How Green Becomes Wood

"I am absolutely certain if we wait to eat until she comes down she will be annoyed that we did not eat because we were worrying about her," Dark replied, texting Daizi some sweet loving response that would make Xander gag.

It was, perhaps, the only thing he believed without a doubt. If it weren't for Alec, he might have chosen to wait, but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that considering Alec's issues with eating, she would not want them to wait for her.
 
"Good, 'cause I never did like cold soup," Xander remarked, plunking down into his chair. He tore off a piece of his bread, dunked it, and took a bite. "Not bad," he mumbled with a full mouth. "Not bad at all. Still not fantastic, but better."

Alec tore off a smaller piece of his own bread and looked at it. "Why does torn bread taste better than cut bread? And does it really, or is it all psychological?"

"No idea, but it tastes even better in soup," Xander hinted.

Alec dipped his bread as indicated and tried a bite. "Not one of your best efforts, but still very good."
 
"It feels more natural," Dark said, tearing a piece of bread, "in my country, we eat with our hands a lot. Big, communal meals, all together, just with our hands. Well. Hand, we can only eat with our right hand. I mean, I never got to have the big meals, unless I snuck my place into someone else's table, my family had so little. But in theory." He dunked his bread into his soup, with his right hand, and then eating it says, "It is good. If we make it again, I am sure there are modifications we can make, but... It is good."
 
"How does a communal meal work?" Alec asked curiously. "I've heard of them, and of eating without using utensils, but it seems so... alien. Do you use bred to just... scoop or something? Lick your fingers?"
 
"No you do not lick your fingers," Dark replied, amused, "but when we have a meal like tashreeb, we have the stew in a center in a big bowl and then we just tear the bred to eat it. But you know, if you do not have enough plates for everyone, eating all together like that is easier. And Iraq is so old..."
 
"It sounds warm and inviting," Alec smiled.

"I'd rather not get that close to anyone else," Xander said, making a face. "Double dipping. Gross."

Alec smiled and raised a finger. "I read a very interesting article related to the spread of germs with double dipping, and it turns out-"

"Oh, shut up and eat your soup"

Alec smirked but did just that.
 
"You are very concerned about germs," Dark remarked, "but no, it is good. Not all of our meals are eaten like that, but it is nice. I have good memories of sneaking my way into a neighbor's meal, my family could never... Do you know, I never had breakfast until I came to the United States? It is not big in Iraq anyway, but my family... I ate very little at home. If I was able to eat what I should have, I would probably be seven feet tall."
 
"Like you aren't," Xander grumbled in regard to Dark's germ remark. He picked up his bowl and gulped down the last of his soup.

"I thought you were seven foot tall," Alec said curiously. "Exactly how tall are you, then? Six-foot and eleven inches?
 
"I am 6'8," Dark replied, "so just over half a foot off from being seven feet. Which is good, it is hard enough being my height, because everything is too small, if I were taller I do not think I would ever be comfortable anywhere. And Daizi is just under six feet by about a quarter of an inch, so I already feel much, much taller than she is. If I were an entire foot taller than her, then--"

"Then what?" Daizi asked, coming slinking down into the dining room. She was wearing big, fuzzy socks, so her footsteps had been muffled. She rubbed her back with one hand and still looked very tired.

"Then I would have to bend down that much further to kiss you," Dark replied, "are you feeling any better?"

"No... Well, I'm glad that I slept. So I guess a bit better, but besides that..." She shrugged, sitting in her usual chair, "and I feel uncomfortably large. I just... I don't know how I'll manage being as big as I'm bound to be in November."

"You will manage. Are you hungry?" Dark assured her, standing to go fetch the soup they left warming for her.
 
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"You are pretty big," Xander agreed, "but you make it look good. Want anything in particular?"

Alec frowned at Xander and addressed Daizi. "How can I help? Can I make you comfortable somehow?"
 
Dark gave Xander a look for his comment, but Daizi only chuckled at it, "Well, thank you. And no, I don't need anything special, I just..." She paused, changing positions, laying one hand on her belly. Her face didn't look too different from when the baby kicked a bit too hard, "I just need to rest, I think. You don't have to fuss."

"Here," Dark said, handing her the bowl, "it is red lentil soup. We kept yours having softer flavours, because you said you were nauseous, but I can go make a bowl of the more flavourful version, if you like."

Daizi gave a small smile up at him, but there was some strange and subtle new quality to her voice, "No this will be fine, thank you for thinking of me. I really, don't worry yourselves over me, you've got a mere five days of Fall break, don't waste a moment worrying about me."

"Are you going to go into work tomorrow?" Dark asked, handing her the bread.

This question was the first one that made her frown at all, "I don't know yet," and then she tasted the soup, "I get what you mean about it having a more muted flavour profile. But it's good, I like it. I'll have to try the other version."
 
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"Worrying about the people you love is never a waste," Alec told her sternly, bringing her a cup of water to drink. "And you mus be dying despite your protests to the contrary. I don't think you've ever taken a full day off since we've been with you."

"No, she has," Xander corrected. "Except it's usually been for us, not for herself. Would you rather she go in while feeling awful?"

Alec made a face. "Of course not!"
 
"That's true, and thank you," Daizi replied, tucking her hair back, taking the cup from him, "when my morning sickness was really bad there were a few days I took off. But I don't try to miss work."

"Unless one of us need you," Dark replied, putting his hand over hers, leaving the rest of his sentence unspoken.

Daizi's shoulders sagged slightly, turning her hand over so they could hold hands, "Then I'm really lucky you're all on break right now."

Then, Daizi began slowly eating, occasionally making the same face she had earlier, until, with her soup only half eaten, set down her spoon and raising her head, "Dark, you need to take me to the hospital. I'm having contractions."
 
Alec felt the world fall out from under him. She was having contractions? But she wasn't supposed to! This was bad! Did that mean the baby was going to die? Did that mean Daizi was going to die? What did that mean?? He gripped the edge of the table, trying not to hyperventilate. He couldn't let Daizi know how freaked out he was. She would try to comfort him, and this was about her, not him. He could not take the focus away right now.

Xander, for his part, had a very different reaction. He nearly swallowed his own tongue and choked briefly. "I'm sorry, you're having what now?" he half-squeaked. "What's happening?"
 
Dark stood quickly, many different emotions rapidly washing over him in quick succession, all hidden just beneath the surface. He tried, desperately, to think of something to say, but he was caught up in the basic facts, remembering how it had been last time. He put one arm around her waist.

"I've not had a lot, and they're irregular. But we have to go." Daizi replied, very much surpressing her own fears, "Call my doctor, okay?"

This command was enough to pull Dark back together enough to say, "Yes, I will call," he turned towards the twins, "You may want to stay here, if it is... happening, I do not want you stranded."

Daizi took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, "I could be in labour, I might not be, if I am there are medicines they can use to halt it. But it may not work. So we don't know, but they'll check on her, make sure she's okay. But we have to go."
 
Xander put a hand on Alec's shoulder to keep him grounded. "Then go. Don't worry about us. Seriously, we're fine and at the bottom of your priorities?"

Alec stirred and managed to pull himself together. "What do you need? Can I help you pack? How can I help? Is your cane in reach? Do you want a water bottle?"
 
"I don't want to waste time packing, but thank you," Daizi said, already going to the front hall for her shoes, "they may send us straight back home, and that's what I am hoping for." She stepped into her slip-on shoes and pulled on her coat, not caring at all that she was in her pajamas. It was only as she reached for the front door that the panic and fear she was trying to surpress boiled over and showed in her face.

Immediately, Dark was by her side and he steadied her, telling her something soft and quiet in Arabic. She raised her head, and took a deep breath. And then another, "We will let you know what is happening." Dark promised the twins, opening the door for Daizi.
 
"Be safe, please," Alec called after them. It was only after the door closed that he whispered, "Please come home."

Xander squeezed Alec's shoulder, swallowing down his own fears and shoving them into a little ball in the corner. "Come on. Let's clean the kitchen. We don't want them coming back to a dirty kitchen, especially Da. He's got enough to worry about."

Alec nodded and pulled his eyes away from the door. "Right. You're right. We should tidy up and make certain everything is as it should be."
 
"It's too early." Daizi said, sitting shocked into perfect stillness.

"I know," Dark replied, starting the car, "it will be okay. It is not like last time. The baby is older, and you felt her moving today, right? I felt her this morning."

"I feel her," Daizi replied, doing her best not to crumble.

"Then we know she is alive," Dark said, putting his hand on Daizi's arm for as long as it was safe to while driving.

"That was another one," She said, forcing herself to breathe.

"We should have been timing them."

"Your hands are shaking," Daizi remarked, "You need to call the doctor."

Dark stole a glance at her and said, "I know they are." And then, using his phone's voice commands, called Daizi's obstetrician to let her know what was going on.
 
Xander and Alec tidied the house and did everything they could to prepare for Dark and Daizi's return, but with how fastidious Dark was, there wasn't much to do. Xander eventually went to his little shed out back to work on his leather while Alec went to his room to draw out his feelings, pausing now and then to text Peter and Sloan. He didn't tell them what was happening yet since there was no concrete news as to what, exactly, was happening, but texting them did help keep him calm while they waited.
 
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