Hi All! Thanks again for following this story as I keep rambling on. Here's what I hope is not a real filler but is progressing the story. I am determined to get this finished before Suits return on JULY 12, 2017! YAY!

Donna Meets Lily -

Chapter 29 -

The Trip Home

Donna wrote in a text to Rachel:

Hi! We should be pulling into the station soon. Don't worry about your bachelorette party. It's all in hand tomorrow night! Harvey did the same for Mike. Well, I did because you know I handle that stuff. Anyway, see you soon.

Luv

Donna :=)

"Hey, you didn't spill the beans about us, did you?" Harvey said worriedly as he leaned over trying to see what Donna had texted to Rachel. They were on a five day train trip on the way home from California after two glorious weeks.

Suddenly a voice from behind them said, "You didn't tell them you were married?" asked Lily surprisingly. She felt a little differently than the couple sitting ahead of her and her husband. Lily was happy to have spent this time with her family, but she was also very happy to be finally on the way home. She and Bobby were scheduled on a flight from JFK after the train arrived at Penn Station.

"No, I didn't," explained Donna. "Number one: I don't want to steal their thunder. Their wedding is a week from now and everyone has waited so long for this I just think our news can wait."

"Oh, ok, Donna. You know best," Lily said. "I just think that everyone at the firm has been waiting for you, two, to, pardon the expression, "poop or get off the pot." Lily laughed and Bobby chuckled although he had finally agreed that he had lost the bet he made several months prior with his wife. When Harvey and Donna discovered that their union was an object for betting, Harvey smiled and said to his new wife, "I knew I caught the gambling bug from someone."

Turning to his mother during the same encounter, he said, "Really, mom?"

"Yep, I knew you two were a sure thing."

Donna and Harvey both smiled at Lily's joke and then at each other. They both sighed a big sigh. Harvey took Donna's hand and then kissed it. Lily took that as a signal that they wanted a few moments to themselves even if it was silence and gazing into one another's eyes.

Donna rubbed her thumb over Harvey's knuckles and took a look at him. His beard which had come in very full and thick was now gone. His hair back to being the "official Harvey Specter" style was back in all its spiky glory.. He looked so good still dressed in jeans and for late May New York weather a T-shirt with a light cardigan. Donna kissed him.

"What was that for?" Harvey asked opening his eyes. He was not one for a lot of public displays of affection but he did enjoy it when Donna would surprise him.

"Because of what you are going to do."

"And what is it I am going to do? I already gave up my confirmed bachelorhood for you, so I can't think what else I am going to do," Harvey said and reached out for the drink on his table in front of him. It was seven p.m. and Harvey was having an after dinner Scotch. Harvey hated flying, so he traded in his plane ticket for a train fare back. It would be five days on the train, but he would have his wife and his mother and stepfather who decided they would not mind returning to New York by the scenic route as long as they were not intruding on their pseudo-honeymoon. Harvey and Donna assured both Lily and Bobby that they were more than welcome.

"You are going to keep that promise to me." Donna stated trying to ascertain if Harvey was bluffing about his lack of knowledge. He was the best poker player she had ever seen and he was more than capable of faking knowledge. After all he was a lawyer and subterfuge was the biggest weapon in his arsenal.

Suddenly, Harvey had an epiphany.

"You already got a part in a play in New York, didn't you?" Harvey said seeing her upturned mouth and excited eyes. He took another swig of his Scotch finishing the glass.

"No, not the part, but I have an audition that both Brenda, my friend, and my agent think I could nail," stated Donna biting her lip.

Harvey sighed heavily and then looked away out the window. Then he reached over and kissed her in answer to the affection she had given him only moments ago.

"I guess I wouldn't be a very good husband if I forbid you to do this after I promised you could," Harvey said.

"Well, that's the whole basis for why I agreed to marry you and return to New York." Donna did not mind repeating for the third time that day since they had awoke closely side by side in the sleeper car. She did not mean to keep repeating it to him, but the last few days had been idyllic with hardly a harsh word between them. Somehow she anticipated the other shoe needing to drop.

Her new in-laws had not gotten in the way either as much as a stranger would have thought. Lily and Bobby had decided the newlyweds needed as much time alone as possible. They somehow had found their own activities and gave Donna and Harvey as much space as was necessary.

Donna was not actually afraid that Harvey would not keep his promise. It was just that Donna would not want to think she was neglecting her husband if her acting career suddenly skyrocketed. It was highly unlikely at her age, but anything was possible and now that her marriage to Harvey had come to fruition her dream of a separate career along with his support had suddenly given her hope again. She still hoped in the back of her mind that they would have a child. She wanted to give Harvey a son, so he could be the father that she felt he could be. Gordon had been a wonderful example to Harvey, and Donna knew that if given the chance Harvey would be that wonderful to his own child. Donna carried this knowledge in all her intuitiveness and empathy although Harvey would never admit that he may want to be a father to anyone.

"Hey, where did you go?" Harvey asked trying to catch Donna's eye.

"Just thinking of Rachel and Mike's faces when we tell them what happened in California."

"Donna, what if you get pregnant? What if you are pregnant already?"

"Well, I doubt it. We will cross that bridge when we come to it. No sense in borrowing trouble."

"Harvey," Donna said before Harvey could turn his face away.

"What?" Harvey asked.

"Do you want children?"

Harvey did not answer immediately, but took Donna's hand again. He lowered his head and then looked behind at his mother and Bobby. He remembered how much fun it was to be at Marcus' home reading his niece and nephew to sleep. Harvey was not sure he would want to do it every night but the looks he received from their little faces warmed Harvey's heart in places he never knew he possessed. To see that same love in a little face that he and Donna produced would probably be more thrilling than the love he received unabashedly from his niece and nephew.

Turning back to his wife, "Donna, I would love to have children with you."

Donna blew out a breath. "I'm glad to know that Harvey. I was worried for a minute and thought I would have to rethink this whole marrying you bit," she said sarcastically.

Harvey just laughed.

Turning around he looked for his mother and then said loudly, "How would you like to be a grandmother again?"

They said their goodbyes at the train station. The last leg of the long trip had been the most difficult as was told by the silence between the new husband and wife.

"You be sure to tell me when your big wedding is," Lily said kissing her son and then her new daughter-in-law on their cheeks. Bobby had said his farewells and was waiting in the cab for the quick trip to JFK. They had plenty of time for their commute; however, Bobby knew his wife well and Lily was not one to cut goodbyes short. Therefore, he said he would hail a cab and wait in the cab with the luggage for Lily to finish saying her farewells.

"Of course, Lily, you're the second person on my invitation list," Donna said.

"Who's the first?" Lily wondered and then she realized Donna still had two parents living and were probably worried sick with her tempestuous relationship with her boss.

"Your parents," Lily said totally understanding.

Donna hugged Lily back and whispered "thank you for what you did for us" in her ear.

Unbelievably, Harvey actually did the same, "thank you for not giving up on me. I love you."

Lily stepped back from her son's embrace and said, "Well if I didn't you two would still be separated and in misery. I'm so happy that you have found Donna and that she makes you happy. I knew you belonged together from the first time I saw you together at that dinner party back in February. "

"Well, what can I say. Your instincts were right, mom."

"A mother always knows even if you doubted it. You'll see."

Lily then kissed everybody again and finally jumped into the cab.

It had started raining and Donna made a face. "I hope that it isn't an omen of biblical proportions."

Harvey chuckled and smirked at his wife's remark and really wondered where that emanated. "We've come through hailstorms. What's a little rain?"

Ray soon arrived to take them to Donna's apartment first. The ride was uneventful except for when Harvey informed Ray that he was now looking at the new Mrs. Specter.

"Congratulations! I thought that would happen when I drove you to the airport two weeks ago," Ray said looking in his mirror at the smiling couple sitting at the back of the car.

Ray decided then maybe the newlyweds needed a little privacy. He pushed the button for the opaque glass to rise separating the front seat from the back. As the glass rose, Ray peaked and could see that Donna and Harvey were already kissing.

They eventually arrived at Donna's apartment. A mustly moldy smell greeted them as the door swung open.

"I guess I forgot to take the trash out before I left."

"I thought you left your key with Rachel," Harvey said wrinkling his nose at the nasty odor.

"No, I mailed it to my sister who lives across town now in her own place. Evidently she hasn't been here in quite a while," Donna said as she inspected the kitchen trash can and found the smelly culprit: a few stale bananas and old vegetable skins. Donna concluded that her sister decided to stay in her apartment for a couple of days but did not clean up her mess.

Donna stood over the trashcan and started to wind up the smelley bag. After completing that task, she turned and looked at Harvey who had stood in the doorway of the kitchen after opening a couple of windows for the odor to escape.

"Don't look at me, Donna," Harvey said shaking his head and laughing.

"Need I remind you that one of your husbandly duties is to remove the garbage from his home?"

"Donna, I haven't taken out my own trash since I was in law school. That's why I have a cleaning service."

"Well, I don't have a cleaning service and I have always removed my own refuse," Donna said.

"Need I remind you that we decided to live in my condo when we returned, so this trash is on you, sweetheart."

"Well, sweetheart," Donna sidled up to Harvey and said. "Consider this your first official act, and I promise if you don't take out this garbage you will sleep on your couch back at our condo."

"What happened to the husband being the head of the house?" Harvey asked as he walked toward the garbage can and removed the trash bag.

"Didn't you know? That's a fallacy. 'Happy wife, happy life' is the real thing. Ask any happily married man, Harvey," Donna said now filing her nails having taken an emery board from her stash in her kitchen drawer.

"Really, I thought being a husband was all about sex on command, putting my feet up after a hard day at the office while you slave over a hot stove cooking my elaborate dinner or playing hostess for my boss and his wife and producing babies year after year."

"Maybe in the 1950's, sweetie, what century are your living in?" Donna said smirking at her husband as he passed her with the smelly garbage bag. "Besides you're the boss and I'm your wife so people should be lining up to kiss our asses not the other way around."

Donna grabbed Harvey from behind and blew in his ear and said seductively, "You know you would be bored with a woman who did what you told her all the time without question."

Harvey placed the bag on the floor and turned around. He took Donna in his arms abruptly so much that they bumped together.

"You know I would be. Why do you think I married you, Mrs. Specter?"

They kissed. Harvey hurried out the door with the garbage in hand and then hurried back to help Donna pack some things for their apartment.

Meanwhile, Rachel sat worried at the firm. She had received Donna's text. She could not say why, but Rachel felt Donna was hiding something because Rachel could read between the lines. Last week when Rachel talked to Donna, Donna said she was coming home but on her own terms.

"Hey," Mike said as he stood in Rachel's office doorway. From Mike's direction he could see dark storm clouds directly behind Rachel through her large unshaded windows. Every so often a clap of deep thunder roared sounding its presence and placing an edge on Rachel's uneasy feelings.

Hearing the thunder and seeing Mike's expression, Rachel turned and saw the sharp pellets of rain hit her window. She turned back.

"I'm glad they took a train back instead of a plane. The weather has been so unpredictable they may never have gotten back in time for our wedding."

"Oh, they would never have missed our wedding. They can't. They are our Best Man and Maid of Honor," Mike said walking over to Rachel and giving her shoulders a massage.

"I wish I could have talked to Donna before tomorrow night," confided Rachel.

"Why, are you worried? Donna never leaves anything to chance. That's why I am confident that my bachelor party will be great." Mike gave Rachel's shoulders another squeeze before walking over to the window to more closely examine the sky.

"Well, she invited my mother to the party.

"So, your mom is older she's not dead," Mike argued back.

"No, my mom is not a prude but what if Donna planned something distasteful?"

Mike came over and taking Rachel by each upper arm coerced her into rising and held her in his arms looking deep into her dark eyes.

"Come on. You're not really worried about the party, are you? Why did you want to talk to Donna before your party, Michelle Ross?"

"Well, let's just say that Harriet Specter seems a little too happy in her text to me. For instance all the reasons why she broke up with Harvey now seem trivial but I know down deep to her they are not."

"Rachel, honey, that's for Harvey and Donna to work out. It seems they have or they would not be coming home together. Donna and Harvey spent the majority of their 13 years together not together, so I think you're worrying about nothing."

Rachel suddenlys said, "I'm calling her tonight."

She looked at her watch. "I'm sure they are in by now. It's 9:00 pm."

"Yes, and they could be doing some heavy breathing, too, if you get my drift. Do you really want to disturb them on a hunch?"

Rachel thought for a minute and knew how much she hated being interrupted when being intimate withe Mike, so she decided that she would tackle her first thing in the morning when Donna and Harvey arrived in the office. Donna was to take her new position, so Harvey would be escorting her to her new office that he had been renovating since the night she left.

"No, I don't. I just want to make sure she's happy and Harvey doesn't hurt her again."

"Rachel, Donna and Harvey have been at this complicated romantic love/platonic love thing for a long time. Let's leave them to work it out. Besides all we can do is to pick up the pieces if they become shattered. Ok? Let's say we go home now?" Mike logically stated trying to reassure his wife-to-be that everything would turn out like it was supposed to. Something that Donna had always tried to push on Rachel for many, many years.