Well. I think the last chapter was very intense. I am hoping you guys are liking the story! Thank you so much for all the follows and favorites! It means a lot to me. So, here is the next chapter. Remember to read, follow, favorite, and review. Thanks.

~Lauren

Chapter 16

More Than One

Eva has not seen Erik for almost a month, and she doesn't know when they will meet again. Eva was giving his space to think about if he loves her, and Erik just wasn't visiting because he didn't want to. Eva is very nervous because the baby is due in less than a week, and if Erik isn't here, she doesn't know what she will do. Her train of thought and worries is broken by a knock at the door. Her head faces it and she says, "Come in." The door creeps open and Meg slowly walks in. Eva walks up and meets her and Meg grabs her forearms. "Are you doing alright?" Eva nods with a sigh. But Meg can tell she isn't doing alright. "You're worried, Eva. I can tell." Eva looks down at her feet and smirks. "Have you even talked to him? Does he know how close the baby is?" Eva moves away from Meg's grasp and sits on her bed.

Meg follows and sits on the bed, looking at Eva with curious eyes. "I haven't talked or seen Erik in a month! The baby is going to come any day now, and I don't know what to do!"

Meg starts rubbing her back as she starts to cry. "He promised he would be here to help with the baby! I need him here, whether he loves me or not!" Meg wipes away her tears with her cheek. "You should go talk to him. If you won't, then, gosh darn it, I will!" She says forcefully as she smack the sheets with her free hand. Eva giggles softly and places a hand on Meg's knee. "Thank you, but I can handle this." Meg smiles too and nods, taking her hand. "I should actually-" she is cut off by a sharp pain in her stomach! He hands snaps down to her stomach and Meg jumps.

"Eva! Are you okay?"

Eva slowly moves her hand away but then it quickly snaps back and she grunts in pain, gritting her teeth. Meg's eyes bulge. "Meg, I think…"

Meg jumps off of the bed and runs to the door. But before she leaves she says, "I will go get my mother and we will take you to the hospital." Eva nods as the sweat starts beading down her forehead. Meg opens the door and starts running and shouting down the hall. "Mother! Mother, please help!" Madame Giry comes out of her office with wide eyes. "Meg! What happened?" Meg pants and tries to catch her breath. Then she says, "Eva is going into labor! Her baby is about to be born!"

Madame Giry's eyes just get bigger and she starts racing down the hall with Meg following. When they get back to the dressing room, they see Eva laying on the bed, heaving with her hand on her stomach. Meg and Madame Giry run to her side. Meg grabs her hand and a cloth. She starts to dab her head to pick up the sweat. Madame Giry is just eyeing her up and down, not knowing what to do. "Mother, what do we do?" She just shakes her head.

"There is no time to get her to the hospital now! The baby will have to be born here!" Meg's eyes bulge, but she quickly goes back to caring for Eva as she grunts in pain. Eva opens her mouth to say something, and Meg can tell. "G-get-t. E-Er-Erik!" Meg nods. But she really doesn't know what to do. Her head then pops up with an idea. She scurries over to the mirror and pries it open.

"ERIK! EVA IS IN LABOR!" she screams down the passageway.

Erik immediately stop playing his organ when he hears Meg yell. "ERIK! EVA IS IN LABOR!" His head whips around, pacing the passageway. He jumps up from the bench, knocking it over and then runs up the stairs. Skipping many as he goes. He finally slips through the mirror, panting like a dog. Erik runs over to the side of the bed and he grabs her hand. Eva tries to talk but she just grunts in pain once more and she feels another contraction. He shushes her and says, "Don't talk. I'm here. That's all that matters." Eva nods, trying to smile.

Madame Giry is now at the bottom of the bed, between Eva's open legs. "I need you to push!" Eva nods and then pushes hard. She screams in pain as she grips Erik's hand harder, making her knuckles turn white. "Again!" Madame Giry instructs. Eva pushes again forcefully. Madame Giry smiles. "I can see the head! You're almost there!" Erik smiles at her and she pushes again. "Once more!" Eva puts all the power she has into this last push.

Then a baby's cry echoes through the room.

Eva smiles at Erik and he returns it. Meg takes the baby and wraps it in a blanket. Eva looks at Madame Giry and expects to see her smiling, but instead her eyes are bulged. She is about to ask what is wrong, but then she yells, "I need you to push again!"

"But…" Eva tries to protest.
"JUST PUSH!" Eva pushes again and another baby's cry enters the room. Eva looks at Erik and his face seems frozen in shock. "Erik...it's…" Meg takes the other baby and wraps that one. She got the first one to stop crying, but now she has to handle the other. She sets the first baby gently down on the chair and cradles the new one. Madame Giry looks at Eva.

"There is one more, mademoiselle."

Eva's eyes bulge and then she pushes. The last baby burst out into the room. "I will take care of this one." She says to Meg. Then she turns back to the couple. "Well, we must go and take these babies to the hospital to make sure they are healthy. And to find out what gender they are!" Madame Giry walks out with the third baby, and Meg walks out with the first one. Eva and Erik stare at each other in complete shock. Eva slowly sits up. Erik helps her get up off of the bed. She half smiles at him and whispers, "Triplets!" Erik just laughs and nods.

Then they go outside and meet the Girys at a carriage to go the hospital.

When they get to the hospital, they all wait outside of a room, waiting to hear about the babies. Eva is standing up, pacing and Erik is staring at the floor. Madame Giry sighs.

"You guys don't seem very excited."

"I am very excited! I just wasn't expecting triplets!" Eva says with a laugh. Erik laughs too and nods, picking up his head. Then before Erik can say anything, the doctor walks out with a huge smile. Everyone jumps up and crowd the doctor with wide eyes.

"Congratulations! You have healthy triplets. Two boys and a girl." Eva wraps her arms around Erik and he returns it. Meg and Madame Giry smile. Erik looks over at the doctor as Eva is still wrapped around him. "May we see them?" The doctor smiles and nods, opening the door. They all walk in slowly. They see three babies sleeping soundly. Eva is still holding onto Erik as they walk in. But she soon lets go when she rushes over to see her children. She starts to cry tears of joy when she motions for Erik to come over. He shuffles over with a smile and he grabs her waist. "They are so beautiful, Erik. I can't believe they are ours." The doctor then pipes in and says, "Oh. There is something I must tell you." Eva and Erik turn around to face him with worried looks. "The girl, is not able to grow hair."

Eva looks up at Erik and she tries to smile. "Thank you for telling us, doctor." He nods, and then walks out of the room. Meg says, "I am sorry, Eva." But she shakes her head. "No. It is fine." He nods and walks around to look at the third baby. He is smiling but then his smile fades. Eva sees him and she is concerned. "What's wrong?" Erik is crying very heavily but isn't making any noise.

"His face."