THANKFUL 2
Hi everyone,
Recap:
- Donna and Harvey host their first Thanksgiving, and announce they are expecting.
- Donna has been very affected by the pregnancy, experiencing strong symptoms
- At their first ultrasound appointment, they discover they're having twins.
Now, It's December, and they are headed to Seattle to surprise Mike on his birthday.
Please note that, I am following Suits timelines which means, if Sheila can be pregnant for two years, Donna's pregnancy timelines can be just as screwy! Not to worry, the poor girl won't be pregnant for two years!
"Are you seriously going to pack a dozen frozen burritos in that suitcase?" Donna asks, astonished that of all the birthday presents New York's best closer could bring, he's insisted on this.
She told Rachel they'd bring some for Mike, but she was thinking, two, maybe three… not a membership to "Burrito of the Month" club.
"Listen, Donna, you might think I'm a terrible gift giver, but Mike gets me," Harvey says in his defence. "This is a very thoughtful gift from his favourite take-out. You wanna see a grown man cry? Just watch when I give him these babies."
Donna rolls her eyes. "It's a six-hour flight, Harvey. You better have them hermetically sealed or everything in that suitcase is going to smell like a Mexican restaurant," she warns. "And just so we're clear, if airport security stops you… we don't know each other. Someone has to be around to raise our children!"
Harvey shakes his head and chuckles. Even her badgering tickles his insides.
Peeking out the window, Donna spies Ray waiting for them in front of their townhouse. She couldn't be more excited.
And for all her complaining, she has to admit that Harvey's gift-giving skills have dramatically improved. Case in point, her engagement ring… and that over-the-top, private Island honeymoon in Tahiti.
So, a dozen burritos in a suitcase, is a battle she knows isn't worth having, even if all of Harvey's clothes end up smelling like taco meat.
Although this December trip is unexpected, it's very much welcome. Now that a move to Seattle is off the table, every opportunity to see their best friends has taken on new meaning.
And with babies on the way, even more so. Next year, Donna expects they'll be lucky to leave the house, let alone travel.
She's past her first trimester, and in some ways, the reality of her new life still hasn't sunk in. If someone had told her last spring, that by Christmas, she and Harvey would be married, living in a Brooklyn townhouse and expecting twins… she would have spit out her wine.
Even in her most theatrical dreams, Donna could have never imagined this.
"You're the love of my life," Harvey told her when he proposed. They were in the Hamptons. It was their first weekend away together, and he was ready to jump in with both feet.
Now they're married with not one, but two babies on the way. An insane and almost unbelievable story. But they've always done things their own way.
"Hello Mom and Dad-to-be," Ray cheerily greets, as he stows their luggage away. "I hear you're going to see Mike and Rachel. Please give them my best… How are you feeling, Donna?"
"Much better, thank you," Donna says, her eyes twinkling, as her hand falls to her growing belly. Her nausea has subsided for the most part, and she's definitely feeling a small bump.
Ray was actually the first of anyone to know they were having twins. He had driven the couple to their ultrasound appointment, and Harvey, bursting with pride, couldn't hold it in.
"So are we trading the Lexus in for something more practical," their trusted driver teased, as they left the hospital. "Will I be driving New York's best closer in a black mini-van with car seats?"
As they ride to the airport, Harvey turns to Donna. "I wonder if Rachel will notice right away?" he grins, with a glance to her expanding tummy. He's not only excited to see their friends, he can't wait to share their news
"Another trip where you haven't actually packed a suit," Donna comments, as she looks him over. Under his black overcoat, Harvey is wearing a fitted cream sweater and dark gray pants. "First Tahiti and now Seattle. I'm impressed. This is good for you, Harvey."
"Rachel warned me not to," he explains. "Said that it's not the Seattle vibe. I wasn't planning to anyway."
xxx
As the plane awaits take-off, Donna smiles at her phone.
"Everything ok?" As excited as Harvey is, Donna's pregnancy has him a little on edge. Although the doctor assured them everything is fine, he's secretly terrified that something could go wrong. Donna's pregnancy is something he has no control over, and he doesn't like the feeling. Not one bit.
"Dr. Mills just emailed me. They re-examined the most recent ultrasound," she says. "Babies look healthy, and they've confirmed an official date… May 25th… but she expects I could go earlier."
Turning to Harvey, her eyes become misty. "We have an official date."
Harvey swallows hard. "Holy shit! We don't have much time… They can't hear me swear right now, can they?"
Donna rolls her eyes. "You're going to have to start controlling your potty mouth, Harvey. The last thing we need is our children asking for their goddamn toys!"
"Point taken," Harvey laughs. "Speaking of potty… Do you have any idea how to change a diaper? Because I don't…"
"Well, I changed Lucy's diaper when we babysat for Louis last week. I noticed you were conveniently warming a bottle…You're going to have to learn, Mister," she replies, giving him a look. "I bet Mike already knows. Rachel said he's been researching everything."
"Great," Harvey huffs. "Mr. photographic memory probably has that down, too."
Taking out her headphones, Donna chuckles, "As exciting as teaching you sounds, I'd rather get myself in the mood for this trip…. I'm going to watch 'Sleepless in Seattle'. Care to join?"
"Sleepless? It actually sounds sleep-inducing," he responds.
"It's a romance, Harvey."
"I rest my case," he smirks.
Turns out the movie was sleep inducing, after all. Donna passed out half-way through, one hand firmly clasped in his, the other, protective over her belly. It's just the two of them on the plane, but all Harvey can see is four.
Like everything else related to Donna, he can't help but overthink this, and, to him, they're already a family of four. He's got a family now…. he's a family man.
xxx
"You have the address, right?" Donna asks. Since they've landed, she hasn't stopped with her chatty excitement.
"Yes, Donna," Harvey assures, as he pulls their suitcases through the Arrivals gate.
"They'll be home by the time we get there, right?"
"Yes, Donna."
"Should we text Rachel to let her know we're here? What if she thinks we're delayed?" Her eyes go wide with the possibility.
"She has our flight number, and I texted just before we took off… she knows," Harvey replies.
"You didn't forget to pack the baby gift, did you?"
"No, but it's a little late now," he sighs. Anyone else, and he'd be losing his patience, but not with her.
"Rachel said to be there for six thirty to surprise Mike," She reminds him, as they make their way to the car service that's waiting. "You're sure we'll make it on time, right?"
Harvey opens the car door, helps Donna into the back seat, and chuckles. "You realize you're driving me crazy with all these questions, right?"
"I can't help it, I love surprise parties!" she says, excitedly.
"Not sure it's a party… just you, me, Rachel and Mike." he replies, as they drive off.
"Actually, it's a party of seven… but they don't know that yet," Donna beams. "That's the surprise!"
"Wait until they find out…" Harvey grins.
XXX
"Good evening, sir, we understand there's a baby on the way, and we're here to inspect the premises… Safety first!" Donna says theatrically, as the front door opens.
"Donna?! Harvey?! Holy shit!" Mike pulls his mentor in for a solid hug.
"Happy Birthday!" the couple says in unison.
"Seriously? For my birthday?" Mike beams. "You guys are the best!"
"Well you do look older," Harvey teases. "Almost didn't recognize you without your skinny tie."
You actually look younger than I remember, Harvey," Mike volleys back, his blue eyes twinkling. "Wife making you eat all your vegetables, big boy?"
Stepping aside, Mike reaches for Donna. He can hardly contain himself, as he wraps his arms around the red head. The familiar scent of her shampoo in his nostrils, he kisses her on the cheek.
"Hello gorgeous… now, you look great! Get in, it's cold!" Mike instructs, as he closes the door behind them. "I can't believe you're here. This is crazy!"
"You can thank your wife," Donna says, as she steps into the foyer, and scans the bungalow. "Wow, this is great house, and much bigger than your old apartment."
"Which apartment?" Mike asks. "The one Harvey can't seem to rent for me because he loves me so much?"
"Yeah, that one," Harvey says, with a sarcastic roll of his eyes. "I told you, it's a tax shelter."
Hearing voices, Rachel appears from the back of the house. Dressed in a loose, white maternity top, black leggings and ballerina flats, she's every bit eight-months pregnant.
"You made it!" she squeals, as she hugs Donna, and then moves to embrace Harvey.
Mike turns to Rachel, and playfully scolds, "And I thought we decided there were gonna be no secrets between us…"
"I guess I lied," she teases, confidently brushing back her long, dark hair. "Happy Birthday!"
"Thank you, Rachel." Mike is feeling a little choked up. He's been disappointed that Harvey and Donna weren't moving to Seattle, so this surprise couldn't have come at a better time. "I can't believe you did this."
"It's our last chance, before the baby comes, to all hang out like we used to," she replies, leaning in to kiss him.
As Mike takes their coats, Rachel welcomes Donna and Harvey in.
"C'mon in, you two. Dinner's ready, but I'll get you settled in the guest room, first," Rachel says, leading them down the hall. "And sorry about the baby gear in there, Mike still has a few things to put together for the baby's room."
Entering the guest room, Harvey's eyes go wide. It's a great space. Large and bright, with an ensuite. Through the window, a distant view of snow-capped Mount Rainier.
The room is tastefully decorated in navy blue and white, and above the plush, gray headboard, three vintage Seattle travel posters. A white duvet, down pillows and silver curtains soften the space.
Rachel even went so far as to include a welcome basket of Seattle treats – Jones Soda and chocolate covered cherries from Pike Place Market.
In the far corner of the room, a folded playpen, boxes of diapers and wipes, and a dozen stuffed animals.
"Sorry, I had moved this stuff in here," Mike explains. "I was going to build the crib in the baby's room this weekend. I needed the space. I'll move it all back."
"No don't, Mike. I'm sure Harvey can help you with the crib," Donna volunteers, with a smile. "And I think Rachel and I would very much love to see Batman and Robin at work."
"Our superheroes," Rachel sings, with an exaggerated flutter of her eyelashes.
"Alright, you two," Harvey replies, with a shake of his head. "I'm sure Mike and I can manage a little crib construction by Sunday. We've been on bigger jobs than this, I think we can handle it."
xxx
"Do you know if you're having a girl or a boy?" Donna asks, as the foursome wind down their dinner of gourmet burgers and fries.
Assuming the couple would be tired after the long flight, Rachel opted for a casual, eat-in meal, ordered from Zippy's, a famous Seattle hotspot.
"We do…" Mike says. "Rach, do you want to tell them?"
Sitting up in anticipation, Donna can't wait to hear. Tonight she's wearing a loose, black sweater and jeans. At first glance, she doesn't look pregnant, although the top button of her pants no longer ties, and without makeup to contour her features, her face is a little rounder.
"We're having a boy!" Rachel squeals, her eyes instantly misting.
"A boy! Congratulations you two!" Harvey says, excitedly. "You know… Harvey's a good name."
"So is Mike!" the younger lawyer quips. "At first, we weren't going to find out, but now I'm glad we did. Makes choosing names easier."
"That's great!" Donna says. "I can't wait to meet little Michael Harvey Ross."
"You mean Harvey Michael Ross!" Harvey teases.
"As long as it's not Reginald Ross, I'm good with either!" Mike jokes.
"So.. enough about us," Rachel says, standing to clear the plates. "I loved the townhouse pictures. What's new since the move?"
'Well…" Donna begins, gently biting her bottom lip, as she readies to share their wonderful news.
"We're pregnant!" Harvey blurts out, excitedly, as he raises his glass as if to toast.
"You're what?!" Mike and Rachel say in unison. The surprised look on their faces says it all.
Donna turns to Harvey, and slaps his arm. "Do you realize this is the third time you've blurted out our news! First Ray, then our families… I never get a chance to tell anyone!"
"Sorry," he says, with a boyish grin. "Ok… you tell them the rest."
Placing her palms on the table, and with a light exhale, Donna can't help but smile.
"We're expecting… twins… in May... May 25th," she beams, her features soft in the glow of the tabletop candlelight.
"Twins?!" Mike repeats, his jaw dropping with surprise. "You've got to be kidding me!"
"What! Congrats! That's amazing!" Rachel says, as she embraces Donna. "I have to admit, you looked different to me when you first arrived, but I thought marriage might be agreeing with you. Then you opted for club soda instead of wine. I was a little suspicious."
"The wine is always a give-away," Donna laughs. "I was going to call to tell you, and then you wanted to surprise Mike, so we thought we'd surprise you both."
"Well, for a woman expecting twins, you look amazing," Rachel compliments.
"Thanks. The first few months were not pretty," Donna admits, touching her chest. "I feel better now, although I'm down to three decent outfits that fit. I've held out long enough… it's time for real maternity clothes.
"You came to the right place," Rachel smiles. "I have clothes to lend you, and I know two amazing boutiques that I can take you to tomorrow."
"That would be great!" Donna agrees. "Can you believe six months ago, we were shopping for wedding dresses and now I need maternity clothes!"
"Life has a funny way of working out, doesn't it?" Rachel grins.
Shaking his head, Mike turns to Harvey. "I don't believe you! It's not enough that you knew I was having a baby… you had to go ahead and have two!" his protégé teases.
"What can I say," Harvey smirks. "Not that it's a competition, but… I guess I'm winning."
"We'll see who's winning next year, when you're changing two sets of diapers, ten times a day!" Mike warns.
"Enough you two!" Rachel playfully mothers. Looking at the clock, she turns to her friend, "Donna, I know it's been a long day, are you tired?"
"Exhausted, actually," Donna agrees.
"Ok, you boys clean up," Rachel instructs. "We're off to bed. Donna and I have some serious shopping to do tomorrow."
The women each kiss their men, and head down the hall to the back of the bungalow.
With the house quiet, Mike pulls a couple of beers out of the fridge, and heads into the living room. Handing Harvey a drink, they clink bottles, and move to sit on the couch. The twinkling, white lights of the Christmas tree set a festive glow.
"Be honest, Harvey… two babies. How are you feeling?" Mike asks, as he props his feet on the coffee table.
"It's surreal," he replies. "And I'll be honest, I don't have a clue about babies. Except that they cost a lot, rob you of sleep… and your sex life. At least that's what Louis keeps telling me."
"You've got enough going on, probably best you don't think about Louis's sex life," Mike jokes. "You and Donna are going to be great parents… I mean, look how I turned out."
Harvey smiles at the compliment. "Thanks, Mike. A month to go for you…. how are you doing?"
"It's more terrifying than being a fraud," Mike says outright. "Been thinking about my dad a lot. Trying to figure out how I can be a good father, like he was."
"Something tells me you're gonna be a natural," Harvey assures. "I bet you already know more than most dads, whose babies are already born."
"Yeah, I've been reading a lot. Speaking of natural…" Mike segues. "Grab your coat and shoes."
"Where are we going?" Harvey asks.
"Back deck…"
As the two men step out into the chilly December air, Mike pulls, from his inside pocket, two hand-rolled, white cigarettes.
"Jesus, Mike, seriously?" Harvey says, with a sly grin. "I thought you gave that up?"
"I did… years ago. But for old time's sake, Harvey. It's legal here, and let me just say, it's more robust than the coffee in this town," he jokes. "Rachel's gonna kill me if she finds out, so no mention of this."
"Alright, hand it over," Harvey says, placing the roll between his teeth, while leaning towards Mike's lighter. "Donna's gonna kill me, too."
For the next hour, the two men sit on the patio, puffing and laughing and reminiscing about their early days. The first time Harvey took Mike to a black-tie event. How they once both feared Jessica and hated Louis, and that fateful day when Harvey met Mike... and his fantastic briefcase.
"That was a shitload of pot," Harvey giggles. "You were quite the multitasker… dealing drugs and taking on a job interview with a top New York firm. Impressive."
"As much fun as it is to think about those times, these, right here, are the good old days, my friend." Mike replies, his loose arms open wide. Every inhale seems to make him more philosophical.
"One day, we're gonna look back and think about now…," the young lawyer says, in a haze, "How we beat the system, married two hot women and still managed to get one last smoke in before our lives changed… yet again."
"Can I tell you something, Mike?" Harvey begins, the drug quickly crumbling his walls. "I'd never tell Donna, but I'm scared to death. What if something goes wrong with her pregnancy? I couldn't fucking live without her. That's the truth."
"I get it. I felt the same when Rachel told me she was pregnant. This is about you not having control, Harvey," Mike philosophizes. "That's the hardest part. No fucking control… you can't negotiate your way out of this one, you just gotta trust it's all gonna work out."
"That's the goddamn truth," Harvey sighs, dropping his head back. As he exhales, white smoke swirls towards the sky. "I hired a twins specialist. Never thought that would ever be on my radar. Plus, I'm trying to keep Donna from working too much. That's a full-time job, right there."
"Tell you what," Mike offers, slowly sitting up. "Tomorrow morning, let's get you some control back. We can build the crib, and I'll walk you through the baby gear we have… that world is going to fuck you up. Who knew babies needed to much stuff? Then let's go to the Sonics game, have a few beers, and get our sanity back."
With a final inhale from his joint, Harvey nods. "Sounds like a plan."
"This is good stuff, isn't it?" Mike confirms with a puff. "I'm already hungry again."
"Now that I can control! Come with me…" Harvey instructs, as he moves to stand. Leading Mike into the dimly lit kitchen, he points to the refrigerator. "Freezer."
"Freezer?" Mike is confused, until a grinning Harvey opens the stainless steel drawer to expose a dozen frozen burritos.
"Happy birthday, buddy," Harvey whispers, with a slap on the back.
Mike's blue eyes are as wide as saucers. "Brooklyn burritos? For my birthday? These are definitely the good old days now! I think I'm gonna cry!" Mike replies in a hushed voice, so as not to wake Rachel and Donna.
"I expected nothing less!" Harvey chuckles.
"Thanks, Harvey," Mike says, gratefully. "You want one? Because you're only getting one."
"I also expected that, so if you'll notice, there are actually thirteen," Harvey grins, his smile so wide, it brings out the laugh lines around his eyes.
After removing their burritos from the microwave, Mike and Harvey make their way back to the deck.
As he munches on the spicy snack, Mike turns to Harvey. "Thanks for coming. I'm glad you're here."
"Me too," Harvey replies. "I know I don't need to say this, but there's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Mike."
"And that's exactly why you're gonna make a great dad, Harvey," his friend reminds, with a glassy gaze.
"Thanks… that means a lot," he replies, his dark eyes misting in the cool air. Maybe it's the alcohol, or the pot, or the memories this Brooklyn burrito brings, but Harvey is feeling a little sentimental.
After the two men finish their snacks, they head back inside. Mike turns off the Christmas tree lights, while Harvey hangs their coats.
"Rest up, Batman. No time to be Sleepless in Seattle here," Mike jokes. "We've got a big day tomorrow."
"G'night, Mike." Harvey replies, with an affectionate pat to the young man's shoulder. "See you in the morning."