Don't hate me, it matters that I finally got around to this story right? A few of you were quite concerened I won't finish this story, not to worry, I don't give up on my stories. I know what kind of story I want to weave and I know exactly how this is going to end. I just hope everybody will be patient. The next chapter is being beta'd, but I'd like to have the one after ready before I post. I hope that won't take too long. Thanks again to Murgatroid for finding the time to beta this.

Left turn after the vending machine, third door to the right.

I hadn't even reached the vending machine when I heard Tara yelping and hollering like a stuck pig.

I opened the door tentatively to see JB there holding her hand and counting like a desperate madman.

"Like we practiced baby! One. Two Three!"

Tara breathed with him until she was hit with another whopper of a contraction.

"SHIT! Stackhouse!"

"I'm here Tara. What you complaining about woman!" I laughed as I sat down in the plastic chair next to hers.

Tara didn't even know I was in the room. When the wave of pain finally subsided, she was what I suspect would be her normal self for the next few moments until the next contraction.

"Hi there Sookie. When did you get here?"

"Just a moment ago. How far along are you?"

"Should be soon they're less than a min-"

Tara's lips curled back baring her canines as she huffed and huffed. A fresh layer of sweat broke on her already matted and clammy forehead. The next sound that came out of her was almost a howl. All this is a little too familiar for the first childbirth I've ever attended. Oh right. Were's and shifters changing are kind of similar. Must stop thinking of my best friend like a beast.

"AHhhh...OOoowww!"

Scrap that. I think she just broke my wrist, not to mention the blood Tara drew with her nails on my arm. Do the weres go through this much stress every time they change? That must suck.

The nurse came in and methodically reached up Tara's robe to feel her.

"I think you're ready now. We'll push you in."

"Thank God!" Tara and I said. We looked at each other and giggled like we did in high school.

"Is your husband joining us?" The nurse asked as she helped Tara into the wheel chair.

We turned around and saw JB in a state of suspended animation. He was hovering halfway from getting up and sitting down from his chair. JB's face was the exact shade of a can of paint I saw that was an off white color, with a tinge of green at the hardware store once called spearmint. With a brand new video camera strapped across his beautiful chest his head was a complete mess. Images of blood gore were flashing in his mind but he was torn between his desire to be a good husband and the absolute fear that had just taken a hold of him.

"JBeeeeeeeeeeeee." Tara yelped and he looked at me with an expression of pure fear.

"Oh for Pete's sake! I'll go in with you Tara. JB just go to the waiting room. Eric and Hunter will keep you company."

"Who?"

"Oberon. He and my nephew Hunter are in the waiting room. They'll keep you company."

Woops. Luckily for me, in between Tara's contractions and JB's panic attack, they didn't catch on to my little slip.

Now, what happens between a lady's legs is between her lover, husband and her lady doctor. All I would've said about Tara having her baby was that it was something I have never seen before and whoever said it was a beautiful thing had rocks in their head.

Her thoughts were a complete mess. There were just loud flash and bangs of all sorts of things. None of which I cared or even could read. When Tara's crinkly, wet, sticky baby boy came out we were so relieved. It was only then that I had noticed I had a hand over my own womb the whole time. Talk about a Freudian slip. After that the doctors cut the cord, wrapped the baby in a blue blanket and gave him to Tara. She was in tears. Not just weeping, but great heaving gasps. I put my arm around her for her comfort and mine. After seeing what Tara went through, I will never think ill of any mother ever again.

Tara just kept crying. I think I would too, even just from the pain, but I suspect that it was the last thing on her mind. Tara's thoughts were so turbulent it was like trying to see the bottom of the ocean from the top of a cliff, but I could tell she was happy. That was until her heaving became more urgent, her breathing labored. Her arms tightened and her body contracted. The baby started screaming and I snatched him out of her arms. I don't know why I did that but something was going wrong.

"What's happening Sookie? Am I still supposed to have contractions?"

A couple of nurses and her doctor came over, and I stood out of their way with new baby in my arms. His hair was still thick with gunk but I think he's a blond.

"Is it the placenta?" I heard the nurse say, but then I heard a splash, like a water balloon being dropped on the floor.

The doctor rushed back into the delivery room. "Her water just broke! There's another baby coming. Push Tara push!"

Holy mother of Jesus.

"Again?" Was the only word that dropped out of my lips and we went through it all over again. I can tell you, the whole process didn't look any less painful the second time around either. "It's a girl!" Someone yelled and I realized that at this point the boy was no longer with me. Tara and JB had hinted they want me to be their boy's Godmother and I would urge them to seriously reconsider their choice. I lost the boy not five minutes after he was born! Might even have to reconsider being a mother myself, should I choose to keep it. Shit! Think of something else.

The swinging doors to the delivery room swung open and I caught JB saying "I'm a daddy and a daddy? Whoa."

Tara looked absolutely exhausted. Used and spent like a dirty dish rag, but it wasn't over yet. The doctor said they still had to deliver the placentas. Good Lordy.

When all were said and done, JB was waiting for Tara in the hospital room and both the babies were cleaned and wrapped. No-one would have suspected the havoc they had just caused at all. God bless JB's empty brain. He was just radiating happiness and serenity.

"I got two Sookie!"

"I know JB. Have you thought about what you're going to name them?"

"Well, Tara wanted a strong name and she liked Conrad. We'll see what she thinks about it when she wakes up, but the little darlin'? We weren't expecting to think of girls names until next time. It should be fun."

I smiled and collapsed at the chair beside Tara. In between an exhausted mother, JB's happy empty brain and two sleeping babies, this is as much serenity I'll have amongst humans. It didn't last long.

Hunter came by the door. Peeked in and asked, "Is this true? There's two?"

"Come on in, Hunter. Come meet the twins," said JB as he waived him in. "Sookie, this little man could be a professional Old Maid player. He was winning me and the other kids in the waiting room every game."

When JB looked back on his kids, I gave Hunter a quick dirty look and he smiled at me cheekily. The little monkey.

"Go stand by next to them, Hunter. I'll take a picture."

They look all pink and screwy, Aunt Sookie.

They're brand new, Hunter.

I don't know what all the fuss is about. They don't do anything and they're kind of boring, He said inside head, but he was a good boy and kept that to himself while he smiled for the camera. It seems school was a good idea for Hunter after all. Later on, while Tara was still sleeping and JB and I were discussing girls names. Hunter jumped in on the conversation and nearly let the cat out of the bag.

"Her name's Elvira!"

JB thought it was cute. "Is that your girlfriend's name at school?"

"No."

"The girl you like at school?"

"No. Stupid face. She told me. She also said she wouldn't mind if you call her Elly."

Time to get out of here.

"Hunter! Where's your manners. Say sorry to JB."

What did I do now? Hunter protested.

Just do as I say Hunter, we'll talk when we get outside. And who said you can start calling people stupid face?

Oh that. "Sorry, JB."

"Go easy on the boy Sookie. It's nothing that bad. It's ok little man."

"Well it always starts small." I said as I hustled Hunter out of the door.

"Where's Oberon, Hunter?"

"Uncle Eric's is by the window where they could see the babies."

Don't call him Uncle Eric when people can hear you Hunter, I warned. I can feel the dam breaking as we speak.

"It's too hard! That's what you call him in your head!"

I can see a tantrum is on its way, but who could blame him. We've been here for hours and what more could I expect from the little guy?

Let's go get Uncle Eric and we'll head home. Okay Hunter?

"Hrmph." Was his response.

I picked him up and gave him a quick hug. "You know, it won't be long before I can't do this anymore. You're growing everyday!"

"I'm already taller than my marker on my door frame at home. Dad said I could be taller than him one day!"

"You know, Tara's babies are going to grow up very quickly too. So what went on back there in the room? I've never heard babies' thoughts Hunter. They're not old enough to have thoughts yet."

"I know. That's why I thought they were boring after a little while, but Elly told me her name when she heard y'all talking about what to call her."

"You sure about that? Did Conrad talk to you?"

"No. He was as boring as the other babies."

I don't know if that was just a figment of Hunter's over-active imagination or the Tara's baby really did talk to him. Is that what they mean by old souls? However, I'm more inclined to think it's just a small fib on Hunter's part. After what I saw in Hunter's dream, a child's imagination has no boundaries, it's not that big of a step for a kid like Hunter to make that small step into having a made-up conversation with a baby.

When I turned into the viewing room I saw Eric standing a step back from all the family and friends who had their noses to the glass with a lot of coo-coo and goo-gooing going on. Should I dare to believe that Eric likes the babies? Does he like watching people with their families gathering to see a new little bundle that is going to part of their family? Hunter wriggled out of my arms to join a boy whom he obviously befriended while he was in the waiting room.

"What are you looking at?" I said as I put my arms around him. He smells so different now he's warm.

"All these babies. It just takes me back..."

"To what?" He's feeling uneasy about something. Something's wrong.

"Forget it. I shouldn't have mentioned it."

"You can tell me..." Anything to let me know what you think about kids, babies or whether I should forget about the whole thing.

"You have to remember... it was a long time ago..."

Oh God, he's going to talk about his first wife Aude and their dead babies.

"When Ocella was still my sire, there would be feasts held by other master vampires. Sometimes nobles. I remember once the babies were lined up at the table just like they were here..."

"Are you trying to tell me you ate babies?"

Fuck. I was so not expecting that.

"What did you expect? They were delicacies-"

"HUNTER! We're leaving!" I roared and tore out of the hospital, yanking Hunter by the arm. I didn't give a shit about his protests and it just occurred to me I might have dislocated Hunter's shoulder. I'll just have to suffer the wrath of that later.

But. Oh. My. God.

Here I was thinking about having a child with this man and he was thinking about eating them. Sookie Stackhouse you Goddamn fool!