Ok, I bet many of you though that was it in the last Chapter. Nope! Just remember what the title of the story is. Hang in there. Thank you again for all the reviews and favoriting. Love it! - Carebearmaxi.

Donna Meets Lily -

Chapter 22 -

Crying

It was early Tuesday morning. Donna lay in bed watching Harvey's sleeping form. Somehow Donna and Harvey had made it to the bed after his marriage proposal the previous night only to make sweet tender love even more heightened now that Harvey knew Donna agreed to be his wife. His loving of her was tender and subtle. This time he lacked no compunction in showing emotion to his future wife by thanking her and kissing her tenderly as a tear had escaped down his cheek while he kissed her. Donna sweetly kissed that tear and kissed him in return as she held his face in her hands as he lay above her transmitting wordlessly into his big brown eyes how much she loved him and wanted to be his wife.

"More than anything in the world, Harvey," Donna finally whispered before the final climax and pleasure of falling asleep in each other's arms.

Donna now lie awake tired, alive, and very elated. She lie next to Harvey who had turned over in the night to face the wide window of the bedroom. However, as he slept his one hand remained on Donna's thigh. When Donna woke, she picked up Harvey's hand gently and kissing it placed it back over his waist. She then bent and kissed his forehead as she continued to watch him sleep.

As she laid her hand lightly on Harvey's hip a slip of light shone from the curtained window and reflected the facets of Donna's diamond ring. The facets sparkled catching Donna's eye. She then held her hand up and letting the sheet fall from her bosom she continued to examine the precious yet fiery stone. Donna's mind kept drifting to all the events that happened last night. So different from that night a month ago when enjoying a night together, Scottie interrupted them dropping the bombshell of the suit standing between her firm and theirs. Donna regretfully misinterpreted Harvey's pleasure at seeing his former lover, so Donna left his apartment swearing never to return.

She looked at her engagement ring again. She was so thrilled and elated that she had answered "yes". Donna then resumed looking at her fiancee as he slumbered peacefully. She smiled at the thought that she finally had gotten the man with whom she really wanted to spend her life and could actually picture a life. Then as she pictured the future with, hopefully, perhaps, a couple of little tow headed children traisping underfoot, Donna's expression turned from one of happiness to consternation. She bit her lip and knowing that if she were ever to accomplish anything of her own she would have to do it before she became 'Mrs. Harvey Specter'.

Donna found she would have to make the ultimate decision. Stay and marry Harvey and become, once again, superabsorbed in his career and complete submission of your own joys. The alternative was breaking their engagement, perhaps, and returning to California to pursue her dream which may ultimately be just that-a dream. She was determined to make a compromise of both solutions. The only one thing she was sure of was Harvey's reaction. The argument he would give would be spectacular and Donna found she would have not a leg to stand on.

Suddenly Harvey's voice, drowsy and deep brought Donna out of her dark thoughts.

"I know I'm gorgeous but please stop watching me sleep, Donna," Harvey teased through a half closed mouth and shut eyelids.

"How long have you been awake?" Donna asked hoping he did not feel that she had something on her mind except him.

Harvey turned over. His hair which was normally so stiff and spiky in the morning was all which ways soft and short. Harvey's beard was prevalent on his face. Harvey felt his face and disliked having a beard but he has been so open to different things that he was thinking maybe he should grow one.

"What do you think of me growing a beard, Donna?" Harvey said as he turned over and smiled liking the view of Donna sitting up next to him with her beautiful breasts unclothed. He turned all the way over and took one into his mouth as Donna sat up against the backboard.

"Harvey, I don't remember you being this unsatiable before," Donna could not help but tease him.

"I've never been engaged to such a beautiful woman before," Harvey purred sucking harder and massaging with his hand.

She loved what that man could do with just his mouth. Titillating. She breathed in with with the depth of the feelings he stirred in her once again. Her breathing only expanded her breasts expanding the tingling that emanated there.

"Mmm," Harvey moaned as he placed a hand on the one fully round breast as he suckled to hold it in place.

Harvey let go and kissed his way off her breast and then he looked up at her and noticed she was pensive.

He sat up more attentive and pulled the sheet up around his thighs.

"Ok, Donna, tell me right now what is bothering you. This has something to do with your friend from yesterday, doesn't it? Is your friend a man or a woman?" Harvey asked softly hoping it was a woman and not a man because he really did not want to have to beat the shit out of someone. He would if he had to, though. No one would ever hurt Donna again.

Donna bit her lip and then sitting up straight against the backboard tucking the sheets around her armpits again hiding her body from Harvey's view. Donna felt cold outside of Harvey's embrace or, perhaps, a chill had set in knowing the enormity of what she faced when she would confront Harvey. Her nipples were painfully erect caused by Harvey's ministrations and now the moistness hitting the air, so the warmth of the sheet did not feel too unwelcome.

"It was a woman. Brenda, a woman I knew from theater class in college. She's a casting director in L.A.," Donna explained.

"So what did this Brenda do to get you two into an argument?" Harvey wondered. His eyebrows were arched and his forehead wrinkled in questioning fashion.

"Nothing," Donna lowered her head and pouted out the word.

"Come on, Donna, you changed the subject and walked out of my office yesterday and then let me get distracted because you knew that I would bug you until you were straight with me. So before I get really pissed off and ruin the first day of our engagement, you come clean with me right now." Harvey logically demanded.

"Brenda thinks I should return to California. She said she had talked to my agent and he has had to give four potential roles to his other clients because I was not there."

"What?" Harvey sat up in bed a little taller and moved away from the backboard.

"Let me repeat. What? Wait a minute. Is that the guy who keeps calling you on that burner phone you brought back with you? I just thought that phone was one you bought because you told me you misplaced your phone in the office when you came home. What's going on, Donna?"

Donna swung her legs over her side of the bed and hid in the bathroom. Harvey could hear the shower water running.

"Donna! You're not getting away that easy! I just want to know. I promise I won't get mad. Just tell me so I can help," Harvey pleaded getting out of bed himself. He walked to his bathroom and the door was locked.

"Donna, this door's lock can't prevent me from coming in there."

"I know, Harvey. I just wanted two minutes while I worked this out, ok?" Donna called from the shower. He could hear the echo of the tiles.

Harvey undid the lock in lieu of breaking it and came to sit on the toilet. He was momentarily distracted by Donna's form just standing in the shower. The bathroom was steamy and the mirror all fogged up.

"Look. Just tell me. It can't be that bad, is it?" Harvey wondered. He rose from the toilet and put on his bathrobe and tying the knot he waited for a response from his fiancee.

"Harvey. Brenda keeps calling me because I said that I would return and continue pursuing my dream. She begged me not to return here, so did my agent, and the director of the theatre company where I had won an audition the first day I was there. I told them all I would be back once you were better."

"Ok, so that's changed now. We're engaged. What's the problem?" Harvey asked as he came to the door of the shower and opened it. He eyed Donna sitting on the side of the shower floor allowing the water to once in a while hit her body. Her knees were drawn up and she held them in place by crossed arms. Her eyes were puffy and red. He was not sure if she had been crying or if her eyes were just puffy and red from lack of sleep. His own were red rimmed and his head hurt a little bit with all their extraneous activity last night. Harvey lowered his head hiding his expression from Donna. The memories they made last night would not leave Harvey's mind that easily. Especially the moment Donna said yes to his marriage proposal. He wondered, though, if her agreeing to marry him now was in jeopardy.

"The problem is that I want to go back to California. Maybe not stay permanently but maybe a little while and try my hand at the acting roles there. I was supposed to be back weeks ago because the director of the Shakespeare in the Park Theatre Company was holding the lead of the Taming of The Shrew for me. I had to sacrifice my Lady MacBeth role because you were so ill and..."

"You felt guilty! You felt bad because you left without giving me an explanation or an answer to my marriage proposal," Harvey said with the volume of his voice rising the more he became enraged.

"No, Harvey, I came back because I love you and I misunderstood your feelings for Scottie. I couldn't bear to be there knowing how sick you were here! I came back because I love you," Donna reasoned.

Harvey closed the shower door. He heard the water shut off and then Donna came out of bathroom wrapped in one of his long blue towels.

"Harvey?" Donna asked softly treading up behind him.

"Do you want to go back and leave me now?" Harvey asked quietly. He really did not want to argue with her. He now knew that a lot more was accomplished if he were more quiet and understanding rather than bellicose and loud.

"I want to go back and see what I can do. I was hoping you could come with me. Maybe take some time off...for me. Do you understand?"

Harvey swiftly turned back to the bathroom. He took out his razor and started to put the cream on his face. A hard silence erupted between them.

"I'm going to catch a cab and go back to my place, so I can get ready for work. I'll see you there, Harvey."

"Donna, take off the ring and leave it on the kitchen counter before you leave," Harvey said haltingly.

"Harvey, I..." Donna began to question and then as she dressed in her clothes she had so gloriously shed the night before she remembered to remove her engagement ring and leave it on the kitchen counter.

Harvey leaned against the doorjamb of the bathroom. He hid his face from the mirror because even he could not look at the tears beginning to stream down his face.

Two hours later, Harvey walked through the elevator doors on the 50th floor. His face held a scowl such had not been seen for quite a while even with all the turmoil of getting Mike out of jail and making sure he was admitted to the Bar. As he walked to his office, he dreaded seeing his fiancee-not-fiancee sitting at her desk resuming the position she had agreed to take many years ago and done for so long. What a fool I was thinking she'd marry me? She said she wanted more after that "The Donna" fiasco. I know she loves me, but I know that if she goes she won't come back. So I guess I will have to let her go.

However as he arrived at her cubicle the only thing for him to see was an envelope with her key to his apartment and an amount of cash to pay him back for all the wonderful things he had given her.

"She left it about an hour ago, Harvey," Rachel said as she spotted Harvey heading for his office. Rachel had received a call from Donna and explained not a lot of what had happened and where she was headed. She said all her explanation to Harvey would be in the letter she was leaving him. Also the replacement that she had interviewed without Harvey's knowledge was to start that day and if she would not mind to show her around she would be grateful. Rachel knew not to ask and that an explanation would come later agreed that she would take care of everything. Rachel broke into tears because she knew that Harvey probably popped the question again, but this time disaster not happiness ensued apparently.

"Thanks, Rachel. Is there anything else?" Harvey said barely seeing Rachel standing there and holding Donna's letter. He stared at her familiar handwriting and let the envelope burn his fingers the longer he stared at it.

"Melissa, your new secretary starts today. I showed her around as Donna asked me. I know Donna's not being here is going to be a shock, but please try not to scare your new secretary," Rachel stated.

Harvey then saw Rachel and smiled ruefully and said, "Of course not. Business as usual."

"You must be Mr. Specter," a sensual female voice said behind Harvey.

"Yes, I am," Harvey smiled into the big blue eyes of a very attractive, tall, blonde woman dressed in a knit blue dress. She was beautiful Harvey thought. Did you do this on purpose, Donna? Hire someone very attractive. Never as beautiful to me as you, but she is stunning.

"Melissa Carlson," the tall blonde woman held out her hand. "I just want to say that I am here at your disposal. Rachel has filled me in on some of your current cases and introduced me to the portions of the staff that I will be involved. Donna showed me your calendar and it seems you have an 11:30 which is in about 15 minutes from now."

"Thank you Melissa?" Harvey inquired in the event she did not like to be called that.

"Missy...you can call me Missy. I prefer Missy. I never liked Melissa," she said gaining more confidence as she stared at Harvey.

"Oh, well, I never minded my name. It's one of my best features." Harvey then turned on his heel and headed straight to his desk.

Rachel had witnessed the exchange between Harvey and Melissa and wondered what the hell her friend was thinking when she hired the tall, statuesque, blonde woman. Donna what were you thinking? He's going to sleep with her because you hurt him, Donna. Please return. You thought Scottie was the threat. What were you thinking?

Rachel turned and walked back to her office to continue working on the briefs that Mike had assigned her.

"Harvey, you have a call on four. It's your mother," Missy said over the intercom.

"Thank you, Missy." Harvey picked up the phone and was dreading talking to his mother.

"Hi, honey, it's mom," Lily said cheerfully. She was expecting him to call her. "Why didn't Donna answer the phone?"

"Hi mom. It's wonderful to hear from you, but I'm really busy right now. Can I call you later?" Harvey hedged.

"Well, it depends. Are you due in court?"

"No...but mom I don't have time to go into anything right -"

"Didn't Donna say yes?" Lily interrupted jumping right to the point of her call.

"Uh..yes and no..." Harvey allowed himself to say. "It's complicated."

"It always is with you, too. Look, you call me as soon as your day is finished or I will be on the first plane to you. Understand?"

"Mom, I'm not five years old anymore," Harvey began to whine.

"Yes, I know you're a grown man. However, I am still your mother and I think you need me," Lily explained.

He wanted to argue and say that he had not needed her for twenty years, but he really did need to talk to someone and he was finding that his mother was a wonderful confidante.

"Ok, it's a deal. I'll call you around seven tonight," Harvey said laughing gently.

"I will be standing by my phone. I am teaching a class, but I will cut it short because my son needs me," Lily explained.

"Love you, ma," Harvey said.

"Love you, too, Harvey," Lily answered.

Meanwhile Donna hopped the first flight to LA. She arrived in LA at noon Pacific Time which was three Eastern Time. When she had finally settled on the plane, she fell asleep. She was not surprised since she and Harvey had not had much sleep the previous night and the uneasiness she had with Harvey drained her body of any remaining bits of energy.

Brenda met her at the plane as she had a month before.

"You look terrible. Were you up all night?" Brenda asked. "Bernie wants to see you and then so does Charles. Which one you want to see first? You are in time because The Taming of the Shrew doesn't open for months yet and they just started rehearsals."

Brenda rattled on but Donna's thoughts were back in New York with Harvey. Harvey. He hasn't changed as much as he thought he has. He didn't even let me explain just told me to leave the ring and go. Well, Specter, I don't need you. You'll see. You will be sorry you didn't hear me out. Never can compromise with him. It's always black and white.

"Donna!" Brenda said and stopped the car. "Why are you crying?"