A/N: Sorry for the super long author's note, but the Suits timeline is confusing. For the purposes of this fic, I will use a rough interpretation of the timeline even though not everything is consistent on the show (like when Harvey said in season one that he hadn't worked for Cameron Dennis in over a decade but the flashback in The Other Time in season three was ten years ago and they were still at the DA's office). This fic is about change so some things will happen roughly when/how it did on the show while others will have some differences.

As far as ages, I don't know them, but picked some that seem plausible enough based on things like where Donna was in her acting pursuits when she met Harvey. I am sure I could give or take a couple years, but to use as a reference point, I am going to say that Donna was 25 and Harvey was 27 when they met on the show. With this, they meet five years prior.

I use dates, so the last thing of note is how much time passed during the show. I read that Suits spanned 5 years and whether or not that is accurate, I used that to help with this. Donna said in season nine that they had worked together for 15 years so that is the back end of my timeline. It's still not perfect, but I hope it makes some sense even if Harvey worked longer at the DA's office on the show than he will in this and things of that nature.

It's my first attempt at a long, multi-chapter fic and AU. I hope some of you enjoy it. Please let me know if it is worth continuing!

August 30, 1997 - Present Day

Donna was an understanding person. When she walked into the clinic fifteen minutes before her appointment and saw her doctor traversing through the hallways, she wasn't offended when he didn't wave back. It was only her second appointment with him, so he might not have even recognized her enough to realize where her wave was directed.

If she was someone he did remember, being that she was the type of person people seemed to never forget, it was probably just that he was too busy to process her. Or perhaps he was on his way to deliver bad news and could hardly be faulted for being distracted. She frowned ever so slightly when he proceeded to stop and chat with a gaggle of young nurses in the corner and was all smiles and poor attempts at flirting. Well, it might have invalidated her last two theories, but it still didn't mean he was being rude.

She was early enough that she wasn't worried yet, about her doctor lollygagging that is. Clocking in on time was a different story. The appointment she had set was cutting it very close to when she had to be at the diner for her shift. She had been feeling lousy all week, however, and thought it was important to confirm that she wasn't currently patient zero infecting everyone she served. Her health insurance was nonexistent making healthcare options very limited. If she hadn't booked this appointment, she could have been waiting weeks to see a doctor.

Her reliability was something she prided herself on and a schedule this tight stressed her. The reality was she was only a part time waitress picking up shifts at three different restaurants when they were short staffed or needed vacation or sick coverage. It wouldn't be hard to find something more permanent, if she was late again and her boss was pissed, but it would take considerable time finding a place willing to work with her lack of commitment.

The options for full-time were there. She was the best waitress the city had ever seen after all, and for several reasons. For one, she never forgot an order or made a mistake on the ticket for the kitchen. She would even catch when the cook made one more times than not. What really set her apart, however, was her ability to read people and anticipate their needs.

Whenever someone asked for a suggestion or couldn't make a decision, she could always pair them with the perfect choice. The diner was hardly fine dining, but she filled in at those types of restaurants too. Those latter sorts often came with certain big ticket or VIP clientele, and Donna never failed to meet their demands, exceed them really.

It wasn't her ability that kept her from something more permanent or something higher paying, it was solely her availability. She was going to be an actress, and that meant she couldn't tie herself down when there was an audition or when she got cast.

The first step to being an actress was probably considering herself one already. She'd performed in three shows to date, not including college, and while they might have been off, off, extra off Broadway, they still counted. Not to mention, she was still young. Having just turned 21 a month and a half ago and only returning to New York about a year ago, after she was the youngest in her graduating class at Yale, she might just be ahead of schedule. Currently, she was worried about falling behind.

Being the best waitress and a substitute one at that, didn't mean she was immune from being fired. Getting fired wouldn't immunize her from having to pay rent. Being an actress who couldn't yet afford to survive off of anything more than Top Ramen, and whatever soon to be discarded scraps she was allowed to bring home from the jobs that paid for the ramen, condemned her to having to live with two roommates in a one-bedroom apartment. It also meant that that the reliability she prided herself on was tested more than she would have liked.

She had been late twice the last week due to auditions, and if she was late again, the diner probably wouldn't ask her back. The tips were less than her other two gigs, but the shifts were more frequent, and she didn't have to doll up as much if she was heading to work straight from a casting call. Losing the job would be a serious blow during a time in which she was still reeling from her biggest loss to date.

The increasingly familiar feeling of her stomach preparing to empty itself bubbled up again. Rushing to the bathroom, she made it just in time to save the janitor from a bad day or at least a pungent task. After waiting in the stall long enough to be sure she was finished, for the time being, she washed up, fixed her hair and makeup, and popped in another breath mint. When she was sure her reflection was fit for the public, which wasn't hard to accomplish as it was a damn fine reflection, she returned to the waiting room.

Maybe I am not sick and it's just stress. She had been feeling it a lot more lately, ever since he left. Or maybe this is what heartbreak feels like.

Another thing she prided herself on was being strong and independent. She was her own head cheerleader and her biggest fan. The confidence she possessed was that of a woman twice her age with three times her accomplishments. It came naturally, but it also felt like she had to be that way. Her mother had always been supportive, and her father believed in her too, when he wasn't too busy fawning over her much older sister. His poor business decisions made for a chaotic childhood, however. Lost in the chaos was the attention her parents were able to pay to her endeavors, not to mention the financial ability to continue to pay for her development in them.

She learned early on it was up to her to make her dreams happen and to maintain belief during challenging times. It was a promise she made to herself, to never quit and never let anything get in her way. Nothing could stop her. She was just getting started on penning the Book of Donna, and self-sustaining perseverance was chapter one.

Then she met Harvey Specter, and she discovered what it felt like for someone else to have complete faith in her, whose strength she could tap into instead of always depleting her own. Now it was over, and she didn't have her rock anymore, her partner, her best friend. She was back to being on her own and she missed him with every fiber of her being. It was tearing her apart.

The universe was of no help and had an awfully cruel sense of humor. Everything was still so raw, but everywhere she turned there was a reminder. When she met him, she didn't think he was the relationship kind of guy. Instantly, she was attracted to him, how could she not be, but she wasn't looking for one night or a casual distraction. She planned to shoot him down at first glance, but the rational impulse didn't even survive their conversation. Instead, he became her longest relationship and the man she fell in love with. Just under three weeks ago, that shifted to the man who broke her heart, even if she bore some responsibility for how it ended.

Now, here she was, tapping her foot nervously while alternating between staring at the clock on the wall and the water stains on the ceiling, trying to ignore the joke of a playlist the clinic, and the universe, was taunting her with. Even smooth jazz sounded a lot better than whatever love song would be on next. She already endured "You Were Meant for Me," "Un-Break My Heart," and "How Do I Live" and she was running out of patience for a change of themes and for a nurse to finally call her back. Her doctor was officially late now.

Working hard was the best distraction she had, but during idle time it was nearly impossible not to think of him. Focusing on her concern about punctuality, or her doctor's lack thereof, wasn't working anymore.

Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick. The music masked the sound of the clock's second hand moving, but it played loudly in her head, as she clung to anything that could replace thoughts of him. With each tick a snapshot flashed in her mind. Strong arms, tangled white sheets, slow thrusts, a handprint in the shower steam, Cheshire grins.

Finally, she gave in and let the memory she'd been trying to block take her away.

August 12, 1997

"Donna, you'll never believe what happened," Harvey announced will practically bursting into his apartment.

He knew she was there waiting for him because she had sent him a message on his pager, but it was a safe bet regardless since she typically stayed at his place. Hers was too crowded with one more roommate and one less bedroom. When his roommate wasn't at work, he was usually locked in his room waiting patiently for the dial-up internet to load his porn, giving them additional privacy.

"Well, you certainly look happy, it must be good news." His smile was always infectious and couldn't help meeting him with a nose crinkling version of her own.

She rose from the couch cooly, adding a little sashay to her saunter over to him. It was an act for his enlarged ego's sake, or maybe her own. She really wanted to sprint into his arms. He had left early in the morning for his shift in the mailroom, and she had gotten back late the night before from the restaurant. Their schedules hadn't lined up well in days and she missed her man.

When she reached him, he pulled her in for a tight hug and halted the sharing of his good news long enough to give her a bruising kiss.

"You remember when I told you about bringing what I found to Jessica and threatening to go to the DA if she didn't do something about it?" He was still beaming and swaying a little, moving her with him. His excitement was radiating through him, through them.

"Of course, Harvey, I'm still proud of you for that. Not every mailroom clerk would have the balls to go to a senior partner about potential fraud within the firm." Her hand found the back of his neck, playing with the short blond hairs that were just starting to brown. He still had his arms wrapped around her waist, squeezing her tightly.

There was something electric in the air, but time seemed to slow instead of jumpstart. Even the city wanted in on the moment, as the bright lights shining through the gap in the curtains lit the room with a blue hue that added a slight mystical effect.

She didn't have to read him to know that whatever he was going to say next was significant, she could just feel it.

"Well, Jessica must have taken note of my big balls too, because she told me that she sees something in me and wants to take me under her huge fucking wing. Donna, she's paying for me to go kick ass at Harvard Law."

He was years away from being able to save up for it on his own. This break was huge, and it couldn't have felt more right than to share it with Donna. Without her, he wouldn't have let himself feel anything at all. He would just lock in and get to work, focus on winning. With her, he didn't have to mask anything. He didn't have to suffocate or bury any emotions.

"That's wonderful, Harvey! Jessica isn't going to be the only one who takes note, you know. You're going to show the world what only Harvey Specter is capable of doing."

Donna was never one to look down at a job. She was more of a waitress than an actress after all. If anything, she had a great respect for the willingness to do whatever it takes. Harvey was too brilliant, too tenacious, too skilled to work in the mailroom forever, however, and she knew it in her bones that it was only a matter of time until everyone else saw what she did.

"Thanks," he responded softly, almost shyly, while glancing down slightly. Praise from women wasn't anything new for him, but he was used to it being attached to whatever they expected or desired from him. Donna gave it freely, and outside of his father, it was the only time it ever meant anything to him. He still wasn't used to it.

"I guess it's a good thing you took the LSATs early for practice and had the most awesome, beautiful, kind, intelligent study buddy of all time. I could go on, but I'll let you have your moment," she teased until she remembered that Harvard couldn't come to them. He was leaving. "When would you enroll, anyway?"

"Very soon. In fact, she already pulled some strings and got me into one of the spots reserved for the waitlist. All I have to do is fill out the forms and I start in three weeks." He finally let go of her hips and took her hand instead, leading her back to the couch.

"Wow, that is soon." She responded after settling in. She was happy for him, she truly was, but her heart still started beating rapidly at the prospect of not spending every available second with him. It was going to happen a lot sooner than she anticipated.

He angled himself towards her more, resting his elbow on the top of the couch. "It's not like undergrad when I can start mid-year. If not this fall term, I'd have to wait until next year's. I know it's short notice and your closing show isn't until this weekend, but I figured after that we can take a train to Cambridge or Boston and pick out an apartment for us. Things will be tight but-"

Raising her hand to stop his speech, she followed with words to cut him off midsentence. "Did you just assume I would give up everything and move without even talking to me about it? Broadway is here, Harvey, my dreams are here." It was the first time in their conversation that she sounded anything other than ecstatic for him.

"Well, maybe that's where we differ, because to me, Donna, you are everything. And I don't have dreams, I have goals. Harvard fucking Law School is how we achieve them and take life to the next level. After three years when I graduate, we will move back here anyway."

He was confused and frustrated by her response and his tone likely reflected it. Sure, he should have talked to her about it first before assuming, but he thought that would just be a formality. They were a team, and they were committed to each other.

"What about my goals?" He'd always been such a pillar for her that she couldn't believe he was only considering his. "If I take three years off there won't be anything to come back to. Any momentum I've generated will be erased and I'll be three years older. Women don't keep getting the same opportunities as men, and you know it," she paused for a beat because this conversation was bigger than her getting offended by the way the world worked, his selfishness aside.

She had promised herself she would never give up on her dreams. He had to go to Harvard, and she understood that. Why couldn't he see that she had to stay?

A calming breath and a moment of rubbing the tension out of her brow allowed her to continue with a more gentle timbre. "Cambridge is only a few hours away; we can always do long distance."

Harvey shook his head before he responded, and she could tell he was shutting down. Bringing her hand to his face, she tenderly cupped his cheek hoping her touch would be soothing, but he recoiled and leaned back from her. Her arm sunk as fast as the feeling in her chest. She felt her eyes welling up, but she didn't want to shed any tears. Not when he had just been so happy and was presented with such a life-altering opportunity.

"Those relationships never work, Donna, and you know it. Besides, I am going to busy with law school and your schedule is packed already, we'd never be able to see each other enough."

It wasn't just the distance, he felt betrayed. There wasn't ever a reason for her to think that he lacked faith in her or didn't value her dreams, but this was Harvard, and this was now and guaranteed. He didn't see how they could pass it up. He thought that they were in this together. When they got back, he would do his best to open any door for her. But she didn't want that, she didn't want him enough.

"Harvey-"

It was his turn to cut her off. "No, Donna, you were right. It was stupid of me to think you would follow me. I thought you were different, that we were different, but I forgot that I am still me. You're the type of woman that a man settles down with and one day you'll want a family and I'd be a shitty dad. I've never been that type of guy." His eyes glassed over, and his disengagement was more apparent.

"You are capable of being any kind of man that you want, Harvey, you're the real thing. And this isn't about you." She hated that his mind went there, that he doubted himself. With one last ditch effort she reached for his hand, but he stood up to create as much distance as possible.

"Well, it sure feels like it is. I'm going to go for a walk, Please, just don't be here when I get back." His whole body ached from his request. He wasn't just asking her to leave his apartment, he was telling her to leave him.

"Harvey, wait. I am not going to want to be with you any less just because I can't see you every day or our schedules are shit. We can make it work," she pleaded desperately.

He just shook his head in response. His trust in her would always be more than anyone else, but nothing was absolute. The way his dad talked about his mom, he would have thought they were soulmates, but he saw firsthand what distance led his mom to do. He knew Donna was nothing like his mother, but in his mind, he also didn't measure up to his father.

He turned back towards her, before he made it to the door, to his escape. More than anything he wanted to kiss her again. Whether it would be a goodbye or a final plea for her to see that he was worth it, he didn't know. Maybe he wasn't, though. Maybe this was inevitable, and he was setting her free.

"You know I love you, Donna."

Present Day

"Donna Paulsen," a nurse who lost her shine ten patients, maybe ten years ago, finally called out. It snapped her from the anguish her mind was subjecting her to, and she scrambled to her feet.

She followed the nurse back to the exam room, after a detour to the scale for her height and weight. Once the standard blood-pressure and temperature checks were finished, the nurse tossed her a hospital gown and excused herself.

The room was even smaller than the average one, and the examination table had seen better days. She wasn't snobbish about these things, but she had an eye for detail and couldn't help but notice. It wasn't just the clinic either. People were her specialty, but she analyzed every room she entered. She had a way of mentally redecorating her environment, especially her cramped apartment.

Eventually, she would have the budget to purchase and remodel her place, exist without roommates, and put that eye to good use. An interior designer would become an option, but she would likely fall back on her own tastes and talents. Clearly, she would have to increase her closet space for the wardrobe she'd eventually be able to afford and would certainly need to add substantial storage for all the stilettos she would buy. Money wouldn't be an issue; her name would be on billboards.

Her love for the theater was what drove her, not the fame or the money, but she did still have expensive taste. Fantasizing about her future spending prowess, it was a trick she developed to distract herself. Thinking about the doors that would open and everything she would gain from becoming a successful actress helped give her mind a reprieve from thinking about everything it had already cost her. Harvey.

The doctor finally walked in, and Donna's brain went straight to studying him. She was around eight years old when she started really observing people, and maybe elven or twelve when she realized that other people didn't see everything that she did.

There was a mustard stain on his lab coat that wasn't there before, meaning lunch was likely what made him late. His left ring finger lacked a wedding band, but there was a tan line suggesting he was either recently separated or divorced, or he took his ring off at work to hit on women. The way he kept rubbing his elbow and rolling his wrist led her to believe he was an avid tennis player. None of these things mattered, but her brain never failed to pick up all the details. It was her superpower, and one that maybe someday she would use for more than earning bigger tips.

"Alright Miss… Paulsen, according to your chart you've been throwing up the last few days." He was looking at the paperwork as spoke, seemingly disinterested in common pleasantries.

"Yes that's cor-"

He didn't wait for her to finish speaking before he set his clipboard down and started prodding her abdomen. "Does it hurt when I do this?"

"No, not really," she responded, but some warning would have been nice. His hands certainly weren't gentle, but she didn't feel any pain beyond him pressing too hard.

"Fever?" he asked as while picking her chart back up. The nurse had taken her temperature, which had come back in a normal range, so Donna assumed he was asking about the days prior.

"I haven't really been taking my temperature, but I don't think so." There wasn't much in way of his beside manner, but she realized his brevity was exactly what she needed. Maybe he was rude though.

"Coughing, sneezing?" He was looking up from his clipboard now, but his gaze was fixed elsewhere as he rattled off questions.

"No and no," she responded, matching his pace.

"Sexually active?"

"Well, yes." Up until three weeks ago.

She blushed a little with that one. It wasn't that she was embarrassed, as she was indeed quite active and adventurous, and saw no reason why women shouldn't have the same freedom to explore as men. Though all her exploring had only been with Harvey since she met him, and she didn't see someone else coming along any time soon. He was still too much a part of her, and she didn't know if she would ever be able to cut him out.

The question coming from her doctor, despite being reasonable, felt akin to her dad asking, however, and was the sole reason for her crimson cheeks.

"Any fatigue, dizziness, or mood swings?" he continued to fire off.

"Yes to all three." Shit. Shit. Shit. This couldn't mean…

"And your menstrual cycle?" Looking at her finally, his face was full of judgment and her eyes bugged briefly as it was setting in where he was going.

"I… I don't remember." With everything she had been feeling lately, she wasn't tracking her cycle.

"You really should keep track of it. I'll have the nurse come back for a blood draw." The doctor turned and left the room at about the same speed as the blood drained from her body.

It hit her like a ton of bricks. The throwing up and her lack of energy… she hadn't been thinking about her cycle with all of the stress, but she was sure now that she was late… Oh god. She was pregnant… twenty-one years old, broke, and pregnant with Harvey Specter's baby. Once the results came back from her blood test and confirmed it, she would have to figure out a way to tell her ex just that. The universe must be rolling on the floor with laughter now.