Sorry this chapter is so short, but I have been just really busy this past week and the weeks before that.XD
I'm going to be wrapping this story up in the next few chapters. Thank you so much to my loyal readers! It has been a fun story to write and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
"Clara! What are you doing in my room?" Ichabod asked, no suspicion just confusion in his voice.
Clara turned to face him, an alarmed look in her eyes. She began to think of a quick and somewhat truthful answer. "Because…it is yours. Was it wicked?"
"No. A bit odd though." He said, a bit quietly to himself.
"Where have you gone?" Clara asked, obviously wanting to change the subject away from herself.
"To the notary. I had some questions for him." The constable answered, tucking his papers a bit more closely to him.
"And did you find out anything?" she asked. Both Ichabod and Jacob exchanged a glance before Ichabod replied. "Maybe."
Clara narrowed her blue eyes slightly. He was hiding something from her. It was probably too important for her to fuss about to him without getting another lie.
"My father…" she started only to be cut off by the constable.
"Your father?" he sounded like he was amazed. Clara looked at Jacob only to then start speaking again.
"Yes. My father believes you should return to New York." She hated to say that to him since she wanted him to stay here with her, but if it was what her father wanted, she should respect it.
Ichabod looked far from worried. "Really, why is that?" he asked, walking over to the dresser Clara was leaning against.
"I don't know. Maybe he looked in your ledger and did not like what he saw." She said a playful glint in her eyes as she faced him.
Ichabod looked down in his notebook to see the words he had written earlier, the secret conspiracy leads to Baltus. Extremely embarrassed, he closed it quickly, looking back up at Clara. Her eyes shifted to the loose papers he held.
"What have you there?" she asked a note of curiosity in her voice.
"Evidence. I'm sorry but I must work in private." He said, too quickly for Clara to say anything more. She just bowed her head and murmured slightly.
"Then I shall leave you to your thoughts." She walked out of Ichabod's room, only to pause a second to see him stow the papers in one of the drawers.
Closing the door behind her, she sighed, closing her eye slightly. She then opened them and whispered t herself. "I have to get out…now." She then ran down the stairs and grabbed her coat. Putting it over the top of her navy blue dress with white trim, she stepped outside and began to breathe in the winter air.
She then began to walk over towards the Western Woods, making sure no one would see her. She made her way through the dead branches before she walked through the quiet forest. Sighing upon how there was an echo when she stepped on the leaves, she touched one of the trees, gently stroking the bark.
"How did I know I would find you here?" a menacing voice sounded.
Clara's eyes widened with fear as she turned around, already knowing who it would be. She faced James, her eyes facing him evenly.
"What do you want James?" she asked, her voice calm but even.
"I want you Clara. That incident a few nights ago shouldn't have happened so I apologize." The boy said evenly towards her, his eyes narrowed dangerously.
"You think you can take away my virginity and expect me to forgive you when you say you're sorry?" she hissed, glaring at him.
James growled and made his way over to her, grabbing her slim arms roughly. He then thrust his lips onto her, making her wince at the tangy and sour taste of his saliva. She muffled out a cry of help before she pushed him away.
Glaring at her, the boy hissed. "I'll finish what I was going to do those nights ago Clara. Then I will kill you."
Before Clara could react, he dragged her to the ground, pinning her arms above her head. She let out a scream, but he kissed her again, making her gag a bit. She then cried out again as he lifted up her dress. She closed her eyes and braced herself.
But James's weight was lifted off of her and a loud thud sounded in front of her. Opening her eyes, she saw a sight she never thought she would in a million years.
The Hessian, on top of Daredevil had knocked James away from her, his sword three inches from James's face. The boy's eyes widened with fear before he looked at Clara then back at the horseman, an evil smile perched on his face.
"You witch!" he hissed at her, making her flinch and let out a small whimper. The horseman reacted to that and made a huge thrust. It however missed James's neck and made a loud slicing through his shoulder, making him scream, take one frantic and scared look at the horseman and then run off, his blood in a puddle where he was only a heartbeat before.
Clara looked at James's retreating figure and then at the horseman, who was now facing her, making her back away.
"Please don't hurt me." She whispered. She knew he had just saved her life, but he had just hurt one of her oldest friends. Whatever James had tried to do was horrible, but he was still her friend.
The Hessian seemed surprised at her reaction. He hadn't expected her to be afraid of him, but to be grateful like she usually was.
She was backing away now, only to feel her back hit a tree trunk. Her blue eyes were wide with fear and the horseman got off of Daredevil and started to walk slowly towards her.
Clara cried out, her eyes now producing tears. The horseman stopped right where he was, his invisible expression filled with confusion.
Clara stood up slowly. "Please don't hurt me." She whispered. She was so shaken; she was not thinking that the horseman just saved her life.
She then looked down slightly before she looked at him again. "I'm…I'm sorry but James used to be my friend. I know he tried to kill me but…" she trailed off.
The horseman obviously wanted to comfort her, but he did not step any farther. Clara just looked at him and then wiped the tears from her eyes.
"This can't be happening." She whispered before she looked at him. "What happened to you? How did you end up…headless?"
The horseman looked taken aback before he turned away from her and mounted himself back onto Daredevil again, then rode off.
Clara looked after him. "Wait…what did I say?"
The horseman did not turn back or even look back. Clara suddenly felt extremely alone and afraid. She had a pang of loneliness in her heart. She knew that it wasn't right for Ichabod to leave. But if she burned the evidence, he would have to stay longer. She sniffed before she made her way back to the house.
Walking into Ichabod's room, she opened the drawer and took out the papers carefully. While she was though, tears were falling from her eyes. Pushing the papers in her bag she had made herself, she quickly ran out of the room, out of the house and into the fresh air. Mounting herself onto her horse Luna, she rode over to a place all too familiar.
"Clara…" she heard a voice behind her and bit back on crying for she knew who it was. Standing up and turning to face Ichabod, she tried so hard not to cry. She loved Ichabod too much to let him know she wanted him to stay for her own selfish desires.
"You took the evidence and burned it." He said, guessing right away why she had been crouching in front of a lit fireplace.
Clara bowed her head. She could not lie to him. She had to make up an excuse. Searching her mind for the right words, they came instantly. "So you would not have it to accuse my father." She said it so calmly, it shocked herself deep down.
"I accuse no one…" Ichabod started, walking to her side, laying a hand on her shoulder. She shook it off roughly, narrowing her eyes at him angrily.
"Why must you accuse anyone in the first place? There is a reason why the horseman kills." She said, watching him roll his eyes and give an exasperated sigh.
"Clara, the horseman isn't a real person." She said. Clara's mouth dropped. Was he not listening to all the stories?
"Yes he is and I'm sure he has feelings just like everyone else!" she cried out, not thinking over what she said before the words came out of her mouth.
"Then why is he killing innocent people?" Ichabod resisted the urge to shout at her. As strong as the feelings towards her were, he couldn't shake his instincts.
"Why won't you listen to something other than a logical explanation?" she cried out, fresh tears pouring down her face.
Ichabod was ready to send back a stinging retort but stopped. What was wrong with her? Why was she defending the killer of innocent people?
"Clara if this is about James…" Ichabod started, but stopped as a pair of piercing blue eyes glared at him.
"It's not his fault you will not listen to me." She whispered. The constable blinked, a bit of hurt in his eyes.
"Clara, I am listening to you. I care about you with all my heart." He spoke the truth, but the young woman disregarded it.
"I think you have no heart and I had a mind to give you mine once." She retorted, glaring daggers at him.
"Yes. I think you loved me that day you followed me into the Western Woods, to brave such peril." He said, stepping one step closer to her.
"What peril was there for me if it is my own father who controls the headless horseman?" she asked, walking back to her horse and them mounting upon Luna but faced Ichabod one more time.
"Goodbye Ichabod Crane. I curse the day you came to Sleepy Hollow." She said, venom dripping from each word. Without waiting for him to respond, she rode off, losing all hope in the one person she ever cared about and loved. All seems hopeless now and Clara knew that something terrible was approaching the town…fast.