Legendary

I really wanted to up my holiday cheer quotient, which had taken a hit or two. The next morning, I stopped by the coffee shop early and was able to have a peppermint mocha with my mom. It's true, at least for me (Damian would disagree), that being able to talk things out with my mom makes things better. She was sad to hear about Alfred--I didn't think I knew anybody who didn't adore him, he's probably the most popular family member--but agreed with me that I should control my urge to try to make it better. I remembered how everybody had pretty much left me alone when Damian and I were working through Xander's disaster and I had appreciated it. We traded baby stories and she had a few suggestions for getting the spirit of the season--namely by accepting that I was not responsible for the fate of the world.

"Honey, you've always had a strong sense of responsibility," she said, patting my hand. "But you can't save everybody and everything. Loss happens, and you tried to warn that other company about the threat. You can't make anybody pay attention. You've got to let the stuff that isn't your fault or in your control go. You have a lot to celebrate; it's been a good year for your business, the people around you, and you. You do your best, so relax, enjoy the parties and the season. Mum and Dad will be here in a couple of days, that'll be fun too." I left feeling more cheerful, and swung by Selina's after work. Her new apartment was rather sparsely furnished aside from the nursery, which was warm and nurturing and contained every comfort for a new baby, even though the arrival was still a few months off. I handed her my present, knitted things plus the afghan for her, and wondered guiltily if people were just being nice when they received homemade things. Maybe they'd prefer perfect purchased things? I think I caught the dropped stitch, though.

Selina exclaimed over the things, though. She still looked sleek and elegant even though she was around seven months. She was easily the classiest criminal in Gotham and the most glamorous pregnant woman I'd ever met. She promptly flicked the afghan over her long legs and patted her stomach. "The nurse identified the sex of the kitten by accident," she grumbled. She'd wanted to be surprised. I leaned forward. "I'm having a girl," she said, and I grinned.

"Congratulations, Selina!" I exclaimed, and her irritation slid off her face.

"Damian didn't turn out too badly--your influence, darling--but frankly, I'm hoping for a better result with my kit. In some respects, I regret telling Bruce that she's his. He's great at the whole caped crusader thing and business, but he's not much of a family man." I felt kind of bad for Bruce, but she had a point. A couple, actually.

"Looking toward another generation of elegant second-story women?" I asked, smiling. She surprised me by shaking her head.

"No, I want better for her than that. It's one thing to choose your own path, and another to slink along the midnight rooftops out of desperation." The hand on her stomach stilled. "And I don't want to embarrass her by getting arrested. I need to find another career, pet." Her smile was small.

"Jewelry appraiser? Insurance investigator?" I suggested. "You have more strengths than you think, though. You might want to try something completely different." I sat back. "Stark is getting to the point where they need PR. You'd be fantastic at it. But any way I can help, just let me know. I know Damian will help." Her smile was bright. "I'm sure Emma has connections too."

"He is a gem, that boy. Like an emerald, where the flaws are called the garden and are an important part of the gemstone." Her smile turned affectionate. "Such a lovely, stable man from such a bloodthirsty, arrogant little prick." I laughed.

"Are you coming for Christmas?" I asked, and her smile twisted a bit.

"Yes, Bruce insisted, and the kitten can only benefit from knowing her father. Even if he serves as a bad example, he can still serve."

"He did step up with Damian," I felt compelled to say. "And you'll be a far better mother than Talia."

"I could hardly be worse," she said tartly, and we moved on to other topics. When I left, I noted that the Tots-n-Tykes store was having its grand opening. Excellent. I was glad it would be ready for Selina.

I stopped by St Patrick's before going home, and let the majesty of the cathedral work its magic on my spirit, the faint scent of the incense tickling my nose, and I reflected on the Christmas story--and how it had co-opted pagan winter celebrations-- as I enjoyed the serenity and the decorated sanctuary. The choir was practicing; the singers were distracted and the director getting aggravated. I smiled and headed home.

The kids were playing with Eira when I got home, Damian and Alfred chatting. Alfred handed me a glass of mulled wine and I curled up on the sofa by Damian and joined the conversation. Modi had brought by a Yule log sent down by his dad and Alfred was planning how he'd decorate it for me.

"I really appreciate how you've worked some of the Asgardian traditions into our holiday," I said to him.

"The traditions have meaning for you, the experiences and the memories. You deserve to have the things that make you happy, Miss Alex. I enjoy broadening my perspective, and it is quite pleasant to add these elements of quiet celebration into what has become a stressful season, with all the social expectations that are so common. They remind me to enjoy the warmth of family during the darkest part of the year, a notice that dark and light come in their own times, but that everything is cyclical." He gazed around the library, at the fire burning merrily, the kids being indulged by Eira, Damian and me, and smiled. "Dinner will be served in twenty minutes, Miss Alex."

I cuddled with Damian and we exchanged stories about our days. He brightened to learn that he was having a little sister and said he'd stop by to see Selina. "I try to visit every week, but I don't want to bug her," he said, running his fingers through my hair. "I'm glad she's looking ahead, though. She got an excellent settlement in the divorce, Dad wasn't a jerk about it; she doesn't have to work if she doesn't want to, but that would be boring. She needs something that will provide a continual challenge. The problem with most jobs is that there's a fair amount of routine and that's what she's not good at." He sighed. "And of course the divorce has been hard on her. I can't imagine being a single parent, even if Dad's come to his senses and is going to be a dad to his new daughter. It's hair-raising enough even with you, most adored Petal. Does he know she's having a girl, not a boy?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"She didn't say, she was pretty peeved it didn't get to be a surprise at the end," I said, and he nodded.

"I won't mention it then," he said, and we had to intervene as the twins were getting a little rambunctious. Then it was time for dinner.

The next night we had the holiday party for Stark Scientific and Technical, as the umbrella company was now branded since the initial environmental division had been joined by Tony's robotics (he was in heaven at the advances that had taken place while we were dead), Avengers tech, construction materials, and a new medical unit. And let's not forget the cars. They were more of a vanity project, but ours was spectacular. I'd been kept up to date on how the company was growing, but it was still a surprise to see how much we'd grown in sheer employee numbers. But we had a surprise for everybody too; we'd structured the company with shares--it was still a private company like Stark had been before the acquisition and Wayne still was, but the four of us owners had created a pool of ten percent of our ownership stake and we were awarding small numbers of shares to all the employees. Everybody got five to begin with, then more with each promotion. It wasn't a lot, but the company was already considered valuable by Wall Street standards and the sky was the limit. Ownership stakes would motivate employees, which in turn would help their compensation.

By the end of the week, I'd hired a small security and explosives control team for each of my projects and that weekend was the Valkyrie holiday party. Friday afternoon, we'd had a partners' work session where we reviewed our work on Valkyrieville, discussed the work still to be done, and started to discuss our next joint project. We finished that with a perusal of butler candidates, Champagne, and a tray of delectable desserts from a new French bakery in Valkyrieville. For the holiday party, everyone invited their friends and family. Callahan was stuck on site, but Mei was back and it was nice to meet her family along with those of our other employees. Martha brought her new beau, to the surprise of her family--she hadn't mentioned that she was seeing anybody special. I relaxed into the good cheer of the occasion, our offices being shown off and a nice buffet up in the conference room. Our brag wall showing our work as photographed in important publications was growing significantly. My grandparents had arrived and this was the first time they'd seen the Valkyrie Building themselves; Martha and I enjoyed showing them around, and the family went for coffee at Mom's shop downstairs afterward.

Christmas was wonderful as usual; Alfred and Alan did a fantastic job with the meals and the decor, of course, The present I was most proud of giving was a little marble statue of a kneeling valkyrie for Daniel, because there were no gargoyles at the mansion. I'd commissioned it from one of our master stonecarvers at work, and he was able to deliver it right before the holiday. Daniel loved it. After Christmas, Alan and Alfred went on vacation; they were going exploring in India. I was glad that Alan had bullied him into taking the trip and Damian and I hoped that he'd be better for the change of scenery and the opportunity to forget Fiona for awhile. We insisted that they take the suborbital shuttle so they'd have fast, safe, reliable transportation and could go where they wanted. Ostensibly, the butlers worked for us, but they were family, and none of us would be as successful if we couldn't rely on their world-class skills. They protested a bit, but I was firm.

It had to be said that standards went to hell while he was gone. We went out to eat or brought in take out a lot, ate in the library. We had no illusion that Alfred wouldn't find out what we'd done, especially since we couldn't convince the kids to keep quiet. When he got home three weeks later, he looked slightly tanned and reinvigorated. They'd gone to several historical sites throughout the country, including the Red Fort, the Amber Fort, the Golden Temple at Amritsar, the Ajanta caves, Hampi, and Fatehpur Sikri. Standards were reimposed, and I think that Alfred kind of expected our deviation. There were no repercussions, however, beyond perhaps extra starch in the table linens and a bit of a pointed tone when he called us in for meals. I was glad that he'd had a good time and relaxed, and submitted to the established order meekly.

He and Alan interviewed the candidates for the new Valkyrie butler and recommended three for our consideration. After interviews with the partners and staff who worked in the offices, we hired a woman named Delara Attar, who had been the chief concierge in the best hotel in Babylon, the capital of New Persia. Although she hadn't butled before, she had trained at an institute in the Netherlands and belonged to the International Guild of Butlers. Her references were impeccable and stressed her skills and professionalism. She envisioned for herself a role that blended concierge services for the professionals in our businesses as well as butlering responsibilities. She seemed reserved, not unfriendly, but gracious and knowledgeable, with determination the equal of anybody who worked here. And her background was clean. She arrived for her first day of work in the butler's uniform of white wing collar blouse, lustrous black silk tie, gray vest, black morning coat, white gloves, cufflinks, but in place of the trousers that Alfred and Alan wore, she wore a gray pinstriped knee length skirt with attractive but functional black pumps with a high shine. I didn't ask, but I felt fairly certain that she carried a pocket watch too.

Aslyn roped me into our new butler's orientation, and pretty soon I was dazed by the scope of her ambition for her job. We gave her an office on the floor below so that she could have one of the biggest end units and I took copious notes. Aslyn was responsible for the office equipment for our new hires, so I made my escape when it came time for her to choose her furnishings, and contacted the bank to get her a corporate credit card for the purchases she wanted to make. She was very particular about the services she wanted to provide us with, and I was a little cowed by her, actually. Appearances matter, especially for a firm that was busy ascending to the top, and I was certain that Delara would make sure that in our offices, at least, put forth the image we were looking for. She had very high standards, and I felt that she was going to whip us into shape to meet them. Huh. It was good that business was slower in January, as we all had a little more time to spend one on one with her, getting to know her and vice versa. One thing she requested from all of us was that we bring a change of clothes to keep at the office in case of an accident, and she would be responsible for cleaning and maintaining these clothes and matching footwear. This is also how the firm came to be in possession of a Larastar pressing system. Alfred had given her his contact information in case she had questions or concerns, and it wasn't long before he approached Damian and me and requested training at the institute, admitting that he'd had on the job training and that he felt that he could up his game with a formal course of study. We reassured him that we couldn't imagine him doing any better, but I think he was feeling competitive with Delara and we paid for his enrollment in the next class. Whatever Alfred wants, he gets, as far as I'm concerned.

Before he left in the first week of February, he enjoined us, sternly, not to eat in the library.

Just before I had to go back to Prague, Selena gave birth to her daughter, whom she named Tabitha Antonia Kyle-Wayne. Bruce was there for the birth, made not a peep about the name, and took about twenty pictures of the baby in not quite five minutes. She had black hair like both her parents, and the question was more whether she'd have Bruce's sparkling blue eyes or Selena's darker sapphire. My sister-in-law was red and looked like Winston Churchill, as they all do, but by definition all babies are beautiful and Selina grinned at me. Damian was an old hand with babies and jollied her into cooing, but admitted to me later that he was just as glad our children were out of diapers and sleeping through the night.

Prague was still pretty, with a fresh show coat when I arrived, but I had to admit I was glad the project was almost done. I met with the foreman of the project, who was enjoying the restoration work, both because it was his cultural heritage but also because he got to use the products that Tony produced for us. My security team ran through the tower twice a day, and aside from somebody who was trying to steal a sample of Tony's stabilizing agent for the mortar, had nothing to report. They like the work, though, and we discussed working together on the next project I won. My work was almost complete, and I'd come back the next month for the grand reopening. The rest of the Clementinum would take a couple of years, and I was glad, given the threat of Typhon, that I hadn't gotten that contract.

On my way home, I stopped in the Netherlands and was invited to the institute for lunch and was able to see Alfred. "It doesn't seem like home without you," I said, and he smiled. He was very enthusiastic about all that he was learning about estate management and other aspects of butlering--he had the entertainment aspects and the running of the household, of course, but he was, as always, happy to learn more. More than that, I sensed that he was glad to be receiving formal training to hone his professional abilities. One of the school's administrators graciously thanked me for coming and seemed pleased to hear how impressed I was with their curriculum. Some of Alfred's fellow students got to try out their abilities with my visit, and seemed more impressed by me than they should be. I was sure to tell the administrator that Delara was making a big impact at work and that we considered ourselves lucky to have her. Before I left, I showed Alfred pictures of the kids and Selena and Bruce's Tabby and said we were looking forward to his return.

We were, too. Advances in housecleaning made it a lot easier than it had been the first time around, but Alfred had a way of putting a sparkle on the place that Damian and I couldn't quite manage. But we did try, and managed most of our meals in the kitchen.

And as we muddled along, we got the welcome news that Alan and Aslyn were engaged. Daniel and I squabbled a bit, but ultimately I won the rights to host the engagement party. Some emails back and forth with Alfred had us setting the date shortly after his graduation. He sent Damian and me worksheets for planning the party and directed us to resources. He would take things in hand after his graduation.

Damian and the twins flew to Prague with me for the ceremony marking the completion of the tower restoration. It was an enormous relief. On the way back, we were able to attend Alfred's graduation ceremony, a formal event. The twins were very well behaved and thrilled to see Alfred again. He said he was grateful for the education, but looking forward to getting back to work.

I was glad to be back home again, resuming my normal schedule--my wings were molting again and the itching was distracting. I couldn't say that Alfred's service improved because I always thought he was amazing, but he had new ideas and ways of doing things that adapted well to our household. He seemed invigorated by the experience, although his enthusiasm got checked when he found some popcorn between the sofa cushions that Damian and I had missed. We gave him a hefty raise to recognize and reward the value of his diploma. The engagement party was lovely and Aslyn looked happier than I'd ever seen her, in either life. I felt better, because at least we knew Alan wasn't undercover HYDRA. He managed to escape a good chunk of wedding planning, having successfully agitated for training at the Institute too. Alfred expanded his sphere to provide basic services for Daniel and Mark during that time. At work, I pitched bids for the restoration of a few private homes in Montreal, Spain, and Portugal, and Valkyrie joined the worldwide effort to rebuild Hagia Sophia with pledges of money and materiel. I was a little surprised when a top official from the Turkish cultural ministry called to thank us for our support. He also asked if we'd consider bidding for some part of the project since we had gotten a reputation for being security-minded. It was the first time we'd been specifically asked to bid on a project of this magnitude. We'd always just submitted proposals when projects were announced. It was a Big Deal for the firm.

And we hosted a gathering of Avengers and Justice League heavy hitters. Their work had uncovered information about Typhon.