Prompt #31 by ahsleyann: "emergency contact fic, but set in season 5. Something happens to either Harvey or Donna and the other gets the call. Meanwhile, he/she is unconscious and dreaming in an alternative reality they believe to be true (it can be both dreaming). Until it isn't, or isn't it? Obviously, it's Christmas (in both realities)."
Harvey's POV
"Louis, I'm not gonna do this." I was yelling at him, but it was more out of annoyance and self preservation than anger. "You need to leave." He didn't move. "Right now!"
He kept trying to talk, but I wouldn't let him. I could feel my heart beating faster and faster with each passing moment and I was struggling to breathe as I edged toward Louis, forcing him to back out of the door. "This isn't over!" He screamed rather theatrically, turned and stormed out, finally seeming to get the fact that I didn't want him here and that he should leave me alone.
I tried to steady my breathing. I loosened my tie and unbuttoned the collar of my shirt hoping it would help, but it was no use. My heart rate just kept on rising and slowly my vision became blurred and my legs began to give way. I could feel myself falling, but failed to grab a hold of my chair or desk in time and hit the floor with a thud as my eyes closed and my mind drifted into darkness.
"Harvey? Harvey?" I wasn't sure how long I had been out, but the sound of Jessica's voice as she called out my name was the next thing I heard. "What the hell happened?"
My vision was still somewhat blurry, but I could just about make out Jessica's face as she leant over me, She appeared worried, or concerned rather with her lips pursed and her eyebrows furrowed. "I... I... I don't..." I tried to reply, but I was barely able to get two words out. I did however manage to reach my hand to my head where I found it to be oozing with blood, and quite a bit of it. I can honestly say, this was the last thing I needed to happen on Christmas Eve.
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Jessica's POV
I could hear their raised voices from the other end of the hall and I don't even know why I bother trying to get them to fix things when neither of them will goddamn listen to a word I say. I kept my distance, hoping the issue would de-escalate soon, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard Louis storm out of Harvey's office. Even though it was clear the situation was not over, it was for now.
I waited ten minutes before I decided to go and talk to Harvey and I was not prepared by what I found. Harvey was lying unconscious on the floor by his desk with a pool of blood slowly spreading out from the back of his head. "Harvey? Harvey?" I called his name as I rushed to his side, but he didn't respond. I checked his pulse, which was strong, and he was breathing; thank god. His eyes began to flutter open. "What the hell happened?"
He tried to speak, stuttering a couple of words and reached for his head, reminding me of his head wound. I immediately removed his tie and pressed it to the would to slow the bleeding, then grabbed my cell and dialled 911. I answered every question they asked before hanging up and calling the building's lobby to warn them about the ambulance, so I was distracted as Harvey kept trying to sit up. I had to hand up the call and forcibly make him stop. I couldn't get him to lie back down but we compromised at him slumped against the wall to the right of his desk.
"Jessica?" He seemed a little out of it, but I could tell there was a question there somewhere, and I'm pretty sure I already knew what it was.
"You want me to call Donna, don't you?" I asked, and he nodded, already knowing that I would.
Before I managed to assure him, his eyes closed again and his head slumped forward. Shaking him a little until he came around, I managed to illicit a response. "Good. I'm awake." He mumbled, and he was, but barely.
"Harvey, you have got to stay awake. You probably have a concussion and it would be really bad if you fall asleep." I was trying to sound calm, but who the hell knows how it sounded coming out of my mouth. He almost dozed off again, and I kept nudging him. "I swear to God Harvey, if you die on me, I'll never forgive you!" My voice cracked as I realised that there were actual tears streaming down my cheeks. I rarely get this emotional, but this guy's practically like a son to me, even if he's also the biggest pain in my ass.
The phone on the desk started ringing and so I grabbed the receiver. "Right. Thank You. Send them up." The ambulance was here; finally. I wasn't sure how much longer I could fight to keep Harvey awake.
The elevator dinged and moments later, the paramedics were rushing past the main desk and into the office. They began to assess Harvey and came to the conclusion that he needed to be taken straight to hospital. I followed them down to the lobby and watched them load him into the back of the ambulance. They asked if I was going to ride along; an offer which I declined, telling them that I would follow in my own car. Before I did that however, I had a phone call to make; one that I promised Harvey I would make.
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Donna's POV
For the first time, I had no idea what to get Harvey for Christmas. Things have been strained between us since I took the job with Louis, but I never imagined that it would get this bad. He barely talks to me anymore and when he does, it's all polite and business like; almost cold. So, what do I get a guy like that. I mean, its why I waited until the last minute to get him something; I was gonna drop it round before he got home from the office.
I was basically wandering aimlessly around the store, attempting to find something for Harvey when my cellphone rang. Caller ID stated that it was Jessica. For her to calling me at this time on Christmas Eve, it must be important.
I answered the call. "Jessica, what can I do for you?" I asked, a little urgency in my voice, but I was not prepared for her response. Her voice was shaky and what she said turned my whole world upside down. "What do you mean, Harvey's been taken to hospital?" I stood, frozen to the spot, feeling my entire body start to collapse. This couldn't be happening; it just couldn't.
Jessica filled me in with all the details including which hospital Harvey was taken to. She also made sure that I knew that he asked her to inform me personally. I thanked her and hung up the phone, leaving what little shopping I had where it was and headed straight for the hospital.
A half hour later, I sat in my car in the hospital parking lot, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles were turning white, unable to brig myself to go inside. I knew I had to, and I wanted to, but I was scared. I was scared to admit how I really felt. I chose to work for Louis because he was spiraling and he needed me. I didn't want to hurt Harvey; I'd never want that. I knew I was doing the right thing, but Harvey didn't understand that; all he saw was me betraying him. Now I might lose him forever, and I'm afraid that I'll never have a chance to tell him the truth.
That realisation hit me and it became all too clear to me that if I didn't make a move and get out of this car soon then there was a very real possibility that I wouldn't be able to tell him anything at all. So I did. I made my way up to thev Emergency Room reception desk where I was informed that Harvey had been taken for a CT scan and would be back soon, or so the kind woman behind the desk told me when she directed me to his room.
As I reached the end of the hall, I saw two nurses wheeling Harvey into what must have been his room. I rushed to him on instinct, but stopped myself as I reached the door because the sight of him all pale with his head bandaged up caught me off guard. My hand flew to my mouth so fast that I barely noticed it happen.
"Donna, you came." He sounded weak, but not the frail kind of weak; more the tired and exhausted kind.
"Of course I came." I said softly, edging closer towards Harvey's bedside. He flashed me a smile and my heart started to race. He hadn't looked at me like that in a long time. I missed it; I missed him. "Harvey, what happened? All Jessica said was that there had been an accident and that you'd been injured." As I reached the side of his bed, I so badly wanted to reach out, take his hand in mine and be there for him, but I refrained.
"I... I fell... and I hit my head." It was the truth, but not all of it. He was unable to look me in the eye, which meant he was hiding something.
I was about to push for more information when the doctor appeared and offered an update. I made a move to leave, but Harvey grabbed my wrist, insisting I stay. I listened while he explained that other than the gash on the back of his head, Harvey was indeed suffering from a concussion and needed to be monitored overnight. "Do you both understand everything I have just said?" The doctor asked. Harvey and I shared a look and assured him that we did. "Then I'll leave you to it and a nurse will be by to check on you in a bit." We nodded and he left.
For the next twenty minutes Harvey and I talked, like really talked; more than we had in recent weeks. It was just small talk, nothing substantial, but it was more that it felt like old times that made it special.
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Harvey's POV
I'm glad Donna came. Jessica promised me should call her, and she did, but honestly I wasn't sure Donna would show. I had ben treating her like crap ever since she went to work for Louis, but the truth was that there was no one that I would rather have here with me. As we spoke however, I could feel myself slowly drifting off and the world faded away.
Next thing I know, I'm waking up in a bed; not in a hospital, but in an ordinary bedroom in an ordinary house, and I wasn't alone. "Morning Baby." The woman lying next to me stated affectionately; a woman whose voice I recognised instantly.
Donna snuggled up to me and placed a few soft kisses onto my apparently bare chest. "Morning." I replied, hoping my confusion went unnoticed.
It didn't. She lifted her head to look at me. "Is everything okay? Is it the Davenport deposition? You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Concern flooded her features, so I tried to reassure her and hoped to God that I would sound a hell of a lot more convincing than I felt.
Just as I was about to respond, a cute little red headed girl of no more than four years old came barrelling into the bedroom and jumped straight up onto the bed, "Mommy, Daddy, he's been. Santa's been!" This girl in front of me was so utterly adorable and not a single person could mistake her for exactly what she was; mine and Donna's daughter. She had my dimples and cheeky smile, and Donna's sparking eyes, and I couldn't tear my gaze away from her.
"Caity, sweetie, go downstairs with your brother. Mommy and Daddy will be down in a minute." Did I just hear her right? This beautiful little girl has a brother? I have a son? This means that apparently not only are Donna and I married, but we have kids and it's Christmas morning.
The girl looked a little crestfallen. "Okay Mommy, but hurry up. We want to open our presents." Pure Donna sass; definitely her mother's daughter. Donna rolled her eyes at me as I sat there in amazement, my eyes fixed on my daughter's face as she bounced back out of the room giggling with excitement.
Donna pulled back the covers, climbed out of bed and headed for a door which I soon realised led to an en-suite bathroom. I found myself eyeing the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of my gorgeous wife while I thought about my predicament... was this simply a dream? A glimpse of the future? Or some sort of alternate reality? I had no idea, but I knew I wasn't ready for it to end.
"Are you getting up or not? You don't want to disappoint the kids, do you?" Donna called from the bathroom, her question dripping with sarcasm. She was right though, I didn't want to disappoint our kids.
"Of course not." I shouted back, retrieving my plaid pyjama pants from the floor. "I'll see you downstairs." I made my way past the bathroom door, but before I could make it out of the room, a hand grabbed a hold of my own.
Donna pulled me towards her and pressed her lips to mine. For a moment, I forgot everything that was going on; that it wasn't real, and let myself get lost in the kiss. If it was up to me, this would be my life forever, but it wasn't and so I dragged myself away. If she noticed how odd I was behaving, she kept it to herself. Instead, she simply shooed me away and returned to the bathroom.
I padded down the stairs one by one, my mind so preoccupied with what had just happened that I was completely caught off guard when a young boy with strawberry blonde hair came running up to me and flung his arms around me. "Daddy, can we open presents yet? Where's Mommy?" He was so excited.
I stepped back and took my son by the hand, walking alongside him to join his sister over by the Christmas Tree that I had only just noticed. "Not just yet, but soon as Mommy comes down, we can. I promise." The grins on their little faces instantly became wider; the anticipation killing them.
Waiting for Donna to join us, I decided to sit back and watch the children as they teased each other, and I realised for the first time just how similar they looked. It wasn't just their features either, but their height too and they looked to be the same age. They were twins.
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Jessica's POV
After I got off the phone with Donna, my plan was to go straight to the hospital, but whilst I was on my way there Louis called me informing me that unless I met with an important client immediately, then they were going to put us on notice, and that could not happen. I also didn't mention Harvey's situation to Louis because I knew Louis, and I knew that all he would do was blame himself and go on the defensive.
Once that issue was resolved and the client agreed to stay with the firm, I got back on the road and made it to the hospital within half an hour. Luckily there wasn't much traffic and almost every light turned green as we approached, so by the time I had arrived, it had been barely two hours since I spoke with Donna.
Having called ahead, I knew exactly where I was going and made it to Harvey's room as Donna exited with the doctor. "Donna, I'm so sorry that it took me so long to get here. I had to help Louis with something." By the time I reached them, she had her arms outstretched ready to embrace me in a hug. "It's okay. I'm glad you're here. They stitched up the head wound, but he still has a concussion. That's why Dr. Marshall is here. Harvey fell asleep and I wasn't sure if that was okay." As this, Donna turned to the doctor, seemingly so that he could reassure us both.
"And as I was just explaining to Miss Paulsen, it was only a mild concussion and now that we have him on meds, rest is the best thing for Harvey right now." There was a softness to his voice, yet the intention was clear; we were to let Harvey sleep. We thanked him, and I instantly released a breath that I hadn't even realised I had been holding.
Donna ushered me into Harvey's room where he lay sleeping. She sat in the chair to the side of the bed and took a hold of Harvey's hand, the worry still etched on her face. Even though the doctor assured us Harvey would likely be fine, it didn't stop us from being concerned. I decided to stand back and keep my distance because this was their moment and Donna was right where she belonged; by Harvey's side.
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Donna's POV
The last thing I remember was saying goodbye to Jessica; the next second I was face to face with my own reflection in a bathroom mirror. Except it wasn't my face, well it was, but it wasn't. It was different; older somehow. Maybe I was inside some crazy dream or something and since I didn't recognise the bathroom, I had no idea where I was or what was going on.
Thinking for a moment of all of the possibilities, I came to the conclusion that dreams don't always make sense, but are usually rooted in something brought forward by the subconscious mind. So, to get to the bottom of all of this I simply had to give in and go along with it; find out what it was my brain wanted me to learn.
The sound of children's laughter broke my away from my thoughts. Then came something I never thought I would hear. "Honey, hurry up! The kids want to open their presents from Santa." It was Harvey and he mentioned kids. What the hell sort of an alternate reality did I land myself in?
"Coming!" I called back, splashing my face with water again. Moments later I reached the bottom of the stairs and took in the completely incredible view before me. Garlands were draped and hung everywhere, festive cushions and decorations adorned the room, and two 3 foot tall nutcrackers stood either side of the fireplace as if guarding it, ready for Santa's late night visit. The centerpiece however, was a stunning fir tree, which stood at almost 8 feet tall in pride of place by the bay window. It was covered top to bottom in multi-coloured twinkling lights and a mix of store bought and personal, hand made ornaments. One in particular caught my eye; a small wooden heart with the date 09/25/19 burned into it.
I didn't get the chance to look any closer because I felt a tugging on my hand. Looking down, I was greeted by a young girl who appeared to be the spitting image of me when I was little. It wasn't until the little boy spoke that I tore my yes from the girl's face. "Come on Mommy. We've been waiting ages!" He stated with a dramatic flare as he joined his sister and together they dragged me over to where Harvey was sitting on the couch; that boyish grin of his spread wide across his face.
Butterflies fluttered about in my stomach for a moment and I swear my heartrate sped up considerably at the sight of him. I managed to keep my calm and took my place beside my apparent husband. "Okay, lets do this!" I stated as enthusiastically as I could whilst trying to cover the fact that there was a massive freak out going on inside my head. "Time to see what Santa brought."
The children squealed delightedly while simultaneously ripping the wrapping paper off of their gifts. With the unwrapping of each present, their faces became brighter and more joyful, and their smiles infectious.
I turned to Harvey to find that he was already watching me. "How'd I get so lucky?" He whispered, and I felt my cheeks beginning to flush.
I played along, not knowing what else to do. "You must have made one hell of a deal with the Devil." I joked, flashing a playful smile, which he returned before entwining his fingers with mine and squeezing tight.
"Your turn." Harvey stated, taking his cue from the little girl now sat at his feet, who handed him a small gift to give to me. I could feel his eyes on me as I carefully began peeling back the wrapping paper and opened the box to reveal an absolutely gorgeous pair of emerald earrings.
"Oh, Harvey, they're beautiful. Thank You!" Without thinking, I threw my arms around his neck, noticing the golden wedding band on my ring finger for the first time. That's when the reality of this so called reality started to sink in. This version of my life with Harvey and I happily married with kids was perfect, yes, but it wasn't real.
As much as I hated to admit it to myself, this was the life I truly wanted; to have a Happily Ever After with the man I love; Harvey, but the truth was that it would never be so, no matter how much I wanted it to be.
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Harvey's POV
Something was off with Donna; it was almost as if she was a different person since coming downstairs. The thought crossed my mind that this could be my Donna, but it was disappeared as quickly as it had popped up because it couldn't be. There was no way.
Of course the moment was interrupted by the kids who were now trying to get their mother's attention. "Mommy, aren't you going to give Daddy his present too?" That little boy, who I found out was called Caleb, had a cheeky little glint in his eye which very much reminded me of my own. Caity was right by his side with a small impeccably wrapped gift.
Donna seemed taken aback for a second but regained here composure as if it had never been lost in the first place and placed the gift in my hand. "For you." She spoke softly, her fingers lingering on mine a little longer than expected causing my heart to skip a beat and my palms to sweat. "Go on, open it."
"Yeah Daddy, open it." Caity jumped in and hopped up on my knee.
I didn't really have a choice at that point. "How about you help me, sweetie?" My daughter nodded back at me enthusiastically. "Well okay then" I laughed, and together we tore the paper off and opened the box. Inside were a pair of white gold cufflinks engraved with a set of initials on each C.S. I knew instantly what they stood for and I loved it. Clearly Caity and Caleb were the center of our universe and this life is more than I could ever have wished for. I may have dreamt of Donna and I being together before however, nothing as impossibly perfect as this.
Donna's eyed locked on mine, and I swear I could have lived in that moment forever. If it hadn't been for the kids being, well, kids, we could have easily given in to it. Instead, the children began giggling and Caleb was trying really hard to hide something behind his back, but to no avail. "What have you got there, buddy?" The kid didn't answer. He just kept on laughing at Donna's question and we tried everything to get him to give it up, but he wouldn't budge. When his sister joined in, it only bolstered his resolve.
He hid behind the tree. "Okay, okay. Stop it." We backed off and he poked his head out; a triumphant smile on his face.
"We'll show you what it is, but first, Mommy, you have to sit next to Daddy." Donna and I shared a confused look, but relented to our daughter's request. "Now close your eyes." She managed to say through adorable fits of giggles.
Sat on the couch next to my wife in this idyllic Christmas dream life with our eyes closed, I felt Donna envelope my hand in hers. We could still hear the kids laughing; proud of themselves for pulling off whatever this was. "Open!" They shouted in unison.
The look I saw on Donna's face when I opened my eyes took my breath away. There was elation, but there was something else too; something that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Whatever it was, she radiated more beauty than I had ever seen. To me, Donna was it; the one. She was the God damn love of my life and I was finally starting to realise how stupid I had been by pretending otherwise.
I was so mesmerised by her, that I hadn't even noticed how her gaze was no longer on me. "Harvey, look up. Look at what the kids did." She was smiling in a way only a proud mother could.
Following her line of sight, my eyes fell upon the reason our kids had been plotting against us. Mistletoe dangled from a stick above our heads, held by Caleb. "So shall we?" I asked rhetorically, knowing neither of us really had a choice in the matter and that there was no way I was going to lose Donna again.
"There is nothing else I would rather be doing right now than kissing you," The brightest smile I had ever seen spread across her face from ear to ear as she leaned in, wrapping her arms around my neck, I readied myself for the feeling of her lips pressed against mine once again, but it never came.
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Donna's POV
I jerked awake, my brain scrambling to figure out what the hell just happened. My vision focused on my surroundings; the hospital bed and Harvey laid there with his head still bandaged up. It appears I had fallen asleep, my head resting on the edge of the bed and our hands still holding on to one another. I managed to maneuver my head to glance over at the clock on the wall; 10:24pm. Three hours; I had been asleep for almost three hours.
"You're here." Harvey's croaky voice caught me off guard; I hadn't realised he had woken up.
"Where else would I be? You're here, I'm here." I smiled and tightened my grip on his hand. "But I just had the craziest dream." My brow furrowed and yet the way he was looking at me was as if he knew everything, but that was impossible; right?
Wrong. "You too? Because mine was weird; like off the charts weird, and it's completely thrown me for a loop." Wait, what? Was he saying what I think he was trying to say. No. Couldn't be.
"I bet you mine was crazier than yours!" I baited him, knowing a bet would get him to talk.
So, for the next twenty minutes we both recounted every detail of our dreams and apart from the fact that mine started a little after his, they were identical. That brought us to the only conclusion that made any sense at all; we shared the same dream. I had to google it to make sure it was a real thing. It is, and apparently it's most common between those who share a close personal connection such as siblings, couples and even best friends.
"Must have been because of our heightened emotional state." Harvey posited and he was most likely right. His subconscious coming up with some fictitious dream life to cope with his condition, and my subconscious linking with his because of how worried I was about losing him; literally doing anything it could to hold onto him.
"It did make me realise something though," I began, choosing to take a leap of faith and admit to Harvey the one thing that I never thought I could, but that would most likely change the nature of our relationship for good. "Harvey, the life we had in that dream was pretty damn perfect and it's what I want. It's what I want this life to become; for us."
I hoped he understood where I was coming from, and judging from where the conversation went next, he did. "I've been having panic attacks." Not what I was expecting, but I remained quiet and let him continue. "Ever since you went to work for Louis. The thought of losing you terrified me and I couldn't cope. I've been in therapy, but this damn dream has helped me more than that shitty Doctor Agard ever did." I stood and moved to sit on the bed, but my gaze never left his. "Donna, what I'm trying to say is that I love you."
And there it was, out in the open. He loved me. For a split second, I was too stunned by the fact that he had actually spoken those words out loud, before it started to sink in that the man I love; the man I had always loved, loves me too.
Without giving it even the slightest bit of thought, I threw myself at Harvey, my lips meeting his with such force and passion that I'm pretty sure neither of us had experienced anything like it before. As I took his face in my hands, he ran this fingers through my hair and we bagan to lose ourselves. If a nurse hadn't cleared her throat from the doorway, causing us to pull back from one another before leaving again, then God knows what would have happened
"I love you too, Harvey!" I managed to state once I had caught my breath again.
The shared dream was bizarre, that's for sure, but it did do one thing right; it brought Harvey and I together and gave me a glimpse of the sort of future that I could have with him. It was one I'll never forget, and one I will fight like hell to protect because it really was the perfect Christmas dream.