*A/N: I am back from my weekend getaway and ready to give you a…well, not so suiting –given the season- chapter. Thanks to everyone who faved-followed and reviewed, of course, and left me your lovely comments. I hope you like this too!*

CHAPTER EIGHT

Diana examined the ornaments carefully, squinting her eyes. Something just didn't fit in; something was missing from that particular part of the Christmas tree.

Bruce hadn't decorated a Christmas tree ever since the year his parents were killed but when Diana moved in, she insisted in decorating one every year. Bruce, at first, didn't help her much with it, so she did it with Alfred, but when the kids came along, he participated for the sake of the family activity. He mostly carried the things from the basement to the living room and gave his opinion on what kind of lighting bulbs they should put on, but that was enough for his family. He, deep down, enjoyed it; something about the way Iphigenia's eyes shone while she ran around the tree hanging colorful balls and snowflakes and little Thomas squealing with joy when the bright lights were finally lit, made him like sitting there and 'helping' them decorate it.

When Diana was the one responsible for the tree, it was elegant. She picked ornaments of one or two colors that complemented each other and kept it light and classy. When Iphigenia started having a say on Christmas shopping, though, the elegant tree was gone for good, and in came a Christmas tree filled with things of all shapes and sizes, painted in every color of the rainbow. Alfred indulged such a 'miasma' in his living room, giving way to some holiday kitsch, as he said, and laughed whenever he passed from there.

Diana soon realized that what was missing was a simple red ball, as too many blue and silver ones had gathered on that spot. She removed a big red ball from the base of the tree and hung it between the blue ones. She took a step back and examined the tree again. Now it looked better, she thought, and smiled to herself, feeling a pair of familiar hands wrap around her waist from behind. Bruce planted a kiss on her neck and caressed the sides of her face with his.

"Hey, Princess." He mumbled by her ear.

"Hey." She said, letting her head fall on his collarbone and shoulder. "How was the meeting?"

"Short, fortunately. I wouldn't want to miss tonight."

"We wouldn't want you to miss it either." She turned around, facing him. "You've been gone way too often lately."

"Yes, I know. It's just some-"

"Gotham troubles, I know. This is overdoing it, though, Bruce, even for Batman's standards."

"Diana, you know I can't let it off so easily."

"And to think you have several reinforcements now… It's quite serious, right?"

Bruce shrugged. "It's always serious, but we'll find a way to settle it, eventually."

"I hope so. I'd very much like to help more but, you know, with that Black Manta stuff, I'm always stationed in Atlantis at my shifts nowadays."

"It's fine, Diana."

"If you say so…"

Two voices echoed around the room, shouting "Dad! Dad!", until Thomas and Iphigenia ran to Bruce and wrapped around a leg each.

"What took you so long?" Iphigenia whined.

"Daddy, yay!" Thomas drooled happily.

Bruce let go of Diana's waist and easily lifted both of his children in his arms. "Hello, little ones." He said. "Ready for tonight?"

"Santa's coming, Daddy!" Thomas said.

"And bringing us presents!" Iphigenia added.

"Thomas drew you a card, Bruce." Diana said, stroking the boy's hair.

"Really?" Bruce said grinning and looking at his son. The boy nodded.

"With my new markers, Daddy!"

"And I wrote it!" Iphigenia said and Bruce gave her a small kiss.

"Off you go now, kids!" Diana said and Bruce put them down. "Your father needs to have a shower now."

Diana gave Bruce a small peck and took the children from the hand to get to their rooms.

"Mama, I'm bored..." Bruce heard Iphigenia say.

"Na soo diavaso myth-oos?" Diana asked her daughter. (A/N: Translation: Can I read you some myths?)

"Ne!" The girl replied. "Mou aresoon i mythi!" (Tr: Yes! I like myths!)

Bruce half-smiled to himself after hearing them converse shortly in Greek. Diana had tried to raise the children bilingually, knowing it will come in handy sometime. Although they did resort in English mostly, the children seemed to be quite interested in Greek too and so Diana was happy to start teaching her daughter Greek, to her son's dismay, who wanted to take part as well, but was too young.

Bruce started unbuttoning his shirt and headed for the bathroom.

OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO

With their bellies full of Alfred's amazing Christmas dinner, Iphigenia and Thomas sat in front of the Christmas tree, shuffling impatiently. Bruce turned on the stereo and let the Christmas disc play the Carols. Alfred hesitantly sat between the children and Diana headed for the tree. Its base was filled with bags and boxes covered in colorful wrapping paper and tied with fancy ribbons. She grabbed a big pink box and put it in front of Iphigenia. The girl was ready to lunge at it if Diana hadn't given her a stern look. She knew she had to wait to open it, until everyone had their gifts sorted out. Bruce joined them at the tree.

Diana handed him three bags and Alfred two. She finally grabbed the two remaining ones and sat down next to Bruce as well. They exchanged a meaningful look and Bruce started the countdown.

"Three…" The children put their hands on their boxes. "Two…" They readied their nails. "One…Go." Sounds of paper ripping furiously filled the room.

The grown-ups gently started opening their bags. Alfred, in his first bag, found a posh, cashmere scarf of dark blue color and a pair of dark brown, leather gloves with the signature of the Wayne personal tailor. He smiled to himself, knowing Diana had picked them out for him. Moving on to the next bag, he expected an envelope with cash, as it was Master Bruce's typical kind of present and predictably enough, he did see a big envelope inside. Opening it up, though, he found several documents, but not cash and was quite content with it. A more personalized present would be much more appreciated than cold paper bills. Reading the documents, he realized that he had been subscribed as a member to every museum and gallery in Gotham and the surrounding cities, gaining access in exclusive shows, and that he had also donated a considerable amount to them too. It was a thoughtful move; Alfred was very much interested in museums and art and tried to visit all the new exhibitions. Now he would be able to go everywhere and be a bit more…appreciated, after his generous donations. The last document though, made his eyebrows jump; a personal invitation to the filming of his favorite cooking show and a pass to meet all of the celebrity chefs. He almost giggled and looked at Bruce and Diana, looking at their kids opening their presents. He knew that it was obviously Diana's idea –there was no way on Earth Bruce knew which his favorite cooking show was- but it was in Bruce's present and so he was thankful for both of them.

By the moment Alfred finished reading all these documents, he had successfully ignored the high-pitched squeals of Iphigenia and the endless streak of 'wow' of Thomas. It was their parents' business to deal with them now.

Iphigenia's arms weren't long enough to be able to hug the huge box, no matter how much she tried. She gave up the effort and ripped it open too -struggling a bit but managing it nonetheless without much help, as she was a quite sturdy kid; half an Amazon, which came with the full Amazonian physique- taking the exquisite dollhouse out. It was what she's been asking for since summer. Her parents, though, were very careful with their gifts, not wanting their kids to turn into spoiled brats and, given the cost of the gift, promised to have 'Santa' bring it for her on Christmas. She understood and waited as patiently as possible till the day. And so she was now able to have it in her arms. It was a big dollhouse replica of a Victorian castle-like house, with furniture and many china figures to play. It also came with a small wardrobe for the figurines, which Iphigenia was quick in exploring. She squealed whenever she found another fancy detail in the house and her parents laughed at her reactions. Diana thought that the dollhouse was very beautiful and her daughter would certainly appreciate its beauty more than its toy value as she grew up. She would let little Iphigenia enjoy playing with it, of course, as she was a careful child and hardly ever made any mess by being clumsy. The china figurines were fine in her hands, although she couldn't say the same for her son too.

Though Thomas was still very young-just some months older than three, his parents soon realized that gravity had an increased effect in anything the boy held. He didn't throw them down on purpose; they just kid of…slipped out of his hands. Thomas' clumsiness extended to him banging on several things as he walked and ending up with bruises in all kinds of places. His father was particularly worried about them but he remember that Thomas was just a kid, and kids always found ways to come up with minor injuries. It was all part of growing up and Alfred's constant supervision didn't let his son come up with anything worse, like a fractured bone. They all hoped he would get better as he got older. Considering such was Thomas' tendency towards scratches and bruises, though, Bruce and Diana were very skeptic at their son's Christmas request, as they didn't think a bicycle was the right kind of gift. Yet, they couldn't bring themselves to disappoint the boy on Christmas, and so they bought him a cute tricycle, fit to a boy of his age, and along with it, all kinds of protective equipment. Bruce had everything custom-made to fit the boy perfectly, from the helmet to the kneecaps. As soon as Thomas -with Bruce's help- had gotten the tricycle out, Bruce warned him that he would take the bike back if he ever saw him riding without every single piece of protective equipment he had bought for him as well. Thomas, who saw his father as a figure of amazing power, agreed in awe and Bruce taught him where to wear everything, making sure Alfred watched as well, since he would be the one dressing up the boy for his tricycle adventures.

"Can I ride it now, Dad?" Thomas asked, banging his little hands on the sides of his red bike helmet.

Bruce turned to Diana. She nodded a bit and Bruce turned back to Thomas. "Yes, but only within the living room and away from the furniture!"

"And away from my dollhouse!" Iphigenia yelled, placing herself protectively in front of her present. Thomas shook his head in agreement and climbed on the tricycle, hitting the teddy bear horn. They all started laughing when the boy, instead of putting his feet on the pedals, started pushing the tricycle along, with his feet. Bruce got up, shaking his head sideways.

"Here, Thomas." He said and helped him place his feet on the pedals. "Now push your feet."

The boy pushed his feet and the tricycle started moving. "Wow!" He exclaimed, as if he had discovered a whole new world. Bruce walked along with him as he rode, showing him how to turn the bike and how to make it stop. In the meantime, Alfred and Diana had approached Iphigenia and her dollhouse, exploring the small rooms.

"What a fantastic dollhouse, Princess." Alfred commented.

"Isn't it?" Diana said, observing a maid figurine.

"Santa brings the best present ever!" Iphigenia said, hugging her mother strongly.

Thomas' loud laughs made them turn to boy's direction, where they saw the boy, pedaling strongly around the space and Bruce pacing by his right side, keeping him away from the furniture.

"That's enough, Thomas." Diana said and the boy pedaled to her. She helped him off and placed him on her lap. "You won't ride it inside the house, okay?"

"Yes, mom." The boy replied, getting comfortable, resting his head on her chest.

"Only in the garden and only when Alfred is there with you."

"Alfred is always with me…" Thomas said Alfred grinned.

"Master Bruce," Alfred said, "why don't you light the fireplace?" Bruce nodded and headed towards the marble fireplace. Some moments later, three logs and some twigs were placed inside and starting to catch fire.

"Elate, pedia." Diana said, walking to the fireplace with little Thomas in her arms and Iphigenia on her six. They all joined Bruce and watched the fire burn more strongly by the minute. (Tr: Come, kids.)

"What did Santa get you, mama?" Iphigenia asked, leaning on Bruce's forearm.

"I will open my present later, my love. I bet it isn't as pretty as yours, though!" Iphigenia smiled.

Alfred started humming along 'Silent Night', which played on the stereo, and Diana soon joined him. Bruce listened to them, thinking their voices didn't sound too bad. In fact, it was rather nice. When the song was over, they realized that both of the kids had fallen asleep.

"I'm surprised they even stayed awake this long, after such a dinner." Alfred whispered.

Diana cradled Thomas closely and got up. "Indeed. I'll take them to bed."

"And I'll leave you too, for now." Alfred said. "Thank you so much for your presents."

"It's nothing to thank us for." Bruce said, staring at the fire.

Diana easily picked Iphigenia up, almost grabbing her from her woolen shirt and getting her in her arms as well. The girl was sleeping very heavily and didn't even flinch. She exited the living room, along with Alfred, and headed upstairs. She first went to Iphigenia's bedroom, letting the girl on her bed and covering her up with her warm blanket. Shutting the door behind her, she went to Thomas' room, just a door away, and placed the boy in his crib. She snuggled him with a blanket, turned the small nightlight on and left. Quietly, she descended the stairs and entered the living room. Bruce was waiting for her in front of the fireplace, with a whiskey glass in each hand.

She gave him a good look and took a seat by his side on the expensive rug. He handed her her glass and took a sip from his own.

"Nights like this go with a bit of whiskey, don't you think?" He said.

Diana passed her fingers through the fur of the carpet; it must have been the hunting trophy of an older Wayne of the Manor, and took a sip. "Yes, indeed they do."

Bruce scooted a bit closer. "I wish we could spend more nights like this."

"Sharing gifts to our kids?"

"The two of us… In front of the fireplace… Whiskey in hand. You know…"

Diana sighed and let her head fall on his shoulder. "Yes, I know… But we chose the hard life of a superhero and well, nights like this are quite of a privilege, uh?"

"Yes. Especially with the little ones now."

"They're quite lively, aren't they?"

"The perks of the young age, Princess."

Diana nodded and sipped some more. "You know, I've missed you these weeks."

Something about that statement made Bruce's chest feel tense. Why would the one person he should be the more devoted to feel like he was missing from her life? It… it hurt, for some reason.

He knew that both of them had many things on their backs, like the security of the planet, but they had managed to stay together through everything during all these years. Somewhere between the kids and the League, they found themselves longing for each other and some solitude to enjoy. They didn't complain; it was their family after all, and Bruce really did like spending time with his children. Work had been a little too heavy lately and Diana had had to take his share of the children's time as well, along with her own League things. Maybe it had been a little too much but things would get better as soon as the new Gotham issue was settled. And he was, now, more fixed than ever to get over with it.

"I'm sorry." Bruce mumbled. "It will be better in a few days, I promise."

"It's fine, Bruce. Honestly."

Bruce hastily kissed her forehead. Diana lifted her head and examined his face under the fire's light. Time seemed to be particularly kind to the both of them. No white hair, no wrinkles, nothing. They were young, of course, but such an anxiety-driven lifestyle, along with a full family life would have taken its toll on anyone. Yet, they didn't appear any more than thirty and they were, of course, still in perfect physical condition, which helped a lot.

Diana put her glass down and started kissing his jawline, until she reached the corner of his mouth. He put his glass down as well and turned to face her properly. She was breathtakingly beautiful and he felt blessed for the time they finally got to each other. He didn't lose any time and took her face in his hands, kissing her strongly. Diana wrapped her hands around his neck, giving him a good idea of just about how much she had missed him.

Bruce slipped his hand under her pullover but she pulled back slightly. "The kids?" She mumbled.

"They ring the bell if they need anything. They won't come down any time soon." He whispered.

Diana smirked playfully, capturing his lips again and running her fingers over the collar of his shirt. There would be no unbuttoning tonight, she didn't have the patience for that. With one swift movement and absolutely no respect for the garment, she ripped the shirt apart, while buttons shot everywhere around the room. Bruce smiled into the kiss and broke it for just a second, taking Diana's pullover off and kissing her again. Swiftly, he unclasped her bra and pushed her gently, until she was on the carpet and he was over her, letting their bare chests touch. He moved on to her neck, planting tiny kisses along their way and she let a barely-there giggle escape her lips as her hands made their way to his belt.

Of course, none of them remembered that they had some presents waiting for them to be opened. They had other things in mind now…

*Holiday family fun with its whole meaning…

I hope you enjoyed it, please leave me a small review on how you found it. Also know that I will be updating a bit less frequently due to some getaways with no Internet that I will be having. Thank you for following this fic patiently!*