Hey Everyone!

I know it's been a while since I've updated, but now a new chapter is here!

THURSDAY'S EPISODE: Gah... I can't think right now. My brain is crying tears of joy.

Enjoy!

P.S. Don't own Suits or any of its characters

Mike, fighting a splitting headache/body ache/hangover from hell and also recovering from a bad case of the munchies, came walking back to his cubicle after trying to talk to Harvey. Max cleaned him up real good, practically shaving his beard for him. She, not surprisingly, had an extra suit for him that she picked up from the cleaners from a time Mike didn't know. But that still didn't help him in anyway when Donna was like the Berlin Wall, causing him to not see Harvey. Max was able to get into his office to try to explain, but Donna's firey red hair caused her to become firey herself. He had heard Donna chewing Max out, but Max just stood there and took it, knowing Donna was just angry. God, he felt like an asshole. He caused a fight between Harvey Specter and Maxine Harris; the unofficial power couple of Pearson Hardman. To top it all off, his boss and his boss' secretary was pissed at him, on the day his parents died.

"Watch out," Mike mumbled as he passed by Max's desk, "Donna's gonna open another can of ass whoppin'."

Max shrugged her shoulders. The blond noticed that Max had cleaned up a little more nicely than normal as well, but you could tell something was off. Instead of a suit skirt, she wore a black pant suit, with a typical beige coloured dress shirt, buttoned a button higher than usual. Black shoes, but not the glossy, sky-high heel types she always wore. It was a matte, and a low heel. Her make-up was natural and gorgeous, but it didn't have the Max sparkle it usually did. Instead of her luscious hair flowing down her face, she pulled it up in a ponytail, showing the fierce lines in her cheek bones. He could see the hint of the bags under her eyes, which was half his fault. He had been puking all night, and like the good friend she was, she was beside him, rubbing his back.

If Max could look like shit, this would be it.

"Why do you look like a supermodel even when you are feeling like hell?" Mike said, sitting at his cubicle. He noticed that none of the other associates were in the room as they were all assigned to the Waylen case that Louis and Harvey were working on. But not to their surprise, they weren't needed. Max was a sophomore, while Mike was the best rookie on the floor by a landslide, so they should have been in there. It didn't take a genius to figure out they were being kept out of the loop for a reason.

"Because I'm Superwoman," she said, halfheartedly.

With a small smile, Mike got back to work.

"How are you holding up?" She said, causing Mike to lift his head up.

"You know, with the whole...thing," she said, twirling her pen when she said 'thing'.

Mike, sighing deeply, began to spew out word vomit, "About what? That sixteen years ago to this day my parents died in a car accident which I happened to be the only survivor of, and to make matters worse is that my fucking photographic memory can remember every single damn thing about that crash, like how my dad's skull was smashed like a melon and how I heard my mom's last words being gargled with the blood in her mouth. That every time this day shows up on my calender I hide at the bottom of a bottle and in a bag of weed just to hope that maybe, maybe I can forget just a bit of the crash, maybe just so I can just forget some of the pain-"

Mike's breath caught in his throat as he let a few tears roll down his face. Max left her cubicle and tightly held him to his chest.

"I know what I did was wrong," he said as tear marks rested on his cheeks, "but I thought that maybe, I could forget about them, just for an hour. Hell, I'll even take five minutes. I just want to forget, Max. But I can't forget anything."

"I know, Mike."

"I can't forget anything. I want to so bad Max, but I feel like I'm being punished because I can't forget." Mike said, clutching onto Max as his tears stained her shirt.

"I can't forget."

He hated the day his parents died. Most people would have moved on by now, since they would have forgotten the things about what happened. But Mike, he could remember where every grain of glass was positioned. He could remember every dent in the car, how the upholstery was ruined, how the smoke whipped through the air. He could remember the minute that his mom was his mother, and the next he was looking into lifeless eyes. His eyes. Everyone always said he had his mothers eyes. Max looked around, hoping that no one was listening in.

When in reality, hidden around the corner, was a strawberry blond, clutching a hand over her mouth as she silently tried to fight her tears. Donna was going over to the pair to give them more work and another brow beating, but she decided to eavesdrop in their conversation, hoping to find out more information on what happened the previous night. Never, in her life, had Donna felt so guilty. When Harvey told her what happened, she had just assumed the worst. Actually, she hadn't assumed the worse because what happened to Mike was the worst possible thing that could happen. She chewed him up and spat him out and stomped on him until he got the point. She was just trying to get him straight, but he just had a glazed look in his eye that got her frustrated and took her worst out on him. But if she had just known why he did the things he did, she would have gone easier on him. Much easier. It wasn't right, what he did, but Donna was shocked he hadn't done worse. To relieve his parents' death constantly and crystal-clear was like torture to him. She shouldn't have jump to conclusions. Tears fell from her face as she walked into the women's washroom to clean up. She heard enough.

The thing about love, Harvey was contemplating as he sat as his desk, was that one couldn't jump into it. Nor could one crawl, or walk, or run into it. No, the only way to be in love is to stand at the edge and fall. It was so easy for him; just to stand at the edge. Max... God, he cared about her. He cared about her more than he had with anyone else in his life. But if she was so comfortable with Mike being high and drunk... he didn't know what to do. Should he just stand at the edge, or just fall?

He looked at the picture on his desk; he didn't know what was going on with Max, but when he woke up this morning, the first thing he wanted to do was to call her. After realizing what happened the previous night, he instantly missed her as his hand hovered over her name when he held the phone in his hand. The feeling was so powerful that he ended up framing the picture and bringing it with him to work, placing it on his desk, just to see her. The sadness of not hearing her voice overpowered his anger for that moment. But damn it, he was Harvey fucking Specter. He could last a day without hearing his girlfriend's voice. She had to know he was serious about how he hated drugs, and if she didn't see that, then, he didn't know what he'd do. And Mike... Harvey didn't even want to think of Mike at that moment.

"You've been staring at that file for ten minutes," Donna said as she stood at the door.

Harvey shook his head, "Just thinking of ways to conquer the boardroom."

Donna's tongue grazed her back teeth in an unamused manor.

"Uh-huh. So the thought of Max didn't even cross your mind?"

Harvey pouted, he was still mad, but he wouldn't let it show. "Now Donna, you wouldn't actually think I'd be that angry?"

She shook her head, "No actually, I'd think you'd be worse."

The redhead placed the files on his desk, causing Harvey to see the hidden hickey on her neck line as she extended her arm. As Donna was placing the file on his desk, she couldn't help but notice the black picture frame on Harvey's desk that wasn't there the previous day. The inner frame was trimmed in silver, and the picture itself was of Harvey and Maxine. The strawberry blond's eyebrows rose in surprise. Things were getting serious between them if he was putting a picture of her on his desk.

"Now that's adorable," she said, pointing to the frame.

Harvey's smirked, "So is that blemish."

"Well, I wanted to match my boss," Donna said, pointing to the hickey just barely peeking out of the collar of his tie.

The brunette man rolled his eyes, "Humour me."

Harvey not only noticed the hickey on Donna's neck, but her eyes were a little puffy. "Donna," he said getting her attention, "Is there another mock-trial soon, or are you just brushing up?"

His secretary knew he was joking, but he clearly saw that she wasn't in a laughing matter.

"Donna?" He said, putting all of his focus on Donna, who was now on the verge of tears.

She ran a finger through her hair. How was she going to tell Harvey that he jumped the gun again? He always assumed things when he was angry, and it always came to bite him in the ass. Now, this moment, was one of those times she hated being the messenger. "I'm a jerk," the redhead said, "And you're going to feel like one too."

It was then that Donna told Harvey the one thing he would have never expected.

Yves Saint Laurent loafers hit the floor, swerving past paralegal cubicles, partner offices, break rooms, and print rooms as Harvey was looking for his associate and his girlfriend. They weren't at Mike's desk, and Harvey was betting that they were cooped up in the washroom. Walking over to the entrance, he took a deep breath before swinging the door open. He saw Max and Mike sitting on the sink counter, Mike's eyes red rimmed to the extreme, as Max's were slightly bloodshot. He walked up to Mike but the blond just looked down. Max slid off the counter, pulling Harvey farther into the washroom, just out of earshot.

"Do you know?" Max whispered. Her response was a nod from Harvey.

"How?"

"Donna," Harvey said in a low tone.

She sighed, the woman heard everything.

"Look, I know you're mad at me-"

"I'm not," Harvey said, almost sounding broken, "Not anymore."

It took everything Max had not to just pull him into a hug and hold him. Mike needed her more.

"We can talk later," Max said, "But Mike needs me... us. He needs us, Harvey."

They both began walking towards Mike, who wiped his nose with the tissue in his hand. Harvey signalled Max to show he wanted to talk to Mike alone. She nodded, squeezing the top of his arm before giving a quick kiss on the cheek for Mike, whispering something in his ear. As she left the men's washroom, Harvey stood in front of Mike, not daring to sit on the counter and crinkle his ten thousand dollar suit. They were both silent, until Harvey heard a crack come from Mike's mouth.

"It sucks that you don't care, otherwise this would be a good moment," Mike said sadly.

Harvey shook his head, "Kid, I don't know if you noticed, but that schtick of me not caring? People are starting to notice it's just a schtick. You should to."

Mike nodded, "I know. But you should know Max is totally against me smoking pot-"

"Is she now?" Harvey said, unsure if it was sarcasm or pure shock.

"She understands why, but she doesn't condone it. This morning she practically threw a frying pan at me for being reckless."

He shook his head, "Sounds like her."

Harvey sighed, taking his hands out of his pocket.

"Why didn't you just tell me the truth? Before you went on a drinking binge while baking your brain to nothing. You could have just told me."

"But I-"

"Do you trust me?" Harvey said, looking at him directly in the eye.

Mike swallowed, "Yeah..."

"Then you could have told me," Harvey badgered, "I could have kept that secret, Mike, you know that."

"I didn't want to tell you, Harvey. You'd think less of me."

Harvey almost shook the kid in anger when he realized something.

"You thought that I'd think less of you?" He repeated.

The blond nodded.

A brain blast hit the brunette. Harvey didn't have the memory Mike or Max had, but he knew instantly that Mike said the same thing that Max had said before she told him her mother died. Why did they both think that? Was it some kind of program that they both developed in their minds. Think less of them? Why in the world would Harvey think less of a person just because of the shit that happened in the past? What was in the past was in the past. Harvey only judged people by the way they acted in the present, and Mike has proven himself to be a great associate. Max proved to be an amazing person. So what gave them the idea that something could change that?

"What is with you two?"

Before Mike could react, Harvey continued, "Why do you both think that if you tell me that your parents are dead, I'm going to think that you are some horrible human being?"

The younger of the two sighed, "You don't get it Harvey. When people find out about my parents, they instantly think that I'm someone they should pity. They see me differently, like I'm struggling to live since I don't have my parents there to support me. Max and I... we hate that feeling. We don't want people's pity. We don't want to be victims. We're survivors. But people always assume the worst."

Harvey listened to his associate, realizing that the kid was growing up. He was a survivor, overcoming one of the worst tragedies to experience in a lifetime. He lost his parents. Max lost the only parent she had. It was no wonder they bonded. The powerful lawyer saw that his associate was one of the most dedicated people he knew.

"So you jumped to the conclusion that I'll think less of you?"

"Do you?" Mike asked skeptically.

"Mike," Harvey said shaking his head, "If you want people to stop assuming the worst in you, stop assuming the worst in people."

He began walking away from the blond, "Just know that you've got people who care about you, Mike."

Harvey held the door open, waiting for his associate to get up. Mike, on the other hand, was confused, "What?"

"I need the best mind the Waylen case. It's sad seeing these other associates try to impress me."

Mike chuckled, "You can't get Max to do it?"

Harvey huffed as his associate passed him, "You know, Max isn't Superwoman."

"You sure about that?" The younger one of the two said smiling.

Harvey couldn't help mirror his smile.

"Welcome back."

And everything is right again in the Pearson Hardman office.

UP NEXT: Jessica's on the prowl, Harvey becomes over-protective, Mike and Rachel go to Greece, and... Max slept with Louis' brother?

Please don't forget to review!

xoxo N.