A/N: As always, I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!

"I swear to God, Eric Northman! If you are not here within the next ten minutes, you can bet your gorgeous ass that you'll be sleeping on the couch for the near future," Sookie bit out before ending the call, tossing her cellphone onto the nearby table right as another wave of pain rolled through her. "'I'll get a vasectomy, Sookie,' he says. 'It'll be better than them opening you up again,' he says. 'Let me be the one in pain, for once,' he says. Well…at least my way would've been more permanent, apparently!" she griped to the only other person in the room, squeezing their hand tightly as she tried to keep from crying out in pain. "Ten years was about how long his great idea lasted. Stupid super human sperm. He is never touching me again."

"Christ on a crutch, Ma. You know I know better than whatever 'where babies come from' crap you and Dad have been feeding Emily, but can we please not talk about anything that involves you and Dad doing…that," Jacob pleaded with a small grimace, his face flush with embarrassment as he focused his eyes on the monitor that was tracking Sookie's contractions. It was bad enough that he'd overheard his parents more than once over the past twelve years, but no fifteen-year-old boy on the face of the planet wanted to outright talk about sex with their mother. "I'm sure Dad'll be here soon."

Sookie let out a small snort, letting her head drop back against her pillow as she forced herself to do some of her Lamaze breathing. "He better be. Lord knows what's about to go down is not something you want to witness, but I am not going in there alone," she said through clenched teeth, looking over at her phone as if willing it to ring. "Remind me again why he just had to go and take your sister to the zoo in Monroe today?"

It was Jacob's turn to let out a snort, reaching up to gently wipe away some sweat from Sookie's forehead with a towel. "Because Emily's got him double-wrapped around her finger, maybe? You know that kid could get away with murder when it comes to Dad," he added, without a hint of spite in his tone. While Eric had been involved with Sookie's pregnancy almost entirely the second time around, Jacob had never felt slighted in the least. He'd always felt that his parents had done a great job with making sure that attention was given equally to their children over the years, especially given the fact that their birthdays were so close together. "Besides…your appointment wasn't for another week and a half, Ma, and he just wanted to get her out of your hair for a couple of hours. Clearly, impatientness runs in us Northman kids," he added with a grin, letting out a laugh as Sookie gave him a death glare and dropped her head back against her pillow.

"No running in my hallways, Northman! Once I find your father, you can bet I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!" Yelling could be distantly heard from down the hallway, the smacking sound of shoes frantically hitting the tile causing both Sookie and Jacob to roll their eyes in exasperation. "Emily Adele Northman! For the love of all that's holy, you better not-" Sookie cut herself off mid-yell as a panting figure slid into the room, tilting her head a little as she raised a brow. "Really?"

"I told him that he needed to slow down, but what do I know?" Emily asked as she entered the room, the eleven-year-old snickering a little as she passed her winded-looking father. "Told him he was too old to be running marathons like that," she added with an innocent little grin, moving to curl up on the bed next to her mother. "May be time to trade that one in for a younger model, Mama."

Eric glanced up from his hunched over position as both Sookie and Jacob burst into laughter, eyes narrowing as he glanced over at his daughter. "Never again am I leaving you alone with your Aunt Pam or Uncle Jason," he grumbled a little as he straightened up, knowing full well his daughter's smartassness came from spending far too much time with his sister and Sookie's brother. "And for the record, I can still run laps around you and your brother any day of the week," he added with a small wink, crossing the room to brush his lips against Sookie's. "How are you feeling? I swear we left the moment Jacob called, but then I-20 was a parking lot and we had to take some detours. And then my phone died, which is actually a good case for getting Em her own."

Sookie smiled as Eric pressed another kiss to her forehead, scooting over slightly so that there was also room for him on the bed. "I'll be better once your mutant spawn is out of me, but I'm doing okay. Jacob kept his cool, even though I'm sure the mere mention of my water breaking has probably scarred him for life. But, hey! He got some highway driving practice in," she said with a small laugh as she wrapped an arm around her daughter, smiling at her son as he settled down at the foot of her bed. "You made it just time. The doctor was planning to stop in soon with the good drugs. They wanted to haul me in about an hour ago, but I managed to be granted a stay of execution until you got here or I started dilating even more. And with the way these contractions have been feeling, I'm fairly certain dilatation has been happening."

"And I think that just may be our cue to go hunt down your doctor and then go give the various relatives a call. No one wants to hear about your dilation or anything else that's going on down there," Jacob said with a small shudder as he got to his feet, leaning down to gently kiss Sookie's cheek. "I love you, Mama," he murmured, a small smile coming to his face when he saw the tears start to well in his mother's eyes. It wasn't often that he used that name for her anymore, but he wasn't afraid to say his own nerves caused him to feel like a child in that moment. He knew the familiarity of the name would bring some calm to them both throughout all of the stress. "C'mon, pipsqueak. I bet we can swipe some good snacks from the Doctors' Lounge," he said as he hauled Emily off the bed and over his shoulder, pausing to let his giggling sister kiss their mother as well. "I'll make sure she stays out of trouble," he added as he bent to give his dad a small hug, his grip tightening on his sister's legs as she began to squirm.

"Love you, my babies," Sookie said with a smile as she watched Jacob lug Emily out of the room, settling back on the bed as Eric snuggled closer and rested a hand on her stomach. "How did we get so lucky to have two great kids?" she asked, then let out a sigh as nurses entered the room to prep her for her surgery. "I don't want to mess with our odds, you know? Maybe we should just skip this round."

Eric let out a snort as he got out of the way of the anesthesiologist, bending down to give Sookie a firm kiss before stepping back. "I think it's a little late for that at this point," he murmured as he brushed hair out of her eyes, holding her hand tightly once she was rolled on her side to have the epidural placed. "It's game time, Sunshine."

"He's so tiny! Was I ever this small?"

Eric let out a small chuckle as he shifted a little in his seat, his arms wrapped around Emily as he helped her cradle the bundle in her arms. "Not quite, Em. You definitely were on the bigger side," he told her with a smile, remembering the day that she'd been born. Just like Jacob, Emily had been close to ten pounds and tall in length. "But if you combine Joshua with Elizabeth, then they'd be just about as big as you were."

Sookie snorted softly as she listened to Eric explain things to Emily, a huge smile on her face as she glanced over at where Jacob sat holding his newest sister. If getting pregnant ten years after Eric's vasectomy hadn't been surprise enough, Sookie's OB/GYN pointing out during their 8-week appointment that they were having twins had nearly caused them both to faint. "I think it's safe to say that I'm going to be the odd-man out in this family, in terms of height," Sookie grumbled under her breath, though her eyes danced with happiness as she spoke. A knock at the door caused everyone to look in that direction, Sookie's face lighting up in delight when she saw who was standing there. "Well, if it isn't Mr. Chief of Pediatrics himself!"

Godric leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he took in the sight before him. "You would think that running the department would allow me to do what I wanted, but apparently board meetings are a can't-miss," he replied with a small eye roll, moving forward to give Sookie a kiss on her forehead. "How's my girl doing? Everything go okay?"

Sookie nodded as she pulled Godric down for a hug, wincing a little once they pulled away from each other and she sat up a little more. "A bit sore, which is to be expected, but everything went perfectly. You run a tight ship here," she said with a smile, recalling how attentive all of the hospital staff had been so far. "And while I regret to inform you that our branch of the Northman-making factory is officially closed, there are the two newest members that I'd like to introduce you to." She motioned for Jacob to come over, watching as her oldest child carefully carried over her youngest. "This little darling is Elizabeth Michelle," she murmured, watching as Jacob gently transferred the baby into Godric's arms.

Eric extracted himself from around Emily, taking Joshua into his own arms and moving closer to where Godric stood. "And this little fella is her slightly older brother, Joshua Godric," he murmured, watching the many emotions that passed through his father's eyes with that announcement. He wrapped his free arm around Godric's shoulders, pulling him into a small hug as they both looked down at the babies they held.

Godric could barely find the words to express how honored he was at the name choice, hugging Eric a little tighter to him as he gazed down at the two newest additions to his family. "Once he's old enough for roll calls in school, he'll be thanking you for making that the middle name," he joked with a small laugh as tears of joy pricked at the corners of his eyes, lifting his gaze after a few moments to share a warm smile with Sookie. "I can see a lot of you in their faces already."

"Thank God!" Sookie replied with a chuckle, turning her head to look at her older children. "No offense, kiddos, but maybe people will finally stop thinking I'm the nanny when I'm out and about. I think I found my new favorites," she teased with a wink, then let out a groan as there was a knock on the door. "That must be the lactation police," she grumbled as she sat up a little more in bed, plastering on a fake smile as a nurse came into the room. Even though she'd successfully breastfed two children, the hospital had a policy that all mothers had to go through a bit of a training session before they were allowed to do it on their own. "Why don't you guys go hit up the cafeteria with Grandpa? Definitely nothing you want to see here," she said as she reached out to take Elizabeth from Godric, rolling her eyes as Jacob practically ran from the room with Emily in tow. "Usually I'd say not too much sugar, but they've been good kids today…and you're watching them tonight."

Godric let out a laugh before bending to press a kiss to Sookie's forehead, brushing a hand over Elizabeth's head as he straightened. "If they get to be too much, I'll just send them to Pam's for the night. A little payback for the time she once tried to see how many sugar packets she could eat in an hour," he said with a wink, moving to give Eric another hug. "I'll have them back up in a couple of hours or so to say goodnight, unless you come looking for them sooner," he added as he also brushed a hand over Joshua's head, giving Eric and Sookie one last warm smile before leaving the room.

Eric settled down onto the bed next to Sookie as the nurse rolled over a cart that held a breast pump and other breastfeeding aids, letting out a shudder as he shifted Joshua to one side and took Elizabeth into his free arm. "I always forget how much that pump looks like a torture device. Better you than me," he muttered as he pressed a kiss to Sookie's temple, giving her a cheeky grin before quieting down as the nurse began to talk.

"So…remind me again just how it was that Jacob was the one to drive you?"

Sookie let out a small laugh as she rested her head against Eric's shoulder, smiling as she watched the twins sleep in their bassinettes. "Jason and Hoyt were out at a jobsite in Hot Shot, which meant neither of them had any cell reception, and Jess and Tara were at the movies with their girls. I wasn't going to wait around for an ambulance, so that left Jacob." She paused as Elizabeth begin to stir, both adults holding their breath until the tiny girl settled back into a peaceful sleep. "I almost went over and begged Bill for a ride, but Jacob came up with the even better idea of letting him drive me."

"He's definitely a smart kid, that one," Eric answered with a small sigh, shaking his head a little. Every-so-often Bill Compton found a way to randomly turn up in their lives, still carrying the torch that he'd once held for Sookie. If he had been the one to drive Sookie to the hospital, it was safe to bet that Bill would've tried to have found a way to burrow himself back into their lives. "I'll keep that in mind next time our son does something that pushes my buttons," he added with a smile, turning his head to kiss Sookie's forehead. It wasn't lost on him that his firstborn was growing up fast, nor was he oblivious to the fact that Jacob was his son through and through. To say that Jacob was starting to attract female attention would be an understatement. "Why can't the kids just stay tiny and unaware of the big, bad world?"

Sookie snorted a little, wincing as she saw Joshua start at the sound. "Because they need to fall down at least once or twice before they can finally figure out who they are," she murmured, smiling warmly at Eric. "I like to think we've given Jacob and Emily a good idea of how to live life and be happy, though."

Like most relationships, Sookie and Eric's had had its share of ups and downs. One of the biggest downs, though, had been when they'd gotten news five years ago that Salome had been killed in a car accident in Sweden. Sookie had tried to comfort Eric once he'd gotten off the phone with Godric, but he'd instantly shut down and refused to even talk to her. Deciding to let him have some time to himself, she'd thrown herself into figuring out logistics. Salome's parents wanted to have the services in Stockholm, so that meant booking flights and figuring out what to do with Jacob and Emily.

When she'd finally gotten him to talk to her later that night, the look on Eric's face as he spoke had nearly broken Sookie's heart. While Salome was the reason behind Eric losing out on years with Sookie and Jacob, something that he would never be able to forgive her for…she was still his mother. He was torn by the emotions that he had, afraid that the sadness that he felt would cause Sookie to think he was betraying her somehow.

It had taken a lot of talking, along with some arguing, before Sookie had been able to convince Eric that feeling sad about Salome dying was an okay emotion. There had been those first twenty-five years of Eric's life, before he'd found out that she was the cause of his four years of unhappiness, where Salome had been a big part of his life. While her ways of mothering weren't the most conventional, she had contributed to the man that Eric had grown into. And while Sookie would never, even now after her death, be able to forgive Salome for what she had done, she was still grateful to the woman that had given her the man beside her.

So with that, Sookie had managed to convince Eric to make the trip to Sweden with Godric and Pam. While he'd initially begged her to go with him, she'd gotten him to see that this was something that he needed to do with just his father and sister. They'd returned home after a week, all three looking like a large weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Sookie never pressed Eric for details of the trip, wanting him to tell her when he was ready, though Pam eventually let slip that there had been some therapeutic yelling done at Salome's burial plot by all three of them. It seemed like the closure they all desperately needed had been found.

"I can hear the gears turning in your head, Sunshine. What are you thinking so hard about over there?" Eric asked after Sookie had been quiet for some time, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as he trailed his fingers up and her arm. He'd actually thought she'd fallen asleep, which would have been completely understandable, but then he'd felt her sit up a little.

"Just about how I'm the luckiest girl in the world," Sookie replied softly, tilting her head up to give Eric a small kiss. "Did you ever think that helping Jason beat on JB du Rone would eventually lead us to here?" she asked, then let out a groan as Elizabeth began to fuss. "And not just the four kids thing, just us in general," she added, gingerly starting to get up

"I got her," Eric said with a smile as he shifted off the bed, leaning down to give Sookie another warm kiss. "You just rest," he murmured, then moved to tend to his crying daughter. After a short inspection, Eric realized that Elizabeth needed a diaper change, so he started to go through the motions of that. Once he'd finished his task and passed Elizabeth to Sookie, he turned his attentions towards a now-awake Joshua. "And to answer your question…this wasn't at all what the ten-year old me was thinking when I stepped in to help Jason, but it sure as hell is better than anything I could have imagined. Once I started to get older, though? I knew I wanted to do anything I could to keep you by my side," Eric said with a smile as he worked on his son's diaper, bringing Joshua over to the bed with him once he was done. "Which reminds me…I do believe I have something of yours," he added once they were all settled on the bed together, reaching his free hand into the pocket of his jeans. "Give me your hand."

Sookie gently shifted Elizabeth to her other arm, freeing up her left hand for Eric to slide on her wedding band and engagement ring. "Everything feels almost back to normal now," she said with a small laugh, tilting her head up to give Eric a kiss. After wearing the rings together for ten years, going several hours without them made her feel naked up until this point. "Would it be bad if we called your dad and asked him to sneak Jacob and Emily in? I'm probably insane, but I miss those two goobers."

Eric shook his head with a chuckle, leaning over to grab his phone off the bedside table. "Honestly? I'm surprised you let them even leave the hospital," he answered as he dialed, letting out a laugh as Sookie smacked his arm. Within a half an hour Jacob and Emily were back in the room, and set up on some cots that one of the nurses had located. Eric was settling Elizabeth back into her bassinet next to Joshua's when he heard Sookie make a sound, a look of concern on his face as he turned to glance at her. "Everything okay?"

Sookie nodded her head as she wiped at some tears, smiling warmly as she watched Eric quietly make his way back to the bed. "Just happy, you know? Sixteen years ago, I didn't know if I'd ever see you again…and now we've got four amazing children and the best life I could've asked for. Thank you for loving me, Mr. Northman," she murmured, resting her head against his shoulder after he wrapped an arm around her.

Eric pressed a kiss to the top of Sookie's head as he held her close, then tilted her head back so he could give her a kiss that curled both of their toes a little. "I can't imagine anyone else I'd want to be with right now. Thank you for loving me, Mrs. Northman," he answered softly, then settled back against the bed with her. Laying there next to his wife as his two youngest children slept and his oldest ones quietly bickered over a video game they were playing on their iPad, he couldn't help but be thankful for their second chance to begin again.

A/N: And that, my friends, is the end of the line on this one! Thank you so much to each and every one of you for reading/following/reviewing. It has been a joy sharing this story with you :-) And a super extra big thanks to the amazing Asrailefay for being my beta/cheerleader on this. It's safe to say that some of these chapters wouldn't have gotten out, if it wasn't for her feedback and motivation :-)

Now it's time to focus on getting the next chapter of Night One out. There are some other projects on the back-burner as well, so I promise you haven't heard the last of me :-P Until next time!