So, I thought about this story before and decided to finally write it out today. This probably won't make you feel better after what Mr. Campbell said in that interview about not making Ichabbie happen this season. Ugh! :( :/ But maybe it will. At least a little. :) I do hope you like and enjoy it. :)

"Look at them," Abbie said.

She and Crane watched Miracle and her boyfriend Tyler say goodbye to each other in front of his car. Miracle had her arms crossed. She and Tyler stared at each other without speaking. Miracle shook her head as Tyler pulled her towards him. Their foreheads touched while their eyes closed.

"I've been observing them, too, Leftenant. Quite frankly, it displeases me."

Their eighteen-year-old daughter started dating in September. Tyler was her first boyfriend, and they have been together for almost the whole school year. Tyler was going into the military after they graduated high school next month.

"Is it the fact that she has a boyfriend or the fact that they've gotten so close?"

"I'm afraid it is both, Leftenant. I don't enjoy either of them. Our Miracle isn't a child anymore. That scares me."

"We can't protect her from everything, Crane. It sucks as a parent, but we can't. How will she learn and grow?"

Crane sighed. "It is hard."

Abbie took her eyes from her daughter to glance at him. She grabbed his hand. He smiled at her.

"She'll always be your little girl, Crane. She loves her dad."

He nodded his head, but Abbie knew he wasn't assured. Wanting to protect your child never went away, even if their auntie did train them in martial arts and you took them to the gun range and self-defense classes. That worry would always be there.

"What about you? Are you worried for her?"

She stared at them again. They were hugging each other as close as they could.

"I am. I feel the same as you, but I do know that some things she'll have to experience. But this," she raised her eyebrows at Miracle and Tyler, "I don't want her to experience that, Crane. Tyler is a good kid. I like him, but he's going to the military. Anything could happen to him. The intensity of those feelings she has right now, knowing that he could die or become injured, that their time together could be over, the worry, the sleepless nights—that's too heavy for her age. That was heavy for us, and we were adults."

"Indeed. That is what frightens me the most with her and Tyler. A piece of her will be lost if he were to get killed."

"We know what that can be like. We've almost lost each other more than once during the Apocalypse. I couldn't handle watching you so close to death." She played with his fingers.

He kissed her palm. "We survived."

"It didn't make it any easier though."

"No, I'm afraid not. I, too, couldn't watch you on the brink of death, especially in the library or when I left you in Purgatory. Those were frightening moments."

"I want to protect her from this, but there's no way we can." She stared at them again. "We could suggest that she stop dating him, but that won't work. What eighteen-year-old wants to be told to stop dating their boyfriend? She won't listen to that. Plus, she's stubborn. When she's in something, she's in it wholeheartedly. We can only be there for her."

"Agreed. I just do not want our Miracle to suffer."

"I don't want that for our baby girl either."

"What shall we do?" Crane looked at Abbie.

Abbie shook her head, faced him. "We'll have to prepare her. Just talk to her. Let her know what she's up against and that she has our support."

"Is that all? We can't move to another state or out of the county so they never lay eyes on each other again?"

Abbie chuckled. "That's a little drastic, isn't it? That won't do anything. Her feelings will still be there. They'll write letters, talk. They'll find a way to connect, Crane."

"Just as we have over the years."

"Yeah, just as we have." She kissed his lips.

"Shall we talk to her when he leaves?"

Abbie nodded her head. "I know his parents are worried about them, too. It must be hard for them realizing they won't see their son everyday anymore when he enlists. It'd be hard for me if that were Miracle. I'd definitely be worried something may happen to her."

"I can only imagine what they must be going through. I just pray that Tyler will be okay, for his parent's sake."

"Definitely."

They heard Tyler's car pull off and saw Miracle walk to the porch. Glancing at each other, they squeezed the other's hand and stood up.

"Hey, my love," Crane said as he wrapped his arms around Miracle.

She buried her head in her dad's chest. Abbie winced when she heard her daughter cry. She met eyes with Crane; he shook his head, closed his eyes. His hand rested on the back of her head as he kissed the top of her head. Abbie placed her hand on Miracle's back. She let go of her dad and hugged her mom; Abbie sighed and closed her eyes.

"We're right here. We've got you."

She let her daughter go and placed her hands on her cheeks. They touched foreheads.

"You want to talk, M?"

Miracle nodded her head.

Abbie and Crane took their daughter's hand and walked into the house. They sat at the kitchen table, held their daughter's hand. Abbie wiped her face as Crane kissed her temple. They waited for her to speak. Abbie bit her lip and held her breathe. Crane's fingers twitched.

"It's hard knowing he'll be leaving. I will hardly get to see him. Anything—" She took a deep breath.

Abbie and Crane squeezed her hand.

"We know," Abbie said. "It is hard."

"How did you and dad handle it? Weren't you worried that you two could lose each other?"

They glanced at each other.

"Everyday," Crane said.

Abbie nodded. "As hard as it is, there's no way to really prepare for that, Miracle. We hoped that talking to you about this would kind of ready you, but we don't know what to do, what to say. If I lost your father, I'm not sure if I'd be my regular self again. He's a big part of me," she met Crane's eyes before focusing on Miracle. "You can never prepare to lose the one you love, but you can think of all the times he's made you smile and laugh or all the times he's held you. You remember when he said he loved you, when he first kissed you. You try to remember what's good and that even when he isn't there anymore, you'll always have him. He's yours."

"Yes, Miracle. You have to think of what he does that makes you happy. Tyler loves you. If his love is enough for you, then that is all you need for strength. That is the only comfort that will keep you from going over the edge sometimes." Crane glanced at Abbie. "We wish we could do more to shield you from this, but there is nothing we can do. However, we will be here. You can talk to us. This probably isn't an option for you, but would you ever consider terminating your relationship with him to save yourself from all of this torment?"

"I thought about it, but I love him too much to quite. You don't do that to the people you love. You two didn't quite on each other."

"We're behind you," Abbie said.

She looked at Crane again. Miracle nodded her head.

"Is there anything else that concerns you?" Crane said.

"The distance. How will we deal with that?"

"Letters, phone calls, visit him whenever he comes home. It's not much, but it is something that will help you two stay connected while he's away. You have to enjoy all your time with him. I really do wish we could do something about this, baby girl."

"You know we would save you if we could. There isn't anything we wouldn't do for you."

Miracle glanced at both her parents. "I know."

"This won't be easy, baby girl, but you have us with you. Always remember that."

"Please don't ever doubt that we won't be there."

She nodded her head and took a deep breathe, stood up. Abbie and Crane stood up, too. They hugged her again and let her go to her room. Abbie and Crane stood in the kitchen holding each other when she left.

"You think that helped?" Abbie said as she stared at him, put her hands on his chest.

"I'm afraid it doesn't do much, but I think it does reassure her that she has us and that her love for Tyler will help her."

"They'll be okay, right? She'll be okay?"

"She's strong like her mother. It will be difficult for her, but she won't give up. We aren't Tyler. We can't fulfill that part of her that craves that intimate connection with him, but we can fulfill our duty as parents to support her. Sometimes we won't be enough. She'll only desire him, and there's nothing we can do but give her our love."

She nodded her head.

"What is wrong, Abbie?"

"Seeing that with Miracle has me thinking about us. A part of me would be wondering around somewhere if you were to suddenly die. You will die one day, but it's still hard to think about, to come to terms with. I don't want to lose you, Ichabod Crane."

He kissed her lips. "I don't want to lose you either, Grace Abigail Mills. You are far too important to me. As we told our daughter, all we can do is take comfort in being with each other while we are still living and breathing.

"I plan to spend as much time with you as possible before our time runs out. I plan to kiss your lips as much as I can, to make love to you, to make you smile, to make you laugh, to tell you I love you, to hold you, to make you happy. I plan to completely indulge myself in your soul."

She kissed his neck. "Show me."

Crane picked Abbie up, and she put her legs around his waist. She put her forehead against his.

"I love you, Crane."

"I love you, too, my Abbie."

He took her to their room.