How Green Becomes Wood

"I don't really have anything else to put in it," Milo replied, shrugging, "groceries, maybe."

Tell him something mocking from me, then, Cooger replied, I can't let him be unbothered
 
"You could put your dog in the basket and take him for a ride," Alec grinned.

Xander looked up from his phone. "Cooger says 'something mocking,'" he told his foster father.
 
"I'm not sure how she would cope with it. She's a very old dog, it might give her a heart attack." Milo replied.

Dark chuckled, "He is slipping if that is the best he can come up with. You need not reply, I will speak to him when we see each other."
 
"True, or she'd love it, but it might not be worth the risk," Alec mused.

"Just be sure to be bothered. Cooger says he can't let you be unbothered," Xander said, slipping his phone into his pocket.
 
"Maybe one day I will try it, if I pedal slowly enough," Milo told Alec, looking at him briefly before turning and looking out the window. If he was being honest, he still wasn't at all certain it was a good idea, but lying and saying he would consider it seemed kinder. Everybody won, that way.

Dark glanced at Xander with a glean in his eyes, "Why would I do that? When instead I could disappoint him so sincerely?"
 
Alec glanced at Milo, amused, understanding exactly what Milo was doing because he wasn't so different. "Then again, at her age, perhaps it's best for her sake not to appease our - my - curiosity."

"Hmm, fair," Xander agreed. "Or you could pretend qnd confuse him."
 
"I wouldn't want something to happen to her. My grandma is really fond of her." Milo said as they pulled into the parking lot for his home.

"That is an idea," Dark mused, coming to a park. Then he opened the door to get out of the car and help get Milo's bike out, which immediately worried the teen.

"Oh, no, it's okay, I can get it, you don't have to," Milo said, scurrying out of the car as quickly as he could without worrying about being too hard on the door.
 
"If you don't let him help, he'll just be worried you'll scratch his car," Xander commented, leaning out the window. "Besides, he's just a little bit stronger than any of us, and taller, too, which gives him an edge when getting things out of a trunk. Let me know how the pictures go tonight."

"Have fun!" Alec called after him cheerfully.
 
Again, Milo gave in and awkwardly let Dark help him before thanking him profusely and hurrying inside as quickly as he could manage, saying his goodbyes as he went.

Dark watched all this and then got back in the car. Before taking it out of park, he looked slowly at Xander for a few moments, and although he didn't say anything, but it was clear he had opinions and concerns, but he wasn't going to say them. Instead, he put the car back into drive, and after double checking Milo had made it inside fine, began the drive back to their home, "I suppose we should have told Daizi we stopped to drop him off."
 
Xander raised a brow at Dark at the look, but since he didn't say anything, neither did Xander. "Yeah, we should have done that. Thanks for dropping him off. It was a hell of a lot easier on him."

"Don't worry! I'm texting her now," Alec said. "I am telling her that we had a slight delay, but we are on our way right now!"
 
Dark thanked him for alerting her and then drove home, turning off the car when they parked in his driveway. "I am going to go in to say hello very quickly, Xander, are you coming inside or would you prefer to wait in the car, to pressure me into not lingering too long?"
 
"Oh, I'm totally staying in the car," Xander told him. He glanced back at Alec. "You sure?"

Alec nodded and got out of the car. "Pick a safe one," he said, reaching in to squeeze Xander's shoulder gently. He turned and headed into the house.
 
"I would not allow him a dangerous one," Dark comforted as they walked into the house, "Hello, Darling. We are home."

"Took you long enough," Daizi playfully chided, joining him in the front hall, "but you aren't staying?"

"Alec is. I just wanted to stop in and see you, since I was coming home anyway. And Ivy..."
 
"Oh, she'll love that!" Daizi said happily, "You know how she adores playtime. She's just in the pack and play now with one of her toys, I set her down for the moment to get something to drink. Goose, you should go say hi quickly, I'll bet Xander is not in a particularly patient mood."

"Probably not," He agreed, heading to the living room and quickly scooping up Ivy, much to her absolute delight, "but, to be fair, it was his idea to give his friend a ride. How can he blame me now?"
 
"Easily!" Alec chirped. "But he wouldn't dare say anything and jeopardize his ride to the cars and lose his co-signer." He went to put down his stuff and get a snack from the kitchen.
 
"You shouldn't keep him waiting," Daizi said gently, taking Ivy from her husband and giving him a little kiss on the cheek, "It's a very big day for him."

"I know," Dark replied, passing Ivy off willingly, "but I still had to say hello to her. Since I was stopping in." He smoothed Ivy's hair and then walked to the front door, putting his shoes back on, "Enkidu, you are in charge." Then, he went outside, got into the car, and looked at Xander, "Do you have everything? Are you ready?"
 
"Enkidu is in charge? Should we be offended?" Alec asked Daizi, mystified.

"Yep. I checked three times before leaving this morning," Xander said. If he was Alec, he'd be vibrating qnd bouncing with excitement. Since he was him, he held even more still with sheer concentration.
 
"Enkidu has technically lived her longer than you," Daizi pointed out, nuzzling her cheek against Ivy's head, "But I think he just wanted to drive us crazy."

"Good," Dark nodded, and began the drive to the car lot, "I am proud of you."
 
"Hmm, true, but I think Ivy's been in charge since she was born," Alec grinned.

Xander glanced at Dark and then away to hide the fact that his cheeks were growing warm. "Thanks," he mumbled, his chest still feeling the warm tingle of Dark's words.
 
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