Disclaimer:  All characters depicted herein, in
whatever form, belong to DC Comics/Time Warner.  I do
not have permission to use them.  I will not use them
for profit.  I will not feed them after midnight.  I
will not get them wet.  I will have them home in time
for the next issue of BoP...

***

Bat-Babies 2:  Stocking Stuffers
By Smitty (smittywing@yahoo.com)

***

	"It was really sweet of you to come over and help me
decorate," Barbara Gordon told Dick Grayson as she
tied another red velvet bow.
	"Hey, any time," Dick replied, standing on a chair to
tack the greens and bows around the windows of the
Clock Tower.  "You know how much I love Christmas Eve.
 We used to decorate the trees in the Manor right
after Thanksgiving, though.  Didn't you wait awfully
late?" he asked, referring to the lush evergreen that
stood bare in the corner of Barbara's living room.
	"No!" Barbara protested, handing him the bow she'd
been working on.  "It goes up Christmas Eve and comes
down New Year's Day.  That's the way Daddy and I have
always done it."
	"The trees at the Manor were always for show anyway,"
Dick admitted.  "Bruce and Alfred and I used to put
some more personal stuff on one of them Christmas Eve,
when all the parties were over.
	"See?" Babs said smugly.  "Christmas Eve is the time
for it."
	"You're right," Dick assured her.  "The Mighty Oracle
knows all."
	Barbara wrinkled her nose delicately.  "You can't
stay out of the habit for a single night, can you?  I
*do* have a name, you know."
	"Of course I know," Dick said with a grin, stepping
off his chair and leaning down to rub his nose against
hers.  "And I like it very much."  He tilted his head
down to kiss her quickly.  "I'm all about being Dick
Grayson tonight," he informed her cheerfully.  "No
masks, decel lines or code names for me."
	"You say that now," Barbara pointed out, shaking a
finger at him.
	"You mock my good intentions?"
	"It's not the intentions," Barbara said pointedly. 
"It's what happens to them."
	"I don’t know what you're talking about," Dick
protested primly.  "All I know is--"
	He was interrupted by the insistent beeping of his
communicator.  The room fell silent as Barbara shot
him a despairing look.
	"I don't what you're talking about," she mocked
softly, turning away from him.
	"Aw, Babs," he started, but the communicator demanded
his attention once more.  "Hold on."  With one more
pained glance at the back of Barbara's head, Dick
lifted his wrist and spoke.  "Can't this wait?"
	"Negative," Batman's voice growled from the receiver.
 "We have a situation in Monolith Square.  Get here."
	The transmission cut off abruptly.
	"Babs," Dick started.
	"I know.  Go."
	"I'm really sorry.  I promise, the minute I get
back--" 
	"I know."  Babs looked at him over her shoulder and
offered a small smile.  "Go on.  You know how he hates
to be kept waiting."
	"I know."
	Barbara turned back to her own thoughts as she
listened to Dick get dressed in his Nightwing suit and
take off through her window.  When she heard his heavy
boots push away from the metal railing on her balcony,
she turned back to the half-decorated tree.
	"I guess you'll just have to stay that way," she said
sadly.  She turned and rolled out of the room,
shutting out the lights as she left.
	The dark room fell silent.
	For about thirty seconds.
	"Is she gone?"
	"The lights are out, stupid-head."
	"Don't call me stupid-head."
	"Oh no!"
	"What?"
	"The tree!"
	Indeed, the tree was a sorry sight.  Colored balls
and pasty ornaments, bits of gold lace and clusters of
beads adorned the bottom half, catching the snippets
of moonlight that shone through the gauzy curtains. 
But above the highest branch Barbara could reach, the
tree lay green and dull and tired...and totally empty.
	"Poor Babs," Li'l Nightwing mourned, hiking one foot
up to the rim of the poinsettia pot and jumping up to
grab one of the flimsy stems.  He pumped his little
stuffed legs back and forth and let go, flying into
the couch cushions.  WHOMP!  "Whoa," he said, rubbing
his head as he stumbled for footing in the fluffy
cushions.  "The tree looks even worse from here."
	"I wanna see."  Li'l Batgirl followed the Poinsettia
Path, but landed neatly on the back of the couch.  She
cupped her hands around her face and moaned.  "Oh,
Li'l Nightwing, what are we going to do?  The tree's
NAKED from halfway up!"
	"We're gonna decorate it," Li'l Nightwing announced
determinedly.  "We're superheroes, aren't we?"
	"But it's so…tall," Li'l Batgirl pointed out
doubtfully.
	"Well, yeah."  Li'l Nightwing scratched his head.
	"How are we going to get up there?"
	A slow smile spread across Li'l Nightwing's face. 
"Elemtchur--elementsur--easy.   We have GADGETS."


	Li'l Batgirl and Li'l Nightwing sat on either side of
a long string of colored lights.
	"Left over right, then--"
	"No, no, no," Li'l Batgirl interrupted, waving her
arms.  "Right over left, THEN left over right."
	"But why can't--"
	"Because that's the way it's S'POSED to go!" she
insisted.
	"Ok, ok," Li'l Nightwing conceded.  He passed the end
of the string of lights to Li'l Batgirl who tucked it
under the length of the string in front of her and
passed it back to him.  Li'l Nightwing passed the end
back under the wire and let Li'l Batgirl fold it over
the top.  They each tugged on one side, tightening the
square knot.  Li'l Nightwing crawled to his feet and
looked up at the tree.  It looked awfully big.  And
awfully far away.
	Li'l Batgirl watched Li'l Nightwing watch the
distance from the top of the couch to the tree.  He
twisted the cord nervously between his thumbs and the
rest of his hands and gazed up at the tree.  She made
a decision.
	SMACK!  Li'l Nightwing's eyes widened as Li'l Batgirl
gave him a big kiss on the cheek.
	"For luck," she explained sweetly.
	Li'l Nightwing grinned and swung the light cord
around his head like a lasso.  With a mighty heave, he
sent the string of lights flying towards the tree. 
The loop they had tied hooked over the top of the tree
and the two tiny toys jumped up and down in glee.
	"Ok, now you want to jump toward the window," Li'l
Batgirl said matter-of-factly.  "Because you want to
swing around the tree and land on the mantel again."
	"Ok."  Li'l Nightwing took a deep breath and held it,
squeezing his eyes shut and hopping off the end of the
sofa back.  He swung through the air, the lights
catching on the tree branches, but lost control of his
turn as he approached the mantel.  "Uh-oh!" he cried
as he careened into the poinsettia plant, bounced off
a nutcracker, and tumbled against a small gift bag
propped up, front and center.  Li'l Nightwing and the
gift bag went tumbling off the edge, in freefall
toward the floor.
	"Oof!"
	It took a moment, but Li'l Nightwing soon realized
that he hadn't made that particular noise. 
Cautiously, he lifted some spilled tissue paper.  Then
he lifted some more.
	"Whoo!  What a ride!"
	Li'l Nightwing looked up to see…another doll looking
down at him.  It was a girl doll, with a turquoise
leotard and bright yellow yarn for hair, pulled into
two braids next to her face.
	"What is it?" Li'l Batgirl called down from her perch
on the back of the couch.  "Are you--oh!"  She quickly
vaulted down to the floor to examine the new beanie in
town.
	"Hi!  I'm Li'l Batgirl," she announced, sticking out
her hand.  "I like your boots!"
	"Thanks!  I'm Li'l Canary, but you can call me Dinah!
 I like your ears!"
	"Thanks!  Did Babs make you to give to Dinah for
Christmas?"
	"She sure did!"  Li'l BC looked around and kicked
futilely at her packaging.  "I guess I'll need to be
back up there by morning, huh?"
	"Maybe even before," Li'l Nightwing cut in, annoyed
at being ignored.  "In case Nightwing comes back."
	"Hey," Li'l Batgirl said thoughtfully.  "We're trying
to decorate the tree.  Babs can't reach all the way up
and Nightwing had to go help grumpy ol' Batman.  You
wanna help?"
	"Sure!" Li'l BC answered brightly.  "I'd love to
help!  I used to be a florist so I know all about
designing things."
	"Really?  Wow!  That's great.  The first thing we
need to do is..."
	Li'l Nightwing kicked a piece of tissue paper out of
his way and crossed his arms as best he could,
considering he didn't have elbow joints.  He frowned
at the two girl toys, who had linked arms and were
chattering eagerly about Li'l BC's plans for the tree.
	"Hmph."


	"One...two...three!"  Li'l Batgirl and Li'l BC jumped
off the mantel, each holding one end of a strip of
garland.  They tackled the tree, swinging the garland
around in pretty stripes.
	Li'l Nightwing sat on the floor, legs straight out in
front of him, back against Li'l BC's gift bag.  
	"Hmph."


	"Banzai!"  Li'l Batgirl let go of the makeshift
catapult, flinging the bright Christmas ball into the
air. 
	"Got it!"  Li'l BC, up in the tree, managed to
cushion the ball's landing in the tree, and hooked it
over a branch.  "Another one?"
	"Sure!"
	"I should do it," Li'l Nightwing reasoned, swaggering
up behind her.  "I'm a boy and boys are stronger than
girls and I can make it fly higher."
	"It's science," Li'l Batgirl explained, loading
another ball into the cup.  "It has cranks and gears. 
And leverage and stuff.  So stronger isn't better."
	"Hmph."


	"We should swing around on the cord for the
mini-blinds," Li'l Batgirl suggested.  "Then we can
just throw the tinsel onto the tree."
	"I'm the best swinger," Li'l Nightwing boasted.  "I
should do that."
	"I was gonna teach Dinah how to swing," Li'l Batgirl
started.
	"Fine!  Go play with *Di-nah*!  I don't care!"
	And with that, Li'l Nightwing stomped off.
	Li'l Batgirl and Li'l BC exchanged worried glances.
	"Uh-oh."


	Li'l Nightwing sat in the alcove by the fireplace
set, trying very hard not to cry.  Crying got him all
wet and soggy and sogginess was hard to explain. 
Plus, it made his stuffing lumpy.
	Li'l Batgirl wanted to be friends with Li'l BC and
not with him.  But they'd been friends forever and
ever, he thought sadly.  He didn't *want* things to
change.  He felt another attack of the sniffles coming
on and prepared to hold back a barrage of tears when
he felt a pokepokepoke at his shoulder.  He scrubbed a
careless hand across his eyes and peered back over his
shoulder.
	"What do you want?" he asked rudely of Li'l Batgirl. 
Li'l BC was peering at him from behind her red-headed
friend.
	Li'l Batgirl brought something big and bright and
shiny from behind her back.
	"We want you to put on the star."


	"Wow."
	"Yeah."
	"It looks really nice."
	"You did a great job."
	"We ALL did a great job," Li'l Batgirl corrected. 
"You got the star SO straight!  And thanks, D.  We
'preciate the extra hand!"
	"I'd better get back in my bag before someone finds
me out," Li'l BC said.  She looked right at Li'l
Nightwing.  "Can you help me out?"
	Li'l Nightwing beamed.  "Sure I can!"
	Together, they stuffed the bag full of tissue paper,
but try as they might, they couldn't get it back on
the shelf.
	"Well," Li'l Nightwing said, "what if we just leave
the bag on its side like it fell, and D can lay
inside?"
	"Yeah!"  Li'l BC scrambled inside the bag and peeked
out one last time.  "Thanks for letting me help, guys!
 It was the most fun EVER!"  Her little blonde
pigtails disappeared into the tissue paper, leaving
Li'l Nightwing and Li'l Batgirl alone.
	"You were being silly," Li'l Batgirl informed him.
	"I know," he admitted, scuffing his boot along the
carpet.
	"But we're ok now, right?"
	"Yup!  And..."  Li'l Nightwing smiled.  "We made a
new friend."
	"We sure did!" Li'l Batgirl agreed.  "But..." she
poked him in the chest, "...just remember whose
boyfriend you are!"  She leaned closer to him and just
when she was about to kiss him...
	"Flop!"


	Dick Grayson came in Barbara's balcony window,
peeling off his mask.  He rolled his stiff neck
around, hoping to stretch out the kinks before
finishing up the tree.  
	The tree?  He stepped closer, looking at it in
wonder.  The whole thing was decorated, all the way to
the star on the top.  His foot brushed something as he
moved to examine the lights, and he looked down to see
Barbara's little dolls and a gift bag lying on the
floor.  
	"Must've fallen down," he muttered to himself,
returning all three to the mantel before turning his
attention back to the tree.
	"Who's there?"
	"It's me, Babs," he answered as Barbara rolled
through the door, escrima sticks at the ready.
	"Dick?"  The light snapped on and Barbara gasped at
the beauty of the tree.  "Dick!  You came back and
finished up for me!  How did you--"  She didn't finish
her sentence, just smiled and pulled him down for a
kiss.
	"I didn't finish it," Dick burst out, before he
thought.  "I thought you did!"
	"You thought I--no."  Together, they looked back at
the tree, puzzled, then at each other.
	"You don't believe in..."
	"No," they agreed together.



	"Why Dinah, thank you," Barbara exclaimed.  "I've
always wanted a...one of these," she finished, turning
the gift over in her hand.
	"It's a mouse cozy," Dinah explained excitedly,
oblivious to Babs' slip of the tongue.  "You see, you
slip it over your mouse, so when it's cold out, your
hand doesn't have to grab a cold mouse.  Nifty, huh?"
	"Well, thank you, Dinah.  I really appreciate it. 
Now, here, open yours!"  Barbara passed her friend a
familiar little gift bag.
	As Dinah tore into her present, two sets of button
eyes peered down from the mantel.  
	"Move over," one whispered under the cover of tearing
tissue paper.  The request was accompanied by a punch
to a soft side.  "I can't see!"
	"You can't see?  I'm the one stuffed behind the
poinsettia!"
	"Ooh!" Dinah squealed.  "It's me!  Look!  It's a
little me!"  She jumped up and threw her arms around
Barbara, before dancing away to held up her new doll
and sit it with the two suddenly floppy toys on the
mantel.  "Look, my doll can come over and play with
your little dolls and when I take it home..."  Dinah
paused to take a deep breath, abandoning Li'l Batgirl
and Li'l Nightwing to brandish her little alter ego at
Babs.  "...I think it'll go great next to the Batman
action figure I found the other day.  Don't  you
think?"
	Li'l BC's hand closed and she waved her thumb at the
two horrified beanies above.
	"Uh-oh!"
	
The End?