Author's Note:

Thank you to everyone who added this story as a like, subscription, or left a review! I still have lots of readers out there and I REALLY would love to hear from you! Just a little review brightens the day and is motivation to write. I love hearing from readers so leave a review! Leave cheers, jeers, and everything in between. A special thanks to Gus for being my cold reader and editor, thank you for putting up with my crazy ideas.

We're moving into season one so some of the cases are gonna look familiar as well as situations. I don't own the shows and some of the lines have been paraphrased from the show. Nothing has been taken as verbatim (on purpose).

All errors are my own:( Sorry!

I OWN NOTHING.

H4TH

Part Seven: Unsteady

"…If you love me, don't let go

If you love me, don't let go

Hold

Hold on

Hold on to me

'Cause I'm a little unsteady

A little unsteady…"

"Unsteady" – X-Ambassadors

Thursday, July 6, 2011

Sitting in the waiting room, Ally waited impatiently for her name to be called. She hadn't told Donna about her doctor's appointment because she hadn't wanted Harvey knowing about it. The less he knew, the better, and the thought made Ally feel guilty. Harvey had become such a source of conflict in her mind, that she'd begun to lose sleep. Tossing and turning for hours, desperately trying to decide what to do was taking a toll. She was tired and coupled with the constant nausea, Ally felt run down. A hand touched her shoulder and she looked up. A young woman smiled at her and quickly signed.

My first name is Clara. Doctor Meyer is read to see you, Miss Spicer.

Ally nodded and stood, realizing that Dr. Meyer's appointment was bound to be uncomfortable. Led back into the office, Ally let the nurse weight her and obtain a set of vitals. The whole time, Clara signed and Ally tried to be polite and stop herself from reverting to reading the nurse's lips. It was difficult, but she told herself that the office had gone through with the trouble to accommodate her and Clara was trying. The whole situation felt wrong and Ally couldn't figure out why. Following the nurse into an exam room, Ally sat in the chair. Left alone with Clara, the young woman signed her, making polite conversation. Signing wasn't the issue, Ally realized when she tried to examine why she felt so off. The issue was that she didn't want to be alone and instantly, Ally regretted not asking Donna or Rosa to come with her. Signing the young woman, Ally answered all her questions easily and it wasn't took long of a wait before Dr. Meyer appeared. The doctor was a tall woman, with a reed thin body, black hair and a severe look on her face. She let Clara make the introductions before she sat down on a stool and opened the little portable laptop she had with her.

"So according to these calculations," Doctor Meyer said calmly without preamble. "You're due date is early February 2012."

Ally nodded and let the interpreter that Doctor Meyer insisted on having sign everything to her repeat the information. Meyer gave Ally more packets than she needed filled with all kinds of information about prenatal care and what to expect in the coming months. Being only eight weeks pregnant, Ally didn't feel like she was experiencing the actually appointment. The whole experience seemed surreal and she did her best to absorb it all. Meyer discussed how at her next appointment, they would do a scan and be able to hear the heartbeat. The only point during the appointment where concern was brought up involved Ally's weight.

"You've lost about five pounds," Meyer commented. "How has your appetite been?"

Ally explained how to the interpreter how she'd been ill at the sight or smell of almost anything. She also explained how the peppermint tea helped, but once Meyer heard about everything from the interpreter, she became agitated.

"Staying hydrate is the most important thing," she explained and Ally grew frustrated as the visit continued. The translator wasn't very good and she was slow. Ally tried to be patient, but it was difficult. She knew that Meyer was trying to be helpful with the translator, but it felt like Meyer wasn't even acknowledging Ally was there. A brief physical exam followed and a nurse came and took blood. Ally left the visit feeling annoyed and extremely dissatisfied with Dr. Meyer. She was reminded of all the reasons she avoided medical professionals. They knew about her deafness. They treated her like she was a child and all the while, they were wearing sterile gloves around her. Flagging a taxi to go back to the office, Ally reflected that the only doctor she liked was Dr. Ford, her neurologist and audiologist. The man understood her and didn't try to overcompensate.

A smile came to her face briefly.

Why couldn't Dr. Ford be an OB/GYN?

Having been one of the last appointments of the day, it was after dinner by the time Ally returned home. She'd managed to leave Pearson-Hardman early for the appointment and she was grateful no one had noticed. Walking up the steps of her father's townhouse, Ally paused while opening the door. Donna would know that she left early because Donna knew everything. Ally was surprised that she hadn't gotten a text asking where she went. Pushing the intruding thought away, Ally wasn't prepared for the battle she walked into between Rosa and her father. She could hearing her father shouting curse words. Closing the front door behind her, Ally quickly ran up the steps to the second floor where the yelling was taking place. Her father's bedroom door was open. Crossing the room, Ally frowned and quickly went to the bathroom. Rosa was cradling her hand to her chest with a blood stained towel covering her hand.

"Are you alright?" Ally demanded with a frown. "What happened?"

"Howard bit me," Rosa hissed in pain. "I don't know what upset him."

Quickly going to the bathtub where her father sat in a shower chair with a towel draped over his lap, Ally rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Dad, it's me, Ally," she said calmly. "Can you tell me what happened? Are you alright?"

"Goddamnit, Marianne! I told you not to touch me, you whore!" Howard snapped. Ally managed to stop his arm from flying out and hitting her in the chest.

"Dad, Mom isn't here," Ally said again in a calm voice. "It's just Rosa and I. You're in New York and Mom is gone."

The words pained her, but Ally said them. Re-orienting her father was sometimes the only tool she was able to use to calm him down and she hated it. He stopped struggling and stared at her. Bending down so that she was eye level with him, Ally touched his hand gently and smiled.

"You know me, Dad. It's Ally."

Instead of the smile she'd once gotten, blank eyes stared back at her. Howard didn't comprehend the words and he didn't know who she was. Rubbing a soothing circle on his hand, Ally continued to smile.

"Let's get up and out of the shower, Dad," she suggested. "We can get changed and into bed."

Moving her arm away, Ally moved her hand up his arm to help him stand. Rosa was standing behind her, ready to help. Ally wasn't prepared for what happened next. In a heartbeat, Howard's elbow connected with her collar bone and pain shot through Ally's chest. It felt like the wind was knocked out of her and she gasped for a breath. Together with Rosa's help, they managed to get Howard off the bathing chair in the bathroom where he'd been cursing them.

It took more effort than Ally though it would to get Howard to sit naked on the bed and calm down. Rosa quickly was able to change him and in an instant, his nature changed. Like night and day, her father was suddenly calm. Maybe it was the change in the setting, but whatever it was, it calmed Howard. Saying a silent prayer of gratitude that they were able to get Howard into bed, Ally and Rosa exited the bedroom. In the hallway, Rosa looked at her hand for a moment before looking at Ally's shoulder. An angry bruise was already forming on her upper chest and it was tender.

"He didn't hurt you too badly, did he?" Rosa demanded as she looked at her shoulder.

"It's okay, Rosa."

"Nonsense. Let's go to my bedroom."

Forced to Rosa's bedroom, Ally sat on the bed while the woman who had practically raised her, rummaged around in a few drawers.

"I have it!" Rosa exclaimed, pulling out a small glass container. Opening it, Ally winced when Rosa applied a balm to help with the aching muscles and bruise.

"What happened?" Ally asked, wincing as Rosa continued to rub the back of her shoulders and neck with the balm.

"I don't know," Rosa answered calmly. "He only hit your shoulder?"

"I'm fine, Rosa."

"You're not fine. You mope around and don't think I don't know how sick you've been," the older woman snapped. "Dear God, I should take you to a hospital to make sure you're alright."

Ally didn't say anything as Rosa fussed. She figured it would be better for the older woman to have her fit and leave her be than fight it. Less then an hour later, after reassuring Rosa a dozen times that Howard hadn't hit any lower than her shoulder, Ally laid in bed staring up at the ceiling. She told herself that everything was alright, but deep down, she knew that it wasn't. How could she bring a child home to this? Howard was unpredictable and tonight made her worried. It had only been her shoulder this time, but what about the next time? He'd been steadily getting more and more violent and Ally understood that it was an instinctual response. Howard had lost the ability to process what was happening around him and lashing out was his way of responding. It did worry her that Rosa had been hurt. If Ally had been bit, she wouldn't care, but Rosa was being hurt. Turning on her side, Ally closed her eyes, hoping to catch a few hours of sleep before her body decided it was time to be sick again. The bed felt empty and Ally clenched her teeth feeling exceptionally weak for even thinking that thought. The path opened, her mind wondered what it would be like to have someone to shoulder the burden with and she clenched her fist as she thought about the one person who was always in the back of her mind.

Harvey.

Friday, July 7, 2011

Mike stared at the computer screen, not really seeing the words on it. Harvey's words about the Rookie Dinner floated in his head and he'd sent an email to one person who could help him. Rachel had already kicked him out of her office and he needed help. Planning dinners was not a skill that he had in his skill set. Tapping his pen on the surface of his desk. What had Harvey told him?

Doing good work isn't the whole job. Part of getting this is realizing that things like the dinner actually matter even when you don't think they should even be on your radar.

He might not actually know how to plan a dinner, but he was finally getting it. Louis had bragged about taking Ally to the ballet once a month and it had all clicked. It wasn't about enjoying the ballet, Mike realized. It was about being seen and socializing. Rachel had pointed out that almost all Louis's clients had signed paperwork at dinner after the ballet. Louis went because he could wine and dine clients after being seen as a Renaissance Man. Taking Ally with him was an added bonus. Mike imagined that Ally looked stunning in an evening gown. She was already attractive in just the plain black dresses she wore to work, Mike could only imagine what she actually looked like with her hair done up and darker makeup on. The principle for taking Ally was different, but Mike understood why Louis did it. Ally was attractive, brilliant, and well read. He imagined that she smoothed all the ruffled feathers that Louis created. Ally's smile was that encouraging, Mike decided. She was the one who got paperwork signed, not Louis. Seeing a familiar blonde walk into the bullpen, Mike yanked out his earbuds and sighed in relief. Ally smiled at him as she stopped at his desk and leaned against the top of it.

"I hear you and Specter settled that whole phone thing business with Wyatt," she said with a grin. "He's fun, isn't he?"

"Yeah...you know about him?"

"That he's a handful, yes. Who do you think managed his anxiety the first time around? I took him to this intense gym work out. It was like a rowing class. Harvey took him boxing the next time and you played air hockey with him. You're in the club. Congrats."

He let out a sigh of relief and shook his head, chuckling. Of course, Harvey would ask for Ally's help. Mike wasn't sure what the deal was between Ally and Harvey, but he knew that it was different. Ally was the only person that Harvey had ever demanded he apologize to and after being told that Ally was not his nanny, Mike was certain that either Ally was sleeping with Harvey or she had in the past. Either way, she was someone who was extremely important to Harvey Specter. It was the only way Mike could explain Harvey's reaction to him knocking Ally over. Mike had thought at the time it was because Harvey was some kind of ultra chivalrous guy. Harvey was chivalrous, Mike reflected, but not in the ultra crazy way.

The whole thing was just a theory. Mike would never ask Ally or Harvey directly, but he'd keep observing and maybe ask Rachel if she knew anything.

"What's up?" Ally asked.

"So, you got my email, about the Rookie Dinner?" Mike replied, feeling hopefully about the fact that he'd finally have some help.

"I did," she confirmed with a smile. "I'm not doing your bitch work, Mike. Harvey sent me an email about a minute after he left you."

Ally put the printed email down on the desk. Mike picked it up and scanned it the message that was labeled urgent.

To: aspicer

From: hspecter

Subject: Urgent Read ASAP Regarding MIKE ROSS

A.,

Mike is gonna ask for your help on the Rookie Dinner. Please tell him no. Thank you.

H.

Mike groaned again and Ally laughed, "Sorry, Mike. You're on your own."

It was after seven by the time Ally was ready to leave with Louis for the ballet. It was a monthly activity they did besides her occasional attendance at Temple with him. Ally had brought her evening dress with her and she was happy that she had. Jessica Pearson had tasked her with a few research pieces. It had been simple and straightforward, but time consuming. The only thing left to do was deliver it to Harvey's office and she was finished for the day.

Slipping the last few pins in her hair, Ally met Louis in the front by the secretary's desk. He was leaning on it with his arms crossed across his chest. His eyes were narrowed and he was looking down the hallway towards Harvey's office.

"Something is up with that kid," he said after Ally had said hello. "He's just…odd."

"Louis," she warned.

"I'm just saying, he's odd. Don't think that I haven't noticed," he said calmly. "Almost ready?"

"I just need to go put these away," she told him. "Give me ten minutes?"

Louis nodded and Ally glided across the office in the strapless midnight blue gown. She attracted a few looks, but it didn't phase her. Walking down the hallway towards Harvey's office, she could see that he and Mike were talking. Knocking on the glass door, Harvey looked up and Ally swallowed. His dark gaze through her off and she clasped the Pearson Hardman folder in her hands tightly.

"Ally," Mike acknowledged with surprise and stood up quickly. "What are you doing here?"

Ally's eye flickered to Mike for only a minute before settling on Harvey. He stood still and unlike Mike, he didn't look frumpy. His tie was neat and his vest smooth. The jacket of his three piece suit was draped over the back of a chair. His hands were in his dress pants pockets and to Ally, he looked like he'd stepped out of a Tom Ford magazine ads.

"Mike, out. Give us a minute," Harvey said quickly. Ally ignored the odd look Mike gave them as he hurried out of the office. Walking to Harvey's desk, Ally set the files she had in her on the surface.

"I heard you're taking the ALS case," she said. "Jessica told me to drop these off for you. Some research for the case."

"Jessica wants me to take it. Quinten Sainz is her ex-husband and she believes in him and his drug," Harvey explained. "I'm not taking the case, Ally. What happened to your shoulder?"

The cover up that she had applied hadn't covered the bruise. She silently cursed herself for not bringing a wrap or something so people wouldn't see it.

"It's nothing. Can you help me?" Ally asked as she held up a silver bracelet from her clutch, "Louis isn't very good."

Harvey took his hands out of his pockets.

"Tell me how you got the bruise. Is it the only one?"

"Harvey, it's none of your business," Ally snapped. He came around the desk and Ally took a deep breath. Sandalwood and lemons surrounded her and she ducked her head. The lighting was better and he examined the bruise.

"Ally—"

"Stop caring," she snapped again. "I'm nothing to you, remember? Please, stop confusing me because I'm confusing myself. You don't care about me. You care about the fact that I'm pregnant with a child you don't want. Let's not blur the lines here."

Harvey didn't say anything. He simply took the bracelet from her hand and clipped it onto her wrist.

"So, you and Louis? You'll have dinner with him, but not me." Harvey said softly when their eyes met again. Ally rolled hers and shook her head.

"He's getting me dinner after the ballet," she explained smoothly. "We'll probably dine with clients of his before I go home. Besides, I told you what needed to happen for me to agree to dinner and you haven't given me anything except a headache, Harvey."

"And I told you I would explain everything over dinner, Ally," he argued. "Is the idea of sitting down to a meal with me so repulsive?"

"You don't listen to what I'm asking for," she sighed. "Harvey, all I want is an explanation for why you said the things you said. Do you think that I can just let go of what you said to me? You called me a whore for God's sake."

"Ally—"

"How about I start you off? Ally, I'm sorry for calling you a whore. You figure out the rest."

Turning on her heel, Ally moved to the door, but Harvey gently grabbed her elbow.

"I might not be very good at showing it. In fact, I'm know I'm very shitty at showing it, but I do care for your well being, Ally. Seeing a bruise on you is shocking and concerning and not just because you're the mother of my child."

His words surprised her and Ally swallowed hard.

"Please, let go. I'm late to meet Louis," she murmured and his fingers trailed over her skin as his hand slipped away. The caress felt so good and the pleasant feeling that shot through her body almost made her reconsider going to the ballet and dinner with Louis. Harvey eyes broke contact and he looked over her shoulder. Mike was almost to the office door. Letting out a shaky breath, Ally reached for the glass door handle as Mike pushed it open.

"Goodnight, Mike."

Not bothering to try and listen to anything else anyone had to say, Ally left the office. Louis was waiting for her by the receptionist's desk. Rubbing the back of her neck, she gave him a tired smile.

"Ready?"

"Yeah. Everything alright with Harvey? He's watching you," Louis observed. Looking over her shoulder, Ally easily spotted Harvey watching her from the end of the hallway with his hands in his pockets. He was still unruffled and she felt like she wanted to hit him for it.

"We had a minor disagreement," Ally said with a fake smile. "It's nothing, Louis. I'm ready, if you are."

Louis didn't look convinced, but he didn't say anything. Moving to the atrium and hitting the down button to call the elevators, Ally clasped the clutch she held in her hand. She didn't want to think about the little spat she'd had with Harvey. A part of her wanted to know what he'd say to her over dinner, but the other part firmly objected. Her mind felt like a war zone that couldn't possibly be fixed. She argued with herself back and forth. The only thing Ally could accomplish was giving herself a headache. The elevator doors opened and Louis stepped onto the elevator and held the door. When he walked past her, the offensive cologne he wore made her stomach roll and Ally clutched a hand to her throat. She briefly wondered if she could go back to Harvey's office and convince him to lie to Louis that her research skills were needed.

"You alright?" Louis asked. Ally nodded and slowly lowered her hand.

"I'm fine," she murmured before stepping into the elevator.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Ally wiped the sweat from the back of her neck after rolling her yoga mat up. She hadn't done much in terms of working out. Donna had been more active and despite their low intensity workout, Ally felt exhausted and just a little dizzy. While the exercise had proven to be a distraction, Ally still couldn't get the horrible memory of Howard's words out of her head. For some reason, he'd become angry and he'd made her nervous. Rosa had been able to handle the situation and help, but it made her worried.

What if Howard became that way with a baby?

The more Ally thought about it, the more she realized that Rosa was right. She needed help. She wasn't alone in trying to figure out how to care for the baby and Howard. Harvey wanted to speak and his behavior, even though it was mixed, showed that he did want to be involved to some degree. Could she ask him to help? He had asked about the bruise and seemed concerned. Could she tell him about the accidental hit or would that be too much? Changing out of her shoes, she left them in the gym locker and slipped comfortable flip-flops on. Leaving her hair in the comfortable French braid she'd had it in earlier, a hand touched her shoulder and Ally jumped. Turning, she sighed seeing Donna and held her hand to her heart.

"Sorry," Donna said with a smile. "You okay? You looked like you were in a far off place."

"I'm fine," Ally smiled. "That was a lot."

"We barely did anything!"

"It felt like a lot," she laughed as Donna scoffed. Leaving the gym, Ally and Donna crossed the street to a quiet coffee shop. Ordering peppermint tea with the hope that it would calm her stomach, Ally found a quiet corner to sit while Donna waited for her elaborate concoction drink. Ally watched her friend return with the noxious drink and she sipped her tea.

It didn't help.

"How's your shoulder?" Donna asked, sitting on the wooden bench. "Aching like a bitch?"

"Just a little," Ally said. "I don't really—"

"It's from your dad, isn't it?" Donna interrupted. "The bruise...and Rosa's bite mark."

A look of surprise passed over Ally's face and she frowned, "How do you know about that?"

"I called Rosa," she admitted. "Harvey told me about the bruise and I was just as worried as he was and—"

"So Harvey had you call Rosa?" Ally demanded feeling anger flare above her heart...or maybe it was indigestion.

"No, I called Rosa. Harvey doesn't know. I offered to tell him, but he wants to talk you and you should tell him."

"It's none of his business."

"Ally, please, he hasn't been the same since that weekend," Donna said quickly. "I know Harvey Specter and he…he's changing. And I know you. I know that you struggle with your dad and Rosa. Why not build a bridge and take care of both matters?"

"Build a bridge?" Ally snapped back. "First, he told me I was weekend fun. Second, he called me a whore and told me to 'get rid of it'."

"Ally, those were two bad moments."

"I haven't had any good moments except for the moments from the weekend I spent with him," she exclaimed. "Donna, you're asking me to see good and I haven't seen any good! All I've seen is bad and I have no concrete evidence of good. Give a handful of reasons why the hell I should stick around and wait for him."

"He took the ALS case for you," Donna said calmly. "Harvey wasn't going to take the case and the next morning when Jessica asked what changed, Harvey told her that someone he cared about asked him to do it. He's not good at relationships, Ally. He's been hurt, but give him a chance. Please, Harvey just needs a chance to get everything out in the open."

"Donna, how will that fix things?"

"Just hear him out, please. He's stubborn and he's frustrating, but he's trying and he does care about you, Ally. God, the two weeks after he told you that you were only a weekend fling…Ally, he was a mess. All he did was work for six days straight."

Ally rubbed the back of her neck before rolling her shoulders. Donna was like a sister she'd never had, by Ally knew that Donna couldn't give her what she needed.

"I know that you and Harvey are close," Ally said softly. "I know that you would do anything for him, Donna. I need him to tell me these things, not you. Do you understand that? I can't even start to build a solid foundation to talking with him if you continue to be his messenger. Don't you see how this whole thing is wrong?"

"Yes, and he wants to do that. Do you think he wants to have this conversation with you at the office? Ally, him asking you to dinner is his way of trying to have this conversation with you. Both, you and him, are so damn stubborn. Just go to his condo and talk to him."

"Donna—"

"What I'm saying is that you need to talk to Harvey. You need to talk to someone other than Rosa about your dad. You need someone objective and you need someone who understands what is happening. And he needs to talk to you about a few things too. Harvey…he's been hurt, Ally. You might think that I'm being melodramatic, but I'm not. His mother…she's a goddamn piece of work and the other woman…she crushed him so badly I never thought that he'd ever get past having one night stands ever again," Donna explained. "What I mean when I say build a bridge, I mean figure out what you want and go from point A to point B, Ally. Harvey has told you want he wants. I'm just not sure you know what you want."

Shivering, Ally raised her fist to tentatively knock on the front door of Harvey's condo before nervously dropping her arm. She couldn't stop shaking. The summer rain that she'd been caught in had drenched her during a walk in Central Park to clear her head. Donna's words about Harvey having been horribly used by another woman in the past swirled around in her head. Puffing her cheeks angrily, Ally told herself that she was breaking her rule. Harvey was supposed to come to her and explain everything. She was not supposed to go to him and bend to his will. That was not how this was supposed to work. In the back of her mind, Ally heard her mother's soft voice. Relationships were about compromise and this was compromising. They were going to talk like they both wanted and at Harvey's condo, Ally wouldn't have to worry about others overhearing the conversation or the restaurant closing. This was a compromise. Hearing Harvey out and not judging. There was no winning or losing because there was nothing to be won or lost. They only thing that could be gained between the two of them was a better understanding. Raising her hand again, Ally rapt on the door with her knuckles and waited. Less than a minute later, a casually dressed Harvey Specter opened the door. He wore a gray 'Harvard' t-shirt and black Nike running pants and it made her feel a hundred times more comfortable in her own yoga pants and tank top.

"Ally, come in. You're soaked."

"Summer showers," she murmured. Awkwardly, she stepped inside and was assaulted by the cold air of his running AC unit which made her shivers even more violent. Leaving her white sweater on, Ally watched Harvey close the door behind her and lock it before clearing her throat.

"I'm sorry to show up unannounced," she said quickly, standing awkwardly in his foyer. She hadn't been inside since the two night they'd spent together and she was nervous. Ally didn't know what to expect, but she told herself that she would be alright. He wouldn't do anything untoward and instantly, she was ashamed for thinking that Harvey ever would.

"It's not a problem. I was just making dinner," he said with a soft smile that made her feel slightly more relaxed. "Why don't you come in? Have a change of clothes, and a drink? Milk? I've got lemonade too."

"Water is fine," Ally replied as they walked down the hallway together. The condo was just the way she remembered it from before. The only thing that had changed was that the stove was actually being used. Harvey told her to wait a moment and soon he returned with flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt with the word 'Harvard' across the chest.

"The laundry room is down that way," he said, pointing down a hallway off the kitchen. "Why don't you change and throw your stuff in the dryer?"

Nodding, Ally went and easily found the laundry room. She was impressed by the neatness of it. The dryer was empty and stripping down, she tossed her clothing inside and turned it on. The Harvard t-shirt was too big when she slipped it on. The shirt wasn't such a big problem like the pajama pants. Two ponytail holders were at the end of her braid and slipping one off, Ally bunched the side of the pants and wrapped the band around it. A second later, it snapped and she groaned. Deciding it wasn't worth it, Ally slipped the pajama pants off and folded them. Returning to the kitchen, Harvey grinned when he saw her bare legs and she ignored him.

"You can cook," Ally said, standing in the galley kitchen and looking at the stove top.

"I've been known to make a mean Chicken Alfredo," he confessed with some arrogance in his voice. "No pants?"

Ally shrugged, "They are too big."

"I should have guessed. There's plenty of food for the both of us. I didn't put any spices in it. I wasn't sure what has and hasn't been agreeing with your stomach."

The mood shifted and Ally realized that he'd known all along that she was coming to his condo. That was why he hadn't been surprised to see her when she was at the front door.

"Donna told you about our conversation," Ally concluded, putting her hands on her hips, not sure if she should feel angry or not. She watched Harvey rummage in the refrigerator before pulling out a pitcher of ice water with lemon floating at the top.

"She told me that there was a possibility that you might show up tonight. She didn't tell me anything else. Whatever the two of you talked about is between you and her," he explained before reaching for two glasses and pouring out some water. Ally nodded again, but she didn't say anything. She felt awkward standing in his kitchen, before she could say anything, he pressed the cold glass into her hands. His palm rested on the small of her back propelling her around the island.

"Why don't you sit down and I'll finish cooking?" he suggested the moment she was standing by the bar stools. Ally raised an eyebrow and set her glass of ice water down. Rarely did anyone make a meal for her. Rosa only cooked on Sundays and then it was always Lasagna. Choosing not to pick a fight, Ally nodded. Sitting down on the comfortable bar stool, she watched as he served up the food. Once everything was set out, he sat down on the stool next to her and Ally forced herself to relax.

"Mike has the Rookie Dinner tonight."

"He'll be fine. Louis won't give him too much of a problem."

"Thank you for taking on the ALS case," she said as they both began to eat. "I know that Jessica made you take the case, but I'm grateful that because of you people will still have access to the drug."

Harvey nodded and swallowed before he looked at her, "Did you ask me to take this case because of your mother?"

A wave of nausea overcame Ally and she put down her fork. Spinning slightly on the stool, she turned to look at Harvey and sighed.

"I was sixteen when she was diagnosed. I wasn't a girl anymore, but I wasn't a woman. I thought I knew everything there was to know about life and when she died…I realized that I knew nothing. I started thinking about all the conversations we never got to have and all the time I should have spent with her. No sporting event should have ever been more important than her," Ally explained the back of her eyes feeling filling with suppressed tears. "The drug that Sainz Pharmaceutical developed saves lives. That's why I wanted you to take on the case. You're the best closer in New York and that drug is helping people, Harvey. They deserve to have the best person in their corner and that's you. I can't tell you what I would have done for Quinten Sainz if that drug had been on the market when my mom was dying. I would do anything to have just one more moment with her."

Harvey nodded and pushed his own plate of food away, "You wanted an explanation and I'm ready to give it, Ally. No more secrets, just the truth."

Swallowing hard, Ally followed her hands in her lap and turned to face him completely.

"I'm ready."

Thank you for reading. There was double print of chapter three replacing chapter two. If anyone was reading and encountered this problem, the correct chapters have been posted in the right order. As for a sneak peek, I didn't get a chance to send one out this week. It's been a crazy week. Thank you to those who leave a review!

Response to Reviews:

Guest #1: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you like Harvey! He's gonna wear on Ally's nerves here soon enough! More is on the way!

Quiz: Thank you for the chapter! We missed you last chapter and it's so great to hear from you! Who knows where Gretchen might show up...maybe a nanny if Rosa isn't up for the challenge of teaching Harvey how to change a diaper...the world of fan fiction presents all kinds of situations! More is on the way! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Reader: Thank you for the review! I'm so glad that you're enjoying the chapter! Harvey will have an answer for Ally soon! I promise! More is on the way!

Guest #2: Thanks for the review! We're so glad that you're hooked! More is on the way!

Ade: Yes, even Harvey got duped by Hot Satan...we mean Sarah...but it goes a long way to explaining why he is the way he is with Ally's pregnancy. We all know that Harvey's journey isn't going to be easy and he will screw up plenty of times...some big issues will be coming to light and old faces will be returning to cause chaos...buckle up. It's gonna be a ride:) Thanks for the review!

Max: Thank you for the review! Rachel is going to find out about Ally and Harvey soon enough. She will have plenty to say about it as will many other characters. A Yuge curve ball is coming for our favorite pair. I can't wait to share it. More is on the way!

Guest #3: Thank you for the review! Updated!

Guest #4: Thank you for the review! Not this chapter, but next chapter for sure! More coming soon!

Next time on Hypnotic:

Ally and Harvey talk and familiar faces shows up to cause trouble...