Title:Have Yourself a Batty Little Christmas

Author:TheatrChy

Disclaimers:I own a sock. Don't sue me.

Note: Takes place in my little AU, YEARS after Baby Bat.

Ah, Christmastime at Wayne Manor. There wasn't anytime quite like it. Alfred knew to expect the best and the worst from the Master and his family. He still loved the season though, and busied himself preparing dinner for Christmas Eve. Not only was Master Dick returning home with his wife, Barbara Grayson-Gordon, but Madam Barbara's father, former Commissioner James Gordon, would also be joining the family. It was very rare for anyone outside the family to attend Christmas dinner. Alfred wondered what the occasion was. He only hoped for the best.

Selina was livid. Absolutely livid. The Batman wasn't even on duty during the day on Christmas Eve and he had still missed it. She paced in the study, just waiting for her husband to dare approach her. The door creaked open. Bruce entered cautiously, trying to maintain an air as though he had done nothing wrong. "Alfred said you wanted to see me," Bruce said to his wife. Bruce only got a glare in return. He gulped silently. He knew what this was about, and he did not look forward to it.

"It's one thing for the Batman to miss something like this," Selina hissed, "but for Bruce Wayne to spend Christmas Eve at the office instead of at his daughter's ballet performance is unforgivable."

"Selina-" Bruce began.

"The Nutcracker, Bruce," Selina continued. "A time-honored tradition, one of the greatest ballets a dancer can perform in and you...missed it."

"But, Selina," Bruce responded.

He was cut off by Selina, "Clara," she hissed, "Our little girl danced the part of Clara."

Selina's eyes practically glowed green with anger at her husband. She hissed at him and scratched him with her nails on her way out the door. Bruce winced. Selina scratched him so rarely now. Come to think of it she only scratched him when he upset her about matters concerning their daughter.

In the parlour, Dick and Martha sat on the couch together. Martha read Dicken's A Christmas Carol while Dick stared into space shaking his leg.

"Dick," Martha said in a tone very much like the Bat's. "You're shaking the sofa." She glared at her big brother.

"Oh. Sorry," Dick responded. He popped up to bother the butler doing some last minute cleaning. "Hey, Alfred, need a hand with anything?" he asked.

"Rest assured I have everything under control, Master Dick."

"Aw, come on Alfred, it's Christmas lemme give you a hand."

"That's entirely unnecessary, Master Dick."

"Oh come on Alfred, I insist." Dick tried to wrench away the elder gentleman's duster for which he received a sharply pinched nerve. "Oww!" Martha simply smiled, maintaining concentration on her book. The doorbell rang. "They're here!" Dick shouted as he leaped over the sofa, swung around the stair banister and slid across the foyer floor only to be beat by the butler again!

"Allow me, Master Dick," Alfred insisted. In awe, Dick just stood there while Alfred answered the door. "Commissioner Gordon, Madame Barbara, so nice to see you," Alfred said to the guests as they came in from the Gotham winter.

"Hello, Alfred," Jim Gordon responded cheerily. The butler took their coats and ushered them into the parlour.

"Dinner will be served shortly," Alfred announced then disappeared into the kitchen.'

True to his word, Alfred had dinner served shortly. The atmosphere was festive and tense at the same time. Sitting at opposite ends of the table, Selina and Bruce glared at each other. To Bruce's right sat Martha and Dick. To his left sat Jim Gordon and Barbara.

Amidst the dinner conversation Jim piped up, "So what do you all think of this Batgirl?" To which Dick responded with the rather dramatic act of choking on his yams.

Standing by, Alfred reprimanded the young man, "Master Dick, what have we said about chewing our food before we swallow?"

Martha continued eating quietly from her plate, making eye contact with no one. Bruce tensed visibly, and Barbara suddenly found the ceiling very interesting.

Selina answered, "I think she's doing a lot of good. Don't you, dear?" Bruce glared at his wife.

Jim wasn't dumb, he'd pretty much figured out who the Batman was years ago, but this absolutely clinched it. And he was betting that he was sitting across the table from the aforementioned Batgirl.

Dick was absolutely panicking. This isn't how this night was supposed to go. Quick, he thought to himself, gotta change the subject before Bruce has a stroke.

As usual it was Alfred to the rescue. "Miss Martha," he praised from his station, "that was an absolutely stunning performance you gave this afternoon. No one can dance the part of Clara like you." Well, he sort of saved the day. This only made Martha and Bruce tense even more visibly.

"Thank you, Alfred," Martha answered curtly and glimpsed over at her father.

"Uh, Martha," Bruce began, "You know I wanted to be there..."

"It's okay, Dad," Martha answered, "I'd rather you be there for more important things in my life."

There was silence throughout the room. Dick and Barbara looked across the table at each other, communicating in that silent way couples do. When Barbara smiled at Dick, he knew the time was right, and spoke up. "Hey, everyone," Dick spoke up, "Babs and I have an announcement." All eyes were then on Dick who started to stutter. "I, um, well, you see..." Barbara lay her hand across the table, Dick took it and smiled the biggest Grayson grin imaginable. "Well, we didn't think it was possible but..."

Barbara spoke up, "We're having a baby."

"My word!" was Alfred's ecstatic reaction.

Selina was the next to speak up. "Well, that's wonderful! Congratulations, both of you!" Selina stood up and moved to hug Barbara before moving over to Dick, hugging him and giving him a big, wet, "Mom" kiss on the cheek.

Martha just grinned a Cheshire cat grin (her smile was one of the few things she got from her Mom) as she regarded her father and Jim, who were silent, stunned. Martha couldn't help it, she heartily slapped her dad on the shoulder and said, "Well, whadda you think about that, Gramps?"

Dick and Barbara both had to stifle their laughter as Bruce glared holes through his daughter's skull. She just kept smiling.