NEVER WALK ALONE
CHAPTER ONE
Hey so I haven't updated this story for a while which I apologize for it has been a mix of me having writers block for this story, Working on a couple other stories which I should have up in the coming months and the fact that I moved states and was without internet and a computer for like two months. I have updated chapter 23 and combined it with chapter 24 cause they were both pretty short and at the end I said I would have a new chapter up in a week. Unfortunately I may not be able to hold true to that because I kept a lot of my work on my I pad which died on me last week, But despite everything I am working on some new stuff so don't worry this story is no where near ending so please stay tuned. - M
The drive up to the cabin was silent, Too silent but no one knew what to say and to her it didn't feel like the right time to say anything. Crane had lost so much before today and now he had literally lost everything. His family was gone and she was partly to blame, She knew he more than ever would need a shoulder to lean on and intended to be there for him as he had been there for her in the past.
She looked over her shoulder to see how he was holding up, He was a lot better than she had expected. She knew if it was her in his position she would be putting an axe to something by now. She also knew that if it were her in his position he would be doing anything and everything in his power to make her pain go away. She knew she should say something and there were so many things to say but when it came down to it she couldn't bring herself to voice a single word and so she didn't. Instead of trying to use words to heal his hurt she placed her hand over his, Entwining their fingers. She had expected for him to at least pull away after all she had been the one to shoot Henry, Killed his only son. That alone was an unforgivable act and she wouldn't blame him if he never spoke to her again, But on top of that he had killed Katrina, His wife who he loved through thick and thin, Past the bonds of their marriage vows to save her. But he didn't pull away, It was strange, Unnerving even how quiet he was, Seemingly oblivious to her touch.
He felt her place her hand atop his, Entwining their fingers but he didn't move a muscle or say a single word, What was there to say Henry was the Horseman of war, He was the enemy and he had to be dealt with sooner or later. He was just thankful that in the end it wasn't him taking the shot. Although he knew well and true in his mind that Henry was not his son, His heart would never truly accept that Jeremy was in fact gone, lost forever and that he would never be able to meet him. That was one of the many reasons he was was thankful to have Abbie by his side in this fight, She did the things he could not and he would do the same for her, Even if in the end that meant him loosing everything that once was.
As for Katrina in the days leading to her death he had thought about everything, Truly thought about it and had come to realise how stupid he was for thinking that he had actually brought his wife into this time unchanged, And that they would go on living happy lives as if nothing had ever happened. He knew now that the Katrina he knew, The one he loved, The one who truly loved him was gone and he had since made peace with that. He knew from the day he pulled her from purgatory that this Katrina was different, That place had changed her, She had been twisted and haunted by grief for so long that she was no longer the same. She made her own choice, She chose to turn to the darkness, To turn her back on everything that they had been and everything they could have been and made for themselves in this time and as if that wasn't enough she had tried to kill Abbie, Twice and the second time she had left him no choice.
So for them he felt no remorse, But what was eating away at him inside was the woman who sat beside him. He had put the pieces together and reasoned that the portal she and Katrina had jumped through had taken them back to his time, But it was no that which bothered him. It was the fear he saw in her eyes when he was apprehending Katrina, As if she believed there was a chance he would choose Katrina over her even after everything she had done.
" Thank you " He said just above a whisper, Turning to face the woman who sat beside him never letting his hand leave hers.
" What? " She asked turning her whole body to face him whilst still getting over the fact he had actually spoken after being silent the entire trip.
" Thank you " He repeated a little louder.
" I heard you, I mean what for? " She asked.
He held her gaze as he spoke so he was sure she knew he meant every word with every inch of his being.
" You risked your life to save me, You and no idea what was waiting for you when you went after Katrina yet you jumped anyway, without even a second thought. For that i will be forever grateful and eternally in your debt " He said sincerely.
She stared deep into his eyes as if she was searching his soul, They had always been able to tell how eachother were feeling, What they was thinking, It was just a thing the two of them did, Read each other like open books. But in this moment, Right now she couldn't tell if he was being sincere or just being a gentleman, Attempting to make her feel less guilty.
" And you chose to kill the woman you loved to save me Crane, Debt repaid and i do understand if you don't want to see me for a while " She said flatly, eyes dropping to the floor no longer able to hold his gaze, fearing the hatred that would appear at the mention of Katrina's name.
He stopped at a total loss for words, Was unsure of what to say and do next.
Did she truly feel that way?
Of course she did she always felt responsible that was just her nature, But surely she couldn't think that i would blame her?
That must have been why she was so fearful i would choose Katrina's life over hersā„
" Abbie " He said softly hoping she would glance back at him. She didn't respond so he gently lifted her chin with his finger so he could look down into her eyes. They held eachothers gaze and he knew she blamed herself, She didn't have to say anything he could see it in her eyes.
" Abbie " He said softly " The woman i loved died 250 years ago, Promise me you will never blame yourself for my mistake ".
All she could could do was nod in response as a tear rolled down her cheek, Which he gently wiped away before wrapping his arms around yes tiny frame, Pulling her to his chest.
" I promise" she whispered into his shoulder, Leaning into his embrace, Letting herself he held in the arms of the one who meant the most to her as she laid her head on his shoulder, Sobbing and eventually drifting to sleep.
He sat holding her in his arms until they had reached the cabin, By which point he had realised she had fallen asleep. He looked up to see that Jenny was staring back at them.
" Thank you for the transportation Miss Jenny " He said reaching his hand up to tap Abbie on the shoulder.
" NO " She said holding her hand out to stop him from waking her sister " She should stay here tonight, With you ".
He pulled his band back and gave Jenny a questioning look.
" I just mean you two are always better off when you are together, Besides after what you both have been through today neither of you should be alone, She won't admit it but she needs you " She said and he could hear the concern and sincerity in her voice, A combination very rarely used by the woman. He looked between the two sisters turning the idea over in his head.
" Of course, Some company is probably a good idea ".
She smiled and leaned forward into the back of the car, Unclipping both seat belts. He quietly jumped out of the car and circled around the car to Abbie's door, After slowly opening the door, Making sure she wouldn't fall, He gently slipped his hands under her knees and neck, Lifting her from the seat and out of the vehicle.
" I will see you guys tomorrow, Oh and Crane i'm really sorry about, You know, Everything that happened " She said flashing a quick smile.
" Thank you Miss Jenny, Until tomorrow " He said slightly bowing his head.
" Until tomorrow " she mocked shutting the door behind him.
He chuckled slightly, Turning his back and beginning the short walk to the cabins porch.
She woke and quickly realised she was being carried, Immediately she opened her eyes and saw Crane looking down at her a smile on his face.
" WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU- " She started before he cut in.
" I apologise Miss Mills as this is the most improper but you fell asleep in the motorised vehicle and Miss Jenny insisted that you spend the night " He said looking down at her with those beautiful blue eyes that sparkled no matter what light they were in. The smile slowly disappearing.
" Okay " she said softly stretching the word out as he walked through the cabins threshold. What ever anger she had first held about carrying her when she first woke up had since evaporated within seconds of looking into his eyes. He gently placed her down onto the couch and made his way towards the kitchen.
" Would you like some tea? " He called.
" Sure " she said sitting up on the couch and removing her boots, Leaving them at the head of the couch. Neither said a word after that as he prepared the tea but they had a mutual understanding that it wasn't an awkward silence but more of an understanding silence, They both had a lot to process about the previous couple of days. It wasn't until he took a seat next her on the couch bearing two mugs of tea that the silence was broken.
" Leftenant would you be amenable to speaking about your experience?" He asked cautious not to be to pushy as he handed her a mug keeping the one she had gotten him for Christmas last years to himself. She took it with a gracious smile.
" You do not have to if you do not wish to " He added.
" No, no it's okay " She said.
" The is something else bothering you? " He asked suddenly terrified that something traumatic had occurred while she was gone.
" No " She said quickly trying to put his sudden panic at ease " It just feels almost like i invaded your privacy, You know like i saw the.. Other side of you ". He knew exactly what she meant, In his time he had been a different man to the one he was today, Since waking up in this time and since meeting Abbie he had changed, For the better, He hoped. She looked up from her mug and knew that the topic was making her partner uncomfortable so in an attempt to change it she began to tell him of her experience of the day he had died.
" So that portal that Katrina opened, Turns out that was for a travellers spell which took us back to 1781, The day you died. By the time i realised where, More like when i was, I was being arrested because they suspected em to be a runaway slave. When they took me to the prison i told them i had information on the war but that i would only speak to Captain Ichabod Crane. They tried to get me to speak to some other people but i wouldn't budge and so eventually they brought you in. Obviously i couldn't just straight out tell you that i was your fellow witness come back from the future to stop your wife who was a witch from killing you so you could be killed by the horseman of death instead so i used my knowledge of the war to convince you i was valuable enough to keep but eventually you got given orders to escort me to an encampment for run away slaves but on the way you gave me a chance and i convinced you to take me to Franklin, Told you he would be able to back up my story " She said pausing to take a sip of tea.
" You got to meet Benjamin Franklin? " He asked. She looked up from her tea and slowly nodded knowing what was coming next " And what did you think of him? " He asked a sly smile appearing on his face.
" Oh don't get jealous Crane your still my favourite founding father " She teased. His face went serious as he replayed her words in his head.
" Leftenant, I am not one of the founding father " He clarified.
" Oh please if the horseman hadn't of killed you you would be on the front of every history book ".
" Something i won't turn down a million times over if it meant i didn't meet you " He said sincerely.
She looked up into his eyes and smiled a smile that said all the words her tongue was too tied to say.
' You mean the world to me '
' I wouldn't give you up for the world '
' You the best partner someone could ask for '
' I love you '
Although that last part might have gotten lost in translation.
She cleared her throat " Anyway, We went to Franklin and he backed up my story and he told me we needed to go see Grace, That she could reverse the spell-" She started before he cut in.
" Grace? You mean Grace Dixon? You got to meet her? " Hew asked the amazement clear in his voice.
" Yes but before we could go see her with Franklin the Horseman showed up, He must have been tracking us somehow and he killed Franklin and burnt-" She said stopping mid sentence and pulling her phone from her pocket.
" Miss Mills what are you doing? " He asked trying to snatch her phones from her hands.
" Checking " she said pulling he phone back " Something " She finished still managing to keep the phone from his grasp despite her eyes never leaving the screen, Finally she had read what she needed and slid her phone back into it's pocket.
" Care to explain? " H asked after she didn't say anything.
" I had to make sure the spell set everything back how it was suppose to be, And luckily Franklin did not die in 1781 ".
" Oh, well now that we have that out of the way " He said gesturing to continue.
" Right well because i was there when Franklin was there and i had suggested it you thought i was a spy so you put me back in ja-" He cut her off again.
" OH LEFTENANT DO NOT TELL ME I HARMED YOU " He said patting her down checking for any injuries, He knew just how suspected spies were treated and that was when they hadn't been blamed for the death of one of the greatest minds of the colonies.
" Crane " She said grabbing hold of and pushing away his hands " Don't worry you didn't lay a finger on me, You just wouldn't listen to me. I tried to get you to check my phone because there was proof of my identity on there but you wouldn't listen, Still grieving i guess but then you got relieved from duty. While you were gone the sutton came back to do god knows what to me but thanks to recent advances in hand in hand combat i tendered him unconscious in seconds " She said proudly a smile starting to form as the memories came back " Then you came running in saying I'VE COME TO SAVE YOU! " She said giggling.
" Only to find that you had saved yourself. Not surprising you are an extraordinary woman Miss Mills " He said sincerely causing her to blush a little " But what caused me to return? ".
" You never actually told me the fully story just that when you went home and found Katrina you knew something was wrong and that she must have been pregnant, Oh all that and the fact you saw the Grand Grimiore on your dining room table, So you came back and checked my phone and you found a video of us ".
" Oh no, Not the one in which i attempted to create a still picture " He wined " You said you deleted that ".
" I lied " She said with a sheepish grin " Anyway we went to Fredericks Manor to see Grace and she reversed the spell which brought us back to modern day.
She watched him looking lost in thought.
" That is why Katrina said her being here was your doing? " He asked turning to her. She nodded to confirm his suspicion " And that is why she went after you and not me " He asked more like a statement looking up to her with saddened eyes. " Why? Why jump through a portal not knowing what was on the other side? " He asked.
" What do you mean why? Your life was in danger it didn't matter what was waiting for me on the other side " She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, Bring her knees up onto the couch and to her chest.
" It matters to me, You could have been hurt, Or worse, Lost forever ".
" And if i didn't you would have definitely been dead and this time Katrina wouldn't have saved you, Then where would we be?" She said. He looked as if he were considering her words, Turning them over in his head but she knew he would never be happy with the fact she did all that to save him.
" I am truly sorry you have to endure all of that to save me ". He said softly.
" You know it's not your fault and you would have done the exact same thing for me " She said sincerely patting him on the shoulder.
" I could have been less blinded by the fact Katrina was my wife and realised that she was going to lash out and do something like this, She nearly killed you twice " He said raising his voice but she knew it was not her that he was angry with, It was himself.
" Hey none of us saw that coming ".
" Miss Jenny did, You did, I know you never trusted her not with your life not with mine and yet i still let myself be blinded and misguided by my love for her which as it turned out she was willing to throw away at a moments notice, Which nearly resulted in you getting killed ". He cried, Turning to face the wall no longer able to look into her eyes.
She could see that all the emotions he had been trying to suppress from the past days was now coming back to the surface. " Crane listen to me, None of that matters now okay because it's all over now, we're both here and we are both okay and that's all that matters " She said. He turned back to face her and they held each others gaze for so long that time melted away and became a meaningless number until they both looked down to their now entwined hands. As he looked at their hands he knew she was what he needed in this life to guide him, to balance him out, to keep him sane and he couldn't help thinking that this was how it was meant to be after all their paths had been entwined from the very start. Silence fell between the two and all she could think about was how alone he must feel. " I'm sorry you lost your family, But you know you will never be alone as long as i am around ".
" Abbie i didn't lose my family today, They dies along time ago and i have made peace with that, My family is our team, My family is you" He said sincerely. They fell back into silence as his words dissolved into the surrounding air.
He could never imagine how much his words affected her, Even the smallest things like the way he said her name ignited a flame inside her soul, One she tried to extinguish but that sometimes threatened to escape. She hadn't always felt this way he use to be just her partner but after he tried to kill himself to stop the Horseman, The day she thought she had actually lost him she realised how big a part of her life he had become in such a small amount of time. But now she knew she couldn't live without him by her side.