Donna didn't plan on drinking scotch. Half way through the story, she realized she didn't have a choice. Wine wasn't going to be enough.
Her head was spinning. The clues were all right in front of her and she missed it. Had she been that wrapped up in herself?
Harvey was leaning back on the sofa. He sipped at the drink in his hand but he continued to stare at the wall. He didn't cry. He didn't even look upset.
Was she supposed to say something? She didn't know what to say. How do you respond when you find out that your boss just lost someone who was possibly the one for him?
They were quiet for about ten minutes when there was a knock on the door. It wasn't a knock so much as someone trying to bang the door down. Harvey jumped up and looked through the peephole. He sighed and opened the door. Donna saw Rachel standing there shaking.
"You… you…" Rachel couldn't speak.
Harvey was worried. "What's wrong?"
Rachel looked him in the eyes. He had never seen that look in her eyes. Was it anger? Sadness?
"I just got home from a fairly nice dinner with my parents. I made it a few hours without thinking about…" She looked like she was going to cry. "This came in the mail." Rachel handed an envelope to Harvey.
It was addressed to her but there was no return address. There was no mistaken Mike's sloppy handwriting.
Harvey felt like someone stabbed him in the chest.
"Read it."
He looked at her. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Rachel stopped shaking a little.
Harvey took the note out of the envelope and starting reading.
"Out loud," she said looking at Donna.
Rachel,
I told you that one day I would explain everything to you. Although I want more than anything to do this in person, I'm writing this because there is something I am going to do right after this. I couldn't do it though before I told you everything.
There was someone else. It isn't what you think. It isn't just someone I'm sleeping with. I never expected anything to happen. This was something I expected to take to my grave and I didn't have a problem with it. Then something happened. A night filled with alcohol led to us acting on our feelings. When I woke up the next morning and he was gone, I realized how much I loved Harvey.
For the next few weeks I decided to play it cool but inside it was killing me. We agreed to a physical thing but I wanted more. I confronted Harvey last night and told him what I wanted. I want to be with him. Forever. I want to wake up next to him every morning. I love listening to him talk in his sleep. I'm sorry if this is uncomfortable for you but I want you to know the truth.
When I told him how I felt, he didn't feel the same way. I left and went home. I went to bed.
I woke up to a voicemail from him. He told me how he felt. He missed me, he didn't want me to leave. He almost said I love you.
I asked him about it at work. The way he spoke to me made me snap. I said some pretty hurtful things and walked out. I haven't seen him since. But I can't sit here and do nothing. I'm going to his apartment to wait for him.
I care about you a lot Rachel. What we had was amazing and I feel bad for hurting you. I wanted to write this to you before I go there because I plan on proposing. I don't have a ring. I can't afford one.
If all goes well, hopefully we'll be engaged by the time you read this.
Love always,
Mike
Harvey looked up at Rachel with tears in his eyes. He could feel Donna staring. Rachel started crying during the letter. He doesn't know if she even noticed that he finished reading it.
"Rachel, I'm-"
"Did he die here?"
Harvey had told everyone that he stopped by Mike's when he didn't answer the phone and he had questions about a case. What was the point in lying to her?
"Yes. He was."
"Where?"
"In our- my bed."
Rachel sat on the couch and rubbed her hands through her hair.
He thought about what he just read. Mike had intentions to propose? When he showed up at Harvey's that night, he seemed like he had something to say. Harvey cut him off before he could speak. Was he planning to propose then? He needed to sit down. He went into the kitchen, grabbed a glass, and poured a drink for him and Rachel.
"Come sit down."
Harvey hadn't noticed that Donna was fighting tears. This tore him up. No matter how upset he was, he couldn't stand to see Donna hurt.
Donna was ready. She knew how to respond.
"Harvey, Rachel. I don't want any interruptions while I talk. Let me say what I have to say."
They both sat there waiting for him to continue.
"Harvey. The story you told me… it was beautiful. I feel like such a fool for not noticing sooner. The clues were all there. I should've been paying attention more. After everything with Stephen, I focused more on me and what was wrong with me for not seeing his flaws and yet again I missed the signals from the people I care about. I had no idea that he broke up with Rachel."
She looked over at the other woman who was still crying.
"You were strong Rachel. I don't know if I would have done what you did without any explanation. Your trust in Mike made this wonderful thing happen. Are you mad at Harvey?"
Rachel shook her head. Between sobs, she spoke.
"I was when I first started reading it. By the end of it, I only had one thought, 'I hope he says yes.' Then I remembered. He's not here. Did you say yes?"
"No. He never asked."
Harvey told Rachel what had happened that night.
"I don't know why he didn't propose. Maybe it's because after I talked to him, he knew I was serious about what I said and how I felt. He didn't need me to accept a proposal for him to know I loved him."
He continued, "I really do owe you Rachel. I'm sorry you didn't know sooner. To be honest, he didn't even mention telling you. I don't know if I would've been comfortable if he did, especially since I didn't even tell Donna. He told me he broke up with you. He didn't tell me what happened but I knew because I heard him. I followed him up to the roof and listened. The first thing I wanted to tell you when you found out was thank you. Thank you for acting so normal when you could've easily told anyone and looked into this further."
Rachel smiled and held his hand. "No Harvey. Thank you. I knew something was up with him. He promised me it wasn't another woman. At least he didn't lie. He had a glow to him and he seemed to smile more. He was always willing to talk and help me with my problems. I always asked but he said there was nothing going on. I don't even care that he lied about your relationship. I'm just happy that he was happy."
The three of them sat and told stories about Mike. Rachel had to catch up to how drunk they were and once she was, a new side of Rachel came out. Donna's seen her drunk but Harvey hadn't. Donna was secretly happy Rachel showed up because she will ask the questions that Donna isn't ready to ask.
"So Harvey," Rachel slurred.
Here we go.
"Are you the pitcher or the catcher?"
Harvey spit his drink out.
Donna expected her to ask these questions and get brutally honest, but not right off the bat.
"Excuse me?" He asked.
Rachel laughed. "You know what I'm asking."
In the many years Donna has known Harvey, this was the first time she ever saw him blush.
"Rachel no matter how drunk you get me, you won't get the answer to that."
She laughed at him. "I guess that means you were the catcher. I expected it to be the other way around."
"Not always!"
Donna and Rachel looked at him. Harvey didn't know why he said that. He didn't mean to.
They started to laugh at him.
Harvey smiled. He never talked to girls about things like this. Did they always discuss sex? Or was it because they were gay?
"Honestly that was my biggest question. Everything else I can answer on my own. Of course you came here because there's no way you stayed at his apartment. You paid because if he did, you'd be eating at a diner or Pizza Hut every night."
She was completely right and he couldn't help but laugh. "You're going to make a great lawyer, Rachel." He hugged her. It caught Rachel off guard but she hugged him back.
When they pulled away, it was quiet. It wasn't an awkward silence. They were each reflecting on something.
Donna was putting everything into perspective. She realized that she has a gift. Her ability to read people and figure out what was going on made her unique. She needed to stop being selfish and think of others. Harvey was going to need her help for awhile. She's going to have to figure out what's going on when he doesn't want to talk. She will help him get through this. He's going to help her get through this.
She remembered when Mike stumbled into the interviews. Donna knew just by looking at the boy with sweat dripping off his forehead who gripped his suitcase like his whole life was inside that there was something special about him. She gave Harvey her seal of approval after talking to him for a minute. She doesn't regret it.
Rachel read the letter ten times before she came to Harvey's. She basically had it memorized. No matter how many times she read it, she couldn't believe it was true. Only after talking to Harvey and listening to Donna did she accept the truth.
She didn't tell them how upset she was when Mike broke up with her. There was no point. She wasn't upset about the break up anymore. When she saw how happy Mike was, it should've upset her but it didn't. It made her happy for him. She knew something big was going on.
While the women were coming to peace, Harvey wasn't. He felt like he was being slowly tortured. He was glad Rachel brought the letter over, but knowing that Mike planned to propose was too much for him. He got up and went into his bedroom without telling them anything.
He sat on his bed with his drink and one hand and Mike's shirt in the other. It still smelled like him. That's why he liked to sleep with it. He forgot about it when he was in bed with Donna. When she found it, he knew he had to tell her everything. He couldn't lie to her anymore.
After a little while, he heard the door open and close. The girls left. He sat on his bed with Mike's shirt around his shoulders and finished his drink. He doesn't remember the last time he was this drunk. All he wanted to do was hold Mike and fall asleep.
But he can't.
He heard footsteps walking towards his door and saw Donna.
"I thought you left."
"Rachel did. I called a car for her."
Harvey just sat there and looked at her. Donna sat next to him on the bed. She didn't say anything about the shirt around his shoulders.
Donna went to say something when Harvey put his head on her chest. She put her arms around him and held him.
There was one question she had. She knew he was drunk and that this would be the best time to get an honest answer out of him.
"Harvey?"
He mumbled.
"Would you have said yes?"
She could feel him smile against her chest.
"I wouldn't have hesitated."
A/N: So there's my story. Reviews always appreciated. Also, I tried to list the story has Harvey/Mike/Donna. I didn't realize it put the names in alphabetical order, hence where the confusion of a Harvey/Donna story came from. Thanks for reading!