Author's Notes:

Hey Suitors! Sorry for delay my life has been less than helpful!

So, some people thought that Donna's response was a little O.O.C. (Haa, C.O.O. Backwards!) Firsty, always welcome opinions.

For me, I feel like, after all that Paula has done to distance Harvey from Donna, and after Donna has pleaded to the woman to keep her job, and even gone to her before Harvey even dated her to point out the tenaciousness of their long and complicated relationship - in my mind was more a motive than her looking for him, it was a point to find out from Paula if Harvey was discussing her in the sessions - I feel that she would have this slip, of being rather coarse and frank with Paula. She wasn't able to tell Paula what she thought of her, when she was Harvey's therapist, because she thought she was helping him. And then, once Paula was dating Harvey again, again she couldn't say. She couldn't drop a Donna bomb, which she does with everyone. None of us thought that she would ever kiss him when he was with someone else, but she did. I also never thought she'd slap Hardman, but she did. And we never thought she'd go through with meeting Mark at that Hotel, and if it hadn't been for Rachel, she would have. She also went back on her rule after 10 years to date a guy a the office, and pressed Harvey about it.

Donna doesn't always do the right thing when it comes to Harvey. She does the right thing for him, and on behalf of him, with work and his family. But when it comes to her, when her own heart is involved, she tends to push or slash or be inconsistent and force it with him because of his inactivity.

Now I understand, that Paula might not want Donna around if she couldn't swear to never ever kiss Harvey again. So, I dabbled with her testing the waters gently, but then I figured. Hey, Harvey's just kissed her. It's the perfect time for her to give the woman a piece of her mind, before things get more complicated. Before the waters are potentially muddied past the point that she even has a say. So for that reason, and fear, I feel like she would rip at Paula. Three/Four months of underhanded comments and being forced out of a man's life - a man who she is potentially in love with - might just give her that edge.

Call me cruel or call Donna OCC but that's my two cents.

And no. I don't like Paula lol. Amazing Season 5 Paula died and I can't ever revive her no matter how much I wanted to. Thanks Korsh! :narrows eyes:

So, here's chapter 5 ;-)

A xox

. . ….

Chapter 5

. . … .

The moment that the adrenaline which had flooded her body with a vengeance begins to settle,

That's when the guilt sets in.

She's not that kind of woman.

And no matter what has come before, she is in a different position now.

She and Harvey are in a different position than they were when she had kissed him.

And for that reason, and that reason alone, she decides to make a promise to herself.

That she'll be impartial now. Paula deserves that much, at least.

She leaves soon after the altercation, for a longer than long lunch, hoping that the woman will be gone by the time she gets back.

She dashes all remaining thought with a glass of chardonnay, a small luxury that she has bestowed on herself, and texts Harvey the bare bones, earning a string of broken thoughts from him relating to Paula's unscripted cameo. She doesn't mention the altercation, figuring that if Paula tells him, and he's not happy with her, that he'll be straight onto his cell with her number in mind and a few words not too far behind that.

She drags her fork through her mountain of Caprese salad, the mozzarella snailing it's way around her plate on a bed of basil.

Her gaze flicks to her cell phone, a thought fleeting through her mind.

She's sure she's too busy to answer.

A stoney weight falls into her stomach. Another ache at her absence.

She's never missed a friend quite like she misses Rachel Zane.

Her eyes dart back to her cell phone, the impulse rising higher.

She sighs, almost defeated as she speed dials the number.

"Well well, aren't I the lucky recipient." Rachel's voice chimes on the other lunch.

"Hey girl face. You don't perhaps have ten minutes to spare for a dear friend and questionable human being."

"I'm actually on my way to court, so I have about fifteen...wait...what happened?"

She frowns, noticing something strange in her tone. "Wait a second….do you know what I'm gonna say?" She enquires, interest filtering out of her words.

She hears Rachel clear her throat on the other end. "That would depend...on what you would say."

She remembers those words coming from her own mouth a long time ago...the recipiant being very different.

"Rachel?" She pressures, a slightly mothering tone.

"Donna?" Rachel counters.

She purses her lips. Rachel's learning from Mike. She sighs then, her free hand coming up to trace the edge of her half empty glass.

"Paula showed up at the office today." She relents.

"Oh no...and?"

"I was...less than cordial."

"What did you say to her?" Rachel asks, interested unbridled and rather cheeky in her voice.

"I guess the real question is what didn't I say to her?" Donna jokes, rolling her eyes.

"Oh god?" She hears Rachel verbally cringe on the other end of the phone. "How bad are we talking?"

"Try Mean Girls, with a dash of Pretty Woman, only, now I can't remember whether I was Regina George, Julia Roberts or the snooty saleswoman."

"You've seen Mean Girls?" Rachel asks.

"Who hasn't, Rachel?" She admonishes with a playful tone. "But that's not the point…" She says, her voice sobering. "I was mean. I was cruel, and for the first time I actually cut her down to size."

"Did it...feel good?"

"You're not helping." She groans. "But yes, for exactly sixteen seconds before the wave of guilt set in, it...felt..great." She admits with a disappointed sigh.

"Donna...I know that you pride yourself on your generosity and your kindness."

"It is the Fifth commandment in the Book of Donna," She reminds her friend.

"Paula Agard didn't extend you the same courtesy." She notes. "And honestly, if it had been me….and Mike with another woman, I would have been...just as conflicted."

"I miss you." She admits, picking up her fork to ease the need to fidget.

"I miss you too!" Rachel peels on the other end. "You need to visit. And soon. I need some Donna in my life."

"Judging by this week, you're not the only one." She remarks, smiling wryly.

"You wouldn't perhaps be referring to a certain lawyer with a rather surly demeanour and a penchant for whiskey and a sharp suit?"

"So that's what we're calling Harvey these days." She jokes.

"Did something happen with you two?" Rachel asks after a beat.

"He...kissed me."

"Finally."

"Not helping, Rach. He might be having a child with his ex."

"And you're now worried, if he's kissing you but having a baby with her…"

"Dare you feel the need to even finish that sentence?"

"Donna...don't let this situation with Paula ruin what you and Harvey have." She tells the older woman. "I feel it, right in my gut that you two are just...you're meant to be together. You're soulmates. There's a reason he chose you, and it has exactly nothing to do with you wanting to keep your job."

She sighs. "Rachel...I know that you're looking at the carbon copy for reference but...sometimes...soulmates don't end up together."

"Look...trust me. Or at the very least, trust him." She says. "And keep that in mind. No matter what happens." She says.

Donna frowns then. More information out of context. Her thought is disrupted when she hears a lock disengage then, and a flood of background sound from the other side of the call.

"I have to go, but keep me posted?" Rachel offers, a rustling sound folding on around her voice.

"Oh Rach….come rain or shine I'll be sure to keep you in the loop. Good luck in court."

"Bye."

. . . . …

Pour another glass of her warm smoke

Into the river and let it rest

'Til my thoughts get weary, until they float

I feel the smoke rising, heart in my throat

Pour another glass of her warm smoke

Until I sleepwalk back home

With the stench of her perfume all on my coat

And yet another morning, I wake and I'm alone

'Pour Another' By Nick Hakim

. . ….

When Donna rounds the corner to her office, lighter and pepped and feeling more like herself, she sees him standing in his usual spot, looking stoic, staring out the window with the kind of patience that she thinks he only reserves for less than a handful of people in his life.

Her.

Mike.

And Jessica.

He seems to hear her heels, turning on his own sole to face her.

"Hey," He says, his jaw twitching with a subtext to it.

"Hey." She greets, feeling shy all of a sudden. "Did you get a chance to speak to Paula?" She asks, trying with all her might to keep the lightness in her voice and the topic away from them.

"No…" He says, his face falling slightly, giving rise to an intuition that he isn't here to talk about his ex. "She text...said she had a meeting and that she couldn't stay." He explains, his hands sliding out of his pockets.

"Well...she sure stayed long enough to meet me, outside my office," She says, more of an aside than she'd meant it to be, as she places her purse on the little meeting table next to her desk.

"What do you mean? What happened?" He asks, his head tilting at her, his expression expectant of an answer.

She can't resist that look. It's the look they give one another when they know the other is bullshitting, and badly so.

She sighs then, slumping slightly in her four thousand dollar dress and two hundred dollar heels. It turns out, money doesn't make your troubles go away... "When she came to see you today, at your old office, she was of course standing outside my office...wondering where yours was." She explains, a knowing gaze as she walks over to her desk.

"Ah..and what did she say?" He asks.

"Harvey, I don't want to get in between the two of you," She warns.

"Donna." He says, dropping her name into the air like a weight in water.

"Fine...you really want to know?" She offers, feeling tired then at having to relive it.

"I wouldn't be asking, if I didn't." He says solidly.

"She said... just the right thing to rile me up enough to give her….a rather large piece of my mind." She sighs heavily, feeling lesser than. Her eyes slide to his, afraid of seeing his reaction, until she spies it as only half the reprimand she assumed it would be. "See it as the only time I get to stick it to the woman before she ensconces herself in your life for good." She adds.

His eyes widen then. "Does that mean that she's going to…?"

"No, No, She didn't.." She says, hurriedly. "You weren't here. I told her to call you." She explains. "It wasn't my best moment. I'm...sorry...for making things complicated."

He nods, pursing his lips as he glances out the window, taking in the information. After a small silence, he turns to her, unlike his usual held manner. "It's okay. I did that...a long time ago." He says, something sombre in his voice as he looks onto the view. She waits for a moment, not wanting to crowd his thoughts.

"I'm sorry...that she's bothering you." He says meaningfully. "I'll talk to her." He offers.

"When...are….you talking to her?" She asks, sidestepping his offer.

"Saturday," He answers.

"Right…." She sighs, dropping her shoulders and looking down at her desk, watching out of the corner of her eye as he wanders towards the door.

Just when she thinks he's leaving, he turns on his heel, betraying his natural rhythm and his penchant for dancing shoes.

"Let's go away."

Her eyes flick up to his, wider than usual, confusion hanging soberly in them.

"What?" She frowns, taking in his words as if they're on a loop in her head.

"For a few days. Let's just...get out of here." He offers.

Her face drops then, her hands automatically flicking the backrest on her laptop to allow it to perch expertly on it's case's hinge. "Harvey, we have work," She gestures animatedly to her desk. "We can't just...go on vacation." She scoffs, looking at him with a matter of factness.

His hands slide back into his pockets. "Sure we can." He shrugs. We both have more than enough days held back." He reminds her. "Robert's here; he's taking the helm." He offers, taking a step towards her. "I don't have any cases right now...what a better way for me to relinquish control than to let Louis and Robert fight it out between them, whilst I...relax for a couple of days," He smirks.

"Harvey…" She says, her tone like a deadlock within the situation. "Regardless. I'm C.O.O." She states. "I need to file for that kind of time."

"Donna…" He says, a solidness to his tone. "Robert knows you deserve the time. He's been privy to everything that has gone on here, and let's face it. There's a been a lot of changes over the last few years." He reasons. "We could...go to Seattle. Go shopping, take in the sights, have dinner with Mike and Rach, and be back before the end of the week."

"So you're just going to leave the Mother of your child here to just...go it alone?" She throws at him.

He frowns, his chest broadening at the sudden accusation.

"Donna, that's not what I'm saying." He defends. "And why are you defending her, when not five minutes ago you were telling me she was giving you a hard time?"

"It just sounds very much like you're becoming one of those kinds of guys, who just found out that he got an ex pregnant and is running from their problems, all whilst dragging me along for the ride."

His gaze sharpens, his chest broadening. "Are you seriously trying to insinuate that I'd run out on Paula?" He questions, his jaw setting with a distaste.

"Well, if the shoe fits, Harvey." She throws at him.

She watches as he blinks several times. He'd usually hit the roof at this point, and right now she can't really understand why that's not happening. It's only then that she acknowledges that perhaps she's throwing this all in motion, this perfect spanner in the works, to deflect away from his suggestion.

And that maybe, just maybe, he's hip to the squid...

"Hey. Look. I didn't plan this. Any of this." He says, his words heavy in their application as he steps towards her. "But...I can see that it's bothering you, her coming here, and involving you, so forgive me, for thinking that whisking you away from it all for a couple of days to catch up with our friends, and gain a little common ground is such a bad idea…"

"You shouldn't have kissed me." She says, the words hanging like a dead weight between them.

For a second it stalls him, he eyes flicking to her lips, before he meet her eyes.

He sighs. "I know. But…"

"Harvey…"

"Donna..I wanted to."

"Harvey." She sighs, frowning heavily.

"Look...Forget it." He shrugs, playing a non-chalant. "Stupid idea." He mutters.

He turns on his heel then. It's unlike him to be like this. True, he turned up at her door to take her to breakfast, and for an impromptu shopping excursion. And sure, he's appeared in moments of their past without an invitation. Okay...maybe this is a habit that he's built on with her over the years, and she's only just starting to realise the fact…

Now...she feels like a prized asshole in the face of his kind of reasonable idea.

What does she think is going to happen?

Possibly something starting with 'heart', and ending in a hard 'break'...

It's the first time she's ever said no to him, with regards to something like this.

She'll have to add this to the time that he asked her to come back to his desk, as one of two times she has ever denied him.

"Harvey," She says, catching him before he's rounded the corner of the glass walls.

"What," He huffs, his trademark irritability peeking out, as he flares his nostrils, turning to look expectedly at her.

He's rather cute when he's insistent, she realises. "What time?" She says, a faked irritability in her question, to offset the nervousness writhing unnaturally within her.

"I'll...pick you up at 7pm." He says, pointedly, all annoyance abating soon after.

She smiles to herself. Of course. Everything in Harvey's evening happens at seven. The flight could be at eleven, but sure, seven. If she weren't invisiging dinner with him beforehand, or a quick burger at a joint somewhere then she would have enquired. But time with Harvey is like that sometimes, on those very rare occasions where he just disconnects from the world, with a man like that, you just have to pull up anchor and let them sail towards something...

"I'll let Robert know." She nods. "Do you want me to book the flights?" She offers.

She barely does anything for him anymore.

Sometimes she wonders if he has trouble letting her go. If maybe these past few days are just a mutated reaction to that.

Occasionally, she too has trouble not being in charge of the inner workings of his day.

"No, I got it." He shrugs casually.

"Really?" She challenges, her voice a mixture of colours and insinuations. "You sure about that?" She offers.

He rolls his eyes, making for the exit and withholding any smarmy reply he may have had.

"Harvey…" She calls, a delicately laid question on her tongue. She watches as he turns, looking to her with a softness. "Are you going to tell Paula?" She asks.

He face falls, his jaw tightening in some sort of thought that she can't quite identify. "Donna, she is not my girlfriend anymore. And if she asks, I've had to go to Chicago for work." He reasons coolly.

She nods then, watching as he saunters out of the office, his eyes dragging away from hers as a notable swagger unfolds in his gait.

She dashes thoughts of Paula out of her mind. She is not her first consideration.

She shakes her head then, stretching for her cellphone, and that little number that's come in so handy over the years.

She needs two dresses. Stat. And one back up. And she needs to leave work early today.

To pack.

For her strange date-like-vacation with her Ex-boss. Ex-one-time-lay. Her….

Harvey.

. . …

Just lift me up from here

I said I don't want the day to go

What will tomorrow be

And you shine you light on me

You shine you light on me

'Lift Me Up' By Nick Hakim

. . ….

She's not asked for a thing from Robert Zane, and so far, she's matching up well as a number two, after an honorable mention from her best friend, his daughter and fellow Lawyer. Robert seems to understand her motives so far, and knows that she can change Harvey's mind on the head of a dime. Therefore, given that it's only two days, and neither her nor Harvey have anything pressing, that perhaps it would be a kind gesture to let Robert have two days as the Boss, without an interruption.

She stands with presence, knocking on the glass frame of the man's office.

She's seen many people take centre stage here. Hardman. Jessica. Harvey. All with their own agendas and their own style and their own individual presence. Robert's not had much time to furnish the space, but he's much more low key than either Harvey or Jessica had been. Harvey always had that rare vintage quality to his offices, adding a warmth and a depth to him that helped people understand his harshness, and Jessica, a keenly feminine and delicate application, to offset her occasional hardness and praying mantis quality to her personal space; a kind of warm entry morphed into a dare all who enter feeling for those who came calling; more often than not, demanding things for their own personal gain.

She spies a picture of his wife and Rachel, and a basketball or two.

"Donna." He greets, that ripple of caramel and chocolate and morello cherry colour to his rich voice. "To what do I owe this visit?" He asks.

"I have a favour to ask." She introduces. "And...It's a big one." She adds.

"Bigger than taking over your firm?" He half-jokes. "You don't shy away from bold requests at the this firm, do you?" He regards, a twinkle in his eyes.

"It's something that won't harm you...but also won't give you much of a financial return." She explains.

He smiles then. She's able to talk on a knife edge - whether she's channelling her inner Jessica until her own confidences solidify, or playing what she knows of the man.

Either way it works, and he's smiling at her with a knowing look.

"Alright. What is it?" He says, that slow drawl to his voice.

"Harvey and I...haven't had much vacation time over the past...forever...and we would both like...to ask for tomorrow and Thursday off."

"Okay." He says, looking at her with an acuteness then. "You and Harvey, are?"

"Robert,"

"Haven't you heard about our inter-office policies?" He jokes, sarcasm lacing his words. As if he's to judge, with is daughter now ensconced in a life with their ex-coworker slash convict slash golden boy. "I believe they frown on that kind of thing. Especially within management."

Her gaze sharpens then, unfazed by the insinuation. "I think you knew about our rather colourful reputation before you came here, and even above that, know that I operate with more than the usual amount of professionalism." She notes.

"It's not you I'm worried about," He remarks with a devilish smile, sitting back in his chair with a slight swing to it.

"We would like to go and visit your daughter and Mike." She explains, stepping clean over his insinuation.

"Oh...so you're leaving me to clean house, whilst Harvey hops cities to see my son-in-law?"

"You know those two...are brothers from another Mother." She reminds him, with a knowing smile.

"I hear that." He says, groaning at the fact.

"And of course, it's been weeks since I saw Rachel. And...we used to have lunch every week without fail." She adds, allowing the feeling to peel out of her voice. "Look, Robert, I understand it's an ask...but we don't ask for much when it comes to our personal lives. We could both do with a little vacation before everything settles, and before Harvey starts back full time with his client base." She explains. "And I'll be on call for anything you need. I'm taking my laptop, so I'll be still connected." She adds. "And of course, Louis's Assistant Gretchen is more than capable of helping out with anything that you need. She was Harvey's assistant for a time, so she knows the inner workings of the firm."

She watches as he takes his time, mulling over her request in his mind.

Robert Zane is a man of words, but careful ones. He doesn't shoot the shit unless Harvey's in the room, and much like her, he treats everyone with a different quality.

She stands there, not batting an eyelid in the face of his decision.

"Alright.." He sighs. "Say hi to my baby girl for me." He requests, a fatherly heaviness drawing out of him. "And take some pictures of her place." He orders with a look.

"You'll even get a video." She lavishes. "Thank you, Robert." She says, sauntering out of his office with her head held high.

"And Donna?" She hears him call.

"Yes?" She asks, turning.

"It's some flight to Seattle. Five hours...even in Business class." He says pointedly. "I'd take an extra day I if I were you." He adds with a smirk.

"I'll...take that under advisement." She says carefully.

"Wouldn't want Harvey without his beauty sleep." He quips.

She chuckles then, covering any answer that he may be looking for.

She hasn't woken up with Harvey enough times to know what he's like to wake up to after a restless night...

. …

Hey boy, I like your style

Come over here, let's talk awhile

Yeah you, I'm curious

What we'd do, the two of us

What would you like to do?

I'll introduce you to

My eyes, my lips, my hair

If you're good we'll go from there

I'm feeling you

And I know that you want me too

In the end, I'm doing me

That's all you got to see

Hey, that's just how it is

But I gotta tell you this

I'm a bit too dangerous

If you want me you should just…

Treat me like fire.

'Treat me like fire' By Lion Babe

. . .

As she walks down to the lobby of her building, lining up with the third stroke of seven, her small suitcase wheeling along behind her, she spots the sleek black town car flanking the sidewalk. It won't be Ray at this time of night, she thinks to herself. A nervousness catches in her chest when the door opens, and Harvey unfolds onto the sidewalk, suddenly out of his armour of sorts, his usual suited form discarded in place of a grey sweater and charcoal slacks.

She smiles, as he takes her suitcase.

"So...this is casual Harvey," She jokes.

"Look who's talking." He counters, observing her casual dress as he pops the boot of the car, lifting the case to fit beside his own.

She smiles to herself, feeling at odds with the attention when he gestures for her to get into the car.

What are they doing? She thinks to herself as she slides onto the seat, as he appears on the other side.

Running away together across the full expanse of the country…to Seattle...and for what?

Sure, their friends are there. But they've been there for a couple of weeks now. And it doesn't take a genius to work out that they both miss their friends and past coworkers both individually and together. Mike and Rachel were….are...their immediate family, both of their counterparts and their strange parallel and..losing them to another city has been a rare kind of blow to both of them.

"Harvey?" She says, rousing his silence. "Have you told them that we're coming?" She asks.

"Yeah. I text Mike. He made reservations for dinner tomorrow."

"Meaning that Rachel made reservations." She pieces together with a smile.

"Exactly." He smiles back.

She chuckles to herself, feeling on edge for the silliest reasons.

This is Harvey. A man she's spent her life with.

"And what time is our flight?" She enquires.

He eyes her then, aware of the change in himself.

It's he who's making reservations. Planning their excursion. Him. Not her.

"We'll make it, don't worry." He tells her, smirking confidently as he lets a breath settle from his chest.

"I'm not worried…" She replies, a false confidence about her. "Just...curious." She clarifies.

"I got it covered," He assures her. "We set off at eight." He divulges. "Set down at 1am."

She struggles to miss that little sparkle in his tired eyes. The way he flexes his jaw in thought, his hand tapping on the edge of the window frame as the car moves gently in the mid-week evening traffic.

"And where, pray tell, will we be checking in?" She asks.

"You'll see." He smirks to her, then to himself. as only his eyes glance out at the window.

How has he planned this...all? In such a short space of time?

She turns her head to the front, seeing the blur of yellow cabs dance around them like fireflies caught in a funnel.

It occurs to her then. And only then.

"Harvey...is this a...date?" She asks, a boldness framing her rather confused tone.

"Everything with you is a date." He throws at her, his tone ambiguous.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She snorts, turning to him, the insinuation on her face for him elaborate further, and to be quick with it.

His chin lowers, his dark eyes regarding her interest. "It means...that you're a woman of occasion."

"Umm...Could you use english please?" She remarks.

He chuckles at her obtuseness. She's not stupid, she just likes to make him work for it on those rare occasions that he doesn't say exactly what he means to.

"I mean, Dumbo...that you like things to be done properly." He reasons. "And so...this is me...doing things properly."

It's his explanation that settles her need to question his use of the word 'Dumbo'...

"We've been naked, in my bed with aerated cream in a can, Harvey. The jig is up." She notes, smiling wryly.

He looks to her then, exuding confidence and charisma and something so solid in his core that she feels that he might actually break her if dared to try.

"If I'd have realised, back then, exactly how much you mean to me…" His eyes disconnect then. She senses him bend to the whim of his own self consciousness. It's feint, but it's there. "I might...have done things a little differently before now," He says, finally.

This is a lot. This Harvey is a different one, and all at once she's as nervous as if they were two young kids, going to prom.

She has her reservations, images of babies with blonde hair that aren't hers and complications that end in disaster.

But she nods. Because essentially she understands.

If she realised how hard he was to shake, she wouldn't have blocked the idea of them out of her mind for as long as she has. Out of his mind. She wouldn't have taken it off the table, at any case.

She sidles slowly along the backseat, nearing his seated form until their thighs brush, her flowing cotton against his cords. She reigns in a breath, sliding her arm under his, looping it around his elbow, before placing her head gently on his jacket laden shoulder, allowing his arm to settle loosely around her waist. The smell of him transports her back to his office, and the days of laying on his couch, covered in papers and suspending a carton of shitty tasting take out in mid air. Her eyes drift closed for a moment, evoking her other senses, and after a moment or two she feels his lips against her hair, kissing the side of her head, before his cheek falls against the spot.

It's there, on the Queensborough Bridge, on their way to the airport, where they first learn to be intimate. To be close and to be just them.

No titles. No work. No constraints.

It's simple and it seems to exceed even her lofty expectations.

It's then, that she finally learns to let go, and allow him to simply hold her.

And he learns, that she might have lied about her feelings before.

. ….

Please feed the kitty!