A/N: I do not own Sleepy Hollow.
He had suffered through everything, or so he thought. Murderers, war and witchcraft. Up until this moment he believed those things to be the worst. Now he realized that they were nothing compared to shopping with a teenage girl.
He had been shopping with Abbie a few times previously and that had been bearable at best. But shopping in a store specifically designed for a teenager was a new form of torture.
It had to be…
His beloved Abigail had dropped him and the young girl at the mall with a direct order to get Madyson whatever she required in clothing. While the two of them went clothes shopping, Abbie said she would go to the local school and deal with paperwork involving Madyson. The phrase she used, he believed, was "killing two birds with one stone." Even all this time later, certain phrases, while understood made no sense to him in being said. Madyson's school supplies would be bought at Staples or Walmart, whichever place had the best sales this week.
Entering a clothing store made for teenage girls, he motioned for Madyson to get what she required and try it on. Getting a few pairs of jeans and two tops, she went to try them on. While she was in the dressing room, a young ditzy store associate came over. "Can I help you sir?"
"I'm fine, just waiting for my daughter." My daughter… these words came out before he realized it.
"Okay, just let me know if you need anything." The employee walked away just as Maddie came out. "Does everything fit?" Ichabod asked her.
She nodded. "Uh-huh. The jeans are a bit big," she said, putting the jeans on the return rack near the fitting room and getting a pair in a smaller size. The store employee came back over just before Madyson went back in the fitting room. "Are you sure you don't need any help? Shopping with your daughter can't be easy," she said to Ichabod, laying on the sweet and helpful voice a bit thick.
Even Maddie could tell that this lady was flirting with Ichabod and by the look on his face Ichabod was slightly uncomfortable, but trying not to show it. 'Ever the gentleman' she thought. Deciding to help him out, she asked him, "Dad, do you think Mom will let us get pizza for dinner?"
Slightly shocked, but quickly recovering he said, "I'm sure she will Maddie. Now please hurry, the Lieutenant will be here soon."
The employee went back to the register once she heard that Ichabod was married to a cop. This was one man that was clearly off limits. As Madyson got the clothing she needed and checked out, the two of them left the store. Waiting outside Ichabod said to her, "I'm grateful for what you did back there."
"No problem," Madyson replied. Just then Abbie pulled up and the two of them got into the vehicle. As they drove to Staples, Abbie asked Maddie, "So how did the shopping go? Did you get what you needed?"
"Yes, and most of it was on sale."
"That's good." Then noticing the look on Ichabod's face as she mentioned the shopping, Abbie asked, "Did something happen?"
Maddie bit her lip and looked at feet, holding back a chuckle, while Ichabod took great notice of what was outside the window.
"Okay,'' said Abbie. "Someone's gonna say what happened."
"What happened," Maddie replied, taking Abigail literally.
"Funny, squirt. But seriously, what went on?"
Madyson looked at Ichabod in the rearview mirror before speaking. "Ichabod was hit on by a store employee."
"Really?"
"Yeah. She only backed off when he mentioned his wife was a cop."
Abbie, hearing Madyson's words had to hold back a laugh. Ichabod let this go on for only a moment before saying, "That's quite enough laughter and at my expense no less. Abigail did you get everything squared away with the headmaster at Madyson's school?"
Her laughs drying up rather quickly, she told him, "She's a principle and yeah I did."
Noticing his wife's mood change he asked, "Did something happen?"
Flashback…
Entering the principal's office at the local high school, Abbie sat in front of Principal Garcia and told her the basic facts that Madyson was now under her and her husband's guardianship. Showing the principal the custody forms from the social worker, Abbie signed a few forms for educational purposes. Everything was going smoothly until she was about to leave. As Abbie stood to leave Principal Garcia said to Abbie, "Lieutenant Mills, I don't want any disturbances from Madyson. Are we understood?"
Abbie, hearing the underlying message that Garcia was stating, went all cop on her. Shelly Garcia was seeming to be one of those people that Jenny and herself had dealt with while growing up in the system. The ones that judged who you were by your actions or thought bad about you just because you were in the system. "Principal Garcia, Madyson's had it rough. The last thing she needs is any unwarranted grief from you or anyone at this school. Are we understood?" Abbie said to Shelly.
The two women held the other's gaze for a moment before Shelly nodded and Abbie left.
End of Flashback…
"Let's just say that Shelly and I have a mutual understanding." Said Abbie. "Okay so I checked and Walmart has better prices."
"Walmart here we come," Maddie said from the backseat. Laughter filled the car as the newfound family went to finish the shopping.
A/N: I hope everyone laughed a bit. I thought it was funny anyway, Ichabod thinking shopping with a teenager was akin to torture. Oh and being hit on by a store employee, but trying to be a gentleman about it…
A/N 2: I have the rest of the fic planned out. So the rest of it will be broken down into months. Some long, some short… so every chapter will be a month starting from September until the beginning of summer vacation. That summer chapter will have a major thing happen… and then the ending after that, which will be very short… so keep reading next update should be two chapters maybe three.
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