BATMAN - CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
PART ONE
It was Christmas Eve at Wayne Manor, Dick Grayson sat looking out at the snow which now covered the grounds. It was his first Christmas without his parents. Bruce and Alfred had been great in helping him deal with the grief that still threatened to overwhelm him at times.
Dick Knew that Bruce had been even younger than he was when he lost his parents and that he wasn't good at dealing with emotional situations, but he'd tried his best and Dick was grateful for that. Tonight though was Christmas Eve and Dick missed his parents terribly.
He was so deeply lost in the memories of past Christmases with his family that he failed to notice the tears that slowly trickled down his cheeks.
" Master Dick?" Alfred's gentle voice startled him from his thoughts.
The elderly English butler placed a gentle hand on Dicks shoulder.
"I'm okay Alfred." Dick wiped away the tears, ashamed at being caught crying again, he was 11 years old after all!
"It's all right to miss your parents Master Dick," Alfred told him gently as he watched the young boy try to pull himself together. " after all Christmas is a time for families."
Dick shrugged trying to be brave even though the tears wouldn't stop falling.
Alfred held out his arms and Dick gave up fighting the inevitable as he fell into them sobbing quietly.
Bruce made his way to Dicks room intending to take him out on patrol, Alfred had protested against them doing so on Christmas Eve, but Bruce understood that Dick would most likely need the distraction. He knew from experience that Christmas Eve was one of the worst times to be alone with the memories.
Placing a hand on the door handle, Bruce started to open the door but paused as he saw what was happening within the room. Bruce watched sadly as Dick cried in Alfred's arms and he was reminded of his first Christmas without his parents, when he'd been the one in Alfred's arms.
Dick finally pulled away from Alfred and once Dick seemed to have pulled himself together Bruce walked in.
" Hey there Chum, are you ready to go out?"
Dick smiled bravely and nodded, "Sure Bruce!"
Bruce ignored Alfred's disapproving look as they left the room.
PART TWO
"Bruce, can I ask you something?" Dick asked suddenly.
Bruce looked down at his Ward sharply. " We don't use names Robin!"
"Sorry." Dick looked away.
They'd been on patrol for over an hour and so far there'd been no action. Not surprisingly Dick's mind had wandered back into his memories and he needed a distraction.
"What is it?" Batman asked more gently.
Dick hesitated.
"Go ahead." Bruce prodded sensing his uncertainty and braced himself for what was sure to come next.
"How was it for you? Your first Christmas I mean. You know after....." He trailed off.
"Hard." Batman replied more harshly than he'd intended and he saw Dick withdraw. He tried to soften his voice. " I missed them terribly and seeing the other children with their parents having fun made me hate Christmas all the more." Bruce told him quietly in a rare moment of trust.
"Does it get any easier?"
Bruce was silent for a long time and Dick thought he wouldn't answer but he did. " No, not for me."
It was almost a w and Dick almost missed it. "What do you mean?" Dick asked slightly confused, but Bruce turned away, unwilling to answer it seemed.
They sat in silence for another hour but nothing happened and Bruce finally decided to call it a night.
"Lets go Chum, you need to get some sleep. Bruce said finally turning back to his Ward.
Dick was about to protest, anything was better than going back to face the memories, but something stopped him. The cowl covered most of Bruce's face but it failed to hide his eyes which seemed to be glistening with excessive moisture. Dick's eyes widened in surprise, Bruce turned away and leapt off the building quickly but not before Dick realized that the cowl had been damp too.
Had Bruce been .....crying? Wondered Dick as he followed. Surely not. Dick had not seen him exhibit any emotion except anger so far. Sure he knew that Bruce felt things and quite deeply it seemed but feeling those emotions and showing them were two different things.
Bruce stayed silent as they drove back to the cave.
Dick got out of the car with a sigh, it was going to be a long night!
Alfred came down to the cave just as Dick was pulling on the last of his clothes.
"Supper is ready Master Dick."
"Okay Alfred." The words were barely out of Dicks mouth when there was a loud bang and a flash of light.
Once Alfred had recovered, he saw that Dick had vanished. Bruce came running back down to the cave.
"Alfred, Dick, are you okay?!"
"I'm fine Master Bruce, but I'm afraid young Dick has disappeared!"
"What happened?"
Alfred explained as best he could and Bruce went to the Bat-computer hoping to find out what had happened to Dick.
PART THREE
Meanwhile Dick woke up to find himself in darkness. After a while his eyes adjusted and he realized that there was light further up the path where he lay. He also realized that he was still in the cave but it had changed somehow. Everything had disappeared, the Bat-mobile included! It was as if the cave had never been used.
Dick got up wandering what to do.
Okay, He thought, first I have to get out of here. He made his way towards the light and found himself on the grounds of Wayne Manor. Once out he looked towards the Manor and realized something was going on. Something was wrong but he couldn't figure out quite what it was.
I need to find Bruce or Alfred, he thought as he looked around him. Suddenly he stopped in surprise. A small boy was knelt in the private cemetery that housed Bruce's parents. Angry Dick stormed towards the boy ready to throw him out. "Hey!"
The boy got up startled and turned towards Dick who slowed down in surprise as he got nearer, it couldn't be!
"Bruce?" he whispered in shock, he recalled the painting of Bruce and his parents that hung above the chimney.
"How d-do you k-know my n-name?" asked the boy. "Who a-are you?"
Dick looked at the tear stained face of the boy before him. He couldn't be more than nine years old. "I'm Dick" he offered not knowing what to say.
The two boys looked at each other in silence.
"What's the matter?" Dick asked finally. Could it be that he'd been sent back in time? He wondered if so maybe he could help Bruce.
The child Bruce began to cry again. " They're dead" he replied the grief evident in his voice.
Dick looked at the gravestones. " Mine too." He replied softly and looked away but he felt Bruce's gaze resting on him. "They were murdered recently." He continued trying not to cry. He tried to ignore the memories the words conjured up and concentrated on getting Bruce to open up in a way the adult never would. Maybe he could find a way of helping Bruce when he got back, if he got back.
Turning back to Bruce, Dick saw that the boy was now sitting in the snow. His small body shaking from the force of his sobs.
Dick knelt down beside him and wrapped his arms around him. "What happened to them?" Dick asked feeling the boys arms wrap around him.
Bruce buried his head in Dicks shoulder as he continued to cry. Why did he feel like Dick could be trusted? He was a stranger but Bruce felt safe with him just like he had when his parents had held him in the same way that Dick now did. Oddly he found himself confiding in this strange boy.
"They were m-murdered too." He stammered. "We went to see Zorro last Christmas Eve and h-he murdered them.....shot them as w-we w-went h-home."
Dick felt him tremble and held him tighter. "You were there? You saw it happen?" He asked.
Bruce nodded confirmation, sobbing even harder.
Dicks mind raced as he comforted the younger version of his friend and mentor. He hadn't realized that Christmas Eve was the anniversary of their deaths. That explained what had happened earlier and Bruce's cryptic comment. Christmas had an altogether different meaning for Bruce.
Suddenly Dick sensed that something was about to happen and he pushed the young Bruce back so that he could look him in the eyes.
"Listen to me Bruce. I know it doesn't seem like it right now but things will get better and one day you'll have a new family to celebrate Christmas with." Dick thought for a moment, "What have you always wanted?"
Bruce looked at him oddly. "I...I always wanted a puppy, but they wouldn't get me one. They kept telling me I'd get one when I was older."
Dick nodded, "Okay Bruce. One day I promise you'll get one and when you do you'll know that you've finally found your family, okay?"
Bruce nodded solemnly.
Suddenly there was another flash of light.
PART FOUR
"Master Bruce!" Alfred called.
Bruce turned to see Dick laying on the ground.
"Dick!" He ran over and helped his Ward to his feet. "What happened?"
Dick looked at Bruce then looked away.
"I don't remember." He lied hoping that Bruce wouldn't notice.
"Are you okay?"
Dick nodded and Bruce patted him on the shoulder.
"Alfred I need to get one last Christmas present tomorrow. Could you take me onto Gotham early before Bruce is awake?" Dick asked.
They were sat in the kitchen, Dick finishing his hot cocoa. Bruce had left to do something and Dick had a pretty good idea what that was.
"Of course Master Dick. If you feel its necessary."
"Oh it is, Thanks Alfred."
Dick looked out of the window as he made his way to his bedroom. He could just about make out Bruce kneeling beside his parents graves. Now he had to keep a promise he'd made to a young orphan earlier that night!
The next morning when Bruce wandered into the kitchen for breakfast he found Alfred and Dick only just returning to the house.
"What's going on? How come you didn't wake me?" He asked them. "where did you go?"
"Master Dick had an errand to run."
"Huh?"
Alfred was saved from having to explain as Dick returned from the living room.
"Hey Bruce, when do we get to open the presents?" Dick asked cheerfully.
Bruce looked at his ward amazed at how cheerful his Ward seemed to be. "whenever you like I guess." Bruce shrugged and allowed himself to be dragged to the living room. He may not have enjoyed the holiday but he didn't want to spoil it for Dick.
They got through the gifts relatively quickly and Bruce was glad. It was nice to see Dick enjoying himself after the previous night but he didn't think he could take much more.
"Bruce wait!" Dick called out as he made to leave. " I have something else for you." He pulled a large box from out behind the couch and placed it before Bruce, looking apprehensive but excited.
Dick watched carefully as Bruce opened the box slowly and looked inside. Suddenly Bruce froze and Dick wondered if he'd done the right thing.
"Master Bruce?" Alfred asked worriedly.
Bruce looked up at Dick.
Seeing the tears running down Bruce's face Dick panicked. "Bruce I'm sorry... I ...."
Bruce shook his head. "Don't." He stopped Dick, his voice hoarse. "Thank you."
Alfred watched in confusion. "Master Dick?"
Bruce reached into the box and pulled out a young Labrador Puppy. It began to run around wildly when it was set on the floor.
Bruce looked at Dick again. "How did you...?" Bruce's expression went from confusion to understanding. "Last night....it was you that day...." He trailed off.
Dick nodded.
"I'd forgotten." Bruce looked at Alfred, "For a while I had hoped but then I forgot about it."
Alfred looked even more confused. "Sir?"
"On the night of the first anniversary of their deaths I met a boy who seemed to come out of nowhere. He comforted me and made me a promise." Bruce explained quietly. "He promised me that one day that I would get a dog and that when I did, I'd know that I had a new family."
Alfred looked stunned. "And your saying that this boy was Master Dick?"
Bruce nodded unable to continue as the tears continued to fall.
Worried at the reaction his 'gift' had caused, Dick came closer.
"Bruce?"
Hesitantly, unused to such emotions, Bruce held out his arms. Dick threw himself into them hugging him tightly as his own tears fell.
Alfred watched his new family, Smiling.
"Thank you." Bruce said again.