Meghan had been released from the hospital under her doctor's order to stay home. She could go to the office with Mike, but work was out of the question. The only reasons for her to be wandering the halls was the bathroom or her physical therapy.

She was no longer attending her former school and was now doing it all online. It was working out for her with her recent medical issues on top of being expelled.

Just as with public school, she was getting behind in each subject, but it wasn't going to last long. She had a plan that would give her an entire quarter off.

She had been planning her schedule in her sleep when she heard Mike wake up from a bad dream.

"Of course, it's a dream. Why wouldn't it be one? Harvey would never forgive me. And if Rachel wanted to, she would have turned me in by now," He mumbled as he put a pair of shoes on. Then he said, "I'm going to Rachel's. Shouldn't be gone too long," he added on the off-chance Meghan heard everything.

It was late and there was a lot on his mind so riding his bike wasn't an option. The cab ride to Rachel's felt like an eternity so when he finally did arrive, his knock was impatient. Hs knuckles kept wrapping against the door until it was opened.

"I told you I needed time."

"I know, but it's been two days, and I can't take it anymore. I had to see you."

Rachel stepped aside to let him in. "I don't want any comments about how messy the place is."

He didn't know why she bothered with that high order. If her apartment was messy, his was a stye. "Okay. And what would clean look like?"

"Don't even think about it," she said as she watched where his eyes lingered. Her bedroom.

"I can't not think about it, all right? Aside from getting Meghan home, it's all I've been able to think about for two days."

"Mike, why are you here? Because that's not going to happen."

"Now or ever?"

"You lied to me about everything... Do you remember when I told you I needed time? That's what I needed it for... to process this bomb that you dropped on me."

"I had a nightmare. You asked why I'm here. That's why. I... you exposed me to the entire firm."

"I would never do that."

"I know. I woke up, and I realized that the real nightmare wouldn't even be that. The real nightmare would be... would be if you didn't want to be with me."

"Do you really mean that?"

"I meant it the first time I ever saw you. Rachel, I know that I'm not who you want me to be, but-but you know what happened in that room. You know what we both felt. I- I don't want to lose that."

"I just keep wishing you never told me."

"But then it never would have happened. And it did. And I'm- I'm really glad that it did."

"I am too. But what happens if you get caught? What happens to Meghan? Because what you had may have been a nightmare, Mike, but you can't tell me you're not afraid of being exposed or losing your sister."

"Of course, I am. But there's nothing that I can do about it."

"Well, you could quit. Go in tomorrow, and just quit," Rachel said.

It was a tempting thought, going through life without looking over his shoulder for the first time in his life. Maybe it would help smooth things over with Harvey... Who was he kidding? Quitting would just make him look like a coward. The only consolations to quitting would be keeping Meghan and gaining the relationship he'd wanted with Rachel.

Morning had come and Mike was back home helping Meghan get ready. He was done hiding her from the people he had considered his extended family.

"Why do I have to go with you if you're just going long enough to quit?"

"Because you're going to your first physical therapy session right after."

"I know what Rachel said... But is this something you really want?"

"If it means we stay together, Megs."

"Would you stop using me as an excuse? Harvey fired you and you're still here. You told Rachel and you're still here. Jessica has had three months to turn you in and guess what... you're still here. The ones who know see you're good for me."

"Just get your jacket and meds. We're gonna be late if you keep this up, and that I can blame on you."

Meghan did as Mike said without argument.

"Can I go to the cemeteries tomorrow?" she asked. It had become something of a tradition to spend her real birthday at the cemetery. Now there were three head stones to visit instead of one.

"Ry... cemetery. You know Neal's is off limits. You've gone there a lot this year. Why do you want to go tomorrow?"

"You forgot, didn't you?... I don't celebrate it. This day is shared with one of the worst days of your life. It's the reason I have a hole in my heart," she hinted.

It finally hit him. "Oh, my God. Your birthday." He drew her in for a hug. "I can't believe I forgot... You'd think I would have remembered that."

Mike led the way out of their building with Meghan following closely behind. The cab ride was awkward after months of not going to the office together and pretending they weren't related.

Once at the firm, Mike went to Jessica's office. Meghan went to the library to keep herself out of the spotlight. To follow through with her plan, she needed to maintain the illusion Mike had set up for her from the beginning.

"I need to talk to you," Mike said, hoping this would be quick and painless.

"You want to talk about how things played out, but the place to do that is somewhere more private." Jessica didn't even give him a chance as if she knew what he was going to do. She led him to an office she had cleaned out just for him. It was a reward in her mind. "You didn't just come through on the merger. You bluffed Hardman, turned his mistress, and put us over the top on Folsom Foods. Now that's a lot of coming through in the clutch. And I wouldn't have saved your ass if I didn't think you deserved to be here."

"I don't know what to say."

"Well, the usual response is 'thank you'."

"The usual road to getting here doesn't involve stabbing someone in the back." This wasn't a reward. This was a painful reminder of a choice he shouldn't have had to make.

"Doesn't it? When I was 16, I came home, my mother sat me down, and said my parents were separating. Trial basis. But the good news was she was going to get me a car to help with my sister. All my friends talked about how lucky I was to have it. I hated that car. Every time I got in it, I... it just reminded me."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because five years later, that same car got me to Harvard, which led me here. So, you can think of this office as a reminder of what you did to Harvey or as a symbol of what you can accomplish at the firm. Now, do you still have something to say?"

"They ever get back together?"

"No. No, they didn't... Now, take Meghan to her physical therapy session, and get settled in."

The session lasted for an hour, which meant Mike was away from the office for two hours with Manhattan traffic.

Meghan continued to hang back, hoping her brother wouldn't make her come into his new office with him. The hope was dashed when Mike called her attention. He was asking for the messenger bag hanging from her shoulder.

"Give me your laptop, Megs. I need to sign you into your new school." His pace was a little too quick for someone who had just returned from a strenuous activity. She sifted through her bag, handing over the laptop he'd bought for her. Their pace slowed when they saw Rachel staring at his fake diploma.

"I know it's not my place, but you really suck at quitting," Rachel said.

"I can explain."

"No need. It was just a suggestion."

"Rachel, I tried to do it, but—"

"But then Jessica gave you this office to stay?"

"Actually, she gave me this office before I could even bring it up."

"Well, aren't you just the luckiest person in the world?"

"Rachel—"

Meghan backed out and returned to the library. She didn't need to be a part of this. And Mike was going to send her there anyway.

"You came to me, you were petrified of being exposed, of losing Meghan, and I gave you a way out. And now, twelve hours later, you're in a brand-new office with a diploma on the wall that, for all I know, came from Kinko's."

"What do you want me to do? Everyone hangs one."

"No, Mike, everyone doesn't just hang one."

"So that's what this is really about."

"You're damn right it is. I've been trying to earn one for as long as I can remember. And you have one and everything that goes with it, and you didn't do a single thing to deserve it."

"You have no idea what I have or haven't done to get where I am."

"And that's the whole problem. I have no idea who you are."

That would have been his deciding moment, and even if it was the moment he decided to tell Rachel about how he got the job, or even WITSEC, the firm was not the place to do it.