TOKYO-3 BABY-SITTERS
 
Written by Alain Gravel 

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Teahouse/2236/

Based on characters created by and copyright GAINAX
Started on May 9th 2000
First pre-reader draft finished on July 1st 2000
Second pre-reader draft finished on August 2nd 2000
Final draft finished on November 22nd 2000

==================================================================

Chapter 5 - Family and Friends


    Earlier, Hikari had received a phone call from Major 
Katsuragi. Normally, this wouldn't have worried Hikari, but she 
could sense something was terribly amiss. Her thoughts again 
visited the earlier call, unbidden...
    "Hikari... something happened to Asuka. I... I can't really 
talk about it, but... well she's on her way to your home. So... 
keep an eye on her and... well... be there if she needs a friend."
    No doubt about it, the call from the Major had really scared 
Hikari. The woman on the other side of the line had seemed really 
worried, so something very wrong must have been going on for her 
to actually call. Not really knowing what to expect, Hikari paced 
back and forth just inside the apartment's entrance. If anything, 
it only made the wait longer. With each step, the girl's anxiety 
rose. The Major had said that Asuka was on her way, but it was 
taking her so long!
    The girl let out a shriek as the sudden sound of thunder 
scared the life out of her. A second, higher pitched scream 
followed hers. Seconds later, a terrified Nozomi bolted from her 
room right toward her middle sister.
    "ONEECHAN!"
    Hikari embraced the weeping nine year old, pushing her own 
fears aside. She understood her sister all too well; she was 
herself terribly afraid of thunder and lightning. She could 
remember running to her mother in a way similar to what Nozomi had 
just done. The difference was that now there was no longer someone 
to comfort her; rather it was now her duty to appear strong and 
comfort her kid sister.
    As she pulled the curtains over the windows, just to be safe, 
Nozomi following her around like a lost puppy, Hikari somewhat 
forgot her own fears and grew worried at the heavy rain that was 
now falling. Asuka was outside... in such weather. For a moment a 
battle raged inside her between her duties to her sister and to 
her friend. She was worried for her friend, but she couldn't 
really leave Nozomi alone to go look for her. Asuka might have 
found herself the big loser if it hadn't been for Hikari having 
someone she might rely on upon such a situation.
    Little sister still in tow, Hikari headed toward her big 
sister's room.
    It would have been wrong to say that the older Horaki sisters 
didn't like each other. They weren't however as close as Nozomi 
and Hikari were. It really wasn't anyone's fault. Kodama was 
simply a solitary soul. In a way, she reminded her of Ikari: 
Kodama was a nice person, but she also was calm, quiet and 
distant. Hikari couldn't help sometimes worrying about her. Sadly, 
Hikari could remember that it hadn't always been like this. Not 
while her mother had been alive. But then again, her mother's 
death had changed all of their lives.
    Knowing from experience that her sister wouldn't answer if she 
tried knocking, Hikari simply entered the room.
    "Oneechan?"
    Kodama turned her head from a very thick biology book she had 
been reading at the call. She was wearing a Chinese pajama similar 
to the one Hikari herself wore at night, although black and much 
better filled. She definitely fit Touji's tactless definition of 
"A babe."
    "I'm busy Hikari. What do you want?"
    Another person might have considered Kodama's reaction as 
rude, but Hikari was used to it. Kodama wasn't rude, she was 
simply very direct. A lot like Ayanami, Hikari realized. In fact, 
as far as she knew, Kodama never got angry at anyone, except at 
her father, for which she made no effort to hide her hatred. She 
hadn't taken well his choice of his work over his dying wife, even 
if it had been a necessity. The fact that he had started drinking 
heavily following their mother's death, making himself drunk each 
time he came back from work, hadn't helped at all. At least they 
now barely saw each other anymore, their father having taken to 
working on the night shift two years ago.
    "I need you to watch over Nozomi. There's thunder outside. 
She's scared."
    As if to emphasize Hikari's point, the said thunder made 
itself heard again, making the two youngers sister shriek in 
fright. While Hikari quickly recovered, Nozomi had sought 
protection in her arms and was shaking like a leaf.
    "I'm busy. I don't have time to play baby-sitter."
    It was a fact that Hikari knew well. After her mother's death, 
Kodama had set her mind on becoming a scientist, intent on 
researching for a cure to the type of cancer which had broken her 
family. So the girl dedicated most of her time to her studies and 
when she was not studying, Kodama worked in a part time job, 
partly to compensate for the loss of one of the family's source of 
income and also to save money for studies abroad.
    "Kodama... please..."
    Maybe it was because of Hikari's pleading look, or maybe 
Kodama was actually weary of her studies, but with a sigh she 
closed her book and gave in.
    "Is it really that important?"
    "Yes! I... I have a friend who may be in trouble... 
outside..."
    "You, going out in a storm? It HAS to be important. Alright... 
I guess I studied enough for tonight."
    Getting up, the older girl pulled the sheets of her bed and 
slipped herself in, then moved in one side, so that there would be 
enough room for another person.
    "Hey, squirt, want to sleep with Oneesan tonight?"
    "Can I?!?" asked a bewildered Nozomi.
    "As long as you don't make a habit of it," answered Kodama 
with a smile.
    Seeing Kodama smile was a rather rare thing. And when it 
happened, it was usually contagious. Hikari smiled herself, while 
her little sister made a little joyful dance, before jumping in 
bed with her sister.
    "Thank you."
    "No prob, sis. But really, you should stop worrying so much 
about others and worry about yourself instead."
    "I can't, Oneesan. If I do that, then no one will care about 
them."
    "Maybe, but then, who cares about you?"
    "It doesn't matter, Oneesan. It doesn't matter..."
    Sadly, Kodama shook her head as she watched her sister leave.

                              - - -

    For a long time, Misato stared at the lifeless screen of her 
laptop computer. As far as she knew, neither Shinji or Asuka were 
aware of its presence in the apartment. Misato was very reluctant 
to take work home, and when she did she usually worked in the 
privacy of her bedroom. But considering the current situation, 
there was no reason to remain there. Asuka was gone and Shinji was 
sleeping peacefully in Rei's arms. As she watched the teenage girl 
holding the child, Misato couldn't help but feel tinges of 
jealousy. She would have preferred being in her place instead of 
having to do this. It felt... so unfair.
    Besides, she had to admit it, she felt envious of how handling 
the child seemed to be much simpler for Rei than her.
    With a sigh, Misato turned the laptop on. The screen flickered 
to life and soon, the familiar MAGI terminal screen appeared. It 
was surprising how fast this thing was, despite using phone lines.
    As she logged on the MAGI, Misato wished that she hadn't 
stopped drinking, despite knowing that no amount of beer would 
have made the task easier.
    Opening the Second Children's file, Misato began typing a 
report on the latest events.

                              - - -

    For the tenth time since she had left, or maybe even more, she 
hadn't kept count, Hikari swore at the Earth's erratic weather. 
For most people, the very concept of Hikari swearing was rather a 
scary one. But fortunately for most people, only her older sister 
Kodama knew just how scary it could be. Maybe it was the result of 
keeping a good appearance on a daily basis, of always keeping 
anger and anguish all repressed deep down, or maybe it was 
something else entirely, but one fact remained... it really wasn't 
a pretty sight. Upon hearing her, mothers would very likely have 
fainted on the spot and sailors would have been proud. At least, 
that was Kodama's opinion.
    And so, Hikari swore at weather that could be a bright sunny 
day at one moment, and a raging storm the next. Despite the fact 
that she was wearing a rain coat, with hood over her head, along 
with rubber boots and even an umbrella, Hikari felt chilled and 
soaked to the bone. It was *that* bad. To make matters worse, a 
car had passed by and drenched her. Fuming, Hikari cursed once 
more. That was it! She was about to go back home - there was no 
way Asuka could have been so stupid as to stay outside in such a 
storm - when she noticed something very wrong. She couldn't see 
very well, but she could make out what seemed like someone laying 
on the ground, on the side of the street. As she walked closer, 
she realized that this person was wearing a female school uniform. 
And that she had long red hair. Her heart tightened in her chest 
as she came to the only logical conclusion.
    "ASUKA!"
    Her umbrella found itself forgotten, and was carried away by 
the wind, as Hikari rushed toward her friend. Hikari was close to 
panicking when she realized that Asuka was laying on the concrete 
sidewalk and not moving.
    "Asuka! Asuka!"
    Quickly, Hikari turned her friend around so that Asuka would 
lay on her back. Taking the soaked head in her lap, Hikari turned 
her body so as to shield the drenched figure from the rain as much 
as possible.
    Hikari's fears were slightly eased when she saw the faint 
rising and falling of Asuka's chest, but she was still very 
worried, especially by Asuka's shivering and the clammy feel to 
her skin. Asuka's clothes were so soaked that you could easily see 
her bra through the fabric of her white blouse. But what was 
really perturbing Hikari was Asuka's lack of reaction. Had she 
fainted, or fallen and lost consciousness?
    "Asuka! Wake up! Asuka!"
    Slowly, Asuka's eyelids opened. Even more slowly, her eyes, 
devoid of life, looked toward her friend. Asuka's lips moved in a 
regular motion, but no sound seemed to come out. Hikari had to 
kneel down and almost put her ear on Asuka's lips to hear her.
    "Hi... ka... ri...... Hi... ka... ri...... Hi... ka... 
ri......"
    This, more then anything else, scared the ponytailed girl. 
Asuka was acting like... some sort of broken automaton.
    "My God, Asuka... what happened to you?!"
    Only the same three syllables came out of Asuka's lips. Over 
and over and over again, before she finally closed her eyes again 
and her lips stopped moving.
    "What can I do? What can I do?!"
    There was really only one solution Hikari could think of. 
Painfully, she hauled an unresponsive Asuka to her feet. Then, she 
forced her to walk. Fortunately, while she still had to carry part 
of her friend's weight, Asuka actually made some effort to walk. 
It would be tedious, but Hikari would see her friend back home. 
Hikari was so focused into helping her friend that she forgot to 
swear as another car passed by and soaked her yet again.

                              - - -

    It had taken Misato an hour to write her report. The words had 
not come easily. She felt even more miserable now that it had been 
sent. In normal circumstances, she would have taken a drink to 
forget about all this, but right now, all she could do was seek 
the company of others and tell herself that she had done the right 
thing.
    "How's our little angel?"
    Misato sat beside Rei on the living room floor. The girl had 
not moved since Asuka's sudden departure.
    "Sleeping peacefully."
    "You're lucky. He rarely wants to sleep when I'm taking care 
of him."
    Again she felt jealous. It looked so right for Rei to hold 
Shinji in her arms as she did. Probably more right than when she 
held him herself.
    "Thank you."
    Misato gave Rei a curious look.
    "What for?"
    "For this opportunity."
    At first, Misato didn't understand, until she followed Rei's 
gaze toward the sleeping child.
    "I should be the one thanking you. I'll have to admit, I was 
scared at first, but you've done better than I had expected. 
You've taken very good care of him. Sometimes... better than me I 
think."
    "In your arms, he can also find peace, security and comfort."
    It felt good to hear that. Oh so very good. Rei was probably 
one of the most honest people Misato knew; she sometimes had the 
feeling that Rei often didn't tell what she knew, but she never 
lied. So to hear her acknowledge that she did a good work... it 
relieved her from most of her self doubts.
    "Thank you, Rei. Sometimes... I find myself wondering if I'm 
really qualified to take care of him."
    "You are."
    Since all there was to say about that topic had been said, an 
awkward silence seemed to fill the room, at least for Misato. She 
could never really guess what the girl sitting next to her was 
thinking and it made conversation with her extremely difficult. 
Rei seemed to be opening a bit more lately, but it didn't make 
things much easier. With Asuka it was easy, she just had to listen 
to the girl ramble about herself. It was harder with Shinji, but 
he had loosened up with time and they could now and then manage 
some interesting discussions. That is, when she hadn't been drunk, 
which hadn't happened that often, she thought bitterly. But Rei... 
Rei was a sort of mystery. Often, she almost reminded Misato of a 
child. There were things, mundane things, that Rei seemed unaware 
of. The girl could seem cold, but there was to her a certain 
amount of innocence. But there was also something deeper... like 
her own two charges, Rei didn't have the eyes of a teenage girl. 
It almost seemed like... she knew exactly what her fate in life 
was, a fate she had resigned herself to without a word. In a way, 
it was sad. And it just made it harder to talk to her.
    "Why did the Second react as she did?"
    This question surprised Misato. Rei was rarely one to initiate 
conversation. And a show of curiosity about Asuka of all things 
was the last thing she would have expected.
    "What do you mean?"
    "She was afraid. She looked at me and Shinji and fear 
overwhelmed her. Why is that?"
    For a moment, Misato wondered how she could explain Asuka's 
reaction. Fact was, while she had a vague idea, she wasn't 
completely sure what was truly the cause. But whatever it was, it 
mainly regarded Asuka's personal life and she knew how much Asuka 
valued her privacy on this subject.
    "Well... she went through some hard times in her youth. And... 
some scars aren't healed yet."
    "So, this is related to her mother's suicide?" asked Rei very 
casually, as if she was asking what time it was.
    Misato gasped. This was restricted information! As far as she 
knew, the only people in Tokyo-3 who had access to the Children's 
personal files were herself, Ritsuko, Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki and 
Commander Ikari. Kaji probably also knew too. How had Rei accessed 
that information?
    "How...? How do you know that?!"
    "It was in her file," answered the girl matter-of-factly.
    Rei had access to Asuka's files... which meant that she had a 
security clearance at least as high as her own. Misato's eyes 
narrowed. Just how much did this girl know? Somehow, she was 
getting the impression that the people around her were better 
informed than herself. Ritsuko, Kaji and now Rei. It was almost 
enough to want to scream in frustration. But instead, she focused 
in staying calm. While she was reluctant to manipulate the girl, 
she kept a mental note to try and get some info from her if the 
opportunity presented itself.
    "Well.. it's not quite that simple. Before killing herself, 
Doctor Sohryu suffered from severe mental disorders and prior to 
that, Asuka's father left his family to marry another woman. All 
this affected her. The poor girl didn't have much of a childhood. 
And there can be wounds which will remain open, which might one 
day get you killed... something I fear at times for Asuka."
    Rei nodded, as if Misato had just confirmed an analysis the 
young girl had made herself.
    "Ikari-kun lost his mother when he was young and was sent away 
by his father. Is this why he... suffers?"
    As she asked this question, Rei's voice hadn't been so 
detached as it had been when she had inquired about Asuka. There 
was a certain apprehension. Maybe it was related to her 
relationship with the boy... or his father.
    "Probably."
    Rei nodded again, but this time with traces of a certain 
sadness on her features. Maybe Misato could guess some of the 
girl's thoughts. Shinji had suffered because his father had 
neglected him. But from what she knew about Rei, the Commander was 
the closest thing to a father figure in her life, even if it 
didn't seem much like a good one, in Misato's opinion.
    "I see. So good parenting is necessary to ensure a child's 
happiness?"
    "Not necessarily, but I think it always helps. Who knows what 
Asuka's or Shinji's lives would have been with their parents at 
their side. Or yours."
    Misato didn't miss how Rei's body suddenly stiffened. The girl 
never talked about herself, and, Misato guessed, probably wouldn't 
want to either. It was interesting however to see how those words 
had somehow hit a nerve.
    "Or mine..." the purple haired woman finally added with a 
whisper, this talk about family reminding her about her own bad 
memories.
    Somehow, even if the conversation had been in a way very 
informative, Misato found herself in a far more depressed mood 
then she had been before talking to Rei.
    "Then we must make sure that this child remains happy."
    It was a simple comment. One a teenager, one who had barely 
struggled with the hardships of life, would innocently say. But 
this was no simple teenage girl. This was a girl who practically 
lived on her own and had to do things most adults would never even 
imagine doing. To hear some conviction and hope in the girl's 
voice... it made Misato feel suddenly a whole lot better. Rei was 
right; there was no point in dwelling with the past. What was 
important was the future and currently, it was sleeping innocently 
in Rei's arms, unaware of the dangers of the outside world.
    "Yeah... we should do that, Rei. Yes... we'll do that."

                              - - -

    "Thank God! We finally made it!"
    As she entered her apartment, Hikari nearly collapsed. The 
only reason she stayed up was because if she fell, then she was 
sure Asuka would have fallen along with her. Despite now being out 
of the rain, Hikari was shivering. Dragging Asuka along she had 
gotten as soaked as her friend. She sneezed once, then twice, 
before leaning Asuka against the apartment's door as delicately as 
she could.
    "If we stay like this, we'll be sure to catch a cold and get 
sick. You stay there okay? I'll be right back."
    Asuka just stared into to what seemed empty space for her.
    Quickly, Hikari removed her rain gear and headed for the 
bathroom, for once not caring if her soaked clothes left traces on 
the floor. It was only water and she could take care of it later. 
There were more important things to take care of.
    Hikari shed her clothes and put them on the previously empty 
pile for wash, then prepared a bath... a hot one. Draping herself 
in a towel, even if she knew well that only her sisters and Asuka 
were in the apartment, Hikari exited the bathroom and picked up 
Asuka from where she had left her. As she had feared, Asuka had 
not moved a muscle. Again, she dragged Asuka along and, getting 
tired of getting nothing from the girl, simply dropped her on the 
floor. Asuka simply stared at her for a few seconds before looking 
at the ceiling... or more accurately just looking straight in 
front of her.
    Removing Asuka's clothes took some work, but if the girl 
wasn't helping, she wasn't resisting either. Then, Hikari 
unceremoniously dumped Asuka in the bath, before jumping in behind 
her, just to make sure the girl wouldn't drown. It was a tight 
squeeze, but there was enough room. Hikari sighed in contentment 
as the water warmed up chilled bones. While she remained silent, 
the other girl, whose head was lying against Hikari's shoulder, 
seemed also to relax from what Hikari could tell.
    For the next half hour, Hikari took care of the other girl, 
washing her from head to toe, then drying her, before dressing her 
in a thick cotton nightgown, over which Hikari usually preferred 
her silk Chinese pajama. It was much simpler then trying to force 
Asuka into her usual sleeping gear. By that time, there seemed to 
be more life in Asuka. She had taken Hikari's washcloth when had 
come the time to take care of some more... sensitive parts Hikari 
didn't dare touch, and now she more or less walked on her own, 
even if it was actually necessary to guide her where you wanted 
her to be. But she still remained silent and never seemed to focus 
long on what was happening.
    It was only later in the night, while Hikari was sleeping, 
Asuka at her side, that the red-head finally snapped out of the 
state she had been in so far. Hikari woke up with a start, 
surprised to find Asuka crying, mumbling the word 'Mama' and 
something about dolls. While Hikari was glad to see that Asuka was 
finally showing signs of life again, she also felt saddened by her 
friend's pain. Not really knowing what to do, she simply hugged 
her friend, who returned, but with much more strength, holding 
onto Hikari as if her life depended on in. It felt strange to see 
her friend so weak, but Hikari figured that Asuka was human, just 
as she was, and that no one was safe from grief and sorrow, not 
even someone as proud as Sohryu Asuka Langley.
    "Hikari... thank you... for everything..."
    It had been only a whisper between two sobs, but it still 
filled Hikari with joy and pride. She didn't know what had 
happened to her friend, and she doubted that Asuka would tell her, 
but at least, this time, she had been able to help.

                              - - -

    Rei stared at her reflection in the glass. Morning had come 
and the Major had awakened her for school. Rei had removed her 
clothing and had been about to wash herself when her eyes caught 
her own gaze in the bathroom mirror.
    For a moment, her mind wandered.
    'This is myself. This face I see is mine. Red eyes, blue hair. 
This body is the vessel of my soul, a means for others to identify 
myself, for me to verify my existence. When I touch my skin, it 
feels warm. If this body is hurt, it will bleed and I will feel 
pain.'
    'If I can see myself, then why am I uncertain about who I am?'
    'Am I still myself?'
    'It feels as if there are two selves within this body. The one 
which is here now, and the one that exists when I am near him. The 
one I am staring at and the one that smiles when I take him in my 
arms.'
    'Who am I really? Who am I?'
    'Can this other self also be myself?'
    'If it is, am I still myself?'
    'Or have I become another?'
    'But if I am aware of myself, then am I not myself?'
    'If that other is myself, then should I accept it?'
    'She is wild, erratic, emotional.'
    'Emotions should not be sought. They make you weak, confused. 
They make you lose your focus. They are not needed. This is what 
Ikari taught me.'
    'But I feel them.'
    'And this other self expresses them.'
    'I am confused. Lost. What is and what should be? Who am I?'
    Turning away from the mirror, the girl thought about those she 
knew.
    'Commander Ikari. Still and cold as the mountain. But he 
injured himself to save my life, even if I can be replaced. His 
face is hard and stern, but sometimes he smiles when we are 
alone.'
    'Major Katsuragi. Professional and in control in time of 
crisis. Sloppy and lazy at home. Yet also full of care and 
attention for Shinji.'
    'Ikari-kun. So weak and fragile. But he stayed here, fighting 
with more strength than we might have expected of him.'
    'Sohryu Asuka Langley. The Second Children. I have seen her 
scared, haunted, lost, last night. I have seen her smiling, 
standing tall and proud. She is chaotic, conflicting in nature. 
Showing different sides of herself. Which is the real one? Which 
is really Sohryu Asuka Langley? Are any of them as they appear to 
be? Am I as I appear to be? Or is there more?'
    'Is it possible that there are many selves to one self? If so, 
what is the real self? Can the sum of those selves be one true 
self? Is there such a thing as one true self? Or are humans beings 
of chaos with no notion of self? Running wild like a river, 
endlessly changing, but looking the same to the naked eye?'
    'Is this the truth to man's identity? If so, must I accept 
it?'
    'Must I... accept myself?'
    'Was I... denying myself? Is it possible to deny oneself? Am I 
not myself if I am aware of myself?'
    'Then how could I be myself and not be myself?'
    'Who am I?'
    'Who am I?'
    'Who am I?'
    'Is this other self also myself? If so, should this self 
become part of myself? Or perhaps it is already part of myself but 
I had not recognized it before?'
    'What must I do? Who must I be? Should I remain myself or 
become someone else who would also be myself?'
    Conflicting images and memories ran through the girl's head.
    Ikari Shinji, asking her to smile if she felt happy.
    Commander Ikari, reminding her of her role, the purpose of her 
existence.
    Major Katsuragi, trusting her with the duty of taking care of 
baby Shinji.
    And finally baby Shinji, sleeping contently in her arms.
    And so, the girl came to a decision.
    'I am... I am Ayanami Rei.'
    Now certain of what she had to do, the blue haired girl exited 
the bathroom and went to face a rather tired Misato. The Major 
blinked and gave the naked girl in front of her a curious look.
    "I will not go to school. If not needed at NERV, I will remain 
here to take care of Shinji."
    Misato almost protested, but Rei's eyes showed such 
determination that Misato knew it would be a wasted effort.
    "I'm not your guardian, so I can't tell you what to do. But 
I'm not sure that the Commander will approve."
    "I will deal with the Commander."
    Rei had said this so casually, as if it was nothing. For her 
to be so sure of herself, even in face of the threat of having to 
explain herself to the Commander... Misato felt both bewildered 
and proud.
    "Fine," she said, a smile on her face. "Judging by your state 
of undress, am I right in assuming that you were about to take a 
bath when you made this very sudden decision?"
    Only then did Rei seem to notice that she was indeed naked. 
However, if this fact brought her any embarrassment, it never 
showed.
    "Yes."
    "Then you won't mind taking the opportunity to give Shinji a 
bath?"
    A wide smile lit up the girl's face. Misato smiled herself. 
For some reason, she found Rei's smiles to be very often 
contagious.
    "I do not mind."

                              - - -

    Horaki Hikari liked to sleep. Once she hit a bed, she became 
extremely lazy. If it wasn't for her trusty alarm clock, the odds 
were that she would likely oversleep every day. It was one of her 
few guilty pleasures in life. However, being in charge of the 
house, as well as her position of class representative, made it 
hard for her to indulge herself in this activity.
    But that didn't mean that waking up every morning was an easy 
task for her.
    Hikari groaned as the sharp buzzing sound filled her room, 
awakening all her senses against her wishes. She had chosen her 
alarm clock especially for its loud volume and also its resistant 
look; her two previous alarms had been destroyed by flying 
projectiles. It's surprising the amount of damage a math manual 
can cause when thrown by an angry teenage girl.
    One long minute passed, alarm working non-stop, before 
Hikari's sleeping form finally started to move. If the alarm had 
been close to her bed, she would likely have stretched an arm and 
shut it off, or worse, thrown it against a wall, but experience 
had long ago taught the girl that it was best to keep her alarm 
out of reach on the opposite side of the room. With a grunt, a 
disheveled head emerged from below her covers. Worrying about 
Asuka, Hikari hadn't slept much the night before and so, she 
wasn't really happy to hear the sound she dreaded every morning.
    She yawned, then opened her eyes, to gasp in surprise as a 
little bundle of energy jumped into her bed.
    "ONEECHAN!"
    Hikari silently cursed herself for forgetting her backup alarm 
clock. If the sharp buzzing couldn't pull her out of her sleep, 
Nozomi usually did. For a moment, Hikari wished that she was older 
and living on her own; at least then she might perhaps be able to 
sleep as much as she wanted to. Although, part of her pointed out 
that it might actually be even better to be older and living with 
someone she could cuddle in bed... someone like Touji.
    She wondered how he was. She hadn't been able to see him ever 
since that time after the incident with Unit-03. And at the time, 
it had taken a lot of pleading with Major Katsuragi to manage a 
few minutes.
    While part of her thoughts were wandering, another part 
realized something was wrong. And it seemed to be related with 
Nozomi jumping on her bed...
    Asuka!
    Panicked, Hikari looked around, afraid that her sister was 
jumping all over her friend. But she quickly realized that the 
redhead was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't sure if she should feel 
relieved or worried at that thought.
    "Nozomi. Did you... did you see my friend Asuka?"
    "Oh!" exclaimed the little girl as enlightenment seemed to hit 
her. "I almost forgot! Langley-san told me to wake you up! Come, 
come!"
    "Huh? Where?"
    "To the kitchen silly! Come, come! Langley-san made 
breakfast!"
    Hikari suddenly felt quite lost here. From a conversation she 
had heard, not intentionally, between the members of the "idiot 
trio", Shinji was apparently the one that did everything in their 
apartment. The cooking, cleaning and washing. She was told that 
Misato sometimes cooked, but the result apparently ranged from 
bland to awful, depending if her charges were lucky that day, each 
time she tried. Never had she heard anything about Asuka cooking 
before.
    Dragging herself out of bed, she followed her over-energized 
sister toward the kitchen. For a moment, she wondered if Asuka's 
notion of breakfast for Nozomi had been a few bars of chocolate 
with chocolate milk; Nozomi sure showed all the signs of being on 
a sugar high.
    Hikari gasped at the sight that awaited her. While she felt 
like she had gone to Hell and back, Asuka seems as fresh as a 
daisy. She was already in her school uniform, her hair combed and 
had a large smile on her face. But the scarier part was probably 
the fact that she was wearing a pink apron, standing in front of 
the kitchen table where she could see a stack of pancakes.
    "Guten Morgen, Hikari-chan!"
    Hikari nearly fainted in hearing this overly cheerful Asuka.
    "Good... good morning... Asuka..."
    "Langley-san made pancakes! They look so yummy!"
    Nozomi nearly jumped toward her seat, where Asuka handed her a 
plate that she filled with an handful of pancakes. After adding a 
bit of raspberry syrup, the little kid began to chow down on her 
meal.
    "Something smells good in here."
    Again, Hikari's eyes went wide as she saw her other sister 
exit her room. She usually ate on her own while studying a bit.
    "Langley-san made pancakes! Langley-san made pancakes!"
    "I heard you the first time, squirt."
    Calm as always, the complete opposite of her younger sister, 
Kodama sat down and was served a few pancakes by Asuka.
    "Umm... good too. Hikari usually prefers a more traditional 
type of breakfast. Interesting change."
    Hikari couldn't believe her eyes. Kodama was sitting at the 
table AND was making conversation?
    "Don't you want one?" asked Asuka as she grabbed a pancake 
with a fork and wiggled it in front of her friend.
    Seeing that all eyes were on her, Hikari sat down. After a 
bite, she had to admit, it was very good. Very good indeed. She 
watched, as both her sisters smiled and complimented the EVA pilot 
again.
    The pigtailed girl frowned. They rarely complemented her on 
her cooking.
    She felt... very annoyed.
    But she couldn't help but worry. This... didn't seem like 
Asuka at all...
    Something was wrong here. Very wrong.

                              - - -

    Most people were usually intimidated by the size and dark 
ambiance that characterised Ikari Gendo's office. Sub-Commander 
Fuyutsuki Kuzo was used to it. It was an office he had visited 
quite often in the last year. In fact, he was currently playing Go 
with Ikari. It was one of the rare pastimes the Commander seemed 
to have. And even in this case, they still talked business, to his 
regret.
    "I've received a report from Major Katsuragi," said Fuyutsuki, 
as he made his move. The commander gave a short glance to the pile 
of reports his second in command had put on his desk earlier. "The 
details were sketchy, but it seems that the Second Children went 
through another trauma, similar to those noted in her file."
    As Kuzo expected, Ikari showed no reaction.
    "Was it necessary to detain the Second Children?"
    "No. In fact, reports from Section 2 didn't note anything 
unusual about the pilot, other than that she appeared unusually 
cheery this morning. It seems consistent with previous 
occurrences."
    "People continue to live by forgetting things."
    Kuzo was tempted to comment that some people here were 
actually doing quite the opposite, but wasn't in the mood to start 
an argument with Ikari. Besides, he himself was among those 
people.
    "Nevertheless, at this stage, we can't afford a mentally 
unstable pilot. Not with Unit-01's pilot incapacitated. If we also 
lose Unit-02's pilot, it would leave Rei on her own. In her 
report, Major Katsuragi suggested that we find and train a new 
backup pilot as soon as possible. I would tend to agree."
    "I have already discussed these matters with the Committee and 
request for a Fifth Children has been denied. The old men seem 
more worried by the incident with the Third Children and how it 
fits in their scenario than by our increasing difficulties to 
defend against the Angels. But don't worry, old friend. If the 
Second Children does indeed become of no use and the Committee 
still refuses us the Fifth Children, then the Fourth remains 
available."
    The older man gasped at those words.
    "Ikari! That's insane! The boy is missing an arm and a leg!"
    "He is alive. And he was able to synch with Unit-03 before it 
was taken over by the Thirteenth Angel. That is all that matters."
    "Why must those children suffer so much?"
    "Because we have no other choice."
    There was a moment of silence as both men went on with their 
game.
    "By the way Ikari, how is your son? I unfortunately didn't 
have the chance to see him since the... incident. It must be a 
strange sight. It's been fourteen years, but I can still remember 
the day Yui-kun showed him to me. She's always been so proud of 
him. But then again, he was a very cute baby."
    Fuyutsuki almost had trouble not grinning from ear to ear. The 
occasions to tease Ikari were so sparse...
    "I hear that Major Katsuragi has grown very attached to him in 
such a short amount of time. And it seems that he's all Lieutenant 
Ibuki and Doctor Akagi ever talk about of late... well on the rare 
times they show themselves anyway. I even hear that Rei herself 
fell under his charm."
    While no reaction could be read in the Commander's face, 
Fuyutsuki won the game for a change.

                              - - -

    In the bath, baby Shinji giggled as he splashed water all over 
Rei's face with his little hands.
    The girl smiled, and laughed. Not a loud one, but one of joy 
and delight.



[To be continued...]



Omake/Extra:

    Misato let out a loud sigh as she sank into the tub. It felt 
so good to relax after such a long day. Sure, Shinji slept most of 
the time, but when he was awake... It made her long to get back to 
work at NERV. That was never anywhere near as stressful as trying 
to take care of a baby.
    Oh, well. Rei was there, looking after him, finally giving her 
time to herself. Nothing to do but just lay back, relax, and soak 
for a long time...
    "Major Katsuragi! Come here! Quickly!"
    Misato sat up instantly. That had sounded like Rei. But it 
couldn't have. It was too excited. And Rei was never excited about 
anything.
    "Major! Come here! It's Shinji!"
    That got the Operations Director out of the tub and out of the 
bathroom, a towel wrapped around her torso, in an instant. 
Something was wrong. Something had happened to Shinji. Why else 
would Rei sound so agitated? Numerous scenarios ran through her 
head as she dashed to the living room. He was sick, he had hurt 
himself (the fact he wasn't crying didn't cross her mind), he had 
eaten something wrong... Though concerned as she was for the boy-
turned-baby's well-being, the more primary thought on her mind 
was, "Oh, man, Ritsuko's so going to kill me!"
    When she finally arrived to the living room, she encountered 
Rei, who was standing in the hall waiting for her. Strangely 
enough, the albino girl wasn't worried in the least. In fact, she 
actually had a smile on her face. It made Misato worry even more, 
especially since Rei had less experience with babies as she did, 
even if Shinji had warmed to Rei rather quickly and unusually.
    "What is it?! What happened?!" she cried. "Is he hurt?! Is he 
sick?! Rei, tell me--"
    "Look," the girl said calmly, pointing into the living room. 
Misato did, and gasped.
    Shinji was up. On his legs. Standing. A little wobbly, but 
standing none-the-less. With his little arms stretched out at his 
sides, he began to take little steps across the room, hesitantly 
at first, but a little more quickly with each new one as he 
approached the two females. He was about to fall over when Misato 
quickly reached forward and caught him.
    "I thought that you would want to witness his first steps," 
Rei said, a hint of bliss in her voice.
    Misato said nothing, not even to bother to correct the First 
Children that it technically wasn't Shinij's first steps. Instead, 
she just held the little baby in her arms, hugging him as he 
gurgled and cooed happily.
    "Such a big boy," she whispered, and gave him a little kiss on 
his forehead. "Yes you are, my little Shinji..."
    Her little Shinji said nothing, save for a little coo as he 
laid his head on her bosom. Which was now bare after Misato's 
towel had fallen off.


[This scene was a suggestion from my friend Jeremy Mullin. I 
couldn't use it, however, as Shinji is much too young in T3B to 
walk. It was a cute scene however and I didn't want it to go to 
waste.]



Author's notes:

Well, this is the revised edition of what originally was Chapter 
5. I cut slightly in the Horaki family characterization and gave 
back some room to Rei and Misato. In whole, I think it all works 
better.

For those few who have read the initial draft and actually liked 
very much the initial Horaki scenes, well all I can say is that I 
have serious intentions to write a fic that will focus on Hikari 
and elements brought up in this chapter's first draft. For those 
who wonder what I'm talking about... let's just say that you 
shouldn't expect a happy fic. And don't expect it too soon either.

"Why such a characterization of Hikari's family life?" some might 
ask? Well, in NGE, Hikari was what many people considered as only 
the 'normal' character in the show. I had to change that. Surely 
there was more to Hikari than a nice girl and a sometimes 
overzealous class representative. Of course, I could have chosen a 
nicer family picture, but that's just how things flew.

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