Alfred glanced down the dish-cluttered table and, judging his charges to be more or less finished with their Christmas dinner, cleared his throat. "Gentlemen," he said when he had their attention, "I have one final surprise for you."

"I don't know if I can take it, Alfred," Dick joked. "Today's already been so awesome I think I might be in shock."

"Oh, I daresay you'll come around a bit when you hear that there's a horse involved," he replied with a tiny smile. As he'd known it would, the mention of an animal caused five sets of eyebrows to go up.

"A horse?" Tim repeated, his voice uncertain.

"A horse!" Dick cheered.

"What do we need a horse for, exactly?" Bruce inquired.

"Yeah," Jason and Damian seconded simultaneously. They exchanged a cautious look, and then the younger of the pair went on. "I'm not picking up after it. I wade through enough crap around here."

"I'll do it!" Dick volunteered. "What's his name, Alfred?"

"I'm afraid I didn't ask what their names are, young sir."

"'Their' names?!" Bruce and Tim both sputtered.

Alfred could barely keep his grin contained. He had hoped that his method of announcing his surprise would cause a little commotion, but this was turning out far better than he'd dared to hope. Dick was wearing an eager look identical to the one he'd worn as a little boy on this same day of the year; Bruce and Tim's expressions were incredulous; and Jason and Damian were struggling to hide their curiosity behind facades of mild annoyance. All in all, the evening was off to a very good start.

"...As for your concern, Master Damian," he went on, "you needn't have one; they will be here only temporarily."

"Aww," Dick pouted.

"Good," Bruce opined. "Sorry, chum, but there's enough going on around here without horses being thrown into the mix."

"Yeah...but hey, at least we get to have them for a little while!" Dick beamed once more. "So what's the plan, Alfred?"

"If you'll all accompany me out to the front lawn, you'll see."

"Ah...is this going to take long?" Jason broke in as everyone else stood up. "I have a patrol to get to."

"We all do," Tim shot back, "but we're still going."

Alfred busied himself with stacking plates, but his ears were riveted to the conversation. While it wasn't a shock that Jason was itching to leave – his tentative reconciliation with the rest of the family was only six months old, after all, and today marked the longest stretch of time he'd been at home since then – it was crucial that he stayed for this last thing. The special treat waiting outside had been arranged specifically because this was the first holiday that all five of the butler's young ones had spent under the same roof; if Jason left now it would take some of the joy out of it.

Fortunately Dick could talk his little brothers into just about anything. "C'mon, Jay," he urged. "You're not really ready for Christmas to end just yet, are you? Don't you want to see what the surprise is? If Bruce doesn't even know about it, it's sure to be amazing. Besides," he added as Jason opened his mouth to rebut, "you've got a suit downstairs now. Just go into town with us later. You could ride in the car, and no one would be able to see. We'll find a nice empty spot to drop you off, and-"

"Okay!" Jason cut him off. "...Okay. Fine. I'm coming. Let's just go already; I've got stuff to do tonight."

"Great! Then let's go!" With that Dick draped an arm each across Tim and Damian's obviously tensed shoulders and led them out of the room. "See you in the foyer!"

When the other three were gone, Bruce spoke. "Jason?"

Jason paused midway through rising from his seat. "Yeah?"

"...Thank you for staying a little longer."

The younger man stared for a moment, then blushed. "Yeah, well...Dick asked, so..."

"I know," Bruce nodded. "He's good at winning people over. But I'm still...ah...still glad you said yes."

"Mm," Jason half-grunted, not meeting his surrogate father's gaze. "Well...I guess we'll see if it was worth it in a minute." Realization that he'd said the wrong thing dawned on his face as the billionaire flinched. "I meant...ah, sh-...crap...look, we should go," he gave up on his weak backpedaling. "They'll be waiting for us."

"...Sure," Bruce agreed. There was still pain lurking in the knit of his brow, but he managed a tiny smile. "Let's not keep them waiting."

"Be sure you all bundle up well, sir," Alfred requested just before they vanished into the hall. "We don't want anyone getting cold."

"Right..."

Once he was alone in the dining room he stopped his make-work and pressed his clenched fists against the fine old table. Leaning his weight against his knuckles, he let out a heartsick but grateful sigh. Family was never easy, and that went double at this time of the year, but his own seemed to finally, finally be working. It had taken years and a hundred little nudging encounters to get them all to this admittedly still contentious point, but things were slowly improving. The many thoughtful items that had come out from under the tree with his name on them this morning meant nothing in comparison to that simple gift.

And now it was time for the family event – the new tradition, he hoped – that he had been secretly awaiting all day. Straightening, he smoothed out his jacket and headed for the door. ...I assure you, Master Jason, he thought as he went, this will be worth it.

The sleigh sitting on the front lawn was everything Alfred had been told it would be when he'd arranged to rent it for the evening. Two risered benches provided ample seating behind the driver's post, and the matched pair waiting in the traces were some of the best horseflesh he'd seen in many years. It was to them that Dick went immediately once the initial shock of the revelation had worn off. Damian trailed behind him, while Bruce began a careful examination of the sturdy contraption they would be riding in.

That left Tim and Jason on the porch with the butler. He glanced between them, hoping that he might see a bit of progress made in their ever-stormy relationship, but it was not to be. As soon as they realized they were almost alone together, both grunted and split off to their own devices. Tim headed for Bruce, while Jason, still evincing his desire to get the evening over and done with, climbed into the top corner of the sleigh and claimed one of the folded blankets that had been left there for the riders. Saddened but not surprised, Alfred determined to make the best out of what they had, took a deep breath, and descended the front steps.

"Well, young sirs, what do you think of our engines?" he inquired as he drew up to the front of their conveyance.

"They're total sweethearts," Dick answered from somewhere between the pair of horse heads that were busy nuzzling him. "Aren't you, you big cuddly ponies? Gaah," he said as a nose explored his ear. "Warn a guy before you do that next time, would you?"

Alfred smiled. If nothing else came of tonight, he would know that he'd made Dick extremely happy. That's one, he noted. Seeing the way Damian was hanging back from the large creatures his brother was currently making friends with, he decided to try and increase that number before they left the house. Reaching into the pouch that hung in front of the driver's seat, he pulled out a pair of sugar cubes. "Master Damian? Would you care to give the horses a treat?"

The boy hesitated. "...A treat?" he repeated skeptically.

"Yes. Here, hold your hand very flat – just like that – and let them take it from you."

"Don't curl your fingers when he snuffles your hand," Dick advised, stepping back to make room for his sibling. "I got bit by a horse once doing that. It didn't feel very good."

"I'm not afraid of being bitten, Grayson."

"I know, Dami. It's just a little advice, that's all. And speaking of advice, you should take off your glove."

"...Why?"

"So you can feel him take the sugar. It's no fun if you can't feel it."

Damian blinked, clearly considering the proposal. "...Okay," he said finally, and stripped his hand down to the skin. "Here, horse," he said, and shoved the cube towards the closer animal. It recoiled with a huff.

"Slow, Dami," Dick urged. "Slow and gentle. He doesn't know you yet."

But the animal had caught the smell of sugar and was apparently willing to forgive Damian his rude approach in exchange for the snack. An extremely rare giggle sounded when velvety lips brushed the boy's palm. It was quickly cut off, but it rang out long enough for Dick and Alfred to share a delighted smile.

Damian was not smiling when he turned around, but rather looked both mortified and angry. "Why didn't you tell me it would tickle!?" he demanded of his brother.

"I didn't know it would tickle you that much," Dick defended himself good-naturedly. "Besides, I like it when you laugh. You had fun just now, and I know it even if you won't admit it. So here." Taking the second sugar cube from Alfred, he pushed it towards the preteen. "...Have some more fun. It's not fair if you only feed one of them."

A glare was the only response given, and for a moment Alfred thought that Damian might stomp away, miffed. Then he took the sugar, albeit with a mutter that sounded an awful lot like cursing, and turned to the second of the beasts. "...Here, horse," he said again, but both his voice and his approach were gentler this time. "Don't tickle me, got it?"

The white block had just disappeared sans giggling when Bruce drew up. "How do you find the sleigh, sir?" Alfred inquired. He knew that the contraption was perfectly sound, but he'd also anticipated that his eldest charge would want to examine it for himself before he allowed it to carry his children.

"It looks good, but what's the plan? Jason had a point earlier; we need to get out on patrol before too late."

Alfred felt a slight frown bow his lips. "...Master Wayne, I told you all to dress warmly for a reason."

"So you plan for us to be out for a while, then." A grimace appeared.

"Stop that," he ordered more sharply than he meant to. Once he'd started he found that he couldn't stop until he was finished airing his grievance with Bruce's attitude. "Stop with your grimacing and groaning and sticking to habit. For once, sir, just stop. It is Christmas night, and a rather special Christmas night at that. You told Master Jason just a few minutes ago that you were glad he'd decided to stay for this, and now you're upset that it will go on longer than you'd thought it would? Tell me, does that make sense to you?"

Bruce shifted, his expression becoming sheepish. "...No," he admitted. "But-"

"But nothing. These next few hours have been carefully planned out and arranged so that we might all spend them together in some happy pursuit. I'll not see this evening be spoiled by your inability to stay home one night out of three hundred and sixty five, Bruce. If you must go out later, then fine, but for now we have other activities on the docket."

His ire cooled as quickly as it had heated, and he let his posture relax. He was fortunate, he realized, that none of the boys seemed to have overheard him; Jason was doing something on his phone from his seat in the sleigh, Dick and Damian were petting the horses and talking, and Tim was out of sight near the rear of their transport. Only Bruce had been privy to his upset, so it was to him that he turned back. "...If you can forgive me my outburst, sir," he said evenly after a beat had passed, "we ought to corral the young masters and be on our way. It's about a forty-five minute drive from here to our destination, and we may wish to stop along the trail if we see something worth looking at."

The billionaire gave him a knowing and unusually respectful look. "Is there something worth looking at along the way, Alfred?"

"Yes, Master Wayne, there is," he said, tipping his hand slightly. "I guarantee it."

"Okay. Then...than I guess I'll get the boys."

"Thank you, sir." With that Alfred smiled, relieved that there didn't seem to be any grudge being held for the dressing-down he'd just delivered. "...You won't regret it."

Author's Note: This story was not originally intended to be a two-parter, but as I was writing this first part I kept coming up with fun stuff for the boys to do while they're out and about with the sleigh. As a result, we'll see what else Alfred's surprise entails tomorrow. In the meantime I've posted a picture of the sleigh on my blog, so check it out if you'd like!