Tegan's POV

I swear my bladder should have exploded minutes ago. I bounce from swollen foot to swollen foot, watching impatiently as Sara takes her sweet time pulling our luggage from the trunk of the car. After slamming the trunk shut, she wicks away the sweat from her forehead and takes a deep breath of fresh air, smiling to herself. Her hands plant themselves on her hips and she takes a look around at the nature surrounding us from every direction.

"C'mon, Sara! I have to pee!" I drawl out in a whiny tone from the stoop of the charming log cabin. Thanks to Emy and her lovely fiancé, Brooke, Sara and I are calling this place home for the week while we celebrate our fifth year of marriage. I can hardly believe it's already been that long, and that just a few months ago, we were celebrating our first decade of being together as a couple.

"Oh!" I exclaim softly to myself, flinging my hands to the spot on my stomach where I feel a sudden kick. I guess I'm not the only one that's happy Sara and I have been in love for so long.

"Everything okay, Babe?" Sara asks, huffing and clomping up the stairs. She drops the bags at her feet, and digs into her pocket for the keys to the cabin.

"Uh huh," I smile and nod, rubbing my hand in circles on my stomach.

Sara leans in, a smile of her own tugging at her lips, and rises to the tips of her toes to give me a kiss before unlocking the door and giving it a shove. It swings open with a loud creaky moan and I waddle in, the hunt for the bathroom my top priority.

Under a set of stairs I poke my head into a narrow room. I let out a victory cry when I see a sink and toilet in the cramped space. Jackpot! I close the door behind me, blindly battling with my jeans to get them to my knees, and stare up at the ceiling, listening to Sara make her way up the stairs above my head while I empty my bladder for what feels like the hundredth time today.

I flush and then watch my reflection in the mirror to get my jeans, complete with an embarrassing elastic band, back around my waist before washing my hands. I take a deep breath, feeling winded from even the simple task of using the bathroom and have to lean against the wall once I'm standing in the living room. Pregnancy is no picnic and if anyone ever says differently, they're a dirty liar who deserves to be socked in the jaw.

With my hands perpetually glued to my massive stomach, I take a look around, totally understanding why Emy would want us to spend our anniversary here. The living room, dining area, and kitchen is one big, open room with the typical rustic decor I would except to find in a cabin deep in the Vancouver Mountains. The furniture is all leather, there's a giant fur rug covering up most of the hardwood flooring in the living room, and above the dining table is a chandelier made out of antlers. Upstairs, I'm assuming, is just one giant bedroom and another bathroom, hopefully complete with a jacuzzi. I don't think I can survive a week without a soothing bubble bath, and with how out of whack my hormones have been lately, Sara wouldn't survive long either.

I sigh, wondering what's taking her so long upstairs. I don't like to be alone for any length of time these days just in case something were to happen, like oh, my water breaking. I'm still a little over a month out from my due date but considering my mum was three weeks early with me, I don't want to take any chances. I listen to Sara move about for a few more seconds before pushing myself away from the wall and wandering into the kitchen.

I tug open the refrigerator, delighted to find it chock full of food but it doesn't look like there's anything to satisfy my current cravings. The freezer is a different story and I let out a little squeal, tearing open a box of popsicles. I dig around for a blue raspberry one and head to the couch, nestling into the comfy cushions.

I suck the last bit of the popsicle between my lips and drag my tongue along the stick just as I hear Sara starting to make her way down the stairs. I idly chew on it and peek over the back of couch, practically choking when Sara comes into view. She's rid herself of her jeans and t-shirt in exchange for a mouth-watering pair of cut offs and a black and white polka dot bikini top. Wow. No wonder my hormones are acting the way they are.

She saunters my way, ruffling her cropped hair. I bite down hard on the popsicle stick, surely leaving teeth marks, and shamelessly ogle her creamy, flawless skin and voluptuous frame.

"You're not wasting any time in getting this vacation started, huh?" I ask in a bit of a daze.

"Nope." Sara flashes me a sexy grin, hovering over me an instant. Her flat, soft tummy presses into my own hard, bulging one and she catches my lips in a toe tingling kiss. It doesn't take long for us to get carried away; my clipped nails dragging down from her shoulder blades to her waist and her hands burying themselves in my hair but before things get too heated, my bladder is making itself known yet again.

I reluctantly pull away, my chest heaving, and look at Sara guiltily.

"Seriously?" She sighs, standing up straight and holding out her hands to help me when I nod.

"I swear they think my bladder is a bean bag chair or some shit." I wince, getting to my sore feet.

Sara lets out a chuckle and helps me to the bathroom, her hand protectively placed on the small of my back, and I stare up at the ceiling yet again while I pee, wondering what Sara's going upstairs for now, before I begin washing my hands. I'm interrupted by a quick knock on the door and Sara letting herself in. Without a word she hands me a small stack of clothes and smiles. I look down at my own bikini top and shorts, groaning, but Sara's retreating and closing the door before I can protest.

Knowing I'd never win the fight anyway, I strip out of my clothes and struggle to get into the ones Sara wants me in. The shorts fit well enough, but I can't get them buttoned. The swimsuit is a completely different story though. I open the door and call for Sara's help.

A moment later she's standing behind me in the tiny bathroom, tying the strings around my neck and across my back. Staring at myself in the mirror, I grumble under my breath, pulling at the material to cover as much of my breasts as possible, wishing I looked like anything but a beached whale.

"Pregnancy looks good on you." Sara says, dropping a kiss to my shoulder and sliding her hands around my stomach, holding me.

"It would have looked better on you." I mumble, hesitantly making eye contact with her through the mirror.

I never planned on being pregnant. Honestly, I never wanted to be pregnant but complications arose with Sara and she couldn't conceive. The whole situation was an emotional mess. Sara wouldn't leave our apartment in Toronto for almost two months, she dropped an unhealthy amount of weight, and for a while, I didn't think our relationship was going to survive. It wasn't until I was in Vancouver, discussing contracts with the head hockey coach there, that I met up with Emy for lunch and it was her who pushed me to do what I had to if I wanted to keep Sara. I flew back home, packed up the apartment and moved Sara and I back to Vancouver and in less than a month, I had tested positive with a little bun in the oven. Weeks later during an ultrasound appointment, we discovered it was actually two little buns. Yup, twins. One boy and one girl, Parker and Bailey Quin, unless Sara changes her mind again.

I watch as Sara gets that sad, far away look in her eyes and she presses her face into my hair, running her hands up and down my stomach for a minute before she lifts her head and clears her throat. "Let's go sit by the water."

I nod and follow Sara out the patio door after we gather drinks, sunscreen, and a blanket. It's a short stone path to the lake. There's a short dock leading into the water and Sara walks out onto it, setting down our things.

"It's beautiful out here." She says, dipping her toes into the water, disturbing the peaceful stillness.

"We'll definitely have to bring the kids here." I agree. "I could teach them to skate out here in the winter."

I watch Sara puff up with happiness and she turns around, grinning at me. She steps over to me, holding on to my biceps, and kisses me sweetly on the lips. "I love you so much."

"Mm, I love you too." I kiss her back.

Sara's POV

For a few minutes Tegan and I share kisses, our noses brushing, and bask in the environment that always seems to bring out the best in us.

Sooner than later the sun starts to beat down on my back and I pull away to grab the sunscreen, knowing that if I'm uncomfortable, Tegan must feel twice as bad. I motion for her to turn around so I can massage a glob of sunscreen onto her back.

"Fuck." She moans, letting her muscles relax from my touch.

I laugh, shaking my head at how easy it is to turn her on these days and move down to cover her legs. When those are slathered in sunscreen, she turns, making me eye level with her bellybutton. I reach up to touch her stomach, feeling my own do an excited little flop. I meant it when I said pregnancy looks good on her. She's always glowing; more beautiful then ever. There are no words to express how happy I am she's giving us a family when I can't.

I kiss her tummy and apply more sunscreen. I feel a kick to my palm and Tegan staggers back a bit.

"Oh! Sara, feel!" Tegan guides my other hand higher up on her stomach where I feel another kick. Oh my god! I've never felt them both at the same time. A smile takes over my whole face and I kiss Tegan's stomach over and over, my eyes watering. I don't think they've ever been this active.

"Why don't you try talking to them?" Tegan suggests, placing her hands on my own.

"Okay," I gulp, trying to pull my thoughts together. "Hi little ones," I say, glancing up nervously at Tegan. She peers over her hump and nods encouragingly, so I continue. "It's your mama. I hope you both know your mommy and I love you so, so much and we can't wait to meet you. I can't wait to hold you in my arms and kiss each of your little fingers and toes."

I look up to Tegan for more reassurance only to find her rubbing her eyes, her shoulders shaking. I shoot to my feet, my heart racing; I can never tell the difference between happy and sad tears these days.

"I'm sorry." Tegan sobs, her elbows resting on the top of her stomach as she buries her face into her hands.

I start to reach out, to pull her hands away, but she sniffles loudly and wipes away the snot on her face with her forearm, shooting me a glance. "I'm okay. Really."

"Okay." I say, keeping a watchful eye on her. "Do you want to sit for a while?"

Tegan nods, letting me help her sit, her feet dangling into the water. I hand her a water bottle and sit down next to her, taking a drink from my own bottle.

Tegan's POV

For a while Sara and I simply sit, enjoying the quiet summer day. We don't talk much, but neither of us mind. Over the years, we've perfected the act of co-existing, but for the last fifteen minutes or so I've noticed Sara's been acting restless. I'm sure she's just itching to get into the water.

"You can swim if you'd like." I say, turning my head to look at her.

"I'm fine." She smiles at me.

I sigh, giving her a look, and she sighs back at me, getting to her feet. I hate that Sara thinks she can't have fun or do things just because I can't, but at least she's given up on arguing about it with me. She shimmies her shorts down to her ankles, stepping out of them, and starts removing her bikini as well.

"Sara!" I hiss, looking around, double checking that we truly are alone.

"Oh c'mon. The owners are three miles away, no one's ever gonna see." She argues, flinging her top at my face with a smirk.

I swat the material away just in time to see her cannonball off the dock, drenching my legs in a huge wave of warm, crystal clear lake water. I chuckle to myself and for at least an hour, I watch Sara float around or dive in and out of the water. I know I could sit here all night, but the little ones are starting to demand that I feed them. I call Sara over and after she helps me to my feet, she gathers everything we brought with us into her arms and makes her way up the path butt naked with me shuffling behind her, enjoying the view.

I slip into one of my cardigans and make myself cozy on a lounge chair on the back deck, the blanket covering my legs. Sara brings out our book bag, filled with more parenting books than we could ever need, and I flip through one that specializes in twins while Sara heads back into the kitchen to whip together dinner.

Ten minutes later Sara returns with smoothies and sandwiches. I balance my plate on my stomach and dig in, not bothering to care that pickle juice is running down my chin all the way between my breasts.

"What would I do without you?" I moan with a mouthful of food.

"Well for starters, you'd have to start doing things for yourself." Sara quips, shooting me a sideways glance.

"But then what would you do?" I grin at her.

Sara rolls her eyes, choosing wisely to sip on her smoothie instead of attempting to defend herself. Surely she knows she can't deny that she couldn't exist without me, and that the same goes for me as well.

I inhale the rest of my sandwich in a matter of bites, chug my smoothie, and am left wishing I had more. I glance at my loving wife, giving her puppy dog eyes and a pouty lip. She groans, handing over the last few bites of her sandwich, but hoarding her smoothie. I pop it into my mouth and hum happily, letting out a less than lady-like belch.

"Pig." Sara remarks in mock disgust, waving her hand in front of herself while she collects our dishes and sets them on the picnic table a few feet away.

"I think that one was Bailey," I laugh, rubbing my stomach.

Sara's POV

Before I sit back down, I nudge my chair right up next to Tegan's, more than ready to snuggle and watch the sunset with her. I sit down, my legs straight out in front of me, and Tegan shifts so she's partly on her side, her swollen stomach resting on top of mine. It's not our preferred way of cuddling, and certainly not the most comfortable or intimate, but it's the only position we can manage until the babies are born.

I wrap my arm around Tegan's shoulders, pulling her in close, leaving my own shoulder the only place she can rest her cheek. I kiss the top of her head and graze the tips of fingers up and down her arm while my other hand rests on her stomach, my thumb moving in small circles.

The wind blows through the trees on either side of the cabin and the lake sloshes against the dock. With Tegan nuzzling into me and nature surrounding us, there's nothing that can make this moment any more perfect, except maybe with Parker and Bailey sleeping in our arms.

Parker and Bailey.

Their names stick in the front of my mind and I start to question whether they're the right choice for at least the thousandth time. Tegan and I spent countless hours looking through books and discussing names. I know any uncertainty I feel now is just anxiety so I push the thoughts away. If I brought it up to Tegan now, she'd no doubt give me the silent treatment for at least a week. God knows the last thing I need on my hands is an unpredictable, moody Tegan especially when she's ready to pop any day now.

In the calm quiet that follows I can tell by the faint sound of Tegan's even breathing that she's fallen asleep. I grab the blanket covering her legs, pulling it up to cover her tummy and as much of myself as possible. Tegan moans peacefully, sliding her hand along her stomach, pushing her face into the crook of my neck.

I wait a moment to make sure Tegan's still asleep before burying my hand into the book bag on the other side of her, and pulling out the children's book that my grandma would read to me before bed whenever I spent the night at her house. Besides the cross that I'll forever wear around my neck, it's one of the only few belongings of her's I still have.

I have no idea if Tegan's aware of me doing this, but most nights after she falls asleep, or sometimes when she's just taking a nap like she is now, I'll get this book out and read it aloud to the kids, hoping to bond with them as much as I can before they're born. I open the book up to the first page, channeling my inner Peter Rabbit, and begin reading.

A/N: Well guys, there it is. They're all grown up and they have their happily ever after. :) It's been a long, wild ride and there are simply no words to express to all of you that have taken the time to read and share your thoughts about this story with me. It honestly means so much to me and it still and always will baffle me that there are people out there who find joy in reading something my crazy mind dreamt up one day. So, truly, thank you everyone. (I swear I'm not getting emotional. Okay… maybe just a little.) I'd love to hear absolutely ANY final thoughts or questions you guys have about any aspect of Symbiosis or my writing feel free to leave it in a review, shoot me a PM, or hit me up on tumblr (mistersara-ladyjean) and I'd be happy to talk about it. Again, thank you all so so much, I seriously couldn't have written this without all of you. Stay tuned in the near future for my next fic Midnight Hands! :D