In downtown Seattle, Zane & Ross were hosting one of their largest events to date. As Mike and Rachel's firm had grown in size, so had their ability to provide backing and sponsorship to community initiatives. Mike had jumped at the opportunity to endorse two local charities, both involved in supporting young adults with their education. Mike was happy to be advocating for something which he believed in so strongly and he hoped that their work would also raise the profile of the firm, benefiting his future plans to establish a foundation.
Donna had taken over event planning during her first week at the firm. It had been more difficult than she had anticipated, organising everything in a city where no one knew her name, however, the project had provided her with the opportunity to cultivate a new network of contacts and acquaintances. Donna had seen how hard Mike and Rachel had been working since they'd moved to Seattle and she was proud to be a part of what they were doing. She'd made the event her top priority for months and it had required a large amount of time and effort.
Donna had felt especially exhausted by it for the last week; she'd barely managed to complete a full working day and had fallen asleep while Harvey had been talking to her the previous night. As he'd gathered her up to bed, he'd jokingly questioned whether she was bored of him already.
Underneath the haze of her ongoing fatigue, Donna was happy with how the evening was going; the atmosphere was light, the food popular and the venue dressing flawless. She had been so busy organising last minute details, meeting new people and making introductions that she had barely stopped moving for most of the night.
It caught up with her suddenly, and she was with two representatives from one of the charities when her world tilted and she swayed slightly. She steadied herself against the table beside her.
She looked to Harvey nearby and considered calling to him, however, the feeling passed after a moment. Her companions were deep in conversation and hadn't noticed the sudden change in her demeanour. She excused herself and made her way to the bar, where she could take a seat.
Donna climbed gratefully onto the closest bar stool and ordered a water. She was relieved to be off her feet and she concentrated on wiping away drops of condensation from her glass, once it had been placed in front of her.
Harvey threw her a couple of concerned glances as he moved around the room and Donna confirmed that she was okay with a nod of her head. She knew that Harvey was becoming increasingly worried about her and she had promised him that she was well enough to attend that evening. She now wondered whether she should have listened to her body's appeal for sleep.
Donna was drawn from her thoughts when an attractive, self-assured woman with a sleek blonde bob approached and sat down beside her.
"You're Donna Specter?" the woman asked.
"Yes... well, Paulsen-Specter actually."
"Joanne Meadows, " the woman said and she held out her hand; Donna shook it firmly.
"I'm writing an article about tonight and I heard that you were the person to speak to."
Donna knew that the woman's name was not on the guest list and she wondered who she worked for.
"We did a press release." Donna confirmed.
"Oh, I have that,"Joanne said, "I'm looking for something more."
Donna felt her defences begin to rise.
"I'm not sure what you're hoping to find. There are good people here, trying to help a little."
"I'm sure there's more to your firm than that." Joanne said and Donna raised her eyebrow.
"We should set up a meeting." Donna said.
She needed to find out more about this woman, and her agenda, before she engaged with her any further.
Joanne agreed to contact her the following week and she proceeded to survey the room, her eyes landing on Harvey.
He'd caught her attention soon after she'd come through the door, but she'd not yet had the chance to find out more about him.
"Do you know who that is?" Joanne asked, nodding her head in Harvey's direction.
"I do." Donna confirmed and she raised her eyebrow in question as she turned back to Joanne.
Donna recognised the look on the woman's face and she withheld a knowing smile.
Joanne would not be getting what she clearly wanted.
"He's married…."
"That doesn't necessarily mean anything." Joanne interrupted, with a chuckle.
"...to me." Donna finished.
She eyed the woman over the top of her glass as she lifted it to her lips.
Joanne had the good grace to blush under Donna's steady gaze.
"We just got back from our honeymoon, actually." Donna said conversationally.
"Well….. congratulations." Joanne said, with a strained smile. She struggled to regain her composure and Donna almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
"Thank you." Donna said.
"I'm just going to speak to my colleague." Joanne said, after a moment of silence, and she slid off her bar stool.
"Okay." Donna acknowledged.
She added Joanne to her mental file of 'untrustworthy people'. She was looking forward to their meeting already.
Donna turned her eyes back to her husband and watched as he finished his own conversation. Harvey knew that she was watching him and he turned to meet her gaze, smiling when their eyes met. Donna surmised that his evening had gone well and she was happy for him; he'd been uncharacteristically nervous before they'd left.
Harvey encouraged her over to him with a backwards nod of his head and she got to her feet slowly. She held the edge of the bar securely as she stood, concerned that her lightheadedness would return upon standing.
Harvey was frowning when she looked up again and he started moving towards her.
"You're still not feeling well." Harvey stated as they met.
She could see that he was berating himself for not having checked on her sooner.
"I'm okay." she said, trying to reassure him; she knew that they should stay a little longer.
Harvey was unconvinced.
"You've had a good night," she said, attempting to change the topic of conversation.
"I have," he smiled, "it's nice knowing I'm not going to be stabbed in the back the moment I turn around."
It was nice, Donna thought; she worried about him far less now than she used to.
"I need to speak to one more person and then we'll go." Harvey said.
Donna nodded in response and the movement prompted a wave of dizziness. She reached for him and twisted her fingers into his shirt.
Harvey's face dropped in concern and he wrapped a hand around her elbow to support her. He moved them to the quieter hallway that led towards the exit.
"So, you're not totally okay, then," he said, raising an eyebrow as he turned to face her.
"Maybe not 100%," she admitted, "I just need a minute."
"The dizziness is new." Harvey said, while pressing his hand to her forehead to check for a temperature.
"Not exactly," she said quietly.
Donna knew that that information was going to piss him off.
"When?" He asked pointedly.
"Just briefly, earlier tonight."
"You should have found me," he huffed, clearly frustrated by her stubbornness.
"I knew where you were, and I was fine while I was sitting down."
He wrapped his arms securely around her and watched her pale face closely. He'd never seen her like this before and it was scaring him. She'd been going to bed earlier and earlier each night and he struggled to wake her up each morning.
"This isn't like you, Donna, you used to be able to work until after midnight and you'd still be in before me the next day."
"Yes, but, I also spent a lot of evenings on my couch watching TV." Donna said.
"Ah yes, your excellent taste in home renovation shows; where they do the exact same remodel every week."
"Excuse me, Mr. Survivor fan, you are in no position to comment on my viewing habits."
"You're getting into Survivor," Harvey exclaimed in exasperation, "you started watching it without me last week!"
Donna rolled her eyes in response.
She couldn't deny it.
"You weren't going to bed at 9pm though." Harvey prompted her, after a moment.
"No," she conceded.
"You booked your doctor's appointment, right?"
"Yes, it's on Tuesday."
"I'll drive you."
Donna smiled.
"Okay."
She tucked her arms inside his tuxedo jacket and wrapped them around his back. She pressed her face to his neck and closed her eyes. Harvey held her close and started gently swaying her in time with the music filtering through from the main hall.
She quickly dozed off against his shoulder and Harvey leaned back against the wall so that he could better manage her weight against him. He brushed his lips over her forehead and wondered just how opposed she'd be to going to the hospital tonight.
The doors from the main hall swung open, causing the hallway to fill suddenly with noise. The sound was dulled as the doors fell shut and Harvey's gaze settled on the man who'd walked through. His name was David Fetch and Harvey had spent some time speaking with him earlier that evening. He was hoping to secure Fetch as a client and he nodded his head in acknowledgement.
David approached and Harvey shook the man's hand over Donna's shoulder. The movement jostled her awake, however, Donna chose to keep her eyes closed and her head tucked securely under Harvey's chin.
"This is Donna, my wife." Harvey said, as he gestured to the woman in his arms.
"Ah, yes, you mentioned her. It's nice to meet her." David said.
Harvey pressed his hand against Donna's hip in an attempt to rouse her. She remained drowsy though, and in no condition to hold a conversation.
"It's been a long week." Harvey said, as he looked back up.
David glanced down to Harvey's hand, and the thumb which was running gently across the front of Donna's dress.
He jumped to a conclusion.
"Not to worry, my wife slept constantly while she was pregnant." David said with a smile.
That woke Donna up.
"I'll see you soon, Harvey." David promised, as he waved them a goodbye.
Harvey could barely nod his head in response.
Donna pulled back to meet Harvey's eyes and they stared at each other.
Pregnant.
"Shit," they said at the same time, before bursting with shocked laughter.
"We're such idiots." Donna said.
He reached down to grab her hand.
"Idiots who are leaving right now," he said, and he tugged her in the direction of the elevators.
On their way to the ground floor, Harvey called for a taxi and Donna searched online for a drugstore which was open late and on their route home.
They only had to wait a few minutes for their cab to arrive and Donna gave the driver the directions she'd found to a nearby pharmacy. They rode the short journey in silence, their hands linked together tightly in Donna's lap. When they pulled to a stop they asked the driver to wait, assuring her that they would be back soon.
They searched the store's aisles quickly and then scanned the shelves holding the pregnancy tests. They were both alarmed at the wide choice available to them.
"Erm…. what should we get?" Harvey asked.
"I don't know, Harvey, I've never bought one before!"
"Well, neither have I." Harvey said defensively.
"We need more than one though; a body of evidence builds a better case."
Donna rolled her eyes.
Ever the lawyer, she thought.
They settled on three tests and joined the queue to pay. The wait caused Harvey's impatience to grow into restlessness and Donna put her arm through his, in an attempt to keep him from fidgeting.
"We'll find out soon enough," she said.
Harvey leaned in and responded quietly against her ear; "I think we already know what they're going to say."
"I think we do too." Donna whispered back, and her body trembled at the reality of their current situation.
"Are you feeling dizzy again?" Harvey asked, pulling back to check on her.
"No…. I've never felt anything like this before." Donna said, somewhat breathlessly.
She smiled at Harvey in reassurance and he kissed her curved lips softly.
Surprisingly, the cashier scanned their items without comment. Maybe they weren't the first couple to buy pregnancy tests on a Friday night, while dressed in an evening gown and a tuxedo, but it sure felt like they were.
Their hands re-linked when they returned to their seats in the back of the taxi. Their driver asked where they'd moved from and they spent the remainder of their journey politely answering questions about New York. They could feel the anticipation growing as they followed the familiar route through Seattle. Harvey squeezed Donna's hand every few minutes.
They were grateful when their home came into view. They'd loved their house from the moment they'd seen it. It had an exceptionally welcoming exterior and was beautifully decorated in a style which suited them both.
Harvey held their blue front door open as Donna entered. She made her way towards the stairs, across the light hardwood flooring.
"Hey," he called to her, as she took her first step up, "am I supposed to wish you luck?"
He came to stand below her and Donna rested her left hand on his shoulder, leaning down to press her lips to his. The shopping bag she was holding nudged his side.
"I'll be fine," she promised, "I'll be back soon."
"Okay," he said, "just shout if you need anything."
She nodded, dug her phone out of his inside pocket and made her way upstairs.
Harvey flicked on a couple of lights and moved to his record collection in the living room. He picked one of Donna's favourite albums and set the music to play quietly. It was a warm evening and he opened the doors from the adjacent dining room onto the balcony which ran across the back of their home. He discarded his bow tie and hung his jacket on the back of one of the outdoor chairs.
He stood with his hands in his pockets and regarded the view from their home; the dark expanse of Lake Washington contrasted with the lights on the other side of the bay. When he heard Donna at the door he turned towards her, watching quietly as she lined the pregnancy tests up neatly on the table.
"Done," she told him, as she caught his eye with a smile.
"Now we wait." Harvey said.
"Not for long." Donna confirmed.
She moved towards Harvey to hand him her phone and he looked down at the timer that she'd set.
Five minutes was not long to wait at all.
Donna went back inside and Harvey watched through the kitchen window as she filled a cup with water and retrieved a box of matches. She lit the large candle on the outdoor table before coming to a stop in front of him. Harvey couldn't help reaching out and running his fingers gently across the front of her dress. Her satin gown pulled slightly under his touch and she watched as a soft smile curved his lips.
Donna drank half of the water before handing the drink to Harvey and sitting down on the floor beside him. She rested her back against the glass railing and held her knees to her chest. She'd discarded her heels at the front door and her long dress pooled around her feet, exposing only her painted toenails.
Harvey finished the water and rested the cup on the table before lowering himself to the ground beside her. He stretched his legs out and crossed his ankles in front of him. She mirrored his position and her right side pressed against him.
Donna pulled his left hand into her lap and began to spin his ring round and round.
Harvey recognised this recently developed habit of hers. She would reach for his wedding band whenever she felt anxious, or in need of reassurance. It had happened when their Seattle-bound plane had been taking off, the morning they'd started their new jobs, and the evening following his unexpectedly late arrival home. He'd been unable to contact her and she'd been close to tears by the time he eventually made it back.
"You okay?" Harvey asked her softly.
"I feel like I'm about to jump out of a plane or something."
"I'm jumping with you." Harvey said, and she squeezed his fingers.
Her phone buzzed in his right hand and startled them both. Harvey swiped his thumb across the screen to silence the timer's alarm and laid it on the ground.
He took a deep breath and turned to her.
"Are you ready?" He asked.
"Yes," she nodded, "let's do this."
He stood and pulled her right arm up with him. He twisted around to stand in front of her and held his other hand out. Donna took it and he gently tugged her up.
Harvey led her by the hand, stopping when they reached the other side of the table. Their movement caused the candle's flame to dance and golden light flickered across the balcony.
They looked down at the tests together.
One showed two lines.
One said 'Pregnant'.
One said 'Yes'.
Well, that was fairly conclusive evidence, Harvey thought.
He gripped her fingers firmly.
"Donna," he murmured.
"Harvey," she whispered breathlessly.
Donna wrapped her free hand tightly around his upper arm, the movement pressing her body to his side.
"Harvey!" Donna said again.
He could feel her shaking.
"I know!" he exclaimed.
They turned to each other simultaneously; their breathing laboured, both overwhelmed by the moment they'd never forget. They stared at each other with wide eyes, watching a range of emotions flash across the other's face, mirroring the commotion of their internal feelings.
They paused at happiness and broke into wide matching smiles.
"I can't…..I just….. I can't believe it happened so quickly." Donna said.
Harvey raised his eyebrows, looked a little smug and was about to respond when she tilted her head and challenged him with a look. She knew he was going to say something about rabbits, or newlyweds, or christening every room in the house. Maybe even all three.
He held back his reply.
"I really can't believe that I didn't know." Donna added.
Neither could Harvey, actually, he wouldn't have been surprised if she'd been able to pinpoint the moment of conception.
"The baby must be throwing me off." Donna continued, and she looked bewildered at the concept.
Harvey felt his breath catch in his throat at her comment.
The baby.
Their baby.
Holy shit.
Harvey twisted his body so that he fully faced Donna and she let go of the arm that she'd been clutching. He pulled her close, his hands finding her hips and his thumbs stroking her waist. He was going to be a father, he thought suddenly, shaking his head in silent wonderment.
Donna saw the realisation cross his mind. "Yes, you are," she said softly, as she held his gaze and moved her hands to either side of his face. She stroked her thumbs over his cheeks, as his eyes began to glisten with tears.
He couldn't take his eyes off her, making her feel like the most important person in the world.
She was the most important person in his world.
"You're perfect," he told her.
Her own eyes filled with tears and she rested her forehead against his. They wrapped their arms around each other and stood quietly, listening to the music still playing inside the house.
"This is big," he whispered to her.
"Really big," she agreed.
"We can handle it." Harvey stated with conviction.
"Absolutely, we can!" Donna nodded confidently and she drew back to look at him.
Her faith in him, and in them, was unwavering.
"We're in it together." Harvey said, in quiet assurance.
"Always." Donna whispered back, leaning forwards to kiss the smile on his lips.