Chapter 4: Renascent

Pairing: Ichabbie.

AN: At the end this time. You'll see why. I almost want to apologize for this but I wont so….sorry, not sorry. *grin*

Renascent (adj): being reborn

This isn't right.

It's the first thought that runs through Abbie's head as she wakes up on a hard floor. They'd survived the final tribulation, put down the devil himself and here she was, in the archives. Again.

But these archives were not the ones she remembered, everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, with sheets over the sparse furniture, it smelled musty from disuse which didn't make sense – they had just been in this room yesterday, planning.

"Crane!" she called out while picking herself up and looked around desperately for him.

Please don't let me be here alone, please, please, please.

"Lieutenant?" His voice called out from the other side of the room, near the bookshelves.

"Crane!" she cried out and ran to him, finding her partner prone on the floor, looking as confused as she felt. Her hands ghosted over his body to confirm he wasn't injured.

He wasn't.

But he had been, badly. A ghoul had gotten ahold him, scarring his face badly only three months ago – Abbie had been sure she'd lost him that day. And now, now there was nothing, the skin unmarred, smooth as it had been before the incident. One of her hands reached out and hovered over his cheek, confused.

How was this possible?

Desperately she grabbed at the hem of her shirt, pulling it up to expose her abdomen where there should have been a long, thick scar. It was also missing, the skin equally smooth.

"Abbie?" Crane's voice tremored slightly. "Your scar…"

"You should see your face," she said with a nervous laugh and stood, spinning around until she spotted what she needed and grabbed his hand, pulling him off the floor and toward it.

Swiftly, and in a whirlwind of dust, she pulled the fabric off the full sized mirror and indicated for him to look.

Astonished, he touched his face. "Abbie…what-what is going on?"

"I don't…we won, right?"

"Yes, I believe we did."

"Could this be-"

"Heaven?" he asked in awe and she nodded.

"I mean," Abbie started and laughed a little. "It's not my idea of heaven but maybe God's got a sense of humor."

"This is not heaven, witnesses." The voice was disembodied but familiar and they spun in tandem toward the door, more than a little surprised to find Pandora standing there, looking serene as always.

"Pandora…" Abbie whispered, a feeling of dread settling in her gut, while the immortal had eventually come to their side against the Hidden One, it had been many years since they had seen her. "Then this is-"

"The archives, as you called it. Yes."

"On mortal earth?" Crane felt compelled to clarify.

If it was possible, Pandora looked exasperated. "Yes, on mortal earth."

"Are the tribulations over? Have we…won?" Crane asked after a moment of silence.

"You have indeed, witness. The apocalypse has been averted for the time being."

Abbie still frowned deeply – something still wasn't adding up and she looked to Crane. "We need to find Jenny and Joe."

It was Pandora who answered. "That will not be possible."

No, please no. "Why not?" she asked, unable to keep the tremor of fear out of her voice.

"Where is my sister!?" Abbie all but screamed.

"Your sister has not yet been born."

It was a simple, yet all-encompassing statement that put all the pieces together in Crane's mind.

"What year is this?" he asked.

"Nineteen hundred and eighty three."

Abbie stumbled back slightly, tears springing to her eyes, stopped only by Crane's arm darting out to keep her from bumping a table. "Nineteen eighty three…why?"

The other woman stepped toward them. "It is an unusual circumstance you find yourselves in."

"The witnesses are supposed to die in the final battle," Crane whispered then looked at Pandora. "Why are we not dead?"

"Because your deaths would create…a paradox."

"What paradox?" Abbie asked, shaking, only just barely holding back tears. Crane's hand found hers and held on tight. Jenny…her sister.

Pandora approached them, hand extended toward Abbie. "Because if she is not born then she cannot assist you defeat the enemy and continue the bloodline." Then her hand landed gently on Abbie's midsection. "So you have been sent back to do what has always been done."

Crane's hand gripped hers tighter and Abbie sputtered out, "I'm pregnant?"

"You are indeed, witness."

For a split second Abbie saw a real, genuine smile crack the ancient's face as her hand fell away.

"A girl…" Abbie muttered and then suddenly everything clicked into place and she looked to Crane, stricken.

Crane realized what she had only a split second later. "Sophie."

"Oh my God," Abbie whispered. "Our daughter was right in front of us the whole damn time."

The she whirled on Pandora. "How didn't she realize who we were? Why didn't we know…"

But it was Crane that answered. "We did not know because it had not happened to us. How she did not realize it was us however…"

"Is my doing," Pandora said almost sadly. "You will have twelve years with her before you will be called home. At that time I will…alter her memories such that she believes creatures and demons are possible. And while I do that…" She looked down a moment, unsure before taking a deep breath and staring Abbie in the eye. "She will remember her parents but they will not look like you. It is the only way."

It was so much to take in, almost too much and Abbie stumbled back slightly, grabbing the table nearest her for purchase even as Crane's hand kept her tethered to him.

"Twelve years…that's all." Desperate she looked at their former enemy. "Did she survive? And Jenny? Joe?" Daniel Reynolds had been lost two years before the final battle.

Nodding Pandora placed her fingers on Abbie's temple and suddenly she saw Sophie, Jenny and Joe in the woods she had just been in, dusting off, Jenny screaming their names at the top of her lungs before realizing they weren't there and falling into Joe's arms, crying softly. The picture changed to a courthouse, Jenny and Joe standing before the magistrate saying vows, Sophie with them, smiling widely. The slate changed again and this time it was Sophie wearing white, standing in a church though, saying I do to her new husband; Sophie pregnant with the first of what would be three children, the youngest a girl named Abbie. Then, finally, Christmas at Sophie's home, Jenny reading the children (her niece and nephews) The Night Before Christmas while Joe sat nearby grinning at her (they never had any children themselves) – a family without realizing their true connection.

As quickly as it started the vision stopped and Abbie made a noise of disappointment.

Pandora's hand, once again, fell. "They will all live natural, full lives. Secured by your sacrifice. And one day, your descendants will be called on again."

"It is all…very hard to process." Crane said a little too quietly and now it was Abbie's turn to squeeze his hand.

"My job has been completed, witnesses. I thank you for all you have done and will do." Then she looked at Crane. "I trust you understand the implications of…this situation."

"I do," he said solemnly.

In a whirl of blue energy, she disappeared, leaving them alone to stare at each other and process what was happening.

"What implications?" Abbie asked.

"We…we cannot interfere with the timeline, even a small, seemingly inconsequential interaction may have dire timeline changing consequences and undo all we have accomplished. You cannot have any contact with Miss Jenny or Master Corbin."

"Oh, Corbin's…he's alive Crane," she whispered and again, tears sprung in her eyes. Her mentor, her friend, and the only real father figure she'd ever had. "August Corbin is alive."

"And yet…" he whispered back and pulled her into his body, wrapping his arms around her.

It hurt her soul, but Abbie already knew – they had to keep their distance from the people they loved in order to make sure nothing changed. She and Jenny would live the lives they always had. August Corbin would die by the Horseman's hand in thirty years.

"You are…with child," he said suddenly, easing her out of the melancholy she had started to fall into, a grin appearing on his face as he pulled back from her.

"Apparently I am," she replied with a wide smile.

"An unexpected but welcome surprise."

"Not that unexpected," she laughed back and he nodded in agreement, leaning down and kissing her soundly.

"Well," he said and looked around. "The good news is I am very adept at adjusting to new surroundings. The bad news is we are quite literally starting from nothing. New names will be required so that we do not tip off our future selves if we appear in any records.

"Foster…" Abbie said absently. "There are Foster's on my mother's side so seeing the name wouldn't necessarily tip anyone off."

"And it is Sophie's surname."

"I guess we are already doing what has been done," Abbie said, mimicking Pandora.

"Yes, we are."

"We also know what to name her." Abbie unconsciously looked down at her belly.

"Yes, we do."

She looked up at him. "I love you."

"I love you as well, Lieutenant. We should also consider moving away from Sleepy Hollow, too much temptation and potential to cause…chaos. However, unintentional."

For some reason that pained her more than anything, Sleepy Hollow was home. But she also understood his reasoning.

Squaring her shoulders, she looked at him. "Well, we are going to need money. For transportation, lodging, new identities, food. I'm starving."

Crane looked around. "Well, we happen to be surrounded by artifacts that would fetch money in the right hands."

"I like your thinking," she said and they started searching the room, piling what they thought had value onto a table. Thirty, dust covered minutes later, looking down at what they had found, Abbie laughed loudly. "I just realized that Jenny is going to steal most of this stuff back for us later."

Crane frowned then realized she was right and grinned as well. "Well, I know she enjoyed doing it."

Satisfied with their haul, Crane found a small messenger bag in the corner and carefully placed the items in it before slinging it across his chest. "Now to find somewhere to…hawk these items."

"I've got some ideas," Abbie said.

Holding hands, they stood to the inside of the doors that lead to the outside world. "It is just you and I now, Lieutenant."

"Not for long," Abbie replied with a grin.

"Of course… just the three of us then." He nodded at the door. "Shall we?"

"We shall," she replied and they stepped forward in tandem, opening and walking out the doors into a whole new world.

END

So the theory that Sophie is an Ichabbie baby has been all over my Tumblr and while I don't think it makes sense (she's a Latina for one thing), when I saw the word of the day a couple days back this idea simply wouldn't leave me. So I realized that people online were time-travelling the wrong person - it makes more sense (if this entire idea can even makes sense) if Ichabbie time travel and then...magic. I hope you enjoy it anyway...and please review on the way out, they are truly motivating.