Ok, so here is the real Chapter 10. I misnumbered them again. I really hope you like this chapter and pray that next week on the show, Korsh and the writers have left us with a "good" (Darvey) cliff hanger. Thank you to my new story followers. I so appreciate that you like these enough to favorite them and stay alert for more. Well, we're almost done here not quite - Carebearmaxi
Really, Harvey? -
Chapter 10
Harvey was examining a brief for the thirtieth time that day. He just could not seem to concentrate. He had not heard from Paula in a few days. They did agree to a week; however, he was more preoccupied with where Donna was and what she was doing with Mark Meadows, her ex-boyfriend, and the opposition on this somewhat sudden case that just suddenly developed into a complication.
"Maybe you ought to call her, Mr. Specter," Gretchen said. "I know you don't want to bother her, but she is COO of this firm and she does need to know if she is feeding into the opposition by accident."
"Or not by accident. I knew Mark Meadows wasn't good for her. He calls her out of the blue and then he takes her out and she seemed awfully smitten with him again," Harvey said forgetting to whom he was talking.
"I don't know anything about that Mr. Specter. I just thought you could use a little confirmation of what you were thinking." She smiled and walked out.
Harvey had smiled in return and thought how fortunate it was that he had hired her. She seems to be the secretary for everyone except Donna who was so efficient she did not need anyone else. So, it seemed.
His only worry was that Donna would inadvertently say something firm related and let something slip. He knows she had been different to him ever since he told her he was marrying Paula. To say the truth to himself, he was feeling different since he proposed to Paula and she said yes. At times it was not all good.
As he sat there with the brief still in his hand and unread, Paula had been perturbed with him, too, accusing him that he was attached to The Donna because he needed to have a piece of the real Donna with him. Surely, it was not like that. The little gadget did come in handy. Also when he was in the midst of making love to Paula for just an instant he would see Donna's face and it would be her body he felt underneath him. Well, if truth be told, that had been happening for a long time now even before he starting sleeping with Paula. Harvey just chalked it up to muscle memory. Surely it could not mean more than that.
Harvey put his hand on the The Donna and suddenly it began to talk, or Harvey was imagining things.
"Only better because it's me and it learns from itself," Donna said proudly.
"I'm sorry it didn't work out. So I gather you got a taste of being a business woman and liked it," Mark remarked.
"Yes, I did. I had asked Harvey to see what he would say about the competition laying all claim and not giving an inch. Louis worked out so we could make The Donna in house. I told Harvey I wanted more. I gave him an opening for him to lay claim to me, but instead he asked me what I meant. So I just told him I had to think about it. The next day I came in the door and told him assertively to make me a partner. The day after that I gave him a check for the partners' buy-in amount. He then took away my Senior Partner title because I am not a lawyer, so I suggested COO in lieu of his Director Of Personnel title and Harvey agreed."
"But you thought that the "more" might include more of Harvey himself."
Donna hung her head and whimpered, "Yes."
Harvey sat up straight.
"Donna when was that conversation recorded?" He always felt stupid asking it a question.
The Donna told Harvey the same date of the day he asked Paula to marry him.
"I thought she was happy for me," Harvey said to himself.
"She is happy for you. She loves you and always had, so although you said you loved her, you apparently didn't want her. What was she to do? She thought eventually you would realize how you loved her."
"Did that thing just tell you that you loved Donna?" Paula asked from Harvey's doorway.
"Paula!" Harvey said rising and rushed to find the "off" button on The Donna before it said anything else he did not need his fiancee to hear.
Harvey trying to use his lawyering skills as best he could so he did not lose his fiancee.
"Paula," Harvey said in his lawyer voice. "It's an electronic gadget with no feeling. It records things. How would it tell me that I love Donna?"
"I don't know, Harvey, but ever since you asked me to marry you, your subconscious has been with Donna. For all I know your heart, too," Paula said not wanting to cry in front of him. I knew this was too fast. I knew this was wrong from the beginning. I knew how much Harvey cared for Donna. I knew about the dream he had of her. For all I know he's had dreams about her every night.
"It's not that I don't love her, Paula. We've been friends for years besides working partners. You know all that," Harvey said coming over to where Paula stood. She took a backward step toward the door.
"There's a huge difference in loving her as a friend and being in love with her. I do believe it is the latter for you and it always has been. Would you like me to continue with my analysis or can you draw the picture for yourself?"
Paula then looked at the ring on her finger. She took both her hands and worked the ring off. She luckily had carried the little blue velvet box with her at all times. It was her own insecurity which coerced her into doing that. She took the ring and placed it perfectly in the box and handed it to Harvey.
"Here. Give it to the one with whom you are really in love. It's ok, Harvey. You have my blessing. I'm sure you and Donna will be happy," Paula said quietly.
"No hard feelings?" Harvey said as he accepted the ring. He knew she was right. He never could have gone through with this marriage because Donna would always be there between them.
"None. Thank you for the wonderful few months we had together. I will always remember and cherish them," Paula said kissing him one last time.
Paula then walked out the door never to look back.
"Wasn't that Paula walking onto the elevator?" Louis asked as he came into Harvey's office.
Harvey, now really preoccupied, looked up as Louis asked him the question. The office seemed to have turned dark although it could not be later than 2:00 pm. He had the little blue box in his hand. Louis saw it in Harvey's hand the longer he stood there.
"Oh, I guess this wouldn't be a good time," Louis said as he walked out.
"Louis!" Harvey called. I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm Harvey Specter I don't need another person to talk with.
"Did you want me to convince her to come back to you?" Louis asked in all sincerity. "By the way, where is Donna? She hasn't been in her office for a week now."
"She's on a interminable leave of absence," Harvey said. "I'm swamped with all her operations she used to handle as well as other items."
"Is that Paula's ring in your hand?" Louis asked cutting to the chase.
"Yes, it is. She gave it back. We're not getting married after all," Harvey stated in a mere nonchalant manner like he always has women change their mind about him.
"Don't take this the wrong way because I really like Paula, but she was not the one for you."
Harvey then opened the box and looked at the ring. He smiled.
"I finally realize who is."
"I'm coming, Mark," Donna said as she grabbed her blazer and headed for the hotel door.
Her head was down and she was talking," You know, after the other night, I was glad I wasn't the other end...Harvey!"
"Donna, we have to talk," Harvey strode in and turned around as Donna shut the door to the suite.
"Harvey, Mark is picking me up in like three minutes. I don't know what you're doing here, but.."
Harvey walked over to her and kissed her full on the mouth.
"Oh, no, Harvey Specter!" Donna said wiping his kiss off her mouth. "You don't get to do that when you're marrying someone else. I'm surprised at you! I know your issues with infidelity, and I am sure that Paula..."
There was another knock on the door.
"Donna! We're running late, gotta go!" Mark called from the door.
Donna flustered beyond belief went to open the door.
"Harvey!" Mark said surprised as he saw Harvey standing in Donna's suite. "Why?"
"Why don't you ask your wife, Mark? She would like to know why your employees are bailing on the head of the department when he supposedly paid them an extra $3K each to stay? Could it be that the firm's construction's materials are sub par and you're infecting them with anything from Legionnaire's disease to Mesothelioma?"
"Wife?" Donna asked and stared at Mark. "Mark's not married, Harvey. He would have told me. Wouldn't you?"
Mark hung his head. "Harvey's right. I am married, but we're on the verge of separation."
Donna went over to him and slapped him full in the face. "What was this ruse then? You thought you could have your cake and eat it, too?" Oh my God, I became the other woman and did not even realize it. Why was Harvey kissing me? I'm so confused right now.
"What was the other stuff you said, Harvey?"
"He is head of the department in which all the employees or former employees are suing his firm for damages to their health. It is a Class Action suit stemming back three years worth of employees. Many of whom are terminal. They thought to settle out of court and I am sure that Mark's bosses put him up as a front to sniff around our firm to see what they could find out about who was listed in the suit. That's why when he found the press release announcing your promotion he hurriedly and conveniently took a trip to New York to see if you would let anything slip."
Harvey then turned to Donna and asked, "I am sorry to have to ask you this, but you haven't discussed any of our cases with him, have you?"
Donna looked at Harvey with a hurt expression, "Of course not. I'm not flannel mouthed. I never have been. You, Harvey, above anyone else should know that. I'm insulted you had to ask me."
"I'm sorry, Donna. I had to make sure for myself. I knew you wouldn't normally, but you haven't been yourself lately."
"Mark, you need to leave," Donna said. She went forward to the door and held it open.
"What about?"
"Just go. Mark. Don't call me ever again. If you come to New York, conveniently don't look me up."
Mark walked out the door and Donna slammed it shut.
"Wow! Nice exit!" Harvey exclaimed.
"Donna, we..."
"Look, I know you said we have to talk but do I really want to hear what you have to say? Why were you kissing me? I've wanted you to do that for 13 years and you have never tried until just this minute when you're engaged and I've taken part, unknowingly, in a quick fling with a married man."
"You didn't know obviously. You would never have done that with full knowledge of his marriage. I know you hate disloyalty has much as I do." Harvey spoke in a soft voice. I want to hold her and calmly tell her that when Paula gave me back the ring. The action crystallized in my mind, and I finally realized I was in love with the wrong woman. I proposed to the wrong woman.
Donna started to cry. She turned away because she did not want Harvey to see her tears. You won't see me cry, Specter. You've made a complete fool of me and apparently Mark has, too.
Harvey woked over to her and at first she resisted and then the put his arms around her from behind and just held her as she cried. He then slowly turned her around and taking her face in his hands he finally said what he should have said to her a million years ago after they had their one night.
"Donna, I love you. I was so wrong. It's not Paula I wanted, but you. You know I'm not good with relationships. I always screw them up. I didn't want to screw our relationship up. I don't care anymore. I love you."
"Harvey, I love you, too. I wanted to be with you. I thought you would want to be with me, so when you said you wanted to marry Paula it hurt me like hell. I guess I wasn't so careful like I normally am. I'm so lonely. I love my new position, but I would give all that up if you just wanted to be with me and love me like I love you."
Harvey smiled. "Guess what? You don't have to give it up to be with me because I want to be with you so much."
He kissed her again and he could feel her tears running down her face. He held her close.
"Harvey! What about Paula?"
"A few days ago, Paula realized what I should have known all along. That the only special one I want is you. It should always have been you. She gave me back the ring."
"Oh, so, now you want to give it to me thinking I'll just capitulate and fall into your arms."
"No. I know you're going to make me pay for all the years I was blinded and immature. However, I was examining this ring (he had taken it out of his pocket) and I realized this was the exact description of one you described to me that you would want if someone ever asked you. I guess when I was designing it for Paula. My subconscious was thinking of you," Harvey said holding the ring up between his thumb and forefinger.
Donna wiped her tears away and smiled.
"You remembered that all by yourself. Maybe you are growing up, Mr. Specter."
Donna then reached up and kissed him.
"You're not going to break my heart again after a while, are you? No Scottie, no Esther, no Paula...especially no Paula."
Harvey smiled.
"The only one I got in my heart is you...Donna."