Batfam Christmas Stocking gift for Lurkinglurkerwholurks on tumblr who's prompts were "Pick a head canon you haven't gotten to talk about a lot (doesn't matter how small or silly) and do something with that."

This head canon isn't a silly one though. And it became just angst when I tried to do something with it. So...sorry about that.

HC: Apart from cooking, Jason was the only other person who accompanied and helped Alfred with the garden.

Please note I don't know how to garden and will be very vague here as I didn't have time or a good net connection to look up proper terms and such...sorry.

Not beta'd.

Posted earlier on AO3 and my Tumblr. Late post on FF tho.

Alfred was smiling as he prepared the cookies he and Jason had baked earlier. Their monthly meetings outside the manor had slowly progressed these past few months into weekly tea time. This would be the first of these meetings to be held inside the manor grounds.

The smile that was bright (well, for someone with Alfred's demeanor anyway) dimmed. Jason had so far only stepped into the kitchen and not a step beyond the archway.

Not even to the beloved library that young Jason had always holed up in both good and bad days.

Letting himself sigh aloud, Alfred paused and looked at the cookies, chocolate chip with maybe a little more chips than usual. He saw the careless scattering of chocolate but the careful kneading of the dough that held firm and had been baked under watchful eyes.

The baking was a welcome return to past times from before…

Stop. It was of no help to anyone to dwell on sad things. Carrying the plate of cookies, Alfred smiled as he saw his grandson waiting by the table they'd set up for this meeting. The tea things all perfectly placed and the tea itself steeped correctly he was sure.

"So…shall we start in on all the gossip?" Jason grinned, referring to how much their family pouted at not being invited to their tet-a-tet and had implied that gossiping was going to be the main agenda for the day. Alfred would have loved to dearly roll his eyes at them but he had appearances to keep up and so he'd only raised The Brow.

Jason was skittish enough (though he refused to show it. But everyone knew) that no one imposed on their time. This was the closest time in their lives that no one had any ongoing drama with each other, that Jason had been appearing more often at the cave if not the manor. Sometimes even convincing (or rather strong-arming) his wandering siblings to accompany him (just so he wouldn't be alone in dealing with any possible tensions (Bruce)).

Alfred smiled at his grandson and so began their weekly garden meeting.

Now that the boy had grown into his shoulders and gained more height and strength than expected, Jason was able to do help Alfred with another shared past time (emphasis on 'past'). Though gardening back then was more of Jason just digging and then watering the flowers after Alfred did most of the actual planting and weeding, with his growth spurt, they could now do more with his gardens than just the planting and harvesting of herbs as they used to do.

It had been a spur of the moment invitation to garden when Jason had commented on how the flowers had grown in variety since...from before.

Alfred had been so glad Jason had accepted the offer and hadn't noticed the slight hesitation the boy had when he'd looked at the soft soil that was being prepared for new additions to the garden.

He should have noticed.

While he'd gone to get some refreshments, he'd instructed Jason to start digging holes for the new check on the soil for the flowers they'd bought earlier that week.

He'd only just began to steep the tea when he'd looked out the window and seen a change in the weather. The news had said there was little chance of rain but it looked like they were momentously wrong. The slow drops of rain began to pour faster and stronger.

Alfred turned towards the door expecting his grandson but frowned when there was no sign of him. Leaving the tea, he walked quickly and took an umbrella from the closet near the door.

"Master Jason!" He grew alarmed as he saw no movement but the obvious trembling of Jason's shoulders down to his hands. The boy was still kneeling, hands in the dirt and his breathing growing more ragged.

Running now towards him, Alfred let the umbrella fall as he called out to Jason. "Master Jason!" No response but big gulps of air.

Wary and unsure, Alfred knelt before him and called out with a soft but firm voice. "Jason."

A flinch and then teal eyes looked at him. "I'm right here, Master Jason."

Alfred's heart broke as Jason continued looking at him, eyes wide and intense. Scared. Slowly, Alfred moved closer, hand going for the trembling fingers still buried in the now wet soil, making sure to give Jason the chance to back away or let him know if he didn't want it.

All the while, he kept talking, softly but firmly, "I know you're scared but I won't leave till you're alright, Master Jason. Everything will be okay. You're okay. You're safe."

It was the longest few minutes of his life as Alfred held onto Jason's hands, kneading them and trying to give warmth to his grandson.

Hot cocoa beside him on the floor and a soft warm blanket around his shoulders, Alfred had Jason sit by the fireplace in the reading room to try and get warm again.

Jason didn't have to but Alfred got the feeling that he needed to, so he listened as Jason tried to explain.

"The feeling of soil and the rain…it…it…" Jason faltered. Alfred was prepared to tell him it was okay when he continued, "It reminded me of coming back."

Alfred grew confused. What did he mean?

"When I...when I...dug my way up." Jason was facing away so he didn't see the realization and horror on Alfred's face. "It was cold and wet. And I dug my way up. I...I had to get out. I wasn't...I wasn't dead anymore. I-" Jason stopped talking as thin arms encircled him.

"Oh Master Jason, I'm so sorry." And he truly was. This was his grandson. A boy who was still so young, to have to suffer like this was just wrong. It was never not going to be painful to see him like this. Didn't the universe have enough of hurting him?

"Alfred?"

"I'm here, Master Jason. You're safe here."

Jason returned the hug. It wasn't enough for Alfred but to Jason, hearing those words surrounded by the warmth of his grandfather was enough to make the pain go away.

Hi. Hello. Hope you liked (Jason in pain) this story.

This was just supposed to be about them bonding in the gardens...but then I imagined it raining...and then soft soil...and then...yeah.

Hope you guys had a good holiday!