Regeneration

What solidified the world around Lee was the warm, hefty bundle moving in his hands. Eyes floating down, he found himself staring into the face of his infant son. A hand settled on his shoulder, causing the still quite young man to jump. He looked back to see the sad, lined face of the medic who'd told him of his wife's death nine years ago.

"I'm sorry," the aged man sighed. "It happened so...quick. She started bleeding, then she seized and-"

"I get it," Lee replied around the lump in his throat. He still didn't like to think too hard on Kokoro; how she'd died before she got to me their (her) son. Lifting the little bundle up into the light of day filtering through one of the hospital's grunge-lined windows, Lee could see the son he knew. The boy who was so much his likeness that people called him junior more often than not.

While Lee saw his own face in his son, he could also see the hints of Kokoro; the way the shell of his ears curled, the faint mis-match in the height of his lips that would promise a lop-sided beam once he figured out how to preform such an action and most of all, Lee saw his wife in the short fingers that flailed out from the confines of his hospital blanket.

He put one of his own finger beneath his son's and stared at how little they were. Fragile. Just like life...

Tears gathered in his eyes. Lee laughed them away and brought his son close so he could hear the beat-beating of his heart as he looked back at the medic who hovered with a forlorn expression only a half-foot away.

"I know you tried you best," he told the aged man. "But...but I guess it was Kokoro's time to go. She was a late winter flower; one destined to bloom and die much earlier than the rest."

The man sighed. "That she was," he agreed. Looking to the baby resting against his collarbone, he inquired, almost hesitantly, "What will you name your son?"

Gazing down lovingly on the dark head, Lee did not need even a second to think. "Gai - after my sensei. Kokoro and I both agreed it was a strong name and it would do a son well to have such a powerful name."

The Medic dipped his head. "I'll leave you for a bit to get to know your son. In a little while I'll send a nurse in to watch him so you can pay your wife your respects."

"Thank you medic-san," Lee murmured as he turned back to the window and looked down on the newly born face of his only son. Tracing Gai's nose, lips, eyes, and chin; he bowed his head and pressed a kiss to the pink forehead. "I love you Gai," he whispered.

He spent the half-hour staring at his son and rocking him as he sang the lullabies Kokoro had sung to Gai while he was still in her belly. The baby seemed soothed by this as he never once fussed. Then again, Gai had proved of the past nine years he was a rather simple child. One happy with what he was given and unbothered by what he lacked.

Soon, a nurse stepped in. She was darker skinned woman and her indigo eyes held a deep sympathy. "If you like, I can watch Gai;" she offered.

Kissing his son once more, Lee passed over the infant with the barest smile. "Thank you," he whispered as he brushed past. Walking into Kokoro's room down the hall, he took up the empty seat beside her pale body and grasped her stubby fingers.

She hadn't been a ninja. But she was one of the strongest people Lee had ever met. Her father had died when she was barely a toddler - in the same war that stole Naruto's parents from him. And her mother had raised her single handedly on the meager living she made as a part-time florist. Kokoro had grown up wanting much, but she'd had an inner resolve that kept her from ever feeling life was hopeless.

She'd known with a great conviction from the time she was a tiny girl that she would do something good with her life. And that, that was how Lee had met her. His wife had been a receptionist at the hospital here and they'd gotten to know each other over the course of several months, when Gai had been here after the war healing from the injuries he'd sustained.

Kokoro had been the one to propose. She had been the one who knew Lee was the man for her. Lee had loved her then - even before she proposed, but never had he thought he would find a woman who would love him with the same intensity back. But, Kokoro had. She had loved him so much that she had agreed to carry his child and had even died so their son could see the world.

Leaning over her lifeless body, he warmed her cool forehead with a final kiss. "I love you," Lee told his wife. "You'd be so happy with Gai. He's the embodiment of youth; everything about him speaks optimism and vigor; Kokoro...you'd love him. He's so perfect."

And with nothing else to say, Lee began to weep.

A nurse cam in a short while later and ushered him out with a box of tissues and several kind squeezes to his arm. "I'm so sorry," she told him over and over. "So sorry."

"I know," he sniffed. "I know." Looking at her, he asked, "Can I see my son now?"

She had agreed immediately and the nurse he'd left his son with appeared carrying Gai against her. The indigo-eyed woman handed him the baby and Lee sat down and cradled his son. Later, a male nurse brought him a bottle and several diapers and showed him how to feed and diaper his son (Lee knew how, but he played pretend - for their sake). After they finished, they let him sit with his son for the rest of the day periodically bringing his son bottles and more than once Lee a cup of coffee and a donut he always refused to take.

As the sun began to set somewhere outside the hospital, Lee put one last kiss to his son's brow. "When I get home, I'm going to tell you about your mother."

The world fell apart, piece by piece and then was replaced at a dizzying speed with the one Lee had become familiar with. Blinking his eyes, he saw his son staring at him from across their dining table.

Yelping, he sat up and demanded, "What are you doing Gai?"

"You fell asleep, daddy," The nine year old reminded him.

Lee gave a nervous laugh. Was that what it looked like to his son? He wondered...where had that stranger gotten to? Looking back to his son, he asked, "Did you see anyone else in the house when you came in? Or maybe walking away from it, junior?"

The boy shook his head. "No, dad," he answered.

Shrugging, Lee put on a smile and asked, "How would you like to hear the story of how your mother and I met?"

The boy's lit up. What he knew of his mother was little and to hear the tale of how his parents met? Well, that was certainly more interesting than his dad's inquiry about a stranger. So, beaming his mother's lop-sided grin, he cheered, "Oh wow! Please, can I daddy?"

"Sure," Lee chuckled. "It started like this..."

Wow Lee got a long chapter, didn't he? So did Tenten for that matter...hm. I think I'm getting into this, what about you guys? Are you really starting to like this fic too?

Also, northwind123 was my eleventh reviewer a couple chapters ago and her prize one-shot is now up to be read! It's called A Step Forward. I enjoyed writing it and I think it shows, so I hope you'll all take a peak at it :)

Thank you to reviewers, Dulemina and Karkatsbade, you guys are amazing!

Thanks for reading and I hope you'll all review!

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