Disclaimer: I do not own G.I. Joe or any character affiliated with it...just Misaki and Kaili

Flowers and Flames

"What are we going to do?" Hawk was on his fiftieth pass across a closed door where the young mother was sitting behind. When Snake Eyes had brought Misaki to the infirmary, Doc felt it was best that she moved to another room. Kaili was also picked up by Ripcord and Duke to save both the mother and child a great deal of emotional pain.

"Right now the only thing that we can do is to surround her with things that are familiar, just not Kaili; she's too young to understand what is going on." Doc had ordered Snake Eyes to the common room for a session of meditation. Storm Shadow was currently the only person in the room with Misaki.

The white ninja suddenly exited the room. "I don't think we have anything here that is going to be familiar enough."

"There has to be something." The General was not willing to accept the possibility that Misaki was going to never remember her life.

Doc sighed in frustration as he tried to think of something, anything that would help the woman. It had been a long time since he had dealt with a patient with memory loss. Calling on past training, the doctor began to remember little bits and pieces from med school. "Storm, what is one of Misaki's earliest memories of Snake, something that was repeated."

"When Snake Eyes gave Misaki her name he gave her a rare blue flower; he would give her one almost every day." The white ninja was already formulating a plan in his mind to get those little blue flowers.

"What kind of flower? Can we get some here?" Hawk jumped at the idea, the chance of making things better.

"They are found in Japan, but the only ones that bloom all year round are at the temple." Storm Shadow frowned as anger coursed through him. "But it's burned to nothing now."

"I don't care, Storm I want you to go get Snake and tell him to go with Scarlet and find that plant." When the order was given the white ninja quickly made for the common room.

"Alright Snake, here's the pot and shovel; let's just hope that there are some plants left." The red head handed the tools needed to transport the plant if there was even one left.

Giving Scarlet a slight nod the ninja quickly moved to the once green and fertile temple grounds. Snake Eyes had avoided every opportunity to visit the temple since the attack and now that he was here he wished that things could have been different. Of course he loved his beautiful blossom and little Kaili but there were times when the dark ninja would feel better if the temple had never been destroyed.

'Any luck Snake?'

'Not yet, but I'm not giving up.' The ninja had covered most of the temple grounds with no sign of the blue flowers. There was only one place left to look...the temple entrance where he had given Misaki her name and first bell blossom. With hope of ever finding the precious plant fading a sudden shift in the wind brought a faint but familiar scent to Snake.

*Misaki...* Moving quickly, Snake Eyes made it to the scorched pathway to find a single blue blossom clinging to life. Taking a chance Snake dug up the plant and placed it in the waiting pot. Plucking the only flower, the dark ninja got ready to head back to the jet when a strange sound reached his ears.

'Scarlet get the jet ready to go...now.' Snake Eyes carefully got to his feet potted plant in hand.

'What's wrong Snake? Did you find the flowers?'

'I found the flowers but I think Cobra left something else behind besides death and destruction.'

It didn't take the red head long to figure out what was wrong and quickly made preparations to leave. 'Hurry it up Snake.'

'I'm on my way.' Confident that Snake Eyes was on his way back, Scarlet finished getting the jet ready for takeoff.

"Snake Eyes!" Misaki's distressed cry gained the attention of the white ninja that had spent the last two days with the unsure woman.

Moving from the small sitting room and into the bedroom, Storm Shadow made to reassure his frightened sister. "Misaki, what is wrong?"

Clutching to the offered hand, Misaki tried to comprehend why she would have a dream about the strange dark man. "That, tha, that man...the one wh, who was dressed in black."

"Yes, that is Snake Eyes."

"I, I had a bad dream...something terrible happened." She could speak no more; the fear and pain she felt was overwhelming.

Wiping away the tears that were leaving trails on the young woman's face, Storm encouraged Misaki to continue. "What did you see Misaki?"

Watery blue eyes looked up with a new fear. "I saw a blue flower and...and then fire."

"It's ok; it was only a bad dream." Giving Misaki's hands a gentle squeeze, Storm tried to calm the near hysterical mother. He had been given orders to keep her calm due to the danger of the pregnancy.

"No, no it's not ok, something has happened to that man...I have to know if he is alright." Her memory may be gone but her stubbornness was still alive and well. Pushing her way off the bed and past the white ninja, Misaki fled the room and blindly ran down the hall. She could feel something pulling her, almost calling her towards the large open room on the base. Any calls from the brotherly man that had been sitting with her for the last couple days went unheard. Nothing was going to stop her from finding the silent man, to make sure he was ok.

Things were quiet in the training room for the most part save for the entrance that led to the surface. People were shouting and running around in a rush. Looking through all the strange people, Misaki spotted the doctor who had given her the room and care for the injury on her head. He was bent over a narrow bed on wheels pulling back a silver blanket.

The sight that greeted the blue eyed woman only confirmed the horrible dream that she had a short time ago. The dark man was being wheeled through the training room in the direction of the infirmary.

"Move it you idiots, we need to get him stabilized and cleaned up!" Doc barely paid attention to the fact that Snakes soon to be wife was standing nearby as he pushed the gurney through the room.

A new wave of tears left Misaki's eyes as she could only watch the doctor take the burnt man away. The once smooth black material that had covered the ninja was twisted and folded from the intense heat. There were even portions that had melted away, exposing the skin to the dangerous flames. What really drew her attention was a small flash of blue. Moving with the group, Misaki looked closer and found that the blue was really a pretty little bell flower in the grip of the injured man's hand.

*I know that flower. Misaki's eyes became unfocused as she tried to remember where she had seen the blue flower. It was a matter of seconds before pain flooded her body as images flashed in her mind in rapid succession. One in particular of a brown eyed boy holding the blue flower brought all the images together making the pain fade.

"Snakes!" Making to chase after Doc and the group of medics she found herself to only be stopped.

"No Misaki, you have to let them work." Storm Shadow had watched his sister regain her memories and as much as wanted to let her follow his sword brother; he knew that it would only make things more difficult for Doc.

"I have to be with him Storm, he needs me."

"We will go see him when Doc is finished." Storm tried to pull Misaki back towards the common room and away from the hall that led to the infirmary.

"No! I will not leave him to suffer alone! Not again!" She fought the white ninja's grip with all she had. For a moment she was almost successful but the sharp pain that emanated from her stomach gave her no choice but to stop. With one hand gripping onto Storm Shadows shirt and the other clutching her stomach, Misaki slowly lowered herself to the ground.

"Misaki!"

I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update..between writers block and moving...yeah thats all i got. ^_^ thank you my little gum drops for all your awesome support ... Cheers