Barbara had been walking again for six months, and it still amazed her every time she did it. Tonight was no exception, and as she stepped out of the car and into the cool night she felt a wave of gratitude wash over her. So many people had played a role in her long recovery, and she wished that there was some way she could thank them all...

"May I escort you, pretty lady?" Dick spoke suddenly from beside her.

She smiled. No one had been more ecstatic about her recent breakthroughs than the man at her side. If there was anyone who deserved as much thanks as the researchers and surgeons who had made her rehabilitation physically possible, it was Dick. He had been her personal cheerleader since the night the Joker's bullet had nicked her spine, persevering despite her fits of pique, her attempts to find happiness with other men, and the travails of his own life. She might not be able to say thank you to each person who had helped her get to where she was today, but she could show Dick how much she appreciated his stubbornness, and that was almost as good.

Tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow, she let him lead her down the sidewalk. As they walked she couldn't help but marvel at the way he matched his pace to her own so expertly. Dick never did anything slowly, and yet he seemed content to dawdle along at her reduced speed. Sighing happily, she scooted a little closer and shot a glare at a passing woman who was giving her boyfriend the eye. Mine, bitch, an unbidden growl rolled through her brain, startling her. ...Oh. Well, then... Apparently Dick's possessiveness had started to run both ways at some point, and she just hadn't noticed until tonight.

His voice broke into her thoughts before she could dwell on what her visceral reaction might mean. "I have a surprise for you," he said.

"You do? I thought we were here to see the tree." Gotham's official city Christmas tree was the tallest ever this year, and he had lured her out into the chilly night with the prospect of taking a stroll around its base. "What are we actually doing?"

"We're going to see the tree, don't worry," he promised. "But first we're going to do something else." Coming to a stop, he gestured at the expanse of groomed ice that lay to their right. "Milady...your kingdom for the evening, if you so choose."

Barbara stared in mild shock at the empty skating rink. "There's no one here," she breathed. But that wasn't possible, surely; it was December, after all, and this space was practically a national landmark. There should have been dozens of people gliding about, and yet the gleaming surface didn't even bear the marks of recent passage. "Dick," she murmured, her fingers tightening on his arm as she gathered what her surprise was. "...You didn't."

"Oh, I so did," he verified. "I know it's been a while, Babs, but I remember how much you used to love ice skating." He grinned. "Heck, it was what we did on out first date, remember?"

"Was it?" They had had several 'first' dates since that long-ago night, thanks primarily to her waffling, but if she thought hard she could recall the instance he was referring to. "...You're right. It was. But Dick-"

"It's okay," he stopped her before she could give voice to her hesitation. "We won't do anything crazy. I rented out the whole place for the next two hours, so there's no one to bump into you. And don't worry, I don't expect us to go out there and dance the way we used to. We'll just take our time and stick together. I won't let you fall, I promise."

She was still nervous, but a combination of his reassurance and her love of the sport convinced her to take a chance. "Okay. But I'm probably going to look like a newborn deer out there."

"Well that's no problem, then. Those little guys get their legs under them quick." Wrapping an arm around her waist, he started towards the entrance to the rink. "You'll be perfect, Babs. It's just who you are."

"Flatterer," he accused, but there was no ire behind the word. She allowed herself to be led up to the admission booth, and soon her shoes had been replaced with skates. It took her body a minute to remember how to balance itself on the narrow blades, but by the time Dick had laced up she was standing without holding onto the wall. "Are you ready?" she asked when he looked up at her and smiled.

"Are you?" he batted back.

"I'm…as ready as I'm probably ever going to be."

His gloved hand reached out for hers. "Then let's take a spin."

She minced to the edge of the ice, then paused. A hard fall could destroy all of her progress, she knew, but Dick had been right when he'd recalled her old passion for gliding smoothly through the winter air. Now that she'd been reminded of it she wanted nothing more than to reclaim the feeling of freedom skating had once given her. Three-year-olds skate, she told herself firmly, and they're not that far removed from learning to walk. If they can do it, you can. Holding her breath, she stepped forward.

For a second she just stood, trying to relax her joints. Dick's arm cinched around her waist once more as he joined her, and suddenly they were moving. Barbara gasped and grabbed hold of him for support, but they were already slowing to a halt. He'd put only enough strength behind his push to nudge them away from the entrance, but that tiny bit of forward motion had broken down a wall in her mind. She had moved across the ice on skates, and had not fallen; so long as he stayed with her, there was no reason why the feat couldn't be repeated.

He seemed to sense when she was ready to go again, and this time he put a bit more effort into things. Curving gently, they moved into the center of the rink. Barbara was clutching her guide's shoulder so tightly that she was sure she was leaving bruises, but she was also beginning to smile. The next time Dick launched them she felt the wind of their passage lift her hair momentarily, and a squeaky cry of joy escaped her. "Oh, god," she blushed. "That was an incredibly embarrassing noise."

"I liked it," he rebutted. "And I fully intend to make you do it again." With that he pushed off at full strength, adding a few propellant shoves so that they slid the entire length of the oval without stopping. The pitch of her giggles went up as her half-terrified, half-delighted brain labored to decide whether she should be laughing or screaming. As they approached the far wall at speed it settled on the latter, but before her cry could pass her lips Dick had spun around and inserted himself between her and the barrier. His skates threw up a light spray of ice as he braked, and she slid gently into his arms as he hit the boards with a faint thunk. "…Told you I'd make you do it again," he teased.

Every nerve she possessed was humming. She kissed him hard, then issued a challenge. "Want to try for three?"

"You know it."

The longer they frolicked on the ice the more daring she became. Before long she let go of Dick's shoulder and began to push herself along while holding only his hand. Soon after that she had released him entirely and was gliding short distances without any help. He followed her doggedly, hanging back just far enough that she didn't feel crowded as she explored her own capabilities. She wasn't ready to try any of the fancy moves that she had once been capable of, but she knew that, barring any setbacks, that day would come again. With a start she discovered that she was more comfortable in her own body tonight than she had been in years. Her boyfriend had given her more than just a fun outing; he'd given her back a measure of her independence.

And yet there he was, still behind her. She glanced backwards at him and found not the concern that she'd expected but rather delight on his face. He wasn't tailing her because he feared that she would fall or run away, she realized, but because he was enjoying seeing her so happy. Suddenly wanting contact, she changed course and reached out for his fingers. He fell into position as easily as if they had never stopped skating together, and they slowly circled their joined hands several times. "...What am I going to do with you?" Barbara sighed eventually.

"Do with me?" Dick replied, arching a suggestive eyebrow.

"Not like that. What I mean is, how can I possibly give you a better Christmas present than the one you gave me tonight? You know how I feel about my freedom, and...and I feel more free now than I have in a very long time. I don't know how to repay that."

"Yeeeah..." He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "The thing is, this isn't your Christmas present. In fact, I'm a little afraid that your love of freedom might keep you from liking what I really got you."

"It's not handcuffs, is it?" she joked.

"No," he chuckled. "I know you'd like those. No, it's – whoa!"

Her breath caught as his feet went out from under him without warning. For safety's sake she should have released his fingers in order to minimize the chances of being pulled down with him. Her reflex, though, was to tighten her grip in an effort to save him from a hard landing. He hit the ice anyway, but he landed on one knee instead of on his face.

They stared at one another for a second before Barbara put together what had just happened. The 'slip' had been calculated, she deduced, as had the familiar position Dick was in now. "...Oh, you clever bastard," she whispered lovingly.

"Aw, you guessed it," he mock-complained. A velvet box appeared in his hand as if by magic. "...They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome," Dick said with more seriousness than his voice usually carried. He opened the lid to reveal what was, in her opinion at least, the most beautiful of the trio of engagement rings he had now offered her. "...I guess that just means that I'm crazy about you."

The city's cacophonous clocks rang out as he finished, marking the tenth hour of the evening. The rink was now technically closed, but no one called out for them to come off of the ice. Barbara looked around, desperate to remember every detail of this night, of this moment. How many men, she wondered, would have willingly reintroduced her to the sense of limitless possibilities that she'd always felt when she was on the ice or in the air, let alone used the opportunity as the preamble to a marriage proposal? As much as she loved the man kneeling before her, she couldn't possibly tie herself down in marriage when she'd just been reminded of how far she could go on her own. It was as if he had set himself up to fail.

She turned back to his patiently waiting gaze, and that was when the truth struck her. Dick's request wasn't an attempt to get her to give up any of the independence he'd been so instrumental in returning to her over the last hours, months, and years; he just wanted permission to be her partner in her exploration of her own freedom. Something within her clicked into place, and she pulled him to his feet.

As he rose his face filled with the same heartbreak she had been responsible for putting there several times before. Before he could speak, though, she stopped him. "Dick...it's not crazy if it works."

A slow, brilliant smile dawned. "…Yes?!"

She nodded once. "Yes."

"…Give me your hand," he whispered eagerly.

Beaming just as broadly as he was, she obliged. The ring was a perfect fit, and as it sparkled against her skin Barbara swore that this timeshe wouldn't be the one who took it off. Then the world shifted, and another one of those damnedly girlish little shrieks tore out of her.

Dick smirked from his higher position in their dip. "Third time's the charm, pretty lady," he said, claiming victory.

"I concede," she answered, laughing. "...Now kiss me, you dork."

Their lips met beneath the lights, and she was happy.

Author's Note: Those of you who were enjoying the young Dick stories, don't worry! There are plenty more of those to come between now and the 25th. Tomorrow we'll have another adult Dick story, where he'll be accompanied by not one, not two, but all three of his brothers. Happy reading!