donna says with a nod, "But for the record she's just as pissed at Jessica as she is at you." Donna reveals.

"Good." Harvey says, completely meaning that.

"You've got to go meet with Granger." Donna informs her friend.

"Okay." Harvey says, turning and heading out of the office.


A couple of hours later Harvey is just returning to the newly named Pearson Darby from his meeting, walking into his office Harvey is a little surprised to find Jessica waiting.

"You keep showing up to surprise me, people are gonna get the wrong idea." Harvey says, trying to joke as it's harder than he thought it was going to be to be okay when he knows that Mike is mad at him, may even hate him.

"People are going to think what they're going to think." Jessica says as Harvey walks over and sits behind his desk, causing Jessica to turn around and look at him, "I'm here to bury the hatchet."

"What prompted that?" Harvey asks curious, being pretty sure that she must have a reason.

"Darby found what you did with Deron Williams." Jessica reveals.

"Don't tell me, he was impressed." Harvey says, with a proud look on his face.

"He was pissed." Jessica lies, doing so because she doesn't want Harvey to quit, which she can see him doing soon if she doesn't fix things, "Thinks you're trying to get fired." Jessica lies.

"And you told him how smart he was." Harvey comments.

"I told him you said it wasn't true and that I believed you, and then I fought to give you a chance to prove it. Ava Hessington, I got you on it." Jessica reveals.

"What does that matter to me?" Harvey asks curious, completely meaning that.

"Harvey, I know you and I have had our problems, but this is a chance for us to move past it. Let's take it." Jessica says, wanting that as even though she is mad at Harvey for keeping the fact that he was dating her son from her she does want to make things right between them.

"You really do wanna make up." Harvey realises, wanting to believe that.

"I never wanted to be at odds in the first place." Jessica tells Harvey.

"Neither did I." Harvey admits, "But there's someone else that we both have to make things right with, someone who isn't going to forgive either of us easily" Harvey reminds Jessica.

"I know." Jessica confirms, "Are we good?"

"Don't you wanna tell me I better win this goddamn case?" Harvey asks curious.

"I didn't think I had to." Jessica admits.

"Never stopped you from saying it before." Harvey says, as Jessica stands up.

"Well, I'm learning to let go." Jessica says as she walks across the room.

"Oh, Harvey, there is one more thing. You better win this goddamn case." Jessica says before leaving and once she does Harvey gets to work.


It has been a day since Jessica put Harvey on the Ava Hessington case and since then Harvey has learnt she lied to him and has made a deal with Darby where Darby will fire him if he wins, and rip up his non-compete as well.

Sitting in his office Harvey is starting to go through everything on the case and he is realising that there is a lot more to go through than he was expecting.

"How long are you gonna keep at this?" Donna asks curious.

"Until I find out what I got myself into." Harvey admits, "I mean, look at this stack of papers. It's one fifth of the files we have on Ava Hessignton." Harvey reveals, sounding overwhelmed with everything going on.

"You need a shortcut." Donna realises.

"Well, I can't go to Mike, and Katrina's too pissed at me to help." Harvey says as they are the only people who could help him.

"I didn't mean either of them." Donna reveals, "Ava Hessington started in the London office." Donna reveals.

"It's too late." Harvey says, knowing exactly who Donna is talking about.

"No, it's not." Donna informs Harvey, handing over a ticket.


At Mike's apartment Mike is sitting on his couch, once more drinking. As he drinks Mike gets up and walk over to his wall where he takes down the picture of him and Harvey, taking the picture Mike walks back over to his couch where he sits down and just stares at the picture while he drinks.


A while after his conversation with Donna Harvey is waiting past security near the gate for Scottie's plan.

"You gotta be kidding me." Scottie says shocked, when she sees Harvey. "How did you get through security?"

"Charm, and this smile." Harvey lies.

"You brought a ticket, didn't?" Scottie asks, doing so as it is the only thing that makes sense.

"Trinidad-Tobago." Harvey reveals, pulling out the ticket out of his pocket.

"First class?" Scottie asks surprised, "You're not even going."

"I prefer to not travel in style." Harvey explains to Scottie, "I need your help."

"I'm sorry, I have a plane to catch. A plane, by the way, that you put me on." Scottie says, sounding annoyed.

"After I saved your job, which you accepted." Harvey points out, "So now we're both working for the same firm."

"Oh, I guess now I'm just one of the many partners who gets to work with you and yet wants nothing to do with you." Scottie comments.

"Scottie, please! You once helped me without me asking. Well, now I'm asking." Harvey says, meaning that.

"Then tell me something." Scottie requests.

"Something what?" Harvey asks confused.

"Just…. Something." Scottie requests, leaving Harvey to realise something.

"I remember the first time I ever saw you." Harvey says.

"Con Law." Scottie remembers, "You threw me some line, and I gave you shit about your hair."

"No, it was two weeks before that outside Langdell. You were wearing a blue dress. The wind was blowing. When I saw your face, it stopped me dead in my tracks." Harvey reveals.

"That's not enough." Scottie tells him.

"Well, I'm not finished." Harvey says, "The next time I saw you was Con Law. You answered the first question that Dyson asked, and I knew that face that blew me away was your second best asset." Harvey reveals, "Look Scottie, I love Mike completely, and he's the only person I want to be with, but you still mean something to me. You've always meant something to me, and you always will mean something to me." Harvey reveals, as Scottie will always be his oldest friend, and he is pretty sure that nothing will change that, though that doesn't mean he wants to be with her as the only person he wants to be with is Mike.

"You are such a dick." Scottie says with a teasing smile, "What do you need, Harvey?"

"Ava Hessington." Harvey explains.

"Well, this is gonna take a while." Scottie reveals, "So you're gonna buy me a drink, and I'm gonna take that ticket to Trinidad-Tobago." Scottie informs Harvey, reaching into Harvey's pocket and pulling out the ticket.


Two days later Harvey has been working constantly on the Ava case, something which is proving to be a pretty good distraction as it's stopping Harvey from thinking about Mike constantly, which is what he has been doing since he walked out of Mike's apartment.

It is what has also lead Harvey to once more be walking up to Mike's apartment, as he desperately wants to see Mike. Reaching out Harvey goes to knock, but he stops himself before his hand touches the door. Instead, Harvey takes a deep breath and heads back out of Mike's building, and back to the firm where he spends all night working to find the answer that he needs, something which he manages to find.