DCU Fanfic: A Holiday Party
Title: A Holiday Party
Fandom: DCU
Character(s): Dick Grayson, Koriand'r, Joey Wilson, Raven, Donna Troy, Gar Logan, Vic Stone, Wally West, Garth, Roy Harper, Lian Harper, Danny Chase
Pairing(s): Dick/Kory, others almost implied, if you decide to see it that way
Word Count: 5015 (wow, this got outta hand, XD)
Genre: general/humor/family/friendship
Rating: PG-13/T
Notes: Finally, I can post this! This was my JBBS fic for merfilly. She loved it, and I'm so happy she did since this thing ran away from me. Me, write 5k words of fic? @_@ I read a lot of comics to get this right because I'm insane me, and I needed a good excuse to finally read these comics. <3 Set just after Danny joins the team (oh, I will never like this brat; he's WORSE than Damian!), just before The New Titans run starts, Wally was getting evicted in Flash, Dick and Roy have gotten Lian in Action Comics, and Jason's not dead yet. (Why is the last one important? Because I plan to write a side fic that happens during this fic where Jason shows up for a visit. I only didn't write it because one, Jason in a fic would give me away like whoa, and two, Jason would have made too much sexy happen, and that was specifically asked to only be in the background.) Enjoy, darlings! <3
Link: JBBS
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You’re cordially invited to attend a holiday party at the Titans’ Tower. It will be a small, quiet affair, so just bring yourself and no need for special attire. Gifts are optional, though Roy will be introducing us to her daughter, so be prepared. I hope you can make it.
Love,
Donna
P.S. Yes, this had to be a formal invitation. Let me have my fun.
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“Oh, Donna,” Roy chuckled, holding the invitation in one hand and his daughter with his other. “Look, Lian. Your Aunt Donna’s making sure people remember to get you presents.”
Lian giggled happily in her father’s arms as she snatched the invitation from his hand and began to gnaw on it. Roy snorted and ran his hand through his hair as he walked them over to the refrigerator to make Lian’s bottle.
“Though, I think you’re having enough fun trying to eat the invitation, etai yazi, so let’s get you your bottle,” he said as he rummaged through the fridge.
“Ba-ba!” Lian replied, dropping the invitation and reaching for the milk carton her dad was missing.
“Okay, okay, Miss Bossy,” Roy teased as he grabbed the milk carton. “The princess will have her bottle in a few minutes flat.”
Snuggling against Roy’s shoulder, Lian made a happy sound as she watched her dad make her bottle.
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Wally crumpled the invitation in his pocket. He still hadn’t decided whether or not he should go. Yes, Donna had said in the invitation it wouldn’t be a costumed party, but he was still worried. How could he see them after so long, only for his powers to be gone again? Last time he visited, they had needed to save Raven and Dick from Brother Blood.
He couldn’t help but think the Titans would have changed so much since then. Would he even still fit in with them?
Shaking the thoughts from his head, Wally headed home, only to find an eviction notice on his door. “No!” he shouted, ripping it from the door. “I have the money! This isn’t fair!”
Wally went inside, slamming the door behind him as he stomped into the apartment. He tossed the eviction notice in the trash and headed for the bedroom to get changed. After he kicked off his pants, he noticed the crumpled invitation from Donna float to the floor. Wally glared at it for a moment before picking it up and making up his mind.
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“She even laminated the invitation,” Garth muttered, glancing back at the invitation. “And it’s not like I really have anything here to do for the holidays...”
A nearby school of fish swam by, all chattering as they went. A pregnant seahorse was eating his dinner while two dolphins twirled through the currents together. Garth looked at the sea life around him then looked over his shoulder, back at Atlantis glowing brightly behind him.
He moved to swim back home, letting go of the invitation, but the currents shifted when the dolphins raced by him, and it landed back in his hands. “Guess that’s a sign I should go,” Garth murmured to himself as he safely put the invitation in his belt and swam to the surface to get some clothing other than his Aqualad uniform for the party.
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“Now, you all know why I called you here this morning,” Donna began as she stood up in front of the rest of the Titans. “The party’s tonight, and it’s going to go off without a hitch if we all do our part. You each know your job, right?”
“Dick and I are providing the beverages,” Kory replied with a smile, overjoyed since Dick had started to move into her apartment earlier in the week.
Gar cheered. “Get us the good booze, Kory!”
Dick shook his head. “I’ll make sure there’s plenty of soda and sparkling grape juice for Gar,” he added which made Gar huff as he turned into a puppy, leaping into Kory’s lap.
“Aww, you’d let me have a few sips from your cup, right?” he asked with big, puppy dog eyes.
Kory patted him on the head. “Of course, Gar, since I will only be having apple cider and hot cocoa tonight,” she answered as Gar hopped off her lap, turning back into his human shape when he slipped back into his seat with pout.
“Ha,” Danny piped up with a smug look on his face. “I bet they’d give me some alcohol before they’d give you any, Logan.”
Gar scowled at the redhead. “I guess you’ll never know since you weren’t invited, Chase.”
Danny glared at Gar through his thick, round glasses. “It’s only ‘cause my parents are picking me up, loser,” he replied haughtily.
“Why, I oughta-” Gar almost leaped across the table, but Vic’s strong hand held him back.
“Hold up, salad-head,” he warned. “He’s going home for until next year, so cool your heels.”
“Fine,” Gar grumbled as he settled back in his seat; Danny made a smug hmph noise as he smirked.
“Gar, you can handle your job, right?” Donna asked worriedly.
Gar huffed. “Yeah, yeah, Donna. I got surveillance duty and watching the brat until his parents come for him.”
“What? I don’t need a babysitter!” Danny announced unhappily. “And especially not Logan.”
“Danny, just deal with it until your parents come,” Dick spoke up in his leader voice. “Your parents are due to arrive within the hour anyway.”
“Fine,” Danny muttered, fixing a glare on Gar.
“I’ll be getting the decorations for the Tower and the tree with Raven,” Donna stated. “And I’ll be cooking when I get back, since I bought the food yesterday.”
“No worries, Donna, I can take care of the food for ya!” Gar announced. “It’ll be great, and-”
“No caterers or personal chefs, Gar,” Donna interrupted, folding her arms across her chest. “This is a small party. Only the ten of us plus Roy’s daughter Lian. I can cook after I come back from the store with the holiday decorations, promise.”
Gar grumbled and just crossed his arms, pouting. “Me an’ Joe are gettin’ the Christmas tree from one of the tree lots,” Vic spoke up so Danny couldn’t make another snide remark and rile Gar up again. “No problem.”
Joey smiled and signed, Yes, no problem. We can even help decorate while you cook, Donna.
“Thank you, Joe,” Donna replied, making note of the change on her list. “You and Vic can show Raven how to decorate the Tower and the tree. Perfect. Gar can help too, of course.”
Gar made a noise of assent, still a little sore about being stuck on surveillance and brat duty.
“Hmm, we’ll also need a room set up for Wally and one for Roy and Lian,” Donna read off her list. “And the pool set up without chlorine for Garth. Kory, Dick, would you mind stopping by a little earlier for that?”
“Sure,” Dick replied before turning to Kory. “I’ll take the pool, and you can set up the rooms, Kory.”
Kory smiled. “I can do that,” she replied before leaning in to whisper in Dick’s ear. “I bought the drinks last night, so we have time to do some unpacking when we get back to the apartment. We could break in the bed after we put it up.”
Dick flushed a little then nodded. “Kory, let’s not talk about this here,” he whispered.
With a joyous albeit a little devious grin, Kory stood, pulling Dick up with her. “We better go buy those drinks,” she announced. “We’ll be back in a few hours.”
Donna waved to both of them, still double- and triple- checking her list to make sure the party went off without a hitch. “See you then,” she replied without looking up.
For a long moment after Kory and Dick left, the room was silent until Vic cleared his throat. “Well, we ain't going to be hearing from them for more than a few hours,” he stated as he got up from his chair.
Gar snickered. “Lucky Nightwing, getting all that hot babeness to himself.” He sighed over-dramatically as Danny frowned.
“What are you talking about?” Danny asked, the implications going over his head.
“We'll tell you when you're older,” Gar said condescendingly as he patted Danny on his head. “You gotta get packing so you can get outta our hair.”
Danny scowled and ducked away from Gar's hand. “Whatever, Logan. I doubt you even know what you're talking about,” he announced, stomping off to his room.
Gar snorted as he followed Danny out of the room, and they could be heard bickering until they were out of earshot. “C'mon, Joe. We better go fetch that tree,” Vic said turning to Donna and Raven. “See you in a bit. See ya, witch.”
Joey signed his goodbyes.
“Goodbye, Joseph, Victor,” Raven murmured.
“Good luck with the tree hunt,” Donna said as she waved them goodbye.
“Don't need luck, Donna,” Vic replied. “It'll be easy.”
With that, Vic and Joey left the room, leaving Donna alone with Raven. “You were quiet the whole meeting,” Donna stated, looking over at Raven. “Well, more quiet than usual. You okay, Raven?”
Raven nodded. “Yes, Donna, it is just...” she trailed off. “I am not sure how to go about any of these holiday traditions.”
Donna folded up her list and slipped it in her purse. “Well, then that's nothing to worry about. We'll all teach you,” she told her with a smile. “Now, let's head to the store. We have some decorations to buy.”
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Somewhere in Pennsylvania, Wally's car came to a sputtering stop. Wally cursed as he climbed out of the driver's seat to check out the engine, but when he opened hood of the car, smoke billowed out. He scowled and kicked the car in annoyance.
“Stupid piece of junk! This can't possibly get any worse!” Wally shouted, and suddenly, there was a spark, and the engine of the car set on fire. “Son of a-! I just had to say it!”
Wally scowled as he walked around the car to get his two bags from the trunk, grumbling and muttering obscenities the whole way. He took in his surroundings after he slammed the trunk shut and sighed. It looked like he was in the middle of nowhere, and he had no idea how to get to New York now.
He wanted to scream, but instead he buried his head in his hands in frustration until he heard the sound of hooves clopping down on the road. Wally looked up to see a horse and buggy coming his way before it stopped right next to his car. He blinked as a bearded man dressed in black greeted him.
“Do you need a lift, son? There should be a train station not too far down the road in the direction I’m going. I could drop you off,” the man offered, glancing at Wally’s car. “That car of yours looks like a dead loss.”
Wally looked at the man then to his flaming car then back to the man and sighed. “Thanks,” he murmured as he climbed aboard the buggy.
A few hours and stories about the Amish way of life, they finally reached the station. Apparently ‘not too far down the road’ translated differently to the Amish than to Wally, but then again, Wally figured maybe he was so used to fast that slow bothered him. It was probably part of reason everything in his life was exploding right now.
“Here we are,” the Amish man announced. “Good luck with your journey.”
Wally thanked him again then hefted his bags and headed for the ticket office. He bought his ticket, and he got lucky when the train pulled into the station a few moments later. Once he was on board, his ticket punched, and the train moving, Wally gave a sigh of relief and thought perhaps his luck was changing.
Then at the next stop, the train didn’t start moving after everyone had boarded. Wally frowned, looking around for one of the train conductors. He knew it would be just his luck that the train would break down.
“We apologize for the inconvenience. We will start moving again in another twenty minutes,” a voice said over the loudspeaker.
“I heard someone didn’t pay their fare, and they’re waiting for the cops to come and escort him off the train,” Wally heard someone say in the seat in front of him.
Wally just banged his head against the window, wishing he could be unconscious for the rest of the trip.
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“I just need some clothes for a holiday party,” Garth protested as the first clothing store kicked him out.
“Don’t care,” the saleslady said as she pushed him out the door. “You’re tracking water into my boutique. Go elsewhere.”
The door slammed in his face, and Garth winced before cutting his losses and heading elsewhere. As he walked down the street, the cold started to get to him since it was mid-December, and he was still wet from just getting out of the water.
Garth ducked into the first department store he saw, trying to get his bearings. After a few minutes of wandering, he ended up in the toy section of the store. He frowned then remembered that Roy’s daughter would be at the party. He should get her something.
He glanced around for a teddy bear or something, but everything was so intricate and expensive. Garth reached for a doll only to have snatched almost out of his hand. He turned around to see a lady holding it triumphantly.
“Yes! And it’s the last one!” the lady cried, ignoring Garth.
“Hey! That’s mine!” another lady cried, reaching for the doll.
Garth stared before backing away as the ladies started fighting over the doll. He glanced around quickly, and he found a simple stuffed toy like he was looking for. He even lucked out because it was a cute stuffed clownfish. That would work.
After wandering out of the toy department with the stuffed clownfish, Garth finally found the men’s department. “Do you need some help, sir?” a flamboyant sales rep asked, smiling.
“Uhh,” Garth fumbled for words for a moment, still a little thrown by his last few encounters with land-dwellers today. “Yes, I need clothing and shoes for a party.”
The man nodded and made a few ‘mm-hm’ noises as he looked Garth over, circling him like a hawk circling his prey. Garth made no sudden movements, holding on to the stuffed animal in his arms.
“I know just what you should wear,” the man announced with a flourish. “Now, let’s get you into the dressing room!”
Garth felt he should protest, but he needed clothes, and he had no idea where to start anyway. What would be the harm in letting someone else dress him?
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“No, I don’t think that’s right.”
“Shall I do it harder then?”
“Kory, if you do it any harder, it’ll break.”
“Hmm, then why isn’t it going in?”
“I think we’re doing it wrong...”
“This isn’t working!”
Dick took the instructions from Kory’s lap and laughed. “It’s the wrong piece,” he announced as he handed her the right one. “They’re all starting to look the same.”
Kory crinkled her noise as she pounded the last piece of the bed frame in place before easily turning it, so it would stand upright. “Perfect! And it only took us...” she trailed off as she glanced at the clock on nightstand they had put together earlier.“...two hours. I think we deserve a break.”
Dick stretched his arms over his head as he stood up. “Great idea, Kor,” he said, then saw the look on Kory’s face. “Oh, that kind of break...”
She smiled as she easily placed the mattress on the bed frame. “We should break in our new bed, shouldn’t we?” Kory suggested as she ran a hand down Dick’s chest.
“But there’s no sheets...” he protested weakly as he moved in closer.
“I won’t make a mess. Will you?” she asked cheekily as she pulled him onto the bed, and all protests from Dick were gone.
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“Joe, what about ‘dis one?” Vic asked, pointing out one with long needles.
Joey frowned, signing, These drop needles more often and make a huge mess.
Vic huffed, annoyed. “Man, this is fifth tree you’ve turned down. I didn’t know you were a tree snob,” he muttered.
If he could make a sound, Joey would have barked out a laugh. My dad and brother taught me about the trees, and my mom complained about which ones made a bigger mess, he signed with a grin before pointing to a tree across the lot. That one there should be perfect.
“Better be,” Vic replied as he stalked across the lot, pulling his coat tighter around him. “I’m freezin’ my metal off.”
They made their way to the tree, but when Vic moved to grab it, the tree shifted. “What the...” Vic questioned, looking around the tree to find a man already trying to take it. “Hey, man, this one’s ours.”
“No, it ain’t,” the big man said, pulling at the tree. “I grabbed it first, so back off.”
Vic scowled. “We saw it first,” he stated with a glare.
Joey looked between Vic and the big man holding the tree, signing, Vic, we can get another one...
Vic caught the tail end of Joey’s signing. “Oh hell no. You finally decide on one, and I ain’t spending another hour finding another one,” he told him before glaring back at the man. “So, you back off, man.”
“You wanna fight?” the man asked angrily.
With a stomp of his foot, Joey got both men’s attentions. You two shouldn’t fight. It’s just a tree, Joey signed.
Unfortunately, he was ignored, and Vic and the big man kept verbally sparring over the tree. Joey made a sour face before sighing silently then tapping the man on the hand, making contact. He jumped inside and made the man let go.
Vic barked out a laugh as he took the tree to the register, grinning. “Hey! Why ain’t I moving? What the hell!” the big man exclaimed, watching his tree leave as Joey walked him to the other side of the lot. “I must be going crazy!”
Soon, Joey jumped out, running off to met up with Vic at the car. Vic slapped him on the back with a grin plastered on his face. Joey returned the grin with a weak smile, feeling a bit guilty about what he just did.
“Don’t feel guilty, Joe!” Vic exclaimed as he tied the tree to the top of the car. “He’ll find another tree, and it was better than him pickin’ a fight, right?”
I guess you’re right, Joey signed as he got into the car.
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Gar sighed in relief when Danny was finally gone, and he fell back into the chair in front of the computer monitors. After a bit of watching nothing happen, he spun the chair a few times until he got dizzy.
“I so got gypped here,” he muttered. “I could do more than this...”
Just then, an idea formed in Gar’s head. “Hey, I can help Donna and make some appetizers!” he announced to himself, jumping out of his chair. “I think there’s cheese in the fridge. I can make dip and put together a platter. That can’t be hard.”
Gar turned into a bird and flew out of the surveillance room and into the kitchen. He landed in front of the fridge, changing back into his human form as he dug through the food. He found the cheese, salsa, and some vegetables in triumph.
He laid the ingredients out on the counter as he grabbed the food processor. “Time to cook!” Gar announced as he started to pile the cheeses into the work bowl of the food processor.
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“Is this normal for holiday shopping, Donna?” Raven asked, pushing a cart filled with garland, ornaments, and lights for the tree and tower.
Donna frowned, keeping her basket of a few sprigs of mistletoe, candy canes, and a tree topper close to her as she lead Raven through the crowds. “Mostly, yes, but I have a bad feeling...” she murmured.
Raven nodded, sticking close to Donna. “Yes, I agree,” she replied. “The people over there feel...panicked, and not the type of panic that comes from not finding the right decorations.”
“Stay here,” Donna stated as she lead Raven to a slightly less crowded alcove in the store, handing over her shopping basket. “I’ll go check out what’s up.”
“All right,” Raven said quietly, keeping an eye on their decorations.
Donna returned in a few minutes with a sour look. “Someone has a gun up front, and police can’t get through all the crowds,” Donna explained as she dug through her purse for her Amazonian bracelets. “I’ll change into my Wonder Girl outfit while you calm the crowds nerves with your powers.”
Raven nodded. “Of course,” she replied as Donna took off to the bathrooms.
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A while later, the girls returned the Tower in a poof of smoke. “Thanks for teleporting us back, Raven,” Donna told her gratefully as she pushed her way inside the Tower with the bags of decorations in tow. “I’ll just pick up my car tomorrow.”
Raven nodded, a bit lethargically; calming down all panicked shoppers had been tiring. “You’re welcome, Donna,” she replied as they dropped off the decorations in the den. “Victor and Joseph don’t seem to be back with the tree yet. Perhaps I can help you in the kitchen until they return?”
Donna smiled as she reached the kitchen door. “Yeah, that’d be great-” she started, but cut herself off when she saw Gar standing in the middle of the kitchen, covered in cheese dip. “Gar! What happened!?”
Gar winced. “Uhh, I was just trying to help by making some cheese dip, Donna?” he offered as an explanation as Donna rubbed her temples.
“Just, go take a shower then when Joey and Vic come back with the tree, you can help them, okay?” Donna said calmly, but she still didn’t look happy about the mess.
“Sorry, Donna, I just wanted to help...” he murmured.
“Do not worry, Garfield,” Raven spoke up. “I will help Donna clean up, and it will be like nothing ever happened.”
Gar smiled a little. “Thanks, Raven,” he replied, holding up his arms. “Uh, I’d hug ya, but I think you’d hurt me for getting you covered in cheese, so I’m gonna go get that shower now...”
After Gar left the room, Donna let out a sigh. “We better get to that cleaning then, if we want to make enough food for everyone by the time the others arrive,” she told Raven.
Raven nodded, and they started cleaning while noises down the hall told them that Vic and Joey had arrived with the tree. Once the cleaning was done and cooking was underway, Dick and Kory arrived, disheveled. No one commented on it as Kory went to set up the guest rooms, while Dick went to set up the pool, a bit flushed.
After another two hours, the guest rooms were set up, the pool had no chlorine, the tree and decorations were in place, and the food was finished, just as Wally and Garth arrived.
One by one, the tired Titans congregated in the den. Each put their presents for each other under the tree and collapsed onto the couches. For a long moment, the Tower was more silent than it had ever been before with so many Titans present.
“Better appreciate that tree,” Vic groused as Gar turned into a kitten and curled up in his lap. “Me and Joe had to chase after it when it took a tumble off the car.”
Joey signed tiredly, Yes, and that doesn’t count what happened at the tree lot...
Gar made a discontented kitten sound in Vic’s lap. “I had a lot of trouble around here too, you know.”
Vic snorted. “Yeah, I heard you made a mess.”
“Shut up,” he muttered.
Raven petted Gar’s fur. “It wasn’t too bad,” she said. “Donna and I made quick work of it.”
“The cooking went off without hitch, at least,” Donna stated, leaning her head on Wally’s shoulder since he was closest to her on the couch. “Can’t say the same for the shopping.”
Garth made a noise from his perch on the armrest next to Donna. “Tell me about it,” he groused. “I think I was lucky to get out of the department store I went to alive.”
Wally made a noise that sounded like a laugh, but he covered it up with a yawn. “That why you look like Christmas threw up on you, Gillhead?” he questioned.
Garth rolled his eyes before standing up. “I’ll be right back. I need a water break,” he stated then muttered. “I knew I let that guy dress me up too garishly.”
“Hey, I think we’ll need to hear that story when you come back!” Wally shouted after Garth.
Kory hummed, her head in Dick’s lap while she curled up on the couch. “It does sound like it could be an interesting story,” she said with a smile.
“Sounds like we all had an interesting night,” Dick said.
Gar looked up from Vic’s lap, cute kitten eyes fixed on Kory and Dick. “Yah-huh, I bet none of ours were as interesting as yours, Dick,” he teased.
Dick flushed as the others laughed, and Joey smiled widely. “Hey, not you too, Joe!” Dick whined, nudging him a bit in his spot next to him.
Kory was glowing, and you were flushed when you arrived. What else were we to think? Joey teased.
Wally laughed. “Joe’s got you there, Shortpants.”
Dick pouted. “We didn’t...” he trailed off.
“We did,” Kory stated, eyes closed. “But we put together much of our furniture first.”
“Kory, was the last thing you put together the bed?” Vic asked, faux innocently.
“Mmm, yes,” she replied as Dick replied, “Vic!”
Laughter broke out again, until a yawn or two ended it. “Today was very tiring for all of us, I believe,” Raven announced quietly.
Donna nodded in agreement. “And I think Garth probably fell asleep in the pool,” she stated, nodding off on Wally’s shoulder. “We could probably get a little nap before Roy and Lian get here...”
Gar was already asleep, purring like the kitten he was curled up as. “Yeah,” Dick agreed with a yawn. “Roy’ll wake us when he gets in.”
Vic had started to fall asleep as Raven curled up against the couch, partially leaning against him. Wally leaned his head against Donna’s, nodding off as well. Kory had already gone off to dreamland while Dick and Joey leaned on each other, dozing.
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Roy hadn’t meant to show up an hour late, but Lian had been fussy when he was packing up her overnight bag. Now, she was fast asleep, and even when he took her out of the sidecar of his motorcycle, she didn’t wake up. Roy cheered inwardly since sleeping Lian would make sneaking inside the Tower to surprise the others much easier.
Well, that was if they didn’t have someone on surveillance, but Roy liked to pretend he could sneak up on his friends, even if one of them was trained by the Bat. Once inside, Roy frowned at the quiet. He made his way through the gym, Lian and bags in arm, and he saw a pile of bright clothes by the pool.
Roy glanced into the pool and saw Garth curled up in a speedo at the bottom of the pool, fast asleep. “Heh, Fishface got partied out already? Man, I’ll have to tease him about that tomorrow morning,” he murmured to himself as he moved into the den.
He saw a pile of present under the tree and grinned. Roy placed his and Lian’s bags in the corner before slowly crouching down to check out the presents. At least half of them were for Lian, and he was pretty sure he was going to regret that he didn’t trade his bike in for a car like Dinah had warned him to.
Roy stood back up, successfully not jostling Lian awake. “Sleeping like a baby,” he joked to himself as he moved further into the den, spotting the rest of the Titans. “Well, looks like you’re not the only one, etai yazi.”
Dropping into the free armchair with Lian, Roy took in the scene of his sleeping friends. On the smaller couch, Kory was curled up, head in Dick’s lap with Dick’s fingers tangled in her hair and Joey leaning on Dick’s shoulder on the other side, all fast asleep. On the bigger couch, Vic snored quietly with his head tilted back and a green kitten purring in his sleep on his lap. Raven was sleeping soundly on the other side of Vic, head resting against Wally, who had Donna sleeping on his other shoulder, his head resting against hers.
“Some party, guys,” he murmured with a chuckle, petting Lian’s hair. “Guess I better see if they got you a crib, darling.”
With that, Roy headed towards the guest rooms, a smile on his face and his daughter in arm as the rest of the Titans slept through their own party.
Fandom: DCU
Character(s): Dick Grayson, Koriand'r, Joey Wilson, Raven, Donna Troy, Gar Logan, Vic Stone, Wally West, Garth, Roy Harper, Lian Harper, Danny Chase
Pairing(s): Dick/Kory, others almost implied, if you decide to see it that way
Word Count: 5015 (wow, this got outta hand, XD)
Genre: general/humor/family/friendship
Rating: PG-13/T
Notes: Finally, I can post this! This was my JBBS fic for merfilly. She loved it, and I'm so happy she did since this thing ran away from me. Me, write 5k words of fic? @_@ I read a lot of comics to get this right because I'm insane me, and I needed a good excuse to finally read these comics. <3 Set just after Danny joins the team (oh, I will never like this brat; he's WORSE than Damian!), just before The New Titans run starts, Wally was getting evicted in Flash, Dick and Roy have gotten Lian in Action Comics, and Jason's not dead yet. (Why is the last one important? Because I plan to write a side fic that happens during this fic where Jason shows up for a visit. I only didn't write it because one, Jason in a fic would give me away like whoa, and two, Jason would have made too much sexy happen, and that was specifically asked to only be in the background.) Enjoy, darlings! <3
Link: JBBS
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You’re cordially invited to attend a holiday party at the Titans’ Tower. It will be a small, quiet affair, so just bring yourself and no need for special attire. Gifts are optional, though Roy will be introducing us to her daughter, so be prepared. I hope you can make it.
Love,
Donna
P.S. Yes, this had to be a formal invitation. Let me have my fun.
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“Oh, Donna,” Roy chuckled, holding the invitation in one hand and his daughter with his other. “Look, Lian. Your Aunt Donna’s making sure people remember to get you presents.”
Lian giggled happily in her father’s arms as she snatched the invitation from his hand and began to gnaw on it. Roy snorted and ran his hand through his hair as he walked them over to the refrigerator to make Lian’s bottle.
“Though, I think you’re having enough fun trying to eat the invitation, etai yazi, so let’s get you your bottle,” he said as he rummaged through the fridge.
“Ba-ba!” Lian replied, dropping the invitation and reaching for the milk carton her dad was missing.
“Okay, okay, Miss Bossy,” Roy teased as he grabbed the milk carton. “The princess will have her bottle in a few minutes flat.”
Snuggling against Roy’s shoulder, Lian made a happy sound as she watched her dad make her bottle.
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Wally crumpled the invitation in his pocket. He still hadn’t decided whether or not he should go. Yes, Donna had said in the invitation it wouldn’t be a costumed party, but he was still worried. How could he see them after so long, only for his powers to be gone again? Last time he visited, they had needed to save Raven and Dick from Brother Blood.
He couldn’t help but think the Titans would have changed so much since then. Would he even still fit in with them?
Shaking the thoughts from his head, Wally headed home, only to find an eviction notice on his door. “No!” he shouted, ripping it from the door. “I have the money! This isn’t fair!”
Wally went inside, slamming the door behind him as he stomped into the apartment. He tossed the eviction notice in the trash and headed for the bedroom to get changed. After he kicked off his pants, he noticed the crumpled invitation from Donna float to the floor. Wally glared at it for a moment before picking it up and making up his mind.
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“She even laminated the invitation,” Garth muttered, glancing back at the invitation. “And it’s not like I really have anything here to do for the holidays...”
A nearby school of fish swam by, all chattering as they went. A pregnant seahorse was eating his dinner while two dolphins twirled through the currents together. Garth looked at the sea life around him then looked over his shoulder, back at Atlantis glowing brightly behind him.
He moved to swim back home, letting go of the invitation, but the currents shifted when the dolphins raced by him, and it landed back in his hands. “Guess that’s a sign I should go,” Garth murmured to himself as he safely put the invitation in his belt and swam to the surface to get some clothing other than his Aqualad uniform for the party.
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“Now, you all know why I called you here this morning,” Donna began as she stood up in front of the rest of the Titans. “The party’s tonight, and it’s going to go off without a hitch if we all do our part. You each know your job, right?”
“Dick and I are providing the beverages,” Kory replied with a smile, overjoyed since Dick had started to move into her apartment earlier in the week.
Gar cheered. “Get us the good booze, Kory!”
Dick shook his head. “I’ll make sure there’s plenty of soda and sparkling grape juice for Gar,” he added which made Gar huff as he turned into a puppy, leaping into Kory’s lap.
“Aww, you’d let me have a few sips from your cup, right?” he asked with big, puppy dog eyes.
Kory patted him on the head. “Of course, Gar, since I will only be having apple cider and hot cocoa tonight,” she answered as Gar hopped off her lap, turning back into his human shape when he slipped back into his seat with pout.
“Ha,” Danny piped up with a smug look on his face. “I bet they’d give me some alcohol before they’d give you any, Logan.”
Gar scowled at the redhead. “I guess you’ll never know since you weren’t invited, Chase.”
Danny glared at Gar through his thick, round glasses. “It’s only ‘cause my parents are picking me up, loser,” he replied haughtily.
“Why, I oughta-” Gar almost leaped across the table, but Vic’s strong hand held him back.
“Hold up, salad-head,” he warned. “He’s going home for until next year, so cool your heels.”
“Fine,” Gar grumbled as he settled back in his seat; Danny made a smug hmph noise as he smirked.
“Gar, you can handle your job, right?” Donna asked worriedly.
Gar huffed. “Yeah, yeah, Donna. I got surveillance duty and watching the brat until his parents come for him.”
“What? I don’t need a babysitter!” Danny announced unhappily. “And especially not Logan.”
“Danny, just deal with it until your parents come,” Dick spoke up in his leader voice. “Your parents are due to arrive within the hour anyway.”
“Fine,” Danny muttered, fixing a glare on Gar.
“I’ll be getting the decorations for the Tower and the tree with Raven,” Donna stated. “And I’ll be cooking when I get back, since I bought the food yesterday.”
“No worries, Donna, I can take care of the food for ya!” Gar announced. “It’ll be great, and-”
“No caterers or personal chefs, Gar,” Donna interrupted, folding her arms across her chest. “This is a small party. Only the ten of us plus Roy’s daughter Lian. I can cook after I come back from the store with the holiday decorations, promise.”
Gar grumbled and just crossed his arms, pouting. “Me an’ Joe are gettin’ the Christmas tree from one of the tree lots,” Vic spoke up so Danny couldn’t make another snide remark and rile Gar up again. “No problem.”
Joey smiled and signed, Yes, no problem. We can even help decorate while you cook, Donna.
“Thank you, Joe,” Donna replied, making note of the change on her list. “You and Vic can show Raven how to decorate the Tower and the tree. Perfect. Gar can help too, of course.”
Gar made a noise of assent, still a little sore about being stuck on surveillance and brat duty.
“Hmm, we’ll also need a room set up for Wally and one for Roy and Lian,” Donna read off her list. “And the pool set up without chlorine for Garth. Kory, Dick, would you mind stopping by a little earlier for that?”
“Sure,” Dick replied before turning to Kory. “I’ll take the pool, and you can set up the rooms, Kory.”
Kory smiled. “I can do that,” she replied before leaning in to whisper in Dick’s ear. “I bought the drinks last night, so we have time to do some unpacking when we get back to the apartment. We could break in the bed after we put it up.”
Dick flushed a little then nodded. “Kory, let’s not talk about this here,” he whispered.
With a joyous albeit a little devious grin, Kory stood, pulling Dick up with her. “We better go buy those drinks,” she announced. “We’ll be back in a few hours.”
Donna waved to both of them, still double- and triple- checking her list to make sure the party went off without a hitch. “See you then,” she replied without looking up.
For a long moment after Kory and Dick left, the room was silent until Vic cleared his throat. “Well, we ain't going to be hearing from them for more than a few hours,” he stated as he got up from his chair.
Gar snickered. “Lucky Nightwing, getting all that hot babeness to himself.” He sighed over-dramatically as Danny frowned.
“What are you talking about?” Danny asked, the implications going over his head.
“We'll tell you when you're older,” Gar said condescendingly as he patted Danny on his head. “You gotta get packing so you can get outta our hair.”
Danny scowled and ducked away from Gar's hand. “Whatever, Logan. I doubt you even know what you're talking about,” he announced, stomping off to his room.
Gar snorted as he followed Danny out of the room, and they could be heard bickering until they were out of earshot. “C'mon, Joe. We better go fetch that tree,” Vic said turning to Donna and Raven. “See you in a bit. See ya, witch.”
Joey signed his goodbyes.
“Goodbye, Joseph, Victor,” Raven murmured.
“Good luck with the tree hunt,” Donna said as she waved them goodbye.
“Don't need luck, Donna,” Vic replied. “It'll be easy.”
With that, Vic and Joey left the room, leaving Donna alone with Raven. “You were quiet the whole meeting,” Donna stated, looking over at Raven. “Well, more quiet than usual. You okay, Raven?”
Raven nodded. “Yes, Donna, it is just...” she trailed off. “I am not sure how to go about any of these holiday traditions.”
Donna folded up her list and slipped it in her purse. “Well, then that's nothing to worry about. We'll all teach you,” she told her with a smile. “Now, let's head to the store. We have some decorations to buy.”
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Somewhere in Pennsylvania, Wally's car came to a sputtering stop. Wally cursed as he climbed out of the driver's seat to check out the engine, but when he opened hood of the car, smoke billowed out. He scowled and kicked the car in annoyance.
“Stupid piece of junk! This can't possibly get any worse!” Wally shouted, and suddenly, there was a spark, and the engine of the car set on fire. “Son of a-! I just had to say it!”
Wally scowled as he walked around the car to get his two bags from the trunk, grumbling and muttering obscenities the whole way. He took in his surroundings after he slammed the trunk shut and sighed. It looked like he was in the middle of nowhere, and he had no idea how to get to New York now.
He wanted to scream, but instead he buried his head in his hands in frustration until he heard the sound of hooves clopping down on the road. Wally looked up to see a horse and buggy coming his way before it stopped right next to his car. He blinked as a bearded man dressed in black greeted him.
“Do you need a lift, son? There should be a train station not too far down the road in the direction I’m going. I could drop you off,” the man offered, glancing at Wally’s car. “That car of yours looks like a dead loss.”
Wally looked at the man then to his flaming car then back to the man and sighed. “Thanks,” he murmured as he climbed aboard the buggy.
A few hours and stories about the Amish way of life, they finally reached the station. Apparently ‘not too far down the road’ translated differently to the Amish than to Wally, but then again, Wally figured maybe he was so used to fast that slow bothered him. It was probably part of reason everything in his life was exploding right now.
“Here we are,” the Amish man announced. “Good luck with your journey.”
Wally thanked him again then hefted his bags and headed for the ticket office. He bought his ticket, and he got lucky when the train pulled into the station a few moments later. Once he was on board, his ticket punched, and the train moving, Wally gave a sigh of relief and thought perhaps his luck was changing.
Then at the next stop, the train didn’t start moving after everyone had boarded. Wally frowned, looking around for one of the train conductors. He knew it would be just his luck that the train would break down.
“We apologize for the inconvenience. We will start moving again in another twenty minutes,” a voice said over the loudspeaker.
“I heard someone didn’t pay their fare, and they’re waiting for the cops to come and escort him off the train,” Wally heard someone say in the seat in front of him.
Wally just banged his head against the window, wishing he could be unconscious for the rest of the trip.
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“I just need some clothes for a holiday party,” Garth protested as the first clothing store kicked him out.
“Don’t care,” the saleslady said as she pushed him out the door. “You’re tracking water into my boutique. Go elsewhere.”
The door slammed in his face, and Garth winced before cutting his losses and heading elsewhere. As he walked down the street, the cold started to get to him since it was mid-December, and he was still wet from just getting out of the water.
Garth ducked into the first department store he saw, trying to get his bearings. After a few minutes of wandering, he ended up in the toy section of the store. He frowned then remembered that Roy’s daughter would be at the party. He should get her something.
He glanced around for a teddy bear or something, but everything was so intricate and expensive. Garth reached for a doll only to have snatched almost out of his hand. He turned around to see a lady holding it triumphantly.
“Yes! And it’s the last one!” the lady cried, ignoring Garth.
“Hey! That’s mine!” another lady cried, reaching for the doll.
Garth stared before backing away as the ladies started fighting over the doll. He glanced around quickly, and he found a simple stuffed toy like he was looking for. He even lucked out because it was a cute stuffed clownfish. That would work.
After wandering out of the toy department with the stuffed clownfish, Garth finally found the men’s department. “Do you need some help, sir?” a flamboyant sales rep asked, smiling.
“Uhh,” Garth fumbled for words for a moment, still a little thrown by his last few encounters with land-dwellers today. “Yes, I need clothing and shoes for a party.”
The man nodded and made a few ‘mm-hm’ noises as he looked Garth over, circling him like a hawk circling his prey. Garth made no sudden movements, holding on to the stuffed animal in his arms.
“I know just what you should wear,” the man announced with a flourish. “Now, let’s get you into the dressing room!”
Garth felt he should protest, but he needed clothes, and he had no idea where to start anyway. What would be the harm in letting someone else dress him?
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“No, I don’t think that’s right.”
“Shall I do it harder then?”
“Kory, if you do it any harder, it’ll break.”
“Hmm, then why isn’t it going in?”
“I think we’re doing it wrong...”
“This isn’t working!”
Dick took the instructions from Kory’s lap and laughed. “It’s the wrong piece,” he announced as he handed her the right one. “They’re all starting to look the same.”
Kory crinkled her noise as she pounded the last piece of the bed frame in place before easily turning it, so it would stand upright. “Perfect! And it only took us...” she trailed off as she glanced at the clock on nightstand they had put together earlier.“...two hours. I think we deserve a break.”
Dick stretched his arms over his head as he stood up. “Great idea, Kor,” he said, then saw the look on Kory’s face. “Oh, that kind of break...”
She smiled as she easily placed the mattress on the bed frame. “We should break in our new bed, shouldn’t we?” Kory suggested as she ran a hand down Dick’s chest.
“But there’s no sheets...” he protested weakly as he moved in closer.
“I won’t make a mess. Will you?” she asked cheekily as she pulled him onto the bed, and all protests from Dick were gone.
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“Joe, what about ‘dis one?” Vic asked, pointing out one with long needles.
Joey frowned, signing, These drop needles more often and make a huge mess.
Vic huffed, annoyed. “Man, this is fifth tree you’ve turned down. I didn’t know you were a tree snob,” he muttered.
If he could make a sound, Joey would have barked out a laugh. My dad and brother taught me about the trees, and my mom complained about which ones made a bigger mess, he signed with a grin before pointing to a tree across the lot. That one there should be perfect.
“Better be,” Vic replied as he stalked across the lot, pulling his coat tighter around him. “I’m freezin’ my metal off.”
They made their way to the tree, but when Vic moved to grab it, the tree shifted. “What the...” Vic questioned, looking around the tree to find a man already trying to take it. “Hey, man, this one’s ours.”
“No, it ain’t,” the big man said, pulling at the tree. “I grabbed it first, so back off.”
Vic scowled. “We saw it first,” he stated with a glare.
Joey looked between Vic and the big man holding the tree, signing, Vic, we can get another one...
Vic caught the tail end of Joey’s signing. “Oh hell no. You finally decide on one, and I ain’t spending another hour finding another one,” he told him before glaring back at the man. “So, you back off, man.”
“You wanna fight?” the man asked angrily.
With a stomp of his foot, Joey got both men’s attentions. You two shouldn’t fight. It’s just a tree, Joey signed.
Unfortunately, he was ignored, and Vic and the big man kept verbally sparring over the tree. Joey made a sour face before sighing silently then tapping the man on the hand, making contact. He jumped inside and made the man let go.
Vic barked out a laugh as he took the tree to the register, grinning. “Hey! Why ain’t I moving? What the hell!” the big man exclaimed, watching his tree leave as Joey walked him to the other side of the lot. “I must be going crazy!”
Soon, Joey jumped out, running off to met up with Vic at the car. Vic slapped him on the back with a grin plastered on his face. Joey returned the grin with a weak smile, feeling a bit guilty about what he just did.
“Don’t feel guilty, Joe!” Vic exclaimed as he tied the tree to the top of the car. “He’ll find another tree, and it was better than him pickin’ a fight, right?”
I guess you’re right, Joey signed as he got into the car.
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Gar sighed in relief when Danny was finally gone, and he fell back into the chair in front of the computer monitors. After a bit of watching nothing happen, he spun the chair a few times until he got dizzy.
“I so got gypped here,” he muttered. “I could do more than this...”
Just then, an idea formed in Gar’s head. “Hey, I can help Donna and make some appetizers!” he announced to himself, jumping out of his chair. “I think there’s cheese in the fridge. I can make dip and put together a platter. That can’t be hard.”
Gar turned into a bird and flew out of the surveillance room and into the kitchen. He landed in front of the fridge, changing back into his human form as he dug through the food. He found the cheese, salsa, and some vegetables in triumph.
He laid the ingredients out on the counter as he grabbed the food processor. “Time to cook!” Gar announced as he started to pile the cheeses into the work bowl of the food processor.
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“Is this normal for holiday shopping, Donna?” Raven asked, pushing a cart filled with garland, ornaments, and lights for the tree and tower.
Donna frowned, keeping her basket of a few sprigs of mistletoe, candy canes, and a tree topper close to her as she lead Raven through the crowds. “Mostly, yes, but I have a bad feeling...” she murmured.
Raven nodded, sticking close to Donna. “Yes, I agree,” she replied. “The people over there feel...panicked, and not the type of panic that comes from not finding the right decorations.”
“Stay here,” Donna stated as she lead Raven to a slightly less crowded alcove in the store, handing over her shopping basket. “I’ll go check out what’s up.”
“All right,” Raven said quietly, keeping an eye on their decorations.
Donna returned in a few minutes with a sour look. “Someone has a gun up front, and police can’t get through all the crowds,” Donna explained as she dug through her purse for her Amazonian bracelets. “I’ll change into my Wonder Girl outfit while you calm the crowds nerves with your powers.”
Raven nodded. “Of course,” she replied as Donna took off to the bathrooms.
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A while later, the girls returned the Tower in a poof of smoke. “Thanks for teleporting us back, Raven,” Donna told her gratefully as she pushed her way inside the Tower with the bags of decorations in tow. “I’ll just pick up my car tomorrow.”
Raven nodded, a bit lethargically; calming down all panicked shoppers had been tiring. “You’re welcome, Donna,” she replied as they dropped off the decorations in the den. “Victor and Joseph don’t seem to be back with the tree yet. Perhaps I can help you in the kitchen until they return?”
Donna smiled as she reached the kitchen door. “Yeah, that’d be great-” she started, but cut herself off when she saw Gar standing in the middle of the kitchen, covered in cheese dip. “Gar! What happened!?”
Gar winced. “Uhh, I was just trying to help by making some cheese dip, Donna?” he offered as an explanation as Donna rubbed her temples.
“Just, go take a shower then when Joey and Vic come back with the tree, you can help them, okay?” Donna said calmly, but she still didn’t look happy about the mess.
“Sorry, Donna, I just wanted to help...” he murmured.
“Do not worry, Garfield,” Raven spoke up. “I will help Donna clean up, and it will be like nothing ever happened.”
Gar smiled a little. “Thanks, Raven,” he replied, holding up his arms. “Uh, I’d hug ya, but I think you’d hurt me for getting you covered in cheese, so I’m gonna go get that shower now...”
After Gar left the room, Donna let out a sigh. “We better get to that cleaning then, if we want to make enough food for everyone by the time the others arrive,” she told Raven.
Raven nodded, and they started cleaning while noises down the hall told them that Vic and Joey had arrived with the tree. Once the cleaning was done and cooking was underway, Dick and Kory arrived, disheveled. No one commented on it as Kory went to set up the guest rooms, while Dick went to set up the pool, a bit flushed.
After another two hours, the guest rooms were set up, the pool had no chlorine, the tree and decorations were in place, and the food was finished, just as Wally and Garth arrived.
One by one, the tired Titans congregated in the den. Each put their presents for each other under the tree and collapsed onto the couches. For a long moment, the Tower was more silent than it had ever been before with so many Titans present.
“Better appreciate that tree,” Vic groused as Gar turned into a kitten and curled up in his lap. “Me and Joe had to chase after it when it took a tumble off the car.”
Joey signed tiredly, Yes, and that doesn’t count what happened at the tree lot...
Gar made a discontented kitten sound in Vic’s lap. “I had a lot of trouble around here too, you know.”
Vic snorted. “Yeah, I heard you made a mess.”
“Shut up,” he muttered.
Raven petted Gar’s fur. “It wasn’t too bad,” she said. “Donna and I made quick work of it.”
“The cooking went off without hitch, at least,” Donna stated, leaning her head on Wally’s shoulder since he was closest to her on the couch. “Can’t say the same for the shopping.”
Garth made a noise from his perch on the armrest next to Donna. “Tell me about it,” he groused. “I think I was lucky to get out of the department store I went to alive.”
Wally made a noise that sounded like a laugh, but he covered it up with a yawn. “That why you look like Christmas threw up on you, Gillhead?” he questioned.
Garth rolled his eyes before standing up. “I’ll be right back. I need a water break,” he stated then muttered. “I knew I let that guy dress me up too garishly.”
“Hey, I think we’ll need to hear that story when you come back!” Wally shouted after Garth.
Kory hummed, her head in Dick’s lap while she curled up on the couch. “It does sound like it could be an interesting story,” she said with a smile.
“Sounds like we all had an interesting night,” Dick said.
Gar looked up from Vic’s lap, cute kitten eyes fixed on Kory and Dick. “Yah-huh, I bet none of ours were as interesting as yours, Dick,” he teased.
Dick flushed as the others laughed, and Joey smiled widely. “Hey, not you too, Joe!” Dick whined, nudging him a bit in his spot next to him.
Kory was glowing, and you were flushed when you arrived. What else were we to think? Joey teased.
Wally laughed. “Joe’s got you there, Shortpants.”
Dick pouted. “We didn’t...” he trailed off.
“We did,” Kory stated, eyes closed. “But we put together much of our furniture first.”
“Kory, was the last thing you put together the bed?” Vic asked, faux innocently.
“Mmm, yes,” she replied as Dick replied, “Vic!”
Laughter broke out again, until a yawn or two ended it. “Today was very tiring for all of us, I believe,” Raven announced quietly.
Donna nodded in agreement. “And I think Garth probably fell asleep in the pool,” she stated, nodding off on Wally’s shoulder. “We could probably get a little nap before Roy and Lian get here...”
Gar was already asleep, purring like the kitten he was curled up as. “Yeah,” Dick agreed with a yawn. “Roy’ll wake us when he gets in.”
Vic had started to fall asleep as Raven curled up against the couch, partially leaning against him. Wally leaned his head against Donna’s, nodding off as well. Kory had already gone off to dreamland while Dick and Joey leaned on each other, dozing.
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Roy hadn’t meant to show up an hour late, but Lian had been fussy when he was packing up her overnight bag. Now, she was fast asleep, and even when he took her out of the sidecar of his motorcycle, she didn’t wake up. Roy cheered inwardly since sleeping Lian would make sneaking inside the Tower to surprise the others much easier.
Well, that was if they didn’t have someone on surveillance, but Roy liked to pretend he could sneak up on his friends, even if one of them was trained by the Bat. Once inside, Roy frowned at the quiet. He made his way through the gym, Lian and bags in arm, and he saw a pile of bright clothes by the pool.
Roy glanced into the pool and saw Garth curled up in a speedo at the bottom of the pool, fast asleep. “Heh, Fishface got partied out already? Man, I’ll have to tease him about that tomorrow morning,” he murmured to himself as he moved into the den.
He saw a pile of present under the tree and grinned. Roy placed his and Lian’s bags in the corner before slowly crouching down to check out the presents. At least half of them were for Lian, and he was pretty sure he was going to regret that he didn’t trade his bike in for a car like Dinah had warned him to.
Roy stood back up, successfully not jostling Lian awake. “Sleeping like a baby,” he joked to himself as he moved further into the den, spotting the rest of the Titans. “Well, looks like you’re not the only one, etai yazi.”
Dropping into the free armchair with Lian, Roy took in the scene of his sleeping friends. On the smaller couch, Kory was curled up, head in Dick’s lap with Dick’s fingers tangled in her hair and Joey leaning on Dick’s shoulder on the other side, all fast asleep. On the bigger couch, Vic snored quietly with his head tilted back and a green kitten purring in his sleep on his lap. Raven was sleeping soundly on the other side of Vic, head resting against Wally, who had Donna sleeping on his other shoulder, his head resting against hers.
“Some party, guys,” he murmured with a chuckle, petting Lian’s hair. “Guess I better see if they got you a crib, darling.”
With that, Roy headed towards the guest rooms, a smile on his face and his daughter in arm as the rest of the Titans slept through their own party.