Holiday Movie Night at the Manor
(( I apologize in advance; this post has not been proof read XD . I'll edit out any typos later, if I get on again before you respond. I wanted to get this up before I went to sleep. Merry Christmas! )) The Wayne Estate in the winter was always a beautiful sight. Snow piled up on the trees and sprawling out across the laws, with beautifully subtle twinkling Christmas lights poking out the shrubbery and elegant wreaths hung on the doorways and lamp posts. In all the years that she had been visiting the manor, Barbara had yet to actually see anyone put decorations up. One day the grounds were completely normal, and the next it was a sparkling holiday wonderland.
She assumed it must have been Alfred’s work (either directly or via a hired service) but she had never heard him talk about it, and when she asked if he could use any help putting them up or taking them down he would always just smile politely and inform her that her assistance wouldn’t be necessary. One year she thought she saw him carrying a box of decorations up to the attic after the holidays, but it had turned out to be a bunch of old clothes he was putting aside to be donated.
The subject had become one of Babs’ private favourite things about the place, and she found herself dwelling on the mystery every year, such as she was that even while she made the walk from her car to the main manor door. She had her winter jacket tucked up under her arm, a plastic bag from the video rental store hanging from her hand, and a Gotham Police Department duffle bag slung across her opposite shoulder, so it was a bit of a balancing act trying to get the big wooden door open. Thankfully, she was good at balancing acts.
Dick was expecting her, so she knew the door would be open. She hadn’t knocked before entering the manor, when she could avoid it, in years. It was slightly irrational, but she always felt guilty when Alfred came and opened it for her, and besides, it made her feel a bit more comfortable in a house that was probably bigger than her entire apartment building.
“Hello!” She called cheerfully as she pushed the big door closed behind her. “Dick? Alfred?”
