Eric's eyes snapped open. He knew it was still day because the drapes in the room were still pulled tight along with the heavy blinds. He felt fear though in his gut along with worry. He knew that it was Sawyer who was scared and worried. He pushed himself out of the bed and made his way out of the room quickly. He felt blood begin to drip from his nose but he didn't care. He needed to make sure that Sawyer was all right. He worried that she might have had another vision that scared her.
Eric walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. He saw the curtains pulled and he walked into the kitchen. He heard Sawyer's breathing and walked around the island over to the breakfast nook. He stopped when he saw Sawyer sitting on the floor her eyes squeezed shut tears rolling down her cheeks. He walked over to her and kneeled beside her.
"Vacker? Love?" he asked softly.
Sawyer opened her eyes and looked at him, "I think I went into labour," she said softly.
Eric took her hand and held it tight. He then placed his hand on her stomach, "It will be all right. We will call Sam and he will take you to the hospital. I will call the school and then go and -," he started.
"Eric, you can't go anywhere! It's daytime!"
"Shh," He soothed his wife, "I will find a way to get the children. You just think about our Sahara. Focus on that."
He felt Sawyer squeeze his hand, "Eric, I am so scared."
Eric hated hearing the fear in her voice. He leaned in and wrapped his arms around her. He held her tight against him. "I know but you don't have to be. Everything is going to be different this time. You will be giving birth in a hospital and Sahara is further along than the twins were. It is going to be different and safer."
Eric felt Sawyer nod against his chest. He gave her another squeeze before letting her go and using his vampire speed to go and get the phone. He dialed Sam's number and was back beside Sawyer holding her again within mere seconds. He found himself muttering long forgotten prayers to his old gods. He knew that he had promised Sawyer everything would be all right but he knew that he could not control that. Odin and the other gods could. Part of him though still held on tight to the words of Sawyer's doctor telling them that everything would be all right. Eric had to believe that. Praying to his old gods could help but ultimately he convinced himself it was just a precaution. Sawyer and Sahara would both be all right. This delivery would not turn out like the twins' delivery had. Eric would not let that happen.
Sawyer held Sam's hand and cursed. She felt the contraction rip across her lower belly and back. She took a long deep breath and squeezed Sam's hand. She lay back down on the hospital bed when the contraction past. She glanced at the clock and cursed. The sun wouldn't set for another four hours. She turned and looked at Sam. He was rubbing his hand.
"Come on, I didn't squeeze it that hard," she told him smacking him on the arm.
"Ah, yeah you did. I think you might have broken bones."
Sawyer rolled her eyes. She pushed herself up and sat in the bed. She raked a hand through her hair and gave Sam a smile, "You don't have to stay if you don't want to," she told him.
Sam gave her an 'are you kidding me look?' "Sawyer, I want to stay with you. But even if I didn't, I am not stupid enough to leave and have Eric come after me and kill me."
Sawyer smacked him again, "That is not funny."
"I didn't say it to be funny. It's the truth."
Sawyer sighed and took Sam's hand again. She held it tight and looked into his eyes, "I wouldn't let Eric kill you and you know that."
She watched as Sam met her eyes and gave her another look, "Is there something more going on here? You seem eerily calm about the subject of Eric killing people, which has to be a first."
"Eric and I have talked about it. He realizes that he can't just kill anyone that he thinks is a threat to our family."
Sawyer saw Sam nod, "Okay that makes sense," he then paused, "I give him two days."
"Sam," she smacked him again.
"Ow, you are very violent. You have been married to Eric for too long."
Sawyer rolled her eyes. She got revenge though when she felt another contraction coming and she held Sam's hand tight in hers and squeezed turning it around. She smiled slightly in satisfaction when she heard him groan and curse under his breath in pain. She couldn't help but glance at the clock. She didn't want Eric to miss the birth of his child. She was worried that he would considering how close the contractions were getting to each other.
Eric held the hands of the twins as he walked into the hospital. Both Aleryck and Ardith couldn't stop talking about how Daddy had actually flown. He smiled when he heard Aleryck say that he was like Superman. He walked in front of the elevators and pressed the button. He turned and smiled when he sensed Pam close behind him.
"Nice of you to join us," he said softly.
She gave him a look, "You know, not all of us have the luxury of flight," she answered.
"Daddy's Superman," Aleryck told her.
Eric smirked at the look Pam sent his way. The elevator doors opened and the four of them stepped on. Eric pressed the button for the maternity ward and watched as the doors to the elevator closed. He was excited just thinking about his daughter. He couldn't wait to hold her for the first time and look at her little face.
"You father is not Superman. Superman was an alien. Unfortunately, Eric was... Is... Had been... Human," Pam said making a face trying to think about how to explain it to the twins.
"Then how can he fly if he isn't Superman?" Ardith asked.
"Yes, Pam, how can I fly if I am not Superman?" Eric asked looking at Pam innocently.
Pam was saved from answering when the doors to the elevator opened again. Eric, Pam and the twins stepped off. Eric turned to walk down the hall towards Sawyer's room. He stopped when he saw Sawyer walking with Sam. He frowned when he saw the way that Sam's arms were wrapped around his wife. He turned and looked at Pam when she nudged him.
"Don't," was all she said.
"Mommy!" the twins yelled running over to her.
Eric walked over to her as well. He wrapped his arm around her and watched as Sam stepped back. He held Sawyer close and tried not to glare at Sam.
"So, are you as excited about meeting your baby sister as I am?" Sawyer asked the twins.
"Yeah!" both twins yelled.
"I know you two just got here, but how about Pam and I bring you downstairs to the gift shop so you can get some snacks and stuff? Your little sister is taking her sweet old time getting here," Sam explained.
"Why do I have to go?" Pam demanded.
"Because you have the money," Sam answered glaring at her.
"All right, everyone back to their corners," Sawyer said. She leaned down slightly and looked at the twins, "Make sure Sam and Pam play nice."
"Okay, Mommy."
Eric had stayed silent during the exchange. He was slightly worried about what Sam could have meant by Sahara taking her time to get there. He kissed Sawyer on the head and watched as Sam and Pam lead the twins away. He felt Sawyer wrap her arm around him.
"What did Sam mean?" he asked.
"I am not dilated as much as the doctor would like. That's why I am walking around. The contractions are still getting closer and closer but everything else has seemed to have stalled," Sawyer explained.
Eric nodded. He held her as she began to continue down the hall. "I will stay with you as long as it takes."
He felt Sawyer take his hand, "Eric, I want you with me but if this continues into the daylight tomorrow, I don't want you to get the bleeds because of me."
"I am going to stay. It is not every day that a vampire gets to see the birth of the child they waited a millennia for."
Eric stopped when Sawyer stopped. He looked at her as she turned her face towards his. He leaned down and kissed her. "I love you," she whispered against his lips.
"I love you as well," he answered. He kissed her softly on the lips then nose. He would stay by her side as long as it took. He wanted to be there for the birth of his daughter.
Sawyer grabbed Eric's hand and groaned as she sat up and pushed. She felt Eric's cool hand on the back of her neck and his soft words of encouragement. She squeezed his hand tight and pushed as hard as she could. She fell back on the bed when the contraction past. She looked at Eric and saw the smile on his face.
"One more push, Sawyer and your baby girl will be here," the doctor said.
Sawyer smiled at Eric, "Sahara is almost here," she said.
"That she is. You are doing so well," Eric told her gently brushing her sweat soaked hair from her face.
Sawyer nodded. She felt another contraction and sat up again. She pushed. She smiled when she heard a baby crying. She watched as the doctor handed Sahara off to the nurse. Sawyer fell back on the bed and turned to look at Eric. She watched as he kept his eyes on their daughter. She saw the blood tears roll down his cheeks. She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. She watched as he turned and looked at her.
"Go see your daughter," she told him.
She saw Eric nod. She watched as he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, "I don't know how to thank you," he whispered.
"Just love us, Eric. Love me and the children. That is all the thanks I need."
Sawyer watched as Eric walked over to where the nurse was cleaning Sahara. She smiled as the nurse handed the tiny pink bundle to him. She saw how gently Eric was; hell, he was being even more careful with Sahara then she ever remembered him being with the twins. She watched as he held their little baby daughter close and began to sing to her softly in Swedish. Sawyer closed her eyes a smile on her face. The delivery had been long and hard but it had been less stressful then her first one. She opened her eyes and watched Eric with Sahara more. The end result was definitely worth it.
Eric looked down at Sahara as the baby slept in his arms. He turned and saw Sawyer sleeping in the bed beside him. Dawn had come and gone but he refused to leave his wife and baby alone. He wanted to spend Sahara's first day on earth with her. Even if that did mean that he got the bleeds.
"Tonight, little one, you will meet everyone else that is important to your mother and I. You barely got to meet Pam before she had to take your brother and sister home for the night, so you will be spending more time with her. Then there's your brother, Aleryck and your sister Ardith. They are two wonderful children and will be great older siblings for you. You will also meet Sam. He's... Well, he is more your mother's friend. He's also a shapeshifter but you don't need to worry about that now," he whispered to her rocking her in the chair.
"Eric, let her be," he heard Sawyer whisper.
He looked over and saw his wife watching him her eyes open and a smile on her face. "I just wanted to warn her about the rest of her family."
"Uh huh. She should be sleeping in the bassinet."
Eric turned and looked at glass crib. He then turned and looked back at Sawyer, "I want to hold her. I... I just need to hold her."
He saw the smile on Sawyer's face widen, "All right, you hold her. I know you waited a millennia for her, but try not to give in so easily. I mean I can see it now. She'll be sixteen wanting a car and when you say no, her response will be 'But Dadddyyyy, you waited a millennia for me. I'm your baby girl, remember?'"
Eric laughed softly, "I will remember that." He looked down at Sahara and took her little hand in his, "It is just so hard to believe that she is actually here. Proof that I was human."
"I know. I can't wait to get her home and get her settled in. It will be nice to focus on something normal like us being a family."
Eric nodded, "Yes, it will be."