"It's fine... after all, we're technically engaged and all anyway, and that is our daughter, so I think that I'm in the right of being able to see you like this... though I promise not to stare and watch.", Alfred blushed.
Caroline giggled, kissing him on the cheek, "I wouldn't blame you if you do it every few minutes while we're here...I wish I could have gone through the entire pregnancy for you to feel her kicks and for me to ask for your wonderful cooking and your amazing massages...And I'd give anything to be in laboring pain than sick and dying, and for you to hold my hand to have a true moment of seeing life happen before your eyes, and hearing that newborn wail of life, and no, don't you dare argue about being a gentleman, it's the 21st century!", with a sigh and then a huff, not going to take nonsense from her fiancée, her lover, her beau, and partner.
"Well, forgive me if I'm a bit old fashioned... after all, being British and a butler... there's a bit of a stereotype and all attached to that.", Alfred chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck before gently running a hand through her hair.
Caroline gave a little murmur of contentment as he did that, "I really missed that...", and Alfred gave a sad little smile, "Me too...", while his other hand caressed Jane's head as she kept suckling at Caroline's breast, though she's slowing down slightly.
"I would never thank Bruce enough for getting Poppy that Kodiak printer camera...The pictures will keep well for me...I couldn't believe that we got a daughter out of that Spring Break week...She's beautiful like you, Caroline...Our little Jane Lillian Jones-Pennyworth...", Alfred replied.
Caroline chuckled, "I really love her middle name, Alfred...It's perfect as she's resolute like a flower through any season...Of course, upon marrying you someday in the heavens...I can't really reveal much, but it's a beautiful place...She would be happy to be a Pennyworth like I do...Caroline Pennyworth...Sounds good on the tongue to me...".
Alfred smiled, "I hope so...I promise to tell Waylon about all of this, even if he might not believe me, but then again, he saw Kel, and he's rather...unique in his appearance...Heck, I would give him the talk if the crush on Poppy gets more serious...".
Caroline blushed by hearing that, "Well, I know Poppy certainly has some feelings, but Waylon? Part of me thinks that she may be just a bit too young for her...".
"Didn't stop Thomas and Martha with their differences in age. In fact, it was pretty much the same.", Alfred said. Caroline hummed, "True, but if I understand, they both were already adults by that point... Poppy... she still has a number of years, and I wonder if Waylon would wait...".
Alfred sighed softly, "Good point. All the same, has Waylon ever mentioned any other girls in his school?", with a slight look.
Caroline blinked, "No, not really, not since he began puberty...and even before, it must be fuzzy in his memories as it's hard to say if he had puppy love on pretty teachers or in his words before, 'cooties', with girls in earlier grades as he hadn't mentioned much to me, just how the classes were, and how the teachers taught. It was more of the bullies since then...", with a deep sigh, "He loved school, learning, but he pleaded to stay...as I couldn't afford to get a tutor or homeschool him...I'm a very good teacher in home essentials, yes, but school things...even if I was young in my late 20s when I had him, I was more focused on learning how to live for us, to make it through storms and such than remembering high school stuff. I might have better grasp on elementary school stuff as I had better memories as it was easier to learn, but still.".
"Huh...I suppose that made sense a little...Either way, he can take care of himself, like you said, but it doesn't mean that I can't worry about him...16 years old in the deep bayou...while Poppy is as of recently today is 10...6, 7 years of difference...I am sure Waylon is patient to wait...I read that in the rules of consent is that in New Jersey, it's 16, with close-in-age exemptions, while in Louisiana, it's 17, with no close-in-age exemptions.", Alfred said, and then at Caroline's look, "What, couldn't a father check on things up?", with a sheepish smile.
Caroline teased, "You were thinking more on Jane's behalf upon what ifs, rather than Waylon and Poppy, weren't you?", with a little wry smile.
"Partially, yes...", Alfred sighed. He almost wanted to tear up again as he thought of it. Never would he see Jane grow up, to age, to become a beautiful young woman that would bring a tear to his eye as he watched her go through many stages of life.
Caroline kissed him on the lips once again, "Hey, she won't be alone...Jane has me and Thomas as her uncle...After all, look at her, the heavens made her full term, newborn as I wished, while on earth, she's just four months old...One of those days, perhaps she would have a wish too in the heavens...But right now, don't dwell on that...Remember all the wonderful memories you have of her tonight...", before Jane gave a gurgle, and they looked down at her, smacking her lips and attempting to give a gummy smile.
"I think she wants her daddy to burp her and tell her a story...", Caroline chuckled as she passed Jane into Alfred's arms, feeling the pull a bit more urgently now, momentarily glancing at the clock to see that they got 15 minutes left until midnight while she fixed her shirt again.
Alfred took a deep breath before he nodded and started to slowly bounce her. "There, there... you're still safe...", he assured her as he kissed her head; trying to fight the tears in his eyes that were building as he knew how little time he had left.
Jane gave out a burp, and cooed as she reached out for Alfred's cheeks, hugging, and attempting to land a gummy kiss on his nose, and he chuckled, "I love you too, my little brave one, my Janey-girl...Who wants a story?".
Jane gave a squeal as her hands hugged his face eagerly, grasping at his little mustache, and he winced, "Ouch, easy on the mustache, Jane...I still need that...", and Jane backed off, whimpering, as Caroline giggled, trying to cover her mouth with her hand at Alfred's playful glare at her, before he smirked.
"Hey, how about the time I tried to teach your mother how to use the blender for a smoothie after I gave one for her one of the past Christmases?", Alfred asked, and Jane squealed, clapping her hands as Caroline gasped, "Alfred Thaddeus Pennyworth, don't you dare!".
Alfred smiled, "Aww, come on, it was funny...Perhaps you would see how funny from my perspective...It was quite a warm day, Jane, even after Valentine's Day, and it was sure one of those days where a cold, refreshing drink would be perfect...So, after seeing the pantry of town groceries and the canned food, we decided to go for strawberries and bananas to make smoothies for the family. We were doing a dandy good job, putting into the ice, the milk, the strawberries and banana slices...However, we didn't notice the power knob that was turned a few notches up above pulsing and Poppy's prank on unplugging and plugging the power cord until too late...Well, your mother was confused and so, she opened the lid, about to grab a spoon, thinking that the slices were too big or something when the blender suddenly bombed on her, splattering most of the mess over her, and some over me.".
"Alfred, don't tell her that!", Caroline laughed as Alfred chuckled, "Well, you have to admit, you should've realized that was going to happen with just how big those things were...".
Jane gurgled, looking at Caroline as Alfred replied, "That's right, Janey-girl, she was drenched in strawberry and banana shake juice. She looked so adorable yet funny as her eyes were wide as plates...I couldn't help laughing.".
Jane squealed, giggling as Caroline blushed, laughing as she realized how funny it was, especially when Poppy revealed herself as the prankster, laughing along with Waylon and Bruce as Martha tried to be polite, but laughing too along with Kel who's smiling and snickering.
They chuckled and laughed at the memory as Jane giggled, and then yawned, stretching her hand as she clenched into Alfred's shirt, and Alfred paused, tears falling as he saw that it is five minutes left until midnight.
Alfred took a shaky, deep breath as he tried to clear his throat before singing a lullaby, a lullaby from England, gently rocking his daughter as she tried stubbornly to keep her eyes up, her grip loosening up on Alfred's shirt as Caroline cried silently, watching the serene moment of father and daughter.
Jane didn't last too long as despite her efforts; she eventually fell asleep. "She falls asleep so quick...", Alfred whispered as Caroline nodded and started to tear up herself.
"You sing so wonderful, Alfred...", Caroline whispered reverently as Alfred gave her a loving, small smile, and kissed Jane gently on the forehead, passing her into Caroline's arms, whispering, "It's a rare occasion to sing, but I am glad I did for her...I love Jane so much, Caroline...I know you will look after her so well...Tell her stories about me when you have a break from watching over me and the family, okay?", caressing Caroline's cheek, gently wiping her tears even if he's crying too.
Caroline gave him a loving, small smile in return, "You bet I will..Jane will know her father no matter what...", feeling the pull more urgently as the two last minutes ticked on to midnight, caressing his cheek too, "I love you, Alfred Pennyworth...I will always wait for you...After all, you're stuck with me.", with a little wry, sassy smirk as she tried to clean his tears too, their engagement matching rings glinting.
Alfred gave a wry, watery chuckle, "And I'm glad to be stuck with you...I will always remember you...I love you, Caroline Jones.", and Caroline whispered, "Kiss me, Alfred...".
The two of them kissed again as Alfred put a bit more force into their caressing as he was wanting to hold onto her for as long as he could even though he knew there was little time left.
Yet their embrace was gentle around their slumbering daughter as they kissed and caressed each other, and after Alfred had to pull back for air, he looked into Caroline's eyes, seeing her and Jane disappear, and Caroline gave him a sad, loving smile as she held into Jane like a beautiful, protective mother and fiancée while midnight rang twelve times, and then nothing but silence.
Alfred started to sob; crying almost as hard as when he got the news that she had died. Saying goodbye; again, like with Thomas, was somewhat better than never having that chance, but it still hurt so bad.
Alfred collapsed and curled up, sobbing as he felt the slowly fading warmth of the sheets and blankets that Caroline laid on, the three hours of memories rushing through his head, seeing his daughter delight in the attention of the family and hearing Caroline chat and laugh like old times, and then there was his proposal and the donning of their engagement rings which he is looking upon with tears, a sad, small smile as it sparkled under the shards of moonlight, caressing it with his other hand.
He knew the weekly staff would be wondering, but he didn't care...he's an engaged man yet a widower, and he's determined to keep his promise to love them forever to the afterlife.
Poppy was reading a past letter Waylon wrote to her last year before everything happened as she couldn't sleep even if she is already feeling so tired...
"Penelope Wayne, I thought you went to sleep several minutes ago, it's practically midnight now.", Martha's voice replied sternly, and Poppy looked up at her mom in the doorway, and she sighed, "Couldn't sleep...My body is downright tired, but my brain is keeping me up...Sometimes I wish I wasn't super smart...".
Martha came to sit on the edge of her bed, "Oh, Poppy, there's every day normal, and there's our normal...Are you saying you don't want to be the daughter of Thomas, Kel, and Martha Wayne?", with a raised eyebrow.
Poppy shook her head, "No way! I love you and Mama and Daddy! It's just...I...Some people look at me like some freak of a genius...while some kids think it's cool, while other kids are jealous or angry...Like Brucie was...but he wasn't super smart, just really smart...there's a difference there, small, maybe, but I feel like...I could be myself here, being a loved, brilliant kid, but...it's like I have something with Waylon in common there, you know?".
Martha sighed as she gently brushed Poppy's hair, "I know... feel the same with Kel and all. I can't be open about that with the world... be putting us all in danger simply by her existing in many ways as someone, I'm sure, would want to... know how she clicks. It's the same thing in some ways with you and Waylon; you're both having something very special.".
Poppy looked at her mom, "Thanks, Mom...", with a little smile and Martha kissed her on the forehead, "You're welcome, sweetheart...Now, do you think you can go to sleep?", gently taking the note out of her daughter's hands, putting it on the bedside table.
"Do you think Caroline is going to give Waylon a stern talk? I mean, Louisiana is a hour behind midnight...", Poppy asked softly, and Martha shrugged, "I think that she will...After all, Waylon would be a bit upset that she and Jane spent more time with Alfred and us, but he would see that he literally spent 17 years plus the womb and such with his mama, it's fair that since Caroline has been with us for only 4 years, and Jane, practically nothing apart from those minutes at the funeral and such, and then tonight, Jane deserved to know us even for just one first and last time on earth...", with a gentle smile.
Poppy smiled softly, "I would be a brilliant babysitter...Jane was a cutie...", and Martha chuckled, "She sure was...We will do our best to comfort Alfred in the coming days, okay?".
Poppy nodded, "Totally, Mom...Mom?", biting her lip, and Martha replied, "Yes?", and Poppy replied, "Mama can hear us, right?", and Martha nodded, "She is...".
"Mama, the deep bayou is really hard, I mean, I know you would try your best to track Wally down for me and Alfred, but I heard and read that the deep bayou is uncharted here and there. I wouldn't blame you if the deep bayou throws you off your tracking skills.", Poppy gave a reassuring, soft smile.
Martha replied, "Kel heard you, she is relieved to hear that...She absolutely loves you so much as I do, sweetheart...", and Poppy gave a bigger smile, "I love you guys, Mom and Mama...", opening her arms, and Martha leaned to hug her, smiling, "That's our smart girl..", stroking her back, and then pulled back, "Now, you better get to sleep, young lady.", with a stern look.
Poppy nodded, shuffling lower into her blankets, "Yes, ma'ams.", and Martha smiled, shutting off the lamp, and headed to the door, before Poppy's voice asked, "Mom?".
Martha sighed exasperatedly yet fondly as she looked back, standing in the doorway, "Yes, Poppy?", and Poppy replied, "Talk with Mama, okay? I ain't blind to seeing something else hiding in your eyes...I guess it's what Caroline said...I promise I didn't eavesdrop; I swear. Bruce taught me not to.. Just talk with Mama, okay?".
"I will, Poppy, now please, get some sleep. I know it's your birthday and all, but you still need your rest.", Martha said as Poppy smiled and rolled over, "I know, I know... night, Mom...".
Martha smiled, "Good night, Poppy...Sweet dreams, my birthday girl.", before closing the door, and headed to her bedroom with a mutter under her breath, "I swear, even when she just turned 10...she's amazing...I hope you have luck with Waylon, Caroline...", hoping that the Halloween magic is still in effect in Louisiana if Poppy is right about being an hour behind New Jersey.
"She is right. Caroline was...", Kel mentally said in Martha's mind as she kept walking to her bedroom. "About Waylon being stubborn? I wish we knew that from experience, but Bruce honestly... don't know how we truly dodged that bullet.", Martha said.
"Probably Thomas taking the bullet avoided much of that. Bruce did have his moments a few years ago but they were very rare... I guess he thought he couldn't afford to be stubborn since he still sees himself in many ways as master of the house; even with Alfred around.", Kel replied.