A/N – Thanks for the comments, favorites, and follows! * nickey79 – Thanks! * ReadtoRelax – Hang in there. He still loves her.

Chapter 11 - Confrontation

Henry stares at the man standing in front of him who is wearing a suit and looks deceptively like a handsome lawyer when he is in fact a very dangerous demon. There is always something different about the way they look cloaked in a human body. It just seems a bit off.

"Hello, Henry. I'm pleased to finally meet you."

"Who are you?"

The man smirks. "My name is Balak.

Henry tried not to show the surprise on his face. Balak was a King of Moab who Balaam used to get the Israelites to curse themselves. He is now Balaam's right hand man.

"So, my reputation precedes me."

"You could say that."

Balak motions for Henry to have a seat. They both got comfortable as Andy stands in the corner observing.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"It's evil that you seek right?"

Henry visibly relaxed. "It's something I've always thirsted for."

Balak slightly smiled. "That is because it was bestowed upon you at the moment of your creation."

Henry isn't quite sure what he is alluding to.

"Henry, I have some rather disturbing news. You see, you are not who you think you are."

Henry frowned and the abruptly stood his balance teetering. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Sit down," Andy demanded.

Henry reluctantly sat as Balak continued. "You are what is known as a tulpa, created by the coven Order of the Blood Moon. They were trying to thwart Katrina's efforts in the battle between good and evil."

Henry stared at him with disbelief. "This can't be possible. I am Jeremy Crane. My parents abandoned me and I suffered greatly because of it."

Balak smirked. "Reads like a script doesn't it? You were programmed to believe all of that and then given the power to be a Sin Eater. There has been no other tulpa created like you. The witches made sure that you'd be a force to be reckoned with and you exceeded their wildest expectations. All the pain you suffered enabled you to become the incredible man that you are today."

Henry is stunned. He knows what a tulpa is and there is no way he could be one.

"I know this is a lot to digest, but we don't have a lot of time. Ichabod and Katrina will try to destroy you so that you can't destroy them as you have been programmed to do. You will never be safe as long as they walk the earth. So I will ask you, Henry, whose side will you choose? Does your allegiance lie with Balaam or the Cranes to whom you have no connection to besides your hatred?"

Henry swallowed hard as the realization set in that they aren't his parents. He had hated them for so long and they had never done anything against him, but now they would try to kill him. The anger and hate that had festered inside him for so long started to build and Henry felt overwhelmed with his need to extinguish them. His eyes locked on Balak and he noted that the man embodies everything he wants to be. "I choose Balaam."

Balak grinned. "That is good to hear." His hand rose and he started to chant and Henry could barely breathe as the darkness started to envelope him. "Go forth Henry Parrish, and do your master's bidding."

Henry's face twists into a devious smile. "With pleasure."

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIi

Ichabod entered the house and made his way to the bedroom. When he opens the door, Katrina is staring into a mirror with tears streaming down her face. She's a total wreck and when their eyes meet, she quickly whips around to face him. "Ichabod, what are you doing here?"

"Abraham."

She sighed and wiped her face. "I'm sorry that I just can't shake the malaise that has befallen me."

"It is to be expected."

She brushed past him and sat at the table and Ichabod followed.

"I've made some discoveries."

"Go on."

She could feel him distancing himself from her and she grimaced. "The Order of the Blood Moon is responsible for creating Henry. It was not my own coven. They wanted to use Henry against us."

"And our own child?"

"I have found no record of him thus far, but I thought that maybe I could scry for him."

Ichabod nodded.

"You look worse for the wear. Perhaps there are things you want to say to me. I can take it, Ichabod."

He stood, cringing from her words. "Trust me; you do not want to hear the inner workings of my mind. It is much too raw for me to converse with you regarding the decisions you made."

"You hate me don't you?"

Ichabod sucked his breath in. "As I said no good will come of this conversation."

"Ichabod, no good will come if you hold it all in."

He dove at her, stopping himself right before their foreheads hit as his hand slapped the table. "You put me in a deep sleep against my will. You made a decision to leave our child vulnerable to attack not thinking through the ultimate consequences of your actions. And then you lied to me over and over as if it meant nothing that you were being so duplicitous. Our love, which was paramount to me, was nothing to you."

"That is not true."

"Oh please, don't even try to dispel the fact that we weren't some great love story. The first chance you got, you ditched me for our fake son and a fucking headless horseman."

"Ichabod!"

"Tell me Katrina, did you ever love me?"

She glared at him and as she stood on shaky legs. "I'm not some cheap whore! I did not lay with you and profess my love for you for the cause. I earnestly fell for you, but sometimes that is not enough."

He rolled his eyes.

"Hear me! I ached for you when I knew you were gone from me. I carried our child; the one piece of you that I had left like it was a treasure. Never mistake that. When I came back, I could already see the bond you had with Abbie."

"Do not even speak her name!"

"You were falling in love with her, Ichabod."

"She is the only one that my heart is safe with. Tell me something, Katrina. Do you really love Abraham or did you come to him out of guilt for all that you cost him."

"Don't you dare go there."

The door flew open and Henry stood with a smile on his face. "Ah, the sweet sounds of discord."

Katrina notices that his eyes are black. "Henry—no."

"Oh, yes. I am right where I belong now. Tell me, have you already planned how to end me?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I know of your plans to kill me before I kill you. But alas, it looks like I will get the first strike."

Their bodies flew across the room and slammed into the wall taking their breath away.

"This is all your fault. I was created because you had to go and be a witness," he said to Ichabod, "And because you saved him." He sneered at his former mother. "Now, you both will pay."

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIi

Abbie, Jenny, Frank, and Abraham got of the truck. Frank handed Abbie a bag and she took a specialized gun out. It will temporarily halt Henry and give them time to figure out how to vanquish him. She just needs a good shot.

Ichabod yelled for mercy as pain radiated through his body. He could feel his consciousness slipping away and it is all he can do to hang on. Henry wanted them to suffer greatly before they drew their last breath. He gazed at Katrina and smiled as he took in her stricken form. Her body jerked and she screamed as it feels like he is ripping out her insides. When she gasps, something flew into her mouth and she is forced to swallow it. "What did you do?"

Henry smiled. "You'll find out soon enough, dear mother."

Abraham runs towards the house with Abbie close behind. Jenny and Frank each went to a different window and prepared to shoot if necessary.

The door flew open, momentarily distracting Henry. "Welcome to the party."

Abraham flew against the wall, pinned there by the force of Henry's powers as Abbie aimed her gun.

"You don't want to do that."

Before Henry could flick her aside, Abbie pulled the trigger and struck him in the center of his chest and he fell to the floor, still conscious, but temporarily paralyzed.

Ichabod, Abraham, and Katrina were released and fell to the floor.

Ichabod and Abbie's gaze met. "I'm sorry," he muttered before finally passing out.

Abbie ran to him with tears in her eyes. "Ichabod, please wake up."

Jenny and Frank ran into the room. Abraham is just getting up and he hurries to Katrina's side.

"Is he alive?" Jenny asked.

Abbie nodded. "Yes." She turned to Katrina. "We have to vanquish Henry, but he's a Tulpa. Can you help?"

Abraham held Katrina up. She barely has the strength to continuing standing.

"Yes, but help me to my room please."

Abraham picked her up and carried her with Abbie following closely behind as Jenny tended to Ichabod the best she could.

"Abraham, will you fetch me my bag? It's in the kitchen."

He left the room.

"We don't have much time. I believe that Henry put something inside of me that will kill me."

Abbie gasped. She immediately wondered if he had done the same to Ichabod.

"Don't worry; he did not harm Ichabod in that way. He'll be alright. The pain was just so great. We don't have time to save me and dispose of Henry, so I choose to vanquish him. He is too strong."

Abbie felt sick to her stomach. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. By disposing of Henry, I will have served my purpose. There is a letter to Abraham and Ichabod that I penned last week. It's in my top drawer. Please see to it that they get them."

"I will."

"The book."

Abbie followed her gaze and retrieved it and then Katrina flipped through it. "This is it."

Abraham handed her the bag and she explained to them how to set everything up and then sat back and rested until they were done.

Ichabod woke up right before they were finished and Abbie rushed to his side.

"Will you ever forgive me?"

Everything just seemed inconsequential considering that she had almost lost him for good. Abbie blinked back her tears. "There is nothing to forgive."

He didn't agree, but he didn't have the strength to argue. "I love you."

She kissed him gently. "I love you too."

Abraham and Katrina appeared and he helped her sit. He notices that she is pale and seems a bit shaky, but he attributes it to Henry's assault.

"Abbie, will you assist me?"

She stood behind her.

"I'm going to read this spell. If at any point I fail, you must continue."

"Okay."

Henry stared at Katrina. God he hated the sight of her. He could understand everything going on around him, but had no power to do anything about it.

Katrina started to chant and the atmosphere in the room immediately changed. As she got more forceful, Abbie could tell it is taking a toll on her. Henry begins to writhe around on the floor. He can't believe that Balak isn't stepping in and that they are going to let him die. The thought overwhelmed him as fear pulsed through his body. What will happen when he dies? He truly has no soul. How could this be the end? How could he die at her hands?

Katrina only faltered for a moment and then she threw every last ounce of strength she had into banishing Henry from the earth.

He yells as he starts to dissipate and when he is finally gone and no proof of his existence is left, Katrina collapses and Abraham has to catch her.

"Get her to the other room now," Abbie yelled.

Jenny helped Ichabod up and they all gathered around her bed.

"I don't have long."

"Don't say that," Abraham said painfully.

"I'm sorry, my love. Whatever Henry poisoned me with has hurt me irrevocably.

Ichabod didn't know what to do. He did not wish death on her but neither did he think he had the strength to forgive her before she passed on.

"Ichabod, please come closer."

He slowly moved towards the bed.

"I know you can't let go of your hurt right now, but please know that I am truly sorry and only wish you happiness."

"Thank you. I'm sorry," he said awkwardly, not knowing what else to say.

She gasped for air when it gets harder to breathe. "Abraham."

"Yes my love," he said desperately.

"Thank you for loving me so unconditionally. I hope that someday you will open your heart again. You deserve to be loved with no doubt or insincerity to come into play."

Tears ran down Abraham's face. "Please Katrina, I just got you back."

She reached up and touched his face. "I'm sorry."

Her head dropped to the left so Abbie came into view. "Take good care of them, Abbie. They will always have your back."

She begins to struggle and Abraham sits her up and pulls her into his arms. As she took her last breath, he cried out as her body started to dissolve and float away until he was left holding nothing.

Abraham is in shock, so Jenny sits next to him and his pain-filled eyes haunt her. "I don't know how to carry on without her."

Jenny grabbed his hand. "You will because you have us."

Abbie is as surprised as Abraham at her assertion. She hadn't really given Abraham much thought before. Technically, he had killed Corbin, which she had a hard time overlooking, but he had been taken advantage of and controlled, by Moloch, and part of her felt bad for him. She couldn't imagine if she lost Ichabod the way Abraham had just lost Katrina. Closing her eyes, she decided to try and be the bigger person. "She's right. You have us."

Ichabod put his hand on Abraham's shoulder. "I agree."

"You can't stay here. I'll bunk at the cabin and you can have my apartment."

Abraham wiped his face. "Abbie, there are not many people like you on this earth. I know it took a lot to offer that to me, and I appreciate it more than you'll ever know."

"It's okay.

Frank came inside. "It's all clear. Let's get out of here."

Abraham grabbed a duffle bag and put some clothes into it and then took the necklace he had given Katrina and put it in his pocket. He went into Henry's room and grabbed a bag that he knew contained money. Henry had sold some old artifacts and had received quite a large sum for them. Abraham intended to give Ichabod some so that he didn't feel like he had to rely fully on Abbie. Taking one last look around, he said his goodbyes and joined them outside.

Frank took Abraham's keys from him. "I'll follow you. You can ride with Jenny."

"Okay. Did you get Katrina's spell books?"

Jenny nodded. "I did. I also took her bag and put a few other things in the trunk. We're good."

As they left the area, Abraham felt numb. Everything is going to change and it broke his heart that he will have to go on without her.