Chapter 25: Christmas Tree

Jason's POV

"Jason! Come on! We're leaving now!" Dick called up the stairs.

Damn. Couldn't I just stay home? Of course not! They want to drive all the way out to a freaking forest to cut down a freaking tree! They make freaking fake trees for a reason! Damn.

I turn off the Christmas episode of Criminal Minds and sulk down the stairs and into the garage. They're all in Bruce's Cadillac Escalade. Alfred's driving. Bruce is in the passenger seat. Dick and me in the second row and Tim and Damian get the very back. This is going to be a long and suckish trip.

********Break*********

Dick's POV

Christmas is the best time of the year! Friends and family come together! There's music and laughter and it's the season of giving. It's the most special time of the year!

And today, we're getting our tree! I'm so excited!

"No Drake! I shall choose the tree!" I heard Damian scream at Tim.

"I wanna pick it!" Tim yelled back at Damian.

"Ha! You will not! The tree is going in my home therefore I shall choose it! And I am of a nobler blood than you are!" Damian yelled.'

"No! I'm picking it! And I lived there first! And we have the same blood type!" Tim yelled.

"That last point is irrelevant, Drake! I shall choose my family's tree!"

"It's my family too, Damian!"

Bruce closed his eyes and slowly exhaled, Alfred reached for a bottle of aspirin, Jason reached for his iPod filled with heavy metal and screaming. I guess I'll handle this.

I turned around in my seat. "Tim, Damian that is enough! If I hear one more word, you'll both sit in the car! While the rest of us get a tree!" I threatened.

They fell silent, but still threw murderous glances at each other. This is going to be a long trip.

********Break*******

Damian's POV

This is it! This is the tree! Finally! After hours of trekking through the snow, I finally find our tree!

"Father, Grayson, Todd, Pennyworth this is the tree. We shall hunt no further. I want this one. Chop it down, so we can be on our way." I demanded.

"No! It's too big! It's like twelve feet tall! Besides, I wanted to pick it." Drake said.

"Father! I want this one!" I yelled.

"Tim, you did pick last year, so it's Damian's decision." Father replied.

"Ha! I won!" I sneered at Drake.

"Can we just cut down a tree already! I'm tired and hungry!" Todd shouted.

"Come on, Jay. This is a family tradition. Where's your Christmas spirit?" Grayson reprimanded him.

"Shut up, Dick!" Todd yelled back at him.

"Enough!" Father growled. "Jason, you and Dick start chopping. And I mean the tree, not each other!" Father ordered.

********Break********

Tim's POV

After we finally dragged Damian's stupid tree back to the car, I was right. The tree is too big. After watching Bruce chop a few feet off of the tree, we were finally ready to go home.

"See Drake, the tree is perfect." Damian said arrogantly, while climbing into the back.

"It was too big!"

"My tree is incapable of imperfection!" he shouted.

Bruce closed his eyes and slowly exhaled, Alfred reached for a bottle of aspirin, Jason reached for his iPod filled with heavy metal and screaming; while Dick turned around slowly. Oh crap, we're in trouble.

"Tim, Damian that is enough! If I hear one more word, you'll both be banned from decorating the tree! And neither of you will get cookies and hot chocolate when we get back!" Dick threatened.

Damian and I were silent the rest of the way home. Only glaring at each other occasionally. This is going to be a long trip home.

********Break********

Bruce's POV

We gathered around our decorated tree. The masterpiece was only missing one thing. The tree topper; a priceless star that has been in my family for generations. I picked Damian up and he very carefully placed the treasured family heirloom atop the tree. We all took a step back and admired the beautiful sight before us. Even Jason and Damian had trouble suppressing smiles.

"Um, Bruce, I think we should tie the tree down. Due to its size, anything could cause it to become unbalanced." Tim suggested.

Suddenly, I hear Titus barking loudly. Out of nowhere, that damn turkey flies straight into the tree! Titus skids around the corner skidding right into my tree! The tree leans dramatically to the left and starts to fall. I snatched Tim and Damian out of the way, before the tree hit the ground. Glass, crystal, the priceless heirloom, feathers, pine needles, and the boys' old handmade ornaments lay shattered over the floor. No one moved for a while.

Jason just stared at the tree. Alfred ran to get a broom. Dick put his arm around a sobbing Tim. And Damian looked up at me with tears in his eyes.

"I am sorry Father, truly. I have ruined our Christmas." He choked out.

Looking at his distressed face, I bent down and picked him up. "No, Damian. It's not your fault, son. A tree has nothing to do with the real meaning of Christmas."

"Bruce is right, Dami. The real meaning of Christmas has nothing to do with a tree or gifts or Black Friday deals or Santa. Christmas is about coming together with friends and family. And Christmas is also about celebrating the birth of Jesus." Dick replied, coming forward with Tim.

"Actually Santa was commercialized by Coca Cola and Jesus was born during-" Tim started before Jason's hand covered his mouth.

"Tim, you're ruining the moment. Just shut up and smile." Jason whispered loudly in his ear.

"Are you mad at me Father?" Damian asked quietly.

"No, Damian. I'm not mad at you. However, I'm not too happy with your animals." I replied.

"Does this mean we have to get rid of Titus and Franklin?" he choked out, while tears started to form again.

Franklin? Who in the hell is Franklin? Wait, is that the damn turkey? Why would he name a turkey Franklin?

"No Damian but your turkey has to stay outside." In the smokehouse, I thought quietly.

"Yes, Father."

*******Break********

After we had cleaned up the mess, taken the Christmas tree out of my company and placed it in the manor, hung the undamaged ornaments on it, we decided to call it a night. Dick and Tim finished helping Alfred repair some of the broken ornaments, while Jason, Damian, and I sat by the fireplace. They retreated to their rooms; I caught Jason and held him back.

"What?" he asked.

"I don't care how you do it, but I want that damn turkey gone tomorrow."