Julie had just put the kids to bed and was getting ready to turn in herself. Her hair was plopped on top of her head in a loose pony tail and she never did manage to change out of her gym clothes. They were comfortable enough anyway. She had made herself a cup of tea and was flipping through the TV stations in her bedroom when she heard a knock on the front door. She slipped into a pair of flip flops and went to see who it was. When she got to the door she stood on her toes and peeked out. It was Ichabod.

She turned around and leaned her back against the door. Come on! She thought to herself. Is this a joke? Is this my destiny? To be constantly tortured by that face for the rest of my life? Is this my punishment for kissing him? Being confronted with what I can't have over and over and over again? She closed her eyes. OK, Julie, get a grip. He is your friend. If he came all the way here for something, he probably needs your help. Grow up and open the damn door.

As she opened the door she saw Crane standing there like she had never seen him before. He looked weak, broken and just...emotionless.

"Crane, my God, come in. Are you OK?"

"I had nowhere else to go," he stated.

"It's fine, Crane, really. Come sit down. I'll be right back." She ran into her bedroom to get the cup of tea and brought it in to him. He took the small mug in his hands, thanked her and took a sip.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Julie asked. She slipped off her shoes & sat with her legs crossed on the other end of the couch from Ichabod. "You don't have to, I just thought..."

"I saw someone, Ms. O'Connor." He spoke, looking at the tea cup.

"What do you mean?"

"Someone helped me free Katrina, and then Abbie."

"So they're both alright?"

"No. I freed Katrina but she was gravely injured. The person I saw took Katrina back to Purgatory just before she..." He stopped.

"So she could free Abbie."

"Yes."

"So Katrina is..."

"Yes."

"Oh, Ichabod, I am so sorry." Her heart broke for him. She knew EXACTLY what that felt like. She wanted to hug him but she didn't want to do anything to make him uncomfortable. Not to mention he wasn't being particularly emotional about the whole thing. Julie assumed he was in shock. She just continued to listen.

"Abbie is badly injured as well. I went to see her and her sister today. She suggested I come here, actually."

"She did?"

"Yes. After I told her the cabin burned down, she practically insisted. She said I shouldn't be alone."

"Wait, what?"

"Someone burned the cabin down. My assumption is that it was Jeremy. Did I also mention he was the one that fatally wounded Katrina?"

"Crane, I...I don't know what to say..." She couldn't imagine how he was even functioning after all of that.

"There is something very important I need to tell you, Julie."

There's that first name thing again..."Jeulie"...boxer briefs...shut up..."What is it?"

"The person, or being, that helped me - the reason Abbie is back with us right now - it was Eddie."

Julie was sure she misunderstood. "What did you say?"

Ichabod looked at her. "Eddie. Your husband. He guided me to Katrina and helped Abbie escape."

"Crane, what are you talking about?"

"He called himself a 'force for good' and said he is an observer of the war against the Horsemen."

"My Eddie," she said, trying to wrap her mind around it.

"He told me he came because you asked him to. He told me that before you found me you had asked for help and he said he could..." - he looked back down at his tea - "...never resist your big brown eyes."

Julie gasped. "He used to tell me that whenever he'd let me have my way on something." A smile crept onto her lips. "He...he heard me ask that?"

"Yes." Crane averted his gaze from the mug and looked at Julie with what looked like almost a smile. It was the most emotion she had seen from him since he sat down.

"So he's what, a ghost? An angel? What?"

"I don't know, really."

"But he helped you save Abbie."

Crane nodded.

"...but Katrina..."

"Katrina would have died either way. Our son saw to that. It was only because of Eddie that she made it back to Purgatory in time to release Abbie."

Julie was having so many mixed feelings about what Crane just told her about her husband. A tear fell down her cheek. "Did he...say anything else? About me?"

"He said he is glad that you have Captain Irving to look after you."

Julie felt like there was something else he wasn't saying. "And?"

Ichabod looked back at the tea cup. "He actually said that he is glad you have me and the Captain looking after you."

Eddie is glad I have Crane? She was so overwhelmed with emotions about all of this but she would have to process that later. Right now she was more worried about Ichabod's LACK of emotion. She decided it was just best to keep him talking, and to change the subject.

"How are Abbie and Jenny doing?"

"Miss Jenny is doing very well aside from her broken bones and bruise on her head. She should be released within the next few days. Abbie seemed to be doing well at first. We were speaking for quite some time today. But then it looked like she was overcome by pain and lost consciousness again. The doctors told me I had to leave and that there was a possibility of her remaining unconscious for quite some time as her body's way of coping with the...great amount of pain she is in." He slammed the tea cup down on the end table, stood up and turned his back toward Julie. "Because of my choices."

She saw his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly. He was feeling something for sure. Julie stood behind him and placed her left hand on the back of his coat.

"Ichabod..."

As soon as her hand touched his shoulder he spun around and grabbed her wrist with his right hand.

"What!?" he snapped.

She was startled as she saw his face - suddenly filled with emotion. She saw anger, fear and ...something else in his eyes as he looked back at her. He forcefully pulled her towards him and leaned his head down toward hers. "What?" He growled again. She gasped - she couldn't answer him. They both stood there with labored breath, their faces excruciatingly close to one another. Julie's eyes stared into his, trying not to close every time she felt his breath on her skin.

Everything was happening in slow, fluid motion. Their heads touched lightly, then moved apart. Their noses, then apart. Their cheeks, then apart again, in seemingly endless ebb and flow of yearning and apprehension. His parted lips brushed against hers. As much as she wanted to kiss him, more than that she wanted him to kiss her. She couldn't put either of them through that again. It was up to him to open those floodgates. She lightly brushed her lips against his as if to beg, Ichabod, please kiss me right now.

Instead of doing what she had hoped, he whispered, "I need to ask you something."

Shut up, Crane. "No, you don't," she breathed. Their lips touched with every word each of them spoke.

"The night you kissed me..."

"Yes..." She felt her heart pounding.

"What you wanted..."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Yes, Crane...The answer is yes. Whatever you want. The answer will always be yes." She didn't want to say another word. She wanted to be silent and wait for him to accept the permission she just gave him. She felt his head tilt slightly as if he was going to do just that. "It's just..." Oh Julie, why can't you ever just shut up!? You are ruining this. But she couldn't help being concerned about Crane's state of mind. She didn't want him to regret this, or worse yet change his mind ten minutes from now and run away again. That may actually destroy her.

"Just what?" He moved his face slightly back from hers.

"Ichabod, I know you've been through so much these past few days and I just...are you sure? I mean, this...this isn't going to change anything that happened. It's just a...momentary distraction."

He kept hold of her wrist and slid his other hand up the back of her neck, tangling his long fingers in her hair. "A distraction, Ms. O'Connor," he said through clenched teeth, "is exactly what I am in need of right now. An ardent distraction, if that meets with your acceptance."

She nodded. "Yes," she whispered with what little breath she had, "Yes."

Ichabod gripped her hair more tightly and brought her face to his as he fervently met her with a deep, passionate kiss and a low "mmm". He let her wrist go and grabbed her around her waist, pulling her body to him. She grabbed the collar of his coat with both hands and pulled him closer to her, returning his deep kisses and uttering a soft "mmm" of her own. He slid the tie out of her hair, running his elegant fingers though the falling locks. She began to slip his coat off, gliding her hands up his chest and across his shoulders. He let go of her for just a moment to slide out of the sleeves and flung the coat across a chair. His hands gripped her waist and his tongue found hers once more. It was her turn to slip the tie out of his hair as she clawed at his wavy mane with both hands. He began to kiss her neck. His tongue and teeth glided across her skin.

"Crane..." she cried softly as her hands ran up and down his back. "Bedroom."

"Oh my, yes," he sighed.

She took Crane's hands and walked backwards, leading him, still kissing him. They went into her room and she locked the door. She backed him up toward her bed and pushed down on his shoulders, guiding him to sit. He complied without resistance. She stood between his legs. After a minute or two of passionate kissing, she reached down to his waist, untucked his shirt and lifted it over his head. My goodness, he is breathtaking. She stood and looked at him for a moment, resisting the urge to just devour him. She reached out, her fingers twirling through his chest hair and tracing across his long scar. She touched his bearded face as she gently kissed him over and over, her tongue deeply mingling with his. His fingertips gently ran up and down her bare arms, giving her a shiver all over. Julie couldn't wait another moment to feel his hands on her skin. She took off her tank top and tossed it aside. She watched Crane's crystal eyes drink in the sight of her in her thin white sports bra and low-rise black yoga pants, her hungry eyes and aroused body begging him to touch her.

"My word, Ms. O'Connor..." he breathed. He placed his hands on the small of her back and pulled her close to him. They kissed vigorously, her chest pushing against his with every heavy breath. Sighs were plentiful as their hands roamed uninhibited over each others' backs, shoulders, arms. Still, Julie could feel Crane pause with apprehension about venturing elsewhere.

"Ichabod," she whispered in his ear, reminding him, "Always 'yes.'" She guided his hands down from her shoulders to the front of her bra. She felt his breath quiver, as did hers. He caressed lightly over the thin material that clung to her breasts, letting his fingers flitter back and forth across the firm tips. Her head fell back as her breathing became even heavier. My god, those fingers ... Crane continued with one hand while he slid the other around her back. He leaned down and his tongue and teeth began to delve into her neck again. She dug her fingertips firmly into his back. His hand slid down the length of her spine and continued down over her pants, exploring more of her curves. With both of his hands and his mouth all having a field day with her body, she was already in sensory overload. And we're not even naked yet...

"Crane..." she panted. She lightly grabbed his hair and brought his head up to look at her. His parted lips were moist and inviting. She kissed them once and then made her way to his neck and chest. She reached down to undo his pants. He lay back to make it easier for her. She slid the pants down his hips, revealing the boxer briefs. Julie noticed they were doing a very poor job of containing the excited Ichabod Crane. As her hands moved over his torso, down to his bare thighs and back again, she could hear him softly groan. She let her hand slip once very lightly over the front of the boxer briefs.

"Gah!" he yelped, sitting up.

Julie looked at him. "Did I startle you?"

"No. I mean, yes. Sorry. I mean..." He paused and closed his eyes for a moment, as if collecting his thoughts. "It felt...incredible. Apologies. I am not accustomed..."

Julie couldn't imagine he was used to women taking any type of initiative. "Relax, Ichabod. How about you finish all this." She pointed to his pants hanging jumbled on his boots which were still on his feet.

"Of course." He took off everything except his boxer briefs as she shimmied out of her yoga pants, leaving on her sports bra and cotton bikini briefs. Had I known I was going to have sex with Ichabod Crane, I would have put on something sexier...but he doesn't seem to be complaining. She looked over at him. He was lying on the bed on his side, his outstretched hand waiting to take hers. He was magnificent. Slender and muscular and elegant and masculine and just sexy as hell. She took his hand, crawled up on the bed and lay down next to him. She looked at him leaning over her, his wavy hair framing his face and resting on his firm shoulders. She watched his silver-blue eyes take her in slowly, as his fingertips glided along her skin - her arms, her waist, her outer thigh. He leaned down and dotted her mouth with kisses, then her neck, her shoulder. His hands glided gently over her bra again. She quickly reached down and pulled it off over her head. Crane began to make his way toward her chest with his mouth. Again, he hesitated when he got close. And again, she assured him. "Yes..." He softly kissed and caressed her breasts, swirling his tongue on one, then the other and then back again, practically sending Julie over the edge already. She grabbed the sheets in her fists and arched her back, begging for more. Her hips began to move with anticipation as well. Her outer thigh rubbed against his hardness. He pressed into her leg as he grabbed her opposite hip clenching the only piece of clothing she still had on. He slowly slid his hand over to her stomach. Yes, Ichabod, please. Don't make me tell you it's OK again... He didn't. He slid his fingers along the top band, back and forth, a little lower each time until he touched her warm wetness.

"Ohh..." they both said almost in unison. He lightly explored her with his fingers, as she leaned down and pulled her bottoms off, allowing him unrestricted access to her. Crane continued to stroke her intimately, her thigh still pressing against his girth. As his fingers teased her, once again Julie feared it was apprehension stopping him from going further.

"Yes, Cra-" Before she even finished saying his name, he slid one finger inside, then another. "Yes!" Julie's hips pushed against his hand. She couldn't get enough of him. His mouth and tongue were still vigorously attending to her sensitive peaks. "Ichabod! Oh yes!" He slid yet another finger inside. As his hand moved, it kept lightly skimming over her most delicate area. That was it - the perfect storm. She moved her hips hard into his hand and pushed his head down into her chest, begging him not to stop anything he was doing. "Aaaahhhh! Crane!" she screamed as he brought her over the edge. Panting, she kissed him hard until the sensation subsided. It took her quite a while to catch her breath.

Once she could speak she pleaded,"Lie down." Once again, he complied without argument. She sat up next to him, grabbed the band of his boxer briefs and glided them off his long, lean frame. Julie couldn't help but stare for a moment. She knew he would be fully intact (these are the sort of things you learn when your job is researching the 1700's and you're bored and have the internet and also Ichabod Crane exists). That was not a surprise. The surprise was how much of him there was. She caught a hint of it earlier, but to really see all of him... Just when I thought he couldn't get any hotter...

She crawled on top of him, startling him again. "Ms.-"

"Shut up, Crane," she whispered, and kissed his mouth softly. Her body rested gently on his as she kissed his neck, then his chest. Her hand moved along his side, down to his thigh. Once again, she ran her palm softly up and down his length. He made an amazing noise that was somewhere between a sigh and a growl as his hands clawed at the sheets. Julie loved knowing she was giving him pleasure. After what he just did to her, there was a part of her that wanted to go crazy on him with her mouth, but she figured she should probably take it easy on the guy who hasn't gotten any since the flag had thirteen stars. She sat up, straddled his hips and gently touched her wet warmth to his hardness, sliding softly over him.

"Ohh..." Crane groaned louder as his head rolled back. She wanted him. But as much as she would love to just take him into her at that very moment, she knew he was not accustomed to that and the last thing she wanted was to make him feel uncomfortable. Besides, thought of him on top of her was not an unpleasant one by any means.

"Ichabod..." she breathed, moving slowly on him.

"Mmmm..." he opened his eyes to meet hers.

"Ichabod, do you want me?"

"Yes," he growled.

"Tell me."

"I want you, Julie."

"Show me." She raised her hands up in surrender.

He leaned up, grabbed her wrists and rolled her over on the bed, and him along with her. He kissed her deeply on her mouth, neck, and chest. His hand slid between her thighs as lightly stroked her with his fingers again. He knelt between her legs and looked at her, writhing at his touch, begging for him without words. He leaned over her and kissed her mouth one time. He looked right into her eyes and guided himself inside of her. She gasped and he let out a deep, breathy "gaahhh." With each slow motion he moved deeper until he was fully immersed in her heat.

"This is amazing...you're amazing..." Julie panted as her fingers pressed into his back. Ichabod continued to move and softly moan, every motion and sound overwhelming Julie with waves of arousal so strong she swore she would drown. Her fingers moved down over the sensual curve of his lower back as his hips grinded. Her hand wandered further and she felt the alluring groove in the side of his perfect posterior deepen each time he pressed into her. "Oh god, Crane..." She could feel the passion swell inside her. She began to push her hips against his motion. Ichabod read her body's signals instantly. He knelt up and slid her hips onto his thighs. He grabbed the headboard with one hand, the other still clutching her hip. He moved faster and harder as a bead of sweat fell from his hair onto Julie's chest. She saw that he was looking at her. His translucent eyes had a look of exhilaration as he watched her squirm in the sheets, getting closer and closer to the peak of pleasure. And she looked at him. She watched as Ichabod Crane fucked her, the motion of his exquisite body propelling her into a state of complete euphoria.

"Oh Ichabod...oh god...oh..." she panted as she tried to come back to Earth from whatever planet Crane had just taken her to. He rested his forehead on hers as they both breathed heavily. Then she noticed something.

"Crane?"

"Yes, Ms. O'Connor?" he whispered.

"You're not...done?"

"You're asking if I have released-"

"Yeah. You haven't."

"No, I have not."

OK seriously? Two-hundred fifty years of abstinence and he's still going? Good for him! Good for me! I think he's trying to kill me...

"Wow, that's kind of amazing." But after a moment she backed away from his face, concerned. "Wait, am I not -"

"Oh no, you are," Crane assured her, putting his palm to her face, fingers in her hair. "You absolutely are." He kissed her again.

"Well, in that case, lie down."

"Pardon me?"

"You heard me. We've done it your way, now we do it my way," she said with a sly smirk.

"Alright, then." He gave a look of intrigue.

"You need to promise me something."

"What?" he asked as he lay down next to her.

"Do you trust me?"

"Implicitly."

"Good. Now it's you who says yes to me. OK?" She said as she leaned over him.

"Yes."

"Oh, very good. Quick study."

"Eidetic memory." Crane smirked.

"Right." Julie laughed.

Julie actually felt awkward at that moment. This playful banter thing, as adorable as it was, was making it feel less like just sex and more...relationshippy. She could see Crane felt strange about it too. That will be the end of that. Back to the task at hand.

"Anyway..." She straddled and hovered over him. Her chest gently pressed against his. Her mouth and teeth grazed the flesh of his neck, damp and salty from their passion. His hands lightly rubbed her back and hips. She began to move her way down to kiss and caress his chest, then his stomach. He flinched. "Ms. O'Connor..."

She expected this. "Crane?"

The tone in her voice must have reminded him of his agreement to not object. "Carry on." His body relaxed.

She spent a while with her mouth and hands acquainting herself with his torso. She then moved a little lower and began to glide her teeth along his glorious hip bone.

"Oh my..." he breathed.

Her palm glided up his entire length and back down.

"Oooh..."

And again.

"Oh, yes..."

She wrapped her hand around him and stroked him as her mouth, teeth and tongue continued their fervent exploration of his body. His breath became more labored and audible every moment. After she moved to his inner thigh she felt him begin to tense up, lifting his flawless backside off the sheets. She stopped everything, letting his intensity wane just a bit.

"Sit up, Crane."

"What?" He seemed confused and a little disappointed.

"Just trust me..." She took his hand and helped him sit. She knelt over his lap - without making contact - and kissed him, tangling her fingers in his hair. She could feel his hips moving, searching for her. He caressed her hips and thighs, trying to gently lower her down toward him.

"Ichabod..."

"Yes..."

"I want you right now, like this."

"Oh, yes..."

She reached between her legs and found him waiting. She began to ease down on his part, sheathing him slowly within her. She grabbed onto his shoulders and moved further down until she fully enveloped him. Her breath escaped her as he uttered a primal groan of pleasure. He gripped her hips tightly as she began to pulse and circle them on him. They breathed each others' breath as they clutched tightly onto one another.

"This...is...incredible," he spoke to the rhythm of her movement. She wanted to stay here forever. Looking into his eyes. Hearing his deep voice weak with passion. Feeling his hands all over her. Sweaty and fucking, forever.

He began to moan and guide her hips. She followed his lead. He greeted her movement with his own, somehow reaching deeper. She felt herself starting and she knew he was, too. She moved faster on his entire length, holding onto his shoulders for dear life as she and Ichabod crashed harder into each other. They both cried out as they brought each other to climax.

"Yes! Crane! yes!"

"Oh! Julie! Aaahhhh!"

They kept slowly moving together after they had both finished, for as long as they could. It seemed like neither one of them wanted to come back to reality. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and her head fell onto his chest. They were still. They stayed like that for quite a while. Finally, Ichabod put his fingers to her chin and guided her face to his. He kissed her lips softly. "Perhaps we should...gather ourselves?"

"Perhaps." She kissed him back.

After they each paid a visit to the en suite bathroom, they returned to bed; Ichabod in his briefs and she in hers and her bra. They didn't say anything but, strangely, it wasn't strange. Julie knew that the more words that were spoken, the closer they would be to the end of this. Ichabod seemed to know it, too. She rested her head on his beautiful chest and fell asleep in his arms.