Richard replayed the security tapes over and over again. "Maybe there's nothing to be concern yourself with, Master Dick," Alfred sighed, watching the young man intently.

"Alfred," Richard said as he watched recordings of nothing happening outside his bedroom, "you've been Batman's man in the chair for how many years now? Where is this laissez-faire attitude coming from? Do you know something I don't?" Richard turned in his chair and peered at the butler curiously.

"I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about," Alfred faced the giant computer. "All I know is that you have a guest upstairs by herself, in the library. And she's been up there by herself for the last four hours." Richard's face paled.

"Has it really been 4 hours?" he gasped in horror. He looked at the origami colly. Dammit, he was doing it again, obsessing on something for hours and hours. "Crap," Richard slammed his hand on the desk.

"Yes," Alfred droned on. Richard jumped from the chair. "You looked at every security tape in every place that a gift showed up."

"Why didn't tell me?" Richard asked. He immediately remembered how he was with Slade. His teammates couldn't get him to leave his room for days. Thirty minutes in his room was usually 3 hours in reality. "I'm doing it again," Richard said. "But someone is leaving me these…things. They could be a villain!"

"Master Richard, I'd be remiss if I pretended to understand what goes on in your world. But I do know, you'll need a fresh pair of eyes to find whatever it is you are looking for. Also, there is a girl you have a crush on upstai-" Richard had already left the cave. Alfred only shrugged as he stared at the video replaying on the screen, immediately seeing what Richard was missing. He shook his head. Sometimes these batboys could be so stupid.

She was worried. They told her he wouldn't take it personally if she entered her mind just a little, but now he was reverting to his old Robin ways, it seemed. He wasn't…engaging emotionally with her the way he should be for someone who had a crush. What was wrong with these batboys?

Richard found Raven sitting comfortably in a beanbag chair, hidden away in the library's back corner. "What are you reading?" he asked with a smile as he leaned against a bookshelf with his arms crossed.

"I found a Leo Tolstoy written in its original language," Raven beamed. "How was your research? Did you find what you were looking for?"

"I found," Richard casually walked over to her with his hands in his pocket, "that I've been a horrible host so far."

"No, you have not," Raven argued as Richard sat in the beanbag chair beside her. "I mean, the dress-shopping was awful; but I'm having a wonderful time." Richard looked at her fondly.

"I just spent four hours staring at security cameras from Titan's Tower."

"You…a creepy someone is sending you gifts. I understand," Raven shyly placed a long strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well," Richard looked at the expensive watch adorning his wrist. "It doesn't excuse the fact that I left you in here alone for four hours."

"I barely noticed," Raven smiled.

"Still, I wanted to get a picture of your face when you first entered the library."

"Now I'm doubly glad you weren't here," Raven frowned. She hated pictures; and Richard knew it.

"Why don't I make it up to you?" Richard asked with a tilt of his head.

"How?" Raven gave him a small smile.

"Dinner at a semi-fancy restaurant; ice skating later. And, tomorrow night, we can go see the lighting of the giant Christmas Tree in Gotham Square. I can also take you to Gotham City Library."

"Is Gotham City Library bigger than this library?" Raven's eyes widened in wonder.

"Yes," Richard laughed. "It puts this library to shame."

"Can we go there now?" Raven grasped Richard's arms with all the wonder of a child.

"Unfortunately, it closes in an hour. But, we can do dinner and ice skating," he said.

"Let me change," Raven looked down at herself.

"You look fine," Richard smiled gently, "but go ahead. I'm going to call ahead and get us a private table."

"Okay," Raven said, putting her book back with her powers before disappearing into a dark portal. Richard smiled as he made his way to the exit. Maybe Alfred was right. Perhaps he was looking…who was he kidding? As soon as he returned from his date with Raven, he was gonna resume looking for his secret lover.

Richard froze. He had a date with Raven. He couldn't help but smile. He also needed to tell Alfred not to expect them for dinner. He had a date with Raven.

"I don't know about this," Raven looked down at the skates. She looked up at Richard before looking at the rink. There were so many people out. "Are you getting overwhelmed?" Richard asked with genuine concern as he sat next to her.

"No, I'm fine," she reassured him. "It's just…these blades look sharp enough to kill someone. Are you sure I won't get impaled if I fall?"

"There is no possible way for you to fall and impale yourself with your own skate," Richard laughed. He stood and held his hand out. "Come on," he smiled. "I won't let you fall."

"That's sweet," Raven gripped his hand in hers, "but I'm pretty sure I'm the one who's going to stop you from falling."

"Yeah…okay," he said as he led them to the rink. "I can't believe you've never done this before," Richard said as he showed her how to glide on the ice.

"This is my first time celebrating Christmas," Raven said, gripping Richard's harder as she wobbled. "I've never really been into it."

"I know," Richard said as they began slowly, "but what changed? Besides the whole Trigon thing." Raven watched as two little girls performed expert-like tricks on the ice before returning to their parents. Her gaze then turned to other families and lovers on the ice. Raven's family origin was no laughing matter, and she usually didn't dwell on it. But, every once in a while, a little wishful thinking would creep in, and she'd wish her life was different.

Richard followed her gaze. He knew what it was like to wish for a family. He was lucky enough to get fostered by a billionaire. Richard had been in the foster system for less than a week when Bruce came along. Raven had no one. "No," she looked up at him, "I have you." Her face then reddened as she covered her mouth with her free hand. "I am so sorry," she said, realizing she just read his mind. "I didn't mean-"

"It's okay," Richard touched her face gently, "you're the only one I'd ever trust to enter my mind. Also, we have a bond…though, I haven't made much use of it lately," he shrugged. "Now, you think you can make it around the rink without holding my hand?"

"You better not let go," Raven mildly threatened with a laugh. "I'm serious, Dick, don't you dare!" she screamed as Richard took off with a laugh. "I'm going to hurt him," Raven muttered as she moved her feet a millimeter at a time. This was so embarrassing.

Richard entered his room with a massive smile on his face. He had so much fun with Raven. They had skated until the rink closed – midnight. Richard chuckled to himself. Raven couldn't skate to save her life. It was cute watching her try. She was so bashful, and her cheeks would get this soft, rosy color to them. He was so happy to – what was that? Richard's train of thought took an abrupt 180°. On the middle of his bed sat a black origami bird. "What the fu-"

Richard groaned, rubbing his eyes. He'd been staring at the screen in the Batcave for the last two hours. "Dick?" a voice came from the darkness, nearly startling the Boy Wonder.

"Hey, Bruce," Dick grunted.

"You're still up?" Bruce asked with a raised brow as he removed his cowl.

"Am I stuck in the twilight zone?" Dick asked aloud. "A present appears on my bed, Bruce. On. My. Bed. That means someone got into the manor undetected. Why am I the only one worried about this?"

"No one got in the manor undetected, Richard," Bruce stated almost humorously. Richard studied him hard.

"Is this a joke that I'm not in on?" Richard asked.

"What if, to put your mind at ease, I said it is a joke you're not in on," Bruce looked at him with a smile. Richard only stared at Bruce blankly. Bruce chuckled as he walked towards the showers with a noticeable difference in his gait. "You're hurt," Richard noticed. "How bad is it?"

"It's just a nick, no major arteries."

"You need Raven to heal it? I'm sure she wouldn't mind," Richard offered. Bruce gave his ward a wry glance. "Okay, she may feel a bit…weird about doing it," Richard said, "but she wouldn't say 'no.'"

"Thanks, but no thanks. And go to bed. Alfred said your spending more time on…this than with Raven."

"Why are you and Alfred so interested in my relationship with Raven?"

"We have a bet," Bruce answered with a shrug before disappearing down a hallway. Richard sat in silence, his mind processing what he'd just heard.

"I'm in the twilight zone," Richard muttered as he stood from the giant computer. "I'm in the twilight zone."

Richard walked sleepily into the kitchen, rubbing his tired eyes the next day. Multiple voices could be heard coming from the kitchen, including the one voice that usually made his heart skip multiple beats. "Morning, Master Richard. You're looking positively dapper today," Alfred greeted.

"Thanks, Alfred," Richard said as he sat at the kitchen table. Raven sat across from him, while Bruce sat two chairs away. Richard then felt a gentle tug in his mind. Richard looked up to see Raven staring intently at him. Oh, he opened his mind.

Are you okay? You look really tired, her voice slipped into his mind seamlessly. Richard gave her a kind smile before saying, "I'm okay."

"He was up until 4 a.m. researching that thing I told you about," Bruce said to Raven.

"Any luck?" Raven asked. The doorbell wrang before Richard had a chance to answer. "Allow me," Alfred said, leaving the kitchen.

"No," Richard said, "nothing."

"Well, Alfred said you and Raven went on a date last night," Bruce said easily. A coughing, hacking sound came from Raven, who had been swallowing tea. Richard looked at her with a raised brow. "You okay?" he asked, humor lacing his voice. She waved him off, saying she was okay, grabbing the glass of water nearby. "We went ice skating," Richard said, "Raven had never been."

"Your mother is from Gotham," Bruce looked at her. Raven nodded; a look of anxiety quickly flashed across her face. Richard quickly interjected. "She went to Gotham High," he said, "right, Raven?"

Raven nodded, red coming to her cheeks. She hated being the center of attention, but Richard found the blush very adorable. "That's correct," Raven shyly placed her hair behind her ear.

Bruce, noticing how uncomfortable Raven was becoming, quickly changed the subject. "Raven and I were talking about constellations before you came down," he said.

"Constellations?" Richard looked at his teammate curiously. "I didn't know you were that into astronomy."

"It's a recent development," Raven answered.

"I have returned," Alfred stated, reentering the kitchen, cutting Raven off. Richard saw Raven breathe a sigh of relief. "Who was at the door, Alfred?" Bruce asked.

"A package for Master Dick," Alfred revealed a small shipment box. The kitchen grew quiet, the only sound coming from a drafty window. Richard slowly reached for it. "It came with a bouquet, but I put them in Master Bruce's room already."

"Gee, thanks, Alfred," Bruce deadpanned.

"Your room needed a spritz of color," Alfred replied.

Richard continued staring at the brown box in his hand as Bruce and Alfred's conversation became background noise. "Richard," Richard's eyes shot to Raven. Her face gave nothing away, but her eyes said she was worried. Giving it no second thought, Richard opened the box. Of course, a note. These colly's parents had twins. Two black origami birds, but one was different. One had a small purple gemstone for an eye. Richard looked up at Raven, who was watching him with an unreadable expression. "…came from Smith's Flower Shop," Alfred was saying. Richard stood from the table. "I think I'll pay them a visit today," Richard said.

"Ahem," Alfred grunted, getting Richard's attention. Richard stared at Alfred and Bruce, both silently telling him to look at Raven in their own different ways. Richard did. She had an origami bird in her hand, studying it. "I mean we," Richard stated loudly. "Raven," she looked up at him, "want to go to a flower shop?"

Raven's face told him she did not like that idea at all. Instead, she said, "Sure."

Richard smiled brightly at Alfred and Bruce, who both stared at him in exasperation. "And…we can go to Gotham Library afterwards?"

"Yes, please," Raven smiled brightly before disappearing into a portal.

"That's more like it," Alfred approved. "I worried you'd forgotten how to woo a lady."

"Thanks, you two," Richard pointed at the two older men as he exited the kitchen. "You have been no help to me at all. No help!"

The drive to Smith's Flower Shop was long and quiet. Richard was deep in thought, ignoring the probing stares Raven kept surreptitiously throwing his way. They eventually stopped in front of a small shop, placed snuggly between a large department store and a furniture store. "Huh," Raven spoke, interrupting Richard's introspective silence.

"What?" Richard asked as he placed the car in park.

"I just expected it to be bigger," Raven answered with a slight blush. "I mean…they delivered to Wayne Manor, and the place is a good hour drive." Raven looked around. They were in the suburbs of Gotham, no longer in the city. The air smelled cleaner; the sun shone brighter; the snow glistened brilliantly. "The last time I was in Gotham with my parents, my father brought flowers for my mother. He brought them from here." Oh. Raven nodded.

"We don't have to go in," Raven placed a comforting hand on Richard's shoulder. He smiled at her. "I'm okay."

They unbuckled their seatbelts, Raven bracing herself for the cold air that was going to hit her skin. "I hate the cold," Raven muttered as she and Richard crossed the street. He grabbed her hand with a laugh and began to run. Raven chuckled as she kept with him. They both burst through the door of the shop, a bell announcing their presence.

"Hello and welcome to Smith's Flower Shop," a young voice called out. Raven stared at the massive array of flowers around her. A meta had to be running this shop as most of the flowers were out of season. Raven let go of Richard's hand and began perusing the shop. Richard walked straight up to the counter. "Hello, how can I – omigosh!" the very young girls screeched at the top of her lungs. Richard visibly flinched, the sound grating his and the other customer's ears. "Sorry, sorry," she apologized to everyone. "Wow," she gasped, her large blue eyes taking in Richard's figure. "This is amazing," she gushed. "When the order came in today, I thought it was for sure a joke, but it was real!" she jumped.

"Yes," Richard smiled, preparing to catch the girl should she pass out. "I have a question about that order." The girl smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "Who placed the order?" he asked.

The girl's face scrunched in confusion. "There's usually a card…" her voice trailed off. "Did it not come with a card?"

"Yeah," Richard scratched the back of his head, faking a shy smile. "There was no name, but I'm sure you keep a record of who pays." He leaned on the counter with a head tilt. "Valentina," he read her nametag. Richard swore Valentina was about to swoon.

"We don't usually do that," the girl giggled. She had to be 16 at the very least.

"Please," Richard inwardly hurled.

"Okay," she caved, "give me a sec." Richard mouthed 'thank you' to her before turning and leaning back on the counter. Where was Raven? His eyes found her standing in front of a window, the sun shining on her magically dyed black hair just so. His heart pounded in his chest. She was beautiful. Her eyes shot up, catching his stare. She raised a brow at him. He answered with a shrug. "So," Valentina said, "the computer just locked me out. I guess the pay logs are above my pay raise," she chuckled. "But let me get grandpa. He'd love to help you."

"Wait-" Richard said as Valentina scurried away. This was not going well. He should have hacked them. "I'm sorry, sir," a tall, kind, old man appeared from the back, followed by a sheepish Valentina. "I don't know what my granddaughter told you," he eyed her, "but I am afraid we can be of no help. We practice utmost discretion. Many of our customers like to remain anonymous," he smiled kindly. Richard didn't let the disappointment show on his face. "But would you like to buy a bouquet or two for someone special?" Richard opened his mouth to say no, but he thought better of it. He had dragged Raven an hour away from the manor in this fruitless endeavor. Upon entering the shop, Richard had noticed most of the flowers were out of season and not indigenous to this region, meaning someone in the Smith family was a meta.

"You wouldn't happen to have any Queen of the Night tulips or purple calla lilies?" Richard inquired.

The older man smiled widely. "How many?" he asked.

Raven didn't know how long she'd been perusing the flower shop that looked deceivingly small on the outside. Since her time on Earth, she'd never been in the midst of so many flowers. It reminded her of Azarath. It reminded her of her – a dark, single flower appeared in her line of sight, making her jump. "For you," a voice said from behind her. Raven's body immediately relaxed once she realized it was Richard.

"You bought me a flower?" Raven asked, turning to face him. Her face instantly heated when she realized how close they were to each other. "Thank you," Raven took the flower from Richard's hand, their fingers brushing together. Raven's heart sped up at the contact.

Richard smiled. "I actually bought you a bouquet," Richard rocked back on his heels, "but they won't be delivered until the 23rd or 24th."

Raven took a gentle step back, red covering her cheeks. "Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked.

"No," Richard said, turning his body to the door. "I didn't. Confidentiality."

"Want me to make them tell you?" Raven offered.

"No, but thanks," he smiled, holding the door open for her. The two quickly made their way to the car. As soon as they entered the vehicle, Richard turned the heat on full blast. "What now?" Raven asked, her fingers gently stroking the flower.

"What would you like to do?" Richard asked. He suddenly remembered their conversation from breakfast. "Your mother," Raven turned her eyes to Richard's, "did she have any hobbies or places she liked to visit?" Raven's back straightened. "She told me she would sometimes go to the art gallery section of the Met and sketch or read."

"Then that's where we go next."

Richard couldn't help but smile as Raven perused the many pieces of art lining the wall. She spent time studying each one, and she still held the flower in her hand. Richard wondered if she knew she was still holding it. She approached another painting, and Richard immediately noticed her body stiffen. Raven stood, frozen, in front of a picture of a ballerina. Richard walked to stand beside her. He didn't say anything. He only studied the painting in front of him. After several seconds, Raven released a breathy sigh before saying, "My mother…it was the last thing she ever sketched for me. She said Alexander Sheversky was her favorite painter."

"Do you have any of her sketches?" Richard asked softly. Raven shook her head silently. He peered at her. "You don't sketch, do you?" he asked, "I've never seen you draw."

Raven snorted. "I don't have an artistic bone in my body," Raven smiled as she moved onto the next painting.

"I find that very hard to believe," Richard followed.

"Trust me," Raven chuckled, "I tried to draw my mother's face once, from memory. I…I don't have any pictures of her," she admitted shyly. "Anyway, it came out looking like a moldy, melted cantaloupe."

"A moldy, melted cantaloupe?" Richard laughed. "That's very specific."

"It was not good," Raven continued. "Honestly, I don't need a photo. I have a really good memory."

"So, everything was destroyed on Azarath?" Richard asked softly. "There really is nothing left?"

"Ruins," Raven shifted her shoulders uncomfortably.

"Oh," Richard gulped. He glanced at Raven. Her head was facing away from him. Richard mentally cursed. Richard spent the remainder of their museum time asking Raven questions, learning about Raven, and falling in love with Raven.

Once again, they returned to the manor late and then spent even more time with each other in the massive library. They laughed and joked. Richard regaled Raven with funny stories from his childhood. He hung onto her every word when she spoke.

They spent time swimming in Bruce's indoor pool. Richard had to force himself to keep his eyes on Raven's face rather her cleavage. He did trace her bikini clad body multiple times. He didn't want to objectify her, but this was Raven in a bikini! His mind was blown. He thought her leotard was the skimpiest thing she owned. He was so happy to be proven wrong.

After the pool, the rest of the day was spent in the theater room. During the second and third movie, Raven decided she wanted to sit with him. Richard had nearly stopped breathing when the empath boldly curled against his side. His focus was no longer on the movie being played. It was on the sorceress who was leaning on him. Somewhere around the fourth movie, Raven fell asleep. She snuggled into his chest, and Richard knew he had a stupid smile on his face. At one point, he could have sworn he saw the flash from a camera.

Richard didn't return to his research until a little after 2 a.m. Leaning back in the computer chair, thinking about how much fun he had with Raven while absentmindedly rewatching security tapes. While playing with his colly, he smiled as he came up with the perfect Christmas gift for Raven. But the smile on his face dropped as soon as he looked at the screen. Richard's feet hit the ground in shock before he paused the video. He now understood that…thing that had been bugging his subconscious whenever he watched these videos. But he didn't understand. He stared at the paper bird in his hand before turning his searching eyes back to the screen. Was that shadow in the shape of…a bird?