Merry

The original team always looked forward to the annual Watchtower Christmas Party, because Captain Marvel and Superman always put up a bakers' dozen twelve foot trees, laden down with tinkling bells, blinking lights, and silver tinsel. Once The Team was created, Miss. M helped the other members of the League who got roped into cooking, and Wally sped down the halls, tacking wreaths to doors, and Zatanna levitated mistletoe onto the ceiling so it hung in patterns across it.

This year was different, though. Impulse replaced Wally by zooming down the halls even faster, hanging them askew. Cassie, Tim and Garfield helped M'gann in the kitchen now, and Blue Beetle hung mistletoe rather than Zatanna.

"First year without Wally," M'gann sighed, watching as Cassie and Jaime pushed aside some tables to set with food.

Artemis shrugged, being sure to stand away from where a mistletoe spring was hanging.

"Don't you miss him?"

"Of course I do!" Artemis said indignantly. She looked over to Cassie and Jaime, who seemed to be congratulating each other for completing their objective by fusing faces, and sighed. Loudly.

"You wanna help me bring out the food?" M'gann asked cheerfully.

"I thought Cassie was-"

"-I highly doubt that's gonna happen." M'gann crossed her arms and walked back to the kitchen, Artemis following her.

Cassie and Cissie somehow got matching dresses and shoes for the Christmas party, which annoys Artemis to hell because every time she grabs onto one of them she has to see what boy they have their arm around before she knows which one of them it is.

Seriously, they are wearing the exact same dress, the same necklace, matching shoes and their hair in bouncy curls.

"Having fun?"

"Nope," Artemis said, ignoring Dick as she downed her third glass of white wine. Wine didn't have quite the desired affect that Artemis wanted, didn't quite numb out how awful how she was feeling without Wally teasing her about the ugly Christmas sweater she was wearing.

"Maybe you should stop drinking," Dick suggested, handing her a can of coca-cola that he seemed to magically produced.

Artemis popped back the opening and down three fourths of the soda, "Thanks."

"Hey, no problem. Besides, I lost Tim like five minutes ago so I've gotta do something with my time."

"I think him and Gar went to go watch a movie. You can only listen to Rudolph so many times, Dick."

Dick contemplated it for a few seconds, before smiling, "Hate to ditch, but I just saw Z in skintight."

Dick grabbed onto Bart by the shoulder and led him out to the perimeter of the party where the music was really blaring. Jaime was already waiting for them, impatiently tapping his foot.

"I need your help. Both of you."

"With what?" Bart asked, excitedly vibrating.

Dick sighed, and beckoned the two boys closer, "My Christmas present for Artemis. I need you to go help Zatanna pick it up."

"Lame," Bart said dramatically, but rushed over to the Zeta Tubes to meet with Zatanna.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!" Superman yelled over the microphone, holding up a cup of Custard Nog (which replaced egg nog after they found out nobody liked it). Everybody cheered back, while Artemis sulked in the corner. Bart and Jaime had slinked back in a few minutes ago, but when she questioned Cissie and Cassie they had just looked at each other and in unison said: "They were gone?"

"Now, it's time for the annual Secret Santa Exchange- who wants to go first?"

Artemis watched as people began to hand out their randomly selected person to give a gift to- Garfield had to get one for Hawkman, Black Canary for La'gann, and Artemis begrudgingly shoved a hideously wrapped pair of wool socks into Roy's hands.

"You'd think they'd try to give us things we'd like," M'gann said in a low voice after receiving a Venus Fly Trap from Plastic Man.

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," Artemis replied, taking a long drink of soda.

"Some people got really cool gifts though," She whined. Jaime had gotten a skateboard from the recently joined Booster Gold; Oliver had bought Cissie a ruby necklace; Tim handed a box of luxurious chocolates to Shayera.

Artemis sighed when Dick tapped her on her shoulder, handing her a gold wrapped gift with a bright bow on top, "Figures you'd draw my name."

She tore the paper off and discarded the bow before opening the old shoe box. "Hilarious, Dick, it's empty."

"Nah, Bart just forgot to wrap my love," Dick said teasingly, "Your actual present is at home, on your bed."

"It's not a vibrator is it?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow after the year Raquel had gotten her one as a gag gift.

"I'm not going to tell you," He said with a wink, leaving her to wonder how to tastefully dispose of a sex toy.

Dick had relocked her door, apparently after he had dropped her present off, so she had to fish for her keys, freezing cold, in the dark. When she opened it finally, she noticed that Brucely wasn't snoring on the couch like he usually was, or barking at her feet as if he expected her to bring Wally home too. She deposited her bag and called out for the pit bull.

One second. Two. Three-

"Woof!"

Artemis threaded through the house to her bedroom where Brucely was cuddled up in the blankets, gnawing on one of his squeaky chew toys. "Hey buddy, come here."

Brucely didn't move, and if anything suctioned himself further to the lump in the bed that was probably Dick's way of giving her a model of the Eiffel Tower. She sighed, walking over the bed to see what terrible gift the Boy Wonder had given her and began pulling back the sheets.

Brucely barked happily.

Wally sat crumpled in the bed, very pale, thin and gaunt, wearing a pair of thick green pajamas. A red bow was stuck on his forehead.

She couldn't help it, she started crying.