A.N: This story is a collaboration between justalltheselittlethings, apollobarss (follow her on Twitter!) and myself. Don't forget to leave a review!


"Go out with me tonight?" Harvey asked confidently, sitting on Donna's desk and leaning over slightly towards her. He did that a lot, ask her out. She declined, most of the times, but he didn't care. He loved the chase, the adrenaline that kicked in when she started to pensively lick her lower lip, pretending to consider it while fully aware she would decline in a few seconds.

"I can't," she answered playfully.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I am going out…" she said, her mind trailing off. "to dinner with my Dad."' she added quickly.

"Oh Daddy's girl, I didn't know you were that type." he teased her, seeing her eyes roll at him.

"I am definitely NOT Daddy's girl," she said, as he recognized a tone he had never heard. His eyebrows knotted, as he observed her staring down at her finger that was tracing the border of her desk.

"What's the story?" he asked her immediately.

"What story?" she said, faking innocence.

"Donna," he said with his usual tone, slightly tilting his head as she mimicked him.

"Harvey," she parroted, as he held her gaze, letting her know he saw right through her. "It's just that after everything my family went through, after everything he went through, once in a while I like to be present, be there for him." He nodded, feeling a lump forming in the base of his throat.

She didn't realize she's hitting something close to home, understanding his silence as his way of waiting for her to go on. "Sometimes, you just have to be there and make life easier for the people you care about."

"So for one night you go back to how things were before?" he asked. She shook her head, smiling sadly.

"You can't go back, you just accept how things are now."

"Your Dad is lucky." He's trying his best to give her one of his signature boyish smiles, trying to mask what he's thinking.

"We don't choose who our family is, but we do get to choose how we relate to them." She tidied her desk, and got up. "Anyway, night Boss," she added a wink, some lightness into their deep conversation.

He watched her walking away, the sway of her hips as mesmerizing as everything she is, and as she went everything she had said reverberated in his head. He needed to make some choices.

"Hi Dad." Harvey barely whispered.

"Harvey," his father said, the surprise clear in his voice, "are you ok?" he followed up immediately.

His voice sounded different, older, and Harvey realized just then how long it has been since he last spoke to his father.

"Yeah, I'm good Dad. How are you? How's everything?" he asked, feeling uncomfortable. It's only then that it him, how impersonal his relationship with his father had become.

"I'm good son," Gordon answered, sending a wave of heat into Harvey's body at the sound of this three-lettered word. "Been fixing the house, trying to get myself busy." he continued.

Harvey felt a ping of guilt. Ever since he found out about his wife, Gordon Specter couldn't do the thing that defined him, music.

"That's great," Harvey said, trying to sound encouraging.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Gordon asked again.

"Sure, why wouldn't I be?" Harvey replied.

"It's just that you don't usually call unless.." His father began, making him feel worse. His father's tone wasn't reproaching, but Harvey still felt bad.

"Yeah, someone told me something and uhm, it stuck with me. So I thought I'd give my old man a call," he said nervously.

He's surprised to hear his father chuckle on the end of the line.

"What's her name?" Gordon asked.

"How did you-" Harvey asked, surprised.

"Your tone," Gordon said simply. "So is it serious?" he added.

"It's not like that. She's a- euhm friend," Harvey explained, suddenly wondering why he felt so nervous at defining his relationship with Donna.

Gordon didn't seem convinced but decided to let it rest.

"Well I hope I get to meet that friend of yours soon," he said.

"Sure dad. We'll fix something, and I'll see you soon?" Harvey asked, hopeful.

"You bet you will. Thanks for the call Harvey," Gordon said sincerely.

"It's nothing. I-" he started, not sure whether to apologize or say something different, "I miss you." he finally said.

"I miss you too, Harvey. We'll catch up soon. Goodnight son" he said, hanging up.

Harvey suddenly felt better than he had in a while, his mind drifting to the red-headed woman who seemed to make everything in his life better., the feeling of familiarity between them growing stronger with each day. That's someone you have to promise yourself you'll do anything possible to never lose.