"I don't know Short pants..." and Roy doesn't, not after the last time.

"Come on Roy, she'll love it." Dick asks, and he's well aware of Lian watching.

As if on cue Lian chimes in. "Pleeeaaassse Daddy?" and she wraps her little arms around her fathers leg and looks up at him.

Roy sighs..she's doing that batting the eye lashes thing that Dinah taught her.

"I thought you trusted me?" Dick say's, and he makes sure he sounds a little hurt.

And Roy's trying hard not to show signs of weakness, but they're making it tough. "I do trust you Wing..to watch my back, to lead any team I'm in. I trust you as a friend and a 'brother'..."

'Then what's the problem?" Dick asks, and he scoops Lian up and settles her on his hip.

"Pleeeaaassse Daaaddy?" Lian repeats, wrapping her arms around Dick's neck and fluttering those eye lashes again.

"Okay, you wanna know what the problem is?" Roy leans forward and he whispers "Remember the darn dog?" and he really would have rather talked to Dick about it without Lian around, but he doesn't have that choice at the moment.

"Are we gonna get one?! Did you change your mind?!" Lian squeals, and she's bouncing in Dick's arms.

"No, I didn't change my mind!" Roy says firmly..bad idea even mentioning the dog, it's taken three weeks to convince her they can't have one.

"I didn't get her the dog Roy." Dick points out...but he would have if he'd thought Roy would have let him.

"No you didn't, but you let me be the one to tell her 'no'" Roy reminds him.

And Lian looks at her father and pouts.

Dick frowns, okay, so he'd taken the cowards way out, but he'd bet he wasn't the only one who resorted to 'We'll have to ask your dad.' when they found it hard to say no. "What's the big deal anyway?"

And Lian looks at Dick.

Roy sighs again, and he's getting irritated now. "The 'big deal' is it's a dog..Another responsibility, another mouth to feed..."

Lian looks at Roy and frowns, her daddy's getting cranky now..

"They don't cost that much.."

Lian looks at Dick and nods.

"Dick..." Roy begins..but he's cut off by Lian.

"Can we maybe get one...one day?" she say's in a sad, defeated little voice.

Roy sighs yet again, and he hates being the one to put that tone in her voice. " Maybe...One day. I'll think about it." he say's.

"Yaaaay!" Lian squeals, and she dives from Dick's arms to Roy's and hugs him tight.

Roy laughs, happy that she's happy again. "I said I'll think about it!" He's bought himself time, and he is thinking, he's thinking about how to get out of it.

"So can I take her or not? I won't get her a dog, or a pony or a rabbit, or anything that breathes." Dick pleads, he really hopes Roy lets them go, Halley's is only in Gothem for a short time.

Roy looks from Lian to Dick."Promise?" he asks with a trace of suspicion.

Dick places his hand palm down on his chest. "I swear by the oath of the clan of the Bat that I shall not buy your daughter any of gods living creatures." he says seriously.

"Idiot!" Roy laughs, and he feigns a kick at his friend.

"Daddy, it's rude to call peoples idiot!" Lian points out indignantly.

"Unless they are.." Roy reply's.

"Daddy!" Lian scolds, then smiles because Roy's grinning and that means she's won.

"Okay, you're absolutely right. I'm bad and wicked."

"No your not." Lian giggles. "Silly daddy!"

Roy tousles her hair and lowers her to the ground. "C'mon, lets get some clothes in a bag for you..You're going to the circus with Uncle Dick.." he says..and he laughs as she squeals happily and runs to her room.

"A real circus." Dick chimes in above the retreating squeal.

"And I'm a free man for the weekend." Roy's grinning as he follows Lian into her room, he's sure he's still got that girls number, the one from the club with the cute little nose.


Dick's not sure what's in the box, and he's not entirely sure he even wants to know. "It's a Christmas gift..." Roy had said "For Bats..something he can put in his study.." Christmas is still a month away..Roy never gets Bruce more than a card, and Dick's pretty sure that whatever's in there isn't something Bruce will want in his study.

He's thought about taking a look for himself..kind of censoring the gift before Batman gets it.

But Roy has it wrapped up like Fort Knox..and Lian hasn't let go of it since they left.

Dick's borrowed a plane from Batman. It means they're in Gotham in next to no time, and very soon they're standing in the Batcave.

They find Bruce sitting at the computer..and it's Bruce not Batman, there's no cowl in place.

Lian stops chattering about the bats, and she thrusts the present she's still carrying at Bruce.

"It's for you Uncle Bruce." She say's with a grin.."I wanted the pink angel, but Daddy picked this one."

Dick's feeling anxious, and he's almost certain a pink angel would have been better then anything Roy picked.

Bruce can't help smile as the little girl climbs into his lap..like she's claimed him as her own, even though they really don't see much of each other."How have you been Lian?" he asks, and he sets to gift aside, eyes it, then looks at Dick.

Dick shrugs.

"I'm good Uncle Bruce, daddy says I'm always good." Lian replies, and she's starting to open the gift for Bruce.

Bruce chuckles, he's not sure if anyone having Harper's blood can be 'always good'. He suspects that's against the laws of nature. "That's nice to know." he says, and helps her unwrap the paper.

Lian squeals in excitement when the gift is revealed.

Bruce cocks an eyebrow and growls softly.

Dick winces as he looks at the 'Jingle Bat'..He knew it, he just did...Roy couldn't be trusted.

The 'Jingle Bat'...a rather chubby Batman doll wearing a Christmasy hat..sits there for a moment as Dick and Bruce frown and Lian grins. Then a little hand shoots forward and smacks the toy hard.

With a jolt the "Jingle Bat' surges into life. "Ho ho ho.." it chants, and Dick feels himself jump.

Then the toy begins to rock and sing.."Jingle bells Batman smells..."

Lian giggles and claps her hands in delight...

Bruce growls louder..

"Robin flew away.."

And Dick's desperately searching for an off switch..

Lian's joining in the singing now.."Father Christmas lost his whiskers..."

Bruce grabs the toy from Dick and quickly removes the batteries..the noise stops and the toy grows still.

Lian continues to sing for a moment, then stops and looks up at Bruce. She thinks he looks a little annoyed, so she frowns "Don't you like it Uncle Bruce?" she asks, her voice sounding quite disappointed, she thinks the toy is great fun..and Daddy bought one for Uncle Ollie and he loved it so she has no idea why Bruce wouldn't like it as well.

Bruce is not amused. "It's a typical immature Harp..." and Dick thumps him on the back. He throws his son a glare, then looks at the little girl who now seems to be blinking back tear..he melts. "It's a very..interesting and...unique gift." He says, then forces a smile. "I'll have to find a way to thank your father for it." he says, and he's already plotting.

That satisfies Lian, and she throws her arms around his neck and hugs tight."I knew you'd like it..Daddy always picks the bestest presents." she says, then settles back in Bruce's lap and picks up the toy. "I hope he gets me that puppy for Christmas."...because if he did that would be the very best Christmas present she's ever gotten.

"A puppy?" Bruce asks and he glances at Dick who's shaking his head as hard as he can and signalling for Bruce to not get into this particular conversation.

"He's thinking about it." Lian declares. "And it's going to be a girl one..and she will be white and fluffy, and her name is Princess Snowball." Lian says..she's given her new puppy a lot of thought.

"He hasn't said yes yet Lian." Dick reminds her, and he takes her from Bruce. He's going to need to work fast to distract her for now.."Now, how about we go say hello to Alfred. I just bet he has some chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen." This works and Lian's squealing in excitement again as they walk towards the stairs.

"We'll be back soon Uncle Bruce." She calls over Dick's shoulder."You can play with your new toy till we get back." she adds.

Bruce throws her a small smile, then turns back to glare at the toy. "Dead man walking Harper!" he mutters and he's only half joking.


Dick stays at the manor overnight, it's easier, and Alfred insists, Dick's pretty sure Alfie doesn't trust him to feed the kid right, but he's not complaining, home cooked meals aren't something he'll ever turn down.

After dinner, Alfred's in fatherly mode, and he pulls out a pile of old story books and settles on the sofa for an evening of story telling.

Dick listens for awhile, smiling at the memories that are evoked. Lian's enthraled, laughing and asking questions..just the way Dick used to when he was a boy. She's so engrossed Dick finds himself free to join Batman on patrol for the night.

And patrol itself brings back even more found memories. No world shaking event has brought them together this night..no..it's just Batman and Nightwing tackling the bad guys. And Dick feels a little guilty that he's glad Tim's away for the weekend..it really does feel like the old days as he jumps into the fray with his mentor.

Batman is silent and effective as always, and Nightwing is happy and doesn't stop with the banter.

There was a time when the younger mans witty quips would annoy him. But not on this night, Batman's just glad to see his son happy. He decides they should do this more often, not just when there's a case to be worked or world domination to prevent. He vows to talk to both his boys, and make a point of all three working together on occasion, just for the hell of it.

They return to the manor at two in the morning. And Dick checks Lian is sleeping soundly.

"She's a delightful child." Bruce admits when he see's his son peeking in the spare room.

Dick grins, and closes the door quietly. "She sure is, Roy got lucky getting her."

"He certainly did." Bruce agree's. "He's damn lucky he didn't end up with one like him."

Dick chuckles. "He's not that bad." he defends.

"Well, he must be doing something right I guess, she seems well adjusted..and she's smart, doesn't get that from her father." Bruce can't help himself, he just had to add that last little bit, but he chuckles and slaps his son on the back, letting Dick know he's only joking.

Both men say goodnight, and they head to bed feeling happier than they have in a long time.


The next day is a busy one for both Dick and Lian. Dick goes over inventory with Bruce, and they discuss designs for some new weapons Bruce is developing. Then they spend a good hour just talking about cases they're working on and things they're planning.

Dicks amazed that Bruce didn't just head straight to work, but he's not going to question why his mentor is spending so much time just talking, it doesn't happen often and he's going to enjoy it while it lasts.

And Bruce knows he should be focusing on other things, and he's torn two ways at first. But Alfred whispers in his ear, reminding him of just what his priorities should be, and it's all the push he needs. And he finds himself relaxing, enjoying his time with his boy.

Lian spends the morning in the kitchen with Alfred, and she's having a ball cooking muffins and cookies..They make gingerbread men, and Lian spends a long time making them into replica's of her 'family' She's very pleased with Daddy's bow when she's finished, but she thinks Uncle Ollie's beard made him look like a green Santa Clause.

When they've finished they stand back, and survey their work carefully. There's Arsenal, and Green Arrow, Connor, and Speedy and Black Canary..and Lian's very pleased..but something is missing. "We have to make your family too Alfred." she says, not wanting Alfred to be left out.

An hour later Batman and Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and even an Oracle face joins the Arrow family..And Lian can't stop smiling about how clever they are. They're so pretty Lian decides they can't ever be eaten..and Alfred agrees.

They set one tray with tea and freshly baked cookies, Alfred carries that one, while Lian carries the one with the ginger bread families, and they head down to the cave to share morning tea and show off their creations. Lian's chattering the entire way and Alfred is calmly answering any questions she asks..Alfred has missed having a young child around the manor.


Dick doesn't know who's more excited, him or Lian.

And Lian can't believe that her Uncle Dick owns this whole big circus. She thinks he's very lucky, and she wonders if her dad will by her a circus like this one if he doesn't get her the puppy...She really wants that puppy..but a circus would come close to making her as happy as the puppy would.

They're standing in front of an elephant. And this time they aren't behind the barricade. Dicks talking to both the beast and Lian in low soothing tones.

And Lian, who's settled on his hip is holding on for dear life..that elephant is BIG. "I'm scared Uncle Dick." she whimpers, pressing her face into his chest.

"She won't hurt you Lian, she's a very special elephant." Dick explains, but he takes a step back so the little girl won't feel so intimidated. "Would you like to feed her?" he asks hoping to win her confidence.

Lian shakes her head against his chest and refuses to look. Something warm brushes gently down her back, then it moves upward to ruffle her hair. Lian feels the soft tickle of warm air being blown down her neck. She finally looks up, only to shriek in horror as the elephant brushes her cheek with it's trunk.

Dick looks apologetically at the elephants keeper, and makes a hasty retreat with the still screaming child. He really didn't want to frighten her and he's cursing himself for forgetting just how little she really is. But she relaxes once they are on the other side of the barricade, and it isn't long before she's chattering happily again. Dick decides they might just be better off feeding the ponies, elephants just aren't Lian's thing.

The ponies are a hit, Dick knew they would be, especially when Warren..the guy that takes care of them..suggests a pony ride. The words "Awsome.!" and "Cool." seem to be in abundance, and Dick's grinning from ear to ear when Lian declares him "The Bestest Uncle ever!"

And Lian feels so proud sitting on the pony. It's name is Bluebell, and it's just Lian's size. She's wanted to ride a pony for so long. She wonders again if she could fit this one in her apartment...it's only a little one after all. But she's now got her heart set on a puppy, and her dad's thinking about that, so she decides she'll just ask Uncle Dick to bring her to see Bluebell more often..Her Uncle Dick is the best!

It's quite awhile before Lian agree's to leave the pony. In the end she has no choice because show time is coming close and the ponies need to get 'dressed'.

Lian's feeling sad as she strokes Bluebell's nose, but she feels much better when Uncle Dick pulls out his cell phone and snaps a photo of Lian and Bluebell on the built in camera, that way she can look at Bluebell anytime she wants.

"Dickie..There you are!"

Lian looks up at the elderly man who approaches. She thinks Uncle Dick knows the man well because the do that back slapping stuff that boys always do when they haven't seen each other for awhile, just like her Daddy and Uncle Ollie do when they pay a visit. Lian learns the mans name as Harry Halley when Uncle Dick introduces her. And she puts on her best grown up voice and says "How do you do Mr Halley?"

"I'm very well thank you young lady." Pop Halley say's, then compliments Lian on her good manners.

Dick's grinning again as Lian and Pop Halley chatter away. Lian's a charmer no doubt about it, and Harry's as charmed as everyone else who meets her.

After awhile they wander over to Harry's office. And Lian is fascinated by the poster on the wall, she's even more fascinated when Pop Halley explains who the couple in the poster are. Lian asks lots of questions, and she's careful to hold Uncle Dicks hand, she worries he might get sad when he's remembering his Mommy and Daddy...

But Dick is in his element, and although he's told Lian about his parents before, there's still so much she doesn't know, and she soaks it all up, listening carefully and asking questions that take both Dick and Harry on a trip down memory lane.

The show has already started by the time they leave Pop Halley's office, but they have seats reserved in the front row, so they don't miss out.

Lian likes this circus, she likes it a lot. The magician doesn't pretend to cut the lady in half, he just disappears her, then brings her back again..Lian thinks that a more polite thing to do then pretending to cut someone up.

They have Lions and Tigers here, and it's a lady Lion tamer..she has a whip as well..which Lian doesn't really like, but Uncle Dick has already explained that she only pretends to use it. Lian supposes that's okay.

And the knife thrower is pretty good, not as good as her Daddy is, but much better then the one at the other circus, so Lian only has to point out twice that he's not holding the knife correctly.

Lian stays awake right to the end, and she's glad she did, because as she watches the acrobats she imagines them being Uncle Dick's parents, and she thinks she must feel a bit like Uncle Dick must have felt as a little boy watching them..kind of funny inside..proud and amazed. And she asks Uncle Dick if he can teach her to fly like that one day, because she can almost feel the wind in her hair, and she knows it would be awsome.

It's a request that has Dick beaming, he'd like nothing more then to teach her, and resolves to talk to Roy about it when he takes her home.

All too soon the night comes to an end, and they both leave wishing the show could have lasted forever.

Lian's a little sad it's over, but she extracts a promise from her Uncle Dick to bring her back again soon.

By the time they arrive back at the manor Lian's asleep, and Dick is bursting with happiness..overjoyed that she has so much love for something so close to his heart. Seeing his circus through a childs eyes again is a wondrous thing indeed.