#fanfifc

Santa looked at her quizzically, “Okay, what problem are you having?”

Ruby turned to Lena, pointed, and said, “I need a miracle. My Auntie Lena needs help.”

Lena looked baffled and said, “Ruby, I don’t need any help.”

Ruby turned to Santa with a worried look on her face and said, “She is lying. She thinks that love doesn’t exist. I need to make her believe again.”

Lena chuckled nervously and said, “Ruby that isn’t true. I believe that love exists. I love you, your mommy, and your grandma Lillian very much.”

Ruby rolled her eyes at her. She turned back to Santa and said, “She’s nervous because she knows that is not what I mean. She doesn’t believe in finding true love anymore. Auntie Lena is awesome and deserves the best true love in the entire world.”

Lena started rubbing the back of her neck and laughing nervously. 

“Ruby, I have taught you that you don’t need to be in a relationship to have a successful life.”

Ruby pouted at her and said, “You are sad all the time now since Andrea left. When I sleep over at your apartment, I hear you cry in your room at night wishing she would come back.” She turned to Santa and said, “Please don’t bring her back into her life. My mom said that she is a bad word, but it does rhyme with witch.”

Santa tried to stifle a chuckle. Lena looked at both of them mortified. She always thought she hid her emotions well around Ruby, but clearly she was wrong. Her last two relationships nearly destroyed her. When she was in college, she had dated Jack for 4 years. She thought that her relationship with him was going well until he bailed. Stated that being around her was a hazard. By that point, Lex had tried to kill her three times. The third time Jack took a bullet that was meant for her that put him in the hospital for three months. She was devastated that he broke up with her, but at least she understood it. Being with her was a hazard, and while she was willing to be his ride or die, she understood him not feeling the same way. 

Lena stayed single after that for two years until she met Andrea. She was a force of nature that swept her off her feet. She constantly surprised her with trips, flowers, chocolates, and love notes. She felt so loved and spoiled. Lena wanted to spend the rest of her life with her and often was scared that it was too good to be true. And it was. A couple of months ago, a hysterical woman broke into her building demanding to see her claiming Lena stole her wife and destroyed their family. Lena thought the lady was nuts until she had her private investigator do some digging and found out that Andrea not only was married but had five kids. She was devastated. What made matters worse was that Andrea’s wife sold her story to a popular tabloid. Now Lena not only gets blamed for Lex’s shenanigans but she is considered a homewrecker too. As much as she hated Andrea, she still wanted her back and that made her feel terrible. She wished that she could get over her. She barely left the house other than to go to work because it was one of the few things that kept her distracted. That and baking. Her house has been overflowing with baked treats like bread, muffins, and cakes since she left Andrea. Today was Lena’s first outing somewhere other than work in over three months. She only came because Sam agreed to go to a conference she had been avoiding hosted by Morgan Edge in Metropolis. She said the major thing Lena would have to do was to take Ruby to see Santa. Lena thought it would be a quick trip in and out. Now, Lena was regretting that decision.

Lena forced a smile and said, “I know that I was sad, but I am doing much now.”

Ruby pouted at her and said, “No you're not. Sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what you want in a true love.”

Lena sighed. She was starting to become frustrated and she didn’t want to draw attention to herself. 

“Ruby, dear. I don’t need anyone for Christmas. I am fine. I promise you.”

“No you’re not!” shouted Ruby while becoming teary-eyed. 

Lena was on the brink of tears. She knew that Ruby meant well, but this was all too much.”

“Ruby, if I sit on Santa’s lap and tell him my Christmas wish for a partner, will you drop this and never speak of this again.”

“Yes!” Ruby beamed. 

Ruby hurried up and got off of Santa’s lap so Lena could sit down. Lena rolled her eyes and gradually went to sit on Santa’s lap. 

“How does this work exactly?” muttered Lena. 

As Kara and Streaky rounded the bend, Kara noticed a man dressed in a black sweater, pants, and black mask over his head knock over a Santa and take  the red collection box he was using to collect funds for the Salvation Army near the park’s exit.

Kara sighed, shook her head, and said, “Do people not have any shame?”

She noticed two rocks on the ground near her. She picked them up quickly and threw them towards the thief. The rocks hit the thief on the back of his legs causing him to fall and then hit his head on the pavement knocking him out. 

Kara shook her head as she ran up to grab the box and then take it back to Santa. The Santa tried to get up to greet her but winced as he tried to put weight on his foot.

Kara frowned and asked, “Are you okay?”

Santa smiled at her and said, “I’ll be okay. I think I may have hurt my ankle though. Do you mind helping me over to that bench over there?”

Kara nodded as she helped him up and guided him to the nearest bench. As he sat down, she used her X-ray vision to analyze his ankle. She didn’t see a sprain or any type of breakage which is a good sign. Given on hard he fell, she wouldn’t be surprised if he was maybe sore for the next day or two. 

Kara sat next to him and gave him the Salvation Army box. 

Santa smiled at her and said, “Thank you so much for retrieving this. The funds mean so much to families in need, especially during the holiday season.”

Kara smiled and said, “It is no problem. I just want to help.” She looked at his ankle and said, “You seemed to have difficulty walking. Did you need help to get back home or would you like me to call someone for you?”

Santa chuckled and said, “No, I will be just fine. I think my ego is more bruised than anything that I let that young man get the jump on me and the lady earlier.”

Kara frowned and asked, “What lady?”

Santa sighed and said, “There was a lady that was going through her purse about to put funds in the Salvation Army Box when the thief took us both by surprise. He took her money and car keys. He was about to attack her when I pushed her away and she made a run for it. Then the thief turned his focus on me and tried to take the money box.

Kara frowned and said, “I hope that lady is okay.”

Santa nodded and said, “I hope so too.” He held up his hand, revealed the car keys, and said, “The idiot dropped it during the fight and I was able to get them back. I was hoping to be able to find her since my shift ends in a couple of minutes and she said that she was heading to the parking lot near the park after making her donation. However, I am not sure if I will be able to catch up with her with my ankle bothering me like this.”

Kara smiled and said, “I can try to find her. It shouldn’t be too hard since there is only one parking lot within walking distance from here. Do you remember what the lady looked like?”

As Lillian squeezed her tight, she exclaimed, “I can’t believe how big you have gotten.”

Ruby smiled and said, “Mommy says that I’m a growing weed.”

Lillian chuckled and said, “I think you are growing like a pretty rose that I can’t wait to see what you bloom into.” 

Lillian kissed her forehead as Ruby hugged her tighter. Lena smiled at the display. Sam and Ruby weren’t related to Lillian at all but she embraced them as family when they met almost six years ago. Lena had just started working at L-Corp. She was initially filling in for Lillian since she was recovering from having a knee replacement surgery at Lena’s penthouse and Lex was serving time for his umpteenth attempt at Superman’s life. Sam was an intern accountant  at the time and brought to her attention that money was being funneled out of the company into a shell account. 

Lena was initially surprised that none of the accounts found this sooner but began to realize that the majority of the department was corrupt and was being pay-rolled by Lex even though he was still in prison. Lena quickly got rid of most of the accounting department and replaced it with people that she trusted and placed Sam as the head of the department. They quickly became friends which is when she noticed that Sam and her three month old have been living out of her car for a couple of months. Sam’s boyfriend kicked her out of their apartment and she had been on her own ever since. Lena offered Sam and Ruby to stay with her and Lillian. It ended up being the best thing for everyone. Lillian had been bored being stuck in the house all day. She was used to being on the move and independent. However, having a baby in the house brighten Lillians perspective. She thought that Ruby was the cutest baby in the world and constantly volunteered to babysit her. When she got well enough, she would constantly take Ruby shopping for matching outfits. Ruby was the only baby she new that had designer baby clothes. Sam thought it was too much, but Lillian just smiled and said, “Well, grandmas are always supposed to spoil their grandchildren.” 

Sam was so touched by this because her own mother rejected her when she found out that Sam got pregnant without being married. Lillian and Sam bonded after that and now Sam is like a second daughter to Lillian. 

Lillian looked up to Lena smiling and said, “What bring you guys by today?”

Lena rubbed the back of her neck nervously. She didn’t want to blurt out the real reason they were here. She wanted to ease them into it. Luckily she smelled something that could help her stall.

Lena sniffed and said, “Whatever that is smells delicious.”

Lillian smiled and said, “Oh, I had made lunch for me and the bridge club. We had roast beef sandwiches and potato wedges along with cupcakes. I actually have some left over if you guys haven’t eaten anything yet.”

“Oh, cupcakes!” Ruby exclaimed as she raced for the kitchen. 

Lillian chuckled and said, “I am kind of a little hurt that she stopped hugging me once cupcakes became involved. “

Lena linked her arms in Lillians, smiled, and said, “You know that she will be cuddling with you before you know it asking you to read her favorite book.”

Lillian smiled and said, “Well, I have perfected the character’s voices after all.”

Lena rolled her eyes as she and Lillian headed to the kitchen. 

*****

Lena watched as Ruby tried to go for a second cupcake. Lena sighed and said, “Ruby, you already have one. You don’t need another one.”

Ruby turned to Lillian with huge round eyes and a quivering pout. 

“Grandma, can I please have another cupcake?”

Lillian chuckled and said, “Of course dear. Anything for my favorite granddaughter.”

“Yeah!” exclaimed Ruby as she grabbed another cupcake. 

Lena shook her head and said, “Mom, you shouldn’t have given her the extra cupcake. She is now going to be bouncing with energy until she goes to bed.”

Lillian smiled and said, “That is not so bad. Besides, who could say no to that adorable face?”

Lillian patted Ruby on the head which caused her to smile as she bit into her cupcake. Lena smiled at the display of affection between the two. Lillian looked so peaceful and she didn’t want to ruin it. 

Lena sighed as she went to get another cupcake for herself. 

As she took a bite, Lillian said, “It seems like you have a lot on your mind. Did something happen before coming here?”

Lena sighed while putting down the cupcake. 

Here we go. 

She looked up at her mom with a passive look on her face and said, “Well, an incident did occur before coming here.”

Lillian looked up frowning and said, “Oh. I hope it was something too troubling.”