A Christmas Wish

By The Silver Phoenix

Summary: As Richard spends more time on his work and less time with his family, Kori and Richard's marriage begins to falls apart... But maybe their son Bruce can help make this Christmas special and make things right again… KorixRich

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans or any other copyrighted characters.

Dedication

This fanfic is dedicated to all my readers/reviewers/fans. An early Merry Christmas & a very Happy New Year!

—The Silver Phoenix

P.S. Robin & Starfire forever!!! And Beast Boy & Raven too!!!

Part I

It was Christmas Eve, and Jump City was adorned with a multitude of festive decorations and Christmas lights—a million bright pinpoints of light like fireflies in a city that never slept. A thin layer of fresh snow dusted the photogenic metropolis, and a few white flakes fell slowly, dancing in the wind. Christmas carols and church bells could be heard ringing in the frosty night air.

Yet all was quiet in Jump City's upper-class South Harbour district. A generally quiet neighbourhood, it was even quieter tonight, as families were reunited in the celebration of Christmas, each in their respective homes. Inside one particular glamorous beachfront mansion, however, it was dark; children were in bed, awaiting the dawn of the next day and the joys it would bring…

A strip of light from the hallway outside fell through the open doorway, casting faint light on the toys and model trains that were strewn haphazardly all around the cosy bedroom; a bookshelf filled with colourful storybooks was shrouded with darkness. Kori Grayson drew the curtains shut against the Christmassy scenes that played outside: a young boy riding on his father's shoulders; a couple holding hands; a teenager buying a present for his girlfriend.

Kori heaved a sigh, her warm breath misting up the freezing windowpane—those images were simply painful reminders of the happiness she didn't have. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she carefully tucked the bedcovers tightly around her four-year-old son, Bruce Richard Grayson. Then, gently and lovingly, she smoothed back messy ebony locks of hair away from his forehead.

"Where's Daddy?" Bruce demanded, eyes flaming blue-green. From birth, it had been evident that, apart from his unique blue-green eyes, young Bruce was an identical replica of his father, complete with messy black hair, flaring temper, pride and stubbornness. Another four reasons to love Robin—or Richard Grayson, as he was now called—Kori thought. These traits were common enough in Tamaranian men, but… when it came to Robin, she found them altogether more attractive. Although, of course, she loved him most when he was kind to her. Kindness was not a Tamaranian notion—there was love in her culture, but kindness was something she had acquired from living on Earth. Robin had always been kind to her, and Kori found it hard to remember a time when Robin had not been there to show her kindness and to offer his friendship... unless he was preoccupied with work. She had known him for so long—almost 14 years now—and they had been married for five of those years.

Everyone said they were the perfect family, with two beautiful and adorable children, Bruce and Mar'i. Young and deeply in love, everyone agreed that Robin and Starfire were simply perfect for each other. They had started as best friends, then they started dating… and when they announced their engagement after Richard completed university, it came as no surprise. Kori, as Princess of Tamaran, had to abdicate her royal status in order to marry an Earthling, yet she had accepted without hesitation, leaving Tamaran in the capable hands of her brother King Ryand'r, simply because she loved Robin too much to let anything stand in her way.

But were they such a perfect family? Kori often asked herself. There were secrets lurking behind the picture-perfect smiles of the picture-perfect family preserved in photographs. Things that other people didn't see. Kori sometimes found it hard to believe that she and Richard were actually married, much less that he was a husband and a father. Most of the time, he was far too absorbed in his work for trivial "family matters". On most days, the only attention that she and the children received would be, at most, a quick kiss and a vague "I love you". Richard was still doing superhero work when Kori went to bed at night, and he was never there when she woke up in the morning.

They were supposed to be a family; they were supposed to spend time together. Kori recalled what Richard had said when they'd discussed the subject of family and children: "After my parents died, I vowed that if I ever got married and had kids, they'd never have to grow up the way I did—they'd never have to learn to grow up the hard way. I promised myself I'd always be there for them, no matter what. Kori, I don't want our children to have to go through what both of us have been through. I want them to have a proper family… loving and caring parents. I want them to remember when they grow up that their parents were always there for them, no matter what."

Yet Richard was valuing work above his family, just like he used to value work above his friends when they were still Titans… and there wasn't much Kori could do about it. She already knew from bitter experience what would happen if she disturbed his work. Kori saw the pearly tears in their daughter Mar'i's turquoise eyes when he said he didn't have time to play games with her; she saw the hurt, angry look in Bruce's proud, fierce eyes when Richard only cast a brief look at his son's latest drawing before going to work. It broke her heart to see those things happen, and it hurt even more knowing that there was nothing she could do.

"Daddy is… busy, Bruce," Kori said gently, ruffling her son's unruly dark hair. It was the answer she always gave the children, increasingly frequently in the past few months, so that they were almost used to it now.

"Is Santa Claus coming, Mommy?" Bruce changed his mind; even he knew by now there was no point in inquiring after his father's activities. Daddy wasn't coming to say goodnight to him, to tuck him in tonight. That was that. But Santa Claus would give him presents tonight, if he was a good boy.

"He'll come if you've been a good boy this year, Bruce."

Bruce pouted. "Is he coming?"

"I hope so," Kori smiled. "I love you, Bruce."

"I love you too, Mommy."

Kori bent down to plant a soft kiss on her son's forehead, her emerald gaze firmly holding her son's for a moment. She saw the hope, displayed so clearly and evidently in his wide blue-green eyes, azure and sea-green mixed together. It was a unique colour—a colour mixed on the palette of love, painted with Richard's and her own love. It reminded her of the infinitely strong bond she shared with Richard… a broken bond that needed to be fixed before it was too late. In that instant of realisation, Kori felt her heart being torn apart, knowing that her son's one true wish for Christmas was about to be shattered.

Kori lay, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She had fiercely willed sleep to take her into its embrace, to drift off on that tide of pleasant dreams… but all in vain. Sleep simply refused to come calm her troubled thoughts. Though the soft, rhythmic lullaby of the waves breaking on the beach would usually send her into a deep sleep, tonight the city lights still shone brightly—too brightly—from between partially-drawn curtains, constantly keeping her awake.

That wasn't the only thing keeping her awake either. There was also the fact that Richard still hadn't come to bed, although it was almost 2 a.m.

Kori turned over on the large, empty bed once again, drawing the covers tight up to her chin, head resting on the soft pillow—she had eventually learned to accept the strange way in which Earthlings slept. Her emerald eyes wandered around the spacious bedroom; most of the walls were taken up by three large floor-length windows that opened out onto a large balcony overlooking the city, the beach and the bay. A little way out to sea, stormy winter waves lapped against a little rocky island, upon which stood the old Titans Tower—now a museum dedicated to the former superheroes—an earlier snowfall dusting its rooftop with a thin sprinkling of snow, glinting in the moonlight like icing atop a T-shaped cake. Beyond that was the bay bridge, flowing like a concrete ribbon in the darkness.

Kori's gaze scanned over the rest of the room, which was mostly cloaked in darkness. The furniture flung strange shadows across the walls, which were decorated with numerous framed pictures—photographs of the Titans, of Bruce and Mar'i… pictures of herself and Richard.

Flashback

Kori quietly hummed a Tamaranian lullaby to her three-month-old son, Bruce, and gently kissed his forehead as she set him down in his cradle. Quietly closing the door behind her, she floated downstairs, joy fuelling her powers as she heard the sound of a car pull up in the driveway—Richard is coming home, she thought with excited anticipation.

When she reached the hall, Richard had just staggered inside the front door, struggling with three parcels. Kori quickly rushed to his side to relieve him of his burden, carefully setting them down on a table. She inspected them with curiosity—there were three altogether, two large and one small, all wrapped up carefully with shiny wrapping paper and silk ribbons. Richard smiled at her inquisitiveness. While she was investigating the boxes, he quietly sneaked up behind her, catching her in an embrace from behind.

Kori gasped in surprised delight as his arms enclosed around her waist, pulling her closer towards him. "Richard…"

"Hmm…?" he smiled, starting to nibble on her ear.

Blushing, she tugged at his arms, pushing him away. "Not… here…" she mumbled. "People can… see…" she gasped as he continued to lay gentle, affectionate kisses along her neck. His kisses became more demanding, his lips slowly finding their way towards hers. It was almost too much for her. Kori's breath came in erratic gasps, punctuated with moans of pleasure, and she was sure that her violently hammering heart would leap out from her ribcage if he kept up this pleasurable torture any longer.

"Let them see," he declared defiantly, recklessly, kissing her still more fervently.

"Richard!" she broke free from his grasp. "Please. Not now. Later," she added apologetically, seeing Richard's disappointment. Kori turned her attention back to the parcels, momentarily forgotten in Richard's hasty display of affection. At a nod from Richard she began to unwrap the boxes to reveal... two large boxes of chocolates and a small jewellery box containing a beautifully crafted silver necklace with a pearl pendant. For a moment, she was rendered speechless. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes; he was showering her with these wondrous gifts and what she wanted most of all—his attention. It was all so sweet, so romantic… and he was doing it was all for her. "Richard… you really should not be 'spoiling' me…"

He smirked in response, "You deserve to be spoilt, Princess."

"But… I am not a princess anymore," she pointed out, puzzled.

Richard shrugged. Delicately, he picked up the necklace from its velvet setting. He reached around her neck to fasten it, stealing a light kiss on her lips as he did so, and whispering hotly in her ear, "You'll always be my princess, Kori…"

End Flashback

As she painfully recalled the memory, Kori felt hot tears sting her eyes and flow down her cheeks—tears shed over lost time, lost love, lost happiness… These were not the first tears she had shed over Richard. Countless times in the past few months she had lain all alone in the wide, empty bed, wrapped in cold sheets, crying, wishing he was here; his body to warm hers, his love to mend her shattered heart. When she awoke from a nightmare-plagued sleep in the morning to find an empty bed, she knew that he had spent the night in his office downstairs, having fallen asleep at his desk. Richard had given her more joy but also caused her more sorrow than everyone else put together… and through it all, she still loved him more than she had ever loved anyone, even if he didn't return her love anymore. She knew she shouldn't love him like this, it was killing her inside… but she couldn't help it.

Abruptly, Kori sat up in bed, flinging aside the covers. Donning a warm dressing gown over her silk nightdress, she fiercely brushed away the tears staining her cheeks. Slipping on a pair of thick slippers, she swept out of the empty bedroom, feeling the people in the photographs staring at her as she departed. Outside, the city lights winked mockingly, as if in defiance of her mission, as if challenging her. But Kori had already made up her mind.

She was going to talk to Richard.

A/N- Two words: review please!