Settling in Seattle

Chapter 29- Back to The Apartment

Rachel laughed, and Donna kicked her feet up onto the coffee table. She was leaned against Harvey's chest, mimicking Rachel on Mike. Rosalie was next to Mike in the stroller, asleep, positioned so if he looked up he could see her. Harvey had a tumbler in his hand, Donna a wine glass, but Mike was supporting Rachel in not drinking until she had stopped breastfeeding completely.

"No way. I don't believe that." Harvey giggled like a little girl, everyone followed.

"Oh, you better, because what happened that night..." Mike continued the conversation before he was cut off.

"Oookay, Mike you've said enough." Rachel reached her hand up and playfully hit Mike backwards on the cheek. He acted hurt, and she looked up to force him to see her roll her eyes.

"Yeah, Mike, your wife's the boss." Harvey said trying not to laugh, and Donna sniggered into her wine glass, pressing her head further into Harvey's chest.

"Don't try and tell me you don't get thrown around by Donna. Plus, I love Mike, he knows I just like order!" Rachel carried on the conversation with Harvey.

"Yeah, well wasn't it you who once told me that when you first met him you thought he was an idiot?" Harvey shot Rachel a touché look and she shook her head.

"And he knew that, because the first time I met him I called him out. Then I kept telling him to go away, and eventually gave in."

"Wow, I just realised you've been owning my ass since the very first time we met." Mike moved his hand from her shoulder to her hip and placed his thumb away from his fingers, on her waist. They all laughed and just sat there for a moment, drinking in the people they loved.

"When are you actually going to go back to work?" Harvey asked Mike, and Rachel rose her eyebrows.

"In two days." He leant down and kissed the top of Rachel's head, and she closed her eyes for a moment, safe in his arms. Rosalie suddenly awoke and wanted everyone to know that she was awake.

"Oh, baby girl," Rachel cooed, immediately jumping up and wandering towards the not-so calm baby. She was surprisingly relieved she'd have an excuse from the conversation that had boiled up. Rachel pulled the infant out and placed her on her shoulder, attempting to calm her down but knowing it wouldn't work, "She's hungry, and I gave her the only bottle I had when we got here." Rachel looked down at Mike, who was watching her. She was getting slightly nervous and Donna and Mike could tell. Of course, Harvey was none the wiser.

"Yeah, it sounds exactly that. Hey, it's fine. Harvey, do you mind if Rachel uses your bedroom for a while?" Mike laughed as he said the words, realising what it sounded like.

"Sure." He had been nudged by Donna, a signal that he needed to comply, not like he wouldn't of.

"Thanks." Rachel unhooked the changing bag from the handle and slung it over her unoccupied shoulder, making her way into the concealed room in the corner. She pushed the handle and closed it behind her, walking slowly to the chair that was situated on the back wall. She looked around as she moved Rosalie into her arms, thinking just how manly and poorly decorated the room was. She sorted out Rosalie and she began to eat, so Rachel looked out towards the big window. The view was quite something, you could see the office from there, but also most of New York. Whilst patting Rosalie's back, she leant back on the chair and closed her eyes for a bit, just relaxing.

"Harvey touched a nerve there didn't he." Donna said, now sitting up slightly.

"She's just a busy person, and she won't really have anything to do for the next couple of months. She'll have Rosy to look after, but other than that... She just wants to be doing cases," Mike explained, realising suddenly that it might be more than just that. Rachel wasn't one to not have anything to do, she'd always find something. Donna nodded understandably, and Mike sat up. "Excuse me..."

"Babe, are you alright?" Mike sat on the edge of the bed in front of her.

"Yes, exhausted, but yes." She looked down at Rosalie, who's arm was spread across her chest and cooed at her, causing Mike to smile.

"I'm not convinced." Mike leaned forward and placed his hand on her knee.

"It's nothing Mike, I just love you so much, and whilst I'm not a helpless damsel in distress who needs everything done for her, I can't help but wonder how far I can go with work being a parent too."

"Rach, you can be a hardworking mother, as well as a loving one."

"I know, but what if I get the balance wrong. I know these first few months are ones to cherish, but I want to do work when she's older, I don't want people just to see me as a mother. I also don't want people to see someone who just cares about work and not my daughter."

"Listen to me, you can do both. We'll find the balance, together." Mike looked into her eyes that were pricking tears.

"I don't know. I know we're going to give this little girl the best life possible. But I don't know." Rachel said as she moved Rosalie onto her shoulder to wind her whilst moving her shirt down. Mike passed her the cloth out of the bag and kept his hand on the shoulder that wasn't in use.

"Here, it smells, we'll do a double change quickly then we can stay for a bit longer or go. What do you want?" Mike pulled the portable changing mat from the bag too, and led it onto the floor. He took Rosalie and led her down, pulling a sour face at the fumes.

"Can we stay a little longer, then travel back, I can sleep on the jet." She smiled as Mike blew raspberries into Rosalie's small stomach.

"Absolutely." Rachel then knelt down next to him and they both changed Rosalie as painlessly as possible. If there was one thing she didn't like it was this.

"That was quite a while, we began to wonder what you were doing in there?" Donna smiled as Rachel sat back down on the sofa, Rosalie in her arms comfortably. Mike was throwing the dirty package into the bin.

"Yeah, sorry, she was one hungry girl, and she was also smelly," Rachel laughed as Harvey grimaced. "Yep, we do have to deal with that."

"Oii, that was in my room."

"Well, if you wanted us to change her on the kitchen counters, then sure." Rachel laughed as Mike returned. They kept up a conversation before Rachel started to drift to sleep like the baby on her chest, and Mike called it a night. They made their way back to their rental car, and then to the airport, where they easily made their way to the private jet.

"What a day." Rachel said as she spread herself out on the seat.

"No room for me?" He complained, and she moved so he could fit in the slither of space left. He slid in and cuddled her, where they almost straight away fell asleep with Rosalie in her little car seat next to them.