A/N: Overwhelmed again, by your kind reviews and feedback. Thank you so much. Please, please, keep them coming. I read and savour every single one.

Forever gratitude to Blue and Aimee for their guidance and support. I can't thank them enough or tell them enough times that they are amazing.

I feel this story is very near its conclusion. Maybe one chapter or epilogue left. Thank you for sticking with it and making it this far xx

Love and best wishes to all in these crazy times!

Jo xx

Battling Fate

Chapter 24

"Are you sure about this, Harvey?"

"Mike—"

"I know why you're doing it. I get it, I really do. But have you honestly thought this through?"

"What's there to think about? It's been a long time coming."

"I know, but Harvey, this is huge. What you're doing..." Mike paused as though trying to find the right words. "You won't be able to come back from this."

"I'm totally fine with it, Mike, and to be honest, I'm a little surprised that you're not 100% on board too." Harvey didn't attempt to hide his irritation.

"I never said I wasn't—"

"You didn't have to. I can hear it, loud and clear, in that judgemental tone of yours."

"If you're totally fine with it, answer me this," Mike retorted, choosing to ignore Harvey's barb, "Does Donna know?"

Harvey didn't answer. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, switching his phone from one ear to the next as he hesitated, taking his turn in trying to find the right words.

"I didn't think so," Mike spoke into the silence.

"I'll talk to her, once it's done. Until then, It goes without saying that I expect you to keep it to yourself." Harvey said abruptly.

"Hiding stuff from her, hasn't gone well for you in the past, Harvey. You need to talk to her. Besides, if you're keeping this from her, that tells me you know that she wouldn't approve."

"Yeah, well, I don't want relationship advice, Mike. I can watch Oprah, for that."

"Oh my God...you watch Oprah?"

"Okay, are we done here? I think Ray wants to talk to me about his hernia, and that sounds more appealing than continuing this conversation."

Mike gave a soft chuckle. "Point taken. Just promise me you'll think about it Harvey, okay? You were the one that told me that Donna has always been your moral compass. She's always steered you in the right direction. You should discuss this with her before you pull the trigger."

"I need to do this, Mike. There's nothing to discuss." Harvey had switched back into business mode, sending Mike the message that their chat was over.

Mike sighed heavily. "Okay, Harvey. Let me know how it goes."

"Will do."

Harvey hung up and he dropped his head back against the seat. He lifted his hand up and rubbed his forehead, conscious of the headache that had started to build there.

"We're only about fifteen minutes away, Harvey," Ray called from the front of the car.

"Thanks, Ray."

Harvey wound the window down slightly, the fresh air instantly helping to sharpen his tired mind.

It had been two weeks since he turned up at Louis's beach house in search of Donna, with a determination in his step, and hope in his heart. There had been a million and one things he wanted to say to her, and even though they had hardly spent any time apart since that night, they'd still hardly managed to talk about the events of the last few months.

He thought back to that night, which had been both exhilarating and emotionally draining for him. He'd told her he loved her. That fact was undeniable. He wasn't sure the precise moment that he had become aware that she owned his heart. The realisation had been gradual, but once he had faced what he truly wanted, he was well aware that the love he felt for her, had been there for a very long time.

The sight of her on that beach, worn down and broken had cut him to his core. He knew how hurt she was, he'd seen the pain behind her eyes and the fragile wall she built around herself the day he'd come to her apartment. But on that beach, she was completely broken. Then when she'd turned and tried to run from him, desperation consumed him. He needed her to know, he needed her to see and he needed her whole again.

That evening had been a revelation to him. From fear, worry, and anguish he'd found ecstasy and a joy that he never thought genuinely existed, let alone were possible for him. Finding real love was not something he'd ever seen in his future. From his screwed up childhood to his propensity to screw lots of women, instant gratification and the pleasure he'd always taken from making a woman feel good was the nearest thing to happiness he ever thought he'd have.

Once he'd reconciled with his mother, he allowed himself to believe that maybe something less superficial was possible for him. Maybe a relationship could have its perks and its value, and Paula had been his attempt at that. However, Paula had been nothing more than safe and comfortable. He'd convinced himself that that was all he needed. That safe and comfortable would be enough for him. All that he was capable of.

The night at the beach house with Donna had flipped all of that on its head. He knew that he was in love with her, he already realised that he'd never had feelings like that for anyone else before, not even close, but even so, that night was like an epiphany. The intensity of feeling, the all-encompassing need for her, to be with her in every possible way, had floored him.

He'd always had the impulse to protect Donna, and he realised now, that his protectiveness had been born out of his unconscious, but deep-seated love for her. However, as he'd laid in bed, watching her sleep that night, he'd been overwhelmed by how fiercely he felt the need to keep her safe. Not just from harm and pain, but the desire to comfort her and hold her, to just simply love her was so all consuming that it had startled him.

She had slept well that night. He suspected that it was the first proper night's rest she'd had in a very long time. He hadn't. Torn between his desire to watch her sleep, to check that she was okay and also troubled still, by thoughts of her ordeal and the ramifications of everything that had happened, he'd lain awake most of the night.

Donna's words had reverberated around his head. Her fears that she had changed, that she was lost. He truly believed that she was wrong, she was just suffering the aftereffects of her trauma, but still, it had made his heart ache to see the anguish behind her eyes, and all he wanted to do was reassure and comfort her.

He'd hoped that they would begin to talk things through the next day. They were both fully committed to each other but in order to move forward with their new relationship, they needed to address the past. He knew it was daunting. Her kidnapping alone was enough ammunition for a year's worth of therapy, but he suspected that it was the months prior to the whole Karimov ordeal that were really going to be the toughest to deal with.

But, the talk never came.

They'd made love the following morning. She'd woken and they'd kissed, they'd touched, whispered, moaned, and sighed. Their passion for each other was indisputable. It was powerful, almost heart stoppingly so. Harvey had never forgotten the other time, the bittersweet memory had always been there, even if forcibly buried under a mountain of regret and what if's. He'd known, deep down, all along that what they experienced that night, all those years ago, was special. The connection between them, intensely different from anything he'd experienced before or after. That passion had been rekindled between them at the beach house, only this time there was no denying it. There was no pretending that what they had was just amazing sex and nothing more. Part of Harvey's epiphany had been recognizing that soul mates truly did exist and he had found his. The thought filled him with joy every day. He knew he was a lucky bastard, especially considering all that he'd done to not only almost ruin the best friendship he'd ever had, but also hurt the person that meant the most to him.

Yet there she had been, lying beneath him, the most beautiful creature he'd ever set eyes on, a fact he'd always known but never been able to admit to himself. Her red hair fanned across the pillow like flames, her soft alabaster skin sprinkled with freckles that he absolutely adored, her swollen kissed lips and sparkling hazel eyes that spoke of love and desire, her long limbs wrapped around him, anchoring him to her, bringing him home with every thrust. He really was the luckiest bastard alive.

And still... the talk never came.

They relished in each other. They went from barely touching to barely being able to stop. Making breakfast, watching a movie, walking on the beach, talking in the car, getting showered and changed. Every moment was accompanied by a hand-hold, a brush of fingers, a caress of the cheek, a peck on the lips. They orbited each other and it was seamless.

But they didn't talk.

They left Louis's beach house after three days and decamped back to Donna's apartment. Harvey called Robert and they agreed he would take a week's leave. They visited her parents, Clara understandably elated that her daughter was out of danger, and shamelessly gushing that Donna and Harvey had finally found each other. Jim was less ecstatic with the situation, although the two men reached an understanding. Donna's father forever indebted to Harvey for saving his daughter's life, Harvey still feeling regretful and responsible for her being in danger in the first place. After Harvey had embraced both her parents and apologised once again for the situation they had found themselves in, he thought, on their drive back from Connecticut, that his parting words to Clara and Jim might finally instigate the talk. It had started to become the elephant in the room, but every time Harvey tried to steer their conversation that way, Donna would find a way to shut him down.

A week had passed and Harvey could feel the tension building between them again. The unaddressed aftermath of the kiss, Paula, and the cruel way he'd treated her was just one part of it. Then, Donna's nightmares had started the second night they spent together. This hadn't come as much of a shock, the kidnapping was a horrific experience to have endured, and he was almost expecting it. However, her garbled shouts and cries had caused Harvey to suspect that it was shooting Samuel that was the primary cause of her night terrors.

She always claimed not to remember, the next morning, and seemed more concerned that she was waking Harvey from his sleep. Harvey had used the opportunity a few times to mention some of the things she had screamed out, hoping it would instigate a conversation, but she would react with agitation and something akin to panic and he would quickly drop the subject.

Samantha had asked him outright whether Donna was suffering nightmares. She had called Harvey up regarding a case at the firm, and after asking Harvey how Donna was doing, she just came out and asked outright. He'd been surprised at how perceptive she was, until Samantha had mentioned that she'd seen it on more than one occasion, when on active duty in Iraq.

"Killing another human being, no matter how justified, can eat away at you, Harvey. It takes a piece of you, and I've seen many trained soldiers struggle to come to terms with it, let alone a civilian. You need to get her to seek professional help, otherwise it's only going to get worse."

This had jolted Harvey. So entrenched in the knowledge that it was simply self-defense, he hadn't properly considered the mental after-effects of such an act. After a further night of listening to her screams, trying to hold and pacify her as she thrashed about in terror, and now becoming ever more frightened that these unaddressed issues might potentially damage their fledgling relationship, he decided that something had to give.

He had no intention of running away from their issues and he was equally determined that he wouldn't let Donna do so, either. So one evening, as they were curled up together on her couch, watching the Mets whip the Yankees, he swallowed his nerves and dared to broach the idea of therapy to her.

Donna had paled, her body turning rigid and she was quick to dismiss his suggestion, citing 'not being ready' as her reasons.

"Donna. If you won't talk to me, you need to at least talk to someone."

"I'm not ready, Harvey. It's too painful."

"The pain won't go away if you don't open up about it. Please, Donna."

She'd then tried to deflect by claiming that she couldn't open up to a stranger, so Harvey had suggested Lipschitz. Donna might not have actually met the man herself, but she knew how much he had helped Louis and Harvey, and that knowledge could help her feel more comfortable talking to him. She had hesitated at his suggestion, and Harvey took the opportunity to flash her his best puppy dog eyes. He practically begged her. She eventually acquiesced.

Donna kept her promise and had seen Lipschitz twice in the following week. She didn't discuss their sessions, which Harvey understood and respected, but he did notice a slight ease in the tension that had built between them. Harvey had also resumed his own therapy sessions and after an intense appointment, where he'd run through all his worries and fears concerning his new relationship with Donna, Stan had tentatively suggested that when the time was right, a joint appointment might be prudent, providing they were both happy with the idea.

Harvey hadn't suggested it to Donna yet, just like he hadn't mentioned what he was planning on doing today. He knew Mike was right when he'd called him out on the fact that the reason he hadn't mentioned it was because he knew Donna would disapprove. However, rather than dwell on that notion, he decided he'd just add it to the long list of things they hadn't discussed yet. It was weak reasoning, but it worked for him. He had no intention of second-guessing himself. This was too important.

The car had come to a stop, and Ray turned in his seat and nodded to Harvey.

"Okay, Boss?"

Harvey gave his faithful driver a tight smile. "Thanks, Ray. I don't think I'll be too long."

"What about Miss Paulsen, Harvey? Does she still need picking up?"

"She's having lunch with Louis. If we're not done here in time, he'll make sure she gets back home safely. But I really don't think this will take long."

With a final nod to Ray, he stepped out of the car and into the bright sunlight. He buttoned up his coat, the cold December air biting his skin.

He strode with purpose towards the huge metal gates before him, and as they buzzed open, he felt a quiver of anticipation, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

After passing through security, and providing all the necessary paperwork, he collected his visitors' accreditation and was soon seated at a metal table, drumming his fingers as he patiently waited. He wasn't nervous, but he was on edge. A promise needed to be kept and the prospect of realising it in the next few minutes had him anxious and a little wired.

A door opened at the end of the long, open atrium he was sitting in, and he looked up, his face impassive save for the slightest smirk at the corner of his mouth. Harvey said nothing as the prisoner strolled casually towards him before taking a seat at the table. He was wearing a more obvious sneer, and he leaned back nonchalantly in his chair as he eyed Harvey up and down before speaking.

"Harvey Specter," he said with a curl of his lip. "Long time no see."

"How's it going, Charles?"

"Oh, I'm just dandy, Harvey. To what do I owe this pleasure? Change your mind about that pool game I offered you? The stakes have been raised since I last saw you. We're going for $20,000 a game now. "

"I think I'll still pass," Harvey said, his tone cool, but his eyes were lit with fire.

"What the hell do you want?"

Harvey gave a shrug. "I came here to tell you that you're done, Charles. You've reached the end of the road. It's over."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Forstman replied, still smirking, his cold blue eyes not wavering from Harvey's.

"Oh, we both know that's not true. Word must have reached you by now that your little plan to destroy me failed spectacularly. I have to admit, I'm surprised you're not wearing a black armband, you know... in memory of your brother." Harvey tilted his head, and he clicked his fingers as though a thought had just occurred to him. "Of course, how stupid of me. I keep forgetting that you don't give a shit about anybody but yourself."

"Is that all? I'm kinda busy right now." Charles smirked.

"It's over. You played your last hand in a dangerous game and you lost."

"You think this is over? I'm never gonna stop coming for you, Harvey. It's my favourite hobby."

"You don't get it do you, Charles? There's no coming back from this. You've brought about your own ruin. You really couldn't stomach the fact that I beat you, and your obsession with seeking revenge has monumentally backfired."

"I have just a few months of my sentence left, unlimited resources at my disposal, and a determination to see you completely destroyed."

Harvey shook his head and his own smirk mirrored Forstman's. "That's where you're wrong, Charles. Your sentence has been extended, by quite a considerable amount—"

"Bullshit."

Harvey felt his excitement build, and his smile widened. "You committed a federal crime, Charles. You instigated and arranged the attempted murder of Jim Paulsen—"

"Bullshit again. All I did was finance a business deal."

"A business deal with an organised criminal gang. A criminal gang that also kidnapped, assaulted, and threatened the life of Donna Paulsen."

Forstman's own smile had long faded and his eyes flashed with something akin to regret. "I had nothing to do with that, and you damn well know it. You can't pin that on me."

"Can't I? It was your brother that abducted her, Charles. Your brother, Samuel Lang, who was working for you, answering to you. Your brother, that was promised the Karimov empire once the deal was done. Blackmail, Coercion, money laundering, fraud, kidnapping, and attempted murder. It all leads back to you. You instigated this and now you have blood on your hands."

Charles continued to stare Harvey down. "That's a great story, but you have no proof. Like you said, Samuel is dead. Maxim is dead. So it's my word against Roman's and with his infamously violent criminal background, and my extensive army of the best criminal lawyers money can buy, I'll take my chances."

"Oh, you'll take your chances alright. Because while you await trial with your expensive lawyers and your endless pot of money, you'll be doing it from somewhere other than here." Harvey leant across the table and his voice dropped menacingly low. "You not only crossed me for the last time, you also made the fatal move of endangering the life of Donna. And there is no way in hell, I'm ever gonna let you get away with that. So, in three days' time, you're being transferred from this little cushy number here. You're going to Rikers, and we both know that's a hell hole reserved for only the worst scum of society."

Forstman's eyes widened and for the first time in their long and troubled history, Harvey saw a crack in Charles's steely resolve. Harvey leant in even further and his eyes narrowed.

"Don't worry though, Charles. You won't be alone. Roman Karimov will also be at Rikers, awaiting his trial and I'm sure he can't wait to discuss your respective cases with you. I reckon he's especially eager to tell you what he thinks about the fact that you planned to double-cross him by replacing him with your brother."

"You can't do that," Charles retorted, his breathing already rapid as the implications of what Harvey was saying, began to sink in. "A transfer can only be authorised by the Bureau of—"

"Prisons...yeah, I know. Well guess what, Charles? You're not the only one with connections. It's happening. You once told me that you always hold the power because..what was it? 'Nobody doesn't give a shit about money'. Well, I can tell you now, that Roman doesn't give a shit about money. He's facing the death penalty, or at best, life without parole. All he cares about is revenge," Harvey said, his voice soft and sinister. "So, you might have the money and connections to build the best goddamn defense team this country has ever seen, but I'm betting you won't survive a week in there, let alone ever get to see one day in court."

Forstman paled.

Harvey got up then, his chair scraping behind him. The adrenaline was pumping through his veins, mixed with an acute sense of euphoria. The tables had finally been turned and he realised there was little more satisfying in the world than delivering this type of heavy justice to such a vindictive bastard.

"Goodbye Charles. I won't wish you the best. I think we both know that I hope you rot in hell."

Harvey turned then and began to walk away, his fingers twitching and his heart racing.

"You do this, Harvey, and it will be you with blood on your hands."

Harvey hesitated and he looked over his shoulder at his old adversary one last time. "As long as it's your blood, Charles."

Donna twiddled the pasta around her fork, taking her time over the action. More time than she needed to, but the process disguised the fact that she hadn't eaten very much of her food.

She'd struggled with her appetite of late. It wasn't consciously done, and she was trying to make sure she ate something every day, especially as the concerned looks from Harvey whenever they sat down to a meal were starting to rankle.

Fortunately, Louis had hardly stopped to draw breath the whole time they had been sat in Per Se, his favourite New York restaurant. So visibly happy that she had agreed to meet him for lunch and eager to hear all about her budding relationship with Harvey, he'd been excitable and effusive, and she was therefore pretty sure he hadn't noticed her disinclination to eat.

"So what did you think of the beach house?" Louis asked as he stabbed a piece of avocado with his fork.

"It was beautiful, Louis, thank you. Very stylish and incredibly calm and relaxing."

"Of course it is. I feng shuied the shit out of it after Tara and I split up."

Donna smiled and gave a little chuckle. "Well, it worked. Although I have to ask, what is up with that bath of yours?"

"What do you mean?"

"The size of it, Louis. It's not much smaller than my whole apartment."

Louis frowned as he considered Donna's words. "Your point?"

"I mean, it's an unfeasibly large bath."

"Don't be ridiculous. It's perfectly sized for a man of my stature and specific needs. Particularly when you consider that Sheila and I like to—"

"Okay, I don't think you need to elaborate any further. How about we change the subject." Donna interrupted, alarm bells ringing.

Louis merely shrugged before selecting another piece of food from his plate. "Whatever you say. We could talk about when you're coming back to work," he said, popping the fork into his mouth.

Donna felt her stomach flip and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she dropped her eyes to her own plate.

Louis stopped mid chew and his frown deepened. "Wait. You are coming back to work, Donna. That's not in question."

"I don't know, Louis. I resigned, remember?"

Louis's fork clattered on the plate. "That was bullshit. Tell me Harvey didn't tear that resignation letter up the minute he saw you."

This time it was Donna's turn to shrug. "I don't know, Louis. We haven't discussed it."

"What do you mean, you haven't discussed it? Why the fuck not?"

Donna felt her anxiety levels begin to rise, the now, all too familiar, uneasy feeling in her stomach flare up. It happened whenever she was pushed to discuss anything that involved recent, painful events.

"It just hasn't come up. We haven't found the right time." She resumed twisting her pasta, deliberately avoiding Louis's bewildered stare.

"It's been two weeks, Donna. How could you have avoided it for this long?"

"We haven't really talked about anything, yet. We've just enjoyed being together, and that's what I've needed. The rest is… complicated."

Louis squinted at Donna, pursing his lips in anticipation of challenging her further, but he seemed to think better of it, and nodded instead.

"Harvey tells me that you've started to see Stan."

Donna smiled, grateful for the change in conversation. "I have. I was a bit reticent at first, but I'm happy to say that he's been a great help already. He really is a wonderful therapist, Louis. I understand now, why he means so much to you. It was good of you to recommend him to both Harvey and I."

Louis grimaced slightly. "Yeah, he's really great. The amount of work I've sent his way, I should charge the shyster a referral fee," he said with a scowl.

"Louis!" Donna gasped but she followed it with a giggle.

"I'm serious…Oh Hey!" Louis was looking over her shoulder, and Donna turned to see Harvey approaching their table.

Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. He was in his navy blue, three-piece, Tom Ford suit, and his long black cashmere coat. The same outfit that he wore the night he came asking for her key, and the memory of that night immediately caused the butterflies in her stomach to be replaced with a heavy dose of anxiety. Not only was that still a painful memory, but just as she had noted that night, she recognised that it was the suit he always chose to wear when he was readying himself for battle.

"Hey," he said with a smile, leaning down and placing a tender kiss to her lips. She momentarily pushed her anxiety aside and revelled in the feel of his lips on hers. Her eyes sparkled and she smiled warmly into the kiss. She's sure she will never tire of him greeting her that way.

"I thought you'd be finished by now," he said, eyeing their plates. "I can ask Ray to drive me once more around the block, if you like," he added with a grin, but Donna didn't fail to notice the way his eyes had lingered on her almost full plate of food.

"It's okay, Harvey," Louis answered. "I'm done and I don't think Donna is going to eat any more anyway. She's done nothing but play with her food since it arrived. I told you not to order the fettucini, it's nowhere near as good as it used to be. Ever since Matteo left to open his own restaurant, the pasta here tastes like my Aunt Freida's feet."

"Louis, it's your favourite restaurant!" Donna said with a chuckle, trying to ignore the fact that Harvey had visibly tensed at Louis's observation that she hadn't eaten anything.

"And Freida is my favourite Aunt, but that doesn't mean she has great feet."

"Okay, I think we're done here," Harvey said with a roll of his eyes. "You ready to go?" He turned to Donna, his voice gentle and warm, but already, Donna could see the concern behind his eyes.

She nodded to him before reaching over the table to grasp Louis's hand.

"Thank you, Louis. Not just for lunch today, but for everything you've done for us."

Louis nodded, his eyes glistening with emotion and he lifted her hand and placed a kiss to the back of her palm. "I'm always here for you, Donna."

She squeezed his hand and nodded, before standing to join Harvey.

"Hey, Harvey," Louis said as they turned to leave. "Robert tells me that you are back at the firm on Monday. Maybe we should finally have that partner's meeting. We still have a vote to decide."

"I know, Louis. I'll schedule it for the end of the week," he acknowledged with a thin smile.

"Great. Will our COO be there too?"

Donna's parting smile faded, and she glared at Louis. Silently communicating that she was far from happy that he would bring the matter up so blatantly.

Louis looked unapologetic as he glanced between his two friends, waiting for one of them to answer.

Harvey's expression hardened, and Donna wasn't sure whether it was at the prospect of her possibly returning to work, or Louis asking the awkward question.

"We'll let you know," he answered, then took Donna's hand and led her from the restaurant.

They sat in the back of the Lexus in relative silence, their hands intertwined, Harvey casually running his thumb across her palm. The physical action had become the norm for them, and it always helped to soothe her, calm her fears and worries. Unfortunately, the silence between them had also become routine, and that wasn't as comforting. She knew that it was predominantly her fault that they had yet to talk about any of their issues, but every time she thought that it might be the right time to broach one of the many subjects they needed to discuss, fear gripped her throat and she found that she would just clam up.

She'd mentioned it briefly to Stan, and while he had assured her that it was totally normal to feel that way, he'd also told her that despite it being challenging, talking through everything that they needed to, was necessary. He confirmed what she already believed, that the longer she left it, the more difficult it would become and the more strain it would put on their relationship.

"We're not going back to mine?" she abruptly asked, as she suddenly became aware of the direction Ray was driving.

Harvey squeezed her hand and tilted his head, catching her questioning gaze. "I thought we could go back to my place today. For a change."

He held her gaze, a look of apprehension in his eyes. Donna sensed he was trying to gauge her response.

"But I… I don't have any of my things."

"Don't worry. I picked up that emergency overnight bag that you keep under your bed," he said with a slight twitch of his lips.

"Oh."

"Donna," he said, using that tone that always made her weak at the knees. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she answered too quickly.

"Then why do I get the feeling that coming back to my place is the last thing that you want to do?"

Donna bit her lip and she turned and looked out of the window. Her stomach was doing somersaults and she was finding it difficult to process the reasons why the thought of going to Harvey's condo was making her anxious, so how the hell could she explain it to him?

"It's fine, Harvey, really. I guess I've just got used to us being at my apartment, and this just feels a little...different."

It wasn't a lie. With Harvey on a sabbatical from work, they'd almost been in a bubble cooped up in her apartment. It had become a kind of sanctuary to her. Staying at his place was a reminder that there was still a world outside of that bubble. A world that needed to be faced.

However, as she leant closer into him and rested her head on his shoulder, she knew it wasn't the main reason she felt uneasy. The main reason was Paula.

Until very recently, Harvey's condo had been transformed from the ultimate bachelor pad into a home that he had shared with his girlfriend. It had been Paula's home too, and even though she didn't doubt that Paula had removed all traces of herself from his apartment, Donna still felt uncomfortable at the notion of walking into the home that they had shared together.

At her own apartment, she had forced herself to not think about Paula, even though his ex-girlfriend was one of the subjects she knew they still had to talk about. The memory of that time when he was with her, still caused her pain. In her own place, she could avoid thinking about it. At his condo, she would be confronted with it, and the thought of recalling all those painful emotions made her feel nauseous.

Harvey kissed her forehead and then placed a finger under her chin, tilting it up so that he could meet her eyes. "Hey, it'll be great. We're gonna spend the rest of the afternoon watching Survivor, since you wouldn't let me catch up with it all week. You can tell me all about your lunch with Louis and whether he's realized yet that we wrecked his bathroom, and then tonight, I'm going to cook you dinner." He gave her his widest smile and Donna couldn't help but let the warmth and charm of it quash some of those fears. Just being with him, just being held by him always made her feel better.

She held onto that, just as she held on to his hand as they made their way into his apartment building. Her other hand reached around and gripped his arm too, as they rode the elevator. She guessed that Harvey had picked up on her nervousness, but he didn't say anything. It wasn't until they walked through his front door, and rounded the corner into his living room, that her step faltered and she took a steadying breath.

Harvey felt the pull from her hand where she'd halted and he turned back to face her.

"There's something more, isn't there?" he deduced as he studied her face. "There's something else that's bothering you."

Donna felt a sense of dread at where this conversation might be heading. She still wasn't ready to talk to him about Paula, so she decided on the spot to tackle a different issue, something that had been bugging her since he had arrived at Per Se to collect her.

"Where did you go today, Harvey?"

"What?"

"When we left my apartment earlier today, you weren't wearing that suit. It also isn't one of the ones you've been keeping at my apartment, which means you came back here, specifically to change into it. Why? Where did you go?"

Harvey didn't flinch at her line of questioning, but he didn't answer her straight away either, he merely tilted his head as he looked back at her.

"That's your battle suit," she continued. "It's always the one you choose to wear when you're readying for combat, or you're going in for the kill. So, tell me, where did you go today?"

"Donna!" Harvey said her name in warning, his lips in a thin line and his jaw rigid.

"Harvey!"

He stepped away from her, removing his coat and jacket and averting his eyes from her probing gaze. "I had to take care of something. It's nothing you need to worry about."

"I wasn't born yesterday, Harvey. Have you forgotten that I can read you like a book? What are you hiding from me? You need to talk to me."

He whipped around then and looked at her with wide, indignant eyes. "I need to talk to you? That's pretty rich coming from you, Donna."

She took a step back from him then, the whiplash from his words temporarily silencing her.

Harvey immediately cringed at her reaction and he strode over to her, wrapping his arms around her, and dipping his head so that his nose was buried in her hair and his lips were close to her ear. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he whispered to her. "That wasn't fair. I'm so sorry."

She lifted her arms and returned his embrace, running her fingers down the soft silk of the back of his waistcoat. His words had stung, but she felt the truth of them. She was asking him to open up to her when she'd done nothing but spend the last two weeks shutting him down when he had tried to do the same. Each time he had attempted to coax her to open up and talk, she had deflected, diverted, or just plain refused, and he hadn't argued or pushed her.

She reached up and kissed him, holding his face in her hands as she did so. Reassuring him that she was okay. "You're right, and I'm sorry. I'm the one not being fair," she whispered back as her lips left his. "If you say that it's nothing for me to worry about, then that's fine."

He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh, as he continued to hold her. She moved to kiss him again, but he pulled back, causing her to frown.

"I went to see Forstman."

Donna felt a spike of fear at the mention of that name. "What?... Why?"

"I needed to see him, Donna. I wanted to look that bastard in the eye and tell him that he'd failed." Harvey swallowed, and Donna noticed his fists clench at his sides.

"What else?" she asked cautiously, the uneasy feeling that had flared up, now building as she took in Harvey's countenance.

Harvey stepped back from her and he hesitated.

"I told him that his sentence was going to be extended."

Donna nodded slowly, but the look that flashed across Harvey's face told her that there was still more to come.

"What did you do, Harvey?"

Harvey took her hands in his and gazed at them before looking up into her eyes with a look of determination. "I've arranged it, so that in three days time, he's going to be transferred to Rikers Island jail, where Roman is also currently presiding, awaiting trial."

Donna's mouth fell open and she looked at him in horror. "What? No... There's no way the Bureau of Prisons would allow that transfer, it puts Forstman in immediate danger."

"Normally, that would be true. But like I told Forstman, I know people too, and I can get this done." His expression had hardened, but he held her horrified gaze.

"Harvey! You can't. Roman will kill him."

"That's the idea, yeah."

She recoiled from him then, taking several steps back as she shook her head in horror. Harvey grimaced at her reaction.

"Donna, he deserves this for what he did to you."

"What, and you're now judge, jury, and executioner?"

"I'm just getting him transferred. What happens next is between him and Roman."

"Bullshit! That's just semantics. You're doing this deliberately, Harvey, with one goal in mind."

"So what if I am?" he yelled then, his arms outstretched. "Don't you get it?...You almost fucking died!" His voice cracked on the last word and his face screwed up in anguish.

Her heart immediately ached for him. The pain, stress and turmoil that he'd been suffering was there, plain to see. "Harvey—"

"No, Donna. You don't understand. I can't get that image of you, bound and gagged, frightened and in pain out of my goddamn head. It's always there. That feeling that there was nothing I could do, I couldn't save you, I had to leave you there like that, with that evil monster! It killed me. It still kills me. Charles is responsible for that. He started all of this and so help me God if I can't kill the fucker myself, I'm gonna let someone else do it!"

Harvey was shaking, the veins standing out on his neck. His body rigid as he stared at her, consumed with fury and pain.

"Harvey?" Donna said carefully. "You did save me. I'm here now, and I'm here with you. But if you do this, it won't change what happened to us, and it's not going to make you feel better. You think it will, but I promise you, it won't."

"Donna—"

"No, you need to listen to me now. This isn't who you are, Harvey. Guilt and pain are what's driving you at the moment, and if you act on those feelings and you do this, it will take a piece of your soul and it will fester inside of you. Believe me, I know...I know what it's like to take someone's life, and I never want you to feel that burden."

"You didn't have a choice," he choked out.

"No... I didn't. But you do."

Harvey dropped his head and he closed his eyes, her words stopping him in his tracks. Donna took a tentative step towards him.

"Harvey. Please don't do this." She lifted her hand and cupped his face so that he met her pleading gaze. "Orchestrating something like this for revenge? It's not the man I want you to be...and I know it's not the man you want to be."

His shoulders slumped then as he surrendered to her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. His tears fell willingly, and Donna held onto him, as he began to let go of some of the tension and guilt that he had been harbouring for weeks.

They stayed like that for a while, until both of their tears had run dry and their sobs had subsided. Donna then looked up into his brown, but red-rimmed eyes and once again, an acknowledgement passed between them.

There was still a long way to go, and there was still a lot for them to admit and share with each other.

But finally, they had begun to talk.