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1.
“How long?”
They’re barely through the door of the house they’ve bought in the best part of Seattle.
Harvey closes the door and drops the keys into the bowl into the table. He takes the five steps that separates the entryway into the open plan living space and looks at the taut lines of Donna’s back as she stares sightlessly at the artistic arrangement of candles on the mantel above the fireplace.
He’s not really surprised at the question. He could feel it hovering in the air on the drive back from the hospital. He knew she was going to ask it since Harvey had looked away from watching Mike holding the precious bundle of his new son in his arms and collided with Donna’s startled gaze.
He pushes his hands in his pockets. “Does it matter?”
Donna turns around at that. Her eyes sweep over him. He wonders briefly who she sees; the brash ADA that she first wrangled, the suave corporate lawyer that once ruled New York, or the man Harvey’s always been under the suit.
Something settles in her expression. “Probably not,” she says slowly. She walks over to the leather sofa and sits down.
He follows to sit on the adjacent chair. Close but not crowding. He’s always wondered why they’ve never had this conversation and now he knows; Donna didn’t know.
“You’re in love with him,” Donna states.
The corner of his mouth quirks up into a small smile. Donna’s never lacked courage. “Yes.”
She nods and holds his gaze. “And you’re in love with me.”
“Yes,” Harvey says.
Donna breathes out in a rush. She gives a small laugh. “And that’s all you’re going to say?”
He registers the note of incredulity, the underlying tone of hurt.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“Why didn’t you know?” Harvey shoots back.
She flinches at the rejoinder in a way he never intended.
“I thought you knew,” Harvey sighs.
Donna grimaces. It’s not the first time when her Donna act hinders rather than helps them; when her pretence of knowing everything means Harvey has assumed facts not in evidence; when it leads them into miscommunication and misunderstanding. But Harvey’s always been a quick learner. Donna doesn’t know, hasn’t ever known apparently, and he needs to tell her.
He leans forward. “You and I, Donna, we fell in lust with each other albeit with a healthy dose of affection, and then we fell into a deeply co-dependent relationship based on our roles, and then…” he reaches over and takes her hand, “and then we became friends and lovers and partners.”
She huffs out a breath, but she tangles their fingers together and lays her other hand on top, clasping his between hers. “And Mike?”
Harvey grimaces. But he meets her questioning gaze because she’s his wife, his partner, and he owes her the truth. He holds her hand firmly. “I didn’t marry you because you’re my second choice, or because you’re a consolation prize, Donna. You and I started before Mike, but we spent a lot of our time convincing ourselves we were friends and only friends.” He shrugs. “Somewhere in there, Mike sneaked in.”
Her eyes fall away to the floor.
He squeezes her hand to get her to look at him again. He holds her gaze. “But even when I was coming to terms with how I felt about him, I knew he was in love with Rachel, and beyond that, even if he’d been interested in more, there was a huge power imbalance – more than there ever was between you and I because we both know you were always the boss of me.”
Donna snorts.
Harvey takes a breath. “I accepted that he loves me as nothing more than a friend a long time ago and I let go of the want for it to be more than it is. I wouldn’t be with you if I hadn’t. I love you. You’re my wife and I honour that.”
Donna squeezes his hand. Her expression has softened with his assurance that he hasn’t lied about loving her. “You still love him.”
Harvey offers her a crooked grin because she’s never let him off the hook and that’s what he loves about her. “Yeah,” he concedes, “but it doesn’t mean I love you less.”
Donna smiles at him before she leans over and kisses him softly. “I believe you.” She gets up and he lets her go.
Harvey knows it’ll take time for her to put the revelation away, to realign her world view to incorporate something she hadn’t known when she’s Donna and she should have known. But he’s confident that she will.
2.
It feels like Teddy’s first couple of years of life flash by in a blink of an eye.
Parenthood is a challenge unlike any other and Mike feels like wholly unprepared for it. Between juggling his insecurities about raising his son, the weird shift that being parents has made to his relationship with Rachel, and the new challenge of trying to keep a demanding job and be a Dad, Mike feels like he doesn’t come up for air for months.
And then he does and the first thing he sees is Harvey.
It’s Harvey’s birthday.
It’s a weekday night and they’re out for drinks, just the two of them since there’s a big birthday dinner planned at the weekend with an appropriate invite list, everything organised to perfection under Donna’s firm hand.
Mike clinks the glass of Scotch in his hand against the one Harvey holds and it feels like it’s the first time he’s looked at Harvey in months.
Even in his most vulnerable moments, Harvey’s always looked invincible to Mike.
But just for a second, there’s a flash of something as their glasses collide, a flicker of sadness in Harvey’s eyes that makes Mike peer at him with concern.
Harvey looks tired.
Mike’s gut tightens with guilt. Harvey had accepted stepping up to manage the firm during Rachel’s difficult pregnancy and when Mike returned they’d settled into a joint managing partnership which works phenomenally well, because he and Harvey have always worked phenomenally well.
“You OK, old man?” asks Mike, taking a sip of the Scotch.
Harvey smiles back at him, glancing over his glass to Mike with an amused twinkle. “Watch who you’re calling an old man, kid.”
“Wow,” Mike says, blinking. “I do not miss you calling me that.”
Harvey chuckles.
“No, really,” Mike says, “you’re looking tired. You need a vacation?” He winces as he realises Harvey hasn’t exactly taken much time off since he’d moved to Seattle. “We could make that happen.”
He had no idea how given their caseload but if Harvey needed some time off, they’d manage…somehow.
Harvey shakes his head and downs his drink. He sets the glass on the bar. “Donna’s moving back to New York.”
Shock has his mouth falling open before he snaps it shut. He stares at Harvey uncomprehendingly. “You’re moving back to New York?”
There’s a faint awareness that panic is bubbling under his skin because hadn’t he just been wondering how he was going to survive with Harvey taking just a vacation? How is he meant to survive without him?!
“Donna is moving back to New York,” Harvey signals for another round to the barman.
Mike nods. “Right, and you’re married to Donna, you’re Donna and Harvey, so if she’s moving back to New York then you’re moving back to New York.”
It’s always been Harvey and Donna even when there ostensibly wasn’t a Harvey and Donna. ‘Harvey and Donna’ is why Mike buried his man crush on Harvey in a deep dark hole and focused instead on building something more attainable with Rachel. He’s never regretted it because Rachel. He loves his wife and their son despite their problems, and the ups and downs of married life and parenthood.
Harvey ducks his head and picks up the drink the barman places in front of him.
“Or maybe not,” Mike says slowly as Harvey’s insistence on just using Donna’s name finally starts to sink in.
The panic he’d felt is receding but concern for Harvey is rapidly rising in its place.
“Harvey…”
“It’s amicable,” Harvey says, glancing over to him before his gaze darts away again. “We just…we just work better as friends.”
“Well, I’ve been a shitty friend,” Mike notes regretfully. “How did I not know things were bad?”
“Because they weren’t,” Harvey says, meeting his eyes directly. The gaze is filled with honesty. “They just haven’t been great, and Donna deserves great.”
It sounds like a quote, like something Donna would say when she’s breaking Harvey’s heart.
“So do you,” Mike says immediately.
Harvey smiles at that, but it’s bittersweet and his eyes remain sad.
Mike downs his first drink because, God, he needs the burn of the alcohol to wash away the sour taste in his mouth. He picks up the second waiting for him.
With hindsight he can see the small signals that things have been awry between Harvey and Donna for a while.
She’s stopped dropping by the office.
There has been less of Harvey smiling stupidly at his phone and some text from her.
When Harvey comes over to the house to see Teddy, nine times out of ten it’s just Harvey.
He can’t remember the last time Harvey regaled him with tales from the Specter household.
He is so definitely a shitty friend.
Mike sips his drink and resolves to do better. Harvey’s going to need him in the wake of Donna leaving. “When is she going? Does she have somewhere lined up in New York?”
Harvey nods. “Gretchen’s retiring. Louis offered Donna her old COO job back. She leaves after my birthday thing.” He tilts his glass. “Also a goodbye thing.”
Mike hides his anger at Donna and focuses on the news. “I’m sure Louis didn’t just offer for Donna to return.”
Harvey shrugs as though being invited back to their old firm isn’t a big deal. “I’d go back as a named partner.”
“You turned it down,” Mike says with certainty.
“I like what we do here,” Harvey says firmly.
Mike feels the glow of warm pride and satisfaction settle in his belly because Harvey is being bluntly sincere and honest.
“Besides,” Harvey says, grinning a little even if his eyes hold onto the sadness still, “Louis and I work much better when we’re on opposite sides of the country.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Mike laughs.
Harvey raises his glass. “To friendship.”
Mike raises his own. “To friendship.” And he swears he’s going to start being a better friend to Harvey.
3.
“The jury finds the defendant, Humphrey Belliton, guilty on all counts,” the chairwoman of the jury states the verdict with confidence and Harvey taps a fist against the desk in front of him quietly in satisfaction even as he glances over at Mike who’s sitting on the other side of their client.
They’ve won.
Next to them, Jed Banner, the young man who had come forward with the accusation of sexual harassment lets out a relieved, tremulous breath.
The end of the verdict hearing finishes up with Jed a very rich young man as the court settles vast sums of damages on him.
Jed hugs them both before scooting away to celebrate with his friends.
Mike’s phone beeps as soon as he switches it back on.
Harvey turns to Mike. “All OK?”
Mike grimaces down at the phone. “Rachel says she’s caught up prepping Oscar for their hearing tomorrow so I’ll need to pick up Teddy instead of her as planned.”
Harvey hears the irritation Mike won’t express in words at Rachel changing the arrangement on him. Harvey’s irritated on Mike’s behalf because she’s been doing it more and more often, and Harvey suspects she’s taking advantage of Mike’s good nature. They’re both Teddy’s parents, but Mike seems to be the one doing most of the work these days.
He swallows down the words he wants to say and reminds himself he likes Rachel. They’ve built something of a friendship themselves separate from the one he and Mike share. But there are moments like these when he remembers if it wasn’t for Mike, Harvey probably wouldn’t have paid attention to Rachel Zane at all.
Mike gestures at Harvey. “Can you handle the paperwork with Ashley?”
There’s always paperwork.
That’s why they have associates.
The thin brunette sitting behind them in the first row of the gallery smiles awkwardly, overlarge glasses sliding down her straight nose. Harvey’s old enough to be her father. He tries not to think about that.
“Sure,” Harvey says, waving away his chance to cajole Mike into a celebration drink that evening. “You go pick up my adorable godson and I’ll deal with the paperwork.”
Mike smiles at him. “Hey, you want to come over after? We can throw some burgers on the grill, have a beer.”
“I think Teddy’s a little too young for beer,” Harvey jokes, pleased at Mike’s offer.
It’s been almost two years since Donna had left him and he and Mike have only grown closer in the wake of her leaving.
Harvey’s careful to ensure Mike still has plenty of couple-time with Rachel, embracing his role as Teddy’s favourite Uncle to babysit. It makes him melancholic sometimes for the ‘what if.’ He and Donna had tried for a baby, but it hadn’t been on the cards for them. Checks had found nothing wrong, it just hadn’t happened.
For them.
Donna’s remarried to a tech billionaire and she's just had a daughter.
Harvey had gotten very drunk the night he’d found out. Mike had collected him from the dive bar he’d ended up in, driven him back to the Ross and Zane home and tucked him in bed. The next morning, he’d handed him a mug of coffee and hustled him out of the house to spend the day with him and Teddy. It had been the best medicine.
“Sounds good,” Harvey says, picking up his briefcase. “I’ll text when I’m on my way.”
Mike gives him a mock salute and hurries out of the courthouse.
Harvey’s caught up in filing paperwork for an hour and he’s grateful Ashley is competent and that she’s cultivated a very good relationship with Rose, the clerk, who clearly has a crush on her. He even manages a smile for the blushing woman who hands him a digital copy for their records. He waves off Ashley’s offer to take it back to the office and decides to do it himself. It’s on the way and besides, he’s got a new book for Teddy stowed away on his desk that he’s been meaning to give the kid for days. He texts Mike to warn him of the delay.
All the partner offices are on the top floor. His and Mike’s offices are in the East wing of the building they bought the year before. They’re back-to-back with an adjoining door on one side and a shared bathroom on the other. The front space is usually guarded during working hours by a dragon lady called Polly who was Donna’s parting gift; a grandmother of ten, grey-haired and portly, Polly knows everyone who knows anyone in Seattle.
Harvey takes the elevator straight to their floor. He locks the digital copy into his safe ready to be filed in the morning and grabs the slim package of the book tossing it into his briefcase. He’s about to head out when his phone buzzes.
It’s Mike texting to ask if Harvey can stop in and ask Rachel if she wants some dinner kept for her.
Harvey sends him a thumbs up and diverts to the West wing where Rachel had established her own office suite. They’d jokingly called her the President when she’d moved in.
The lights are off in the main corridor which surprises Harvey.
The team defending Oscar Gillette’s charity from an accusation of financial fraud numbers at least a dozen. He’s anticipated a bustling war room, but the main conference area is quiet.
There’s an uneasy curl of fear unravelling in his gut. His skin prickles with a sudden shiver. He walks through the darkened space and halts as he turns a corner and gets in sight of Rachel’s office. Light spills out from the open door and there are recognisable sounds which evoke traumatic memories that coloured his relationship with his Mom for years and which make him want to vomit.
He forces himself to take out his phone and start recording as he takes the steps he needs to see if what he knows is happening is actually what is happening.
Rachel and Oscar are on the sofa on the right wall adjoining the door. She’s astride him, skirt bunched up to her waist, her shirt half off with Oscar kissing her neck. Her head is thrown back, her eyes closed, breathy moans escaping her. They’re both too caught up to realise Harvey is there.
He’s seen enough.
Heard enough.
He wants to storm in and confront her, but he swallows down the rage, shuts down the video and leaves.
He barely makes it back to his own office, stumbling into the bathroom where he throws up.
His phone buzzes again.
Mike warning him that Teddy is cranky.
Harvey gets up, flushes the toilet. He washes his face.
The drive to Mike’s goes by in a blur.
Harvey sends off his driver for the night and enters Mike’s house with the key he’d been gifted the Christmas Donna had left.
Mike’s already on the deck, firing up the grill. “Hey, don’t get too comfortable because Teddy’s already been up like four times since I put him to bed.”
Harvey looks at Mike. His friend isn’t the skinny young man who stumbled into Harvey’s life. His shoulders are broader, his muscles heavier. His hair has darkened with age. But as Mike turns to face him, concern skittering across his features at Harvey’s silence, all Harvey can see is that Mike.
And he’s about to break Mike’s heart the same way he broke his father’s.
“Harvey, what’s going on?” asks Mike, setting the tongs aside and taking a step toward him.
Harvey unlocks his phone and hands it to him.
Mike stares at the thumbnail of the video and swallows hard. He isn’t surprised. Devastated, but not surprised. “Is this going to show me what I think it’s going to show me?”
“Yes,” Harvey replies.
Mike nods and hands him back the phone.
“Did you know?” Harvey tries to keep the accusation that Mike had set him up to discover whether Rachel was cheating out of his tone.
Mike shakes his head and slumps down onto the bench by the grill. “I wouldn’t have…” he shakes his head again as he catches Harvey’s eyes with a tear-filled blue gaze. “I wouldn’t have sent you there if I’d known. I know…I know how much finding your Mom hurt you.”
Harvey sits beside him.
“Sorry you found them,” Mike says roughly, blinking back tears.
Harvey nudges him. “Not your fault.” He clears his throat. “What do you want to do?”
Mike sighs beside him, rubs a hand over his mouth. He shakes his head once more before curling over, head in his hands.
Harvey clasps an arm around Mike and holds him as he breaks.
4.
Mike grimaces at the cold coffee and shoves the cup away from him. He reads through the letter in front of him as if reading it for the fourth time is going to change any of the words.
“Problem?” asks Harvey, entering the kitchen half-dressed in his suit pants and crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled up to show off his muscular forearms. He looks fit and healthy. He looks good even with the streaks of grey creeping in at his temples.
Mike averts his eyes. “Letter from Rachel’s lawyer.”
Harvey huffs as he pours himself a coffee from the fresh pot Mike had left warming. He sips it and stalks back to the kitchen island where he snatches up the letter.
“If her lawyer is contacting you then they should have contacted your lawyer,” Harvey says briskly. “Oh, look, they did contact your lawyer. Opening someone else’s mail is a federal crime.”
“So sue me,” Mike says. He’d recognised the return address stamp and hadn’t been able to stop himself. He grimaces but leaves Harvey to read while he takes his cup, slops the old coffee out into the sink and fills it to the brim with fresh. He leans on the counter while Harvey finishes up.
Harvey looks over at him briefly before folding the letter and putting it back into the envelope. “What do you want to do?”
Mike tries not to flinch at the question. It brings back the memory of sitting beside Harvey on a garden bench two years before after Harvey had found Rachel with Gillette. Of sitting beside Harvey in his condo in town six months after that when Rachel had confessed to kissing yet another man, despite promising Mike that she would never cheat on him again; never hurt him again.
Logan.
Oscar.
Tristan.
Three strikes.
Mike had declared that he was out.
The ensuing divorce was ugly.
Robert Zane had hired the best divorce attorney he could find to represent his daughter. Mike had simply asked Harvey.
In the end, Rachel’s infidelity had counted against her. Mike had been awarded primary custody of his son, with Rachel granted scheduled visitation.
“We knew this was coming,” Harvey says quietly.
They’d been tipped off by Donna who’d heard it from Samantha who had heard it from Robert Zane himself.
“I know,” Mike says tiredly. “She’s remarrying and moving back to New York, so of course she wants to take Teddy with her.”
The words of the letter spiral through his head.
“…seeking a modification to the custody order in which Rachel Zane is to be awarded full custody of the minor child, Edward Zane Ross.”
“She can’t take him out of State without your consent,” Harvey says. “She has to file for modification with the family court here and Judge Tallow will be the one to hear it again.”
Mike nods. “I just hate this.” He sighs and meets Harvey’s gaze full-on. “She’s not taking Teddy, Harvey.”
Harvey taps the letter against the letter. “So I’ll get our response prepared this morning and move to get as early a hearing as I can scheduled. If she wants to go back to New York, she signs over full custody to you and we’ll work on how many visitations a year make sense.”
“Thank you,” Mike says with heartfelt gratitude that Harvey is just stepping up as always to protect him.
He has Harvey in his corner.
Together they can handle anything.
Even Mike’s ex-wife.
Harvey nods and points at the clock. “I’ll head in. You better get the kid out of bed before he misses school.”
Harvey isn’t wrong.
Mike takes the stairs up to the top floor which is set aside for him and Teddy. Harvey has the master suite on the main floor of the house. They’d bought the house together to give Teddy a stable home in the wake of the divorce.
Teddy is grumpy. He always is when he’s woken up. It takes Mike longer than he’d hoped to wrangle his kid into clothes, through breakfast, and into the car. He drops him in time for the school bell and watches as Teddy latches onto his best friend, Caleb, the two of them happily babbling away as they head into class.
Mike heads back to the house. He can’t face the office and the possibility of running into Rachel.
They’ve dissolved Zane Ross Specter into two firms: Zane Law and Ross Specter. Rachel’s kept the West wing and they have the East. They share costs for the common areas and building maintenance. He’s guessing there’s another letter waiting at the firm to inform them that she’s invoking the clause which means they get first option to buy the West wing back.
Harvey’s text comes in as he sets up a fresh pot of coffee. There’s a hearing at family court set for Friday.
Mike shakes his head. Trust Harvey to get it done quickly. “Unbelievable.”
He loses himself in his work.
They’re in the middle of supporting an animal charity lodge a complaint of abuse against a local breeder of exotic animals. The research is interesting and keeps him from thinking about the letter.
His phone rings and he picks up automatically. “Mike Ross.”
“Hi Mike,” Rachel’s soft tone drifts out of the speaker.
Mike can almost hear Harvey’s warning voice in his ear. He coughs and sets his phone to record. “You shouldn’t be calling me directly after the letter this morning.”
“I realise that,” Rachel says, “but I was hoping to do this without lawyers. It was my Dad who insisted on getting Olivia involved again.”
“Your Dad, right,” Mike replies evenly. “What’s your proposal, Rachel?”
“I want you to consider moving back to New York,” Rachel says.
“Really?” Mike says, genuinely taken aback by the gambit.
Rachel sighs. “I know you have a standing offer from Louis to re-join the firm as a named partner. We could make sure we buy homes somewhere close to each other for Teddy’s sake.”
Mike closes his eyes briefly. “Rachel, I don’t want to move back to New York.” He doesn’t. His marriage may have fallen apart, but he’s built a good life for himself in Seattle.
He and Harvey have built up a great legal practice that attracts clients. They’ve built a home together where Teddy feels safe, secure, and is close enough to Teddy’s school to make the school run easy. And Teddy loves his school and his best friend and living with his Uncle Harvey.
“But if we both move back there together we can keep the custody arrangement the same,” Rachel says softly. “Please just consider it.”
“We’re not moving back there together though, are we?” points out Mike. He likes to think he’s become immune to that particular trembling tone in Rachel’s voice. “You’re moving to marry Tristan and start a new life with him.”
Rachel huffs. “You moved in with Harvey before we even filed for the divorce.”
“You wanted the house, Rachel,” Mike states crisply. “Harvey offered me and Teddy a place to call home and I took it.”
“Of course, he did and of course, you did, because it’s always you and Harvey!” Rachel shoots back.
Mike rolls his eyes. He stabs a finger at his desk. “I have never cheated on you, Rachel, with anyone and that includes Harvey.”
“Like you and Harvey don’t know how to cover up a lie,” drawls Rachel angrily.
Mike laughs. “That’s your best shot? Because we did so well at my lying about being a lawyer that I went to jail for it!”
There’s a beat of silence.
“This isn’t how I wanted this to go,” Rachel says. “I just…just consider it, Mike.” She sighs. “I’m not asking you to leave Harvey…”
Good, Mike thinks, because he's not sure he could ever leave Harvey again.
“…Louis would have him back too, I know you know that, and Harvey will do anything you want just like he always does,” Rachel says. “This really could be the best move for all of us.”
Mike rubs a hand through his hair. “I’ll talk to Harvey.”
Rachel laughs joylessly. “And you wonder why everyone thinks you and Harvey are you-and-Harvey.”
The call cuts out.
Mike ends the recording.
For a long moment, he stares into space. He opens the phone and presses play on the recording, sliding the pointer to where he wants to listen.
“…Harvey will do anything you want just like he always does…”
He swallows hard.
She isn’t wrong, but she’s not right either. Harvey won’t just do anything for Mike. He never concedes professionally with any kind of grace if he thinks he’s right.
And they argue. God, they bicker as a sport sometimes.
But, Mike considers, he’s never worried about Harvey being on his side. Not for years. He just knows that’s where Harvey will be if Mike needs him. He hopes Harvey knows that’s where he’ll find Mike if Harvey needs him; right beside him.
They’re friends.
Best friends.
And maybe Mike wonders whether one day they’ll be more than that. Maybe he’s let his eyes linger on Harvey more since his own divorce. Maybe he loves living with Harvey and Teddy and building a life together.
Maybe.
His gaze drifts to the picture on his desk. It’s a selfie snapshot taken just after they’d bought the house; they’re in the yard with the house behind them, Mike is holding up a giggling Teddy, and Harvey is grinning as they take the picture.
He knows in a moment he’s going to have to pick up the phone and call Harvey, tell him about Rachel’s call.
He knows what Harvey will ask him. He’ll ask him the same question he’s asked him ever since Harvey found Rachel cheating on him.
“What do you want to do?”
What does he want to do?
One of the key skills of any lawyer is knowing the right questions to ask. Knowing the answers. Mike thinks Harvey’s been asking the safe question; the one to which he already knows the answer. He’s been avoiding the riskier question: who does Mike want to be with.
Harvey won’t risk asking that question because he doesn’t know the answer. Not that Mike knows the answer either. He’s not sure he knows what the answer would have been if he’d known before he fell for Rachel that Harvey was an option.
But, Mike thinks, maybe he’s finally figuring it out.
5.
Harvey sits alone at a table, nursing a single glass of champagne, watching Mike dancing like a maniac with the IT guy, Benjamin, in the middle of the dancefloor. It’s amusing as hell given neither are natural dancers and Harvey enjoys watching the show.
Not that he expects it to last much longer, he can already see Mike angling towards him. He’ll be coming back to the table before too long, and then they’ll be making their excuses and leaving Louis and Sheila’s 10th Anniversary party. At least their flight home the next day back to Seattle isn’t until the afternoon. They can all do with a lazy morning after the bustle of the party and catching up with old friends.
Louis had gone all out. He’d booked the same venue and his therapist had officiated over a renewal of vows. Lucy Litt had made a spectacularly beautiful addition to her parents’ wedding party. Lucy is smart as a whip, blonde, blue-eyed and her godmother is Donna. Not to mention that her father’s closest friends are Samantha Wheeler and Katrina Bennett, and her mother is Sheila. She’s going to be a terrifying adult.
Harvey’s gaze drifts to a table to his left where Lucy is holding court with a group of kids, including Teddy. They seem to be role-playing an actual court of law with Lucy playing judge and Teddy, the defence.
At eight, Teddy is a miniature Mike; gifted and gawky but with the kindest heart. When he’d been six and Lucy had laid eyes on him, she had declared that he was hers. Teddy had simply nodded. They’ve been Facetime buddies ever since and Lucy demands Teddy’s time whenever he’s visiting with Rachel in New York.
Teddy catches Harvey’s gaze and he rolls his eyes dramatically at where Lucy’s friend, Tina, is apparently losing her case on the other side of the table. Harvey shoots him a thumbs up.
Donna slides into the seat beside Harvey. Her dress is as different from the one she wore at the original wedding as it could be: she’s dressed in a slim column of unapologetic blue with a halter-neck and no back. She looks stunning.
“Donna,” Harvey greets her with a grin.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were hiding, tucked away in this corner table, all by yourself,” Donna says with a smile.
Harvey points at her with his champagne glass. “But you do know better.”
Donna grins. “You ever think about how this could have been our anniversary?”
Harvey’s eyes widen at the question. “Do you?”
She chuckles and shakes her head, sending the bright red strands of her red bob flying. “Maybe I would if I wasn’t happily married to a man who I love very much.”
Harvey raises the champagne glass. There’s no sting meant in her words, just honesty, and Harvey’s glad she found the love she deserved with Gary. He’s a good guy. Not good enough for Donna, but then Harvey’s always going to think that no guy is good enough for her including himself. Besides he’s moved on himself and he’s very happy.
Donna taps his ring finger with its solid band of platinum. “How long again?”
Harvey smiles unashamedly. “Five months, three weeks and two days.”
Donna mock glares at him. “I still can’t believe you eloped to the courthouse.”
Harvey shrugs. “It was a spur of the moment thing.”
It was.
It was waking up one Sunday morning to Mike watching him sleep; it was lazy morning loving with the sound of rain pitter-patting on the deck outside of their shared bedroom. It was making breakfast and looking over at Mike and Teddy and knowing that this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life with the guy he wanted to be with. It was meeting Mike’s clear blue eyes and seeing the same knowledge shining back at him.
They’d been married a week later at the courthouse. Their small firm of lawyers had thrown them a party, Polly had arranged for a surprise visit from Harvey’s younger brother and his family, and it had been perfect.
“Maybe you and Mike could do a renewal in ten years’ time and invite us all,” Donna remarks, with her usual sass.
Harvey grins, touched by her belief that he and Mike will go the distance.
“Louis says you turned down his offer again,” Donna says.
Harvey lowers the champagne glass. “It wasn’t his offer, and Mike and I both agree that we’re happy where we are.”
Donna hums. “You haven’t spoken with Rachel.”
“I have nothing to say to her,” Harvey rejoins.
Donna props her hand up on her fist, elbow on the table as she peers at him. “You do have something to say to her.”
Harvey smirks at her. “I do,” he concedes, “but I won’t.” He won’t hurt Mike and Teddy with a scene.
Donna smiles. “Well, look at that! Harvey Specter finally growing up.”
Harvey pointedly says nothing and takes a sip of champagne.
“She’s not happy, you know,” Donna says.
Harvey knows.
Harvey’s eyes stray over to the other side of the room where Rachel is dancing with her father. She’s working for Louis and recently separated from Tristan. Harvey will bet money she cheated on him just like she cheated on Mike. She’d tried to call Mike a few times to confide in him as ‘friends’ before Mike had gently but firmly told her to stop.
Harvey thinks Rachel considers Mike her fallback, that he will always be there for her. He thinks she thinks that all she needs to do is crook her finger and Mike will follow after her; that he’ll choose Rachel over Harvey. He’s surprised that their continued refusal to move back to New York hasn’t shaken that out of her yet.
He lets go of the irritation he always feels about Rachel.
She’s Teddy’s mother and Teddy loves her, faults and all. Who better understands that than Harvey?
He also knows Mike won’t choose Rachel again. Mike loves him and Harvey trusts Mike more than he’s ever trusted anyone – even Donna.
His ex-wife and best friend smiles at him as though she’s read his mind. She gets up gracefully and places a hand on his shoulder as she leans in to kiss his cheek.
“After me, I always knew he was the best thing to ever happen to you, Harvey,” she whispers.
She’s gone before he can say anything back to her. Classic Donna.
Mike drops into the chair Donna vacated.
“All OK?” asks Mike. He casts a concerned look in the direction Donna had disappeared in. He doesn’t even glance towards Rachel.
“Donna being Donna,” Harvey says and hands over his champagne. He darts a glance towards Teddy who looks a blink away from dropping off to sleep since Tina is still talking. “Ready to grab our kid and blow this joint?”
Mike nods, finishes the champagne in a swallow and plucks his abandoned tux jacket off the back of the chair.
Harvey stands and adjusts his cuffs before he reaches out a hand for Mike and he’s there…
fingers tangling them together…
right beside Harvey, like he was always meant to be, and where he always will be for the rest of their lives.
It’s the best deal he ever closed.
fin.