Daughters

Summary: The love of a father for his daughters is unlike any type of love. It's a complex maze of discovery that only seems to deepen over time. His love for them is always placed higher than his happiness but sometimes life has a funny way of making it so that one doesn't eclipse the other.

Disclaimer: I don't own That 70's Show

Chapter 1

Hazed green eyes fluttered open only to stare up at the white ceiling. The comfort that his bed and covers provided proved to be a hard temptation to ignore but he knew that he only had a few minutes left before he really needed to get up.

Eventually responsibility won out as he was forced to accept that he needed to move. He looked to the clock by his bed stand to see that it was only 6:00am making him sigh in exhaustion. Despite still feeling tired he knew that he wouldn't be falling asleep once again—not that he was allowed to.

He leaned back and sat against the headboard of his bed and looked to the empty space beside him. The bed was made for a large king size mattress and with only one person sleeping in it the extra space was only more obvious. He gazed at the spot for a few more moments before he stood up knowing that he needed to start his day.

Entering the bathroom he jumped into the shower allowing the warm water to wash away any lingering sleepiness. He spent more time under the shower head just waiting for the fatigue to leave instead of actually washing himself as he made a mental check list of the things he needed to do in the morning.

"Okay I've already made lunches last night and I've already bought all the school supplies." Somehow saying his thoughts out loud allowed him to remember things better. "We need to leave in less than an hour and also pick up some milk on the way home. Man today's going to be a long day."

Eric jumped out of the shower and wiped the fog that had formed on the mirror and looked at the reflection that stared back. His hair had grown quite long and would probably need to be cut soon. He shook his head knowing that he needed to finish his morning routine quickly.

Having shaven and brushed his teeth he put on a pair of dark jeans and a light blue dress shirt with the top couple buttons open. Slipping on a pair of dark dress shoes he walked down the hardwood flooring of his house and turned to the last door on the left. He turned the knob and peeked inside the lightly lit room.

The room was littered with little plush toys and frilly princess dresses. A bed was on the far end as a little girl slept innocently. A small smile formed on his lips at the sight of his little angel fast asleep with the covers barely on her.

He knelt down and gently shook her, "Time to wake up baby." The little girl just groaned in response. "Come on Ani you need to wake up."

"Five more minutes."

He chuckled at the response as it had been the same one she had given him yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. "If I give you five more minutes then I'll never get you to wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open revealing light blue eyes so unlike his own. She looked at him with a mixture of pouting and innocence. "Meanie."

He chuckled once again and bent over to place a kiss on her forehead. "Be downstairs in ten minutes. I'll make your favorite."

Her eyes lit up in clear joy and pulled him in for a hug. He smiled as she nuzzled him affectionately, her pale blonde hair tickling his cheeks. "Alright, alright baby I love you too. Now hurry up or your sister will take your share as well."

The little girl's eyes widened comically making her already large doe like eyes to look even more adorable before rushing out of the room heading for the bathroom.

Even only five years old Aniya Forman had her father wrapped around her little fingers. It was hard for him to say no to his littlest girl when she looked at him with those puppy dog eyes, though he would admit that he didn't mind.

He picked up a few of the plushy dolls on the floor and threw them in the toy box in her closet before leaving the room. As he walked down the stairs he heard a loud yell coming from the bathroom.

"Ani I'm still using the bathroom!"

He sighed hoping that a fight wouldn't break out between the two. Raising two children alone was tough enough but two daughters came with a bit more challenge for a father like him. They had their ups and down together but he loved his two angels more than anything, they were everything to him.

He entered the kitchen and turned on the stove. Mixing some pancake batter and throwing in a generous amount of chocolate chips into it because he knew how much of a sweet tooth his daughters had.

It wasn't long before his eldest came down stairs still in a huff. Unlike Ani, Leanna Forman was already showered and dressed for school without him needing to tell her. Despite being only 10 years old the little girl was very mature for her age and was very responsible. Traits he knew probably did not come from him.

His little girls took after their mother that much was certain, from their looks to their personalities it was all their mothers. While Lea looked more like him than her little sister does having inherited his green eyes and soft features she was still her mother's child.

It was both a blessing in a curse that his little girls took after certain facets of their mom's personality. While Ani was the stereotypical girly girl, always playing with dolls and wanting to look as pretty as possible, Lea was studious and loved to read books of all kinds. They each had a piece of their mother that always served to astound him.

"Dad you have to tell that little troll that she can't just barge in the bathroom when it's being used."

Eric sent his eldest daughter a pointed look as she took a seat on the island counter. "Lea what have I told you about calling your sister names."

"I know I know," she rolled her eyes knowing her father's rule about name calling along with all the other ones he enforces. "But at this point it's a name of affection." He gave her a look that let her know that he didn't believe her. "Anyway that's not the point; she just barged in without even knocking!"

"I'll talk to your sister about it but I don't want you to talk about your sibling like that."

"Yes daddy," she parroted causing him to give her a stern look.

The looks quickly melted as he placed a plate of pancakes in front of her and kissed the top of her head. "Ease up on your sister you know it's her first day of kindergarten. Don't you remember how scared you were going to school for the first time?"

"I wasn't sacred!" Eric could only chuckle at his daughter's affronted look. "I was just nervous. Ani shouldn't be scared I've already gone through kindergarten and let me tell you 2nd grade is a lot tougher."

"Oh and what about 1st grade?"

She bit into a fork full of pancakes before answering with food still in her mouth. "It was a breeze."

"Leanna Forman, don't talk with your mouth full!" It was hard to remember that his little girl was still only ten years old and had a tendency to act childish. Sometimes he forgets because of how intelligent she was and how mature she could be but little acts like that always serves as a reminder to him.

He chuckled ruefully and pinched her nose when she just grinned at his reaction. "I know your sister can be a… troublemaker sometimes," he struggled to find a word to describe his little girl causing Lea to giggle at the one he ended up picking. "But look out for her okay? It's her first day so I know you can at least understand that she a little nervous and scared."

Lea fell silent for a moment before smiling. "Okay daddy I promise."

He beamed in pride that his daughter could place her sister's problems ahead of hers. He kissed her on the top of her head once again before turning to make another batch of pancakes knowing that his littlest girl would be down any minute. It would only be a few moments until his thoughts came true and Ani came rushing downstairs.

"Daddy, daddy, daddy!" He looked away from the pancakes cooking on the stove to see his little girl, the splitting image of her mother, come running to him with one half of her hair braided to the side while the other a tangled mess. She looked ready to burst in tears. "I can't get my pigtails right!"

Eric was just as lost on what to do since he had no idea how to braid hair. The only thing he ever did for them concerning their hair was brush it when they asked him to. He felt his heart break seeing her swipe at her eyes in frustration trying hard not to cry.

Seeing her dad out of his depth Lea just sighed. "Come here you little troll."

"I'm not a troll," Ani sniffled cutely but still went over to her sister's side who then started to braid her hair.

Eric smiled at the both of them but at the same time felt a deep pang in his heart. It was times like these that he felt inadequate as a single parent. He could cloth them and feed them and know that he could keep his angels safe but situations that needed a mothers touch was something he could never provide for his daughters.

He was forced out of his thoughts when he felt a tug on his pants. He looked down to see Ani smiling brightly with both her pigtails braided. He picked her up and nuzzled his nose into her neck causing her to giggle uncontrollably. "Well aren't you just the prettiest!"

"Hey I resent that." His oldest objected but was smiling just like they all were.

"Hehe don't worry Lea I'm the prettiest little girl and you can be the prettiest oldie."

Knowing that his oldest wouldn't take too kindly to being called an 'oldie' he decided to snuff out the fuse before another fight broke out.

"Who wants pancakes?"

"Do you want me to come in with you?"

He looked through the rear-view mirror to see conflicting reactions on his daughters faces.

"Yes!"

"No!"

He glanced between them with little Ani looking at him with those doe like eyes pleading for him to come along while Lea looked ready to jump out of the car so as not to be seen being brought to school by her father.

"Please come with us daddy."

He already knew what he was going to do when his littlest girl gave him a look like that and from the look on her face Lea did to.

"Fine but promise you'll only walk us to the door?"

"But Lea I want daddy to bring me to class!"

Eric looked torn. On one hand he knew that Lea was at that age where she wanted to separate from him a bit more and that being seen with her father wasn't 'cool' but at the same time it was Ani's first day and he knew how apprehensive she must be feeling.

"How about this why don't I walk you down to class instead of dad?"

Ani looked surprised by her sister's suggestion but Eric wasn't. He knew that despite the fights and disagreements his girls have that they love each other very much.

"You'd do that for me Lea?"

"Yeah that's what big sisters are for you little troll."

Eric just smiled as the two girls egged each other on with smiles on their faces. He parked the car and got out to walk his daughters to school. Immediately Ani was by his side holding his hand tightly her fears still clearly with her.

He bent down and held her face between his hands. "Don't worry baby you'll love school. I promise."

"Thanks daddy." She put on a brave face but he knew that she was still a little nervous.

The walk from the parking lot to the school doors wasn't a long one. He wanted so badly to walk his little girl to class but a pointed look from his eldest crushed those hopes.

Sighing he bent down and placed a kiss on the top of their heads. "Have a good day girls."

Lea smiled brightly despite her embarrassment at having her dad be so affectionate in public and waited as she knew that Ani would take a little longer to shake off.

"Daddy I don't think I should go to school just yet. I mean there's always next year right?"

Eric couldn't help but laugh at his little girls words. Where did she get these kinds of things? "Baby I know you're scared but really there's no reason to. You'll love kindergarten so much that you won't even be able to imagine why you were so scared in the first place."

"But what if I don't make any friends?" She asked in such a soft voice that he almost felt his heart shatter.

"Oh baby you'll make lots of friends I promise."

"Yeah Ani you'll make lots of friends you're okay when you're not being a troll." Lea took her hand and squeezed it for support. "Plus you already have one in me."

Her sisters encouragement was all Ani needed before she smiled brightly and practically tackled him with a hug.

"I love you so much daddy!"

"I love you too baby." He tightened his hold on his baby girl knowing that school was only the first of many times where he'll be forced to let her go. He turned and hugged his oldest as well, placing his hand on her blonde head for good measure. "I love you as well sweetie."

Lea mumbled an I love you back clearly more embarrassed than her little sister to show so much affection in public but he knew just how much she loved him as well. His eldest once again reached over and held Ani's hand to show her support before they both waved and entered the building. He stood there for a few moments feeling proud to have such wonderful children before he too left.

Hole in The Wall was Eric's reason for leaving Point Place. He knew that a coffee café would never be a lucrative business in little suburbia Wisconsin and so he ventured off to windy Chicago to start his shop.

It broke his mother's heart that he was moving so far away but he couldn't say that he regretted his decision as Chicago was where he met the mother of his children and the birth place of Hole in The Wall.

Of course the first few years were the hardest. Just opening up shop didn't exactly attract customers and he didn't know anyone in the city. He was struggling and lonely but life has a way of picking you up when you least expect it.

"Hey Cindy, how was the morning rush?" Were the first words out of his mouth when he entered the café and saw the exasperated look on his shift manager's face.

"Well good morning to you too Mr. Forman."

He gave her a mock glare before a smile broke through. "How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Eric? I'm only 32 you know I'm far too young to be called mister."

"I know," she laughed teasingly. "It's just funny to see your reaction, Eric."

"Don't make me fire you," he jokingly threatened.

She looked like she had a witty response but the bell over the café door chimed signaling a customer. He gave her a look that said get to work causing her to roll her eyes at him before greeting one of his many regulars.

He still relives the moment his life changed whenever he hears the bell door's chime. He remembered that there were no customers that day and how worried he was that he wouldn't be able to at least break even that month.

Comes in this beautiful blonde haired woman soaked to the bone and cursing like some middle age Wall Street stock broker, right away he couldn't take his eyes away from her. He was instantly in love. He didn't know what he did in some past life but for some reason she somehow felt enough to agree to a date with him and the rest, I guess you could say, was history.

Things started to pick up in the café after the fateful encounter and all of a sudden he found that he had regulars that came in at all hours of the day. He even had to hire a couple of part timers to keep up with the increased business. But that part of his life fell into comparison to what was happening in his personal life.

Before he knew it he was married with a child on the way. Seeing Lea for the very first time was like falling in love all over again and was the happiest moment of his life. He didn't think it was possible but the moment would repeat itself when his little Ani was born and he got to relive the feeling and moment all over again. With all that happiness it was almost unfair that fate would see to even out his life.

His gaze fell on a picture frame that hung on side wall of the café. It was a picture of him 11 years younger dressed in a suit. In his arms was a woman in a white bridal dress, the splitting image of his little Ani, laughing gleefully. It always took his a few moments to tear his eyes away from the image because the whole time, in his mind, he's think that he wished that she could see their little angels now.

AN: This is something I started writing because I was bored. What started out as a way to pass time some how ended up as a full chapter with a plot that I couldn't not share. So this is the first chapter to a story filled with familial and serendipitous love. I hope you all enjoy this warm and fuzzy story we're about to embark on!