How Green Becomes Wood

"That sounds so devious! I like it," Alec grinned. "Why have I never thought of that before?"

"I have. Loads of times. Also, what type of answer do you want to hear to a question you have," Xander remarked.
 
"Because you're too nice," Sloan replied, sitting back, "The only time it backfires is when you go to ask and they direct you to the other parent. But for little things, you have to be strategic."
 
"When things are really dire you can say 'Dad said it's okay' and hope your mom just accepts it and doesn't go to talk to your dad about it," Sloan told Alec, leaning back to look at Dark and Daizi, catching sight of how Daizi smiled at him like he hung the stars, "Although that may not work for you. You could probably get them to do what you want by saying it'd somehow help the other one, though."
 
"Oh, they totally talk to each other about everything," Alec said.

"Yeah, but sometimes it does work to say it'll be helpful to the other one," Xander grinned. "They are annoyingly clever when it comes to sussing out things."
 
"My mom is good at seeing through stuff, that's why I go to my dad a lot of the time, he is just not interested in being that engaged," Sloan replied, sitting back and watching her friends' parents interact. At that table, Saladin was laughing about something. The people around him knew it was his own joke but there was no way for Sloan to know that from where she sat, "When it comes to wanting to sneak around, you're incredibly unlucky."
 
"Yeah, it's not easy to get things past those two. Sometimes frustratingly so, but it usually works out eventually," Alec smiled.

"I wouldn't mind a little more sneaking sometimes," Xander grumbled.
 
Sloan chuckled slightly, "I envy you, then."

As the meal concluded, Dark began to at least start to neaten up after the guests. It wasn't right to immediately begin washing the dishes, of course, but at least gathering them into a consolidated place would be helpful for after the party. With him thus occupied, Sloan nudged her shoulder against Alec, "Now's your chance, he's distracted."
 
Alec immediately zipped over to Daizi. "Mama, we were wondering if we could use some of the balloons on the wagon Uncle Cooer brought and take Ivy for a ride. May we? Please?"
 
Daizi smiled brightly, bouncing Ivy on her hip, "Of course you can! She'd love that, wouldn't you Hummingbird?" She nuzzled her cheek against Ivy, "Do you want to go for a wagon ride with your brothers? Does that sound like fun?"

Ivy gurgled happily, entirely unaware of what a wagon ride was, but because she was always excited to see Alec, reached out to him and was willingly passed over.
 
"Come on, sweet thing!" Alec said cheerfully, hugging Ivy close before bouncing her on his hip. "Let's go play!"

Xander and Peter joined him, and Xander collected six balloons while Peter waved for the other teens to join them.

Lex and Sally joined Dark in clearing things away, Lex far more efficient and fast while Sally was more methodical and thorough, leaving the tables clean behind them while carrying on a conversation between themselves. They had nothing in common, but they still found things to chat about.
 
Ivy cooed happily, holding on tight to her brother, infinitely more interested in the balloons than she was with the wagon. When they were affixed properly and Alec was still holding her, they were perfectly in reach and, curiously, she batted at one, giggling when it moved away and came back to her, so she did it again.

Her laughter ringing out throughout the backyard caught Dark's attention, and he turned his head that way, "What are they doing over there?"

"Alec wanted to give her a ride in the wagon," Daizi answered, lightly touching Dark's back as she came up behind him, "I said they could use some of the balloons too."

"As long as she does not try to eat the balloons," He murmured instinctually, pausing for a moment to watch all of the fuss around her, "I am glad they are having fun with her. The balloons are a nice touch."
 
"Okay," Xander said, double-checking the ties holding the balloons to the wagon. He laid down a folded blanket to make sure it was a little padded for the riders. "We're all secure here!"

Alec handed Ivy to Peter, climbed into the wagon, and took Ivy back from him. He sat Ivy between his legs, bending them up awkwardly to give her security and room. "All set here!"

Xander took the handle and started pulling slowly. The wagon didn't want to go anywhere with Alec's weight, so Peter called for Sloan's help and gave the wagon a push until it got going. Once it was rolling, it moved fine.
 
Ivy fussed lightly to be taken away from the balloons, but once she was in the wagon, she looked around with newfound interest. This was a very new experience! Almost immediately she tried to squirm out of Alec's grasp so she could crawl to the other end of the wagon to test it out. Sloan gladly helped to push the wagon to get it started, only teasing Alec a little bit as it took the three of them to get it into motion. Milo, of course, hiding his dorky smile behind the camera, took pictures of the event as it got going.

The guests who were around that part of the yard cheered good-naturedly for Ivy, because just like Sloan had said--who didn't want to see a baby being pulled about in a wagon? For her part, once the wagon began moving, Ivy sat up and held onto the edge, wanting to pull herself up on her feet and babbling with a big smile on her tiny face.

Standing perfectly still, with the plates still in his hands, Dark swallowed hard as he watched the wagon ride begin, feeling his eyes dampen before quickly blinking it away. There were his sons playing with his daughter on her birthday. On her very first birthday. Doing just enough to keep only the pride in his voice he said, really to anyone who was around him at that moment, "I was able to hold her in just one hand, you know."
 
Alec kept his arms out as a way to corral her and keep her safe, gently telling her she needed to stay sitting, but he didn't make her sit. He figured she'd get the idea as the wagon jolted and bounced. He was ready to catch her no matter what direction she fell, and this was a new experience for her! She could do (almost) whatever she wanted!

"Hey, when's it our turn?" Peter yelled, laughing.

"Wait your turn! We haven't even made it around the yard yet!" Xander called back. He glanced back often, checking on Ivy and Alec, but kept his eye out for the smoothest path.

Tristan was cautiously navigating the outside, wary of getting stuck, and he caught Dark's words. He glanced up at Dark. "Tiny little child. I see why you call her 'humming bird.'"
 
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