Twas the Night before Christmas…

And all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Well, Bats are nocturnal. Christmas Eve is winding to a close as the midnight hour grows closer, and each family member has broken off, spending it with people they love.

Despite the time, the family is very active; Bruce and Selina talk about their unexpected gift, Jason and Ivy sneak down to the Batcave, and Dick and Harley get into some Christmas mischief of their own. Gotham is at peace tonight, for once.

Selina watched Bruce as he ran a hand through his hair, his body tense.

"It's going to be okay," she told him, moving to sit by him on the bed. She adjusted the robe of his she was wearing tighter. "We're going to tell all of them anyway."

"I know," Bruce sighed. "I just don't know if I'm ready for them to… I don't know if I'm ready…" He trailed off, glancing up at her. The man who could face anything, Batman, looked nervous. Selina smiled a little, taking his hand.

"You've raised four boys, and while Cassandra practically raised herself, she is your daughter. Why wouldn't you be ready, Bruce?" she asked gently, touching his cheek.

"I've never raised a kid. I never had a baby- been an influence in someone's life from the day they were born." He put his hand over hers. "I've never been married, raised a kid with someone I love, and after what happened to Dick, Harley, and Haly… I've never done this right."

"Bruce… you have. You tend to take responsibility for the boys. They are your responsibility, yes, but… they have their own lives." Selina's hand slid up his jaw, her fingers brushing his hair above his ear. Her thumb stroked his cheekbone gently. "Dick and Harley… Haly is their daughter. Your job as a grandparent is to, I don't know-" Selina shrugged- "buy her expensive toys without her parents permission, or give her money in birthday cards, or feed her junk food whenever she comes over." She smiled lovingly. "You don't have to raise her. And you don't have to mother hen them. Dick, Jason, Tim… they're all adults. They can take care of themselves. Damian, well… we'll take care of him together. Just like we'll take care of our baby together."

"Look how much the Joker destroyed Dick, and I was his target all along. I worry too much as it is about you, then you won't be able to defend yourself, and then there will be another..." He stood up and started pacing. "Babies can't take care of themselves, or defend themselves, and if I love it as much as I love you and the boys and…"

Selina burst into laughter. "Bruce, are you insinuating that you could love the baby any less than the rest of us?" She stood, shook her head, and stopped his pacing. "You worry too much."

"I worry just enough." He rested his hands on her shoulders. "I couldn't live if anything happened to you. And now… a baby," he breathed the word, smiling a little before the smile wavered. "I can't lose my family again."

"You won't have to," she assured him, with a gentle kiss to his lips. Selina sighed. "You're so tense. And I'm so sore I feel like I just went six rounds with you, and not in the good way," she smirked at him. "Harley told me that would happen. Come on, I want a bath," Selina's hand slid into his as she pulled him towards the bathroom.

"What else is supposed to happen? Is there anything I should know? Should you go to a doctor? What about-"

"-Bruce!" Selina cried in exasperation. "What do I have to do to get you to stop thinking for five minutes?!" she laughed a little, pushing the bathroom door open.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"You should be. Now come on, Mr. Wayne, your wife needs you." She beamed happily, pulling the collar of the robe away from her neck with a wink.

"I thought you were sore and tired," he chuckled, kissing her exposed shoulder. Selina closed her eyes.

"That's why I want to take a bath, silly. A nice relaxing bath," she smiled at him lovingly, squeezing his hand. Still holding her, Bruce started the water and tested it with his free hand. He looked back up at her.

"Do you need bubbles or something?" he asked in a slightly mocking manner. Selina thought for a moment.

"Bubbles, of course. Lots of scented bath soap. I want you to smell flowery," she laughed quietly, standing on her toes to kiss him. When their lips parted, she smiled a little. "You know I love you, right?" He trailed a thumb along her jaw.

"Yes. And you know I love you."

Selina smiled and closed her eyes at his touch. "I suppose all of the rumors about you aren't true, then. Heart of stone, and all that," she breathed.

"No, just walls of stone," he smirked down at her, "but you never had any challenge getting around tough defences."

Dick bit his lip as he drove, glancing nervously at Haly bundled up tightly in blankets in Harley's arms. "We already had most of our stuff… I mean, we have a car seat, and we need it. We'll grab some clothes and then head back to the Manor for Christmas Eve… We have to grab the presents, too," he went through a mental checklist, driving carefully in the snow.

"Also more diapers, and baby formula, a stroller, and burping cloths, and other miscellaneous things, oh and her music box. Aunt Ivy got it for you," she told Haly, grinning. Dick smiled a little as he pulled into the back driveway of their house, the Christmas lights strung up on the house dark in the falling snow. Dick frowned up at them and unlocked the front door, turning the lights on as he went.

"Okay, diapers, formula, clothing…" He went upstairs to start gathering things for Haly. Harley hummed as she carried Haly up the stairs and into her and Dick's bedroom.

"Wanna help me pack?" she asked Haly, tickling her tummy as she smiled at her. "I love you no matter what, but you are so much cuter when you aren't crying." She giggled before flicking the closet light on. "This is really more of a two hand job," she muttered. A knock on the door downstairs sounded, and Dick came out of Haly's room. She listened to his footfalls down the steps. Will greeted him at the door, and Dick broke into a grin.

"Will! Merry Christmas," he put his hands on his hips, his voice cheery as he let him in. Dick laughed as Lilly slammed into his legs, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "Merry Christmas, Lilly," he stroked her hair and bent over to hug her back.

"Sorry," Molly apologized as she stepped up beside Will, "your lights were on, so we thought you were back, and Lilly wanted to share her cookies." She held up a tupperware container full of Christmas cookies. Dick smiled, his eyes shining.

"Gee, I don't know what to say, guys. Thank you. Lilly," he knelt in front of her, "will you go turn the Christmas tree lights on, and grab the presents there for you and your parents?" Lilly giggled and scampered away.

"How you holding up?" Will asked, clapping Dick on the shoulder. They stepped inside and closed the door behind them. "I haven't seen you since the...funeral."

"I'm-" Dick hesitated. "Harley- we have guests, do you want to come down, please?" he called up the stairs, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. They heard her walking slowly down the stairs.

"Don't yell," she sighed as she walked into the room. "Hi Will. Hi Molly." She smiled at them. The two of them gaped at Haly in her arms. "You need to stop doing that to people," she snapped at Dick, pursing her lips as she tried not to smile. He grinned broadly.

"But it's just so fun," he laughed.

"How?" Molly asked, teary eyed.

"Unpleasant story," Dick said quietly. Will shook his head.

"Well, you aren't even on the force anymore, and you're going to give me a heart attack one of these times," he smiled at Harley as Molly looked down at Haly.

"She's just wonderful, Harley," Molly laughed. Dick kissed Harley's cheek as Lilly ran in with the presents. She dropped them on the floor.

"I wanna hold her!" Lilly cried, reaching up for Haly.

"No, Lilly." Molly set the cookies aside and picked her daughter up. "You have to be gentle with babies." Lilly peered down at Haly.

"I will call her Squishy, and she will be mine," she giggled, straining forward in her mother's arms to look at the baby.

"Proof that Jason thinks like a four year old," Harley laughed. Dick shook his head.

"Lilly, you and your family have presents to open," he pointed out, putting his hands in his pockets. Lilly squirmed out of Molly's arms to the floor. She handed up the two presents for her parents before tearing into the wrapping on her box. Harley covered Haly's ears just in time as Lilly squealed; she pulled out an Anna doll to match her Elsa doll and an Elsa dress. She clutched them to her chest and twirled around.

"Daddy, look." She held them up.

"They're great sweetie," Will chuckled. Dick nudged him as he tore open his present, and Molly did the same. They both pulled out knitted hats in different colors.

"Harley made them," Dick beamed at her, and Will put his on happily.

"You did so well, Harley!" Molly giggled, and Will hugged her. When Will let go of Harley, he pulled Dick in for a hug. Dick laughed. Will smiled at him.

"Thank you. Merry Christmas, Kid."

"We could go out, you know. Just because my family says its 'family time'-" Jason made air quotes with his fingers- "doesn't mean we actually have to be here. Nobody else is…"

"No."

"Oh come on, Ivy," he leaned against the fireplace.

"No."

"Well then, you could grow some mistletoe, and we could have a little fun," he smirked, and she continued to ignore him, stroking the branches of the Christmas tree, watching the vitality return to them at her touch. The age difference between them usually didn't matter, but sometimes he was a little too immature for her liking. Jason watched her. "Come on, Red, it's just a tree," he muttered. She turned to glare at him before walking away. Jason laughed and followed, catching her arm. Ivy pulled it away, still not used to someone actually being able to touch her. "It was just a joke, I'm sorry," he laughed. Jason walked back to the couch and dropped down into the cushions, propping his boots up on the coffee table.

"Your brother just had a baby, and your dad just got married. You don't get to ruin things for them." She glared at him.

"Exactly, so why don't we get out of here before I make a mess of things," Jason muttered, picking at a thread loose on his jacket.

"I don't think that's how they'll view it." She cocked her head with a sly smile. "Besides, then you won't get your Christmas present."

"Honestly I doubt Bruce got any of us presents," Jason said distractedly, "and what, am I gonna sit around and wait for something from Dick? Please, he probably got me something stupid. Again." Ivy sauntered over to him and put her hands on his shoulders.

"Keep this up and you aren't getting a present from anyone then."

"I-" Jason sat up a bit when he finally caught on. "Keep what up? I'm not doing anything," he pointed out, raising a dark eyebrow.

"Exactly," she smirked, opening her hand to show a sprout of mistletoe. Jason smiled a little and leaned his head back to kiss her, the corner of his lips still turned up a bit. He pulled away from her lips.

"Isn't that stuff poisonous?" he asked, cocking his head a bit.

"If memory serves, you like that sort of thing."

"Only you." Jason grinned. "So what'd you get me for Christmas?"

"Besides an attitude check?" Ivy crossed her arms and watched him, full lips frowning slightly, with the corner turned up. "I can't tell you, it's supposed to be a surprise." Jason groaned, leaning his head back.

"Any way I can convince you?" He grinned hopefully.

Ivy shook her head, hiding a smile. "If you couldn't get information out of me when it mattered, why would I tell you something as trivial as this?"

"Um," Jason thought about it, "how about an exchange?" He got up, pulling her with him. "I break the rules for you, and you break the rules for me." He lead her into the library, stopping in front of the clock, grinning. "We were always good at that." Ivy crossed her arms.

"What did you have in mind?" Jason adjusted that hands on the clock face, turning back to her as it opened.

"Just the basement." He shrugged. "Only ours is badass."

Ivy uncrossed her arms in surprise and looked between Jason and the elevator. "Is that…?"

"Why don't you find out." He grinned, stepping into the elevator. She followed him suspiciously.

"Something tells me you will be dead if your father found out about this."

"First of all, death: been there done that. And second, he'd kill me if he found out about a lot of things I've done."

"Am I included in that list?" she whispered close to his ear, a hand tracing down his arm seductively.

Jason laughed, holding her close as the elevator doors opened. "Sweet Pea," he grinned, keeping her body pressed to his as he lead her slowly into the Batcave, "you're at the top of that list."

"Close your eyes and turn around," Steph instructed, grabbing Tim's hands and putting them over his eyes herself. She spun him around. "No peeking."

"Steph," Tim sighed.

"No. Shush." He could hear her rifling around as she pulled his present out. "Um. Can you hand me that box. It's right in front of you. No peeking!" she squealed as he opened his eyes to look for it. He sighed again as he crouched down and swiped his hand in front of him until he found the box. He tossed it behind him. "Thanks. Now do you want the Santa wrapping paper, or the Christmas tree wrapping paper?"

"Does it really matter, Steph?" Tim asked with a smile. "You have about four seconds until I turn around."

"No you won't," Steph chuckled. "You don't want to ruin the surprise."

"Steph..." Tim laughed in exasperation, turning around with his eyes closed, arms outstretched. "Fine. But do I really have to wait until tomorrow morning?"

"Yup, now stop whining you big baby."

"It was a simple question, I wasn't whining," he defended, listening to her and catching her around the waist with a smile. Tim's thinly muscled arms wrapped around her middle, and he leaned against her back.

"Stop peeking!" she cried, shoving him away.

"I'm not peeking!" He laughed. "My eyes are still completely closed. Moving without sight was part of my training, you know," he kissed her cheek, still smiling. He sat back from where she'd shoved him, and wrapped his arms around her waist again, nuzzling her cheek with his nose and smiling. He kept his eyes closed, as promised.

"Nah, it's okay," she giggled, "it's been wrapped for like five minutes."

"You jerk," he laughed, opening his dark blue eyes and squeezing her tight. He, like his brothers, had blue eyes and dark black hair, but at the same time, none of them looked the same. Jason's hair was almost brown it was so light, and Tim's was as jet black as Dick's. Dick's eyes were a sky blue and Damian and Bruce's were nearly crystalline, Jason's were blue-green, and Tim's were the darkest, a stormy gray hue.

"I know." She leaned back, squinting her eyes. "You don't know what it is do you? You didn't go all Sherlock Holmes on it, right?"

"Of course not. And I won't even guess it correctly before I open it tomorrow, just to make you happy," he kissed her nose and smiled.

"Good," she draped her arms over his shoulders, "because I think you'll really like it."

"I do. I mean, I will," he smiled, his ears going red a bit as he looked down, and then back up at her. "Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?" Steph crossed her arms.

"No, but I doubt it would help your current predicament." She smacked his shoulder. "It was supposed to be a surprise!"

"I can't help it! I'm sorry!" He raised his hands in surrender, laughing a bit. "It was an accident!"

"Unfortunately for you, two can play at this game," Steph smirked. "I made sure to get you two gifts. Sure, you figured out the expensive one I got custom made with Bruce's money," she shrugged, "but that just means you have to wait until tomorrow to get the one I was going to give you tonight." She grinned mischievously up at him.

"Wait, I didn't see two gifts," Tim stared at her in genuine confusion. Steph sighed.

"Come on, oh great detective, think it through. No visible gift, it's from your girlfriend, she was going to give it to you tonight, you are in your girlfriend's room..."

"Oh. Oh, right, got it," he blushed again and laughed. "Well that's okay. Some things are worth waiting for." He smiled. Steph glared at him.

"Damn it. Why'd you have to go and say something cute like that? That's cheating."

"I don't cheat on anything," Tim pointed out and then kissed her cheek gently. "If we're done wrapping presents, I may as well go to bed. Good night," he walked to the door and smiled at her, his eyes shining.

"You sir, are ruining Christmas," she told him, marching over to him. "Stop it this instant." She yanked him back in the room by his shirt, pushing the door closed behind him. "But, lucky for you, if you take your time, technically speaking it'll be Christmas morning, and you can make my Christmas." She held onto his shirt, standing on tiptoe, so their noses were nearly touching. "But then there may be one more present to wrap."

"Kid, go home. It's past your bedtime." The older woman at the desk leaned over to look at Damian, just barely tall enough to see over the high counter, his nose even with it's surface. He pulled at his backpack straps angrily.

"I told you, I'm here to see someone. I have permission."

"From who?" she grunted, not looking away from her computer.

"My father is Bruce Wayne."

"Well I wouldn't care if your father really was Bruce Wayne," she shook her head in exasperation. "This is a facility for the criminally insane, there technically are no visiting hours, unless you've got a badge," she pointed out. Damian's mouth twisted down in a scowl.

"Well my father is Bruce Wayne, and Dr. Henry has allowed me to visit whenever I want." His fists balled at his sides. "So let me in, you useless bag of-"

"Damian!" Dr. Henry cried in surprise as he and another doctor came through the sealed door from the stairwell. The guard glanced at him and then let him continue on. "It's pretty late on Christmas Eve. Why aren't you home?" he asked kindly, and Damian shot him a glare.

"I wanted to come visit her, but this old-"

"-it's alright, Mrs. Haverford, he's allowed," Dr. Henry interrupted him and put a hand on Damian's shoulder, guiding him back through the stairwell to the West Wing of the asylum. "She's doing a lot better," he spoke as they walked down a hall, in answer to Damian's inevitable question. "She's agreed to take all of her medication, thanks to you."

Damian smiled a little. "Yes, well. It's not very kind to numb her mind like they do, but it is the best option when she's attacking people."

"Right," Dr. Henry chuckled as they walked past another guard on patrol. The doctor looked down at the funny proper little boy in front of him. "You're absolutely right."

They approached a locked cell. The West Wing wasn't as heavily guarded or as armored as the East, the lesser offenders and sometimes just plain patients were kept here. Dr. Henry scanned his ID card, and the door unlocked. Damian stepped in and cried out in outrage.

"Why is she tied down!?" he demanded. The doctor put a hand on his shoulder.

"She was a danger to herself, Damian. She's as comfortable as one can be, I assure you. I'll be back in ten minutes, unfortunately that's all the time I can give you with her. It's lights out in fifteen." He looked sadly at Carrie and then turned and left. Damian walked to her little metal desk and smiled at the drawings and pages of writing littering its surface, pictures taped to the walls. He took the chair and sat down beside her head.

"Heya, Boy Wonder," Carrie smiled, her eyes half open lazily as she smiled. "Come to rescue me at last?"

"Keep your voice down," Damian snapped with a glance over his shoulders, and then his voice softened. "They've given you the good stuff, haven't they?"

Carrie laughed again and smiled at him. Her pale skin seemed lighter, her short ginger hair tousled, and her eyes reddened behind her glasses. Damian's stomach twisted, but he smiled.

"It's Christmastime, so I brought you something," he pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and held it up so she could see, unfolding it to show her a picture of himself and Titus. "It was tricky doing it in front of a mirror. There's Alfred and Allie, too," he pointed out the cats on the picture, and Carrie beamed happily at it. "And Grayson keeps leaving his dogs at the Manor so I take care of them. Their names are Wally and Clark. Do you remember them?" Carrie shook her head, and Damian smiled sadly. "That's okay." he stood and pulled a bit of tack out of his pocket, sticking the picture up on her wall. "Now I'm always with you."

She giggled happily and turned her head to look at the ceiling. Damian sat down again.

"You came to see me at bedtime."

"I know. I couldn't get away from the house to come. I'm lucky that Father doesn't really pay that much attention to me…" Damian sighed. "He probably knows when I come see you. Well, he's Batman, he knows everything."

"It's bedtime," she said adamantly. Damian looked down.

"I'm sorry. I have to go soon, anyway. I miss you is all." He hung his head, rubbing furiously at his eyes.

"Damian," Carrie whispered. He looked up, and she seemed to focus for a moment, watching him. "It's gonna be okay."

He smiled a little. "Merry Christmas, Carrie."