Hey guys, hope everyone is doing well in this crazy time we are living in.
With all of the horrific things I'm seeing on a daily basis, I REALLY needed a distraction. So, I once again went digging in my file of unfinished fics and tried to get something to a place where I could post it.
I also have to say that all of the amazing reviews I received on the last chapter seriously motivated me to get this done, so thank you so much!
Basically, this is just a collection of four missing scenes from the finale. Hope you enjoy!
««« ×ǁ CAN OPENER CHRONICLES ǁ× »»»
As she floats towards the bedroom, her signature House of Sillage scent still lingering in the air, he can't help but marvel at how easily she can manipulate his moods. It's a skill she's perfected after all the years she spent on his desk, but it seems her ability to influence has only increased since they've been together. One minute he's consumed with thoughts of Mike and Samantha and Faye and his mother, and the next he's only thinking of her.
He doesn't waste any time, immediately turning to follow her into the bedroom, already itching to have her in his arms. But, barely three steps forward and he's stunned to a stop by the sight in front of him.
"Christ, Donna," he exhales, his eyes tracing every inch of her half naked body, savoring the spectacular view. She didn't have much of a head start, but somehow she's already stepped out of her dress, clad in nothing but her bra and underwear.
As desperate as he is to get his hands on her, he takes a moment to just look – letting her watch as his eyes caress her curves, knowing how much they both enjoy it when he does.
She looks beautiful and sexy and perfect, and it's not a new realization, but the thought pops into his head right then – that she'll never stop taking his breath away.
"C'mere," she purrs, summoning him with a pleased smile stretching across her lips, impatience already buzzing through her.
He doesn't need to be told twice, erasing the distance between them in an instant, his hands instinctively landing on her waist. Quickly, she gets to work, her fingers deftly removing his tie as his brush against her smooth skin. Harvey just watches, quietly reveling in her warmth and her beauty, as she tosses the tie aside and works on unbuttoning his dress shirt.
"So…" he begins, his eyes crinkling as a slow smirk unfolds on his lips. "You thought about us," he reflects, feeling the need to revisit the earlier admission.
Lord knows he tried his best not to, but sometimes, it was impossible to keep his thoughts from straying. When she'd lean over his desk, giving him a peek at her chest; when she'd hand him something, causing their fingers to graze; when they attended an event and she looked even more stunningly beautiful than usual; when he'd catch her bending over, giving him quite the view; when she wore green; when she stood close enough to give him a whiff of her perfume; when her outfit showed a bit more skin than he was used to seeing; when he'd dream about her, his subconscious refusing to let him forget – sometimes, when those things happened, he just couldn't help himself.
Still, he always assumed he was the only one.
"I did," she nods, her focus remaining on the buttons of his shirt as she does her best to stifle a smile.
"A lot?" He wonders, just needing to know.
A chuckle develops in her throat and the smile finally breaks free, unable to hold back any longer. "Oh I don't know," she sings, refusing to lift her gaze, as she undoes the last button while he toes off his shoes.
"Lost count?" He quips, slipping out of his suit jacket and then his dress shirt, while she moves on to unbuckling his belt.
"Something like that," she plays along, quirking an eyebrow and peering up at him from underneath her lashes. She can already feel the effect she's having on him as she unbuttons his pants and unzips his fly, allowing her fingers to lightly brush against his hardening cock.
"Tell me about it," he requests, his voice all low and seductive, as he leans in, pressing his forehead to hers.
A slow smile creeps onto her face as she liberates him from his pants, letting them fall to the floor. "What do you want to know?" She inquires, watching as he quickly steps out of his pants and kicks them aside.
Finally free, he immediately lifts her up off the ground, causing a giggle to flee her lips. Laying her carefully out on the bed, he crawls onto the mattress, hovering over her with an intense stare. "Everything," he replies, his dark eyes fixed solely on her. His fingers slide through her hair, shifting it away from her face as he takes in her warm smile, sparkling gaze, and long, long eyelashes.
She is so undeniably beautiful and he can't help but just look, wanting to appreciate and memorialize the sight of her like this – happy and his.
"What'd you think about?" He encourages, brushing his nose against hers when she doesn't respond right away, too caught up in the way he's looking at her.
"Lots of things," she shrugs, clearly playing hard to get, as a hand wanders down his back, delighting in his strong muscles. He's got a few clusters of freckles on his shoulders, faint and surprising.
"Like…?" He prompts, getting impatient.
A smile skips across her lips, amused by his eagerness, as usual. "Well… sometimes, I'd think about the other time," she confesses, deciding to finally give him a taste of what he wants.
Already anticipating the grin on his lips, it certainly doesn't disappoint as it immediately brightens his features. It's a look she's been missing a lot lately and she can hardly contain the feeling of pride swelling inside her for having caused it. "Couldn't put it out of your mind, huh?" He teases, feeling lighter than he has in weeks.
"Could you?" She challenges with the raise of a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.
"Not even close," he declares, having no problem admitting as much.
"That's what I thought," she retorts, a pinch of triumph in her voice.
An easy laugh rolls from his lips before his focus returns to their conversation, and he urges her to keep going.
"Sometimes, I'd think about that first time – in the kitchen… when you picked me up and fucked me on the counter," she reminds him, her eyes darkening as she recalls that night.
"That was so hot," he agrees, exhaling the words, as the memory invades his mind.
After spending months and months marinating in all that sexual tension, they had both been so impatient that his pants were still around his ankles and her robe was still draped on one shoulder – he hadn't even bothered to remove her underwear, he just simply pushed it out of the way. Neither one of them lasted very long, but thankfully, he was able to get her off easily before he fell over the edge himself.
The truth is, he's thought about that moment a lot over the years, as well.
"Yeah," she says with a bob of her head, remembering how weirdly in tune they had been, despite it being their first time. "And then, when you carried me to my bedroom, put me down on my bed, and almost used the entire can of whip cream," she continues, smiling at the memory.
Harvey hums in response, smirking at the images that fill his brain. "Ever since that night, I haven't been able to even look at whip cream without thinking about licking it off you," he confesses, his low register causing her skin to flush with heat. "That… and when you used the rest of it on me," he adds, wiggling his brows a bit.
"We were such a mess, afterwards," she says, shaking her head, as a giggle emerges from her throat.
"Yeah," he agrees with a chuckle of his own. "Cleaning up was pretty fun, though," he remembers, the corners of his lips pulling up in a fond smile.
"It was," she concurs, nodding her head, while grinning back at him.
"I told you I'd change your mind about shower sex," he reminds her, looking quite smug. "And I did, didn't I?"
"You did," she concedes, unable to deny it. Given her less than satisfying experiences with it in the past, she hadn't been expecting much, but he'd been able to get her off two more times before the water even considered turning cold. And, of course, he didn't miss the opportunity to gloat.
"Well, you know I love a challenge," he playfully retorts.
"Lord knows that's true," she remarks, her fingertips lightly grazing his back, moving up and down his spine in a languid pace.
Harvey smiles and leans in real close, nibbles at the bottom of her lip. "Tell me what else you thought about," he wants to know as soon as he breaks away.
"Lots of things," she repeats, enjoying the tease. It's getting late, but they still have time.
"Donna," he whines, throwing in an extra pout. "C'mon," he implores.
She snickers in response, runs her fingers through his hair before ultimately giving in. "Sometimes… sometimes, I'd just let my imagination run wild," she admits, looking almost coy in a way he really, really likes.
"Oh?" He asks, his eyes lighting up with intrigue. "Tell me more."
"Well… I guess I'd just… I don't know… think up all these different scenarios where we'd get together," she discloses, becoming almost bashful. "Like, we'd be at the office, late at night, no one else around except us," she begins, distracting herself by focusing on the moles above his eyebrow, brushing them with the pads of her thumb. "I'd step into your office and you'd just… look at me in this way I always wished you would, and I… I'd just know," she explains, feeling hot under his piercing gaze. "You wouldn't even say anything, you'd just get up and kiss me… you'd kiss me and your hands would be all over me, and … and you'd put me up on your desk," she elaborates until a groan leaving his lips interrupts the train of thought.
"You have no idea how long I've been thinking about having you on my desk," he confesses, his dark eyes finding hers, looking at her like she never dared to think he would.
"There's still time," she quips, her expression containing more than a hint of mischief.
"Don't tease me," he growls.
She laughs at that, stretching her neck to grab a quick kiss.
"What else?" He probes, when they part, her red hair once again slipping through his fingers as her back hits the mattress, once again.
"Sometimes, it'd just be your place or my place… in bed or the kitchen, the dining room table, or on the couch… you know," she explains. "Other times, we'd be at the office – maybe the file room or one of the elevators … even the law library," she adds, amused by his widening eyes.
"Sounds like we were pretty busy," he grins and she finds herself mirroring he expression.
"Yeah, I guess we were," she confirms with a slight shrug of her shoulders.
Suddenly, a silence falls over the room, both of them just watching each other, their mouths curved into smiles as Harvey continues to toy with her hair. It's clear he's thinking something over, so she just lets him, waiting for him to feel like sharing.
It's not even a full minute later that she sees the twitch in his lips. "You know… I thought about us, too," he reveals, just wanting her to know. "And not just on my desk," he clarifies.
"Oh yeah?" She responds, the statement definitely peeking her interest. "Where else?"
"All over the place," he admits, as he moves her hair out of the way and presses his mouth against her pulse point, placing warm wet kisses along her throat. "Your place, my place – everywhere," he murmurs against her skin, his breath against her neck sending goosebumps all the way down her spine. "Pretty much anywhere we could do it," he concedes, his smile hiding at the edge of her collarbone.
"Of course," she chuckles, amusedly.
"Sometimes, I'd dream about us, too," he divulges when he pulls back to meet her eyes. "Sometimes, it was about sex, but sometimes… it wasn't," he admits, his voice soft and loving in a way no one else gets to hear.
"What do you mean?" She questions, tilting her head to the side in curiosity.
"Like… sometimes, I'd just dream about the next morning," he discloses, his palm returning to her body, exploring a bit.
"Wow, so, in your dreams, I got to stay the night?" She teases, the grin on her lips revealing just how pleased she is by this information.
A laugh rolls off his tongue as he delights in how warm and soft she is. "Yeah, you did," he confirms with a big smile. "In my dreams, you would be sleeping in my bed, all wrapped in the sheets but still naked underneath," he relays, happily recalling the image. "Once you were wearing nothing but my shirt and you were bringing me a cup of coffee."
"Of course I was," she says, thoroughly entertained and unable to suppress an eye roll.
"All I'm saying is… it was hot," he declares, that Cheshire cat grin teasing his lips and making Donna laugh out loud. "But it was also about a lot more than just sex," he tells her, his expression shifting into something more serious. "It was about all of it – everything," he expresses, his eyes shining back at her. "It was about you."
"Even back then?" She wonders. She's biting down on her bottom lip, feeling the emotions starting to surface as she takes in the man she loves opening up to her like this. No matter how often he does nowadays, no matter how often he says these kinds of things to her, it still takes her by surprise and she has no idea what to do except savor the words.
"Even back then," he confirms with a nod. Exhaling a breath, he's bearing his soul to her, saying infinitely more with his gaze than he is with his words.
"Harvey…" she says, choked up and emotional, as she bites down on her bottom lip.
His mouth tugs at the corners, taking in her misty eyes, and happy that he's said the right thing. "I love you," he proclaims, the statement full of a confidence he never used to imagine having when uttering those words, a confidence he could only ever have with her.
The words quickly illuminate her face with an adoring smile as she gets both hands on his jaw, ready to pull him in close for a kiss. "I love you, too," she tells him, right before pressing her lips to his.
When they eventually part and he watches her eyes flutter open and look deep into his, he is struck by this wave of gratitude washing over him.
Because, no matter what happens tomorrow, he'll be okay so long as he gets to come home to her afterwards.
Gazing down at the woman he loves, he thinks that he'll never be able to properly articulate how truly thankful he is for her. He's pretty sure there aren't enough words in the English language for that.
Then, he thinks about his grandmother's ring – the one he's hidden where she won't find it.
He thinks about giving it to her soon.
(→→ ←←)
He never really had the desire to get married – never wanting to take the risk and end up destroyed like his father.
Watching his parents' marriage fall apart, witnessing the betrayal his father felt, and the complete devastation that followed – it tarnished his view on marriage and relationships for most of his adult life, making him reluctant to commit, resistant to being vulnerable, and hesitant about fully trusting anyone else.
That was until Donna.
For over a decade, she's been the only one he could do all of those things with.
From the very beginning, she had his trust. And as time went on, he found himself telling her things that he'd never told anyone else – his secrets, his insecurities, his regrets. She knew it all.
And before long, he found himself committed to her – unable to imagine a life without her being by his side.
When they finally got together, it felt natural, it felt right.
The moment he decided he wanted to be with her, he knew he wanted it forever. There wasn't even a question in his mind. She was the one.
And as time passed, he only became more certain of that fact.
Still, he wasn't in any rush to get married. This time around, they truly did have everything, and marriage was just a piece of paper, after all.
But then, retrieving his grandmother's ring from that envelope – the feeling was instant and completely overwhelming. Someday, it was going to be hers.
After his mother's death, and with everything going on at the firm, he couldn't even think about proposing to her. It just wasn't the right time. Neither of them were in the right mind set.
When he made the deal with Faye, when they started making plans for their future in Seattle, he knew it was coming – that he wasn't going to wait too much longer.
But, he had yet to make any concrete plans.
Still, for some reason, he kept carrying that ring around.
And today, watching Louis and the absolute elation on his face as he married Sheila and guided her towards the ambulance so she could give birth to their child – it's gotten him thinking.
What is he waiting for?
He loves her. He wants to be with her. She's the one – he couldn't possibly be more sure.
And when his mind wanders to that ring burning a hole in his pocket, he decides he's not going to keep putting it off.
He doesn't want to wait any more. He's going to ask her soon.
As they take a seat at their table, he's admittedly a bit lost in his thoughts, already trying to come up with the perfect plan to propose to her.
He wonders if maybe he could convince her to take a short trip somewhere before they start packing up their condos and move across the country. He thinks about beaches and tropical drinks and Donna wearing a bikini. He considers a sunset proposal at some beautiful Caribbean resort, the sky a mixture of a million different colors and her bright grin staring back at him.
But then, she makes that remark about having nothing to celebrate, and the idea comes to him quickly – and he just knows that it's right.
He doesn't even question it. He doesn't need to.
It's Donna.
So, he grabs her hand and suggests they give everyone something to celebrate.
(→→ ←←)
It's thirty minutes later that she finds him out front, his phone to his ear, as he circles the lawn. He doesn't spot her at first, but as soon as that red hair catches his eye, a smile touches his lips and he reaches out, taking her hand and lifting it to his lips.
"Okay, great. Call me when you're here. Thanks, bye," he says to whoever's on the other end of the line, before hanging up the call and shoving his phone in his pocket. "Ray is going to pick up a ring – he should be here in a couple hours," he relays, his palm finding her waist.
"I knew he'd come through," she smiles.
Harvey mirrors the expression, leaning in and capturing her lips in a soft kiss. "You know…" he murmurs before giving her another quick peck. "I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to see the bride before the wedding," he teases as he brushes his nose against hers.
"You've seen me all day," she reminds him, the words wrapped around a quiet chuckle.
"You weren't a bride then," he points out, everything about him looking so happy and carefree.
"That's true," she concedes, her heart fluttering each time he says the word. "I can leave if you want?" She offers, daring him to take her up on it.
"No, I like you right where you are," he declares while his grip on her waist pulls her closer.
Her lips twitch in response, clearly pleased with his reply, which only makes his smile widen.
"Please tell me you didn't already finish writing your vows," he cringes, hoping he's not too far behind.
"No, not yet," she assures him. "I just… I thought I'd come check in on you," she explains as her fingertips find the nape of his neck.
"Oh yeah?" He queries. "Worried you were gonna have a runaway groom situation on your hands or something?" He jokes.
But then, her expression falters and it makes his stomach twist. "No, I…" she begins, trying to find the right words.
"Hey," he stops her, framing her face with his hands. "I'm not going anywhere," he promises her.
"I know," she tells him, nodding her head. "I guess I just wanted to make sure that you're really sure about this," she attempts to explain.
"What are you talking about? Of course I'm sure," he frowns, surprised by her uncertainty.
"Harvey… this last month, it's been – with your mom, and Faye… deciding to leave the firm, to leave New York… it's a lot," she remarks. "I just want to make sure you're not doing this because… I don't know… because you're trying to mask your grief… or because you think you need to marry me to hold onto me…. Because you don't, you know that, right?"
"Donna…" he says, shaking his head.
She's got this all wrong.
"I'm doing this because you're the love of my life… because we should've done it years ago… because I've loved you since the beginning and I'm not ever gonna stop," he vows, his piercing eyes locked on hers. "I'm doing this because I meant what I said about not wanting to waste any more time."
"Okay," she nods, her eyes glazed with emotion.
"Okay," he repeats, with a soft smile, confident he's convinced her of his motives. "So, we're getting married?"
"We're getting married," she grins, hardly believing the words coming out of her mouth.
"Good," he declares, the grin on his face practically blinding, as he leans in closer. "I can't wait to be married to you," he tells her, his lips hovering over hers.
"Me either," she says, right before he steals a kiss.
(→→ ←←)
By the time he finally forces himself up from his desk and walks down that familiar hallway for what will likely be the very last time, the lump in his throat has grown exponentially.
Saying goodbye to his office, the firm – it's as hard as he expected it to be.
So many years he's spent marching down these halls, fighting battles, forming life-long friendships, falling in love.
He's made so many memories.
As he strolls towards the elevator, he reminisces on it all – everything that's happened here over the last decade.
The battles, the heartbreaks, and the close calls. The victories, the laughs, and all of the relationships he's developed.
So much has happened – things he'll never forget, people he'll never forget.
As he passes reception and turns towards the elevator, he's confronted with the symbol of all that's changing in his life – his name no longer up on that wall.
For such a long time, it was all he wanted – something he had spent years and years fighting for, and yet, he's completely content with its absence.
Still, as he turns around and takes one last look at the place he's called home for so long, he gets a little choked up from all of the nostalgia rushing through him.
Inhaling a deep breath, he slowly exhales and steps into the elevator, catching one last glimpse before the doors close.
When he reaches the lobby, the memories continue to infiltrate his mind as he makes his way outside, enjoying the feel of the cool night air on the back of his neck.
He spends the entire ride home gazing out at the city, feeling just as nostalgic as he takes in every single detail. He won't have to say farewell to New York for several weeks – he and Donna decided that there was no need to rush. They've been working fifteen hour days for the last fifteen years and they both deserve some time off.
Plus, they still have a lot to do before their cross-country move. Donna is insistent on having some bonding time with her goddaughter, and he's planning on surprising her with a honeymoon in a couple weeks. They're also planning on spending spend some time in Boston with his family, and then in Connecticut with hers. Plus, they still have to pack up both of their condos and decide whether to put one or both on the market.
So, he still has plenty of time before he needs to say goodbye to New York. Yet, he can't help but feel emotional as he drives through the city.
It's been his home for such a long time – the best city in the world and a place he never intended on leaving.
It's funny how things change, though.
As the car pulls up in front of his building, he tries to shake away all of the emotions swimming inside him. Saying goodbye to the firm was enough for tonight, the last thing he wants is to be overcome with the emotion of his departure from everything else he's known in his adult life.
So, he swallows it all back, reaching into his pocket and retrieving his wallet so he can pay the cab driver, before strolling inside.
As he makes his way up to the penthouse, he does everything he can to get out of his head.
Still, it's not until he opens the front door and is greeted by the sound of Duke Ellington echoing throughout his apartment, does the lump in his throat start to diminish.
When he turns the corner into the kitchen, he finds her swaying to the music, humming along to herself, as she pours them each a drink.
It's a sight that makes everything else fall away, putting an immediate smile on his lips.
"Hey," he says as he steps behind her, his hands resting on her waist, and his mouth landing on her collarbone for a quick kiss.
Placing the bottle of scotch on the counter, she swiftly turns in his embrace, letting her arms wind around his neck. "Hi," she greets him with a warm smile.
They've been married for two weeks and every time he looks at her, he still can't believe it.
"Have I told you how much I love coming home to you?" He asks as he reaches out and starts to play with her hair.
Her smile widens from his words and he quickly mirrors the expression, feeling lighter than he has all evening.
"Well, you better get used to it," she declares, her eyes revealing an underlying meaning to the statement. "I just heard from the realtor – they accepted our offer," she explains before he has the chance to ask.
"Yeah?" He questions, the excitement in her voice contagious.
"Yep," she nod, enthusiastically. "They agreed to a closing in eight weeks," she tells him.
"I still can't believe we're buying a place we've never even seen," he muses.
"What do you mean?" She laughs. "You bought this place without ever seeing it," she playfully reminds him while gesturing around at his condo.
"That's different," he insists. "You saw it… and you said it was perfect… and that's all I ever needed to know," he adds, once again catching her off guard with another one of his sweet comments.
She can't help but respond with a smile and a kiss, standing on her toes to get at his mouth.
"It'll be fine. Mike & Rachel saw it… and we took the video tour," she points out, once they part.
"I know," he responds, clearly not worried about it.
"I guess this means it's official – we're really moving," she muses, studying his reaction.
"Looks like it," he agrees with a nod, leaning closer and tucking her hair behind her ear.
"So… are you okay?" She wonders, still trying to get a read on him. He's never been that great with change, and this last month has forced him to confront a substantial amount of change. So yeah, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't concerned.
Of course, he can spot the worry in her eyes before she even finishes the question.
The truth is, he's going to miss New York, he's going to miss the firm – most of all, he's going to miss his friends.
There are an endless amount of memories here and it'll always hold a place in his heart.
Even still, he has no doubt that he'll be absolutely fine because the only thing he could never do without is going along with him.
"Harvey?" She asks, pulling him from his reverie. "Talk to me – how are you feeling about everything?" She probes.
He meets her question with a big, bright, smile. "Like I won the goddamn lottery."
««« ×ǁ CAN OPENER CHRONICLES ǁ× »»»
Well, that is the end. Hope everyone enjoyed.
Please let me know what you think!