Around 1pm, Mike finally entered the hallway of Specter Litt Ross. He walked into his office—
"Where were you?"
A voice behind him made him jump. He turned to see Harvey at the doorway, eyebrows raised and arms crossed over his chest.
"Something private," Mike mumbled.
"Yeah right, don't play stupid with me. Where were you?"
"I'm a senior partner now. I don't need to tell you everything. Leave me alone."
Mike was starting to get annoyed.
"You're right. But you're acting weird—even Rachel doesn't know a damn thing! So what? You cheating on her?" Harvey's voice rose.
"What?! How could you say that? I love her. We have a son together, remember? Oliver, your godson!" Mike's voice rose too.
"Yes, thanks, I remember him. So—where were you?"
"Fine! I was at the Safe Horizon – Streetwork Project. It's a shelter—for kids and teenagers. The ones who had to leave their families because their lives were hell. The ones no foster families want."
Mike's voice cracked at the end.
"Okay, but why were you there? Mike, what's going on?" Harvey asked, closing the door and coming closer.
"I took a new pro bono case. A young girl. Her name's Amy. I don't care what you or Louis say—this girl needs help. She's pressing charges against her parents. And Harvey, I swear to you, when I saw her—her eyes, her face—I made myself a promise: I wouldn't let her down.
So are you with me, or are you going to keep yelling and playing dumb?"
Mike's voice was firm, almost defiant—Harvey rarely saw him like this.
"Listen, I get it. Pro bono cases are your thing—you've always wanted to help people. And sometimes, you listen to your heart more than your head."
"Where are you going with this, Harvey?" Mike asked, annoyed.
"I mean—are you sure you want to take this case? Do you feel strong enough to handle it?"
"Yes, Harvey. I do. I'm going to help her. And I need you—and the firm's best—on board."
Mike was determined.
Harvey looked away. Then his eyes locked onto Mike's.
"Alright. I'm in. We'll hold a meeting this afternoon. You're leading it."
"No problem. Thanks, Harvey."
"But Mike—one thing."
"Yeah, what is it?"
"If you get too emotionally involved in this case—if Rachel, Oliver, or anyone at the firm notices it's getting to your head—I take over. That's not a request."
"Alright."
"And tomorrow—conference room, 10 a.m. Mario Davis' case is wrapped. All that's left is for Batman and Robin to crush the opponent," Harvey smirked.
Mike chuckled. "No problem, Batman."
Harvey left Mike's office—ready to help this teenage girl, but also ready to protect Mike if it consumed him.
3:00 p.m. – Conference Room, Specter Litt Ross
Mike stood while everyone else sat. Rachel looked at him—confused, concerned.
"So, Mike, are you going to tell us why we're here, or are we just going to stare into each other's eyes forever?" Samantha asked.
"We could—it's kinda nice, right?" Mike joked. Only Donna gave him an awkward smile.
"Alright, alright. I get it. This morning, I went to the Safe Horizon – Streetwork Project. It's a shelter for youth fleeing domestic violence. A 16-year-old girl named Amy Lekoski contacted me. She's pressing charges against her parents. They've always been violent, and she wants justice."
"That's sweet, but do you have details on what she went through?" Samantha asked, skeptical.
"No. The moment I tried to dig deeper, she shut down and left. That's why I need you—the best of the best. And it's been a while since we took a pro bono."
Harvey stood. "Look, it's complicated. But complexity is what we do. We don't know much yet—but if we work together, we can earn her trust."
"Donna, you have a talent for making even the quietest people talk," he added with a wink.
"Louis, come on. You don't want to help a teenage girl in distress—who's just two years younger than Lucy?"
Louis opened his mouth, then shut it.
"Rachel—I can tell by how you're looking at Mike that you're convinced," Harvey said. Rachel blushed.
"Sam, you grew up in a group home. You know what this is. Remember 18 years ago—I went with you when you needed closure. Don't tell me you won't help."
Samantha looked around the room. "Alright. I'm in. But on one condition—Mike, you've got a soft heart. If this gets too much—"
"Harvey already told me," Mike cut in. "He'll take over if it gets heavy."
Samantha finally smiled. "Perfect."
"Well then—time to get to work," Mike said. "I'll contact Miss Anita—she runs Amy's section. I'll set up a meeting. Harvey and I will go. She already knows me, and bringing Harvey shows we're serious."
"And I'm not serious?!" Louis cried. "I thought we were friends! We're supposed to go mudding after work!"
"You canceled our romantic dinner to go mudding with Louis?!" Rachel asked, half-laughing.
Donna laughed behind Harvey. Samantha raised an eyebrow.
Mike turned beet red. "Oh my God, Louis! Okay, everyone, calm down."
"We are calm. You're the one turning red like a lobster," Harvey teased.
"Okay yes, Rachel—I canceled. I'm sorry. Louis has been bugging me for months."
Louis gasped. "And Louis, stop acting like a drama queen. We're still friends—even if Harvey's the only one coming with me."
"But my name's on the wall too!" Louis whined.
"And that kind of behavior is supposed to show Amy we're serious?" Donna raised an eyebrow.
Louis sighed. "Fine. But if it goes badly, don't come crying to me!"
He stormed off with dramatic flair.
Mike exhaled. "Well, that was a successful meeting. Everyone's on board. Louis was dramatic. We checked all the boxes."
Everyone smiled and left the room.
6:00 p.m. – Harvey's Office
Donna knocked on the door and walked in without waiting for permission—because obviously, she didn't need it.
"Rachel told me it's confirmed. You and Mike are going back to see Amy next Tuesday," she said as she sat on the couch.
"Yeah. I want to help her—otherwise, I wouldn't have agreed. But…"
"But what, babe?"
"I don't really know. What if Amy doesn't like me? What if she thinks I won't take her seriously? I've worked with so many clients, but this… this is different. She's my first client this young, and it's not the usual corporate case. She's pressing charges against her parents. They abused her her whole life."
Harvey looked out the window.
"I get it. But Harvey, you know teenagers—we've got two at home. You're an amazing father. I've seen you handle the girls' meltdowns, their fights, their bad days. They cry on your shoulder, they show you their emotions without fear. Even if it's a bit more complicated with Charly—your mini-me," she said with a smile.
Harvey smiled too, thinking of Charly.
"All that to say: you are incredible. Yes, she's going to be hard to reach—with her past, that's completely understandable."
Donna got up and walked toward him, placing her hands on his chest.
"But you are Harvey Specter, the best closer in New York, and you're gonna pull off the kind of shit that only Harvey Specter can do."
She kissed him—softly, tenderly—the kind of kiss that reminded him they were in this together.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered, "Alright. Let's go home. Back to our girls."
Carnegie Hill – Specter Home – 7:00 p.m.
They walked through the front door. Simba ran to greet them.
Harvey knelt to pet him. "Hey buddy, hope your sisters didn't give you too much trouble."
"Harv, he's not our son," Donna laughed.
"Don't listen to her, you're Daddy's little boy, yes you are, you're his baby boy," Harvey said in a ridiculously sweet voice.
Charly, 16, strawberry blonde, and basically Harvey's clone, walked in.
"We should record him talking like that to Simba and show it at the firm. Big bad Harvey Specter—totally obsessed with his dog, more into cuddling him than his daughters," she smirked.
Donna hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Did you have a good day, my love?"
"Yeah, same old. Classes, soccer practice. Obviously scored again."
"That's my girl," Harvey said, ruffling her hair.
Avery walked in and kissed both parents on the cheek.
"And you, how was your day?" Harvey asked.
"Great. I got an A+ on my math test and I qualified for the high school tennis semifinals," she smiled.
"Teacher's pet," Charly muttered.
"Shut up," Avery replied.
"And here we go again," Harvey sighed.
"Both of you, enough," said Donna with her mom tone—end of discussion.
"By the way, before dinner, you and I need to talk," Harvey said to Avery.
"What? Why?" she asked, eyes wide.
"Brandon," he replied simply.
Charly burst out laughing. "Good luck, big sis."
Avery turned to her mom. "Mom! You promised you wouldn't say anything!"
"It's fine, it's nothing, Aves. Charly and I are just gonna let you two talk," Donna said, dragging Charly into the kitchen.
Avery's Room – A Few Minutes Later
Harvey sat in the desk chair. Avery sat on her bed, facing him.
"I'm listening, Avery," Harvey said in a tone that was kind but firm.
"I didn't want you to find out," she admitted, not meeting his eyes.
"Why? You don't trust me?" he asked, hurt.
"No, of course I do. I trust you. But you're super protective, so I only told Mom and Charly."
"I wouldn't have done anything crazy."
"Dad, you spent our entire childhood saying the first guy who came near us would have to go through you first."
"…Okay, maybe I was serious back then. But now, I want you to tell me things. No matter what."
"Alright. Next time, I'll tell you… I guess Mom already told you everything this time, huh?" she sighed.
He laughed. "Yeah. Brandon. Seventeen. Goes to your school."
"She didn't have to give all the details."
"It's okay, Aves. You know your mother. If it had been anything serious, she would've let you tell me yourself."
"Okay, true."
"Come here," he said, standing and opening his arms.
She walked over and they hugged.
"I love you, Avery."
"Love you too, Dad."
"Alright, I'm starving. Let's see what your mom attempted to cook," he joked.
They both laughed and headed downstairs.
After Dinner – Kitchen
The girls were clearing the table. Harvey and Donna stayed behind, sipping their wine. The girls were whispering.
Harvey and Donna exchanged a look.
"Okay, what's going on? And don't say nothing—we know you too well," Donna said.
Avery stepped up. "You guys were acting weird at dinner."
"Weird? What do you mean?" Harvey asked.
"Well, we were all talking, but you both seemed... somewhere else. Are you okay? Is someone sick? Are you getting a divorce?!" Charly blurted out.
"What? Of course not. No one's sick. And no, we're not getting divorced—we still love each other," Donna replied calmly.
"Okay, then what's the problem?" Charly pressed.
Harvey and Donna exchanged a silent look—the kind that said we're about to say something big.
"Girls, come sit down," Donna said, gesturing to the chairs.
They obeyed.
Harvey took a breath. "It's the firm's new case. Pro bono—of course, it's Mike who brought it in."
"You don't do those often. Why this one?" Charly asked.
"It's about Amy. A young girl living in a shelter for teens fleeing domestic violence. She's filing charges against her parents. We haven't met her yet—your mom and I—but Mike says it's too important to ignore. And… she's sixteen, Charly. Just like you."
Harvey's voice started to shake.
He looked them both in the eyes. Donna squeezed his hand under the table.
"She's only sixteen, and she's already been through unthinkable things. Mike says she looks broken inside. She doesn't trust anyone. She's angry. Sad. And on the outside—she's tired. Underweight. She has scars. A burn on her right arm."
Avery and Charly froze. Harvey continued.
"Why did we take the case? Because when Mike described her, all I could think about was you two. A girl your age, going through that kind of hell. How could anyone do that to a child—their own child?
She wants to make them pay. We're going to help her. So that one day, she can wake up and know she made it. That they'll never hurt her again."
Harvey's voice was strong. But his eyes were misty.
Avery and Charly looked at each other. Then Avery spoke.
"Promise us one thing—you're going to win. Right?"
"Have you ever seen your father lose?" Donna said with a smirk.
"Never," they said in unison.
"Then there's your answer," Harvey replied, finally smiling.
They got up and hugged him.
Harvey looked at Donna.
They were ready. For Amy. For the fight. For everything.