How Green Becomes Wood

"Everyone has been telling me to be comfortable with setbacks," Daizi replied, actively choosing to be relaxed about it, "but I'm glad that since she was born early, I'll be better by Christmas."

Dark's phone conversation went on way longer than he felt it needed, and to his immense frustration, his boss tried to suggest he come to work like normal until the planned date for his paternity leave be reached. Of course, his response was to cordially express they had already decided he was going to go on leave when his child was born, and she had been born, so he was now on leave, and would not be showing up to work. Then he promptly hung up, and saw the message from Ciara. He took a few moments to compose himself before calling her back, "Hello, Ciara. I saw you called, I apologize for missing it--I had been talking with my boss."
 
"Comfortable?" Alec asked, puzzled. "I don't know if comfortable is the word I'd use. Setbacks are extremely uncomfortable. I'm just glad it's not worse, so I'm trying to look on the positives."

"Positives are good," Xander shrugged, "but sometimes you just need a good screaming and cursing session in a pillow. Right?"

"That is perfectly understandable. I do not expect people to be available at all times," Ciara replied calmly. "I wanted to let you know that my schedule opened up unexpectedly, and if it suits your timetable, I am available to stop by tomorrow. Is there a time that is more amenable to you?"
 
"I'm glad I didn't have to have a c-section. I don't know how I'd have coped. I'd still be bed bound if I had to have one..." She shrugged, "I don't think I'm ready to be positive or to scream into a pillow. I'm still in shock, I think. But I'm glad she's here, at least... Alive... even though I..." Her hand brushed against the tiny little medical band Ivy had to wear and she cringed before trying very, very hard not to dwell on the unexplained reason why Ivy had been born early.

"We are here all day," Dark replied, "so you are welcome to come whenever you wish to. Visiting hours are between 10am and 8:30 pm, and all of Daizi's family is still trying to get permission to come to the U.S., so it's more or less ourselves and the boys. Ivy sleeps most of the day but really only for two hours at a time so... Really the only person you have to worry about is my brother, who does everything by his own time clock."
 
Alec squeezed her shoulder gently. "And that's okay, too," he assured her. "If you need anything... well, I guess I don't have to finish that sentence." He smiled at her, hoping she could hear the warmth in his voice.

"Very well. I should be able to be there at," a brief pause, "eleven in the morning. If something changes, just let me know. Is there anything I should bring or be aware of?"
 
She nodded a lot, then took a deep breath to push the bad feelings back down, "Thank you." Ivy had fully settled back down, and Daizi gently stroked her hair before asking, "Do you want to hold her?"

"11a.m., okay," Dark repeated, "the twins will be here too, I am sure they will be glad to see you. There is no need to bring anything. And, no, I think the only thing you really need to be aware of is that it takes a lot of the baby's energy to do normal baby things like nursing, so you probably will not see her awake."
 
Alec hesitated, biting his lip. He really did want to hold her, but he was absolutely terrified of hurting her. What if he did something to make her cry, and then Daizi would be upset? He decided on a compromise. "I need a moment to get my shirt right. How about I hold her once her daddy comes back? Then he can help supervise."

"Understood," Ciara said promptly. "I will see you then, Mr. Dark. Goodbye."
 
"Okay," Daizi agreed, and then in her own little baby voice said, "Did you hear that, hummingbird? Once Baba comes back, your big brother Alec is going to hold you? Won't that be nice?"

"Goodbye," Dark replied, and then came back into the room, "Ciara is coming tomorrow at eleven, so probably wear a nice shirt tomorrow. You can change out of it as soon as she is gone."
 
"Why do we have to dress up for her?" Xander groaned, shuddering at the idea of wearing nice clothes for his aunt. He barely knew the woman!

Alec made a face at Xander. "I like dressing up! And this is a good reason to." He touched Dark's elbow briefly. "Will you help me properly hold Ivy? I want to make absolutely positively certain I'm doing it right."
 
"Because I do not want her to think badly of us, and it really is not hard to wear a nice shirt for an hour or two," Dark replied, meaning himself and Daizi. Then he looked down at Alec, surprised by this request, "of course. Sit down in the arm chair, that will be easiest for you, I think."

When Alec sat, Dark grabbed a pillow off the bed and placed it in his lap, explaining it will help him to better support her, since he's unfamiliar with holding a baby. It was only once that was all settled that Dark went and gently took Ivy and then went to Alec and with the utmost care, lay her in Alec's arm, telling him, "Make sure you support her head," and not letting go until he was certain the teen had her securely.
 
Alec all but held his breath as Dark lowered Ivy into his arms. He moved with the greatest of caution, trying not to jostle Ivy as he shifted her to rest against his bare skin. He was holding her! He was holding her! She was so tiny and little and mini and alive and he was holding her! He cradled her tenderly, making full use of the pillow to help him support his arms, and thus her. "Hello," he cooed gently, trying not to breathe on her.

Xander held his breath, rigid from nervousness as he watched Dark transfer Ivy. Don't drop her, Alec, don't drop her! He breathed a silent sigh of relief when the transfer went smoothly, and Ivy seemed to be securely in his brother's arms. Okay. That was scary, considering how many things he'd seen Alec drop.
 
She squirmed, feeling the transfer, and she kicked her little legs out before relaxing into this new grasp. Then she opened up her little eyes, which at present were sort of a muddy in-between colour, since they hadn't settled into their true colour yet, and wouldn't for some time, but their shape was very similar to Daizi's. She yawned a big yawn, and then looked up at Alec's face.

Dark stayed right by them, just in case. He couldn't tell if he felt calm about it or not. A little calm, and a little panicked, he guessed. She was only the most precious, fragile, and irreplaceable creation in his life. Daizi scooted to the end of the bed to get closer, although it didn't change much for her.
 
Alec smiled down at Ivy when she looked up at him. "Hello, there," he greeted her. "Can you see me? Hi. I'm here for now. I hope you don't mind. I'm just passing through. You'll be back with Mum or Da here soon. Don't worry. They'll always be here for you."
 
She looked up at him for a few moments, opening and closing her hand into little fists. For someone only a day old, born so early, in this rare awake moment she seemed alert. Unlike when Sally held her, she didn't fuss at all, and just slowly put her hand into her mouth.

"Mama and Baba," Dark said softly. It might not have been a necessary correction, but he wanted to be called by the Arabic term, not an English one. He stepped back a pace and then took a quick picture of Alec holding Ivy. Alec might want it, but he knew he did. His son holding his daughter for the first time.

"You're not just passing through," Daizi murmured, "you'll be here too. Or you better be."
 
A tiny flicker crossed Alec's face, but it was gone before it could be identified. He just smiled at Ivy, enjoying the moment. To Daizi's comment, he said, "Well, I mean for holding her. You know. You two are the permanent ones. Everyone else, we're just holding her briefly. She might like us, might see us often, but she'll always go back to you two."

Xander frowned, shifting a little. What did that make him? He didn't know. He wasn't sure he really wanted to figure it out. At least, not right now he didn't. Maybe later. He just wanted to enjoy watching Alec hold Ivy and not drop her.
 
"That's true, I guess," Daizi said softly, "but I'd rather my brother be here than my father. I was always closer to him... he would've been so happy to meet the three of you."

Immediately, Dark left Alec's side and went to sit by Daizi, pulling her close, "I think every role in a family is important. They all fulfill a different need."
 
Alec finally looked up from Ivy to watch Dark. He exchanged an uncomfortable glance with Xander. They still weren't entirely sure how to deal with these kinds of situations. Say something? Don't say something? Pretend like they weren't there? Leave? Well, Alec certainly couldn't leave now. He had to hold Ivy. They both decided to go with pretending like they weren't there. Alec turned his eyes back to Ivy and made faces at her to see if she could tell that he was doing something different. Xander found a very interesting spot on the counter to examine. Dark and Daizi were good at sorting themselves and each other out. They didn't need help.
 
Daizi rested her head against Dark, really glad that he was there. She had never stopped missing her sibling, but now that her own family was completed, she felt the fact he wasn't there so much more strongly. Neither of them said anything more about it, but she felt better after a little while with him, especially since he had walked away from their newborn daughter to be with her.

Pulling herself back together, and fighting valiantly against her postpartum hormones, which seemed to be a whole new brand of unpredictable, she said, "We don't want to trap you with her all day, habibi, do you want us to take her back from you?"

Ivy, meanwhile, being too young to smile, just watched Alec quietly, occasionally making a little gurgle or a kicking her legs or jerking her arms.
 
Alec grinned when Ivy gave a particularly enthusiastic kick. "I think I am entertaining her. I can keep her a little longer, if you want to rest your arms. Or, if you want her back, I will happily give her back." He stuck his tongue out at Ivy before grinning again.

"When she gets older, she'd totally going to try to grab your tongue if you keep doing that," Xander said dryly.

"So? That will keep her entertained then, too," Alec said and wrinkled his nose.
 
"No no, if you're comfortable, you can keep holding her," Daizi replied, grinning, "it's good to play with her. I'm not sure how long she'll allow it, but while she does, it's good for her."

Dark smiled mildly, "She will sleep good for her next two hour nap. But that is good, if she ever decides to grab your tongue, it will help her to refine her grasping skills."

Daizi lightly tapped Dark's chest, "We need to get her pacifiers. We don't have any."
 
"Why does she need pacifiers? What is the point of them?" Alec asked, puzzled.

"To shut kids up so you don't have to listen to them and so you can get a word in edgewise instead of listening to them howl," Xander said.

Alec frowned and dared to rock Ivy just a little. "Don't mind him. He's just a grumpy pants. No one wants to silence you, do they?"
 
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