Hi Folks! Well in two days I have finished all three of the fics that I was writing. This is the last chapter of my retooled story regarding the tree house and I hope you all have enjoyed this version. Thank you for the reaction and reviews on the retooled version. Please enjoy and R & R if so moved. I am always inspired by any feedback. Love - Carebearmaxi
The Treehouse in the Specter's Backyard
Chapter 3 - Morning Story
Harvey woke and smiled smugly as he watched his wife sleep next to him. They lay on their side; but Harvey's arm held her head to his chest the warm duvet on top of them, and the warm flannel sheet underneath. There was many a night he fell asleep cuddling her, but this time Donna cuddled into him. Earlier, she had told him how much she had missed him and not just for warmth reasons. Donna stirred in her sleep snuggling even closer to him as she lay in his arms. Harvey could not pull her close enough. He gently kissed the top of her head.
"I love you so much," he whispered into her hair. There was still times, like these, after seven years of marriage and three children that Donna still took his breath away. He had grown to love her more each day if that was even possible.
She stirred again and awoke.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked seeing he was awake ahead of her. When he woke ahead of her, it usually meant that he was obsessing about something. She scooted back a little so she could look at him. She kissed his hand as it gently brushed her sleep tangled hair from her face. She scooted back over and kissed him. He folded her underneath him wanting her all over again.
Donna smiled as Harvey's body covered hers. "I knew there was a reason I married you."
Even later as the first few sparks of dawn began to lighten the tree house, Harvey and Donna got dressed, re lit the candles, and polished off the wine. They sat together against the wall of the little house. Donna laid her head on Harvey's shoulder and he, in turn, laid his head on hers. Her arms clutched his arm tightly while their bodies were snuggled together. Their long legs stretched out in front of them.
"How did you know how to build a treehouse anyway?" Donna asked.
Harvey took a sip of his wine which may have been his third glass, but he had lost count.
"Because I did it before," Harvey said quietly kissing the top of Donna's head.
"You built one for you and Marcus? I don't think you ever told me that."
"Probably not. It was a pretty painful time in my life. Now I can talk about it because the pain isn't so sharp as I remember it."
She smiled and squeezed his arm laying her head on his chest simultaneously reaching for her wine. "I am so glad you have things tucked away that I never knew about you."
Harvey sighed and placed his empty wineglass on the makeshift table next to him.
"I haven't thought about that memory until Gordon asked for a tree fort."
"Did you tell him that you built one for his Uncle Marcus?"
"I had to. He lost faith in my ability when I kept putting it off. Then I was gone for months, and the first words out of our son's little mouth was 'can you build me that tree house now, daddy?'. I didn't want to let the little guy down again, so I told him that I knew how to do it."
"No wonder he was so excited. He told me all about George's son having one. He had been invited to spend the night in it a few months ago, but I didn't want him so far away when I didn't have you here either. I didn't want to be bereft of both my men."
"Donna, he would have been down the street," Harvey reasoned.
"Well..." Donna said with a face.
Harvey smiled at that. He would never stop thanking God that he still had his wife and his family. He looked down at Donna's face which was a little flushed from the wine and planted a kissed on her warm waiting lips.
"So, go on and tell me about the one you built for Marcus."
"I could not have been more than 12 at the time. Dad was out on a recording job, and it had been his intention of building one for us in a tree much like this one. So all the materials were in the yard just needing someone to put it together. Mom was up to her usual tricks with other men. I knew that Marcus knew something was amiss. He was only 6 years old, so I am not sure how much he actually understood about Mom's behavior which made me grow up fast."
Donna knew this was painful for him to talk about. He had forgiven his mother years ago now; and he had told her he loved her before she died, but sometimes the actual separate events would pop up in his mind and he would resort to action to alleviate the pain. For years and years Harvey would confide in her the many times he had caught his mother being unfaithful to his father. The distress on his heart caused her own heart to hurt for him.
She stroked his jaw as he turned his head and then lay her head on his shoulder.
"Tell me," she repeated.
"Marcus finally caught mom with one of her men. He didn't understand, and it scared him. He came running to me and I tried to tell him a fairy story of some type. Then it dawned on me that we both needed a place to go when we didn't want to be a part of what was happening in the house. Mom was usually discreet and would have the guy gone before we got home from school; but this one time she didn't wait, and Marcus busted into her bedroom."
"So, you built the treehouse for you and him as a haven when your mother was entertaining?"
Harvey gave a hopeless laugh. Then he said, 'basically, yes. The walls were so thin in that house, as you know, and we needed someplace for us to be us." Harvey felt all the pain of that time again and he took a deep breath. Donna lowered her head on top of Harvey's this time.
"I bet Marcus loved it," Donna said smiling as she looked at the Christmas lights hanging outside the window. The dawn was fast approaching. .
"Yes, he did. He eventually rebuilt it for Lynnie and M.J."
"Oh, Harvey. Thanks for telling me. It really is a nice story."
"Bittersweet. It's a shame we had to have a treehouse in the first place," Harvey said barely hiding the disgust in his voice.
"I'm sure you and Marcus used it for other purposes than just an escape."
He smiled and he said, "We sure did. Marcus got beat up a few years later by a kid who was my age. I went down to confront the father and/or beat the shit out of the kid. I had words with the father. I think I was 16 then. Marcus was 10."
"Ooo…what happened?"
"I tell the father off and then I go back to Marcus to let him know that I couldn't beat the shit out of the kid. I climb up to the treehouse and guess who was in the treehouse with Marcus playing soldier?"
"The kid who beat him up?"
"Yeah the kid that was my age. I find out the father made him walk over here to apologize to not only Marcus but to my entire family. Anyhow, he didn't find anybody answering the doorbell. My mother was still upstairs probably. So, he went looking for us in the backyard and that's when he saw the treehouse. Marcus invited him up and the rest is history."
"Did you use it?"
"Every time I had the chance. It was a way to cope other than wanting to beat up every kid who looked at me crooked."
"How many girls did you entice into the treehouse for a make out session?"
"You do know me too well, Mrs. Specter," Harvey responded laughing heartily.
"Well, you didn't become a womanizer overnight. That I know."
"I am not one anymore. I haven't been for a long time."
"No, you haven't. I think I had a little to do with that."
"You saved me and changed me."
Donna became silent at that moment and blushed. Harvey was the only one who could make her blush with a compliment.
"No. I just helped you see who you really are. You were never really cold as many people pegged you to be. You were never not caring. I just helped bring all that loving humanness to the surface. Like I've told you many times, my husband, you are a good man."
Now that she said her peace, she confessed to him. "I know that was painful for you to tell me, but that was actually a nice story, Harvey."
Harvey's answer was to take the hand stroking his face in his and kiss the palm.
"Say do you want to go into the house now? You must be cold."
Donna shook her head. She had found her phone. She hit the lock screen and it opened. The phone's big white letters against their anniversary picture read 5:30 am. They had been in the treehouse for many incredible hours becoming reacquainted with each other. Not only physically but emotionally and mentally as well. They had always been a team. Their reconciliation and subsequent physical reunion proved they still were.
"I'm not cold," Donna said and whipped out another bottle of wine plus a bottle of Macallan 18.
"Donna, it's almost dawn. The kids are going to be up soon. I don't think we should start another bottle."
Donna yawned and Harvey followed suit.
"Maybe just a little scotch to take the edge off the cold," Donna suggested.
"I thought you said you weren't cold."
Donna opened he bottle and poured some in the wineglass. "I lied," she said deeply.
Harvey unzipped his parka stirred by the tone of her voice. "Then pour me a glass, crawl in here, and keep me warm."
Donna gathered her fur coat more closely and crawled into Harvey's warmth. Between the wine and the dim light, Donna's eyes began to droop sleepy again from the effects of little sleep and the alcohol. She did not think she would have the ability to climb down the ladder without tripping on her gown.
Harvey took his glass and saluted. .
"To us and the treehouse!" Harvey toasted. Donna and he hit their glasses together. Harvey straightened himself against the wall and relaxed somewhat taking Donna in his arms.
About ten o'clock that morning, young Gordon Specter jumped out of bed and without changing into clothes first hurried downstairs. He did not see his mom or dad in the house. That was odd he thought since mom could always be found in the kitchen. He did not see his dad at the table looking at the paper. Where could they be? Gordon reconciled the fact in his mind by saying to himself that they were obviously still in their bed.
Gordon could wait no longer. He quickly pulled his heavy coat out of the closet. He put on his heavy boots and remembered the code to turn off the alarm. He looked at the key pad and realized the light was already green, so the alarm was off. He puzzled this in his young boy's brain, but he did not puzzle for long as he had a place to be before his sisters infiltrated his boys' only place. He opened the sliding door leading to the terrace and stepped down to the backyard.
He was sure to close the door behind him, so he would not let in a draft as his mom and dad had reprimanded him plenty of times. He tromped through the couple inches of hard packed snow creating confusing foot trails leading to the treehouse. He climbed up the ladder steps that his dad had nailed into the tree. He climbed to the top and was about to climb in.
"Mom! Dad! What are you doing in my treehouse!"
Donna and Harvey woke with a start and laughed. They drew Gordon into their fold and hugged him and explained to him that they wanted to be sure it was sturdy before they handed it over to their only son.
Gordon looked up at his mom and dad with big green hazel eyes and said, "It's ok, but you have to promise me that you will never, ever use my treehouse again!"
Donna and Harvey peeled themselves from the wall and started to moan from sitting up in an odd position and from their other nocturnal activities. The cold air did not help either.
"Gordon, you need to be dressed in your warm clothes before you try to stay up here. Ok? Then we'll promise you can have it all to yourself!" Donna admonished. "I will personally occupy Mandy and Kenzie. Maybe daddy can stay up here with you and you can have your special time with him."
Harvey smiled at his son as well and nodded his head to let him know that momma was right.
Donna then looked at Harvey who looked back at her as he tried to bend the ache out of his back.
"How am I going to break it to him that I'm not going to be much fun up here. I can't move without an ache," he complained.
Donna hit him playfully. "Oh come on you big baby. I gave birth to the boy. The least you can do is ride out your stiff muscles. You can't disappoint your son." She gave him the eye then and Harvey knew he was whipped for life by this woman. He found himself unable to say no. He was also a pushover for his children when they wanted his special attention. This time it was Gordon named for Harvey's beloved father but resembling himself with Donna's hazel green eyes.
He then looked at Gordon and said. "Yep buddy just the guys up here today. However, we both need to go in the house and change. I need to get cleaned up before I come out here, and you need to put on your warm clothes and get out of these pajamas. Can you do that for your old man?"
"Sure I can. Can we spend all day and night out here?" Gordon asked excitedly. "I want you and me to spend the night out here. In our sleeping bags!"
Donna snapped her fingers. "That's what I forgot! The sleeping bags!"
"With all due respect, Donna. I don't think you would have made it up here between holding your gown, the duvet, the flannel sheets, carrying wineglasses and three bottles of booze."
"Did you think I may have made more than one trip? Uh, hot shot?" Donna said as she smiled at her husband and grabbed her son in a hug pulling him to her lap.
"Mommy! Let go!" Gordon squirmed. Donna continued to rain kisses on her son until he was able to pull away.
Gordon, promising to change into his clothes, excitedly climbed down the tree again and waited for his parents to accompany him.
"Well, I am definitely not doing this again until warmer weather arrives," Donna said rising to her knees. She could hear the voice of her impatient son as he called to them wanting them to hurry.
Harvey stood on his knees, too. He clasped Donna's hands and whispered in that deep sexy voice which gave her chills.
"Do you mean to say you don't want a repeat performance tonight? We still got some booze and I'll bring the sleeping bags. It could get a whole lot more interesting."
"How about a repeat performance in a warm bath, shower, or bed?" Donna asked arching one eyebrow mischievously and pecking Harvey's lips with a quick kiss as she continued to gather their things to take back to the house.
"Deal!" Harvey said excitedly looking proud of himself.
"Daddy! Mommy!" Gordon whined. "Come on. I want all day!"
His parents looked at one another before Harvey went first to climb down the ladder. "My back might not be in good shape tonight after spending all day with Gordon here in this tree house."
"Oh no, mister," Donna laughed wagging a finger at him. "You are not welshing on our deal. You kissed me. That's as good as a handshake in my book."
Harvey looked at his wife and arched his eyebrow. He curled his finger requesting that Donna move closer so he could speak in a low tone to her.
"Nah, you're right. I wouldn't miss our warm bath, shower, or bed for anything in the world."
Donna smiled her eyes taking on their bedroom look and she purred.
"You're damn right you wouldn't. I'm Donna, your wife, and I'm awesome."