A/N: Sorry this took so long to update, but the end is growing near and I am procrastinating, because I don't want it to end. But then again, I'm writing two other fics and have a bunch of ideas for other stories, so you're not rid of me yet. A big thank you to all who are still reading this. This has been such a thrilling ride for the past six months.

The shower turned off in the bathroom as Donna got comfortable under the covers, exhaustion getting the better of her. The day had been amazing in so many ways, but the previous night had been too short and the hours of sleep she had missed were catching up with her.

After their hospital visit, the group had gone to Robert and Laura's house for dinner, but they had called an early night when Mike had all but fallen asleep at the table.

Scrolling through the photos on her phone, she stopped at the one Mike had sent her earlier. She was holding Bobbi and Harvey was standing next to her, carrying Billy in his arms. All eyes were on the baby, except for Harvey's who watched her with the kindest, most tender expression she had ever seen, his lustrous love for her on display for the world to see. Donna's stomach fluttered at the realization she was falling in love with Harvey all over again.

A large grin spread on her lips, eager for him to join her as she put her phone away.

The screen lit up a moment later and Donna grabbed the thing from the nightstand, kicking herself for not turning it off before, something she would do right now. She couldn't prevent herself from skimming the incoming message and saw a picture of a snowman made of sand, wearing a Santa hat, on a beach with the text 'Mele Kalikimaka, a Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou.'

Alarm bells started ringing around her mind as she checked the caller ID. She recognized the area code for Hawaii and even though she had blocked his old number, Jeremy must have gotten a new one now that he had moved to Maui. Why the hell was he texting her now? There was no reason for him to be contacting her at all and it troubled her. He was supposed to be out of her life for good, not sending generic messages with a holiday greeting. Agitation made way for resentment as Donna felt the responsibility thrown in her face of informing Harvey and the inevitable ensuing argument. Or she could not tell a soul, delete the message and block this number, too. And break her promise to Harvey to be completely honest with him. Goddamn Jeremy.

She quickly texted back. Don't contact me again. But before she could block his number, she received an instant reply.

I miss you.

Harvey emerged from the bathroom, chattering about something Robert had said at dinner. The words didn't register as Donna fumbled with the device, putting it face first on the nightstand, trying to look as if everything was okay, neither ready nor willing to get into it tonight. Or ever.

His sudden presence in the room had startled her and he seemed to have noticed, because he was expecting an answer and she wasn't responding.

"Donna."

"Yeah?" she replied, a little dazed.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Sorry," she apologized, waving a hand in the air. "What were you saying?"

With nothing but his boxer briefs on, he climbed into bed beside her, a little wary of her momentary absence, but he shook it off. "I want to talk to you about something," he started, resting against the headboard, hands in his lap.

Harvey now held her full attention, clinging to any distraction from the text she had just received. "Sure. What is it?" Donna watched him swallow. He was clearly nervous about sharing whatever was on his mind, so she sat up a little straighter, unsure where this was going as a new wave of unease crashed into her.

"Mike offered me a job."

"He did? Where?" Please don't let it be in Seattle, she thought. She wanted him on the west coast more than anything, but in California, not Washington.

"In LA. It's a sister firm of the one he works at, and they are looking for a General Manager. Apparently, they fired all management and are restructuring the entire firm. Mike told me they take a lot of class action cases against some really big fish. I looked into some of their recent ones and it sounds pretty solid." The more he spoke, the more excited he got, but Donna had to be on board as well. "What do you think? I know you said you wanted to stay in Santa Monica. This might be a great opportunity."

Letting his words sink in, Donna slowly saw a future forming she had not dared to consider a few weeks ago. Harvey would be with her in California. They could start a new life together and live out their days on the beach or on her deck, staring up at the stars until the early hours of the morning. They'd visit Seattle together and watch the Ross babies grow up. She would probably see more of the Rosses than she did now. Her heart swelled at the thought.

"I think that sounds like a great idea," she uttered, tears of joy blurring her vision.

"Yeah?"

She merely nodded, biting her lip.

Slipping a hand in hers, he covered them with his other palm. He was beaming, happy she liked the idea of him staying as he looked at her expectantly. "How would you feel about coming with me? I'm sure there is a position for you there and if not, we'll create one. I'd love to work with you again." Harvey measured her changing expression, but he pushed through. There was nothing he wanted more than to have her by his side again, and not just at home. "We always did make a great team."

Feeling like she had just been slapped in the face, Donna stared at Harvey. Work together again. "Are you serious?" There was an accusatory tone in her words she wished she had dialed down, but she was far too flabbergasted to mind.

"What? I just thought –"

"Harvey. I never want to work in an office again." Office work equaled New York City and everything she had tried so hard to get away from. It was in her painful past and the last thing she wanted to introduce into her new life here, now.

All he could do was stare. Was she really saying what he thought she was saying? All this time, he had been convinced Donna's situation was only temporary, a means to an end; to be away from him. How could he have been so wrong? This wasn't the Donna he knew; the Donna who loved corporate life and the benefits it came with. "Why?"

"Because there's more to life than shuffling paperwork around." She really had retired, hadn't she? The mere idea of fourteen-hour workdays repulsed her, even if she got to spend some of it with Harvey.

Harvey recoiled, a look of disbelief mixed with irritation crossing his face. "If I remember correctly, you used to love shuffling paperwork. Don't make it sound like it's beneath you now." The condescension in her tone rubbed him the wrong way. Was that all or was there some other reason why she wouldn't work with him again?

"I don't mean it like that. I'm just done, Harvey." The drama she had endured while working at Pearson Hardman Specter Litt, or whatever it was called at the time, was enough to last her a lifetime.

"So, you don't want to work with me? That's it?"

"Harvey," she said softly, moving to sit on her knees and be closer to him. "We don't have to work together to be together."

Easy for her to say. The last time they were in a relationship and stopped working together, they broke up. How was he supposed to trust that everything would work out this time? "Don't we? The only time we were happy together was when you were my COO. Things turned south the moment you left."

Mulling over his statement, she knew where his anxiety was emanating from. It wasn't a lie that they had been happiest at the old firm. But that was another lifetime. They had a new lease on life now, together as a couple. "There was a lot more at play then and you know it."

"Like you kissing your assistant?" He shifted away from her, more than a little disappointment at the turn this conversation had taken.

"Daniel's assistant and he kissed me. But that's not the point." If Harvey wanted to be with her here, he would have to make some changes of his own. "Are you saying you don't trust that I love you? Because if you ever want this to work between us, you're gonna have to have a little more faith in me than this." Donna slid back against the headrest; her heart bruised from this exchange.

Feeling a growing divide between them, Harvey relented. For now. "Donna, I'm sorry. I do have faith in you. In us," he added. "I just thought it would be fun," he said, downplaying his own dismay. Although it stung to know she didn't want to work with him anymore, he had already lived without her for the last two years. Surely, he would be able to manage coming home to her every night. It sure as hell beat any other scenario that excluded her.

They settled under the covers, murmuring a 'goodnight', still Donna's mind was racing. Any argument with Harvey unsettled her and now she also had a text message to inform him of, which only added to her panic. When sleep eventually found her, there was hardly rest to speak of.

A few hours later, Harvey woke up, feeling Donna thrashing next to him. She was still asleep but seemed to be struggling with some invisible force, mumbling words he couldn't all discern.

"Donna. Donna! Wake up," he said, shaking her a little, but futile in his attempt to wake her. "Donna!" Her eyes finally shot open, meeting his. Immediately, a look of horror crossed her face and she scurried to get away from him.

Unwrapping herself from the sheets, Donna moved to the edge of the bed and let her head rest in her hands, needing a moment to separate the dream from reality. Somewhere in her tangled mind, she felt the mattress move and before long, Harvey was sitting next to her, one arm placed behind her, away from her body as though not to startle her.

"Donna. Talk to me." Had she really just said Jeremy's name?

Harvey's voice was soft and it both soothed her and terrified her. She was going to screw this up. She would once again be the one to break them up. The conviction sent a new jolt of dread through her already tense body and she had to swallow hard, trying to get her brain to focus. Instead, it kept replaying the nightmare. She had been trapped. And held against her will in a darkness so black, she had been too blind to see. No matter how hard she had fought, nothing she did or said brought her closer to where she wanted to be, because someone had confined her. Jeremy.

"Hey. Stop rubbing your wrists. You're okay." Harvey gently moved and took one of her hands in his to stop the frantic motions.

Something in his words struck a chord and Donna looked down at her wristd and the redness that covered the exact spot Jeremy had so forcefully restrained her, not once, but twice in the time she had been with him. And even though he was out of the picture now, or at least was supposed to be, he still held her captive in a way, because if she didn't get her shit together, she would once more risk losing the most important person in her life.

Harvey watched a renewed look of anguish weave its way into her features and he figured it was time to break her out of her trance, no matter the consequences. Placing a finger on her chin, he turned her head to face him. Wet strands of hair stuck to her face where sweat had trapped them and he gently pushed them behind her ear, watching her eyes falter. "What happened?" he asked softly.

"I don't want to lose you," Donna murmured, as her vision clouded from the forming tears she tried to blink away.

The statement was pretty out of the blue and definitely out of context and Harvey's brows furrowed, unsure why she felt the need to tell him that now. "You're not going to lose me," he asserted, but he knew his reply fell on deaf ears, and he didn't know what to do, suddenly afraid that maybe she was hiding something. Gently taking the hand he held, he brought it to his mouth and kissed the inside of her wrist.

Donna flinched, her eyes shooting up to where his tender lips were meeting her sore skin. Still, the gentleness in his touch defrosted the icy feeling encapsulating her heart and she finally relented, giving in to his comforting caress and needing more of it. "Will you hold me?" she uttered, the words barely audible even in the dead of night, somehow afraid he might not want to when he found out she'd been keeping something from him.

Harvey released the breath he'd been holding. If she had asked him to stand on his head, he would have done it. This was far easier. "Lie down," he prompted, pulling the covers back.

Following his instructions, Donna curled onto her side and felt two huge arms snake their way onto her body as Harvey wrapped himself around her from behind, pulling her into him as close as she would go and covering them both beneath the sheets. It was their own little cocoon and without saying another word, she drifted off to sleep in his arms.

.

The next morning, Harvey had been watching Donna snooze for a while when he finally felt her stir. They had not moved much since the episode in the middle of the night and she was still curled up in the sanctuary of his body, only now facing him. Her face was no longer tense and when she opened her eyes and met his, a smile crept up the corners of her mouth. The alarm he had experienced before dissipated somewhat, even though he still had a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was off. Bringing his face closer to hers, he reached for her lips and kissed her good morning. "Did you sleep okay?"

"I did." And she had, because the shelter he had provided had been all she had needed to make it through the night. "Did you?"

She looked at him with guilt lining her eyes. "I did," he lied. He hadn't slept a wink, keeping vigil while she slept. Even the smallest movement on her part would jolt him awake. By the time daylight had started spilling into the room, he had been worn-out. "You had a pretty bad dream."

She hadn't forgotten. The moment she had woken up, the dream had replayed itself. The darkness, the forcible restraint, being caught in a trap, it had all come back in flying color, her distressed subconscious telling her exactly what she was afraid of most and showing with crystal clarity what she could do to remove that fear, reinforcing the knowledge that lying was not the way.

Leaning over, she grabbed her phone from the bedside table. "I have to show you something." Pulling up her messages, she turned the display to Harvey. "I swear to you, I blocked his number. He must have gotten a new one, or something." She chanced a look at his face and regretted it immediately, because the hatred she saw rise behind his eyes, was enough to make her cower into herself, the shame from her history more than enough to want to hide away.

"That sonofabitch," Harvey growled. "He's never going to leave you alone." Agitation coursed through his veins. This fucking asshole was the reason he had not slept a wink and it made him want to punch something.

"He will," she pleaded, trying to convince herself as much as the man currently moving out of bed. "He just needs time, I guess."

"And let me guess, you're gonna give it to him?" Harvey replied from the edge of the bed, watching how Donna sat up against the headrest, the covers bunched in her fists. She looked small, fragile somehow. And immediately her comment made sense.

Harvey was standing too far away and she missed his arms holding her. "What else can I do? Turn him into the police for stalking? He'll have you arrested before they ever even bring him in for questioning. Is that what you want?"

Staring at her, he knew he didn't have a choice in the matter, due to his own stupid actions. "No. It's not," he said, running a hand through his already disheveled hair.

"Come here," she coaxed, patting the empty side of the bed he had left, relief tingling her insides when she saw a surrendering smile appear and Harvey made his way over, crawling under the covers once more. When he was close enough, she framed his face, staring into his eyes. "I'm blocking his number. Again."

His lips pressed to hers in a demanding kiss, both feeling the desire to reconnect because Jeremy simply wasn't worth fighting over. He was merely a hindrance they'd have to accept.

"Good," he said, sliding her body below his and covering it with his own. In that moment, he made a promise to himself to never let anything come between them again, because it was moments like this that made life worth living and he'd be damned to squander it.

"Are you taking the job?" she asked in a whisper.

Trailing a finger over her cheek, his gaze lingered on her lips. "I think so."

"I think you should, too." Their eyes met and Donna lost herself in the man hovering over her, once again seeing an image of their future flash before her. "What would you say if I asked you to move in with me? I mean, I know it's soon, but I thou–"

Harvey's lips shut her up with a kiss he deepened without hesitation, letting his tongue find hers in an unspoken answer. The text message Donna received became nothing more than a faint echo, losing more and more of its meaning as minutes passed by. Nothing mattered as long as she was by his side and she had just asked him to share his life with her. It was everything he had hoped for when he had left New York with a one-way ticket in his pocket.

When they finally broke apart, they both gasped for air.

"I'll take that as a yes," she laughed, love coursing through her entire body for the man she never wanted to live without again. "Harvey," she timidly pleaded, waiting for his attention. "I want to tell you what happened. With… Jeremy. But not yet, okay? I–"

He brushed his lips over hers again, but there was no urgency this time. "Whenever you're ready."

Just when she thought she couldn't love him any more than she already did, he would surprise her anew. Would she ever be able to express how much she loved him? Would he ever even understand? It didn't matter. She just wanted him by her side. Forever.

"I'm sorry if I kept you up last night," she added, unable to ignore the shadows around his tired eyes.

"You did keep me up," he confirmed, before moving his mouth to her collarbone, leaving wet kisses in its wake, sucking gently whenever his lips touched her surface. Unadulterated happiness was coursing through his entire being and it demanded an outlet.

"How can I make it up to you?" she moaned, arching her back into him as she willingly let him take possession of her body.

After breakfast, Mike informed them that Rachel would be released from the hospital around noon. The news elated Donna. Their flight back to LA was scheduled for 7PM, leaving ample time for her to cuddle with the baby before they left. But before Rachel got home, there was still plenty to do. So, Donna helped Mike prepare the house as best as possible. Changing the sheets, vacuuming the bedroom and making sure all the baby clothes were washed and ready.

Making the bed with Mike, Donna's thoughts drifted off. Being in this house felt like a second home. She had gotten used to being here, helping out with Billy, reading him bedtime stories, spending a good chunk of the major holidays here. But she always went home by herself, except for that one time Jeremy had joined her. And now Harvey was waiting for her downstairs. And they would go back to Santa Monica tonight and he would not only spend the night at her house, he would be there to stay. With her.

"Donna?"

She looked over at Mike who held his end of the linen in his hands, staring at her.

"You okay? You seemed a little lost there," Mike commented. Donna had been a pillar of strength these past few days and he felt a new appreciation for his friend, but they hadn't had a moment to themselves to really catch up.

"Yeah, Mike. I'm fine. I was just thinking about going home." She took a deep breath. "I've asked Harvey to move in with me."

Hi eyes grew wide. "You did?" He was overjoyed for the couple in general, but he couldn't shake his casual concern, knowing the details of their history, especially Donna's. "Are you sure about this?"

"I am." She gave him a questioning look. "Why, do you think it's too soon?" Okay, so maybe she had asked Harvey to move in with her on a whim. It had seemed like the only logical step. He would start a job in LA soon and she wanted him close. But they had officially been together for a grand total of five days, if you didn't count the twenty years, minus two, proceeding it.

"That's not for me to decide," Mike asserted. "You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

"I don't know. No. Maybe? It's just so weird. Being with him feels so natural, but we've been together for days, Mike. Days!"

"But you've known each other forever. And it's clear you guys are crazy about each other. If it feels right, just go for it."

Donna let the words settle, Mike's voice calming her knotted nerves, because it definitely felt right. She'd felt it when they had run into each other all those weeks ago and she felt it now, ever fiber of her being howling to be with the love of her life.

"Hey. Does that mean he's accepted my proposal?" Mike suddenly asked, putting two and two together.

"I think he might have, but you'll have to talk to him about it."

Mike ran out of the room, letting go of the half-finished pillow he was holding, the casing collapsing like a deflated balloon.

Listening to the voices downstairs, Donna could make out the excitement and she smiled to herself, finishing the job at hand.

This sure had been one hell of a trip.

.

An hour later, Mike had left for the hospital, to bring back the new addition to the family.

Billy was still staying with Robert and Laura nearby and Donna and Harvey had suggested they would pick him up and bring him back using Rachel's car.

Getting ready to leave, they stood in the hallway gearing up for the impending cold when Harvey asked, "You think we can swing by a toy store first?"

Donna looked up, wondering what had gotten into him. "Sure. But aren't you a little old for toys?" she teased.

"Very funny." He scratched the back of his head, which made Donna look up. "I want to get Billy something. I mean, his sister is getting all the attention, I just wanna make sure he doesn't feel forgotten."

"It was Christmas two days ago. They showered him with gifts."

"I know, but still…" he trailed off, feeling a little self-conscious, wishing he hadn't brought it up. It was a stupid idea anyway. Donna was right, he had been spoiled enough.

All Donna could do was smile. "He's lucky to have you as his uncle," she said, watching a glimmer of joy creep into Harvey's eyes as she stood on her toes to kiss him. "I know a place."

.

After a quick trip to Snapdoodle toys and the Zane residence, Harvey and Donna pulled up at Mike and Rachel's place, still having beaten Mike, who had texted they were on their way home.

Unawares to the surprise Harvey had for him, William ran inside and busied himself with the toys still left there from Christmas morning.

"Hey, Billy," Harvey said, walking into the living room with the wrapped present. "I have something for you." He sat down and felt a hand wrap around his back, giving his shoulder a subtle squeeze as Donna took a seat beside him.

Billy looked up with big eyes Harvey recognized as being Rachel's. The young boy scampered over and took the box from his hands, opening it excitedly.

"Wow! It's a car!" Billy exclaimed, inspecting the rather weird looking vehicle.

"It is," Harvey confirmed. "But not just any car. That's a Batmobile. Remember what I told you about Batman?"

"He is the best superhero!" Billy replied dryly, like he would ever forget that fact.

"He is."

"Thanks, Uncle Harvey," the boy said, leaning over and giving Harvey an awkward, but genuine hug.

"You're welcome, William," he smiled, rustling the boy's hair.

Something warm settled deep in Harvey's chest at the gratitude in the child's voice. Uncle Harvey. He had gotten used to the term coming from Marcus' kids, but this was different. He could have just been 'Harvey'. Instead, the title confirmed he was officially family. And not by birth. By choice. He had to swallow hard as a sense of drunken delight and belonging threatened to form a lump in his throat.

Donna watched Harvey's reaction, overcome by the pure love on display in front of her.

"I love you," she whispered, running a hand down his arm until her fingers laced with his. She was met by his lips on hers in a chaste kiss.

Donna's lips anchored him, like her presence did and had done for as long as he'd known her, easing the lightheadedness crawling around his brain. "I love you," Harvey echoed.

The front door opened and Mike's voice cut through the house. "We're home!"

Mike walked in carrying Bobbi in a detachable car seat, the tiny baby being fast asleep. Billy jumped up and immediately greeted his little sister, but was warned not to wake her. It was enough for him to go back and play with his brand new toy.

Rachel wobbled behind, wincing in pain every step she took. The birth had been intense, and the doctors had to give her an episiotomy which hurt like hell and would take longer to heal.

Donna rushed to her side and helped her along, supporting her across the hall.

Harvey watched on, not sure what his role was in all this, if he even had one. So, he hung back and waited.

"Billy, you stay here with Uncle Harvey, okay? We'll be right back," Mike instructed as the three of them made their way upstairs to get Rachel settled and comfortable as quickly as possible.

"Okay," Billy said, perfectly content to watch TV with his new favorite uncle.

So, he was useful after all. Harvey glanced at the little boy playing with the car he had gotten him and let exhaustion wash over him. After three consecutive nights of barely getting any sleep, he was about ready to sleep for an entire day. Billy climbed onto the sofa and took control over the remote and Harvey watched him flip through the channels. It was the first time he saw some of Mike in his small silhouette and he smiled to himself, proud of the life his friend had managed to build for himself after everything he had been through.

The noises coming off the screen faded slowly and he let himself drift off, no longer able to fight off the sleep quickly overtaking his body. He only woke from something prodding his side, but once the thing settled, he drifted off once more.

Donna came down the stairs and walked into the living room, ready to inform Harvey of their plans for the rest of the afternoon, when she stumbled onto a sight that stopped her dead in her tracks.

Harvey was stretched out on the sectional, fast asleep. Billy was sleeping right beside him, his little body resting against Harvey's, mouth open, both completely gone from this world.

It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She turned the TV off and made her way to the kitchen. They still had some time before they had to leave and Harvey catching up on some z's was exactly what he needed.

Rachel sank back into the comfort of her own bed. Her body ached in the worst possible place and she was exhausted from having pushed a human being out of her vagina, feeling like the whole experience had taken much longer than it had. And now her life was changed for good, again.

Donna and Harvey were leaving today as well and she hated that they were, even though she could barely muster enough energy to focus on her kids and husband, let alone entertain company. Standing by her bed, ready to say goodbye, she took the couple in, finding a new sense of happiness that all was right with the world.

"We'll be back soon. I promise." Donna hugged her as tight as she could, holding her a little longer. "I love you," she added, before stepping aside, giving Harvey some room to say his goodbyes.

Harvey hesitated a moment. "You think you can give us a minute," he whispered to Donna a little nervously, but loud enough for Rachel to hear.

"Sure," Donna smiled, before giving her friend a wink and leaving the room.

Rachel observed how he tracked Donna's moves then looked at his shoes before he met her eyes. She chuckled to herself; she'd never thought she'd see the day the mighty Harvey Specter would be nervous to talk to her.

"Thanks for having me, Rachel," he stated. "This has been a great visit."

She watched him hide a chuckle as if he was remembering something private and she had smirked to herself, Her old boss stood before her like a boy in love for the first time, giddy and glowing. "You're welcome, Harvey. You're always welcome here," she offered, studying his face as a grateful smile tugged at his lips. "And thanks for buying Billy a Batmobile. He loved it. You didn't have to do that."

"I know. But he's a great kid."

"He is."

This stripped-down version of Harvey was one she wasn't very familiar with, but she was positively pleased.

She couldn't be happier for Donna to have found her true love again and hoped with all her might they would get it right this time. For no particular reason, the need to warn him was suddenly overwhelming and she spoke with a determination in her voice when she said, "Listen, she might fancy herself Wonder Woman, but I've seen her hit rock bottom and I never want to experience that again."

The words came out a little harsher than she had intended, but she blamed it on the hormones and her flaring motherly instinct to protect her own.

"I know. Trust me, these past two years weren't exactly a walk in the park for me either. But I love her, Rachel."

"Good. Because she needs you more than you know."

Harvey wasn't sure what to make of her statement. Donna had been doing okay for herself, right? Maybe he had overestimated the level of okay she had presented. And wasn't that just like her. "Thanks for being there for her, Rachel."

"Come here and give me a hug, Specter."

Harvey bent down and had to laugh. "You are such a Zane."

Rachel smiled at how far they had both come. "You better believe it."

After a quick bite before their flight, Mike dropped the couple off at the airport, which was crawling with holiday travelers eager to get back home.

"I guess we'll be seeing more of you." he said to Harvey. "I can't tell you how excited I am to be working with you again."

"Same here, buddy," Harvey reciprocated as the men leaned in for a hug.

Donna watched the friends embrace, before Mike turned his attention to her. "Thanks for coming. And thanks for bringing him," he whispered, unsuccessful in trying to hide the words from Harvey.

"Take care, Mike. And if you need any help with the baby, we're just a phone call away," Donna said, giving her friend's arm a squeeze. "Now, go home to your lovely wife and kids. And sent me photos. I want daily updates!"

Mike smiled, got in his car and drove off.

As Harvey and Donna made their way into the terminal, Harvey couldn't help but reflect on how much his life had changed over the past few days. He was now officially moving to California and he would soon start a new job. He'd be starting a whole new life, away from everything he had ever known. And although the idea excited him, there was still an edge of sadness that came with it.

"I want to tell Marcus in person," he finally said when they were having a drink at one of the bars near their gate. "I'm not sure how he's gonna take me moving twenty-five hundred miles away."

There was worry behind his words that Donna picked up on.

"Harvey, he loves you. He just wants you to be happy."

"I know. But I'm not sure how I'd feel if the roles were reversed. He's the only family I have left," he added mournfully.

"I know he is, but he has Natalie and the kids. He'll be okay."

Mulling over her encouragement, he figured she was right. Still, he couldn't break the news over the phone and a thought popped in his mind. "What do you say we spend New Year's in Boston? I can get my things in order in New York, pack some other stuff to bring. We could even visit your mom, if you want."

The anticipatory smile he sported disarmed her, because his proposal was pretty much everything she didn't want to do. Boston she could manage, having had nothing but fond memories of the Specter clan. But New York? There was a reason she had stayed away all this time. And even visiting her mom was something she wasn't sure she could handle, not after last time. But seeing the twinkle in his eye gave her hope that maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe with him by her side, she could face her demons.

She took a deep breath and willed her insecurities away.

"I'd love that."

A/N: I make no promises, but I hope the next update won't take this long. Thanks for sticking with this story. Please let me know your thoughts!