I'm almost done writing the first year, so I think I'll keep updating one to two times a week for a while. The next chapter will be back to the show's storyline, and the chapter after that will be the Watchtower incident in the season finale. I really want more reviews. Please don't make me kill someone to get them, I kind of need all the characters in the story. I should also mention that this chapter takes place during the Performance episode where Robin, Artemis, Roy, Megan, and Conner are in Europe with Dick's old circus. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter, and please review.
December 23:
Zatanna groaned and Mallory looked over from where she was wrapping presents on the floor of the living area.
"I'm so bored," the magician complained.
Mallory sighed. With half the team on in Europe, including Megan and Conner, the cave had been pretty quiet lately. Wolf walked in and flopped lazily onto his side.
"Well, wrap some presents," Mallory suggested. She had a small pile already wrapped next to her.
Zatanna sighed. "I already wrapped all of mine. I shouldn't have used magic."
Mallory smiled and put the tool kit she'd gotten for Darrin on top of the green and red paper. Isaiah walked in with three mugs of hot chocolate and passed them around, then settled on the sofa next to Mallory. Since the cave was so empty, Isaiah had been staying at the cave during the day and going back to his apartment at night.
"Thanks," Mallory said, and set her scissors aside to take a sip of the steaming cocoa. Zatanna let out another dramatic sigh, and Mallory looked at her. "I'm sorry I'm so boring, Z. Why don't you watch a movie or something? Or make dinner. We haven't eaten yet."
Zatanna seemed to think about it for a moment. "I don't feel like watching anything, and cooking takes too much effort."
Mallory rolled her eyes. "All you have to do is talk backwards. How much effort can that take?"
Zatanna looked up. "It takes a lot of concentration, which takes effort, just so you know," she said, half-heartedly defending herself.
Mallory sighed. "Oh, come on, Z. I'm hungry, and I still have to finish with these."
"We can go out to eat," Isaiah offered, but Mallory shook her head.
"Nope. I'm broke from Christmas shopping and I know you are, too."
Zatanna sighed again and made a show of getting out of her chair. "Fine, I'll make dinner," she said.
When she left, Isaiah moved to the floor next to Mallory and put an arm around her. "Did you get me something?" he asked, eying the pile of presents.
Mallory laughed and leaned into him. "Of course. What, you didn't get me anything?"
"No, I did. I was just asking. I got you something really good."
Mallory smiled. "Really? Well, I bet mine'll top yours," she said.
"Why do you always have to be so competitive?" Isaiah asked with a grin.
Mallory laughed. "Hey, I'm no worse than you are."
He was leaning in to kiss her when Zatanna let out another dramatic sigh and walked in. He sat back up and Mallory rolled her eyes, disappointed.
"I made dinner, and I'm still bored," Zatanna reported. She looked between the two and shrugged. "Go ahead. I live with Megan and Conner, remember? I walk in on kissing all the time."
Mallory smiled a little. "I'm sure they don't mind."
Zatanna shrugged and took a sip of her hot chocolate. Mallory sighed. "We need to get you a boyfriend," she said, going back to wrapping presents. Zatanna hid a smile by taking a sip of her drink, but Mallory caught it and grinned.
"Who?" she asked excitedly.
Zatanna shrugged, but the smile stayed on her face. "Is he on the team?" Mallory asked. Zatanna's eyes darted to Isaiah, and Mallory realized that she didn't want to talk about it in front of him. She dropped the subject, but she couldn't help but wonder who her friend had a crush on.
"Well, what are we going to do?" Isaiah asked. Mallory put the last piece of tape on the last gift and started picking up her supplies.
"Well, we could go on patrol," she suggested.
Zatanna rolled her eyes. "That's all you ever want to do."
Mallory shrugged and brought her pile of presents to her room. Isaiah followed her with the supplies." You want to watch a movie after dinner?" he asked, putting the scissor and tape on the desk.
"Sure. And if we get something for Z to do, no one will be coming in and out."
They went to the kitchen where Zatanna was finishing the onions and mushrooms to go on top of the steaks.
"It looks good, Z. Thanks," Mallory said. They ate, then Mallory turned to her friend. "We were going to watch a movie. I know you said you didn't feel like doing that, but maybe you could decorate the tree in the training room."
Zatanna looked at her. "There isn't a tree in the training room."
"Well, you can take care of that, can't you?" she said, giving her friend a look.
"Oh, sure," the magician said, taking the hint. She left and Mallory and Isaiah settled on the couch and turned on the TV.
"Hey, do you want to do presents early?" Isaiah asked after a while.
Mallory looked up at him. "Like, how early?" she asked, smiling.
"Oh, like, maybe right now," he said.
Mallory laughed. "You're such a little kid," she said. Isaiah shrugged. "I just really want to give you your present."
Mallory grinned. "All right. Let me go get yours." She went to her room and got the small box she'd bought for him and went back to the sofa. Isaiah had an even smaller box, maybe a little bigger than a ring box.
"Here," Mallory said, handing her box to him.
He gave her her present and started unwrapping the box. Inside, there was a picture of the two of them they had taken a few weeks ago. His arm was around her shoulder and she had her fingers laced through his, and her other hand was taking the picture.
"Thanks," Isaiah said, picking up the framed picture and smiling at her.
"There's more," Mallory said, gesturing to the box. He looked, and pulled out the swiss army knife she'd picked out because he'd told her once that he'd always wanted one.
"Oh, Babe, I can't believe you remembered that. I thought you were asleep." Mallory laughed, remembering the day he'd come to the cave and they'd been watching something on the TV.
She had been dozing on and off, leaning against his shoulder, and he'd been watching the show. A commercial had come on for a knife store, and he'd said how he'd always wanted a swiss army knife, but he never thought of it when he was out. After that, Conner had come in and told Isaiah that it was getting late and he should probably go. Isaiah had carried her to her room and put her in bed, then kissed her forehead and left. Until now, Mallory had been half convinced that it had been a dream.
Isaiah gave her a hug and a quick kiss, then gestured to her present. "Open it," he said.
Mallory untied the string and unwrapped a small box. She opened the lid and let out a breath. "Oh, I love it," she murmured, taking the gift out.
It was a little glass figure about an inch long. The girl was in the middle of a twirl, and she was holding fire in both hands, one arm over her head , the other across her body. She had red hair and was wearing something that an ice-skater might wear, a blue leotard with a skirt that went to her knees. On the head there was a metal loop so it could be attached to a keychain or something. She went to hug him, but he said, "Look on the back." She turned the figure over and saw small lettering etched into the figure's back. She had to squint to read it. It said, 'my hero'.
She smiled. "I love it. I'll keep it as long as I live."
Isaiah smiled and pulled her in a hug. "I love you," he murmured in her ear. Mallory's heart stilled. It was the first time he'd said it to her. She smiled and said, "I love you, too."
When they let go, she stared at the little figure. "Where did you even find this?" she asked.
"I saw it at a little shop in Metropolis, had them write on the back."
Mallory looked at their gifts. "Well, I hate to say it, but I think you topped me."
Isiah grinned. "I told you," he said.
Mallory set the figure back in its box and put it on the coffee table. "Yeah. But I actually have one more present for you," she said.
"Babe, we said we weren't going to do a whole bunch," Isaiah said.
"Oh, just close your eyes and follow me," she said.
Isaiah did as she told him, and Mallory led him to the zeta tube. She set the computer to the cave so he wouldn't go anywhere, then positioned him so he would be scanned.
"Recognized, Hotspot, B09," the computer announced.
Isaiah opened his eyes. "Wait, I thought I was A04," he said.
Mallory smiled. "That's your present. The A means you're a guest. The B means the team. So you now have an open invitation to join the team."
Isaiah laughed. "How'd you ever get your friends to agree to that?" he asked. Mallory shrugged. "Well, most of them are on a mission, so I couldn't exactly ask them." In truth, she had asked them, and they had agreed, but she didn't want Isaiah to feel like he had to join.
"Thanks. I know how much the team means to you," he said.
They went back to the couch and finished the movie. Mallory leaned against her boyfriend, rubbing the cool glass of the figure between her fingers. It was the best not-quite-Christmas she'd ever had.
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