Chapter 22

England; August 16th, 12:16 EST

Alfred and Peter walked down the hall of the hospital, both with different destinations in mind. Alfred was headed to Katrine's room while Peter was heading to Callum Fleming's room. He was out of surgery and recovering in his hospital room with no less than five British Secret Agents standing guard.

While the Son of Ripper was paralyzed, the British Secret Service was still not taking any chances. They had Verity Braun, her husband George, and now Callum in custody. While they were fairly certain that they had everyone involved, they were not taking any risks.

Peter glanced at Alfred, noticing how tense he still was. "Are you alright?" he finally asked as he walked beside him in that relaxed gait that was so characteristic of him, his hands in his pants pockets.

Alfred appeared to be jolted from his thoughts, looking to the Frenchman walking to his right. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "What did you say?"

"You're not yourself, Alfred," Peter commented. "Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he attempted to reassure him.

"I should've had Mal come with me," Peter decided. "You're in no shape to be here right now."

"I told you I'm perfectly fine," he insisted with a scowl. "Katrine gets to leave the hospital and Callum can no longer hurt another soul. What's not to be relieved about?"

"Exactly…and yet you're wound tighter than a snare drum," Peter pointed out with a frown. "Out with it, mon ami. What's weighing on your mind?"

Alfred released a haggard breath, obviously wrestling with something. "I'm not certain this is truly over," he confessed.

Peter gave him an incredulous look. "What do you mean?" he demanded to know. "Callum is paralyzed. He can't possibly kill anyone ever again."

"I know…I know," Alfred agreed with a perplexed shake of his head. "I still can't shake this sickening feeling in my gut that something is very wrong."

"I don't know what it could possibly be," he replied. "We have George, Verity, and Callum all in custody and—wait…you don't think there's someone else that he's recruited, do you?"

"I don't know, but something isn't right about all of this," he told him. "I just can't put my finger on it."

"Well, you better put your finger on it soon or we could be looking at another murder," Peter pointed out.

"In the past, Callum has always prepared for every eventuality," Alfred continued, trying to put his thoughts and concerns into words. "He has something planned in case of his capture in order for him to have the upper hand in the end."

"Like what?"

Alfred shook his head, his lips pursed. "I have no idea."

"That's not very comforting you know," Peter grumbled. "You just sucked all the joy out of knowing that Callum is paralyzed and going back to prison."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I know how difficult this whole case has been for everyone, especially with Charlie's death. I just think that we need to go back and review everything again to make certain that we haven't missed anything."

"The others are going to love that," Peter said with a roll of his eyes. "Laurel, Mal, and Giff were heading back to the bunker to start cleaning and boxing everything up."

"Call them," Alfred told him. "Tell them we need to go back through everything again with a fine-tooth comb."

Peter pulled out his cell phone, hating the fact that this was not over like they had all believed. The others were not going to be thrilled with this news. "I'll see what I can get from Callum while you find out when we can take Katrine out of here."

"I'll meet you in Callum's room," he agreed as Peter called their team.

Peter turned right down a side hallway towards the ICU while Alfred continued on towards Katrine's room. He was feeling a little better now knowing that the team was going to go back through all the information that they had collected on Callum.

Callum wasn't finished and Alfred knew it. He had no idea in what capacity Callum would be continuing his reign of terror, but he did know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would be trying to continue it in some fashion. They just had to figure it out before it was too late.

He was furious that Callum was still preying on their minds and their sanity despite being paralyzed now. Would they never be rid of him? He'd been able to push him to the recesses of his mind for the last forty years, only for him to sneak to the forefront of his thoughts at odd moments here and there.

Now, he wasn't certain if he would ever be rid of him. He feared the Son of Ripper would haunt him for the rest of his life. The thought of Verity stalking him in Gotham and following Bruce to Alabama caused him to visibly shudder as he considered the ramifications. Bruce could have been killed and they never would've understood who or why until long after his death.

Coming to a stop outside of Katrine's room, Alfred showed his credentials before being allowed entrance. He found Katrine sitting up in a chair reading a book, dressed in a scrub uniform the staff had given her instead of a hospital gown. She looked up as he entered, bestowing him with a bright smile that made his heart stutter even after all of these years.

"Are you ready to be escorted out of here?" he asked her.

"I'd love nothing more," she readily agreed as she closed her book and stood to her feet. "I'm ready to return home."

"Well, you're not exactly returning home," Alfred broke the news to her.

"What do you mean?" she asked, brow furrowing in question.

"Margaret is adamant that you stay with her until you're fully recovered," Alfred revealed. "She doesn't feel it's a good idea for you to be home alone after what you've been through."

"That's very sweet of her, but I'm fine," Katrine insisted. "I'm a little stiff and sore, but it's nothing that I can't handle."

"Nevertheless, I'm afraid that Margaret is pretty determined to play nursemaid," he maintained.

Katrine sighed in resignation, knowing that arguing with a Pennyworth was beyond useless. "Fine," she relented. "I'll stay for a couple of days, but then I should return home."

"Let's swing by your house to pack a bag for you," Alfred suggested. "I'll talk to Margaret to see if I can get your rehabilitation at her house shortened."

Katrine chuckled as she gathered up her personal items that Laurel had brought her from the bunker. "Staying with Margaret is hardly a punishment," she reminded him. "You know that I'm used to being on my own. It's not easy for me to let someone take care of me."

"You've always been quite independent," he fondly agreed with a twinkle in his eyes.

"As a woman in this profession I had to be," she pointed out.

"It's far deeper than that, Kat," he replied.

"I suppose you're right," she agreed. "Let's get out of here. I've been here far too long."

Walking out of her hospital room, Alfred and Katrine discovered Peter coming down the hall towards them. "What happened?" Alfred asked him.

Peter shook his head. "He's still unconscious," he revealed. "We're not going to get anything out of him for at least another couple of hours."

"We'll have to come back later then," Alfred said. "Let's get Katrine settled at Margaret's house and then return to the bunker."

Katrine's hand found Alfred's forearm, stopping him in mid-step. "What is going on?" she demanded to know.

"You better tell her," Peter advised him, noticing how Alfred was wavering with whether to tell her or not.

"I don't think that Callum is done," Alfred admitted.

"What do you mean he's not done?" she questioned him.

"I think he has something else up his sleeve," he confessed.

"Like what?"

"I'm not certain, but we need to get back to the bunker to review all of the data that we've collected," he told her.

"Let's go to the bunker now," she insisted.

"We need to take you home to pack a bag and then to Margaret's house," Alfred reminded.

"Leave the paperwork to us," Peter agreed. "It's boring work and nothing that you need to worry about."

Katrine frowned. She didn't like this one bit. She needed to be a part of the case, to help them figure out what else Callum had planned. "We'll go to the bunker for a couple of hours," she ultimately decided. "After that, Alfred can take me home to pack a bag before going to Margaret's."

A disgruntled snort escaped as Alfred folded his arms against his chest, clearly disagreeing with Katrine's plan. Peter decided it best to intervene at that moment to keep them from butting heads. "Sounds like a good compromise to me, don't you agree, mon ami?" he prompted his friend.

"Fine," Alfred grumbled. "Let's go."

Katrine and Peter shared a knowing smirk as they followed Alfred down the hall. It was a minor victory that Katrine was going to relish.

England; August 16th, 15:36 EST

Malcolm tossed another file folder aside with a huff of frustration and a Scottish curse on his lips. "This is like searching for a needle in a haystack," he grumbled.

"I agree, but it has to be done," Laurel reminded him. "Don't you think that Callum has a backup plan?"

"I totally agree with Alfred," Mal confirmed. "I just don't know how we're going to find any clues that will point in the right direction."

"We'll never know unless we look again," Alfred stated, jotting down a couple of notes that he hoped would prove to be useful later.

"I just can't believe that we're digging up files instead of packing them away right now," Peter added. "I thought it was done and over with."

"We all should've known that it would never be that simple when it comes to Callum Fleming," Griff groused. "Bloody bastard should be six feet under right now instead of resting comfortably in a hospital bed."

"Personally, I'm glad he's alive," Malcolm said.

"Are you serious?" Griff asked, appalled by his response.

"Dead serious," Mal told him. "It's going to slowly crush his soul knowing that he can't possibly take another life. Plus, it's going to stick in Callum's craw knowing that Alfred got the upper hand over him."

"I agree with Mal," Laurel admitted, sitting back in her chair as she thoughtfully considered it. "I want him alive to suffer, knowing that he can't hurt us, our families, or anyone else ever again. I think that's far worse for him than ending his life."

"Knowing Callum as I do, this will be a far worse judgment on him than taking his life," Alfred interjected.

"He was always quite cerebral that one," Peter agreed. "Being trapped in a wheelchair…trapped inside his body and mind…it's going to drive him right over the edge."

"I think we should review his old cases too," Alfred suggested. "We might be able to find some sort of clue as to what Callum has hidden up his other sleeve."

"First murder was Andrea Chandler," Malcolm announced, picking up the file folder on the case.

"The first murder that we actually knew about," Peter clarified. "I still think there are unsolved murders out there that Callum committed that haven't been connected to him yet."

"I have to agree with you," Alfred admitted. "Let's focus right now on the cases we know that Callum committed."

"Andrea Chandler was a cashier who was found in an alley on the east end of London," Malcolm continued, thumbing through the papers. "She had been stabbed twenty-two times and had her throat slashed."

"Don't forget the letter carved into her abdomen," Griff added. "She was the first one to have that happen to her."

"Any previous victims of his didn't bear his trademark yet up until that point," Alfred replied. "It'll be difficult to attribute any unsolved murders to him unless we have more proof."

"I had been working on finding more victims of his soon after the team was disbanded," Katrine volunteered, remaining uncharacteristically quiet up until that moment as she poured over documents and files. "Unfortunately, it was a slow, tedious process that wasn't given much priority once Callum was in custody."

"I'm sure other cases became far more important once the Son of Ripper was captured," Alfred agreed.

"No one seemed to be interested in trying to pin other unsolved murders on Callum," Katrine said with a sigh of resignation. It was obvious that it weighed heavily on her even after all of these years. "I would bet my life on the fact that there are far more murders that we have no idea about that were committed by Callum Fleming."

"It would be a wonderful thing if we could give closure to some of these other unsolved murders," Laurel decided. "Right now, we have to focus on what traps Callum could have set before going to Margaret's house."

"I believe it was the Jessica Davies case that Callum began taunting us," Peter reminded them.

Malcolm groaned with the memory. "That little pisser," he cursed. "I was ready to strangle him with my bare hands."

"He'd laced the body with anthrax," Griffin added with a sneer on his lips. "We all ended up in quarantine before we could be cleared for duty."

"That was torture," Peter groused. "They wouldn't let me smoke."

"They should've kept you in there," Griff muttered under his breath.

Peter gave him a cheeky grin before flipping through another file. "Then, there was the Josephine Smith case."

Griffin snorted with disdain. "The arse rigged the body with a smoke bomb to make us think the poor girl was going to blow up."

"So, basically we should look for anything," Katrine muttered in frustration. "There's no telling what trap he could've set to trip us up."

"Maybe he didn't set any traps at all," Peter suggested. "What if he never got the chance to do anything before he attacked Alfred?"

"It's something that we're going to have to consider," Katrine agreed with a nod. "I think we're only going to be able to devote a day…maybe two…to trying to figure out if Callum set any traps. After that, my boss will likely shut us back down again. We'll be forced to move on."

Alfred shook his head, his eyes narrowed with steel-like resolve. "No, my gut is telling me that Callum has a plan B. He always has. It's a continual chess game to him, each move precisely planned and thought out with backup plans in place. We just have to figure out what it is before it's too late."

Peter puffed on his cigarette, a smirk on his lips. "I have never bet against Alfred's gut," he said. "It has never led us astray."

"I have to agree with Peter," Mal replied. "It irks me that Alfred's gut feeling is grumbling again. I'd rather have this be done and settled, but I learned in the first few weeks of our team being together to always trust Alfred Pennyworth's hunches."

"Unfortunately, you're right," Griff reluctantly admitted.

Alfred glanced at Katrine, noticing how fatigued she was becoming. She was doing her best to hide it, but he could tell. He always knew. "I think we should take a break," he suggested. "We've been at it for hours. I need to get Katrine settled at Margaret's house."

"We need to keep looking," Katrine insisted.

"You look exhausted, Katrine," Laurel pointed out. "You need to get a good meal and some rest."

"You'll definitely get that at Margaret's house," Peter reminded him. "Maybe I'll come with you."

"You're staying here to help the rest of us," Griff stated in no uncertain terms. "I think Emmeline ordered dinner for us from The Grenadier."

"That's my favorite," Peter piped up. "Let's hope she ordered us a round of beers while she was at it."

"I'm sure Margaret has made an astounding dinner especially for you," Alfred told Katrine.

"I've missed her cooking," she admitted. "It'll be nice to spend some time with her. It's been far too long. We'd meet for lunch about once every couple of months, but it's been a little while since we've been able to meet."

"She has a boyfriend now," Alfred volunteered. "That's probably why you haven't seen her as much as of late."

"I'm so happy for her," Kat replied. "She deserves to find love."

"Anyone we know?" Peter asked.

"Clive Maxwell," Alfred revealed. "He's a longtime friend of our family's. We've known him since we were tots."

"Can we trust this fellow?" Peter inquired. "Is he someone we would approve to date Margaret?"

Alfred chuckled as he straightened his pile of files. "Clive is a good man," he confirmed. "They seem to be very happy together."

"Do you think they'll get married?" Laurel asked.

"It just might lead to that," Alfred said with a nod. "Margaret seems very smitten, and Clive is quite taken with her."

"As long as we can trust him," Malcolm conceded.

"We're going to swing by Katrine's loft apartment to pack a bag before heading to Margaret's house," Alfred informed them. "Once I get her settled, I'll come back to help go through Callum's files."

"I want to review Charlie's notes," Griff mentioned. "He was doing research into Verity and her trip to the States as well as what she was up to when she returned to London. I have a feeling there might be something in there."

"I'm going back to the hospital tomorrow morning," Alfred revealed. "It's time Callum and I had a meeting of the minds."

"Oh, I want to be there for that," Peter excitedly announced. "That could prove to be historic."

"Record it for the rest of us," Mal told him with a grin.

Alfred just shook his head in amazement as he escorted Katrine out of the conference room, hoping against hope that they would be able to find something soon before it was too late.

Wayne Manor; August 16th, 17:55 EST

Diana could hardly wait to arrive home and see her family. It felt like an eternity to her since she'd last seen them when in reality it had been nine days. She was relieved that the children were finally feeling better. She hated it when they were sick.

Bruce glanced at his wife, smirking at her. "Would you rather I pull off the side of the road so you can just fly home?"

Diana looked to her left, her brow furrowing. "What?"

He chuckled as he turned down the road that would lead them home. "You look like you're about to jump from the car so you can get home."

"I'm sorry," she apologized, gazing out the passenger door window. "I've just really missed them. This time just seems to be harder than the other times that we've had to be away."

"I miss them too," he confessed. "Hopefully, we won't have to leave again for a long time."

"You don't have any upcoming business trips that you know of?"

"Not that I can think of," he replied. "I'll find out when I return to work on Monday."

Diana reached over to take his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers. "I hope not," she said. "I don't like it when you're not home…especially now that we know that you were being stalked while you were in Alabama."

He felt her tighten her hold on his hand, bringing a gentle smile to his lips. "You know I have to admit that I had an eerie feeling during that business trip," he admitted. "I couldn't put my finger on it at the time, but now I know why."

She visibly shuddered, momentarily biting at her bottom lip. "I can't bear to think of what could've happened if she had…"

"Hey, nothing happened," he reminded her, bringing their joined hands to his lips to kiss hers.

"I know, but it could have," she pointed out. "There was so much going on that we had no idea about. Verity could've shot you and there would've been nothing that I could've done to stop it."

"We need to move on now," he encouraged her. "It's in the past. We need to focus on now."

"It's going to be strange being home with Alfred still in London."

Bruce's lips thinned as he thought about it. "I have to admit that I'm a little apprehensive about leaving him in London, but I know he needs to finish what he started with his team. He needs to be there for Charlie's funeral."

"I wish we could've gotten Callum before he took Charlie's life," she sadly replied. "They're all going to take his death personally."

Bruce shook his head, feeling a measure of guilt himself. "It's hard not to."

Diana grinned brightly as Wayne Manor came into view, her heart beating a little faster. "We're finally home."

"We're going to have to focus our attention on Cassandra now," he reminded her. "She's going to need our help if she's going to be free from the League of Assassins."

"We'll do whatever we have to," she agreed as he drove down the long driveway.

He pulled the car to a stop in the circle driveway, turning the car off. "It's been hard being away, but I have to admit that I love the time we got to spend together. It was almost like a second honeymoon."

"With a serial murderer," she added.

He shrugged a shoulder, a smirk dancing on his lips. "Well, except for that part…and of course getting blown up."

"That wasn't so bad," she said with a laugh. "I landed on top of you."

"You've always enjoyed being on top," he teased her, pulling her in for a kiss. "Let's go see the kids."

Bruce and Diana exited the car, Bruce going to the back to retrieve the suitcases. "I can't believe Nicholas and Kaia start school next week," she told him. "Our little girl is going to preschool."

"You're going to be a mess again, aren't you?"

"I don't know how you can hold it all together."

They walked up the front steps of the manor, opening the front door and walking in. They were immediately greeted by Ace who barked as he ran circles around them, his tail wagging excitedly by their return. He jumped up, putting his front paws on Bruce's legs.

"Well, someone is glad to see us," he said. "It's a good sign if the dog's still alive."

"Hey, welcome home," Dick greeted them as he came down the stairs with Claire in his arms.

Diana quickly stole the baby from Dick's arms, holding her close. Claire grabbed hold of Diana's hair, attempting to put it in her mouth. "You smell so good," Diana commented.

"She just had her bath so she's all powered and lotioned," he told her.

"Mama! Daddy!" Kaia cried at the top of her lungs, running down the hall towards them.

Without a second thought, the little girl leaped into her father's arms like a gazelle would leap on its prey, taking her father by surprise. "Kaia," he murmured, holding her against his chest as she tightly hugged his neck. "Were you a good girl?"

"I threw up," she told him, refusing to let go of his neck.

"Are you better?" he asked, hoping she didn't throw up on him.

"No more throwing up since this morning," Dick revealed. "We think it's finally over."

"Daddy, are you home for good now?" Kaia asked, finally pulling back to look at her father.

"Yes, princess," he promised her. "I'm not going anywhere any time soon."

"I don't like it when you and mama are gone," she told him.

"I don't like being gone from you," he replied, kissing her cheek. "Where's your brother?"

"Daddy! Mama!" Nicholas yelled as he ran down the stairs.

Diana handed Claire over so she could hold her son, catching him as he leaped off the top step of the landing. "How is my little warrior?" she asked, embracing him tightly.

"We were sick, but we're all better now," he assured her.

"I threw up on Claire in the bathtub," Kaia revealed.

"Yeah, it was great," Donna sarcastically informed them as she came down the stairs with Conner. "I've had vomit in my shoe, my hair, my shirt, and down my back."

"I'm sorry we weren't here to help you," Diana told her sister. "It was hard not being here knowing all the kids were sick."

"We survived," Dick assured her. "I'm rather proud of ourselves. If we can handle four puking kids, we can handle anything."

"Where are Jason and Artemis?" Bruce asked.

"They're taking a nap in the entertainment room," Dick replied. "I think we wore them out helping us take care of the kids."

"Get everyone around," Bruce said. "I'm taking everyone out for dinner. I've already made a reservation at Antonio's."

"Have I told you that you're my favorite brother-in-law?" Donna asked, thrilled by the prospect of dinner out.

"I'm your only brother-in-law," he reminded her.

"You're still my favorite," she told him with a grin.

"Where's Cassandra?" Diana asked. "We're anxious to meet her."

"She's staying with Barbara for a couple of days until all is clear in the house from the flu," Dick said.

"We'll have to meet her later then unless they want to join us for dinner," Bruce decided.

"I don't know," Dick replied. "We've been trying to keep Cassandra from being seen in public. The League is roaming around Gotham looking for her."

"I want a full update when we get back from dinner," Bruce stated, all Bat at the moment.

"Later," Diana agreed, glancing at the children. "Right now, let's just enjoy being home as a family."

"I'll call Damian, Tim, and Cassie," Dick said. "I'll have them meet us there."

"Where are they?" Diana asked.

"Damian crashed at the Titans headquarters until the flu had run its course," he told them. "Tim is at the penthouse at Wayne Towers. He's staying away from the manor until the flu is gone and his physics project has been submitted."

The corner of Bruce's mouth ticked up. "And he's seeing what it's like to be out on his own."

"What makes you say that?" Diana questioned him.

"He's at the age where he's going to want to get out on his own," he replied. "It was only a matter of time."

"Tim's moving out?" Nicholas asked, concerned.

"Not yet," Diana attempted to assure him. "We'll have to talk to him to see what he's going to do."

"Let's go eat!" Jason exclaimed, hungrily rubbing his hands together as he approached from the entertainment room.

"Of course, you heard we're going out," Dick said with an amused shake of his head.

"He heard Antonio's and he was suddenly awake," Artemis revealed.

"Hey, it's my favorite," he reminded her. "They have the best chicken parmesan in the world."

Bruce put Kaia down, gently patting her on the bottom. "Go put your shoes on."

Kaia began to run to the stairs, stopping and turning to look at him with a perplexed look on her face. "Hey! Where's Pappoús? You were supposed to bring him home with you."

"He promised to be home in a few days," Bruce told her. "He had a few things that he needed to finish taking care of before he could come back to us."

Diana set Nicholas down, crouching down before him. "He misses you both very much," she assured them. "He told me to tell you and Kaia that he loves you and will be home as soon as he can."

"I guess that's okay if he has to stay," Kaia grumbled with a sigh before heading upstairs. "He better not let it happen again."

"Well, she took that well," Bruce said with a chuckle.

England; August 16th, 18:21 EST

Alfred pulled the car to a stop outside of Katrine's apartment building. He paused to look at her before getting out, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions storming inside of him. "Katrine, I—" he began only to be silenced by her warm lips against his.

He found himself returning her kiss, his hand coming to rest on the back of her neck to keep her right there. He finally retreated; his breath stolen from his lungs as he gazed at her with eyes clouded with longing for this woman who had held a special place in his heart for all these years.

"Let me get my bag packed and we'll talk at Margaret's," she suggested.

He simply nodded in agreement, uncertain of what he wanted to say at that moment. Each thought vied for control, each feeling fighting to be voiced. Walking around to her side of the car, he opened her door for her, helping her exit the vehicle.

They walked up the steps, Katrine entering her key that allowed them entrance. "I wish you could stay in London longer, but I understand your need to return to the States," she told him as they made their way upstairs.

"Me too," he admitted. "I feel torn between two worlds, the past and the present…Gotham and London."

"I'm sure Bruce and Diana would understand if you wanted to stay here for a few weeks," she suggested.

Alfred chuckled softly. "Bruce and Diana would understand, Kaia and Nicholas not so much," he replied. "They have somewhat of a hard time when family members aren't where they're supposed to be. I suppose it's been hard for them to be so little in a family of superheroes. Things are constantly changing, with family members coming and going at all times of day and night. The one constant has always been me. I think they rely on that."

Katrine came to a stop outside of her apartment, her hand coming to rest against his cheek in an affectionate gesture. "That's really sweet, Alfred," she told him, a tender smile on her lips. "I wouldn't want to keep you from them."

"It's not just them, but all of them," he clarified. "I've been their mother hen for so many years that I don't know any other way."

She caressed his cheek as she lost herself in his eyes. "Just like you used to be with our team," she pointed out. "Always worrying about all of us, making sure that we were all taken care of."

Alfred took her hand from his face, holding it protectively in both of his. "I meant what I said, Kat," he said. "I would love for you to come to visit me in Gotham. You can stay as long as you want."

"I would love to come for a visit," she agreed, her smile broadening. "I haven't had a vacation in more years than I can count. I think my boss would faint if I asked for some time off."

"Good…it's settled," he replied, taking her key out of her other hand and unlocking the door.

Opening the door for her, Alfred allowed her to enter first, silently berating himself for such a foolish move. He should've cleared her apartment first before allowing her to enter. Katrine seemed to be able to read his mind as she studied him.

"Alfred, I'm more than capable of making sure everything is in order," she pointed out as she turned a light on.

"I know," he responded with a sigh. "I guess old habits die hard."

"Make yourself comfortable," she told him as she made her way across the spacious living room. "There are bottles of beer in the refrigerator. I'm sure you remember your way around."

"I think I could actually go for one," he replied, heading towards the kitchen.

It felt like another lifetime ago since he'd last been in Katrine's apartment. He was surprised that she'd never moved over the last forty years. He thought for sure she would've bought a house in a lovely little subdivision or maybe a cottage in the country. That had been a dream of hers at one time.

Opening the refrigerator door, Alfred was nearly knocked off his feet by an explosion that seemed to rock every inch of her apartment. "Katrine!" he cried, racing for her bedroom.

He was met by rolling smoke, fiery flames here and there in her bedroom. He found Katrine lying on the floor several feet away from her closet that was consumed with fire. He ran for her, falling on his knees before her. He gently gathered her up in his arms, tears blurring his vision.

"Katrine," he softly gasped.

She gazed up at him, eyes looking directly at him, but not seeing him. "I never…stopped loving you…Alfred."

A/N: OH NOOOO!

UP NEXT: Tim and Cassie meet with the Founders as Legionnaire heads their way while Alfred confronts Callum.