by Immortalwildcat
Christmas Eve, 1988:
“Time to hang up the phone and get to bed, Sonia!” called Helena Wayne from the kitchen of her Gotham City townhouse. “Don’t want to be awake when Santa comes, do you?”
Sonia Wayne, Helena’s thirteen-year-old adopted daughter, appeared in the doorway with the kind of scowl on her face that only a teenager could pull off well. “Come on, don’t you think I’m a little old to believe in Santa Claus?”
“Hey, a mother can dream, can’t she?” sighed Helena, draping a dish towel over the handle of the oven. “I guess I missed the fun years of pretending to be Santa and his elves, all rolled into one. Still, it’s after ten, and I want to be out at the manor by noon tomorrow to help Karen, Dick, and Alfred with the dinner preparations.” She draped an arm over the thirteen-year-old’s shoulder and guided her out to the living room. “So, how is Bat doing in San Juan?”
“He’s advanced to the final round and picked up ten thousand dollars in prize money,” said Sonia. “Sounds like the cards are favoring him so far.”
“I guess I can’t get too mad about him missing Christmas for a poker tournament,” said Helena, speaking of her current beau, Bat Lash. (*) “And I won’t have to put up with any scowls from your Uncle Dick tomorrow, either.”
[(*) Editor’s note: See The Huntress: Aces and Eights.]
“I suppose I have to listen to another history lesson tomorrow, won’t I?” asked Sonia, turning out from under her mother’s arm and flopping onto the couch. “It was kinda cool, finding out about Uncle Philip, though.” (*)
[(*) Editor’s note: See Batman Family: Thanksgiving.]
“That’s Great-Great-Uncle Philip to you,” laughed Helena. “It’s kind of a curse when you’re around older folks; they like to talk about the past and their family.”
“I know, and it’s the only way I’m going to get to know them. Same for Jason, right?”
“Right.” Helena looked at a clock on the wall. “You up for another history lesson tonight?”
“Just you and me?”
“Just you and me. Dick and Alfred weren’t around for most of this one. This was back when Uncle Dick was still an ambassador and my father was still alive.”