A/N - I had to clarify Jamie Ross' beater because I realize I had transposed the character's name to whom he is related in my story. Thank you for your indulgence. I may be getting complicated with what I want to do with Harvey in this role...don't know. However, we shall see! Thank you for reading and following - Carebearmaxi
Everything I Own - Chapter 7
"Sure, Scottie, we'll be on the flight coming into Heathrow at 12:00 noon on April 25th. See ya in a month...Thanks...bye, bye," Amanda said to Scottie on her phone confirming their returning to England flight which would be in exactly a month from today.
"So, everything is honky dory for our return trip to Great Britain?" Richard asked walking into Amanda's warm embrace. He loved the look in her eyes when she looked up at him. He felt ten feet tall and full of love for this beautiful vibrant young woman. Although she had declined his marriage proposal and being engaged, he still was enamored and hoped that one day soon she would change her mind.
"Yes, everything is set. So I guess in about a month or so we will be back in the States and I will try to do a little writing before school in September since it will only be April. Now are we packed to go onto Switzerland from here?"
Richard's blonde hair fell over his face on the left side where his part was. He was dying to find out what Amanda's decision regarding where she would attend school. She had been accepted at Harvard and Columbia and Princeton. However, Amanda had previously put her application (unknown to her parents) into Cambridge University in England as well. During one of their days they spent in England, Amanda received her acceptance letter; so now the decision of just where to attend college and study writing and theater hinged on her answer and how badly her parents reacted.
"Have you decided where you want to start in September?" Richard asked looking down at her bright slightly freckled face. Richard's own brown eyes saw the indecision in her dark eyes. Amanda decided then to walk out of Richard's embrace and take a pace about their spacious room in the Tuscany hotel where they currently were. It was chilly here and a roaring fire crackled behind Amanda as she placed a hand on the mantle and searched for a answer to appear before her from out of thin air.
She bowed her head and then looked into Richard's concerned face. "No, I haven't."
"Ok. You don't have to decide now, but you be sure that you know before we hit US turf, ok? Do not let your parents, especially the fierce Harvey Specter change your mind! You got it!"
Mandy laughed and coming back taking a seat before the fireplace entreated Richard to join her.
At her invitation, Richard walked over and took a seat on the chaize next to her.
"You know, my father is not all that fierce once you get to know him. He's got a big heart way underneath those onion layers he shows the world. You just have to have the right combination."
"That's easy for you to say. You're his daughter. I'm just a boyfriend who wants to marry his daughter and the fact that I am ten years older than she really scares the piss out of me. So, no, thank you, I do not believe I want to spend any time alone with him." Richard said seriously and then seeing the amused expression on Mandy's face broke out in loud laughter.
June 2021
"And the sky was blue and the clouds were white..." Amanda Specter, six years old, stood on the stage of her private elementary school and read an original poem she wrote for the "Welcome Summer" play that she and her fellow first graders were performing. Noting that she had not seen her father sitting next to her mother in the audience, little Amanda started to cry. However like the little fighter she had been since her premature birth six years before Mandy finished her reading and walked off the stage holding her little ginger head high.
Donna, six months pregnant with the "surprise" child of her and Harvey's, retrieved her five-year-old son Gordon from his Kindergarten class and proceeded backstage to retrieve her little star as well.
Upon seeing her mother and brother, Mandy wiped her tears away with one little hand and putting on the Harvey Specter "scowl" walked up to her mother and demanded where her father was.
"Daddy had to stay in court. The case ran over. He texted me and said he had wanted to come and he apologized. He would like to hear your poem if you want to read it to him when he comes home."
"No. It's too late! I don't want him to hear it now," Mandy said very angry at her father. She knew her dad was a very busy man, but lately he had been more busy than ever. Maybe it was because mommy was not working with him while she was having her new brother or sister. Mandy could not be sure, but she felt abandoned and she was not giving into her father with his bargains this time. "I may only be six, but I know how lawyers work!" Mandy thought to herself.
"Hey, what's going on in that pretty head of yours?" Richard asked as he watched her look at the ceiling of their Tuscany bedroom.
"I was just thinking of my dad. He missed my first poem reading when I was six years old. I was so mad at him. I eventually forgave him, of course, but I carried that chip on my shoulder for at least two years. I really hated my father for awhile. He was never home when I was little and mom always ran interference for him. She worked just has hard as he did. She's always been his secretary and kept him up to date. How those two wound up with a third kid is beyond me!"
"So what brought that up?" Richard asked turning over on his side and putting his arm over Mandy's stomach and pulling her closer to him.
"Oh, I don't know. I guess because I wrote to him that I understood why he missed so many of my readings or my plays. He was doing his job which he loves but also because he was doing his job as the head of the family. He takes that job as well very seriously. When the firm finally got back on it's feet, he did come to more of my readings and plays. When I was beaten up by one of my ex-boyfriends my dad couldn't do enough to put that S.O.B. away like he should have been in the first place."
Amanda had told Richard of when she was beaten by a boyfriend when she was only 15 years old. This news brought out Richard's tender side and realizd he would have to take his time with Amanda as she was still a bit skittish of the opposite sex. She had had no boyfriends after that and she did cling closely to her father who protected her with all his love and care. Richard kissed the side of Amanda's hair. The room only afforded a little dim light from the window above their heads and he could only feel how soft and fragrant her hair was when he put his mouth on the side of her head.
"I think you're homesick. I think you want to see your dad, worst of all."
Amanda had to be honest. She was not looking forward to another leg of her European Odyssey. She just wanted to go home. She had been in Europe since early January and the trip was not to end for another month in April. Enough was enough.
"Richard?"
"Yes, honey."
"Do you really want to go onto Switzerland?"
"Not really. I miss eating good old American fast food. The moment I get back. I want a big old fashioned cheeseburger smothered in cheese, fried onions, lettuce, tomatoes..."
"Stop! Now you're making me hungry. I'll call the airport and see if we can exchange our tickets for earlier ones and I'll call Scottie to say we changed our plans. Then I will call dad to say that I have had enough of Europe and I want to come home."
"Sounds like a plan to me."
"Goodnight Richie," Amanda said stroking his arm and kissing him.
"Goodnight Mandy." Richard responded sinking in deeply as he held Mandy against him.
"Bruce Leonard Cameron is actually Cameron Dennis' grandson. His eldest daughter Marian Dennis happened to marry a man with the last name of Cameron. Luckily she never wanted to name her son after her father. A name like Cameron Cameron would have really given this kid more psychological issues than he already seems to have," Harvey said to Mike while Mike helped with discovery.
As long as Mike did not sign any papers or represent anyone in court as a lawyer no law existed that he could not help Harvey in the capacity of paralegal or just someone who knew his way around a lawsuit. Mike wanted to help mainly because this was his daughter and he did not want to appear as if he had been a real fraud. Jamesette understood from both she and her mother that her dad was a good lawyer he just never graduated from a law school. Besides Jamie had great faith in Uncle Harvey.
"Trial is set for April 15th, Mike. So we have only a couple of weeks to delve into this kid's problems and prove that he is a deliberate risk to not only young women but himself."
"I would think being Cameron Dennis' grandson would have been enough of a psychological issue."
"Did you see who is representing him? That's Cameron's youngest daughter, Judy. She is a pitbull of an attorney. Just like her father."
"Really? I thought she was kind of attractive..."
Harvey smirked. "Really, Mike? This is your kid we're defending here."
"I know that was not right, but Jamie smiled yesterday for the first time in weeks. Thanks to you. She's confident that the Grand Jury will find enough on him to prosecute as an adult."
"Well, we're lucky I did a favor for the DA recently because he now owes me one."
"Nothing like being brought in as a special prosecutor on a tough case. That must have felt good."
"To put away a criminal who had been responsible for hurting so many lives...yes, I have to admit it was pretty satisfying."
"Harvey, it's 6:00 pm. When are you planning to go home?" Donna ventured coming into his office. She had not seen him work so hard on a case since the DA had asked him to be special prosecutor a couple of months ago.
"Soon. Why?"
"Well, no reason except that I would like to be home when Kenzie is finished with dance class. I had Ray drive her there and wait since we were still busy with discovery."
"Where's Gordon?"
"He had a baseball game and then he was going to meet some of his study buddies at the school library."
Harvey looked at his wife as if to say "Come on. You're not falling for that, are you?" However, he said nothing.
"Mike, the twins looked like they had such a good time at their party last week. Donna Marie is a dead ringer for you," Donna remarked trying to make small talk with Mike.
"I think they were more enamored with the present you guys gave them. Their own video arcade machine? Really, you guys."
"I think you had more fun with it than they did, buddy," Harvey said laughing. "You and me must have played how many games on it before our wives told us it was past midnight and the kids had gone to bed hours before."
Mike just smirked. He did not say anything but picked up a piece of paper and handed it to Harvey.
"This is good, Mike. Where did you find this?"
Donna watched them work together. She knew how much Harvey had missed Mike during his incarceration. It was just a shame that the reason they were working together again was the crime to Mike's teenage daughter. Harvey worked well with Rachel as well and had taught her well just as he had taught Mike. However, Mike was definitely the other little brother that Harvey needed. Baby Harvey, Scottie had called Mike once. How apt the term.
A few years ago when Pearson Specter Litt was scrambling to rise from the ashes from the debacle which had been Michael Ross' fraudulent law career Harvey and Donna had both worked very, very hard to the neglect of their children. Donna reclaimed her role has mother to her children but she would constantly chide Harvey that he was missing his children growing up and missing "them". Harvey and Donna had worked so hard together to make up for their lost years that Donna was so upset at seeing her children's faces when she had to tell them that Daddy could not be there because he was working very hard and would make it up to them. She also felt a tad neglected herself. She had worked hard with Harvey but he had to understand that sometimes one had to take a break and regroup. Amanda was the most resentful being the oldest and being the apple of Harvey's eye began to realize as early as six years old that Harvey Specter kept his word but not to his children. Gordon only a year younger would cry at night because he and Harvey had a nighttime tucking in-ritual. Since the only males in the family were Gordon and Harvey, Harvey had made sure that his son knew they shared a special bond.
The firm took a good six years before Harvey and Donna were able to breathe freely and realize that the firm was on solid ground once again. However, by this time, Amanda now 12 years old had begun to ignore her father and the fact that he would make up for missing her plays and readings. Mom always came although she was being torn apart between her beloved husband and their children. Donna had realized a long time ago that she could not coerce Harvey into doing anything. The decision to fight for what he wanted was well within his reach. It was a part of the same old argument and the same old divided loyalties that Harvey hated.
Oddly enough, after Harvey's mild but serious heart attack and Donna finally reprimanding him for neglecting his family they had had an intense and passionate reconciliation created with the understanding that work remained at work except those absolute emergencies. Donna soon found she was pregnant with Mackenzie, so not wanting any repetitions of premature births like Amanda's Harvey buckled down and only brought work home when absolutely necessary. At those times, Donna and Harvey would tuck the children in bed, and Donna would help Harvey much like she did when they were first married. Amanda had still been a tough egg to crack but she saw her father halfway and their relationship seemed repaired. Harvey had suffered a mild faithlessness in himself feeling he had screwed up all his most important relationships once again, but Donna who never lost faith in her husband reassured him that all they needed was just a little time together without the pressures of the firm bearing down on them.
"This file notes that little Bruce was kicked out of most private schools as young as six years old due to chronic hitting and beating and biting of other children. The school file looks as though his parents were told to get him psychiatric help, but I see no records of a psychiatric visit except for the one time when he was not allowed back in school until he had a psychiatric exam. This was only a few years ago because he had drawn a picture of a teacher with a gun to her head...Nice."
"Harvey, I think that would be enough for a Grand Jury to try him as an adult."
"Yep. However, we have to be careful because his aunt will be tough. Especially if she is anything like her father."
"Harvey, you've slicked talked your way around Cameron Dennis many times. His daughter shouldn't be a problem in my opinion," Donna volunteered.
"Let's hope the old Specter charm is up to snuff..." Harvey said straightening his tie and wearing the overbearing confident look that Donna had not witnessed in a long, long time.
Mike looked at Donna and just smiled.