How Green Becomes Wood

"That is perfectly suitable, and if upon waking, they express otherwise, I will alert you as soon as I can. I doubt it will be an issue, though." He promised her and then after a few moments he added, "You recognize Daizi will likely request you stay for dinner if you come then?"
 
"Ciara," He paused with an inaudible smile, "It does not matter when you come. There will always be a meal Daizi will invite you to join, and if there truly is not one on the horizon, there is tea to be shared. It is inescapable."
 
"Are you certain I will not be intruding?" Ciara asked, still clearly uncertain. How could it not be inconvenient to invite someone to a meal? Tea she could see, but a meal? Surely that would be putting someone out!
 
"I am entirely certain she would find it more stressful to avoid feeding you than she would to have you join us," Dark assured her calmly. "We always have leftovers, anyway." True, that night they were picking up dinner, but this was probably important for her to know going forward, too.
 
"Very well," Ciara sighed. "I will come at that time. I shall do my best not to take up too much of your time, and I anticipate seeing you all then." She fully intended to try to get out of being fed. She had no idea how futile an attempt like that would be, but she would learn.
 
Ciara hung up and took a deep breath. In truth, she'd used the call as a way to stall. Stalling was not normally something she did, but this was not a normal situation for her. She checked her hair in the mirror, picked up the bouquet of flowers, and opened the car door. She walked through the graveyard and stopped at a particular headstone. It was her first time coming here. There had always been some reason, some excuse, some distraction to keep her away. Finally, she'd run out of excuses, and here she stood in front of Tara's grave. She stood there wordlessly for several minutes, holding the bouquet tightly, before she finally leaned down and set the flowers in front of the headstone. There was so much to say, but no words with which to say it.

~~~

Upstairs, Alec and Xander were both sound asleep still. Alec pressed his back into Daizi, cuddling close, one arm across Xander with his nose in Xander's chest. Xander leaned half on Alec, one arm flung across Alec to Daizi. Both boys were very lightly snoring.
 
Eventually, Ivy's cries came over the baby monitor, and Dark went upstairs to fetch her. In the bedroom, Daizi heard it and it forced her awake. Hearing Dark's voice then come over it, she settled back down, not feeling quite ready to get up yet, and anyway, her boys were so cuddled down, it seemed better to just lay back down with them than force herself to get up and risk disturbing them.
 
Ivy's cries and Daizi's slight stirrings triggered a quiet grumbling on Alec's part. He shifted slightly and then settled back to sleep with a quiet sigh. Xander didn't even twitch. He didn't hear Ivy or feel Daizi's movements at all. He kept right on snoring, though neither of them would likely stay asleep for too much longer.
 
As much as she wanted to, it was hard for Daizi to fall back asleep. The soft murmurings of her husband distracted her, the coos of her baby. So, as much as she didn't want to, she carefully leaned in, kissed Alec's head, tucked him in tightly, and did her best to slip away without disturbing them.
 
"Don't wanna pumpkin mash. Make Frankie do it," Alec mumbled, his slurred voice barely audible and understandable.

"'Kay," Xander muttered.

Neither actually woke up or realized what they were doing.
 
The twins roused about fifteen minutes later and sat up with no idea where or when they were and with some question as to who they were, as well. It took them a bit to sort out which end was up, and when they finally figured out how to exit the curtains, they turned back long enough to remake the bed. Then, mussed hair and wrinkled clothes and all, they stumbled downstairs blearily to see what was what.
 
When the twins came downstairs, Dark was gone, knowing he had to pick up dinner, sides, and donuts, but Daizi was downstairs playing with Ivy when the twins came down, her hair clipped lightly away from her face, "Hey," she said as she heard their footsteps, "Did you sleep well?"
 
"Yeah," Alec said around a yawn, rubbing his face. "I had an odd dream about Frankenstein. The monster, I mean. It was still a good sleep. I feel better now."

"How about you?" Xander asked, stretching so his back popped. "Did you both have good naps?"
 
"It's up to each individual to decide if the monster is the Doctor or his Creation," Daizi replied, turning around to face, them, "But, yes, I slept well. I think she did too, although she's more tight lipped about it." While Ivy crawled over to her brothers, Daizi continued, "Your aunt called, while we were sleeping. She wants to bring something over for you, Dark said she suggested she come right before dinner sometime."
 
"The Doctor is the monster, obviously, not 'cause he made the thing but because he dodged his responsibility and acted like a whiny baby when consequences came knocking on his door," Xander stated. "Wait, what about Aunt Ciara?"

Alec plopped down onto the floor and held out his arms to Ivy. "She's coming over before dinner."

"Oh. That means she's staying for dinner, right?" Xander asked. "Did she say what she's bringing?" He was always just a touch guarded with Ciara, not quite fully trusting her, but not necessarily distrusting her, either.
 
Daizi nodded at Xander's answer, "She didn't. Or Dark didn't ask. I would guess it probably has something to do with your Mum, given the date. I was planning to suggest she stay for dinner, I would feel awful sending her away unfed."

At the sight of her brother's open arms, Ivy crawled as quickly as she could to him and held up her arms so he would lift her up.
 
"That's good. She'll totally resist, you know," Xander commented. "I think we should get her to join."

Alec scooped Ivy up and held her in a tight hug, cooing excitedly to her. "Hello! Hello, Ivy!" He paused in realization. "Oh, gosh. That means she's probably going to be here soon, and I am entirely unpresentable!"

Xander glanced at him quizzically. "You look about like me, and I think I'm fine... I feel insulted."
 
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