Chapter 38

Snow was lightly falling from a gray sky, blanketing Gotham City in a shroud of white. People trudged through the white sludge as they hurried around the streets, searching for the ever-elusive perfect Christmas gift. The huge Christmas tree that towered above the center of the city already sparkled with thousands of tiny lights and the Gotham City Choir sang beneath its branches, their voices lifting into the air filled with the joyfulness of the season.

Five teenagers walked down the through the snow covered City Center, their jackets clutched tightly across their chests as the chilly winter breeze nipped through the air.

"Richard," Kori smiled, spinning around as falling snowflakes powdered her hair. "This is glorious. I truly enjoy the falling flakes of snow and the enormous luminous tree of Christmas. Why do we not have such finery at home?"

Dick grinned as he draped his arm back over her shoulder and she raised her hand to intertwine their fingers. "Gotham's big on Christmas that's all. They don't do things by halves."

"Why does it have to be so cold?" Rachel muttered, hugging her black jacket closer to her body, before lifting Garfield's arm and ducking into his embrace.

He grinned at her, squeezing her lightly. "So guys like me can get lucky."

She scowled at him. "Don't get used to it."

He mock pouted at her, pulling her head toward his so he could kiss her on the cheek.

Victor rolled his eyes and thrust his hands deeper into his pockets. "I really need to get me a girl," he muttered.

Dick chuckled and pointed with one of the fingers of the hand across Kori's shoulders. "Look, that's where we are going," he said, pointing at a large shopping center that backed onto the City Center. "It'll be warm and the place we need to head to is on the fourth floor. We'll do that first and then go off and do the other shopping we need to. And yes, there's a games arcade in there."

"Sweet," Garfield cried at the same time Rachel said; "I can't believe you guys are going to make me wear a dress."

"Aww Rae, I think you'll look stunning in a dress," Garfield commented.

"You get to pick the dress Rachel," Dick said, glancing at her. "I think, depends, although I think you'll like what's picked for you. And please give Kori a hand. I really don't want to be dancing with a big pink bow."

Kori whacked him lightly on the chest.

"Aww, man," Victor complained. "We've gotta dance?"

"You don't," Dick replied. "I'm sure you'll be very happy hanging out by the food. I, on the other hand, have to."

They trudged across to the shopping center, passing a Santa ringing a bell by a large red bucket. Dick dug around in his pocket, tossing a few bills into the bucket as they passed.

The warmth blasted their faces as they entered and they stamped off the snow on their boots by the entrance before loosening jackets. "Come on," Dick said, slinging his arm around Kori's waist and heading off in the direction of the elevators.

The stores held a festive air; decorations hung from every point in the ceiling and splashed through every window and several Christmas trees reared above the merchandise. Christmas carols danced through the PA system. Various staff pottered around in their shops wearing Santa hats and reindeer horns on their heads. A few of the women had pulled their hair up with tinsel and had flashing Santa earrings.

They paused at the elevator to wait for its return and Kori gazed upwards in awe. Five stories above them snow slid down the dome roof. The ground floor contained an eatery and the first tier of escalators, while each remaining floor held its own balcony laden with shops, overlooked the eatery.

The elevator dinged once and they piled in, Kori pressing her fingers on the glass gazing down at the hustle and bustle of people shopping below.

Dick smiled at her, tugging her waist lightly as the elevator dinged its arrival at the fourth floor. She followed him with a sigh as they all headed to a small shop by the balcony. The sign read "Finlay's Finery" and its blackened window held two manikins, a male in a tuxedo and a female in a white ball gown.

Small bells tinkled as Dick pushed the door open and approached the counter, his friends following closely behind. A tall, thin man dressed in a black suit stood behind the counter, raised his eyes from the computer he was working at and peered down his nose at the five teens before him. "Yes?" he asked conceitedly.

Dick smothered a sigh. "My name is Dick Grayson, I have an appointment."

The man's demeanor changed instantly. "Mister Grayson! It is kind of you to offer your patronage to our humble store."

Dick narrowed his eyes. "You're new, aren't you. Just tell Simon I'm here, would you?"

"Of course sir, at once sir," the man bowed several times and scampered away behind a black curtain.

Dick sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

"What was that about?" Rachel asked quietly.

"I warned you, it's only going to get worse."

"Is that my boy?" a voice called from behind the curtain the man had scampered behind.

Dick cracked a grin as a short, stocky man swung the curtain aside. "Hi Simon, its been a long time."

The man took several pins out of his mouth, jabbing them into a pincushion attached to his wrist. "Dick, my boy," he said, thumping Dick on the back. "You've grown. Pfft, none of the suits I had out will fit you now. Very inconsiderate of you."

"Sorry, I'll be sure to consider your suits next time I decide to grow. Simon, these are my friends from school," he said pointing to each one. "That's Victor, Garfield, Rachel," he tugged on Kori's waist once more. "And this is my Kori."

Simon raised his eyebrows and took Kori's hands, pulling her from Dick's embrace. He raised her arms out perpendicular to her body as he looked her up and down, even going as far to remove her jacket to study her frame. "Oh, yes, nice lines. I have the perfect thing for you. This dress with sit fabulously if I do say so myself. And the colour of your eyes is divine. You have good taste Dick."

Kori glanced over her shoulder at Dick, her eyebrows raised in surprise, her eyes slightly fearful from the contact. He gave her a reassuring smile.

Simon released her arms and reached for Rachel, giving her the same treatment. "Hmm, you are a petite thing aren't you, good shape. Yes, I know the dress you're after."

"Black," Rachel said tonelessly, almost daring him to challenge her.

"No, no, no," said Simon, clucking his tongue and Rachel scowled at him. "Black will never do. You must look striking. No, I think midnight blue is more your colour. It will go nicely with your purple highlights."

"There's a difference?" Garfield asked cautiously as Rachel sighed in relief.

"Of course there's a difference," Simon said, turning his attention to Garfield. He pulled the boy forward. "Hmm, something about you simply screams green." Garfield looked over his shoulders at his friends and waggled his eyebrows while Simon looked him over. "You have some more growing to do, young man, your hands and feet are so big."

"Great," Rachel muttered. "That's all he needs, to be taller."

"And let's look at this strapping young man," Simon said, looking at Victor. "My, you are a big boy, aren't you? Must be on the football team for sure, such lovely muscles." He pulled back and chewed his lip in consideration. "Yes, I think I know which suit will do for you. Come." He went through the curtain, lifting it for them to pass through.

Dick gave his friends a smile and entered the curtain. The tall man from the counter hovered uncertainly before him. "Would Mister Grayson and his friends perhaps like a beverage?"

Dick raised his eyebrows and called over his shoulder. "What do you think guys? Hot chocolates?"

"Ooh yes, please," Kori said, grabbing onto his shoulders.

"Fine," Rachel said quietly as the man scurried off.

"Soy milk in mine please!" Garfield called after the man.

Simon led them all to small circular stage, surrounded by four large mirrors. Across the wall near the stage sat several seats and to the right of the mirrors were several curtained change rooms. "Sit," he said, gesturing the seats. "I will need to gather some clothes for you. We shall do the boys first and then they will leave. It would not do for them to spy our pretty girl's dresses before the ball."

Dick raised an eyebrow, before turning to his friends. He reached into his pocket and pulled out several credit cards. "Here," he said, glancing at the names on the cards before he passed them out. "These will let you buy whatever you need for the ball, new shoes, underwear, whatever." He eyed Garfield, who looked back innocently. "Only stuff for the ball, it's my butt on the line if the bill comes back to big. Get your presents out of your own money and we might not be able to get back into town before Christmas so keep that in mind. We'll meet in the eatery at the bottom when we're done."

TTTTT

Dick leaned over the railing of the balcony outside Simon's shop, looking down on the hustle and bustle of the people shopping below as he waited for Kori and Rachel to finish their fitting. Several bags were already littered at his feet, new shoes and a couple of presents for his friends. He'd made the wise decision to do most of his Christmas shopping online, but there were several things that he'd needed to pick up. Still, there were several shop assistants that eyed his credit card thoughtfully before examining him. Victor and Garfield were around here somewhere and since he couldn't see them in the eatery below, they were probably in the arcade by now.

There was a soft touch on his back and Dick turned to smile at Kori. "How'd it go?"

"We are all fitted," she said with a smile. "And Simon has informed me of the importance of not telling you about the dress."

Dick chuckled before he looked past her at Rachel who was watching him with an uneasy expression on her face. Seeing she had Dick's gaze, Rachel gently placed a finger to her temple. Dick suppressed a sigh; Kori had obviously retreated for a while during the fitting, not that he was surprised.

While she was affectionate with her friends, she was still finding it difficult to be touched by other people, crowds in particular were still a downfall for her. She could handle them for a time but she needed to have a place where she could be alone to run to if needed. He'd learned that at the afternoon function Bruce had held a yesterday when she'd suddenly vanished and he found her curled up in a ball in one of the unused rooms. It hadn't taken her long to come out of it and she had embarrassingly explained that room had suddenly gone crazy with sound and light and she just needed to get away for a while.

He held the smile on his face and picked up his purchases before wrapping an arm around Kori's waist. "I've done most of my shopping, can I tag along with you two?"

"You do not wish to join Garfield and Victor?" Kori asked, surprised.

He checked his watch. "I'm to meet them in the eatery in about two hours."

"I have a bit of shopping I have to do by myself," Rachel said quietly. "Kori, why don't you go with Dick for a while and then you and I can go and get shoes, makeup and other things in about an hour."

"Other things?" Dick asked with a raised eyebrow.

Rachel grinned wickedly. "Lingerie. I'm sure you want to go into one of those stores, don't you, Dick?"

Dick cringed. "No thanks."

Kori giggled lightly. "I shall see you soon, Rachel."

Rachel nodded. "I'll find you," she said as she headed off.

"So, what shopping do you need to do, Star?" he asked quietly.

She hummed. "I am uncertain. I have already all the presents of Christmas I require."

"Really?" he asked. "What did you get for me?"

She tisked and waggled her finger at him. "You cannot make me tell you this year. I do remember your deviousness from last Christmas."

He laughed and hugged her waist, drawing her into a sedate walk. "Why don't we just window shop for a while?"

She smiled and leaned into his arm. "I do like the celebration of Christmas. We do not have anything quite like this at home. Everyone is always so cheerful and the decorations are most lovely. Even Blorthog was not embraced by as many people when it was popular."

"Yeah, it's my favourite time of year," he said, before inspiration struck. "Hey, there's a little shop not far from here that makes the best hot chocolates. Nothing like that goop that Simon's aid served up."

"With the… marshmallows?"

"Yup." He quickened their pace. "Come on, Star, these are honestly the best in the world."

TTTTT

Rachel walked swiftly, clutching her numerous purchases in her hands, her mind leading her direction. She paused outside the shop, listening to the tinging, beeping and various musical sounds emerging. She could smell the mass amount of adolescent testosterone wafting through the air. She rolled her eyes. Of course he would go in there. But did she really want to enter, or would she just have to endure more of the endless teasing from Victor?

She sighed and quickly entered the arcade, trying to look insignificant as she searched for Garfield's illusive head. It was dark, gloomy and musky, the kind of place she normally enjoyed. But it was also loud and lights flashed from the computer consoles illuminating glassy eyed youths tapping away at joysticks and controllers.

"Hey baby," a pimple-faced teenager said, turning from one of the game consoles to leer at her. He licked his bracer-covered teeth. "Looking for a man?"

"Yes, actually," she said tonelessly as she walked past him. "Have you seen one?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Look no further, baby," said the guy. "I'm all man."

"No, you're not," she snapped, suppressing a sigh. Great, another one. Was there some sort of big neon sign above her head that announced to the world 'This ones taken, hit on her' that she didn't know about? "Get your hand off me."

"A chick in this place is only after one thing."

"Yeah," Garfield's voice said, dripping with venom. "It's called her boyfriend. Now do as she said."

The hand jerked away from her as though it had been stung and there was a dull thump.

"It's guys like you that give gamers a bad name," Garfield snarled as Rachel turned around. He was standing over the youth that was now sitting on the ground looking up at him in shock. He flicked his eyes to hers and she ducked to his side. He draped an arm on her shoulder and dragged her away.

"Geez," he muttered as they walked, shifting his arm from her shoulder to her waist. "Is there some sort of sign over you now? Whats with all these guys hitting on you?"

Rachel felt a giggle escape and he looked at her like she'd grown another head. "I was just thinking that myself," she said after she'd clamped down on that giggle and thrown it back into the dark recesses of her mind to stomp on and murder later.

"Whatcha doing here, Rae? I'm glad you're here and all but I didn't think this was your scene."

"It's not," she replied softly. "But it's yours."

He pulled up short and looked at her in surprise.

She dropped her eyes, embarrassed before shrugging. "I had some time to kill before I meet up with Kori and seeing how you've always gone to so much effort to do the things I like, the least I could do would be to try yours."

He beamed happily. "Really?"

"Don't read too much into it," she muttered. "Probably won't happen again."

"I'll take my chances," he said.

TTTTT

Dick sighed and took another slice of pizza as the boys waited for the girls to arrive.

"Aww man, do girls always take this long?" Garfield sighed, taking a long slurp of his freshly squeezed orange juice, absently twirling with the second cup of juice sitting on the table before him.

"Maybe Rachel's just looking for an extra special Christmas present for you, did you think of that?"

Garfield sat up straight. "Do you think?" he asked hopefully.

Dick shrugged. "Maybe. What'd you get for her?"

"I found this really cool black candle."

Dick stared at him in horror. "You didn't."

Garfield chuckled and scooped a small box from his pocket, opening it to reveal a small white gold locket, an open winged raven engraved on its heart shaped surface. "I didn't. Do you think she'll like it?"

"Little dude, you give her that you're gonna get laid," Victor said, leaning over to see the locket.

Garfield eeped, while Dick chuckled. "Don't tease him, it's not nice."

"What'd you get for Kori?" Garfield asked, slipping the necklace box back into his pocket.

Dick smiled secretly and tapped the side of his nose with his finger. "You'll see."

"You better have a present in there for me," Victor said, looking at the parcels by Dick's feet.

He chuckled. "Yeah sure. There's one in there for you. There's also one for Bruce from all of us and one for Alfred too."

"Aww, man," Victor said, snapping his fingers. "I knew I missed someone."

"You don't have to buy presents for my father, Vic."

"Yeah, but still, it was nice of the old guy to put us up for the holidays."

Garfield sighed and took another slurp of his drink. "Can't you find out where they are? I'm getting bored."

Dick huffed. "Fine." Star, Beast Boy's getting bored. How far away are you?

Approximately two feet.

A soft arm encircled his neck and he look up into her smiling face. "All done?" he asked quietly as she kissed his cheek.

"I believe we have done the 'shop until we drop'," she replied, placing her purchases beside Dick's in the floor and sat in the seat beside him.

Rachel slumped down in the seat beside Garfield, placing her bags on the floor and gratefully accepting the orange juice he'd placed aside for her. "Azar," she muttered quietly to herself, before leaning back and rotating her ankles. "My feet hurt, I never thought I'd miss flying this much."

"You girls are done, then?" asked Victor. "I'd like to get back to the Manor. Brought some new upgrades I'm dying to install."

Rachel scowled at him. "Can we sit and eat something first?"

Dick turned his head toward a commotion that was occurring by the entrance to the shopping center. "Oh, shit," he blurted, spying the video camera and bright lights of reporters. "The vultures are here. We gotta go." He reached down and scooped up both his and Kori's bags, holding them out to Victor. "Can you hold these for me, I'm gonna need two hands free. Guys, just head for the exit, slip past them if you can, don't answer questions. Kori, go with Vic, it'll be okay."

Victor looked surprised but took the bags and gathered his own. Dick waited until his friends were ready before standing up.

He was spotted. "Dick!" came the cry and feet thundered toward them. "Dick Grayson!"

Someone shoved a tape recorder in his face and he recognised the person holding it. "Dick, Vicki Vale from the Gotham Review. Where has Gotham's golden boy been all this time?"

"Hey Vicki, nice to see you again. I've been at school," he said before pushing himself through the sea of reporters, looking out the corner of his eye as his friends slinked off. He winced and blinked his eyes as flashes exploded around him.

Someone shoved a camera in his face and he held a hand before his eyes to block out the lights. "Dick, can you tell us which charities Bruce is donating to this year?"

"You'll find out the same time as everyone else," he said, brushing past. "Just like every year."

"Dick, who are your friends? Do they go to the same school as you? Which school is that?"

"Excuse me, I really need to go," he said as he continued pushing through.

Someone barred his way, bringing him up short. Dick growled. "All right look. You have three questions, then I would like to leave." He pointed to a person at random. "You, go for it."

"How long are you in Gotham City?"

"My friends and I are here for the holiday's. We'll be returning to school when they're done." He pointed to someone else. "You."

"What's Bruce's position on the changes to City Council?"

Dick rolled his eyes at the wasted question. "I really think you'll have to ask him that question." Someone jostled him from behind and he turned to see a bunch of reporters accosting his friends. Kori was pressed up behind Victor who was trying to use his bulk to shield her as well as pass through the crowd. Somehow Rachel and Garfield had managed to edge through unaccosted.

"Miss, miss, look this way please, you've been spotted on Dick's arm, are you his girl?"

Richard! They are too close! I do not like them touching me. Her mind voice was shrill, panicked.

Dick growled and forced his way through the crowd toward Kori. He could see the terror in her eyes and knew she was close to breaking down as the reporters jostled her and shoved their tape recorders and cameras in her face. She still wasn't stable and she'd been trying so hard to heal. He didn't want this experience to force her back to that dark place she had been trapped in. I'm coming. Hang in there, Star.

He caught Victor's eye and gestured with his head toward the exit as he ducked in front of Kori while Victor forged a path ahead. He felt her place her hands on his shoulders, felt the sigh of relief on his neck before she hid behind his back as he pushed through toward the exit. Garfield and Rachel were already escaping out it.

The reported jabbed his pen at Kori's hand on Dick's shoulder. "Is that an engagement ring on your young lady's finger?"

Flashes began exploding around them and Kori sucked in a breath, removing her hand from his shoulder, hiding it behind his back. He turned and grabbed her, before shouldering his way through the crowd, Kori held against his chest. "Always a pleasure guys, but we really have to go."

They surged free of the reporters and Dick bolted for the door, pulling Kori along behind him. He pulled them around the corner and ducked into an alleyway. Fly; take us to the roof.

Kori lifted them into the air and headed for the roof. They landed just in time to see a bunch of reporters surging down the street searching for them. Dick grabbed onto Kori once more, pushing them flat on the floor, the snow on the roof slushing beneath them. She landed on her back, while he lay on his stomach and peered over the edge.

You okay?

She closed her eyes for a moment to take a deep breath and compose herself. I am sorry. I do not know why I react like that.

Dick placed a hand on her cheek and giving her a quick kiss. It's fine, Star.

"What, the hell, was that?" Victor's voice sounded as he, Rachel and Garfield exited the screeching raven that suddenly appeared behind them.

"Told you," Dick said, getting to his feet and pulling Kori up too. "Dick Grayson is Gotham's golden boy, heir to the Wayne fortune. Bruce is the most powerful person in Gotham City, hence the media frenzy."

"But we never get attention like that when we're in our other clothes. That was insane," Garfield blurted , his hands clutching his and Rachel's bags.

"The media tends to treat heroes differently. No point jostling a hero that can turn into a bear and maul you, or smack you around with dark energy," Dick said. He looked at Rachel. "Can you find Alfred from here and get us all there?"

She nodded and closed her eyes, the raven enveloping them all.

TTTTT

"Gotham's golden boy, Dick Grayson appeared briefly today after having not been seen in Gotham City for nearly six months. His last appearance was the Robert Kane Memorial Charity Event held by his adopted father, Bruce Wayne. He was discovered shopping with as of yet unidentified friends at Robinson's Plaza. He was seen leading a young lady through the center, which this station has identified as Kori Anders and she was sporting a large engagement ring. Has our golden boy been snagged?-"

Dick sighed and switched off the television, tossing the remote on the sofa beside him.

"How did they determine my name?" Kori asked quietly from where she was leaning over the back of the sofa behind him, her hand on his shoulder.

"Someone leaked, or they pulled the credit records."

She frowned, not understanding. "How does someone leak? And what do they leak?"

He chuckled. "Sorry, it's an expression. It means someone informed the press of your name, probably from a shop you entered." He sighed and stretched before getting to his feet and holding out his hand to her. "Come on, Star, let's get some sleep, we've got a ball to go to tomorrow."

She gave him a sly smile as she took his hand, coming around the sofa to stand before him. "Perhaps you would like to try the… what was it you said? Up against the roof sex?"

He looked at her in surprise. "You can actually do that?"

She giggled at the look on his face. "I do not believe it will be difficult."

He shook his head, remembering their last tryst.

"Do you not feel the lust for me anymore?" she asked playfully.

He swallowed heavily. How can he make her understand? How could he explain to her the disgust that he felt toward himself for using her like that, for allowing her to sacrifice herself to him and not having the strength to stop her? "I can't, Star. It's not that I don't want to, it's just…" He shrugged, cringed and fell silent.

She held his gaze, her expression turning serious as she regarded him. "What is wrong, Richard? Why do you not wish to couple with me anymore? You do not touch me in any way that is not proper or open your mouth when we kiss and you have not since…" She trailed off, her face thoughtful as she put a finger to her lips. "We have not coupled since the girl's night…" A flash of understanding flickered in her eyes. "I hurt you."

He dropped his eyes from hers. "No Star."

"Richard-"

"I'm just tired that's all."

"Richard," she said again, placing a finger on his chin and lifting his head, before placing that same finger on his lips so he could not speak. "I know this has been a very difficult time for you and I am very sorry that I hid myself away. I did not mean to hurt you."

He pulled away, taking a step backward and away from her. "Star…"

She cocked her head and regarded him. "It is more than that…You saw that I was not all there and I hurt you." She frowned as though she was trying to figure something out. "You said," she said slowly. "That there could never be meaningless sex between us… and… you feel that I made you do it, yes?"

Blood drained from his face and he looked at her in horror.

Her expression saddened. "Oh Richard, this is true?"

He swallowed painfully. "Did you read my mind?"

She shook her head. "I have been having dreams lately. Dreams of sadness, dreams of yearning. But they were not my dreams at all. They were yours. Things have only just made sense to me." Her fingers brushed his face and a tear trickled down her cheek. "I love you. Any coupling between us is never meaningless and just because I was not all there does not mean that I did not want it. I wanted it that day. I want it today. I miss your fire, Richard. I miss the Richard that will throw me on the bed and devour me. I miss the Richard that kisses with a passion that makes me tingle all over. I did not realise that I was the reason you could not kiss me and I am very sorry."

She moved closer to him and kissed him, giving him slow sensual kisses that sent a tingle down his spine and a warmth to his belly. Her hands drifted up, one resting on his neck, the other entangled in his hair as she gently coaxing his mouth open before her tongue slipped into his mouth for the first time in what seemed like forever.

He closed his eyes, leaning into her embrace. If she was certain this is what she wanted, he wasn't going to deny her. He gave the knot in her bathrobe a tug and it unraveled for him before he slipped his hands inside to grab her bottom and pulled her closer. Oh god, she was so warm and her silk slip allowed his hands to glide over her curvaceous body, sliding over her bottom and up to her breasts. It had been such a long time since he'd allowed himself to touch her like this and he hadn't realised how much he'd missed it.

She let out a sigh before she pulled away and took a small step backward.

He looked at her, a strange aching sensation slicing through his heart. He'd been right. She really wasn't ready for this and she was only just realising it herself. She was going to realise any moment how weak he'd been when he'd allowed her to sacrifice her body to him and how he'd been incapable of preventing it. And she was going to hate him for using her in the same way that the Citadel had wanted to. He swallowed heavily.

She smiled at him before she slipped the robe from her shoulders and it fell to the ground. Her silk slip soon puddled around her ankles and she stood before him in all her naked glory.

And still he hesitated. The pain in his heart was still so raw.

That alluring smile he loved so much sprang into life on her lips. "I want you Richard, please couple with me," she murmured sensually.

He sucked in a startled breath, hope flitting across his face. She really meant it, didn't she? He remembered those words she'd used. She's used them before and she'd been ready then too. More than ready, she'd been so hungry for him. And there was that smile that he loved so much, had missed so much and never thought he'd see again. She stood before him, naked and waiting for him, desire filtering through her eyes. Just for him and all he had to do was step forward and accept what she offered.

Suddenly his pajama pants were far too tight and he couldn't get out of his clothes fast enough.

She laughed in delight as he lunged at her, capturing her lips with his, his hands on her bottom as he pressed himself against her.

Her hands climbed up his back to fasten on his shoulders and she lifted him into the air. Come, d'anthe l'ani. I will give you all of me.