How Green Becomes Wood

"No, why would I make it easy on you?" Dark replied, amused.

Then, the back door open and Daizi stepped out. Not knowing exactly where people were, she stood near the railing of their porch and asked, "Goose? Are you out here? I can't find you inside."

"I am here, Spider. I am on the swing, with Alec and Xander," Dark called back, liking how even in the dark he could see how she smiled at the sound of his voice.
 
"We're taking advantage of the last nice evening while Xander flexes how cool his wood puzzle solving skills are," Alec called to her.

Xander snorted. "You could probably solve them if you took five minutes."

"Probably, but I think you can have this one," Alec smirked.
 
"I think Dark's wood puzzle making skills are more impressive," Daizi replied, coming around to them, although she didn't try to sit down. There was no way all four of them could fit on it, "I shouldn't stay out here. I don't have the baby monitor with me. And Amty Zeinab sent me to bed. She'll be furious if she knows I'm still up."

"Maybe I should tell her you are awake past your bed time," Dark teased.

"Mmm... she'd be furious if she knew you were still awake, too."
 
"That's a very good point," Daizi nodded, crossing her arms, "Are you not cold?"

"They brought me a blanket," Dark said, immediately standing and draping it over her, "Amty Zeinab is right, though. You should get some sleep."
 
"So should you," Alec reminded Dark.

"So should we," Xander reminded Alec. He stood and stretched before giving Dark and Daizi both stern looks. "If we go inside, do you promise not to stay out here enjoying alone time for more than fifteen minutes?"
 
"We promise," Daizi laughed, crossing her heart. "It's not like we could cuddle anyway."

"And it is not like you would check after fifteen minutes," Dark teased, settling back down on the swing.
 
"Don't bet on it," Xander warned.

He and Alec went back in the house and started setting up their bed on the couch. Once they had their bed made, Xander stretched out on one end of the couch and Alec on the other as Alec read a book and Xander scrolled through various things of interest on his phone.
 
Daizi laughed as she sat on the bench with her husband. It was weird, not being able to curl up against his chest or bring his head down into her lap. It made things feel different between them. It made her feel almost nervous. No... shy was the more accurate word. Like she had a crush and didn't know if it was reciprocated.

"Was the drive alone with my father hard?" She asked, knowing even blind how he watched her.

"No. We really just sat in silence the entire trip." Dark answered, resting his arm on the back of the swing and admiring how her hair fell over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry you need to deal with him. It's not fair to you."

"I am more worried about you and our children. I was born hearing worse things about myself than your father has ever said, I can cope with it. But I do not like the rest of you being upset."

"But Goose, you shouldn't have to cope with it," Daizi said, shifting to her knees even though it made the swing rock, "Neither should they."

He frowned at her, "Do you want to have a relationship with your father?"

"Yes."

"Then I do not know how else to make it work."

"I'll talk to him," She said, "I'll tell him he needs to stop."

"You do that every time we visit with him, Spider. It only makes things worse."

"It isn't like you to be so defeatist," Daizi said, slumping her shoulders.

"I am not defeatist, I just have not come up with a better option yet." Dark said simply, getting up off the bench, "Come on, we should try and get some sleep tonight. We have more big days ahead."
 
After Dark had been out for just a little more than fifteen minutes, Xander got up and flicked the back porch light on and off again like he'd seen fathers do in movies. Then he went back to the couch and waited for them to come in. Alec was starting to doze off, his eyes squinting determinedly at the page in his book.
 
Glancing at the flashing lights, Dark hung his head and took Daizi's hand to help her up, "I think we are in trouble."

"Why's that?"

"Someone is flashing the lights. I can guess who." Dark explained, letting go of her hand and bringing his tea cup inside. "That was barely over fifteen minutes, I think he is just impatient."
 
"We were on our way to bed, you do not need to admonish us," Dark said blandly.

"Shouldn't we be admonishing you for still being awake?" Daizi asked, wrapped up in the blanket like it was a cocoon. She couldn't hug her husband and it smelled like him.
 
Xander indicated the pathway from the back door to the stairs, which went near the couch. "I'm awake because I'm waiting for the final people to walk past where I am supposed to be sleeping," he pointed out.

"I'm reading. Just gotta finish this chapter," Alec said fuzzily, still staring at the same page.

Xander glanced at him. "You're just going to have to start over tomorrow because you can't remember what you read tonight."
 
Daizi sniffed indignantly, "Multiple times a day I sneak out of someone's room while they're sleeping without them waking."

"And during the day she naps down here," Dark added, "I am almost offended you believe we cannot be capable of stealth."
 
"Oh, I fully believe you are capable of it," Xander drawled. "You have the college stories to prove it, remember? But you also have Cooger's stories to prove you're not as stealthy as you think you are. And the longer you try to defend yourselves, the longer all of us are up."

"I think they are plenty steller," Alec mumbled.

Xander looked at him. "Right... I don't know what to do with that."
 
"We have more practice than we did when we lived with Cooger," Daizi teased, grabbing Dark's hand and leading him up the stairs.

Come morning, Amty Zeinab was awake first, and had taken it upon herself to start breakfast before anyone could fuss at her for being a guest and not allowing her family to take care of her.
 
Alec remained fast asleep on his end of the couch, but Xander woke when Zeinab started work in the kitchen. He put away his blankets and left the rest for when Alec woke. Then after a quick visit to the restroom, he went in to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Amty," he greeted her politely. "Can I help?"
 
"Sabah el kheir, Xander," Amty Zeinab replied, turning around with smile, "No, you don't need to help, habibi, let me take care of all of you. I'm sorry if I woke you, I was trying to be quiet."
 
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