Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Bee-beep. Bee-beep. Bee-beep.
"Unh," Sango groaned softly, opening her eyes slowly. She dazedly took in the blank walls, the buzzing monitors, the small hospital bed. She tried to lift her arm to her face, but was surprised when she felt it pulled on all sides by small objects. Lifting her sleeve, she found several small monitor wires and sensors clinging to her arm.
"Hmmm..." she sighed, smiling tiredly. "I guess I have a knack for getting into weird situations. What the heck's wrong with me, anyway?" At that moment, Tsunade slowly stepped into the room.
"Oh good, you're awake," she said, seeming a little apprehensive.
"What's wrong? What's wrong with me?" Sango cried, unable to contain her fear. "Does Lee know I -"
"Sango, Sango, calm down," said Tsunade. "There's nothing wrong. Yes, Lee knows you're here, but we haven't told him any of the specifics yet. We took a blood test, and there's nothing wrong." She smiled slowly. "Nothing at all."
"Then why did I -"
"Ninshin shite imas." Sango froze, too dazed to fully understand.
"I - you mean -"
"Yes," Tsunade said happily, "you're pregnant." Sango smiled, but was too shocked to speak. "About five weeks," Tsunade added. "Do you know when -"
"Mm-hmm," Sango murmured. "The night we first moved into - yeah, that must've been it." She smiled and giggled shyly. "But, my gosh! I've wanted to be a mother for so long! I can't believe it!"
"Do you want me to tell the others?"
"No, please don't!" said Sango. "Just tell Lee to come up here and - er... Just tell the others I'll talk to them when we leave."
"Okay," said Tsunade, opening the door. "Lee, you can -"
"Sango!" he cried, dashing in and hugging her tightly. Tsunade left the room to stand in the hall, watching through the door's window. She smiled as she saw Lee cry over her safety. Then Sango leaned over to whisper something in his ear, and they both sobbed and smiled, laughing happily as they hugged and cried together. She smiled again at the memory of so many others who had experienced the same joy. Sadly, though, as was her job, she now had to break up the lovefest and lay down the facts and guidelines for the future parents.
"Excuse me, you two." Sango and Lee looked up at her, wiping tears from their eyes. "I need to give you some information for preparing. First..."
Sango's mind was so full of information when she left that she was sure her head would explode. But she was almost unbearably happy and excited. So she was beaming when she met her friends and team in the waiting room.
"Sango!" said Tenten, seeing her first. "What is it? Is anything wrong?"
"No, just something Lee gave me..." she said casually. Guy and Neji breathed a sigh of relief.
"We were so afraid we'd hurt you," said Guy.
"What the heck, Sango?!" cried Tatsumi. "First you get hospitalized during training, then say nothing's wrong?! You're lying, I just know it!"
"Well, there really isn't anything wrong," Sango replied calmly. She knew Tatsumi too well to be offended by her anger; she always got angry to cover up worry. "And to prove it to you, you can all come to our house for dinner tonight."
"Okay!" Disura said, smiling. "Sounds like fun." The others agreed.
"Well then what are we waiting for?" said Sango. "Come on!"
Sango cooked with Lee, humming cheerfully as she worked. Every time the two passed each other near the counter, they gave the other a quick kiss. Sango had almost never been happier, except maybe at her wedding, and Lee seemed overjoyed but stunned. They prepared a small fortune in food - soba, tempura, udon, onigiri, pickled plum and radish, fried rice, curry, and many others. But it was easy, and they worked with almost inhuman speed.
Sango had convinced Gaara and his family to stay one more night, along with Shikamaru and Yumi. Everyone's eyes grew wide as Sango and Lee brought out all of the food.
"Man, Sango!" said Disura. "That's a ton! What's the occasion?"
"Yeah, who died?" said Tatsumi.
"Nothing big," said Sango. They brought pitchers of water, punch, lychee juice, green and lotus tea, and bottles of saké. "But there are fourteen of us eating, and I don't know what everyone likes, so..." She paused. "Fifteen, really," she thought. She poured saké for everyone but Hoshi and Hinoiri. Lee cleared his throat.
"In spite of a strange beginning," he said, "today has been a truly wonderful day. So, I propose a toast. To good health! Kampai!"
"Kampai!" everyone echoed, draining their saké cups. Lee took the smallest sip possible, and Sango only touched it to her lips and pretended to drink it. Alcohol was off-limits now.
"Ham pie!" said Hinoiri, drinking from his cup of punch and spilling most of it on himself. Everyone laughed.
"How cute!" said Kikyo. "I love you two!"
"So now," said Sango, "let's eat!" The plates were passed around the table, and there was more than enough for multiple platefuls. Sango was ravenous; she hadn't eaten since breakfast. Soon everyone was eating and talking happily. Sango took a deep breath to prepare herself for what was to come.
"Er, excuse mem" she said, slowly tapping her glass with a chopstick. The room quickly grew quiet. "I - I, er... have something to tell you all..."
"You're kicking us out?!" Yumi cried. "Why, what'd we do?!"
"No, Yumi," Sango said patiently, "we're not kicking you out. It's about today..."
"What, did you get the flu or something?" Tatsumi joked. She took a large sip of her green tea.
"No," Sango replied, "but I'm pregnant." Tatsumi choked on her tea and spit it across the table, coughing and trying to catch her breath. Gaara and Kikyo were soaked.
"You - You what?!" she gasped breathlessly.
"How?!" said Disura.
"Well, sometimes, when a man and a woman love each other very much, they decide to -"
"Not that part!" said Tatsumi.
"So, yeah, anyway, I -" Before Sango could continue, Guy had already wrapped them in a spine-crushing hug and was crying hysterically.
"Congrats, you guys!" he sobbed. "You guys're so great! Ah, Lee, I always knew you had it in you! You picked the perfect girl, and you're perfect, too!" He stopped and sobbed happily. "Youth just blooms so fast, and just when you get used to it..."
"You are right," said Lee, joining in his crying.
"Oh, brother!" said Tenten. Neji rolled his eyes.
"So, uh," said Kikyo, wiping tea off of her face on her sleeve, "when's the baby due?"
"Let's see..." said Sango. "Today's September twentieth, so... forty would be... About May twenty-third, I think."
"Give or take a few days," said Tenten. "With really fit people it's usually a few days early."
"Since when is Sango 'the usual?'" said Tatsumi. "Or Kiba. He said he and his sister were both two weeks early, and near a full moon."
"Ooooh, creepy!" said Yumi. "Like a werewolf!"
"I guess..." said Tatsumi. "I never really thought about it like that, but..."
"I'm just smart like that! Right, Kikyo?"
"Yeah, if that's what you wanna call it..."
"Yaaay! Yumi's smartical!" Sango grinned, enjoying the company of her friends and the anticipation of the future. But unknown to her, danger and uncertainty were beginning to gather in seemingly unlike places outside the village. For the moment, it would be beyond imagination to Sango. But the storm was soon to come...