Merry Christmas!
We own the rights to nothing within this story.
Before the new Teen Titans, several months after he had abandoned his mother to join his father in his mission, Damian Wayne celebrated his first Christmas amongst the extensive members of the Bat-Family. On the eve before the celebrated day, snow coated Gotham, a natural product and not the cause of any of the Mr. Freeze knock-offs who sought to replace the cryonic man after his departure from villainy. Most villains had their own celebrations to attend to, and the Joker has been safely secured, checked several times throughout the day to ensure that he would not be joining in the festivities. Those few criminals who did choose to brave the elements and slog through the thick snow were minor and easily handled by the police. None of this stopped Damian from donning the guise of Robin and impatiently awaiting his father as he watched the large map on the screen, color coded dots flashing intermittently, subtitled with the case's status.
His keen ears caught the slight whoosh of the elevator's doors as they opened and he did not turn as he observed, "There are four robberies, a body has been found, there was a mugging reported four minutes ago, and -"
"And there's nothing that the police can't handle."
He turned at the lithe figure of Dick Grayson who sauntered from the elevator's entryway, clad in a festive sweatshirt featuring cartoonish elves passing about gifts. A small smile pulled at his lips, and he slipped his hands into the pockets of his dark pants as the newest bearer of the mantle of Robin frowned. The youth folded his arms across his chest and glared up at the long-haired man, undaunted by the considerable difference in their stature.
"If father is feeling unwell, hurry and don your Nightwing guise before I leave you behind," he demanded imperiously. Dick sighed as he approached the harsh boy who maintained his superior expression even as he had to crane his neck upwards.
"Damian, it's Christmas Eve. Lose the Robin suit and come celebrate with everybody," he said, waving a hand towards the elevator he had descended from.
Scrunching his nose, Damian scoffed, "Tt. These frivolities are ridiculous. Mother would simply present me with my island before we returned to more important business."
"Yes, because your mother is an absolute paragon of positive virtues," he noted with a small chuckle, earning a fiercer glare from the boy. He said, "Look, family is important business. As is taking the time to celebrate. Now, come on. Alfred's not going to let any of us eat until we're all there."
"You could go without a few meals, Grayson," he observed snidely, but he removed the domino mask and began to undo the clasps of his vest. The long-ago protege of Batman rolled his eyes and only after he turned did he do a worried inspection of his stomach, assuring himself of the rigid definition of his abs. Quicker than he had expected, he was joined by Damian who was finishing doing up the buttons on his immaculate white shirt.
"My mother employed world class cooks throughout my youth. Pennyworth's own culinary skills fail to match," he said as they rode upward.
"I'll let you try to convince your dad of that," Dick returned as the elevator slowed to a halt and the clock it was hidden behind opened. Seasonal music filled the manor as mandated by the stalwart butler and the savory scents of his masterful creations, despite Damian's claims, wafted through the air like a siren's call, pulling those who wandered through the halls towards the kitchen. With a content sigh, the elder man strode out into the study containing the entryway to the Bat-Cave towards the chatter coming from the living room. Damian followed after him and watched a golden and violet blur catch him with enough force to stagger him.
"Dad, what took you so long? Selina said that we can each open one present tonight, but not until we're all here. Now, come on, come on," Mar'i Grayson urged, tugging him into the room. He smiled and followed after her into the room where the family had gathered, waving Damian to come along as well. With a roll of his eyes, Damian trudged into the room that was filled near to capacity with the closer members of the Bat-Family and a massive Christmas tree that had been throughly decorated.
Bruce, his face adorned with his once-rare gentle smile, and a very pregnant Selina Wayne had claimed the couch though with how they pressed together, fingers laced, there was still plenty of room upon it. Chatting with Alfred was Stephanie Brown in yet another purple outfit while Jason Todd lingered off to the side, still unsure of his place amongst them. With her father working, Barbara Gordon had opted to spend Christmas Eve with her other family and had pulled out their television from its place along the wall, fiddling with the cables. As his son reluctantly entered, Bruce stood, temporarily releasing the hand of his wife and former villainess.
"Father, shouldn't we be out patrolling?" Damian asked as he approached.
"If Gotham needs us, we'll know," he assured his son. "For now, just try to enjoy yourself."
"That's right, grumpy guts," Mar'i called from beside the tree, arranging the presents for her into a pile. "Come celebrate the fact that Gotham's still standing despite the best wishes of psychopaths abounding!"
"Mar'i, you do realize that you only get to open one present, right?" Dick said with a slight smile and a nod to the pile she had amassed as he strolled towards Barbara.
The golden girl looked to the woman that violently rejected the appellation of 'grandma' and pouted, "Selina, can I open more than one?"
"If you can do it without getting caught, go for it," she encouraged with a small smile. Mar'i beamed and turned to consider which gift she could successfully hide under her shirt as Barbara suddenly wheeled away from the television and Dick pushed it back into place.
"The video feed should be working now," she said as she grabbed the remote. Pressing a button, it flickered to life and was suddenly filled with a dark-haired duo.
"Merry Christmas!" Tim Drake cheered while Cassandra Cain gave a slight shake of her leather strip of silvery bells, a small smile gracing her features. The former had donned a Santa hat that persistently flopped in front of his face despite his demonstrated efforts to remove it. Its scarlet hue matched the plain shirt he wore, and the slender girl at his side continued the trend with a green long-sleeved shirt and a headband with antlers resting upon her dark hair.
"Merry Christmas!" the assembled members returned and Bruce stepped forward, his expression business-like for a moment.
"How's Hong Kong?" he asked.
"It's going well. We've finished the set-up for the Batman Inc. HQ, and we've found a few cases that we're going to wrap up before moving on," Tim answered.
With the expansion of Batman Incorporated, the pair had begun a global trek about the globe, forging ties to the various members and offering whatever assistance they could. Numerous headquarters and caches had been organized, and direct ties had been built between the members close to each other. With Barbara's assistance as Oracle, Tim had organized an immense database on the numerous rogues and criminal organizations that the individuals often faced. Cass made certain that the embers had the proper training to be risking their lives as they did, supplying them with instruction and demonstrations that firmly removed any doubt that female adversaries were less of a physical threat.
"I take it you guys aren't going to be coming home soon?" Steph asked.
"No," Cass shook her head.
The blonde sighed, "All right then. I miss the both of you. The kids make me feel old and everybody else makes me feel like a kid."
"Miss you too," Cass said and Tim nodded.
"We'll stop by to visit as soon as we can," he promised.
"You better," she said, pointing a finger at him before turning to the slender girl. "Cass, keep him out of trouble."
"Easier said than done," she replied, her voice soft but without the hesitation of her youth.
Before Tim could offer a rebuttal, Mar'i appeared in the screen, holding a long, narrow box covered in wrapping paper as she cheered, "Thank you for the present, Uncle Tim, Aunt Cass!"
"Your welcome," Tim answered with a smile to his honorary niece.
"Just so long as its not more weapons," Dick interjected, arms folded across his chest.
"Okay, that wasn't even my idea," he protested, earning a well-placed jab from Cass that temporarily deprived him of air. As he staggered back, they both turned towards something and as Tim disappeared from the screen, Cass looked back towards her family.
"There is something we must handle. Have a merry Christmas."
"Stay safe, Cassandra," Bruce requested and she bowed her head before the feed cut out.
"With that completed, we are ready for dinner," Alfred declared. There was a chorus of agreement and general adjournment to the dining room, Bruce helping his wife to his feet, but Mar'i paused.
"B-b-but presents!" she protested, holding the gift over her head.
"C'mon, sweetheart," her father called. "You can open the gift after dinner."
Groaning in disappointment, she returned the present to the top of the pile and flew after her family only to be paused by her father.
"What?" she asked innocently. His sole response was a disapproving stare and after a moment of fidgeting under it, she slumped and returned to the tree, slipping the slim package out from under her shirt and returning it to its original position. She looked to her father with exasperation and he nodded. Flying past him, she said, "I'm going to fly over to Ty's house and open presents with them."
"All right then. You can have Christmas breakfast with the Logan's," he shrugged, following her into the dining room.
Damian grudgingly ate the festive dinner, eyes constantly flickering towards the dark sky over Gotham in the hopes that a beacon would suddenly light the clouds. As he pushed about the slices of honeyed ham on his plate, fat snowflakes began to drift downward, dancing at the large window to a merry melody that was felt, not heard. The 'Carol of the Bells' played in the background, beneath the laughter and happy conversation that the imperious heir had no interest in. Across from him was Mar'i who seemed similarly detached from the affair, but her amethyst gaze lifted not to the window, but to the doorway through which her presents awaited her.
As soon as the plates were cleared and Stephanie joined Alfred in the kitchen to help with cleaning them, assuring the others they could return to the presents though Bruce and Bruce volunteered to carry the dishes into the kitchen. Mar'i rocketed out of her seat before she was caught short by her father's disapproving bark.
"We open them together," he said firmly and she groaned before flashing to Damian's seat and lifting the sullen boy into the air.
"Hurry up, slowpoke," she urged as she carried him to the door before she was stopped yet again though the source was different this time.
"Hold up, you two," Selina called, her smile absolutely cat-like as she waddled about the end of the table and pointed towards the doorframe. "There's another little Christmas tradition over your heads."
They glanced up in unison towards the mistletoe that dangled above them, its red berries mockingly bright as Mar'i faltered, gaping at the simple piece of foliage. Damian was still wrapped in her arms, floating several feet off the ground and unable to free himself from the steely grip as it suddenly tightened anxiously. Glancing to her, he saw that she was still mesmerized by the bright green leaves, her cheeks dusted with pink that was quickly building to rival Rudolph's legendary nose. Rolling his eyes, he weighed his options and settled for delivering a short peck to her cheek, snapping her from her reverie.
She blinked as she stared at him, still not loosening her grip before he was suddenly dropped, landing safely without any loss of composure before strolling into the living room. Mar'i hovered there for a moment before following after him, and Dick hooked arms with Selina to follow after them. They paused at the doorway and Dick gave an affectionate kiss to Selina that caused her to sigh.
"You kiss me like I'm somebody's mother."
"You are somebody's mother," he pointed out before glancing at the children. "And still very much a troublemaker."
"What can I say? Old habits die hard," she shrugged as he helped her to the couch. "And since my dear old hubby won't let me . . . indulge in my former hobbies, I have to find something to keep me entertained."
"I know that feeling," Jason smirked from behind them.
"You two aren't about to start criminal recollection session, are you?" Dick asked as he settled on the floor against the arm of the couch.
"At least it would actually be something interesting," Jason returned.
"Right, because you're-"
"Boys, don't make me sic daddy Bats on you," Selina rolled her eyes.
"And who exactly are your siccing me on?" the firmly built man asked as he rolled Barbara into the living room.
"Nobody," Dick and Jason supplied simultaneously.
As the aging detective took his place next to his wife, Mar'i looked to her dad eagerly, earlier embarrassment forgotten. He gave a nod and she responded with a resounding cheer before firing towards the gifts, her chosen one already clear in her mind. She delivered gifts to the others before tearing into her own, singeing the paper in her excitement while the others worked at a more stately pace. Damian watched the festivities with a sour expression, folding his arms as Mar'i gasped at the utility belt and true crime books that Cass and Tim had sent. She immediately tried the former on, modeling it with a massive grin as Dick asked Barbara to remind him to call the globe trotting duo, his displeasure evident.
Damian looked at the present that had been dropped into his hands and efficiently removed the tape from the package to reveal a t-shirt with a flock of birds upon it. There were several more beneath it, and Mar'i appeared before him, holding the first shirt up to him as she said, "I figured you needed a shirt that wasn't part of a suit."
He considered it for a second, catching his father's stern stare, and responded, "Thank you."
She beamed at him before flying back to her present and opening one of the tomes, reviewing a murder case with an avid interest that prompted a certain concern in Dick abated by Barbara's hand consolingly patting his arm. Damian looked through the shirts, finding them to be primarily novelty tees with the occasional reference to what he presumed to be modern culture. Not long afterwards, Alfred emerged from the kitchen with a tray of cookies, followed by Steph carrying a tall glass of milk. The butler set them beside the tree, and the blonde added the milk before standing guard over them, delivering a glare that forced Jason to back away when he attempted to ransack the plate.
Alfred pulled a collection of DVD's from the shelf and Dick stepped forward to work the television. Christmas movies began to play, starting with old and grainy films, and Bruce caught Damian's arm, pulling him onto the couch while Mar'i nestled close to her father. As everybody settled in for the movies, Steph clandestinely stole a cookie and nibbled at it, regardlessly slapping Jason's hand away when it strayed towards the plate. Even as eyelids began to grow heavy, some succumbing to the call of slumber, the movies played throughout the night.
Far away from the high halls of Wayne Manor, a lanky red-haired youth stood amongst skinny children, furtively glancing about before waving a blonde girl towards him. She dashed over, star tree topper in hand as his hands slid under her arms. He grunted and his body swelled, growing thick with muscle as he easily lifted her to the top of their ragged tree upon which she set the star with great ceremony. A cheer rose from them and the others began to clamber over his massive frame, hanging the other ornaments, most of them hand-crafted. His head snapped about at the sound of footsteps, and he made shushing sounds as he set his peers upon the ground and dwindled back to his normal size.
"I found it!" Sister Agnes exclaimed excitedly as she lugged the step-ladder into the room before pausing and blinking at the tree. Standing at the forefront of the group, Colin Wilkes scratched the back of his head and shrugged apologetically.
"Um . . . Sorry, Sister. We kind of figured out how to do it on our own."
Damian awoke to a shriek of joy, jolting awake and reaching for a knife before realizing that at some point during the night, his father had relieved him of it. He had fallen asleep alongside the rest of the family in the living room, and the rest of them, vigilantes, former cat burglars, and highly trained butlers, failed to wake up earlier than an excited girl upon Christmas Day. Mar'i floated over the presents that had appeared in the night, counting them with apparent glee and far more awake than the rest of them. Looking at the pile, Damian realized than somehow, somebody had managed to move past him unobserved, deliver the packages, and disappear. Everybody was in the position he remembered from the night before, and as he looked up towards his father, he found his expression unreadable as he urged him up and towards the presents.
Sorry to those who don't celebrate Christmas. It's the holiday we celebrate and therefore the story that we are doing.
Please enjoy and review!