How Green Becomes Wood

"If it's just a pool party, I'll be very disappointed," Cooger chuckled.

~~

Hassan stared at Xander, genuinely floored, "Were you aware football was played with a ball before a few days ago? It also isn't played with helmets."

"You can use bedsheets, if you didn't think it would make Mr. Dark implode," Sloan pointed out.

~~

Daizi's expression didn't change when Tristan explained that. Her feelings on it were still complicated, but they were hosting a party. The night before she told Tristan he would come to the party and they'd eat cake, and to that she held as she excused herself to allow more guests in. Following in awkwardly behind Spencer and Mittz was Milo, who briefly regretted his decision to arrive at the sight of the number of guests.

"I am the CFO for our family buisness," Rashid replied simply, "How about you?"
 
"Yeah? What if it was a 'no swimsuits required' pool party?" Lex teased.

~~

"Dude," Xander said to Hassan, wanting him to lay off.

"I know of some spare sheets that aren't in the greatest shape. I can get those, and you guys can set up the goal posts," Alec said, moving away.

Xander nodded and headed for the back. "If we set up the goals now, then they'll be ready for whenever we get around to playing."

"Great idea!" Peter agreed, following. "Hassan, I'm a little rusty, so maybe you can help us figure out where to put the goals. The yard obviously isn't the size of a football field. It's nice to have someone around who calls it the right name, you know?"

~~

"I primarily analyse data for the company," Ciara replied briefly. She continued to make the usual kind of small talk expected of people at functions like this, acting like it was a company party or similar. It was mostly the same idea, after all, but with a very different focus as to why they were assembled.

Tristan noted Milo first and excused himself, wheeling over toward him. "Milo, right?"
 
"In that case, then I really hope it's a heated pool, and I really, really hope you don't invite your neighbors," Cooger couldn't help but laugh, "You don't want to see Dark's tattooed ass."

~~

Hassan looked back at him because it wasn't like he was a netball player. He truly, truly could not fathom someone who didn't know soccer goals used nets but did know that sometimes players used their heads and chests. How could you watch those videos without ever noticing a soccer goal. It was only the most popular sport in the world! He turned and followed after Peter frowning.

Noor only rolled her eyes, not quite sure how Xander somehow missed something as simple as nets on goals either, but that wasn't her buisnes, "Whatever you want, but don't set yourself on fire."

~~

Rashid, despite his initial introduction, was generally a polite and easy to talk to man, although at times the times he grew up in shown through. Certainly, he was more easy going than Saladin, but in defense of Daizi's father, since their talk, he had been doing his best to keep his opinions about Dark to himself as he milled about.

"um. yeah. hi." Milo replied, looking at Tristan and holding tight to his camera. "I um. I'm looking for Xander. And, uhm. I guess." He had a manilla envelope tucked underneath one arm, but he wasn't sure if it was something that should go on the gift table or not.
 
Lex couldn't help laughing. "I take it you've seen it more than once."

~~

"Eh, fire's not too bad as long as there's dirt around," Xander said casually. "The bad bit is if your shirt melts to your skin."

Peter stopped, holding the door open for Noor, expecting her to follow. "I'm sorry, what? How would you know that?"

"Caught my sleeve in a firepit when I was six," Xander said with a shrug. "I got a scar on the back of my arm, but it wasn't too bad."

"Let's try to not top that," Peter said weakly.

~~

Ciara talked with him until she felt the conversation was winding to an end. She left Rashid and started drifting across the room quietly, visually mingling even if she wasn't talking.

Tristan smiled at him. "They are going to be glad to see you," he said in a low voice. "I think I last saw them over that way." He indicated the direction.

Alec came walking by with four old sheets at that moment, and he lit up when he saw Milo. "Hi, Milo! I'm glad you made it!"
 
"Before and after," Cooger shook his head, "We lived together a long, long time."

~~

"It's your sister's birthday party, I think anyone being caught on fire would mean you're dead. If the fire doesn't do it, Mr. Dark will," Sloan pointed out with a laugh.

~~

Milo nodded, beginning to walk in that direction, stopping only when he saw Alec, "oh, hi. Um. I brought pictures from the adoption party."

~~

As Ciara wandered, a woman with short black hair, red lipstick, and a suit came up to Ciara, "Ms. Cunningham, I believe?" She extended one hand, "My name is Spencer, I'm one of Daizi's friends."
 
"You gotta have a lot of dirt on the guy you're never going to tell anyone else, don't you?" she asked with a cheeky grin. "And you never use it for your own gain, do you?"

~~

"Good point," Xander agreed. He went and fetched six sticks of close to the same length and brought them over to Hassan. They weren't quite goal regulation size, but they would likely do for a quick backyard game. The next step was to get them to stay put.

~~

"You did? Thanks!" Alec grinned, glancing at the envelope in Milo's hand. "That is really kind of you. Did you want to look at them together? Or should we look at them later?"

~~

"Hello, Spencer, yes, I am Ms. Cunningham," Ciara greeted her, returning her handshake firmly but not gripping too tightly.
 
"I've got three kinds a dirt, the kind I tease him about, the kind I can bring up to get him to do shit for me, and the kind I'll take to my grave," Cooger chuckled, shaking his head, "I'm well within my rights to tease the bastard for the time he fainted getting a flu shot, but I gotta make sure I don't actually hurt him. And if the wrong person tries to make the jokes I do, I'll kick their ass."

~~

Sloan followed after them, amused by how quickly this had been set in motion, telling Noor to come too, and for once she actually listened.

Outside, Dark was squatting by the fire with his arms crossed over his knees, intently watching his fish and poking at the fire. When the teenagers started coming outside, he only barely glanced up.

~~

"I've heard a lot about you," Spencer said pleasantly and politely, "Are you enjoying the party?"
 
"Sounds right for any long friendship and sibling relation," Lex grinned. She nodded toward the group of people. "Think we should be more involved?"

~~

Jack lifted his lemonade in salute to the group and turned back to watching Dark. Somehow, he doubted the fish needed to be watched this closely, but he wasn't the expert so he kept his mouth shut except for the occasional short question or comment.

Xander followed Hassan's instructions as to where to put the goals and shoved the makeshift stakes into the ground. Peter helped him tie the top stick into place, and then all they needed was a sheet from Alec. Wherever he'd gotten off to.

~~

"Yes, thank you," Ciara said automatically. Her mind shifted through the mental filing cabinet of names until it found Spencer's and the relevant conversation concerning her. "You are the friend that recently got married, yes? Congratulations." She did not support same-sex marriage, but she would rather visit an anthill with a jar of honey than be rude or negative about it in public. Especially not while at someone else's party.
 
"Probably. If we go outside, it may encourage other guests to, I know that was their expectation. Instead pretty much everyone is crowded around inside, as if it's not warm enough to still go out," He paused as he walked that way, "Then again, most of the guests are from Egypt."

~~

True to Cooger's implication, Noor shivered and moved towards the fire, but Hassan was moving around too much to feel it. Even without the nets, he had already started dribbling the ball.

~~

After what felt like an awkward amount of time to pause, Milo looked at Alec, a bit wide-eyed, "I've already seen them all because I developed them. I just wanted your family to have these copies, so you can just keep them and go through them whenever you like."

~~

"I did, in September. Thank you." Spencer replied simply, not bothering to point out her wife (who was at that moment laughing loudly and earnestly at a story Amira told). Daizi had been sure to forwarn both of them Ciara probably wouldn't approve, and although she didn't feel totally comfortable around someone who didn't think her marriage should be valid, she'd play nice. "I hear you're in an important line of work."
 
"Let's get them moving then!" Lex said cheerfully, leading the way. She paused at the door, looking around. "What is all this? Is there a soccer tournament I didn't get to hear about?"

~~

"Noor, how's that look?" Xander called to her. "Are these things in line?"

~~

"Thank you, Milo," Alec said sincerely. He shifted his load so he could clasp Milo's upper arm briefly. "Hey, the others are all outside. Give me a minute to put the pictures somewhere safe, and then we can join them. Hassan - our mother's uh... nephew? I think? Or is it cousin? Whatever. He's a footballer. Soccer, I mean." He left Milo for a moment to put the pictures with their couch bedding, figuring that was a nice, out of the way place, and then rejoined Milo to lead the way outside.

~~

"I believe it is, yes," Ciara agreed. "Others would disagree, but I suppose that could be said of many careers. My work primarily consists of data analasis. And yourself?"
 
Cooger looked around, "This part is not in accordance of Dark's plans. He's probably twitching internally about how it doesn't match his colour scheme."

~~

"Yes, but I don't think it matters," Noor replied dryly.

"It looks fine, it doesn't need to be perfect!" Hassan said, juggling the ball on his knees.

~~

"Oh, okay," Milo replied, taking the time he had alone to start photographing the party. It was really why he was there, anyway.

~~

"I'm a defense attorney." She smirked lightly at Ciara, "I believe some of your coworkers and I are rather like enemies. I do some federal cases."
 
"At least it's wood. Wood goes with everything," Lex grinned stepping out onto the porch and walking across the grass. "Which team are you with?" she asked Hassan without preliminary.

Xander nudged the "goal post" and nodded in satisfaction. It would not stand up to a straight hit, but it would do for a backyard kick about.

~~

Alec rejoined Milo and led the way out back, asking him about how his break had gone.

~~

"Ah," Ciara said with understanding. "I do not tend to announce my attachment to the Federal Bureau as it tends to put people on edge, but I see you understand. I and most of my coworkers choose not to think of your department as 'enemies.' Merely fellow seekers of the truth. Unless they are currently in the courtroom at the time."
 
"The winning team." Hassan answered immediately.

Snorting, Cooger rolled his shoulders back, "You can't argue with that. Just be sure not to kick it into your uncle's fish, you'll be served on a spike if that happened."

"i know." Hassan replied nervously but then steeled his nerve, "I won't. Can't say anything about them."

~~

"It was fine," Milo replied, "nothing much happened. Um, how about you?"

~~

"With what happened with their family last year, word about you got around," Spencer admitted, "I tell the Prosecutors the same thing, but that doesn't mean there aren't some ADA's I wish would at least stub their toe on their way into the courtroom."
 
"Cute." Lex grinned and crossed her arms. "Then why are you playing while he's grilling?"

"We're just setting up for later. No real playing is going to happen until after the fish is safe," Xander replied. He glanced toward the spitted fish. "If it ever finishes cooking. I'm hungry."

"Me too, but I can wait," Peter said. "Why not gently tap the ball from player to player just to warm up?"

~~

"Mostly prepping for this," Alec said, waving a hand and nearly losing his sheets. He caught them and added, "But we did go to a pumpkin patch and a few other things." Upon reaching the backyard, he called, "I have pretend nets here! Who wants them?"

~~

"That is a fair response for some, yes," Ciara admitted. "I do not have much to do with the courtroom directly, I mostly gather the data to be used, but I have heard a few things about one or two members of your side." She smiled slightly. "There is always at least one in every crowd."
 
"It takes a minimum of three hours to grill," Dark replied blandly, poking at the fire, "and I had to be certain all of the guests were here before it was finished, because it is not good cold. Go inside and eat appetizers if you are still hungry, it will be ready in about an hour."

"It's probably better to just wait," Sloan said, looking down at the flames, "One wrong kick and we're popping the ball on the spike."

"I want the nets!" Hassan said, leaving the ball and hurrying over to Alec to take the sheets.

"The pumpkin patch is cool," Milo said, taking pictures as he came down the steps and only stopping when he realized he should probably speak to the people he was photographing, even though he absolutely did not want to do that.

~~

"That's true," Spencer agreed, "and the problem is we all believe we're on the side of justice. I mean, at least most of the time. Sometimes I just fight with my client to shut up and take the plea."
 
"You have no faith in anyone's footwork, do you?" Peter asked with a grin. "Alright, I suppose that's fair. Let's go find these appetizers! Oh, Hi, Milo!"

"Sounds better than kicking a hard sack of air," Xander agreed, following him back toward the house.

Alec went over and held out the sheets. "Here you go! Nets. Kind of."

~~

"I cannot say I envy your job," Ciara admitted. "It is not an easy thing to undertake, but a noble and necessary one."
 
"I have faith in mine," Hassan replied, heading to hang up the sheets before going to follow everyone inside. After only a moment, Milo turned and went back inside too, falling in step with Xander just long enough to let him know he brought the pictures from the adoption.

~~

"It's sometimes noble, but it doesn't feel that way most of the time. But Mittz is a pediatric oncologist, so. If you really want a noble profession, she spends her week saving children's lives." Spencer said, nodding towards the woman with lavender hair, a butterfly dress with matching earrings, who had already fully ingratiated herself with a party populated mostly of strangers to her.
 
"So you were showing us with the dribbling," Peter agreed calmly.

"Thanks, Milo," Xander said. He would have said more, but Milo was already trying to fade into the background. For now, Xander chose to let him do it. Later he'd have some kind of chat with him that wasn't via text.

Alec helped Hassan with the sheets and followed after him. "What do you do besides so- Football?" he asked.

~~

Ciara followed her indication. "That is a heartbreaking profession. However, I would like to point out that in many instances, you also save lives. Just not those of children."
 
"I wasn't showing off, I was just bored," Hassan replied, "And my Mama always tells me I can't expect people to play like I do, because then I'll just get mad. She says I'm too competitive, and just need to let people play at their own level." He looked over at Alec, "I also play video games with my friends sometimes. But that's it. I don't actually do a whole lot. And that's why I'm good at football, because when I get bored I practice. I hate being forced to sit still. But sometimes I just hang out and watch TV."

Once inside, Milo pressed himself against the wall and took some pictures of the adults hanging out. Ivy was being passed around, still, and he made sure to focus on her, since it was her birthday, after all. After a few moments he lowered his camera and turned to Xander, "Do you know where your mom is? Your sister looks tired." At that exact moment Daizi, who was fully aware it was coming up on Ivy's naptime, was pouring drinks for her aunties and trying to catch the sound of the bell, but a party with so many people left her a bit disoriented, albeit not to a degree she couldn't cope with.

~~

Spencer chuckled, looking over at Ciara, "I think sometimes I save children's lives, indirectly. But I wouldn't say I'm saving lives in many instances, really. Have you ever spent much time in a law office? Most of the time it's DUIs and Simple Possession. When I take death penalty cases, then I'm saving lives, but uh," She laughed and shook her head, "At least I get to bill on the tenth of an hour."
 
"What kinds of shows do you watch?" Alec asked curiously.

Xander glanced around and spotted Daizi. "She's over there. I don't think she can get a bead on Ivy's bells." He turned to Alec, interrupting his conversation. "Hey, go grab Mini and get her to Mama."

"Me?" Alec asked, surprised. "I don't know that anyone will give her to me."

Xander shrugged. "Worth a shot."

"I'll be back," Alec told Hassan and hurried through the crowd to get Ivy.

"Nice spot," Xander told Milo.

~~

"That depends on how you define the saving of a life," Ciara remarked. She chose to change the subject. "How long have you known Daizi?"
 
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