Summary; After being proposed to by her destined lover, Godric; Crystal Martinez and her new fiance discover that she is pregnant, by another man. That man just so happens to be Sam Merlotte, as the result of an unprotected one-night stand. Somewhere in the darkness, witches still seek to destroy her as revenge for the death of their high priestess; and yet she remains without her remarkable historic Mayan god power, more vulnerable than ever. The future she had planned now has gone awry in a completely different direction than she could have ever imagined.
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A/N:
Thanks to everyone who read Timeless Connection! I wanted to wait a bit before posting the sequel, just so I could go back and edit a few parts of it. This chapter is the only one that is set up montage-style in order to sufficiently explain the year and a half after the discovery of Crystal's pregnancy. If you are a new reader, you probably will want to read Timeless Connection to fully understand this story. However, it's not impossible to pick up and follow along either. Hey you silent readers, I know you're back for more ;) Thanks again everyone, and enjoy.
A/N/N:
I've been told a couple times that my Godric has OOC tendencies. I haven't been told this, but I'm pretty sure my Eric has OOC tendencies as well. You've been forewarned.
( And can I just say that I had no idea Sam would be dealing with children in this season of True Blood, and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to see his interaction with Luna's daughter in the show. )
1 1/2 Years Later
Everyone was gathered in Phoenix, Arizona for the evening. Near and dear friends accepted the invite without hesitation, and brought along their respective guests.
Sookie Stackhouse held a disposable camera in her hands, she snapped pictures of everything, a bright smile on her face as her blonde curls bounced with her every move. Every now and again she would say something to her vampire fiance, Bill Compton, who would smile and nod in reply. His demeanor was very light and joyful that evening.
Nathaniel walked over to the couple and introduced himself kindly, a glass of True Blood in his hand. He looked even younger than usual, his smile was wide and welcoming, his mannerisms very human-like.
Leah was seated on the couch with her older brother, Alcide. Alcide laid back casually, taking a swig of the Bud Light he was holding and threw his head back in raucous laughter at his little sister's explanation of how she lost control of her anger and punched her boss in the face.
Upstairs, there was a more quiet, peaceful atmosphere. Godric was inside the very appropriately zoo-themed nursery, carefully dressing the one year old baby boy in a little black teeshirt, and elastic band jeans. The child gazed up at him with wide forest green eyes, his curly brown hair framing his round, butterscotch colored face. Once he was properly dressed, Godric ran his fingers through the curls, settling them out of the child's face. So much had changed in only a year and a half, he couldn't believe he had kept up enough to establish a comfortable groove now.
1 1/2 Years Prior.
End of July;
Sam threw down his hand towel on the bar as soon as he laid eyes on the woman who had the nerve to show up in his bar after the way she left him. Stranded, without a second backwards glance. He had spent weeks forgetting her, and here she was.
Crystal grabbed his arm, "Sam wait."
"Get off me." He snatched his arm away and went into his office, slamming the door in her face before she could follow him inside. Crystal took a deep breath, opening the door and closing it gently behind her.
"I know you hate me right now, and I don't blame you." She started.
"You better have a goddamn good reason for showin' up here, and your vampire leavin' you ain't one of 'em." He placed his hands on his hips as he approached her, his jaw clenched.
Crystal swallowed, looking down at the floor before looking back up at him with tears in her eyes. "Sam, I'm pregnant."
Sam was taken aback, he shook his head, "What?"
"Vampires can't get people pregnant, and you're the only person I've had sex with outside of Godric." She sniffed, catching her oncoming tears on her finger. Sam turned away from her, running his hand through his hair as he thought of what to do, or say next.
Finally, he turned back around. "So what are you gonna do?"
"I'm keeping it." Her hands went protectively to her stomach. "You want me to get rid of it?" She asked in horror.
"No, no." Sam said quickly. "I was hopin' you would keep it, but I wasn't gonna force you." He sighed. "I just...this is really not what I expected."
She sniffed again, the pesky tears coming quicker than she could wipe, and in frustration and mood instability, she began to cry. Sam hesitated, before throwing everything to the wind and embracing her. "Now now, you don't have to cry, Crystal." He comforted her.
"I'm not ready to be a mom, Sam! I'm starting college next month, I just moved and got engaged!" She held him tightly as she let all her fears come out. There was no use pretending to be strong, she was absolutely wrecked from the whole thing.
"You're engaged?" He asked. She nodded, her face buried in his chest. "What's he got to say about it?"
She pulled back so she could speak. "He was really sad and angry at first, and he left for weeks." She took the tissue that Sam handed to her, and wiped her cheeks, dabbing lightly at her eyes. "Then he came back and said it wasn't an ideal situation, but he wanted children someday and said better it came from you than some random donor."
Sam still couldn't believe the words that left his mouth as he said them aloud, "I'm going to be a father."
December - Christmas Eve;
"I mean it, keep your eyes closed." Godric said, leading his fiance down the stairs of their home carefully. She was nineteen weeks along in her pregnancy, and definitely showing. Her tummy provided a considerable bulge in her red and green tunic that she wore for the holiday occasion.
"How can I open them with your hand over me!" She said, holding onto him to keep her balance.
"Alright." He removed his hand once they were in the living room where the huge Christmas tree was on display, shining brightly with an assortment of lights. Godric picked up a small box and handed it to Crystal as she sat down on the couch.
She eyed him curiously, "What have you done this time?" She asked, raising her brow. He took a seat next to her, placing his arm around her shoulders.
"Find out." He gave her a mischievous grin. Crystal excitedly opened the top, and gasped when a baby kitten popped it's head out, looking around at the room and instantly climbing out and onto her tummy.
"The baby is having a fit right now, good job." She picked up the kitten and cuddled it closely. "Hello there darling!" She cooed.
Godric stroked the kitten's head. "What are you going to name her?"
Crystal pondered the question before looking over at her soon-to-be husband, "Itza."
He kissed her gently, touched by her decision. "A beautiful name for a beautiful kitten."
February;
"The doctor will be with you shortly." A nurse reassured Crystal with a smile as she left the room, closing the door behind her.
"You nervous?" Sam asked as she stood next to her. He was definitely feeling jittery with nerves at the prospect of finding out whether they were going to have a boy or a girl. The last ultrasound couldn't determine it; but Sam made it his priority to be present for every doctor visit she had to go to. He had grown to truly love Crystal in the past few months, and they talked frequently. She even told him her history, and it made him understand how close she was with Godric. It was in her DNA to be with him, and when Sam pushed his pride away, he knew he didn't want to get in the way of that.
"A little...and it's not helping that the baby is doing backflips right now." She rubbed her tummy, trying to relax the little boy or girl who was having a party inside of her. Crystal looked up at Sam, "You think it's...like you?"
"You mean a shifter?" She nodded and he rubbed the back of his neck. "It's hereditary, I mean me and Tommy both got it. He turned earlier than me, so he's a lot better at it than I am."
"How early do you think it'll shift?" She inquired. The more prepared she could be, the easier she could make it on her child.
It was a question Sam couldn't answer. "I really can't say. Depends on the kid I guess." He could see her growing anxious, so he took her hand within his own. "Everything's gonna be alright, just relax. When it turns, just give me a call and I'll be on the first flight to Phoenix. I promise."
There was a soft knock on the door and a tall Asian woman with flowing, black hair came striding inside, all smiles. She shook Sam's hand and then Crystal's. "Hello, I'm Doctor Logan, how are you feeling Crystal?"
She shrugged, "Alright I guess. The baby is really active though, especially today."
"That's completely normal around the six month mark. Let's make sure your baby is nice and healthy." Dr. Logan lifted Crystal's shirt up to her breasts and put on a pair of gloves. As she smoothed on the cool gel to help the Ultrasound read properly, she continued; "Now, the last time you were here we couldn't identify the gender, correct?"
Crystal nodded. Sam was glancing around the room, when suddenly his eyes landed on a calendar that was on the nearby wall. Underneath today's date, was a tiny empty circle, a symbol of a full moon. He nudged Crystal and mouthed the words; 'Full Moon'. Her eyes widened as soon as she understood. That might explain the high activity level of the baby.
"Have any guesses?" She started up the monitor and clicked around on the blank screen a couple times, typing on the keyboard.
"Girl." Sam said at the same time Crystal confidently announced, "Boy."
Dr. Logan laughed. "There seems to be some dispute." She held the transducer and moved it over the bottom of Crystal's stomach. "Well, that'll all be cleared up in a bit."
"Sam, sweetie, you're squeezing the life out of my hand." Crystal giggled.
"Oh, sorry 'bout that." He loosened his grip and tried to take a more relaxed, manly stance. She had to stifle a laugh. His nervousness was cute.
"Well we can see the baby really is just having a grand old time in there!" Dr. Logan pointed to the fetus that was moving around. "Ah, we can definitely see the gender now. Ms. Martinez, you are going to be having a baby boy!"
May 27th;
"Fuck my life right now. Fuck it all." Crystal complained, her back aching terribly as she sat at the computer in the home office, trying to finish out a Philosophy paper for her class. "Ugh!" She swiped off a notebook that was on the desk and sat back in her chair, trying to breathe.
Godric was in the room within seconds. "What's wrong?"
"I can't fucking think straight my back is killing me and my stomach is hurting like a bitch." She winced, feeling the pain reside a little after she breathed.
"I told you I could have written that paper for you tonight. You cannot be under stress like that, love." He stroked her back, "I'll get you a glass of water." He vamped away and back in ten seconds.
"This baby was due a week ago damn it, I need him out of me already!" She took several gulps of the water, "Can't you just eat him out of me like Edward or something?"
Godric shook his head, making a face of disgust. "As appealing as your blood is to me with you being pregnant, I would not find any pleasure in eating your child out of you." He noticed her struggling to get to her feet, so he helped. "Should we go see a doctor?"
"No, no...I'm alright, I just need this to be over." As soon as she was on her feet, she felt the most unpleasant sensation, as though she were urinating on herself without control. It was followed by another pain in her lower stomach. "Shit, I think my water broke."
Dr. Logan confirmed that Crystal was dilated to 7cm, close to birth. It was a long, painful wait. Two hours turned to three, which dragged on into four. She refused the epidural for fear of not being able to push the baby out properly.
"I'm gonna die. I'm gonna fucking die!" She shrieked, gripping Godric's hand as another contraction came over her. "Kill me!"
He wiped the sweat off of her head with a cool washcloth. "You aren't going to die, just breathe deeply. You're almost there." He assured her. He was actually displaying more emotion than he usually did. In fact, she hadn't seen his killer poker face since they arrived. He was pretty much perfect to be there with her, his touch was always cool, and he looked good. He was dressed in a dark grey v-neck teeshirt and black jeans, and now that she convinced him to let his hair grow out a little, he liked to wear it slicked back and voluminous.
"Can't you glamour me?" She begged.
He leaned forward and tried to capture her mind in a glamour. "Look at me, Crystal." He said soothingly. However, he didn't feel the surrender of her mind, and she felt nothing but another goddamned contraction. "I still can't glamour you."
"Shit." She spat angrily.
Sam came almost sliding into the room, completely frazzled and breathing heavily. "Did I miss anything?" He hurried over to the two and Godric politely stepped back and allowed him to approach the bed. He was tolerating Sam for the sake of Crystal and the baby. Had this situation not presented itself, he would severely dislike the shapeshifter.
"My constant cursing and bitching you mean? No, you're right on time." She slammed her fist on the mattress, feeling another contraction.
"Isn't there somethin' she can have? Like a pain reliever or somethin'?" Sam asked Godric frantically.
Godric shook his head, his arms crossed. "She denied the Epidural."
"Shit." He muttered, beginning to pace.
"Sam, sweetie, relax. I'm the one in labor here." Crystal tried to calm him.
Sam stopped, returning to her bedside and resting his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I ain't never done this before, I don't know what to do, how to help. I wanna make this as easy for you as possible."
She smiled, "Just you being here is enough for me." The moment was ruined by another contraction.
"The contractions are coming more frequently, I'll get the doctor." Godric was gone in a flash.
"I need water."
Sam grabbed the nearby pitcher of ice water and poured it into one of the small, paper cups. He held it to her lips and she swallowed graciously, the cool liquid soothing her. "That better?"
"A ton. Shit Sam this hurts so fucking bad, I really want to kill somebody, preferably my damn self!" She clutched the bedrail, closing her eyes tightly.
"Stop holdin' your breath, you need to breathe." He took deep breaths with her.
Dr. Logan came rushing into the room, followed by two other nurses. "The contractions are a couple minutes apart now Crystal?"
"I'm not counting!" Crystal responded, still in the midsts of a contraction. Dr. Logan checked her dilation quickly and looked over at a nurse, "She's ready."
For Crystal, those words couldn't have come any sooner. The two nurses prepared her by holding her feet up, pushing her knees up towards her chest. Godric decided it would be best if he comforted her on top and Sam witnessed the birth of his child. It was only fair, and the doctor was rather wary of a vampire in the delivery room anyway. Sam put the gloves on and a medical protection gown, as instructed, and watched as his son slowly emerged from her canal.
It brought tears to his eyes to witness such an amazing gift of life in front of him, and it was then that he knew he wanted this. He wanted to be a father. He had never felt love like he did when his newborn son started crying, a symbol of his health and life.
"It's a healthy baby boy!" Dr. Logan announced, helping Sam to cut the umbilical cord. A nurse rushed over to clean the wailing baby. "What's his name?"
"Xavier." Crystal breathed, weak from the birth but still smiling with eyes full of happy tears. "Xavier Scaevola Merlotte." She used Godric's last name and Sam's. It was perfect. Her child was perfect. She had never been happier in her life than she was at that very moment.
Present Day
"I don't know anything about this. Mine looks like a big lump of nothin'." Sam Merlotte picked up the chocolate cupcake he was trying to put icing on.
Crystal took it from him and bit into it. "Alright, you focus on arranging the tray then. I'll stick to icing." She set her cupcake down. "Tastes good though."
"I can't believe he's a year old already, boy he's growin' fast." Sam arranged the cupcakes neatly in lines on the fancy cream colored tray.
"Does he get into stuff with you like he does here? Every time I turn my back, he's in something else." She squeezed icing out of the plastic bag in a spiral motion, making a perfect creamy top to the freshly baked cupcakes.
"You kiddin' me? His favorite thing to do 'round my place is use the table to stand up and knock things off. I stopped usin' the coffee table now." Sam laughed and Crystal joined in. She knew all too well how much of a troublemaker Xavier was, but it made him all the more lovable. Sam leaned on the counter, watching while Crystal iced the cupcakes.
"I've been lookin' at some houses lately. Think I found one I like." He finally admitted.
Crystal was shocked. "Really? That's amazing Sam, where at?" She took another bite of the cupcake.
"I decided to get out of Bon Temps and there was a real nice place up in Shreveport. Two bedrooms, a big old backyard. I put a bid on it the other day." Sam grabbed a tissue and wiped the bit of frosting she had on her nose.
"Oops, thanks." She blushed. "I'm so happy for you. The trailer was nice but I always thought you deserved better." She caressed the side of his face and kissed his cheek. "You ready?"
"Yep." He placed the last of the cupcakes on the tray and stuck the number 1 candle in the center one. He took his lighter out and lit it, taking care to shield it from blowing out as they left the kitchen together and started singing.
"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday Xavier. Happy birthday to you!"
Everyone cheered and Xavier bounced in his little chair, clapping his hands clumsily. Sam kneeled down and placed the cupcake in front of him and the child was amazed by the flame, giggling as he reached for it.
Sam quickly pulled it away. "I don't think he understands the concept yet."
"You do it then." Crystal waved for him to go ahead as she walked over to Godric and pulled him close, "He looks so nice." She whispered.
Godric smiled. "Thank you."
Sam blew out the candle and everyone applauded again. Xavier squealed at the attention, digging his fingers messily into his cupcake.