"Do you mind if I sit with you?"

William jumped as he looked up at him from his place on the steps causing Ichabod to tense and mentally berate himself for having startled the boy. Clearing his throat, he gave him a bright smile to attempt easing the tension and gestured to the yard.

"It's a beautiful day. I thought I might join you. Is that alright?"

William looked about for a moment before hesitantly looking him over, almost as if he were inspecting some sort of bug. Fear that his son might refuse his company filled him, but was thankfully dashed as his head full of dark hair gave a slight nod.

Taking a seat on the steps of the porch next to his son, though minding to keep a couple of feet between them, he slowly brought out his knife and a piece of wood before setting about whittling at the wood. It was an ability he'd picked up while sitting around campfires with his comrades. At the time, he'd thought it an interesting enough way to pass the time, but, now, as he noticed William watching him intently, he had to force himself to hold back a smile at the success of a start at engaging the boy. William's eyes followed his every move, every scrape of the blade against the wood. They sat that way for a while with him choosing not to speak, afraid of pushing the boy too much.

About to blow the dust away from the wood, he glanced at his son to see him staring at it as if mesmerized. The thought of having an opportunity to actually interact with him struck him as he held the piece of wood toward his son. For a moment, William glanced from it, to him, then back again, before he hesitantly leaned forward to blow at the wood. As the dust flew out and away from them, a bright smile lit William's face and a laugh escaped his small body.

It was one of the sweetest sounds he had ever heard.

"Very good, William."

Turning back to the wood, he continued his work, allowing William to do his part when needed, a task that he readily excepted as his. It was a time consuming task that took hours to complete, but William never left his side, even scooting closer to him to make his job easier. Every now and then, he'd make a comment about something in the yard, whether it was a small bird hopping about, or the gentle breeze that tickled at their skin. William would nod along to his commentary, observing anything he pointed out, but never speaking. Ichabod didn't mind in the least as he was too happy to be in his son's presence to allow anything to dampen this memory in the making.

As he placed the finishing touches to the piece, he looked over his work to inspect it before giving a side glance to his son.

"There, do you think it's alright?"

The boy quickly nodded his approval, his dark hair falling into his eyes.

"Would you like to have it?" he asked, with a raised eyebrow.

The boy's eyes widened, his nod coming even quicker than before.

"Well, there you are," he said, holding it out to him.

William readily accepted the small pistol with a large smile, turning it over in his hand with thorough examination. Then, he suddenly lifted it and aimed it as if to fire, his imaginary shot making itself known by the jerking back of his hand.

With a laugh, he patted the boy on the back. "Looks like you're well-versed in weaponry. We'll make a soldier out of you yet."

The bright smile that lit his son's face hit Ichabod in a much deeper way than he'd expected. As William took off into the yard fighting imaginary men, pride consumed him as he observed his son. It was a foreign feeling to him, but one that he welcomed fully.

As he continued watching William jump about the yard, he felt the sensation of eyes on him. Turning, he found Katrina leaning in the doorway smiling at him. When their eyes caught, she moved forward to take a seat next to him.

"Thank you."

"It was nothing," he whispered as his gaze danced over her, the morning's sunlight dancing in her red hair, giving her an almost ethereal look.

Her eyes left William to latch onto his. "It was everything."

Holding her gaze for a moment longer, he turned back to his son, who was currently ducking a blow.

"He has quite an imagination."

"Something he inherited from his father," she offered with a chuckle.

Releasing a laugh, he brushed the dust from his trousers. "Perhaps, but I have a feeling he got an equal dose of that particular trait what with his troublemaking mother. I think you forced imagination on me."

She shook her head as she smiled, "Oh, that's right, Ichabod, place all the blame on me. You didn't have to follow me around, you know."

"Sure, I didn't," he replied with a roll of his eyes. "As if you would have let me remain at home and miss out on your various criminal activities."

With a chuckle, she offered, "Well, I'm sorry I gave you so many frights. I thought you enjoyed our adventures."

"I did," he answered softly. "I would have followed you anywhere."

Green eyes came back to him as a small smile crept over her face.

"Mama," shouted William as he ran to them, presenting Katrina his new possession. "Look."

Accepting it, Katrina turned it over in her hand, then gave a bright smile to her son. "It's lovely, William. Did you thank Ichabod for your gift?"

The boy's eyes shyly met his before he shook his head, his dark hair once again falling down into his eyes.

Ichabod thought he'd save him by extending his hand. William observed the offered hand for a moment before disregarding it completely and vaulting himself into his arms, taking him completely by surprise. As his son's small arms wrapped around his neck, he felt his throat close up at the sudden emotion that overtook him. It didn't last more than a moment before William pulled back and took the small pistol from his mother's hands to run back to the yard, but that one moment meant everything to him.

"Are you alright?"

Clearing his throat, he nodded, doing his best to get his emotions under control. "Yes, I'm-I'm fine."

"He's never done that before, not with Abraham, not with anyone but Cassie and I." His eyes jerked to hers to find them filled with tears. "I wish more than anything he could know who you are, both of them." She shook her head despondently. "I've always loved being a witch, having power over everyone. It was the only thing I had for so long, but now..."

"Perhaps it won't always be this way," he whispered, desperate to believe his own words.

"By then, it'll be too late," she answered hopelessly. "William and Cassie might be grown, and this baby..."

The mention of their baby brought his eyes down to her slightly swollen belly. "Have I told you how much I love that?"

At her confused look, he nodded his head, wanting more than anything to reach out and touch the place his unborn child rested. "Seeing you with child. Knowing that a piece of us, our love, is growing there inside you. It's the most beautiful image in the world."

He heard her breath hitch as she glanced down at her hands that were fidgeting nervously in her lap.

"I wish I could touch you. I know I said I didn't want to be near you, but..." He sighed, sliding closer to her. "I love you, Katrina. I love you so very much. You make me so mad with every sort of feeling possible. I can barely breathe at times."

Her own breathing was growing heavy as she kept her gaze on her hands. "I thought we agreed I was to stay away from you, that you regretted me, hated me even."

His heart constricted at the pain in her voice, knowing he was the cause. "I didn't mean it. I was so overwhelmed that day, Katrina, confused. I'd just learned I was a father and then you were pushing me away and I just...I felt betrayed, alone. I was simply trying to make you hurt the way I was hurting."

She huffed as she looked back at him. "You think I don't hurt? That it doesn't pain me to be separated from you? To look at my children and know that their entire existence is a lie? To know that one day they'll grow to resent me for the secrets I've kept from them? Every moment of my life is underlined with pain, Ichabod. I live each day afraid that it will be my last with them."

Her words pulled at him. "I wish I could take your pain from you. I would do anything."

A sad smile creased her face. "But you can't. Despite everything, I've always been able to look at you and know that no matter how bad things were, at least you loved me. Because if someone as good and kind as Ichabod Crane could love me, then maybe my world wasn't so horrible. You've always been the one who believed in our love, that one day...we might find a way to be together, that we might find a way to balance our duty with our love and find a way around my coven. I never wanted to admit that it was my hope as well, my dream." Her eyes fell from him again. "But even that was taken from me when you said those words. Do you have any idea what that did to me? The nightmares-"

Her words breaking off sent him over the edge. His sanity was steadily slipping at her tears.

"Katrina," he whispered, laying a hand to hers. "My love-"

"Mama?"

His son's voice broke through, bringing him back to the awareness that they were not alone.

Jerking her hands from his, Katrina wiped at her tears before holding her arms out for their son. As William moved into them, she gave him a bright smile and lifted him up. "Why don't we go find Cassie and show her your new toy? I'm sure she'll be very jealous."

With a smile, William nodded as she turned to enter the house without another glance at him.

Turning back to the bright light of the day, he sighed. What had he made of his life?