Epilogue

He couldn't recall a time he'd ever been so nervous; sweaty palms being only the most obvious indicator as he wiped them down his thighs in an effort to regain some sense of control over his jittery body. The whimpered sounds coming from across the room, however, had his body on high alert; like a deer in the midst of an open field who'd just heard a twig snap. Every cry or sob that met his ears had his feet itching to move forward, despite the heated warning he'd received to stay out of the way.

Be that warning as it may, the sight of his love writhing on their bed, her fingers desperately clutching at the sheets, absorbed his last ounce of willpower and had him stumbling toward the bed as he could stand no more.

"Mr. Crane. I allowed you in, but you must give us room to-"

He threw a heated glare at the fair haired woman positioned at the foot of the bed who had been giving orders to the other women scurrying around the room. "I'm not going to stand in a corner for the duration of this. If you can't do your job with me at my wife's side, I'd consider another profession."

"My love..."

Her soft voice called his eyes back to his sweat drenched wife and he couldn't help the reassuring smile he gave her in the hopes to lift her spirits. Gently running a hand over her forehead, he pushed her russet locks, which were plastered to her skin, from her flushed face. "Tell me what you need. I'll do anything you ask of me."

She managed a half smile before her gaze ventured to the door. "Are they-?"

"They're fine," he whispered while taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "William is deep in his reading and Cassie is preventing Jeremy from attempting to take flight from the top of the staircase."

A breathless chuckle escaped her, bringing a smile to his face. This is why he was supposed to be here with her; to provide her with something to think on other than the pain and fear of what was to come.

"He's so stubborn."

"Like his mother," he said, brushing his finger along her warm cheek.

Her fingers rested over his hand and she opened her mouth to respond when whatever she was going to say was replaced by her face crumpling and her head arching back into the pillows while her fingers tightened over his.

"Katrina..."

He hated seeing her this way. In all the times he'd longed to witness the birth of his children, he'd never imagined it would be quite this stressful. Never again would he complain over pain. His love was presenting him with the definition of it while enduring their newest child's attempt to make its way into the world.

When her fingers finally loosened some of the biting pressure around his, he wiped at the tears which had leaked from her eyes. "I wish I could take it all from you."

To his surprise, her lips twisted upward. "You'd never be able to handle it. Your pain tolerance is too low."

Quite offended by her accusation, he narrowed his eyes at her. "I beg your pardon?"

"It always has been," she said, her voice hoarse, but still managing to have that melodic sound he so loved. "Splinters nearly bring you to your knees."

"It hurts," he groaned as he slumped against the alley's brick wall. "I told you we shouldn't have used the shortcut through the field."

"Oh, Ichabod," she said as she spun around, her bright hair glinting in the evening sunlight. "Stop being so dramatic. It's only a splinter."

Feeling she was doing him an injustice by casting his pain aside as trivial, he thrust out his finger and gave an exasperated, "It's bleeding!"

With a roll of her eyes, she grasped his hand and took to examining his injury, which was stinging beneath the trickle of blood which was bubbling from the tip of his finger.

"Ow!" he exclaimed when she suddenly squeezed his skin between her thumbs, bringing a burning pain to its tip. "What are you doing!?"

"Well, if you want it to heal, you have to get the splinter out," she said, sounding more like his mother than his friend. "Now, be still."

Gritting his teeth, he slapped his other hand over his face and allowed her to continue her torture.

"That was an isolated incident," he defended, crossing his arms in mock agitation. "I do believe that wound became infected later as well."

Katrina rolled her eyes in the exact same way she did all those years ago while still maintaining her smile. "I'm sure that's what happened."

Grinning at her teasing, he watched as she closed her eyes and attempted to adjust amidst the blankets before he glanced over at the midwives minding the room in preparation for the baby's arrival.

It was still such a surreal feeling for him to actually be here. For so long, he'd never thought he would be able to witness something like this, but then everything had so quickly changed. Katrina had been returned to him what was now three years past and, between the two of them, they'd managed to finally pave their way to a peaceful life. He'd thought his role as a Witness would put a damper on their reunion upon returning to Sleepy Hollow. However, many revelations had followed that had changed that.

While in Purgatory, Katrina had been made aware that Death wasn't as much of a stranger as they'd previously assumed. Consumed with anger and the feeling of betrayal, Abraham had taken Moloch's soul condemning offer on the promise that he would be granted Katrina as reward for his loyal service. The very notion that Abraham would want her as his dark bride filled him with illness and the images that had haunted his sleep in the nights that followed had brought him to fitful waking only to be comforted by Katrina's sweet embrace.

Over the many months that came after, while attempting to build a home for themselves and tending to their attention starved children, they'd come to quite a few conclusions. Witnesses came and went the same as Horseman. There's a certain spirit Witnesses' carry; one that, once they pass from this life, will attach to another worthy of such title and continue on throughout time and generations until its awakened in them from pressing need. After much deliberation between Katrina and her old coven, the likes of which was accompanied with a great deal of tension, they all came to the agreement that the Apocalypse had been halted that day he'd slain the Horseman of Death on the battlefield. With his blood tie to the Horseman now gone, Abraham would remain in his watery grave while he would continue on with life. No more would he face the evils of the world as a Witness. His duty in that area was finished, leaving him with the only duty he cared to have; the very duty he was so eager to see expand on this very day.

Parenthood with his childhood love.

"It's nearly time," said Margaret, the midwife who would deliver their newest child, as she gave him a withering glance. "If you're to remain here, do me a favor and support her."

Heeding the woman's words, he helped them pull the sheets beneath Katrina to the end of the bed so she was in the proper position before he slid behind his love and pressed his chest flush to her back.

Her body was tense as she dug her fingers into his thighs, surely giving him his own bruises from this experience.

As he cradled her in his embrace, he lifted a hand to swipe all of her thick hair to one side and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her ear. "I'm right here, my love."

In response, she gave a choked sob and dug her fingers even further into his thighs as she leaned her head back against his shoulder.

"Alright," Margaret said, as she wiped a wet towel over Katrina's warm face. "It's time."

"Ichabod..." Katrina whispered as she turned her face into his neck and groaned as her body went rigid against him. "It hurts."

Stroking his hands up and down her arms, he tenderly kissed her sweat slicked forehead. "I'm so sorry, my love, but it's nearly over and, when it's all done, we'll have another beautiful creation to dote upon."

She gave no answer as she jolted forward in his arms and screamed as though being tortured by some unseen force. Having been completely unprepared for it, his eyes jerked up to Margaret, who was busy ordering her helpers about, in the hopes that this was normal and that something hadn't went horribly wrong. The only other place he'd ever heard such a sound before was on the battlefield with wounded and dying soldiers.

"That's it, Katrina," Margaret said in a soothing voice as she held Katrina's ankles. "You're doing wonderfully."

Katrina's screams died to whimpers as she panted for breath and, then, just when it seemed like she'd given up, he felt her body tense and her nails painfully bite back into his thighs as she let out another high-pitched wail.

Feeling utterly useless as time dragged on, he pulled her hair from her neck as it was sticking to her skin in the hopes that he would at least lessen that discomfort, but she barely seemed to even notice he was there as she writhed against him, at one point, even throwing her head back and nearly hitting him in the face.

"How much longer must she endure this?" he asked with a deep set frown at the woman in front of them.

Was this woman going to do anything to help his love? She seemed to be doing even less than he and that was saying something. A part of him knew he was allowing his emotions for his love get the best of him, but the woman had been on his bad side ever since she'd attempted to keep him out of the room.

As if he'd ever adhere to such a notion.

"We're nearly there, Katrina," Margaret said, not even sparing him a glance as her gaze was occupied between Katrina's bent legs. "Just a little further to go now. Your baby's crowning."

Perking up at that, he felt a small swell of relief wash over him. With the way time was ticking on by, he'd thought this point of the process would never come. For so long, he'd imagined being here with her and it being a precious and memorable moment. However, judging from every minute they ventured further into this supposed sweet miracle, he was doubting the validity of that idea more and more.

"I can't do this anymore," Katrina whispered through a cracked voice as she sagged against him. "It's too much. Please, just let it be over."

"No, no, Katrina," Margaret sternly said as she looked up at her. "I need just a little more from you. Come now. Let us finish this."

Katrina wearily shook her head and buried her face into his neck as she cried, her hot tears sticking to his skin as she panted against him.

Lifting a hand to wipe at her cheeks, he whispered, "You're so strong, my love, and such a fierce mother." He pulled back and caught her glistening, olive eyes. "Be fierce for our little one. Let our baby's first breath come from its mother's loving strength."

She blinked at him through her trailing tears for a moment before she gave a series of clipped nods and took a handful of quick breaths before once again tightly gripping him and releasing a piercing scream.

His eyes flickered to Margaret when she asked for towels and a blanket.

"Is it here?" he asked in increasing anticipation.

"Just once more, Katrina," the fair haired woman encouraged.

His love put her all into that last push and then that moment came; the one where his heart felt as though it had stopped and the world had drastically shifted. The sound of his child's small screech's, likely the result of being taken from the warm cocoon of its mother's body, filled the room; the sound taking a hold of his heart in a way that had tears building in his eyes. Then, Margaret stood and began wrapping his child in the thin blanket she'd requested, preventing him from seeing much other than pink skin splotched with red and white substances.

As she walked around to the side of the bed, she gave the first smile he'd witnessed her allow and said, "Well, I hope you were prepared for another Missus Crane, Ichabod."

"A girl?" Katrina hoarsely whispered as she weakly attempted to sit up in his arms.

Coming to his senses, he slipped his arms under her and assisted her in finding a moderately comfortable position to accept their baby in.

When Margaret leaned down to place the baby in Katrina's arms, he felt his breath hitch at the sight of the splotchy pink being he'd so anticipated meeting.

"We have a little girl," Katrina whispered as she trailed her fingers over the squirming baby's cheek.

So overcome with emotion, the knot in his throat prevented him from commenting. How could someone that had barely greeted his eyes for more than a handful of heartbeats own so much of him already?

"Ichabod?"

His eyes finally flickered up from the whimpering baby to meet Katrina's concerned olive eyes; the light in them dimming ever so slightly.

"Are you alright?" she asked timidly as her eyes darted all over his face. "Is-Is a girl alright?"

"Alright?" he repeated with a cracked voice as he leaned forward to kiss her damp cheek. "She's perfect."

He felt Katrina's body release a heavy breath as he pulled back to smile at her. What he found was so much happiness on her face that she looked as though she would burst.

"She's beautiful," he said, his own fingers hesitantly reaching out to touch his child's outstretched palm. "I can't believe she's ours."

"Is the name we chose still alright?" Katrina asked as she smiled down at their daughter.

"Oh, yes," he whispered as his little girl continued to squirm every which way. "Our precious, Hope." He chuckled and pressed a kiss to Katrina's ear. "It's very fitting as I've hoped for this for so long. Thank you, my love."

She relaxed against him and settled her head in the crook of his neck. "We're only here because of you. You never gave up."

Running his fingers over their daughter's cheek, he said, "How could I when I had such a future as this in store?"

Her laughter warmed his skin as she sunk even further against him. That is, until the door across the room creaked open to reveal a fall of curly, red hair.

"Is it here, yet?"

"One moment, Cassie," he said as Margaret returned to help remove the filthy sheets.

When he and Katrina were finally settled against the headboard with her leaning against him and Hope securely in her arms, she called out for Cassie.

In response to Katrina's permission, his eldest daughter slung the door open and proceeded to enter; her willowy form bouncing toward the bed.

"Slow down," he said, as the energetic bundle of energy that was Cassie skidded to a stop at the bed's edge.

She stood on her tiptoes and eyed the baby with a curious gaze as William, tall and lanky, strolled towards them at a more reasonable pace with Jeremy scrambling around his legs.

"What is it?" Cassie asked as she reached out to touch the baby's pink fingers.

Katrina smiled and said, "You finally have a sister."

Cassie's bright blue eyes widened as a grin split her cheeks.

William, on the other hand, looked on rather stoically, his long arms supporting him as he leaned over the bed for a better view, and softly asked, "What's her name?"

As he reached down to lift up a fitful Jeremy, who was attempting to peek over the bed, to sit beside him, Katrina answered, "Hope."

Jeremy, his wavy dark hair falling into his eyes, bent over the baby before glancing up at Katrina and grinning, his chubby cheeks raising. "Baby."

Katrina laughed and pressed a playful kiss to Jeremy's nose. "Yes, a baby. Do you like her?"

Jeremy gave a quick nod in reply as he began talking animatedly to the baby.

Not quite as easy going as Katrina with their mischievous son so close to their newborn, he kept a steady hand on Jeremy's waist to hold him in place. The last thing they needed was him having one of his sudden bursts of energy that usually had him unexpectedly tackling someone. Katrina thought it innocent boyhood, but he thought it a signal to future, criminal activity. The boy was always up to something and it worried him to no end. When the house went quiet, he knew to immediately search for his youngest son.

"She doesn't look like me," Cassie groaned as she sat beside him. "I was hoping she would if it was a girl."

William finally let a small smile crease his face. "She looks like me."

Cassie threw him an annoyed glare as Katrina softly smiled at William, who was now caressing Hope's cheek.

For a while, he'd worried the bond between Katrina and William would never be what it had been in those first years, but it was a worry dashed as soon as the boy had found the comfort of a consistent life. While Katrina went out of her way to spend individual time with each of their children, from gardening with Cassie to wreaking destruction on their sitting room with Jeremy, she always reserved a special time in the evening to spend with William where they read and quietly talked on the porch swing. It was so touching to him how easily they fell into their bond; how easy it was for them to relate to one another. At times, he'd watch them through the front window of their house as they giggled and conversed; absorbed in their own little world.

"She does," Katrina said as she beckoned William to sit.

When he did, she carefully leaned forward and placed Hope in his arms, who William hesitantly accepted and brought to his chest. After a moment of acquainting himself with holding the baby, William laughed. "She's so small."

Cassie scooted next to her brother and grinned. "She's smaller than Jeremy for sure." She glanced at Jeremy, who was trying to gain another glimpse of his new sister. "Jeremy was a fat baby."

At that, Jeremy's attention flew to Cassie with a glare as he stuck his tongue out at her.

"Jeremy," he scolded warningly, drawing an innocent expression from his son.

However, that innocence abruptly left him when Katrina chuckled, telling him he was free to do as he pleased again. Without further ado, he vaulted himself into her arms, nearly giving him a heart attack in the process. Katrina grimaced, prompting him to reach for Jeremy, but she shook her head and forced a smile as she adjusted Jeremy and pulled him to sit in her lap.

"He's alright," she said, even as her voice gave way to her discomfort.

"Jeremy, you're mother's very tired and sore," he said, making sure he had the boy's eyes to properly convey his seriousness. "Be careful."

While Jeremy took to curling into Katrina's body, she reached and threaded their fingers together. "Stop worrying so much and enjoy this moment."

Releasing a heavy sigh, he smiled and pulled her closer against his side. "I'll do my best."

"I hope so," she whispered as she placed a kiss to his neck. "I just labored for ten hours to give you what you asked me for all those years ago. You'd better enjoy every second of this."

Chuckling into her thick, russet locks, he promised, "I shall commence my enjoyment immediately."

Ever true to his word, his eyes darted down to Jeremy, who was contentedly lounging in Katrina's arms, before venturing to his eldest children, who were still cooing over Hope.

It may have taken him a while to get here with taking all the different, and sometimes difficult, paths along the way, but he was truly grateful for every heartache he'd endured to have this moment.

Eyes falling back to Katrina, who was staring up at him with a content smile, he leaned his forehead to hers. "Have I thanked you lately?"

"For what?" she asked softly as she lifted a hand to his cheek.

He shook his head and traced her lips with his thumb. "For being such a scoundrel of a little girl all those years ago and dragging me right along with you every day. I'd hate to imagine what kind of a different life I'd have had without you."

Her smile widened as she said, "It was my pleasure to be such a bad influence."

With a grin at her, he captured her lips in a tender kiss before sliding his cheek along hers to whisper in her ear, "I love you, Katrina Crane."

A greater truth he'd never spoken.

His one constant.

His one love.

His Katrina.


Ugh, I hate ending stories. I started this a little over a year ago and it's always so hard to let go of my babies. I hope this ending was satisfactory and didn't let anyone down. I had something entirely different planned involving them in the twenty first century, but it would have left it open ended and unsettled. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I wanted a happy ending for this particular Ichatrina family, allowing them to have everything they fought so hard for.

Anywho, thanks to everyone who stuck it out with me. I've enjoyed your wonderful reviews and kind words over the last year.

And don't worry for anyone who thinks I'm anywhere near done expressing my love for Katrina Crane. Two new stories are coming very soon with detailed outlines already written from start to finish. One entirely an Au set in the past with a forced marriage between Ichabod and Katrina involving no supernatural elements and another picking up just after season one with Katrina staying at Ichabod's side and still pregnant with a kind of PTSD from Purgatory.

I hope to see you all over on those and, once again, thanks so much for sticking it out with me ;)