Hi All! Well, I know I haven't updated this fic for a while, but here goes. It might be a bit painful but remember I love a happy ending! Thank you to every one who is still following. I live for your responses. Thanks, again - Carebearmaxi
You Know I Love You (Sequel Together Forever)
Chapter 5-Time Off?
After Donna cleaned her desk out and moved her stuff to Louis' side of the office, Donna had Ray take her to Rachel and Mike's apartment. Donna, not normally the one looking for a sounding board but being the sounding board, needed to make an exception in this case. Since Donna had been with Harvey, forever she thought, Donna had felt invincible. Now knowing that Harvey felt abandoned by her with her desire to work for Louis, Donna's reaction was one of devastation. So, she sought her best friend to see what Rachel thought.
"Donna?" Rachel said as she opened the door to her apartment and saw her tall redheaded friend standing there obviously distraught.
"I'm sorry to come at such a late hour; but I know Mike is working with Harvey, and I just had to see you," Donna uttered as Rachel ushered her in the door.
"Sure, what is it? I'm surprised you're not with Harvey. You two seem to be inseparable. Wait! Don't tell me. Trouble in paradise?" Rachel asked seeing Donna's red swollen eyes probably from crying. Rachel was upset now. All Donna ever wanted was to have a relationship with Harvey-her one true love-now it looks like it was going to be an uphill battle after all.
Donna stood there looking at her dark haired best friend knowing that her boyfriend was working with her fiancee, his best friend, and wondered if Mike could draw what he was feeling out from Harvey. I hope Harvey will confide in Mike if given the chance, but I know he won't because Harvey has just reconstructed his wall that had lately been down. Why did I come here? I don't want to bother Rachel and swear her to secrecy and Mike blurts something out to Harvey. I should just go.
"I'm sorry, Rachel. I shouldn't burden you with this. I'll just catch a cab for home," Donna said as she started back out the door.
"No, what you need is to come in here. Have a glass of wine and tell me what's happening with Harvey. I have your favorite wine, by the way, so stay," Rachel coerced as she padded barefoot to the wine cabinet and the wineglasses.
"Oh, Rache, I'm sorry. I just made a decision that I know I'm going to regret," Donna said sitting on Rachel's couch. Rachel brought the wine, and Donna took a sip.
"Oh, this wine is great! Thank you," Donna said and then feeling a little more relaxed and confident kicked off her Louboutins and curled up on Rachel's couch clutching an overstuffed pillow to her body began to tell Rachel of her decision to work for Louis.
"You what!?"
"I decided that Louis needs me more than Harvey and that Harvey has me all night; whereas, Louis needs someone to get him back on his feet since Norma's death," Donna said feeling vindicated and confident as she took in the liquid courage.
Rachel shook her head. "Remember when I told you that you're Harvey's everything in the office and he would be jealous because you had been sleeping with Stephen?"
Donna looked down as if to say why are you bringing that up?
"Yes."
"Well, did you think it would not be relevant or even more relevant now that you're sleeping with Harvey as well working for him?" Rachel asked thinking with her heart more than her logic.
"Well, let me tell you why I thought it would be a good thing," Donna said defending her decision. "Number one: Harvey and I are in a personal relationship, so this means we are spending 24/7 together and as much as I love him and our life together I think we are spending too much time together. Harvey and I have always been complicated and now things seem less complicated but, in truth, they are not. We are intense passionate people and I put him above all else. So, number two, to save our relationship I feel we need to be separated at least some part of the day."
"Did you tell Louis yet? He must be flying on Cloud Nine. He's always been jealous of Harvey but no more than his privilege of having you for his secretary."
"I haven't told Louis yet. As a matter of fact, Louis asked me and I had told him that I couldn't as I was Harvey's secretary."
"Couldn't you just tell Harvey that it's temporary and as soon as Louis finds the right one you're returning to Harvey's desk?" Rachel suggested feeling that made much more sense than total separation if she was only doing it to preserve her personal life with Harvey. They could both learn something then.
"You know, Harvey. He doesn't deal in gray areas when it comes to his life. If it is a gray area he makes it black or white. Just like he did in this case. He wouldn't even allow me a two week notice time. He just told me to pack my stuff and move to Louis' desk and then he told me not to come home to him but to go to my place. Was he breaking up with me?"
"Sounds like it to me, but then you know Harvey better than anyone," Rachel sympathized and put a hand on her buddy's arm.
"Are you still determined to work for Louis?" Rachel asked.
Donna through new tears nodded silently yes.
Suddenly the door opened and there was Mike with not only his briefcase but an additional satchel of files. Upon seeing Donna sitting on his couch with his fiancee, Mike could not help but ask.
"What did you do to Harvey?"
While Donna was talking to Rachel, Mike had ventured into Harvey's office looking forward to a little movie quote fest and working on a highly visible case.
"What's up, my man?"
"I'm not your man. Sit down we've got a long night ahead," Harvey stated succinctly looking at his young protege.
"Oooo, has Winter come?" Mike asked. He just realized that Harvey was NOT a "throner" so he would not get the reference.
"Look, sit down and use that fabulous brain of yours for the law instead of some stupid TV quote."
"Oh, so you do know that I was referring to "Game of Thrones", Mike confirmed.
"I don't watch it, but it seems everyone else does including Donna and I heard her and Louis discussing it recently."
"Ah, I see. Ok, what have you got for me?" Mike asked.
Harvey had handed the voluminous case file to Mike and proposed his strategy to win, and how Mike could assist. Afterward, Mike decided that something was off about Harvey. Since he and Donna had become more than boss/secretary, Harvey had been happy and smiled a lot more and was a little less condescending in dealing with Mike's less serious undertone to his duties. He and Harvey had always clicked and had fun at each other's expense but none of it was ever vindictive. So Mike kept thinking the whole time: What happened with you and Donna?
Mike rose from the couch where he had been sitting with Harvey perched on one end chair and asked, "Everything ok in your current lovelife?"
"What?" Harvey asked with his "one eye" squinting look which had come to be known as Harvey's "what in the hell are you talking about?" look.
"You know Donna...you...love life," Mike clarified folding his hands together.
"Everything's fine," Harvey said in a low voice keeping his head down.
"Come on, Harvey. No, it's not. I know because you guys haven't had 24 hours apart since you started becoming involved personally a few months ago."
"It's none of your business. Now if you understand what has to be done, you're free to go home to Rachel," Harvey said rising and stomping over to his desk.
Despite Mike knowing that there was an issue between he and Donna and that, as usual, Harvey had just erected that emotional wall again, Mike took a cab to his own happy home.
"You what?!" Mike exclaimed duplicating Rachel's question to Donna when she related that she was going to work for Louis.
"I'm leaving Harvey to work for Louis," Donna repeated.
"No wonder he was pissed. I'm not saying this to coerce you into doing something you do not want to do, but this man is going to fall apart without you there. Don't you understand that? He needs you to do your job for him and love him at the end of the day. Is it so hard for you? Isn't that what you have wanted when you first told me that "feelings go away" knowing all the time they don't?"
"Mike!" Rachel yelled at her fiance.
Donna sat back down on the couch as teardrops slowly scuttled down her face smearing her makeup.
Looking through her tears at Mike whom she loved like a little brother said, "Of course I want that. But as I explained to Rachel, Harvey and I are something intense and passionate and I think we need a separation to save us from pulling each other apart being 24/7 together!"
Wiping her tears away, she stood up and putting on her heels she said, "Look. I don't know why I am explaining myself to you. You, fucking bastard, attacking me as if I murdered someone or hurt Harvey irreparably. I did not break up with him. I tried as carefully as I could to tell him I wasn't abandoning him. That just because I was going to work for Louis didn't mean I didn't love him and want to be with him. I feel with this separation that we are doing ourselves some good instead of stepping on each other's feet at home and at the office."
"It sounds like you're the one who's afraid now, Donna." Mike said penetrating Donna with his intense blue gaze. "You claim Harvey was afraid of a relationship with you all these years. Now when he finally realizes it is you whom he wants at home as well as the office you are the one chickening out! Seems a bit hypocritical to me."
"That's your opinion and you and Rachel are not Harvey and me," Donna said. She did not mean it bitterly. She just meant that Harvey and Mike and she and Rachel are four different people and their love affairs are vastly different because the personalities are different. However, Mike took it bitterly.
"Thank God for that. Two people who love each other spend every minute they can with each other because their life could be snuffed out just crossing the street. Didn't anything that Louis say at Norma's funeral resonate with you?" Mike pressed.
"Of course it did! I'm not trying to separate from Harvey or hurt him. God knows how much I love that man and I would do anything for him, but I'm just moving down the hall. He has me every other way and I thought that that was more important than anything else!" Donna argued with Mike's logic.
"Look, Donna," Rachel interjected between the shouting happening between two of the dearest people in her life. "Go home. Call Harvey. If he doesn't say he wants to talk to you then there's your answer; but if he does, go to him and if he persuades you to change your mind-let him." Rachel sighed and pleaded with her best friend because she did not want to see Donna's heart broken once again. Knowing Harvey he would revenge himself by finding some irrelevant bar whore with whom to drown his sorrows. Maybe not, but Rachel did not know Harvey as well as Donna did.
Donna said good night to her two best friends after they called a cab for her. Donna knew she had Ray at her disposal now but she could not see bringing the man, father of five, out late in the night. Harvey would think nothing of it, but Donna, not knowing what the status of her relationship was with Harvey at the moment thought better of it.
Walking into her apartment, Donna's mind leapt to recent memories of her and Harvey, falling asleep together on her couch, lying in bed making love, taking a shower together, and then realizing how late they were going to be because Ray had called them to say he had been waiting fifteen minutes wondering if he had missed a call that he had had the day off. Harvey was tempted a few times, but with Jack Soloff and Jessica breathing down his neck he decided he would have to spare a few hours for work instead in the arms of his secretary with whom he was fully in love.
What is wrong with me? I should have known better. How dare Mike, though, tell me what's good for me and Harvey! He's known Harvey, what? Four years now? I've known, worked for, and loved that man a lot longer. Well, I will do what Rachel said to do. I will call Harvey to see where we stand.
Back at the office, Harvey's cell phone rang. He quickly looked at it and saw that it was Donna. He hit the ignore button and poured another Scotch.