Note: Thank you all so much for your kind reviews. They mean the world to me and they keep me motivated.

I know that this is a tough plot to get behind, because as many of you have told, 'who splits up their kids?' It's a wild concept and I hope that I've done my best to make it semi-believable. That being said, it's AU, so it will require some suspension of disbelief.

I plan to update this story a few chapters at a time, but this next chapter is all Darvey, so it just felt right to post it on alone.


Harvey was thankful that the forecasted rain had held off as he waited for Donna later that day. He leaned up against the black town car and tried to remain calm. It was impossible, though. His brain and his heart were at war with one another. His brain was eager to remind him that Donna had left him. She was the one who had initiated their break up. She was the one who had fled first to her father's house upstate, and then across the country.

His brain insisted that he should never forgive her. It told him to stand her up. To ignore her the way that she had ignored him. His heart however, had different ideas. The beating organ refused to let him think rationally. It had a counter argument to everything his brain threw at him.

Harvey fell for Donna the moment that she had wormed her way into his life and his desk. When they began dating, a year into knowing each other, he knew that he was in way over his head.

When the pregnancy stick turned blue, just as they were about to start at Pearson Hardman, he was pretty certain that he was in love with her.

When she agreed to marry him, four months into her pregnancy, he knew for sure that he loved her. And, finally, two years later, when she walked out of his life, he realized that he would always love her.

As Donna approached, wearing a dark green dress that fell just to her knees and pointy boots that gave her more height than she needed, Harvey's breath hitched. It was clear that his heart had won this battle.

Heart: 1 Brain: 0


Del Pesto was unusually busy for lunch, but Harvey was still able to get the best table. For some reason, he felt the need to impress her.

His effort did not go unnoticed. "Isn't this a bit fancy for lunch?"

"It never stopped us before," he insisted, as he stared at her over the leatherbound menu.

"No, it didn't," came her thoughtful response.

They had gone to Del Pesto on their very first date. After that, they went at least once a month, until the twins were born. He had not gone since, so it seemed only fitting to bring her there now.

They scanned their menus in a semi-comfortable silence and then ordered quickly, before the atmosphere turned awkward. When the waiter took her menu, he noticed that her fingers were ring free.

His question came out before he could stop it. "So, did you bring Mr. Paulsen to town with you?" If he could kick himself, he would have.

Donna arched an eyebrow. "Oh, you're slick," she said, in a jovial tone.

Harvey took a sip of his water. "What? We're catching up. It's just a question."

"Uh huh." She leaned slightly over the table, giving him ample view of her cleavage.

"It's a simple question. One that you seem to be avoiding."

"I am not!" she huffed. "I never got remarried. There. Are you happy?"

The dark green dress made her eyes pop with color and he found it hard to look away from her face. "That's a surprise." His words earned a glare from her, but he enjoyed it. He had lost both his wife and his best friend when she left. Their playful banter was something that he missed, dearly.

"See, was that so hard?"

There was a plate of bread and oil in front of her. Donna pushed it away so that she could rest her hands on the table. "Okay, mister. It's your turn. Is the second Mrs. Specter waiting for you at home? Or…the third?" Her lips parted into a wide circle in mock surprise. "Don't tell me she's the fourth…"

The way her eyes lit up distracted him momentarily. She was even more beautiful than before. Finally he remembered to answer her before he became a drooling fool. "I've been seeing someone for about a year now, but no. There's never been another Mrs. Specter. I think one was enough."

If Donna was disappointed that he had a girlfriend, she didn't let it show on her face. Her finger tips tapped against the table. "You're joking."

Harvey cleared his throat. "I don't know Donna, I think you underestimate what serving a guy with divorce papers does to his ego," he deadpanned.

A somber smile crossed her lips. Then, shyly, she ducked away from his gaze. "I never expected you to sign them."

Her voice was so low that if they weren't sitting so close, he would have missed her statement entirely. When her eyes lifted, and locked with his, their watery depths threatened to drown him.

"Donna, I…" his voice trailed off. Her revelation was news to him. He didn't know what to say. Luckily he was saved by the waiter who dropped off their appetizer.

Pretending to care about over-priced Bruschetta gave him time to get his thoughts in order. This was supposed to be an easy lunch, to catch up and discuss their daughters. He didn't want to make things too heavy or even worse, drive her away, but he still needed answers.

"Do you regret it?" he wondered, as he cut the last piece of Bruschetta in half and plopped it onto her plate. "Marrying me?"

Donna ignored the food. Her long hair was curled at the ends. She pushed a stray piece away from her face and behind her ear. "I regret the circumstances." Harvey's shoulders dropped, and she cocked her head. "You're surprised? Harvey, I know that you only asked me to marry you because I was pregnant."

"That's not true," he lied.

Donna being Donna, saw right through it. "The night before you asked me, when you went to see your dad play at that old jazz club downtown? I know that he told you to do the right thing and marry me. I know that he convinced you to do it."

Harvey's jaw twitched at the mention of his deceased father. Unfortunately, she was right and there was no point denying it. "I may have asked for the wrong reasons at that time, but I don't regret marrying you." His tone was a bit harsh.

Growing defensive, she bit back, "I don't either. I just wish we had done things differently."

He had nothing to say to that. What could he say? They had screwed up so completely that he didn't know the difference between right and wrong anymore. Once the waiter took their plates away, a thick silence fell over them as they waited for the main course. It was Harvey who broke it.

"Lizzie's just like you, you know. She knows me better than I know myself. It scares the shit out of me."

At his words, Donna's lips curled into a genuine smile. "Someone has to keep you in line."

"Oh, she does. Trust me. Nothing gets past her."

Clasping her hands together, she then rested her elbows on the table. "Well, if it makes you feel better, Anna got your debate skills. It's exhausting."

Overwhelmed with pride, Harvey sat up straight and pulled at his tie. "That's my girl. Do you remember how her first word was 'no?' Everything was 'no'. We should have known then."

Donna softly chuckled. "Yeah, and Lizzie's was 'dada'...remember how they would talk to each other using only those words? That's all we heard for weeks."

The waiter dropped off their main dishes, but the couple hardly noticed as they went back and forth sharing facts about their children.

"Lizzie's been really into soccer lately. Her coach says she's a natural."

"Last year, Anna made honor roll. I'm hoping that she will again this year. "

"Lizzie seems more into sports than school, but I hired a tutor this year. I don't want her falling behind."

"Anna started playing piano a few years ago, but now she plays the saxophone. Your dad would be proud."

Donna's words brought the conversation to a halt as Harvey's eyes watered. Gordon barely got to know Anna. Their illlogical custody agreement had robbed so many people of so many things. Regret filled his mind and he cleared his throat, hoping to keep his emotions in check.

Harvey changed the subject, hoping it would help. "You're obviously a great mom. It sounds like she's thriving."

"You're a great dad, too. Lizzie's lucky to have you." Donna pushed around the pasta on her plate with her fork, but didn't bother eating it. "You always were a great dad."

Harvey let out a self-deprecating sigh. "Just not a great husband."

Donna put down her fork and moved her hand across the table to rest on top of his. "You were great, when you were around."

Her touch was like fire, burning across his skin. His finger twitched, eager to squeeze and never let go, but she moved her hand away before he had the chance. "I'm sorry, for that. I uh…I've been a lot better with that. The work life balance and all."

Donna shrugged. "You were trying to be a super lawyer, super dad, and super husband. Something had to give. I should have seen it. If we're being honest, I wasn't the best wife, either."

There were a lot of things that Harvey wanted to say about their marriage, but he suddenly didn't have the courage to. After the divorce, he couldn't wallow in his broken heart and painful regrets. Raising a daughter on his own while being promoted to managing partner had forced him to do a lot of soul searching. He was forced to do better. Lizzie deserved better.

"While we're being honest," he started, before finally taking a bite of his dinner. "I never told Lizzie about Anna. I know that telling the girls was part of our agreement, but it was just too hard."

Donna took a sip of her water and at his words, she started coughing and sputtering. When she was able to get a hold of herself, she sent him a sheepish smile. "I haven't told Anna, either. I didn't know how to explain it when she was little and the longer I waited, the harder it got."

Harvey let out a dramatic sigh of relief. There was one less weight on his shoulders. One less secret to divulge. But, reality soon set in, and guilt churned his stomach once again. He spoke his thoughts out loud without meaning to.

"So, not only did we split them up, but we've also been lying about their entire existence, too?"

Donna bit her bottom lip. Her forehead crinkled in despair. "We're awful parents."

"The worst." Harvey rubbed his forehead. A stress headache was starting to build. The aching feeling crept into his skull and eyes. "The truth is, I don't even remember why we thought that splitting them up was the right thing to do in the first place."

"We weren't thinking," she mumbled. "We were barely speaking to each other…" her words trailed off as her lip quivered. "Harvey, what the hell are we gonna do now?"

Noting the slight panic in her tone, he looked up to find her hands shaking. Without thinking, he took her small hands in his. He was good at fixing things. He worked best under pressure. "We've gotta tell them."

Donna looked down at their joined hands, but made no move to pull away. "How? When?"

"We'll figure it out soon. They're going to need a lot of therapy," he teased, to lighten the mood.

"Really? That's what you're gonna say to me right now when you know that I'm freaking out?"

She was so easy to rile up sometimes. Harvey laughed and slowly withdrew his hands. He immediately felt empty but was well aware of the fine line they were walking. "I've only seen you freak out a couple of times."

"Well, add this time to the list."

Harvey turned serious. "Donna, we're gonna figure it out, okay?" He repeated the words until she nodded in agreement. He was sure that they could fix it. They had to.