How Green Becomes Wood

"Oh, I see that," Dark agreed, eyes shining, "You are so smart, my darling girl. Truly, the most clever baby in all the world!" He leaned forward and scooped her up, covering her in kisses, thinking excitedly about the day someone would ask that question and Ivy would crawl to him. She had already grown so much, it didn't seem all that far away. Ivy was just content to be with her dad again. "Surely you have a textbook with a world map where you can check for certain?" He asked Xander, still sitting on their floor despite being in his full suit and tie, "Or, your phone?"
 
"I could, but why?" Xander shrugged. "It's probably more important to get the capital cities of the American states memorized than some country I'll never go to."

"It's Lima," Alec supplied.
 
"I do not know most American caipitals," Dark confessed, rocking Ivy, "I should, but I do not teach American history, so it is not something I have ever bothered to learn. But I am not American--well, I am, now, I suppose. But it has never affected me, not knowing, especially now we have internet everywhere."
 
Alec found his pencil and raised it up as if to underline his next statement. "The internet is not guaranteed to last forever! Information should be memorized if possible for the event that one is not within reach of either a library or the internet."

Xander frowned at him. "If the internet goes down, I don't think known state capitals will be all that useful, but have it your way." He looked at Dark. "What's for dinner?"
 
"That is true, but I still have physical maps. Anyway, I do not think we should all memorize the same information, since nobody can memorize all information in the world, we are better served by specializing. I did not specalize in the United States." He untangled his beard from Ivy's fist and told Xander what he was making, "I suppose I should get started. How was being home with them all day?"
 
"Not bad," Xander shrugged. "Pretty relaxed. Got a lot of my own work done and helped Daizi out with some stuff."

"That sounds nice," Alec said wistfully. "Next time you get suspended, will you get me suspended, too?" He ducked as Xander threw an eraser at him, intending to miss.
 
"There will not be a next time," Dark said, perhaps more forcefully than the joke necessitated, "Wait for spring break, not suspension. This should be the first break from school since summer that is easy. It is less than a month away."
 
"Ugh, fine, no suspensions, then," Xander groaned as if he'd planned on it. "So dull."

"You really need to get out more," Alec sighed.

"I'm trying! Other things like school keep getting in the way."
 
"And now we have to find time other than going to school for you to practice driving." Dark said, thinking about it, "I suppose we can ask Cooger to help... And I know Daizi is itching to get out of the house, so Cooger can drive her, you can go with when he drops her off, and then drive home from wherever she goes. If you would like to, I mean. I do not want your progress to be hampered by this."
 
"Cooger did ask if I wanted to help him out with his business," Xander mused. "That offers some other possibilities for driving. If you're willing to let me go. Seems like a cool idea to me."
 
"I do not have an issue with that as long as you are still completing your assignments. I hate suspensions because they, by necessity, mean you are taking students out of school, which makes them more likely to fall behind and drop out." He made eye contact with Xander, "I accept all paths you take in life except dropping out of high school."
 
Xander held up his hands. "I promise I will do whatever I need to do to graduate high school. No promises about college, but I can always change my mind later and do college when I'm like thirty and ancient."

"True. I'm thinking of getting my liberal arts degree," Alec mused, "but I might change my mind, too."
 
"Thirty is not ancient." Dark said blandly, one year away from forty with his infant in his arms. "Whatever you do after high school is your choice and it is very difficult to truly and permanently ruin your life. I just want you both to finish high school, you have such opportunity being here. All of us here are fortunate to have, or have had, the opportunity to go to school."
 
"Do your homework," Dark said, standing up, "Ivy, you will help Baba cook, yes? I am certain you can use a salt shaker." He squinted at her, holding her little hand, "We will test it first."

On his way to leave the twins' bedroom, he turned back and looked at them, "I could be pressuring you both to become lawyers and doctors. I do not even ask for perfect grades."
 
"You would be sourly disappointed," Xander said dryly.

Alec grinned. "I don't know. I think I'd make an excellent lawyer! No one would take me seriously, which would then be their downfall as I list off all the capitals I've memorized."

"Yes, absolutely, you would be a killer in the courtroom," Xander said, rolling his eyes.
 
"I know I would be, and I prefer my children happy, rather than forcing them to live someone else's dream. I do not even know whose dream it is. But I do believe education is important, so I have to pressure you somehow, and so I will always fuss at you to stay in school and complete your work to the best of your abilities." He looked at them for a few moments, considering saying more, but they had been doing well and weren't really planning to drop out, so he decided to leave it, and went downstairs with his daughter to cook dinner.
 
"Do all parents nag about their kids' homework?" Alec asked Xander. "That's two we've gotten that do that."

Xander shrugged and turned back to his homework. "I guess the ones that care do. It's how they try to set us up for success, I guess."

"I'll take it," Alec agreed. leaned over and focused on his part of the homework, and they talked it over together.
 
Instead of waking Daizi, Dark put Ivy in the sling and cooked with her attached to his chest, talking her through all of the steps as if she had any understanding of it. The salt shaker, unfortunately, proved still to be too unwieldy for her tiny hands, but Dark promised that was okay and assured her she was still being very helpful.

When Daizi woke up, she wandered into the kitchen to greet her husband and not long after she called the twins down to dinner.
 
Dinner was delicious, as always, and the evening wrapped up nice and quietly. Xander left at his first opportunity to go do more homework and try to finish it as fast as possible. He wasn't interested in getting it perfect - although he was putting in an effort to at least be reasonably familiar with the topics he studied and not fail. He was more interested in getting it done so he could take advantage of this "time off" given to him. For his part, Alec hung out with Dark and Daizi for a while, enjoying their company before heading upstairs to be with Xander again. So much to do, so many people to see, and so little time!
 
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