How Green Becomes Wood

"I am sure I will be awake, babies are not known for sleeping in." Dark replied, not totally understanding why Xander didn't just talk to him now, but guessing it was just too exhausting an evening to ask whatever he needed to ask.

By the time Sloan came out of the bathroom and tried to slink back to the living room, the bed was made up like a couch for her. "Let me know if you need any more blankets," Daizi told her when she heard her come back.

Sloan looked blankly at them, and knew that it didn't matter if they gave her the single thinnest blanket ever woven, she would have said, "This is fine. Thank you," but somewhere inside, she was glad it wasn't.

"Dark is just in the kitchen, he was going to leave ibuprofen on the coffee table for you tomorrow. Just in case." There were a few moments of awkward silence as they stood facing each other, until Daizi finally asked, "Do you need a hug, Sloan?" Again, a few awkward moments passed, but she nodded, when she was able to allow herself to, which of course Daizi couldn't see, and upon realizing her mistake, Sloan just shuffled forward, which was enough confirmation Daizi needed to pull her in. They stood like that for a little while, Daizi rubbing Sloan's back, and she told her, "You're a good person, habibti. I promise this is not all there is for you." Then, when it felt right, she pulled away and said, "Get some sleep. Everything will be okay."
 
The next morning, the twins rose much earlier than they normally would have, especially on a Saturday. Alec sleepily started looking for a hoody and a coat that Sloan could wear, and after some hesitation, he pulled out the blue-grey coat he wore less and less. It still looked alright, if a little shabby after years of wear, and he was known for it, so that would definitely make her look more like him. It looked like it would fit her perfectly!

Meanwhile, Xander dressed and went down to the kitchen to see about breakfast, if no one had already beaten him to it. He still needed to ask Dark about the car and talk to him.
 
Dark was downstairs in the kitchen, trying to cook as quietly as possible, because Sloan was still asleep on the couch. The night before, Daizi had told him a little bit about the twins' plan to smuggle her out of the house, and although this was not the reason why he was awake so early--that was the result of the little girl being fed her breakfast upstairs--it was why he was already cooking.

"Good morning," he said when Xander entered, "I hope you got some sleep last night."
 
"Little bit," Xander said, rubbing the back of his head. "Had a dream cookies were chasing me through an evil clown's fun house." He stepped up and looked for something he could help with in the breakfast-making. "Um. I... I forget sometimes that you... that you trust me as much as you do," he said hesitantly, eyes focused on anything but Dark. "I get focused on what needs done, and I forget that you can help or at least won't stop me. And... I get tunnel vision, I guess. Just think, 'gotta get there and fix the thing' and forget everything else."
 
Dark listened carefully as Xander spoke, taking a step to the side to make more room for Xander so he could take an active role in preparing their meal, "Do you need help?" he asked when Xander had finished speaking. Truly, he did think this was likely an apology, or an explanation, but considering the circumstances, it seemed far more pressing to see if there was something immediate he was trying to work up the courage to ask for.
 
Xander shook his head. "Not right now. Well, I guess I need to ask if I can borrow the car again so I can give Sloan a ride to go get her car, but, no, don't think so. Just... maybe I should have told you more last night."
 
"I agree, you should have." Dark replied, turning on the stove top, "I understand going into crisis mode and only seeing the most direct way to solve the problem, you have seen me in crisis enough. But, had you taken a moment last night, how do you think I would have responded if you had told me the truth?"
 
Xander hesitated, coming to a standstill as he thought it over. "Maybe the same as you did, or maybe you would have gone with me, I think," he said slowly. "Either way, I don't think you'd have freaked. Not really."
 
"Going forward, if you ever think someone is in danger, you do not have to be worried about telling me that. If someone needs help, I am never going to tell you not to help them." Dark said simply, "I am not saying this to lecture you, I just hope you keep it in mind in case you ever find yourself in a similar situation."
 
"I hope I won't, but knowing this group..." Xander trailed off with a shrug. "I'll tell you from now on." After a moment, he asked, "So, can I borrow the car? Or do you want to drive her back?"
 
"You can borrow the car. I am sure it would be more comfortable for you to take her than for me to. Or, if she is comfortable with you driving her car, the two of us can get it, and then all her parents would see if they look out is her car returning..." He thought about how likely it would be for her parents to see their daughter's car return but not notice she didn't get out of it, and then said, "If you dress her up like Alec like you were discussing, have her go on a walk around the corner, you could meet her there, then have her drive the rest of the way. And then you could get back into my car, and then the same number of people in cars return home. But I doubt they would be so observant."
 
"I figured we'd go together in your car, and she'd leave the clothes she dressed up in in the car and drive her own car back," Xander said slowly as he tried to follow what Dark was saying. "I figured they wouldn't care enough to notice that only I came back and not Alec. I would want to make sure she got her car safely and without being harassed if anyone's still hanging around the party house."
 
"They probably would not, and even if they did, and they brought it up, you could say he went to visit someone," Dark agreed, "but if you wanted to be absolutely certain there were no loose ends..." A small grin played at the corner of his mouth, the look of someone who had done more than his share of sneaking in his lifetime, "It is convoluted and overthought, but I can draw a diagram of it."
 
Xander eyed Dark for a moment. "You know, you are having too much fun planning this out. You should have taken a job in tactics or something. Covert ops. Spy work, but only the planning side of things." He turned back to what he was doing. "I'll ask Sloan what she wants to do. If she's fine with me driving, we'll do it your way. If not, I guess we'll do it my way or think of a third way that's even more convoluted."
 
"I do not relish we have to make a plan," Dark replied, "but there is some level of... nostalgia in being undetected. But really, the simplest path is probably for the best. We will see what she prefers, though, with how her parents are, being extra cautious may be more comforting to her."
 
Xander nodded. "Right." He paused and glanced back toward the living room. He didn't see any movement yet, so he lowered his voice even farther and asked, "What's your advice for catching someone cheating? Other than burying them, obviously."
 
"Not me!" Xander said quickly. He glanced toward the living room again. "I'm not supposed to share details, but, basically, that's one of the reasons she was in rough shape last night. And the other... person," his lips curled slightly, "is getting off scot-free. Probably should let things be and not make it worse, but it's just... not fair, you know?"
 
"I see." Dark said, nodding slowly. "I have never been on the cheated-on side of a relationship. I would say fortunately were it not for the side I was on, which I am not proud of. But I think, as with all things, you should listen to what the person who was hurt by the scenario would want, and support them, rather than taking the matter into your own hands. It is... tempting, to want to light a fire and do something to get back at the person who hurt your friend, but if that would also hurt your friend, what are you doing it for? If it is something she wants, that is one thing, but I would start with talking to her and seeing what she needs."
 
Xander grumbled softly, not liking the answer, but he knew Dark was right. He didn't have to like it to know it was true. "I guess so. Be much more satisfying to do something about it." He turned and started setting the table. Taking care of other people's problems was not easy! Trying to not take care of them was even harder.

Alec came down with the hoody and coat folded up neatly and went to see who was up and who wasn't.
 
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