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Little One – Chapter 22

Harvey had returned home later that night a little worse for wear. He had a great time out with the guys, but he had partied just a little too hard. Jim had taken the keys from him and was a little surprise that Harvey could actually get drunk. He had seen the man knock back a half bottle of Macallan 18 - a large bottle and never bat an eyelash. Maybe, Harvey could digest Scotch, but he could not digest the four beers he had with only a loaded hamburger and a hot dog for a base.

Jim was apprehensive of leaving Harvey in that condition with his daughter.

"Don't worry dad. I've seen Harvey in a lot worse shape than this," Donna said as Harvey wobbly stepped into the apartment. He took one look at his wife and then stepped behind her.

"I—had a great time, tonight," Harvey said slurring his words and stammering. "You're ok! Donna, did you know your dad can party!"

"Yes, Harvey, I know my dad loves to party," Donna placated, and then put a hand on Harvey's arm as he looked like he was going to fall right there on the floor.

"Are you sure you're going to be all right? What if he doesn't make it to the bed?"

"Then he sleeps where he falls. I'll just step over him," Donna said smiling like she was joking. However, Jim smirked at his daughter and was convinced she would do just that.

Soon Clara came to the door and kissed her daughter goodbye and reassuring Jim again that they would be fine as she hurried him out the door; so, they could walk the short distance to their own place.

Soon Donna shut the door reassuring her parents until she could no longer see them that she could handle a tipsy Harvey.

Harvey tried to kiss her.

"Harvey, I love you, but you smell like the ballpark threw up on you." Donna wrinkled her nose and was almost ready to vomit. All her senses it seemed were on overload in the last couple months of her pregnancy.

Harvey gave a little guffaw and raised his forefinger and looked at his wife through half-lidded eyes. Harvey did not know why he did what he did. All he really wanted to do was fall asleep next to his wife.

"I need a shower," Harvey murmured and then tried to get frisky with Donna who was having none of it.

"Harvey, please take a shower if you can stand up. On second thought, here." Donna grabbed the crook of his arms and walked wobbly steps with him to the bathroom. She started the water once they had made it to the bathroom. The shower was warm just enough to wake him up but not enough to shock him. Harvey already started to undress and then tried to pull Donna in with him.

"Harvey, you're adorable drunk, but I really can't stand too long. I'm feeling very crampy tonight. I'll stay right here for you, though, in case you're feeling woozy."

"Woozy, funny word," Harvey said amused. He ventured into the shower himself and the water seemed to revive him. Donna watched his movements through the cut glass shower door. The cuts in the glass were round and fit together in a odd symmetry, so the more that Harvey moved the more misshapen he looked.

"Oh," Harvey said as the water hit him. He blew out the water and almost slipped but caught himself by leaning against the wall.

While he tried to wash out the alcohol in his bloodstream from outside, Donna leaned on the double sink counter. Her back was killing her and the heat from the shower was starting to make her feel sleepy.

"So, you had a good time. I saw the Yankees won," Donna said shouting trying to make conversation with her husband where there was a still tension between them for earlier.

"Harvey!"

"Yeah?" He called blowing water out of his mouth and lathering soap all over his body.

"Harvey!"

"What, Donna!" He was getting impatient. He was starting to sober up and he remembered that they still had not worked out her hormonal issues. He really tried to be patient with her, but he knew she was upset due to the new sleeping arrangement. He missed waking up and seeing her a red curl lying on his pillow or being able to put his hand on her belly in his sleep. Hell, he even missed listening to her light snoring as she slept heavily during the pregnancy. He had nothing to apologize for; but Donna did even if she were eight months pregnant or almost with twins.

Finally, Donna stopped calling for him and very slowly opened the door to the steamed bathroom walking through the bedroom. She opened the French doors and took a step out onto the balcony just outside their bedroom. She needed to get some air. She put her hand on her back and sat in the cushioned seat Harvey had moved there for her one day last week when the weather was especially nice outside. They had eaten their breakfast there before he had gone to the office.

Donna liked the view better from their bedroom than the view from their larger terrace adjacent to the living room. Both terraces faced the bay, but the bedroom view displayed a the larger part of the bay less building. She sat and rubbed her belly. It was full dark now. She heard Harvey get out of the shower and leave the room.

I guess he's just heading to bed without saying a word to me. He needs to apologize to me about coming home in that condition. It's not like him to use alcohol as a crutch. Well, then, nothing for me to do but get ready for bed.

She had to forego her extremely hot bubble baths since she hit the last trimester. The doctor felt if she sat too long in warm water she could go into premature labor. However, some warm water would feel really good right now on her cramped and sore back. She decided that she could manage a little warmth not exceedingly hot. Just warm enough to soothe her weary muscles.

As she added strawberry scented bath beads to the tub, she remembered that almost a year ago Harvey plopped himself into the bath with her and made noises at how amazed he was that she could sit in extremely hot water and enjoy herself without getting burned. She assured him that there was nothing like a bubble bath to just soak and that's when he decided that the water was a great place to make love.

Well, that's the last thing I would need tonight. She stripped off her robe and looked at herself in the mirror. Her focus was drawn to the large protruding belly. Her fair skin stretched over her large belly and possessed a dark line from her belly button down to her vagina. Her breasts were extremely heavy preparing to be engorged with nutrients for the coming twins. Her nipples were dark. She touched them and they immediately responded. Moving her head to and fro, she tried to see what Harvey would see when he looked at her. She then took her pins from the little jar on the sink to pin up her red hair leaving a few tendrils at the back.

Before she could sink into the round warm bubbly sunken tub by herself on unsteady feet as she could not see below her tummy, Harvey entered silently, He took her hand and helped her to step into the warm water.

"How long were you standing there?" Donna asked as his warm comforting hands did not release her until she was settled in the water. They had touched a little bit earlier, but after their disagreement Harvey's warmth toward her had suddenly gone chill.

"Just long enough to see you in the mirror."

Once she was settled, Harvey hanging his head with only a wisp of a smile silently padded his way out of the bathroom. She turned her head to look back at him thinking he was coming back. Not so. She knew, though, that at moment Harvey was as sober as if he were trying a case before a jury.

A few more difficult days and night later about a week after Harvey's overbearing drunk return home from the Mariners' game, Donna sat at the dining room table with a back to her cushion. Her mother had come over and cooked her a meal. Her father was occupying himself at their apartment. Harvey was at his office. It was another Friday evening. The weather was still warm and heading into June soon it may get even warmer.

"Did you want more of the noodles before I start to clean up, dear?"

Donna, whose hair was pinned up most days now from her extremely warm body heat, sat at the table paging through a baby magazine.

"No, I can't fit another bite down me. Thank you, mom, for staying here and helping me."

"I did it for your sister when she was pregnant with Troy, but I bet you didn't know that," Clara said removing her apron and sitting at the table next to her daughter.

"Hey, where are your notebooks? I know you weren't finished your birth plan," Clara said

"I didn't finish my birth plan. I'm going to the hospital at five minutes apart when it happens and then I will just let my body takes it course."

"Since when are you leaving something to the wind? When I saw you last December you were so hell bent on having the perfect birth that I thought for sure you would take the birth plan to every doctor's appointment," Clara said wondering why the change in her daughter. Could be her hormones. However, Clara noticed that for about a month the warmth and loving affection between her and Harvey had all but evaporated. Jim and she would roll their eyes when Donna would sit next to Harvey and play with his shirt or he would just kiss her out of the blue. Clara had been here when Harvey had left for the office in the morning and noticed a coolness that had not been there before.

"Is something wrong between you and Harvey? I know you were concerned about you two not sleeping in the same bed for a while. Is that it?"

Donna looked at her mom and was determined not to tell her anything because it was only temporary and none of her business. Plus, if Jim got wind of it, he would lay into Harvey and then who knows what would happen between the light rapport that was being built between Harvey and Jim.

"So, how is Charlotte these days?" Donna asked quickly changing the subject.

"I don't know, honey. We haven't spoken since she eloped."

"How did Troy take it? I feel so bad for that kid. His own father never showing much interest and then to tossed around from the latest perspective father that my sister happens to throw in his face."

"Troy is used to it. I guess?" Clara said.

"Harvey is very sensitive to Troy's situation. Harvey was a child of divorce, and for a long time had a bad time with his mother. That's all I'm saying about that situation because he would kill me if I started talking about it to you."

"Charlotte told me that Troy really liked Harvey," Clara said smiling and was happy to see Donna smile in return.

"Harvey really liked him, too. I was hoping if Charlotte wasn't going to be Charlotte that maybe Troy could spend more time with us. I just feel sorry for the man Charlotte married now and hope that he doesn't let her walk all over him like the last two."

"Harvey did help with her financially, so I don't think that is the reason she got married again. Granted your sister likes to dominate to the point of making wimps out of her husbands. I just have a good feeling about this marriage."

"Oh." Donna responded. She rose with difficulty. Donna was wearing some maternity yoga clothes and thought to do some meditation and stretching to help ease her mind about so many things. She kissed her mom on the cheek.

"Thanks for lunch, mom. I'm heading to the bedroom to do a little yoga. Care to join me?"

"I would but I forgot my yoga togs," Clara said smiling.

"I can wait. I usually do a class from the TV, so I can wait and restart it anytime," Donna offered.

"No, you go ahead. Just call me if you need me. I'll be here cleaning up. I will let you know before I leave for the store."

Meanwhile Harvey sat in his office staring into space. It was Mike's first day back from paternity leave and he was anxious to speak to him regarding a new case that he just took. Since Mike's leave, Harvey had Tracy all to himself. She was so good and so equipped that it was almost like having Donna back as an assistant. Almost not quite.

"Good morning, Batman! Robin is glad to be back and can't wait for our next mission," Mike said cheerily as he took a seat in front of Harvey's full desk.

"Well, it's about Goddamn time you got here, Robin. You think having a baby at home gives you extra time off," Harvey smilingly joked with his buddy.

"Of course, it does. I only have the best two month old son in all the world."

"I'm sure that's not what Rachel is saying," Harvey remarked.

Mike sat down unbuttoning his suit jacket. "You're right. That's why she's not coming back to work until a few months from now. Plus if you ask me I think she's just too attached," Mike whispered like it was gossip.

Harvey smiled widely. He loved working with Mike again. Before he had to suddenly leave on paternity leave, Mike and he had been working a case where an employee of a parent company wanted to leave and take his knowledge with him to work for the subsidiary. Parent company were claiming that they the employee agreement contained a non-compete clause if the employee should leave the company. The employee left without hammering any details about his separation and now the subsidiary is losing money due to pressure from the parent company. The employee who is now with the subsidiary was laid off and the employee wants unemployment compensation from the parent company. Mike and Harvey knew there was more to it. They wanted to help this employee who had little or no savings left, and his wife did not have a lucrative career. The couple had had a baby not long ago, so now the employee was left with no job and no prospects because of the supposed non-compete clause in the employee agreement. Just the type of juicy complications that a skilled lawyer like Harvey working with Mike could navigate and come out as a win for all around.

"Enough for now about the baby, let's get back to work. What do you say?" Harvey asked as he handed Mike the case file.

Mike gave Harvey an odd look.

"Hey, everything ok at home with Donna and the pregnancy?" Mike asked concerned.

"Yes, we're good. Let's do some work now. I've been waiting two months for you to get your ass in in here so we can fight for this guy, ok?"

Mike detected some sarcasm and reserve in Harvey that had not been there a few weeks ago. Mike knew that being an expectant father could be tough and that misunderstandings with a wife whose hormones were always in flux could be difficult. He just hoped that Harvey had not done any permanent damage to his marriage. Mike had never, ever seen two people that were meant to be together more than Harvey and Donna; except, for he and Rachel.

Clara called out to Donna that she was going to the store and asked if she needed anything. Clara thought, perhaps, Donna had fallen asleep; so, Clara left for the store not venturing into the bedroom to see in what condition Donna was.

Donna had passed out on the floor of the bedroom while she was doing an intense stretch. She suddenly had become dizzy and fainted. So, Donna was lying on the floor but not exactly sleeping.

After Clara had left, she did not lock the apartment door knowing that security in the building was very good and that when Clara returned she would not have to search for her key. Almost after Clara left and Donna lay unconscious on the floor of her bedroom, the doorbell started to ring excitedly and almost incessantly.

The visitor(s)at the door had not been there for some months now. Since Charlotte had gotten married recently, she decided to turn over a new leaf. She attempted to be more conciliatory with her new husband as she had promised him. She did not like to be threatened or did she ever stay with someone because of a threat. Charlotte, like her little sister, never apologized for who she is. However, Charlotte's relationships never worked out as well as Donna's had with Harvey. Although Charlotte really did not understand how long her sister and her husband had waited to be together, Charlotte still wanted to apologize for her ins and outs and the times she took advantage of the family. Charlotte wanted a clean slate with her parents and her sister and husband; so, she decided to try by coming to The Specters' home today with her new husband and her son in tow.

No one came to answer the door, so she thought that no one was home and was prepared to return later until Troy tried the door and it opened.

"Mum, the door is unlocked."

"Oh, maybe Donna was expecting someone," Charlotte said.

She entered the apartment followed by Troy and her husband, Mitchell.

"Donna," Charlotte called in a singsong voice. She received no response. Troy looked around and saw that his Uncle Harvey 's PS4 was out in the open.

"Uncle Harvey won't mind if you play that, right?" Mitchell asked.

"No, of course not. He told me anytime," Troy said as he turned on the TV and the system as well. He quickly started to play an Auto Race Game.

Mitchell followed his wife into the back bedroom while Charlotte called her sister's name.

"Donna!" Charlotte exclaimed as she saw Donna dressed in her Yoga clothes. The TV had been run its course and had a screen saver flashing on it silently. Charlotte crashed to the floor next to her sister.

"It's wet! Donna, honey, come on…" Charlotte said as she felt for a pulse and response to her touch.

"Why is it wet?" Mitchell asked.

"Her water probably broke. There's blood on her carpet as well. Call 911"

Mitchell whipped out his phone and did just that. He had not seen Donna in a good long time, and he took a second to remember how beautiful she was both inside and outside. He rushed to the other side of Donna while he was on the phone with 911 and gave them the information which Charlotte fed him.

"Uh…oh," Donna awoke and held her large belly. "Oh my God it hurts!"

"Donna, are you in labor?"

"Charlotte…Mitchell…what the hell are you doing here? Uh…where's mom?"

"Come on, honey, get to the bed," Charlotte said as Mitchell who was a large man picked up Donna like she was chaff.

"We called 911. They should be here any minute."

Donna groaned and again. "God I must have been in labor for three days and didn't realize it."

"Crampy?"

"Yeah," Donna said breathing heavy. "Call mom. She's coming back."

"Here's my phone. Call my mother. Tell Troy to have the EMT's to come back here."

"Yes, Charlotte," Mitchell took her phone while trying to get through to Clara he walked to living room where Troy was playing his video game as if he had no other care in the world. He was twelve. He did not.

"Charlotte, why are you here? I thought…." Donna said gritting her teeth. "Charlotte, I don't think the EMT's are going to get me to the hospital in time. There's something going on down there."

Charlotte looked at her sister and said, "Oh boy! I think the baby #1 is coming out."

"Call Harvey!"

"Mitchell!"

Suddenly the EMT's rushed in and saw that Donna was on the bed and the stains on the floor. The EMT took control allowing Charlotte to call Harvey.