Martha sighed softly, "He's still protective of us, and I know he's determined to be a fighter through martial arts and such, but yeah, he isn't obsessed in being stubborn as being overprotective in a way since he probably knew that I and you can handle ourselves, and he promised Thomas that he would be a good, big brother to Poppy, but not overprotective over her as Poppy deserved not to be a prisoner with that situation of changing color in emotions when she was only some months old...Thank goodness that Poppy never had more issues if that remained...I could only imagine how she would be afraid and frightened of school and other grownups if she had uncontrolled emotions...of course, puberty is only a few years off, but still...".
Kel replied mentally, "We will be right behind her, Martha, when that happens...after all, she won't be alone...And for Bruce, he's already a mature wolf in terms of the pack, but he will need us sometime, you can be assured of that.".
Martha smiled, chuckling as she opened and closed the door, "No doubt about it...It feels good to hear that Thomas loves us still so much...And to hear that he would back us up in the situation of that day...".
"Do you think Caroline saw the future? That we would be in sync, as one, like fused or something?", Kel mentally bit her lip, and Martha shook her head, "No, the way she said it, she believed that something would happen for us, so we can work together into sync or something, and we wouldn't have to worry about things. I doubt she saw the future...Perhaps she is giving us the hint that she would support us too...", while walking to the bed.
Kel's voice mentally whispered, "Martha...do...do you really think that someone would threaten to separate us in pain? I...It's one thing for me since I don't seem to be killed and such, thanks to my gamma body...but I...I really thought so much since that day at the funeral...Separating in peace and flawless acceptance, I could deal with if Leslie does it for good reasons on the chance that she finds a solution and I would have a body, a life without having to stay in you, but seeing you in pain if someone else does it for greedy reasons, to see how I click...I don't want you to die...I...I have to confess something...I'm starting to realize what self-sacrifice means...Thomas would have sacrificed anything, from the money to the manor, to save you with the world's best medicine, and Alfred...he would have done the same for Caroline and Jane...All because of love...If it means to have self-sacrifice by saving you, I will give my soul, my body, my mind for you to survive...because I love you, Martha Wayne...", as Martha froze.
"Kel...", Martha whispered. "I know, I know, it's quite a lot to take in; especially considering that we tend to inhabit the same body and all; it's a mess. But I mean what I say... every single word, Martha.", Kel told her.
Martha replied softly, "I believe you, Kel...I love you too, Kel...I won't forget this...You really have grown into a woman of wisdom and bravery, I'd treasure the gifts of your mind, your soul, and your body with all my heart, I can promise that...But we do not know what that day will have or when it will be...Take a day at a time like we always do, okay?".
Kel mentally said, "Stride on and move on forward...", with a nod, and Martha smiled, "That's right...", as she made herself comfortable into bed, and chuckled, "Now it's late...Good night, my big green amazon...", and looked at the picture of Thomas and herself on their wedding day, "Good night, Thomas, my love...".
"Good night, my little alpha Martha-mate, and good night, my strong alpha Thomas-mate.", Kel mentally said back with a mental kiss on Martha's forehead, and Martha blushed, smiling as she closed her eyes, mentally embracing Kel in her mind, kissing her too as they fell asleep.
Meanwhile, in the time zone of Louisiana, the clock ticked past 11 o'clock still on Halloween night, and Waylon sighed, looking at the poppies around Caroline and Jane's well-maintained gravestones through the view of the living room, remembering Poppy yet staying stubborn from the habit to send a present to Poppy a week or two ago before her birthday/Halloween, yet regretting his choice as he held a bottle of beer, yet it's still full, showing that he just likes to hold it...
He muttered, "Damn it...Why must you do that with the poppies? Poppy...she deserves to forget me...I'm 16, and she's 10...god...the bullies would think me as a pervert if I kept sending her presents...", as he was shocked at the appearance of the poppies this morning when he woke up during his brief stay in his mother's shack.
He then took a deep breath as he growled. "And why do I do this to myself?", he asked aloud; for months, he had contemplated either completely running away, getting as far away from the shack, or to get back in touch with the Waynes as he knew that there was a place for him... but he also felt still lingering twinges of betrayal; that maybe they should've done something to help Caroline...
Honestly, since the day he lost his mama, it took a while for him to manage to survive in the deep bayou, but luckily with stray abandoned tiny huts or such, he roughed it out, but he couldn't stop coming back to the shack, and smelling the scent of Alfred recently from last weekend when he visited with flowers, with a few things he brought from the others...
He couldn't stop remembering that fateful night after he had spied on the funeral through the binoculars...It was clear that Alfred wanted him...but he's a coward...he would fail him, he wouldn't be a perfect son for him...especially when Waylon also thinks that Alfred blames him for not seeing things closer, even if Caroline reassured him that she was fine...
He knew that something was off with her, not just the sickness...but honestly, he should have seen the signs since he had seen occasionally pregnant mothers in town and school before it got more worse in his situation...And of course, he couldn't forget that embarrassing day two years ago when he saw his mama and Alfred in bed, about to do the act...he knew what mating looked like due to his hunting trips on mating seasons and all...He blamed himself for not calling the Waynes to help Caroline when it was looking worse for her than earlier when she looked fine, perhaps a little pale or such...or called them when Caroline was crying all day that confusing day which he then realized from reading his letter was the passing of Jane...He should have been there for her that day, but he was damn out hunting and thinking that his gut was telling him of taking the shot at a modestly good buck when it was actually telling him that something was wrong back home.
And now it was all too late. She was dead, along with his baby sibling; and he was all alone as he had made sure to hide and run from the Waynes whenever they came around. There was even more guilt in the fact that he skipped the funeral in many ways; letting the others bury her when it should've been him doing it.
"How many times have I told you to not be hard on yourself, Waylon Jones?", a stern, tender yet nonsense female voice asked sharply. Waylon froze as he jolted his eyes over to see a glowing transparent yet solid appearance of Caroline Jones who is currently putting a slumbering baby girl, his baby sister, in a comfortable bassinet that's glowing of some magic, Halloween magic, smiling lovingly and tucking her in, before looking at him as she came around the ottoman and sitting down with a stern look, "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?".
"M-Mama...?", Waylon whispered as Caroline rolled her eyes. "Sorry, Waylon, but we don't have much time to have you all slack jawed and questioning everything at the moment. Honestly, I wish we had hours but...", she sighed. "First things first... would you like to meet your baby sister?", she asked; her slightly stern and annoyed look replaced with loving compassion.
Waylon widened his eyes as he shakily put down the full beer bottle, "You...You trust me to see her?...Even after I...I failed you and her...that day...I should have done a blood transplant or something...I mean, my scales, and claws saw me through...rough days out there...I would've saved her...I should have stayed home...", as tears started to show.
Caroline reached to caress his hand, "Waylon, it was the virus and the miscarriage altogether...Nobody would have saved her...Four months old, she wouldn't survive, even with a blood transfusion...But she's healthy and happy and safe now, she's sleeping, but come on, I want my dear son to meet my sweet daughter, like a brother and sister should do...", as her other hand came to grasp the bassinet's edge, unlocking the mechanism of the wheels, and rolled the bassinet closer, and locking the mechanism again, and gestured, "Go on, look.", with an amused, tender smile.
Waylon could feel himself tearing up as he looked at her. "She's so precious...", he whispered as Caroline nodded, "I know... It really does pain me that you'll not be able to see her grow up... to be there for her when she needs a friend, a protector...".
Waylon gulped, "A brother...How come she's full term?", as he glanced at his slumbering baby sister, and Caroline smiled, "The heavens helped with my wish...but sometimes, even after death, there's still some rules to all the madness...".
"What do you mean?", Waylon asked curiously, and Caroline sighed softly, "The virus, Jane remembers it in her consciousness, and when fired up in her emotions sometimes, she is blind and a bit mute, but otherwise she's able to see and vocalize at other times...".
"At least right now, she can't see me for the freak I a-", Waylon got a sharp yet not painful slap across the face before he could finish that. "Waylon Jones, don't you dare call yourself that forbidden word! You are not a freak!", Caroline berated him, glad that she had put a silent shield over the bassinet for Jane to keep slumbering.
"Sorry...", Waylon mumbled. "Still, can't deny that I'd probably scare her...", he sighed as Caroline touched his face, "I know, I know you hate your condition.".
"It's only gotten worse, Mama...", Waylon closed his eyes. "Before; sure, surprising but at least I still looked mostly human... now... walking handbag and it's getting more like that by the day.".
Caroline leaned in to kiss his temple, "Shh, you are not a monster or anything to me...You are my amazing son, and believe me, I'd do anything for you to switch to human and back like Martha, doing it at ease. Of course, this is far different as you have no other alter-ego like Martha has Kel, but believe me, Alfred, Poppy, and the others wouldn't care because it's you, Waylon, here and here.", pointing to his heart and his mind, "And you have a soul too.", with a firm nod.
Waylon gave a little chuckle as Caroline did this so many times, acting like Kala from that Tarzan movie, and he smiled, "I have eyes, a nose, a mouth, two hands, two feet, two ears...", and Caroline grinned, "That's right, Waylon Jones...", hugging him warmly.
Waylon hugged her back, and then sighed softly as he pulled back, "So, I guess you are here to give me a stern talking to, about running away and all, huh? I...I just...I'm just hurt and so conflicted...And face it, having this, it would put Poppy and Alfred and the others in danger, even if I know they got Kel, and Bruce thanks to his martial arts...".
"What danger?", Caroline asked. "What danger do you think you'd be putting them through?", looking at her son with a sharp look. Waylon said, "Come on, Mama, that whole family is like the center of Gotham; they always have attention on them... it's amazing Kel hasn't been discovered but it's easier for her to hide than it is for me.".
Caroline raised an eyebrow, "Perhaps in the city, they're popular, but they have complete privacy as the manor is in the countryside...I saw it all from the heavens, and visiting it tonight, it's a beautiful and peaceful place, and the family only have weekly staff with all the best security they could afford, especially with the recession in place. And the caverns are an amazing place to explore and train up and of course, it's a backup escape plan in case if the manor goes up in flames or such, which is a low remote possibility which is better than being literally inside the city...".
"You went there?", Waylon asked as she nodded. "I had to say things to Alfred; at least...", Caroline told him. "I understand if you're a bit upset at me for doing that rather than coming to you first...".
Waylon exhaled deeply, "It hurts a bit, I admit, but I want you to be happy, Mama, for the chance to apologize and say goodbye to Alfred, and if that helped you out, I'm relieved...And besides, I lived almost 17 years and all with you, it isn't fair if you didn't visit Alfred as it was four years you had together, so it made sense for you to go to him...He really missed you so much at the funeral and all...It hurt seeing him cry and all...He loves you so much...".
Caroline looked relieved and blushed, smiling sadly, "He really does...", glancing at a beautiful engagement ring he hadn't noticed in the earlier moments, and his eyes widened, "Did he propose?", and at a nod, he smiled sadly yet happily, "Oh, Mama, it's a beautiful ring...".
"Thank you, Waylon...He has a copy, in masculine style, of course...I'm happy that I'm engaged, yet sad that he's a widower here on Earth, promising to keep living while loving me while I wait for him which I am not upset about as I love him so much too...", Caroline sighed with a hum, "With the family's help, pictures were taken, and fortunately, I wasn't invisible, so don't be surprised if the family visits here with the intention of passing over the chosen pictures for you while keeping some for Alfred and themselves...Alfred was absolutely wrapped around Jane's little finger...", with a tear falling, glancing lovingly at her slumbering daughter in the bassinet.
"Can't argue with that... it's almost impossible to resist.", Waylon said as Caroline chuckled, "Of course, obviously being her biological father had something to do with it too...".
Waylon exhaled deeply, "He really loves her too, huh?", and Caroline smiled sadly, "Yes, he does...He literally spent almost every chance he got to hold, touch, talk, and see her...Waylon, please, you must at least consider going to them after hearing that Alfred is a good, wonderful father...I do know Poppy misses you the most next to Alfred.".
"I never sent her a gift for the first time in years...because I didn't want her to find me...And besides, what do I have for her? You probably heard me earlier...She's 10, growing up into a cute, probably beautiful girl and then woman...Me, I'm fricking 16, and I would be seen as a pervert with this...", Waylon said, gesturing to himself.
"Is that really your biggest fear?", Caroline asked as he sighed, "Well, one of them... it's just... I don't want to hurt her by making her think I'm stringing her along; I mean, who knows what could happen in some years? Maybe I find a blind woman who doesn't care about my looks, and we settle down or something.".
Caroline hummed, "Perhaps, or it is fate for you and Poppy. I never saw you look that happy before Poppy, smiling, laughing, and playing games. She saw you through the best and worst in the past four years, and yes, you may think she's doing you a favor because you saved her, but face it, has she ever broken your friendship?".
Waylon exhaled, remembering that day, that day he and Poppy became fast, unlikely friends, and how she always made sure to reassure him every visit since that he's her friend, not a monster or a freak, and how she always made sure to remember his birthday, Christmas, and Valentine's Day with the declaration of platonic love.
Hell, even after the funeral, she made sure to get him a couple of fishing poles that she must have brought with Martha's help a few days later before his actual birthday before having to leave and prepare for school, leaving them in the shack for his occasional return.
He treasured those fishing poles as they saw him through on slow hunting days. He looked at Caroline, whispering, "I really hurt her by missing out on her birthday today, didn't I, Mama?".