Dinner started off rather nicely for everyone. They were seated around a nice large cozy table, and they were loud and friendly with each other.
"So how has work been, Rose?" Aunt May asked Rose as she carved the ham.
"Pretty well. I mean it would probably go better if Bruce would stop thinking he has to make sure I do practically nothing so it doesn't look like I'm getting special treatment." Rose answered, squeezing Bruce's hand to let him know she understood.
Bruce sighed. "I just feel like if I let you do everything I know you can do, someone will take offense at it."
"Probably," Rose agreed, "but what can they really do about it? I got promoted for my skills, didn't I?"
Bruce smiled. "Yes you did, because you're amazing at what you do."
"So why don't you…quit?" Harry asked. "I mean I hear that you stopped doing your protests and digging for the corrupt people of Gotham to make room for your promotion to co-owner."
Rose shrugged. "I like my job. Apart from feeling totally unchallenged, I like that I get to help Bruce with his company. He has so much else on his mind."
"Like what?" Eva asked.
Bruce smiled as Clark caught on, making eye contact with him.
"Oh there's taking care of the Mansion of course." Bruce said. "Rose is good at helping me out with the upkeep—can't leave it all to Alfred."
"Rose is very helpful indeed." Alfred agreed.
Rose smiled, but sighed a little—the truth was that she wasn't helpful at all. She hadn't actually helped Batman do anything—she just covered for Bruce occasionally when he had to take on his other identity. She felt rather useless in the business aspect, but the love life was going pretty well at the moment.
"So what about you, April? What have you been up to since you left Metropolis for Gotham?" Aunt May asked.
April smiled. "I'm the lead field reporter at the Gotham City News Station. As you can imagine, it's been pretty busy lately what with Joker running a muck."
"Almost as busy as the newspaper." Alexis said.
April nodded. "Almost."
"I hear the newspaper is going well for you." Clark said. "News is booming in Metropolis too. Ever since Lex started expanding."
"I heard about that." Alexis told him. "I have to admit that I try to stay away from that part of the news."
Everyone smiled and laughed.
"I don't blame you." Peter said. "I stay away from all the writing parts—it's the photographs that I'm in it for."
"And you're good at it." Eva told him, smiling at him fondly.
"So…Alex…anything new been going on with you?" Logan asked.
Everyone looked at her as she sighed, and then looked up.
"Well…Logan and I have been dating since Thanksgiving." She said.
****
Alexis didn't like the look on everyone's faces. Basically, they all had different expressions. Aunt May, Alfred, Willoughby, Eva and Peter looked happy for her, Mrs. Kent, Clark, Bruce and April looked miffed, and Harry and Mary Jane looked clueless. Then there was her sister—who looked pissed.
"What?" Rose asked as everyone else just gave a look.
"I've been keeping it a secret. It was a new thing, we were making sure it would work, and I figured that we were all in the Christmas spirit, so I should spill the news." Alexis explained.
Rose blinked and then she gripped her fork tighter.
"Is there anything else you've been keeping from us that you'd like to share?" Rose asked.
Alexis looked down at her plate and pushed her turkey around, closing her eyes in disbelief and pain as Logan did the stupidest thing he could do.
"She got promoted at work." Logan said.
Alexis buried her head in her hands and then her head snapped up as she heard metal snap—wow…Rose was so pissed she broke her fork.
"So basically you've been lying to us since Thanksgiving?" Rose asked.
"No…I just haven't been telling you the whole truth." Alexis replied.
"Calm down, Rose…" Bruce said softly.
"Calm down? Calm down? MY LITTLE SISTER HAS BEEN LYING TO ME SINCE THANKSGIVING, AND YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?" Rose cried.
"Rose…" Aunt May began.
"Sorry…" Rose told her. "Sorry…I just…may I be excused?"
Aunt May nodded, and Rose got up and went past Alexis, whispering, "secretive little bitch" in her ear, and then continuing out of the room.
"I think I'll go and talk to her." Bruce said. "I'm so sorry about this."
He got up to leave the table, and then April spoke up.
"Well, on the bright side, the two of you are happy." April told her.
Logan nodded. "Very…sorry about making that scene though."
"Oh don't worry about it, Logan." Aunt May smiled. "Rose will get over it—she's just adjusting to her sister having another relationship."
"Another one?" Mary Jane asked.
"You don't really think this girl didn't have a boyfriend before do you?" Eva asked.
"Oh…sorry." Mary Jane whispered.
Alexis waved it off. "That's okay, I don't talk about my exes…I have work…and now Logan."
Logan smiled and took her hand that was resting on the table.
"Are you sure that Rose is going to be okay?" Harry asked.
Peter nodded. "Of course she will, Harry, Bruce is talking to her."
"Trust me, Harry, if I can get over my sister and…that, then Rose can get over Alex and Logan." April said, eating some ham.
"Damn this is good ham." Logan smiled, following April's lead.
"It really is a very appetizing meal, Mrs. Parker." Clark said.
"Why thank you very much, Clark." Aunt May smiled. "And please, call me Aunt May."
****
Eva was a little unnerved that Rose was distancing herself from Alexis still. She and Bruce were sitting on the opposite side of the family room while everyone exchanged gifts, and chatted.
"Wow!" April exclaimed as she opened up a pearl necklace from Clark. "This is amazing, thank you!"
April kissed him, and then she looked at Eva.
"So what did Peter get you?" April asked.
Eva looked down at the colorful box in her hand and smiled a bit. Fixing Rose and Alexis would have to wait, because there was a large colorful box in front of her with ribbons and a pretty bow.
"So what did you get me?" Eva asked.
Peter smirked. "If I told you, it would be no fun opening it, now would it?"
Eva laughed and then she slowly unwrapped the present, looking at the box when she was done.
"So…you got me a box? That is the most romantic thing you could have gotten me." Eva said with a smile on her face.
Peter laughed. "I knew you'd love it."
Eva nodded and then opened the box, looking down at her new present. She had to adjust her face for a moment, and then she threw her arms around Peter's neck and kissed him. There were some astounded faces, mainly because everyone wanted to know what she got, but there was an 'awww' from Rose, who snuggled into Bruce more.
"What did he get you that deserved the PDA?" April asked, not wanting to see her sister kissing Peter like this.
Eva pulled away and stroked Peter's cheek as he smiled brightly.
"If I had known you would like it this much, I would have bought you all the accessories and things to go with it." Peter joked.
"What did he get you?" April asked again.
"He bought me the camera I have been pining after." Eva said, holding it up for everyone to see.
"You mean that thousand dollar one?" Rose asked in awe.
"I can't let you give this to me." Eva told him softly.
"Oh please, Eva, you bought me the editing software for my laptop and that cost almost as much as that camera." Peter said.
"Wow…my bracelet is looking more and more insignificant." Bruce muttered.
"My book to Alexi too." Logan added.
"And my necklace to April." Clark replied.
"Oh please, Clark, the necklace is amazing." April told him.
"I love the book, Logan." Alexis protested.
"The bracelet means I owe you the other half of my present…when we get home." Rose whispered.
The men smiled as the girls protested, and then Eva looked a little sad.
"Isn't your flight soon?" Eva asked.
Rose checked her watch and nodded.
"It is." Rose replied.
****
April sat on the plane and played with her necklace while Clark read a magazine and the others settled into their chairs. Rose had apologized to Alexis in the airport and now she was leaning her head on Bruce and running her fingers along his leg while Alexis and Logan talked to each other, and Mrs. Kent talked to Willoughby and Alfred as they all made their way to Gotham, where Clark and his mother would get another plane to Metropolis.
"Is that good? Any celebrity gossip?" April joked.
Clark blushed. "Just more Superman stuff."
April nodded and put her necklace in her bag.
"Superman stuff, huh?" April asked, shutting the magazine.
Clark put his arm around her and held her close, kissing her head. It was dark outside as the plane flew through the air, and when April yawned, Clark smiled and gazed down at her lovingly. He was so happy that so many of them were peaceful. Lately they had all found their significant other, and things could only get better, right?
"You tired or something?" Clark asked.
April chuckled softly. "Just a little bit."
Clark hugged her tighter. "Me too. We'll be there in a couple hours."
April nodded. "I know."
"When we get home, do you need me to stay with you?" Clark asked.
April thought it was sweet that Clark thought that she needed him at the house now that Eva was living with Peter, and she would have loved to have asked, but it was still Christmas, and Mrs. Kent deserved to be with her son tonight. If push came to shove, she would crawl into Eva's bed and the smell would comfort her.
"I'll be all right, Clark. Your mother deserves to have you tonight." April explained.
"All right, but if you change your mind…I can be there in the blink of an eye practically." Clark added softly.
April nodded and looked up at him, kissing him softly. Then she rested her head into his perfect body, and closed her eyes, embracing the sleep that brushed over her. She slept peacefully, only being woken up when the plane landed, and then she traveled with Rose, Willoughby and Alexis to the house, and once inside, they all looked around the living room and heaved heavy sighs before April broke off and went upstairs.
As she passed Eva's empty room, she stopped, and looked in the door. She stepped into the pretty empty room and she felt sad, but she knew that Eva was happy. Wishing she could handle this better, April went downstairs to find Alexis and Rose pulling out the couch bed and Willoughby bringing them food and movies to watch, and she smiled.
"You up for some movies and junk?" Rose asked.
April nodded, because she knew that all of them were trying to be happy and okay that Eva had left to live with the man she loved. It was that thought that made April smile a little—Eva was in love. It didn't matter that she was young or that she was rash—she was in love and there was nothing she could do about it…was April in love? She wasn't sure.