Alexandra Ross lied and schemed her way through security and ended upstairs strolling through Pearson Hardman. She was discretely looking for Mike, but a twelve year old didn't go unnoticed, even amongst a bunch of self-involved lawyers. For the most part they just frowned and went about their business, but she didn't stand a chance getting past Donna.

"Hi there," she smiled as she stepped from around her desk and blocked the girl's way. "Can I help you?"

"I need to talk to Mike Ross," she said.

"And, you are?" Donna asked.

Alex hesitated. She didn't know how much these people knew about him, but it was clear they didn't know anything about her. "I'm his sister," she said. "Alex."

"Alex," she nodded with a smile. "I'm Donna."

"Harvey Spector's secretary, Harvey is Mike's boss," Alex smiled back. "I know. So, can you get him for me?"

"I love when people have heard of me, and I like you, and luckily for you I like Mike too." She said as she walked back around her desk and picked up her phone. She had a short conversation before she turned back to the girl. "They're on their way back from a meeting. Come on, you can wait in here."

Alex followed Donna into Harvey's office. It wasn't very discreet as all the walls were made of glass, but it was the only real place for her to wait where she was somewhat out of the way. She looked around, she was a lover of music so the records intrigued her, and she was mesmerized by the duck painting on the wall, there was just something about it that she liked.

Donna waited at her desk and kept an eye on the girl, but for the most part she just walked around the office, scanned the records and then sat on the couch. When she saw Mike and Harvey coming down the hall she got up, not to meet them, but to cut them off before they saw the girl. She wanted to explain it first, especially the part of why she let a child into Harvey's precious office.

"Mike," Donna said. "You have a visitor. A charming girl named Alex. She's waiting for you in Harvey's office."

Mike went wide eyed before he disappeared into the office, mumbling a thank you as he went.

"Why is she in my office?" Harvey asked as he glanced into the room. "Is that a child?"

"That's why," she said. "And, because Mike doesn't have an office and I didn't think sending her into the bullpen was a good idea."

"Who is that?" he asked.

"She said she was his sister," Donna shrugged. "Who knew?"

"You took her word for it?" Harvey asked.

"Look at her, same dirty blonde hair, same blue eyes, she looks like a mini version of him," she said. "Besides, she's smart like him too. She knew who I was and who you were, and she figured out how to get passed security and up here all on her own."

"Impressive," Harvey nodded.

Mike was nervous for two reasons when he saw Alex, the first being for her and second being for him. He was worried something happened to her, and he was worried about too much of his personal life coming out at the office. He didn't need to give anyone anymore ammo to tip them off to look a too hard into his background. He rushed into the office, walking toward Alex as she stood up from the couch.

"Lex, what's going on?" he asked as he put his hands on her shoulders and looked her over. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." she nodded.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Why aren't you in school?"

"Because you didn't sign the permission slip for the field trip," she said.

"I completely forgot," he groaned as he remembered he meant to sign it this morning but a phone call from Harvey distracted him. "I'm sorry, Lex."

She shrugged. "I didn't want to be at school alone without my friends, so I left."

"You left?" he raised a brow. "How did you get here?"

"Mmm, I took the subway." She mumbled.

"Alexandra," Mike sighed and sat her down on the couch as he sat on the table in front of her. "I already told you I didn't want you doing that. You're too young to ride the subway alone and you can't just leave school without asking me."

"I called you, but you didn't answer." she said.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and ran a hand over his tired eyes. "I turned it off in court and forgot to turn it back on," he frowned. "I better call your school back, tell them what's going on. And, then I've got to get someone to come pick you up."

"Daddy?" she said when he went to get up.

"Yeah, baby?" he turned to look at her.

"I didn't tell anyone who I was," she said. "I told Donna I was your sister when she asked."

He frowned. "Why didn't you tell the truth?"

"Because, I heard you tell Jenny that no one knew about me at your work," she explained. "You said you didn't know how to tell people and that people could poke holes in your story, or paint you as a bad guy because it would mean you left me to go to law school."

Mike raised a brow. "Were you eavesdropping?"

"No, we live in a tiny apartment. The bed and the couch are pretty close and I have a curtain for a wall," she shrugged. "You thought I was asleep. I wasn't."

He sighed and tried to keep from cracking a smile at her response as he sat down beside her on the couch. "I haven't told anyone because no one has asked me about my personal life, and yes, I don't want people to start asking too many questions, but it's not because I'm ashamed of you."

"I know," she smiled weakly. "But, you're barely home now and I don't want someone to say something that gets me taken from you."

Mike frowned and ran a hand down the back of her head. "Look at me," he said. "No one is going to take you from me, not without one hell of a fight, and this job makes it better for us. It's more money, once I save enough we can move to a bigger place where you will get your own bedroom with actual walls."

"I don't care about those things," she said. "I care about you being around. I miss you."

"I miss you too," he said as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. "It won't be like this forever, but right now, I need this job. I promise you it's all going to work out, alright?"

"If you say so," she smiled at him.

"You're pretty smart, you know that?"

"Well, I am your kid," she said.

"Yes, you are." He grinned as he kissed her head before he rose from the couch with his phone in hand. "I'll be right back."

She watched Mike walk out of the room and she felt conflicted. Part of her felt better, because he was good at reassuring her and she knew that this job was a good thing for him and her, but another part of her felt sad that he was about to pawn her off on someone. She had just skipped school and he barely batted an eye because his job was so demanding she was flying way under his radar lately.

Mike was a few feet away from Donna's desk as he explained the situation to Alex's school, letting them know she wouldn't be back today. He could see Donna watching Alex and Harvey was watching him, and he knew they were trying to put the pieces together. He walked back over to them, knowing Harvey would want to talk, he would want some sort of explanation for why a twelve year old was in his office.

"Everything alright?" Donna asked.

"Yeah," Mike sighed. "I forgot to sign a field trip permission slip, so she couldn't go and all her friends got to go, so she took the subway here because she didn't want to stay at school."

"Wait," Donna shook her head. "Why would you sign her permission slip?"

Mike cleared his throat. "Because, I'm her guardian."

"You raise her?" she asked. "Where are your parents?"

"My parents died in a car wreck, my grandma is in a nursing home," he explained. "There's no one else, it's just the two of us."

"Who watches her while you're here until eight and nine at night?" Donna asked. "And, when Harvey calls in the middle of the night, where does she go?"

"Neighbours, friends," Mike shrugged. "I mean, she's twelve, so she can stay alone sometimes too, but I think that's why she came here."

"She misses you," Donna smiled and he nodded.

"Sorry Harvey," Mike said. "I'm going to see if a friend of mine can pick her up and I'll get back to work."

Donna looked into the office. "I'll watch her. We can do lunch."

"Donna, you don't have to," Mike shook his head.

"I know, but I want to." She smiled as she walked into the office.

Mike watched the interaction, Donna was a natural when it came to talking to anyone and he wasn't surprised she got Alex to agree to spend the afternoon with her. He hugged her goodbye, and watched her walk with Donna before he joined Harvey in his office, feeling a little sad and wondering how he could leave earlier to be home with her more.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a daughter?" Harvey asked once the door was closed and no one passing by could listen in.

Mike stared at him, unsure what to say. "Wh- How did you know?"

"I know she's not your sister. You think I didn't look into you when I hired you? I might not have found her, but I did find your parent's accident. They died in 1992, and you just said she's twelve. She looks like you, she lives with you, you sign her permission slips and the school calls you when she doesn't show up to class. It wasn't a far jump. So, why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know how to bring her up without creating holes in my story," he said. "I was seventeen when she was born, what was I supposed to say when people asked me what I did with her when I went to law school?"

"That may be true for those who don't know your story, but I do." He reminded. "You could have told me. I would have helped you out, let you leave earlier at night, not call you when you're at home with her."

"That's why I didn't tell you. Harvey, I need this job," he said. "I can't use her as an excuse to be treated differently at work. I'm all she has, and considering how we met, I think you know how much of a mess I was in and how desperate I was for money."

"Where's her Mother?" he asked.

"She took off when Lex was six months old," Mike said. "We're better off without her."

"Does she feel that way too?"

"After she found out the real story a few years ago she hasn't mentioned her once since, so yeah," he said. "She feels the same way."

Harvey studied his face and was silent for a few moments before he sat down at his desk. "I'm going to help, and you're going to let me, because that girl needs the best version of you."

"I'm trying," he nodded.

"You live in a run down, bachelor apartment and you ride a bike to work," he said.

"Most of my money goes to the nursing home my grandmother in is. She raised me, and she helped me raise Lex, and she's the only other family we have. I can't turn my back on her," he explained. "Anything I have left I save, so one day we can get a bigger place."

"You can stay with me until that happens," Harvey said as he picked up the phone.

"Harvey, no, you're the one that said we needed boundaries and space," he frowned. "Who are you calling?"

"Ray, it's Harvey," he said into the phone, ignoring Mike. "Listen, I need you open to drive someone every weekday, twice a day, morning and afternoon, can you make that happen? Great, thanks."

"Was that your driver?" he asked.

"Yes, now she doesn't have to ride the subway, or take the bus, or however she used to get to school." He said. "Ray will drive her and pick her up now. Does she go to a good school? I have some connections at a few private schools. I can make a call?"

"What is happening?" Mike asked.

"Someone's giving you a break," Harvey said.

"You already gave me the biggest break," Mike shook his head. "You gave me this job, and you stuck your neck out so I could keep it."

"Yeah, well," Harvey shrugged. "I'm doing the other stuff for her."