A few weeks ago I got a prompt on CC ("Harvey, Mike and Louis out and about NYC with their kids (it was obviously Louis' idea)") and this is what became of it.
"Hey, do you mind? I want to take this call."
He shrugged, and Mike passed the baby over to Harvey, who settled him in the crook of his arm with practiced ease, cloth over one shoulder and bottle to the baby's lips before he even registered there was something to be upset about.
Louis sat on the other couch, staring. Harvey smirked.
"What's the matter, Louis, you've never seen a man feed a baby before?"
"I've never seen Harvey Specter feed a baby before," he corrected. They sat in Louis's den with the TV on low in the background as little Lucy played with her new Montessori and Waldorf approved spiral stacking toy. Harvey and Donna had missed her birthday party partly because it was their first anniversary, and partly because Rachel had been busy giving birth to their godchild. It seemed fitting that their first year was book-ended by babies.
The baby finished his bottle, and Harvey sat him up leaning forward slightly, cloth covering his hand and trousers as he patted the baby's back. Louis was still staring.
"What?" Harvey asked peevishly.
Louis blinked. "You seem incredibly good at this for someone with no children."
"What's your point?"
"Have you been practicing?"
"On what, a doll? He's got reflux and we've been helping out a lot. I could burp this kid in my sleep."
"No, I mean," and he had the good grace to look a little flustered. "Are you and Donna…?"
Harvey was saved from having to strangle him by Mike's timely return. "Jesus, Louis, you can't just ask people that."
Louis frowned. "Why not? They've been married a year already."
"It's rude," he said, taking his son back. "What if they're having problems?"
"How can they have problems, they get along great!"
"Okay," said Harvey, not wanting this to get too far. "The answer is no, Louis, and the reason is none of your business."
Sensing an empty lap, Lucy crawled over and offered Harvey part of her toy. He accepted the treasure and placed it on his head. She laughed as it slid off and onto the couch. She tried putting it on her own head, but her arms were too short. She thumped herself on the head with it a few times, and frowned. Harvey couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. She looked so much like Louis when he didn't get what he wanted. He helped her put the circle on her head, and laughed with her when it fell off. "Here," he said, pointing at the rest of the toy. "Why don't you go get the rest of it."
Louis watched his daughter stumble back to her toy and start dragging pieces back over to her godfather. "Why not? You're a natural with kids."
Harvey huffed a sigh. "Did you not just hear me say it was none of your damned business?"
"I think you doth protest too much."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I think Donna's already pregnant."
"Louis," hissed Mike.
"What?"
"Jesus Christ, Louis," said Harvey, pulling Lucy into his lap and handing her circles to stack. "Did anyone ever teach you tact?"
"No, not really, why?"
"Forget it. Why don't you tell us about the school you've got Lucy signed up for?"
[...]
When the front door opened, Lucy wiggled down and started wobbling her way to the foyer with a cheery 'Mama! Mama!'
Louis followed close behind and Mike brought up the rear knowing that Rachel would be eager to see the baby she'd just left for the first time. Harvey started haphazardly stacking toys in Lucy's overflowing toy box, wanting to avoid a crowded front hall and just needing a minute to himself after spending an afternoon with Louis even if Mike had been there as a buffer. He almost jumped when he felt a hand touch his back.
"Donna, you scared the crap out of me."
She grinned at him and brought him up for a kiss. "I'm surprised to find you cleaning up."
"Ugh, that's because you didn't have to spend the afternoon with Louis."
"No, I had to spend it with Sheila instead."
"Okay, point. Look, we've got a problem."
"What's that?"
"We can never tell them."
Donna laughed. "Harvey, what are you talking about?"
Harvey was serious. "I mean Louis guessed but I threw him off so let's just get on a plane and never say anything."
She smirked. "We have to tell people sometime, people are going to start noticing soon. And eventually there's going to be a baby to explain."
"We'll just tell them we adopted." At her look, he relented. "Okay, but can we at least do it right before we leave? If Louis gloats I might have to hit him."
She patted his chest. "No, Harvey, we're going to do it at dinner tonight like we planned."
"Do what at dinner?" said Rachel, arms full of baby, and suddenly saving it for dinner didn't seem like an option.
It turned out to be a non-issue, because Louis ushered Sheila into the room, Lucy on her hip, and said "Oh, they're going to tell us Donna's pregnant."
Sheila hissed at her husband and Mike laughed, Rachel chuckled as Louis tried to defend himself, and Harvey and Donna just stood there looking shocked.
"Well," Louis said, turning toward them. "Aren't you?"
"Louis, don't be stupid. If it was something that big…" Rachel trailed off as she took in the look on Donna's face. "OH my God. That's it, isn't it?"
Donna and Harvey exchanged a look, and with a slight nod and a sigh in her direction Donna was elected. "Yes."
The room exploded in sound, congratulations and accusations being thrown around until the little ones protested and Rachel had to take the baby out to calm him and Lucy had to be plied with several toys before she stopped crying. Louis encased them both in a massive hug before Sheila offered her congratulations and led him out of the room to explain why this is the kind of thing you speculate about in private and so help me if she inherits this from you.
Mike and Harvey embraced, and Mike joked that he'd have to start billing for practice hours they spend with the baby. While they went into tense but friendly negotiations on terms, Rachel sat with her son, tears streaming down her face. Donna sat down next to her put a hand on her knee.
"I'm sorry you found out this way."
Rachel laughed through her tears. "God, no, I'm just so happy," she sobbed. "Stupid hormones. It'll be your turn soon enough."
"It already is," Donna admitted, handing her some tissues out of the box on the coffee table. "I about took Harvey's head off for putting the cups away with the handles facing right instead of left. And then I cried when he asked what was wrong with me. It's like PMS on steroids."
Rachel let Donna take the baby while she mopped up her face and blew her nose. "How's the morning sickness?"
"Never in the mornings, but getting better now that I'm out of the first trimester."
Rachel stared at her. "Out of- Donna!"
Donna cooed at her godson. "You were having such a hard time with him, yes you were." She looked at Rachel and gave her a half smile. "It looks like you're going to have to babysit for us on our next anniversary."
Rachel glanced at Harvey and Mike, now discussing some facet of a case, and murmured at Donna, "So? Were you, y'know. Trying?"
"We weren't not trying," she said, handing the baby back to his mother with a wistful look. "We just figured we'd let the odds decide for us."
"And they decided in your favour." Rachel's eyes twinkled. "Right around your anniversary."
Donna laughed. "After the last two years, I'm afraid of what's going to happen on the next one." She pinched lightly at the foot of the baby's socks. "Seriously, Rachel, I'm so glad you're going to be here for this."
"Wouldn't be anywhere else."
Lucy looked up from her toy. "Mama?"
Donna threw Rachel a look. "Where did they go, anyway?"
"I think Sheila's reading him the riot act."
Lucy toddled on wobbly legs over to Donna and clutched at her jeans. "Mama?" she asked again.
Donna's eyes met Harvey's across the room, and he smiled at her. This would be them, soon.
"Mama's here, darling," and Lucy looked to the sound of her mother's voice. Sheila scooped her daughter up and glanced at Louis, who was looking chastised. Rachel cleared her throat.
"Mike, can you come help me? I think this diaper's going to be a two person job."
Mike wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, I'm coming." He patted Harvey on the knee as he rose. "See, this is the kind of thing you can look forward to."
"You mean like all the times I've cleaned up after you over the years?"
"Okay, that's just not-"
"You don't want to keep Rachel waiting, do you?" He laughed at the startled look on Mike's face when he realized she'd already left the room.
He pointed at Harvey as he backed out of the room. "Later. You and me."
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, getting up to sit next to his wife on the other couch. Louis sat on the coffee table in front of them and looked grave.
"I am so sorry, you guys. I had no idea I was going to be spoiling an announcement. I was honestly just joking around."
Harvey looked at his friend. "It's okay Louis. We know you didn't mean any harm by it."
"I just want you guys to be as happy as we are."
"And we are," said Donna, leaning forward to pat his knee. "But we don't all need to have the same things to be happy.
"But you are happy, right?"
"Of course we are," she said, as Lucy crawled up between them and raised her arms to her father.
"Then why don't you go get some rest- Sheila was always wiped out when she was pregnant- and we'll go make sure the caterer's not shitting the bed in there. We'll find something you can drink and spend dinner toasting your news."
He lifted his daughter as he rose and when they looked for Sheila she was gone. "Let's go find Mommy, and see if those outrageously overpaid cretins are doing what they're supposed to."
When they were alone, Harvey let out a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding. "That," he said, "went better than I expected."
"You mean you're glad he's so embarrassed he didn't think to tease you."
"That's what I said."
Donna laughed. "Come on, let's go upstairs and get ready for dinner. He was right about something else, I'm definitely ready for a nap."
"Well, you are growing a whole person."
"And who's fault is that?"
He took her hand as she walked past him and brought her close to him. "You know this is going to be the most amazing baby ever, right?"
"Why is that?"
"Because," he said between kisses, "it's ours."
