AN: Sorry for the delay. Life and developments with the show have deterred my efforts. Also, I think I referred to 'Fredericks Manor' as 'Franklin Manor' in a previous chapter. This is a typo but I haven't yet figured out how to change that when uploading documents to ffnet. If I delete and add again I am worried it would wipe out all the reviews so right now it's staying there with an apology from me for not catching that. Hope you enjoy this next chapter. Thanks again for reading, and a special thank you to those who review-You are what keeps me going.

Chapter 7

When Ichabod learned Abbie was gone he leapt from the room. Unbeknownst to him he was completely naked and for a split second he blushed at the thought of having been without clothing in Abbie's bed linens but then Katrina handed him his freshly laundered clothes.

"Where did she go?" He questioned urgently but Katrina shook her head and put her hand on Ichabod's shoulder.

"My love, you must rest here. Miss Mills is entirely capable of taking care of herself."

"No, that thing, that monster is going after her."

"You are not yet well dear husband. Please allow me to tend to you. Miss Jennifer can find her."

"If I do not find Abigail, she will die," Ichabod concluded with alarm in his voice and Katrina removed her hand from his arm knowing at this moment she had little to no chance of stopping him.

"With the assistance of your drawing I was able to determine the name of the demon that attacked you. Perhaps Miss Mills was going to research this further?" Katrina offered hoping to deter Ichabod from going back into those woods. Dangerous things lived in those woods.

"Then she would have gone to the archives," Ichabod declared.

With one arm through his shirt as the other tied up his trouser ties he was out the bedroom door and off to find Miss Jenny.

"Did Abbie say where she was going?" Ichabod asked Jenny who was in the kitchen feasting on a burrito.

"Out," Jenny replied.

"This is not the time to be vague Miss Mills. Your sister could be in grave danger."

"Yeah tell me something I didn't know," Jenny said going back to her burrito.

"Miss Mills, my husband believes your sister went after this creature that attacked him," said Katrina adding, "Might you have a way of contacting her? Perhaps through the use of your telephone device or some other instrument?"

Jenny gave Katrina a strange look followed by a side eyed gaze to Ichabod who seemed genuinely sick with worry so she took out her cell phone and dialed Abbie's number. There was no answer. She tried texting her sister as well but after 5 minutes Ichabod was out the door.

"I must find her," he declared despite Katrina's attempts to keep him at rest. Jenny offered to drive around. Despite the weirdness of being in a car with two people from the 18th century she felt a pressing urge to find her sister, especially after Ichabod so diligently pointed out that this creature could be leading Abbie into a trap and she might not even know it.

They stopped by the archives first. Candles were lit and there were a few books splayed across the table. One book in particular caught Ichabod's attention because it had an illustration of the creature that he had drawn. It was in reference to Stheno.

Ichabod read the text under the illustration, "Stheno, goddess of the underworld, servant of War."

As in God of war—Henry!

He knew his son was somehow behind this. Glancing at Katrina and Jenny, Ichabod filled them in on his dream.

"We must go to Frederick's manor. If he controls this thing, maybe he can stop it."

"Yeah, I'm sure he'd be more than happy to just call it a day and play nice," said Jenny with sarcasm and Ichabod turned to her.

"We will reason with him."

"My son may have done many cruel things but he is not without a conscience. I have observed him, I know he is capable of mercy," Katrina urged but Jenny simply rolled her eyes.

"Well if you don't mind I'm packing some heat. Y'all enjoy your little family heart to heart."

Ichabod studied Jenny for a long moment and then chose a weapon for himself. Katrina objected thinking this was unnecessary but Ichabod assured her that nothing would be used unless absolutely necessary.

When they arrived at Fredericks manor Ichabod expected to find Henry or at the very least one of the militants of Satan's army lurking around but the place was vacant. In fact it looked as if no one had been here in quite some time. That was until he followed the path Stheno took in his dream and he found himself standing before what looked like a very large bonfire. More than just wood had been burned and Ichabod wondered just what his son had been up to since they last saw him. He glanced over to Katrina who kept glancing behind them in caution and then Jenny announced, "I'm going to check the stables around back. I'll meet you on the other side."

Ichabod gave a nod and then he pulled Katrina to the side.

"I know our son must be responsible for this. Is there any way you could summon him or alert him to our presence?"

"Ichabod, I do not think that is a good idea."

"Katrina, if we can talk to him then perhaps he can be reasoned with, like you said."

"I would feel more at ease if you removed your weaponry for the time being. Ichabod he is our son. If he sees this he will think we are here for negative purposes."

"Katrina, I know you carry love in your heart for him, I do too. But he has become uncontrollable. If he hurts Abbie…"

Ichabod's voice trailed off appearing to have been choked up over the idea of his partner in peril. The truth was she was not only his partner but something so much more dear. She was his friend and she was his…Ichabod's thoughts trailed off when he saw smoke billowing from the tree tops of the surrounding woods. It was his waning thoughts of his partner that motivated him to take off at a fast sprint towards the tree line.

When he arrived at the source of the fire he took in the scene before him. Charred logs and gaping holes dotted the small log cabin in the midst of smoke and flame. Ichabod's eyes skirted the perimeter searching for any sign of life but it appeared as if whoever set this establishment aflame had fled with the speed of fire. Ichabod searched around for a water source to extinguish the remaining embers but there was none. He began to stomp out what he could and then through one of the holes in the foundation Ichabod spotted a familiar figure. God no!

"Abbie!" Her name fell from his lips in panic and he sped into the burning complex. Once inside the doorway he discovered that his dear Abbie was unconscious and her hands had been tied behind her back. Fearful of the worst, Ichabod swept her up in is arms and carried her outside dropping to his knees in order to assess her. Her body was limp like a rag doll and her chest was still. Fear began to consume him when she gave no response to his gentle touch and prodding. "Abbie? Abbie please wake up?" He placed his hand above her mouth to check her breathing but he felt nothing. Then the world before him shattered into a million tiny pieces when he realized what he had been unable to prevent.

"Abbie! No, no, please no!" He cupped his hand over the side of her face as tears brimmed in his eyes feeling that dread and sickness consume him when he realized his partner was dead.

"Ichabod!" Katrina came rushing up her face aghast at the scene before her.

"What happened?" She questioned in concern stepping closer and then a voice interrupted them from behind.

"Family reunions are always such a joy." Ichabod looked up and saw Henry standing there with a smile on his face.

"Jeremy," Katrina called his name and he met her gaze with contempt.

"Moloch will be upset he was not able to do the deed himself, but I must admit it was rather entertaining watching the Lieutenant try to best me herself."

Rage erupted from Ichabod's veins and he sprung up and cried, "You bastard!"

"Yes father, but remember, you made me this way," said Henry nonchalantly.

"Abbie!" A female called out in panic and Ichabod noted it was her sister Jennifer Mills.

"Miss Mills, I'm sorry, I could not save her," Ichabod confessed in anguish with a sob.

"What happened?" Jenny asked in attempt to process everything but the only answer she clearly understood was Abbie lying on the ground unconscious. Jenny fell down to her knees next to her sister.

"Has anyone tried CPR?" Jenny asked in attempt to keep it together but Ichabod just looked at her baffled. Katrina rushed over to assist in holding Abbie's head as Jenny attempted to give her mouth to mouth.

"Please, allow me to assist," Katrina insisted placing her hands on Abbie's shoulders she gave her a jolt and within seconds Abbie was coughing and conscious. Jenny pulled her into her arms and gave her a long hug.

Words could not describe Ichabod's relief at seeing Abbie alive once more, his heart now beating again. But that didn't change the fact that Henry attempted to take her life and would have succeeded if it hadn't been for Katrina. Ichabod returned to his anger and faced down his son. He needed to leave this world once and for all.

"As far as I'm concerned you never existed. I may have brought you into this world but now I'm going to take you out of it."

Henry chuckled again and remarked slyly, "I think that is the first parent like thing you have ever said to me." Ichabod however was having none of it and pulled his revolver from the back of his trousers.

"Before you end our family line however, consider the fact that I was merely doing what mother told me to do."

Ichabod looked at Katrina for a moment in question, his revolver still aimed at Henry.

"Katrina?"

But she could not speak since Katrina was crying.

"Oh yes, she came to me in a state much like this one and offered to pay me a favor if I could find a way to grant her the role of second witness as opposed to your mistress, Miss Mills over here."

Abbie still somewhat groggy cast Henry a glare when he referred to her as a witness and stated rather curtly, "I am nobody's mistress."

"Yes dear, keep telling yourself that," Henry chuckled.

"Katrina is this true?" Ichabod questioned in earnest and she put her hand over her mouth and gave a nod.

"I am sorry Ichabod. I was very emotional when I thought I had lost you and I believed that no harm would come to Miss Mills."

But now that Abbie had mulled over things in her mind she switched over to cop mode and remarked, "That's not true. You knew Stheno went after females as opposed to males. You sent her after me didn't you?"

"In a nutshell, yes," Henry replied and both of his parents sent him a hard glare.

"Jeremy chose the demon. When I learned of Stheno's identity, I hoped I could fill in for Miss Mills as witness while I helped her recover, the same way I helped you dear Ichabod and then…(she choked out the words) Perhaps you would grow to love me again."

Jenny had been silent until this time but finally she spoke interrupting everyone, "Abbie, I don't know about you but I think we should leave all their sorry asses behind in these woods to duke it out. Honestly, it's pathetic. How many years has Henry been carrying this baggage? He's a grown ass man with mommy and daddy issues! How many years have you been stuck in purgatory Katrina? You couldn't have used a few months of that time to work some of this crap out? And Ichabod, how ignorant can you be? You didn't see any of this coming? Seriously?" Jenny shook her head unwilling to give anyone a chance to reply and she got up, dusted off her pants and then offered a helping hand to her sister.

"Come on Abbie, let's go. I'm so done here," Jenny concluded. Abbie looked back at Katrina then Ichabod, her eyes lingering sadly with Ichabod's. He appeared as if he wanted to stop them, his mouth parted open to object, but before he could she took Jenny's hand allowing her sister to help her up. Frankly she didn't know what to think but this Crane family business was seriously wreaking havoc on her life. Regardless of her feelings for Crane, Jenny was right. It had to stop.

Unfortunately, despite the pairs attempt at making a hasty escape, the second they turned around they came face to face with a yellow eyed woman with snakes hissing from her head. If Abbie could have screamed she would have, but the demon beat her to it.