Settling in Seattle

Chapter 41- Habits

"So, what actually did you do?" Rachel subsided into the sofa into Mike, who was slumped comfortably on the corner cushion.

"We had a great time, I let her stay up a couple nights, fed her different takeaways, all the while I missed you so much." As he spoke his arms wrapped themselves around Rachel's waist, squeezing her tight. He kissed her temple multiple times playfully. She turned her head slightly and planted her lips onto his, before her eye brows rose and he let his grip ease.

"Let her eat take away...s?" She wilted into his torso and looked up, her eyes glistening up towards his.

"Multiple times?" He'd cracked, and Rachel knew it. She began to giggle as he tried to explain himself.

"Let me get this straight, you let her sleep when she wanted, and you let her eat pretty much what she wanted too."

"Uhh." His glance started shifting around the room, dispersing to the corners.

"Mike... You know I'm kidding right?" Rachel broke into a slight snigger, and he followed, until they were both just laughing over nothing. Almost in hysterics, they were now practically on top of each other.

"At least she had fun!" He kidded it off and they giggled together, tangling ever closer.

"It's fine, I wasn't the healthiest either. Was she alright though?"

"Yeah, she did miss you at moments though. I missed you, did I tell you? God, so much."

"You're telling me the biggest daddy's girl I have ever known missed me, her mother?"

"She did." He peered down to her with a smile ear to ear. 

"Wow," Rachel smiled a little too, proud of a practical accomplishment. She felt Mike place his index finger on her hip in an attempt to swivel her round to face him. He succeeded, Rachel spun herself round so that her legs were on either side of his hips, sat on his legs. Reaching out to his face, she caressed her thumb on his cheek. They felt themselves leaning into each other, sharing a much needed, long-awaited kiss. As their lips collided, slowly so did their bodies, closing in the gap that was previously present. They broke away for a second, desperation setting in, "I missed you too babe."

Mike picked her up from the sofa with ease, she let her arms sheathe his neck followed by the planting of kisses onto his neck. His feet padded up the stairs with Rachel still in his arms, also trying to continue the battle they had going on at their frenzied lips whilst doing his damnedest to climb the steps. Once in their room she was placed onto the floor, and they continued to accelerate the heat as clothes began to become sparse.

"Are you sure you want to do this now?" Mike peeled himself away of Rachel, who was laying underneath him, on top of the numerous pillows. She simply nodded, before they reunited lips desperately and he closed the space between them again. For the first time in a month, she felt alive, ready, and happy.

"Mumma? Dadda?" Mike jumped up, followed by a stirring Rachel, both wrapped in nothing but the sheets.

"Like clockwork." He joked before reaching and throwing on some joggers and passing Rachel her pyjamas, just in time for the toddler to come stumbling into the room.

"Come on bubba, let's go downstairs yeah?" Rachel almost laughed whilst the tot rubbed her eyes and reached out a hand for her to hold. The two reluctantly plodded downstairs without Mike (who said he'd shower and get ready early) and retired quickly to the sofas. Looking to the clock for the first time when they'd finished a round of nursery rhymes, Rachel got up to make Rosalie's breakfast, so that she could then go up and swap jobs with Mike and get ready for work.

"Morning Hayley." The two walked in and parted to go to each office.

"Morning Rachel," She smiled at her mentor, who looked considerably better than the last time she'd seen her, "Good to have you back." Rachel carried on to her office and threw her bag down. Not even a minute into being in her office, the phone began shrilling.

"Hello, Rachel Ross speaking," She sat down with the phone drawn to her ear.

"Hello Mrs Ross, I have a... Harriet Specter here to see you."

"Ah, send her in Mabel, thanks." The line disconnected and Rachel waited for a moment, before eying the red head walking towards her open door.

"You know, it doesn't work so well now that you're actually Mr and Mrs M Ross." She leant on the frame of the door, flawlessly.

"Hmm," Rachel thought for a moment and then snapped back into her reality, "Uh, Donna why are you here?"

"I'm here because I need your advice." Donna strolled in and sat opposite Rachel, who was looking slightly concerned.

"You could've just called."

"We're here for more than just that."

"Oh, you and Harvey are both in town?" She became thoroughly confused rapidly.

"Yes. We came down here because... Well because Harvey wants to move here." Rachel almost choked on nothing as the words travelled to her ears.

"You what?"

"He had some sort of epiphany over the past week, especially having you around it made him think. He misses Mike, and he doesn't want to live in New York anymore. He's not even sure if he wants to be a lawyer anymore."

"Harvey Specter doesn't want to be a lawyer anymore? I call bullshit to that one."

"That's what I said, but he won't listen, he's adamant."

"Who's adamant?" Mike interrupted the conversation, and greeted Donna, "I haven't seen you in ages, how are you?" They hugged briefly before the awaited answer.

"I'm alright I suppose." It fell silent as Mike realised his place, and nodded his head in understanding.

"See you later Donna." He smiled at her, then Rachel, before reversing back to work.

"Why here?"

"He wants to go far away."

"Donna, you know something. You know him too well, surely you can guess what he's thinking."

"He's jealous of Louis. Now he's got two kids, and they're young but growing up, Harvey feels old, and almost... Broody?"

"How is moving to Seattle going to help?"

"Mike. He wants to work with Mike again."

"So... What do you think?"

"I don't know. It would be so lovely to be near you and Mike, but I don't know if I'm ready to leave everything behind."

"Donna, I don't think I'm the person you should be having this conversation with."

"He's so invested in looking at apartments here."

"You can get him to listen. In the meantime, do you two want to stay at ours?"

"Ooh, is that okay?"

"It's the least we could do. You might have to do the nursery run though, I think I'm going to have to stay late tonight."

"We'd be glad." Donna reached to Rachel's hands, before passing her the yellow highlighter and winked, leaving the office.