"What's the plan for today?" Alan asked as they finished cleaning the kitchen after breakfast.
"We get dressed & go outside." Changeling couldn't wait. "It's time to play in the snow!"
"Yay!" Christopher & Charlotte cheered.
"Come along." Raven held her hand out. "We need to get dressed."
Charlotte took her hand & they floated out together.
Christopher attacked his mother's legs. "Let's go, Mommy!"
Starfire laughed before swinging him up into her arms & striding off to the elevator.
Bumble Bee kissed Calvin's cheek as he babbled. "See you guys out there." She left.
Terra tugged on Jinx's arm. "Come on! I can't wait to go outside!"
"It should be fun." Rita agreed as she followed them out.
Nightwing frowned as he looked over the common room. "I guess that leaves us to clean up the room. They did that on purpose…"
#happyholidays
The large group made it outside & marveled over the pristine winter wonderland. Snow covered every substance & glistened from every tree. It was beautiful.
Christopher broke away from his mom & ran to a snow bank to jump in it. He fell over backwards & tumbled down the hill.
Starfire gasped. "Christopher!"
He popped up. "Come on, Mommy! It's fun!"
She floated over & sat on top of the snow bank then shivered. "Burr! It is so the cold!"
Christopher threw snow at her. "It's so pretty!"
Starfire sputtered. "It is."
Christopher began throwing snow into the air.
Nightwing walked over. "What are you doing?"
Christopher shrugged. He threw a handful of snow at his father.
Nightwing brushed off his coat. "Okay." He jerked forward. "Ow!"
Starfire looked up at him. "Are you injured, Boyfriend Nightwing?"
He smiled at her wording before he jerked forward again. "Ow! Who keeps throwing- is that snow?! Ow!" He wiped snow from his face.
Starfire & Christopher giggled.
He heard more laughs as he turned. Changeling, Cyborg & Kid Flash were laughing up a storm. "Hey!"
Changeling threw another snowball.
Nightwing glared. "Stop it!"
Kid Flash threw the next one.
"I'm warning you!"
Cyborg threw an extra-large snowball.
Nightwing growled & started throwing snowballs back.
"Ha ha!" Changeling turned into an octopus & started throwing snowballs at anyone standing still.
"Oh, it is on!" Cyborg stuffed snow into his arm cannon & started aiming at people.
Kid Flash zipped around amassing snowballs & making a fortress.
The girls got in on it because they were pummeled, too. The kids ran back & forth, trying to play, too. Clark & Alan looked at each other & shrugged before getting in on it.
#happyholidays
"I think we've done enough snow people." Nightwing put sticks for arms on the last snowman. They spent hours making snow families for the island.
"I'm hungry." Kid Flash moaned.
"I guess you should get started on dinner." Bumble Bee picked Calvin up & set him on her hip.
"Boo!" He kicked the snow in front of him.
"Come on." Cyborg waved him on. "The sooner we get started, the sooner we can eat."
Everyone traveled inside & went upstairs. They stripped off their outer gear & the guys went to work on cooking while the girls popped in a Christmas movie that the kids would like.
#happyholidays
Terra set down the last plate. The table set up in the common room was now set for dinner.
The other girls set out platters & bowls of food while Rita set out drinks.
The guys came in dressed for Christmas dinner, looking very dashing.
The girls, who'd gotten dressed earlier, whistled.
"Don't hate me cuz I'm beautiful. Hate me because I know it." Cyborg adjusted his tie.
"Eddie Griffin? Really?" Bumble Bee's lips twitched.
"Humph!" He lifted his nose into the air.
"Can we hate you because you're conceited?" Jinx asked.
"No."
"Dang!"
He lifted a hand. "Please!"
Terra giggled. "Guys! Be nice!"
"We are nice." Cyborg said. "At least I am."
"You want to do this, Tin Man?!" Jinx set her hands on her hips.
"Calm down, you two." Bumble Bee gave Calvin to Cyborg. "It's Christmas dinner."
"Don't tell me; tell him."
"I'm telling you both. We're a family & we have to be there for each other."
"Yeah, yeah." Jinx folded her arms across her chest.
"Yeesh!" Cyborg rolled his eye.
Bumble Bee shook her head. "It's like having two kids."
Alan laughed.
"Wait a minute! Why only two?!" Cyborg argued. "She's being a brat!"
Jinx glared at him. "I'm way more mature than you. I'm not a brat either, you big bucket of bolts."
He stuck his tongue out. Calvin stuffed his hand in his father's mouth & giggled. Cyborg choked & grabbed his hand to pull it out.
"That's what you get." Bumble Bee & Jinx said in unison.
Cyborg was totally offended at what he thought of as ganging up on him. He turned & set Calvin in his high chair. "It's like I have two girlfriends & neither one likes me."
"Sisters before misters." Jinx smirked.
"Uh oh." Kid Flash pulled at his tie. "When they start that, we all usually end up in trouble."
"We have you trained." Bumble Bee quirked a brow.
"Like dogs." Changeling whispered to Nightwing.
Who smiled but wisely kept quiet.
"How about we sit down & eat?" Rita suggested. "This food looks really delicious."
"That's because I made it!" Cyborg boasted. He got some dirty looks so he amended. "We made it."
"I helped!" Christopher stood on his chair. "I smashed the 'tatoes!"
"You did a great job, little dude."
Christopher beamed.
"Okay, everybody! Let's do this!" Cyborg spread his arms wide.
They all sat down & began passing plates back & forth, chattering the entire time.
"The mashing of potatoes are very good, little one." Starfire pinched Christopher's cheek.
He blushed. "Thank you, Mommy. Daddy showed me how."
Starfire shared a warm look with Nightwing, who winked at her. She smiled widely & blushed prettily. She couldn't believe they were now going steady. All her Christmas wishes had come true.
#happyholidays
They were just plating up dessert when the alarm went off.
"Oh come on!" Changeling groaned.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Kid Flash hit the table with his fist.
Cyborg waved goodbye to his pie. "Duty calls."
Nightwing pulled up the details. "Bank robbery. The new Hive Five & a mystery villain. I think Alan & Terra should stay behind to watch over the kids. Everyone else, gear up. Titans, go!"
The others rushed out for a quick costume change before darting out to fight the threat.
Alan sat back in his seat. "I guess that means more dessert for us."
Terra smiled wanly. "I think it means we have clean up duty."
Alan looked over the table. "Crap."
#happyholidays
Kid Flash walked in from filling out the paperwork. "What are you guys doing?"
"We just said goodnight to the kids." Changeling finished setting up the chessboard. He gestured to Raven.
She moved a black knight.
He rubbed his chin. "Ooh! I see you're feeling spontaneous!"
She lifted a brow at the strange way he pronounced the four syllabic word. "I see you're feeling silly."
He lifted a brow before moving a white rook. "Aren't you glad I got you a glass chess set for Christmas?"
She nodded once. "I've thanked you, haven't I?"
"I can think of another payment plan." He waggled his brows.
"Garfield!" Rita blushed.
"He's always like this." Raven moved a black pawn.
"When did you get…?"
"Dirty?" Raven supplied.
Changeling moved a white pawn & grinned at his mother.
Rita pursed her lips but she was inwardly amused. "What do you think of Mulch?"
"The new villain?" He shrugged as Raven moved another pawn. "I think he needs a new shtick. I mean really? Farmer overalls in the winter? I know it's California but it's also winter."
"Seeing as he ran when you turned into a wolf, I don't think he'll be a villain for long." Nightwing watched their game, intent on playing the winner.
"To be fair, C was snarling at him. I'd be scared, too." Bumble Bee turned a page in one of her new books.
Changeling grinned. "Thanks, Bee!"
"Your move." Raven reminded him gently.
He turned back to the game & moved a white bishop.
"I'm just glad we're all over the Hive Five. Lettin them know we won't tolerate them." Cyborg was watching a Christmas movie (Die Hard).
"Hopefully they'll see that whenever they take a breath, we'll be there." Nightwing agreed. "We won't stop until they do."
"Solid work." Clark nodded.
Jinx frowned as she filed down a newly broken nail. "I can tell you from experience that it's totally a buzzkill to have us in your face when you're trying to build a rep."
"Good." Nightwing itched to tell Raven that she was caught. "We'll continue to be a buzzkill until they get the message."
"Checkmate." Changeling moved his queen directly in front of Raven's king.
Raven frowned darkly. "How?!"
"Three moves ago." He knew what she was asking.
Raven & Nightwing switched seats while Changeling loaded the board.
#happyholidays
Changeling stretched before getting up from the breakfast table. "Come on, Mom. I gotta take you to the airport."
Rita pouted. "I'm going to miss you all."
"Please return at any of the times!" Starfire hugged her.
"We enjoyed having you." Bumble Bee hugged her next.
"You're so much better than other moms." Terra went next.
"You're totally fun." Jinx didn't usually hug but she liked Rita.
"Goodbye, Ms. Rita." Christopher hugged her legs.
Rita gathered him up in her arms. "Goodbye, Chris."
The guys all said goodbye to her before she went to Calvin & stroked his cheek. He smiled at her, showing off two tiny teeth.
Changeling ushered her out with Raven & Charlotte. Everyone waved goodbye. They stopped at the correct floor to grab Rita's luggage then went down to the garage.
Changeling threw her things in the trunk of his car.
"Goodbye, Grandma." Charlotte waved sadly. "I gon miss you."
"I'm going to miss you, too sweet potato pie." Rita picked her up & hugged her.
Changeling took her from her. "Let Mommy say goodbye."
Raven was normally not good at saying goodbye. She was usually glad to see people go but she liked Rita. She was everything she'd never had & was so nice. "It was a pleasure to meet you."
"It was all mine, Raven." Rita smiled at her.
Raven stepped out of her comfort zone & held her hand out. Rita took it & held it between both of her hands. Raven smiled.
"Okay, we're burning daylight!" Changeling interrupted. "Let's go!"
"With the way you drive, we'll be there in plenty of time." Rita let Raven go & slid her sunglasses on.
Raven took Charlotte as they climbed in the green car. Her beau peeled out of the driveway as if he were a bandit on the getaway.
Raven went back upstairs & set Charlotte down so she could play with her new toys.
"When are you leaving?" Cyborg asked Alan.
Bumble Bee slapped his arm. "Sparky!"
"I'm going to miss him!"
"Really?" Alan didn't believe that.
"Really." Cyborg lied with a straight face.
"Hmm. We're leaving as soon as the green one comes back. Clark wants to say goodbye."
"Why? He's totally rude." Jinx admired her hand as she finished painting it.
"I took on the responsibility of being there for him." Clark said.
"That doesn't mean you have to like him." Bumble Bee pointed out.
Cyborg & Kid Flash laughed.
"He's not impossible to like." Clark defended.
"Sometimes he is." Raven mumbled.
Even Nightwing laughed that time.
#happyholidays
Changeling whistled as he strode into the common room. "Wazzup!"
"It didn't take too long." Nightwing noted.
"Nah, I just stopped long enough to boot her out then came back."
"Someone could take you seriously." Clark chided.
"Nobody takes me seriously." He sat down next to Charlotte.
"Should I be offended?" Raven raised her head from her book.
"Nobody but you, Mama." He blew her a kiss.
"Well we're leaving." Alan stood up.
"Yes!" Cyborg muttered.
"I heard that."
"Won't you like being home?" He switched it up.
"It has been torture being around you."
"Ain't that the truth." Bumble Bee said under her breath.
Cyborg growled at her.
Alan hit his arm. "Walk us out!"
Cyborg climbed to his feet as Clark hugged his grandchildren & waved to Calvin. "I don't see why I got to do this. You know the way."
Alan tickled Calvin before putting him back in his playpen. "Stop bellyaching & come on."
Clark hugged Starfire before turning to Changeling, who eyed him like he was crazy. "You can't hug me?"
Changeling growled before giving him a quick hug.
Clark rolled his eyes & left with Cyborg & Alan.
"You're an insensitive clod." Raven never raised her head.
Changeling sat next to her. "You're being mean."
"No. You are being mean."
"I hugged him. What else do you want from me?"
"Meaning it would be too much to ask, huh?" Jinx admired her other hand.
He glared at her. "So my mom wouldn't stop talking about you."
Raven dropped her book a little to look at Bumble Bee, who raised a brow. "Go on."
"Pardon the pun but she was raving about you. She really likes you."
Bumble Bee smirked & gave a barely seen nod.
Raven lifted her book. "You don't say."