Yeah, this chapter is WAAAAAAY over-due! Buuuuut... I wanted it to be PERFECT for my CONTEST WINNER! YAAAAY!

There is NOT going to be a New Year's, because I'm too lazy. ^^D

I OWN NOTHING (except for the usual, so 50% OF THE FRICKING STORY!)

Yaaaaaay!

READ ON:

WARNINGS: SLIGHT suggestiveness, hints at Blaine's 'past' (u kno), FLUFF OUT THE WAZOOO! (minor OOC -ness, and MAJOR OC-ness!

SPOILERS FOR Artemis' and M'gann's pasts!

Kaldur'ahm swam forward in the bone-chilling water, his thick skin warming his body a tad. Bubbles slowly floated up from his mouth and tickled his nose as he let out a casual greeting to his friends. "Kiareh, Garth."

The black-haired teen waved, his silver-armored hand clanking softly in the waters. "Kiareh, Kaldur!" He swam forward, bringing Kaldur into a hug. "The merriest of Christmases to you, my friend."

Kaldur smiled and hugged Garth back. "And to you as well." The two withdrew, silently comparing armor. Kaldur'ahm wore a mix of gold and silver breastplate, gauntlets, and boots. He wore no shirt beneath, leaving his muscles to the imagination, and his tattoos wide in the open. Garth's armor- all silver, to match his eyes- covered him from the neck down, elaborate swirls of black paint on the outer coat. His ponytail had been let down to let his hair flow around him.

"How are you, Kaldur?" Garth inquired as the two turned to go into the majestic city. The white towers had been decked with coral wreaths of blue, purple, and orange. Festive lights and flames had been placed at every door, charmed to stay aflame even in the water. The tiles of the unused walkways were re-painted in honor of the holiday.

"I am well, Garth. You and Tula?"

It was no secret that the two had become engaged. At first, it had hurt Kaldur to hear. But now, well, he had another woman that his eye was set on.

"We are doing fine. Tula is actually with the Queen and Nereida." The Queen's child had been born months before- a beautiful little girl with strawberry blond hair and eyes as blue as her father's. "They are in the midst of the feast."

A light flush ran over Kaldur's cheeks, and he looked down at the pathway they swam over. "I apologize for being late-"

"I am sure our King will not mind."

"I do not mind, Kaldur'ahm."

Kaldur jumped slightly, realizing that they were at the Palace doors. King Corin- now in armor of the purest gold- gave a slight nod to his protege. "It is good to see you, Kaldur'ahm. I am glad you could make it."

Kaldur bowed. "I am glad I was invited, my King."

Corin nodded. "Come now. We have begun."

The whole Palace had been festively decorated- most likely for the Queen. Kaldur'ahm knew her well enough to know how much she loved color.

But, the best of the decorations was the Dining Hall.

Tall pearl pillars, speckled with pink diamond, held up a large dome ceiling of glass and clear quartz. Pearls outlined by gold lined the numerous arches and doorways and windows in the room. Unalike stereotypical kings' parties, very few people were around. A few of the Queen's favorite students, including Topo, danced around to the lively music of the musicians. The King's peers were around and talking politics, while the Prince was playing with his niece as he sat next to the Queen. The red-haired woman saw her husband and students first. "Kiareh!" she called to them joyfully, the numerous layers in her long-sleeved, green silk dress billowing as she waved. Her golden crown had been replaced with an elaborate wreath of pearls and diamonds and pink coral. The prince next to her looked up, smiling as Nereida gave out a loud squeal of joy. The baby was donned in a long nightgown and a baby crown that rested on the fluff of her head.

Kaldur'ahm swam forward, and the baby extended her arms, cooing loudly. Casting an uneasy glance at the Queen, who nodded, the teen took the baby into his arms. She laughed and grabbed his ear, cooing and blowing raspberries that floated up from her lips in the water.

Kaldur smiled gently, then rested a kiss on her forehead gently, feeling her warm and baby-smooth skin beneath his lips. She laughed loudly again, then blew more bubbles.

"We are glad you could make it, Kaldur'ahm," Queen Mera spoke with a smile. Out of nowhere, Tula zoomed forward and embraced Kaldur'ahm, being sure not to squish Nereida as she did so. The folds of her airy silk dress were floating around, matching her bright eyes and clashing against her red hair. She kissed either of his cheeks, beaming the whole time.

"It has been too long, Kaldur."

He nodded politely back. "Yes. I apologize for my lack of visits. My Team and I have been busy-"

"No matter," Corin said, beaming as he scooped his daughter into his arms. She squealed with delight and began to pull on her father's hair, making him grin. "After all, Kaldur'ahm, Christmas is a time to be with family."

Kaldur's eyes grew wide, and the Prince laughed. "Surely you understand that you are a part of the Royal family now, Kaldur'ahm, being practically our King's son!"

"I- I did not- I-"

Queen Mera rose and embraced Kaldur'ahm. "My son, you are a part of our family, whether you like it or not."

Kaldur let out a breath. I have a family again...

And he embraced his mother back.

(AN: GUESS WHAT! Nereida means 'water nymph'...)

Rainbow colors meshed together, blurring and looking like fireworks as they went by. Iris laughed from her seat on the couch next to her sister-in-law(?). Mary was holding Rudolph's hand as she watched with proud eyes, amused at her son's antics and proud of her husband's willingness to stay sober over the holidays. It helped that she and Wally were the only ones to know of Rudolph's... problem. Jay and Joan were holding hands, too, both smiling as Barry raced around the room. Normally, Jay would help with the Speedster Christmas Tradition, but the poor old man had thrown out a hip the year before and hadn't tried super-speeding since.

Then, Barry and Wally both came to halts, breathing heavily. The speed at which they had been going- for an hour, mind you- had tired them both out.

Fortunately, Iris and Mary had food ready.

Barry grinned, his green eyes alight, as he watched Wally attack the plate of cookies. "Alright, hotshot, don't choke."

Wally rolled his eyes and mumbled something in super-speed-speech, which Barry translated as, "I'm too awesome to choke? Really, hotshot? Really?"

Wally rolled his eyes again.

Iris pulled her husband into her side, reaching up on her tip-toes to kiss his jawline. He smiled and made a noise in his throat before kissing her back. Wally stuck out his tongue, turning towards his parents- who were also kissing. "Yuck- OKAY! Old people do not make-out!"

The three couples broke apart, all grinning and laughing.

Mary rose, brushing invisible lint off her long, red felt dress (My mom's totally a germaphobe...) and smiled even broader. "The ham should be ready-"

Joan stood, her warm and crackly voice filling the room, "I've got latkes and Wally's favorite-" The teen beamed "-sufganiyot!"

Wally fist-pumped the air, hooting. His family was Jewish, though Barry's and Jay's were both Baptist. So, they all celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas together. They all did everything they could to integrate their different traditions, including the food.

They went to the kitchen and all sat down as Iris, Joan, and Mary set the table. It was another Flash Family Tradition to have the women set the table on holidays. Except for the turkey.

Barry looked at Wally, then Rudolph, then Jay, and back to his nephew. The ginger sat up in his seat. "What?"

Rudolph looked away, but Barry spoke up, "We were hoping you'd carve the turkey- or, ham, that is."

Wally's face lit up so bright that he almost blinded his family. "YES!"

He grabbed a large knife, and Iris and Mary both winced. Joan just chuckled and brought over the meat. The strong scents of seasoning filled the air as the ham was set in the middle of the table. Wally stood and walked over (at Barry's glare of, Be careful with that knife) and sunk the metal deep into where he imagined the pig's head. "Ta-da!"

Mary giggled, and Iris shook her head. "Speedsters are all kids at heart," Jay whispered to his wife, who rolled her eyes and nodded.

"I know, hon. I've lived with you for almost fifty years, remember?"

Iris took up the jar of jam and struggled to open it. "Who wants jam with their ha-" She got the top off, and strong wafts of strawberry hit her nose. Her eyes 0grew wide, and she dropped the jar, letting it shatter on the floor. Iris only barely made it to the trash-can before she wretched.

Everyone was standing at once, and Barry and Wally were instantly at Iris's sides. "Irey," Barry began, his eyes worried, "Irey, hon, what-"

She turned, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, and gave him a sheepish smile. "I- uh- was going to tell you tomorrow morning... After everything was over... I mean-"

Barry's jaw dropped, and Wally cocked an eyebrow. "What- oh. Oh! OH! Aunt Iris, that's awesome!"

Barry scooped his wife into his arms and twirled her in the air, letting out hearty and deep laughter as he did. Iris squealed with joy, and Wally whooped. Mary had tears in her eyes, and Jay and Joan were simply glowing. Even Rudolph gave a small smile.

Barry stopped turning his wife and set her down, ignoring that he had trailed into the jam. He kissed her lips rashly, then got down on one knee, placing his hands on her stomach. He leaned forward and kissed it, then stood again, tears in his eyes.

Wally's smile suddenly faded. He replaced it quickly, though.

The night went on with songs like Joy to the World, Ocho Kandelikas, S'vivon Sov Sov Sov, Deck the Halls, and more. Wally got out the old Dreidel and got his uncle and- shockingly- his father to play several games. Finally, they opened a few presents.

The whole time, Wally kept up his facade.

Until almost midnight.

Everyone had fallen asleep in their places, exhausted from all of the excitement. Except for Wally. He was in the kitchen, scarfing up the rest of the sufganiyot with a frown. His whole body felt cold, despite his warm pajama pants, robe, and fuzzy Batman slippers.

"Wally..." came a sad, soft voice.

The teen jumped in his spot, then turned to see- "Aunt Iris!"

She held a finger up to her lips, smiling sadly. "Wally..." And she embraced him. He was shocked at the movements at first, but then hugged her back. Her hair smelt like vanilla, like the shampoo she used. It was soft and warm, like fresh linens.

"Wally, just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean your uncle or I will not ever see you as a son... Honey, I love you just as much as I did before." She withdrew, sniffling, and gazed into his eyes. Wally gazed back, a weak smile upon his lips.

"Thanks, Aunt Iris... And- I love you, too."

Wally wished Christmas could last forever.

Her long, blonde hair had been tied up in a loose bun. She wore a thick green coat with faux fox fur on the inside, and her usual tall boots. Her mother, too, was dressed warmly for the snowy weather in Star City. Oliver smirked, his mustache twitching as he watched Artemis squirm under her crown-clip. But, Dinah had gotten it for her, insisting that the girl needed more time to be 'girly', so she had to wear it.

You don't cross Dinah.

It was an unwritten rule.

He, too, wore thick green clothing, not caring if the large amount of green gave him away. It was Christmas, and he would enjoy it. Even Roy had come, decked out in black leather and skinny jeans, a beanie with long strings on the ears over his neon hair. Dinah, in a white puffy vest over her red turtleneck, hung off of Oliver's arm as she cuddled into him for warmth. Paula was in her wheelchair, per normal, and was being pushed along by her daughter down the barren streets.

It was around nine, and the sky was pitch black, no stars available to be seen past large snow clouds. The almost empty walkway was lit up by paper lanterns, of which Paula seemed to enjoy. They had chosen a later time to come out to 크리스마스 거리 파티, or the Korean 'Christmas Street-Party', so that Paula would be able to get around easier, with near to no people around. The performers were still around, playing techno music and doing more modern dances to it. Paula was dancing in her seat, her smile so broad that Artemis almost cried with relief.

It had been so long since she had seen her mother that happy...

A woman in a floral chima came forward and sang out in a beautiful Korean voice, offering forward warm cocoa. Oliver smiled and paid her (making Paula and Artemis both blush) for four. Apparently, Roy was too cool for cinnamon cocoa.

"So, Paula," Dinah began slowly as they walked down the sectioned-off street, towards the park, "this happens every year?"

Paula nodded, still looking at the orange and pink lights. Decorations all over- from intricate posters of Asian design, to fake flowers that laid in pots on the ground- were alight with traditional plug-in Christmas lights. "Yes," her sharply accented voice rang out, "it does. But this is the first time Artemis and I have come. Thank you," she addressed Oliver specifically, "for coming with us."

He nodded. "My pleasure, Paula!"

Then, a hearty cry of, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" drew Artemis to look towards the park. She hadn't even realized that they had reached it yet, but, sure enough, that long expanse of white was there.

Black eyes widened, and a smile curled onto Artemis's lips as she involuntarily cried, "Santa Halabuji!"

Sure enough, there was a man there, dressed up as Santa Clause. He had two children on his lap, one of which was crying, the other of which was reeling off what she wanted to Christmas. Their parents were standing back, taking pictures as 'Santa's Elves' (who didn't look very happy to be elves) were texting and smoking cigars in the background.

Roy snorted. "Wanna get your picture taken, Artemis?"

Artemis's face turned bright red, and she scowled, turning away. Roy smirked at his small accomplishment. But, when Dinah's glare met his eyes, he slunk into his expensive jacket.

Paula grabbed onto her daughter's hand to gesture for her to stop. "Artemis. Would you let me take your picture with Santa Halabuji?"

Artemis groaned. "Mooooom!"

"Artemis... Please?"

The archer made the fatal mistake of looking at her mother's eyes. She crumbled. "Fine."

Oliver handed his camera to Roy. "Take it, would 'ya?"

He grinned. "Oh, I will."

"Shut it, you little-"

"Artemis!"

"Sorry, mom."

The snow crunched under their feet as they crossed over, more snowflakes lightly falling to replace them right as the teens' feet lifted. White flakes fell on their heads and eyelashes, making them both (very deceptively) look like angels.

They crossed over to the Santa, who stayed in character and stood to give Artemis a hug. She was blushing furiously, but allowed Roy to take one or two pics.

"Smile, Artie-Farty!"

"Harper!"

Finally, they were done, and Artemis shot away from the Santa, shivering as if he was a pedo. Roy smiled at her mischievously- then saw the tears in her eyes. He may have hated the twit (yes, Roy Harper just said/thought twit), but she was dating his 'little brother', and she was his so-called 'cousin', and she was on the Team...

"What's wrong?"

Artemis wiped away her tears harshly, "Nothing," and turned to follow the 'Arrow-Clan', who all were about three blocks away. She took a step forward-

And found an iron grip on her bicep. "Let me go!"

He pulled her close to him. "Don't make a scene." His cobalt eyes narrowed. "Now what's wrong?"

Suddenly, Artemis's facade broke. "When- when I was little... My sister would take me to see Santa Halabuji- Grandfather Santa in Korean..."

"Korean? Really?"

She looked away, and Roy mentally slapped himself. Then, he remembered that he had a pair and said, "Sorry."

This shocked Artemis into looking at her fellow archer. "That's... okay." She shrugged, and Roy let go of her arm. He licked his lips.

"Bicheii Hai."

"What did you call me-"

Roy chuckled. "Bicheii Hai. It means Grandfather Winter in... in Navajo."

Artemis cocked an eyebrow.

"I- I was in a Navajo tribe before Ollie took me in... My dad was the chief, and my mom was an Irish scientist." He smirked. "Odd mix. My dad was already a fourth white, so I popped out lookin' like this." Roy shivered- but not fully from the cold. "They were killed by some gang-bangers, who came after me... Odd enough, I ran into Oliver's cabin, way out in the forest, and managed to get in. I don't even remember how. I took an old chestnut bow off of his mantel and pinned eight of them to the wall with six arrows." He looked down, grinning at the memory. "I was adopted within the hour- no drawbacks."

Artemis was speechless. Then-

"Sportsmaster is my dad."

Roy's head was thrown up, and he opened his mouth-

"Yeah. Cheshire's my sister."

For a few moments, the red-haired teen's mouth was just open. He snapped it shut in the next moment. "Must be where you learned your killer moves."

She smiled uneasily. "What does that mean?"

"You're sister's kinda sexy."

"Oh, so you're calling me sexy, now?"

"Maybe."

There was an odd pause.

"I won't tell Barbara if you don't tell Wally."

"Deal."

They jogged off to join their family, when Artemis stopped dead in her tracks. Roy whirled around. "What-"

"Merry Christmas, Roy."

He smiled and retraced his steps, pulling the younger girl into a hug. He sighed into her hair. "Merry Christmas, Artemis."

There was an odd pause.

"This is an awkward order of of events."

"Agreed."

M'gann laughed loudly as Connor fumbled over his own two feet. Sphere rolled into view, squeaking and beeping as the clone growled to himself, trying to remember the steps to the ballroom dance.

"Here." She wrapped one arm around his neck, bringing his to snake around her waist.

The Cave was absolutely silent. A large Christmas tree was up in one corner, and holly was hung all over. Fake snow littered the freezing rock ground, and it was being trampled underfoot as M'gann tried to teach Connor to dance.

Superboy turned a bright shade of red as he tripped yet again and stumbled onto his knees. M'gann couldn't help but giggle, and all anger was evaporated as Connor heard his girlfriend's twinkling laughter in the air.

He stood and turned, brushing off his jeans. M'gann looked down at her own attire- her usual school clothes, only with leggings and a long-sleeved shirt added in. "Hm... Maybe we should change, you know, get into the Christmas-y mood?"

Connor watched as M'gann's clothes turned into a long dress of white, with sparkles all over and a light fur draping on the hem. It had a turtleneck, lined with fur, and sleeves that stretched openly down to the floor. Her hair was suddenly up, and her skin was back to her Caucasian color.

His throat was dry, and his mouth was open wide. "I- You- I... You look beautiful, M'gann."

She smiled broadly. If only he knew... "You, too, Connor."

He frowned and looked down at the tee-shirt and jeans he wore. "Uh... Right."

She laughed and spun in several circles around the floor, until she circled into his arms. There was a long pause as M'gann stared at her boyfriend's chest. He watched her eyes narrow as she frowned, then bit her lip.

"M'gann? What is it?"

Superboy almost jumped when she looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "Connor, I-"

She broke down crying.

"I'm s-s-s-so sorry that I- I mean, I- Oh, Connor!" She threw her arms around his neck, weeping into his shoulder.

Uh... Okay... Oh! Maybe she's doing that thing Wally talked about... PMS-ing, right?

"M'gann, whatever it is, it can't be that bad..."

But she was still crying.

With a sigh, the clone pulled her into a bridal hold and walked towards the entertainment room. He set her on the couch, pulling a blanket off of Kaldur's reading chair and throwing it over her shoulders, tucking it around her neck. What had caused such a... intense reaction? To a- a dance?

What does M'gann do when anyone is upset?

His face lit up, and Connor headed towards the kitchen.

"How hard can making cocoa be?"

Three miniature house-fires later, Connor knew exactly how hard is was to make cocoa.

"Con?"

He whipped around to see M'gann, her red hair disheveled, topaz eyes blood-shot, standing right next to the island. The fuzzy turquoise blanket wrapped around her now pajama-clad body- When did she change- Martian. Hello, Connor!- as she shivered. Her feet were bare and twitched against the tile.

"You're cold."

It wasn't a question.

"Martians don't get cold..."

"You're cold."

M'gann didn't object when Connor brought her into his arms, sitting down on the island with her in his lap, leaning into his chest. She sniffled, tracing the large red 'S' on his shirt. Then, her eyes caught the cocoa- or, the several failed attempts.

And she laughed.

Connor smiled. "Hey! I tried, at least."

She rolled her eyes. "I know." And kissed his nose. "And I lo- I thank you for it."

She jumped off his lap, the blanket still around her shoulders, and began to clean up. The only thing that worried Connor was that she wasn't using her telepathy. He walked up behind her and trailed his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder and turning his face into his neck. Shivers ran down her spine, and she pulled away. "Not now, Connor."

He frowned. "M'gann, what's- what's wrong? I thought you were excited about today and... It's Christmas. Why are you so upset?"

"I'm not."

He snorted. "Yeah, and Superman's gonna win father-of-the-year."

She opened a cabinet above her head, only to have it slammed shut. "Connor!" she yelled angrily as the ebony-haired teen sat down in front of her.

"What?"

"Connor Kent, you know what. Now move."

I've never seen her this angry...

Connor jumped off the countertop, grabbing her biceps. "No, M'gann. Tell me. Now."

Her eyes grew fearful, and Superboy gasped. I- I would never... "Meg, I could never- I would never, ever hurt you-"

She scoffed lightly, bending her face downwards so that her bangs covered topaz eyes. "It- It's not that, Connor... I just- I can't believe that I'm doing this to you..."

"Doing what?" he grinded out angrily. "What is making you so upset?"

There was a long, painful pause. Then, M'gann moved backwards. "Please don't be mad at me."

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, then transformed.

That echo-y, slimy noise resounded as M'gann's skin tone changed. Her chin sharpened, her hair shrinking back and becoming spikes that trailed down past the blanket. Her face became much more gaunt, and her nose became slits in her face. Red slashes going up her neck and cheeks decorated her face, and her hands turned bony and long, sharply clawed at the tips. From underneath the blanket, a tail sprouted and fell until it was almost three feet behind her, spiked at the end like a dinosaur's. It whipped around nervously, and then- M'gann dropped the blanket. Although she had no clothes, she- by no means- looked naked. Large plank-like, muddled gray scales ran down her thin stomach and over her chest. Her knees were capped with what looked like armor, and long claws ran out of her toes.

Then, she opened her eyes.

They were still topaz. Still the sweet topaz that Connor knew.

M'gann shrunk away, whimpering softly. "Y-You know how I t-t-t-told you I-I'm a Green Martian...?"

"You're not."

She burst into more tears. "I'm s-s-so, so sorry, Connor! I know I should have told you, but I-"

Suddenly, his lips were crushed onto hers.

She squeaked, just like the first time, then melted in his embrace.

It was a naïve kiss, nothing like the make-out sessions you would see Batgirl and Red Arrow having out on the beach, or the tongue-twisting kisses Artemis and Wally would have after a fight. No, it was pure and simple and naïve, a gentle kiss that showed true love.

Connor withdrew and rested his forehead on M'gann's, not wincing at the sight of her blanch skin. "M'gann Mor'zz... I love you for who you are, not what you look like. I honestly don't give a crap what the heck you look like- I love you for you."

M'gann breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Conn-"

But he pulled her into another kiss.

And this one wasn't so naive.

"AUCK!"

Barbara shrieked as a snowball was flung onto the back of her neck, sending intense shivers up her spine. She growled and packed together some powdery top-snow, then turned and hid behind the front porch-

"AUGH!"

Terrence howled with laughter from his spot sitting on the porch, a huge bucket- that had once been filled with snow- in his hands. Barbara, meanwhile, was cussing and spitting as white covered her whole form. "TERRY!"

He laughed, eyes alight merrily. Barbara couldn't help but grin. Terrence always had a hard time around the holidays, with Richard and Blaine always playing in the snow. Terrence may have been mature for his age, but he was still only seventeen- still a kid at heart.

Barbara pulled off her pink beanie and threw it in his face, letting her bun fall out, orange flames licking at her flushed cheeks. "I'm gonna kill you, Prince!"

There came a very familiar cackle, and-

Barbara spun around and close-lined Richard, making him drop his pail of snow. "Ooph!"

Richard was laying, splayed out on the ground. His jeans were covered with white, his thick winter coat smushed beneath him. The boy's black bangs hung over bright blue eyes that twinkled with joy. But Barbara knew how hard the night would be- opening presents had already brought tears to everyone's eyes, especially Jason's.

The young man was inside, moping, while Alfred tried to convince him to go outside and 'be a child for once'. Heck, even Bruce was playing in the snow outside.

Speaking of Bruce...

At the other side of the Manor, back in the dead rose garden, Blaine was hiding behind a snow-covered bush. Her pale face was flushed deeply, her black lips heaving as smoke emerged from them. Coal eyes were aflame, her strands of her white-blonde hair covered in sweat, never mind the sub-arctic temperatures. She licked her lips, nervous chills running down her arms. Alright... Tactic thirty-two B.A.4-9...

"HYA!" she screamed, back-flipping over the bush and charging straight at her foe-

But the man simply swept her feet out from under her and, with a grin, shoved a snowball straight into her face. "Man! Bru-uuuuuce!"

The ebony grinned- yes, grinned- and said, "Hey. Training, remember? Two hours everyday-"

"It's Christmas!"

"No exceptions, Sparrow."

She rolled her eyes and accepted the hand-up. "Thanks, Daddy-"

She froze. Bruce still had her hand in his, and it tightened around her fingerless gloves. "You're welcome."

Quickly, the short girl pulled away and grabbed up her scarf. "I'magofindDick," she mumbled, charging away.

Bruce stood there in the garden, alone as snow gently fell onto his head. He sighed to himself, sitting down on the stone bench, ignoring how the snow froze his jeans at impact. Gently leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees, his forehead in his hands. If she can't even call me Daddy...

"Bruce?"

The billionaire's head snapped up at his oldest son's voice. Jason, clad in his pajamas and a robe, sat down next to him, shivering. "Dang, it's cold... But, what's up?"

Despite popular belief, Bruce Wayne was terrible at hiding his emotions from his children. "Nothing, Jason. Get inside before you freeze to death."

"Dad."

The word pulled Bruce out of his imaginary world of self-pity. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just... I don't know about this, Jason."

Jason knew what his adoptive-dad was talking about. He shrugged, running a hand over his crew-cut. "What's wrong with it? Me, Barb, and Terry already went through it... So what's wrong with the Twins?"

Bruce growled to himself, punching the stone bench. An echo of crack resounded through the garden, and Jason winced. "It's... different... They're just- they're not ready..."

Jason shrugged, pulling his robe tighter around his body. "Why don't you just ask them-"

"No." The vigilante stood, shaking his head fiercely. "I'm going inside. Don't disturb me unless it's an emergency." He stalked into the Manor, slamming the backdoor shut.

In the front of the Manor, Blaine was sitting under her favorite Willow Tree next to Dick. The acrobat was biting his lip at his foster-sister's story, drawing in the snow with one gloved finger, holding her hand with the other, rubbing soothing circles into her palm. Tears were in her eyes.

"I don't see the big deal-"

"I called him Daddy, Dick!" He flinched at her intense anger. Sure, Blaine had a temper at times, but she never blew up on her baby brother. "I called him my father-"

Her voice cracked, ending up in tears. Shoulders shaking, Blaine leaned into Richard's side, letting his cheek rub against her head as her shoulders shook. What's the big deal- oh. I'm stupid.

She's scared... Scared of loving another dad- like me. He sighed, pulling her even tighter into him and kissing her crown. "Blaine... I'm scared, too. I mean- Bruce is our foster-dad, not our blood-dad, but, I mean... He loves us. He really does. He's done so much to help us- feeding us, clothing us, normal stuff a normal dad would do. But he also trained us up to be the Robin and the Sparrow." He wrapped his other arm around her. "The Tandem Twins. Blaine, without Bruce, I'd never get great siblings like you guys. I'd never have Jason or Barbara or Terrence or you. I wouldn't have the Team- we wouldn't have the Team. We wouldn't have Uncle Ollie or Uncle Barry or Aunt Dinah and Aunt Shayera and Diana- I mean, come on, she's like our mom practically."

Blaine, between tears, gave a weak smile and a giggle. "Yeah..."

"I miss my parents, and I know you miss your mom... Your dad, though, can rot in-"

"Richard!"

"Just sayin'!"

She scoffed, smiling lightly. "I- I know Bruce would never do those things, but it- it scares me sometimes... Just the memories that flash before my eyes-"

Richard put a hand on her cheek. "Blaine, I understand. I can't look at a single circus poster, or watch anyone even do a cartwheel without thinking about-" his voice caught, and he licked his lips before going on. "But, he would never hurt you, physically or emotionally, on purpose. He wouldn't do that to me or you or any of us."

She smiled gently. "Yeah. I know."

There was a long pause as the 'twins' sat under the snow-covered Willow tree, watching snow fall gently. It was a perfect picture.

The Manor's deep tan, brick walls were covered in light frost, the window panes fogged over with red curtains on the interior. The majestic, Gothic gargoyles on the roof were frightening, yet familiar, with icicles hanging from their wings and horns. Shingles hung from the roof, frosted just like the bricks beneath them. Usual vines of deep green had been transformed into dark brown, icicles hanging from their thorns. On the grounds, intricate iron fencing was calling with a medieval tune, more and more and more snow piling cumbersomely on top and around the posts. The vast expanse of woods behind the mansion had a few evergreens muddled in with leafless, withered oak and maple trees. Inside, few rabbits and small mammals that could sneak in past the iron fencing were hibernating, waiting for Spring to come by and awaken them.

Blaine sat back with a sigh, looking at her 'brother' with tired eyes. He looked so much older than he should, so much more wizened and so much more... mature than she knew he really was.

But his signature cackle and smirk destroyed all of that. Doing a flip, he landed on his feet with his arms up and out. "Ta da! Aaaaaand..."

Blaine applauded, hooting and hollering with joy for her 'twin'. "Yeah, Dickie-bird! You rock- ACK!"

She looked up into the tree to see Barbara, grinning. The red-head jumped down, laughing as she tossed her snow-bucket at Richard's feet. "Catch me if you ca- AAAAN!"

Terrence had, apparently, gotten his modified wheels on and was sitting behind the three, a grin on his chocolate features. Barbara wiped snow off the back of her neck- again- and turned to Terrence. "Alright, Apollo, get ready for a beating-"

"Eiiiiii-eii-ee-eiiiiiiiiii!" came a Tarzan call. Everyone looked up into the tree- "How many people can it fit?"- as Jason dropped down. He was dressed in heavy outside clothes, smiling gently, though the joy didn't reach his eyes. "Merry Christmas, kids," he said with open arms.

After sharing glances, the Bat-kids joined each other in a group hug.

Inside the Manor, Bruce gazed on from his upstairs-office. He smiled gently, then sighed as he turned to his file that read:

Adoption Papers

"If they'll have me as a dad..."

And you're thinking: "EEEEEP! BRUCE WANTS TO ADOPT ROBIN AND SPARROW! EEEEEEP!"

And there are some of you who are thinking: "... -_- ... Why was there no Kaldur/Blaine, Spitfire, or BatArrow?"

WAIT for NEW YEARS! (I just now decided to do that, but am too lazy to go change my author's note. ^^P)

REVIEW IF U LOVE ME!