"When I told Louis how you got me out of this thing, he told me how scared he was at the thought of me going to prison, and I just… need… you… to-"

"Donna, the thought of you going to prison makes me want to drop to my knees."

"This shouldn't be happening Donna. This is all my fault" Harvey's eyes were becoming wet, he was staring straight at her in an attempt to stop the tears from falling.

"Harvey…" she started

"NO. It shouldn't be happening. I should have protected you Donna" He spoke which such anguish to her that she lost all thought of her own fear, instead becoming distracted by her own need to protect him.

"HARVEY" She called out, trying desperately to pull him back from the spiral that he was about to lead himself down.

"NO DONNA. THIS IS YOU. IT'S MY JOB TO PROTECT YOU AND I FAILED. I FAILED YOU" He knew that the whole office, whoever was still left could probably hear him but he didn't care. He couldn't think about anything else right now. Nothing but the gorgeous redhead in front of him. Harvey was breathing heavily now, he could feel his chest heaving, his heart thumping so loudly he could barely hear another thing in the room.

"Harvey you haven't failed me." She all but whispered. Somehow he heard that over the sound of his heartbeat and vehemently shook his head in disagreement. He'd let himself down and more importantly he'd let her down. The most important person in his life and he'd let her down. He hadn't let her know that he cared. How did she not know that she was everything. She was his reason for doing everything.

"I have. Donna. This never should have happened, it wouldn't have happened. You should already be my wife. But you aren't and I can't protect you. This is on me Donna. It's on ME." The tears were falling now, a long stream straight down his cheek that he just couldn't stop, his chest was heaving still and he knew he'd lost complete control of his emotions. The carefully locked box that they'd kept under their rug for all this time and he'd just let it all out. But it was Donna and she could go to prison and he just couldn't take the thought of that.

Donna looked up at him, her mouth dropping open slightly as she stared at this frustrating and beautiful man. There were so many things to process, she wasn't used to feeling this overwhelmed. She was Donna. He wanted her to be his wife!? Her heart had stopped beating. And then suddenly seemed like it was beating faster than it ever had in her entire life. She stepped forward, slowly, the most agonising pace until her face was less than an inch from his. She held his gaze bringing her hands to rest on his chest as she looked up at him in silence. Both reeling from his revelation and neither sure what to say next. Harvey was certain that it was her turn to talk. He'd done enough talking for a lifetime. He dropped gaze from hers, no longer being able to stand the look in her eye. Something close to pity.

"Harvey Reginald Specter." His eyes flickered up at the use of his full name, something she never did.

"This is not your fault. No matter what you think, you didn't do this. I did. And I'm terrified. But you do look after me Harvey. We've always looked after each other. I fucked up. This is on me, and I'd have done it whether I was your wife or not and you know it." she smirks at the final part of her sentence trying to lighten the mood and get him to smile his way out of this pit he was falling in to. Donna was still staring at him, her eyes soft her smirk forming into a soft smile as Harvey lifted the corner of his mouth upwards in a half smile of acknowledgement. As soon as she saw that he was smiling she closed the gap and kissed him gently on the lips.

He sighed into her. Even when terrified for her own life she was more concerned about his feelings. As soon as she broke from the kiss he tipped his head up and kissed her on the top

of her head, coming to rest his hands low around her waist.

"Donna I.."

"Harvey. We clearly have a lot we need to talk about." She could feel him nodding slightly against the top of her head, as he pulled her in closer to him, breaking every rule they'd ever had in that one moment. "But I think we need to make sure I don't go to jail before we really get into it ok?" He nods again, breathing in the scent of her, taking strength from her hands which had remained on his chest throughout their conversation. Finally he broke away from her, looking up and smirking.

"Then get out, because I have a lot to do to ensure you don't go to jail."


The case ended with the best possible outcome it could have and it was all down to Harvey, though he would argue that he'd always been able to do his best work because of Donna and this time was no different. As soon as he'd heard the news Harvey had stood up and walked straight out the door, hardly being able to look at Donna before he escaped to his car, Ray waiting outside the front as usual holding the door open for him as he appeared out the front of the building. "The office." was all he said before stepping inside the car and waiting for Ray to slam the door and leave him in solitude. Harvey put his head in his hands as all the stress of the last few days finally got to be too much, the relief he felt was immeasurable. A second after closing Harvey's door the door on the other side of the car opened, he turned his head to the sound in confusion to see his gorgeous redheaded assistant sliding into the seat next to his before the door slammed shut and Ray started driving the Lexus away from the court. Harvey immediately dropped his hands from his face and stared openly at her in confusion. Donna slipped her hand into his open one on his lap.

"Donna" he breathed. She smiled shyly at him biting her bottom lip,

"You didn't think you'd get away from me now did you? You just saved me from jail Harvey" She smirked. He smirked back his stress melting away every second her hand remained in his. "Some might say you owe me one." she laughed.

"Well they might, but really it's your fault I was in this mess in the first place." She says with a raised brow. Suddenly Harvey's chest was back to the constricting and heavy feeling he'd had before. He knew it was his fault and she was finally admitting that it was. She'd never want to be with him, she didn't love him at all. He was starting to panic, he could feel it rising through his chest stopping him from breathing. Until he felt it. Her hand squeezing his tightly rather than letting go.

"Harvey." He looked up at her then, finally seeing the smile on her face, the same soft smile she'd had when she kissed him in his office. The kiss so gentle that he'd hardly believed it had happened except that he was certain it had. He'd played it over in his head enough times over the last two days to know it had. "There's a lot we need to talk about from the other day. But first I just want to say thank you. I am so grateful." He shook his head.

"Don't be grateful to me Donna. Never be grateful to me."

"Harvey." She sighed, "about what you said the other day…"

"Which bit?" he smiled slightly trying to quell the panic still rising in his chest.

"You should already be my wife ring any bells for you?" she smirked, he looked at her then, really looked, her red hair glowing from the light coming in the window of the car she didn't look angry like he expected her to, she looked happy, teasing, normal even.

"Donna I…"

"Don't you dare take it back now Harvey Specter because you can't I already heard it." He smiled then, taking a deep breath before he spoke, hoping that Ray didn't hear him say this because God would he lose all respect.

"Donna I meant every word I said. You should already be my wife. I should have married you a long time ago."

"Harvey" she whispered, although she had brought it up she almost didn't expect him to repeat what he'd said before.

"I wish I had." He squeezed her hand then, risking a glance at her. She was staring at him, then her face broke out into the brightest smile he had ever seen on her face, and just as suddenly as the panic had come it started to drain away as pride replaced it, purely for being the one to put that smile on her face. Harvey vowed to himself at that point that he would make her smile like that everyday for the rest of his life, wife or not.

"Well you never asked."

He smirked then, "oh yeah?"

She smirked back "What's stopping you now?"

"Nothing." he smiled. "Nothing at all. Donna Roberta Paulson. Would you do me the greatest honour of all, something which should have happened long ago, and consent to being my wife?" She smirked at him then, that cheeky smirk that she saved only for him.

"I don't know Harvey, do I still need you now you've stopped me going to jail?" He laughed. She smiled then, that wide smile and whispered "of course I'll marry you." Harvey leaned forward then pulling her to him and kissing her with all the passion of 12 years into one kiss. All the love he felt, the relief of her verdict and the sheer happiness at Donna finally being his Donna in the truest sense of the word. He pulled back and looked at her then, sat in the back of his lexus, Ray driving them back towards the office and away from the hellish week they had just had. And he laughed. He was engaged. To Donna. The most beautiful woman on the planet. How did he ever get that lucky?

The car pulled up then, Ray going to Donna's door first and letting her out before coming around to Harvey's side. He clapped him on the shoulder but said nothing, climbing back into the car and driving away. Harvey watched as Donna walked up the steps towards the office, flicking her head back to him and smiling "are you coming?" he laughed then, running to catch up. "You know you've just set yourself up to a huge shopping trip don't you?" she laughs when he finally catches up, lacing his fingers through hers as he pulls her into the elevator. He smiles then, pushing her against the side of the elevator and kisses her with all the happiness he feels in that moment. When the door clicks on their floor they break apart both breathing heavily but Harvey pulls himself together first and steps out, turing back to her and pulling her after him towards their shared office oblivious to the world.


Two months later they are laying on a shared sunlounger in the bahamas on the private beach connected to their villa. Donna sipping on a cocktail as she flicks through a magazine, Harvey content to just watch her and the two shiny new rings which flicker in the sunlight as she changes the page.

"You were right you know" She looks up then raising an eyebrow,

"I'm right about so many things darling you'll have to enlighten me on what you're talking about specifically."

"You'd have still done it if we were married. I'll never be able to stop you doing anything you want." She smirked then, putting down the magazine

"Sorry is the great Harvey Specter admitting that he's wrong?" he laughed.

"He is" and somehow he didn't care if he was wrong for the rest of his life as long as she was there for it and she was the one who was right.

ow you got me out of this thing, he told me how scared he was at the thought of me going to prison, and I just...need... you...to- Donna, the thought of y