Okay so here it finally is. The chapter I have been dreading since I started this fiction. THE BIRTH! Which I have tried to make as realistic as possible

I've done quite a lot of research on labour and watched a few videos (and am now terrified to give birth myself) but since I've never myself experienced any kind of labour I can't claim this to be accurate but I try.

Also because this is fiction and it has to be interesting I've also taken some liberties with the birth, such as the twins positions being perfect for labour and that there won't be any complications.

I have also chosen to not give Sherlock any strong pain medications because when a woman is given an epidural, which is one of the most common pain medications when going through labour, the labour is more or less painless and very undramatic. Which is excellent in real life, but not in fictions. I have Sherlock's earlier drug use as an excuse for not using epidural but that is unfortunately the only excuse except it gets more exciting without that I can give for Sherlock not having strong medications.

I also haven't told you this in the earlier chapters because I thought you couldn't tell but apparently you can so I'm telling you now. The twins are identical twins. I don't know how one can tell this but in one of the videos I watched the woman said that her twins were identical so apparently you can tell before birth.

Okay enough with the theory part. Let's get Sherlock into labour.

Lestrade stood awkwardly in the doorway, watching as John rushed around the flat. Sherlock, who was the size of a planet in Lestrade's eyes, sat on the couch, sipping tea and chatting with Mrs Hudson.

"Sherlock! Where are the case files? I swear I saw them yesterday." John called from their bedroom.

"On Sherlock's desk, next to his encyclopedias dearie." Mrs Hudson informed him and then turned her head towards Lestrade.

"Thanks Mrs Hudson."

"And who is this dashing young man?" She elbowed Sherlock slightly in the side and Lestrade felt a blush creeping up his cheek. He felt like a teenager being inspected by the family as he waited for his date to get ready.

"Detective Inspector Lestrade, Idiot and Scotland Yard's best detective. After me of course." Sherlock replied with a jerk of his head in Lestrade's direction.

"Pleasure." Lestrade walked into the flat and shook Mrs Hudson. He considered glaring at Sherlock for his comment but still wasn't sure whether it was a compliment or an insult so he decided against.

"Mrs Hudson. I'm the landlady." She grabbed hold of Lestrade's offered hand with both of hers and shook it like one would shake a dice. She reminded Lestrade quite a lot of his own grandmother, bless her soul.

John returned from the bedroom, casefiles tucked under his arm and a blue duffle bag hanging from one shoulder.

"Here you go. Sherlock has read through them as you asked." He said and handed Lestrade the files. "I hope there won't be any more troublesome cases for the next couple of months. We all need some time off." He continued with a pointed voice, giving Lestrade a meaningful look that made Lestrade wish he would never anger John, ever.

He nodded and John turned to place the duffle bag by the door.

"Going away?" He asked and when John frowned he gestured towards the bag.

"Oh! No, that the labour kit. Had it prepared for a while but it felt safe to have it by the door, you know."

"Okay." The two stood in awkward silence for a minute, listening to Mrs Hudson chatting away.

"So when is he due, a week or-"

"Nine days." John cut him off. "But twins are usually early so we're planning ahead."

"Okay...Well I'll better be off then." Lestrade turned around to leave when Mrs Hudson spoke up.

"Why don't you stay for a cuppa. There's biscuits, unless Sherlock's eaten them all."

Lestrade turned around and looked at John for an answer.

"Yeah, sure sure. I'll just fetch a cup." He rushed away into the kitchen and Lestrade shrugged off his coat and sat down in one of the armchairs. John soon returned with a cup and sat down opposite Lestrade, listening in on whatever subject Mrs Hudson was talking about at the moment.

After ten minutes Sherlock suddenly grunted, his hand moving to press on the underside of his belly. He soon relaxed though and straightened up again, flashing them all an apologetic smile.

"Are you alright?" John asked already half way up his chair, his eyes darting between Sherlock and the front door.

"Yeah. Braxton Hicks. Nothing to worry about." He waved a dismissive hand and sipped his tea.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

John sat back down in his chair but still remain rigid. Lestrade looked between the two, confused.

"Braxton Hicks?" He asked and John's eyes snapped away from Sherlock to look at him.

"Oh they're these awful cramps you get when you're pregnant. Sherlock's had them for a while, had a little fright the first time he felt them, but I told him. Take a walk or a warm bath and you will be alright. You see when I was pregnant with Emma, my daughter, I thought I was going into labour and Gerald, my late husband, and I took the car and drove for an hour so to the hospital at two in the morning only to be told that there was nothing to worry about." Mrs Hudson chuckled and patted Sherlock on his leg before leaning back, lost in memories.

Lestrade shot John a questioning look and he responded with a nod, mouthing she does that at him.

Another quarter of tea drinking and story telling passed and Lestrade began to feel really comfortable -Sherlock wasn't half as annoying as when he's at crime scenes and Lestrade felt that he might have been a bit harsh on why John actually stayed with Sherlock, the man wasn't half bad- when Sherlock for the second time during Lestrade's visit grimaced and held his belly.

"Sherlock, are you-"

"I'm fine John."

"You know that if you're really going into labour we should-"

"It is only Braxton Hicks John. They are no worse than those yesterday or the day before that."

"Okay, I'm just making sure."

"Leave him dear." Mrs Hudson place a hand on John's and looked him deeply in the eyes. "If he goes into labour we will know and there will be plenty of time to get him to the hospital. It's not like in the movies where the water breaks and you give birth five minutes later, it doesn't work like that." She spoke with a calm and controlled voice, sounding very different from her usual rambling self.

John nodded and the conversation continued, somewhat strained in the first minutes. Lestrade began to suspect that this conversation was one that had taken place quite often before today.

When Sherlock groaned once again after only ten minutes, and this time it sounded a bit more painful than the previous times, John set down his cup with a clink.

"Okay. I'm taking you to the hospital." He said, stood up and began to clear away the tea.

"No. I'm fine."

"The cramps have been getting closer and this last one sounded like it was stronger, you are clearly going into labour." He pointed at Sherlock who gave him a death glare back.

"No. It is only Braxton Hicks contractions." Sherlock spoke slowly, as if John was too stupid to understand him otherwise.

"I am the doctor in this family and I say you're going into labour."

"And I am the pregnant one in this family and I say it's only Braxton Hicks." Had he been able to Sherlock would surely have stood up and towered over John but as it was he could only glare daggers at John. Not that it would have made any different for Lestrade if he received that look from a Sherlock glaring up at him or down on him, he would have been terrified either way.

"Maybe I should leave." He said and began rising. However, A look from John stopped him and he sat down again.

"Sherlock." John began in a calm voice.

"John." Sherlock answered, equally calm and the stare down continued.

Suddenly Sherlock's eyes widened and a shudder went through his body. He looked down towards his crotch and then back up, and then back down again, and back up. John's angry expression had now changed to a worried one.

"Sherlock?" He asked, voice filled with concern.

"I've changed my mind." The words flew so fast out of Sherlock's mouth that Lestrade had trouble hearing what had actually been said.

"What?" Now it was John's turn to widen his eyes.

"I've changed my mind. I want to go to the hospital."

"Why?"

"Water broke."

"Oh...okay."

The paired continued to stare at eachother, apparently unable to act. Lestrade's eyes darted between John and Sherlock, trying to act himself. What was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to do something? Why wasn't anyone doing anything?

"Well then chop chop boy." Mrs Hudson suddenly said, sounding a bit panicked, and clasped her hand together.

The next few minutes was a chaos of people rushing everywhere, mostly John, people fussing over Sherlock, mostly John here aswell but Mrs Hudson gave him a fair match, Lestrade trying to make himself useful somehow, not very successfully, and Sherlock trying to get out of the couch.

Eventually John had gathered everything he thought he needed and some more, Sherlock had been helped out of the couch, Mrs Hudson had hugged them all and Lestrade had found something he could do, drive the pair to the hospital.

When they had arrived at the hospital and explained the situation Sherlock had been taken to a doctor where they had first checked how dilated he was and then proceeded to give him an ultrasound to see how the twins positions were and whether a c-section was necessary or not. Apparently Sherlock was lucky, or that depends on how one wants to give birth but John counted it as lucky, and the twins were both in a good position and Sherlock should be able to give birth without complications.

Because that both his water had broken and that he was dilated around 3 cm, and had therefore entered what the doctors called 'the active phase', Sherlock was assigned a room where he could wait until he was fully dilated. Their chosen doctor, Thomas Markson who had been with them during the whole pregnancy, would check in on them regularly, asking questions about how Sherlock felt and examine how dilated he was.

Which was how they had gotten in their current position, Sherlock in a hospital, wearing nothing but the gown, and John sitting in a chair next to him, their fingers intertwined.

"Why can't I just give birth right now?" Sherlock whined after a contraction. The contractions were still rather far apart and not yet very painful but after almost three hours Sherlock was tired of waiting.

John had asked Sherlock what the contractions felt like but Sherlock had only answered with a cramp-like sensation around my rectrum which John had found very scientifically correct, but not very helpful. Dr Markson had told him that some women compared it to very painful menstrual cramps which John had found a bit more helpful.

When John was fifteen years old and had heard Harry complain about menstrual cramps he had foolishly asked her how much it could really hurt, she was only bleeding a bit. He remembered vividly as Harry had fixed him with a glare that could stop a tidal wave and answered 'It's like being sucker punched in the vagina. and then proceeded to sucker punch him in the balls, with her knee. To say that he had some respect for anything even slightly resembling menstrual cramps was an understatement. He firmly believed that if women could go around with that pain for a week each month and still live their life like normal there were few things that could stop them if they really wanted something.

"Because you're only five centimeter dila-ah." Sherlock suddenly squeezed his hand quite painfully, exhaling slowly through his nose. "Please let go." John squeaked.

"No."

The grip on John's hand loosened but, true to his words, Sherlock didn't let go.

"At least let me readjust my grip." John said, untwinned their fingers and then took a firm grip of Sherlock's hand once again.

"That one was stronger than the last ones." He commented and Sherlock nodded, his eyes closed and still breathing slowly through his nose.

"Fetch me a glass of water." Sherlock looked up at John with tired eyes. John got out of his chair and placed a kiss on Sherlock forehead before walking out in the corridor and towards one of the toilets.

When he came back Dr. Markson was in the room, head under the sheets covering Sherlocks legs, apparently checking in on how the dilation was going. John quickly walked over to Sherlock, took his hand, placed the plastic mug of water on a table near the bed and placed himself next to the bed.

A few seconds later Dr Markson rose and pulled down the covers so they covered all of Sherlock's legs once again.

"Six centimeters Sherlock." He said and pulled of his plastic gloves. "We're getting there. Now, how are you feeling? Any changes?"

"More pain during contractions." Sherlock murmured and the grip on John's hand grew painfully strong again. Both John and Sherlock grimaced at the pain and Dr Markson let out a low chuckle.

"Well I can see that."

" Is there anything we can bring you to ease your pain?" He asked when Sherlock's contraction eased off. Sherlock shook his head and motioned towards the plastic mug, which John handed him.

"Okay. I'm just going to check on your readings." Dr Markson said and examined the various readings on different screens.

"Everything seems fine here as well. I'll leave you to it then. If there are any complications, or questions for that matter, don't hesitate to call." He smiled and left the pair alone.

"How are you feeling?" John asked and removed a stray lock from Sherlock's forehead.

"Bored." Sherlock answered with a sigh.

John let out a hearty laugh. "Only you could feel bored when giving birth."

Sherlock smiled and looked away, fidgeting a little with his blanket.

"A bit anxious. What if something happens John?"

John looked down at Sherlock who was still facing the other direction. With a little sigh he sat down on the bed and rubbed a circle with his thumb on the back of Sherlock's hand.

"What if I do something wrong John? What if one of them dies? What if both of them die? I can't take that." Sherlock's voice broke and he inhaled sharply.

"Hey, don't say that." John used his free hand to turn Sherlock's head so they were face to face. With horror he realised Sherlock was crying silent tears. He had only seen Sherlock cry once before, if you didn't count his mood swings, and the sight made his stomach clench. Sherlock, the ice cold so called sociopath, cared this much for their babies.

"Come here." He said and pulled Sherlock into a sitting position before climbing behind Sherlock and moved so he was half lying down half sitting up. Sherlock laid down between John's legs and rested his head on his chest and John's hands came to rest on Sherlock's stomach.

"Everything will be alright. The doctors and nurses has done this hundreds of times and they know exactly how the twins are all the time." He softly clapped the heart monitors that had been fastened around Sherlock's belly. "We're in a hospital. There is nothing they don't have here and after every check up so far the doctors have told us the twins are in perfect condition. And if there are any complications the doctors can handle that. They'll either use a c-section, which can get a baby out in, oh about three minutes or so I think, or that vacuum device we decided on."

He bent down and kissed the crown of Sherlock's head, rubbing small circles on Sherlock's stomach as Sherlock snuggled closer to him.

"I know you're feeling out of control and I know you hate that but I promise you that nothing will happen to our children."

Sherlock nodded slowly and wiped his eyes, careful of the I.V. in his hand.

"Thank you." He crooked out.

They continued to sit like that for some time, talking about nothing, John helping Sherlock through the contractions and discussing as many time before how their life would change now that they had kids. Dr Markson checked in on them regularly and it wasn't until Sherlock was almost dilated 8cm that John had to move away.

Half an hour after that, at around 11:30 pm, Sherlock had begun transitioning and the contractions were very painful. John tried to be helpful but no matter what he did Sherlock only seemed to snap at him when he wasn't groaning in pain.

Thirty five minutes after that Dr Markson entered with his usual smile.

"How are things going?" He asked as he donned a pair of plastic gloves.

"How do you think things are going?" Sherlock spat.

"Fine, just fine." John answered and the doctor gave him a small nod.

Another contraction hit Sherlock who let out a guttural growl, squeezing the life out of John's hand and making him open his mouth in a silent scream.

"Just breathe Sherlock." Dr Markson waved at the nurse that had accompanied him to assist Sherlock through his pain. A minute and a half after the contraction was finally over and Sherlock relaxed.

"You really grip hard." John rubbed his sore hand, flexing his fingers.

"Shut your face or you won't get laid for a year." Sherlock answered, voice surprisingly venomus for his tired appearance.

John could see the nurse smile as she checked readings and diagrams.

"Well, it looks like you're fully dilated and can begin labour." Dr Markson informed them in a happy voice. "We have a room ready and you'll be transported as soon as possible."

Within a minute the room was full of nurses helping Sherlock stand up and walking him to the delivery room where everything was prepared. John was given a blue gown, hair net and shoe protection before he could enter.

Sherlock was already laying on his back, his feet propped up in two stirrups and breathing slowly through his nose to ease the pain. John quickly moved to his side, feeling very overwhelmed. They were going to have twins. This was for real. They were starting a family. How had he not had this realisation before.

"Do you need to sit down sir?" One of the nurses asked him and he shook his head as answer. No, he should stay here. Support Sherlock.

"Don't you dare pass out on me." Sherlock threatened and for a half naked man with his feet in stirrups and wearing flowery gown he sounded rather threatening.

"Okey Sherlock you will feel the urge to push but do not do this. I repeat don't push. It will only slow things down." Dr Markson informed him with a stern voice. "I will tell you when to push but do not push before that. Are we clear?"

Sherlock nodded and John could hear one of the nurses tell him that the twins were still in a good position.

"Great. Sherlock you're doing great."

"Yeah, great." John repeated and clapped Sherlock lamely on one shoulder.

Soon Sherlock was given the command to push and John watched in haze as his partner, red faced and sweaty, worked to bring the babies into the world. He was vaguely aware that he himself was telling Sherlock to push and how he was doing so very good.

"That's it Sherlock, one more push and the head is out." John heard someone say but he couldn't really focus on who, only glad that the baby had a head.

"Come on now Sherlock. One more push. You're doing great. That's it...aaand here we go."

A small cry came from John's right and he looked away from Sherlock to see Dr. Markson holding a little, almost blue, baby in his arms. Someone quickly rushed forwards to clean its mouth and nose as Dr. Markson checked for injuries and such.

"It's a girl." He proudly proclaimed and John could feel a small tug on his gown.

"I told you they were girls." Sherlock said with a tired smile, his hair laying in long black tendrils on his forehead, sticky with sweat.

"You want to cut the umbilical cord?" Someone asked John and a kind of scissors were given to him. A hand pushed him forwards and the nurse attending the baby made room for John, who still felt like he was a few seconds out of sync with reality. He moved the scissors to cut where the nurse was pointing. He only saw a bit of black hair on the baby's head before she was rushed away to the warming bed where a nurse was waiting.

"John." Sherlock called and reached out with his hand. John unfroze, quickly returned the scissors and walked back to Sherlock's side.

Sherlock let out a low hum and closed his eyes when John took his hand, seemingly content with the pause he got.

"You alright?" John asked, pushing some of Sherlock's hair away from his eyes.

"Not. Yet." Came the strained reply and John looked at Sherlock with confusion. However, a moment later he realized another contraction was coming and soon Sherlock let out a cry of pain.

"Okay. Push Sherlock. That's it, push." Dr Markson called, once again positioned between Sherlock's legs. "Push Sherlock. You need to push."

"I. AM. PUSHING!"

"Come on babe. Just a bit more." John said from Sherlock side, his arm locked in a death grip. Sherlock continued to scream throughout the contraction, rising in pitch the longer it lasted, before collapsing against the bed, panting hard.

"Sherlock, you're doing great but I need you to push harder." Dr Markson informed them and Sherlock nodded weakly.

"It's just a bit more, then it'll be over." John reassured Sherlock.

"Ready, and. Push!"

Sherlock screamed again and pushed with all the strength he had left, which wasn't very much by now.

John looked worriedly at his partner. Sherlock seemed to scream more this time around, or maybe that was just John actually being aware what was happening now, and he looked almost completely worn out. The first baby had been a long battle and if the second where the same then John wasn't completely sure Sherlock could do it.

Sherlock stopped his pushing with a breathless "I can't" chest heaving with the effort. "I can't do it John."

"How are you feeling Sherlock?" Dr Markson asked and Sherlock shook his head in reply. "Vacuum." He ordered and a nurse handed the doctor what looked like some kind of suction cup attached to a string and handle.

The thing was quickly placed on the second baby's head, which was already showing, and when a new contraction started Dr. Markson helped by slightly pulling the handle, helping Sherlock with the birth.

On the fifth contraction Dr. Markson finally exclaimed that the head was out and with a few more pushes the baby was fully birthed. John once again cut the umbilical cord and then returned to Sherlock, who looked like he'd ran a marathon, which he probably had.

"You did it. I'm so proud over you." John gave him a kiss which Sherlock almost returned, to tired to do anything.

A nurse walked up to them and placed the first baby on Sherlock's chest and she was beautiful. Now when she was dried off John saw that the hair he first had thought to be ink black as Sherlock's was actually a deep auburn colour. Her eyes were deep blue and now that a little time had passed after birth she had rosy pink skin. She was screaming and squirming in Sherlock's arms but he didn't seemed to mind. Instead he stared at her with deep admiration, a big smile on his face.

"She's got your eyes." He whispered, looking up at John for a second before turning his gaze once again on the newborn in his arms.

"She's got your lips." John said and stroked a finger along her small cheek. "Your cupid's bow."

The second baby soon joined her twin in Sherlock's arms and the two were close to identical. The only difference being a birthmark on the first twins belly and the fact that the suction cup had made the second twin's head somewhat oddly shaped, but that would disappear within a few days.

"So are they an 'Alexandra and Erica' or a 'Susan and Amy'?" John asked, stroking the cheek of the second baby. Sherlock, who was being instructed on how to breastfeed, didn't hear him though.

Breastfeeding men were very rare, since men only developed very small breasts which didn't produce a lot of milk. Evolution had succeeded in a lot of things when it came to male pregnancies, but when evolution came to breastfeeding it kind of skipped that part. There was therefore very hard to give the baby the nutrients required for a healthy diet from breast feeding and a lot of couples switched to artificial milk within the same week as the birth. They had decided that Sherlock would breastfeed as long as they stayed in the hospital and they would then switch to bottle feeding.

"What did you say." He asked after a while. His eyes not leaving the little packages of blankets in his arms.

"I asked you about the names?"

"Hmmm. She is definitely and Alexandra." Sherlock looked at the baby nearest John, who was flailing her little arms and legs everywhere inside the cocoon of blankets.

"Yeah. What about her then? She doesn't feel like an Erica to me." He gestured towards the first baby and picked up little Alexandra, holding her close to his chest. She was warm and she seemed to melt John's heart as she yawned widely. She was the cutest thing he had ever seen, and she was his. He had helped make her. Uncontainable happiness and pride filled John from the toes and up to the very tip of his head and the smile on his lips felt like it might split his face in two.

"How about Amelié." Sherlock asked, a french pronunciation on the name. "She feels like an Amelié."

"Hmm. No, not really." John mused, rocking slightly side to side. "Emilie?"

"Yeah. Little Emelie and Alexandra."

At 01:47 the cell on Lestrade's bedside table lit up with a text. The light was bright enough to wake the detective inspector, who cursed anyone who texed at this ungodly hour.

As he opened the text his scowl changed into a wide smile.

The text contained a picture of a tired looking John and a very tired looking Sherlock laying in a bed, one baby in each arms, bright smiles on both of their faces. The message belonging to the picture said:

Emilie Olivia Watson Holmes (John's) born on the 27'th of August 2012 00:28 Am. She weighs 5 pounds and 7 ounces and is 17'' tall.

Alexandra Jessica Watson Holmes (Sherlock's) born on the 27'th of August 2012 00:34 Am. She weighs 5 pounds and 13 ounces and is 18'' tall.

Best wishes

The Watson Holmes family

Babies :D

I hope you liked it :) I sure did like writing it, even though I have spent the last twelve hours doing nothing but working on this chapter.

I just need to explain one thing about the countdown. I'm sure you've noticed that each chapter name has begun with a certain amount of months and weeks and that this has been a countdown to the birth of our beloved twins. The countdown have always been set with 0 as the 27 of August so last chapter took place two weeks prior to that and not two weeks prior to 4 of September, which was the calculated birth date. ( I just felt that I needed to explain that)

As I've said earlier I will be taking requests from now on so just throw them at me and I will write them down and whenever I feel like I don't know what to write I'll just look at your amazing suggestion and the imagination will flow.

If you see something brutally inaccurate about the technicalities in this chapter please do tell and I will try to change it.

Reviews are amazing

Love

/Phin

.