Fic: Five Christmases (Tim/Cissie)
Title: Five Christmases
Pairing/Characters: Tim Drake/Cissie King-Jones, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, Roy Harper, Lian Harper, Bonnie King, Ishido Maad, Anite Fite, Virgil Hawkins, Kon-El, Cassie Sandsmark, Bart Allen, Jaime Reyes.
Recipient:
second_batgirl
Holiday Well-wishes:Happy Whatever! :D
Rating: PG
Word count: 2550
Summary: When you're a superhero, retired or not, the holidays are always memorable.
Author's Note/Warnings: Very loosely inspired by the movie "Four Christmases". Which I haven't actually seen. I hope you enjoy! This is set a couple of years in the future, and ignores Cry for Justice.
Beta:bloodygem
Favorite edible plant matter: Steak! (Steak's totally a vegetable, right?)
"We're not crazy, right?"
Tim poked his head out of the bathroom when he heard Cissie's question. "No! Totally not crazy. They're family. It's the first year we're all related. We can't leave anyone out."
"But...we'd be visiting four different places for Christmas. One of which involves my mother. My mother, Tim!" Cissie wrang her hands nervously. "I'm getting wedding flashbacks here!"
Tim stepped out of the bathroom and wrapped his arms around Cissie. "We'll just be making a quick stop everywhere. Enough to make them feel like we remembered them for the holidays. Besides...it wouldn't be the holidays without some crazy relatives. It could be worse - they could all be coming here."
Cissie's eyes went wide, imagining their massive extended family crowding into their small starter house. "Okay, okay! You sold me."
"Thought so." Tim grinned as he gave Cissie a kiss on the cheek. "I'll let them know we're coming."
As Tim picked up the phone, Cissie collapsed backwards onto the bed and laughed to herself. At the very least, this would be a holiday to remember.
-----
Christmas #1 - Wayne Manor
The smell of roast Pheasant and gingerbread wafted through the air as Alfred opened the door to the stately old mansion that Tim used to call home.
"Master Tim. Miss Cissie." Alfred ushered them in with a smile. "Master Bruce will be right down. He's just - "
"In the Batcave, right?" Tim laughed. "Even on Christmas Eve."
"You know how he is..."
"Crime stops for no holiday." Cissie said in an uncanny impression of Bruce's voice that caused Tim to burst out laughing and Alfred to crack a slight smile.
"I have to check on the Pheasant." Alfred said. "Master Damian, would you - "
"Busy." came a snide reply from the couch.
"You are not busy, you are playing that infernal game." Alfred said as he walked over and pulled the DS out of Damian's hands. "Go let your father know that Timothy is here."
"If I must." The teenage boy said with an eyeroll as he wandered off.
"Yeah, love you too, little bro." Tim said with a grin.
As Damian disappeared into the Batcave and Alfred went to check on the food, Tim sat down on the couch.
"It still feels kind of strange, being here. I mean...I know he's back, and he's been back for a while. Somehow it never feels real until I see him, though."
"I know. We've been so lucky. We've lost so many people, but we've gotten most of them back. Not many people get that chance." Cissie gripped Tim's hand. "Gives you something to be thankful for this time of year, right?"
"Right."
They turned as the door opened to the Batcave. Tim took one look at Bruce - and promptly started laughing.
"What the hell are you wearing, Dad?"
"I'm wearing a sweater that Leslie spent a lot of time making, Tim." Bruce sighed. "I think it's...festive."
"It's a good thing the scum and villainy of Gotham can't see you in a Frosty sweater." Tim laughed.
"I think it's cute!" Cissie said. "He doesn't have to be scary out of costume, Tim."
"I knew I approved of your choice in a wife." Bruce said as he pulled his son and daughter-in-law into a quick hug. Bruce wasn't usually one to show a lot of emotion, but he tended to make an exception around the holidays.
Damian poked his head out of the Batcave. "You two are going to visit Dick and Roy, too, right?"
Tim nodded. "Yeah. Why?"
"Give Lian my regards." Damian said with a significant smile on his face.
Everyone stopped dead in their tracks for a minute. Tim shook his head.
"Way to ruin a nice moment, little bro."
As if on cue, Alfred motioned everyone into the dining room for dinner. The food smelled delicious, and they were all glad to not have to discuss Damian's last comment any further.
-----
Christmas #2 - The Grayson-Harper Household.
"We're not actually going to pass Damian's message on to Lian, are we?"
"Of course not." Tim laughed. "Although it might be interesting to have Roy put the fear of God into him."
Tim and Cissie approached the modest suburban house where Dick and Roy made their home. It definitely wasn't Wayne Manor, but it was theirs. Both Dick and Roy had insisted on purchasing their first home with no help from Bruce or Ollie. Tim reached out and knocked on the door, and it was answered very quickly by Lian.
"You guys are here! I'll take your bags."
As Lian reached out for the packages, Tim ruffled her hair. "No peeking till tomorrow. Man, you get taller every year."
"I'm working out, too." Lian playfully punched Tim in the arm. "I'm only a year younger than dad was when he became Speedy, and next year I'll - "
"Be going to high school and leading a totally normal life where the most dangerous thing you do is soccer practice!" Roy's voice came from the living room.
"Dad!"
"I get the feeling we may have arrived in the middle of some drama..." Cissie muttered to herself.
"It's nothing." Roy walked into the room and hugged Cissie. "My daughter's just under the impression that just because I was crazy, she gets to be too. How's my little sister?"
"It's been a crazy year." Cissie grinned. "For both of us. How's married life treating you?"
"It hasn't been much of a change, honestly. Dick and I have been together for so long, and he's always been a huge part of Lian's life. We just made it official - and it only took this long because Gotham just let us. It feels...right, you know?"
"Speaking of Dick, I'd better make sure he doesn't burn down the house." Tim said as he walked towards the kitchen. "I still can't believe my big brother is actually cooking Christmas dinner. The Dick I know could burn water."
Tim slipped into the kitchen and saw Dick poring over the instructions on the turkey. "So...nothing's burning yet. This is a good start."
"Har har, Tim. Help me lift this thing into the oven?"
Tim grabbed the massive bird, and he and Dick hoisted it into the pan. "You've got a great home here, man. I'm really happy for you. And look at you - getting all domestic."
"Well, Roy's even more hopeless than me, and it'll be a few years before Lian can cook for us. Someone had to step up!" Dick playfully swatted the back of Tim's head. "Alfred sent the...you know?"
"Of course." Tim reached into his bag and pulled out two of Alfred's famous pies, ready for reheating. "And here I thought this was going to be a home-made Christmas dinner."
"It is." Dick grinned. "I just didn't say which home. Besides, I have a feeling Alf's pies will go over way better than mine. Even the squirrels won't eat the practice pies."
"Just watch - some supervillain is going to find those things and adapt them as a gimmick. The perilous pie man or something."
"Make yourself useful and stir!" Dick laughed as he tossed Tim a spoon and pointed him towards the gravy. This Christmas may have been chaotic, but he was glad to have his brother here for it.
-----
Christmas #3 - The King-Maad Household.
"Tim! I told you to pack the sedatives! You didn't pack the sedatives!"
"I assumed you were telling me to do it because you knew I wouldn't! Besides, you know you can't - "
"They're not for me! I figured I'd slip one of them into mom's mashed potatoes if she started getting crazy, and we'd all be happier."
Tim sighed. "You know, if this is so stressful for you, we don't have to go in. We can jump right back in the car and make up an excuse."
"No. No. I promised my mom we'd be here, and I've been trying to fix things between us. Besides, it's just Christmas, and we won't be the only people there. How bad could it be?"
"Okay, ringing the doorbell now..." Tim said, slightly hesitantly. Cissie didn't stop him, so he reached out and pressed the button.
"Tim! Cissie!" Anita answered the door with a fake grin and a look of unmistakable panic in her eyes. "It's great to see you? But you may have picked kind of a bad time..."
"Oh, great. What's going on with my mom now?"
"Heh, it's actually not your mom! She and Uncle Ish have been getting along fine lately. It's - you know how I told you I was bringing my fiance to dinner?"
"Yeah, Virgil." Tim nodded. "I'm really happy for you guys. What, does Ish not like him?"
"No, no, he likes him." Anita shook her head. "Or so he says. Oh, mon, I don't want to think about what he would do if he didn't."
"That's it!" Almost on cue, Virgil stalked out of the dining room. "Nita, baby, you know I love you, but your uncle is crazy."
"I know he can be a bit...intense." Anita sighed. "But he means well. Just try to be open, and - "
"I was willing to let him do the interrogation, but when he broke out the lie detector machine, that was it. Look, this is all a little intense for me."
"I know, but he's my family. My only family that isn't de-aged, at least. Let me talk to him?"
Virgil nodded, and Anita stalked into the kitchen. The argument could be heard through the house.
"Uncle Ish! What do you think you're doing?"
"Protecting you! If you think I'm just going to let some guy marry you without - "
"He's not just 'some guy'! He's a fellow hero!"
"Yeah, there's a lot of those out there. I want to be sure."
"Put away the lie detector, or I swear to God I'll send it to the shadow realm!"
As Virgil walked back into the kitchen to try to broker peace, Cissie notice Bonnie standing in the hallway, sipping on a scotch.
"Mom? I thought you quit?"
"So did everyone else. With all the drama around here, no one's going to notice me knocking one back before dinner. Care for a glass?"
"Um...no thanks." Cissie shook her head forcefully. "So, how are things with you and Ishido?"
"We're both bullheaded and quick to anger. It's a gas. But at least neither of us takes anything personally, so it works." She took another sip. "We're probably the only people who could stay with either of us without it ending on America's Most Wanted. Or at least Judge Judy."
"That's...good."
"What about you two? Bat-boy over there driving you insane yet?"
"I'm right here, Bonnie." Tim narrowed his eyes.
"I'm not blind."
"It's been great, mom." Cissie said, cutting in. "We couldn't be happier."
"Glad to hear it. A bit surprised, but glad. Now when am I going to get some grandkids? I'm not getting any younger."
Cissie rolled her eyes. "You're only in your fifties, mom. You can't play that card yet. And if you didn't drink so much - "
"Yeah, I can live with that." Bonnie shrugged. Suddenly, the lights started flickering, a telltale sign of Anita's powers. "Looks like my stepdaughter's getting pissed off. Better go calm things down."
As Bonnie walked towards the kitchen, Tim turned to Cissie. "She's only going to make things worse, isn't she?"
"Oh, yeah, but it'll be fun to watch."
"You know...for you and your mother in the same house, that actually went pretty well. "
"Nicest conversation we've had in years!"
-----
Christmas #4 - Titans Tower.
The gauntlet of family visits were over with. Ollie would have been #5, but the JLA was in space for the holiday, and he had sent his regrets. But there was one last visit that Tim and Cissie had both been looking forward to.
It had been a long time since they had been Teen Titans, but every year the core group still met at Christmas to catch up and reminisce about their time on the team. Cissie had never been a Titan in the traditional sense, but she was as much a part of their history as anyone, and she couldn't wait to catch up with her best friends.
"Huh, looks like we're the first here." Tim said as he looked around at the empty meeting room.
"Notquite!" came a voice that streaked past Tim and Cissie as it ran to the table. "Good to see you guys!"
"Good to see you too, Bart." Tim laughed. "And here I thought we were going to beat you for once."
"Never!" He ran up and hugged Tim and Cissie at super-speed.
Cassie and Kon were next, flying in together, followed by Jaime.
"I hope you guys know how difficult it was to slip away. Milagro wasn't taking her eyes off me for a second."
"She's not the only wannabe Titan around today." Cissie smiled. "She and Lian are probably comparing notes."
"If by 'comparing notes', you mean plotting together constantly."
"Alright!" Kon said eagerly. "Shall we get on with the tradition?"
Each member of the Titans lay a box on the table. Tim opened his first.
"Alfred's famous glazed ham."
Cissie put hers down. "Ish's traditional luck dumplings."
"Deep fried turkey!" Bart grinned. "I had no idea you could deep fry a turkey until I saw it online. Best tradition ever."
"Ma Kent's blue-ribbon winning peach crumble." Kon said proudly.
"Chicken and Poblano tamales." Jaime said. "At least, the few I could save from Paco."
"My mom's homemade Baklava." Cassie said as she opened her box. "She doesn't cook often, but when she does, it's worth it."
"Before we start..." Tim raised a glass. "I just want to say something. It's been a while since we all got to hang out together...but we never stopped being a team to me. And more than that, we never stopped being a family. And because Bart and Kon will kill me if I talk anymore...let's eat!"
It was the end of a long day of Christmas dinners, and no one was really hungry, but the feast of leftovers that they shared together was the best meal any of them had that day.
-----
Christmas #5 - Tim and Cissie's apartment.
It was 3 AM when they got back from Titans Tower, stuffed and exhausted.
"I told you we weren't crazy." Tim grinned.
"It went...surprisingly well. And no one died!"
"There were a few close calls with Dick's cooking, though." Tim joked. "And look - we got through all of them without slipping up and telling anyone!"
"I know. There were a few close calls, though. When my mom offered me the scotch?"
"Yeah." Tim walked over and placed his hand on Cissie's stomach. "But if you're not ready for them to know yet..."
"Not just yet." Cissie grinned. "Maybe New Year's."
Tim and Cissie fell into bed together, falling asleep quickly and dreaming of the family they shared and the many holidays to come. They were sure to be interesting and maybe a bit chaotic, but filled with love and family. And that was exactly how they wanted it.
Pairing/Characters: Tim Drake/Cissie King-Jones, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, Roy Harper, Lian Harper, Bonnie King, Ishido Maad, Anite Fite, Virgil Hawkins, Kon-El, Cassie Sandsmark, Bart Allen, Jaime Reyes.
Recipient:
second_batgirlHoliday Well-wishes:Happy Whatever! :D
Rating: PG
Word count: 2550
Summary: When you're a superhero, retired or not, the holidays are always memorable.
Author's Note/Warnings: Very loosely inspired by the movie "Four Christmases". Which I haven't actually seen. I hope you enjoy! This is set a couple of years in the future, and ignores Cry for Justice.
Beta:
bloodygemFavorite edible plant matter: Steak! (Steak's totally a vegetable, right?)
"We're not crazy, right?"
Tim poked his head out of the bathroom when he heard Cissie's question. "No! Totally not crazy. They're family. It's the first year we're all related. We can't leave anyone out."
"But...we'd be visiting four different places for Christmas. One of which involves my mother. My mother, Tim!" Cissie wrang her hands nervously. "I'm getting wedding flashbacks here!"
Tim stepped out of the bathroom and wrapped his arms around Cissie. "We'll just be making a quick stop everywhere. Enough to make them feel like we remembered them for the holidays. Besides...it wouldn't be the holidays without some crazy relatives. It could be worse - they could all be coming here."
Cissie's eyes went wide, imagining their massive extended family crowding into their small starter house. "Okay, okay! You sold me."
"Thought so." Tim grinned as he gave Cissie a kiss on the cheek. "I'll let them know we're coming."
As Tim picked up the phone, Cissie collapsed backwards onto the bed and laughed to herself. At the very least, this would be a holiday to remember.
-----
Christmas #1 - Wayne Manor
The smell of roast Pheasant and gingerbread wafted through the air as Alfred opened the door to the stately old mansion that Tim used to call home.
"Master Tim. Miss Cissie." Alfred ushered them in with a smile. "Master Bruce will be right down. He's just - "
"In the Batcave, right?" Tim laughed. "Even on Christmas Eve."
"You know how he is..."
"Crime stops for no holiday." Cissie said in an uncanny impression of Bruce's voice that caused Tim to burst out laughing and Alfred to crack a slight smile.
"I have to check on the Pheasant." Alfred said. "Master Damian, would you - "
"Busy." came a snide reply from the couch.
"You are not busy, you are playing that infernal game." Alfred said as he walked over and pulled the DS out of Damian's hands. "Go let your father know that Timothy is here."
"If I must." The teenage boy said with an eyeroll as he wandered off.
"Yeah, love you too, little bro." Tim said with a grin.
As Damian disappeared into the Batcave and Alfred went to check on the food, Tim sat down on the couch.
"It still feels kind of strange, being here. I mean...I know he's back, and he's been back for a while. Somehow it never feels real until I see him, though."
"I know. We've been so lucky. We've lost so many people, but we've gotten most of them back. Not many people get that chance." Cissie gripped Tim's hand. "Gives you something to be thankful for this time of year, right?"
"Right."
They turned as the door opened to the Batcave. Tim took one look at Bruce - and promptly started laughing.
"What the hell are you wearing, Dad?"
"I'm wearing a sweater that Leslie spent a lot of time making, Tim." Bruce sighed. "I think it's...festive."
"It's a good thing the scum and villainy of Gotham can't see you in a Frosty sweater." Tim laughed.
"I think it's cute!" Cissie said. "He doesn't have to be scary out of costume, Tim."
"I knew I approved of your choice in a wife." Bruce said as he pulled his son and daughter-in-law into a quick hug. Bruce wasn't usually one to show a lot of emotion, but he tended to make an exception around the holidays.
Damian poked his head out of the Batcave. "You two are going to visit Dick and Roy, too, right?"
Tim nodded. "Yeah. Why?"
"Give Lian my regards." Damian said with a significant smile on his face.
Everyone stopped dead in their tracks for a minute. Tim shook his head.
"Way to ruin a nice moment, little bro."
As if on cue, Alfred motioned everyone into the dining room for dinner. The food smelled delicious, and they were all glad to not have to discuss Damian's last comment any further.
-----
Christmas #2 - The Grayson-Harper Household.
"We're not actually going to pass Damian's message on to Lian, are we?"
"Of course not." Tim laughed. "Although it might be interesting to have Roy put the fear of God into him."
Tim and Cissie approached the modest suburban house where Dick and Roy made their home. It definitely wasn't Wayne Manor, but it was theirs. Both Dick and Roy had insisted on purchasing their first home with no help from Bruce or Ollie. Tim reached out and knocked on the door, and it was answered very quickly by Lian.
"You guys are here! I'll take your bags."
As Lian reached out for the packages, Tim ruffled her hair. "No peeking till tomorrow. Man, you get taller every year."
"I'm working out, too." Lian playfully punched Tim in the arm. "I'm only a year younger than dad was when he became Speedy, and next year I'll - "
"Be going to high school and leading a totally normal life where the most dangerous thing you do is soccer practice!" Roy's voice came from the living room.
"Dad!"
"I get the feeling we may have arrived in the middle of some drama..." Cissie muttered to herself.
"It's nothing." Roy walked into the room and hugged Cissie. "My daughter's just under the impression that just because I was crazy, she gets to be too. How's my little sister?"
"It's been a crazy year." Cissie grinned. "For both of us. How's married life treating you?"
"It hasn't been much of a change, honestly. Dick and I have been together for so long, and he's always been a huge part of Lian's life. We just made it official - and it only took this long because Gotham just let us. It feels...right, you know?"
"Speaking of Dick, I'd better make sure he doesn't burn down the house." Tim said as he walked towards the kitchen. "I still can't believe my big brother is actually cooking Christmas dinner. The Dick I know could burn water."
Tim slipped into the kitchen and saw Dick poring over the instructions on the turkey. "So...nothing's burning yet. This is a good start."
"Har har, Tim. Help me lift this thing into the oven?"
Tim grabbed the massive bird, and he and Dick hoisted it into the pan. "You've got a great home here, man. I'm really happy for you. And look at you - getting all domestic."
"Well, Roy's even more hopeless than me, and it'll be a few years before Lian can cook for us. Someone had to step up!" Dick playfully swatted the back of Tim's head. "Alfred sent the...you know?"
"Of course." Tim reached into his bag and pulled out two of Alfred's famous pies, ready for reheating. "And here I thought this was going to be a home-made Christmas dinner."
"It is." Dick grinned. "I just didn't say which home. Besides, I have a feeling Alf's pies will go over way better than mine. Even the squirrels won't eat the practice pies."
"Just watch - some supervillain is going to find those things and adapt them as a gimmick. The perilous pie man or something."
"Make yourself useful and stir!" Dick laughed as he tossed Tim a spoon and pointed him towards the gravy. This Christmas may have been chaotic, but he was glad to have his brother here for it.
-----
Christmas #3 - The King-Maad Household.
"Tim! I told you to pack the sedatives! You didn't pack the sedatives!"
"I assumed you were telling me to do it because you knew I wouldn't! Besides, you know you can't - "
"They're not for me! I figured I'd slip one of them into mom's mashed potatoes if she started getting crazy, and we'd all be happier."
Tim sighed. "You know, if this is so stressful for you, we don't have to go in. We can jump right back in the car and make up an excuse."
"No. No. I promised my mom we'd be here, and I've been trying to fix things between us. Besides, it's just Christmas, and we won't be the only people there. How bad could it be?"
"Okay, ringing the doorbell now..." Tim said, slightly hesitantly. Cissie didn't stop him, so he reached out and pressed the button.
"Tim! Cissie!" Anita answered the door with a fake grin and a look of unmistakable panic in her eyes. "It's great to see you? But you may have picked kind of a bad time..."
"Oh, great. What's going on with my mom now?"
"Heh, it's actually not your mom! She and Uncle Ish have been getting along fine lately. It's - you know how I told you I was bringing my fiance to dinner?"
"Yeah, Virgil." Tim nodded. "I'm really happy for you guys. What, does Ish not like him?"
"No, no, he likes him." Anita shook her head. "Or so he says. Oh, mon, I don't want to think about what he would do if he didn't."
"That's it!" Almost on cue, Virgil stalked out of the dining room. "Nita, baby, you know I love you, but your uncle is crazy."
"I know he can be a bit...intense." Anita sighed. "But he means well. Just try to be open, and - "
"I was willing to let him do the interrogation, but when he broke out the lie detector machine, that was it. Look, this is all a little intense for me."
"I know, but he's my family. My only family that isn't de-aged, at least. Let me talk to him?"
Virgil nodded, and Anita stalked into the kitchen. The argument could be heard through the house.
"Uncle Ish! What do you think you're doing?"
"Protecting you! If you think I'm just going to let some guy marry you without - "
"He's not just 'some guy'! He's a fellow hero!"
"Yeah, there's a lot of those out there. I want to be sure."
"Put away the lie detector, or I swear to God I'll send it to the shadow realm!"
As Virgil walked back into the kitchen to try to broker peace, Cissie notice Bonnie standing in the hallway, sipping on a scotch.
"Mom? I thought you quit?"
"So did everyone else. With all the drama around here, no one's going to notice me knocking one back before dinner. Care for a glass?"
"Um...no thanks." Cissie shook her head forcefully. "So, how are things with you and Ishido?"
"We're both bullheaded and quick to anger. It's a gas. But at least neither of us takes anything personally, so it works." She took another sip. "We're probably the only people who could stay with either of us without it ending on America's Most Wanted. Or at least Judge Judy."
"That's...good."
"What about you two? Bat-boy over there driving you insane yet?"
"I'm right here, Bonnie." Tim narrowed his eyes.
"I'm not blind."
"It's been great, mom." Cissie said, cutting in. "We couldn't be happier."
"Glad to hear it. A bit surprised, but glad. Now when am I going to get some grandkids? I'm not getting any younger."
Cissie rolled her eyes. "You're only in your fifties, mom. You can't play that card yet. And if you didn't drink so much - "
"Yeah, I can live with that." Bonnie shrugged. Suddenly, the lights started flickering, a telltale sign of Anita's powers. "Looks like my stepdaughter's getting pissed off. Better go calm things down."
As Bonnie walked towards the kitchen, Tim turned to Cissie. "She's only going to make things worse, isn't she?"
"Oh, yeah, but it'll be fun to watch."
"You know...for you and your mother in the same house, that actually went pretty well. "
"Nicest conversation we've had in years!"
-----
Christmas #4 - Titans Tower.
The gauntlet of family visits were over with. Ollie would have been #5, but the JLA was in space for the holiday, and he had sent his regrets. But there was one last visit that Tim and Cissie had both been looking forward to.
It had been a long time since they had been Teen Titans, but every year the core group still met at Christmas to catch up and reminisce about their time on the team. Cissie had never been a Titan in the traditional sense, but she was as much a part of their history as anyone, and she couldn't wait to catch up with her best friends.
"Huh, looks like we're the first here." Tim said as he looked around at the empty meeting room.
"Notquite!" came a voice that streaked past Tim and Cissie as it ran to the table. "Good to see you guys!"
"Good to see you too, Bart." Tim laughed. "And here I thought we were going to beat you for once."
"Never!" He ran up and hugged Tim and Cissie at super-speed.
Cassie and Kon were next, flying in together, followed by Jaime.
"I hope you guys know how difficult it was to slip away. Milagro wasn't taking her eyes off me for a second."
"She's not the only wannabe Titan around today." Cissie smiled. "She and Lian are probably comparing notes."
"If by 'comparing notes', you mean plotting together constantly."
"Alright!" Kon said eagerly. "Shall we get on with the tradition?"
Each member of the Titans lay a box on the table. Tim opened his first.
"Alfred's famous glazed ham."
Cissie put hers down. "Ish's traditional luck dumplings."
"Deep fried turkey!" Bart grinned. "I had no idea you could deep fry a turkey until I saw it online. Best tradition ever."
"Ma Kent's blue-ribbon winning peach crumble." Kon said proudly.
"Chicken and Poblano tamales." Jaime said. "At least, the few I could save from Paco."
"My mom's homemade Baklava." Cassie said as she opened her box. "She doesn't cook often, but when she does, it's worth it."
"Before we start..." Tim raised a glass. "I just want to say something. It's been a while since we all got to hang out together...but we never stopped being a team to me. And more than that, we never stopped being a family. And because Bart and Kon will kill me if I talk anymore...let's eat!"
It was the end of a long day of Christmas dinners, and no one was really hungry, but the feast of leftovers that they shared together was the best meal any of them had that day.
-----
Christmas #5 - Tim and Cissie's apartment.
It was 3 AM when they got back from Titans Tower, stuffed and exhausted.
"I told you we weren't crazy." Tim grinned.
"It went...surprisingly well. And no one died!"
"There were a few close calls with Dick's cooking, though." Tim joked. "And look - we got through all of them without slipping up and telling anyone!"
"I know. There were a few close calls, though. When my mom offered me the scotch?"
"Yeah." Tim walked over and placed his hand on Cissie's stomach. "But if you're not ready for them to know yet..."
"Not just yet." Cissie grinned. "Maybe New Year's."
Tim and Cissie fell into bed together, falling asleep quickly and dreaming of the family they shared and the many holidays to come. They were sure to be interesting and maybe a bit chaotic, but filled with love and family. And that was exactly how they wanted it.