Caroline smiled gently yet sternly, "Yes, you did...It's still Halloween for a while yet, I can use some Halloween magic to send her your letter...", wondering if she should reveal that Poppy had a crush on her boy, but she feels that it's a bit hasty, and besides, she would just encourage him to do better by Poppy, if it's only keeping their friendship, glancing at the clock on the living room wall, seeing that it's 35 minutes left until Louisiana's midnight time.
Waylon gulped nervously, "Even if it's technically a day late past her birthday?", knowing of the time zones and such, and Caroline raised an eyebrow, "Poppy wouldn't care as long as it's from you. Waylon, please don't be stubborn for once, don't think of keeping her safe, don't think of staying away tonight in a way of not writing. Do you want to imagine her smiling in joy at the sight of your letter? If it's difficult for you to apologize or reveal your feelings, please at least write something, like hinting that you're okay... Poppy, the poor darling, she has been worried for you, I ain't blind.".
Waylon sighed as he looked away, "I just think that I've probably burned so many bridges this year especially when they came... I know I should've called them sooner; even if it was too late to get you any real help, they should've been here in your final days at least...".
Caroline looked at him, "Waylon, it was my fault for telling them to stay back from Louisiana when the sickness hit the town, you saw that there were other people being affected too, we all thought it was the flu or something...I, we didn't know that it was West Nile Virus spread out by mosquitoes. We should have seen how much rain was coming and going...And yes, you should have trusted your gut to call them for me...But Waylon, they were there for me...Yes, true, if it was just you and me, you would still have buried me, but you wouldn't have brought me to the hospital because of your looks, but that is changed with the Waynes...Alfred...he grieved for me even before the hospital to recover me, like the others. It wasn't their fault that they didn't know until it was too late...Please, don't be mad at them, Waylon. I thought I was protecting them...", with a soft sob.
"I... I know...", Waylon shook his head. "I've known for months but I just didn't have it in my heart to say that you made a mistake. I was looking for someone to blame but...".
Caroline gently held his cheek, moving him slightly to look at her in the eye, "Waylon, you aren't the first or last child to see that their mother had made a mistake and not talk about it, and yes, you were hurt that you wanted to blame someone, and that's the Waynes...But now, do you blame them?", with a raised eyebrow.
"No...Talking with you now...that feeling is gone...They don't deserve it, especially Alfred and Poppy...But...this...this is temporary, isn't it? You and Jane being here?", Waylon bit his lip, and Caroline replied, "Afraid so...We have to head back at the last stroke of midnight...But we still have some time...Now, are you going to write that letter, or am I going to arm-wrestle you into it?", with a stern smirk.
"Okay, okay, I will... just... not right yet.", Waylon said as she nodded, "Just remember that I'll still be watching. So, I'll know if you don't do that. But right now... let's just spend what little time we have left together...".
Waylon nodded, making a small smile, and Caroline went to tell a few precious moments that happened with the family as her son listened to her, chuckling at Poppy's impishness, Bruce trying to out beat Martha at a game, while Kel tried to be helpful, and Alfred entertaining Jane.
Then as it was about 8 minutes to midnight, they heard the bassinet creaking slightly, and Caroline looked in, chuckling, "Hey, sleepy sweetpea...Nice nap for now, huh? Wanna meet your big brother?", picking up Jane from the bassinet that vanished away into nothing.
Jane gurgled, now awake at the mention of Waylon, and Caroline smiled, shifting her into the view of Waylon, "Jane, this is Waylon Jones, your big brother. Waylon, say hello to Jane Lillian Jones-Pennyworth, your baby sister.".
Waylon gulped, freezing, and spoke shyly yet in awe, "Hi, Jane...I'm Waylon, your big brother...", waiting for her to scream or shriek out of fright and fear, and Jane blinked before squealing happily and reaching out for him with a gummy smile.
"Wha-?", Waylon startled in surprise, and Caroline smiled, "What, you don't think that sisters look over their big brothers from heaven too? Babies have a sixth instinct, you know, about feeling the auras of people...which I've been told. And don't you dare argue about unintentionally hurting her, you never hurt me or Poppy or the others with your claws because we all know that you are a gentle young man. Now, hold out your arms, young man, and let your baby sister meet you properly.", with a stern, nonsense tone, not going to take any excuse from her son.
"O-okay...", Waylon took a deep breath as he held out his arms for Caroline to gently place Jane into them. Waylon froze for a moment until Caroline let go and now Jane was safely in his hands.
Jane cooed and gurgled, her eyes switching between blindness and sight, her little hands clenching into the loose, rough shirt, even touching the slit of his chest on the scales, and she looked up at him in adoration and awe, cooing.
"She's...she's not scared of me...Alfred was right in one of his nicknames...You sure are a brave little one, ain't ya, Jane?", Waylon whispered in amazement, his heart already being wrapped in love around Jane's little finger, his eyes soft and protective.
"She loves you so much, Waylon...", Caroline said as she gently rubbed her hand against his arm. Waylon smiled, "And I love her so much that I can't believe that I'm a big brother...She really looks like you and Alfred...", gently tweaking Jane's nose as she giggled, reaching for his face, hugging him and landing a gummy kiss on his cheek.
Caroline looked at Waylon's stunned look as she replied, "I think she's also saying that she has part of you too, and she doesn't care as long as she got your compassion in her heart.", with a nod.
Waylon teared up as he started to cry; just hating the fact that he had so little time with them, hating that death had to claim them when Caroline still had so much life left to her and Jane's hadn't even begun.
Caroline came closer to hug her son, gently minding Jane, kissing his head, "I know...I know...I'm going to miss you, my darling handsome boy...but I will watch over you, you know it, Waylon Jones, we will be watching and missing you, and we'll be proud, happy, and much more as time goes on...Breathe, Waylon, you can cry all you want, in a while, and I won't blame you, but try to hold back for us...", feeling the urgent pull, glancing to see that it's three minutes now to midnight for here...
Waylon sniffled, nodding, trying to hold back his tears, not wanting to see Jane upset or his mother super sad, and whispered, "I really missed this...C-can you hold me longer?", and Caroline replied, "Of course...Hey, remember that time before everything changed for you, and we went to this butterfly place in New Orleans?".
Waylon nodded, "Y-yeah...", and Caroline smiled gently, "Do you remember what I told you in that moment after you had that beautiful monarch on your shoulder? About rebirth and change?", rubbing his back while enveloping his arms with her arm, caressing Jane's cheek who gurgled quietly, listening to their mother too like her big brother.
"Yeah...", Waylon nodded. "Forgive me for forgetting most of what you said about that though; it's hard to truly take that to heart because I've been like the opposite of that... gotten uglier and all, if at least on the surface.".
Caroline raised an eyebrow, "Then I must not have impacted it into you back then...Well, now it's time for it to sink in into you...Listen to me, Waylon Jones, and yes, even you, Jane. Everything in the world has its season. Where one thing falls, another grows. Change can be unexpected, but when rebirth happens, maybe not what was there before, but something new and amazing, all the same.".
Waylon took a deep breath as he nodded. "I know you still don't fully believe or understand but trust me... everything will work out in the end, one way or another.", Caroline said as she kissed his cheek.
Waylon gave a smile, "I trust you, Mama...", glancing at Jane who is cooing at him, and he smiled, kissing her little head, "I love you, sis...You take care of Mama, okay?".
Jane gave a sort of determined squeak, and the duo of mother and son laughed gently, and Waylon then kissed Caroline's cheek, "I love you, Mama...I...I can't promise about Poppy or returning to the Waynes, but I'll really think about it because well, I can't blame myself anymore, can I?".
"No... because none of this was your fault, Waylon... never forget that.", Caroline told him as she wrapped herself around him tightly. "I love you so much, son... I really do...".
Waylon sniffed, "I know...I really know...", wrapping his arm around her, keeping Jane in his other arm, minding her, and then midnight rang out with the first stroke, and Caroline exhaled deeply as Waylon gave Jane gently back into her arms as Jane squeezed Waylon's finger, smacking her other little hand in a gesture of an air kiss in her baby way, starting to become more transparent.
Waylon laughed shakily with tears starting to go against his will, "I really love you too, Jane.", wanting to hold on, but Caroline whispered gently, "Let go, Waylon...We will never leave you, not really...because you have us in your memories, your heart...This isn't forever...".
"I know... I just...", Waylon teared up again. "I just wanted to have so much more time...", he sobbed as she touched his cheek again. "Just a little while, Waylon... and then we'll have forever.", Caroline told him.
Waylon sniffed, nodding as he let go of Jane's hand and Caroline, smiling tearfully, "I love you, guys...", and Caroline and Jane gave him warm, loving smiles as the strokes of midnight got louder and finally, the last stroke of midnight rang out as the mother and daughter completely vanished, whooshing away, leaving a completely silent shack a moment later with Waylon frozen for a split second, speechless, staring at the empty spot next to him before collapsing into the couch, releasing the dam of tears as he sobbed, grieved, and letting go of all remaining anger and blame, far more than he did that night of running away after giving respects at the gravestones of his mother and sister.
It lasted for quite an hour before he eventually fell into an exhausted, slightly uneasy sleep, sort of like how Alfred did. He stayed in the shack for another day before retreating into the deep bayou, and so, several weeks came and passed until Christmas...
Waylon truly did think about returning to the Waynes and experiencing a Gotham countryside holiday, to see how he would take to Wayne Manor, but in the end, he wasn't ready to handle a new place, new people, even if it's only weekly staff, apart from the familiar faces in the Waynes and Poppy...But he was ready to reassure the Waynes that he is feeling better, even if it's only presents, and he doesn't want to be seen or heard either, still feeling self-conscious, even when he knew that they saw him through his good and bad days of becoming a creature person.
He had visited the shack on the weekends before Thanksgiving and Christmas and had adorned the gravestones with the final two letters to 'Mama' and 'Jane' to his pebble spelling, and had smelled the Waynes' scents, but he made sure to cover his scent very well from Kel's tracking.
On the day of Christmas Eve, Waylon is battling his fears to go back to the shack and sneak into his presents if the Waynes are there, through why do they have to? It wasn't like he was anything special...He growled at the dark thoughts, remembering Caroline's words as he took deep breaths from his anxiety. The Waynes really loves him, they don't blame him, they care for him...Hell, he got a stack of pictures when he returned a bit later after Thanksgiving, showing Caroline and Jane surrounded in love and happiness with Alfred and the others from that Halloween night at Wayne Manor.
And there was that new letter by Poppy...He heard what Caroline said, that Poppy really missed him, that she's awfully hurt...The letter wasn't a lecture or a stern talking-to, but reading it, it hit him that he honestly hurt her bad...It was only pleading for him to come back officially with them, to live with Alfred as father and son, and such, though he has a strange feeling that Poppy is going to rip him something rough in public, maybe inside Wayne Manor, but still public in a way as Poppy knew him so well, like taking a note from Caroline which he is afraid yet strangely and sadly fond of as it reminded him of his mama, realizing that Poppy had looked up to Caroline as much as she does with her mothers in Martha and Kel.
Waylon shook his head at just how he truly had screwed so much up instead of doing what he should've just done in the very first place. His damn stubbornness just wouldn't let him though. Honestly, what he probably should do is just pick up a phone and make a call; surely there was some way of doing that even if he didn't know where to find their number.
Then again, he knew his mama had kept Alfred's number...After all, she had shared it with the doctors in that emergency letter, and Caroline always kept the case of phone numbers in the kitchen, even if it was only a few people next to Alfred...
Waylon bit his lip, and groaned as he knew that Caroline would make him since she's watching, and she would ruin probably a week of hunting with some tricks if he couldn't at least give his presents to the family secretly at the shack or make a call to Alfred if they weren't at the shack.
"Fine, you win, Mama...", Waylon sighed tiredly as he didn't want to argue with his mother, even posthumously, and after fighting his demon away upon moving to grab his presents, he left his roughout bayou shelter, heading on various switchback routes to the shack north.
To his relief, the shack is dark and no Waynes in scent or sight anywhere as he got in, putting the presents down yet he saw the phone number notebook on the counter instead of in its hiding spot, beckoning him with a glaring note, "CALL HIM, WAYLON.".
Waylon nodded, picking it up, and after locking up the shack again upon getting some change out of the emergency jar under the floorboard of a chair, he carefully headed to his old school area, knowing that all the other teenagers and kids are either partying or trying to stay up for Santa Claus at their homes, and he got to a payphone with a dead light above, relieved that the darkness is helping him out.
Taking a deep breath, Waylon put in a bit of change, reading Caroline's phone book of Alfred's number, and punched the buttons, checking that he still has some change if the call is going to last longer than the limit on the payphone, and held his breath, waiting as he listened to the ringing.
"Come on, please be home or something...", Waylon muttered as he continued to wait. Last thing he wanted was catching them out of the house or something. He could easily leave a message, telling them to quickly fly back down south to meet him in person if that was the case. Actually, even if they pick up, it might be better to let everything air out face to face.
He then heard the phone pick up, and his heart raced as he heard Alfred's voice, "Apologies, I was preparing something on the stove to take on a trip out of state. This is Alfred Pennyworth of Wayne Manor. May I ask who is speaking?".
Alfred, currently as of now, is in the kitchen of the manor while the others are packing up, and he's currently making Waylon's favorite peanut butter brittle as a present when he heard the phone ring on the far wall. "Hello?", Alfred asked in concern and confusion, starting to think that it's a prank call by Poppy, when his heart pounded at the sound of his runaway son's voice, "H-Hi, A-Alfred. I-it's Waylon.".