"There, Batman!" Robin yelled out over the foggy and dense Gotham skyline. He pointed across the high rooftop on which they were perched towards a dark shadow running through an alley way with some stolen goods.

"Yes Robin," Batman replied in a deep and hushed voice, "I saw him, there is no need to shout."

"But aren't we going to go after him?" Robin's voice went up an octave as he whined in confusion. They hadn't had any action all night, which was strange considering it was close to the holidays. So many burglaries happened around the holidays.

"Not yet, I am focusing on other things." Batman said sharply. It normally would have been obvious to the teen to keep his mouth shut at this point, but the sugar from Alfred's christmas cookies and egg nog had him in a jittery high.

"What other things?" The Boy Wonder questioned as bounced on the balls of his feet while crouching.

Batman said nothing but rather stared into his electronic binoculars, looking in a completely different direction than the area in which Robin has spotted the thief.

"What are you looking at?"

Batman counted to 10. Patience, he thought, I must have patience. The boy was probably just excited about Christmas.

"Batman!" Robin said with exasperation. His voice began to rise in volume, "The robber took off in the other direction, and now you're letting him get away!"

The distant sound of a scuffle was heard in the direction Batman was looking, and two figures scampered across a rooftop.

Batman closed his eyes and groaned, then very deliberately and resolutely stood, grabbed his young partner's upper arm, turned him around, and landed five firm and heavy smacks on the seat of the boy's tights. Robin's eyes went wide as he realized his mentor's intentions too late.

"Ow! Batman!" Robin looked shocked and embarrassed as he reached back to touch his backside. He hardly ever got reprimanded on patrol any more, at least he had not in a good while.

"I told you Robin, no sugar before patrol!" The dark figure loomed menacingly over the bouncy colorful one.

"But it's Christmas!" The boy whined, "Why are you so pissy?"

Batman raised an eyebrow at that last remark.

"Because," The man growled, "I almost got incriminating footage of two thugs that would be enough evidence to put them behind bars, before you scared them away! And I told you young man, none of that language!"

Robin, realizing in hindsight his childish foolishness, had the decency to at least look sheepish.

"I'm sorry sir."

Batman saw the the familiar serious gaze of his partner return, but then there was the flash of a smirk. The smirk then turned into a smile, the smile a chuckle, and the chuckle a giggle.

"Robin." Batman said in a warning tone as Robin continued to giggle into his gloved hand.

"I'm sorry Batman, it's just that...heh heh, you got some red and green sprinkles on the corner of your mouth."

Batman reached up in annoyance and brushed the small offensive crumbs away.

"Hypocrite." Robin said under his breath.

"I can hold in my sugar high, unlike some people." Batman answered back.

"Oh?" Robin said sarcastically.

"Yes, I am an adult. I find I am more capable at many more things than I was capable of as a teenager." Batman placed his hands on his hips as if that helped to emphasize his point.

"Yeah, but you still can't hold a girlfriend!" Robin taunted with a giggle as he bounced out of Batman's wrathful reach.

"I know someone's stocking that will be filled with coal this year!" Batman yelled towards the retreating back of his charge. The vigilante kept a straight face, but his eyes twinkled mischievously. What would Tim do if he woke up Christmas morning to find that he really did get only coal in his stocking? Pout? Throw a fit? Whine? Cry?

Man, the look on the kid's face would be priceless either way.

Bruce was just going to have to wait until the 25th to find out.

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Author's note: Happy Holidays! I thought I would give you guys a little light hearted holiday ficlet in light of the season! I hope you enjoyed it.