Hello all! First up, I'm sorry I've made you wait until chapter 7 to meet a certain someone, that's just how the story was carrying itself! I've decided to write English spellings for descriptions but if it's within speech I use American spellings because they're the ones speaking - if this inconsistency in spellings annoys you then please say so (although I'll use the English over the American aha). I hope you like this chapter! There's no flashback and I'm not sure whether people prefer to have them or not? Let me know. I also feel like I've been neglecting the Darvey content and I'm trying to make up for that! Thank you for your reviews, they never fail to make me smile. It's so lovely to have the encouragement and to know that people actually like what I'm writing! Just a little disclaimer: I know Donna doesn't have a guestroom but for this story it's so much easier if she does. Maybe that room between the living area and her bedroom is a guestroom but I don't think it is, anyhow, we're just pretending she has one! Sorry for the ramblings, if you've read all of this then you're a gem haha! Enjoy! :) x
"How about that drink?" Donna suggested upon entering Samantha's office, two days after her friend's proposal.
"Sure," the blonde replied. She stood from her desk chair and poured them both some whiskey before they took their seats on her couch.
"Things with you and Harvey seem to have improved," Samantha said with a smile.
"They have," Donna replied, bringing her tumbler to her lips.
"I'm sorry for going behind your back," the blonde continued and Donna near choked on her drink.
"Did you just apologize?" She lowered her glass into her lap and sat with her mouth agape.
"I did, and you might want to hold your breath because I'm about to do it again." She revealed and Donna responded with a confused expression. "I'm sorry I wasn't happy for you when the two of you finally got together."
"You'd just lost your mentor as a result of my mistake," Donna reasoned.
"Yes, but you didn't force, or even ask, him to lay himself on the line." Samantha enforced and Donna nodded with a knowing smile.
"Thank god the two of you finally got your shit together," she continued with a smirk. "I only just got here and was sick of your sexual tension, god knows how Louis put up with it so long." She said playfully, Donna trying her best to suppress her growing smile but failing.
"Well, it was definitely worth the wait," she grinned and Samantha widened her eyes.
"Why doesn't that come as a surprise?" A suggestive look on her face.
"If I thought you were into men I might start to worry right about now. I can see exactly what you are thinking about," Donna smirked.
"And?" Samantha brought her whiskey to her lips but didn't break eye contact with Donna, who was more flustered by the direction of the conversation than she wanted to admit. Still, she appreciated Samantha's friendliness. It'd been tough after Rachel left; she was the only friend Donna had ever had who'd been able to get through her walls.
"I decline to answer," she replied with a chuckle.
"I mean it, Donna, it's nice to see things work out for a change. Too often people's bullshit gets in the way but you and Harvey… you've got something special." Samantha's honesty and sincerity took Donna by surprise and she wasn't quite sure how to respond – Donna's speechlessness was a rarity.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that's gone straight to your head," Donna responded, nodding to the alcohol, but Samantha simply tilted her head. "Thank you. He's made me happier than I can ever remember being."
"I'm glad," Samantha replied before trying to work out how to phrase her next question. "I've heard things about the two of you and I don't like to speculate, you're my friend so I'll just say it. Had you and Harvey ever slept together before?"
Donna was surprised by the sudden line of interrogation, not quite sure what to make of it, but she believed Samantha meant well. She was the most honest and upfront person Donna knew so she trusted she could take her word for it.
"Once. 13 years ago." Donna said matter-of-factly, watching as Samantha made a realisation. "I know what you wanted to ask, and no, he's not Ella's father." She continued, her eyes now fixed on the amber liquid she held in her fingers. "I don't want to talk about her father."
"I understand," and she did, loud and clear. Samantha didn't want to upset Donna or come across as judgemental. She viewed Donna as her friend, someone she'd managed to make great progress with after their rocky start and she didn't want to jeopardise that.
X
Harvey rolled over under the sheets and was met by a head full of red hair. He breathed in her coconut scent as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling himself closer to her.
"Morning," she mumbled into the sheets as she felt him embrace her. He nuzzled his face into her neck, planting a kiss with a hum. It was mornings like these that they both loved; laid in each other's arms, engulfed in the other's scent, nothing to distract them from their love.
"Can we stay here all day?" He whispered, his left leg slipping between hers, closing any gap between their bodies. He slipped his hand under her satin night dress, resting his hand on her bare torso, feeling her skin against his own.
"I wish," she breathed as she placed her hand on his wrist.
"What time did you get in last night?" He asked, having fallen asleep despite his intentions to wait up. She told him not to, that he needed his rest and wouldn't be able to, and she was right – that came as no surprise though.
"About midnight," she answered, not making any effort to move from her position. Her head was still sunk into her pillow and she was not only wrapped in her lover's arms but the bed sheets she hogged nightly. Something that if any other woman had done, he would've been silently annoyed and have tugged them over to his side, but with her it was different.
They were interrupted by the shrill ringing of Donna's phone on her bedside table. She groaned, and slowly reached out to grab it. She sunk back into Harvey's embrace as she declined the call from her mother.
"You're still ignoring her?" He posed and she furrowed her brow.
"What makes you think I'm ignoring her?" She asked abruptly, shifting away slightly and rolling so her back was against the mattress, enabling her to see his face.
"That's not the first of her calls you've rejected recently," he replied, tucking a hair behind her ear.
"She just always calls at the wrong time," she said as she gazed into his deep brown eyes. "We're just about to conduct some very important business," she smirked, as did he, as he moved to hover over the top of her body. Landing his knees on the bed either side of her thighs, his hands beside her arms, he leaned in closer.
"You mean, this piece of important business?" He said before he placed a kiss on the crook of her neck. "Or this one?" He placed another on her collarbone. "Or these?" He continued down her chest, slipping her straps off of her shoulder as he did, before he reached her sternum.
They were interrupted again, this time by his phone. Both groaned as he planted his face into her chest in despair, before reaching for his cell.
"It's Louis," he sighed, the phone still ringing.
"Are you going to answer?" She asked, looking to the man now sat slightly left of her.
"No," he told her, rejecting the call. "It'll be about Joan Walsh getting sued."
"We should get up," she stated, sitting up where she was.
"Should we?" He teased but she gave him a look that said 'you know we should, we'll come back to this later'. Reluctantly he agreed, obviously.
X
He strolled into her office with a coffee in one of the Finnish mugs she so adored. He took in the view in front of him. Her silky, red locks glowed from the golden sunlight streaming in behind her. She was wearing her black dress with the front zip, which was open to reveal just enough cleavage to satisfy him until he could relieve her of it when they got home.
"Splash of vanilla," he smiled as he placed it down in front of her. She picked it up with a grin and took a sip. She dramatically rolled her eyes back and let out a loud sigh, her boyfriend shaking his head with a laugh in response.
"Thanks," she said with a glimmer in her eyes.
"Is that a hint of what I'll get later?" He smirked, his hands in his pockets and his head tilted slightly down and to the right.
"Now that's entirely down to you," she returned the smirk and the head tilt before drinking more of her coffee. "Did you work out the Joan Walsh situation?"
"Yeah. It hasn't been finalized yet but it's sorted," he replied as he perched on the arm of the chair opposite her. "Did you call your mom back?"
"Nope," she answered, popping the 'p'.
"You declined another call, didn't you?" He didn't get a response, his girlfriend pretending to be engrossed in the papers in front of her to avoid the subject. "You can't ignore her forever, Donna. Something serious could've happened."
"He's right," another voice came. Donna's head shot up at the sound - she'd know that voice a mile off.
"Mommy!" A small, red-headed girl ran into the office, bounding over to Donna who gave her a help up onto her lap. She wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and shoulders, Donna tightening the hug.
"I've missed you," Donna muttered into the girl's ear while running her hand through the loose curls that fell down her back.
"I've missed you too," Ella replied, her eyes shut tight as she sat in her mother's arms.
"What are you doing here?" Donna asked having turned to her mother who was one foot in the door. Her tone a mixture of curiosity, confusion and shock.
"If you hadn't been ignoring my calls then you'd know." Deborah stepped further into the room and closed the door behind her. "Harvey Specter, long time no see," she approached him with a grin, placing the grey leather holdall down by the desk.
"Deborah," he smiled, standing up and giving her a hug.
"I told you, it's Debbie," she was pointing a finger at him as if to lecture him but her tone was light-hearted and friendly.
"Mom, you didn't answer my question. Why are you here?" Donna asked in a calm voice but the widening of her eyes signalled her frustrations. Her hug with her daughter had loosened and the girl had swivelled around to sit slightly diagonally on her mother's lap, facing her grandmother.
"Grandpa's sick," she replied, leaning forward to see what her mother had been working on.
"What?" Donna responded in shock and concern, looking at her mom for further explanation with a furrowed brow. Deborah glanced at the six-year-old, indicating that it wasn't a conversation for little ears.
"It's Ella, right?" Harvey intercepted, the child looking up at him.
"Yep and you're Harvey, mom's boyfriend." She stated with a knowing smile.
"That I am," he smiled back. "Hey, do you like ice cream?"
"I love it!" She grinned excitedly.
"Maybe we could go and grab some, how does that sound?" He suggested and the child nodded eagerly, Donna mouthing a 'thank-you'. "We'll be back in a bit," he said as Ella slipped of her mother's lap and made her way over to Harvey who was approaching the door.
"See you in a bit," she said, looking back to her mother and grandmother. Meeting Harvey, she slipped her hand into his, causing a small, heartfelt smile to grow on his face as they left the office.
Deborah took a seat with a heavy sigh, sinking into the chair.
"Your father's no longer in remission." She said it quietly, unable to make eye contact with her daughter, who responded with a sharp inhale of breath.
"What?" She whispered, mouth hanging slightly open as her eyes glazed over. A silence filled the room.
"He collapsed the other night, a few hours after you hung up the phone." It was only when she next spoke that she returned her eyes to Donna's. "We can't look after her anymore sweetheart, especially not now." She swallowed hard, trying to repress the growing lump in her throat.
"And you think I can?" Donna hit back, bewildered and doubtful, her bottom lip quivering a little.
"We know you can, Donna. I know you don't believe it but you are a great mom, and you're not on your own anymore, you've got Harvey." Deborah was pleading with her daughter to believe in herself, to trust herself and to use her 'Donna magic' – as the Paulsen family called it – to see the truth about herself.
"But what if I can't?" Donna's voice shaking with each word. "I'll let her down."
"Maybe you will, but all parents let their children down one time or another. I know you've got these wonderful abilities but you're only human, Donna. There's no such thing as the perfect parent. You'll think you're getting it wrong over and over again, and you'll worry about her because all you want to do is protect her." She leaned forward, resting her hands on the desk as she twiddled with her fingers, "but that shows what a brilliant mother you are. You care about that little girl more than anything else in this world, and that fear you've harbored since the day she was born? If it wasn't there then I'd be concerned. Don't you see? She can't do better than a mom like you."
X
Harvey had taken Ella to a dessert truck a short walk from the firm. Sitting on a bench nearby, the young girl scooped the strawberry gelato out of the tub. She was telling Harvey about the birthday party she'd been to over the weekend.
"Her dad brought out a really, really, really, really big cake. It was blue and white and had Elsa and Anna and Olaf on it and it was so chocolatey inside." She said with wide eyes, her thoughts of the cake fuelling her enthusiasm. To tell the truth, Harvey had gotten lost when the child began to talk about the Frozen theme of the party.
"Is Frozen your favorite Disney movie?" He asked the child sat beside him.
"No." She replied, licking the remnants of the ice cream from her plastic spoon. "I do like it but my favorite is between Brave or The Little Mermaid because Merida and Ariel have red hair like me and mom." She popped her spoon into the tub and looked up at Harvey.
"Finished!" She grinned as she held the tub up. Harvey took it with a smile before handing her a napkin.
"Here, you can wipe your mouth." She took it from his hand and wiped the leftover ice cream from around her lips as he put the tub in the trash can next to their bench. "What about Dumbo? My niece Haley loves that one."
"Dumbo makes me sad," Ella said, swinging her legs and watching her feet, her hands tucked under her thighs. "It makes me think of mommy." Her voice was small and Harvey watched the girl transform from an extroverted chatterbox into a tiny, vulnerable bird.
"How come?"
"Sometimes she sings Baby Mine to me at bed time. Then she leaves." She moved her hands out from under her and twiddled with her fingers in her lap.
"Should we go back inside to see your mom and grandma?" He suggested, Ella looking up to him and nodding. He stood up and held out his hand, the young child clutching onto it once she'd slid off of the bench.
"Did you know I'm living with mommy now?" She asked as they walked along the sidewalk.
"You'll have to put up with me then," he smiled down at her, pretending not to be taken aback by her revelation.
"Only if you keep getting me ice cream," she replied, swinging the arm connected to Harvey.
When they arrived at the 50th floor, Harvey felt the eyes of his co-workers fixate on him and Ella. The bullpen would have a field day with the rumours. He made eye contact with Louis – the managing partner stood with his mouth hanging open, his brows furrowed and his eyes wide.
"Louis, this is Ella," he stated as he walked the little girl over.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute." His finger pointing up while he blinked rapidly. "You, um, err, you have a kid?" He pointed his finger from Harvey to Ella and back to Harvey.
"No," he responded with a smile, taking great pleasure in the shock on his friend's face. "Donna does." He watched as Louis' shock grew, not even sure how it was possible.
"I need a day." He stated, his eyes staring at a spot on the wall and his gaze just past Harvey's head. Harvey took glee in hearing the phrase and walked himself and Ella around Louis in the direction of Donna's office, leaving the managing partner frozen where he stood.
Ella's hand slipped out of Harvey's when they entered the office and she bounced towards Donna's desk. She stood next to it, pulling a pen out of the pot and clicking the colours.
"How was your ice cream?" Donna asked, placing a hand on the little girl's back.
"Scrumptious!" She exclaimed.
"That's her new favorite word," Deborah asserted.
"Can we go to your home soon?" The child asked, still playing with the four colour Bic pen. Donna hesitated for a second and looked to Harvey; they both had stacks of work to finish off but it wasn't fair to make her wait. Harvey gave her a 'I don't see why we can't' look and Donna turned to her daughter with a nod; it was after 5pm anyway, and it was exceptional circumstances.
X
"Is there anything you want for dinner?" Donna asked, closing her front door as her child ran into the living room.
"Can I have chips, please?" She called out, sinking into the couch.
"That diner around the corner does deliveries," Harvey suggested. His comment elicited a confused look from his girlfriend who couldn't understand why or how Harvey Specter would know that.
"Aren't you full of surprises," she smirked and he scoffed.
"You're one to talk," he jested, nodding to the couch ahead of them. "Do you like burgers, Ella?"
"Yeah!" She replied as she peaked out over the back of her seat, only her thick auburn hair and bright blue eyes visible. "Please can I get my fairy wings?" She asked, her eyes darting to the bag in Harvey's hand. He walked around the settee and placed the bag down next to her.
Without hesitation, the girl unzipped the bag at a rapid rate and pulled out her baby pink fairy wings. Pink glitter covered its edges and it decorated the wings in floral lines, a baby pink ribbon tied in a bow at the centre. They'd been kept flat, placed in the centre of the bag in which they only just fit.
After dinner, the three snuggled up on Donna's bed, watching Netflix on her laptop. After much deliberation, and comments from both Harvey and Ella about why she should get a television, they settled on the live action of Beauty and the Beast. The laptop was balanced on her lap as she sat between Harvey and Ella, who was asleep by the end of the movie.
"I'll sleep in the guestroom tonight," he whispered after getting back from the bathroom. "It'll be easier than moving her," he continued as Ella's chest silently rose and fell.
"You don't have to do that," Donna replied, still quiet so not to wake the child.
"I know, but I want to. It's her first night here, it'll be nice for her to wake up with you." His selflessness warmed her heart but it didn't surprise Donna. She smiled and lifted Ella slightly so Harvey could move the sheets out from underneath her. Donna took off the fairy wings and propped them up against the side table before tucking her daughter in.
Once they'd left the room, Harvey insisted Donna sit down on the settee while he grabbed them both a drink before joining her.
"I'm sorry you've been landed with this out of nowhere," Donna apologised, only for Harvey to place his hand on her knee.
"You don't need to apologize, Donna, it's not a problem." He told her before taking his wine glass to his lips.
"I know you're ok with it but still," she took a breath. "It was pretty unexpected."
"You're great with her." His statement was bold, his genuine belief in his words glaringly obvious, however she still looked uncertain. "I mean it," he assured her.
"I know you do," she replied, her tone slightly melancholic. He noticed, obviously, he always does.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm scared," she whispered her gaze fixed on her merlot. Harvey placed his own glass down and moved closer, lifting her chin with his finger so her eyes met his.
"But it's going to be ok," he whispered back, his breath tickling her lips when he spoke. He leaned in, their lips touching. It was a slow and meaningful kiss that came as a comfort to Donna but also a reminder: he was there, he had been for fourteen years and it wasn't about to change.
"Maybe now's a good time to finish what we started this morning," she suggestively whispered as they broke contact. The glimmer in his eye giving her the answer she needed.
