Hi Again I hope you enjoy this rather long update. I had a tad bit of writers' block writing this but I think you will like it! Thank you again to all who have continued reading and reviewing and following. I am truly inspired and you make me very happy that you appreciate my efforts! Love you - Carebearmaxi

Donna Meets Lily

Chapter 26

Cross Country Purposes

Louis had come into the office early to finish another case wherein investors were threatening one of his clients' companies. Louis was always good at sniffing out the real reason why some clients were susceptible to shark companies and why some were not. It just took a little mathematical calculation and manipulation and Louis could not only settle out of court but he could collect grateful billings from his clients from now to Kingdom Come.

Lately, Louis remained in his office and watched over the associates and asked assistance from Mike or Katrina if necessary. Since Harvey's return from the dead and his brilliant closing of the Class Action Chemical Suit, Louis steered clear of Harvey. He was managing partner and Louis had accepted that. Louis missed Donna, too, because if he had to speak with Harvey then she was always good at running interference or softening if need be. Missy, Harvey's new secretary, did not like Louis at all. She let him know it in more ways than one. Unlike Louis' relationship with Donna which had grown from antagonistic to warily friendly to finally one of mutual affection, Louis' relationship with Missy was purely antagonistic and unfriendly. This made Louis even more resentful of Donna's presence and the reason for her absence from his life. If Donna had needed a friend, she could have come to him and she would have had no need to run to the West Coast again.

As Louis contemplated Harvey and Donna's relationship, Harvey himself stepped into his doorway.

"Harvey," Louis said.

"Louis, I need a favor," Harvey asked. He really did not want to hand over the reins albeit temporarily to Louis, but Harvey thought about what his mom said and analyzed his own feeelings and Harvey knew he could no longer be without Donna. If she wanted her own job and no longer work for him or the firm, he totally understood and would support her in every way. If she even asked him for another position in another firm, he would do that. Just to show her he understood what she wanted and that he still wanted her to be his wife.

"Ok, Harvey, what is it?" Louis asked somewhat hostile because if it was not for Harvey's narcisstic womanizing ways his best female friend in the world would not be 3000 miles away.

"Would you man the firm for about two weeks?" Harvey asked humbly. He felt Louis would jump at the chance, but he wanted to be sure that Louis understood that if anything at all needed his approval he was to contact him immediately not rest on his own somewhat questionable judgments.

"Where are you going? The Bahamas to find an island girl in place..."

"...California to get Donna back and hopefully she will say yes again when I ask her to marry me," Harvey interrupted Louis before he said something hurtful.

Louis smiled and laughed sarcastically and sardonically said, "Why should she marry you? You've never done anything to that woman but treat her like she was beneath you or value her in any way that made her feel like she should want to stay here with you!"

"Louis, you don't know my relationship with Donna. You have no idea what my feelings are. I never treated her callously. I told you I kept paying her augmented salary even when she worked for you for those six months! I would never, never hurt that woman intentionally. I love her and I want her to be with me for the rest of our lives!" Harvey finished vehemently.

Harvey frustratingly walked out of Louis' office and held his head. It had begun to hurt again and his vision had become a bit blurry. Harvey went to his last check up a few days ago and the neurologist noted the quick but slight deterioration in Harvey's rebound from surgery and the injury. The doctor cautioned Harvey and said that if his headaches remained frequent he should have another MRI done to see if the bleeding might have begun again. He also had taken Harvey's blood pressure and was horribly alarmed that it had skyrocketed since his surgery.

"It will go down when my girlfriend comes back and agrees to marry me," Harvey argued when the doctor insisted on prescribing him blood pressure medicine. The doctor handed it to him anyway and told him exactly what would happen if he did not take care of himself; namely, that there would be no man for whom his girlfriend could return.

Louis saw Harvey fall into the chair just outside his office and near Gretchen's cubicle. Gretchen had been sent on an errand on the 45th floor where a new office was being built for Mike's friend Oliver. Louis felt badly now. Having lost two women when venturing into the marriage state, Louis could understand how badly Harvey felt. This was Donna. The epitome and font of womanhood in Louis' eyes. It was no secret how Donna felt about Harvey. She must have fallen hard for him from the moment she touched him. Louis knew but Harvey did not know that Louis knew that Harvey and Donna's sexual life together was not recent but their love had been consummated years ago on a one night stand. Probably before each really realized they were in love.

"Harvey," Louis came out of his office and laid a hand quietly on Harvey's shoulder in a compassionate manner. "I apologize. I had no right to say those things."

"It's ok, Louis. Some of them were correct. I wasn't always as appreciative of her as I should have been. Especially after I realized how much in love with her I am."

"Then you take that two weeks, Harvey, and you bring her back here. Even if you have to marry her before you return. Don't worry about anything here. I know to call you if anything I cannot handle comes my way. I got your back."

Harvey looked up at Louis and said, "Thank you, Louis." Harvey shook his hand before venturing back to his own office to pack up for the day. On the walk back to his office, he called Ray to come pick him up at the firm, retrieving the packed bag in his apartment and then driving him to the airport.

When Ray heard that Harvey was traveling to California, he gave a little whoop and punched the air.

In the hour he had before Ray came to pick him up, Harvey called his premier junior partner and his newly minted third year associate into his office.

"Ok, Harvey we're both here. What can we do for you?" Mike asked.

Rachel was trying not to smile in the event that what she thought Harvey was going to say was not what she had expected. Rachel also thought of her and Mike's wedding only two weeks away and she desperately wanted the Best Man and the Maid of Honor not at each other's throats or worse separated.

Harvey looked up when they both stood before him. They both stood there anticipating his words he guessed.

"Ok, here's the deal. You may or may not know that I asked Donna to marry me some weeks ago. She said yes and then I did something really stupid and I told her to leave me. So on some coercive advice..."

"Coercive" as in making you do something you do not want to do?" Mike confirmed.

"Yes, coercive advice from my mother of all people..."

"Your mother?" Rachel interrupted next.

"Look, if you don't want to hear me out just say so. I am only telling you this because of our responsiblities to you for your wedding."

"Ok, Harvey, get on with it. Your mother is ordering you, more or less, to get your ass to California and bring Donna back with you, right?"

"Yes. However, I don't think she will come willingly with me, so it might take up until your wedding before I can convince her."

Rachel looked at Mike. Then she looked back at Harvey, "You don't have to worry about that part of bringing her back. I talked to her the other day and she said she would make a special trip to come back and then return to California if she had to. Her show runs out in about a week now from what I can calculate, so if you're successful you and Donna will be back in plenty of time to fulfill your wedding obligations."

"You knew, didn't you, Rachel?" Harvey said feeling humiliated in front of Rachel and Mike. Then before he blew his stack he realized these were his two good friends and the two good friends of Donna, so Harvey knew this was not the first time he looked the fool in front of them. The situtation was still a bitter pill for Harvey to swallow.

"Well, in that case, I'll be on my way," Harvey said in dismissal of Mike and Rachel.

Meanwhile in California, Donna woke up early and headed to her rehearsal. First performance again was at 1:00 pm. When she finally arrived, the first person to track her down was Charles, her unloveable director.

"Well, there she is the "diva" Catherine. What possessed you to come in so early this morning, my luv?" He asked all cockney and oozing what he thought was seductiveness.

"I came early to tell you that this afternoon and tomorrow night are my last two performances. I have decided that I have accomplished what I wanted here in California and I am going home," Donna stated standing her full 5'7" height without heels. Charles by comparison was a tad shorter, so Donna felt confident that he would make no protest otherwise.

"Well, what am I gonna do, Donna?"

"Put Rebecca in. She's being playing enough under me. She's great and she is the right color for Kate. Dark, not light and ginger like me," Donna said trying to convince Charles into allowing her out of her last two performances.

Charles stood there with a hang dog expression.

Donna patted him on the shoulder and smiling her best smile, she said, "If that's all, I'll go get ready now."

Donna walked into her dressing room feeling she was flying.

Donna stopped doing her makeup for the performance later that day and examined her face in the mirror. She thought: I'm going home. Harvey loves me. Even if he doesn't, I know I can be on my own. I'll pursue my acting if there's nothing left for me at PSL.

Her decision to return to New York came to her in a dream after the anniversary party. She once again could picture an everyday life with Harvey and their children spending weekends in Boston at Harvey's childhood home. She dreamt they had a full life and laughed about how they had wasted so much time and could have been together much sooner than thirteen years after falling in love.

As Donna's eyes saw her face again in the mirror after drifting off seeing she and Harvey happily married, she spotted the woman who gave him life in the reflection. She quickly turned around.

"Lily! What are you doing here?"

"Can't a prospective hopeful mother-in-law-to-be see her daughter perform one of my favorite Shakespeare plays?" Lily asked smiling.

"Of course, she can," Donna smiled back and rising gave Lily a huge hug. "I'm so glad you didn't miss my last performance. Did Bobby come with you?"

"Yes, he's talking to your dresser. Rebecca? That's her name, right?"

"Yes, that is right. I only have a few minutes until the last act, but can you stay? I would love to have a drink with you and Bobby or maybe dinner?" Donna asked. "My treat."

"That would be lovely. I'll tell Bobby our plans. By the way, you are a magnificent actress. I believed you were nasty like Catherine."

"Thank you, Lily. We'll talk later," Donna said as Rebecca came in to help her dress for the third act.

Donna received a standing ovation and four curtain calls. Donna had kept the program and written down notes so she would remember that she had accomplished this. She even had signed autographs from her costars. Donna felt good now and planned to tell Bobby and Lily that she was heading home in a day or two. She just wanted to tie up some loose ends and, perhaps, get some references for New York.

"I'm so glad you decided to return to New York. Harvey will be so happy to see you," Lily said taking Donna's hand across the table.

"Well, I am going to talk to Harvey, but I am not so sure he'll want me anymore. I'm different. I am not willing to stand by and let him take me for granted. Besides if he wants me to be with him, then he knows the rule. I will not work for a man that I am involved with. If he's willing to give me a little freedom in this respect, I will continue to support and love him. Do you understand?"

Bobby shook his head and took a swig of his beer.

"Women."

Lily turned her head to look at her husband and said, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, it's just that women strive to find a man who fits them. Then they hook them and make them fall in love with them and then they want to bend them to their will. I just think sometimes men aren't left any masculinity."

"Oh, so you mean, that I was just supposed to let Harvey continue to take me for granted and not have him support me in my endeavors as I have always supported him in his? Am I being a selfish woman then? Am I trying to emasculate Harvey? I'm sorry, Bobby, but you are wrong!"

Lily had watched the color come and go in Donna's cheeks as she stated her case. Then after Donna's little tirade she quickly swiveled to stare at her husband's face and wrangle an explanation.

However, before he could say anything, Lily cut in," Bobby, do you feel emasculated since becoming my husband?"

"No, but we're not Harvey and Donna. I know Harvey can be a bully, but I really think he has some say in how he supports his future-I'm sorry-prospective wife."

"You know, Bobby. I like you. I don't have any longstanding feud with you, but I have to say that Harvey has never played the bully with me personally. He has always had my best interests at heart, but now I think he is just being plain selfish. Furthermore, I know I left him to work for Louis last year for about six months and it did wake him up. Harvey knows I have the hardest time trying to deny him anything, so I think he feels he can play me on that and I will just forget all about my hopes and dreams. Believe me, I am coming home because I want to come home. I love him and I still hope that are relationship can pick up where it left off, but he has to understand that I am not being taken for granted and that when it comes to a professional relationship there can't be one. I don't think I am asking too much because I am always there for him. I would never let anyone hurt him professionally. I have tried my best, and I think I have done a pretty good job. But he has to afford me the same support if this is ever going to work. Harvey knows this, I'm sure."

It was a lot of words for Donna to state her case to Bobby. Although why she had to defend herself was beyond her belief except that she needed to believe it herself. She was Donna. She was awesome. Why not make the man of her dreams realize it a little bit more and understand that she was not to be taken for granted; but she deserved to be loved as any woman wanted to be by the man she had painstakingly loved through thick and thin, smooth sailing, and choppy weather. That's all Donna wanted. She wanted it from Harvey. She knew if he really loved and wanted her in his life she could get it from Harvey now.

Lily laid her hand on Donna's arm once again and looked her straight in the eye. "He loves you, Donna. All you have to do is come back and all the rest will fall into place, I'm sure."

Donna smiled and laid her other hand on top of Lily's where it sat.

"I hope so, Lily. I really hope so."

The next afternoon Donna was picking up some references and checking out things with the theater and promised to stick around long enough to see Rebecca as Catherine in the play which was later that night. Donna had made a plane reservation for 10:00 am flight to JFK in New York which would put her in roughly around 2:00 pm. Plenty of time for her to get home and settled before she decided to face Harvey in the early evening. Donna pleaded with Lily not to tell Harvey she was heading home because she wanted it to be a surprise for him when she showed up outside his office door.

Harvey in the meantime had just deplaned and was settling into a cab and had every intention of surprising Donna at her apartment. He wrestled as much information as he could from his mother the previous night even how she and Bobby had had dinner with Donna and she had broached the subject of coming home. They did not exactly tell him she was coming home, but Harvey surmised it and hoped that this last ditch effort to get to her would not result in them missing each other.

Donna was back at her apartment about an hour later and was wrapping up her month-to-month lease payment with her landlord and then started packing the personal items she was taking home with her on the plane, She then noted the items she was having shipped to the office. She was not shipping anything to her apartment nor Harvey's nor even Mike and Rachel's as she felt it would be too easily lost. She had called a shipping company representative that she had come to know from her years at the firm and he was glad to personally see Ms. Paulsen's items safely shipped from California to whatever destination Ms. Paulsen desired.

Meanwhile Harvey was trying like hell to make it to Donna's apartment before she decided to fly home. His cab had now been stuck in freeway traffic for an hour. Harvey was not a patient man at the best of times and now with his future life hanging in the balance he became almost abusive to the cab driver. The man apologized and explained as best he could how this type of traffic snarl in this part of town was an anomaly.

Donna decided that she needed a treat. She had most of her apartment packed up and ready to go. She only had to sleep in the bed and leave in the morning after she had sealed the final box which the shippers were due to pick up before she left for the airport at 8:00 am sharp. She wanted nothing to delay her flight home.

So saying that she decided to walk down the street and treat herself to ice cream. Normally ice cream was saved as a comfort food, but she had done enough physical activity to makeup for the intake. After all she did not feel like she had gained too much during her two months here in LA. She rarely had had time to eat. The few times were like last night when she dined with friends or at the anniversary party she had attended with Fernando.

She stepped out into the bright late afternoon sunshine, locked her apartment, and started down the many outside stairs of the complex. Whistling a tune to herself, she brushed back her red hair and laying her sunglasses on top of her head stared at a frantic cab pulling itself into the curb. Oh well, it doesn't concern me. I'm going to get my ice cream was where Donna's focus was at the moment. She turned the corner away from the irregularly parked vehicle not thinking anything until she head a familar voice call her name in a tone she knew he only reserved for her when he really wanted her to hear him speak.

No, it could not be him! What is he doing here? Lily swore she did not tell him where I was. Rachel. She must have told him because her wedding is coming up and she was afraid I wouldn't be there.

Donna decided to just stay where she was. She did not know whether she was excited to know he had come all this way for her or she was angry because he beat her to the surprise first. Finally she felt him come up behind her and he laid a hand on her bare shoulder where the straps from her halter top did not cover.

He turned her around and pulled her to him. His arms enveloped her securely and Donna had never felt so safe. Harvey sighed audibly and almost wept into her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Donna. I should never had told you to leave. I love you," Harvey said pulling a bit back but restraining her from moving away. He just wanted to see her reaction to those words to be sure his instincts were right-to fight for her.

"Harvey," Donna managed to say aloud while he smothered her. She enjoyed this affection but she did not just want to capitulate to him again. As much as she loved him he had to understand she was not the same person. She loved him the same, but she was not allowing him to just walk all over her and disregard her feelings and needs again.

He realized she was not responding as he had thought she might. So he stepped back in the embrace and examined her sunkissed face. She was normally pale but a couple of months in the California sunshine had made her face rouged and her hair less red and more blonde. She was beautiful and he missed her so much.

"What's wrong, Donna?" Harvey asked. He realized they were standing in the middle of the sun drenched sidewalk a little way up from her apartment.

"Nothing, Harvey," Donna said noting how un-Harvey he looked. His hair was not sticking up with product. He had not shaven, so his five o'clock shadow was quickly turning ino a beard. He was dressed casually in a white button down shirt with a pair of jeans and a blazer thrown over it. He was a little overdressed for the California sun, but he must have just come from New York. Frankly, Donna loved to look at him when he was dressed casually. Well, truth be told she liked to look at Harvey no matter how he looked. It would be so easy just to let him hold her and tell him how she had missed him and how much she wanted him.

Harvey's jaw became a little set and he tilted his head, "Donna. I know when something is bothering you. You're not happy to see me, are you?"

Donna rolled her eyes and grabbing Harvey's arm yanked him back up the street and up the three flights of terrace steps up to her apartment. After she unlocked the door she pulled Harvey to herself and kissed him fully on the mouth. She did not know what had come over her but just seeing him there and hearing him she wanted him to know how much she had missed him.

Harvey, encouraged by Donna's kiss, suddenly was all hands and lips. He broke off the kiss and immediately plunged his lips to her neck sending chills down her spine. Harvey's mouth burned everywhere he touched her. He had missed her so much. He mouthed her shoulders softly savoring her scent and flavor of her skin. His hands were at her waist and hers were around his neck.

"Haa..rvey...Harvey," she giggled between his kisses and roaming hands. He cupped her almost bared breast in his hands and caressing her nipple there making it erect and hard. Oh my God! How I missed you, Harvey. Just when she thought she would just fall on the floor and open her legs, conscious thought returned.

"Harvey! Stop!" Donna exclaimed.

"What, Donna! You can't tell me you're not happy to see me, now?" Harvey said spreading his hands and shaking his head in confusion.

"No, it's not that I wanted you to stop. It's not that I'm not happy to see you. However, there has to be much more understanding of what I need from our relationship before we go any farther. Besides did you come for me or for your own benefit knowing how hard it is for me to say no to you?"

Harvey was very quiet. His jaw clenched and his head was lowered. He was trying very hard not to lose his temper. He wanted this woman like he had wanted no other. He would never find another woman like her. She was amazing and beautiful and loving. He thought of walking away because he never had to work this hard for anything he had wanted. In true Donna form, she was a challenge, and he loved her the more for it.

Finally he decided to throw up his hands and give in to Donna. After all it was she who held all the cards to his future in his hands.

"Ok, I'm sorry. I will be there for you. I will listen to everything you have to say," Harvey said apologetically giving her his sweetest puppy dog look.

"That's more like it, Mister," Donna quipped. Luckily most of her furniture was staying in the apartment, thereby, giving them a private, quiet and comfortable place to work out their differences.

They kissed gently and Donna sighed loving the feeling of his lips on hers and as she held him in her arms she was so happy to feel him there in person.

"I love you, Harvey," she whispered to him and left a kiss beneath his ear before taking his hands in hers and asking. "How about a cup of coffee?"

"No, I think this is more a Scotch conversation. Do you have some?" Harvey asked tilting his head in that sweet way when he talked with her.

"Now, would I be Donna, if I didn't?"