40 Weeks

by cembria

Sookie are just friends with benefits when an unplanned pregnancy makes them look at the nature of their relationship and how they wan to handle it. AH/AU oneshot

12 weeks

"So….. you're pregnant." Eric said stunned sitting on his couch.

"Yes, and it's yours." Sookie said, gauging how badly he was going to be freaking out. Eric wasn't a commitment guy. He wasn't her boyfriend. They had just been friends with benefits for a few years.

"No, I knew that. You don't have sex with anyone but me." He said dismissively. Sookie rolled her eyes, but at least he wasn't questioning if the baby was his or accusing her of sleeping around.

"I know I'm not your girlfriend. I know we are like, nothing really other than sex pals. I just… I'm keeping the baby so you are welcome to be in their life, but I won't force you to be an unwilling participant. That won't be good for the baby either." Sookie said, squaring her shoulders and sitting up straight. It had already taken her a month to break this news to him, she needed to just be strong. What was done was done.

"Wait….." He shook his head and looked up at Sookie with hurt in his eyes. "You think we're just nothing to each other? You think I would ditch my baby and abandon you?" He understood he never gave Sookie a reason to think she meant anything to him, or that he would be a good father, but still. Sookie was first and foremost his friend. He trusted her, he told her more about himself than he really told anyone, she was the only woman he kept an ongoing relationship with. Anyone else he slept with was a one night or just a few days blip. She was definitely the only woman he didn't use a condom with because he knew she was religious about her pill and not the type to sleep with two guys at once.

"Eric, we hang out and have sex. You have never met my family, we have never been on a date. In fact, you are super clear you don't do dates with anyone. No birthday or Christmas presents, or at least not from you to me. You introduce me as your neighbor, not even as your friend. The only time we talk is when we're naked in bed after sex. I like you, I really do. I just got the point after the first 10 months or so of messing around with you that I wasn't going to be the girl to tame you and finally have you. You made it clear you didn't want me like that, and I made peace with it. You also once told me having a girl show up pregnant was your worst nightmare. It's why it took me a month to work up the courage to tell you I was pregnant." She said.

Eric sagged back on the couch and just stared up at the ceiling. He hadn't met her family. She had met his sister and parents, but he never accepted an invitation to her parents home. He had been invited too, he just said it was too couply. She also got him a birthday and Christmas present every year, and he never reciprocated, again because that would have seemed like making a commitment, and he's apparently a dirt bag with no sense.

It's especially hitting him that she IS and has always been something to him. He has an intimacy with her, but he keeps her at arms length so she doesn't get the same from him. Also, yes this is kind of a nightmare, but not the worst it could be. It's Sookie, who he actually likes, and not someone like Yevetta.

"I'm sorry I made you feel like that. I'm in, it's going to be an our baby situation. I promise…. I…. Shit." Eric said rubbing his face.

"Eric, you never led me on. I knew what you were offering, and I was accepting of that. If I didn't want to do it I wouldn't. Sometimes the guys we like don't like us back." Sookie said with a shrug.

"I like you Sookie, I have always liked you back. You are the longest running relationship I have ever had with a woman. I have been sleeping with you for years. Usually I only sleep with a woman once or twice. I'm just… My Dad cheats on my mother constantly. It hurts her, even if she ignores her you can see she hates it. If you don't take a girlfriend or wife, you can't break their hearts. Oh God…. What if we have a daughter and she meets some ass hole like me?" Eric said terrified.

"I mean, if you don't think you could stay faithful, all the better you never led me on. I have been cheated in. It hurts so so bad. Also, if we have a girl, just set the example of how men should treat her." Sookie said taking his hand to comfort him. He took her hand and kissed the back of her hand and said.

"What example, by fucking around on her saintly mother constantly? How am I even going to explain why we aren't together? Can we be together?" Eric said looking at her hopefully, but deflated when he saw the sad look on Sookies face.

"No, Eric. We can't be together. You are just freaking out because of the baby. We will just raise them together and explain not all mommies and daddies are married or live together. You never did anything wrong. You never led me to believe anything other than exactly what you were offering. You aren't the bad guy, Eric. We had a lot of sex though, sometimes the pill fails." Sookie said pulling him in and hugging him. He felt himself lurch a little at her saying they cant be together, but he let that go.

"I feel like the bad guy." Eric said softly.

"Well, you shouldn't, because you aren't. I'm not mad at you. We can't sleep together anymore though. We need to just focus on the baby." Sookie said.

"What? Why? We already made a baby." Eric said, now definitely freaking out. He sort of depended on the intimacy and closeness of being with Sookie. Holding her, sleeping next to her, their pillow talk conversations about their hopes and dreams. He couldn't lose that, he'd have no one left to talk to.

"Eric, because it's messy. We aren't together, we aren't something. We have a baby to raise now." Sookie said softly.

"But I like you." Eric complained looking forlorn.

"Well, good. Because we have to raise a human being together for the next 18 years. I like you too, honestly better you than Bill or Quinn. I was actually dating those guys and raising a child with them would have been a nightmare. At least you I can trust." Sookie said and held him close. She wanted to be with him so bad, and had for a long time. That wasn't on the table now. He would only be being with her for the baby, and that kid of relationship would never work out, and then the break up would hurt their baby. Better to just skip with pain and focus on the baby.

"We are something, and always have been." Eric said with finality.

"Whatever you say, Eric." Sookie sighed. She let it go, she had known about this for a month. He was adjusting. When she saw that first pink plus sign she had also wondered if they could make it work or get quicky married, but was able to let it go after she thought it through. He was going through the process she already had a month to get through.

"Have you told your parents?" Eric asked with a cringe.

"I have, umm…. we aren't…. Well…. Let's just say my parents, and I are on a break right now." She said, and just cuddled into him laying across his lap while he rubbed her side and back soothingly.

"What does that mean? What happened?" Eric asked feeling annoyed at her parents for hurting her.

"Well, they know I wasn't dating anyone. I had to explain our umm… connection. They freaked out, and think I don't know who the father is. They also took my car back and kicked me off their insurance. When I told them we weren't getting married shot gun style even if you asked, that got them name calling and they called the baby a name and I walked out and didn't turn back." She said getting a little choked up. Eric smoothed her hair and leaned hugging her laying in his lap. What ass holes.

"I'll get you health insurance tomorrow, what are you driving?" Eric said.

"You don't need to, I can figure out my own insurance. Amelia is driving me to work and I'm just using uber or walking for everything else. I need to buy a car, I have a little savings, but with the baby coming I don't really want to blow it all on a car. Especially when my maternity leave is going to be unpaid." Sookie said sounding stressed out.

"Listen Sookie, It's my baby and I'll pay child support as soon as they are born. While you are pregnant I'll handle your insurance, and I have two cars. Just drive the Audi SUV and I'll keep driving my Mercedes like normal. I only have the SUV for moving shit around for the bar, which I rarely need to do anymore. It just rots in the parking garage. Plus, it's safe for you and our baby. You aren't a 1 woman team here. It's you me and our baby going forward. It'll be unconventional, but it is what it is." Eric said with authority.

"I feel like I'm taking advantage of you." She said with a sniffle.

"How is providing for my child and their mother you taking advantage? It's the bare minimum. At least we live right next door to each other. That makes some things a lot easier." He said, trying to cheer her up.

"I was expecting this to go a lot more like telling my parents went." She said softly and Eric started to rock her in his lap.

"Well, I'm not a monster, and I meant what I said. I do like you, I do care about you. I always have, and honestly, right now I regret not showing you that more. You're the only person I could be okay having a baby with, I mean that. This isn't a nightmare for me. I am going to change how I operate though. My focus is going to be on you and the baby right now." He said and then softly kissed her lips.

"Eric, we can't be kissing, and you don't have to stop being with other women." She said and tried to pull back, but he held her laying in his lap and leaned over her pinning her again.

"First, I can't just go cold turkey. I have to ween off of you. Bare with me. Second, I know I don't have to, but I want to. I'm fucking up my whole life and I want my child to respect me. I don't want them seeing me filtering around with any woman who says yes. I don't want to be like my father." Eric said, still holding her.

"If thats what you want." She said, wiggling around to get off of him.

"It's how it's going to be." He insisted.

"We need to tell your parents. Do you want me there?" Sookie asked, looking nervous.

"You don't have to be, I would have gone with you to your parents." He said sadly.

"You couldn't have gone. You would have punched someone. I knew that wasn't going to go well. How do you think your parents will take it?" Sookie asked, looking at him with concern.

"I have no idea. You're the only girl I've gotten pregnant. It's only 3 we can go to their house now, just rip the bandaid off. I'm starting to get excited now. The shock is wearing off and it's like…. We're having a baby." Eric said with a smile, making her smile too.

"Me too! I love it so much already and I have only known them for a month." Sookie said with awe in her voice.

"Okay, so go put on pants." Eric said pointing to her sitting next to him in just a loony tunes night gown. "And we will go tell my parents. No matter what happens we will be okay. We aren't teenagers, we both have jobs, the bar is established and running. I don't have to be there constantly anymore, and Pam is a good manager, and as the baby's aunt I'm sure she will be happy to help. We can work it out. This is unexpected, but not the worst it could be." Eric said reassuringly.

Sookie went back to her apartment and changed. When she got back to Erics his laptop was open and he was buying her health insurance. She sighed ,and smiled. Honestly, if it had to happen at least it happened with Eric.

"Ready?" He asked after he finished.

"Yeah…. What do you think will happen?" She asked as he grabbed his keys ,and grabbed the keys to his SUV and handed them to her to have.

"It's sandy and Victor, anything could happen. I'm 30….. so I don't think they are going to really care honestly. I mean, you're 25 it's not like you're a statistic. I'm not sure why your parent's got so pissed, but I'll admit I'm not really thrilled they decided to make your life harder the second you got pregnant. Like that is going to help anything. It's also fucked up they don't know you well enough to know you wouldn't be messing around with a bunch of guys at once. I have no question thats my baby." He said ,as they walked to his car.

"I should have told you first. Their reaction is a big reason why it took me so long to tell you." She admitted as she got in the passengers side.

"I thought you were acting weird, but I figured it was just like when you were trying to date that Sam guy for a few weeks and just put a distance between us." Eric said, It had happened before. Sookie doesn't mess with him if she's going on dates. He respects that.

"Nope, just knocked up, and scared." She shrugged

"We can be scared together now." Eric said and kissed her hand again. She nodded and started to wonder why they couldn't be together, but then remembered it's only for the baby.

"My parents are mad I'm not married, and had sex in general." Sookie finally admitted. '

"Well, it was really good sex. I'm pretty sure it was when we fucked on the floor in your living room. That shit was passionate. I'm not shocked a baby come from that." Eric said with a smirk and Sookie just cracked up laughing.

"Probably." She snickered out once she stopped laughing so hard.

"Are you okay?" He asked sincerely as they drove.

"I actually feel a lot better since I told you. You didn't have the reaction I was expecting, but you are having the reaction that is in line with how you have behaved in the last few years. I'm not sure why I thought you were going to freak out and abandon us. Yeah, I'm not your girl or anything, but you have always been honest. I know you are responsible. I'm sorry I assumed the worst of you." She said and looked like she was going to cry again.

"Don't you dare cry!" Eric yelled.

"I'm trying! I can't help it!" She said as the tears started falling.

"Why are you crying? I thought we were okay?" He pleaded.

"I don't know! I just feel so relieved." She sobbed.

"That makes you cry?" Eric asked confused looking between her and the road.

"Stop looking for things to be reasonable Eric! It's the hormones." Sookie yelled at him.

"Okay, sorry. I guess cry if you want to. I'll just sit here and squirm." He conceded.

"You're being so niiiiiiiiiiiiice" She sobbed, and Eric pulled over into a parking lot and unbuckled his seat belt and leaned over to her stomach and spoke to it.

"Hello fetus, I'm your father. I know we are just meeting, but I need you to chill the hell out on the hormones. Please, respect my authority or I will decorate your room in all neutrals. There will be nothing interesting to see. I have heard baby eye sight is shit for months, and it will be like living in a tope box." He patted her stomach and looked up at Sookie who was smiling with tears in her eyes, and he asked. "Better? Did they stop?"

"Yeah, they stopped." She said with a ragged breath as her tears slowed. Eric buckled back in and got back on the road.

"Babies really have bad eyesight?" Sookie asked.

"Yup, I was watching a show on tv about human development ,and apparently babies cant see shit thats not like 6" from their face for months. They can see like blobs of color and stuff, but they cant see definition. If you make a babies room all neutral it's like having them live in a void with no stimulation. Oh, and when you read to a baby and toddler moving your finger along the page so they start seeing and associating words early. Oh yeah, you can teach babies sign language and they will crap in the toilet at like 8 months." Eric said relaying everything he could remember about babies from that show.

"You watched a whole show about babies?" Sookie asked.

"No, It was like 4 shows and it covered different phases of human development. It was a very informative Saturday. I watched it during those 3 weeks we weren't talking because you were dating that guy, Sam. I also watched a show about the earths oceans. The ocean is a wild place." Eric said as he pulled up to the gate at his parents neighborhood. This wasn't the first time they had met Sookie, so he wasn't concerned. They had both met her at his apartment and he brought her here once to drop off a birthday gift for his Mom she helped him pick. He wasn't that concerned.

"You sat around and watched a bunch of educational TV when I was briefly dating someone?" She asked shocked. She had assumed he had been just finding girls at the bar like normal.

"Yeah, I don't know. I was feeling some sort of way. I can't even articulate what was going on in my head at the time." He admitted.

"I just figured you were still picking up girls at the bar like usual." She shrugged, not sure what to think.

"This may shock you, but I have only slept with you in the last 6 months, and in the last 3 years I have really tapered off picking up women over time. I really like our sexual chemistry. You know what I like, I know what you like. I like cuddling and talking with you after sex. I can't do that with just anyone. You have been my first choice for sex and company for a while." He said as he pulled into his parent circular driveway.

"I hate that I feel better you haven't slept with someone else since I've been pregnant. I have no right." She said blowing out a breath.

"It's fine, I had no right to feel conflicted about you actually dating someone. we're allowed to be complicated." Eric said just sitting in the car with her until they were ready to go in.

"We are great at sex with each other." She lamented.

"It doesn't have to end." Eric said hopefully.

"It's just not a good idea to continue. It complicates stuff with the baby." She sighed.

"It's not like I can get you even more pregnant." He laughed, and she smiled.

"We should go inside and tell your parents."

"Alright, let's do this. Don't be too stressed out. They aren't religious. I really don't think they are going to care." Eric said getting out and trying to assure her. He walked them right in the house and found his Mom in the kitchen trimming flowers over the sink.

"Hello Sookie! How are you dear, I haven't seen you since my birthday!" Sandy beamed and set down what she was doing to hug both Sookie and Eric.

"Umm, I'm okay." Sookie said nervously starting to fidget. Eric decided to just cut to the chase, and save Sookies nerves.

"Sookie is pregnant, I'm the father." He stated and Sandy took her hands and a huge smile came over her face.

"Oh! Congratulations! I'm going to be a grandmother!" Sandy squealed ,and hugged Sookie to her. "How far along are you? How are you feeling?" Sandy asked.

"12 weeks and I feel really tired all the time, but other wise good." Sookie said, but then she started crying again and Eric leaned over and sternly spoke to her stomach.

"What did I tell you about that?"

"No Eric…. It's not the hormones. Its… your Mom is happy about the baby, and my parents think it's a dirty mistake. This is the first person who has been automatically happy about the baby. I know we're happy now, but even we had to adjust. I'm disappointed in my parents even more." She said while she cried.

"Oh sweetie, you two are grown adults and Eric is so smitten with you and has been for years." Sandy said.

"Mom!" Eric hissed.

"What Eric? She's the only girl I have ever met, you talk about her when we see you, you got her pregnant and you seem just fine telling us. You're in love and having a baby, It's not a crime." Sandy said waving her hand in the air as if brushing away his ire. "I'm going to grab Victor and your baby pictures. Get an idea of what your baby will sort of look like." She finished and left the room.

"Sookie….." He started, but didn't know what to say. He wasn't in love with Sookie, Or at least he didn't think he was.

"That was pretty couply... You must be having a coronary." She said with a smile.

"Maybe our parents just don't know either of us well? Or my Mom knows me too well…" Eric said and starting staring off looking distressed.

"We don't have to dissect this all today, we have a lot of other things going on. Let's just put a pin in your Mom thinking you are in love with me." Sookie said.

"Works for me." He said making finger guns at her and pew pew noises that made her laugh.

"My Son is having a baby!" Victor preened, as he walked in and clapped a big hug on Eric. He turned and looked at Sookie and blew out a relieved breath. "Oh thank God it's with her, darling I forgot your name. I apologize." Victor said to sookie.

"It's Sookie." She said as he politely shook her hand.

"Yes, that's right. Well, at least this isn't going to be some complicated matter. You two already have whatever thing you do. Are you, getting married?" Victor asked.

"No, Sookie doesn't want to get married because she's pregnant." Eric said saving her from having to answer.

"Eh, doesn't matter as long as the baby is loved. Something Sandy and I have always agreed on is how much we love Eric." Victor said and Sandy nodded, but had a sad smile on her face.

"The baby will be loved." Eric said sincerely.

"So!" Victor clapped. "We should celebrate! I feel like I should order a cake." Victor said with a smile and Sandy laughed.

"How about we throw a little Party on Monday night when Eric's bar is closed so Pam can come too. We'll get the baby their first cake. Is that okay with you two? I really feel like celebrating too." Sandy said cheerfully.

"Uuummmmm…. Sookie?" Eric asked leaving it up to her, she was still just reeling from the different reactions between her family, and Eric's.

"Yeah, Monday is fine for me." She said and took Eric's hand.

"Great, we'll invite your family too. Make it a little mixer since we will be sharing a piece of our families." Sandy said getting her note pad. Sookie just hung hr head and Eric stood from the stool he was sitting at at the counter and wrapped himself around Sookie who was crying again.

"It'll just be us, maybe a few close friends. Sookie's family isn't really happy about the baby." Eric said and Victor balked.

"How are they not happy? New baby, what's not to love?" He scoffed, but Sookie just cried harder into Eric.

"They accused her of not knowing for sure I'm the father, and they are angry we aren't getting married on top of mad she had sex at all." Eric explained, as calmly as he could.

"Yuck, puritans." Sandy said and shook her head.

"You were two when your mother and I got married. Who cares?" Victor said, making a stink face.

"We can't predict the future." Eric shrugged, but Sookie was looking distressed. She knew Eric's parents had issues with fidelity. Would she marry Eric later and he would start straying?

"Sookie, come let me show you some thing here in my office.' Sandy said, seeing the distressed look when Victor mentioned their marriage.

"Ummm, sure." Sookie said.

"Come, Eric. We will start planning a trust for the baby and for Sookie so she is protected if anything happens to you." Victor said and wrapped his arm around Eric who was looking at Sookie as his mother guided her away.

"Sookie, I assume you and Eric speak quite frankly." Sandy started after she shut the door to her office.

"I mean, I suppose." Sookie nodded.

"Victor likes men, Eric is not aware. He thinks his infidelity has been philandering with scores of women. Victor and I were best friends, Eric was the result of an effort by Victor to 'be normal' if you will. Things were different 30 years ago. We got married so he could take his position in his fathers company. There are reasons we do not pressure Eric to work in the company, he wants his bar, so he can have his bar in peace. We had Pam later because I wanted another child and Victor loves me, so we had another child." Sandy explained.

"Why not just tell Eric the truth? He doesn't want to commit to a woman so he won't break her heart. He thinks cheating is inevitable. Victor would really rather his son thinks him a cheater then gay? Eric said you are saddened by it, hurt by the cheating." Sookie finished confused.

"I'm not hurt by Victor having other relationships. We are each others soul mates. I'm hurt that I can never be everything to him. I love him romantically and it's not reciprocated. That hurts, but it's not his fault. We are still growing old together and love one another." Sandy explained.

"Wow…. y'all should come clean to Eric. Hell, Pam is gay." Sookie said.

"Pam knows." Sandy admitted.

"Oh for Gods sake, just tell Eric!" Sookie said ,exasperated she now needed to keep this secret too.

"I'll talk to Victor, it's now my secret to tell." Sandy said calmly like she isnt putting Eric is a horrible place.

"Sandy, how do you think Eric will feel knowing he is literally the last to know and has created a whole complex around women, dating ,and love thats based on a falsehood?" Sookie whisper yelled.

"I mean how bad could it really be? He's with you and you two are having a baby." Sandy said confused.

"We aren't together! We never have been! We were just friends with benefits for years. We've never been in a date, Eric cant even commit enough to give me a birthday gift, or even text me on Christmas. Are you freaking kidding me? How bad could it be? We aren't even sleeping together anymore because we need to just focus on the baby. Oh my God. Messy, you are being messy." Sookie whisper yelled ,and scolded.

"But he loves you….." Sandy said so confused.

"No Sandy, he doesn't. Because you guys broke him with freaking lies letting him create his own explanations." Sookie said flopping into a chair. She really needed a nap. Here she was thinking telling Eric she was pregnant was going to be the weird part of the day.

They both looked up when they heard yelling from Eric and victor across the house. Sookie stood up, and scurried towards the sound with Sandy right behind her.

"SO LITERALLY EVERYONE KNEW BUT ME? I THOUGHT YOU WERE CHEATING ON MOM SINCE I WAS 15!" Eric screamed.

"I told you, literally exactly what I just said." Sookie said, crossing her arms ,and looking at Sandy less than amused.

"What?" Eric said turning to Sookie.

"I just found out that from your Mom. I told her you'd be pissed being the last to know and spending your whole adult life with bad intelligence that has shaped every choice you made." Sookie said.

"WHY DO WE KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER THAN OUR PARENTS KNOW US?" Eric yelled, grabbing Sookie and clutching her to him. Sookie just shrugged and rolled her eyes.

"This reaction is why I never told you." Victor said defeated.

"Oh stop it, I don't give a shit you're gay and Mom is your beard. I'm pissed you didn't tell me and let me think the evidence of you… oh shit, Uncle Felipe is your boyfriend isn't he?" Eric said putting all of the pieces together.

"That relationship between the three of us is complicated. Boyfriend isn't the right term." Victor said, like thats what the issue was.

"Okay…. So Mom is what to you?" Eric asked.

"She's my soulmate." Victor said plainly.

"You two are messy." Eric said.

"Thats what I said too!" Sookie exclaimed ,making Eric smile.

"Yeah, but now I'm messy too because of these nerds." Eric complained and took a deep breath. "We're going to leave now."

"Are you still coming Monday?" Sandy said with sadness in her voice.

"Of course! You guys are stupid, but still my parents. The baby is still coming. Fetus Northman still deserves their party." Eric said, looking at his Mom like she was crazy.

"Fetus Northman." Sookie giggled next to him, and Eric smiled down at her.

"I'm not going to be over this for a while, but we're going to put it in a box as it's own issue for the sake of little Fetus." Eric said and his parents both nodded.

Eric led Sookie out and back to his car. They got in, he turned and said.

"Lets go get dinner, what are you feeling?"

"Mexican." Sookie replied simply.

"You got it, Baby." Eric said and pulled away from his parents house and drove to a Mexican restaurant. They got seated and ordered. They were chit chatting about baby names and eating the chips and salsa when Sookie said.

"You know, this is the first time we have ever been out to eat together."

"Really? In the three years we have been acquainted, biblically, we have never gone to dinner?" Eric asked shocked, and really thought about it. God damn, she's right.

"Yeah, we have eaten together, but all of the time we have spent together has been in my apartment or yours. Sure, we have spent time together that wasn't just humping. We ordered delivery, we sometimes watched movies. We cuddled and talked. We just never did anything out and about, other than when we went shopping for your moms birthday gift and then dropping it off to her." Sookie said expanding on what she said.

"I'm sorry…. I always loved our time together. For me, it was like my little slice of paradise. Peace away from the real world." Eric said.

"Plus, you don't take girls on dates." Sookie reminded him.

"I mean, but you aren't girls, you're Sookie." Eric said, seemingly far away in thought.

"Well, we'll be spending a lot more time together now." Sookie snorted.

"Yeah, we're a family now. We better spend time together." Eric said seemingly snapping back to earth as the waiter brought them their food. They ate and chatted again. They decided to go look at baby stuff on the way home. They bought a box of diapers to 'break the seal' on the baby as Eric said. When they got home Eric followed Sookie into her apartment.

"Eric, I told you I'm tired. I'm going right to bed." Sookie said.

"Yeah, I heard. I'm tired too." Eric replied, walking himself back to her room and took his shirt off and tossing it onto the chair in the corner.

"Eric, what are you doing?" Sookie asked as she watched him take off his pants too, and slipped into her bed.

"I'm going to bed." He said and patted the bed for her join him. She slipped off her clothes and put on a night gown. Not worrying about what he was seeing. They literally created another human, modesty seemed moot at this point.

"In my bed with me? We're supposed to be just focusing on the baby." Sookie said standing by the bed just looking at him.

"Sookie, just get in. Tell me you don't want to snuggle after the day we have had." He said, looking at her like she was crazy.

"Fine, but no sex." She said firmly and slid in next to him, wrapping herself around him.

"Of course, you're exhausted. You cant enjoy sex half asleep." Eric said cheekily.

"Eric!" Sookie laughed.

"Night, Sookie." Eric said and placed his hand on her stomach. "Goodnight, Fetus." Sookie giggled, and cuddled in falling asleep almost instantly

18 weeks

"Eric, wake up. It's sex day!" Sookie squealed next to Eric in bed.

"Mmmm, okay." He mumbled sleepily as he rolled over on her and pulled her down to start kissing down her neck making her giggle.

"No, Eric. The sex of the baby."

"Okay, but we can have sex too, first." He reasoned and kept rubbing his hands on her.

"Stop tempting me, I'm so horny." She whiled and wrapped her arms around him.

"If you're horny, then let's have sex. we sleep in the same bed every night, why can't we have sex? Why can't we just be together?" Eric asked, rubbing his face on her.

"Because, it's only because of the baby. You didn't want me like that before I got pregnant." She said sadly.

"I did, I just have the emotional range of a potato and didn't understand what I was feeling or what I was doing. I was faithful to you for 6 months before I knew you were pregnant just because you were in my mind, my preference. I wanted you, and didn't recognize it. Now, being with you all the time makes me want to be with you so badly." Eric said almost whining at the end.

"I don't want this all to go tit's up in a few months or years, then our baby has to deal with broken up parents." Sookie whispered.

"Or in a few years, I'll still love you just as much ,and we will have another baby. We can't tell the future Sookie, why not just be together?" Eric asked again.

"You'll still love me just as much?" Sookie said in shock.

"You know I love you, stop acting surprised." He said with a smile and went back to kissing her, he lifted up her nightgown and started rubbing his hands on her small bump. "Good morning Fetus, I love you too." He said to her stomach.

"You're stupid." Sookie said, still not sure what to make of everything.

"I know, now can we have sex?" He asked.

"Fine, but I want it rough and nasty. I'm so freaking ready." She said and screamed in surprise when he leaned down and bit the inside of her thigh.

"Rough and nasty I my specialty. We haven't had sex in months, so you are in for a treat." He grinned and got right down to business.

Two hours later they were ready and getting in the car to go to her doctors appointment.

"I should have let you fuck me sooner." She said as they got on the road.

"I agree, I am sort of glad we spent the least 6 weeks forming a relationship less based on sex. We now know for sure that our feelings for one another aren't just the sex. It's really really good sex, but there is more to us than that." He said after a thoughtful moment.

"I hadn't thought about that. Can I be honest, in a crazy way real quick?" Sookie asked.

"Yeah, hit me with some insanity."

"Sometimes, when you are at the bar at night I get super stressed thinking about other girls hitting on you." She admitted.

"I get hit on all the time, but I only have eyes for you. I direct all the vermin to Clancy and Chow. I actually start talking about my pregnant girlfriend as soon as I realize I'm being propositioned now. It's been my move for the last month or so." He said with a smile.

"So, you tell all the hot bar flys about me and fetus? Wait, I wasn't your girlfriend for the last month." She said confused.

"I tell everyone you're my girlfriend. You hadn't accepted me as your boyfriend yet, but you were my girlfriend. I've been taken for a while. Ask Pam, she called me insufferable the other day because I never stop talking about you and fetus all the time."

"Amelia has been saying I need to get over myself and just admit we're together." Sookie said with a sigh.

"I have always liked Amelia. We should hang out with her more." Eric said nodding approvingly.

"Do you have any friends looking to date? Amelia is buckling down and looking for a relationship now." She said, Amelia had actually asked if Eric had any friends she could meet.

"Trey, Alcide, Bobby and Calvin are single right now." Eric offered.

"Eww, no Calvin. He had sex with his half sister." Sookie said with a gag.

"To be fair, only twice, and I didn't know about that when we became friends." Eric said in his defense.

"First, doing it more than once makes it worse. Second, it's fine he's your friend, he just cant date MY friend."

"That leaves Trey, Alcide and Bobby." Eric said narrowing they list.

"Is Alcide still pining for Debbie? The bitch stabbed him, and he still took her back last time." Sookie reminded him.

"Yeah, no Alcide. I don't think he's been off Debbie long enough for me to trust he's 100% done with her yet. That just leaves Trey and Bobby. Neither of which are really that offensive."

"They are very inoffensive men." Sookie said thinking.

"Invite her to the bar, and I'll invite Trey and Bobby. We'll say it's to reveal the sex of the baby and let nature take its course. If there is chemistry, great. If not, we don't get blamed for a bad set up or raising hopes." Eric suggested as he pulled into the parking garage for the doctor.

"I like how you think." Sookie said satisfied and took his hand as they walked into the doctors office.

The anticipation was THICC with two C's while they were waiting. Their appointment time came and went and they were both getting ancy waiting. They NEEDED to know the sex of the baby. It was killing them both. 45 minutes past their appointment time they were finally called back. That was after Eric had asked twice if they were next. The ultrasound was after the appointment with the doctor ,and Sookie got on the table and the tech started measuring the baby.

"Everything looks great. Nice healthy baby. Do you want to know the sex?" The tech asked them after about 20 minutes of doing her thing while they waited and looked at the screen.

"Yes!" They both said at once and the tech grinned.

"Looks like it will be a little girl." The tech said pulling up the image and pointing at the screen.

Sookie started doing a little happy dance and kicking on the table. Eric was just stone still, mouth hanging open, his hand still holding Sookies.

"Eric, are you okay?" Sookie asked when she realized he was freaking out a little.

"Yeah, we're having a daughter. Fetus Northman is a girl. Sorry…. It suddenly just got really real." He said quietly.

"Are you disappointed?" Sookie asked, maybe he really wanted a boy.

"No, I had no preference. Honestly, I hadn't thought much past finding out if it was a boy or girl. I'm seeing tutu's and nail polish… I have the urge to buy a gun suddenly. Sookie, we need to move. We can't raise our daughter in apartments. She needs a yard for her power wheels!" Eric said suddenly realizing he is not ready for his daughter and needs to get his ass in gear.

"Honey, she isn't even born yet. She's years away from power wheels." Sookie said sitting up after wiping the goo off her stomach and patting his shoulder.

"Finding a house good enough for you and our daughter will take time! You don't even really live with me yet!" He nearly yelled, getting high pitched.

"I'm going to give you two a moment." The tech said and turned on the lights and walked out of the room.

"Eric…." Sookie said trying to get his attention.

"ERIC!" Sookie snapped and he finally zoned back in.

"Yeah." He answered breathlessly.

"Eric, we haven't spent a night apart in 6 weeks. We basically live together. We are together as of this morning. I cant afford to move. You need to remember, we are neighbors because you live below your means, and I'm living a bit over mine. I can't move, especially not with having to do 12 weeks unpaid maternity leave." Sookie said gently.

"What are you talking about, Sookie? You and Fetus are extensions of me. If I can afford it, you can afford it. Even if you weren't my girl I would never not take care of the mother of my child. When you prosper Fetus prospers. And 12 weeks Sookie? You're only going to spend 12 weeks bonding with fetus before you go back to work? She will only be 3 months old! She won't even be crisp yet!" Eric said freaking out.

"Oh my God… three months old…." Sookie said when the reality of how short maternity leave really is set in. "But I have to work I have bills to pay!" Sookie said now meeting his panic.

"DO YOU?" Eric said getting high pitched again. His arms flailing.

"Of course I do! I have to pay my phone…." She started listing.

"Go on my plan." Eric replied.

"Rent and utilities.

"Move in with me, and move with me to a proper house in a good school district."

"My storage unit."

"Move into the house, empty the unit." Eric said like it. Was so simple.

"We have only been together for 5 hours!" Sookie yelled.

"We have been together for three God Damn years, and have been pretty damn committed for almost the last year, Sookie. We aren't strangers and you know damn well how I feel about you. I have never lied to you and you know damn well I don't do shit that I don't want to. You're making up hell scenarios in your head that don't and will never exist. I'm In! I'm all in! You're the one who is out. You're the one not committing. You're the one finding every random reason true or false to keep me at arms length. You want to keep your exit plan, and keep betting against us, fine." Eric said absolutely seething, and wildly gesturing from across the room. Sookies mouth was hanging open, blinking and staring.

"Make your next appointment, I'll be in the car." Eric said and walked across the room and out the door.

Sookie got up and calmly walked to the counter to make her next appointment. Apparently, the rooms aren't soundproof because she was getting a lot of stares, which she probably deserved. Eric was right. She was the one not committing. She was the one trying to keep an escape route. Eric was right, she didn't want to leave her 3 month old baby for 8 hours plus a 30 minute each way commute. She wanted to breastfeed and she couldn't do that when she isn't around her baby for 9 hours a day. Eric was offering her everything she wants, both in life, and what she has wanted from him for a very long time. Why was she so scared? She took a deep breath and walked to the car where She could see Eric sitting ,and gripping the steering wheel, clearly still aggravated. She opened the door and slid in before she said.

"So, meadow hills is a nice neighborhood with good schools. Its only 20 minutes from the bar. It's closer to your parents too. I'd like to stay in the city though. My parents live in the sticks and I hate having to drive an hour to get anywhere, and I don't want you to have a long commute to the bar." She said trying to act like she wasn't just trying to take a fat dump on their relationship that Eric was working so so hard to make her feel secure in.

"What?" He said looking at her like she was insane.

"I think Meadow Hills is a good place to start looking at houses." She said with a sweet smile.

"Houses for the three of us? you, me ,and fetus?" He asked slowly to clarify.

"Yes, and I think I might not go back to work until I'm done breastfeeding. I'm an office manager. Theres really no way I could pump the amount of time I would need to and do my job. The phones ring every 5 minutes, I can't be pumping every two hours." She said still being sweet, and giving Eric a guilty smile.

"And your apartment?" He asked now starting to smile himself.

"Huge waste of money, I can barely afford it as it is." She said with a giggle.

"I have a gift for you, and not just because you are giving me my way. I got this specifically for this appointment as a keepsake for the day we found out the gender." Eric pulled out a jewelry box from the glove compartment, and handed it to her. Sookie opened it and it was a gold necklace that had two rings interlaced and one ring had S's all around it and the other had E's.

"Wow…." She said looking at it. It was beautiful, and yellow gold just like she liked her jewelry. It might not be trendy, but it was what she liked.

"So, it symbolizes that you and I are tied together first. Our relationship exists independent of Fetus, and that we are a family, but you and I were lovers first and I don't plan on letting that change. You and me, Sookie. Linked together forever." Eric explained and put the necklace on her. Sookie of course started crying.

"Oh Eric….."

"Stop crying." He laughed and wiped her tears with his thumbs.

"This looks expensive." She said through her tears.

"It was, but get used to it. I spoil my Lover." He said with a smile.

"How many lovers have you had?" She smiled and touched her necklace, opening the sun visor mirror to look at it.

"Just you, I'm not into spending money on women I'm not planning on keeping." He said as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Wow, you're a cheap skate." Sookie giggled.

"No, I'm fiscally responsible." He countered.

"You live cheap." Sookie said.

"No, I'm frugal. I could live in some fancy ass condo or big ass house, but I am the only one living there and 5 years ago when I opened the bar, I spent all of my time there I really only slept at my apartment and sometimes I didn't even do that because I would close at 3am and have a liquor delivery at 7am, so I just slept on the couch in my office. There was no point in spending the money. Plus, this is the closest apartments to my bar. I could walk there if I wanted to. Now I have a bunch of money of my own saved up and or invested so I can shower my lover and baby girl with anything their hearts desire. Also, If I had lived anywhere else you wouldn't have been my next door neighbor and I wouldn't have my family, so yeah." Eric said pulling into the mall parking lot.

"Eric, I think we need to be honest about finances. I have no money. I have 8k in savings, and I only have about $500 left each month after I pay my bills. I also spend too much money shopping. I have 5k in credit card debt, and bad credit." She said sheepishly.

"I know, and you have a bad amazon and Target habit. It's fine." He said with a shrug.

"I'm bad with money." She said more seriously.

"I know, I'm very good with money ,and I have a lot of it. We're going to be fine." He assured her.

"Why are we at the mall?" Sookie asked.

"So we can shop for fetus now that we know she's a girl." He said with a grin.

"SHOPPING!" Sookie said excitedly and clapped her hands.

"Yup, hey can I ask you a question?" He said as he got out of the car and they started walking in.

"Why do you have a savings, but pay monthly interest payments on a credit card, and just keep throwing that money away?" He asked

"I was trying to make an emergency fund." She answered.

"How much is your minimum payment?"

"$170."

"You're spending over $2,000 a year just paying interest on the credit card. If you just paid it off and maintained a low balance you could replace your savings in a little less than 8 months and then save an additional 2k a year." He explained, not in a judgmental way.

"My parents said I needed an emergency fund before I paid off debt. Where did you learn this stuff?" Sookie asked.

"My Dad was big into teaching us money management when we were kids. I'm going to pay that card off, paying 2k a year in interest makes my teeth itch and I want you to keep your savings private for yourself." Eric said as they walked into the mall holding hands.

"You don't need to do that. I'll pay it off ,and work on building my savings back during the rest of the time I'm pregnant." Sookie said feeling guilty.

"No I insist, I want you to have a nice little private savings so you don't feel like you are so dependent on me you cant leave if you want to. If you don't have that kind of security I worry you'll freak out." Eric said.

"I would not freak out." She said indignantly.

"You freaked out an hour ago in the doctors office." He said plainly.

"Touche." She said and Eric smiled.

"Okay, so let's go shop for Fetus."

"We need to stop calling her Fetus." Sookie said as they walked into the first department store.

"Should we call her Fetette? Fetas?" Eric chuckled.

"No." Sookie giggled. "She should get a real name." Sookie pulled a little sleeper off the wall that said 'Daddy's Girl' making and adorable awwwww noise. Eric took it, and held onto it. That was coming home with them.

"Tiffany?" Eric suggested.

"No, too 80's." Sookie said looking at little denim baby jumpers.

"Jessica?" He said and grabbed a little 3 pack of baby headband bow things.

"Have you slept with a Jessica?" Sookie asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Okay, no Jessica. How about Penny?" He offered with a sheepish smile.

"I like Penny, Penny Northman." Sookie tested. "Oh shit! Thats it, thats her name!" Sookie yelled.

"Perfect, done and dusted. We are efficient. I texted my Dad to have his Realtor call me so we can look at houses. I'd rather move before Penny is born." Eric said, looking at a shelf of bottles that all seemed to have a ton of features. Who knew baby bottles had features other than feeding they baby?

"We're really doing this?" Sookie asked.

"Sookie, 6 weeks ago I thought you called me because you were ready to have sex again, and you were over whatever you had going on. Today, we just named our baby girl. Do you want to know how I feel abut all this even though its sudden and fast?" Eric asked looking at her seriously.

"How do you feel?" She asked softly.

"I'm fucking pumped, and the idea of ever going back to where I was 6 weeks ago makes me sick to my stomach. When I said I'm in, I meant it. I'm all in. I'm still going to fuck you through the mattress, on the floor, against the wall, in the shower, in my car, in your car, on the kitchen table…. Just everywhere. I'm still me, and you're still you. We're just us with purpose and direction now." He said sincerely and with a smirk.

"You are so confident." She lamented.

"I'm a confident man, Sookie. If I wasn't confident I wouldn't have had the audacity to follow you back from the mail boxes 3 days after you moved in, and start seducing you."

"But…. We had sex the day we met." She said.

"Exactly, I only had to seduce you for three hours before you submitted to my charms." He said bending to kiss her.

"You're very charming, and good at sex." She agreed and kissed him back.

"I am, but you are too. There is a reason I stopped having sex with other people. You stole my heart and my dick." He said and Sookie bent over laughing.

"Sookie Stackhouse, dick thief." She giggled.

"I'm glad you understand." He ginned and they continued buying random baby girl things and getting more excited as they went.

24 weeks

Sookie was laying on the couch eating chips and guacamole when she saw and felt her stomach move.

"Oh my God!" She squealed and jumped up. Eric could finally feel the baby move! She threw on a dress real quick and some sandals and ran out to her car, getting in a driving straight to the bar. It was still early on a Thursday so she found parking easily, and ran inside.

Eric was standing next to the bar talking to his bartender Chow and Pam was standing with them also. Sookie ran up and Eric looked concerned because Sookie hates his bar and never comes there.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked with alarm.

"Eric, get a load of this!" She yelled and slammed her bowl of chips and guacamole on the bar making him quirk his eyebrow. She took his hand and set it on her bump and took a bite. It took three bites, but Penny finally preformed, and Eric whole face lit up.

"Oh my God! I can feel her moving!" He yelled, and he felt it make the baby jump and he leaned down and quickly apologized, and told Penny how much he loved her.

"Scoot over, Eric let me feel!" Pam whined, and shoved at him.

"No! It's my baby, get your own!" He shoved back.

"I'm a lesbian, I can't make a baby on accident!" Pam growled.

"It wasn't an accident, it was incredibly passionate sex where there was no chance we didn't create life." He growled. Pam and Eric kept shoving at one another.

"You cant make a baby just from passionate sex!" Pam said gritting her teeth and trying to use her entire body to shove Eric. Sookie just kept eating her chips ,and let them go at it.

"Clearly, You can because I did." Eric said taking one arm and shoving her back. At this point Chow retreated and went to the other side of the bar.

"No you didn't, her birth control failed, and you weren't using condoms with her." Pam growled and started slapping him.

"Her birth control failed because of the sheer passion of our fucking! Get away jealous!" Eric yelled.

"Let me feel my Niece!" Pam yelled.

"No! It's my baby and I'm not done!" He yelled back.

"Sookie is going to run out of the baby food and she will stop moving before I have a chance to feel!" Pam whined.

"Good." Eric said with wide, almost crazy eyes.

"LET ME FEEL THE BABY!" Pam shrieked at a decibel every dog in a 10 mile radius could hear, attracting every set of eyes in the bar. Sookies hands shot up to cover her ears it was so loud and high pitched. Eric scowled and finally moved, and let Pam put her hand on Sookies stomach. Penny was scared as hell from the pterodactyl call Pam made and was really moving around at that point.

"Wow…. " Pam said in awe. "Eric, you really made a baby." Pam said looking up at him.

"I sure did." He said with pride.

"I can't believe it. Like I knew obviously, but this feels so real now. You're going to be a father." Pam said wistfully.

"Yeah, it really hit me when we found our she was going to be a girl. It's like you know, but then suddenly YOU KNOW." Eric said to her his eyes serious.

"I'm so proud of you." Pam said with a huge smile.

"I don't know what for. Sookie is doing all the work, all I did was have sex." Eric laughed.

"You know what I mean." Pam said quietly. Sookie just looked on as Eric and his sister went from physically fighting to bonding in less than a minute.

"Your relationship gives me whiplash." Sookie said, finishing her snack.

"It's because Eric is easy to both hate, and love." Pam said.

"Hey, I am not easy to hate, you Hag!" Eric complained.

"Do you see what I mean, Sookie? Good luck with this ass hole." Pam said rolling her eyes and giving Sookies stomach one more pat before she walked away.

"I like you." Sookie said and Eric put his hands back on her stomach and kissed her.

"Do you love me?" He asked, looking at her with a smile.

"Mmmm." She said with a shrug, she knew where he stood. She was still working on sorting her feelings. Sometimes she still worried he was only doing It for the baby, and sometimes she wanted to marry him and have 3 more babies with him.

"I can wait." He smiled and kissed her again. "I have to do payroll, and I have do the new hire paperwork for the two new waitresses Pam hired. One may not last." Eric said, taking Sookies hand and leading her back to his office.

"Why is one not going to last?" Sookie asked sitting on the couch in front of his desk, and he walked around and sat behind his desk.

"Because she's a whore. both times I have met her since she was hired she has come onto me, and frankly, I have too much to lose if she goes full whore and someone gets the wrong idea. I wouldn't touch her with a 10 foot pole, thats not the issue. I just don't want her to touch me or something, and then I have to deal with issues and broken trust that I don't want to." Eric explained wanting to give full disclosure.

"What are you doing about her now?" Sookie asked.

"Processing her tax forms and scheduling her when I'm not here or when there is only minimal overlap, and I plan on doing my time management so I'm not on the floor when she is." Eric said and Sookie nodded.

"I feel jealous and insecure. I'm already not feeling my cutest because I'm getting fat." Sookie said making and unimpressed face.

"Sookie, you need to understand how sexy I find your body. You making our baby is a huge turn on for me. I got you pregnant, you're my girl, Penny is my baby. It makes me feel really manly ,and I want to fuck you all the time." He said, getting up and coming to come sit next to her on the couch.

"What about the stretch marks on my thighs and when I get too big for most sex positions, or when we cant have sex at all for a while after she's born?" Sookie asked on the verge of tears.

"Oh, you mean these?" Eric said lifting her skirt, and running his hands over her thighs. "I'm responsible for these. They are my little marks that will always show that you had MY baby. They basically say 'Eric was here'." He said kissing her. "As for sex positions, sookie…. I am a creative man. Hell we own like 600 pillows, I can create you a little sex nest. After Penny is born you need to heal and recover from literally bringing life into the world. Don't feel like you have to have sex again right away. Even after the doctor says you're ready, it's about when you're ready. I can wait, plus we will have a newborn. I have a feeling thats going to be a learning curve on its own." He said and pulled her into his lap and kissed across her collar bone.

"Eric…." Sookie said ,and started crying.

"Hey! Stop that! What did I say about crying?" Eric said sternly to her.

"I can't help it! I just love you!" She sobbed and he smiled and hugged her.

"There it is. I knew you loved me."

"You smug, bastard." Sookie said playfully swatting him.

"I am, and thats why I have to make sure not to fuck it up with you. Who else would have me?" He smiled and kissed her again.

"I love you too, now are you going home or staying here until I leave?" Eric asked.

"I'm going to stay here." She said and he kissed her again and laid her down on the couch ,and laid the throw Sookie had previously Brought to have there over her. Eric smiled and went back to his desk to do the paperwork.

A little over an hour later his office door opened without a knock, which took him back and made him go rigid, because even Pam knocks before she comes in his office, and Pam is awful. Who he saw coming through the door made him sigh, he glanced at Sookie who was asleep on the couch and was about to tell Dawn to hit the bricks when she said.

"Eric, someone spilled whisky on my shirt, do you have a spare for me?" As she spoke she started lifting off her shirt right there in his office. he stood up and yelled AHHHHHHHH as he turned around waking Sookie up.

"Dawn put your shirt on." He said sternly, still turned around.

"Eric, you don't have to play coy." Dawn said flirtatiously.

"Nope, not coy. Put your shirt on. Is it on?" He asked in a huff. Dawn begrudgingly pulled her shirt back down. Sookie had been watching the whole thing from the couch just in shock and silence. The Hoe bot 5000 hadn't even registered her presence yet.

"Its on." Dawn whined.

"Good, Dawn I have no interest in you. My pregnant girlfriend is laying right there waiting for me so we can go home to our apartment we live in together. Outside of that, you still wouldn't have a chance I don't shit where I eat. That said, I'm going to have to let you go. You are a sexual harassment nightmare."Eric said ,and pointed to Sookie as he spoke. Dawn looked over at her. Sookie just weakly waved at her when their glances met.

"You're firing me?" Dawn asked incredulously. "I'll sue you it's your word against mine." She spat and crossed her arms.

"I have cameras in my office." Eric said and pointed to the corner where the security camera was sitting with its blinking red light indicating it's recording.

"Fuck you, this bar sucks anyway." Dawn huffed and ripped off her Valhalla shirt and threw it at Eric who made a eeeck noise, dodging the shirt. Dawn walked out in just her bra and black shorts.

"That was weird." Sookie said watching Eric use two pencils to pick up Dawns shirt and throw it in the trash like he was handling radioactive materials.

"Yeah, that was one of the weirder things that has ever happened in here. Thats not the norm so we are clear." Eric said before he turned to Sookie.

"You don't shit where you eat, but you fucked you immediate next door neighbor you share half your walls with 3 hours after you saw her getting her mail? Isn't that the ultimate shitting where you eat behavior?" Sookie asked with a smirk.

"No, that doesn't count because you're my soulmate. That was the universe dropping a gift in my lap. Completely different." He said dismissing her.

"I'm your soulmate now?" She giggled.

"Dammit Sookie, let me love you! Why are you so difficult?" He playfully sighed. Moving stuff on his desk, turning off his computer and getting ready to leave. He figured Pam could handle the rest of all of this.

"Sorry, is it weird I want more guacamole?" She asked as he took the throw off of her and stood her up grasping both of her hands.

"Nope, let's go get it for you." He said leading her out. Eric briefly stopped to talk to Pam before he walked out with Sookie to the parking lot.

"You go home, and I'll be a few minutes behind you. I'll have your guacamole and chips. I love you." He said walking her to her car and kissing her.

"I love you too. If some rainbow sherbet fell in the cart I wouldn't be mad at that either." She said with a smile.

"Your wish is my command. Be naked when I get there. I just want to bask in your pregnant nudity. I only get to take it in for a short time." He said with a grin and sookie blushed, and giggled.

"Okay…." She kept giggling and he kissed her again and watched her pull out before he went to his car to get what his girls needed from the grocery store.

28 weeks

"The more pregnant you get, the sexier I find you." Eric said as he tossed Sookie onto the bed and rubbed himself up her as she laughed.

"You smell good. I don't think you smelled this good to me before I got pregnant." Sookie said, wrapping her arms around him and sniffing.

"Thanks, I shower daily." He grinned, and took his shirt that Sookie was wearing off of her and kissed all over her belly.

"No, it's not that. You have always been clean. It's something else thats just an Eric smell that smells so so good to me now." She said and took a huge sniff like she was huffing him, and made and exaggerated moan and crossed her eyes. "Soooooo goooooooood." She groaned after, making Eric laugh.

"I'm glad we're both still into each other." He laughed.

"I'm surprised me getting fat and round turns you on. Who knew you were into pregnant chicks." She grinned and undid his pants.

"I'm not into pregnant chicks, in fact before you it was a distinct turn off. I'm into YOU pregnant with MY baby. Actually, I have always been super into you. Remember when you had that really bad flu year before last?" He asked pulling back and looking at her.

"Ewwww yeah." She replied.

"I still wanted to fuck you so bad even then. I came and made you soup, and washed your hair just to look at you because I was so hot for you, but obviously you had a fever so bad you were seeing snakes on the walls so sex was off the table, but I had to at least look at you. You know what, I'm so fucking dumb." Eric laughed and looked her right in the eye. "I have been so in love with you for a long time and I didn't even realize it. No one stares at fever ridden, snake hallucinating, sick women just because they HAVE to see them unless they are in love." He said coming to that realization.

"I'm so glad you got me pregnant." Sookie swooned. Eric leaned and kissed her now naked body. He had made short work of her shorts and underwear now.

"Me too, I needed the push to get my head out of my ass." He agreed.

"Okay, now fuck me." Sookie said breathlessly, pulling him down on top of her making him grinned get to work.

Later they were getting dressed to go look at houses again. Sookie put on a maternity dress, unless she was wearing Erics boxers around the house she had completely abandoned pants. They just irritated her stomach too much. Eric went with jeans and he tossed on the shirt of his Sookie had been walking around in earlier.

"We're looking at 10 houses today so comfortable shoes. Stop trying to act like wedges are comfortable. They are still heel's. you are just too pregnant for heels." Eric said as he tied his own shoes.

"Don't you tell me what to wear!" Sookie said aghast.

"I'm not carrying you because you cant wear your shoes anymore. I'll carry you for any other reason than that." Eric said sternly leaning back on the couch and crossing his legs meeting her stare without an ounce of fear. She could get crazy these days, but Eric had learned which hills to die on. Getting her to stop wearing heels was a cause he was willing to fight.

"You're an asshole!" She spat and threw her wedges back into the closet, and pulled out a pair of flat loafers.

"I sure am." He agreed, with a nod.

"I look like a freaking lawn gnome next to you!" She loudly complained.

"Thats not a reason to destroy your feet and make your ankles swell. I'm sorry I'm 6'5" I don't know how I'll ever make it up to you, but the fact of the matter is I cant shrink, and you cant grow. You're 7 months pregnant with the baby of a 6'5" man and you need to focus on comfort because your body is doing a lot of really hard work. Don't hurt yourself to look better for others." Eric reasoned, and Sookie started crying making him sigh. He got up and hugged her, just letting her get it out. He had found that was the best way to handle her mood swings these days.

"I love you so much." She sniffled.

"I love you too." He smiled and shook his head above her. She had gone from so horny she could die, to furious with him and throwing shoes, to crying , and now she loves him. The last two hours were a rollercoaster.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked, while she looked around and sort of spun in circles.

"I'm not sure. I feel like I'm forgetting something." She said narrowing her eyes.

"Phone, keys, purse, gigantic water cup?" Eric asked. She took stock and had it all.

"Yeah, I guess I'm ready. Penny wants Burger King on the way." She said as she followed him out of the apartment.

"Mmm, I could eat Burger King, are you gonna want anything?" He asked making her smile.

"Probably." She snickered. They walked to his car and got in. They stopped at Burger King first so 'Penny' could have nuggets, and 'Sookie' could have a burger. Fries had become a no go in The Northman home since she got pregnant. Potatoes in general were instant puke makers. Eric knew to not even order them for himself because just the sight would send her over the edge.

They pulled up to the first house, and their Real Estate agent Sam Merlot was already there.

"How are you doing, Eric? Ready for a marathon?" Sam asked.

"Yup, today is the day. We're going to find a house." Eric said optimistically. So far they had no luck. The houses either needed too much work, were too far from the bar, or were more than he could pay cash for, and he didn't want to take out a mortgage.

"Great, Sookie you are glowing." Sam complimented as he walked them into the first house unlocking the door.

"Thank you." Sookie smiled and walked past him ,and right into the house to get down to brass tacks. Eric followed behind her and saw the face she made looking at the small kitchen and said.

"This one is a no, she doesn't like the kitchen."

"I didn't say that." She admonished.

"Do you like the kitchen?" Eric asked with a smirk.

"No, it's too small and there isn't enough counter space. We'd have to remodel, if we could even make enough kitchen out of this space." She said deflating.

"Right, so next house." Eric said. They got in their cars and followed Sam to the next house that was in the same neighborhood.

"Eric, this is niiiiiiiiice." Sookie said as they looked at the upstairs bedrooms. Eric opened the curtains to see the view and waved Sookie over.

"Sookie…." He said concerned.

"Oh my God, the back yard has a cliff?" She gasped.

"So, next house?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, next house." She agreed.

"The next one is at the top of your budget, but I think it's going to check your boxes." Sam said texting Eric the address incase they got separated since it wasn't in this neighborhood.

"Oh, this is in my parents neighborhood." Eric said with interest when he got in the car and put it in the GPS.

"Eric we can't afford your parents neighborhood." Sookie gasped.

"RAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH…." Eric yelled exasperatedly, gripping the steering wheel shaking it a little.

"What?" She asked.

"This again? Really Sookie? I have the money! I have been saving for a house a long time. We can afford it. I don't want to move in 5 years with two or three little kids because we didn't just plan for expansion now. We need to be looking at long term homes we're going to live our whole lives in. Stop acting like we are broke. WE aren't. WE are a WE. Be part of the WE! GET ON THE DAMN TEAM, PLEASE!" He yelled in frustration.

"We're going to have two or three kids in 5 years?" She asked with a smile.

"Jesus Christ, you drive me nuts!" He laughed out, calming down.

"I just don't understand how you can be so cheap, and so willing to plunk so much down on a house." She said.

"First, I am not cheap. I am fiscally responsible." Eric said for the 5000th time to her.

"Your belt is worn so thin it's falling apart." She said.

"And it still holds my pants up. My point is, I haven't wasted money on lame stuff as an adult, so I can buy important stuff for you, and our kids." He reasoned.

"I'll try." She said, reaching to hold his hand, which he kissed as soon as she grasped him.

"Good, because the bar makes good money. I have lots of investments. I have my trust fund too if the shit ever really hits the fan, but it's a point of pride for me that I have never touched it. We are okay, Sookie. Would it be easier for you to be on the team if we got married?" He asked.

"Are you asking me to marry you during an argument?" She asked sounding pissed.

"No, I'm asking if you want to get married in general so you are more comfortable seeing things as ours and not just mine." He clarified, watching his tone. He knew he was on thin ice. He was sort of asking her to marry him, but knew he needed to pivot.

"I don't know, Eric. I don't want to get married just because I'm pregnant." She said sounding confused.

"Okay, then let's get married because we love each other, and we're going to have a bunch of blonde kids together over a number of years. Creating a whole family. it's not about you being pregnant. Being married is about you and me." He said flicking her necklace she was wearing that he had given her the day they found out the sex.

"Oh Ericcccccccc….." She sobbed as he pulled up to the house. Sam was already there. Eric rolled down the window and said.

"Sorry sam, We're gonna need a minute." Sam looked at the sobbing Sookie next to Eric and just nodded. He understood. He had gone through that with his wife Luna and their three kids.

Eric rolled up the window, unbuckled, and took her hands.

"Sookie, at some point in the near future I am going to ask you to marry me because I love you, not because you are pregnant. Will you please adopt the married to Eric mindset while we look at these houses, because I cant marry you this second, but we do need to find a house because we want to move before penny is born."

"Okay, I can do that." She sniffled and nodded.

"Perfect." He said and wiped her tears with his hands before he kissed her, and leaned down to kiss her stomach. "Now, let's go look at this house. I have a good feeling." He said with a smile and he nodded and came around to open her door for her.

They walked in the house and it was perfect. It had the 4 bedrooms and an office, but it didn't have the formal living and dining rooms sookie didn't want to have to clean and keep the kids out of. It had a huge kitchen, as well as a sun room on the back of the house that overlooked the yard that was cliff free and had a pool. It even had a partial basement that they envisioned as a playroom for the kids.

"Eric I like it." She whispered.

"Sam! Make an offer, quick! She likes it!" Eric yelled across the house. He wasn't missing this opportunity. Sookie hadn't liked any of the previous houses, and they had looked at dozens. Eric hoped because the house was already empty, and he was offering cash they could move this deal along. He knew his Mom would be thrilled her first grand child would be just a few minutes down the street. Which was a good thing, especially after they had all made peace after the bombshell dropped when he told them Sookie was pregnant.

32 weeks

"You have the dimensions of the nursery now, even if you can't move in yet you should start buying things. Just store it at our house until next month when you move in." Sandy said to Eric and Sookie while they walked around a baby store together.

"I don't even know what we need." Sookie lamented. She only has 8 weeks until her due date and other then clothes and knick knacks they hadn't really gotten anything practical for the baby yet.

"Lets start small, we need a car seat. We can get that today, and cross it off the list." Eric suggested.

"Are you not having a baby shower?" Sandy asked.

"Umm, well…. My family isn't really… umm we're not… no, no one is throwing a baby shower. I figured I would just buy what we need." Sookie finally sputtered out.

"Unacceptable, I'm your mother now. I'll do your baby shower." Sandy said with finality and opened the app for the store they were in to start a registry.

"Sandy, you don't have too…" Sookie started, but Eric was just grinning.

"Ah ah ah, call me Mom. I'm in charge of your mothering now." Sandy reiterated and Eric knew the tears were coming and preemptively hugged Sookie.

"Thank you." Sookie whispered from her spot against Erics chest.

"You should get a car seat today, or two… you know what, my car needs one too." Sandy said as they walked up to the display with car seats.

"These connect to the stroller, and we can all get the same one so it all works together." Eric said pointing.

"I don't like the yellow." Sookie said.

"We can order it online in purple." Sandy said holding up her phone.

"Okay, let's do that. Boom something done." Sookie smiled.

"Give me your phone, I'll buy them, and the stroller." Eric said reaching for his Mom's phone.

"Oops, too late. I already bought it. Apple Pay strikes again! It's a gift for the baby. Let me treat the baby…" sandy whined and Eric rolled his eyes.

They walked around a while longer, trying to think of good ideas for the nursery. Eric was really set on bright colors so the Penny could actually see her room. They grabbed more small things like swaddles and wipes. They added things to the registry. Eric liked he could just order the whole registry that wasn't purchased after the baby shower and not have to shop again. Very convenient, he thought. Eric was standing behind Sookie holding her stomach up for her to give her a break, resting his chin on her head leaned over while they looked at swings and bouncers when a short Blonde woman approached them.

"Mom?" Sookie asked. Eric stood straight up, gently letting go of Sookies stomach and tucked her protectively next to him.

"Susannah, how have you been?" Her mother asked.

"Umm, fine. Pregnant. Why are you here buying baby stuff?" Sookie asked taking in her cart that was full of things for a baby boy.

"Who is this?" Her mother asked, ignoring her question.

"I'm Eric, the father of the baby ,and her Boyfriend who never questioned if the baby was his for a second and didn't accuse Sookie of being a whore or call my child an illegitimate bastard." Eric said tightly, Sookie was going to admonish his rudeness, but decided to let him rip instead.

"Oh, but not married." She said with an edge to her voice looking at their hands for rings.

"What are you doing here?" Sookie asked again, Sandy had moved closer to them, ready to strike if she needs to.

"Oh… ummm…. Your brother got Crystal Norris pregnant. I was getting some things to get them started. It's a boy. What are you having?" Her mother asked and Sookies jaw dropped open, but Eric beat her to the punch.

"You canceled her health insurance, took her car back that she paid for half of, and called her a whore and ignored her for months while she was pregnant, but her brother knocks someone up and you buy them starter gifts? Oh Fuuuuuuuuuck no. You don't get to know what we are having. You're such a bitch!" He practically growled at her.

"How dare you!" Sookies mother gasped.

"Yes, Eric! How dare you! She's a two faced, sexist cunt! Not just a bitch, please… mind your words." Sandy said fake admonishing Eric. Sookie was just shaking and turning red next to him.

"I hate you." Sookie finally said, at a whisper.

"What?" Her mother asked.

"I hate you, I hate you so much!." Sookie spat, balling her fists and stomping one of her feet. Eric had pissed her off plenty while she was pregnant, but he had never seen her fist making and stomping mad. He decided to keep a tight hold on her just in case.

"You made everything harder and abandoned me when I needed you most! Eric had to fix everything you did! You know who has been here for me? Eric and his family, our friends. All you did was cause me heartache and stress. Yes, I am going to eventually marry Eric, we actually just bought a house. Our kids though? You won't ever see them. I don't want them exposed to the hatred you seep from every pore." Sookie seethed.

"You listen here, Missy…. You had sex out of wedlock, and got yourself in this mess. We are following christian values." Her mother shot back.

"Yeah, I did and I do all the time because sex with Eric is freaking awesome and I can't get enough! Theres nothing christian about trying to make a pregnant woman's life harder and withdrawing support! Shit!" Sookie started yelling. "YOU HAVE HATED ME SINCE THE MOMENT I WAS BORN A GIRL!"

"I didn't hate you because you are a girl, you are so melodramatic." Her mother said with an eye roll.

"I hate you, consider me no longer your daughter. Fuck you Michelle." Sookie seethed.

"Watch your mouth!" Her mother yelled and got in her face. Sandy reached out and slapped Michelle making her gasp.

"Walk away." Sandy demanded. Michelle stared for a moment, but finally did turn and leave without another word.

"Lover, are you okay?" Eric asked Sookie who was still breathing heavy and beet red.

"No, I need to sit down." Sookie finally said feeling a tightening in her stomach.

"Okay." Eric said and scooped her up bridal style. "Mom, take care of this I'm going to take her to the car." He said.

"Okay, honey." Sandy nodded.

Eric carried her out and put her in his car and crouched down taking her hands.

"Whats going on?" He asked, looking in her eyes.

"I got so pissed I think I had some contractions." She said now shaking and looking scared.

"Are you still having them?" He asked calmly, but internally he was freaking out a bit. It was way too early for her to have penny. if her mother triggered labor he would drive to her parents house and burn it down with them in it. He could promise that.

"No…. The last one was just as you picked me up. I'm scared." She said looking up at him.

"Okay, it's okay. lets just wait and see if you have any more." He put his hands on her stomach and she put her hands over his and they just sat there together and waited.

"Everything okay?" Sandy asked, walking up with the cart and bagged purchases.

"I think so. She thinks she had some contractions, but she hasn't had another in a while." Eric said trying to not be nervous.

"That can happen, theres also Braxton hicks contractions at this stage. If they are strong and regular, then you take it seriously. Are you hungry, honey? I think eating will help. We have been out for hours, you need to eat." Sandy said sweetly directing her attention to Sookie.

"I am hungry." Sookie nodded.

"Okay, what do you want?" Sandy asked.

"Guacamole, lots of it." Sookie answered truthfully.

"Mexican it is, and we will all order extra guacamole so Sookie won't feel weird ordering a bucket of guacamole." Sandy said with a smile and Sookie nodded. It did make her feel better knowing the waiter wouldn't think she was eating all that guacamole alone. I mean she was…. But she didn't want the waiter to know.

"I love you." Eric said after they all got in the car.

"I love you too." Sookie nodded, still a little out of it.

"Sex with you is the best, I'm glad we did it. You're my soulmate." Eric said still looking at her.

"You're my soulmate too." Sookie said, nodding her head trying to stop crying.

"You two are so precious." Sandy said From the back seat and Eric rolled his eyes at his mother ruining the moment and drove to the Mexican restaurant with Sookies favorite guacamole.

36 weeks

"Eric, I'm huge…. This can't be normal. I have a whole month to go still." Sookie whined trying to find something to wear to the baby shower.

"I'm a big man, Sookie. Did you think my baby was going to be petite? Even Pam is 6'. I was a 13 pound baby and Pam was 12 pounds." Eric said as he helped her get the dress that was stuck on her now giant boobs off of her.

"THIRTEEN POUNDS! ERIC WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME THAT?" Sookie screamed.

"I just told you right now, It hasn't come up before." He said with a smirk. He bent over to her vagina and said. "Good luck little buddy." As he laughed.

"Eric!" Sookie yelled and smacked him as she laughed.

"I need something to wear." She sighed.

"Just wear one of my shirts." Eric said with a shrug. She was stretching them all out anyway, might as well make them all match.

"I can't wear one of your shirts to my baby shower." She scolded in a huff.

"I mean, you can. You just don't want to." He replied plainly.

"I'm going to murder you." She hissed.

"No you aren't, we have to move next week and you cant lift anything. You need me for the manual labor." He said with a smile and she just walked to him in her underwear and hugged him.

"Nothing fits." She said sadly.

"Want to call Pam on the fashion bat phone?" Eric asked, normally he didn't want his sister in his home, but this was an emergency and Pam had a way of making outfits happen. He once needed a black suit and she was at his door in 45 minutes with one that seemed to have been made just for him. He still had that suit, it was a great suit.

"Oh my God… is this a fashion emergency?" Sookie asked with a smile.

"I think it is, Lover." He said, pulling out his phone.

"Okay, make the call." She said nodding seriously at him. He pressed call on Pam's contact and put the call on speaker phone.

"What?" Pam barked to answer.

"Sookie is having a fashion emergency. Nothing fits her and she has to be at the baby shower in 3 hours." Eric said.

"I'm on my way." Pam said seriously and hung up on him.

"This was either a great idea, or a terrible one." Eric said and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Lets just hope I don't have to resort to wearing your mega death T-shirt to my baby shower." Sookie smiled.

"If you have to, that is okay too." Eric chuckled.

"Ughhh, I have to pee again. I swear I spend more time peeing than not peeing." Sookie lamented and waddled into the bathroom.

"The new house has one of those fancy heated toilets in the master so you will be peeing in maximum comfort by next week." Eric called to her in the bathroom.

"Glass half full, I guess." Sookie called back.

She came back out and pushed Eric on the bed when she walked out and curled up next to him. He gently caressed her stomach, and groped her boobs just a little. He knew the planet sized tittys were temporary and was getting his monies worth while he had access to them. They laid like that until there was a knock on the door. Eric got up and opened it.

"Get out of my way." Pam said as she shoved past him holding a pile of garment bags, walking to their bedroom.

"Oh Hey, Pam. Nice to see you too." He said sarcastically as he shut the door and followed her to the room.

"Answer my questions." She barked at sookie who was still laying on her side on the bed, but now holding some pillows.

"Okay."

"Barbies, faries, or dollies?"

"Faries." Sookie answered.

"Leather, lace, or cotton?"

"Lace."

"Hot or cold?"

"Cold."

"Ice cream, sorbet, or gelato?"

"Sorbet, ohhhh Eric go get me some from the freezer." Sookie said and he just held up a thumbs up and went to go get it for her.

"Me or Eric?" Pam asked with a grin, wagging her eyebrows.

"Eric, Pam…. I'm having his baby! Stop hitting on me!" Sookie laughed.

"Can't blame me for trying." Pam smirked and pulled up the garment bag from the bottom of the pile and handed it to her. "This is your dress."

Sookie opened it and was in awe. It was perfect. It was a soft pink, billowy dress that had long off the shoulder sleeves with the skirt that was huge that would drape perfectly over her bump that had both lace and tule.

"It's perfect!" Sookie yelled, hoisting herself up. Eric walked back in with her scoop of sorbet and looked at the dress.

"Okay, calling Pam was a great idea." He smiled and handed her the cup. Sookie ate it quickly and Eric took the cup and put it on the dresser before he took both of her hands and helped her up.

"Wow, you're big and all stomach." Pam said when Sookie stood and sookie scowled at her and Eric made a 'why would you do that?' Gesture.

"I KNOW IM BIG PAM! IT"S WHY NOTHING FIT! COW GOES MOOOOOOOOOO!" Sookie screamed.

"I didn't mean it like that…." Pam sputtered and tried to step backwards away from Sookie who was stomping towards her, still just in her bra and underwear. She was surprisingly menacing for someone who is 5'2" in a room of people 6' tall or taller.

"I didn't mean it like that." Sookie mimicked in a condescending whiny voice mocking Pam. "How did you mean it? Oh wow, you're big… what else does it mean, Pam? I'm growing a god damn giant and you want to judge me? Huh, big foot! You want to judge me and you have to special order shoes for your giant flipper feet!" Sookie spat on the attack.

"Eric, make her stop…" Pam pleaded… Sookie hit a particular sore spot with the big feet jab.

"No, Sookie is an absolute vision. She only get's more beautiful as she gets more pregnant. I make her walk around naked just so I can enjoy her pregnant' ness while it lasts. You dug your grave, go lay in it." Eric said, going and sitting on the edge of the bed and minding his own business.

"Oh, you want your brother to come save you? God can't even save you, you limp haired twat. I can see the extensions from here!" Sookie spewed while jabbing Pam in the chest with her fingers.

"My hair is fine and thin. It creates dimension." Pam trembled.

"Say sorry, Pam." Eric suggested from his perch.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Pam cried.

"Damn right you're sorry." Sookie said and punched Pam in the boob once for good measure.

"Owe….." Pam whined and cupped her boob.

"Help me get dressed." Sookie said, calming down and walking back over to the bed. Pam looked at Eric and mouthed 'shes crazy' and spinning her index finger at her temple. Eric just smiled and said.

"I love you, Sookie." While making eye contact with Pam who just tightened the line of her mouth.

"I love you too." Sookie said sweetly to him, and handed him the dress to have him help her put on, which he happily did. He was freaking impressed with her. He has never seen pam apologize. He thought he couldn't love Sookie more, but watching her tame Pam managed to show him the depths of his love for her was infinite.

They arrived at Eric's parents house at 3. There were already a ton of cars in the driveway. Sookie and Eric had given a guest list of Amelia, Tara, Alcide, Trey, Calvin and Bobby….Eric figured his Mom probably invited everyone she knew. It is her first grandchild and she is pretty excited, so he wasn't surprised.

"Eric, why are so many people here? Is that a catering van?" Sookie asked looking around.

"It's my parents first grandchild. lets just enjoy the ride. You look so pretty." Eric said grabbing her hand and kissing it making her giggle.

"I really like you in this moment." She said.

"Oh, a pro Eric Mood swing. What a treat. Let me bask in it." He said closing his eyes and moving his head around like he was soaking it up making Sookie laugh.

"I haven't been super aggravated by you in a while." Sookie said.

"I know, the third trimester has been good to me." He nodded.

"Or you just learned how to act right." Sookie suggested.

"Or that, either way I am pleased." He said happily.

"We should go in." Sookie said, looking as more cars were pulling in.

"Yeah, we should. It is our kids party after all." Eric said with a smile.

They walked in and Sandy ran up to them hugging them both. She was in a Champagne colored cocktail dress, which Eric found to be an interesting choice and he was now glad Sookie had him put on a button down and slacks. Sookie had bought him a new belt that didn't look like 'a dead tattered snake Eric found in the swamp and tied around his waist.' It was a little stiff for his liking, but he was making it work. He still stood his old belt was fine and still held his pants up. He figured having a woman came with her buying him clothes he didn't think he needed, he wasn't going to fight it worse things could be happening then her replacing his 14 year old belt. He sneakily took his gift to sookie out of his pocket and set it on the gift table as they walked past and into the party.

"Sookie, you look radiant!" Sandy coo'ed, putting her arm around Sookie.

"Thank you, this party is beautiful." Sookie said looking around. It looked more like a fancy wedding to her and she didn't know most of these people.

"You're welcome! Only the best for my children." Sandy said and gave Sookie another wink. "Here, have a Mama Mocktail and take a seat on your throne with Eric." Sandy said handing her a cocktail glass filled with a pink liquid that had sparkly pink cotton candy on top.

"Thrones?" Eric asked with a little choke as his mother pushed him towards a stage with two honest to god thrones.

"Yes, Sookie cant stand for a receiving line to greet and mingle with guests, so they will come to you." Sandy said and Sookie looked bewildered, but Eric followed right behind her. When they got to the thrones he leaned down and whispered to Sookie.

"Do you want me to make scene and say no to this? I'll be the bad guy." He offered.

"Umm, I do sort of want to sit down my feet are swollen. Maybe save the diva fit for later though." Sookie said and stepped up on the platform.

"Will do, you say the word and I'll make Mariah Carry look chill." Eric said and helped her get into her seat before taking his next to her, lounging and stretching out a bit 'making the chair his bitch' as sookie says he likes to do.

"Oh, this drink is gooooooood." Sookie moaned as she took a sip and did her dramatic eye crossing face that Eric loved, and he smiled.

"Sir, Mocktail or cocktail?" A waiter asked Eric

"Mocktail, please." Eric said and got the same thing Sookie had.

"You own a bar, but don't drink. I will never understand that." Sookie said and shook her head.

"You don't drink." He reminded her.

"My father, grandfather and brother are alcoholics. I have a reason." She said.

"I own a bar frequented by binge drinkers and alcoholics, I have a reason." Eric said in return.

"I'm glad our baby will never come home to Daddy passed out, or angry and taking it out on everyone, or too drunk to show up to your violin recital, or even worse shows up drunk to your cheer competition." Sookie said and looked at Eric adoringly.

"You don't have to worry about me there. My only vice was…." He said but Sookie cut him off.

"Being Cheap?"

"Fiscally responsible, but thats not what I'm saying. My vice was women, but now I'm a one Sookie man. So you're my biggest problem now." He grinned.

"And she is a problem, a big one." Amelia said as she approached them.

"AMELIA!" Sookie yelled as her friend got to them.

"How are you doing, Sweetie? You look so good! You're so lucky you are cute pregnant." Amelia said with a smile.

"I'm good, this is a really big party. I wasn't prepared for all this." Sookie giggled.

"You deserve it, just enjoy it. You only get one first baby. I am so happy for you. You two are so good together!" Amelia squealed and clapped at the end.

"You're right! I'm going to enjoy our party." Sookie said with a smile.

"I like you Amelia, I always say we should hang out with you more." Eric said nodding.

"It's true, he does say that." Sookie agreed

"Good, now remember to call me when she goes into labor, not after the baby is born, but when she goes into labor." Amelia said pointing at Eric and giving him a serious look.

"You are second on my list after my parents." Eric assured her.

"Good, now I'm going to go try to look casual around Trey, I just saw him come in." Amelia said and pulled down her dress to show more cleavage, and walked away.

"I knew she'd like Trey." Eric said with a satisfied look.

They spent the rest of the party mingling and nibbling on the food. Sandy had tons of guacamole going around which Sookie loved. They got to opening gifts and they were both overwhelmed by how many gifts there were. Honestly, Eric had no idea where they would put it all. There were more clothes than one baby could ever use. Sookie noticed him getting overwhelmed and whispered to him.

"Honey, we will sort out what we would never need or use and donate it to a women's shelter." He let out a relieved breath and nodded with a smile and kept opening the mountain of gifts. Finally, Sookie got to Erics gift. She unwrapped the tiny box, and opened it. Inside was the fanciest ring she had ever seen, it wasn't traditional and had a yellow Dimond in the center and smaller clear diamonds around it so it sort of looked like a flower. She looked up and Eric was in front on her on one knee and asked.

"Sookie, will you marry me?" He was smiling at her shocked face. He was pleased he was able to surprise her.

"Awww… ummm…. Hell yes!" Sookie yelled and kicked her feet excitedly. Eric stood and slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her while people clapped.

"I didn't see this coming today." She said while she was smiling like a loon.

"I know, It was the last opportunity to surprise you before the baby was born. I have been trying to find the perfect Time for a few months." He was smiling as wide as she was.

"Congratulations, Son." Victor said and came and clapped Eric on the back.

"Thanks dad." Eric smiled up at him. It had taken a while, but things had gotten back to semi normal again.

"Are you thinking big or small wedding?" Victor asked.

"Small." Eric and Sookie both said at the same time, before smiling and saying "soulmates." Again at the same time falling into laughter and hugging.

38 weeks

"We don't have enough furniture for a house this big, but I also have no will to go buy furniture." Sookie said looking into the sparsely filled rooms.

"Then we don't buy furniture. How about you just take your time and look for pieces as this inspiration comes to you. We have what we need, our room, Pennys room, the kitchen, a dining table and a family room thats mostly furnished. We moved from a 1 bedroom apartment, Lover. Just take your time" Eric said to console her. Sookie had hit the wall in her pregnancy, she was really over it and just wanted to be done.

"Yeah, I mean… it's just us, Penny won't remember the next 2 years or so." Sookie nodded agreeing.

"Exactly, it's no big deal. We're about to have a baby, we have bigger fish to fry. We'll get to it when we get to it. The biggest hurdle has been cleared. We found a house, and moved before the baby came. Yay us succeeding!" Eric said shaking his fists over his head in a celebration dance, making sookie laugh.

"I'm so pregnant, it's hard to breath." She sighed.

"Do you want to lay in bed with my laptop and internet shop while you eat guacamole? Would that make you feel better?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, I actually think it really would." She said gratefully.

"You go upstairs, I'll bring your supplies. I can do my work for the bar laying next to you." Eric said.

"Can Pam handle all of the day to day for the bar for three months with you only going in once a week?" Sookie asked again really hoping he wasn't making too big of a sacrifice for her.

"I mean, I'm still doing all the books and paperwork. She's just managing the actual workings of the bar and the staff. I trust her. Also, you are just too close to cooked for me to be comfortable not being at your disposal all the time. I get really anxious leaving you so I'm basically useless there too." He said as he opened the fridge and pulled out one of the 6 large containers of guacamole that was in there.

"As long as you trust her and don't think it will hurt your business." Sookie said with understanding.

"I do trust pam, she's a menace to society, but a great manager." Eric complimented.

"That's good. I'll see you upstairs." She said turning and slowly making her way upstairs. Out of breath when she got there.

40 weeks

"It's my due date, it's my due date." Sookie sang while She and Eric were in the shower. She was smiling and washing her hair…. And everything else.

"I'll miss your smokin hot pregnancy body, but it's okay. I can get you knocked up again later." He said with a wink.

"Not too soon, I need a break after this." She sighed.

"Of course, it takes like two years for a woman to fully heal from pregnancy and birth. I will always prioritize your health, no matter how horny all this makes me." He growled.

"Now is the time to bust out the pillows for that sex nest. Sex can trigger labor and I cant think of a better way to get this done." She said with a sexy smile. Eric finished rinsing her and wrapped her in a towel then ran off to go build her sex nest. He was pumped. They hadn't stopped having sex, but it was down from daily to a couple of times a week, she was just too uncomfortable, and he understood that. It didn't mean he wasn't jumping at the chance to get at her.

"We're going to have a baby in a day or two!" Sookie squealed as Eric lifted her into her sex nest.

"I know, I can't wait to hold her. its so surreal." He said with a wistful smile

"Ohhh…. I like this sex nest, pregnant or not, we should keep this in rotation." She said nodding approvingly.

"Duely noted." Eric said, and got to work.

42 weeks

"I want this baby out of meeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Sookie growled, while Eric rubbed her back.

"Do you want to try the spicy food again? The curb walking?" He asked sympathetically.

"I have been trying everything everyday! She won't get out!" Sookie cried.

"I mean, I've been inside of you. I can understand her hesitance to leave, it's great in there." He said with a smirk he quickly dropped when he saw her scowl.

"This is your fault." She seethed.

"I didn't tell her to make herself comfortable and never leave, I have been telling her to get out for weeks." Eric said defensively. He bent down and spoke to Sookie stomach. "Penny, This is your father. Get the hell out of your mother right now or I'm coming in and dragging you out. This has gone on long enough. Get out or you are grounded young lady." He said sternly and with authority.

"No, this is your fault because you knocked on my door at midnight and had passionate primal sex with me on my living room floor." She said.

"After you texted me a picture of your ass and side boob in a mirror! You summoned me!" He laughed back with a smile.

"How was I supposed to know side boob and ass would get you so worked up you would literally get me pregnant?" She argued.

"Have you seen yourself? Sexiest woman alive." He said crossing his arms.

"We had a ton of sex that week. We don't know for sure it was the rug burn making living room sex that did it. It could have happened in the shower, or my bed, or your bed, or your kitchen counter, or my dinette table, or your couch, the wall in my kitchen, the back seat of your car….." Sookie listed.

"Damn, we were just fucking all over. We were really just asking for it." He laughed. "Still, I'm positive it was the living room floor sex. That was life changing sex." He argued

"It was good sex." She agreed. "Now I'm horny…." She whined.

"I'll prepare your nest." Eric said with a wink.

They were laying in bed in the remnants of the sex nest afterwords, just discussing how stubborn their daughter already was and how that didn't bode well for them when Eric felt a warm liquid on his leg after sookie made a gasping noise.

"Did you pee on me? Lover, I'm yours you didn't need to mark me." He chuckled.

"No… Eric… my water broke." She whispered.

"Oh….. no shit?" He asked sitting up.

"No, no shit. I felt like a sort of snapping feeling then fwwwwwish." She said making a motion with her hand towards her body where she was now laying in a puddle.

"Okay, let's get you up and cleaned up. I'll get the bed stripped. Your bag is already in the car." Eric said trying to sound calm, but he was freaking out. It was suddenly all incredibly terrifying.

"Yeah yeah…." Sookie said and rinsed herself off. She put on one of her post birth diapers because she was still leaking.

"You ready?" He asked after he got himself dressed too.

"Yeah, I thought it was going to be like a 1 and done gush, but I'm just leaking at a slow drip." She said sort of stunned.

"Thats what she said." He snickered.

"Eric…." Sookie laughed and got in the car.

"Sorry, sorry." He laughed and pulled out to drive to the hospital. "I need to cll my parents and Amelia."

"Okay yeah…. I'm starting to freak out, how are you so calm?" She asked starting to breathe heavy.

"I'm not, inside I'm freaking the fuck out." He took his hand off the steering wheel to show her he was literally shaking.

"Thank God, if you were just cool as a cucumber I was going to be pissed." She said.

"Don't worry, Lover. It's all an act." He smiled at her. He made the calls and called their doctor. He got to the hospital and parked. They walked right up to labor and delivery because they were expecting them and got checked in and settled in a room rather quickly.

"Okay, looks like you are only 6 centimeters dilated, so it's still going to be a while." The nurse said before she walked out.

"I'm sure it won't be that long." Eric assured her.

It was indeed that long…. It took 48 hours of labor and 5 hours of pushing to get Penny Pamela Northman into the world.

"You're doing great, Lover… almost, I can see her and she has a ton of blonde hair." Eric said, his whole body now shaking.

"One more good push, Sookie. You can do this." The doctor said.

"I'm so tired." Sookie cried.

"Just one more and it's over, you can get some rest. I'll take the first shift with Penny while you sleep." Eric promised her. She nodded and pushed on the next contraction and their daughter was in the world and screaming as loud as she could to let everyone know the Diva had arrived.

They set her on Sookies chest as they rubbed her down. Sookie looked down at her crying and said.

"She's so beautiful of my God." She hugged her and they lifted her back to get all of her measurements and check her out. Amelia actually cut the cord, per their agreement after Eric lost rock, paper, scissors to her early in the pregnancy.

After Penny was all checked out and wrapped in a blanket they handed her to Eric and he looked down at her and felt the most intense love her had ever felt.

"I have a daughter…." He said quietly… "am I crying?" He asked no one in particular, but wiped his face. Sookie just smiled looking at him. "Oh man, what the fuck." He said wiping more tears. "Sookie, I love her so much, it's insane." He said in awe and handed Penny back to Sookie.

"I know, it's wild. I loved her before when she was in me, but now in my arms….." She said and drifted off.

"We're definitely doing this more than once." He said happily, Sookie just nodded and looked at their daughter while Eric hugged them both.

2 years later

"Eric!" Sookie called out into the back yard where Eric was trying to teach Penny to use her power wheels that she had gotten for Christmas. She didn't really understand steering yet though. Eric took her out and set her by her play house before he walked over to his wife with a smile.

"Yes, Lover?"

"You got me pregnant again." She said with a smile. They hadn't been planning it, but it wasn't unwelcome. She wanted to start trying again soon anyway.

"It was that sex on the balcony of the cabin when we took that weekend trip." Eric said, sure of himself.

"We had a lot of sex that weekend." Sookie said.

"Yeah, but I know life creating sex when it happens. Sometimes, theres just no way you didn't make a baby." He said with a smirk making Sookie laugh.

"I love you." She said and got on her tip toes to kiss him.

"I love you too, you're my soulmate." He said, and brushed his finger over the infinity ring he had given her as a push present.

"Forever, in every timeline. There's nowhere in the multiverses Sookie and Eric aren't meant to be." She agreed, and he just kissed her again. Following her from the mail boxes that day was the best choice he ever made, because she really was the other half of him.