Hello everyone! It is day 1 of the WonderBat Holiday 2018 event, and I am so excited to be able to do day 1. Today's theme is: Perfect Gifts. Hope you all enjoy it :)

This is in the same universe and timeline as my A&M (Allie & Milo) series. To help you with the timeline, this story is

Preceded by: Melody

Followed by: My Heart

Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League or its characters.

December 24. Downtown Gotham. 17:46.

Bruce Wayne, legendary Dark Knight of Gotham, absolutely, and irrevocably, hated Christmas. He hated the cheery carols, the cheesy Christmas parties he was obligated to attend, and the gift giving. To Bruce, Christmas only served as a reminder of the gift that had been stolen from him that dark night. That night, not only had his parents been stolen from him, so had his childhood, and for Bruce, any notion of a normal life.

It was that night that had shaped Bruce into the man he was today: The Batman, keeping the streets of Gotham safe by night, the playboy billionaire by day. For the better half of two decades, Bruce had learned to keep himself busy around the holidays, trying to mask the pain the cheerful decor, and laughter from children playing in the snow with their families, brought him by burying himself into his work. Alfred had begged Bruce to take the night off every year, wanting him to stay in to celebrate the holiday, to which Bruce would remind him crime didn't take the night off, so neither would he.

When Dick came along, the first of many Robins for The Batman, Bruce had a change of heart. He wanted to be a sense of comfort for the younger orphan, and when the holidays rolled around, Bruce had made sure to make Dick's first Christmas with him and Alfred a memorable one. That didn't mean, however, he had taken the night off. In fact, Bruce had left Dick with clear instructions, letting him know he was to use the day to rest, so he would be ready for patrol the next evening, while Batman patrolled the streets of Gotham alone. That was the beginning of the end.

Dick had gone to bed mad that night, angry that Bruce didn't trust him. He knew Bruce had had his family torn from him, as he had, but he had hoped the two would be able to spend the holidays together, spending time together as the dysfunctional family they were. Then came Jason, and the dysfunctionality only increased.

Jason came with his own problems, and with Bruce spending most of his energy and time between Gotham and his newest ward, Dick knew there was hardly room for him in the man's life. Then came the fight. The fight that had started from nothing and had caused everything all at once. That night Dick left, vowing to never come back. Bruce had hoped with a little time to cool off, Dick would be back, ready to let bygones be bygones, but when Dick had moved all his belongings to Bludhaven, and had changed his name to Nightwing, not wanting to be associated with The Batman any longer, Bruce knew his relationship with the younger man would no longer be the same; that had been a few days before Christmas - the Christmas before Jason's death.

After Jason's death came Tim, and with Tim came another chance for Bruce to attempt life as a family. He had lost both his sons before, one by force, one by his mistakes, and he was going to try his hardest to keep Tim around as long as he could. But when that first Christmas season had rolled around, Bruce once again found himself retreating into the black hole he resided in.

He didn't know why he was like this. After all, he had a family now, a child that looked up to him, Alfred, who was like a father to him, and friends within the League who cared deeply for him. This still never changed his opinion about Christmas. Until this year.

This year Bruce didn't cringe when he walked past the shops downtown. This year Bruce didn't find a way to leave every Christmas party, coming up with endless excuses to give his hosts on why he had to leave on short notice. This year he didn't turn the other way when he saw Carolers strolling down the streets, song books in hand, as they trudged through the snow that lined the sidewalks. This year Bruce didn't mind the endless ads and repetitive Christmas songs, and the reason for his sudden change was her. Diana.

When Diana had first come to Man's World, Bruce had no idea how much she would change his life. At first, he was content in letting her stay, so long as she kept her distance. He didn't need someone like her prying into his life. He had a system, a way of keeping things orderly. He didn't need anyone ruining that. But Diana hadn't been content on keeping her distance. In fact, she had challenged him every opportunity she could, and after a while, he found himself enjoying the constant confrontation, chiding him for his commitment issues.

That first Christmas Diana had been on Man's World, when the rest of the Founders had decided their other obligations had taken priority, Bruce had decided to help out on the Watchtower, planning to keep himself holed up in the monitor womb, deciding he would call the League if something arose he couldn't handle himself. What he hadn't counted on was Diana also staying behind; He would have figured Kent would have invited her to come to Smallville along with he and J'onn. That weekend, Diana continued to pester Bruce, chipping at his metaphorical armor piece by piece, content only when she earned a genuine chuckle from the man who rarely smiled. Had Bruce known that would have been the start of a beautiful friendship, he might have smiled more for her.

But Diana didn't mind. She didn't mind that Bruce continued to push her away, blaming the dangers in his life as his reasoning for retreating. No, in fact she welcomed the challenge. For years, she continued to chisel away that wall he had put up after his parents death, which had only grown stronger after Dick's abandonment, and Jason's death, and with patience and persistence, she finally was able to get Bruce to admit to his feelings. Diana was the reason Bruce finally had a reason to smile. And that year, Diana was the reason Bruce found himself standing in the middle of a crowded store on Christmas Eve, fifteen minutes before they closed for the night, trying to rack his brain around the countless items on display.

Bruce, who had been so busy with work and Gotham, had forgotten to go shopping for Diana, and the more he stared at the women behind the registers working tirelessly to ring everyone out in time for the holiday, the more he scolded himself. Normally, Bruce would have given Alfred a list and had the Englishman venture out to the stores, as he was much friendlier when it came to other patrons and the workers around this time. In fact, Alfred had offered, countless times, but this year Bruce had other plans. It was the first Christmas he and Diana were a couple, and he wanted to give her a gift that was solely from him. Something she would cherish for years to come. In hindsight that sounded like a marvelous idea, but as he stood in the aisle, empty handed, looking at the rows of women's clothing, he realized how stupid he had been to at least not let Alfred, or even Tim, tag along.

Bruce quickly took a few items of clothing off the shelf directly in front of him, tilting his head as he unfolded the sweatshirt in the air in front of him. His lips quickly formed a smirk as the yellow of the all too familiar bat symbol was displayed in the middle of the sweatshirt. He briefly thought of giving it to Diana, as a joke, but decided against it, quickly folding it as neatly as he could and placed it back on the shelf.

Bruce continued to stroll down the aisle, pursing his lips as he passed the racks containing lacy lingerie. He and Diana had just started to date, and although he wanted nothing more than to see her in one of the red outfits, he knew he wasn't ready for that just yet. Scratch that- he was ready, but he wasn't sure if she was.

For years Bruce had been in love with Diana, silently telling himself she was much better than him- much too good for him. He had been damaged, trying to fix the cracks and broken pieces with an endless string of one night stands and hook ups that only tarnished the already terrible reputation he had. He couldn't do that to Diana. He wouldn't do that to her. So until he was sure this was something she wasn't going to back out of, he would keep his hands to himself, no matter how much the thought of her out of her uniform drove him wild.

Bruce quickly shook his head free from his unholy thoughts, stopping to hear the last of the announcement that blared over the intercom. "Please bring the last of your items to the counter. Thank you, and Happy Holidays."

Bruce took a quick glance down at his watch and mentally cursed. He had five minutes before the store locked its doors, and he knew he was running out of time. He quickly walked down to the shoes, deciding he would buy her a pair of boots; he had learned a good pair of boots were one of the many things that Diana got excited over.

As he walked to the shoes, something caught the corner of his eye. His head quickly snapped up and he chuckled as he glanced at the item. "Perfect," he whispered to himself, as he reached out to grab the item, grinning when he realized it was the only one in stock. He carefully carried the item over to the shoes, grabbed a pair of boots he knew Diana had been eyeing recently, and carried his items to the nearly empty counter.

Bruce gently placed his items on the counter and flashed the older woman behind the register an apologetic smile. He knew they probably had families to get home to, traditions to see to, and his lack of planning had caused them trouble. He normally was so focused, so put together. "Good evening, Mr. Wayne," the older clerk greeted. "Some last minute shopping I see."

Bruce let out a nervous chuckle. "I'm afraid so," was all he said, as he fished his wallet from his back pocket.

"Oh, these are for Wonder Wo- I mean Diana?" the clerk asked, looking at the boots in awe.

Bruce looked at the older woman. Her greying hair was pulled into a small bun a top her head, and the thick framed glasses she wore hid the bright green eyes that widened in excitement. His attention moved from the older woman, who scanned the second item on the counter in silence, to the rack of magazines in front of him. His hand instinctively reached out to grab the front magazine, his eyebrow raising as he looked at the photo of him and Diana at a gala the week prior, where they had finally decided to go public with their relationship.

He quickly flipped through the magazine, smiling when he saw another photo of the two of them enjoying a late lunch the previous day; it was before Diana had gone back to the Watchtower only to be bombarded with missions - he hadn't seen her since then.

Bruce placed the magazine back on the rack and flashed the elderly woman a smile. "Yes," he said, glancing down at the silver name tag that said 'Susan' pinned to her chest. "I saw her eyeing them the other day."

He watched as Susan finished bagging his purchase, before he took out some money and paid for the last minute gifts. "Well, Mr. Wayne," Susan began, as she handed Bruce his change. "She is one beautiful woman, and you two make a lovely couple." She gave Bruce a small nod, silently telling him to ignore what the magazine had said. Bruce, knowing exactly what she had meant, only smiled and thanked her, before he grabbed the bag containing his purchase. "You have a Merry Christmas, Mr. Wayne."

December 25. Batcave. 03:27.

Bruce leaned back in his chair, staring at the giant monitor in front of him, drinking a cup of coffee as he read over the latest files he had acquired from Gordon regarding a string of break ins. The night's patrol had been surprisingly quiet, and after having spent a few hours sitting in the cold, getting no leads on the break ins, Batman had decided to return to the cave, hoping to get some more work in before Alfred came down to force him upstairs for the Christmas celebrations. Granted, Bruce was excited this year, as being with Diana had finally shown him life was too short to take the people he loved the most for granted, but he hadn't seen or heard from her in nearly two days. He was doing this all for her, and without her, Christmas just seemed like another day.

Bruce stifled a yawn as his hand gently rubbed his face. He was exhausted, and he knew he needed to rest up before another busy week, but his mind kept racing back to Diana. She had been so excited to spend Christmas with him, Tim, and Alfred. Instead, she was on the other side of the world helping John and Oliver deal with attacks on a foreign embassy - he knew he should have agreed to go when Clark had called him, but he had been so busy with the company and his own problems in Gotham, he had declined to help, stating they had more than enough members of the League to help.

Bruce let out a small sigh and closed his eyes, before he pulled the cowl from his face and took another sip from the mug in his hand. He opened an eye when he heard the high pitched sound from behind, his shoulders unconsciously tensing when he realized someone was trying to access the Batcave from the Watchtower. He let out the breath he had been holding when he heard the undeniable clicking of her heels, and although he tried his best to keep his expression stoic, his lips curled into the faintest smile.

"It's late, Princess," he said, closing his eye once more as he let the heat from the mug in his hand hit his cold face.

Diana said nothing as she walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, gently squeezing it. "And yet here you are drinking coffee."

"It's decaf. Alfred cuts me off after one."

She watched as Bruce placed the mug on the table besides his chair, before he stood and turned to face her, his eyes widening when he took in her state of dress. "I just got back, and I wanted to see you" she said to his unspoken question, trying to hide the faint blush on her cheeks as she looked down at her torn and dirty uniform.

Bruce's smile widened and he shook his head, as his hand reached out to grab her arm and pull her close. He knew she should have gone to her quarters and gotten cleaned up, before getting some much needed sleep, but he couldn't blame her for coming. He would have done the same thing. "Well I'm glad you're okay," Bruce said, leaning down to place a kiss on her lips. "But if you want to shower and go to sleep, I can ask Alfred to take a look at the uniform in the morning."

Diana nodded, kissed him once more, and rested her head against his chest. She felt his hand snake across her waist and she took a deep breath, breathing in a scent she could only describe as him, before she gently squeezed his body with her arms. The two of them stayed there, locked in an embrace, for a few moments, simply enjoying each other's company. It felt right, and although Bruce didn't want to admit it out loud, he had been wrong to deny Diana and himself this for so long. He only hoped he would be able to make up for it.

December 25. Wayne Manor. 08:14.

Diana continued to stare at Bruce as he slept in his bed, his chest bare as the pajama pants he wore hung low on his hips. Her lips curled into a smile as she placed a hand on his chest, and although she knew she shouldn't have been in his room, she couldn't help but stare at him. Bruce had so many demons, thought of himself to be too damaged, but she loved this man more than anything - which is why she had agreed to take things slow with him. She had waited years for this man, she could wait a little while longer.

Diana gently trailed her hand from his chest to his face, watching as the usually hard creases of his face were softened while he slept. "Bruce," she whispered, gently using her thumb to stroke his face. She watched as his eyebrows raised slightly and his eyes fluttered under his eyelids, signalling his dreams were coming to an end. "Bruce," she whispered once more. She ran a hand through his dark hair, stopping at the nape of her neck, smiling when he opened an eye. "Morning, sleepy," she said with a smirk.

Bruce gave Diana a small smile. "Morning," he replied, accepting the kiss Diana placed on his lips, before he sat up in his bed, placing his back against his headboard. "Is that my sweater?" he asked, staring at the Gotham Knights sweater Diana wore along with a pair of black leggings.

"It might be," she said with a sly smile, pulling her hair into a messy ponytail. "It's Christmas," she stated. She looked over his shoulder and gasped seeing the time, before she jumped off the bed and grabbed his arm. "And Tim and Alfred are downstairs waiting for you."

Bruce let Diana yank him off the bed, forcing him to stand in the middle of his bedroom bare chested and barefoot. "Can I at least change?" Bruce asked, watching as Diana walked towards the door.

"You have five minutes," Diana said over her shoulder, before she left the room and walked down the hall, leaving Bruce in the room to shake his head with a chuckle. She was like a child, excited for the thrill that was Christmas morning. Not that he could blame her. After all, she had never had this on Themyscira, and before the two of them had dated, she had spent Christmases on the Watchtower with him doing monitor duty. But this year he was going to let her experience the thrill of the holidays with family, even if he hadn't experienced it for himself in some time. He knew Tim and Alfred were all too happy to welcome the change.

Bruce quickly walked into the bathroom and began to brush his teeth, washing his face after, before he walked back into his bedroom. He changed into a pair of jeans and threw on a dark turtleneck, before he pulled on a pair of socks and walked out of the room, knowing Diana wouldn't wait for him to find shoes before she flew back into his room, demanding he join them downstairs. He quickly jogged down the stairs and walked into the family room, his smile widening when he saw the scene in front of him.

In the corner of the large room was the tree Diana and Tim had decorated, while Alfred had baked his famous sugar cookies, humming Christmas carols in the kitchen while he worked. Bruce had come home that night absolutely stunned by how the tree had turned out, grateful he had decided to take a chance on love with her.

To the right was Diana, curled up in one of the chairs, a cup of tea in her hands. Tim sat on the couch in the center of the room, and Alfred sat in the chair besides Diana. In his hands was a mug of tea for himself, and a cup of eggnog for Bruce; it was a Christmas tradition since he had been a boy, although the addition of alcohol had been a fairly new one.

"About time," Tim said, glancing up at the clock above the fireplace. The crackling of the wood burning in the fireplace filled the silence of the room as Bruce made his way to the trio, before he squeezed into the chair besides Diana and pulled her legs over her lap, letting her settle in besides him as he placed a hand on her thigh, silently thanking her for coming. "Can I finally open my gift?" Tim asked, his finger teasingly pulling at the bow on top of the gift in his hands.

"Master Timothy," Alfred began, standing from his seat and walking over to Bruce to hand him the cup of eggnog. Bruce accepted it with a small nod and took a sip, before he nodded to his son.

Tim needed no further instruction as he ripped the bow off the package and tore apart the wrapping. Diana watched as Tim ripped open the box, his eyes widening when he saw the gift inside. "No way," he said, lifting the knife carefully. "Diana, is this-"

Diana nodded. She had told Tim the tale of Perseus, and how he had slain Medusa with a knife crafted by Hephaestus himself. Tim had always been so intrigued with Diana's stories, she knew it was only fitting to gift him such an item. "Yes, and it's very old, and very treasured. But I trust you'll take care of it."

Tim nodded enthusiastically, carefully placing the blade into its sheath, before he placed it on the table in front of him. He quickly crawled under the tree and grabbed a carefully wrapped box, pulling it from the pile and handing it to Alfred. "Here ya go, Al," he said, watching as the butler placed his cup of tea down carefully on the table besides the chair, before he accepted the gift. "It's from Diana."

Alfred glanced over at Diana and offered her a wide smile. "Ms. Diana, you didn't have to go through the trouble," he said, a smile on his face as he watched Bruce lean closer to her. He loved that Bruce was finally taking a chance on the only woman he had truly loved. He wanted Bruce to finally be happy, and he knew it was possible for that with Diana; she was the only person who would be able to love the man, and the bat.

Diana shook her head. "Alfred, you're family," she said. "It was the least I could do."

Alfred said nothing as he opened the gift, the smile on his face widening when he saw the bottle of alcohol inside. "Ms. Diana, this is positively wonderful," he said, reading the label on the bottle. Alfred was not one to drink much, however he had told Diana of his time in the British army, and how he and his comrades would sometimes unwind with stories over a glass of the same mead he currently held in his hand. "Where did you find such a gift?" Alfred asked. He hadn't seen a bottle of this stuff since he left England.

Diana smiled as she sipped the tea in her hands. "Bruce and I were in Bath for a mission a month ago," she answered. "I found it on accident."

Bruce turned to face her. "Is that what took you so long to get back to the Watchtower?" He watched as she nodded, before he shook his head, amazed by how much she paid attention to his family. He truly didn't deserve someone like her.

He took another sip from the mug in his hand, a smirk on his face as he offered her the cup. "Want a sip?" he asked. He watched as Diana scowled over her mug of tea, offended he would even offer her such a thing. He knew she hated the stuff, but he couldn't help but tease. She turned, allowing her eyes to glance up at the clock above the fireplace, before she turned back to Tim, giving him a small wink. "What was that for?" Bruce asked, watching as Tim quietly leaned into the couch, keeping quiet as Diana placed the tea on the table in front of the chair.

"Can I talk to you, in private?" Diana asked, swinging her legs off of Bruce and standing from her seat. She watched as he glanced over at Alfred, who only nodded, before he placed his mug of eggnog besides her cup of tea and stood, grabbing her outstretched hand. Without a word, Diana laced her fingers with Bruce's and pulled him out of the room, leading him into the foyer to be alone for a moment.

"Is everything okay?" he asked cautiously. He wanted this Christmas to be perfect, but he knew Diana was hiding something- something much more than just presents, and he didn't do so well with secrets.

Diana only nodded, stopping in front of the door, before she turned and flashed him a smile. "I will admit, I wasn't able to wrap your gift, and I'm still waiting for it to arrive, but it should be here shortly. But I wanted to give it to you in private."

Bruce chuckled nervously. What could she possibly give him that would require privacy. Unless….. "Diana," he began, stopping when there was a knock on the door. "You don't have to-"

Diana placed a finger on his lips, silencing him. She knew what he was thinking, and as much as she wanted him physically, this wasn't what this was about. "I assure you, this is something completely different than you think," she said with a smirk, "Although you and I can discuss that after."

She leaned in and kissed him, smiling against his lips when he used a finger to brush some of her hair out of her face and behind her ear. "What did you get me?" he asked. There was another knock on the door and Diana only shrugged.

"Something you've needed for a while," was all she said, before she placed his hand on his back and pushed him to the door. "Go on."

Bruce rolled his eyes and sighed, as he stepped towards the door. Without another word he opened the door, stopping in his tracks when he saw what was, or rather who was, waiting for him on the stoop.

The dark hair, the blue eyes…..they were all too familiar. He was taller, and his shoulders were broader, stronger, but Bruce would know him anywhere. "Dick," he said softly, staring at the man, the son, who had run from him so long ago.

"Hi, Bruce," Dick said, his voice just as quiet as the older man's, knowing if he spoke too loud the emotions he was trying to hide would come flooding out.

The two stared at each other in uncomfortable silence, neither wanting to be the first to apologize for whatever they had done to destroy the relationship they had once had. It was in the past, yet neither knew how to get over the wounds they had caused the other. It seemed like an eternity, both of them searching the other's face for the words needed, before Bruce made the first move. Without a word he wrapped his arms around the younger man and pulled him close, enveloping Dick in one of the tightest embraces he had ever given anyone. It was only a matter of moments before Dick's arms were around Bruce, squeezing him with the same amount of force, as he buried his head into the shoulder of the man who had taken him in when he needed someone the most.

The two continued to hug the other, letting the emotions they had hidden for years, find their way to the surface. Bruce finally pulled back from Dick and offered him a wholesome smile, trying to keep the tears that were struggling to stay hidden, at bay. "Can I come in?" Dick asked. "It's kind of cold out here."

Bruce nodded and moved aside, allowing Dick into the manor, before he shut the door quietly. "How- Who- What are you doing here?" Bruce asked.

He watched as Dick swept some of the fallen snow off of his shoulder, before he pulled off the jacket and hung it up by the door. "Diana," he answered, nodding to the woman who was standing behind Bruce. She wanted to give the two of them space, but she also wanted to make sure she was there in case Bruce's temper got the best of him and his emotions. "She found me in Bludhaven and after a long talk, convinced me family deserved to spend Christmas together."

Dick watched as Bruce turned to Diana and silently thanked her, before he turned back to his son. "I'm sorry, Bruce. I don't even remember why I left, but I know now I should've have left the way I did."

Bruce shook his head and placed his hand on Dick's shoulder. "We were both to blame," he said. "We both did things we shouldn't have. It was new to both of us, and neither of us were ready. But I am so happy to see you, and I would love it if you stayed."

Dick nodded and wrapped his arms around Bruce once more, giving him another hug, grateful to know he was welcomed back. "If Alfred made dinner, I'll be here all night," Dick said, flashing Bruce a smirk as the two of them chuckled. "I'll let you two talk," he said, nodding to Diana. "You and I can talk more later."

With that, Dick walked out of the foyer and into the family room, where he met up with Tim and Alfred. Bruce smiled when he heard Alfred exclaim, "Master Grayson! What a pleasant surprise." He turned to glance at Diana, smiling when he saw her standing behind him, a wide grin plastered on her face. He quickly motioned for her to come to him. She obeyed, walking towards him, stopping when he grabbed her arm and pulled her into a deep kiss.

"What was that for?" she asked innocently, as she placed her hands softly on his chest.

She felt Bruce place his head on her shoulder and take a deep breath, before he placed a kiss on the clothed shoulder. "Thank you," he said softly. "You brought my son back to me. My gifts for you seem entirely too inadequate."

Diana gently nudged him and chuckled. "Nonsense," she said. "You both were too stubborn. I knew he wouldn't come here without a little convincing, and you wouldn't go there. Honestly once I said Alfred was cooking, it was all too easy," she said with another chuckle. "But I am curious, what did you get me?"

Bruce pulled away from her and lifted a finger, asking her to stay where she stood, before he walked out of the room, coming back a few moments later with two wrapped gifts in his hands. "Here," he said, placing the gifts in Diana's hands. "These are for you."

He watched as Diana ripped open the wrapping on the bigger package of the two, her lips curling into a large smile when she realized what the box contained. "Bruce," she began, lifting the espresso machine. "I love it! Thank you, truly." Bruce nodded and watched as she opened the next gift, jumping excitedly when she saw the boots. "Bruce Wayne," she said, opening the box containing the shoes, "You know the way to my heart." She flashed him a wink, and placed the box on the floor near her other gift, before she gave Bruce a hug. She felt his arms wrap around her and hug her tightly, and she shifted in his arms, placing her head in the crook of his neck.

"Thank you, Diana. It was perfect."

Diana responded with a kiss to his neck, smirking when he inhaled sharply. "I'm glad you liked it. There is a watch by your bed as well."

"What's that for?" he asked, moving his head to place a kiss on her forehead.

Diana shrugged. "In case Dick said no."

"I know you. You wouldn't have let him say no."

"True," she replied. "But I wanted to give you a Christmas to remember."

Bruce took a moment to reply. Diana truly was something else. Not only was she beautiful and powerful, she was also compassionate and extremely caring. She took her time picking gifts for everyone, and had gone out of her way to bring Dick back to him. He would make sure her efforts weren't in vain. He would try harder with Dick. He would make sure to put his relationships above his egoistic ways. "Thank you. It was perfect."

He kissed Diana once more and vowed to himself he would do his best not to screw this up. Diana was the best thing that had happened to him and his family, and he would be damned if he let her go now.

I'm so excited for this event and I cannot wait to see what everyone has in store.