Scaredy-Crow Ch. 2

It was three days until Christmas, and Jonathan Crane couldn't shake that unnerving feeling, as though the butterflies in his stomach had become eagles.

Be good. You have to be good. This thought became his holiday mantra, and for good reason: it was his first Christmas with Barbara.

They were decorating the tree, and even Jim Gordon had come over to help, finally beginning to accept his super villain son in law. Although he did keep a close eye on the fear master.

But outside was the most hideous sound, a clatter that dwarfed the infamous 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.

Carolers were yowling off key songs on the front lawn, as they had been for an hour. Jonathan was quite sure that they knew who was inside, wanting a glimpse at the unusual situation of a member of the Gotham Rogues Gallery marrying into the family of the highest ranking member of the GCPD.

Barbara had cheerfully put in earplugs, and her father was turning the stereo up every few minutes, attempting to drown out the noise with a Christmas CD, some pop singer with a voice that would shatter glass if she went any higher.

But the Scarecrow was used to dealing with things another way, one that his new father-in-law definitely wouldn't find appropriate. He wasn't sure if Barbara would be ok with gassing the singers either.

He faked a smile and put another ornament on the tree, fingers itching, and one eye twitching

Living the straight and narrow life was really hard.

Just one good fear grenade, and it'll be taken care of for years…

He looked up from his careful placement of the glimmering glass ball and caught the Commissioner's eye.

James Gordon, Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, father of Batgirl herself, was twitching his left eye so hard that Jonathan was afraid the orb would pop out of his skull.

We could hang it on the tree he thought idly, then shook his head slightly to clear the thought.

Barbara had her back to them, picking ornaments out of a box and inserting hooks, all while humming Deck the Halls in a jaunty and off-key manner.

Jonathan had no idea anyone could be so tone-deaf, and smiled at the Commissioner, hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels.

Jim Gordon could stand it no longer.

With a long backward glance at his daughter, he gave the fear-master a slight nod.

Go ahead.

Jonathan wasn't sure what to do, so he nodded back, so deeply that he nearly bowed to the older man. He scurried out of the room to find his secret stash of fear gas.

Jim, meanwhile, began helping his daughter add hooks to her baubles and trinkets, a task which here means "keeping her busy."

Upstairs, Jonathan opened a window, wincing at how much louder the sound became.

They could form a super villain group, like Milli Vanilli, or the Republican Party.

He lobbed two of the smaller flash poppers out into the snow, snickering quietly to himself as the carolers attempted to scatter, many crying from the smoke and the fumes and their own personal hell.

The Scarecrow gleefully rubbed his hands together and shut the window, turning to go back down to the domestic bliss of tree decorating.

Barbara Gordon Crane was standing in the doorway, arms folded across her chest.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to do that." She said simply, shaking her head.

She crossed the room and kissed him on the cheek.

"Just don't tell Daddy."

Jonathan just shrugged his shoulders and followed her out of the room.