A/N: I'm sorry for the delay in updating this. My cat had surgery, I had some family issues and with everything else going on in the world… I was just not in the right frame of mind to do anything.

Anyhow… even if you can't donate, you have a voice.

And remember to stay safe and wash your hands. xD

So, are you ready for the appearance of someone else to shake Darvey's world a bit more?

Cassie (Follow-ur-Shadow), Donna's dress is for you. 3

5

Make a flower bloom

In the late hours at the office, Donna got a pounding headache. She had been working a lot more lately, not only to prove to herself that she deserved to be COO but also to show the same to some coworkers. Earlier that week she had heard some associates gossiping about her while she was in the line to get a bagel from the coffee cart guy. Those two associates were saying she got her position out of pity from Jessica. They didn't understand what her job required and just assumed she was there to decrease the billable from the partners. Hearing that, she had a terrible déjà vu. Before, they used to say she was the best paid legal secretary because of sexual favors. She didn't have to grant anything like that to earn her money. However, she still felt bad about the rumors, and it didn't feel any different now.

Therefore, she was working hard to prove a point that didn't need to be proven. She knew that if she was a man, her abilities to do her job would never be questioned. She was in her position because she earned it, but still shook her confidence in hearing accusations from other women.

Thus, at the end of that Thursday, she wished it was Saturday already. She gathered her stuff and left for her new, empty apartment. At this point, she was seriously considering adopting a cat.

Meanwhile, Harvey was also in his office about to head home to his wife, when a swoosh of red hair called his attention. She was done for the day too, and if he was fast enough, he would be able to get into the elevator with her. He didn't know what he would say, but the feeling of her leaving just felt wrong. So, he grabbed his wallet and cellphone and ran after her, arriving at the elevators, just in time to stick his arm, preventing the doors from closing on him.

Waiting for the doors to close, Donna was fumbling through her phone, considering what to order for dinner, since Thai hadn't tasted the same for a while. She jumped a little when a voice from the door called her.

"Hey," Harvey said, almost breathless.

She looked at him, puzzled. "Hey. Are you ok?" she asked, stepping aside to give him space.

Looking at her, still slightly flushed from the short run, "Fine. Why?" he questioned her back, trying to sound nonchalant and failing miserably.

"It seems you're in a hurry," Donna pointed out while the elevator started its descent. "Is Paula making you run for your money?" She tried to joke with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, which instead of seeming like a lighthearted comment, it appeared just fake.

He sensed her stiffness and the way she avoided his gaze. "That's not why —"

"It's fine," she cut him off with a shake of her head, looking down. Her red locks covered her face and Harvey felt the need to reach a strand and put it behind her ear, but instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I get it. I also have somewhere to be," she lied without a reason.

"You do?" He asked, ready to call her bullshit when the elevator came to a halt and she walked out quickly.

"Good night, Harvey," she spoke, almost halfway to the doors.

Harvey stepped out after a moment. "Do you want a ride," he offered, suddenly making her stop in her tracks.

"What?" she said just above a whisper.

"You know I have Ray. We can drop you off wherever you want," he added sheepishly. He didn't want her to go alone, even though she had been doing that for some time now, he couldn't stand not seeing her safe.

At that point, her head was throbbing. She could say no and face the Manhattan traffic, or she could answer yes to an innocent ride with her married 'friend'.

"I don't know, Harvey," she looked at him then. With her makeup already fading after a long day and giving him a glimpse of freckled nose and cheeks.

"Come on," he tilted his head in the direction of his Lexus.

"Okay," a shadow of a smile graced her features. It only took his puppy eyes to make her cave, and it only took the light crinkles on the corner of her eyes to make him want to do anything for her.

Harvey opened the door for her and rounded the car to get to the other side.

"Donna. It's so nice to see you," Ray greeted her, looking through the rear view, avoiding the 'long time no see' comment. "Where to, boss?"

Harvey looked at Donna, awaiting her to reveal her destiny. Harvey actually hoped she would tell her old address when he realized he didn't know where she lived anymore and that she had somewhere else to be. He felt a tightness in his chest, similar to one of a panic attack.

She gave the driver her new address, which didn't ease Harvey's mind since he had no idea if she was indeed going home or not.

Sure she couldn't have found a boyfriend in such a short time. She hadn't even been back for two months.

Through the quick ride to her place, Donna chatted with Ray about his wife and kids, dodging any comment about her own life, or lack of it.

When the Lexus came to a halt, Harvey stepped out in a rush to get her door, which made her blush and thank him.

"See you tomorrow, Donna." He said, leaning on the car to keep his distance from her.

"See you tomorrow, Harvey." She turned around, pulling the door to the old building, making Harvey question silently what she was doing in such a place.

Before waving goodbye, she added, "don't forget about the party tomorrow. You don't want to get Jessica mad at you."

Her playfulness and care for him reminded him of a different and simpler time, making his heart skip a beat. So, Harvey nodded and ducked into the car that would take him to the woman who had never caused him to feel like this. To the woman, he was supposed to love.

Chasing after time, time

When you love somebody

They'll always leave too soon

But a memory, a memory

Can make a flower bloom

(Immortal - Marina and the diamonds)

That night, Donna had another nightmare. Again with a lot of snow surrounding her. She was fighting with someone and both of them were very skilled. The man seemed way older than her and appeared to always get the upper hand until she finally managed to throw him on the ground. Before getting up, the guy spat blood close to her feet, but she didn't flinch, she just wiped her own mouth, staining her white-gloved hands with red.

Her surroundings were rusty. There was a small cabin in front of her and they were surrounded by seemingly dead trees. Looking at the clearing they were fighting, she had a sense of loneliness she had never felt before.

She woke up startled, not feeling her fingertips nor her toes. She could feel the cold everywhere.

Looking at her nightstand, the clock struck four a.m. She sighed and went to take a hot shower. She would have to tell her dream to Samantha, for it might have something to do with her disappearing.

...

Most of the partners worked relentlessly trying to maintain both Simon Lowe and another company's CEO happy with a deal that time in the office. They all knew Lowe's offer was bullshit but tried to keep both of them as clients, anyway. At the end of the day, both were pleased with the business the firm provided. However, the whole transaction left all the people from Pearson Litt Wheeler Williams exhausted, with a ton of paperwork to see through and with a brief time to go home to change for the cocktail party.

After managing to save both businesses with Alex, Harvey was hoping to have his name back on the wall, even though it wasn't the first thing on his mind anymore. He had barely seen Donna the whole day, and he felt an uneasiness when he couldn't get at least a glimpse of her. He sighed and buried his nose in the files on his desk after sending a message to Paula. Maybe she could bring his tux to the firm.

Donna was one of the few people that could leave the office at a reasonable hour to go home and change for the party. Sure, at first, she wasn't enthusiastic about the event, but after looking at the mirror she felt like herself again.

Donna decided to put on one of her diamond earrings, ones she had bought with Harvey's card. She had considered not wearing those, but they were perfect for the occasion and it wasn't like Harvey to remember them, anyway.

Her doorbell buzzed, waking her from her daydream. She crossed her living room warily. She knew Rachel had also gone home to change and she wasn't expecting anyone.

Looking through the peephole, she opened the door in a swoosh.

"Oh, wow! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" The blonde said, showing a smirk and checking Donna out.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Wheeler!" she complimented Samantha, who was wearing a fitted black dress that highlighted her cleavage and hips. Donna couldn't hide her amusement at their banter. She'd grown fonder of the lawyer and could see a friendship forming between them.

"Come in. Can I get you anything? Has something happened?" The redhead rambled. Even though she liked Samantha, her showing at her door unannounced was unusual.

"No, thanks. It won't take long." She said, following Donna to the couch and taking a seat in one of the armchairs.

Handing Donna a blue folder, Samantha started.

"I found more things about your past. Those aren't as bad as the video." The comment made Donna wince. "I got them from a source that is really looking into what happened to you."

Samantha opened the file on Donna's hand and pointed to a few pages. Most of them were censored with black ink and couldn't be read, like her name and where she was from. The only thing indicating the register was about Donna, was a picture of her on the right corner of the paper.

"They blacked out most of the information, but if you read here and here," Samantha continued, "you'll see that they tested some drugs on you and that you went through fighting training."

Donna looked at Samantha as if the blonde had been inside her mind. She hadn't had time to tell Wheeler about her dream before, but now...

"I had a dream today. I fought this guy, and I seemed to know what I was doing." The redhead shook her head in disbelief. Things were starting to be explained, but it didn't ease her mind. She wanted the people who had done what they did to her held accountable for their actions.

"That's probably not a dream, but a memory. In any case, they're very close to finding these people's headquarters. So you just have to be patient and once we have all of them in custody, we'll sue them for everything they've got and we'll put them behind bars." Samantha's reassurance was all Donna needed to hear. She dropped the file on her coffee table and hugged the blonde.

"Thank you, Samantha."

"Don't mention it. I want these bastards to pay for what they've done," Samantha disentangled Donna and led her to sit one more time, "but there's something else."

Donna sighed and waited for her to elaborate.

"They found out some other people in other states that were considered dead from the terrorist attack at the same bar as you. If you want, I can arrange for your lawyer to contact them so they can have a class action once we find these bastards."

Donna sensed a 'but' from Samantha.

"But I can't be your lawyer because I'm already too involved in this."

Donna smiled at Samantha and reached for her hands. "Don't worry about it. I have the perfect person to handle this case."

The redhead stood up, let go of the woman's grips, and fixed her dress.

"Do you want a ride to the party? I can wait for you and we can leave together," the blonde suggested with a tilt of her head, "I have my driver downstairs."

"Sure," Donna said, going to her bedroom to put on her earrings and take her handbag.

"How did you find out where I live and get into the building without having the reception call in here?"

"Please..." Samantha murmured as if it was pretty obvious.

Both women had a lot in common.

…

Harvey had just signed the last document finalizing Lowe's deal when he heard a knock on his door. He looked up and saw the gentle face of the woman he chose to spend the rest of his life with.

"Did someone order a tux?"

Paula entered his office with a spring in her step. She couldn't be part of the party since it was only for the people from the firm, but she was feeling good about herself. She had cracked one of her difficult patients, and she could see her husband before heading home. Life was great. Their little misunderstanding from the other night was definitely in the past after they had made up for it. Twice.

He rounded his desk and wrapped his arms around her and buried his nose in her hair. The smell of lavender invading his senses.

"You look tired, honey. Are you sure you can't skip this and go home with me? There might be a bath waiting for us there," she said, raising her head to meet his gaze and pecking him on the lips.

"Believe me, I would trade this whole thing for a night with my wife."

Harvey replied sincerely, looking into her eyes. He touched her cheek and brought his lips over hers again.

Meanwhile, Samantha and Donna were striding through the halls of PLWW before going to the event since Samantha had forgotten her list of clients and couldn't remember all of them by heart. They were chatting about nothing in particular when Donna's step faltered. Behind the glass walls, she saw them. He had a crinkle in the corners of his eyes that Donna thought he used only with her. His smile was genuine and so was their gaze.

Her cheeks reddened as if she was witnessing a very private moment between the couple. She lowered her head and cleared her throat, resuming her step to reach Samantha, who kept walking, without even noticing Donna's heartbreak at the sight of Harvey.

...

Harvey entered the wide space that was already buzzing with the firm's most prestigious clients. He had splashed some water on his face and fixed his hair before going there. Harvey needed a drink and Mike to endure the night, but his friend wasn't there — he kept working at the clinic and this event was only for clients and employees. Harvey sighed and headed to the open bar to at least pet Alex on the back. But before he could reach the partner, he spotted her.

Donna's hair was thrown to the side and wobbly curls settled on her shoulder. One red strand was loose and fell right between her breasts, making Harvey wet his lips. She was wearing a long green dress that hugged her figure perfectly. The top revealed more freckles than he could count, with its deep neckline and thin stripes holding the silk in place. The dress hugged her hips, letting little for the imagination, and yet was loose enough to reveal her long slender leg through a long slit on the right.

His breath hitched in his throat at the sight when she approached Alex, who was talking to a client. He could bet her freckles would tell him a story like a book in braille. If only he could touch her to read them...

Harvey's feet carried him to the group without his consent. He needed a drink, but he needed to see her closer more.

"I'm so glad the deal with Lowe went well, Thomas." Harvey heard her. There was a sparkle in her eyes that made his heart sink. Was she flirting?

"Me too, Donna." Harvey looked at Kessler checking Donna out. He couldn't help but clench his fists at his side. How dare he look at Donna like that?

"Harvey! Thank god you're here!" Alex greeted his friend, "I was starting to think you weren't coming to— "

"I'm here, Alex." Harvey cut him off, still staring at Donna and Kessler, "Thomas, it's good to see you." Harvey said through clenched teeth.

"You too, Harvey. Thank you for handling the issue as you did. You really saved my company, man." Thomas told Harvey with such sincerity that made Harvey feel like an asshole.

"Sure." Harvey lowered his gaze and attitude.

Donna, who was watching the entire exchange, felt extremely uncomfortable. She could read Harvey's demeanor as if she was still his secretary. His tie was to the left, he was rigid on the spot and had his jaw clenched. Her talking to Thomas bothered him. But she wasn't about to let him ruin her night more than the sight of him and his wife earlier already had.

Harvey cleared his throat and excused himself. He went to the other end of the bar to ask for a whiskey. God knew he needed it more than before.

...

By the end of the event, Donna was a bit tipsy and extremely confident. She had just said goodbye to Rachel and Samantha, but she still needed one last drink to call it a night. Not only had she given her number to Thomas, promising they would go to dinner sometime next week, but she also read all the clients she hadn't met yet and got a new client for the firm. She was feeling great! She used her charms to assure the businessman's wife that PLWW was the best option to take care of their million-dollar tractor business was about to merge with a smaller nail company. It turned out, the man's wife was the one to handle everything work-related, while her husband would do anything she told.

She leaned on the counter to ask for her fifth or sixth glass of champagne when she noticed his presence. Of course, she had felt his gaze burning into her during the entire night, but she had done her best to avoid him.

"Harvey," she said without turning around.

"Donna," he replied with the same intonation, taking a seat beside her at one of the bar stools. "You managed to close Mr. Clide's company."

His observation brought a smile to her lips.

"I knew you wanted him to be our client. I just helped a little," she shrugged.

"You didn't help, Donna. You did the whole thing on your own." She amazed him. He recognized she was more than capable of doing her job and the others, but that night, she had outdone herself.

"What can I say? Everybody was looking in the wrong direction when they should have searched into the man's heart." She turned and looked at him in the eyes. A shadow of a smirk still graced her features. Her eyes shone with pride and he wished he was the one to give her promotion a long time ago.

"Congratulations," he praised instead of engaging further. Her comment had thrown him a bit off the tracks.

"Thanks," she accepted his admiration, chugging at her champagne glass and turning to leave the building.

"Where are you going?" He asked suddenly, making her slow her pace.

"Home." She said, without facing him.

He could see her naked back, only covered by two thin stripes of silk. He swallowed and felt his pants grow a little tighter.

"I can give you a ride," he followed her steps, quite drunk himself.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Harvey." She reached the exit. The New York night breeze through her bare skin made her shiver.

"Why not? I have Ray and—" he tried to reason but was cut off by her.

"No, Harvey." She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, ready to hail a cab.

"Why not?" He asked, reaching for her hand and causing her to turn around to look at him.

She twisted her wrist in a fast and skilled motion that loosened his grip on her instantaneously, surprising them both. She hadn't thought muscle memory was indeed a thing until that very moment. She looked at her arm as if he had burned her, but forced her attention back to him.

"Because Harvey," she started, "you have a freaking wife and you're everywhere and I need space!"

There were tears in her eyes when she noticed his hurt expression.

"I know," he said above a whisper.

"I can't breathe with you looking at me like that, so why do you keep torturing me?!" she asked, taking a slight step closer to him. He was a bastard. An asshole who wasn't able to see how extraordinary she was. He was blind and self-absorbed who didn't deserve her awesomeness, and yet he owned her heart. He was a selfish bastard who said he loved her, only to get married to someone else two years later. And for thinking about that again, she was mad. Furious at him and mad at herself for being furious at him. He had no right! No right to own her heart and her mind! He had no right to look at her like that!

"Because—" he raised his voice, taking another stride towards her.

"Because of WHAT?" They were starting to call the attention to a few passers-by.

"BECAUSE I CAN'T LEAVE YOU!" He yelled, drawing another step closer to her.

With her nude high heels, she was practically his height, and they were mere inches apart. He could almost taste her vanilla scent. It was so intoxicating and inebriating that made him want to reach and claim her as his in the middle of the side-walk.

She sighed and gave a small step back. She shook her head lightly and muttered.

"Don't you get it, Harvey?" She took another step backward. "You already left. And now, there's no turning back."

A cab pulled up, and she got in, leaving him there, in the night's midst, facing the beginning of a panic attack.

She went home thinking he had no right to own her and leave her whenever he needed to go to his wife.

A/N: Don't forget to let me know what you all think.