A/N: This actually should have been a part of a bigger chapter. But looking at the outline of the other half, it could really be a chapter of its own. So here's a new update for our little family!

Harvey stands in the middle of the home office, hands on his hips as he looks around and tries to see which bookshelf holds some of the law books he left behind. Most of the books he's seen so far are all Donna's, some old and some new. He moves to stand in front of the next bookshelf and sees that all the ones here are Avery's, the variety of genre present giving it away.

There is one book sticking out on the far end of the shelf, slightly larger in size with a hard cover. Curiosity urges him to take the book out. "Donna!" He screams as he quickly flips through what he has now realized is a photo album of Avery. The pictures are definitely recent which he's never seen before nor does he have any idea about it.

She comes rushing thinking there's an emergency, she's almost out of breath when she enters the home office, "What?"

"What is this?" He holds the photo album in the air and Donna snatches it out of his hand with curiosity, placing it down on the study table. She looks back and forth between the photos and Harvey. "I don't know if you had amnesia or what but that's our daughter." She points at one of their daughter's photos. "And her name is Avery."

He rolls his eyes. "I am aware. But what is she wearing? What is this for?" He continues to stare at the photos of Avery wearing various outfits, and black seems to be the recurring theme. The photos are all decent but the outfits reveal a lot of skin and the protectiveness in him disapproves of it just like when Avery went to the birthday party.

"She did a birthday photoshoot for her 16th birthday months ago."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He murmurs with disappointment.

"Well, I just assumed she told you about it. But I'm glad she didn't. 'Cause I get to enjoy the look on your face when you see the photos." She playfully wiggles her brows.

His eyes go wide when a realization quickly dawns on him. "You mean there's more?"

"Yes." She places a comforting touch on his forearm, "Look, Harvey, I know you're just being protective. But Avery's grown up and beautiful and really confident in her own skin."

"I guess you're right. I just… it's just… she's still my little girl." He sighs and looks down at the picture in his hands and sees that their little girl is slowly turning into a beautiful woman.

He looks up at his wife and asks, "Can I see the others?"

"Of course." She smiles and playfully taps his butt as she squeezes in the small space between Harvey and the shelf, reaching for another album of Avery's.

…

"This isn't it." By mistake Donna had grabbed a different photo album and she realizes it when she sees the photo on the first page. It was her on the hospital bed, breastfeeding little Avery for the first time. She remembers Harvey candidly taking the photo. It was after the nurse who checked on her leave and her little family had the room to themselves. The nostalgic sense of joy from the captured moment comes rushing back. Having their bundle of joy in her arms eased out all the pain and exhaustion she felt from giving birth.

"She's so small and beautiful, Harvey. And perfect. Oh my god she's so perfect." She sobs as she looks down on little Avery, the hormones are still running high making her too emotional.

"She is. And so are you, Donna. You're perfect." He looks at her like she hung the moon. She gave birth to their baby after all.

It was one of the happiest moments in their lives.

And she remembers Harvey being the perfect, thoughtful, and attentive husband. The next page reveals proof - a photo of her with eyes closed, sitting on the hospital bed, devouring her first sushi takeout after nine months. Harvey instantly ordered her favorite when she got out of the delivery room.

He'd never left their side, always ensuring both of them were okay. Relentlessly taking on most of the diaper duties, handling burp time, and lulling their little one to sleep. He also didn't mind being the bad guy, shooing the visitors away, including their parents, when she got exhausted by the social visits.

And she can still feel Harvey's protectiveness even now, regardless of their status.

"I swear to god, that nurse had the hots for you." She points at the background of the photo where little Avery was being attended to by the nurse in her bassinet.

"No, she didn't."

She chuckles at his obliviousness, "She went into our room almost every hour!"

"Yeah, to check on you both?" His brows furrow, "Wait, you're saying that wasn't normal?"

"No!"

He shrugs, "Well, too bad for her, I only got eyes for my girls."

"Girls, huh?!"

"Yeah, you and Avery."

Donna smiles but tries to hide it. She then moves to sit on the couch and motions for him to follow. They sit side by side as she flips to the next page, now revealing a picture of Harvey and baby Avery in bed. Both looking peacefully asleep under the covers with their daughter lying on her father's chest, tucked under his chin, and gripping the edge of his shirt.

She walks out of the bathroom wrapped in his fluffy bathrobe, a towel in hand as she tries to tame her wild red curls. It's only been a few weeks since they got back from the hospital and it's been a lot of adjusting and navigating life with a child. She's thankful to her husband for taking their daughter, giving her a chance to spend a little more time to herself.

The silence in their room piques her curiosity. Harvey loves talking to their baby, sharing stories as he holds her close. But it's been pure silence since she stepped out of the shower. She walks further into their room and finds the two asleep on his side of the bed. They've been trying to let their daughter sleep in her own cot but there are times that they really couldn't resist all the baby cuddles.

She moves closer and just takes the moment to look at her little family. A chuckle escapes her lips as she notices the twin expressions on the two - the edges of their mouths curled up in a smile. She grabs the phone on their bedside table and takes a photo of them, a memory to look at in the future.

Harvey makes a mental note to steal and take that photo to New York. They walk down memory lane as they leaf through Avery's photo album, celebrating all her milestones, big or small.

The following picture had a handwritten note beneath 'First word: No' It's a snapshot of little Avery her head turned to the side to avoid the food Donna was trying to introduce. It perfectly captured the stubbornness she undoubtedly had inherited equally from her parents.

From her first word, they've captured all the moments, her first step, and her other firsts.

He chuckles softly when they reach the photo of Avery's first school day, "Oh, Avery."

Harvey was kneeling down while four-year-old Avery clings tight to his neck, tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't want to go to school where she didn't know anyone, and being away from her parents overwhelmed her.

The transition was also difficult for both parents. They contained their emotions as they got ready that morning, struggling to accept that Avery was growing up and would spend hours in a day away from them.

Harvey rubbed their daughter's back and attempted to encourage her to enter the classroom, only for her to hold on to him more tightly, and the tears continued to flow. It was heartbreaking for both parents to see Avery so upset. Ultimately, they took her to the park and had an impromptu family day to cheer her up. The next day, the teacher intervened and introduced Avery to some of her classmates. Finally, she bid goodbye to her parents as she entered the classroom with her newfound friends.

Donna laughs at the memory, "We really let her skip school on the first day."

"You saw her face! How could you say no to her?"

"I can with the right reasons. But you ," she points at him, " you don't know how."

"What? Of course, I can and I do."

"Really? Well, how will you explain this?" She points at the next picture. It was Avery wearing her ballerina dress at a baseball field.

Harvey is out of court early and volunteers to pick up his daughter from dance class before they can go drop by the hospital to see Donna. He arrives at the studio just in time for the end of the class. Avery waves at him by the door and patiently waits for him to come get her.

"Daddy!" Avery shrieks and practically launches herself at Harvey, thrilled to see him.

"Hello to you too, sweetie." He lifts his daughter up and plants a kiss on her cheek, making her burst into giggles.

"I missed you, Daddy," Avery says, placing her tiny hands on his cheeks. "But I also miss Mommy, are we gonna go see Mommy?"

"We are but first you need to change out of your dress. We don't want it to get dirty, do we?"

"But I wanna go see Mommy now." Avery insists and eagerly drags him out of the ballet studio the moment he sets her down. They are visiting Donna after dance class before her next scheduled surgery. She has an hour to spare and they've agreed to meet at a nearby cafe for a quick bite before she goes back to work and before Harvey and Avery hit the baseball field. With Donna's increased hours due to her hospital internship, they seize every opportunity for family time whenever they can. Gretchen had graciously offered to adjust Harvey's schedule around hers, so their precious free time always matched.

He quickly stops and kneels down to face Avery. "Hey, I'm excited to see Mommy too, but you really need to change." Once again he tries to persuade his daughter to change into something more comfortable, knowing Donna wouldn't be happy seeing Avery wearing the dress for the field.

"But I like this dress, Daddy and if I change it will take longer and I will have less time with Mommy." Even at a young age she already knows how to negotiate, a skill Harvey taught her, he just didn't think it would backfire on him.

"Avery…" He was about to persuade her but Avery knows how to work him.

"Please, Daddy?" She pleads with her almost watery eyes and quivering lips. His weakness.

He sighs, "Alright, let's go!"

Donna surprised the two and joined them on their plan to play baseball since her last surgery of the day had been canceled unexpectedly. Avery's face lit up as she heard the news. The little Specter is a ball of energy and has animatedly talked their ears off about every detail of her ballet class during the ride. As soon as Harvey parked the car, Avery excitedly dashed towards the baseball field.

"Avery, be careful please!" Donna yells, unable to run after her daughter with the hospital suddenly calling her.

"Don't worry I got her." Harvey reassures her as he runs after their daughter.

Moments later, she catches up with her family. Harvey has started coaching Avery with her swing form.

"Everything okay?" Harvey inquires once he spots her.

Donna nods but her brows instantly furrow. "Harvey, why hasn't she changed?" She'd noticed the outfit earlier but assumed Avery would change once they were on the field.

He shrugs, "She didn't want to."

"And you just let her?" She snorts. Despite her initial annoyance, she finds Avery cute, holding a bat, wearing her pink dress, and sporting her pigtails.

"Hey, I gave it a shot, okay?" He closes the distance between them and plants a quick peck on her lips. "But please be my guest, I would want to see you try and convince her. A hundred bucks says you can't. "

She rolls her eyes and naturally accepts the challenge. Avery was too happy that she had joined them so she gladly changed into the baseball jersey when Donna asked, matching the one Harvey and her had changed into.

"Mommy, you should play too!" Avery hands her the bat in the midst of the game. "And dad you should pitch the ball to mommy." She bosses her dad around as she sits down on the bleachers, exhaustion evident on her face.

"I don't think your mom knows how." He teases.

"Oh, try me, Specter." She replies with a playful smirk and takes her position on the plate, gripping the bat over her shoulder.

"Nice stance." He compliments her form and pitches her the ball.

She strikes the ball with precision, sending the ball soaring into the distance. Harvey didn't run, too astounded by her flawless swing. Avery cheers and claps in the background and darts off to retrieve the ball, "That's a homerun, mommy!"

"What? How?" Harvey asks. He never got the chance to teach her when they were students as their schedules didn't allow such spare times.

"Someone may have taught me."

"Oh?"

She chuckles when she sees the pang of jealousy written all over his face. "Your dad taught me."

"Grandpa Gordon?" Avery chimes in the conversation and hands the ball back to Harvey.

"Yes, sweetie," Donna smiles as she gently tucks the loose strands of hair behind Avery's ear. "Grandpa Gordon and I used to bring you here when you were little."

Gordon used to visit often to spend time with the newest member of the Specter family. With Harvey occupied at work during the day, Donna and Avery spent the most time with his dad. Gordon would take both of them at the baseball field to pass time before Harvey meets up with them for dinner.

"I didn't know he taught you."

"Yeah, well, he told me to surprise you one day."

"Oh, yeah? Then I want a rematch."

Avoiding her question of not being able to say no to their daughter, Harvey diverts the topic, "You still owe me one."

Donna looks at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"The rematch."

"Can't let me win?" She teases as she nudges his shoulder.

Harvey shakes his head, "I have never let you win." He leans into her, noses almost touching, "You know we like to play it fair."

She snorts, "A rematch, really? With your injured shoulder, an easy win for me don't you think?" She teases and leans closer, their lips almost touching.

"You're right." He concedes. "But I wanna revisit something else." He whispers against her lips and closes his eyes as he moves closer.

And just before their lips meet, the door bursts open.

"There you two are!" Avery exclaims as she enters the study.

Suddenly, they both pull apart when they hear their daughter's voice.

Avery takes a peek at the album Donna pretended to flip through after almost getting caught, "What do we have here?"

Donna has flipped on the last page and loose photos cascaded down on her lap.

"Oh, wedding photos!" Avery squeezes herself in between her parents, taking the photos and the album to her own lap.

Holding the photos in one hand, the other flips the pages to the beginning of the album. "Wait. This is mine." Then her eyes catch the photo album with her recent photoshoot sitting on top of the study table.

Instantly she turns towards Harvey. "Dad," she starts, her voice shaking as the guilt of not telling him settles in.

"You look beautiful, Avery." Harvey cuts in to calm her daughter down.

Avery fidgets in her seat, "really?"

He nods. "More beautiful than your mom. Don't tell her I said that." He acts like he said it in a whisper but only to tease the other redhead they are talking about.

"Please," his daughter rolls her eyes. She plays along, acting like she's whispering as well. "She's the most beautiful in your eyes. You can't fool me, Dad. But thanks."

" SHE is literally sitting right here. Next to both of you. Hello?" Donna waves her hand in front of her two companions, but they seem to be in a world of their own.

"Sorry I didn't tell you about the photoshoot, Dad." She looks down, tracing a finger over the picture of when she was younger. "I just didn't know how you'd react to it."

Harvey puts an arm around Avery and tucks her into his side. "It's okay, kiddo." He drops a kiss on top of her head. "But next time tell me everything that's going on in your life, okay?" He says as he waits for her to look at him.

Avery just silently nods and wraps her arms around his dad, closing her eyes as she hugs him tight.

Donna keeps quiet on her side, leaning back on the arm of the couch and just admiring the two most important people in her life. Tears start filling her eyes as she watches the father-daughter moment. They have always been sweet and affectionate in their little family, but it has been a while since she has seen it up close. And she can't help but wish she gets to see this every single day again.

.

.

.

"Woah!" Avery exclaims as she finds her dad back in the study the following morning after dropping her mom off. "Please tell me you know where exactly to return those." She points at the stack of albums scattered on the study table. Some shelves are empty as her dad seems to be looking for something.

"What do you mean?" He asks while he busily scans another photo album.

Avery tilts her head and gives him a pointed look. "Uhm, excuse me, have you met Donna Paulsen?"

Her mom is very particular about the way things are organized and cannot stand it when things aren't in the order she prefers. She'd gotten in trouble many times when she wouldn't return things where she found them. Surely her dad should know this too. He really should because he is the exact same way with his records.

His mouth hung open, that didn't even cross his mind.

"What are you looking for anyways, Dad?"

He scratches the back of his neck as he shyly admits, "Our wedding album."

Avery joins the hunt, eventually locating the wedding album tucked in a corner shelf and hands it over to her dad.

Harvey blows off the layer of dust and lifts the cover of the album, revealing a younger version of themselves radiating with happiness as they proudly display their wedding bands. In the photograph, he's wearing a classic black tux while Donna is in a nontraditional blue gown loaned by her older sister. The gown served her something blue, something old, and something borrowed all in one. Memories of their union come flooding back to him as if the joyous celebration happened yesterday.

The wedding took place shortly after their graduation. At the time, he had just started working at the DA's office, while Donna started her internship at Mt. Sinai Hospital. They had recently relocated to New York and had decided to live together when they found out they were expecting. Although this wasn't part of their immediate plans, Avery was a surprise that brought them joy and was most definitely not unwanted. Avery became their something new at the wedding.

"You said mom was already pregnant here." Avery asks as they look at the picture of her parents, her father's arms wrapped around her mother's waist.

"Yeah, she was." Harvey agrees before flipping on to the next page.

"I remember you always tell me how you started dating as my bedtime story. But…," she looks up at her father. "I kinda forgot now, Dad."

A smirk forms on Harvey's face, leaving the album on his lap to cross his arms in front of his chest. "You forgot or you just want me to say it again?"

Avery puts her hands up in surrender, "I plead the fifth!"

"Fine."

"Soooo, how did you two meet?" Avery pretends to not know the answer which she'd heard a thousand times by now.

"We met at the summer Harvard orientation."

Harvey's storytelling continues in the next chapter. See you there!