All to soon the weekend is over, and after breakfast the next morning Dick gathers his duffel bag, and Lian carries her little backpack, and they head down to the Cave to say goodbye to Bruce and Alfred.

Alfred's not there but Bruce is, and Lian drops her bag on the floor beside the chair where he's sitting, and she scrambles up onto his lap and mumbles her goodbye's as she wraps her little arms around his neck.

And Bruce is a little taken aback that he feels as sad to see her go as she sounds..and he actually hugs her back rather then simply tolerating the cuddle she's giving him.

"I'll miss you Uncle Bruce." Lian says sadly. "I wish I could stay forever."

"But Lian, don't you think your Dad would miss you if you stayed that long?" Bruce asks, trying to cheer her up.

Lian thinks for a minute, she's her Daddy's heart, he says so all the time, so he probably would want her to come home at some stage. "I s'pose so." she mumbles, and she feels a little bad that she still really wants to stay.

"Now Lian.." Bruce says, and he knows exactly how to distract her from her melancholy. "I have a very special job for you to do." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box. It's wrapped in red paper and tied with a green bow.

Lian nods, she's looking very serious. Special jobs are very important and she's careful to pay attention. "What is it Uncle Bruce?."

Bruce smiles...

Dick winces, he's seen that particular smile before, something...not good...is going down.

Bruce looks into Lian's eyes, he loves the way she's so focused on him..paying attention to every word he says. "This is a special gift for your father. A thank you for the...interesting present he gave me..." and Bruce is ignoring the moan that comes from his son. "I need you to give it to him. You mustn't let your Uncle Dick peak at what's inside, because it's your dads and no one else's."

Dick's feeling sick. Roy is an idiot and he's going to find out the hard way that you can never beat the Bat.

Lian nods, her eyes are wide with responsibility as she carefully takes the small box, whatever is inside must be very special indeed. "Don't worry Uncle Bruce, I won't let anyone peak." and she shoots a warning look at Dick as she slides off Bruce's lap and carefully tucks the box in her backpack with her clothes.

Bruce straightens up and he's trying hard not to look at Dick, who's got his hands over his eyes like he just doesn't want to know. "I have something for you as well." Bruce says, and he's looking forward to this.

"You have?" Lian asks in a little voice filled with awe and excitement.

"He most certainly does Miss Lian." and Alfred is there with a large box in his hands.

Dick sinks into a nearbye chair, he feels weak with relief that this isn't another 'gift' for Roy, Bruce wouldn't give Lian anything she wouldn't love.

His relief is sort lived when Alfred carefully places the box on the ground.

The box wiggles...

The box whines..

The box barks and Lian shrieks in delight.

Dick is going to be sooo dead!

Roy's looking forward to getting his daughter back. He jumps from the seat and opens the door eagerly when the doorbell rings. He's grinning..he can't help himself, he really has missed her..But Dick looks ill, when Roy looks at him, and Roy's grin fades. Something is definitely wrong.

"I'm sorry Roy." Dick mumbles, and he looks at the floor.

"For what?" Roy asks, and he's starting to worry, looking for Lian. He's relieved when he hears her laugh..she's just a little way down the hall. The laugh is joined by a bark. "What the...?" And he's pushing past Dick and...stopping dead.

Dick groans and slumps against the door frame.

Lian sits on the floor with Princess Snowball..the cutest little Maltese terrier puppy that has ever existed..or at least Lian thinks so.

Roy doesn't. He swings around to face his friend, his face is as red as his hair..oh yeah, he's angry! "You promised." he says, and he's trying not to yell..not in front of Lian anyway.

"I didn't do it..It wasn't me." Dick pleads his innocence.

"Isn't she pretty Daddy?" Lian pipes up."Uncle Bruce got her for me." and she collapses into fits of giggles as the puppy starts jumping and tugging at her hair.

Roy swallows, realization has hit.

And Dick can see the anger fade, maybe, just maybe Dick is safe.

Roy's just watching, saying nothing as Lian tumbles around the floor with the dog. She's happy, she's really, really happy..and that's all Roy has ever wanted her to be. He sighs. "Couldn't he have gotten her a Boxer or a Doberman or something?" he asks..because this..thing..is sure as hell going to ruin his image.

"Don't you think they would be a little hard for her to handle?" Dick asks, and he's relaxed now..crisis averted.

Roy frowns..then chuckles as Lian squeals with joy. "I guess we'll just have to give it a decent name. Maybe..Killer, or..."

"Princess Snowball." Dick finishes, and he can't help but chuckle at the image of Roy calling the dog in the park..sure way to attract the ladies.

"What?" Roy snaps the question and screws up his nose.."No way!"

"Her name is Princess Snowball" Lian chimes in, picking the puppy up, and she's very proud of herself for choosing such a great name.

"Oh.." says Roy, and the next thing a wriggling bundle of white fluff is thrust into his arms. "Hey!" he says as the dog barks and begins licking his hands enthusiastically. He hands it back to Lian and wipes the dog slobber on his pants, rubbing hard as if to scrub the germs away.

And that's it for Dick, he says goodbye to Lian, gets his cuddles and thank you's and his off down the hall as quick as can be. He can't wait to call Garth and Wally and fill them in on the Bats coup de grace, just thinking about Roy's face has him chuckling to himself.

Later, much later, Lian is asleep. Princess Snowball has had to be walked ten times already..and Roy never thought dogs could pee that much. He really wants to hate the dog..he's trying to, what with all the peeing and barking and stuff. But she's curled up next to him on the sofa fast asleep, and she's probably the smallest dog he's ever seen..she'll grow of course, but for now she's kind of cute as dogs go, so Roy can't help stroke her tiny head. Her fur is soft, really soft, and suddenly Roy's deciding it won't be so bad to have her around. Hopefully she'll learn to come to "Here dog!" because there's no way in hell he's gonna call her 'Princess' anything..

The box Bruce gave Lian sits unopened on the coffee table, and Roy stares at it for a minute, before he reaches out and picks it up. He just holds it for awhile, turning it over in his hands, and he's not sure he wants to open it, he's more than a little scared of what he might find. He checks it carefully and doesn't find any booby traps, so he peels the ribbon back and opens it.

Inside is a letter detailing payment for unlimited stays at a fancy doggy motel..that solves his problem of what to do with the dog when he's out of town, and there's a very generous gift certificate for a well known pet store, no doubt so Roy can't complain about the cost of feeding the dog..and last but not least, a doggy doo bag complete with scoop. A small half folded hand written note is attached to the bag, and Roy peels it off..

He unfolds it with caution, and begins to read. "Jingle bells, now who smells?..." it say's simply.

Roy roars with laughter, waking the dog up. It yaps and sits up, staring up at him. Roy ruffles it's tiny head..and he's already thinking ahead to pay back time.

Bats..he never could pull one over on him, but Roy's not about to stop trying.

end