Okay guys this is it for this story.
I want to thank all of my Thou Art to Me a Delicious Torment and A Loving Peace readers. It has been a long journey for Sookie and Eric and their little family and it's time (IMO) to let them grow on their own in your imaginations.
I have loved writing this story for those of you who stuck with me through it all (especially all the writer's blocks and RL moments that came up). It means the world to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you! No author on this website can say it enough to their readers, and I am no exception.
I also want to assure all of you who has added me to their author alert that as I watch TB Season 5 I am cooking up new ideas in my mind every day, so keep a look out for any new stuff from me. It will be interesting to see how this season will end. I have to admit I am a little disappointed because there isn't much love connection between my fav couple this season AND I hate this whole bromance thing between Bill and Eric. Woof! What are all your thoughts?
Okay, well enough jibberjabber from me! The last and final chapter awaits! Let me know what y'all think!
A Loving Peace
Chapter 10: Epilogue
-Two Weeks Later-
Sookie
Sookie was confined to bed rest, which would have been terrible if Sookie wasn't sleeping most of the time anyway. Ludwig said Sookie was sleeping so much because her body was struggling to keep up with the growing twins inside of her body. Her body was trying to prepare for labor, which usually had nine months to prepare instead of this limited time frame. Ludwig thought Sookie might only have half of that time, maybe a bit more if they were lucky.
Like the other two pregnancies, Eric became more and more neurotic the further she got into her pregnancy. Sookie urged him to go to Fangtasia and manage the bar and the vampires in his area, but he once again took a temporary leave until the twins were born, watching Sookie's every step and only going into rest when he knew Sookie would sleep. Lily and Godric were excited about the new babies, often fighting with one another about what they were going to name their siblings.
Sookie found she was going through her 'stages' like she had with the other pregnancies. Thank God Godric and Lily were in school most of the day because the hormones caused Sookie to be restless when it came to making love to her Viking for weeks during that particular phase. Isabelle and Pam had also had slumber parties at the state palace to help them through the phase. Sookie definitely hadn't minded having Eric underfoot then. And it gave him the opportunity to feel like he was doing something for her, even though he made sure she never lifted a finger for anything with all the extra help around.
Eric had flown Agda, Elin, and Adolph in from Sweden and also hired Lafayette to come in and work with Elin to incorporate the Southern cooking into the menu. Sookie was ecstatic. She had missed the Swedish dishes almost as much as the staff from Sweden and Lafayette's cooking was almost as good as her Gran's. Almost. Sookie was being completely spoiled.
During her "nesting" phase as Eric called it, she was a pain in Agda's ass. She would go over every spotless corner of the house and try to clean it or reorganize, then found that Agda's way was always better and had to change it back. She would wail and Agda was so patient, telling her it was the hormones and that the phase would pass. Sookie knew it would, but her hormones were messing with her.
Sookie's back ached with the weight of the twins and Ludwig had been debating whether or not she should be on bed rest for some time. One day she had gone out shopping and had spotting when she returned later that day. That was when Ludwig finally made the decision to put her on bed rest. Eric had been beside himself and hadn't slept for four days, constantly making sure she didn't leave the bed unless it was to go to the restroom or bathe.
Sookie rolled to her side facing her resting husband and ran her fingers through his hair. She smiled as she caught his lips briefly twitch on one corner before going back to normal.
She was getting restless in this bed, and Eric would be livid if she left it, especially when he wasn't awake. But she needed to get up and move. Her body told her so.
Sookie stretched her legs and threw her legs over the side of the bed. She slowly walked to Jason's room, who had also moved in during the pregnancy to make sure Sookie had all the help she needed during the day. She knocked and he answered almost immediately, alarm painting his features.
"Sookie? Is it time? Should I call Ludwig? Where is Er-"
"Jason! Shut up before you wake him. I need to walk around a little bit and I need you to walk with me. Eric needs to get some kind of rest or he will just get weaker and weaker. My body is just…anxious from lying in that bed all the time. I need movement. Will you help me?" she asked.
He looked wary, but eventually nodded and sighed when she gave him that look.
"Sook, are you sure we should be doin' this?" he asked as she headed toward the stairs with his arms protectively gripping hers. She nodded and said, "Oh Jase, stop bein' such a sissy!"
She made her way down the stairs with Jason holding a great deal of her weight as he walked backward down the stairs in front of her, their arms firmly and squarely grasping each other's.
Sookie groaned and said, "Oh that feels good," she said happily as she reached the bottom step, her legs finally feeling like they were getting a good stretch. Jason walked her around the living room and then the dining room. Slowly at first, but a more clipped pace as Sookie got used to her legs again. Sookie was smiling and chatting with Jason. They talked about Pam and Isabelle's upcoming bonding ceremony. He had also chatted about Bon Temps gossip, which she loved hearing. Jason was always been good about using chit chat and small conversation to make her feel like she was in the loop and not some fat pariah stuck on her back in bed.
As they circled the dining room table the third time around, she felt it. Her water. It broke on the rug and spilled down her legs. She froze and Jason asked, "Do you need a break?"
"Uh, yeah. I think I do," Sookie responded in a shaky voice, her mind going a million miles a minute. They had never prepared for her water to break before Ludwig could induce her for the C-section. The babies moved inside of her and she touched her hand to her belly as if steadying them under her hand, which immediately freaked Jason out.
"What? What is it? Are they movin'?" he asked, his tone calm but slightly nervous.
"Yes…because I happen to be in labor," she said in a calm voice as she sat on a dining room chair.
Jason looked at her in confusion then to the rug and gasped.
"Don't panic. I am fine," she said as she took a deep breath.
He nodded, but his wide terror-filled eyes and thoughts about boiling water and scissors weren't reassuring Sookie that he wasn't panicking.
"Jase? Jason, I need you to focus. I need you to go get Eric up. Then I need you to call Patty and tell her my water broke. Can you do that?" she asked in a soothing tone.
He nodded mutely and began sprinting around the dining room table. He looked back as if he was afraid to leave her alone. She waved him and said, "Just get Eric and call Patty. I will be fine."
He nodded and took off again screaming Eric's name as he went.
Eric was before her in a heartbeat and kneeling in front of her, worry and concern on his face. "Are you okay?" he asked in a demanding voice.
She nodded. "Yes, no contractions yet, but the babies are jumpin' around in my stomach."
He nodded and said, "Okay, Jason just got off the phone with Ludwig. Let's go to the bedroom. I am going to carry you, alright?" he asked as he tentatively put his arms around his wife and lifted her. She nodded and he flew up the stairs, which prevented any jostling.
In their room there was a small seating area that had been transformed into a makeshift operating area for Ludwig with bright lights, a gurney, machines that could and would be set up to Sookie, and supplies that Sookie would not even let herself look at, knowing they would freak her out.
Eric set her on the gurney and said, "I will get you a pillow. Do you need anything else right now?"
"A warm cloth to clean myself up a bit from the water breaking and the surgical gown Patty brought over. Then I need you by my side, because I am freakin' terrified," she said.
He nodded and rushed back with the items she had requested. He cleaned her up and then unfolded the gown, and Sookie noticed something sparkling from it as it caught the bright lights. Then she realized it was the gown catching the light.
"Did…Did Pam bedazzle my gown?" she asked in an amused tone, a laugh on her lips.
Eric studied it and said, "It appears so my love, she has done this with many of my black tank tops."
Sookie did laugh and lifted her arms so Eric could slip it on her easily.
"Good, you have gotten started," Ludwig said as she popped right into the little area, her medicine bag in hand and walking right towards Sookie.
When she got close to Sookie, Sookie broke down and lost it. "The water broke. Will they be okay?" she asked, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. Eric stroked her cheek and gripped her hand nervously as he looked to the little doctor.
"No need to fear dearie. I am going to check you and then we will make a plan. You stay calm for me, okay?" she said as she moved to her bag and grabbed her stethoscope and some gloves out.
Sookie nodded and turned her head towards Eric who was looking down at her with adoration and love on his face. "I love you," he mouthed to her as Ludwig fluttered around her. She smiled up at him and kissed than hand she was holding.
"I love you," she whispered back.
He smiled and nodded and ran his fingers through her hair.
-Two Hours Later-
Eric
Eric held Langston Earl Northman in his arms. His father's name had been Lang, so Sookie had suggested Langston Earl Stackhouse. Eric loved the name and loved their new son, who was crying out for his sibling in his arms.
-Two Minutes Later-
After Sookie gave birth to their third son Eirik PJ Northman II, Ludwig instructed Eric to heal Sookie's wounds and then feed her as much blood as he could. He handed the wailing newborns to the small doctor who was waiting to do the post birth exam as Eric tended to his wife, who was anxious and waiting to see their sons.
Eric quickly bit into his palm and rubbed his blood over the incision Ludwig had created for the birth, it healed with a few swipes across her skin and he quickly moved up and cradled Sookie in his arms and bit into his wrist. Sookie opened her mouth, the rest of her body completely numb, and Eric held his wrist to her mouth and fed her stroking her hair and kissing her forehead as he did so.
Sookie's eyes were on Ludwig like a hawk as she drank, occasionally trying to push away from Eric's wrist to check on her children.
"Sookie, I need you to drink. The boys are fine and we will have them any moment. Please, Sookie," he pleaded as she reluctantly sucked on his wrist some more. He was going to give her every drop that he could spare.
Sookie sucked and sucked, and Eric watched Ludwig with their children as she cleaned them and swaddled them into blankets. She led Langston over first and placed him in Eric's spare arm securely.
Sookie started crying as she drank and gurgled against his wrist. She looked with pleading eyes and he said, "You are almost done."
"That should be fine vampire," Ludwig said over her shoulder as she washed and wrapped Eirik. Eric reluctantly pulled his wrist away and asked, "Sookie, do you feel okay?" he asked her.
She nodded, her eyes still focused on Langston and sat up straighter, holding her arms out for him. Eric guided their son into her arms, reinforcing her still jittery muscles with his own. She choked up and smiled down into his face as tears streamed her cheeks. "Hi baby boy. I am your momma."
Eric kissed the top of her head and inhaled her scent as he ran his hand over his son's silky hair, his eyes still focused on Ludwig and Eirik. Ludwig turned to Sookie and Eric, and smiled as she handed over their third son to Eric. Eric felt bloody tears of his own course down his cheeks.
"Vackert (beautiful)," he whispered as he looked between his sons and Sookie. Ludwig was busy at work cleaning up the room.
"I will go and grab Pamela and Jason," she said, hauling a biohazard bag out with her into the hall.
Pam appeared almost instantaneously, excitement painted over her features. She looked between Eric and Sookie and said, "Is everyone safe?" she asked as she inched nearer to Eric, who was fighting his impulse to snarl at her to back off of the weak new mother and babies.
Even though they both trusted Pam and Jason with their children's lives, their parental urges sometimes took over and they reacted harshly to what they perceived as aggressive moves. Jason appeared in the door, holding Godric and Lily's hands as he led them in the room to see their new brothers.
At the sight of his children, Eric said, "Sookie is well and so are our sons, Langston Earl and Eirik PJ Northman. You may approach but slowly. I won't have Sookie feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable."
Pam and Jason both had experienced the parents like this before, and while Jason gave plenty of space to the wary, overprotective parents, Pam always toed the line, practically bouncing and begging to see the new additions to their family.
Sookie beckoned to Godric and Lily, who ran to the small gurney bed and pounced on it embracing their mother. "Momma, this is my brother?" Lily asked as she pointed to Langston.
"Yes, honey. Langston is your brother and your daddy has your other brother Eirik. You need to help me take real good care of them. Do you promise?" Sookie said as she kissed Lily's forehead and twirled one of her fingers in her pigtail.
"Okay, mommy. I will be a good big sister," she said as she touched the baby's head. "She's so soft!" she squealed.
"She feels exactly like you felt as a baby," Sookie explained with a chuckle.
Pam walked up behind Lily and picked her up off the bed and said, "My Lily, you were even softer than that. You will be the best big sister. And Godric will be the best big brother."
Godric was looking at Sookie and the babies, and Eric could tell he was going to have questions later. They could wait until later though. He pulled Godric into his side and kissed his head and asked, "Godric, would you like to hold your brother Eirik?"
He looked up in surprise at Eirik and said, "Really? You think I can?"
"I know you can. You are already the best brother in the world and I want you to show Lily how to hold a baby right. Open up your arms, son."
Godric held open his arms and Eric carefully deposited little Eirik into them, making sure he had a firm hold on him and supported the baby's head.
"Can I hold one?" Lily asked.
"Not yet honey," Sookie said as she watched Godric hold her newborn. "You can once your baby brothers get a little bigger.
Pam asked, "The names? How did you decide?"
"Lang was my father and Earl was Sookie's grandfather," Eric explained.
"And Eirik, was obviously after Eric and PJ. is for Pam and Jason," Sookie explained. She then added, "We had planned to name one of them Pamela if it had been a girl, but instead decided that P will have to suffice so the J came with it naturally. The kid never would have lived it down if his middle name was Pamela and Jason sounded weird on it's own. This way all the people I love are memorialized in one name."
Pam looked in shock, her eyes bouncing between Sookie and Eric.
"You… named him after me?" she asked, her voice stiff.
"Well and me, his father and Jason as well," Eric said with his signature smirk and a chuckle from both him and Sookie and a guffaw from Jason.
Pam waved him off and went to Sookie and kissed her on the cheek and whispered, "Thank you Sookie."
Sookie pulled back and said, "No Pam, thank you for lovin' and acceptin' our kids. And me."
She nodded and turned to Eric and embraced him. He kissed her forehead and said, "I am proud of you child. Every day."
"Thank you Sook, I love you and all your babies. Gran and Momma and Daddy would be real proud and happy," Jason said as he carefully came towards the bed and peck Sookie on the cheek.
Pam said, "Now can I hold one of them please? Am I big enough yet?" she teased as she fought her tears.
Sookie chuckled and nodded and Pam stepped forward and took Langston in her slender but lethal arms. "Oh the ways I will spoil you," she cooed to the baby.
They all laughed and Jason finally said, "Can I hold one of my new nephews?"
Eric transferred Eirik from Godric to Jason when Patty came in and said, "Move away from the little girl. She needs to be looked after."
Everybody but Eric moved away from the bed, and when Ludwig eyed him, Eric scooted away but still held her hand as he stood next to her.
"How are you feelin' honey?" Dr. Ludwig asked as she began her examination, prodding certain places on Sookie and listening through her stethoscope.
"Actually pretty good. My body feels kind of tingly," Sookie observed.
"It's the anesthesia wearing off dear. The vampire blood is already working on getting you back to normal," Ludwig said as she took her pulse and shoved a thermometer in her mouth.
"Is she okay?" Eric asked anxiously.
The doctor took a few more reading from Sookie's body at what Eric though must be an intentionally slow pace.
"Yes, in fact, I wish that all my deliveries this complex went this smoothly. It looks like she is healed. She will need rest for a few days and so will the babies, but that's obvious. You will need lots of iron, honey. Get those chefs your vampire here has hired to cook you up some steaks," as she put her stethoscope away and packed up the rest of her things.
Ludwig came over and embraced Sookie, "Congratulations dear Sookie. I will come by tomorrow to check on you and the boys."
Sookie smiled and said, "Thank you Patty. Will you stay for lunch tomorrow?"
She smiled and nodded and was about to pop away, but Eric stopped her. "Thank you. For my wife and all of my children. Thank you very much Patricia."
Ludwig simply smiled and said, "Anytime, vampire," and then she popped right out of the room. Eric took Sookie in his arms and carried her to their bed and instructed Pam who had switched babies in the time it took for Sookie's checkups, to call someone to get the room back in order. Then he said, "I also believe you have some new shopping to do for our boys."
Pam beamed and handed Sookie Eirik and held her hand out for her baby, the American Express Black Credit Card. Eric slipped it in her hand and chuckled as she raced out.
Sookie's eyes were drooping slowly as she stared into the face of one of the twins and she said, "They are identical. Well, I think. Patty has them so tightly wrapped I can't inspect below the neck."
"Pervert. I should call CPS about you trying to ogle our babies," Eric teased as he lifted Eirik out of Sookie's hands and then beckoned Jason over. Sookie laid down and watched with hooded eyes as Eric rocked the baby. Jason brought the fussing Langston over to Eric and offered him in his other arm and he immediately quieted when he felt his brother near him.
Sookie smiled at the sight and said, "I need to sleep now."
And she fell asleep. Eric briefly worried he wouldn't be able to monitor any changes in her. But he trusted that Ludwig and his blood was keeping her safe and healthy as she fell asleep.
Lily and eventually Godric came and snuggled up on the bed on either side of Sookie and quickly fell asleep. With his entire family so close to him, he was blissfully happy. He settled his back against the headboard and looked over his family as they slept. Eric hadn't even noticed when Jason left, but didn't care. Right now was his time with his family. He would remember this night for the rest of his life. When it couldn't get any better, a night like this happened. A night so full of wonder, magic, and love that it didn't seem real. But it was. Eric was living in a dream. A dream that didn't end.
He remembered when Sookie had first returned from Fae. It had been almost twelve years. It didn't seem possible to Eric that only that much time had gone by. They had struggled in the beginning, fighting themselves and fighting each other. Now they fought for each other and for their family. They fought together against anyone who threatened the safety and happiness of their family. He was so grateful for how his 1,000 years of life had turned out. And Sookie was the reason for it all.
Sookie. He looked down to his beloved wife and then back to his sleeping sons. They had been very prepared, at Sookie's insistence, about having everything ready for when the babies came. The bassinette was even in their room and Eric slowly lowered his sons into their bed where they would sleep until Sookie and Eric felt it was safe for them.
He pulled the bassinette close to the bed so he could easily touch them and then snuggled down into the bed next to Godric, wrapping and arm around him and one hand resting on the bassinette, rocking it gently as he rested with his family.
It was such a happy and peaceful moment. He had so much love in his heart. He wanted it to go on forever, which it could. Eric vowed then that it would. Somehow it would. With Sookie by his side and fighting for the same thing, he knew that the loving peace created by their family in this moment would last forever. Eric was easily able to fall into rest with that in mind.
Thanks again, everybody! I appreciate your readership from the bottom of my heart! Please review one last time!