A/N: Thanks to everyone again for the support!

Chapter 10

The threesome returned to Donna's apartment after their meal. Despite the relatively tame reveal at in the restaurant, both Harvey and Donna knew there was much more to discuss, and a public restaurant was not the place to hash out the details. True to her word, the dishes ordered by the Paulsen girls were delicious and the clan was very full and satisfied by the time they reached the 5th floor apartment.

Once they were inside, the little girl grabbed Harvey's hand and started dragging him down the hall.

"Come see my room," she happily announced, eager to show him the tepee tent she has set up by her bed, where she would have her tea parties with her stuffed animals. Harvey happily obliged, unable to say no to the girl. No doubt she already has him wrapped firmly around her little finger. At this point, had she asked him to jump out the window, he would do so.

Donna smiled at the quick ease Charlotte has taken to him, before making her way into the kitchen to make some coffee. Her hands shake slightly as she pours the brown liquid into the mugs, before adding their signature ingredient. It has just been her and Charlotte for so long and frankly, she loves having the little girl all to herself. Even though she's glad that it's all out in the open now, she's fearful what this means for herself and her daughter. She knows that Harvey would never take the girl from her, but there's a nagging uncertainty of the unknown and how things will now change.

"She's amazing, Donna," she hears his voice behind her, "so beautiful and so smart."

She turns around and flashes him a proud smile. She knows. She hands him one of the mugs as they move into the living room, taking a seat on the couch.

He takes a sip and an amused look washes over his face. He couldn't bring himself to have vanilla with his coffee after she left, it reminded him too much of her. But now he's glad to taste it again. He swallows the liquid, before reminding himself of the matter that needs to be addressed.

"Donna," he starts, a serious look encompassing his face, "you should have told me. I've missed…so much."

She looks down as her face drops, "I know…but once I decided to keep it to myself, to let you be happy with her, the damage had been done. It didn't matter if I told you a month later, or a year, your life would have been turned upside down. And you would have hated me for keeping it from you to begin with. You were happy, I couldn't do it to you..."

His throat tightens and he feels the vein on his temple pulsating with blood.

"Was this the better outcome?" he snaps, "Would you have ever told me at all, had I not happen to find out by accident this week?"

She recoils slightly at his tone, "I don't know Harvey, I didn't exactly have a plan for if or when I was going to barge into your life and drop a kid on your lap."

"If," he repeats.

"What?" she responds, confused.

"You said if. Were you going to keep it from me forever?" he asks, stunned at her revelation.

"I don't know."

He stands up and starts pacing around the living room, unable to keep still anymore.

"I've missed so much," he repeats, "so many firsts, birthdays, everyday moments. It's so unfair."

She doesn't respond. There isn't anything she can say at that point that would make him feel any better about the situation. She had made her choice and she had her reasons for doing so. Just like he had made his. And they are now both facing the consequences of said choices.

"I want to be involved in her life," he states, turning to her. "I don't want to miss anymore."

She swallows, the dread she had felt earlier growing in her stomach.

"Harvey, you live in New York."

"We'll make it work. I can't go back to the way things were. She's my daughter for Christ's sake. You can't keep me out of her life any longer." His life has shifted completely on its axis. Suddenly everything held dear in his life; his career, apartment, cars, friends, New York, faded away. The one thing now that trumps it all is the little girl that had stolen his heart, playing in the room at the end of the hall.

Donna nods in understanding. "We'll make it work," she echoes his statement.

..

Harvey quietly closed the hotel door behind him and collapses back onto it, letting it bear all his weight. He slowly slides down, dropping to the floor in a heap. His head drops into his hands and he lets out a sob. He had only cried one other time in his adult life; when he found out his father had passed away. He didn't even cry when he and Paula decided to separate. But in this moment, he sobbed. He sobbed for the 3 years he missed of his daughter's life. For the years he spent with a woman who lied to him. And for the red head that he had lost almost four years ago.

He sat there for half an hour, letting go completely and allowing his emotions drive his physical response. After his tears ran dry, he slowly shakes the emotion that was fogging his mind and contemplates what he needs to do. And now he's going to do it. There were so many questions, so many variables, but one thing was clear. He was not letting Donna or Charlotte out of his life ever again.

..

Donna is in her kitchen that evening, making dinner, when she hears her phone chime. She picks it up and reads the text she just received.

Are you doing anything for Charlotte's birthday?

- H

Donna feels the corners of her lips raise ever so slightly. It was kind of cute how quickly he has become invested in her life.

I'm taking the day off. We're going to the park, and then dessert for dinner.

- D

Charlotte's birthday was the only day out of the year that Donna allows her to have dessert for dinner. It started on her first birthday, when the little girl decided that all she would eat all evening was cake and completely refused any other form of food. Donna had decided to maintain the tradition and allowed the girl to have ice cream for dinner for her second birthday. This year, she was old enough to pick her own dessert option, and the girl had asked for pancakes at the 24-hour pancake parlour in town.

Can I join?

- H

Donna bit her lip. Charlotte's birthday had always been just the two of them. Sure, Jessica would always host a small party at her house as well, but Donna had always insisted that it just be the two of them on the actual day. She sighs; but now that Harvey is back in the picture, she has to let him in.

Sure. But don't you have to go back to NY?

- D

She stares at her screen, waiting for a response. She knows it won't take long. And she was right. Exactly 15 seconds later, she receives his response.

I'm the boss, I decide when I go to work.

- H

She rolls her eyes. His ego is bigger than ever. Some things never change.

Little does she know, Harvey was texting her from the boarding gate of his flight back to New York. It was a split decision but he knew that this time, the choice was right. Because it felt right. Because this time both his brain and his heart is in consensus. He is moving to Chicago. And he's flying back home to start the process of relocating his life. Starting with his firm and announcing his successor on Monday morning.

..

On Sunday morning, Harvey calls an emergency meeting with the fellow name partner and his protégé, requesting that they meet at his penthouse apartment. The rounder man appeared at his door within half an hour. Despite their (almost) equal standing at their firm, Louis still had a touch of an inferiority complex and would come running as soon as Harvey calls. Mike arrived shortly after.

"Louis, Mike, thanks for meeting me in such short notice," the taller man starts.

"Of course Harvey, you sounded so serious. Did something happen at the deposition in Chicago?" Louis asks, concerned at the sudden request.

Harvey waved him off, any legal related work, he has always been able to handle.

"The deposition was fine, it's not about a case," he replies as he hands both of them a glass of water. "This is about the firm. And my place in it."

"Harvey, what's going on?" Mike presses.

"I've decided to move on, explore new horizons. In Chicago," he starts, looking Louis dead in the eye, "and I need you to take over the firm as managing partner."

Louis spits out the water he was sipping, spraying it across the room and lets out a bellowing laugh. "Is it April the first? That's funny Harvey, but I can't believe you called us all the way to your apartment to screw with me."

Harvey reaches up and wipes the combination of water and saliva off his face, trying not to wince.

"Louis, I would never joke about this," he continues, "this is happening, and I am going to announce it to the other partners tomorrow. Are you ready to step up?"

Mike and Louis look over at each other, matching stunned looks on their faces. He's serious. "Wait…" Louis stutters, "where is this coming from? How long have you been planning this? What has happened?" Louis has a thousand questions in his mind, and he cannot ask them fast enough.

Ignoring the line of questions for now, Harvey continued dropping his announcements, "And as two of the three names on the wall will no longer be actually working at the firm, I think it's time to put Mike's name up. Pearson Specter Ross & Litt."

Mike walks over to Harvey, face to face with the older man, inches away from his face and staring him deep into his eyes. "One eye is dilated more than the other," he announces, "he must be having a stroke, or maybe a brain bleed."

Harvey rolls his eyes and bats Mike away. "I'm not having a stroke, you idiot." He takes a deep sigh and continues. "Something happened in Chicago," Harvey explains, "I can't stay in New York anymore. It's a personal matter, there's nothing wrong with the firm or any clients or cases, rest assured. But I need to go, and I need you two to step up and take charge of the firm. I'll be in tomorrow to announce it in person, then I'll need the rest of the week off. But I'll be back next week and I'll make sure there is a proper transition process, don't worry. We can work out the finer details in the weeks. Do I have your support on this?"

Louis looks over in shock, taken aback by the sudden development of events but knowing this was his chance to make a difference. He had been striving for managing partner for years but knew he didn't have the support from the senior partners if Harvey was still around, the golden boy. The firm is his child, his baby. And if Harvey is tapping out, he's going to do all that he can to make sure it's well taken care of.

"You can count on me, Harvey." Louis stands up straight, ready to take on this new challenge head on.

Harvey smiles and pats his friend on the back. Both men turn to Mike, awaiting his response.

"Here's to the new managing partner of Pearson Spector Ross & Litt."

..

After a few hours at Harvey's apartment, Mike had made his way home. Harvey waited until Louis left before revealing to Mike the detail of how his life changed over the past 48 hours. Above all else, Mike mourned for his friend. He had realised pretty early on that Harvey's marriage was nothing like his own. He never looked at Paula the way that he himself looked at his wife. The glint in his eye had disappeared years ago and he watched as his boss's demeanour deteriorated with every false pregnancy test that Paula had taken.

Mike walks into his apartment and hears Rachel banging away in the kitchen. She has never been the most organised cook and the kitchen always looked like a bomb had gone off after she was done, but the food she produces is out of this world. He walks over and hugs her from behind, grateful for the life that he has. She turns around with a smile and gives him a peck.

"Hey, how was Harvey's?" she enquires, eager to hear what the emergency was, though she had a feeling it has something to do with what Donna had revealed to her a few days ago.

Mike sighs at the gravity of the situation, and how it was going to impact their lives.

"Harvey's resigning as managing partner, he's handing over the reigns to Louis," he starts, "and he's making me name partner."

"WHAT?" Rachel knew that things would change, but this was beyond even her imagination. "Why?"

Mike tilts his head, giving her a knowing look. "I think you know why." When he found out from Harvey that Rachel knew about the child all along, he was upset that his wife kept the secret from him this whole time. But he had set aside his personal issues to support Harvey in the moment.

Rachel bit her lip and nervously sits down at the kitchen table. "I'm sorry," Rachel starts, "It was something Donna had told me in confidence, and I couldn't betray her trust."

"And you couldn't trust me enough to tell me?" Mike replies, hurt at his wife's actions.

"Mike, Donna is my best friend. Harvey is yours. Can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't have gone to him and told him the second you found out?" she quips, "it wasn't my secret to tell. She needed me and I couldn't let her down."

"Of course I would have told him, he deserved to know," Mike replied, defending his friend.

"It wasn't my choice to make, I'm sorry," she apologises. "Can we please not let this come between us? Harvey and Donna have always been complicated and dramatic and for two brilliant people, they have a tendency to make the worst decisions when it comes to their personal lives. But we support them, no matter what."

Mike looks over at his wife, she has always been fiercely protective of her friends and her loyalty was second to none. He sighs and reaches over, bringing her into his body and holding her tight. It was one of the reasons why he loved her so much.

"I love you, you know that?" he whispers in her ear.

"I love you too," she replies, smiling into his embrace.