A/N: I know this chapter makes it abundantly clear that I basically smashed all the seasons timelines together on a big pile and then picked out random bits and pieces that normally have no sense going together but it's an AU, anything goes, right?
Enjoy the beauty that is this holiday season. Hope my story makes you feel very merry and if you hate December I hope the story provides the sense of comfort that you need.

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"Harvey, what is wrong?" Donna's voice has an anxious twang to it. She was just curling a ribbon with scissors and nearly stabbed herself in her quest to answer the phone.

Harvey checks his watch. It is nearly midnight and he mentally slaps himself for not realizing this before he called.

"I'm sorry, I tend to forget most people don't come home from work at 10 pm and therefore are in bed by midnight instead of just starting to unwind."

He does sound genuinely guilty but Donna wishes he would hurry up already and get to the point.

"The late hour gave you the impression something is wrong?"

"I assume this isn't a social call?" Donna replies, her tone still implying her guard is up.

"It can be?" he volleys back.

With an inaudible sigh, Donna switches to speakerphone. This man has been taught to talk professionally, she might be here for a while. Not that she minds very much now that she is 99% sure he didn't ring at midnight because there is an emergency.

"Why are you up so late?" Harvey probes.

"It's my boss," Donna starts, drawing a deliberate deep breath. "He's this drill sergeant and here I am, wrapping fifty packages for his firm with a perfect maroon-red bow tie until my fingers are so cramped I'll never be able to bend them again."

It stays silent on the other side of the line and Donna frets he missed the slightly mocking hint in her voice.

But then a hearty laugh rumbles down the line.

"Yeah, he's a piece of work, that one. A real taskmaster."

A silence descends as Harvey's voice fades away.

Soft clinks and then the faint sound of liquid being poured is all that breaks the quietness.

"Just a few more weeks. After that you can go back to regular hours," Harvey says. "Unless you have another drill sergeant lined up after Christmas of course," he adds gently.

"Shit," Donna mutters.

Harvey raises one eyebrow.

A mayhem of unidentified sounds burst out of his speaker.

"Fudge, fudge, fudge!" Donna groans and Harvey can't suppress a snort.

"Did you just snort at me, Mr. Specter?"

"Well what the fudge are you doing?" he volleys back.

"I knocked over my mug with tea. I could save the unpacked gifts—I might be able to dry out the ribbon—but this roll of wrapping paper is definitely ruined."

"I think a new roll is in our budget," Harvey tells her in soothing tones.

"I know," Donna sighs. "But I want them all to have the same covering. Which means I will have to go back to Gramercy for that quaint store that has this beautiful velvet-like wrapping paper. And then I need to make wings for Olivia's recital and I need a new bag, my favorite one has a ripped lining because Liv insisted on carrying home a bucket load of sticks to build an Ewok catapult."

"Did she pull it off?"

"Oh, of course."

A smile forms on Harvey's lips. He has no doubt these two ladies can accomplish anything they set their minds to.

"So we've got a little Star Wars fan on our hands then, a real Rebel girl?"

Donna can't see the gleam in his eyes but she hears it in his voice.

"No… NOOO," she crushes his enthusiasm. "This was strictly about the catapult. She thinks Ewoks are ridiculous aliens and goes around the apartment in a robot-like fashion at least once a week."

"Whoa."

Donna wrinkles her nose, nodding her head, even though Harvey can't see her.

"The Imperial March is in my daily mix on Spotify."

"Oh yeah, that is hardcore. I mean if it infiltrated your daily mix, we're talking about a devotion that is unrivaled."

Harvey hears some rustling and Donna's voice comes on again, much clearer. She's turned off the speakerphone.

"Every child has a phase like this right? It isn't some sign I have scarred her for life or anything?"

Donna bites her lip, pacing up and down her apartment, checking in on Olivia sound asleep, and circling back to her kitchen again.

Harvey sits down in his leather chair near his floor-to-ceiling windows, giving him an unobstructed view of the city.

"It is an unusual choice," he says, thinking about his niece and her pinkalicious obsession. "But Olivia is an unusual, extraordinary girl. I wouldn't have pegged her for my little pony posters on the wall."

"Mozart, Darth Vader, Nikolas Tesla, to name a few," Donna sighs. "Oh god, they are all very troubled men," she exclaims. "I should not have let her eat all those artificially flavored skittles Mrs. Cunningham keeps sneaking her. I should have left this city, gotten her out of these fumes, this pollution, living a small town life with a backyard, to breathe in fresh air. She would have been better off with two parents."

By now Donna's voice is frantic, putting all her insecurities out there.

"Donna, all Olivia needs is you. You two are two peas in a pod and you clearly love her dearly. That is enough." Harvey is firm when he hears her doubting herself.

"Liv thrives off being surrounded by people. She's been begging me for a sister. I'm giving her a very small life." Donna's voice is laced with sadness. "Surely two parents would have a lot more to—"

"Let me tell you about my dad," Harvey cuts her off.

"Uh…okay," Donna replies meekly.

"He was a saxophone player. Sat in with everybody because everybody loved him. He believed in love at first sight. Unfortunately, his first sight was a groupie."

Donna stops pacing, halting in front of her tiny living room window. "Your mother," she fills in quietly.

"I was sixteen when I caught her cheating. I knew if I told my dad, he'd…" The rage, the wretchedness of his teenage self still shines through when Harvey balls his fist. "Next two years went by, I didn't say a thing and she just went right on, making him a fool."

The disgust is still so tangible in his voice, all these years later. Donna stays silent. She knows what it is like to be disappointed by a parent. But her dad's intentions were always good, love was always at the base of his sometimes poor decisions.

Making a sixteen-year-old an accomplice in your dirty little secret is not an act of love.

"Look, this is all to say, I lived in a house surrounded by family but I know what it's like to be totally alone."

Donna's heart aches for Harvey. And suddenly everything she knows about this man makes sense.

"Thanks, Harvey," Donna's voice is soft. "I will remember this the next time I doubt myself as a parent. Which is probably tomorrow morning when I put the pink Elsa bowl in front of her instead of the green Anna one."

"As long as you remember to…"

"Let it go!" They yell in unison.

Harvey chuckles longer than he should about his awful Frozen joke.

"I actually called you because I can't just show up with you and Olivia in tow in the Hamptons. We need to be seen together by the right people so they believe we're a real couple. I would like you to pop by the office with Olivia and we should go out for dinner together. Maybe see a game together as I know the name partner has season's tickets."

"I'll compensate you, of course," Harvey adds when Donna doesn't say anything.

"Of course, yeah, okay," Donna says after a while.

"Perfect. I'm really happy I met you, Donna."

"Yeah?" Donna's tone is hopeful.

"I have a feeling you are going to propel my career."

"That's what you're paying me for," Donna says, her voice holding a distant note. "Goodnight Harvey."

"Goodnight Donna"

…

It takes Donna and Olivia a good fifteen minutes from entering the building to get to the fiftieth floor where Rachel is waiting at the elevators.

Donna decided on an impromptu visit but little did she know that they needed a day pass, with a picture taken by a webcam, and clearance from someone at Pearson Hardman.

Rachel narrows her eyes as soon as they tumble out of the elevators.

"Wow!" Olivia exclaims loudly.

There are a few men and women dressed up to the nines in expensive business gear walking along the hallway and necks crane at the child's voice.

Donna quickly clamps her hand over Olivia's mouth before her darling niece will broadcast her opinion about her new surroundings loud and clear.

"This is a workplace. We need to be very quiet, Liv," Donna says in hushed tones.

Rachel places a finger on her lips as well.

Olivia nods and Rachel softly stirs her in the right direction. She tiptoes through the hallway, craning her neck to look into every room they pass and it solicits a smile from Donna and an eye roll from Rachel because she only attracts more attention with this behavior.

"When was the last time a child was up here?" Donna murmurs.

"Never," Rachel replies.

"Right," Donna purses her lips.

"Which is why a little heads up would have been nice," Rachel hisses.

Olivia tugs on Rachel's hand. "I have so much to tell you. I missed you. You should come over for dinner. You can even bring Mike," she whispers.

Rachel chuckles, taking Olivia's hand in hers. "I missed you too kiddo."

"We could have a sushi night," Donna suggests.

Olivia stops walking, making Rachel almost topple over. Her eyes are growing like saucers.

"With like, real sushi, from that place downtown, where you stopped going, supposedly because you grew out of it but really because you have to pay my tuition, that one?"

Donna's cheeks flush a crimson red. "Whispers, remember?" She reminds the little girl. "But yes that one."

"Yes!" Olivia punches the air with her fist. Then realizes her mistake and repeats with a tiny voice, "Yes."

Rachel smiles at Olivia's antics but hasn't actually replied yet to the invitation.

"Aunt Donna, I really like Notre Dame, so if it means you can't pay my tuition then I can go without sushi night."

Donna's heart breaks and sores at the same time with that statement.

Olivia shouldn't have to think about these financial choices but she has a huge empathetic heart that is worth more than anything money can ever buy.

"Well, this boss of ours…" Donna glances at Rachel, "pays us a good salary so we absolutely can do sushi night."

They reach a desk in front of a glass-walled office. The desk in the office is empty.

Rachel sits down at the cubicle. Donna stares at her.

"What?!" Rachel says annoyed, not even bothering to look up. "So he burned through another temp and I'm helping him out again for a few hours."

"Everytime I just start to like him," Donna mumbles.

"I'd prefer it if you think he's an ass, just like me."

"Actually, I have a date with Ryan on Saturday." Donna looks smug when Rachel looks surprised.

"I thought you said you hated the first date?"

"Aunt Donna says beggars can't be choosers," Olivia pipes up. She is sitting on the ground next to Rachel, opening and closing all the drawers of the desk. "They are doing archery this time."

"Who the hell is Ryan?"

None of them noticed Harvey standing right behind them with Mike in tow. They were hidden out of sight in the far right corner of the office.

"Sweetheart," Donna gushes but Harvey is having none of it.

"Inside my office, right now!"

Donna sheepishly follows him, stealing an anxious glance over her shoulder back at Rachel and Mike but they just shrug.

Harvey just about closes the door before he barks, "Ryan?!"

"He's just a writer that Rachel set me up with for a date recently."

"A writer?"

"Of Ikea instruction manuals," Donna mumbles.

"Of Ikea…" Harvey throws a thunderous look at the desk outside where Rachel slinks down in her chair.

"Where does she even find—" Harvey begins. "Never mind," he shakes his head. "You can't date anyone."

"Could you repeat that?"

"You can't date anyone."

"Yeah, heard you the first time," Donna huffs.

"I'm paying you considerably well to make it look like this thing between you and me is serious." Harvey marches over to the windowsill with big strides. He picks up one of the basketballs and spins around. "You show up here unannounced and then you girls are trumpeting in the hallway about a date. This won't work if you're seen with someone else."

"See me? It's an archery range in Yonkers and last time it was the gutter bar in Schuylerville. I doubt it's where your sort of people hang out."

"My sort of people?" Harvey harrumphs. "The ones in this office are ruthless, I can tell you that." He eyes her with a frown. "Gutter bar, archery, this guy seems like a real romantic."

"If it's with the right person," Donna shrugs.

Harvey stares at her. She's wearing a wool ivory skirt with a bronze v-neck cashmere sweater with a bow tied right at the V and Floret Bronze Leather Pointed Toe Courts, an outfit they bought together. Together with her red locks in a perfect blowout, the pink peacoat over her arm, and her trusted Hermes bag dangling in her hands, she looks absolutely stunning.

"Maybe we should end this endeavor right here. I wouldn't want you to miss out on an exciting walk of life with the right person, Ryan the Ikea manuals writer."

Donna's voice is just as clipped as Harvey's in her reply. "You want to let me go for having a private life? Isn't that against the law?"

Holding the ball in his right arm, Harvey undoes the button of his suit jacket with his left hand. "You seriously want to discuss the law with me?"

"Why not?" Donna picks at a piece of lint on her skirt.

"You do know what I do for a living, right?!"

"You do know that it makes a lawyer and his law firm look really bad if their labor laws are being questioned."

Harvey narrows his eyes, rapidly tossing the ball between his two hands. "Is this about money?"

"No."

"Is this about you?"

"It's about the fact that my private life is, you know, private." Donna crosses one leg behind the other but her stare and posture remain stoic. He might be able to bully his clients into submission but Donna is not about to roll over like a puppy.

Harvey takes a deep breath and tilts his head to the side. She raises her eyebrows at him.

"Fine, I'm putting you on the clock, you're now mine until Christmas. Cancel your date with the Ikea dude."

Harvey returns the ball to its honorary spot at the window before turning around, leaning against the windowsill, eyeing Donna, expecting a comeback.

Donna's mouth forms an O then closes. She opens it, only to close it again.

"What date is today? I feel like I should write it down."

Harvey does not try in any way to look any less conceited than he is.

"Oooh, wipe that smug smile off your face, Specter." Donna sets down her handbag in the leather chair in front of her.

She walks over to him, her hips swaying elegantly in a skirt that hugs her in all the right places.

"I'll accept on two conditions."

Harvey raises one eyebrow.

"One, I will not cancel my date. I however will delay until the new year. If Olivia asks me why a sibling is taking forever, I will refer her to you."

Harvey smiles, a hint of amusement evident.

"Second?"

"You're giving me a huge goddamn bonus for this," Donna twirls her finger at him, "much meddling in my private life."

With an appreciative merriment glimmering in his eyes, Harvey slowly takes out his checkbook and a pen. He turns around, signs a check right there on the windowsill, and rips out the page. He pivots back to Donna with the check between his index and middle finger.

She reaches out to take it but he moves his fingers backwards so that she just fails to grasp it.

Donna rakes her eyes over his face. He definitely enjoys the ribbing but there is an affection in his features that she does not encounter too often in men.

"How do you know that's enough?"

"Because you're gonna be the one that fills in the amount."

Donna grabs the check and the amount is indeed still empty.

She shakes her head, laughing. "Oh my god, you really do need me." Her voice becomes more stern, continuing, "to stop you from doing shit like this."

"Oh well," Harvey already has a hold of the top of the check.

With a firm tug, Donna takes possession of the piece of paper again. "In the future," she says, her voice an octave higher than normal. She gives him a wink and turns back to the door. "Come get me when you're ready to show me off."

Please consider leaving a review. It helps me to know if you like the direction of where this is going but also if I should continue updating in this busy season or I better leave it until next year as I know a lot of Xmas fics are about to hit you daily for the coming weeks.