Author's notes: I'm so happy to finally have found the time to sit down and write! (well, besides notes here and there on my phone) I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I started planning it when I began writing this story (about nine months ago) as it was where and how I wanted Darvey to go. Do not hesitate to leave a review! I always love reading your comments :)

PS: for their vacation, I picked destinations that exist, including a room with a name that's surprisingly fitting. Sometimes life is stranger than fiction…

Wednesday December 20, 2017

"I can't believe you're ditching me to have a lunch date with Katrina!" Harvey huffed.

"It's not a lunch date. It's just a meeting that happens to be during lunch time."

"That's what we used to call it: a business meeting over lunch…"

"Jealous, babe?!"

"Disappointed."

"I know. Me too. With us leaving soon for 10 days, it was the only moment that worked with our schedules."

"You also cancelled our date a couple of weeks ago", Harvey complained. He knew that keeping to their weekly lunch dates was optimistic (and sometimes simply unrealistic) with the kind of work that they had. Being the firm's managing partner and COO meant that their days were often unpredictable. He was disappointed nonetheless every time they couldn't have their lunch dates.

"Well, that was planned months ago and I had totally forgotten until the doctor's office called me to remind me of the appointment."

Harvey's tone and face changed instantly from mildly irritated to greatly concerned. "You never told me it was for a medical appointment! Is everything alright?"

"Yes. Everything's great, Harvey. It was just my annual check up." With my gynecologist. She could have mentioned that detail but they were in a hurry and she suspected that it would open up a whole new conversation (kids) that she didn't want to start when they were at work and had no time to really devote to the issue, which she reminded herself, wasn't actually an issue since everything was great after all. Sorry, babe. We're going to have this conversation soon but not now.

"Oh, okay… Good." The mere thought of Donna having health issues had sent his heart racing immediately. All of a sudden, their missed lunch dates didn't matter as much but he could breathe more freely knowing that she was ultimately fine.

Having sensed his anxiety, Donna turned to humour to get rid of the residual tension between them: "Going back to the start of our conversation, I promise you that there will be no kissing involved with Katrina!"

"I certainly hope not", he retorted, almost offended that she would joke about it. He then realized that it was for his benefit, to distract him from his own worry (and that it had worked). "I don't think she's your type anyway", he added, feeling like himself again.

Donna smiled mischievously. "Oh no?"

"Nah, too conservative for you," he replied seriously.

"Maybe… Who would be my type then?"

He quirked an eyebrow. "Besides me, you mean?"

"Besides you", she confirmed with a nod of the head. "And please don't say Rachel!"

"No! That would be gross! She's like family."

"I'm glad we're in agreement. Who would you see me with then?"

"That's a good question…" He pondered his answer, mentally going over options at the firm and elsewhere. "Ha! Do you know Samantha Wheeler?"

"Tall blonde who works with Robert Zane?"

"Yes."

"Hum… You're aware that she's basically you but in a woman's body and in women's clothes, right?"

"I would say that I have a much better sense of humour but…"

Donna cocked her head to the side, intrigued: "Is it some kind of fantasy that you have, Specter?"

"Nope. Like you predicted years ago, now that I'm lucky enough to have you, I don't want to share."

His response left no room for doubt. "Good boy." She gave him a small smile. "Okay, I have to go but I'll see you at home." And with those parting words, she was gone. (They were at work and public displays of affection were off limits.)

She was in the elevator later that day, coming back from her lunch with Katrina (Harvey was outside of the office for the rest of the day with meetings with different clients), when she received a text message from him.

Harvey: "When you said "see you at home", you meant your home or my home? I don't want to be presumptuous and assume you meant my place…"

Donna: "You can be presumptuous. I meant your place."

Harvey: *Smiling cat emoji* "Excellent. See you later." Then two seconds later: "At home!" *Red heart emoji*

Donna: *Heart eye cat emoji* "See you later."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Sunday December 24 & Monday December 25, 2017

Donna and Harvey spent Christmas Eve with Mike, Rachel, Louis and Talia for a "celebratory evening among friends" as Rachel, their host, called it. Rachel had insisted on inviting the two other couples while her parents were out of town, enjoying a rare vacation on the West Coast to visit Laura's side of the family. The food was delicious (as expected from any event organized by Rachel Zane) and the group had a great time in each other's company. Donna and Harvey were back at her place shortly after midnight and went straight to bed. They were working tirelessly to prepare for their upcoming vacation and were both exhausted. They woke up before 7:00 am on Christmas morning, habits too hard to break. An early start was okay with Donna though. She had a long list of things she wanted to accomplish on their day out of the office, besides putting a few hours of labour related to the firm. No rest for the wicked! A long list, high expectations and a very specific order: shower, breakfast, presents and vacation talk. Vacation talk. It wasn't just about where they would fly to. It was first and foremost about what they were going to do while they would be there. She knew what she wanted them to do. She "only" had to tell Harvey what that was…

She exited the shower that she had taken alone, a rare occurrence when they didn't have to go to work, and exhaled loudly. She suddenly felt nervous. The mighty Donna Paulsen was never nervous. Yet, here she was. Her short "I'm going to take a quick shower" had been enough to dissuade Harvey from joining her and she had been grateful for the moment of solitude. (He hadn't thought much of it, too worried himself about the present that he had picked for his girlfriend. It was more than a present in his eyes, it was their first Christmas as a couple, and it was certainly more than what she had intended when she had insisted on "giving each other something small" for Christmas. Too late for that, he contemplated anxiously.) Donna continued to get ready and to focus on her breathing. It's going to be okay. He's going to be okay. He wants it as much as you do. Breathe. Breakfast and presents first. Then vacation talk.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Harvey!" Donna exclaimed. "We agreed…"

"I know what we agreed upon, Donna", he interjected softly. "We said something small. They're small earrings", he added, knowing full well that he was trying to use his lawyer skills to win an argument against Donna.

Reading the jeweller's name on the box containing the pair of earrings AND knowing her boyfriend, she retorted with certainty, her pitch higher than usual because of Harvey's beautiful and only-small-in-size gift: "They're diamonds!"

"Tiny diamonds", he defended himself with a faux sheepish grin. He knew that Donna sounded mad but he was hoping that she wasn't really mad. These jewels are just too pretty to be stay mad for longer than a few seconds, right?

Donna kissed him softly on the lips. "I love them. Thank you, Harvey."

He beamed at her. "You're welcome, Donna."

Donna left for the bathroom, needing a mirror to put her new earrings on. She returned to find Harvey wearing his present instead of his old Harvard tee-shirt and proudly turning around so that she could appreciate her present from different angles, making her giggle in the process.

"I feel bad for only giving you a tee-shirt now…"

"But I love my James Bond tee-shirt. I love it so much that I might never wear a Harvard tee-shirt again!"

They had started "dating" months ago (she didn't find the word strong enough to reflect the importance of that relationship in her life and only used it for lack of a better one at that point) and she was still surprised on a regular basis by how funny she could find him. She had always enjoyed his sense of humour: sarcastic, dark or self-deprecating. That being said, it was different altogether being on the receiving end of his sense of humour as his significant other. It was probably the most unexpected result of the change in their relationship from professional to romantic. Harvey was simply the best at making her smile, chuckle, giggle or laugh. She couldn't remember a time in her life when she had laughed so much, and out loud more often than not. Maybe he was that funny. Maybe he wasn't. More likely, she was so in love with him that she found him hilarious regardless of what he said or did. In any case, she was ridiculously happy. I'll have to blame you in the future, Harvey, for the new wrinkles that are sure to appear around my eyes and mouth!

Harvey's words forced her mind to stop wandering: "They look good on you", he said earnestly, pointing at the earrings.

"Yeah. Who knew you were so good at buying not only your own presents but jewels in particular?!"

"Hey! Don't make me regret not giving you a keychain!"

"No! Please, no! I love my "tiny" diamonds."

"You know what they say… Diamonds are forever…"

"I know, James."

"Aren't we good together?! Planning a perfect James Bond themed Christmas without even consulting each other!"

"The best", she replied immediately, no trace of teasing in her voice for once, in stark contrast with his own humorous comment. "Speaking of being good together, I think it's time we talk about our vacation…"

The re-direction of their conversation was seamless and Harvey's enthusiasm not feigned: "Yes! Where are we going?"

She grabbed the tablet that was on the coffee table and turned it on. She started by showing him where she had made reservations for the first four nights: the king suite, the fine dining restaurants located inside the resort, the pools (she mentioned the adult one twice), the nightlife, the casino, even the shops. A part of Harvey's brain registered the names Chanel, Christian Louboutin and Hermès but his attention was still mostly stuck on the location of the resort that he had seen as soon as Donna has opened the tablet next to him: Las Vegas. Las Vegas? LAS VEGAS?! Relax! People go to Vegas simply to have fun. That doesn't mean that… His focus was brought back to the present when he heard the name of the room that Donna had booked for the second part of their vacation: Strawberry cactus. Strawberry cactus?! Seriously?! Now, that's funny! He forced his mind to focus on what Donna was saying. Donna had also planned a stay in Sedona, Arizona, arguing that it would be the perfect place to "unplug" after the packed schedule that would accompany the first part of their vacation. She emphasized the relaxed atmosphere of the bed and breakfast that she had chosen and the many hiking opportunities in the vicinity, including the majestic Grand Canyon. She finished the detailed descriptions of the trip that she had organized for them and turned on her seat to face Harvey who was yet to utter a word, looking at him expectantly. "So? What do you think?"

Donna's nonchalant attitude almost threw him off. What do I think?! I think it looks great but… "Let me get this straight, we're going to Vegas first, then to Arizona where we're going to visit the Grand Canyon?" Donna nodded. "With regards to Vegas, you planned where we're going to stay, the activities we're going to do, including shows, restaurants and even shopping?" Donna nodded again. "Is that all you planned?" he then asked, hopeful, refusing to inquire directly but unable to completely stay in the dark any longer. Maybe Donna wants to go to Las Vegas to have a good time. Maybe she wants to do more while in the most famous city of the state of Nevada?

Donna held Harvey's gaze and declared: "I did all the planning, Specter. Do I have to do all the talking as well?!" Don't tell me you don't know what I'm telling you, Harvey!

Harvey swallowed, never breaking eye contact. Holy shit! This is happening! Yes! YES! The only explanation for what came out of his mouth (despite his inner monologue) is that his brain was overwhelmed by the magnitude of what Donna was implying because, instead of saying something along the lines of "let's do it!" or "that would be my honor", he said in a teasing manner: "I'm not changing my name to Paulsen!" Donna's reaction was one of surprise, mixed with a small dose of disappointment, which Harvey immediately identified and regretted. Yeah, okay. Maybe not the best time to crack a joke… He took her left hand in his, touching her ring finger gently, and looked her in the eye adoringly. "Sorry. Let me do it again… Donna Paulsen, are you asking me to marry you?"

It was her turn to hold his gaze and swallow with difficulty. "Yes", she replied, her voice cracking against her will. She cleared her throat and started again. "Yes, I am", she said quietly. Donna had never felt so vulnerable. Yes, they had talked about getting married. Harvey had talked about getting married. He had joked about getting married in Las Vegas. But that wasn't a joke. She had planned their wedding and she desperately wanted the groom's approval.

Harvey waited for Donna to take in his relaxed expression and his loving smile to verbalize his response: "Then my serious answer is yes. YES! Of course, yes!" He chuckled before cupping her face in his hands and kissing his girlfriend. His fiancée, his mind corrected.

They lost themselves in the kiss for a moment until Donna stopped them with a firm but gentle hand on his chest. "There's something else that I'd like us to discuss…"

"Okay…" Harvey wasn't a master planner like Donna but he had plans to celebrate their engagement. It involved a lot more kissing and a lot less clothing. He didn't appreciate the interruption but realized that Donna was a master planner, therefore had probably a good reason to delay the execution of his own plans (which were without a doubt very obvious to her at that point).

"Two things actually. First, do you remember when I cancelled our lunch date to have a meeting with Katrina?"

"Of course."

"It wasn't for the firm. I huh… I hired Katrina as my lawyer." Donna looked for any sign of discomfort coming from Harvey at the revelation. Detecting none, she continued: "I asked her to write me a prenup agreement. I figured that we would need it. Please don't take it as me not trusting you because I do. I do trust you. And I trust that our relationship is strong and believe me, I'm not planning our separation or divorce at the same time as I'm planning our wedding." Harvey's hands on her shoulders made her pause. She hadn't realized that she hadn't taken a break in a while. She had been nervous to broach the topic with him, unsure of his reaction, and had barely breathed during her long tirade.

"Donna, relax." If his words weren't enough, his calm demeanor reinforced the message. "I'm a lawyer. My life is about contracts. When you start a business with a partner, you should have a solid contract to protect your assets. Entering a marriage is similar in that respect. In my opinion, everybody who gets married should write and sign a prenup. Those who don't are fools. They take unnecessary risks, regardless of the love they feel for the person they're about to marry. We should sign one before getting married, not, like you said, that we don't trust each other or our relationship. Just because it's the smart thing to do and we're both smart people."

Donna let out a sigh of relief, glad to know that they were on the same page. "I hope you don't mind that I turned to Katrina… I didn't want to involve someone outside the firm." Harvey hummed in agreement. "And I preferred to go with Katrina, instead of Louis, Mike or Rachel because…"

"They're too close", Harvey suggested.

"Yeah."

"Katrina is a good lawyer. You picked well, Donna. Can you show it to me now?" Harvey spent the following minutes going over the document, nodding from time to time after reading certain sections. When he was done, he closed the file and gave it back to Donna. "I was right, Katrina is a good lawyer: I wouldn't have written a better prenup agreement myself", he declared sincerely. "Not that I would have wished to write a prenup for you because that would have meant that you would have not been about to marry me but I would have done it for you if you had asked…"

"Harvey", she said, putting her hands on his shoulders in a similar fashion as he had done earlier to calm her down, "it's okay. I'm not about to marry someone else. We are getting married. Does you approving this prenup mean that you will sign it?"

"Gladly", he responded quickly, smiling softly at her.

"Great. Thank you. There's something else that I wanted to discuss with you…"

"What is it, Donna?"

"Do you remember when I cancelled our other lunch date because I had a medical appointment?"

"Yes… You told me everything was alright."

"It was." Was?! "It is." Phew! "I didn't tell you everything when we talked about it. It was an appointment with my gynecologist." Gynecologist?! Harvey's eyebrows raised simultaneously. "We talked about the fact that I was in a committed relationship and that I was… That we were considering starting a family. She told me that I could stop taking my birth control pill as soon as I wanted." The hint of a smile appeared on Harvey's lips instantly. "Before you get your hopes too high, she warned me that it could take some time before it worked. Some women miss one dose and get pregnant right away. Others need to wait for months before it works. I don't know if you're still willing to start trying or…"
"YES! I am. We can start as soon as you want to."

Donna smiled, her heart about to leap out of her chest. "There's one little problem though."

"There is?" The frown on Harvey's face indicated his confusion. "What is it?"

"The problem is that the moment when I'm supposed to be fertile is the day that we're getting married, December 31st. And it's not a problem in itself but I can't drink alcohol if we're going to try to… you know…"

Harvey's confusion evaporated in seconds. "Oh!" He grinned at her. "You're telling me that we're going to get married and have sex in Vegas while totally sober?! How shocking!" He put his hand on his chest for more emphasis.

"I'm serious here, Harvey", she admonished him.

"And I am too. We're going to get married on New Year's Eve in Las Vegas and you worry that we'll need alcohol to have fun? Come on, Donna! Give me more credit than that! Give us more credit than that!" He scrutinized Donna's face and saw when doubt was replaced by hope and determination.

"Okay", she concluded eventually. "That's settled then, mister."

"Good. Can we go back to celebrating our engagement now?" At the word "engagement", Donna's eyes widened. "Yeah, that's right. You're my fiancée now, or I am yours, depending on how you want to look at it."

"I like the sound of that and yes, let's go back to celebrating our engagement!"

Holy shit! We're getting married AND we're going to try to make babies!

Later that day, Harvey declared that his first Christmas with Donna was the absolute best of his entire adult life. (He would revise that statement the following year.)