Suits
9x12
"Power"
A Season 9 Story
Written by darveyscactus and CatsBalletHarveySpecter
"Of course it's sunny today after raining all weekend," she replies with a laugh as the elevator doors open and she struts through the lobby of the firm. She's on the phone, catching up with her mom and filling her in on her plans for their new apartment.
Today she's feeling particularly confident wrapped in a snug emerald green dress and nude pumps, curls cascading over her shoulders and down her back. It had taken her a few days to figure out the lay of the land, but as her second week began she felt like she was starting to understand the dynamics of her new firm and she was ready to get to work.
She continues her conversation with her mom as she walks down the halls towards her office, offering warm smiles and waves to the few associates she passes.
"Yeah, the apartment is great," she says, tossing a smile to Monica, the firm's receptionist who was filling in as her secretary until she hired her own, but Monica and Heather, the young associate she was chatting with, quickly divert their gaze.
"There's these huge windows in the living room that let in a ton of natural light, you'd love it," Donna continues, turning the corner where she finds two associates engaged in conversation fall silent when they notice her.
"That would be great mom," she says, wandering into her office, "maybe you can plan a visit in a few months once we're a bit more settled?"
"Alright, talk to you soon," she continues, pulling out her desk chair and sitting down, "love you too."
She lets out a long exhale as she slips her phone into her bag and pulls out a few files she'd brought home over the weekend. The bag she'd been using since starting at the firm was one Harvey had "purchased" for her several years before as a Christmas gift, even though the first time he actually noticed it was when they were packing up her apartment for the move. She'd been surprised by a lot of things since they'd gotten together, but one of her favorite discoveries was how thoughtful a gift giver he really was - something she was reminded of every time she glanced down at the framed business cards on her desk.
See the money wanna stay
For your meal
Get another piece of pie
For your wife
Everybody wanna know
How it feel
Everybody wanna see
What it's like
I'll even eat a bean pie
I don't mind
Me and Missy is so early busy busy makin' money
Alright
All step back, I'm 'bout to dance
The greenback boogie
"Hey Harvey, you catch the game last night?" Dennis, an associate who'd helped Harvey on his case against Pacific Plastics, asks as he passes him in the hallway. Ahead of their move, Harvey had been worried he wouldn't be able to connect with his new coworkers, but now that he was here he was surprised at how naturally it was happening.
"Just the end," Harvey replies.
"That's all that matters, right?" Dennis says and Harvey nods in reply, "Hey," he continues, "my brother's company has a suite at the stadium, so if you ever want to catch a game live, let me know and I can hook you up."
"Thanks," Harvey says as he steps into his office, thinking that a game would be a fun afternoon for Marcus and his kids if they visit over the summer.
Donna is reviewing her calendar for the week when she feels eyes on her. She looks up to see a tall, lanky associate she hasn't yet met hovering in the doorway.
"Can I help you?" Donna asks warmly, gesturing for the girl to come in.
"Rachel asked me to give you these forms to sign," she says unenthusiastically as she approaches Donna's desk.
"Sure thing," Donna replies as the associate places the files in her outstretched hand.
"What's your name?" she asks as she picks up her four color Bic pen and starts making her way through the documents. Despite her openness she was having trouble making connections with her new colleagues. It was something that usually came easily to her, so she wanted to spend time this week getting to know the associates.
"Alexa," she replies quickly, tapping her foot impatiently.
"And how long have you been here?"
"Six months," Alexa says, "I started right after I graduated from Stanford," boastfully emphasizing the name of the school.
"And let me guess," Donna says, looking up from the documents to make eye contact, "you think its a waste of your time and talent to be bringing me this paperwork?"
"I -," she pauses, taken aback by Donna's remark, "what?"
"I'm Donna," she replies, as if the name alone is an answer to the question, "I can read people."
"We have support staff for a reason," she huffs, taking the signed paperwork from Donna and turning out of the office.
After witnessing the strange behavior of the associates in the lobby, and her less than pleasant interaction with Alexa, Donna marches into Rachel's office, not bothering to knock, instead sailing straight through the door and towards her friend's desk.
"Do I have something in my teeth?" she asks Rachel, her tone slightly aggressive.
"What?" Rachel asks, staring up from the paperwork in her hand to find Donna hovering over her.
"Is there something I missed when I was getting ready this morning?" she gestures to her dress and heels with both of her hands.
"Donna," Rachel pauses, studying her friend's expression and trying to figure out where her outburst was coming from, "what?"
"I've been here for less than thirty minutes today and already I've had two different groups of associates practically run away at the sight of me, and then I just met Alexa, who acted like merely interacting with me was capital punishment," she says with a huff, sinking into one of the chairs opposite Rachel's desk.
Rachel pauses before she responds, having an idea of what Donna was referring to. A few days prior she'd run into Monica and Christina, one of the senior associates, in the file room and they were giggling about something until they spotted her behind them and immediately fell silent. What the pair didn't know was that she happened to overhear their conversation - Monica was telling Christina about the business cards she'd seen on Donna's desk and all that she'd learned about her professional trajectory from a quick Google search. From what Rachel had heard, both Monica and Christina seemed to think that because the firm had never had a COO before, Mike and Rachel had only hired Donna because they wanted Harvey, and knew he wouldn't come without her. In the moment, Rachel hadn't thought anything of the conversation because she knew that Monica and Christina loved to gossip, but their outlandish theories usually never went farther than the two of them. She was surprised, and a bit disappointed, that this gossip was spreading amongst the associates.
Rachel leans back in her chair and lets out a long exhale, trying to find the words to tell Donna something she definitely didn't want to hear.
"What is it?" Donna asks.
"Hmm?" Rachel asks, pretending to be clueless.
"Rachel, what are you not telling me?" Donna presses as Rachel's eyes dart around the room avoiding her gaze.
"Okay," she starts, letting out another breath, "but first, just remember that you've only been here a week, and with the exception of Mike and me, no one here knows you."
"Rachel," Donna says again, trying to draw a confession out of her.
"Monica," Rachel pauses, a last ditch effort to get out of confessing the inevitable, "she saw your old business cards on your desk, and Googled you, and she told her friend Christina and the two of them are such big gossips that -"
"That now none of the associates believe I deserve my job," Donna finishes, cutting Rachel off, her face falling as she speaks.
"Donna," Rachel says sympathetically.
She doesn't respond immediately but from the way she sharply inhales and shifts her gaze to the ceiling, Rachel can tell that she's hurt, and a little bit annoyed, by the news.
"You know," Donna says after a few moments of quiet, "I really thought we were over this," she admits, shaking her head and cracking a half hearted smile.
She hated this, she absolutely hated this, and while she pursed her lips together to keep from crying, she was fighting her desire to scream in frustration. She's no stranger to this feeling - she's been dealing with it practically her entire career - and she'd gotten really good at ignoring it for the most part. She'd let lewd comments about her and Harvey's relationship roll off her back because she knew they were being thrown at her just to get a rise out of her, but she still struggled to shake the feelings that came up when people questioned her position and professional abilities.
"Maybe I'm naïve, but I really thought Harvey and I being married would put an end to this," she admits, and Rachel casts her another sympathetic gaze.
"And you know what the worst part may be," she continues, "it's always the women who hold it against me. Sure, there's always going to be someone like Tanner or Malik making vulgar insinuations, but they say those things because they know the comments get under our skin. Truthfully, they couldn't care less. But women," she pauses to take a deep breath, "they do one Google search, make a snap judgement, and refuse to change their minds about you."
"Donna," Rachel starts again, speaking slowly because she's still not quite sure what her friend needs from her at the moment. She knows from their frequent wine nights back in New York that this is something that has followed Donna throughout her career and affected her in varying degrees over the years but she, like Donna, thought that the rumors would go away now that the couple were together and living in a new city. "I can't pretend I know what this feels like," she admits, "but do you want me to talk to them? We've talked to Monica before about gossiping so -"
"No Rach," Donna interrupts her, "I really appreciate that, but I think I need to handle this one on my own."
"I understand," Rachel says, "but if you ever need to bitch about it over a glass of wine, you know who to call," she adds, which makes Donna smile as she turns to go.
"Oh and Donna?" Rachel calls, making Donna turn around, "you should let Harvey know how you're feeling," she says. She admired Donna and Harvey's commitment to strengthening communication within their relationship, even if they both needed a reminder to break old habits from time to time.
Donna doesn't reply, but gives Rachel a grateful smile before turning down the hall and wandering back to her own office.
"Hey," Rachel's voice fills Harvey's office as she sees herself in and takes a seat opposite him. He's hunched over a stack of papers when she strolls in and it takes him a moment to look up and acknowledge her presence.
"Are you busy?" she adds, her tone impatient.
"Depends," he replies hesitantly, peering over the form in his hand to look at her.
"Mike was supposed to come with me to meet with a client but something came up with that deal he's been trying to close. Care to join me?"
"Who's the client?"
"Lola Jensen."
"Like, Jerome Jenson's daughter? That Lola Jenson?" he asks, emphasizing her name.
"Do you know another one?"
"She's a client here?"
"She is. She moved out here after she graduated and she looked Mike up."
"What does she…" he begins to ask but Rachel beats him to the punch and begins to explain the company that Lola owns. After graduating from the Biology program at Columbia, she'd gone on to get a post-graduate degree in computer science and since graduating she'd begun her own kid's camp that focused on teaching young girls about the STEM field.
"Why would she look up someone she knew was a fraud?" Harvey wonders aloud.
"She said that she knew how passionate he was about the law back then and she wanted someone like that to represent her company."
"Same old Lola Jenson," Harvey muses, turning his pen over in his palm as he spoke.
"We are who we are, right? Anyways, her company is missing a few million dollars and she has reason to believe that one of the investors is responsible so we're supposed to go and meet her in twenty minutes to go over a few things before she files a suit against the investor. Are you in?"
"I guess so," he replies, getting up from his desk and buttoning up his suit jacket and following Rachel towards the elevators.
Rachel had always had a tenacity about her that stood out, and even the way she spoke today, the way she marched into his office and demanded an answer to whether or not he was going to be joining her, it was the exact thing that set her apart and made her a great lawyer. She continues to fill him in on the shady investor Lola wanted to take to court and what the plan she and Mike proposed was as they waited for the elevator.
The company was only a few blocks away so they'd opted to walk, stopping to grab coffee from the kiosk outside of the office before venturing through the downtown streets, enjoying a rare sunny Seattle day. Rachel asks about how the new apartment decorating is coming along and Harvey answers, despite knowing his wife had likely already informed Rachel on the decorating status of their apartment. He and Rachel rarely spent time together without their spouses present but he found the conversation flowing freely and before he knew it they were standing outside an old brick building with a sign that read, "The Sisters of STEM."
"Harvey Specter! No-freakin-way. I heard you stepped back from corporate law but I said I'd never believe it until I saw it," a tall dark haired woman smirks as she opens the door for Harvey and Rachel, motioning for them to come inside.
"Now you've seen it," he smirks.
"What made you decide to stop working for vipers like my dad?"
"I guess my heart just wasn't in it anymore, there are more important things in life," he replies, running his left hand through his shaggy hair; which Rachel had noticed was no longer gelled back in place like it always had been in Manhattan.
"I can see that," Lola smirks, stealing a glance at his wedding ring.
"Shall we?" she asks, gesturing towards a large table inside one of the science labs.
The trio spends the afternoon looking over bank statements for Lola's company, trying to come up with the best way to go after the investor that had clearly been embezzling money. In the end, they settle on an old strategy that Louis had come up with back when he and Harvey were still associates and Lola thanks both him and Rachel for their help.
Rachel warns Lola that this guy likely wouldn't go down without a fight and that the case might go to trial but Lola only appears to care about proving he was guilty. They file the suit against Malcom Kneledge and Harvey finds himself enjoying working with Rachel on the case; a case in which the outcome would make a huge difference to the kids enrolled at Lola's camp.
He'd always been a top notch lawyer, but a few weeks into this new role and he was beginning to see what the kid was always going on about. Maybe a small win for the good guys was better than a big win for the bad guys. At least, that was what he was making of his experiences thus far.
Rachel catches him smiling to himself as they make their way back to the office together and she can't help but chuckle and shake her head.
"What?" he asks, staring back at her with uncertainty.
"Nothing it's just, it's nice to see you care about the cause," she replies.
"Yeah well, those kids deserve the best, they should get the best. And that includes us proving this guy is guilty so they have enough funding to continue running next year."
"My gosh, Harvey Specter cares, I never thought I would see the day."
"First Mike, now you. Are the jokes ever going to stop or am I going to have to move back to Manhattan?"
"We both know Donna wouldn't let you. Besides, I'm sure the fun of making them will wear off, eventually," she snickers, stepping in front of Harvey onto the elevator back at the firm.
Harvey rides the elevator up to their apartment with a smile on his face. His meeting with Lola had run later than anticipated so he hadn't gotten a chance to see Donna before she left for her yoga class. He was excited to tell her all about his day with Lola, knowing she'd appreciate the blast from the past.
He walks through the front door, placing his keys on the counter and when he doesn't immediately see her in the kitchen or living room he wanders into the study.
He finds her curled up in the corner of the couch, feet pulled under her with her laptop on her lap, still dressed from yoga with her hair pulled up into a high ponytail. She doesn't turn when he enters the room so she's clearly focused on whatever's on her computer screen. As he approaches her from behind he sees that she's looking at bookcases and his smile widens. They'd agreed that a tall bookcase was the last item needed for the living room, but she'd rejected all of his suggestions, saying they had the wrong vibe - not that she'd ever clued him in on the 'right' vibe.
"Hey you," he says, bending down to place a quick kiss on her head.
"Hmm," she replies, turning to face him, surprised by his presence.
"How was your day?" he asks, resting his elbows on the back of the couch so his face was level with hers.
"Oh it was fine," she quickly dismisses, not wanting to relive the uncomfortableness of the morning just yet, "but I think I finally found a yoga instructor I like," she says, offering him a small smile.
"I started a new case with Rachel today," he says, rounding the couch so he's sitting beside her, "you'll never guess who the client is," he offers, hoping to engage her in conversation. He can tell from how quiet she is that something's weighing on her mind.
"Hmm," she says again, adjusting her position on the couch to make room for him, her knees falling to rest on his thigh.
"Lola Jensen," he says, cracking a smile.
"Lola Jensen, like Lola Jensen who hacked Mike's name into the Bar Lola Jensen?" she asked, suddenly interested in hearing what he'd been up to all day.
"One and the same," he confirms, returning her smile as an idea forms in his mind.
"Tell you what," he says, standing up and offering his hand to help her do the same, "I'm going to make you spaghetti bolognese and then I'll tell you all about it."
"My god that smells amazing," Mike calls as he joins Rachel in the kitchen where she was putting the final touches on their dinner.
"You're right on time," she smiles into a kiss before returning her attention to the saucepan in front of her.
"How was your case with Harvey today?" he asks as he retrieves a few plates from the cupboard and begins to set the table.
"Actually, it went really well. He and Lola got along and I think we have a strategy on how to handle her case."
"I bet he was surprised to see her," Mike jokes.
"He was. But shockingly that wasn't the most surprising thing I witnessed today…" Rachel trails off before finishing her sentence, filling both plates with noodles.
"Oh?"
"It's just… Donna overheard some of the associates… talking about her and Harvey…"
Mike stares blankly at his wife, waiting for her to continue while she waits for him to catch on to what she's saying.
"OH!" he finally exclaims, picking up on what Rachel was putting down.
"I didn't think that was an issue anymore," he adds.
"I guess some of them have the idea that she was only hired because Harvey was," she explains.
"That's ridiculous, Donna's great at her job."
"You know that and I know that, but people can be awful and well, rumors spread."
"About how she got her position?"
"Amongst other things…"
"You've never had someone say something like that about us, have you?" he asks cautiously.
"No, but we were always more of equals since we became associates around the same time. My dad though… that's another story."
"It should be so black and white, are you good at what you do? Great, keep doing it. Why do people care so much?"
"I wish I knew," she answers with a sad smile.
"Alright, you were right," she concedes, finishing her last bite of pasta and resting her fork on her plate.
She lets out a breath as she waits for him to respond. She'd spent most of their dinner convincing herself that Rachel was right - that she needed to let Harvey know what was happening at the office, and how she was feeling about it. She was a bit embarrassed that she was so upset over something she thought she'd gotten over. At the back of her mind, she was worried he'd overreact but she knew that Rachel had a point - she needed to let him in, and trust him enough to listen.
"What?" he asks, wine glass stopping midway to his mouth in surprise.
"You could tell that something was bothering me, so you made me my favorite pasta to cheer me up," she says, eyes catching his over the rim of her wine glass.
He doesn't respond immediately, but shakes his head giving her a affectionate, but bewildered smile.
"So, are you going to tell me, or do I need to order you some tiramisu too?" he asks, teasing her gently.
She lets out a long sigh and tilts her head back slightly before speaking. Harvey doesn't know what she's about to say, but he suddenly gets the sense that whatever it is has been weighing on her more than she'd let on.
"It's just," she starts, fingers toying with the stem of her wine glass as she gathers her thoughts, "I overheard a lot of gossip from the associates and support staff about me," she pauses, looking up at him to gauge his reaction. He's looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue.
"My temporary secretary saw my old business cards on my desk, and told her friends, and they Googled me, and well," she stops for a second to catch her breath, "long story short, they all think I only got hired because Mike and Rachel knew you wouldn't come here without me."
"Donna," he breathes, tilting his head to one side and stretching his hand across the counter to grab hers. "You know, and I know, and Mike and Rachel know, that that couldn't be farther from the truth.
"I know," she admits, "but this is a new firm, and nobody knows me, and it just really bothers me that they've all judged me before I've even had the chance to prove myself," she says.
He pauses to take a breath before responding. He knows this is something that's followed her most of their career, and something that's always bothered her, but he hasn't given it much thought since their first run-in with Malik and the fall out from all of that. He hadn't even considered it'd be an issue here in Seattle, especially now that they were married. He hated the feeling that came when clients and opponents underestimated him, but he knew that came nowhere close to how Donna must feel when people assumed that everything she'd accomplished - everything she's worked so hard for - was handed to her in exchange for sexual favours.
"What do you want me to do?" he asks, sitting up straight and ready to help her through this issue, "tell Mike we need to fire all our junior staff and start fresh?" he offers, while she lets out a halfhearted laugh.
"No," she replies with a breath, "I think I'm going to keep my head down and ignore it."
"Donna," he presses, "they're wrong."
"Not ignore it - that's the wrong word," she clarifies, "I mean, I'm not going to address it directly - I just want to keep doing what I'm doing and hope my work will eventually speak for itself," she says, glancing up at him for approval.
"That's very Donna of you."
"Exactly," she laughs.
"Well, my offer to fire them all still stands, so you just say the word," he says defiantly.
"Okay, hotshot," she quibs, and he rolls his eyes at her.
"Thank you," she says after a moment, the tone of her voice more serious as she brings their empty plates to the sink, Harvey following her with their wine glasses, "for knowing something was wrong, and for listening, and - for not overreacting," she adds, after a second.
"I never overreact," he replies quickly, "you must be thinking of your other husband," teasing her before grabbing her waist and pulling her in for a quick kiss.
Another morning of rare Seattle sunlight streams through the large windows of their bedroom as Donna wakes. Checking the time on her phone she sees that it's 20 minutes before her alarm goes off, so she rolls over to her other side hoping to catch a few more minutes of sleep.
Just as her eyelids flutter closed she feels Harvey stir beside her, shifting his position so his hand rests on her waist.
"Good morning," he mumbles, eyes still half closed and voice heavy with sleep.
"Good morning to you too," she replies, capturing his lips in a quick kiss and bringing her hand to rest in on his bicep.
"How are you feeling today?" he asks, knowing she'll understand what he means.
"Better," she answers truthfully, "I mean, I'm still annoyed, but I'm going to take it one day at a time."
She takes a deep breath and smiles at him softly. It wasn't in either of their natures, but they were coming to realize that sharing what they were dealing with made them feel better than keeping it all bottled up inside, and each time was a bit easier than the last. They always felt better and more secure afterwards - both in themselves and whatever situation they were dealing with, but also in their relationship. The thoughtfulness and intentionality behind how they were learning to communicate with one another brought them closer, and made their relationship stronger and Donna could sense that they were almost at a place where openly talking about the things bothering them wouldn't require any thought, it'd be second nature.
"You know," she continues, meeting his gaze, "I think we're getting pretty good at this," she says happily.
"Donna," he laughs, "this is something we've always been good at," he says smugly, gesturing to their still naked bodies. Memories of the night before come flooding back to her and she can't help but crack a smile as she rolls her eyes at him.
"That is not what I meant," she replies, giving his chest a playful swat as he raises his eyebrows at her, seeking clarity.
"Communication," she explains, "sharing our feelings, especially the bad ones," she says earnestly as he nods in understanding.
"You know," he smirks at her, capturing her lips in a quick kiss, 'they do say that good behaviour should be rewarded," he says, adjusting their position so that he was on top of her.
They both have light mornings, so Harvey offers to take her out to breakfast before heading into the office. She jokes that she's only saying yes if the offer comes with a new handbag as she recalls their previous morning trips to Nougatine and Hermes. He rolls his eyes at her, but doesn't say no as he leads her out of their apartment building and around the corner to the breakfast place they'd discovered on their first weekend in the city that was quickly becoming a favorite.
After breakfast, they ask their new driver to drop them off a couple blocks from the office so they can enjoy the last of the sunshine before the rain sets in that afternoon. Donna had always hated walking in Manhattan - the streets were crowded and the ground was coated in who knows what, and the air always felt stale and trapped by the tall buildings. She surprised herself with how much she'd enjoyed walking around downtown Seattle on the rare occasions it wasn't raining.
"If you have time today I'd love for you to look into something on the Lola case for me," he says when they're around the corner from the office.
"Yeah of course," she answers quickly, before taking a breath and thinking more on his request. "Are you sure you aren't just asking me because of what we talked about last night?" she asks hesitantly. She hates that she's questioning his motives given how he'd reassured her, but she couldn't help the little bit of self doubt that bubbled to the surface.
"Donna," he says, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk and tugging on her hand so she turns to face him, her eyes looking up at him expectantly.
"I have relied on you since the minute we started working together," he says sincerely, "because you anticipate my needs, because you understand people, and because I can always count on you to come through. No amount of bottom-feeding water cooler gossip is going to change that."
She doesn't respond but continues to gaze up at him, impressed, not for the first time, by the way he's able to make her feel like everything is going to be okay. Her emotions betray her and she can't help the smile she feels tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"You know that, right?'' he asks, dropping his hand from hers and using his index finger and thumb to lift her chin so her gaze stays fixed on him.
"Thank you," she says sincerely, giving in to his touch as his hand drops from her face and pulls her into his embrace.
As Harvey makes his way to Rachel's office, he stumbles upon two younger female associates standing beside the main reception desk and he stops just shy of the wall so he's out of sight. He listens as the taller blonde one whispers to the smaller brunette and he resists every urge he has to go flying around the corner to put them in their place.
"You're stuck working with her all week?"
"Yes, I'm going to have to listen to her pretend she's some type of lawyer," the second voice whines.
"What were Mike and Rachel thinking…"
He curls his fist into a ball as he listens in on the conversation being had. He was rattled when Donna first told him what had been bothering her, a perfect storm of anger on her behalf and anger at the associates for jumping to conclusions.
Back in Manhattan, when the first set of rumors started circulating, he was taken aback by what he'd heard. Back then it was selfish motive that drove his anger. One thing that he'd always prided himself on was being a good lawyer and the fact that people thought he would promote someone who was undeserving because of his personal feelings had always baffled him. Back then, he liked to think that he was the type of man with integrity, and always assumed people knew he would never jeopardize his company or his clients for personal gain.
He'd since learned that his anger back then was selfish and misdirected.
It never had anything to do with him, not directly anyways. The rumors and the gossip, it was always assuming Donna was the one who had done something immoral to earn her position, and he can't even imagine what she must feel like to have to hear those thoughts time and time again.
Before they were random rumors that had no merit. They weren't even an item, people just made assumptions. Now that they were married he assumed the whispers and the hushed gossip would be put to rest, he almost can't believe she had to go through this again; when she never should have had to have gone through it in the first place. He can't even imagine what Donna must feel like; how demoralizing it must feel to have people assume you hadn't earned your place. He knew that she'd earned everything she'd accomplished, and he hoped she knew but it couldn't be easy to constantly have to fight for recognition.
Preoccupied with his own thoughts, he doesn't see Mike strolling down the hall as he turns to leave and he walks face first into him, angrily muttering as he backs up and straightens up his jacket.
"You alright?" Mike asks, eyeing him curiously.
Harvey's cheeks were flushed and he was visibly angry about something, his fists still clenched at his sides.
"Yeah… no… I'm not sure," he admits.
As if on cue, the two young associates walk past the partners and fall silent as they do, only resuming their giggle fest after passing by and nearing the end of the hall.
"Donna?" Mike asks.
"I want to protect her…"
"But she doesn't want you to," Mike finishes for him and Harvey nods.
"You need to let her fight her own battles here," Mike says, patting Harvey on the shoulder and moving to continue down the hall.
"But Harvey," he calls back over his shoulder.
"Make sure she knows Rachel and I have her back."
"Thanks Mike, I will."
On the morning of Lola's trial, Harvey heads into the office early to prepare a few things before heading to court. Much like during his first case with Mike, he's excited about this one and it doesn't go unnoticed by Donna that he appears to be enjoying the work he's doing far more than he'd ever enjoyed a corporate case in the past.
For a large part of the week he was convinced the other side would settle but after an agreement failed to be made the judge set the initial court date for the trial and just like that he was about to take his first case to court as a partner at Zane Ross. Though Rachel was still first chair, he was learning a lot from his involvement and he was looking forward to seeing how the case played out in front of the judge.
Just before he's set to meet Rachel, Harvey finds himself hovering in the doorway of Donna's office, watching as she worked.
"You forgot something this morning," he smirks before pulling the hand-held metal item out from behind his back and placing it on her desk.
"No I didn't. I thought maybe we could keep that at home," she replies as she eyes the can opener on her desk.
"I knew it, we're going back to the original ritual, aren't we?" he beams and it takes everything in her not to laugh at his outright boyish excitement.
"Harvey, we're married. We don't need a ritual to do that."
"Okay, I'm confused. Are you saying we get rid of our pre-trial ritual?"
"I'm saying we're in a new city and I think we're going to need a new ritual."
"New city. New ritual. I like it. Have any ideas?"
"A few," she smirks, gesturing for him to come closer so she can whisper in his ear.
"I'll be there soon. Yeah, I'm just dropping some food off for the bosses. Get this, the other day I was walking past the conference room and I overheard that lady who thinks she's the COO trying to give him case advice, like she actually understands the law," he scoffs into the phone, making his way down the hall towards the conference room Mike and Rachel were set up in.
"Anyways man, I'll see you later," the associate says before sliding the phone back into his pocket, nearly walking face first into Mike who was standing in front of the door.
"What was that you were saying about Donna?" he challenges and the younger scrawny associate backs up a few steps before finding the courage to square up to him, shoulders tensing briefly before slinking back as a smug grin spreads across his face. He knows that Donna made Harvey promise not to say anything but after seeing the smug look on the associates face, he can't help himself.
"I'm sorry I don't believe I know a Donna? She must be new?" he grins and Mike has to fight the urge to smack the smug smile off the kid's face.
"Cut the shit, Brad. You've been an associate here for less than a year, if I hear you say, scratch that, if you so much as think a negative thing about Donna, I'll have you fired faster than you can count to three. Got it? And just in case you forget again, Donna is our new COO, and she is better at her job than you could ever hope to be at yours."
"It's actually Bradley," the young blonde associate corrects, purposefully ignoring Mike's comments about Donna and her position at the firm.
"Yeah well, maybe when you learn to treat women with respect I'll bother to learn your name," Mike spits before snatching the bag of takeout from Bradley's hands and leaving him alone in the hall.
The case is over and won before it even begins and Harvey is amazed at how quickly the judge agrees with Rachel's well thought out argument. Lola excitedly hugs Rachel as soon as the gavel makes contact with the stand and he's relieved they won.
He felt the same rush he always did the moment that gavel came down and a realization washed over him that no matter what the city or type of law, winning a case in a courtroom came with the same kind of high it always did. A high he spent years chasing and one of the things he loved most about being a lawyer. And it felt damn good to be a winning lawyer.
"Thank you," Lola turns and says to him as he's packing up his notes.
"It's just my job," he replies, sealing his briefcase.
"Yeah, well, thanks for being so goddamn good at it," she smiles before turning to leave.
"Lola," he calls after her and she pauses, turning back around to face him.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you," he says.
"For what?"
"For helping Mike out back then, I never knew how much I needed him until he wasn't around and you're the one who made that possible, so thank you."
"You're welcome," she smiles, turning on her heel once again and leaving the courtroom.
"That was sweet," Rachel chimes in from over his shoulder and he rolls his eyes and shrugs as if to say it was no big deal.
"Don't you dare tell him I said that," he warns before leading the way out of the courtroom, Rachel trailing behind him doing her best to hide her smirk.
"Donna, do you have a minute?" a voice calls, and Donna looks up from the screen of her tablet to see Alexa standing in her doorway.
Donna gestures to invite her in, and Alexa enters the office stopping just behind the chairs opposite the desk.
"What can I do for you?" Donna asks, recalling her first conversation with the young associate and keeping her tone of voice level.
"I just," Alexa paused shifting her weight from one foot to another, and Donna could tell that she was nervous about whenever she was planning to say. "I wanted to apologize for my behaviour the first time we met," she says, shifting her eyes downward.
"You don't -" Donna starts, but stops herself before she finishes, realizing that Alexa does owe her an apology, or at least an explanation for her behaviour.
"I do," Alexa says, cutting her off, "I was rude because I heard some gossip and assumed I knew the whole story," she admits.
"I appreciate that," Donna replies, a genuine smile spreading across her face. "Can I ask what changed your mind?"
"I've been working with Rachel this week, and she said that you helped Harvey figure out which banks Lola's investor had been channeling money through," she explains, "that would have taken me all week probably, and you finished it in less than a day."
Donna's smile widens as Alexa explains. She doesn't know if Rachel told Alexa about her work on the case with this outcome in mind, but regardless, she makes a mental note to thank her friend later.
"Well, that's why I'm here," she replies, sinking back into her chair and hoping she doesn't come across too smug.
"I misjudged you, and I'm sorry," Alexa adds.
"Can I give you some advice?" Donna asks, and Alexa nods in response.
"Working at a law firm is as much about who you know as it is about what you know," she starts, "it's all about relationships, and you'll get farther the sooner you learn how to foster them - with the right people," she adds pointedly.
She catches Alexa's gaze and finds her looking back at her expectantly, and Donna can tell she's wondering where this advice is coming from.
"Let me guess," Donna starts to explain, "you heard Monica and Christina chattering about me, and assumed they were right because they seemed so sure of themselves?"
"How -?" Alexa starts, genuinely wondering how Donna knew exactly what had happened without her explaining it.
"I'm Donna," she starts, "part of what makes me so good at my job is that I can read people - I understand how people work, and I've been working in law firms long enough to be able to seperate the brown nosers from the one's willing to put in the work."
"Wow, now I feel like I need to apologize all over again," she lets out a self-deprecating laugh, "I really really misjudged you."
"Admitting when you've made a mistake is something that takes most lawyers years to figure out - most of them are too arrogant to ever see its value," Donna says, "but the fact that you've mastered it six months into you career lets me know that you're going to be just fine," she finishes, offering her a smile.
Donna could tell that Alexa genuelly regretted falling victim to gossip and the way she'd initially treated Donna. She also saw something in Alexa that reminded her a bit of a young Katrina - incredible intelligence with a relentless desire to succeed and that warmed her up to her, despite their initially rocky start.
"Thank you," Alexa replies, "I really appreciate you giving me a second chance," she says and Donna returns her smile as she turns to go.
"Oh," Alexa says pausing near the door and turning around again, "can I ask you something?"
"Sure," Donna says, intrigued.
"My sister just got laid off from the nonprofit she works for," she explains, "and she's a great secretary so if you're still looking to hire one," she trails off, realizing too late that she may not be in the place to make such a recommendation.
"Is she anything like you?" Donna asks.
"Oh no, she's much nicer," Alexa answers quickly, which makes Donna crack a smile.
"Have her call me."
After what felt like the world's longest week she finds herself strolling into the elevator of their apartment, hand in hand with her husband.
"What?" she asks, cocking her head as she studies his smirk, elevator doors closing as he presses the button for the twelfth floor.
"Did you really say that to her?"
"What can I say, I used some of my closing skills. I was the best closer in Manhattan after all," she smirks, playfully leaning into his side.
"You don't get to claim best closer," he argues, eyes widening at her implying she was a better closer than him.
"I closed you, didn't I?"
A realization washes over his face and his lips settle into a small but proud grin, his palm gently squeezing hers. In all the years they'd worked together at the firm, he never felt like there was anything he couldn't do. He knows now that she's the reason. She was the reason he worked so hard to be successful, the reason he enjoyed coming in to work and the reason he prided himself on being the best closer in the city. He did it for himself but he did it because she made it all possible. She believed in him every step of the way and in the end, she was there to share the journey with him.
And she had a goddamn point. He'd always considered him showing up at her apartment that night the thing that finally helped them to define themselves as more than friends, but perhaps she'd closed him long before that. She'd had a monopoly on his heart for as long as he could remember and he had to hand it to her, she'd made a man who was once one of New York's most eligible bachelors a boyfriend and a husband all within the same year.
He really had been closed by Donna Paulsen.
And he didn't mind one damn bit.
"I guess you did," he concedes as they step off the elevator and towards the door labelled 1206.
"But best closer is still my title," he adds with a smug little grin. He may have gotten softer with marriage, but his competitive nature was something that was there to stay.
A short while after dinner, he joins her in the living room as she folds a few throw blankets on the couch. He whistles as he strolls in, only pausing to give her a gentle peck on the cheek before allowing her to resume folding from her place next to the couch.
She listens as he roots around in a box behind her, smirking to herself and wondering what he could possibly be up to. He had that look in his eye when he walked by that told her he was up to something, but she tells herself not to turn around and to let him surprise her with whatever he had in mind. Soon, the room is filled with the soft sounds of a saxophone tune she would recognize anywhere and Harvey's palms settle on her waist from behind, his head settling in the crock of her neck for a moment before his hands cup her hips and spin her to face him.
She lets out a pleasantly surprised gasp as he takes her palm in his and twirls her away from him before her body comes crashing back into his torso and his hands settle on her waist once again as he begins to move them to his father's song. They sway silently for a moment, too caught up in each other's embrace to say anything; instead they dance around the living room, door locked and shades drawn, her hand in his. At this moment; their moment, they're all they need and this was a moment they could call their own.
As the song fades and a jazzier riff replaces the mellow one that had previously filled the room with music, he twirls her outwards once again, causing her to giggle before he catches her in his arms.
"What are we doing?" she chuckles, staring up at him with wide hazel eyes.
"You're dancing with me," he answers.
"We're letting the world just disappear and you're dancing with me," he adds.
"Harvey-"
"No matter what's happening at work, you're always going to come home to your biggest fan," he says, leaning down to place a kiss to her forehead.
"I want you to always remember that."
"Aaron, can you make copies of these documents and have them on my desk first thing tomorrow?" Katrina asks Aaron, one of the new associates that she's selected to work with her for the week.
"Isn't that what secretaries are for?" he scoffs, staring at the folder she was extending to him.
"Excuse me?"
"I just think that my talents are being wasted by you asking me to make copies," he states with extra sass.
"I'm sorry, and what do you feel your talents would make you better suited for?" she asks, trying to remain calm and be patient.
"Actual legal work," he says before muttering something under his breath.
"What was that?" she asks.
"Look, you may have kissed Louis Litt's ass to get name partner, but I don't have to take orders from you. It's a waste of my time and my talent to have me make copies, and a qualified name partner would know that."
"You're dismissed," she says coldy, glaring at him until he finally decides it's best not to argue and he sees himself out.
She watches as he leaves her office and grabs a hold of the edge of her desk as she steadies her breathing and tries to calm herself down. She'd only been a name partner for a few weeks and so far things had been going great. She'd been rotating the new associates, spending time working with each one and so far, each of them had been eager to learn from her and excited to have the opportunity.
She considers telling Samantha and Louis about what just happened with Aaron, but decides against it. She doesn't want Louis to think she can't handle her own as name partner and she knows Samantha will tell her to woman up and show the kid who he's messing with.
But maybe he had a point? She was new to this, what if Louis only promoted her because he needed someone to help out now that Harvey and Donna were gone? What if she wasn't ready and the associates could tell. Or worse, what if the other partners could tell? She stares at the stack of business cards on her desk and draws in a deep breath.
Katrina Bennett - Name Partner.
What if she was kidding herself? Did she really have what it took to be a name partner? She wasn't like Harvey and Samantha and she certainly wasn't like Donna. She wasn't confident like that and she certainly didn't know the firm the way Donna had. She sits and contemplates for a while, running through a list of reasons she can do this before her mind inevitably begins to wander to the reasons she couldn't.
She decides not to let one arrogant associate's opinion bother her. After all, he was just some kid who was upset he couldn't have his way and she was Katrina Bennett, her name was spelt out in silver lettering in the lobby, and that had to mean something.
Her thoughts are interrupted by a soft knock and she looks up to find Samantha at the door wearing a large smile.
"Are we still on for drinks?"
"Absolutely, I could use a martini!"
Leaving Katrina's office, Aaron makes his way back to the bullpen where he settles down in his cubicle just as his phone begins to ring.
"Hey man," he answers, leaning back in his chair while he kicks his feet up on the desk.
"How's life in the big city?" the voice on the other end asks.
"Oh you know, just the boss thinking she knows more than me," he complains about Katrina.
"That's nothing, Mike yelled at me the other day because I was mocking our new COO; because apparently we need one of those. Anyways, Morgan looked into her and and you'll never guess who's secretary she used to be…"
Stay tuned for...
9x13 - The Mentor
Mike and Harvey take on a case against a familiar face, Donna and Harvey reminisce about their honeymoon.