-Massive disclaimer that I'm not Jewish; I was just disappointed that I never see Chanukah specials.-

-I may be a thembo, I don't want to misrepresent, so please let me know if any of this is offensive or inaccurate, and I'll  change it.-

Late-October, Mount Justice

"On today's game of 'what Christian bullshit is this'. Our neighbor asked my mother if this is a menorah." Artemis laughed, showing them a photo of a five-candle-holder. 

"Oh oof." Wally laughed. 

"Yeah." She pulled her phone back. "I don't even know if my mom remembers how many candles there are supposed to be, she hasn't celebrated Chanukah with us since she went to jail."

"What's Chanukah?" M'gann asked. The four of them were hanging out together because they had no where else to be; four, because Robin was there two, he was just getting a drink.

"A religious holiday." Artemis replied. "Not nearly as capitalized as Christmas, but around the same time of year."

"I don't know what that is either." The martian admitted. "All I know is that earth holidays involve a lot of chocolate."

"Amen." Wally sighed.

"They're both religious things." Artemis explained. "Like, religions that stemmed from the same idea, but then separated, and have different cultures and holidays and jazz."

"Whatcha talking about?" Dick asked, strolling in with a cup of tea.

"Religion." Artemis said. She turned back to the others. "Like my mom's an atheist: someone with no religion, and we were raised Jewish while she was away, cause why not?" She shrugged.

"Oh, I didn't know you're Jewish." Dick commented, sitting down by Wally and blowing on his tea.

"Yeah, on my dad's side." She replied, pausing a little. "I also get my blondeness from him so someone explain that, I guess." She laughed, but the others felt too confused and uncomfortable to do the same. 

"Is that... not allowed?" M'gann asked. "Or normal?"

"Naw, I'm just joking!" The blonde girl explained. "I kind of hover between atheist and Jewish, It's tough cause I don't want to pick either of my parents' sides."

"Huh." Dick sipped his drink, listening intently

"Arty's just Jew-ish." Wally chuckled. He was promptly beamed in the side of the head with a couch cushion.

"Stank bitch." Artemis reached across to grab the pillow back. "Kidding. I had 'Jew-ish' in my bio all through grades seven to nine. Until the white supremacist kids kept sending death threats."

"Whoa, PEOPLE SENT YOU DEATH THREATS!?" Dick interrupted. 

"I mean these kids sent death threats to all the minority students...." Artemis explained. "But luckily, everyone at my new school is all bark and no bite. They're scared off if you just tell them to meet you outside."

"Artemis, Every reasonable people would be scared to meet you outside." M'gann told her.

"Aw, Thanks M'gann!"

Late November/Early December, Wayne Manor

Dick was sitting at the dining room table, finishing his dessert while his brothers and father went over their month's schedules together.

"I'm going to need the whole day off for that one, they want me to get there early to run it a few times, and to stay until the end for questions."

"For what?" Dick asked.

"This convention and fundraiser pitch for the LGBTQ safe houses across Gotham." Bruce explained. "They want me to speak.

"They want you to be there? You're the most privileged, white, cis-het motherfucker I've ever met." Jason volleyed into the mix.

"It's because I co-own the building." Bruce explained. "And I'm the main financial contributor to the charity that's running it. Personally, I'd rather if there were more Gay, Trans, and Two-spirit people talking, but lord knows no one listens when they talk about their own issues "

Dick shoved a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. "Is it by invitation?"

"Why? Do you want to come?" His father asked.

Dick shrugged. "It actually sounds kinda cool. I wanted to know if I could bring some friends."

"How many?"

"Just the team." Dick replied. "We've gone to stuff like that before, but never anything this fancy." He said innocently, like he wasn't building an ulterior motive as they spoke.

Bruce thought for a second. "I suppose I can get a few extra tickets for you and your friends."

"Coolness." Dick got up to clear his plate. "I'll tell them to clear their schedules."

Early-mid December, Gotham City

"What Flavour of Lacroix are you drinking?" M'gann asked. She was vlogging for the team's youtube channel.

"Hibiscus." Dick showed the can.

"I have the last can of Lemonchello, which awesome.

"And I've got the heavily debated coconut Lacroix." M'gann said. "Personally I love it, but the rest of the team doesn't, so I get the whole pack to myself. So what are we doing?"

"The bus stop was closed."

"I didn't know that could happen." The martian commented.

"Yeah, well, we need to get on a number four Rapidbus to get to this workshop convention thing, and the next stop is approximately a million miles away, so." The blonde shrugged.

"We wanna get there fast because we're supposed to meet Superboy, Aqualad and KF in the lobby, and we're running late." Robin explained.

This was Dick's ulterior motive. He bet that Artemis didn't expect them to remember that yesterday was the first night of Chanukah. Her sorry ass was going to be so surprised that they loved and celebrated her identity!

They brought their Chanukah gifts for her in Wally's Backpack, and were all going to get lunch and go thrifting down town after the event. 

M'gann paused filming for a minute. "How do you guys know your way around such a big city? I get lost in Happy Harbour!"

"I've been running around here since I was nine." 

"Oh my god, will you stop bringing that up unprompted?" Artemis groaned. "We get it: you're more experienced than any of us, and You've been doing this since you were a fetus! "

"What I was Going to say was that Bats and the brothers would get really mad if I got lost, so I had to learn my way around so I didn't get yelled at." Robin told her.

"Will you quit brining up you're childhood trauma unprompted? That's my thing!" The blonde ranted. she turned to M'gann. "When you live in Gotham, you just know Gotham." Artemis said. "I've probably been on every functioning bus in the city!"

"I'm not really allowed to take the bus." Robin admitted.

"I'm not surprised, the way you describe your family..." Artemis grumbled. "HEY! There's the stop!"

"Good, cause I think I see the bus..." Dick replied. "Everyone drink your Lacroix before it gets here!"

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"Well the good news is, we're here, the bad news is, we're very late." M'gann chuckled. We can't film inside, but we'll be bac, with the boys, afterwards." She made a peace sign and stopped filming. She sprinted after her friends. Robin was holding the door open for them. 

"Let's go!"

"Coming!" The two of them stopped in the lobby while Artemis sprinted to the washroom. "So we're late, we were supposed to meet before."

Dick gave her one of the tickets. "I'll wait for Arty. We've heard Bruce Wayne enough to be sick of him. You go in and find the others, we'll do it afterwards during lunch." 

"Thanks." She grabbed the ticket. "I'll tell them the plan."

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"Sick as fuck." Artemis concluded.

"I know! Did you see all the rich cis-hets  getting uncomfortable?" Wally laughed.

"I really liked... what's her name?" M'gann asked. "That Trans lady, Alyssa whatsit? She was so good!"

"Yeah, good speakers at this one." Robin agreed. "A little sad tat they had to keep getting white guys up there to repeat all their points because the wealthy, white, potential investors won't listen to actual queer people." 

"Does anyone ever listen to minorities talking about their own problems?" Conner asked.

"Nope." Artemis sighed. "Not unless they riot, but the police have way too much power..."

"Apropos of nothing, what do you want for lunch, fellow Gothamite?" Dick asked her.

"Well, we're on main now, so there's Scully's Bagels, Topshop Bakery, a Denny's, and a Grocery store."

"And?"

"Let's get Bagels, I want to sit down."

So they did.

"This is awesome." Wally shoved another bite in his mouth. Why does Gotham Have so much good food?"

"Wally." Dick prompted. "Bag?"

"Hmm? Oh!" The redhead grabbed the bag under the table, hauling it up on the seat next to him. He pulled out a long-ish box. "Happy Chanukah, Arty."

"Hmm?" She turned from her impromptu staring match with Conner (Happened a lot with those two), and almost choked on her bagel. She swallowed hard. "Oh my god! Guys!" She grinned, panting a little from how hard she swallowed. She took the Purdy's box as it was passed to her. "Stop! You shouldn't have."

"You are our friend." "It's a celebration for you, so  we aren't going to ignore it."

"Dude, seriously, don't." She told him. "You're making me feel like shit for bullying you all nonstop."

"good." Wally remarked. "You should. Plus there's more in here." 

"More? Jesus Christ, guys!"

"Arty! You can't just yell Jesus Christ While we're giving you your Chanukah present!" Dick jokingly chastized.

"Shove it, birdie!" She scoffed affectionately. "Seriously, you guys shouldn't have! We're already going thrifting!"

"Okay." Wally tugged at the chocolate box in her hand

"Fuck you, no!" She slapped him away. "I fucking love Purdy's." She opened the box and offered it around. Flipping Wally off before letting him have any.  "Alright. Which Salvation Army are we hitting up?"

"How many are there?" Conner asked.

The Gotham kids locked eyes. "Six."

-Big thanks to my closest activist Comrade, Logan. He doesn't know this exists, but he gave me an epic Judaism crash-coarse, and answered some questions I had while writing this-