Description: Dick and Barbara's first Christmas as a Married couple. This is a dream come true, for all Babs and Dick supporters.( note to Chuck get yourself in gear and make our dream of Dick and Babs together come true.) *** A Christmas Miracle of Love by Marcie Ann Gore *** Prologue: Dr. Leslie Tompkins office November 27, the Monday after Thanksgiving. "I'm so sorry Barbara and Dick, I wish I had better news for you," Dr Tompkins tells us. "All of the tests I've run on Barbara today seem to show the same thing. The damage the bullet did to your reproductive organs has made your carrying a baby to term highly unlikely." I start to cry. Dick and I have been trying to have a baby together for most of the year we've been married. "Leslie, I still have my period regularly, why can't I have a baby? If I have a hole in my uterus why does my cycle still come regularly? I feel cramps with same intensity I did before I was shot." Dick lets me cry in his strong arms. Dick asks, "Are you sure there's nothing we can do? Is there an operation? Are there drugs she could try?" "Yes Leslie, I'll try anything to give Dick a baby. I've wanted a baby since I was a child myself. Now that Dick and I are married I want one even more." "I'm sorry Barbara but if you do manage to get pregnant the odds that you will miscarry are higher than average. There are other ways you can try to have the family you both seem to want so much. There is surrogacy, adoption, even foster parenting. Dick was adopted and he turned out well, don't you think? Leslie asks. " In your case the child would be raised with a mom and dad who loved him or her. I cry all of the way home. Dick holds my hand with his free hand as he drives us home. I ask Dick if he'd love me any less if I'm not able to carry his child? He says he loves me, not just the idea of having a child with his DNA. He punctuates his words with a lingering, tender kiss. He lifts me gently out of my chair and carries me to the shower. We take turns washing each other's' hard to reach' parts, shall we say. Then we put on our robes and he carries me to our king sized bed. I suddenly notice it has white satin sheets. There are sweet scented candles all around. We remove each others robes and take turns giving each other full body massages. Then we make sweet passionate love until we fall asleep in each other's arms. *** Christmas morning: I wake up at 9:30 a.m, and get in my chair by myself letting Dick sleep a little longer. I decide to make Dick's favorite breakfast, chocolate chip pancakes, sprinkled with powered sugar. They aren't as good as Alfred's but Dick likes them. Next I make the coffee the way he likes it, very strong. He's going to need the caffeine. He stayed up on patrol very late last night. Just for today, we both promised no Nightwing or Oracle, only Dick and Barbara. We some how persuaded Bruce and Tim to do the same. While breakfast is cooking I go to check on Dick. He looks so cute sleeping, I almost to wake him up. He looks so sweet you'd never know how mischievous he can been when he's awake. I bend down to kiss my personal sleeping beauty. He awakes up with a huge grin on his face and kisses me back. When he's this passionate I'm so tempted climb back in bed with him and never leave. One reason I don't is for once Bruce is planning a normal family Christmas. Neither Dick or I want to pass up that rarity. He takes a shower then meets me at the breakfast table. After I take a few bites of my pancakes I start to feel nauseas. I think I have a stomach virus. I decide I should just have crackers and weak tea for breakfast. Dick puts his hand on my forehead to see if it feels hot. It feels normal, but he insists on taking my temperture. It reads 98.6 exactly normal. I decide it must've been something I ate last night. The tea and crackers must've done the trick because I feel better. I go to the bed room to dress. I put on a red pantsuit with a snowman family on the tops front. Dick comes in wearing his Jingles the Naughty Elf sweat shirt, the one that Roy gave him a couple of years ago, and dark blue pants. I have the sexiest man on Earth. He gives me a passionate kiss, and wheels me to the living room, the long way. This feels like Christmas did when I was a little girl. Dick bends down and turns on the tree lights and the miniature light up Christmas village under the tree. He says, "Let's open presents," with a twinkle in his eyes. He hands me a big box wrapped in silver paper with a red velvet bow. He gives me a hint, "It's from Victoria's Secret. I open it to see a beautiful emerald green silk nightgown with black lace on the neckline and a matching robe. He says, "Nothing but the best for my bride," with a smile. "I think you look so beautiful in that color. It matches your green eyes." Next he hands me another package the same size and wrapped the same. It's from O'Neil's department store. He bought me the sweater I'd been admiring in their window. It is white with holly and a red ribbon on the collar. He knows me so well. The last two boxes are from Peterson's jewelry store. One is a pair of sliver snowflake earrings that sparkle in the light. I put them on immediately. The other is a silver watch set in a lacy frame on a silver chain. He tells me to look on back of the watch. It says Dick and Bab's first Christmas, December 25, 2000. I love you. I start to tear up and I hug him tightly. He helps me put it on, and takes the opportunity to kiss the back of my neck. Now It's his turn to receive and mine to give. I give him a bottle of men's cologne I like him to wear, "Cool Water." The next package is a heating pad and muscle massager for all of the strains he gets on the job. I give him a pair of Super Man boxers and Batman's and a pair of Nightwing boxers I made myself. These make him blush with embarrassment. The last gift is a ceramic elephant I bought him at a craft show he dragged me to. On the side, I wrote 'Eleanor'. I tell him he has one more gift from me but he has to wait until we get to Bruce's. He pouts like a little boy. He reminds me we're due at the manor at 2:00 pm. I finish getting ready putting on my make up and brushing my hair a little more. Last I put it in a fancy up do. When Dick sees me he says, "Ooh La La!" Dick changes into a dark blue dress shirt. I tell him he looks great. I try to get him to wear a tie but he's being stubborn. I don't force the issue. I put on a green velvet dress it looks good with jewelry Dick gave me.. We arrive at Wayne about 1:45. We stand outside and admire the decorations for a minute, but it's to cold to do it for long even with our heavy coats and gloves. I say hello and Merry Christmas to Bruce and Alfred. There is a huge Christmas tree near the living room window. It looks about 9 ft tall, and is decorated in red and green satin balls and matching garland. In the middle of the well matched finery are rag candy canes and Santa's made out of cloth by loving tiny hands. I remember when Dick was that little boy showing me his gifts for his new guardian. It makes me wish we had little ones to make homemade ornaments for our tree. I start to tear up again. Dick sees me crying and asks what's wrong? I tell him it's just the emotion of the season. He hands me a tissue and holds me until I feel better. My father comes in and hugs my neck. He tells Dick he better not be the reason I'm crying. Then he hugs Dick. Alfred announces Christmas dinner is ready. We have turkey, and stuffing, baked potatoes, yams, citrus fruit salad and chocolate cake with fudge frosting. I go to the table thinking I can't eat but the food smells too good to resist. I get through the meal fine, it's wonderful as always. After dinner Leslie arrives with packages in her hands. Dick and Bruce help her carry them to the living room. She says she ate some at the mission but she'll have some of the fudge cake. After desert we all go into the living room to open presents. We give Bruce a wild light up Christmas tree sweatshirt. He stares at it in disbelief for a minute, then decides to be a good sport after all it's Christmas, and puts it on over his tailored shirt. Both Dick and I smile, then burst out laughing. Then I give Alfred a tin of homemade oatmeal cookies I made for him. I say, "I thought it was about time someone cooked for you." he says, "That was very kind of you mistress, Barbara." He takes one out with a smile and eats it. He says, "These are very good young lady." Bruce goes to the tree and picks up two packages. He hands one to me and one to Dick. I look over at Dick's and see it's from Alfred, Bruce and me. "This must be what you taunted me about this morning," Dick says. He opens it and his eyes get wide. "It's Eleanor! I thought you said you lost her during the rebuilding of the house after quake, Bruce!" He hugs her like he's nine again. "Let's just say I stretched the truth a bit," Bruce says. "She was misplaced for awhile after the quake." Then I say, "Alfred and I mended her and glued her eyes back in place." "Yes, I see," Dick says smiling. "Thank you Barbara, and Alfred, Bruce." He hugs us. He gives me a big kiss. Then Bruce says, "The second gift is for the both of you." We open it together. It's thick photo album and it has photos of us both starting from birth to our wedding.. I ask, "Dad did you give Bruce the photos of me?" He says, "Guilty as charged." I give him a kiss on the cheek. Bruce tells us Pop Halley's granddaughter sent him the baby pictures of Dick a few months ago. I notice it has several blank pages. I think he means them to be for pictures of our babies, but I won't say anything about not being able to have any. Miracles happen. Just as Tim is coming through the door I start to feel like I'm going to faint. Dick helps me to the couch. He covers me with a blanket as I pass out. A while later I wake up with everyone standing over me. I ask did I faint? Dick says, "Yes." Leslie says, "I may have good news for you but I'd like you to come in tomorrow. I did pregnancy test on you after Dick told me how sick you felt this morning and how emotional you've been lately. I want to run another tomorrow morning, but this one was positive. The next morning the second test confirms it. We're, having a baby! I'm due in July. That must mean the baby was conceived just after Thanksgiving. Maybe the day we were told I most likely couldn't get pregent. She tells me even though I'm high risk, the baby and I should be ok as long as I rest and follow her orders. After we leave the Doctor's office, we go to Wayne Manor to tell the family. Alfred gives me a Baby's first Christmas ornament. He says he just had the feeling that we could use one next year. *** Epilogue: On July 12, 2001, our baby girl Mary Elizabeth Grayson was born at 1201 a.m. She weighted 7 pounds 5 ounces and was 18 inches long. Of course she's Daddy's little girl and the apple of her Granddaddies' eye.