Suits
9x16
"Home"
A Season 9 Story
Written by darveyscactus and CatsBalletHarveySpecter
"Manhattan?" Donna blinks back at Mike.
"Yes."
"We were hoping that maybe you two would join us?" Rachel asks. "You don't have to answer now, go home and talk about it, think it over."
"When are you two planning on leaving?" Harvey asks.
"It's not set in stone yet, but we have our eye on an office space and we were hoping to make the move as soon as possible," Mike explains.
The rest of the dinner passes slowly, the pending conversation about a potential move weighing heavy on both Harvey and Donna's minds. After paying the bill, Harvey slips his hand into Donna's as they begin the short walk back to their apartment. It's a warm evening and they walk arm in arm through the city.
Neither of them speak, both thinking about what Mike and Rachel just proposed. When Harvey first suggested he give up his position at Specter Litt Wheeler Williams, she was sure that starting over was the next right thing for them. The perfect way to start their lives together. But now that they had a little one on the way, she wondered if being so far away from their family and friends was what was best for them.
If Mike and Rachel were moving back to the city, so was their support system and that worried her. Plus, it would be nice for her parents to be able to see their grandchild and it would bring them closer to Harvey's brother. Her mind is a mess of what-ifs and possibilities and she feels overwhelmed.
Harvey is the first to break the silence, squeezing her palm gently as he speaks. "So, what are you thinking?"
"What are you thinking?" She parrots back.
"Honestly, I don't hate the idea," he admits. "If you don't hate the idea."
"I don't," she smiles, "It would be nice to be closer to family. Especially now."
"I know it's only been a few months but I don't know, New York will always be home and something about this just seems right," Harvey explains.
"I know I was the one that suggested we do this but we did it and now… I think it might be time to go home," he adds.
"I think so too," she nods, leaning up on her toes to steal a kiss. With one hand planted on his chest, she looks up at him with adoring eyes. Suddenly, she isn't sure why she was so unsure about moving back to Manhattan. As soon as the suggestion leaves Harvey's lips she knows it's what she wants. The fact that they both want it only confirms to her that it's the right choice.
"Let's go start our family back home," he whispers.
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
Harvey finds himself in a great mood after spending the evening talking about the decision to move with Donna, and by the time he returns from lunch the next day, he's in such high spirits that he doesn't mind that Rachel drops an extra last-minute case on him. The more he thought about it, the more he was confident with their decision to move back to Manhattan. Before Mike and Rachel proposed the move, the thought wouldn't have crossed his mind. He was happy with the life that he and Donna had started in Seattle, but when he sat and asked himself why he was so happy it all came down to Donna. Ever since they'd gotten together, he discovered that home wasn't so much a place as it was a person. It didn't matter where they lived, as long as they were together he knew that everything would work itself out. If their best friends were moving back to the city and Donna wanted to be closer to her parents for when the baby came, that's where he would be. It was an added bonus that one day he would get to take his son or daughter back to the place where they met and tell them all about how he fell in love with their mother.
He is up to his elbows in work when Mike strolls into his office whistling. He acknowledges Mike with a small nod but continues to type, determined to get out of the office at a reasonable hour. Mike takes a seat on the couch, kicking his feet up and crossing his ankles, continuing to whistle which causes Harvey to groan and roll his eyes at his former associate.
"Can I help you with something Mike?"
"No no, don't mind me. I was just thinking, should I get season tickets for the Knicks or the Yankees?"
"And you need me to tell you that the Yankees is the right answer?"
"Maybe I should get both," Mike sighs.
Harvey pulls his laptop screen towards him, offering him a clear view of where Mike has sprawled out on his couch over the photo of him and Donna he has on his desk. Mike continues to ramble to himself about the cons of purchasing both sets of tickets while Harvey watches with an amused grin. He knows exactly what Mike is trying to do and while he appreciates the effort, he's excited to share that he and Donna have decided to join them.
"Are you done?" Harvey asks.
"Then there's the matter of how many to get. Will Rachel want to go with me? Maybe I could take Louis… though I don't think he's much of a sports guy. And then there's the issue of seating. I know you always say courtside is better but what if I feel like sitting in the nosebleeds?"
"Mike-,"
"Did you know that this summer is supposed to be a record high in the city? I know how much you hate the rain out here so maybe you guys can come and visit. We can use whatever tickets I end up buying. I'm sure Rachel would love to see the baby and-,"
"Mike-," Harvey tries again, only with a more forceful tone. "You can stop talking now."
"Alright. I'm just saying it's such a shame that I can't give that second ticket to you."
"So you're telling me that if Donna and I still lived in New York you would give me one of your courtside season tickets for the Knicks?"
"Yup. It's such a shame that it'll probably be wasted on Rachel and her limited knowledge of basketball from romantic comedies."
"I guess you better make sure you spring for the Yankees tickets over the Knicks then," Harvey smirks, folding his hands over his lap. "I wouldn't be caught dead at a Knicks game with you. Now the Yankees, I think we can do that."
"Wait a minute, are you saying-,"
"That we're coming with you? Yeah, I am," Harvey grins, getting up from his desk and accepting the side hug Mike was offering.
"You do realize that now you have to buy me Yankees' tickets, right?" Harvey jokes.
"I already bought them yesterday," Mike replies with a sly smile.
"How did you-?"
"Please, I could tell just by the look on your faces. Butch and Sundance are back, baby!"
"Mike, we currently work together… Nothing is changing," Harvey points out.
"That's our New York thing!" Mike remarks.
"Why can't it be a Seattle thing?" Harvey asks.
"Weren't you busy doing something? I don't have time to go into this right now," Mike shrugs, seeing himself out of Harvey's office. He stops at the door and smiles back at Harvey.
"This feels right, doesn't it? It's kind of like we're getting the band back together."
"The band is currently together."
"But it's different."
"Hmm, it's kind of the same thing."
"The bagels will be better," Mike says.
"Well, I can't argue with that logic," Harvey nods.
"Does Rachel know?"
"I imagine Donna just told her," Harvey answers before reopening his laptop and diving back into his case. As if on cue, they hear excited screaming from Donna's office and Mike can see his wife hugging Donna through the glass wall.
"Donna," a voice calls, and she looks up to see Alexa standing in her door frame, "do you have a minute?" the young associate asks, and Donna nods as she crosses the room.
In the six months she'd been at the firm, Donna had grown fond of Alexa. She was incredibly smart, hardworking, and willing to take on any task, regardless of how small or inconsequential it seemed. They'd shared some laughs and good conversations over drinks and Donna considered her a friend. As she sits down in one of the chairs across from her desk, Donna offers her a smile and realizes how much she'll miss her once they're in New York.
"What can I do for you, Alexa?"
"Well," she starts, "I heard about you and Harvey, and Mike and Rachel opening the office in New York," she says, "and I know it's a great opportunity for the firm, and Gene, Mike, and Valarie are great lawyers, and they'll do a good job running the office here," she pauses, glancing down at her hands resting in her lap.
"Alexa," Donna says. From their conversations and her own observations, Donna knew that Alexa had a tendency to ramble when she was nervous, or when she had something on her mind. She wasn't quite sure what Alexa was thinking, but Donna had a feeling it had something to do with the announcement Mike had made to the associates that morning about their plans to open an office in New York.
"I know this all sounds sudden, and it kind of is," Donna admits, "when Harvey and I got here, we didn't imagine it to be such a short stay, but when Mike broached the idea with us, it made sense. I love Seattle, and working here, but Harvey and I want to raise our child a bit closer to our families."
"Your….child?" Alexa asks hesitantly.
"Yep," Donna says, a smile spreading across her face as she realizes Alexa is the first person at the firm she's told outside of Harvey, Mike, and Rachel and it feels good to share the news, "I'm pregnant."
"Donna," Alexa gushes, "that's incredible! Congratulations - you're going to be a wonderful mother," she says, and she means it. If the guidance and mentorship she'd received from Donna in just a few months were any indication, this child was going to grow up with quite the female role model.
"Thank you, Alexa," Donna says sincerely, "I appreciate it, but that's not what you came in here to-"
"Can I come with you?" Alexa blurts out, cutting Donna off.
"To New York?" Donna asks, taken aback by her question.
"Please?" she asks again. "I know the firm here isn't going anywhere, but I've learned more for you and Rachel, and Mike, and Harvey in the last six months than I did in three years of law school and I," she pauses, glancing up at Donna, "I don't want that to stop," she finishes, offering a shy smile.
"Alexa," Donna says.
"I know," she jumps in, "it's a lot to ask, but I figured it was worth a shot."
"Are you sure?"
"I am," she replies confidently, "I've spent my entire life on the west coast, I went through a pretty bad breakup a few months ago, and this just feels right. I could use the change of scenery."
"Well," Donna says, leaning back in her chair and taking a moment to ponder Alexa's question, "I suppose we are going to need to hire associates for the New York office," she thinks out loud, "and it sure would make the transition easier if someone already knew us and our clients. And, personally, I'd love to have one of Seattle's finest join us as a senior associate, if she's up for it, that is?" Donna finishes, turning back to Alexa to see her expression.
"Oh she most certainly is," Alexa replies, practically beaming. "Wait - senior associate? Are you sure? I'm barely a year out of law school -"
"I'm sure," Donna assures her. "You work harder than the rest of the associate pool combined. You listen, and you ask the right questions."
"Thank you Donna," Alexa says sincerely.
"You're welcome," she replies, "as long as you aren't just using us as your ticket to New York and you're really just planning on taking Dana Scott up on that job offer the first chance you get," she smirks.
"Donna! I would never," Alexa exclaims quickly, stumbling over her words.
"Relax, Alexa," Donna says with a smile, "I'm joking."
During their conversation about moving back to Manhattan one of the things she and Harvey discussed was who would get to tell Louis they were returning to the city. In the end, Harvey agreed that Donna should be the one to share the news with him and she was thrilled, knowing he would be thrilled too. Though she regularly video calls Louis and Lucy, she knew he was going to be over the moon about her and Harvey returning and she couldn't wait to share that Lucy was going to have a playmate.
Donna takes a seat at the island in the kitchen, placing down her mug of tea while she dials Louis' number and waits for him to pick up.
"Hey stranger," she smiles into the phone when Louis picks up.
"Donna, what a surprise! How are you?" Louis greets.
"I'm great Louis, how's everything at the firm?"
"Oh you know me, always putting out little fires everywhere. But everything is going well. Did Katrina tell you she and Samantha signed Miranda Priestly?"
"You know what, she did happen to mention it when she was telling me about that night."
"She happened to mention it?! What the hell could have been more eventful than signing Miranda!"
Donna smiles to herself, thinking back on her phone call with Katrina after her night out with Samantha, "I can't think of anything, that's a big thing for the firm! Speaking of firms in the city…" she begins.
"Oh you heard that Eric moved to that shitty firm with the equally shitty coffee?"
"Not exactly," Donna says. "But I did hear that a new firm was opening up."
"Oh?"
"I've heard they have some top notch lawyers too, and one hell of a COO. A little place called Zane Ross," she grins just hearing the words out loud.
"You guys are coming back to me?!" Louis gasps.
"All three of us."
"This is going to be amazing. Wait, three of you?"
"Well five if you count Mike and Rachel."
"Donna, does this mean… Am I going to be a godfather?! You guys are having a baby?"
"Well I don't know about the whole godfather thing but yes, we are."
"I think this might be the greatest day of my entire life. My best friend is moving back to the city and you two are bringing a playmate for little Lucy! Congratulations Donna!"
"Thanks Louis."
"We absolutely need to go and register once you're back! As the godfather I need to make sure my godchild has nothing but the best."
"Louis, I'm not sure we're doing the whole god parent thing…"
"Do I not look godfatherly enough? Ask anyone, I will godfather the shit out of this."
"Of course you would Louis, why don't we talk about it more once we're officially back?"
"Which is when?"
"Soon. We're actually looking for a new place already."
"Okay I have to ask, if you're coming back to the city why not come back to the firm?"
"Moving to Zane Ross was the best thing that could have happened for us as newlyweds. We actually go home and have dinner together and I can't remember the last time we worked a Saturday. The firm will always have a little piece of my heart Louis, but it just isn't right for us anymore. Especially with a little one on the way," she explains.
"But we can still do our old weekly lunch dates?"
"I'm looking forward to it. Talk to you soon Louis," she smiles before hanging up and reaching for her tea.
She relaxes as she sits and enjoys her tea, her hand coming up to run over her non-existent baby bump. Perhaps the best part about moving back to the city was knowing her little one was going to be on the receiving end of endless love from their firm family.
"I'm just saying, would it really be the worst thing if this box somehow got lost on its way back to New York?" Harvey jokes as he wraps the last of Donna's fish mugs in bubble wrap and places it in the box on the counter.
"I've brought you coffee in that mug plenty of times," she says, "I didn't hear you complaining then."
"I was focused less on the coffee and more on the half naked woman walking towards me," he sasses.
"You're an idiot," she retorts.
"You know," he says after a moment, taking a breath and glancing around the living room, "I really do like this apartment."
"You're not having second thoughts, are you?" she asks.
"No, it's not that," he quickly assures her, "I'm just thinking about all of the memories we've made here. Like, right here." he says, tapping his fingers on the counter top.
"Oh my god," Donna says, rolling her eyes at him as she chokes back a laugh.
"And over there," he continues, gesturing to the couch.
"And there," he says, pointing over to the lounge chairs on their small balcony.
"Okay, okay," she laughs, feeling a slight blush rising to her cheeks, "I get it. Lots of memories," she says, smirking at him.
"I have to admit," she says after their laughter subsides, "I like Seattle a lot more than I thought I would."
"Because of all the memories, right?" Harvey teases, waggling his eyebrows at her.
"Not just that," she says, "but I like that it was new to both of us, and we got to explore it together as we started this new chapter of our lives," she admits.
"Me too," he replies sincerely, taking a step towards her to wrap his arms around her waist and plant a kiss to the top of her head.
"I love that you only complained a little bit when I insisted we try as many Thai delivery places as possible," she says, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck.
"That's funny," he deadpans, "I don't remember any complaining," he retorts, which earns him a pointed glance from Donna.
"We never did find a good burger joint."
"We're not leaving for a few weeks - there's still hope," she says unenthusiastically, stepping out of his embrace to fill their drinks - whiskey for him, and water for her.
"I did like being so close to the water," he says, following her to the couch, "I know New York has the Hudson, but that's not the same."
"And I really liked my pilates studio," she adds, snuggling into his side.
"And the coffee shop around the corner - although the bagels were just okay," he says, which makes her laugh.
"Oh and that little Italian place down by the water - they have the best ravioli."
"Really?" He asks, "I think the carbonara is better."
"Well you're entitled to your incorrect opinion," she says defiantly.
"I'm glad we did this," he tells her after a moment.
"Me too," she says, "a short but sweet stay in Seattle."
"Short but sweet," he agrees, pulling her closer into his side.
"Where do you think it happened?"
"Where do I think what happened"
"That," he says, as his hand slides from her thigh to rest lightly on her stomach.
"Oh my god," she snorts.
"Counter?" he says, extending his hand to her and leading her through the living room.
"The balcony?," he teases, pulling her closer and wrapping his arms around her waist.
"The bedroom?" he continues, turning the corner and guiding her down the hall, "oh, or maybe the shower?"
"You're insufferable," she says, smiling as the back of her thighs make contact with the bed and his lips find hers.
"And yet, you're still here," he replies, smirking into the kiss as he deepens it and joins her on the bed.
"I am."
"Rach?" Mike calls out as he enters the apartment. Tossing his keys onto the hall table, he makes his way through their apartment looking for her.
"In here," she calls back softly.
He follows her voice and finds her sitting on the floor in their en suite bathroom, a tissue in her hand as she dabbed at her damp eyes.
"Rach, what happened? What's wrong?" he asks, dropping to the floor and taking a seat beside her. He places his palm over her knee and squeezes it, a silent promise that whatever was wrong he would do his best to fix it.
"I was late," she begins to explain, sniffling and wiping at her eyes, "I thought that maybe-,"
She babbles, handing him a negative pregnancy test from the floor beside her.
"Hey hey," he coos as she begins to whimper, tossing an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his side. Her body shakes as she sobs and he holds her while smoothing down her hair with his open palm, placing the occasional kiss to her head.
They stay like that until his legs go numb from sitting on the cold tile floor and her tears stop falling and staining the shoulder of his shirt. When she finally raises her head from his shoulder, he uses his thumb to wipe away the last of her tears. She does her best to offer him a weak smile, though it comes off as more of a grimace than a smile.
"I'm sorry," she whispers.
"Sorry? What on earth are you sorry for?" he asks.
"I just really wanted us to be pregnant."
"And one day we will be. Good things take time."
"I guess," she mumbles.
"I have no doubt that when the time comes for us, it's going to have been worth the wait. Now, what do you say we get up off the floor and go have some dessert for dinner?"
"I love you," she smiles, cupping his face in her hands before leaning over to steal a kiss.
"I love you too," he breathes, forgetting about their dessert plans and instead kissing her back.
It'd been years since either of them had been on the real estate market in New York, except for Harvey's brief stint as Rick Sorkin, and they were both surprised by how much it had changed. Where apartment hunting in Seattle had been a breeze, finding somewhere in New York to start their family was a challenge. The market moved quickly and what was available one day was gone the next. They'd done half a dozen virtual viewings from Seattle and, when it came down to it, they enlisted Samantha to outrun, literally, a competing bid to their real estate agent.
It was all worth it though, because they found the townhouse of their dreams. They started looking in the Upper East Side, since that was the neighbourhood Donna was the most familiar with, but they found their townhouse by chance while she was scrolling through listings. It was a stone building in Gramercy a few blocks from the Flatiron building. It had dramatic front steps and a small backyard with a patio and a bit of grass - "just enough room for a grill, Donna had joked when they'd taken the online tour, "no shortage of burgers here."
They were a reasonable distance from the office space Mike had chosen for the firm, near Harvey's favorite boxing gym and, much to his dismay, walking distance from the shitty Thai place. Donna's old pilates studio had even opened a new space closeby, so the location could not have been more perfect.
Harvey and Mike had left Seattle a few days early to get the New York office set up while Donna and Rachel stayed behind to tie up a few loose ends, so Harvey was the one who'd met with the real estate agent and gotten the keys. Donna and Rachel had made it to New York that morning, and he was excited for Donna to finally see their new home. Just as he's thinking about calling her, he hears the doorbell ring and bounds towards the entryway to let her in.
"Honey, I'm -" she starts to say as he opens the door, but he's picking her up bridal style and carrying her over the threshold before she can finish her sentence.
"Harvey, you already did this," she laughs, "twice actually."
"Well they do say the third time's the charm," he says proudly, "plus, who knows how much longer -"
"Finish that sentence, Specter, and you're a dead man," she interrupts as he places her back on the ground.
"Welcome home," he says softly after a moment, bringing his hands to her hips and pulling her in for a quick kiss.
"Happy to be here," she replies as they part, smiling up at him.
"Come on, let me give you a tour!" he says excitedly, grabbing her hand and leading her into the house.
He leads her through the living room and she stops to admire the white brick fireplace, which was a huge selling point for her when they'd seen pictures of the house online. There were built in bookshelves on either side and, while Harvey thought they'd be filled with his record collection, she couldn't wait to fill them with her favorite books, leaving the shelves closest to the floor to be filled with books for their child.
From the living room, they go into the kitchen which is flooded with afternoon light thanks to the large window over the sink looking out into the backyard. It's not the biggest kitchen in the world, but it's more than enough for them. There's a small island in the center of the room and Donna's mind immediately jumps to years in the future - their kid sitting there after school, working on homework and recounting the highlights of their school day as Harvey prepares dinner.
"I see you've made real progress with the unpacking," she jokes, gesturing to the glasses and bottle of scotch on the counter.
"I have, haven't I?" he replies genuinely and flashes her a grin, fully aware that her statement was sarcastic.
From the kitchen, they pass through a small breakfast nook and the dining room before they're back in the entryway. Another thing that Donna had loved about the house from what she'd seen online was the layout of the first floor - each room was a distinct space, but everything flowed together. She couldn't help but think how perfect the space would be for entertaining.
At the top of the stairs there's a small landing with a few more built in shelves and some windows. It's a four bedroom house and they'd decided that aside from the master bedroom there'd be a nursery, a guest room, and a home office - for now. They quickly peek into the guest room and office and Donna is happy to see there's as much natural light in the rooms as the photos made it seem. After a quick look into the hall bathroom, Harvey leads her into their bedroom.
The room itself is pretty big - bigger than the bedroom in her old New York apartment, but smaller than his, and just slightly smaller than the room they'd just left behind in Seattle. Donna had loved the high ceilings and two large closets the room offered, but for Harvey, the selling point had been the fireplace and the fact that it'd be theirs and theirs alone.
Donna explores the empty space, taking in all the small details that hadn't been visible during their online tour. She makes a comment about the crown molding which Harvey doesn't understand before she wanders into the bathroom, him following closely behind.
"So, which do you want to try out first?" he whispers from behind her, closing the gap between them and wrapping his arms loosely around her waist, "tub or shower?"
"Oh my god," she says, unable to hide her laugh as she turns around in his grip so she's facing him.
"This house is incredible," she says, a wide smile taking over her face, "even better than the pictures."
"I'm glad you love it," he says before pulling her in for a quick kiss, "but there's still one more room to see."
With that, he grabs her hand again and leads her back through their bedroom and down the hall. She knows where he's taking her and she's excited to finally see the room that would soon belong to their baby. From the photos, the nursery was her favorite room in the house. It was the perfect size for a baby, with some room to grow. But the best part, at least in Donna's mind, was the window seat that looked out into the backyard. As a kid she'd always wanted a window seat in her bedroom, thinking there was no better place to read, play, and imagine, and the thought of her child growing up with a place to do just that made her happy.
Harvey pushes open the door and her breath catches in her throat as she follows him in. The room is empty, as expected, except for a crib pushed up against one wall. It's a dark wood with a light grey padding at the bottom - she'd made a comment over dinner a few weeks ago that she'd like a crib very much like the one in front of her now. She smiles and shakes her head slightly as she takes it all in - genuinely surprised by his gesture, and the fact that he clearly remembered something she'd said in passing.
"Harvey," she says after a moment, turning to look at him.
"I know they'll be too small for this right away, and we still have a ton of stuff to get," he explains, "but you're doing so much for our baby right now, and this just felt like something I could take care of for you."
"I love it," she says simply, and he can't help but crack a smile at the completely bewildered look on her face.
"You know," he says, "I think there's room for two in here."
"Let's get through this one first, okay?" she laughs.
"You never know, could be twins," he says nonchalantly, "a little BOGO."
"A what now," she retorts, her head snapping back to face him.
"You know, birth one, get one," he says, finding a lot of amusement in his own joke.
"That's horrible," she says, doing her best to swallow a laugh, "please never say that again."
"Let's just call it my first dad joke," he says with a satisfied smile as she rolls her eyes at him.
"You do know my mom's sisters are twins, right?" he asks after a moment.
"Mmhmm," she swallows, and he isn't convinced.
"You forgot," he says, baiting her.
"I didn't forget," she clarifies, "I just didn't remember."
"They do say it skips a generation."
"Harvey?"
"Yes dear?" he says, his voice sickly sweet and he can't help the slight smile spreading across his face as he sees a small wave of panic wash over hers.
"Shut up," she deadpans.
"Good thing we have that doctor's appointment next week, isn't it?"
He hated white. The colour was so bleak and it made everything seem so bright. Office spaces should not be white. Mike and Rachel had designed the new office space to be minimal and modern and while Harvey enjoyed certain aspects of the newly designed space, he hated that the kitchen was all white. Between the glossy marble counter, the eggshell coloured cabinets and the matte finished tables, it was just too much.
As Donna follows Rachel through the hallways of their new office, she can't help but think that the space is a perfect blend of the four of them. The dark woods and leather accents blend well with soft edges, glass walls, and open spaces. Most of the offices and conference rooms had windows that let in the afternoon sunlight, but her favourite part of the firm was the kitchen. She loved the pristine white floors and countertops and the few bright green plants that the designers had scattered around the space. It was located in the center of the firm and she imagined it'd be a great gathering space - a place for new associates and partners to mingle and get to know one another. She was already looking forward to their first all staff happy hour but her favourite part of the kitchen was the new, state of the art Nespresso sitting on the counter in one corner. As she and Rachel walk through the kitchen she stops for a second and pulls out a small bottle of vanilla, tucking it into the side of the cabinet above the Nespresso.
He supposes he can just eat lunch in his office. At least that was nice. It was much larger than his office in Seattle but not quite as large as the office he had as managing partner. With it's large mahogany desk and cushy leather chair, he could certainly see himself eating lunch at his desk. His office was next to Donna's, a small detail he'd secretly requested when Mike asked him what office he wanted. He felt comforted knowing she was just on the other side of the exposed brick wall, working away. In his mind, it was almost symbolic of all of the years they'd spent working side by side. A tiny reminder that while everything had changed, nothing had really changed. They were still Harvey and Donna. And now they were back to dominate the New York law scene.
On the other side of the wall, Donna surveys her new office. It's smaller and a bit boxier than her first office as COO, but just about the same size as the one she'd left behind in Seattle. When they were picking offices, she fought Mike for the one with the most windows, and laughed as Harvey tried to be subtle about making sure he got one next to her. She didn't mind it though, in fact it was a small comfort knowing that he was so close. The other side of her office shared a wall with Rachel; she loved that her best friend was literally just steps away whenever she needed a coffee run or a midday gossip session.
She smiles to herself as she looks down at her desk and sees two trinkets she's had as long as she can remember. Her blue ceramic bird and 'lets kill all the lawyers' plaque that had now traveled across the country and back already made her new office feel like home. She set them up in a corner of her desk next to the framed business cards Harvey had given her on their first day of work in Seattle, her favorite photo of her and Harvey from their wedding and a photo of her, Harvey, Mike, and Rachel taken at the top of the Space Needle on their 'Seattle Family Fun Day' that Mike had insisted on shortly after their move. A lot had changed in her life over the past year - both personally and professionally - but she'd never felt more content. She was back in the city she loved with friends that had become family, working a job she never imagined would mean so much to her, and getting ready to start a family with the love of her life.
He spent longer than he cared to admit picking out the perfect pictures for his desk. One of him and Donna on their wedding day, one of the four of them in Seattle and one of Donna on the day she told him that their family of two was going to become a family of three. When they first moved into the office, he spent the entire afternoon hounding Mike and whining about the fact that their offices were on the 34th floor which meant the view of the skyline wasn't great. In addition to the pictures on his desk, his office wall featured his law degree and the photo of his mother that had been featured in every office he'd moved to since he acquired it.
She's sitting in her desk chair spinning slightly from side to side when she sees a familiar face standing in the doorway. She smiles and gestures for Alexa to enter and she takes a seat in one of the chairs.
"So, is New York everything you dreamed it would be?" Donna asks with a laugh.
"It smells a little weird," Alexa replies, "but other than that it's been great so far."
"I'm really glad you let me come with you," she continues, "I think this is going to be really good for me."
"I trust you found your new office?" Donna asks.
"I did, but you didn't need to do that - I would have been perfectly fine with a cubicle like in Seattle."
"Trust me, soon enough that bullpen is going to be filled with boys talking nonstop about poker tournaments and fantasy football leagues, you don't need to deal with that kind of nonsense," Donna jokes, "plus, you've more than earned it."
"Well thank you, I really appreciate it," she says sincerely.
"Hey," Donna calls as Alexa stands to leave, "our friends at our old firm are having a little get together later this week, would you come? I'd love for you to meet them."
Looking for an excuse to throw a party and use the new firm branded napkins, Louis decides on throwing a welcome back party for the Ross' and the Specters'. With everything being so hectic the past few months, he figures everyone at Litt Wheeler Williams Bennett could use a night of fun and what better way to have some fun than to extend an olive branch to the associates at Zane Ross.
While Harvey didn't see the point in a joint firm event, he was happy to see how excited Donna was about going to the party. She'd talked non stop about how great it was going to be to see everyone again and how this was the perfect way to celebrate the beginning of their family with their firm family. He watches as she flits from the bedroom to the bathroom, excitedly getting ready and humming an old jazz tune he'd recently shown her.
Over the past few months, he had come to realize that one of his favourite things to do was watch as Donna got ready. She always had a light, carefree energy as she got dressed and her positive energy was contagious. As he fastens his tie around his neck, he sits at the foot of the bed and watches as she puts on a pair of earrings in the mirror and steps into a silk black dress.
He gets up and makes his way to the bathroom, where she raises her red curls and exposes the zipper on the back of her dress for him to zip. He wordlessly does up her dress, leaning forward to place a delicate kiss on her exposed neck before she drops her hair and turns to view herself in the mirror. He wraps his arms around her waist, dropping his head to her shoulder and gently swaying her.
"You look beautiful," he whispers, "Both of you."
She runs her palms over her barely there baby bump, talking his hands and clasping them between her own.
"Pretty soon this dress isn't going to fit me," she says, a realization washing over her face.
"Then we'll just have to buy you a new dress," he responds.
"And you're still going to love me when I no longer fit into any of my dresses?" she asks in a whisper.
"Donna," he says, spinning her around to face him and raising her chin with his thumb so he can look her in the eye. "I will still love you even when you're old and grey and forget my name."
"I could never forget your name, it's my name now too."
"Speaking of last names, I was thinking that maybe our little one gets the hyphenated version of our last names ."
"You want to go with Paulsen-Specter?" she smiles.
"I do. If that's alright with you."
"What made you decide that?"
"I've just been thinking about how our little girl is going to need her mother's confidence and her father's charm, she's going to need a little bit of Paulsen and a little bit of Specter."
"Our little girl?" she smirks.
"What, you're not the only one who can have a feeling you know."
She steps towards him and fixes his tie, smoothing it down before reaching for the lapels on his jacket and leaning up to kiss him.
"Shall we?"
"Let's get this over with," he teases.
"Hey Louis can you give me a hand with-," Katrina calls out to Louis from where she's attempting to hang a streamer in the lobby.
"I've got it," Samantha cuts her off, reaching for the opposite end and pinning it to the wall.
Katrina blushes looking down at the step ladder she is standing on while she thanks Samantha for her help.
"You look nice," Samantha compliments, eyeing Katrina's cream coloured wrap dress.
"So do you, but you already know that I think blue is your colour," Katrina replies as she steps down from the ladder.
"I'm not saying that's why I chose this dress, but I'm also not saying that," Samantha grins, stepping towards Katrina.
"There you two are!" Louis cries as he struts into the lobby. "Why aren't the streamers up yet? What the hell have you two been doing?"
"We're literally putting them up right now Louis," Samantha nods towards the single silver strand above the silver lettering on the wall.
"The party starts in less than three hours! We're trying to make a good impression here!"
"I think we can manage to hang the rest in the next three hours…" Samantha sighs.
"Not at this rate! Quit the chit chatting and get to work. My god I liked things better around here before you two started hanging out."
"Careful or we're going to start ganging up on you," Samantha warns him, tossing her arm over Katrina's shoulder while they both flash Louis an obnoxious smile.
Louis leaves them to finish decorating with a heavy sigh and Samantha drops her hand from Katrina's shoulder and eyes the empty wall.
"I think it looks kind of nice with just one," she says. "Minimalist."
"Nice try, now help me with the rest."
Mike and Rachel arrive when the party is already in full swing and many of their new coworkers are already mingling with their former coworkers. Rachel spots Katrina near the back wall and drags Mike along with her to say hello.
"Well shiiiitttt, look what the cat dragged in," Katrina greets, hugging Mike and then Rachel.
"Rachel you look incredible," she adds.
"Katrina it's so good to see you, that name looks good up there," Rachel says.
"Who would have thought, Ross and Bennett, on the walls of two New York law firms," Mike smirks.
"Certainly not me," she laughs, "How are you guys? Excited to be back?"
"Ecstatic," Rachel claps, "Expanding the firm is honestly a dream come true."
"Well, we're really glad you guys are back in town," Katrina grins.
"How are things around here? You know now that you're a name partner and all?" Rachel asks. Though she and Katrina had never been insanely close, she can't help but feel extremely proud of her for how far she'd come since working for her father.
"Everything has been amazing! Samantha and I actually just signed Miranda Priestly."
"No way!" Rachel gasps, "What was she like?!"
Taking this as his cue to leave the ladies to gossip about whoever this Miranda woman was, Mike spots Louis near the makeshift bar and excuses himself to go and say hello.
"Louis," he calls out as he approaches.
"Mike, you guys made it!" Louis grins, pulling him into a brief hug.
"Of course we did, this is a party for Zane Ross, isn't it? I'm the Ross half," Mike laughs.
Grabbing a drink, Louis and Mike end up at one of the standing tables near the elevators where Louis welcomes Mike back to the city and makes a lame joke about them sharing clients.
"You do know that we aren't a corporate law firm, right?" Mike asks.
"Of course. But I just wanted us to be on the same page. No client stealing."
"I don't think it will be a problem, but you've got yourself a deal Louis."
"I'm assuming that I don't have to remind you that a verbal contract is still a binding contract?"
"You don't," Mike nods, downing the rest of his drink. "I got it."
"While we're at it, I know that you and Harvey have probably gotten really close again so I don't want you to feel intimidated now that he's back on the same coast as his best friend."
"I wouldn't dream of it Louis," Mike laughs. It had been a while since he and Louis had seen each other and he was glad to see that despite becoming a father and managing a firm, Louis was still very Louis.
"You aren't nervous, are you?" she asks, grabbing his hand as they step into the elevator in the lobby of their old office building. She's teasing, but there's a hint of sincerity in the question as well. Though he'd considered leaving the firm for fleeting moments at various points in his career, he'd really never seen himself leaving New York. But that was also a time when he never imagined it possible to have everything with the love of his life.
"Not nervous," he replies, "it's kind of weird though."
And it was, but the good kind of weird. While their stay in Seattle was shorter than they'd anticipated, he thinks it was always in the back of their minds that Seattle would be temporary and they'd find their way back to New York at some point. As the elevator climbed towards the 50th floor, he knew that re-entering the place he'd spent most of his adult life would probably hit him with a wave of nostalgia. He was excited to see their old friends again, but he'd never been more sure that he and Donna were on the path that was right for their growing family.
"Let's do this," she says, giving his hand a squeeze as the elevator doors open and they step into a scene all too familiar to both of them.
Donna takes a quick glance at the wall as they step off the elevator. It'll probably always be a little bit weird to her to no longer see 'Specter' associated with this place, but she smiles and thinks that their former home couldn't be in more capable hands.
"Donna! Harvey!" Louis' voice carries through the crowded lobby and they turn to see him excitedly making their way towards them with two glasses - champagne for Harvey and sparkling cider for Donna.
Donna practically jumps into Louis' open arms and he gives her a kiss on the cheek. She feels herself tearing up as she embraces her friend - their weekly FaceTime calls were fine, but there's certainly nothing like being back in the same city.
"I missed you so much Louis," she says as they part.
"Good to see you," Harvey says, extending his hand, but Louis refuses, once again opening his arms wide, wordlessly asking for a hug.
"Come on," Louis says, "bring it in, brother."
Harvey rolls his eyes, but Donna gives him a quick nudge on the back and he reluctantly embraces the other man.
"I'm just so happy you're back, Louis says finally, "you're going to be excellent parents, you know."
"Thanks Louis," Donna says genuinely, patting his forearm.
"Harvey, I know you're going to be a great dad," Louis starts to ramble, "but if you need any pointers, I'm here for you.
"Thanks -," Harvey starts to say, before Louis interrupts him.
"Actually, Sheila and I took this great lamaze class - you'd love it," he says excitedly, "I can refer you.
Donna laughs to herself as Harvey trips over his words in an attempt to form a response to Louis. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Katrina and Samantha huddled closely at the end of the bar across the room.
"Well, I'll leave you boys to it then," she says, smirking at Harvey and excited to have found an exit from a conversation that was bound to get even more ridiculous.
Donna catches Katrina's eye as she approaches and she watches as she excuses herself from her conversation with Samantha, resting her hand on the other woman's forearm in the process.
"Donna!" Katrina says excitedly as the two women embrace, "Welcome back!
"Thanks Katrina," she says, "you want to tell me what that's all about?" she asks, gesturing over Katrina's shoulder to where Samantha still stood, eyes trained on Katrina's backside.
"Oh, um," Katrina says, blush quickly rising to her cheeks as she spoke, "actually -," she pauses, glancing up at Donna for a moment before continuing, "I'm not quite sure," she admits, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Well then," Donna starts, matching Katrina's whisper, "how about we grab drinks next week and you can catch me up on everything you've been up to?"
"I'd like that," Katrina replies with a smile.
As the party begins to wind down and the associates from both firms begin to head home for the night, Harvey, Mike, Gretchen and Louis find themselves deep in conversation in the lobby of the firm. Harvey spots Samantha, Donna, Rachel and Katrina coming from the direction of Donna's former office, an office he's been told now belongs to Katrina and he smiles. He loved that Donna got along so well with everyone. Whether it was someone she interacted with on a daily basis like Rachel or someone she seldom saw like Samantha, she had a way with people that always left him in awe.
The ladies join them and Samantha asks him how it feels to not have his name up on a wall, a joke he humors by teasing Mike and the group roars with laughter. It was almost surreal. To be standing in the lobby of the very place where he gave his all to in trying to get those silver letters that spelled out Specter. Not only was this the place where he considered his life to have begun, but he was standing here, years later with once strangers that he now considered his family. If only Jessica could be here, and see them all together like this, he knew she would be proud. Though some of them had moved on to new careers, he was glad that they all knew that the place formerly known as Pearson Specter Litt would always be home.
"I'd like to propose a toast," Louis says, raising his glass. With one arm wrapped around Donna's waist, Harvey does the same and is followed by Donna, Samantha and Katrina, Alex and his wife and Mike and Rachel. Gretchen is the last to raise her glass, and her teary eyes don't go unnoticed by the group.
"Gretchen are you crying?" Louis asks.
"I'm not crying you fool! It's just nice to see everyone here, together."
"Like I was saying," Louis clears his throat, "To Harvey and Donna and their soon to be little one. And to Mike and Rachel, congratulations on expanding your firm, we're all so glad to have you guys back."
Before everyone has a chance to clink their glasses, Harvey speaks up, "Louis do you mind if I add something?"
"By all means," Louis nods.
"This past year has been one hell of a year. Not only for us," he pauses and smiles at Donna, "But for this firm," he looks at the new names gracing the wall, "for expanding families," he nods to Louis, "and for old families coming back together," he says turning to Mike and Rachel.
"Leaving this place is one of the hardest things that I have ever done, but you two made our move so much easier and I don't think there are enough words to thank you for everything you've done for us. Every single one of you has become family to us and I can't think of a better place or a better group of people to be celebrating our next step with. So a toast," he proposes, stealing a glance of his wife and her glass of water. He gently squeezes her hip before he continues speaking, ever grateful that she had been by his side for this crazy journey. Every mistake he made, every victory he celebrated, Donna was there. And for that, he was eternally grateful.
He raises his glass again, waiting as the others do the same, "To friends who have become family, to my wife who has been my everything for as long as I can remember, and to the place that brought us all together."
The End.
Dedicated to our online suits family.