Ch 18

[Pritchett-Delgado House]

Mitchell stood on the front porch, fidgeting with his tie as he tried to summon the courage to step inside. "You've got this. You've handled worse," he muttered, giving himself a light slap on each cheek. With a deep breath, he pushed open the door, preparing himself for the inevitable barrage of Jay's quips.

As he stepped inside, he could already hear his father's voice drifting from the living room.

"I'm just saying, you can't trust anyone who doesn't know the difference between a 7-iron and a pitching wedge."

Mitchell hesitated, both curious and apprehensive about what awaited him. Squaring his shoulders, he made his way to the living room.

There, Jay and Vincente were seated on the couch, Jay saying something about the putts and Vincente shaking his head and opposite of the was a man in an expensive suit nodding his head along.

Jay looked up, spotting Mitchell first, "Well, look who decided to show up. Got a good excuse for skipping my golf game this morning, or do I have to dock your inheritance?"

Mitchell ignored the jab, "Nice to see you too, Dad." And glanced at the three of them, his brows furrowed, "Am I interrupting something, or is this… a meeting to admit Vince in a national junior golf tournament?"

"No, nothing like that. Although…" (he paused, giving Vincente an appraising look) "…it's not the worst idea I've heard today." He turned back to Mitchell, gesturing toward the man in the suit. "Anyway, Mitchell, this here is Harvey Specter."

The man stood up and stepped forward with a confident but polite smile, extending a hand. "Harvey Specter. Nice to meet you. Your dad's been… colorful in his descriptions of you."

Mitchell's eyebrow shot upward as recognition dawned. He froze for a moment before blurting out, "Oh my God! You're Harvey Specter!"

Jay smirked, clearly enjoying Mitchell's reaction, "Well, would you look at that? Looks like I finally found someone who can impress you."

Mitchell shook Harvey's hand, trying to regain his composure.

"Sorry, it's just… Harvey Specter. The closer. The guy with a reputation for winning cases nobody else can touch." He glanced at Jay, then back to Harvey. "What are you doing here?"

Harvey's smirk widened, clearly amused by the reaction, "Nice to know my reputation precedes me. Let's just say I am here to turn some ideas into reality." He gestured at Vince.

Mitchell raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Wait, are we talking about Vince's… what? You're working on his homework now?"

Vincente scoffed, finally looking up. "It's not homework. It's a game. A really cool one. I came up with it, and Harvey's helping me make it happen." He leaned back with a proud grin, as if daring Mitchell to challenge him.

Jay chimed in with a chuckle. "Kid's got ambition. He pitched me this thing—something about matching candies or whatever—and I thought, 'What's the harm in letting him take a swing?' So I called Harvey."

"You called Harvey Specter to help with a candy game?" Mitchell looked between them, his tone dripping with disbelief.

Harvey cut in smoothly, straightening his jacket as he spoke. "Jay pitched it to me as an investment opportunity. Turns out, the kid's onto something. This game? It's got potential. The kind of potential to blow up into a cultural phenomenon."

"It's called Candy Crush," Vincente added, holding his phone up to show the colorful prototype. "You match candies to clear levels, and there are all these challenges. It's super fun, and I've got a whole theme going."

Mitchell stared at the screen, then back at Harvey. "And you're… what? Filing candy trademarks? Arguing in court over jellybeans?"

Harvey smiled, unbothered by the jab. "No, I'm helping lock down the intellectual property, securing licensing deals, and structuring partnerships. The kid's already got the creativity. My job is making sure the business side is airtight and that no one steals his idea."

Vincente smirked, clearly enjoying the attention. "Harvey's teaching me about branding, contracts, and, like, copyright stuff. Pretty cool, right?"

Mitchell blinked, still struggling to process the scene. "So… this is really happening?

Harvey and Vince smirked.

Jay leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile on his face. "What can I say? The kid's got my entrepreneurial spirit."

Mitchell sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is surreal. But okay, fine. Harvey Specter is here to launch Candy Crush. Why not? Just another day in Vince's life."

Harvey gave a small laugh, his confidence unwavering. "Stick around, Mitchell. You might learn a thing or two."

After sharing a laugh with them he turned on his heel, he headed towards the door to leave.

"Wait! Harvey!" Vincente called out, hopping up from the couch and grabbing two neatly labeled folders from the coffee table.

Harvey stopped, turning back with a raised brow. "What now, Vince? I thought we were good."

Vincente hurried over and held out the folders. "We are! But I need a favor—can you copyright these for me?"

Harvey took the folders, flipping the first one open. His smirk turned into a look of mild surprise as he scanned the contents. "Lyrics? Song titles?" His eyes flicked to Vincente, and the realization dawned. "Wait… you're the kid who's blowing up on YouTube?"

Vincente gave a sheepish grin. "Guilty. I wrote those myself. The first one's called Something Just Like This, and the second is Family."

Harvey raised a brow, impressed despite himself. "Let me get this straight. You're what nine? You're launching a video game, and now you're writing songs that sound like hits waiting to happen?"

Jay cut in with a proud chuckle, "The kid's got talent. Runs in the family."

Mitchell muttered under his breath, "Still waiting for my talent to kick in."

Ignoring his uncle, Vincente nodded eagerly. "I just want to make sure no one steals them. They're personal, you know? Especially Family."

Harvey's smirk softened for a moment as he glanced at the lyrics again. "Smart move. Copyrighting these is the right call." He snapped the folders shut and tucked them under his arm. "Consider it done. These will be legally untouchable by the time the day's over."

Vincente beamed. "Thanks, Harvey. Seriously."

"Don't mention it," Harvey said, his usual swagger returning. "Just remember me when you're headlining the Super Bowl halftime show someday."

Vincente grinned. "Deal."

As Harvey turned to leave, Jay leaned back with a contented smile. "Kid's got a better business sense than most adults I know."

Mitchell threw up his hands. "Great. Now my brother is outpacing me. Perfect."

Vincente quipped, "Hey, Mitchell, maybe you can open for me when I go on tour."

Jay burst out laughing as Mitchell groaned, "Oh, this day just keeps getting better."

He stopped laughing and glanced over at Mitchell, his expression shifting to one of curiosity. "Alright, enough. What did you come here for, anyway? Or was this just a spontaneous drop-in to remind yourself how much cooler we are?"

Mitchell hesitated, suddenly remembering the reason he'd come over in the first place. "Right," he said, straightening up. "Actually, I came to talk to you about something important."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "Important, huh? That's usually code for expensive or annoying. Lay it on me."

Mitchell shot his father a look. "It's not expensive. And it's not annoying. Well… maybe a little, but that depends on your mood."

Jay leaned back, arms crossed, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Go on."

Mitchell sighed and glanced at Vincente, who was still busy scribbling in his notebook. "It's about Mom."

Jay's smirk faltered for a moment, replaced by a guarded expression. He leaned forward slightly, his arms still crossed. "What about her?" 

Vince looked up from his scribbling.

Mitchell shifted uncomfortably, glancing briefly at Vincente, who seemed lost in his own world. "I've been thinking… With everything going on in the family lately, maybe it's time we all talked. You know, really talked."

Jay frowned, his voice gruff. "We talk just fine. What are you getting at?"

Mitchell sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Well you know…uh…so, here's the thing-"

"Cut it out, Mitchell. Stop stalling and get to the point." Jay's gruff voice interrupted him.

Mitchell winced and blurted out in a hurry, "Claire and I invited mom to tonight's dinner."

Jay froze, his expression immediately darkening. "You what?" His voice was low, measured, but there was an unmistakable edge to it.

Mitchell held up his hands defensively. "Dad, before you say anything, just hear me out, okay? Mom suddenly decided to drop in talking about going to Canada and reconciling with her flow and stabling her energy and one thing led to another and I took her to Claire and it was a disaster-"

"I bet it was."

"-And then Claire decided to invite her to dinner."

Jay let out a sharp breath, his jaw tightening as he leaned back in his chair. "So, let me get this straight. DeDe shows up out of nowhere, starts talking about Canada and… what? Her 'energy'? And instead of just sending her on her way, you and Claire decide to throw a family dinner into the mix?"

Mitchell hesitated, feeling the weight of his father's glare. "I know how it sounds, Dad, but—"

"No, Mitchell," Jay cut him off, his voice dripping with exasperation. "You don't know how it sounds. It sounds like a recipe for disaster. DeDe and dinner? That's two D's I've been avoiding for years for a reason."

Mitchell groaned, rubbing his temples. "Look, I get it. You two have… a complicated history. But Claire and I thought maybe—just maybe—we could get through one dinner without things turning into a full-blown catastrophe."

Jay raised an eyebrow, his tone heavy with sarcasm. "And did you run this brilliant idea by Gloria?"

Mitchell winced. "That is why I am here, so you would talk to her."

Jay let out a bark of laughter, shaking his head. "Oh, this just gets better and better. You're not just setting the table for dinner; you're setting it for World War III."

"Well, that's gotta be nostalgic for you Jay?" Vince voiced out.

Jay grumbled, "Nostalgic, huh? Yeah, nothing says 'family bonding' like awkward silences, passive-aggressive remarks, and me trying to avoid eye contact with DeDe for three hours. Real heartwarming stuff, Vince."

Mitchell sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Dad, please. Can you just—just talk to Gloria? You have a way with her. You know, the… uh… Jay Pritchett charm?"

Jay snorted. "The Jay Pritchett charm? Kid, the only charm that works on Gloria is diamonds, and I'm not wasting one of those on a dinner with DeDe."

Mitchell put his hands on his hips, clearly exasperated. "Well, if you don't talk to her, who's going to? I'm already walking a tightrope just trying to keep this dinner from turning into a full-blown therapy session."

Vince, still scribbling in his notebook, chimed in without looking up. "I vote Jay. You've got the whole 'grumpy but lovable old man' routine down. People eat that up."

Jay shot Vince a look. "I'm not that old."

Vince finally looked up, a sly grin on his face. "Sure, keep telling yourself that, Nostalgia Man."

Mitchell fought back a chuckle as Jay rolled his eyes. "Alright, fine," Jay said with a huff. "I'll talk to Gloria. But if this dinner goes south, I'm putting a 'No DeDe' clause in my will."

"Deal," Mitchell said quickly, grabbing his coat and heading toward the door before Jay could change his mind.

As he reached the doorway, Vince called after him, "Hey, Mitchell! If Mom throws a plate, duck. And get it on video—it might go viral!"

Mitchell groaned, shaking his head as he walked out. "Why do I even bother?"

Jay turned to Vince with a smirk. "Kid, you're lucky you're funny. Otherwise, you'd be in a lot of trouble."

Vince leaned back with a smug grin. "What can I say? I am awesome."

[Pritchett-Delgado House, 2 Hours Before Dinner]

The front door burst open, and Gloria stormed in, dragging Manny behind her. Both of them had guilt written all over their faces. Jay, sitting on the couch with Vince, looked up from his phone, immediately sensing trouble.

Jay groaned, "Alright, what did you two do this time?"

Gloria huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "We handled the situation! That little devil Kyler pranked him, so we taught him a lesson."

Jay narrowed his eyes. "Define 'handled.' And for the love of God, tell me it doesn't involve property damage."

Vince perked up, clearly intrigued, and set down his comic book. "Oh, this sounds good. What'd you do, Manny? Call his mom? Write a strongly worded letter?"

Manny fidgeted awkwardly, glancing at Gloria for support. "We… uh…"

Gloria looked away, muttering under her breath. "We set his bike on fire."

Jay froze mid-sentence, his jaw dropping. "You what?"

Manny, who had been standing stiffly beside Gloria, interjected, "Technically, it wasn't just her. I held the lighter while Mom poured the gasoline. It was a… team effort."

Jay's hand shot to his forehead as he started pacing the living room. "A team effort? You two lit a bike on fire? Are you insane? This is not how normal people handle conflict!"

Gloria put her hands on her hips, glaring at Jay. "It was symbolic! The bike represents his bad behaviour, and now it's gone—poof!" She mimicked an explosion with her hands.

Vince burst out laughing, leaning back on the couch. "Wait—you torched the kid's bike? That's hardcore! Mom, you went full colombiana on them."

"Not helping, Vince!" Jay snapped before turning back to Gloria. "You what? You can't just go around setting things on fire! This isn't Colombia in the '80s!"

Vince, still chuckling, chimed in, "I mean, Jay, you gotta admit—it's kinda a power move. Kid pranks you, and boom, no more bike. Problem solved."

Jay shot him a glare. "Not a word out of you, Vince. You're just as bad as they are."

Vince shrugged with a grin. "Hey, I didn't light anything on fire—this time."

Jay turned back to Gloria and Manny, rubbing his temples. "Do you have any idea how much trouble this could cause? What if the parents call the cops? Or worse, sue us?"

Manny perked up slightly. "You think Harvey would represent us? He could argue it was a crime of passion."

Jay shot him a glare. "Harvey might be a miracle worker, but even he can't spin bike bonfires into a reasonable defense!"

Gloria threw her hands up. "Oh, please! Nobody saw us. The bike was in the backyard, and Kyler deserved it! He has been stealing Manny's lunch all year! What kind of parent lets their child do that?"

Jay rubbed his temples, muttering to himself. "Unbelievable. I married into a family of pyromaniacs."

Manny, clearly trying to lighten the mood, said, "Well, technically, it's not arson if the bike was on private property."

Jay turned to him, his face a mix of exhaustion and disbelief. "Do you hear yourself right now? Stop talking before I have to figure out how much bail costs!"

Gloria stepped forward, wagging a finger at Jay. "You always say you love my fire, Jay! Well, today I showed it—literally!"

Jay let out a long, frustrated sigh. "This is what I get for skipping my golf game. Now I'm stuck here with Team Torch and Scorch trying to explain why you shouldn't light things on fire!"

Gloria waved him off. "It was just a cheap little bike! They'll buy him another one. Besides, that boy deserved it for bullying Manny."

Jay groaned. "Deserving it doesn't mean you can commit arson! What's next? Torching a playground?"

Vince leaned forward, clearly enjoying himself. "Actually, I've got some ideas—"

"Enough!" Jay barked, glaring at him. "You're not helping."

Gloria crossed her arms, unfazed. "Jay, you're overreacting. It's not like we hurt anyone. We sent a message."

Jay threw his hands up. "A message? Yeah, the message is, 'We're insane!'" He sighed, shaking his head.

He pulled out his phone. "Great. Another call to Harvey. At this rate, we're going to need a family discount."

Vince, still smirking, leaned back on the couch. "Make sure to ask Harvey if he does PR too. Manny's going to need it."

Jay glared at him. "You're lucky you're not grounded too."

Vince grinned. "What can I say? I'm a good influence."

Jay shook his head, dialing Harvey's number. "Yeah, you're a regular role model."

As Jay paced the living room, muttering into his phone, Gloria turned to Vince. "You think we overdid it?"

Vince shrugged. "Nah. But next time, maybe go for the kid's video game console. Bigger statement."

Manny groaned, covering his face. "Next time? I'm never leaving the house again."

Jay came back from attending the call, "Good news, Harvey will handle it."

Gloria and Manny sighed in relief.

"Well that's good, now, I have got to go get ready for the dinner." Gloria straightened up and headed up the stairs.

Jay and Vince shared a look, Jay scrunched his face before saying, "Dede is also coming to dinner."

Gloria froze mid-stairs and mechanically turned towards Jay, "Dede?"

"Yeah, she dropped in on Mitchell and there was a situation with Claire and one thing led to another and she invited herself at the dinner." Jay let out in one breath, "You don't have a problem, do you? If you have a problem we can always skip dinn-"

"No," Gloria repeated, her tone controlled, though there was a faint edge to it. "I do not have a problem. But… you know how she is."

Jay rubbed the back of his neck, clearly worried about the dinner already spiraling out of control. "I know. That's why I tried to talk Mitchell out of inviting her. But, you know... DeDe's DeDe."

Vince, ever the observer, leaned forward on the couch with a mischievous grin. "I can't wait to see how this plays out. Maybe I'll film it. You know, for posterity. This dinner is going to be legendary."

Gloria shot Vince a sharp look, but it didn't last long before she shook her head with a half-smile. "You better be ready for her, Vince. She won't be happy to see you."

Vince raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I'm just an innocent bystander in all this. I mean, it's not like I was the one who invited her."

Jay sighed. "Can we just get through one dinner without it turning into a circus?"

Gloria took a deep breath, turning back to head up the stairs. "Well, at least this time, we know what we're dealing with. Now, I will go make sure everything is perfect. For all of us." She added the last part with a knowing look towards Jay, who was already bracing himself for the chaos ahead.

Vince chuckled under his breath, muttering to himself, "I really need to start betting on how long before DeDe flips out."

Jay sat back on the couch, rubbing his temples. "It's going to be one of those nights, isn't it?"

Gloria, who had been halfway up the stairs, called down with a bright, "Don't worry, Jay! Dinner will be fine!"

"Famous last words," Jay muttered. But as Gloria disappeared upstairs, he turned to Vince with a sigh. "At least Harvey's got the bike fire under control... the real wild card tonight is DeDe."

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I am really sorry for delay but I am kind of busy right now with my tests next week and assignments.

The upload will be like this for a while, so I am really sorry and no this is not dropped.

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