On The Twelfth Day Of Christmas My True Love Gave To Me...

At one am it was only technically the twenty-fifth but the drummers had arrived and no one was getting any sleep one way or another so the Xanatos' and Owen joined the clan on the roof to look over the city.

"It's beautiful," Angela said softly as snow flakes sprinkled the court yard and a fire engine drove by. Everyone was pretty sure that was Alexander's doing but none of them wanted to draw attention to it. The two year old had collected enough of the cold stuff to start a very small snowman. Or a fort. It was hard to tell with his still under developed coordination skills. "And so quiet."

"I guess even criminals take today off," Broadway commented, arms around the smaller female. Goliath was, naturally, absent otherwise he wouldn't have taken the liberty. Thank God for detective Maza. Xanatos sighed from his similar position of being wrapped around Fox.

"Will they have a parade, like for Thanksgiving?" the last Christmas had involved a horrible Grinch Stealing Christmas type plan from Demona of all people so Angela was still fairly new to the traditions.

"No," Owen was leaned against a parapet with Lexington, the two facing away from the city and watching Alexander with a hawk's eye. "There usually isn't one, especially not after the fire four years ago."

It hadn't been one of David's finer moments, admittedly, but he hadn't set the float on fire with his after burners on purpose.

"It's a shame, isn't it?" Fox asked quietly after a moment. "Especially since we have the makings of a real show stopper right here in our own living- Mmmmmph!" in the blink of an eye David had turned her around and pulled her into a hard kiss. When he finally let go his eyes were half feverish, half insane and Fox looked at him with a great deal of worry. "Did Alexander make a sprig of misletoe grow out of my head?" she asked hopefully. Broadway, Angela, Owen and Lex shook their heads slowly and stared.

"My dear you are brilliant!" the dark man said, sounding more than just half mad.

"...yay?" his wife asked carefully. He released her suddenly enough that, were it not for ninja training, she'd have toppled off the building.

"Owen!" Xanatos bent and plucked his son off the ground, grinning. "I think it's time we had a visit from uncle Puck!" Owen removed his glasses but didn't tuck them away, only staring with his eyebrows in his hair line. "I think it's time our boy learned the finer points of parade making."

"David," Fox said reverently shortly after the sun fell on the twenty-fifth as the Xanatos and Manhattan clans gathered in the living room to share gifts and stare in awe at the television. "You are a genius."

The redhead folded herself into what space there was left in David's chair and kissed him on the nose, grinning the dark haired man wrapped an arm around her.

"And you my muse," he said magnanimously. On the floor in front of them Owen and Lexington were helping Alexander shred the paper off his presents - the paper tearing being the most exciting part of the whole thing for the quarter fae. A short ways away, on the couch, Elisa and Goliath had already exchanged their small gifts. Broadway and Angela were cuddling - more conservatively with Goliath present - and watching the tv with Brooklyn while Hudson prepared to make the trip to Robbins' for a late Christmas dinner.

On the television a harassed looking reporter stood on the sidewalk beside Main Street and tried to make himself heard over the sound of pips and drums playing an exciting rendition of Jingle Bells. Behind him a line of festively dressed characters danced down the street.

"Really David," Fox said admiringly twelve drummers lead the way past the sad looking reporter. "This year, you actually saved Christmas and for that..." she smiled a secretive little smile and bowed her head to whisper in his ear. "... I've got a special present for you later."

David tried not to show how thrilled he was by that prospect if only to save the others from some embarrassment. Luckily they were all busy staring at the television. Even Alex was transfixed.

Gaily dressed pipers swayed down the street behind the drummers. The pipers were immediately followed by McBeth, Oberon, Henry the eighth and a number of other historical figures dressed as Santa Clause and 17th century stereotypes wildly leaping about like their feet were spring loaded. And behind the Lords danced the nine ladies, now awake and smiling for the cameras and dressed in charming little elf outfits. The milking Meter-maids in their uniforms and carrying milk dripping meters that had been uprooted from around the outside of the Eyrie Building waved but couldn't bring themselves to smile.

The angry swans were angrier still, wearing small harnesses as they waddled with their long necks bent low and those harnesses connected them to annoyed geese wearing still more small harnesses. Above and behind the geese flew the calling birds, trilling beautifully (probably) but unheard over the noise of the hens harnessed to the geese and loudly protesting the treatment.

Behind the hens, attached to the harnesses, was a cart and on the cart sat a pot and in the pot was a brilliant green leaved tree.

And at the top of the beautiful tree sat a partridge, basking in his own little glory.

"But where did the doves go?" Angela asked quietly. Fox winked at her husband and nodded to Broadway who, blushing as much as a gargoyle with his coloring could and pulled a large lacquered bamboo bird cage from behind the couch. "Oh!"

"Fox said since we all liked them so much..." Angela turned bright hopeful eyes to the redhead who shrugged with a smile. "Well here they are."

"Thank you!" In the small lacquered cage the two turtle-dove cooed and on the tv the partridge preened.

An hour before Alexander's bedtime, the gargoyles and their human clan member had left to spend what was left of Christmas with the Labyrinth Clan and Xanatos had taken his wife to... ahem, unwrap the last of the night's presents.

Puck grinned down at his small charge who grinned back.

"Just between you and me pip squeek I thought this was hilarious. Now next year I think maybe we should have you watch the Rudolph Christmas special."