How Green Becomes Wood

"She is growing inside me," Daizi murmured, placing her hand near Dark's on her belly, "I think she's sleeping. She was wiggling like crazy earlier, but she's stopped now. She always stops after I've been walking around." She traced a tiny heart with her finger, "She doesn't even know how much love she'll be born into," She chuckled and turned to the twins, "You're lucky I don't know what red is. But you don't have to be embarrassed, I'm not going to force you to let me touch your face."

"You should drink some water," Dark suggested.
 
"I'll get it!" Alec hurried to fetch her a glass and filled it with water before bringing it over and setting it down carefully in front of her. "There you go. You might get dehydrated after all that crying." Then he went and fetched a second glass of water, handing it to Dark. "Here, you should have a drink, too."

"So, what are you going to do with... it," Xander asked, gesturing to the baby.
 
"Thank you," Dark said, laying his hand on Alec's shoulder.

Daizi also thanked him, and then took a few sips of water before saying, "I'm not sure. Put it in the nursery, I suppose. At least until she gets here."

"We have to start seriously talking about the nursery," Dark said, settling back into his usual, resting state, "Otherwise it will be an eclectic jumble."

"I don't think babies care," She smiled, although she knew he cared. He cared a lot.
 
"No, but you two are the ones who have to live in it," Alec pointed out, "and she'll have to like it when she gets older."

"That's the biggest thing," Xander agreed. "She might not care when she's a couple of weeks old, but she will when she's our age."

"And before," Alec nodded.

"And didn't you guys have somewhere to be?" Xander asked.
 
"By the time she is your age, we will probably have allowed her to redo it. We cannot expect her to like the same thing as us." Dark said, bringing the now empty cups to the dishwasher.

"Oh, you're right, thank you," Daizi replied, standing, "I'll bring this upstairs, you both go to the car. And I'll call Sally to thank her on the drive over."
 
"Meet you in the car!" Alec called and headed for the door. He pulled on his shoes and then hesitated at the door. "Are you sure you don't want to come?"

Xander nodded. "Not my scene. Like the concert ain't yours."

"Oh. Okay," Alec said quietly, feeling stung to the core. Surely Xander didn't mean it that way, but it still felt so very strange to head out to the car without him. To open the door by himself and not have Xander there urging him to hurry up. He climbed into the car but left the door open, looking back at the house. The invitation was still open.

Xander stayed in the house, hands in his pockets, watching them leave.
 
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When Daizi came back downstairs, Dark was already in the car and had it turned on, just waiting for his wife to come and join them. Before she left, though, she went over to Xander and handed him some money, "We're going to be away during lunch. I know you're more than capable of making your own lunch, but if you wanted to order something, you can. Just be smart, okay? Enjoy having the house to yourself. Be safe, habibi." She smiled at him for a moment before finally fetching her shoes and joining her husband.

Once in the car, as promised, she called Sally on the phone, wanted to thank her more personally than a text would allow.
 
"Thanks, Daizi, I got it," Xander nodded. "Go have fun. Don't come back with anything pink or with bows on it, any of you." He tucked the money into his pocket. And watched them go.

Sally answered on the third ring, sounding distracted. "Dr. Hollis speaking. Please tell me you are the lab with my slide results." Clearly, she hadn't even glanced at the display before answering her phone.
 
"Unfortunately not," Daizi replied, chuckling slightly. Her prankster nature was overwhelmed by her not wanting to screw with someone's job, "It's Daizi, I just wanted to call and thank you for the gift, but if it's a bad time, I'll call back later!"
 
"Oh! Daizi!" Sally's voice perked up, and what sounded like chair wheels rolling on the floor echoed over the phone. "Oh, heavens, no, a distraction is just what I need at this time. I have been staring through the microscope at a culicidae's odonata for so long I feel like it's turned into one of those kaleidoscope toys. I am so happy you like it!"
 
"To be honest, I don't really know that is... Or what you mean by a kaleidoscope," Daizi said, a bit awkwardly. She had heard the word before, and knew it was something you looked through, but had no idea what happened when you looked through them. She perked up quickly, though, "And I loved it. Really. I had never--" she swallowed, "It just means so much to have been able to feel it."
 
"Oh, sorry, a mosquito's wing, and a kaleidoscope is... Never mind, not important," Sally said, brushing it off. Her voice softened. "I am glad I was able to do something like that for you. I couldn't imagine not being able to see my baby's face, so when you told me, well... It was the least I could do." She brightened a little. "Of course, the bigger she gets, the harder it is to make a full print of her. Most settle for the head and maybe the hands."
 
"It's really hard not being able to. Even with it, it's hard. But I keep telling myself for most of human history we didn't get to see our babies until they were born. And really the print," She laughed, running her hand across the widest part of of her baby bump, "it makes it seem like she's really overreacting. All of those fruit comparisons and I still always imagine her as larger than she really is. And it just makes me wish she were here already--healthy and full term, but, here. And I'm really glad to be having a daughter, could you imagine living with four boys? Five if you count my dog."
 
"It reminds me of my school days when I was forced to use a co-ed rental house. It was truly the worst place I have ever lived," Sally said dryly. "Two girls and five boys, and I am sure you can imagine the chaos and the assumptions made. Oh, hold on." A soft rustle, as though Sally covered the phone with her hand, and a muffled conversation. A moment later, Sally was back. "Darling, I must fly. The labs decided to send the results up via an intern instead of just call me. Are they trying to slow this down?" She huffed and then said more calmly. "Thank you for calling me, Daizi. We really must get together again soon. Tell all of your boys hello from me!"
 
"That sounds awful..." Daizi mused, and when Sally came back said, "Okay goodbye. I'll tell them. And you're right, we should hang out together again soon. If only our schedules cleared up too." After hanging up, she said, "Sally says hi. Remind me to tell Xander when we get home."

"I am not one of your boys," Dark protested good-naturedly.

"Yes you are, and you can't even pretend like you won't call me and this baby your girls." Daizi replied, reaching over to rub his neck, and he shook his head but knew, ultimately, he couldn't argue against it.
 
In the back, Alec smiled, but his smile faded as he looked back at the house. He understood Xander didn't like shopping, but shopping didn't seem like it was on par with a full concert. Why was he acting so petulant lately? And why, lately, did Alec just feel like curling up and crying a lot? None of it made any sense. Maybe they were hormonal. No, that didn't make sense, either. Hormones only happened to girls. At least, that's what he remembered the S-ed teacher saying. Well, not exactly, but they'd only talked about girl hormones, so that must mean boys didn't have them. He just wished the feelings would go away. And Declan. And they could be fine again.

He sighed, shook his head, and looked forward. Nope! He was not letting grouchy, party-poopers spoil his day. Or Dark and Daizi's day. He was going to help Daizi find great maternity clothes so she wouldn't feel so down about herself! And maybe Dark a cool new belt.
 
They drove the rest of the way into the city, and then very carefully down the streets as they moved through the tighter, busier streets until they made it to the parking garage nearest to the thrift store. Dark was definitely a lot more tense driving there than he was closer to home, and as they searched for a parking spot, Dark said, "I bet the attendants think I am somebody's valet."

"They don't think you're a valet," Daizi laughed, "we're in the car too."

Then, as they got out, he frowned and said, "I should have dropped you off both outside of the store and then met you after parking. I do not want to make you walk so far."

"I'm fine, Goose, take a breath. I'm nineteen weeks, movement is healthy," She took his arm, and to Alec said, "You will love this store, by the way. It is massive, and sometimes you find vintage designer pieces."
 
"Really?" Alec asked, leaning forward. "Do you think I can wear vintage designer? I don't feel ready." He looked to Dark since Daizi always told him he could wear anything. "What do you think, Professor?"
 
"I think that depends on the designer, piece, and era," Dark replied, "An Armani suit jacket? Probably not, but that is because it is not your style. One of those colourful 90s shirts? Certainly."
 
Alec sat back, satisfied. He turned, nearly remarking something to Xander, but Xander wasn't there. A touch of disappointment. No! He was not spoiling this! "Are you going to try on anything?" he asked instead. "Daizi and I are. What about you?" He trotted forward a couple of steps, focusing on his eagerness to get to the store and see what was, well, in store for him. He touched Daizi's arm lightly so she'd know where he was.
 
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