Xander knew that Ashley really believed what she was saying, and her reasoning was logical. Michael hadn't been a father to her, and that was partially Xander's doing. But even before that, he hadn't been a good father to her. He'd been a looming threat. Whether three-year-old Ashley had loved and trusted her father, that he didn't know, but he had no doubt that he'd done the right thing in removing him from her life. One way or another.
And now? The question was there to ask, but the look in her eyes told Xander that she no longer wanted to talk about Michael Crane. There would be time enough later to discuss it, he supposed. Eventually, they were going to have to decide what to do about her father's reappearance.
Even before she switched the topic to him, Xander picked up on a thread of her thoughts and his mouth quirked in a half-grin. Tightening the hold of his arms around her, he nodded. Yes, his deliberate choice of words was because of what he was. A quick laugh followed hers and he lifted a hand to brush her hair out of her face and tuck it behind her ear. "There's nothing wrong with being polite, of course, but words carry a heavy weight for the Fae. For example, to thank a Faerie is to admit that you owe them a debt in return for something that they have done for you. The same goes for apologies, owing a debt to forgive a transgression. And requests, of course, specifically those involving the word 'please' or a variation thereof. It begs a favor given and, thus, one must be returned. Likewise, you will never hear any respectable Faerie acknowledging the perceived gratitude of others with the usual polite response, as it imposes a debt owed by the person to whom they are speaking. It is one thing to take that responsibility upon one's self. As I'm sure you can imagine, it is quite another to have it forced upon you." The Fae's obsession with words often seemed strange to humans, and they didn't often take the rules seriously until faced with a Faerie who most certainly did. "Owing a favor to someone may not seem so 'horrible' to you," Xander explained further, using Ashley's word, "but it can be a very dangerous thing for a Faerie. When a debt is owed, there is no declining to fulfill it when called upon, even if it is at odds with one's own interests."
If that was a lot to take in, she shouldn't get him started on lies, truths, and questions.
The barrage of questions that followed made him chuckle, though the sound faded at the last. His smile turned wistful as he thought about the Faerie realm and how to describe it, but his eyes remained dark and unsettled. "It is beautiful," Xander said simply. "The kind of beauty that mortals rarely understand." Considering he was speaking to a mortal, he had the grace to look slightly chagrined. "We, as a species, are very susceptible to that which we find beautiful." He looked at her pointedly. With another knowing quirk of his mouth, he continued. "It's filled with magic and wondrous things. Wondrous creatures. Knowledge beyond belief. But...in some ways, it is very much like the mortal realm. The Fae are not above the greed for power. The Sidhe, especially, are very selective about the company they keep. Fraternizing with those they consider 'lesser' is considered quite distasteful to some. The realm is divided into four Courts — kingdoms, I suppose you might call them — that are associated with the four seasons. Each is different, but there is a beauty in that too."