Donna's eyes go over the words on the paper in front of her. She opened the letter fifteen minutes ago and read it at least ten times, but repeating the words does nothing to calm the panic that's rising inside of her chest. After scanning the words two more times, she slams the paper down on her desk and pushes up from her chair. She turns towards the large windows offering her a view of the city and takes a few deep breaths.
After regaining her composure and mustering up some courage, Donna takes the letter on her desk and makes her way over to Harvey's office. She walks up to his desk and pauses, a little too nervous to sit down. She watches as he finishes highlighting a section of a document. Then he looks up at her, and within a fraction of a second he knows something is wrong. Her posture is rigid and the smile on her face is forced. He meets her eyes, and his brow furrows, "what's going on?"
Donna blows out a long breath before handing the paper in her hands over to Harvey. He glances at her for a moment longer before folding open the letter. His eyes fly over the words. The words she has memorized from reading them over and over. When he looks back at her, fury burns behind his dark eyes. He pushes up from his chair and brushes past her, storming towards the door of his office.
"Harvey!" Donna calls out after him, and her voice makes him stall his movements. She waits until he turns around, "that son of a-" "calm down." She interrupts. He firms his jaw, an internal war waging. "He threatened you," he pushes out through gritted teeth. The escalating threats were a problem in itself, one that him and Mike still have not managed to solve. But now Donna has received a threat and that is one bridge too far. He can't have her be in the crosshairs.
Harvey pushes down his anger just enough to walk the few steps back to Donna. He needs to make it clear to her that this is not up for discussion. "Donna," he starts, but she doesn't let him get any further than that. "I know you're worried but-" "-no," he takes his turn interrupting her, "I'm not worried, I'm angry. They had no right bringing you into this."
Donna huffs out an annoyed laugh, "I was the one who brought this thing into the firm, remember?" Harveys lips turn into a tight line at that. She's right. But that doesn't mean he isn't angry. "And," Donna continues, "I know you think you're angry, but you're not. You are just deflecting from your worry, because you still have a hard time dealing with emotions that aren't anger." She brings her hands up to his biceps, squeezing softly, "take a breath, Harvey."
With a sigh, Harvey sinks down on the couch. Donna perches herself next to him, resting a hand on his knee. This reaction – his anger – was what got her worried when she found the letter in her mail. The threat itself wasn't any worse than the ones Harvey had received, but she had immediately known that sending one to her was a deliberate move to get a rise out of him. And so far, judging by Harvey's tense expression, it looks like it's working perfectly.
"Endangering you is not worth it," Harvey tells Donna, his voice low. He moves his hand over hers, intertwining their fingers. She squeezes softly, "I'm not in danger Harvey. Not any more than I was in yesterday, or the day before." He turns towards her, "they sent you a threat," he grumbles. She nods, her expression serious, "they did. But only to rile you up. And it's working."
Harvey lowers his gaze, his eyes focusing on their hands, "what do you want me to do, Donna?" He asks, a slight note of despair tinging his voice. Her free hand comes up to his face, forcing his head up to look at her, "do what you do best," she offers him a gentle smile, "you continue fighting. You find a way to win. Because you're Harvey Specter and you don't give up when you're backed into a corner." He just looks at her, seemingly still unsure. She brushes her thumb over his cheek, "what is it you always say about what to do when someone points a gun to your head?"
Donna's question brings a slight smile to Harvey's lips. A smile that is, however, quickly replaced by a serious expression again, "the gun is not just pointed at my head anymore, Donna." Usually she can talk him down quickly, but this matter concerns her safety and he is not willing to risk that. Her teeth sink into her bottom lip, "let's make a compromise," she suggests, "you continue with whatever you were doing. And if this thing escalates any further we'll reevaluate."
Harvey narrows his eyes at Donna, "that sounds a lot like you getting your way." He notes. "Does it?" She wonders, but the smirk on her face tells him he's right. A sigh escapes him. He still disagrees, but when she has formed an opinion, it's hard to change her mind. Probably because she is usually right. And despite his internal protest, he trusts her. So he nods, agreeing to her 'compromise'.
For a few days, Harvey is tense and extremely alert. He doesn't sleep well and his exhaustion makes him snappy and irritated. However, when almost a week passes and nothing happens, he is able to relax a little. The case is moving forward, slowly, but steadily. And, more importantly, Mike managed to find a trustworthy client who might have a contact in the police force. The thought makes him feel like safety is withing reach. Not just for him, but also for Donna, because it's the idea of her being in danger that unnerves him the most.
A week after Donna received the threat at her office, she and Harvey get home together. She had to persuade him to leave the office a little earlier than usual; she feels like he needs the night off. As they walk in, she rifles through the pile of mail that they let build over the last few days while he moves into the kitchen to pour them both a drink. She follows him, tossing a bill and a letter from their insurance company on the counter before she comes across a letter that makes her heart stop for a moment. "Harvey?" She asks, hearing the high-pitched tone in her own voice. He must hear it too, because he immediately spins around, concern prominent on his face.
Harvey quickly crosses over to where Donna is standing. He connects them by putting his left hand on her waist, while taking the letter with his right one. His eyes scan over the page, skimming over the words but not taking in the details. He doesn't need to, because he knows exactly what this is. And it makes his heart start to pound hard against his ribcage. "They didn't," he whispers lowly. Angrily. Delivering a threat to Donna was taking it too far, but delivering a letter to their home is absolutely unacceptable. He balls his fists, crumpling the letter in his hand as he does so. "That's it," he decides, "I'm calling Mike and dropping this."
"Harvey, wait," Donna has swallowed her initial reaction of anger and fear to press her hands against Harvey's chest and steadily gaze at him. What follows, is almost an exact replica of the conversation they had a week ago, with one difference; Harvey is not intending on giving in this time. She tries to talk him down again, reminding him of Danielle, and the reasons she brought this case to him. However, he just shakes his head, and when she tries to start another protest, he takes a step back. "No, Donna. Last time you said I could drop the case if this thing escalated further, and now it has."
"I said we would reevaluate, not that you could just drop it." Donna reminds Harvey, but he's not having any of it. "I've just reevaluated, and I'm dropping it," he tells her, squaring his shoulders, "I don't want you in danger. And don't you dare tell me you're not in danger." She exhales slowly and dares to step closer again, "you're right," she concedes, "this is scary."
As soon as Donna admits her fear, Harvey steps closer again, wrapping his hands around her waist, "that's why-" "-no," she softly interrupts, "you said you're close to finding a contact at the police force, right?" He sighs, meeting her eyes, "I don't know how close." He mutters. She lifts one hand to cup his cheek, "call Mike," she suggests, "tell him what happened and ask how close. And if it's just a matter of a few days I think we're okay."
Harvey searches Donna's face for any clues that she's just saying this to reassure him while she feels different. But she has a gentle smile on her face and her eyes are soft and shine sincerely. He releases a long breath and leans his head forward, letting his forehead rest against hers. He closes his eyes for a second, drawing her in closer to his chest. "Fine," he softly agrees, "but we have to have a conversation with someone at the force within forty-eight hours, otherwise I'm still dropping it."
"Okay," Donna agrees. Because honestly, this thing scares her more than she would like to admit. A very powerful man threatening them, having found out their home address, it gives her a bad feeling. But she saw Danielle when she told her whole story. And the woman radiated fear and hopelessness, and Donna doesn't want to let her down.
Harvey takes out his phone and calls Mike, leaning against the edge of the kitchen counter as he watches Donna. She finishes pouring the drinks he started, and hands him a glass before leaning into his side. He wraps his arm around her as he talks to Mike, explaining the situation and expressing his concerns. It's a short conversation, after which Harvey presses a soft kiss to her temple. "Mike has a meeting with that client tomorrow morning, so hopefully we'll have a reliable contact by noon."
The rest of the night is spent on the couch, both Harvey and Donna equal parts tired and not in the mood to do much else. When they eventually move to bed, Harvey falls asleep surprisingly quickly, considering the worried thoughts that kept spinning through his mind all evening. He holds Donna close against his chest, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist.
When Harvey wakes up after a few hours, he immediately notices the empty space beside him. He shoots up, his brain concocting terrifying scenarios. His feet hit the floor and he is out of their bedroom before he even realizes what he is doing. There is a light on in the living room and he makes his way towards it. There, he exhales relieved. Donna is sitting on the couch, completely unharmed.
"Hey," Harvey lowers himself next to Donna. She has one knee drawn into her chest, the other leg folded underneath herself. She faintly smiles at Harvey, "I didn't mean to wake you." He shakes his head a little, while carefully observing her. Usually, she's a good sleeper, and the fact that she's sitting wide awake worries him a little. "Are you okay?" He asks softly, his hand reaching for her and coming to rest on her leg. She bites down on her bottom lip, shrugging lightly. He tilts his head, "is it about the case?" He gently presses. She looks down, which tells him enough, "Donna… talk to me," he asks, "as your husband… forget I'm also that stubborn, impulsive lawyer."
Donna faintly smiles at Harvey's words. She looks back up at him, "I'm scared." She admits. He gives her calf a soft squeeze, and nods, "me too," he murmurs. She reaches for his hand and laces her fingers through his, "I don't need you to drop this case… Danielle deserves you to fight for her. But," she sighs, and shrugs. Harvey rubs his thumb over her knuckles. He loves rendering her speechless, but he hates when she stumbles over herself in uncertainty. "I get it," he offers, softly squeezing her hand, "don't keep this from me, okay? We're in this together." He moves closer, and pulls her into his arms, "I've got you," he promises as he presses a kiss into her hair.