A/N: Apologies for the delay on this! RL has been a bit hectic, as of late. Many thanks to my amazing Beta and sounding board Asrailefay for all of the pushing and shoving (aka encouragement) that she has given me on this chapter. Also, thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and set up follow/favorite alerts...seeing those emails trickle in always makes me smile :-) As always, I own nothing TB or SVM related. Enjoy!
Eric looked down as he heard his cellphone ring, a smile coming to his face as he saw the name on the caller ID. "Hey there, Sunshine. I was just about to call you," he said as his Bluetooth picked up the call from Sookie, continuing his journey down the highway from Shreveport towards Bon Temps. "I just did some paperwork at the club and now I'm heading your way. Pam's taking the reins for the next few days, so I'm totally and completely yours. Need me to grab anything for dinner?"
Two months had passed since their fight/confessional, as well as Jason and Tara's wedding, and things seemed to be flowing along smoothly. While Eric hadn't officially moved in to the farmhouse with Sookie and Jacob, he certainly was spending any time that he didn't need to be at Fantasy with them. Granted…most nights he was usually crawling into bed with Sookie only hours before dawn, but waking up to the sounds of her getting herself and Jacob ready for the day was not something he would trade for anything. And with Jacob now in an afternoon preschool program, Eric was able to have a few hours each day with his son before dropping him off on his way back to Shreveport.
"If you want to swing by the store to get some garlic bread fixings, that would be great. I'm just about to finish up here, then I'm going to grab Jacob from school on my way to the bank," Sookie's voice filtered through his car speakers, the sound of papers being shuffled around apparent in the background. "I whipped up some lasagna last night after Jacob went to bed, so I think the bread's all we need." Silence filled the car for a few moments, then Sookie let out an audible sigh. "I need to head out before the bank closes, but I just wanted to call to say I love you and can't wait to see you. Drive safe, Eric."
Eric opened his mouth to respond, but the call was dropped before he had the chance to. "I love you, too," he murmured, a little surprised by Sookie's words. While it was clear that they still felt the same about each other as they had when they were younger, neither had said those words yet this time around. He settled back into his seat as he took the exit for Bon Temps, smiling to himself as he pondered Sookie's words. A warmth spread through him as he replayed those three words in his mind, his smile permanently etched on his face by the time he pulled into the parking lot of the Piggly-Wiggly. Not even Maxine Fortenberry eventually tracking him down inside could take his good mood from him.
"You mind telling Hoyt next time you see him that his mama misses him?" Maxine asked as she wiped at her eyes, Eric barely able to keep from rolling his eyes as he grabbed a thing of Italian bread off the shelf. "I'm sure he knows, Mrs. Fortenberry," he replied evenly as he tossed the package into his hand-basket, moving towards the registers with Maxine in tow. In truth, Hoyt was enjoying his new-found independence from his mother. Things had gone so well with Jess over the summer that she had decided to transfer to LSU in Shreveport for her final year, prompting the young couple to get their own apartment together. Sookie had gotten quite the earful from the Fortenberry matriarch, Maxine firmly believing that Hoyt would never have moved out if Sookie hadn't brought Jess to town. "But I'll be sure to let him know when I see him next." Which would be that very evening when the couple stopped by for dinner, but Eric wasn't about to let Maxine know that. Lord knows, she'd drop by the house and never leave, if she found out her son was back in Bon Temps.
Maxine opened her mouth to say something else, but the sight of three police cars speeding past the front window of the Piggly-Wiggly had her shutting it just as quick. "Now what in tarnation would cause all of Bon Temps' finest to be out, do you wonder?" Eric shook his head as he emptied the contents of his basket onto the conveyor belt, giving Maudette Pickens a smile as she began to ring up his purchase. "Not a clue, Mrs. F. Now, if you don't mind…I've got the world's cutest blond, and his mother, waiting for me at home," he said with a warm smile as he paid for his order and grabbed his bag, giving the older woman a wave as he made his way towards the exit. Nothing was going to ruin Eric Northman's mood today.
Sookie let out a sigh as she continued to wait in the long line at the bank, shifting Jacob to her other hip when she felt him start to squirm a little. "Sorry, little man. Didn't realize everyone in Bon Temps would be doing their dang banking today," she grumbled under her breath, earning herself a glare from the older woman in front of her. Sookie bit her tongue as she in turn smiled sweetly at the woman, letting out another sigh as she subtly rested a hand on her stomach. At three months pregnant, she already had a bit of a baby bump showing up. Thankfully it was still warm enough out for flowy sun dresses, so those had become a staple in her wardrobe since the day she started showing a couple of weeks ago. How she'd managed to keep everything hidden from Eric so far, she'd never know.
Sookie had almost told Eric about her suspicions the day of Tara and Jason's wedding, but decided to wait until she'd gotten it confirmed by a doctor. For all she knew, it really could have been the flu or something…no use getting Eric's hopes up until she knew for sure. She'd quickly made an appointment with an OB/GYN in Monroe that next week, away from the prying eyes of Bon Temps. Even though she'd suspected it, having the doctor confirm that she truly was pregnant still shocked the hell out of her. She'd been a ball of nervous energy on the drive home that day, barely able to focus as she made dinner and got Jacob ready for bed. She'd gone to bed early herself that night, gently waking once Eric eventually slipped in next to her and pulled her close. She'd almost told him right there once his hand naturally came to rest on her stomach, but something that the doctor had told her nagged at the back of her mind. While she led a fairly clean and low-stress life, the fact that she'd had to have a C-section for Jacob meant that the chance of complications early on were high. Her doctor was hesitant to say that Sookie had nothing to worry about, since she was just barely over a month in, so they decided to err on the side of caution and not assume she was out of the woods until the end of the first trimester.
So Sookie had kept the pregnancy a secret from Eric, with Tara being the only other soul aware. The fact that they led such opposite schedules most days helped keep Eric in the dark about her morning sickness, though that symptom thankfully didn't last for too long. But now here she was, minutes away from three uninterrupted nights with him and Jacob. When Eric had told her that he'd asked Pam to cover at Fantasy so that he could have a few nights off, Sookie knew that weekend would be the perfect time to tell him.
"Now I just have to get through this dang line and actually get home sometime today," she grumbled to herself as she and Jacob shuffled forward, narrowing her eyes as the woman in front of her turned to glare once more. "For the love of all that's holy, Mrs. Norris, it's a million degrees in here! I've got a squirming child on my hip and another one that's causing my feet and back to ache like crazy. Forgive me if I'm not the happiest person right now!" she snapped out, instantly slapping a hand over her mouth once the words had come tumbling out. Why in the world wasn't she able to save anything for Eric to find out about first? She ran a hand through her hair in exasperation, pressing a kiss to Jacob's forehead before setting him down. "Cheese and rice. I'm sorry, Mrs. Norris. That was rude and completely uncalled for on my part," she started softly, wondering what she'd have to do in order to keep her from blabbing to any of the other DGD members at their meeting later that night. "Why don't you follow me back to the house for a nice glass of sweet tea once we finish up our business here?"
The sound of the door to the bank crashing open had everyone pausing in their actions, Sookie's blood running cold as she saw someone in a ski-mask standing in the entryway. She instinctively moved in front of Jacob, standing tall as she rested a hand on her stomach. She watched as the intruder took stock of the group that was in the bank, swallowing hard as he pulled a handgun out of their waistband. "This here is a stick up," the person said in the most stereotypical way, causing someone standing close to Sookie to snort.
"Sorry, Mack. Just forgot that Halloween was apparently coming early this year," a familiar voice said, causing Sookie to groan a little as she turned her head. "Really, Hoyt? Poking the bear, who has a gun, really isn't the best idea," she hissed out, her grip on Jacob tightening a little as she watched Mack shakily raise his weapon.
"Listen to the girl, Fortenberry, and get down on the ground," the now exposed Mack Rattray said as he pulled off his mask, though his voice was just as shaky as the hand that held his gun. "I really don't want to have to use this, but I will if you keep being stupid," he added, starting to move closer to the group that was near the end of the queue. "I don't want to hurt anyone, so just get on down and be quiet. Everyone!" he ordered as he slowly moved closer to the head of the line, his eyes flickering over the patrons as they began to move.
Sookie slowly got down on her knees, pulling Jacob into her arms and shielding him as best as she could. She was on the verge of tears at that moment, but knew that she needed to keep it together for Jacob. The chances of Mack Rattray even using that gun were slim, but she wasn't up for tempting fate. "God Damnit, Hoyt Fortenberry! You better get your ass on this floor within the next two seconds, or I'm gonna tell your mama how stupid you're being," she hissed out, reaching up to tug Hoyt down to their level. "I love you dearly, but that deranged idiot has a gun," she whispered, looking up every-so-often as she heard Mack barking orders at the girl behind the teller window.
"I doubt that fool even loaded the damn thing correctly. And, besides…this is Louisiana, Sookie," Hoyt started quietly as he reached behind himself, slowly bringing the hand that now held his own gun back into view. "Everyone has a gun," he finished as he slowly got to his feet, his eyes trained on Mack as sirens and slamming car doors could be heard outside.
Sookie pushed Jacob down on the ground as yelling started up, laying her body over his small one to shield him from any bullets that she feared might start flying. "It's going to be okay, baby," she murmured repeatedly as she heard her son start to cry, silently praying that her words didn't end up holding empty promises.
Eric's heart was nearly beating out of his chest by the time that he made it through the doors of the emergency room, barely able to stand on his shaky legs as he set his sights on the patient service rep that was behind the check-in desk. "My girlfriend and son were brought in by ambulance not too long ago. I need to get back there to see them," he demanded as he tried to catch his breath, the events of the past 30 minutes starting to catch up with him.
He'd been surprised when Jason's truck had pulled up to the house while he was starting to get dinner ready, knowing that their dinner plans that night had only involved Jess and Hoyt. The paleness of his friend's face as he spoke had caused Eric's blood to run cold, barely hearing Jason's yells as he ran out of the house and jumped into his car. He'd sped down the highway towards Shreveport far faster than he should have, but getting to Sookie and Jacob had been his only goal at that point.
"I'm sorry, sir, but visitors aren't being allowed in the trauma bays right now. We've got a situation back there and hospital policy says I can't allow anyone to go back there just yet," the young girl behind the desk informed Eric, the need to follow protocol trumping the panic that she could hear in his voice. "I'll be sure to let you know once you can go on back."
Eric opened his mouth to inform the girl just what he thought of the damn policy, but the sight of his father coming through the double doors caused him to change his path. "Dad! What's going on? All Jason could tell me was that there was an incident at the bank and that Sookie and Jacob were here. And now I'm being told that I can't go back there."
Godric smiled at the girl behind the desk, reaching over to grab a visitor pass before coming around to where Eric was. "It's okay, Amanda…I'll take him on back and keep a close eye on him," he told the girl, then wrapped an arm around Eric's shoulders and began to lead him in the direction of the trauma bays. "Sookie and Jacob are fine, Eric. There was an attempted robbery at the bank, and there were some injuries. But Sookie and Jacob are just fine, I promise," he stated as they stopped outside of one of the rooms, giving his son a small smile before he opened the door.
Sookie looked up from the book that she was reading with Jacob, her breath catching in her throat when she saw Eric standing there. "It's not as bad as it looks, I swear," she blurted out as she sat up quickly, wincing when the IV needle in her arm tugged at the skin a little. "It's just some fluids for possible dehydration," she added when she saw the look of apprehension on Eric's face, letting out a sigh when one of the monitors she was hooked up to begin to beep incessantly. "How about you go with Grandpa, baby. Maybe you guys can go find that ice cream machine in the cafeteria that Grandpa's been telling you about," she suggested as she laid the book down next to her, smiling as Jacob gave her a big hug before getting down from the bed.
Eric knelt down and pulled Jacob into his arms, holding him there for a few moments before letting him go. "Love you, little man," Eric murmured as he pressed a kiss to the top of his son's head, waiting until Jacob left the room with Godric before turning back towards Sookie. "How bad is 'it's not as bad as it looks'? Because this looks pretty bad to me, Sookie," he said as he gestured to all of the monitors that she was hooked up to, not waiting for her to answer before climbing into the bed next to her.
Sookie sighed as she curled up against Eric's body, a sense of calm washing over her as she buried her face against his chest. She soon launched into the tale of her afternoon at the bank, and of how Mack Rattray, Hoyt Fortenberry, and the entire Bon Temps Police Department had ended up exchanging gunfire. "Hoyt got hit in his arm, but they said that it's not life-threatening or anything. Hopefully Maxine doesn't find some way to blame Jess, since Hoyt was there to deposit a check for her," Sookie mentioned, then paused as she heard Eric sigh. There was no doubt that she was stalling telling him the reason for her hospital visit, but it truly was now or never. "I was walking out with Jacob, once everything died down, and twisted my damn ankle on a rock. The EMT's checked me out and said I was fine…but then Mrs. Norris had to go and say something about me possibly being pregnant. They insisted I come in for observation, after hearing that," she finally admitted in a jumble of words, feeling like she'd finally ripped off a two-month old Band-Aid. "I tried to call you…but your phone must've been dead, which is why we sent Jason to tell you."
Eric was silent for a few moments, trying to process Sookie's words. He looked around the room a little, his eyes settling on one of the monitors that was tracking Sookie's blood pressure and other vitals. "Why…why on earth would Mrs. Norris tell the EMT's that you might be pregnant?" he asked softly, his eyes watching one section of the monitor that seemed to be moving faster than the others.
Sookie's eyes followed Eric's, a small smile coming to her face as she recognized the section of the monitor that was for the fetal heartrate. "Because, in a moment of being tired and frustrated with the heat, I may have let it slip that I was," she whispered in reply, her eyes moving to focus on Eric's face. She saw the moment her words sunk in, his jaw slackening a little as he turned his head to look at her. She watched as he opened and closed his mouth a few times, tears coming to her eyes as she observed him struggling for something to say. "This wasn't how I wanted you to find out, Eric. I'm so sorry…I was going to tell you this weekend."
When Eric did nothing but rest his forehead against hers, Sookie continued with her nervous rambling. "I wanted to tell you as soon as I'd gotten it confirmed, but the doctor said there could be some complications since I'd had the C-section with Jacob. And I just didn't want to get your hopes up, if this pregnancy wasn't going to stick," she whispered, pulling back so that she could look at him more clearly. "I didn't want you to miss out on anything with this one, but I also didn't want to cause you anymore hurt that I already have. So I made the choice to wait until I got past the three-month mark before telling you."
Eric looked at Sookie through blurry eyes, barely able to keep his own tears from falling as he processed her words. "Three months, Sookie? How the hell can you be three months pregnant?" he asked in disbelief as he peeled back the hospital blanket, his eyes growing big as Sookie lifted her hospital gown and exposed her stomach. He could just barely make out the small curve of her growing baby bump, tentatively reaching out a hand to rest on it. "But that would mean…"
"That you have super-human sperm and we need to rethink our birth control options in the future?" Sookie finished with a small snort, resting her own hand atop the one on her stomach. "Believe me…the irony of me getting pregnant both of our 'first' times was not lost on me," she added with a shaky laugh, shifting a little as she began to grow uncomfortable with Eric's silence. "Talk to me…what are you thinking?" she finally asked after a few grueling moments, her eyes searching his face for some sort of clue into what he was feeling at that moment.
Eric let out a shaky laugh of his own as he rested his free hand on Sookie's cheek, dipping his head to press his lips to hers. His mind was spinning with the information that she'd just given him, but he honestly felt nothing but pure joy at her news. "I was thinking that it's a good thing I was already planning to bust this out this weekend…wouldn't want you thinking it's just because of this moment," he told her as he brought his hand down to reach into his pocket, a goofy grin on his face as he held up an emerald and diamond ring for her to see. "But, since it's been burning a hole in my pocket for four years now, this moment is just as good as tomorrow night."
It was Sookie's turn to be speechless for a few moments, her eyes flickering back and forth from Eric's face to the ring that he held. "What the hell is that, Eric Northman?" she asked shakily, her heart beating fast as she searched his face for answers. "I just told you that I'm pregnant, and that I've been keeping it a secret from you, and your response is to propose to me?" she hissed out in disbelief, unable to help the tears that began to fall.
Eric couldn't help but chuckle as he reached a hand up to brush away the tears from Sookie's cheeks, a warm smile coming to his face as he gazed down at her. "If I've learned anything these past four years, it's that you'll always do what's in the best interest for those that you love. I am a little upset that I've most likely missed a couple of appointments, but I know there will be more. And I know that we've just found each other again…but that doesn't change the fact that I am hopelessly in love with you, Sookie Stackhouse, and I have been since before I can remember," he murmured, taking her left hand in his. "Nothing would make me happier than to have the mother of my children also be my wife. So, what do you say, Sunshine…marry me?"
A/N: And that, with the exception of the pending epilogue, is the last chapter of this little journey! Sorry for leaving you guys hanging there, but I'm sure you have hunch as to which way her answer will go ;-) Thank you so much for reading, everyone! Until next time!
