How Green Becomes Wood

"I am glad you like it," Dark smiled slightly, sitting to join them. Then he it faded, and he thought carefully about the question, "Likely to report us... I doubt anyone would report me. If I was with a baby who did not look like me, they may suspect me of some malfeasance, only because, like Xander said all those months ago, I look like 'Arab Mafia' and it stresses people. But she will look enough like me, I am sure, it will not be an issue... But Daizi? People are still often prejudiced against the blind. I do not think our neighbors would do something like that, but who can say. Years ago we asked a friend of ours, or someone we thought was our friend, to be a surrogate and she said no, because she doubted Daizi's capabilities of a mother. We never asked anyone again after that."

He took a bite of his salad and chewed thoughtfully, and at last swallowed and said, "It seems probable we will, at the very least, face resistance, but I do not know if anyone who knows us well enough to report us would do so. The nicest person may give into fear and doubt."
 
"It's a shame people don't give 'regular' people more scrutiny before they have a baby," Xander grumbled. "Make them take a test like they do before driving. Force all teenagers to wear chastity belts. They always talk like it's a punishment to the teens, but it's te kids that suffer. Stupid all-knowing adults-"

"Speaking of driving," Alec said loudly to interrupt Xander's petulant growling and hoping Dark would let it go, "I have a question! We're supposed to take driver's ed through the school next year, but I really, really don't want to. Can we do something like a private learning institution instead, maybe? Unless it's ridiculously expensive, then I understand, but I'd rather not learn at all than go through school driver's ed. Please?"

"A private place? I hadn't thought of that," Xander mused, completely distracted from the earlier topic.
 
Dark was ultimately in agreement with Xander, and especially understood why he took such a passionate stance on it, but was distracted by Alec's introduction and repeated "A private class?" before taking some time to think about it, "It is allowed, certainly--the school only needs documentation you took the class. I suppose we could look into private lessons and see the costs. Why do you not want to take it with the school?"
 
Xander and Alec both looked at him. "Because the school turns out maniacs," they said simultaneously.

"Have you seen the way some of those seniors drive to school?" Xander asked. "They're like the full-on stereotypes of why people hate on teen drivers." He bit into his second chicken sandwich savagely.

"Of course, the teachers are outnumbered by quite a lot," Alec pointed out. "They have even less time to deal with individuals than teachers do."
 
"That is very fair," and although perhaps under most situations he would attempt to politely suggest it is not the school's fault, but teenage recklessness, he understood their history with cars, and what could happen when mistakes happened while driving, so the situation called for a bit of extra empathy, "I do not know what is available, but I will gladly do some research on it. And we can go in the next few weeks to get your permit--this week, I believe, we have paint and gifts to buy, but when we go and get them, I can start teaching you. But that will not help you get out of the class."
 
Xander grinned and finished his glass of water. "Imagine if you taught us really well and we turn out to be naturals! We'd be the envy of the class."

"And then the teacher could have time to focus on others who would need more help," Alec said instead. "I wonder if Peter is going to be taking Driver's ed here?" He finished his sandwich in delicate nibbles. "He'd be a good driver."
 
"He probably will have to, if he is still here," Dark said, "and I hope he is, because Daizi likes his mom, and she has many friends, but not many she is particularly close to. But what makes you think he would be a good driver? Is he just a generally cautious person?" He finished his salad and sat back, smirking slightly at Xander, "If you had to be taught really well to do it, you are not naturals."

He thought for a moment, and then chuckled, "Do you know, our school tried to make Daizi take Driver's Ed? It was a requirement to graduate there like it is here, so there was a mistake where she was put in the class automatically and had to fight like hell to get out of it."
 
Xander made a face at Dark at his comment and rolled his eyes. "You can be a natural and still need to be taught."

"Peter is the most level-headed teen I've ever met, even including Sloan," Alec told Dark. "He would react properly and not freak out if there was an issue. Unlike some of us." He meant himself. He was not looking forward to driving. "Why on earth would Driver's Ed be a requirement? Not taking it just means one less car and driver on the road."

"And did no one at all bother to check the whole blindness thing?" Xander drawled. "Ruling bodies are bizarre."
 
"Sometimes level headed people are the angriest, once they get behind a wheel," Dark said, "but it is good to have someone with a calm head around, because otherwise everything falls apart. But," he took a sip of his drink and turned towards them to talk about the requirements, "they make it mandatory in some states to pass a class to get your license, although there are some you do not need to, so high schools with that law tend to make their students take it, because it is easier on everyone and helps make sure students who may not be able to afford private lessons still have the same access. As for Daizi... There have been many moments where people do not understand why she needs certain accommodations or did not realize what they were asking her to do is ridiculous."
 
"People are weird," Xander stated.

Alec started carefully cleaning up, catching every single crumb so it wouldn't fall to the floor. "But we can look into private courses? I just feel like that would be so much quieter and calmer. And more enlightening."

Xander stretched and stood. "I'm not really concerned either way, but a private school does sound better."
 
"They are. One time she got in trouble for not having her book out and wearing headphones. She had to convince that sub she had an audio book. But he was very apologetic when he figured it out," He chuckled, bringing his plate to the sink to rinse it off, "and of course we can, if it is what you prefer, I will do my best for you."

The rest of the day went by easily, and Daizi came home at her normal time (thankfully there wasn't another delay), without much to say about the day she had. A meeting was cancelled so she napped in her office, but that was the most exciting part, "Hello," she hummed, taking off her shoes and touching the salt, "I hear you have all had a very busy day."
 
"Welcome home!" Alec called, running to hug her. His heart beat faster as he did so. Daizi was home. That meant they'd have to talk about certain things. It wasn't fair that Dark knew and Daizi didn't, but he didn't want Daizi to know. He felt he was over all tendencies for a certain problem, and he didn't want Daizi to be worried about it. She already had so much on her plate. He didn't want to add more. Still, she deserved to know as much as Dark did, so he would just have to deal with it.

Xander came down the stairs and looked out toward her. "It was totally the same-old, same-old," he said dryly. "How about you? How are those helicopter flying lessons coming?"
 
"Oh, you're always so excited to see me," She smiled, meeting his hug and rubbing a few big circles on his back, "my husband could learn a thing or two.

"I am excited to see you too. I just like to make you work for it a bit more," Dark replied, waiting patiently until Alec had pulled away to lightly kiss her hello. He felt almost indignant at the accusation, it wasn't his fault Alec always beat him to the punch, "How was your day, darling?"

She waved her hand and stretched, "Oh, fine, fine. And the lessons are coming along great, I only crashed once today," She laughed, "oh don't all crowd me, you just saw me this morning, what could probably have happened? I mean, besides the news we're at last free of our lives being meddled with. Now life really starts for us."
 
Xander sat on the stairs to watch her from a distance and not crowd her. "Only once? Nice. You're really getting good. Next thing you'll be flipping it in midair."

"Oh, sorry, am I crowding you?" Alec asked worriedly, stepping farther back. "I'm always happy to see you. And I thought life never stopped? It just got extra bumpy for a while. Right, Xander?"

"Right. Really bumpy!" Xander agreed.
 
Daizi laughed lightly, he hands dancing across the rounded expanse of her belly. Never in her life had she been so large, "Trust me," she said with a fun grin, "I know all about unexpected bumps."

She walked past Alec and Dark, giving the former a gentle pat, "Don't worry, I'm okay. I just want to go sit in the living room. And what I meant was, we now we've all decided we like each other, to say the least of it, and that we want to stay living with each other, and now the world seems to have concluded trying to prevent us from doing so happily--so now we can say things really get to start. In peace."
 
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"Now that was a terrible joke," Xander groaned. He got up off the stairs and moved to where he could still see everyone in the living room, still keeping his distance.

"You should sit down and rest yourself," Alec said, hovering near but not touching. "Do you want a drink? And I am very happy we get to live peacefully as a family."

"Or as peacefully as things get around here!" Xander quipped.
 
"No, thank you. I'm okay, really, I had a very easy day, I basically stayed at my desk all day. You don't need to worry about me, honest." She held up her hands showing none of her fingers were crossed as she sat down.

"I am glad you had an easy day," Dark said, sitting beside her.

"Yeah, I'm sorry you didn't... How was it, really?" She asked, turning slightly in towards him while he put his arm around her. It was nice, she thought, to have a consistent place with him, like they were made to fit together, "I can't imagine what it must of been like to get that knock at the door."
 
"It was alright," Alec said carefully, moving to sit on the end of the coffee table. "It wasn't nice, but he was nice. He seemed to really care and just be trying to make sure we were okay."

"He left his puzzle, and I still haven't figured it out, and I'm not allowed to sass him until I do," Xander grumbled from where he stood.

Alec giggled a little nervously. "Xander was in overprotective mode and kept being rude."
 
"Who, Xander? Overprotective? Has he been checked for illness?" Daizi teased, but then took a breath and said, "It makes sense, though, why you were. And it's flattering that... You know, you wanted to be protective of our family. Because I doubt they would have seperated you from Alec so..." She trailed off, and began to spin her wedding ring around her finger with a slight smile which locked away any deeper thoughts from being visible to anyone looking at her. Xander was trying to protect their family...

"If I had known it was that easy, I would have given him an unsolvable puzzle months ago," Dark added, only somewhat joking.

"May I try it?" She asked, "and so that was it? He came, poked around, and left, simple as? That's a relief."
 
Xander snorted. "You know it wouldn't be that easy while stuck with you," Xander retorted to Dark. He dug the jumble of metal pieces from his pocket and brought it over to Daizi. "Here. You're supposed to kind of... untangle it, basically. I almost got it a couple of times, but then one piece is always off."

"Pretty much," Alec said. "He wanted to make certain things were as good as they seemed, that I was eating right, and a couple more questions about the hospital visit. Things like that. Just a follow up."
 
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