A/N: The energy you are all bringing to your reviews and tweets motivates me to try to improve on every chapter I write. This one was a bit challenging because it required to me to dig deeper into Thomas since the show didn't give us much. I hope you all like the way it turned out. Please take a couple moments to share your thoughts. It really inspires me to continue. Thanks to my girls, you all know who they are by now.

Chapter 6:

Harvey is on his fourth cup of coffee when he walks into Alex's office around 10:00 AM the following morning.

"What have you got?" Harvey asks before he's even fully in the room. He's been in since 7:00 and feels like all he's done is spin his wheels. The fact that Donna has yet to make an appearance doesn't help settle his nerves. He told her they would get through this, whatever happened, and he meant it. But he also said he needed to find out what Thomas had on him, and he meant that too.

"Nothing good, Harvey." Alex rubs his face and looks up from his computer. "I can't get my contact to take my calls, and based on what Donna said about Thomas's informant the other night, I think he may have sold me out."

Harvey catches the baseball he was tossing in the air. He's been fidgety all morning and carrying it around seems to be helping him focus. "And what exactly did he have on you that was worth selling?" he questions.

"Well," Alex hesitates, "It's more like what he had on you, considering I alluded to the fact that Simon was using Thomas. He knew there was only one way I could've acquired that information."

Harvey looks at Alex and shakes his head. Just as he's about to comment, his phone buzzes in his pocket.

"Mike," he says after he swipes across his screen. "You're on speaker with Alex and me. He just informed me that there is a good chance Thomas knows I broke privilege. Tell me you're calling with some better news."

"I wish I was, Harvey. But I'm afraid my news may be even worse. Were you aware that Thomas has a brother?" Mike asks with a tone that makes Harvey wish he hadn't picked up the call.

"No, Mike. Remember, I'm the one that didn't know he had a girlfriend, why the fuck would I know his family tree." Harvey knows he's being a dick. But he is beginning to feel his new positive outlook fading away.

"Well he does. A few years younger. He works here in New York. Finance. You'll never guess who he is dating." Mike doesn't wait long because he knows Harvey isn't one for games. "Evan Smith."

…

Donna walks into Thomas's building with the appearance of a corporate COO ready to kick ass and take names. In reality, she's a nervous wreck with a weak stomach and a bad case of cottonmouth. She knows she shouldn't be confronting Thomas at work and that Harvey would flip his lid if he knew she was here on his behalf. She also knows that Thomas is a good man. A fair man. And she is confident if she can just get to the bottom of his actions, she can change his mind. Well, maybe not confident, exactly, but she's determined to try.

Before she gets on the elevator, her phone starts ringing in her purse. She knows it's Harvey. He has already texted her twice. She doesn't want to lie to him, but she sure as hell isn't going to tell him where she is. She just stares at his name on the screen until the phone stops buzzing. She slips it back into her purse, and gets on the elevator.

She can see as she approaches Thomas's office that it's empty. Some of the nerves settle as her pounding heart slows on a deep exhale. But her relief is short lived as she hears his voice from behind her.

"Donna?" Thomas's voice lacks his usual pep.

Donna swallows thickly as she turns to face him. "Thomas," is all she can manage. Her resolve slipping from the look in his eyes.

Thomas lifts his chin, just slightly, but Donna sees it as a sign he's not happy to see her. His defenses are on full alert.

"What are you doing here, Donna?" He walks past her and into his office.

Donna opens her lips slightly to let out a shaky breath as she follows him inside. "I want to talk, Thomas."

"Well, I know for a fact that we don't have any business together to discuss. And as far as anything personal, I think I've heard enough." He sits down at his desk without even giving her the courtesy of eye contact. "I don't want to be rude Donna, but I am a very busy man."

His words sting and so do her eyes as she fights back the tears building there. She takes a seat in the chair across from him despite his crystal clear message. She is struck by the reality of how quickly things can change.

"Thomas. I know you're hurting. And I know I'm the last person you want to see or talk to, but I just need five minutes. Please," she adds when he doesn't respond.

Thomas sighs and finally looks up from the paperwork on his desk. His eyes are just as full as Donna's. "You'd never be the last person I want to see Donna. But this isn't easy for me. Any of it."

Donna relaxes slightly. "I'm sorry, Thomas-"

"And I know why you're here," he cuts her off. "To defend him. And I just don't think I can listen to it." He averts his eyes and starts shuffling the papers on his desk.

Donna's palms start to sweat as the realization that this plan may not work settles in. She considers just granting him his wish and leaving. Then she thinks of all the times Harvey fought to save her, and she continues.

"Thomas, why are you doing this to Harvey? He never did anything to hurt you. He was breaking his back trying to save your deal." The tone of her voice sounds more defensive than she intended it to.

Thomas looks up with an exasperated expression. "Never did anything to hurt me?" He practically shouts. "That man has had you at his beckon call for 13 years and he never made a move. And now that you were just about to start something real… something special with me. He's suddenly interested in more?" Thomas gets up from his seat and paces. "You're right Donna. Maybe Harvey never intended to hurt me. I'm just collateral damage. But he's damn sure out to hurt you! How many times have you walked away from something good and healthy, for whatever that bastard has to offer?"

Donna is stunned by both Thomas's words and his behavior. She had never even heard him raise his voice.

"Thomas!" Donna whisper shouts as she looks over her shoulder to the open door. "This has nothing to do with my relationship with Harvey! Calling for an ethics hearing could cost him his license to practice law. His livelihood. You would take all of that from him because of a personal vendetta? What does that say about your ethics?"

"You are absolutely right, Donna." Thomas's voice is quickly back to calm and collected. "This hearing has nothing to do with this," he gestures between them. "It has everything to do with the fact that Harvey Specter is a dirty lawyer. He has crossed the line time after time to get what he wants. This time it may have been breaking privilege, but I have a source that says he's done much, much worse."

The blood slowly drains from Donna's face as countless shady dealings run through her mind. "I don't know what that's supposed to -"

"Do the words Liberty Rail mean anything to you?" Thomas phrases it as a question, but the look on his face says he already knows the answer.

A knock on the open door stops Donna before she can manage a response.

"Mr. Kessler. Your 10:30 is here," a young man says, clearly aware he's interrupted something.

"Thank you, Aaron," he says quietly, picking up the folder on his desk. "Can you show Ms. Paulsen out, please?

"Thomas," Donna says, hurt at his flippant dismissal.

"Goodbye, Donna." Thomas says as he walks past her without a second glance.

"He's a good man, Thomas," she blurts out and he stops but doesn't turn. "Every line he has ever crossed… was to protect someone he loves."

….

When Donna heads outside to hail a cab, she decides to head back home. There is plenty of work she can take care of from there and she just doesn't feel up to going into the office. She really thought she could get Thomas to back down but now she feels like she's only made things worse. To add insult to injury. She listens to Harvey's voicemail.

Donna. Where are you? I hope you're not out there trying to fix this thing on your own. If we are going to get through this, we need to trust each other. I have some new information you need to hear. Call me, okay?

Donna exhales slowly. She had been unconsciously holding her breath while she listened. His words made her feel guilty enough, but it was the tenderness in his voice that brought on the tears. She never should have gone to Thomas. Why is it that now that Harvey is ready to be open and available, she seems to want to run and hide?

The entire drive home she struggles internally with the pull to call him back and the fear of doing so. She settles for a text and delays the inevitable a bit longer.

…

Harvey and Alex spent the last few hours looking into Thomas's younger brother, Erik. He had made quite a name for himself in the Financial District and was quickly moving up the ladder at Goldman Sachs. From what they could gather he'd been seeing Evan Smith for about a year.

"She's no longer with Hackett Cropper Klein, and word on the street is they let her go shortly after the Liberty Rail mess," Alex reports to Harvey late that afternoon.

The sun is going down and Harvey still hasn't seen Donna. She had finally texted him to say she was taking care of some business outside of the office but when he asked for details, she didn't respond.

"Has Louis come up with any dirt on him? Anything we can use if it comes to that?" Harvey asks looking through the file Alex had brought him.

"Squeaky clean. Just like his big brother," Alex says, earning him a glare from Harvey. "What? I'm just sayin'. If we are looking for a back door out of this, I don't think that's the tree we should be barking up."

"Well that's great advice, Alex," Harvey says with dripping sarcasm. "You're a big fucking help."

"Listen. Harvey," Alex says, not taking offense. "If Liberty Rail is all he's got, maybe we have a shot of getting him to lay off after all."

"No way, Alex. I know where you're headed with this, and it's not happening."

"All I'm saying is, from what Mike told me, any shady shit you pulled on that deal was to save Donna from prison, right?"

Just hearing those words out loud makes Harvey visibly cringe. "Alex," he says as a warning.

"And considering the fact that Donna and Thomas were -"

"Alex!" Harvey's voice booms as he stands up and slams his palms on the desk. "I am not bringing Donna into this! There is no way in hell I am going to make her relive that nightmare. If that's the only way out of this, then they can have my fucking license. Do I make myself clear?"

Alex's eyebrows are practically at his hairline as he observes Harvey's outburst. He had suspected there was something more to Donna and Harvey than just work and friendship. And now those suspicions had definitely been confirmed.

"Okay, Harvey. Take it easy." Alex puts his hands in front of him. "I hear you, man. No Donna."

After a minute or two Harvey regains his composure. "Who is Evan working for now?" Harvey asks, still trying to slow his breathing down.

"I'm not sure, but I can find out." Alex gets up. "Time for a little visit?"

"You bet your ass it is," Harvey says, pouring himself a drink to calm his temper.

…...

Harvey steps out of the building about an hour later and checks his phone again to see if Donna has replied. He pulls his jacket tighter around his chest, and as he slides his phone back into his pocket, he walks right into Thomas.

"You're a piece of shit. You know that?" Thomas says looking down on Harvey with several inches on him, easy. The look on his face, coupled with the way he's pushing out his chest, tells Harvey he's looking for a fight.

"Thomas," Harvey says with a tilt of his head and a nod, not even slightly intimidated by the taller man's presence. "Why don't you take a deep breath and back up a step before you do something you'll regret." Harvey's words may seem like sound advice to a passerby, but Thomas knows he means them as a warning.

"Don't give me that tough guy bullshit, Harvey. You weren't even man enough to defend your own reputation. So you sent Donna over to do it for you."

"What the fuck did you just say to me?" Harvey steps forward so his chest bumps Thomas's.

Thomas puts both his hands on Harvey's chest and shoves him backward. "You heard me."

Harvey grabs the lapels of his jacket and tugs on them. He wraps his left hand around his right fist and cracks his knuckles as he takes a stride toward Thomas.

Ray gets out of the Lexus and quickly walks over to the men. "Mr. Specter? Is everything okay here?"

Harvey stops. The sight of Ray, bringing him off the ledge. "We're fine Ray. Just wait in the car. This won't take long," Harvey says to his driver. Grateful for his intervention, he uses the opportunity to take a deep breath. Fighting Thomas is about the stupidest thing he could do right now. And Harvey Specter is not stupid.

"Thomas," he says in an even tone. "I haven't talked to Donna all day, and I can assure if she came to see you, it was not my doing. In fact," he shakes his head. "I'm sure now that she's been purposefully avoiding me all day."

Thomas considers Harvey's response and seems to calm down himself.

"Why did you tell Alex Simon was using me?" he asks blatantly. "You had to know you were putting yourself and your firm in jeopardy."

"I did," Harvey says with a nod.

"Then, why?" he asks again.

"It's... complicated."

"Simplify it for me, Harvey!" Thomas's voice and temper seem to be escalating again, and Harvey figures the truth may be his best bet.

"Because of Donna. She came to me, all excited about your deal. She wanted to take you out to celebrate." Harvey steps away from Thomas. Any desire he had to punch the man had dissipated. "I knew she cared about you, and I didn't want to see you get screwed."

Thomas had figured something like that to be the case. He appreciates Harvey admitting it.

"What about Liberty Rail?" Thomas continues.

Harvey freezes. He has no clue what Thomas actually knows. And with the limited information he has, he has no choice but to try to play the man. First instinct. Stall.

"What about them?" Harvey answers his question with another.

"If you want any shot at me dropping this whole thing, Harvey, I suggest you stop trying to lawyer me and just be god damn honest. You knew Liberty Rail was at fault. They were responsible for the murder of innocent people, and you let them off the hook?"

Harvey clenches his jaw as his stomach turns at the memory. Turns out Thomas knows quite a bit, apparently. He doesn't answer him. He simply nods.

"Why?" Thomas asks again.

The question hangs between like them the fog that's slowing rolling in as the temperature outside begins its steady decline. Neither man speaks for what feels like minutes.

"For Donna." Two simple words and an understanding, a connection, forms between these two men who had been seconds away from coming to blows.

Thomas nods and breaks eye contact. The moment they shared gone as quickly as it came.

"Evan told me you had done it for money. That you knew they were guilty of murder and you made a deal to let them off. I was pissed about the deal with Simon. Don't get me wrong. But it was the idea of Donna," Thomas stops and shakes his head. His voice thick with emotion. "Of Donna being with a man capable of that type of business, I just couldn't stomach it." Thomas shakes his head and looks back at Harvey. "But something Donna said to me today, made me wonder if Evan had left something out. So I did some digging myself. Got the impression that you had done it to protect someone. I told Erik to ask Evan point blank, what had really happened."

"And?" Harvey asks, a little weary of his answer.

Thomas looks Harvey dead in the eyes. "He said she laughed. Laughed and said the best closer in New York City was in love with his secretary."

Harvey looks away the second the words are out of Thomas's mouth. His stomach cramps and he balls his fists in response. He knows exactly what Thomas is getting at.

"Who is she to you?" Thomas whispers in a tone full of confusion and curiosity.

Harvey is having trouble controlling his heart rate. Of all the people in all the fucking world, the last person he expected to have this conversation with was Thomas fucking Kessler. But the answer to his question was clear. In fact, he had never been more sure of anything in his entire life. So he picks his head up and looks Thomas right in the eyes.

"She's the most important person in my life, Thomas."