Alfred took a deep breath as he got off the bed, and walked slowly as he came back to reality, deciding to go down and find his daughter's body before frowning as he heard Poppy's voice with sobs outside the house, calling for Waylon, "Waylon Jones, Wally, get your ass back here!".
He walked into the kitchen to see Bruce holding a letter as Martha was crying, then saw him, noticing his letter in his hand, "Jane..Jane was mentioned too in Waylon's letter...It was opened, but the room was empty...", as Kel was nearby in her astral form, looking like she's sad yet upset for Poppy.
"So, you mean...?", Alfred asked as Bruce shook his head. "We can't find Waylon anywhere... he's gone...", Bruce sighed as Poppy called out for Waylon again.
Kel replied, "That boy is crafty! He rolled into stuff to cover his scent...I can't find his scent anywhere either...", with a wounded look.
Alfred's heart took a shot once again as he did a uncharacterizable thing, even for him, and he slammed his fist in anger and grief on the kitchen counter, realizing that he had failed Caroline, taking a note from her as he roared, "WAYLON JONES! I PROMISED YOUR MOTHER I'D LOOK AFTER YOU! PLEASE COME BACK!", tears flying as Bruce, Martha, and Kel barely braced, even taken aback in surprise, not blaming Alfred.
"Why...", Poppy's voice cracked as the attention quickly turned to her. "Why would he run away?", Poppy started to tear up. It was no real secret, at least amongst the family even if Waylon didn't know it, that she had a bit of a crush on him. So, for Waylon to run away... it was a weight onto her as well not only Alfred.
Kel quickly moved to scoop Poppy up who had stepped barely into the house from the porch, rubbing her back as Poppy, in all her 9, almost 10 years old self, cried in Kel's arms as she spoke softly, "I think...I think he felt like he wasn't worthy of having a family...He must felt like he had failed his mother, his baby sister because he thinks he's not a good son or brother...He is possibly scared of failing and losing the rest of us too, and not wanting to have pain ever again, he must feel like he deserves to be alone...", as Martha cried quietly, keeping silent yet she moved to caress Kel's back, while Bruce and Alfred watched.
"Alfred.", Bruce spoke up. "Would you want us to perhaps put out a call to law enforcement; get folks to perhaps look for him?".
"I...", Alfred bit his lip. "I don't know...", he admitted. "I mean, yes, I'd very much like him to come back to us... I swear I'd raise him like a son, take care of him, remind him that he's still loved... but...", with a starting frown as he trailed off.
"Worried about his condition and how others might react?", Kel then said. Alfred nodded, "Yeah...", as Martha replied, "Well, he's bound to get back here to pay respects to Caroline and little Jane...Speaking of...", looking at Alfred.
Alfred took a deep breath as he looked at the closet besides the kitchen, and he gently put his wrinkled letter on the counter, and then opened the closet, to open the trapdoor to the cold pantry, carefully climbing down the ladder, igniting a gas lantern on as he touched the floor.
He glanced around at the canned food, the reserves of baking ingredients, and tin pots of underground herbs, and then his eyes locked upon something which is out of place which is a box of empty wine bottles... Alfred knew that Caroline never liked wine at all, something about being too fancy for her.
He walked to the box of wine bottles, seeing a glint of a safe behind the box, and he exhaled, moving the box, and the safe was revealed. Alfred knew Caroline changed the code every couple of years, but he had a feeling that she changed it this year, especially of last month...
Alfred took a deep breath, and clicked the date of their daughter's passing, and the safe door was successfully unlocked, opening it to reveal files and such, like Waylon's birth certificate on a small shelf portion, and under it was a crude yet humble cradle box, etched with the name Jane on the lid.
He traced the name that Caroline definitely painstakingly made, knowing that she would see to make sure their daughter's comfortable, and with a shaky deep breath yet steady hands, he gently pulled out the cradle box, and he stepped closer into the light of the lantern, knowing Caroline's wish to be buried together with their daughter, to hold her, realizing that he needs to see her, to meet her one first and last time.
But he just couldn't bring himself to see. Seeing the remains; for one so young and after a bit of time... Alfred was sure that he would be so sick that he might risk not being functional ever again. He hugged the box, gently brushing it with his hand. "I'm so sorry, Jane...", he whispered. "I should've been here...", he started to sob.
Alfred should have listened to his gut or something when he felt that something was wrong many times, but he thought it was Martha having a bad day at work, or one of the kids being in a fight or something at school, or Kel upset at something while on patrol.
Alfred sobbed as he held the cradle box gently and lovingly and grieved for the missed chance to be an actual father even if he was already a father figure to Bruce, Poppy, and Waylon, a fiancé and eventual husband if Caroline said yes.
Several minutes passed before he eventually took a deep breath and heard Caroline's wish for him to give her a middle name in his head...but he was scared if time ruined his daughter, and Jane was the name that came instantly to Caroline when she saw her after cleaning her and dressing her.
He knew he can't bear to bury his daughter next to Caroline as it's so damn personal...he would have to ask for help...but he can't be able to acknowledge his daughter if he didn't see her...at least for just one time...He whispered to the air, "Oh, Caroline...What should I do?...I don't want to hurt her feelings if she sees from the heavens with you, realizing that her father doesn't love her, but I want to show her that I do love her, yet I'm scared...".
He doesn't know if it was in his head or that it's real, but a faint breeze in the cold pantry whispered around him, a barely familiar, audible whisper saying, "Ask Martha or Kel for support.".
Alfred quickly turned his head around, looking around for the source of the sound for a few moments before he took a deep breath. He may have imagined it, he may have not, but either way, he was going to take that advice.
He went over to where Kel was before he took a deep breath, "Kel... I'm sorry if I'm burdening you a bit with asking this... but... I really could use some help with Jane here... it's... I'm trying so damn hard to keep my emotions still stable and not just break once again...".
Kel shook her head, "Alfred, it's no burden...You deserve to have my help, and I'll help you...Is she down there?". Alfred nodded, and Kel replied, "Let's go...".
Alfred led the way back to the cold pantry, with Kel following, and Alfred gently sat down near the cradle box, and Kel sniffed deeply around the cold pantry, "No invasion by rodents or pests...", sitting opposite Alfred gently, "What do you want me to do?".
Alfred bit his lip, "First of all, I...I'm scared to see her because I don't know if...if she's intact or not...It's not fair to Jane if I am selfish and a bad father by not seeing her, and I know Caroline would be upset if I refused to see our daughter...Can...can you check, with that super smelling power of yours?".
"Do you think...", Kel asked as Alfred nodded, "I'm... I'm somewhat dreading at what I would see... what Caroline had done; it looked like she had done some good efforts to try to keep Jane... preserved, but I'm just terrified being in the dark here.".
Kel gave a small smile, "I'm honored to be trusted with this...So, you want me to smell first, to check thoroughly of the cradle box before I see first, so I would know that she's preserved correctly and intact, to give you a minute to prepare yourself, is that right?".
Alfred replied, "Yes...", with a deep breath as he carefully picked up the cradle box, tracing the carved name tenderly before passing it into Kel's hands as she knew she has to be careful to do what's asked for Alfred's sake and Caroline's sake.
"Okay then...", Kel took a deep breath before she allowed her scents to take over, to try and better ascertain the situation at that moment. But she certainly wasn't smelling what she partially had feared; the smell of rotting, decomposing flesh and such. Whatever Caroline had done, it seemed that Jane was still very much intact at that moment.
Kel carefully canvassed every corner of the cradle box, and she replied, "Caroline thoroughly had sealed everything of this cradle box, and there's not even a speck of decomposition...She's very much intact from what I can smell.".
Alfred looked relieved to hear that, and Kel gave him a small smile before taking a deep breath, and gently yet firmly cracked the lid open, keeping out of Alfred's view until he was ready, and she gave a sad smile, "Caroline was right...Even in death, Jane's beautiful, and her name suits her...She is in comfort as her mother saw to it, in a lovely dress like the pretty pink flowers, and cushioned in green lining and such ...She's small, like a particularly big, semi-healthy and fat avocado, not too scrawny...Caroline really did her best...I see a bit of hair, brown-ish black hair, a mix of you and Caroline, Caroline's nose, and it's hard to say with the skin, but maybe your tan tone, with a bit of muscle strength, and all 10 fingers and 10 toes.".
Alfred took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. Hearing Kel say that, gave him a bit of courage, "Please, Kel... give me a moment but... let me see her... I... I need to see her...".
Kel nodded, "Of course, just tell me when you're ready...", waiting patiently for him to gather the courage up for about 15 seconds before he took another deep breath and opened his eyes, "I'm ready...", and Kel gently lowered the cradle box in her hands by her lap into Alfred's view, to show Jane in her entirety to her father.
As Kel described, Jane indeed had a bit of black brownish hair, slightly translucent skin but obviously would've been impossible to tell, Caroline's nose and obviously had all her digits. Alfred stared for a few moments as he started to tear up again. "Hello, Jane... I'm so sorry...", he whispered.
Alfred tentatively reached out, tracing a finger on Jane's head, glancing at his daughter, not daring to open her eyes as he didn't know if they were developed already or with their eye color, even faded in death, with tears and a sad smile as he remembered the account of Caroline's journal-like words about Jane, falling in love with his daughter as she was technically there for Caroline, keeping her happy, and then fighting the virus with the best they could together...
"You were so brave...Caroline was right...You're beautiful...I'm sorry we couldn't meet in better circumstances...but I'm proud of you...I love you...", Alfred spoke tenderly as a name came to him, "You will always be my daughter, our daughter, Jane Lillian Jones-Pennyworth...", as he knew Caroline loved to see flowers rarely when she could in town, and right now, their daughter is pretty as a flower in her tiny dress and all.
"That's a lovely name, Alfred...", Kel smiled as Alfred nodded, "I'm sure Caroline would've loved that middle name.". He then took a deep breath as he closed the box once more as he sniffled, "I'm sorry, just... give me another minute to shed a few more tears before we proceed.".
Kel nodded, "Okay...I'll see to tuck Jane into Caroline's arms, like she's holding her in their sleep, is that alright?", and Alfred gave a little smile, "That sounds perfect...Thank you, Kel, for being here...I really needed that.".
Kel gave him a small smile in return, and left the cold pantry, gently holding the cradle box as she climbed the ladder back up to the ground floor, as Alfred grieved.
Like Kel promised, with a spare look at Martha and Bruce and Poppy to not bother her, Kel went to Caroline's coffin on the porch dining table, opening gently of the body portion, and then opened Jane's cradle box, reverently picking up Jane, to place upon Caroline's chest and lower belly, with moving her arms like cradling and holding Jane lovingly and protectively like the mother she is.
Kel then took out the green lining from the cradle box to put in the stuffing of the coffin around Jane's position, and then whispered softly, "I'm sure you'd make a brilliant sister for Waylon, little one.", with a small smile before closing the body portion of the coffin.
She then looked at the lid of the cradle box with Jane's only first name, and she took the cradle box back into the kitchen, faintly hearing Alfred still grieving as she looked at Martha and Bruce and Poppy, "Any idea to make this into a gravestone too? Alfred...Alfred gave the complete name of her now...Jane Lillian Jones-Pennyworth, the date of her passing and the perceived date of Spring Break of her conception. We need to put it on this since there's no room on Caroline's gravestone...".
"I could rush back and get another gravestone.", Bruce suggested as Martha shook her head, "No, and don't use the box either... need something that will withstand time and the elements. I think we can find a decent sized stone and something to carve it with.".
Poppy blinked, "What about Caroline's garden tools? The metal could carve everything on the stone.", with a nod, and Martha smiled, "Brilliant! That would work.".
Kel replied, putting down the empty cradle box, "Bruce, you and Poppy find the garden tools, and if they're not there, maybe some sort of knife...", and Poppy exhaled, "I know Wally had some heavy-duty hunting knives in the smokehouse behind the shack.", as she is feeling better to know that Alfred's daughter is with Caroline now, but still hurting at the fact that Waylon ran away.
Bruce patted her shoulder, "We got this, sis...Mom and Mama can find a decent-sized stone, there's sure to be quite a few around the river or something. Through, is it bad to leave Alfred like this?", with a frown.
Martha gently ruffled his hair, "You and Poppy are only outside behind the shack, you can hear Alfred if he calls for you, and you can get back inside.", and Bruce nodded, "I guess that's a good point.".
"Come on, it'll be quick.", Poppy tapped Bruce's arm before she went off to the shed while Bruce followed behind. "How about the stone?", Kel asked Martha. "Any particular size?".
"No, nothing too large; but still looks fairly decent sized next to the tombstone. Certainly something large enough that we can carve out some decent sized words.", Martha explained.
Kel nodded, "Yeah, the dates would be easy, but her full name is a bit long, but I ain't going to insult Alfred by staying with Jones or Pennyworth only because she is both of them...I can't help but think that if we didn't listen to Caroline's warning of the sickness around or that it would bloom into that West Nile virus thing, we would have saved her, paid for everything, and Alfred would propose and they could get married, deciding on either Jones or Pennyworth, with Caroline being a beautiful pregnant bride and all, and Waylon as best man or something...", with a sigh.
Martha replied, "I know...Alfred Jones or Caroline Pennyworth would have worked either way...Come on, let's get to the riverbank, Bruce is right at least...I'm sure Alfred is going to be okay...maybe if we notch a note.", flicking a marker on the whiteboard piece on the efficient refrigerator, making a note of their whereabouts, even if Alfred would call for the kids in the backyard.
The girlfriends then left the shack, glancing softly at the resting coffin, and left the porch and stairs, heading for the riverbank and meadow to find the perfect stone.
"Over there...", Martha pointed out a few minutes later when they were around the riverbank. "That looks like a good one.", she said as Kel nodded and walked to it. A quick lift like it weighs nothing but a pebble before Kel put it over her shoulder. "Sometimes I'm still amazed of just how strong we are...", Martha chuckled.