Suits
9x13
"The Mentor"
A Season 9 Story
Written by darveyscactus and CatsBalletHarveySpecter
"Where's the Mrs. this morning?" Mike practically sing-songs as he joins Harvey in the staff kitchen where he's pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"She wasn't feeling the greatest, said she'd be coming in a little later," he replies, passing Mike the pot of coffee.
"Everything alright?" Mike asks with a swift raise of his brow.
"Yeah, she said her stomach started acting up after the take-out Thai we had last night. Something about nothing being able to compare to that place in Manhattan. You know, the really shitty place? Anyways she'll be fine, she should be here soon."
They finish fixing their coffees in silence, working around each other as Mike reaches for the cream, Harvey for the small bottle of vanilla that Donna insisted they keep at the office.
"What's on the agenda for you today?" Harvey asks.
"I actually have a deposition scheduled in twenty minutes, a long time client of ours has been sued for wrongful termination."
"Need a hand?" Harvey offers as he and Mike begin to make their way up the hall towards their respective offices.
"Nah, I can handle this one on my own," Mike replies.
"Are you sure? I've got nothing going on this morning," Harvey says. It was a weird feeling, having nothing in his calendar until 11:30 am on a Tuesday.
"Let me help," he adds with a small grin.
"Trust me, you don't want to help with this one, the opposition is tough." Mike says, as they arrive outside his office. He makes his way to his desk and grabs the folders he needs for the meeting and looks up to find Harvey still waiting in his office door, staring at him with pleading eyes.
"Like I can't handle tough," he scoffs.
"Harvey…"
"Come on Mike, I'm a need-to-be-busy kid of guy, help me out here."
Mike pauses and weighs his options before letting out a long resigning sigh and turning his gaze towards Harvey. "Fine, but I warned you that you wouldn't want in on this."
"You mean you warned me that you're selfish and want all the good cases to yourself," Harvey snickers, retrieving the folder from Mike's hand and skimming over the client details.
As they head to the conference room, Mike briefs Harvey on the client, Amy Blackwell, and how her company Blackwell Inc. was being sued for firing a junior staff member, Holly Max. The young girl was claiming her boss fired her wrongfully because she was jealous of her personal relationship with a coworker.
Approaching the conference room, Mike turns to face Harvey and looks him dead in the eye, "last chance to back out and take the morning off."
"Why would I want to…" he begins to protest as the lawyer sitting in a chair across the table, back towards them turns around and smirks across the table at them.
"Harvey," she coos and his face falls.
"Scottie," he fires back with a shit eating grin.
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
[with a special guest appearance by Dana Scott]
"I heard you moved to Seattle, I almost didn't believe it," Scottie smirks as Mike and Harvey enter the conference room.
"What's so hard to believe?" He fires back.
"Harvey Specter, big time lawyer playing in the minor leagues," she teases.
"Alright if you two are done catching up," Mike interrupts, redirecting the attention towards the clients sitting across from each other at the long conference room table.
"Let's get started, shall we?" He claps, sitting down next to Amy and motioning for Harvey to do the same.
Midway through the deposition filled with quick witted remarks on both Scottie and Harvey's parts, Mike can't help but notice that Scottie's gaze has been redirected to where Harvey had his left hand placed on the table.
Every now and again he watches as her eyes glance down at the ring on his finger and he can't help but notice her eyes widen as a smirk tugs on the corners of her red stained lips. As the deposition comes to an end, Mike sees Amy out, leaving Scottie and Harvey to catch up.
Much like Mike, Harvey has noticed Scottie's glare and knew she was going to address the elephant in the room before leaving. After all, she'd never been one to be humble and he knew she was going to take this opportunity to rub the fact that she was right in his face. In years past, Scottie having bragging rights would have driven him mad but this time, he was grateful she'd been right, it had worked out pretty well for him.
He watches and waits as Mike leaves the room, leaving just the two of them before she turns to face him with a massive I-told-you-so grin plastered across her face.
"You took my advice," she beams, stare once again fixed on his left hand.
"Not in so many words," he says, desperate not to concede immediately (some habits die hard).
"You finally told her," she points out and he can't suppress the grin he'd been fighting ever since Scottie brought up his wife.
"I did."
"You got married," she states the obvious, voice slightly over exaggerated.
"We didn't want to waste any more time."
"Oh I didn't know Donna was-"
"She's not," he quickly corrects when he realizes what his prior statement made it seem like, "we didn't want to waste anymore time not being together. I love her, I couldn't wait for her to become my wife."
"Harvey Specter talking about his wife," she muses, picking a pen up off the desk and twirling it through her fingers. "I never thought the day would come."
"You never thought I'd do a lot of things apparently," he points out, referring to her earlier statement about moving away from the city.
"Hmm, you're right. Because I never thought you'd have the balls to tell Donna how you felt and yet…"
"I'm happy for you Harvey. For both of you," she adds, smiling across the table at him.
"Thank you, Scottie."
"Anyways, I should get going."
"Off to tell your client they should take our offer?" He teases.
"Off to tell them they better not," she fires back as she stands and smooths down her pencil skirt.
"Tell Donna I said congratulations will you?" She adds before turning to leave.
"I will, it was nice seeing you Scottie."
"Likewise," she smiles before seeing herself out.
Harvey stays seated at the conference room table until the clicking of her heels fades into the distance and he smiles to himself, thinking that their conversation couldn't have gone better. As surprised as he was to see Scottie in the conference room, he was glad they had a chance to talk. The last time he'd spoken to her was over the phone after Donna convinced him to help her out and she told him if he didn't smarten up and tell Donna how he felt soon, he was going to lose the greatest thing that had ever happened to him.
He didn't know it back then, but she was right. If the entire Thomas situation hadn't snapped him out of the haze he'd been in, one that tricked him into believing he and Donna were better off as friends because risking a romantic relationship was too dangerous, he might have lost her for good. And that was a scenario he never wanted to imagine.
In a weird way he had a Scottie and Thomas to thank for opening his eyes to what he'd been blind to for over a decade. Scottie, because her words played over in his mind, making him question if what he had with Donna was all he ever wanted to have with her; and Thomas because without him being the catalyst it may have taken him months to find the courage to tell her what Scottie helped him realize.
He liked to think that he would have gotten there on his own eventually. That one day he would have woken up and just known that he needed to be with Donna, but he'll forever be grateful for the people who helped him open his eyes; for without them he and his wife wouldn't have just embarked on the adventure of a lifetime with their best friends.
He's lost in thought when Mike pops his head back into the conference room and calls his name.
"Harvey!" Mike calls a second time, "are you coming?"
"Coming," he mumbles as he collects his papers and follows Mike towards his office.
Taking a seat on the couch in Mike's office, he crossed one ankle over the other while the younger lawyer paces near the window, thinking.
"You could have just told me it was Scottie," Harvey says.
"I wasn't sure where you two stood," Mike explains, still pacing the length of his office, something he often did when he was processing information.
"We're good actually. Before we left Manhattan Donna asked me to help her out of a tough spot and we had an understanding."
"An understanding," Mike echoes.
"She was actually the one who told me I should tell Donna how I felt."
Mike stops pacing as the words tumble out of Harvey's mouth and he turns to face him, tossing a deathly penetrating glare in Harvey's direction.
"Oh was she? Funny I remember telling you to tell Donna how you felt at least a hundred times before we moved to Seattle. Hell, I even told you you should take her home on my wedding night! But by all means, Scottie was the one who convinced you, sure, we should thank her. Maybe send her a cute little card?"
"Are you done?"
"Maybe…"
"Does it matter who told me?"
"No," Mike pouts.
"Good, now can we get back to work?"
"Fine. But for the record, if anyone was the wingman when it came to getting you two together, it was me."
"Fine, when no one asks which of my friends suggested I get together with my wife, I'll be sure to tell them it was you, deal?"
"Well you don't have to be such a smart ass. I just want a little credit where credit is due."
"Weren't you the one who suggested Donna kiss me when I was seeing someone else? You know that advice that led to a big fight and me almost losing her?"
"But you didn't."
"I could have."
"Instead you married her, I'm calling that a win."
"Hey Mike," Harvey calls, "shut up."
"Am I interrupting something?" Donna smiles from her place in the doorway of Mike's office.
"Just Mike whining, nothing new," Harvey tells her as he gets up and strolls over to her so he can place a small kiss on her cheek. Office PDA was something they typically shyed away from but after not seeing her all morning he couldn't help himself.
"Can I steal Harvey away for a minute?" She asks Mike, who nods in response.
"I'll bring him right back," she promises, turning in her heel and heading towards her office with Harvey following close behind.
"How are you feeling?" He asks as they make their way down the hall.
"Much better, must have been something I ordered from that Thai place. We should make sure we don't go to that one again, it wasn't very good."
"Donna, your favourite Thai place isn't very good…" he points out and is met with an eye roll. For years he'd been trying to convince her that the place on the Upper East Side that she adored was horrible, and for years she refused to believe he was telling the truth and not just messing with her.
"Donna, I hate to interrupt but could you come help a few of the associates with something downstairs?" Alexa asks, running into the couple in the hall just outside of Donna's office.
"Of course, I'll be right there," she replies. Alexa thanks her and says a quick hello to Harvey, who she calls "Mr. Specter," before blushing and scurrying back towards the elevator she'd just emerged from.
"It never ends does it?" Donna jokes as she steps towards the elevators after the junior associate and she gives Harvey's arm a gentle squeeze as she steps past him.
"You love it," he replies with a coy smile.
"I do," she beams.
"See you tonight for dinner?" He calls after her.
"As long as it's not Thai food," she winks, leaving him alone in the hall as she steps into the elevator.
"You know, I was convinced I'd seen the last of our late nights at the office when we moved out here, you're proving me wrong," Harvey smirks from his place just inside Donna's office door.
"I could go faster if you helped," she replies with a smirk as she glances down at the remaining pile of documents on her desk.
"Or you could just finish it tomorrow and we could go home?" he suggests, playfully wagging his eyebrows at her as he strides towards her desk and props himself on the edge opposite her.
"Or, I could finish it now with the help of my very patient husband."
He reluctantly gives in with a sigh and reaches for a stack of forms and a pen, still semi-sitting on the edge of her desk.
"You'll never guess who the opposing counsel was on Mike's case this morning," he says, peering over at where she was focused on the forms in her hand.
"Dana Scott," she replies in nearly a whisper, eyes still trained on the pages she was holding.
"How did you…?"
"I just read," she answers before he can finish asking.
"How is she?" Donna asks.
"She seemed to be doing well," he replies, unsure of where Donna and Scottie's relationship stood. The two women had always got along, at least he thought they had but he knew his relationship with Scottie had always bothered Donna more than she let on.
"She was happy for us," he adds with a sly smile.
"You know, back in Manhattan she told me she hoped that one day you would see it," Donna chuckles, mostly to herself.
"Ah, and what makes you think I finally saw this 'it'?" he teases, sliding slightly closer to her seat so that his knees brushed against the armrest of her chair.
"Harvey, you were carrying a ring around in your pocket," she cocks her head at him, knowing she'd won the argument.
"She told me I should open my eyes, back when you convinced me to help her out," he says.
"She did?"
"She did. I was going to ask if she'd said anything to you, before Thomas showed up and, you know what it doesn't matter. The important thing is I finally opened my eyes and made the smartest decision I've ever made."
"Which was?"
"I made you my wife," he smirks, reaching for her hand and gently drawing circles on the back of her palm.
"I can't argue with that. It's definitely one of your better life choices," she smirks as he slides himself in front of her, his body between hers and the desk.
"And what are some of the others?" he cocks his head, pulling her to her feet, a hand settling on her hip as he leans towards her.
"Well for starters, you planned an incredible honeymoon to Napa."
"Speaking of our honeymoon," he whispers, nipping gently at her earlobe as his hand pulls her body flush against his.
"Harvey," she warns but he cuts her off before she can finish her sentence which he had no doubt would involve the words "we're in the office."
"Everyone's gone home," he practically purrs against her lips, stealing a kiss before whirling them around and backing her against the desk.
"Now, back to our honeymoon. Do you remember that first night?"
She's standing on the balcony of the villa that Harvey had rented for the week, looking out at the sunset as cotton candy colors peppered the horizon. She hears shuffling behind her and turns around to see Harvey striding towards her, two glasses of wine in hand.
"If you're not careful, you're going to become a wino this week," she says with a laugh, accepting her glass from his outstretched hand.
"I've always liked wine," he retorts, which earns him a knowing look from Donna as she tilts her head in his direction.
"You drink scotch," she counters.
"Yes, but you drink wine," he says, and the meaning of his words wash over her and she can't help but smile.
"You know," she says as she turns to look out at the horizon again, "you have some big shoes to fill for our first anniversary," she feels his presence behind her and leans back into him as she speaks, one of his hands coming to rest loosely across her stomach.
"Are you finally willing to admit I'm a good gift giver?" he sasses, and he hears her breath catch at his words.
"Samantha talks," he admits nonchalantly, answering her unasked question.
"But don't worry," he says after a moment of silence, "I've got plans," he adds, his voice lowering as he drops his chin to rest on her shoulder, whispering in her ear as the hand around her waist grips her tighter and pulls her closer to him.
She spins herself around so that she's facing him, her arms coming to rest on his shoulders as his hands find their place on the small of her back.
"If you're not careful, you're going to turn into the perfect husband," she breathes, eyes locked on his before pulling him into a quick kiss.
"Time to live dangerously then," he replies as his hands move farther down her backside and his lips travel across her jaw and down her neck. She hums in response as her fingers toy with the short strands of hair at the back of his neck.
Her hands float down his back and around his waist as his find their way under her shirt, the heat of his hands on her bare skin causing Donna to suck in a breath.
"Harvey," she says, pulling her head back slightly to look at him, one hand resting in the center of his chest, "out here?" she asks, and to Harvey, the question sounds like a challenge.
"Don't tell me you've never thought about it." he replies quickly, raising his eyebrows at her.
She can't argue with him because she has thought about it. On those mornings and nights spent in back in New York when the evening glow would cast a golden haze across his apartment or the morning sun streaming through the windows would wake them up before their alarm; there'd been moments where all she wanted to do was drag him onto the balcony and have her way with him for the world to see.
Now, they're in Napa Valley and the sun is setting on the first night of their honeymoon, the first night of the rest of their lives, really. They're probably in view of some of the other villas at the resort, and people will probably hear them but she doesn't care. She doesn't care who knows, or who sees. Quite frankly, she'd shout it from the mountain tops and kiss him in every crowded room if she could because she's that much in love with the man standing before her.
She's hesitant at first, he can see it written all over her face but as she begins to think back on that night he can feel the tension slip from her shoulders as he steps between her legs.
Leaning back on her own desk, her palms outstretched and supporting her so that her eyes are levelled with his, she leans up and catches his lips in a searing kiss. She's not sure what's come over her, as she wouldn't normally let things get this far in the office but there's something about the way he's staring at her that has her in a trance. She needs him. In all senses of the word.
Hooking her legs behind his calves, she pulls him closer, an action that causes him to moan into their kiss which only heightens her desire for him. She frees him of his tie and begins to work on the buttons of his shirt as he trails kisses across her cheek and down her neck towards her collarbone. He lets his right hand settle just above the hem of her dress, his left pressed firmly on the small of her back, helping to balance her as her hands travel down his chest beneath the light material of his shirt.
He tries his best to slow things down, to relish in the moment, but he finds he has minimal will power when it comes to Donna, he'd always been a fool willing to play by her rules.
"Will you please stop moping," she says with a laugh. They're hand in hand and she's practically dragging him along the walkway.
"I am not moping," he says defiantly, making her laugh harder.
"If you'd just admit you're scared, you'd save us all a lot of time," she replies, baiting him.
"Alright, let's get one thing clear," he says dryly, tugging on her hand and bringing them to a halt in the middle of the path, "I am not afraid. I just don't want to. There's a difference."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, hotshot," she quibs.
"I just don't understand why there has to be horses involved," he mumbles under his breath as they continue walking.
"That's part of the experience," Donna explains, "you ride the horses on the trails from one vineyard to another and taste the wines."
"Great," he sighs, "we're going to be drunk and we're going to be riding horses."
"It's a tasting Harvey," she says. She sounds exasperated, but Harvey can tell she's finding the entire situation amusing, "we're not downing an entire bottle at each location."
"Alright but if I die," he counters, "it's your fault."
"You're not going to die," she assures him, "but on the off chance that you do, I'll make sure that Louis sues them for every penny they're worth."
"You get me," he says, finally cracking a smile.
He shakes his head as he continues to follow her down the path to the stables. He makes another joke and she laughs out loud, her red hair swirling around her face in the slight breeze. It was his favorite sight in the world - Donna smiling and laughing in that carefree way and he loved that he was the only one who got to see her like this. He knew that he'd follow her anywhere, to certain death even, if it meant getting to see this side of her.
She dips her head back as a soft sigh escapes her lips, his hands having ventured beneath the soft fabric of her dress, his teeth tugging at her skin before his tongue soothes the area and he works his way back to her lips.
Her fingernails dig into his shoulders as he continues to move his fingers within her, continuously hitting the spot that forces her eyes shut and her head to dip back as she succumbes to the pleasure from his actions. His forehead falls to her shoulder as he works, her breath shortening with each withdrawal of his fingers.
She abruptly reaches for his belt and frees him of it, desperate to increase the friction between them she tugs at the zipper and frees him of his pants and boxers in one swift motion.
They didn't do this. They didn't cross the line and give in to their urges and desires in the office like this. But something about the day, maybe it was Scottie resurfacing, perhaps it stemmed from thinking about their honeymoon, all Donna knew was she was intent on screwing her husband right here on her desk.
"Hey Rach, I'm -," he pauses, his words catching in his throat as he takes in the sight before him. Their once bare dining room table now covered with bags of baby clothes and toys from various stores.
"I know, I know," Rachel says sheepishly, and Mike turns to find her standing in the archway between the kitchen and dining room.
"Did I miss something?" he asks, half joking.
"Louis sent us this picture of Lucy," she quickly explains, passing him the piece of mail in her hand, "and then I realized that we hadn't sent her a proper gift, so," she pauses, gesturing to the table.
"So you bought her an entire wardrobe," Mike jokes as he cracks a smile.
"I was just going to get her these," Rachel explains, wandering over to the table and pulling a stack of onesies in various shades of pink out of one of the bags. Mike smiles in spite of himself as he notices the little brown bears patched onto the onesies' stomach.
"But then I got talking to a woman in the store," she continues, "and she told me about another store, and before I knew it I couldn't stop. It's all just so cute," she adds, smiling as she pulls a pale yellow plush duck out of another bag and shows it to Mike.
"You do realize it's going to cost a fortune to ship all of this to New York, right?" he teases as he peaks into another bag.
"I mean," Rachel pauses, "we could keep some of it," she adds, casting her gaze towards the table as her voice dips slightly.
Her words make Mike's breath catch in his throat. "You're not," he stops, searching for the right words, "I mean, are you?" he asks, catching her gaze.
"Oh god, no, I'm not," she assures him quickly, understanding from his reaction where his mind went. "I just meant we could save them, for Donna, maybe."
"Is Donna?!" Mike nearly gasps.
"No, nobody is pregnant," she says with a breath as she shakes her head, struggling to say what she means.
"It'd be nice to have some of this around, just in case," she continues, gesturing to the table beside them.
"In case of what, may I ask?" he replies, pretty sure he knows where she's going, but he wants to hear her say it.
"You know," she says, willing him to catch her drift and fill in the blanks.
"Do I?" he teases, baiting her.
"Mike," she huffs, but can't help the small laugh that escapes.
"Rachel Zane," he says, taking a step closer to her, "are you telling me you want to have my babies?"
"And what if I am?" she asks, raising her gaze to meet his as they share a smile.
"You know I'm all in," he replies, his hands coming to rest on her hips. "Are you sure? Do you think we're ready?"
"Is anyone ever really ready to become a parent?" she challenges, "but we finally have the time to figure it out," she continues, "and now we have this big empty four bedroom house to fill," giving him a pointed look as she mentions the number of bedrooms. When they moved the previous summer, they both knew why they'd chosen the house with three bedrooms over the house with two, but they'd never vocalized it until now.
"So," he starts, suddenly at a loss for words.
"So," she replies, taking half a step closer to him.
"We're really doing this?"
"We're really doing this," she confirms, a wide smile spreading across her face.
"Well then, we better get started," he says, tightening his grip around her waist and lifting her off her feet. The action catches her by surprise and she laughs out loud, wrapping one arm around his neck for support.
"Not you though," he says, grabbing the plush duck she's still holding from her hand, "you've got to stay here."
"Are we interrupting?" Louis says as he stands in the doorway of Katrina's office, his knuckles tapping lightly on the glass. The sound pulls Katrina's focus from the stack of papers in front of her and a wide smile appears on her face as she sees Louis standing in her doorway holding little Lucy.
"No, please! Come in!" She replies excitedly, standing and rounding her desk to greet them.
"What brings you here, Little Miss?" she coos at Lucy, gently tickling the bottom of her foot, and she gurgles in response.
"Sheila has a doctor's appointment and our nanny has the flu," Louis explains, "so this little one gets to hang out with Daddy all day," he gushes, the octave of his voice rising considerably as he speaks to Lucy.
"Louis," Katrina says sincerely, looking up at him, "she's beautiful."
"Thanks, Katrina," he smiles in response, "she's got Sheila's nose, thank god. You should have seen what Esther looked like before our grandma got her plastic surgery for her Bat Mitzvah," he laments, and Katrina can't help but laugh.
"Do you want to hold her?" Louis asks gently, looking from Lucy to Katrina.
"Oh, um," Katrina tenses, thinking back to the last time she held a baby, "I'm not sure I know how," she protests.
"It's easy," Louis says, "fold your arms in front of you and I'll pass her to you," he instructs, and Katrina does as she's told.
"There you go," he continues as he steps closer to her, "now, keep you elbow up so you support her head," he instructs as he places Lucy in her arms, "and make sure your other hand is supporting her back."
Katrina looks down at the little girl in her arms and can't help but smile in response to the wide eyes looking up at her. She begins to sway gently from side to side and Lucy waves her hands in response.
"Can you watch her for a few minutes?" Louis asks, gesturing to the ringing cell phone in his hands, "I've got to take this."
"You go, we're all good here," she replies, more to Lucy than to Louis. As she speaks, she adjusts her hold on her, taking her free hand and moving the onesie bunched up around her neck. As she continues to sway back and forth, Lucy grabs on to her pinky with one of her hands and Katrina swears she sees the hint of a smile.
A few days after the deposition, Amy calls Mike and asks him to do whatever he can to settle her case as soon as he can, doing whatever it takes. She had a merger offer from a company she'd spent years chasing a partnership with and the wrongful termination suit was now the only thing standing in her way.
Harvey had taken a sudden interest in Amy and her case and offered to take it over from Mike, who'd spent the majority of the week wrapped up in another case with an old family friend of Rachel's. Though he knew Amy wanted the case dismissed quickly and quietly, he was determined not to give in to all of Scottie's demands.
He'd come up with a counter offer to her client's latest suggested offer that he was about to bring over to Scottie's office, and he was pretty proud of what he'd come up with. Not only did it allow Amy's company to save face, but it provided Scottie's client with a new, better, position at a new up and coming company.
After sitting down with Amy, he'd learned that though she was bothered by Holly's personal relationship with a co-worker of theirs, Jimmy, it wasn't the reason she'd been let go. Amy was aware it looked bad, she and Jimmy were close friends before he started seeing Holly, but she assured Harvey that Holly was let go because she was always tardy, never finished projects on time, and she refused to take instructions.
Part of him wondered if he took such a heavy interest in Amy's case because he related to her. She clearly had more feelings for this Jimmy character than she would ever admit but she seemed to value their friendship and her career more than the feelings she harboured.
He knew how she felt. For years he did the same thing with Donna. Pretended his feelings didn't matter because he valued their friendship and working relationship. He knew how hard this must be for Amy, to watch Jimmy slip away. So he spent hours on end trying to win this case for her. He may not be able to help her sort out her feelings but he could at least win this case for her and her company.
Stuffing a few folders into his bag, he sets out for Scottie's office, smile on his face. It was a god damn good day to close a case.
Humming to herself, Donna continues to add to her stack of copies in the file room. Though she could have had any of the associates copy the files she needed to give Rachel for the case they were working on, she sometimes found that hiding away in the file room for the afternoon was exactly what she needed. It grounded her, took her back to every hour she dedicated to the job that led her to where she was today. She hears the door click shut behind her and continues to work, picking up speed as she moves down her own assembly line; copy, staple, stack.
She catches a glimpse of a navy suit in the corner of her eye and turns, assuming it was Harvey who'd joined her only to find Bradley staring back at her wearing a massive grin.
"Geez, Bradley, you scared me," she says, hand clutching her chest. She wasn't Bradley's biggest fan, after everything that had gone down the past few weeks he'd been actively avoiding her but she knew where he stood. She knew he didn't respect her.
"You know we have people for that, right?" he asks, eyes flicking to the stack of papers beside the copier.
"I prefer to do it myself," she shrugs, turning back to her task.
She draws in a deep breath as soon as she's facing away from him, and tries to convince herself to stay calm. This kid was just trying to get a rise out of her, and she was better than that. After a heart to heart with both Harvey and Rachel, she knew better than to doubt herself because of some childish associates and their need to gossip. She was Donna-freaking-Paulsen, and she was going to show them how unbothered she was by their trouble making.
"Right, old habit I suppose," he laughs and his comment causes her to whirl around.
"Pardon?" she challenges, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Nothing nothing. Just an old friend of mine back at your old firm told me you had a talent for making copies, something about being 'Harvey Specter's Secretary' that slept her way to the top," he finishes, staring her straight in the eye.
"That firm really does have a thing for giving unqualified women high ranking positions, huh? Donna Paulsen, formerly Harvey Specter's secretary…. Samantha Wheeler, who practically had name partner handed to her because she was as good as a daughter to Robert Zane... Katrina Bennett, she did Louis Litt's dirty work long enough to be rewarded with her name on the wall too… I see a pattern, don't you?"
She's tempted to smack the grin off his face, but she knows better. Instead, she takes another deep breath and gently rolls her shoulders back before forcing a small smile over her lips and stepping towards him.
"Listen here, Brad."
"It's Bradley," he corrects before arrogantly folding his arms over his chest.
"Right, well Brad, I'm going to say this once and you're going to listen; otherwise I might be tempted to march my pretty little unqualified heels upstairs and have you branded as an undesirable associate, and that's not what you want, is it?"
He grows quiet but doesn't back down so she continues with a grin, "No one likes a cocky arrogant associate Brad, do you want to know how I know that? I worked as a secretary to the best closer in the city for a decade. I learned things, I saw things. In your wildest dreams you couldn't conjure up half of the things I've seen. I was promoted to COO because without me that place would have crumbled in fifteen seconds flat. And Harvey had nothing to do with that. If anything, he was the reason I hadn't been promoted sooner. You want to challenge my credibility again? Go ahead, and I'll show you exactly how good I am at my job by making you unemployable across the country. Get the picture?"
Bradley stares back at her, shocked and slowly nods.
"Great. Glad we've reached an understanding. Now if you don't mind, these copies aren't going to make themselves," she says, flashing him an overly enthusiastic smile before returning to her post by the copier.
"Oh Brad, one more thing," she calls after him and he pauses his attempt at a quick exit.
"Samantha Wheeler and Katrina Bennett are both ten times the lawyer you will ever be. Please tell your buddy Aaron that if he ever pulls something like that with Katrina again, he can join you in your search for a new job."
"How did you-?" he's about to ask how she knew about Aaron when she cuts him off.
"I'm Donna." she smirks, leaving him to wander out of the room more confused than when he entered it.
He knocks twice on the white office door before Scottie calls him into her office.
"Harvey," she coos, "what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Just thought I'd stop by to personally give you the offer you're going to accept," he smirks, tossing a maroon folder onto her desk.
"I see that you haven't lost that cocky charm."
"Some things never change," he replies, watching as she flips open the folder and begins to skim down the front page.
"Well?"
"I'm impressed. It's almost a win-win."
"But?"
"Who says there's a but?" She says.
"You're forgetting we spent three years of law school together, I know when you're going to throw a 'but' statement in."
"Fine. But, it would have been nice to win, for old times sake."
"What do you say you take that to your client and when she accepts it, because she will, we call it a draw this time?"
"I'm tempted."
"What do you say, do we have a deal?" He extends his hand towards her.
"I guess we do," she says as she shakes his outstretched palm.
"Maybe we should have tried this whole getting along thing a while ago. Both of our clients are walking away with their heads held high," he boasts.
"Oddly enough I don't think it was in the cards for us. But I'll forgive you for not inviting me to the wedding," she smirks, leaning back in her chair.
"Besides, I doubt you came up with that plan all on your own," she adds.
"I might have had some help from this new associate of ours, Alexa," he admits.
"She's a good one, hold on to her, she could be the next Harvey Specter."
"I'll be sure to let Donna know you said that, she's the one who suggested Alexa help out, something about seeing her potential."
"You and I both know Donna has a knack for seeing the good in people."
"That she does," Harvey smiles, thinking back on all the times Donna saw him as a good man, even when he failed to see himself as one.
"Anyways, I should get going, we have dinner plans," he shrugs, buttoning up his suit jacket and making his way towards her office door.
"Sign the deal Scottie, it really is a win for both of us."
"You never fail to surprise me, Harvey Specter."
"It's part of my charm."
"You take good care of her, she's a keeper," Scottie says, offering him a shy smile.
"She sure is," he smiles before seeing himself out.
Donna is sitting at her desk and staring absentmindedly into the hallway when she notices a petite brunette woman walking by.
"Scottie," she calls and the woman stops in her tracks and turns towards the noise. Donna gestures for her to come in, and she does, taking a seat in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk.
"What brings you here?" she asks, genuinely curious. From what Harvey had told her, they'd reached a settlement agreement the day before, she didn't think there was anything left to be done on the case.
"My client signed the settlement," Scottie explains, gesturing to the folder in her lap, "I wanted to drop it off for Harvey and Mike."
"You know, you could have just messengered it over," Donna challenges.
"I could have," she replies, "but I didn't see you last time I was here, and I wanted to congratulate you in person," she admits, motioning to her wedding rings.
"Scottie," Donna says, letting out a breath, "I appreciate that."
"It was always you, you know," she says, offering Donna a sincere smile.
"Scottie, you don't have to -," she starts.
"And if I'd realized it sooner, I might have saved us all a lot of pain."
"Can I be honest?" she asks, and Donna nods in response,
"I'm just glad we could come out of all of this without either of you hating me," she confesses, her gaze shifting downwards slightly to her hands resting in her lap.
"I never hated you Scottie," she quickly assures, "I just," she pauses, not quite sure how to articulate all the things that Dana Scott had made her feel at one point or another.
"You just wanted what you thought I had," Scottie says, filling in the blanks, and Donna lets out a breath in response, "I get that."
They're silent for a moment, letting those last words hang in the air. She meant what she'd said, she'd never hated her. She hated the way she got under Harvey's skin and toyed with her emotions. She hated the fact that she was the only woman in the world that truly brought out her jealous side. But she never hated her. Harvey respected her far too much to let herself go there.
"I was surprised to hear you and Thomas Kessler broke up, when I heard about it I thought it was a decent match. Although now I know why," Scottie says finally, shifting the conversation.
"How did you even know?" Donna asks, taken aback by her comment.
"Our secretaries are friends," Scottie explains.
"The secretarial pool is the best source of gossip in the city," Donna says, a knowing smile spread across her face, "I would know."
"Have you met Thomas?" she asks, a thought forming in her mind.
"A few times actually," she says, "he and my ex went to Wharton together so we ran into each other at the occasional happy hour."
"Your ex?" Donna asks, intrigued.
"He got a job offer in London and when he asked me to move with him, I realized he wasn't the person I was supposed to spend my life with," she explains simply.
"You know," Donna says coyly, raising her eyebrows slightly, "now that I think about it, you and Thomas would be a good match."
Before Scottie can even reply, a soft knock on the door draws their attention.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," a voice says, and Donna sees Alexa standing in the doorway holding a large stack of papers, "but one Rachel's clients just dropped these off and she wanted me to make sure they got directly to you," she says, explaining her intrusion.
"Thanks, Alexa," Donna replies, motioning for her to come in and drop the papers on the corner of the desk, "you can let Rachel know I'll go through them before the end of the day"
"Alexa?" Scottie asks, turning towards the young associate, "you helped Harvey on the Blackwell, Inc. case, right?"
"I did, yes," Alexa replies, smiling slightly.
"You did good work," Scottie says matter of factly, "Harvey said you're a first year?"
"I am, yes," she says, and Donna has to admit she's impressed with Scottie's sincere compliment, and she smiles as she sees how much it means to Alexa.
"Well," Scottie says, leaning back in her chair and cracking a smile, "if you ever think about moving to New York, give me a call. My firm could use more women like you."
Alexa falters for a moment as she racks her brain for an adequate response. "Um, thank you, Miss. Scott, I really appreciate that," she finally says.
"Please, call me Scottie," she replies as Alexa nods and scapers out of the room.
"Alright, Scottie, before you poach all of my best associates," Donna says with a laugh as she gestures to the door.
"It was good seeing you, Donna," she says as she stands.
"You too."
"If you ever find yourself back in New York, let me know," she adds, "I think we owe each other a drink."
"I hear you finally let Dana Scott get the best of you," Mike calls as he saunters into Harvey's office later that evening. "I guess married life really is turning you into a big softie," he teases.
"She did not get the best of me," Harvey insists, leaning forward on his desk, "we came to a mutually beneficial agreement," he says, passing him the folder with the signed settlement deal from Scottie's client.
"The lies we tell ourselves," Mike mutters under his breath, shaking his head.
"What did you just say to me?" Harvey fires back quickly, impressed that Mike used his own words against him.
"Seriously Harvey, this is good work," Mike says after a moment as he flips through the folder.
"Told you I could handle it," he replies smugly, "what do you say to a drink?" he asks, gesturing to the decanter across the room.
"Let's take a rain check," Mike says, tucking the folder under his arm as he stands, "I promised Rachel I'd stop at the pharmacy and pick up a few things for her."
"Oh, is she alright?"
"Yeah she's fine," he quickly assures, "she just asked for some prenatal vitamins," he says sheepishly. A grin spreading across his face as he realizes how excited he was to share this news with Harvey.
"I didn't realize," Harvey says surprised, "I mean, Donna never said -"
"Oh, she's not," Mike cuts him off, "but we've decided to try," he explains.
"Mike," Harvey says sincerely, "that's awesome, I'm happy for you."
He watches as Mike walks down the hallway and he pours himself a drink. He can see it, a little girl or boy with Mike's light blonde hair and Rachel's bright hazel eyes. With his photographic memory, that will no doubt drive Rachel insane, and her work ethic and compassion.
He's not sure when it happens, but about halfway through his glass of scotch his images of a little blonde child morph into a little redhead. A girl, with his eyes and a nose that turns up at the end like Donna's. Stubborn and emotional but with a heart of gold like her mother, and he smiles at the thought. It strikes him then that while he and Donna were on the same page about kids - the look they exchanged when they met Louis' daughter for the first time and the brief conversations that followed conveying everything he was feeling - he realizes that this is the first time he's ever thought about what their children would be like. He's never felt like this before, and he knows it has everything to do with a certain redhead who would one day - hopefully - make him a father.
Stay tuned for...
9x14
A home sick Donna makes a trip back to NYC to visit Louis and brings Mike and Rachel with her. Harvey struggles to get along with his coworkers. Donna gets some surprising news while in the city.