Chapter 31: iSpy

"Phil? Mrs. Dunphy?"

"Harvey?"

Phil was surprised to see Harvey sitting on a tire beside a fence with tall sheet metal walls behind it. He and his wife were trying to find out what their son, Luke and Manny were up to. Luke told them he and Manny were heading to Xanders this morning to hang out. Claire suspected they could be up to no good; she called their behaviors 'cagey'. It didn't help that Haley told them they were at the old salvage yard where kids go to get high.

"You two looking for Luke and Manny?" Harvey said as he stood up.

"Uh... no." Phil said unconvincingly.

The sounds of Luke and other kids laughing brought their attention. Looking over at his wife, he saw her make a guilty expression. Harvey smiled and nodded; it seemed like the cat was out of the bag.

"Wait a minute! What are you doing out here?" Claire asked. She was trying to deflect the conversation.

"I'm just keeping watch while they make their movie." Harvey said. "This salvage yard can attract some weirdos."

"Movie? Luke and Manny are making a movie?" Phil asked as he looked over to the wall. "Without me!"

"Phil." Claire got his attention. "Do you have that drone thing with you?"

"I do, but that's for work." Phil told her. "Wait, why do we have to look at what they're doing? We already know they're making a movie."

"I can show you where the entrance is." Harvey said as he pointed down the wall.

"Really?" Claire asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure they won't mind." Harvey said as he guided them down the wall.

"Honey, we can't let Luke know we followed him! He'll think we don't trust him!" Claire whispered in his ear.

"You're right." Phil said as he silently walked up to Harvey. "Harvey, can we keep this quiet? We don't want Luke to know we followed him."

Harvey looked at him oddly; he then turned to Claire and saw her nod. Harvey smiled and agreed. Walking up to a moving panel, he slid it up and showed them what was happening inside. It was Luke and Manny alongside two other kids. They were in makeup and running around.

"Phil, Look! He's still our little boy! He's not doing drugs or smoking weed!" Claire said happily.

"Yeah, you're right. See, I told you we could trust Luke." Phil said as he patted her arm.

Phil and his wife backed up and nodded at Harvey. Slowly, he placed the panel back without making a noise. The three then silently walked away back to the car. Phil looked at Harvey and smiled at him.

"Thank you, Harvey. For making sure the kids were staying out of trouble." 

"No problem, Phil. They deserved a break." Harvey said with a proud smile.

"How is their training coming along?" Claire asked as she looked at Harvey.

Phil remembered when Luke first asked them if he could learn to fight under Harvey's tutelage. Claire almost immediately said no, Saying there was no need to learn since Luke had no reason to go out to look for fights in the first place. Phil was then impressed by Luke's reasoning behind wanting to learn. He brought up the time he and Manny almost got in trouble in the alley, the time Manny could do nothing when Alex was kidnapped. And finally, he just wanted to protect himself and his family.

Hearing all that, Claire had difficulty finding reasons for him not to learn. With a heavy heart, she agreed to let him learn, but he had to be safe and make sure not to injure himself. Other than a few cuts and bruises, Luke did well in not injuring himself. Phil knew it was a significant part due to Harvey's ways of teaching, which he and his wife dropped by to watch here and there.

"They're doing good." Harvey answered. "They still have a long road ahead of them, but they're learning at a good rate."

Suddenly, Claire's phone went off. She quickly took it out of her pocket so as not to notify the kids inside, she answered in a calm voice.

"Hey, Alex. What did you find out?" Claire said.

Phil couldn't hear what Alex was saying from the other end, so he focused on talking to Harvey.

"So why aren't you in the movie?"

"Hm. They did ask me, but I'm a little embarrassed to be in it." Harvey said as he rubbed the back of his head. "I told them I would just make sure nothing would disturb them." 

"Why would you be embarrassed? I'm sure you would be a great zombie!" Phil said.

"Phil! Alex said that Haley was one of five people chosen to display their photographs!" Claire said excitedly. "It's a bigger deal than what she let us believe!"

"Oh my god, That's amazing!" Phil said as he hugged his wife. "We have to be there!"

"Way ahead of you! I told Alex to call Mitchell and Dad so we could all be there!" Claire said happily; she then turned to Harvey. "You have to come too! I know Haley would appreciate you being there for her."

"You got it, Mrs. Dunphy." Harvey said with a smile. 

"I'll send you the address! Just meet us there with the kids later." Claire said as she walked to the car. "Let's go, Phil."

Phil nodded and patted Harvey's shoulder. "Later, buddy."

"See you later, Phil."

•••

"H-Harvey?! What are you doing here?!"

The person in question turned his head and looked at her. He smiled and got off the wall he was leaning on; Harvey then walked over to her and stopped a few feet away. They were both outside of the exhibit building.

"Haley, it's nice to see you too." Harvey said with some sarcasm. "New shoes?"

"Ah, why yes, I got them in this cute new- Wait, No! Don't distract me!" Haley spoke as she got closer. "Why are you at the exhibit?!"

"Um, because your mom invited me?" The object of her affection said with his hands raised. "Did you not know we were coming?"

"No! I didn't. Wait- did you say we?" 

"Yeah. Your entire family is here." Harvey said with confusion. "Hold on. Was no one supposed to be here?"

"Yes, I told them not to come!" Haley said in frustration. "I can't believe they invaded my privacy!"

Haley was about to rush inside and give her family a piece of her mind! This whole thing smelled like her mom's idea; she would tell her how wrong it was to invade her privacy and violate her personal life!

"Haley. Wait." Harvey said as he grabbed her wrist.

Haley turned around and saw Harvey look at her with an expression he hadn't shown to her before. It was almost sad. He then let her go and motioned for her to follow him to the wall he was leaning on.

"I think your mother just wanted to be here for you. To show you support and encourage you." Harvey started saying as he looked at her. "I think she went behind your back because she's scared. She wanted to know what's going on in your life."

"How could you know that?" Haley asked as she stared into his eyes. He then chuckled lightly.

"Don't tell them I told you, but they followed Luke and Manny earlier today." Harvey said as he looked up. "She was probably worried about him as well. Luke must have not told her what they were up to today."

"Your mom and dad showed up at the salvage yard where they were making a movie." 

A nervous smile appeared on Haley's face as she remembered telling her parents where her brother would be and what he could be doing. It seems she helped her mom in snooping into Luke's life.

"Oh yeah? Well, she should've trusted Luke some more." Haley said nervously. "Like she should have trusted me today."

"I think she's scared of not knowing where you all are at. Things have gotten more dangerous and scary. I'm sure she feels like she's failing to protect you all." Harvey turned to her with a solemn look. "Can you blame her?"

Haley felt her heart hurt. Now, she could see where her mother was coming from. After everything that's happened to their family, she could see why her mom would be scared about not knowing where they were. Haley even copied her mom at times; she always made sure to check on her siblings. She wanted to know they were okay.

The two of them just stood near each other in comfortable silence. Haley slowly shuffled closer to him and stopped when he was an inch away. She smiled as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"…thanks for coming." Haley said. "And helping me to understand my mom better."

"Don't mention it." Harvey said. "Family is important. You still have your family even if you have no one else."

"So cherish them, Haley. You never know when they won't be there anymore."

Haley's eyes were becoming wet. She felt horrible now, Remembering Harvey had no family. She must seem like an ungrateful jerk. Here, she was complaining about her caring family while he had no one. Walking in front of Harvey, Haley brought him into a tight hug.

"Thank you. I think I can walk in there with a smile now." Haley separated slightly and stared into his eyes. "I want you to know you're important to me. So I'll cherish you too. I'm here for you."

Harvey's eyes widened at her declaration. Haley smiled, leaned in, and kissed him on the cheek, a few millimeters from his lips. Letting him go, she grabbed his hand and smiled at him.

"Let's go inside. I want to show you the pictures I took."

Harvey blinked a few times and smiled. His cheeks were blushing lightly. Nodding, he got off the wall and started walking alongside her.

'…I'm sorry, Alex.' Haley thought as she looked down at their hands. 'I don't think I can give up on him.'

Remembering a phrase from an article she read recently, Haley looked up at the doors leading into the exhibition. 

'All's fair in love and war.'