Chapter 9

Cho was six weeks old and happy as a clam when she was being held by her parents. This became a problem when Gai and Aya wanted her to sleep. The baby girl hated being alone and even if she was fast asleep when they put her in the crib she would wake up only minutes later screaming. It made sleeping a thing of the past.

Lee had started spending a few nights a week at the Hyuuga compound to get some rest. Unfortunately Aya and Gai couldn't sleep at a friend's house and were running on less than ten hours of sleep a week. Aya had been reinstated by Tsunade this week and had her first B-rank mission that night.

"Gai, are you sure you'll be all right?" Aya asked while folding laundry on the couch. "I can tell Tsunade I want to wait a little longer."

"No, you should definitely go," Gai smiled. He was currently getting ready to train with Kakashi before Aya left for her mission.

"This is going to be one of the hardest things I've ever done," Aya said pausing while folding a shirt.

"Why?" Gai asked.

"I've become so attached to Cho. I'm not sure I can leave her."

"She'll be in safe hands while you're away." Gai put his hand on her shoulder. "How long is your mission supposed to last?"

"Only three days, four at the most. It's in the northern territory of Ho no Kuni," Aya said. Just then Cho started screaming from her crib on the upper floor.

"I'll get her," Gai said making his way up the stairs and down the hallway to the baby's nursery. Cho was on her back staring at the ceiling screaming, big fat tears rolling down her flushed chubby cheeks. Gai picked her up placing her head on his left shoulder. The moment she was in her father's arms her screams and cries dimmed to small whimpers. "It's all right little one. Daddy's got you." Gai said quietly while rubbing light circles on her back. He carried her around the room slowly rocking her until he watched her fall asleep again. He gently laid her in the crib and left the nursery as quietly as possible.

"Is she all right?" Aya asked when Gai came downstairs again.

"Just got scared when she woke up alone," Gai told her. "I'm going to meet Kakashi at the training field before you leave for your mission."

"All right," Aya nodded. Just as she opened her mouth to say something else Cho started crying again. She sighed. "Can you bring her to me before you leave?"

Gai nodded and went back to the nursery to grab his daughter. He picked her up, but this time she was still fussing in his arms. Her cries got louder when Gai laid her in the crook of his arm. He felt her mouth trying to latch onto his chest.

"Oh, you're hungry," Gai said. "I'll bring you to Mama." Cho kept crying and fussing until Gai put her in Aya's arms. She immediately tried to latch on to Aya's chest. She cried louder when Aya didn't move fast enough to feed her.

"Okay, okay," Aya said unbuttoning her top and unclipping her bra. Gai blushed seeing her naked chest. Her breasts had swollen since she had given birth and he found himself staring most of the time. Now was no different. He watched his baby girl latch on to Aya's nipple and begin sucking, her eyes closing happy to be fed. Gai didn't know Aya had noticed until she spoke up, "Gai, Honey, could you stop staring? You're making me nervous."

Gai blinked a few time and looked at her face, "Sorry, Darling. I'm going to meet Kakashi now."

"Okay," Aya said quietly. "I'll see you later."

Gai left the house and made his way quickly to the training grounds. Kakashi was on time for a change and happened to be resting at the base of a tree reading a book. His one gray eye looked over his book lazily when Gai arrived grinning.

"Hello, Kakashi," Gai said. "How is my eternal rival?!"

"Fine," Kakashi said raising an eyebrow. "How are you? You look like you've been through hell."

Gai's shoulders slumped and he sighed, "Cho still hasn't slept through the night; she hates being alone and cries almost every time you put her down. Aya is leaving for a mission tonight and I'll be alone with the baby for three or four days."

Kakashi stood and put his hand on Gai's shoulder. "If you need any help while Aya is gone, I'm sure Satsu would be happy to help."

Gai was expecting to hear that Kakashi would help. "Satsu?"

"She loves babies, and she keeps asking me when we can meet Cho," Kakashi chuckled.

"I could use some help, I'm sure," Gai said.

Kakashi shook his head, "I'm sure you underestimate your abilities as a father." Kakashi stood back. "Ready to train?"

"Definitely," Gai smiled taking his stance.

xxXxx

Gai had survived his first night alone with Cho. Both Aya and Lee were on missions and he really didn't have any other family support. Cho had screamed and cried just after Gai put her to bed but he left her alone the way Aya always told him to and she eventually fell sleep. He felt so guilty leaving her to cry.

Gai pulled a bottle of breast milk out of the fridge and heated it, knowing Cho was going to be hungry when she woke up. Just as the bottle was warmed to the right temperature Gai heard the baby crying in her room. He brought the bottle up to the nursery. He placed it on the dresser and picked up Cho. He could tell right away her diaper was full so he laid her on the changing table and grabbed a fresh diaper. She started screaming the moment he put her down and Gai tried his best to hurry. He undressed her, cleaned her, put a fresh diaper on her, and dressed her in a fresh onesie. She was still whimpering when he picked her up and he knew she was probably hungry. Gai grabbed the bottle and sat in the rocking chair. He positioned Cho in the crook of his arm and fed her the bottle. She closed her eyes and held onto her father's finger while he fed her.

"It's different when Kaa-san isn't here," Gai said quietly to her.

Cho made a tiny hum and Gai smiled. She opened her eyes and stared into his face. Gai's heart always melted when she looked at him. She was the sweetest little thing, aside from her inability to sleep through the night. When Cho had finished three-quarters of the bottle, Gai grabbed a small rag from the first shelf on the changing table, slung it over his shoulder and then placed Cho's head at his shoulder. He patted her back and heard a little burp. He pulled her back and saw the small trickle of spit up on her chin. He wiped her and smiled.

"Good girl," he said to her smiling. "You really were hungry." Cho smiled at her father because he was smiling at her. Gai tossed the rag in the dirty hamper and carried Cho and the almost empty bottle to the kitchen. Gai put Cho down on her activity mat in the living room and the moment she wasn't in his arms she was crying and reaching for him. Gai sighed, his heart breaking seeing her face scrunched in pain.

"It's okay, pumpkin," he said getting on the floor and touching her hand. Her cries were not as loud, but she still looked at him with watery eyes. Gai couldn't take seeing her like that. He picked her up and laid her against his chest. Cho quieted instantly and started cooing. He rubbed her back and sighed a little frustrated knowing she just wanted to be held.

There was a knock at the door. Gai grabbed Cho's blanket from her activity mat and threw it over her before answering the door. Satsu was standing there, her shoulder length brown hair pinned back loosely. She smiled and said, "Hello, Gai."

"Satsu," he said surprised. "What are you doing here?"

She looked slightly put off, "Oh, Kakashi said you needed some help with the baby while Aya was away. If you don't I-I can just leave."

"Oh, no, come in Satsu," Gai stepped aside to let her enter.

"How are you?" she asked slipping her shoes off.

"Cho kept me from sleeping most of the night, but I am doing well," Gai said rubbing Cho's back.

Satsu smiled softly at the baby a look of longing on her face. Gai thought for a moment what Aya would say about Satsu being here. He remembered her saying something about no visitors until Cho was over two months old.

"Would you like to hold her?" Gai asked.

"I'd love to," Satsu said before hesitating slightly. "You're sure it's all right?"

"Of course," Gai grinned. He passed Cho to Satsu. The baby fussed slightly being passed, but she settled quickly when Satsu held her in the crook of her arm.

"She is so adorable," Satsu grinned. "Who does she get the green eyes from?"

"Oh, I believe Aya's mother had green eyes," Gai said.

"Absolutely beautiful," she whispered.

"How are the wedding plans coming?" Gai asked.

"Fine," Satsu said her eyes never leaving Cho. "It's coming up fast and Tsunade-sama is determined to get me instated as a Konoha shinobi as soon as the nuptials are made official."

"How is Kakashi?" Gai asked.

"You saw him yesterday," Satsu said confused. She looked up, "I thought you two talked."

"We did," Gai said. "But today is a new day."

Satsu looked up and giggled, "He's good. He kept pushing me to come over here today, but I get the feeling you don't need my help at all."

"I think I can handle Cho very well on my own," Gai said. "She's only tough to handle at night. She cries almost all night every night."

"I'm surprised Aya took that mission," Satsu said. "I wouldn't have been able to leave this sweet baby."

"Aya cried when she left," Gai told her. He watched his daughter smiling at Satsu for a moment. She was holding onto the former Kiri-nin's finger and watching her every move. "Do you and Kakashi want to start a family?"

Gai saw Satsu pale when her head snapped up to look at him. She looked startled by the question. Satsu's shoulders slumped. "We want to," was all she said.

Gai felt an aura of sadness being emitted by the kunoichi. He knew to leave it alone and made a mental note to ask Kakashi about it the next time they met. He watched Satsu begin to sway and reposition Cho on her shoulder. She closed her eyes and rubbed the baby's back.

"Satsu, you can stay for as long as you wish," he smiled. "I'm going to make myself something to eat. Do you mind watching Cho?"

"Not at all," she hummed and took a seat in the armchair to the right of the coffee table.

Gai knew his daughter was special, but he never knew anyone else other than he, Aya, and Lee could look at her with so much love. He wondered if Kakashi had pushed Satsu to come over to put her mind at ease and not Gai's. He pushed it from his mind and made himself a quick breakfast. He hadn't heard a peep from Cho and stepped out of the kitchen for a moment to see the baby on her back on the activity mat while Satsu sat close by, just a reach away. Gai had never seen Cho so calm when she wasn't being held.

"Will you teach me how to do that?" Gai asked moving into the living room with a bowl of cereal.

"Do what?" Satsu asked confused allowing the baby to hold onto her fingers.

"Put her down and keep her from crying," Gai said. "Every time Aya or I put her down she screams and throws a fit."

"Do you hold her often?" she asked.

"Almost constantly, although at night we've been leaving her in her crib when she cries," he told her.

Satsu tossed her hair over her shoulder, "That's a good start. You should try to not hold her so much. She's gotten used to be held and not enough time is spent on her own."

"I just can't stand the looks of pain she has when she cries," Gai sighed.

"I promise it will help if you leave her to lay on the mat," she smiled. "Just stay close and she should be fine."

Gai put his empty cereal bowl on the coffee table and got up from the couch. He sat next to the mat and stroked his hand over Cho's head. She hummed and turned her eyes to her father. He smiled at her and she smiled back kicking her legs.

Satsu giggled, "She really loves her father." She tried to sit back and pull her hand away from Cho so she could focus on her father, but she had a hard time getting her fingers back from the baby. "She has a very strong grip for only being six weeks old."

"She is my daughter after all," Gai grinned looking at his baby.

They were silent for a while just watching Cho experience her activity mat. The mobile above her head had brightly colored flowers and her eyes were open wide as she studied them. She occasionally looked over at Gai or Satsu but then returned her attention to the mobile.

Satsu was the first to break the silence, "Are you sure Aya would be fine with me being here?"

"She didn't want anyone over until Cho was two months or older, but I think she's just fine," Gai said.

Satsu nodded and smiled. She stayed at the house watching the baby for a few more hours before leaving Gai to take care of his daughter on his own. He thanked her for visiting and for helping him keep Cho calm.

In the evening, Gai warmed a fresh bottle and fed Cho in her nursery. She fell asleep before she finished the bottle. Gai placed her gently in the crib and left the room praying that she would sleep longer tonight.

xxXxx

Aya returned at the end of the week looking tired but happy. Gai was doing pushups in the living room when she walked in the door. He grinned at her.

"Welcome home, Darling," he said.

"Hi," she smiled. "How was Cho while I was away?"

"She barely let me sleep, but otherwise she was good," he sat up and leaned his back against the base of the couch. "I had a bit of help on the first day."

"Oh?" Aya said staring at him waiting for an explanation.

"Satsu came by," he told her.

"Gai," she sighed. "I said no visitors."

"I know, I know," he said feeling guilty. "But she looked so excited when she saw Cho, and she was so good with her. Kakashi told me she loves babies."

"I'm sure she does," Aya sighed. "So what happened? Why was she so good with Cho?"

"Satsu had her on the mat and the baby wasn't crying," he said softly.

Aya stared at him, "Are you serious?"

"I asked her to show me how she did that," Gai said.

"And what did she tell you?" Aya came to sit on the couch.

"She said we need to stop holding her so often and she won't be so upset when we put her down," Gai put his hand on her knee. "How was your mission?"

"It went perfectly," Aya smiled. "It felt so good to be back in the field, but I missed Cho so much. Is she sleeping?"

"I put her down for a nap about twenty minutes ago," he said as he pulled himself onto the couch to sit next to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap.

She grinned and kissed him. He couldn't stop smiling. He was the happiest man in the world. He had a beautiful woman sitting in his lap, a beautiful daughter sleeping upstairs, and his favorite student was soon to be his brother-in-law. He leaned his lips to Aya's ear and suggested they go to the bedroom. It had been almost a year since he felt her naked body under his. She eagerly agreed, hopped off his lap, and grabbed his hand. They ran upstairs and closed their bedroom door. Gai ravaged her lips and neck while Aya raked her fingers down his chest. Just as he was about to unbutton her top, Cho cried from the bedroom next door. Gai looked put off and frustrated.

"So much for that," Aya muttered and left the room to take care of the baby.

Gai sat on the bed and hoped that Cho would be good tonight be quiet. All he wanted was to be one with his lover again. Was that really too much to ask for? Apparently, it was.