Final chapter...enjoy!

Abbie played with the bar napkin in front of her dreamily. Her body was exhausted. She barely slept and couldn't walk without wincing but it was worth it.

Taking that step in their relationship had opened the floodgates to an insatiable Crane. He couldn't keep his hands off her and she was more than willing to oblige. They'd gone at it for days like a pair of desperate, hormonal teenagers at the end of the world. Though, unlike inexperienced youth, they took their time in ensuring that the other one achieved pleasure from their activities.

And God, did she ever.

She couldn't remember how many times she came. She knew it was a record but she hadn't been in the right state of mind to keep track of the exact number. She was fairly certain Crane couldn't remember the exact number of times either, even with his eidetic memory. She bit her bottom lip, still tender from his thorough attentions. Hiding a smile, she felt her stomach flip flop at the memory of how she'd drove him wild. His looks of surprise and pure pleasure had made her feel a sense of power, it made her feel safe and confident. It made her feel like a goddamn queen. So she'd fucked the ever living hell out him.

Of course, they had their slow, gentler moments but what had built up throughout their tension-filled partnership couldn't solely be expressed through tender lovemaking. It required dirty, ferocious, leg-shaking, good-old-fashioned fucking, which explained her current state of faint pain. Crane had tried some things on her she was sure were illegal in his time. In fact, there were probably some old Sleepy Hollow laws still in place that they had heedlessly and repeatedly broke with all the shameless things they tried.

His lack of a refractory period both impressed and terrified her. That man had two and a half centuries of continence to make up for and did he ever. She'd always wished to see him unrestrained, letting go of the tight rein he had on himself. After days of both witnessing and experiencing it, she quickly realized he'd kept more than she knew tightly bottled up. She loved seeing him so uninhibited but she hadn't slept for more than a few hours at a time and they'd already called in sick to work three days in a row, and that was not including the weekend. She needed to get back out into the real world before she lost herself in their own little bubble of paradise.

So she'd made her daring escape that afternoon while he was passed out on her bed, his bare ass in the air, faint scratch marks and love bites peppered all over his skin. She'd quietly showered and dressed before leaving the quiet house. She knew if she woke him, she would have never made it out the door. She left him a note explaining that she'd gone to have a late lunch with Jenny and hoped he wouldn't panic at her sudden absence.

She loved Crane and loved spending time with him but Jenny had texted her a couple of times in the past week, asking to see her. Given that she'd barely had enough energy to call in sick to work, she'd replied back with excuses of being busy and promises of later. After nearly a week, she knew she had put it off long enough so she invited her to lunch. She had to see her sister before she came over to the house and found her and Crane in a very compromising, possibly acrobatic, position.

"Earth to Abbie, anybody home?"

She shook herself from her daze, her impure thoughts immediately vanishing, and cleared her throat. "Hmm, yeah, what?"

Jenny smiled knowingly. "You're kinda spacey today."

Abbie inhaled deeply, nervously touching her forehead. "Sorry, I was just…my mind was somewhere else."

"Mm-hmm," her sister wordlessly teased.

Abbie didn't need to say anything in order for her to know what had gone down. Though her sister was a skilled profiler, she sure as hell didn't know how to hide a secret from her. She rolled her eyes playfully. "I was just asking how things were going, you know, now that y'all got a break."

Abbie touched the roof of her mouth with her tongue, nodding slowly. "Good. Things-things are good," she said as carefully as she could muster.

Jenny stared at her silently, waiting for her to elaborate. Abbie's brow furrowed when she realized that her sister expected her to continue. That lasted for a few seconds before the wrinkles smoothed out and she let out a quiet scoff. She looked down as a small smile pulled at the edges of her mouth. "Actually, they're great. Really, really, great," she emphasized, failing to bite back a dopey grin.

Jenny arched her eyebrow suggestively. Picking up on her silent teasing, Abbie warily looked away. She could see right through her. It didn't matter how laid-back or indifferent she acted, she knew. She reluctantly gazed back at her tiredly, not wanting to prolong the inevitable.

Fortunately, Jenny simply looked at her as if impressed before nodding in approval. "Thought as much."

Still avoiding her gaze, she took a swig from her beer. She truly didn't want to get into details. The details would traumatize her for life. Hell, just thinking about them brought on her own overwhelming flashbacks. Abbie thickly swallowed her drink at the thought, gently setting the bottle down.

"So." She cleared her throat. "How've you been?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

Jenny smirked, fully aware of what her sister was doing. "Clearly avoiding the colonial elephant in the room," she replied teasingly.

Of course, she was curious as to why Abbie had been avoiding her for the past week but that was a conversation for another time. There were more pressing issues she had to talk to her about.

Abbie gave her a shrewd look as she picked at the label on her beer. Though she was avoiding having that particular conversation about said elephants, she truly was curious as to how her sister had been. She hadn't seen or talked to Jenny in almost a month.

Ever since they defeated Pandora, Joe and Jenny had dedicated themselves to seeking out other supernatural artifacts August Corbin had kept shrouded in mystery. They'd been traveling across the globe finding answers while Abbie and Crane kept an eye out on Sleepy Hollow. After weeks of gathering artifacts and intel, it seemed that Jenny had finally found or learned of something of significance. She could see it in her eyes, or rather in the way she was avoiding eye contact. Her eyes shifted away nervously. Jenny never did that. She could tell this wasn't going to be good news.

Abbie tilted her head, attempting to get her to look at her. "I know that look, Jen. What's going on?"

She gave her a tight smile and looked down at the bottle of beer clasped between her hands. "You're getting too good that. Reading me. I'm gonna have to start wearing my ski mask around you," she said humorlessly as she took a lingering sip of her beer.

Abbie raised her eyebrow skeptically. She could tell something was bothering her. Ever since they reconnected and rebuilt the sisterly bond between them, hiding things from each other had become nearly impossible, especially for Jenny. She had a tell only she could pick up on. It was subtle but only noticeable to her. Abbie gave her a doubtful look, waiting patiently for her to spill the beans.

She looked up at her anxiously. Damn those profiling skills of hers. She couldn't get away with anything anymore. She had to tell her what happened. It had freaked the hell out of her, Joe was witness to that, but even then, she was reluctant to tell Abbie everything. She took a deep breath and sighed, pushing away the beer bottle she'd barely had the stomach to drink.

"The other night, I had a dream. I don't know what it meant but it wasn't good, Abs. Really wasn't good." She looked up at her guardedly.

Abbie nodded knowingly. She knew it. Something had happened to freak her sister out. It must've been something pretty significant to upset her so much. She steadily gazed at her. "What was it?" she asked.

Jenny looked up at her sister cautiously. She licked her lips nervously and looked down again at the translucent brown bottles before her. "I-I dreamt mama and Grace," she finally admitted in a soft voice.

Abbie nodded soberly. Dreaming of them only meant something was coming. She braced herself. "What they say?"

Jenny sighed deeply again. She weakly smiled at her sister and dejectedly explained, "They said…they said the end of days is coming."

Abbie searched her eyes for confirmation. "The Apocalypse? The one we supposedly avoided?"

She nodded resignedly. "Turns out we didn't throw it off track like we thought. Just prolonged the inevitable."

Abbie licked her suddenly dry lips. "They say when? Or why?"

She shook her head. "Nah. No, they just showed me."

Abbie blinked at her, not sure what to make of that. Usually, Abbie was the one who had those kind of dreams. It was unsettling to think that due to the lack of sleep she'd been getting lately, her ancestor and mom decided to reach out to Jenny instead. Why? She took a deep breath and cleared her thoughts. Now was not the time to think about that. The look on Jenny's face let her know that she was needed there, in that moment to give her sister support.

Jenny knit her brow. "I saw myself die," she said in a broken voice. She smiled painfully. "Not the way I expected but kind of poetic, really."

"Jen, that was just a dream, it wasn't real," she reassured her.

She shook her head, "No, this-this felt different, Abbie. I saw how it happened. I know where, how. I saw the light leave my eyes. I-I'd never felt so scared in my life," she whispered, smiling as her eyes filled with tears.

Abbie inhaled sharply. "It's not gonna happen." She shook her head vehemently. "I won't let it."

She gave her a sympathetic smile. Her death hadn't been the only one she'd witnessed. "You die, too. Both Witnesses, just like it said in Revelations." She looked down as a few tears escaped down her cheeks. She roughly brushed them away before looking back up at her sister. "None of us survive."

Abbie slowly sat back as she contemplated this new information. There was no reason to believe it was true but then again their was no reason to believe it wasn't. A premonition like that wouldn't happen unless there was some truth to it. In this case, though, it wasn't just a truth, it was their future.

Jenny could see her sister slowly process it and eventually come to terms with it with a firm nod. She could almost see the wall rise up in front of her as her sister braced herself with the truth. She was getting ready for war.

Abbie grabbed her beer and leaned back against her chair and sniffed, shrugging, "Then we'll die fighting." She took a long swig of her beer, choking back the now sour tasting liquid, setting the empty bottle down firmly.

Jenny studied her sister carefully. Abbie was in knight in shining armor mode. She was ready to fight and nothing was going to get to her. Normally, that wasn't a bad thing but mama and Grace had mentioned a weapon, something that would help them in their battle. The only problem was that the weapon's existence depended on Abbie's state of mind. Being a detached hard-ass wasn't going to do the trick this time around. She needed to get her to realize that.

"They did say something about a ring," she said abruptly, hoping it made more sense to her sister than it did to her.

Abbie's gaze shot up. She frowned. Nobody but her and Crane knew about the ring. It seemed nearly impossible for anybody else to know about it but she lived in a world of impossibilities. "What about it?" she asked cagily.

"They said it'll protect you until the time comes. But that isn't really a ring, at least that's what they told me. Does that mean anything to you?"

She looked away and licked the corner of her mouth. She hadn't told Jenny everything about what had happened to her in hell. She didn't want to worry her. It seemed like that wasn't an option anymore. She blinked slowly, not lifting her gaze.

"It showed up when I walked into Pandora's tree with the shard. You saw the shard, how it was seconds away from going nuclear. Then something happened 'cause one second I'm holding this bomb in my hands and the next I'm perfectly fine, no shard. Instead, I look down and there's this ring. I thought it was just part of the whole going to hell experience. I didn't think it was real. But then it showed up again, helped me escape to the catacombs."

Jenny nodded with her brow furrowed. Abbie hadn't shared any details of that experience but it sounded like this supposed ring had saved her when she needed it the most. It really was a weapon of sorts but apparently only for her and only when she was at her most vulnerable.

"You know, come to think of it, it appeared again when we were rebuilding Pandora's box. It kept us from being sucked into it. It's like a mirage or something because it's there and glowing one second and the next, it's gone," she continued explaining, her eyes shifting rapidly as she processed what all of it meant.

Jenny nodded in understanding. It made sense. Everything Grace and mama had told her was starting to make actual, logical sense. This ring or weapon or whatever they'd end up calling it wasn't a mirage. She pondered aloud, "That's because it's not a ring, Abbie. It's a manifestation of your powers." She inhaled in surprise at her own revelation.

Unfortunately, her sister didn't seem as impressed. Abbie raised her eyebrow skeptically. "Powers?"

She nodded fervidly. "That's what Grace said. She said it was power bestowed upon you by God himself."

Abbie blinked in disbelief, shifting in her seat. None of it made sense. How could she have powers? She didn't feel any different. No, no, this was impossible, she thought shaking her head. This was getting to be too unbelievable. It felt like an excerpt from some X-Men movie and she was starting to feel like some kind of a mutant. "No. That-that can't be possible. It doesn't make any sense. How? Why now?"

"Well, it kind of does make sense. It is foretold in the Book of Revelations that you guys would breathe fire and go all Moses in Egypt on people. I mean, if the horseman were real, then why not Witness powers?"

"That still doesn't make any sense. Last I remember, there were two Witnesses. And as far as I know, one of us hasn't sprouted their magic wings yet." She blinked at her expectantly.

Jenny shrugged. "Or maybe you guys need to spend more time cultivating them?"

Abbie considered her sister's words. Jenny could be right. In the past, the ring only showed up when she needed it the most. It could be that these supposed Witness powers only show up in the direst of circumstances.

"How does that work? How do we cultivate them?" she pondered aloud, wondering if they would have to put themselves in life or death situations to make them appear. If so, that could really make things difficult.

"You have to purify your souls," Jenny said softly, nodding in understanding.

Abbie scoffed. "I have to do what now?"

She blinked at her. "That's what mama said. The powers will come when you purify your soul."

Abbie stared at her, her expression one of incredulity. Tempted to roll her eyes at the ridiculousness of it all, she chose to close them instead. Though it sounded unecessarily dramatic, she knew Jenny was probably right. Sooner or later they would end up finding something about it in some book or etched into some rock. She may as well believe it now.

"And how do I do that exactly?" she asked reluctantly, unsure of if she really wanted to know the answer.

Jenny gazed at her sister, a sudden realization coming to her. If she'd learned anything in all her travels, she knew purify didn't always mean to make human sacrifices or dunk yourself into a vat of holy water. Sometimes it just meant to get rid of the thing that held you down. In Abbie's case, the burden was obvious. "Forgive yourself," she said sagely.

She gave her a questioning look. "Forgive myself? For what?"

Jenny sighed and gently smiled. She reached across the table and held out her hand. Abbie, puzzled by her sister's sudden soft demeanor, gripped it tightly.

Jenny gazed at her intensely, wanting to ensure that her sister knew she was being sincere. "Abs, I know you've always felt responsible for me, especially after what happened to us as kids. I know you carry that guilt with you. It's what's made you risk your life all these years without a second thought as to how it would affect you."

She shook her head in denial. "No, no, Jen. You're my sister, my family. Hell, the only family I have left. That's what we do. It's what I'm supposed to do."

"But you don't have to. I'm a big girl. I can handle things on my own."

She gave her an admonishing look. "I know that. I know you can take care of yourself but that's not gonna stop me from looking out for you."

Jenny reached out across the table for her other hand. They gripped each other tightly, reminiscent of when they were kids. "Abbie, we're in this together. I joined this fight because I wanted to. We have each other's backs but in the end, it's all of us against them. We'll all have to make sacrifices, not just you."

She shook her head as she looked down at their clasped hands, tears stinging her eyes. "I know. I know and I get that. But I can't just stand by and see you get hurt. Or worse," she swallowed thickly, not wanting to imagine her worst nightmare coming true.

"You won't be standing by. We're in this together, Abs. We are now and we will be til the end."

"I don't...I don't know if I can do that," she said faintly, fear beginning to clutch at her heart. Fear of letting go, fear of losing, fear of letting Jenny down again, it all swarmed in her mind, already haunting her thoughts.

And, yet, she knew Jenny was right. She couldn't control the outcome of all this. She couldn't guarantee that they'd all make it out alive this time. Nothing she could possibly say, or do, or prepare could change that uncertainty. It shook her to her very core.

"Abbie, look at me." The two sisters stared into each other's eyes. Fear and love flowed between them. "If there's anything this life has taught me, it's that we have to find happiness where we can and embrace the hell out of it. You need to live your life, let your walls down, and see what's in front of you." She held her gaze steadily. "You deserve to be happy, Abs, more than anybody I know. For once in your life, don't let anything or anybody, not even me, get in the way of that."

Abbie nodded silently, tears rolling down her cheeks. Jenny was right. She was still holding on to the idea that she didn't deserve to be happy, that she wasn't worthy of love. All the bad shit she had done continued to remind her that everything good in her life would be fleeting, that one day it would all disappear and that she deserved that abandonment. Every time she forgot that, guilt would snake its way back in, tempering her moment of happiness, prompting her to keep her guard up. She needed to move past it. She needed to forgive herself.

Jenny released her hands and handed her sister a clean napkin. "You have to promise me something," she said as she took the napkin.

Abbie nodded, wiping away the tears from her damp cheeks. She would do anything for her sister. She'd keep her promise.

"Stop feeling guilty about me. Stop sacrificing yourself for me. There isn't any way I'm going to love you more than I what I do now. I can't forgive you for what you did because I already have. It's time for you to forgive yourself and move on. Promise me you will."

Abbie sighed shakily. It was a tall order but it's what her sister wanted and if she were being honest with herself, it's what she wanted, too. She would do this, for the both of them.

She determinedly nodded at her sister, "I will. I promise."

"Good," she said, adding a groundless threat for good measure, "You better."

Abbie smiled widely, appreciative of her sister's ability to make the situation lighthearted again. She loved her so much. She'd come a long way since they were kids. It amazed her to see Jenny come into her own. "God, when did you get so smart?" she mused.

Her sister shrugged. "I think it might run in the family."

She laughed. "Yeah? I think you might be right."

They nodded, smiles on their faces, their hearts finally unburdened. They took in the moment. The quiet noises of the bar in the background, the people ignorant to the sacrifices the two sisters had made to keep them alive, the normality of the moment.

Jenny glanced at her sister, noticing immediately how unburdened she appeared. It was as if the strain of her guilt that had weighed her down was slowly dissipating. It made her happy to see her sister enjoy a genuine moment of being carefree. She hoped it would last. She cleared her throat. "So we good?"

Abbie gazed back at her sister, smiling gently. She sighed contently. "Yeah, we will be," she reassured her.

The two sisters smiled at each other, finally forgiving their past and accepting each other's uncertain fate.

Abbie unlocked the door to her house and quietly walked in. Crane was cooking up something in the kitchen, the intro to Duke Ellington's 'In a Sentimental Mood' blasting on the speakers. She smiled, biting her lip as Crane swayed and hummed in front of the stove. He looked clean and fresh with his lightly damp, waved, short tresses and dressed in his loose fitting yoga gear, a definite change from the colonial outfit he wore like a security blanket.

She liked him looking this way. With his shirt untucked and sporting an apron, he looked blissful and relaxed. Crane, her guy. He was starting to look like a modern 21st century man. She bit her lip. She never thought she'd see that day.

They'd come a long way since that cold, heartbreaking night they met. She'd just lost the man who was like a father to her and he'd just woken up to his entire world gone. Now they were here, sharing a home, sharing a fate, and sharing in each other's unconditional love. It was strange how life had its way of balancing itself out. Loss had given way to discovery which had given way to a bond so deep and so strong, even their ancestors had it carved into stone.

She loved him so much her heart hurt with the emotion, her stomach would flutter in anticipation every time she laid eyes on him. Every time he'd talk, she'd find herself in a trance, soothed by his voice and passion. Even during his rants, she couldn't help but smirk at his snide remarks. She'd never loved a man as much as she did him. It was impossible to imagine it any other way, especially after the past few days of repeatedly demonstrating it to each other.

Shivers ran up her back thinking about all the different ways he'd taken her, marked her with his lips and tongue. Those fingers on her skin, inside her, stroking, rubbing, sending her to the edge of sanity and back. God, he was good. Where he'd learned it was beyond her but she was ever so grateful. She loved his passion, his curiosity, his way of being, the way he looked, the way he talked; she loved him entirely.

He was her addiction and she couldn't wait to get another hit.

She quietly padded into the kitchen and walked up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his back, swaying along with him. She turned her nose to shirt, deeply inhaling his scent. Laundry soap, a hint of body soap, and that warm musky scent that was unmistakably him filled her senses. She parted her lips with a sensual sigh, the soft fabric of his shirt dragging across her lips. He raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly as he continued stirring the pot of cooking food, his sway unbroken.

"Smells good," she murmured throatily, softly placing kisses on the back of his shirt, her fingertips rubbing gently against the soft fabric covering his firm torso.

"Mmm," he murmured in return, slowly losing himself in the music and her caresses.

"Almost done?" she asked in a husky voice as she snuck her hands under his untucked shirt, gently scraping her nails against his warm skin.

He exhaled, his eyelids fluttering from the sensations her touch was provoking. His Adam's apple bobbed as he tightened his grip on the spoon. He turned his head slightly.

"Always ready for you, treasure," he said in a low voice, as his free hand reached behind him, his palm cupping her swaying hip.

She pulled out her hands from underneath his shirt and maneuvered him to turn toward her. He released the spoon and followed her bidding. She laid her palms flat against his stomach, dragging them down his firm muscles. Her fingers dancing along the outline of top of his low slung pants. She tilted her head and gazed up at him seductively. "Good, 'cause I'm hungry now."

He studied every inch of her face. He knew what she wanted. Reaching behind him, he turned off the stove knowing full well dinner would be delayed.

He licked his lips, desperation in his eyes. "Abbie…," he said in a strangled voice.

"It's Lieutenant, Captain," she corrected him firmly.

He let out a choked whimper.

She smiled as she pulled him down for a passionate kiss.

Hours later in her bed…

"I'm hungry."

The food was still on the stove, ready but cold and untouched. They'd forgone the niceties of dinner and gone straight to dessert.

"Mmm, I shall warm our supper," he mumbled against her hair, pulling her naked body closer to his, wrapping himself around her. "Posthaste..."

Rolling her eyes at his blatant lie, she sighed. "You know what I'm really craving right now?" she said thoughtfully.

He responded with a noncommittal grunt.

"Jellybeans."

He smiled with his eyes closed. Odd craving but one he'd been hoping she'd have soon. Luckily, he was prepared.

He rolled over and stretched out with a loud yawn. "Very well, I shall fetch your beans of jelly goodness," he replied, careful to hid the glee in his voice. He planted a quick kiss on her shoulder. "One moment." He eagerly hopped out of bed naked, forgoing any attempt at modesty.

She sleepily blinked at him with her head resting on the pillow. A smile spread across her face as she watched his naked ass prance down the stairs to the kitchen. She closed her eyes and let out a blissful sigh.

This was perfect. She'd never felt so guilt-free, so happy. After her conversation with Jenny, she felt lighter, happier. Sex with Crane was just the cherry on the top. Life was good and she was going to enjoy every second of it.

A minute later she heard him thunder back upstairs. She could tell he was excited by the way he reined himself in before padding quietly into the room. The bed shifted as he pulled her into his arms once more and rested something in front of her. She opened her eyes to a clear glass jar filled to the brim with her favorite jellybeans. The jar had a red bow wrapped around the top and a small label with the words "Abbie's Jellybeans" written in flawless calligraphy.

"Oh, wow" she gasped softly with her eyes wide, carefully taking the jar into her hands, "Crane, it's-this is beautiful."

He nodded proudly, laying a quick peck on her shoulder once again. "I owed you a replacement for the ones I consumed in your absence."

Her fingertips admired the evident effort he'd put into the gift. "You decorate this yourself?"

"Well, I may have stolen a few ideas from those who have pinned their remarkably inspired interests online."

She giggled, glancing at him out of her peripheral. "You mean Pinterest?"

"Mmm, our elderly neighbor, Ms. Irene, was so gracious in recommending it whilst I was tending to our herb garden. Extraordinary website. I posted a picture of your jar and received numerous saved and liked pins, along with a few flattering comments."

She smiled as she continued admiring the jar. "Wow, Ichabod Crane, avid Pinterest user. Who could've foretold that?"

He smiled and buried his face in her neck. She giggled quietly, pensively brushed her fingertips over the smooth surface of the jar, her smile faltering.

Noticing her change in mood immediately, he brushed her hair from her face. "Everything okay?"

She sighed heavily and tried to give him a reassuring smile. Not easily dissuaded, he blinked at her expectantly.

Reluctantly, she rolled over to face him, covering herself with the covers but never releasing her grip of her jar. He positioned himself on his side and reached over to tuck her hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek soothingly. "What is it?"

She sighed. She couldn't avoid this conversation any longer. "I talked to Jenny today," she admitted quietly.

He nodded encouragingly.

"She had a dream about mama and Grace Dixon."

He blinked soberly, comprehending the significance of her words. His eyebrows lifted in understanding. "I see. Not a good dream, I presume?"

She exhaled tiredly, wishing she didn't have to be the bearer of bad news. "Our mission isn't over," she revealed tentatively.

He gave her a gentle smile, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. "Given our brief respite, I suppose it would remain presumptuous of us to assume the continuance of such good fortune."

She rested her hand over his, closing her eyes. "They told her we haven't escaped the Apocalypse. It's still happening."

He stared at her solemnly, his fingers suspended on her cheek. He blinked, his eyes downcast as he processed what she had just revealed to him.

"She saw herself die. She saw us die just like it was foretold." She opened her eyes to observe his reaction.

He sighed resignedly. He had long ago come to terms with the certainty that the day he had entered this world, a sure death awaited him. His life was no longer his. It was solely an instrument in the war against evil. He'd accepted it yet it was not something that he enjoyed contemplating. To admit to it would be to admit to not only his, but Abbie's imminent demise. That truth was far more painful to accept than his own.

He exhaled. "The ultimate sacrifice. The destiny we were meant to fulfill. 'Tis difficult to accept the cruel fate that awaits us but this is our purpose, Lieutenant. This is why were chosen for this mission," he reminded her, hoping she was aware of this truth and not in denial of it as he was.

She gripped his hand, lowering it from her face. "I get that but she's my sister, Crane. How can I just accept the fact that I'm not going to save her?"

He smiled sadly. "That is a fate you were meant to accept whether as a Witness or simply as her sister. Death is inevitable and unpredictable. Not just for us but for all that breathes life. There is nothing you nor I can do to control or change that certainty."

"I'm just not ready. I don't want her to die. Or you," she stopped, reaching out to lightly touch the gnarled scar on his chest. She traced it and softly whispered, her voice cracking, "I…I don't want to die." Tears silently streamed down her nose onto the pillow below her as she looked at Crane with fear in her eyes as she tightly gripped the glass jar against her.

He inhaled sharply and gathered her into his arms. He'd heard those words more times than he cared to remember from the lips of his dying soldiers but this was different. Fear and pain gripped his heart so tightly, terror filled his entire being. His mortality was a mere afterthought in comparison to hers. She rested her forehead on his chest as her body trembled. If this was the fate they were meant to face then so be it but he would be the first to draw his last breath. She would not die on his watch. He susurrated calming words of love and support as she quietly sobbed in his soothing arms.

Once her sniffles had died down and her breathing returned to normal, Ichabod slipped out of bed and quickly returned with a box of tissues. After her tears and runny nose had been wiped away, he held her against his chest, resting his lips against her hair consolingly.

She sniffed. "Sorry, I-I didn't realize how much I was keeping in until now."

"There's no need to apologize for your tears. You have a right to shed as many as you wish."

"I'll be fine, for now."

He nodded in understanding, kissing her forehead.

She chuckled to lighten the mood and looked down at the jar she'd been keeping in a vice grip, refusing to let it go. "On a lighter note, I think I found a new security blanket," she joked.

He smiled gently at her. "We can enjoy those at another time, if you prefer."

"No way," she said in outrage, sniffing back the last of her tears, immediately getting to work on unscrewing the top. "I said I wanted jellybeans so I'm gonna have me some jellybeans."

Once she'd opened the jar, she picked one red ones off the top and popped it into her mouth. Her face immediately turned into one of bliss. "Oh, cherry, my favorite."

Ichabod smiled in relief. "I chose the flavors you appeared partial to, however, I included a handful of assorted ones at the bottom of the jar in the event that you desired an unexpected flavor."

Her heart melted. "Aw, Crane, this is the sweetest thing anybody's ever done for me. Literally," she couldn't help but add.

Her hand was small enough to fit inside the jar so she began digging around to find one of the assorted ones at the bottom. Suddenly, her fingers came across something not quite jellybean shaped. Her brow furrowed. She squished it between her fingertips. No, not a jellybean. She pinched the foreign object and slowly pulled it out of the jar, careful to not spill any jellybeans. Her lips parted in disbelief.

A ring.

She looked at Crane in shock. He smiled at her as he slipped away from her embrace, taking his pillow with him. He covered his nudity as much as he could and walked to her side of the bed, kneeling down on one knee. He took the jar of jellybeans and placed it on the nightstand, taking her free hand in his.

"Admittedly, this is not how I envisioned this proposal transpiring, it is as it was meant to be. Pardoning my indecent state of undress, I must make an inquiry, if you would be so gracious in allowing it."

She bit back a smile and nodded. He took a steadying breath and gazed into her eyes ardently. He cleared his throat and began.

"I emerged in your world three years ago, an antiquated stranger to all its beauty and possibility. In a world of billions, against all odds, we found each other. I, a soldier of George Washington's army. You, a lieutenant on the path to achieving her most desired dream. Together we undertook the mantel of Witnesses and chose to bear this destiny together. Despite my capricious demands that often put you in difficult or dangerous positions, you faithfully continued by my side. Despite heedless cruelty on my part, you forgave me and charitably accepted me once again into your world. You opened my eyes to this wondrous life. Along the way, I realized it is a life squandered if it is a life without you."

He gazed at her lovingly as tears began falling down her cheeks.

"Though I've experienced the extraordinary, I am but an ordinary man. I am flawed but I've found redemption in your love. You are my closest friend, my partner, my lieutenant, my lover, and my very heart. You are truly my better half. As I kneel before you, I offer you my heart, my mind, my soul, and my entire being. In return, I humbly ask for your hand in marriage."

Abbie bit her lip as he gently took the ring from her hand and gave her a nervous gaze.

"Grace Abigail Mills, will you marry me?"

She nodded wordlessly, sniveling, before she choked out, "Yeah, yes. Of course, of course I'll marry you."

His face lit up as he placed the ring upon her finger, his hands trembling. She threw herself into his arms, burying her now damp face into his bare shoulder. He embraced her tightly as he buried his face in her neck, weeping for their blissful yet uncertain future.

After a few moments, he returned them to her bed. He gently laid her down and demonstrated all the love he had in his heart for her. She accepted it and returned it with just as much passion.

Entwined in each other's arms, in the afterglow of their lovemaking, a dim glimmering appeared on their ring fingers. Ichabod looked upon it with astonishment. Abbie gazed at it in acceptance.

"What-what is this?" he whispered entranced.

She tilted her head, as she calmly gazed at it. "Evidence of our purified souls."

He gave her a confused look.

She smiled serenely at him. "Turns out being a Witness comes with superpowers," she said with a gentle smile.

He reached out to her, resting his palm against hers experimentally. The glow from their ring fingers spread throughout their hands and up their arms until their entire bodies gave off a soft luminosity. Crane gazed at their hands then back at her in wonder. She smiled assuredly at him.

He looked into her eyes questioningly. "What does this mean?"

Remembering Jenny's dream and what was foretold in the Bible, she realized the hard part was still ahead of them. The sudden appearance of the miraculous just meant something just as unbelievably evil was just around the corner. Something they wouldn't survive.

She sighed sadly. "It means this is where we begin and where we end."

He knit his brow.

She smiled gently, clasping their fingers together. She gazed at their hands as the light dimmed until it finally disappeared. She released their hands and reached out to cup his cheek. She scoot closer to him and rested her forehead against his. Sensing her trepidation, he shakily inhaled and reached up to kiss her forehead. He pulled her tightly against him.

She rested her cheek on his chest, the melodious beating of his heart filling her senses. She hugged him tighter, a tremor of dread clutching her heart. Pushing the morbid thoughts away, she breathed in his scent. If their days were counted, she wouldn't dwell on the inevitable. She would savor each moment like her last. She would love until she couldn't love anymore.

She murmured against his chest, "All this means, Crane, is that we'll have to figure it out. Like we always do."

He nodded slowly in agreement, wonder still glittering in his gaze. "Together," he said resolutely, holding her tighter.

She nodded fearlessly.

"Together."

The End

Welp, that's that. Hope you enjoyed it!

Thank you to the one wonderfully kind nonny who left beautiful words of love on the previous two very long, semi-decent chapters I wrote. You don't know how much it means to me that you've stayed with this story to the end.

I love Ichabbie. I always will. However, the lack of feedback to this story has me feeling like I need to make better use of my free time. I don't have a lot of it and I'd prefer spending it on something others and myself can find joy in. I do not want to continue pouring my soul into writing a story that people aren't interested in anymore.

And so I've come to the decision to end this story here. I know I said an epilogue but to be perfectly honest, I don't know if there is an audience left for it. However, it's always possible that I may be wrong. I like to live in denial. I am an Ichabbie writer after all. :)

Thank you to those of you who've supported this story and my writing for the past year. It's been a treat to share in this journey with you. I can honestly say that you've helped me grow. I know there is always room for improvement and so I shall do my best to do so.

Okay, this is it. God, this is strange. I've never had to end a multi-chapter fic before. Alright, thanks again for everything and I sincerely hope to hear from you. I love you all very much!

Long Live Ichabbie!

Love,

semul