How Green Becomes Wood

"Not you, Alec, don't worry," Sloan winked. "I think it's just Noor, Milo, and," she gestured vaguely towards the other young relatives of Daizi's who, although friendly with the other people in their general age group, had largely clung with each other out of awkwardness and the language barrier.
 
"Might as well take Peter alone," Xander said, taking over pulling duties again. "You get the wagon all to yourself."

"What a privilege, thanks," Peter said dryly. "Giddyap!"

While Xander pulled Peter around at speed, Alec cautiously approached the other group of teens. Carefully, in well pronounced Arabic, he asked, "You desirous of flying?" He indicated the wagon, not knowing the word for it.
 
Saif, waved one hand hesitantly and spoke with a heavy accent, "No, no, it is okay, thank you." He seemed about as old as Hassan but couldn't look more different. While Hassan was spry if gangly, Saif was heavy set and hid behind a pair of glasses which didn't totally suit his face---although his teeth were straighter than the other boy's. "Majid and Sara, maybe," he indicated to the two twelve-year-olds who clung to him mostly because he was familiar.
 
Alec smiled at the pair. "Would you like to come?" he asked in Arabic. His pronunciation was almost flawless - almost - but he did have to hesitate and really think about each word as he spoke it.

Xander whipped Peter around in the wagon, balloons flying behind them, taking advantage of the fact that, outside of Ivy, Peter was the smallest person in their group. Peter yelled and laughed but hung on tight! When he got out of the wagon, he waved to Milo and Noor, encouraging them to come have a ride.
 
The two kids looked at each other for a moment. The boy, Majiid, said in Arabic, "We should ask our mother..." but Sara peered over at Peter going around in the wagon and then took a brief look over at the adults, and with marginally more confidence said, "I guess so. It looks fun."
 
"Excellent!" Alec grinned. "Come on. Who wants to go first?" He walked toward the others and called. "These two want a ride! Noor, Milo, do you mind waiting until after they go?"
 
"I, uhm, probably, you know," Milo stammered, taking a step back, not sure how best to explain he really didn't care if he rode the wagon or not without being rude.

Noor watched this painfully awkward boy stutter through his sentence for as long as she could before she felt her face get hot again, and then said, "I think he's good waiting. Anyway, until Ivy, those two were the babies of the family, they deserve to go first."

"I'll go before my brother," Sara said, still a little shy, "I always do."
 
"Come on," Xander said, nodding to the wagon. "Get comfortable, and make sure you feel secure, okay?" He waited patiently, letting Sara take as long as she needed before pulling the wagon along. Alec gave them a push, and Xander took her around the yard, keeping an eye on her to make sure he didn't go too fast but still trying to go fast enough to make the ride worth it.

"Next up!" Alec said cheerfully as they watched Xander go around. "How fast do you want to go, Majiid?"
 
Eman, the mother of Sara and Majid, was more than delighted to see how well these adopted boys were treating her children and after giving them a supportive nod, she walked over to Saladin and Rashid, her two uncles, to talk about it, the three of them heading inside to fetch something to drink.

Being 12, Sara really wanted to be cool and not just a little kid anymore, but she couldn't help but laugh when Xander started pulling her quickly. It would've been embarrassing, had the older kids not already been sillier about it, so surely they wouldn't judge.

Majiid watched the Wagon go and then looked at Alec, "Faster than my sister."
 
"Sure thing!" Alec said, more than familiar with sibling rivalries and wanting to be bigger, better, faster, or any other -er than the other one.

Xander gave Sara as much of a wild ride as he dared, keeping things a bit more toned down than he would have someone older than her or someone he knew better what they could handle while having fun. He pulled up to the others gathered around and jogged to a stop with some huffing and puffing. "Alright. One more wild ride, and then, unless the Mini wants another round, I'm done," Xander said, wiping some sweat off his brow.

"Majiid is next! He wants to go as fast as you can manage," Alec told him.
 
"I think you're good to rest after this," Sloan chuckled, "Unless you're too tuckered out already and need me to handle this one for you."

Sara climbed out of the wagon with a bright smile on her face and scurried to her brother, shoving him slightly, "You can't handle a faster one than I can!"

"Yes I can!"

"No you can't!"

Thus challenged, Majjid climbed in and held both sides of it, hunkering down and preparing for however fast this would go.

~~

Elsewhere in the garden, Daizi snuck away from the crowds and walked over to her apple tree, briefly running her fingers along the last few blooms of her roses before touching her hand to the pale bark of the tree. Nearer to the twins, Dark watched her and then rose to his feet, noted how Saladin had gone inside, and passed Ivy to Yasmin, only because she was near. Stopping briefly by Alec, he stooped down and whispered to him for confirmation Ivy's birthday counted as "date conditions." After receiving the answer he wanted, he walked over to his wife, "Daizi?"

Turning in surprise at him using her real name, she replied, "...Ghalib?"

Dark reached out to tuck her hair back behind her ear and then traced his finger tips along her jaw until cupping her chin in his hand, tipping her face upwards, "Thank you." Secure in the knowledge the yet-fallen leaves of the tree and the flurry of motion elsewhere in the party kept them mostly obscured from view, he bent and kissed her sweetly for the first time since the accursed bet began. Date conditions meant they only got two, so he forced himself to pull away, savoring the way stars danced in her eyes as he did. "None of this would exist without you. Thank you for our daughter. Thank you for our family."

Keeping her hands on his shoulders so she didn't topple over, because for some reason it seemed her knees weren't as strong as they were a moment ago, she shook her head softly, "You don't have to---"

"No, I do." He murmured, caressing her cheek with his thumb, "I do. Thank you, Daizi. You have made me a very happy man. I know all of this has been hard on you, in so many ways, and I do not have the words to express my gratitude. I love you, Spider."

"I love you too," She murmured, pressing her face against his palm as he dried her tears before burying her face in his chest. When they pulled out of their embrace, she smiled slightly, holding tightly to his hand, "I guess we should go open presents?"

"Ah, I suppose it is that time," He glanced over his shoulder, "But I have one endeavor first."
 
Xander rolled his shoulders. "Nah, I got this. Last one." His muscles were aching and his legs tired, but he wasn't at his limit yet. Close, but not quite. "Let's go!"

He made sure Majiid was secure, and then, with a push from Peter to get them started, he headed out and around. He started out slower, as he always did, but picked up speed as quickly as he could manage. He didn't go as fast as he was possibly capable because that felt a little reckless and without enough control, but he still managed a good head of steam. He whipped them around in a big circle and then came panting up to the pickup/drop-off point.
 
"He'll be sore tomorrow," Sloan told Alec, "but at least he's enjoying himself."

Like his sister, Majiid tried to be cool at first about the wagon ride, but unlike her, when it really started to go quickly, despite his adamance he needed to go quicker than her, he ended up hunkering down out of fear he'd be bounced right out, whereas she stayed upright the full time.

"That was very fast," He said dizzily when he stepped out, annoyed by how delighted his sister was by this.

~~

Walking away from Daizi, Dark scanned the backyard for a certain red head, who he saw once more chatting up Lex. Descending upon him like a shadow, Dark looped one arm around Cooger's shoulders with a visible grin. Never a good thing.

"So." He murmured into Cooger's ear, "You set down my infant."

"oh no."

"Let us take a walk, shall we?" He immediately began to steer Cooger away towards his woodworking shed while his friend cried out.

"Lex! Lex help me! Save me!"

"Oh my friend," He did not stop dragging his friend along, "There is nobody who can save you."
 
"Oh, he is having a blast!" Alec snickered. "An absolute blast! This is better than our last birthday party."

"Glad to have another satisfied customer," Xander smirked and sat down sideways in the wagon for a break. "Good thing we're done, though, or we might have started wearing a circle in the yard."

~~

Lex heard Cooger's cries and moved to where she could see him. She sucked a hissing breath through her teeth and shook her head. "Sorry, mate. I'm really fond of you, but I've got a son who still needs me for at least until the end of his high schooling. You're on your own, but I will say something really touching at your funeral."
 
"If you had, I'd have skinned you alive," Daizi teased, walking up to them. "It sounded like fun, though, and you finished at a good time. We're about to do presents."

"No! Please!" Cooger cried out, not caring about the attention he caught from the other guests as he was shoved into the woodworking shed.
 
"Oooo, presents! This is going to be fun," Alec grinned. "I can't wait until she sees Xander's gift."

Xander tossed a bit of grass at Alec. "Don't spoil it!"

"Better make it quick, your daughter's about to open her gifts," Lexlaughed.

"Dark, Darling, no murdering your friends on your daughter's birthday. It is not good manners," Sally called to him casually.
 
"He may be wild, but he's mine," Daizi sighed lovingly, completely in support of her husband murdering their oldest friend on their daughter's birthday. Although maybe it'd be better form if they waited until cake. Whatever happened inside of the shed was a mystery, but when the door opened and Cooger was tossed out, Dark was acting as if all was forgiven.

"Right, should we open the presents inside or outside?" He asked.

"Inside, I think," Daizi giggled, "Otherwise we have to bring everything out here and then bring it right back inside when we try to find a home for it."
 
The twins surrendered the wagon to Cooger, having paid no attention to the Cooger-Dark fight, and then headed inside with Peter in tow.

Lex went to Cooger, smirking. "Did he give you a right hiding, then?" she asked. She offered him her arm. "Come on. Babies wait for no one."
 
"I don't want to talk about it," Cooger grumbled, mostly playing into the bit. Mostly.

Feeling more than satisfied, Dark reclaimed his baby and lifted her up above his head, kissing her tummy as all of the guests gathered in the living room. It didn't take long for all the presents to be assembled in front of them--well, all but one--and Dark and Daizi sat beside each other on the couch with Ivy between them. Raising her head and trying to hear their voices, Daizi asked about the twins, wanting them to sit beside her.
 
Lex patted his shoulder sympathetically and rubbed his back. "It'll be alright now," she soothed, leading him along.

The twins had a hard time getting to Daizi, especially Xander as he tried not to touch anyone, but they got through and found their places next to her as she requested. Alec sat directly next to her with Xander on the far side, and Xander reached over to tug her sleeve and told her verbally where he was.
 
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