I hope you all had a Merry Christmas! And that you all embrace the New Year to come. It's an exciting time because this year's just flown past and we're getting ready for a new chapter in our lives.
Chichi - father
Hahaoya - mother
o.O.o
Chapter 8
"Are you sure you want to come in, Lee?" Mebuki asked, clutching her handbag in a death-grip. She walked woodenly up the hospital corridor, Sakura and Lee in tow, to the door they'd been instructed to find.
"Of course," Lee answered immediately, nodding. "I would not miss it."
Mebuki stopped suddenly, seeing the door they were looking for. She cautiously nudged it open and stuck her head inside, noting the equipment inside, and stepped aside to allow the parents-to-be to enter first. Both teenagers slipped inside and Sakura laid down on the bed in the very middle of the room. Lee took the chair right next to her and held her hand supportively. It felt nice to have him there with her and his touch made her breath hitch, though she didn't realise.
A doctor came through a door they hadn't noticed, smile in place and medical file in hand. She was very plain-looking, Sakura thought, but she carried herself with an air of confidence.
"Good morning," she greeted warmly, her eyes flicking to Lee and Sakura's joined hands. "My name is Doctor Rin Nohara and I'll be keeping check of your progress during your pregnancy."
"Hi, I'm Sakura," she said in a small voice, her throat constricting over the words. She couldn't help but feel incredibly awkward as the doctor obviously took stock of her youth and the boy beside her.
"I'm Mebuki, Sakura's hahaoya," Mebuki said, standing and shaking Rin's hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. And this is?"
"I am Rock Lee," Lee said, standing and releasing Sakura's hand so he could shake Rin's. Then he sat back down and wrapped his warm hand around Sakura's again. She took a deep breath and tried to relax.
Rin switched on one of the computers and sat down behind it, flicking through the file in her hand. "I believe you are currently twelve weeks pregnant, am I correct?"
"Yes."
"And this is your first ultrasound?"
"Yes." That one came out more like a squeak.
Rin smiled. "Don't worry Sakura, this a normal routine examination. You file also says you have undergone surgery to your lower abdomen?"
"Yes, I had my appendix removed a few years ago."
Rin nodded. "That should not pose any problems. I'll need you to lift up your shirt to expose your belly." Sakura did as instructed and Rin snapped on a pair of clear plastic gloves. "Have you had an ultrasound before?"
"Yeah, before I got my appendix out."
"Excellent. The gel hasn't gotten any warmer. Did you have the six cups of water before coming in?"
"Yes." Sakura grinned at Lee then, since he'd basically placed six cups in front of her and ordered her to drink all six. It had been a challenge. She laid down and rested her head on a pillow, switching her gaze to the computer screen that would show her insides. Lee squeezed her hand and she felt relieved that he was there with her. His support gave her strength.
Rin squeezed some gel onto Sakura's stomach and the girl pursed her lips as the cold touched her skin, wondering why they couldn't make a warmer one. Once the gel was smeared between her hips, Rin picked up the scanner, which looked suspiciously like the ones used at the supermarket to scan barcodes, and pressed it to Sakura's stomach. Immediately the computer screen flared to life with different tones of black, grey and white, constantly stirring as Rin moved the scanner.
"This is your womb," the doctor explained, using her free hand to point out the area, "and this is your baby." She tapped the keyboard and the image zoomed in on a fuzzy, rounded shape.
"I can't see anything…" Sakura said slowly.
"Doctors are trained specially to be able to see these kinds of things," Mebuki said quietly. "That's what my doctor said during my ultrasound with you."
"Your hahaoya is right," Rin nodded. "From where I'm sitting, I can tell you that everything seems to be in order." She wrote something on Sakura's file and tapped the keyboard a few times. A soft thumping noise came from the computer, each beat seemingly quicker than the last, and Lee gasped, his eyes widening.
"Is that its heartbeat?" he asked, awestruck.
"Yes." Rin looked pleased. "You have a very healthy baby, as far as I can tell. Would you like me to see if I can determine the gender?"
"Yes please," Sakura and Lee chorused, tightening their grip.
"I can't promise anything." Rin moved the scanner slowly, her eyes glued to the screen, and Sakura held her breath nervously, wondering how Lee was feeling. Rin chuckled and looked up at the expectant parents. "I can tell you now that in twenty-four weeks, you'll be welcoming a beautiful baby girl into the world."
"A girl?" the trio gasped.
"Yes, a girl."
o.O.o
Sakura didn't remember walking out of the hospital with Mebuki and Lee. All she could think about was how real her pregnancy had become. Her baby wasn't an it anymore, it was a she and she really existed. 'Pregnant' wasn't just a word anymore… it was really happening. Maybe after the second trimester her baby would look less like a blob and more like an actual baby.
No, not her baby. Their baby. Sakura and Lee were floating, not walking, huge smiles on their faces and dazed expressions. Both teenagers were on cloud nine as reality kicked in that they were actually going to be parents. They had the pictures of the ultrasound to prove it, which Mebuki had tucked in her handbag for later viewing by Kizashi and Gai.
They got to the car and Mebuki unlocked the back door for the pair. "Are you going to call your friends?" she asked, closing the door behind Lee.
"Oh yeah," Sakura murmured vaguely, patting her pockets absent-mindedly. Once she held her phone, she pinched the bridge of her nose to focus, effectively ending her daze. She tapped her contacts app and scrolled down the list until she found Ino's number, selecting it.
Ino picked up after three rings. "Sakura, please tell me you have good news! I'm so bored!"
"It's a girl."
There was a long pause. "Oh my God! That's awesome! I'm gonna have a niece!"
"Don't announced it to the whole world, alright?"
"I'm home alone. Who'll hear me? I take it that the scan went well?"
"Yep. Everything's good and the doctor said she's healthy."
Ino laughed. "I still can't believe you're going to be a hahaoya. I mean, you're my age."
"Me neither, but it's happening. I think I'm actually starting to look forward to parenthood."
"I wouldn't. I'm happy for you guys, really. You feel like hanging out next week?"
"Sure, maybe, it depends if I'm still chucking up. I haven't yet today, so I'm hopeful. Now I have to call the others."
"Tenten's over at Hinata's I'm pretty sure. Something about clothes?"
"Thanks Ino. I'll see you soon."
"Bye! Call me later!"
Sakura hung up and smiled at Lee, who gave her a grin and thumbs' up. She then returned to her contacts list to call Hinata.
o.O.o
"Hmm… I like this one. I'll add it to the 'yes' pile."
"Don't you want to try it on?"
"I should probably do that."
Tenten was sitting cross-legged on Hinata's bedroom floor, dressed in only her bra and undies. Last week Tenten decided that she needed to upgrade her wardrobe, but she didn't have the money. Hinata, as her family was quite wealthy and she had too many clothes to wear, offered to let Tenten go through her wardrobe and pick out clothes she liked. Hence why she was barely clothed. The brunette had picked out quite a few shirts, skirts, pants and dresses already, including a few pairs of jeans that were too big for Hinata.
Right now, Tenten pulled on a white t-shirt with a green butterfly emblazoned on the front. Green was never Hinata's colour.
"What do you think?"
"I like it."
Grinning, the brunette tugged off the shirt and added it to the ever-growing pile of clothes she was keeping.
"I think I've almost got enough," she grinned. Hinata giggled.
"You're cleaning out my wardrobe! This saves me from doing it myself!"
They say home is where the heart is set in stone, it's where you go when you're alone-
Hinata answered her phone. "Hello?"
"Miss Hinata, it is I."
Hinata giggled. If Sakura sounded happy then it had to be good news. "Sakura! How was the scan? How's the baby? What gender is it? Is it a boy or a girl?"
"Whoa, whoa, Hinata slow down! Is Tenten with you?"
"Present!" Tenten shouted, glancing up from the pile of clothes she was searching through.
"Great! Well, the doctor said everything's fine. We've got a nice, healthy baby."
"That's good," Hinata sighed in relief, giving Tenten a thumbs' up. She was glad that Sakura was going to have the baby, no matter how big the challenge. Tenten and Ino felt the same and were all willing to provide whatever support necessary to help their long-time friends. Honestly, the three of them had been secretly hoping for years that Sakura and Lee would get together, given that Lee had always loved her, and this was the perfect opportunity. "So, are you going to tell me if I'm getting a niece or nephew?"
"Well, the doctor did tell me the gender…"
"And?"
"It's a girl!"
"It's a girl!" Hinata echoed, beaming as Tenten whooped in joy, pumping her fist in the air. "It's so exciting!"
"I know. Hold up a sec." Hinata heard a car door slam over the phone and the sounds of walking. "We just got home. Hahaoya and Lee are helping me look at prenatal classes in the area."
"We're really happy for you, Sakura," Hinata said softly. "We'll be here whenever you need us, except for Christmas because you know my family."
Sakura chuckled. "I love you too. Thank you."
"Do you want us to come over?"
"Not if you're busy, which I hear you are."
"Tenten's just going through my wardrobe. We can be over in ten minutes."
"Well, if it's alright with you, I'd just like to be away today. How about tomorrow?"
"Of course! Tenten?"
"Yep, I'll see if I can go over tomorrow."
"Tenten says maybe. And Ino?"
"She's bored. She'll come over in a flash. Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow. Say hi to Lee for me."
"Will do. Bye!"
Sakura hung up and Hinata flung the phone aside, enveloping Tenten in a hug. "It's a girl!" Tenten cried in delight, pushing Hinata back and holding her at arms' length. "I can't believe it!"
Hinata blushed and shrugged Tenten's hands off. "I really hope they know what they're doing," she said thoughtfully. "I can't imagine having a baby at that age, if it was me."
Grinning, Tenten grabbed a skirt and stood, holding it against herself. "They'll be kick-ass parents, as long as they don't chicken out." She tilted her head, examining the skirt in the mirror. "It's a pity this is your favourite skirt."
"How did you know?"
"I've seen you wearing it enough." Tenten tossed it down and scanned the pile, searching for something that caught her interest.
The door opened. "Hey Hinata, I need to borrow your…" Neji trailed off, staring at Tenten in just her lingerie. A blush crossed his features and he opened his mouth to speak again, only to be cut off by an enraged Tenten.
"GET OUT!" she screamed, grabbing the nearest object – which happened to be Hinata's hairbrush – and lobbing it at the offending teen's head. It smacked his face and he reeled back, clutching his forehead.
"What the hell?!" he yelled. "I'm going! I'm going!" He slammed the door shut and Tenten turned to Hinata, the anger draining from her face to be replaced by fear.
"Your brother – my crush – just saw me nearly naked," she gasped, eyes wide. Hinata, long past feeling any sympathy for her dear brother, merely grinned.
"At least he blushed. You know what that means?"
"What?"
"He liked what he saw."
"Hinata!"