How Green Becomes Wood

"I think..." Daizi paused, thinking about it, "Just to have it on the books to be certain there's no question of relationship, probably. I wouldn't use it professionally."

"And I do not think most people would begin to call me Wahid-Dark," Dark joked.
 
"I don't know. Ghalib Marzuq Wahid-Dark is an amazing name," Xander remarked. "Almost as awesome Xander Wahid-Dark."

Alec cleared his throat. "Aren't you missing something?"

"No, I don't think so," Xander said, shaking his head.

"Maybe one of the names?"

"Nah, I don't know what you're talking about."

"No... Tobin... in the line-up?" Alec teased.

Xander glared. "Well, Hawkins, if you insist."

"Hey! Alec Hawkins Wahid-Dark is a fabulous name! It's like a slow build from awesome to awesomer to awesomest!"
 
"I try to ignore Tobin," Dark replied, biting back a smirk, "I am afraid Hawkins is cooler than Tobin."

"Well," Daizi began with full intention to cut off her own sentence. "Ghalib Marzuq Wahid-Dark, Daizi Samira Wahid-Dark, Xander Tobin Wahid-Dark, Alec Hawkins Wahid-Dark, Ivy-Qadira Hala Wahid-Dark."
 
"Wow, that's a lot of names," Alec whistled. "A lot of great names!"

"Xander is still the coolest individual name," Xander defended himself.

"Ivy has the coolest and most hyphenated name," Alec stated.

"Was something supposed to come after that name list?" Xander asked Daizi, "or did you forget where you were going with that 'well?'"
 
"Who, me?" Daizi asked, touching her fingers to her chest as she feigned innocence, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Ivy should have the greatest name, we spent ages choosing it." Dark said, taking a quick glance at his baby through the rear view mirror.
 
"Ghalib Marzuq isn't far behind Ivy's name, in my opinion," Alec told them, leaning forward. "And from what I hear, not short to pick, either!"

Xander snickered and leaned back, closing his eyes briefly. He was starting to come down a little from the high of the courtroom, and now he was ready for a brief rest before jumping into the house party.
 
"Ghalib was easy," Daizi smiled, rubbing Dark's arm, "There was no other name for him."

Dark smiled softly and pulled in to the ice cream shop, "It is better than the one I was born under, and that is what I cared most about."
 
"Ice cream!" Alec cheered.

Xander stretched and got out of the car, letting Alec clamber out after him. Alec grabbed the diaper bag as he went and told Daizi he had it. They waited for their parents and little sister to be ready and for Cooger, and then they all went in for ice cream. The twins had their choices picked out for a single scoop, both wanting it in a small cone, and they were satisfied. Ice cream after an event was always the perfect choice.
 
Once more, Ivy was forbidden from having ice cream, due to the added sugar, but Daizi promised she only needed to wait five days. Just five days. Dark and Daizi also got a single scoop, and Cooger only got the single one because otherwise he'd feel weird. He did pay for all of it, though (it helped they went to the place he got free ice cream at). His family deserved a treat.

They couldn't spend too long there, of course, because they had a party to get to and makeup to fix, but it was nice to share a quiet moment as a family before all of their guests arrived.
 
The twins enjoyed their quiet time, even Alec, and they sampled each other's ice cream and talked about spring break plans.

"Hey, by the way, Cooger, can I come with you on a couple of jobs?" Xander asked his uncle. "I have something I want to save up money for."
 
"Oh sure," Cooger agreed, "Just need your availability. I'm sure I can schedule stuff you can do around it."

"What are you saving up for?" Daizi asked, cradling Ivy, who was getting sleepy, in her arms.
 
Xander wrote down the hours he was available - which was most of the hours he would normally be in school plus the other hours had free normally outside of Judo and therapy with the horses - and handed Cooger the napkin.

"Is it a trip to Greenland?" Alec teased as Xander wrote.

"No, it's not a trip to Greenland," Xander said, rolling his eyes. "I doubt I'll ever actually go. It'd be like meeting your hero. All the magic would be gone. I'm saving up to try to get one of those leather sewing machines so I can work more efficiently. I can get stuff done faster and then be free to either take on more commissions or have time to practice different techniques instead of taking the time to poke holes in leather."

"Oh, very cool," Alec nodded.

"You want to come along and get more money to buy more clothes that won't fit in your closet?" Xander asked.

"No, I'm good. I have other plans," Alec said.

Xander frowned in confusion. He didn't remember Alec mentioning other plans.
 
"Christmas is also coming up," Dark reminded Xander, bringing the empty ice-cream cups to the trash.

"What plans do you have, Lil' Sage?" Cooger asked, tipping his chair back, "What keeps you too busy to help your favourite uncle out?"
 
"Yeah, but I don't think you want to shell out 500 bucks for a used machine, or a new one, for that matter," Xander drawled. "I've almost got enough. Just need a bit more to buy a nice one and some good second-hand leather to work with it."

"Well, for one thing, I don't think you want to see how I paint a room or fall off a ladder gracefully. I was thinking about asking my second favorite uncle if I could have a couple of extra hours at his work," Alec said with a twinkle in his eye. "I'm better with flowers than a hammer. And I thought I'd spend time with friends instead of turning into a work-a-holic, but I can totally come by your place - if someone will give me a ride - and help you out with your cats."
 
"We could split the cost," Dark replied, "It is so difficult every holiday and birthday, anytime either of you want something, you buy it for yourselves."

"I'll try not to be offended by that," Cooger teased with a grin, "But I'll be glad to have you over to help the cats."
 
Xander considered this and had to admit that Dark had a point. "Alright. How about I pick one out, tell you the price? You can decide how much you want to put toward it after that."

"I would be delighted to! Really!" He paused and said slyly, "Maybe Lex would be willing to give me a ride."
 
"That sounds workable," Dark agreed with a satisfied nod, "Sometimes, we deserve to treat you instead of always being beaten to the punch." He looked at Alec, "I can drive you, it is no problem."

"Or he can walk," Cooger drawled, "Even if Lex did come over, why would you be there too?"

"You're not beating the allegations if that's your argument against it," Daizi teased.
 
"Well, if Lex is there, then she can help you out with some things in the house, for example, and I could do some things out of the house, like feeding chickens or fetching wild geese," Alec said cheerfully.

Xander snickered. "You are very smooth. You both are. It's incredible to watch."
 
"I thought your goal was to help your uncle with his cats," Dark said casually, as though it were nothing.

"I think he'll be quite capable of handling those cats on his own," Daizi teased, shifting how she had Ivy, who had completely flopped down, completely asleep.

Dark shook his head, inhaling sharply between his teeth, "I do not know about that."

"Wow," Cooger said crossing his arms, "I get y'all free ice cream, and this is how I'm treated."
 
"You got ice cream, too," Alec grinned. "And you have a great idea for a potential play date!"

"With a chaperone," Xander pointed out. "Sounds like an awesome play date. Going to a guy's house to see his cats with his nephew hanging around. Fantastic."
 
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