#Donna Summer and Spice Girls and B*Witched

[lady-assnali]

I was tagged by @roxy206 to post 5 songs I actually listen to. I’m a high energy music person but I threw in She because it’s one of my most favorite songs of all time.

Now! I tag @jinkx-monswoon @sexynetra and @thecollectionsof if you want to!

[poeticandvaguelysweet]

it comes and goes in waves (and carries us away) –– #2 Daughters

Hey, it’s me again. 

This time with a little random family fic, it's just domestic nothingness, an evening with Harvey and his twin girls inspired by THIS image I posted on Tumblr. The gif got a lot of attention and it killed me, so I thought why not?! I'm still trying to learn these characters in preparation for a multi-chapter I have promised a few people.

Thank you so much to everyone who read my first little drabble and enjoyed it, I was really happy to read that. This one is in no way connected to the last.

Enjoy!

AO3 - FF.Net

DAUGHTERS

There was something about the city during Fall. Summer was still clinging to the air, warm and comfortable as the temperature slowly began to drop. He spent more time outside during those tentative few weeks where the air was sweet with pumpkin spice and crackling foliage. It felt easier then, to stroll the streets, soaking in the change of the seasons before the weather made walks like this impossible.

The lights on the street were just turning on, a chill settling in the air as commuters with a similar mind meandered up and down the street. Halloween decorations had begun to creep across storefronts advertising seasonal products that in a few weeks, would disappear until next year.

'Daddy, I want to be a purple princess and a witch.' A little voice piped up beside him enthusiastically, her small fingers gripped his right hand tightly as she skipped in step beside him. Harper with her straight strawberry blonde hair had a habit of clinging to him as if she loosened her grip for a second, he would disappear.

Harvey only chuckled, squeezing his daughter's hand in return as he tried to picture the vision, she had for her first proper Halloween. His job was to make her happy and whatever Harper asked for, Harvey was happy to oblige.

'Daddy?' Whiplash yanked at him like it did in that funny little way, the voice standing to his left tearing his attention away from the one on his right. He forgot sometimes, for a split second, that there was two of them. Harper on his left, Grace on his right, mirrors of each other brought into this world to gleefully mess with him. 'I want to be a ballerina, 'cause you can only be one dress-up'. Grace was almost an identical copy of her sister had it not been for the strawberry blonde hair that persisted in keeping tight ringlets around her head. Officially, they were identical but there were so many little things about them that insisted on being different.

'Nah-ah!' Harper retorted in a voice that sounded entirely too much like her mother. 'You can be all the dress-ups.' Harper was the unpredictable one, unexpected Baby B who developed her mother's flair for the dramatic. At four-and-a-half Harper Rose Specter had defined her personality as the rebellious one who hid behind a sweet face but had a love for slowly driving her sister crazy. Where Grace was neat and organised, perfectly dressed and contained, Harper was wild. She wore black and white striped tights instead of the pink stockings the ballet uniform required, her sneakers were bright colours that matched next to nothing in her wardrobe. Expensive clothes were wasted on Harper who always found a muddy puddle even on the driest of days. She was a rebel, a renegade, a girl after his own heart.

It was a miracle they lasted as long as they did in the womb together, evidently, it was the longest stretch of time between Harper and Grace where they weren't fighting. They bickered about toys, attention, who tucked in who first and how they did it and now that their sentences were long and their vocabulary had grown substantially, they argued about the other's logic.

'Daddy, I can be anything, can't I?' Harper tugged on his hand, staring up at him with large hazel eyes that always seemed to pull him in.

He thought they had longer on this, the sibling arguments that made no sense and the headache of it all. He was used to rallying clients, making sense of their quarrels and foraging agreements it wasn't so easy when the case involved his daughters on opposing sides.

'Anything.' He answered, knowing he would willingly give his daughters the world. He squeezed each of their hands. 'If Harper wants to mix her dress-ups, she can.' Grace pouted, the same pout his wife was bound to give him the second she realised Harper wasn't going to play ball on coordinating costumes, not now that he had given her permission.

It was the first year they were going to take the girls trick-or-treating, their first real Halloween where they were out on the street with all the other kids, knocking on doors and receiving sugary treats. Donna had something planned, only the perfect costumes for her girls, but she had not anticipated their spirit to be either own entities.

'My legs are tired.' Grace whined, her hand heavy in his, steps faltering as she complained. Harvey didn't hesitate before he scooped her up, hoisting the girl on his hip before they continued walking down the street.

'That better?' He asked, squeezing Grace's hip beyond the tulle of her tutu. Her head dropped to his shoulder as she gave him a small nod. This was what made it all worth it, the affection his girls managed to show him with cuddles and kisses that never seemed to end. He had been scared when the sonogram showed two babies rather than the expected one. Harvey didn't know what they were going to do or how they would manage two little lives at the one time. He didn't think he could shave that much time off his day, didn't think he could find the time at all. It all melted away the second they were there, two little pink bundles sitting in the crook of each arm. They were going to be fine. He suddenly realised how much he would sacrifice for their love and happiness.

He kissed Grace's cheek and gave her another squeeze. 'Are you going to show me all those dance moves you've been practising?' He jostled Grace, bouncing her on his hip with concern that she might just fall asleep on him. Tired girls lead to cranky girls and the last thing they needed at Thursday night ballet was a tantrum.

Harvey didn't always get to come to ballet, he tried but often cases weren't that simple. Sometimes he got caught in a meeting or had to finish up a deposition. It was rare that he had the opportunity to pick them up and take them to ballet, enough so that Harvey had been looking forward to it all afternoon.

'I can show you!' Harper broke away from his hand to skip a few steps ahead of him. She twirled, arms above her head as her tutu bounced with her movements.

'She's not doing it right.' Grace whispered where only Harvey could here. He chuckled, rolling his eyes at the two of them before his hand reached out for Harper. Harvey looked up as she took his hand again, falling back into step beside him. Standing out the front of his daughter's ballet studio was his wife, radiant as ever, red hair cascading down her shoulders, dress fitting snug against every curve. His heart warmed at the sight of her, almost skipping a beat with an excitement he would never get sick of.

Her eyes met his over the bustle of people on the street, a grin spreading across her cheeks in a way that made Harvey tingle. That smile was all for him.

'Mommy!' Harper pulled away from his hand once again, finally spotting her mother waiting for them. Their feisty daughter had a week spot for her mother, running full pelt towards her, Harper crashed into Donna's legs. Donna crouched to accept her daughter's hug, arms wrapping tight around Harper's before she stood, lifting the little girl to sit precariously on the bump that was subtly announcing the life growing inside of her. Harper giggled as Donna kissed her cheeks, peppering her touch left and right, over the ridge of her daughter's nose and back again before they shared sweet butterfly kisses.

'Hey, trouble!' Donna grinned; the smile uncontained as it burst across her face. It didn't matter how long it had been since she last saw her daughters, she was always excited for their bright smiles and eagerness to see them. 'Were you good for Daddy this afternoon?' She asked, eyes raising to meet Harvey's as he came to stand beside her. He pressed a kiss to her cheek in greeting, his hand warm on the small of her back as she felt her body relax at his touch and presence.

'Always.' Harper and Harvey replied, mirrored father/daughter grins climbing across their cheeks.

'What about you, sulky-face?' Donna reached for Grace's chin, her hand squeezing briefly before they turned to tickles, trying to crack an easy smile. 'Were you good? Did Daddy spoil you?' She knew the answers; Grace was always good, and Harvey would always spoil his daughters regardless of their behaviour.

'We went to Tiffany's!' Grace smiled, cheeks round and happy as she thrust the signature blue bag she had been holding towards her mother's face.

'Oh, my goodness, Tiffany's before ballet, you must have been very good.' She gave her husband a pointed look despite her wide smile.

'Perfect angels,' Harper supplied.

'What she said,' Harvey responded with another peck to his wife's cheek. 'We got you something too.' He knew that would sweeten her irritation if only a little. They were trying to make sure their children weren't spoiled brats, but it hadn't helped when Harvey carved the second their eyes light up with wonder towards anything in their line of vision.

'Oh, well, if you got me something too, I can't complain, can I?' She grinned, Harvey reflecting her smile with adoration in his eyes. He had once been terrible at buying her gifts, anyone for that matter, but in recent years he had gotten better and it warmed her every time. 'Are we ready to dance?' Donna asked, jostling Harper on her hip as she turned a grin towards Grace.

Both girls nodded their approval, excitement building up inside of them. 'Our slippers?' The girls had their leotards and their tutus, but the elusive ballet slippers had been left at home in the bag Harvey forgot to pick up on his way out the door. He thought he had it handled, thought he was being smart in dressing the girls before heading out, but he was unused to the routine and what was required on ballet days. She shoes had been forgotten.

'I've got them.' Donna reassured her daughter, finger pointing to the bag at her feet. Harvey picked it up as he put Grace down on her feet.

'I told you Mom always saves the day.' He ruffled Grace's curls, her hair bouncing around her head as she tried to ruffle through the bag for her ballet slippers. 'Ok, let's head inside and we can put these on, yeah?' Grace was already skipping ahead, leading herself into the building and the cubby's where she could leave her sneakers while she wore the slippers required for class.

Harvey took Harper from Donna, lifting the girl out of her arms before setting her on her feet and telling her to follow her sister.

'How were they really?' Donna asked, the two of them trailing Harper into the building. The girls could be a handful, even for her on the best of days. Donna just wanted to know that her daughters deserved the ice cream Harvey would offer them on their way to dinner.

'Perfect, honestly.' She felt his hand find the small of her back once again, thumb stroking over her spine. 'Although, is there a reason why Grace has to be right more than Harper?'

Donna shrugged, 'She got that from you'.

'I thought we had a little more time before the one-upping started.' He could remember arguing with Markus, picking fights, stealing toys and general teasing but he was sure they were older than the girls are now. 'This one isn't going to fight with them.' He said it and yet he knew better, his other hand reaching for her stomach as he rubbed the curve of their third child.

She chuckled, eyes alight with humour and a knowing smile. 'Oh, Harvey, he doesn't stand a chance with those two for sisters.' Her hand joined his, fingers grazing his knuckles before she wrapped her hand around his arm and pushed herself onto her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

They sat like that while the girls followed their teacher around the room, Donna's arm entwined with his, her head on his shoulder, their fingers laced. The girls jumped and shimmied and twirled around on their toes, giggling as their tutu's bounced.

He needed to make more time for this. Donna, the girls, just being with them and taking part in their schedule.

The girls got ten minutes at the end of the lesson for free dance where the laughter of the small group of four-year-olds only increased as an energetic Taylor Swift song blasted through the speakers. He watched their broad grins, the joy shining on their faces as they jumped around the room, letting their little bodies move to the music. Harper broke away from the group, sprinting towards her parents as her little hands wrapped around her father's. 'Come dance, Daddy!' She giggled, pulling on his hands as her little body wiggled away from them.

Powerless, Harvey followed, Harper holding one hand while Grace came over to take the other. He danced with his daughters, the girls doing twirls at his feet, holding onto a single finger as they did so. He couldn't help but laugh, Harvey in his Tom Ford suit, dancing with his daughters and the other girls in their dance class. He could feel his heart expanding with love for them, the muscle clenching as it did when he found out about them and again when they were born. It was resizing, making room for another memory, expanding with his love for them. When Harvey looked towards Donna, ready to share his glee, she had her phone up, half obscuring her face as she recorded the moment they shared.

'Can you come every week?!' Grace beamed, sitting still beside her mother while Harvey knelt at her feet, lacing up her sneakers.

He wanted to. God, did he want to be there every week to watch them learn and grow but work wasn't always that simple. Meetings were scheduled, depositions had to be done, paperwork finished, trials to prepare for. He tried to be home; his secretary knew not to schedule him too late if she could help it. But that wasn't the job he had, a regular nine-to-five, where he could be home every day to spend time with his daughters.

'I'm going to make more of an effort, ok?' This time was fleeting, sure Grace would likely still with ballet until she was well into her teens, they would have recitals and competitions to attend, but this fun, this excitement of having their dad there, that time was limited. He didn't want to ruin it. 'Ready to go home?' Ray would be waiting outside for them already, ready to take them home for the evening.

Grace gave her father a nod, feet swinging with her shoes securely fastened. He picked her up in an easy movement, hoisting Grace on one hip as he reached for Harper to do the same on the other side. Donna rolled her eyes, a fond smile spreading across her lips at the vision of her husband, a daughter on each hip, cheeks still pink from dancing with them in their ballet class.

They had waited so long for this to happen, the marriage, the family, the life. It felt like if someone pinched them, they would wake up from an all too pleasant dream and it would all be over. No one had pinched him yet and Harvey was happy that they hadn't.

'Ready?' He asked Donna, making sure they were set.

'Ready.' Her warm smile touched him, setting Harvey alight with a love he never felt he deserved. Tonight, they would go home, cook dinner, bathe their daughters and put them to bed just as they had done every night since they were a few months old and like they would do for years to come.