Yeah, it's me again ;)
It had been such a very long day. There wasn't anything about it that hadn't been strictly horrible. From the patients at the infirmary, to her coven's worries, to her step-mother's antics, she was more than ready to put this forsaken day behind her.
In a life filled with so many obstacles and so much pain, there was usually one thing she tried to latch onto each day to take away as beautiful or memorable, but it would seem this was one day that would pass away without mention.
It had been cloudy with showers throughout the day resulting in mud finding its way into every nook and cranny of anything and everything imaginable, resulting in every patient who walked into the infirmary bringing more than just their illnesses to her.
Sighing, she dumped the last bit of water into the tub and stood to let her hair down. As her locks fell about her shoulders, she began unlacing the front of her dress, her entire body feeling as though it were conspiring against her.
Once finished with them, she dipped a finger into the water, allowing her magic to flow through and out of her, warming it to the point of scalding.
As she eased herself into it, she leaned her head back against the tub and allowed her eyes to fall closed as a moan very nearly left her. The feel of the water surrounding her was the most wonderful thing she'd felt all day.
Everything ached as she attempted to allow the water to relax her.
"Go home and go to sleep."
With a sigh, she continued sweeping the dried mud out the door. "I have too much to do here."
Mary quickly walked over and snatched the broom. "I am ordering you to go home."
Rolling her eyes she turned to her friend. "You're ordering me? I'm your superior not only here, but in our extra-curricular activities as well. I don't take orders."
Mary placed a hand on her hip, clearly attempting to look in charge, which might have worked had she not been holding a muddy broom in her other hand. "You've been here since yesterday evening, Katrina. You look like you're about to pass out and that's to say nothing of your appearance."
She raised her eyebrows. "My appearance? Are you trying to tell me I look anything less than wonderful?"
Shrugging, her friend began sweeping the remainder of the mud. "All I'm saying is that you know who is coming home tomorrow and the sight of you could scare the hair off a cat."
Chuckling at her friend's assessment, she shook her head. "I can't leave you here alone. Besides I was supposed to meet with Alfred later to discuss some nearby disturbances that have been occurring recently."
Mary straightened and gave her a pointed look. "Just because you're in charge doesn't mean the rest of us are useless."
"I never said you were," she replied quickly.
"I know, but you don't have to do everything, Katrina," she sighed. "Besides, you and I both know you're going to have to start learning to delegate in the coming months anyway. You might as well start now."
She'd finally given in to Mary's antics and drug herself home. By the time she'd reached her door, she'd been ready to collapse.
Just as her body finally began to relax in the warm water, a certain sensation began to creep over her causing her eyes to open slightly. At first, as she allowed her senses to search out this odd feeling, she found herself confused. The only sound in the room was the gentle motions of the water, the only light being the few candles scattered about the room, their gentle flickers casting shadows over the walls.
After a moment, it struck her what the sensation was.
Someone was watching her.
Sucking in a slow breath, she gathered her magic about her like a protective shield before quickly spinning to glance at the door.
What she found made her heart skip a beat.
"Ichabod..."
He was leaning against the door frame, his eyes raking over her.
At her utterance of his name, a small smile graced his face. "I'm sorry, my love. I didn't mean to startle you."
Releasing a light chuckle as she breathed a sigh of relief, she smiled. "You didn't." Holding out her hand to him, she felt her skin prickle when he touched her. "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."
As he knelt beside the tub, he reached up to push some of her hair behind her ear.
"I couldn't resist the opportunity to hurry home," he said with a smile. "I missed you."
The overwhelming rush of emotion she felt resulted in her breathing to become shallow.
"You did?"
His hand began a slow trail down her neck, his eyes following their path. "So much."
Covering his hand with her own, she whispered, "I missed you, too."
She smiled as her eyes took in his mud covered uniform. "I hope you didn't track all of that through my house."
His eyebrows shot up, a sheepish expression crossing his face. "I don't recall."
Biting her lip, she brought her other hand to the collar of his uniform and twisted it between her fingers. "Perhaps I should punish you."
It always amazed her how a few simple words strung together into a sentence could give her complete control of him.
The smirk that lit his face caused her to hold in a chuckle. "Really? I suppose I must endure whatever you have planned, then."
Sliding the top button of his uniform through its opening, she caught his eyes. "Finish it."
The speed at which he stood to remove his shirt and trousers caused her to lean back with a barely contained expression of glee.
When he was finished, she leaned up so he could slide in behind her.
It didn't take him but a moment to wrap his arms around her and pull her back into his front.
Turning her head into his neck, she breathed in his musky scent, the smell of earth and trees washing over her.
"I'm so happy you're home," she whispered as she placed chaste kisses along his throat.
His chest tightened against her back. "I wish I could spend more time here with you."
Pulling back to catch his eyes, she slid a hand into his hair. "You're here, now. Let's just enjoy that for the time being."
With a small nod, his mouth fell to her neck, his warm breath tickling her skin. "Did you have a good day?"
A chuckle escaped her. "It was absolutely horrible, at least until you made me nearly jump out of my skin."
She didn't have to see his face to know he was smiling.
"I brightened your day, did I?"
Fingers twirling his loose strands, she shrugged. "Perhaps."
"Don't steal my moment, Katrina."
Grinning, she leaned her head against his shoulder to catch his dancing blue orbs. "I wouldn't dream of it, my love."
His eyebrow rose as he leaned down to brush his lips over hers.
The way he kissed her, whether gentle, rough, or even thoroughly filthy, always amazed her. How he could encompass his love in a single kiss, no matter the kind, never failed to leave her breathless and in want of much, much more.
As his hand slid down her body to that one placed that never ceased in its desire for him, she knew it was time.
"Ichabod..."
"Mhmm..." he muttered his warm breath teasing her ear.
The absence of actual thought was quickly approaching as his fingers teased her unabashedly, stroking and rubbing in varying rhythms.
"My love...I-"
Short, quick breaths began to escape her as that all too familiar sensation began to build in the pit of her belly.
"I-I have something to tell you."
His fingers inside her became a distant memory as his thumb slid over her clit drawing an uncontainable moan from her.
"Oh...please...
"Tell me," came his husky voice against her burning skin.
Tightening her hold in his hair, she gripped his wrist as it rotated against her, the warm water gently splashing around their jerking hands.
"I-I'm...oh-Icha-"
And then everything was a hazy rush of lips, fingers, and surging warmth.
Heavy pants fell from her as she slumped against him, her body tingling.
His lips at her throat began the first steps of easing her back down from his still light strokes within her.
"You had something to say?"
Letting her head fall to the side, she gave him a lazy smile. "I don't think I remember anymore."
As he tenderly pulled his fingers from her, she sighed, "I love you."
Hand now at her neck, he pulled her mouth to his, the movement shifting his manhood against her back.
Speaking against his unrelenting lips, she whispered, "I can-"
"It's alright."
Eyes catching his, she frowned. "My love..."
His hand tugged her back to his mouth, his tongue immediately teasing her lips into opening.
With his body so wonderfully in need of hers, she felt the overwhelming urge to put words to her news.
Reluctantly parting from him, she lifted a hand to stroke his cheek, nervousness suddenly taking hold of her. "I have something to tell you."
Confusion permeated his features. "Is everything alright?"
Eyes dancing along his face, she semi-shrugged. "Yes, at least...I think so. Well, I hope. I mean,-"
"My love, what's wrong?"
Perfect. She'd gone and caused worry to fill him.
Pushing down her nerves, she caught his eyes, her fingers threading with his over her belly. "Ichabod...I'm-we're...we're going to have a baby."
For a moment, it didn't seem as if he had understood. He simply stared at her, his mouth slightly agape, his body completely still.
Then, ever so slowly, his eyes trailed to their hands.
She continued, her nerves in a bundle. "I know it wasn't planned and... I understand if you're upset. We planned to wait until the war was over so we could raise our children together, but I-"
His mouth covering hers stopped her words in their tracks.
She wasn't entirely sure what this meant. Was he happy? Angry? His kiss certainly felt good natured in its intensity.
As he finally pulled away, he laid his forehead against hers. "I love you, Katrina Crane."
Well, she knew that.
"What does that mean?"
Chuckling, he moved back slightly to gaze into her eyes. "It means that I'm the happiest man in the world right now."
Relief washed through her. "You are? You're not... disappointed?"
His hand untangled from hers to lie flat over her belly. "We created a life together, Katrina." A smile lit his face. "It's everything I've ever wanted."
Inexplicable joy filled her.
"It is for me as well, my love."
Before I get into the details, I'd like to assure all my readers of A Different Life that that story is still gonna continue to be updated every few days. It's completely written, so don't worry about that. ;)
Anyway, this chapter was actually a one-shot I'd written two weeks ago that kinda just kept going and going and before I knew what had happened, I had 25 chapters on my hands with no end in sight.
I usually don't start posting a fic until I have it done, so we'll see how this one goes...I do have a pretty nice idea of where it's going, though.
The original idea came from all the requests I've gotten to give Ichatrina a baby, so here it is...
Though, this story did just kinda come out of left field and, without giving too much away, is going to be an emotional rollercoaster. I might have cried a few times while writing it, just saying lol
There's going to be lots of drama and babies and angry parents and surprise characters and witchy stuff and towards chapter sixteen, horrible, horrible misfortune.
It's mostly gonna be Katrina's POV, but will shift to Ichabod every now and then just to see what his pretty head is thinking about.
Anyway, I hope you guys and gals stick with me and enjoy this story ;)
