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‘Come on pretty, drinks are on you…’
As they left the firm for the night, Harvey and Donna looked back one last time at Louis, who was too overwhelmed at the moment to even begin to process all that had happened in such a short time.As they stepped out of the building, they found Ray waiting outside of Harvey’s car, a faint smile on the face.“Ray, I thought I told you to go home hours ago”, Harvey scowled, feeling a bit guilty, “what are you still doing here ?”“It’s not his fault Harvey”, answered the redhead who was just a few centimeters behind him “I called him and told him we’d be celebrating tonight, and we’d need his assistance”.“Don’t worry Mr. Specter”, added Ray to reassure Harvey, “My wife and kids are out of town until next week, I don’t mind having to work tonight.”“In that case, thank you”, replied Harvey, sincerely grateful for his trusted driver.---Without either of them having to say anything, Ray had brought them to the bar where they had met over 13 years ago, and where they had been back on occasion, usually together, whenever they felt like celebrating. And tonight was for celebrating.They settled in, ordered their drinks, both double MacAllan 18, and lightly chatted about everything that had happened. It was a nice evening, and they both relished the fact that they had the other one to talk to.After a few hours of making fun of Alex and Samantha and their little power play, as well as Louis having his controlling dreams finally coming true both at the firm and in his family by suddenly becoming a father AND a managing partner at a top law firm in NYC (although that was mostly Harvey), they left the bar. Harvey looked over at Donna while she was putting her coat on, contemplating for a split second the idea of inviting her to his condo to keep the party going. But as she saw her fumbling to button her coat, while slightly swaying on her feet, he realized that they maybe had a few too many drinks, and anything that would happen while she wasn’t fully aware would be a mistake. So he took her by the elbow and gently guided her into his car where he asked Ray to drop her off at her apartment, before bringing him home. Once he had made sure that she was safe and and sound at her place, he went back to his, not full of regret, but perhaps full of possibilities, and also, a bit of worry at what tomorrow would bring, with Louis being at the head of the firm, and said firm now having five different names on its wall. But he relaxed knowing that whatever happened, he could count on Donna to smooth over the process.---The next morning, having skipped his morning jog and slightly hungover, Harvey was not the happiest man when he reported at 8am sharp in the lobby of Zane Specter Litt.
Wait...
It wasn’t just Zane Specter Litt anymore, he thought. He had barely given a thought to the situation until just now, when he stepped in the building. He stopped dead in this tracks as he remembered that A) they had two new named partners, and B) Louis was now managing partner. It was a lot, especially when running on barely 4 hours of sleep and way too many whiskeys. As he stopped, he felt someone running into him from behind. He recognized the tall figure without having to turn, and heard a surprised ‘oof’ as his favorite redhead looked up from her phone and stared at him.“Harvey ?”, she asked, “what’s going on ? Did they forgot to recharge you last night ?” she added with a smirk.
He didn’t react at her not-so-subtle mention of him being a robot, but turned to face her and asked “Was it just a bad dream, or did we make Louis managing partner just last night ?”. He seemed genuinely confused, which made Donna smile only grow wider.“It wasn’t a dream Harvey, it did happen, not twelve hours ago.”
He slowly nodded, letting it sink in, and started walking in silence to the elevator, knowing Donna would follow. As they both got in, Harvey noticed Donna staring at him intensely, and knew she had something to say.“Spit it out Donna”, he sighed, “I’ve never known you to be the quiet type, so if you have something to say, just say it.”“I know you might not want to hear it, but Harvey, Louis is managing partner now”, she said cryptically. He looked down at her with a confused look on his face and he slightly tilted his head.“You think I don’t know that ? We’ve had that conversation not ten seconds ago in the lobby!”, he began to raise his voice.
Donna now faced him in the elevator and knew they would soon be on their floor and had to act quickly. “No Harvey, you’re not hearing me. Louis is now managing partner”, she said again. He was still confused for a few more seconds “And what makes you think I can’t handle it ?” he asked her. He was slightly annoyed that she thought Louis technically above him would bother him. They were passed that. Plus, he hadn’t been managing partner for months and had given his place to Robert without much of a fight.“I know you think you can handle it, and I know that you’ll try. But you and I both know that as much as Louis as changed these past few years, him having all he’s ever wanted all at once might go to his head”, she said softly, laying out facts they both knew to be true. “And I want you to promise me that as much as he’s pissing you off, you won’t do anything to antagonize him, but instead you’ll show him that you’re the bigger man”, she added.“Honestly Donna, I know you’re great at reading people, but I’m telling you ; Louis and I are good, and him getting promoted won’t change that. I’m done fighting with people I care about”, he admitted. He had lost too much recently, he thought, to still push people away. Donna nodded quietly while looking at him, like she could see what he was thinking about. Which, if he was honest, she probably could. He didn’t like talking about it, but he was more affected that he had lead everyone (well, everyone but her) to believe by all the people in his life leaving one after the other.“I know you are, which is why it won’t hurt if you promise me that you’ll do all you can to stay on his good side”, she still requested.“Fine Donna, whatever, I promise”, he shrugged.---Turns out, as usual, Donna was more right that he’d thought. Not even ten feet out of the elevator, Louis had greeted them with a coffee for both of them - black for Harvey, and a latte for Donna - and wide smile stuck on his face. As he took his coffee, the third of the day already, Harvey sighed but returned the smile.“Good morning Louis. What the hell is that for ?”, he asked, pointing to the coffees.“Can’t a boss just show affection for his two favorite employees ?”, Louis asked in return, not in a mean way, but to show his pride. Donna and Harvey just slightly laughed and said nothing in return. They drank their coffees in silence as they walked to their respective offices. Before they went their separate ways, Louis, who was following closely behind, threw his arms up.“Come on guys !”, he exclaimed, “You’re not even gonna congratulate me ?”. He sounded really pitiful and dramatic.“Listen Louis”,Harvey replied, “We’ve said all we had to say to you yesterday night. Now quit being a dick about it and go do your job”. Donna glanced at him sideways, shaking her head, and turned to Louis.“What Harvey is trying to say”, she said more calmly, putting her hand on Louis’ arm, “Is that we’re both very happy for you, and we know you’re gonna make a great managing partner”. Louis gave her an honest smile, then a cold look at his friend. Donna nudged Harvey with her elbow, until he let out with a frustrated face ;“What she just said.” Louis must have decided that it was enough for him, he left with a shake of the head to his office.
Donna turned to Harvey, a slightly exasperated look on her face. “Remember that thing we talked about like five seconds ago ?” He nodded. “Yeah ? Well that wasn’t it”, she scowled, “you already treated him like shit and the day hasn’t even started yet”.“Oh come on Donna, I didn’t treat him like shit”, he tried, “it was just a little friendly banter !” “Huh-huh, that was neither friendly nor a banter, and you better do more effort than this in the future”. She turned around and left him there, a little guilty. He knew she was annoyed with him, but he also knew she was a bit amused, and wasn’t really pissed at him.It was their usual dance, he acted like an ass, and she called him out on it. But their fight hadn’t been important in a while. *Until that time I insulted her promotion*, he remembered. ‘No Harvey, I’m in my position because I fucking earned it !’, he still remembered her words, clear as a bell. Hurtful, but true. She had spent years and years preparing for her current job as COO of the firm, and no one deserved it more than her. He had regretted the words coming out of his mouth the second he’d said that he had put her where she was. He was glad she’d forgiven him, as she was now almost his only ally, and would always be. Which is why he knew to take her word seriously when she said he should be careful with Louis.He got into his office and was about to start reviewing a mention to delay about a current case of his that was laying on his desk when he heard a knock on his door. It was Gretchen, and she was carrying a lot of folders.“Harvey I’m sorry to interrupt”, she started as she made her way into the office.“It’s okay Gretchen, what’s all this ?”, he asked perplexed. He had no case that necessitated this much paperwork at the moment.“It’s from Louis”, she explained, a little embarrassed it seemed, “he wants you to review all of Mike’s old cases, to check for conflicts of interest”.
Harvey couldn’t believe it. “Conflict of interest ?”, he exclaimed, “Conflict with who ??”. He was starting to get really pissed. Gretchen was sorry to be the one to break it to him, but it was her job after all. “He wants to sign Kelton Insurance”, she replied with a sigh but her head held high. “Are you kidding me ?? They’re a piece of shit company”, he now shouted, “half of Mike’s goddamn cases are pro-bonos, of course there’s gonna be conflict !”.“Look Harvey, I know he’s putting you in a hard spot”, replied Gretchen, not departing of her calm, “but he ordered me to tell you this, and it’s my job to do so. If you have issues with his decisions, which I would completely understand, please take it up with him. I’m not some owl you can send back and forth.”
Harvey looked like he was about to bite her head off for a moment, the vein on his forehead bulging in his silent rage, before he took in a deep breath and shook his head. “You’re right Gretchen”, he admitted, “it’s not on you, and I’ll talk about it with Louis directly”. Gretchen nodded, a bit of pride in her eyes, and left. Still incredibly angry, he decided to take a minute to breath before he did something he’d probably regret, like beating the shit out of Louis right here and there. Rather than that, he sit back at his desk, ignored pointedly the pile of folders Gretchen had left on his coffee table, and continued working on his other case - a hotel merger - all morning.---Around 1pm, he was still glued to his screen, the file open in front of him. Without having to look up, he sensed her without even having to look up. She stayed a moment at the door, before coming in, closer to his desk. He decided to ignore her, all too aware of what she wanted to talk about. Donna might be the grown-up in most situations, but she could play petty if that’s what he wanted to do. So she took a seat right in front of him, crossed her legs and began to softly tap on the desk. Barely seconds later, as she expected, he gave in and looked up at her.“Donna, I don’t want to hear it”, he warned her in a low voice.“You don’t even know what I’m here to tell you”, she replied.“Sure I am, if you’re here it means you must’ve heard about that little stunt Louis pulled on me. Which means”, he added with a slightly exasperated voice, “you’re here to convince me not to go ape-shit on him because you’re sure he had a good reason to do what he did”. He tilted his head, still furious, and added “Close enough ?”. She was actually pretty impressed. So he did listen when she talked to him ! She stayed her calm-self and leaned over the desk, to put her hand over Harvey’s, now forming a closed fist in his bottled-up anger.“Yes, that’s what I’m here to tell you. But”, she marked a pause, “I know he asked the impossible of you, I know that Mike and by extension his old cases is a very sensitive issue for you, and I know that you feel betrayed by someone you thought was your friend.” She was still looking intensely at him, he hadn’t pull his hand over from under hers, but was now leaning back in his chair, waiting for her to continue. And she did.“You might not believe this, but I’m actually on your side more often than you think...”, she said with a slight smirk. They both knew she was almost always on his side, just as he was on hers. The remark was just meant to make him react.“And I am actually proud to see that you haven’t barged into Louis’ office yet, as I’m sure he expected you to”, Donna continued.“So now you’re saying I was supposed to go to him ?” , he exclaimed, still on the defensive.“No one is saying that, least of all me. I just want you to talk to me.”“Talk to you about what ?”, Harvey asked, confused, “You just mentioned everything that was wrong about this situation, what more do you want me to say ?”. After squeezing his hand one last time, she let go of it and leaned back in her chair as well. “I’d like you to talk about Mike leaving. It’s been months now, and I know we’ve mentioned the subject a few times before, but you’ve never been in a situation like that”. The request came a place of kindness and concern for him, he knew that. But he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. Talking about Mike was like reopening a wound that hadn’t properly healed, and Louis’ request made it fester even more. And so ignoring Donna’s open hand and open ear, he stood up, closed his jacket button. As he did so, he saw Donna slightly recoil in her seat and he hated himself for a split second.“I’m sorry Donna”, he told her, and he was, “I don’t have time to dwell on the past right now, I have to go see Louis.” As she moved slightly, he raised an appeasing hand. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to beat him senseless, although he’d deserve it. I’m going to have an open and calm discussion with my managing partner in order to figure out what made him pull this bullshit.” Donna smiled slightly at the remark, but Harvey could see in her eyes she would’ve wanted to have an honest discussion with him about Mike, and he had disappointed her - once more, he thought. When he went around his desk to go the door, he put a light hand on her shoulder and squeezed before letting go and going to Louis. And it was enough for her to understand that he was sorry about not opening up, and to forgive him like she usually did. They hardly ever had physical contact, there was an underlying danger to it, but when they did, it always meant more than any words they could exchange. Especially considering how bad Harvey was with words.---She hadn’t heard from him the rest of the day, but at the same time, she hadn’t heard any screams or loud noises that would indicate something irremediable had happened to Louis. When she went by his office before heading home, he wasn’t there but his computer and coat were, so he had to be somewhere in the building.
She was reading a book while enjoying a glass of red wine, sitting on her couch, when she heard knocking on her door. She checked the time on her phone and frowned. She opened the door and was met with a familiar face.“Harvey ! It’s almost midnight, what are you doing here ?”, she greeted him, surprised. She noticed he had a bottle of expensive wine in his hand. He wasn’t as good with wine as he was with whisky, but he sure knew a thing or two.“Château-neuf du Pape ?”, she asked pointing to the bottle with a raised eyebrow. “What did I do to deserve that ?”He had a humble smile - well, humble for him - and gave her the bottle.“I wondered if you’d let me come in and share what happened with Louis over a good bottle ?”, he risked. She hesitated, considering the late hour, but she couldn’t leave him hanging, not when he was about to open up, AND he was bringing a hundred dollars bottle. She motioned for him to come in, open the bottle for the wine to breath and came back to where she was previously seated on the couch. He took a sit in the chair next to her, and pointed to the glass set on the coffee table.“I see you’ve already started the party without me”, he remarked, amused.“What can I say ? It’s been a long day...”, she trailed off.“Yes it has”, he admitted.
Silence between the two of them, not uncomfortable but lasting, until Donna broke it off.“Harvey, you told me you wanted to tell me what happened with Louis today, and like I said, it’s been a long day...”.“It actually went okay”, he sounded surprised, and she was too when she heard that. “I wanted to smack him down when I first arrived in his office”, he continued, “but when I came in, guns blazing, he looked up at him and he almost seemed... afraid”, he added, a point of guilt in his voice. “Like he really believed I would beat him up, and he had that same look in his eyes that a few months ago when he told me about getting mugged and threatened at gun point”. Louis hardly ever talked about this story, with anyone, he didn’t want anyone to see him as weak, but Donna knew Harvey was the first one he’d shared this with, and it had only brought the two of them closer. They had shared a lot in the last few months, Harvey relying on Louis even more now that Mike was gone. She looked at Harvey’s sappy eyes, and saw the turmoil in his eyes.“So why’d he do it ?”, she asked to keep Harvey talking.“He said he didn’t want to mess with any of Mike’s old cases, but him being managing partner as the same time as adding two new name partners made the firm looked unstable to the world, and...”, he trailed off“And he thought that taking on a new client, and one as huge as Kelton Insurance, would show to everyone that we’ve still got it and still care about our clients”, she finished for him. He nodded, “Exactly. And since Mike and Rachel aren’t coming back anytime soon, he thought it wouldn’t be such a big deal if we had to sacrifice some of Mike’s old clients.” There was understanding in his tone, pain too.“So what are you going to do about it ?”, Donna asked“I don’t know, Donna. I understand Louis’ position to not seem weak, but there’s no way in hell I’m sacrificing Mike’s cases and clients. That’s just not happening.”, he replied, dead serious. She nodded silently and took a sip of the glass set in her hand. They hadn’t opened the bottle he’d brought over, she thought. As if he had read her mind, Harvey stood up ;“Keep the Chateau-Neuf, I’m sure you’ll have a chance to open it later. It’s getting late anyway, and I didn’t get much sleep last night, so I’d better head home”, he stated as he put his coat and walked towards the door.“Are you sure ?”, Donna asked, “I don’t mind staying up late if you want to talk, or drink, or both”.“I appreciate it Donna, but we both need to sleep, and I need to think about what I’m gonna do about Louis and Kelton”, he replied.“Okay. But call me if you need anything”, she still offered. He smiled at her, one of his genuine but sad smiles that she liked so much because it was true, and left.---Two hours later, long after Harvey had gone home, Donna was still in her living room, trying her damnedest to find a solution to make things right for both Louis and Harvey. And Mike. She didn’t have access to as much paperwork at her place as she did a the office, but she could access the firm’s server on her computer, and spent hours going through everything to try and find something.
At 3am, she switched from wine to water and aspirin, and sighed while massaging her eyes. Why was she even doing all of this ? Of course, the answer was multi-layered and complex. Truth was, she hated that Louis was put in a position where he would have to take as a client a crooked company like that. She also missed immensely Rachel and Mike, and hated that they’d have to betray them just as much as Harvey did. And, of course, she hated to see Harvey like that. Trying to reconcile all the parts of himself that made him whole, keeping his promises to the firm and by extension Jessica, to his friend Louis, and to his friend Mike. All while trying to also keep the promise he’d made her to take it easy with Louis. Harvey Specter had never been good at showing his internal turmoil, and she knew it would eat up at him, and it would probably end up with him pushing everyone away. She knew his pattern, and would be more than happy to make him face it like she often did, but she also wanted to help with the real problem, as well as helping the firm. Two birds, one stone.
Closing up her laptop, she was ready to go to bed and keep looking in the morning, when she had an epiphany. She didn’t need to look at the firms’ files, she needed to look at her own life ! She was about to text Harvey that she had found the solution to his problem, but then considered the time and thought it best to bring the matter directly to him in the morning.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When Donna got in the next morning, she was surprised to see that Harvey was already in his office. It wasn’t even 7am yet, and there was almost no one in the office. He himself didn’t usually get in until two hours later. She knocked at his door, ready to explain the idea she’d had the night before. ---“Donna”, he said, looking surprised, “I’d never thought I’d say this, but you look terrible...”. And she did. She usually was impeccable in her choice of dress, shoes, hair, make-up and everything else. But as she walked inside Harvey’s office, he noticed she was in jeans and an oversized pull-over, her hair in a messy bun and no make-up on. But what worried Harvey, were the dark circles under her eyes. “Donna are you okay ?”, he asked, understandably worried. She shrugged it off and came closer with a file in her hand. “It’s nothing Harvey don’t worry, I just didn’t get a chance to sleep much last night, but I told Robert I was taking the morning off, so I’m not staying for long”. “What ?! Why ?”, he asked with raised eyebrows, referring both to the sleepless night and the morning off, “You’ve almost never taken days off. Not unless something was really wrong”. She could see his mind racing to the worst possible scenario already. “What’s wrong Donna ? Did something happen to your family ? Is there anything I can do ?”, he fired. She sit down and pulled her hands up, laughing slightly as she tried to defuse the situation. “Calm down Harvey. Nothing bad happened, I just didn’t sleep because I was trying to find a solution to our problem.” He said nothing, but she could see in his eyes his gratefulness, his excitement for what she’d found, and his guilt for putting her in a situation like this. But his shoulders lost a bit of their tension, and motioned for her to start her story. “Good”, he just said as he settled to listen.“Do you remember a few years ago, we were invited by one of your clients to the New York Fashion Week ?”, she started.“Of course I remember”, he scoffed, “Longest week of my life. I’m never against seeing models, especially up close, but you dragged me to every damn show, and I almost fell asleep more times than I can count”. His annoyance was fake, mostly, so she just shook her head while smiling, and continued. “Well what you might not remember is that I made a new friend during this week, one that I don’t get to see very often but that I admire and respect a lot.”“Of course I remember, the French lady, Delphine...something”, he trailed off. “Yeah, Delphine Rimbaud”, she said, frankly surprised he’d even remember her in the first place, “Like the poet”, she added. “Doesn’t ring a bell but I’ll trust you on that”, Harvey said with a shrug, not being a fan of poetry. “Well, what does she have to do with anything ?”, he asked, wondering where this whole conversation was going. “Turns out, she’s on her way from Paris as we speak”, she answered, a malicious smile appearing on her face. “That’s, great ?...”, Harvey could only say, still confused. “She’s on her way, because her company is about to expand.” Slowly, Harvey’s face changed as he began to understand where this was going. “You mean, her very French luxury brand is trying to open to the American continent, and she wants to start with a New-York branch ?”, he wanted to make sure he read the situation correctly.“That’s exactly what I’m telling you”, she replied, clearly excited, as she laid down the file on his desk, “and because we’re good friends, she told me she’d consider you to represent her before anyone else in the city”. Her eyes were shining with enthusiasm, and a bit of pride to be the one to have solved this conundrum. Harvey could see that, also it pained him to have to crush her hopes. “Donna”, he began softly, “I know you’ve worked your ass off to find us a solution, and I’m grateful for your hard work, but that won’t solve the issue.” He had thought she would crumble at his words, but rather than giving up she opened up the file and pulled out a number of sheets, ready to prove him wrong. He constantly forgot how resilient - not to say stubborn - she could be. “I know what you’re about to say, that her company hasn’t made money on US soil yet, and that taking her on would be more of a risk than anything”, she laid the facts. “Well, yeah”, he could only reply, “and as much as I hate those assholes of Kelton Insurance, they make a shit ton of money, and they’d bring millions to the firm. I’d love to help your poet friend, but I can’t do it right now, I’m sorry”. Donna started to look angrier now, but she kept her cool as she tried to change his mind. “Tell me, how much time did Louis give you to review Mike’s files and close Kelton ?”, she asked“A week”, Harvey replied, “why ?”“Alright, here’s the situation”, she explained, “I’m going to leave this file with you and you’re going to take the time to read it, and then you’re gonna have lunch tomorrow with Delphine at 1pm, I’ve already added it to your schedule. Let her tell you her story herself, and if by tomorrow night you’re still not convinced, I’ll swear I’ll pull all the all-nighters necessary to help you find a solution”, she sounded calmed and determined, but Harvey knew she understood the gravity of the situation, and so he trusted her judgement, like he always did. “Alright Donna, I’ll give it a shot”, he said, “but I make no promises”, he then warned. She smiled at him, agreed with a nod, and moved to leave. As she was about to step through the door, he called her back ;“Wait, Donna !”. “Yes ?”, she replied as she turned with a surprised look. “I understand why you haven’t slept, but that doesn’t explain why you’re taking the morning off”. She looked conflicted for a minute, but shrugged it off. “I have something personal to take care of”. She knew he’d want to know what it was, but she couldn’t really afford to lose any time. So before he could ask anything more, and seeing his intrigued face, that would be in less than three seconds, she beat him to it. “Look Harvey, I promise to tell you what it’s about, eventually, but right now I have to go. And I promise it has nothing to do with the firm, otherwise I would tell you right now”, she reassured him. He kept silent for a few seconds, probably wondering how to react. Gladly, he decided to let it go. “Alright Donna”, he just said, “Call me if you need anything”. She nodded, thankful that he didn’t insist, and left.---Donna had lied to Harvey. Not when she’d said where she was going wasn’t firm-related, but when she said nothing wrong had happened, nothing related to her family. Truth was, she had recently learned her that her mother had discovered she had lymphoma, just a few months ago, a few days after Rachel and Mike’s wedding. Needless to say, the combination of the two events had crushed her. And she’d kept it secret from everyone at the firm for months now, as she was waiting for her mother to get better. She had brought her over to New-York, where she was receiving treatment in one of the country’s best facility.She hadn’t told people at the firm because she felt it wasn’t anyone’s business, but she knew at some point she would have to tell Harvey. He was far more to her that just a colleague or her boss, and she knew, although he could be a self-centered asshole, he would support her. But the last few months had been equally, if not even more rough for him, and she didn’t want to burden him any further. She had decided that she’d tell him when her mother would get better. And as she made her way to the hospital, she hoped that’s what she was about to witness.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Oblivious to Donna’s current whereabouts, Harvey decided to trust her judgement and began to read the file on Delphine’s company. As he read, he realized Donna might’ve been right recommending her as a client. From what he could tell, Delphine had built her company from scratch, and in less than ten years, it had became a multi-billion euros company in France and the rest of the EU. Donna’s research was rather extensive, and it showed that her company had never had any judiciary issues, had never been sued for wrongful termination, prejudice or sexual harassment. It wasn’t uncommon to uncover some shady shit in the fashion world, but it wasn’t the case here. Mike would love her, he thought. A young entrepreneur with ambition, and actual respect for her employees and strong work ethics. He owed it to Donna, and to his firm, to at least go chat with her and see what her plans were, and what she expected from him. ---Much later on the afternoon, having studied Delphine’s file and done some work on his hotel merger case, he considered checking in Donna who must’ve been back to work by now, when his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and smiled, a bit surprised.“Mom ? How are you ?”“Hello Harvey”, Lily greeted, “I hope I’m not bothering you”.“It’s okay, I have to get to court but not for another hour”, he reassured her. “What can I do for you ?”, he then asked, curious. “I’m in town for the week for a conference at Columbia, and I wondered if you maybe wanted to go to dinner with me”, she replied, “I know the last time I came it didn’t really end well, and I’m sorry...”.“Mom, it’s okay”, he interrupted her, reminiscing the dinner and the terrible fight he had had after with Paula, who had asked him to stop working with Donna for the sake of their relationship.“There’s water under the bridge, and it was never your fault in the first place”, he continued. “I’d love to go to dinner with you.” After a quick silence, he added ; “A lot has happened in the recent months. I’d love to catch up with you”. He knew his mother was always grateful when he agreed to share with her, because he had forsaken her for so long - with good reason. She would always feel guilty for the wedge that had lasted decades between the two of them, and cherished their conversations, however few of them there were.“How does tonight sound ?”, she suggested.“Well it’s already 6pm but I can have my secretary make a call, I’m sure she can find us place. We can meet there at 8 ? I’ll text you the address.”“Sounds perfect Harvey. I’ll see you there”. He heard his mother hang up, and sighed, happy. It was good to have someone to talk to, and to not be permanently angry at his mother. In the seven years after his father had died, he had resented everyone in his family, including his brother, and he had unconsciously replaced them with his professional family, putting all of his hopes and expectations on Jessica, Donna, later Mike and Rachel, and even Louis to some extent. And because he had expected so much from every one of them, the smallest disappointment could turn into a full-fledged betrayal in his eyes. He had realized it now, with the help of Donna, of Dr. Lipschitz, and even, he had to admit, of Paula. It’s what had helped him cope with the departure of Jessica, Mike and Rachel. Though it still hurt, he wasn’t as broken as he would’ve been a few years ago, as he had been when Donna left him for Louis about three years back, before he reconciled with his mother.---Before leaving for his meeting with the judge and opposing counsel, he went by Donna’s office to check on her. When he entered, he wondered for a second if the meeting they’d had the morning even happened. She was perfectly dressed, her hair and make-up spotless. Only the dark circles under eyes, barely covered by concealer, convinced him he hadn’t dreamt. Always efficient in her role as COO, she had multiple files opened in front of her and was deep in her work. When he knocked on her door, she raised her head, a bit startled.“Harvey, what can I do for you ?”, she greeted him.“I just wanted to tell you that I’ve looked at the file you left”, he said“And ?...”, she asked, expectantly. But she probably already knew what he was going to say.“And you might’ve been onto something”, he replied cryptically, “that’s all I’ll say for now, but I will meet with your friend and hear what she has to say”. Donna smiled, “That’s all I could ask for Harvey. Thanks for trusting me”.“I always trust you Donna”, Harvey replied, sincere. A few moments passed, and Harvey was about to leave Donna's office after offering one last smile, when she called him back.“Harvey !”“Yeah ?”She hesitated for a second, and went for it.“Would you like to go out for drinks tonight ?”, she asked, looking confident as ever, but far from feeling the same way. Harvey shook his head, sorry that he had to deny her.“I’m sorry Donna I can’t tonight”, he answered. She nodded, rummaging through her papers to hide that she was momentarily a bit hurt. “It’s not that I don’t want to”, he continued. She looked up at him. “I...”, he hesitated, “I’m having dinner with my mother, she’s in town for the week.” Donna’s eyes lit up and she smiled to him.“That’s fantastic Harvey, I’m happy for you !”, and she meant it.“Thanks Donna”, he replied, before he added, “I’m busy tonight, but would you like to go out for drinks tomorrow night ? And I can tell you all about dinner with my mom, and lunch with your friend”. She nodded, her smile only growing wider.“It’s a date”, she just replied. Harvey got a bit startled by the yet usual phrasing, and left for the night.---After a rather short meeting with the judge, that ended with a deal making both sides - though mostly Harvey and his client’s - satisfied, Harvey left for dinner. He was running a bit late, but he knew his mom wouldn’t mind. In fact, he could probably be late to every damn meeting they had, he thought wryly, and she’d have to forgive him. She owed him that much. Once he arrived at the restaurant, he spotted her quickly and joined her.“Hi mom, sorry I’m late”, he greeted her. She smiled and dismissed his comment with her hand.“It’s okay Harvey, I don’t really have anything better to do anyways”, she just replied with a smirk. Harvey smiled, he always forgot that she was witty, and had a sense of humour rather similar to his, though it was hard for him to admit. They spent a good part of the dinner talking about everything and anything, Harvey catching up Lily on the recent matters of the firm, the situation since Mike and Rachel left, and everything in between. She then updated him on the Marcus situation, since Harvey hadn’t received in the last few weeks.“They’re getting the divorce, but they agreed to ditch the lawyers for the negotiation and manage custody of the children among themselves”, she told Harvey, she sounded both relieved and anxious. Upon hearing the news, Harvey himself felt conflicted. The news that Marcus was getting the divorce wasn’t news, but deep down he had still hoped he could patch things up with his wife. He would never admit it, but he had always admired his brother’s relationship with his wife, seeing it as a kind of ideal that he could never achieve. It had all came crumbling down when he learned about the divorce. But still, he was glad they would resolve the issue of the children’s custody without too much damage.“Harvey, I know you’ve done a lot already, and you’re probably the reason they chose to settle this friendly in the first place”, his mother continued, “but will you look at the agreement they reach and make sure neither of them can get out of it ?”, she then asked. “They might have agreed to stop with the lawyers, but they’re not lawyers themselves, and I’d like to make sure that whatever agreement they reach, it’s what’s best for the children”. Harvey looked at his mother, a bit admirative. Who would’ve thought, a mere five years ago, that he would hear these words coming out of her mouth ? That she would ask for his help to protect the children ? In this moment, he was really glad that he’d listened to Donna’s advice and reached out to her. He put a reassuring hand over hers.“Don’t worry mom, I’ll call Marcus and have him send me the documents as soon as they’ve reached an agreement so I can take a look and approve it”, he told her. She shook her head, grateful.“Thanks Harvey”. She looked at him and stayed quiet for a few moments, as if she was pondering on whether or not she should tell him what she wanted to.“What is it ?”, he asked her, noticing her expression.“It’s just that we’ve talked about a lot of things over the past hour, including the situation back in Boston, and the situation at the firm, but there is one thing we haven’t talked about, and you know it...”. Harvey did know what she was referring to, he had just hoped the subject wouldn’t come up. Talking about personal matters always made him somewhat uncomfortable, most of all with this mother, with whom he had been estranged for so long. But he had to dive in at some point. He said nothing in reply, but let her ask what she needed to.“What happened with Paula, Harvey ?”, his mother asked, “I’ve gathered she’s not part of your life anymore, but you haven’t told me what happened. I thought you were happy with her”, she added. Then she tilted her head, in a very Harvey-esque way, and continued, “Was it because of what I said the last time ?”. She sounded a bit guilty.“Yes and no”, replied Harvey honestly. “It’s absolutely not your fault whatsoever, you didn’t know”, he reassured her, “but we did split up shortly after our dinner”.“Do you mind if I ask what happened ?”, she enquired. Harvey considered telling her to mind her business for a minute, but decided against it.“She told me she felt threatened by me working with Donna”, he admitted. She nodded slowly.“And was she right ?”, she then asked. She was a clever woman Lily Specter. Harvey hadn’t talked about Donna with her much, because they hadn’t had that many deep conversations, but she somehow knew that Donna was a vital piece of Harvey’s life. Maybe she had talked to Marcus about it, Harvey didn’t know.“You know I wouldn't have done anything with Donna while I was seeing Paula”, he deflected, riled up as always when someone mentioned infidelity.“I know you would never make the same mistake I did Harvey”, tried to calm his mother, “that’s not what I meant. I meant would you have wanted something to happen with Donna if you hadn’t been seeing Paula ?”. Harvey stayed silent, unsure what to say. He never was when the subject of his relationship with Donna was on the table.“I don’t know what to tell you mom”, he confessed, “the truth is Donna and I have always had a complicated relationship, but I don’t know what we are to each other exactly.”“Well, do you want to hear what I think ?”, suggested his mother“No offense mom”, Harvey chuckled, “but you’re not the best judge of character. And you’ve never even met Donna”, he added.“Fair enough”, she replied with a smile, not the least bit offended, “But from what Marcus told me I think I know the kind of woman she is. And you don’t have to act on anything I tell you, but who knows ? Maybe it’ll help”. Harvey slightly nodded, a silent request for her to go on.“From what I can see, you’re two people who have worked with and trusted each other for more than a decade. And correct me if I’m wrong, but neither of you has been committed in a long-lasting relationship during that period”. Harvey said nothing, she was right. Even his relationship with Paula, and hers with Mark, probably the two most important they’d had, had ended up badly.“Do you really think that’s a coincidence ?”, his mother continued, although that was probably rhetorical. “You’re not getting any younger Harvey”. He shook his head in disbelief while giving her the side-eye, clearly offended. His mother chuckled at the sight.“I don’t mean that you look old, goodness gracious you could probably fool people into believing you’re 25. But life is short”, she added on a more serious tone, “So maybe it’s time for you to ask yourself, what do you want to do with your life ? And where do you see yourself ten years from now ? Still alone, happily seated at the top of the hill, while life passes you by ?”. Her words were harsh but true.“There’s nothing wrong with being at the top”, he replied dryly, “and I’m not alone, the people at the firm are my family”. Although that statement started to sound less and less true, as people kept leaving the firm, and him.“But don’t you get it ? They all have a family of their own ! Mike and Rachel are married and starting their family thousands of miles away”. Harvey flinched at the reminder, “Zane is married and will probably retire in the next few years, your friend Alex is married with children, and now you’re telling me Louis is about to be a father !”. Harvey saw the pattern in his mother’s speech, but didn’t like that she insinuated that he was the only one putting the firm’s interest before anything else.“Well I’m not the only one. Katrina doesn’t have a family, neither does Samantha, I think, and neither does...”, he trailed off“Donna”, his mother cut him off, “I know, that was the whole point of this conversation". She tilted her head, a knowing smile on her face.“Well mom, I’m glad you told me what you needed to, but that’s not how these things go”, his tone was cold now, and his mother knew the caring and sharing moment was over, “people don’t get together just because they’re both single and getting old, as you said. I love this firm, and so does Donna, but for now, that’s the only relationship we need to have. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to change the subject”. His mother didn’t insist, she wasn’t about to get into another fight with her son about a matter that didn’t even directly concern her. All she wanted was for him to be happy, and from she had learned about Donna and her relationship with her son, she sounded like the most apt to do just that. But until he realized that, she wasn’t going to push him. So she changed the subject, and the tone was light for the rest of their meal. When they left the restaurant, they parted friendly, and promised to meet again before she went back to Boston.