How Green Becomes Wood

When Big John pressed his head to her chest, Daizi's eyes widened, but then she relaxed into it. He was just like how her children were, how Dark had been, even how Enkidu had been when he was newly rescued. So, following the safe handling technique she had been told, she gently and earnestly stroked Big John's face, gently and earnestly.

"Aren't you sweet?" She hummed, keeping her voice calm, speaking to him almost instinctually in Arabic, although she realized he probably had never heard it before, so she tried to pivot to English, "I know you must be very tired, habibi. And hungry too. I know how hard it is to accept that you're safe now, and I know that takes time... but there are so many people who are rooting for you."
 
Big John made a quiet noise when Daizi talked, and his ears turned a little, clearly listening to her. This human smelled like home. Smelled like happiness. Smelled like peace. And she was very good at using her hands to pet him. He liked that.

"Wow," Pam whispered again, watching Daizi. "We have tried literally every single tactic we could think of and done hours of research. Nothing worked." She glanced up at Dark. "It must be how she smells? That makes more sense than he is attracted to people lacking in vision."

"Mama's just really special," Alec said confidently.
 
"She is just special," Dark agreed, more than willing to accept that as the only explanation as he admired his wife caress and soothe the poor abused animal. He was entirely certain she could be the one to pull a thorn out of a lion's paw or have a unicorn fall asleep with its head in her lap. "Although, I am sure the incense and spices do not hurt either."

Daizi wasn't listening to them, more than happy to speak sweetly to the horse for as long as he needed to be hugged, telling him how he really needed to start eating again, because she felt like she should, but really just saying all of the kind things people said to any animal who needed it.
 
"I hope this makes him feel better," Xander said, watching Daizi with just a nugget of jealousy, but then he resigned himself to the agreement of she was just that special.

"Maybe we could try bringing some of the incense here or the spices," Alec suggested.

"Actually, do you mind," Pam realized Daizi wasn't listening and turned to Dark instead. "Do you think she'd mind trying to feed him? Or sticking around while I tried to feed him?"
 
"No, I do not think she would mind. I think she would find it an honour." Dark replied, bouncing Ivy who was starting to feel a bit jealous too, because why was her Mama not focusing on her like that? It didn't make sense! That was just a big dog! She was right here! Dark spoke up to break through to his wife, "Spider, Pam would like to know if you would try to feed him, or if we could stay until she tries to."

"Oh," Daizi said, turning her head slightly, "Certainly, I'd love to try to help. The poor poor thing," She cooed, tracing the curve of his cheekbone.
 
"Great! I'll be right back!" Pam hurried away to grab a bucket of grain. She came back and offered it to Daizi. "Make certain you hold it tight. Horses tend to be kind of rough in a bucket. They don't mean to be, they just don't realize what a strain it can be on the person hold it."

Big John had spent the entire time Pam was gone giving little horsey mumbles to Daizi when she would pause talking.
 
Daizi couldn't help but laugh slightly at the sweet little noises Big John made, and she spoke to him the way she spoke to Ivy, thinking he needed that level of support. When she took the bucket from Pam, she held it out to him, holding it as securely as she could, "Are you willing to eat a little bit for me, habibi?" She asked sweetly, "Just a bit? I know you're hungry."
 
The horse eyed the bucket suspiciously and shifted away from it. Then he reluctantly returned and put his nose in the bucket. He shuffled and stirred it around with his lips. It took him a bit of playing with it, but he finally took a mouthful and chewed it.

"He's eating!" Xander grinned.

Sure enough, after the first couple of reluctant bites, he settled down to actually eating. He cleaned out the bucket with careful, thorough chomps.
 
"Oh that's a good boy," Daizi praised, stroking his nose when he finished everything in the bucket, "Don't you feel so much better now? I bet you do. Oh, everyone here is just so proud of you."

Ivy squeaked, still frustrated by how much attention her mom was paying to someone other than her.

"Do not mind her," Daizi cooed, "That is my baby. She doesn't know how to share yet."
 
Pam had stepped to the side so she could have a bit of a private cry. She pulled herself together when The horse finished and retrieved the bucket. "Thanks," she said, restraining her tears. "This... this gives us hope."

Big John whickered at Daizi and enjoyed his nose rub happily.

Alec cleared his throat. "Does this mean he'll be okay?"

"Too early to tell," Pam warned, "but it is a good sign."
 
"If it's about my scent, I can bring some of the clothes I don't wear anymore to keep in his stall." Daizi suggested as she gave Big John all the love a horse could deserve. As much as she liked the idea of there being something inherently special to her, she was likely the only one there who didn't actually believe it. For all she knew there was something weird about the fact she was still nursing and that was what made her smell different from everyone else, "I would like to help, where I can. I don't want anything worse to happen to him."
 
"That's a brilliant idea!" Pam agreed, brightening. "I think that might actually work. At worst, it can't hurt. I think it's worth a try. I'll have to run it by my bosses, but I don't see why they'd object."

Big John, for his part, leaned down again and rubbed his head against Daizi's shoulder, doing his best to be gentle despite his massive size. He did glance briefly toward Ivy, curious, but Daizi was currently his entire focus.

"Everyone loves Mama," Xander remarked dryly, but he couldn't help a smile, deeply relieved. This was the most life he'd ever seen in the draft horse. If he were Alec, he'd be quivering with joy. Since he was Xander, he just gripped his hands tightly around the stall bars.

Alec nodded. "She's a miracle worker."
 
Daizi stood with Big John for as long as he needed, but when Ivy's fussing changed from 'I want Mom, why is she not paying attention to me?!' to 'I'm hungry, too!' so she gave the horse one little kiss on the head, whispered something quietly to him, and then walked over to Ivy to playfully admonish her for making such a fuss.

It was completely irrational, but she couldn't help but feel a bit guilty when she walked away from him, because, for whatever reason, he seemed to need her very much, but she knew she couldn't spend all day with him.
 
Big John watched her go, nickering softly, but then fell silent when he realized she wasn't coming back. His head dropped again, but it was not as far down this time, and he did not immediately return to his corner.

"That's the entire tour, which is good seeing as there's no way I can top that," Pam told them. "I'll walk yo back to the parking lot. Xander, your van is just how you left it."

"Thanks," Xander said. He glanced back toward Big John. "I'll see you next week, then."
 
At the sound, Daizi dropped her shoulders slightly and said sadly, "I'm sorry, I have to feed my baby. Listen to what a fuss she's making! I can't just ignore her."

Dark put his hand to the small of Daizi's back as they left the barn, "I am sure he understands, he just adores you, like the rest of us do."

"I still feel bad leaving him," Daizi admitted, over the sounds of Ivy's fussing.
 
"I felt like Aragorn," Daizi said as they walked back to the car, "Brego would have been a good name for him."

"Maybe you will be able to help him in other ways," Dark suggested, "Or they will ask you to come back, occasionally."
 
"I bet they will," Xander agreed.

"It's a strong possibility," Pam agreed.

Xander jumped, having forgotten she was with them. "Why not suggest Brego?"

Pam shrugs. "None of the people here would get the reference. Anyway, drive safe!"

They'd reached the parking lot, so Xander and Alec headed for the van to drive hom, and this time, Xander did intend to drive straight home.
 
Dark and Daizi did not immediately follow the twins home, since there was not a shot they could get Ivy home without feeding her first, so Daizi nursed in their parked car and only after Ivy was full and settled did they put her into her car seat and drove home, but they had alerted the twins this was the plan, although they suspected it was pretty obvious.

"Do you think they can differentiate her cries like we can?" Daizi asked idly on the drive home.

"I would guess so," Dark replied, "They are around her often enough. I suppose it comes down to how closely they pay attention."
 
The twins arrived home first, of course, which was not a surprise. They tidied up a little and Alec made sure to put his boots away properly. They then waited for Dark and Daizi to get home while Alec texted his friends. Xander looked at his phone idly. He hadn't done much texting since this whole thing started. Sloan would get it. They didn't text a lot. Milo, though, would Milo think he'd forgotten about him? He hadn't. He still needed to get his postcards to him. But it was odd now. He wasn't sure why. It just was.
 
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